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Synopsis It has been felt that political instability in nations is usually the result of incongruence between political process and political values, political institutions and political belief and political culture. It is in this context that the present book seeks to explore the cultural aspect of Indian polity during last 50 years. The study can be fascinating as India represents a classic case where an old society and a new state strive to co-exist and sustain each other. There seems to be a crisis of paradigms about what India seeks to be. It remains basically a traditional country drawing its strength from an old society and civilization. However, industrialization and modernization have drawn wide range of people into the economic and political process transforming economy and polity on the one hand and moral values and social and political institutions on the other. This book offers an analysis of the changes in social structure, cultural values and political institutions. This analysis is based on a critical understanding of the political evolution of India since earliest times; its political traditions, ideas and institutions; their interaction with culture; the colonial encounter and the changes that followed; political ideas that evolved during the national movement, political institutions adopted by free India; their relevance and acceptability among masses, their capacity to solve the problems; the changes in patterns of leadership and political values and beliefs in post independence India.