During the period of British India, the social and religious life of the people had undergone profound changes. Though there were major changes, the fundamental principles of Hinduism and Christianity were maintained by the people. The social reformers like Shankaracharya Swami, Subhadra Swami, Baba Srinivi Gautam and Father Ghoshy were important in making Hinduism a powerful religion that expresses the aspirations of a Hindu citizen. The social reforms initiated by them changed the face of society not only in India but in Britain too.
During the time of British Raj, the government started serious changes to the Hindu code of discipline. They granted concessions to women in divorce, widowhood, child custody and equal representation in the civil as well as military service. This made Hinduism more acceptable to the masses. However, with the advent of new constitutional governments led by the British Raj II, these changes were reversed.
During the rule of Indira Gandhi (who was the first female PM of the Indian state), there were attempts to introduce some social reforms similar to those introduced during the time of her husband. However, she failed to introduce any major social policy and the only thing that she did was to appoint a few social reformers to the cabinet. Her attempts were again thwarted by the army. She even tried to make the Hindu Religious amendments a part of the constitution, but that too, was unsuccessful.
There was no change in the caste structure of the society. Even the Muslims in India faced discrimination in the public employment. The only progressive step taken by the government during this era was to allow education for all children belonging to any strata of the society. The main aim behind this was to uplift the deprived social classes. Education was a tool to combat illiteracy.
All this changed when the government took up the task of implementing the National Industrial Research Board. This board made significant changes in the overall economic structure of the country. The government also took up many welfare reforms such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Housing Policy, the Minimum Distance rule for automobiles, and the Citizenship Law reforms. These social reforms were major factors that helped the poor and backward economically. They improved the living standards of the people.
In the early years of the 21st century, the Indian economy had been hit by two massive shocks. One was the financial crisis led by the global recession. The other was the entry of the World Trade Organization into the Indian economy. Both these set off a series of social and governmental reforms. In addition, the introduction of the social welfare policies improved the overall condition of the Indian society.
The most significant of all the welfare reforms was the Minimum Distance rule for automobiles. It reduced the distances between rural and urban residences to make commuting affordable for the majority of the Indian citizens. This ensured that the rural population could have access to high-end consumer products like automobiles. The introduction of the Food Processing Act also helped in reducing the cost of living across the country.
As has been shown, the social reforms implemented by the Indian government are still very much present. Though many of the changes may not have had a great effect on the lives of ordinary citizens, they have had profound effects on the development of the country. They led to improvements in the living standards of the people. They have also played an important role in the empowerment of women. Given the above, it is not surprising to see that the social reforms of the 21st century are still remembered with gratitude in India and abroad.