Nehruvian modernization

India under Jawaharlal Nehru (PM 1947-1964) pursued several modernizing projects:

• Parliamentary democracy with universal suffrage
• Secular state with explicit constitutional protection for religious minorities
• State-led economic development with five-year plans (modeled partly on Soviet practice)
• Scientific and technological investment (Indian Institutes of Technology, atomic energy program)
• Land reform attempts (often blocked by entrenched landlords)
• Legal abolition of untouchability (though caste discrimination persisted in practice)
• Women's legal rights including divorce and inheritance

Nehruvian India was a serious attempt at building a modern, secular, pluralistic democracy in a society with vast traditional structures (caste, religion, language, region). The project achieved real successes (democracy survived, economic growth gradually accelerated, scientific institutions emerged) but also faced real strains.