Are we losing our local identity for the global identity ? Discuss.
Approach · directive: “discuss”
What it asks · Weigh the evidence that globalisation dilutes local languages, food, dress and communities against the evidence of adaptation and revival, and reach a balanced view.
The question has 3 parts — answer each
- Discuss the evidence that local identity is being lost to a global identity
- Discuss the counter-evidence: adaptation, revival and layered identities
- Reach a balanced verdict with a way forward
Open with · Globalisation carries a common consumer culture, English and global media into every town; whether this replaces or only enlarges local identity is the debate.
Cover
- Signs of loss: English and global brands dominate, and many mother tongues, dialects and tribal languages are losing speakers.
- Homogenisation: fast food, fashion, commercialised festivals and youth culture shaped by global streaming and social media narrow the range of local tastes and practices.
- Economic pressure: mass-produced goods displace crafts, handloom and local cuisine, and migration to cities weakens village institutions and the patronage of folk arts.
- Adaptation: local culture also goes global; yoga (International Day of Yoga, 2015), Indian cuisine, cinema and music travel abroad, and digital platforms widen regional audiences.
- Protection: GI tags under the 1999 Act, UNESCO intangible heritage listings (Yoga, Kumbh Mela, Durga Puja) and mother-tongue instruction under NEP 2020 support local identity.
- Layered identities: Indians hold local, regional, national and global identities together; a cosmopolitan outlook is compatible with rootedness if local roots are valued.
- Way forward: multilingual education, documentation of endangered languages and arts, support for artisans and fair-trade markets, so that globalisation becomes exchange, not replacement.
Close with · Global exposure is changing local identity, not erasing it; conscious support for language, craft and community life will keep the exchange two-way.
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2019, GS Paper I — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer · 285 words (UPSC limit 250) · Minimalist IAS
Globalisation carries a common consumer culture, English and global media into every Indian town; whether this replaces local identity or merely adds a layer to it is the question.
Signs of loss
- Language: English and global brands dominate work, media and aspiration, and many mother tongues, dialects and tribal languages are losing speakers.
- Homogenised taste: fast food, global fashion, commercialised festivals and a youth culture shaped by streaming and social media narrow the range of local practices.
- Economic displacement: mass-produced goods push out crafts, handloom and local cuisine, and migration to cities weakens village institutions and the patronage of folk arts.
Signs of adaptation and revival
- Local goes global: yoga (International Day of Yoga, 2015), Indian cuisine, cinema and music travel abroad, and digital platforms give regional languages and music larger audiences than before.
- Protection: GI tags under the 1999 Act, UNESCO intangible heritage listings (Yoga, Kumbh Mela, Durga Puja) and mother-tongue instruction under NEP 2020 support local identity.
- Layered identities: Indians hold local, regional, national and global identities together; a cosmopolitan outlook coexists with rootedness when local roots are valued.
- Two-way exchange: global brands adapt to local taste and global platforms carry local content, so the traffic is not one-way.
Verdict and way forward
- Global exposure is changing local identity, not erasing it, but the change is uneven: what has market value or state support survives, while dialects and crafts without patrons fade.
- Multilingual education, documentation of endangered languages and arts, support for artisans and fair-trade markets, and community festivals can keep the exchange two-way.
We are not losing local identity so much as renegotiating it; conscious support for language, craft and community life will ensure that globalisation enlarges identity rather than flattening it.
Written by Minimalist IAS from facts checked at source (how we verify) — a little fuller than exam length, so every part of the question is covered; in the hall, keep the structure and trim the detail. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.