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.
It asks 3 things — answer each
- Discuss the evidence that local identity is being lost to a global identity
- Discuss the counter-evidence: glocalisation, revival and layered identities
- Reach a balanced verdict with a way forward
Open with · NCERT frames the debate as homogenisation versus glocalisation: will all cultures become alike, or will global and local blend? India's experience shows both at once.
Cover
- Loss: English as aspiration; smaller mother tongues and tribal languages lose young speakers.
- Homogenisation: global brands, fast food, fashion and streaming push a uniform culture; festivals commercialise.
- Livelihoods: mass-made goods undercut handloom and crafts; migration thins village patrons of folk arts.
- Glocalisation: global firms adapt to local taste; kurta with jeans travels both ways.
- Local goes global: UN's International Day of Yoga (21 June, resolution 69/131, 2014); Garba India's 15th UNESCO ICH element (2023).
- Policy: NEP 2020 mother tongue as medium at least till Grade 5; GI tags for crafts and foods.
- Verdict and way forward: identity is renegotiated, not lost; document languages, support artisans and community festivals.
Close with · NCERT notes that globalisation also makes cultures more distinctive; India's task is to keep the local voice heard in the global conversation, not drowned by it.
Add value (verified)
- The UN proclaimed 21 June as the International Day of Yoga on 11 December 2014 (resolution 69/131).International Day of Yoga — United Nations ↗“on 11 December 2014, the United Nations proclaimed 21 June as the International Day of Yoga by resolution 69/131”
- Since 2019: Garba of Gujarat (December 2023) became India's 15th element on UNESCO's intangible heritage list.Garba of Gujarat declared Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO — PIB, Ministry of Culture ↗“Garba of Gujarat is the 15th ICH element from India to join this list”
- NEP 2020: mother tongue/local/regional language as medium of instruction at least till Grade 5, preferably till Grade 8.Cabinet approves National Education Policy 2020 — PIB, Ministry of Education ↗“The policy has emphasized mother tongue/local language/regional language as the medium of instruction at least till Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond.”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2019, GS Paper I — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 16 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer· 319words · Minimalist IAS
NCERT frames this debate as homogenisation versus glocalisation: will all cultures become alike, or will the global blend with the local? India's experience suggests both are happening at once.
Signs that local identity is being lost
- Language shift: English dominates jobs and aspiration, and smaller mother tongues and tribal languages lose young speakers.
- Uniform consumption: global brands, fast food, fashion and streaming push a uniform culture, which political scientists call cultural homogenisation.
- Crafts and livelihoods: mass-made goods undercut handloom and crafts, and migration thins the village patrons of folk arts.
- Commercialised festivals: rituals turn into branded events, valued for spectacle more than community.
Signs of adaptation and revival
- Glocalisation: global firms adapt menus and ads to local taste, and the kurta worn with jeans has even travelled back to the West.
- Local goes global: the UN proclaimed 21 June as the International Day of Yoga in 2014 (resolution 69/131), and, since then, Garba of Gujarat became India's 15th UNESCO intangible heritage element in 2023.
- Policy support: NEP 2020 later emphasised the mother tongue or regional language as the medium of instruction at least till Grade 5; GI tags protect regional crafts and foods.
- Digital revival: regional cinema, music and creators now reach audiences across the world.
| Global pressure | Local response |
|---|---|
| English as aspiration | Mother-tongue schooling (NEP 2020) |
| Uniform fashion | Kurta with jeans |
| Factory goods | GI-tagged crafts |
| Global festivals | Garba on UNESCO's list |
Verdict
- Identity is being renegotiated, not lost. What has market value or state support thrives, while dialects and crafts without patrons fade. Indians now hold local, national and global identities in layers.
Way forward
- Document endangered languages, teach in the mother tongue, link artisans to fair markets, and fund community festivals so that the exchange stays two-way.
As NCERT observes, the globalisation that homogenises also makes each culture more distinctive; India's task is to keep the local voice heard in the global conversation, not drowned by it.
Prepared by Minimalist IAS to the answer standard of Shivam Singh (mentor, 7 years) · facts checked against official sources (how we verify) · updated 16 Oct 2026. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.
