Which of the following is not a feature of old social movements?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 3

The correct answer is Option (3) → Deals with issues pertaining to Global relevance

Option (1) Related to political party — A feature of old social movements (Incorrect). The old social movements functioned within the frame of political parties: the Indian National Congress led the Indian National Movement, and the Communist Party of China led the Chinese Revolution.

Option (2) Deals with local/regional issues — A feature of old social movements (Incorrect). The old movements were fought within one country, over its own issues: workers in the capitalist West seeking better wages and social security from their own state, or a people seeking freedom from colonial rule. Their reach stayed local, regional or national.

Option (3) Deals with issues pertaining to Global relevance — Not a feature of old social movements (Correct). Issues of global relevance mark the new social movements. Globalisation has made firms transnational and binding rules international, as with the WTO, and environmental and health risks are global, so many of the new social movements are international in scope.

Option (4) Mostly deals with redistribution of power — A feature of old social movements (Incorrect). The old social movements saw reorganisation of power relations as a central goal. The new social movements, by contrast, are about quality-of-life issues such as a clean environment.

NCERT (2025-26): “Distinguishing the new social movement from the old social movements … Working class movements in the capitalist west were wresting better wages, better living conditions, social security, free schooling and health security from the state. That was also a period when socialist movements were establishing new kinds of states and societies. The old social movements clearly saw reorganisation of power relations as a central goal. The old social movements functioned within the frame of political parties. The Indian National Congress led the Indian National Movement. The Communist Party of China led the Chinese Revolution. Today some believe that ‘old’ classbased political action led by trade unions and workers’ parties is on the decline. Others argued that in the affluent West with its welfare state, issues of classbased exploitation and inequality were no longer central concerns. So the ‘new’ social movements were not about changing the distribution of power in society but about quality-of-life issues such as having a clean environment.…”

“…As you read about the various dimensions of social change in India, you would have been struck by the fact that globalisation has been re-shaping peoples’ lives in industry and agriculture, culture and media. Often firms are transnational. Often legal arrangements that are binding are international such as the regulations of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Environmental and health risks, fears of nuclear warfare are global in nature. Not surprisingly therefore many of the new social movements are international in scope. What is significant, however, is that the old and new movements are working together in new alliances such as the World Social Forum that have been raising awareness about the hazards of globalisation.”