What do you mean by "Sons of the Soil Doctrine" ?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 2

The correct answer is Option (2) → Demand of the "Local People" over the outsiders in the matter of employment/opportunities

Option (1) Demand for equal treatment by unorganized sections of society — Incorrect. A call for equal treatment by the unorganised sections is a demand for social justice made to the state.

Option (2) Demand of the "Local People" over the outsiders in the matter of employment/opportunities — Correct. The doctrine says the ‘local’ people of a region have the first claim on its jobs and opportunities. Large scale migration pitted the local communities against people seen as ‘outsiders’ or migrants, who were seen as encroachers on scarce resources like land and potential competitors to employment opportunities and political power.

Option (3) Demand of the group of farmers to protect and preserve the quality of soil — Incorrect.

Option (4) Demand of the youth of the country for a national identity — Incorrect.

Note: The term ‘sons of the soil’ is not used in the NCERT books – the pre-rationalised, 2023-24, 2025-26 or 2026-27 edition; the idea behind it is described in the section ‘Movements against outsiders’ of the chapter ‘Regional Aspirations’. It is explained here for the benefit of the students.

NCERT (2026-27): “Movements against outsiders … The large scale migration into the North-East gave rise to a special kind of problem that pitted the ‘local’ communities against people who were seen as ‘outsiders’ or migrants. These latecomers, either from India or abroad are seen as encroachers on scarce resources like land and potential competitors to employment opportunities and political power. This issue has taken political and sometimes violent form in many States of the North-East.…”