Which of the following is an example of the reformist social movement?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 1

The correct answer is Option (1) → Right To Information

Option (1) Right To Information — Correct. Reformist social movements strive to change the existing social and political arrangements through gradual, incremental steps. The recent Right to Information campaign worked in this way: it changed the law so that citizens could demand information from the state, without overturning the system. The 1960s movement to reorganise states on the basis of language is the other reformist example.

Option (2) Bolshevik Revolution — Incorrect. The Bolshevik revolution in Russia deposed the Tsar to create a communist state. It sought to radically transform social relations by capturing state power, which makes it revolutionary.

Option (3) Naxalite Movement — Incorrect. The Naxalite movement seeks to remove oppressive landlords and state officials. It aims at a radical overturning of the social order, so it is a revolutionary movement.

Option (4) Anti-abortion Movement — Incorrect. The anti-abortion movement campaigns to stop or restrict abortion. It is not discussed among the types of social movements; the reformist example given there is the Right to Information campaign.

NCERT (2025-26): “8.3 Types of Social Movements … There are different kinds of social movements. They can be classified as: (i) redemptive or transformatory; (ii) reformist; and (iii) revolutionary. A redemptive social movement aims to bring about a change in the personal consciousness and actions of its individual members. For instance, people in the Ezhava community in Kerala were led by Narayana Guru to change their social practices. Reformist social movements strive to change the existing social and political arrangements through gradual, incremental steps. The 1960s movement for the reorganisation of Indian states on the basis of language and the recent Right to Information campaign are examples of reformist movements. Revolutionary social movements attempt to radically transform social relations, often by capturing state power. The Bolshevik revolution in Russia that deposed the Tsar to create a communist state and the Naxalite movement in India that seeks to remove oppressive landlords and state officials can be described as revolutionary movements.…”