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India at the time of independence was a country beset with great economic problems. It had suffered colonial exploitation for about two centuries' and was recovering painfully from the blight of a distressing hunger. The disruption of life caused by the Second World War had aggravated the crisis. Large parts of the country were under the feudal rule of Indian princes and only a minority had taken any initiative to modernize their states. In any case, the benefits of industrialization remained limited to a small privileged section of society. With freedom from foreign rule also came partition and the government was confronted with the great task of rehabilitating millions of refugees.

Perhaps the most remarkable achievement of India since independence has been to overcome the trauma of partition and forge a unified modern nation from a bewildering diversity. India today can take pride in its federal form of governance that gives full scope to the development of the country's diverse ethnic and linguistic groups within the overall framework of a united nation.

The process of political integration was completed in two stages after the adoption of a federal constitution on January 26, 1950 (the date is commemorated as Republic Day)- The first step was to secure the merger of princely states and second by redrawing the boundaries of the states to serve the aspirations of major linguistic or ethnic groups. This political transformation synchronized a revolutionary social change with far-reaching consequences. Jawaharlal Nehru, who became the first Prime Minister of India, was influenced by socialist thought. Mahatma Gandhi too was unequivocal in supporting the impoverished masses.