A broad-based movement in India aimed at achieving self-rule and independence from British colonial rule. Understanding its different phases, leaders, and ideologies is vital for UPSC.

The process of empowering women to attain social, economic, and political equality with men. In the context of literature and history, it involves analyzing how texts address issues like widowhood, child marriage, patriarchy, and women's autonomy, crucial for understanding social reform movements and gender studies in India.

A literary and artistic movement that depicts contemporary social life and conditions in a realistic manner, often focusing on the struggles of ordinary people and addressing issues like inequality, poverty, and social injustice. For UPSC aspirants, understanding social realism helps in analyzing literary works' historical context and societal critiques.