Role of Elites in Socio-Economic Developments in India

The term Elite is originally from the Latin, elites which means "to elect". The elites are a relatively small dominant group within a large society, which enjoys a privileged status in comparison to other individuals' status in the society. The word Elite was used in seventeenth century to describe commodities of particular excellence; and the usage was later extended to refer to superior social group. In the English language the earliest known use of Elite, according to the Oxford English Dictionary is in 1823, at which time it was already applied to social groups