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Q. Do you agree with the view that increasing dependence on donor agencies for development reduces the importance of community participation in the development process? Justify your answer. (Answer in 250 words) 15 marks
✅ Many governments, especially those in the developing world, do not have access to enough resources to enable them to do what is expected and required of them, by their citizens. Governments have therefore to find ways of getting additional resources, and one such way is to turn to donors.
▪️Increasing Dependence on Donor agencies:
✅ USAID is working with India to implement ambitious emissions reduction measures, protect critical ecosystems, transition to renewable energy.
✅ Since 2003, Bill and Melinda Gates foundation has invested more than US$1.2 billion in projects aimed at improving public health and development outcomes in India.
✅ In 2021, ADB committed a record $4.6 billion in sovereign loans to India. ADB also committed $36.51 million in technical assistance and $3 million in grants under the sovereign portfolio.
▪️Doesn’t reduce the Community Participation as evident in:
✅ Health care: Rogi kalyan samiti for governance in district hospital.
✅ Water Management: Pani Panchayat is a voluntary activity of a group of farmers engaged in the collective management (harvesting and distribution) of surface water and groundwater (wells and percolation tanks).
✅ Education: Bihar Vidyalaya Shiksha Act of 2000 provides for the election of Vidyalaya Shiksha Samiti. VSS roles are for supervision of civil works, oversee financial transaction, organise campaigns to enrol out of school children and girls.
✅ Service delivery: The Nagaland Communitisation of Public Institutions and Services Act, 2002 provide for empowerment of the community and delegation of the powers and functions of the State Government to the Iocal authorities by way of participation of the Community in matters connected with the management of local public
utilities.
✅ Disaster Management: NDMA has implemented a Scheme of Aapda Mitra on pilot basis to train 6000 communityvolunteers.
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Customs and traditions suppress reason leading to obscurantism. Do you agree?
✅ Customs are a widely accepted discourse to behave or do something that is clearly defined in a particular society, whereas traditions are about the transmission of these customs or beliefs from generation to generation.
✅ Customs are perpetuated because they are transmitted by tradition.
Obscurantism is the practice of deliberately making something difficult to understand to stop
people from knowing. This leads to blindly following customs and traditions, which is against human reason. Customs and traditions that discriminate against certain groups of people or that are based on superstition or myth can even become a source of conflict.
▪️Cases where blind following of tradition has caused exploitation
✅ Customs like Sati and child marriage were perpetuated for long because of obscurantism.
The tradition of animal sacrifice in ceremonies is still practiced in many religions. The custom of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is still practised by few communities. „Honor killings‟ in India in the name of caste.
✅ The evil traditions of nikah halala and triple talaq propagated for so long in India despite the tradition being illogical and unreasonable, just because of obscurantism by the Muslim Personal Law Board.
✅ "Values" are sometimes used to justify forced marriages in Afghanistan, virginity testing
in Indonesia, "honor crimes" in Iraq, and marital rape in Kyrgyzstan, thus, violating human rights.
✅ Caste discrimination is perpetuated even today in some places in the name of customs
and purity.
✅ Religion against the Right to Equality: For instance, the Sabarimala case or Haji Ali Dargah, where women are strictly not allowed.
✅ For LGBT people, the language of traditional values tends to cast homosexuality as a moral issue, and not a rights issue.
✅ During Covid, social distancing was a norm to maintain public health. But some religious leaders evoked customs and traditions to promote social gatherings. Similarly, the vaccine hesitancy among certain communities is traced to their belief that vaccination is against the natural will of God.
▪️But customs and traditions, if understood with reason and adapted as per changing times, are aimed at maintaining social harmony and wellbeing. This can be seen as follows:
✅ Some customs are always relevant: Indian traditions of greeting people, etiquettes like washing the hands and feet before entering the house, etc. are good practices that will always remain relevant. Even the western countries are adopting these Indian traditions post-Covid.
✅ Customs help maintain social bonds: Customs and traditions can provide a sense of identity and belonging, and can help to maintain social cohesion and stability. For instance, prostrating before parents and elders is an act of respect.
✅ Customs and traditions as sources of knowledge: Some customs and traditions may be
based on accumulated knowledge and experience, and may reflect insights and wisdom that are relevant to the community or culture in which they are practiced. For example,
traditional medical practices may be based on an understanding of the properties and uses of various herbs and other natural remedies, and may be effective in treating certain conditions.
Conclusion: The relationship between customs and reason is complex and multifaceted, and depends on a variety of factors. Customs and traditions form an important part of human civilization and help people to align themselves in closely knit bonds but they can also be sources of conflict and tension. By their very nature, customs and traditions are supposed to evolve constantly and meet the changing requirements of time and social contexts. Thus, there must not be any scope for obscurantism in customs and traditions and for that, reason must be the guiding light.
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Q. Is diversity and pluralism in India under threat due to globalisation? Justify your answer. (15 Marks)
Globalisation is a process of increasing interdependence, interconnectedness and integration of economies and societies to extents never seen before. Some point it to creating a global common identity while others oppose it as cultural imperialism and an attempt at cultural subversion.
▪️Globalisation threatening Diversity and Pluralism in India:
✅ Families getting increasingly nuclear from erstwhile joint family structures.
✅ English replacing India languages in everyday usage and 190 languages in India threatened with extinction (UNESCO language atlas).
✅ Change in food habits and cuisines- McDonald’s effect.
✅ Changes in the institution of marriage- contractual, live-ins and divorces are increasing.
✅ Newer festivals like Valentine’s Day, Halloween are gaining prominence.
✅ Regionalism rising as a reaction to globalisation.
▪️Globalisation aiding in development of diversity and pluralism:
✅ Greater emphasis of India and Indians before the world.
✅ Gain in cultural consciousness empowering local culture and identities.
✅ Increased interconnectedness due to forces of globalisation
✅ Greater cultural influence of India: festivals, music, theatre etc.
✅ West adapting to Indian context: No beef menu in McDonalds, Hollywood movies dubbed in India, etc.
✅ Realisation of a local identity in addition of a national identity.
Globalisation is bi-directional. We imbibe elements of foreign cultures as they imbibe ours. However, as a
civilisation that has existed since centuries and has faced countless adversaries without bowing down, globalisation isn't a force potent enough to subvert our diversity and pluralism.
Q. Mention the significance of straits and isthmus in international trade. (15 Marks)
✅ A strait is defined as the thin channel of a waterway that connects two water bodies. It is a narrow passage of water that connects two seas or two large areas of water. It forms due to:
✅ Tectonic shifts: Strait of Gibraltar (link between Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean).
✅ Human Activity: Suez Canal
✅ Body of Water Overflowing land: Bosporus (link between Black Sea and Aegean Sea).
✅ An isthmus is a narrow strip of land that connects two larger landmasses and separates two bodies of water.
✅ They are natural sites for ports and canals linking terrestrial and aquatic trade routes. It forms:
✅ Tectonic activity: Isthmus of Panama formed as a result of volcanic activity that created a chain of islands. Over time, sediment collected between the islands, forming the isthmus.
✅ Waves and Tides: Isthmuses may form as a result of the movement of the rising water levels along fault lines, and the movement of waves and tides. For example, the action of tides and waves can create a thin sand bar between the mainland and a coastal island.
▪️Significance of Straits and Isthmus
✅ Resources: It aids in discovering the abundance of minerals, oil, and gas that are found beneath the sea.
✅ Economical aspect: Countries in charge of straits levy high charges to international ships transiting the straits.
✅ Trade and Ports: They are natural sites for ports, trade routes, canals linking terrestrial and aquatic trade routes. They are key sites for communications and cultural exchange, as well as military outposts.
✅ Reduce Carbon Emissions: Reducing the time interval between various trade routes aids to reduce carbon emissions.
✅ Connectivity: These natural ocean water bodies provide a smooth roadway that may be travelled in both directions and requires no maintenance.
Straits and isthmus have played a major role in international trade by providing short navigable waterways which boost globalization. In the future also, due to climate change, straits and isthmus in the Arctic Ocean are going to play a major role in international trade.
Q. What are the forces that influences of ocean currents? Describe their role in fishing industry of the world. (15 Marks)
✅ Ocean currents are the continuous, predictable, directional movement of seawater.
✅ It is a massive movement of ocean water that is caused and influenced by various forces.
✅ They are like river flows in oceans.
▪️Ocean currents are influenced by two types of forces namely:
(i) primary forces and
(ii) secondary forces
▪️Primary forces influence the oceanic currents are:
✅ Heating by solar energy
✅ Wind.
✅ Gravity.
✅ Coriolis force.
▪️Secondary forces influence the ocean currents are:
✅ Differences in water density: It affects vertical mobility of ocean currents. Water with high salinity is denser than water with low salinity and in the same way cold water is denser than warm water.
✅ Temperature of water: Cold-water Ocean currents occur when the cold water at the poles sinks and slowly
moves towards the equator.
✅ Role of fishing grounds in the World: The mixing of warm and cold currents results in the deposition of planktons. Therefore, at such places, fishes can be found in abundance:
✅ The Northwest Pacific Region is the leading fish producer area. North of Japan where the warm Kurushio
Current meets the cold Oyoshio Current.
✅ Northeast Atlantic and the adjacent waters of the Arctic extending from Norway to Great Britain and Iceland constitute the second major fishing region.
✅ Norway, Great Britain, Denmark, Iceland and Greenland are the important fishing countries of this region.
✅ The important fishing banks in this region include the Grand Bank and St. Pierre Bank.
Seeing the potential with Fish Production (1% to India’s GDP and around 5% to agricultural GDP), India has integrated all the schemes of the fisheries sector into an umbrella scheme called Blue Revolution, Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana ensure to develop national and regional fishery governance in the effective fisheries management.
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Q. Explore and evaluate the impact of ‘Work from Home’ on family relationship. (10 Marks)
The ‘Work from Home’ concept is a breakthrough in the traditional characteristics of work. Maintaining the productivity levels as well as ensuring safety is the ‘Work from home’ model. WFH have a widespread impact on family relationships:
▪️Positive Impact:
✅Time saved in commuting can be spent qualitatively with family. More over work can be scheduled accordingly.
✅ WFH improved family relationships through proper adaptive processes, and the relations were moderated by the education level and age of individuals.
✅ Increased work expectations and distractions, reduced communications with family and ultimately impacts the mental and physical health.
✅ Blurred work-life boundaries can make it difficult to detach mentally from work which can increase stress and anxiety.
✅ More time to children reduces the friction between child and father.
▪️Negative Impact:
✅ Domestic violence – The WHO report showed a general trend of increase in sexual violence and intimate partner violence rates whenever there was an occurrence of disaster shadow pandemic.
✅ Salary cut in some organization has made depressing environment at home, resulting into loss of emotional intelligence.
✅ Work load on women member have increased, which made her more irritating and frustrating.
Communication and boundaries aren’t just meant for remote employees – these precedents set up a model for how relationships work in the future, and shape how they become in coming years.
Q. How is the growth of Tier 2 cities related to the rise of a new middle class with an emphasis on the culture of consumption? (10 Marks)
✅The middle classes constitute a critical market for most goods and services.
✅ A sizable portion of any nation’s tax revenue is collected either directly or indirectly from this group and they are important for economic and social development via urbanization and. industrialization.
✅Middle class working in metro cities but due to heavy land cost, they are purchasing lands in Tier 2 cities. Ex:- Sonipat because of NCR Development.
✅ Work from Home has resulted into demand of goods and services in Tier 2 cities, thus opening of Pizza
outlets, Dosa corner etc.
✅ The major reason of rise in Consumption in a new middle class can be Work, Stress and Enjoyment Purposes.
✅ Start-ups find that initial costs are much
✅And Aesthetics are as important as functionality, an office should be a space where employees feel excited to step in, every day. Ex:- Nissan’s Digital Hub in Thiruvananthapuram
✅ Today the millennial does not just want to satisfy their needs, but satisfied at faster pace. Ex: - Zepto10 Minutes delivery and Amazon delivery in small towns too.
✅ Purchasing power of middle class have increased and thus shift in the pattern of consumption has been observed.
The middle class is claimed to be the ‘bird of gold’. India’s rising middle class is an engine of growth. The rising middle class is both a causal factor behind India’s improved economic and social outcomes growth, education, home ownership, and social security as well as a consequence of the rise in the middle class.
Q. The 1857 Uprising was the culmination of the recurrent big and small local rebellions that had occurred in the preceding hundred years of British rule. Elucidate. (10 marks)
✅The year 1857 was a watershed one in the history of India. Though the revolt of 1857 is considered as the first major resentment against British rule, it is also believed to be the culmination of the recurrent big and small local rebellions that had occurred in the preceding hundred years of British rule.
✅ Civil Revolts before the 1857 uprising: These were the first group of people who revolted against Britishers to secure their traditional and customary rights. Example: Sanyasi revolt (1763-1800), Revolt in Midnapore and Dhalbhum (1766-74) Revolt of Moamarias (1769-99)
✅Tribal Revolts before the 1857 uprising: The resentment of tribal against Britishers was mainly due to imposition of forest rights Act, forceful conversion of tribals by Christian missionaries. Examples: Chuar uprising, Khond uprising, Santhal uprising etc.
✅ Peasant Revolts before the 1857 uprising: The common provoking cause of resentment of the peasants were vague demand of land revenue, oppression of officials and frequent occurrence of drought and famine. Example: Pagal panthis of Bengal, Faraizi revolt, Mopillah uprising etc.
✅ Revolts by the Princely States: Britishers were annexing the princely states by using diplomacy of subsidiary alliance and Doctrine of Lapse. Example: Jhansi in 1852.
It can be said that these rebellions-which were localised in nature, lacking of efficient leadership and influenced by backward looking ideology were suppressed by Britishers with use of force but still they established a culture of resistance among natives and eventually prepared the way for the 1857 revolt.
Q. Highlight the Central Asian and Greco-Bactrian elements in the Gandhara art (10 marks)
✅ The Gandhara School of art shows Buddha in the symbolic form, not a human form. It was developed between the 1st century BCE and the 7th century CE during Kushan rule, of which Gandhara sculpture was an important part, depicting sculpture of Buddha.
✅The central Asian and Greco-Bactrian elements in the Gandhara art:
▪️Greek Influence:
✅ Hellenistic features like curly hairs, moustaches on face.
✅ Vajrapani protector image.
✅ Muscular body.
✅ Coins with Greek script.
✅ Draperies covering both shoulders.
✅ Stucco plastering.
▪️Roman influence:
✅ Buddha is sometimes presented in Roman motifs like Triton.
✅ Buddha of Gandhara sometimes through a wine scroll.
✅ Buddha in human form is inspired by Roman tradition.
✅ The outer rope of Buddha of Gandhara like Kaya resembles Roman gods.
▪️Central Asian Influence:
✅ Bluish Schist used in Gandhara Art.
✅ Disc shaped halo around the Buddha head.
✅ Buddha presented in human form.
✅ Kharosthi letters on Buddhist inscriptions in Gandhara.
The above influences can be well justified because of the strategic location of Gandhara school. Thus, in this regard it can be claimed that the art that flourished in the Gandhara valleys was a blend of different cultures.
क्यू. सूचना का अधिकार अधिनियम में हाल के संशोधनों से सूचना आयोग की स्वायत्तता और स्वतंत्रता पर गहरा प्रभाव पड़ेगा।'' चर्चा करें।
उत्तर: सूचना का अधिकार अधिनियम, 2005 सार्वजनिक प्राधिकरणों के काम में पारदर्शिता और जवाबदेही बढ़ाने के लिए बनाया गया था। अधिनियम द्वारा स्थापित सूचना आयोग अधिनियम में हाल के परिवर्तनों से प्रभावित हैं।
आरटीआई में हालिया संशोधन
✅कार्यकाल में परिवर्तन: सदस्यों का कार्यकाल केंद्र सरकार द्वारा अधिसूचित किया जाएगा, जो 2005 के प्रावधानों के तहत 6 या 65 वर्ष था।
✅ वेतन: केंद्रीय और राज्य सूचना आयोग के वेतन और भत्ते, नियम और शर्तें केंद्र द्वारा निर्धारित की जाएंगी। पहले यह चुनाव आयोग के नियम और शर्तों के बराबर था।
✅ वेतन में कटौती: जो वेतन कटौती उन्हें प्राप्त होने वाले वेतन और पेंशन की राशि से की जा रही थी उसे इस अधिनियम द्वारा हटा दिया गया है।
✅ नियुक्ति: सीआईसी और अन्य सूचना आयुक्तों के चयन के लिए समिति में पीएम, विपक्ष के नेता और पीएम द्वारा नामित मंत्री शामिल होते हैं और राज्य समितियों को भी हटा दिया गया था। अब नियुक्तियों की शक्ति केवल केंद्र सरकार को सौंपी गई है।
✅ सूचना आयोग पर आरटीआई संशोधन का प्रभाव :
✅ आरटीआई, 2005 के प्रावधान:
✅कार्यकाल की सुरक्षा : मुख्य सूचना आयुक्त और सूचना आयुक्तों के लिए 6 या 65 वर्ष का प्रावधान।
✅ संवैधानिक निकाय के बराबर: वेतन चुनाव आयोग के सदस्यों के बराबर था जो वैधानिक और संवैधानिक निकायों के बीच कोई असमानता नहीं दर्शाता था।
✅ केंद्र-राज्य की शक्तियां: केंद्रीय और राज्य सूचना आयुक्तों की नियुक्ति में चयन समितियां बनाकर केंद्र और राज्य सरकारों की भूमिका थी।
✅जवाबदेही: नियुक्ति और कार्यकाल की सुरक्षा ने सूचना आयोगों को बिना किसी राजनीतिक भूमिका के स्वतंत्र बना दिया और पारदर्शिता को भी बढ़ावा दिया।
✅ आरटीआई में संशोधन के बाद:
✅कार्यकाल की कोई सुरक्षा नहीं: सीआईसी या आईसी के पास कार्यकाल की कोई सुरक्षा नहीं है जो नियुक्तियों को राजनीतिक बनाती है।
✅कमजोर भूमिका: वेतन केंद्र सरकार द्वारा निर्धारित किया जाएगा। और सूचना आयोगों की भूमिका को कम करके संवैधानिक निकाय के साथ वेतन की समानता को समाप्त कर देता है।
✅ राज्यों को शक्ति से वंचित करना : केवल केंद्र द्वारा चयन समितियों और नियुक्तियों को हटाने से राज्य सूचना आयोगों की नियुक्तियों से भी राज्य की भूमिका समाप्त हो जाती है।
✅ पारदर्शिता के लिए खतरा: केंद्र सरकार की भूमिका सरकार से संबंधित संवेदनशील जानकारी की सुरक्षा के लिए सीआईसी और एसआईसी को मोहरा बनाती है।
✅ अभिव्यक्ति की स्वतंत्रता में बाधा: अब केंद्र सरकार के पास रखी गई आरटीआई अंजलि भारद्वाज मामले में सर्वोच्च न्यायालय के फैसले से भटकती है। फैसले में कहा गया है कि अभिव्यक्ति की स्वतंत्रता की रक्षा के साधन के रूप में काम करने वाले आरटीआई का उल्लंघन किया जा रहा है।
✅ समितियों की भावना के विरुद्ध: संसदीय समितियों ने उल्लेख किया कि सीआईसी, एसआईसी का कार्यकाल और नियुक्ति महत्वपूर्ण प्रावधान हैं और वर्तमान विधेयक उन्हें कमजोर करता है।
✅ आवेदनों को अधिक ख़ारिज करना : पहले से ही अस्पष्ट शर्तों और बिना किसी स्पष्ट परिभाषा वाले आरटीआई अधिनियम में सरकारी आवेदनों को ख़ारिज करने के लिए सरकार के प्रभाव की संभावना अधिक है। जानकारी।
✅स्वतंत्रता में बाधा : स्वतंत्र निकाय लंबे समय में अपनी सारी स्वायत्तता खो सकते हैं और सरकारी निकायों में बदल सकते हैं।
✅ निष्कर्ष: आरटीआई उद्देश्य को अधिक स्वतंत्रता प्रदान करके बढ़ाया जाना चाहिए, न कि इसकी न्यूनतम स्वतंत्र विशेषताओं को छीनकर इसकी स्वायत्तता में बाधा डालकर। इस प्रकार, अधिक पारदर्शिता और जवाबदेही लाने के लिए आरटीआई को संवैधानिक दर्जा दिया जाना चाहिए
Q. Besides the welfare schemes, India needs deft management of inflation and unemployment to serve the poor and the underprivileged sections of the society. Discuss. (Answer in 250 words) 15 marks
✅ India being a welfare state as envisioned in DPSP, enters through welfare schemes to check the poor conditions of unprivileged sections.
✅ But the rising inflation and its impact on food and commodities and rising unemployment rate (6%) reverses the gain made in reducing poverty and its spill over impact.
▪️Welfare schemes:
✅ MGNREGA Focuses on Rights based approach.
✅ NRLM focuses on self-employment opportunities.
✅ MUDRA Loan to start new business.
✅ Stand up India and Start Up India.
▪️Why focus on Inflation and Unemployment is important:
✅ The prices of essential food items have increased by 50% in seven years (2015 to 2022), whereas the real wage rate has risen by 22 per cent.
✅ These figures show that inflation has dented the real income of the poor, making their lives miserable as the food basket constitutes a substantial proportion of the total expenditure on the poor.
✅ India’s 50-crore poor comprising socially and economically weaker sections in rural areas and urban slums are pushed to acute poverty under the effect of inflation.
✅ The declining wage rates, Covid-19, high rural unemployment, income inequality and high food inflation have far-reaching implications for India’s trajectory towards alleviating poverty.
✅ The high food and fuel inflation rates are mainly responsible for pushing the cost of input and output prices which resulted in an increase in wholesale inflation.
Therefore, proactive government intervention is needed to check food and fuel inflation, increase employment in rural areas, reduce income inequality, strengthen the public distribution of essential commodities among the poor and enhance the average daily wage rate in rural India.
Demo Questions for UPSC Prelims Test Series 2024.
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Q. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 remains inadequate in promoting incentive-based system for children’s education without generating awareness about the importance of schooling. Analyse. (Answer in 250 words) 15 marks
✅ India’s landmark Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 provided free and compulsory education to children under Article 21-A. The Right to Education serves as a building block to ensure that every child has his or her right to get a quality elementary education.
▪️Feature of Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009
✅ The RTE Act aims to provide primary education to all children aged 6 to 14 years.
✅ The act mandates 25% reservation for disadvantaged sections of the society.
✅ It had a clause for “No Detention Policy” which has been removed under RTE (Amendment) Act, 2019.
▪️RTE remains inadequate in promoting incentive-based system:
✅ There is no focus on quality of learning, as shown by multiple ASER reports.
✅ RTE Act appears to be mostly input oriented.
✅ RTE does not provide incentives to teachers for better performance Achievements of Right to Education Act, 2009
✅ The RTE Act has successfully increase enrolment in the upper primary level (Class 6-8).
✅ It improved school infrastructure, especially in rural areas.
✅ More than 3.3 million students secured admission under 25% quota norm under RTE.
✅ It made education inclusive and accessible nationwide.
✅ Removal of “no detention policy” has brought accountability in the elementary education system.
▪️Way Forward
✅ Participation of NGOs, Civil society in spreading awareness regarding its importance.
✅ Empower PRI to spurt the primary education ecosystem at village level and attach incentives on their performance
✅ Give conditional benefits to families and child for performing better
Q. How will I2U2 (India, Israel, UAE and USA) grouping transform India’s position in global politics? (Answer in 250 words) 15 marks
✅ I2U2 initiative is a new grouping of India, Israel, USA and UAE. It will revitalize and re-energize the system of alliances and partnerships around the world. Its stated aim is to discuss common areas of mutual interest, to strengthen the economic partnership in trade and investment in our respective regions and beyond.
▪️I2U2 - transform India’s position in global politics:
✅ Advantage from Abraham Accords: India will get advantage of the Abraham Accords to deepen engagement with Israel without risking its ties with the UAE and the other Arab states.
✅ The centrality of India: India's bilateral strategic ties with each of the three countries have been on an upswing in the last few years.
✅ Alliances: It will help India in building alliances political alliances, social alliances.
✅ India can play an important role in deepening Israel’s integration into the region.
✅ For India, it leverages its good relations with Israel, the Gulf, and the US alike to build economic exchanges that are mutually beneficial with next to no downsides on the horizon.
✅ India and the West Asian countries in I2U2 could come together and work on food security and agricultural technology thus solving global common concerns.
✅ The US sees the group as another way to contain China where India is seen as consequential partner.
Thus, India’s participation in the West Asian Quad brings Delhi in a string with other significant powers including Europe, China, and Russia to try and involve all parties in the region. The I2U2 sets the staging for a new and engaged phase in India’s greater role in global politics.
Q. Are tolerance, assimilation and pluralism the key elements in the making of an Indian form of secularism? Justify your answer. (15 Marks)
✅ Indian form of secularism is not about passive attitude towards religion but an equal treatment of all.
✅ Thus Tolerance, assimilation and pluralism is its pillars to achieve the idea of Fraternity in our Constitution.
▪️Tolerance as a key element:-
✅ Tolerance in a democratic country like India means that the country belongs to minorities as much it belongs to majority community/religion. It ensures the minority rights and prevents Authoritarianism or
Majoritarianism.
✅ The instances of various communal clashes including the Kashmiri Muslims and Pandits, Babri masjid demolition, Godhra and Muzzafarnagar riots bring in the consequences of intolerance.
✅ Further, the secularism also entails tolerance within a religion. The instances of dalit lynching, discrimination, exploitation of women in the name of religion gives instances of intolerance threatening the secular fabric of the nation. Assimilation as a
▪️key element of Secularism
✅ Indian model of secularism does not talk about assimilation, but every group can have their distinct identity, the only requirement is giving respect and promote brotherhood and enjoy the differences.
✅ Example: Muslim distributing Water bottle to kawariyas.
▪️Pluralism as a key element of secularism:
✅ Pluralism is the belief that all (or rather the aforementioned ‘two or more’) religions are “true” and that their truths are not mutually exclusive. It acknowledges the existence of all religions as equal.
✅ Secularism wants to keep religion in general, and any religion in particular, out of the public square; pluralism wants to find a place for all of the religions, and ideologies, in the public square.
✅ Both want to avoid the public square being dominated by any religion (or sect or ideology); secularism wants to achieve this result by keeping religion out of it altogether, pluralism wants to prevent it from being dominated by any one religion by allowing all an equal place at the table.
While pluralism is the end, in India, secularism as envisaged in the Preamble of our Constitution, is a means to achieve the same. A plural society and a secular one are quintessential for a thriving democracy that is as
diverse as ours.
Q. Troposphere is a very significant atmospheric layer that determines weather processes. How? (15 Marks)
✅ Troposphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphere.
✅ The average height of troposphere is 13 km, with a height of 8 km at the poles and 18 km near the equator.
▪️Significance of Troposphere:
✅ Adiabatically Lapse rate: The temperature in this area of the atmosphere drops by around 6.5°C per kilometre as the distance above the earth increases. The average rate at which temperature within the troposphere decreases with altitude is called the normal lapse rate.
✅ Dust Particles: Dust particles are generally found in the troposphere layer of the atmosphere. These dust
particles help in the condensation of water vapour.
✅ Cloud Formation: Clouds are usually produced through condensation – as the air rises, it will cool and reducing the temperature of the air decreases its ability to hold water vapour so that condensation occurs.
✅ Wind Circulation: The velocity of wind is directly proportional to pressure gradient force. It is caused by the heating of the sun and the rotational movement of the earth.
✅ Troposphere has thermal and kinetic energy which absorbs Earth’s surface energy which leads to greenhouse effect. Weather Processes in the Troposphere:
✅ Precipitation: Precipitation occurs when tiny droplets of water, ice or frozen water vapour join together into
masses. Usual forms are rainfall, snowfall, hail, frost and dew.
✅ Cyclone Formation: Cyclones are rapid inward air circulation around a low-pressure area. Cyclones are
usually accompanied by violent storms and bad weather.
✅ Thunderstorm: Thunderstorms can originate and develop in any geographical region, although they are most common in the mid-latitudes, where warm, moist air from the tropics collides with chilly air from the poles.
Hence, due to the increasing quantities of greenhouse gases trapping more heat in the troposphere, the tropopause
is expanding even further. Although there is an increase in the expansion of the tropopause, this could lead to
planes flying higher in the atmosphere to avoid turbulence.
Q. describing the distribution of rubber producing countries, indicate the major environmental issues faced by them. (15 Marks)
✅ Rubber is a commercial plantation crop and made from the latex of a tree called Heave Brasiliensis.
✅ Rubber is largely perceived as a strategic industrial raw material and accorded special status globally for defence, national security and industrial development.
✅ Conditions for Growth: It is an equatorial crop, but under special conditions, it is also grown in tropical and sub-tropical areas.
✅ Temperature: Above 25°C with moist and humid climate.
✅ Rainfall: More than 200 cm.
✅ Soil Type: Rich well drained alluvial soil.
✅ Cheap and adequate supply of skilled labour is needed for this plantation crop.
✅ Indian Scenario: Top Rubber
Producing States: Kerala > Tamil Nadu > Karnataka
✅ Major Producers Globally: Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, China and India.
✅ Major Consumers: China, India, USA, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.
▪️Major Environmental Issues by them:
✅ Biodiversity loss: Rubber plantation leads to reduced total carbon biomass and impacts climate change.
✅ Impact on Natural vegetation and soil quality: in Kerala, rubber plantations replaced natural vegetation.
✅ Use of large amounts of chemicals which can cause serious environmental impact in the neighbouring receptor water bodies.
✅ Consumes large volumes of water and energy: Rubber plants require more water which reduces ground water potential.
Recently, the world's first Genetically Modified (GM) rubber plant developed by Rubber Research Institute was planted in Assam. India’s National Rubber Policy (under the Department of Commerce) includes several provisions to support the Natural Rubber (NR) production sector and the entire rubber industry value chain.
Q. Discuss the main contributions of Gupta period and Chola period to Indian heritage and culture. (15
Marks)
✅ The Gupta Period (4th to 6th century) and Chola Period (9th to 11th century) left amazing examples of their glorious reign in the field of religion, literature, architecture, science & technology, painting, etc which has been called the ‘Golden era’ of India’s culture and heritage.
✅ Religion: They were devout Vaishnava themselves and tolerant towards the believers of Buddhism and Jainism. Cholas promoted Saivaits. A highly evolved philosophical system called Saiva Siddhanta was founded during this period.
✅ Literature: Poet and playwright Kalidasa created such epics as Abhijnanasakuntalam, Malavikagnimitram; Vishakhadatta wrote Mudrarakshasa, etc. During Chola period, Kamban Ramayan written by Kamban (Tamil Ramayan), Kamban Ramayan by Kamban (Tamil Ramayan)
✅ Architecture: With Dashavatara temple at Deogarh, nagara style of temple architecture took shape. Chola art saw culmination of dravida temple art e.g. Brihadeswara, Airavasteshwara temples.
✅ Science and Technology: Varahamihira wrote Brihatsamhita and also contributed to the fields of
astronomy and astrology.
✅ Aryabhata wrote Surya Siddhanta which covered several aspects of geometry, trigonometry and cosmology.
✅ Metallurgy: Iron pillar found at Mehrauli of Chandragupta has not gathered any rust till date is a great tribute to the technological skill of the craftsmen. Bronze Nataraja at Chidamabaram temple is finest
example of Chola art.
✅ Painting: Painting at Ajanta, Ellora, bagh caves are finest example of Gupta Painting. Mural painting at Brihadeshwar temple is marked with realism and beginning of painting in Southern empire Both contributed extensively to enrich Indian heritage and culture through their imprints to temple architecture and their rule is often referred to golden era of temple construction in Tamil Nadu.
Q. The political and administrative reorganization of states and territories has been a continuous ongoing process since the mid-nineteenth century. Discuss with examples. (10 Marks)
✅ British government reorganised states and territories into various provinces for administrative
efficiency and political significance.
▪️British government carved following provinces:
✅ Central Provinces: Created in 1861 from Nagpur Province.
✅ Assam: separated from Bengal in 1874 as the North-East Frontier province.
✅ Andaman and Nicobar Islands: established as a province in 1875.
✅ North-West Frontier Province: created in 1901 from Punjab Province.
✅ Eastern Bengal and Assam: created in 1905 upon the partition of Bengal.
✅ Britisher followed policy of divide and rule on the basis race, religion, language which is impacting Indian polity till date leading to various reorganization.
▪️Political and administrative reasons for reorganization:
✅ In 1953, a separate state Andhra Pradesh was forcefully established for Telugu speaking people.
✅ Fazl Ali Commission recommended creation of states based on language.
✅ Reorganisation of States acts 1956 re-established the boundaries of Indian territories and states based on regional language.
✅ Separation of Maharashtra and Gujarat due to political reason
✅ Creation of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand for administrative efficiency and development.
✅ Recently, Telengana was created to address development deficit
▪️Present scenario:
✅ Demand for creation of Vidharbha & Marathwada in Maharastra and Surashtra & Kutch in Gujarat for development
✅ Demand for creation of Gorkhaland, Bodoland and Greater Nagaland for political reasons
✅ Demand for creation of Dravidland for ethnic and political reasons
▪️Way Forward:
✅ Economic and social viability rather than political considerations must be given primacy.
✅ It is better to allow democratic concerns like development, decentralisation and governance rather than religion, caste, language or dialect to be the valid bases for conceding the demands for a new state.
Q. Examine the potential of wind energy in India and explain the reasons for their limited spatial spread. (10 Marks)
✅ Wind is used to produce electricity using the kinetic energy created by air in motion.
✅ This is transformed into electrical energy using wind turbines or wind energy conversion systems.
▪️Potential of Wind Energy in India as per Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC):
✅India currently has 13.4 GW of prospective projects in wind energy, which are expected to drive installations until 2024 in the market.
✅ India is expected to add 3.2 GW in 2022, 4.1 GW in 2023 peaking to 4.6 GW in 2024, thereafter declining to 4 GW and 3.5 GW in the next two years.
✅ It is found by the National Institute for Wind Energy (based in Chennai) that western states have larger potential in terms of a stable, steady and a speedy wind flow starting from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka to Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Tamil Nadu is the largest producer of wind energy producing 9,075MW in 2019.
▪️Reasons for Limited Spatial Spread:
✅Eastern Coast of India is frequently affected by the cyclones hence it is difficult to harness their full potential.
✅ Static air mass in the northern part of country makes it difficult to harness the wind energy.
✅ It requires minimum interference but due to the dense population, very large open areas are not common.
E.g.: Mumbai and Chennai- High populated.
✅ Acquisition of land and pressure on land use. E.g.: Land is state subject.
✅ Competition with other renewable forms of energy like solar energy which are easier to harness.
Hence, National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy, 2018 and National Offshore Wind Energy Policy, 2015 with EEZ along with Indian coastline are sustained and increase growth in wind-based generation capacity, policymakers need to streamline the procedures to grant permits, including land allocation and grid connection projects.
Q. Discuss the natural resource potentials of Deccan Traps. (10 Marks)
✅The Deccan Trap is a thick series of late cretaceous basaltic lava flows that occupy approximately 500000
square kilometres of peninsular India.
✅ This basaltic lava soil has been eroded step by step as a result of erosion, and it is known as the Deccan trap.
✅ This Deccan trap is common throughout the Deccan plateau, which includes Saurashtra, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and portions of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
▪️Potentials of Deccan Traps:
🔸Bellary-Chitradurga- Chikmaglur-Tumkur belt
✅Karnataka has large reserves of iron ore. The Kudremukh mines situated in the Western Ghats of Karnataka are a 100% export unit.
✅Kudremukh mines are known to be one of the largest iron ore deposits and the ore from this mine is transported as slurry through a pipeline to a port near Mangalore.
🔸 Maharashtra – Goa Belt:
✅This belt comprises the state of Goa and Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra.
✅The ores of this belt are not of very high quality, but they are exploited efficiently and it is exported through Marmagao port.
Hence, the older rocks (Deccan Traps) have syncline for potential groundwater resources. It will be done under the Jal Jeevan Mission (Maharashtra will be the first state).
Q. Indian Government has recently strengthened the anti-terrorism laws by amending the unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967 and the NIA act. Analyse the changes in the context of the prevailing security environment while discussing the scope and reasons for opposing the UAPA by human rights organisations. (15 marks)
✅Recently the Parliament has amended the UAPA and NIA act to provide more powers to India’s anti-terror agency and expand the scope of India’s anti-terror law, and strengthening India’s fight against terrorism.
▪️Changes made in UAPA:
✅The Act designate individuals also as terrorists on certain grounds provided in the Act. Earlier, organisations were under the definition of the act not the individuals.
✅ The Act empowers the Director General of National Investigation Agency (NIA) to grant approval of seizure or attachment of property when the case is investigated by the said agency.
✅ The Act empowers the officers of the NIA, of the rank of Inspector or above, to investigate cases of terrorism in addition to those conducted by the DSP or ACP or above rank officer in the state.
▪️Changes made in NIA:
✅ The amendment has allowed the NIA to investigate, cases related to
(i) human trafficking,
(ii) counterfeit currency
or banknotes,
(iii) manufacture or sale of prohibited arms,
(iv) cyber-terrorism, and
(v) offences under the Explosive Substances Act, 1908.
✅ The provisions of the act will apply to the person outside India also.
✅ The 2019 amendment allowed the central government to designate Sessions Courts as Special Courts for the trial of scheduled offenses under the Act.
Q. ‘A man is but a product of his thoughts. What he thinks he becomes.’ – M.K. Gandhi (10 Marks)
Gandhiji made the above statement highlighting those ideas are the genesis of all our actions and life events. We have to first conceptualise and manifest our life goals in our mind to then see it transform into reality.
✅Our thoughts enable our efforts and help us persevere against challenges that may present themselves on the way. E.g.: Gandhi's commitment to swaraj helped him remain dedicated to the cause of freedom.
✅ Most revolutionary transformations in society have its genesis in the thoughts of men and women. For example, Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s efforts against Sati, Martin Luther King, Vinoba Bhave.
✅Thoughts therefore become the building blocks of our attitudes and actions. E.g.: a positive attitude towards Swachch Bharat Abhiyan enabled its success.
✅ Education should therefore be centred at developing progressive, positive thoughts about self and society, to create ethical individuals. E.g.: the Awakened Citizen programme of Ramakrishna Mission and CBSE helps to imbibe ethical values in children.
✅ Further, given the immense power of media in shaping thoughts and therefore individuals, it becomes
necessary that media ethics through self-regulation is duly followed.
The thoughts of individuals are therefore the most powerful force of human history. Socialisation at home,
educational institutions as well as the overall narratives of media and society must promote and pursue positive, ethical thoughts.
Q. ‘Institutional quality is a crucial driver of economic performance.’ In this context suggest reforms in the
Civil Service for strengthening democracy. (10 marks)
Institutional quality in a democracy determines how successful the government machinery adheres to the principles of public service, rule of law, and social justice. One such institution is the Civil Services, which acts as a link between the Government & Citizenry and strengthens democracy.
▪️Civil service reform in the context of improving economic performance:
✅ To improve ranking in Ease of Doing business requires a complete transformation in the ease of permitting licences, approval and lowering down the red tapism.
✅ To achieve a 5 trillion economy.
✅ Rise of Economic multilateral organisation requires a seasoned diplomat.
✅ Increasing competition for more and more investment in the state, requires Smart civil servants.
▪️Reforms Suggested:
✅ As suggested by 2nd ARC, along with streamlining of code of conduct rules, there is a need to inculcate ethical underpinning in the civil servants by implementing Code of Ethics.
✅ Specialist recruitment: The growing economy has different sets of needs where a high degree of specialisation is required in every field and cannot be appointed in them every time.
✅ Strengthening meritocracy in promotion instead of seniority.
✅ Civil service accountability: Strengthening and streamlining reporting mechanisms, action on audit findings, implementation of Citizens Charter, etc.
According to Goldman Sach, Bureaucracy based on merit rather than seniority will increase GDP by 1 %. The recent policy by the government Mission Karmayogi is a great step towards the civil service reforms to enhance the quality
of civil services as an institution in the country which in future will help in achieving a higher economic growth.