GS Paper 2

1 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

VISION IAS www.visionias.in

Approach – Answer: General Studies Mains Mock Test – 699 (2015)

All the questions are compulsory and carry 12.5 marks each.

1. Promulgation of ordinances by the Central and State government reduces the legislative process to a private affair. It then becomes imperative that the ordinance-making power be suitably restrained to create a balance of power between the executive and the legislature.” Discuss.

Approach:

The Answer should address the rationale, scope and practice of Ordinance making power of the executive at centre and states

Introduction should briefly explain and contextualize the statement.

Need for suitable restraint on the ordinance making power should be discussed in the light of

instances of misuse and regular re-promulgation. Quote judicial pronouncements in this context as

well.

Conclude with stressing the constitutional rationality of Ordinance making power and the need for

each organ to play its role appropriately.

Avoid being partisan, blame game, underline your arguments based on institutional and procedural

aspects in the light of historical experience and contemporary realities.

Answer:

Article 123 says that an ordinance may be promulgated if the President is “satisfied that circumstances exist that render it necessary… to take immediate action”. Similar provisions apply under article 213 in the case of the Governor in states. Ordinances have “the same force and standing” as the Acts of Parliament. In the case of ordinances, consultation and deliberation involved in parliamentary legislation is confined to the executive and ultimately rest on the subjective satisfaction of the President or the Governor.

Promulgation of ordinances has been criticized for:

Obstructing Parliamentary negotiations

Rendering parliamentary opposition to legislation ineffective.

Not following “necessity of immediate action” test.

Not being representative and deliberative.

Creating imbalance between the executive and legislature involving the entry of the former into the

domain of the latter.

On average, 10.3 ordinances have been issued per year since 1952. The criticism of provision and practice of ordinances is acutely felt due to the perceived or actual misuse which has manifested on many occasions in the form of:

Re-promulgation of ordinances, also termed as the ‘ordinance raj’ by the supreme court in the D.C.

Wadhwa case

Passage of important measures through Ordinances by-passing the legislature.


The need for suitable restraint on the promulgation of ordinance making powers of the executive has involved:

Putting a time frame on the validity of ordinances.

Making Subjective satisfaction of the President Justiciable.

Restraining re-promulgation.

Doing away with the provisions.

It is not the constitutionality of these provisions but the practice and implementation that is in question. In this context the judiciary has observed that:

Ordinances are in the nature of emergency powers of the President and the governor e.g. in A.K.

Roy vs Union of India and R.C. Cooper vs Union of India ,

Ordinance-making power was a legislative power given to the President and hence subject to judicial

review under article 13.

Constitution provides certain qualifying conditions for the promulgation of ordinances, the key lies in the judicious implementation of these provisions and containing the use of ordinance to exceptional circumstances only as was the rationale behind these provisions. A healthy functioning of the legislative and executive arms of the government under the constitutional provisions is the key in this context.

Following are some of the recent examples of Ordinances at the level of the Union Executive, which can be used in the answer:

o The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Ordinance, 2015

o The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and

Resettlement (Amendment) Ordinance, 2014

o The Insurance Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2014

o The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Second Ordinance, 2014

o Food Security Ordinance, 2013

o The National Tax Tribunal Ordinance in 2003

o Electricity Regulatory Commissions Ordinance 1998

o Establishment of TRAI in 1997

2. "Even though India represents a sui-generis case of a compromise between Parliamentary Supremacy and Judicial Supremacy, Parliament still remains the dominant partner." Critically analyze.

Approach:

The Answer should address the issue of relations between Parliament and Judiciary in India. Develop

arguments providing glimpse of Parliament as the representative of the peoples will and the judiciary

as the chief arbiter of the spirit of constitution.

Introduction: Establish the meaning of compromise between Parliamentary Supremacy and Judicial

Supremacy.

Main Arguments: Make your position clear on “Parliament still remains the dominant partner”. Three

possibilities should emerge

o Parliament is dominant

o Judiciary is dominant

o Both are co-equals in and have supremacy in their domains.

Conclusion: highlight the supremacy of the constitution through peoples will and respective roles of

executive, legislature and judiciary in ensuring a healthy constitutional democracy in India.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


Answer:

Britain and the USA are often cited as the prime examples of Parliamentary supremacy and Judicial Supremacy respectively. India, in contrast, is projected as a compromise between these two models. This is so because while, on the one hand Parliament in India was created by the constitution, unlike the British Parliament, of which the judiciary is the final arbiter. On the other hand, judiciary in India, unlike the USA, does not have unfettered power of judicial review.

However, it can be argued that even in this sui-generis model certain provisions make parliament the dominant partner.

o Parliament’s power of Legislation, including amendment of the constitution is beyond doubt.

o Parliament represents the will of the people and thus is considered supreme institution.

o The constitution vests the parliament with the power to determine the structure of Judiciary,

appointment, tenure and remuneration of judicial functionaries as well as their removal in case of

the judges of Supreme court and High Courts.

Nevertheless, the evolution of constitutional polity in India has witnessed a considerable expansion in the ambit and scope of judiciary, mainly through being the chief arbiter of the constitution.

o Provisions such as articles 13, 32 and 136, 226 and 227 provide a constitutional basis to judiciaries’

power to review parliamentary legislations.

o Judiciary is the chief custodian of the constitutionally mandated fundamental rights.

o Through verdicts such as Kesavananda (1976) and Minerva Mills (1981), the Judiciary has brought in

the tool of ‘basic structure’, curtailing the Parliaments overarching powers in terms of the

amendment of the constitution.

o Similarly, in the matter of appointments, through its verdict in Three Judges cases, the judiciary

virtually set the rules for itself, thus, establishing de-facto supremacy in this arena.

Nonetheless, the passage of NJAC Act underlined the importance of Parliament as the key institution regulating the conduct of institutions such as judiciary by constitutionally mandated procedure. The Judiciary, well within its constitutional mandate, can review the functioning of NJAC.

Hence, it would be prudent to remember that under the constitution the role of executive, legislature and judiciary is duly defined. The theory and practice of constitutional polity in India envisages appropriate checks and balances to address any imbalances as and when they arise.

3. In comparison with the American constitutional arrangement, where there is strict separation of executive and legislature, the Indian Constitution provides for a fused structure. Do you think this system has worked for India?

Approach:

The answer should contain the following parts:

Explain briefly the arrangement in India vis-à-vis USA

The reasons for going with this arrangement

Explain what are the benefits of this system

Way forward – How to make this system more efficient and effective

Answer:

The American constitution envisages a strict separation of powers where the executive and the legislature have no overlap. The President in USA, appoints his own staff/council of ministers and does not have anything to do with the legislature unlike India and is not responsible to the legislature like India. But in Indian system, the executive comes from the party, which has the majority in the Lok Sabha. Therefore meaning that the Council of ministers draws members from the

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


legislature thereby diluting the strict watertight compartments between the executive and the legislature.

The reason why our founding fathers did not adopt a strict separation of legislature and executive is because it could cause unnecessary conflict between the two organs of the government, which our infant democracy could ill-afford.

This system has served our country well since independence. Firstly, there is no scope for deadlocks between the executive and the legislature as can be the case with the American system. If the President belongs to a party, which doesn’t holds majority in the Congress than there is a possibility of a deadlock if the President and the Congress don’t agree on that issue. But in Indian system the executive comes from the party, which has the majority in Lok Sabha. Hence, for important bills like money bills there is no scope for deadlock.

Secondly, a majority in the Lok Sabha doesn’t give a free hand to the executive. The Rajya Sabha also functions as another check on the power of the executive. Hence, in our system there is cooperation between legislature and the executive as well as checks and balances on both the organs.

Going forward, we must strengthen our parliamentary processes. Most bills must be passed through debates and discussion rather than the ruling party forcing them through the Parliament.

The executive should be held accountable for its actions through various motions, question hour etc. The spirit of cooperation between the two organs must be recognized and embraced.

4. RTI Act has been considered by many as the second most important legal document after the Constitution. In the light of the above statement describe the importance of Information Commissions at the center and state levels. Discuss the challenges that they have been facing in fulfilling their mandate.

Approach:

There are 2 parts to the question – Importance of Information Commissions at Centre and state and Challenges being faced in fulfilling the mandate.

Address to the first part of the question, highlighting the mandate, objective, organization of the Information Commission at centre and state level.

Also, discuss the parameters of – transparency, accountability and predictability, which are implemented by the Information Commissions to work out the RTI Act.

You can also give the current status of pending cases and highlight the need for proper functioning of the Information Commissions.

Then, address the 2nd part – challenges faced. These should necessarily include the one w.r.t. vacancy of the CIC post.

No need to mention the suggestions separately, with every challenge you can include a short sentence for solution.

Please avoid mentioning general aspects and problems related to implementation of RTI Act.

Answer:

RTI Act has been one of the significant steps in Indian governance, which has transparency, accountability and participation as its mandate. The timely response to citizen requests for government information ensures that this act becomes next in line to the Constitution of India. The mechanism of complaints redressal through Information Commissions stands important in the following manner.

The Importance of Information Commissions at Centre and State level

These bodies are high-powered independent bodies which inter-alia look into the complaints made and decide the appeals, pertaining to offices, financial institutions, PSUs, etc. under the Central/State Government and the Union Territories.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


Right to information has been seen as the key to strengthening – transparency, accountability, predictability and participation

Transparency refers to availability of information to the general public and clarity about functioning of governmental institutions.

Right to information opens up government’s records to public scrutiny, thereby arming citizens with a vital tool to inform them about what the government does and how effectively, thus making the government more accountable.

Transparency in government organisations makes them function more objectively thereby enhancing predictability.

Already, there is a huge backlog with close to 25,000 appeals and complaints pending in the Central commission alone. Often, people have to wait for more than a year for their appeals and complaints to be heard.

The effective functioning of adjudicators under the RTI Act, i.e. the information commissions, is thus critical for the health of the transparency regime in the country.

Challenges faced:

The CIC post has been lying vacant since August 22 2014 due to the problem in identification of the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, who forms a member of the Selection Committee alongside the Prime Minister and a Cabinet Minister, nominated by the Prime Minister.

Section 12 (4) of the RTI Act states that the “general superintendence, direction and management of the affairs of the Commission shall vest in the CIC’’, thus, the vacancy has the “potential to adversely impact the effective functioning’’ of the Commission.

Lack of regional offices of CIC and SICs in larger states (based on population density and geographical area) - The Act allows for dispersal of Information Commissions to provide easy access to citizens. {Section 12(7), 15(7)}. For an overly citizen friendly law to be effectively implemented it is vital to have easy access in a vast country like ours.

The composition of CIC and SICs indicate the preponderance of persons with civil services background. Members with civil services background no doubt bring with them wide experience and an intricate knowledge of government functioning; however to inspire public confidence and in the light of the provisions of the Act, it is desirable that the Commissions have a large proportion of members with non-civil services background.

5. The possibility of friction or conflict, as a result of the functioning of multiple regulators overseeing the different segments of financial sector, does not make a convincing case for a single all-powerful super-regulator. Discuss.

Approach:

While FSLRC has recommended for a single unified financial sector regulator, many analysts including former RBI governor C Rangarajan have suggested against such a single regulator.

In the Introduction, write briefly about the present scenario of multiple regulators overseeing different segments of financial sector. Then come to recommendation of single super-regulator. Bring out the arguments in favour of it. Then write the arguments against such Super-regulator. Conclude with way forward.

Answer:

Currently in India, there are multiple regulators overseeing the different segments of financial sectors such as RBI, SEBI, IRDA, PFRDA, FMC etc.

The Justice B N Srikrishna-headed FSLRC has recommended a system where the RBI regulates the banking and payments system and a Unified Financial Agency regulates the rest of the financial markets. Arguments in favour of such a move:

A single regulator can avoid the emergence of possible conflicting regulations that different

regulators frame keeping primarily their jurisdictional area in view.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


With increasing roles in diverse areas of financial sector, a financial institution will have to follow

multiple regulations. A single financial institution is being under the supervision of multiple

regulators. A single regulator would encourage diverse activities of financial institutions.

A single regulator can ensure mechanisms for quick resolution of the unanticipated conflicting

regulations.

However many analysts including former RBI governor C Rangarajan have suggested against such a single all-powerful super regulator. The problem is not as simple as it appears and the single regulator solution may create new problems:

A single regulator may not always view the problem from different dimensions and from the

viewpoint of different players in the financial system.

A deregulated financial system provides opportunities as well as incentives for product and process

innovations. For facilitating desirable changes and innovations the regulatory system should be

conducive enough.

A regulatory system should encourage greater efficiency and reduction in transaction costs while at

the same protecting the integrity of the financial system. It is felt that a single monolithic regulatory

organisation may not be nimble and quick enough to respond to the continuous changes that are

taking place.

All big organisations have a natural tendency to develop into unwieldy bureaucracies.

The problems relating to friction and conflicting regulations may continue with undiminished

intensity even under a single regulatory body.

The overall administrative costs of the organisation are likely to increase more than proportionately.

Whenever employees of the super-regulatory body launch an agitation, the whole regulatory

framework of the financial sector may come to a grinding halt.

Financial sector players may also face problems with other authorities as a result of conflicts

between other laws and regulations framed by their regulators.

A more satisfactory solution to problems faced by conflicting regulations would be to devise an appropriate mechanism for conflict resolution. It may be productive to have an institutionalized regular forum of all the regulators in the financial system for exchange of views and review of important developments and resolving conflicts whenever specific problems/issues are identified.

6. "The power of the Union Government to enter into international treaties cannot be absolute or unchartered in view of the federal structure of legislative and executive powers." In context of the above statement examine the need for greater involvement of states in the foreign policy making process.

Approach:

Giving a background of the foreign policy making process, argue why states needs to be given a greater role in framing the foreign policy. Try to give examples from recent spate of incidents and change in politics, which emphasises on increased role of the states not only in political front but also in economic front (LPG era). Conclude by suggesting some measures for the same.

Answer:

Foreign policy, traditionally has been seen as a function of the central government and not the states. This was considered necessary to maintain wholesomeness of foreign policy as also the sovereignty of the country in foreign affairs. While Article 51 deals with the State’s endeavour to promote international peace and security, Article 253 gives unfettered powers to the Union government to legislate on any matters for implementing any treaty or agreement.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


Though the treaties are signed by the Central Government, there are allegations that the Union tends to act unilaterally compromising the interests of the states. Examples being that of Indus Water treaty where it is being argued that interest of the state of J&K were compromised by giving waters of western rivers to Pakistan or of giving Katchatheevu Island to Srilanka, compromising the interests of Tamil Nadu fisherman.

Arguments in favour of states

A closer look at India’s map shows that barring Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Haryana, all Indian states have borders with a foreign country or they have international waters. Therefore it is important to appreciate that Indian states have a natural stake in the foreign policy of the country.

In the era of globalisation the interests of states are affected by the treaties the Government of India signs. This is particularly true of the FTAs, CEPAs, climate change and a host of others issues. The negotiations at the Doha round of WTO have been blocked for more than a decade because of the interests of the farmers. Similarly, the government has taken a position at the Climate Change negotiations to protect the livelihood of the poorest sections of the society. Such issues cut across states.

States are also key players in the implementation of the economic reforms policy. The acute debate on the FDI in multibrand retail sector where the government was forced to give options to the states whether or not they wanted to implement the policy further reflect the important role played by states in shaping foreign policy of the nations.

Though previously parliament had a limited role in the day today task of making the foreign policy, there used to be a healthy practice of debating the issues in the parliament. This gave the government a good idea of the national sentiment, but in the recent years, the situation has changed drastically.

A Comparison with US bring forwards the important role played by the senate committee in ratifying international agreement's signed by the presidential executive providing the states an equal voice in the policy formulation process. Such a process allows for acting as a collective body echoing the interest of the states in international policy formulation process

The members of the ruling coalition often have large influence on the foreign policy. The government was forced to stake its survival by seeking a vote of confidence on IndoUS civil nuclear deal. More recently, it had to agree to a debate followed by vote on FDI in retail which is unprecedented and brings forward the role of regional parties in the coalition, which tends to prioritize the state’s interest.

Thereby, the government has to devise ways to accommodate the interests of the states. Though, it is being done on an ad hoc and sporadic manner, it is not enough. Most of such interactions are sporadic & need based. There ought to be a systematic interaction between the centre and the states to determine what the interests of the states are.

Further, there are several constitutional mechanisms which could be activated. Some foreign policy decisions can be taken in inter state council and national development council where states are represented at chief minister level.

However, in democracy all policy is essentially politics. A government’s policies are the result of political compromises. Foreign policy is no exception. As seen w.r.t some recent events, the influence of the states on foreign policy is increasing, particularly since the advent of coalition polity. Thus, the central government has the difficult task of determining what the national interest is, and whether it reflects the interests of the states.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


7. Article 326 of the constitution gives the right to vote to every citizen of India. However, the constituency based electoral system does not adequately facilitate the exercise of these rights for sections such as internal migrants, service personnel and NRIs. Discuss the issues involved and the measures proposed to address the issue.

Approach:

The answer should consist of the following parts –

Explain the present system of voting in India and the situation of internal migrants, service personnel and NRIs in India and the difficulties they face in exercising their right to vote

Give various solutions to solve this problem

Answer:

Article 326 of our constitution gives the Right to Vote to every citizen of our country who is not less than 18 years of age.

The electoral system in our country is such that every person can cast his/her vote from his/her constituency only and he/she must be physically present at the polling booth. This is a major hindrance for some sections of our society like the internal migrants, service personnels and NRI population.

According to a UNSECO report, 1/3rd of India’s population is internal migrants and it is very difficult for this sizeable population to take leave from work and be present at their respective constituency for polling. It not only results in loss of pay for them but also loss of valuable man-days.

Similar is the case with NRI voters who are required to be physically present at the polling station which is expensive and time-consuming.

Service personnel like those in the armed forces, civil services etc have the facility to vote either though postal ballot or through a proxy voter. However, both these mechanisms have inherent deficiencies. Proxy voting violates the principle of secrecy in voting and is very cumbersome. Postal ballot is also cumbersome and expensive as it requires registration of the service member and his family in the electoral roll and most of the time the issue of postal ballot is late. It would be better to confer the right to be registered as voters to service voters in the constituency where they are serving/posted at the relevant time.

For the NRIs, the ECI can either allow them to cast their vote at their respective diplomatic missions or can implement the system of electronic voting. Electronic voting can facilitate voting for internal migrants and service voters as well. The honorable Supreme Court of India has recently directed the Central government to implement to e-postal ballot system for NRIs and service voters. But government must ensure that the electronic voting is tamper-proof and is cyber secure.

Allowing these groups to vote will help them to gain representation in our democracy and their issues and grievances will also be redressed which have been hitherto neglected as they couldn’t easily exercise their voting rights. This will then truly usher in democracy in our country.

8. There has been a great deal of soul-searching in India over the fact that none of its universities make it to the top 200 of the World University Rankings. What can be the reason behind such performance by Indian universities on the global level? Is it justified to evaluate Indian universities on the basis of parameters involved in such rankings? What changes are required to improve their performance in the context of global rankings?

Approach:

Problems with higher education in our country in the context of global ranking of universities need to be discussed. Mention the parameters of ranking in brief and its relevance in Indian context. Finally provide suggestion to improve ranking of Indian universities.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


Answer:

Indian universities haven’t found themselves in top positions in global ranking of universities done by organizations like Times Higher Education or QS world university rankings.

Generally, following parameters are evaluated while ranking universities:

Teaching: It includes the academic reputation and learning environment of an institute.

Research: Volume of citations, research volume, etc.

International outlook: Number of overseas students and international faculty ratio.

Infrastructure: Labs, Lectures halls, other building and hostels.

Though some universities from India score better on academic reputation but on other parameters the scores are generally poorly.

We don't have a big culture of research grants and corporate funding for research.

Unlike the Universities in US and Europe with all academic disciplines, India emphasizes more on the specialized institutions built around a single theme such as technology, management, sciences or medicine which means the volume of research will be small. For example, IITs have excellence in Engineering, IIMs in management etc.

We are not able to attract students and faculty members from overseas.

Top Indian institutions are young while almost all reputed universities from UK and US are very old.

Indian universities need a transformational change for them to become relevant in the context of global rankings of universities. Following reforms and policy initiatives can be adopted:

Universities need to be treated differently based on quality, performance and contribution with more resources being made available for universities that are performing well.

India could consider empowering 50 of its top universities in every possible manner to seek global excellence. This model has been a success in Russia.

Universities in India need to be made more autonomous. The agenda of universities needs to be established by the faculty and students, keeping in mind the needs and aspirations of everyone in society.

There is a need to substantially increase the amount of funding that is currently available for research in Indian universities and to incentivise research and publications among faculty members.

We also need to focus on internationalisation of faculty members and students.

Thus, changes are required at the level of policymaking, regulation and governance in higher education for Indian universities to achieve global excellence and higher rankings.

9. While difference in opinions exist between the State agencies and the Voluntary Organizations, the State recognizes the need to preserve, protect and nurture an enabling environment for the development of the Voluntary sector. Explain in context of the National Policy on the Voluntary sector.

Approach:

A brief introduction about the importance of the role played by the VOs. Explain the statement in question about the difference in opinions/methods between the VOs and

State agencies Thereafter, mention the role of promotion of VOs by the government and how this can be seen in the

light of National Policy in this area Highlight the pro-active role of the Govt. towards the Voluntary Sector. These include:

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


o Partnership in Development o Establishing an Enabling Environment for the Voluntary Sector o Encouraging Self-regulation to ensure transparent and accountable systems of governance and

management of VOs.

Conclude the answer on a positive note. You may give in certain examples – such as the Anti-Kundakulam protest by PMANE etc. Caution: Avoid bluntly putting down the objectives of the National Policy on Voluntary Sector.

Answer:

The country faces a number of complex problems that require adaptive, multi-sectoral solutions where sustained social mobilization is particularly important.

Though there exist difference of opinions and working amongst the two entities, such areas urgently require strategic collaboration between the Government and VOs. The voluntary sector serves an effective non-political link between the people and the Government.

This National Policy on the Voluntary Sector-2007 recognizes three instruments of partnership, viz., (i) consultation, through a formal process of interaction at the Centre, State and District level; (ii) strategic collaboration to tackle complex interventions where sustained social mobilization is critical over the long term; and (iii) project funding through standard schemes.

Partnership in Development

VOs offer alternative perspectives; committed expertise; an understanding of the local opportunities and constraints; and the capacity to conduct a meaningful dialogue with communities, particularly those that are disadvantaged. The government therefore considers it essential that the Government and the Voluntary Sector work together.

It must be based on the basic principles of mutual trust and respect, with shared responsibility and authority.

Establishing an Enabling Environment for the Voluntary Sector

The government through the National Policy for VOs aims to provide a set of laws, policies, rules and regulations relating to VOs categorically safeguard their autonomy, while simultaneously ensuring their accountability.

The independence of VOs will allow them to explore alternative paradigms of development to challenge social, economic and political forces that may work against public interest and to find new ways to combat poverty, deprivation and other social problems.

It shall also enable VOs to legitimately mobilize necessary financial resources from India and abroad (tax exemptions, regulation through FCRA). At the same time, the Government will consider tightening administrative and penal procedures to ensure that these incentives are not misused by paper charities for private financial gain.

The Government will encourage all relevant Central and State Government agencies will introduce time bound procedures for dealing with the VOs. These would cover registration, income tax clearances, financial assistance, etc. There would be formal systems for registering complaints and for redressing grievances of VOs.

Encouraging Self-regulation to ensure transparent and accountable systems of governance and management of VOs.

The Government encourages the evolution of, and subsequently accord recognition to, an independent, national level, self-regulatory agency for the voluntary sector.

The Government will encourage support organizations, and VO networks & federations to facilitate discussion and consensus building on these issues.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


This Policy is a commitment to encourage, enable and empower an independent, creative and effective voluntary sector, with diversity in form and function, so that it can contribute to the social, cultural and economic advancement of the people of India.

10. Charities and CSR are methodologies through which the rich and the big corporates “give back” to the society, rising above their sole profit motive. In this context, critically analyse the effectiveness of the CSR measures in India.

Approach:

Explain/define CSR, its features. Can bring out the difference between CSR initiatives and charity/philanthropy in brief.

Cite a few examples of charity organizations, major initiatives taken under CSR in India, provision in companies act etc.

Explore reasons of why in many cases CSR measures, policies related to it (e.g. provisions in the companies act, 2013) are deficient.

May then ponder a little on the way forward: measures needed, better approach etc.

Answer:

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the mechanism through which organizations consider the interests of society by taking responsibility for the impact of their activities on customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders, communities and other stakeholders, as well as the environment.

Till 1990s CSR was solely dominated by the idea of philanthropy, donation, charity etc, wherein businesses often restricted themselves to one time financial grant. However, nowadays many corporates are treating CSR as a separate entity and devote attention to it for various reasons, e.g. for building a brand etc.

Even much before the issue became a global concern, India was aware of corporate social responsibility (CSR), due to the efforts of organisations such as the Tata Group, e.g. TATA’s CSR activities in Jamshedpur. IT companies like TCS and Wipro have developed software to help teachers and children in schools across India to further the cause of education.

In spite of having some life size successful examples, CSR in India is facing following challenges.

In the informal sector of the Indian economy, which contributes to almost the half of the GNP and where approximately 93% of the Indian workforce is employed, the application of CSR is rare.

The Companies act, 2013 allows companies can choose which area to invest in, or contribute the amount to central or state government funds earmarked for socioeconomic development (e.g. Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund). This definition clearly emphasizes corporate philanthropy rather than strategic CSR.

The Indian government has made it mandatory for companies to spend at least 2% of net profits on CSR. Companies may resort to camouflaging activities to meet such regulations. According to a few it’s outsourcing of governance.

Indian companies still equate CSR with corporate philanthropy rather than considering CSR as a holistic view. By reinforcing this philanthropic view, the Company act, 2013 could in fact distract business leaders who are ready to embrace strategic CSR.

Though the areas like environment garnered the maximum attention from corporates, women empowerment and poverty alleviation were neglected areas.

Many corporate are using CSR mechanism for brand promotion. For example, tobacco companies in India.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


CSR programs focus mostly on reputation and have only a limited connection to the business, making them hard to justify and maintain over the long run. CSR will achieve its intended objectives only if businesses truly believe that CSR is beneficial to them and that CSR is a way to manage business and not an optional add on to business.

11. "Healthcare is a right, not a privilege". Should the right to healthcare be made a fundamental right in India? How far can the private sector help in achieving this aim?

Approach:

The Answer needs to dwell on the rights based approach in healthcare in the context of the proposed National Health Policy 2015. Firstly, provide arguments that have been put forward to make health a fundamental right in India.

Secondly, dwell on the complementary role of private sector in achieving universal health care, as has been underlined by many committees; most importantly the current draft also has provisions on the role of private sector.

Further, bring out the constraints and debates enumerating in the context of health being made a fundamental right and conclude on a positive note.

Answer:

Rights based approach to health is enshrined in international treaties and conventions as well as national constitutions all over the world:

o (Article 25 UDHR; International ICESCR, 1966; Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

Despite commitment towards making quality health care a priority, inequity in health outcomes and access to health care services remains a big challenge in India.

Consequently, one of the fundamental policy questions of our times is whether to pass a health rights bill making health a fundamental right- in the way that was done for education. The Health Ministry proposes to make health a fundamental right in the Draft National Health Policy 2015 through a National Health Right Act in light of the following arguments that:-

o Many industrialized nations have such laws and provisions. o Many of the developing nations like Brazil and Thailand with considerable progress in

universal health coverage have done so, with such a law being a major contributory factor. o Many international covenants to which India is a joint signatory give such a mandate which

could be used to make a national law. o Judicial rulings also construe health care as a fundamental right — and a constitutional

obligation flowing out of the right to life (Article 21). o Health as a Fundamental Right would render denial of health an offence.

The draft envisages increasing the Public Health Expenditure to 2.5 % of the GDP from the current level of 1.2 %. This amounts to a per capita public health expenditure rate of over Rs. 3,800.

The importance of public sector lies in the fact that though it accounts for less than 30 % of total expenditure, but it provides for about 20%of outpatient care and 40% of in-patient care.

Government’s effort in achieving these goals can be suitably complimented by the private sector as it accounts 70% of total expenditure and provides nearly 80% of outpatient care and about 60% of inpatient care. The draft policy envisages involvement of Private Sector especially in tertiary health services, imaging and scanning complementing its role in providing primary and secondary care

Health in country like India cannot remain a privilege; the Draft National Health Policy correctly suggests making health a fundamental right. However, learning from the experience of such provisions in Education, the need is to create greater synergy between Government and private sector, as well as involving the community in planning and implementing the health services.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


12. The developmental model in India should include rural development schemes that are “demand driven” rather than “programme driven”. Examine with respect to the design of various social sector schemes.

Approach:

Firstly, bring out the context in which the question has been framed. Then compare and contrast between “demand driven” and “programme driven” approach. Further, try to incorporate examples and illustrate how the current governmental schemes are focusing on a demand driven approach. You might also use Case Study approach to bring forward your argument (Eg. NREGA and its success story or SAGY)

Answer:

The understanding of development till late in India has been limited to implementation of the government programs in a top down model rather than meeting the demands of the grassroots. The states had long been complaining that funds for the social sector schemes were extremely restricted as per the programs prescribed by the centre like JNNURM, RKVY, AIBP, RGGVY etc. and could not be used for the special requirements of the local development. Diverse regions in India had diverse needs, for which a single handed top-down approach was not found suitable.

In the changing paradigm of development, Demand-driven governance as an approach to development places emphasis on the following characteristics:

a decentralised component of resource allocation and distribution;

substantial participation and co-determination from local actors and civil society organisations;

alignment and coordination with local authorities and governance structures

a set of ‘checks and balances’ to ensure local transparency and allow community constituencies to hold state- and developmental systems accountable (‘bottom-up accountability’).

Advantages of demand driven approach:

Priority is accorded to people’s demand and to grass-roots organizations rather than any centralizing authority

Mobilizing beneficiary contributions and inculcating a sense of Ownership

An approach that favours social investments

Social Audit of programmes, which not only ensures transparency and accountability but also focusses on outcomes achieved and ensures optimality in performance

The concept of demand-driven services is also linked to a paradigm shift in public sector reform towards responsive governance

Although demand-driven programmes represent progress over top-down approaches to development operations, consideration must be given to the risks involved. In light of available experience, certain design traps should be avoided, i.e.:

Demand-driven approaches bear an inherent risk in terms of fragmenting and scattering activities. With the benefit of hindsight, it is clear that geographical planning and convergence among the programmes should not be overlooked during the preparatory phase.

There is an obvious need for both top-down and bottom-up infrastructure planning to allow for combining heavy and light investments within the framework of local development plans at various levels. Integration with the decentralization process is crucial, particularly for a country like India in social or community-based projects.

Need for Capacity building at local level before such programmes.

Keeping this in mind the Saansad Aadarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) was also formulated. Its approach focused on:

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


Engaging with and mobilizing the community for participatory local level

Converging different government programs, private and voluntary initiatives and to achieve comprehensive development in tune with people’s aspirations and local potential with help of cooperatives.

Also the social sector schemes like Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojna are being implemented not only by the CPSU’s, state government power department, state electricity board and DISCOMs alone but cooperatives share an equal role in its implementation.

In a nutshell, the approach of bringing local level development has made a shift towards accommodating genuine community needs, community contributions and self-help with regard to the various socio-cultural needs of the people. Thereby, Rural development schemes should not only satisfy the demands of local people and empower local self-governance institutions but should have capacity building initiatives ingrained and in tune with national objectives leading to a convergence, which would help in achieving overall development of our nation.

13. "Though e-governance has facilitated the collection of taxes it has not provided any control over how the tax money is utilized". In this context, discuss if the problem in India is not of e-governance deficit but of governance deficit.

Approach:

Discuss the successes/prospects and limitations of e-governance to tackle administrative problems with relevant facts and examples. With respect to failures the focus should be on how e-governance alone is not sufficient to improve the public service delivery rather improving other administrative processes is. Explain the lacunae in administration to solve problems of masses and finally importance of good governance should be discussed to solve these problems.

Answer:

India has successfully rolled out several national e-governance initiatives, including the establishment of State Wide Area Networks, Common Services Centres and the Unique Identification Authentication suited to the meet the needs of its citizens.

There are laudable efforts made on e-governance:

The national optical fibre network provides broadband connectivity up to the block level in all the states, and will extend to the village level to connect all the Gram Panchayats.

The common service centres are now established in all parts of the country, and there are almost 130,000 of them providing range of services including payment of bills and taxes, getting government certificates, filing applications, and agricultural and health services.

No other government process has brought together private sector, civil society, youths, entrepreneurs, citizens, and researchers to such an extent.

It has induced fresh thinking, debate, innovations and momentum in how government services are organised and accessed by the citizens.

However the system is far from perfect, and requires more efforts and planning and without good governance it will not achieve its potential. Making government services available online saves time and costs incurred by people but it may not necessarily improve lives of the majority of the population

Merely provisioning paying of bills,taxes etc is not a solution to improving access to public services. For example citizens have been able to pay water bills online but 40% of the Indian population still lacks access to clean drinking water.

Government offices are not well equipped to handle e-governance.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


There is a need to bring about a change in the attitude of public servants in order to make e-governance effective.

Problem of Digital Divide in the country

Thus, it is good governance that will propel and sustain economic growth in India, and reduce poverty. The biggest contribution of e-governance would be if it makes “e” disappear and channelizes all energies and resources in improving governance in India not just for service delivery but also in policy formulation, resources allocation, implementation and monitoring.

14. The four main priorities for education policy have been Access, Equity, Quality and Governance. New education policies should continue to prioritise these four areas, however, there must be greater emphasis on improving learning outcomes at all levels. Discuss.

Approach:

Explain the keywords from the question in the context of education policies.

Handle each keyword separately

Focus should be recent reports which show improvement in enrolments but lack of quality of education.

Learning outcomes is Can link Outcome will

Provide suggestions to improve the learning outcomes of students.

End with an conclusion -

Answer:

Poor quality of education resulting in weak learning outcomes at each stage of education is the central challenge facing the Indian education. Many surveys have shown that after RTE, there have been higher levels of enrolment at all a level of education and a massive increase in physical infrastructure but the value added by formal education is still weak. Improving learning outcomes is crucial for inclusive growth and a major focus of educational policies should be on it.

Access:

Currently, the challenge of access is not of enrolments at the primary level, but of increasing attendance, reducing dropouts and increasing enrolments at the secondary level.

Measures include meeting pupil to teacher ratio, focus on teacher presence in schools and realistic assessment of the problems of the most vulnerable categories of children.

Improving learning outcomes at upper primary level would ensure better enrolment in secondary schools.

Equity:

While the gaps in average enrolments between disadvantaged groups and the general population have decreased, there is still a considerably large gap in learning levels. Exclusion is the biggest hurdle in universalizing education.

Policy need to remove barriers to access arising out of social and economic inequality.

There is a need to move away from an incentives-and-provisions-based approach to a rights and entitlements approach such as fundamental right 21A.

Quality:

Quality education is linked to the quality of physical space, textual materials, classroom processes, and academic support to the teachers, assessment procedures and community involvement.

Focus should be on provision for child-friendly schools and systems in teaching and learning processes as well as in improved water, Sanitation and hygiene.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


Governance:

Absence of teachers in schools, delayed fund flows to schools and administrative capabilities are the main challenges of education governance.

An institutional approach should be followed to hold teachers and school systems accountable for student learning outcomes.

Overall, focus on learning outcome should be the unifying theme of education policies. Access, equity, quality and governance collectively ensure better learning outcomes. The approach of the policy should be to define and measure outcomes, and allocate resources in ways that maximise progress towards achieving these outcomes.

15. “China’s rising influence on India’s periphery underlines the requirement for India to craft an independent and robust regional role in South Asia.” Discuss the statement in the context of China’s Maritime Silk Route initiative. Do you think India should participate in this initiative?

Approach:

Firstly, discuss the Chinese diplomatic initiatives such as Maritime Silk Road (MSR) in the periphery of India and their objectives and implications for India.

Discuss the MSR and its implications from both economic and strategic perspective for India.

Finally, discuss whether India should participate in this initiative.

Answer:

China’s recent diplomatic initiatives such as “String of Pearls” and “Maritime Silk Road (MSR)” and their economic and strategic implications for India underlines the requirement for India to craft an independent and robust regional role in South Asia.

MSR initiative of China includes port-building and connectivity-enhancing projects within Southeast Asian and Indian Ocean littoral countries. Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have pledged support to MSR initiative.

If the MSR leads to important neighbours like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka drifting into the Chinese orbit, it would represent a serious setback to India’s traditional conception of the subcontinent as a privileged sphere.

China is attempting to expand its influence in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea by building ports in Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh through a strategy referred to as ‘String of Pearls’. Thus India's clout at regional level might be reduced.

China has also been pushing for a land corridor—termed as Bangladesh–China–India–Myanmar economic Corridor (BCIM-EC). The BCIM corridor would imply not only enhanced trade and connectivity but could also open the door for China to upgrade infrastructure in port facilities in Bangladesh and Myanmar, key hubs in a potential MSR.

Thus, strategically these projects affect India’s interests in the region. However, economically India could gain through these initiatives such as:

India’s participation in the MSR initiative will boost its trade with Eurasian economies and investment in infrastructure would increase.

The MSR involves the development of maritime nodes that will help enhance trade and sea-connectivity and assist substantially in the development of local economies including India. This could be an economic game-changer and an enormously beneficial enterprise for the whole region.

Lack of clarity about the objectives of these initiatives led India to revamp its foreign policy. It has announced a slew of projects in the Indian Ocean and South Asia region to counter Chinese strategy.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


Project Mausam- Project Mausam would allow India to re-establish its ties with its ancient trade partners and re-establish an “Indian Ocean world” along the littoral of the Indian Ocean.

Indian Ocean Rim (IOR) Association- It is based on the principles of open regionalism for strengthening Economic Cooperation particularly on trade facilitation and investment, promotion as well as social development of the region. India has been playing important role in IOR for ensuring success of this regional initiative.

India has joint mechanisms with Sri Lanka and Maldives for shared maritime domain awareness. India has also been encouraging Mauritius and Seychelles for joining this mechanism that will enhance maritime security in the IOR.

BIMSTEC and SAARC- India is playing proactive role in ensuring success of these institutions as forum of effective multilateral and regional cooperation.

India further needs to scale up its investment in its immediate neighbourhood in precisely those capacities where China is investing (ports, logistics, shipbuilding) to dissuade India’s neighbours such as Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka from becoming Chinese ‘political outposts’. India’s recent decision to expedite its involvement in the construction of Chabahar Port on Iran’s Makran coast could also be seen as quest to seek high-quality transit points in the IOR.

Thus, India’s appreciation of the MSR must be based on an objective appraisal of the emerging realities. Even assuming the project delivers on its economic promise, it could well turn out to be detrimental to India’s geopolitical interests in the IOR. As China becomes more involved in building infrastructure in the Indian Ocean, it will play a larger part in the security and governance of the IOR, which could pose a challenge to India’s stature as a ‘security provider’ in the region and also adversely affecting India’s strategic interest in the region. Hence India needs to balance its economic and strategic interests while considering MSR.

16. The delimitation of Indo-Bangladesh maritime boundary by Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) has wide economic and strategic implications, not only for India and Bangladesh but for the entire Bay of Bengal region. Discuss.

Approach:

Firstly discuss the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling and it’s various facts.

Then discuss its economic and strategic implications for India and Bangladesh as well as the Bay of Bengal region.

Finally, discuss how the ruling is a win-win situation for both the countries and the Bay of Bengal region.

Answer:

The ruling of Hague based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) has settled long-time pending maritime dispute between India and Bangladesh. The UN Tribunal’s award has clearly delineated the course of maritime boundary line between India and Bangladesh in the territorial sea, Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and continental shelf within and beyond 200 nautical miles. Now, Bangladesh’s maritime boundary has been extended by 118,813 sq. m comprising 12 nm of territorial sea and an EEZ extending up to 200 nm into the high seas. The ruling will have wider economic and strategic implications through increased bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the Bay of Bengal region.

Economic implications

The award has cleared the obstacles for Bangladesh to open up its waters for foreign firms to explore and exploit hydrocarbons in the Bay of Bengal. So long, Bangladesh’s maritime dispute with India has deterred many international petroleum companies to invest in the region.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


It would help Bangladesh to compensate gas shortages in its gas turbine-run industries and plants and contribute to the country’s economic development. India’s ONGC also stands a good chance to win lucrative contracts in Bangladeshi offshore gas and oil fields.

The amicable settlement has opened up vast sea areas for millions of fishermen of both countries, which were not available to them in the last four decades.

The confidence developed in Bangladesh for India will ensure greater support for India's ambitious transit project to North East through Bangladesh. The transit project through Bangladesh will generate greater economic opportunities for North East that will further help in checking insurgency in the region.

Strategic implications

The verdict has been accepted by both the countries as a positive development for further consolidation of friendly relations especially given the geo-strategic/political significance of greater Indian Ocean region and South Asian sub-region.

India has already settled its maritime borders with other countries in the region such as Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar. Bangladesh’s maritime issues with Myanmar have also been resolved. Thus Settlement of this issue would facilitate the emergence of the strong multilateral regional forums such as BIMSTEC. Hence the verdict would contribute towards establishing strategic partnerships among the nations sharing borders in the Bay of Bengal.

The ruling could provide impetus for both countries to solve other issues such as sharing the waters of the Teesta River.

The award assumes strategic significance against the backdrop of China’s close ties with Bangladesh and its growing interests and activities in the Bay of Bengal region. Now the settlement of maritime disputes between India and Bangladesh may have a restraining influence on the expansionist designs of China.

The verdict could help boosting coastal and maritime security in the region. Before the award, both India and Bangladesh could not undertake cooperative measures due to the vexed problem. The verdict has now cleared the hurdles of strengthening security in the maritime front.

Acceptance of ruling amicably reaffirms India's commitment to global institutions and increases its soft power footprints in global diplomacy.

Thus, the award is a “win-win” situation for both countries where enhanced bilateral and multilateral cooperation will ensure peace, stability and prosperity in the Bay of Bengal Region.

17. Initiatives such as NDB and AIIB represent not only an assertion of rising powers vis. a vis. the existing institutions dominated by the West, but also underline the requirement of diversifying investment sources for the developing world in arenas such as infrastructure. Discuss.

Approach:

Firstly, one has to discuss the need of NDB and AIIB and issues with existing financial institutions such as WB and IMF.

Secondly, discuss the shifting of balance of power in favour of emerging economies and emergence of NDB and AIIB as assertion of rising powers.

Then finally discuss role of NDB and AIIB in meeting the development and infrastructural needs of emerging economies. Also discuss the role of NDB and AIIB vis. a vis. IMF and WB.

Answer:

Since the World War II, global financial realm has been dominated by the financial Institutions such as World Bank and IMF controlled by western powers. These Institutions have been criticised for various reasons such as loan conditionalities, social and environmental implications of projects and lack of reforms in governance structure such as quota reforms.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


With the change in geopolitics and apparent shifting of balance of power towards emerging economies, there have been demands for reforming these institutions so that they can reflect the present geopolitical realities. Infrastructure bottlenecks and scarcity of funds in developing and emerging economies have also emphasized need of financial institutions, which meet the demands of emerging and poor countries. With these objectives AIIB and NDB have been established.

In 2010 China, India and other fast-developing countries won an agreement on reform of the IMF that would have doubled the funds available to the IMF in return for a greater voting weight for countries such as China, Russia, India and Brazil. But the reforms have not been implemented.

The prime driver for these China led Banks was to finance New Silk Road high-speed Eurasian rail and also sea infrastructure projects and the refusal of the United States to agree to major IMF voting reform that would give China and other emerging economic nations more say.

The rush to get in on the China-backed AIIB by all countries including the largest EU members is the realization that Asia and Eurasia is where the economic future of the planet will be made or broken. Thus NDB and AIIB represent an assertion of rising powers vis a vis the existing institutions dominated by the West. NDB and AIIB also underline the requirement of diversifying investment sources for the developing world in areas such as infrastructure.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) estimates Asia will need $8 trillion over the next decade for energy, transportation, telecommunication and water/sanitation. Now private investment in infrastructure runs a mere $13 billion a year, most in low-risk projects. Official development assistance adds another $11 billion a year. That means a shortfall exceeding $700 billion a year. There will emerge large demand for construction of infrastructure in terms of electric power facilities, highways across Eurasia and Asia.

The AIIB is proposed to provide finance to infrastructure projects in the Asia-Pacific region and NDB through its development capital will foster greater development cooperation. Similarly Contingence Reserve Arrangement of NDB will forestall short-term liquidity pressures, provide mutual support and strengthen financial stability.

Removal of infrastructural bottlenecks of Asian countries will generate greater economic activity and wealth. Wealth created could be used for eradication of poverty and human resource development of the region.

Funding of bilateral and multilateral infrastructural project in the Asia region will promote regional cooperation and trust which will further promote peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

Funding of Infrastructural and development project will transform Asia in to next global destinations for manufacturing, industries and services.

Thus AIIB and NDB reflect present geopolitical realities and meet the financial demands of emerging economies. These new financial institutions AIIB and NDB, should not be seen as threat or counter to existing institutions such as WB, IMF and ADB. Greater cooperation and collaboration between old and new institutions will lead to a more prosperous, peaceful and stable world order.

18. West Asia is a key region for India on multiple counts. Has the region being accorded the importance that it deserves in recent times? Have bilateral engagements such as ones with Israel and Iran come at the cost of waning influence of India in the larger West Asian region?

Approach:

Firstly discuss the importance of West Asia for India. Then discuss India’s policy towards West Asia and its countries with the changing times.

Secondly, discuss how bilateral engagements with Israel and Iran have affected India’s influence in the larger West Asian region.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


Finally suggest the revamp in the India’s policy towards west Asia in the emerging geopolitics of the region.

Answer:

India's extended Western neighbourhood i.e. West Asian countries has strategic, economic, cultural, social importance for India. West Asia has presence of a six million strong Diaspora and it is source of $40 billion remittances. The region also accounts for two-thirds of our petroleum imports and large volumes of trade.

Since the time of Indus valley civilisation, India had close links with this part of the world. After the Independence India took the leadership of the NAM countries and many countries of this region have strong ties with India. But the relations gradually start declining in 1970’s due to change in geopolitics of the region .The relation became colder after 1991 when India adopted the LPG reforms and Shifted towards the West.

In recent times, India had lost much ground in this region due to wide involvement of the West, especially after 9/11. India's stance has often vacillated on key issues as is evident from voting patterns in the UN. For example:

India went with Russia and China to abstain on the U.N. vote invoking the “Right to Protect” for strikes on Libya, but didn’t raise its voice against the regime change there.

On Syria too, India has followed confused approach, voting with West against the Assad regime in a Security Council vote that Russia and China eventually vetoed, but then turning around against the West on others.

In 2006, India voted against the Iran on the resolution of the US related to nuclear issue. In 2010, India abstained from the voting on Human Rights violation resolution against the Iran.

On issue of the Palestine, India has been in great dilemma as Israel is strategic partner in the field of defence and technology while Issue of the Palestine for Arab have support of India since the freedom struggle. Recently India abstained in a vote against Israel at UNHRC.

Bilateral relations with Iran and Israel have affected India’s influence in larger West Asia region. The reason has been cited as changing geopolitics of West Asia. But our policy towards West Asia has been shaped by our national interest and emerging geopolitics of the region. By staying true to its values and showing little aggression, India has invested in its soft power capital. Through abstaining from tangling itself in Middle Eastern conflicts, India has established itself as an impartial actor.

The relative decline of Washington’s interest and influence for the region creates room for other global powers. India can play a greater role in the region as a culturally rich country, one known for pluralism, tolerance, and nonviolence. India is an attractive partner for not only Arab states but also for Iran and Israel. India should adopt a long-term vision that targets countries, such as Saudi Arabia and smaller Gulf states like Qatar and the United Arab Emirates that are important for India’s strategic ascendance.

Thus, India requires a long term and balanced policy for West Asia region given its strategic and economic significance for the country. India also needs to play greater role in the region through regional grouping such as GCC.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


19. Mega Free-Trade Agreements such as the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) propose to change global trade significantly and also have important implications for India's strategic and economic interests. Discuss.

Approach:

Introduce three important Mega trade agreements and their impact on global trade

Discuss how India’s strategic and economic interests are affected by these agreements

Conclude by giving measures India should take to address this challenge

Answer: The complex negotiations at WTO Doha Round and other 21st century geo-economic issues led various countries towards three prominent Mega Free-Trade Agreements.

Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)

Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP)

Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement (RCEP)

They primarily intend to deepen economic ties among participating nations but have potential to alter dynamics of global trade significantly.

Boost trade and employment generation at the regional level leading to greater regional economic integration. For instance, TTIP is likely to boost bilateral trade between US and EU by $150 billion.

Enable creation of high standards of trade rules and meet the liberalization needs of developed countries.

Increased foothold of US through TTP in Asia where it was getting left out of free-trade deals signed in last decades.

However, they pose risk to discrimination against non-members and thus, to multilateralization including functioning of MNCs. Along with this, the high standards related to environment and labour set in these mega partnerships could be parachuted into WTO. The expanding scope of IPR could prevent distribution of generic drugs.

The growing economy of India needs diversified and increased market share for its exports. Also, global trade relations have important geopolitical significance. In this context, these mega agreements could affect its economic and strategic interests in following ways:

Rich countries comprising mega trade blocks could cover most of international trade, hampering dream of being leading exporter

Higher TRIPS commitments, strict labour and environment standards would restrict policy option for Indian government

Indian companies face challenge of competitiveness and standards of products. India, by not building capacity and associated policy improvements, will lose market access for their exports to the markets of countries negotiating mega FTA.

India negotiating free trade with China under mega trade agreement RCEP could amplify huge trade deficit

In this scenario, the government should take following measures

Preserve primacy of development agenda in global mainstream and in leading economic frameworks like the G20 and the WTO.

Develop coalition to press for inclusive systems of conformity assessment to determine the acceptability of their product standards in exports markets.

Also, India needs to focus towards RCEP and TTP, and carve out better deals in the form of flexibility over sensitive issues like IPR and other products and services.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


20. IMF needs to keep up with changes in the global economic order. In this context, comment on the need for IMF quota and governance reforms. Also, highlight the hurdles in the way of these reforms. What advantages can such reforms bring for countries like India?

Approach:

Write in brief what is IMF and its quota system.

Write about the need for change in the present quota system and governance structure.

Then discuss the hurdles in the way of such reforms.

Then in brief write about advantages of such reform for India.

Answer:

IMF is a multilateral financial institution working to ensure the stability of the international monetary system. Upon joining IMF member country is assigned a quota, which is used to determine that country’s financial and organizational relationship with the IMF, including subscriptions, voting power and access to financing. The current quota formula is a weighted average of:

GDP (weight of 50 percent)

openness (30 percent)

economic variability (15 percent)

international reserves (5 percent)

With the changing global economic order, there has been a demand for changes in the present quota system and governance policy.

Allocation of quotas to the original members of the fund was not really based on the objective criterion of economic strength but was more of a political issue.

The quota share and representation in IMF’s governance is largely in favour of developed world and especially that of U.S.

With increasing globalisation and global economic crises and its spill over, emerging market countries has assumed more important role in global economic order and there portion in the global economy has increased. But still IMF doesn’t reflect the increasing importance of emerging market economies and developing countries suitably in its decision making process.

Historically, the IMF's managing director has always been a European. Other qualifies people from other part of the world need to be given chance for this post.

Following are some of the hurdles in the way of reforms in IMF:

Some of the developed countries like USA has not supported the reforms as they think that this will result in dropping of their shareholding and this will decrease their power in IMF’s decision making process.

USA account for more than 17% of quota share which provide it a the power of virtual veto as most of the amendments or decision to come into force need at least 85% of the IMF’s total voting power. And thus without USA’s support reforms will not be able to come into force and US’s Congress has not approved America’s contribution to the proposed increase in capital till now.

European countries have also been wary of such reforms because it also reduces their clout.

Advantage such reform will bring for India and other emerging economy:

If the proposed quota & governance reforms are implemented, quota of developing countries will rise. As per 2010’s quota and governance reforms proposals, India’s quota will rise from 2.445 to 2.75% and thus India will hold rank among top 10 countries in quota share, thus giving more voting rights, borrowing capacity and more say in the Decision Making.

More power in decision making will help emerging countries to formulate policies which can be beneficial for their growth.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


More borrowing capacity will be very helpful for emerging countries like India to get finance easily for overcoming any financial constraints in the path of development and growth and will provide more economic stability.

It will give more say to BRICS and other emerging and developing countries in global financial decisions. And thus their rights can be protected.

IMF reforms are need of the hour for the better reflecting the interest of emerging countries like India. If IMF does not enforce reforms then there are chances that emerging countries will move towards developing other alternative institutions like AIIB and BRICS bank for their financial needs thus, IMF reforms are also necessary to strengthen the fund’s credibility, legitimacy, and effectiveness, and also to ensure it has sufficient permanent resources to meet its members’ needs.

Copyright © by Vision IAS All rights are reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of Vision IAS

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)




Answer all the questions in NOT MORE THAN 150 WORDS each. Contents of the answer are more important than its length. All questions carry equal marks. 10x25=250

1. Indian Martial Arts, while enjoying the sanctity of ancient texts, are also closely correlated with culture and geography. Illustrate.

Approach:

Clearly relate the three aspects with the martial arts.

Give literary and cultural references such as Dhanurveda, Agni Puran or hymns and legends from regional epics, which inspire the arts.

For geography, conditions such as hilly terrain and caves in Maharashtra (influencing type of weapons such as lightweight sword for each hand), various forms of kalaripayattu in Kerala (north, central, south), Thang ta and hilly terrain or Silambam and bamboo cultivation in Karnataka-Tamil Nadu region can be quoted.

Answer: Martial Arts in India have been stylized to quasi dance forms. Notable amongst them are Kalaripayattu of Kerala, Mardani Khel of Maharashtra, Silambam of Tamil Nadu, Chhahu of Orissa and martial dances of the North-eastern hill tribes like Thang-ta of Manipur.

Indian Martial Arts find their conception in various literary texts starting from the Vedic Age. The Dhanurveda, one of the earliest upveda contains references to martial arts. Epics such as Mahabharata and texts like Manusmriti elaborate on the rules. Sangam literature provides written evidence. The Agni Puran of medieval ages contains most elaborate description of martial arts, with separate chapters on training for different classes of combatants. Malla Purana discusses techniques of Mallayuddha (wrestling).

Also, the martial arts show close resemblance with culture and geography of the region to which they belong. The northern and western Indian martial arts were influenced by the Persian cultures, notable in introduction of the curved talwar, whereas the southern arts remained more conservative in preserving ancient and medieval traditions. Some examples of cultural and geographical influence are:-

In Maharashtra, due to hilly terrain, the Marathas became expert horsemen and preferred light weapons and highly mobile cavalry. The Mardani Khel’s unique aspect is the light sword, pata and a talwar. Distinguishing feature is the two swords, the only weapons that a warrior carries.

Silambam in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka is named after the particular bamboo (bam) found on Kurinji Hills (Silam). The bamboo staffs are the chief weapon.

In Manipur, the thang-ta (sword-spear) was developed by the local tribes before they unified into a single Meitei community to protect themselves from neighbouring kingdom. As the earlier kings did not maintain true standing army, the thang-ta warriors were expected to protect the kingdom.

Kalaripayattu in Kerala developed in its present form during Chera-Chola wars (11th CE). It has distinct varieties in north, central and southern Malabar. The northern style is based on flexible movements


and weapons training, while the southern style focuses on impact based training with bare hands. Coconut oil is widely used, both for healing as well as providing flexibility. The healing technique in north is associated with Ayurveda, whereas in south it is Sidhha (Dravidian system).

Gataka in Punjab is practiced mostly by Sikhs and is an integral part of their martial history. It is known for its emphasis on ambidexterity (use of both hands) and quick kill (chatka).

2. In addition to religious unrest, political and economic factors were also responsible for the rise of Buddhism and Jainism in the 6th century B.C. Explain.

Approach:

Briefly introduce the rise of Buddhism and Jainism as heterodox sects in the 6th century B.C.

Bring out the various factors such as religious unrest and political and economic conditions responsible for the rise of Buddhism and Jainism.

Answer:

The 6th century B.C. saw rise of various heterodox sects against the orthodox religion dominated by rites and rituals. Among them the most successful were Jainism and Buddhism whose impact on the Indian society was remarkable.

Though religious factors were considered as the primary cause, political and factors also contributed to for the rise of Jainism and Buddhism.

Religious factors

The complex rituals and sacrifices advocated in the Later Vedic period were not acceptable to the common people.

The sacrificial ceremonies were also found to be too expensive.

The superstitious beliefs and mantras confused the people.

The teachings of Upanishads, an alternative to the system of sacrifices, were highly philosophical in nature and therefore not easily understood by all.

There was a need for a simple, short and intelligible way to salvation for all people. Such religious teaching should also be in a language known to them.

Political and Economic factors

The rigid four fold varna system prevalent in India generated tensions in the society. Higher classes enjoyed certain privileges which were denied to the lower classes.

The Kshatriyas had resented the ritualistic domination of the priestly class. Both Buddha and Mahavira belonged to Kshatriya origin.

The growth of trade led to the improvement in the economic conditions of the Vaisyas. As a result, they wanted to enhance their social status but the orthodox Varna system did not allow this. Therefore they supported Jainism and Buddhism.

Spread of new agricultural economy and new technology with the help of Iron paved way for rise of cities, state and new socio-economic forces which were contradictory to ideals espoused by Brahman’s.

Vedic practice of killing cattle indiscriminately in sacrifices stood in progress of new agriculture.

Rise of cities, coins and non-agricultural economy led to rise of trade, which required peace between different kingdoms.

Dharmasutras also forbade money lending on interest which was widely practised by Vaishyas.

The new religions didn’t attach any importance to varna, orthodoxy, sacrifices and advocated for peace, equality and nonviolence.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


3 Trace the evolution of Hindustani and Carnatic styles of music in India. Discuss their salient features. Explain why different forms do not exist in Carnatic style of music unlike Hindustani music.

Approach:

Briefly introduce Hindustani and Carnatic styles of music. Write about the evolution of both the styles and their salient features.

Write how Carnatic music is different from Hindustani music and explain why there are no different types of them.

Answer:

It is generally believed that the music of India was more or less uniform before the 13th century. Later it bifurcated into the two musical systems. Whereas the Indian music of the Northern part of India assimilated some features of the music of the Persian and Arabic musicians who adorned the courts of the Mughal rulers of Delhi, the music of the South continued to develop along its own original lines Evolution of Hindustani music and its salient features:

Hindustani music is an Indian classical music tradition that goes back to Vedic times around 1000 BC, and further developed during the 13th and 14th centuries AD with Persian influences and from existing religious and folk music.

The practice of singing based on notes was popular even from the Vedic times where the hymns in Sama Veda, a sacred text, was sung as Samagana and not chanted.

Hindustani music was not only influenced by ancient Hindu musical traditions, historical Vedic philosophy and native Indian sounds but also enriched by the Persian performance practices of the Mughal era in terms of the instruments, style of presentation, and ragas.

Hindustani music is mainly found in North India. Khayal and dhrupad are its two main forms, but there are several other classical and semi-classical forms.

In Hindustani music, the music instrument is given equal importance. But in Carnatic, more importance is given to vocal music than instrument.

Evolution of Carnatic music and its salient features:

The present form of Carnatic music is based on historical developments that can be traced to the 15th - 16th centuries AD and thereafter.

"Carnatic" in sanskrit means "soothing to ears". Carnatic music is completely melodic music, with improvised variations. The main emphasis is on vocal music; most compositions are written to be sung, and even when played on instruments, they are meant to be performed in a singing style.

Purandara Dasa is credited with having founded today's Carnatic Music. He systematized the teaching method by framing a series of graded lessons such as swaravalis, alankaras, ugabhogas, sooladis, kritis etc. Another of his important contributions was the fusion of bhava, raga and laya in his compositions.

Thyagaraja, Annamacharya and Bhadrachala Ramadasu have written in Telugu and there are multiple tamil and sanskrit lyrics as well which are sung in carnatic version.

A song composed in the carnatic style necessarily comprises of a Pallavi, Anupallavi and one or two or more Charanas. Each of these parts of the song is given importance, while singing in the Carnatic style. This is not the case with Hindustani music. The Hindustani musicians give more importance to the raga part of music.

In Hindustani music, there are 10 main forms of styles of singing and compositions: Dhrupad, Dhamar, Hori, Khayal, Tappa, Chaturang, Ragasagar, Tarana, Sargam and Thumri. These are schools of singing founded or developed by various individuals or patrons such as kings or noblemen. However such different forms do not exist in Carnatic style of music. It’s mainly because:

Hindustani music was practiced in a wide region ranging from present day Pakistan, Northern India and Bangladesh. It has experienced the influence of Arab, Afghan, Persian and various other local schools of music. However the influence of Carnatic music is limited to south Indian states of

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


Karnataka, Andhra and Tamil Nadu and is attributed mainly to the work of few personalities such as Purandaradasa, Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar etc.

The Northern part of India was under direct rule of Turks and Mughals for a long time and hence more influence and variety due to development of a composite culture in Northern areas.

The 18th Century onwards period is marked by political decentralisation and regional kingdoms who patronised various musicians which gave rise to distinct schools (Gharanas) in northern India. Eg. Awadh, Agra, Jaipur etc.

The structure of Carnatic music is more rigid than Hindustani music. It is extremely scientific and systematic and unique in all respects Hence there is less scope for development of different schools based on different forms.

4. “The culture of democracy and respect for civil liberties in India is not ‘the lasting contribution of

colonialism’, but a result of the national freedom movement.” Examine.

Approach:

Introduce the answer by explaining arguments and counter arguments in statement.

Point out by giving examples how democratic values were popularized by National movement.

Answer: The culture of representative democracy in India after independence is often considered as the result of colonial occupation, which made India familiar with the ideas and thoughts of democracy. Indian experts contend that representative democracy in India is not result of authoritarian, bureaucratic colonial regime but the national movement and dissemination of ideas by national movement where dissent was respected and civil liberties sought for.

During early colonial occupation leaders like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Dorezio and Vidya Sagar fought for introduction of modern thoughts and education. They organized movements for introduction and expansion of civil liberties and rights of individual. Inspired from American and French revolution, they tried to

From its foundation, in 1885, the Indian National Congress was organized on democratic lines. It relied on discussions at all levels. For example, the decision to start the Non-Cooperation Movement was taken by voting on the resolution moved by Gandhiji.

Congress did not insist on uniformity of viewpoints or policy approach within its ranks. It not only tolerated but also encouraged different and minority opinions. Most of the other political organizations such as Kisan Sabha, Worker’s organization and revolutionary organizations functioned in manner of political democracies.

The defence of civil liberties was also not narrowly conceived in terms of a single group or viewpoint. Political trends and groups otherwise critical of each other vigorously defended each other’s civil rights. The Moderates—Gopal Krishna Gokhale and others—defended the Extremist leader Tilak’s right to speak. And Congressmen, votaries of non-violence, defended Bhagat Singh and other revolutionary terrorists being tried in the Lahore and other conspiracy cases as also the Communists being tried in the Meerut Conspiracy Case.

The modern notions of popular sovereignty, representative democracy and civil liberties were not prevalent in India before colonial rule nor were they result of colonialism. It was the national movement and not the bureaucratic colonial state that indigenized, popularized and rooted them in India.

The colonial administration only tampered with civil liberties and resisted the nationalist demand for introduction of parliamentary system based on popular elections. Through various acts like Rowlett act, it tried to stifle the freedom and denied civil liberties. The introduction of modern institutions by colonial rulers was out the compulsion to protect their interests.

The opposition to the colonial ideology by national movement popularized democratic thoughts and tradition of Enlightenment, which succeeded in making democracy and civil liberties basic elements of Indian political ethos.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


5. The developments in the second half of 18th century proved conducive for the rise of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and establishment of a powerful kingdom in Punjab. Discuss.

Approach:

Briefly discuss the developments that took place in that period and which are deemed to be conducive to the rise of Sikh rulers.

Answer should include the organisation of Sikhs in various misls and capture of power by Ranjit Singh.

Answer:

The power vacuum in Punjab province, created with the defeat of Marathas and Mughals at the hands of British in late 18th century gave the Sikhs an opportunity to rise, which they ably utilised under the leadership of Ranjit Singh. This was further facilitated by frequent invasions by Afghans due to prolonged neglect of North West frontier. All this led to dislocation of Punjab administration.

It was in this context that the local Sikh chiefs, organised themselves into 12 confederacies (misls), collaborated with each other to ward off the attacks of Afghan rulers. As a result, by 1800 the whole of Punjab and Jammu were brought under their control.

However, realising the vulnerability of the confederacy to foreign attacks and the rising power of feudal chiefs and zamindars, Ranjit Singh annexed the misls and united all of Punjab west of Sutlej into one Empire. He was proclaimed Maharaja in 1801. Later, he conquered Amritsar, Kashmir, Multan and Peshawar. The old chiefs were transformed into big zamindars. Thus the Sikh province emerged into a powerful kingdom.

Given the fair amount of stability, Punjab under Ranjit Singh built up a powerful army along European lines. Punjab under him developed friendly relations with British by engaging them diplomatically. This was evident in the Amritsar Treaty of 1809, between British and Ranjit Singh, which recognised Sutlej as the border of Punjab Empire. However, with the death of Ranjit Singh in 1839, Punjab once again fell victim to the British imperialist greed and was annexed into the British Empire in 1849.

6. Many Indian revolutionaries abroad viewed the outbreak of First World War as an opportunity to overthrow the British rule from India. In this context, examine the role of Ghadar party movement and its impact on the Indian national movement.

Approach:

Briefly state the impact of the outbreak of the War and its impact for the National Movement.

With focus on the Ghadar movement lay out its impact on the national movement.

Answer:

The outbreak of the World War I in 1914 provided an opportunity for revolutionary movements to flourish outside of India, which fuelled the national movement at home. The Indian immigrants faced discrimination and were restricted entry in countries like U.S.A and Canada, which resulted in generating political consciousness and activity amongst the Indian nationalists. The continued policy of apathy generated by the British government towards the immigrants and the lack of intervention in immigration rules was taken up by individuals like Bhagwan Singh and Lala Har Dayal Singh, a political exile from India.

Har Dayal sought to utilise the political freedom available in U.S.A to fight the British by cementing feelings of nationalist sentiments among these groups of immigrants. A working group was set up and weekly paper called the Ghadar was launched enlisting the radical ideas of armed revolution to overthrow the British rule at home. With a headquarter in San Francisco, the Ghadar party exposed the

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


harmful effects of the British rule through massive circulations of their newspaper among Indians in N. America, Philippines, Hong Kong, China and other places.

With the outbreak of the War, the Ghadar Party proclaimed war against the British government, which was widely issued and circulated. While many leaders returned to Indian soil to pace up the movement, the leaders could not find a willing populace to rise up in mutiny. All though attempts were made to contact Indian revolutionaries abroad and organise a mutiny at home, the Ghadar revolt failed to achieve significant success. The contribution of the Ghadar movement lay in its critique of the colonial policies of the British, which was carried out amongst and circulated amongst the poorest sections of migrants who came together with a united feeling of national consciousness. They also created a democratic and egalitarian set up and a truly international outlook among the Ghadar revolutionaries therefore providing a secular, egalitarian, democratic, and non-chauvinistic internationalist outlook.

7. The Indian National Movement was not only inspired by developments around the world but also actively forged linkages with others on the issues of imperialism and colonialism. Explain.

Approach:


Very briefly explain how Indian National Movements was inspired by developments around the world – political, social etc. by giving examples

Then show how India forged linkages on issues of imperialism and colonialism with examples

Try to give diverse examples, by showing linkages from different continents/events/movements, rather than restricting oneself to particular events and explaining only those in too much detail.

Answer:

Indian National Movement spanned many decades and our freedom fighters drew inspiration from world events as well as actively collaborated with such events.

Influences:

American Revolution propagated the ideals of constitutional republic, along with the idea of No taxation without representation.

The French revolution inspired our leaders to achieve the ideals of liberty and fraternity.

The emergence of Japan as an industrialized state, Anglo-Boer wars, Italo-Ethiopian War (1895-96) broke the myth of racial supremacy.

The Russian revolution inspired them to aim for an egalitarian society in free India.

Linkages with others against Imperialism and Colonialism:

Indian Diaspora also played a very important role in influencing the freedom struggle as well as forming linkages around the world.

Support for Socialist ideals:

2nd International – Dadabhai Naoroji attended the Hague session of Socialist International and outlined India’s support against war and imperialism. Lala Lajpat Rai also made contacts with American Socialists during his visit from 1914 to 1918

India was the founding member of International Labor Organization in 1920s

WWI – The Ghadr movement in North America enlisted support for Indian freedom. In Europe, Berlin Committee for Indian Independence was established for drumming up Indian support.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


In 1920s and 30s, radical activism influenced by the Irish home rule league. (M. N. Roy, Brajesh Singh, Shapurji Saklatvala).

V. J. Patel and the Indian-Irish Independence League (IIIL), formed in 1932 ‘to help by every means possible to secure the complete national, social and economic independence of the people of India and Ireland’

In 1927, Nehru attended the Congress of Oppressed Nationalists at Brussels. The conference was organised by political exiles and revolutionaries from Asia, Africa and Latin America, suffering from political and economic imperialism. Indian National congress also opened a foreign department to be in touch with the other peoples’ movements.

WWII

During the war, India lent support to other parts of the world like Ethiopia, Spain, China, and Czechoslovakia in their struggle against fascism and imperialism.

In 1939, the Japanese attack on China was condemned and a medical team under Dr. Atal ( included Dr Kotnis) was sent to China. India supported China in the anti-fascist war and Myanmar was the venue of one of the biggest

The INM supported the Palestinians on the Palestine issue. It sympathized with the Jews but was against partition of Palestine.

It is due to these linkages that after independence India became the leader of these newly independent nations and found the Non-aligned movement. It helped these nations resist the pressures of the cold war and also thwarted any attempts of neo-imperialism by the erstwhile imperial powers.

8. The State Reorganization Commission turned language from a dividing force to a cementing and integrating one. Critically evaluate.

Approach:

Discuss the apprehensions for organizing states on linguistic lines.

Analyze events after the acceptance of the SRC report and linguistic reorganization.

Point out failures of reorganization in terms of resolving fissiparous tendencies.

Answer:

The post-independence resurgence of regionalism in many parts of India baffled the observers of Indian politics, and offered as the basis of prediction of the country’s ‘imminent balkanization’.

The national leadership decided to postpone state reorganization on linguistic line. It was felt that linguistic states may foster separatism and create pressure on newly independent nation. Local leaders opposed this decision.

Demands were raised in Madras and Bombay presidency. The death of congress worker fasting for Separate Telugu state in Andhra led to unrest and violent outburst. Andhra Pradesh was formed in 1952 to calm the situation. However, this led to series of struggles for separate states which threatened the stability.

The State Reorganization Commission (SRC) was constituted to study this question in detail. The passing of the State Reorganization Act in 1956 on recommendation of SRC led to creation of numerous linguistic states.

Events after 1956 clearly showed that loyalty to a language was quite consistent with, and was rather complementary to, loyalty to the nation. By reorganizing the states on linguistic lines, the SRC removed a major grievance which could have led to fissiparous tendencies. States reorganization is, therefore, ‘best regarded as clearing the ground for national integration’.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


Linguistic reorganization of the states has not in any manner adversely affected the federal structure of the Union or weakened or paralysed the Centre as many had feared.

States’ reorganization did not, of course, resolve all the problems relating to linguistic conflicts. Disputes over boundaries between different states, linguistic minorities and economic issues such as sharing of waters, and power and surplus food still persist. Linguistic chauvinism also finds occasional expression.

There are demands for creation of separate states within linguistically organized state. Creation of the Telangana suggests that language no more acts as cementing force it used to be. Socio-economic factors, disparities within state and prospects of development forms basis for state demands.

But it’s equally true that the reorganization on linguistic lines has removed language as a major factor affecting cohesion of the country.

9. “The National Emergency of 1975 was like a vaccination against the dictatorship. It was painful and caused fever, but strengthened the resistance of our democracy.” Analyze the statement in light of the outcomes of the emergency era.

Approach:

Explain how imposition of Emergency illuminated strengths and weaknesses of Indian democratic set up.

Discuss how Emergency ended up in strengthening the Constitution, institutions and people.

Answer:

The imposition of the emergency in 1975 is considered as the gravest crisis in post independent India.

The Emergency of 1975 brought out both the weaknesses and the strengths of India’s democracy. It was an outcome of the structural crisis of the political economy, the growing political instability ushered in by the decline of one-party dominance and the crisis of legitimacy for an elected government. All these contributed to the assault on democracy itself and an attempt to refashion the political system.

Emergency proved beyond doubt that it is difficult to do away with democracy in India. Protest by people, media and institutions demonstrated that authoritarian dictatorial rule is not sustainable in India for long periods.

It brought out some ambiguities regarding the Emergency provision in Constitution and they have been rectified since. Before emergency, the Constitution simply mentioned ‘internal disturbances’ as the reason for declaring emergency. But with 44th Constitutional Amendment Act removed ambiguities. It made armed uprising pre-condition for imposition of emergency.

The emergency made people more aware of the value of civil liberties. The courts too have taken an active role after the emergency in protecting the civil liberties of the individuals. This is a response to the inability of the judiciary to protect civil liberties effectively during the emergency. Many civil liberties organizations came up after this experience. These organizations have popularized the idea of human rights. They fight against arbitrary and authoritarian tendencies in government.

Despite of all these we cannot be Emergency-proof so long as the Constitution provides for the declaration of Emergency at the discretion of the elected government. Let us not forget the fact that the Emergency was declared within the framework of the Constitution. The bureaucracy and judiciary which sustained it are still facing the problems. The tide of authoritarianism has potential to make them crawl again. Politicization that led to its tacit approval and collusion with illiberal tendencies is visible in institutions

The masses periodically yearn for a strong leader to set things right. This often creates thriving ground for authoritarianism. While the Emergency may not return in the same form and content, we need to guard against illiberal tendencies. Constant vigil is the price we must pay for liberty.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


10. The issues that gave rise to the Assam movement in 1979 were a combination of cultural pride and economic backwardness. Explain. Do you think that the Assam Accord of 1985 has been able to address these issues?

Approach:


Trace the evolution of Assam Movement and cite the cultural and economic reasons for its emergence

Explain the Assam Accord of 1985 and give its provisions

Evaluate the successes (if any) n failures of the Accord

Answer:

Background

Migration of outsiders into Assam has a long history. Workers from Bihar region were brought in to work on Tea plantations and peasants from Bengal to cultivate lands in Assam are examples of inward migration. These hardworking labourers and peasants were welcomed by the Assam landlords.

But in 1971, about one million refugees sought shelter in Assam from Bangladesh. Many went back but some also stayed back. Even after 1971, steady influx of Bangladeshi peasants into land-rich Assam continued.

Genesis of the Movement

As land became scarce and the demographic profile of Assam started to change, it generated a feeling of linguistic, cultural, economic and political insecurity among the Assamese. This led to the movement against illegal immigrants.

Afraid of the migrants acquiring voting rights in the elections of 1979, the All Assam Students Union (AASU) and the Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (Assam People's Struggle Council), a coalition of regional political, literary and cultural associations, started a massive, anti-illegal migration movement.

Demands

These leaders asked the Central Government to seal Assam’s borders, deport all those who have entered the state after 1961, delete their names from voters list and postpone the elections.

Finally after 6 years of agitations, which were largely peaceful, a tripartite agreement was signed between Ministry of Home Affairs, AASU and Government of Assam.

The Accord

The accord brought an end to the Assam Agitation and paved the way for the leaders of the agitation to form a political party and form a government in the state of Assam soon after.

Citizenship issue:

All those foreigners who had entered Assam before 1966 were to be given full citizenship, including the right to vote;

The entrants between 1966 and 1971 shall be deemed to be a citizen of India for all purposes as from the date of expiry of a period of ten years from the date on which s/he has been detected to be a foreigner.

Those who had done so after 1971 were to be deported;

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


Economic Package – A parallel package for the economic development of Assam, including a second oil refinery, a paper mill and an Indian Institute of Technology, was also worked out.

Cultural Package – The central government also promised to provide ‘legislative and administrative safeguards to protect the cultural, social, and linguistic identity and heritage’ of the Assamese people.

Evaluation of the Accord

Positives:

GoI has successfully fenced the India-Bangladesh border and also signed the Indo-Bangla Land Boundary Agreement. This will help in stopping illegal immigration.

Numaligarh Oil Refinery was inaugurated by the Prime Minister in July, 1999

3 industrial growth centres at a cost of Rs.20 crores each have been sanctioned at Chariduar, Matia and Sonapur.

Two Central Universities, one at Tejpur and the other at Silchar, have been set up. An IIT has been set up at Guwahati.

Negatives:

Though new illegal immigration was stopped but massive detection and deportation of the existing illegal entrants was not easy and perhaps not possible.

The delay in defining who is an Assamese has meant that Clause 6 of Assam Accord, which provides for cultural safeguards has not been implemented yet.

Way Forward

All the concerned parties must work towards resolving the issues of Citizenship and cultural safeguards for the Assamese people. Border management must be further strengthened. This will help in addressing the grievances of Assamese people.

11. The genesis of the revolution in Iran had a number of common aspects with those that had overturned regimes in Europe in the past – France in 1789 and Russia in 1917, yet its execution was distinctly different. Discuss.

Approach:

The answer needs to generally provide the similarities and differences between the 1979 revolution in Iran and previous such revolutionary moments in history such as the ones in France and Russia.

Introduction should briefly and simply define a revolution and identify the events in France, Russia and Iran as broadly similar in terms of the definition

Identify the similarities with previous revolutions.

Provide the key differences, most importantly in terms of execution.

Conclude by acknowledging the similarities as well as the distinction.

Answer:

A revolution connotes a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time. Thus, the Iranian revolution of 1979 can be viewed as following on the previous examples of revolutionary changes in France (1789), Russia (1917) and China (1949). Just as the Iranian revolution bore resemblance to the other revolutions it also had its own uniqueness in terms of execution and outcomes.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


Broadly the genesis of these revolutions had number of similarities such as coming together of a coalition of opposition forces to overthrow an entrenched regime viewed as illegitimate, oppressive or compliant to foreign interests its scale and its impact, it was clearly distinct in its execution.

Similarly, like the French and Russian revolution the cult of the leader was important in Iranian revolution too as in the uniting figure of Ayatollah Khomeini.

The weakness of state’s leadership and internal division- such as the illness of Shah and uncertainty of his generals also played a key role thus echoing the weakness of examples such as Louis XVI in France and Tsar Nicholas II in Russia.

Similarly, the political changes were accompanied by grave socioeconomic changes in all the cases including Iran, thus differentiating it from a mere coups d’état or rebellion.

Like the French and Russian revolution the Iranian revolution witnessed violence in the immediate aftermath resulting in the purge of divergent forces and rise of a unified state based on an ideology.

Thus, the Islamic revolutionaries of 1979 did what all revolutionaries do – overthrow an oppressive government, seize power for themselves, crush the opponents and dissidents within, and then impose a new intrusive authoritarian regime. But just as each revolution, it displayed its own singularities also, especially in execution.

It was not a vanguard party or a secular ideology but a network of religious functionaries and divergent forces that were at the forefront of the unrest.

In its goal ultimately the Iranian revolution gave prominent place to religion and galvanised into establishing a state inspired by the ideals of Islam.

In terms of execution it was perhaps the only revolution that did not rely on military force or insurrection or guerrilla warfare, but on politics. Despite its religious and traditional guise, it was a modern revolution based on mass mobilisation and general strikes, which paralysed the economy.

Thus, it can be said that 1979 revolution in Iran displayed both resemblance to as well as departure from previous such revolutionary moments as in France and Russia in the past.

12. The Monroe doctrine provided the basis for American expansion and the emergence of USA as an imperialist power. Discuss.

Approach:

Explain the Monroe Doctrine and its objectives as a brief introduction.

Explain how it became the tool for imperialist expansion of the U.S.A by looking at the practical implementation in the neighbouring regions.

Answer:

The Monroe Doctrine was proposed by the US president James Monroe in 1823 as an instrument of foreign policy which sought to put a check to the colonization process of Europe in America. The doctrine laid down that any further interference or attempts to colonize the American continents would result in an act of aggression by America. The objective therefore was clearly to contain the expansion of Europe and at the same time increase their sphere of influence in the region.

The Monroe Doctrine was strongly invoked as a crucial foreign policy element by later successors like Theodore Roosevelt. President Roosevelt even added a new corollary, which proclaimed that only the U.S had the right to interfere in the affairs of its neighbouring countries if they were unable to maintain order of their own.

The expansionist policies of U.S.A and its emergence as an imperialist power can be seen in the instance of the U.S control of the Dominican Republic, the stationing of American troops in Cuba in 1906 to ‘protect it from disorder’. Likewise, the U.S.A sent in troops to Nicaragua in support of a revolt which had

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


been inspired by American mining company and also to secure the interests of the Americans. One of the most major interventions was in Columbia which refused to grant perpetual rights to U.S.A over the Panama Canal. The U.S IN 1903 supported a revolt in Panama financially and militarily resulting in recognising a government of their choice and full rights of the Panama Canal.

13. “If Balkans were the powder keg of Europe in the early 20th century, then it was the great powers of Europe who supplied the powder.” In light of the above statement, explain how the ‘Eastern question’ fuelled the First World War.

Approach:


Explain the situation in the Balkans in the 1900s – the presence of different ethnicities and newly independent states struggling for territories in the Balkans.

Explain how the great powers supported these struggles for their gains (Eastern question) and also entered into various agreements with each other as well as with the Balkan countries

Trace these developments till the Sarajevo assassination and how it was the spark which ignited the powder keg and unleashed WWI

Answer:

Background

The problem of European territory controlled by the weakened Ottoman Empire in 18th, 19th and 20th century was termed as Eastern Question. Emergence of Imperialist Germany (1871), rising influence of Russia further disturbed the balance of power in Europe. The declining Ottoman Empire gave rise to many nationalistic independent movements and rivalries amongst the Balkan states. .

Serbia was the first to revolt and win freedom. The Greeks followed next. In 1881, Romania became independent and the Bulgarians in 1886. The Albanians in 1913, were the last to gain independence. The Montenegrins, who never submitted to the Turks, had always managed to keep at least a tiny part of their almost inaccessible mountains free.

The Powder Keg – Figuratively used to signify small event to set off something much larger.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


Balkan in the early 20th century witnessed numerous overlapping claims and spheres of influence by the major European Powers (Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungry, Ottoman Empire, Great Britain, France and Italy). The factors which resulted in ‘Powder Keg’ like situation in the Balkans included

Attempt of newly independent nations to create greater nations. ( Serbia attempt to have a Yugoslavia)

The region was strife with multi ethnicity, linguistic admixture, religion and confluence of various influences.

Pan Slav movement supported by Russia.

System of entangling Alliances – Triple Alliance (1882) and Triple Entente (1907)

All the major powers have varied interest in the region and era preceding the Great War saw rapid militarization across Europe.

Rapid rise of Germany army (which was the among the best by 1900) and Navy ( Dreadnoughts race) which threatened the Great Britain.

Bosnian Crisis (1908) – Austria annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Baltic Wars (1912-13) further precipitated the regional conflict and made the situation strife for open war. After the two Balkan wars, Serbia emerged as the strongest, Bulgaria embittered and weak and Turkey left with a very small outlet into Europe.

All these reason coupled to create a volatile situation in the Balkan which was fueled mainly by the imperialistic tendencies of the European powers to either expand their sphere of influence ( Germany, Hapsburg empire, Russia) or to protect their existing interest overseas ( Britian – Suez canal, France – North Africa)

The Great European Powers and the Eastern Question

The term Eastern question has been used to refer to the decline of the Turkish/ Ottoman Empire and the consequences of its decline on the European continent. Various European powers had different concerns –

Imperial Austria – Though ruled by the Hapsburg family, it comprised of various ethnicities like Austrians, Hungarians, Croats, Slovenes, Czecks, Italians, Poles, Romanians etc, who were not satisfied with Austrian rule. The Austria was concerned with Serbia gaining independence from Turks as it feared the other Slavs within their own empire—Croats, Slovenes, Slovaks, Czechs, and Poles – might agitate for it too. Austria had in 1908 annexed from Turkey the provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which were largely Serb in population which Serbia wanted for herself.

Russia – She wanted an outlet to Mediterranean Sea .. Also, Russia as the foremost Slavic state, wanted to unite the Slavic Serbs, Montenegrins and Bulgarians under the Russian leadership. So Russia wanted to free the Balkan Slavs. Austria wanted to keep them under Turkish rule or to annex them herself.

Great Britain – It wanted to keep Russia out of the Mediterranean. So Britain opposed independence of Balkans and tried to keep the ‘Sick Man’ (Turkey) alive with the help of France.

Italy – She once possessed a whole series of trading posts along the Balkan coast. Even before WWI, the Allies promised Italy land across the Adriatic Sea which in some measure she got after WWI.

Germany – After rapid industrialization, she was searching for food surpluses, raw materials and markets. Berlin- Bagdad Railway (1898), support to the ally (Austria), supremacy of its power. She wanted to establish her hegemony over the region.

The Powder Keg is ignited

Serbia wanted territories from Austro-Hungarian Empire. The latter had the backing of Germany. The Russians and the British sided with the Serbs. By 1914, the battle lines were drawn.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


On June 28, 1914, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Hapsburg throne, and his wife were shot and killed in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia. For years the European powers had poured the powder into the powder keg. And the assassination at Sarajevo was the spark that touched it off.

14. Bring out the salient features of the ‘Great Leap Forward’ of China in 1960s. Also discuss its successes and failures.

Approach:

Introduce the Great Leap forward campaign of China in 1960s.

Write about the various programmes under the Great Leap Forward campaign.

Bring out the successes and failures of the campaign.

Answer:

The Great Leap Forward campaign of China in 1960s was a push by Mao Zedong to change China from a predominantly agrarian (farming) society to a modern, industrial society - in just five years. It involved developments in both industry and agriculture, in order to increase output and to adopt industry to Chinese conditions. Its important features are:

Communes – units larger than collective farms - were introduced containing up to 75000 people, divided into brigades and work teams with an elected council. They ran their own collective farms and factories, carried out most of the functions of local government within the commune and undertook special local projects.

All the work was shared on the communes; from childcare to cooking, daily tasks were collectivized.

Instead of aiming for large scale works of the type seen in the USSR and the West, much smaller factories were set up in the countryside to provide machinery for agriculture. The most famous were 600,000 backyard furnaces which produced steel for the communes.

Successes of the campaign:

In the long term the importance of the Great Leap became clear: eventually both agricultural and industrial production increased substantially, and China was at least managing to feed its massive population.

The communes proved to be a successful innovation. They were an efficient unit of local government and they enabled the central government in Beijing to keep in touch with local opinion.

The crucial decision had been taken that China would remain predominantly an agricultural country with small-scale industry scattered around the countryside. Given the country's enormous population, this was the best way of making sure that everybody had a job, and it enabled China to avoid the growing unemployment problems.

Other benefits were the spread of education and welfare services, and an improvement in the position of women in society.

Failures of the campaign:

There was some opposition to the communes, a series of bad harvests (1959-61) and the withdrawal of all Russian aid following the breach between the two. All this, coupled with the lack of experience among the cadres, caused hardship in the years 1959-63. Some 20 million people may have died prematurely as a result of hardships caused by the Great Leap.

The Great Leap Forward caused massive environmental damage in China. The backyard steel production plan resulted in entire forests being burned to fuel the smelters, which left the land open to erosion. Dense cropping and deep ploughing stripped the farmland of nutrients and left the agricultural soil vulnerable to erosion, as well.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


The Great Leap Forward was supposed to be a 5-year plan, but it was called off after just three tragic years. The period between 1958 and 1960 is known as the "Three Bitter Years" in China.

In late 1960, they abandoned the Great Leap Forward. Private ownership of land was reinstated and communes were cut down to a manageable size. Peasants also had the incentive to produce as much spare food as was possible as they could sell any spare that they had a market.

15. While some contend that prostitution is a victimless crime, others argue that it is inherently immoral, commercially exploitative and promotes the repression of women. In this context, discuss whether prostitution should be legalized in India.

Approach:

Firstly, explain the statement i.e. why prostitution is considered as a “victimless crime” and why it is “immoral and exploitative”.

Secondly, after explaining the statement, give arguments to highlight both pros and cons of legalizing the prostitution in India. ( here if you wish, you can support the arguments by means of an example or a statement given by some ministry or department or a case study).

Finally, arrive at a conclusion (it is at your disposal how you intend to conclude, i.e. whether you want to take a stand or remain neutral but do justify it).

Answer:

There is an ongoing debate in the country whether the Prostitution in India, should be legalized or not which is based on an existing dilemma among the different sections of Indian society, where few believe it is a “victimless crime”, as there are consenting adults involved and no one is harmed whereas on the contrary others think, it creates a setting whereby crimes against men, women, and children become a commercial enterprise.

So based on above mentioned contradicting perceptions, the two set of arguments in context of legalizing prostitution are as follows:

Prostitution should be legalized

It will lead to elimination of the stigma which is attached to the profession.

It may lead to end of exclusion in terms of health, education and welfare policies towards the community. It is believed that trafficking in women, coercion and exploitation can only be stopped if the existence of prostitution is recognized and the legal and social rights of prostitutes are guaranteed.

HIV/AIDS, malnutrition etc. afflict this industry due to its illegal status. With repeal of criminal laws, access to visas and work permits, freedom of movement and association, and occupational safety and health regulations, will reduce the risk of health hazards. AIDS activists point to the success of Brazil’s AIDS programme after prostitution was legalised in that country.

Sex work is legitimate work and problems within the industry are not inherent in the work itself. It is vulnerability, not sex work, which creates victims. Sex workers should enjoy the same labor rights as other workers and the same human rights as other people.

Prostitution is not merely an exchange of sexual favors; it is a financial exchange. Hence is believed to be an acceptable solution to poverty.

Legalization shall also dampen the ‘middlemen’ who also work as trafficker and breed ‘ecosystem of corruption’.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


Prostitution should not be legalized

In order to succeed in combating trafficking in women we should simultaneously work to abolish prostitution and the sexual exploitation of women and children.

Legalization of prostitution goes against the International Labour Organization's (ILO) definition of 'decent work' and is considered as selling sex under distress. Instead of criminalizing the buying and selling of sex, we are giving more power to those who exploit sex workers and treat them as commodities that can be sold in a market

Prostitution is extremely dangerous for women. Homicide is a frequent cause of death. It is a cruel lie to suggest that decriminalization or legalization will protect anyone in prostitution. It is not possible to protect someone whose source of income exposes them to the likelihood of being raped on average once a week.

It can never be an acceptable means to alleviate poverty as this industry exploits to its advantage the fact that most women and children who are in prostitution come from the most oppressed and vulnerable groups in society.

Based on the above debate, it is evident that legalization of prostitution is not an ultimate solution to every injustice that exists in the sex industry. But what is more important is to create “conditions conducive for sex workers who wish to continue working as sex workers with dignityin accordance with the Article 21” , as held by the Supreme Court constituted panel in its 2012 order.

However, according to many prostitution, even if legalized, can never be a legitimate business because it will always be associated with crime, corruption, class, mass sexual exploitation and human trafficking.” There are also fears that legalising prostitution, will increase the number of women trafficked into the industry as has happened in Victoria, Australia, and in the Netherlands that saw a huge influx of women trafficked from South East Asian and central European countries.

16. Marriage and family institutions in India are marked by continuity as well as change. Discuss in the context of legislations and socio-economic changes that have been taking place over the past few decades in India.

Approach:

First, give a brief introduction to the answer on how marriage and family institution in India are important .

Second, highlight the reasons for change in these institutions i.e. socio- economic reasons and the impact of the legislations ( preferably more recent ones) separately.

Finally, conclude the answer by highlighting that despite changes , how the essence of marriage and familial relations are still intact.

Answer:

Marriage and family institutions are the repositories of the core values of the Indian society. These institutions are still seen as a social legitimation to have children . We can see the domination of patriarchal values and feudal mindsets in these institutions. However, under the impact of socio-economic changes and legislations, they are undergoing many changes.

Factors influencing change and continuity in Marriage and family institutions

Economic Changes o Industrialisation and Urbanisation: Growth of cities and city culture have a direct impact on the

family and marriage. modern industries have lessened the economic functions of the family and led to the

replacement of Joint family structure with Nuclear families.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


Status of women in the family has improved as they have become more educated and started working, thus along with other male members in the family ,they also now have a say in family issues.

In partner selection, job and salary are given more importance, than the family background , caste or religion. Also the online matrimonial sites have come up which has reduced the role of elders of the family.

To fulfil career and individual ambitions , “delayed marriages” and “long –distance marriages” have become a common feature

Marriage is often held in cities more as a social or a civil ceremony than a religious ceremony. The duration of marriage ceremony is also cut short in the city . Elaborate customs are either avoided or shortened ; court marriages preferred.

In cities, the cases of divorce , desertion , separation , broken families etc alongwith pre-marital and extra-marital sex relations are seen.

Social Changes o Modern education , values and western ideologies such as rationalism, individualism , equality

of sex, democracy , individual freedom , secularism , etc have influenced the outlook of educated young men and women . Hence, they want to take their own decisions and make choices on the main events of their life such as line of education , job and marriage.

Influence of legislations on Marriage: o Dowry Prohibition Act, 1996 , Domestic Violence Act( DVA) , 2005, etc - have made the

position of women stronger .Now the women are given justice against the "invisible violence" at home-physical and verbal abuse,etc which they used to go through either because of dowry demands or otherwise.The DVA, 2005, includes in its ambit live-in partners caters to the changing dynamics of relationships.

o The ‘divorce’ laws have been made more flexible with the amendment of The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 in 1986, by including the ground of ‘incompatibility’ and ‘mutual consent’ apart from the reasons provided earlier like adultery, conversion of religion, etc. This has led to the institution of marriage more susceptible to conflicts, fights, giving lesser scope to “compromise” and time to save marriage and family. But on the other hand, it also gave the option to both men and women to come out of a “bad marriage” which they otherwise used to be in just to fulfil societal obligations.

o Women are given right in the ancestral property and a legal right to share property along with male members, after the Hindu Succession Act of 1956 was amended in 2005. This has made the economic position of women stronger.

However, despite changes, the core values in the institutions of marriage and family are still intact. Mutual fidelity and devotion is still respected.

17. “Migration is influenced both by the pattern of development and the social structure.” Discuss this statement in the context of existing pattern of migration in India.

Approach:

In this question, the core issue is: Migration influenced by the pattern of development and the social structure. And it has to be discussed based on the pattern of the migration in India i.e. taking examples from the existing pattern to substantiate the arguments in favor or against the core issue.

Hence, to begin with give a brief introduction regarding the different patterns of migration existing in India. For example: seasonal, cyclical, international, long-term, inter-state, intra-state etc.

Now, discuss the causes for the above mentioned types of migration and justify whether it is influenced by pattern of development and the social structure or not.

Give an overall conclusion based on the above findings.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


Answer:

Migration in India is primarily of two types: (a) Long-term migration, resulting in the relocation of an individual or household and (b) Short-term or seasonal/circular migration, involving back and forth movement between a source and destination. For the last 30 years migration has contributed about fifth of the population. Migration occurs when workers in one area lack suitable opportunities for employment due to various socio-economic factors and there is some expectation of improvement in circumstances both social and economic through migration. Sometimes, these are known as push and pull factors. Let us briefly discuss the factors leading to migration in India.

Pull due to Developmental activities

One of the main reason for migration in India is regional disparity i.e. some regions and sectors fall behind, in their capacity to support population, others move ahead and people migrate to access these emerging opportunities. Based on Unesco report, lead source states of internal migrants include Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, whereas key destination areas are Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab and Karnataka. International migration is also a part of this phenomenon where we have millions of Indians moving to gulf countries and developed countries in the west like US, Canada, UK, etc.

i. Industrialization widens the gap between rural and urban areas, inducing a shift of the workforce towards industrializing areas.

ii. Commercialization of agriculture has led to peak periods of labor demand such as, In the case of labor flows to the rice producing belt of West Bengal. Wage differentials between the source and destination have been considered as the main reason for this type of migration.

iii. Lack of opportunities in higher education and for highly skilled people

Push due to Developmental activities

Many developmental activities which takes place from the external perspective, pose existential threat to tribal communities, and they are left to misery at their ancestral and traditional home, and hence driven by motivation to sustain they migrate here and there.

Creation of new dams or increasing heights of existing dams- It affects the traditional homes of tribes and they are forced to leave the place. It happens in absence of efficient and effective planning of rehabilitation and resettlement. For e.g. Migration of people from surrounding areas of Narmada dam.

Industrial and mining activities have created great problems for tribes. In the name of national industrial development, mining is done at places where they have lived from centuries.

Increased agricultural activities also require more land to cultivate, grabbing land from outsiders leave tribes homeless and property less, and they are pushed to migrate for sustenance.

Counter-urbanization – the congestion in cities leads to people moving to periphery of cities and nearby towns in search for cheaper housing and open spaces aided by improved transportation.

Push factors due to social structure

At many times migration is because of existence of traditional social structure, based on rigid caste hierarchy which forces people to work based on their caste and deprive them of various opportunities even though they gain higher skills. Atrocities on lower castes are also a common thread running across many regions seeing outflow since Independence. Land grabbing and distress sale of land also forces people out of ancestral land.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


Pull factors due to social structure

The discriminatory caste system in rural areas also motivates the new generation to look towards urban centres for more egalitarian society and less rigid caste identities. However, they only move from caste based to class based deprivation. In certain cases, migration of upper castes from villages to cities occurs after they acquire modern education and jobs due to their inherent advantage in social structure.

Overall, both development and social structure contribute significantly to migration in India, sometimes manifesting as aspiration and otherwise as coercion. However, it must be noted that poor households, the landless poor, lower caste, indigenous communities and people from economically backward regions constitute the largest proportion of migration.

18. The uneven spatial distribution of population in India suggests its close relationship with physical, social and historical factors. Elaborate.

Approach:

Briefly discuss about the uneven spatial distribution of population in India.

Discuss how it is closely related with physical, social and historical factors.

Answer:

The spatial spread of population in India is not uniform. The uneven density of population in India is clear from the fact that in Arunachal Pradesh the average number of population is only 17 persons per km2, whereas it is 11,297 persons per km2 in Delhi as per 2011 census.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


Figure: Population density, 2011

There is a very wide regional variation in population distribution of India. An uneven spatial distribution of population in India suggests a close relationship between population and physical, socio- economic and historical factors.

Physical factors o As far as the physical factors are concerned, it is clear that climate along with terrain and

availability of water largely determines the pattern of the population distribution. o Like the North Indian Plains, deltas and Coastal Plains have higher proportion of population than

the interior districts of southern and central Indian States, Himalayas, some of the North-Eastern and the western states.

o However, development of irrigation (Rajasthan), availability of mineral and energy resources (Jharkhand) and development of transport network (Peninsular States) have resulted in moderate to high concentration of population in areas which were previously very thinly populated.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


Socio-economic and historical factors o Among the socio-economic and historical factors of distribution of population, important ones

are evolution of settled agriculture and agricultural development; pattern of human settlement; development of transport network, industrialisation and urbanisation.

o It is observed that the regions falling in the river plains and coastal areas of India have remained the regions of larger population concentration. Even though the uses of natural resources like land and water in these regions have shown the sign of degradation, the concentration of population remains high because of an early history of human settlement and development of transport network.

o On the other hand, the urban regions of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Pune, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Jaipur have high concentration of population due to industrial development and urbanisation drawing a large numbers of rural-urban migrants.

We can conclude that in any region the density and distribution is influenced by more than one factor. Take for example of North-Eastern region of India. Here several factors are responsible for low density of population. These factors are high rainfall, rough terrain, dense forests and poor quality of soil and many socio-economic and historical factors.

19. Analyze the latitudinal distribution of salinity. Why is salinity in subtropics greater than in equatorial regions?

Approach:

Briefly discuss about the latitudinal/Horizontal distribution of salinity while discussing distinct latitudinal zones.

Show the distribution of salinity through a map.

Also give the reasons and controlling factors, which are responsible for greater salinity in tropics in comparison to equatorial regions.

Answer:

Surface salinity of the oceans and sea varies according to temperature (causing evaporation and concentration), the supplies of fresh water by rivers, rainfall or melting ice (thereof causing dilution) and the degree of mixing by surface and subsurface currents.

Controlling factors of salinity includes:

Evaporation having direct positive relationship with salinity.

Precipitation is inversely related with salinity.

Influx of river water.

Atmospheric pressure and wind direction.

Circulation of oceanic water.

The average salinity in the oceans and seas is 35 ‰ but it spatially and temporally varies in different oceans, seas and lakes. The variation in salinity is both horizontal and vertical (depth). Salinity also varies from enclosed seas through partially closed seas to open seas. Thus the spatial distribution of salinity is studied in two ways e.g.:

Horizontal Distribution

Vertical Distribution

Latitudinal/ Horizontal distribution of salinity

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


Horizontal distribution of oceanic salinity is studied in relation to latitudes. Lowest salinity is found in the polar areas, because of the influx of melt water. There are four distinct latitudinal zones having different salinity:

Fig: Latitudinal Distribution of Salinity

The Equatorial zone: this is the zone of relatively low salinity ranging between 34 ‰ and 36 ‰. The low salinity of this zone is mainly due to excessive rainfall.

The Tropical zone (200 - 300): this is the zone of the highest salinity. In this zone the temperatures and rate of evaporation are high throughout the year. Moreover, the hot deserts and semi-arid areas are situated in these latitudes, which supply more salt to the ocean through the wind action.

The temperate zone of low salinity (400 - 600): this zone records plenty of rainfall from the temperate cyclones and register relatively low temperature. The rate of evaporation is also low. The average salinity in this zone is 31‰.

The Sub Polar and Polar zone of low salinity (600 - 900): the Polar Regions record the lowest temperatures and very low rate of evaporation. Consequently the salinity in the polar areas is between 33 ‰ and 34 ‰.

The highest salinity is found between 200 to 400 in the northern hemisphere. This zone is characterized by high temperature high rate of evaporation low rainfall and extensive arid and semi arid areas. Whereas the amount of salinity is low at the surface at the equator due to high rainfall and transfer of water through equatorial currents.

Fig: Latitudinal distribution of salinity

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


20. India has enormous potential in terms of harnessing renewable energy sources. Elucidate the geo-climatic factors suitable for harnessing this potential. Further, elaborate on the steps taken by the government in making India a hub of renewable power.

Approach:

Enumerate the renewable power resources India have, in the introduction.

Further, bring forward the conditions which are required for harnessing the renewable potential of the nation and then write the measures taken by government in various sectors of renewable power.

Answer:

In the past 10 years, installation of renewable energy for electricity has grown at an annual rate of 25%. This signifies the enormous potential that India has w.r.t renewabale energy namely – Wind, Solar, Biomass, Small-Hydro and co-generation bagasse, Ocean Thermal Energy.

The total potential for renewable power generation in the country as on 31.03.14 is estimated at 147615 MW. This includes wind power potential of 102772 MW (69.6%), SHP (small-hydro power) potential of 19749 MW (13.38%), Biomass power potential of 17,538 MW (11.88%) and 5000 MW (3.39%) from

bagasse-based cogeneration in sugar mills.

For harnessing the Wind Power, India has got enormous potential because of

Large coastline i.e. 7517 km, which provides ample opportunity for harnessing both onshore and offshore wind energy

Further, for the utilization of wind energy, the speed of wind must be between 8 to 22 m per second, which could be found along the western coastline, with Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat being the top three producers of Wind Power in India

Solar Power

India being a tropical nation, solar insolation is available through out the year, which could be harnessed for generating electricity.

Further, availability of cheap land along the Thar desert and in parts of peninsular India has made India a perfect choice for harnessing this resource.

Small hydro power projects (upto 25 MW ) which require a regular supply of water and maintenance of flow from a height can be found in Himalayan states. Further, River stream originating in mountainous regions of the peninsular makes it an ideal condition to harness small hydro projects without having an imprint/changing the ecosystem of the area. The advantages for India lies in the project’s low cost, sustainability and eco-friendly approach leading to decentralization of power production in India.

Steps taken by the government:

National Solar Mission – 100 GW energy by 2022

Electricity Act 2014 – decentralized distributed generation system especially w.r.t rural electrification.

National Solar Science Fellowship programme

Small hydro power development Scheme

Concession on basic custom duty for import of machinery w.r.t wind power

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


21. What are changes in an economy that affect the land use pattern? Discuss in context of developing countries like India.

Approach:

The answer should begin by listing down and explaining the factors that affect land use pattern as an economy undergoes change.

Second part of the answer should focus on India specific land use changes with reasons clearly explained.

Answer:

Land-use in a region, to a large extent, is influenced by the nature of economic activities carried out in that region. However, while economic activities change over time, land, like many other natural resources, is fixed in terms of its area. There are three types of changes that an economy undergoes, which affect land-use: Size of economy, changes in composition of economy, contribution of agricultural activities. India has undergone major changes within the economy over the past four or five decades, and this has influenced the land-use changes in the country, some of them discussed below:

The size of the economy grows over time as a result of increasing population, change in income levels, available technology and associated factors. As a result, the pressure on land will increase with time and marginal lands would come under use. In case of India, as the pressure on land increased, both from the agricultural and non agricultural sectors, the wastelands and culturable wastelands have witnessed decline over time. The decline in land under pastures and grazing lands can be explained by pressure from agricultural land. Illegal encroachment due to expansion of cultivation on common pasture lands is largely responsible for this decline

Secondly, the composition of the economy would undergo a change over time. In other words, the secondary and the tertiary sectors usually grow much faster than the primary sector, specifically the agricultural sector. This type of change is common in developing countries like India. This process would result in a gradual shift of land from agricultural uses to non-agricultural uses. In case of India, The rate of increase is the highest in case of area under non-agricultural uses. This is due to the changing structure of Indian economy, which is increasingly depending on the contribution from industrial and services sectors and expansion of related infrastructural facilities. Also, an expansion of area under both urban and rural settlements has added to the increase. Thus, the area under non-agricultural uses is increasing at the expense of wastelands and agricultural land.

Thirdly, though the contribution of the agricultural activities reduces over time, the pressure on land for agricultural activities does not decline. The reasons for continued pressure on agricultural land are: (a) In developing countries, the share of population dependent on agriculture usually declines much more slowly compared to the decline in the sector’s share in GDP. (b) The number of people that the agricultural sector has to feed is increasing day by day.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


In case of India, the increase in net area sown is a recent phenomenon due to use of culturable waste land for agricultural purpose. Before which it was registering a slow decrease. There are indications that most of the decline had occurred due to the increases in area under non-agricultural use.

Four categories have undergone increases, while four have registered declines. Share of area under forest, area under non-agricultural uses, current fallow lands and net area sown have shown an increase.

22. What are the reasons for the poor development of livestock in tropical/equatorial regions as compared to the temperate regions? Discuss.

Approach:

Answer should begin by emphasising the reasons which hinder the development of livestock in tropical/equatorial regions.

Thereafter the answer should focus on the contrasting conditions in temperate regions which help in the development of livestock in these regions.

Answer:

Livestock farming in the equatorial /tropical regions is greatly handicapped by the absence of meadow grass even on the highlands. The few animals like bullocks or buffaloes are kept mainly as beast of burdens. Their yield in milk or beef is well below those of the cattle in temperate grasslands. The grass is so tall and coarse that it is not nutritious. In sharp contrast the temperate regions boast of short nutritious grass, which is really crucial for the livestock and its development. Cool weather conditions also prevent the spread of any livestock diseases, which hold back the potentiality of the tropical/equatorial regions.

The hot wet climate, which stimulates rapid plant growth, also encourages the spread of pests and insects. Specific diseases may depress or even preclude animal production from certain regions and this can be a major factor affecting livestock presence. Tropical climates are suited to persistence of endoparasites and ectoparasites that survive in or on particular animal species for at least part of their life cycle. These parasites compete directly with their hosts for nutrients, thereby reducing growth or productivity. In addition, ectoparasites may be vectors for transmission of other parasitic, bacterial or viral diseases. As germs and bacteria are more easily transmitted through moist air, equatorial conditions are ideal for the survival of such organisms. Insects and pests not only spread diseases but plague both men and animals. For example in Africa, domesticated animals are attacked by tsetse flies that cause ngana, a deadly disease.

Much of the motive power in many lesser-developed countries is provided by animals and, in some cultures, livestock numbers may be regarded as status symbols. Such practices or attitudes remove the incentive for slaughtering animals at relatively young ages, precluding the possibility of producing what most North Americans or Europeans would consider quality meat.

Lack of capital investments in tropical regions when compared to the temperate regions is one of the major reasons behind the poor development of livestock sector in tropical regions of the world.

Poor technology for storage, processing etc also affect the development of livestock sector in tropical regions when compared to the temperate regions.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


23. What do you mean by "Shadow Zones" in seismology? How do the shadow zones of P-Waves differ from those of S-Waves. Also discuss the difference in their mode of propagation.

Approach:

Write down short paragraphs explaining the concept of Shadow Zones, contrasting the Shadow Zones of P Wave and S Waves.

Students can supplement their answers with the help of diagrams.

Final part of the answer should focus on discussing difference in their mode of propagation.

Answer:

Earthquake waves get recorded in seismographs located at far off locations. However, there exist some specific areas where the waves are not reported. Such a zone is called the ‘shadow zone’. The study of different events reveals that for each earthquake, there exists an altogether different shadow zone.

Figures given below show the shadow zones of P and S-waves. It was observed that seismographs located at any distance within 105° from the epicentre, recorded the arrival of both P and S-waves. However, the seismographs located beyond 145° from epicentre, record the arrival of P-waves, but not that of S-waves. Thus, a zone between 105° and 145° from epicentre was identified as the shadow zone for both the types of waves. The entire zone beyond 105° does not receive S-waves. The shadow zone of S-wave is much larger than that of the P-waves. The shadow zone of P-waves appears as a band around the earth between 105° and 145° away from the epicentre. The shadow zone of S-waves is not only larger in extent but it is also a little over 40 per cent of the earth surface.

Different types of earthquake waves travel in different manners. As they move or propagate, they cause vibration in the body of the rocks through which they pass. P-waves vibrate parallel to the direction of the wave. This exerts pressure on the material in the direction of the propagation. As a result, it creates density differences in the material leading to stretching and squeezing of the material. Other three waves vibrate perpendicular to the direction of propagation. The direction of vibrations of S-waves is perpendicular to the wave direction in the vertical plane. Hence, they create troughs and crests in the material through which they pass.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


24. What do you mean by Western Disturbances? Elaborate on the socio-cultural and economic impacts of Western Disturbances in India.

Approach:

Define Western Disturbances.

Further, simply write its impact along with structuring the answer into 2 parts.

Answer:

Western Disturbance is the term used to describe an extra-tropical storm that brings sudden winter rain and snow to the northwestern parts of the Indian subcontinent. This is a non-monsoonal precipitation pattern driven by the Westerlies. The moisture in these storms usually originates over the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean and travel over Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan to enter India loaded with moisture, where the Himalayas obstruct them, causing rain and snow in western Himalayas .They usually bring mild rain and snow during January-February to the northwestern parts of the Indian Subcontinent.

While in the Himalayan region, the Indian monsoon progresses from east to west, the western disturbances tend to move across north India from west to east, with consequent rise in pressure and cold pool of air in the rear.

They cause 15-20 cm rainfall over the Punjab Plains, 8-10 cm over Allahabad and 5 cm over Patna. They also bring the cold waves which can exist for 5-7 days over the gangetic plain.

Socio-Cultural and Economic Impact

They are important to the development of the Rabi crop in the northern subcontinent, which several important crops such as wheat.

They also cause snowfall in the Himalayas which adds to the glaciers that provide water to India’s major perennial rivers.

Further, the cloud burst in Leh in 2010, the floods and landslide in Uttarakhand in 2013 and the excessive rain in Jammu and Kashmir in 2014 were all linked to these disturbances. This caused severe damage to crops in several states of the country having a huge negative impact on the economy

Such losses due to erratic weaather have huge ramifications for the farmers of the northern states. While rainfall until growth of the crop is good, harvesting needs dry weather which is sometimes impacted by hailstorms and rainfall leading to crop damage.

Further it increases the burden on the governments to compensate the farmers for their crops losses.

They lead to a sudden drop in temperature at times and gives birth to a cold wave in northern India which leads to loss of many lives at times.

25. Warm and cold fronts are manifestations of the interaction of different air masses. Explain the process of front formation along with the weather conditions associated with them.

Approach:

Define front.

Then explain the process associated with it.

Finally enumerate the sequential weather changes associated with it.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


Answer:

Air masses are defined as the immense body of air with relative homogeneous physical property and hydrostatic balance in each of its horizontal layers embedded in the primary global circulation. Air masses are areas in the atmosphere where horizontal gradients of the main physical properties are fairly slack.

Fronts are 3-dimensional sloping boundaries located between 2 converging air masses with contrasting physical properties driven by planetary winds.

There are four stages in the formation of a front

Stage 1 – Also called frontogenesis, cold and warm air mass driven by polar easterlies and westerlies respectively converge. A stationary front is formed along the axis fo dilation.

Stage 2 – It involves the movement of air masses in each other’s territory. There are 2 types of fronts formed depending on the intensity and activity of air mass. i.e. warm front and cold front.

Stage 3 – Occluison stage – There are two types of occlusion – cold air occlusion and warm air occlusion. Cold air happends when the warm air is completely lifted over head and it hangs towards the polar region with stratocumulous clouds. Warm type occlusion happens when the warm air is active and it overrides, leaving the cold air behind it forming a wedge.

Stage -4 – Dissipation Stage – The cold and warm air moves into each other’s territory and stationary situation yet again prevails. It marks the end of the front.

The sequential weather phenomenon associated with it can be explained by :-

Initially the cool air mass arrives over the place. The temperature falls, pressure rises and some cumulous clouds are formed which bring a bit of rain

Warm front arrives along with Nimbostratus cloulds, bring rain. They are followed by alto-stratus clouds.

It is followed by zone of mixing where maximum rainfall occurs, pressure falls, temperature rises along with formation of strato-cumulous/cumulous clouds.

Cold front weather which is associated with cumulonimbus clouds arrives with heavy downpour, thunder and lightening.

Finally Cold sector weather which leads to a rise in pressure and the temperature falls.


This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)




Answer all the questions in NOT MORE THAN 200 WORDS each. Content of the answers is more important than its length. All questions carry equal marks. 12.5X20=250

1. While the judiciary should be insulated from political interference, yet the executive should have a say in its appointment in order that flawed choices do not erode its credibility. Examine in context of the decision of the Supreme Court w.r.t. NJAC.

Approach:

In brief discuss the recent judgment of Supreme Court declaring NJAC ultra vires the Constitution.

Mention how NJAC tried to create a balance between executive role and judicial independence.

Mention the areas of issues with the proposed NJAC. There is no need to go into the details of the Act per se. Focus on the issue of appointments, ie NJAC vs collegium debate.

Finally, you can conclude on the need of a balance between judicial independence and judicial accountability. You can also bring out the best practices across the world in order to give suggestions in this regard.

Answer:

The Supreme court has struck down the NJAC act on the grounds of it being ultra vires of the constitution as it went against the basic structure doctrine.

Judges held that the concept of judicial independence included judicial appointments, and that the primacy of the judiciary in the appointments process was an integral part of maintaining judicial independence.

By allowing for a situation in which the opinion of the judiciary could be vetoed by a combination of the law minister and the eminent members, this primacy was destroyed.

The principal role of the judiciary is to protect rule of law and ensure supremacy of law. Thus judiciary must be independent from other organs of the government and must be able to perform their functions without fear or favour.

However, independence of the judiciary does not imply absence of accountability. It is accountable to the Constitution, to the democratic traditions and to the people of the country.

The idea that judicial primacy while appointing judges is a prerequisite for judicial independence has been questioned by many. It is important to note that in countries such as Britain, there is an independent body that appoints the judges, while in the United States, federal judges are appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.

Apart from this, the collegium system is an extra-Constitutional body created by the Second Judges Case.

NJAC Act was passed by the Parliament as well as the majority of state legislatures. The scrapping of this Act was an annulment of the collective wisdom of the elected representatives of the country.


The Amendment’s object was to replace the collegium with a more broad-minded forum, which would provide a genuine chance to participate and influence the selection of our higher judiciary — not merely to the Supreme Court and the executive, but also to laypersons outside the constitutional framework.

Given that the judiciary has the power to review the functioning of both executive and legislature, it is pertinent that the appointment of judges remains above and beyond questionable processes. It is high time transparent and independent process is introduced for the same. This will uphold the spirit of the Constitution.

2. What do you understand by the concept of ‘Equality’? Does it imply the elimination of all differences? How does the ideal of ‘Equality’ differ from ‘Equity’? Discuss in light of affirmative action programs in India.

Approach:

Explain the concept of Equality and whether it means elimination of all differences.

Point out the difference between ‘Equity’ and ‘Equality’.

Throw light on Affirmative action programs in India and how they promote the principle of Equality.

Answer:

Equality is a moral and political ideal that has inspired and guided human society for many centuries. As a political ideal the concept of equality invokes the idea that all human beings have an equal worth regardless of their color, gender, race, or nationality.

It implies that all people, as human beings, are entitled to the same rights and opportunities to

develop their skills and talents, and to pursue their goals and ambitions.

However, the commitment to the ideal of equality does not imply the elimination of all forms of

differences. It suggests that the treatment we receive and the opportunities we enjoy must not be

pre-determined by birth or social circumstance.

Equity and Equality:

Equity involves ensuring that everyone has access to the resources, opportunities, power and

responsibility they need to reach their full, healthy potential as well as making changes so that unfair

differences may be understood and addressed.

Equality aims to promote fairness and justice, but it can only work if everyone starts from the same

place and needs the same things. However, equity demands remedies to redress historic injustices

that have prevented or diminished access in the first place.

For example, special consideration for women at workplace, reservation for historically marginalized

section in education and jobs. Such action programs are called affirmative action programs and

Affirmative Action Program:

When we wish to eliminate inequalities that are deeply rooted, it is necessary to take positive

measures to minimise and eliminate entrenched forms of social inequalities.

In India, there are many affirmative action programs such as policy of quotas or reserved seats in

education and jobs to provide equality of opportunity to deprived groups. This has been the subject

of considerable debate and disagreement.

Special assistance in the form of affirmative action is expected to be a temporary or time-bound

measure. The assumption is that special consideration will enable these communities to overcome

the existing disadvantages and then compete with others on equal terms.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


3. "Vocational skill is a great tool to usher in inclusive growth and an effective hedge against poverty". In this regard, evaluate the performance of skill development programmes in India. Discuss the problems that have been withholding their success and suggest remedies with special reference to the report of NSDA panel.

Approach:

Explain the given statement in the introduction of the answer.

Consequently, bring out different skill development programmes.

Evaluate these programs on their effectiveness as well as issues associated with it.

Discuss the problem of skill development program and remedies to solve these problems in the context of suggestions provided by NSDA panel.

Answer:

To build India's growth story, the 3 Ds- democracy, demographic dividend and demand need to be in sync. And that is possible only by providing vocational skill to the largely unskilled young population. Recognising its importance, the Government of India has brought out several skill development programmes from time to time. For example:

National Rural Livelihood Mission (Ajivika): The 12th Plan had envisaged NRLM.

Udaan: With the help of public-private partnership, Udaan aims at providing skill development to Jammu and Kashmir's youth.

Skill India Programme: It will train youth for employability and entrepreneurship.

Issues with these schemes:

Success of schemes is mainly judged by whether input and output targets are met — numbers enrolled and numbers of trainees certified.

The government is yet to develop a central system for tracking outcomes.

There are no central checks to verify whether placements reported are accurate, no monitoring system to see what wages are earned or whether jobs are commensurate with training and aspirations.

Currently, various ministries are involved in vocational training programmes that often run at cross purposes leading to resource wastage. Some beneficiaries get multiple benefits for undergoing same type of training, while others don't get opportunities.

The presence of multiple stakeholders coupled with a lack of coordinated policies has resulted in no standardisation of procedures or outcomes.

In order to overcome these limitations, NSDA has suggested followings:

A minimum training hour for each category of candidate.

Uniform cost for each skilling course and payment based on the outcomes of the scheme.

Outcomes of each skilling programme should also be clearly tracked through IT tools and through the actual placement of the skilled youth.

Overarching roles such as apprenticeship system, private sector coordination, etc should be housed exclusively within one agency to reduce policy confusion.

Catalyse investments from the industry and support candidates in raising resources for training.

For any skill development effort to succeed, markets and industry need to play a large role in determining courses, curriculum and relevance. For this, employers need to be put in the driving seat, with the government acting as a regulator and not the implementer.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


4. A demand to make the CAG accountable to the Parliament has been gaining ground recently. How will this step affect the independence of CAG? What steps could be taken to strengthen CAG-PAC relationship?

Approach:

Introduce the mandate of the CAG according to the Indian Constitutional scheme.

Highlight the recent suggestions made by the conference of PAC.

Discuss the consequences of making CAG accountable to the Legislature.

Suggest measures to strengthen the PAC-CAG relationship.

Answer:

Article 148 of the constitution of India provides for an independent office of the CAG as the guardian of public purse. Its constitutional mandate is to hold the executive accountable.

Reports of the CAG are examined by the Public Accounts Committees (PAC) of the Parliament and the State legislatures. Recently, at an All India conference of Public Accounts Committees a suggestion was made to make CAG accountable to the legislature while ensuring independence from the executive.

While it is argued that the PACs face problems in examining CAG reports as they are usually delayed, the move could have the following consequences:

According to the Constitution, the CAG is meant to be autonomous. The legislature must not

undermine the constitution to establish its supremacy.

Political interference in the functioning of the CAG may increase, resulting in erosion of its autonomy.

With constant threat to its autonomy, reports of the CAG may not remain impartial and lose

credibility.

It may also trigger a debate on making other constitutional bodies like EC, UPSC etc. accountable to

the parliament.

While autonomy of the CAG is essential to working of the constitution, the following measures may be recommended to strengthen the relationship PAC-CAG relationship:

The Indian Parliament could adopt a charter or convention outlining the broad contours of

cooperation between the CAG and the PAC to adopt a mutually reinforcing approach.

The PAC may issue suo moto reports to highlight failures in matters of financial governance which the

CAG may follow up to ensure probity, accountability and transparency.

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament could recommend legislative changes, to provide

adequate institutional support to the CAG in order for him or her to discharge this vital,

constitutionally enshrined role.

Although feedback and accountability mechanism is an essential component of the CAG’s relationship with the PAC and Parliament, the autonomy of the institution must be ensured as it has withstood the test of time.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


5. The debates related to problems of higher education have been mainly limited to IITs/IIMs. However, the need of the hour is to improve 665 universities where around 30 million students are enrolled. Discuss.

Approach:

Provide a context to the given statement by citing recent developments with respect to IITs/IIMs.

Then discuss the problems of higher education in general in our country. Stress on the need to

improve the quality and access to higher education in these 665 universities.

Give a few suggestions on how the state of universities can be improved, in order to suitably

conclude the answer.

Answer:

India's higher education system is the world's third largest in terms of students, next to China and the United States. However, the debates related to problems in higher education have been more or less remained limited to the quality and autonomy of IITs and IIMs. Though these issues are very important, it is also important to reform our higher education in general which is ailing from many problems. For example:

Quality of Education: Higher education in India suffers from several systemic deficiencies. As a result, it continues to provide graduates that are unemployable despite emerging shortages of skilled manpower in an increasing number of sectors. The standards of academic research are low and declining. The mushrooming of private universities has largely led to quantitative development while compromising hugely on the quality.

Governance issue: o Inflexible academic structure o Eroding autonomy of academic institutions o Low level of public funding o Dysfunctional regulatory environment o The accreditation system has low coverage and no consequences o Absence of incentives for performing well

Private sector participation: Private initiatives and resources play a major role in Indian higher education. However, a variety of factors prevent the full utilization of this potential for the further quantitative as well as qualitative development of the system. The existing political, regulatory and judicial context is not at all conducive to the adequate mobilization of private resources and energies for higher education. There is a general reluctance to involve the private sector in higher education.

Lack of project-based learning: The graduates are seen as unemployable due to lack of relevant industry experience.

Low enrolment: It is a matter of concern that only 7 percent of India’s 18 to 24 year olds enter higher education, compared to 21% in Germany, and 34% in the US. Higher education is also suffering from equity issues, as the percentage of SC/ST students in higher education is very low. The percentage of girls has improved in recent years, however, India is far behind compared to countries like Brazil and Russia.

With the rise of I.T. and B.P.O. industries, education institutes started seeing themselves as service providers, rather than being a place where the youngsters were molded into innovators and architects of the future.

The qualitative deficits and quantitative expansion in Indian higher education needs to be tackled along with governance reforms to tackle the twin issues of autonomy and accountability. India needs to make sure that private universities are encouraged, and that the legislation to create them is enabling. It’s a maze right now with multiple governing bodies that have conflicting mandates. Several states do not yet have a State Private University (SPU) Act.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


If India wants the best of the global players to come, it needs to lay out more attractive terms. Here, we ask them to pay a $5 million guarantee. Contrast that to places such as Singapore, Dubai and Qatar, which aren’t just enabling quick permissions, but are providing top universities free infrastructure and facilities to entice them to set up campuses.

6. While tribunals are responsible for adjudicating cases, which require technical expertise and specialization, they are not to be understood as a court. Elaborate. Also, discuss whether the recent rulings, such as banning mining or old diesel vehicles, are an example of overreach.

Approach:

First explain the role and relevance of tribunals with examples and compare their functioning in brief with regular courts taking high court as a reference.

Explain how tribunals require specialisation. Then discuss some of recent decisions by NGT and the background of these decisions.

Explain the grounds of overreach and conclude on how a fine balance can be maintained between mandate of NGT and its activism.

Answer:

A tribunal is a setup to deal with cases under special laws thus providing specialised adjudications. They function like courts, however, they are quasi-judicial in nature. E.g.: The National Green Tribunals to handle environment related issues, The Central Administrative Tribunals to look into cases pertaining to recruitment conditions to the public services and other such issues etc.

Differences:

A high court can try all offences including those punishable with death. They handle cases of irrespective of the nature. A tribunal only deals with specialized cases.

Judicial Review: The judgements of a tribunal can be reviewed by a high court. But the other way round is not possible.

Process: The tribunals being an informal setup are faster and inexpensive unlike the high courts. This can be attributed to the fact that the bench of a tribunal exclusively comprises of people with specialised knowledge in the area for which the tribunal has been set up. But the HC benches are required to have an in-depth sense of every field.

The recent order NGT banning diesel vehicles over 10 years old from Delhi roads was criticized as being a case of impractical overreach as NGT stepping into functions of the legislature and the executive. However, given the status of environmental threat in general and the status of air pollution in Delhi in particular the activist role of NGT becomes important.

In this context, the SC declared that NGT is empowered to issue directives to the Centre for banning vehicles more than 15 years old from plying on Delhi roads. It held that NGT can exercise the powers of judicial review and examine the validity of notifications passed under different laws. It recalled a judgment by the tribunal in July 2014 which declared the NGT to be a court, holding that it has all the trappings of a judicial body.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


7. The 2nd generation reforms vital for the development of the nation are contingent upon the states as most of them fall in the concurrent list. Discuss with examples.

Approach:

First discuss the 2nd generation economic reforms with examples.

Role of states in these reforms should be discussed as these reforms are mainly in concurrent list.

Provide examples to substantiate your points i.e. case study of any state can be mentioned which has undertaken such reforms. Provide a suitable conclusion.

Answer:

In India the term “second-generation reforms” generally refers to the reforms that were not included in the first phase. It is also a way of designating the reforms considered politically sensitive and likely to face opposition. For example:

Labour law reform

Privatisation of public sector units (PSUs)

Elimination of agricultural subsidies

Opening up retail and insurance to foreign investment

Dismantling of what remains of the industrial licensing regime, especially reservation for the small-scale sector.

It also includes the reform of governance institutions with the aim of making decision-making processes more transparent and government more accountable.

Many of the above listed reforms falls into concurrent list, in which states have major role to play. The core idea of having on having a concurrent list is that on which some level of national uniformity is desirable but with the flexibility to tailor to local needs.

In this context the example of Rajasthan is important which has taken a series of 2nd generation reforms. For example:

Labour Reforms: Rajasthan government passed laws to change three labour law amendment Bills relating to the Industrial Disputes Act, Contract Labour Act, and the Factories Act and made changes to the Apprenticeship Act. These amendments made it easier for industrial units operating in the state to shut down and fire up to 300 workers without any permission.

Land Reforms: Rajasthan assembly approved a bill making it easier for land owners to sublet or lease part or whole of their land to solar and wind power companies, making it attractive for investors in the power sector.

Industrial Reforms: The government has also promised to provide all clearances to start up new industrial units within 7 days including those for setting up Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) units.

Thus, as evident the second generation economic reforms are contingent upon states to much extent especially when there is constant disruption of parliament and parliamentary logjam. States have to play not only in making policy but also implanting the reforms initiated at centre.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


8. Discuss, with examples, the role of Civil Society in making governance citizen centric. What are the factors that are hindering their growth in developing countries, like India?

Approach:

Explain what is meant by citizen-centric governance in a line or two.

Describe with examples, how civil society can help in bringing about this sort of governance. It will be better to give examples of actual NGOs/Civil Society groups which have contributed to the same.

Finally mention their limitations and factors hindering their growth in a developing country.

Answer:

Citizen centric governance involves citizen participation in decision-making processes, creating an environment that sees citizens as the main stakeholders in governance, and citizens are able to demand better service and hold government agencies accountable.

At grassroot level, civil society groups have increasingly helped in enabling citizen centric governance. One of such most organized civil society movement was Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), which campaigned for access to information. MKSS organised public hearings and mass mobilization. It enabled citizen to question the government for its wage payment. Later on, the RTI Act was approved, in which NCPRI, a broader civil society organisation played a vital role.

Apart from this, few NGOs are engaged in the process of negotiation and debating about the character of the rules, policies, programmes – in the process of expressing the voice of the marginalised.

An apt example is the success of government of Bihar initiative on rural livelihoods programme. The programme, JEEViKA is implemented by Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (BRLP), an NGO. The model of change is to widen its reach, remain closer to ground realities and approach target groups directly and emphatically, thereby creating ability to contextualise local problems and create possible solutions.

However, NGOs face limitations such as paucity of funds and lack of infrastructure. There is also a lack of comprehensive regulatory framework. Though the political economy of India has changed drastically, the societies, associations, organisations or trusts are still being registered by the societies’ registration Act of 1860, the Indian Trust Act of 1882, and the Charitable & Religious Trust Act of 1920. The laws and regulations related to NGOs vary across states.

Recently NGOs grabbed headlines for the wrong reasons- from violations of FEMA to acting at the behest of foreign elements. Such a negative light has certainly hindered their growth.

Civil society organisations often lack accountability to the government or to the community they work for. A sizeable number of CSOs remain unaudited. Barring few, most of the businessmen and politicians formed CSOs are allegedly to simply get grants from the government, tax exceptions and make grey profits.

Another critical policy limitation in this sphere is due to the FCRA. The foreign contribution regulation act prohibits any political and religious activities for the NGOs. Religious and political activities are considered anti-national activities.

In order to create a constructive space to bridge the gap between the government and society for reduction of social and economic exclusion based on caste and religion, the government must create a comprehensive regulatory framework and ensure consistency of NGOs regulations across States.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


9. The passing of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015 marks a significant step towards reforming the mining sector. Discuss its salient features along with highlighting the apprehensions against the act. Further analyse the role of District Mineral Foundation in ensuring equitable benefit for all.

Approach:

Discuss the salient features of the Bill.

Point out the apprehensions related to provisions of the bill.

Examine the role of the proposed District Mineral Foundation.

Answer:

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act 2015 is seen as a landmark step in reforming mining sector which is governed by and age-old Mines Act 1957. It is aimed at checking the malpractices in mining sector and ensuring equitable sharing of benefits.

Salient Features:

Introduces auction mechanism for granting mineral concession for all minerals- mining leases and prospecting cum-mining leases.

Grant mining leases for a period of 50 years.

All leases will be re-auctioned after 50 years.

Create Special Courts Special Courts to deal with mining offences, to deal with mining offences, increases fines.

Creation of District Mineral Foundation for benefit of mining affected communities.

However, there are apprehensions over the act, such as:

Simply increasing penalty for violations within the existing institutional framework makes rent-seeking behaviour lucrative and will not be effective in curbing illegality.

From an environmental perspective, it doesn’t make sense to keep thousands of mines opened at one point of time as every open mine is a source of pollution.

The long lease period with subsequent re-auctioning provision would end up in shifting the burden of rehabilitation to future generations.

The act can lead to more displacement of people as Centre now has discretionary power to allow mine leases beyond the stipulated 10 sq km lease area. With an already poor record of resettlement and rehabilitation, this provision can create more conflicts.

The bidding parameters as well as the terms and conditions for auctioning are to be determined by the Central government which is not in line with cooperative federalism.

Role of district mineral foundation:

The Bill provides for the creation of a District Mineral Foundation (DMF). The DMF is to be established by the state government for the benefit of persons in districts affected by mining related operations.

DMFs in big mining districts will get substantial inflows of funds. It is possible to use this money for the direct benefit of the affected people as well as to invest in their future assets.

However, the effective use of these funds depends on the rules to be notified for decisions regarding utilization of funds.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


10. Discuss the role of PESA as an effective tool in ensuring participative democracy and development of the tribal people. Also, examine the reasons for its poor implementation.

Approach:

The question focuses on the role of PESA in ensuring participative democracy and development of tribal people. So, there is no need to outline the specific provisions of PESA per se.

1. Evaluate its role from different- administrative, financial and political- aspects. 2. Broadly outline the reasons for its poor implementation. 3. Finally, give a few suggestions to bring some improvements in the act/in the implementation of

the act to conclude the answer.

Answer:

Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act was enacted under the Fifth Schedule, which extended panchayat rule to the tribal areas. The fundamental spirit of PESA is that it does not delegate powers but devolves them to the village-level gram sabhas, paving the way for participatory democracy.

The PESA Act gives radical governance powers to the tribal community and recognizes its traditional community rights over local natural resources. It not only accepts the validity of “customary law, social and religious practices, and traditional management practices of community resources”, but also directs the state governments not to make any law which is inconsistent with these.

Gram Sabha are endowed specifically with powers such as to exercise control over money lending to the Scheduled Tribes, control over institutions and functionaries in all social sectors and even control over local plans and resources for such plans including tribal sub-plans. Such involvement in planning process is the part and parcel for participative democracy.

However, hurdles remain in proper implementation of the Act. While the provision of control of Gram Sabha over minor forest produce in the Act is to empower the local people in having a voice in the decisions regarding use and control of natural resources, it has come to empower the Forest Department officials who ignore the gram sabha if any. Forest department officials have long viewed the resource rich tribal regions as source of revenue. They often collude with timber mafias for petty gains. In Uttarakhand there have been reports of forest depots selling bamboos to companies at highly subsidized rates.

Land litigations are another headache of tribals who have been rendered landless by the rich or powerful. The B.D Sharma Committee suggested issuing notification of a date, when all pending cases in any Court of Law in which the land of a tribal is alleged to have been illegally transferred or occupied by any person or body, shall stand transferred to the Gram Sabha in whose jurisdiction the land is situated. Two different ministries, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, have overlapping influence on the implementation of PESA and they lack the necessary coordination. Only four States have framed their Rules for implementation of PESA. An honest implementation of the PESA Act would empower the marginalized tribals so that they can take care of their developmental needs. Only PESA has the real potential to deal a fatal blow to the leftwing extremists thriving on their backwardness, ignorance, and isolation.

11. What do you mean by lifestyle diseases? What are the factors leading to the increased occurrence of lifestyle diseases in India? Discuss their impact on the economic conditions of the individuals and productivity of the economy.

Approach:

Describe lifestyle diseases and highlight their increasing incidence.

Enumerate the factors behind their increasing occurrence.

Explain how lifestyle diseases pose an economic burden and substantiate the same.

Conclude by suggesting measures on how they can be prevented or reversed.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


Answer:

Health disorders or diseases caused due to changed living habits or inappropriate lifestyles such as sedentary lifestyles, competitive living, and increased stress owing to work requirements are called lifestyle diseases. While better living conditions and enhanced health care facilities have increased the longevity of people, rapid industrialization and urbanization, expansion of mass media, information and communication technology etc. are altering the health style of the community.

Below mentioned are the common causes of lifestyle diseases:

1. Unhealthy dietary habits: Unhealthy foods, over eating, over dependence on processed foods, artificial sweeteners, fast foods etc are a major cause of obesity and other cardiovascular diseases.

2. Lifestyle habits such as sedentary lifestyle, smoking, drinking alcohol, poor sleeping habits etc also add to the stress and burden.

3. Lack of recreation and physical exercise is a major contributing factor to lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, obesity and heart diseases such as atherosclerosis and hypertension/high blood pressure.

4. Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary diseases and lung cancer have direct co-relation with smoking.

5. Chronic liver diseases are linked to alcoholism and eating food with less protein and vitamins.

Most lifestyle diseases are chronic, slow-progressing and call for huge expenditure and can impact growth in a number of ways:

Through reduced reductions in effective labor supply (including productivity, early retirement and mortality

Diversion of productive savings towards medical expenditure

Reduced government capacity to invest in infrastructure or education.

According to various estimates, 25% of Indians may die of lifestyle related diseases before they attain the age of 70. Globally, NCDs are responsible for 66% of all mortality, and account for 54% of healthy life years lost, as measured by Disability-Adjusted Life Years. In India, an estimated $4.58 trillion dollars as losses are expected before 2030 owing to NCDs. Despite the threat looming large, lifestyle diseases are preventable and reversible. An estimated 80% of diabetes and stroke is considered preventable, therefore, focus on prevention and control must be given as much importance as curative healthcare interventions. Health promotion and behavioural changes – at the individual as well as community level – must be encourage starting at an early age.

12. In a country, where one-third of the population is already economically excluded, prescribing minimum qualifications for elections to the Panchayati Raj will be the final nail in the coffin of a genuine grass-roots democracy. Discuss.

Approach:

Write down about long standing debate over this issue.

Explain in brief the idea of the question by providing certain examples.

Minimum education qualification in Panchayati Raj implications o Arguments in favor of this

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


o Arguments against this

Suggest some solutions in this regard.

Answer:

Educational Qualification for contesting elections has been floating since decades in India. Panchayati raj was constitutionalized in 1993 to bring development at grass root level. Now 22 years have passed since then and many efforts are made to strengthen these institution.

Towards this direction, the State governments of Rajasthan and Haryana have recently introduced amendments to their respective local bodies (Panchayati raj) laws by prescribing minimum education qualification for those contesting elections. By this amendments both state governments put an education cap for contesting the elections of the PRI. They argued that such caps not only help them to tackle their illiteracy concerns, it will also fix many issues associated with the grass-root level. However such moves raise more questions than solutions.

Arguments against bringing educational qualifications as a bar for contesting elections:

A bench led by Justice J Chelameswar stayed the operation of the Haryana Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Act, 2015, acting on a PIL that contended the new law would deprive an overwhelming majority of the population from taking part in grassroots-level elections.

There are many village level leaders/activists that are illiterate because of poverty or lack of infrastructure they faced during their younger days, yet they have capability to work for people’s interest.

The act would automatically create a gender divide and discrimination in society. Both of these states are struggling with Low Sex Ratio and illiteracy among rural female population. Thus this debarred many of rural women from contesting election.

It is a violation of Article14 which enshrines that equals should be treated alike and un-equals shouldn’t be treated alike.

System will be manipulated with the introduction of false documents and qualifications

It will affect the weaker section the most i.e., SCs, STs, Women, for whom seats are reserved, but will not be able to meet the basic condition.

At a time when we have not fully achieved the “Universal education” and struggling to implement “Right to Education” the states most important priority shall be to provide infrastructure and human resource in Education.

But it does have certain positive impacts like:

promotion of education,

knowledgeable representatives,

better decision making, better implementation and

Understanding of worldwide practices etc.

Moreover there should be first capacity building before implementing any decision. If the government intends to promote education through this, proper planning, capacity building and a time frame needs to be decided beforehand and same needs to be conveyed to people and there needs to be uniformity everywhere.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


13. Ever since the National Commission for Women (NCW) came into existence in 1992, its composition and functioning have been contentious and controversial. Discuss.

Approach:

Provide a brief introduction about NCW

Mention its composition and functions

Discuss the related controversies and contentions

Suggest some measures

Answer:

The National Commission for Women (NCW) is a statutory body of the Government of India, generally concerned with advising the government on all policy matters affecting women. It was established in January 1992 under the provisions of the Indian Constitution, as defined in the 1990 National Commission for Women Act.

Composition of NCW:

A Chairperson to be nominated by the Government.

Five members with experience in law, legislation, administration, economic development, health and social welfare, at least one member from SC or ST.

Member Secretary to be nominated by Central Government with organizational skills, a civil servant officer of the Union with required experience.

Functions of NCW:

The functions of NCW are to Investigate matters relating to safeguards provided to women under constitution and other various laws

Undertake studies to spread awareness about women's right

Visit remand home ,women's prison and other places where women's are kept

To make sure their rights are protected.

Controversies related to NCW

However, NCW since its inception has had a head which has been close to a ruling party moreover there have been members who haven’t been working for women's right or involved in research about women problems. The commission has been in controversy during Guwahati molestation and Mangalore pub attack case and by controversial statements of chairperson etc.

The functioning of the NCW, has undergone several criticisms since its origin like:

Showing political nepotism in handling of cases

Limited funds allocated which make it unable to support even the victims in dire need of it and take of publicity and campaigns

The police fail to take the cases seriously

NCW does not have power to issue summons, demands of the commissions (like other commissions)

Chairpersons or members are not necessarily experienced in dealing such issues.

Malified usage of cases against political players in certain instances

Contention of Orthodox groups against NCW: On the other hand they have taken up controversial but progressive questions in hand like legalization of prostitution and the debates surrounding it. Given the opposition by the orthodox section of the society they have been majorly been unsuccessful at such attempts.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


Measures: It needs to have more autonomy, considering this the draft bill to amend the NCW Act of 1990 seeks to correct the above setbacks. By giving NCW powers of civil court, authority to issue summon, issue penalty, to be headed by a retired judge through a committee mainly appointed by Cabinet etc. Members appointed should have a history of close association with women's movements.

Therefore, the commission needs to be given more power by giving higher autonomy, more finance and most importantly selection of politically neutral and socially active members who have contributed to or have a deep understanding of issues related to women’s rights.

14. Discuss the importance of mid-career performance appraisal for civil servants. Also evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of compulsorily retiring serving bureaucrats after such a review.

Approach:

Briefly give the present administrative condition in India

Explain mid-career performance appraisal along with the features.

Limitations of current performance appraisal system in India

Importance and effect of mid-career performance appraisal system

Compulsory retirement with its positives and negatives and conclusion I favour of bureaucratic reforms.

Answer:

The civil servants in India have been provided with following safeguards:

Constitutional protection

Political neutrality

Permanency

Recruitment based on merit etc. This has led to problems surrounding current bureaucracy:

Lacking transparency

Unresponsive to public needs.

Inefficiency

Corrupt practices.

Inspite of two Administrative Reforms Commission reports not much has changed.

Problems with present system of appraisal and need for new appraisal system:

A closed system for appraisal of civil servants in India (other than the All India Services).

It lacks in quantification of targets and evaluation of performance standards.

Possible bias on the part of superiors, political influence; etc. What is Mid Career Performance appraisal?

Mid-career Performance appraisal is meant to be a joint exercise between the Government servant reported upon and the Reporting Officer particularly after every fixed period for taking note on performance.

While fixing the targets, priority should be assigned item-wise, taking into consideration the nature and the area of work.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


Importance of Mid Career Performance appraisal

It’ll update the knowledge and efficiency in work base of the participant in the rapidly changing environment.

Will help to develop competencies for changes in the job profile, as would happen when a promotion takes place.

Can also serve as a medium for enhancing formal qualifications, thereby creating greater confidence in an officer.

Good hardworking civil servants will get rewarded

Clear performance standard shall be fixed.

Reduction in political interference due to fixed targets and continuous reports of performance of civil servants.

It would compel bureaucrats to put more diligence to score a better review.

Induce professionalism in the departments.

Weeding out of the inefficient lot would make place for better candidates.

Positives of Compulsory retirements:

Deterrence for non-performing officials.

It may induce culture among officials of hard work and efficiency.

Inertia among bureaucrats to start new work or take risk will be reduced

Provide motivation to bureaucrats

Negative effects:

May be misused as a political tool against honest officers.

Although ministers and bureaucrats work hand in hand but this may give former greater control on latter sometimes detrimental to officers efficiency.

Compulsory retirement is a desirable approach as the efficacy of a system is determined by the set of incentives facing people who exercise power. As bureaucrats continue to wield enormous power, a guaranteed job provides the wrong incentives. Hence the mid-term appraisal and compulsory retirement might be the much needed bureaucratic reforms in India.

15. The Polio eradication programme is a widely acknowledged success story with vital lessons for other immunisation initiatives as well. Highlight the challenges faced by immunisation efforts in India. In this context, what does Mission Indradhanush seek to achieve? Explain the rationale, objectives and strategies for implementation of the mission.

Approach:

List the reasons for success of Polio eradication programme

Discuss the lacunae in the current immunisation program and the challenges faced by it

Bring out the salient features of Mission Indradhanush its rationale, objectives and strategies

and point out how it gains on lessons learnt in polio eradication programme.

Answer:

The success story of Polio Eradication program taught us various lessons. Some of these lessons were learnt from the reasons that led to its immense success:

Very high level of routine immunisation, maintained with Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV).

National Immunisation day called ‘Pulse Polio Divas’ to immunise every child below 5 years of age.

High quality post vaccination disease surveillance.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


Mop-up immunization with OPV when few foci of polio transmission remain.

Tireless hard work of front-line workers - vaccinators, community and health workers.

Role of media in popularising the campaign.

Following holistic approach.

Challenges faced by immunization programs in India

Huge population growth rate and some hard to reach population groups like indigenous people, certain religious groups etc.

Inequitable distribution of immunisation.

Lack of awareness, reluctance, opposition and a slow acceptance of vaccination have traditionally posed a challenge.

Data recording and reporting is poor and Vaccine-preventable-disease surveillance needs strengthening.

Lack of inter-sectoral coordination between various agencies

Operational Challenges: Improper supply chains, and scarce delivery points

Sub-Optimal coverage of vaccines

Inter- and intra-state variations in the coverage.

Strategies used in India's National Polio Surveillance Project (NPSP), are now being used to push up routine immunization.

Rationale behind Mission Indradhanush

‘Mission Indradhanush’ was launched in 2014 with an aim to cover all those children who are partially vaccinated or unvaccinated with a special focus on 201 high focus districts, which account for nearly 50% of the total partially vaccinated or unvaccinated children in the country. Objectives of Mission Indradhanush

Mission Indradhanush will provide protection against seven life-threatening diseases (Diphtheria, Whooping Cough, Tetanus, Polio, Tuberculosis, Measles and Hepatitis B).

In addition, vaccination against Japanese Encephalitis and Haemophilus influenza type B will be provided in selected districts of the country.

Vaccination against tetanus will be provided to the pregnant women.

What does it seek to achieve?

To accelerate the process of immunization by covering 5% and more children every year, to at least 90% children in the next five years.

The Mission Mode has been adopted to achieve target of full coverage by 2020.

In order to achieve the goal of bringing down maternal mortality, neonatal mortality and infant mortality.

Strategies for implementation

Micro plans have been developed to make the Mission mode successful and to draw on the lessons learned from the Polio eradication such as:

Systems strengthening,

Vaccine cold chain management,

Regular surveillance and monitoring of the plans to reach every left out and uncovered child.

Special vaccination campaigns for a period of 7-10 days every month for four consecutive months.

The government has sought technical support from various external agencies like WHO, UNICEF and Rotary to achieve the goals of this program. With better efforts and help India can achieve its target of Universal immunization.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


16. Promulgation of the newest constitution of the region has thrown up new challenges for the oldest constitutional democracy in South Asia. Examine India’s role, concerns and dilemmas vis-à-vis the constitutional process in Nepal.

Approach:

Give a brief history of India’s role in Nepalese constitution making process.

Mention its role in the context of the 2006 deal brokered through New Delhi’s mediation that set the path for the constitutional process.

Concerns should be highlighted vis a vis the Madhes areas sharing border with India and the potential of spill over.

Dilemmas should be posited via highlighting need for getting the legitimate concerns addressed without being seen as a big brother or hegemon especially in the backdrop of Chinese interest in Nepal.

Conclude by suggesting a pragmatic way ahead.

Answer:

Indian reaction to Nepal’s new constitution has been widely perceived as cold. This perhaps should be seen in the overall historical context of India’s role in Nepal.

In 1949 the Nepali Congress (NC), as against the Rana autocracy, demanded a Constitution written by elected Constituent Assembly. This principle was supported by India.

India supported democratic process in Nepal in 1988-1990 Jan Andolan-1 establishing multiparty democracy under constitutional monarchy.

During 2005-6, Nepal’s Jan Andolan-II, India helped bridge the political divide by brokering an arrangement that facilitated mainstreaming of the Maoists and the beginning of the constitution making process.

Throughout Nepal’s constitution-making process also India urged Nepali leadership to resolve differences “through dialogue in an atmosphere free from violence.

Recently the new constitution came into force, but India had some underpinning concerns regarding it:

1) Marginalisation of Terai (plain) people in Nepal: Cross border repercussions. Leaders of the major political parties belonging to the dominant hill social groups have ignored the marginalised groups- the Madhesis, janjatis (tribal groups), dalits and women in the new constitution

Constituency delimitation is skewed against Madhes people. The Pahadi people who constitute half the population get 100 seats, while other half of Madhes and plain people get only 65 seats.

The protests and violence in the Madhes region could also have affected the poll bound Bihar and spill in Indian bordering regions.

Madhes and Tharu people living close to Indian borders indulge in cross border marriages. The citizenship rights of Nepal may work against them and they may lose citizenship.

In situation like this India might have to deal with major influx of refugees from Nepal. 2) Decision making may shift in favour of China and against Indian interests.

The Madhes parties are more in favor of better ties with India and Pro-India policies. The other parties majorly owe loyalty to Maoist ideology and thus favour Chinese influence in Nepal. Any deprivation to Madhes party may work against Indian interests.

Cross border triumph of Maoist ideology may also act as a fuel for Maoist insurgents in India.

India also faces certain dilemmas in pressing for its concerns:

There is a real and present threat of India’s concerns being misunderstood as interference and bullying thus strengthening the anti-India constituency in Kathmandu valley.

Secondly, China is also trying to gain influence in the region and thus India is wary of pushing Nepal into China’s hands.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


It might also bring the coldness of ties to SAARC cooperation.

Nepal’s geography and history point to India’s major role in the development of Nepal. The Nepali Constitution is flexible, has ample room for amendments and given the political will from both sides, reasonable solutions would surely be possible.

17. India continues to host a large population of refugees without being a signatory to either the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol. What are the reasons and implications of such a scenario? Is it time for India to reconsider its stand and become a signatory to this convention?

Approach:

Introduce with the basics of refugee status and the UN treaty.

Put forth India’s record of hosting refugees in large numbers.

Provide reasons for India’s not signing the Treaty and its Protocol.

Make a case for Signing the treaty by pointing out the implications in terms of lacking legal structure, India’s obligation under the customary international law

Conclude by pointing out how signing the treaty would provide sanctity to already exemplary record of India.

Answer:

Refugee as defined under International law is a person forced to leave his or her country in order to escape war, persecution or natural disaster.

The United Nations Multilateral treaty or a convention relating to the status of Refugees is a legal document that defines a refugee which was approved in 1951 by UN conference.

Further in 1967 a protocol was approved to remove temporal and geographical restrictions from the conventions. It sets out the rights of individuals granted asylum and responsibilities of nations that grant asylum.

India has signed neither the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention nor its 1967 Protocol. However, India is among the top 20 hosts of refugees.

In January 2014 itself, India had 27,000 refugees and asylum seeker registered with the UNHCR in addition to 1, 88, 400 refugees already enrolled in the country.

The reasons cited for India not signing the UN Convention or the Protocol are:

That borders in South Asia are extremely porous and any conflict can result in a mass movement of people. This can have two results: first, a strain on local infrastructure and resources in countries that are poorly equipped to deal with sudden spikes in population. Second, it can upset the demographic balance, in South Asia.

The Treaty itself at the time of inception was seen as a western initiative part of the cold war.

India already does its duty and mostly even without UN help.

Some argue with minimum laws to protect them India is not an easy place for refugees.

Some argue that India retains a degree of scepticism about the UNHCR stemming from its experience of 1971.

Following arguments can be put forward for India to accede to the treaty:

Despite hosting a large number of refugees India lacks both resources and a legal framework for their sustenance.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


India relies upon the Foreigners Act 1946 but it fails to meet the requirement as it does not recognise the rights of the refugees.

While India is not a signatory, it is still obliged to adhere to the principle of non-refoulment, which forms a crucial part of customary international law. This obligation is further strengthened by India’s ratification of the 1984 Torture Convention.

In the prevailing scenario India can stake its claim of being a responsible member of international community by signing the treaty thus providing legal backup to its already crucial contribution.

It is precisely the large number, of refugees that it hosts, that enjoin upon India the duty to enshrine in law how these refugees will be treated. In the absence of any domestic law or regional South Asian framework, India has desisted from taking its rightful regional leadership role in this increasingly critical matter.

18. Has India’s resistance to CTBT lost relevance? Examine in view of the evolution of India’s policy and the changing global scenario.

Approach:

The answer requires a comprehensive understanding of evolution of India’s stand on the issue of disarmament in general and nuclear disarmament in Particular.

Introduction should delineate CTBT briefly, India’s role should be put in perspective.

Historical stand of India as champion of nuclear disarmament should be delineated briefly

The objection of India to CTBT should be highlighted leading to the current scenario that requires a fresh look at the treaty.

Pointedly provide benefits that make the case for signing the treaty now.

Conclude by stressing the opportunities in changed scenario keeping in mind national interests.

Answer:

Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty or CTBT is a multilateral treaty by which states agree to ban all nuclear explosions in all environments, for military or civilian purposes. It is one of the most widely supported arms-control treaties with 183 signatories and 163 ratifications. India did not support the treaty in 1996 — and still does not — but it had been very supportive during negotiations as it was one of the co-sponsors of the CTBT resolution at the 1993 session of the UN General Assembly.

India’s has a remarkable history of anti-nuclear activist , from proposing an end to nuclear testing in 1954 to signing the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (PTBT) in 1963 to Rajiv Gandhi’s impassioned plea to the U.N. General Assembly in 1988 for phased nuclear disarmament.

The core of India's objection to the CTBT is that as with the earlier nuclear treaties, it divides the world permanently into nuclear “haves and have-nots” - and more importantly, that it puts India permanently in the camp of the “have-nots”. De-facto, India came out of the have-not club by declaring its nuclear capabilities through the 1998 tests.

A lot has changed for India since the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) was opened for signature in 1996, and the same is true for the treaty itself. At a time when CTBT along with other nuclear disarmament initiatives seem to be losing steam the changed scenario provides opportunity for a fresh thinking. Signing of the treaty can help:

to respond to global developments in nuclear disarmament and arms control as a responsible stakeholder in the non-proliferation regime;

to negotiate India’s entry into the global nuclear order, crucially the MECR.

to revive India’s long-forgotten tradition of campaigning for global nuclear disarmament.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


to tap into a wealth of data generated by the CTBTO’s International Monitoring Stations.

signing the CTBT would also make India’s claim for a UNSC seat stronger

India had also for long advocated for a CTBT, although the eventual treaty was not accepted for being discriminatory and against India’s nuclear options. However, resistance to CTBT can be reconsidered given that India does not intend to conduct any more tests, as declared in its unilateral moratorium on nuclear tests. Accession to the CTBT can be used as a bargaining chip to mainstream into the nuclear order, while at the same time ensuring national interests are taken care of through deft negotiations.

19. “Despite being set up more than a decade ago, Mekong- Ganga Cooperation has remained a non-

starter.” Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer. Discuss the potential of this cooperation for India.

Approach:

Provide a brief background about Mekong-Ganga cooperation.

Viewpoint whether it has been non-starter giving reasons.

Discuss the potential of the MGC.

Answer: The Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) is an initiative by six countries – India and five ASEAN countries, namely, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam for cooperation in tourism, culture, education, as well as transport and communications. The MGC is also indicative of the civilizational, cultural and commercial linkages among the member countries of the MGC down the centuries. Recently India and Cambodia have signed two MoUs to boost bilateral cooperation in the field of Tourism and another related to umbrella projects under Mekong Ganga Cooperation initiative. However, MGC has so far failed to live up to its potential. This can be understood from the following:

Meetings at ministerial level has been sporadic.

MGC has been hobbled by problems like absence of clear timelines, uncertainty about source of funding, and inadequate implementation and review mechanisms.

Given their relatively larger weight in the groupings India and Thailand have to be the main drivers and sources of funding in the grouping. However, Thailand lost interest in MGC after it set up Ayeawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) that brings same group of countries minus India.

The attention of all the non-Indian members of MGC who are also members of older established Greater Mekong Sub region (GMS) together with china, is more focused on GMS.

Challenges:

There is no permanent secretariat and no budget. The outcome, after 15 years are six meetings and a few declarations.

The MGC overlaps with BIMST-EC and SAARC, and several SAARC countries are also members of the IORA.

Potential:

For India, the MGC offers immense scope for creating "links" civilizational, cultural and commercial.

Development of India's northeastern region.

For the MGC project to be effective, the Brahmaputra Valley is a crucial factor. If there exists sufficient trade and industry in this region, overland trade via Myanmar to many MGC countries will become a worthwhile proposition for India.

This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)


Strategic significance as it can act as "balancing China" strategy to counter string of pearls.

Huge potential for Indian expertise in IT in MGC countries – it can be used by India to build its relations on.

20. The success of the India Africa Forum Summit as well as the future of India-Africa relations not only depends on India’s ability to develop an attractive and sustainable approach to Africa, but also on the willingness of African leaders to look beyond Beijing when partnering up with foreign investors. Discuss.

Approach:

The background of India – African summit and importance of African region for India should be discussed in brief.

Briefly mention how cooperation with various African leaders is necessary.

Then mention how India can harness the potential in Africa in the background of presence of a powerful China in the region.

Answer:

Recently concluded third India – African summit in New Delhi focused on improving the various dimensions of relationship between India and African countries. Though Indian and African interests are complimentary in nature the level of engagements are far below the potential.

African continent is increasingly becoming the next theatre of global attraction and competition because of natural resources, demography and socio-economic development. To harness the opportunity various countries including China have made huge investments in the continent.

However, the African nations are increasingly realizing that though Chinese investments are attractive, there are certain issues like:

Chinese companies instead of employing locals uses Chinese workers.

It is also seen that these companies don’t pay much attention to environment protection.

Chinese loans come with strict conditions that only Chinese technology will be utilized.

These concerns have mainly been raised by civil society, however, many governments have also started looking beyond China. India needs to harness this opportunity. India already enjoys the good will of African people sue to historical ties and Indian company’s practices of employing local workers and skilling them. For example, in Zimbabwe and Sudan, China’s dominance in the energy and resource sectors is being challenged by private and state-owned Indian enterprises.

India needs to establish multi-pronged approach to further its national interests:

More bilateral engagement with fast developing African nations.

Utilizing Indian diaspora and enterprises for making favourable investment climate.

Ensuring last mile connectivity to enhance the utility of initiatives like pan Africa network

Efforts to raise publicity about the good work it is doing in African continent as in time of Ebola crisis.

India has sent a strong message across the African continent that it is ready for greater engagement and investment in Africa and now African leaders have the chance to take up this viable alternative to the Chinese investment model.


This d

ocum

ent is

per

sona

lised

for N

eera

j Rao

(nee

rajra

o198

5@gm

ail.co

m)

GS Paper 2

Documents

Transcript of GS Paper 2