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NOTE: Please remember that following ‘answers’ are NOT ‘model answers’. They are NOT synopsis too if we go by definition of the term. What we are providing is content that both meets demand of the question and at the same time gives you extra points in the form of background information.
General Studies – 1
Topic: The Freedom Struggle — its various stages and important contributors/contributions from different parts of the country.
Difficulty level: Tough
Reference: Chapter-12 – A Brief History of Modern India by Rajiv Ahir (Spectrum Publishers)
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 1 as mentioned in Mission-2022 Secure timetable.
Key Demand of the question: To write about how Morley-Minto reforms were another tool of despotism rather than being constitutional reforms.
Directive word:
Critically comment – When asked to analyse, you have to examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them as a whole in a summary. When ‘comment’ is prefixed, we have to express our knowledge and understanding of the issue and form an overall opinion thereupon.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by giving the context for the introduction of the Reforms of 1909 such as the dissatisfaction of the moderates of the Indian Councils Act, 1892 and the rise of the Extremists in the arena of Indian leaders.
Body:
Briefly mention the key changes brought in by the reforms of 1909 and then why it cannot be termed as “Constitutional reform”, as it brought out minor additive changes only and not met the demands of the Indian leaders genuinely such as provision for asking questions and supplementary questions but at the same time the question may be rejected, further the Indian representatives could not question on many forms of expenditure of the British etc.
Mention why the reform was termed Benevolent Despotism, as the British tried to paint a colour of benevolence to the reforms by bringing small additive changes to the existing provisions but it was still an act of despotism as there was no substantial reform meeting the needs or demands of the Indian representatives in the legislative council. The introduction of separate electorates which formalised the British policy of divide and rule.
Conclusion:
Write about the impact of the reforms and response of the nationalists to it.
Introduction
The Morley-Minto reforms named after the Secretary of State for Indian Affairs Lord John Morley and the Viceroy Lord Minto was the alternative name given to Indian Councils Act 1909. It introduced for the first time the method of election, an attempt to widen the scope of legislative councils, placate the demands of moderates in Indian National Congress and to increase the participation of Indians in the governance. The Act amended the Indian Councils Acts of 1861 and 1892.
Body:
Background of the Act
- In October 1906, a group of Muslim elites called the Shimla Deputation, led by the Agha Khan, met Lord Minto and demanded separate electorates for the Muslims and representation in excess of their numerical strength in view of ‘the value of the contribution’ Muslims were making ‘to the defence of the empire’.
- The same group quickly took over the Muslim League, initially floated by Nawab Salimullah of Dacca along with Nawabs Mohsin-ul- Mulk and Waqar-ul-Mulk in December 1906.
- The Muslim League intended to preach loyalty to the empire and to keep the Muslim intelligentsia away from the Congress.
- John Morley, the Liberal Secretary of State for India, and the Conservative Viceroy of India, Minto, believed that cracking down on uprising in Bengal was necessary but not sufficient for restoring stability to the British Raj after Lord Curzon’s partitioning of Bengal.
- They believed that a dramatic step was required to put heart into loyal elements of the Indian upper classes and the growing Westernized section of the population.
Features of the Act
- It considerably increased the size of the legislative councils, both Central and provincial. The number of members in the Central Legislative Council was raised from 16 to 60. The number of members in the provincial legislative councils was not uniform.
- British retained official majority in the Central Legislative Council but allowed the provincial legislative councils to have non-official majority.
- The elected members were to be indirectly elected. The local bodies were to elect an electoral college, which in turn would elect members of provincial legislatures, who in turn would elect members of the central legislature.
- It enlarged the deliberative functions of the legislative councils at both the levels. For example, members were allowed to ask supplementary questions, move resolutions on the budget, and so on.
- It provided for the first time for the association of Indians with the executive Councils of the Viceroy and Governors. Satyendra Prasad Sinha became the first Indian to join the Viceroy’s Executive Council. He was appointed as the law member. Two Indians were nominated to the Council of the Secretary of State for Indian Affairs.
- It introduced a system of communal representation for Muslims by accepting the concept of ‘separate electorate’. Under this, the Muslim members were to be elected only by Muslim voters. Thus, the Act ‘legalized communalism’ and Lord Minto came to be known as the Father of Communal Electorate.
- It also provided for the separate representation of presidency corporations, chambers of commerce, universities and zamindars.
Evaluation of the Reforms:
- The reforms of 1909 afforded no answer and could afford no answer to the Indian political problem. Lord Morley made it clear that colonial self-government (as demanded by the Congress) was not suitable for India, and he was against introduction of parliamentary or responsible government in India.
- The position of the Governor- General remained unchanged and his veto power remained undiluted and the Act was successfully maintained relentless constitutional autocracy.
- The ‘constitutional’ reforms were, in fact, aimed at dividing the nationalist ranks by confusing the Moderates and at checking the growth of unity among Indians through the obnoxious instrument of separate electorates.
- The Government aimed at rallying the Moderates and the Muslims against the rising tide of nationalism.
- The officials and the Muslim leaders often talked of the entire community when they talked of the separate electorates, but in reality, it meant the appeasement of a small section of the Muslim elite only.
- Congress considered separate electorate to be undemocratic and hindering the development of a shared Hindu-Muslim Indian national feeling.
- Besides, system of election was too indirect and it gave the impression of infiltration of legislators through a number of sieves.
- And, while parliamentary forms were introduced, no responsibility was conceded, which sometimes led to thoughtless and irresponsible criticism of the Government.
- Only some members like Gokhale put to constructive use the opportunity to debate in the councils by demanding universal primary education, attacking repressive policies and drawing attention to the plight of indentured labour and Indian workers in South Africa.
- The reforms of 1909 gave to the people of the country a shadow rather than substance.
The Act of 1909 was important for the following reasons:
- It effectively allowed the election of Indians to the various legislative councils in India for the first time, though previously some Indians had been appointed to legislative councils.
- The introduction of the electoral principle laid the groundwork for a parliamentary system even though this was contrary to the intent of Morley.
- It also gave recognition to the elective principle as the basis of the composition of legislative council for the first time.
- It gave some further avenues to Indians to ventilate their grievances. They also got opportunity to criticize the executives and make suggestions for better administration.
- After Jinnah’s death in September 1948, Pakistan lurched towards Islamic orthodoxy and Dalits faced mounting attacks.
Conclusion:
Indian Council Act of 1909 was instituted to placate the moderates and appeasement to the disseminate Muslims from National Movement by granting them separate electorate. The people had demanded self-government but what they were given was ‘benevolent despotism’.
Topic: The Freedom Struggle — its various stages and important contributors/contributions from different parts of the country.
Difficulty level: Easy
Reference: A Brief History of Modern India by Rajiv Ahir (Spectrum Publishers)
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 1 as mentioned in Mission-2022 Secure timetable.
Key Demand of the question:
To understand the key role of Tilak as a leader in India’s struggle for Independence.
Directive word:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you have to debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You have to give reasons for both for and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Give a brief introduction of Tilak – the nationalist, the politician and a fearless leader of the masses.
Body:
Mention key factors that leads to term Tilak as a pragmatic leader – to realise the need to connect to the masses, the true nature of British rule etc. Further elaborate on his four point programme such as stating of Deccan education Society, two newspapers, and New English school to promote education and awareness of the masses. Tilak’s approach to economic exploitation of the British was to Boycott and protect and promote the indigenous industries and artisans while passive resistance was an extension of the Boycott principle, to encourage the masses to not pay taxes and prepare them for self-rule.
In the next part, mention the contributions of Tilak in detail apart from the above. His part in spreading nationalist consciousness, Home rule league, creation of mass base etc.
Conclusion:
Stress on the timely interference of Tilak to demystify the true nature of the British and bring in a new vigour to India’s freedom struggle.
Introduction
Bal Gangadhar Tilak was an Indian social reformer and freedom activist. He was one of the prime architects of modern India and probably the strongest advocates of Swaraj or Self Rule for India. His famous declaration “Swaraj is my birth right, and I shall have it” served as an inspiration for future revolutionaries during India’s struggle for freedom. The British Government termed him as the “Father of Indian Unrest” and his followers bequeathed upon him the title of ‘Lokmanya’ meaning he who is revered by the people.
Body:
Tilak’s contribution towards India’s national movement:
- Ideology:
- Tilak joined the Indian National Congress in 1890. He soon started vocalizing his strong opposition to the moderate views of the party on self-rule.
- He maintained that simple constitutional agitation in itself was futile against the British. This subsequently made him stand against the prominent Congress leader, Gopal Krishna Gokhale.
- He wanted an armed revolt to broom-away the British. Following the partition of Bengal by Lord Curzon, Tilak wholeheartedly supported the Swadeshi (Indigenous) movement and Boycott of British goods.
- Due to this fundamental difference in outlook, Tilak and his supporters came to be known as the extremist wing of INC.
- Tilak’s endeavours were supported by fellow nationalists Bipin Chandra Pal of Bengal and Lala Lajpat Rai of Punjab.
- Protests and Imprisonment:
- Under directives from Pune Commissioner W. C. Rand, the police and the army invaded private residences, violated personal sanctity of individuals, burned personal possessions and prevented individuals to move in and out of the city.
- Tilak protested against the oppressive nature of the British efforts and wrote provocative articles on it in his newspapers on the epidemic of Plague in Pune and adjacent regions
- His article inspired the Chapekar brothers and they carried out assassination of Commissioner Rand and Lt. Ayerst on June 22, 1897. As a result of this, Tilak was imprisoned for 18 months on Sedition charges for inciting murder.
- During 1908-1914, Bal Gangadhar Tilak spent had to undergo six years of rigorous imprisonment in Mandalay Jail, Burma.
- He openly supported the revolutionaries Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki’s efforts to assassinate Chief Presidency Magistrate in 1908. He continued to write during his years of imprisonment and the most prominent of which is Gita Rahasya.
- Tilak and All India Home Rule League:
- Tilak returned to India in 1915 when the political situation was fast changing under the shadow of the World War I.
- He then returned to politics with a mellowed down outlook. Deciding to re-unite with his fellow nationalists, Tilak founded the All India Home Rule League in 1916 with Joseph Baptista, Annie Besant and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
- By April 1916, the league had 1400 members that increased to 32,000 by 1917.
- He rejoined the INC but could not bring about reconciliation between the two opposite-minded factions.
- Newspapers:
- Towards his nationalistic goals, Bal Gangadhar Tilak published two newspapers –‘Mahratta’ (English) and ‘Kesari’ (Marathi).
- Both the newspapers stressed on making the Indians aware of the glorious past and encouraged the masses to be self-reliant. The newspaper actively propagated the cause of national freedom.
- Tilak fearlessly published reports about the havoc caused by famine and plague and the government’s utter irresponsibility and indifference about ‘Famine Relief fund’.
- Social Reforms:
- After completing his education, Tilak spurned the lucrative offers of government service and decided to devote himself to the larger cause of national awakening.
- He was a great reformer and throughout his life he advocated the cause of women education and women empowerment.
- Tilak proposed Grand celebrations on ‘Ganesh Chaturthi’ and ‘Shivaji Jayanti’. He envisioned these celebrations inciting a sense of unity and inspiring nationalist sentiment among Indians.
Conclusion:
Tilak had a long political career agitating for Indian autonomy from the British rule. Before Gandhi, he was the most widely known Indian political leader. Unlike his fellow Maharashtrian contemporary, Gokhale, Tilak was considered a radical Nationalist but a Social conservative.
Topic: Role of women and women’s organization,
Difficulty level: Tough
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued an interim order allowing women candidates to take the National Defence Academy examination, scheduled to be held on September 5, while questioning why “co-education is a problem” in the Armed Forces.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the attempts at achieving gender parity in Indian armed forces and the reasons for reluctant approach by the policy makers towards it.
Directive word:
Analyse – When asked to analyse, you have to examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them as a whole in a summary.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by giving context of recent interim judgement of the Supreme Court (SC) – yet another attempt at introducing gender parity by the apex court in the armed forces.
Body:
Mention that the position of women in the armed forces, offers a limited window for any kind of change in the role of women in occupational and bureaucratic structures. However, there are changes being witnessed but at a slow pace.
Next, write about as to how the attempts at reform have been through litigation and by the orders of the SC. Mention the Babita Puniya case and the observations of the court in that regard.
Write about the reluctance of policy makers in this situation and their preference to maintain the status quo and their reasons, thereof.
Conclusion:
Conclude with a balanced way forward.
Introduction
In a major step towards gender equality, the Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed eligible women to take the examination for admission to National Defence Academy (NDA) scheduled to be held on September 5, 2021.
Body
Earlier, in a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court (SC) has upheld a Delhi High Court order of 2010 that seeks to grant permanent commission to women officers at par with their male counterparts. Along with granting a role to women in combat arms, the judgment essentially highlights the denial of equal opportunity in their existing roles for promotion to higher commands.
Need for the permanent commissioning of women in the armed forces
- A quick look at the past records reveals, all the arguments put forth against giving women more responsibility have been answered by the armed forces by giving women greater responsibility in uniform — the IAF has allowed women to become fighter pilots, and the Army has sent them to tough UN peacekeeping missions globally.
- Women officers are already commanding platoons, companies and second in command successfully, with male soldiers accepting orders from them as part of a professional force.
- Now they are being excluded from commanding a unit, only on the basis that they are women. This argument doesn’t hold water.
- A professional force does not discriminate on the basis of gender, it works because of training, norms and culture. Denying women the posts will be an “extremely retrograde step” and “will inflict irreparable injury” to their dignity.
Indeed, the court’s strong statements against the gender stereotypes employed by the government come as a welcome relief. Equally, ensuring that women can hold permanent commissions in the army recognises the equal effort and service that they put in.
- Gender is not a hindrance:As long as an applicant is qualified for a position, one’s gender is arbitrary. It is easy to recruit and deploy women who are in better shape than many men sent into combat.
- Military Readiness:Allowing a mixed-gender force keeps the military strong. The armed forces are severely troubled by falling retention and recruitment rates. This can be addressed by allowing women in the combat role.
- Effectiveness:The blanket restriction for women limits the ability of commanders in theatre to pick the most capable person for the job.
- Tradition:Training will be required to facilitate the integration of women into combat units. Cultures change over time and the masculine subculture can evolve too.
- Cultural Differences & Demographics:Women are more effective in some circumstances than men. Allowing women to serve doubles the talent pool for delicate and sensitive jobs that require interpersonal skills, not every soldier has.
Challenges faced by women to get permanent commission
- More than a year into the verdict, the forces proclaimed that 70 per cent of women were eligible for PC, receiving widespread praise.
- However, a more careful look at the data reveals that of the 70 per cent women deemed fit, only 45 per cent were commissioned.
- This figure stands in stark contrast to 90 per cent of Short Service Commission (SSC) male officers receiving PC in 2020.
- Apart from delaying the sentence enforcement deadline from May 2020 to September 2020 after a series of extensions, the force erected four additional provisions that women officers must now clear for a PC.
- This was also set aside by the court in March 2021. After this Centre asked for miscellaneous clarification to Supreme court, delaying the process further.
- In its March 25 ruling, the Indian Army was directed to positively grant permanent commission to all WSSCOs who obtained 60% marks in their assessment subject to their meeting the medical criteria prescribed by the army’s August 1 2020 order and receiving disciplinary and vigilance clearance.
- In its defence, the army maintains that lowering physical standards for women would lead to “catastrophic results for the nation’s security and sovereignty” and that women are seeking special treatment.
- Data presented in the Rajya Sabha revealed that there was only one female officer in the forces for every 16 male officers, with the ratio in the army being 1 to 26.
- The uncertainty around tenure length, combined with patriarchal attitudes, resulted in women tending to jobs such as routine desk work.
- The Centre states that although women are equally capable, if not more capable than men, there might be situations that could affect the capabilities of women such as absence during pregnancy and catering to the responsibilities of motherhood, etc.
- To then simply add women to this existing patriarchal setup, without challenging the notions of masculinity, can hardly be seen as “gender advancement”.
- Sexual harassment faced by women military officers is a global phenomenon which remains largely unaddressed, and women often face retaliation when they do complain. However, a relatively small 2015 study, which questioned 450 members of the armed forces on sexual discrimination in their workplace, found that sexual harassment is rampant in the military.
- In reality, there are several factors behind the decision to include women in the forces, including using the illusion of gender progressiveness within the army to shame populations for their gender inequities, brand them as backwards and use this to justify military control. Women’s inclusion is criticized as just another manoeuvre to camouflage women’s subjugation and service as women’s liberation.
- Acceptance of women in the military has not been smooth in any country. Every country has to contend with sceptics who consider it to be a counterproductive programme. Additionally, every country has to mould the attitude of its society at large and male soldiers in particular to enhance acceptability of women in the military.
- Most women feel that their competence is not given due recognition. Seniors tend to be over-indulgent without valuing their views. They are generally marginalised and not involved in any major decision-making. They have to work twice as hard as men to prove their worth. Additionally, a woman is always under scrutiny for even minor slip-ups.
- The government has argued that if a woman is taken captive by insurgents/terrorists or as a Prisoner of War (PoW) by an enemy state, then it would become an international and deeply emotive issue which could have an impact on the society.
- The natural physical differences in stature, strength, and body composition between the sexes make women more vulnerable to certain types of injuries and medical problems. The natural processes of menstruation and pregnancy make women particularly vulnerable in combat situations.
- Most women accepted the fact that their presence amongst males tends to make the environment ‘formal and stiff’. The mutual comfort level between men and women colleagues is often very low.
Way Forward
- There are examples of women soldiers in combat roles like in Israel, Germany, US and Australia. Therefore, Indian armed forces must draw inspiration and move towards gender mainstreaming in the Indian armed forces.
- This gender equality can be achieved by establishing professional standards and adhering to them without any bias.
- The judgment needs to be complemented by a change in mind sets internally, for male officers continue to see women as best suited for adjunct roles and not as equals.
Conclusion
While ensuring that women get their rightful place to serve in the armed forces before introducing any measure to improve gender equity, it should not weaken the fighting capabilities of the sword arms of national security.
General Studies – 2
Topic: Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Indian Express
Why the question:
A recent survey by US-based Pew Research Centre has indicated that religious communities in India, though they value religious tolerance as important, believe in the segregation of community spaces. This makes us ponder on the status of Fraternity in India.
Key Demand of the question:
To explain Fraternity and the reasons as to why it was included in the constitution and to comment on its relevance in the present day.
Directive word:
Explain – Clarify the topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the context. You must be defining key terms wherever appropriate and substantiate with relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by defining Fraternity.
Body:
Write about how Fraternity mentioned in the constitution has been interpreted in India. Fading of divisions of caste and religion, ideology of friendship, mutual respect, despite all our differences, of religious belief, caste, language, culture, ethnicity, class and gender which leads to unity of the nation.
Mention the reasons why constitutional makers chose to include Fraternity in our preamble. Especially the arguments of Dr B.R Ambedkar in this context.
Write about the relevance of fraternity in the present day, especially in the times of pandemic. striving for a just and humane society, collective caring, social protection and reducing intolerance and communalism etc.
Conclusion:
Summarise the importance of Fraternity as the conclusion.
Introduction
According to Dr. Ambedkar “Fraternity means a sense of common brotherhood of all Indians — of Indians being one people. It is the principle which gives unity and solidarity to social life,”. No one should treat a fellow citizen as inferior. While the morals of Preamble like- Justice, Equality, Liberty have been explicitly and implicitly ensured through Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles and other constitutional provisions, this is not the case with Fraternity.
Body
Fraternity in Indian Context
- The concept of Fraternity signifies moral obligations rather than rights, an obligation to treat fellow human beings justly and respectfully. It implies placing social cohesion above individual identity.
- The Constitution views fraternity significantly as a source of affirming “the dignity of the individual” and the “unity” of the nation.
- The former is accomplished by recognising the moral equality of individuals, upheld through mutual respect, despite all our differences, of religious belief, caste, language, culture, ethnicity, class and gender.
- Both Ambedkar and the Constitution derive the unity of the nation from fraternity. Not from forcing minorities to adhere to majoritarian principles, but instead a sense of mutual belonging and respect that transcends all other differences between the people.
- Fraternity is both a way of feeling, and a political principle.
- The idea of fraternity is closely linked to that of social solidarity, which is impossible to accomplish without public empathy; the daily, lived realisation that human beings who look different, wear different clothes, worship different gods, speak different languages, have different political persuasions, actually have exactly the same intrinsic human dignity, and experience the same emotions—dreams, hopes, despair, pain, happiness, anger, love, triumphs and defeats—that we all do
- India which is divided on the basis of caste, which Ambedkar termed as anti-national, must overcome this hurdle to become a nation. Without fraternity, equality and liberty will be no deeper than coats of paint.
- Dignity of Individuals by maintaining material betterment of individual and democratic setup.
- Sense of common brotherhood transcending religion, language, regional or sectional diversities (Article 51A). This is to be promoted through single citizenship.
- The Supreme Court , as the ultimate protector and interpreter of our Constitution, has also invoked the principle of fraternity, though less frequently than the invocation of liberty and equality.
- “Fraternity”, thus, implies the acknowledgement that we share our space, our existence with others, including individuals of another family, tribe, group, race, or religion, who have been in India for ages, who have lived and died here, have made India what it is, a country of improbable diversity, multiplicity of religions and culture.
Relevance of fraternity in contemporary India:
- Our Constitution makers discussed about fraternity 75 years ago and their views seem relevant to a present India.
- There is simultaneously a precipitous decline in the civility of our public discourse, in which hectoring and blighting one’s adversaries are seen as markers of high oratory and political muscularity. These together constitute in India a grave threat to our constitutional values, and most of all to fraternity.
- Incidents such as communal violence during 2002 Gujarat riots, ongoing Citizenship Amendment Act protest and violence, North-South divide based on languages, and other social disturbances due to differences in diversity and inability to come to common terms for living in harmony are common.
- Still secessionist movements persist like demand for Greater Nagalim, lack of unified polity manifested in temporary provisions for certain states like Article 371, border disputes, especially with Pakistan and China. At psychological level issues include communalism, regionalism, linguism etc.
- In a nation where citizens are lynched for their choice of food or communities argue for cultural/religious practices to precede constitutional guarantees, we need to adopt a way of life wherein we live the value of fraternity – our success as a nation depends on this.
- The idea of fraternal relations does not exist in a vacuum, it is instead the foremost pillar on which a functioning democracy rests and we have somehow glossed over it entirely. In that respect, as we enter the 75th year of our independence, we need a re-imagination of community relations.
- The focal point of this re-imagination has to be fraternity, providing adequate shared spaces to empathise, evolve and foster a composite culture based on Constitutional and humanitarian ideals.
- Otherwise, we will be proving Ambedkar’s fears right: “Democracy is just a top dressing on the Indian soil which is essentially undemocratic.”
- Thus, Fraternity is the most radical and important idea of our times, the necessary foundation to fight all the world’s injustices, hate and inequalities.
Conclusion
A fine example of what fraternity can accomplish in times of hate was offered in the last months of Mahatma Gandhi’s life, which were surely his finest hour. In these months, he cemented powerfully the foundations of India as a humane, inclusive, secular country. He showed us the possibilities of fraternity to imagine – and live – a different India.
Fraternity is an important element for a strong nation-state that encompasses diversity as large as that of India’s. This had been cherished during nationalist freedom struggle also reminded by 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act by adding the word integrity.
Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The recent visit by the Indian Air Force chief, Air Chief Marshal R.K. Bhadauria, to Israel offers a window to study how New Delhi is taking advantage of the Abraham Accords deal signed between Israel and a consortium of Arab States led by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2020.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the delicate diplomatic balancing act with which India must engage various stakeholders in middle east and west Asia to take advantage of the opportunity presented by Abraham Accords.
Directive word:
Substantiate – When you are asked to Substantiate, you have to pass a sound judgement about the truth of the given statement in the question or the topic based on evidence. You must appraise the worth of the statement in question using suitable case studies or/ and examples.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by writing about Abraham Accords deal signed between Israel and a consortium of Arab States led by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2020 and this how started a new chapter in their diplomatic relationships.
Body:
Give a brief context about the turmoil and hostile relationships between the Arab states and Israel in the past and how it impacted India.
Write about the new opportunities for India after the signing of Abraham Accords in middle east and west Asia and how it will lead to deepening cooperation with various stakeholders and increased strategic footprint of India in that region.
Mention the need for careful and calculated diplomatic balancing act with multitude of stakeholders in the region with varied interests. The Iranian angle, the Palestinian issues etc must be written in brief.
Conclusion:
Conclude with a way forward.
Introduction
Arab- Israeli Ties historically have been conflict-ridden. Arab countries (including Egypt, Transjordan, Syria and Iraq) – fought their first war with Israel in 1948 after the formation of the state of Israel was announced. The war ended with Israel capturing more territories, including West Jerusalem, which was originally proposed by the UN Partition Plan as a Jewish state. After that, Israel and Arab states fought – the 1956 Suez conflict, the 1967 Six-Day War and the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
Body
The Abraham Accords
- It has been signed recently by the UAE, Bahrain and Israel, under U.S. President Donald Trump’s mediation.
- It marks a new beginning in the relations between the Sunni-ruled Gulf kingdoms and the Jewish state.
- Under the agreement, the UAE and Bahrain would normalise ties with Israel, leading to better economic, political and security engagement.
- The agreements have the backing of Saudi Arabia, arguably the most influential Arab power and a close ally of the UAE and Bahrain. More Arab countries are expected to follow suit.
- This is the first agreement between Israel and Arab countries since the 1994 Jordan-Israel peace treaty.
Importance of the deal for Arab-Israeli relations:
- A landmark agreement:Given that the UAE is only the third Arab country and the first in the Gulf region to establish diplomatic relations with Israel.
- A new chapter in the ties: The UAE-Israel agreement comes after 26 years and if more countries in the Gulf follow the UAE’s lead, it would open a new chapter in Arab-Israel ties.
- Shared interests:The Jordanian-Israeli treaty came after Israel agreed to the formation of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Gaza.
- But in the UAE-Israel deal, Israel has not made any actual concession to the Palestinians as the annexation plan was a threat.
- Although formally committed to an Arab consensus over a two-state resolution of the Palestine cause, the UAE and Bahrain have steadily moved towards having substantive links with Israel in recent years.
- Hence, the ‘Abraham Accords’ entered with the UAE and Bahrain are ‘peace-for-peace’ deals without any physical quid pro quo by Israel.
Implications of the deal
- For the Palestinians: Palestinian issues ignored:Unlike the past two Arab-Israeli peace agreements, Palestinians do not figure prominently in the current one.
- Geopolitical implications of the deal: The UAE-Israel deal could sharpen the tripolar contest that is already at work in West Asia.
- The Saudi bloc, consisting of Egypt, the UAE, Bahrain and others, see their interests being aligned with that of the U.S. and Israel and their support for Palestine is dwindling. Turkey and Iran emergeas the strongest supporters of the Palestinians in the Muslim world.
Relevance of Arab League
- The deal is the success of Israel’s grand strategy aimed to gain the major political-security goal of countering Arab hostility through relations with alternate regional powers and potential allies.
- The Arab states professed unity of opinion on the demand for a Palestinian state.
- But now questions have arisen whether regional level deals will have an impact on perceptions of the Palestinian problem or not.
- Lack of reforms: A UNDP Human Development Report many points to deficits of knowledge, freedom and empowerment of women. Thus, absence of participatory governance and its institutions, disregard for individual freedoms, and the prevalence of one-person rule resulted in failure of Arab League.
- The Arab Uprising of 2011showed deep disagreements within the Arab world.
- Build diplomatic relations: According to the joint statement, the UAE and Israel would establish formal diplomatic relations.
- Israel will give up its takeover plans: Israel would suspend its plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, having Jewish settlements.
- Expanding ties with Arab world: The two Gulf States have, thus, joined Egypt and Jordan which had their peace treaties with Israel in 1979 and 1994, respectively.
- Israel will suspend declaring sovereignty over areas of the West Bankand focus its efforts on expanding ties with other countries in the Arab and Muslim world.
- Bilateral agreements:Delegations from Israel and the UAE would meet in the coming weeks to sign bilateral agreements regarding – investment, tourism, direct flights, security, technology, energy, healthcare, culture, the environment, etc.
Opportunities for India
- Israel’s treaty with Egypt and Jordan did not have any major impact on India as our ties with them were relatively insignificant but now the case is different.
Growing socio economic engagements with Israel and the Gulf countries:
- India has eight million Indian diaspora in the Gulf which remits annually nearly $50 billion
- There is an annual merchandise trade of over $150 billion, sourcing nearly two-thirds of India’s hydrocarbon imports, major investments, etc.
- Diplomatic: In general, the Israel-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) eases India’s diplomatic balancing act on the Palestinian issue. Remittances from the regionconstitute a major chunk of total remittances to India.
- Strategic:A new arena of the proxy war between Iran and Israel cannot be ruled out, particularly in Shia pockets. India would have to be on its guard to monitor and even pre-empt any threat to its interests in the Gulf.
- Currently, India is the preferred sourceof manpower, food products, pharmaceuticals, gem and jewellery, light engineering items, etc in the gulf. But Israel can become a tough competitor to India.
- Israel has niche strengthsin defence, security and surveillance equipment, arid farming, solar power, horticultural products, high-tech, gem and jewellery, and pharmaceuticals.
- Israel has the potential to supply skilled and semi-skilled manpowerto the GCC states, particularly from the Arabic speaking Sephardim and Mizrahim ethnicities.
- Israel is known as the start-up nationand its stakeholders could easily fit in the various duty-free incubators in the UAE.
- Geopolitical:West Asia occupies an important position in international relations due to its geographical location and proximity to continents and countries South Asia, China, Central Asia, Europe, and Africa.
- Energy:The region is strategically significant due to its enormous energy resources, trade route links to different parts of the world. It is the world’s largest oil-producing region accounting for 34% of world production, 45% of crude oil exports and 48% of oil proven reserves.
- Defence and Security:India should use this unexpected opportunity to give itself a bigger role in a region which is its strategic backyard. The first step should be to ramp up defence and security relations with UAE. Israel is already a very close defence partner.
- While some work has already happened, India should leverage its economy for a bigger opening in this region.Importantly, India can use its good offices to ensure that any future deal on a regional security framework gives adequate space to Iran, which may be weak but not so weak that it cannot be a hugely disruptive power if it so chooses.
Way Forward for India
- India has consistently supported peace, stability and development in West Asia, which is our extended neighbourhood.
- In that context, India welcome the full normalization of ties between UAE and Israel.
- New Delhi will also need to watch ties with Iran, which has slammed the agreement and will see Arab-Israeli tie-ups as a direct threat to its security.
- The deal opens up new opportunities for India to play a much larger role in the regional security and stability in the Gulf, where New Delhi enjoys special relations with both Abu Dhabi and Jerusalem.
- This is a region where India has deep stakes in terms of energy supplies and expatriate populations.
- India should use this unexpected opportunity to give itself a bigger role in a region which is its strategic backyard.
- The first step should be to ramp up defence and security relations with UAE.
- Israel is already a very close defence partner. But India should restart joint exercises with UAE, and even Saudi Arabia.
- While some work has already happened, India should leverage its economy for a bigger opening in this region.
- Importantly, India can use its good offices to ensure that any future deal on a regional security frameworkgives adequate space to Iran, which may be weak
- But not so weak that it cannot be a hugely disruptive power if it so chooses. A balance between Shia and Sunni, between Persian and Arab, is key to any sustainable peace.
- In recent years, China has indicated its willingness to play a larger role in this region, and is close to both UAE and Israel and, increasingly, Saudi Arabia.
Conclusion
India should make its moves before this market and this extended neighbourhood come under the Chinese sphere of influence. The deal marks a historic day and a significant step forward for peace in the Middle East. Opening direct ties between two of the Middle East’s most dynamic societies and advanced economics will transform the region by spurring economic growth, enhancing technological innovation and forging closer people-to-people relations.
General Studies – 3
Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Live Mint
Why the question:
A disastrous water crisis has been creeping up on us for years. Water tables have declined precipitously, even by thousands of feet in some parts of Punjab, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh. This calls for urgent intervention.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about urgent and immediate measures need to mitigate the water crisis in India.
Directive word:
Examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we must look into the topic (content words) in detail, inspect it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by giving the status of water stress in India. Mention facts from NITI Aayog reports of 2018.
Body:
You can draw a bubble diagram showing activities that are the major consumers of surface and ground water in India. Emphasize on the point that agriculture consumes about 90% of India’s water supply, and of this, 80% is consumed by just three water-guzzling crops: rice, wheat and sugarcane.
Mention the urgent steps that are needed to make sustainable water practises in agriculture more mainstreamed. cropping pattern shifts, water-saving seed varieties, regulation of groundwater usage, rejuvenation of catchment areas, participatory and bottom-up systems led by farmer producer organizations at conservation etc.
Write about the other steps that are required to tide over the crisis. Innovative solutions, mission mode management, aquifer recharge, rainwater harvesting and technology to monitor progress, community participation and rejuvenating existing water bodies etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude with a way forward.
Introduction
A disastrous water crisis has been creeping up on us for years. Water tables have declined precipitously, even by thousands of feet in some parts of Punjab, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh. Tanks and wells have gone dry. Some rivers have shrunk while other smaller ones have completely dried up. Water rationing is routine in many urban areas, while in many villages women are trudging longer distances to fetch water.
Body
Concerns posed by water-intensive crops:
- India faces an unprecedented water shortage. A prime reason for this is inapt incentive structure to use water in agriculture that already consumes 89 per cent of the available groundwater.
- The cropping pattern in India is highly skewed towards crops that are water intensive such as paddy and sugarcane which consume more than 60% of irrigation water available in the country, reducing water availability for other crops
- Our main concern with the surging rice and sugar exports is on the sustainability front.
- India is a water-stressed country with per capita water availability of 1,544 cubic-metres in 2011, likely to go down further to 1,140 cubic-metres by 2050.
- One kg of sugar invariably has virtual water intake of about 2,000 litres. Exporting 7.5 mt of sugar implies exporting at least 15 bn cubic-metres of water.
- In case of rice, irrigation requirements for one kg vary from 3,000-5,000 litres, depending upon topography.
- If we take an average of 4,000 litres, and assume that half of this gets recycled back to groundwater, exporting 17.7 mt of rice means virtual export of 35.4 bn cubic-meters of water.
- Together rice and sugar exports imply India exported over 50 bnn cubic-metres of water.
Case study of Marathwada:
- Maharashtra is the epicentre of India’s farm quagmire and its landlocked Marathwada belt is a miserable state.
- It has been among the worst affected by water shortages, having faced three bad monsoons in a row, although this year’s rains have given some reprieve to the farmers.
- Farmers drawn to the region by government incentives have begun cultivating sugarcane, a water-intensive crop that is ill-suited to Marathwada’s semi-arid climate.
- Sugarcane consumes about 22.5 million litres of water per hectare during its 14-month long growing cycle compared to just four million litres over four months for chickpeas, commonly grown in India and called gram locally.
- Growing sugarcane in drought-prone areas is a recipe for water famine. Yet, the land area under sugarcane cultivation in Maharashtra has gone up from 1,67,000 hectares in 1970-71 to 1,022,000 ha in 2011-12.
- Maharashtra is India’s second-biggest producer of this water-intensive crop, despite being one of the country’s drier states.
- Sugarcane now uses about 70 percent of Marathwada’s irrigation water despite accounting for four percent of cultivated land.
- A similar story is playing out in Punjab and Haryana, but with rice taking the place of sugarcane. Rice covers 62 percent of Punjab’s area under cultivation, up from 10 percent in 1970.
- The expansion of rice has been similar in neighboring Haryana.
- Though the droughts have hit all crops, India still produces more rice, wheat, and sugar than it consumes. It is quite natural for farmers to plant rice and cane when both power and water are almost free.
Measures needed:
- Policy changes:
- A NITI Aayog report has recommended shifting of some areas under sugarcane cultivation to less water-intensive crops by providing a suitable incentive to farmers.
- The task force, headed by the NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand, has recommended shifting sugarcane farmers to other crops on at least three lakh hectares by paying a remuneration of Rs 6,000 per hectare for alternative cultivation patterns.
- The new scheme should be piloted for a three years’ implementation time, the task force recommended. The task force, which also consists of secretaries of a number of ministries, has recommended that only 85 per cent of the sale slip (purchase of sugarcane) to ensure that the farmers opt for alternative crops on at least 15 per cent of the land.
- New methods of agriculture:
- Alternate Wetting Drying (AWD):
- Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) is a water-saving technology that farmers can apply to reduce their irrigation water consumption in rice fields without decreasing its yield.
- In AWD, irrigation water is applied a few days after the disappearance of the ponded water.
- Hence, the field gets alternately flooded and non-flooded. The number of days of non-flooded soil between irrigations can vary from 1 to more than 10 days depending on the number of factors such as soil type, weather, and crop growth stage.
- Direct Seeding of Rice:
- Direct seeded rice (DSR), probably the oldest method of crop establishment, is gaining popularity because of its low-input demand.
- It offers certain advantages viz., it saves labour, requires less water, less drudgery, early crop maturity, low production cost, better soil physical conditions for following crops and less methane emission, provides better option to be the best fit in different cropping systems.
- Re-designing the cropping pattern:
- The cropping patterns in the states should be changed as per the agro-climatic zones. Improper cropping patterns affect both crop productivity and irrigation efficiency.
- It is vital for the Centre to arrive at a policy that gives constructive advice to farmers on the ideal cropping mix and help them get the cost-plus-50% margin.
- Growing less water-intensive crops in the dry season and transitioning away from irrigation-intensive systems where there is little water.
- For instance, shifting rice cultivation in water-scarce areas like Punjab to Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, etc, and sugarcane cultivation to the traditional sub-tropical regions like UP and Bihar instead of Maharashtra.
- Adopt drought-resistant crop varieties as has been done in some parts of Odisha for paddy/rice through the help of the International Rice Research Institute. This can maintain productivity and income of the farmers and also ensure price stability to the consumers.
- Micro-irrigation:
- Encouraging farmers to adopt micro-irrigation techniques such as drip irrigation and micro-sprinklers.
- According to the CWMI report, adopting micro-irrigation techniques can save roughly 20% of the groundwater used annually on irrigation in India.
- Water-deficient states should promptly move towards micro-irrigation systems. These techniques have significantly higher efficiency vis-à-vis flood irrigation techniques.
- Reducing electricity subsidies:
- An analysis of panel data across 370 districts in India found that a reduction in electricity subsidy was correlated with a decrease in groundwater extraction.
- Most empirical studies are in favour of pricing electricity on the basis of actual consumption. They show that the energy prices at which the farmers start responding to tariff changes in terms of reducing the demand for water and electricity would be socio-economically viable.
- Watershed Management:
- Rainwater harvesting, an age-old technique for capturing monsoon run-off, can provide the country with reliable water supplies throughout the year. Building check dams on riverbeds will improve groundwater levels.
- Farm ponds, percolation tanks, water reservoirs and small and medium-sized dams can help retain more surface water while increasing the groundwater recharge.
- Crisis can be tackled by restoring and enhancing groundwater recharge areas, stopping polluted water from recharging groundwater, rainwater and roof top harvesting and the restoration of ponds, lakes and other river systems.
- Creating awareness:
- Creating sustainable change would require a bottom-up approach by empowering the local community to become active participants in managing groundwater.
- Behavioural economics and other novel approaches can be brought to bear on maximizing agricultural production with minimal water use instead of focusing on marginal increases in yields with unbounded water use.
- Alternate Wetting Drying (AWD):
Way forward for water management in agriculture:
- Cropping pattern shifts are essential for addressing the country’s water crisis. There is a need to incentivize a shift in cropping patterns towards nutri-cereals, pulses and oilseeds.
- There is a need to shift to water-saving seed varieties even in rice and wheat.
- Protective irrigation for conserving green water is another key measure, along with the protection and rejuvenation of catchment areas.
- Governments have a crucial role in aggregating such local initiatives and scaling them up, but at the local level, participatory management by farmers is essential to ensure positive outcomes.
- Top-down administrative arrangements will have to be replaced by participatory, bottom-up systems led by farmer producer organizations (FPOs) along the lines of the Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union.
- Women’s self-help groups (SHGs), which have gone beyond collective credit to various agricultural activities in several states, are closely-related institutions.
- Governments need to support the development of these institutions but FPOs and SHGs will have to be the leading agents of change in this new paradigm.
Conclusion:
It is high time that policymakers revisit the entire gamut of rice and sugar systems, from their MSP/FRP to their production and procurement, ensuring ‘more crop per drop’. In case of rice, procurement will have to be limited to the needs of PDS, and within PDS it is high time to introduce the option of direct cash transfers. All these will go a long way to promote better diversification of our agri-systems, better use of our scarce water supplies, lesser GHG emissions, save on unproductive use of financial resources locked up in burgeoning grains stocks with the FCI. And all these savings can be used for doubling investments in agri-R&D to improve productivity on sustainable basis and improve farming practices for minimising carbon emissions. An export-led strategy also needs to minimise logistics costs by investing in better infrastructure and logistics. Only then one can ensure sharing the returns of these investments with farmers to give them better deal in terms of higher and more stable incomes.
Topic: Case Study.
| Zone | Percentage of people Vaccinated | Remarks |
| 1 | 55% | Zone consists of well-off societies and gated communities belonging to affluent classes. Prior to the drive vaccination coverage was 42%. |
| 2 | 53% | It is an industrial area. Consists mostly of employees of middle and lower level. Prior to the drive vaccination coverage was 47% as workers had been given priority earlier. |
| 3 | 44% | Consists of market area and small and medium business establishments, hotels etc. The area has many migrants. Priorly, vaccination coverage was only 22%. |
| 4 | 21% | Consists of urban slums and large number of people from disadvantaged sections. Earlier the coverage was about 7%. The Deputy Commissioner poster here is the son of your batchmate who happens to be your good friend. |
Difficulty level: Easy
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Case Study Fridays’ in Mission-2022 Secure.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
You may begin the question by briefly talking about the challenges faced by the Covid Pandemic and incentive-based vaccination drive of the administration.
Body:
Mention the key facts of the case study.
Firstly, discuss the varying demographics and their socio-economic placement in the society of the four Zones. Secondly, analyse the various factors that hinder or promote one to vaccinate further such as – the affluent class (Zone 1) do not need much push or incentive for vaccination as they are literate and have resources at their disposal to get the vaccination done. However, the middle class (Zone 2 and Zone 3) would be fence sitters wherein some would get vaccinated voluntarily and others may need some push such as the proposed sports and infrastructure facility in their zone. The people of Zone 4 are mostly dependent on their daily wages and have least awareness of the need for vaccination.
Further, a day of body ache or fever post vaccination may also discourage them to get vaccinated as their livelihood for the day depends on that day’s labour. Also, they may not be very incentivised with sports and infra incentive. Discuss the various levels of Maslow’s need hierarchy and accordingly the incentive must be designed based on the need of the people in a particular zone to increase vaccination rate.
Within the given limits of the incentive scheme, it is important to appreciate the increased percentage levels of vaccination in Zone 4 i.e. increase by 200% in spite of the challenges of the deputy commissioner to motivate the people to take vaccination. Thus Zone 4 qualifies for the best performing zone.
But since there is potential for conflict of interest there, it is imperative that decision is made by taking all the deputy commissioners in confidence and stating objective reasons for the selection, which are recorded and forwarded to the state government to as well.
Conclusion:
Stress on the role objectivity and transparency to resolve potential conflict of interests in public administration.
Introduction
The Covid Pandemic has wreaked havoc across the globe. However, with the various vaccinations available in the market, it is a silver lining to this dark cloud. Although the vaccines are available, the vaccine hesitancy is high due to lack of education, concrete and clear information about vaccine and its benefits, fake news etc.
In this case study, in an effort to get more people vaccinated, the Commissioner has launched an incentive-based vaccination drive.
Body:
There are various factors that hinder or promote one to get vaccinated. The affluent class (Zone 1) do not need much push or incentive for vaccination as they are literate and have resources at their disposal to get the vaccination done. However, the middle class (Zone 2 and Zone 3) would be fence sitters wherein some would get vaccinated voluntarily and others may need some push such as the proposed sports and infrastructure facility in their zone. The people of Zone 4 are mostly dependent on their daily wages and have least awareness of the need for vaccination.
Further, a day of body ache or fever post vaccination may also discourage them to get vaccinated as their livelihood for the day depends on that day’s labour. Also, they may not be very incentivized with sports and infra incentive.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a theory by Abraham Maslow, which puts forward that people are motivated by five basic categories of needs: physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization. According to Maslow, we have five categories of needs: physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization. In this theory, higher needs in the hierarchy begin to emerge when people feel they have sufficiently satisfied the previous need.
Thus, Within the given limits of the incentive scheme, it is important to appreciate the increased percentage levels of vaccination in Zone 4 i.e., increase by 200% in spite of the challenges of the deputy commissioner to motivate the people to take vaccination. Thus, Zone 4 qualifies for the best performing zone.
But since there is potential for conflict of interest there, it is imperative that decision is made by taking all the deputy commissioners in confidence and stating objective reasons for the selection, which are recorded and forwarded to the state government to as well.
Conclusion:
Objectivity and transparency help to resolve potential conflict of interests in public administration. Thus, in this case too, the Commissioner needs to be objective and transparent in his decision to grant the final award.
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