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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: Social empowerment.
Difficulty level: Easy
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed States and Union Territories to immediately start the process of issuing voter ID cards, Aadhaar and ration cards to sex workers across the country.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about literary advancement during Vijayanagar period.
Directive word:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you must debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You must give reasons for both for and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by giving context about the continued oppression and stigmatisation of sex workers.
Body:
First, write about the various issues faced by sex workers in India – conflation with trafficking, criminalising sex work, Violence, Violation of Human Rights of Sex Workers, Discrimination in Medical Facilities, issue with documentation etc.
Next, write about remedial steps to be taken in this regard – access to basic service and facilities, Fully decriminalise sex work and related activities, act against violence faced by sex workers, strengthen accountability of law enforcement, prevent trafficking etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction
People in sex work face discrimination and violence owing to their criminalised status and the continued conflation of sex work with trafficking. According to official estimates, there are over 12,00,000 sex workers in India, though the actual figures are well over that.
Sex workers in India have been asking for decriminalisation of sex work and a guaranteed set of labour rights. COVID-19’s impact has provided yet another reason to consider this long-pending demand.
Body
Issues faced by sex workers
- Violence: Violence against sex workers in India is linked to the perception that they are criminals and not citizens.
- This has led to systemic and systematic violations of human rights of sex workers, such as the right to life, dignity, equality, equal protection and due processes under the law.
- Stigma: These workers are looked down upon and are easily prey to sexual assault, as they consent to sex work. They are often denied dignity and are ostracised from family as well as community.
- Law and rights conflict: The Suppression of Immoral Traffic in Women and Children Act was enacted in 1956.
- The Act represents the archaic and regressive view that sex work is morally wrong.
- It perceives that the people involved in it, especially women, never consent to it voluntarily.
- Lack of sensitivity in law enforcement: There is little appreciation amongst police of the contexts and factors affecting sex workers lives, hence they ignore complaints related to family and partner violence; instead offering advice to women about stopping sex work and settling domestic matters amicably.
- Raids and human rights issues: Perhaps the most widespread human rights abuse emerges from the rescue and rehabilitation interventions.
- g.: In 2012, an operation was carried out over three or four days in a red light area called Simplex building in Mumbai and over 200 women were “rescued” and sent to “correction homes”.
Remedial Steps needed in this regard
- The Supreme Court, in Buddhadeb Karmaskar v. State of West Bengal (2011), opined that sex workers have a right to dignity.
- Parliament must also take a re-look at the existing legislation and do away with the ‘victim-rescue-rehabilitation’ narrative.
- The country must thus rethink sex work from a labour perspective and guarantee basic labour rights to sex workers.
- Trafficking is a criminal offense and should not be conflated with sex work. Trafficking of Adult Persons and Trafficking of Children should be dealt with under two separate laws to ensure that consenting adults are not infantilised and children are given justice.
- Shut down compulsory detention or rehabilitation centres for people involved in sex work. Instead, provide sex workers with evidence-based, voluntary, community empowerment services.
Conclusion
Decriminalisation of sex work is a pre-requisite to ensure the physical and emotional inviolability of sex workers, their right to life, right to freedom of labour, health and reproductive and sexual rights. The uncertain legal status attached to their work and identity further “invisibles” them as citizens with associate rights and entitlements. Hence there is an urgent need to decriminalise sex work and reinstate their rights.
Topic: Effects of globalization on Indian society.
Difficulty level: Tough
Reference: Live Mint
Why the question:
As per the latest World Inequality Report, from 1950 to 1991, the income of the bottom 50% of Indians was largely around a fifth of the total income of the country. It started to come down after 1991, and in 2021, it stood at 13.1%.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the impact of liberalisation on urban poverty and inequality in India.
Directive word:
Critically analyze – When asked to analyse, you must examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them in a summary. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a balanced judgment on the topic.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by giving context of liberalisation and its impact on society of India.
Body:
First, bring its impact on poverty. Mention about the economic progress made because of liberalisation and how it helped in alleviate poverty. Cite statistic to substantiate your point.
Next, write about the trends of increasing inequalities in India and how liberalisation played a part in it. Give examples and statistics to substantiate your points.
Mention the impact of the above.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward to effectively reduce inequalities in India.
Introduction
Gaps of income and wealth have worsened after liberalization and a response is clearly necessary. As per the latest World Inequality Report, from 1950 to 1991, the income of the bottom 50% of Indians was largely around a fifth of the total income of the country. It started to come down after 1991, and in 2021, it stood at 13.1%.
Body
Background
- The World Inequality Report has data starting from 1995. In 1995, the top 10% of the population owned 54.4% of the country’s wealth. By 2021, this had gone up to 64.6%.
- As for the bottom 50%, their share fell from 8.4% to 5.9%.
- This means multiple things. One, the top 10% of our population has benefited more from economic reforms than the population as a whole.
- Wealth gaps are self-reinforcing because rich people use their greater resources to expand their powers.
- They also influence the political system to their advantage and give greater privileges to their children—like better education—causing the gaps in values, politics, and opportunity to develop between the rich ‘haves’ and the poor ‘have-nots’.
Trade liberalization and poverty
- During the reform period most Indian states experienced high average growth rates in real unskilled informal wage and real unskilled agricultural wage. This explains the fall in poverty rates.
- Declining urban poverty and increasing income inequality were associated with growth in manufacturing exports and imports.
- Among manufacturing exports, during the 1990s, there was a phenomenal growth in exports of skill-intensive high-technology goods.
- This change in the skill composition of Indian manufacturing export basket offers a plausible explanation of the rise in income inequality during the 1990s.
- Three unskilled labour-intensive manufacturing goods clothing, textiles, and leather still account for around 40% of manufacturing exports.
- Expectedly, their growth had a favourable impact on urban poverty through increase in the unskilled money wage.
- Growth in aggregate output both in per capita net state domestic product (PCNSDP) and gross domestic product (GDP) is another source of lower urban poverty and higher income inequality.
- Exports found to be causing GDP growth means that the growth impact of trade may be an important factor underlying the observed changes in poverty and inequality.
- Growth in exports of high-technology goods seems to be one major source of such trade growth nexus.
Increasing inequalities post liberalisation
- Post liberalisation, there was more focus on assuring investor confidence for which the fiscal deficit ought to be well within limits and the climate for investment to be conducive.
- Socialist mind set thus far was to spontaneously change to pro-market.
- This saw an illustration of Karl Marx’s “Primitive Capital accumulation” wherein there was displacement of poor from their places which made them inevitably lose the opportunity to grow out of their livelihood option that they inherited.
- The job growth has seen only marginal increase of 0.2% in the period of great economic growth indicates this.
- If we go by Gini index pertaining to consumption the inequality is starker as compared with that we obtain pertaining to income, another fact that reinforces the above claim.
- Thus, poverty has been reduced in absolute terms but not in equitable terms making inequality much deeper. India has to rein in over the income disparity to begin with.
Way Forward
- For reducing inequality, some advocate measures such as redistribution of assets and wealth in favour of the poor via higher taxes for the rich.
- However, these may not be pragmatic solutions. The tax/GDP ratio has to be raised with a wider tax base.
- Fiscal instruments like public investment in physical and social infrastructure can be used to reduce inequality.
- The new generation wants equality of opportunity rather than redistributive measures.
- Everyone irrespective of caste, class and gender should have equal opportunities in education, health, employment and entrepreneurship.
- Economic and employment opportunities improve with education and skills.
- The new generation wants better quality in schools and higher education.
- Finally, economic reforms should focus more on efficient delivery systems of public services.
- Many reckon that poor governance is the biggest constraint in achieving the aspirations of a new generation and reduction in poverty and inequality.
- A major institutional challenge is the accountability of service providers, particularly the public sector.
- Recent literature also focused on eradication of corruption for reduction in inequalities.
- Issues like electoral reforms, crony capitalism, election funding and corruption should be part of the reform agenda to reduce inequalities.
Value Addition
Oxfam inequality report 2021
- Serious inequalities in healthcare:
- India’s low spending on public healthcare systems and focus on supporting private healthcare has led to serious inequalities in access to healthcare, especially during the Covid 19 pandemic.
- States working towards reducing inequalities:
- States that have for the past few years been reducing inequalities, such as inequalities to access to health between the general category and SC and ST populations, have less confirmed cases of Covid.
- Example, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan.
- States with higher expenditure on health:
- States that have had higher GDP expenditure on health have higher recovery rates of Covid cases.
- Example, Assam, Bihar and Goa
- Discrimination and inequality faced more by lower income groups:
- Those in higher income brackets, and with access to health infrastructure, had to face less visits to hospitals and Covid centres than those belonging to lower income groups.
- People belonging to lower income groups also faced five times more discrimination on being found Covid-positive than those in higher income groups
- SC/ST Communities faced difficulty in non-Covid Medical facilities:
- Over 50 per cent of people from SC and ST communities faced difficulties in accessing non-Covid medical facilities, compared to 18.2 percent of people in the ‘general’ category.
General Studies – 2
Topic: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Indian Express
Why the question:
For the first time in 16 years, Germany has a government without the Christian Democratic Union. Negotiations among the Social Democratic Party (red), the Free Democratic Party (yellow) and the Greens have resulted in the “traffic light” coalition led by Olaf Scholz, who has been sworn in as Chancellor.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the aspects of continuity and change in the post-merkel era
Directive word:
Evaluate – When you are asked to evaluate, 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. There is scope for forming an opinion here.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by giving context of India’s bipartisan outreach to Germany and the continuity witnessed under Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Body:
First, elaborate up on major aspects of Indo-German relations – Collaboration on High-Speed Railways, Strategic Financing Initiative for Asia, High Technology Partnership Group and defence industry partner etc.
Next, Write about the potential changes that could be witnessed under the new leadership.
Next, suggest steps as to how India should deal with it.
Conclusion:
Conclude with a way forward to achieve better in bilateral relationship.
Introduction
India was one of the first countries to grant diplomatic recognition to the Federal Republic of Germany; this March, the two countries celebrated 70 years of diplomatic relations.
For the first time in 16 years, Germany has a government without the Christian Democratic Union. India must seek continuity and expansion of ties from the new government.
Body
- Bilateral Trade: Germany is India’s largest trading partner in Europe. Indian exports to Germany focus on the textile sector, followed by chemical products, electrical engineering products, metal and leather goods and foodstuffs.
- Germany’s role in reviving the India-EU free trade talks i.e. Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) will be very crucial.
- Terrorism: India and Germany have shown their firm commitment to fight against the terrorism.
- Germany supports India led movement for the adoption of Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.
- Connectivity projects: Germany is keen to implement connectivity projects, through the European Union, to counter China.
- In this, the EU-India connectivity partnership announced at the EU-India leaders meeting in May 2021 is acknowledged.
- Green Tech partnership: There is much green content in the Indo-German engagement at present, including in the fields of solar power, transportation, smart cities, metros and the Namami Gange.
Challenges that exist
- Trade agreement: Germany and European Union are sceptical about India’s trade liberalization measures. The BTIA has been hanging for a long time
- Germany and EU bat for more liberal labour regulations which may not be acceptable to India.
- Kashmir Lockdown: Germany is concerned about Kashmir lockdown and the rights of minorities in India and has begun to cast a shadow over the “shared political values” (freedom and the rights of minorities) with India.
- Merkel’s cautious public comment on the unsustainability of the current situation in Kashmir is a timely reminder that India’s friends will find it hard to keep quiet if matters don’t improve soon.
- Technical Issues in Trade Regulation: India had recently celebrated remarkable improvements in the ease of doing business, indicating its willingness to remove bureaucratic hurdles. However, technical regulations in trade like testing requirement are real burden for German Companies.
Measures to reinvigorate Indo-German ties
- India and Germany must realise the cooperative goals of the IP guidelines. These must involve businesses.
- German companies must be encouraged to use the liberalised PLI scheme to establish manufacturing hubs in India, which can export to ASEAN and Africa.
- The two nations may also initiate an Africa vaccine production facility. Germany has committed 250 million euro in loans to Africa for this.
- If implemented with India, as in the Quad initiative, such a facility can be established in the underserved East African region.
- India and Germany must think afresh to engage more closely in areas of complementarity.
Conclusion
In multipolar world order, convergence of India and Germany will be a win-win situation for both the countries due to uncertainties created by US policies and increasing assertiveness of Sino-Russian political axis. Post Brexit, Germany will become a more important player in European Union. Therefore, engaging Germany is not just about India’s bilateral relations with it. It is about collaborating with the Germany led EU as a whole.
General Studies – 3
Topic: Investment models.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The Finance Minister unveiled the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) making progress on one of the key promises held out in Union Budget 2021. Financing the National Infrastructure Pipeline’s ambitious outlay of Rs 111 lakh crore requires an out-of-the-box approach.
Directive word:
Critically analyze – When asked to analyse, you must examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them in a summary. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a balanced judgment on the topic.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by writing about National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) its aims and objectives.
Body:
In the first part, write about the various features of National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP).
Next, write about the potential benefits that the government will accrue from the NMP – revenue, improve on efficiency of use of assets, addition of gross savings in the economy etc.
Write about the potential challenges to the newly proposed NMP. Lack of identifiable revenues streams in various assets, absence of dispute resolution mechanism etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction
Recently, the government of India has launched the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP), a roadmap for asset monetisation of various brownfield infrastructure assets across sectors.
NMP will help in evolving a common framework for monetisation of core assets. The NMP estimates aggregate monetisation potential of Rs 6 lakh crores through core assets of the Central Government, over a four-year period, from FY 2022 to FY 2025.
Body
National Monetisation Pipeline: Aims and objectives
- Objectives: To unlock the value of investments in brownfield public sector assets by tapping institutional and long-term capital, which can thereafter be leveraged for public investments.
- To enable ‘Infrastructure Creation through Monetisation’ wherein the public and private sector collaborate, each excelling in their core areas of competence, so as to deliver socio-economic growth.
- The four-year National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) will unlock value in brownfield projects by engaging the private sector, transferring to them the rights but not the ownership in projects.
- Components: Roads, railways and power sector assets will comprise over 66 per cent of the total estimated value of the assets to be monetised, with the balance coming from sectors including telecom, mining, aviation, ports, natural gas and petroleum product pipelines, warehouses and stadiums.
- The NMP will run co-terminus with the Rs 100 lakh crore National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) announced in December 2019.
- The estimated amount to be raised through monetisation is around 14% of the proposed outlay for the Centre of Rs 43 lakh crore under NIP.
Challenges
- Financial Challenges: Lack of identifiable revenue streams in various infrastructure assets.
- For instance, a significant proportion of National Infrastructure Pipeline is to be financed by the Private Sector but the mechanisms for revenue transfer have not be specified.
- Difficulty in attracting investors: Less-than-encouraging bids in the recently launched PPP initiative in trains indicate that attracting private investors’ interest is not that easy.
- Leasing of public utilities to private investors could lead to higher prices for consumers.
- Regulatory Challenges: Lack of independent sectoral regulators who could provide dedicated domain expertise and simultaneously aid development of the sector.
- Structural problems such as legal uncertainty and the absence of a deep bond market that hold back private investment in infrastructure.
- This is further compounded by Inefficient Dispute resolution mechanism.
- The allocation of assets owned by governments to private investors is often subject to political influence, which can lead to corruption.
- Asset-specific Challenges: Low Level of capacity utilisation in gas and petroleum pipeline networks.
- Regulated tariffs in power sector assets.
- Low interest among investors in national highways below four lanes.
Way forward and conclusion
NMP is a great step forward but successful execution of the plan remains key to its success.
- For this, Contracts must be designed to allow for some flexibility for addressing unforeseen developments (such as climate-related disasters) and to prevent needless and longwinded litigation.
- Clear quality benchmarks must be set for the assets that are handed over by the government and for KPIs expected of the private party for operating and maintaining the asset.
- There is a need to set up a robust mechanism for dispute resolution relating to PPP contracts as recommended by the Kelkar Committee on PPPs.
Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment
Difficulty level: Easy.
Reference: Environment by Shankar
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 3 and mentioned as part of Mission-2022 Secure timetable.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the threats faced by the wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in India.
Directive word:
Analyse – When asked to analyse, you must examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them in a summary.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by mentioning that The Union Government has established a country-wide protected area network for protection of these species and their habitats of threatened flora and fauna under Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
Body:
First, write about the threats to wildlife sanctuaries and national parks from habitat loss. Substantiate with examples. For e.g. Clearance of partis of Valley of flowers for Chardham highway project.
Next, about the other factors affecting wildlife sanctuaries and national parks – Road/Railway lines inside protected areas, Uncontrolled passage of heavy vehicles during night-time, Man-animal conflicts, Threat from invasive species
Next, Discuss the potential solutions to issues such as – involving local communities in decision making, building infrastructure, anti poaching camps etc
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction
India has around 5% of its geographical area as protected area with 566 existing wildlife sanctuaries and 104 existing national parks in India. Despite being party to CITES and enacting Wildlife protection Act in India, there are many conservation challenges faced by sanctuaries and national parks.
Body
Threats faced by wildlife sanctuaries and national parks
- Habitat loss: Due to flood and siltation, size of water bodies inside the park are shrinking. Siltation also affects the grazing areas of herbivorous animals.
- Invasive species such as water hyacinth and Mimosa are great threats to Kaziranga. Water hyacinth clog water bodies and depletes oxygen in the water.
- It threatens underwater life and shrinks the size of water bodies.
- Exotic leguminous species Mimosa was introduced in Tea gardens of Assam. The species have a poisonous amino acid (Mimosin). So, they are harmful for herbivorous
- Man-animal conflicts: No park exists in isolation, and that fact is becoming increasingly clear as the areas surrounding parks are developed for living space, agriculture, mining, forestry, and more.
- The iconic species protected inside the parks don’t recognize boundaries and must often move in and out of the parks to feed, mate, or migrate.
- Avani Tigress was killed due to public backlash.
- Roads through sanctuaries: Experts found as many as 85 roadkills in the past six months within the sanctuary limits.
- There is uncontrolled passage of heavy vehicles during night-time threatening biodiversity.
- Poor conservation infrastructure: The rangers and frontline staff deployed in many parks and sanctuaries lacks modern weapons, advanced communication systems and efficient means of transportation. There is also lack of proper camps and watch towers.
- Human interference: Illegal livestock grazing, illegal fishing, unplanned tourism infrastructure, highway traffic, tourism pressure, crop raiding, etc.
- Mining, petroleum prospecting, clear-cut lumbering, and other developments are generally prohibited inside parks—but they still pose serious threats to water quality, clean air, and other vital aspects of the park environment.
Need of the hour
- WWF-India Eco-development project aims to develop a model programme that can be used all over the country to help resolve this conflict.
- Involve local communities in decision making like Critical tiger habitats Gram Sabha is given importance similar to the forest rights act.
- Implementing the Gadgil committee and K Kasturirangan committee and not to water down the original recommendations.
- Patrolling and wildlife monitoring had to be taken up on a priority basis and scientific studies to ascertain the status of key species have been undertaken with the help of research organizations.
- Participation of local communities: The participation of local youth has been actively sought for the management of Manas and its buffer regions.
- These youth were employed as conservation volunteers on a monthly stipend and ration.
- They assisted the forest department in surveillance and patrolling activities.
- With the help of national and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), some of the youth were also trained to act as nature guides for small ecotourism enterprises.
Conclusion
The wildlife sanctuaries and national parks are established to provide protection to the endangered species. It is relatively hard to always relocate the animals from their natural territory, therefore, conserving them in their normal setting is advantageous. On of wildlife has major impact on entire human race and therefore must be taken up on war footing.
Measures and interest need to be channelled towards regrowing trees and increasing the land cover for forests. Reforestation and afforestation need to be promoted throughout the world. Proper forest management bodies need to be enforced to monitor wildlife actions and update on the latest. Care and habitation need to be provided to extinct species and efforts need to be taken to save them from becoming extinct.
Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Insights on India
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 3 and mentioned as part of Mission-2022 Secure timetable.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the achievements of project tiger in India.
Directive:
Examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we must investigate 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:
Start by explaining the aims and objectives behind the launch of project tiger.
Body:
First, write about the crisis in tiger population before the launch of Project Tiger. Mention the steps that were introduced as part of tiger conservation efforts.
Next, evaluate in success in achieving improvements in tiger numbers. Also, mention the various how it also conserved the local flora and fauna of ecosystems.
Conclusion:
Conclude by stressing on the need to keep up the conservation efforts.
Introduction
Tigers are at the top of the food chain and are sometimes referred to as “umbrella species” that is their conservation also conserve many other species in the same area.
According to results of the Tiger census, the total count of tigers has risen to 2,967 in 2018 from 2,226 in 2014 which is an increase of 741 individuals (aged more than one year), or 33%, in four years. The Tiger estimation exercise that includes habitat assessment and prey estimation reflects the success or failure of Tiger conservation efforts.
Body
Threat faced by Tiger population
- Less than a hundred years ago, tigers prowled all across India and the sub-continent. But growing human populations, particularly since the 1940s, have contracted and fragmented the tiger’s former range.
- For over thousand years, tigers have been hunted as status symbol, decorative item such as wall and floor covering, as souvenirs and curios, and for use in traditional Asian medicines.
- Hunting for sport probably caused the greatest decline in tiger populations until the 1930s.
- In the early 1990s, trade in tiger bone for traditional Asian medicines threatened to drive tigers to extinction in the wild.
- Poaching is the largest immediate threat to the remaining tiger population.
- Large-scale habitat destruction and decimation of prey populations are the major long-term threats to the existence of the dwindling tiger population in the country.
- And along with habitat, tigers have also suffered a severe loss of natural prey populations – in particular ungulates such as deer and antelopes.
Project Tiger: Aims and objectives
More than 80% of the world’s wild tigers are in India, and it’s crucial to keep track of their numbers and conserve their population. The Government of India launched the Project Tiger with the aim of saving the steadily declining population of tigers in India on 1 April 1973.
- Objectives: To reduce factors that cause the diminishing of tiger habitats and manage them.
- Ensure a viable tiger population for scientific, ecological, economic, aesthetic and cultural values.
- The administrating body for the project is the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
- The NTCA was formed in 2005 as per the recommendations of the Tiger Task Force. Under the organisation, there are eight Conservations Units each headed by a director who is responsible for his/her reserve area.
- The reserves are created and functioned on a core/buffer strategy. That is, the core areas have the legal status of a national park or sanctuary in India.
- The buffer areas form the peripheral region and are a combination of forest and non-forest lands.
- The project purposes of adopting an exclusive tiger agenda in the core areas and an inclusive people-centric approach in the buffer regions.
- The project, apart from preserving the habitats of the tigers in their ecological purity, also does the job of conducting tiger census in the country. It also combats poaching.
- The project is in the process of creating a national database of individual tigers with photos so that seized body parts or dead tigers can be traced.
- The Monitoring System for Tigers – Intensive Protection and Ecological Status, or M-STrIPES was launched in 2010 and is a software-based monitoring system for tigers.
Way forward and Conclusion
- We have to create a healthy balance between sustainability and development.
- Forest corridors linking protected areas must be maintained where they exist.
- Existing habitats have to be surveyed and improved to provide food for the elephants
- Local communities need to be educated to have reduced stress levels in elephants during conflict mitigation, no fire, no firecracker and no mob crowds.
- There is a need for a monitoring mechanism which will record and disperse information on such conflicts
- Experts suggest the other way to reduce the man-animal conflict is to increase the population of wild ungulates, namely hares and the wild boars, both of which are prolific breeders, as a prey for wild carnivores. Separate big enclosures can be made in the jungles to breed them. The excess stock can be released in the jungles at regular intervals for the wild carnivores to prey upon.
- In order to be truly effective, prevention of human-wildlife conflict has to involve the full scope of society: international organizations, governments, NGOs, communities, consumers and individuals. Solutions are possible, but often they also need to have financial backing for their support and development.
Topic: Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators;
7. What does this quote means to you? (150 words)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Quotes Wednesdays’ in Mission-2022 Secure.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by explaining the literal meaning of the quote.
Body:
Write about importance of liberty and equal liberties for everyone. Give instances across the world where liberty has been curtailed across the world, its impact and talk about the need for their liberation.
Conclusion:
Summarise by highlighting the importance of the quote in the present day.
Introduction
John Rawls (1921-2002) was a contemporary philosopher who studied theories surrounding justice. He gave a theory of Justice as Fairness, giving a deontological theory on Justice. He was in influenced by Immanuel Kant who believed in human dignity and hence he gives utmost priority to liberty.
Body
From the very beginning both man and the state have been making efforts for the security of their freedom. Freedom is a very precious condition without which neither the state nor the individuals can make any progress. We remember very well how cruelly the absolute monarchs ignored the claims of liberty in England in ancient and medieval ages. Today liberty is severely curtailed in nations like North Korea, Afghanistan with Taliban takeover especially for women, in Saudi Arabia etc.
When people feel that they can freely express their frustrations and feel that they petition the government regarding their grievances, they don’t feel ‘pushed’ to take matters into their own hands. Instead of taking up arms, heading for the hills, and waging guerrilla war against the central government, disaffected people can take to the airwaves. They can take out ads, and they can participate in the political discourse. When governments give a proper forum for dissenting voices, the society as a whole is more stable because people and dissenting groups don’t feel so disaffected, marginalized, or suppressed that their only option in bringing about change is through violent revolution or regime change brought about by military means.
Societies that focus on individual liberties, free societies, often produce economic freedom. This leads to better economies. When there are more choices in a market, there is a tendency for lower prices at higher quality levels for products and services. When individual liberties against government control, monopolization, and standardization are protected, individuals are encouraged to experiment and offer different products and services which can benefit society as a whole since there are more choices available. The more choices people have, the better for the economy. By protecting individual businesses from arbitrary government action, the economy benefits since there are more solutions and more economic diversity.
Conclusion
From increasing economic choices which can lift countries out of poverty to increasing opportunities for cultural expression and artistic excellence, political liberties lay important seeds that lift societies on many levels. The biggest benefit of liberty, however, is truly personal. With the right political, cultural, economic, and social framework rooted in liberty, societies can lay the groundwork for people truly exploring and pursuing the highest levels of personal, spiritual, and philosophical transcendence.
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