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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: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Chapter 30 – 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.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the evolution of education in India under the colonial rule and its impact.
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 mentioning the Macaulay’s minute setting the stage for introduction of education system by the British in India.
Body:
Trace the evolution of education system in British India – orientalist v/s anglicist debate, setting up of Universities, Hunter Commission report, education system during the period of Diarchy rule, evolution of primary and higher education etc. You can make use of a flow chart for better presentation.
Write about the both positive and negative impacts of introduction of modern education in India.
Conclusion:
Conclude by mentioning the contribution of modern education in rise of nationalism in India.
Introduction
For the first 60 years of its dominion in India, the East India Company, a trading and profit-making concern, took no interest in the promotion of education. With the advent of the British Rule in India, their policies and measures breached the legacies of traditional schools of learning which resulted in the need for creating a class of subordinates. To achieve this goal, they instituted a number of acts to create an Indian canvas of English colour through the education system.
Body
Evolution of education system in British India
- Orientalist vs Anglicist: Within the General Committee on Public Instruction, the Anglicists argued that the government spending on education should be exclusively for modern studies.
- The Orientalists said while western sciences and literature should be taught to prepare students to take up jobs, emphasis should be placed on expansion of traditional Indian learning.
- Medium of instruction: Even the Anglicists were divided over the question of medium of instruction—one faction was for English language as the medium, while the other faction was for Indian languages (vernaculars) for the purpose.
- Macaulay’s minute: This famous minute settled the row in favour of Anglicists—the limited government resources were to be devoted to teaching of western sciences and literature through the medium of English language alone.
- Wood’s despatch: In 1854, Sir Charles Wood, the President of the Board of Control sent his recommendations known as ‘Wood’s Despatch of 1854″ reorganizing the whole structure of education.
- Wood’s Despatch is regarded as the Magna Carta of English education in India. It recommended for the establishment of Anglo-Vernacular Schools throughout the districts, Government Colleges in important towns and a University in each of the three Presidencies in India.
Positive impacts of modern education in India
- Modern ideas, if not education, did filter down to the masses, though not in a form desired by the rulers, but through political parties, press, pamphlets, public platforms, etc.
- Social analysis by Indians: Modern education only helped this process by making available the basic literature on physical and social sciences to nationalists, thus stimulating their capacity to make social analysis—otherwise the content, structure and curricula of modern education served colonial interests.
- Drain theory: The theory proposed that poverty in India was caused by the colonial rule that was draining the wealth and prosperity of India. This realization by Dadabhai Naoroji and others were due to modern education introduced by British and helped in awakening nationalism in Indians.
- Ideas of liberty and equality: The liberal and radical thought of European writers like Milton, Shelley, John Stuart Mill, Rousseau, Paine, Spencer and Voltaire helped many Indians imbibe modern rational, secular, democratic and nationalist ideas.
- Rationalism: Rationalism which advocated faith in reason and a scientific attitude was again due to modern education of Indians.
- Middle class intelligentsia: The English language helped nationalist leaders from different linguistic regions to communicate with each other.
- Those among the educated who took up liberal professions (lawyers, doctors, etc.) often visited England for higher education.
- There they saw the working of modern political institutions in a free country and compared that system with the Indian situation where even basic rights were denied to the citizens.
- This ever-expanding English educated class formed the middle-class intelligentsia who constituted the nucleus for the newly arising political unrest. It was this section which provided leadership to the Indian political associations.
Negative aspects of British education
- Neglect of mass education: The Government soon made English as the medium of instruction in its schools and colleges and opened a few English schools and colleges instead of a large number of elementary schools, thus neglecting mass education.
- Downward filtration: The British planned to educate a small section of upper and middle classes, thus creating a class “Indian in blood and colour but English in tastes, in opinions, in morals and in intellect” who would act as interpreters between the Government and masses and would enrich the vernaculars by which knowledge of western sciences and literature would reach the masses. This was called the ‘downward filtration theory’.’
- Creating clerks: Although there were a few Englishmen who wanted to spread education for its own sake, the government was chiefly concerned only with its own concerns.
- There was a huge demand for clerks and other administrative roles in the company’s functioning.
- It was cheaper to get Indians rather than Englishmen from England for these jobs. This was the prime motive.
- Low Literacy rate: No doubt it spread western education among Indians, but the rate of literacy was abysmally low during British rule.
- In 1911, the illiteracy rate in British India was 94%. In 1921, it was 92%.
- Scientific and technical education was ignored by the British government.
- Women’s education: The state of women education was pathetic. This was because the government did not want to displease the orthodox nature of Indians and also because women could not generally be employed as clerks.
Conclusion
Thus, the education system introduced by British had both positive and negative impacts. It was injected to ensure a cheap supply of educated Indians to increase a number of subordinate posts in administration and in British business concern. That’s why the emphasis on English as a medium of instruction and also glorified British conquerors and their administration.
Topic: Social empowerment.
Difficulty level: Tough
Reference: The Hindu , The Hindu
Why the question:
With the Centre yet to come up with a law on sex workers, the Supreme Court, in exercise of its powers under Article 142, has issued a series of directions on their “rehabilitation”, including for sensitising police to treat sex workers with dignity and to avoid abusing them or subjecting them to violence.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about impact the SC judgement will have on life and livelihood of sex workers.
Directive word:
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:
Begin by giving context about the judgement of the SC.
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
With the Centre yet to come up with a law on sex workers, the Supreme Court, in exercise of its powers under Article 142, has issued a series of directions on their “rehabilitation”, including for sensitising police to treat sex workers with dignity and to avoid abusing them or subjecting them to violence.
Body
Various issues faced by sex workers in India
- 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.
- Eg: 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 to be taken 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
Article 21 envisages right to dignity to every human being. Trafficking and sex-work must be de-lineated and law enforcers must be sensitised in handling such cases. Sex-workers must be treated with dignity and respect while providing them all the necessary support. The root of all problem is to address what pushes people to take up sex-work and that is poverty and compulsion to work in prostitution.
General Studies – 2
Topic: Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.
Difficulty level: Easy
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The Governor’s powers of pardon or remission under Article 161 of the Constitution have been in the spotlight with the Supreme Court judgment ordering the release of A.G. Perarivalan, one of the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
Key Demand of the question:
To compare the pardoning powers of the president and the governor.
Directive word:
Compare and contrast – provide for a detailed comparison of the two types, their features that are similar as well as different. One must provide for detailed assessment of the two.
Introduction:
Begin by giving an account of article 72 and article 161 of the constitution.
Body:
Article 161 mentions the Pardoning Power of the Governor. When a convict has committed an offence against state law, the concerned punishment can be granted the pardon, reprieve, respite and remission by the Governor of the state.
Differentiate between Pardoning Powers of Governor and the President in detail (tabulate them for better presentation). Give relevant examples/case studies.
Conclusion:
Conclude by summarising their importance.
Introduction
Article 72 and 161 of the Indian Constitution empowers the President and the governors of States respectively to grant pardons for the sentence. However, the ambit of President’s pardoning power is wider than that of Governor.
Pardoning is an act of kindness that reduces the punishment conferred under the law for the offence and restores the rights and privileges lost on account of the offence. It can be granted to individuals who have been convicted of any offence against a law or sentenced by a court martial and for sentence of death.
Body:
Need for Pardoning powers:
- Pardons can be granted when individuals are deemed to have demonstrated that they have “paid their debt to society”, or are otherwise considered to be deserving of them. It is a form of reformative justice.
- Pardons are sometimes offered to persons who were either wrongfully convicted or who claim that they were wrongfully convicted.
- Pardons are sometimes seen as a mechanism for combating corruption, allowing a particular authority to circumvent a flawed judicial process to free someone that is seen as wrongly convicted.
Similarities in the Pardoning power of the President and the Governor:
- President can pardon, reprive, respite, remit, suspend or commute the punishment or sentence of any person convicted of any offence against a Central law.
- Governor can pardon, reprieve, respite, remit, suspend or commute the punishment or sentence of any person convicted of any offence against a state law.
- Pardon: It removes both the sentence and the conviction and completely absolves the convict from all sentences, punishments and disqualifications.
- Commutation: It denotes the substitution of one form of punishment for a lighter form. For example, a death sentence may be commuted to rigorous imprisonment, which in turn may be commuted to a simple imprisonment.
- Remission: It implies reducing the period of sentence without changing its character. For example, a sentence of rigorous imprisonment for two years may be remitted to rigorous imprisonment for one year.
- Respite: It denotes awarding a lesser sentence in place of one originally awarded due to some special fact, such as the physical disability of a convict or the pregnancy of a woman offender.
- Reprieve: It implies a stay of the execution of a sentence (especially that of death) for a temporary period. Its purpose is to enable the convict to have time to seek pardon or commutation from the President.
Difference between pardoning powers of president and governor:
The scope of the pardoning power of the President under Article 72 is wider than the pardoning power of the Governor under Article 161. The power differs in the following two ways:
- Court martial: The power of the President to grant pardon extends in cases where the punishment or sentence is by a Court Martial but Article 161 does not provide any such power to the Governor.
- Death sentence: The President can grant pardon in all cases where the sentence given is sentence of death but pardoning power of Governor does not extend to death sentence cases. Even if a state law prescribes the death sentence, the power to grant pardon lies with the President and not the governor.
- However, the governor can suspend, remit or commute a death sentence.
- In other words, both the governor and the President have concurrent power in respect of suspension, remission and commutation of death sentence.
Supreme Court cases have laid down various norms regarding pardoning power of president
- In Maru Ram v Union of India, the Constitutional Bench of Supreme Court held that the power under Article 72 is to be exercised on the advice of the Central Government and not by the President on his own, and that the advice of the Government binds the head of the Republic.
- The Supreme Court in Ranga Billa case observed that the term pardon itself signifies that it is entirely a discretionary remedy and grant or rejection of it need not to be reasoned.
- Supreme Court in Kehar Singh v Union of India held that the grant of pardon by the President is an act of grace and, therefore, cannot be claimed as a matter of right. The power exercised by the President being exclusively of administrative nature, is not justiciable.
- Pardoning powers under Articles 72 and 161 is subject to judicial review. In Epuru Sudhakar vs Govt. Of A.P., the Supreme Court held that it is a well-set principle that a limited judicial review of exercise of clemency powers is available to the Supreme Court and High Courts. Granting of clemency by the President or Governor can be challenged on the following grounds:
- The order has been passed without application of mind.
- The order has malafide intention.
- The order has been passed on wholly irrelevant considerations.
- Relevant material has been kept out of consideration.
- The order is arbitrary.
Conclusion:
The pardoning power is founded on consideration of public good and is to be exercised on the ground of public welfare. Pardon may substantially help in saving an innocent person from being punished due to miscarriage of justice or in cases of doubtful conviction. The hope of being pardoned itself serves as an incentive for the convict to behave himself in the prison institution and thus, helps considerably in solving the issue of prison discipline.
Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Indian Express
Why the question:
The National Assessment Survey (NAS), details the magnitude of this learning crisis across the country. Conducted in November 2021 among students of more than one lakh schools in 720 districts, the NAS shows a sharp dip in the performance of students in almost all subjects during the pandemic years.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the impact of the pandemic on education and steps needed to offset the impact.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by highlighting some of the facts with respect to impact of covid-19 on education in India.
Body:
Firstly, mention the progress in education system before the pandemic. Cite a statistic to substantiate your point. Bring out the impact of learning deficit caused by the pandemic in India.
Next, mention the various ways to bridge the learning deficit that has emerged – readmitting dropouts, ensuring access to e-learning, special focus on most vulnerable states etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction
India witnessed one of the longest school closures in the world. For the better part of the past two years, teachers struggled to cope with the pedagogical challenges posed by the switch to online classes. The country’s digital divide proved to be a hurdle for a large number of underprivileged learners. Field reports by private agencies and state government bodies have indicated that this disruption resulted in an alarming regression in children’s foundational skills — reading, writing, doing simple mathematics.
The National Assessment Survey (NAS), details the magnitude of this learning crisis across the country. Conducted in November 2021 among students of more than one lakh schools in 720 districts, the NAS shows a sharp dip in the performance of students in almost all subjects during the pandemic years.
Body
Background
- Our answer to the education crisis during the pandemic has been to offer online education. However, there are serious issues related to access, devices, content, curation, teachers, training, testing, exams, grades, funding, facilities, salaries, parents and fees.
- It is estimated that only about 25 per cent of Indian households have an internet facility.
- For rural households, that number drops to 15 per cent. The worst affected, as always, will be the marginalised, rural and poor populations.
- Digital education is not just about videos of lectures on blackboards by teachers on the internet. It is about appropriate platforms, technology, tools, interactivity, curation, content and a lot more.
- Government schools and colleges do not have the resources to provide digital education. Private schools and colleges are no different. However, they all want parents to pay full fees to be able to pay their staff and maintain facilities.
- In India, the situation is even more complex because of the lack of a proper policy on digital education, infrastructure and multiple languages.
Learning crisis in India and its impact
- The public health emergency seems to have put on the back-burner the implementation of school education reforms envisaged by the NEP.
- Funds for training teachers have been slashed by nearly 50 per cent in the current budget and the outlay for the Mid-Day Meal Scheme whose positive impact on school enrolment, student retention and nutrition of children is well-documented has come down by almost 10 per cent.
- Instead, there seems to be an over-reliance on e-learning. But as the NAS shows, these methods cannot be a substitute for the interactions in a
- According to ASER survey, students, especially those from poor families, are dependent more than ever on private tuition.
- Of concern is the survey finding that the youngest learners also have the “least access to technology”. Almost a third of all children in Classes I and II did not have a smartphone available at home.
- 4 per cent teachers flagged the problem of children being “unable to catch up” as one of their biggest challenges — which is also a warning that their learning outcomes are set to be affected unless addressed with urgency.
- As per NAS survey teachers and field investigators across the country reported that primary grade kids struggled to make sense of questions to test basic comprehension and numerical skills.
Steps needed to remedy the education crisis
- Relearning: The first step should be to acknowledge that children are returning to schools with diminished skills as well as recognise that some learners may have experienced more setbacks than their peers.
- Creative teaching: Planners and school administrators should give teachers the freedom to adopt creative approaches that turn classrooms into spaces where students can shed the anxieties of the past two years and regain skills at their own pace.
- Learner-centric: This would require re-imagining pedagogical practices and a shift from syllabus-centred approaches of the past to learner-centric methods.
- The New Education Policy 2020, announced in the first year of the pandemic, recognises this imperative.
- New Education policy: The policy reforms envisaged must be kick-started and implemented on war footing especially wrt pedagogical learning.
- Vaccination of all children against covid-19 so that there wont be any disruption to schools and children attending schools.
- Keeping a watch on school drop-outs and bringing everyone back to school should become the number one priority of the government.
Conclusion
Several studies, including the annual ASER reports, have underlined that most of the failings of the country’s educational system stem from the lack of connect between the lived experiences of most students and what is taught in classrooms. The pandemic-induced crisis, no doubt formidable, is an opportunity to apply correctives. Failure to do so will imperil the academic future of an entire generation.
General Studies – 3
Topic: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.
Difficulty level: Easy
Reference: Insights on India
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 3.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the impact of OMO on macroeconomic parameters.
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:
Begin by defining OMO.
Body:
First, explain the process of OMO – sale and purchase of securities and the methods it is done.
Next, write about impact of OMO on various macroeconomic parameters such as – inflation, growth, credit supply interest rates and exchange supply etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude by summarising.
Introduction
Open market operations (OMO) are sale and purchase of government securities and treasury bills by RBI or the central bank of the country. The objective of OMO is to regulate the money supply in the economy. It is one of the quantitative monetary policy tools. Commercial banks and financial institutions participate in the Open Market Operations (OMO).
Body
About OMO
- Open market operations are the major instrument of monetary control in industrial countries and are becoming important to developing countries and economies in transition.
- Open market operations allow central banks great flexibility in the timing and volume of monetary operations at their own initiative, encourage an impersonal, business like relationship with participants in the marketplace, and provide a means of avoiding the inefficiencies of direct controls.
- There are two types of open market operations namely Outright OMO and Repo.
Impact on various macroeconomic parameters
- Expansionary policy
- During a recession or economic downturn, RBI will seek to expand the supply of money in the economy, with a goal of lowering the rate at which banks lend to each other overnight.
- To do this, the RBI will purchase bonds from banks and other financial institutions and deposit payment into the accounts of the buyers.
- This increases the amount of money that banks and financial institutions have on hand, and banks can use these funds to provide loans.
- With more money on hand, banks will lower interest rates to entice consumers and businesses to borrow and invest, thereby stimulating the economy and employment.
- Contractionary policy
- RBI will undertake the opposite process when the economy is overheating and inflation is reaching the limit of its comfort zone.
- When RBI sells bonds to the banks, it takes money out of the financial system, reducing the money supply.
- This will cause interest rates to rise, discouraging individuals and businesses from borrowing and investing, while encouraging them to put their money in less productive investments such as interest-bearing savings accounts and certificates of deposit.
- This has the effect of slowing inflation and economic growth.
Conclusion
The RBI performs Open Market Operations based on the macroeconomic scenario in the Indian economy. OMO has been a potent tool to manipulate the readily available liquidity in the economy which in turn have cascading effects on inflation, bond yields etc. RBI’s buying or selling of securities has ripple effects through the money supply, interest rates, economic growth, and employment.
General Studies – 3
Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: The Quint
Why the question:
The Environment Ministry this week released its Draft E-waste Management Rules which set fresh standards for businesses to adhere to when it comes to recycling electronic waste.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about draft E-waste Management Rules and their ability to manage safe disposal of e-waste.
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 giving few facts regarding the rising number of e waste production every year.
Body:
Firstly, write about the various issues in the collection, management and disposal of e-waste. Write about its impact of this on developing countries like India and overall environment.
Next, write about the changes brought forth by draft E-waste Management Rules and how it can be a game changer.
Next, suggest various other measures to control and minimise the cause of e waste production.
Conclusion:
Conclude with a way forward.
Introduction
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has released the draft notification for Electronic Waste Management for public feedback.
India has a formal set of rules for electronic waste management, first announced these rules in 2016 and amended it in 2018. The latest rules are expected to come into effect by August 2022. E-waste is growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 30% in the country.
Body
Issues with handling e-waste
- E-waste Generation in India: According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), India generated more than 10 lakh tonnes of e-waste in 2019-20, an increase from 7 lakh tonnes in 2017-18. Against this, the e-waste dismantling capacity has not been increased from 82 lakh tonnes since 2017-18.
- Unsafe disposal: In 2018, the Ministry of Environment had told the tribunal that 95% of e-waste in India is recycled by the informal sector and scrap dealers unscientifically dispose of it by burning or dissolving it in acids.
- Gap in collection: National Green Tribunal noted gaps in collection targets, as the amount of e-waste collected in 2018-19 was 78,000 tonnes against a target of 1.54 lakh tonnes. There are clear governance deficits on the subject.
- Involvement of Child Labor: In India, about5 lakh child laborers in the age group of 10-14 are observed to be engaged in various E-waste activities and that too without adequate protection and safeguards in various yards and recycling workshops.
- Hazardous: E-waste contains over 1,000 toxic materials, which contaminate soil and groundwater.
- E-waste Imports: Cross-border flow of waste equipment into India- 80% of E-waste in developed countries meant for recycling is sent to developing countries such as India, China, Ghana and Nigeria.
Changes brought forth by draft E-waste Management Rules
- Electronic Goods Covered: A wide range of electronic goods, including laptops, landline and mobile phones, cameras, recorders, music systems, microwaves, refrigerators and medical equipment have been specified in the notification.
- E-Waste Collection Target: Consumer goods companies and makers of electronics goods have to ensure at least 60% of their electronic waste is collected and recycled by 2023 with targets to increase them to 70% and 80% in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
- Companies will have to register on an online portal and specify their annual production and e-waste collection targets.
- EPR Certificates: The rules bring into effect a system of trading in certificates, akin to carbon credits, that will allow companies to temporarily bridge shortfalls.
- The rules lay out a system of companies securing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) certificates.
- These certificates certify the quantity of e-waste collected and recycled in a particular year by a company and an organisation may sell surplus quantities to another company to help it meet its obligations.
- Focus on Circular Economy: New Rules emphasizes on the EPR, recycling and trading.
- This follows from the government’s objective to promote a Circular Economy.
- Penalty: Companies that don’t meet their annual targets will have to pay a fine or an ‘environmental compensation’ but the draft doesn’t specify the quantum of these fines.
- Implementing Authority: The CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) will oversee the overall implementation of these regulations.
- Responsibility of the State Governments: The State governments have been entrusted with the responsibility of earmarking industrial space for e-waste dismantling and recycling facilities, undertaking industrial skill development and establishing measures for protecting the health and safety of workers engaged in the dismantling and recycling facilities for e-waste.
Various measures needed to control and safely dispose e-waste
- E-waste clinic: India’s first e-waste clinic for segregating, processing and disposal of waste from household and commercial units has been set-up in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
- It is needed to come up with a strategy to engage with informal sector workers because doing so will not only go a long way in better e-waste management practices but also aid in environmental protection, improve the health and working conditions of labourers and provide better work opportunities to over a million people.
- This will make management environmentally sustainable and easy to monitor.
- The need of the hour is to generate employment, which can be done through identifying and promoting cooperatives and expanding the scope of the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 to these cooperatives or the informal sector workers.
- Effective implementation of regulations is the way ahead to managing the e-waste that is yet to be regulated in at least 115 countries.
Conclusion
There are various start-ups and companies in India that have now started to collect and recycle electronic waste. We need better implementation methodologies and inclusion policies that provide accommodation and validation for the informal sector to step up and help us meet our recycling targets in an environmentally sound manner.
Also, successfully raising collection rates required every actor to be involved, including consumers.
General Studies – 4
Topic: Case Study
Difficulty level: Moderate
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
In brief, mention the facts of the case and the major ethical issues involved along with the stakeholders.
Body:
Write about the order in which you will organise the reference based on their vulnerability. It should be based on rationality, empathy, objectivity and without any bias.
Give justification to your order of preference of your rescue.
Conclusion:
Stress on the importance of objectivity in Civil Servants especially in the light of the above case.
Introduction
Public officials are expected to follow the values of non-partisanship in all aspects of their duty including the treatment of civilians. As a responsible official, it will be imperative to maintain these values even when handling a situation where there are officials and civilians involved. One cannot be prioritised over the other. Value of human being is not based on their designation.
Course of action
I would follow the general guidelines that are prescribed while handling disaster management including the evacuation process to be conducted. Evacuation will based on situation context, access and current safety of those who are stuck.
Order of evacuation
- My first priority would be to identify the most vulnerable section that need immediate assistance after the occurrence of the disaster.
- In this regard, I would firstly evacuate the patients in the hospital who are vulnerable to health risk due to the destruction of infrastructure.
- My next batch of evacuees would consist of senior citizens, followed by women and children. Individuals suffering from any health problems would be given more priority.
- The hikers, tourists including the political party president, and the additional chief secretary would be evacuated based on the category they come into. If they belong to vulnerable sections, they will be evacuated early else the same procedure would be followed. No special provisions will be provided on the basis of their position.
- Jail inmates can be the last to be evacuated. But if any individual among them has health issues, he/she can be given a priority.
Justification
- Patients in the hospital may need immediate medical assistance and it would be better if they are provided better service by early evacuation.
- Senior citizens, women, and children consists of the most vulnerable sections of the society according to the convention.
- The hikers and tourists not necessarily comprise as least priority but vulnerable among them can be given priority among evacuees.
- As far as political party president is concerned, he is not eligible for high priority just because of his political accomplishment. He will have to wait for his turn as given in guidelines.
- The additional chief secretary also needs to understand that public official in charge are performing their duty and he will have to co-operate with the officials while handling the issue.
- The jail inmates may be the last priority but they should not be ignored at any cost. They are eligible to all human rights during the whole process.
Conclusion
Efforts should be towards ensuring safety of all. However, the most vulnerable will naturally be a priority and strict non-partisanship and neutrality are the values that will guide a civil servant involved in evacuation. Chaos must be avoided and justice must be done at any cost, so that people do not feel discriminated due to the attitude of the officials.
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