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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
General Studies – 1
Topic: History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.— their forms and effect on the society.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Down to Earth , Insights on India
Why the question:
The Industrial Revolution, one of humanity’s most transformational events, did not begin in 1760 across Georgian Britain. Instead, Britain had already industrialised a century earlier under the Scottish House of Stuart, according to new research from the University of Cambridge.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about reasons for rise of Industrial revolution in England.
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:
Start by defining Industrial Revolution.
Body:
In detail, write about the reasons for rise of Industrial revolution in England – Agricultural changes, Population boom, Economic innovations, new ideas and a scientific viewpoint, Transportation foundations, Natural resources, supportive government and numerous colonies.
Conclusion:
Summarize how all the above factors converged to start the revolution in England.
Introduction
The Industrial Revolution saw a rapid development of industry take place in Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, soon spreading to Western Europe and North America. New and improved large-scale production methods and machinery marked the beginnings of Industrialization. Many different factors contributed to the rise of the Industrial Revolution in Britain and paved the way for Britain to become an industry-driven country.
The Industrial Revolution, one of humanity’s most transformational events, did not begin in 1760 across Georgian Britain. Instead, Britain had already industrialised a century earlier under the Scottish House of Stuart, according to new research from the University of Cambridge.
Body
Major factors leading to rise of industrial revolution
- Agriculture
- As a supplier of raw materials, the agricultural sector was closely linked to the industrial; this was the main source of occupation for the British population.
- Half of the arable land had been enclosed, while half remained in the medieval open field system.
- Industry
- Most industries were small scale, domestic and local, but traditional industries could meet the domestic demands.
- There was some inter-regional trade, but this was limited by poor transport.
- Population
- The nature of the British population has implications for the supply and demand for food and goods, as well as the supply of cheap labor.
- The population had increased in the earlier part of the 18th century, especially closer to the middle of the era, and was mostly located in rural areas.
- The people were gradually accepting of social change and the upper and middle classes were interested in new thinking in science, philosophy. and culture.
- Transport
- Transportation and communication were comparatively easy and cheap, since no part of Britain is more than seventy miles away from the sea, and even less from some navigable waterway.
- Canals were built in the rivers of Britain from 1760-1800 to allow ships to transport goods and for a quicker rate.
- Railroads were also built to allow more efficient trade and transportation of goods.
- Provincial ports had developed, such as Bristol and Liverpool.
- Trade
- Britain had access to local and international economies because of their powerful Navy and other ships.
- The British government allowed foreign trade and domestic to occur to expand the economy and grow industries.
- The main market for British goods was Europe, and the government maintained a mercantilist policy to encourage it.
- Finance
- By 1750, Britain had begun to move towards capitalist institutions — which are considered part of the development of the Revolution.
- The produce of trade was creating a new, wealthy class prepared to invest in industries.
- Raw Materials
- Britain had access to cotton from its colonies and could use slaves to collect it. As technology improved, cotton picking became easier and was a booming industry.
- Coal, iron, lead, copper, tin, limestone, and water power were also readily available for the British to use for their industrial advancement.
- New Inventions:
- A series of inventions in the eighteenth century increased the efficacy of each step of the production process.
- They enhanced the output per worker, enabling each worker to produce more, and they made possible the production or stronger threads and yarn.
- A Stable Government/Stable Monetary System
- All of these changes occurring in Britain were held together by its stable government.
- There were drastic differences in the economies when comparing Britain to other European mainland countries.
- The pound sterling was the national currency during the entire pre-industrial and Industrial Revolution time period time, and it is still the currency used to today in Britain.
Conclusion
Britain in 1870 had the following which has all been stated as necessary for an Industrial Revolution. Good mineral resources, growing population, wealth, spare land and food, ability to innovate, laissez-faire government policy, scientific interest, and trading opportunities, all of these began to develop simultaneously. The result was a massive change.
Topic: population and associated issues.
Difficulty level: Easy
Reference: Indian Express , Insights on India
Why the question:
The article discusses the disparities in Total Fertility Rates (TFRs) across different regions,
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the causes of falling TFR and the opportunities it provides.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by giving context from the NFHS-5 data.
Body:
First, write about the factors that have contributed to declining TFR are: Higher education, increased mobility, late marriage, financial independence among women and overall prosperity.
Next, possible advantages that the falling TFR may lead to.
Conclusion:
Conclude by suggesting solutions to the challenges.
Introduction
Total fertility rate (TFR) indicates the average number of children expected to be born to a woman during her reproductive span of 15-49 years. The data in NFHS 2019-21, the fifth in the survey series, shows the fertility rate at 1.6 per cent in urban areas and 2.1 in rural India.
Body
Data from National Family Health Survey’s fifth round (NFHS-5) reveal that India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has decreased to 2.0 from 2.2 in the previous round. TFR is the number of children born to a heterosexual couple during their reproductive life. Given that 2.1 is the figure at which the population is maintained at a stable level, taking into account the likelihood of some child deaths, the latest number suggests that the spectre of population explosion need no longer haunt India.
Even as the goal of population stabilisation is being achieved, it is imperative that we invest in fostering the health and wellbeing of all our people, throughout their life course. Decline in fertility frees up funds for investment in development of our human resources.
Value addition
Trends in the declining Total Fertility Rate in India
- NFHS-5 places the total fertility rate (TFR) at 2.0. known as replacement level of fertility. This decline is spread evenly across the country.
- 28 states and UTs have a TFR of 9 or less, with seven below 1.6.
- All southern states have a TFR of 1.7-1.8, similar to that of Sweden.
- Even states that have not reached replacement fertility — Bihar and Uttar Pradesh — seem to be head in that direction.
- Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan that were part of the lagging states have achieved TFRs of 0.
- With falling fertility (currently 2.0), the median age of India has risen from 24 years in 2011 to 29 years now and is expected to be 36 years by 2036.
- With a falling dependency ratio (expected to decrease from 65% to 54% in the coming decade taking 15-59 years as the working age population), India is in the middle of a demographic transition.
Reasons for falling fertility rate:
- Higher education, increased mobility, late marriage, financially independent women, overall prosperityare all contributing to a falling TFR.
- It goes below 2 in both urban and rural areas, where girls complete schooling and reduces further as they pass college.
- Bihar, with the highest TFR of 3.2, had the maximum percentage of illiterate women at 26.8%, while Kerala, where the literacy rate among women is 99.3%, had among the lowest fertility rates.
- Increased focus on family planning by use of Contraceptives, increased tubectomies and relatively lesser vasectomies have also contributed to the reducing TFR.
- Urbanization, reduced joint family system, increasing nuclear and single-parent families, higher cost of living in urban areas and higher wages have discouraged aspiring parents to reduce the number of kids.
- Working people in urban areas want better pay, implying that they have to reduce the number of children so as to increase the time they spend at their workplace.
- As more cities come up, people move for jobs and employment tenure gets shorter, TFR may fall further.
Decreasing fertility rate and its challenges:
- The decrease in fertility and the associated decrease in the dependency ratio, in turn lead to an increase in the share of the population concentrated in the working ages and hence in the ratio of the working age to the non-working age population.
- Dependency ratio:
- The proportion of workers rises sharply, even as the proportion of dependants falls. In many countries, the ratio of workers to dependents goes up, giving a huge boost to per capita income.
- India will see a significant rise in working age adults India’s dependency ratio that is the number of dependents to working people is low at 0.6, compared with the developed countries. That ratio is going to decline further with fertility rates continuing to fall.
- For the next few decades India will have a youthful, dynamic and productive workforce than the rest of the world.
- A demographic trend where the proportion of persons aged 15-24 in the population increases significantly compared to other age groups which paired with limited employment opportunities may contribute to increased poverty, hunger, malnutrition, poorer health, lower educational outcomes, child labour, unsupervised and abandoned children, and rising rates of domestic violence.
- Education constraints:
- There are serious problems with Indian higher education. These include a shortage of high quality faculty, poor incentive structures, lack of good regulation
- India is home to the world’s largest concentration of illiterate people in the world
- Health:
- At the primary level, there are also serious problems with health and nutrition that impact the effectiveness of education and the capacity for learning.
- In future large proportion of older working aged people who face longer periods of retirement, accumulate assets to support themselves.
Way forward:
- Health and education parameters need to be improved substantially to make the Indian workforce efficient and skilled.
- Enhance, support and coordinate private sector initiatives for skill development through appropriate Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models; strive for significant operational and financial involvement from the private sector
- Focus on underprivileged sections of society and backward regions of the country thereby enabling a move out of poverty; similarly, focus significantly on the unorganized or informal sector workforce.
- Measures should have pan Indian presence and not just concentrated in metropolitan cities as most of the workforce is likely to come from the rural hinterland.
- Investing in people through healthcare, quality education, jobs and skills helps build human capital, which is key to supporting economic growth, ending extreme poverty, and creating more inclusive societies
- New technology could be exploited to accelerate the pace of building human capital, including massive open online courses and virtual classrooms
- Policymakers should have a greater incentive to redouble their efforts to promote human capital so that it can contribute to economic growth and job creation
Value addition
Findings from NFHS-5
- NFHS-5 finds that there has been a significant increase in current use of any modern contraceptive method, which stands at 56.5 per cent in 2019-21 against 47.8 per cent in 2015-16. The share of condoms is 9.5 per cent against 5.6 per cent in 2015-16.
- The uptake of female sterilisation has gone up to 38 per cent against 36 per cent in 2015-16.
- The uptake of injectable contraceptives, introduced in 2017, remains abysmally low at 0.6 per cent.
- The increase in female sterilisation shows that the onus of family planning remains with women, with men not participating in the process and “shrugging responsibility.
- The quality of care in family planning has shown significant improvement with 62 per cent of current users reporting that they received information on side effects from service providers. This has increased from 46 per cent in the last survey.
- The number of women who have a bank account they operate themselves has increased significantly from 53 per cent in 2015-16 to 79 percent, the data show.
General Studies – 2
Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
Difficulty level: Tough
Reference: Indian Express
Why the question:
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) pompously celebrates the anniversary of its establishment on April 4, 75 years ago.
Demand of the question:
To write about NATO and its achievements and limitations.
Directive word:
Critically examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we have to 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. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a fair judgment.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start with brief background of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Body:
First, briefly discuss the origins of NATO during the cold war.
Next, write about the significance of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) – Represents 30 nations, one billion people, and half of the world’s economic and military might.
Next, write about the role of NATO in prioritizing dialogue, diplomacy, and engagement with neighbouring countries, including Russia. It calls for a measured and cautious approach that takes into account the interests and concerns of all stakeholders in the region.
Next, write about the limitations of NATO.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a military alliance established by the North Atlantic Treaty (also called the Washington Treaty) of April, 1949, by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union. There are 30 member countries of NATO.
Body
Origins of NATO during cold war
- After World War II in 1945, western Europe was economically exhausted and militarily weak(the western Allies had rapidly and drastically reduced their armies at the end of the war).
- In 1948 the United States launched theMarshall Plan, which infused massive amounts of economic aid to the countries of western and southern Europe on the condition that they cooperate with each other and engage in joint planning to hasten their mutual recovery.
- As for military recovery,under the Brussels Treaty of 1948, the United Kingdom, France, and the Low Countries—Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg—concluded a collective–defense agreement called the Western European Union.
- It was soon recognized, however, that a more formidable alliance would be required to provide an adequate military counterweight to the Soviets.
- In March 1948, following a virtual communist coup d’état in Czechoslovakia in February, the three governments began discussions on a multilateral collective-defense scheme that would enhance Western security and promote democratic values.
- These discussions were eventually joined by France, the Low Countries, and Norway and in April 1949 resulted in the North Atlantic Treaty.
- In 1955, when the Cold War was gaining momentum, the Soviet Union signed up socialist republics of Central and Eastern Europe to the Warsaw Pact (1955).The Pact, essentially a political-military alliance, was viewed as a direct strategic counterweight to NATO.
Significance of NATO
- NATO promotes democratic values and enables members to consult and cooperate on defense and security-related issues to solve problems, build trust and, in the long run, prevent conflict.
- NATO is committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes. If diplomatic efforts fail, it has the military power to undertake crisis-management operations.
- NATO has anintegrated military command structure but very few forces or assets are exclusively its own.
- All 30 allies have an equal say, the Alliance’s decisions must be unanimous and consensual, and its members must respect the basic values that underpin the Alliance,namely democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law.
- NATO’s protection does not extend to members’ civil wars or internal coups.
- NATO is funded by its members. The U.S. contributes roughly three-fourths of NATO’s budget.
Role of NATO
- The fundamental role of NATO is to safeguard the freedom & security of its member countries by political and military means.
- NATO safeguards the Allies’ common values of individual liberty, rule of law, the democratic values and the peaceful resolution of disputes and promotes these values throughout the Euro-Atlantic area.
- It provides a forum in which countries from North America and Europe can consult together on security issues of common concern and take joint action in addressing them.
- NATO activities are no longer confined to Europe. Since 1990-91, the Alliance has gradually increased its contact with other countries. It has helped UN by sending peace-keeping forces and through peace-keeping operations. It first involvement with UN was in Yugoslavia in 1992. Thereafter, It took up peace-keeping activities out of Europe by sending troops to Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Kosovo etc.
- NATO expanded its role to include the war on terrorism after 9/11 terrorist attack on world trade centre which was considered an attack on the US. Now NATO’s highest priority is its mission in Afghanistan. For success of its mission, it has even asked help from its arch rival Russia also.
Conclusion
NATO was created to serve as a regional defense Alliance. It’s purpose is to enhance the stability and freedom of its members through collective security system. Its main goal was to keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down. For sixty plus years, it must be rated as one of the most successful defensive Alliances of all time.
General Studies – 3
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-2024 Secure timetable.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and key takeaways from COP15.
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 of COP15.
Body:
First, write about Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and its components.
Next, write in detail about the various takeaways from the COP15 – 30×30 initiative, Conservation, protection and restoration, Monitoring and reporting progress, Pollution and pesticides, Harmful subsidies etc.
Next, write about the measures that needs to be taken to achieve the above targets.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction
The 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) December 19, 2022. The framework has 23 targets that the world needs to achieve by 2030. The first part of COP 15 took place in Kunming, China and reinforced the commitment to address the biodiversity crisis and the Kunming Declaration was adopted by over 100 countries.
GBF includes 4 goals and 23 targets for achievement by 2030. The targets are ambitious, considering that biodiversity is in a poor state. In 2020, the world had failed to meet the last set of targets, the Aichi Targets. Countries would need to ensure success this time round.
Body
| Roadmap | ||
| Four GBF goals for 2030 | Implementation strategy for 2030 | Monitoring |
|
The GBF is aligned with UN SDGs, three of which directly deal with the environment and thus with biodiversity: Goal 13 on climate action, Goal 14 on life below water and Goal 15 on life on land.
|
|
key takeaways from the COP15 biodiversity summit
- 30×30 Deal:
- Restore 30% degraded ecosystemsglobally (on land and sea) by 2030
- Conserve and manage 30% areas(terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine) by 2030
- Stop the extinction of known species, and by 2050reduce tenfold the extinction risk and rate of all species (including unknown)
- Reduce risk from pesticides by at least 50% by 2030
- Reduce nutrients lost to the environment by at least 50% by 2030
- Reduce pollution risks and negative impacts of pollutionfrom all sources by 2030 to levels that are not harmful to biodiversity and ecosystem functions
- Reduce global footprint of consumption by 2030, including through significantly reducing overconsumption and waste generation and halving food waste
- Money for Nature:
- Signatories aim to ensure USD200 billion per year is channelled to conservation initiatives, from public and private sources.
- Wealthier countries should contribute at least USD20 billions of this every year by 2025, and at least USD30 billion a year by 2030.
- Big Companies Report Impacts on Biodiversity:
- Companies should analyse and report how their operations affect and are affected by biodiversity issues.
- The parties agreed to large companies and financial institutions being subject to “requirements” to make disclosures regarding their operations, supply chains and portfolios.
- Harmful Subsidies:
- Countries committed to identify subsidies that deplete biodiversity by 2025, and then eliminate, phase out or reform them.
- They agreed to slash those incentives by at least USD500 billion a year by 2030 and increase incentives that are positive for conservation.
- Monitoring and reporting progress:
- All the agreed aims will be supported by processes to monitor progress in the future, in a bid to prevent this agreement meeting the same fate as similar targets that were agreed in Aichi, Japan, in 2010, and never met.
- National action plans will be set and reviewed, following a similar format used for greenhouse gas emissions under U.N.-led efforts to curb climate change. Some observers objected to the lack of a deadline for countries to submit these plans.
The challenges to protecting biodiversity:
- Use of GDP as the chief determinant of development.
- GDP calculations exclude the depreciation of assets like nature, degraded by the relentless extraction of resources.
- According to the UN’s Inclusive Wealth (IW) report, although 135 countries did better on inclusive wealth in 2014 compared to 1990, the global GDP growth rate considerably outpaced IW.
Way forward
There is a need for environmental appreciation and the measurement of “inclusive wealth,” which considers not only financial and produced capital but also human, social, and natural capital.
Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Difficulty level: Easy
Reference: Insights on India , 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-2024 Secure timetable.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the conditions to grow mangrove ecosystem, threats faced by them and MISHTI initiative.
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 the answer by briefly writing about mangroves and their ecosystem.
Body:
First, write about the conditions that are required to grow and sustain mangrove ecosystem and their importance. first line of defense against erosion and flooding. Also mention about the other ecological benefits of mangroves as well as its unique flora and fauna.
Next, write about the various types of natural and anthropogenic threats faced by mangroves. Coastal development, clearing for agriculture, excessive Aquaculture &Salt Production, River changes: Dams and irrigation, Destruction of coral reefs, Pollution and Climate change etc. Cite necessary examples, facts and figures to substantiate your point.
Next, write about the MISHTI initiative – its features and how it will protect the mangrove ecosystem.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction
Mangroves are the characteristic littoral plant formation of tropical and subtropical sheltered coastlines. They exhibit remarkable capacity for salt water tolerance, strong wind velocity, varying tides and high temperature (FAO-1952). Eg : Rhizopora, Avicenia, Bruguiera etc. Total cover of Mangroves In India is about 4,975 sq km as per State of Forest Report 2019.
Body
Ecological Services by Mangroves
- Flood control
- Groundwater refill
- Shoreline stabilization & storm protection
- Sediment & nutrient retention and export
- Water purification
- Reservoirs of biodiversity
- Cultural values
- Recreation & tourism
- Climate change mitigation and adaptation
Ecosystem needed to sustain mangroves
- Mangrove forests are formed when there is intertidal flow and where adequate sediments are available for the trees to set down roots.
- Experts say aquaculture or fisheries along the coast obstructing tidal flow is one of the biggest threats to the mangrove ecosystem.
- In the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the country, several instances of clearing mangroves for fisheries have come to light.
- Along the country’s coastline, land reclamation for agriculture, aquaculture and industrial activities have occurred in areas which are under the Coastal Regulation Zone.
- Restoration of the land and allowing intertidal flow is crucial for plantation and survival of mangrove forests.
Threats to Mangrove Cover
- Man-made activities
- Irresponsible tourism brings with them garbage, sewage, noise, fumes, lights, and other disturbances that can damage mangroves and its biodiversity.
- Coastal Development leading to increasing pollutants and conversion of mangrove cover.
- Pollution : Mangroves are being destroyed and facing severe threats due to urbanisation, industrialisation, and discharge of domestic sewage, industrial effluents and pesticides.
- The rapid expansion of shrimp aquaculture on India’s flat coastal lands has been an important cause of conversion of mangroves. Eg : In Godavari delta area, about 14 percent of the aquaculture farms have been constructed on mangrove lands (FAO).
- Nearly 40 per cent of mangrove forests in West Coast of India have been converted into farmlands and housing colonies over the last three decades.
- Climate Change : Increase in sea level leading to inundation of mangroves and decreasing nutrients from freshwater. Mangroves are adapted to specific tidal regimes.
- Shore line erosion receding mangrove covers. Mangroves shows Zonation and this gets disturbed.
- Cyclones and storms cause defoliation in mangroves leading to mortality.
- Changing sea temperatures disrupts the mangrove succession.
- Eg: Avicenia and Sonneratia(pioneer species) –>Rhizopora–>Bruguiera
Role and Significance of Mangroves
- Mangroves moderate monsoonal tidal floods and reduce coastal inundation.
- It prevents coastal soil erosion.
- It supplies firewood, medicinal plants to local inhabitants.
- They support numerous flora, avifauna and wildlife.
- Mangroves support seashore and estuarine fisheries.
- It protects inland agricultural lands, livestock and coastal lands from hurricane and tsunami effect.
- Mangroves enhance natural recycling of nutrients.
- Mangroves are flood buffers and they also help in stabilizing the climate by moderating temperature, humidity, wind and even waves
- They are natural carbon sinks.
Scientific Management of Mangroves
- Nationwide mapping of the mangrove areas, by remote sensing techniques coupled with land surveys, and time series to assess the rate of degradation of the ecosystems.
- Quantitative surveys of area, climatic regime, rate of growth of forest trees and seasonal variations of environmental parameters.
- Inclusion of mangrove species under threat in the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red list. Eg
- Assessment of suitable sites for reserve forests. Eg: Artificial regeneration through mangrove nurseries or aerial seeding.
- Joint management of mangroves with local community participation.
- Disease and pest control. Eg : Crab cuts are prevented by painting hypocotyls in yellow or Placing seedlings inside bamboo containers.
- Afforestation of degraded mangrove areas;
- Study of management methods, the ecology of mangroves, their flora and fauna, their microbiology and the biochemistry of organic matter and sediments.
MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes) initiative
The Union Budget for 2023-24 announced an initiative for mangrove plantation along the coastline and on salt pan lands, under MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes).
- The Budget states that MISHTI will be implemented through convergence between the MGNREGS (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme), CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority) Fund and other sources.
- Organisations that have been involved in mangrove plantation say that the initiative requires extensive work with local communities.
- The survival rate of mangrove seed plantation is 50% and of saplings is about 60% and it takes three years for a new plant to stabilise.
- A contract-based one-time plantation under MGNREGS and CAMPA may not work unless the local communities take ownership of the forests.
- Discharge of untreated domestic and industrial effluents into the rivers impede the natural inter-tidal flow along the coast and the mixing of freshwater and saline water which help in gradual formation of the mangrove forest.
Conclusion
With the threat of climate change and frequent tropical storms looming large, planting more mangroves is a welcome development for India which has a coastline of about 7,500 km.
General Studies – 4
Topic: Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity;
Difficulty level: Easy
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about importance of probity in public procurement and its role in reducing corruption.
Directive:
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 defining probity.
Body:
First, write about the need of Probity in Public Procurement and how it will affect the current challenges with respect to public projects. Cite examples to substantiate.
Next, write about the steps to ensure probity in PPP projects.
Conclusion:
Complete by writing a way forward.
Introduction
Probity can be defined as complete and confirmed integrity, uprightness and honesty. Upholding the highest standards of probity and integrity enables organisations to safeguard procurement activities to ensure those activities and processes are robust and can withstand scrutiny.
Body
Probity is a fundamental part of every procurement project and activity. As probity issues can arise at any stage of a procurement activity, probity needs to be anticipated as early as possible when planning a procurement (pre-procurement) and must be considered throughout the entire procurement lifecycle including category management, early market engagement, market analysis, sourcing and the entire contract phase.
Importance of Probity in public projects
- Legitimacy of the system
- Foremost, it helps build up the legitimacy of the system, i.e. the state.
- It builds trusts in the institutions of the state and a belief that the actions of the state will be for welfare of the beneficiaries.
- It protects you from legal and financial risk
- With an unfair tender process comes the potential for legal and financial risk.
- For Government procurement in particular, probity requires that all parties have a fair opportunity at being awarded contracts.
- If there is evidence that one supplier has been favoured for reasons unrelated to the evaluation criteria, there’s potential for legal action to be taken against the awarding party.
- Running a fair tender in accordance with probity ensures that risks of this kind are minimised as much as possible.
- It promotes and supports a healthy and competitive marketplace
- When an industry is free from corruption and all suppliers are on equal footing in a tender process, it makes a big difference to the industry.
- When the industry is healthy, it improves the quality and number of tender responses through greater competition.
- It builds trust with public
- It helps address nepotism, Favouritism, Political partisanship.
- Public reposes more trust in governance and therefore it facilitates participatory governance.
- It leads to avoidance of sub-optimal outcomes, corruption and poor perception
- To serve the constitutional cause
- Probity in Governance is required to serve the motto of Constitution. i.e. to provide Social, Political and economic justice to all. It enhances faith in the governance.
- It’s the right thing to do
- Integrity in public procurement shouldn’t just be something you pursue because it benefits you in the long run.
- Operating fair and ethical tenders is important simply because it’s the right thing to do.
Measures to reduce corruption in PPPs
- Enactment of the Public Procurement Bill 2012, followed by issuing and notifying the PPP Rules in their current form
- Training is required for both private sector and government sector officials. This would bring about greater understanding of the workings of the private and government
- Awareness and training on probity related issues in procurement must also be included in curriculum for technical colleges and
- Clarity into consultant liabilities needs to be established in the context of PPP projects, given the need to hold them accountable for project
- There is a greater need for priority to be given for asset declaration requirements of all officials involved in procurement.
- There is a need for a strong whistleblower law and equally for witnesses and victims to enhance the existing protection and grievance redressal mechanisms.
- Clauses related to closure of debarment period of contractors and entities with convictions of corruption and malpractices in procurement, especially in PPP scenarios
- For instance, the necessity for defaulting bidders to show evidence of establishing an integrity mechanism in place before they are allowed to bid again
- Strengthening monitoring mechanism- Implementation of a fraud risk register as a potential warning or fraud indicator system.
- It would be useful to build a mechanism for public participation, providing information regarding contract management in the public domain, ensuring access to records for stakeholders and civil society and the public for a reasonable number of
- E-procurement is an important measure to enhance transparency in a procurement process but must not be mistaken for the only one.
Conclusion
It is a shared belief that the adoption of standards like “accountability”, “transparency” and “responsiveness” will lead to clean and efficient governance. However, standards do not, by themselves, ensure ethical behaviour: which requires a robust culture of integrity and probity in public life. The crux of ethical behaviour does not lie only in standards, but in their adoption in action and in issuing sanctions against their violation.
Topic: Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: mkgandhi.org
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4.
Key Demand of the question:
To explain about the trusteeship of Mahatma Gandhi and its aim of protecting dignity of beings over materialism.
Directive:
Comment– here we must express our knowledge and understanding of the issue and form an overall opinion thereupon.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by defining the core idea of trusteeship philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi.
Body:
Further elaborate the concept of trusteeship with examples from Gandhian times to contemporary times. Gandhi’s economic ideas were part of his general crusade against poverty, exploitation against socio-economic injustice, and deteriorating moral standards.
He wanted to liberate the modern economic philosophy from the quagmire of materialism and bring it to a higher spiritual plane. Human actions were motivated by social objectives of the protection of human rights.
Conclusion:
End the answer by stressing the need and importance of trusteeship in present times.
Introduction
Trusteeship is a socio-economic philosophy that was propounded by Mahatma Gandhi. It provides a means by which the wealthy people would be the trustees of trusts that looked after the welfare of the people in general. Gandhi believed that the wealthy people could be persuaded to part with their wealth to help the poor. Trusteeship is not merely a principle not even a philosophy. His idea of trusteeship needs to be revisited in today’s times of growing inequality.
Body
Gandhiji’s doctrine of Trusteeship
- Gandhi’s economic ideas were part of his general crusade against poverty, exploitation against socio-economic injustice, and deteriorating moral standards.
- Gandhi was an economist of the masses and his approach was rooted in human dignity.
- His pragmatic approach gave a new direction to the existing socio-economic problems in the process of protecting human dignity.
- Gandhism as a socio-economic philosophy suits not only to accomplish the higher ideals of democratic freedom and socialism but it was also thoroughly developed to meet the challenge of national and international forces of communism and capitalism.
- The core of Gandhian economic thought is the protection of the dignity of human person and not mere material prosperity.
- He aimed at the development, upliftment, and enrichment of human liferather than a higher standard of living with scant respect for human and social values.
- Fundamental ethical valuesdominated his economic ideas. He wanted to liberate the modern economic philosophy from the quagmire of materialismand bring it to a higher spiritual plane.
- Human actionswere motivated by social objectives of the protection of human rights.
- He based his doctrine of trusteeship on the first sloka of Isopanisad, according to which one is asked to dedicate everything to God and then use it only to the required extent.
- The principal condition laid down in it is that one must not covet what belongs to others.
- In other words, in the first instance, everything must be surrendered to Godand then out of it one may use only that which is necessary for the service of God’s creation, according to one’s strict needs.
- This makes it clear beyond doubt that it is not in industrial and business sectors only that the doctrine of trusteeship is to be made applicable.
- The spirit of this doctrine is detachment and service. Unless these two virtues are inculcated, it is impossible to obey the command “covet not anybody’s riches.”
- Therefore, Gandhi’s idea of trusteeship arose from his faith in the law of non-possession.
- Man’s dignity,and not his material prosperity, is the centre of Gandhian economics. Gandhian economics aims at a distribution of material prosperity keeping only human dignity in view.
- Thus, it is dominated more by moral values than by economic ideas.
- According to Gandhi, trusteeship is the only ground on which he can work out an ideal combination of economics and morals.
Relevance of trusteeship in contemporary world:
- The revolutions that are raised from time to time in different countries are motivated by the same objectives of human dignity, justice, and equity.
- It is very clear that the idea is relevant today as it aims at the social, economic, and political changes in the world.
- One of the first steps to achieve this human dignity, justice, and equity is to eliminate the ever-present troublesome element of class struggle in the society.
- Though the Gandhian concept of trusteeship does not seek to destroy any particular class, it provides us with an idea of how to narrow the class gap.
- The practice of all the democratic nations has been to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor to a minimum.
- In India we find this motive behind our cooperative policies, the community development projects, and the taxation policy that heavily taxes the upper class and gives some relief to the lower strata of society.
- We find the manifestations of the Gandhian concept of trusteeship in these policies.
Conclusion
The philosophy of Trusteeship believes in inherent goodness of human beings. The Gandhian perspective is more relevant today than it was ever before. Gandhi wanted to ensure distributive justice by ensuring that business acts as a trustee to its many stakeholders, and specified that economic activities cannot be separated from humanitarian activities. Economics is part of the way of life which is related to collective values.
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