09 October 2014
Answer ALL the questions in about 200 words:
1) It is said that USA should be wary of China’s increased investments in and buying of US companies. At the same time some analysts argue that USA must resist the urge to indulge in the protectionism it abhors in less-developed nations. In this context, critically examine why USA is wary of China and do you see any similar apprehensions about China between India and USA? Examine.
2) Today, most large Indian companies have signalled their unhappiness by increasingly investing outside of India. At the same time, big multi-national companies are either leaving India or not showing keen interest to do business here. It is said that this trend has continued even after 1990’s economic reforms. Critically comment.
3) The Nobel Prize for Physics for the year 2014 signals that companies, especially manufacturing companies, should strongly focus on research and development. Comment.
4) Do you think it’s time to abolish political reservation for the Scheduled Castes (SCs)? Critically examine.
5) “….the idea of equality is alien to our culture as it promotes antagonism, and what our civilisation is based on is cultural diversity. Therefore, what we need is not equality — Samantha, but Samarastha — social harmony.” Do you support this argument? Critically discuss.
6) The logic for choosing the Vijayawada-Guntur region to be the capital can be traced to the outdated industrial location theory (ILT) according to which industry sites are chosen to minimise the transport cost of raw materials and finished goods. Is this logic correct in the Indian context? Examine.
7) The first 1,000 days of life, between a woman’s pregnancy and her child’s second birthday, are critical for influencing lifelong health and intellectual development of the child. Elaborate and also explain what measures has Indian government taken to address this issue.
8) “Corruption in public life is violation of human rights that leads to systematic economic crimes and is a serious malady undermining the very health of the polity.” Critically comment.
