[Insights Secure – 2018] Daily UPSC Mains Answer Writing Practice: 05 OCTOBER 2018
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LIST of TOPICS (Static)
General Studies – 1
Topic– Salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
1) Discuss the contribution of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu towards the Bhakti movement. (250 words)
Directive word
Discuss- this is an all-encompassing directive which mandates us to write in detail about the key demand of the question. we also have to discuss about the related and important aspects of the question in order to bring out a complete picture of the issue in hand.
Key demand of the question
The question wants us to simply bring out in detail the contribution of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu towards the bhakti movement in india.
Structure of the answer
Introduction– write a few introductory lines about Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. E.g He was probably the greatest saint of the Bhakti movement, popularly known as Gouranga Mahaprabhu. He was born in 1486 A.D. at Navadweep in West Bengal in a Brahmin family.
Body-
Discuss in detail about his contribution towards bhakti movement. E.g He was a promising student and mastered all branches of Sanskrit learning; Chaitanya’s teachings centred round ‘love’ – from intense human love to divine love. He opened the doors of divine love to all by chanting and singing the glories of Krishna in the form of Kirtans; Chaitanya believed that by singing Kirtan alone one can realise God, because it transports the mind from the material world to the divine world; Chaitanya was an exponent of the Radha-Krishna cult; Chaitanya’s exposition of Rasalila is one of his most profound contributions to Indian philosophy. Chaitanya was a champion of social liberation. He denounced caste system and stood for the universal brotherhood of man. At the same time he was very much opposed to the domination of the priestly class and superfluous rituals and ceremonies. It was due to his attitude of social liberation that people of socially oppressed classes became his disciples; Chaitanya stood for truth and non-violence. He led an ascetic life and maintained celibacy. His teachings were simple and, therefore, had a universal appeal. The Radha-Krishna cult and Chaitanya’s preaching through singing Kirtans generated remarkable impact in Bengal and Orissa and the impact continues to be felt even today etc.
Conclusion– sum up your discussion in a few lines and form a fair and a balanced conclusion on the above issue.
Topic– Role of women and women’s organization
Why this question
Women have a very important role to play in agriculture of the country. The article discusses the status of women in agriculture and highlights how women in agriculture would help in attaining nutritional security. The topic would help us in preparing women related section of GS1 sociology section .
Key demand of the question
The question has two main components that require answering. Firstly, we have to bring out in detail the role of women in agriculture in India – status quo, strengths, weaknesses etc. Next, we need to evaluate whether women in agriculture has a positive impact on nutritional security.
Directive word
Examine – When you are asked to examine, you have to probe deeper into the topic, get into details, and find out the causes or implications if any .
Structure of the answer
Introduction – Mention that the women is the backbone of agricultural workforce and are a vital part of Indian economy. Woman plays a vital role, because agriculture is largely a household enterprise
Body
- Give the status quo of women in agriculture – Agriculture in India is significantly dependent on women. Women make up about 33% of cultivators and about 47% of agricultural labourers in rural India. Overall, the percentage of rural women who depend on agriculture for their livelihood is as high as 84%. But systemic barriers to finance, inputs, extension services and land rights have limited their potential and recognition as the mainstay of our agrarian ecosystem. Juxtapose this with the findings of the National Family Health Survey 2015-16 which state that 26.7% of rural women are underweight and 54.2% anaemic.
- Assess the concerns/challenges for women in agriculture – gender wage gap, males are usually the targeted beneficiaries of government’s largesse etc
- Discuss the steps taken by government to improve the status of women in India
- Next, we need to bring out the linkage between greater women participation in agriculture and nutritional security – women ensure that food crops are grown in place of cash crops etc
Conclusion – Assess the way forward for women in agriculture such as skill empowerment for women, creation of SHGs etc
Topic – Part of static series under the heading – “Major river systems of India”
3) Explain the difference between Himalayan and Peninsular river system?(250 words)
NCERT Class XI Indian physical geography ch 3
Key demand of the question
The question expects us to bring out the points of differences between the two river systems in a detailed manner.
Structure of the answer
Introduction – Emphasize on the diversity of geographical features in India and how the two river systems are quite different from each other as we shall see.
Body – Explain the differences under several heads such as nature, type of rocks, associated geographical features, drainage, fed by, age etc.
General Studies – 2
Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Why this question
The government has recently revised the 2013 guidelines for conducting exams for persons with disabilities. The decision has been criticized for being retrogatory and discriminatory and thus it is important to discuss its shortcomings.
Directive word
Comment- here we have to express our knowledge and understanding of the issue and form an overall opinion thereupon.
Key demand of the question.
The question wants us to form an opinion in support of or against the statement. However our opinion has to be based on a proper discussion and valid arguments in support of our opinion.
Structure of the answer
Introduction- write a few introductory lines about the recently revised guidelines for conducting exams in case of persons with disabilities. E.g The recently released ‘revised guidelines’ by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for conducting written examinations for persons with disabilities significantly whittle down the 2013 guidelines that played a transformative role in empowering such students.
Body-
Discuss why the revised guidelines are unfair and regressive. E.g It is believed that the UPSC’s discomfort with the 2013 guidelines flowed from their misuse by some students who coached their scribes before the exam. If an able-bodied student engages in cheating, the normal consequence is his disqualification. However, what the UPSC did was to demand that the guidelines be changed; in case the disabled candidate is allowed to bring his own scribe, the qualification of the scribe should be ‘one step below’ the qualification of the candidate. Whether the phrase ‘one step below’ here refers to one year below in the same degree or one degree below is unclear. The revised guidelines also do not deal with a situation in which a disabled candidate and the scribe are from different streams. The 2013 guidelines had stated that vague criteria like educational qualification should not be fixed; for certain classes of candidates with benchmark disabilities, the revised guidelines have imposed a requirement that a certificate be furnished from a designated official, indicating that the candidate has a physical limitation and needs a scribe. This essentially renders the impact of a disability certificate wholly nugatory; the new guidelines have transformed claims that were hitherto recognised as ‘legal entitlements’ to ‘liberties’ whose exercise is contingent upon the goodness of the exam-conducting bodies etc.
conclusion– based on your discussion, form a fair and a balanced conclusion on the given issue.
Topic– Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
Why this question
Manual scavenging is a harsh reality in India and direct involvement of government institutions in this regard is a serious concern. It is therefore important to understand how abolition of untouchability particularly the way it is propagated by manual scavenging is an unrealised constitutional right in India.
Directive word
Comment- here we have to express our knowledge and understanding of the issue and form an overall opinion thereupon.
Key demand of the question.
The question wants us to form an opinion in favour or against the given statement- Abolition of untouchability in all its forms, including scavenging, remains an unrealised constitutional right. However our opinion has to be formed based on proper and valid arguments/ facts.
Structure of the answer
Introduction– write a few introductory lines about the manual scavenging, their employment in rural as well as semi-urban areas of states like Rajasthan, MP, UP and by municipal bodies. Mention about the steady rise in deaths of conservancy workers, and a steadier normalisation of the risks to life they bear on a daily basis.
Body-
- Discuss the article 17 of the constitution (fundamental right). E.g “Untouchability is abolished and its practice in any form is forbidden. The enforcement of any disability arising out of Untouchability shall be an offence punishable in accordance with law; mention the Prohibition Of Employment As Manual Scavengers And Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.
- Mention that the sanction for manual scavenging lies at the heart of majoritarian mindsets and structures. It is part of an ideological framework that permeates the institutional apparatus of government; mention the construction of insanitary latrines despite a law prohibiting the same ; There is a ban on manual scavenging and so the government considers it non-existent but there still exist more than 2.6 million dry toilets in India, according to Census 2011; etc.
conclusion– based on your discussion, form a fair and a balanced conclusion on the given issue.
Topic: India and its bilateral relations
Why this question
The current summit meeting between India and Russia comes at a critical time, when the geopolitical and geostrategic relations between nations are fluid. The article discusses the various issues that present itself before the two nations, and the presence of several stakeholders each with a bearing on India Russia relationship. In light of the recent summit, India Russia relationship needs to be prepared in detail.
Key demand of the question
The question expects us to first explain that India and Russia have a rich history and an extremely close relationship signified by the terminology used to describe the relationship. Thereafter we have to analyze the point of alignments and discords in the relationship, as well as how you see the relationship moving forward considering the motives of all stakeholders. Finally, we need to provide a fair and balanced opinion on the status of India Russia relationship and give way forward.
Directive word
Critically analyze – When asked to analyze, you have to examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them as a whole in a summary. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, all you need to do is look at the good and bad of something and give a fair judgement.
Structure of the answer
Introduction – In your introduction, briefly explain the summit and highlight the fact that Russia and India are time tested partners, seeking to continue their friendship in uncertain times.
Body
- Highlight the strength of the relationship – Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership, a status at par with Japan, the long history, defence partnership, nuclear power plants etc
- Next to we need to bring out the issues in the relationship by dividing them into geopolitical, geostrategic and at bilateral level. We need to discuss the Russia Pakistan India triangle, Russia China India triangle and Russia USA India triangle and issues emanating from them. We need to discuss issues in defence partnership etc
- Discuss how should India and Russia navigate the tides moving forward. Here incorporate points which offer India a leverage so that India can best serve her interests such as economic partnership as Russian economy is suffering whereas india is ranked by the IMF among the world’s ten biggest economies of 2018 etc
Conclusion – Here based on arguments made above, you need to come to a fair and balanced conclusion on the status of relationship and prescribe way forward.
General Studies – 4
Topic– Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics in private and public relationships.
7) “Only one thing is intrinsically good, namely, love: nothing else”.Comment.(250 words)
Directive word
Comment- here we have to express our knowledge and understanding of the issue and form an overall opinion thereupon.
Key demand of the question
The question wants us to express our opinion in favour or against the statement. However our opinion should be based on proper discussion and presentation of facts, arguments.
Structure of the answer
Introduction-mention that the statement is an important element of situation ethics.
Body-
Discuss how love is intrinsically good and determines ethical behaviour.
E.g Nothing is inherently good or evil, except love (personal concern) and its opposite, indifference or actual malice; Love, in this context, means desiring and acting to promote the wellbeing of people; Nothing is good or bad except as it helps or hurts persons; The highest good is human welfare and happiness (but not, necessarily, pleasure); Love and justice are the same, for justice is love distributed
Love and justice both require acts of will etc.Conclusion– based on your discussion, form a fair and a balanced conclusion on the given issue.
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