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.
Topic: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
Reference: Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania
Why this question:
The question is premised on the aspects of architecture and the intent of it to the empires of the time.
Key demand of the question:
Architecture provides an insight into the system of structural thought used by a society to conceptualize their world.
Directive:
Analyze – When asked to analyse, 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.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Explain the fact that Rulers use architecture as a means to represent their rule and demonstrate their power over the people they rule. In doing so, they embody the nature of their rule in plans of building and cities.
Body:
To start with explain the significance and motto behind such architecture of such scale. Depicts their power to mobilize the resources in the state, explain that they depict visual statements of their ideology of power. Such architecturally based structural thought includes an understanding of social and political Relationships. Give examples to justify such as Mughal architecture epitomized a certain political and cultural ideology – the mosques, palaces and garden served as symbol of Mughal presence and authority highlighted the social and cultural hegemony established by Mughals.
Conclusion:
Conclude with significance.
Introduction:
Mughal architecture, building style that flourished in northern and central India under the patronage of the Mughal emperors from the mid-16th to the late 17th century. The Mughal period marked a striking revival of Islamic architecture in northern India. Under the patronage of the Mughal emperors, Persian, Indian, and various provincial styles were fused to produce works of unusual quality and refinement.
Body:
The commencement of Mughal Era in India brought about a lot of changes in the overall mien of the country, the examples of which are present even today in the form of majestic monuments, forts, palaces, and tombs. The chief characteristics of the Mughals buildings was the bulbous graceful dome, the cupolas at the corners standing on slender pillars, magnificent palace hall and the lofty vaulted gateway.
Reasons for massive structures:
- Monuments epitomize an imperative part of cultural heritage, where distinct characteristics, traditions, influences and ideas are constructed as well.
- The Mughal rulers took ardent concern in the art of architecture.
- Initially, all building activity of the Mughals was focused on functional needs such as building forts, mosques, places for a congregation. These spaces were built to showcase the authority and the might of the new ruling classes.
- Once the leadership of the Mughals was established in India, the construction activity underwent a massive change. Buildings were now designed to be pleasure palaces for the royalty.
- The enormous wealth and power available with the great Mughals enabled them to construct buildings of supreme beauty and lay out extensive pleasure gardens and new cities.
- From the famous Taj Mahal in Agra to the Red Fort all Mughal buildings were meant to impress.
- This was partly due to the reason that the Mughals wanted to consolidate their position in the newly conquered territory.
- Also, the Mughal buildings were meant to signify the authority of the Mughals over its subjects.
- The structures bear witness to Mughal rulers’ unquestionable capacity as a great builder and as a great organizer and ruler of men.
- Further, the Mughals built with a strong religious influence. Their buildings adhered to all Islamic norms and often had many a carving with representing Islamic scriptures.
- The reason behind (to an extent) was to influence the majority Hindu population. The Mughals brought with them a new religion to the country which they wanted the indigenous population to adopt.
- Thus, all in all, Mughal buildings were primarily built on monumental scale. They unlike the buildings of the bygone eras were not constructed on a private or a public scale.
Some examples of scale of structures built my Mughals:
- Jam-i-Masjid, which is one of the largest mosque in India was modelled on the pattern of mosque at Mecca. This mosque measures 542 feet by 438 feet and has been described as the “glory of Fatehpur”.
- The Buland Darwaja, a structure which is 176 feet high from the level of the ground and 134 feet above the raised plinth, dominates the entire city of Fatehpur Sikri. It is the highest gateway in India and one of the biggest in the world. This structure is said to have been erected in 1601 A.D. to commemorate the victory of Akbar in the Deccan.
- The first great architectural achievement of Jahangir is the construction of Akbar’s mausoleum at Sikandra. It is 74 feet high and has four minarets of white marble.
- A mosque of distinction built by Shah Jahan was Moti Masjid at Agra. This mosque was built by Shah Jahan in honour of his daughter Jahanara. It measures 243 feet by 187 feet with three bulbous domes of Central Asian design.
- The most outstanding monument of Shah Jahan is Taj Mahal at Agra. The main gate of the Taj standing on a platform 211 feet square is three storeyed building. It is built of pure white marble with a great tomb on the centre over the tomb, surrounded by four smaller domes of the chapel in the four corners of the building. Four minarets stand at the angle of the terrace.
Conclusion:
Thus, stating the seemingly obvious, Mughal architecture developed into a one of a kind architectural style which has withstood the test of time. It is appreciated widely by people all across the world due to its distant features as discussed above. It is up to us architects of India to carry forward and preserve our traditional styles of architecture and create something new that is looked upon with pride by our future generations.
Topic: Government Budgeting. Investment models.
Reference: Indian Economy by Dutta and Sundaram
Why this question:
The question is from the static portions of GS paper IV.
Key demand of the question:
Explain the need for a mature PPP framework, along with a robust enabling ecosystem in accomplishing the goal of Nation building.
Directive:
Comment– here we have to express our knowledge and understanding of the issue and form an overall opinion thereupon.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
In short explain the importance of investment models in the nation building. PPP is an arrangement between government and private sector for the provision of public assets and/or public services. Public-private partnerships allow large-scale government projects, such as roads, bridges, or hospitals, to be completed with private funding
Body:
To start with explain what you understand by PPP. Explain the importance of it to the Indian economy. Explain that for a country to grow and increase its production investment is required. Private investment can be source from domestic or international market. Private investment can generate more efficiency by creating more competition, realization of economies of scale and greater flexibility than is available to the public sector. List down in detail the merits and demerits of PPP model.
Conclusion:
Conclude with need to embrace PPP model to accomplish the dream of Nation building.
Introduction:
Public Private Partnership means an arrangement between a government/statutory entity/government owned entity on one side and a private sector entity on the other. It is often done for the provision of public assets or public services, through investments being made and/or management being undertaken by the private sector entity, for a specified period of time. There is well defined allocation of risk between the private sector and the public entity. The private entity who is chosen on the basis of open competitive bidding, receives performance linked payments that conform (or are benchmarked) to specified and pre-determined performance standards, measurable by the public entity or its representative.
Body:
Need for PPPs in nation building:
- Better infrastructure: It is a fact that most governments face the problem that public financing is not enough to bridge the gap between infrastructure need and available funds. In this respect, infrastructure development has to rely increasingly on private markets to leverage and mobilize capital.
- Risk sharing: The private sector is considered to be more proficient in resource acquisition and utilities deliverance than the government, and, therefore, it is further bolstering government’s good fortune to impart the related risks to the private segment.
- Optimum allocation of resources: PPPs can help in the optimum allocation of public resources for the development of infrastructure. Though conventional models of public acquirement concentrate on accomplishing the most reduced forthright expenses in conveying infrastructural ventures infrastructural projects, PPPs concentrate on delivering cost-effectiveness over the duration.
- Innovations: Development is another imperative idea that the private segment can convey to public utilities. As a rule, people in the public sector may not be as inventive similar to the private area. The private division is constantly hunting down new items and utilities to expand its aggressive edge and to save costs.
- Aid in growth of other sectors: To the government, PPP frees up fiscal funds for other areas of public service and improves cash flow management as high upfront capital expenditure is replaced by periodic service payments and provides cost certainty in place of uncertain calls for asset maintenance and replacement.
- The catalyst for the economy: To the private sector participants, PPP provides access to public sector markets. If priced accurately and costs managed effectively, the projects can provide reasonable profits and investment returns on a long-term basis.
- More employment generation: Development of infrastructure will need manpower at various levels and hence it will generate more employment opportunities for the people.
- Improves the image of the country: There will be more development of better physical infrastructure and services through PPP and it will create a good impact on tourism and other enthusiast investors.
- Attract FDI: Scope for investment by the private sector in infrastructure will also provide the opportunities to foreign investors to participate and the financial crunch can be meted out easily. The better infrastructure is also a major boost to foreign direct investment (FDI).
Challenges faced by PPP in India
- Construction/implementation risk, arising from delay in project clearance; contractor default; environmental damage.
- Market risk, arising from insufficient demand; insufficient demand.
- Finance risk, arising from inflation; changes in interest rates; increase in taxes, Change in exchange rates.
- Operation and maintenance risk, arising from the termination of the contract; technology risk; labor risk.
- Legal risk, arising from changes in law; changes in title/lease rights; insolvency of developer/service provider; change in security structure.
Way Forward
- The success of Public-Private Partnership PPP to a large extent depends on optimal risk allocation among stakeholders, the environment of trust among stakeholders, robust institutional capacity to undertake grooming and implementation of PPP projects.
- Further to foster the successful implementation of a PPP project, a robust PPP enabling ecosystem including liquid and diversified financial institutions; sound regulatory and arbitration framework; mature developers and experienced consultants etc. is essential.
- To develop the PPP projects in India, the Kelkar Committee proposed some changes. Some of them are:
- The PPP model requires the involvement of a private partner to leverage financing and improve operational efficiencies. Therefore, state-owned enterprises or public sector undertakings should not be allowed to bid for PPP projects.
- PPPs should not be used by the government to evade its responsibility for service delivery to citizens. This model should be adopted only after checking its viability for a project, in terms of costs and risks.
- Further, PPP structures should not be adopted for very small projects, since the benefits are not commensurate with the costs.
- Risk allocation and management: Public-Private Partnership PPP contracts should ensure optimal risk allocation across all stakeholders by ensuring that it is allocated to the entity that is best suited to manage the risk. A generic risk monitoring and evaluation framework should be developed covering all aspects of a project’s lifecycle.
- Strengthening policy and governance: The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 should be amended to distinguish between genuine errors in decision making and acts of corruption by public servants.
- Strengthening institutional capacity: A national-level institution should be set up to support institutional capacity building activities and encouraging private investments with regard to PPPs. Independent regulators must be set up in sectors that are going for PPPs.
- An Infrastructure PPP Project Review Committee may be set up to evaluate PPP projects. An Infrastructure PPP Adjudication Tribunal should also be constituted. A quick, efficient, and enforceable dispute resolution mechanism must be developed for PPP projects
- The government should notify guidelines for auditing of Public-Private Partnership PPPs, only enabling the review of government internal systems. Special Purpose Vehicles (private partners) should follow norms of corporate governance and financial disclosures as per the Companies Act, 2013.
- Strengthening contracts: The private sector must be protected against such loss of bargaining power. This could be ensured by amending the terms of the Public-Private Partnership PPP contracts to allow for renegotiations.
- PPP must not be a short cut only to save money or bridge fiscal gaps or transfer risks; it should be used to improve service quality or bring efficiency improvements.
Topic: Government Budgeting. Investment models.
Reference: Hindustan Times
Why this question:
The author brings out the dire need of ensuring the safety and the well-being of the poor and marginalized living in urban agglomerations in the current conditions.
Key demand of the question:
Explain the importance of rebuilding the village economy in the current times while throwing light on the relevance of gram Swaraj.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by explaining the importance of village economies in general for the economic health of the nation.
Body:
Discuss the current situation; explain how large employment centers such as Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad are struggling to contain the spread of the deadly virus. Discuss the issue of poor and migrants. Then discuss the concept of Gram Swaraj of Mahatma Gandhi and explain the applications of it in the current situation. His pioneering idea of Swaraj or self-rule emanated from the very foundation of the Indian society, its villages, and implied self-reliance. Gandhi envisioned his ideal village as a self-sufficient republic – independent of its neighbors for its own wants, and, yet, interdependent for those dependent on it.
Conclusion:
Conclude with importance.
Introduction:
The onset of the coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc across the world. India, apart from the pandemic faces another massive challenge of ensuring the safety and the well-being of its poor and marginalised living in urban agglomerations. Nearly one-fifth of India’s labour force – about 100 million – are migrants. Rebuilding the village economy can enable people to stay in their communities.
Body:
Current scenario of migrants in the urban agglomerations of India:
- National Sample Survey Organisation, 2010 reported that about 30% migrants were working as casual workers and only 35% of migrant workers were employed as regular/salaried workers.
- Without having adequate social protection and safety measures, biased policies discounting the demands of millions of migrant workers working in various hazardous industries and mines, lack of basic minimum facilitates, illiteracy compounded with social discrimination and on top of it, the recent COVID-19 pandemic have pushed these migrant workers to the margin.
- Large employment centers such as Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad are struggling to contain the spread of the deadly virus.
- The problem gets further complicated for those who live in congested slums and ghettos where social distancing is at best a misnomer.
- Add to that, the poor and migrants are unemployed, and, in the immediate future, face an uncertain future.
- The post-lockdown images of migrant labourers walking back on feet or thronging bus and train stations caused a massive furore.
- Migrants are aware that, without work, they can’t survive in cities.
- if they don’t have work in their destination cities, they have no good reasons to stay away from the family.
- Most of them are employed in low-end, low-value, hazardous work, which is further compounded by a lack of identity and legal protection. For them, villages are still a better option, with a social security net.
The importance of rebuilding the village economy:
- Gram Swaraj – Gandhiji’s talisman, the fruit of his life-long search for answers of India’s many ills.
- His pioneering idea of Swaraj or self-rule emanated from the very foundation of the Indian society, its villages, and implied self-reliance.
- Gandhi envisioned his ideal village as a self-sufficient republic – independent of its neighbours for its own wants, and, yet, interdependent for those dependent on it.
- Migrants are aware that, without work, they can’t survive in cities. In contrast, in their villages, they have a well-established food supply and free shelter.
- For migrants, in the current scenario, villages are still a better option, with a social security net.
- Rebuilding the village economy can enable people to stay in their communities.
- Livestock, fisheries, dairy, vegetables, fruit and food processing are more labour-intensive and high value-yielding.
- Small scale industries, local mills, cottage and home-grown products can make this happen if supported with an efficient distribution system and conducive laws.
Challenges faced by villages:
- There are only a few opportunities for them in villages, which prompted them to move out of the village in the first place, often leaving behind their families, to brave the harsh conditions of cities.
- They do this to make a life for themselves and support their families.
- Cities cannot do without them, and yet, their plight remains understated.
Measures undertaken so far to revive the village economy:
- To reopen the closed and defunct mills, especially those in the food business – the flour, oil and pulse mills.
- It’s reviving small units such as dairies, and ensuring them security and support to employ the local workforce, and eventually, cater to foreign markets.
- The government is also trying to revive the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector, which has over 70 lakh units in the state – the largest share in the country.
- On Panchayati Raj Diwas (April 24th), the Prime Minister of India launched ‘Swamitva Yojana’ or Ownership Scheme to map residential land ownership in the rural sector using modern technology like the use of drones. The scheme aims to revolutionise property record maintenance in India.
Way forward:
- The state can effectively engage the self-help group (SHG) members by leveraging the collateral free credit of Rs 20 lakh extended to them as part of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY).
- There is a need to adopt a holistic approach and develop short- and long-term plans for migrants.
- After many decades of neglect in research and development, lack of market access, on-off policies for exports, and market distortions, the present adversity may be a timely opportunity for agricultural and allied sector.
- In line with the government of Uttar Pradesh, it can instruct the SHGs to concentrate on producing items/commodities that have local demand; one-district-one-product model could be followed.
- Using the locally available raw material, supply chain disruption can be addressed and demand creation can be planned for rural areas.
- Government should facilitate the credit linkage to these SHGs and agencies, including the Farmer Producer Organisations and Panchayats can be engaged in procuring these products with a minimum assured price and facilitating appropriate market linkages.
- Demand for additional 100 days of rural employment guarantee can also help the rural economy significantly.
- Large-scale plantation, horticulture, fishery-related activities can be taken up including regular activities under MGNREGS to create demand for jobs in rural areas.
- The government should also facilitate assured credit support to small rural enterprises.
- It can procure horticulture products from the doorstep of the farmers for a smooth supply chain after imparting required training to the migrant workers.
- As we embrace the knowledge era and focus on capacity building of rural youth, the opportunities in rural areas should, in principle, become higher than those in urban areas since the rural segment can now benefit from all three (agriculture, manufacturing and services) sectors of the economy.
- In the knowledge era, with emphasis on capability and capacity building of rural youth in terms of holistic education, appropriate technology and enhanced livelihood, there is a possibility for a more balanced distribution of income as well as population.
- This would need knowledge bridges to be built between cities and villages, and the creation of an ecosystem which has been conceptualised as a “cillage” — a synergistic combination of city and village.
Conclusion:
Rural economy would need support of a suitable policy framework and reforms in pricing policy, tax, market access, credit and rural infrastructure, like warehouses and cold storage. The next two years or so of how we learn to live with coronavirus can redesign the economy towards safer and more sustainable production and consumption, with agriculture and the rural economy as its strength, rather than its weakness.
Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
Reference: Hindustan Times
Why this question:
In an incident that echoes with the Bhopal Gas Tragedy (1984), an accident of gas leakage took place in a plastic factory located in Andhra Pradesh’s Vizag in the wee hours of Thursday. Thus the context of the question.
Key demand of the question:
Present a critical examination of the gaps in the occupational health and safety that have led to failure in catering for the amount of industrial development that has occurred in India.
Directive:
Critically analyze – When asked to analyse, 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, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a fair judgment.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
In short highlight the context of the question.
Body:
Start by explaining what you understand by occupational health and safety. An occupational hazard is a hazard experienced in the workplace. Occupational hazards can encompass many types of hazards, including chemical hazards, biological hazards (biohazards), psychosocial hazards, and physical hazards. Chemical hazards are a subtype of occupational hazards that involve dangerous chemicals. Exposure to chemicals in the workplace can cause acute or long-term detrimental health effects. There are many classifications of hazardous chemicals, including neurotoxins, immune agents, dermatologic agents, carcinogens, reproductive toxins, systemic toxins, asthmagens, pneumoconiotic agents, and sensitizers. Then discuss the gaps in the existing policies dedicated to handle these hazards.
Conclusion:
Conclude with suggestions and solutions.
Introduction:
Occupational health and safety (OHS) relates to health, safety, and welfare issues in the workplace. OHS includes the laws, standards, and programs that are aimed at making the workplace better for workers, along with co-workers, family members, customers, and other stakeholders.
A major leak from a polymer plant LG Polymers near Visakhapatnam impacted villages in a five-km radius, leaving at least 9 people dead and thousands of citizens suffering from breathlessness and other problems in an early morning mishap that raised fears of a serious industrial disaster.
Body:
Occupational health and safety is concerned with addressing many types of workplace hazards, such as:
- Chemicals
- Physical hazards
- Biological agents
- Psychological fallout
- Ergonomic issues
- Accidents
Gaps in the occupational health and safety that have led to failure:
- Thirty-six years after the Bhopal disaster, it is distressing to see accidents from hazardous industries. The fields of occupational and environmental medicine, toxicology, and epidemiology which study and prevent industrial accidents have still not been developed adequately to cater for the amount of industrial development that has occurred in India.
- The common reasons for accidents in chemical plants occur is from improper maintenance of equipment. A piece of equipment can ultimately fail and malfunction if it is not properly maintained. This can be very hazardous for the workers who are operating and working around the machine.
- Regular maintenance at scheduled intervals and the manufacturer’s recommendations is important to ensure that the equipment runs smoothly and safely.
- A majority of accidents that occur in refineries are the result of human error. Often times a worker fails to follow the safety procedures that have been put into place by the company.
- An accident can occur when a worker uses improper equipment. Furthermore, injuries occur when a worker uses improper tools to work on the equipment. This can damage the machines and create a safety hazard on the workers.
- Oftentimes an accident occurs due to a manufacturing defect. These defects can sometimes be present in the materials used or in a piece of equipment.
- An inspector may miss a defect in the equipment during the manufacturing process. A problem like this is not recognized until a worker is injured by the defective equipment.
- Whenever personnel is not adequately or properly trained, chemical plant and refinery accidents are more likely to occur.
- Employees should be properly taught on how to operate the equipment in the way it was designed to be used. They should also learn to employ safety procedures when they are operating a piece of equipment. Also, employees should be well versed in what to do if something goes wrong so that they can fix it before it gets out of control.
Measures undertaken in India:
- Civil Nuclear Liability Act, 2010 deals with instituting civil liability for nuclear damage and granting prompt compensation to victims of a nuclear incident
- The Environment Relief Fund (ERF), a central fund under the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991, was set up to provide immediate relief to victims of accidents in chemical industries. In March, a study found that a corpus of Rs 810 crore with ERF has remained unutilised for nearly three decades.
- India follows the highest standard of liability for an incident like this, when a hazardous or dangerous substance used for industrial purposes leaks and causes harm to people.
- Environment Protection Act, 1987, brought in the aftermath of Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Under this, the Centre has notified Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemicals Rules, 1989 and the Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2008 for regulating hazardous substances.
- The principle of ‘absolute and strict liability’ was formulated by the Supreme Court in a crucial judgment in MC Mehta vs Union of India in 1986, when the court was dealing with the leak of oleum gas at the Shriram Foods and Fertiliser Industries plant in Delhi.
- The National Environment Appellate Authority Act, 1997: Under this Act, the National Environment Appellate Authority can hear appeals regarding the restriction of areas in which any industries, operations or processes or class of industries shall not be carried out or shall be carried out subject to certain safeguards under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
- National Green Tribunal, 2010 provided for the establishment of the National Green Tribunal for effective and expeditious disposal of cases related to environmental protection and conservation of forests.
- This means that if there is an accident at a plant like LG Polymers in Visakhapatnam, which involves the manufacture or use of a hazardous substance (like styrene gas here, or oleum gas in the Delhi case) the company which runs the plant has to make sure that it compensates everyone who suffers any sort of harm as a result.
Way forward:
- The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2019, which unfortunately, successive governments have not felt it necessary to ratify should be taken up and put into place immediately.
- With the ultimate aim of extending the safety and healthy working conditions to all workforce of the country, the Code enhances the ambit of provisions of safety, health, welfare and working conditions from existing about 9 major sectors to all establishments having 10 or more employees.
- It is evident that the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions has some unique new initiatives for both workers and employers.
- It promotes health, safety, welfare and better working conditions of workforce by enhancing the ambit of a dynamic legislation as compared to the existing sectoral approach limited to few sectors.
- Besides, it also drastically rationalises the compliance mechanism with one license, one registration and one return for the establishments under the ambit of the Code thereby saving resources and efforts of the employers.
- Thus, there is a need to balance the requirements of worker and employer and is beneficial to both the constituents of the world of work.
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.Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
Reference: Hindustan Times
Why this question:
The author talks about the need to recognise mental health as a key determinant in controlling the aspects of economy in the near future and the need for urgently recognising it.
Key demand of the question:
Explain why the policy makers often tend to ignore Mental health as a key parameter in determining the overall health of the nation. Bring out the economic aspects of mental health in detail.
Directive:
Account – Weigh up to what extent something is true. Persuade the reader of your argument by citing relevant research but also remember to point out any flaws and counter- arguments as well. Conclude by stating clearly how far you are in agreement with the original proposition.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Present briefly importance of mental health in general.
Body:
Explain the current situation; the effect of Corona pandemic on the mental health of the entire country. Despite it being a proven point that, there are definite gains by investing in mental health and we can make a measurable difference, unfortunately the investment on mental health continues to be substantially low worldwide. One must discuss the burden due to mental illness, costs of mental illness, and consequences of mental illness on the labour market, with emphasis on current scenario in India.
Conclusion:
Conclude with solutions to address the situation. The negative economic consequences of mental illness greatly exceed the costs of treatment. Thus it is important to treat mental illness.
Introduction:
Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community. (WHO) With over 18% of India’s population aged 10-17, the future of the country will be driven by this segment.
The isolation and fear in this lockdown era is driving an escalating nervousness among many people. Not just those with pre-existing conditions like anxiety, depression and OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), but also the elderly who are struggling with new levels of loneliness and helplessness.
Body:
Status of Mental health in India
- According to an estimate by the World Health Organization (WHO), mental illness makes about 15% of the total disease conditions around the world.
- The same estimate also suggests that India has one of the largest populations affected from mental illness.
- As a result, WHO has labelled India as the world’s ‘most depressing country’.
- Moreover, between 1990 to 2017, one in seven people from India have suffered from mental illness ranging from depression, anxiety to severe conditions such as schizophrenia, according to a study. It is no exaggeration to suggest that the country is under a mental health epidemic.
- More than 450 million people suffer from mental disorders. According to WHO, by the year 2020, depression will constitute the second largest disease burden worldwide (Murray & Lopez, 1996).
Economic aspects of mental health:
- After the stock market crash of 1929, the suicide rate in the United States (US) rose 50%; to 18.1 per 100,000 from the 12.1 per 100,000 from 1920 to 1928 and stayed at 15.4 per 100,000 between 1930 and 1940.
- In 2008, researchers from the University of Oxford and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine noted an extra 10,000 “economic suicides” across the US, Canada and Europe, due to the financial crisis
- The social and economic fissures exposed by the pandemic will result in mass unemployment, depleted social safety nets, starvation, increase in gender-based violence, homelessness, alcoholism, loan defaults and millions slipping into poverty.
- This post-Covid landscape will be a fertile breeding ground for an increase in chronic stress, anxiety, depression, alcohol dependence, and self-harm.
- It could lead to an overall rise in morbidity, suicides and the number of disability-adjusted life years linked to mental health.
- Other than human suffering, suicide has an economic dimension, each death costs Rs 265,000 in the first year alone, says a study by Gopala Sarma Poduri in the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine.
- Short-term costs include hospital expenses for the act leading to death, autopsy expenses, police investigations, funeral expenses, etc.
- Long-term costs include the lost income that could have been earned by the person till retirement, tax that the government lost from that income, among other things.
- At-risk populations include the 150 million with pre-existing mental health issues, Covid-19 survivors, frontline medical workers, young people, differently abled people, women, workers in the unorganised sector, and the elderly.
Way Forward:
- First, India can appoint a minister with a Cabinet rank as head of mental health and well-being, and create an emergency task force of public health experts in creating and executing evidence-based interventions.
- Second, work on a war footing to push to implement the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, (MHCA) that promises mental health care to all and introduce a suicide prevention policy. Many countries, including China, have been able to significantly reduce suicides after they implemented a suicide prevention policy.
- India’s investment in mental health — the last Union Budget slashed it by 20% from Rs 50 crore to Rs 40 crore — will need a boost.
- According to estimates, Rs 93,000 crore will be needed to implement MHCA, 2017. This could come from the PM Cares Fund, corporate social responsibility initiatives, private equity, and perhaps, a new national lottery.
- Rural India may be particularly susceptible to suicide due to the influx of migrant workers, and also because it is home to the at-risk farmer community.
- The central storage of pesticides in the farming community, decreasing the lethality of pesticides, and interventions to dissipate suicide contagions might be key.
- At the centre of this should be a large public engagement campaign to increase help-seeking. This must be centrally driven, supported by state governments, and endorsed by influential people.
- Mental health and suicide should be treated as a public health crisis that needs immediate fixing.
- Mainstream media and social media giants can be roped in to create and spread awareness.
- There is a good chance that alcohol addiction will rise after Covid-19. It will be beneficial to provide rehabilitation services that address both physical and psychological aspects.
- Community-based interventions such as Atmiyata’s community-based volunteers in Maharashtra and Gujarat, SCARF’s mental health mobile vans in Tamil Nadu, and Sangath’s VISHRAM, that used community health workers for the first line of treatment (depression fell by 22% and prevalence of suicidal thoughts fell by 51%), can be scaled.
- Training millions in suicide prevention techniques and combining crisis intervention by providing psychological first-aid will help save lives and reduce emotional distress, preventing long-term trauma.
- Digitally-mediated therapy and telepsychiatry (NIMHANS runs a successful telepsychiatry intervention in Karnataka) should be scaled up.
- A mental health startup incubator (funded by the Startup India programme) should provide the necessary impetus to spawn innovations that tap technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning and chatbots.
- Use of low-tech like text messages can be highly effective in increasing awareness, decreasing stigma and inducing help-seeking behaviour.
Conclusion:
Timely intervention, awareness about the issue, availability of professional help and appropriate policies is the only way to improve the situation. It is thus imperative to believe and propagate that people with mental illness deserve to live their lives with dignity and confidence. It requires a collaborative public-private-social partnership to change things considerably.
Topic: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment. Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Why this question:
The question is premised on the fact that environmental values and the economic values must go hand in hand in order to achieve the well-being of humankind.
Key demand of the question:
Explain the importance and need for integration of environmental values and the economic values.
Directive:
Elucidate – Give a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the particular context. You must be defining key terms where ever appropriate, and substantiate with relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Economic expansion of human being has been seen as a challenge to the ecology and environment right from the ancient age.
Body:
Explain the given statement with suitable example. Debate between environment and economic value. need an integrated approach to human development by adopting means such as -Development of renewable energy, Development of environmental rule of law etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude with need for the integration of the two.
Introduction:
India has made a lot of progress in the last two decades, but we must sustain the growth engine to ensure increased incomes, improved livelihood and a better quality of life. Economic growth has positive impacts like increase in wealth/reduction in poverty, improved standards of living, health, education and infrastructure and technology. However, there are negative effects like health challenges, increase in income inequality, increased pollution and a depletion of natural resources
Body:
Development and Environment:
- Development and environment are two sides of the same coin.
- On one hand people are concerned about the environment in which they live.
- Major issues like global warming, greenhouse effect, air and water pollution are increasing each day.
- On the other hand, to eradicate poverty and increase growth in the economy, development is mandatory.
- Without economic development a nation cannot come out of the vicious circle of poverty.
- As our population grows, finding a balance between economic advancement and consumption of natural resources is a vital question that India should address. Development without environment is meaningless.
- We need to save our resources for our future generations so that they can live in a healthy environment.
Some of the recent negative externalities on environment:
- Nearly 17,000 grown trees will be chopped off for redevelopment of central government accommodations in south Delhi.
- Trees have been felled regularly across the country to make way for concrete monstrosities.
- Between 2008 and 2017, nearly 20,000 thousand trees have been cut in Bengaluru to make way for flyovers, road widening and other projects.
- In Gurugram in 2016-17 alone close to 10,000 trees were cut.
- According to government data over the last 30 years, forests nearly two-thirds the size of Haryana have been lost to encroachments and industrial projects
Concerns posed:
- The current GDP estimates do not account for the gains/losses in natural capital.
- Identifying and quantifying the ecosystem services for the purpose of damage assessment is a difficult task in the absence of relevant data.
- Water scarcity, high levels of pollution, extreme weather phenomena and the regular occurrence of floods and droughts could strain an economy fighting to grow.
- Health challenges, increase in income inequality, increased pollution and a depletion of natural resources.
- Large economic growth adversely affects the environmental quality and economic welfare of individuals and households.
- Development policies give more priority to income and employment generation, implementation of pollution control policies is very poor.
- At present, the price of a commodity covers only the private cost of production, not the damage cost.
- This makes the commodity relatively cheaper leading to more demand and output, and more pollution and environmental damage cost.
- India has more environmental conflicts than any other country, according to Environmental Justice Atlas, an international database.
- Researchers have found that environmental governance in India is poor not because of laws but their pathetic implementation.
- Multiplicity of authorities for environmental management and poor coordination among them
Way forward:
Role of Enterprises:
- Production systems must become sustainable.
- Switching from non-renewable to renewable sources of energy and materials targeting cleaner production.
- Improving energy efficiency in industry is one of the most cost-effective measure.
- Maximising recycling and reuse of wastes.
- Industries across sectors must come together on a common platform to address the issues concerning economic development and environment protection.
- Market-based instruments such as pollution tax and tradable pollution permits must be carried out.
Role of Government:
- Policies need to be simplified to create an ecosystem for new sustainable businesses to flourish.
- ICT can help drive socio-economic achievements via e-health, e-government services and smart grids for utilities.
- Good environmental governance which limits exploitation of natural resources to sustainable levels.
- Our policy should not be based on the “pollute-first; clean-up-later” approach.
- We need to strengthen participatory processes such as public hearings in the environmental and forest clearance process.
- Developing and reporting measures of human well-being other than GDP that better account for environmental and social costs of resource use.
- The Green GDP is a step forward for India if it wishes to account for true economic growth and its holistic wealth.
- Strict environmental regulation may reduce environmental damage significantly.
- India should work with foreign governments and global organizations to find ways of subsidizing clean fuel and cleaning our rivers and aquifers.
Conclusion:
The transition to economic growth coupled with efficiency in natural resource use and its conservation can help India attain its goals of inclusive growth with sustainable development. The time has indeed come to add “swachh paani” and “hawa” to “roti-kapada-makaan-aur-bijli”, to begin our journey towards sustainable growth.
Topic: Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance; ethical issues in international relations and funding; corporate governance.
Reference: Governance by Lakshmikant
Why this question:
The question is based on the evaluation of lateral entry in public administration.
Key demand of the question:
The question is pretty much straightforward, one has to explain the concept of lateral entry and bring out the merits and demerits.
Directive:
Elucidate – Give a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the particular context. You must be defining key terms where ever appropriate, and substantiate with relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Lateral entry aims to attract technically proficient and public spirited individuals with domain expertise to contribute to the task of nation building.
Body:
To start with discuss the concept of Lateral entry. List down the merits and demerits in detail, suggest examples to justify better. Comment on the need to institutionalize the framework for lateral recruitment to bring about objectivity and remove discretion.
Conclusion:
Conclude that thus lateral entry while aims at enabling induction of fresh perspective and technical capacities at higher levels, should not lead to compromise of basic public service values like integrity and honesty.
Introduction:
The lateral entry mode, which pertains to the appointment of specialists from private sector in government organisations, is an attempt by the government to bring in fresh talent into the bureaucracy. While the nine lateral entrants, all set to join government soon, the latest attempt to reform the bureaucracy has raised more questions than answers
Body:
Possible advantages:
- Civil servants enter public service as generalists and have grassroots realities. Building specific domain expertise starts quite late for career bureaucrats.
- To bring in fresh ideas and new approaches to governance. Expert advice and opinion for efficient administration and fulfilling the aspirations of people
- The present system of frequent and arbitrary transfers hinders gaining of the relevant experience by incumbent officers. They spend less than 16 months, on average, in any post; and studies shows only 24% of postings are viewed as “merit-based” by bureaucrats themselves.
- Former instances:
- Lateral entry into finance ministry produced illustrious public servants like Manmohan Singh, Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Vijay Kelkar etc.
- Outside talent from the private sector is more likely to be target-oriented, which will improve the performance of the government.
- Lateral entry scheme, if implemented properly, may foster more competitive spirit, break the complacency of the higher civil servants and eventually prove to be a pioneering initiative in public interest.
- Question often raised in this context is whether the higher bureaucracy is equipped to comprehend complex economic and technical issues in order to properly aid and advise the Minister. Doubts are raised whether civil servants can handle diverse portfolios from civil aviation to power to defence.
- The three-year action agenda released by NITI Aayog in August 2017 said “policymaking is a specialized activity” and “lateral entry will have the beneficial side effect of bringing competition to the established career bureaucracy”.
- Lateral entry at the level of Secretary has met with some success earlier:
- Besides, Secretaries to the Departments of Atomic Energy, Science & Technology, Scientific and Industrial Research, Health Research, and Agricultural Research have always been scientists of eminence.
- Similarly, in departments like the Railways, Posts, etc., all senior positions are manned by Indian Railway or Postal Service officers. Therefore, there is nothing very original in the new initiative to allow entry at the level of Joint Secretary.
However, it has challenges too:
- Many serving Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers see this move as threatening their hegemony.
- Experts criticize this move as the beginning of the end of a neutral and impartial civil service with the likely induction of loyalists to the current dispensation.
- Doubts have been expressed if private business houses would plant their people in order to influence government policies.
- Differences in work culture may often come in the way.
- The width and depth of field experience which the civil services provide is not available with outside talent.
- Interests and motivation vary from person to person. Therefore, short term entry of officers through lateral entry might lead to corrupt practices.
- The private sector who ran Air India, Indian Airlines and Vayudoot proved to be failures.
- Lateral entry into civil services undermines reservation policy.
- If a person from a private infrastructure company is appointed in an infra ministry it will lead to questions of morality, ethics and conflict of interest.”
- Lack of transparency, honesty and political interference in the selection process.
- Nobody knows why a particular individual was selected and why others more qualified were left out.
- It is difficult to assess the performance of a secretary to the government due to complex nature of the job. So it would be difficult to measure the performance of lateral entrants.
- If the selection is politically motivated, it may degrade the system.
Way forward:
- Government must ensure that only candidates, the likes of whom are not available in the existing system, are appointed. If they turn out to be truly outstanding, there should be provisions to induct them permanently in the government, with approval of the UPSC, and consider them for higher postings.
- Government must also allow deputation of its officers to private sector as well so that they get
exposure to market practices and fresh ideas.
- The remedy lies not through lateral induction but through more rigorous performance appraisal
and improved personnel management.
- The government can consider lateral entry to head certain mission-mode projects and public-sector entities where private-sector expertise actually matters.
- The process of selection needs to be transparent.
- A credible statutory agency like UPSC should be entrusted with the responsibility of recruitment.
