NOTE: Please remember that following ‘answers’ are NOT ‘model answers’. They are NOT synopsis too if we go by definition of the term. What we are providing is content that both meets demand of the question and at the same time gives you extra points in the form of background information.
General Studies – 1
Topic: population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies.
Reference: www.nios.ac.in
Why the question:
The question is from the static portions of GS paper I.
Key Demand of the question:
Student must aim to bring out the correlation of population distribution of India with that of the physical divisions of the country.
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:
Start with some key facts related to population trends in the country.
Body:
For such questions it is very important for one to cover the spatial aspects through the map of India.
Start by explaining the population parameters across the country with respective influences of the physiography of that region.
Correlated the two factors say, discuss the distribution of population in dry land regions of the country, coastal regions, plateau regions, plains etc.
Give suitable examples, if need be make use of population theories to justify such correlation.
Conclusion:
However, one can conclude that the population growth has now moved beyond the factors of physiography and with the coming of technology and other infrastructural facilities population no more is just the function of physiography.
Introduction:
India is the second largest populous country in the world, next only to China. On a geographical area of 2.45 per cent of the world total, the country accounts for a little less than 17 per cent of its population. India’s population stood at 1028.61 million according to the final figures of 2001 census. With a density of 324 persons per square km as compared to the world average of only 47 persons, India indeed is one of the most thickly populated countries of the world.
Body:
India is a vast country with a great amount of diversity from one region to another in terms of its geography, historical experience and the resultant social, cultural and economic attributes. This diversity is also manifested in the patterns of population distribution in the country. One of the unique features of India’s population relates to its uneven distribution over space.
Population distribution vis-à-vis the broad physical divisions of India:
- While the fertile alluvial plains in the north rank among one of the most thickly populated tracts of the world, the arid region of the Thar desert in the north-western part of the country appears as almost uninhabited.
- This unevenness in population distribution is best revealed in the fact that more than 57 per cent of India’s population is concentrated in a quarter of its geographical area.
- Likewise, more than four-tenths of the country accounts for only a little over 15 per cent of its population.
- Of the 593 districts in the country at the time of 2001 census, the hundred most densely populated ones accommodated nearly 27 per cent of the population on an area that is only 7 per cent of the country’s total.
- The average density of these districts works out to be as high as 1,238 persons per square km.
- On the other extreme, the hundred least densely populated districts, covering nearly a quarter of the total geographic area, account for only 5 per cent of the country’s population.
- Since nearly 60% of India’s population still resides in the rural areas overwhelmingly dependent upon agricultural sector, the pattern of population distribution in the country largely corresponds to the factors governing agricultural practices.
- The availability of agricultural land, depth and quality of soils, and availability of water resources, coupled with favourable climatic conditions, surface configuration, possibility of easy transportation etc. have determined the patterns of population distribution in the country.
- The single largest concentration of population occurs in the plains of the north, particularly in the Ganga plain. On a geographic area of nearly 12 per cent of the country, the plain accounts for more than one-third of the population.
- Other pockets of heavy concentration of population, though less extensive than the Ganga plain, can be seen in the southern parts of the Indian peninsula along the coastal plains of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
- By contrast, the whole of the upland plateaus, the Thar desert and the mountainous and hilly regions of the north and northeast contain very sparse population.
- The upland plateaus are characterized by rugged topography and poor soils. In addition, unfavourable climatic conditions and shortage of water for any large-scale agricultural activities have resulted in overall sparse population in the region.
- Likewise, the mountainous character and difficult terrain, coupled with lack of connectivity and paucity of agricultural lands in the Himalayas and in the northeast, have led to sparse population.
- In the arid and semi-arid regions of the northwest population is highly clustered around water points.
- In the northeast, the Assam valley stands conspicuous with denser concentration of population as compared to the neighbouring hilly region.
- These patterns of population distribution have evolved over a long time as a response to a host of physical and cultural factors.
Conclusion:
The development of industrialization and urbanization, emergence of urban centres as foci of administrative and commercial activities, development of road and rail networks and expansion of irrigation facilities during the more recent times have led to significant amount of redistribution of population in the country. Nevertheless, the broad patterns of population distribution as outlined above have remained more or less unchanged over time.
General Studies – 2
Topic : GS-2: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
GS-3: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
Reference: Indian Express.
Why the question:
The article talks about the efforts of the government of Himachal Pradesh that is seeking to establish a Bulk drug park in its State.
Key Demand of the question:
Explain the concept of Bulk Drug parks in the country; discuss the key features of the scheme associated with it.
Directive:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you have to debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You have to give reasons for both for and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Define first what Bulk Drugs are.
Body:
A bulk drug is also called an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). It is the key ingredient of a drug or medicine, which lends it the desired therapeutic effect or produces the intended pharmacological activity.
Discuss the process of API preparation and the importance of Bulk drugs therein.
Discuss the key features and importance of Bulk drugs to our health systems.
Explain why India should promote bulk drug parks?
Explain the Key features of the scheme for promotion of Bulk Drug parks in the country.
Conclusion:
Conclude with importance.
Introduction:
A bulk drug, also called an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), is the key ingredient of a drug or medicine, which lends it the desired therapeutic effect or produces the intended pharmacological activity.
A bulk drug park will have a designated contiguous area of land with common infrastructure facilities for the exclusive manufacture of APIs, drug intermediates or DIs or key starting material (KSMs), and also a common waste management system.
Body:
The Union Cabinet in March 2020 approved two schemes, namely the scheme on Promotion of Bulk Drug Parks and Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme to promote domestic manufacturing of critical Key Starting Materials/Drug Intermediates and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients in the country.
Key features of the schemes:
Promotion of Bulk Drug Parks Scheme
- Objectives:The scheme is expected to reduce manufacturing cost of bulk drugs in the country and dependency on other countries for bulk drugs.
- The scheme will also help in providing continuous supply of drugs and ensure delivery of affordable healthcare to the citizens.
- Number of Parks:The government aims to develop 3 mega Bulk Drug parks in India in partnership with States.
- Funding:Government of India will give Grants-in-Aid to States with a maximum limit of Rs. 1000 Crore per Bulk Drug Park. A sum of Rs. 3,000 crore has been approved for this scheme for next 5 years.
- Facilities:Parks will have common facilities such as solvent recovery plant, distillation plant, power & steam units, common effluent treatment plant etc.
- Implementation:The scheme will be implemented by State Implementing Agencies (SIA) to be set up by the respective State Governments.
Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme
- Aim:The PLI scheme aims to promote domestic manufacturing of critical Key Starting Materials (KSMs)/Drug Intermediates and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) in the country.
- Funding:Under the scheme financial incentive will be given to eligible manufacturers of identified 53 critical bulk drugs on their incremental sales over the base year (2019-20) for a period of 6 years.
- Impact:PLI scheme will reduce India’s import dependence on other countries for critical KSMs/Drug Intermediates and APIs.
- This will lead to expected incremental salesof Rs 46,400 crore and significant additional employment generation over 8 years.
- Implementation:The scheme will be implemented through a Project Management Agency (PMA) to be nominated by the Department of Pharmaceuticals.
Need for India to promote the Bulk Drug Parks:
- Despite being 3rd largest in the world by volume the Indian pharmaceutical industry is significantly dependent on import of basic raw materials, viz., Bulk Drugs that are used to produce medicines.
- In some specific bulk drugs, the import dependence is 80 to 100%.
- In the 2018-19 fiscal, the government had informed the Lok Sabha that the country’s drug-makers had imported bulk drugs and intermediates worth $ 2.4 billion from China.
- But with frequent lockdowns due to the deadly coronavirus outbreak, supplies of raw materials from China to produce drugs for treating HIV, cancer, epilepsy, malaria, and also commonly-used antibiotics and vitamin pills, were hit
- The border conflict between India and China exacerbated the situation.
- All these factors pushed the Indian government to call for greater self-reliance across all industries, and in June, the department of pharmaceuticals announced a scheme for the promotion of three bulk drug parks in the country.
Other measures needed:
- India’s strong innovation capabilities aided partnerships would help in overcoming these problems.
- Developing our R&D sector to reduce dependency on foreign countries for raw materials
- The introduction of pharmaceutical product patents and the mandatory implementation of good manufacturing practices is the need of the hour.
- It is necessary for the Indian pharmaceutical industry to become globally competitive through world-class manufacturing capabilities, with improved quality and a higher efficiency of production, and there is a need to stress on the up-gradation of R&D capabilities.
- Training and development of human resources for the pharmaceutical industry and drug research and development should be done accordingly;
- There is also a need to promote public-private partnership for the development of the pharmaceuticals industry; promote environmentally sustainable development of the pharmaceutical industry; and enable the availability, accessibility, and affordability of drugs.
- Improvement in industrial practices to provide better training and support services for employees to perform their job functions.
- A drugs price index would surely make sense.
- Using multilateral organization like WTO against the illegal trade practices.
- Funding for the pharma companies might be a way to move forward.
- IPR Think Tank formed by the Government to draft stronger national IP policies.
Way forward:
- Focus on engineering and scale aspect of technology development.
- Need for mission mode Chemical Engineering with defined targets for uninterrupted synthesis of molecules.
- Create mega drug manufacturing clusters with common infrastructure in India.
- Technology platform to be developed for biocatalysis towards reducing process steps for cost optimization.
- Scale supporting techno-economic feasibility.
- Attention to technologies like hazardous reactions, flow chemistry, cryogenic reactions, and membrane technology.
General Studies – 3
Topic: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.
Reference: Financial Express
Why the question:
The article presents to us insights on the steps that India needs to take to create 100 million jobs.
Key Demand of the question:
Discuss the key drivers that will accelerate the pace of entrepreneurship and job growth in India with special focus on investment in building physical and human infrastructure
Directive:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you have to debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You have to give reasons for both for and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Present data on the current conditions of Jobs in the country and emphasize on the need to create more jobs.
Body:
In the answer body first discuss what the concerns are related to creation of Jobs.
Discuss the link between economic growth and job growth; discuss specific factors prevailing in the Indian context of employment.
Explain that for India to create 100 million additional jobs, it has to promote entrepreneurship. Many policy levers can be used. The highest priority is to scale up investments in human and physical infra. It is worrying that India ranks low in most global rankings of physical infrastructure at a time when it is striving to benefit from the shifting of manufacturing away from powerhouse China.
Suggest solutions to address the concerns and create jobs, take cues from the article.
Conclusion:
Conclude with way forward.
Introduction:
The unemployment rate in India fell to 7% in September 2020 from the record high of 29% since the country went into lockdown from March 2020, says the report of CMIE – Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy. The lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak has forced many industries to shut down thus increasing unemployment across the country.
India needs to create 100 million more jobs by 2030. Creating more jobs is the biggest development challenge.
Body:
Challenges in creation of jobs:
- Concerns have been raised about the slow pace of job creation, and jobless growth, in the past.
- It is worrying that India ranks low in most global rankings of physical infrastructure at a time when it is striving to benefit from the shifting of manufacturing away from powerhouse China.
- India also ranks low in the global ranking of human infrastructure, with poor ratings on education, skills, life expectancy and health.
- India’s learning outcomes and health indicators have shown little or no improvement.
- The pace of job creation cannot be scaled up without increased investments in education and skills.
- The pace of job creation and entrepreneurship have also been constrained by huge distortions in factor markets—land, labour and capital. Every enterprise needs access to these to produce output.
- Huge distortions in factor markets have made it difficult for new/young enterprises to access them, as large/established firms often crowd them out.
- The high and persistent incidence of vulnerable employment are a reflection of the nature of the structural transformation process, whereby capital and labour transfer from low to higher value-added sectors.
- The pandemic and associated policy responses have exposed the vulnerability of these urban jobs.
- Megacities have become too costly, evident in the manufacturing sector enterprises moving out from megacities to mid-sized cities to remain competitive.
- Unfortunately, India’s urbanisation has been slow to accommodate the transition of manufacturing hubs from megacities to mid-sized cities. Unlike China and the US, mid-sized cities and small towns have struggled with poor infrastructure.
Key drivers that accelerate the pace of entrepreneurship and job growth in India:
- Empirical results show that the anticipation of abnormally high returns to investment or less regulation and business environment are not the key driving force behind entrepreneurship.
- The most important factors are investments in local human and physical infrastructure.
- Cities that have improved physical and human infrastructure have provided a supportive industrial structure for input and output markets globally and locally with stronger global supply chains and presence of small local suppliers, and have shown a faster pace of start-ups and job growth.
- Job growth will benefit from an urbanisation strategy that shifts its focus from tier I to tier II cities, promotes inter-urban competition and collaboration, and promotes stronger collaboration between the Centre and states. This has the potential for a 4x increase in job growth and income.
- These patterns are true for manufacturing and services both.
- Recent reforms in strict labour regulations will improve the pace of start-ups and job creation, but much more needs to be done to reduce distortions in land and capital markets. Access to land and capital are particularly important for new and small enterprises.
Way forward to strengthen:
- Physical Infrastructure:
- Invest in infrastructure: However, much of these investments rarely benefit ‘poor urban dwellers as housing, roads, sewerage and water systems are inadequate for their needs.
- A labour-intensive approach to building municipal infrastructure can be a cost-effective alternative to capital intensive-approach as wage rates are low.
- Infrastructure investments would spur employment, generate earnings and contribute to small enterprise formation.
- Construction of low-cost housing is another activity that can be carried out using labour-intensive methods, while yielding substantial collateral benefits for urban dwellers’, as an ILO document establishes.
- Policymakers need to reduce factor market distortions, especially for land and capital markets, and link urbanisation strategy with entrepreneurship and job creation.
- Human Capital:
- To engineer an inclusive and sustainable growth for India, the social infrastructure like education, health and social protection are being given utmost priority by the Government.
- The Government has been enhancing the expenditure on human capital along with adopting measures to improve the efficiency of expenditure by a convergence of schemes.
- Several labour reform measures including legislative ones are being implemented for the creation of employment opportunities and for providing sustainable livelihoods for the population who are largely engaged in the informal economy.
- Bridging the gender gaps in education, skill development, employment, earnings and reducing social inequalities prevalent in the society have been the underlying goals of the development strategy to enhance human capabilities.
- In essence, developing and empowering human capital to be able to shift to the new technology world seamlessly, should be the top priority of governments.
- Integration of higher education with skills and vocational education. Attracting the most credible talent to the teaching profession. Building global recognition to the education system.
- Streamlining regulation to attract credible private sector entities to education are some structural changes which are needed for transforming education.
- Access to high speed internet, multidisciplinary learning, design thinking, data science and information filtration capabilities are typical for making a future ready workforce.
Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The editorial talks about the water crisis that the major Indian cities will face by 2050.
Key Demand of the question:
One must analyse the issue at hand with respect to the water risk facing the Indian cities and suggest steps that need to be taken urgently to save these cities from the burden of the water risk.
Directive:
Examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we must 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.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Define what water-risk is; it is nothing but the losses caused from battling droughts to flooding.
Body:
Quote key data from the report quoted in the article and highlight the graveness of the issue. 100 cities that are expected to suffer the greatest rise in water risk by 2050 are home to at least 350 million people as well as nationally and globally important economies. Globally, populations in areas of high-water risk could rise from 17% in 2020 to 51% by 2050.
Discuss why there is an urgent need to address such a crisis.
As India rapidly urbanizes, cities will be at the forefront both for India’s growth and for sustainability. For cities to break away from the current vicious loop of flooding and water scarcity, nature-based solutions like restoration of urban watersheds and wetlands could offer solutions
Conclusion:
Conclude with solutions.
Introduction:
According to the recent WWF Water Risk Filter report, nearly a third of the 100 cities in the world susceptible to ‘water risk’ are in India. WWF Water Risk Filter is an online tool, co-developed by the WorldWide Fund for Nature that helps evaluate the severity of risk places faced by graphically illustrating various factors that can contribute to water risk.
Body:
India is on the threshold of a very serious groundwater crisis, which needs mitigation both in the fields and at the policy corridors of the country. A World Bank study puts the plight of the country in perspective: 163 million Indians lack access to safe drinking water; 210 million Indians lack access to improved sanitation; 21% of communicable diseases are linked to unsafe water. Many Indian cities, including Delhi and Bangalore, face a water crisis, especially that of freshwater
Key findings of the report:
- The global list includes cities such as Beijing, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Istanbul, Hong Kong, Mecca and Rio de Janeiro. China accounts for almost half the cities.
- Jaipur topped the list of Indian cities, followed by Indore and Thane. Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi also featured on the list.
- Other than droughts and floods, the city’s risk levels were scored by evaluating several factors, including aridity, freshwater availability, climate change impact, the presence of regulatory laws governing water use, and conflict.
- The cities would face a ‘grave water risk’ by 2050 due to a dramatic increase in their population percentage from 17 per cent in 2020 to 51 per cent by 2050.
- The data available currently was at least a decade old and the reality of water availability and usage now was much different than that presented in the data.
- Urban watersheds and wetlands were critical for maintaining the water balance of a city, flood cushioning, micro-climate regulation and protecting its biodiversity.
Measures needed:
- India’s priority must be:
- To make our water systems amenable to modern concepts.
- To complete water sector reforms.
- To implement improved water management, governance and regulation practices.
- Pricing system for water: For making people use water efficiently
- Deepen our understanding of our water resources and usage and put in place interventions that make our water use efficient and sustainable.
- Augmentation of watersheds that can store more good water, for use in agriculture and to serve habitations.
- Strict pollution control enforcement.
- Decentralization of irrigation commands, offering higher financial flows to well-performing States through a National Irrigation Management Fund.
- Groundwater extraction patterns need to be better understood through robust data collection.
- Pollution can be curbed by levying suitable costs.
- Poor maintenance of pipelines, consistent leakage and illegal tapping of water are some of the issues that need to be addressed on a war-footing.
- Adopting rainwater harvesting techniques is the need of the hour.
- A legal mandate will work better than just competition and cooperation; it would make governments accountable.
- These forward-looking changes would need revamped national and State institutions, and updated laws.
- Urban India needs to focus on recycling and harvesting water, having better testing and purification facilities and increase public awareness on the need to conserve water.
- Large catchment areas need to be developed around water bodies so that natural recharge of groundwater takes place. A good example is the Seog catchment area which has been denoted as a wildlife sanctuary and where no construction is allowed.
- Greywater recycling, a method of recycling wastewater from kitchen sinks, showers and laundry fixtures.
- Greywater recycling helps reduce household water usage by about 50% .
- This year’s World Water Development Report makes it clear that nature-based solutions which are also aligned with the principles and aims of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development can offer answers to our most pressing water-related challenges.
Way forward:
- The future of India’s environment lies in its cities. As India rapidly urbanizes, cities will be at the forefront both for India’s growth and for sustainability.
- For cities to break away from the current vicious loop of flooding and water scarcity, nature-based solutions like restoration of urban watersheds and wetlands could offer solutions.
- Urban watersheds and wetlands are critical for maintaining the water balance of a city, flood cushioning, micro-climate regulation and protecting its biodiversity, the report notes.
Conclusion:
There is a need for credible environmental and cumulative impact assessments, genuine public consultation process at multiple stages of planning and project implementation, confidence-inspiring appraisal, which includes the appointment of independent experts, and most crucially, achieving some real monitoring and compliance. The water governance ought to be made transparent, accountable and participatory in every sub-sector, including management of rivers, groundwater, floods, and biodiversity, among others.
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. Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; role of Family society and educational institutions in inculcating values.
6. What are some of the key sources of ethics and their ideals in India? Discuss. (250 words)
Reference: www.cbseacademic.nic.in
Why the question:
The question is straightforward and is about the key sources of ethics and their ideals in India.
Key Demand of the question:
Discuss in detail the key sources of ethics and their ideals in India.
Directive:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you have to debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You have to give reasons for both for and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by stating the importance of Ethics in general and significance given to it in India.
Body:
In the knowledge tradition of India, ethics has its origin in its religious and philosophical thinking. From time immemorial, various religious faiths have flourished here. Every religious and every philosophical system of India has a prominent ethical component. Ethics is the core of all these systems. In every religious tradition, good moral conduct is considered essential for a happy and contented life.
Discuss the concept of Dharma, Purushartha etc. from Hinduism; explain the sources of ethics from Buddhism and Jainism. Discuss ethics in Sikh etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude with significance.
Introduction:
Ethics (nītīśāstra) is a branch of philosophy that deals with moral values. The moral code of the people is an indicator of their social and spiritual ways of life. The true essence of human life is to live amidst worldly joy and sorrows. Ethics is primarily concerned with the moral issues of the world.
Body:
Sources of ethics and their ideals in India:
- In the knowledge tradition of India, ethics has its origin in its religious and philosophical thinking. From time immemorial, various religious faiths have flourished here.
- Every religious and every philosophical system of India has a prominent ethical component. Ethics is the core of all these systems.
- In every religious tradition, good moral conduct is considered essential for a happy and contented life.
- Without following the path of righteousness no one can attain supreme goal (moksha) of life. For this one has to perform good deeds and avoid wrong-doing.
- India has a very ancient history of thinking about ethics. Its central concepts are represented in Rigveda, one of oldest knowledge texts not only of India but of the entire world.
- In Indian tradition, the concept of ṛta gave rise to the idea of dharma.
- The term dharma here does not mean mere religion; it stands for duty, obligation and It is a whole way of life in which ethical values are considered supreme and everyone is expected to perform his or her duty according to his or her social position and station in life.
- In the Bhagavad-Gītā, selfless action (niśkāma karma) is advocated. It is an action which is required to be performed without consideration of personal consequences. It is an altruistic action aimed at the well-being of others rather than for oneself. In Hinduism this doctrine is known as karma yoga.
- Similarly, the importance of ethics and ethical values is highlighted in epics and philosophical texts like, Upaniṣads, Rāmāyaṇa, darśana-śāstras and dharma-śāstras.
- The Dharsana śāstras are philosophical texts, which provide rational explanations of the ethical issues; the universal moral problems faced by man in daily life are placed in a philosophical context.
- In the dharma-śāstras, emphasis is on the social ethics.
- In these texts the inter-personal and social relations are placed in an ethical framework for guidance. In these texts the ethical problems are discussed in an indirect manner.
- In Buddhism, the word Dhamma is used, which is the Pali equivalent of the Sanskrit word dharma.
- According to Buddhism, the foundation of ethics is the pañcaśīla (five rules), which advocates refraining from killing, stealing, lying, sexual misconduct and intoxicants. In becoming a Buddhist, a lay person is encouraged to take a vow to abstain from these negative actions.
- Jainism is another important religion of this land. It places great emphasis on three most important things in life, called three gems (triratna).
- These are: right vision (samyaka dṛṣṭī), right knowledge (samyaka jñāna) and right conduct (samyaka cāritra). Apart from these, Jain thinkers emphasize the need for reverence (Shraddha). There are other moral principles governing the life of Jains.
- Sikhism also lays great stress on ethics in human life. Truth is higher than everything else, higher still is truthful conduct, according to Guru Nanak.
- The cardinal values according to Guru Granth Sahib are compassion, charity, contentment, non-enmity and selfless service.
- During the middle ages, the Bhakti movement arose in India. It was an all-India movement of social reform and spiritual awakening. It played a very important part in reawakening moral consciousness in India. Jayadeva, Nāmdev, Tulsīdās, Kabīr, Ravidās and Mīra are some of the prominent saints of this movement. Most of these saints came from the downtrodden sections of society. Rejecting the distinctions of caste, colour and creed, they spread the message of human equality. They were saint poets. In their vāṇī (poetic compositions) they propagated the ideals of love, compassion, justice and selfless service. These are the ethical values which we need even today.
- Finally, the constitution of India also acts as a source of ethical guidance through its sources such as Basic Text of the Constitution, Constituent Assembly debates, Freedom struggle, and Case Law Histories etc
Conclusion:
Multiple sources act as basis for ethics in India. However, almost all the sources teach the same cardinal values of truth, non-violence, compassion and love.
Topic: Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; role of Family society and educational institutions in inculcating values.
7. Brief upon the idea of Durkheim’s materialistic explanation of religion. (250 words)
Reference: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by Lexicon Publications
Why the question:
The question is based on the ethical ideas of Durkheim.
Key Demand of the question:
One must discuss in detail the idea of Durkheim’s materialistic explanation of religion.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Talk about Durkheim in the introductory part.
Body:
According to Durkheim, religion is the product of human activity, not divine intervention. He thus treats religion as a sui generis social fact and analyzes it sociologically.
According to him, religion is something eminently social. Religious representations are collective representations which express collective reality. Recognizing the social origin of religion, Durkheim argued that religion acted as a source of solidarity. Religion provides a meaning for life. Durkheim saw it as a critical part of the social system. Religion provides social control, cohesion and purpose for people as well as another means of communication and gathering for individuals to interact and reaffirm social norms.
Durkheim’s concern about religion lay in the fact that it was one of the main agencies of solidarity and morality in society and was therefore parts of the central problem of social solidarity which he wished to explore. Emile Durkheim has many purposes for studying elementary forms of Religion.
Conclusion:
Conclude with importance of his ideas.
Introduction:
Émile Durkheim was a French sociologist who rose to prominence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Along with Karl Marx and Max Weber, he is credited as being one of the principal founders of modern sociology. Chief among his claims is that society is a sui generis reality, or a reality unique to itself and irreducible to its composing parts. It is created when individual consciences interact and fuse together to create a synthetic reality that is completely new and greater than the sum of its parts. This reality can only be understood in sociological terms, and cannot be reduced to biological or psychological explanations.
Body:
Durkheim’s views on religion:
- Durkheim defined religion as a “unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things” (1915).
- To him, sacred meant extraordinary—something that inspired wonder and that seemed connected to the concept of “the divine.”
- There are, thus, three fundamental elements to every religion: sacred objects, a set of beliefs and practices, and the existence of a moral community.
- Durkheim argued that “religion happens” in society when there is a separation between the profane (ordinary life) and the sacred (1915).
- The next step in the genesis of religion is the projecting of this collective energy onto an external symbol.
- As Durkheim argues, society can only become conscious of these forces circulating in the social world by representing them somehow.
- The power of religion must therefore be objectified (materialized), or somehow made visible, and the object onto which this force is projected becomes sacred.
- This sacred object receives the collective force and is thereby infused with the power of the community.
- A rock, for example, isn’t sacred or profane as it exists. But if someone makes it into a headstone, or another person uses it for landscaping, it takes on different meanings—one sacred, one profane.
- Physical objects, such as rocks, feathers, totem polls, crosses, and so forth, can also become infused with the force of the collectivity, thereby becoming sacred and serving as a physical reminder of society’s presence.
- Such views on religion allow Durkheim to make the radical claim that a society’s sacred object is nothing but the collective forces of the group hypostatized.
- Religion is society worshipping itself, and through religion, individuals represent to themselves society and their relationship to it.
- But what would happen if religion were to decline? This question led Durkheim to posit that religion is not just a social creation but something that represents the power of society: When people celebrate sacred things, they celebrate the power of their society. By this reasoning, even if traditional religion disappeared, society wouldn’t necessarily dissolve.
Conclusion:
Durkheim is generally considered the first sociologist who analyzed religion in terms of its societal impact. Durkheim’s views are relevant to primitive society; where integration of social institutions and culture is more pronounced. It is less relevant to modern societies where many cultures, social and ethnic groups, specialized organizations and a range of religious reliefs, practices and institutions exist.
