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 : Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.
Reference: Post Independent India by Bipin Chandra
Why the question:
The question is from the static portions of GS paper I.
Key Demand of the question:
One must examine the early challenges that India faced as a newly independent country.
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:
Write about the prevailing conditions after independence in the introduction.
Body:
Briefly present the background of Post- Independence, integration and unification of India.
Mention how it created challenges for India- both external and internal; One can discuss these problems in phases – Phase 1 (1947- 1967), Phase 2 (1967-1977) and Phase 3 (1977- 1984).
Then explain the fact that Indian democracy is a heterogeneous model with a vast socio-religious and cultural diversity. It was predicted by western political analysts that the Indian model of democracy would not last long. However, it was due to India’s strong commitment to its constitutional principles that led India to not only survive as a nation but also to emerge as the leader of the newly independent countries.
Conclusion:
Conclude by mentioning India’s democratic credentials which helped India to survive as a nation.
Introduction:
15th August 1947 marked the end of colonial rule in India and the country found itself standing on the threshold of a new era wherein the task was to build a strong nation. While India found itself independent from the British, it was still to find independence from social, economic and political problems that hindered India’s growth story.
Body:
Challenges faced by India post-independence:
Internal challenges:
- Partition and its consequences:Partition was marked with large scale communal violence. Partition not only led to the division of assets but also created huge refugee crisis followed by the origin of Kashmir problem.
- Mass poverty:At the time of Independence, the incidence of poverty in India was about 80% or about 250 million. Famines and hunger pushed India to take external help for its food security.
- Illiteracy:When India gained Independence, its population numbered about 340 million. The literacy level then was just 12% or about 41 million.
- Low economic capacity:Stagnant agriculture and poor industrial base.
- In 1947, agriculture accounted for 54% of India’s GDP. At the time of independence, 60% of India’s population depended on agriculture for a living.
- During the centrally planned economy phase, the annual growth rate stagnated around 3.5%(Hindu rate of growth) from the 1950s to 1980s, while per capita income growth averaged 1.3%.
- Linguistic reorganization:Boundaries of the British Indian provinces had been drawn and redrawn in a haphazard manner without any thought to cultural and linguistic cohesion. Continued demand for linguistically homogeneous provinces led to emergence of secessionist trends.
- Secessionist movements:Punjab’s Khalistan movement of the 1980s, Insurgency in the North-East, and the Naxal Movement in central-eastern India (1960s) were the biggest internal security challenges to India.
- Emergency:National Emergency of 1975 as the government’s response to the JP Movement is considered as dark phases of Indian democracy. It curtailed the fundamental rights of the citizens and shook the foundations of Indian democratic credentials.
- From 1973 there was a sharp decline in the economic situation, a combination of growing unemployment, rampant inflation, and scarcity of basic food and essential commodities created a serious crisis.
External challenges:
- Global world order marked with cold war tensions: Most of the developing countries were band-wagoning either of the two superpowers USA or the Soviet Union. India followed a policy of Non-Alignmentto stay away from cold-war politics and focus on its internal development.
- Hostile neighbours:India had to face consequent wars with Pakistan (1965, 1971) and China (1962) during the early phases of its independence. This not only hindered India’s growth and created regional instability.
- Influence of domestic politics on foreign policy: Tamil minority rights in Sri Lanka without incurring any costs with the Sinhala majority. Indian Prime Minister did not attend the Colombo Commonwealth Summit in 2013 because of the Tamil minority issue. The Teesta Waters agreement was not concluded due to political reasons.
Conclusion:
It is to be noted that, Indian constitutional principles of secularism and federalism are the foundational keystone of Indian democracy. Indian democracy is a heterogeneous model with a vast socio-religious and cultural diversity. It was predicted by western political analysts that the Indian model of democracy would not last long. However, it was due to India’s strong commitment to its constitutional principles that led India to not only survive as a nation but also to emerge as the leader of the newly independent countries.
General Studies – 2
Topic : Development processes and the development industry —the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders.
Reference: Deccan Herald
Why the question:
The article talk about the blow to NGO’s based on the report published by Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy.
Key Demand of the question:
Critically examine in what way FCRA has increased bureaucratic control and oversight over the functioning of NGOs in India, it has deteriorated the spirit of unity and cooperation that had been ushered in by such organisations in development of social sectors in the country.
Directive:
Explain – Clarify the topic by giving 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:
One can start with the fact that The Centre For Social Impact and Philanthropy in its report has pointed out that there will not only be an increase in school dropouts and child marriages but also a decrease in immunization and access to healthcare due to the economic downturn induced by Covid-19.
Body:
Start explaining how the amendments in FCRA pose grave concerns to the development of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in India.
The thresholds for administrative expenses of NGOs have been reduced from 50% to 20%. Imposing such a cap not only results in ‘legislative overreach’ but will also adversely affect think tanks and NGOs where the expenses for providing services to the to the social sector are counted as ‘overheads’. This will greatly hamper innovation, impact measurement, and livelihood of workers at such organisations. It is also believed that the said cap on expenses result in the closing down of multiple small-scale NGOs that are responsible for vital works among the commons.
Discuss the impact in detail.
Suggest what needs to be done to address the issue at hand.
Conclusion:
Conclude that NGOs often play a crucial role in filling the void created by the inadequacies of the government in its developmental schemes. Hence, undermining the efforts of NGOs by imposing such paralyzing restrictions on them might lead to the downfall of eco-system of NGOs in India.
Introduction:
Recently, the parliament proposed some amendments to the Foreign Currency Regulation Act (FCRA), 2010. According to the government, these amendments aim to bring about transparency in the working of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).
However, these new governmental regulations put onerous conditions on NGOs, educational and research institutions that have partnerships, including of a financial nature, with foreign entities.
Body:
Role of NGOs in India
India has nearly 3.4 million NGOs, working in a variety of fields ranging from disaster relief to advocacy for marginalised and disadvantaged communities. There the role and responsibilities are immense in developing country like India, which can listed as follows:
- Bridging The Gap:NGOs endeavour to plug gaps in the government’s programmes and reach out to sections of people often left untouched by state projects. For example, providing aid to migrant workers in Covid-19 crisis.
- Also, they are engaged in diverse activities, relating to human and labour rights, gender issues, healthcare, environment, education, legal aid, and even research.
- Role of an Enabler:Community-level outfits and self-help groups are critical for bringing any change in the ground
- Acting as a Pressure Group:There are political NGOs that mobilise public opinion against government’s policies and actions.
- The Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy in its report has pointed out that there will not only be an increase in school dropouts and child marriages but also a decrease in immunisation and access to healthcare due to the economic downturn economic downturn induced by Covid-19.
- This will make it strenuous for India to achieve its sustainable development goals. During such testing times, especially when there have been reports of a 40% plunge in foreign contributions in India, the new Foreign Contribution Regulation (Amendment) Act, 2020 (FCRA). The amendments pose grave concerns to the development of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in India.
Major Amendments in the Law:
- There is now a capping of the administrative expenses of NGOs at 20% of their foreign donations.
- The new amendment requires them to have a State Bank of India account at a Delhi Branch.
- It also prohibits the transfer of grants received under FCRA to any other outfit.
- It also gives sweeping powers to the Ministry of Home Affairs to cancel the FCRA certificate of an NGO.
- NGO’s are now required to provide details of Aadhar cards of all their office-bearers, directors, and key functionaries to the government, supposedly to add accountability of all actors
Concerns Emanating from these Amendments:
- The provision that constrains NGOs from sub granting, threaten the spirit of collaboration in the country’s development sector.
- Imposing such a cap not only results in ‘legislative overreach’ but will also adversely affect think tanks and NGOs where the expenses for providing services to the social sector are counted as ‘overheads’.
- Greatly hamper innovation, impact measurement, and livelihood of workers at such organisations.
- Would result in the closing down of multiple small-scale NGOs that are responsible for vital works among responsible for vital works among the commons.
- This would undermine the flow of foreign funding and development aid; Disincentivize bigger NGOs from funding smaller NGOs.
- The proposed changes are not in sync with the ideals of environmentalism, human rights and civil liberties as these sectors receive most of the foreign contributions. These ideals are important pillars of India’s soft power.
- Many civil society groups question these amendments, especially at a time when the country requires robust civil society organisations and networks to deal with a range of challenges including the detrimental effects of the Covid-19 pandemic
- Due to these issues, the International Commission of Jurists has said the new law was incompatible with international obligations and India’s own constitutional provisions on rights.
- Supreme Court ruling in Justice K. S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) and Anr. vs Union Of India And Ors regarding the application of Aadhaar does not support the idea.
Although some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) engage in dubious activities, many upright bodies exist among them. It may be indecorous on the government’s part to limit the activities of such organisations.
Conclusion:
It is important for NGOs to achieve and maintain a high degree of transparency in not just their work but also their financials. NGOs need to keep their income and expenditure open to public scrutiny. However, credibility of an NGO cannot be decided against the touchstone of the source of funds, native or foreign.
Also, the government must realise that seamless sharing of ideas and resources across national boundaries is essential to the functioning of a global community, and it should not be discouraged unless there is reason to believe the funds are being used to aid illegal activities.
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.
Reference: Deccan Herald
Why the question:
The article explains the need for political engagement of gender violence prevalent in our society.
Key Demand of the question:
Discuss if gender based violence need to be politicized/engaged politically and if so explain how it needs to be done.
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:
Briefly highlight the gender based violence factor prevalent in the country.
Body:
The misogyny, casteism, and power imbalances underlying rape/gender based violence require intervention both in the social and legal domain.
Explain that given their opinion mobilisation capacities and the influence they command over lawmaking and implementation, political parties can have a key role in imagining and realizing solutions. Even if they are less proactive than they should be (a distinct possibility), there is little prospect of things shaking up without political buy-ins.
Take hints from the article and explain what needs to be done to ensure greater political engagement.
Conclusion:
Conclude with way forward.
Introduction:
National Crime Record Bureau report shows stark increase in violence against women in India in the forms of dowry deaths, acts of sexual harassment, torture, rapes and domestic violence.
Violence against women – particularly intimate partner violence and sexual violence – is a major public health problem and a violation of women’s human rights.
Violence can negatively affect women’s physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health, and may increase the risk of acquiring HIV in some settings.
Body:
Need for political engagement:
- Underreporting:According to WHO estimates less than 40 percent of the women who experience violence seek help of any sort.
- Among women who seek help, tend to approach family and friends and very few look to formal institutions and mechanisms, such as police and health services.
- Less than 10 percent of those women seeking help for experience of violence sought help by appealing to the police.
- Erring Laws:Most of the times laws and legislations for women safety are either not in compliance with the International standards or not implemented properly.
- Laws relating to violence themselves constitute greater barrier against justice for women.
- Dearth of Data and Statistics:on crime against women.
- There is a need of a comprehensive and systematic research and analysis on crime against womenat Central, State, district and block level.
- Accused are known persons:from the family or neighbourhood. Women are not safe among the people they know well and may be unsafe with dear and near ones.
- Improper implementation:Although many laws and legislations are existing but their full implementation in terms of legal literacy, training officials responsible for administering legislation, legal support services is not up to the mark.
Multidimensional Consequences:
- Rights Issue:Any form of Violence against women hinders their realization of fundamental rights under article 14, 21, 19 and 32 of the Indian constitution.
- Health Issue:Violence in any form affects not only physical mental sexual and reproductive health of women but also adversely affects their self-esteem, ability to work and make decisions about fertility.
- Economic Issue:violence against women can have serious impact on economy of the household as well as of the nation.
- Direct cost:loss of income, productivity, healthcare and cost of social services.
- Indirect cost:Impact on child wellbeing, female and child mortality, intergenerational social and psychological cost.
- Development Issue:Violence obstructs participation of women in development and planning programs both at micro and macro level.
- Violence prevents women from experiencing or accessing the benefits of development by restricting their ability to act or move freely.
- Violence against women is an obstruction to poverty alleviation programs as it impedes equitable distribution of resources.
Measures needed:
- Addressing the deeply entrenched patriarchal attitudes of the police, lawyer and other judicial officers that continues to contribute to low reporting and conviction rates.
- Bridging the gap between GBV laws and its correlated areas such as legal rights to property, land, inheritance, employment and income that allows a woman to walk out of an abusive relationship and specific emphasis on political and economic participation of women.
- Systematic intervention for multi-sectoral linkages between Health sector (medical and psychosocial support), Social Welfare sector (Shelters, counselling and economic support/skill), Legal (legal aid)
- Not just engage with “men and boys” as change agents but also acknowledge the expectations linked to masculinity, their position as victim of violence especially for young boys to address the perpetuation of cycle of GBV.
- Recognize sexual and reproductive health and rights by promotion and protection of women’s right to have control and decide freely over matters related to their sexuality, including sexual and reproductive health, family-planning choices and access to comprehensive sexuality education.
- Reclaiming the spaces for women to increase their presence in visibility through political and economic participation and diversifying their engagement in non-traditional sectors.
- Use of technology and emerging concepts such as Smart City in urban policy for ensuring safer and gender friendly infrastructures and spaces that prevents GBV
Conclusion:
Given their opinion mobilisation capacities and the influence they command over law making and implementation, political parties can have a key role in imagining and realising solutions.
In the tradition of Track II diplomacy, where backroom players set the stage for front room ones unwilling to be seen hobnobbing, the initial stage-setting for a nonpartisan engagement could be done by women’s organizations, think tanks, and other civil society formations. Of course, they would be working with leaders – Dalits, women, and really anyone amenable to privileging conscience over party loyalty – from across party lines to flesh out these commitments, issue them from a neutral platform, and enjoin all political parties to endorse them.
Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The podcast brings to us the discussion of Drug regulation laws in the country.
Key Demand of the question:
Discuss the evolution of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPSA) since its inception and explain the need for a more rational approach to punishment and sentencing with respect to drug possession and quantities.
Directive:
Explain – Clarify the topic by giving 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:
Set the background of the question like how the Act has been in news recently owing to many incidences involving Drug abuse.
Body:
Explain the coming of the Act; India is a signatory to the UN Single Convention on Narcotics Drugs 1961, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, 1971 and the Convention on Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, 1988 which prescribe various forms of control aimed to achieve the dual objective of limiting the use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for medical and scientific purposes as well as preventing the abuse of the same.
The administrative and legislative setup in the field of Narcotics has been put in place in the country in accordance with the spirit of the UN Conventions. The basic legislative instrument of the Government of India in this regard is the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
Discuss the key features; The Act provides stringent provisions for the control and regulation of operations relating to narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
It also provides for forfeiture of property derived from, or used in, illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
It also provides for death penalty in some cases where a person is a repeat offender.
Comment then on the need for a more rational approach to punishment and sentencing with respect to drug possession and quantities.
Conclusion:
Conclude with what should be the way forward.
Introduction:
The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, commonly referred to as the NDPS Act, is an Act of the Parliament of India that prohibits a person the production/manufacturing/cultivation, possession, sale, purchasing, transport, storage, and/or consumption of any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance.
Body:
EVOLUTION
- 1988 amendment
- The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Act, 1988(Act No. 2 of 1989) received assent from then President Ramaswamy Venkataraman on 8 January 1989.
- 2001 amendment
- The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Act, 2001(Act No. 9 of 2001) received assent from then President K. R. Narayanan on 9 May 2001
- 2014 amendment
- The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Act, 2014(Act No. 16 of 2014) amended the NDPS Act to relax restrictions placed by the Act on Essential Narcotic Drugs (Morphine, Fentanyl and Methadone), making them more accessible for use in pain relief and palliative care.
- The Amendment also contained measures to improve treatment and care for people dependent on drugs, opened up the processing of opium and concentrated poppy straw to the private sector, and strengthened provisions related to the forfeiture of property of persons arraigned on charges of drug trafficking.
- The Amendment also removed the NDPS Act’s imposition of a mandatory death sentence in case of a repeat conviction for trafficking large quantities of drugs, giving courts the discretion to use the alternative sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment for repeat offences. However, the Amendment increased the punishment for “small quantity” offences from a maximum of 6 months to 1-year imprisonment.
Need for more rational approach:
- Located between two largest opium producing regions of the world i.e. Golden Crescent in the west and Golden Triangle in the east, India is considered to be extremely vulnerable to narcotic drug trafficking.
- In February 2019, AIIMS submitted its report ‘Magnitude of Substance Use in India’ that was sponsored by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The study found that –Around 5 crore Indians reported to have used cannabis and opioids at the time of the survey. About 60 lakh people are estimated to need help for their opioid use problems.
- Nationally, it is estimated that there are about 8.5 lakh people who inject drugs.
- Of the total cases estimated by the report, more than half of them are contributed by states like Assam, Delhi, Haryana, Manipur, Mizoram, Sikkim and Uttar Pradesh. Punjab ranks consistently at the top or in the top five in many of the surveys conducted.
- India has a fairly large reservoir of raw opium, cannabis, alcohol and now synthetic opioid users, both in urban and rural areas, with a large number of them being young and adolescent population. The social, health and economic consequences of substance dependence are well known and include
- Health:mortality, morbidity, psychiatric and physical disorders
- Social:accidents, absenteeism, family disintegration, prostitution, organized crime etc.
- Economic:finances spent on developing services, drain on national resources, loss of productivity, etc.
Way forward:
- NCB in collaboration with state agencies and concerned ministries, organizes awareness campaigns. Awareness campaignis also a continuous process. Other agencies such as social welfare or health department have to also contribute in this fight against drug menace.
- De-addiction and demand reductionis important. Demand reduction is also a job that the government agencies will have to ensure. For demand reduction, there are addition centres. The ministry of social justice and empowerment gives money to some NGOs to work in this field.
- There should be rehabilitation within the society. It is difficult to get the addicted people back to creative level so government has to make necessary and sufficient rehabilitation centres with required resources to bring people back to mainstream society.
- If a common man has information about drug supply chain or peddlers or wants to inform about someone suffering from this menace, they can contact NCB. For supply reduction, they can contact state director.
- Public campaign- anti-drug consumption campaign could be launched with more vigour, starting from school children particularly of higher grades. There are marathons, walkathons on this issue. There is advertisement placed in railways and metros.
- Collaborate at international and multilateral forums so as to ensure that those foreign jurisdictions also act to stop the supply into India. There are various bilateral agreements and treaties with countries in which sharing of information and facilitating investment is also important.
- As a society, we need to say no to drugs. Make efforts to take action against them who are involved in supplying drug to drug traffickers. At least the youngsters do not fall prey to this menace in the times to come should be the aim. It is not a cool thing to do which can be done once for trial and get out of it quickly. Also, they should be made aware to not get into peer pressure.
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.
Reference: Economic Times
Why the question:
The Union Health Ministry’s eSanjeevani OPD platform has completed five lakh tele-consultations within six-months since its launch. Thus the question.
Key Demand of the question:
One has to bring out the infrastructural gaps in the Health sector of the country and examine the role of Digital solutions to address them.
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 the case of India’s Health infrastructure in general.
Body:
Start by giving some relevant statistics to tell the dire situation of India’s health sector.
Discuss the infrastructural problems such as poor doctor to patient ratio, less number of hospitals
and beds per one lakh population etc.
Mention the way forward for addressing the above mentioned issues.
Highlight the importance of digital services in the way forward by giving examples.
Conclusion:
Conclude on a positive note stating that Digital solutions are a welcome step to the Health sector.
Introduction:
‘Going Digital’ has no doubt been a magic phrase that has often been repeated in multiple contexts in the country, and as yet another ‘Mission’ for the health sector, they waited for more news to emerge. COVID-19 triggered an introspection of India’s Healthcare System.
Body:
Current scenario of healthcare sector in India:
- Treatment and Viewing of Healthcare System:The headlines of the tragic loss of lives, the exponential increase in cases, economic morass and social disruptions have emerged a deeper subtext on how the healthcare sector is viewed and treated.
- Emergence of Reports on Healthcare’s Problem:The pandemic has raised reports on longstanding problem of healthcare workers protesting the shortage of equipment, patients charging doctors and hospitals for profiteering, policy makers issuing edicts against providers and reported cases of hoarding of essential medicines.
- Increasing lack of interest between stakeholders of the Healthcare System:The growing lack of trust between patients and their doctors and providers and the wider mistrust between policy makers and the industry found fresh ground during the pandemic.
Issues with the healthcare sector
- Lack of infrastructure
- India’s public hospitals have only 7,13,986 beds, including 35,699 in intensive care units and 17,850 ventilators.
- Hospital beds per 1,000 people:
- As per the OECD data available for 2017, India reportedly hasonly 0.53 beds available per 1,000 people.
- These figures are 0.87 in Bangladesh, 2.11 in Chile, 1.38 in Mexico, 4.34 in China, and 8.05 in Russia.
- Also, the numbers have not changed in the last four yearsof available data, this shows India’s stagnant allocation to the public health care budget.
- Low public health spending in percentage of the country’s GDP
- The general perception behind the inadequate provision and availability of healthcare services is attributed to thecountry’s developing nation status.
- However,India even lags behind its BRICS peers on the health and quality index (HAQ index).
- As per the National Health Profile 2018, India’s public health spending is less than 1 percent of the country’s GDP.
- These figures are lower than some of its neighbors, countries such as Bhutan (2.5 percent), Sri Lanka (1.6 percent), and Nepal (1.1 percent).
- India finishes second from the bottom amongst the 10 countries of its region for its percentage spending of GDP on public health.
- Maldives spends 9.4 percent of its GDP to claim the top spot in the list, followed by Thailand (2.9 percent).
- Subnational differences in India
- Differences in Health and Quality Index (HAQ index)
- While the best performing states, Kerala and Goa, scored more than 60 points, the worst-performing states of Uttar Pradesh and Assam scored less than 40 points.
- Also, the gap between these highest and lowest scores increasedfrom a 23.4-point difference in 1990 to a 30.8-point difference in 2016.
- Availability of beds
- Kerala with a population of only 3.5 crore (2018) has over 22,300 available bedsin public hospitals/government medical colleges.
- However, bigger states like Gujarat and Maharashtrawith populations of over 6.82 crore and 12.22 crore (2018) respectively, have only 16,375 and 6,970 beds respectively.
- These differences across states also speak for thediffering capacities to contain the virus at a subnational level wherein Kerala has emerged as a successful model.
Indian healthcare on the cusp of a digital transformation:
- Healthcare has become one of India’s largest sector, both in terms of revenue and employment.
- Healthcare comprises hospitals, medical devices, clinical trials, outsourcing, telemedicine, medical tourism, health insurance and medical equipment.
- The Indian healthcare sector is growing at a brisk pace due to its strengthening coverage, services and increasing expenditure by public as well private players.
- Indian healthcare delivery system is categorised into two major components – public and private.
- The Government, i.e. public healthcare system, comprises limited secondary and tertiary care institutions in key cities and focuses on providing basic healthcare facilities in the form of primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in rural areas.
- The private sector provides majority of secondary, tertiary, and quaternary care institutions with major concentration in metros and tier I and tier II cities.
- India’s competitive advantage lies in its large pool of well-trained medical professionals. India is also cost competitive compared to its peers in Asia and Western countries.
- The cost of surgery in India is about one-tenth of that in the US or Western Europe. India ranks 145 among 195 countries in terms of quality and accessibility of healthcare.
Conclusion:
Public health practitioners at the grass-root level would continue to wonder if digitisation is the immediate problem facing the health sector or the best way to go about addressing data gaps.
In their eyes, what millions face in the country are unreliable health-care facilities in both the government and private sectors, difficulties in getting timely care, availability of beds and hygienically maintained hospital premises, availability of doctors physically or on line, and the continuous neglect of preventive and community health initiatives.
They may be blamed for trying to delay the inevitable; the inexorable march to digitisation. Perhaps they need to discover that data is the only cure, for all our ills.
General Studies – 3
Topic : Role of media
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The editorial presents to us a detailed analysis of how TRPs of today present a tyranny to the entire system in the country.
Key Demand of the question:
One must discuss the concept of TRP in detail and analyse the issues associated and elaborate on solutions to address them.
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:
Start with the definition of TRP; target rating point (TRP) is a metric used in marketing and advertising to indicate the percentage of the target audience reached by a campaign or advertisement through a communication medium.
Body:
Briefly explain how TRP is calculated.
Start explaining the concerns associated, quote important facts to substantiate the issue.
Take hints from the article and explain what the disadvantages of rigged TRPs are, suggest solutions to address them.
Conclusion:
One can conclude with solutions to address the issue at hand, talk about the regulatory mechanism.
Introduction:
Target Rating Point (TRP), also known as the Television Rating Points is the metric used by the marketing and advertising agencies to evaluate viewership. TRPs represent how many people, from which socio-economic categories, watched which channels for how much time during a particular period.
The Centre recently announced a four-member committee, to be headed by Prasar Bharati CEO to look into the Television Rating Points (TRP) system and recommend any changes required to make it more robust and transparent.
Body:
Recording of the ratings:
- In India, the TRP is recorded by the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) using Bar-O-Meters that are installed on televisions in selected households.
- As on date, the BARC has installed these meters in 44,000 households across the country.
- Besides, Audio watermarks are embedded in video content prior to broadcast.
- These watermarks are not audible to the human ear, but can easily be detected and decoded using dedicated hardware and software. As viewing details are recorded by the Bar-O-Meters, so are the watermarks.
- BARC is jointly owned by industry bodies representing broadcasters, advertisers and advertising agencies.
Significance of the TRP ratings:
- On the basis of audience measurement data, ratings are assigned to various programmes on television.
- Television ratings in turn influence programmes produced for the viewers.
- Better ratings would promote a programme while poor ratings will discourage a programme.
- Incorrect ratings will lead to production of programmes which may not be really popular while good programmes may be left out.
- Besides, TRPs are the main currency for advertisers to decide which channel to advertise on by calculating the cost-per-rating-point (CPRP).
Limitations of TRP:
- The panel can be infiltrated or tampered by bribing viewers or cable operators or tampering with the selection of panel.
- If the sample size is very small, e.g. for English News channels, the manipulation becomes easier as even manipulating a few homes will change the TRP.
- There is an absence of any specific law through which the agents/suspects involved in panel tampering/infiltration could be penalized.
- About 70% of the revenue for television channels comes from advertising and only 30% from the subscription. Dependence on advertisements for revenue is leading to broadcasting content which suits the advertisers.
Way forward:
- Increasing the sample size so that the results are more accurate, developing a legal framework for the regulation of TRP and chip-based activity logs through all set-top boxes are some of the things that can be done by the government in conjunction with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to make the calculation of TRP fair and precise.
- The subscription rates, which are controlled by the TRAI, should be raised so that TV channels are not forced to serve the lowest common denominator.
General Studies – 4
7. Discuss Kautilya’s philosophical basis of governance. (250 words)
Reference: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by Lexicon Publications
Why the question:
The question is from the static portions of GS paper IV.
Key Demand of the question:
The aim of the question is to discuss Kautilya’s philosophical basis of governance.
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:
One can start with the definition of Governance.
Body:
Governance refers to “all of processes of governing, whether undertaken by a government, market or network, whether over a family, tribe, formal or informal organization or territory and whether through the laws, norms, power or language.
Discuss the background of Kautilya’s Arthashastra; the purpose of the Arthasashtra was to be a comprehensive guide for government in the Mauryan Empire, and to aid its ruler to increase the wealth, power and security of the kingdom.
Kautilya said that good governance and stability go hand in hand. According to him, there is stability if rulers are responsive, responsible, accountable, removable, and recallable, otherwise there would be instability. Discuss the inherent philosophies that his propositions carry and guide the good governance in a country.
Conclusion:
Conclude with importance.
Introduction:
Kautilya, also known as Chanakya, is India’s most illustrious political economist of all time. He regarded economic activity as the driving force behind the functioning of any political dispensation. In fact, he went to the extent of saying that revenue should take priority over the army because sustaining the army was possible out of a well-managed revenue system, which is key for good governance.
Body:
Kautilya’s philosophical basis of governance:
Good governance in Kautilya’s literature ARTHASASTRA is aimed at fulfilling the welfare of the people. “In the happiness of the King’s subjects lies his happiness, in their welfare, his welfare. Whatever pleases him personally, he shall not consider as good, but whatever makes his subjects happy, he shall consider good.”
The jargon related to Human Resource Management was not prevalent then, but its essence was widely practised in Kautilya’s times. “The King should look to the bodily comforts of his servants by providing such emoluments as can infuse in them the spirit of enthusiasm to work. He should not violate the course of righteousness and wealth. Thus, he shall not only maintain his servants, but also increase their subsistence and wages in consideration of their learning and work.”
Kautilya said that good governance and stability go hand in hand. According to him, there is stability if rulers are responsive, responsible, accountable, removable, and recallable, otherwise there would be instability.
Welfare State:
Arthashastra sets the conceptual groundwork for making India the first welfare state. He backed welfare in all spheres. He did not talk only about human welfare but paid attention to animal welfare also. He states that “In the happiness of his subject’s lies the king’s happiness, in their welfare lays his welfare. He shall not consider as good as only that which pleases him but treat as beneficial to him whatever pleases his subjects” He supported the protection of livelihood, of weaker section, consumer protection and even the welfare of prisoners also. The King’s dharma is to be just, fair and liberal in protecting his people. His boldness to his people should be like attitude of a father towards his children. Kautilya demarcated the model ruler as one “who is ever active in promoting the welfare of the people and who endears himself by enriching the public and doing well to them.”
Principles of Economic Administration:
The cardinal principle of economic administration was laid down in Kautilya’s Arthashastra in the following words – “The root of wealth is economic activity and lack of it brings material distress. In the absence of fruitful economic activity, both current prosperity and future growth are in danger of destruction. The King shall populate the countryside by creating new villages on virgin lands or reviving abandoned village sites.”
Conceptualising Good Governance:
The Arthashastra equates political governance with economic governance. The end is economic governance while political governance is the means. But as economic objectives are not realised in the absence of political ones, then political governance becomes an end and economic governance the means. ‘The end justifies the means’, this is supposed to be the basis of Kautilyan and Machiavellian philosophy. Political power and material wealth according to Kautilya are the means and ends of governance. And good governance – political or economic – depends upon justifying the ends and means as the socio, economic and political conditions.
The three constituents of power are: intellectual power, military might, and enthusiasm and morale.
Conclusion:
Kautilya was a true statesman who bridged the gap between experience and vision. For Kautilya, good governance was paramount. He suggested built-in checks and balances in systems and procedures for the containment of malpractices. Many postulates of Kautilya’s philosophy of political economy are applicable to contemporary times.
