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General Studies – 1
Topic: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues;
Reference: A Brief History of Modern India by Spectrum Publishers
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 1.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the power struggle for supremacy between British and India regional powers are the collapse of the Mughal Empire.
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:
Begin by describing the nature of political set up in the second half of the eighteenth century.
Body:
You can use a simple and illustrative map of India to show the various powers in India during the second half of nineteenth century.
Elaborate up on the various struggles between the British East India Company and the regional powers of India. Plassey, Buxar, Anglo-Mysore, Angle-Maratha, Anglo-Punjab etc.
Next, mention how there existed power strudel between various regional powers in India for political supremacy. In this context, bring out clashes of Marathas with Mysore, Marathas and Nizam, Nizam and Mysore, Marathas and Punjab etc. Elaborate how British used one regional power against another for their benefit.
Conclusion:
Conclude with the impact caused by the above.
Introduction:
The East India Company, which started initially as a trading company, had, by 1773, acquired territorial control over Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Madras and Bombay. The Nawab of Awadh and Carnatic were their dependents.
However, after 1765 they had to face stiff opposition from the Marathas, Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan of Mysore, and the Sikhs. The East India Company had to subjugate these powers in order to be paramount in India.
Body:
The British Raj ruled through the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent from 1858 to 1947. The rule is additionally referred to as the Crown rule in India or direct rule in India.
Struggle between colonial power and Indian states:
- Conflict between English and Nawabs of Bengal
- Battle of Plassey (June 23, 1757): Robert Clive’s victory over Siraj-ud-daula laid the territorial foundation of British rule in India.
- Battle of Buxar (1764): Clive’s victory over the combined armies of Nawab of Bengal, Nawab of Awadh and the Mughal Emperor at Buxar laid the real foundation of the English power.
- British Conquest of Mysore
- First Anglo-Mysore War (1767-69); Treaty of Madras
- Second Anglo-Mysore War (1779-1784); Treaty of Mangalore
- Third Anglo-Mysore War (1790-92); Treaty of Seringapatam
- Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799); Mysore is conquered by British forces
- Anglo-Maratha Struggle for Supremacy
- First Anglo-Maratha War (1775-82); Treaty of Surat (1775), Treaty of Purandhar (1776), and Treaty of Salbai (1782)
- Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803-05); Treaty of Bassein, 1802
- Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-1819)
Struggle among Indian powers
- Marathas frequently allied with the British against South Indian states such as Hyderabad and Mysore, which were both closer to the French.
- After 1761, Maratha state became more of a confederacy than an empire, as its successful generals carved out new territories for themselves, and established dynasties, such as the Holkars and Sindhias, in addition to the peshwas, the title of the hereditary prime ministers who had become the de facto rulers of the empire during the course of the 18th century.
- Nizams and Marathas allied with the British against Hyder Ali in the Anglo- Maratha wars
Indeed, Indian subcontinent in the middle of the eighteenth century was marked with political fragmentation and regional instability.
Conclusion:
The ruler of Delhi was no longer the ‘de-facto’ ruler of India. For a large number of Indians, ‘right to live’ transformed into ‘struggle for survival’, and the ‘freedom of trade’ transformed into ‘ransom and robbery’- all because of the bickering among regional rulers. All these created ripe opportunities for the British to takeover India and indulge in large scale ‘drain of wealth’.
Topic: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues;
Reference: A Brief History of Modern India by Spectrum Publishers
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 1.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the reasons for the defeat of the French in third Carnatic war and how it spelled doom to their dream of having an empire In India.
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 by giving context of the impact third Carnatic War for French political ambitions in India.
Body:
In detail, analyse the casues for the failure of French in India – French continental Preoccupations, Organisation of the two companies, Governemnt support for the two, Role of Navy, Impact of English Success in Bengal and Respecitve Leadership compared.
Conclusion:
Conclude by summarizing the above and how after defeating the French decisively, English went to establish an empire in India.
Introduction:
The Anglo-French struggle lasted in India for nearly 20 years and this ultimately gave way to the establishment of British power in India. In the Carnatic region and Bengal, the Anglo-French rivalry was much evident. In Bengal, their hostility had been contained by the effective intervention of Alivardi Khan. But in the south, the French position was reinforced due to the arrival of a fleet from Mauritius and this resulted in an attack by French on the English position in Madras.
Body:
Anglo-French wars in India:
First Carnatic War (1746-1748)
- English navy under Barnett captured some French ships. The French governor of Pondicherry, Dupleix attacked the English in retaliation in 1746 and this led to the beginning of first Carnatic War.
- English appealed to the Nawab of Carnatic for protection.
- Battle of St. Thome was fought between the French and Mahfuz Khan, commander of Anwar-Uddin (the Nawab of Carnatic). In this battle, French emerged as winners.
- Treaty of Aix-La-Chappelle brought an end to the first round of Anglo-French conflicts in India as well. The English possessions in India were returned, while the French got back their North American possessions. (Madras was returned back to the English East India Company in exchange of Louisburg in North America to France.)
- The First Carnatic war also demonstrated the importance of Naval Power.
Second Carnatic War (1749-1754)
- Anglo-French rivalry, continued in India although it had ended in Europe.
- In 1748, Nizam of Hyderabad Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah died, which resulted in a war of succession. Muzaffar Jang, who aspired to become the Nizam of Hyderabad and Chanda Sahib, a candidate for the throne of Arcot was supported by French Governor
- After Victory in Battle of Ambur in 1749, Muzaffar Jung became the Nizam and Chanda Sahib the Nawab of Muhammad Ali, (son of Anwar Uddin) who was supported by British escaped to Tiruchirappalli.
- In 1751 the British commander Robert Clive captured Arcot, i.e. the capital of the Carnatic.
- Chanda Sahib was treacherously murdered by the Raja of Tanjore. Later, Duplex was recalled.
- The war concluded by the Treaty of Pondicherry in 1755. According to this treaty each party was left in possession of the territories that it occupied at the time of the treaty.
Third Carnatic War (1758-1763)
- The outbreak of the Seven Years War (1756-1763) in Europe was the cause of the Third Carnatic War (1758-1763).
- The British General Sir Eyre Coote defeated, Count de Lally (the commander of the French troops) at Wandiwash in 1760. Battle of Wandiwash ended almost a century of conflict over supremacy in India and availed the British East India Company a far superior position in India compared to the other European traders.
- The Seven Years War concluded by the Treaty of Paris in 1763 and this also led to the ending of Third Carnatic War. The French got Pondicherry, Karaikkal, Mahe and Yenam but condition applied was these were to be never fortified.
Reasons for the French failure in India:
- The English East India Company was the wealthier of the two due to its superiority in trade.
- EIC possessed superior naval strength. They could bring in soldiers from Europe and also provide supplies from Bengal. The French did not have any such avenue to replenish resources.
- Its possessions in India had been held longer and were better fortified and more prosperous.
- The French Company was heavily dependent on the French Government.
- Dupleix’s Mistakes: Dupleix did not pay attention towards improving the finances of the company and did not concentrate his efforts only atone place; and sought no support from the French government for executing his plans.
- English had three important ports i.e. Calcutta, Bombay and Madras which provided them superiority in almost every angle be it trade or Naval Power, but French had only one port i.e. Pondicherry.
- The victory at the Battle of Plassey opened up the British to a rich area, namely Bengal.
- The British had many capable and able soldiers like Robert Clive, Stringer Lawrence and Sir Eyre Coote.
Conclusion:
With the treaty of Paris, Chandernagar and Pondicherry were returned to France but they were barred from fortifying them or having troops in them. They could only have trading activities. French hopes of building an empire in India were completely dashed. The French agreed to support British client governments making the British a dominant foreign power in India.
General Studies – 2
Topic: India and its neighborhood- relations.
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The tragic death of four fishermen from Tamil Nadu allegedly when the Sri Lankan Navy was about to arrest them last week, is yet another instance of the unresolved fisheries conflict in the Palk Bay.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the Palk bay conflict, its impact on Indo-Lankan relations and suggest measures to resolve it.
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 brief, write about the Palk bay conflict between India and Sri Lanka.
Body:
In the first part, give context, causes and various facets to the conflict – island of Katchatheevu, frequent poaching by Indian fisherman in Sri Lankan waters, and the damaging economic and environmental effects of trawling. Bring out the impact the issue has on Indo-Lankan relations.
In the next part, mention various steps taken to address this issues which have not been fruitful in resolving the issue – setting up of Joint Working Group (JWG).
Suggest steps in which the issue can be resolved peacefully and amicably. Replacing trawlers with deep sea fishing vessels, ban on unsustainable fishing, joint patrolling, orderly sharing of and sustainable use of resources by fishermen from both sides and de-politicization of the issue etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude with a way forward.
Introduction
The Palk Bay, a narrow strip of water separating the state of Tamil Nadu in India. The bay, which is 137 km in length, is divided by the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).
Multiple issues have compounded to bring tensions to a near crisis point, which include ongoing disagreement over the territorial rights to the island of Kachchatheevu, frequent poaching by Indian fisherman in Sri Lankan waters, and the damaging economic and environmental effects of trawling.
Body
Palk Bay conflict: Issues
- Kachchatheevu Dispute: In India, the fisheries dispute chiefly began with an internal debate about sovereignty related to ceding of the island of Kachchatheevu to Sri Lanka under 1976 boundary agreement.
- It exacerbated the tension between fishermen practicing traditional fishing and those using trawlers.
- Moreover, Tamil fishermen were not consulted before the sovereignty was ceded.
- Marine resource depletion and exploitation: Indian Tamil fishermen go deep into Sri Lankan waters and that their fishing practices have adversely affected the livelihood of their Tamil brethren across the Palk Bay.
- Trawlers have since been referred to as the “hoovers of the shelf bottom” and “bulldozers mowing down fish and other benthic species.”
- Transgressing territorial boundaries: The trawlers swept the sea bed clean. Since there was no fish on the Indian side, Indian fishermen began to enter Sri Lankan waters.
- Civil War and ethnicity: Fishing was banned in Sri Lanka and many Lankan fishermen came to Tamil Nadu as refugees.
- They worked for the trawler owners and directed the trawlers to areas where there was an abundance of fish.
- Capturing Tamil fishermen: The Sri Lankan government recently passed a legislation banning trawling.
- It is also vigilantly patrolling the International Maritime Boundary Line, capturing Indian trawl boats and fishers.
Impact on Indo-Srilankan Ties
- Though Indo-Srilankan ties are currently amicable, in the case of the Palk Strait, both Sri Lanka’s and India’s EEZ overlap each other.
- For instance, in the first six months of 2014, an estimated 200 Indian fishermen have been arrested by the Sri Lankan authorities.
- As long as Rajapaksa was in power, his Government leveraged the fishing conflict to neutralise New Delhi on other fronts, amid mounting pressure on human rights and militarisation in the North.
- The issue gives Colombo play the China card and may endanger maritime security in Indian ocean by moving closer to China.
- India has ample good will through its non-reciprocal High impact development projects. It will stand to lose the soft power, if the fishermen issue is not resolved.
Resolving the bilateral tensions
- Resolving sovereignty of Kachachateevu:
- To get back the island of Kachchatheevu on “lease in perpetuity” or
- To permit licensed Indian fishermen to fish within a designated area of Sri Lankan waters and vice versa.
- The first action would let Sri Lanka maintain ownership of Kachchatheevu but give back the island on lease in perpetuity, so that Indian fishermen could continue to fish in and around Kachchatheevu.
- Secondly, persuade Colombo to permit licensed Indian fishermen to fish in Sri Lankan waters for five nautical miles from the IMBL.
- Eg: In the 1976 boundary agreement, it allowed licensed Sri Lankan fishermen to fish in the Wadge Bank (a fertile fishing ground located near Kanyakumari) for a period of three years.
- In return, Sri Lankan fishermen could be permitted to fish in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone under the same terms and conditions applicable to Indian fishermen.
- Deep Sea Fishing: Immediate actions should be taken to begin the phase-out of trawling and identify other fishing practices.
Conclusion
The success of diplomacy lies in converting a crisis into an opportunity. If New Delhi and Tamil Nadu are determined, they can create a win-win scenario in the Palk Bay. Social security reforms for the fishermen community is necessary to empower them and Diversification of livelihood options of fishermen is the way forward.
General Studies – 3
Topic: Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices;
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The agriculture sector’s performance has not been commensurate with the increasing subsidised credit it receives as most of small and marginal farmers are left out of its ambit due to various reasons.
Key Demand of the question:
To examine the reasons as to why small and marginal farmers are unable to receive the benefits of subsidized credits and to suggest solutions to the above issue.
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:
Begin the answer by highlighting the importance of accessibility to credit for small and marginal famrers.
Body:
In the body, cite relevant stats from the article which captures the low transmissibility of the credit to small and marginal farmers. Also, state despite increased outlay in successive budgets, they credit reached to them remains very low. Write about its impact.
In detail, write the reasons for the low transmissibility – loose definition of agri-credit, misallocation, uneven distribution and diversion of credit for non-agriculture purposes etc. Substantiate these points from relevant facts and figures from the article.
Next, suggest steps that can be taken to address the above mentioned loopholes. Direct income support, streamlining the agri-credit system, leveraging technology, reforming the land leasing framework and creating a national-level agency to build consensus etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude with a way forward.
Introduction:
Farmers on the warpath would mean that agriculture reforms have again occupied centre stage not just in the minds of the politicians but also policymakers. To enable small farmers to diversify their crops or improve their income they must have access to credit at reasonable rates of interest.
Body:
In the last 10 years, agriculture credit increased by 500% but has not reached even 20% of the 12.56 crore small and marginal farmers. Despite an increase in agri-credit, even today, 95% of tractors and other agri-implements sold in the country are being financed by non-banking financial companies, or NBFCs, at 18% rate of interest; the banks’ long-term loans rate of interest for purchasing of the same is 11%.
As in the Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the share of institutional loans rises with an increase in land possessed — showing that the bulk of subsidised agri-credit is grabbed by big farmers and agri-business companies.
Facts:
- A review by the RBI’s internal working group in 2019 found various inconsistencies. It found that in some States, credit disbursal to the farm sector was higher than their agriculture gross domestic product (GDP) and the ratio of crop loans disbursed to input requirement was very unevenly distributed. Examples are in Kerala (326%), Andhra Pradesh (254%), Tamil Nadu (245%), Punjab (231%) and Telangana (210%).
- As per a report submitted by the RBI to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture in response to its queries, only 42.2% of agricultural credit disbursed in 2016-17 went to small and marginal farmers.
- The central bank, the RBI, has also questioned agricultural households with the lowest land holding (up to two hectares) getting only about 15% of the subsidised outstanding loan from institutional sources (bank, co-operative society). The share is 79% for households belonging to the highest size class of land possessed (above two hectares), beneficiaries of subsidised institutional credit at 4% to 7% rate of interest. As in the Agriculture Census, 2015-16, the total number of small and marginal farmers’ households in the country stood at 12.56 crore. These small and marginal holdings make up 86.1% of the total holdings.
Causes:
- Larger farmers accrue loans
- Some farmers, the larger ones and the ones closer to urban areas, are over-represented in terms of access to credit. Insofar as the priority sector lending mandates are concerned, the mandate is not to reach a particular type of farmer. So, the programme itself is not targeted.”
- Costs are huge
- Subsidised credit disbursed at a 4%-7% rate of interest is being refinanced to small farmers, and in the open market at a rate of interest of up to 36%.
- Banks choose to lend to those areas where the cost of lending is lower, such as those close to urban areas, or to those farmers who are more credit-worthy. That is, the medium and large farmers.
- Stress on public sector banks
- Onus of providing agricultural credit is falling on the public sector banks, with 12 out of 23 of the private sector banks for which data is available having failed to meet the 18% lending target for the agricultural sector in 2017.
- Agriculture and credit risk
- Problem with priority sector loans is the lack of understanding of the sub-sectoral target groups, especially agriculture and the small and medium sector, as also weaker sections.
- Recovery in Agriculture PSL sector is difficult
Way forward:
- Empower small and marginal farmers by ‘giving them direct income support on a per hectare basis rather than hugely subsidising credit.
- Streamlining the agri-credit system to facilitate higher crop loans to farmer producer organisations, or the FPOs of small farmers against commodity stocks can be a win-win model to spur agriculture growth’.
- With mobile phone penetration among agricultural households in India being as high as 89.1%, the prospects of aggressive effort to improve institutional credit delivery through technology-driven solutions can reduce the extent of the financial exclusion of agricultural households.
- Other steps are reforming the land leasing framework and creating a national-level agency to build consensus among States and the Centre concerning agriculture credit reforms to fill the gap and reach out to the most number of small and marginal farmers.
- Diversion of loans can be stopped if there will be tight monitoring of the bank officials on the use of loans.
- Similarly, private sector banks may choose to lend housing credit in urban areas, rather than being forced to lend agricultural finance. The government may rely on specialized institutions such as the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) to fulfil sectoral lending targets, while at the same time ensuring structural reforms in these sectors to make lending to them more viable.
Topic: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
Over the past 70 years, India has lost its global eminence in shipping due to poor legislation and politics. This article analyses the reasons therefore and suggests how Sargarmala can revitalize the shipping sector in India.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the reasons poor performance of shipping sector and ports in India and issues that plague them and to write about the scope of Sagarmala in rectifying the above.
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:
Begin by briefly starting the objectives of Sagarmala initiative.
Body:
In the first part, write about the various issues that affect India’s shipping and port sectors – visionless administration, only helps foreign shipping liners, lack of balance between infrastructure onshore and at sea, not optimization of our carrying capacity and lack of regional cargo-specific ports etc.
Next, write about the potential of Sagarmala initiative and other efforts that are needed along with it. Change in the mindset of the authorities and the maritime business community, ‘Make in India’, ship-owning by Indians and consolidating the strength of the coastal youth.
Conclusion:
Conclude with a way forward.
Introduction
India has 12 major and 200 non-major ports located along the Western and Eastern coastlines have so far been responsible for 90% of India’s trade by volume. Alfred T Mahan said, whoever controls the Indian ocean will attain maritime supremacy and dominate Asia. China with its Belt and Road initiative is eyeing for the same.
Body
Issues with existing port infrastructure and development
- Inadequacies in Infrastructure: Existing ports have poor road network within port area and inadequate cargo-handling equipment.
- Lack of modernisation: New machinery, navigational aids, insufficient dredging capacity and lack of technical expertise for port development are issues that bog Indian ports.
- Eg: Faster customs clearance is limited due to obsolete scanners, requiring manual intervention.
- Lack of Specialization: In the port sector, instead of creating regional cargo-specific ports in peninsular India, the bureaucracy has repeatedly allowed similar infrastructural developments in multiple cargo-handling ports. As a result, Indian ports compete for the same cargo.
- Lack of Market determined tariffs: Currently tariffs for Major ports are fixed by Tariff Authority of Major Ports (TAMP) which has no standard methodology in applying tariff regulations to major ports and terminals
Sagarmala as a solution in creating transhipment hubs
It is an initiative Ministry of Shipping and is estimated that Sagarmala could boost India’s merchandise exports to $110 billion by 2025 and create an estimated 10 million new jobs. There are four pillars which will aid in creation of modern transhipment hubs through modern infrastructure.
- Port modernization & new port development.
- Port connectivity enhancement through rail corridors, freight-friendly expressways and inland waterways.
- Port-linked industrialization through CEZs, SEZs and Manufacturing Clusters.
- Coastal Community development: Coastal communities should be made ship owners. This will initiate carriage of cargo by shallow drafted small ships through coast and inland waterways.
- All minor ports in peninsular India will emerge as contributing ports to the existing major ports and become transhipment hubs on their own.
- Old sailing vessel owners should be encouraged to become small ship owners.
- It includes the establishment of rail/road linkages with the port terminals, thus providing last-mile connectivity to ports.
- Moreover, with cargo-specific ports and developing Inland waterways (Jal marg Vikas), connectivity to hinterland will become a reality.
- Sagarmala will help in development of linkages with new regions, enhanced multi-modal connectivity including rail, inland water, coastal and road services. Thus creating a holistic model of port development.
Way Forward
- With the call for ‘Make in India’ growing louder and with simultaneous multi-folded cargo growth in the country, there is a need for ships to cater to domestic and international trade.
- Short sea and river voyages should be encouraged.
- The ship-owning spirit of the Indian merchant marine entrepreneur has to be restored.
- Shipbuilding and owning should be encouraged by the Ministry.
- Prevent brain drain as most of the global shipping companies which depend on Indian cargo for their business have Indians as either commercial heads or Indian crew onboard their ships. Sagarmala should concentrate on consolidating the strength of the coastal youth and make them contribute to the nation’s economy with pride.
General Studies – 4
Topic: role of Family society and educational institutions in inculcating values.
Reference: Ethics by Lexicon publications.
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about growing consumerism in the society and the impact of it.
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:
Begin by giving an apt definition of consumerism.
Body:
Write about how the consumerism is on the rise and mention its manifestation on the contemporary society.
In the next part, mention certain positive aspects of consumerism like – more demand, economic growth, and prosperity.
In the final part, write about how Consumerism interferes with the working of society, by replacing the normal common sense desire for an adequate supply of life’s necessities, relationships with an artificial ongoing and the money to buy them with little regard for the utility of what is bought. Bring out the economic, environmental and ethical costs of consumerism. Substantiate with examples.
Conclusion:
Write ways in which you could avoid excessive indulgence in consumerism. You can mention the quote by Mahatma Gandhi “There is sufficient on this planet for everyone’s needs but not for everyone’s greed”
Introduction
Consumerism is a cultural model that promotes the acquisition of goods, and especially the purchase of goods, as a vehicle for personal satisfaction and economic stimulation. It is the idea that increasing consumption of goods and services purchased in the market is always a desirable goal and that a person’s wellbeing and happiness depend fundamentally on obtaining consumer goods and material possessions.
Body
Consumerism in contemporary societies: Effects
- Fundamentally, consumerism is a socioeconomic model built upon the engineering of desire. Every form of media (print, radio, tv, social media) advertise profusely. It affects and influence our decision greatly. Eg: Coca Cola alone spend $2 billion per year on advertising.
- We also constantly compare ourselves with other people (both real and fictitious), wanting to be like them or in their position. This leads us into a state of constant dissatisfaction – we are never happy with what we have and are always on edge.
- And this is just what the logic of consumerism wants, as it makes us more active consumers on a continuous basis. So, consumerism not only affects our behaviour (we spend more time on consumerist activities) but also our thinking (our aspirations, attitudes and worldviews).
- Consumerism actively prevents us from making our own choices about how we want to live our lives, as it only promotes this one restricted view of what a ‘good life’ consists of (for example, buying more stuff) and doesn’t give us any opportunities to consider alternative views or ways of living.
- Many people therefore end up believing that this is the only way to live, in the absence of any alternatives. We end up trapped in this way of thinking and unable to make real choices about how we want to live.
Positive aspects
- Advocates of consumerism point to how consumer spending can drive an economy forward and lead to increased production of goods and services.
- As a result of increased consumer spending, a rise in GDP growth can occur.
- Signs of healthy consumer demand can be found in consumer confidence indicators, retail sales, and personal consumption expenditures.
- Business owners, workers in industry, and owners of raw resources can profit from sales of consumer goods either directly or by downstream buyers.
Negative aspects
- Conspicuous Consumption: It is to show one’s economic status in the society. It leads to a materialistic society that neglects other values.
- Wastage of resources: High rates of conspicuous consumption can end up being a wasteful zero-sum or even negative-sum activity as real resources are used up to produce goods that are not valued for their use but rather the image they portray.
- Unsustainable and environmental exploitation: Extreme consumerism can lead to pollution by producing industries, resource depletion due to widespread conspicuous consumption, and problems with waste disposal from excess consumer goods and packaging.
- Eg: Consider the package needed for online delivery of goods from Amazon/Flipkart and wastefulness if that product is returned.
- Competition for social status: Consumerism can also create incentives for consumers to take on unsustainable levels of debt, which can contribute to financial crises and recessions.
- Social media combined with extreme consumerism can be disastrous for planet earth, as people tend to buy goods even when there is no utility of it, rather to just portray themselves on social media pages.
- Our current choice of economic system based on consumerism is not only bad for our well-being. It is also one of the central influences exacerbating key global problems such as the environment (including climate change and the unsustainable use of natural resources) and social justice (including poverty and human rights abuses).
Conclusion
We need to move towards a society that has a much broader and nuanced view of what gives people well-being and happiness, and use the economic system simply as one of the means we employ to achieve this end, rather than as an end in itself. We need to do all this within parameters of sustainability and social justice.
Topic: Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behaviour; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion.
Reference: Ethics by Lexicon publications.
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4.
Key Demand of the question:
A straightforward questions in which one has to wrote about the factors that make an action moral and the impediments to moral actions.
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:
Begin by writing that morality of action is to judge the goodness or badness of any particular human act.
Body:
In the first part, in detail write about the three major factors – The objective/intention of the Human Act, The Circumstances contextualising the Human Act, The end result of performing a Human Act. Substantiate with examples.
In the next part, write about the impediments to Moral acts – Ignorance, Passion, Habits, Greed, Fear and Cultural Prejudices etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude with how we can overcome the above impediments.
Introduction:
Morality concerns the fundamental reason why some actions are good and others are evil. It is a test to find out what acts are good and what acts are evil. It is a search for criteria to assess the goodness or badness of human action. There are several schools of thought on this issue.
The factors that define morality of human actions are diverse, but all factors unite when a person makes a final decision on how to act. While the reasons are diverse, they are not difficult to understand.
Body:
Factors affecting morality of human action:
- Actors and Situation involved: A course of action can range from best to worst depending on the actors and situations involved
- Example: Giving Shelter to a person running to save his life is considered right but the same goes wrong when applied to help a criminal/ terrorist
- Individual personality traits:An individual’s values and morals will also influence his or her ethical standards.
- Example:King Ashoka was a compassionate ruler after the Kalinga war and this was evident in his treatment of his subjects.
- Family influences:Individuals start to form ethical standards as children in response to their perception of their parent’s behaviour and are likely to adopt high ethical standards if they see that their family members adhere to high ethical standard.
- Example:The respect given to female members of family will be imbibed in the minds of the children. They treat other women in the same way.
- Peer influences: Peers are colleagues who are always around us in conducting our daily work. The behaviours and attitudes of peers influence an individual’s decisions in their life.
- Example: A person learns to be industrious when he sees his colleague being felicitated for the good work.
- Life experiences: Individual’s life experiences analyse key ethical concepts such as “right”, “wrong,” and “permissible.” It lets us explores possible sources of moral obligation such as God, human reason, or the desire to be happy. It seeks to establish principles of right behaviour that may serve as action guides for individuals and groups.
- Example: Dr. Ambedkar’s school experiences made him strong enough to fight against the heinous treatment meted out to untouchables and lower caste people.
- Social Norms or Culture:The culture or social norms, in which an individual is based, influence one’s ethical decisions or behaviour. All cultures differ in values and morals. What may be ethical in one culture may not be ethical in other countries.
- Example: In western culture, one may walk into place of worship with their footwear, but the same is offensive in temples in India.
- Legal Interpretations or Laws:The need to control, legislate and regulate, the ethical conduct at the government, individual, and corporate levels have its roots back to the ancient world.
- Example:one of the earliest law codes developed, the Code of Hammurabi, made Bribery a crime in Babylon during the eighteenth century B.C.; Sharia law is the code which guides many Islamic nations.
Impediments to moral actions:
- Ignorance: Not knowing what is right or wrong in a particular situation
- Example: Angulimala’s ignorance led him to pursue inhuman activities until enlightened by Gautam Buddha
- Habits: continuous practice of any virtue/ vice would have an impact in our day to day activities
- Example: A person who is habituated to lie would resort to lie in any given difficult situation whether small or huge.
- Greed: Selfish needs and self-centred behaviour satisfying one’s own requirements regardless of the needs of others
- Example: Corruption
- Cultural Prejudices
- Stereotypes
- Fear
Conclusion:
Ethics, whether in an entire society, or in a social sub-system, evolves over a long period of time. Different institutions impact the ethical behaviour of individuals in different manner. Thus, value based education, good governance, self-realization, just laws, code of ethics and code of conducts are essential to build an ethically just society and state.
