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 – 2
Topic: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues.
Reference: Modern Indian history by Spectrum Publications
Why the question:
The question is from the static portions of GS paper I , part Modern history.
Key Demand of the question:
One is expected to bring out the importance of Battle of Buxar and in what way it paved way to expansion and consolidation of British Empire in India.
Directive:
Elucidate – Give a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the particular context. You must be defining key terms where ever appropriate, and substantiate with relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Brief about the battle of Buxar.
Body:
The Battle of Buxar was fought on 22 October 1764 between the forces under the command of the British East India Company, led by Hector Munro, and the combined armies of Mir Qasim, Nawab of Bengal till 1763; the Nawab of Awadh; and the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II.
British East India Company emerged victorious defeating the Mughal forces. The war ended by the signing of the Treaty of Allahabad in 1765.
Elaborate the consequences of the battle to show how it paved way for expansion and consolidation of the British Empire in India.
Explain that the Battle of Buxar had far-reaching implications in the consolidation of the British Empire in India. It influenced the politico-economic conditions of Bengal in particular and of India in general.
Conclusion:
Conclude with importance.
Introduction
The Battles of Plassey (1757) and Buxar (1764) are watershed moments in Modern Indian history as they marked the beginning on the rise of British colonial rule in India. They had far-reaching implications in the consolidation of the British Empire in India. It influenced the politico-economic conditions of Bengal in particular and of India in general.
Body
Background to Buxar
- The Battle of Plassey resulted at the end of the French forces and was a major turning point in modern Indian history that led to the consolidation of the British rule in India.
- The British became the paramount European power in Bengal.
Battle of Buxar: Consequences
- The defeat of the Great Mughal House was very significant and it stamped the British troops as one of the potent forces of the Indian subcontinent.
- The Treaty of Allahabad formally gave the British East India Company the right to exact revenue from the eastern province of Bengal which turned the economic fortune of the company.
- Robert Clive set up the infamous dual system of administration in Bengal wherein the Company acquired the real power, while the responsibility of administration rested on the Nawab of Bengal.
- Under the ‘dual’ or double government system, the Company got both the Diwani (revenue) and nizamat (civil administration) functions of Bengal.
- Thus, virtual power went into the hands of Britishers without any responsibility which created confusions, anarchy and economic loot of India began.
- The British victory at Buxar ensured that there were no significant forces left to challenge its position in the eastern part of the subcontinent.
- The defeat of the Nawab of Awadh created a buffer state which effectively created a wall between the Britishers and the notorious Marathas.
- Through the Residents, the Company officials began interfering in the internal affairs of Indian states.
Conclusion
If the Battle of Plassey had made the English a powerful factor in the politics of Bengal, the victory of Buxar made them a great power of North India and contenders for the supremacy of the whole country. The Buxar battle resulted in strong foothold of British as not only economic power but also political power in India.
General Studies – 2
Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
Reference: Times of India
Why the question:
The editorial explores how broadening the Quad’s current strategic orientation to improve economic links could result in a win-win situation for all parties concerned. Thus the question.
Key Demand of the question:
One is expected to elucidate upon the Quad’s economic imperative.
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:
Start with current facts related to the context of the question.
Body:
The answer body must have the following aspects covered:
Discuss first, about the QUAD grouping’s key areas of collaboration and how its strategic alignment can rope in economic ties.
Explain how it is providing possible outcomes of trade facilitation among member countries.
Talk about high-priority areas in India’s bilateral ties with the United States, Japan, and Australia.
Conclusion:
Conclude with its importance.
Introduction
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) of four countries, Japan, the US, Australia and India, was formed in 2007 with the initiative coming from Japanese PM Shinzo Abe. It is touted as an alliance to contain China’s expansionist policies and aggression in the Indo-Pacific region.
Body
- The Quad first emerged as a cooperative response to the devastation of the 2004 tsunami, with the navies of India, Australia, Japan, and the US engaged in the coordinated delivery of humanitarian and disaster relief.
- In 2007, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, an early advocate of the Indo-Pacific, took steps to formalise the grouping through an initial summit and joint naval exercises in the Bay of Bengal.
- Underscored by principles of openness, freedom of movement, and respect for the rules-based international order, the Quad builds on a complex and overlapping web of bilateral and trilateral alliances and partnerships between the four nations.
- Its revival, albeit at officials level only, offers a constructive platform for embedding core principles into the narrative of the emerging regional order, while building the trust and confidence needed to support cooperative initiatives between the nations involved, and others.
While the security framework of the group is well-understood, there is also an enormous opportunity here for Quad nations to dramatically alter the global economic landscape.
Broadening Quad alliance with economic link is a win for all
- According to a paper in Journal of Economic Structures, if Quad countries were to sign a trade agreement where bilateral tariffs are scrapped, India’s real GDP could increase by 0.2% or $2.7 billion a year, while exports could rise by 2.5% or $5.7 billion.
- Sectors where India’s exports are competitive such as clothing, textiles, and light manufacturing, would benefit the most.
- If other nations or groupings – like Asean – were to join such an FTA and engage in reducing non-tariff barriers, the benefits for member countries could be exponentially higher.
- So, given the economic turmoil the region has faced during an unprecedented year, to emerge stronger from this crisis there is a compelling case for India and its Quad allies to embrace even greater trade, investment, and economic cooperation.
- Amongst all the ties, US-India is more crucial. US-India cooperation on energy and infrastructure can serve as an effective platform to enable greater job creation in India, which is currently on a multi-dimensional energy transition journey towards increasing its renewables capacity.
- The Japan-India duo can work together to maintain a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, as a level playing field to fuel economic activities for countries across the littoral. There is scope to partner on building resilient supply chains – an essential factor to boost business in India’s key industrial sectors.
- India’s Australia Economic Strategy Report 2020, in response to a similar document released by Australia, projects the ambition to place India as Australia’s third largest trade partner by 2035. Raw materials, investments, and access to the Pacific nations are aspects India can benefit from.
Conclusion
Political and economic imperatives suggest that the ‘Confluence of Two Seas’, posited by PM Abe in his address to India’s Parliament in August 2007, could play a critical role in global strategic and economic policies in the years to come.
Topic: Issues relating to poverty and hunger.
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The article talks about decoding inequality in a digital world.
Key Demand of the question:
Critically analyse in what way with the backdrop of the pandemic advanced use of digital technologies has led to deepening socio-economic inequalities in the country.
Directive:
Critically examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we have to 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. 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 recent advancement made in the digital world owing to the onset of the Pandemic.
Body:
The novel coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the use of digital technologies in India, even for essential services such as health and education, where access to them might be poor.
Economic inequality has increased: people, whose jobs and salaries are protected, face no economic fallout. The super-rich have even become richer.
Worse than the immediate economic setback is that well-recognized channels of economic and social mobility — education and health — are getting rejigged in ways that make access more inequitable in an already unequal society.
Conclusion:
Conclude with solutions to overcome these above mentioned issues and suggest way forward.
Introduction
The novel coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the use of digital technologies in India, even for essential services such as health and education. But not everyone may have equal access to digital technology. Worse, in Hyderabad and Bangalore, techies were seen booking vaccine slots in sub-urban PHC’s while the rural native folks struggled to get vaccinated.
Body
Digital Economy transition in the wake of pandemic
- With businesses closing their doors and governments urging their citizens to stay home, the coronavirus has had a profound global impact.
- Across the globe, the reduced in-store activity is driving increased e-commerce activity. For example, consumers in India are turning to online grocery shopping.
- According to an assessment by DMEXCO survey in USA, the COVID-19 crisis will accelerate the pace of the digital transformation. Nearly the entire digital sector is currently working from home.
- Working from home environment will be accepted more and more by employers and employees in these situations.
- Collaboration tools like Skype video conferencing, BlueJeans video, Cisco Webex are being re-invented. More companies will opt for customized version of these tools in the near future.
- Expansion of the internet will accelerate. Data protection and security will get more focus henceforth.
However digital economy remains elusive to most part of the third world nations and even within India there remains a huge Digital Divide. Even today smart phones, computers and internet are inaccessible to many around the world. Most of the digital infrastructure is centered around urban areas.
Digital Divide and inequality
- Economic disparity is created between those who can afford the technology and those who don’t.
- Education: The digital divide also impacts children’s ability to learn and grow in low-income school districts. Without Internet access, students are unable to cultivate necessary tech skills in order to understand today’s dynamic economy.
- According to National Sample Survey data from 2017, only 6% rural households and 25% urban households have a computer.
- Lack of information: Almost all India’s socio-economic problems had links to the “digital divide”, which had come to stay during the era of digital revolution and then again during the era of internet revolution in India.
- Rural India suffers from information poverty. Information is controlled by a few at the top of the pyramid who restrict its percolation down to those at the bottom.
- Political empowerment and mobilization in the age of social media is difficult when there is digital divide.
- Access to healthcare: In several instances, developing an app is being seen as a solution for allocation of various health services. But due to online booking, many poor are unable to get the drugs and beds in time.
- Burden on poor: Digital “solutions” create additional bureaucracy for all sick persons in search of these services without disciplining the culprits. Along with paper work, patients will have to navigate digi-work. Platform- and app-based solutions can exclude the poor entirely, or squeeze their access to scarce health services further.
- Access to vaccine: In other spheres (e.g., vaccination) too, digital technologies are creating extra hurdles. The use of CoWIN to book a slot makes it that much harder for those without phones, computers and the Internet.
Conclusion
There is a potential in this adversity to make India a digital hub. However, it must be ensured that welfare measures are not dependent on internet or smart phone access, because those who most need it, will be excluded from it. This will deepen the socio-economic inequality.
Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The article narrates the idea of a possible national health service in India.
Key Demand of the question:
Discuss the problems and prospects of a possible National Health Services in the country.
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 highlighting the tremendous stress health sector in the country is facing to owing to the pandemic.
Body:
In effect, COVID-19 may bring about serious consideration of an Indian national health service.
Discuss how the idea of National health services is not new to India.
Take hints from the article and bring out the problems and prospects of such an idea. India now faces a very serious health crisis, possibly the worst since Independence. By all accounts, several areas of the Indian healthcare provision are under severe strain
Discuss efforts of the government in this direction.
Conclusion:
Conclude with way forward.
Introduction
The current surge in COVID-19 infections has exposed problems amounting to near-chaos throughout Indian healthcare, even if the pandemic has also brought to light Herculean attempts by medical staff, patients’ families, and governments to try and cope with what has been called a tsunami, one which is rapidly getting worse. In this backdrop, India must explore National Health Services in the country.
Body
Current crisis in India’s healthcare
- While those involved in the clinical response are clearly doing their often-desperate best — care staff are at high risk of contracting COVID-19 — the Central and State governments are now coordinating measures within and across their respective jurisdictions.
- For example, the railways are running special trains carrying oxygen supplies, and the military is also involved in supply chains.
- The Karnataka government has ordered private hospitals above a certain size to reserve 75% of their beds for COVID-19 patients who will be paid for under a public scheme.
- Other States have taken similar measures. The Supreme Court has, suo motu, called for a national plan to deliver oxygen and vaccines.
- The responses to the worsening COVID-19 crisis are, nevertheless, not free of tensions. Some private healthcare providers have objected to public authorities’ orders on widened patient access, and the Supreme Court’s call for a national supply plan has been publicly criticised in the political sphere.
- Some of the problems have occurred on previous occasions. At least one private hospital chain has lost a court action over its failure to treat a government-specified quota of poorer patients; the quota was a condition of help with land allocation to build a hospital.
Prospects of National Health Service
- Britain’s experience with NHS has been very encouraging.
- The result is a mighty achievement in public policy, politics, and the provision of top-class universal healthcare, including training, research, and changing engagement with the public as society changes.
- The service is funded entirely from general taxation. The budget includes payment to general practitioners, most of whom remain private providers but are paid by the state for treating NHS patients.
- Items listed in general practitioners’ prescriptions incur no charges in the devolved regions of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and in practice only a proportion of patients in England have to pay for prescription items.
- All hospital treatment and medicines are free, as are outpatient and follow-up appointments.
- The British public share the costs through their taxes, and almost without exception receive treatment solely according to their clinical needs.
- With about 1.1 million staff, the NHS is the largest employer in the U.K. Its current budget is about 7.6% of GDP, but despite its size and scale, it provides highly localised access to care.
Problems in adopting the model
- Among the many problems, are the largely unintended inequalities in the time and attention given to patients of different social classes (this discovery resulted in substantial changes), huge and frequent reorganisations imposed by Central government, and often ideologically driven underfunding.
- Nevertheless, many senior hospital consultants who were opposed to a public health service when the NHS started have declared unreserved support for it in at least one national conference resolution.
- India’s tax collection however is not robust. With cutting down of corporate taxes, this will place more burden on the government.
- There is a problem of multiplicity of schemes in India. Especially Centre and States have their own agenda with political underpinnings.
- Rajya Sabha must endorse such a service and states won’t agree to this, calling is as usurpation of their powers.
- India now faces a very serious health crisis, possibly the worst since Independence. By all accounts, several areas of the Indian healthcare provision are under severe strain.
Conclusion
The precise structure envisaged may need some adaptation for today’s society and conditions but dealing effectively with the pandemic may require much more than creation of a service. Immediately India must ramp up its health infrastructure and increase the spending over 1.2% of GDP.
General Studies – 3
Topic: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
Reference: Financial Express
Why the question:
Draft National Electricity Policy 2021 has been released by the Ministry of Power. Thus the question.
Key Demand of the question:
Explain the problems being faced by power sector in India and highlight in what way National Electricity Policy 2021 can address these issues.
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:
Under Section 3 (3) of the Electricity Act, 2003, the Central Government may, from time to time, in consultation with the State Governments and the Central Electricity Authority, review or revise, the National Electricity Policy.
Body:
The answer body must have the following aspects covered:
Discuss first the existing problems of power sector in the country.
Then discuss the major provisions of the Draft National Electricity Policy 2021.
Highlight the pros and cons of the policy.
Discuss the efforts of the government in this direction from past to present.
Conclusion:
Conclude that as India has made significant progress in recent years in terms of capacity addition and increasing renewables in the power mix, the government is making yet another attempt to improve the state of the power sector and has come up with a new draft National Electricity Policy with objectives such as promoting clean energy, developing an efficient market for electricity distribution, and revitalizing distribution companies.
Introduction
The government has finally decided to take the plunge and revise the National Electricity Policy (NEP) by invoking Section 3 of the Electricity Act, 2003. The policy aims to make electricity available to all households in the next five years. NEP 2021 will help to supply reliable and quality power of specified standards efficiently manner at reasonable rates.
Body
Problems of power sector
- Poor financial condition of power distribution companies (discoms): The regulatory Commissions while calculating tariffs often deferred the recovery of revenue for the future. This resulted in weakening of the financial health of the discoms due to under recovery of the prudent cost.
- We have been slow in adopting more stringent environment norms for our power stations and we have done practically nothing on carbon capture and sequestration.
- We have not been able to add to our hydro capacity, which could play a crucial role in balancing the grid with increasing thrust on renewable generation.
- We have fuel supply issues (coal) and are unable to meet our domestic demand through indigenous mining.
- Delays in adoption of tariff: The regulatory commissions adopt the tariff that has been determined through a transparent process of bidding in accordance with the ‘tariff policy issued by the Central Government’. But no time limit has been prescribed for the process. o Also, the Act mandates the regulatory Commissions to determine the tariff after receipt of the subsidies. Thus, the tariff contains a subsidy component and is not cost reflective.
- Enforceability of performance of the contracts: The 2003 Act recognized the contracts for supply and purchase of electricity but does not specifically deal with the issues related to non-performance of the contract.
- Non-performance of the contract created uncertainty, upset investment decisions and adversely affect ease of doing business.
- Despite the Central government connecting 100 per cent households in the country with the national power supply grid, quality of power and duration remains an issue.
Draft National Electricity Policy 2021
- NEP 2021 covers multiple areas– grid operation, power markets, regulatory process, energy efficiency, optimal generation mix, transmission, distribution and many more.
- The draft talks about the creation of Electric Vehicle charging stations, Smart meters, power markets, environment and more.
- National Electricity Policy address various issues such as rural electrification, generation, transmission, distribution, recovery of the cost of services and targeted subsidies.
- It also covers technology development and research and development, energy conservation, environmental issues, protection of consumer interests and quality standards, a competition aimed at consumer benefits and more.
- There is a need to strengthen the distribution system to ensure 24*7 power supply. Also, evolve a unified scheme for development of adequate distribution infrastructure wherein central assistance is linked to reform milestones of the states
- For utilising power generation at the source end and reducing power supply wastage, the NEP has suggested that power distribution companies (discoms) should explore the possibility of micro grids, especially in areas prone to natural disasters.
- The NEP has further said that these micro grids should preferably be powered with renewable sources of energy.
Concerns with the draft policy
- The first NEP as well as the new draft circulated now run into several pages, and are not inclusive enough or reader-friendly. Certain sections contain too much detail, not really germane to the issue.
- Ideally, policy statements should be crisp and pithy, and should be able to hold on to readers’ interest. The main policy document should only cite the direction we intend to take and the reasons for doing so should go as explanatory notes as an addendum to the policy.
- The second issue is regarding the effectiveness of the policy. The draft policy has a lot to say on renewable generation, and rightly so, but what is the guarantee that it would be followed.
- While the central government may fix targets on renewable generation capacity, the implementation will mainly be done by private enterprises.
- Now, private enterprises will move according to the investment climate as it exists in states.
- Unfortunately, some states completely shake off investor sentiments by reopening PPAs, or by not paying renewable generators.
- Such actions would ensure that the objectives of the policy remain unfulfilled. All stakeholders should treat the NEP as mandatory and act accordingly.
- Similar problems have arisen in the case of the National Tariff Policy (NTP) in the past, where certain states have expressed unwillingness to comply with certain sections of this document. Incidentally, both the NEP and the NTP emanate from Section 3 of the Act.
- The third and perhaps the most fundamental issue is whether we should have two separate policy statements, the NEP and the NTP.
- The first NTP was formulated in 2006 with some minor amendments carried out in 2008, 2011 and 2016.
- Both these documents exist concurrently, but they practically run into each other’s domain.
- The answer as to why this is happening is simple. It is not really possible to segregate tariff-related issues from electricity policy in general since they are all interlinked.
Conclusion
The NEP has introduced several new concepts starting from the need of micro grids in remote areas to having a real time power market and need for investment in pump hydro generation.
It needs to be seen how effectively these ideas will fructify.
Topic: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, Nano-technology, biotechnology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.
Reference: Indian Express
Why the question:
On May 11, NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft will depart asteroid Bennu, and start its two-year long journey back to Earth. OSIRIS-REx is NASA’s first mission to visit a near-Earth asteroid, survey its surface and collect a sample from it. Thus the question.
Key Demand of the question:
Explain in what way the OSIRIS-REx Mission of NASA help to understand the origin and evolution of the Earth.
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:
Start with what NASA’s OSIRIS-Rex mission is about.
Body:
The answer body must have the following aspects covered:
Explain what the OSIRIS-REx mission is. This is NASA’s first mission meant to return a sample from the ancient asteroid. The mission is essentially a seven-year-long voyage and will conclude when at least 60 grams of samples are delivered back to the Earth. As per NASA, the mission promises to bring the largest amount of extraterrestrial material back to our planet since the Apollo era.
Scientists will use the asteroid samples to study the formation of the solar system and of habitable planets such as Earth. NASA will also distribute a part of the samples to laboratories worldwide and will reserve about 75 per cent of the samples for future generations who can study it with technologies not yet created.
Conclusion:
Conclude with its importance.
Introduction
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx is the first U.S. mission to successfully collect a sample from an asteroid. On Oct. 20, 2020, the spacecraft briefly touched down on Bennu, an asteroid more than 200 million miles (321 million kilometres) from Earth, and grabbed dust and rocks from a sample site called Nightingale.
Body
Asteroid Bennu
- Asteroid Bennu is likely to contain material that contains molecules that were present when life first formed on Earth, where life forms are based on carbon atom chains.
- The asteroid is a B-type asteroid, implying that it contains significant amounts of carbon and various other minerals.
- Because of its high carbon content, the asteroid reflects about four per cent of the light that hits it, which is very low when compared with a planet like Venus, which reflects about 65 per cent of the light that hits it.
- Earth reflects about 30 per cent. Around 20-40 per cent of Bennu’s interior is empty space and scientists believe that it was formed in the first 10 million years of the solar system’s formation, implying that it is roughly 4.5 billion years old.
- Carbon atom chains form the basis of life on Earth, the report states.
- According to NASA, the organic material which scientists are hoping to find in the sample from Bennu does not come from Biology necessarily, but it could help them in further understanding how asteroids rich in organic material helped catalyse life on Earth.
OSIRIS-REx mission in understanding origin of Earth
- OSIRIS-REx is the third major planetary science mission for NASA’s New Frontiers Program (after New Horizons launched in 2006 and Juno launched in 2011).
- OSIRIS-REx is an acronym for “Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer.”
- The mission, developed by scientists at the University of Arizona, will give us more information about how the early solar system formed and about how life began. It will also help us better understand asteroids that could impact Earth in the future.
- Bennu is a leftover fragment from the tumultuous formation of the solar system. Some of the mineral fragments inside Bennu could be older than the solar system.
- These microscopic grains of dust could be the same ones that spewed from dying stars and eventually coalesced to make the Sun and its planets nearly 4.6 billion years ago.
- They will give insights into the origin of solar system, as well as the Earth.
Conclusion
The spacecraft, which in a touch-and-go mission landed on Bennu’s surface for five to 15 seconds, is fitted with cameras, a laser altimeter and a spectrometer, all to study the asteroid. If the spacecraft has been successful in collecting sufficient sample, then it would orbit the asteroid until a window for departure opens up next year. Otherwise, it would go in for another sample collection attempt in January 2021.
General Studies – 4
Topic: Case Study
Reference: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by Lexicon Publications.
Why the question:
The question is a case study based on the attitude of people towards transgenders.
Key Demand of the question:
Discuss the nuances in the case study and answer the questions that follow 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:
The given case involves the issues of vulnerable section of population as well as the comfort of the community. The issue relates to taking into consideration competing interests of discrimination, which transgender faces, be it education, employment, social participation as well as the means they use to earn their living.
Body:
The answer body must have the following aspects covered:
Discuss the ethical issues involved and the reasons for differential attitude of people towards transgenders.
Discuss possible course of action with merits and demerits. You may conclude by suggesting long-term solution/elaborating on your solution.
Conclusion:
Conclude that though it is important to provide relief to general public, the perspective of transgender community must be empathized, else the solution will not be sustainable in the long run and the status quo will rebound. Implementing the Supreme Court directions of giving them special treatment in certain matters will go a long way in integrating them in the society.
Introduction
“Transgender” is an umbrella term, under which fall people who live their daily lives as the gender opposite to that which is associated with the sex they were assigned at birth (transgender men and women), people who identify outside of the binary categorization of gender (non-binary); all people who cross (“trans-”) gender boundaries in some way.
Body
Ethical issues involved
- Disempowerment of Transgenders
- Violation of human rights of trans people
- Lack of empathy towards transgenders
- Discrimination that leads to injustice to one community
- Nonchalance towards their well-being.
- Denial of social security or welfare to transgenders.
Attitude of people towards transgenders
- General public eyes them with disgust and suspicion.
- Transgenders are not accepted by Indian society and they are ostracised and shunned by the larger community. It is for this reason; they resort to begging as livelihood opportunities are very less.
- Their social ostracization also had direct effect on their education.
- Lot of superstition is associated with respect to transgenders. They are considered as good omen during ceremonies but that has not translated into the society viewing them as human beings.
Course of Action
The root of the problem is complete isolation and alienation from the society. Without giving them adequate education, healthcare and protection from exclusion and social boycott one cannot expect them to stop begging. Because that is the only means of earning money for them.
Thus, emulating Gujarat and Kerala there needs to be an institution (Eg: Garima Greh in Gujarat) to provide them shelter, education, capacity building and training. I will also talk to the transgender community members and understand their issues and try to alleviate them.
By educating them and developing their skills, they can be placed in jobs alongside mainstream society. For this to be successful, there should be an awareness and sensitisation campaign among the general public. Companies and Industries must be convinced to have a transgender workforce with adequate code of conduct in place towards them. For instance, Kochi Metro hired many trans-people and was a huge success.
Merit of this action is that, it addresses the problem at the core. A holistic solution can emerge from the above course of action. The key is integrating them with the rest of the society. Any long-term solution will not stem from preventing trans-people from begging, rather giving them alternative opportunities.
Conclusion
Though it is important to provide relief to general public, the perspective of transgender community must be empathized, else the solution will not be sustainable in the long run and the status quo will rebound. Implementing the Supreme Court directions of giving them special treatment in certain matters will go a long way in integrating them in the society.
