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: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues.
Reference: Indian Express
Why the question:
The Prime Minister of India paid tribute to Gopal Krishna Gokhale on his Jayanti.
Key Demand of the question:
Account for the contributions of Gopal Krishna Gokhale as a social reformer and educationalist of modern India.
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:
Start with brief background of the question.
Body:
Gopal Krishna Gokhale was born on 9th May, 1866 in Kotluk village in present-day Maharashtra (then part of the Bombay Presidency). Gokhale worked towards social empowerment, expansion of education, and struggle for freedom in India for three decades and rejected the use of reactionary or revolutionary ways.
Account for his role as a social reformer and educationalist with instances in the modern history.
Conclusion:
Conclude with importance.
Introduction
Gopal Krishna Gokhale, born on May 9th, 1866 was a renowned social reformer of India and was one of the leaders of the moderate bloc of the Indian National Congress. He was known to be the Mahatma Gandhi’s political mentor.
Body
Background
- In 1889, Gokhale joined the INC motivated by his mentor, social reformer M G Ranade.
- He fought along with a host of other leaders and reformers for more political rights for the Indian people. He was a moderate. He did not believe in radical demands altogether and wished for peaceful and non-confrontationist methods to acquire rights and privileges from the government.
- This is where he came into conflict with the extremist faction of the INC, especially Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
- He was elected as Honorary Secretary of the Sarvajanik Sabha, Pune in 1890.
- In 1893, Gokhale became the Secretary of the Bombay Provincial Conference and in 1895, he served as the Joint Secretary of the INC along with Tilak.
- Gokhale believed in working with the colonial government to bring about social reforms in society. He was voted to the Legislative Council of Bombay in 1899, and also to the Governor-General’s Imperial Council in 1901.
Contributions of Gopal Krishna Gokhale as social reformer and educationalist
- Gopal Krishna Gokhale, the liberal leader of Indian National Congress, founded the Servants of India Society in 1905.
- The aim of the society was to train national missionaries for the service of India; to promote, by all constitutional means, the, true interests of the Indian people; and to prepare a cadre of selfless workers who were to devote their lives to the cause of the country in a religious spirit.
- He wanted Indians to receive an education that would instil in them a civic and patriotic sense of duty.
- As part of the Society’s activities, he arranged mobile libraries and schools. He also gave night classes to industrial workers.
- He was a renowned Economist and his speech on a budget in the Central Legislative Council portrayed his sound and thorough statistical skills.
- Gopal Krishna Gokhale played a major role in the Morley-Minto reforms.
- In 1908, Gokhale founded the ‘Ranade Institute of Economics’. He discouraged the untouchability and caste-system, pleaded for the liberation of women and supported the cause of female education.
- Gokhale visited Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa in 1912 on the latter’s request. He famously mentored to the father of the nation, who returned to India at Gokhale’s request.
- In India, Gokhale toured the whole country mobilising public opinion in support of the Indians in South Africa.
- Gokhale put to constructive use the opportunity to debate in the councils by demanding universal primary education, attacking repressive policies and drawing attention to the plight of indentured labour and Indian workers in South Africa.
Conclusion
Gokhale’s involvement in a wide range of public and legislative bodies and his commitment to the advancement of education, strained him physically. Excessive exertion and the resulting exhaustion aggravated his diabetes and cardiac asthma. The end came peacefully, and the great humanitarian leader passed away on February 19, 1915 in Poona.
General Studies – 2
Topic: GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
GS-3: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
Reference: pib.gov.in
Why the question:
NITI Aayog and Mastercard released a report titled ‘Connected Commerce: Creating a Roadmap for a Digitally Inclusive Bharat’. Thus the question.
Key Demand of the question:
One is expected to identify the challenges in accelerating digital financial inclusion in India and provide recommendations for making digital services accessible to its 1.3 billion citizens.
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 you understand by Digital financial inclusion.
Body:
Explain first the journey of financial inclusion in India and its importance.
Then move onto explain the digital financial inclusion aspect and discuss the challenges; the biggest challenge facing financial inclusion is the lack of robust technology infrastructure. Further, lack of awareness and trust in digital payments enhances the problem. While many people from rural areas now have access to mobile devices, they still struggle for affordable and reliable internet connectivity options.
Present the recommendations for making digital services accessible to citizens. Substantial investments in physical and social infrastructure as well as in need-based products, financial literacy along with innovative delivery mechanism is necessary to ensure inclusive growth of the economy. Further, financial institutions need to focus more on tailor-made services and deliver an effective mechanism. Measures need to be initiated to make credit disbursement more flexible and attract the masses that are used to informal sources of credit.
Conclusion:
Conclude that financial inclusion is a long-term goal and a progressive initiative, which will evolve. Also, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to ensure inclusive growth.
Introduction
The Covid-19 pandemic has alerted us all to the fragility of cash and the resilience of digital technologies, including digital payments. Even with restrictions, commerce needed to continue to fulfil basic livelihood needs—and it was digital technologies that made it possible. Now more than ever, the power of brick-and-mortar distribution channels must parallel in the digital world.
Body
Background
- India is seeing increasing digitization of financial services, with consumers shifting from cash to cards, wallets, apps, and UPI.
- UPI transactions reached Rs 3.3 trillion in September 2020, growing at nearly 100% y/y.
Challenges of digital financial inclusion in India
- Digital financial services (DFS) lies at the heart of financial inclusion in India.
- Despite the government’s efforts to create interconnected digital infrastructure, the adoption of DFS in rural areas is marred by digital illiteracy, which has a direct bearing on the acceptance of digital products.
- The lack of trust in technology, inability to use smartphones and poor network connectivity restrict digital transactions and discourage people with low digital proficiency from using e-banking services.
- As a result, cash is still the preferred mode of payment in rural India. Financial inclusion does not depend only on the digital capabilities of rural customers, but also on the ease with which they can carry out transactions online or on their phones.
- The absence of financial products and services suited to the rural masses remains a challenge in digital financial inclusion.
- Products have to be designed in a way that they are both easy to understand and operate.
- Language is another factor. Banks and fintechs must necessarily integrate local languages into their products so that users have little trouble accessing them.
Means of accelerating digital financial inclusion in India
- Acceleration of digital financial inclusion for underserved sections of Indian society.
- Enabling SMEs to ‘get paid, get capital and get digital’ and access customers, and ensure their continued resilience.
- Policy and technological interventions to foster trust and increase cyber resilience.
- Unlocking the promise of digitization in India’s agriculture sector.
- Strengthening the payment infrastructure to promote a level playing field for NBFCs and banks.
- Digitizing registration and compliance processes and diversifying credit sources to enable growth opportunities for MSMEs.
- Building information sharing systems, including a ‘fraud repository’, and ensuring that online digital commerce platforms carry warnings to alert consumers to the risk of frauds.
- Enabling agricultural NBFCs to access low-cost capital and deploy a ‘phygital’ (physical + digital) model for achieving better long-term digital outcomes. Digitizing land records will also provide a major boost to the sector.
- The mass adoption of digital payment platforms and mobile apps can be driven by hyper-localisation and addressing the pain points of switching from cash-based transaction mode to digitised services.
- Multilingual options will also help develop a more inclusive model. Public and private entities can support local innovators who are more clued into regional demands and collaborate with them on products that suit local needs.
- For example, the lack of documents has been the biggest deterrent in weaning rural customers away from traditional banking services. How
- ever, AePS (Aadhaar-enabled Payment System) helped address this issue.
- To make city transit seamlessly accessible to all with minimal crowding and queues, leveraging existing smartphones and contactless cards, and aim for an inclusive, interoperable, and fully open system such as that of the London ‘Tube’.
Conclusion
In the past years, India has changed its operating landscape in making digital more accessible and friction free. It is one of the most advanced digital payments environment in the world. Now is the time to take our learnings and digital transformation-at-scale with speed and agility
Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
Reference: The Wire
Why the question:
Amidst the threats posed by Pandemic the article brings to us the greater threats of antimicrobial resistance.
Key Demand of the question:
Discuss the nuances of hidden pandemic of Anti-Microbial resistance.
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 what AMR is.
Body:
Explain that Doctors would ideally adhere to the clinical-management protocols, but the high flow of patients who may deteriorate and need hospital admissions, is compelling doctors to mount a pre-emptive attack against the virus.
So, doctors are prescribing medicines like multivitamins, anti-allergens, asthma drugs, anti-hypertensive, anti-nausea drugs, and anti-cholesterol drugs. Even drugs which may not have gone through a robust approval process for use in Covid-19 treatment also feature on the list.
Explain what are Superbugs and Anti-Microbial resistance.
Discuss in what way the response to Covid-19 is Shaping Antibiotic Resistance or AMR.
Suggest and discuss steps that have been taken to prevent or reduce AMR.
Conclusion:
Conclude with way forward.
Introduction
Healthcare systems across the world have been stretched thin by the unprecedented demands that the COVID-19 pandemic has exerted. Once again, India has found itself at a critical juncture in its fight against the virus as it battles a second wave of infections. While efforts are doubled up, it is crucial to assess the impact of these response measures on antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR – the development of antimicrobial resistant capacities in infection causing pathogens – has been widely recognised as one of the most serious health threats and will likely cause the next pandemic.
Body
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the ability of a microorganism (like bacteria, viruses, and some parasites) to stop an antimicrobial (such as antibiotics, antivirals and antimalarials) from working against it. As a result, standard treatments become ineffective, infections persist and may spread to others.
Pandemic and Antimicrobial resistance
- Beyond the ongoing pandemic as well, indiscriminate prescription of antibiotics by healthcare professionals and their availability without prescriptions from pharmacies, in the absence of accurate diagnostic tests, plays a significant role in increasing antibiotic resistance.
- It is well documented from studies carried out in India that antibiotics are prescribed the most for treating upper-tract respiratory infections which are most of the time of viral aetiology, are self-limiting and do not require treatment with antibiotics.
Other causes of antimicrobial resistance
- Antibiotic resistance occurs naturally, but misuse of antibiotics in humans and animals is accelerating the process. Poor infection prevention and control further accelerate it.
- While in humans’ antibiotics are primarily used for treating patients, they are used as growth promoters in animals, often because they offer economic shortcuts that can replace hygienic practices.
- In their quest for survival and propagation, common bugs develop a variety of mechanisms to develop antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
- The indiscriminate use of antibiotics is the greatest driver in selection and propagation of resistant bugs. It has the potential to make fatal even minor infections.
- Wrong diagnosis: Doctors sometimes prescribe antimicrobials “just in case,” or they prescribe broad-spectrum antimicrobials when a specific drug would be more suitable. Using these medications in this way increases the risk of AMR.
- Inappropriate use: If a person does not complete a course of antimicrobial drugs, some microbes may survive and develop resistance to the drug. Also antibiotics recommended by quacks or pharmacist contribute to magnify the issue.
Measures being taken
- The World Health Organization is also coordinating a global campaign “Handle with care” to raise awareness and encourage best practices for antibiotic use.
- In India, the government has launched a National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR) as well.
- India’s NAP- National Action Plan to combat Antimicrobial Resistance goes hand in hand with the World Health Organization’s Global Action Plan (GAP) for AMR.
- The Union health ministry’s Anti-Microbial Resistance awareness campaign urges people not to use medicines marked with a red vertical line, including antibiotics, without a doctor’s prescription.
- In 2012, India’s medical societies adopted the Chennai Declaration, a set of national recommendations to promote antibiotic stewardship.
- The government has also capped the maximum levels of drugs that can be used for growth promotion in meat and meat products.
- On July 19, 2019, the Central Government banned the manufacture, sale and distribution of Colistin and its formulations for food producing animals, poultry, aqua farming and animal feed supplements with immediate effect to prevent AMR.
Conclusion
While expanding the scope of antimicrobial stewardship to the entire health sector, stewardship programs should also be adopted quickly and voluntarily across sectors to encourage responsible practices. At a time that infectious diseases have shown their might, we need systems in place that recognise early warnings and respond effectively through sustainable practices and collaboration.
General Studies – 3
Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
4. What is the Great Nicobar Development Plan? Discuss the concerns over it . (250 words)
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
Recently, the Environment Appraisal Committee that had earlier flagged concerns over the NITI Aayog’s Great Nicobar Plan, has now recommended it for grant of terms of reference. Thus the question.
Key Demand of the question:
Explain what Great Nicobar Development Plan is and its importance while also discussing the concerns over 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:
Start with what the Great Nicobar Development Plan is.
Body:
The Plan envisages the use of 244 sq.km. region of the Great Nicobar region for development purposes.
NITI Aayog’s Great Nicobar Development plan aims to promote the holistic development of Greater Nicobar. Based on that, the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) denotified the entire Galathea Bay Wildlife Sanctuary for building port and other related infrastructure. This would facilitate the realization of NITI Aayog’s master plan for the development of the great Nicobar island. However, experts have expressed concern that this rapid development can lead to disastrous consequences.
Then move onto discuss concerns over the Great Nicobar Development Plan; Geological Volatility, Impact on Biodiversity, Issues confronting Galathea Bay, trbial rights etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude with recommendations of the committee hinting at solutions.
Introduction
NITI Aayog’s Great Nicobar Development plan aims to promote the holistic development of Greater Nicobar. Based on that, the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) denotified the entire Galathea Bay Wildlife Sanctuary for building port and other related infrastructure.
Body
Great Nicobar Development Plan
- The overall Great Nicobar Development plan envisages the use of about 244 sq. km. region for development purposes.
- Phase one of the plan includes below projects.
- To construct, 22 sq. km. airport complex
- Transhipment port (TSP) at South Bay and
- Parallel-to-the-coast mass rapid transport system and
- Free trade zone and warehousing complex on the southwestern coast.
- Finally, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) will be the nodal agency for the implementation of the Great Nicobar Development plan.
The Environment Appraisal Committee (EAC) – Infrastructure I of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has flagged serious concerns about NITI Aayog’s ambitious project
Concerns associated with the plan
- Trees to be felled: The committee also noted that there were no details of the trees to be felled — a number that could run into millions since 130 sq. km. of the project area has some of the finest tropical forests in India.
- Threat to fauna: Any construction in the region threatens the survival of certain important organisms. The beaches at the mouth of the river Galathea in South Bay are among the most prominent nesting sites of Giant leatherback turtles. Similarly, 90% of the Nicobar megapode’s nesting sites are within a distance of 30 m from the shore.
- Geological vulnerability: Andaman & Nicobar Islands are located in seismic zone V. Further, the Andaman & Nicobar observe frequent storms and cyclones. This can easily destroy constructed structures.
- For instance, in 2004 Tsunami caused a 3-4 metre land subsidence. This is the reason for the submergence of a lighthouse located at Indira point.
- Biodiversity: The Galathia Bay Wildlife Sanctuary forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. So, preservation of this pristine biodiversity is an International Obligation of India.
- Information Deficit: The rationale, process of creation, and other relevant provisions of the plan are still not publicly available.
- Ecological surveys in the last few years have reported a number of new species, many restricted to just the Galathea region. These include the critically endangered Nicobar shrew, the Great Nicobar crake, the Nicobar frog, the Nicobar cat snake, a new skink (Lipinia sp), a new lizard (Dibamus sp,) and a snake of the Lycodon sp that is yet to be described.
Way forward
- There is a need for an independent assessment of terrestrial and marine biodiversity, to rightly determine the impact.
- A study on the impact of dredging, reclamation and port operations, including oil spills (to be carried out by nationally recognised institutions such as the Wildlife Institute of India, IISc or the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History) is required before proceeding.
- There is a need for studies of alternative sites for the port with a focus on environmental and ecological impact, especially on turtles and analysis of risk-handling capabilities.
Topic: GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
GS-3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The worsening pandemic scenario has resulted in a massive spike in biomedical waste generated across the countries.
Key Demand of the question:
Discuss the emerging issues in biomedical waste management due to Covid-19 and explain what will be the challenges in waste management before the World owing to 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:
Start with few key facts that hint at the problem in question.
Body:
Define what biomedical waste are; biomedical waste or hospital waste is any kind of waste containing infectious (or potentially infectious) materials. It may also include waste associated with the generation of biomedical waste that visually appears to be of medical or laboratory origin (e.g. packaging, unused bandages, infusion kits etc.), as well research laboratory waste containing biomolecules or organisms that are mainly restricted from environmental release. Biomedical waste is generated from biological and medical sources and activities, such as the diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of diseases.
Then discuss the emerging issues in biomedical waste management due to Covid.
Bring out the challenges in waste management due to Covid.
Suggest measures to deal with increased biomedical waste.
Conclusion:
Conclude with way forward.
Introduction
The worsening pandemic scenario has resulted in a massive spike in biomedical waste generated in India. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in India, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate has published guidelines for the management of waste generated during treatment/diagnosis/quarantine of COVID-19 patients. If waste management is not given due importance, the crisis may amplify and lead to more transmission and contamination of public places.
Body
Issues related to biomedical waste generation
- Health risk: This waste has created new biomedical waste crisis and posing a health risk to sanitation workers and garbage collectors. E.g. Over 40 sanitation workers have tested positive for COVID-19 and 15 have lost their lives in Delhi.
- Lack of segregation: Municipalities pick up COVID-19 biomedical waste from houses, but it often has other household waste mixed in it. This decreases the efficiency of the incinerators at waste treatment plants as it results in greater emissions and unburnt ash.
- Large volume of waste generated: Before the COVID-19 outbreak, there was 500 grams of biomedical waste per bed daily. Now, it is between 2.5kg to 4kg per bed and a large COVID-19 facility can generate 1800 to 2200 kg of biomedical waste per day.
- Overburdened disposal Capacity: PPE are being used everywhere, from hotels to hospitals, railway stations to airports, crematoriums to burial grounds so, the disposal mechanisms available in the cities are not equipped to deal with this huge volume.
- Investment in incinerators is also a problem, as this infection (COVID-19) is episodic, the machines may not be useful once cases start decreasing.
Key guidelines for Covid-19 biomedical waste management
- Procedure of Disposal: The biomedical waste must be segregated in coloured bags (Yellow, Red, White and Blue) according to the category of the waste. It can be stored up till 48hrs after which it is either needed to be treated at insitu site or collected by the worker from CBMWTF.
- Collection and segregation of waste: Use dedicated trolleys and collection bins in COVID-19 isolation wards and label “COVID-19 Waste” to be pasted on these items.
- Depute dedicated sanitation workers separately for biomedical waste and general solid waste so that waste can be collected and transferred timely to temporary waste storage area.
- Transportation and disposal of waste: COVID-19 garbage is collected and taken in a separate vehicle for proper disposal as biomedical waste either to a CBWTF or a waste-to-energy plant, where it is then either incinerated, autoclaved (sterilised for shredding and recycling) or burnt to produce energy.
- Quantification and tracking the movement of COVID-19 waste needed to be carried out by all quarantine centres though the CPCB’s biomedical waste tracking mobile application called COVID19BWM.
- Role of nodal authorities – Designated trained nodal officers for biomedical waste management in hospitals must be made responsible for training waste handlers about infection prevention measures.
- Record maintenance and monitoring: Maintain and update bio-medical waste management register and record for operation of incineration, hydro or autoclaving etc, also review and monitor the activities related to biomedical waste management through committee.
- Establish GPS and Bar-coding facility at Common biomedical waste treatment facility.
Conclusion
The Centre should incentivise start-ups and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) offering solutions for Covid-19 waste segregation and treatment. There should be constant and regular monitoring by the central and state PCBs, Health Departments in the states/UTs and by the high-level task team at Central level with further coordination by CPCB.
Topic: regions
Reference: Economic Times
Why the question:
The question is amidst the pandemic situation and the ways in which AI is changing technology perspective of the society.
Key Demand of the question:
One is expected to explain how AI is changing the technology perspective from learning to jobs under COVID-19.
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 AI is.
Body:
Even the most sophisticated and finely tuned AI models couldn’t predict the long-lasting magnitude of COVID-19. Its disruption on our personal and professional lives is hard to quantify.
There have been plenty of lessons learned from this crisis — and from a technology perspective, some of the most significant lessons center around the continuing evolution and importance of data, analytics, and artificial intelligence. The pandemic acted as a catalyst to drive a staggering rate of digital transformation, which enabled business continuity and resiliency. It also turned consumer behavior upside down — leading to a far greater need and dependence on accurate predictive, prescriptive, and cognitive technologies. With many companies already struggling, and consumers scaling back their spending or buying through different channels, gaining and keeping loyal customers has been critical.
Conclusion:
Conclude with way ahead.
Introduction
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought automation technologies to the forefront and the Intelligent Automation (IA) market in India is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 55 per cent, with large enterprises expected to spend nearly $340-350 million in IA capabilities in 2024.
Body
Role of Artificial Intelligence in changing technology perspective
IBM’s “Global AI Adoption Index 2021” revealed that while AI adoption was flat over the last year, momentum is shifting as the need for AI has been accelerated by changing business needs due to the global Covid-19 pandemic.
- The different roles played by AI during pandemics are early warning and alerts, prediction and detection of outbreak of diseases, real‐time disease monitoring worldwide, analysis and visualisation of spreading trends.
- It also aids in prediction of infection rate and infection trend, rapid decision‐making to identify the effective treatments, study and analysis of the pathogens, and drug discovery. All these are executed at a greater speed with AI.
- AI is already changing the way businesses operate today, from how they communicate with their customers via virtual assistants, to automating key workflows, and even managing network security. Another recent IBM research revealed that more than half of CEOs expect AI to deliver tangible business benefits in the next few years.
- AI in learning and education can be used to dramatically change the learning experience online.
- Learning software is primarily designed to create more personalized learning experiences and help users discover new learning opportunities by combining learning content from different sources, while recommending and delivering them — with the support of AI — across multiple digital touch points such as desktop applications and mobile learning apps.
- Colleges, universities and enterprises are all looking at these tools. Instead of building training academics to help train people for new or expanded roles in an organization, enterprises will now target the front end of the recruiting funnel where higher education begins. The online faculty could be professors from shuttered universities.
- Teachers can use AI to decipher what obstacles the young student is facing, delivering micro-interventions that help to bridge the reading skills gaps. The new age AI softwares help assess reading fluency, pinpoint errors, and help improve those weaknesses.
Conclusion
Pandemic has accelerated the use of Artificial intelligence, especially by universities, companies which are now working remotely. It is only a matter of time that most businesses will leverage AI. India must ramp up skill development in this regard, and align academia with the present-day skill set in AI to build ample human capital.
General Studies – 4
Topic: Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance; ethical issues in international relations and funding; corporate governance.
Reference: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by Lexicon Publications
Why the question:
The question is about importance of effective utilisation of Public funds by the public servants.
Key Demand of the question:
Explain the statement in question with suitable examples and substantiate.
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:
Effective utilization of funds for welfare services is one of the key tenets to ensure social and economic justice and meet developmental goals.
Body:
Public servants are the trustees of the hard earned public funds; therefore it becomes their moral and legal responsibility for their effective utilization. The various reasons due to which these funds are under-utilized and mis-utilized are – Under-Utilization, High administrative cost and procedural delays in government offices which keep the funds tied in administrative tangles and bureaucratic loopholes. Inappropriate budgetary allocation, for example: use of guillotine voting etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude with importance of public servants and their moral and legal responsibility for effective utilization of public funds.
Introduction
“Public money ought to be touched with the most scrupulous conscientiousness of honour. It is not the produce of riches only, but of the hard earnings of labour and poverty.” – Thomas Paine.
Efficient utilisation of public funds is necessary for judicious use of financial resources to satisfy the needs of the present society in such a way that it doesn’t compromise the capability of societies of future generations to meet their own needs.
Body
Four principles underpin trust in the public finances:
- Transparency −accurate records that show where money is raised and spent.
- Assurance − figures and processes are checked by independent experts.
- Accountability −decision makers are clearly identified and subject to strict rules and review of performance and outcomes.
- Objectivity − policies are based on accurate information and rigorous analysis
Need for Public servants to ensure effective utilisation of public funds
- It is vital to uphold the ‘social contract’. Citizens must be confident that they are protected by the law and that public institutions and servants will act in accordance with it.
- Public institutions with operational independence from political control are more likely to be trusted to act in the public interest.
- A well-informed population is far more likely to be confident about investing for the future. This means both providing appropriate information in ways that are accessible and easy to understand, and educating citizens as well as inviting them to participate in decision making.
- Effective public financial management requires that decision makers, citizens and other stakeholders, are able to ‘follow the money’ to see how taxes were raised, why decisions to spend it were made, how the money was actually spent and what was bought.
- Where government plans and activities are measured against expected outputs and outcomes, citizens and other stakeholders will be able to judge the performance of government. This in turn provides the basis for feedback and continuous improvement mechanisms.
- For the public to believe that public officials will do the right thing, a range of controls to promote integrity and ethical behaviour and to tackle fraud and corruption are required.
- Most importantly, the public must believe that individuals will be held responsible for their actions, no matter who they are.
- A climate for investment is created when investors believe a state is stable, well run and that political and fiscal risks will be managed effectively.
- Effective utilization of funds for welfare services is one of the key tenets to ensure social and economic justice and meet developmental goals.
However, as our former Prime Minister had remarked, “only 15 paisa for every rupee spent on public welfare actually reaches to the masses”, thereby highlighting the gravity of ineffective utilization of funds in our country.
Conclusion
It is important for citizens to trust that the government will act in their interest, if they are to invest their own private resources and so create economic activity and employment. Efficient utilisation of public funds requires a number of reforms for good governance such as decentralisation of power, plugging legislative loopholes, strengthening the public Institutions like CVC and RTI, enhancing administrative accountability and making society more democratic. These reforms could make society more sustainable in the long run.
