NOTE: Please remember that following ‘answers’ are NOT ‘model answers’. They are NOT synopsis too if we go by definition of the term. What we are providing is content that both meets demand of the question and at the same time gives you extra points in the form of background information.
General Studies – 1
Topic: population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies.
Reference: Economic Times.
Why the question:
The article brings to us insights upon the elusive demographic dividend of our country.
Key Demand of the question:
Examine in detail why India’s chances of levering upon its demographic dividend looks overemphasized.
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:
Start with current context of the question; the effects of pandemic on youth, employment factors etc.
Body:
Discuss the concept of demographic dividend briefly in the context of India.
Explain the relevant population theories mentioned in the article.
Discuss the issues – Even before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, unemployment levels in India had hit a 45-year high. As of 2017-18, only half of the people in the working age were actually working. In 2004-05, the same proportion was 63.7 per cent. Moreover, the troubled scenario of education and skills is evident from the Pratham surveys that are released each year. In 2018, it showed that just half of the children in the 5th standard could read a text from the 2nd standard.
Explain in what way the possibility of India falling into a ‘middle-income trap’ are higher than the chances of reaping a demographic dividend. Countries fall into a ‘middle-income trap’ because they easily escape abject poverty in early stages of development through simple mobilization of labour and capital.
Conclusion:
Suggest what needs to be one and conclude with way forward.
Introduction
India has long been touted as the next big economic growth story after China. One of the primary reasons for that has been its young population which constitutes 59% of all Indians. The hope has remained that as the young Indian population enters the working age, it will lead to higher economic growth.
Body
Pandemic generation: Covid-19 and its impact on working generation
- Even before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, unemployment levels in India had hit a 45-year high.
- As of 2017-18, only half of the people in the working age were actually working. In 2004-05, the same proportion was 63.7 per cent.
- Moreover, the troubled scenario of education and skills is evident from the Pratham surveys that are released each year.
- In 2018, it showed that just half of the children in the 5th standard could read a text from the 2nd standard.
- The pandemic has worsened the situation. The latest State of India’s Environment report released by the Centre for Science and Environment finds that an astounding 375 million children may suffer long-lasting impacts due to the pandemic including being underweight and stunted, which will lead to losses in education and economic productivity.
- Government programmes like mid-day meal schemes, which encouraged school enrolment have taken a hit during the pandemic.
- Even those students who managed to remain enrolled have face difficulties in accessing education due to the vast digital divides across income groups.
- As this ‘pandemic generation’ joins the workforce in an economy that is failing to provide adequate employment opportunities to its current strength, India’s chances of levering upon its demographic dividend are soon becoming obscure.
- There is little to no hope that things will be any different moving forward. The possibility of India falling into a ‘middle-income trap’ are higher than the chances of reaping a demographic dividend.
Measures needed to reap demographic dividend
- Need to have decentralized models of development- Social policies for each state must be differentiated to accommodate different rates of population growth. The populations in south and west India are growing at a much slower pace than in the central and eastern states.
- Need to utilize the energies of all sections of society- including women and senior citizens too. According to IMF research, raising women’s participation in the labour force to the same level as men can boost India’s GDP by 27% and contribute additively to India’s GDP growth every year. Government driven programs should also target people between the ages of 60-75 so as to ensure they remain employable.
- Need to improve social security architecture- by incentivizing investments and savings in retirement schemes, pension funds etc. The focus should be on informal sector, which constitute the majority of workforce. India’s social security shortfall will increase from $3 trillion in 2015 to $85 trillion in 2050, which needs to be addressed.
- Government can also consider increasing the retirement age to capture this changing trend. Fewer jobs are labour-intensive these days, while rising life expectancies are encouraging longer working lives, and today’s higher incomes are also encouraging people to work for longer. Fostering these trends can help the economic growth of those nations at the forefront of ageing impacts – as is especially true of Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Korea and China
Conclusion
Demographic dividend without investments in human capital will be a wasted development opportunity, and it will further widen economic and social gaps, instead of narrowing them. Investing more and more efficiently in people will enable India to tap into its demographic divided and prepare the country for the future.
Topic: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.
Reference: Down to Earth
Why the question:
The article presents to us the case of cloudbursts witnessed in the State of Uttarakhand in the recent times.
Key Demand of the question:
Discuss the phenomena of cloudburst, how is it different from regular rainfall? Analyse the Indian dimension of 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 Cloudbursts are.
Body:
Cloudbursts are sudden and extreme rainfall events over a limited area in a short span of time. There is no universal definition of a cloudburst.
A cloudburst occurs when moisture-carrying air moves up a hilly terrain, forming a vertical column of clouds known as ‘cumulonimbus’ clouds. Such clouds usually cause rain, thunder and lightning. This upward motion of the clouds is known as an ‘orographic lift’.
Discuss how they are different from regular rainfall? – These unstable clouds cause an intense rainstorm over a small area after becoming heavy enough and locked in the ridges and valleys between the hills.
Present the Indian dimension.
Conclusion:
Conclude with its impact and interlinkages with climate change in general.
Introduction
Cloudburst-like events have hit Uttarakhand since May 3 and have caused considerable damage in the four hilly districts of Tehri Garhwal, Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi and Chamoli. The latest of these occurred on the evening of May 11 in Devprayag town of Tehri Garhwal district.
Body
Cloudburst: Concept
- Cloudbursts are sudden and extreme rainfall events over a limited area in a short span of time. India Meteorological Department (IMD) defines a cloudburst as any event where 100 millimetres of rainfall have fallen in a span of an hour over a region that is 20-30 square kilometres in area.
- A cloudburst is short-term extreme precipitation that takes place over a small area. i.e if rainfall of about 10 cm or above per hour is recorded over a place that is roughly 10 km x 10 km in area, it is classified as a cloudburst event.
Differentiating factor of cloudburst vis-a-vis regular rainfall
- A cloudburst occurs when moisture-carrying air moves up a hilly terrain, forming a vertical column of clouds known as ‘cumulonimbus’ clouds.
- Such clouds usually cause rain, thunder and lightning. This upward motion of the clouds is known as an ‘orographic lift’.
- These unstable clouds cause an intense rainstorm over a small area after becoming heavy enough and locked in the ridges and valleys between the hills.
- The energy necessary for the cloudburst comes from the upward motion of air. Cloudbursts mostly occur at elevations between 1,000-2,500 metres above sea level.
- The moisture is usually provided by a low-pressure system (usually associated with cyclonic storms in the ocean) over the Gangetic plains associated with low level winds flowing in from the east.
- Sometimes winds flowing in from the north west also aid the occurrence of cloudbursts. The many factors that have to come together to make a cloudburst event happen make them highly unlikely.
Cloudburst and Indian dimension
- Uttarakhand is highly prone to cloudburst events. Nineteen of the 30 major cloudburst events reported from the southern rim of the Himalayas in the Earth Science Reviews study occurred in Uttarakhand.
- In 2019, there was a cloudburst event in Chamoli district while there were a dozen of these events in 2018.
- But the official response to these events has been slow. In January 2021, the IMD and state government installed a doppler weather radar in Mukteshwar in Kumaon, which had been in the pipeline for many years.
- Cloudbursts do happen in plains as well, but there is a greater probability of them occurring in mountainous zones; it has to do with the terrain.
- Cloudbursts happen when saturated clouds are unable to produce rain because of the upward movement of very warm current of air.
- Raindrops, instead of dropping down, are carried upwards by the air current. New drops are formed and existing raindrops gain in size.
- After a point, the raindrops become too heavy for the cloud to hold on to, and they drop down together in a quick flash.
- Hilly terrains aid in heated air currents rising vertically upwards, thereby, increasing the probability of a cloudburst situation.
Conclusion
There is a paucity of past data on cloudbursts; in addition, since only some of them get counted – only those that result in death and destruction – there is a problem of accuracy as well. But what is very clear is that events of extreme precipitation have been on the rise in the last few decades due to global warming; it is expected, keeping in mind that trend, that cloudburst events might be on the increase as well.
Topic: Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies. Social empowerment.
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The article explains how in the pandemic, women have borne a disproportionate burden of the severe disruptions to life and the economy.
Key Demand of the question:
Account for the implications of Universal Basic Services Programme as an opportunity for economic empowerment of women in 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:
The COVID-19 pandemic has destroyed millions of livelihoods and led to a sudden and large increase in poverty and a massive disruption of the labour market in India. Women workers, in particular, have borne a disproportionate burden. As the country meets the challenge of the second wave of the pandemic, it is crucial to learn lessons from the first wave to chart the policy path ahead.
Explain how the nationwide lockdown hit women much harder than men.
Discuss that the long-standing question of women’s participation in India’s economy has become more urgent with the pandemic disproportionately impacting women’s paid work and increasing the burden of unpaid care work. Support your answer with suitable facts.
Detail upon the idea of Universal Basic Services Programme as an opportunity for economic empowerment of women in India.
Conclusion:
Conclude with way ahead.
Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic has destroyed millions of livelihoods and led to a sudden and large increase in poverty and a massive disruption of the labour market in India. Women workers, in particular, have borne a disproportionate burden. As the country meets the challenge of the second wave of the pandemic, it is crucial to learn lessons from the first wave to chart the policy path ahead.
Body
Covid-19 impact on employment of women
- In 2020, The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) showed that 39% of women lost their jobs in April and May compared to 29% of men, corroborating the UN’s fears of COVID-19’s compounding impact on already low-paid and insecurely-employed poor women.
- India’s unequal gender division of household work has also worsened during the pandemic. Women spend (an unpaid) three times (as per NSS) or even six times (as per OECD) more time than men in household work.
- Even by the end of the year, 47% of employed women who had lost jobs during the lockdown, had not returned to work. The equivalent number for men was only 7%.
- Nearly 33% of formal salaried men moved into self-employment and 9% into daily wage work between late 2019 and late 2020. In co
- ntrast, women had far fewer options, only 4% and 3% of formal salaried women moved into self-employment and daily wage work, respectively.
- Nearly half of the women workers, irrespective of whether they were salaried, casual, or self-employed, withdrew from the workforce, as compared to only 11% of men.
- Even as new entrants to the workforce, women workers had poorer options compared to men.
- Women were more likely to enter as daily wage workers while men found avenues for self-employment.
- Daily wage work is typically far less remunerative than self-employment as on average, between September to October 2020, a daily wage worker earned about ₹7,965 compared to a self-employed worker who earned nearly twice that at ₹12,955. So, not
- only did women enter into more precarious work, it was also likely to be at very low earnings compared to men.
Universal Basic Services Programme for women empowerment
- The time is right to imagine a bold universal basic services programme that not only fills existing vacancies in the social sector but also expands public investments in health, education, child and elderly care, and so on, to be prepared for future shocks.
- This can help bring women into the workforce not only by directly creating employment for them but also by alleviating some of their domestic work burdens, while also overcoming nutritional and educational deficits that we are likely to be confronted with as we emerge from this crisis.
- The following measures are needed now: expansion of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and the introduction of an urban employment guarantee targeted to women as soon as the most severe forms of mobility restrictions are lifted.
- We further propose co-ordinated efforts by States to facilitate employment of women while also addressing immediate needs through the setting up of community kitchens, prioritising the opening of schools and anganwadi centres, and engagement with self-help groups for the production of personal protective equipment kits.
- Further, a COVID-19 hardship allowance of at least ₹5,000 per month for six months should be announced for 2.5 million accredited social health activists and Anganwadi workers, most of whom are women.
- But this is not enough. The National Employment Policy, currently in the works, should systematically address the constraints around the participation of the women’s workforce, both with respect to the availability of work and household responsibilities.
- The pandemic has shown the necessity of adequate public investment in social infrastructure.
Conclusion
There is no, one size fits all strategy as multiple issues are plaguing women workforce participation in India. If women’s workforce participation in India is realized to its full potential and given India’s demographic dividend, it can easily achieve the target of $5trillion economy.
Topic: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues.
4. Account for the contributions of Basavanna to Indian Literature and philosophy. (250 words)
Reference: nationaljournals.com
Why the question:
The question is in the event of Basava Jayanthi celebrated last week.
Key Demand of the question:
Account for the contributions of Basavanna to Indian Literature and philosophy.
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 introduction of who Basavanna was. Basavanna or Lord Basaveshwara was an Indian 12th-century statesman, philosopher, a poet and Lingayats saint in the Shiva-focussed Bhakti movement and a social reformer in Karnataka. He lived during the reign of the Kalyani Chalukya/Kalachuri dynasty. He was active during the rule of both dynasties but reached his peak of influence during the rule of King Bijjala II in Karnataka, India.
Body:
Explain that his teachings and philosophy transcend all boundaries and address the universal and eternal.
Discuss in detail his contributions to the Indian society. Role and influences of Basavanna as a social reformer
Explain the bringing of Lingayat faith by him, his contributions through Vachanas etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude that Basavanna gave rise to a system of ethics and education at once simple and exalted.
Introduction
Basavanna was a 12th-century philosopher, statesman, Kannada poet and a social reformer during the reign of the Kalachuri-dynasty king Bijjala I in Karnataka, India. Basavanna spread social awareness through his poetry, popularly known as Vachanaas. Basavanna rejected gender or social discrimination, superstitions and rituals.
Body
Background
- He rejected gender or social discrimination, superstitions and rituals but introduced Ishtalinga with an image of the Shiva Liṅga, to every person regardless of his or her birth, to be a constant reminder of one’s bhakti (devotion) to Shiva.
- He established the Anubhava Mantapa(the “hall of spiritual experience”), a place that Allamaprabhu and Akka Mahadevi became a part of.
- Anubhava Mantapa was established as a spiritual and socio-religious academy. It welcomed men and women from all socio-economic backgrounds to discuss spiritual and mundane questions of life, in open
- Basava was later conferred the title of Basavanna (Basava, the elder brother).
Basavanna’s contribution to Indian Literature
- Basaveshwara and his associate Sharanas started and enriched a literary form that had a universality of appeal, the Vachana or Brief Prose — Poetry lyric.
- Vachana literature committed to social upliftment and self realization was simple enough to be understood by the most ignorant and great enough to be admired by the sophisticated.
- Several works are attributed to Basavanna, which are revered in the Lingayat community.
- These include various Vachana such as the Shat-sthala-vachana (discourses of the six stages of salvation), Kala-jnana-vachana (forecasts of the future), Mantra-gopya, Ghatna Chakra-vachana and Raja-yoga-vachan.
Basavanna’s contribution to Philosophy
- Basavanna grew up in a family with a tradition of Shaivism. As a leader, he developed and inspired a new devotional movement named Virashaivas, or “ardent, heroic worshippers of Shiva”.
- Vira Shaiva movement developed a school of poor priests. It abolished the old priestly class.
- It adopted the vernacular as the medium for inculcating the supreme truth into the people. It gave to women an important place in religious and social life.
- It prescribed one ideal of realisation for every individual, high or low.
- This movement shared its roots in the ongoing Tamil Bhakti movement, particularly the Shaiva Nayanars traditions, over the 7th- to 11th-century.
- However, Basava championed devotional worship that rejected temple worship and rituals led by Brahmins and replaced it with personalized direct worship of Shiva through practices such as individually worn icons and symbols like a small linga.
- This approach brought Shiva’s presence to everyone and at all times, without gender, class or caste discrimination.
- Basavanna staunchly believed in a caste-less society where each individual had equal opportunity to rise up in life.
- To give force to the noble mission, he conceptualised Anubhava Mantapa– an academy of mystics, saints and philosophers of the Lingayata faith and acted as the fountainhead of thoughts on common human values and ethics.
- His poems, such as Basavanna 703, speak of strong sense of gender equality and community bond, willing to wage war for the right cause, yet being a fellow “devotees’ bride” at the time of his or her need.
Conclusion
During twelfth century Lord Basaveshwara brought the revolution in various facets and stood against the social evils of the traditionalistic society. Being India’s first thinker, he became the social reformer. Basaveshwara has contributed immensely towards the well-being of society and overall development of human relations.
General Studies – 2
Topic: Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The article explains the importance of radical restructuring of Tribunals in India.
Key Demand of the question:
Discuss the idea of National Tribunal commission.
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 Tribunals are and their importance in general.
Body:
Tribunals are quasi-judicial duties created by the 42nd Amendment Act which added Articles 323A(Administrative Tribunals) and 323B(Tribunals of other matter).
Discuss the constitutional validity of Tribunals.
Explain the recent issues faced with functioning of tribunals.
Account for pros and cons of the idea of national tribunal commission. Give suitable examples in support of your answer.
Conclusion:
Conclude with way forward.
Introduction
The Centre has abolished several appellate tribunals and authorities and transferred their jurisdiction to other existing judicial bodies through the Tribunals Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) Ordinance 2021. This Ordinance has been challenged in the Supreme Court.
Body
Tribunals and their mandate
- The original Constitution did not contain provisions with respect to tribunals.
- The 42nd Amendment Act of 1976 added a new Part XIV- A to the Constitution.
- This part is entitled as ‘Tribunals’ and consists of only two Articles–Article 323 A dealing with administrative tribunals and Article 323 B dealing with tribunals for other matters.
- Article 323 A empowers the Parliament to provide for the establishment of administrative tribunals for the adjudication of disputes relating to recruitment and conditions of service of persons appointed to public services of the Centre, the states, local bodies, public corporations and other public authorities.
- Under Article 323 B, the Parliament and the state legislatures are authorised to provide for the establishment of tribunals for the adjudication of disputes relating to the following matters:
- Taxation
- Foreign exchange, import and export
- Industrial and labour
- Land reforms
- Ceiling on urban property
- Elections to Parliament and state legislatures
Recent issues in the functioning of the tribunals
- In India, executive interference in the functioning of tribunals is often seen in matters of appointment and removal of tribunal members, as well as in provision of finances, infrastructure, personnel and other resources required for day-to-day functioning of the tribunals.
- The Union Ministry of Finance framed a new set of rules called the Tribunal, Appellate Tribunal, and other Authorities (Qualifications, Experience and other Conditions of Service of Members) Rules, 2020 that prescribe uniform norms for the appointment and service conditions of members to various tribunals.
- The new rules have been framed by the government as the previous Rules of 2017 were struck down by the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court in November 2019 in the case Rojer Mathew vs South Indian Bank.
- The new rules do not remove the control of parent administrative ministries (ministries against which the tribunals have to pass orders) over tribunals.
- For example, the tribunals such as the Armed Forces Tribunal functions under the same ministry which is a party in litigation and the ministry also wields rule-making powers and controls finances, infrastructure and manpower in the tribunal.
- The new rules also ensure that the secretary of the ministry against which the tribunal is to pass orders sits on the committee for selecting adjudicating members of the same tribunal.
- This system was termed as “mockery of the Constitution” by SC in Madras Bar Association case, 2014.
The Centre is yet to constitute a National Tribunals Commission (NTC), an independent umbrella body to supervise the functioning of tribunals, appointment of and disciplinary proceedings against members, and to take care of administrative and infrastructural needs of the tribunals. The idea of an NTC was first mooted in L. Chandra Kumar v. Union of India (1997), but it has still not seen the light of day.
Restructuring with National Tribunal Commission(NTC)
- Initiating dialogue and promoting awareness about the NTC is vital for overcoming the government’s inertia in establishing such a body.
- Developing an independent oversight body for accountable governance requires a legal framework that protects its independence and impartiality.
- The NTC would ideally take on some duties relating to administration and oversight. It could set performance standards for the efficiency of tribunals and their own administrative processes.
- Importantly, it could function as an independent recruitment body to develop and operationalise the procedure for disciplinary proceedings and appointment of tribunal members.
- Giving the NTC the authority to set members’ salaries, allowances, and other service conditions, subject to regulations, would help maintain tribunals’ independence.
- Administrative roles of the NTC include providing support services to tribunal members, litigants, and their lawyer
- For this purpose, it would need to be able to hire and supervise administrative staff, and to consolidate, improve, and modernise tribunals’ infrastructure.
- Therefore, the NTC must be established vide a constitutional amendment or be backed by a statute that guarantees it functional, operational and financial independence.
- One of the main reasons that has motivated the idea of NTC is the need for an authority to support uniform administration across all tribunals.
- The NTC could therefore pave the way for the separation of the administrative and judicial functions carried out by various tribunals.
Conclusion
As the Finance Ministry has been vested with the responsibility for tribunals until the NTC is constituted, it should come up with a transition plan. The way to reform the tribunal system is to look at solutions from a systemic perspective supported by evidence. Establishing the NTC will definitely entail a radical restructuring of the present tribunals system.
Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources. Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The article highlights the issue of shortage of doctors in India and issues with the involvement of private sector in it. Thus the question.
Key Demand of the question:
One must discuss the challenges facing medical education in India and examine if the improved role of the private sector in medical education an answer to these challenges.
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 context of shortage of medical hands in the country.
Body:
Explain first the shortage of health workers in India. The serious shortage of health workers, especially doctors, in some northern States is a major impediment for achieving the health-related Sustainable Development Goals. The workforce crisis has been aggravated by the imbalances within the country.
For instance, the doctor-population ratio in northern States is far short of the required norm, while the southern States, barring Telangana, have enough doctors in possession.
Discuss the possible role that private sector participation would play. To meet the significant shortfall of qualified doctors in northern States, scaling up of medical education is warranted.
However, the NITI Aayog’s proposal of allowing private entities to take over district hospitals for converting them into teaching hospitals with at least 150 MBBS seats, may sound attractive but there are reasons to be deeply concerned.
Through the implementation of such a policy, the private sector in medical education will be encouraged.
Debate if PPP is an answer.
Conclusion:
Conclude with way forward.
Introduction
The serious shortage of health workers, especially doctors, in some northern States is a major impediment for achieving the health-related Sustainable Development Goals. Health workers are critical not just for the functioning of health systems but also for the preparedness of health systems in preventing, detecting and responding to threats posed by diseases such as COVID-19.
This shows the inherent issues in medical education in India.
Body
Challenges facing medical education in India
- Inter-state and intra-state inequality in the distribution of manpower and resources: There is a huge disparity in availability of opportunities for students across states. 2010 report by MHRD had stated that four states – Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu – account for 1.3 lakh out of 2.4 lakh medical seats across India.
- There is also a glaring rural-urban disparity in both availabilities of health care and colleges.
- A blanket standard for starting a medical college leads to neglect of states like Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland etc. and rural areas.
- Amidst this situation, new medical colleges can bring in uniformity of access across sates and fill the demand-supply gap.
- MCI regulations prevent experienced MBBS doctors from carrying out procedures like cesareans and ultrasound tests. Experienced nurses are barred from administering anaesthesia. This leads to failure of utilizing the experienced manpower to increase the service delivery.
- Another casualty of the Super-specialty craze is Research and teaching, as no one is choosing research or teaching as their preferred career.
Can private participating alleviate the concerns?
- To meet the significant shortfall of qualified doctors in northern States, scaling up of medical education is warranted.
- However, the NITI Aayog’s proposal of allowing private entities to take over district hospitals for converting them into teaching hospitals with at least 150 MBBS seats, may sound attractive but there are reasons to be deeply concerned.
- Through the implementation of such a policy, the private sector in medical education will be encouraged.
- It will also directly aid the corporatisation processes of healthcare provisioning while the under-resourced public health system will be a collateral damage.
- District hospitals are considered as the last resort for the poor.
- The corporatisation will make the services very costly and exclude them from getting care.
- Even from the perspective of producing more doctors to meet the shortages in under-served areas, this is unlikely to yield the desired result.
- Private players treat medical education as a business.
- Additionally, the medical graduates trained in such private sector ‘managed’ medical colleges will prefer to find employment in corporate hospitals and not in rural areas to regain their investment.
- Further, this proposal is not aligned with India’s national health policy goals like achieving universal health care and health equity.
- Instead, it will widen health inequalities further.
Conclusion
There should be a substantial step-up in public investment in medical education.
By establishing new medical colleges, the government can increase student intake as well as enhance equitable access to medical education. Besides, it must allocate adequate financial resources to strengthen the overall capacity of existing medical colleges to enrich student learning and improve output.
General Studies – 4
Topic: Work culture
Reference: researchgate.net
Why the question:
The question is based on the concept of Ethical climate and its importance.
Key Demand of the question:
Explain the principle of ethical climate, its relevance and significance in detail with relevant example.
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:
Define what you understand by Ethical climate.
Body:
The answer body must have the following aspects covered:
Explain that Ethical climate is the culture of an organization as it pertains to questions of right and wrong. It derives from the governance, values, norms and habits that exist within an organization. Ethical climate results from both a firm’s history and its leadership.
Discuss the key features in detail. Provide for illustrations wherever necessary.
Explain the advantages and need for good ethical climate and relate its relevance to the Governance.
Conclusion:
Conclude with need and importance of ethical climate in any organisation.
Introduction
Organizational ethical climate refers to the moral atmosphere of the work environment and the level of ethics practiced within a company. Instrumental, caring, law and order, rules, and independence are the five types of climates that can exist in an organization. Incivility, harassment, aggression, and discrimination can all produce an unethical and hostile work environment, which can create dissatisfied employees, while a positive ethical environment can make employees more productive and even happier.
Body
An organization’s ethical climate refers to the shared perceptions of managers and employees about what constitutes ethical and unethical behaviour in the organization.
Ethical Climate and context
- An organization’s formal ethical context is distinct from its informal ethical context. The formal context, also known as hard controls, consists of the tangible and explicit parts of an organization, such as its plans, policies, and procedures.
- An ethics program is regarded as the most relevant component of the formal ethical context and consists of ethics instruments and measures, such as a written code of ethics, an ethics training module, a policy on whistle blowing, and an ethics monitoring system.
- The informal context, also called soft controls, consists of the intangible and implicit parts of an organization, such as the shared assumptions, values, and expectations.
- Two of the most important components of this ethical context are the organization’s ethical climate and ethical culture.
Importance of ethical climate
- Organizations rely on many factors to run smoothly and efficiently. Any issues that arise can affect the daily work flow of employees.
- Due, to these issues it is imperative that an organization has created an ethical environment.
- Today’s society has been going through major changes morally, religiously, and politically which, makes it even more important that an organization has established its ethical climate.
- When organizations do not properly establish an ethical climate, an unethical one may take its place.
- An unethical climate is when questionable behaviour takes place and there is little action being taken to correct it.
- This is why implementing a company’s ethical standards is so important. By having these standards in place, it can eliminate a lot of behaviours deemed as unethical.
- If an ethical climate is implemented properly, individuals have the knowledge on how to deal with unethical behaviours when they arise.
- Organizations can proactively create an ethical climate by its leadership, formal policies, and establishing its core values.
- These factors shape the decision-making process of individuals in order to handle unethical behaviours. Having an ethical climate helps to keep an organization strong and running smoothly.
Ensuring ethical climate in an organization
- Clarity: The organization makes concrete, comprehensive, and understandable to managers and employees what sort of ethical behaviour is expected of them.
- Congruency of (senior) managers: the organization’s (senior) managers set a good example for employees regarding ethics.
- Congruency of supervisors: the organization’s supervisors set a good example for employees regarding ethics.
- Feasibility: the organization provides sufficient resources (e.g., time, budget, information, equipment) for employees to behave ethically.
- Supportability: the organization creates a shared commitment to behaving ethically through fair treatment and mutual trust within the organization.
- Transparency: the organization makes ethical and unethical behavior and their consequences visible to those who can act upon them.
- Discussability: the organization provides room within the organization for managers and employees to raise and discuss ethical dilemmas and alleged unethical behavior.
- Sanctionability: managers and employees are punished for behaving unethically and rewarded for behaving ethically
Conclusion
With ethical issues continuously arise in organizations it is imperative that an ethical climate has been set. When the ethical climate is in place an organization can run more efficiently. Although, there are factors that can interfere with an ethical climate it is important that individuals know they exist like the biases that can occur during decision making. When individuals are aware of these factors there is less of a chance of seeing corruption or scandal in one’s organization. Ethics will always be an important feature that helps build the structure of an organization. This is why it is so important each individual has a clear understanding of its ethical climate.
