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: Salient features of world’s physical geography.
Difficulty level: Easy
Reference: Insights on India
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 1 and mentioned as part of Mission-2022 Secure timetable.
Key Demand of the question:
To write the various forms of glacial landforms and the impact of black carbon on glaciers.
Directive word:
Analyse – When asked to analyse, you must examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them in a summary.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by describing glaciers and its types.
Body:
In the first part, write about the erosional landforms created by the glaciers.
Next, write about the depositional landforms created by the glaciers.
Next, the significance of glacial landforms in geomorphic process, economy and ecology.
Finally, write about Black carbon – its heat trapping properties and its impact on glaciers – cite recent examples to substantiate its impact.
Conclusion:
Mention a way forward to protect the glaciers from the effects of black carbon.
Introduction
A glacier is a large mass of ice that is persistently moving under its own weight over the land or as linear flows down the slopes of mountains in broad trough-like valleys. Glaciers are formed in the areas where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation (melting and sublimation) over many years, often centuries. Glaciers move under the influence of the force of gravity.
Body
Key features of glacial landforms:
Erosional Landforms:
- Cirque:
- Cirques are horseshoe shaped, deep, long and wide troughs or basins with very steep to vertically dropping high walls at its head as well as sides.
- Cirques are often found along the head of Glacial Valley
- The accumulated ice cuts these cirques while moving down the mountain tops.
- After the glacier melts, water fills these cirques, and they are known as cirque lake.
- Horns:
- Horns form through head-ward erosion of the cirque walls.
- If three or more radiating glaciers cut headward until their cirques meet, high, sharp pointed and steep-sided peaks called horns form.
- Aretes:
- Arete is a narrow ridge of rock which separates two valleys.
- Aretes are typically formed when two glacial cirques erode head-wards towards one another
- The divides between Cirque side walls or head walls get narrow because of progressive erosion and turn into serrated or saw-toothed ridges referred to as aretes with very sharp crest and a zig-zag outline.
- Glacial Valleys:
- Glaciated valleys are trough-like and U-shaped with wide, flat floors and relatively smooth, and steep sides.
- When the glacier disappears, and water fills the deep narrow sections of the valley, a ribbon lake is formed.
- Fjords/Fiords:
- A fjord or fiord is a long, narrow and steep-sided inlet created by a glacier
- They are formed where the lower end of a very deep glacial trough is filled with sea water
- Fjords are common in Norway, Chile, and New Zealand etc.
- Hanging Valleys:
- A hanging valley is a tributary valley that is higher than the main valley. Hanging valleys are common along glaciated fjords and U-shaped valleys.
- The main valley is eroded much more rapidly than the tributary valleys as it contains a much larger glacier
- After the ice has melted tributary valley, therefore, hangs above the main valley
- The faces of divides or spurs of such hanging valleys opening into main glacial valleys are quite often truncated to give them an appearance like triangular facets.
- Often, waterfalls form at or near the outlet of the upper valley
- Thus, the hanging valley may form a natural head of water for generating hydroelectric power
Depositional Landforms:
- Outwash plains:
- An outwash plain is a plain at the foot of the glacial mountain
- They are made up of fluvioglacial sediments, washed out from the terminal moraines by the streams and channels of the stagnant ice mass.
- As it flows, the glacier grinds the underlying rock surface and carries the debris along.
- Moraines:
- The unassorted coarse and fine debris dropped by the melting glaciers is called glacial till.
- The long ridges of deposits of these glacial till is called as Moraines
- Depending on its position, moraines are classified into be ground, lateral, medial and terminal moraine.
- Eskers:
- An esker is a long, winding sinuous ridge of stratified sand and gravel
- Eskers are frequently several kilometres long and, because of their peculiar uniform shape, are somewhat like railway embankments
- When glaciers melt in summer, the water flows on the surface of the ice or seeps down along the margins or even moves through holes in the ice.
- These waters accumulate beneath the glacier and flow like streams in a channel beneath the ice.
- Such streams flow over the ground with ice forming its banks.
- Drumlins:
- Drumlins are smooth oval shaped ridge-like features composed mainly of glacial till with some masses of gravel and sand.
- The drumlins form due to the dumping of rock debris beneath heavily loaded ice through fissures in the glacier.
- The long axes of drumlins are parallel to the direction of ice movement.
- They may measure up to 1000m in length and 30-35 m or so in height.
- One end of the drumlins facing the glacier called the stoss
Significance of Glaciers:
- Glaciers and Thermo (heat) Haline (salt) Circulation:
- The melting fresh water from glaciers alters the ocean, not only by directly contributing to the global sea level rise, but also because it pushes down the heavier salt water, thereby changing the currents in the ocean.
- Glaciers and winds:
- As the planet’s air conditioner, the polar ice caps impact weather and climate dynamics, such as the jet stream.
- Glaciers and climate change:
- Glaciers are also early indicators of climate changes that will have a somewhat more delayed impact on other parts of the Earth system. Glaciers are sentinels of climate change.
- Glaciers provide drinking water:
- People living in arid climates near mountains often rely on glacial melt for their water for part of the year. e.g.: Ganges, Yangtze
- Glaciers irrigate crops:
- In Switzerland’s Rhone Valley, farmers have irrigated their crops for hundreds of years by channelling meltwater from glaciers to their fields.
- Glaciers help generate hydroelectric power:
- Scientists and engineers in Norway, central Europe, Canada, New Zealand, and South America have worked together to tap into glacial resources, using electricity that has been generated in part by damming glacial meltwater.
Threats posed by Black Carbon:
- Black carbon results from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass. BC is produced both naturally and by human activities as a result of the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biofuels, and biomass. Primary sources include emissions from diesel engines, cook stoves, wood burning and forest fires.
- The fine particles absorb light and about a million times more energy than carbon dioxide.
- It is said to be the second largest contributor to climate change after CO2. But unlike CO2, which can stay in the atmosphere for years together, black carbon is short-lived and remains in the atmosphere only for days to weeks before it descends as rain or snow.
- Black carbon absorbs solar energy and warms the atmosphere. When it falls to earth with precipitation, it darkens the surface of snow and ice, reducing their albedo (the reflecting power of a surface), warming the snow, and hastening melting.
- India is the second largest emitter of black carbon in the world, with emissions expected to increase dramatically in the coming decades, says an April 2019 study in the journal Atmospheric Research, with the Indo Gangetic plains said to be the largest contributor.
Conclusion
Glaciers are one of the most visible icons of the “cryosphere”, the cold parts of the world where temperatures fall below the freezing point of water, a natural tipping point that profoundly changes the environment. From the Andes to the Himalayas, the loss of mountain glaciers is a real concern.
value addition
Glaciation generally gives rise to erosional features in the highlands and depositional features on the lowlands, though these processes are not mutually exclusive because a glacier plays a combined role of erosion, transportation and deposition throughout its course. It erodes its valley by two processes viz. plucking & abrasion.
- Plucking → Glacier freezes the joints & beds of underlying rocks, tears out individual blocks & drags them away.
- Abrasion → Glacier scratches, scrapes, polishes & scours the valley floor with the debris frozen into it.
Topic: Salient features of world’s physical geography.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Certificate Physical & Human Geography by Goh Cheng Leong.
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 1 and mentioned as part of Mission-2022 Secure timetable.
Key Demand of the question:
The question expects us to explain that the earth’s crust is a result of the constructive changes as a result of orogenesis and the external forces that are aggressively working to wear away the surface. Explain what these forces are and how they impact the formation of earth’s crust
Directive word:
Explain – Clarify the topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the context. You must be defining key terms wherever appropriate and substantiate with relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Highlight that earth’s crust is a result of the constructive changes as a result of orogenesis and the external forces that are aggressively working to wear away the surface.
Body:
First, explain that orogenesis builds new mountains, folding and faulting causes uplift or depression in certain areas and volcanic disruptions also modify the surface
Next, explain the various external forces that working against such forces such as weathering, erosion, transportation and depositing. Explain how they impact the relief features seen on earth’s crust.
Conclusion:
Explain what is the impact of such force.
Introduction
The earth’s crust is constantly undergoing geological changes caused by Endogenic (internal) forces which create new relief features. Meanwhile Exogenic (external) forces are working vigorously to wear away the surface.
Body
The various internal forces that help in formation of various landforms are Orogenesis, Folding and Faulting, volcanic disturbances.
Orogenesis is the process of building new mountain ranges by the convergence of tectonic plates. This takes place by ocean-continent collision (e.g., the Andes), continent-continent collision (the Alps and the Himalayas), or island arc-continent collision (e.g., New Guinea). All these tectonic processes create sedimentary basins of various types.
Folding: A fold can be defined as a bend in rock that is the response to compressional forces. Folds are most visible in rocks that contain layering. It causes uplift of particular area. The simplest type of fold is called a monocline. This fold involves a slight bend in otherwise parallel layers of rock. An anticline is a convex up fold in rock that resembles an arch like structure with the rock beds (or limbs) dipping way from the center of the structure.
Faulting causes depression of particular areas. These faults are named according to the type of stress that acts on the rock and by the nature of the movement of the rock blocks either side of the fault plane. Normal faults occur when tensional forces act in opposite directions and cause one slab of the rock to be displaced up and the other slab down. Reverse faults develop when compressional forces exist. Compression causes one block to be pushed up and over the other block. A graben fault is produced when tensional stresses result in the subsidence of a block of rock. On a large scale these features are known as Rift Valleys. A horst fault is the development of two reverse faults causing a block of rock to be pushed up.
Volcanic disturbances also modify the landscape. It is release of hot magma from earth’s surface due to convectional cells operating underneath giving rise to features such as batholiths, phacoliths etc. underneath and volcanic mountains above earth’s surface.
The various external forces that working against constructive forces are weathering, erosion, transportation and depositing.
- Weathering: The gradual disintegration of rocks by atmospheric or weathering forces. They are of two kinds
- Chemical Weathering: basic process by which denudation occurs. Extremely slow and gradual decomposition of rocks due to exposure to air and water. Solution, Oxidation and Decomposition by Organic Acids are few processes.
- Physical or Mechanical weathering: physical disintegration of a rock by the actual prising apart of separate particles. Repeated temperature changes, Repeated wetting and drying, Frost action and Biotic factors are processes.
- Erosion: The active wearing away of the earth’s surface by moving agents like running water, wind, ice and waves. Example: formation of waterfalls, rapids, sea caves, sprayholes.
- Transportation: the removal of the eroded debris to new positions. Various types include mass movements like Soil Creep, Landslides. Example: Formation of Sand dunes in deserts, Barchans etc.
- Deposition: the dumping of the debris in certain parts of the earth, where it may accumulate to form new rocks. Example: Beaches
Anthropogenic activities, Climate change, global warming are further increase the pace of the external forces. Example: The deforestation helps in quickening the Erosion process leading to quicker denudation.
Conclusion
The interaction of these constructive and destructive forces gives rise to great diversity of present day landforms.
General Studies – 2
Topic: Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure
Difficulty level: Moderate.
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
Recently, Defence Minister said that it is justifiable to discuss the role of women in the armed forces and stated the historic examples of Rani Lakshmi bai and Indira Gandhi and their role to defend India in Shanghai Co operation meet.
Key Demand of the question:
To discuss the role of women in National defence as part of the armed forces.
Directive word:
Comment- here we must express our knowledge and understanding of the issue and form an overall opinion thereupon.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by mentioning the constitutional ideal of promoting equality and women empowerment.
Body:
Mention about the untapped potential of women to be leaders in the armed forces until recently and the right move of the government to allow permanent commissioning of women. Next, highlight the twin nature of women as both nurturer/ caregiver as well as a protector. These instincts and by nature with women and has been historically proven by the leaders such as Rani Lakshmi Bai.
Conclusion:
Conclude by stating that gender cannot be base to discriminate woman in the field of armed forces and that the recent move is a step in the right direction.
Introduction
The Centre on September 8 told the Supreme Court that it had taken a decision to allow women entry into the National Defence Academy (NDA), so far, a male bastion for recruitment into the Armed Forces. When this decision comes through formally on paper, women can prepare for a career in the Armed Forces immediately after Class 12.
Recently, PM announcement to allow girls for admission in Sainik School is a welcome move that will prepare girls for equal roles & life in the military.
Body
Background
- The apex court had ordered on March 17 last year that women officers be given the same option of converting their short service commission to permanent commission as male officers.
- Several untenable reasons have been touted for years to deny women parity in the forces. These range from protecting women’s honour and lack of gender sensitivity among male soldiers to needing to lower standards for women officers.
- All of this was called as hogwash by the Supreme Court. Women in the forces have repeatedly proved themselves to be equally capable as their male colleagues when given same opportunities.
- Plus, a woman officer or cadet is fully aware of the risks involved in her profession. Only a patriarchal mindset feels the need to shield her.
- Therefore, the Centre and the services’ decision is a welcome change in attitude towards women in the armed forces who have long been at the receiving end of patriarchal mores.
Achieving gender parity in armed forces: Timeline
- The first batch of women officers was given commission in the Navy in 1992. It has taken close to 30 years for women to be given direct permanent commission.
- The Army, Air Force and Navy began inducting women as short-service commission (SSC) officers in
- This was the first time when women were allowed to join the military outside the medical stream.
- They were commissioned for a period of five years in certain chosen streams such as Army Education Corps, Corps of Signals, Intelligence Corps, and Corps of Engineers.
- Recruits under the Women Special Entry Scheme (WSES) had a shorter pre-commission training period than their male counterparts who were commissioned under the Short Service Commission (SSC) scheme.
- In 2006, the WSES scheme was replaced with the SSC scheme, which was extended to women officers. They were commissioned for a period of 10 years, extendable up to 14 years.
- Serving WSES officers were given the option to move to the new SSC scheme or to continue under the erstwhile WSES.
- They were to be, however, restricted to roles in streams specified earlier, which excluded combat arms such as infantry and armoured corps.
- One of the turning points for women in the military came in 2015 when Indian Air Force (IAF) decided to induct them into the fighter stream.
- In Secretary, Ministry of Defence vs Babita Puniya & Ors: the Court pointed out the “significant role” played by women since their induction in the army in 1992.
- So extending permanent positions to women SSC officers is a step forward in bringing equality of opportunity in the army.
- In early 2021, the Indian Navy deployed four women officers on warships after a gap of almost 25 years.
- India’s only aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya and fleet tanker INS Shakti are the warships that have been assigned their first women crews since the late 1990s.
- In May 2021, the Army inducted the first batch of women into the Corps of Military Police, the first time that women joined the military in the non-officer cadre.
- In the recent judgement, SC allowed women to sit for National Defence Academy (NDA) exam as the current policy is based on “gender discrimination”.
Conclusion
SC upheld the right to equality in the Constitution for the spirit of the order is the principle of non-discrimination. Gender cannot serve as the basis for inequitable and unequal treatment in any sphere, including in defence forces. There is a bigger need in shift to take place in the culture, norms, and values of the rank and file of the Army, which will be the responsibility of the senior military and political leadership.
Topic: Issues relating to poverty and hunger.
Difficulty level: Easy
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
Global Hunger Index ranks India at 101 out of 116 countries
Key Demand of the question:
To give an account on various factors leading to India’s poor performance in the Global Hunger Index ranking.
Directive word:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you must debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You must give reasons for both for and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by describing key indicators on which the Global Hunger Index is measured.
Body:
Describe the reasons and impact of hunger in India – status of child mortality, stunting and wasting in India. Highlight the key cause of the poor performance being that mothers are too young, too short, too thin and too undernourished themselves, before they get pregnant, during pregnancy, and then after giving birth, during breast-feeding.
Alongside being a health issue, there are social factors like early marriage etc all of which contribute to the undernourishment, stunting and wasting of children.
Conclusion:
Conclude by mentioning that mothers should be our prime focus both in terms of their health as well as marriageable age, in order to address the root cause of the issue.
Introduction
The Global Hunger Index launched recently ranked India at 101 position out of a total 116 countries. India is also among the 31 countries where hunger has been identified as serious. India ranked 94 among 107 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) released last year. India is currently behind its neighbours Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.
Body:
India’s performance:
- India is among the 31 countries where hunger has been identified as serious.
- Only 15 countries fare worse than India.
- Some of these include Afghanistan (103), Nigeria (103), Congo (105), Mozambique (106), Sierra Leone (106), Timor-Leste (108), Haiti (109), Liberia (110), Madagascar (111) and Somalia (116).
- India was also behind most of the neighbouring countries.
- Pakistan was placed at 92 rank, Nepal at 76 and Bangladesh also at 76.
The main cause for such high levels of child stunting and wasting in India:
- Poor maternal health: South Asian babies show very high levels of wasting very early in their lives, within the first six months. This reflects the poor state of maternal health.
- Mothers are too young, too short, too thin and too undernourished themselves, before they get pregnant, during pregnancy, and then after giving birth, during breast-feeding.
- Poor sanitation is another major cause of child wasting and stunting.
- Poverty: Almost 50 million households in India are dependent on these small and marginal holdings.
- Livelihood loss: The rural livelihoods loss after COVID and lack of income opportunities other than the farm sector have contributed heavily to the growing joblessness in rural areas.
Measures needed:
- Governments, private actors, and NGOs should carefully coordinate their responses to overlapping food and health crises and work with community organizations to make sure interventions are culturally acceptable, reach the most vulnerable, and preserve local ecosystems.
- Food should be priced not only by its weight or volume but also by its nutrient density, its freedom from contamination, and its contribution to ecosystem services and social justice.
- Governments should expand access to maternal and child health care, as well as education on healthy diets and child feeding practices.
- Supporting smallholder farmers in becoming sustainable and diversified producers; governments and NGOs must seek to improve those farmers’ access to agricultural inputs and extension services, coupling local and indigenous agricultural knowledge with new technologies.
- Existing human rights-based multilateral mechanisms and international standards—such as the Committee on World Food Security—must be strengthened to support inclusive policy making and sustainable food systems.
Conclusion
Prioritizing early childhood nutrition is key to ensuring India’s development rests on strong and steady shoulders. India’s ability to harness long-term demographic dividends rests on it prioritizing nutrition in its health agenda, and reforming the institutional framework through which interventions are delivered.
Value addition:
The GHI score is calculated on four indicators –undernourishment; child wasting (the share of children under the age of five who are wasted i.e who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition); child stunting (children under the age of five who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition) and child mortality (the mortality rate of children under the age of five).
India’s effort to achieve food security:
- Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), with its network of 1.4 million Anganwadi Centres, reaching almost 100 million beneficiaries who include pregnant and nursing mothers and children up to 6 years;
- Mid-day meals (MDM) that reach almost 120 million children in schools; and
- Public Distribution System (PDS) that reaches over 800 million people under the National Food Security Act.
- The recently announced flagship program of the Ministry of Women and Child Development will be anchored through the National Nutrition Mission (NNM), or Poshan Abhiyaan, with its own specific budget of ₹9,046 crore and a proposed World Bank loan of $200 million, to ensure convergence among the various programmes of the government.
- Additionally, NITI Aayog has worked on a National Nutrition Strategy (NNS), isolated the 100 most backward districts for stunting and prioritised those for interventions.
- The National Nutrition Strategy (NNS) has set very ambitious targets for 2022 and the Poshan Abhiyaan has also specified three-year targets to reduce stunting, under-nutrition and low birth weight by 2% each year, and to reduce anaemia by 3% each year.
- IYCF (Infant and Young child feeding), Food and Nutrition, Immunization, Institutional Delivery, WASH(Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), De-worming, ORS-Zinc, Food Fortification, Dietary Diversification, Adolescent Nutrition, Maternal Health and Nutrition, ECCE(Early Childhood care and Education), Convergence, ICT-RTM(Information and Communication. Technology enabled Real Time Monitoring), Capacity Building.
General Studies – 3
Topic: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Live Mint
Why the question:
PM Modi launches the Gati Shakti-National Master Plan to connect India’s economic zones.
Key Demand of the question:
To highlight the need for a co-ordinated approach to plan infrastructure projects to ensure multi-modal connectivity.
Directive word:
Analyse – When asked to analyse, you must examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them in a summary.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by mentioning that Gati Shakthi is the National Master Plan for ‘multi-modal connectivity’, and called it PM Gati Shakti.
Body:
Give an account of the Gati Shakthi initiative that it is a GIS-based capturing all utilities and network linkages in various economic clusters and the master plan in various infrastructure sectors is planned till 2024-25.
Also mention that Gati Shakti will help cut logistic costs, increase cargo handling capacity at ports and reduce the turnaround time thus ensuring a multiplier effect in the overall economic development by improving export competitiveness and investment environment.
Conclusion:
Conclude by mentioning that various departments from road to railways, aviation to agriculture are interlinked on a common portal to promote better co ordination and faster outcomes.
Introduction
On India’s 75th Independence Day, Prime Minister of India that the Centre will launch ‘PM Gati Shakti Master Plan’, a Rs. 100 lakh-crore project for developing ‘holistic infrastructure’. It will make a foundation for holistic infrastructure and give an integrated pathway to our economy.
Body
Key features of Gati Shakthi scheme
- The Gati Shakti National Master Plan is expected to deploy a geo-spatial digital platform that will provide real-time information on infrastructure projects across 16 ministries.
- The Gati Shakti scheme will subsume the Rs 110 lakh crore National Infrastructure Pipelinethat was launched in 2019.
- The use of digital technologies to map infrastructure facilities has been lacking in India, and with the availability now of relevant data and satellite information, the launch of such a portal catapults the country towards a modern infrastructure process system.
- The plan envisions a targeted approach to the completion of industrial parks, with an end date of 2024-25.
- As many as 109 pharma and medical device clusters, 90 textile parks (or clusters), 197 food parks and agro-processing centres, 11 industrial corridors and two defence corridors are envisaged for integration through transport facilities.
How Gati Shakthi scheme helps in good governance in infrastructure
- It is a significant step forward for the country’s logistics, where inefficiencies result in an estimated cost burden of 13-14% of gross domestic product (GDP), compared to 6-8% in more competitive economies.
- Greater visibility in core areas such as railways, shipping and roads and highways should serve to feed the development of facilities in an integrated manner.
- With a single portal including multi-layer levels of data, decision-making and various implementation processes can be streamlined and made both efficient and timely.
- The initiative builds upon the government’s previous actions and policies to promote infrastructure.
- Public-private partnerships have been redesigned and include new models such as toll-operate-transfer and a hybrid annuity model.
- Access to finance has opened up through innovative mechanisms such as infrastructure and real estate investment trusts and development finance institutions.
- Gati Shakti is expected to facilitate the planning, implementation, monitoring and administration of transport infrastructure projects so that they do not suffer delays.
- Time savings will lead to monetary savings, which can be ploughed back into the social sector, among others in need.
- For industry, the availability of detailed data on the facilities at a particular location would save a lot of time and effort in taking investment decisions.
- A plug-and-play model for industrial parks, as promised through the scheme, has long been a request of Indian industry so that approvals and clearances are pre-obtained for an enterprise to start functioning expeditiously.
Conclusion
Thus, Gati Shakti ensures Indian infrastructure’s embrace of digital technology, which will improve overall project execution and efficiency. Gains in productivity for India’s economy promise to be significant, as also the lowering of logistical costs for industry. This is yet another transformative move of the kind we have come to expect from this government.
General Studies – 4
Topic: Case Study
As the S.P, what course of action will you take? (250 words)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Case Study Fridays’ in Mission-2022 Secure.
Key Demand of the question:
to develop a link between changing your attitude and changing your behaviour.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by giving an account of patriarchy and superstition in modern times.
Body:
Mention as an S.P, the short-term measures you will immediately take to provide relief to the woman and hold the guilty party accountable.
Next, write about the long-term measures you will take to root out patriarchy and superstition in the district.
Conclusion:
Complete the answer by stressing how changing to right behaviours can impact our nation positively.
Introduction
Superstitions are a commonly witnessed phenomenon especially in India. They can be seen practised anytime, anywhere, in office, home, en route, public places, etc. People of every caste, creed or community are superstitious and follow customs even though they might defy logic. This irrationality has its origin in ignorance, low literacy levels, lack of rationality, scientific attitude and also a lack of faculty to interpret certain events. When superstition is coupled with Patriarchy, it is a double whammy, especially for the women and girls.
As an SP of the district, it is my duty to safeguard the women who has been subjected to such torture and ill-treatment.
Body
Short term measures
- As an immediate measure, I would provide immediate relief to the woman subjugated to violence by placing her in a hospital and then rehabilitation center.
- I would make sure the daughters are in safe custody of child care center in the district as they would also be subjected to same ill-treatment as woman.
- I would initiate action against the spouse and mother-in-law under the domestic violence and dowry prohibition legislations.
- Action would be taken against Godman for promoting superstition under anti-superstition legislation.
Long term measures
- I would ensure that the laws are enforced in true letter and spirit to make sure the people who mistreat women are brought into the books immediately.
- To promote the above, community policing can be encouraged, so that the hidden cases come into light.
- SHGs would strengthened so that they help women to get collective strength to fight against such evils.
- I would request the district administration to take up measures to educate people about shunning superstitious practices and promote scientific temper.
- I would encourage NGOs/civil society organizations to promote awareness about the fertility matters of women and also to fight off superstitions by use of nukkad/natak, posters etc.
- Lastly, I would promote better educational facilities among the young children so that the future generations have scientific temper.
Conclusion
In an era where we are heading towards a greater modern society and progressive attitudes of communities, such superstitious practices only point to the lack of education and awareness among the citizens of our country. Reformative education is the building block for the progress of any society. People fall trap to Godmen because of ignorance and lack of education. Support in this area is essential if a change is desired. Not only this, the gap between legislation and enforcement needs to be bridged manifold too.
