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: Volcanoes, Earthquakes, and Landslides
Difficulty level: Easy
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The recent volcanic eruption in Tongo and a similar question was asked in UPSC Mains 2021 GS1 a few days back.
Key Demand of the question:
Explain volcano formation and its types with suitable examples.
Directive:
Elucidate – Give a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the particular context. You must be defining key terms where ever appropriate, and substantiate them with relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Define what Volcanoes are.
Body:
A volcano is a vent (opening) in the earth’s crust through which molten material erupts suddenly from a magma chamber below the surface. Due to very high temperatures, some rocks slowly melt and turn into a thick flowing matter known as magma. Since it is lighter than the solid rock around it, the magma rises and gets collected in magma chambers which eventually pushes through fissures and vents on the earth’s surface.
Start by discussing their formation.
Mention types of volcanoes with suitable diagrams and descriptions.
Present the various landforms associated with it. Both intrusive and extrusive.
Also, highlight its impact on the environment.
Conclusion:
Conclude with their significant contributions in landform formation.
Introduction
A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. The process is called Volcanism and has been ongoing on Earth since the initial stages of its evolution over 4 billion years ago.
Body
- The majority of volcanoes in the world form along the boundaries of Earth’s tectonic plates—massive expanses of our planet’s lithosphere that continually shift, bumping into one another.
- When tectonic plates collide, one often plunges deep below the other in what’s known as a subduction zone.
- As the descending landmass sinks deep into the Earth, temperatures and pressures climb, releasing water from the rocks.
- The water slightly reduces the melting point of the overlying rock, forming magma that can work its way to the surface—the spark of life to reawaken a slumbering volcano.
- Not all volcanoes are related to subduction,
- Another way volcanoes can form is what’s known as hotspot volcanism.
- In this situation, a zone of magmatic activity—or a hotspot—in the middle of a tectonic plate can push up through the crust to form a volcano.
- Although the hotspot itself is thought to be largely stationary, the tectonic plates continue their slow march, building a line of volcanoes or islands on the surface. This mechanism is thought to be behind the Hawaii volcanic chain.
Types of volcanoes
- Types of volcanoes found due to convergent plate boundaries:
- Composite Cones or Strato volcanoes
- Cinder cone (Tephra cones)
- Calderas
- Types of volcanoes found due to divergent plate boundaries:
- Conical Vent and Fissure Vent
- Shield Volcanoes or Lava domes
- Mid-Ocean Ridges
- Types of volcanoes found due to Hotspots:
- Shield Volcanoes or Lava domes
- Lava Plains and Basalt Plateaus
Global occurrence of volcanic eruptions in recent times
- Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcano
- The Philippine volcano near Manila
- Piton de la Fournaise in the Indian ocean
- Great Sitkin, Alaska
- Fukutoku-Oka-no-Ba, Japan
- Kīlauea, Hawaii
- Etna, Sicily, Italy
- Nyiragongo, Congo
- Soufrière St. Vincent
- Semeru, Indonesia
- Krýsuvík-Trölladyngja
Impact on the regional environment
- Volcanism can be a greatly damaging natural disaster.
- Habitats and landscapes are destroyed by lava flows.
- Violent earthquakes associated with volcanic activity and mud flows of volcanic ash saturated by heavy rain can bury nearby places.
- Sometimes ash can precipitate under the influence of rain and completely cover the surrounding regions.
- deterioration of water quality, fewer periods of rain, crop damages, and the destruction of vegetation.
- In coastal areas, seismic sea waves called tsunamis are an additional danger which are generated by submarine earth faults where volcanism is active.
- Volcanic rocks yield very fertile soil upon weathering and decomposition.
- Although steep volcano slopes prevent extensive agriculture, forestry operations on them provide valuable timber resources.
- Mineral resources, particularly metallic ores are brought to the surface by volcanoes. Sometimes copper and other ores fill the gas bubble cavities. The famed Kimberlite rock of South Africa, source of diamonds is the pipe of an ancient volcano.
Conclusion
Volcanoes have a huge impact on man and material as urbanization and globalization increases. The effects have impacts on flora, fauna and the global warming which can accelerate the climate change.
General Studies – 2
Topic: Parliament and State Legislatures—Structure, Functioning, Conduct of Business, Powers & Privileges and Issues Arising out of these.
Difficulty Level: Easy
Reference: Polity by M. Laxmikanth
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 2 and mentioned as part of Mission-2022 Secure timetable
Key Demand of the question:
The importance of powers and functions of Parliament in India
Directive word:
Elaborate – Give a detailed account of the context. You must be defining key terms wherever appropriate and substantiate them with relevant associated facts
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Brief on the Indian Parliament, historical importance, notable opinion
Body:
Under demarcated sub-headings, mention the Multi-Function role played by the Parliament in India
Conclusion:
A relevant closing statement
Introduction
India has a parliamentary system of government. The Union Parliament consists of two houses- Rajya Sabha & Lok Sabha and President of India. The functions of the Parliament are mentioned in the Indian Constitution in Chapter II of Part V. The functions of the Parliament can be classified under several heads.
Body
- Law Making:
- A modern Parliament, either in India or in any other country, is not merely a law making body. It has many other functions to do. But still, the most important function among them is the function of law-making. Parliament can make laws on a wide range of subjects allotted to it under the Union and the Concurrent lists in the VII schedule to the Constitution. Residual powers also vests with the parliament in the matters that are not specifically assigned to the States. States can make law on subjects enumerated in the State list.
- Administrative Accountability Function:
- In India, Parliament does not interfere with the day to day administration of the executive but exercise surveillance on it. Parliamentary scrutiny is exercised through various procedures like questions, motions, discussions etc.
- Question Hour:
- Question hour is the hour where members of the parliament can raise any question with regard to the administrative activity. There the concerned minister is obliged to answer to the parliament, either orally or in writing. Questions may be either starred or non-starred.
- Discussions:
- When the member who raised a question feels that the answer given to a question is not complete, he may be allowed by the speaker of the house to raise a discussion in the house for half an hour. This is generally termed as the Half an Hour discussion.
- Committees:
- Another method of having administrative surveillance is by way of Parliamentary Committees. They may be either Standing Committees or the Adhoc Committees. Standing Committees are constituted every year and they work on a continuous basis whereas the Adhoc Committees are created temporarily for a specific task. There are Standing Committees both in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
- Executive Responsibility:
- In India, head of the executive is the President and the executive powers are vested in him and are taken in his name. But he is only the formal head as he acts only on the aid and advice of the council of ministers. The parliamentary control over the executive is based on the constitutional provisions of collective responsibility of Council of ministers to the House of people. This has been specifically enshrined in Article 75(3) of the Indian Constitution.
- Collective Responsibility:
- The collective responsibility concept lies on the principles that the minister must not vote against the government policy or speak against the government policy and all the decisions taken by a minister is the decision of the government. The ministers are also individually responsible to the head of the State in the sense that Ministers hold office during the pleasure of the President.
- Conflict Resolution and National Integration Role:
- Conflicts are natural to man. Conflicts may be either of ideas or interests or may be for the struggle for power by various contending forces. The role played by the Parliament in resolving conflict is great. That is there the members of parliament who are from the different parts of the country irrespective of their caste, creed, religion or region; they meet informally and discuss in groups the problems which affect the country as a whole. It creates the feelings of national integrity.
- Informational Role:
- The parliament also has its significant function of informational role. That means the parliament has right of being informed. Government should feed the parliament with information’s by way of reports or by way of lying papers on the table of the house or by placing documents in the parliamentary library.
Powers of the parliament:
- Legislative Powers: All the subjects in our constitution are divided among state, union and concurrent lists. In concurrent list Parliamentary law is over riding than state legislative law. Constitution also have powers to make law with respect to state legislature in following circumstances:
- When Rajya Sabha passes a resolution to that effect
- When national emergency is under operation
- When two or more states request parliament to do so
- When necessary to give effect to international agreements, treaties and conventions
- When President’s rule is in operation.
- Executive Powers: According to parliamentary form of government executive is responsible to the parliament for its acts and policies. Hence parliament exercises control by various measures like committees, question hour, zero hour etc. ministers are collectively responsible to the Parliament.
- Financial Powers: It includes enactment of budget, scrutinizing the performance of government with respect of financial spending through financial committees (post budgetary control)
- Constituent Powers: The Parliament also has the power to alter, repeal or amend any provision of the Constitution and such amendments cannot be question before any court of law on any ground unless they tend to alter or violate the ‘basic structure’ of the Constitution.
- Judicial Powers:
- Impeachment of President for violation of constitution
- Removal of judges of Supreme Court and High court
- Removal of Vice- President
- Punish members for breach of privileges like sitting in the house when the member knows he is not an eligible member, serving as member before taking oath etc.
- Electoral Powers: It has its participation in the election of President and Vice-President. The members of Lok Sabha elects speaker and deputy speaker from among its members. Similarly, members of Rajya Sabha elects deputy chairman.
- Other Powers:
- To discuss various issues of national and international importance
- Imposing emergency
- Increase or decrease area, change names, alter the boundary of the states
- Create or abolish state legislature etc. any powers can be added from time to time
Conclusion
Constitution of India is the law of our land and all the three organs, the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary are the machineries formed under the foundation of this Constitution. Constitution of India is been formed on the principles of rule of law, so Legislature in India has been vested with its constitutional functions and powers and so has limitation too. It can be said that the prime function of legislature is to anchor for the will of the people and to enact laws. But legislature is not the actual law makers but the executive is. And judiciary plays its vital role in guarding the constitution, the sentinel on the qui vive.
Topic: Parliament and State Legislatures—Structure, Functioning, Conduct of Business, Powers & Privileges and Issues Arising out of these.
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Reference: Polity by M. Laxmikanth
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 2 and mentioned as part of Mission-2022 Secure timetable
Key Demand of the question:
The importance of Speaker’s powers in India
Directive word:
Analyze – When asked to analyze, 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:
Brief on articles relating to powers of Speaker in India
Body:
First, mention the recent incidents of defection in the Indian political scene that underline the need for a review
Then, the Issues with the ‘Office of the Speaker’, that call for an amendment under Anti-defection law
Further, to what provisions could the Constitution be amended, to curtail the Speaker’s power on the matter of Disqualification?
Conclusion:
A relevant closing statement
Introduction
The Anti-Defection Law was passed in 1985 through the 52nd Amendment to the Constitution, which added the Tenth Schedule to the Indian Constitution. The main intent of the law was to combat “the evil of political defections” which may be due to reward of office or other similar considerations. The law applies to both Parliament and state assemblies. However, there are several issues in relation to the working of this law.
Body:
The All-India Presiding Officers’ Conference (AIPOC) ended recently with the delegates failing to reach a consensus on whether the Speaker’s powers under the Anti-Defection Law should be limited. However, the participants reiterated an earlier resolution that there should be no disruptions during Question Hour and the President’s and Governor’s address to the House.
Need for amendment of current Anti-defection law:
- Role of presiding officer of the house, wrt Anti-defection law:
- The law lays down that legislators may be disqualified on grounds of defection by the Presiding Officer of a legislature based on a petition by any other member of the House.
- However, there are many instances when presiding officers play a part with the vested interests of a political party/government in power.
- Also, the law does not specify a time periodfor the Presiding Officer to decide on a disqualification plea.
- The decision thus is sometimes based on the whims and fancies of the presiding officer.
- In recent times, there are number of instances where the role of speaker has been criticised for decision on membership of MLAs under the anti-defection law and their ruling have been challenged in courts.
- It was anticipated that giving Speakers the power to expel legislators would prevent unnecessary delays by courts and make anti-defection law more effective.
Supreme Court’s decision of Speaker’s Authority:
- There are two significant aspects to the Supreme Court’s latest decision on the Speaker as the adjudicating authority under the anti-defection law.
- The first is that Parliament should replace the Speaker with a “permanent tribunal” or external mechanism to render quick and impartial decisions on questions of defection.
- Few would disagree with the Court’s view that initial fears and doubts about whether Speakers would be impartial had come true.
- The second is its extraordinary ruling that the reference by another Bench, in 2016, of a key question to a Constitution Bench was itself unnecessary.
- The question awaiting determination by a larger Bench is whether courts have the power to direct Speakers to decide petitions seeking disqualification within a fixed time frame.
- The question had arisen because several presiding officers have allowed defectors to bolster the strength of ruling parties and even be sworn in Ministers by merely refraining from adjudicating on complaints against them.
- Some States have seen enmasse defections soon after elections.
- Secure in the belief that no court would question the delay in disposal of disqualification matters as long as the matter was pending before a Constitution Bench, Speakers have been wilfully failing to act as per law, thereby helping the ruling party, which invariably is the one that helped them get to the Chair.
- It is time that Parliament have a rethink on whether disqualification petitions ought to be entrusted to a Speaker as a quasi-judicial authority when such Speaker continues to belong to a particular political party either de jure or de facto.
- Limiting Speaker’s discretion: Recent Supreme Court Judgement ruled that Speaker must decide on disqualification within three months of receiving application. It cannot be the discretion of the Speaker to take no action.
Way forward:
- P. Joshi committee was formed in 2019 to examine the role of the Speaker in cases of disqualification on grounds of defection under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.
- The committee has advocated that the power to disqualify MPs and MLAs under the anti-defection law should also be given to political parties rather than limiting the power only for Lok Sabha and assembly speakers.
- The decision to disqualify a legislator is contingent on the institution of the Speaker.
- The partisan role of the Speaker in many States has ensured the continuation of turncoat legislators as legitimate members of the House.
- Various commissions including National Commission to review the working of the constitution (NCRWC) have recommended that rather than the Presiding Officer, the decision to disqualify a member should be made by the President (in case of MPs) or the Governor (in case of MLAs) on the advice of the Election Commission.
- Independent committee for disqualification: Justice Verma in Hollohan judgment said that tenure of the Speaker is dependent on the continuous support of the majority in the House and therefore, he does not satisfy the requirement of such independent adjudicatory authority.
- Also, his choice as the sole arbiter in the matter violates an essential attribute of the basic feature.
- Thus, the need for an independent authority to deal with the cases of defection.
Conclusion
This is a good time to heed the advice of eminent constitutional experts to amend the anti-defection law and rest the authority to disqualify turncoats in the hands of an autonomous body. As “failure to exercise jurisdiction” is a recognised stage at which the court can now intervene, the court has thus opened a window for judicial intervention in cases in which Speakers refuse to act. This augurs well for the enforcement of the law against defection in letter and spirit. While recommending that keeping in view the partisan conduct of Speakers, Parliament should amend the Constitution to set up a permanent tribunal to decide cases under the 10th Schedule.
Value addition
Background:
- Defection is “desertion by one member of the party of his loyalty towards his political party” or basically it means “When an elected representative joins another party without resigning his present party for benefits”. The institutional malaise is defection and party-hopping is state- neutral, party-neutral, and politics-neutral.
- For a very long time, the Indian political system was impacted by political defections by members of the legislature. This situation brought about greater instability and chaos in the political system.
- Thus, in 1985, to curb the evil of political defections, the 52nd constitution amendment act on anti-defection was passed and the 10th Schedule was added in the Indian Constitution.
- 91st Constitution Amendment Act-2003was enacted and was aimed at limiting the size of the Council of Ministers to debar defectors from holding public offices, and to strengthen the anti-defection law.
General Studies – 3
Topic: Challenges to internal security through communication networks, the role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cyber security; money laundering, and its prevention. Science and technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
Level: Moderate
Reference: The Hindu, Indian Express
Why this question:
Recently, a government introduced a bill in the parliament to regulate cryptocurrency in India.
Key demand of the question:
The question aims to analyze the concept of cryptocurrency and its regulation.
Directive:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you have to debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You have to give reasons for both for and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin with a brief on what is a cryptocurrency – “any information or code or number or token not being part of any official digital currency, generated through cryptographic means or otherwise, providing a digital representation of value which is an exchange with or without consideration, with the promise or representation of having an inherent value in any business activity which may involve risk of loss or an expectation of profits or income, or functions as a store of value or a unit of account and includes its use in any financial transaction or investment, but not limited to, investment schemes.”
Body:
Highlight the issues that the use of cryptocurrencies creates for regulators.
Also, mention the benefits that it provides. Then mention why it needs to be regulated. You should mention the findings of RBI, Garg Committee (2019) as well as the government on cryptocurrencies.
Conclusion:
Conclude with the way forward.
Introduction
Cryptocurrencies are digital currencies in which encryption techniques are used to regulate the generation of units of currency and verify the transfer of funds, operating independently of a central bank. Created by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008, Bitcoin is the most popular cryptocurrency. It is a fully decentralised, peer-to-peer electronic cash system that didn’t need the purview of any third-party financial institution.
Body
Need for Cryptocurrencies:
- Corruption Check:As blocks run on a peer-to-peer network, it helps keep corruption in check by tracking the flow of funds and transactions.
- Time Effective:Cryptocurrencies can help save money and substantial time for the remitter and the receiver, as it is conducted entirely on the Internet, runs on a mechanism that involves very less transaction fees and is almost instantaneous.
- Cost Effective:Intermediaries such as banks, credit card and payment gateways draw almost 3% from the total global economic output of over $100 trillion, as fees for their services.
Integrating blockchain into these sectors could result in hundreds of billions of dollars in savings.
Cryptocurrencies in India:
- In 2018, The RBI issued a circular preventing all banks from dealing in cryptocurrencies. This circular was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in May 2020.
- Recently, the government has announced to introduce a bill;Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021, to create a sovereign digital currency and simultaneously ban all private cryptocurrencies.
- In India, the funds that have gone into the Indian blockchain start-ups account for less than 0.2% of the amount raised by the sector globally.
- The current approach towards cryptocurrencies makes it near-impossible for blockchain entrepreneurs and investors to acquire much economic benefit.
Need for regulation
- Regulation is definitely needed to prevent serious problems, to ensure that cryptocurrencies are not misused,and to protect unsuspecting investors from excessive market volatility and possible scams.
- However, regulation needs to be clear, transparent, coherent and animated by a vision of what it seeks to achieve.
- India has not been able to tick these boxes, and we’re in danger of missing out in the global race altogether.
Way forward
- Any new regulations made in this sector should prevent the misuse of these digital assets without hindering innovation and investments.
- Clarity on Crypto-currency definition: A legal and regulatory framework must first define crypto-currencies as securities or other financial instruments under the relevant national laws and identify the regulatory authority in charge.
- Strong KYC Norms: Instead of a complete prohibition on cryptocurrencies, the government shall rather regulate the trading of cryptocurrencies by including stringent KYC norms, reporting and taxability.
- Provisions have to be made to route the value extracted from these networks transparently into our financial system.
- Regulatory uncertainties over India’s position on cryptocurrency highlights the need for clear-headed policy-making.
Conclusion
India is currently on the cusp of the next phase of digital revolution and has the potential to channel its human capital, expertise and resources into this revolution, and emerge as one of the winners of this wave. All that is needed to do is to get the policymaking right. Blockchain and crypto assets will be an integral part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Indians shouldn’t be made to simply bypass it.
Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution, and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Level: Difficult
Reference: Indian Express
Why the question:
On the lines of the EU green deal, the author in the article has proposed that India should also have a green deal to fulfill its target of COP26 as well as ensure equity
Key Demand of the question:
Define what is green deal and examine its applicability for India
Directive:
Examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we must investigate the topic (content words) in detail, inspect it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Give the context of the Question in light of India’s commitment to COP26 and the EU green deal or simply define the Green deal with an example
Body:
Mention a few points about the EU green deal e.g. EU came up with an announcement on additional measures to curb carbon emission. It would bring a law that would be binding on every member to ensure it becomes “climate neutral” by 2050.
Then enumerate how India can bring such a measure for the green deal. Also, highlight the challenges that it may face.
Conclusion:
Conclude with the importance of measures to curb carbon emission.
Introduction
The European Union came up with climate action plan on additional measures it would on climate change, called the European Green Deal, on the side-lines of COP25 in Madrid in 2019. EU with 28 member countries are together the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world after China and the United States. Therefore, the announcement was hailed as a major step forward, even though it needs complementary efforts from other countries to make a significant impact.
An Indian Green Deal, on the lines of EU Green deal, would simultaneously solve two of the most pressing challenges of today — emissions and equity.
Body
Overview and key features of the European Green Deal:
Climate neutrality
- The EU has promised to bring a law, binding on all member countries, to ensure it becomes “climate neutral” by 2050.
- Absorption can be increased by creating more carbon sinks like forests, while removal involves technologies like carbon capture and storage.
Increase in 2030 emission reduction target
- In its climate action plan declared under the Paris Agreement, the EU was committed to making a 40 per cent reduction in its emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
- It is now promising to increase this reduction to at least 50 per cent and work towards 55 per cent.
Sectoral Plans
- It includes sectoral plans to achieve these targets which include making the steel industry carbon-free by 2030, new strategies for transport and energy sectors, a revision of management of railway and shipping to make them more efficient and more stringent air pollution emission standards for vehicles.
Need for Climate action plan like EU Green deal for India
- According to a recent study on the report “Preparing India for Extreme Climate Events”released by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), over 75% of districts in India are hotspots of extreme climate events such as cyclones, floods, droughts, heat waves and cold waves.
- The melting of the Himalayan glaciers that prompted the floods and landslides in Uttarakhand have the fingerprints of global warming.
- In 2013, glacial flooding caused over 6,000 deaths in Uttarakhand during the monsoon months.
- Furthermore, as glacier cover is replaced by water or land, the amount of light reflected decreases, aggravating warming — a contributor to the sweltering heat in cities like Delhi and Hyderabad, or the epic floods in Chennai or Kerala.
- Super cyclones like Amphan in the east or Tauktae in the south, severe droughts in Maharashtra, incessant rains, and flooding in Chennai or Uttarakhand, and Delhi on a complete lockdown due to extremely poor air quality are few of the climate emergencies which India is facing.
Possible outcomes
- Indian Green Deal could have 3 components – Infrastructure development, care economy, and a green energy programme.
- The green energy programme would result in curbing India’s total carbon emissions by 0.8 gigatonnes by 2030 as compared to the projections based on the Stated Policies Scenario (STEP) by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
- India’s use of energy per unit of GDP (energy intensity) is substantially higher than the global average, which can be significantly reduced through the first component.
- As a result, India would save almost one-third of the energy it would have used in the absence of the programme.
- The employment generating capacity of these sectors is quite high. Based on the PLFS May 2019 report on employment, Indian Green Deal could absorb those who are currently unemployed, it also generates extra jobs, which can certainly absorb a significant section of disguised unemployment.
Way forward
- To hold the elite responsible, IGD can be made into a revenue-neutral policy where part of the expenditure is financed through an increase in taxes on luxury items, wealth and inheritance taxes, which are either low or non-existent in India.
- Another part can be financed by a carbon tax, which also addresses emissions but would be regressive, unlike the other taxes.
- To compensate for that, a carbon dividend — in the form of free electricity, public transport, and free rations — can be built into the policy proposal.
General Studies – 4
Topic: GS 4: Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers, and administrators
Structure of the question
Introduction
Define social justice in a brief manner.
Body
- Brief about ‘difference principle’
- Highlight the significance of this principle in forwarding social justice in India. Ex: India has many downtrodden sections due to old hierarchical society thus, difference principle to ensure the welfare of downtrodden is needed
- Give examples as to how this ‘difference principle’ manifests in India. Ex: Reservation schemes, Poverty alleviation schemes, etc.
Conclusion
Summarize the importance of the principle for India in a brief manner
Introduction
John Rawls was an American moral and political philosopher in the liberal tradition. Rawls’s theory of justice revolves around the adaptation of two fundamental principles of justice which would, in turn, guarantee a just and morally acceptable society. The first principle guarantees the right of each person to have the most extensive basic liberty compatible with the liberty of others. The second principle states that social and economic positions are to be to everyone’s advantage and open to all.
His works have influenced famous thinkers like Amartya sen, Thomas Nagel, Thomas Pogge etc.
Body
Rawls’s proposes a thought experiment where the individual is behind the ‘veil of ignorance’. He assumes humans as rational negotiators unaware of others talents. He concludes that the nature of society to be established would give priority to the following in lexical order.
Difference Principle: There are 2 parts under this
- Fair equality of opportunity: It postulates that public policies are reasonably expected to be to everyone’s advantage and public position and offices are open to all.
- Difference principle: It justifies only those social and economic inequalities that maximize benefits to the least advantaged citizens.
Rawls’s believes that humans would incorporate the difference principle for the benefit of disadvantaged section for the fear that he might fall in the category of least advantaged. In the Indian context the positive discrimination in favour of certain disadvantaged sections can be considered as the incorporation of the third principle of Rawls.
Relevance of John Rawls ‘difference principle’ as a norm for social justice in India
- Reservation Issue: That whether demand some high castes to get reservation is valid or not. We can also look any amendment in present reservation policy according to it.
- Environment to maintain balance between biodiversity and development. For example, increase in area of eco-sensitive zones.
- Economy issues like increase in FDI, monetary policy or even present demonetization issue can be examined though spectrum Rawls’ concept.
- Traditions: We can also examine and introspect various traditional practices and customs like Jallikattu, entry of women in certain temples or religious places etc.
Conclusion
In India too we have given maximum liberty and equality of opportunity for free enterprise. However, we have provided a slew of welfare programmes as a safety net for the disadvantaged sections to protect them. Moreover, the Indian constitution has provided for reservation to equalize the differences, and attempted to undo the historic injustices meted out to certain communities. The constitution has favoured to establish an egalitarian society instead a meritocratic society.
Topic: GS 4: Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers, and administrators
Structure of the question
Introduction
Define Non-violence in a brief manner or talk about some violence-related events manifesting in the world as of now.
Body
- Quote some instances of events where violence is manifesting in the present times
- Highlight how non-violence is the way forward to solve these events. Ex: Non-violence in countries such as Yemen, Syria, etc. could help prevent refugee crisis, ensure human progress, prevent people from falling into poverty, etc.
- Violence should not be just construed from a physical perspective while writing the answer but also should include the mental form of violence in the present times
Conclusion
Suggest a suitable way forward to ensure non-violence is practiced in society.
Introduction
“An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.”
Non Violence is the weapon through which many like Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela fought for the rights of society. According to the given statement, ethical life is one which world is striving to achieve and violence is a hindrance to this process.
Body
The importance of harboring such a philosophy was that it gradually led to the awarding of sovereignty for their respective groups. But more importantly, it led to the widespread belief that “tit for tat” does not suffice. The use of non-violence as a means inspiring national support was truly unprecedented.
Thomas Elva Edison has aptly interlinked Non-violence and Evolution. Where there is violence, there is vulnerability, destruction, mitigation and extinction of the species. So Non-violence seems to be the paramount principle which leads to the evolvement of the species while living in harmony with its environment.
In recent times terrorist activities has been witnessed which has led to mass destruction in various part of the world on religion lines and also to prove nations hegemony. Organisations like ISIS, Taliban, Hijbul Muzahideen, Al-qaieda have come and is posing threat to the national security. Also modern concepts like modernization , urbanization , globalization has exposed the weaker and destitute and his resources to the powerful. These people – marginalized, tribal people, illiterates , poor , women and children and also the other gender have been overtly exploited.
Hence it becomes obvious to adopt nonviolent means to prevail peace and harmony among such sections. Also the violence inflicted upon animals should be curbed . There have been efforts by nations and at the global stage by legislating and passing landmark judgments in favour of posterity. Also International peace organizations and peace missions in the different countries are contributing towards establishing the peace in this world.
Conclusion
Rational thinking and adopting non-violence as an imperative solution can only change the fate of the world. It is every human being responsibility to propagate peace to slowly counter this giant, for one day to usher a world where nothing else but peace prevails.
