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: Role of women and women’s organization,
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Down to Earth
Why the question:
India’s maternal mortality ratio (MMR) has improved to 103 in 2017-19, from 113 in 2016-18. This is according to the special bulletin on MMR released by the Registrar General of India.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the reasons for declining MMR trends in India and need to continue focussing of states with high mortality rate.
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:
Start by giving statistic regarding declining MMR in India and show that certain states have higher rate than the rest.
Body:
Frist, write about the factors that have contributed to the declining trends in MMR – LaQshya, Poshan Abhiyan, Janani Suraksha Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana. The implementation of the Aspirational District Programme and inter-sectoral action has helped to reach the most marginalized and vulnerable population. Recently launched Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan Initiative (SUMAN) especially focuses on zero preventable maternal and new-born deaths.
Next, write about the measures that are needed to reduce mortality rates in low performing states.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction
India’s maternal mortality ratio (MMR) has improved to 103 in 2017-19, from 113 in 2016-18. This is according to the special bulletin on MMR released by the Registrar General of India March 14, 2022.
As per the World Health Organisation, maternal death is the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management.
Body
MMR in states: Findings
- The number of States that have achieved the SDG target has now risen from five to seven — Kerala (30), Maharashtra (38), Telangana (56), Tamil Nadu (58), Andhra Pradesh (58), Jharkhand (61), and Gujarat (70).
- Kerala has recorded the lowest MMR which puts Kerala way ahead of the national MMR of 103.
- Kerala’s Maternal MMR has dropped by 12 points. The last SRS bulletin (2015-17) had put the State’s MMR at 42 (later adjusting it to 43).
- There are now nine States that have achieved the MMR target set by the NHP, which include the above seven and Karnataka (83) and Haryana (96).
- Uttarakhand (101), West Bengal (109), Punjab (114), Bihar (130), Odisha (136) and Rajasthan (141) — have the MMR in between 100-150, while Chhattisgarh (160), Madhya Pradesh (163), Uttar Pradesh (167) and Assam (205) have the MMR above 150.
Reasons for declining MMR
Focus on quality and coverage of health services through public health initiatives have contributed majorly to the decline. Some of these initiatives are:
- LaQshya, Poshan Abhiyan, Janani Suraksha Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana.
- LaQshya Labour room Quality Improvement Initiative: Recently, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched “LaQshya” (Labour room Quality Improvement Initiative) to improve the quality of care in the labour room and maternity operation theatres in public health facilities.
- Poshan Abhiyan: Targets expecting and new mothers along with the children. It has helped reduce anaemia in women and guiding them on right nutrition.
- With the objective to provide quality ANC to every pregnant woman the Government of India has launched the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA), a fixed day ANCs given every month across the country.
- This is to be given in addition of the routine ANC at the health facility.
- The implementation of the Aspirational District Programme and inter-sectoral action has helped to reach the most marginalized and vulnerable population.
- Recently launched Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan Initiative (SUMAN) especially focuses on zero preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
- The continuous progress in reducing the MMR will help the country to achieve the SDG 3 target of MMR below 70 by 2030.
Conclusion and way forward
- In conclusion, women deserve the right to safe maternity services. This includes physical and emotional safety for the mother and baby.
- Hence, a well-managed system that allows pregnant women to access maternal health care with minimum exposure risk is essential during the outbreak.
- Simultaneously, task sharing with community health workers under regulatory and legal provisions must be explored.
- E-training mechanisms and capacity building exercises must be undertaken for the additionally requisitioned health workforce to reduce the workload of time-sensitive commitments and non-health work.
- Importantly, the health workers must also be trained to reduce the risk, stigma and sensitization of pregnant women on COVID-19 symptoms, prevention and hygiene.
General Studies – 2
Topic: Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.
Difficulty level: Tough.
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
Forty-nine of the 50 Republicans in the US Senate have announced they will not back a new nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, underscoring their party’s opposition to attempts to revive a 2015 accord amid fears multilateral nuclear talks might collapse.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the various reasons for reviving JCPOA
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 giving a brief about JCPOA and its 2015 agreement.
Body:
Frist, write about how JCPOA plays a part in preventing nuclear proliferation and nuclear risk.
Next, write about the role JCPOA in ensuring geopolitical security and stability in west Asia – formalisation of relations, de-escalation of conflicts between Iran and major powers.
Next, write about how JCPOA plays a part in global economic considerations – rising demand for oil and gas, supply chains, trade relations etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward as to how JCPOA can be revived.
Introduction
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was the result of prolonged negotiations from 2013 and 2015 between Iran and P5+1 (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States). It happened due to the backchannel talks between the US (President Barack Obama) and Iran, quietly brokered by Oman, in an attempt to repair the accumulated mistrust since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Post Trump presidency, USA pulled out of the deal and made it dysfunctional. Recently, the US has restored sanctions waivers to Iran to allow international nuclear cooperation projects, as indirect American-Iranian talks on reviving the 2015 international nuclear deal. Once again, Russia-Ukraine war spells doom on the entire exercise of Vienna talks.
Body
About JCPOA and present status
- Under its terms, Iran agreed to dismantle much of its nuclear program and open its facilities to more extensive international inspections in exchange for billions of dollars’ worth of sanctions relief.
- The JCPOA went into effect in January 2016. It imposes restrictions on Iran’s civilian nuclear enrichment program.
- The deal was proposed so that it would help prevent a revival of Iran’s nuclear weapons program and thereby reduce the prospects for conflict between Iran and its regional rivals, including Israel and Saudi Arabia.
- However, the deal has been in trouble since President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from it in 2018.
- In retaliation for the U.S. departure and deadly attacks on prominent Iranians in 2020, including one by the United States, Iran has resumed some of its nuclear activities.
Need for revival of JCPOA
- After the U.S.’s withdrawal, Iran started enriching uranium to a higher purity and installing advanced centrifuges at its nuclear plants.
- Preventing nuclear weapon proliferation: Now, nuclear experts believe Iran is just months away from having enough high purity uranium to make a nuclear bomb, though the Iranian leadership has repeatedly claimed that it has no plan to make one.
- Easing rising fuel prices: Removing sanctions on Iran and letting Iran’s oil enter the global market could also ease oil and gas prices, which shot up after the Russian attack on Ukraine.
- Boost to Regional Connectivity: Removing sanctions may revive India’s interest in the Chabahar option, Bandar Abbas port, and other plans for regional connectivity.
- This would further help India to neutralize the Chinese presence in Gwadar port, Pakistan.
- Apart from Chabahar, India’s interest in the International North-South Transit Corridor (INSTC), which runs through Iran, which will improve connectivity with five Central Asian republics, may also get a boost.
- Energy Security: Due to the pressure linked to the US’ Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), India has to bring down oil imports to zero.
Conclusion
Nations must ensure that one nation such as Russia to not jeopardize the whole nuclear deal which has global repercussions especially in times of low economic growth and post pandemic price stability. Antagonistic relations in middle east may ease due to lifting of severe sanctions against Iran. This will also have a direct impact on India-Iran relations. Hence, success of Vienna talks has lot of leverage for India as well as the whole world.
General Studies – 3
Topic: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday allowed microfinance institutions the freedom to set interest rates they charge borrowers, with a caveat that the rates should not be usurious.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the role of microfinance in inclusive growth and development.
Directive word:
Elucidate – Give 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:
Start by defining micro-finance and give context with respect to growth of micro-finance in India.
Body:
First, with examples, write about the role of micro finance in poverty reduction, empowerment of women, assisting vulnerable groups, and improving standards of living – financial inclusion, credit provision, financial services in unbanked areas, growth of NBFC’s, financial sustainability of the MSME sector and promoting women entrepreneurship etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude by summarising the scope of Micro finance in inclusive growth.
Introduction
Micro financing is the delivery of financial services to poor and low income households with limited access to formal financial institutions. It can also be described as banking for the underprivileged. Microfinance institutions (MFIs) came into being in the 90s as banks’ reluctance to lend to those without credit history provided an opportunity to those willing to take risk and organize rural communities. According to Mohammed Yunus (founder of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh) access to credit was a human right, essential for the poor to create self-employment and income.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently allowed microfinance institutions the freedom to set interest rates they charge borrowers, with a caveat that the rates should not be usurious.
Body
Microfinance can facilitate the achievement of national policies targeting vulnerable sections
- Empowerment of women: About 95 percent of some loan products extended by microfinance institutions are given to women, as well as those with disabilities, those who are unemployed, and even those who simply beg to meet their basic needs.
- Poverty alleviation: They provide easy credit and offer small loans to customers, without any collateral.
- Microfinance disrupts the cycle of poverty by making more money available. It creates the possibility of future investments.
- Savings in rural households: It helps the poor and marginalised section of the society by making them aware of the financial instruments available for their help and also helps in developing a culture of saving.
- Families benefiting from microloans are more likely to provide better and continued education for their children.
- Creating employment: Microfinance is also able to let entrepreneurs in impoverished communities and developing countries create new employment opportunities for others.
Benefits from MFIs:
- It allows people to provide for their families. Through microfinance, more households are able to expand their current opportunities so that more income accumulation may occur.
- It gives people access to credit. “By extending microfinance opportunities, people have access to small amounts of credit, which can then stop poverty at a rapid pace,”
- It serves those who are often overlooked in society. About 95 percent of some loan products extended by microfinance institutions are given to women, as well as those with disabilities, those who are unemployed, and even those who simply beg to meet their basic needs.
- It creates the possibility of future investments. Microfinance disrupts the cycle of poverty by making more money available.
- It can create jobs. Microfinance is also able to let entrepreneurs in impoverished communities and developing countries create new employment opportunities for others.
- It encourages people to save. “When people have their basic needs met, the natural inclination is for them to save the leftover earnings for a future emergency,”
Issues with microfinance institutions
- According to World Bank’s Global Financial Inclusion Survey (2012), only 35% of adults in India had access to a formal bank account and only 8% borrowed from institutional and formal sources.
- As per Census 2011, only 58.7% of households are availing banking services in the country.
- However, as compared with previous Census 2001, availing of banking services increased significantly largely on account of increase in banking services in rural areas.
- At present, only about 5% of India’s 6 lakh villages have bank branches.
- There are 296 under-banked districts in states with below-par banking services.
- In a diverse country like India, financial inclusion is a critical part of the development process. Since independence, the combined efforts of successive governments, regulatory institutions, and the civil society have helped in increasing the financial-inclusion net in the country.
- Thus, there exists both a great need and the potential to tap into the unbanked population and bring them into the financial net.
- Microfinance institutions are a way to do the same.
Way forward:
- There is a need for MFIs to consider adopting more flexible operating models, providing skills training and offering services such as portability of accounts to provide greater access for a longer duration of time.
- A diversified menu of micro loan products linked to sustainable income generation activities via micro enterprises or a creation of community-based pooled enterprise could possibly make it more attractive and compatible with the requirements of women.
- In addition, linking such developmental initiatives to an institution to nurture, monitor and handhold those activities in the formative stages is crucial for sustainability.
Conclusion
As per the World Bank estimates, more than 500 million people have improved their economic conditions via microfinance-related entities. Strengthening the credit check and debt collection processes and educating the villagers about products and consequences is important. A model to retain and recycle within the target population could possibly lead to a sustained route for poverty alleviation.
Topic: Government Budgeting.
Difficulty level: Easy
Reference: Insights on India
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 3 and mentioned as part of Mission-2022 Secure timetable.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the weaknesses in the budgetary system and measures to overcome them.
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 defining budget and major objectives of budgeting.
Body:
First, elaborate up on how budget provide framework of achieving annual objectives.
Next, write about the weaknesses in the budgetary system and its implementation – budget estimates, Skewed expenditure pattern, Poor planning and lack of long-term perspective etc.
Next, suggest measures to overcome the above weaknesses in order to ensure that budgetary objectives are achieved.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction
A budget is a consolidated financial statement prepared by government on expected public expenditure and public revenue during a financial year. According to Article 112 of the Indian Constitution, the Union Budget of a year, also referred to as the annual financial statement, is a statement of the estimated receipts and expenditure of the government for that particular year.
Body
Weaknesses in budgetary system
- Unrealistic budget estimates: The amounts budgeted are often not realistic. Weakness in preparing proper estimates leads to frequent revisions and supplementary budgets.
- On the other hand, there are major unspent provisions at the end of the year leading to march rush.
- Delay in implementation of projects: Resources are being spread thinly with only token provisions in some cases, often leading to inordinate delays in execution of projects.
- Skewed expenditure pattern: The expenditure pattern is skewed, with a major portion getting spent in the last quarter of the financial year, especially in the last month.
- Inadequate adherence to the multi-year perspective and missing ‘line of sight’ between plan and budget: Though the Five-year Plan provides the basis for multi-year perspective, often ad hoc deviations from it distort the long-term plan objectives.
- The Plan schemes get dispersed into line-items in the budget estimates and there is no consolidation afterwards – both in the estimates and the final accounts.
- There is need for alignment between the plan, budgets and accounts.
- No correlation between expenditure and actual implementation: The expenditure figures do not reflect actual expenditure made towards receipt of goods and services.
- Mis-stating of financial position: Parking of funds by implementing agencies, outside the government accounts portrays an incorrect picture of the financial position of government. This also means that the Government’s financial position is not known with reasonable accuracy at any given point of time.
- Ad hoc project announcements: Indiscriminate announcement of projects/schemes not included in the plan/budget is regularly made, often without proper consideration and detailing.
Measure needed
- Realistic assumptions: The assumptions made while formulating estimates must be realistic. At the end of each year the reasons for the gap between the ‘estimates’ and ‘actuals’ must be ascertained and efforts made to minimize them.
- These assumptions should also be subject to audit.
- The method of formulation of the annual budget by getting details from different organizations/units/ agencies and fitting them into a predetermined aggregate amount leads to unrealistic budget estimates. This method should be given up along with the method of budgeting on the basis of ‘analysis of trends’.
- This should be replaced by a ‘top-down’ method by indicating aggregate limits to expenditure to each organization/agency.
- Projects and schemes should be included in the budget only after detailed consideration. The norms for formulating the budget should be strictly adhered to in order to avoid making token provisions and spreading resources thinly over a large number of projects/schemes.
- No adhoc announcements: The practice of announcing projects and schemes on an ad-hoc basis in budgets and on important National Days, and during visits of dignitaries, functionaries to States needs to be stopped.
- Projects/schemes which are considered absolutely essential may be considered in the annual plans or at the time of mid-term appraisal.
Conclusion
When it comes to budgeting, identifying areas of weakness helps the govt to allocate resources in a useful and sustainable manner. This is one of the most fundamental objectives behind framing a government budget. It’s important for the government to ensure that funds reach where it’s required the most. Therefore, using past data to identify sections of the society in need of economic welfare policies and implementing those policies helps the government demonstrate efficient governance and achieve economic stability in the country. A good budget is backed by evidence and data analysis.
Topic: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.
Difficulty level: Tough
Reference: Insights on India
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 3 and mentioned as part of Mission-2022 Secure timetable.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the growth of MSME sector in the budget and potential of ECLGS in ensuring capital for MSME’s.
Directive word:
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:
Begin by mentioning the scope of MSME sector in India.
Body:
First, enumerate the provisions for the MSME sector in India in the recent budget.
Next, write about the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS), its aims and objectives, its features. Write about the advantages of the scheme in ensuring availability of additional working capital for MSME’s. Also, mention the limitations of the scheme.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward to overcome the above-mentioned limitations.
Introduction
The Union budget 2022-23 strives to enact economic reforms for the country that is recovering from the pandemic and pave the pathway for its robust rise in the coming years. It speaks of an outlook for India@100 in preparation for a post-Covid world order. Union budget has demonstrated commitment towards supply-side reforms. It strives to initiate a dynamic growth engine that shall sustain itself. The Budget proposals on capital expenditure, MSME sector, and digital banking will boost growth and promote job creation.
Body
Provisions for growth of MSME’s in Budget 2022-23
- Budget continues to provide much-needed relief to the COVID-hit MSME sector. The revival of MSMEs is critical both from growth and employment perspective, and these measures are geared towards building a vibrant MSME sector.
- There are a host of measures aimed at small business, ranging from credit guarantee schemes to improving the ease of doing business, that help MSMEs navigate economic uncertainty.
- India’s MSME sector will be greatly benefited by the reservation of 68 per cent of the Defence Capital Budget for the domestic industry. Rs 7.5 lakh crore worth of public investment will give a new push to the economy and create new opportunities for small and other industries.
- A Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) programme will be rolled out with a Rs 6,000 crore outlay spread over 5 years for MSMEs.
- The Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) that provided much needed additional credit to over 1.3 crore MSMEs will be extended till March 2023 with its guarantee cover expanded by Rs 50,000 crore to Rs 5 lakh crore.
About Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS)
The scheme was launched as part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan package announced in May 2020 to mitigate the distress caused by coronavirus-induced lockdown, by providing credit to different sectors, especially Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
- 100% guarantee coverage is being provided by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company, whereas Banks and Non Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) provide loans.
- The credit will be provided in the form of a Guaranteed Emergency Credit Line (GECL) facility.
- No Guarantee Fee shall be charged by NCGTC from the Member Lending Institutions (MLIs) under the Scheme.
- Interest rates under the Scheme shall be capped at 9.25% for banks and FIs, and at 14% for NBFCs
Potential of Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme
The Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) will be extended to cover the next fiscal as well, with expanded guarantee cover of Rs 5 lakh crore.
- Under ECLGS, which is for helping companies tide over liquidity crunch resulting from Covid-19 curbs, banks provide additional loans to existing borrowers without asking for extra collateral.
- To encourage banks, these loans are fully guaranteed by the government against credit losses.
- This scheme will be key to ensure that MSMEs impacted by intermittent lockdowns in states get funding to stay afloat.
- The scheme is expected to provide credit to the sector at a low cost, thereby enabling MSMEs to meet their operational liabilities and restart their businesses.
- By supporting MSMEs to continue functioning during the current unprecedented situation, the Scheme is also expected to have a positive impact on the economy and support its revival.
- Sanctions and disbursements under the facility are relatively faster since lenders have the Central government guarantee in case of default against these loans.
- Companies from hospitality, travel and tourism as well as leisure and sporting sectors are expected to benefit from the relaxation in the scheme.
- Hotels, restaurants, canteens, caterers, marriage halls, tour operators, as well as amusement parks and theatres can avail the facility.
Conclusion
The success of the budget can be assessed post-facto once the schemes kick in and take off in a large-scale manner. It has been called as the AatmanirbharBharatKaBudget, which brings with it new energy and strength to our development trajectory, especially at a time when we are courageously fighting a once-in-a-lifetime global pandemic. This Budget is supposed to bring more infra, more investment, more growth and more jobs taking India to newer heights.
Topic: Disaster and disaster management.
Difficulty level: Moderate.
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
Prone to frequent natural disasters, Jammu and Kashmir is working on a dynamic real-time online system to raise alerts and coalesce data, including data from the India Meteorological Department, for prompt analysis and liner–form actions to mitigate the impact of any disaster.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the role of early warning systems in disaster management.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by defining early warning systems as part of disaster management with an example.
Body:
Frist, mention the various types of early warning systems for varied disasters.
Next, write about the role of early warning systems in preventing loss of life during a disaster – evacuation, information, rehabilitation etc.
Next, write about the role of early warning systems in as reducing the economic impact of natural hazards – better planning, coordination etc. Mention the recommendations of Sendai framework in this regard.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward to include early warning systems as an important part of disaster response.
Introduction
An Early Warning System (EWS) can be defined as a set of capacities needed to generate and disseminate timely and meaningful warning information of the possible extreme events or disasters (e.g. floods, drought, fire, earthquake and tsunamis) that threatens people‘s lives. The purpose of this information is to enable individuals, communities and organizations threatened to prepare and act appropriately and in sufficient time to reduce the possibility of harm, loss or risk.
Body
Elements of Early Warning system
- Risk Knowledge: Risk assessment provides essential information to set priorities for mitigation and prevention strategies and designing early warning systems.
- Monitoring and Predicting: Systems with monitoring and predicting capabilities provide timely estimates of the potential risk faced by communities, economies and the environment.
- Disseminating Information: Communication systems are needed for delivering warning messages to the potentially affected locations to alert local and regional governmental agencies. The messages need to be reliable, synthetic and simple to be understood by authorities and public.
- Response: Coordination, good governance and appropriate action plans are a key point in effective early warning. Likewise, public awareness and education are critical aspects of disaster mitigation.
Role of early warning systems
- They prevent loss of life, as well as reducing the economic impact of natural hazards.
- Increasing the availability of multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information is one of seven global targets set by The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.
- Warning to fishermen on coasts to not venture into seas.
- Disaster preparedness: Knowing about an impending danger can save lives and property. The cost of damage due to disaster in India, every year is estimated to be $87 billion due to cyclones, floods and droughts. This can be prevented to a great extent.
- Protecting critical infrastructure: This is especially true for Onshore windmills, nuclear plants close to coast, critical bridges in border areas that are at risk of damage due to disasters. It will impact the security and safety of the nation.
- Diplomacy: India’s Tsunami warning centre in the Indian ocean under the aegis of INCOIS, has been helpful in disseminating information for littoral states of Indian ocean. This has helped in increasing soft power diplomacy and achieve leadership of India in the Indo-Pacific.
- Saving biodiversity and wildlife: Many endangered Rhinos in Assam were rehabilitated due to risk of flooding of Brahmaputra last year. In turn it can save the whole ecosystem and the biodiversity of the place.
Conclusion
A complete and effective early warning system comprises four inter-related elements, spanning knowledge of hazards and vulnerabilities through to preparedness and capacity to respond. Best practice early warning systems also have strong inter-linkages and effective communication channels between all of the elements. These must be the basis for a good early warning system for various kinds of disasters.
General Studies – 4
Topic: ethical issues in international relations and funding;
Difficulty level: Moderate.
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Conceptual Tuesdays’ in Mission-2022 Secure.
Key Demand of the question:
To explain environmental ethics and how it has become an important dimension of ethics in the twenty first century.
Directive word:
Elaborate – Give 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:
Start by describing the ethical issues in international relations.
Body:
Write about as to how ethics in international relations remain a theory as they are seldom implemented in practice. Substantiate with examples.
Next, write about how pluralism, responsibility and fairness can make a difference in transforming ethic in international relations. Link these to recent happenings across the world.
Conclusion:
Conclude by mentioning the need of uphold ethics in international relations.
Introduction
Ethical questions are central to the study of international relations, as it is a field of study concerned with war and peace, trade and production, and law and rights. Yet, a persistent conventional wisdom suggests ethics are marginal to international relations.
Realism, the dominant perspective in global politics, assumes that international relations are fundamentally conflictual and guided by national self-interest rooted in power. According to this tradition, morality is not an essential consideration in governmental action. Rather, what motivates and guides diplomats are the vital interests of states. Eg: Chinese conduct in South-China Sea, Galwan valley clash, and the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine are guided by narrow self-interest rather than fairness or morality.
Body
According to Thucydides, “Strong do what they can and weak suffer what they must”. This quote summarizes the relation between states in the international context. Hans Morgenthau, a noted Realist scholar said that nations do not give heed to universal acceptance of their action or judge their moves through a moral lens. National interest reigns supreme. Like, how man is a self-centric being, even nations are inward looking. Ultimately all nations look for national interest.
Eg: USA-China Trade war was detrimental to global trade, but the two nations still retaliated economically to show their hegemonic tendencies and power.
Another example is China’s policy of aggression against its smaller neighbours like Vietnam, Philippines, Taiwan. Its claim to south china sea is refuted by all, yet China’s heft had subdued them all. Pakistan’s policy of state sponsored terrorism against India tells us that there is no morality in international relations.
The United Nations failed to intervene effectively in the Syrian war and Yemen civil war because the nations involved, especially the P5 had divergent interest. And neither of them thought from humanitarian perspective or moral perspective with respect to human rights. This shows that, nations were acting selfishly for materialist gains in middle-east.
Ensuring pluralism, responsibility and fairness
- Rights and Responsibilities: The UN Peackeeping mission is based on the principle of universal peace. This is the responsibility of the Security Council and all the nations to maintain universal peace. India believes in this ideology and has been the largest cumulative troop contributing nation.
- Equality: Ethics aim at “Peaceful World”, “Respect for All” & “Equality” while forming international organizations, declarations & forums. E.g.: The demand for equality in IMF & UNO shows the demand of adhering to ethics in a way.
- Resolving Tensions: Ethics helps to avoid the “Ego Clash” & “Ideological Clash” between two or more nations. For instance, the disruption between India & Pakistan relations can be avoided if both take a decision based on ethics.
- Solidarity: Natural disasters and refugee crisis situations require a more compassionate view of the global community. These are not isolated events and rather, the duty of every global citizen to help in the times of crisis. g.- Aid during natural disasters (Nepal earthquake)
- Human rights: Adherence to human rights is vital after the Decalaration of Human Rights in the UN Charter. Eg- lack of ethics in the international relation has been the cause of wars & genocide many times in history (Rwanda and Burundi) and also like the first world war.
Conclusion
Nations view their foreign policy as zero-sum game which leads to narrow thinking and destructive consequences. Morality must play a role in every aspect of human life, including international relations. International ethic is not just an ethic of some leading country, it is not simply an ethic of a powerful country having obligations towards others, because of the power they have over others. International ethics may be elaborated as, that which enables one to participate more actively in shaping and building good international community. Human rights and their dignity can be protected only when relations between nations become ethical and moral.
