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: History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.— their forms and effect on the society.
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-2023 Secure timetable.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the major features of first Industrial Revolution.
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 defining Industrial Revolution of 18th century.
Body:
First, write about the major technological features of the Industrial Revolution – inventions and innovations, major changes introduced etc.
Next, write about the major socio-economic features of the Industrial Revolution – entrepreneurship, banking, changes to social structures etc.
Next, write about the major cultural changes witnessed because of the revolution.
Conclusion:
Conclude by summarising.
Introduction
The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Europe and the United States, in the period from between 1760 to 1820 and 1840.This transition included going from hand production methods to machines, new chemical manufacturing and iron production processes, the increasing use of steam power and water power, the development of machine tools and the rise of the mechanized factory system. The Industrial Revolution also led to an unprecedented rise in the rate of population growth.
Body
Technological features of Industrial Revolution in England
- The use of new basic materials, chiefly iron and steel.
- The use of new energy sources, including both fuels and motive power, such as coal, the steam engine, electricity, petroleum and the internal combustion engine.
- The invention of new machines, such as the spinning jenny and the power loom that permitted increased production with a smaller expenditure of human energy.
- A new organization of work known as the factory system, which entailed increased division of labour and specialization of function.
- Important developments in transportation and communication, including the steam locomotive, steamship, automobile, airplane, telegram and radio.
- The increasing application of science to industry.
These technological changes made possible a tremendously increased use of natural resources and the mass production of manufactured goods.
Socio-economic and cultural features
- Agricultural improvements that made possible the provision of food for a larger non-agricultural population.
- Economic changes that resulted in a wider distribution of wealth, the decline of land as a source of wealth in the face of rising industrial production, and increased international trade.
- Political changes reflecting the shift in economic power, as well as new state policies corresponding to the needs of an industrialized society.
- Sweeping social changes, including the growth of cities, the development of working-class movements, and the emergence of new patterns of authority.
- Cultural transformations of a broad order. Workers acquired new and distinctive skills, and their relation to their tasks shifted; instead of being craftsmen working with hand tools, they became machine operators, subject to factory discipline.
- Finally, there was a psychological change: confidence in the ability to use resources and to master nature was heightened
Conclusion
The Industrial Revolution marks a major turning point in history; almost every aspect of daily life was influenced in some way. In particular, average income and population began to exhibit unprecedented sustained growth. It is the process of change from an agrarian and handicraft economy to one dominated by industry and machine manufacturing. These technological changes introduced novel ways of working and living and fundamentally transformed society.
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Topic: History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.— their forms and effect on the society.
Difficulty level: Moderate
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-2023 Secure timetable.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the role of secret alliances in the outbreak of world war-I.
Directive word:
Critically analyze – 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. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a balanced judgment on the topic.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by briefly mentioning the origins of secret alliances in Europe led by Bismarck.
Body:
First, write about the alliances as the handiwork of Bismarck, who tried to build a network of such alliances against Germany’s enemies after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. The system of alliances, as you can guess, helped on some occasions in preserving peace, in as much as the members within one group often held their friends or allies in restraint from provoking war. But it also made it inevitable that if a war did come, it would involve all the great powers of Europe.
Next, write about the other factors responsible for the outbreak of the war.
Conclusion:
Conclude by highlighting the role of secret alliances in the beginning of world war-I.
Introduction
Europe in 1914 was an armed camp; its politics dominated by two rival alliances. The creation of a unified Germany in 1871 had disturbed the old ‘balance of power’ in Europe.
Fear of Germany encouraged France and Russia to form an alliance in 1894. This pushed Germany into closer alliance with its neighbour, the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The members of these rival power blocs maintained mass armies through compulsory military service.
Body
Alliances formed at the time of World War I
- During the 1900s, a dangerous rift arose between Russia and Austria-Hungary, who had conflicting ambitions in South Eastern Europe.
- Austria-Hungary’s desire to crush Serbia, and Russia’s support for the latter during the crisis of 1914, were motivated by fear that they would lose their status as ‘Great Powers’ if they backed down.
- Britain’s policy was to maintain a balance of power in Europe. Germany’s growing strength and manifest pursuit of ‘world power’ status persuaded Britain to align with its traditional rivals: France in 1904 and Russia in 1907. This connected Britain, France and Russia in the ‘Triple Entente’ and stoked German fears of ‘encirclement’.
- German nationalists viewed Britain as a barrier to their global ambitions and German generals increasingly feared the growing military threat of Russia.
Alliances and a divided Europe
- By 1914, Europe was divided into two rival alliance systems. In 1871, German unification dramatically altered the balance of power in Europe. This new power bloc at the heart of central Europe strengthened further when Germany formed an alliance in 1879 with neighbouring Austria-Hungary, which Italy joined three years later.
- Fear of Germany’s growing strength encouraged Russia and France to enter into alliance in 1893.
- German ambitions to build a battle fleet initiated a naval arms race with Britain that seriously strained relations between the two.
- Britain had long seen France and Russia as potential enemies, but from 1904 it negotiated agreements with them, aiming to secure its empire by settling colonial disputes.
- The new and unlikely friendship between these three powers heightened German fears of ‘encirclement’ and deepened the divide among the European powers. Imperial rifts worsened these divisions and tensions. When Germany tried to oppose a French takeover of Morocco, Britain supported France.
- Relations between Austria-Hungary and neighbouring Serbia had been tense in the years before the murder of the Archduke. Austria had long seen Serbia as a threat to the stability of its multi-ethnic empire.
- Austria’s annexation of Bosnia in 1908 and Serbian ambitions to unify south-east Europe’s Slavic people further strained relations in this volatile part of Europe.
Conclusion
World War I was one of the great watersheds of 20th-century geopolitical history. It led to the fall of four great imperial dynasties (in Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey), resulted in the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, and, in its destabilization of European society, laid the groundwork for World War II.
Topic: population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Live Mint
Why the question:
The recently released Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2020-21 shows that 20.8% of total male migration in the country was from urban to rural areas in 2020-21. The 2011 census had found that proportion to be merely 8% back then.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the need to have social security for migrant workers based on inter-state coordination.
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 giving statistic regarding migration in India.
Body:
First, elaborate upon the issues faced by migrant workers – Distress migration: due to non-existent social security and unilateral decisions. Loss of livelihoods, Paradox of hunger despite having plenty, Devastating impact on women and children’s nutrition etc. Account the reasons for the same.
Next, discuss the policies and initiatives of the government in this direction to have a social security and inter-state coordination.
Next, suggest what needs to be done further to alleviate the issues of migrant workers.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction
The migrants’ crisis left India shocked by their plight of walking hundreds of kilometres, facing hunger, exhaustion and violence, to get to the safety of their home villages. After the two covid waves, the crisis compelled policy-makers to make certain provisions for them in the schemes announced for the assistance of the poor.
The recently released Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2020-21 shows that 20.8% of total male migration in the country was from urban to rural areas in 2020-21. The 2011 census had found that proportion to be merely 8% back then.
Body
Govt efforts
The Government ramped up the One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) project, announced the Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHC) scheme, set up the e-Shram portal and began to draft a migration policy.
Challenges despite Govt efforts
- Repeated surveys have found that the incomes of migrant households continue to be lower than pre-pandemic levels, even after returning to cities.
- Migrants are finding less work and their children eating less.
- The post-1991 poverty alleviation of almost 300 million Indians, driven by migration out of farm work, is being undone.
- Despite this, a cohesive migration policy guidance remains elusive.
Advantages of providing social protection
- Investment in social protection is not charity, it is an investment in workers’ productivityand in equitable growth.
- Providing social protection is, as the UN mooted in 2009 when it spelt out the social protection floor (SPF)initiative after the global financial crisis, the surest way out of a crisis by boosting demand at the bottom of the pyramid.
- The report of the Advisory Committee of the ILO, in which India was represented by its labour secretary, provides a strong rationale for institutinga universal SPF during economic crises.
- As a result, all constituents of the ILO adoptedRecommendation 202 on social protection floors at the International Labour Conference in 2012.
Inadequate provisions by government
- The Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act,was approved by Parliament in December 2008.
- But it lacks the mandatory elements of the NCEUS’s proposals and included neither a National Minimum Social Security Package, nor the provision for mandatory registration.
- Estimates show that the central government’s expenditure on all major social protection programmes declined from 1.96 per cent of GDP in 2008-09 to 1.6 per cent in 2013-14and to only 1.28 per cent in 2019-20.
Way forward
- Role of Centre: migrants would be well served if the Centre played a proactive role by offering strategic policy guidance and a platform for inter-State coordination. State-level political economy constraints make the Centre’s role particularly crucial in addressing issues of inter-State migrant workers at ‘destination States’.
- The National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector had pointed out that the circular migrant workers were a disadvantaged segment among informal workers.
- Comprehensive law:The NCEUS had advocated a comprehensive law for the protection of the rights of all informal workers, including migrants, home workers, and domestic workers.
- Universal registration:NCEUS had also recommended a universal registration mechanism based on self-declaration, with the issuance of a smart social security card, and a National Minimum Social Security Package.
- Guaranteed social security/social protection:We need the provision of a minimum level of guaranteed social security/social protection for all informal workers and their households within a definite time frame.
- More public spending:Guaranteed social protection would involve a clear framework and a commitment to greater public resources being spent on social protection as a large class of workers in India do not have an identifiable employer and a contributory social insurance framework will not work for them.
- Recommendation 202:Government should embrace ILO’s Recommendation 202 and work towards these in a time-bound manner.
- The NITI Aayog’s Draft Policy on Migrant Workers is a positive step forward in articulating policy priorities and indicating suitable institutional frameworks, and deserves a speedy release.
Conclusion
To end the silent, painful, and enduring crisis for the workers, as well as the crisis for the economy, the government must urgently recognise the right to social security, embedded both in the Indian Constitution and international covenants. Strategic initiatives to provide migrants safety nets regardless of location as well as bolster their ability to migrate safely and affordably must keep up the momentum towards migrant-supportive policy.
General Studies – 2
Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Live Mint
Why the question:
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is significant in this regard, as it provides a wide scope to create the largest free trade area in the world, by geography, with a lot of countries actively taking part in it. The AfCFTA provides a window of opportunity to lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty, though it requires conducive policies to realize its true potential.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the role of AfCFTA in furthering Indo-African relations.
Directive word:
Critically examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we have to look into the topic (content words) in detail, inspect it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a fair judgment.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by giving context regarding the formation of AfCFTA.
Body:
First, in brief, give the various efforts at cooperation between India and Africa and various strengths for India in this region.
Next, write about Africa in the 21st century, Africa has transformed from a lost continent to a continent of hope. Subsequently, in recent years, Africa occupies a central place in the Indian government’s foreign and economic policy.
Next, write about opportunities that AfCFTA will provide for India and Africa. Mention some of its limitations.
Conclusion:
Conclude with a way forward.
Introduction
Africa is considered a foreign policy priority by India. The Indian government has designed a forward-looking strategy to deepen India-Africa relations further. Even during the COVID-19 times, India took new initiatives to assist Africa through prompt dispatch of medicines and later vaccines.
Body
India Africa relations
- Economic: Trade between India and Africa has increased more than eight-fold from US$7.2 billion in 2001 to US$63 billion in 2017-18. It further has the potential to grow threefold to $150 billion in next five years.
- India is the fifth largest country investing in the continent, with investments over the past 26 years amounting to $54 billion.
- People to people contact: There has been a welcome surge in people-to-people contacts as large numbers of African entrepreneurs, medical tourists, trainees and students have started coming to India and Indian experts and entrepreneurs have headed there.
- Business-to-business: Indian businesses are active across geographic spaces and sectors in Africa like agri-business, engineering, construction, film distribution, cement, plastics, and ceramics manufacturing, etc.
India’s developmental cooperation with Africa
- Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) that aims at capacity building, skill development, transfer of technology and sharing of experiences with the partner countries. Around 5000 scholarships have been offered to officials from African countries under this.
- Pan-African e-network: Launched in 2006, this is a joint effort of India and African Union with an aim to provide satellite connectivity, tele-education and tele-medicine services to the African countries.
- Cooperation with African Development Bank (AfDB): India joined AfDB in 1983 and has contributed to its General Capital increased and has also pledged capital for grants and loans.
- Development Assistance: In India Africa Forum Summit (2015), India announced a US$ 10 billion line of credit to help financing the projects in African countries, capacity building, IT education, and higher education.
AfCFTA: Opportunity for India
AfCFTA seeks to create a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of business persons and investments, and thus pave the way for accelerating the establishment of the Continental Customs Union and the African customs union.
- The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) launched an office in New Delhi at the Ghanaian Embassy, where numerous Indian companies pledged to join Africa and take advantage of the free commerce agreement, which intends to increase intra-African trade by 52.3 percent when fully implemented.
- Increased Indo-African trade will accelerate the structural transformation of economies from low-productivity, labour-intensive activities to higher-productivity, skills-intensive industrial and service activities, where India’s vast human potential can make a significant contribution.
- African countries want India to assist them in mechanizing agriculture, building social and physical infrastructure, and providing more vaccines.
- With total yearly commercial trade estimated at $70 billion, or about a tenth of our world trade, Africa is already an important economic partner for India.
- Africa’s need for Indian commodities, particularly foodstuffs, finished products (automobiles, medicines, consumer goods), and services such as IT/IT-enabled service, health care, and education, skilling, management, and banking skills, financial services, and insurance, remains unmet.
- Africa receives roughly 20% of all medications produced in the United States. Many of our pharmaceutical businesses have operations in Africa, including Ethiopia, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, and Ghana.
- Our medications and medical equipment, such as Bhabhatrons and phototherapy machines, are helping people in Africa live longer and healthier lives. Several of our institutions have formed cooperative ventures to build healthcare facilities.
- India is also assisting African nations in closing the digital divide.
Conclusion
Africa had a booming overland trade before the West “discovered” it. Following colonialism and mercantilism, internal trade lines were disrupted, replaced by an ecosystem in which Africans had stronger ties with their foreign “mentors” than with one another. The Africans are just attempting to remedy this historical misrepresentation with the AfCFTA. However, with free trade under threat in parts of the industrialized world, Africa is carving a new route to ensure the continent’s long-term prosperity and progress. Against this backdrop, India must anticipate and act on the positive effects of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
General Studies – 3
Topic: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
Difficulty level: Tough
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
In a span of four days, Prime Minister Narendra Modi questioned twice the practice of politicians making mindless promises of ever profligate schemes in pursuit of votes, and termed it a dangerous trend.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the inclusive growth, various impediments to it ad how populism affects inclusive growth.
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 inclusive growth.
Body:
In the first part, write about the discourse of inclusive growth and various impediments to inclusive growth in the country.
Next, write about populism, the ideology behind and how it affects inclusive growth ambitions. Substantiate with facts and examples.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward to overcome impediments to inclusive growth posed by populism.
Introduction
If we look at our own growth dividend from 1980 to 2016, a 66% share is estimated to have gone to the top 10%, 23% to the middle 40%, and the bottom 50%’s gain has been a measly 10%. This is a worrying statistic, showcasing gross inequality in India. Inclusive growth remains elusive as ever because of populist measures and lack of long term focus on growth.
Body
Impediments to inclusive growth in the country
- Historical reasons: Discrimination against certain sections of the society since historic times. This has affected their choice, opportunity, and accessibility to education, employment and health. Though policies like Reservation have been implemented since Independence, they were successful only in the economic and political sphere that too to a limited section of people but failed largely in social upliftment.
- Gender inequality: Females were always treated to be subordinate and weaker to males. Girl education is considered to be a burden on the family and women have limited choices in employment.
- Women comprise over 42 per cent of the agricultural labour force in the country, yet they own less than 2 percent of its farm land according to the India Human Development Survey (IHDS).
- Large-scale informal employment: 80% of the Indian labour force is employed in the informal sector.
- Informal sector jobs are more insecure without regular pay and social security benefits.
- This increases the wage gap between formal and informal sectors.
- A huge proportion of the population is still dependent on agriculture but the share of agriculture to the total GDP is falling.
- Inter-state inequalities: Growth has been different across sectors and regions. For examples, Green Revolution has disproportionately benefitted Western and Southern India when compared to Eastern India.
- Globalization: Studies show that globalization and opening up the economy has benefited the rich more than the poor, thus raising the inequality.
- Global platforms like WTO have resulted in increased trade competitiveness affecting the returns of local investors and producers.
- According to the paper by famous Economist Thomas Piketty, tax progressivity which is a tool to contain the rise in inequality was progressively reduced.
- Wage inequality dispersion also increased in many sectors, as privatizations removed government-set pay scales, which were less unequal.
- Lack of skill development and jobless growth: There is also no inclusive growth and the welfare schemes have not trickled down and benefitted the most vulnerable in the nation.
Populism affecting inclusive growth
- Politicians have vested interest in keeping the inequality as status quo as their vote bank depends on the poor who keep their hopes on populist measures. The idea is to keep them poor and extract votes every five years under the garb of pro-poor agenda.
- Perhaps one reason why politicians are showering voters with doles is the disconnect between overall economic growth and job creation. The notion that growth is the panacea for all development challenges is viewed with increasing suspicion by voters, though they may not articulate it in those terms.
- While the situation requires a cool-headed and rigorous inquiry into the development model that the country pursues, many politicians cutting across party lines have resorted to wide-ranging schemes to calm or enthuse voters.
- Besides the quick political gains that they seek, this also pre-empts any discussion on the existing development paradigm.
Conclusion
Inequality is corrosively divisive. A high level of inequality is anti-growth because the losers are prone to lack of trust and violence. Once it is clear that the dividends of economic growth are going to a relatively small group, opposition to growth can spring up. This can add to the existing fault lines in the society. The only way ahead is inclusive growth while ensuring Sabka Saath and Sabka Vikas in letter and spirit.
Topic: Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices;
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Down to Earth , Insights on India
Why the question:
A 29-member committee will look into providing legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for agricultural produce, the Narendra Modi government announced July 18
Key Demand of the question:
To write about tory the various issues in the MSP regime and how a statutory backing can help solve the issues.
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:
Start by writing about MSP, its aims and objectives.
Body:
Next, mention the limitations associated with MSP. Non-realisation of Price, Lack of procurement, only beneficial for selected crops, Lack of quality control and payment immediacy etc.
Next, write about legal guarantee for MSP and how it can help overcome the above issues.
Next, write about the systemic measures that are needed for farmers to get remunerative prices. Increasing procurement efficacy, increasing awareness level of farmer and considering price deficiency payments etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude with way forward.
Introduction
Minimum Support Price (MSP)is the rate at which the government buys grains from farmers. Currently, it fixes MSPs for 23 crops grown in both Kharif and Rabi seasons.
The government constituted a committee headed by former Union Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agrawal to look into the issues of minimum support price (MSP)
Body
The various issues that prevent MSP from becoming a mechanism of income support for the farmers
The trouble with MSP is that while it is touted as an all-important factor for farmers promising an instant rise in their income and stability, it also has many drawbacks in implementation. This affects the price realisation of farmers, in reality for several reasons.
- Methodology: MSP covers numerous costs such as the cost of sowing (A2) and labour (FL). These considerations are controversial with suggestions that it should be based on comprehensive costs (C2), which also include land rent costs.
- Inflation: Too much of a hike on MSP either paves way for inflationary effects on the economy, with a rise in prices of food grains and vegetables, or loss to government treasury if it decides to sell at a lower price as compared to the higher MSP it bought at.
- Diverse factors: MSP is a nationwide single price policy. However, the actual costing for production varies from place to place, more severely so in areas lacking irrigation facilities and infrastructure. Thus, not all farmers have equal benefits.
- Procurement at MSP is flawed: First, procurement of wheat and paddy for meeting the requirement of the public distribution system (PDS) is undertaken largely by state governments.
- Of the total procurement of wheat and paddy from farmers, the Food Corporation of India’s (FCI’s) share is less than 10%.
- In the north-east and many other states, procurement operations are almost non-existent and farmers are forced to sell below MSP.
- As the experiences of these schemes show, the benefit of higher MSPs for kharif crops or rabi, is unlikely to be available to most farmers as the states lack adequate storage capacity, working capital and manpower for undertaking large-scale procurement of all commodities.
- The MSP-based procurement system is also dependent on middlemen, commission agents and APMC officials, which smaller farmers find difficult to get access to.
- Agri-Infrastructure: Hiking the MSP without investing in infrastructure is just a short-term play. While it does deliver immediate results, long-term developments to back-it up are also important.
- Environmental harm: It degrades the soil because of irrespective of the soil condition, some crops are preferred which have MSP over them which results in exploitation of group water resources, alkalinity, decrease in the production of the crops in long run and much harm to environment.
Rationale behind the legal guarantee for MSP
- The Centre currently announces the MSPs of 23 crops. They include 7 cereals (paddy, wheat, maize, bajra, jowar, ragi and barley), 5 pulses (chana, tur/arhar, moong, urad and masur), 7 oilseeds (rapeseed-mustard, groundnut, soyabean, sunflower, sesamum, safflower and nigerseed) and 4 commercial crops (sugarcane, cotton, copra and raw jute).
- While the MSPs technically ensure a minimum 50% return on all cultivation costs, these are largely on paper.
- In most crops grown across much of India, the prices received by farmers, especially during harvest time, are well below the officially-declared MSPs.
- And since MSPs have no statutory backing, they cannot demand these as a matter of right.
- The unions want the Modi government to enact legislation conferring mandatory status to MSP, rather than just being an indicative or desired price.
Challenges of granting statutory guarantee to MSP in India
- Statutory MSP is unsustainable:A policy paper by NITI Aayog’s agricultural economist Ramesh Chand argued against legalising MSP. It reasoned that any fixed pre-determined price will push away private traders whenever production is more than demand, and there is a price slump in the market. This, in turn, will lead to government de-facto becoming the primary buyer of most farm produce for which MSP is declared, which is unsustainable.
- Huge scope for corruption and recycling/leakageof wheat and rice, from godowns, ration shops or in transit.
- Disposal problems:While cereals and pulses can be sold through the public distribution system, disposal becomes complicated in the case of niger seed, sesamum or safflower.
- Inflation:Higher procurement cost would mean increase in prices of foodgrains, leading to inflation, which would eventually affect the poor.
- It will also impact India’s farm exports,if the MSP is higher than the prevailing rates in the international market. Farm exports account for 11% of the total exports of commodities.
- With a legally guaranteed higher MSP, India will face stiff opposition at the WTO.The US had successfully won a case against China at the WTO in 2019 which was concerned with China’s domestic support to agriculture in the form of Market Price Support (MPS).
- It would lead to a huge burden on the exchequer,since the government would have to procure all marketable surplus in the absence of private participation.
- Demands from other sectors:If the Centre makes a law to guarantee 100% procurement in all the 23 crops where MSP is announced, farmers cultivating fruits and vegetables, spices, and other crops will also demand the same.
Legal backing for MSP alone will not solve the agricultural sector woes
- Farmers face many other issues other than price, which itself is not guaranteed given the influence of politicians and cartels in mandis.
- They lack information on which crop to grow, when to sow, apply plant nutrients and which pest is attacking their crop.
- Farmers are also short of post-harvest technologies to ensure a better shelf life for their produce.
- In addition, they do not get adequate facilities to irrigate their lands, with nearly 50 per cent of the land being rain-fed and lacking ample warehouses to store their produce at the village level, besides proper roads to connect them to the mandis.
- Legal backing for the MSP could also lead to the danger of the trade keeping away from places where the law is implemented vigorously.
- For example, when Punjab said it would make MSP legal and binding, wheat traders said they would keep off the state to avoid trouble for themselves.
Conclusion
The government should shift its focus from providing only price support to farmers and focus on building better infrastructure, minimizing the gap between farmers and the market, land reforms, policy reforms to increase flow of credit to farmers, establishing food-processing industries for perishable goods, providing better irrigation facilities etc so, that agriculture emerges as a viable means of sustenance.
General Studies – 4
Topic: Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance.
7. Why is emotional intelligence important for a civil servant? Elaborate with examples. (150 words)
Difficulty level: Easy
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Conceptual Tuesdays’ in Mission-2023 Secure.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the importance of EI in a civil servant.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by defining emotional intelligence (EI).
Body:
Write about the importance of EI for civil servants and how it can help a officer make and take decisions effective and empathetically. Use examples to substantiate your points,
Conclusion:
Complete by summarising.
Introduction
Emotional intelligence or EI is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, and those of the people around you. Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive emotions, to access and generate emotions so as to assist thought, to understand emotions and emotional knowledge, and to reflectively regulate emotions so as to promote emotional and intellectual growth.
Body
Importance of emotional intelligence in administrative practices:
Emotional intelligence in administration can be used for the following ways:
- Appraising emotions arising from situations:
- Using emotions for reason based decisions and policy making.
- Identifying emotions in faces, voices, postures, and other content during public management activities.
- Recruitment:
- EQ measurement is invaluable in selecting and recruiting high performance workers.
- Predicting performance:
- Some companies are blending IQ testing with scientific measurement of EQ to predict job performance and direct workers to jobs where they are most likely to succeed.
- Negotiation:
- Whether you’re dealing with a trading partner, competitor, customer or colleague, being able to empathize and be creative in finding win-win solutions will consistently pay off
- Performance management:
- 360-degree feedback is a common tool for assessing EQ. Knowing how your self-perception compares with others’ views about your performance provides focus for career development and positive behavioural changes
- Peer relationships:
- Good networking skills are a staple of job effectiveness for the average worker. Networking has too often been associated with “using” other people, but a heightened EQ ensures a mutually beneficial approach to others.
- Social responsibility:
- When a leader cares about others, he is not a centre of attention and keeps everyone in the loop by making their intentions known.
- Stress tolerance:
- To stay focused, stress should be managed and it involves own reactions to stress or the reactions of others to the stress.
- Impulse control:
- Independent people evaluate the alternatives and initiate the work by taking appropriate action by executing the right options. People who manage their impulses avoid being distracted and losing control of the situation.
- Optimism:
- Optimistic people have a target that they’re aiming toward. These people are confident in their ability to carry out the required actions and meet the target by looking for successful solutions to problems.
Conclusion
Governance in modern times is becoming increasing complex with affective components of behaviour having a major role to play. Intelligence quotient alone can’t solve majority of problems an administrator faces, use of emotional intelligence is a must for better public service delivery as well as redressal.
Value addition
According to Daniel Goleman, an American psychologist who helped to popularize emotional intelligence, there are five key elements to it:
Self-awareness:
- The ability to recognize and understand personal moods and emotions and drives, as well as their effect on others.
- Hallmarks of self-awareness include self-confidence, realistic self-assessment, and a self-deprecating sense of humour.
- Emotional awareness: This deals with knowledge of one’s emotions and their effects. People having this competency are more aware of their feelings and performance.
- Accurate self-assessment: This involves being aware of one’s strengths and weaknesses. One is open to feedbacks, new viewpoints, etc.
- Self-confidence: This relates to complete affirmation of one’s worth and abilities. They are usually more confident and are able to make sound decisions despite any uncertainties or pressures
Self-management:
- Ability to control or redirect disruptive impulses and moods, and the propensity to suspend judgment and to think before acting. Hallmarks include trustworthiness and integrity; comfort with ambiguity; and openness to change.
- Adaptability: This involves flexible attitude towards change. People with this competency find it easy to handle changing routines, multiple roles and even shifting priorities.
- Innovativeness: This involves getting easy with and open to new information and ideas. People who possess this are able to gather new ideas from multiple sources, set challenging roles and are able to take calculated risks. They evolve original solutions to various problems.
Social Awareness:
- The ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people. A skill in treating people according to their emotional reactions.
- Empathy does not necessarily imply compassion. Empathy can be ‘used’ for compassionate or cruel behaviour. Serial killers who marry and kill many partners in a row tend to have great emphatic skills.
- A passion to work for internal reasons that go beyond money and status -which are external rewards, – such as an inner vision of what is important in life, a joy in doing something, curiosity in learning, a flow that comes with being immersed in an activity
Relationship management:
- Proficiency in managing relationships and building networks, and an ability to find common ground and build rapport.
- Hallmarks of social skills include effectiveness in leading change, persuasiveness, and expertise building and leading teams.
