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: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.
Difficulty level: Easy
Reference: Indian Express , Insights on India
Why the question:
There is a growing body of research suggesting that climate change can cause extreme and more frequent El Nino and La Nina events.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about La-Nina, write its impact on India.
Directive word:
Explain – Clarify the topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the context. You must be defining key terms wherever appropriate and substantiate with relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin the answer by defining La Nina
Body:
In the first part, explain the mechanism behind La-Nina on the basis of their occurrence, mechanism, frequency of occurrence, duration, conditions required to occur etc.
Next, in detail write about how the la-Nina impacts the India subcontinent.
Next, write about new prediction models such as supercomputing etc which can help us better predict these extreme events and their efficacy.
Conclusion:
Conclude by summarising.
Introduction
La Nina means the Little Girl in Spanish. It is also sometimes called El Viejo, anti-El Nino, or simply “a cold event.” La Nina events represent periods of below-average sea surface temperatures across the east-central Equatorial Pacific. It is indicated by sea-surface temperature decreased by more than 0.9℉ for at least five successive three-month seasons.
The WMO predicted that the current La Nina, which began in September 2020, would continue for six months, with a 70 per cent chance of lasting till September-November 2022, and 55 per cent chance of lasting till December-February 2022/2023.
Body
La Nina event is observed when the water temperature in the Eastern Pacific gets comparatively colder than normal, as a consequence of which, there is a strong high pressure over the eastern equatorial Pacific. It has the opposite impacts on weather and climate as El Niño, which is the warm phase of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
Mechanism
- During La Niña events, trade winds are even stronger than usual, pushing more warm water toward Asia.
- Off the west coast of the Americas, upwelling increases, bringing cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface.
- These cold waters in the Pacific push the jet stream northward.
- This tends to lead to drought in the southern U.S. and heavy rains and flooding in the Pacific Northwest and Canada.
- During a La Niña year, winter temperatures are warmer than normal in the South and cooler than normal in the North.
- La Niña can also lead to a more severe hurricane season.
- During La Niña, waters off the Pacific coast are colder and contain more nutrients than usual.
- This environment supports more marine life and attracts more cold-water species, like squid and salmon, to places like the California coast.
Impact on Indian Subcontinent
- La Nina years are known to favour the Indian summer monsoon.
- This year, India has received 740.3 mm of rainfall, quantitatively 7 per cent higher than the seasonal average till August 30.
- Among the 36 states and union territories, 30 have received rainfall that is categorised as either ‘normal,’ ‘excess’ or ‘large excess.’
- Uttar Pradesh, Manipur (-44 per cent each), and Bihar (-39 per cent), however, remain the worst affected states this season.
- Intense hurricanes and cyclones have frequently occurred in the Atlantic Ocean and the Bay of Bengal during La Nina years.
- Over the North Indian Ocean as well, the chances of an increased number of cyclones are due to multiple contributing factors, including high relative moisture and relatively low wind shear over the Bay of Bengal.
- The post-monsoon months, from October to December, are the most active months for cyclonic developments over the North Indian Ocean, with November as the peak for cyclonic activity.
- India’s Northeast monsoon rainfall remained subdued during past La Niña events, but the 2021 monsoon remains an exception in recent years
- In 2021, the southern Indian peninsula experienced its wettest recorded winter monsoon since 1901, receiving a whopping 171 per cent surplus of rainfall between October and December, IMD data stated.
Conclusion
Althought La-Nina has continued for the last three years. It may be good for India but not for some other countries. Climate change could be a driving factor behind such uncommon conditions. El Niño has been associated with rising heatwaves and extreme temperatures, such as in parts of the US, Europe and China recently.
Topic: urbanization, their problems and their remedies.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: organiser.org
Why the question:
According to Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, cities that got the 5-star rating are Mysuru, Ambikapur, Rajkot, Surat etc.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about garbage free cities and role of SBM in ensuring it.
Directive word:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you must debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You must give reasons for both for and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin the answer by defining aims of SBM 2.0.
Body:
First, explain the challenges pertaining to SWM in India – infrastructure, sanitation, manual scavenging, lack of disposal, pollution etc.
Next, write about the aims and objectives of Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) 2.0 and how it will help tackle garbage issues in India.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction
As per Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs), cities achieve “Garbage Free” status when at any point of time in the day no garbage or litter is found in any public, commercial or residential locations (including storm drains and water bodies) in the city (except in litter bins or transfer stations); 100 per cent of waste generated is scientifically managed
All legacy waste has been remediated and the city is scientifically managing its municipal solid waste, plastic waste and construction and demolition waste and there must be a steady reduction in the waste generated by the city and visible beautification of the city to achieve a clean and aesthetically pleasing city.
Body
Background on waste generation in India
- India generates the highest amount of waste in the world (as of January 2020, 147,613 metric tonnes (MT) of solid waste is generated per day) — that’s more than even China. But the per person waste generated by both India and China at present is a small fraction of that by developed countries.
- The per capita waste generation in Indian cities ranges from 200 grams to 600 grams per day. Only about 75-80% of the municipal waste gets collected and only 22-28 % of this waste is processed and treated.
- It is estimated that by 2050, India’s waste generation will double whereas growth in China’s waste generation will be much slower.
Objectives to be achieved under SBM 2.0
- All statutory towns will become ODF+ certified
- All statutory towns with less than 1 lakh population will become ODF++ certified ,
- 50% of all statutory towns with less than 1 lakh population will become Water+ certified
- All statutory towns will be at least 3-star Garbage Free rated as per MoHUA’s Star Rating Protocol for Garbage Free cities
- Bio-remediation of all legacy dumpsites.
Role of Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 in ensuring garbage free cities
- The Swachh Bharat Mission focus is on source segregation of solid waste, utilising the principles of 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle), scientific processing of all types of municipal solid waste (MSW) and remediation of legacy dumpsites for effective solid waste management.
- The performance of cities under the Star Rating Protocol is crucial as it carries significant weightage for their final assessment in Swachh Survekshan.
- Swachh Survekshan is the annual urban cleanliness survey conducted by the government.
- It also ensures certain minimum standards of sanitation through a set of prerequisites defined in the framework.
- Since the rating is conducted at a city level, it makes the process easier to implement and helps the cities incrementally improve their overall cleanliness.
- The rating protocol is an outcome-based tool that helps MoHUA and other stakeholders to evaluate cities on the basis of this single rating.
Conclusion
The Swacch Bharat scheme has proved efficient in carpeting the best cities with increased cleanliness and ensuring better paths. The amended version had ensured increased participation of cities in this competition with increased people’s support to make their city a garbage-free city.
Value Addition
More on SBM 2.0
- Make all cities ‘Garbage Free’ and ensure grey and black water management in all cities other than those covered under AMRUT,
- Make all urban local bodies as ODF+ (open defecation free) and those with a population of less than 1 lakh as ODF++
- The Mission will focus on source segregation of solid waste, utilizing the principles of 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle), scientific processing of all types of municipal solid waste and remediation of legacy dumpsites for effective solid waste management.
- According to Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, cities that got the 5-star rating are Mysuru, Ambikapur, Rajkot, Surat, Navi Mumbai, and Indore. New Delhi got a 3-star garbage-free rating, alongside Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Jamshedpur, Tirupati, Karnal, Bhilai Nagar, and Vijayawada.
General Studies – 2
Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Insights on India
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 2 and mentioned as part of Mission-2023 Secure timetable.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the changes in Indio-Russian relations in the recent past in the light of changing geo-political developments.
Directive word:
Comment– here we must express our knowledge and understanding of the issue and form an overall opinion thereupon.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by giving context of ‘all weather’ friendship between India and Russia.
Body:
In the first part, Highlight the strength of the relationship – Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership, the long history, defence partnership, nuclear power plants etc.
Next, bring out the issues in the relationship by dividing them into geopolitical, geostrategic and at bilateral level – Russia-Pakistan, Russia-China, and USA-India, Changes in Afghanistan, Ukraine war and issues emanating from them.
Discuss how should India and Russia navigate the tides moving forward.
Conclusion:
Conclude by commenting on their current nature of evergreen friendship.
Introduction
As Russia and India both desire a multi-polar world, they are equally important for each other in fulfilling each other’s national interests. However, due to the changing geopolitical scenario, Russia is growing closer to China and becoming anti-west, while it is vice-versa for India. Despite the changing dynamics, Indo-Russia ties have stood the test of times especially in defence sector.
Indian PM Modi will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on the side-lines of SCO Summit at Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Body
Recent issues
- Russia’s war on Ukraine has decisively shaped international opinion. Indian foreign policy is also going to be affected in a profound manner.
- Indiafor the first time voted against Russia during a “procedural vote” at the UNSC on Ukraine
- India’s problem is China, and it needs both the U.S./the West and Russiato deal with the “China problem”
Indo-Russia relations: Crucial Significance for India
- Defence: The relations between India and Russia are one of “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership” and the ongoing military contracts between the two sides will be maintained as the defence minister reiterated the same.
- Russia is the key and principal supplier of arms and armaments to the Indian armed forces accounting for over 60% of weapons.
- It comprises the whole gamut covering the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy. India recently inducted the S-400 Triumf missile systems.
- Sukhoi Su-30 fighter aircraft, T-90 tanks, and the Talwar and the Krivak class stealth frigatesare key weapons in the armoury of the Indian armed forces.
- The India-Russia defence cooperation has evolved from a buyer-seller model to new areas of military-technical collaboration.
- The BrahMos missile systemwas a successful collaboration of joint research, development, and production. Science and technology, nuclear, energy, space have been key driving forces.
- Nuclear: Russia is an important partner in peaceful uses of nuclear energy and it recognizes India as a country with advanced nuclear technology with an impeccable non-proliferation record.
- Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) is being built in India with Russian cooperation.
- India and Russia are also working on building nuclear plant in Bangladesh.
- Rooppur nuclear plant in Bangladeshwill be constructed jointly with help of India.
- Maritime corridor: Chennai Vladivostok Maritime Corridoris a sea route covering approximately 5,600 nautical miles, or about 10,300 km, aimed at increasing bilateral trade between India and Russia.
- Despite India-China border aggression, be it during Doklam or Galwan clash, Russia never once made a statement against India despite their closeness to China. In all fairness, Russia would never want to play second fiddle to China.
- Make in India initiativehas welcomed Russian companies from the public and private sectors. Russian firms have shown a willingness to invest in India in construction, major infrastructure projects such as dedicated freight corridors and industrial clusters, smart cities, and engineering services, sharing technologies and skills.
Other glitches in India Russia relationship
- India’s growing proximity to the United States: Rapidly expanding ties and growing defence relationship between India and US and, India joining quadrilateral group led by the US has led to a strategic shift in Russia’s foreign policy.
- For Russia it has been a period of great hostility with West, thus pushing it to align with China.
- One-dimensional trade: Trade has been one-dimensional i.e. defence based. India-Russia trade was valued at the U.S.$10.11 billion in 2019–20, but is not a true reflection of the potential that can be harnessed.
- Leaning with China:Increasing strategic military relations between Russia China also impacted India Russia relations. Russia has sold advanced military technology to Beijing, endorsed China’s One Belt One Road.
- There has also been concern about Moscow leaning toward Beijing in forums like the BRICS.
- Distance and language barriers: With Afghanistan turmoil, the future of INSTC is in limbo. Easier routes to Russia can elevate energy cooperation. There is also language barrier that exists which hinders better partnership in energy and renewables.
Way forward for India
- India’s past record has been maintaining balance between the West and Russia. On January 31, India abstained on a procedural vote on whether to discuss the issue of Ukraine.
- New Delhi had then articulated its position on “legitimate security interests” that echoed with a nuanced tilt towards the Russian position, and had abstained along with Kenya and Gabon.
- Despite abstention,India has reiterated and has called for cessation of violence in no ambiguous terms.
- India has also quoted the international charter on sovereignty, highlighting that all nations must respect the same, intended towards Russia.
- For India, Russian ties are important. It must be recalled that Ukraine was against India during 1998 nuclear testsand had spoken against India with issue of Kashmir.
- Hence strategic autonomy is the way forward as India has been doing.
Conclusion
India’s position also shows the unmistakable indication that when it comes to geopolitics, New Delhi will choose interests over principles. And yet, a careful reading of India’s statements and positions taken over the past few days also demonstrates a certain amount of discomfort in having to choose interests over principles.
However, New Delhi’s response to the recent crisis, especially its “explanation of vote” at the UNSC indicates a careful recourse to the principle of strategic autonomy: India will make caveated statements and will not be pressured by either party. In that sense, India’s indirect support to the Russian position is not a product of Russian pressure but the result of a desire to safeguard its own interests.
Background
Historical ties
- Even as India is diversifying its defence trade partners, Russia still dominates the Indian defence inventory to the tune of about 60 per cent.
- Russia remains the only partner that is still willing to give India critical technologies,such as a nuclear submarine.
- Russia also reaffirmed its “unwavering support” to India for a permanent seat in an expanded UN Security Council.
- Russia expressed its support for India’s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
- Both countries have mutual benefits in supporting struggle against terrorism, Afghanistan, climate change; organisations like SCO, BRICS, G-20 and ASEAN.
Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Insights on India.
Why this question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 2 and mentioned as part of Mission-2023 Secure timetable.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the need for great cooperation between India-EU in critical areas and ways to achieve it.
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 with brief background of the context of the question.
Body:
Explain first that after limited economic gains from its FTAs with Asian partners, India is reassessing its FTA options. While a good beginning has been made with the UK, India must also renegotiate with the EU—the bloc is very important for India as far as trade relations are concerned, and an FTA with the EU is, thus, based on sound reasoning.
Discuss that FTAs need to be designed in a manner that they enhance complementarities amongst partners and overcome regulatory hurdles that inhibit trade. Account for potential of India –EU trade relations.
Present the challenges before India in realizing this potential.
Conclusion:
Suggest way forward and conclude.
Introduction
India-EU relationship dates back to 1960s when India was the first country to establish relationship with European economic union which later evolved into common market -European union. For more than a decade, the EU and India partnership had been slow-moving and fragmented, struggling to maintain momentum. India was acknowledged as a strategic partner in 2004. But seventeen years on there is still no mutually agreed set of clear priorities. The EU-India relationship fails to acknowledge each partner’s individual realities. Today’s changed circumstances provide the two sides with a new set of opportunities to move forward on the long-stalled agenda of stronger ties between India and European Union.
India and the European Union (EU) are looking to conclude negotiations on comprehensive trade and investment agreements before the beginning of electoral cycles on both sides in 2024, EU ambassador Ugo Astuto said.
Body
Various facets of India-EU bilateral relations:
- Trade and Investment:
- The EU is India’s largest trading partner, accounting for 12.9% of India’s overall trade. Further the trade in services have almost tripled in last decade.
- Overall, the EU is the second largest investor in India, with €70 billion of cumulative FDI from April 2000 to March 2017, accounting for almost one quarter of all investments flows into India.
- EU and India remain close partners in the G20 and have developed a regular macroeconomic dialogue to exchange experience on economic policies and structural reforms.
- Energy Cooperation:EU – India Clean Energy and Climate Partnership.
- Research and Development:India, participates in international ITER fusion. India also participates in research and innovation funding programme ‘Horizon 2020’
- Environment and Water:The EU and India also cooperate closely on the Indian Clean Ganga initiative and deal with other water-related challenges in coordinated manner.
- Migration and mobility:The EU-India Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility (CAMM) is a fundamental cooperation agreement between India and EU.
- Development cooperation:Over €150 million worth of projects are currently ongoing in India.
Opportunities for stronger India-EU ties
- The EU wants to pivot away from China. It recently signed a Comprehensive Agreement on Investment with China, which has drawn a lot of flak and its ratification has now been suspended because of diplomatic tensions.
- The European Parliament remains overwhelmingly opposed to this deal after China imposed sanctions on some of its members, in response to the EU imposing sanctions against China for its treatment of the Uyghur Muslim minority in the Xinjiang region.
- With the EU being India’s largest trading partner and the second-largest export destination, the economic logic of strong India-EU economic relations is self-evident.
- The virtual summit saw India and the EU launching an ambitious “connectivity partnership” in digital, energy, transport, and people-to-people sectors, enabling the two to pursue sustainable joint projects in regions spanning from Africa, Central Asia to the wider Indo-Pacific.
- Exports to EU: India has an untapped export potential of $39.9 billion in the EU and Western Europe. The top products with export potential include apparel, gems and jewellery, chemicals, machinery, automobile, pharmaceuticals and plastic.
- India benefits from tariff preferences under the EU’s Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) for several of these products.
- In fact, India is among the major beneficiaries of the EU’s GSP, with exports under the GSP valued at nearly $19.4 billion in 2019, accounting for nearly 37% of India’s merchandise exports to the EU.
- New emerging world order after COVID-19:As EU seeks to move away from a global supply chain that is overly dependent on China, India can emerge as its most natural ally.
- There is a significant untapped potential to expand India-EU bilateral trade relation through an FTA.
- The FTA will deliver on enhancing India’s market access in key services.
- For this to happen, regulatory barriers in cross-border supply as well as provision of services through temporary movement of professionals will need to be addressed.
Concerns in India-EU ties
- Stalled EU-India BTIA: It is being negotiated since 2007 and both sides have major differences on crucial issues such as: –
- EU’s demands: significant duty cuts in automobiles, tax reduction on wines, spirits etc, a strong intellectual property regime, relaxation in India’s data localisation norms, protection to all its items with Geographical Indication etc.
- India’s demands:‘Data secure’ status (important for India’s IT sector); Ease norms on temporary movement of skilled workers, relaxation of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) norms etc.
- Trade imbalance:India accounts for only 1.9% of EU total trade in goods in 2019, well behind China (13.8%). Trade imbalance is expected to further increase with ratification of the European Union Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement, which will make Indian exports less competitive.
- India’s perception of EU:It views EU primarily as a trade bloc, preferring bilateral partnerships with Member States for all political and security matters. This is evident from lack of substantive agreements on matters such as regional security and connectivity.
- Brexit:It is unclear how U.K.’s withdrawal from EU will affect India’s relation with EU as whole.
- Human Rights concerns of EU: The European Parliament was critical of both the Indian government’s decision to scrap Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in 2019 and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
Way Forward
- To translate their common values into common action, EU and India in can work in third countries to consolidate democratic processes and build capacities of transitioning regimes through strengthening electoral and parliamentary institutions.
- EU can collaborate with India to facilitate connectivity and infrastructure projects in third countries, particularly smaller states in South Asia that often fall prey to power politics and fiscal instability resulting from China’s loans and political influence as part of its BRI.
- Thus, as highlighted by EU strategy on India, adopted in 2018, India EU should take their relations beyond “trade lens”, recognizing their important geopolitical, strategic convergence.
General Studies – 3
Topic: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
Difficulty level: Tough
Reference: Indian Express , Insights on India
Why the question:
The database and methodology for computing the human development index (HDI) by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are not as robust as that of the national income or price indices that get monitored on a quarterly or annual basis. The construction of HDI involves four indicators with three dimensions — per capita income, health (life expectancy) and education (average and expected years of schooling).
Key Demand of the question:
To write about growing inequalities in health and education and measures needed to tackle the same.
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 citing statistic about growing inequalities in health and education in India.
Body:
In the first part, write about the reasons behind growing inequalities. Account for the various causes for it and the impact of the same.
Next, write about various steps that are needed to address inequalities in in India in
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction
In India, a large portion of the population is below the poverty line, therefore, they do not have easy access to primary health and education. There is growing inequality across social groups and income groups which translates itself into poor socio-economic mobility.
Healthcare provisions in India is grossly inadequate and access to healthcare is highly inequitable. Lack of efficient public healthcare and burden of out-of-pocket health expenditures reduces people’s capacity or disables them from investing in the human capital of their children.
Basic literacy (the ability to read and write) in the overall population has progressed modestly. However, there is persistent gender differentials, and major differentials by caste and religion. The state of functional literacy and professional skills is poor. Indian graduates have low employability and does not meet changing economic structure or support global competitiveness.
Body
Inequalities in health
- Finance: At about 1.3% of the national income, India’s public healthcare spending between 2008 and 2015, has virtually remained stagnant. This is way less than the global average of 6 per cent. It is a herculean task to implement a scheme that could potentially cost Rs 5 lakh per person and benefit 53.7 crore out of India’s 121 crore citizenry, or roughly about 44% of the country’s population. Over 70 per cent of the total healthcare expenditure is accounted for by the private sector.
- Crumbling public health infrastructure: Given the country’s crumbling public healthcare infrastructure, most patients are forced to go to private clinics and hospitals. There is a shortage of PHCs (22%) and sub-health centres (20%), while only 7% sub-health centres and 12% primary health centres meet Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) norms.
- High Out of Pocket Expenditure: Reports suggest that 70% of the medical spending is from the patient’s pockets leading to huge burden and pushing many into poverty. Most consumers complain of rising costs. Hundred days into the PMJAY, it remains to be seen if private hospitals provide knee replacement at Rs 80,000 (current charges Rs 3.5 lakh) bypass surgery at Rs 1.7 lakh (against Rs 4 lakh).
- Insurance: India has one of the lowest per capita healthcare expenditures in the world. Government contribution to insurance stands at roughly 32 percent, as opposed to 83.5 percent in the UK. The high out-of-pocket expenses in India stem from the fact that 76 percent of Indians do not have health insurance.
- Doctor-Density Ratio: The WHO reports the doctor-density ratio in India at 8 per 10,000 people as against one doctor for a population of 1,000. To achieve such access, merely increasing the number of primary and secondary healthcare centres is not enough.
- Shortage of Medical Personnel: Data by IndiaSpend show that there is a staggering shortage of medical and paramedical staff at all levels of care: 10,907 auxiliary nurse midwives and 3,673 doctors are needed at sub-health and primary health centres, while for community health centres the figure is 18,422 specialists.
- Rural-urban disparity: The rural healthcare infrastructure is three-tiered and includes a sub-center, primary health centre (PHC) and CHC. PHCs are short of more than 3,000 doctors, with the shortage up by 200 per cent over the last 10 years to 27,421. Private hospitals don’t have adequate presence in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities and there is a trend towards super specialisation in Tier-1 cities.
- Social Inequality: The growth of health facilities has been highly imbalanced in India. Rural, hilly and remote areas of the country are under served while in urban areas and cities, health facility is well developed. The SC/ST and the poor people are far away from modern health service.
- Poor healthcare ranking: India ranks as low as 145th among 195 countries in healthcare quality and accessibility, behind even Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
- Commercial motive: lack of transparency and unethical practices in the private sector.
- Lack of level playing field between the public and private hospitals: This has been a major concern as public hospitals would continue receiving budgetary support. This would dissuade the private players from actively participating in the scheme.
- Scheme flaws: The overall situation with the National Health Mission, India’s flagship programme in primary health care, continues to be dismal. The NHM’s share in the health budget fell from 73% in 2006 to 50% in 2019 in the absence of uniform and substantial increases in health spending by States.
Inequality in access to education
- Gender bias: Girls are often sent to government schools while a male child is sent to private school. Moreover, after intermediate school, girls are made to drop out either for marriage or to do household chores.
- Some cultures will allow education for girls and women but limit the content of the education or skew the education to prepare them for a limited number of social roles
- Caste discrimination: In certain villages in India, even today children are segregated based on caste.
- Various researches reveals that the education system perpetuates and legitimizes social inequality, due to the economic, political, ideological and pedagogical practices that permeate schools.
- Family income: Financial stress on the parents can cause a child to leave school early to work. Worries about financial hardship at home can negatively affect low-income children’s ability to learn.
- Tribal problem: Access to education is the biggest hindrance. Most of the tribal children drop out of school or are not sent to school as their integration is low in the society.
- Extreme inequality and decision-making power: The children of the well-to-do attend elite well-resourced schools, with access to more than enough support at home. They have no problems in learning.
- But the vast majority of children in our unequal country go to schools that might as well be on a different planet.
- Thus, the well-off, who control or influence the levers of power, have no personal stake in nor any exposure to the reality of most Indian lives.
Measures needed to address the inequities
- To engineer an inclusive and sustainable growth for India, the social infrastructure like education, health and social protection are being given utmost priority by the Government
- The gaps in the expenditure on social infrastructure like health and education should be closed by strengthening the delivery mechanisms of the government initiatives.
- Protecting and investing in people’s health, education, and skilling is vital for reducing income inequality, and sustained inclusive economic growth.
- India needs to increase its spending on health and education. As recommended by the National Health Policy 2017 and the NEP 2020, India needs to increase its spending on health and education to at least 2.5 % in 6 % of GDP respectively from its current levels. Enhancing policies to maintain and even increase health and longevity will therefore be necessary.
- The current situation calls for more and better schools, especially in rural areas. It also calls for better transportation links between rural areas and regional urban hubs.
- India has to invest more in human capital formation at all levels, from primary education to higher education, cutting-edge research and development as well as on vocational training to increase the skill sets of its growing working-age population.
- The flagship schemes such as Skill India, Make in India, and Digital India have to be implemented to achieve convergence between skill training and employment generation.
- Bridging the gender gaps in education, skill development, employment, earnings and reducing social inequalities prevalent in the society have been the underlying goals of the development strategy to enhance human capabilities.
- Improved infrastructure, skill development, access to easy finance, reducing barriers to entrepreneurship and forums for mentorship of emerging entrepreneurs in partnership with corporates are some of measures.
- Decentralized models of development: Social policies for each state must be differentiated to accommodate different rates of population growth. The populations in south and west India are growing at a much slower pace than in the central and eastern states.
Conclusion
India’s inequalities will be the biggest hurdle in reaping the demographic dividend that we now have. A multi-pronged approach is imperative to reap the demographic dividend. There is also a need to engage with the youth and create an enabling environment for entrepreneurship. The demographic dividend offers them a unique opportunity to boost living standards, but they must act now to manage their older populations in the near future by implementing policies that ensure a safe and efficient transition from the first demographic dividend to the second demographic dividend.
General Studies – 4
Topic: Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in-human actions; dimensions of ethics;
6. From a moral standpoint, is abortion ethical in modern societies? State your view. (150 words)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Abstract Thursdays’ in Mission-2023 Secure.
Key Demand of the question:
To debate upon the ethicality of abortion.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by giving context and mentioning the ethical dilemmas associated with the act of abortion.
Body:
First, argue on the how abortion is unethical on the basis of abortion is deliberate killing of an innocent human being, A foetus as Moral personhood, Rights of the foetus and Causing pain.
Next, argue on the side of ethicality of abortion. foetus is not necessarily a ‘person’, rights of the mother’s bodily autonomy, dangers to mothers’ health etc.
Conclusion:
Pass a balanced judgement on the ethicality of the act of abortion.
Introduction
Termination of pregnancy (TOP) or foeticide is ethically and morally challenging and maybe considered illegal in countries with restrictive abortion laws. Ethical dilemmas such as women’s autonomy rights may conflict with foetus’ right to personhood, and doctor’s moral obligations to society. In liberal jurisdictions, previable foetuses may not have legal rights of personhood; therefore, appropriate action would be to respect pregnant women’s decisions regarding TOP.
Body:
Pro-choice versus Pro-life:
Pro Choice:
- If a pregnancy puts the life of the mother at risk, then we should consider the value of the foetus compared to the value of the life of the mother.
- An unwanted child does not have a good life. If a mother has a child that she does not want, then both she and the child may be greatly harmed; forcing the mother to continue with the pregnancy might produce a child with little chance of a happy life for itself and cause the mother much suffering as:
- Mother should have a right to control her own life, at least to the extent that in doing so she does minimal harm to herself.
- The right to abortion is vital for gender equality. The right to abortion is vital for individual women to achieve their full potential.
- Banning abortion puts women at risk by forcing them to use illegal methods that may be more harmful.
- But on the other hand the right to life should always outweigh the right of an individual to equalityor to control their own. It can be misused.
Pro Life:
- Foetus has the right to life because it is a ‘potential human being’.
- The ‘potential human being’ argument gives the right to life to the unborn from the very earliest stage of development – the moment when the egg is fertilised.
- This argument renders irrelevant any concerns about what sort of being the foetus is at any particular stage of its development.
The new-born argument
- One of the strongest arguments for giving the full rights of person to the foetus because it is a potential person flows from the status of a new born baby.
- At birth a new born baby possesses so few of the characteristics required for ‘moral personhood’ that its right to life can’t be based on it being a ‘moral person’.
- Nonetheless, everyone does accept that it has a right to life – even those who follow the ‘moral person’ line of thought.
- This right to life seems to flow from the potential that the new-born has to become a ‘moral person’, and this in turn seems to support the argument that a potential ‘moral person’ has the right to life.
Conclusion:
The right to life underlies all other human rights – if we protect those rights, we should protect the right to life as well. Abortion is a civil rights issue in that some of those who support abortion do as a way of controlling the growth of certain population groups. Abortion is sometimes forced on women by exploiting partners or families. Abortion is sometimes forced on women because society fails to supply their needs. Parents have an obligation to their unborn children – it is wrong for them to escape it. Abortion brutalises those who carry it out, or who are involved in the process.
Value addition:
Views of religion:
All the religions have taken strong positions on abortion; they believe that the issue encompasses profound issues of life and death, right and wrong, human relationships and the nature of society, that make it a major religious concern.
People involved in an abortion are usually affected very deeply not just emotionally, but often spiritually, as well. They often turn to their faith for advice and comfort, for explanation of their feelings, and to seek atonement and a way to deal with their feelings of guilt.
As per Stanley Hauwer was “For no amount of ethical reflection will ever change the basic fact that tragedy is a reality of our lives. A point is reached where we must have the wisdom to cease ethical reflection and affirm that certain issues indicate a reality more profound than the ethical.”
Pro-Choice:
These are the proponents who support choice of child bearer and hence support the cause of abortion at will.
Pregnant woman has moral rights too
- Under some circumstances these may override the foetus’s right to live
- These moral rights include:
- The right to ownership of her own body
- The right to decide her own future
- The right to take decisions without moral or legal intervention by others
- The pregnant woman has the right to life – where not aborting the foetus would put the mother’s life or health in danger, she has the moral right to abort the foetus
Pro Life:
These are proponents who support life in consideration i.e. the foetus which is considered life from the women’s womb itself.
Killing people is wrong
- Killing innocent human beings is wrong
- Human life begins at conception
- Therefore, the foetus is an innocent human being
- Therefore, killing the foetus is wrong
- Therefore, abortion is always wrong
Killing potential people is wrong
- It is wrong to destroy potential human life
- From conception onwards the foetus is a potential human being
- Therefore, it is wrong to destroy the foetus
- Therefore, abortion is always wrong
Increasing tolerance of killing is wrong
- Allowing abortion is legalising killing
- Legalising killing reduces people’s respect for life
- Reducing society’s respect for life is a bad thing – it may lead to euthanasia, genocide and increased murder rates
- Therefore, abortion is always wrong
Philosopher Ted Lockhart has come up with a practical solution for dealing with moral problems that can be used to decide whether or not to abort a foetus. Lockhart suggests that we should “perform actions that we are maximally confident are morally permissible”. Where we have to make a moral choice, we should take the course of action that we are most confident is morally correct.
Topic: Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity;
7. How can probity serve as antidote for corruption? Discuss with examples. (150 Words)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Abstract Thursdays’ in Mission-2023 Secure.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about importance of probity and its role in reducing corruption.
Directive:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you must debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You must give reasons for both for and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by defining probity.
Body:
First, write about the need of Probity and how it will reduce corruption and associate challenges with respect to public service. Cite examples to substantiate.
Next, write about the steps to ensure probity.
Conclusion:
Complete by writing a way forward.
Introduction
Probity is “the quality or condition of having strong moral principles, integrity, good character, honesty, decency”. It is the act of adhering to the highest principles and ideals rather than avoiding corrupt or dishonest conduct. It balances service to the community against the self-interest of individuals.
Body
Probity serves as an antidote for corruption by
- Legitimacy of the system: Foremost, it helps build up the legitimacy of the system, i.e. the state. It builds trusts in the institutions of the state and a belief that the actions of the state will be for welfare of the beneficiaries.
- Objectivity: It provides for an objective and independent view on the fairness of the process.
- Checks and balances: It helps in checking the abuse and misuse of power by various organs of government such as magistracy, police and all other providers of public service e.g. PWD, health, education, etc.
- Equitable and sustainable development: It is an essential and vital requirement for an efficient and effective system of governance and for socio-economic development.
- To serve the constitutional cause:Probity in Governance is required to serve the motto of Constitution. i.e. to provide Social, Political and economic justice to all. It enhances faith in the governance.
- Reduced politicization of bureaucracy:It helps address nepotism, Favouritism, Political partisanship. Public reposes more trust in governance and therefore it facilitates participatory governance. It leads to avoidance of sub-optimal outcomes, corruption and poor perception
Measures to ensure probity
- Statutory Code of Values and Ethics for Public Services– It should be expressed in simple language, easily understandable and should lay down fundamental values that ought to govern the conduct of public servants. For example, British Civil Services Code.
- Ethical framework –Need for an ethical frameworkthat should provide for prevention and guidance, investigation, disciplinary action, and prosecution.
- Ethical Guidance –It should include training in ethics, awareness and development of essential skill for ethical analysis and moral judgement.
- Sanction and punishment –Violation and breaches of the Code of Ethicsshould invite sanction and punishment under the disciplinary rules. A simplified disciplinary regime should be put in place which, while following the principle of natural justice, may speedily and summarily decide cases and take punitive action against delinquent employees.
- Independent office of Ethics Commissioner– Need to create such an independent office on the US patternto provide leadership in ethics and values. Ethics Commissioner should issue and interpret rules which govern standards of conduct and conflict of interest.
Conclusion
It is a shared belief that the adoption of standards like “accountability”, “transparency” and “responsiveness” will lead to clean and efficient governance. However, standards do not, by themselves, ensure ethical behaviour: which requires a robust culture of integrity and probity in public life. The crux of ethical behaviour does not lie only in standards, but in their adoption in action and in issuing sanctions against their violation.
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