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: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: The Hindu , Business Standard
Why the question:
Earlier this month, the Dhauladhar ranges in the Himalayas were the setting for a gathering of State Tourism Ministers — a first-of-its-kind meeting to discuss, debate and deliberate on modes and mechanisms to develop tourism in India.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the potential of national tourism policy in promoting tourism in the country.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by giving context.
Body:
First, write about the India’s ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ policy – its meaning and present-day relevance.
Next, mention the major features draft National Tourism Policy 2022 and what it seeks to achieve with regards to promoting tourism. Write its potential and limitations.
Next, write about the various measures that are needed to promote sustainable, responsible and inclusive tourism in the country.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction
Sustainable tourism is defined by the UN Environment Program and UN World Tourism Organization as “tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.”
Body
Draft National Tourism Policy
- Framework: Draft on National Tourism Policy 2022 aims at improving the framework conditions for tourism development in the country.
- Supporting tourism industries, strengthening tourism support functions and developing tourism sub-sectors.
- Impetus to digitalisation, innovation and technology through the National Digital Tourism Mission and skilling through the Tourism and Hospitality Sector Skill Mission.
- The policy also gives a special impetus to private sector participation through public-private-partnerships (PPP)
- Guiding Principles : Promoting sustainable, responsible and inclusive tourism in line with our civilisational ethos From Gautama to Gandhi, India has always spoken about the inherent need to live harmoniously with nature and within our means.
- The National Green Tourism Mission aims at institutionalising green approach.
Tourism potential in India
- Employement generation: India has huge tourism potential. If capitalised properly it can emerge as one of the leading sectors to contribute to GDP and also has the potential to augment employment.
- The Pandemic cost and recovery: The pandemic has caused conspicuous losses for this sector but over the past few months, all the major tourism indices such as domestic air passenger traffic, hotel occupancy and tourist footfalls have shown signs of recovery and are going back to pre-pandemic levels.
- Short term estimate: By 2024, in short term the country is estimated to contribute USD 150 billion to the GDP from tourism, USD 30 billion in Foreign Exchange earnings and can get 15 million foreign tourist arrivals..
- Medium term by 2030: It is estimated to grow at seven to nine per cent Compound Annual Growth Rate in the coming decade. In the medium term, that is 2030, the tourism-related goals are USD 250 billion GDP contribution; 137 million jobs, 56 million foreign tourist arrivals and USD 56 billion in foreign exchange earnings.
- Visionary schemes: The visionary schemes like Swadesh Darshan or Dekho Apna Desh have the potential to increase tourism value while maintaining cultural integrity and ecological sustainability of the places.
- Dekho Apna Desh: Dekho apna desh rolled out in 2020 envisages encouraging domestic tourism, urging people to visit places in India. India is a land of rich cultural heritage
Conclusion
If the goal of positioning of India as one of the world’s best tourism destinations by 2047, there is need to integrate various schemes of different ministries. Need to involve various stakeholders, and local communities; necessary interventions at urban and rural level should be a priority.
Value addition
Types of tourism
- Domestic tourism: Refers to activities of a visitor within their country of residence and outside of their home (e.g. a Indian visiting other parts of India)
- Inbound tourism: Refers to the activities of a visitor from outside of country of residence (e.g. a Spaniard visiting Britain).
- Outbound tourism: Refers to the activities of a resident visitor outside of their country of residence (e.g. an Indian visiting an overseas country).
General Studies – 2
Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation
Difficulty level: Tough
Reference: Insights on India
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus (Revision) of General studies paper – 2 and mentioned as part of Mission-2023 Secure timetable.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about Agnipath scheme, its benefits and risks.
Directive:
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:
Begin the writing about aims and objectives of Agnipath scheme for recruiting soldiers.
Body:
Frist, discuss the key features of the scheme – recruitment, salary, duration and post tenure etc.
Next, write about the major benefits from the scheme.
Next, write about various concerns associated with the scheme in the short term and long term
Conclusion:
Conclude with a way forward.
Introduction
Agnipath Defence Policy Reform is a government scheme launched to recruit young men and women in the Indian Armed forces. The Agnipath scheme was announced by the defence Minister Rajnath Singh on June 14th 2022.
Body
About the Agnipath scheme
- Agnipath is a new defence recruitment model that would allow “patriotic and motivated”youth to serve in the armed forces for a period of four years.
- The process of recruitment will commence in 90 days.
- The plan is to recruit about45,000-50,000 personnel below officer rank in the three services every year through a biannual exercise with a six-month gap.
- As per the Agnipath scheme, this year there will be aplanned intake of about 46,000 young men and women.
- Soldier recruited through Agnipath scheme will be known as ‘Agniveers’.
- This scheme will be the only form of recruitment of soldiers into the three defence services Armed Force, Indian Navy and Air Forces, hereon.
- Enrolment of Agniveers to all three services will be througha centralized online system, with special rallies and campus interviews at recognised technical institutes such as the Industrial Training Institutes, and the National Skills Qualifications Framework. The Model is based on an all-India merit-based selection process.
Objectives
- It aims at providing an opportunity to the patriotic and motivated youth with the ‘Josh’ and ‘Jazba’ to join the Armed Forces.
- It is expected to bring down the average age profile of the Indian Armed Forces by about 4 to 5 years.
- The scheme envisions that, the average age in the forces is 32 years today, which will go down to 26 in six to seven years.
Various benefits to Youth
- Upon the completion of the 4-years of service, a one-time‘Seva Nidhi’ package of Rs 11.71 lakhs will be paid to the Agniveers that will include their accrued interest thereon.
- They will also get a Rs 48 lakh life insurance cover for the four years.
- In case of death, the payout will be over Rs 1 crore,including pay for the unserved tenure.
- The government will help rehabilitate soldiers who leave the services after four years.They will be provided with skill certificates and bridge courses.
- Furure Ready Soldiers:It will create “future-ready” soldiers.
- More Employment Opportunities: It will increase employment opportunities and because of the skills and experience acquired during the four-year service such soldiers will get employment in various fields.
- Higher Skilled Workforce: This will also lead to availability of a higher-skilled workforce to the economy which will be helpful in productivity gain and overall GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth.
Issues related to the scheme
- Difficult to Find Another Job:The ‘Agnipath’ scheme opens the way for recruitment of about 45,000 soldiers into Army, Navy and Air Force in the first year but on a short-term contract of four years. After the completion of the contract, 25% of them will be retained and the rest will leave the forces.
- The four years of service will mean other jobs will be out of reach after that, and they will be left behind their peers.
- No Pension Benefit: Those hired under the ‘Agnipath’ scheme will be given a one-time lumpsumof a little more than Rs 11 lakh when they end their four-year tenure.
- However, they do not receive any pension benefits.For most, seeking a second job is essential to support themselves and their families.
- Training May Remain Unutilized: Forces will lose experienced soldiers.
- The jawans joining the Army, Navy and Air Force will be given technical training so that they are able to support the ongoing operations. But these men and women will leave after four years, which could create a void.
Conclusion
Despite the reservations, there is potential for future employment to these youth as the defence industry is ready to take off in a huge manner in India. Once this happens, the industry will have readily skilled youth for the jobs and hence there is also future to these youths. At the same time, national security is ensured.
Topic: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
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.
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:
Begin by writing about aims and objectives of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY).
Body:
In the first part, write about the achievements of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY).
Next, write about statistic which highlight the shift from traditional forms of fuel to LPG.
Next, write about the various impediments like affordability, administrative issues, low value for women’s labour etc poor face while accessing LPG which causes them to continue to use firewood and cow dung as fuel.
Write the measures that need to be taken to enhance and promote the usage of LPG. Mention the aspect of integrating other forms clean energy apart from LPG which is accessible and affordable.
Conclusion:
Conclude with a way forward.
Introduction
The sustained rise in the price of LPG cylinders has been burning a hole in many a household budget for more than a year now. The price of LPG refills has risen by more than 50% to over ₹900 per cylinder in November 2021 compared to around ₹600 over the past year.
With no refill subsidies in place since May 2020, there is genuine concern about many households now slipping back to using polluting solid fuels for cooking, such as firewood and dung cakes.
Body
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana: Key features
- Ujjwala 1.0: Under Ujjwala 1.0, the target was to provide LPG connections to50 million women from the below poverty line (BPL) households, by March 2020. However, in August 2018, women from seven other categories were brought under the purview of the scheme.
- In the first phase of the PMUY, 8 crore poor families, including from the Dalit and tribal communities, were given free cooking gas connections.
- The LPG infrastructure has expanded manifold in the country. In the last six years, more than 11,000 new LPG distribution centres have opened across the country.
- Ujjwala 2.0: Under Ujjwala 2.0, an additional 10 million LPG connections will be provided to the beneficiaries.
- Government has also fixed a target of providing piped gas to 21 lakh homes in 50 districts.
Performance of Ujjwala
- So far over 9 crore connections under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana has been released.
- PMUY beneficiaries have availed 14.17 crore free refills under the Scheme, across the country, as per the same reply filed by Union Petroleum Ministry in Lok Sabha.
- PMUY 2.0 was launched on August 10, 2021, and the target of one crore connections were provided within six months by January 2022.
- Per capita consumption of PMUY beneficiaries has increased from 01 refills in 2019-20 to 3.66 refills in current Financial Year (till February 2022).
- The release of 8 crores of LPG connections under the scheme has also helped in increasing the LPG coverage in the country from 62 per cent on May 1, 2016, to 99.8 per cent on April 1, 2021.
- The first independent impact assessment of the Ujjwala programme by IIT Kanpur researchers highlighted its benefits in terms of saving of lives and reduction in air pollution.
- Reduction in Death: Greater penetration and usage of LPG as a cooking fuel is estimated to have prevented at least 1.5 lakh pollution-related premature deaths in the year 2019 alone.
- Reduction in pollution: It also avoided at least 8 million tonnes of PM2.5 emissions in 2019 (13% reduction in air pollution deaths)
Structural impediments in Ujjwala Yojana
Cost issues: A RTI application revealed that in the last financial year, 90 lakh beneficiaries of government’s flagship welfare scheme Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana did not refill their cylinders. And over 1 crore beneficiaries refilled their cylinders only once.
- Consumers were paying market price for refills till the loan repayment for stove and first refill was made. This led to some consumers not going in for such refills.
- Around30% of Indian households continue to rely on biomass as their primary cooking fuel, mainly due to high LPG prices.
- The practice of biomass usage is predominantly concentrated in rural areas, particularly among States such as Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal.
- Given the loss of incomes and livelihoods during the novel coronavirus pandemic, the ability of households to afford LPG on a regular basis has taken a further hit.
Administrative issues: Laxity in identification of beneficiaries was noticed as 9,897 LPG connections were issued against Abridged Household List Temporary Identification Numbers (AHL TINs) where names of all family members and the beneficiary were blank in the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC)-2011 list.
- Lack of input validation check in the IOCL software allowed issue of 0.80 lakh connections to beneficiaries aged below 18 years.
- Issuance of connections to unintended beneficiaries.
- Inadequacies in the de-duplication process: Out of 3.78 crore LPG connections, 1.60 crore (42%) connections were issued only on the basis of beneficiary Aadhaar which remained a discouragement in de-duplication.
- 59 lakh connections were released to beneficiaries who were minor as per the SECC-2011 data, which was in violation of PMUY guidelines and LPG Control Order, 2000.
Logistic issues: Lack of LPG cylinder bottling plants near rural areas and connectivity issues especially in the tribal areas.
- Last-mile connectivity and delivery still poses a great challenge.
- Delay of more than 365 days was noticed in installation of 4.35 lakh connections against stipulated time period of seven days.
- Adequate efforts were not made in distributing the small 5-kg cylinders for encouraging usage.
Safety and Behavioural issues: Safety has been another concern about distribution of LPG connection, especially to BPL families. Lack of awareness and safety amenities in beneficiary households have increased the likelihood of accidents.
- Cow-dung cakes lying around the house all the time. Hence, LPG cylinders are used on special occasions or during some kind of emergency or when it’s entirely too hot to burn wood.
- The CRISIL report also noted that 37% of households in rural areas procure cooking fuel or free.
- Agency: Most rural women do not have a say in determining when a refill is ordered, even though the connection is in their name.
Conclusion and way forward
- The scheme should be extended to poor households in urban and semi-urban slum areas.
- Subsidy reinstatement: There is a need to reinstate the subsidies on LPG refill for low-income households.
- At the current refill prices, an average Indian household would have to spend around 10% of its monthly expense on LPG to meet all its cooking energy needs.
- Identifying true beneficiaries: The Government can also explore diverse approaches to identify beneficiaries.
- This may include limiting the subsidy provision to seven to eight LPG refills annually and excluding well-to-do households using robust indicators.
- For instance, lowering the income-based exclusion limit for LPG subsidy to ₹2,50,000 a year from ₹10 lakh a year or excluding families owning a non-commercial four-wheeler vehicle can significantly reduce the number of eligible beneficiaries.
- Home delivery of LPG: Only half the rural LPG users receive home delivery of LPG refills, while the rest have to travel about five kilometres one way to procure a cylinder.
- Gaps in the doorstep delivery of LPG cylinders are also present in urban pockets, particularly in slum areas. These need to be rectified.
Topic: Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Live Mint
Why the question:
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi has declined the government’s offer to be Attorney General (A-G) for India after “second thoughts”. Rohatgi, who had earlier agreed to take up the position.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about roles and responsibilities of the Attorney General for India.
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:
Begin by giving context of Article 76 (2).
Body:
Write about the role of attorney general of India is? – The Attorney General is necessary for advising the Government of India on legal matters referred to them. They also perform other legal duties assigned to them by the President.
Discuss in detail the role and responsibilities. Provide recent examples if possible.
Conclusion:
Conclude by summarising.
Introduction
The Constitution of India places the post of the A-G on a special footing. The A-G is the Government of India’s first law officer, and has the right of audience in all courts of the country.
Article 76(2) of the Constitution says “it shall be the duty of the Attorney-General to give advice to the Government of India upon such legal matters, and to perform such other duties of a legal character, as may from time to time be referred or assigned to him by the President”.
Body
Functions
- The AGI is necessary for advising the Government of India on legal matters referred to them.
- They also perform other legal duties assigned to them by the President.
- The AGI has the right of audience in all Courts in India as well as the right to participate in the proceedings of the Parliament, though not to vote.
- The AGI appears on behalf of the Government of India in all cases (including suits, appeals and other proceedings) in the Supreme Court in which GoI is concerned.
- They also represent the Government of India in any reference made by the President to the Supreme Court under Article 143 of the Constitution.
- The AG is assisted by a Solicitor General and four Additional Solicitors General.
Powers of AG
- The AG can accept briefs but cannot appear against the Government.
- They cannot defend an accused in criminal proceedings and accept the directorship of a company without the permission of the Government.
- The AG is to be consulted only in legal matters of real importance and only after the Ministry of Law has been consulted.
- All references to the AG are made by the Law Ministry.
Limitations to his powers
The AG:
- should not advise or hold a brief against the Government of India
- should not defend accused persons in criminal cases without the permission of the government of India
- should not accept appointment as a director in any company without the permission of the government
Conclusion
Unlike the Attorney General of the United States, the AGI does not have any executive authority. Those functions are performed by the Law Minister of India. Also, the AG is not a government servant and is not debarred from private legal practice.
General Studies – 3
Topic: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Live Mint
Why the question:
The International Seabed Authority (ISA) based in Kingston, Jamaica, is the agency that is chartered to “organize, regulate and control all mineral-related activities in the international seabed area for the benefit of mankind as a whole”.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about polymetallic nodules, its advantages, and limitations in ensuring supply of metals.
Directive word:
Evaluate – When you are asked to evaluate, you have to pass a sound judgement about the truth of the given statement in the question or the topic based on evidence. You must appraise the worth of the statement in question. There is scope for forming an opinion here.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by defining polymetallic nodules and the metals found in them.
Body:
First, write about the various reasons for the disruption in the global industrial metals supply chain and its impact.
Next, write about the advantages offered by the polymetallic nodules and their potential in being a source of important strategic metals.
Next, write about the limitations of mining polymetallic nodules and other concerns associated with it. Suggest ways to overcome these limitations.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction
Poly metallic nodules are potato-shaped, largely porous Iron-Manganese oxide deposit nodules found in abundance carpeting the sea floor of world oceans with size ranging from 2 to 10 cm in diameter. These are considered as the precipitates of hot fluids from upwelling hot magma from deep interior of the oceanic crust, discharged through mineralized paths. Besides manganese and iron, they contain nickel, copper, cobalt, lead, molybdenum, cadmium, vanadium, titanium, of which nickel, cobalt and copper are considered to be of economic and strategic importance.
Body
Background: Industrial metals supply chain disruption
- EVs today are primarily dependent on lithium-ion batteries. The cathode for this battery is made up of layered crystals of lithium metal oxides. The metal is usually a mix of nickel, cobalt, aluminium and manganese. The dramatic rise in demand for EVs has put the supply of all these metals under stress.
- Second, trade tensions between China and the US have a ripple effect on industrial metals because China is often the largest ‘refiner’ of these metals. For instance, about 80% of the world’s lithium refining capacity is controlled by China.
- And third, the conflict in Ukraine has put mineral supply from Russia at risk. Russia is a major producer of many metals, but is a key producer of nickel.
Potential of polymetallic nodules as source of important industrial metal
- They contain Rare Earth Elements and metals which are important to high-tech industries.
- The amount of copper contained in the CCZ nodules is estimated to be about 20% of that held in global land-based reserves.
- These Rare earth minerals are considered as the great source of valuable minerals such as gold, silver and zinc.
Significance for India
- India is presently having an area of 75,000 square km, located about 1600 km away from her southern tip. Polymetallic nodules resource potential in this site is 380 million tonnes.
- This would open new opportunities for resources of commercial and strategic value.
- It is envisaged that 10% of recovery of that large reserve can meet the energy requirement of India for the next 100 years.
- India is entirely dependent on imports to meet its requirements of cobalt, which is the most strategic of the three metals (cobalt, copper and nickel).
- As for copper and nickel, India is in a precarious position.
- Empowerment of coastal communities and attaining greater social and economic inclusion by providing Employment opportunities, skill-sets and capacities.
- Providing a boost to coastal and national economies and development of blue economy.
- Promoting entrepreneurship in new areas of economic activity and new development in electronics industry.
- It will strengthen the bilateral relationship of India with Japan, Germany and South Korea.
- The recent acquisition of India’s deep-sea exploration ship ‘Samudra Ratnakar’ by the Geological Survey of India is a significant development in this regard.
Issues with mining polymetallic nodules
- The exploration for PM creates significant environmental impact on the deep seabed.
- Over the last few years, research activity has centred on mitigating this environmental impact.
- A significant area of study has been the ‘sediment plume’ left behind after scooping up PM from the ocean floor.
- PMs take millions of years to form and provide a critical habitat for an array of unique and understudied species.
- Deep-sea habitats evolve slowly, so a recovery from mining could take several centuries.
Conclusion
India has had a mixed track record of mining on land in a commercially purposeful, environmentally safe and community sensitive way. While deep-sea mining facilitates migration to cleaner technologies and has no local human communities to worry about, it has high technical complexity and a potentially harsh environmental impact. Yet, as the world begins to tread on the deep ocean floor, India may have to follow.
Topic: Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Indian Express , Economic Times ,Insights on India
Why the question:
The Indian government is pushing smartphone makers to enable support for its NavIC navigation system in new devices sold in the country from next year, a move that has spooked the industry due to additional costs and tight time frame.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the major global navigation systems of the world and potential of NavIC in ensuring strategic autonomy for India’s navigation.
Directive word:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you must debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You must give reasons for both for and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by citing major navigation systems across the world and their need.
Body:
First, NavIC and its features and applications with respect navigation.
Next, write about the drawbacks of depending on foreign navigation systems especially for strategic sectors. Cite examples to substantiate.
Next, write about the concerns and potential limitations of promoting Navic on a large scale and measures that are needed to overcome it.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction
India has been making great progress in space and research fields. Indian GPS would certainly boost country’s credentials in this field. India becomes only the fifth entity to have a GPS system of their own.
Apart from India, US has Global Positioning System (GPS), Russia has Glonass, Europe has Galileo and China has BeiDou as their navigational systems. NAVIC will reduce the dependencies on the other systems for the country. That means that even in a war-like situation there would be no interruption of the information.
Body
Need to promote NavIC as an alternative to foreign navigation systems
- Having a global navigation system bolsters the ability of a nation to serve as a net security provider, especially through the guarantee of such assurance policies.
- It can also play a significant role in relief efforts post disasters such as the tsunami in the Indian Ocean region in 2004 and the Pakistan-India earthquake in 2005.
- Charting out growth routes for South Asian economies, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) governments can also welcome the launch of NAVIC as an opening shot to accelerated innovation.
- NAVIC should also propel technological innovations and spin-offs that render South Asia progressively less reliant on technological imports from the West and elsewhere.
NavIC and its significance
- Through land-area mapping, yield monitoring and precision-planting of crops, NAVIC allows for the development of civic capabilities in food and livelihood security.
- NAVIC also arrives as an instrument for environmental and meteorological monitoring, as well as climate research. These capabilities can be leveraged to design reliable and efficient response mechanisms for natural disasters, alleviating the devastation they wreak through well-managed disaster relief.
- NAVIC’s interoperability with GPS can ensure the minimization of technical snags when used complementarily with existing GPS-enabled solutions.
- Chief beneficiary of Navic is the military, which now has access to an encrypted and completely secure service. The forces will no longer have to depend on the US service, a weakness that was exposed during the Kargil conflict of 1999, when accurate GPS data on the region was not forthcoming in real time.
- Navic will offer public access to an unsecured service for civilian applications like logistics, transportation, vehicle automation, robotics, disaster management, prospecting, the tracking of vehicles, people, pets and the Internet of Things. This could trigger a boom in GPS applications tuned to Navic.
- This could also provide an occasion for hardware manufacturers to turn protectionist and urge government to force manufacturers of GPS products to patronise the Indian service.
Conclusion
India should work to shift the regional frame of mind from defence thinking to subcontinental cooperation, pushing back against isolationist impulses that stand in the way of realizing the civilian and commercial promise of NAVIC. An ability to integrate space infrastructure into the Indian state apparatus has fortunate ripple effects beyond Indian borders. In dedicating itself to exploring and actualizing the civilian and commercial potential of NAVIC, India can signal to its regional partners that its rise is not only passively peaceful but also directly beneficial to those it can lift up in its tide.
General Studies – 4
Topic: Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in-human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics – in private and public relationships.
7. It is immoral and unethical to remain silent when a wrong is happening. Examine. (150 Words)
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-2023 Secure.
Key Demand of the question:
To form an opinion on ethicality of remaining silent and taking no action when a wrong is being committed.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by giving context.
Body:
First, write about inaction or taking no action in the face of wrong that is happening and choosing to remain silent. Cite examples.
Next, given reasons as to why inaction in the face of a wrong is unethical and immoral. Write about the impact of inaction.
Conclusion:
Conclude by giving a balanced opinion the issue.
Introduction
“The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality”
Morality is the greatest attribute of humanity and distinguishes us from mere animal existence. When humans are faced with dilemma of choosing between a good and bad act (with supposed personal gains), moral crisis is said to be in place.
Body
If a moral man stands by, seeing and recognizing the atrocity and yet fails to intervene he is as responsible as the perpetrators themselves. If he does the wrong thing, he may be immoral but being amoral means, he has no values whatsoever and therefore cannot be improved or saved. Neutrality is another way of saying: stand by and do nothing when you could’ve made the difference.
Inaction in any sector, any field or space can be very detrimental. All nations of UNSC not taking action against Russia for waging unjust war on Ukraine is a case in point. The human-kind as a whole is suffering and yet no one wants to get involved. Fighting climate change, terrorism requires active participation from all nations, yet inaction is evident as we see flash floods, droughts, heat waves etc.
Napoleon has asserted,” The world suffers not by the violence of the bad people, but by the silence of the good people”. Neutrality shows the trait of avoiding the responsibility. Our actions affect our surrounding and being neutral has its own consequences and the responsibility for the outcome of neutrality can never be avoided
Conclusion
Morality and ethics have grey areas and at times it is impossible to overcome the dilemma as either choices would lead to moral turpitude. Yet, values such as compassion, empathy, honesty and integrity help in aiding us to take the right decisions. To act or not to act is a challenge and the above values can guide one better
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