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: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Difficulty level: Tough
Reference: The Hindu, Insights on India
Why the question:
One of the most significant commitments of the Narendra Modi government is to ensure piped water to every rural household by 2024. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, led by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, 10.2 crore rural households, or about 53% of the eligible population, now have tap water access.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the shortcomings of Jal Jeevan Mission and suggest measures to improve its performance.
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 writing about the aims and objectives of Jal Jeevan Mission.
Body:
First, write about the various achievements of Jal Jeevan Mission. Substantiate with facts and figures.
Next, write about the various shortcomings of Jal Jeevan Mission in ensuring availability of safe drinking water.
Next, suggest ways to overcome the limitations.
Conclusion:
Conclude with a way forward.
Introduction
One of the most significant commitments of the current government is to ensure piped water to every rural household by 2024. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, led by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, 10.2 crore rural households, or about 53% of the eligible population, now have tap water access.
Body
About Jal-jeevan mission
- The chief objective of the Mission is to provide piped water supply (Har Ghar Jal) to all rural and urban households by 2024.
- It also aims to create local infrastructure for rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and management of household waste water for reuse in agriculture.
- The Jal Jeevan Mission is set to be based on various water conservation efforts like point recharge, desilting of minor irrigation tanks, use of greywater for agriculture and source sustainability.
- The Jal Jeevan Mission will converge with other Central and State Government Schemes to achieve its objectives of sustainable water supply management across the country.
- The mission ensures:
- Functionality of existing water supply systems and water connections.
- Water quality monitoring and testing as well as sustainable agriculture.
- Conjunctive use of conserved water.
- Drinking water source augmentation.
- Drinking water supply system, grey water treatment and its reuse.
- Implementation: The Mission is based on a community approach to water and includes extensive Information, Education and Communication as a key component of the mission.
- JJM looks to create a jan andolan for water, thereby making it everyone’s priority.
- The fund sharing pattern between the Centre and states is 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern States, 50:50 for other states, and 100% for Union Territories.
Inter-state disparities in access to safe drinking water
- The Government commissions annual surveys to evaluate the success of the scheme. A recent audit, by a private agency, found that around 62% of rural households in India had fully functional tap water connections within their premises.
- The survey, however, revealed wide disparities in achievement. Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Goa and Puducherry reported more than 80% of households with fully functional connections while less than half the households in Rajasthan, Kerala, Manipur, Tripura, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Sikkim had such connections.
- About 75% of households received water all days of the week, and only 8% just once a week. On average, households got water for three hours every day.
- Moreover, the report mentions a problem of chlorine contamination.
- Though 93% of the water samples were reportedly free of bacteriological contamination, most of the anganwadi centres and schools had higher than the permissible range of residual chlorine.
Way forward
- Adopt innovative technologies: The government need to adopt innovative technologies, especially sewage treatment, in-situ combustion/energy production from human excreta, etc. This will reduce the consumption of freshwater to flush tanks, often seen in urban areas.
- With the massive deployment of sensor-based IoT systems for measurement & monitoring of water supply, testing of water samples for quality and dashboard for data integration and analysis will ensure transparency, assured service delivery, and grievance redressal.
- Water Security for Development: India should work on groundwater replenishing methods without polluting the sources. Further, village communities and users/owners should start water budgeting to understand and improve water-use efficiency by changing water usage patterns, shifting to less water-consuming crops, and/ or switching to micro-irrigation, i.e., drip and sprinkler systems.
- Even a small reduction in agricultural use will enhance water availability for drinking and domestic purposes, enhancing the longevity and functionality of water supply systems.
- Convergence with other schemes: To ensure the long-term sustainability of JJM, the mission has to converge with other schemes such as MGNREGS, Atal Bhujal Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, etc., to dovetail resources at the village level.
Conclusion
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the progress of the scheme but with the economy now close to pre-pandemic levels, it is likely that the challenges of labour and material have softened somewhat to aid the progress of the scheme. The Centre should liaise better with States that are falling behind in targets and ensure that the infrastructure created as part of the scheme is long lasting and not merely to meet election targets.
General Studies – 2
Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Indian Express , Insights on India
Why the question:
The Covid-19 pandemic has shown the world our capability to handle mega problems. With good leadership and active community participation we became self-sufficient in terms of PPE, ventilators and vaccines.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the healthcare challenges and ways to overcome 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 by giving a statistic related to the current state of healthcare in India.
Body:
First, write about the various issues in the healthcare system of the country and substantiate with facts and examples.
Next, write about the measures that are needed to address the above issues in order to make India as a world leader in global healthcare.
Conclusion:
Conclude with a way forward.
Introduction
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.
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.
Body
Healthcare challenges in India
- 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.
Measures needed
- 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
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 – 3
Topic: Role of civil services in a democracy.
Difficulty level: Easy
Reference: Indian Express
Why the question:
The civil services have remained at the epicentre of all government activities in India, both as agents of policymaking as well as the executive hand that delivers and implements those policies. This unique moment of Amrit Mahotsav is the appropriate time for the civil services to pause, reflect and strategise on the approaches needed to shape its future. People-centric governance is no longer aspirational but is rapidly becoming the national imperative.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the need of competent and committed civil servants to achieve good governance and ways to do so.
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.
Body:
First, write in detail about the various issues in the Indian Civil service and how it is adversely impacting the governance.
Next, write about the importance of competence and commitment in civil servants and how this will lead to achievement of good governance.
Next, write about the ways to achieve the above.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward
Introduction
E-governance, digital governance is the integration of technology with governance in delivery of goods and services.
The role of Civil Servants across the domains of policy making and policy implementation is critical to the development process. They assist in identifying major policy areas such as preparing major policy proposals, analysing various alternatives and solutions to societal problems requiring urgent attention, dividing the major policies into sub-policies, determining program of action and suggesting modification in the existing policy on the basis of its experience on the implementation front.
Body
Importance of competent civil servants in governance
- They engage in collection of relevant data and information in order to identify core issues. The type of information required, the extent of substance in the information so collected and assimilation of the information is the task of the Civil Servants.
- They then assist the government in terms of providing relevant data for substantiating policy proposals.
- Owing to their enormous administrative expertise and capability of the civil services, they are privy to various problems and issues facing the country.
- Their knowledge and experience so acquired is then put to use by assuming the role of the ‘think-tank’ of the government.
- The Civil Servants assist the political executive in identifying policy issues by suggesting the nature of problems and the need for taking them up for consideration at higher levels.
- The civil service engages itself in examining the issue taken up for policy formulation, it frames and reframes policy proposals keeping in view its viability, future prospects, resources available, acceptability, etc.
- It is also the responsibility of the civil services to analyze policy proposals in relation to the provisions of the Constitution, the laws framed by the Parliament, and other existing rules and regulations.
- In this way the civil services help in framing sound and effective policies.
- Civil servants are responsible for implementing the laws and policies of government. By carrying out laws, it regulates the behaviour of the people in society.
- The ideals and objectives of government may be very popular, the plans for national development may be extremely progressive and the resources of the country may be abundant, but without civil services, not much can be achieved.
- An efficient civil service can avoid waste, correct errors, limit the consequences of incompetence or irresponsibility while implementing laws and public policies
Civil servants achieving their objectives
- Setting right developmental goals and priorities in areas of education, health, communications etc. Formulation and implementation of strategies and programmes for the development and modernisation of the nation. E.g., Formulation of plans at district, state and national levels.
- Creation of new administrative organisations and improving the capacity of the existing ones for the developmental purposes.
- To develop agriculture, civil servants have to properly manage community resources such as land, water resources, forests, wetlands and wasteland development. E.g. the District Collector of Dewas, Umakant Umrao helped the farmers in Madhya Pradesh to fight against drought by constructing over 16,000 ponds.
- To facilitate industrial development, infrastructural facilities such as roads, electricity, communications, market centres etc. have to be provided. In these countries, the civil service manages government owned business, industrial enterprises and public utility services. IAS officer Ritu Maheshwari, installed new electricity smart meters to tackle the prevalent electricity theft in Kanpur.
- Development and mobilisation of natural, human and financial resources and their proper utilization for accomplishing developmental objectives. P Narahari, as district collector in Madhya Pradesh, worked towards building a barrier-free environment that ensures that people with disabilities can move about safely and independently.
- Securing the support of the people for developmental activities by involving them in the process of development by creating appropriate attitude towards the socio-economic changes that are taking place in society. IAS Officer, Smita Sabharwal, popularly known as ‘the people’s officer’, launched a campaign called “Fund Your City” in Warangal. She appealed to residents to help her build the infrastructure of Naxal-affected areas, which resulted in the construction of traffic junctions and foot over-bridges.
Conclusion
Indian civil servants should strive to make India’s civil services the best in the world. They need to come out with innovative ideas and solutions to deliver public services to the satisfaction of every citizen. At the same time, the right ecosystem should be created to ensure that they have a meaningful career and are able to fulfill their responsibilities without fear or favour.
Topic: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Insights on India
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 3 and mentioned as part of Mission-2023 Secure timetable.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about capital market reforms, present issues and possible solutions to them.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by giving context about the capital markets.
Body:
First, in brief, write about the importance of capital market in the country’s economy.
Next, write about various measures taken in the past to reform the capital markets – The Narasimham Committee (1991), SEBI, Credit Rating etc.
Next, write about the present issues in the capital market in the country and suggest possible measures to resolve them.
Conclusion:
Conclude with a way forward.
Introduction
The capital market is the place that acts as the platform between the suppliers and the buyers. The savings and investments are channelized between the persons who have capital and the person who needs capital. In simpler terms, the market where buyers and sellers engage in trading of financial securities like bonds, stocks, etc. However, the market is much wider than securities. The participants during such transactions can be an individual as well as an institution.
Body
Measures taken to reform capital markets
- Abolition of Controller of Capital Issues: The Capital Issues (Control) Act, 1947 governed capital issues in India. The capital issues control was administered by the Controller of Capital Issues (CCI).The Narasimham Committee (1991) had recommended the abolition of CCI and wanted SEBI to protect investors and take over the regulatory function of CCI.
- As a result, the government replaced the Capital Issues (Control) Act and abolished the post of CCI.
- Companies are allowed to approach the capital market without prior government permission subject to getting their offer documents cleared by SEBI.
- Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI): SEBI was set up as a non-statutory body in 1988 and was made a statutory body in January 1992. SEBI has introduced various guidelines for capital issues in the primary market. They are explained below
- Companies are required to disclose all material facts and specific risk factors associated with their projects
- SEBI has also introduced a code of advertisement for public issues for ensuring fair and truthful disclosures
- SEBI has allowed the companies to determine the par value of shares issued by them.
- SEBI has allowed issues of IPOs through “book building” process
- FIIs Permitted to Operate in the Indian Market: Foreign institutional investors such as mutual funds and pension funds are allowed to invest in equity shares as well as in debt market, including dated government securities and treasury bills
- Accessing Global Funds Market:Indian companies are allowed to access global finance market and benefit from the lower cost of funds. They have been permitted to raise resources through issue of American Depository Receipts (ADRs), Global Depository Receipts (GDRs), Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds (FCCBs) and External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs).
- Also, Indian companies can list their securities on foreign stock exchanges through ADR/GDR issues
- Intermediaries under the Purview of SEBI: Merchant bankers, and other intermediaries such as mutual funds including UTI, portfolio managers, registrars to an issue, share transfer agents, underwriters, debenture trustees, bankers to an issue, custodian of securities, and venture capital funds – have been brought under the purview of SEBI
- Credit Rating Agencies: Various credit rating agencies such as Credit Rating Information Services of India Ltd. (CRISIL – 1988), Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency of India Ltd. (ICRA – 1991), Cost Analysis and Research Ltd. (CARE – 1993) and so on were set up to meet the emerging needs of capital market.
Issues in the capital market
- As the Indian economy is one of the fastest-growing economies of the world, many such challenges can hinder the growth as certain regulations have loopholes and there are several cases of embezzling funds, defrauding, and illegal channelizing of funds. The associates of the markets use it for unfair trade practices.
- Individual investors can also break the stability of the market by increasing the lending or borrowing capacity.
- Several such cases have depicted and identified the need for a more powerful regulating body.
- The case of Harshad Mehta indicates the loopholes in the system that how the funds were channelized illegally and used to manipulate the stock market. He understood the gap in the money market
- The market is generally held by a few investors that make the market biased as it diminishes the opportunity for new investors.
- There should be a ceiling over the holding of stocks to promote fairness and to provide the opportunity for new investors.
- Most of the financial scams that take place are due to the private dealings with the banks as they have a pool of funds so these should be strictly prohibited and a systematic way of regulating the funds in banks should be formulated.
Conclusion
The Indian capital market has undergone many changes after the challenges and the irreparable loss faced over years. There have been massive and revolutionary changes over years, and some significant changes that have reduced the financial scam cases. There has been a reduction of malpractices of trade over the years. The capital market has made tremendous progress in terms of institution building. They have transformed and developed the lives of investors and market intermediaries. The market has been friendlier by boosting performance and eliminating the challenges.
Topic: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.
5. Discuss the importance of money market to the economy of India. (250 words)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Insights on India
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 3 and mentioned as part of Mission-2023 Secure timetable.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about importance of money markets.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by defining money markets.
Body:
Write about the importance of money market for India’s economy – Development of Trade and Industry, Development Of Capital Market, Smooth Functioning of Commercial Banks, Formulation Of Suitable Monetary Policy etc. Cite statistics to substantiate.
Conclusion:
Conclude by summarising.
Introduction
The money market refers to trading in very short-term debt investments. At the wholesale level, it involves large-volume trades between institutions and traders. At the retail level, it includes money market mutual funds bought by individual investors and money market accounts opened by bank customers.
Body
Background
- An individual may invest in the money market by purchasing a money market mutual fund, buying a Treasury bill, or opening a money market account at a bank.
- Money market investments are characterized by safety and liquidity, with money market fund shares targeted at $1.
- Money market accounts offer higher interest rates than a normal savings account, but there are higher account minimums and limits on withdrawals.
Importance of money market to Indian economy
- Development of Trade and Industry: It is an important source of financing trade and industry, as it provides for short-term funds adequately and quickly
- The money market, through discounting operations and commercial papers, finances the short-term working capital requirements of trade and industry and facilities the development of industry and trade both — national and international
- Development Of Capital Market: The short-term rates of interest and the conditions that prevail in the money market influence the long-term interest, as well as the resource mobilization in capital market
- Smooth Functioning of Commercial Banks: The money market provides the commercial banks with facilities for temporarily employing their surplus funds in easily realizable assets. The banks can get back the funds quickly, in times of need, by resorting to the money market.
- It also enables commercial banks to meet their statutory requirements of cash reserve ratio (CRR) and Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) by utilizing the money market mechanism
- Effective Central Bank Control: A developed money market helps the effective functioning of a central bank. It facilities effective implementation of the monetary policy of a central bank
- Formulation Of Suitable Monetary Policy: Conditions prevailing in a money market serve as a true indicator of the monetary state of an economy.
- Hence, it serves as a guide to the Government in formulating and revising the monetary policy, depending upon the monetary conditions prevailing in the market
- Non-Inflationary Source of Finance To Government: A developed money market helps the Government to raise short-term funds through the treasury bills floated in the market.
- In the absence of a developed money market, the Government would be forced to print and issue more money or borrow from the central bank; Both of which would lead to an increase in prices and the consequent inflationary trend in the economy
Conclusion
There are several pros and cons of money market investments. Most money market securities are considered extremely low-risk, due to the protection of FDIC insurance, backing by a government or bank, or the high creditworthiness of the borrowers. They are also very liquid, meaning that they can readily be exchanged for cash at short notice.
The tradeoff of having low risk is that these investments also have low returns. Not only do money markets underperform other asset classes, they often don’t even keep pace with inflation. In addition, any fees associated with an account can easily eat into those slim returns.
General Studies – 4
Topic: Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators;
6. What does this quote means to you? (150 words)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Quotes Wednesdays’ in Mission-2023 Secure.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by explaining the literal meaning of the quote.
Body:
Write about as to what you understand by moral wounds and how they are manifested. Mention about how they do not heal – as loss of morality can never be compensated. Cite examples.
Next, suggest ways to heal moral wounds to an extent.
Conclusion:
Summarise by highlighting the importance of the quote in the present day.
Introduction
Conscience is inner moral sense of a person which guides him/her to regulate his behaviour. Voice of conscience corresponds to an inner voice that judges your behaviour. Voice of conscience is the source of ethical decision making for many.
Body
Moral wounds always remain in hearts because man has a conscience. Moral injury is understood to be the strong cognitive and emotional response that can occur following events that violate a person’s moral or ethical code. Potentially morally injurious events include a person’s own or other people’s acts of omission or commission, or betrayal by a trusted person in a high-stakes situation. For example, health-care staff working during the COVID-19 pandemic might experience moral injury because they perceive that they received inadequate protective equipment, or when their workload is such that they deliver care of a standard that falls well below what they would usually consider to be good enough.
Ultimately conscience will guide us home. It is the canvas of your emotional & psychological behaviour. The conscience keeps all the records of our conscious and subconscious behaviours, thoughts & actions.
If your body is a temple, your conscience is the God. A clear conscience helps us to connect to our inner powers & treasures, through its intuitive language, to guide through moments of crisis and difficult situations.
Conclusion
As long as we know right from wrong and have an active aware conscience, we will follow a moral compass. Without basic rules surrounding morality, there will always be chaos. This is where moral philosophies can aid an individual.
Topic: Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators;
7. What does this quote means to you? (150 words)
“It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well.” ― Descartes
Difficulty level: Easy
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Quotes Wednesdays’ in Mission-2023 Secure.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by explaining the literal meaning of the quote.
Body:
Write about how not having a good mind is enough as it will lead to no action. It is necessary to put that good mind to create a better society. Cite examples to substantiate.
Conclusion:
Summarise by highlighting the importance of the quote in the present day.
Introduction
The quote says that a good mind is a great place to start, but that it is only a starting place. A good mind is the foundation on which to build. The quote urges us to learn how to use our mind, and use it well. That takes practice, and that takes time, effort, and the willingness to think.
Body
Descartes wants to shed light on the fact that we spend too much time in chasing things that are unimportant and of little value to us and we find it difficult to sit back and reflect on life. Life is indeed very fast-paced and competitive and we try to escape our difficulties by getting intoxicated so we forget about it but never really try to think and pursue things that we value. So this constant wastage of mental energy leaves us burned out and stressed chronically
The stoics believed in using our abilities in the right way for the right things as they argued that since we have limited time and energy, therefore we should use it for the right things which according to stoics are generally virtues and ethics and self-awareness.
So, we can only use our minds well if we know and accept that we have limited time and therefore ought to use it wisely. Even if we are born smarter than average or are really skilled in some way, if we lose our lives thinking about what is not in our control and worrying about future or past the this is sheer wastage of our tine and our mental abilities
Oppenheimer is credited as the father of the atomic bomb. But this one invention has changed the course of human history and has led to devastation of mankind. It is by virtue of this invention that there is a security dilemma, mutually assured destruction and fear of weapons falling in hands of rogue terror outfits. Hence this stands as a great example of not utilizing our abilities for the good of the world. With great mind power comes great repsonsibility.
Conclusion
“With great power comes great responsibility” has a simple meaning; if you have the ability to do something, make sure that you do it for the good of others. Highly admired people like Gandhi and Ninoy Aquino have done things that follow the spirit of this message. If you can stop something bad from happening, do it. You don’t have to be a superhero to follow those words of geek wisdom. It’s possible to do small actions that have a big impact in the world.
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