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
General Studies – 1
Topic: population and associated issues
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Indian Express , Insights on India
Why the question:
The latest World Bank report on remittances predicts that for the first time ever, India’s annual remittances may touch the $100-billion mark in 2022. This puts the nation ahead of others—with $60 billion, Mexico is a distant second—in remittance inflows, thanks to a large pool of immigrants benefiting from wage hikes and a strong labour market. The sliding rupee value is helping remittance flows rise.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the demographic challenges faced by the developed countries and how migrant workforce can fill the gap.
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 giving statistics regarding the ageing population of developed countries.
Body:
First, write about the challenges faced by the developing countries from a falling young population and a growing older population.
Next, write about how the migrant workforce from India can act a panacea for the above issue. Write about the issues faced by these migrants and steps that are needed to overcome them.
Conclusion:
Conclude by suggesting solutions to the above mentioned challenges.
Introduction
Worldwide, the working-age population will see a 10% decrease by 2060. With a rapidly aging global population due to declining birth rates and increased life expectancy, a smaller workforce will slow down economies and raise healthcare costs. Migrants—domestic and international—positively contribute to the countries they migrate to yet are derided as a burden on those economies.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, there are over 13.4 million Non-Resident Indians worldwide. The latest World Bank report on remittances predicts that for the first time ever, India’s annual remittances may touch the $100-billion mark in 2022. Most developed economies face demographic challenges a falling young population and a growing older population.
Body
Challenges faced by the developing countries from a falling young population and a growing older population
- The demographic debacle
- By 2050, there will be 10 billion people on earth, compared to 7.7 billion today—and many of them will be living longer.
- As a result, the number of elderly people per 100 working-age people will nearly triple—from 20 in 1980, to 58 in 2060.
- Populations are getting older in all OECD countries, yet there are clear differences in the pace of aging.
- For instance, Japan holds the title for having the oldest population, with ⅓ of its citizens already over the age of 65.
- By 2030, the country’s workforce is expected to fall by 8 million—leading to a major potential labor shortage.
- A declining workforce
- Globally, the working-age population will see a 10% decrease by 2060.
- It will fall the most drastically by 35% or more in Greece, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.
- On the other end of the scale, it will increase by more than 20% in Australia, Mexico, and Israel.
- social and economic risks
- The Squeezed Middle:With more people claiming pension benefits but less people paying income taxes, the shrinking workforce may be forced to pay higher taxes.
- Rising Healthcare Costs:Longer lives do not necessarily mean healthier lives, with those over 65 more likely to have at least one chronic disease and require expensive, long-term care.
- Economic Slowdown:Changing workforces may lead capital to flow away from rapidly aging countries to younger countries, shifting the global distribution of economic power.
- Pension problem: The strain on pension systems is perhaps the most evident sign of a drastically aging population. Although the average retirement age is gradually increasing in many countries, people are saving insufficiently for their increased life span—resulting in an estimated $400 trillion deficit by 2050.
Migrant workforce from India can act a panacea
- Migrants are a big value addition, filling the demand-supply gap in the labour market and making the economy more sustainable and vibrant.
- Globally, India ranks as number one in terms of international migrants and remittances and six countries in the Gulf alone account for close to 50 per cent of Indian migrants.
- A young population—65% of India is less than 35 years of age—of which a greater proportion are more literate.
- Growing Indian economy.
Challenges faced
- Right-wing organisations, political parties and religious groups fanning hatred towards immigrants, mocking their culture and religion.
- Similar hatred is seen towards migrants from states like Bihar, Jharkhand, UP and West Bengal.
- Recently, a UK minister’s anti-immigrant views resulted in the Indian government deferring the signing of the trade deal with the UK.
- Labour migration is governed by the Emigration Act, 1983which sets up a mechanism for hiring through government-certified recruiting agents – individuals or public or private agencies.
- The Emigration Act, 1983 enacted in thespecific context of large-scale emigration to the Gulf, falls short in addressing the wide geo-economic, geo-political and geo-strategic impact that emigration has today.
- Independent investigations into migrant worker conditions, for years, have underlined serious exploitative practicessuch as Large recruitment charges, Contract substitution, Deception, Retention of passports, non-payment or underpayment of wages, poor living conditions, discrimination and other forms of ill-treatment.
- For instance, in recent months, media reports have highlighted how the majority of migrant worker deaths in the Arab Gulf States/West Asiaare attributed to heart attacks and respiratory failures, whose causes are unexplained and poorly understood.
Way forward
- India needs to formulate migration centric policies, strategies, and institutional mechanisms in order to ensure inclusive growth and development and reduce distress migration.
- It should explicitly recognise the contributions of Indian workers, and the unique challenges they face.
- Importantly, it should uphold the dignity and human rights of migrants and their families.
- Then it must address the specific provisions that diverge from this purpose.
- This will increase India’s prospects for poverty reduction and achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
General Studies – 2
Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Indian Express
Why the question:
Since 2018, India’s ‘Look East’ and ‘Act East’ policies have moved into the phase of Indo-Pacific policy and strategy. But what we in the national capital interpret as the ‘Indo-Pacific’ is different from the perceptions of this policy in Northeastern and eastern India.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the importance of north east to India’s act east policy and role of political stability for the regions development.
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 role played by the north east in India’s act east policy.
Body:
First, write about various impediments to development of north east regions – political instability, insurgency, high tribal population, lack of funds and security concerns etc.
Next, write about the steps that are needed in the north east apart from making it a crucial element in India’s act east policy as well as Indo-Pacific policy and strategy to achieve higher levels of development.
Conclusion:
Conclude with a way forward.
Introduction
India’s North Eastern Region is a rainbow country, known for its diversity. It stretches from the foothills of the Himalayas in the eastern range and is surrounded by Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Nepal and Myanmar. The region is rich in natural resources, covered with dense forests, has the highest rainfall in the country, with large and small river systems nesting the land and is a treasure house of flora and fauna. Marked by diversity in customs, cultures, traditions and languages, it is home to multifarious social, ethnic and linguistic groups.
Body
Importance of North-east states as a main pillar of the Act East policy and a possible key component of Indo-Pacific policy and strategy
- The North-East regionis strategically located with access to the traditional domestic market of eastern India, along with proximity to the major states in the east and adjacent countries such as Bangladesh and Myanmar.
- The north eastern states are sandwiched between neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Bhutan, and Nepal. Hence India’s Northeast holds strategic and political importance.
- It ensures India’s connectivity with the rest of East Asian countries.
- With ASEAN engagement becoming a central pillar of India’s foreign policy direction, these states play an important role as the physical bridge between India and Southeast Asia.
- North-East has immense natural resources, accounting for around 34% of the country’s water resources and almost 40% of India’s hydropower potential.
- Tribes in North-East have their own culture. Popular festivals include Hornbill Festivalof Nagaland, Pang Lhabsol of Sikkim, etc.
Issues hindering the growth of Northeast India
- Geographical Challenges:
- Very high rainfall, shifting river courses, poor drainage system and narrow valleys are regularly causing severe floods, erosion, landslides and sand deposition in the North East causing loss of huge areas of valuable agricultural land.
- Hilly, inaccessible and undulating terrain has led to underdeveloped transport links.
- Large area of land is under ‘Jhum cultivation’ which leads to large scale deforestation resulting in soil erosion and loss of soil fertility.
- Disaster Proneness of North East:
- High rainfall and large river basins of the Brahmaputra and the Barak along with their narrow valleys regularly cause severe floods, erosion, landslides and sand deposition leading to loss of huge areas of valuable agricultural land and thereby reduction of the average size of land holdings in the region.
- The region is highly prone to Earthquakes and post the great earthquake of intensity of 8.5 in Richter scale of 1950 in Assam, flood and erosion have increased in the state and till date about5000-6000sq.km of land has been lost due to erosion by rivers. This has made lakhs of people landless and homeless in the state.
- Historical Challenges:
- Despite the above mentioned challenges, the North-eastern region was at par with rest of the country at independence but post-independence events have retarded the development of the region.
- Partition of the country: When the major road, rail and river routes connecting North East to the rest of the country suddenly got snapped.
- The Bangladesh Liberation was of 1971: When crores of people from Bangladesh entered some states of North East as refugees which changed the demographic situation in some state of North-East bordering Bangladesh.
- Insurgencies: From the end of the seventies of the last century problems of insurgency started in states like Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Manipur, Insurgency affected the present day Nagaland and Mizoram in the fifties and sixties of the last century. Now, of course, due to various actions taken by the Central and State governments, insurgency in this region is no longer a matter of great concern.
- Infrastructural Factors:
- NER has about 6 per cent of the national roads and about 13 percent of the national highways. However, their quality is not good due to poor maintenance.
- The prominent indicators of shortfalls in infrastructure in this region are: increasingly congested roads, power failures, shortage of drinking water etc.
- Political challenges:
- Chinese Aggression on Arunachal Pradesh (called NEFA at that time) in 1962, apparently refrain large scale investment from private player in North East.
- Large scale Migration from Bangladesh led to various socio-economic- political problem
- The culture of ‘bandhs’ is peculiar problem of NER, widely prevalent in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland.
- Three fourth of NER have no proper land records and Individual ownership of land is not well established
- Social Challenges:
- Remarkable growth of migration from the North East to different parts of the country mostly in search of education and job opportunities gives big blow to the local society.
- Drug abuse is a serious problem among youth of North east with more than 30% of its youth being drug abusers.
- The pandemic of HIV/AIDS, spreading fast in Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram, is also a matter of grave concern.
- Migration from surrounding areas of NERs (Bangladesh and states of Bihar and Bengal) reduced the average size of land holding to about one hectare.
- Lack of Social Infrastructure:
- Inadequate number of polytechnics and higher institutions for engineering, medical and nursing studies etc.
- Teachers’ Training is poor thereby leading to poor standards of education
Measures needed:
- Proper Demarcation of Borders
- There is a need for a legitimate ‘Centre led’ initiative to resolve the border issues.
- The Centre can decide to maintain the status quo in the region or find a ‘common rationale’ to demarcate the border.
- People to People Engagement
- All ethnic majority and minority tribes residing in the region, must be respected and developed.
- The concept of a ‘shared’ North East Identity could bring the people together. Education can be an effective tool to facilitate people-to-people connect.
- The Act East Factor
- Maintaining a peaceful North East is vital for India’s ‘Act East Policy’ as the NorthEast Region is the doorway to the ASEAN regions.
- All the states gain by being connected to one another and for this peaceful border to ensure ‘free’ movement of people and trade are essential.
- Empowerment of the people by maximizing self-governance and participatory development through grass-roots planning. Such planning will help to evolve development strategy based on the resources, needs and aspirations of the people.
- Rural development with a focus on improving agricultural productivity and the creation of non-farm avocations and employment.
- Development of sectors with comparative advantage agro-processing industries, modernization and development of sericulture, investment in manufacturing units based on the resources available in the region, harnessing the large hydroelectric power generation potential and focus on developing services such as tourism that will help to accelerate development and create productive employment opportunities.
- Capacity development will have to address the issue of imparting skills among the people to enhance their productivity, generating a class of entrepreneurs within the region willing to take risks.
- Augmenting infrastructure, including rail, road, inland water and air transportation to facilitate a two-way movement of people and goods within the region and outside, communication networks including broadband and wireless connectivity, and harnessing of the vast power generation potential, all of which will open up markets for produce from the region, attract private investment, create greater employment opportunities and expand choices for people of the region.
- Ensuring adequate flow of resources for public investments in infrastructure, implementing a framework for private participation in augmenting infrastructure and creating an enabling environment for the flow of investments to harness the physical resources of the region for the welfare of the people.
Conclusion
Innovation, Initiatives, Ideas and Implementation–all the four needs to go together. Inclusive growth is possible through improved governance, doing away with the draconian laws and ensuring the local communities are empowered to implement basic services. For this, all the stakeholders need to formulate a comprehensive realistic plan for the overall development of North East.
Value addition
Government Initiatives for NE Region
- Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER):A Department of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) was established in 2001. It was elevated to a full ministry in 2004.
- Infrastructure Related Initiatives:
- Under Bharatmala Pariyojana (BMP),road stretches aggregating to about 5,301 km in NER have been approved for improvement.
- The North East has been kept as a priority area under RCS-UDAN(to make flying more affordable).
- Connectivity Projects:Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Project (Myanmar) and Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Corridor.
- For Promoting Tourism:Under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme of the Ministry of Tourism, projects worth Rs.1400.03 crore have been sanctioned for the NER in the last five years.
- Mission Purvodaya:Purvodaya in the steel sector is aimed at driving accelerated development of Eastern India through the establishment of an integrated steel hub.
- The Integrated Steel Hub, encompassing Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Northern Andhra Pradesh, would serve as a torchbearer for socio-economic growth of Eastern India.
- North-East Industrial Development Scheme (NEIDS):In order to promote employment in the North East States, the Government is incentivizing primarily the MSME Sector through this scheme.
- The National Bamboo Missionhas a special significance for the Northeast.
- North Eastern Region Vision 2020:The document provides an overarching framework for the development of the NE Region to bring it at par with other developed regions under which different Ministries, including the Ministry of DoNER have undertaken various initiatives.
- Digital North East Vision 2022:It emphasises leveraging digital technologies to transform lives of people of the north east and enhance the ease of living.
Topic: India and its neighborhood- relations.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: The Hindu , Insights on India
Why the question:
On November 20, Nepal had its general elections, its second since the promulgation of the Nepal Constitution of 2015. This was also the first time in Nepal’s history that a parliament had completed a five-year tenure even though legislative activities were conducted for barely 18 months.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the opportunity for recalibrating Indo-Nepal ties and steps that must be taken for the same.
Directive word:
Examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we must investigate the topic (content words) in detail, inspect it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by giving context.
Body:
First, give in brief the evolution of India- Nepal relations. How it has progressed over the years. Use a diagram to show it.
Next, write about the existing issues still which is affecting Indo-Nepalese relationship. Cite examples to support your points.
Next, suggest how those issues can be addressed and how recent elections offer an opportunity to recalibrate the ties.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction
Nepal is an important neighbour of India and occupies special significance in its foreign policy because of the geographic, historical, cultural and economic linkages/ties that span centuries. India and Nepal share similar ties in terms of Hinduism and Buddhism with Buddha’s birthplace Lumbini located in present day Nepal. Over the past few years, we have been witness to the deteriorating India-Nepal relations. Reserves of goodwill which India had accumulated is fast depleting in Nepal.
On November 20, Nepal had its general elections, its second since the promulgation of the Nepal Constitution of 2015. This was also the first time in Nepal’s history that a parliament had completed a five-year tenure even though legislative activities were conducted for barely 18 months.
Body
Need of a rebalancing India Nepal ties
- Nepal shares borders with 5 Indian states- Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Sikkim and Bihar and with free movement of people and thereby acting as an important point of cultural and economic exchange in India-Nepal relations.
- Nepal unveiled a new political map that claimed strategically important land Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh of Uttarakhandas part of its sovereign territory.
- The misunderstanding created during the constitution framing / Madhesi agitationchanged the entire gamut of relations between India and Nepal.
- Internal Securityis a major concern for India; Indo-Nepal border is virtually open and lightly policed which is exploited by terrorist outfits and insurgent groups from North Eastern part of India eg. supply of trained cadres, fake Indian currency.
- Nepal over the years has witnessed chronic political instability, including a 10-year violent insurgency, damaging Nepal’s development and economy.
- There is anti-India feeling among certain ethnic groupsin Nepal which emanates from the perception that India indulges too much in Nepal and tinkers with their political sovereignty.
- The establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and Chinaand its growing influence in Nepal has resulted in declining traditional leverage of India in Nepal.
- Overtime trust deficit has widened between India-Nepal because of the Indian reputation for delaying implementation of various projects.
- The Mahakali agreement has remained in limbo for over two decades. In 2008, the collapse of Koshi’s embankment unleashed massive flooding, highlighting India’s failure to take precautionary measures and its refusal to take responsibility.
Prospects of India-Nepal Relations:
- Trade and economy:
- India is Nepal’s largest trade partner and the largest source of foreign investments, besides providing transit for almost the entire third country trade of Nepal.
- Indian firms engage in manufacturing, services (banking, insurance, dry port), power sector and tourism industries etc.
- Connectivity:
- Nepal being a landlocked country, it is surrounded by India from three sides and one side is open towards Tibet which has very limited vehicular access.
- India-Nepal has undertaken various connectivity programs to enhance people-to-people linkages and promote economic growth and development.
- MOUs have been signed between both the governments for laying electric rail track linking Kathmandu with Raxaul in India.
- India is looking to develop the inland waterways for the movement of cargo, within the framework of trade and transit arrangements, providing additional access to sea for Nepal calling it linking Sagarmath (Mt. Everest) with Sagar (Indian Ocean).
- Development Assistance:
- Government of India provides development assistance to Nepal, focusing on creation of infrastructure at the grass-root level.
- The areas assistance include infrastructure, health, water resources, and education and rural & community development.
- Defence Cooperation:
- Bilateral defence cooperation includes assistance to Nepalese Army in its modernization through provision of equipment and training.
- The Gorkha Regiments of the Indian Army are raised partly by recruitment from hill districts of Nepal.
- India from 2011, every year undertakes joint military exercise with Nepal known as Surya Kiran.
- Cultural:
- There have been initiatives to promote people-to-people contacts in the area of art & culture, academics and media with different local bodies of Nepal.
- India has signed three sister-city agreements for twinning of Kathmandu-Varanasi, Lumbini-Bodhgaya and Janakpur-Ayodhya.
- Humanitarian Assistance:
- Nepal lies in sensitive ecological fragile zone which is prone to earthquakes, floods causing massive damage to both life and money, whereby it remains the biggest recipient of India’s humanitarian assistance.
- Indian Community:
- Huge number of Indians lives in Nepal, these include businessmen, traders, doctors, engineers and labourers (including seasonal/migratory in the construction sector).
- Multilateral Partnership:
- India and Nepal shares multiple multilateral forums such as BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal), BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) NAM, and SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) etc.
Way forward
- On border issue:
- The two countries have managed to settle about 98% of the common border.
- More than 8,500 boundary pillars have been installed reflecting the agreed alignment.
- As both countries are laying claim to the same piece of land, the time has come for both countries to sit for talks to solve this issue.
- Completion of the ongoing process of updating the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship:
- India must recognise that as in all other developing economies, Nepal’s aspirational young population is also looking beyond the open Indian border for opportunities, and its desire to turn his “land-locked” country into a “land-linked” country with a merchant navy must be considered positively.
- People-to-people inter-dependence must lead the relationship along with civil society and business-commercial level interactions.
- India’s major foray should be in innovation and technology transfer, multidisciplinary dialogues, educational and technical institutions, local and global migration management and skills and capacity-building.
- India needs to finish the infrastructure projects on time for instance Pancheswar project has been pending for over 20 years now.
- Nepal could be the fountainhead of climate change knowledge and connect to India’s larger dynamics of the management of the ecology of hills and mountains.
- Effective delivery on the pending projects, the remaining ICPs, the five railway connections, postal road network in the Terai and the petroleum pipeline so that connectivity is enhanced and the idea of ‘inclusive development and prosperity’ assumes reality.
- Negotiate diplomatically to resolve the boundary dispute with Nepal under the aegis of international law on Trans-Boundary Water Disputes.In this case, boundary dispute resolution between India and Bangladeshshould serve as a model for this.
- India should maintain a policy of keeping away from the internal affairs of Nepal, while at the same time, in the spirit of friendship, India should guide the nation towards a more inclusive democracy.
- With its immense strategic relevance in the Indian context as Indian security concern, stable and secure Nepal is one requisite which India can’t afford to overlook.
- India needs to formulate a comprehensive and long-term Nepal policy.
- India should stop looking at Nepal purely through a security prism, and at bilateral relations only as transactional and part of a zero-sum game with China.
- Focus on working towards multifaceted relationships to the advantage of both nations.
General Studies – 3
Topic: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: The Hindu , Insights on India
Why the question:
The economic impact of the pandemic spared few, but there is now evidence that those in the informal sector faced especially devastating consequences. A key reason was the challenge of raising capital. India’s formal credit system is inhospitable to informal sector workers and micro-entrepreneurs — they cannot even get a small personal loan to tide over cash flow issues in their businesses because they lack the papers and the collateral usually required for admission to the formal credit market.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the issues faced by informal sector workers especially with respect to access to credit and measures to resolve them.
Directive word:
Examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we must investigate the topic (content words) in detail, inspect it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by citing statistics regarding to the informal sector of the Indian economy.
Body:
First, mention the harsh impact of the pandemic leading to many in the informal sector getting unemployed and mention the major issues faced by them.
Next, suggest measures to overcome the above-mentioned issues.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction
The informal economy is a global and pervasive phenomenon. According to International Labour Organisation approximately 60 percent of the world’s population participates in the informal sector. Although this is mostly prevalent in emerging and developing economies, it is also an important part of advanced economies. In developing countries like India, large share of the population typically depends upon the informal economy. The economic growth and development in general and livelihood and wages in particular of the vast majority of workers in India crucially depend on the economic viability of the informal sectors. According to Periodic Labour Force Survey over 90 percent of workers in India are informal workers. Out of these those engaged in rural areas is significantly more than urban areas. This is primarily because a large number of informal workers are engaged in farm or agricultural activites. Those in urban areas are involved primarily in manufacturing, trade, hotel and restaurant; construction; transport; storage and communications; and finance, business and real estate.
Body
Various issues faced by the informal sector workers
- Credit issues
- India’s formal credit system is inhospitable to informal sector workers and micro-entrepreneurs — they cannot even get a small personal loan to tide over cash flow issues in their businesses because they lack the papers and the collateral usually required for admission to the formal credit market.
- Bankers say the working poor are not good credit risks and lack the behaviour and aptitude associated with successful repayment outcomes.
- Unable to borrow, the working poor cannot establish a credit history, or learn how to manage their debts, and invest the loan in productive expenditures that would bolster their earnings and allow them to make their EMI payments on time.
- They are excluded from the formal credit economy.
- Labour Related Challenges:
- On dividing the large number of workforce between the rural and the urban segment, although the large number is employed in the rural sector, the bigger challenge is in the urban workforce in the informal sector.
- Long working hours, low pay & difficult working conditions.
- Low job security, high turnover and low job satisfaction.
- Inadequate social security regulation.
- Difficulty in exercising rights.
- Child and forced labour and discrimination on basis of various factors.
- Vulnerable, low-paid and undervalued jobs.
- Productivity:
- The informal sector basically comprises MSMEs and household businesses which are not as big as firms like Reliance.
- They are unable to take advantage of economies of scale.
- Inability to Raise Tax Revenue:
- As the businesses of the informal economy are not directly regulated, they usually avoid one or more taxes by hiding incomes and expenses from the regulatory framework.
- This poses a challenge for the government as a major chunk of the economy remains out of the tax net.
- Inadequate safety and health standards:
- Most industries, especially mining, have inadequate safety and health standards. Environmental hazards are evident in the case of the informal sector.
- Lack of Control and Surveillance:
- The informal sector remains unmonitored by the government.
- Further, no official statistics are available representing the true state of the economy, which makes it difficult for the government to make policies regarding the informal sector in particular and the whole economy in general.
- Low-quality Products:
- Although the informal sector employs more than 75% of the Indian population, the value-addition per employee is very low.
- This means that a major portion of our human resource is under-utilized.
Way forward
- Government needs to focus on agriculture which has large percentage of informal workforce.
- Improvement in skill levels of the workforce needs to move beyond age group, it should cater both service jobs and not just blue-collar workers.
- Investing in social security schemes like Atal Pension Yojna,PM Jeevan Jyoti Yojana, Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana, Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana can help improve the condition of workers.
- Credit support to help small scale industries stand on their own is crucial step in bringing them to the organized sector.
- Need for Labour law reforms to reduce the regulatory cost of employment.
- Capacity building and helping business to strengthen so that they are able to formalize.
- Tax Incentives should be given to the groups who have contributed for formalisation of laborers.
- Nearly 40% of the informal workforce is employed with MSMEs. Therefore, it is natural that the strengthening of MSMEwill lead to economic recovery, employment generation, and formalization of the economy.
- Complying with law must become easier and in parallel law enforcement should become more effective.
- For example in Chile and Peru inspectorates provide training for micro and small enterprises (MSEs) to comply with the law.
- The extension of occupational health care to workers in the informal sector should be promoted incorporating occupational health into public health care services at district and local levels and establishing a link between first aid and prevention at the work-site’s level.
- Innovative means to prevent occupational accidents and diseases and environmental hazards need to be developed through cost-effective and sustainable measures at the work-site level to allow for capacity-building within the informal sector itself.
Conclusion
The informal economy is ubiquitous and a complex concept. As many individuals of both the formal and informal sector are dependent on it. Improving the conditions of workers in the informal sector assumes significance from the perspective of inclusive growth. Keeping in mind the low incomes of informal works, the Government should take steps to prescribe minimum wages for the informal sector.
Topic: Food security;
Difficulty level: Easy
Reference: The Hindu , Insights on India
Why the question:
World Soil Day (WSD) 2022, annually observed on December 5, aligns with this. WSD 2022, with its guiding theme, ‘Soils: Where food begins’, is a means to raise awareness on the importance of maintaining healthy soils, ecosystems and human well-being by addressing the growing challenges in soil management, encouraging societies to improve soil health, and advocating the sustainable management of soil.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the consequences of soil degradation, various threats to food security and measures needed to ensure it.
Directive:
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 statistic related to degrading soil.
Body:
First, write about the negative impact of Soil degradation and how it impacts on human ecosystem and health.
Next, write the about the various threats to food security in the country – geopolitical tension, adverse weather events like floods and droughts, improper supply chains, storage issues etc
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward on overcoming the above shortcomings.
Introduction
Soil plays a central role for economic and social development. It ensures food, fodder and renewable energy supplies to sustain human, animal and plant life. About one-third of the earth’s soils is already degraded and alarmingly, about 90 per cent could be degraded by 2050 if no corrective action is taken. While soil degradation is believed to be occurring in 145 million hectares in India, it is estimated that 96.40 million hectares — about 30 per cent of the total geographical area — is affected by land degradation.
World Soil Day (WSD) 2022, annually observed on December 5, aligns with this. WSD 2022, with its guiding theme, ‘Soils: Where food begins’, is a means to raise awareness on the importance of maintaining healthy soils, ecosystems and human well-being by addressing the growing challenges in soil management, encouraging societies to improve soil health, and advocating the sustainable management of soil.
Body
Relation b/w Soil health and Food & Nutrition Security
- Nearly 95 per cent of global food production depends on soil.
- Soil degradation on an unprecedented scale is a significant challenge to sustainable food production.
- Extensive use of fertilisers and pesticides led to the deterioration of soil health and contamination of water bodies and the food chain, which pose serious health risks to people and livestock.
Reasons for soil degradation
- Soil erosion
- It is the removal of soil by forces of nature, particularly wind & water, more rapidly than the soil forming process can replace it
- It affects agricultural productivity and economy of country as whole
- Water Erosion
- It is the detachment and removal of soil material by water
- It manifests in the form of rilling, gullying, sheetwash and rain peeling process
- The rate of erosion depends on soil properties, slope and vegetation cover
- Wind Erosion
- The blowing wind removes the top soil layer, and wind erosion is accentuated when soil is dry, weakly aggregated and devoid of vegetation cover
- The Human factors of soil erosion include:
- Deforestation, that leaves the soil devoid of binding material
- Overgrazingloosens the soil structure
- Faulty agricultural methods such as ploughing, lack of crop rotation and practice of shifting cultivation
- Excessive use of fertilizers over a period of time renders the soil infertile.
- The global annual production of industrial chemicals has doubled since the beginning of the 21st century, to approximately 2.3 billion tonnes, and is projected to increase by 85 per cent by the end of the decade.
- Desertification
- This is the spread of desert like conditions in arid/semi-arid regions due to man’s influence or climate change
- This process can be attributed to factors such as:
- Uncontrolled grazing
- Reckless felling of trees
- Population pressures
- It has the potential to result in excessive wind erosion, decreasing productivity and increasing frequency of droughts
- Waterlogging
- The flat and saucer like depressions make movement of surface water sluggish leading to accumulation of rain water, thereby resulting in waterlogging
- Also, seepage from unlined channels or canal systems leads to waterlogging in contiguous arable lands
- Around 12 million hectares of land suffers from waterlogging in India
- Salinity and Alkalinity
- These are the result of over irrigation in irrigated areas
- When farmers indulge in over irrigation, the ground water level rises resulting in salt deposition, due to capillary action
- Alkalinity implies dominance of sodium salts
- Wasteland and urban development
- Soil toxicity through chemicals is increasing with urbanisation.
- More municipal and industrial wastes are being dumped in the soil with heavy metals having carcinogenic effects
- Studies indicate the high concentration and accumulation of heavy metals in urban soils
- Industrialisation affecting Soil
- Industrialisation is progressively taking away considerable areas of land from agriculture, forestry, grassland and pasture, and unused lands with wild vegetation
- Example: Opencast miningis of particular focus because it disturbs the physical, chemical, and biological features of the soil and alters the socioeconomic features of a region.
- Also, Mineral production generates enormous quantities of waste/overburden and tailings/slimes and hence soil from a huge land area gets degraded
Measures needed
- Adopting innovative policies and agro-ecological practices that create healthy and sustainable food production systems
- There is an urgent need for action to reduce dependence on pesticides worldwide and to promote policies advocating healthy and sustainable food systems and agricultural production.
- Alternatives such as bio fertilisers and organic chemicals to be promoted.
- Human settlement must be encouraged in barren lands to save fertile land for agriculture
- Contour bunding, terrace farming, afforestation etc, must be practised which help in soil runoff
- More research labs and boost to the initiative of soil health card with awareness campaigns to educate people about soil health.
- Industrialization should be promoted on barren, unproductive land and away from agri land.
- Making compulsory waste treatment plant for industries
Conclusion
As soil is a fragile and finite resource, sustainable land management practices are essential to ensure healthy soil. They are critical not only to preventing degradation but also to ensuring food security. Every effort must also be made to prevent soil erosion as it not only affects fertility but also increases the risk of floods and landslides.
Topic: Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators;
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Insights on India
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and mentioned as part of Mission-2023 Secure timetable.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the importance of values in the decision making and its impact.
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 defining values.
Body:
In the first part, write about the role of values in decision making – individual values, relationship values, organizational values, societal values etc. Cite examples to substantiate.
Next, about the importance of shared values and how they lead to cohesion in the society.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction
Values are the important beliefs and needs you hold that impact all areas of life. When we make decisions and take actions that honor our values, we are best able to maximize our feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment. When we make decisions that do not honor or might conflict with our values, this can cause discontent and dissatisfaction.
Body
Values are definitive of our person. Once we have chosen those items that we find most worthy of our pursuit, then our way of being the kind of person we are has been delimited and charted out. The values that so define us are usually called our “core values.” These are basic values that we might be willing to die for, that we would not sacrifice nor abandon.
Because core values are so subjective, they will be relative to the individual who holds them. Not all individuals have the same core values and conflicts about them will often arise. When there is a particularly divisive clash between bona fide values that people hold, then ethicists deem that conflict as one form of an ethical dilemma.
Shared values and societal cohesion
There are other ways that values can be defined as well. The idea of “shared values” is important. Here conflict about values is replaced with agreement and harmony. Groups, families, associations, societies and nations can be said to have and hold shared values since they provide the fundamental basis upon which these collectives are formed and so shared values are often called “social values”. A shared value is a kind of “cement” that holds and brings people together. Some have called this aspect of shared or social values a form of “social capital.”
Organizations, such as corporations and professions, share values that help define their field of activity. In medicine, for example, helping and caring for others is highly valued. In the field of law, justice and due process are pre-eminent, while safety, competence and efficiency are valued by engineers. One can identify the shared values of the various professions and use them as one way to define what it means to be a professional in that field.
In corporations, values identify the culture that is operative in the organization. In different corporations different cultures come from the holding of different values. Work in banking will be quite different than working in the computer field thanks to the differing values that will be found in each of these two kinds of endeavors.
Conclusion
Subscribing to common values or imposing limits on the expression of values seen as foreign might be intuitively appealing ways of binding a community together and ensuring the well-being of its members. But as society is becoming more liberal and open, conservative values may not hold strong in societies.
General Studies – 4
Topic: Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators;
Difficulty level: Tough
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 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:
Start by defining contentment.
Body:
Write about the importance of contentment – Contentment means to be happy with what you have, who you are, and where you are. It is respecting the reality of the present. It is appreciating what you do have and where you are in life.
Next, write about the critique of contentment and how it can negatively impact.
Next, write that Contentment does not mean the absence of desire; it just means you are satisfied with your present, and you trust that the turns your life takes will be for the best.
Cite suitable examples to substantiate the above.
Conclusion:
Complete the answer by summarising.
Introduction
Satisfaction to be happy with what you have, who you are, and where you are. It is respecting the reality of the present. It is appreciating what you do have and where you are in life. Contentment does not mean the absence of desire; it just means you are satisfied with your present, and you trust that the turns your life takes will be for the best.
Body
Many people today think life is a race where you must be the best at everything. We might want a fancier car, a bigger house, a better-earning job, or more money. The moment we achieve one thing, the race for the next thing starts. Rarely do many individuals spare a minute to just sit back, relax, and be grateful for all they have achieved. Instead of looking back at the distance they have covered, they stretch themselves to cover the distance that remains. And in some cases, this is when ambition becomes greed.
There is often a fine line between ambition and greed. People may think that when they have achieved all they need for their dream lifestyle, they will be satisfied with what they have—but this is rarely the case. Even after you have ticked off all the achievements from your list, you still don’t feel at ease. There may remain an uneasy feeling that something is still missing. That missing feeling is Satisfaction or contentment.
Contentment can help us distinguish between wants and needs. When we are content, we may not desire for anything more than what we need. The abundance of the present is enough to lead a happy and healthy life. Contentment often leads to the realization that joy doesn’t come from material things. Instead, joy comes from deep within. A state of contentment leads to a state of well-being and happiness. Humanity has been in pursuit of the elusive state of happiness or bliss for centuries.
There is no downside to being content. However, one must not confuse contentment with zero ambitions or the zeal to achieve and become better every day. Contentment is not lethargy or lack of purpose. The Buddha emphasized the ‘middle way’. And people often propose the value of ‘nothing in excess’. So, ambition and satisfaction are not mutually exclusive. Make time every day to just be content and make time every day to reflect on what you want to do to make the world a better place, in your own way.
Conclusion
If we wish to feel the essence of contentment, it’s important to practice gratitude, be aware of the fact that nothing is permanent, understand that material things do not often promote long-term happiness, and realize that life is not a race or competition: it is about self-sustenance. The more thankful we are in the present, the happier we may be.
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