[Mission 2024] Insights SECURE SYNOPSIS: 24 October 2023

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: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

1. Give an account of folk theatre of India. As societies modernize and urbanize, traditional folk theatre is facing a decline in popularity. Analyse. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Easy

Reference: Indian Express , Insights on India

Why the question:

Ramleela, a traditional Indian theatrical performance depicting the life of Lord Rama, is celebrated with enthusiasm in Trinidad, reflecting the cultural heritage of the Indo-Trinidadian community.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about rich heritage of Indian theatre and impact of digital entertainment on it.

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 context of folk theatre since ancient times.

Body:

First, write about the development of theatre right throughout ancient, medieval and modern India. Write about the importance of folk theatre. Cite examples to substantiate.

Next, write about to the impact of digital entertainment on theatre and how it now faces an existential crisis today.

Next, write about the ways to promote traditional India theatre and generate bigger audiences.

Conclusion:

Conclude by writing a way forward.

Introduction

India boasts of a rich tradition of folk theatre in various parts of India. The traditional folk theatre reflects the various aspects of the local lifestyle including social norms, beliefs and customs. While the Sanskrit theatre was more urban-oriented and sophisticated in its treatment of the play, folk theatre had rural roots and the rustic flavour was reflected in the dramatic style involved.

Folk theatre has been used extensively in India to propagate critical social, political and cultural issues in the form of theatrical messages to create awareness among the people. As an indigenous form it breaks all kinds of formal barriers of human communication and appeals directly to the people. Each folk theatre form has a particular community, language, area and way of life.

Body:

                Indian folk theatre can be broadly classified into three categories as follows:

• Ritual Theatre. Ex: Ramman, Raslila, Ramlila etc
• Theatre of entertainment. Ex: Bhavai, Jatra, Maach, Tamasha etc
• South Indian Theatre. Ex: Yakshagana, Bayalata, Kuruvanji.

Types Entertainment Folk theatre of India:

This form of theatre was more secular in its narration and storytelling. They focused more on stories of love, valour and the sociocultural traditions and were meant primarily as means of entertainment for the rural masses. Some forms of it are:

• Bhavai: Bhavai is a popular folk theatre form of Gujarat and Rajasthan, mainly in the regions of Kutchh and Kathiawar. This form incorporates an extensive use of dance to narrate a series of small plays, known as Vesha or Swanga, each with its own plot. The theme of the play is generally romantic.
• Daskathia:is a form of folk theatre popular in the region of Odisha. In this form, there are two narrators – Gayaka, who is the chiefsinger and Palia, who is the co-narrator. The narration isaccompanied by a dramatic music composed using a woodenmusical instrument called kathia.
• Garodas: This is a popular art form of the ‘Garoda’ community of Gujarat. It uses painted pictures to narrate stories of romance and valour.
• Jatra: is a popular folk theatre of Eastern India. It is generally anopen-air performance that was initiated by Vaishnava saint SriChaitanya. During his travels through rural Bengal, he used themedium of Jatra to propagate the teachings of Krishna. Later,variants such as Rama Jatra, Shiv Jatra and Chandi Jatra also came into existence that narrated stories of Puranic legends.
• Dashavataris the most developed theatre form of the Konkan and Goa regions. The performers personify the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu-the god of preservation and creativity. The ten incarnations are Matsya (fish), Kurma (tortoise), Varaha (boar), Narsimha (lion-man), Vaman (dwarf), Parashuram, Rama, Krishna (or Balram), Buddha and Kalki. Apart from stylized make-up, the Dashavatar performers wear masks of wood and papier mache.
• Tamaashais a traditional folk theatre form of Maharashtra. It has evolved from the folk forms such as Gondhal, Jagran and Kirtan. Unlike other theatre forms, in Tamaasha the female actress is the chief exponent of dance movements in the play. She is known as Murki. Classical music, footwork at lightning-speed, and vivid gestures make it possible to portray all the emotions through dance.
• Maachis the traditional theatre form of Madhya Pradesh. The term Maach is used for the stage itself as also for the play. In this theatre form songs are given prominence in between the dialogues. The term for dialogue in this form is bol and rhyme in narration is termed vanag. The tunes of this theatre form are known as rangat.
• Bhand Pather, the traditional theatre form of Kashmir, is a unique combination of dance, music and acting. Satire, wit and parody are preferred for inducing laughter. In this theatre form, music is provided with surnai, nagaara and dhol. Since the actors of Bhand Pather are mainly from the farming community, the impact of their way of living, ideals and sensitivity is discernible.

Challenges faced

• The primary reason is that with a few exceptions, major performances in folk theatre have become aged.
• Artists still continue to perform on plots of religious folklore or local tale of the region.
• It is appreciable task that helps in conversation of tradition, which seems to be in danger amidst totalitarian expansion of globalization.
• But, art requires experimentation to sustain itself; otherwise it becomes static and grows distant from public.
• The audience has evolved with the time but the theatres still continue with their old themes and styles has led to loss of popularity of the theatres among the people.
• The electronic media also posed a threat to the folk culture and theatre as people prefer watching television than going out to watch plays.
• Most of the actors and actresses involved in the theater have low-income opportunities, which discourages them from joining.

Way forward

• Many national and international researches held on the role of Folk Theatre and Development suggested the integration of folk theatre forms with Mass Media for quicker transmission of information as it was motivating the rural audience.
• Also, the government cultural bodies must provide sufficient funds and grants to attract young talent both as professionals as well as amateurs towards this art.
• Moreover, research should also be promoted in folk theatre to foster progression, experimentation and novelty in this form.

Conclusion

Thus, the development of traditional theatre forms is based on such local and regional peculiarities which are not bound and restricted by social and economic divisions, limitations, etc. Traditional art forms have influenced classical art forms and vice-versa. It is an eternal journey in the sphere of ‘culture’.

General Studies – 2

Topic: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

2. The relevance of the United Nations (UN) in today’s world of conflicts and global challenges is a subject of ongoing debate and examination. Critically examine. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Tough

Reference: Hindustan Times , Insights on India

Why the question:

The article discusses United Nations Day 2023, including its date, history, and significance

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the various issues with the UN system, its implications and reforms needed in it.

Directive word: 

Critically examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we have to look into the topic (content words) in detail, inspect it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a fair judgment.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by giving the role of UN system in maintaining global multilateral order.

Body:

First, write about the various shortcomings in the UN system and how it is the manifestation of the structural adequacy of the UN.

Next, write about the various negative the above-mentioned shortcomings and substantiate them with examples.

Next, write about the measures that can be taken to address the above-mentioned shortcomings.

Conclusion:

Conclude with a way forward.

Introduction

The United Nations (UN) is an international organization founded in 1945. It is currently made up of 193 Member States. Its mission and work guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter and implemented by its various organs and specialised agencies. Its activities include maintaining international peace and security, protecting human rights, delivering humanitarian aid, promoting sustainable development and upholding international law.

During the 75th anniversary of General Assembly (UNGA 75), under the theme: ‘The Future we Want, the UN we Need: Reaffirming our Collective Commitment to Multilateralism’ had a strong focus on the topics of sustainability and climate change. The declaration recalled UN’s successes and failures over more than seven decades and vows to build a post-pandemic world that is more equal, works together and protects the planet, in a spirit of inclusive multilateralism.

Body

Need for Reform at UN

• At present, the UNSC comprises five permanent members and 10 non-permanent member countries which are elected for a two-year term by the General Assembly of the United Nations.
• The five permanent members are Russia, the U.K., China, France and the United States and these countries can veto any substantive resolution. There has been growing demand to increase the number of permanent members to reflect the contemporary global reality.
• India, Brazil, South Africa, Germany and Japan are strong contenders for permanent membership of the UNSC which has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.
• At a special session marking 75 years of the United Nations on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for reform of its “outdated structures”, pointing out that in the absence of comprehensive changes, the world body today faces a “crisis of confidence”.
• India has been at the forefront of demanding reform in the UN, particularly its principal organ, the Security Council, for decades, staking its claim as one of the world’s largest economies and most populous countries, with a track record in promoting a rules-based international order, and contributing to peacekeeping through UN forces.
• The UNSC does not include a permanent member from the African, Australian and South American continents, and the pillars of the multilateral order, such as the G-4 group of Brazil, India, Germany and Japan, have been ignored for long.
• Frequent divisions within the UNSC P-5 end up blocking key decisions. These issues are underlined in a year where the coronavirus pandemic has brought the world to a standstill; yet, the UN, the UNSC, and WHO have failed to play an effective role in helping nations deal with the spread.
• For India, what has been most frustrating is that despite the dysfunctional power balance that prevails, the UN’s reform process, held through Inter Governmental Negotiations (IGN) has not made progress over decades, despite commitments.
• The UN has chosen to “rollover” the discussions of the IGN, which are looking at five major issues: enlarging the Security Council, categories of membership, the question of the veto that five Permanent members of the UNSC wield, regional representation, and redistributing the Security Council-General Assembly power balance.
• The grouping of India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) expressed “frustration” over the “slow” pace of progress on reform of the UN Security Council and said the time has come to move towards a result-oriented process to expand the key global body.

Way forward in contemporary times:

• The reform of Security Council will stop it from becoming obsolete.
• Broader membership of the Security Council, with increased and enhanced representation of countries with the capacity and willingness to contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security, including from Africa, will allow it to preserve its credibility and create the political backing needed for the peaceful resolution of today’s international crises.
• Given the capacity and willingness to take on major responsibilities with regard to the maintenance of international peace and security, there is a clear need for an enhanced role of developing countries and of major contributors to the United Nations to make the Council more legitimate, effective and representative.
• On the one hand, the world is experiencing unparalleled levels of prosperity and connectivity,. Yet these advances are associated with ever greater complexity and systemic risks, increasing the liberal order’s vulnerability to collapse. The world’s global and national institutions are increasingly incapable of managing stresses to the system.
• Faced with threats ranging from climate change to massive technological advancement, the world is in desperate need of stable and able global governance. And yet there is surging opposition to liberal governance due to rising inequalities and frustration with the perceived failures of the liberal order.
• Populism and the rise of parochial economic nationalism as among the gravest threats to future stability. The risk of a disorderly collapse of the old system is more real than ever.

Conclusion:

The world is shifting to a new multi-polar order with the US and China at its centre. We need to restore and rebuild stable institutions and rules that acknowledge the changed context. They will need to be more inclusive, representative and legitimate. The role of international mechanisms of cooperation such as the UN, G20, regional organizations, non-state actors – especially financial and philanthropic actors – will also need to be elevated. It should start with reform of UNSC.

Topic: Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary—Ministries and Departments of the Government

3. Taking immediate action to clear the backlog of cases will ensure timely justice delivery, reduce the burden on the courts, and enhance access to justice for all citizens. Analyse.  (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: The Hindu , Insights on India 

Why the question:

The article discusses the need for proactive measures to address the backlog of pending cases in the Supreme Court of India.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the causes for pendency of cases in India, its impact and suggest measures to overcome.

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 context.

Body:

First write the causes for it – The cumulative effect of persisting vacancies, strained budgets, inadequate infrastructure combined with the continuous inflow of cases inevitably impacts mounting pendency and the time taken for cases to resolve.

Next bring out the impact of it – faith in the justice system, under trial prisoners their due of justice, impact on Economic reforms and foreign investors, Judiciary becomes overworked and lose its efficiency.

Suggest measures to overcome the above.

Conclusion:

Conclude with a way forward to ensure speedy delivery of justice.

Introduction

The justice system in any democracy is set up, under the Constitution to serve the public without “fear or favour, affection or ill-will” as far as judges are concerned. The Indian Judiciary plays an increasingly important role in the life and the governance of this country. A measure of the justice delivery system is the pendency of cases in courts across the country. There has been a significant deterioration in this aspect. The problem of pendency of cases is “intensifying” due to a lack of the sufficient number of judges.

Body

Vacancies in the Indian Judiciary at various levels

• The courts are operating at a fraction of their authorised capacity.
• India has about 21 judges for every million people, by contrast, China has about 159 judges for every million people.
• More than four crore cases are pending in the lower courts of India, of which about 25% are pending for over five years.
• Judicial vacancies as a share of sanctioned strength in lower courts are 20% or more in some States/U.T.s.
• Due to inconsistent recruitment, in some States there is only one judge per one lakh people.
• Around 46 per cent of the total pending cases in the court system pertains to the government.
• Because of the incessant delays, undertrials as a share of total prisoners have peaked at 76% in 2020.

Causes for huge pendency of cases:

• Shifting role of SC:
  • The key reason for the mounting of pending cases can be attributed to shifting the role of the Supreme Court from adjudicating cases of constitutional significance into a regular court of appeals.
  • According to legal experts, most of the cases that the Supreme Court was handling daily are either appeals from various high courts or cases of gross violation of individual’s fundamental rights. But this role was never meant for the apex court.
• Shortage of judges:
  • From 1950 to 1921, the number of Supreme Court judges has increased nearly four times. Even then, case pendency has steadily kept rising.
  • Around 5,580 or 25% of posts are lying empty in the subordinate courts, which leads to poor Judges to Population Ratio, as India has only 20 judges per million population. Earlier, Law Commission had recommended 50 judges per million.
• Frequent adjournments:
  • The laid down procedure of allowing a maximum of three adjournments per case is not followed in over 50 per cent of the matters being heard by courts, leading to rising pendency of cases.
• Low budgetary allocation leading to poor infrastructure:
  • India spends only about 09% of its GDP to maintain the judicial infrastructure.
  • Infrastructure status of lower courts of the country is miserably grim due to which they fail to deliver quality judgements.
  • A 2016 report published by the Supreme Court showed that existing infrastructure could accommodate only 15,540 judicial officers against the all-India sanctioned strength of 20,558.
• Burden of government cases:
  • Statistics provided by LIMBS shows that the Centre and the States were responsible for over 46% of the pending cases in Indian courts.
• Special leave petition:
  • cases in the Supreme Court, currently comprises to 40% of the court’s pendency.
  • It is because of frivolous PILs and various government policies which are challenged by the people that takes up most of judiciary’s time
• Judges Vacation:
  • Supreme Court’s works on average for 188 days a year, while apex court rules specify minimum of 225 days of work.
• Lack of court management systems:
  • Courts have created dedicated posts for court managers to help improve court operations, optimize case movement and judicial time.
  • However, only few courts have filled up such posts so far.
• Inefficient investigation:
  • Police are quite often handicapped in undertaking effective investigation for want of modern and scientific tools to collect evidences.

Rise in number of judges alone will not help reduce the pendency:

• From 1950 to 1921, the number of Supreme Court judges has increased nearly four times. Even then, case pendency has steadily kept rising.
• The key reason for the mounting of pending cases can be attributed to shifting the role of the Supreme Court from adjudicating cases of constitutional significance into a regular court of appeals.
• According to legal experts, most of the cases that the Supreme Court was handling daily are either appeals from various high courts or cases of gross violation of individual’s fundamental rights. But this role was never meant for the apex court.
• It is because of frivolous PILs and various government policies which are challenged by the people that takes up most of judiciary’s time

Other measures needed to reduce pendency of cases:

• Improving infrastructure for quality justice:
  • The Parliamentary Standing Committee which presented its report on Infrastructure Development and Strengthening of Subordinate Courts, suggested:
  • States should provide suitable land for construction of court buildings etc. It should undertake vertical construction in light of shortage of land.
  • Timeline set out for computerization of all the courts, as a necessary step towards setting up of e- courts.
• Addressing the Issue of Vacancies:
  • Ensure the appointments of the judges be done in an efficient way by arriving at an optimal judge strength to handle the cases pending in the system.
  • The 120th Law Commission of India report for the first time, suggested a judge strength fixation formula.
  • Supreme Court and High Courts should appoint efficient and experienced judges as Ad-hoc judges in accordance with the Constitution.
  • All India Judicial Service, which would benefit the subordinate judiciary by increasing quality of judges and help reduce the pendency.
• Timeframe to dispose of cases:
  • Having a definite time frame to dispose the cases by setting annual targets and action plans for the subordinate judiciary and the High Courts. The judicial officers could be issued a strict code of conduct, to ensure that the duties are adequately performed by the officials.
  • Strict regulation of adjournments and imposition of exemplary costs for seeking it on flimsy grounds especially at the trial stage and not permitting dilution of time frames specified in Civil Procedure Code.
• Better Court Management System & Reliable Data Collection:
  • For this categorization of cases on the basis of urgency and priority along with bunching of cases should be done.
• Use of Information technology (IT) solutions:
  • The use of technology for tracking and monitoring cases and in providing relevant information to make justice litigant friendly. A greater impetus should be given to
• Process reengineering:
  • Involves redesigning of core business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in productivity and quality by incorporating the use of technology in court rules. It will include:
  • Electronic filing of cases: e-Courts are a welcome step in this direction, as they give case status and case history of all the pending cases across High courts and Subordinate courts bringing ease of access to information.
  • Revamping of National Judicial Data Grid by introducing a new type of search known as elastic search, which is closer to the artificial intelligence.
• Alternate dispute resolution (ADR):
  • As stated in the Conference on National Initiative to Reduce Pendency and Delay in Judicial System- Legal Services Authorities should undertake pre-litigation mediation so that the inflow of cases into courts can be regulated.
  • The Lok Adalat should be organized regularly for settling civil and family matters.
  • Gram Nyayalayas, as an effective way to manage small claim disputes from rural areas which will help in decreasing the workload of the judicial institution.
  • Village Legal Care & Support Centre can also be established by the High Courts to work at grass root level to make the State litigation friendly.

Conclusion

The fundamental requirement of a good judicial administration is accessibility, affordability and speedy justice, which will not be realized until and unless the justice delivery system is made within the reach of the individual in a time bound manner and within a reasonable cost. Therefore, continuous formative assessment is the key to strengthen and reinforce the justice delivery system in India.

General Studies – 3

Topic: Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.

4. The balance of payments crisis that emerged in early 1991 played a pivotal role in India’s decision to adopt the policy of Liberalisation, Privatisation, and Globalisation (LPG). Examine. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Easy

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-2024 Secure timetable.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the causes of LPG reforms and its impact.

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 of BOP crisis of 1991.

Body:

First, write about the various factors that led to crisis of 1991.

Next, explain the Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation of the India economy and what it meant.

Next, write about the impact of LPG reforms of 1991 – write both positives and negatives for the reforms.

Conclusion:

Suggest a way forward on how to do with negatives.

Introduction

Balance of Payment (BoP) of a country can be defined as a systematic statement of all economic transactions of a country with the rest of the world during a specific period usually one year.

It indicates whether the country has a surplus or a deficit on trade. When exports exceed imports, there is a trade surplus and when imports exceed exports there is a trade deficit.

Body

Evolution of India’s BoP and various crises faced

1991 BoP crisis was one of the worst crises that India had to face. The then government was close to default, as RBI had refused new credit and foreign exchange reserves had been reduced to such a point that India could barely finance three weeks’ worth of imports.

• Widening of trade gap due to rise in imports against a small growth in exports and increased cost of imports.
• The sharp rise in crude prices due to the Gulf crisis.
• Deterioration in the Exchange Rate of Rupee.
• India’s current account deficit (CAD) had already touched 2.7% of the GDP in 1988-89.
• From mid-1990, financing the CAD became arduous.
  • Traditional sources of financing started drying up.
  • The main factor contributing to the rising current account deficit was decline in the growth of net invisible earnings.
• Decline in migrants’ remittance from abroad.
• Non-resident deposits, which contributed significantly to bridge the CAD, had also started flowing out.

liberalization, privatization and globalization reforms

The liberalization, privatization and globalization regime launched in 1991 completed its 30 years in 2021. The 1991 was a landmark moment in India’s post-independence history that changed the nature of the economy in fundamental ways.

A severe balance of payments problem triggered an acute economic crisis in 1991. In response, India’s economic establishment launched a multipronged reforms agenda to repair India’s macroeconomic balance sheet and ignite growth.

India’s Post-1990 Economic Strategy

• It dismantled the vast network of controls and permits that dominated the economic system.
• It redefined the role of the state as a facilitator of economic transactions and as a neutral regulator rather than the primary provider of goods and services.
• It led to moving away from a regime of import substitution and to integrate fully with the global trading system.

Positive effects of LPG Reforms

• By the first decade of the 21st century, India began to be seen as one of the fastest growing emerging markets.
• India’s annual average growth rate from 1990 – 2010 has been 6.6 % which is
  almost double than pre reforms era. GDP growth rate surpassed 5% mark in early 1980’s.
• The 1991 reforms unleashed the energies of Indian entrepreneurs, gave untold choice to consumers and changed the face of the Indian economy.
• Far from poverty increasing, for the first time, there was a substantial reduction in it.
• 1991 reforms boosted services sector provided opportunities for individuals to develop their skills.

LPG reforms and inclusiveness

• During the reform period most Indian states experienced high average growth ratesin real unskilled informal wage and real unskilled agricultural wage. This explains the fall in poverty rates.
• Declining urban poverty and increasing income inequality were associated with growth in manufacturing exports and imports.
• Among manufacturing exports, during the 1990s, there was a phenomenal growth in exports of skill-intensive high-technology goods.
  • This change in the skill compositionof Indian manufacturing export basket offers a plausible explanation of the rise in income inequality during the 1990s.  
• Three unskilled labour-intensivemanufacturing goodsclothing, textiles, and leather still account for around 40% of manufacturing exports.
  • Expectedly, their growth had a favourable impact on urban poverty through increase in the unskilled money wage.
• Growth in aggregate output both in per capita net state domestic product (PCNSDP) and gross domestic product (GDP) is another source of lower urban poverty and higher income inequality.
• Exports found to be causing GDP growth means that the growth impact of trade may be an important factor underlying the observed changes in poverty and inequality.
  • Growth in exports of high-technology goods seems to be one major source of such trade growth nexus.

Increasing inequalities post liberalisation

• Post liberalisation, there was more focus on assuring investor confidencefor which the fiscal deficit ought to be well within limitsand the climate for investment to be conducive.
• Socialist mind set thus far was to spontaneously change to pro-market.
• This saw an illustration of Karl Marx’s “Primitive Capital accumulation” wherein there was displacement of poor from their places which made them inevitablylose the opportunity to grow out of their livelihood option that they inherited.
• The job growth has seen only marginal increase of 0.2%in the period of great economic growth indicates this.
• If we go byGini index pertaining to consumption theinequality is starker as compared with that we obtain pertaining to income, another fact that reinforces the above claim.
• Thus, poverty has beenreduced in absolute terms butnot in equitable terms making inequality much deeper. India has to rein in over the income disparity to begin with.

Way Forward

• For reducing inequality, some advocate measures such asredistribution of assets and wealthin favour of the poor via higher taxes for the rich.
• However, these may not be pragmatic solutions. The tax/GDP ratio has to be raisedwith a wider tax base.
• Fiscal instruments like public investment in physical andsocial infrastructurecan be used to reduce inequality.
  • The new generation wantsequality of opportunityrather than redistributive measures.
  • Everyone irrespective of caste, class and gender should have equal opportunities in education, health, employment and entrepreneurship.
• Economic andemployment opportunities improve with education and skills.
• The new generation wants better quality in schools and higher education.
• Finally, economic reforms should focus more on efficient delivery systems of public services.
• Many reckon that poor governance is the biggest constraint in achieving the aspirations of a new generation and reduction in poverty and inequality.
• A major institutional challenge is the accountability of service providers, particularly the public sector.
• Recent literature also focused on eradication of corruption for reduction in inequalities.
• Issues like electoral reforms, crony capitalism, election funding and corruption should be part of thereform agenda to reduce inequalities.

Conclusion

The 1991 reforms helped the economy stave off a crisis and then bloom. It is time to outline a credible new reform agenda that will not just bring GDP back to pre-crisis levels, but also ensure growth rates higher than it had when it entered the pandemic.

Topic: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

5. The legacy of the Five-Year Plans remains evident in India’s industrial base, infrastructure, and the foundation for sustained economic growth. Discuss. (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-2024 Secure timetable.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the successes and limitations of five-year plans and the limitations of planning commission.

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 brief about aims of the planning commission.

Body:

First, in detail write about the growth of Indian economy in the various FYPs from the first plan to the twelfth plan. Write about its successes and limitations.

Next, write about the major limitations of the planning commission – No structural mechanism, Ineffective forum, one size fits all approach, bureaucratic inefficiency, inefficient allocation of resources, limited private sector participation etc.

Conclusion:

Conclude by mentioning the genesis of NITI Aayog.

Introduction

The term economic planning is used to describe the long term plans of the government of India to develop and coordinate the economy with efficient utilization of resources. Economic planning in India started after independence in the year 1950 when it was deemed necessary for economic growth and development of the nation.

Body:

About 5-year plans:

• After independence, India launched a programme of Five Year Plans to make the optimum use of country’s available resources and to achieve rapid economic Development
• In India, development plans were formulated and carried out within the framework of the mixed economy
• In India, economic planning was adopted in the form of Five Year Plans and was seen as a development tool on account of various reasons.
• The need for social justice as experience of the past five and-a- half decades suggests that in a free enterprise economy, economic gains do not necessarily trickle down and
• Judicious mobilisation and allocation of resources in the context of overall development programme in the light of the resource constraint in India
• So far, 12th Five Year Plans have been formulated since the year 12th Five-year Plan (2012- 2017), came into force once it was approved by the NDC on 27th December, 2012.

Achievements of 5 year plans:

• Economic Growth:
• Economic planning in India has been successful in increasing the national income and the per capita income of the country resulting in economic growth.
• The net national income at factor cost increased from Rs. 4393.45 billion in 1966- 67 to Rs.45, 733 billion in 2011-12 (at 2004-05 prices). The per capita income increased from Rs.8876 to Rs.38, 048 during the same period (at 2004-05 prices).
• The average growth rate has increased from 3.5 percent during 1950 to 1970 to about 5.5 percent after 1990’s. The economy recorded a growth rate of 7.8 percent during the eleventh five- year plan.
• Progress in Agriculture:
• The first five-year plan focused on agricultural development. However, agricultural sector did not receive priority in the subsequent plans. Yet, with various initiatives implemented in the agricultural sector such as the green revolution and agricultural pricing policies, there has been a considerable increase in the output of the agricultural sector.
• The index of agricultural production increased from 85.9 in 1970-71 to 165.7 in 1999-2000 (Base year- 1981-82). The production of major food grains which includes rice, wheat, coarse cereals and pulses has increased from 77.14 million tons in 1958-59 to 252.22 tons in 2015-16. With the introduction of green revolution, the yield per hectare of food grains has increased from 662 kg in 1959-60 to 2056 kg in 2015-16.
• Similarly, the production of commercial crops has also recorded an increasing trend. Various reforms in the agricultural sector such as the Rashtriya Krishi Bima Yojana and Kisan credit cards during the ninth plan and National Food Security Mission and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana during the eleventh plan have been quite successful in improving the performance of the agricultural sector.
• Industrial Growth:
• Economic planning has also contributed to the progress of the industrial sector. The index of industrial production increased from 54.8 in 1950-51 to 152.0 in 1965-66 (Base year- 1960-61) which is about 176 percent increase in production during the first three five-year plans.

• It went up from 109.3 in 1981-82 to 232.0 in 1993-94 (Base year- 1980-81). Taking 2004-05 as the base year, the index of industrial production recorded an increase from 108.6 in 2005-06 to 181.1 in 2015-16. The introduction of reforms in 1991 relieved the industrial sector from numerous bureaucratic restrictions that were prevalent earlier.
• This has led to the rapid growth of the industrial sector in India. India has made remarkable progress in cotton textiles, paper, medicines, food processing, consumer goods, light engineering goods etc.
• Public Sector:
• The public sector played a predominant role in the economy immediately after the independence. While there were only 5 industrial public sector enterprises in 1951, the number increased to 244 in 1990 with an investment of Rs.99, 330 cores. However, the number of public sector enterprises fell to 217 in March 2010.
• Very high profits were recorded by petroleum, telecommunication services, power generation, coal and lignite, financial services, transport services and minerals and metal industries. The government has eliminated a number of restrictions on the operational and financial powers of the Navaratnas, Miniratnas and several other profit making public sector enterprises.
• Infrastructure:
• Development of infrastructure such as transport and communication, power, irrigation etc., is a pre-requisite to rapid economic growth and development. Expansion of transport facilities enables easy movement of goods and services and also enlarges the market. Irrigation projects contribute significantly to rural development.
• Power projects help in meeting the growing demand for power by both industrial and household sector. The total road length increased from about 400,000 km in 1951 to about 4.7 million km in 2011.
• The route length of the Indian railway network has increased from about 53,596 km in 1951 to about 64,450 km in 2011. The investment in infrastructure as a percentage of GDP was about 5.9 percent during the tenth plan and increased to about 7.2 percent during the eleventh plan.
• Education and Health Care:
• Education and health care are considered as human capital as they contribute to increased productivity of human beings. Considerable progress was achieved in the education as well as health sector during the five-year plans. The number of universities increased from about 22 in 1950-51 to 254 in 2000-01.
• The number of institutions in higher education has increased to over 100 percent since 2008. With the growth in the number of institutions, the literacy rate in India has increased from 16.7 percent in 1950-51 to 74.04 percent in 2011. With improvements in the health infrastructure, India has been able to successfully control a number of life threatening diseases such as small pox, cholera, polio, TB etc.
• As a result, there has been a fall in the death rate from 27.4 per thousand persons in 1950-51 to 7.3 per thousand persons in 2016. The life expectancy has increased from about 32.1 years in 1951 to 68.01 years in 2014. The infant mortality rate has declined from 149 per thousand in 1966 to 37.42 per thousand in 2015.
• Growth of Service Sector:
• Service sector is the key contributor to the economic growth of India. The service sector contributed to about 53.2 percent of the gross value added growth in 2015-16. The contribution of the IT sector to India’s GDP increased from about 1.2 percent in 1998 to 9.5 percent in 2015. The service sector has recorded a growth rate of about 138.5 percent in the last decade.
• Financial services, insurance, real estate and business services are some of the leading services that have been recording a robust growth in the past few years. The rapid growth of the service sector in India could be attributed to the inflow of huge amount of FDI in this sector. India’s share of service exports in the world service exports has increased from 0.6 percent in 1990 to 3.3 percent in 2011.
• Savings and Investment:
• Savings and Investments are major driving forces of economic growth. The gross domestic savings in India as a proportion of GDP has increased from 8.6 percent in 1950-51 to about 30 percent in 2012-13. The gross capital formation has increased from 8.4 percent in 1950-51 to 34.70 in 2012-13. Capital accumulation is the key to economic development. It helps in achieving rapid economic growth and has the ability to break the vicious circle of poverty.
• Science and Technology:
• India is the third most preferred destination for technology investments. It is among the top most countries in scientific research and space exploration. India is also making rapid progress in nuclear technology. ISRO has made a record of launching 104 satellites in one go on a single rocket. India today has the third largest scientific manpower after U.S.A and Russia.
• The government has undertaken various measures such as setting up of new institutions for science education and research, launching the technology and innovation policy in 2013, strengthening the infrastructure for research and development in universities, and encouraging public- private partnership etc.
• Foreign Trade:
• On the eve of independence, India’s primary exports were agricultural commodities and UK and US were its major trading partners. India was largely dependent on other countries for various capital and consumer goods. However, with the development of heavy industries during the five-year plans, India has been able to reduce its dependence on other countries and was able to achieve self-reliance in a number of commodities.
• With the liberalisation of trade, India now exports about 7500 commodities to about 190 countries and it imports about 6000 commodities from about 140 countries. The exports of the country increased from Rs. 54.08 billion in 1977- 78 to Rs. 17,144.24 billion in 2015-16. And imports have increased from Rs. 60.20 billion in 1977-78 to Rs. 24, 859.27 billion in 2015-16.

 Major Failures of Planning:

• Slow Growth:
  • The planning process in India has been able to achieve considerable increase in the national income and per capita income. Yet, the rate of increase has been slow as compared to developing countries like China, which have been able to achieve more than 10 percent growth rate consistently. India was able to achieve a growth rate of only about 4 to 5 percent during the pre-reform period. It was only during the post reform period that is after 1991, that the country could experience a growth rate of over 7 percent.
• Neglect of Agriculture:
  • The five year plans failed to pay attention to the agricultural sector except for the first five-year plan. As a result, the agricultural growth rate declined from 3.62 percent in 1991-92 to 0.81 percent during 2009-10. And the share of agriculture in GDP declined from about 50 percent during 1950-51 to about 16 percent of the GDP in 2015.
• Unemployment:
  • The plans have failed to address the problem of unemployment which is a cause of many social evils. The unemployment rate has marginally reduced from 8.35 percent during 1972-73 to about 6.53 percent in 2009-10. It was about 4.19 percent in 2013. The growth rate of employment has recorded a decline from 2.61 percent in 1972-73 to 1.50 percent during 2009-10. The employment in primary sector recorded a negative growth rate of 0.13 percent in 2009-10.
• Widespread Poverty:
  • Failure to address the problem of unemployment has resulted in widespread poverty in the country. The first four plans failed to address the problem of poverty. It was only during the fifth five-year plan that measures were taken to tackle poverty directly by introducing various poverty alleviation programmes. These programmes, however, have achieved only limited success. The poverty rate in India declined from about 26.1 percent in 2000 to 21.9 percent in 2011.
• Inflation:
  • Poverty is aggravated under the situation of inflation. The five-year plans have not been able to stabilise the prices due to which there has been a steep rise in the general prices. The inflation rate was around 10 percent in 2012.
• Rising Inequality:
  • With rapid economic growth, the country has been witnessing a rise in the level of inequality. It has been estimated that the richest 1 percent own about 58 percent of the country’s wealth. Poor performance of the agricultural sector and lack of investments in rural infrastructure are cited as the primary reason for such rising inequalities.
• Political Instability:
  • Political instability and inefficient administration are the major hurdles in successful implementation of the plans. Though the plans are formulated after complete analysis of the economic situation, most of the plans fail to achieve the targets due to inefficient administration, corruption, vested interests and red tapism.

Conclusion:

The achievements and failures of the economic planning in India, thus, reveal the underlying gaps in the process of planning. It is an undeniable fact that the current level of growth and development that the country has achieved could not have been possible without planning. Yet, systematic and efficient implementation of the plans and strategic policies to tackle the problem of unemployment and poverty could take the country to greater heights. It is strongly believed that the NITI Aayog would address these gaps that existed in the planning process in India and would strive to build a vibrant economy over the years.

General Studies – 4

Topic: Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance.

6. Emotional intelligence is not just about recognizing and managing one’s own emotions but also about understanding and empathizing with the emotions of others. Explain. (150 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by Lexicon Publications.

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Conceptual Tuesdays’ in Mission-2024 Secure.

Key Demand of the question:

to develop a link between emotional intelligence and persuasion.

Directive:

Explain – Clarify the topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the context. You must be defining key terms wherever appropriate and substantiate with relevant associated facts.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction:

Begin by defining emotional intelligence (EI).

Body:

First mention the role of EI in – perceiving emotions, using emotions, understanding emotions, and managing emotions.

Next, link the emotional aspect of EI with communication and persuasion – attempting to influence an outcome or followers using – authority, consistency and commitment, liking and reciprocity/reciprocation etc.

Conclusion:

Complete the answer by stressing on the implications for leaders and employers in understanding the importance of interpersonal relationships in the organizational context.

Introduction

Emotional intelligence or EI is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, and those of the people around you. EI helps in understanding the emotions, evaluating it and managing it which paves the way for conflict resolution.

Body:

Components of Emotional intelligence:

• Self-awareness: being aware of your reactions and tendencies
• Self-management: staying on top of, and managing your reactions
• Social awareness: being able to perceive what others are feeling and thinking and picking up on the emotions of others
• Relationship management: using your awareness of your emotions and those of others to manage interactions; this includes communicating clearly and handling conflict.
• Stress tolerance: To stay focused, stress should be managed and it involves own reactions to stress or the reactions of others to the stress. Employees with high EQs are more likely to listen, reflect, and respond to constructive criticism
• Impulse control: Independent people evaluate the alternatives and initiate the work by taking appropriate action by executing the right options. People who manage their impulses avoid being distracted and losing control of the situation. Emotionally intelligent employees are more likely to keep their cool under pressure
• Optimism: Optimistic people have a target that they’re aiming toward. These people are confident in their ability to carry out the required actions and meet the target by looking for successful solutions to problems.
• Negotiation: For being able to empathize and be creative in finding win-win solutions will consistently pay off to all the stakeholders involved.

Significance of Emotional Intelligence

• The chances of succeeding are skewed towards people who are better able to manage themselves and others emotionally, one’s who are likeable and trustworthy.
• Research shows that more than80% percent of success is due to skills in “human engineering,” personality and ability to communicate, negotiate, and lead. Only 15 percent is due to technical knowledge.
• Additionally, Nobel Prize winning psychologist, Daniel Kahneman, found that people would rather do business with a person they like and trust rather than someone they don’t, even if the likeable person is offering a lower quality product or service at a higher price.
  • Hence, instead of exclusively focusing on conventional intelligence quotient, one should make an investment in strengthening his/her EQ (Emotional Intelligence). The concepts of EQ may be difficult to measure, but their significance is far greater than IQ.
• Simply put, emotional intelligence is that “something” within us that help us to sense how we feel and enables us to truly connect with others and form a bond.
• It gives us the ability tobe present and listen to someone when they most need it. It is that sense of internal balance within us that enables us to keep our composure, make good decisions, communicate successfully, and maintain effective leadership even when under stress.

Developing Emotional Intelligence

• Self-regard: Having high self-regard means that one has a good understanding of his strengths and weaknesses. Acting on this understanding requires that you have good self-knowledge and effectively strike a balance between being confident and being arrogant. People are more comfortable helping others who demonstrate the right amount of humility.
• Optimism:People find optimism and happiness attractive attributes. People are more likely to cooperate with someone who’s optimistic.
• Approachability: Approachability, like optimism, attracts people. When we’re happy others are more pleasant to be around. Being happy add to “likability” factor. It can also be contagious. Everybody likes to be happy, and being around happy people contributes to one’s own happiness.
• Self-evaluation: By self-evaluating oneself, one can know one’s emotions and reactions to different situations. By observing others, one can comprehend feelings of others.
• Communication: By improving one’s expression, one can communicate better.

Conclusion

High-EI individuals, could reduce the effects of negative emotions like anger or rage on their decision-making. Rage and anger are not only removed as hindrances, but also used to enhance the quality of decisions.

Topic: Information sharing and transparency in government, Right to Information

7. Whistleblowing by civil servants can be ethically justified when it is motivated by a sincere commitment to the public interest, adherence to ethical and legal standards, and the responsible use of established channels for reporting wrongdoing. Comment.

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-2024 Secure.

Key demand of the question:

To write about the role whistle blowing ain prevention of corruption.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction:

Explain what is whistle blowing.

Body:

Explain What are the moral and ethical justification of whistleblowing by civil servants – whistleblowing is morally required when it is required at all; people have a moral obligation to prevent serious harm to others if they can do so with little costs to themselves. Give examples to justify your points.

Conclusion:

Conclude by stressing on the need of whistle-blower protection

Introduction

A whistle-blower is a person who comes forward and shares his/her knowledge on any wrongdoing which he/she thinks is happening in the whole organisation or in a specific department. A whistle-blower could be an employee, contractor, or a supplier who becomes aware of any illegal activities. Personal Values and Organizational Culture are the Foundation of Whistle-blowing

A good civil servant is one who is kind, responsive, fair, has sense of duty, objective judgement skills with a hint of rebellion.

Body

In the course of civil service, an officer is bound to face challenges of various types. One must find innovative solutions to such problems by working around the problems. However, when there are inevitable situations, it becomes necessary to whistle blow, albeit within the system.

Merits of whistleblowing:

• Exposing Unethical Behaviour: When corporations and government agencies step over legal and ethical lines, whistle-blowers can make these practices public knowledge, which can lead to violators being held accountable.
• Take care of things internally: Stronger whistle-blower protection laws all over the world, such as in the EU and Australia, mean that if you do not listen to and act upon whistleblowing tips internally, people may decide to report externally, for example to the media, and are legally protected if they do so.
• Reduce losses when misconduct occurs: Whistleblowing benefits organisations through significant loss savings. Organisations that did not have a whistleblowing system in place suffered losses that were twice the size compared to those who did have a whistleblowing system.
• Build trust in your brand: 50% of the participants responded that building trust was the main benefit of a whistleblowing system. An openness to whistleblowing demonstrates a commitment to high ethical standards and builds trust in the company.
• Ensure legal compliance: Having a system in place for whistleblowing benefits organisations by reducing compliance risk.

Demerits of whistleblowing:

• The world, government, corporates and even society to an extent do not like whistle-blowers and some countries go so far as to call them ‘traitors’
• The case of Edward Snowden and Julian Assange of Wikileaks proves the point
• Whistle-blowers face legal action, criminal charges, social stigma, and termination from any position, office, or job.
• Vindictive tactics to make the individual’s work more difficult and/or insignificant, assassination of character, formal reprimand, and difficult court proceedings

Ethical perspective:

The ethics of whistleblowing is a tricky matter. Whistle-blowing brings two moral values, fairness and loyalty, into conflict.

In the case where a company does serious harm through its service or product, the disclosure of such information for the sake of public constitute the ground for an understanding that takes whistleblowing as an ethical behaviour.

The situations where whistleblowing is morally justified:

• Whenever and wherever the product/service of the firm will cause considerable harm to the public.
• Whenever an employee feels serious threat or harm to him or anybody he should report to the firm.
• If an immediate boss does not care for report (whistle blowing) the employee should go up to highest level to present his case.

Conclusion

A good civil servant would adhere to the foundational principles and fight against corrupt practices in a pragmatic way as the situation demands.

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