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: Easy
Reference: Insights on India
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 1.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about to opportunities and concerns associated with a large population and need for proper policymaking to reach the full potential of population.
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 about the advantages of a having a large population – demographic dividend, More working-age population, more tax revenues and high growth rate etc.
Next, write about the disadvantages of a having a large population – resource crunch, high rate of poverty and hunger, unemployment etc.
Next, write about the need to have proper policymaking and strategy to reap the full potential of India’s demographic dividend and components of policy.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction
According to the UNFPA State of World Population (SOWP) Report 2023, China is projected to hand over the baton of the most populous country to India by mid-2023. The report further added that India will have a population of 142.86 crores by mid-2023, which is 2.9 million higher than China’s population of 142.57 crores.
Undoubtedly, India has a population problem, but any strategy to change fertility rates should be carefully thought out. India’s population concern is largely restricted to Bihar, UP, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and MP.
Body
Rising population is a boon for India
- Population is a resource as long as the country’s carrying capacity is intact.
- There are greater prospects for demographic dividend than a disaster.
- With 68% of the working age population in 2023, the country continues to have a demographic window of opportunity for the next 35 years to reap an economic dividend.
- A demographic window of opportunity in itself will not automatically turn into an economic dividend.
- Declining and ageing populationin Japan, China, the US and other major economies.
- Potential to become a worldwide market for both production and consumption, with lower manufacturing costs due to a relatively cheaper workforce.
- This is very much evident in India’s IT sector.
- Potential to boost per capita GDPby an additional 43% by 2061, provided the socio-economic and political enabling environment is conducive.
Increasing Population is a bane for India
- Drastic population control methods run the risk of inducing forced population ageing.
- A total fertility rate of lessthan 8 may not be economically beneficial for India. Once fertility tends to decline, it is hard to reverse it.
- What the country needs are policies that support an enabling environment that can provide high-quality education, healthcare, employment, infrastructure, and gender empowerment.
- If India falls short in this, its “demographic dividend” can become a “demographic disaster”.
- Population growth acts as a hurdle in addressing effectively the problem of poverty, hunger and malnutrition and also in providing the better quality of health and education.
- SDGs 1, 2, 3 and 4are going to be affected adversely because of India’s existing pattern of growth in the population.
- Presently, India is producing around 25 million job seekers in the country, however, the country is able to provide jobs only to 7 million.This gap of 18 million is increasing the burden of unemployment and underemployment in the country, turning a demographic dividend into a demographic disaster.
- India’s population growth is not sustainable.India is only about 35-40% of China’s landmass.
- In the 19th century, when Europe had a demographic explosion, it had occupied America, Australia etc. India does not have another landmass to occupy and the available landmass cannot take this population growth.
Measures needed to ensure that population growth is a boon for India
- Employment or job creation: If India is able to generate sufficient and quality jobs for its bulging working age population.
- Education, skills generation and ensuring a healthy lifespan: It is critical not only for better productivity but it also reduces excessive public spending and helps in greater capital creation.
- Good governance: Reflected through conscientious policies, it will help in creating a healthy environment for increasing efficiency and productivity of the population.
- India needs to invest more in the health sector. India invests only 1.3% of its GDP. The family planning budget is only 4% of the entire health budget and within that India spends only 1.5% on birth spacing methods.
- Investments should be made particularly for the old people because by the year 2050, India’s population of old people is going to grow almost 10 times more.
- Education is very important, not only for empowering women but for fertility to decline.
- Education should be made free for women till college-level.
- Better education will help women in better decision making for family planning.
- Unless women are part of the workforce, no society can bring down fertility rates with progress. Therefore, policies must look at the whole issue of declining workforce participation by women.
- India needs to focus on some areas which are socially, culturally, economically depressed. Identification of 140 high focussed districts is the right step by the governmentin this direction. However, it needs to work in the whole of Bihar, U.P., Madhya Pradesh and Assam.
- India needs to give huge stress on declining sex ratiosand the discrimination towards girls so that people don’t have a high number of children in the hope of having a boy.
- India can achieve a number of SDGs if it links them with family planning.Family planning is a promotive and preventive method for bringing down maternal mortality and child mortality.
- It is important to see the issue of population growth not only from the national perspective but also from the state’s point of view i.e. different states need to be encouraged to take necessary steps for containing the population.
Conclusion
Opportunities and costs are the two sides of the coin when it comes to being the world’s largest populous country. However, the relatively younger population of India provides higher support ratios.
Topic: urbanization, their problems and their remedies.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Down to Earth , Insights on India
Why the question:
There has been an increase in the number of earthquakes in January to November, 2023 compared to the last three years, Union Minister of Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju told the Lok Sabha
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the vulnerability of India to earthquakes and reasons of the increase in the number of earthquakes
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 context.
Body:
First, write about the vulnerability of India to earthquakes. Draw a map showing different seismic zones.
Next, write about the factors that have led to an increase in the number of earthquakes in the country – activation of Almora Fault, increased dam seismicity etc.
Next, write about several measures the government needs to take mitigate their impact – building codes and standards, retrofitting old buildings, early warning systems, education and awareness, and emergency response planning.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction
An earthquake is the shaking of the surface (occurs without warning) of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth’s lithosphere that creates seismic waves. It is tectonic in origin and results from the release of accumulated stress of the moving lithospheric or crustal plates.
There has been an increase in the number of earthquakes in January to November, 2023 compared to the last three years, Union Minister of Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju told the Lok Sabha.
Body
The Earthquake Risk in India:
- India has been divided into four zones– II, III, IV and V – according to the seismic zoning map of India prepared by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Zone V is seismically the most active region, while Zone II is the least.
- Around 11% of the country falls in Zone V, 18% in Zone IV, 30% in Zone III and the remaining in Zone II.
Reasons for the Earthquake proneness in India:
- The Indian plate is driving into Eurasiaat a rate of approximately 47 mm/year.
- Himalayan belt:Collision between Indo-Australian plate with Eurasian plate causes lots of strain in underlying rocks’ energy, which is released in the form of earthquakes.
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Seafloor displacement and underwater volcanoes disturb the equilibrium of earth’s surface.
- Deccan Plateau: The emergence of a fault line and energy build-up along the fault line of the river Bhima (Krishna) near Latur and Osmanabad (Maharashtra).
- Increasing population and unscientific land usefor construction make India a high-risk land for earthquakes.
Risks of high magnitude Earthquakes
- Primary damage: Damage occurs to human settlement, buildings, structures and infrastructure, especially bridges, elevated roads, railways, water towers, pipelines, electrical generating facilities.
- Aftershocks of an earthquake can cause much greater damage to already weakened structures.
- Secondary effects include fires, dam failure and landslides which may block water ways and also cause flooding, landslides, Tsunami, chemical spills, breakdown of communication facilities, human loss.
- There is also a huge loss to the public health system, transport and water supply in the affected areas.
- Tertiary impactof earthquake includes Post Trauma Stress Disorder (PTSD), long term psychological issues, loss of livelihood, disruption of social capital due to relocation related issues, etc.
India’s current policy on earthquake preparedness
- Operates primarily at the scale of structural details
- National Building Codes: Includes specifying dimensions of the structural members – columns, beams, etc.
- National Retrofitting Programme 2014: Under the programme, the RBI directed banks to deny loans for buildings that do not meet the earthquake-resistant design.
Earthquake preparedness measures needed
- Earthquake monitoring centres (seismological centres) for regular monitoring and fast dissemination of information among the people in the vulnerable areas should be established. Currently, Centre for Seismology (CS) is the nodal agency of Government of India responsible for monitoring seismic activity in and around the country.
- A vulnerability map of the country along with dissemination of vulnerability risk information among the people can be done to minimize the adverse impacts.
- Planning: The Bureau of Indian Standards has published building codes and guidelines for safe construction of buildings against earthquakes. Before the buildings are constructed the building plans have to be checked by the Municipality, according to the laid down by-laws.
- Important buildingssuch as hospitals, schools and fire stations need to be upgraded by retrofitting techniques.
- Community preparedness and public educationon causes and characteristics of an earthquake and preparedness measures is important. It can be created through sensitization and training programme for community, by preparation of disaster management plans by schools, malls, hospitals etc. and carrying out mock drills, by preparing documentation on lessons from previous earthquaes and widely disseminating it.
- Engineered structures: The soil type should be analysed before construction. Building structures on soft soil should be avoided. Similar problem persists in the buildings constructed on the river banks which have alluvial soil.
- Encouraging use of Indigenous methods – Indigenous earthquake-resistant houses like the bhongas in the Kutch Region of Gujarat, dhajji diwari buildings in Jammu & Kashmir, brick-nogged wood frame constructions in Himachal Pradesh and ekra constructions made of bamboo in Assam are helpful in this regard.
Way forward
- Earthquake preparedness needs to act –
- In the realm of policy and not just legal enforcement.
- At the scale of building details as well as that of cities.
- A comprehensive policyto create a system of retrofitting existing structures and enforcing seismic codes with more efficiency. Such a policy should include measures –
- To create a system of tax-based or development rights-based incentives for retrofitting one’s building up to seismic codes.
- To ensure better enforcement of seismic codes through a similar model.
- Generate earthquake vulnerability mapswith the percentage of vulnerable structures in the area, the availability of evacuation routes, the location of nearest relief services, etc.
Conclusion
It is not possible to prevent the occurrence of an earthquake; hence, the next best option is to lay emphasis on disaster preparedness and mitigation rather than curative measures. A policy on earthquake preparedness will require a visionary, radical and transformative approach. It would be unwise to wait for another earthquake to learn how to be better prepared for one. Hence, a robust early warning system, decentralised response mechanism is the best way forward.
Value addition
Best practices (Japan and San Francisco):
- Japan has invested heavily in technological measures (skyscrapers with counterweights, small houses on flexible foundations, public infrastructure with automated triggers) by cultivating an industry around earthquake mitigation and fostering expertise.
- San Franciscois the world’s most famous earthquake-prone city which implemented policy changes similar to Japan.
- The Gujarat government:Immediately adopted (after the 2001 Bhuj earthquake) new town planning schemes that widened roads and created routes for evacuation and relief work.
- Programmes like the ongoing Urban 20 meetings: An excellent opportunity for international knowledge exchange on earthquake preparedness.
General Studies – 2
Topic: Issues Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Difficulty level: Tough
Reference: Live Mint , Insights on India
Why the question:
The share of women in regular salaried jobs in urban India dropped from 54% in the first quarter (April to June 2023) to 52.8% in the second quarter (July to September), according to quarterly Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the reasons for low Female Labour Force Participation Rate and measures needed to improve it.
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 statistic regards to Female Labour Force Participation Rate in the country.
Body:
First, write about the reasons for low Female Labour Force Participation Rate in the country – educational enrolment of young women, lack of employment opportunities, effect of household income on participation etc.
Next, write about the various measures that are needed for promoting women in labour force.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction
While gender gaps in education and nutrition have been closing over time the disadvantaged position of women is very visible in the labour market. Women Labour force participation is only 25% in India whereas the global average is 60%, to become world power, we cannot afford women to be out of service.
The share of women in regular salaried jobs in urban India dropped from 54% in the first quarter (April to June 2023) to 52.8% in the second quarter (July to September), according to quarterly Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data.
Body
Reasons for women staying out of labour market
There are non-economic, social and cultural factors over and above the economic factors. When increase in family incomes are there, due to the cultural factors, women leave the work to take care of the family.
- Deep rooted patriarchy: The cultural baggage about women working outside the home is so strong that in most traditional Indian families, quitting work is a necessary precondition to the wedding itself.
- Childcare responsibility solely on women: One big factor is maternity. Many women who join the workforce are unable to re-join after having a child. This is because, childcare is mainly seen as a woman’s job.
- Bias at workplace against women: The landmark legislation, which entitles a woman to 26 weeks of paid maternity leave is becoming a big hurdle.
- As per a study this increased cost for companies and this may discourage them from hiring women.
- Mothers are also not given preference because they are seen to take less official responsibilities due to family.
- Safety: The safety in metropolitan, tier 1 and tier 2 cities is the major issue. Concerns about safety and Harassment at work site, both explicit and implicit.
- Education: Higher Education levels of women also allow them to pursue leisure and other non-work activities, all of which reduce female labour force participation.
- When income increases, men allow Indian women to withdraw from the labour force, thereby avoiding the stigma of working (cultural factors).
- Insufficient availability of the type of jobs that women say they would like to do, such as regular part-time jobs that provide steady income and allow women to reconcile household duties with work.
- Unpaid work: Social norms about household work are against women’s mobility and participation in paid work. Childbirth and taking care of elderly parents or in-laws account for the subsequent points where women drop off the employment pipeline.
Measures that are required to overcome this trend
- Emancipation of women: Creating safe workplaces to bring more women to labor force should take front seat. Better targeting of education and reducing digital divide in post pandemic world should become a priority.
- Women Empowerment: Through education, women have better access and opportunities in the workforce, leading to increased income and less isolation at home or exclusion from financial decisions.
- Removing work place bias against working mothers: Pregnancy discrimination, hiring of women based on skill and diversity hiring after career gap, should become a norm.
- Behavioral Nudge:For instance, by using taxes to incentivize fairly sharing child-care responsibilities, or by encouraging women and girls to enter traditionally male-dominated sectors such as the armed forces and information technology. , Supreme Court in India declared that women could now hold commanding positions in Army.
- Paternity leaves for men, to share the responsibility of child rearing.
- Incentivizing companies to employ women, and reach 50% target.
- Strong laws and policies wrt equal pay for equal work, maternity benefits are needed to promote women’s representation in economy.
- Maternity and paternity: . An amendment to the Act in 2017 increasedpaid maternity leave from 12 to 26 weeks. Though well-meaning, this unfortunately fortifies notions of care-giving being primarily the onus of the woman, and thus reinforces and raises the risk of women being subject to the motherhood penalty.
- An explicit law for mandatory paternity benefitswill go a long way towards equalizing gender roles and reducing employer bias
- Better work conditions:The provision and strengthening of childcare facilities for working mothers are very important.
- The Maternity Benefit Act mandates the setting up of creche facilities for organizations with over 50 employees.
- A better policy measure would be to provide mothers in need of childcare with a monthly allowance. This will also help mothers working from home.
- Political Representation:India has provided 33% reservation for women in the Panchayats and Local Bodies. Capacity Building and training can increase their capabilities further.
Conclusion and way forward
- Existing patriarchal norms pose a significant constraint to the take-up of public or market services.
- Addressing the issue of childcare and flexible work could help initiate positive social norms that encourage the redistribution of unpaid care and domestic work burden.
- A huge spectrum of women’s skilled but unpaid work contributes directly to the economy. Yet, its devaluation by not being accounted for ‘work’ weakens women’s status, leading to their vulnerability.
- Sharing the responsibilities of childcare can be difficult in a culture where parental leave is given only to the mother.
- This further reinforces the notion that unpaid care work is the sole responsibility of the women.
- The government has a crucial role to play in promoting gender equality by ensuring equality of opportunity in public services.
- However, these solutions will have a limited impact unless the behavioural change of each and every individual is targeted.
Value addition
Statistics on women issues
- High gender divide: The gender gap in the country has widened, with only 62.5% of it closedand especially low gender parity in political empowerment and economic participation and opportunity.
- Wage gap:Women are paid considerably less than men, with some research showing that the gender pay gap between women and men in the same jobs with equivalent qualifications can be as much as 34%.
- Labour force participation:India, as of 2020, has the lowest female labour force participation rate among South Asian nations, with four out of five women neither working nor looking for jobs.
- High Job loss:According to Oxfam, 17 million women in India lost their jobs in April 2020, with their unemployment rate rising far higher than that among men.
- Lesser opportunities for women:Women were found to be seven times more likely to lose their jobs during the lockdown phases, and if rendered unemployed, were 11 times more likely to remain jobless than their male counterparts.
- Uneven domestic responsibility: Potential reasons for this include the increased burden of domestic responsibilitiesthat Indian women typically had to bear, in terms of not just household chores but extra time needed for elderly care and children’s studies, with schools shut.
- Even pre-pandemic,a Time Use Survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Office showed that women spent nearly 4.5 hours on childcare and other care-giving responsibilities, in contrast with the meagre 0.88 hours for men.
General Studies – 3
Topic: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Live Mint
Why the question:
The article discusses the public goods matter in the poverty debate.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the benefits and potential of Public Goods and their role in inclusive growth.
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 defining Public Goods with examples.
Body:
First, further elaborate on the role of Public Goods and its role in achieving inclusive growth – fostering inclusive growth by addressing market failures and promoting the well-being of the entire society etc. Cite examples to substantiate.
Next, write about limitations of the public goods in achieving inclusive growth.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a balanced opinion regarding the above.
Introduction
In economics, a public good refers to a commodity or service that is made available to all members of society. Typically, these services are administered by governments and paid for collectively through taxation.
Examples of public goods are education, infrastructure, lighthouses, flood control systems, knowledge, fresh air, national security, official statistics, etc.
Body
Characteristics
- public goods have two defining characteristics: they are nonexcludable and nonrivalrous.
- The first characteristic, that a public good is nonexcludable, means that it is costly or impossible to exclude someone from using the good.
- The second main characteristic of a public good—that it is nonrivalrous—means that when one person uses the public good, another can also use it.
Role of public goods
- Collective Benefits: Public goods benefit society as a whole, addressing collective needs such as national defense, public infrastructure, and environmental protection. These goods contribute to the overall well-being of the population.
- Equality and Accessibility: Public goods promote equality by ensuring that essential services and resources are accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay. This helps reduce disparities and fosters a more inclusive society.
- Market Failure Correction: Private markets may fail to efficiently provide public goods due to the free rider problem and the absence of clear property rights. Government intervention becomes necessary to ensure the provision of these goods.
- Infrastructure Development: Public goods often include critical infrastructure like roads, bridges, and public transportation systems. These facilitate economic activities, enhance connectivity, and contribute to the overall development of communities and regions.
- Environmental Stewardship: Protection of the environment, clean air, and water resources are considered public goods. Preserving these resources benefits everyone, and government involvement is essential to prevent overuse or degradation.
- Research and Knowledge: Public goods extend to knowledge and information, as seen in public education and scientific research. Open access to information contributes to societal progress and innovation.
- Public Health: Disease prevention, sanitation, and healthcare infrastructure are essential public goods. Ensuring the health and well-being of the population is a shared responsibility with public goods playing a central role.
- Security and Rule of Law: Public goods like a legal system and law enforcement contribute to social stability and the rule of law. These institutions help maintain order, protect individual rights, and create a conducive environment for economic and social activities.
- Cultural and Recreational Spaces: Public goods include cultural institutions, parks, and recreational areas that enhance the quality of life. These spaces foster community engagement, leisure, and cultural exchange.
- Long-Term Planning: Public goods often involve long-term planning and investments. Governments are better positioned to make sustained commitments to projects that may not yield immediate profits but contribute to the public welfare over time.
Limitations of Public goods
- Non-excludability:
- Public goods are non-excludable, meaning that individuals cannot be easily excluded from using the good. Once the good is provided, it is challenging to prevent non-contributors from benefiting. This can lead to the “free rider” problem, where individuals may choose not to contribute to the provision of the public good since they can enjoy its benefits without paying.
- Free Rider Problem:
- The free rider problem occurs when individuals benefit from a public good without paying for it. Since it is difficult to exclude people from using the good, some individuals may choose not to contribute, assuming that others will cover the costs. This can lead to under-provision or the complete failure of the public good.
- Difficulty in Pricing:
- Public goods lack a clear price mechanism because they are non-excludable and non-rivalrous. Determining a fair and efficient price for access to the good is challenging, which can complicate funding and resource allocation.
- Tragedy of the Commons:
- Public goods often involve shared resources, and in some cases, users may exploit them to the point of depletion. This is known as the tragedy of the commons. Overuse and degradation of common resources can occur when individuals pursue their self-interest without considering the negative impact on the overall resource.
- Underproduction by the Market:
- Due to the free rider problem and the difficulty in excluding non-contributors, the private market may under-produce public goods since there is a lack of incentives for private providers to invest in their provision.
- Risk of Government Failure:
- While government intervention is often necessary to address public goods problems, it is not without its challenges. Governments may make inefficient decisions, allocate resources poorly, or be subject to corruption, leading to a phenomenon known as government failure.
- Heterogeneity of Preferences:
- People have different preferences, and it can be challenging to determine what level of a public good should be provided to meet the diverse needs of the population. This can lead to disagreements and conflicts over the quantity and quality of the public good.
- Technological Change and Obsolescence:
- Public goods may become obsolete or less valuable due to technological advancements. Investments in public goods that do not adapt to changing technologies may result in wasted resources.
Conclusion
Addressing these limitations often requires a combination of government intervention, well-designed policies, and innovative solutions to encourage contributions and ensure the efficient provision of public goods.
.
Topic: Disaster and disaster management.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The southern and northern areas of Chennai experienced severe flooding; the only exceptions were the central parts. The neighbouring districts of Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, and Tiruvallur were equally affected.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the various causes of urban floods and ways to mitigate them
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 explaining what is an urban flood.
Body:
Next, Mention the man-made causes of urban floods such as lake bed encroachments, deforestation etc.
Next, write about the natural causes of urban floods.
Next, write about the measures needed to mitigate urban floods – Better planning, sustainable infrastructure, city wise strategic approach and recourse in the building codes and by-laws of cities to ensure proper drainage channels and provision for perforation of rainfall into ground water to avoid urban floods.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction
Urban flooding is the inundation of land or property in a built environment, particularly in more densely populated areas, caused by rainfall overwhelming the capacity of drainage systems, such as storm sewers. Due to rapid, unscientific, unplanned urbanization across the globe, the carrying capacity of urban areas is often breached leading to impending disasters. Floods and water-logging show that urban planners have paid scant respect to hydrology.
The southern and northern areas of Chennai experienced severe flooding; the only exceptions were the central parts. The neighbouring districts of Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, and Tiruvallur were equally affected.
Body
Increasing trend of urban flooding
- In many Indian cities, the urban floodshave become a frequent phenomenon in recent years.
- There has been an increasing trend of urban flood disasters in India over the past several years whereby major cities in India have been severely affected.
- The most notable amongst them are Hyderabad in 2000, Ahmedabad in 2001, Delhi in 2002 and 2003, Chennai in 2004, Mumbai in 2005, Surat in 2006, Kolkata in 2007, Jamshedpur in 2008, Delhi in 2009 and Guwahati and Delhi in 2010.
- In Patna, severe water logging in 2019 had brought the city to a halt, with hospitals and residential areas filled with waist-deep water.
- The recent cases of floods in Bangalore & Chennai in 2021 add to the list.
Urban flooding caused by both man-made & natural factors
- Excess Rainfall: The changing weather pattern resulted in more high intensity rain in fewer rain days.
- Inadequate Drainage Infrastructure: Urban areas generate high volumes of polluted run-off, often resulting in the breakdown of the urban drainage system..
- In the last 20 years, the Indian cities have grown manifold with its original built-up area.
- As the city grew beyond its original limits, not much was done to address the absence of adequate drainage systems.
- even moderate rainfall events can lead to flash floods in low-lying areas and can overwhelm drainage systems of cities.
- Poor maintenance of Stormwater drains:Stormwater drains in cities are generally in poor conditions, with operation and maintenance largely inadequate and ineffective.
- Stormwater drains are often choked with municipal solid waste and construction and demolition waste.
- One such example is the choked drain in south Delhi’s Taimoor Nagar area, where garbage has piled up over the years.
- Terrain Alteration: Lasting irreversible damage has been done to the city by property builders, property owners, and public agencies by flattening terrain and altering natural drainage routes.
- Reducing Seepage: Indian cities are becoming increasingly impervious to water, not just because of increasing built up but also because of the nature of materials used (hard, non-porous construction material that makes the soil impervious).
- Lax Implementation: In terms of non-structural deficiencies, there are no national / state level policy frameworks and / or guidelines for urban stormwater management in India.
- Urban infrastructure development missions — including the Smart Cities Mission, the Swachh Bharat Mission and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation — fail to provide a comprehensive vision and strategy to address issues of urban flooding.
- Encroaching Natural Spaces: Overlooking environmental regulationsin mega-projects is fairly common in the country. Open spaces and water bodies are victims of ‘planned’ encroachments. Urban streams and water bodies are compromised for urban land uses.
- A section of the Barapullah drain in Delhi, for example, is covered to construct a bus depot.
- Back in the 2000’s, Delhi’s Akshardham Temple Complex and Commonwealth Games Village (CWG) were built right on the Yamuna’s floodplain.
- The secondary runway of Chennai International Airport was also built right over the Adyar river. Most of the airport was constructed on the riverine floodplains, leading to massive flooding during the 2015 Chennai floods.
- Even recent developments such as Andhra Pradesh’s Amaravati Capital City Project, had major areas proposed to be built on the floodplains of Krishna river.
- A systemic change — which comprehensively resolves structural and non-structural issues — is required to address issues of urban flooding.
- Water-Sensitive Urban Design and Planning (WSUDP) and a green infrastructure approach for stormwater management:Identification, protect and use of open spaces and water bodies as critical green infrastructure to manage run-off and mitigate urban flooding. This must be done in addition to identification of urban catchments and prioritisation based on level of risk and vulnerability.
- Prepare drainage master plansfor cities with short-, medium-, long-term and periodic strategies to augment stormwater infrastructure in cities. This must be aided by state-of-the-art urban watershed modelling.
- Identify vulnerable and high-risk areasand prepare monsoon action plans for those areas, based on context. Informal areas are more vulnerable due to high built-up area density and lack of infrastructure. This needs to be aided by a state-of-the-art rain atlas for cities, providing spatial rainfall maps with 15-minute intervals. The rain atlas can also feed in as a flood-warning system.
- Formulate a nodal authority for urban stormwater managementwhich should be responsible for preparation of drainage masterplan at the local level and coordinate strategies with city master plan preparations.
- Modifications of design standards and detailed project reports to accommodate run-off control measuresbased on spatially variable rainfall statistics. Municipalities and development authorities can take the lead in implementing high visibility-high impact pilot projects that showcase the potential of capturing rainfall and flood-control measures.
- Prepare a national / state-level framework for urbandrainage, with modified service-level benchmarking, like percentage of municipal area under water-harvesting features, etc.
- Develop capacity of practitioners at the academic level by upgrading the curriculumto include WSUDP and green infrastructure strategies for infrastructure provision and continuous professional development of municipal functionaries and consultants in order to update with latest tools and techniques for planning and designing rain / stormwater harvesting features.
Conclusion
Disabling spawning of squatter settlements in sensitive zones by providing adequate affordable housing will reduce number of persons vulnerable to changing climate. All this means urban local bodies will continue to have a central role to play in cities’ battle with extreme weather events such as flooding and their overall resilience.
Value addition
Measures by cities
- Several cities in India have attempted to address issues regarding urban stormwater management.
- Mumbai launched a state-of-the-art Integrated Flood Warning System (IFLOWS). The warning system helps identifying imminent floods due to high rainfall or cyclones.
- The Chennai Flood Warning System — that provides spatial flood warnings for the city — was launched in October 2019.
- These systems help build resilience and can inform the public and authorities regarding risks. The India Meteorological Department launched the Mausam mobile application that provides rain forecasts including warnings.
- The Karnataka government launched the Meghasandesha mobile application, which provides real-time rainfall measurements, along with forecasts for rain, flooding and thunderstorms for capital city Bengaluru.
- Delhi has prepared several multi-dimensional strategies to address the issues of urban flooding.
- The city was the first to have a drainage master plan, prepared by the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.
- The Delhi Jal Board also took up the revival of 159 water bodies in the city, along with floodwater harvesting projects in the floodplains of Yamuna. All these measures have multiple economic, environmental, social and urban benefits for the citizens of Delhi.
- Both Chennai and Delhi also recommended for properties to implement rainwater harvesting structures as run-off control measures.
- The Odisha government’s housing and urban development department issued an advisory for implementing rainwater harvesting in public parks and open spaces in urban areas across the state.
General Studies – 4
Topic: role of Family society and educational institutions in inculcating values.
Difficulty level: Easy
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of Mission-2024 Secure.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the ways to strengthen moral character among civil servants.
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 context of family as foundation for value system.
Body:
Elaborate upon moral values like respect, truthfulness, tolerance, happiness, honesty, loyalty, peace, justice, responsibility, self-restraint are instilled in the thoughts, feelings and actions of the children and they function as ethics and principles that govern their actions in the life. Substantiate with examples.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing the importance of family in strengthening moral values.
Introduction
If there is one cohesive, cementing force at the heart of traditional Indian society it is our family system. It is a single, powerful strand which for centuries, has woven the tapestry of our rich, social fabric replete with diversity, into a whole.
Sachin Tendulkar’s emotional farewell speech during his retirement highlighted how important the role of family, friends and teachers is in the journey to a successful career.
Body
Role of family in transforming children
Despite changing values, the concept of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (world is one family) is ingrained well in our minds, especially in India.
- Cohesive society:One of the main advantages of a joint family system is the strong bonding it creates among siblings and other members of the family even while providing a sense of security to the children.
- Virtues: It is believed that children who grow up in an extended family with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins will imbibe the qualities of sharing, caring, empathy and understanding.
- Emotional intelligence:The bonding and bonhomie one finds in close knit joint families has a positive impact on the emotional quotient of children.
- Caring for the old:Family values play an important role in shaping the outlook of people. Respect and care for elders are among the central principles in Indian family system.
- Unity: It should also be remembered that the family system creates a strong bond of unity at an early age, paves the way for social cohesion and in a broader sense promotes national unity.
- Morals: Adopting our age-old philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which embodies the spirit of humanism, compassion, magnanimity and tolerance, family becomes the basic building block of a harmonious, inclusive society.
- Peaceful world view:Family can shape the world view, foster and reinforce the value system of the individuals and therefore, consequently, be the warp and weft of a sustainable, peaceful, inclusive, prosperous world.
Conclusion
Children who grow up in an extended family not only imbibe qualities of tolerance, patience, democratic attitude of accepting others’ viewpoints, but also develop sportsman’s spirit while playing with siblings and cousins. Various age-old traditions, customs and ways of living are all products of family system. In fact, the family system lays the seeds for social cohesion and democratic thinking.
Topic: Case Study
Many manual scavengers have lost their life due to toxic fumes in the pits and this inhuman practise has continued unabated. (250 words)
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- As an administrator what measures will you take to combat manual scavenging?
- What steps will you take as administrator for successful rehabilitation of manual scavengers like Titu?
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Difficulty level: Moderate
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of Mission-2024 Secure.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by giving context.
Body:
- Write about various steps that you will take to end the practise of Manual scavenging.
Mention the Write about various steps that you will take rehabilitate manual scavengers.Conclusion:
Conclude by summarising.
Introduction
The occupation of sanitation work in India is intrinsically linked with the system of hierarchy and exclusion: The Caste System. As B R Ambedkar pointed out, caste leads not only to the division of labour but of labourers as well.
All cleaning jobs are viewed as lowly and are assigned to people from the lowest rung of the social hierarchy. Dalits are mainly employed as sanitation workers – manual scavengers, drain cleaners, garbage collectors, and road sweepers.
Body
- Measures to combat manual scavenging
- Proper Identification: Manual scavenging is both a violation of human rights and a disgrace to humanity at large. State governments should therefore identify the workers who clean toxic sludge on a priority basis to ensure effective policy implementation.
- Proactive Involvement of Stakeholders: In order to tackle this problem it would be necessary to involve all the major skateholders involved.
- They include the District Administrative Officers, Chief Medical Officer, NGOs and Municipal Corporation among other relevant officials.
- The inclusion of the community around the areas that are most affected into the program is also of equal importance.
- Seeking information from officials and the community will help in coming up with an informed decision on the best way to proceed with the initiative.
- Mass Awareness: Conducting a workshop with locals would assist the officials in spreading awareness regarding the legal implications that are related to engaging in scavenging and having dry toilets as well as understanding the cause of the practice.
- The awareness campaigns should not only address the dangers of scavenging but also give the community affected an alternative method of making money.
- Locals can also be allowed to suggest solutions they feel comfortable with.
- Rehabilitating manual scavengers like Titu
- Rehabilitation and Compensation of Manual Scavengers: Creation of more employment is one of the most important rehabilitation processes.
- The jobs created would aim to offer equal opportunities to the locals. The jobs created also act as a means to assimilate manual scavengers into the community.
- In 2014, a Supreme Court order made it mandatory for the government to identify all those who died in sewage work since 1993 and provide 10 lakh each as compensation to their families.
- I will make sure Titu and more such families get this money to get away from scavenging
- Investing in Proper Human Waste Management: Solving solid and liquid waste segregation problems, as well as bio composting at Municipal level, are some of the ways through which we can utilise waste for the benefit of humanity.
- By treating waste as an asset, rather than a liability, manual scavenging will be reduced in the future making a way to Swacch Bharat and Swasth Bharat.
- Robotic Scavenging: With the help of robotics and artificial intelligence, machines can be devised that can replace humans in manual labour.
- Bandicoot is one such robotic machine that is engineered for cleaning any type of sewer manholes
- Towards Social Integration: The scavenging work generates little money that is not enough to educate a child. The child ends up dropping out and joining their parents in the same line of work.
- Implementation of schemes that would help these children finish their studies would be an effective strategy in discarding the theories and myths associated with manual scavenging.
Conclusion
Society must come together to prevent the “murder in the sewer”. To stop this menace, targeting the root of the problem is the key ie to remove all manual pits that require scavenging. Technology must be leveraged in this day and time to ensure such work is not done by human beings.
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