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.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Insights on India
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 1 and mentioned as part of Mission-2024 Secure timetable.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the characteristics of about Stupa architecture.
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 Stupa.
Body:
First, write about the major features of Stupa art – circular or square base, a hemispherical dome, a square railing, and a crowning spire, Buddha images, construction of Stupas, Chaityas and Viharas, non-Indian art in the artistic creations etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude by summarising.
Introduction
The stupa (“stupa” is Sanskrit for heap) is an important form of Buddhist architecture, though it predates Buddhism. It is generally considered to be a sepulchral monument—a place of burial or a receptacle for religious objects. At its simplest, a stupa is a relic-filled mound-like or hemispheric structure used for meditation. From the Vedic time onwards, stupas were used as burial mounds in India.
In Buddhism, the earliest stupas contained portions of the Buddha’s ashes, and as a result, the stupa began to be associated with the body of the Buddha. Adding the Buddha’s ashes to the mound of dirt activated it with the energy of the Buddha himself.
Body:
Stupa-art illustrates Buddhist ideals
- Sanchi, Sarnath, Amaravati and Bharhut stupas are the oldest examples of Early Buddhist stupa art. The Birth, Enlightenment, First Sermon and Great Departure are depicted using various motifs in these stupas.
- The Jataka stories were depicted on the torans of Stupas. The Jataka stories are a method of teaching Buddhists the lessons of karma, samsara and dharma. The overall structure of the Jataka Tales is about the cycle of samsara that the Buddha had to experience before reaching enlightenment.
- The main structure of the Great Stupa consisted of a flattened hemispherical dome, called an anda, placed atop a cylindrical base. Anda, represents the infinite dome of heaven and signifies the cycle of birth, death and rebirth.
- The harmika, located at the summit of the anda, symbolized the zenith beyond life and death (nirvana). Its resemblance to a sacrificial altar was of particular significance for the attainment of nirvana required the sacrifice of the self and the world (what was below needed to be sacrificed to reach the top).
- The parasol was always a distinguishing feature that implied royalty and dignity; it symbolized the sacred Tree of Life or enlightenment.
- The three elements of the chattra at Sanchi represented the Three Jewels of Buddhism: the Buddha, the Dharma (the Law), and the Sangha (the community of monks).
- The chhatra is thought to be a tree as explained by Govinda in the Psychocosmic symbolism of the Buddhist stupas : “the spiritual birth of the world starts in the mind of man, and the Tree of Life grows out of his own heart, the center of his world, and spreads into ever new infinities, into ever higher and purer realms, until it has turned into a Tree of Enlightenment.”
- Vedikas were repeated around the stupa and on the terrace on which the anda rested (medhi level). They served to demarcate the boundary of the sacred precinct with the secular world.
Development of Stupa architecture during post-Mauryan age
- In the Post Mauryan period, stupas became larger and more decorative and wood and brickwork were replaced by stone.
- Stupas were cylindrical drum shaped and octagon shaped pillars behind stupas without any decorations were also found.
- Torans (gateways) was first used by the The torans were decorated with intricate figures and the patterns.
- With the elaborations in stupa design, architects and sculptors had plenty of room to plan elaborations and carve out images on the Torans.
- Jataka stories became part of stupa decoration. E.g.: In Bahrut, the tall images of Yakshaand Yakshini along with narratives are found. In one narrative relief, depicting Queen Mayadevi’s
- Stupa-I at Sanchi has upper as well as lower pradakshinapatha, four toranas depicting jatakas. Advanced carving technique is used in these stupas.
- With the rise in the construction of stupas in various parts of the country, regional stylistic variations also began to emerge.
Conclusion:
It is thus apparent that the stupa, which was conceived as a simple monument for the Buddha’s corporeal relics, has over time transformed in its form and nomenclature and resulted in various types of structures all over the world. In some regions, even supplementary structures like monasteries have come up alongside stupas, fuelling the inception of new Buddhist orders and sects. However, the core ideology of the stupa remains constant throughout each new development, as does its symbolism and several crucial architectural features. These characteristics must, therefore, be given due consideration and importance while designing any stupa project.
Value addition
Present Day Stupas:
- The core ideology of the stupa is retained in terms of architectural design across millennia, and even to this day. However, the difference lies in the material used in the modern-day stupa.
- For instance, the Sambodhi Chaithya is a stupa built with reinforced concrete on a platform supported by two interlocking arches.
- Apart from this, stupa is also having access via Elevators.
- Patliputra karuna Stupa is having glass facade, along with void stupa concept so people can see the holy relics along with ramp design for entrance instead of stairs which makes it barrier free for everyone.
Topic: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
Difficulty level: Easy
Reference: Insights on India
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 1 and mentioned as part of Mission-2024 Secure timetable.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the importance of pre-historic rock art.
Directive word:
Elaborate – Give a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the context. You must be defining key terms wherever appropriate and substantiate with relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by writing about the pre-historic period as a phase of human history.
Body:
First, mention the major sites where re historic rock art is found in India making the most easily available cultural data. Draw a map of sites for better presentation.
Next, write about significance of pre historic rock art and insights it gives us in to pre-history. Substantiate with examples.
Conclusion:
Conclude by stressing on the need to preserve ancient rock art.
Introduction
The distant past when there was no paper or language or the written word, and hence no books or written documents, is called prehistory, or, as we often say, prehistoric times. Paintings and drawings were the oldest art forms practiced by human beings to express themselves using the cave wall as their canvas. The prehistoric art help us to understand about early human beings, their lifestyle, their food habits, their daily activities and, above all, they help us understand their mind—the way they thought.
Body
Prehistoric rock-cut architecture: Vital sources of Ancient History
- The Barabar caves located in the Jehanabad district in the state of Bihar, are the oldest surviving caves in India showcasing rock-cut architecture. Many pre-historic paintings show that they were mostly hunter gatherers.
- It throws light on the kind of tools used by prehistoric people and evolution from Palaeolithic to Chalcolithic era.
- Lomas Rishi caves They were constructed during Mauryan empire for Ajivika monks for their dwelling during rainy season. They consist of chaityas and viharas that mainly followed Hinayana style of architecture.
- Ajanta caves were constructed as a shelter for Hinayana monks.
- They are famous for their mural paintings that has developed into a separate painting school.
- They illustrate Jataka tales and put light on way of life during the period.
- Chaityas and Viharas: Other early cave temples were used by Buddhist and Jain monks as places of worship and residence found in western India.
- Eg: Karla Caves.
- Jainism and cave architecture: These can be dated between 6th century AD to 12th century AD
- Caves are found at different places like Ellora, Elephanta, Badami etc. There are variations in the architectural elements according to the religions.
- Sittanavasal caves are also examples of Jain caves.
Significance of prehistoric paintings in India
- The way people lived in those times is difficult to surmise. It was only until scholars began to discover the places where prehistoric people lived.
- Excavation at these places brought to light old tools, pottery, habitats, bones of ancient human beings and animals, and drawings on cave walls.
- By piecing together the information deduced from these objects and the cave drawings, scholars have constructed fairly accurate knowledge about what happened and how people lived in prehistoric times.
- These prehistoric paintings help us to understand about early human beings, their lifestyle, their food habits, their daily activities and, above all, they help us understand their mind—the way they thought.
- Prehistoric period remains are a great witness to the evolution of human civilization, through the numerous rock weapons, tools, ceramics and bones.
- More than anything else, the rock paintings are the greatest wealth the primitive human beings of this period left behind.
Importance of Megaliths
- Megaliths are a vital element of landscape and for historical reasons they are a sui generis monument, commemorating prehistorical cultures.
- Burial practices: Megaliths were constructed either as burial sites or commemorative (non-sepulchral) memorials. This helps identify various communities and contact between them by comparing burial practices.
- Socio-religious beliefs: Goods of daily use have been found in megaliths used as graves. This reflects the belief of megalith people in life after death and belief in existence of soul.
- Economic life: Goods related to hunting are found more as compared to agriculture. This signifies the fact that megalith people were hunter gatherers and did not practice advanced agriculture. Evidences of seeds of rice, wheat, millet, Barley, Pea etc. have been found in Megaliths.
- Polity: Fact that megalith construction required efforts of a group of people points towards an organized polity. Also these were not built for commoners. They signify the emergence of a ruling class.
- Technology: The range of iron artifacts recovered indicate that the megalithic people practiced a wide range of occupations and included carpenters, cobblers, bamboo craftsmen, lapidaries engaged in gemstone work, blacksmiths, coppersmiths and goldsmiths, proof of complex social organization.
- Megaliths find mention in Sangam literature and Buddhist work Manimeklai.
- At the same time, along with the remaining elements of the natural and cultural environment, they create a unique image of place identity, attracting large numbers of tourists.
Conclusion
Prehistoric art is a lens through which Archeologists have been able to predict the evolution of human kind with more accuracy. Various tools, objects and paintings tell us the type of social background of the people. It helps in verifying the social Darwinism as well as the growth trajectory of our ancestors. It is very important to preserve these sites, that have immense information stored through means of various art forms.
General Studies – 2
Topic: Issues relating to poverty and hunger.
Difficulty level: Tough
Reference: Live Mint , Insights on India
Why the question:
Informed policy decision-making requires a grasp of how the hard-up are faring on multiple counts. Economists need reliable measures of multidimensional poverty for global comparisons.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the measurement of poverty, reasons for poverty despite poverty alleviation measures.
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 the answer by giving context.
Body:
First, write about the various ways to measure poverty – National Sample Survey (NSS) based per capita consumption, Income based poverty line, consumption-based poverty line, Poverty line basket, Various committees and international standards etc.
Next, write about the reasons as to why despite poverty alleviation measures poverty is at a higher rate in India.
Next, write about ways to achieve poverty alleviation.
Conclusion:
Conclude with a way forward.
Introduction
Poverty can be defined as a condition in which an individual or household lacks the financial resources to afford a basic minimum standard of living. Economists and policymakers estimate “absolute” poverty as the shortfall in consumption expenditure from a threshold called the “poverty line”.
The official poverty line is the expenditure incurred to obtain the goods in a “poverty line basket” (PLB). Poverty can be measured in terms of the number of people living below this line (with the incidence of poverty expressed as the head count ratio). The “depth” of poverty indicates how far the poor are below the poverty line.
Body
Various ways to measure poverty
- Planning Commission Expert Group (1962),working group constituted by the Planning Commission formulated the separate poverty lines for rural and urban areas (₹20 and ₹25 per capita per year respectively).
- VM Dandekar and N Rath (1971),made the first systematic assessment of poverty in India, based on National Sample Survey (NSS) data.
- Unlike previous scholars who had considered subsistence living or basic minimum needs criteria as the measure of poverty line, VM Dandekar and N Rathwere of the view that poverty line must be derived from the expenditure that was adequate to provide 2250 calories per day in both rural and urban areas.
- Expenditure based Poverty line estimation,generated a debate on minimum calorie consumption norms.
- Alagh Committee (1979):Task force constituted by the Planning Commission under the chairmanship of YK Alagh, constructed a poverty line for rural and urban areas on the basis of nutritional requirements and related consumption expenditure.
- Poverty estimates for subsequent years were to be calculated by adjusting the price level for inflation.
- Lakdawala Committee (1993):Task Force chaired by DT Lakdawala, based on the assumption that the basket of goods and services used to calculate Consumer Price Index-Industrial Workers (CPI-IW) and Consumer Price Index- Agricultural Labourers (CPI-AL) reflect the consumption patterns of the poor, made the following suggestions:
- Consumption expenditureshould be calculated based on calorie consumption as earlier.
- State specific poverty linesshould be constructed and these should be updated using the CPI-IW in urban areas and CPI-AL in rural areas.
- Discontinuation of scalingof poverty estimates based on National Accounts Statistics.
- Tendulkar Committee (2009): Expertgroup constituted by the Planning Commission and, chaired by Suresh Tendulkar, was constituted to review methodology for poverty estimation and to address the following shortcomings of the previous methods:
- Obsolete Consumption Pattern:Consumption patterns were linked to the 1973-74 poverty line baskets (PLBs) of goods and services, whereas there were significant changes in the consumption patterns of the poor since that time, which were not reflected in the poverty estimates.
- Inflation Adjustment:There were issues with the adjustment of prices for inflation, both spatially (across regions) and temporally (across time).
- Health and Education Expenditure:Earlier poverty lines assumed that health and education would be provided by the state and formulated poverty lines accordingly.
Various poverty alleviation programs in India since Independence:
- Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP)
- Jawahar Rozgar Yojana/Jawahar Gram Samriddhi Yojana
- Rural Housing – Indira Awaas Yojana
- Food for Work Programme
- National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS)
- Annapurna
- Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana (SGRY)
- Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) 2005
- National Rural Livelihood Mission: Ajeevika (2011)
- National Urban Livelihood Mission
- Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana
- Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana
Assessment
- However, none resulted in any radical change in the ownership of assets, process of production and improvement of basic amenities to the needy.
- Scholars, while assessing these programmes, state three major areas of concern which prevent their successful implementation. Due to unequal distribution of land and other assets, the benefits from direct poverty alleviation programmes have been appropriated by the non-poor.
- Compared to the magnitude of poverty, the amount of resources allocated for these programmes is not sufficient. Moreover, these programmes depend mainly on government and bank officials for their implementation.
- Since such officials are ill motivated, inadequately trained, corruption prone and vulnerable to pressure from a variety of local elites, the resources are inefficiently used and wasted. There is also non-participation of local level institutions in programme implementation.
- Government policies have also failed to address the vast majority of vulnerable people who are living on or just above the poverty line. It also reveals that high growth alone is not sufficient to reduce poverty.
- Without the active participation of the poor, successful implementation of any programme is not possible
Measures needed
- Immediate support package will need to quickly reach both the existing and new poor.
- While existing safety net programs can be mobilized to get cash into the pockets of some of the existing poor relatively quickly, this is not the case for the new poor.
- In fact, the new poor are likely to look different from the existing poor, particularly in their location (mostly urban) and employment (mostly informal services, construction, and manufacturing).
- the identification of poor and vulnerable groups is need of the hour.
- India should consider fixing a universal basic income in the post-Covid period through a combination of cash transfers, expansion of MGNREGA, and introduction of an urban employment guarantee scheme
- Employment generation for the masses:
- A large fiscal stimulus along with intermediate informal employment insurgency through MGNREGA and other employment generation programmes are urgent to rein the adverse impact of covid-19 on the welfare of the masses.
- Multilateral global institutions must support the developing nations:
- Oxfam is calling on world leaders to agree on an Emergency Rescue Package of 2.5 trillion USD paid for through the immediate cancellation or postponement of 1 trillion in debt repayments, a 1 trillion increase in IMF Special Drawing Rights (international financial reserves), and an additional 500 billion in aid.
- An effective response in support of poor and vulnerable households will require significant additional fiscal resources.
- Providing all the existing and new extreme poor with a cash transfer of $1/day (about half the value of the international extreme poverty line) for a month would amount to $20 billion —or $665 million per day over 30 days.
- Given that impacts are likely to be felt by many non-poor households as well and that many households are likely to need support for much longer than a month, the sum needed for effective protection could be far higher.
- Decision-makers need timely and policy-relevant information on impacts and the effectiveness of policy responses.
- This can be done using existing, publicly available data to monitor the unfolding economic and social impacts of the crisis, including prices, service delivery, and economic activity, as well as social sentiment and behaviours.
- In addition, governments can use mobile technology to safely gather information from a representative sample of households or individuals.
- Phone surveys can collect information on health and employment status, food security, coping strategies, access to basic services and safety nets and other outcomes closely related to the risk of falling (further) into poverty.
Conclusion and way forward
- The Global Multidimensional Poverty Index-2018released by the UN noted that 271 million people moved out of poverty between 2005-06 and 2015-16 in India. The poverty rate in the country has nearly halved, falling from 55% to 28% over the ten-year period. Still a big part of the population in India is living Below the Poverty Line.
- Rapid economic growth and the use of technology for social sector programs have helped make a significant dent in extreme poverty in the country.
- Despite rapid growth and development, an unacceptably high proportion of our population continues to suffer from severe and multidimensional deprivation. Thus, a more comprehensive and inclusive approach is required to eradicate poverty in India.
Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Live Mint
Why the question:
n India’s Lok Sabha elections, the number of women contestants seats increased from 3% of all parliamentary candidates in 1957 to 6% in 2009 and further to 9% in 2019.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the overall impact of empowering women.
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 defining women empowerment in India.
Body:
First, write about the need for women empowerment.
Next, write about the importance of women empowerment – Women’s active participation in all spheres of life contributes to the creation of more inclusive, equitable, and resilient democracies that reflect the diverse needs and aspirations of their populations.
Next, write about the steps required to bridge the above to achieve empowerment in a true sense.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction
Women empowerment refers to the process of granting women the tools, resources, and opportunities to participate fully in social, economic, and political spheres. It involves dismantling gender-based barriers, fostering equal rights, and promoting women’s autonomy and self-determination.
Body
Need & importance of women empowerment
- Gender Inequality: Despite progress, India still faces significant gender disparities in various fields, including education, employment, and healthcare. Empowering women is crucial to addressing these inequalities.
- Economic Growth: Women constitute a substantial part of the population. By empowering them economically, India can unlock a vast pool of talent and contribute to overall economic development.
- Social Development: Women play a pivotal role in shaping family and community dynamics. Empowering women can lead to improved health and education outcomes for the entire society.
- Legal Rights: Enhancing women’s empowerment is essential for ensuring that they have equal access to legal rights, protecting them from discrimination, violence, and ensuring their participation in decision-making processes.
- Education: Despite progress, gender gaps persist in education. Women empowerment is crucial for promoting and sustaining female education, which, in turn, contributes to overall social progress.
- Political Representation: Increasing women’s participation in politics is vital for a balanced and inclusive decision-making process. Empowering women politically can lead to more representative and responsive governance.
- Health and Well-being: Empowered women are more likely to have access to healthcare and make informed decisions about their well-being, positively impacting the health of families and communities.
- Cultural Change: Women empowerment challenges traditional gender roles and stereotypes, fostering a more progressive and inclusive societal mindset.
- Workforce Diversity: Empowering women in the workforce contributes to diversity, enhancing innovation and productivity. It also ensures that the talents of half the population are not overlooked.
- Global Standing: In the global context, promoting women’s empowerment reflects positively on a country’s image, signaling commitment to equality and human rights.
Measures needed
- Education: Ensure universal access to quality education, promoting literacy and skills training for women.
- Employment Opportunities: Create equal job opportunities, address wage gaps, and encourage entrepreneurship among women.
- Legal Reforms: Strengthen and enforce laws protecting women’s rights, including measures against gender-based violence and discrimination.
- Healthcare Access: Improve healthcare infrastructure and ensure women’s access to reproductive health services.
- Political Participation: Promote women’s representation in politics through quotas and awareness campaigns.
- Financial Inclusion: Facilitate women’s access to financial resources, banking, and credit.
- Awareness Campaigns: Conduct campaigns to challenge stereotypes, promote gender sensitivity, and foster societal support for women’s empowerment.
- Technology Inclusion: Bridge the digital gender gap, providing women with access to technology and digital literacy.
- Community Support: Encourage community engagement to break down societal barriers and promote women’s empowerment.
- Skill Development: Invest in skill development programs to enhance women’s professional capabilities and economic independence.
Conclusion
Empowering women enhances their ability to make choices, pursue education and careers, access healthcare, and contribute meaningfully to society. It is a crucial step towards achieving gender equality, challenging stereotypes, and creating an inclusive environment that recognizes and values the diverse strengths and perspectives of women. Women empowerment is essential for fostering a just and equitable society.
General Studies – 3
Topic: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life
Difficulty level: Tough
Reference: The Hindu , Live Mint
Why the question:
On January 6 evening, a stream of commands transmitted by scientists and engineers of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) were translated by a computer onboard the Aditya-L1 spacecraft into manoeuvres that guided it into orbit around an imaginary point in space.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the importance of India’s Aditya-L1 mission, examine its scientific goals, and assess how the mission can enhance our understanding of space weather and its effects on Earth’s technology and environment.
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 introducing the Aditya-L1 mission and its primary objectives.
Body:
First, write about the significance of the Aditya-L1 mission in the context of solar research and space exploration – studying the Sun’s outermost layer (corona), solar wind, and magnetic fields, and how these objectives contribute to our understanding of space weather.
Next, write about potential contributions of the Aditya-L1 mission to space weather forecasting and its impact on Earth, including its effects on technology, communication systems, and the environment.
Conclusion:
Conclude by summarising.
Introduction
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched India’s first space mission dedicated to studying the sun, in the form of a spacecraft named Aditya-L1 in Sep 2023. Aditya-L1 aims to study the Sun from a halo orbit around the Lagrangian point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth systems, about 1.5 million km away from Earth.
Recently, a stream of commands transmitted by scientists and engineers of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) were translated by a computer onboard the Aditya-L1 spacecraft into manoeuvres that guided it into orbit around an imaginary point in space.
Body
Significance of Aditya-L1 mission
- It studies the Sun, its upper atmospheric dynamics(chromosphere and corona), and understand the physics of the solar corona and its heating mechanism for the five-year time period.
- The mission provides more detailed information due to the absence of Earth’s atmosphere; helps understand solar phenomena; enables monitoring of solar events and their potential impacts on Earth.
- Scientific Understanding:The mission’s primary objective is to deepen our understanding of the Sun, its radiation, magnetic fields, and the flow of particles.
Potential contributions of the Aditya-L1 mission to space weather forecasting and its impact on Earth
- Space Weather Forecasting
- Aditya L1 will study the solar corona (outer part), photosphere (sun’s surface), chromosphere (a plasma layer in between), etc., to better understand solar flares and other events that can impact earthly weather and risk damaging other satellites in orbit.
- By studying the Sun’s behaviour, the mission can contribute to predicting space weather events, such as solar flares, that can disrupt satellite communications and other technologies on Earth.
- Advance alerts of radiation bursts, for example, could permit mitigative action.
- Tackling Climate Change
- Moreover, with “thermal geo-engineering” now seen as more than just a last-resort or long-shot response to climate change, the more we know about the sun’s behaviour, the better it will be for everyone.
- Technological Advancement
- Developing a space-based observatory to study the Sun demonstrates India’s technological prowess in space exploration and adds to its reputation in the global space community.
- Future endeavours
- Considering the solar wind affects space weather and in turn the digital components of spacecraft, Aditya-L1’s findings could inform future space missions as well.
- International Collaboration
- Participating in solar research aligns with international efforts to understand the Sun and its effects.
- Education and Inspiration
- The mission inspires future scientists, engineers, and researchers by showcasing India’s achievements in space science and encouraging the pursuit of space-related careers.
- Data for Innovation
- The collected data can lead to innovations in technology, materials science, and various other fields that can benefit India’s technological landscape.
Conclusion
ISRO has also demonstrated its ability to handle complex navigational tasks in interplanetary missions (including the lunar space programme, Chandrayaan) with help from foreign space agencies, and the attendant skills will be brought to bear on Aditya-L1 as well. Taken together, while Aditya-L1 seems relatively simple given ISRO’s recent achievements, it gives the Indian space programme and the national solar physics community one more boundary to push.
General Studies – 4
Topic: moral and political attitudes.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Philosophical Mondays’ in Mission-2024 Secure.
Directive word:
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:
Give a simple elaboration on the concept of public morality.
Body:
Write about aspects such as what is accepted within the realms of public morality, is it static and indestructible by quoting few examples. Influence of public morality on legislations and the changes with time such as legalisation of same-sex marriage etc.
Next, write about the various factors affecting public morality.
Conclusion:
Conclude by stating that society evolves with time and thus the public morality also takes its shape, however certain historically sustainable values must be preserved as well.
Introduction
A morality is a system of principles and values concerning people’s behaviour, which is generally accepted by a society or by a particular group of people. Public morality refers to moral and ethical standards enforced in a society, by law or police work or social pressure, and applied to public life, to the content of the media, and to conduct in public places.
Body
Public morality is concerned with collective obligations, and is generally based on the notion of consequentialism. For instance, Public morality often means regulation of sexual matters, including prostitution and homosexuality, but also matters of dress and nudity, pornography, acceptability in social terms of cohabitation before marriage, and the protection of children.
It is a main justification for censorship; it can lead to campaigns against profanity, and so be at odds with freedom of speech. Gambling is generally controlled: casinos have been considered much more of a threat than large-scale lotteries or football pools. Public drunkenness is quite unacceptable in some societies, and legal control of consumption of alcohol is often justified in terms of public morality, just as much as for medical reasons or to limit alcohol-related crime.
Abortion is sometimes treated as an aspect of public morality, even if it is legally defined, regulated by medical professionals, and almost entirely hidden from public view. AIDS as a health policy issue is linked to public morality in a complicated manner.
Views on public morality do change over time. Public views on which things are acceptable often move towards wider tolerance.
Various factors affecting Public morality
- Social & Religious mores. Eg. Animal slaughter still continues
- Inertial of the People to change their belief & attitude. Eg.: attitude towards homosexuality, transgenders etc.
- Lack of Scientific temper. E.g: a genetically impaired person is seen as a God’s curse
- Poor will of legislators and elected.
- Ineffective implementation of law mechanism
- Lack of ethical education
Conclusion
Public morality has been on a decline due to a host of factors such as legal, corruption, malpractices, cultural etc. Citizens in a political community must be bound together neither by feelings nor by self-interest but by a commitment to common values discovered by public reason — values such as political freedom, solidarity, shared traditions and cultural heritage.
Topic: laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance;
Difficulty Level: Easy
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Philosophical Mondays’ in Mission-2024 Secure.
Key Demand of the question:
Using the metaphor of the moral compass to describe conscience, our inner sense of right and wrong offers a framework to guide our actions.
Directive:
Elaborate – Give a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the particular context. You must be defining key terms where ever appropriate, and substantiate with relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by describing what you understand by moral compass (conscience) which governs the actions you take in day-to-day life.
Body:
Elaborate on how the moral compass aids in deciding what right from is wrong. Use examples to substantiate your points.
Conclusion:
Complete the answer by bring out how the moral compass prevents us acting purely from self-interest and helps us live a life of integrity.
Introduction
Moral compass is a term used to describe our inner sense of right and wrong offers a framework to guide our actions. Conscience is inner moral sense of a person which guides him/her to regulate his behaviour. Voice of conscience corresponds to an inner voice that judges your behaviour. Voice of conscience is the source of ethical decision making for many.
Body
Conscience can be defined as something within each of us that tells us what is right and what is wrong. Therefore, if one uses his/her conscience when making decisions it would be guided by what is the right thing to do and what is wrong.
The traditional test is to apply ethical decision-making methods such as Rights Theory that obligates us to respect the rights of others and live up to our obligations towards them. Another approach is to evaluate the possible benefits and harms of alternative courses of action on stakeholders who may be affected by our possible actions and choose the one that maximizes net benefits.
- Our conscience is our inner guide and it helps you figure out how to make good choices. As we grow up, we learn right from wrong. Our conscience is the thought and feeling we have that tells us whether something is a right or wrong thing to do or say. Thus voice of Conscience is a consistent guide to ethical decision making.
- A person can prepare himself/herself to heed to the voice of conscience by:
- Pausing and thinking about the dimensions of issue.
- Practicing the power of silence.
- Meditating and prayer.
- Freeing oneself from external influences and selfish interests.
- A human being always comes across ethical dilemmas in the decision making the process. Voice of Conscience acts as the guide for taking correct decisions when we have to choose between competing sets of principles in a given, usually undesirable or perplexing, situation. Example: Helping accident victim on your way to an interview.
- The voice of conscience of an individual help in analysing the situation from different perspectives and help in taking the right decision.
- Voice of Conscience helps in avoiding Conflicts of interest for better decision making. It can help in deciding between personal gains and public welfare.
- Voice of Conscience is our ability to make a practical decision in light of ethical values and principles.
- Voice of Conscience is a person’s moral compass of right and wrong as well as the consciousness of one’s actions. Expressions such as ‘gut feeling’ and ‘guilt’ are often applied in conjunction with a conscience.
- The voice of conscience might suggest different principles and different behaviours to different situations. But it for a moment help individual from not doing wrong based on universal values.
Conclusion
Acting purely from self-interest, at best, keeps us parallel to the original position and can turn our compass south if our actions do harm to others. We avoid going in that direction by living a life of integrity. We also need to understand and appreciate why we should consider the needs of others before acting. We could simply go back to The Golden Rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated. None of us, presumably, wants to be disrespected so we should treat others respectfully.
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