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APPROACH – ANSWER: G. S. MAINS MOCK TEST - 1839 (2022)

1. An independent umbrella body that brings the various central investigative agencies under one
roof holds the key to shoring up their credibility. Discuss. (150 words) 10
Approach:
• Giving a brief introduction, discuss the need for an independent umbrella body.
• Elaborate the features of the proposed body.
• Conclude accordingly.
Answer:
India has a host of investigative agencies such as CBI, Enforcement Directorate, NIA, SFIO, which
are responsible not only for the country’s law enforcement and national security, but also achieving
military, and foreign policy objectives. While the multiplicity of central investigative agencies are
critical to achieve various objectives, but this creates some issues, at times.
Recently, the Chief Justice of India called for the creation of an independent umbrella institution by
bringing these central agencies under one roof. The need arises because of the following reasons:
• To address system related issues: Issues such as lack of infrastructure and manpower,
inhumane working conditions, lack of modern equipment, questionable methods of procuring
evidence and the lack of accountability hampers functioning of these agencies. Creating an
umbrella institution can help in addressing these operational issues.
• To introduce parliamentary oversight: These agencies are not guided by any comprehensive
law, which leads to various issues. The recent withdrawal of general consent by many states to
CBI is a case in point. It has hampered the normal functioning of the CBI. Creation of an umbrella
body under a statute clearly defining its powers, functions and jurisdiction will inject a sense of
responsibility.
• To end multiplicity of proceedings: Presently, a single incident gets investigated by multiple
agencies, often leading to dilution of evidence, contradiction in depositions, and prolonged
incarceration of innocents. The umbrella agency will end multiplicity of proceedings.
• To uphold democratic values and rebuild public trust: There are arguments that
investigative agencies sometimes succumb to political pressure due to organizational
constraints. Therefore, an independent body working along constitutional lines is needed to
strengthen democratic framework. Creating an independent agency would also help in
reclaiming social legitimacy and public trust.
The proposed umbrella independent investigative agency should have these features:
• The agency should be created under a comprehensive law clearly defining its powers,
functions and jurisdictions.
• It should be headed by an independent and impartial authority, appointed by a committee
akin to the one, which appoints the Director of CBI.
• Legislative provision for an annual audit of the performance of the institution by the
appointing committee will act as a reasonable check and balance.
• Also, there is a need for regular upgradation of knowledge, deployment of state-of-the-art
technology, and international exchange programmes to learn the best practices.

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 • The proposed legislative framework for the umbrella investigative body needs to be replicated
by the States as the burden of investigation is primarily on the state police.
An umbrella body is proposed to ensure that the investigative apparatus becomes neither a vehicle
for conspiracy nor a suppressor of the traditional liberties. The proposal to create an independent
umbrella body can go a long way in building citizens' faith in investigative agencies in India.

2. Discuss the significance of the Doctrines of Pith and Substance and Colourable Legislation with
respect to Centre-state relations in India. (150 words) 10
Approach:
• Giving a brief introduction, explain in brief the Doctrine of Pith and Substance and the Doctrine
of Colourable Legislation.
• Highlight their importance for Center-State relations.
• Conclude accordingly.
Answer:
Federalism is one of the basic features of the Indian Constitution. The Constitution of India provides
for a division of legislative powers and functions between the Union and different constituent units
of the country. However, there arise several Center-State conflicts related to certain matters, which
are resolved by courts through various doctrines like Doctrine of Pith and substance as well as the
Doctrine of Colourable Legislation.
Doctrine of Pith and substance: The phrase “Pith and Substance” means true nature and
character. This doctrine determines whether a specific law relating to a particular subject falls
within the legitimate power of a legislature. In such cases, the court looks at the substance of the
matter. Thus, for example, if the substance falls within Union List, then the incidental encroachment
by the law on the State List does not make it invalid.
Doctrine of Colourable Legislation basically states that when anything is prohibited directly, it is
also prohibited indirectly. It depicts the notion that legislation cannot be used under ‘color’ or
‘guise’ of power, which was conferred for one purpose and used for some other purpose, which is
otherwise not valid.
Significance of Doctrine of Pith and Substance and Doctrine of Colourable Legislation for
Center-State relations
• Both doctrines provide a degree of flexibility in the otherwise rigid scheme of distribution of
powers under 7th Schedule of the Constitution.
• It prevents absolute intrusion of legislative powers by evaluating the ‘content’ of
enactment and then determining which list the specific subject matter fell within.
○ While the Doctrine of Pith and Substance is helpful in determining the List under which a
particular legislation falls, the ‘colourable legislation theory’ implies a restriction of the
legislature's law-making power and to check the transgression of legislative
authorities.
○ Doctrine of Colourable Legislation is built upon the founding stones of the Doctrine of
Separation of Power.
• The doctrine of Colourable Legislation is a tool devised and applied by the Supreme Court to
interpret Constitutional provisions to avoid any unjust or fraudulent use of Indian laws.
Both the doctrines have been relevant in a number of cases in which the Centre and the States have
fought for legislative primacy. Overlaps may exist merely because one legislation is linked to
another, either directly or indirectly. It is therefore important that the courts continue using these
doctrines to carry out their responsibilities without error.

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3. Do you agree with the view that there should be simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and
the State Legislative Assemblies in India? Discuss with suitable arguments. (150 words) 10
Approach:
• Provide a context to the debate of simultaneous elections in India.
• Give arguments in favor of conducting simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and the State
legislature.
• Also, give arguments against the idea.
• Conclude appropriately.
Approach:
The first general elections to the Lok Sabha and all state legislative assemblies were held together in
1951-21 and this practice was continued till 1967. With the premature dissolution of some State
assemblies in 1968 and 1969, this cycle was disrupted.
This idea has again gained ground when the Prime Minister of India, in recent past, has suggested
holding simultaneous elections to panchayats, urban local bodies, State Legislative Assemblies and
Lok Sabha.
Arguments in favour of simultaneous elections
• Saves public money: Elections in India incur huge visible and invisible financial costs as
administrative staff, teachers, and other government functionaries and infrastructure are put to
electioneering. Holding simultaneous elections will help in saving expenditure, which can be
used for developmental purposes.
• Reduced burden on security forces: Central Armed Police Forces are pressed into service for
ensuring safe and secure elections which occur on a frequent basis. This has a detrimental
impact on their training, maintaining law and order, and internal security.
• Better utilization of administrative machinery: During the elections, a significant proportion
of the state and union administrative machinery is engaged in election related work. Holding
simultaneous elections would ensure that the administrative machinery is engaged in
development activities rather than electioneering.
• Effective policy making and implementation: Having simultaneous elections will help the
government on policy matters while reducing policy paralysis and overall deficit in governance
due to the hindrances put up by the Model Code of Conduct.
• Other benefits: Political parties would not require recurrent funding and this would reduce the
manipulative practices attached to fund raising by the political parties. Also, it may lead to
increased voter turn around.
Arguments against holding simultaneous elections
• Legal issues: Currently, the Election Commission is mandated to hold the election within six
months of a premature dissolution of the House, which might not be possible in the case of
simultaneous elections. Therefore, a constitutional amendment would be required to give effect
to the recommendation of simultaneous elections.
• Governance issue: It is expected that during simultaneous elections, national level issues
would take priority over regional and local level issues. This would be against the interests of
the States and also negatively affect the welfare of the local populace.
• Less accountability of representatives: Having to face the electorate more than once every 5
year enhances the accountability of politicians and keeps them on their toes.
• Challenges of Logistics: In such a large and diverse country like India, VVPAT, EVMs, and
provisions have to be made at each booth before the elections in one go. This would pose huge
challenges related to logistics.
• Threat to internal security: Engaging security across the country at the same time in elections
can jeopardize internal security.
• Favorable to the party in power at the center: There is a fear that the local and regional
parties may lose relevance as the national level parties with greater financial, organizational,
and administrative capacity would prevail over them in a simultaneous election.

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 To put this idea into action, all the stakeholders, including the state governments, the regional
parties, and the Election Commission should be brought on board to build a consensus. In this
regard, a start can be made by holding simultaneous elections for panchayats, municipal bodies and
State Legislative Assemblies.

4. Discuss the need for codification of parliamentary privileges in India, in light of the uncertainty
and ambiguity around them. (150 words) 10
Approach:
• Introduce the answer by explaining the concept of Parliamentary privileges.
• Discuss the need for codification of Parliamentary privileges in India in light of the uncertainty
around them.
• Conclude accordingly.
Answer:
Parliamentary privileges are certain rights and immunities enjoyed by the Members of Parliament
(MPs) under Article 105 of the Constitution, individually and collectively, so that they can
‘effectively discharge their functions’. The privileges include freedom of speech in House
proceedings, freedom from arrest in civil cases for a certain period when the House is in session,
prohibiting publishing of proceedings etc.
The Constitutional provision does not exhaustively enumerate the privileges of the two Houses. It
specifically defines only a few privileges, but, for the rest, it assimilates the position of a House to
that of the British House of Commons, which gives rise to ambiguities and uncertainties.
In this context, there is a need for codification of Parliamentary privileges in India, as:
• Codification would help put forth checks and balances on the privileges and prevent their
misuse in terms of curbing the freedom of the press unnecessarily.
• It would ensure that the principle of natural justice prevails. Currently, the MPs have not
only the right to be the judge in their own case but also decide what is considered a breach and
what punishment should be given for that breach.
• Written privileges would strictly subject it to the fundamental rights of the citizens and
would come under the judicial purview, thereby preventing absolute sovereignty of the
Parliament over the privileges.
• The House of Commons, from which the Parliamentary privileges are inspired, has itself
broken from the past - acts and utterances defamatory of the Parliament or its members are
no longer treated as privilege questions.
• It would prevent frequent disruptions in the Parliament, since the MPs would not have
unbridled power of immunity to enable shouting and creating ruckus over petty matters in
order to grab public attention.
• The expression “until so defined” under Article 105 does not mean an absolute power not to
define privileges at all.
• It would strengthen the right of information of the citizens with respect to things said or done
during the Parliamentary sessions, as the ambiguity with respect to what information
constitutes or does not constitute breach of privileges would be clearly demarcated.
However, there is no doubt about the fact that privileges are required for enabling the legislators to
perform their functions independently and effectively as well as for maintaining the dignity, honour
and authority of the Houses. However, this can be ensured through codification as well. Proper
checks and balances and responsible use of power are in line with the democratic principles of our
nation. Thus, popular sovereignty as opposed to Parliamentary sovereignty must reign supreme in
our polity.

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5. While the Civil Services Board can be a step forward in making the Indian bureaucracy more
effective, it has its own issues which need to be addressed. Analyse. (150 words) 10
Approach:
• Give a brief introduction about the Civil Services Board and its objectives.
• Discuss how it isa good step in making the bureaucracy more effective.
• Analyse the issues associated with it.
• Conclude accordingly.
Answer:
The Civil Services Board (CSB) is a panel formed to regulate transfers and postings of higher
ranking civil services officers in the country. It is headed by the cabinet secretary at the national
level and chief secretaries at the state level. The Department of Personnel Rules 2016 made it
mandatory for all states to set up such boards, following the recommendations of the Hota
Committee (2004), 2nd ARC and Supreme Court (SC) judgment in T S R Subramanian and
others v. Union of India case, 2013.
The creation of Civil Services Boards would make the bureaucracy more effective in the following
ways:
• It would help in shielding the bureaucracy from political interference and put an end to
frequent and arbitrary transfers of civil servants, which is a major reason for the declining
morale of civil servants and standards of administration.
• Security of tenure and politicization would provide stability to the civil servants, which can
ensure good governance in the country. Moreover, it will ensure fair postings for all officers.
• It would establish an accountability mechanism, which promotes transparency and
accountability in administration.
• The public administrators will feel safe and try to stick to the rules instead of pleasing political
bosses.
• Shielding from political interference would help bring neutrality and objectiveness in the
functioning of civil servants.
• Longer and stable tenures would result in better learning outcomes for public servants and
improved service delivery for people.
Issues associated with it:
• Recommendatory nature: The governments may amend, modify or reject the
recommendations of the civil services board for the reasons to be recorded in writing.
• Lack of Compliance: Only 20 states have formed a CSB so far, latest being Punjab in 2020.
States such as Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have not complied with the mandatory rules on
setting up the board.
• Conflict of Interest: The board is to be headed by the bureaucrats who might have a conflict of
interest in the process.
• Less accountability to legislators: Stability of tenure may create functional and administrative
problems. The officers may overstep the authority and jurisdiction of the state government. It
may make them less answerable and accountable to legislators.
Despite the SC directive and Centre guidelines, few states are yet to get a Civil Services Board.
Therefore, the need is to ensure strict adherence to these guidelines. Further, the governments
shouldn't reject the recommendations of the Civil Services Board on frivolous grounds. Establishing
Civil Service Boards would ensure the independence of the civil service, leading to their impartial
and non-partisan functioning, which is a prerequisite for good governance in India.

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6. Highlight the potential of India Digital Ecosystem Architecture (IndEA) 2.0 in transforming the
ecosystem of service delivery in India. (150 words) 10
Approach:
• Introduce the answer with IndEA 2.0 and its objective.
• Highlight how the digital service delivery can be enhanced as envisaged in the blueprint of
IndEA.
• Conclude accordingly.
Answer:
The transition of systems from electronic to digital is continuously impacted by new technologies,
new architectures, new delivery models and above all, a new user experience. India Digital
Ecosystem Architecture (InDEA) 2.0, in that context, is a framework that promotes the evolution
of digital ecosystems through a set of principles and architectural patterns that inform, guide, and
enable the development of large digital systems, with a focus on the public sector.
Potential of IndEA 2.0 in transforming digital ecosystem:
• Standards Setting: It emphasizes upon adoption of standards, optimal exploitation of digital
assets applicable to the ecosystem and defines methods to ensure compliance with the same be
it data sharing, Cloud first, digital services or user experiences.
• Interoperability across ecosystem: IndEA 2.0 will provide a platform for exchange of services
and interoperability between different sector specific digital programs of the government like
National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR), Unified Health Interface (UHI), Account
Aggregator Framework and ‘India Digital Ecosystem for Agriculture' i.e. the Agristack, thus
integrating them through open protocols.
• Decentralised model of citizen-centric services: The IndEA 2.0 recognizes the paradigm shift
in technology architecture by moving from systems to ecosystems and from platforms to
protocols. It envisages digital governance as a set of building blocks that can be combined to
create citizen-centric services.
• Enhance Digital Commons through agile mechanism: It envisions the framework to evolve in
an agile and iterative manner by creating ‘Digital Commons’ using open software, open
Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), open standards, open licenses etc. This enables
these platforms to interact with each other; and allow public and private actors to build
solutions on top of this platform.
• Participatory design: It envisages participatory design and end-user engagement at all stages
of the digital initiative through a set of robust rules of engagement for the ecosystem players. It
seeks to promote open communities on all major themes and major initiatives of e-Government
and digital transformation.
• Federated architecture: It advocates for a Federated Architecture model for designing digital
ecosystems. This approach is likely to prevent risks such as hacking of data 'honeypots' and
surveillance thus ensuring technology independence.
• Module based approach: It recognizes that building capacity within government for a new
generation of GovTech requires new competencies and proposes a module-based approach to
upgrade skills and change mindsets across government.
IndEA 2.0 envisages to enhance trust, efficiency, and transparency of and in the digital ecosystem
towards the goal of Connected Government. A separate wing of the government, or a Special
Purpose Vehicle (SPV) on the lines of UIDAI (Aadhaar) or NPCI (UPI) could be built for handling the
technical domain, legal, commercial and program management aspects. This would ensure that
‘governance’ through institutions be professionally run and accountable, which is critical for the
next phase of GovTech to succeed.

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7. What is Civil Registration System? Highlight its importance and discuss the measures taken by
the government to bring about improvements in it. (150 words) 10
Approach:
• Give a brief introduction of the Civil Registration System and write its features.
• Discuss its significance.
• Mention the recent steps taken by the government to optimize it.
• Conclude accordingly.
Answer:
A Civil Registration System (CRS) is the unified process of continuous, permanent,
compulsory and universal recording of the vital events (births, deaths, stillbirths) and
characteristics thereof. Post-independence, the Registration of Births and Death Act (RBD Act)
was enacted in 1969 to promote uniformity and comparability in the registration of births and
deaths across the country and compilation of vital statistics based thereon. With the enactment of
the Act, registration of births, deaths and stillbirths became mandatory in India.
Importance of CRS:
• Right to recognition: Civil registration generates documentation that supports an individual’s
right to recognition as a person before the law and acknowledges his/her formal relationship
with the State.
• Legal status: It acts as the basis for identity documents such as a passport or a driver’s license.
• Planning and monitoring of welfare schemes: The vital statistics are invaluable for planning,
monitoring and evaluating various programmes related to primary health care, family planning,
maternal and child health, education, etc.
• Demography: CRS is used for demographic purposes such as preparation of population
estimates and projections, studies of mortality and fertility and construction of life tables.
• Human rights: The achievements with regard to some of the most important human rights that
appear in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Declaration of the Rights of the
Child depend on CRS.
The steps taken by government steps to improve the CRS include:
• Uniform software application for registration: A software application for online and offline
registration of births and deaths has been developed which covers the entire gamut of CRS. The
application that is presently available in English is being customized in 13 Indian languages.
• Database of institutions: A nation-wide database of medical institutions has been prepared.
The plan is to electronically monitor the registration of events in these institutions.
• Capacity building of registrars: A standard training manual has been developed for training
the registration functionaries in 13 languages. Regular training of registration functionaries has
been introduced by providing financial assistance to the state governments.
• Data digitization: A project to keep old records in easy to retrieve digital form has been
started. This will help in storage of registers in electronic format and allow easy access to the
records.
• Advocacy and publicity: An intensive multi-modal publicity and awareness campaigns on birth
and death registration is underway.
The government’s recent decision to automate the process is a step in the right direction to
enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of CRS. When viewed in conjunction with legislations
like the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019, that intends to protect the privacy rights of individuals,
it could enable the vision of a secure, updated and highly functional repository of citizens’
data.

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8. The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013,
provides an effective mechanism for empowerment of the intended beneficiaries in the society.
Critically discuss. (150 words) 10
Approach:
• Briefly explain what you understand by manual scavenging.
• Discuss how the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act,
2013, empowers the intended beneficiaries in the society.
• State the reasons for persistence of manual scavenging despite the legislation.
• Conclude accordingly.
Answer:
Manual scavenging has been defined by the International Labor Organization to include mainly
the disposal of human excreta from dry latrines, public streets, and the maintenance and sweeping
of septic tanks, sewers, and gutters.
In India, the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013
provides an effective mechanism for empowerment of the intended beneficiaries in the society as
evident from the following arguments:
• Prohibition of employment: The Act prohibits the employment of manual scavengers, as well
as the construction and maintenance of insanitary latrines.
• Emphasis on rehabilitation: Unlike the previous Acts drafted from the viewpoint of sanitation,
the 2013 legislation emphasized on rehabilitation of manual scavengers through training in
alternate employment, financial help and help with purchasing property.
• Time-bound identification of manual scavengers: The Act calls for a survey of manual
scavengers in urban and rural areas within a time-bound framework to enable identification
and rehabilitation.
• Mandatory use of protective gear and equipment: It also prohibits manual cleaning of septic
tanks and sewers without precautionary measures and safety apparatus.
• Mandatory demolition: The Act makes it an offence not to demolish or modify insanitary
latrines over a certain time-frame of this Act coming into effect.
• Penalties: Violations could result in imprisonment or fine or both. Moreover, offences under
the Act are cognizable and non-bailable.
Thus, the 2013 Act goes beyond prohibition on dry latrines, and outlaws all manual excrement
cleaning of insanitary latrines, open drains, or pits and tries to reinstate human dignity of manual
scavengers. Despite this legislation, the inhuman practice of manual scavenging continues. Data
available with the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) indicated that 954 sewer
deaths took place between 1993 and 2021, indicating that the intended beneficiaries are still not
fully empowered. This is due to the following reasons:
• Vague legal provisions: The Act allows manual scavenging if it is done with adequate and
appropriate protective gear. However, it fails to define protective gear clearly.
• Inadequate documents: Despite provision of a one-time cash payment for rehabilitation,
almost 40% beneficiaries could not receive payment owing to lack of proper documents for
bank accounts and verified addresses.
• Low uptake of skill training: A very small fraction of manual scavengers or their dependents
opt for skill development training, due to which they are not considered for alternate
employment avenues.
• Low uptake of loans: Due to the socio-economic background and lack of entrepreneurial skills
of the manual scavengers, they are unable to avail loans for self-employment projects.
• Low conviction: Since the 2013 law was passed, there has not been a single case where a
manual scavenger’s death has led to a conviction under the Act.
Thus, there is a need for stricter implementation of the existing provisions. Further, we should go
beyond these provisions and target complete mechanized cleaning of sewers and septic tanks.
Ending manual scavenging is one of the core requirements to ensure dignified life to all as
guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.
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9. Discuss the reforms that must be undertaken to strengthen the World Trade Organisation in
order to address the vulnerabilities in the present global trading system. (150 words) 10
Approach:
• Give an overview of the interconnected nature of global trade.
• Highlight the vulnerabilities in the present global trading system.
• Discuss the reforms needed to strengthen the WTO.
• Conclude accordingly.
Answer:
Post-globalization, economies around the world became increasingly integrated and as a result,
supply chains and markets became more distributed across the globe. According to the World Bank,
the world’s trade-to-GDP ratio stood at around 52%. This highlights the significance of trade for
the global economy.
Given the significance of international trade, the vulnerabilities to the global trading system must be
identified and corrective measures to strengthen institutional mechanisms should be undertaken.
These include:
• Rise of protectionism: The world witnessed a steady flow of protectionist measures since the
2008 financial crisis. Protectionism as an external trade policy has emerged as a major
vulnerability in the global trading system.
o Further, reducing dependencies has been high on the agenda of many Western governments
for some years. For instance, the US CHIPS Act and the European Chips Act seek to reduce
the dependence on Taiwan and South Korea for semiconductors.
• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: The ongoing health and economic crisis caused by the
COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant stress to the global trading system. It has led to
unprecedented disruptions to the global supply chains and has increased trade tensions among
countries.
• Russia’s declaration of war on Ukraine: This recent development has put additional pressure
on the global economy by interrupting the supply of basic commodities due to which prices for
food and energy have risen, pushing up inflation, and thus depressing demand.
• The impact of geopolitics on global trade: The rise of an assertive China, leading to conflicts
in the Indo-Pacific region and the countermeasures taken by like-minded countries advocating
freedom and rule-based conduct, have furthered trade tensions across the globe. This will have
a significant impact on the global trading system and is likely to undermine multilateral
institutions such as the World Trade Organization.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an important international organization dealing with the
rules of trade between nations. However, its major pillars i.e trade liberalisation and rules-setting,
trade policy monitoring, and dispute settlement, face huge challenges. The following set of
reforms are imperative to strengthen the WTO:
• Reforming the WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism: Restoring and reforming the Dispute
Settlement Mechanism must be a priority for members. Elements of such a reform could include
having a mandatory, binding, independent, and swift dispute settlement; maintaining a two-tier
system of dispute resolution; and preserving the negative consensus rule to avoid blockage.
• Need to update and amend the rules: For example, despite the growing e-commerce and
digital trade, the WTO lacks comprehensive rules to facilitate the trade and resolution of
disputes arising out of such transactions. A set of new global rules for digital trade and
removing tariff barriers could be a step in the right direction. Further, updating of rules to
facilitate circular economy, green trade, etc. is the need of the hour.
• Ensuring transparency in the conduct of members: For example, the WTO rules do not
adequately address the role of state-owned enterprises and industrial subsidies. Given the geo-
political environment, subsidies can be expected to rise further in the coming years. Thus, the
WTO members need to increase transparency for subsidies and revisit the enforceability of
notification requirements.

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 A strong WTO is more needed than ever and the WTO members need to acknowledge that the
organisation stands at a crossroad. The multiple global crises could catalyse reform, ensuring a
rules-based trading system for the future.

10. State the significance of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Also,
discuss the need for a legally binding Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction
(BBNJ) agreement. (150 words) 10
Approach:
• Introduce by giving a brief account of the UNCLOS and its functions.
• Highlight the objectives of the coalition on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ).
• Bring out the need for having a legally binding BBNJ agreement.
• Conclude on the basis of the above points.
Answer:
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982 is an international agreement
that establishes the legal framework for marine and maritime activities. It is also known as “Law of
the Sea”.
Significance of UNCLOS:
• It is the only international convention which stipulates a framework for state jurisdiction
in maritime space. It provides a different legal status to different maritime zones.
• It provides the backbone for offshore governance by coastal states and those navigating the
oceans. It continues to provide an effective, comprehensive and overarching international legal
framework for the oceans and seas.
• The UN General Assembly has recognized its pre-eminent contribution to the strengthening of
peace, security, cooperation and friendly relations among all nations, to the promotion of
the economic and social advancement of all peoples of the world, as well as to the sustainable
development of the oceans and seas.
• As UNCLOS covers a wide range of ocean issues, it provides the legal framework for their
sustainable development.
• UNCLOS has emerged as an important part of the international legal system and also serves as
an important instrument for the protection of the marine environment.
• The Non-Aligned Movement regards UNCLOS as one of the most comprehensive legal
instruments negotiated under the auspices of the United Nations.
In the recently held Intergovernmental Conference (IGC-4) under UNCLOS, a draft of the instrument
on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas Beyond
National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) was concluded. BBNJ, also known as the “Treaty of the High Seas”, is
an international agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity
of areas beyond national jurisdiction. It is currently under negotiation at the United Nations.
Need of a legally binding BBNJ agreement:
• Areas beyond national jurisdiction comprise 95% of the ocean and provide invaluable
ecological, economic, social, cultural, scientific and food-security benefits to humanity.
However, these areas are now vulnerable to growing threats, including pollution,
overexploitation, and the impacts of climate change that are already visible.
• The increasing demand for marine resources in the coming decades, whether for food,
minerals, or biotechnology, threatens to exacerbate the problem. The high seas are extremely
biodiverse, and they have been exploited without any consideration of the consequences.
o The extinction process is set on the deep seafloors, which are thought to be the harshest
habitat. Sixty-two per cent of the 184 Molluscs species analysed are listed as threatened:
There are 39 critically endangered species, 32 endangered species, and 43 vulnerable. In the
Indian Ocean vents, 100% molluscs are already listed as critically endangered.
• While there have been scientific explorations of the high seas' surface water, the deep sea,
or water below 200 metres below the surface, has hardly been studied. A legally binding BBNJ
agreement should incorporate provisions for systematic and sustainable study of the deep sea.
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 India, in this direction, has pledged its support towards creating a legally binding international
treaty of BBNJ under UNCLOS. BBNJ can be a crucial step towards sustainable development and
conservation of the marine ecosystem.

11. Critically assess the role played by the National Human Rights Commission as a watchdog of
human rights violations in India. (250 words) 15
Approach:
• Briefly state the status of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
• Discuss briefly about the performance of NHRC as a watchdog of human rights in India
• Highlight its underperformance.
• Discuss factors, which have hindered its performance.
• Conclude accordingly.
Answer:
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India was established in 1993 under the
Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993 as amended by the Protection of Human Rights
(Amendment) Act, 2006. The NHRC is an embodiment of India’s concern for the promotion and
protection of human rights.
On Human Rights Day 2020, the Commission claimed to have registered 19,50,695 cases while
disposing of 19,32,533 cases since its inception. It also paid close to Rs. 2 billion to victims of
human rights violations across various state agencies on the recommendations of the
Commission. However, some experts argue that the performance of NHRC has been less than
satisfactory. The underperformance of NHRC can be seen from following:
• Registration of cases has seen a decline of about 32.78 percent in the period between 2016 and
2020, which reflects reluctance on the part of NHRC to take cognizance of matters.
• There is an increase in the pendency of cases. As of September 2021, the Commission
recorded a pendency of 20,806 cases. It reflects poorly on the efficiency of the complaint
handling mechanism of the Commission.
• The data also reveal a pattern of impulsive disposal of complaints. In 2020, 45 cases were
dismissed on procedural ground only.
• The suo-motu cases taken up by the Commission have almost halved, with a reduction rate
of 46.32 percent between 2012-2016 and 2016-20.
A range of factors can be attributed to this underperformance:
• Though the NHRC has the power of civil court while summoning witnesses or documents, it
does not have powers to take coercive measures for non-implementation of its order. Its order
being recommendatory in nature, it cannot compel the respective governments for
implementation of its orders.
• Also, its independence and impartiality are compromised as it depends on the Union
Government for funds and functionaries.
• Scarcity of resources - or rather, resources not being used for human rights related functions - is
another big problem. Large chunks of the budget of the Commission go in office expenses
and in maintaining their members, leaving disproportionately small amounts for other
crucial areas such as research and rights awareness programmes.
• Under the Act, ordinarily NHRC or State Human Rights Commission cannot investigate an
event if the complaint was made more than one year after the incident. Therefore, a large
number of genuine grievances go unaddressed.
• The power and authority of NHRC with respect to armed forces are limited. Also, the act does
not categorically empower NHRC to investigate matters of human rights violations by private
parties.
• The Act does not specify whether the judges in NHRC should have a proven record of
human rights activism or expertise or qualifications in the area.
NHRC must be given teeth by making its recommendation mandatory and to be implemented in a
time bound manner by the government and its report must be seriously discussed in legislatures.
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12. Discuss how the integration of information and communications technology (ICT) in the
dispute resolution processes will help in overcoming the challenges associated with the
functioning of courts and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) forums. (250 words) 15
Approach:
• Briefly write about the dispute resolution process in India.
• Mention the challenges associated with the functioning of courts and ADR forums.
• Discuss how the integration of information and communications technology (ICT) helps in
addressing these challenges.
• Conclude accordingly.
Answer:
Dispute resolution in India is mainly done via courts, tribunals, and mediums for alternate dispute
resolution (ADR) like Lok Adalats, in physical setups in the presence of all the associated parties.
There are several issues/challenges associated with the traditional forums of dispute resolution,
which got exacerbated due to the circumstances induced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The challenges associated with the functioning of courts and ADR forums are:
• Pendency of cases: As of May 2022, over 4.7 crore cases are pending in courts across different
levels of the Judiciary. Of them, 87.4% are pending in subordinate courts, 12.4% in High Courts,
while nearly 1,82,000 cases have been pending for over 30 years.
• Lack of human resources: As of December 2021, the judge to population ratio (judge per
million population) with respect to sanctioned strength of judges is 21.03.
• Poor record keeping: The records are mainly kept in physical form (files, papers, etc.), which
not only requires adequate storage but also maintenance to ensure that these are not damaged.
Also, there is poor classification of records.
• Human bias in judgements: The chances of human bias in the judgements is inherent. This
gets reflected in differing judgements in cases of similar nature.
• Poor enforcement of contracts: According to the World Bank, the poor enforcement of
contracts impacts the ease of doing business in India.
The use of ICT into dispute resolution will help in addressing the above-mentioned
challenges in the following manner:
• Virtual scheduling of cases: Electronically scheduling of a session through video conferencing
and digitally sharing of documents, saves both time and money.
• Proper classification of cases: Digitisation of records as big data under cloud computing
reduces the storage cost and increases the shelf life of the information stored.
• Dispute resolution of cases of similar nature: Technologies like Artificial Intelligence and
Machine Learning may help in giving similar verdicts in cases of similar nature.
• Capacity building: Creation of skill development courses online for training and capacity
building of the staff reduces the institutional cost of providing the training infrastructure. Also,
it provides ease to the judicial staff to take up learning at the time of their will.
• Limit bias: Use of ICT will limit the bias involved due to human interactions in judgements.
In this regard, the Indian Judiciary is proactively trying to become ICT-enabled through steps such
as Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS) based case information and management system, E-
service Centres in court complexes, virtual courts for petty traffic offences, National Judicial Data
Grid, AI based softwares such as SUVAS-Supreme Court Vidhik Anuvaad Software etc.
ICT has the potential to improve access to justice, as well as to bring inclusive justice. However, it
would also require evolution of feedback mechanisms, development of inclusive frameworks to
reduce digital divide, training stakeholders, maintaining standardization and uniformity across
various courts in the country and developing robust data protection and data migration systems.

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13. Despite various provisions concerning disqualification of legislators under The Representation
of The People Act, 1951, the issue of criminalization of politics is still unresolved to a large
extent in India. Discuss. (250 words) 15
Approach:
• Give a brief overview of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
• Mention the various provisions under it concerning disqualifications of legislators in order to
resolve the issue of crimibalisation of politics.
• Discuss why it is still a pertinent issue.
• Conclude by giving a suitable way forward.
Answer:
The Representation of the People Act, 1951 (RPA, 1951), lays down provisions related to the
conduct of elections throughout the nation. The Act restricts and prevents the entry of certain
candidates with criminal backgrounds for the sake of national safety and the smooth functioning of
democracy.
Various provisions of disqualification of legislators under the Representation of the People
Act, 1951, include:
• Disqualification when convicted of an offence: Under the RPA, 1951, a person convicted of
any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years will be disqualified from
the date of such conviction and will continue to be disqualified for a further period of six years
since his release.
• Illegal activities: Violation of laws such as the Foreign Exchange (Regulation) Act, the
Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, the Prevention of Terrorism Act, the Dowry
Prohibition Act, etc., can also be the cause for disqualification under the RPA, 1951.
• Corrupt practices: The RPA, 1951, provides for disqualification on ground of corrupt practices
i.e. a person guilty of certain corrupt practices specified in Section 123 of the RPA, 1951, shall
stand disqualified.
• Anti-social activities: If a person is convicted for an offence related to the Scheduled Castes
and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, or involved in rape, cruelty towards
his wife, preaching or promoting untouchability etc., he will be disqualified.
• Failure to file election expenses: As per the Act, failure to disclose election expenses could
also lead to disqualification.
According to the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), the share of Lok Sabha MPs with
criminal cases increased to 43% in 2019 from 34% in 2014. This is a grave concern as the law-
breakers become law-makers, which erodes public faith and affects the efficacy of the democratic
process in delivering good governance.
The reasons why criminalization of politics still exists in India include:
• Winnability of the candidates: Candidates with criminal records seem to do well despite their
public image, largely due to their ability to finance their own elections and bring substantive
resources to their respective parties.
• Caste and community dynamics: Despite awareness about the criminal history of the
candidates, a substantial chunk of voters tend to cast their votes through a narrow prism of
caste and community interests.
• Lack of political will: Despite taking appropriate measures to amend the RPA Act, there has
been an unsaid understanding among the political parties, which deters the Parliament from
formulating stringent laws curbing criminalisation of politics.
• Inefficiency on the part of the Election Commission and the Judiciary: In several cases such
as bribery, the Election Commission is not empowered to take strict action. Also, the Model
Court of Conduct is not legally enforceable, therefore is easily flouted by the candidates. Delays
in judgments regarding criminal cases of elected representatives also give ample time to the
candidates to be elected as representatives.
The Election Commission of India and the Supreme Court have taken several steps like the
introduction of NOTA, special courts for trials against legislators, publishing details of criminal cases
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 against political parties’ candidates on their websites, etc. to address the issue of criminalization of
politics. Along with these, other electoral reforms also need to be undertaken such as instituting the
Right to Recall, bringing political parties under the RTI, statutory backing to the Model Code of
Conduct, etc. to ensure that the entry of criminal elements in our democratic process is minimized.

14. It is time for reforms, which recognise that urban local bodies (ULBs) need permanent, buoyant
revenue sources to match the growing demands of an increasing urban population. Discuss.
(250 words) 15
Approach:
• Write a brief introduction highlighting the expected increase in population and, in turn,
demands.
• Discuss how Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) face issues with respect to their own resources.
• Mention the reforms that need to be undertaken in this respect.
• Conclude by stating a way forward.
Answer:
India's urban population size is expected to nearly double between 2018 and 2050, from 461 to 877
million. Thus, there is a need to explore new urban designs to ensure lower densities and lesser
commuting requirements, along with better planned and distributed health services. Further,
provision for basic municipal services such as water supply, sewerage and solid waste system,
street lighting, and city-wide roads would be needed. All these would require significant financial
resources at the disposal of city governments.
However, Urban Local Bodies’ (ULBs) own revenues constitute only a third of their total receipts.
ULBs face considerable challenges on the fiscal front in terms of their own resources:
• Property tax is the single largest source of revenue for ULBs after the abolition of octroi.
However, the tax collections are low due to wide exemptions, undervaluation of property and
incomplete land registrations.
• User charges for various services such as water supply, drainage facilities etc. are charged at
rates that are much lower than the actual costs. This has led to poor cost recovery, poor
maintenance and inadequate investment in the infrastructure.
• The introduction of the GST besides being silent on the financial share of ULBs, led to
subsuming many of the local taxes like entry tax, thereby eroding financial autonomy of those
ULBs, which are heavily dependent on such taxes.
• Lack of linkage of Municipalities’ funding with performance standards either in respect of
revenue raising or delivery of services leads them to operate at sub-optimal levels with regard
to internal mobilisation and management of resources.
Thus, it is time to provide the ULBs with permanent and buoyant sources of their own revenue. The
Fifteenth Finance Commission also recognises this need. The reforms that should be undertaken
in this respect are:
• Devolution of more tax sources: Some of the current income-based taxes such as professional
tax, entertainment tax, or land resource-based taxes such as stamp duty can be devolved to
ULBs to increase the buoyancy of their revenue base.
• Uniform user charges: For services, standard norms for operations and maintenance and
reasonable capital recovery costs can be worked out, and standard user charges can be imposed
uniformly across cities.
• Bond issuance: With increased revenue and improved financial accountability, the ULBs can
access the capital markets through bond issuance.
o The current level of indebtedness of ULBs is perceived to be low, thus, several ULBs would
be in a position to access the capital market if borrowing constraints are eased and tax-free
bonds are facilitated.
• Cooperation from the state government: State governments need to provide freedom to ULBs
in matters relating to tax base, tax rate and exemptions. Restrictions, if any, may be only by
stipulation of ceilings or maximum rates of levy.
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 • Increasing efficiency in the existing tax powers: Area-based property tax systems, linked to
self-assessment schemes, have considerable scope for enhancing property tax revenue.
o Vacant land tax, one of the most under-exploited taxes in India at the local level, can be a
major source of ULB revenue if assessment, valuation and record-keeping are done
properly.
o Certain fund transfers should be tied to the improvement in the revenue raising ability of
the ULBs, thereby incentivising them to eliminate inefficiencies.
Further, institutionalising the devolution process to the ULBs and ensuring flow of funds to them in
a time-bound manner is also required to ensure that ‘functional devolution’ is followed by ‘fiscal
devolution’.

15. The role of the civil society organisations (CSOs) in India is changing in contemporary times
and has become increasingly more complex. Discuss. (250 words) 15
Approach:
• Start with a brief introduction of civil society organizations (CSOs).
• Highlight the traditional role played by them in the development process.
• Explain the changing role of CSOs in contemporary times and how it is becoming more complex.
• Conclude appropriately.
Answer:
The World Bank defines civil society as a wide array of non-governmental and not for profit
organizations that have a presence in public life, expresses the interests and values of their
members and others based on ethical, cultural, political, scientific, religious or philanthropic
considerations. Thus, civil society refers to community groups, NGOs, labour unions, indigenous
groups, charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, professional associations, and
foundations etc.
Traditional civil society roles include
• Acting as a Watchdog: Holding institutions to account, promoting transparency and
accountability.
• Advocacy: Raising awareness on social issues and challenges and advocating for change.
• Service provisioning: Delivering services to meet societal needs such as education, health, food
and security; disaster management etc.
• Expertise: Bringing unique knowledge and experience to shape policy and strategy, and
identifying and building solutions.
• Capacity building: Providing education, training and other capacity building services.
• Incubation: Developing solutions that may require a long gestation or payback period.
• Representation: Giving power to the voices of the marginalized or under-represented.
Changing Role of Civil Society Organizations
The role of the CSOs is constantly changing owing to changing social capital and enhanced roles of
certain actors and institutions, such as social media communities and networks.
• Greater interconnectedness: With greater access to the Internet, social media and mobile
phone technology, the power of the individual as a virtual citizen is on the rise, needing CSOs to
respond in this new environment.
• Public pressure w.r.t inequality: Extreme wealth inequalities that have been rising and the
power of the internet to vividly project this phenomenon puts CSOs under the spotlight to
respond swiftly and convincingly.
• Financing: There is reduced certainty of funding size, sources and modes from traditional
donors and a rise of new socially driven financial actors.
• Trust deficit: There is a widening trust deficit towards institutions and amongst sectors
creating cooperative and collaborative challenges for CSOs.

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 • Fiscal constraints: Governments facing fiscal pressures are scaling back social service
provisions and thus creating more space for CSOs to take on development works in an
impactful manner.
• Partnership with businesses: Private sector players are increasingly developing
strategies to address social and environmental challenges, thereby creating space for
cooperation between civil society and the private sector.
• Declining partnership between the state and the CSOs: The state’s withdrawal from
partnerships with CSOs and its move towards market-based institutions and high net-worth
individuals has privatized (taken up by the private sector) its welfare and redistribution
functions.
In the context of these changes and challenges faced by the CSOs, their role in the development
process is also evolving and their role remains critical in filling the welfare delivery gaps and
asserting people’s rights. This makes it imperative that the State sees them as development partners
rather than as something that needs to be controlled and contained.

16. Though the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) aims to address
the inequity in development in India, there are a number of issues which plague the scheme.
Discuss. (250 words) 15
Approach:
• Introduce by briefly explaining Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme
(MPLADS) and its objectives.
• Discuss the issues, which plague the scheme.
• Mention corrective steps to ensure effective implementation.
• Conclude accordingly.
Answer:
The Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) is a central sector
scheme launched in 1993-94, under which MPs can recommend development programmes
involving spending of Rs. 5 crore every year in their respective constituencies. MPs from both Lok
Sabha and Rajya Sabha, including nominated ones, can do so. The scheme is aimed at enabling
members to recommend works of developmental nature in their constituencies with
emphasis on the creation of durable community assets based on locally felt needs in the areas of
drinking water, education, public health, sanitation, roads etc.
The scheme has been in contention since its very inception. There are a number of issues, which
plague the scheme:
• Weak monitoring: There are lapses in the monitoring and supervision front, with the District
Authorities failing to inspect the required number of sanctioned works as well as in sending
regular monitoring reports. The CAG has flagged instances of financial mismanagement and
inflation of amounts spent.
• Inefficient fund utilisation: Some members do not utilise their full entitlement and there is a
gap between recommendation made by members and implementation by the administration
under this scheme. Also, there are large amounts of unspent balances rising over the years, low
utilisation of funds and an expenditure bias towards particular sectors.
• Against the separation of power: The Constitution does not confer the power to spend public
money on an individual legislator. However, the scheme allows individual legislators to
encroach on the planning and implementation duties of the administration. The Second ARC
recommended its abrogation altogether, highlighting the problems of the legislator stepping
into the shoes of the executive.
• Against the spirit of 73rd and 74th Amendment: The scheme provides for an uninterrupted
yearly flow of funds for MPs to do the work, which local bodies are better placed to deliver.
• Not enough community participation: An absence of a proper mechanism to ensure
constituent participation in order to determine locally felt needs, leave open the possibility of
a small group, having easy access to the MPs, impressing upon him to recommend works
according to their needs.
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 Hence, it is imperative to work on the aforementioned issues related to MPLADS and take following
corrective measures for its better implementation:
• Develop robust accountability regime by ensuring better transparency and monitoring of
funds spent and sanctioned works. The practice of random inspections by the District
Authority, as is followed in, for example, Varanasi, is a good practice,. Also, implementing
agencies could involve the local community in the voluntary supervision of works.
• Make funds lapsable to put pressure on MPs for optimum utilisation and prevent
accumulation of unutilized funds.
• Enhance public participation in the scheme by including locals in the decision making about
which project to be executed from MPLADS funds. The "Kottayam experience", for instance,
shows that participatory planning has mixed well with the MPLADS.
• A periodic impact assessment study should be undertaken at the constituency level, on a
yearly basis, to assess the benefits of the works implemented in the community at large.
The MPLADS was temporarily suspended from April 2020 to November 2021 in the wake of the
COVID pandemic. It was reinstated in November 2021 but MPs were given only Rs. 2 crore for the
remaining period of the fiscal year 2021-22. The entire amount of Rs. 5 crore was disbursed from
fiscal year 2022-23. However, the Central government has recently revised rules governing
utilization of funds under the MPLADS. According to the revised rules, interest accrued on the
annual fund of Rs. 5 crore allotted to each Member of Parliament will have to be returned to the
Center.

17. Highlighting the factors responsible for the growth of EdTech sector in India in recent times,
discuss its benefits. Also, state the concerns associated with it. (250 words) 15
Approach:
• Give a brief introduction about EdTech and its recent growth in India.
• Highlight the factors for its growth in recent times.
• State its benefits and the issues that can arise out of it.
• Conclude accordingly.
Answer:
EdTech (a combination of "education" and "technology") refers to hardware and software designed
to enhance teacher-led learning in classrooms and improve students' education outcomes. The
Indian EdTech industry was valued at US$ 750 million in 2020 and is expected to reach US$ 4 billion
by 2025.
Factors responsible for the growth of the EdTech sector in India include:
• Exponential growth of internet penetration in India: India had around 622 million active
internet users in 2020, which is expected to increase by 45% to reach 900 million by 2025.
According to Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2020, smartphone ownership among
the government school student families increased from 30% in 2018 to 56% in 2020, whereas
among the private school student families, it rose from 50% to 74%. This has enhanced the
consumption of online content and learning.
• Favorable policies: The National Education Policy 2020 emphasized the importance of
leveraging technology in education and supported creation of learning content in regional
languages, calling it a high priority. The government has also launched Massive Open Online
Courses (MOOCs) through the SWAYAM portal.
• Low cost of online education: When compared to traditional education (schools, colleges etc.),
online education is more affordable. Thus, students belonging to different income categories
and social classes get access to quality education with attractive visuals and expert teachers.
• Employability quotient: The changing nature of job markets requires regular upskilling and
reskilling. Online education helps people acquire these skills at much lower costs. Also, the
acceptability of online certifications has increased among the employers.

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 Benefits of the EdTech sector in India:
• Flexible learning option: Online education is not based on time and place, and students only
require a laptop or a smartphone with an internet connection. Also, working professionals can
complete courses at their own pace.
• Gamification and rise of edutainment: Companies have introduced learning through games
and puzzles that make it easier and fun for students to understand concepts.
• Imparting ‘on-the-job’ skills: Career advancement courses by EdTech companies could
increase a candidate’s chances of landing better jobs, switch jobs, get promotions, negotiate
better pay packages and stay relevant in the industry.
• Enable remote education: EdTech enables scale and speed using a direct to the device model,
breaks down geographical barriers and allows students access to high-quality education. Also,
teachers became facilitators, who can manage classes remotely.
Although the EdTech sector supplements the conventional models in the above-mentioned ways,
there are certain concerns pertaining to it in India:
• Cyber threats: Online platforms expose young people to cyberbullying, unsuitable content,
cyberattacks and phishing scams.
• Privacy concerns: Privacy policies of the EdTech companies are indecisive and ambiguous and
a few assume that the responsibility lies with the user only.
• Neglect of social skills: Many educational theorists, psychologists, and sociologists fear that
students learning solely online will suffer from a failure to develop social skills that come only
from interacting in person with other people.
• False promises: Some EdTech companies are luring parents in the garb of offering free services
and getting the Electronic Fund Transfer mandate signed or activating the auto-debit feature,
especially targeting the vulnerable families.
• Protecting the rights of minors: Majority of the EdTech players in India focus on K-12
curriculum and competitive exams and most of their customers are minors. Under the Indian
laws, minors (i.e., individuals below the age of 18) are not competent to enter contracts.
Given the concerns pertaining to the EdTech sector in India, there is a need for well-documented
processes and policies on how data is being collected, stored, processed, analysed and used.
Educational institutions and government education departments should facilitate awareness
campaigns, conduct regular auditing and performance reviews of the Edtech programmes.

18. Bring out the role of Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers in delivering health
services in rural India. Also, suggest the measures that can be taken to overcome the challenges
faced by them. (250 words) 15
Approach:
• Present a brief background of Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers in the
introduction.
• Discuss why ASHA workers are crucial in delivering health services in rural India.
• List the measures to address the challenges faced by ASHA workers..
• Conclude accordingly.
Answer:
India launched the Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) programme in 2005-06 as part of the
National Rural Health Mission. ASHA workers are volunteers who are trained to provide
information and aid people in accessing the benefits of various healthcare schemes of the
government.
ASHAs ensure the delivery of health services in rural India in the following ways:
• Door-to-door delivery: ASHA workers provide door-to-door services with a special focus on
difficult-to-reach habitations in their designated areas by creating awareness about hygiene
practices, family planning, health services, etc.

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 • Deliver crucial services at pre-natal and post-natal stages: ASHA workers deliver crucial
services at pre-natal and post-natal stages with a primary focus on ensuring that women
undergo ante-natal check-ups, maintain nutrition during pregnancy, deliver at a healthcare
facility, provide post-birth training on breastfeeding and complementary nutrition of children.
• Delivery of immunization programmes: ASHA workers are tasked with ensuring and
motivating children to get immunized. Over the years, they have played an outstanding role in
making India polio-free and increasing routine immunization coverage.
• Ensuring access to medicines and nutritional supplements: ASHA workers provide
medicines daily to tuberculosis patients. They also provide basic medicines and therapies to
people such as oral rehydration solutions, chloroquine for malaria, iron-folic acid tablets to
prevent anaemia, and contraceptive pills.
• Delivery of health-related services during the COVID-19 pandemic: They not only provided
health services but also conducted door-to-door vaccination drives in rural areas. For their
services during the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organisation (WHO) bestowed
Global Health Leaders Awards 2022 on all ASHA workers in India.
Notwithstanding the pivotal role in the delivery of health-related initiatives at the community level
and in providing demand-side interventions for health services in rural India, they face certain
challenges like not having a single payment system and a fixed salary, low and delayed payments,
no opportunities for career progression, etc. The following measures are needed to address the
challenges faced by ASHA workers:
• Providing a fixed minimum remuneration and social security incentives to ASHA
workers: Since ASHA workers are considered “volunteers”, governments are not obligated to
pay them a salary. Further, these volunteers do not get social security benefits like pension or
health insurance. Though a few State governments have introduced a fixed remuneration, the
total payment continues to remain low and is often delayed.
• Undertaking capacity building of ASHA workers: With the introduction of new technologies
in the health sector and new health challenges emerging frequently, in-built institutional
mechanisms should be created for training and capacity-building of ASHA workers. This would
enable the deployment of state-of-the-art technologies for health-related services.
• Opportunity for career progression: ASHA workers should be provided avenues for career
progression such as becoming public health nurses and community health officers, based on
their performance. This would motivate them to deliver quality health services proactively.
Though a few states have started such initiatives, scaling up to the national level is the need of
the hour.
The WHO’s award for ASHA volunteers is an acknowledgement of the role and the relevance of
people-centric primary healthcare services. It is a reminder and an opportunity to further
strengthen the ASHA programme for a stronger community-oriented primary healthcare system,
which will not only help us in achieving SDG-3 (ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for
all at all ages) but will also prepare India for future epidemics and pandemics.

19. Discuss the various concerns that have arisen for India after the Taliban takeover of
Afghanistan. Also, suggest the measures that India should take in the given context.
(250 words) 15
Approach:
• Giving a brief introduction, discuss various concerns that have arisen for India after the Taliban
takeover of Afghanistan.
• Suggest measures that India can take in the given context.
• Conclude accordingly.
Answer:
In September 2021, with the announcement of the formation of the cabinet by Taliban to govern
Afghanistan, the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan was official. This seizure of power in Afghanistan
was triggered by the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. This takeover, has raised some serious
concerns for the Indian interests in following ways:
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 • Revival of terrorism: Afghanistan could once again emerge as a regional terrorism haven.
When previously held power, the Taliban gave free rein to a host of anti-Indian terrorist
organizations like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. Safe havens allowed these
organizations to regroup, train and then wreak havoc in the Union Territory of Jammu and
Kashmir.
• Threat to financial and strategic investments: Over the past years, India has invested an
estimated 3 billion USD in projects across Afghanistan and has engaged in other soft power
diplomacy to strengthen its strategic presence. Taliban takeover poses threats to these assets
and can also ruin the goodwill that India has gathered over years.
• Increasing influence of China and Pakistan: The nexus between the Taliban and ISI raises
concerns about Pakistan’s increasing influence within the country.
o China’s ability to expand its political and diplomatic footprint in Afghanistan with the return
of a Taliban regime is a cause of concern for India as China remains intractably hostile
towards India and is closely allied with its adversary Pakistan. With its deep pockets, China
will actively work to limit any Indian influence in a Taliban-run Afghanistan.
• Perpetual regional instability: The Taliban has no single identity and it is heavily dependent
on various factions representing different regions, tribes and interests. Thus, internal strife may
create a perpetual instability, which has security implications for India.
Apart from these concerns, overturning of democratic system in India’s neighborhood will never
be in the interest of the world's largest democracy. In these situations, India can adopt following
measures to safeguard its national interests:
• Broader diplomatic engagement: India should consider appointing a special envoy dedicated
to Afghan reconciliation. The envoy can ensure that India’s views are expressed, broaden
engagement with the Afghan government and other political actors and reach out to certain
Taliban representatives.
• Development and Humanitarian aid: Given the continued levels of violence and the impact of
the COVID-19, India should further leverage its soft power diplomacy and expand its
development assistance.
• Multidirectional engagement: India should broaden its engagements with Iran and Russia,
explore opportunities for cooperation with China and find common ground with the US on
Afghanistan's future. Such engagement should include investing in a wider diplomatic initiative
with the view to carve out areas of convergence.
• Engage, Isolate and Oppose: The Indian policy should incorporate all three options, with some
differences. Even as India engages the Taliban, it must simultaneously isolate the Taliban, and
not break ranks with the rest of the international community.
o It can isolate the Taliban by holding back on formal diplomatic recognition, not providing
economic assistance to the regime, and restricting access to the international financial
system.
o The last prong of India’s approach can be to oppose the Taliban, not just diplomatically and
politically, but also by covertly supporting anti-Taliban forces. This is because the Taliban
are doing the same by fraternizing with organizations like Jaish-e-Mohammed and al-Qaeda.
In a major step towards re-establishing its presence in Afghanistan, India sent a “technical team” of
officials to be based in Kabul, reopening its Embassy. India needs a long-term strategic approach
towards Afghanistan that weaves political, economic, military and diplomatic dimensions into a
coherent framework. It should be based on a clear-cut understanding of India’s strategic goals in the
region as well as the regional and global strategic environment.

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20. Bangladesh is not only a key part of India’s “Neighbourhood First policy" but also crucial for
the “Act East policy". In this context, discuss the steps taken by the two countries to strengthen
their relationship. (250 words) 15
Approach:
• Introduce by writing about India’s Neighbourhood First Policy.
• Briefly discuss how Bangladesh is key for India’s Neighbourhood First Policy as well India’s Act
East Policy.
• Discuss the steps taken by the two countries to strengthen their relationship.
• Conclude accordingly.
Answer:
India initiated its “Neighbourhood First Policy '' to link India’s development to the development of
South Asia. In order to realize this vision, a special focus is given to SAARC and the idea is to
transform the entire South Asian region into an integrated economic union with enhanced
connectivity.
Bangladesh shares 4096 Kms border with India and being an immediate neighbor and sharing
close cultural, linguistic, ethnic, historical ties holds an important place for the success of India’s
Neighbourhood First Policy. Bangladesh can provide for political and diplomatic priority and
greater connectivity and integration, which is an important pillar of India’s Neighbourhood first
policy.
Also, the importance of Bangladesh gets multiplied by the fact that its geostrategic location makes
it a natural pillar in the success of India’s Act East Policy also. The Act East policy seeks to
revive and reinvigorate India's relations with ASEAN as well as expand engagement beyond the
region. Bangladesh can be a bridge to economic and political linkages with South East Asia and
beyond. Both, India and Bangladesh’s interests in the region are converging and thus they can
reinforce each other.
Following steps have been taken by both the countries to strengthen their relationship:
• In July 2014, New Delhi and Dhaka accepted the judgment of the International Tribunal for
the Law of the Sea and settled a long-standing maritime border dispute.
• In 2015, the Land Boundary Agreement was signed where land was swapped between India
and Bangladesh resolving a long-standing boundary dispute.
• In 2017, a virtual summit was held, which focused on more connectivity and high-impact
infrastructure projects and mechanism to oversee projects under the concessional Lines of
Credits (LoCs) of $10 billion from India.
• Bangladesh agreed to allow the movement of goods to and from India via its Chattogram and
Mongla ports, which would help India’s Northeast. They also agreed upon the use of
Bangladesh's Feni River water for drinking purposes in Tripura.
• The two nations have also come to a consensus on lifting restrictions on the entry and exit from
the land ports in India for Bangladeshi citizens with valid documents.
• Both the countries are undertaking various measures to restore the pre-1965 rail links and
other connectivity links that existed between India and Bangladesh
• Cooperation in the power sector has become one of the hallmarks of India- Bangladesh
relations with Bangladesh currently importing 1160 MW of power from India.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of India extended medical assistance, thus
strengthening relations through its soft power.
Thus, India and Bangladesh have moved beyond strategic partnership. However, outstanding issues
between the two countries such as the long-awaited Teesta River deal, illegal crossing of borders
etc. and countering China's influence in Bangladesh needs to be resolved in order to build stronger
ties between both the countries.

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