VISION

IAS
www.visionias.in

APPROACH – ANSWER: G. S. MAINS MOCK TEST - 1818 (2022)

Answer all the questions in NOT MORE THAN 200 WORDS each. Content of the answers is more
important than its length. All questions carry equal marks. 12.5X20=250
1. Explain the meaning of regionalism and highlight the various forms that it can take, with
suitable examples from India.
Approach:
• Introduce by briefly writing about regionalism.
• Discuss the various manifestations of regionalism with suitable examples in Indian context.
• Conclude accordingly.
Answer:
Regionalism can be defined as a phenomenon in which people’s political loyalties become focused
upon a region. In other words, it implies people’s love for a particular region in preference to the
country or the state of which the region is a part.
Regionalism in the Indian context has manifested in various forms:
• Demand for State Autonomy: In certain states, regional politics prompted people to raise
secessionist demands from the Indian Union and become independent sovereign states. The
important examples in this context are that of the Plebiscite Front (Kashmir), Mizo National
Front (Lushai Hills of Assam), Nagaland Socialist Conference (Naga Hills District of Assam) etc.
• Supra-state Regionalism: Some states unite to take a common stand on the issues of mutual
interest with certain group identity. It does not in any way imply the total and permanent
merger of identity of the states into a group. Rivalries, tensions and even conflicts do take place
among a few states belonging to a group. Southern states in India have occasionally raised
common concerns and issues of developmental priorities.
• Inter-state Regionalism: It is related to state boundaries and involves overlapping of one or
more state identities, which threaten their interests. River water disputes, in general, and other
issues like the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute in particular can be cited as examples.
Most recently, there were border disputes between Assam and Mizoram.
• Sub-regionalism: This refers to regionalism, which exists within a state of the Indian Union. It
embodies the desire of a part of a state for identity and self-development. It may also reflect a
notion of deprivation or exploitation of a part of the state at the expense of another. The
examples for this kind of sub-regionalism are Vidarbha in Maharashtra, Saurashtra in Gujarat,
Telangana in Andhra Pradesh, East U.P. in Uttar Pradesh etc.
• Son of Soil theory: It ties people to their place of birth and confers some benefits, rights, roles
and responsibilities on them, which may not apply to others. It is accentuated by factors such as
competition for resources, jobs, economic disparities, etc. Examples include campaigns related
to safeguarding the interests of Maharashtrians by certain regional parties and clashes among
Bodos and Bengali speaking Muslims in Assam.
However, regionalism is not always a disintegrating force. Regionalism may not be opposed to
national integration. Both may exist together in a creative partnership. Regionalism stresses the
development of a region and national integration for the development of the nation as a whole. If we
want to reconcile the competing claims of regionalism and national integration, the political system
of the country should remain federal and democratic.

1 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

2. E-governance is a very vital element in improving public service delivery in India. Discuss with
examples.
Approach:
• Briefly write about the meaning of e-governance.
• Highlight role of e-governance in improving public service delivery with some examples.
• Conclude with a suitable way forward.
Answer:
E-Governance (Electronic Governance) is the application of Information and Communication
Technologies (ICTs) to the processes of government functioning to accomplish simple,
accountable, speedy, responsive and transparent governance. It integrates people, processes,
information and technology for meeting goals of the government.
Role of e-governance in improving public service delivery:
• Fast, Convenient and Cost-Effective Service Delivery: With the advent of e-Service delivery,
the government can provide information and services at lesser costs, in reduced time and with
greater convenience.
o For example: UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-Age Governance) provides
easy access for individuals to various services via single Mobile Application, easy to
remember short code and single Toll-Free number.
• Transparency, Accountability and Reduced Corruption: Dissemination of information
through ICT increases transparency, ensures accountability and prevents corruption.
o For example: PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation) is a robust
system for bringing e-transparency and e-accountability with real-time presence and
exchange among the key stakeholders.
• Expanded Reach of Governance: Expansion of telephone network, rapid strides in mobile
telephony, spread of internet and strengthening of other communications infrastructure would
facilitate delivery of a number of public services.
o For example: MyGov has been established as Government of India’s Citizen Engagement
Platform, which collaborates with multiple Government bodies to engage with citizens for
policy formulation and seeks the opinion of people on issues of public interest and welfare.
• Empowering people through information: Increased accessibility to information has
empowered the citizens and has enhanced their participation.
o For example: Recently launched Jan Soochna Portal by the Rajasthan State Government,
which has information about 23 government schemes and services from 13 departments on
a single platform.
• Improve interface with Business and Industry: Industrial development in India has been
hampered in the past with complex procedures and bureaucratic delays.
o For example: MCA21 project aims to provide electronic services to the Companies
registered under the Companies Act.
Despite its significance, e-Governance presents certain challenges as well:
• Digital divide: There is separation that exists between the individuals, communities and
businesses that have access to Information Technology and those that do not have such access.
• Cost: It is a major challenge as a huge amount of money is involved in implementation,
operational and evolutionary maintenance tasks.
• Privacy and Security: A critical obstacle in implementing e-Governance is the privacy and
security of an individual’s personal data that he/she provides to obtain government services.
The public service delivery can be made more efficient by improving e-governance frameworks.
This may include incorporating recommendations as prescribed by the National e-Governance
Service Delivery Assessment 2019 and Nagpur Resolution on ‘Improving Public Service
Delivery – Role of Governments’.

2 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

 For More Visit -https://pdf4exams.org/

3. Explain why child labour continues to persist in India, despite stringent measures taken by the
government for its eradication.
Approach:
• Introduce with definition of child labour.
• Write some measures taken by the government for eradication of child labour.
• Give reasons for persistence of child labour in India.
• Suggest way forward.
Answer:
According to ILO, ‘child labour’ is defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their
potential, their dignity, and that is harmful to their physical and mental development. There are
various Constitutional provisions against child labour in India. For e.g. Article 21(A), 23, 24, 45 etc.
Apart from these, various stringent measures have been taken by the government for eradication
of child labour:
• Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act 2016: It prohibits engagement
of children below 14 years in all employment and also has provisions for prohibition on
employment of adolescents (14-18 Years) in the scheduled hazardous occupations and
processes.
• National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme: Under the scheme, Rehabilitation Centers
have been opened to provide non-formal education, vocational training, supplementary
nutrition etc. to those children who are freed.
• Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour: This portal has become a pivotal
tool for rescuing and rehabilitating victims of child labour.
India has also ratified ILO Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour and Convention
138 on the Minimum Age of Employment. However, regardless of these measures, child labour
continues to persist in India because of following reasons:
• Economic Causes:
o Poverty: In developing countries, poverty is one of the major factors and the children were
considered as helping hand to feed their families, to support their families. Poverty is also
the reason where poor people pledge the labour of children to borrow money from
moneylenders.

x aammss. o
. o rgg
o Cheap labour: In order to take advantage of the cheaper labour cost accruing to labour

r
provided by a child, some shopkeepers, companies, and factory owners employ children.

• PPdd f ee x
o Professional needs: There are some industries such as the bangle making industry, where

f4 4
delicate hands and little fingers are advantageous owing to the nature of the work, which
indirectly encourages child labour.
Social causes:
o Crisis situations: Natural disasters or the death of one or both parents can force children
into hazardous occupations.
o Lack of access to quality education: Absence of availability and quality of affordable
schooling drives children to the labour market, indirectly increasing the extent of Child
Labour.
o Limited understanding of Child Labour: When families do not understand the dangers of
child labour, they are more likely to send their children to work.
Child labour being a curse on the future of children, following measures can be taken for its
eradication:
• Strict enforcement of laws and regulations: It is necessary to protect children, backed by
enforcement machinery and child protection systems, and the services required to apply them.
• Integrated Approach: This includes strengthening child protection systems as well as
simultaneously addressing poverty and inequity, improve access to and quality of
education and mobilize public support for respecting children’s rights.

3 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

https://pdf4exams.org/
 For More Visit -https://pdf4exams.org/

• Frontline supporters: Teachers and others can be frontline supporters to protect children and
can alert other stakeholders such as social workers to situations where children display signs of
distress or indicate they work long hours.
• Promotion of decent/non-hazardous work: It delivers a fair income for young people (of
legal working age) and adults, with a particular emphasis on workers in the informal economy,
in order for families to escape poverty-driven child labour.
The UN also declared 2021 as the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour.
Therefore, governments, organizations, the civil society, and the citizenry, must come forward to
reaffirm their pledge against child labour in consonance with the goals envisaged by our
commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable development, especially SDG 8.7.

4. It is argued that the role of women in family often remains unrecognised. In this context, do you
think wages for housework is an idea whose time has come?
Approach:
• Briefly state some statistics related to unpaid labour done by women in the family.
• Discuss the need to recognize this form of labour and implement wages of housework in India.
• Highlight some challenges in implementing it.
• Conclude with some way forward.
Answer:
According to ILO, globally, women perform three-quarters of unpaid care work in the household.
NSO data suggests that about 92% of women in India, between the age group of 15-59 years,
participated in unpaid domestic work for the household members. In comparison, only 20% of men
participated in such work. Thus, largely housework is done by the female members of the
households.
Various factors responsible for limiting the women’s working opportunities and restricting them to
the household work include patriarchal norms in the society, structural constraints like lack of
education, skills and employment opportunities. It severely impacts quality of life for women and
increases their economic and social vulnerability.
Therefore, it is argued that wages for housework is an idea that must be implemented now.

g
Following are some supporting arguments:
•

a mmss. o
. orr g
Ensuring rights of unpaid workers: Valuation of unpaid work will make the contribution of

xx a
•
exchequer.
PPddf4
f 4ee
unpaid workers visible, highlight the unjust inequalities and justify their claim on the public

Recognition as a central process in empowerment: The recognition of household work of

women as genuine work, that contributes not only to the family but to the welfare of the nation
state as a whole, will give them a claim to equality within the patriarchal Indian household that
only recognizes the work done by men.
• Need of a holistic understanding of labour: The society needs an inclusive definition of
labour that isn't purely tied to the exchange value of a service in the market and recognizes an
extremely intimate form of labour that has proved essential to keeping the unit of the family
intact and functional.
• Enhancing policy efficiency: Non-recognition of unpaid care work leads to policy effectiveness
across a range of socio-economic areas, notably gender inequalities in employment and other
empowerment areas. For instance, not factoring unpaid work reduces the effectiveness of any
active labor market measures, such as skills development or employment of women.
• Women empowerment: Wages for housework would make women financially independent
and help them gain agency in the household. It will contribute directly to poverty reduction by
augmenting household income. It can also trigger an intergenerational virtuous cycle and
reduce non-income poverty, as women tend to invest a larger proportion of their income on
improving nutrition, health and education of household members, including girls.

4 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

https://pdf4exams.org/
 For More Visit -https://pdf4exams.org/

Though wage for household work has benefits beyond doubt, there are certain issues in its
implementation. Unlike standard market work measures, it is difficult to calculate and measure
quality and quantity of unpaid work. Additionally, enforcement of this idea appears impractical
in absence of clear delineation of responsibilities. Formalizing or monetizing may erode the
sentimental aspect of caregiving and will lead to commoditization of care.
In this regard, there is a need to follow the ‘Triple R’ strategy i.e. "Recognizing" unpaid care work,
"Reducing" unpaid care work by improving the infrastructure and "Redistributing" unpaid care
work by making equitable distribution of work between women and men. Also, the state can play a
role to encourage more equal distribution of unpaid care work at the family level.

5. Highlight the role of the Right To Information (RTI) Act, 2005 in ensuring transparency and
good governance in India.
Approach:
• Introduce by giving a brief overview of the RTI Act.
• State how it ensures transparency and good governance in India.
• Bring out its limitations also.
• Conclude on the basis of the above points
Answer:
The Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, has been termed as the master key to good
governance by the Second Administrative Reforms Commission as it has led to transparency,
openness, participatory democracy and people-centric governance. It has brought a significant shift
in India’s administration and governance culture and advocates state accountability.
The RTI Act’s role in ensuring transparency and good governance in India includes:
• Timely accessibility to information: The Act calls for time-bound dissemination of
information, keeping information in an organized manner, keeping records up to date and
ensuring proper storage and timely retrieval. It also increases responsiveness as the time spent
on gathering the records by a public official is reduced.
• Increased participation of citizens: Right to information opens up government’s records to
public scrutiny, thereby arming citizens with a vital tool to inform them about, what the

g
government does and how effectively the work is done. It also enables the citizens to be more

xxaammss. o
. orr g
participative in governance due to all the facts and information at their disposal.

e
• Welfare of citizens: According to the 2nd ARC, access to information can empower the poor and

PPddf4
f 4 e
the weaker sections of society to demand and get information about public policies and actions,
thereby leading to their welfare.
o For instance, people in rural Karnataka (Chennagiri Village) combined the campaigns for the
Right to Information and the Right to Food to fight hunger in 2006. Poor villagers
successfully participated in social audits and public hearings to demand that the rations are
allotted to them at the correct prices.
• Creating pressure on officials and politicians: This is because of the possibility of its usage by
RTI activists to question their actions. Thus, it promotes transparency and continuous
accountability of the administration and government officials for their decisions unlike the
ballot box accountability.
• Containing corruption: The RTI Act has helped in unearthing some of the biggest scams in
India like 2G scam and coal scam. In 2013, an RTI-based investigation report prompted the
Rajya Sabha Ethics Committee and the government to intervene and put an end to arbitrary
selection practices followed by MPs to appoint their kith and kins.
Despite its significance, there are several limitations of the RTI Act, which needs to be addressed.
These include:
• Low level of awareness about the RTI Act especially among women, rural population, SC/STs
etc.

5 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

https://pdf4exams.org/
 For More Visit -https://pdf4exams.org/

• Procedural constraints faced by citizens in filing RTI applications and lack of assistance in this
regard.
• Delay in providing information and poor quality of information provided by the Public
Information Officers.
• Institutions such as the Judiciary, political parties etc. remain outside the purview of the RTI Act.
• Increased attacks on RTI activists continue.
• Increasing rate of denial of RTI applications without legitimate reasons.
• Apathetic public officials who are secretive in their workings.
Therefore, measures should be taken to improve accountability of public servants; timely
appointment to vacant posts like that of IC’s and SIC’s and involve more citizens in the governance
process. Further, the RTI Act should be strengthened to attain the objective of ‘minimum
government, maximum governance’.

6. Explain the reasons behind growing mental health issues faced in India. State the policy
measures taken in this regard as well.
Approach:
• Introduce by providing some facts/figures on mental healthcare in India.
• Highlight the reasons for the rising number of mental health issues in India.
• Mention the policy measures taken by the government to deal with the same.
• Conclude appropriately.
Answer:
WHO defines mental health as a state of mental well-being in which people cope well with the many
stresses of life, can realize their own potential, can function productively and fruitfully, and are able
to contribute to their communities. In 2017, there were 197.3 million people with mental disorders
in India, comprising 14.3% of the total population of the country. Further, Lancet studies suggest
that India accounts for over a third of the world's annual female suicides and nearly a fourth of male
suicides.
The various reasons for increasing mental health issues in India are:
• Modernisation and urbanisation: The higher prevalence of depressive and anxiety disorders,

m ss. o
. orrgg
especially in southern states could be related to the higher levels of modernisation and
urbanisation among other factors. There is also a positive relationship between depressive

x aa m
•
PPddf4
f ee x
disorders and suicide death rates at the state level.

4
o Growing competition for jobs amongst youth, work pressures may lead to stress, while a
lack of sufficient income may lead to anxiety.
Gender discrimination: The observed higher prevalence of depressive and anxiety disorders
in females could be related to gender discrimination, violence, sexual abuse, antenatal and
postnatal stress, and adverse socio-cultural norms.
• Influence of media: A significantly higher prevalence of eating disorders in females apart from
genetic and biological factors is also probably linked with sociocultural factors, social media,
and peer pressure to diet.
• Genetic and hormonal factors could be the reasons for higher prevalence of Autism spectrum
disorders and ADHD in males.
• Old age issues: The high prevalence of depressive disorders in older adults could be due to
various factors, including chronic illness, social isolation and inadequate social support, and
elderly abuse.
India has spent only 0.05 percent of its health budget annually on mental health over the last few
years. WHO states that in India, (per 100,000 population) there are psychiatrists (0.3), nurses
(0.12), psychologists (0.07) and social workers (0.07), while the desirable number is anything
above 3 psychiatrists and psychologists per 100,000 population.


6 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

https://pdf4exams.org/
 For More Visit -https://pdf4exams.org/

The government has taken various policy measures to deal with mental health issues in India:
• National Mental Health Programme, 1982: It has 3 components i.e. Treatment of Mentally ill,
Rehabilitation, and Promotion of positive mental health.
• National Mental Health Policy, 2014: It seeks to promote mental health, prevent mental
illness, enable recovery from mental illness, and promote de-stigmatization and desegregation.
• Mental Healthcare Act: Launched in 2017, to provide for mental healthcare and services for
persons with mental illness and to protect, promote and fulfil the rights of such persons during
delivery of mental healthcare and services.
• National Health Mission and National Adolescent Health Programme include components
to address mental health of children and adolescents.
• Ayushman Bharat initiative, 2018: It aims to provide comprehensive primary health care
and health insurance coverage for non-communicable diseases including mental disorders,
which could contribute to reducing the adverse effect of mental disorders at the population
level.
The efforts of the government need to be complemented with the role of communities and families
in addressing mental health by reducing stigma and discrimination, raising awareness, and
promoting inclusion.

7. Enumerate the measures taken for population control in India. Also, discuss whether there is a
need for a new Population Policy in India.
Approach:
• Introduce with a short note on the fertility rates and population control in India.
• Mention the measures taken for population control in India.
• Discuss whether there is a need for a new Population Policy.
• Conclude appropriately.
Answer:
Over the years, India has achieved a steady decline in its fertility rate and a slowing down of its
population growth. India also has had the distinction of being the first country in the world to
launch a national programme emphasizing on family planning.
The measures taken for population control in the country include:
•

x aammss. o
. orrgg
The National Population Policy, 2000, which affirms the commitment of the government

•
PPddf4
f ee x
towards voluntary and informed choices and consent of citizens while availing of reproductive

4
health care services and continuation of the target free approach in administering family
planning services.
National Family Planning Indemnity Scheme, under which clients are insured in the
eventualities of deaths, complications and failures following sterilization and the providers/
accredited institutions are indemnified against litigations in those eventualities.
• Scheme for home delivery of contraceptives to ensure spacing in births by Accredited Social
Health Activists (ASHAs).
• Quality care in Family Planning Services by establishing Quality Assurance Committees at
state and district levels.
• National Population Stabilization Fund aimed at achieving population stabilization by 2045
at levels consistent with the needs of sustainable economic growth, social development and
environment protection.
• Mission Parivar Vikas, 2017 for substantially increasing the access to contraceptives and
family planning services in the high fertility districts of seven high focus states with TFR of 3
and above.
Despite the measures, there has been a demand to adopt a new Population Policy for India,
due to the following issues:
• Prevalence of high Infant Mortality Rate i.e. 32 deaths per 1000 live births (in 2018) and
Maternal Mortality Ratio i.e. 113 per 1000 live births (in 2018).
7 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

https://pdf4exams.org/
 For More Visit -https://pdf4exams.org/

• The Child Sex Ratio in India has declined from 927 in 2001 to 919 females per 1000 males in
2011, which is alarming and needs urgent redressal.
• Migration is on the rise in India, which can lead to inside versus outsider conflict as well as
strain on the infrastructure, housing and water availability, which the current policy measures
do not address satisfactorily.
• The growing population of the elderly and the increase in life expectancy have the potential to
deflect resources from the primary task of providing education, skill development and
increasing employability and need to be factored in a population policy.
• There is a distinct North-South divergence in population growth and variations among
states regarding total fertility rate. For instance, Bihar has a fertility rate of around 3.1, while
Kerala has a low fertility rate of around 1.8.
Framed two decades back, the National Population Policy, 2000, is not suited to the present
requirements. Thus, a new Population Policy should address the above-mentioned issues and cut
across sectoral paradigms. It should also focus on the young population (below 35 years), which
could have immense socio-economic developmental outcomes for the nation and simultaneously
incorporate redressal measures for the issues faced by the elderly. Further, it should effectively
address misalignment between the efforts of states regarding population control measures.

8. What do you understand by secularism in the context of India? Explain how secularism is
reflected in our constitutional provisions.
Approach:
• Introduce by explaining the meaning of secularism in general and in the Indian context.
• State some of the constitutional provisions that reflect secularism in India.
• Conclude on the basis of the above points.
Answer:
Secularism, in general, refers to the separation of religion from the State. It seeks to realise a secular
society, which is devoid of inter-religious or intra-religious domination. It promotes freedom within
religions, and equality between, as well as within, religions.
The western notion of secularism is inspired by the American model based on mutual exclusion of
religion and state. The state will not intervene in the affairs of religion and, in the same manner,

a mmss. o
. rrgg
religion will not interfere in the affairs of the state. However, unlike the West, Indian secularism is

o
not based on the abstract notion of strict separation. It means equal respect for all faiths and

x a
PP df4
f 4ee x
religions. Therefore, owing to India being a secular state, there is no preferred state religion and all

d
religious groups enjoy the same constitutional protection without any favour or discrimination.
Even though initially not written in the original constitution, the Preamble of our Constitution
was amended in 1976 to explicitly proclaim India as a secular country. Various constitutional
provisions reflecting it are as follows:
• Articles 25 to 28 of the Indian Constitution offer the fundamental right relating to freedom
of religion to all. However, the State may interfere in relation to socio-economic and
administrative matters. The State can intervene in religious affairs in order to ensure that:
o One religious community does not dominate another.
o Some members do not dominate other members of the same religious community. For
example, the Indian Constitution bans untouchability to remove religion-based exclusion
and discrimination of ‘lower castes’.
• Articles 14, 15, 16, 17, 44 and 51A, by implication, prohibit the establishment of a theocratic
state.
• In the Kesavananda Bharati case the Supreme Court (SC) had declared secularism as a part of
the basic structure of the Constitution. This was reiterated in the S.R. Bommai case, wherein
the Court upheld the right of the State to make laws regulating the secular affairs of temples,
mosques and other places of worship as also power of the parliament to form and rationalize
personal laws.
• In Ismail Faruqui v. Union of India, SC held secularism to be one facet of right to equality.
8 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

https://pdf4exams.org/
 For More Visit -https://pdf4exams.org/

Indian secularism arose in the context of deep religious diversity and tolerance that predated the
advent of Western modern ideas and nationalism. Therefore, it does not focus only on church-state
separation but also on the idea of inter-religious equality. In Indian secularism, though the State is
not strictly separate from religion it does maintain a principled and equal distance vis-à-vis
religion. Any interference in religion by the State has to be based on the ideals laid out in the
Constitution. Thus, Indian secularism has adopted a very sophisticated policy in pursuit of religious
equality. This allows it either to disengage with religion like western secularism or engage with it if
required.

9. Discuss the role played by SHGs in rural development in India. Also, mention various measures
which have been taken by the government to promote SHGs in India.
Approach:
• Briefly explain the concept of SHGs.
• Explain the role played by SHGs in rural development in India.
• Mention the steps taken by government to promote SHGs.
• Conclude accordingly.
Answer:
Self Help groups (SHGs) are voluntary associations of people with common interests formed to
achieve collective social and economic goals. These groups inculcate the habit of thrift among the
members and advance loans to the needy members. After a certain period, they become eligible to
avail institutional loan facilities to undertake suitable entrepreneurial activity.
According to NABARD, as of 2019 there were 1 crore SHGs in India serving 12 crore families. These
SHGs play the following roles in rural development:
• Inculcate a habit of savings and investment: Based on the principle of group savings and
imparting small loans within the group, SHGs develop the habit of thrift, savings and
investment.
• Financial inclusion: In India, very few farmers have access to banking and credit. The informal
credit system of the SHGs gives them access to loans that can be availed without collateral and
can be paid back on mutually agreeable terms.
• Create employment opportunities: Easier access to loans creates opportunities for micro-

a mmss. o
. rrgg
entrepreneurship in villages and underserved areas. This opens up newer streams of revenue

o
thereby reducing the dependence on agriculture as the only source of income.

x a
•

• PPd f4
f 4ee x
Create awareness: SHGs help in sensitizing unaware citizens about social and developmental

d
schemes and remove the dependence upon middlemen and agents.
Women upliftment: SHGs empower their members to be financially independent and allow
them to have a greater voice in local politics and administration. SHGs have also been known to
take an active role in campaigning against alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling, etc.
Accepting the relevance of SHGs, the government has taken several measures to promote them:
• Self Help Group-Bank Linkage Programme: It was recommended by the S K Kalia Committee
for financial inclusion of the unorganised sector. Loans are provided for the purpose of income
generational activities, debt swapping as well as for social needs like housing, education,
marriage, etc.
• Priority Sector Lending: Bank credit to members of SHGs is eligible for priority sector advance
under respective categories viz., Agriculture, MSMEs, Social Infrastructure, and Others.
• Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM): It seeks
to alleviate rural poverty through building sustainable community institutions for the poor. The
mission provides bank credit through SHGs in rural areas and also provides interest subvention
to women SHGs availing bank loans amounting to Rs 3 Lakhs.
• State government initiatives: Some successful initiatives taken by the state governments,
which promote SHGs are Kudumbshree in Kerala, Jeevika in Bihar, Mahila Arthik Vikas Maha
Mandal (MAVIM) in Maharashtra.

9 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

https://pdf4exams.org/
 For More Visit -https://pdf4exams.org/

Microfinance through SHG plays a significant role in alleviating rural poverty and developing rural
entrepreneurship. However, challenges like lack of technology and other infrastructure and lack of
access to larger markets still persist in the rural areas. The government needs to come up with more
skill training programmes and expand the credit and insurance net for diverse activities.

10. What are the various challenges being faced by school going children in India in light of the
ongoing COVID-19 pandemic?
Approach:
• Provide a brief impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education.
• Mention the challenges faced by school going children.
• Conclude with a way forward.
Answer:
School closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic have brought significant disruptions to education
across the globe. In India, school closures have affected 320 million students. Shifting traditional
classrooms to digital platforms has not only increased learning inequality among children but is
also pushing a large number of children out of school due to the digital divide.
Following are the challenges being faced by the students:
• Increase in out-of-school children: Several smaller schools catering to children from lower-
and middle-income groups could not make transition to the online platform and are completely
closed now thus increasing the number of out-of-school children.
• Quality of teaching: Even in the pre COVID-19 period, India faced a shortage of qualified
teachers. The technical skills required for online teaching have further impacted teaching
standards. As per ASSOCHAM, only 17% of teachers in government schools and 43.8% in
private schools are trained to conduct online classes.
• Learning losses: One of the limitations of remote learning is the lack of personal interaction
between teachers and students. These losses are found to be much higher among students
whose parents are less educated or have very busy schedules.
• Disproportionate impact on marginalised children:
o Children from rural and weak economic backgrounds lack access to devices, internet
connectivity and data to use the online platforms.

a mmss. o
. rrgg
o The Right to Education Act, 2009 mandates that all private schools reserve 25% of their

o
seats for children belonging to socially disadvantaged and economically weaker sections.

x a
PP df4
f 4ee x
However, due to the pandemic, the admission of children from economically disadvantaged

d
families in private schools has been disrupted.
o Children with disabilities may not be able to access the remote learning platforms as the
system is not developed as per their requirements.
• Increased gender disparity: Economic hardships caused by the crisis may have spill-over
effects as families consider the financial and opportunity costs of educating their daughters.
UNESCO has warned that the increased drop-out rates will disproportionately affect adolescent
girls and entrench gender gaps in education and lead to an increased risk of child labour, sexual
exploitation, early pregnancy and early and forced marriage.
• Impact on food security and nutrition: As the schools closed across the country, the school
feeding programme could no longer provide the much-needed free lunch to 115.9 million
children who were enrolled under the Mid-Day Meal Scheme. A study by IFPRI (2020) shows
that only 15 of the 36 states/Union Territories have taken steps to adapt to the MDM scheme.
To mitigate these challenges, the government should increase the education budget and build the
infrastructure to make education more inclusive, while also develop a more resilient system that
can withstand future crises.

10 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

https://pdf4exams.org/
 For More Visit -https://pdf4exams.org/

11. Identify the barriers faced by Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in India. What measures have
been taken by the government in this context?
Approach:
• Start with a short introduction on the disability and affected people.
• Highlight the status of the disabled people in India.
• List India's initiatives especially institutional measures in this regard.
• Conclude appropriately.
Answer:
According to Census 2011, the percentage of disabled population in India is about 2.21 per cent.
While there has been tremendous progress in the area of disability rights, people with disabilities
still face a number of barriers and several forms of discrimination, including:
• They have reduced access to education, employment and other socio-economic
opportunities.
• They are faced with stigma and discrimination in the society where they live and may find it
hard to socialize with members of the society, which can lead to depression and self-pity.
• Disabled people are more likely to live in poverty and also, more likely to face discrimination
at the workplace.
• There are inadequate provisions for accessible and convenient transportation for people
with disabilities.
• There is a lack of relevant assistive technology such as assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative
devices.
Most of these barriers are social, not personal, and cannot be overcome through sheer force of
will. In this context, the Indian government has launched the following key initiatives to help the
disabled section of the population realize their right to live a life with dignity and actualise their
potential:
• Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan): This is a flagship scheme under the
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment for achieving universal accessibility for persons
with disabilities. It aims at enhancing the accessibility of the built environment, transportation
system and Information & communication ecosystem.
• Scheme for Implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (SIPDA):
It aims at providing financial assistance for undertaking various activities outlined in the

x aamms . o
. orrgg
Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act,

s
x
1995, particularly relating to rehabilitation and provision of barrier-free access.
•

PPddf4
f 4ee
Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme: This scheme aims to provide financial assistance
to voluntary organizations to make available the whole range of services necessary for
rehabilitation of persons with disabilities including early intervention, development of daily
living skills, education, skill-development oriented towards employability, training and
awareness generation.
• Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase / Fitting of Aids and Appliances (ADIP)
Scheme: This scheme assists the needy disabled persons in procuring durable, sophisticated
and scientifically manufactured, modern, standard aids and appliances that can promote their
physical, social and psychological rehabilitation, by reducing the effects of disabilities and
enhancing their economic potential.
• Inclusive India Initiative: The objective of this initiative is to include persons with intellectual
and developmental disabilities in the mainstream by focusing on three core focus areas:
Education, Employment and Community Life.
• Unique Disability Identification (UDID) Project: Under this project, PwD’s are issued
Universal ID and Disability Certificates, valid pan-India, through to enable the PwDs to avail
schemes and benefits provided by the Government.
Despite the government offering varying degrees of support to the disabled section of the
population, their implementation leaves much to be desired. Therefore, the legislative and
administrative agencies need to address these issues and ensure the inclusion of PwDs, both in
letter and spirit.
11 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

https://pdf4exams.org/
 For More Visit -https://pdf4exams.org/

12. Examine whether the relationship between civil services and democracy is complementary or
paradoxical.
Approach:
• Start with a short note on the role of civil services.
• Discuss how the relationship between a democracy and civil services can become antithetical.
• Conclude in a balanced manner.
Answer:
In India, the democratically elected representatives are primarily responsible for the ‘law-making’
functions, while the bureaucracy is entrusted with the execution of policy decisions. Although the
relationship between the two may appear to be convergent, it can be both paradoxical and
complementary at times.
Paradoxical nature of the relationship between civil services and democracy
• The relation is paradoxical because, on the one hand, civil services are deemed necessary for the
effective administration of public programs, but being legalistic and largely indifferent to the
wishes and demands of individual citizens, whereas, on the other hand, representative
democratic institutions are assumed to be responsive to the wishes of the public, and attempt
to map those preferences of the public into positive outcomes.
• Democracy in theory demands a principle of change, whereas the civil services in theory
demand principles of consistency and regularity, which automatically limits a civil servant’s
capacity to adapt to changing circumstances making him/her status quoist.
• Civil services tend to be associated with hierarchical and even formalistic forms of
governing. They work on the basis of institutionalizing a form of governance, which seeks to
ensure equal treatment of citizens, and to provide authorities with records and justifications for
the decisions being made about them within the public sector. On the other hand, democracy is
associated with participation, consensus making and an accommodative outlook. Taking all
the sections into account requires one to have some flexibility and dynamism without limitation
of rules and regulations.
Complementary nature of the relationship between civil services and democracy
• Deficiencies of democracy brings out the need for professionalized, meritorious, and
competent administrative institutions and processes that can correct the flaws of political

x aammss. o
. o rgg
processes and populism, provide sound administrative decisions and services to the public,

r
carry out the functions and responsibilities of governments, and deliver services with fairness

•
and standardized administrative behaviour.

PPddf4
f 4ee x
The civil services are required to minimize the arbitrary actions in which political
representatives might otherwise be tempted to engage for their vote banks. Likewise, the
democratic process is important to confer legitimacy on the governing process.
• The emphasis on efficiency and use of the market in public service delivery underlines the
extent to which the values of formalized bureaucracy such as transparency, accountability etc.
may be important for the effective functioning of a democracy.
The relationship between the two should therefore be one of mutual dependence. A Parliamentary
democracy such as ours shall flourish only when the two work in a symbiotic manner and minimise
conflict through a consultative process and understand each other’s point of view, requirements and
objectives.

13. What are the obstacles faced in the implementation of various e-governance initiatives in
India? Provide some feasible suggestions to overcome these obstacles.
Approach:
• Introduce by highlighting the meaning of e-governance.
• Mention the challenges faced in implementation of e-governance in India.
• Enlist the efforts to be taken to ensure e-governance in India.
• Conclude accordingly.
12 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

https://pdf4exams.org/
 For More Visit -https://pdf4exams.org/

Answer:
E-governance refers to the use by government agencies of information technologies to transform
relations with citizens, businesses, and other arms of government through better service delivery,
citizen empowerment and more efficient government management.
Obstacles in implementation of e-governance Suggestions to overcome the obstacles
initiatives in India
Language barrier: E-governance applications are • E-governance applications must be developed
mostly written in English language, which may not be in local languages, so that all sections of the
understood by a large section of the population. population are able to use and take advantage
of these applications.
• For example, Cowin website and mobile
application, have now been made available in
Telugu, and nine other languages.
Low IT literacy & digital divide: Even among the • The government should work towards
literate, most people in India are not aware about the extension of existing e-learning platforms
usage of Information Technology. Moreover, many like DIKSHA and SWAYAM.
cannot afford a computer and internet connection to • Television, radio and community radio can
take the benefits of online services. be used for broadcasts of educational and
awareness programmes in this regard.

Resistance to change: There is a hesitation on the • Monitoring of e-governance projects should

part of the public servants in moving from a paper- be done by the implementing organization in
based to a web-based system to interact with the the manner in which project monitoring is
government. done for large infrastructure projects. (2nd
ARC)
Cost: A huge amount of money is involved in • The private sector can be roped in through
implementation, operational and maintenance tasks. PPP, which would enhance investment as
Connectivity issues: Broadband penetration in rural well as provide efficient, competitive and
India is limited to around 29%. The implementation of quality products and IT infrastructural
e-governance services in these areas will be a development.
challenging task for the government.
Interoperability: The e-governance applications as of • A standard protocol of developing
now do not have interoperability leading to issues of government applications to enable
compatibility between the newly developed and interoperability should be framed.
existing applications as well as difficulty in
accessibility using different devices.

x aammss. o
. orrgg
Privacy and security: A critical obstacle in

PPddf4
f 4ee x
implementing e-governance is regarding the privacy
and security of an individual’s personal data that
he/she provides to obtain government services.
• There should be an adequate data protection
law as suggested by the B N Srikrishna
Committee.

Lack of human resources: There is a lack of trained • Capacity building efforts must attend to both
personnel in the country to maintain and upgrade e- organizational capacity building and skill
governance projects. upgradation of individuals associated with e-
governance projects. (2nd ARC)
Implementing the above-mentioned measures would help achieve the main aim of e-governance i.e.,
‘ease of governance’ leading to ‘ease of living’ of people. This is essential for the emergence of a ‘New
India’.

14. What are the challenges faced by India's primary healthcare system? Mention the government
initiatives to address these challenges.
Approach:
• Introduce by highlighting the meaning and importance of the primary healthcare system in
India.
• Discuss the challenges faced by this system.
• Enlist the measures taken by the government to address these challenges.
• Conclude accordingly.
13 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

https://pdf4exams.org/
 For More Visit -https://pdf4exams.org/

Answer:
According to the WHO, the primary health care system is the essential health care system made
accessible to individuals and families in the community, by means acceptable to them, through their
full participation and at a cost that the community and the country can afford.
Despite being the backbone of health care delivery system in India, the primary health care
system faces the following challenges:
• Departure from a holistic vision: Most Primary Health Centres (PHCs) merely provide limited,
disease-specific curative services in contrast to the vision of comprehensive services, accessible
to all, contextually relevant and rooted in communities. The current emphasis on vertical
disease control programmes such as tuberculosis and leprosy contribute to the lack of
comprehensive, integrated service delivery and restricts bottom-up approach that is central to
primary health care.
• Dual burden for health care: The PHCs are burdened with increasing cases of communicable
diseases such as pneumonia, tuberculosis etc. and chronic non-communicable diseases such as
diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases etc.
• Erosion of trust between service providers and people: This is reflected in the poor
utilization of public health services and the preference for private providers. Issues plaguing the
PHCs include long waiting times, non-availability of medicines and tests etc.
• Chronic under-funding: In the Budget of 2021, India’s public expenditure on healthcare stood
only at 1.2% of the GDP.
• Lack of adequate training: PHCs are suffering from poor management skills, lack of
appropriate training and supportive supervision for health workers.
• Staff shortage: There is a shortfall of about 9,000 doctors in about 25,000 PHCs in the country.
Following are some of the initiatives taken by the government to address these challenges:
• In 2018, the government launched the Ayushman Bharat Programme (ABP) with Health and
Wellness Centres (HWCs) as one of its components, to deliver comprehensive primary health
care (PHC) services to the entire population. These HWCs will act as the pillar of preventive care
and ‘gateway’ for access to secondary and tertiary health services.
• The National Health Policy (NHP) 2017 proposed to strengthen the PHC systems, invest two-
third or more government health spending on PHC, with an increase in overall government
funding for health to 2.5% of GDP by 2025.
•

m ss . r gg
In order to empower people and communities, the National Rural Health Mission, in 2005,

. o o r
introduced the term ‘Communitisation’ to describe the institutionalizing and scaling up of

x aa m
•

•
community led action for health.

PPddf4
f 4ee x
In order to catalyse people’s participation by bringing behavioural change for a healthy India,
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was launched.
The National Digital Health Mission aims to develop the backbone necessary to support the
integrated digital health infrastructure of the country and bridge the existing gap amongst
different stakeholders of the healthcare ecosystem through digital highways.
• NITI Aayog’s National Health Stack aims to improve access and affordability of healthcare,
facilitate national health programmes, monitor insurance policies and claims, and boost medical
research and health analysis.
Further, state governments should be incentivized to invest in creating a dedicated cadre for public
health at the state, district and block levels. Additionally, PHC strengthening initiatives like Mohalla
Clinics in Delhi, Basthi Dawakhana in Telangana, Family Health Centres in Kerala etc. should
be replicated in other parts of India.





14 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

https://pdf4exams.org/
 For More Visit -https://pdf4exams.org/

15. Giving an account of the initiatives taken by the government for urban development in recent
years, explain how they seek to solve some of the major problems of urbanization faced in
India.
Approach:
• Introduce with a short note on the current status of urbanization in India.
• Enlist the programmes and schemes launched by the government for urban development in
recent years.
• Discuss in brief how they seek to solve some of the major problems of urbanization faced in
India.
• Conclude accordingly.
Answer:
Urbanization in India is increasing at a rapid rate. Our urban population is expected to reach 41% of
the total population by 2030 and 50% by 2050 from nearly 34% population at present. Though
urbanization brings monetary growth, expansion of business activities and social and cultural
incorporation, there are several problems associated with it, for instance housing, sewage, urban
crimes, financial exclusion etc.
In order to solve some of the major problems of urbanization faced in India, following programmes
and schemes have been launched by the government in recent years:
• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Housing for all (Urban): To meet the acute shortage of
housing, the scheme addresses the issue of affordable housing with access to all basic amenities
of all urban poor, including slum dwellers, through credit linked subsidies.
• Smart Cities Mission: It is aimed at promoting cities that provide core infrastructure and give
a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment, and the application
of ‘Smart’ Solutions. This scheme will help in tackling the issues of water and electricity
supplies, sanitation, solid waste management, and public transport, healthcare and education
facilities, and affordable housing, especially for economically-weaker sections of society.
• Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) Mission: The mission
will ensure that:
o Every household has access to a tap with the assured supply of water and a sewerage
connection.
o Increase the amenity value of cities by developing greenery and well-maintained open
spaces (e.g. parks).

aammss. o
. orrgg
o Reduce pollution by switching to public transport or constructing facilities for non-

x
PPddf4
f 4ee x
motorized transport (e.g. walking and cycling).
o It is a step towards harnessing the agglomeration economies of the urban centres and
making cities engines of growth.
• Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana (DAY) - National Urban Livelihood Mission (DAY-NULM):
Roughly a third of the urban population lives below the poverty line. This scheme thus is aimed
at addressing the livelihood concerns of the urban poor and tackling the problems of increasing
urban poverty.
• Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM)-Urban: The poor sanitation condition is another gloomy
feature in urban areas and particularly in slums and unauthorized colonies of urban areas. SBM
aims at making urban India free from open defecation and achieving 100% scientific
management of municipal solid waste in 4,041 statutory towns in the country.
• National Mission on Sustainable Habitat: This mission will help in addressing the issues of
energy efficiency in buildings, urban planning, management of solid and liquid waste etc.
Further, successful models of urban development like ‘Kudumbshree’ model of Kerala, Solid waste
management in OKHLA etc. needs to be adopted across other parts of Urban India so as to achieve
the goals set by United Nations under SDG-11 under 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

15 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

https://pdf4exams.org/
 For More Visit -https://pdf4exams.org/

16. Highlighting the general deficiencies in implementation of citizen's charters in India,

enumerate the measures required to make them an effective tool of enhancing accountability
in governance.
Approach:
• Give a brief introduction about citizen charter.
• Highlighting the general deficiencies in implementation of citizen charter in India.
• Discuss the measures required to make it an effective tool of enhancing accountability in
governance.
• Conclude briefly.
Answer:
Economic development alongside the growing awareness of rights have made citizens more
articulate wherein they expect the administration not merely to respond to their demands but also
to anticipate them. In this context, India adopted the Citizens’ Charter in 1997, which is basically a
set of commitments made by an organization regarding the standards of service, which it delivers. It
is an instrument, which seeks to make an organisation transparent, accountable and citizen friendly.
However, there have appeared several deficiencies in its implementation, enumerated as under:
• Poor design and content: Most organizations do not have adequate capability to draft
meaningful and succinct Citizens’ Charter. Critical information that end-users need to hold
agencies accountable is simply missing from a large number of charters. Moreover, they are
rarely updated.
• Lack of public awareness: While a large number of public service providers have implemented
Citizens’ Charter, only a small percentage of end-users are aware of the commitments made in
the Citizens’ Charter.
• Inadequate groundwork: Government agencies often formulate Citizens’ Charters without
undertaking adequate groundwork in terms of assessing and reforming its processes to deliver
the promises made in the Charter.
• Lack of consultation while drafting: End-users and NGOs are not consulted when Charters are
drafted. This defeats its primary purpose to make public service delivery more citizen-centric
by taking into consideration the needs of end-users.
• Lack of equitable access: The needs of senior citizens and the disabled are not considered
when drafting Charters. Many agencies actually do cater to the needs of the disadvantaged or

x aammss. o
. orr
elderly, but do not mention these services in their charter.
gg
Resistance to change: The new practices demand significant changes in the behaviour and

ddf4
f 4ee x
attitude of the agency and its staff towards citizens. At times, vested interests work for stalling

PP
the Citizens’ Charter altogether or in making it toothless.
Measures required to make it an effective tool of enhancing accountability in governance
• Internal restructuring should precede Charter formulation: Citizens’ Charters that are put
in place after internal reforms will be more credible and useful than those designed as mere
desk exercises without any system re-engineering.
• One size does not fit all: Formulation of Citizens’ Charters should be a decentralized activity
with the head office providing broad guidelines. This is due to differing local conditions, variable
time required by agencies in different activities to specify and agree upon realistic standards of
service, mixed motivation levels of staff across regions etc.
• Wide consultation process: Citizens’ Charters should be formulated after extensive
consultations within the organization followed by a meaningful dialogue with civil society.
Inputs from experts should also be considered at this stage.
• Firm commitments to be made: Citizens’ Charters must be precise and make firm
commitments of service delivery standards to the citizens/consumers in quantifiable terms
wherever possible.
• Redressal mechanism in case of default: Citizens’ Charter should clearly lay down the relief,
which the organization is bound to provide and redressal mechanism if it has defaulted on the
promised standards of delivery.

16 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

https://pdf4exams.org/
 DOWNLOADED FROM
For MoreTELEGRAM https://t.me/visioniastestseriess
Visit -https://pdf4exams.org/

• Periodic evaluation of Citizens’ Charters: It should be done through an external agency for
objective analysis and feedback for modification as per the changing needs of the citizens as
well as the changes in underlying processes and technology.
• Benchmark using end-user feedback: It can be a timely aid to assess the progress and
outcomes of an agency and hold officials accountable who was responsible for implementation
of Charter.
These measures should be taken swiftly to ensure Citizens’ Charter does not remain an end in itself,
rather it becomes a tool to ensure that the citizen is always at the heart of any service delivery
mechanism.

17. Differentiating between absolute and relative poverty, give an account of the progress made by
India in eradicating poverty in recent decades, with adequate data and examples of
government interventions.
Approach:
• Briefly define poverty in the introduction.
• Differentiate between absolute and relative poverty.
• Provide data to highlight the progress made by India in eradicating poverty.
• Conclude accordingly.
Answer:
Poverty can be defined as a state or condition wherein a person/household does not have enough
money or access to resources to afford basic minimum standard of living such as lack of access
to food, house, healthcare, education, water or sanitation facilities etc. In India, the poverty line for a
person has been fixed at Rs. 816 per month for rural areas and Rs. 1000 for urban areas (2011-12).
Poverty can be measured in absolute and relative terms. When the income of the household is
below the poverty line, which is defined as income level to fulfil minimum basic requirements, it is
called absolute poverty. Relative poverty, on the other hand, is defined in comparison to other
people’s standing in the economy. Thus, a person can be poor in the relative sense, even if she is not
poor in the absolute sense, that is, can meet her basic needs. Relative poverty can be observed by
looking at relative standings within a society, or internationally. Typically, relative poverty is seen
as a matter of failure of distributive justice, while absolute poverty is seen as a failure of meeting the

x aammss. o
. rrgg
requirements of basic dignity of human beings or even a failure to meet human rights.

o
Progress made by India in eradicating poverty:

PPddf4
f 4ee x
India is home to the largest number of poor people (364 million) in the world, however, it has made
tremendous progress in reducing absolute poverty in the past few decades.
• Based on India’s official poverty line, the share of the population living in poverty was
halved between 1994 and 2012, falling from 45 per cent to 22 per cent.
• According to the Global Multi-Poverty Index, 2019, India has reduced its poverty rate drastically
from 55% to 28% in 10 years, with 271 million people moving out of poverty between
2005-06 and 2015-16.
• In 2011, around 268 million people were extremely poor i.e., were surviving on less than $1.90
a day. However, the recent data by the World Bank shows that less than 50 million Indians are
extremely poor. It shows that India may have reduced extreme poverty far more effectively
and has not only outpaced the developing world as a whole, but also the middle- and
lower middle-income countries as a group.
This poverty reduction in India is attributed to rapid economic growth and use of technology for
social sector programs. The rate of economic growth from 3.5% in the 1970s to 6% in the 1980s
and 1990s helped significantly in the reduction of poverty. Coupled with the economic growth, the
MGNREGA Act in 2005 guaranteed 100 days of employment to the rural households and set a bar
for the minimum wages in these areas. Other than that, the PM Rozgar Yojana, Rural Employment
Generation Program, Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana, PM Gramodaya Yojana and National
Rural Livelihood Mission have also helped in providing a significant dent in extreme poverty.
17 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

https://pdf4exams.org/
 DOWNLOADED FROM
For MoreTELEGRAM https://t.me/visioniastestseriess
Visit -https://pdf4exams.org/

Further, for nutritional security, the government launched the National Food Security Act in 2013
with specific focus on the poorest of poor through the Antyodaya Anna Yojana.
However, the progress made in the last few decades has been impacted due to the COVID-19
pandemic. The Pew Research Center has estimated that the number of extreme poor in India has
more than doubled to 134 million from 60 million in just a year due to pandemic-induced recession,
in response to which the government has introduced the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana.

18. Analyse the changes that have taken place in the traditional joint family system in India in
recent decades.
Approach:
• Give a brief introduction about some facts on the joint and nuclear family system in India.
• Discuss the structural and functional changes that have taken place in the traditional joint
family system in India.
• Conclude accordingly.
Answer:
According to the 2001 census, out of 19.31 crore households, 9.98 crore or 51.7% were nuclear
households. In the 2011 census, the share grew to 52.1% i.e., 12.97 crore nuclear households out of
24.88 crore households. However, there is a decline in the proportional share of nuclear households
in urban areas. From 54.3% of the urban households of 2001, nuclear families have fallen to 52.3%
of all urban households. In contrast, in rural areas, the share of nuclear families has risen from
50.7% to 52.1%.
India has a rich family structure with a patrilineal background, which helps the family members to
sustain a life with kinship groupings. Over the years, various sociologists have affirmed in their
studies that the rise of nuclear families is consistent and there have been structural and
functional changes that have taken place in the traditional joint family system in India:
• Changes in family: Family, which was a principal unit of production, has been transformed into
a consumption unit. Instead of all members working together in an integrated economic
enterprise, a few male members go out of the home to earn wages for the family. This has
affected family relations.
•

g
Changing economic structure: In traditional societies where human labour was a source of

xxaammss. o
. orr g
strength to the family, more children were preferred to fewer. But as the economic contribution

e
from the children in a family decreased, because of a move away from agriculture, the need for a

• PPddf4
f 4 e
large number of children decreased. The emphasis is now on the quality of life rather than the
number of children, a new concept added to the family.
Factory employment: Factories have provided jobs to young adults providing them with
financial independence. This functional independence of the youngsters has weakened the
authority of the head of the household over those earning members. In many cities, women too
join men in working outside the families on a salary basis.
• Influence of urbanization: Various sociologists have revealed that the city life is more
favourable to small nuclear families due to rising costs of living.
• Legislative measures: Prohibition of early marriage and fixing the minimum age of marriage
by the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929 has lengthened the period of education. Even other
legislations such as the Widow Remarriage Act, 1856, Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, Hindu
Successions Act, 1956 have provided greater decision-making powers to the women and
thereby have modified interpersonal relations within the family, the composition of the family
and the stability of the joint family.
• Changes in the marriage system: Changes in the age of marriage, freedom in mate-selection
has enabled a change in the attitude towards marriage from a religious affair to a social
ceremony. Modern marriage does not symbolize the superior authority of the family head over
other members.

18 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

https://pdf4exams.org/
 DOWNLOADED FROM
For MoreTELEGRAM https://t.me/visioniastestseriess
Visit -https://pdf4exams.org/

• Influence of western values: Values relating to modern science, rationalism, individualism,

equality, free life, democracy, freedom of women etc. have exerted a tremendous change on the
joint family system in India by altering the value systems.
With the advent of industrial civilization with modern technology, the structure and functions of the
family have changed. Today, most of the traditional activities of the family are transferred to outside
agencies; thus, further weakening the bonds that in the past kept the family together. There is a
reduction in the educational, recreational, religious and protective functions of the family, which
have been more or less taken over by various institutions and agencies created for that purpose.

19. Discuss the vulnerabilities faced by the elderly in India and highlight some steps taken by the
government to address these.
Approach:
• Give a brief demographic data related to the elderly people.
• Discuss about various factors that lead to vulnerabilities amongst the elderly in India.
• Then bring out the steps taken by the government to address these vulnerabilities.
• Conclude accordingly.
Answer:
According to Census 2011, there are nearly 104 million elderly persons (aged 60 years or above) in
India, including 53 million females and 51 million males. A report released by the United Nations
Population Fund and Help Age India suggests that the number of elderly persons is expected to
grow to 173 million by 2026.
With the gradual breakdown of the joint family system in the society, the number of cases of
neglect, crime, exploitation and abandonment of parents and senior citizens are on the rise. The
elderly in India face such increased vulnerabilities owing to various factors such as:
• Economic/financial problems: With superannuation, a person has to retire from the service,
which not only results in loss of employment and social status but also a substantial reduction
in his/her income level. Majority of the elderly face acute financial problems, which make older
persons economically insecure and increases their dependency on younger members of the
family.

g
• Physiological problems: With growing age, older persons experience various physiological

xxaammss. o
. orr g
transformations. These changes bring many psychological, behavioural and attitudinal changes

• PPddf4
f 4e
in them. Consequently, they have to suffer varied sorts of physiological problems such as loss of

e
physical strength and stamina, thus making them dependent on other family members for doing
their day-to-day life work.
Housing related problem: Conditions of the existing old age homes are pitiful and are not a
sustainable substitute for family-based care, thus, limiting their options and making them
vulnerable to abuse and neglect.
• Lack of affordable healthcare services: Affordable healthcare facilities including specialized
geriatric facilities in hospitals remain out of reach for most of the elderlies, thereby making
them vulnerable to prolonged age-related illness.
• Problem of elder abuse: Around 81 per cent of the elderly persons face the problem of verbal
abuse, while 53 per cent of them face neglect followed by material abuse (37 per cent) and
physical abuse (23 per cent).
The government has taken several steps to address these vulnerabilities:
• Integrated Program for Older Persons: The main objective of the scheme is to improve the
quality of life of older persons by providing basic amenities like shelter, food, medical care and
entertainment opportunities.
• Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojna (RVY): Under it, aids and assistive living devices are provided to
senior citizens belonging to BPL category who suffered age-related disabilities.

19 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

https://pdf4exams.org/
 DOWNLOADED FROM
For MoreTELEGRAM https://t.me/visioniastestseriess
Visit -https://pdf4exams.org/

• Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme: Central assistance of Rs. 200 per month is
provided to persons in the age group 60-70 years and Rs. 500 per month to persons of 80 years
and above based on criteria prescribed by the government.
• Varistha Pension Bima Yojna: It is a social security scheme for senior citizens intended to give
an assured minimum pension on a guaranteed minimum return on the subscription amount.
• Pradahan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojna: Simplified version of VPBY for providing pension to
elderly.
• Annapurna Scheme: It provides 10 kg of food grains per person per month free of cost to
senior citizens above 65 years who remain uncovered under the National Old Age Pension
Scheme.
Apart from these, the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Seniors Citizen Acts, 2007 has
been enacted making it legal for children or heirs to maintain their parents. There are also
Constitutional safeguards like Article 41 and 46, legal safeguards like Section 20 of the Hindu
Marriage and Adoption Act, 1956 making it an obligatory provision to maintain aged parents etc.

20. With the help of suitable examples, examine the impact of globalization on environment.
Approach:
• Briefly write about globalization to provide a context for the question.
• Write about the impact of globalization on the environment, citing examples.
• Conclude accordingly.
Answer:
Globalization involves increased flow of goods, services, capital, people, and ideas across
international boundaries. It has affected nearly all dimensions of human lives including the
environment. The impact of the globalization on the environment has majorly been negative with
disproportionate impact on the developing countries, which can be witnessed through the following
changes-
• Increased consumption of products: Increased consumption leads to an increase in the
production of goods, which in turn impacts ecological cycles and puts stress on the
environment. For example, overfishing in coastal areas, such as in Southeast Asia, has
significantly contributed to reduced fish populations and increased oceanic pollution.
•

x aammss. o
. orrgg
Economic specialization: Nations and geographical regions tend to focus on their economic
strengths and importing goods they don’t produce themselves. This economic specialization can
lead to serious environmental issues:

PPddf4
f 4ee x
o Illegal deforestation in Brazil due to an increase in the country’s cattle ranching
operations, which requires significant land for grazing.
o Overdependence on cash crops, such as coffee, cacao, and various fruits, which has
contributed to habitat loss, especially in tropical climates.
o Oil producing countries and those countries considering “energy security” as their
priority are more likely to support the traditional sector by subsidies or laws that make
transitioning to renewable energy more difficult.
• Increased transport of goods: In a globalized world, finished products travel farther now than
ever before. This can impact the environment in several ways, including:
o Increased pollutants and greenhouse gas emission: These emissions contribute to
pollution, climate change, and ocean acidification around the world and have been shown to
significantly impact biodiversity.
o Habitat destruction: The development of transport infrastructure like roads and bridges
leads to habitat loss and pollution.
o Increased risks of oil spills: Approximately 70 percent of all freight is transported by
ships. The more ships that travel by sea, the greater the chances for major oil spills or leaks
that damage the delicate marine environment.
o Invasive species: A living organism has greater chances to hitch a ride on a shipping
container to a new location where it can become invasive and grow without checks and
balances that might be present in its natural environment.
20 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

https://pdf4exams.org/
 DOWNLOADED FROM
For MoreTELEGRAM https://t.me/visioniastestseriess
Visit -https://pdf4exams.org/

• Decreased biodiversity: Increased greenhouse gas emissions, ocean acidification,

deforestation (and other forms of habitat loss or destruction), climate change, and the
introduction of invasive species all work to reduce biodiversity around the globe.
o Latin America and Africa—two rapidly developing regions important to global trade—have
seen disproportionate levels of biodiversity loss, especially among environmentally
sensitive fish, reptiles, and amphibians.
Notwithstanding above negative impacts, globalization also helps in tackling climate change and
protecting environment, such as:
• Increased awareness: Globalization has heightened environmental awareness worldwide.
Greater connectivity and higher rates of international travel have made it easier than ever for
individuals to see the effects of deforestation, habitat loss, and climate change on the
environment.
• International cooperation, new laws and regulations: Realizing the risk of global warming,
countries of the world have come together under the Paris Climate deal and Sustainable
Development Goals to address the issue of climate change. Further, sharing of green
technology and evidence-based policy actions are being promoted.
Despite these, globalization has, in general, increased the vulnerability of ecosystems and societies
around the world, which requires it to be tackled through global cooperation and coordinated
actions.

x aammss. o
. orrgg
PPddf4
f 4ee x

Copyright © by Vision IAS

All rights are reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior
permission of Vision IAS.

21 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

https://pdf4exams.org/