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2020 UPSC MAINS GS PAPER II
ANSWERS AND EXPLANATION
Q1. “There is a need for simplification of procedure
for disqualification of persons found guilty of
corrupt practices under the Representation of
Peoples Act”. Comment. (150 Words, 10 Marks)
Tags: Salient features of the Representation of
People’s Act.
Decoding the Question:
y In Introduction, try to mention about the
election’s scenario in India.
y In Body,
⚪ Discuss RPA and its Key Provisions.
⚪ RPA Provisions for Disqualification on
account of Corrupt Practices.
⚪ Challenges leading to the need of
simplification.
y Try to conclude with a way forward to
strengthen the ECI.
Answer:
Elections are a very potent and periodic tool at the
hand of Indian citizens to hold the government
accountable. Yet this is marred with many issues like
criminalization of politics, polarization for vote banks
etc. Nearly 43 percent of the elected Members of the
Parliament have criminal cases against them.
To tackle them Parliament has enacted laws in all
matters relating to elections to the Parliament and State
Legislatures Representation of the Peoples Act 1951
(RPA). However, practically speaking, these issues are
far from being wiped out.
RPA and its key provisions:
y Section 8A of RPA provides for disqualification of
candidates on the grounds of corrupt practices.
⚪ Criminal Offence: Section 8(3) of the Act
states that if an MP or MLA is convicted for
any other crime and sent to jail for 2 years or
more, he/she will be disqualified for six years
from the time of release.
y Section 123 of Representation of People’s Act,1951
provides for disqualification on the grounds of
corrupt practices like:
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⚪ Bribery i.e., any gift/offer/promise/
gratification to any person as a motive or
reward.
⚪ Publication by a candidate, any statement of
fact, which is false.
⚪ Promotion of feelings of enmity/ hatred
between different classes of citizens.
⚪ The incurring of expenditure more than the
stipulated limit.
⚪ Undue influence i.e., any direct or indirect
interference on part of the candidate with the
free exercise of any electoral right.
Though RPA has several clear provisions with respect
to corrupt practices, their implementation and
complicated steps makes it a challenging task.
Challenges in the RPA:
y Procedure occurs only after elections: The
procedure of disqualification under the corrupt
practices can be started only after the election is
over and only in an election petition submitted
in the state High Court in accordance with the
provisions of article 329 of the Constitution.:
y False Disclosures: There are often assets and
liabilities that are falsely disclosed. For this RPA
has been amended with application of Right to
Information about the candidate but still far from
an easy process.
y Dual Responsibility of Administrative Staff:
The Election Commission of India does not have
independent staff of its own so at the time of
elections, it depends upon staff of Central and
State Governments. This responsibility, to the
government for ordinary administration and to the
ECI for electoral administration is not conducive
to the impartial and efficient functioning of the
Commission.
y Misuse of Official Machinery: The Representation
of People Act lack clear provisions and guidelines
on the matters like the issue of advertisements
at the cost of government and public exchequer
highlighting their achievements, disbursements
out of the discretionary funds at the disposal of
the ministers, use of government vehicles for
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canvassing etc. This may give an unfair advantage
to the ruling party at the time of elections.
Simplification will involve:
y Special Election Benches: The Law Commission
of India in 254th Report has recommended
Special Courts be set up at the level of the High
Courts (with direct appeal to the Supreme Court)
to assess the legality of charges framed against
potential candidates and dispose of the cases in a
strict time frame.
y Stringent application of Section 125A: The
Commission recommended that the punishment
under Section 125A of RPA must be made more
stringent by providing for imprisonment of a
minimum term of two years and by doing away
with the alternative clause for fine. Additionally,
conviction under Section 125A RPA should be
made a part of Section 8(1)(i) of the Representation
of People Act, 1950.
y Expanding Scope of Section 8: Second ARC
recommended that Section 8 of RPA needed to be
amended to disqualify all persons facing charges
related to grave and heinous offences (viz. murder,
abduction, rape etc.) and corruption, where
charges have been framed six months before the
election.
y False Affidavit Filing: Second ARC also
supported the proposal of including filing of false
affidavits as an electoral offence under Section
31 of Representation of the People Act, 1950 as
recommended by the Election Commission in the
year 1998.
A law is effective when its understanding reaches to
the common among commoners. If RPA is made
sufficiently simpler and elaborate on the processes,
it will be easy for voters to demand for the just
representation of people.
Q2. “Recent amendments to the Right to Information
Act will have a profound impact on the
autonomy and independence of the Information
Commission”. Discuss. (150 Words, 10 Marks)
Tags: Statutory, regulatory, and various quasi-
judicial bodies.
Decoding the Question:
y In Introduction, try to write about the Right
to Information Act (RTI) along with its
importance.
y In Body,
⚪ Mention recent Amendments to the
Right to Information Act.
⚪ Write impact of Amendments on the
Information Commission.
y Conclude with the Importance of RTI Act in
participatory democracy.
Answer:
Right to Information Act 2005(RTI) mandates
timely response to citizen requests for government
information. The basic object of the RTI is to empower
the citizens, promote transparency and accountability
in the working of the Government, contain corruption,
and make our democracy work for the people in a real
sense.

Recent Amendments of 2019 and comparison with RTI Act, 2005:

Provision RTI Act, 2005 RTI (Amendment) Act, 2019

The Act removes this

The Chief Information Commissioner (CIC)
provision and states that
and Information Commissioners (ICs) (at the
Term the central government will
central and State level) will hold office for a
notify the term of office for
term of five years.
the CIC and the ICs.

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The salary of the CIC and ICs (at the central The Act removes these
level) will be equivalent to the salary paid to provisions and states that
the Chief Election Commissioner and Election the salaries, allowances, and
Commissioners, respectively. other terms and conditions
Quantum of
Similarly, the salary of the CIC and ICs (at the of service of the central and
Salary
state level) will be equivalent to the salary State CIC and ICs will be
paid to the Election Commissioners and the determined by the central
Chief Secretary to the state government, government.
respectively.

The Act states that at the time of the

appointment of the CIC and ICs (at the central
and State level), if they are receiving pension
or any other retirement benefits for previous
government service, their salaries will be
The Act removes these
Deductions reduced by an amount equal to the pension.
provisions.
in Salary Previous government service includes service
under: (i) the central government, (ii) state
government, (iii) corporation established
under a central or State law, and (iv) company
owned or controlled by the central or State
government.

Impact of Amendments: The RTI (Amendment) Act,
2019 has been criticized on grounds of diluting the Act
and skewed power towards the central government.
y Threat to Doctrine of Separation of Powers: The
amendment allows the interference of the executive
in the functioning of Information Commissions,
which are quasi-judicial bodies. This will affect the
doctrine of separation of powers, which is vital to
our democratic checks and balances.
y Independent Structures: These are vital
for a democratic state to deliver justice and
constitutional guarantees by ensuring regulation
and monitoring of the government.
y Affects the Spirit of Federalism: The amendment
also affects the constitutional principles of
federalism, as now the central government can
change terms of service of the State Information
Commission.
y Decline of Participative Democracy: Unilateral
power of the central government will lead to
centralization of power, which is not conducive for
the exercise of the freedom of expression.
y Difficulty in accessing Information: The
amendment has the potential to make access
to information difficult which is a hindrance to
ensure the accountability of the representatives
and the State.
The 2nd ARC asserted that RTI is the master key to
governance that must be held carefully along with
autonomy to the holder. That’s why, it goes without
saying that an informed citizen is better equipped to
keep necessary vigil on the instruments of governance
and make the government more accountable to the
governed.
Q3. How far do you think cooperation, competition
and confrontation have shaped the nature of
federation in India? Cite some recent examples to
validate your answer. (150 Words, 10 Marks)
Tag: Functions and Responsibilities of the Union
and the States, Issues and Challenges Pertaining
to the Federal Structure.
Decoding the Question:
y In Introduction, define the concept of
Federation and highlight Indian Federalism.
y In Body,
⚪ Discuss the following terms in
accordance with federation of India with

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recent examples:
y Cooperation
y Competition
y Confrontation
y Discuss how cooperation, competition
and confrontation have shaped Indian
Federation.
y Conclude with the suggestive measure to
reduce the confrontations among federal
units.
Answer:
A federation is a political entity characterized by a
distribution of power among a union and its units/
states. In India, the Constitution envisages India as a
Union of States. This Indian model of federalism the
States have no right to secede from the federation.
Indian Federalism works with dynamic interaction
between the centre and the states. Such dynamism
gives rise to cooperation, competition and sometimes
confrontation in federalism.
Cooperation: Granville Austin describes the Indian
Federation as cooperative federalism that produces a
strong central government but does not result in week
provincial governments. The Centre and States share
a horizontal relationship, in which they ‘cooperate’
in the formulation and implementation of national
policies. This can be reflected in the recent steps taken
by the Central Government:
y The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is the result
of extended consensus among states including the
GST Council.
y Collaboration was also evident during the
Covid-19 pandemic when states and Centre acted
as one in the fight against the virus outbreak.
Competition: It envisages the competition among
states. This is aimed to result in constructive results for
the nation. Competitive Federalism is evident from
the recent steps like:
y With the liberalization reforms of 1991, there has
been a competition among the states to attract
foreign investment and industries.
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y NITI Aayog replaced the Planning Commission.
One of the mandates is to develop competitive
federalism.
y An “Ease of Doing Business Index” for the Indian
States, with annual rankings pointing to the areas
they lag, introduces the sense of competition
among different states, to encourage corrective
actions and make India, a much better and easier
destination for investment.
y The Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) and
Swachh Bharat Ranking also helped in promoting
a sense of competition amongst the states for funds
from the central government.
Confrontation: It may be a result of one government
transgressing into the powers of the other. This can
occur between two states or between the centre and
State.
y When the central government decides to enact a
law which states deem to be in their purview e.g.,
New Farm Acts, the National Investigation Agency
(NIA) Act.
y The Governor as an agent of the central government
(recently in Maharashtra & Karnataka) creates
confrontations.
y Also, there are many river-waters sharing disputes
amongst the states. For example- Cauvery river
disputes, etc.
Ways to reduce Confrontation:
y First, the contentious role of the governor needs to
be reviewed and recommended by both Sarkaria
and Punchhi Commission.
y Second, proper utilization of mechanisms of the
Inter-state Council must be ensured to develop
political goodwill between the Centre and the
states on contentious issues.
y Third, the gradual widening of the fiscal capacity
of the states must be legally guaranteed without
reducing the Centre’s share.
y Fourth, adequate electoral reforms for creating
a level playing field for the regional political
parties and regional leaders would facilitate more
competitive political contests between the national
and regional political forces.
Indian Federalism is a unique federalism. This has
been strengthened by deepening the power sharing
further at lower levels. Therefore, decentralization of
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power and the institutionalization of the local self-
government under the 73rd and 74th Constitutional
Amendment Acts in real sense, will make federation
more stable and efficient.
Q4. The judicial systems in India and the UK seem
to be converging as well as diverging in recent
times. Highlight the key points of convergence
and divergence between the two nations in terms
of their judicial practices. (150 Words, 10 Marks)
Tags: Comparison of the Indian Constitutional
Scheme with that of Other Countries. Structure,
Organization and Functioning of the Executive
and the Judiciary.
Decoding the Question:
y In Introduction, bring about the general
cause of comparable judicial systems.
y In Body,
⚪ The points of convergence in the judicial
systems.
⚪ The points of divergence in the judicial
systems.
y In Conclusion, write about the significance
of such judicial systems.
Answer:
India and the United Kingdom are Parliamentary
Democracies with some shared colonial past. Besides,
there are differences as well as similarities on how the
executive, legislature, and judiciary function. Under
British rule, Indian Judicial System evolved as the
‘Mayor’s court’ established by the East India Company
in 1726. The judicial system developed, imbibing
the features like Rule of Law and recording judicial
precedents.
Convergence in Judicial Practices:
y Rule of Law: Both countries follow the principle
of Rule of Law, where no individual is granted
any special privilege before the court of law and
the laws apply equally to all citizens irrespective
of their social-economic or other difference i.e.,
equality before law.
y Writ Petition: Instrument of writ petitions to
uphold Rule of Law and that the judiciary of both
nations can review the acts of the executives.
y Independent Judiciary: In Britain as well as in
India, the judges can only be removed from the
office for serious misbehavior and with the consent
of both Houses of Parliament.
y Ultra-vires: Courts in both UK and in India can
declare the action of an executive as ultra vires
i.e., acting or done beyond one’s legal power or
authority.
y Interpretation of Constitution: The courts in both
India as well as UK, act as highest interpreter of
the Constitution.
Divergence in Judicial Practices:
y Recent Judgements: The Act of Sedition is no
longer valid in the UK while it is often used in India.
Further, the Contempt of Court proceedings are
rare in the UK while in India it has been used, as
seen in recent examples of Prashant Bhushan case.
y Parliamentary Sovereignty: Under the doctrine
of Parliamentary Sovereignty, the judiciary in
the UK lacks the power to strike down an Act of
the Parliament. This Makes the Parliament as a
Supreme body.
⚪ In India, the courts of law have been given this
power to strike down unconstitutional laws
to ensure Constitutional Supremacy with the
instrument of the Judicial Review.
y Judicial Review: While the scope of the Judicial
Review in the UK is far much narrower than that
available to the Indian judiciary, in the UK the
judiciary can review the lawfulness of actions
of great public and constitutional importance,
converging elements to ensure natural justice.
y Basic Structure Doctrine: The courts in India
have come up with the doctrine of basic structure
which prevents executive from making laws or
amendments, which alter or deviate from the
basic values enshrined in the Constitution. British
system lacks the concept of basic structure.
y Unified Three-tier system: UK does not have a
single unified legal system; England and Wales
have one system, Scotland another, Northern
Ireland a third.
⚪ The Constitution of India has established a
unified Three-tier system of judiciary, with
the Supreme Court at the top-tier.
y Appointment of Judges: In the UK, the
Constitutional Reform Act, 2005 has created
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the Judicial Appointments Commission for
appointment of judges.
⚪ However, in India, the judges of the Supreme
Court as well as High Court are appointed by
the President under collegium system.
The British judicial system provided the foundation on
which the Indian counterpart was built. But the Indian
judiciary has evolved and learnt from the best practices
from around the world to safeguard Democracy and
Rule of Law.
Q5. ‘Once a Speaker, Always a Speaker’! Do you
think this practice should be adopted to impart
objectivity to the office of the Speaker of Lok
Sabha? What could be its implication for the
robust functioning of parliamentary business in
India? (150 Words, 10 Marks)
Tags: Parliament and State legislatures—
structure, functioning, conduct of business,
powers & privileges and issues arising out of
these.
Decoding the Question:
y In Introduction, try to write about the office
of the Speaker in India in comparison
to other countries with Parliamentary
Democracy.
y In Body,
⚪ Issues with the institution of Speaker.
⚪ Instances of partiality on the part of the
Speaker.
⚪ Reforms to impart objectivity to the
office of the Speaker.
y In Conclusion, the significance of having an
established office of a Speaker in Democracy.
Answer:
The Speaker is the Constitutional and ceremonial
head of the House, who plays a crucial role in issues
like disqualification under the Anti-defection law, the
validation of money bill, maintaining the decorum
in assembly, passing of critical motions like censure
motion and no confidence motion.
Comparison with other Parliamentary Democracy:
y The UK practice of ‘Once a Speaker, Always a
speaker’ suggests that once elected, the speaker
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gives up all party affiliations and remains in office
until retirement. Candidates are not fielded by
political parties from the constituency of the
speaker to ensure his or her election to the house.
The British Parliament automatically elevates the
speaker to the House of Lords, once they resign
from the office.
y In Ireland, a parliamentary system, the position
of Speaker is given to someone who has built
up credibility by relinquishing his/her political
ambitions.
In recent times, the role of Speaker has come into
contention between the opposition and the ruling
parties for its partial behavior.
Issues with ‘Office of the Speaker’:
y Speaker not being an Apolitical entity: Speaker
is appointed from the party/coalition enjoying the
majority in the lower house. Thus, one continues
to hold the party affiliation even after appointment
to the post. This often leads to subjective
interpretation of issues rather than objectivity
needed in a parliamentary democracy.
y Defection: In deciding the question of
disqualification under the tenth Schedule, the
speaker’s decision is absolute. Many times, it has
been alleged that the Speaker had acted in a biased
manner.
⚪ For example, the instance of suspension
of almost all the MLAs of the Tamil Nadu
Assembly in 2016.
Instances of partiality on the part of the Speaker:
y Misuse of authority to declare a bill as a ‘Money
Bill’: While deciding Money Bill, a party holding
majority often has sway over the speaker’s decision,
minimizing debate and point of view from other
party members and from Rajya Sabha, even if
the bill is adjudged legally correct. This has been
evident in the passage of the Aadhar Bill.
y Apolitical nature and partisan role of the office:
This has been highlighted in cases like Kihoto
Hollohan vs. Zachillhu and Others (1992), Jagjit
Singh vs. State of Haryana (2006), Keisham
Meghachandra Singh vs. the Speaker Manipur
Legislative Assembly & Ors. (2020).
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Reforms to impart objectivity to the office of the
Speaker:
y Adopting the UK System: UK practice of ‘once
the speaker always a speaker’ can be followed in
India to have more comprehensive debates, more
balanced emphasis to opposition parties and bring
more credibility to the institutions of Speaker.
y Political Neutrality: It is the freedom from
interference and pressures which provide the
necessary atmosphere where he/she can work with
absolute commitment to the cause of neutrality as
a constitutional value.
y Constitutional Impartiality(Security of Tenure):
Speaker’s removal can only be by an absolute
majority; the salary is fixed and charged on
Consolidated Fund of India/State; the works
conduct cannot be discussed except for Substantive
Motion; Powers within house are not Judicially
Reviewable.
y Judicial Review: In Kihoto Hollohan vs Zachillhu
and Others, 1992 case, Supreme Court allowed for
Judicial Review in case of questions concerning
disqualification of members under the tenth
schedule.
y Independent Tribunal: Independent Tribunal
for deciding cases of disqualification under
tenth schedule as recommended in Keisham
Meghachandra Singh vs. the Hon’ble Speaker
Manipur Legislative Assembly & Ors. (2020), can
be established.
Neutrality, autonomy, and fairness in decision-
making are the hallmarks of a robust institution. At a
time when India falls in ranks, in the latest Democracy
Index, it is expected of Parliament to have a major
revamp in the structure of the office to strengthen the
institution of the ‘Office of the Speaker’.
Q6. In order to enhance the prospects of social
development, sound and adequate health care
policies are needed in the fields of geriatric and
maternal health care. Discuss (150 Words, 10
Marks)
Tags: Issues relating to development and
management of Social Sector/Services relating to
Health, Education, Human Resources.
Decoding the Question:
y In Introduction, about social development,
and the present healthcare situation in the
country.
y In Body,
⚪ Relationship between healthcare and
social development.
⚪ Geriatric Healthcare.
⚪ Maternal Healthcare.
y In Conclusion, the importance of healthcare
for holistic growth of the nation.
Answer:
Social development reflects the improved well-being
of every individual in society. It reduces stress on
human capabilities and brings in human resource
formation, which has the potential to improve the
economic situation of the country and to bring in
more development.
Healthcare and Social Development:
y Health induced poverty: This is a common norm
due to the high cost of health care which makes
it difficult to address other social requirements
like education. The increasing expenditure on
healthcare pushes around 32 to 39 million Indians
below the poverty line on an annual basis.
y Enhanced Human Capacity: Health care has the
potential to enhance human capabilities and can
aid in economic development which will result in
further contribution towards growth of the nation.
Reducing vulnerability among old people and women,
is a prerequisite in the nation-building process with
focus on reducing deprivation and ensuring social
empowerment.
Geriatric Healthcare:
The National Elderly Policy defines people of 60+ age
group as elderly. Marking of the UN ‘Decade of Healthy
Ageing (2020-2030)’ highlights the significance of
elderly population challenges.
The problems faced by old age population which
includes desertion by family members, lack of
specialized old age care, lack of social safety net to take
care of health needs, insurance, inadequate old age
homes have been worked upon by the government by
the way of following schemes:
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y Schemes for Healthcare:
⚪ The National Programme for the Health Care
for the Elderly (NPHCE)
⚪ Ayushman Bharat
⚪ Integrated Programme for Older Persons
⚪ Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana
⚪ Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension
Scheme (IGNOAPS)
⚪ Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana
y Phased-in Retirement: Phased-in retirement
suggests a scheme whereby older workers could
choose to work fewer hours yet remain longer in
the labour force. This would ensure continuity in
tax revenues and reduced expenditure on pensions.
y Robust Healthcare Infrastructure: Good quality
health care infrastructure is of utmost importance
to the elderly in an age-sensitive manner.
y Strengthen the Family Care System: The preferred
source of support for the aged is still the family.
The reciprocal care and support within the multi-
generational families of parents, grandparents and
children should be encouraged by way of school
curricula and through the media.
y Promoting and rewarding volunteering:
Governments could make provisions to promote
and reward volunteering and care work among
citizens and NGOs.
Maternal Healthcare:
Sustainable development in India can only happen
when maternal and child care are taken good care of.
The survival and well-being of mothers is crucial to
solving larger economic, social, and developmental
challenges. The Sustainable Development Goal
III pertains to maternal health where the target is
to reduce maternal mortality ratio (MMR) 70 per
100000 live births.
Steps to ensure Maternal Health:
y Healthcare Schemes: Reproductive, Maternal,
Neonatal, Child and Adolescent health are
addressed through following schemes:
⚪ Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK)
⚪ Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram
(RKSK)
⚪ Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK)
⚪ Universal Immunisation Programme, Mission
Indradhanush (MI)
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⚪ Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)
⚪ Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan
(PMSMA)
⚪ Navjaat Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (NSSK)
⚪ National Programme for Family Planning
⚪ LaQshya’ programme (Labour Room Quality
Improvement Initiative).
⚪ Matru Vandana Yojana
y National Nutritional Programmes: Some
programmes to ensure nutrition have been MAA
(Mothers’ Absolute Affection) Programme for
Infant and Young Child Feeding, National Iron
Plus Initiative for Anaemia Control, etc.
y Infant Health: To address the issue of death due
to malnutrition and diseases, the health of young
children below the age of five should be taken care
of at priority.
y Maternal Health: Pregnant and lactating mothers
are vulnerable to health risks and hence policies
are required to address these concerns.
y Midwifery Initiatives: It is aimed at creating a team
of skilled nurses for providing their compassionate
contribution to reproductive maternal and
newborn healthcare.
Social development is about improving the wellbeing
of every individual to help them reach their full
potential. It would help improve India’s ranking in
global healthcare indicators such as HDI, where
health is a key component. Healthcare plays a vital
role in reducing social exclusion at the local level,
due to its impact on employment, working conditions
and household income. This can potentially help in
realizing the goal of a $5 trillion economy even faster
and also aid in sustainable development of the country.
Q7. “Institutional quality is a crucial driver of
economic performance”. In this context, suggest
reforms in Civil Service for Strengthening
Democracy. (150 Words, 10 Marks)
Tags: Role of civil services in a democracy.
Decoding the Question:
y In Introduction, about Institutional Quality
with the focus on Civil Services as an
institution.
y In Body,
⚪ Challenges faced by Civil Services in
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India.
⚪ Reforms to overcome the challenges to
Civil Services.
y In Conclusion, about the mission by the
government in this direction.
Answer:
“If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly
to be found in democracy, they will be best attained
when all persons alike share in the government to the
utmost”- Aristotle
Institutional quality is a broad concept that captures
law, individual rights and high quality government
regulation and services. Economic performance of a
country primarily depends on the policies formulated
by the government. Institutional quality and economic
development reinforce each other over the longer
term, but it is institutional quality that leads this
virtuous circle. However, the growth performance not
only depends on the policy measures but also on how
those policies are implemented and executed and this
is where the role of an efficient Civil Servant or the
Bureaucracy comes in.
y The Institutional Quality impedes the positive
effects of foreign direct investments (FDIs) and
trade openness on economic growth.
y Institutional development unlocks growth
potential and does not intrinsically suffer from
diminishing returns. Countries with high
Institutional Quality are said to be more successful
in adopting frontier technology and productivity.
Challenges to Civil Services:
y Performance Evaluation: Performance records
being mostly prepared by superiors, leaves a lot
of scope for personal biases and prejudice. As
suggested by the Second Administrative Reforms
Commission, reforms can be made to make it
more objective. The Prime Minister of India has
suggested a 360-degree performance evaluation
for the same.
y Relationship between the Bureaucracy and
Political Executive: The bias of a political executive
to prefer loyalty over efficiency in selecting civil
servants to higher posts, has impacted the rational
and meritorious suggestions to the political
executive in policy formulation. Impartiality on
the account of the Civil Services Board is required
to look after all the aspects related to promotions,
transfers, posting and suspensions.
y Politicization of the Institution: Since Civil
Servants are accountable to the political executive
and not directly to the citizens, politicization could
be an issue and can be taken care of by ensuring
the accountability aspect of the services.
Reforms needed in the Civil Service:
y Rightsizing the Bureaucracy: It is required to
ensure the availability of optimum number of
functionaries for effective service delivery.
y Civil Service Accountability: Measures should
be made to focus on external accountability
mechanisms like strengthening and streamlining
reporting mechanisms, action on audit findings
and implementation of Citizens Charter.
y Specialist Recruitment: The growing economy
has different sets of needs where a high level of
specialization is required in various fields and
such appointments cannot be promptly made at
the time of need.
y Capacity Building Activities and Human
Resources Development: This is required to keep
pace with the global development as by the forces
of new technologies.
y Other reforms: Strengthening meritocracy
in promotion instead of seniority along with
introduction of modern reforms like E-
Governance could help enhance the proficiency of
the service delivery.
The recent policy by the government- ‘Mission
Karmayogi’ is a great step towards the civil service
reforms to enhance the quality of civil services as an
institution in the country. The Mission Karmayogi
aims to empower the Indian Civil Servant with specific
role-competencies which would help to ensure efficient
service delivery of the highest quality standards.
Q8. “The emergence of the Fourth Industrial
Revolution (Digital Revolution) has initiated
e-Governance as an integral part of government”.
Discuss (150 Words, 10 Marks)
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Tags: Important aspects of governance,
transparency and accountability, e-governance
applications, models, successes, limitations,
and potential; citizens charters, transparency
& accountability and institutional and other
measures.
Decoding the Question:
y In Introduction, discuss Fourth Industrial
Revolution.
y In Body,
⚪ Impact of Fourth Industrial Revolution
on governance.
⚪ e-Governance and its examples.
y In Conclusion, importance of Fourth
Industrial Revolution in strengthening
governance.
Answer:
The First Industrial Revolution used water and
steam power to mechanize production. The Second
used electric power to create mass production. The
Third used electronics and information technology
to automate production. Now the Fourth Industrial
Revolution is characterized by a fusion of technologies
in AI (Artificial Intelligence), IoT(Internet of
Things),quantum computing and others.
Fourth Industrial Revolution and its impact on
governance:
Fourth Industrial Revolution resulted in an
amalgamation of technology and the convergence
of physical, digital, and biological spheres, creating
an inclusive growth environment. It includes
development of new digital technologies like Artificial
Intelligence, Big Data, Machine Learning etc.
The changes brought about by the Fourth Industrial
Revolution can be summed up as follows:
y Better Policy measures: Newer technologies such
as Big Data, Data Analytics, Data Mining etc., have
the ability for better identification of important
aspects from a large dataset. This could be helpful
for policy makers to make clear distinction for
the usefulness of data and ensure better policy
measures.
y Faster Resolution of Grievances: Artificial
intelligence and machine learning technologies
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have helped in bringing new grievance resolution
techniques to the table, such as bots. This has led
to increased efficiency in reducing public issues.
y Transparency: Technology growth has created
new opportunities for ensuring transparency
in the governance. This includes monitoring
misgovernance issues such as corruption or
favoritism.
One of the major highlights of this revolution has been
e-Governance, that has improved the functioning
of society and altered the way the State govern and
People respond.
e-Governance:
This has been one of the major highlights of the Fourth
Industrial Revolution, suggesting a process of reform
in the way governments work, share information
and deliver the services. Mumbai Declaration on
e-Governance has a ten-fold goal to take forward the
roadmap for e-Governance defined in the Shillong
Declaration of 2019.
y It centres around improving public service
delivery, exhausting digital platforms, particularly
concerning health, agriculture, education and
land.
Some examples of harnessing e-Governance potential
in the country are as follows:
y Digital India: Through technology improvement
and Digital Revolution, easier access to government
services has been ensured. Technologies such
as cloud computing have resulted in improved
connectivity which has been helpful in dealing
with connectivity issues of digital governance.
y UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-
age Governance): It is developed by the Ministry
of Electronics and Information Technology
(MeitY) and National e-Governance Division
(NeGD) to drive Mobile Governance in India. It
provides a single platform for Citizens to access
pan India e-Gov services ranging from Central to
Local Government bodies.
y DBT(Direct Benefit Transfer): Under this initiative,
the scholarships and subsidies are directly credited
in the bank account of the beneficiary which helps
to ensure targeted delivery of benefits and also
reduces the instances of corruption in the system.
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y BharatNet: This is an initiative to facilitate the
delivery of e-governance, e-health, e-education,
e-banking, Internet, and other services to rural
India. The aim is to connect all the 2,50,000 Gram
panchayats in the country and provide 100 Mbps
connectivity to all gram panchayats. To achieve
this target, the existing unused fibers (dark fiber) of
public sector undertakings (PSUs) (BSNL, RailTel
and Power Grid) have been taken advantage of and
incremental fiber has been laid to connect to the
Gram Panchayats wherever necessary.
Importance of Fourth Industrial Revolution in
strengthening governance:
With the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution,
the world and India, in particular, is witnessing a Digital
revolution. This is evident from increasing smartphone
penetration, increasing UPI transactions, low internet
cost, among others. Fourth industrial revolution has a
lot of potential to harness the converging technologies
to create an inclusive, human-centered future. It
presents the opportunity to help everyone including
the people and the government policy makers. Digital
India mission is a step in this direction ensuring robust
and efficient institutions of governance.
Q9. Critically examine the role of WHO in providing
global health security during the COVID-19
Pandemic. (150 Words, 10 Marks)
Tags: Important International institutions,
agencies, and fora- their structure, mandate.
Decoding the Question:
y In Introduction, role and responsibility of
WHO.
y In Body,
⚪ Response of WHO during the Covid-19
pandemic and issues with performance.
⚪ Importance of WHO as an organization.
y In Conclusion, performance of WHO in
handling similar situations in the past and
measures to empower its organization and
functioning.
Answer:
The World Health Organization (WHO) plays an
important role in the global governance of health
and disease. The World Health Organization (WHO)
defines Global public health security as “the activities
required to minimize the danger and impact of acute
public health events that endanger the collective health
of populations living across geographical regions and
international boundaries.”
WHO during Covid-19 pandemic:
Covid-19 is characterized as a virus induced pandemic
which refers to a new disease for which people do not
possess immunity. The role of WHO has been criticized
in handling the pandemic situation, the reasons for
which are summarized as follows:
y Carelessness on the part of WHO: The WHO
has been accused of mismanaging the Covid-19
crisis and failing to vet information and share it
in a timely and transparent manner. It delayed
declaring COVID-19 a pandemic, which resulted
in late actions by countries, aggravating the
situations around the world.
y Influence of China on the functioning of
organization: Today’s global institutions are
extremely dependent on their contributors for
funding, and they often become pawns for their
political agendas. Regarding contributions,
withdrawal of the USA resulted in inadequate
funds and manpower which further curbed the
WHO’s independence and its ability to function.
Also, when the US cut funding to the WHO,
China increased its contribution. The World
Health Organization (WHO) has been alleged as
“very China centric”, for its negligence to cover up
China’s failure to handle the crisis.
Need for WHO:
y Helping countries in preparation and response:
The WHO has been providing critical support
through guidelines, convening, and coordinated
programs.
y Busting dangerous myths and providing accurate
information : To ensure information is correct
and helpful, WHO provides everyone access to
timely, accurate and easy-to-understand advice,
from trusted sources. In addition, daily situation
reports and press briefings, as well as briefings
with governments, are being circulated to keep the
world informed about the latest data, information
and evidence.
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y Training Health Workers: The health agency
benefits from the expertise of a global network
of health professionals and scientists, including
epidemiologists, clinicians and virologists, to
ensure that the response is as comprehensive,
authoritative and representative as possible.
y Financial Aid: WHO set up the COVID-19
Solidarity Response Fund, with partners, to ensure
⚪ needed care to the patients,
⚪ essential supplies and information to the
frontline workers,
⚪ to accelerate research and development for
Vaccine and Treatments.
While there have been issues like funding from the
contributors, encouraging favoritism to the countries,
WHO has been striving for mitigating global health
security risks during the pandemic through containing
emergence and spread of COVID-19, providing
technical guidance on it, working in collaboration with
scientists, business, and global health organizations
to speed up the pandemic response. It requires a
responsive system of governance supported by global
political cooperation to strengthen the institution
and to continue its commendable job that resulted in
eradicating smallpox, reduced polio cases and handling
of the battle against Ebola outbreak, in the past.
Q10. “Indian diaspora has a decisive role to play
in the politics and economy of America and
European Countries”. Comment with examples.
(150 Words, 10 Marks)
Tags: Effect of policies and politics of developed
and developing countries on India’s interests,
Indian diaspora.
Decoding the Question:
y In Introduction, try to give statistics about
Indian Diaspora.
y In Body,
⚪ Political impact on America and
European countries.
⚪ Impact on American and European
Economies.
y In Conclusion, try to mention the changes
brought about by the Indian Diaspora in the
world.
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Answer:
According to the report ‘International Migration
2020 Highlights’, by the UN Department of Economic
and Social Affairs (UN DESA), India has the largest
diaspora population in the world with 18 million
people from the country, living outside their homeland
in 2020. India’s large diaspora is distributed across
the United Arab Emirates (3.5 million), the United
States of America (2.7 million) and Saudi Arabia (2.5
million). The diverse profile of Indian diaspora allows
it to actively shape the polity and economy of the host
country.
Political impact of Indian Diaspora in America and
Europe:
y Electoral Power: Many people of Indian origin
hold top political positions in many countries,
such as in the US; they are a significant part
of Republicans and Democrats, as well as the
government. The three ministers have held top
roles in the UK government currently. Recently,
the newly elected Vice president of the US, Kamala
Harris, is of Indian origin.
y Diplomacy: Diaspora plays an important role
in influencing policies and politics of its host
country in favor of its country of origin and also,
development of good ties and relations between
both countries. The power to steer bilateral
relations in case of ‘Indo-US Nuclear deal’ can
be seen in the context of diasporic mediation in
international relations.
y Influencing the World: Some of the top positions
are held by people of Indian origin in IBM,
Microsoft, Google, Deloitte, Adobe, Palo Alto
Networks etc. They have a profound impact on
global economic output and also have a decisive
role in influencing the political dynamics not only
in America and European countries but also across
the world.
y Soft Power: The spread of Ayurveda, Yoga, Indian
Spirituality, Bollywood, Indian cuisine across the
world has made India famous. It has even led
to revival of many lost relationships with many
countries, hence boosting diplomatic relations.
Impact on of Indian Diaspora American and
European Economies:
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y Economic Contribution: Huge investments are
made by many emigrants into their home countries
in domestic financial, real estates, services and
technological sectors, helping in huge inflow of
capitals that boost local economy and result in job
creation.
y Technology Transfer: Since the diasporas are
mostly based in developed foreign countries, they
help in bringing the technology and innovations
from these foreign nations to their country of
origin through investment and collaborations. This
is economically beneficial for the source country.
y Influential Positions: Google CEO Sundar Pichai,
Nobel Laureate scientist Har Gobind Khorana and
Microsoft CEO Sathya Nadella have left a mark on
American leadership landscape. The President of
Singapore, Governor-General of New Zealand and
the Prime Ministers of Mauritius and Trinidad
and Tobago were all of Indian descent.
y Earnings, Taxes and Remittances: Remittances
from Indians abroad make an invaluable
contribution, by aiding in socio-economic
development and poverty reduction. Highest
remittance of $78.6 billion (this amounts to a
whopping 3.4% of India’s GDP) was received
from Indians living abroad. This shows that most
Indians abroad are in significant tax brackets
which act as a reliable source of revenue for their
country of residence.
The Indian diaspora is the bridge between their
nation and India where simultaneous growth could
be ensured for the betterment of the citizens. With the
versatile role its Diaspora could play, India can work
better towards the cherished dream of becoming a
superpower and it could make much headway in its
international and foreign affairs. The diaspora can also
promote Indian culture abroad and help build a good
image of India by their intelligence and industry.
Q11. Indian constitution exhibits centralizing
tendencies to maintain unity and integrity of
the nation. Elucidate in the perspective of the
Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897; The Disaster
Management Act, 2005 and recently passed Farm
Acts. (250 Words, 15 Marks)
Tags: Indian Constitution—historical
underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments,
significant provisions, and basic structure.
Decoding the Question:
y In the Introduction, try to mention the
centralizing tendencies of the Constitution.
y In Body, discuss the centralizing tendencies
with respect to the:
⚪ Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897
⚪ The Disaster Management Act, 2005
⚪ Farm Acts
y In Conclusion, try to discuss the Importance
of a Strong Union.
Answer:
The term ‘federalism’ refers to the constitutionally
allocated distribution of powers between two or
more levels of government in the modern nation-
state system—one, at the national level and the
other, at the provincial, State or local level. The most
salient aspect of a federal form of government is that
the governments at both the national and the state
level function in their respective jurisdictions with
considerable independence from one another.
Centralizing Tendencies of the Constitution:
Sir Ivor Jennings believed India to be a “federation
with strong centralizing tendencies”. The Indian
Constitution exhibits centralizing tendencies for
maintaining unity and integrity of the nation:
y Union of States: Article 1 in the Constitution states
that India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States;
an indestructible Union of destructible States.
y More Subjects in Union List: As compared to the
State List, the Union List contains more subjects,
with a precedence to Union Law in a case of
disagreement between the union and states over
the subject in the Concurrent List. Also, the
residual powers rest with the Union.
y Provisions of Constitution: Centralization is also
evident by the provisions like All India Public
Services, single citizenship, etc.
Recently, the centralizing nature of union has been
evident in dealing with Covid-19 pandemic and also
in reforming the agricultural sector:
Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897:
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y The Epidemic Diseases Bill was tabled on January
28, 1897, during an outbreak of bubonic plague in
Mumbai (then Bombay).
y The Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 provides for better
prevention of the spread of dangerous epidemic
diseases where the state governments have the
prerogative. Various states have invoked the EDA,
1897, to pass orders and guidelines on social
distancing measures, closure of establishments
and limitation on activity to contain the spread of
COVID-19.
y The Central government has so far followed
a mostly top-down approach in tackling the
COVID-19 pandemic with directing the State
governments to diligently enforce every new set
of guidelines which included taking steps for
inspecting and detaining persons travelling out of
or into the country during the epidemic
y The States are however, only allowed to increase
and not dilute the restrictions.
The Disaster Management Act, 2005
Social distancing has been the universal solution to
the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. The Centre
issued lockdown guidelines periodically under the
Disaster Management Act of 2005. The Centre applied
and relied more on the Disaster Management Act 2005
under its residual powers even though ‘Public Health
and Sanitization’ happens to be a subject under Entry
6 of State List. The central government could not wait
for states to act and let it become an uncontrollable
national health crisis, so the Act had to be used to
make fast policy decisions and impose restrictions on
people.
Farm Acts:
y Major agricultural market reforms have been
introduced by central government through three
acts:
⚪ The Essential Commodities (Amendment)
Act, 2020
⚪ The Farming Produce Trade and Commerce
(Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020
⚪ The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection)
Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm
Services Act, 2020
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y The new acts have been widely acclaimed as
historic, path-breaking, and a “1991 movement”
for agriculture.
y The Centre passed Farm Acts under Entry 33
(Concurrent List) which mentions “trade and
commerce in, and the production, supply and
distribution of – foodstuffs, including edible
oilseeds and oils”, despite the fact that ‘agriculture’
falls under the State List.
y But these farm laws are important as they are
the biggest agricultural reforms ensuring
market choice, encouraging entrepreneurship,
access to technology and resulting in structural
transformation of agriculture.
Necessity of a Strong Union:
According to K.C. Wheare, in practice, the
Constitution of India is quasi-federal in nature and
not strictly federal. It is a union or a composite of a
novel type. Indian Federalism is unique in nature i.e.,
‘federation with a centralizing tendency’ which is
tailored according to the specific needs of the country.
In India’s quasi-federal system, centralizing tendencies
are not absolute. If they divert from maintaining
unity and integrity, the apex court is always there to
intervene.
Q12. Judicial Legislation is antithetical to the doctrine
of separation of powers as envisaged in the Indian
Constitution. In this context justify the filing of a
large number of public interest petitions praying
for issuing guidelines to executive authorities.
(250 Words, 15 Marks)
Tags: Separation of powers between various
organs, dispute redressal mechanisms and
institutions.
Decoding the Question:
y In the Introduction, try to mention the
Doctrine of Separation of Powers.
y In Body,
⚪ Judicial Legislation and instances of its
implementation.
⚪ Judiciary and Public Interest Litigation
(PIL).
y In Conclusion, try to suggest a healthy
implementation of Judicial Legislation.
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Answer:
Doctrine of Separation of Powers:
Separation of powers is the division of the legislative,
executive, and judicial functions of government. The
doctrine of separation of powers ensures the system of
‘checks and balances’ in the Indian democracy system:
y The power to make policy decisions and implement
laws is vested in the Executive.
y The reviewing of the functioning of the executive
and issuing enactments falls under the purview of
the Legislature.
y Adjudicating disputes is the responsibility of the
Judiciary while also exercising Judicial Review
over the Executive and Legislative action (Article
32 and 226).
Judicial Legislation and Instances of Implementation:
Judicial Legislation- The philosophy to depart from the
traditional precedents towards progression in social
policies. Occasionally, Judiciary has made policies and
also issued guidelines in the cloak of judgements, taking
over the responsibility of legislature while making the
law. Examples to substantiate the implementation are
as follows:
y Even though there were no laws to the effect, the
Supreme Court fixed timings for bursting Diwali
fireworks, in Arun Gopal case (2017).
y In MC Mehta case (2018), the rule 115(21) of the
Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 was annulled
by the court, when it was directed that only BS-VI
vehicles can be sold after March 30, 2020.
Judiciary and Public Interest Litigation (PIL):
y Need for Public Interest Litigation(PIL):
⚪ Social Justice meets Social Ends: Public
interest petitions are instrumental in bringing
about a new code of something when there
is no legislative framework for it, nor it is
possible to have it in the near future.
⚪ Non-performance of Duty: Often the
legislature fails to make the necessary
legislation to suit the changing times and the
executive fails to perform their administrative
functions.
⚪ Help to Marginalised Section: PILs falling
under the categories such as bonded labour
matters, neglected children, non-payment of
minimum wages to workers and exploitation
of casual workers, and petitions from jails
complaining of harassment, against police for
refusing to register a case, harassment by police
and death in police custody, against atrocities
on women impact the lives of the marginalized
and disadvantaged to a great extent. It can help
advance the cause of minority or disadvantaged
groups or individuals.
⚪ Justice is Directly Accessible: In the Asiad
Workers judgment case, Justice P.N. Bhagwati
held that anyone getting less than the
minimum wage can directly approach the
Supreme Court without going through the
labor commissioner and lower courts.
y Judicial Intervention: The judiciary has been
compelled to intervene in the domain of legislature
and issued guidelines to the executives in the
cases of fundamental rights of the people being
threatened by the State, failure in performing
administrative functions by authorities and failure
of legislature to make the necessary legislation in
the changing times:
⚪ In K.Puttaswamy case(2017), the court
pronounced that the right to privacy is intrinsic
to the right to life and provided the three step
test to decide on the constitutionality of any
law infringing privacy.
⚪ In Vishaka case(1997), the judgement
recognised sexual harassment as a violation of
the fundamental rights and the guidelines also
directed for the Sexual Harassment of Women
at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and
Redressal) Act, 2013.
Arguments in support of Judicial Legislation:
The Supreme Court has appropriately responded to
its constitutional responsibility under Article 142 in
directing the public authorities to find solutions in
important social issues devoid of functional legislation.
Public Interest Litigation has produced astonishing
results but the Judiciary should be cautious enough
in the application of PILs to avoid Judicial Activism
transforming to Judicial Overreach, that is violative of
the principle of Separation of Power. But in the spirit
of democratic governance, all the three organs of the
State should discharge their obligations freely and
independently, entrusted with intervention only where
required in the larger interest of the citizens of India.
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Q13. The strength and sustenance of local institutions
in India has shifted from their formative phase
of ‘Functions, Functionaries and Funds’ to the
contemporary stage of ‘Functionality’. Highlight
the critical challenges faced by local institutions
in terms of their functionality in recent times.
(250 Words, 15 Marks)
Tags: Functions and responsibilities of the Union
and the States, issues and challenges pertaining
to the federal structure, devolution of powers and
finances up to local levels and challenges therein.
Decoding the Question:
y In Introduction, try to write about the
Formative Years of Local Institutions.
y In Body,
⚪ Challenges to the functionality of Local
Institutions in India.
⚪ Measures to strengthen Local
Institutions.
y In Conclusion, try to comment on the need
to strengthen Local Institutions.
Answer:
“When the panchayat raj is established, public opinion
will do what violence can never do.”- Mahatma Gandhi
Constitutional status was given to the local institutions
i.e. the panchayats in the rural areas and urban
local bodies in urban areas, by the 73rd and 74th
Constitutional Amendment Acts.
Formative Years of Local Institutions:
Balwant Rai Mehta Committee in 1957, reviewed
the working of the CDP and suggested a three-tier
PRIs, namely, Gram Panchayats at the village level,
Panchayat Samiti at block level, Zilla Parishad at the
district level.
Ashok Mehta Committee in 1977, recommended
compulsory power of taxation.
GVK Rao Committee in 1985, recommended assigning
a role with respect to planning, implementation and
monitoring of rural development programmes.
The Gadgil Committee in 1988, made comprehensive
recommendations on Local institutions. Based on
its recommendations, 73rd and 74th Constitutional
amendments were passed which suggested:
16 Previous Year Questions (2020)
y Three-tier system for the local government with
constitutional status.
y Gram Sabha as foundation of the Panchayati Raj
System.
y Direct election by people of all members of local
bodies and reservation of seats for SC/ST and
women at all three levels.
y State Election Commission for supervision of the
elections.
y Formation of the State Finance Commission every
five years for reviewing the financial provisions of
local bodies.
Challenges to Functionality of Local Institutions:
y Limited Reach: The state governments have yet to
delegate the actual functional autonomy excluding
Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh etc., as most
states have conformed to the 73rd and 74th
Constitutional Amendment Acts only on paper.
y One-Size-Fits-All Approach: NITI Aayog’s
Aspirational District plan envisions top-down
development of the districts, which undermines
the spirit of Democratic Decentralization.
y Lack of Autonomy: The objectives of local self-
governing bodies have not been met because of the
delegation of powers, functions and finances not
being mandated.
⚪ Also, because of unclear coding and
specifications of the functioning of governance
in the areas of education, health, sanitation
and water, the target setting becomes difficult
and hence, its attainment and execution.
y Funding: Functionality is dependent on
financial aid but there have been issues with the
implementation because local institutions are
excessively dependent on the government for
funding and lack their own revenue generating
mechanisms through local taxes and receiving
intergovernmental transfers.
y Encroachment by Parallel Bodies: The emergence
of bodies like water development bodies, special
purpose vehicles, etc. has resulted in the overlap
of functioning.
⚪ Parallel Governance: Smart Cities Mission
which aims to establish a Special purpose
vehicle for the execution of the city
development has resulted in the parallel
institution vis-a-vis Urban local government.
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This functional overlapping may result in
decline of local bodies.
y Lack of Resources and Structural Deficiencies:
Because of the shortfall of human resource and
physical/digital infrastructure, local institutions
are unable to deliver their services efficiently. Also,
the low level of penetration of e- governance adds
to the inefficiency.
⚪ Some of the Gram panchayats or urban local
governments do not have their own building
or exist but without even the basic facilities
like toilets, drinking water, and electricity
connection.
⚪ Also, there is a lack of support staff and
personnel in local bodies like secretaries,
computer operators, junior engineers, and
data entry operators.
⚪ Local planning, development and
administration are in need of Standard
Operating Procedure (SOP) Culture.
y Corruption: Local bodies being impaired by
corruption leads to improper functioning and also
affects the development of the districts.
Measures to strengthen Local Institution:
y Amping up Revenue Collection: There should be
creation of ways in which local institutions can
be self-sufficient in their funding. For Example-
Agro-tourism.
y Knowledge Sharing: Exposure to research and best
practices for sustainable agriculture and disaster
mitigation could be provided. For Example-
Hiware Bazar Village (Maharashtra) for drought
control and drinking problem solution.
y Activity Mapping: As recommended by the 2nd
ARC, a clear-cut demarcation of functions of each
tier of the government should be ensured. The
principle of subsidiarity should be followed while
deciding on the implementation machinery for
any programme.
y Effective Auditing: Audit committees may be
constituted by the State Governments at the
district level to inspect the integrity of financial
information, ethical conduct of all persons involved
in local bodies, fairness of internal controls and
the compliance with the applicable laws.
⚪ The initiative of the Meghalaya government to
make social auditing mandatory is a great step
in this pursuit.
y Fiscal Freedom: As finances play a vital role in
the functioning , fiscal autonomy along with fiscal
accountability can prove to be a long term solution
to the problems faced by local bodies. Timely
devolution of funds should be ensured.
y Government Programmes being merged:
Convergence of various development programs
could prove to be beneficial. In this context,
Mission Antyodaya is a step in the right direction.
y Recruiting and Training Personnel: Recruiting
efficient personnel with necessary qualifications
and providing capacity building could result in
better functioning of the system.
Need to strengthen Local Institutions:
The governments should be instrumental in making
required efforts to devolve funds, functions, and
functionaries to local bodies so that economic
development and social justice schemes can be
planned out. The focus has to be on the grassroot
development. The fulfilment of the purpose of the
73rd Constitutional Amendment Act will lead to
Atmanirbhar Panchayats which in turn would help
realizing the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Q14. Rajya Sabha has been transformed from a ‘useless
stepney tyre’ to the most useful supporting organ
in the past few decades. Highlight the factors as
well as the areas in which this transformation
could be visible. (250 Words, 15 Marks)
Tags: Parliament and State legislatures—
structure, functioning, conduct of business,
powers & privileges and issues arising out of
these.
Decoding the Question:
y In Introduction, try to mention about Rajya
Sabha and its Importance.
y In Body,
⚪ Arguments in support of Rajya Sabha as
a supporting organ in democracy.
⚪ Transformations due to Rajya Sabha’s
proactive role.
y In Conclusion, try to emphasize on the role
of Rajya Sabha in India’s polity.
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Answer:
The role of Rajya Sabha has notably increased in recent
times due to the increase in formation of coalition
governments, requirement of well-informed opinion
on certain important issues and Prime Minister being
a part of the Rajya Sabha, among others.
Rajya Sabha and its Importance:
The Govt of India Act,1919 introduced bicameralism
in India with the Council of States and the House of
People as two separate houses. The Federal Structure
was continued by the Fathers of the Constitution,
where Rajya Sabha represents the ‘states’ of Indian
Union. While it has been argued as a refuge to those
who are defeated in popular elections, the reality
portrays a different picture of an excellent deliberative
medium and a useful supporting organ. Some of the
factors suggestive of this are:
y Growing Regional Politics: The Rajya Sabha
provides a collective voice to the Indian States.
The diversification of ideologies in the chamber
can be attributed to the growth of regional politics.
This has been a major highlight after the 1970s,
succeeding the end to Congress rule in many
states.
y Emerging Populism: Doing justice to its role of a
‘Deliberative Body’, Rajya Sabha has a tendency to
make unpopular yet necessary decisions since it is
not popularly elected.
y Cooperative Federalism by Niti Aayog: States have
been provided more say in governance which has
led to a healthy federal balance, thus reasserting
the role of Rajya Sabha as second chamber.
y Specialists and Experts in the House: The
continuously emerging domain of legislation
demands Specialist Opinion. Rajya Sabha has
provided that platform where the opinions of
Senior Judges, Social Workers, Industrialists etc.
have contributed to the revolutionary debates
which has made the importance of Rajya Sabha
undebatable.
Arguments in support of Rajya Sabha as a ‘Supporting
Organ’ in Democracy:
y Prime Minister being part of the Rajya Sabha and
as head of the government, imparts Rajya Sabha
with enhanced weightage.
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y The ruling party doesn’t have a brute majority in
Rajya Sabha unlike the House of People and this
balance of numbers upholds the key position held
by Rajya Sabha.
y It wards off hasty legislation and acts as a ‘check
and balance’ method.
y It keeps functioning even when the Lower house is
dissolved as a permanent house.
y It acts as a deliberative body giving a platform to
high quality debates on important issues.
y Government’s decision to pass certain Bills as
‘Money Bills’ suggests that Rajya Sabha is not
merely an Approving body.
y There is a realization of the Principle of Federalism
in Indian polity and the rise of regional parties. It
protects the interests of the States against undue
interference of the Centre.
y The requirement of informed opinion on the
issues such as climate change, surrogacy law, DNA
bill cannot be understated.
Transformations due to Rajya Sabha’s Proactive Role:
y Scrutiny of the executive:
⚪ Through Question hour
⚪ Calling Attention Motion: Attention was
drawn to re-promulgation of ordinances in
some states.
y Abrogation of Article 370.
y Some very important legislations have been
initiated by Rajya Sabha like Bonded Labour
System Bill, MRTP Act, Gram Nyayalayas Bill, RTI
act, etc.
y Rajya Sabha has acted as a ‘revising chamber’ with
objections to certain bills over the years. This has
led to confrontations, thus forcing the President to
call for joint sitting (Article 108). Examples:
⚪ The intervention by Rajya Sabha in the Dowry
Prohibition Bill led to a joint sitting.
⚪ Passage of POTA Act in 2002.
y Catalyzing Government’s agreement to important
amendments in important legislations like the
Lokpal Act and Food security Act.
y Representation of the interests of the states. For
Example- The GST bill was tough to be passed due
to resistance from the states.
⚪ The role of the Upper House was essential
in approval of The Constitution (122nd
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Constitutional Amendment) Bill for Goods &
Services Tax.
⚪ This is also true for Bill providing for 10%
Reservation to Economically Weaker Sections.
Rajya Sabha in India’s Polity:
Rajya Sabha has undoubtedly proved to be an excellent
medium for checking hasty decision making and
populist policies. But concerns regarding Attendance
of Nominated Members, Unequal Representation of
States, Bypassing of Rajya Sabha and overall legislative
issues like Role of Parliamentary committees remain
unattended. Some reforms like Appointment
Commission for better Nomination of members
(based on House of Lords Act 1999 Britain), 2nd
Administrative Reforms Commission’s (ARC) idea of
compulsory Attendance of Nominated members could
be incorporated to help achieve the desired goal of
constitution makers.
As per Dr. S Radhakrishnan, “The Rajya Sabha no
doubt, can’t make or unmake governments, but can be
an effective deliberative body”.
Q15. Which steps are required for constitutionalization
of a commission? Do you think imparting
constitutionality to the National Commission
for Women would ensure greater gender justice
and empowerment in India? Give reasons. (250
Words, 15 Marks)
Tags: Appointment to various Constitutional
posts, powers, functions, and responsibilities of
various Constitutional Bodies.
Decoding the Question:
y In Introduction, try to define
Constitutionalizing.
y In Body,
⚪ Steps in Constitutionalizing a a civil code enabling NCW to safeguard women’s
Commission.
⚪ Effects of imparting constitutionality to
the National Commission for Women
(NCW).
⚪ Issues encountered even after
Constitutionalizing.
y In Conclusion, try to suggest measures to
Strengthen the Functioning of National
Commission for Women (NCW).
Answer:
A total of 4,05,861 cases of crime against women
were registered during 2019, showing an increase
of 7.3% over 2018 (3,78,236 cases). And, violence
against women (NCRB data) got exacerbated during
lockdown. Though Articles 14, 15, 15(3), 16, 39(a),
39(b), 39(c) and 42 are of specific importance ensuring
greater gender justice and empowerment, women at
the grassroots level are still highly vulnerable.
Constitutionalization:
Constitutionalization is the term used for the attempt
to subject the exercise of all types of public power,
whatever the medium of its exercise, to the discipline
of constitutional procedures and norms. When
something is constitutionalized, it is made subject to
the provisions of a country’s constitution.
Steps in Constitutionalization of a Commission:
y A bill is introduced under Article 368 to amend
the Constitution, it provides for the power of
Parliament to amend the constitution.
y Then the Bill needs to be passed by both the houses
by special majority.
y After this, the Bill is given assent by the President.
y When the bill is passed in each House by a
prescribed majority, subject to the President’s
assent, the constitution stands amended in
accordance with the terms of the Bill.
Example- 102nd Constitution amendment act,
2018 provided constitutional status to the National
Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC).
Effects of imparting constitutionality to the National
Commission for Women(NCW):
y Power of a Civil Court: It will provide the National
Commission for Women(NCW) with the power of
interest in an active manner.
y Mandatory Tabling of Reports: The discussion
of NCW reports by Parliament would be made
binding by the constitutional status, thus
enhancing the reach of women’s voice. The reports
of commission will be mandatorily discussed in
the Parliament.
y Autonomous Nature: NCW would be provided
greater autonomy to act and regulate its
Previous Year Questions (2020) 19
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own procedures. With more autonomy and
independence in its functioning, it would ensure
gender justice and empowerment for women.
However, looking at the functioning of other
constitutional bodies like NCST or NCBC, this
aspect could still be a work in progress.
Issues encountered even after Constitutionalization:
y Constitutional bodies such as the National
Commission for Scheduled Tribes(NCST) are
merely recommending bodies. They perform only
an advisory role.
y The recommendations of the commission have
been pending for a long time.
y The problem of lack of independence in
appointments persists, as they are dominantly
made by the Executive.
y The effectiveness of commissions are reduced
by the constraints like inadequate funds and
manpower, political interference, etc.
Strengthening Functioning of National Commission
for Women(NCW):
The NCW needs rights available to the NCBC, the NCST
and the NCSC to redress the grievances of women.
Recently, the National Commission for Minorities
(NCM) couldn’t act against misbehaving officials
without constitutional status. Governmental action
is truly answerable when constitutionality reflects
practices, principles and values of the ‘constitution’.
Granting constitutional status to the NCW would help
in ensuring greater gender justice and empowerment
to the women of the country.
Q16. “The incidence and intensity of poverty are
more important in determining poverty based on
income alone”. In this context analyze the latest
United Nations Multidimensional Poverty Index
Report. (250 Words, 15 Marks)
Tags: Issues relating to poverty and hunger.
Decoding the Question:
y In Introduction, try to define Poverty.
y In Body,
⚪ United Nations Multidimensional
Poverty Index Report (MPI).
⚪ Methods to measure Poverty.
20 Previous Year Questions (2020)
⚪ United Nations MPI observation on
India’s Poverty.
⚪ Significance of the Report.
y In Conclusion, try to discuss the role of MPI
in identification and policymaking to handle
poverty issues.
Answer:
Defining Poverty:
According to the World Bank, the population living
under $1 income/day is considered poor. In India,
the Rangarajan Committee suggested in 2014 that
the poverty line is estimated as monthly per capita
expenditure of Rs.1407 in urban areas and Rs.972 in
rural areas. Based on income, incidence of poverty is
measured by the poverty ratio, which is the ratio of the
number of poor to the total population. But the extent
of poverty is not equal among the poor. Intensity of
poverty estimates the depth of poverty by considering
how far, on average, the poor are from that poverty
line.
However, these income-based estimates are often
limited at the qualitative level and only suggest quantity
based assessment by simply counting the poor below
the poverty line.
United Nations Multidimensional Poverty Index
Report and its observation on India’s Poverty:
The Global Multi Poverty Index is released by the United
Nation Development Programme (UNDP). It covers
107 developing countries. The index is developed
by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development
Initiative (OPHI) and the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP). Global Multidimensional
Poverty Index - 2019 (MPI) has revealed that there
are vast inequalities across countries, and among the
poorer segments of societies.
Methods to measure Poverty:
The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) integrates
two factors of poverty, namely:
y the ‘incidence’, which is the percentage of people
who are poor. This is the headcount ratio of
multidimensional poverty (H).
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y the ‘intensity’ of multidimensional poverty
(A) which considers the average percentage of
dimensions in which poor people are deprived
y three dimensions of poverty- health, education,
and standard of living.
y The MPI is calculated as, MPI = H x A (Incidence
x Intensity).
United Nations Multidimensional Poverty Index
Report’s observation on India’s Poverty:
The standard of living, one of the key dimensions of
the United Nations MPI, is a key representative input
of economic well being since inclusion of income as
an indicator could result in the counting of people’s
deprivations twice. The MPI also takes account of
other dimensions of well-being like poor health, lack
of education, poor quality of work, the danger of
violence, and residing in environmentally harmful
locations.
According to the MPI report 2020:
y Around 1.3 billion people are still living in
multidimensional poverty.
y One in every three (under 10) and every second
child (under 18) is multidimensionally poor.
y In 2019, around 19.3% of Indian population was
vulnerable to multidimensional poverty.
y India lifted around 270 million people out of
multidimensional poverty between 2005-06 and
2015-16.
y Covid-19 is having a profound impact on the
development landscape in the country.
Significance of the report:
y Identification of the most vulnerable and the
poorest among the poor.
y Revealing the spatial and regional variations.
y Instrumental in targeted policy making and
measures by the Government and the NGOs .
Role of MPI identification and policymaking to
handle poverty issues:
NITI Aayog, as the nodal agency for leveraging the
monitoring mechanism of the GMPI, along with India’s
performance on social and economic parameters
has helped in driving reforms towards targeted
implementation of schemes. The best thing about
the MPI is that it not only provides a comprehensive
and in-depth description of global poverty in all its
dimensions but also observes progress towards SDG
1 – to end poverty in all its forms. It also provides
policymakers with the information to respond to the
decision of Target 1.2, which is,’ to reduce at least by
half the proportion of men, women and children of all
ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according
to national definition’. India ranks 62nd among 107
countries with an MPI score of 0.123.
Q17. “Micro-Finance as an anti-poverty vaccine,
is aimed at asset creation and income security
of the rural poor in India”. Evaluate the role of
Self-Help Groups in achieving the twin objectives
along with empowering women in rural India.
(250 Words, 15 Marks)
Tags: Development processes and the
development industry —the role of NGOs,
SHGs, various groups and associations, donors,
charities, institutional and other stakeholders.
Decoding the Question:
y In Introduction, try to discuss Microfinance
in brief.
y In Body,
⚪ Micro-Finance as an anti-poverty
vaccine.
⚪ Discuss SHGs Twin Objectives - poverty
alleviation and women empowerment.
y In Conclusion, try to suggest how the goal
of financial inclusion can be realized by
Microfinance
Answer:
According to the 2018 report of the World population,
much of the Indian population resides in rural
areas with lack of facilities and knowledge and has a
minimum amount of development indicator. India,
the second largest populated country, has about 60%
of the population working in the agriculture sector,
consequently leading to underemployment and that
in consequence leading to low income per capita.
According to the NABARD report (March 2019), one
crore SHGs covering 12 crore families had deposits
of about Rs 23,300 crore. Around 44.5 lakh women
SHGs had a gross NPA ratio of 4.5% which is less than
half of Gross NPA% of the Indian banking sector. This
Previous Year Questions (2020) 21
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data shows the competence of SHGs in rural India
to create assets, consequently generating income. As
considerable share in it is of women SHGs, women are
empowered to scale and replicate it further. Now there
are over 66 lakhs SHGs with 7.14 crore rural women in
India. SHGs are formed under ‘Deendayal Antyodaya
Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission’ aiming at
minimum one woman member from each rural family
joining women SHGs.
Introduction to Microfinance:
Microfinance is the practice of providing the poor
with credit, savings and insurance facilities to set up
or to expand Income Generating Activities relating to
agriculture and its allied activities and non-farm sector,
and thereby reducing poverty and improving the
standard of living. The basic feature of microfinance is
that the loans are given without any security.
y Microloans: These loans are significant as these
are provided to borrowers with no collateral.
y Microsavings: These accounts allow entrepreneurs
to operate savings accounts with no minimum
balance. These help the users to instill financial
discipline and develop an interest in saving for the
future.
y Microinsurance: It is a type of coverage provided
to borrowers of microloans. These insurance plans
have lower premiums than traditional insurance
policies. The intention of microinsurance is to
protect the poor people from all the mishaps that
might take place in future, for example- accidents,
chronic disease etc. It addresses all kinds of risks
that people of low income groups or poor people
face globally.
Micro-Finance as an anti-poverty vaccine:
y Help to the Underdeveloped Sections: In India,
the Microfinance scenario, dominated by Self
Help Group (SHGs), is an effective mechanism for
providing financial services and to strengthen the
collective self-help capacities of the “Unreached
Poor”, leading to their empowerment.
y Goal of Self- Reliance: Micro finance is a tool
to overcome exploitation, create confidence
for economic self-reliance of the rural poor,
particularly among rural women. Rapid progress
in SHG formation has now turned into an
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empowerment movement among women across
the country.
y Alleviating Women’s Status in Society: They
provide a significant contribution to gender
equality and women’s empowerment through their
contribution to women’s ability to earn an income
and in turn initiate a wave of change in economic
empowerment, and wider social and political
empowerment. This is based on the view that
women are more likely to be credit constrained,
have restricted access to the wage labour market
and have limited decision-making and bargaining
power within the household.
y Reach for Society Building: Aimed at pro-poor
development and civil society strengthening,
Micro-finance programmes not only give women
and men access to savings and credit, but reach
millions of people worldwide bringing them
together regularly in organized groups.
y Aid to Small Businesses: Microfinance
programmes provide a boost to the initiatives of
small businessmen or entrepreneurs.
Twin Objective of SHGs- Poverty Alleviation and
Women Empowerment:
The SHGs are groups of women in rural areas that
come together, pool in money, and use it for a common
purpose beneficial to all. These groups can act as
microfinance institutions and help in alleviating the
conditions of the rural poor for the following reasons:
y People will have faith in and among themselves.
y Rates of interest can be fixed by considering the
State of the individual getting finance.
y Repayment of loans becomes comparatively easier.
y Skill development program taken up by SHGs
improves employability of members involved.
y SHGs work on reducing rural poverty by lifting
people from below the poverty line and generating
assets for them. There is positive correlation
between SHGs and poverty can be inferred from
the fact that southern states with high numbers of
SHGs (71%) have an average poverty rate at 9% as
against the nation’s average of 21%.
Women Empowerment: SHGs provide for equality
of opportunity for women in economic activities. It is
evident that this has resulted in the social upliftment
of women’s status. They are instrumental in building
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Social Capital among the poor, especially women.
Some of the initiatives in this direction are as follows:
⚪ Kudumbashree Mission in Kerala: Women
under Kudumbashree, are organized into
Neighborhood Groups (NHGs). Thrift and
Credit Societies are set up at NHG level to
encourage the poor to save and to avail easy
credits.
⚪ SHG-Bank Linkage Programme (SBLP) was
launched in 1992 by NABARD. It envisaged
an amalgamation of the formal financial
sector and informal sector. Because of this,
the formal financial institutions in India have
entered microfinance in a massive way.
⚪ SHG development through NABARD: Under
the SHG-Bank linkage programme, NABARD
provides refinance and promotional support to
Banks for credit disbursement. A full-fledged
project enabling SHGs to open bank accounts
based on a simple inter-se agreement, was
launched by NABARD in 1992 involving a
partnership among SHGs, banks and NGOs.
⚪ Rashtriya Mahila Kosh: It was set up with the
intention to facilitate credit support to poor
women for their socio-economic upliftment
by providing loans in a quasi-formal credit
delivery mechanism. The Kosh lends with a
unique credit delivery model “RMK – NGO-
SHG Beneficiaries”.
⚪ SEWA: The Self Employed Women’s
Association (SEWA) is a membership-based
organization created in 1972 combining
labour, women, and cooperative movements,
aimed at organizing self-employed women
in the informal economy and assisting their
collective struggle for social justice, equality,
and fair treatment.
⚪ Myrada: MYRADA is a non-government
organization started in 1968 working in
backward and drought-prone areas. The
organization was registered as “Mysore
Resettlement and Development Agency”
under the Mysore Societies Registration Act
1960 in the year 1968.
Both Microfinance and SHGs are interlinked with
each other and are instrumental in reducing poverty,
empowering women and creating awareness which
aids in sustainable development of the nation. India
needs such innovative and community based solutions
to attain inclusive growth.
Q18. National Education Policy 2020 is in conformity
with the Sustainable Development Goal-4
(2030). It intends to restructure and reorient the
education system in India. Critically examine the
statement. (250 Words, 15 Marks)
Tags: Issues relating to development and
management of Social Sector/Services relating to
Health, Education, Human Resources.
Decoding the Question:
y In Introduction, try to define Sustainable
Development Goals (SDG) and link NEP
with SDG-4.
y In Body,
⚪ Elaborate about NEP, 2020 in
accordance with SDG-4 restructuring
and reorienting the education system.
⚪ Challenges associated with NEP,2020.
y In Conclusion, NEP, 2020 and SDG-4
joint impact on improved education-
Gamechanger for the nation
Answer:
In the 2015 United Nations Sustainable Development
Summit, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
was formally adopted. The Agenda contains 17
Goals including a new global education goal (SDG
4) that aims to “Ensure inclusive and equitable
quality education and promote lifelong learning
opportunities for all by 2030” with seven targets and
three means of implementation. To achieve SDG-4
the Indian Government has drafted the new National
Education Policy (NEP) 2020, replacing the National
Policy on Education, 1986.
NEP-2020 Complying with SDG-4 to to Restructure
and Reorient the Education System in India:
y Promote free primary and secondary education
and universal literacy and numeracy (SDG
4.1 and 4.6): This aims at universalization of
education from preschool to secondary level with
100% Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in school
education by 2030.
Previous Year Questions (2020) 23
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⚪ By proposing the extension of the Right To
Education(RTE) to all children up to the age
of 18, the policy aims to achieve inclusion in
education.
y Eliminate all discrimination in education(SDG
4.5): NEP focuses on bringing 2 crore ‘out of
school’ children back into the mainstream through
an open schooling system.
y Equal access to quality pre-primary
education(SDG 4.2): Policy also emphasizes on
the importance of the crucial early stage for the
development of mental faculties of a child by
bringing an uncovered age group of 3-6 years under
School curriculum with 3 years of Anganwadi/
pre-schooling.
y Access for all women and men to affordable
and quality technical, Vocational and tertiary
education, including University (SDG 4.3):
⚪ NEP emphasizes on vocational education
from class 6 with internships.
⚪ The policy revamps the undergraduate
education with a flexible curriculum of 3
or 4 years with multiple exit options and
appropriate certification.
⚪ For fostering a strong research culture and
building research capacity across higher
education, the National Research Foundation
will be created.
⚪ To promote free exchange of ideas and
technology, the National Educational
Technology Forum (NETF) would be set up.
y Substantially increase the supply of qualified
teachers in developing countries(SDG 4.C): A
Common National Professional Standards for
Teachers(NPST) will be developed by 2022, in
consultation with NCERT, SCERTs, teachers
and export organizations from across levels and
regions.
But merely drafting the policy is not sufficient to
restructure and reorient the Education System in
India in real. Following challenges to NEP,2020 are to
be tackled:
y Incongruence in Knowledge and Jobs: There is
a persistent mismatch between the knowledge &
skills imparted and the jobs available. This has
been one of the main challenges that have affected
the Indian education system since Independence.
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y Federal Issues: NEP is suggestive of over-
centralization even though education is a
concurrent subject in India’s federal structure.
Education is a concurrent subject, and most states
have their own school boards. Therefore, state
governments would have to be brought on board
for actual implementation of this decision.
y Issues with Three Language Formula: Many of
the states especially in South India have always
been very skeptical about it and have seen it as an
imposition of Hindi. Also, providing education till
5th class in mother language may make it difficult
for students to switch to the global language
English, suddenly in Class 6th.
y Lack of Funds and Infrastructure: The effective
implementation of policy coupled with sufficient
financing may become the defining factor of its
success.
NEP, 2020 and SDG-4 joint impact on improved
education- Gamechanger for the Nation:
y National Education Policy 2020 acknowledges the
21st century need for mobility, flexibility, alternate
pathways to learning, and self-actualization and
seeks to address the entire gamut of education. It is
sweeping in its vision and can prove to be a game
changer for India.
y A strong focus on reforming the curriculum of
higher education through a shift towards making
educational institutions more multidisciplinary
would allow education to be made more holistic
to meet development needs of the changing times.
y Strong focus on improving teacher quality and a
dedicated unit to improve digital infrastructure
would add to the effectiveness of the policy
implementation.
y Gender inclusion could be targeted to provide
equitable quality education to girls and
transgenders.
y Scholarship schemes for socially and economically
weaker sections could alleviate the status of
underprivileged sections of the society.
Therefore the new National Education Policy of 2020
that is in conformity with the SDG-4 can ensure a
true inclusive education system in terms of aspects
like gender, class, age-group. This has for the first time
realized the importance of cognitive development
during the pre-school phase of a child. So, with the
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right implementation of the NEP it can be apt to say
that New India’s nation building will happen with the
transformed education.
Q19. ‘Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD)’
is transforming itself into a trade bloc from a
military alliance, in present times – Discuss. (250
Words, 15 Marks)
Tags: Bilateral, regional, and global groupings
and agreements involving India and/or affecting
India’s interests.
Decoding the Question:
y In Introduction, try to mention briefly
about the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue
(QUAD).
y In Body,
⚪ Highlight rationale for QUAD as a Trade
Bloc.
⚪ Write about Trade related initiatives of
the QUAD.
⚪ Challenges to overcome.
y In Conclusion, try to suggest the
implementation of QUAD objectives.
Answer:
Recent tensions with China have led to renewed
talk in India about using the ‘Quad’ alliance as
countermeasure. Quadrilateral Security Dialogue
(QUAD) is a security dialogue initiated in 2007 as a
forum for dialogue, information exchange, military
drills between India, USA, Japan and Australia. The
grouping was conceived as a space to cooperate for
safeguarding joint security and other interests in the
Indo-Pacific region. It is mainly thought of in military
terms but with changing times and post-Covid
scenario, there are possibilities of this becoming a
trade bloc.
Rationale for Transition to Trade Bloc: In the times
of complex trade dependency of nations over each
other or collective responsibility of global commons, a
military bloc suggestive of the cold war era seems quite
outdated. In this context, it is more reasonable that
Quad member countries envision themselves from a
geo-economic prism. Also, a military bloc may bring
all great powers (US, China, India, Russia) to the brink
of a war, which is not in the interest of members and
may hamper global peace.
Trade Related Initiatives of the QUAD:
y Blue Dot Network: It is a multi-stakeholder
initiative (led by the US along with Japan and
Australia) to bring together governments, the
private sector, and civil society for promoting high-
quality, trusted standards for global infrastructure
development.
y Inclusive Indo-Pacific Region: Long-term geo-
economic interests of all countries in the region
and of the world at large, can only be achieved by
the idea of a free, open, prosperous, and inclusive
Indo-Pacific region.
y Supply Chain Resilience Initiative(SCRI): The
need for improving the resilience of supply chains
and self-sufficiency has been highlighted because
of COVID-19 and trade tensions between China
and the United States. This threatened global
supply chains and Japan mooted the Supply Chain
Resilience Initiative(SCRI) as a trilateral approach
to trade, with India and Australia as key partners.
y Other Concerns of Global Importance: Quad also
foresees addressing of the common challenges of
terrorism and proliferation linkages impacting
the region, and would have its focus on enhancing
connectivity. It could directly counter China’s Belt
and Road Initiative (BRI).
Challenges to overcome:
y Integration: All the trade associated initiatives
launched by the Quad nations are independent. A
joint force in the domain of trade and economy is
the need of the hour.
y Lack of Cooperation: So far, the Quad nations
have not been able to sort out their trade related
differences. For example, India still does not have a
free trade agreement with Australia and the USA.
y Clarity in Vision: Indo Pacific vision needs to
be explained by the nations, in an overarching
framework with the objective of facilitating
everyone’s economic and security interests. There
is a need to put military components and economy
components together for a holistic performance.
⚪ This will reassure the littoral states that the
Quad will be a factor for the regional benefit,
Previous Year Questions (2020) 25
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and a far cry from Chinese allegations that it is
some kind of a military alliance.
Suggestions for better implementation of Quad
objectives:
y Since the members represent one fourth of the
world’s population and $30 million of combined
GDP, fostering their economic strength is a major
thrust for the Quad being taken as an opportunity
for Trade related efforts.
y COVID-19 has resulted in the paralysis of the
global economy and has increased protectionism.
In this context, Quad’s economic cooperation
would enable increased freedom and swift
economic recovery and it would also improve
their place in the global value chain if a free trade
agreement is signed.
y India has exited RCEP and to balance that, it would
be an apt alternative.
Thus, the members of QUAD must explore and take
action on this trade bloc opportunity that QUAD has
to offer. This will further the geo-strategic interests of
India.
Q20. What is the significance of Indo-US defense
deals over Indo-Russian defense deals? Discuss
with reference to stability in the Indo-Pacific
region. (250 Words, 15 Marks)
Tags: Bilateral, regional, and global groupings
and agreements involving India and/or affecting
India’s interests.
Decoding the Question:
y In Introduction, try to write about India’s
emerging defense deal trend.
y In Body,
⚪ Rising defense deals with the US.
⚪ Discuss India’s partnership with Russia.
⚪ Write the significance of Indo-US
defense deals over Indo-Russian defense
deals.
y In Conclusion, Securing India’s interests
with defense deals.
Answer:
26 Previous Year Questions (2020)
India has been diversifying its defense purchases over
different countries. It has been a major defense trade
partner of Russia for the past half a century. But over
the years, US, France, Israel have emerged as leading
defense partners for India. The US is speedily replacing
Russia as the primary defense supplier to India.
Rising Defense Deals with the US.
y The India-U.S. defense trade has grown to $21
billion in 2021.
y The US considers India as a ‘Major Defense Partner’
and given Strategic Trade Authorisation-1 Status.
y The signing of the four foundational agreements
to enhance military-to-military cooperation
between the two countries.
⚪ General Security of Military Information
Agreement (GSOMIA)
⚪ The Logistics Exchange Memorandum of
Agreement (LEMOA)
⚪ Communications Compatibility and Security
Agreement (COMCASA)
⚪ Industrial Security Annex and the Basic
Exchange and Cooperation Agreement
(BECA)
India’s Partnership with Russia:
y Because of its trusted age-old friendly relations
with Russia, India’s partnership with Russia in
defense deals has continued since Soviet Era.
y Military technical cooperation has evolved to
involve the development and production of
advanced defense technologies and systems such
as Brahmos but step-back from fifth-generation
fighter aircraft could be counted as one of the
negatives.
y Dissatisfaction with post sale services and
maintenance by Russia, can also be considered
as one of the reasons for India to have desires to
diversify its defense imports.
y China’s assertive attitude, that is evident in the Indo
Pacific region, alongwith the changing dynamics
of the Sino-Russian relationship from enmity to
entente is a matter of concern because it may be
challenging the sovereignty of Asian countries
while also threatening the free sea.
Significance of Indo-US Defense Deals over Indo-
Russian Defense Deals:
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y Strategic Significance: There have been a lot of
issues that India and US have been cooperating on
such as Indo Pacific, terrorism, money laundering,
etc and the defense deals would only more
weightage to this relationship. The US has also
sold weapons like Apache, P8I aircraft which have
enhanced India’s defense capabilities.
y Indo-Pacific Region Stability: Indo-US defense
deals have emerged as an important factor in the
stability of the Indo Pacific region. The US and
India are both united to minimize the influence of
China in this region and enhance the role of India,
which would prove very beneficial for the internal
and external security and territorial integrity of
India. Key initiatives in this regard include QUAD,
Trans Pacific Partnership, etc.
y Benefit to QUAD Goals: India and US are a part
of Quad and defense deals with US will help in
achieving the objectives of QUAD sooner and in a
more targeted way.
y Blue Water Policy: US defense equipment will play
a vital role in India expanding its naval reach into
the Indo-Pacific. The aircraft such as Poseidon will
enhance our blue water naval capability to tackle
extreme threats.
y Diversity: Deals with different countries will lead
to diversification in defense equipment and better
technology with India which would be beneficial
for its defense goals.
y Safeguarding Economic Assets: South China sea
being a hub for piracy and terrorism, puts India’s
economic assets such as oil fields in Vietnam at
risk. The advanced equipment such as unmanned
drones will help curb such events, if encountered.
y Restriction-free Movement in South China
Sea: The equipment is expected to boost India’s
offensive strength and challenge Chinese authority
in South China Sea. It is particularly important for
India wanting to develop defense relationships
with ASEAN countries.
Constraint with US Defense Deals: India could be put
to the risk of sanctions under the Countering America’s
Adversaries Through Sanctions Act(CAATSA) for
continuing defense deals with Russia over and above
the US. Example- Sanctions have been imposed on
Turkey by the US for the purchase of S400 missiles.
Indo-US defense deals have a wide-reaching
significance in terms of defense and security of India.
In the last two decades, the US and India defense
relations have strengthened due to the sustained
efforts from both the countries to iron out differences
and have agreement on protocols in working united
against common threats. But in order to deal with
security issues due to China and Pakistan, India needs
to balance relations with both its defense partners to
gain the maximum benefit in defense related issues.
Previous Year Questions (2020) 27