GS1 - Final Secure Synopsis January 2022

INSIGHTSIAS
IA SIMPLIFYING IAS EXAM PREPARATION
INSTA SECURE SYNOPSIS

MAINS MISSION - 2022
GS- I
JANUARY 2022
www.insightsactivelearn.com | www.insightsonindia.com
NOTE: Please remember that following ‘answers’ are NOT ‘model answers’. They
are NOT synopsis too if we go by definition of the term. What we are providing is
content that both meets demand of the question and at the same time gives you
extra points in the form of background information.
Table of Contents
Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to
modern times. ................................................................................................................................... 6
The art of numismatics helps in deciphering the achievements of an empire in India. Discuss. (250
Words) .......................................................................................................................................... 6
Explain the different aspects of India’s classical dance system with special emphasis on Kathak?
(250 words) ................................................................................................................................... 8
The Chola Period marks a distinct and significant period in the art and architecture of India.
Comment. (250 words) ................................................................................................................ 10
Illustrate with examples how Science and Technology flourished in Ancient India. Do you think
these developments have any relevance in making India the technological hub that she is today?
(250 words) ................................................................................................................................. 12
Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant
events, personalities, issues. ........................................................................................................... 15
Trace the development of sculpture in ancient and medieval India. Was religion the major
influence behind sculptural art? Examine (150 words, 10 marks) ................................................. 15
To what extent do you think the role played by the Indian National Army was the final nail in the
coffin for the end of British rule in India? Highlight the contribution of Subhash Chandra Bose in
this regard. (15M) ........................................................................................................................ 17
National freedom and national construction were the core of Subhas Chandra Bose’s political
ideology. Discuss the approach taken by Bose to achieve the same. (250 words) ......................... 19
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Why did the tribal groups of India respond violently to imposition of colonial rule in India? What
was its significance and why did it fail? Analyse. (250 words) ....................................................... 20
Enumerating the essential elements of Gandhi’s political philosophy, discuss his contributions as
an important figure of world history. (250 words)........................................................................ 22
The Freedom Struggle – its various stages and important contributors /contributions from different
parts of the country. ........................................................................................................................ 24
Shed light on the role of Swami Vivekananda in bringing social reforms in Pre – Independent India.
150 words ................................................................................................................................... 24
Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India. ........................................................................ 28
Communalism can be resisted, not by a different version of it, but only by constitutionalism.
Examine the statement in the context of various provisions made to promote equality and
fraternity in Indian Society. (250 Words.) ..................................................................................... 28
“Criminalising marital rape will destabilize the institution of marriage”. Critically examine the
statement in light of recent Supreme Court Judgement. (150 words)........................................... 30
The population of north-eastern India includes a large population of tribal people with distinct
languages and cultures. Examine the issues faced by the tribes of the north east and measures
taken for their development. (250 words) ................................................................................... 32
Role of women and women’s organization; population and associated issues, poverty and
developmental issues, ..................................................................................................................... 34
Laws without wide societal support often fail to deliver even when enacted for the larger public
good. Is raising marriage age an apt enough measure to ensure welfare of the girl child? Critically
examine. (250 words,15 marks) ................................................................................................... 34
The launching of SMILE (Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise) is just
a first step in the long journey of ending historical marginalization of transgender community.
Comment (250 words, 15 marks) ................................................................................................. 36
Do you think the move to raise the age of marriage for women to 21 years is a step in the right
direction? Identify some of the challenges that will be faced in urban and rural areas by such a
move. (250 words) ....................................................................................................................... 38
Is it right to raise the age of marriage for women to 21 years? Comment. Also, identify some of the
challenges that will be faced in urban and rural areas by such a move. (250 words) ..................... 40
Discuss the impact of Social media on young women in India? (150 Words) ................................ 45
Urbanization, their problems and their remedies............................................................................. 49
Unbalanced development has made cities more vulnerable to environmental shocks and the
solution lies in empowering our local governments to make cities resilient. Critically examine..
(250 words, 15 marks) ................................................................................................................. 49
Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism. ..................................................... 52
Though the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 was a landmark step but much is left to be
desired to achieve inclusivity and accessibility for the disabled. Examine. (150 words, 10 marks) 52
What is ‘hate speech’? Examine its impact on society. Do you think the present legal and
constitutional measures been successful in curbing it? (250 words) ............................................. 55
Discuss the impact of Social media on young women in India? (250 Words) ................................ 58

Communalism can be resisted, not by a different version of it, but only by constitutionalism.
Examine the statement in the context of various provisions made to promote equality and
fraternity in Indian Society. (250 Words.) ..................................................................................... 63
Our law keeps changing according to the society’s needs and requirements. There should be laws
to protect the victims of marital rape as this issue is reaching its peak at an alarming rate.
Comment. (250 words) ................................................................................................................ 66
To what extent do you think Indian Society has progressed in addressing “menstrual hygiene”?
Highlight few issues faced by women in this regard. (250 words) ................................................. 68
Salient features of world’s physical geography. ............................................................................... 71
Give an account of the seasonal variation in the Indian Monsoon. Also, Give reasons for the late
withdrawal and erratic progress of the monsoon winds over the country in recent years. (250
Words) ........................................................................................................................................ 71
Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc. .. 72
Discuss the factors that cause earthquakes. Why are Earthquakes more common in certain parts
of the world than others? (250 words) ......................................................................................... 72
Elucidate the process of volcano formation and its types. Also, mention a few examples of the
global occurrence of volcanic eruptions in recent times and their impact on the regional
environment. (Answer in 250 words) ........................................................................................... 75
Though Landslides are caused by Natural factors, but the increase in anthropogenic factors
causing Landslides in alarming. Analyse. (150 words) ................................................................... 78
Evaluate the status of ground water depletion in the major first green revolution regions. Suggest
steps to prevent over exploitation of ground water in those regions. (250 words) ....................... 80
Explain the reasons as to why Bay of Bengal is the hot-bed for frequent cyclonic storms on the
east coast. What is its impact on the Sundarbans? (250 words) ................................................... 83


Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and
Architecture from ancient to modern times.
The art of numismatics helps in deciphering the achievements of an empire in India.
Discuss. (250 Words)
Difficulty level: Easy
Reference: New Indian Express
Key Demand of the question:
To write about how numismatics helps in deciphering the achievements of an empire.
Directive word:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you must debate on paper by going through the
details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You must give reasons for both for
and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Briefly describe the art of numismatics.
Body:
In the first part, trace the evolution of numismatics, from the period of ancient history until modern.
Briefly describe various features of coins in the time of Indo ‘Greeks, Guptas, Cholas, Sultanates,
Mughals, etc like secular themes, religious, etc. Also, state the importance given to standardization
of currency.
Next, mention how numismatics helps in deciphering the achievements of various empires along with
examples. Mention both pros and cons.
Conclusion:
Conclude by stating the importance of numismatics and its importance in present times.
Introduction
Numismatics is the study/ collection of currency (coins, banknotes, or money in some other form
like beads, tokens, and related objects). Historians use these to understand the past. The importance
of coins as a source of reconstructing history cannot be denied, particularly in case of ancient history
where very few chronicles were produced. An old coin (or currency) is a window to history.
Body
Significance of numismatics
 Surviving written texts that feature the ancient history of India were created as religious or
literary texts.
 To reconstruct the past, historians look to other sources, such as archaeological finds and
inscriptions on stone and metal.
 Coins offer another form of evidence, requiring similar care and expertise in the
interpretation of engraved words, symbols, and images.
 Coins are an important source of history, as they suggest important historical processes.
 Not only the monetary situation, but broader questions related to economy and polity can
be answered through numismatics.
 Each coin was developed for a special purpose during a specific era, which served as a great
revelation over centuries.
 As in the vast and deep history of India there have were numerous big and small dynasties
and empires spreading across every part of the country and there were no rigid proof or
evidence for their presence.
 However, it is observed that nearly every Ruler tried to have their unique lineage of coins
which when deciphered properly, gave umpteen information about the period.
 Coins help apprehend the socio-political, cultural and administrative aspects of past
kingdoms and rulers.
 Numismatics also reveals the religious beliefs and sentiments during that time.
 For Example, it was first in the coins of Kanishka dynasty that Buddha was represented in
form while earlier it was demonstrated symbolically.
 Similarly, on the coins of Gupta Empire one can witness forms of Durga, Laxmi and Ganga.
 The wide distribution of Kushana coins suggests trading activities, and the presence of ship
motifs on Satvahana coinage reflects the importance of maritime trade.
 The inscribed figures of rulers, deities and legends give us an insight into social and political
aspects of various kingdoms.
 It must be noted that dates are seen very rarely on early Indian coins.
 Barring western Kshatrapa coins which give dates in the Shaka era and some Gupta silver
coins which give the regnal years of kings, coins in early India are mostly devoid of dates.
 Dated or undated, coins found in archaeological excavations often help date the layers of
time.

 An example is a site of Sonkh near Mathura, where the excavated levels were categorised
into eight periods on the basis of coin finds.
 With regard to the later development in coinage, the numismatic history of later ancient and
the early medieval period saw a decline in trade and the feudal order marked stressed urban
centres, and as a result, even though the circulation of coins did not stop, their purity and
aesthetic quality saw degradation at many levels.
Ancient Indian coins conjure up marketplaces along the Silk Road, the trade route that connected
the East and West; conquerors and their traveling mints; wars; and lost kingdoms. The complexity
that Numismatics offers, is evident from the fact that the number of distinct dynasties that existed
during that time tried to develop their own style of Coinage. Indeed, it is the in-depth study of
coinage over the years in India that has revealed the presence of many rulers and dynasties in India
which otherwise could not have been justified.
Conclusion
Thus the history of Indian Coinage is both exciting yet complicated as it is immensely vast. Over
umpteen reigns there has been a great lineage of coinage set by different rulers that throw a light on
the customs and traditions of that Era. Thus, Numismatics is extremely important to get details on
periodical changes in history.
Explain the different aspects of India’s classical dance system with special emphasis on
Kathak? (250 words)
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Reference: The Hindu
Key demand of the question
The question expects us to highlight the various facets of classical dance in India especially with
respect to Kathak (Pt. Birju Maharaj died recently)
Structure of the answer
Introduction – Explain that dance has always been considered ad a complete art and has had a close
association with god and worship. The earliest examples of dance in India can be traced back to the
dancing pictures in Bhimbetka caves and the bronze statue of a dancing girl in Mohenjodaro.
Body
Discuss the various texts on dance in India such as Bharatmuni’s Natyashashtra
Highlight that. Sangeet Natak Academy confers “classical” status on 8 dances. Highlight that Dance
forms in India were kept alive by devadasis and later revived by various artists.
Explain that Dance has two aspects: Tandava and Lasya. Tandava emphasizes body movements and
masculinity while Lasya focuses on grace and abhinaya, so more feminine. Dances were scripted
around 9 rasas or emotions like heroism, love, anger, etc. Themes were derived from mythology like
Radha-Krishna, Shiva-Parvati, etc. Many Muslim kings also added their elements and learned
traditional dance like Nawab Wajid Ali of Oudh.
Explain Kathak dance, its proponent (esp. Birju Maharaj), and its various forms
Conclusion –
Emphasize on India’s rich history of dance.
Introduction
Dance in India has a rich and vital tradition dating back to ancient times. Excavations, inscriptions,
chronicles, genealogies of kings and artists, literary sources, sculpture and painting of different
periods provide extensive evidence on dance. Myths and legends also support the view that dance

had a significant place in the religious and social life of the Indian people. Excavations have brought
to light a bronze statuette from Mohenjo-Daro and a broken torso from Harappa (dating back to
2500-1500 B.C.E.) are suggestive of dance poses.
Body
Sangeet Natak Academy confers “classical” status on 8 dances – Bharatnatyam, Kathakali,

Mohiniattam, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Manipuri, Odissi and Sattriya. The earliest treatise on dance
available to us is Bharat Muni’s Natyashastra. Dance and music are an inextricable part of drama.
Aspects of Indian classical dances
 Dance is considered as having three aspects: natya, nritya and nritta.
 Natya highlights the dramatic element and most dance forms do not give emphasis to this
aspect today with the exception of dance-drama forms like Kathakali.
 Nritya is essentially expressional, performed specifically to convey the meaning of a theme

or idea.
 Nritta is pure dance where body movements do not express any mood (bhava), nor do they
convey any meaning.
 To present nritya and natya effectively, a dancer should be trained to communicate

the navarasas. These are: love (shringaara), mirth (haasya), compassion (karuna),
valour(veera), anger (roudra), fear (bhayanak), disgust (bibhatsa), wonder (adbhuta) and
peace (shaanta).
 An ancient classification followed in all styles is of Tandava and Lasya.
 Tandava the masculine, is heroic bold and vigorous. Lasya the feminine is soft, lyrical and
graceful.
 Bharata and Nandikesvara, the main authorities conceive of dance as an art which uses the
human body as a vehicle of expression.
 The major human units of the body (anga) are identified as the head, torso, the upper and
lower limbs and the minor human parts (upangas), as all parts of the face ranging from the
eyebrow to the chin and the minor joints.
 Two further aspects of natya are the modes of presentation and the style.
 There are two modes of presentation, namely the Natyadharmi, which is the formalised
presentation of theatre, and the Lokadharmi sometimes translated as folk, realistic,
naturalistic or regional.
 The style or vrittis are classified into Kaishiki, the deft lyrical more suited to convey the lasya
aspects, the Arbati, the energetic masculine, the Satvati often used while depicting the rasas
and the Bharati, the literary content.
Kathak dance
 Kathak is one of the main genres of ancient Indian classical dance and is traditionally
regarded to have originated from the travelling bards of North India referred as

Kathakarsor storytellers. Are people who narrate stories largely based on episodes from the
epics, myths and legends.
 The Vaishnavitecult which swept North India in the 15th century. and the resultant bhakti
movement contributed to a whole new range of lyrics and musical forms. The Radha-
Krishna theme proved immensely popular alongwith the works of Mirabai, Surdas,
Nandadas and
 The weight of the body is equally distributed along the horizontal and vertical axis.
 The technique is built by the use of an intricate system of foot-work.
 As in Bharatnatyam, Odissi and Manipuri, Kathak also builds its pure dance sequences by
combining units of movement. The cadences are called differently by the names tukra, tora,
and parana– all indicative of the nature of rhythmic patterns used.
 Kathak has emerged as a distinct dance form. Being the only classical dance of India having
links with Muslim culture, it represents a unique synthesis of Hindu and Muslim genius in
art.
 Kathak is the only form of classical dance wedded to Hindustani or the North Indian music.
Both of them have had a parallel growth, each feeding and sustaining the other.
Conclusion
Nurtured for centuries, dance in India has evolved in different parts of the country its own distinct
style taking on the culture of that particular region, each acquiring its own flavour. Today there is
also a whole new body of modern experimental dance.
The Chola Period marks a distinct and significant period in the art and architecture of
India. Comment. (250 words)
Difficulty Level: Easy
Why this question:
The question seeks to examine the significance and the uniqueness of Chola art and architecture.
Key demand of the question:
The answer must discuss the significance of the Chola art and architecture.
Directive:
Comment– here we have to express our knowledge and understanding of the issue and form an
overall opinion thereupon.
Introduction:
Introduce the distinctness of Chola art and architecture that is the Dravida style of architecture.
Body:
The body has to address two parts. The first part as to why the Chola art was distinct. In this using
salient and important features of Chola art tell the marked changes which started during the Chola
art. The emphasis here should be on why these were distinct.
The next part of the body should be the significance of the Chola art and its uniqueness. Quoting
examples from the Chola architecture and art should be elaborately explained.
Conclusion:

The conclusion should say how Chola Art and architecture changed the scenario of Indian
architecture and influenced future architecture, especially in southern India.
Introduction
The Cholas belonged to one of the three mighty dynasties that ruled the Tamil country in the early
historical period. Described as the Muvendhar in the Sangam literature, they were known for the
valour and for their patronage of the Tamil language. One of the best illustrations of Dravida type of
temples are by Cholas.
Body
Background: Chola Art and Architecture
 Puranic Hinduism, represented by the worship of Siva, Vishnu and associated deities, had
become popular by the time of the Cholas.
 A large number of temples dedicated to these deities were built.
 The temples were provided vast areas of land and a considerable section of population came
under their influence
Art and Architecture

 Temple architecture: The Cholas built and patronised innumerable temples. The royal
temples in Thanjavur, Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Darasuram are the repositories of
architecture, sculpture, paintings and iconography of the Chola arts.
o The Cholas built their temples in the traditional way of the Pallava dynasty, who
were themselves influenced by the
o Besides all these temples of the Chola period, the greatest landmark in the history
of south Indian architecture is Brihadisvara temple at Tanjore. It was built
by Rajaraja I. This is the largest and tallest temple in Tamil Nadu.
o Rajendra Chola built a temple at GangaiKonda Cholapuram which is also equally

famous.
 Sculptures: The Chola period is also remarkable for its sculptures and bronzes. The
sculptures and bronzes show classic grace, grandeur and taste. The best example of this can
be seen in the form of Nataraja, the Divine Dancer.
o After Nataraja, the next most popular image is Somaskanda where Shiva is depicted
sitting with his consort Uma and his son Skanda dancing between them on a
platform.
o Kalyanasundara Murti is a 9th century art where marriage is represented by 2

separate statuettes; Shiva and Parvati’s marriage or panigrahana.
o Ardhanarishwar with half Shiva and half Shakti is another popular image
 Portraits: The best specimens of portraits are found on the walls of koranganatha temple
and nageswarasamy  The portraits of cholamadevi and kulothunga-iii are there
in kalahasti temple.

 Paintings: The art of paintings flourished; figures were painted with realism. Rajaraja-I
and Rajendra contributed more for the development of the art of painting during the chola
period.
o In 1931, Chola frescoes were discovered within the circumambulatory corridor of

the Brihadisvara Temple, by S.K. Govindasamy, a professor at Annamalai University.
o These are the first Chola paintings discovered. The passage of the corridor is dark
and the walls on either side are covered with two layers of paintings from floor to
ceiling
Conclusion
The Chola period in south India was golden area of art and architecture. they promoted all these arts
and also changes timely. The Dravida style of architecture reached its zenith during the Chola
empire. It is a hallmark of the Chola dynasty.
Value Addition
Temple architecture features
 This architecture developed under the chola regime
 Temples surrounded by boundary walls
 High entrance gateway gopuram
 This follows panchayatan style for principal shine and four subsidiary shrines
 The stepped pyramid that rises up is called vimana
 Crowning form in octagon its similar to the kalash in nagara style but not spherical
 On the main temple the vimana on subsidiary shrine temple there is no vimana
 The assembly hall connected with garbagriha using the tunnel that tunnel is called antarala.
 The entrance of garbagriha sculpture of Dwarpalaka, Mithun, and yakshas.
 Presence of water tank inside the temple enclosure was a unique style of Dravidian temple
architecture.
Illustrate with examples how Science and Technology flourished in Ancient India. Do
you think these developments have any relevance in making India the technological
hub that she is today? (250 words)
Reference: The New Indian Express
Why this question:
The question is based on the contributions of ancient India to science and technology and its
significance and relevance even in today’s times.


The answer must discuss the contributions of Ancient India to science and technology of the past and
even to the present.
Introduction:
Briefly explain India’s ancient caliber of development in science.
Body:
Explain that one of the oldest civilizations in the world, the Indian civilization has a strong tradition of
science and technology. Ancient India was a land of sages and seers as well as a land of scholars and
scientists. India was actively contributing to the field of science and technology centuries long before
modern laboratories were set up. Mention a few examples.
Many theories and techniques discovered by the ancient Indians have created and strengthened the
fundamentals of modern science and technology. While some of these groundbreaking contributions
have been acknowledged, some are still unknown to most.
Quote examples of scientists, researchers, etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude with significance and relevance of such discoveries and inventions even in today’s times.
Introduction
Indian Science and technology, including astronomy has a long history and was a Vedanga, an
auxiliary discipline associated with the study of the Vedas, dating back to 1,500 BCE or
earlier. Varahamihira, Aryabhata, Bhaskara, Brahmagupta and others were astronomers who even
mention their scientific instruments. Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur constructed five Jantar
Mantars in New Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain, Mathura and Varanasi. They give us a good idea of the early
scientific tools.
Body
Background
 Indian science and technology began at Mehrgarh (now in Pakistan) and continued
throughout the country’s history.
 People developed different systems of agriculture, irrigation, canals and water storage
systems, including artificial lakes, by 3,000 BCE.
 Cotton was cultivated by 5,000–4,000 BCE. They farmed with animal-drawn ploughs in the
Indus Civilisation in 2,500 BCE.
 The people of the Indus-Sarasvati region used weights and measures. Large numbers are
used in the Vedas.
 The earliest-known dock in the world, which could berth and service ships, was situated at
Lothal in Gujarat.
 Indian metallurgy was very advanced. Steel was made in India from 500 BCE. King Porus
gifted Alexander a steel sword in 326 BCE.
 The iron pillar located in Delhi is seven metres high and has never rusted.
 Over 5,000 years ago, there were dentists in the Indus-Sarasvati region.
 A modern scientist who was looking at the teeth of people who had died there long ago
found that ancient dentists had drilled teeth as far back as 9,000 years ago.

Science and Technology in ancient India
 Baudhayana in 800 BCE calculated the value of pi and discovered what is now known as
the Pythagoras’ theorem. Pythagoras lived in sixth century BCE Greece; and the third
century CE sophist Philostratus says that Pythagoras studied under Hindu sages or
gymnosophists in India.
 Brahmagupta lived in seventh century Ujjain and wrote several books on mathematics and
astronomy. India was the source of the number system, now called the Arabic
numerals because the Arabs took it everywhere. This number system is a feat of genius. It
enables all numbers to be expressed with just ten symbols—the numbers 1 through 9 and
the symbol for zero.
o Brahmagupta was the first to discuss zero as a number and established the basic
mathematical rules for it.
o He did a lot of work in geometry, trigonometry and discovered new theorems. He

also explained how to find cubes, cube roots, squares and square roots.
 Bhaskaracharya wrote about arithmetic, geometry, algebra and calculus. Isaac Newton and
Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz are given credit for being the first to introduce calculus, but
Bhaskaracharya had written about it 500 years earlier.
 Sushruta was a great surgeon who used 125 different surgical instruments and herbal
sprays before an operation to prevent sepsis. His greatest contribution was in the fields
of plastic surgery and cataract removal.
 Charaka wrote about herbal treatments that Indians are just rediscovering.
 In 300 BCE, Patanjali codified the Yoga sutras.
 In 200 BCE, Kanada wrote about gravity and that the universe is made up of
 Nagarjuna was a great metallurgist and chemist.
Relevance today
 All these inventions became a foundation for future inventions and discoveries.
 Their contribution in astronomy, mathematics, medicine, metallurgy, chemistry havemade

an impact on modem scientists.
 It is clear that progress of science and technology in India has been quite significant. Many
new methods, products and better-quality goods have been developed in the country.
 India has made rapid progress in the frontier areas of science and technology like space
research and atomic energy.
 At present the country has a strong base in modern technology. It also has the third largest
scientific and technical manpower in the world
Conclusion
It is clear that progress of science and technology in India has been quite significant. Many new
methods, products and better quality goods have been developed in the country. India has made
rapid progress in the frontier areas of science and technology like space research and atomic energy.
At present the country has a strong base in modem technology. It also has the third largest scientific
and technical manpower in the world.
Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the
present- significant events, personalities, issues.
Trace the development of sculpture in ancient and medieval India. Was religion the
major influence behind sculptural art? Examine (150 words, 10 marks)
Introduction
Sculpture art is one of the most ancient art forms in India. Archaeological studies have confirmed
that Indians were familiar with sculptures about 4000 years before. Sculpture was the favoured
medium of artistic expression on the Indian subcontinent. Indian buildings were profusely adorned
with it and indeed are often inseparable from it. The subject matter of Indian sculpture was almost
invariably abstracted human forms that were used to instruct people in the truths of the Hindu,
Buddhist, or Jain religions.
Body
Tracing development of sculpture from ancient to medieval India
 Indus Valley Civilization: Sculpture representation started with knowledge of Terracotta and
effective chiselling of stones. The Lost Wax Technique or the ‘Cire-Perdu’ process has been
known from the time of the Indus Valley Civilization itself.
o The statue of the Dancing Girl found from Mohenjo Daro is one of the finest
examples of Indus Valley art.
o The figurine is about 4 inches tall. Datable to 2500 BC. It is said to be in the
tribhanga it is one of the oldest bronze sculpture.
 Bronze sculptures and statuettes of various icons of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism have
been found from various parts of India dating from the 2nd century CE to the 16th century
CE.
o Most of the images were used for religious and ritualistic purposes.
o The metal casting process was also used for making articles of daily use like
utensils.
 Gupta and pre-Gupta period: Buddha sculptures were abundantly found. The Sanghati or the
robe is wrapped over the shoulders and turn over the right arm, while the other end of the
robe covers the left arm.

o The clothes of the Buddha figures are thin.
o Youthful and proportionate figures.
 Pallavas: Best Pallava bronze is the Icon of Shiva in Ardhaparyanka asana (one leg kept
dangling).
o Right hand in Achamana Mudra (indicating he is about to consume poison).
 Cholas (10th -12th Century): Chola bronze art is the most sought-after today in the world of
art and exquisite pieces of art developed during this period. This technique is still practised
in south India, particularly in Kumbakonam.
o Their World-famous work is Shiva as Nataraja where Shiva’s dance is associated with
the end of the cosmic world.
o Ardhanarisvara image: Union of Shiva and Parvati is represented.
 Vijayanagar (16th century): Portrait sculpture is seen wherein artists tried to preserve the
knowledge of the royal patrons for the future generation. Tirupati: There is a life-size
standing bronze sculpture of King Krishnadevaraya with his 2 queens Tirumalamba and
Chinnadevi.
Religion as influence in scultpure art
 It is universally accepted that art and culture is the mirror of society. Even during stone
ages, ancient people used cave drawings to express and communicate their experiences and
thoughts. India is a land of art and culture.
 Indian art is considered to have originated during the Indus Valley Civilization, around 2500
BC. Indian paintings during the time were often inspired by nature, and spirituality, making
it stands out in terms of religious content and aesthetics, an aspect that is appreciated
worldwide even today.
 Hinduism: Sculptures of Hindu deities from mythology, puranas, scriptures are depicted
widely throughout the centuries.
 Buddhism: Buddhism has influenced the artists from the time of its origin and continues to
inspire them even today. Ajanta caves in Maharashtra have stones carved in the shape and
imagery of Gautam Buddha, depicting stories from his life. It is mindboggling to see how
hills were cut to make caves, and how huge rock was transformed into huge human figurines
with limited resources.
 Influence of Islam: Buland Darwaza of Fatehpur Sikri, Taj Mahal in Agra and Shalimar Bagh
in Kashmir are some primary examples of Mughal art and architecture.
Conclusion
All in all, India and its art sector have a history to depict the saga of those religions. In return, these
religions are known to supply space to Indian paintings, sculptures, music, or allied art in their
inheritance. While religion influences art, art also features a reaction to religion. The religious
influence of art has defiantly been around for hundreds of years and plays a crucial role to the
history of art. These art works help folks that are trying to find peace, security, and hope. Religious
paintings are expressions of spiritual themes and principles from the attitude of people who are of

various denominations and non-secular groups. Religious paintings are used for both decorative and
reflective purposes.
To what extent do you think the role played by the Indian National Army was the final
nail in the coffin for the end of British rule in India? Highlight the contribution of
Subhash Chandra Bose in this regard. (15M)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Why the question:
TMC renewed its demand for declassification of files on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s
disappearance in 1945 and rejection of Bengal’s tableau on Netaji and INA from the upcoming
Republic Day parade in Delhi.
To write about the role played by INA and Subhash Chandra Bose in the Indian Independence
Movement.
Introduction:
Begin by tracing the events leading to the activities of Bose and his contribution in forming INA.
Body:
In the first part, write about the contribution of INA in the Indian National Movement and how it was
final nail in coffin of British rule in India. How INA gained mass acceptance among nationals.
Next, give a brief about various contributions of Bose towards National Movement and highlight how
his ways were different from other leaders.
Conclusion:
A relevant closing statement.
Introduction
The Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) was an armed force formed by Indian Nationalists in
1942, through the patronage of the Imperial Japanese Army, to secure the Independence of India.
The INA was first formed under Mohan Singh and Japanese Major Iwaichi Fujiwara and comprised
Indian prisoners of war of the British-Indian Army captured by Japan in the Malayan (present-day
Malaysia) campaign and at Singapore.
Body
Role played by INA

 In 1943 Bose lost hope that Germany could be of any help in gaining India’s independence.
He then turned to Asia where he finally came at the helm of the Indian National Army (INA).
 INA found support among expatriate Indians and under its aegis Bose formed the Azad Hind
governmentwhich came to produce its own currency, postage stamps, court and civil
code. It was recognised by Axis states.
 While his memory is still held in high esteem in India, in the West Bose is much less revered,
largely because of his wartime collaboration with the Axis powers.
 During the final two years of the war, Bose withconsiderable Japanese backing- led the
forces of the Indian National Army into battle against the British.

 Indian prisoners of war in Japanese camps provided a ready recruiting ground for the I.N.A.,
which was able to rally about 20,000 out of the 60,000 prisoner of wars, and financial aid
and volunteers came from Indian trading communities settled in South East Asia.
 The INA was essentially non-communal, with Muslims quite prominent among its officers
and ranks, and it also introduced the innovation of a women’s detachment named after the
Rani of Jhansi.
 Between March and June 1944, the INA was in action on Indian soil, besieging Imphal along
with Japanese troops in a campaign which ended in total failure.
 The Japanese collapse in 1945 made the INA men prisoners again, while Bose mysteriously
disappeared, allegedly killed in an air-crash which some still believe to have been faked.
 In November, 1945, a British move to put the INA men on trial immediately sparked off
massive demonstrations all over the country.
 Even more significant was the probable link between the INA experience and the wave of
disaffection in the British Indian army during the winter of 1945-46, which culminated in the
great Bombay naval strike of February 1946 and was quite possibly one of the most decisive
reasons behind the British decision to make a quick withdrawal.
Netaji Bose’s role in INA
 The INA revealed Subhash Bose’s greatness as a military leaderand an organizer One of the
INA Brigades advanced with the Japanese army upto the frontiers of India. The Indian
national flag was hoisted in Kohima in March 1944.
 However with the change of fortune in the war and the retreat and defeat of the Japanese
the INA collapsed. The role of INA had far reaching influences on the Indian political scene.
 When the stories of their remarkable courage and sacrifice came to the knowledge of the
Indian peopleat the end of the war, the nation came under a wave of revolutionary
upsurge.
 The British Government could realise that patriotism for Indians was greater than their
service to a foreign power.
 In spite of his principle of violence Subhash Chandra Bose’s grand scheme of India’s
liberation and the high idealism through INA movement inspired the people of India in an
unprecedented manner.
Conclusion
The INA lost a substantial number of men and materiel in this retreat. A number of units were
disbanded or used to feed into new divisions of the now declining Japanese Army. Following the
Japanese defeat in World War 2, most of the members of the INA were captured by the British.
Subash Chandra Bose himself eluded capture and was reported to have died in a plane crash near
Taiwan in September 1945.

National freedom and national construction were the core of Subhas Chandra Bose’s
political ideology. Discuss the approach taken by Bose to achieve the same. (250
words)
Reference: Indian Express
Why the question:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday unveiled a hologram of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at
India Gate, where he said a grand statue of the freedom fighter would be placed soon.
To write about steps taken by Bose towards National freedom and national construction.
Directive word:
Introduction:
Begin by giving a brief intro of Subhas Chandra Bose and his way of politics/
Body:
First, in detail, mention the various approach taken by Bose towards Indian freedom after resigning
from Indian Civil Service.
Next, mention the various measures towards national reconstruction and his socialistic tendencies
to achieve the same.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing about his legacy in the present day.
Introduction
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was an Indian nationalist, whose defiant patriotism made him a hero in
India. Bose viewed freedom not only in terms of political self-rule but also freedom from socio-
economic inequalities, casteism, intolerance etc. Bose held steadfast to a vision of large scale
industrialisation and a politics devoid of irrationality and religiosity.
Indian government has decided to install a grand statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at India
Gate to commemorate his 125th birth anniversary and as part of the yearlong celebrations
Body
Bose’s political ideology:
 Bose’s fight was not only for political freedom but also social and economic freedom. Thus,
he was strongly of the opinion that Social reforms and national freedom movement were
inextricably related.
 He worked with this vision and it is clearly seen in his ideas and activities during the Indian
national movement.
 He believed that basic education should be grounded in one’s own national and cultural
context, which would then prepare students for higher education in a wider international
environment.
 He had been a strong proponent of socialist reconstruction of the nation. He stood

for increased national production and equitable social distribution.

 He strongly emphasised on Panchayati Raj Institutions, radical land reforms, cheap credit
to the peasant and likewise development of social forestry and cultivation .This shows his
determination of creating a modern and a socialist state based on economic regeneration to
improve the lot of millions of down trodden masses.
 Tolerance of differences in terms of ethnicity, caste, gender, religion is the ultimate sign of
maturity for a people and a nation. How Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians could all unite
under one banner and one slogan – Unity, Faith and Sacrifice.
 He wanted different communities in the country to enjoy basic human rights, good health,
literacy, decent employment, and live together in peace and harmony.
 The creative spirit must set to work the social, religious and commercial life.
 Society must be purged of narrowness and inequality.
 His vision of religion was one which is free from bigotry and superstition.
 He wanted the Indian business community must grow into a healthy self-conscious and
public-spirited body corporate.
 To promote gender parity, he himself led by example by creating Rani Jhansi regiment in his
army.
 In the domain of culture, according to Bose, India needed more genuine poets, painters,
sculptors, historians, philosophers, economists imbued with the spirit of scientific research
and endowed with a real creative talent.
Conclusion
Bose’s socialism and patriotism is respected even today as he created a sense of enthusiasm, made
women participated in the Indian national army ,tried to make India a true place for all castes and
classes. His vision of equity and justice remain exemplary and profound till date and in the times to
come.
Why did the tribal groups of India respond violently to imposition of colonial rule in
India? What was its significance and why did it fail? Analyse. (250 words)
Reference: Down to Earth
Why the question:
As Gujarat features a tableau commemorating a massacre of Bhil tribespeople by colonial troops in
1922, as India delves into the history of tribal engagement with the British.
To write about how various forms of oppression resulted in various tribal revolts and its significance.
Directive word:
Analyse – When asked to analyse, you must examine methodically the structure or nature of the
topic by separating it into component parts and present them in a summary.
Introduction:
Start by mentioning that eighteenth and the nineteenth centuries witnessed many tribal uprisings
against the oppression of ruling class.
Body:
Mention about the various issues faced by tribals such as imposition of a high land revenue demand
by the state, corrupt practices, the colonial policies further aggravating their hardships such as
destruction of Indian handloom and handicraft industries eviction of peasants from their lands,
encroachment on tribal lands etc, money lenders, eviction etc. Cite a few instances of peasant and
tribal revolts such as Bhil, Mappila, Santhal etc to substantiate your points.
Next, write about the reasons for the failure of these revolts.
Next, Write about its significance of these tribal revolts.
Conclusion:
Conclude by mentioning that in the long run up to the National freedom struggle, the Peasants and
tribals struggle evolved and became part of main stream national movement eventually.
Introduction
Tribal movements in India arose during the British colonial period due to the colonial oppression.
Tribal movements or rebellions were due to occupation of tribal land and interference and
overwhelming them with outside cultures hampering the lives of the tribals.
Body
The causes for the tribal uprisings included
 Imposition of Land revenue Settlement. For instance, Famine, enhanced land revenue
demands and economic distress goaded the Chuar aboriginal tribesmen of the Jungle Mahal
of Midnapore district and also of the Bankura district (in Bengal) to take up arms.
 British policies and acts like the establishment of the Forest department in 1864,
Government Forest Act (1865) and Indian Forest Act (1878)which restricted the activities
of tribals in forest areas led to their ire against the British. g.: Koya revolt against British for
denial of tribal’s rights over forest areas.
 Extension of settled agriculture. E.g.: : The British expansion on their territory led to
an uprising by the martial Pahariyas of the Raj Mahal Hills in 1778.
 New excise regulations which imposed a ban on tribals to make their own liquor, an
important trait of their culture.
 Large scale transfer of forest land. g.: large-scale transfers of land from Kol headmen to
outsiders like Hindu, Sikh and Muslim farmers and money-lenders who were oppressive
and demanded heavy taxes.
 Restrictions on shifting cultivation in forest. For eg.: Khasi and Garo rebellions against
occupation of hilly land and ban on shifting cultivation.
 Introduction of the notion of private property.
 Exploitation by low country traders and money lenders. E.g: Santhal rebellion against
moneylenders and traders. The Ulgulan uprising against money lenders
 Work of Christian Missionaries and against the interference of other religions such as
Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. g: Tana Bhagat Movement
Significance
 The uprisings helped create an united notion against the oppressive nature of British rule.
 It laid bare the colonial rule of East India company.

 It played an important role in bringing the tribal people together and imparting to them the
consciousness of belonging to one country.
 The Tribal rebellions in India took place for social, cultural and political reasons, particularly
against the acquisition of their land and exerted their rights over forest resources.
Reasons for failure
 Though these early movements created a healthy culture promoting expression of local
dissent against authoritarianism, they also faced certain limitations.
 Though as single events, these revolts were powerful and pervasive in their region; from the
national perspective, they were localised and isolated events that didn’t capture the popular
imagination of the nation at large. This limited the effect that these uprisings could have
had.
 Additionally, most of these uprisings arose from dissatisfaction over local grievances, and
the rest of the nation could not identify with the agitating persons and express empathy for
their grievances.
 The uprisings were not revolutionary in ideas, thought or ideology, but were just external
manifestations of protests over particular grievances.
 They presented no alternate solution to the public, and failed to galvanise them into action.
 The leaders of most of these uprisings were semi-feudal in character and hence, had a
traditional, conservative outlook.
 They were easily satisfied if the British provided even minor concessions or agreed to their
specific demands.
 Hence, no large scale reform of society was perceived or even demanded for by the people
participating in these protests.
Conclusion
It is evident that the colonial rule even, during the days of the east India Company witnessed
numerous uprising and disturbances. These varied grievances reached their climax in the revolt of
1857, which in spite of targeting certain groups of Indians remains the prominent uprising against
the British before the beginning of the Indian Freedom movement.
Enumerating the essential elements of Gandhi’s political philosophy, discuss his

contributions as an important figure of world history. (250 words)
Why the question:
On January 30, 1948, the Father of the Nation’ was assassinated at Gandhi Smriti in the Birla House
during the evening prayers. January 30 is the day when Mahatma Gandhi was martyred and the
Government of India announced the day as Shaheed Diwas or Martyrs’ Day.
To write about essential elements of Gandhian philosophy and his contributions to world history.
Directive word:

Introduction:
Begin by giving a brief intro of Mahatma Gandhi and his way of politics.
Body:
First, in detail, mention the essential elements of Gandhian political philosophy – Truth, Non-violence,
self-restraint, morality and self-transformation etc.
Next, mention the contributions of Mahatma Gandhi to world history – In south Africa, in India and in
his various visits to England. Also, write about the important world leaders he inspired.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing about his legacy of Mahatma Gandhi in the present day.
Introduction
Gandhiji was a thinker, writer, public intellectual, political activist, political theorist and, above all, a
philosopher who invented a new philosophical way of life. As a philosopher, he undoubtedly
deserves to be ranked alongside the Buddha and Socrates.
On January 30, 1948, the Father of the Nation’ was assassinated at Gandhi Smriti in the Birla House
during the evening prayers. January 30 is the day when Mahatma Gandhi was martyred and the
Government of India announced the day as Shaheed Diwas or Martyrs’ Day.
Body
Essential elements of Gandhi’s political philosophy and his valuable contributions
 Mahatma Gandhi successfully weaponized truth, satyagraha, and peace during India’s struggle
for independence.
 These ideals inspired great men across the world, including Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson
Mandela. Their lives stand as a testament to their indomitable will and the courage to practice
the ideals.
 Mahatma Gandhi believed that the true test of life for the individual can be summarized in two
principles: self-discipline and self-restraint. In this relation, he observed: “A self-indulgent man
lives to eat; a self-restrained man eats to live.”
 Mahatma Gandhi saw his place among the weakest and the poorest. His notion of a just and
truthful politics was that in such an environment, the weakest should have the same
opportunities as the strongest.
 Gandhiji is a great example of simplicity and transparency. Gandhi’s simplicity was reflected in
his deeds and acts, but mostly in his mode of life.
 Mahatma Gandhi believed in the interrelated nature of human existence. He was interested in
the self-transformative nature of the citizens which seems important in the upholding of the
ethic of human action.
 Mahatma Gandhi gives ethical and political primacy to the two concepts of self-realization and
self-rule. For Gandhi, a self-realized and self-conscious community is a society of citizens who
reconcile the self-determination of the individual with the recognition of the shared values in
the community.

 The Gandhian technique of mobilising people has been successfully employed by many
oppressed societies around the world under the leadership of people like Martin Luther King in
the United States, Nelson Mandela in South Africa, and Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar, which is
an eloquent testimony to the continuing relevance of Mahatma Gandhi.
 Gandhi’s concept of basic education includes holding of creative activities like cleaning
surroundings, spreading communal unity, health education programme, addiction relief
programme etc. which can instil national, social, spiritual and cultural values among children.
 Even if Gandhi is no more among us, his spirit has been with the great transformative leaders of
the 20th and 21st centuries like Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson
Mandela, the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Václav Havel and Pope Francis.
Conclusion
Martyrs’ Day is an occasion to remind us of the fact that thousands of brave soldiers, some
prominent, many obscure, had walked on the thorny path of resistance fighting for India’s freedom
in the epic struggle spearheaded by Mahatma Gandhi. As a global thinker with a transhistorical and
trans geographical influence, Gandhi was a moral and political leader who stayed out of the box.
The Freedom Struggle – its various stages and important contributors

/contributions from different parts of the country.
Shed light on the role of Swami Vivekananda in bringing social reforms in Pre –
Independent India. 150 words
Reference: Live Mint
Why the question:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the two-day 25th national youth festival in Puducherry
to celebrate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda
One has to discuss in detail the contributions of Swami Vivekananda in bringing social reforms in
colonial India.
Introduction:
Highlight some of the important achievements of Swami Vivekananda as the social reformer with his
philosophy as a guiding light. He contributed immensely to the concept of nationalism in colonial
India and played a special role in steering India into the 20th Century.
Body:
Introduce by giving a brief description of the influence of Swami Vivekananda’s teachings and
ideologies.
His philosophy was based on the ethical and moral upliftment of the masses. Deep concern for
masses, freedom, and equality through which one expresses self, spiritual integration of the world on
the basis of universal brotherhood, and “Karmayoga” a system of ethics to attain freedom both
political and spiritual through selfless service.
Discuss other ideas of his spiritualism.
Describe how his spiritualist discourse helped eradicate the evils prevailing in society even till the
present date with a few examples.
You can refer to this article
Conclusion:

Conclude with the importance of his contributions.

Introduction
Narendranath Datta (1862-1902), who later came to be known as Swami Vivekananda spread
Ramakrishna’s message and tried to reconcile it to the needs of contemporary Indian society. He
emerged as the preacher of neo-Hinduism. Certain spiritual experiences of Ramakrishna, the
teachings of the Upanishads and the Gita and the examples, of the Buddha and Jesus are the basis of
Vivekananda’s message to the world about human values.
Body
Social reforms in Pre-Independent India by Swami Vivekananda
 He believed that socio economic change can be brought about through education. He
wanted both moral and secular education to be imparted to the common man of this
country.
 He established the Ramakrishna Mission in 1897 to what he described as creating

“machinery which will bring noblest ideas to the doorstep of even the poorest and the
meanest”
 Vivekananda was a great humanist and used the Ramakrishna Mission for humanitarian
relief and social work. Vivekananda advocated the doctrine of service—the service of all
beings.
 Under Swami Vivekananda, the Mission was running a number of schools. It offered help to
those affected from calamities like famines, floods and epidemics.
 Vivekananda worked towards educational rights for women. He laid special stress on
conventional values of family life and chastity for women, but was totally against their
subjection. He passionately pleaded for the extension of all educational facilities to women.
 Swami Vivekananda created a national consciousness amongst all Indians. Swamiji

interpreted the significance of Indians ancient culture in the modern world.
Relevance of Swami Vivekananda today
 Swami Vivekananda’s message of nationality and universality is very much relevant in the
present-day world. All people without any distinction of caste, religion, race, gender on
nationality.
 Human society has to wait for centuries for the advent of a leader of mankind like Swami
Vivekananda.
 Swamiji was very relevant during his time. He is more relevant today and he will remain still
more relevant in the years to come and till the human civilization exists.
 His message for the present moment is that, we are going forward our true destination in
spite of some appearances to the country. “India will be raised, not with the power of the
flesh, but with the power of the spirit; not with the flag of destruction, but with the flag of
peace and love.
Conclusion

Swami Vivekananda was a spiritual mentor to all nation and civilization. Thus, one sees Swami
Vivekananda is a pioneering figure in India who has played in integral part towards shaping of
modern India. Socialism, secularism, mass uplift and mass power, treating the untouchables with
compassion, universal literacy, informal education, women’s liberation and inculcation of social
service as a part of religious worship- these constituted the basic points for reforms by Swami
Vivekananda. His famous words; “Awake, arise, and stop not till the goal is reached” – still resonated
among the youth of the nation, rousing their social consciousness and kindling their damp spirits.


Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.

Communalism can be resisted, not by a different version of it, but only by
constitutionalism. Examine the statement in the context of various provisions made to
promote equality and fraternity in Indian Society. (250 Words.)
Introduction
Communalism is basically an ideology which consists of three elements:
 A belief that people who follow the same religion have common secular interests i.e. they
have same political, economic and social interests. So, here socio- political communalities
arise.
 A notion that, in a multi-religious society like India, these common secular interests of one
religion is dissimilar and divergent from the interests of the follower of another religion.
 The interests of the follower of the different religion or of different ‘communities’ are seen
to be completely incompatible, antagonist and hostile.
Body
Constitutionalism promoting equality and fraternity
The concept of constitutionalism is a mechanism that provides legitimacy to a democratic

government. It cannot and should not be confused with the legality of the acts of the officials in a
government setup. Constitutionalism is far more important than having a written Constitution.
 The principles of liberty, equality and fraternity formed the core of Ambedkar’s
constitutionalism. He considered fraternity to be “only another name for democracy”.
 He considered fraternity to be “only another name for democracy”.
 According to him, democracy was not “merely a form of Government”, but “essentially an
attitude of respect and reverence towards fellowmen.”
Provisions in Indian constitution to promote equality and fraternity
 Article 15 (1) prohibits the state from the discrimination against any citizen on the grounds
of religion, caste, race, place of birth and sex.
 Article 15 (2) states that no citizen shall be subjected to any disability, restriction, or
condition regarding the access to shops, public restaurants, hotels and place of public
entertainment or the use of wells, tanks, bathing Ghats, roads and places of public resort,
maintained wholly or partially out of State funds or dedicated to the use of the general
public.
 Article 25: This article refers to the freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and
propagation of religion. The sub clause (1) of this article states that: “subject to public order,
morality and health and to other provisions of this part, all persons are equally entitled to
freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practice ad propagate a religion”.
 Article 28: Under the article it is stated that the freedom as to the attendance at religious
instruction or religious worship in certain educational institutions.

o These articles from Article 25-28 states about religious rights of every
individual who is a citizen of India.
o But these articles are quite relevant in this era where religious persecutions towards
minorities takes place.
 Article 30: This article states that the minorities shall have the right to establish and
administer educational institutes of their choice. Unlike article 29, this article is only
applicable to linguistic or religious minorities.
 Article 350-B: This article was inserted for the appointment of special officer for minorities
by the president to investigate and carry out activities related to safeguarding the rights of
linguistic minorities.
Steps to be taken to prevent communalism
 Economic:
o Poverty is one of the major factors for communal violence. Poverty alleviation
measures are thus important for promoting communal harmony.
o Eradicating the problem of unemployment among the youths, illiteracy and poverty
and that too with honesty and without any discrimination.
o Reducing educational and economic backwardness of minorities like Muslims.

o This can uplift their socio-economic status and reduce their deprivation compared to
Hindus
 Social:
o The religious leaders and preachers should promote rational and practical things
through religion promoting peace and security.
o Children in schools must be taught through textbooks and pamphlets to maintain
brotherhood and respect for all religions
o Creating awareness in the society about the ill effects of communism through mass
media
 Political:
o Political communism should be avoided recent Supreme court’s directives
o Identification and mapping of riot prone areas. For Example, Delhi police used
drones to monitor to maintain vigil during communal festivals
o Media, movies and other cultural platforms can be influential in promoting peace
and harmony.
o Social Media should be monitored for violent and repulsive content and taken off
immediately.
 Recommendations of Committee on National Integration
o Joint celebration of community festivals

o Observing restraint by Hindus while taking processions before the mosques
o Formation of peace and brotherhood communities at local level to prevent anti-

social elements from engaging in communal riots
o Respect for religious customs, rituals and practices
Conclusion
In a vast country like India which is made up of diverse cultures, backgrounds, religions, identities
etc. it really requires to maintain a sense of equality among its citizen to provide a meaning to the
term democracy. The core reason behind all these discrimination are based on the nature of
unacceptance of diversities. We tend to commit heinous crimes to eradicate the population which
chooses a different set of traditions to follow. But these intolerance can lead India to get collapsed
from being a secular country to communal. And India is known to the world by the term “diversity”.
It is beautiful when the people irrespective of their differences are co-existing.
“Criminalising marital rape will destabilize the institution of marriage”. Critically

examine the statement in light of recent Supreme Court Judgement. (150 words)
Why this question:
A rising number of petitions before the Delhi High Court to criminalize marital rape has been alleged
as an outcome of the government’s refusal to pay heed to the landmark report by the Justice J. S.
Verma Committee.
The answer must discuss the effect of the criminalization of marital rape on the institution of
marriage.
Directive:
Critically examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we have to look into the topic (content words) in
detail, inspect it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question.
While doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications.
When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the
topic and give a fair judgment.
Introduction:
State a few facts related to the criminalization of marital rape.
Body:
Explain the following aspects –
First, discuss what you understand by marital rape – Marital rape is the act of sexual intercourse with
one’s spouse without the spouse’s consent. The lack of consent is the essential element and need not
involve physical violence.
Then move on to explain the concerns associated with it, explain how it is often being misused
against men by women. How the institution of marriage is affected by criminalizing marital rape.
Ensure the answer also reflects on the status of women in society.
Conclusion:
Conclude by emphasizing the need for proper policies and legislations in place to deal with marital
rape.
Introduction
As per the NCRB report, in India, a woman is raped every 16 minutes, and every four minutes, she
experiences cruelty at the hands of her in-laws. An analysis of National Family Health Survey (NFHS)
2015-16 data indicates that an estimated 99.1 per cent of sexual violence cases go unreported and
that the average Indian woman is 17 times more likely to face sexual violence from her
husband than from others.
Body
Definition of Marital Rape
 Marital rape, the act of forcing your spouse into having sex without proper consent, is an
unjust yet not uncommon way to degrade and disempower women.
 Today, it has been impeached in more than 100 countries but, unfortunately, India is one of
the only 36 countries where marital rape is still not criminalized.
 In 2013, the UN Committee on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women

(CEDAW) recommended that the Indian government should criminalize marital rape.
 The JS Verma committee set up in the aftermath of nationwide protests over the December
16, 2012 gang rape case had also recommended the same.
Issues with rape laws in India wrt marital rape
 Rape laws in our country continue with the patriarchal outlook of considering women to be
the property of men post marriage, with no autonomy or agency over their bodies.
 They deny married women equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Indian
constitution.
 Lawmakers fail to understand that a marriage should not be viewed as a licence for a
husband to forcibly rape his wife with impunity. A married woman has the same right to
control her own body as does an unmarried woman.
 The concept of marital rape in India is the epitome of what we call an “implied consent”.
 Marriage between a man and a woman here implies that both have consented to sexual
intercourse and it cannot be otherwise.
 The centre argues that criminalising marital rape would destabilise the institution of
marriage and be an easy tool for harassing the husbands.
 It has cited the observations of the SC and various HCs on growing misuse of Section 498A
(harassment caused to a married woman by her husband and in-laws) of IPC.
 The Indian Penal Code, 1860, also communicates the same. Section 375 defines the offence
of rape with the help of six descriptions. One of the exceptions to this offence is “Sexual
intercourse or sexual acts by a man with his own wife, the wife not being under 15 years
of age, is not rape”.
 Earlier, Section 375 (Exception) created a classification not only between consent given by a
married and unmarried woman, but also between married females below 15 years of age
and over 15 years old. This was rightfully struck down by SC and made it 18 years.
Criminalising Marital Rape

 The SC judgment was only a small step towards striking down the legalisation of marital
rape.
 It is high time that the legislature should take cognisance of this legal infirmity and bring
marital rape within the purview of rape laws by eliminating Section 375 (Exception) of IPC.
 By removing this law, women will be safer from abusive spouses, can receive the help
needed to recover from marital rape and can save themselves from domestic violence and
sexual abuse.
 Indian women deserve to be treated equally, and an individual’s human rights do not
deserve to be ignored by anyone, including by their spouse.
Conclusion
Rape is rape, irrespective of the identity of the perpetrator, and age of the survivor. A woman who is
raped by a stranger, lives with a memory of a horrible attack; a woman who is raped by her husband
lives with her rapist. Our penal laws, handed down from the British, have by and large remained
untouched even after 73 years of independence. But English laws have been amended and marital
rape was criminalised way back in 1991. No Indian government has, however, so far shown an active
interest in remedying this problem.
Value Addition: Important cases and Committee reports
 The government defended exception to marital rape in Independent Thought v. Union of

India (2017) saying it against the institution of marriage.
 However, rejecting this claim, the Supreme Court observed, “Marriage is not institutional
but personal – nothing can destroy the ‘institution’ of marriage except a statute that
makes marriage illegal and punishable.”
 In Joseph Shine v. Union of India (2018), the Supreme Court held that the offence of adultery
was unconstitutional because it was founded on the principle that a woman is her husband’s
property after marriage.
The population of north-eastern India includes a large population of tribal people with
distinct languages and cultures. Examine the issues faced by the tribes of the north
east and measures taken for their development. (250 words)
Why the question:
The NHRC has directed the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Arunachal Pradesh government to
submit an action taken report against the racial profiling and relocation of the Chakma and Hajong
communities in the northeastern State.
To write issues faced by the tribal communities of north east and steps taken to address them.
Directive word:

Examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we must investigate the topic (content words) in detail, inspect
it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so
we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications.
Introduction:
Begin by writing about the extent of tribal population in the north east with examples of few major
tribal groups.
Body:
First, in detail, mention the issues faced by the tribal communities of north east – Historical
discrimination, violence, lack of rights, lack of accessibility, poverty, crime, tribal insurgency etc.
Substantiate with facts and examples
Next, mention the various political, economic and social measures that have been formulated to
achieve development of tribals in India. Mention their achievements and limitations.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward to overcome the limitations.
Introduction
The North-East is a melting pot of races and home to almost 238 indigenous tribes. While large
sections of the people of the North-East are of Tibeto-Burman origin, the Khasi-Jaintia group is
Austro-Asiatic, and the Mon-Khmer group is more akin to their brethren from Cambodia in habits
and language.
Body
Issues faced by tribes of the north east:

 Tribal land alienation and dispossession are at the crux of the crisis tribal communities face
across the north east: Encroachment of tribal land by non-tribal people is often the cause for
tribal unrest.
 Insurgency and armed conflict resulting in forced migration and eviction from homelands
 AFSPA: The prolonged deployment of the armed forces and its lack of transparency in
dealing with human rights violations has made the AFSPA a symbol of oppression.”
 There are questions related to the routinisation of arbitrary arrest, illegal detention and
torture in custody of tribal people living in conflict areas.
 Added to this is criminal neglect and violent corruption that has systematically obstructed
the delivery of public goods and services.
 Bureaucratic apathy, lack political will, lack of awareness with respect to rights and
entitlements, lack of credible data to make policy
 Racism: Trust deficit with the mainland in the wake of violence especially during COVID
crises
 Poor connectivity and mountainous terrain make it difficult for the greater integration with
mainland India.
Measures taken by Government for their development:
 Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER): It is responsible for the matters
relating to the planning, execution and monitoring of development schemes and projects in

the North Eastern Region, to accelerate the pace of socio-economic development of the
region.
 In pursuance of the provisions of 5th and 6th schedule, the various autonomous district has
been created to contain the demands of various ethnic groups like Karbi Anglong, Khasi hill
district, Chakma district etc.
 Inner Line Permit (ILP): Restrictions are imposed on the entry of outsiders to maintain the
original identity of indigenous people of Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh entry
of outsiders are not allowed without ILP.
 special attention under Hill Area Development Program, North Eastern Region Vision 2020
 Vocational training in tribal areas to develop the skills of the ST youth for a variety of jobs as
well as self-employment and to improve their socio-economic condition by enhancing their
income,
 Support to Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) and Tribal Festivals to preserve north eastern
tribal art and culture.
Conclusion
It is important to acknowledge the multihued diversity among tribals of north east especially in
matters of citizenship, so that any future balkanisation tendencies can be addressed by not just
through geographical integration but also through emotional integration to the mainland India.
Role of women and women’s organization; population and associated issues,

poverty and developmental issues,
Laws without wide societal support often fail to deliver even when enacted for the
larger public good. Is raising marriage age an apt enough measure to ensure welfare
of the girl child? Critically examine. (250 words,15 marks)
Introduction
The Union Cabinet on December 15 took the decision to raise the legal age of marriage for women
from 18 to 21 years. The legal age of marriage for men is 21 years. With this decision, the
government will be bringing the age of marriage for both men and women at par. The proposal to
raise the minimum age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 was based on the recommendations of
a task force headed by Jaya Jaitley.
Body
Background

 In June 2020, the Ministry for Women and Child Development set up a task force to look
into the correlation between the age of marriage with issues of women’s nutrition,
prevalence of anaemia, IMR, MMR and other social indices.
 The committee, headed by former Samata Party president Jaya Jaitly, also had on board NITI
Aayog member (Health) Dr V K Paul and secretaries of several ministries.
 The committee has recommended the age of marriage be increased to 21 years, on the
basis of feedback they received from young adults from 16 universities across the
country. Over 15 NGOs were also engaged to reach out to young adults in far-flung areas
and marginalised communities.
Raising marriageable age for women: Reasons
 Nutrition levels and wellbeing: The government decided to re-examine the age of marriage
for women for a number of reasons, including gender-neutrality. An early age of marriage,
and consequent early pregnancies, also have impacts on nutritional levels of mothers and
their children, and their overall health and mental wellbeing.
 Mortality rate: It also has an impact on Infant Mortality Rate and Maternal Mortality Rate,
and the empowerment of women who are cut off from access to education and livelihood
after an early marriage.
 To reduce child marriage: The recently released National Family Health Survey
(NFHS) revealed that child marriage has come down marginally from 27 per cent in 2015-16
to 23 per cent in 2019-20 in the country, but the government has been pushing to bring this
down further.
 Gender neutrality: Women Labour force participation is only 25% in India whereas the
global average is 60%, to become world power, we cannot afford women to be out of
service.
o There is a need to bring in gender-neutrality.

 Removing stereotypes: In a consultation paper of reform in family law in 2018, the Law
Commission argued that having different legal standards “contributes to the stereotype
that wives must be younger than their husbands”.
o Women’s rights activists too have argued that the law perpetuates the stereotype
that women are more mature than men of the same age and therefore can be
allowed to marry sooner.
Criticism against the move
 Child and women’s rights activists, as well as population and family planning experts
have not been in favour of increasing the age of marriage for women on the basis that such
a legislation would push a large portion of the population into illegal marriages.
 They have contended that even with the legal age of marriage for women being kept
at 18 years, child marriages continue in India and a decrease in such marriages has not
been because of the existing law but because of increase in girl’s education and
employment opportunities.

 They have said the law would end up being coercive, and in particular negatively impact
marginalised communities, such as the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes, making
them law-breakers.
 According to the State of the World Report 2020 by UNFPA, in India, 51% of young women
with no education and 47% of those with only a primary education had married by age 18.
o Hence lack of education is a bigger problem.
 Further, a study by the International Centre for Research on Women has found that girls
out of school are 3.4 times more likely to be married or have their marriage already fixed
than girls who are still in school.
Way forward and conclusion
 For any society to make sustainable progress it is necessary to empower women and for that
two most important weapons are quality of education and skills and for this they should not
be under any pressure to get married early.
 Early pregnancy is associated with increased child mortality rates and affects the health of
the mother. Thus, there is a need to focus on a mother’s health and readiness to carry a
child.
 Government needs to emphasize upon economic and social empowerment of women and
girls, as well as targeted social and behaviour change communication (SBCC)
campaigns. Increasing the minimum age of marriage of women will also lead to gender-
neutrality.
 Extending the scope of the Right to Education for girls up to vocational studies.
The launching of SMILE (Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and
Enterprise) is just a first step in the long journey of ending historical marginalization of
transgender community. Comment (250 words, 15 marks)
Introduction
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has formulated the SMILE scheme for Support for
Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise. It includes a sub scheme – ‘Central Sector
Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in Begging’. This holds significance
especially for transgender community where majority are involved in begging.
Body
Background
 According to the Census 2011 total number of beggars in India is 4,13,670 (including
2,21,673 males and 1,91,997 females) and the number has increased from the last census.
 West Bengal tops the chart followed by Uttar Pradesh and Bihar at number two and three
respectively.
 Lakshadweep merely has two vagrants according to the 2011 census.

 Among the union territories, New Delhi had the largest number of beggars 2,187 followed
by 121 in Chandigarh.
 Among the north-eastern states, Assam topped the chart with 22,116 beggars, while
Mizoram ranked low with 53 beggars.
SMILE: Ending history of marginalisation
 Comprehensive measures: This scheme covers several comprehensive

measures including welfare measures for persons who are engaged in the act of begging.
o The focus of the scheme is extensively on rehabilitation, provision of medical

facilities, counselling, basic documentation, education, skill development,
economic linkages and so on.
 Beneficiaries: Persons engaged in the act of Begging are to be covered under the scheme.
o Total funds allocated for the scheme for next five years is 100 crores.
 Initial implementation: Ministry had identified 10 cities for undertaking pilot project on
Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging.
o Currently, pilot project is ongoing in 7 cities namely Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad,

Indore, Lucknow, Nagpur and Patna.
 Collaboration with other agencies: These pilots are being implemented with the support of
State Governments/UTs/Local Urban Bodies and Voluntary Organizations etc., which provide
comprehensive measures including survey and identification, mobilization, rehabilitation,
provision of medical facilities, awareness generation, counselling, education, skill
development and sustainable settlement of persons engaged in begging.
More measures are needed for transgender community
 A multi-prolonged approach with focus on public awareness campaigns is needed

to eliminate the social stigma associated with the transgender community.
o Eg: Recently 13 members of the transgender community have been selected as

constables under the Chhattisgarh police. This is truly historic and thrilling for a
community that had no legal recognition till the Supreme Court in NALSA vs. Union
of India (2014) ruled that transgender persons have the right to decide their self-
identified gender.
 Large scale sensitization needs to happen starting from the school level to accept the
transgender community integral component of societal life.
 Transgenders’ induction into the police force is a vital message to people that they are as
physically and mentally competent as others.
 Legal and the law enforcement systems need to be empowered and sensitized on the issues
of Transgender community.
 Stringent criminal and disciplinary action must be taken against the people who commits
violence against Transgender.

 The establishment of National Council for Transgender Persons which seeks to increase
awareness and inculcate sense of respect and acceptance for transgender community, is a
welcome step.
 Transgender Persons Act, 2019: The Act states that a transgender person shall have the
right to self-perceived gender identity. The Act prohibits discrimination against a
transgender person in various sectors such as education, employment, and healthcare etc. It
will give much needed legal protection to the transgenders.
Conclusion
Schemes, Policies and regulation alone won’t help, rather there is a need to increase awareness and
inculcate sense of respect and acceptance for transgender community. Their grievance of being not
included in policies formulation or decision making needs to be allayed and chances for their public
participation should increase.
Do you think the move to raise the age of marriage for women to 21 years is a step in
the right direction? Identify some of the challenges that will be faced in urban and
rural areas by such a move. (250 words)
Why the question:
In the recent session of Parliament, the government introduced the Prohibition of Child Marriage
(Amendment) Bill, 2021, to raise the age of marriage for women from 18 years to 21 years.
Discuss the need for raising the age for marriage of women and the challenges that it will create
Introduction:
Start with some key data on child marriages in India and their prevalence as of today.
Body:
Start with the problem of child marriage in India which is rooted in a complex matrix of religious
traditions, social practices, economic factors, and deeply rooted prejudices.
Then, give the need for the introduction of the bill e.g. it aims to reduce maternal mortality rates,
improve nutrition indicators and ensure access to education and jobs for women.
Then, highlight the challenges that will be faced in rural and urban areas.
Conclusion:
Conclude with a relevant suggestion.
Introduction
Body
Background

 The committee, headed by former Samata Party president Jaya Jaitly, also had on board NITI
Aayog member (Health) Dr V K Paul and secretaries of several ministries.
Rationale behind raising marriageable age for women
down further.
service.
Possible challenges that would be posed to urban and rural women
them law-breakers.

child.
neutrality.
Is it right to raise the age of marriage for women to 21 years? Comment. Also, identify
some of the challenges that will be faced in urban and rural areas by such a move.
(250 words)
Introduction
Body
Background
 The committee, headed by former Samata Party president Jaya Jaitley, also had on board
NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr V K Paul and secretaries of several ministries.

Rationale behind raising marriageable age for women
down further.
service.
Possible challenges that would be posed to urban and rural women
them law-breakers.

child.
neutrality.
.To what extent do you think Indian Society has progressed in addressing “menstrual hygiene”?
Highlight few issues faced by women in this regard. (250 words)
Why this question:
Kumbalanghi, which won acclaim as India’s first model tourism village, is set to become the country’s
first sanitary-napkin-free panchayat.
The answer must discuss the concept of ‘Menstrual Hygiene’ applied in the Indian context.
Introduction:
Briefly give data and some recent examples about menstrual hygiene issues in Indian Society.
Body:
Give instances where provisions regarding menstrual issues have been provided in Indian Society
with certain examples. E.g. SUVIDHA Scheme.
Some circumstances make menstruation a “difficult experience” for women. These include
homelessness, coercive, controlling and violent relationships and health conditions such as
endometriosis. Some Trans people may also experience difficulties in accessing sanitary
products. Discuss the context within the Indian setup.
Explain how often it is a taboo in our country leading to extreme incidences of period poverty,
Comment on the lack of period dignity.
Suggest what needs to be done in India to improvise the conditions.

Conclusion:
Conclude with policy measures already in this direction while suggesting stronger ways forward.
Introduction
Menstrual hygiene continues to be amongst the most challenging development issues today.
Menstruation is still considered a taboo in the Indian society. Even today, the cultural and social
influences on people create a major hurdle in ensuring that the adolescent girls are given proper
knowledge on menstrual hygiene.
The main reasons for this taboo still being relevant in the Indian society are high rate of illiteracy
especially in girls, poverty and lack of awareness about menstrual health and hygiene. Only less
than 18 per cent of Indian women use sanitary pads.
Body
Indian society in addressing menstrual hygiene
 According to the fourth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) in 2015-16, half the women
in rural India (52%) do not use hygienic methods of protection during their menstrual period
in India.
 Available data reveals that Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) remains

deprioritized due to factors such as deep-seated social gender construct, cultural myths,
and discriminatory traditions.
 In India, only 48% of adolescent girls are aware of what menstruation is before getting their
first period.
 Young people do not have access to reliable and correct information about their
reproductive health and rights.
 The stigma around menstruation leads to parents, teachers and other community
stakeholders being reluctant to talk about periods.
 A 2016 landscape analysis titled Menstrual Health in India observed that of nearly 355
million girls in India who have reached menarche, 71 percent reported having no
information about menstruation before their first period.
Issues faced by women regarding menstrual hygiene
 Access to toilet: An estimated 355 million Indian women and girls must find ways to cope
with monthly menstrual hygiene. Most of these women either have no access to toilets or
are faced with unclean lavatory
 Access and safety: Moreover, they usually wait until night-time before using public toilets or
fields, which exposes them to various forms of physical attacks.
 Lack of awareness: The main reasons for this taboo still being relevant in the Indian society
are high rate of illiteracy especially in girls, poverty and lack of awareness about menstrual
health and hygiene. Only less than 18 per cent of Indian women use sanitary pads.
 Taboo: In some families, menstruation is being perceived as an unclean or embarrassing

thing, extending even to the mention of menstruation both in public and in private. Most

girls even hide themselves out of fear or embarrassment on their way to a medical store,
rather majority of them cannot afford to buy hygienic sanitary pads.
 School dropout: In some families, menstruation is being perceived as an unclean or

embarrassing thing, extending even to the mention of menstruation both in public and in
private.
o Most girls even hide themselves out of fear or embarrassment on their way to a
medical store, rather majority of them cannot afford to buy hygienic sanitary pads.
 Unclean ways of handling menstruation: A majority of rural women in India employ clothes
and rags for feminine hygiene. These materials might predispose women to reproductive
tract infections since it may be difficult for them to keep their used napkins clean and free of
harmful bacteria.
 Affordability: While commercially available sanitary napkins provide a possible alternative,

only 12 percent of Indian women can afford this option
Measures needed
 As depicted in the figure, girls and boys should receive accurate, timely information on the
biological and psycho-social aspects of puberty, menstruation, and MHM from all three
channels—mass media, influencers, and targeted education.
 There are significant challenges across these three areas with supporting evidence.
However, girl-targeted education and community influencers are particularly important
enablers for improving menstrual health for women and girls in India.
Conclusion
Currently, MHM curriculums focus on period management, and do not provide the time or space to
discuss psycho-social changes. This needs to be addressed for a comprehensive menstrual hygiene

management. Both boys and girls must be educated on these aspects, so that there is healthy
development of children and attitudes regarding menstruation.
Value Addition
Case Studies
 Goonj: Under the Not Just a Piece of Cloth Program, Goonj produces simple, reusable cloth
pads made by local women using old cloth; cloth pads are seen as a tool for women’s
empowerment.
 Menstrupedia: Menstrupedia is a for-profit enterprise that has designed and developed

a comic book on menstruation adapted to the local context to provide awareness and
education on MHM to adolescent girls.
Discuss the impact of Social media on young women in India? (150 Words)
Introduction
Today ‘s era is the era of social media whose presence and active involvement has swiftly and widely
spread the ideologies for women empowerment. Social media has become the agent of social
change which helped and supported women‘s empowerment in various aspects such as mobilizing
attention of glocal community towards women‘s rights and challenges discrimination and
stereotypes across the globe. Social media has given platform to discuss issues and
challenges of women through blogs, chats, online campaign,
online discussion forums, and online communities
which is mostly not disseminated or propagated by mainstream media.
Body
Positive impacts of social media in the lives of women
 Social media is easily accessible and it’s also the meeting point of today’s internet savvy
audience.
 Women’s rights
o A concrete relationship definitely exists between social media and women’s rights
o Social media has opened doors and made everything available for everybody
everywhere, thus eliminating gates and gatekeeping of any sort.
o Intrinsically, women’s rights violations and women’s rights

movements have been quickly capitalized on social media’s unparalleled aware
ness-raising potential.
o social media has become a tool for women to campaign against issues like gender
stereotyping, gender suppression etc.
 Curbing violence against women
o Internet and social media can enable activists and others to challenge myths and
stereotypes as well as create new forums for the perpetuation of violence against
women.
o Hashtag movements to end violence and discrimination against

o Social media is a strong

platform to discuss and share views, experiences to
channelize hashtag movements to stop sexual violence and
discrimination against
o It is a new frontier to organise campaign or rally by women‘s rights activists to

come forward and fight for gender
o Through social media, women

across the globe are connected and supporting each other
such as lawmakers, politicians, business owners for gender equality.
o Twitter’s hashtag function in particular allows women to easily follow issues that
matter to them and forge coalitions based upon shared concerns, from immediate
personal needs to calls for large-scale social change. E.g: #MeToo movement,
#SelfieWithDaughter etc.
 Women Entrepreneurs
o Social media is becoming one of the most powerful tools where women can start
new companies, venture or start-up as they can contact and converse with
customers and consumers directly.
o Female entrepreneurs can do marketing through

social media which is very cost effective and can be easily channelized.
o Social media with the help of new technology pave the ground for millions of people
to find online jobs for themselves or create businesses for others globally.
o For instance, Shradha Sharma is the Founder and Chief Editor at

Yourstory.com, which is an online media platform for start-
ups and It is India‘s leading online media technology which has narrated more
than 20,000 stories in 12 Indian languages of entrepreneurs
which reaches to more than 10 million readers very month.
 Making the voices heard
o In digital platforms, the cost of participating for a cause or in a protest is cheaper.

This encourages more people to participate and force governments to pay heed.
o While women still remain underrepresented, social media provides a level playing
field by allowing individual voices from a wider range of backgrounds to be heard,
with or without the traditional power.
o It fills up the lacunae presented by the traditional media, where women receive only
38% of by-lines.
 Global Communities
o Female-based communities are evolving in a way that cuts through particular

companies and physical limitations and connects female players throughout
industries and geographies.

o Because the internet bypasses so many barriers that separate us, women who were
formerly isolated can now access high-profile players in their field and, conversely,
build an accessible, highly visible platform for self-promotion.
o Women have historically had a more difficult time capitalizing concepts and
proposals, but the interplay of social media and crowdfunding is turning that
paradigm on its head.
o For instance, In July of 2020, women took to Instagram to post black-and-white

pictures of themselves with the caption “#challengeaccepted”. Women who
participated in the challenge would nominate another woman and tag them in the
post of their selfie, challenging them to post a black-and-white picture of themselves
and nominate someone else.
 Breaking barriers
o Social media breaks cultural barriers, legal restrictions, economic barriers and more,
enabling the better representation of women from across the globe, even from
countries following misogynistic systems.
o It has played a critical role during the pandemic in enabling the continuation of
activism even amid the lockdown and social distancing.
Negative impacts of social media on women
 Women are the most vulnerable to cyber abuse like online harassment.
 Increased attention of women in social media often makes them the target of repressive
activities. This results in gendered barriers for women online as in public places.
 Online offences are often normalised due to the difficulty in tracing offenders and
the complexity and inaccessibility of the justice delivery mechanisms
 This creates mistrust of the public towards the justice system, leading to the further
marginalisation of women.
 In this backdrop, social media has become a tool for the rapists to threaten their victims to
not report the crime.

 Such platforms are used by harassers to silence women who strive to break the misogynistic
social norms.
 A study revealed that a third of the surveyed women stopped opinionating online due to the
fear of abusers.
 Online trolling is now going beyond the digital realm, leading to cases like suicides.
 An international survey found that 20% of women being harassed offline believe that those
attacks were connected to online abuse they receive.
 Some are even vulnerable to stalkers because of their online presence. This is especially
prevalent in regions where law enforcement is weak, patriarchy is strong and online trolling
is commonplace.
 Fake profiles are often created for sullying victims’ reputation.
 In recent years, the internet has become a tool to discriminate against women, with a high
prevalence of hate campaigns across the world. E.g. Revenge porn.
 With the worldwide restrictions due to the pandemic pushing more people online, cases of
online gender abuse have escalated.
Measures needed:
 Government level:
o National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal shall be designated as the national portal
under-reporting requirements in the POCSO Act in case of electronic material
o Union Government shall be empowered through its designated authority to block

and/or prohibit all websites/intermediaries that carry child sexual abuse material
o Law enforcement agencies should be permitted to brake end to end encryption to

trace distributors of child pornography.
o A cybercrime portal was launched in 2018 to enable citizens to report obscene

contents.
o Cyber police stations and cybercrime cells were set up in each state for reporting and
investigating cybercrime cases.
 Use of Artificial intelligence:
o Tools can be developed which can analyse the behaviour of every internet user. So it
can help prevent the user from falling into cyber bullying.
o Developing some mobile applications that can alert parents if the child is under
threat of cyber bullying.
o Prevent malware attacks by tying up with antivirus agencies.
 Multipronged approach to handle cases:
o Need to handle the cases of cyber bullying through multipronged approach such as
counselling through Psychiatrist, approaching police, etc.

Way forward:
 Social media platforms have moral obligations to safeguard their users.
 They must strive towards ensuring transparent and efficient reporting systems so that people
can use them to curb cyberbullying.
 Making social media platforms accountable
 Countermeasures against online trolling must be encompassed within the women

empowerment policies
 Online women-specific crime reporting unit must be set up for quicker disposal for complaints
regarding targeted harassment of women users of social media.
 Increasing political representation of women for removing societal inequality, discrimination
and misogyny
 The cybercrimes in social media platforms are mainly addressed under the IPC provisions that
deal with conventional offences like sexual harassment, privacy violation etc.
 They are largely inefficient in dealing with techno-motivated crimes, which have more impact
on victims than those traditional offences due to the lack of justice.
 Therefore, the cybercrimes under the IT Act must be repealed and IPC must be modified to
cover all cybercrimes, including those currently covered under the IT Act.
Conclusion:
As part of a knowledge society in the new media era, social media considerably contribute to women
empowerment by offering information and education that presents women users with strategies
offering better informed decision making from anywhere and everywhere which may not be
possible otherwise.
Urbanization, their problems and their remedies.

Unbalanced development has made cities more vulnerable to environmental shocks
and the solution lies in empowering our local governments to make cities resilient.
Critically examine.. (250 words, 15 marks)
Introduction
Cities across the world contribute about 80% of global gross domestic product. They are drivers of
growth and dense labour marketplaces. However, recent developments have highlighted the
severe economic, humanitarian and ecological repercussions of the unbalanced and unbridled
growth of urban spaces.

This ‘cost’ of urban growth is evident in floods that occur in several parts of India. Unbalanced
development has made cities more vulnerable to environmental shocks that get more frequent and
intense
Body
Background
 From a population of 377 million in 2011, Indian cities are projected to house 870 million
people by 2050, according to the UN’s projections — by far the highest among all nations.
 Delhi is likely to become the world’s most populous urban agglomeration by 2030,
surpassing Tokyo.
 India is home to 11% of the total global urban population.
 By 2027, India will surpass China as the most populous country in the world.
 Unplanned urbanization, however, exerts great strain on our cities.
 In fact, the Covid-19 pandemic has revealed the dire need for the planning and management
of our cities.
 The existing urban planning and governance framework is complex, which often leads to
ambiguity and lack of accountability.
Challenges faced by urban centres
 Risks to cities from climate change: A World Resources Institute India report notes
temperature rise and flooding as two key risks to Mumbai, with possibility of 70-80%
submergence of key parts of the city by 2050.
o Extreme flooding events and droughts are becoming frequent. Eg: Chennai floods in
2021.
 Pandemic and distress migration: The pandemic itself threw light on the implications of a
systemic health shock—an exodus of city residents who moved to the safety of their homes.
This mass movement of labour paralysed industrial units, apart from civic and other
services in cities.
 Inadequate affordable housing has meant that almost one-sixth of the urban population
lives in slums.
 High population density: On the one hand, the rural-urban migration accelerates the pace
of urbanisation, on the other, it creates excessive population pressure on the existing public
utilities.
o Consequently, the cities suffer from the problems of slums, crime, unemployment,
urban poverty, pollution, congestion, ill-health and several deviant social
activities.
 Water supply is unreliable. Groundwater has been exploited unabated, without proper
measures to recharge the water table.

 Mountains of solid waste sit on the fringes of our cities. Even today, waste segregation and
recycling are poor due to lack of implementation and behaviour of people.
 Poor drainage, congested roads and deteriorating air quality are other challenges.
 Estimates by a high-powered expert committee and by the McKinsey Global Institute

indicated in 2011-12 that nearly Rs 39-60 lakh crore are to be invested in urban
infrastructure in the next 30 years.
 These amounts are outside the range of what the public budget can support.
For our growth ambitions to succeed, not only do these gaps have to be filled, but even greater
needs, necessitated by the growing population, have to be accommodated.
Local governments and their role in urban areas
 Praja’s Urban Governance Index offers some insights. According to its framework, an
empowered city government is the first step towards building equitable and sustainable
cities.
 The index consists of four themes: 1) Empowered city-elected representatives and

legislative structure; 2) Empowered city administration; 3) Empowered citizens; and 4)
Fiscal empowerment.
 Institutionalizing this at scale may need a combination of structural changes, fiscal incentives
and active citizen participation.
 First, Centre could invest in building capacity of those empowered to make decisions on our
behalf.
o Municipal councillors are critical in this journey, given their structured participation
in city processes and better understanding of available resources and citizen needs.
 Next, one must enhance the understanding citizens have of a city’s working and their ability
to be a part of local governance.
 Finally, technology can be the connective tissue that enables a data-based dialogue
between local governments and the citizenry.
o This can be turned into a city data hub that is easily accessible to citizens and
municipal employees for grievance redressal, or for sharing information on
government services.
o A “phygital” layer and involvement of the Central Statistics Office will be critical to
drive adoption.
Conclusion
Our health and environment emergencies have helped reiterate an urgent need to invest in
resilience that urban elected representatives, the bureaucracy and citizens must take note of. There
is also a realization that elected local governments, citizens and technology can work together, like
they did for vaccine rollouts and to tackle the spread of covid. Resiliency can be built if citizens and
local councillors together work towards sustainable living in the cities.

Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.

Though the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 was a landmark step but
much is left to be desired to achieve inclusivity and accessibility for the disabled.
Examine. (150 words, 10 marks)
Introduction
According to Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, “Person with disability” means a person
with long term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment which, in interaction with
barriers, hinders his full and effective participation in society equally with others. According to
Census 2011, India is home to 26.8 million people with disabilities and that is a huge
underestimation.
The Supreme Court, in Avni Prakash v National Testing Agency and Ors. judgment ruled that,
reasonable accommodations, such as compensatory time to enable them to finish an exam, should
be made.
Body:
Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016: A landmark step for disabled
 It becomes the duty of the Union, states as well as Union Territories to take up the matter.
 It is also important to ensure that all government buses are disabled friendly in accordance
with the harmonized guidelines.
 Disability has been defined based on an evolving and dynamic concept.
 The types of disabilities have been increased from 7 to 21. The act added mental illness,
autism, spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, chronic neurological
conditions, speech and language disability, thalassemia, haemophilia, sickle cell disease,
multiple disabilities including deaf blindness, acid attack victims and Parkinson’s disease
which were largely ignored in earlier act. In addition, the Government has been authorized
to notify any other category of specified disability.

 It increases the quantum of reservationfor people suffering from disabilities from 3% to 4%

in government jobs and from 3% to 5% in higher education institutes.
 Every child with benchmark disability between the age group of 6 and 18 years shall have
the right to free education.
 Government funded educational institutions as well as the government recognized

institutions will have to provide inclusive education.
 Stress has been given to ensure accessibility in public buildingsin a prescribed time frame
along with Accessible India Campaign.
 The Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities and the State Commissioners will act as
regulatory bodies and Grievance Redressal agencies, monitoring implementation of the Act.
 A separate National and State Fundbe created to provide financial support to the persons
with disabilities.
Shortcomings of the act
 The Bill strangely makes the clauses on non-discrimination in employment mandatory only in
government establishments.
 The Bill continues with the 1995 act’s provision of having a chief commissioner and state
commissioners. Neither the commissioners nor any of the members of their advisory
committees are required to be Persons with Disabilities.
 Despite a Supreme Court judgment in 2013 that reservations should be decided on the basis
of the total number of vacancies in a particular cadre, rather than the posts identified by the
government to be filled by persons with benchmark disabilities, the bill has stuck to the
latter.
 Also, like it does for the institutions wanting to be registered as ones for PWDs, the bill does
not specify the time frame for a certificate of disability to be issued. This gives PWDs no way
to address the trials and tribulations they face when tackling the bureaucracy in receiving
what has been their right for years now.
 The amended bill does define public buildings and public facilities and services towards
making such infrastructure accessible to PWDs in a “barrier-free” manner. However, for all
the benefits that this bill strives to provide, basic issues of accessibility, including to
information and communication technology, and certification of disability remain a distant
unfulfilled dream in the absence of any political will.
Way forward
 Although RPWD Act, 2016 is a rights-based legislation, the success of the statute will largely
depend on the proactive measures taken by the respective state governments on its
implementation.
 It is time to leverage this vast human capital. It is hoped that the proposed new law, a robust
rights-based legislation with a strong institutional mechanism, shall ensure enjoyment of
rights by persons with disabilities on an equal basis with the non-disabled citizens of India.
 Many disability certificates can now be issued by primary health care doctors after specific
training, which will be a boon to many disabled patients in rural areas. However, the
disability guidelines should have also given the power of certification to the private
practising doctors, so that the shortage of human resources could have been taken care of,
with adequate checks and balances.
 Considering the sociocultural prejudices against them, and the inability, rather the refusal, to
keep in mind the needs of PWDs, this bill, as was the fate of the 1995 act, will go only so far
to ensure for them the rights that should have been a given. Till they are treated as second-
class citizens, and not recognised as capable individuals in their own right, India will continue
to be an unjust and inequitable society.
Conclusion
Until each of us is firmly committed to the idea of implementing the two fundamental
changes sketched above, we will continue to live in an environment in which, even as we sing praises
of the disabled who achieve success despite the obstacles placed on their path, we do not pause to
reflect on what it is that makes it so hard for them to succeed in the first place and what we can do
to reverse this state of affairs.
Value addition
Major provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016:

 Disabilities covered:
o Disability has been defined based on an evolving and dynamic concept.
o The types of disabilities have been increased from existing 7 to 21 and the Central
Government will have the power to add more types of disabilities.
o Persons with “benchmark disabilities” are defined as those certified to have at least
40 per cent of the disabilities specified above.
 Rights and entitlements
o Responsibility has been cast upon the appropriate governments to take effective
measures to ensure that the persons with disabilities enjoy their rights equally with
others.
o Additional benefits such as reservation in higher education (not less than 5%),
government jobs (not less than 4 %), reservation in allocation of land, poverty
alleviation schemes (5% allotment) etc. have been provided for persons with
benchmark disabilities and those with high support needs.
o Every child with benchmark disability between the age group of 6 and 18 years shall
have the right to free education.
o Government funded educational institutions as well as the government recognized

institutions will have to provide inclusive education to the children with disabilities.
o For strengthening the Prime Minister’s Accessible India Campaign, stress has been
given to ensure accessibility in public buildings (both Government and private) in a
prescribed time-frame.
 Guardianship

o The Act provides for grant of guardianship by District Court under which there will be
joint decision – making between the guardian and the persons with disabilities.
 Establishment of Authorities
o Broad based Central & State Advisory Boards on Disability are to be set up to serve
as apex policy making bodies at the Central and State level.
o Office of Chief Commissioner of Persons with Disabilities has been strengthened who
will now be assisted by 2 Commissioners and an Advisory Committee comprising of
not more than 11 members drawn from experts in various disabilities.
o Similarly, the office of State Commissioners of Disabilities has been strengthened

who will be assisted by an Advisory Committee comprising of not more than 5
members drawn from experts in various disabilities.
o The Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities and the State Commissioners
will act as regulatory bodies and Grievance Redressal agencies and also monitor
implementation of the Act.
o District level committees will be constituted by the State Governments to address

local concerns of PwDs. Details of their constitution and the functions of such
committees would be prescribed by the State Governments in the rules.
o Creation of National and State Fund will be created to provide financial support to
the persons with disabilities. The existing National Fund for Persons with Disabilities
and the Trust Fund for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities will be subsumed
with the National Fund.
 Penalties for offences
o The Act provides for penalties for offences committed against persons with
disabilities and also violation of the provisions of the new law.
o Any person who violates provisions of the Act, or any rule or regulation made under
it, shall be punishable with imprisonment up to six months and/ or a fine of Rs
10,000, or both. For any subsequent violation, imprisonment of up to two years
and/or a fine of Rs 50,000 to Rs five lakh can be awarded.
o Whoever intentionally insults or intimidates a person with disability, or sexually

exploits a woman or child with disability, shall be punishable with imprisonment
between six months to five years and fine.
o Special Courts will be designated in each district to handle cases concerning violation
of rights of PwDs.
What is ‘hate speech’? Examine its impact on society. Do you think the present legal
and constitutional measures been successful in curbing it? (250 words)
Difficulty level: Moderate.
Reference: The Hindu , Indian Express
Why the question:
Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu on Monday spoke out against hate speech, saying it goes against the
country’s culture, Constitution and ethos, and that “every person has the right to practise and preach
his or her faith”.

Briefly write about hate speech, its impact on society, mention legal and constitutional measures,
whether they have been successful or not.
Directive word:
we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications.
Introduction:
Begin by briefly defining what is hate speech and cite some recent examples of hate speech.
Body:
First, write about the impact of hate speech on society,
Next, write in detail about various legal and constitutional measures that have been provided for
curbing hate speech.
Next, write about how far they have been successful or unsuccessful in achieving the desired results.
Finally write about what can be done in future by government, civil society etc so as to reduce
instances of hate speech.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction
The term hate speech is understood as any kind of communication in speech, writing or behaviour,
that attacks or uses pejorative or discriminatory language with reference to a person or a group
based on their religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, color, descent, gender or other identity factor.
The Law Commission, in its 267th report on hate speech, said such utterances have the potential to
provoke individuals and society to commit acts of terrorism, genocide, and ethnic cleansing.
There is no international legal definition of hate speech, and the characterization of what is ‘hateful’
is controversial and disputed.
Body
Impact on the society
 Hate speech is a discursive process of pushing marginalised groups outside of social,

economic and political spheres of society by disseminating hate propaganda and
encouraging discrimination.
 At its most harmful, it is widely recognized as a precursor to ethnic cleansing.
 Internal Security: The Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013 was triggered by a fake video that incited
communal passions. In the West, hate speech combined with fake news on minorities has
induced an anti-immigration sentiment (e.g. : France, Italy, Greece)
 User homophily and Bubble phenomenon: Users with matching political views exchange
one-sided information and opinions that suit their own convictions, reinforcing them even
further, even if those were based on false information. E.g. : Twitter prompts users to follow
those who express similar views or posts.
 Igniting extremist sentiments: Fake news’ perpetuates, previously locally found, extremist
ideas and groups together dangerously like-minded people e.g. – Neo-Nazis in Germany,
Separatists in Kashmir.

 Mob lynching: Rumours of child lifting in Jharkhand led to mob lynching on innocent victims.
 Violence: An atmosphere of violence and chaos is created directly or indirectly. The

Christchurch Terror attack on a mosque by an extremist was a result of Islamophobia (a
direct result of hate speech).
 Misinformation and disinformation due to hate speech and fake news have led to riots as
seen in the Delhi Riots case 2020.
Legal Provisions to deal with hate speech
 Indian Penal Code:
o Sections 153A and 153B of the IPC:Punishes acts that cause enmity and hatred
between two groups.
o Section 295A of the IPC:Deals with punishing acts which deliberately or with
malicious intention outrage the religious feelings of a class of persons.
o Sections 505(1) and 505(2):Make the publication and circulation of content which
may cause ill-will or hatred between different groups an offence.
 Representation of People’s Act:
o Section 8 of the Representation of People’s Act, 1951 (RPA):Prevents a person

convicted of the illegal use of the freedom of speech from contesting an election.
o Sections 123(3A) and 125 of the RPA:Bars the promotion of animosity on the
grounds of race, religion, community, caste, or language in reference to elections
and include it under corrupt electoral practices.
How sufficient are legal provisions?
 For a country like India with a massive population of diverse backgrounds and
culture, subjects like hate speech become a complex issue to deal withas it is difficult to
differentiate between free and hate speech.
 Several factors are to be considered while restraining speeches like the number of strong
opinions, offensive to certain communities, the effect on the values of dignity, liberty, and
equality.
 Certainly, there are laws for such atrocities but a major part of work is still left.
Way forward
 Clarity and technological upgradationis needed to deal with this and a mechanism to get
down such material, which is prone to disturb social setup.
 Improving the level of training in equality and non-discrimination among police forces and
legal bodies,improving research and encouraging reporting of such content.
 Indian government has been pushing for internet platforms to locate their serversin the
country, which might help address dangerous speech in real time.
 Generating contra-narratives on social networks and raising public awarenessthrough

campaigns to tackle extremism.

 There can be an internationally accepted law that places the responsibility on social media
companieslike Facebook to tackle hate speech by deleting obviously illegal content within 24
hours if there is a request from the Government of a particular nation.
 Social media platforms need to take responsibility to ensuretransparency, accountability

and a system of rules and guidelines that users can recognize as standards, and which
when enforced in a regularized fashion can begin to act as precedents. Thus, users, police
and civil society actors will have a clear sense of what kind of material is likely to be taken
down.
 Public authorities must be held accountable for dereliction of the duty of care and also for
non-compliance with this court’s orders by not taking action to prevent vigilante groups
from inciting communal disharmony and spreading hate against citizens of the country and
taking the laws into their own hands.
 Therefore giving a proper definition to hate speech would be the first step to deal with the
menaceand other initiatives such as spreading awareness amongst the public is the need of
the hour.
Discuss the impact of Social media on young women in India? (250 Words)
Why the question:
The increasing impact of social media such as Instagram on teenagers especially the young girl has
highlighted the concerns
Directive word:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you have to debate on paper by going through the
details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You have to give reasons for both for
Introduction:
Cite recent examples to give the context of the question.
Body:
Enumerate various negative impacts that social media have on Young women e.g. Eating disorder
risk increased with social media use, depression, lower self-esteem, appearance anxiety and body
dissatisfaction are all associated with social media use, etc.
Also, give few positive impacts.
Then briefly explain how the negative impact can be curbed. Highlight societal aspects in the answer.
Conclusion:
Introduction
Today ‘s era is the era of social media whose presence and active involvement has swiftly and widely
spread the ideologies for women empowerment. Social media has become the agent of social
change which helped and supported women‘s empowerment in various aspects such as mobilizing
attention of glocal community towards women‘s rights and challenges discrimination and
stereotypes across the globe. Social media has given platform to discuss issues and
challenges of women through blogs, chats, online campaign,
online discussion forums, and online communities
which is mostly not disseminated or propagated by mainstream media.
Body
Positive impacts of social media in the lives of women
 Social media is easily accessible and it’s also the meeting point of today’s internet savvy
audience.
 Women’s rights
o A concrete relationship definitely exists between social media and women’s rights
o Social media has opened doors and made everything available for everybody
everywhere, thus eliminating gates and gatekeeping of any sort.
o Intrinsically, women’s rights violations and women’s rights

movements have been quickly capitalized on social media’s unparalleled aware
ness-raising potential.
o social media has become a tool for women to campaign against issues like gender
stereotyping, gender suppression etc.
 Curbing violence against women
o Internet and social media can enable activists and others to challenge myths and
stereotypes as well as create new forums for the perpetuation of violence against
women.
o Hashtag movements to end violence and discrimination against
o Social media is a strong

platform to discuss and share views, experiences to
channelize hashtag movements to stop sexual violence and
discrimination against
o It is a new frontier to organise campaign or rally by women‘s rights activists to
come forward and fight for gender
o Through social media, women
across the globe are connected and supporting each other
such as lawmakers, politicians, business owners for gender equality.
o Twitter’s hashtag function in particular allows women to easily follow issues that
matter to them and forge coalitions based upon shared concerns, from immediate
personal needs to calls for large-scale social change. E.g: #MeToo movement,
#SelfieWithDaughter etc.
 Women Entrepreneurs
o Social media is becoming one of the most powerful tools where women can
start new companies, venture or start-up as they can contact and converse with
customers and consumers directly.
o Female entrepreneurs can do marketing through

social media which is very cost effective and can be easily channelized.

o Social media with the help of new technology pave the ground for millions of people
to find online jobs for themselves or create businesses for others globally.
o For instance, Shradha Sharma is the Founder and Chief Editor at

Yourstory.com, which is an online media platform for start-
ups and It is India‘s
leading online media technology which has narrated more
than 20,000 stories in 12 Indian languages of entrepreneurs
which reaches to more than 10 million readers very month.
 Making the voices heard

o In digital platforms, the cost of participating for a cause or in a protest is cheaper.
This encourages more people to participate and force governments to pay heed.
o While women still remain underrepresented, social media provides a level playing
field by allowing individual voices from a wider range of backgrounds to be heard,
with or without the traditional power.
o It fills up the lacunae presented by the traditional media, where women receive only
38% of bylines.
 Global Communities
o Female-based communities are evolving in a way that cuts through particular

companies and physical limitations and connects female players throughout
industries and geographies.
o Because the internet bypasses so many barriers that separate us, women who were
formerly isolated can now access high-profile players in their field and, conversely,
build an accessible, highly visible platform for self-promotion.
o Women have historically had a more difficult time capitalizing concepts and
proposals, but the interplay of social media and crowdfunding is turning that
paradigm on its head.
o For instance, In July of 2020, women took to instagram to post black-and-white

pictures of themselves with the caption “#challengeaccepted”. Women who
participated in the challenge would nominate another woman and tag them in the
post of their selfie, challenging them to post a black-and-white picture of themselves
and nominate someone else.
 Breaking barriers
o Social media breaks cultural barriers, legal restrictions, economic barriers and more,
enabling the better representation of women from across the globe, even from
countries following misogynistic systems.
o It has played a critical role during the pandemic in enabling the continuation of
activism even amid the lockdown and social distancing.
Negative impacts of social media on women

 Women are the most vulnerable to cyber abuse like online harassment.
 Increased attention of women in social media often makes them the target of repressive
activities. This results in gendered barriers for women online as in public places.
 Online offences are often normalised due to the difficulty in tracing offenders and
the complexity and inaccessibility of the justice delivery mechanisms
 This creates mistrust of the public towards the justice system, leading to the further
marginalisation of women.
 In this backdrop, social media has become a tool for the rapists to threaten their victims to
not report the crime.
 Such platforms are used by harassers to silence women who strive to break the
misogynistic social norms.
 A study revealed that a third of the surveyed women stopped opinionating online due to the
fear of abusers.
 Online trolling is now going beyond the digital realm, leading to cases like suicides.
 An international survey found that 20% of women being harassed offline believe that those
attacks were connected to online abuse they receive.
 Some are even vulnerable to stalkers because of their online presence. This is especially
prevalent in regions where law enforcement is weak, patriarchy is strong and online trolling
is commonplace.
 Fake profiles are often created for sullying victims’ reputation.
 In recent years, the internet has become a tool to discriminate against women, with a high
prevalence of hate campaigns across the world. E.g. Revenge porn.

 With the worldwide restrictions due to the pandemic pushing more people online, cases of
online gender abuse have escalated.
Measures needed:
 Government level:
o National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal shall be designated as the national portal
under-reporting requirements in the POCSO Act in case of electronic material
o Union Government shall be empowered through its designated authority to block

and/or prohibit all websites/intermediaries that carry child sexual abuse material
o Law enforcement agencies should be permitted to brake end to end encryption to

trace distributors of child pornography.
o A cybercrime portal was launched in 2018 to enable citizens to report obscene

contents.
o Cyber police stations and cybercrime cells were set up in each state for reporting
and investigating cybercrime cases.
 Use of Artificial intelligence:
o Tools can be developed which can analyse the behaviour of every internet user. So it
can help prevent the user from falling into cyber bullying.
o Developing some mobile applications that can alert parents if the child is under
threat of cyber bullying.
o Prevent malware attacks by tying up with antivirus agencies.
 Multipronged approach to handle cases:
o Need to handle the cases of cyber bullying through multipronged approach such as
counselling through Psychiatrist, approaching police, etc.
Way forward:
 Social media platforms have moral obligations to safeguard their users.
 They must strive towards ensuring transparent and efficient reporting systems so that
people can use them to curb cyberbullying.
 Making social media platforms accountable
 Countermeasures against online trolling must be encompassed within the women

empowerment policies
 Online women-specific crime reporting unit must be set up for quicker disposal for
complaints regarding targeted harassment of women users of social media.
 Increasing political representation of women for removing societal inequality, discrimination

and misogyny
 The cybercrimes in social media platforms are mainly addressed under the IPC provisions
that deal with conventional offences like sexual harassment, privacy violation etc.

 They are largely inefficient in dealing with techno-motivated crimes, which have more
impact on victims than those traditional offences due to the lack of justice.
 Therefore, the cybercrimes under the IT Act must be repealed and IPC must be modified to
cover all cybercrimes, including those currently covered under the IT Act.
Conclusion:
As part of a knowledge society in the new media era, social media considerably contribute to women
empowerment by offering information and education that presents women users with strategies
offering better informed decision making from anywhere and everywhere which may not be
possible otherwise.
Communalism can be resisted, not by a different version of it, but only by

constitutionalism. Examine the statement in the context of various provisions made to
promote equality and fraternity in Indian Society. (250 Words.)
To write about how constitutionalism is key to tackle communalism prevailing in the society.
Directive word:
we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications. Structure of the
answer:
Introduction:
Begin by defining constitutionalism and incidences of communal tensions in India.
Body:
First, giving statistics and examples, give a context about how constitutionalism helps in promoting
equality and fraternity in India.
Next, write about how various provisions are present that go against these values thereby inciting
communal tensions by giving examples.
Next, suggest measures to overcome the same.
Conclusion:
Introduction
Communalism is basically an ideology which consists of three elements:
 A belief that people who follow the same religion have common secular interests i.e. they
have same political, economic and social interests. So, here socio- political communalities
arise.
 A notion that, in a multi-religious society like India, these common secular interests of one
religion is dissimilar and divergent from the interests of the follower of another religion.
 The interests of the follower of the different religion or of different ‘communities’ are seen
to be completely incompatible, antagonist and hostile.
Body

Constitutionalism promoting equality and fraternity
The concept of constitutionalism is a mechanism that provides legitimacy to a democratic

government. It cannot and should not be confused with the legality of the acts of the officials in a
government setup. Constitutionalism is far more important than having a written Constitution.
 The principles of liberty, equality and fraternity formed the core of Ambedkar’s
constitutionalism. He considered fraternity to be “only another name for democracy”.
 He considered fraternity to be “only another name for democracy”.
 According to him, democracy was not “merely a form of Government”, but “essentially an
attitude of respect and reverence towards fellowmen.”
Provisions in Indian constitution to promote equality and fraternity
 Article 15 (1) prohibits the state from the discrimination against any citizen on the grounds
of religion, caste, race, place of birth and sex.
 Article 15 (2) states that no citizen shall be subjected to any disability, restriction, or
condition regarding the access to shops, public restaurants, hotels and place of public
entertainment or the use of wells, tanks, bathing Ghats, roads and places of public resort,
maintained wholly or partially out of State funds or dedicated to the use of the general
public.
 Article 25: This article refers to the freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and
propagation of religion. The sub clause (1) of this article states that: “subject to public order,
morality and health and to other provisions of this part, all persons are equally entitled to
freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practice ad propagate a religion”.
 Article 28: Under the article it is stated that the freedom as to the attendance at religious
instruction or religious worship in certain educational institutions.
o These articles from Article 25-28 states about religious rights of every
individual who is a citizen of India.
o But these articles are quite relevant in this era where religious persecutions towards
minorities takes place.
 Article 30: This article states that the minorities shall have the right to establish and
administer educational institutes of their choice. Unlike article 29, this article is only
applicable to linguistic or religious minorities.
 Article 350-B: This article was inserted for the appointment of special officer for minorities
by the president to investigate and carry out activities related to safeguarding the rights of
linguistic minorities.
Steps to be taken to prevent communalism
 Economic:
o Poverty is one of the major factors for communal violence. Poverty alleviation
measures are thus important for promoting communal harmony.

o Eradicating the problem of unemployment among the youths, illiteracy and poverty
and that too with honesty and without any discrimination.
o Reducing educational and economic backwardness of minorities like Muslims.
o This can uplift their socio-economic status and reduce their deprivation compared to
Hindus
 Social:
o The religious leaders and preachers should promote rational and practical things
through religion promoting peace and security.
o Children in schools must be taught through textbooks and pamphlets to maintain

brotherhood and respect for all religions
o Creating awareness in the society about the ill effects of communism through mass
media
 Political:
o Political communism should be avoided recent Supreme court’s directives
o Identification and mapping of riot prone areas. For Example, Delhi police used
drones to monitor to maintain vigil during communal festivals
o Media, movies and other cultural platforms can be influential in promoting peace
and harmony.
o Social Media should be monitored for violent and repulsive content and taken off
immediately.
 Recommendations of Committee on National Integration
o Joint celebration of community festivals
o Observing restraint by Hindus while taking processions before the mosques
o Formation of peace and brotherhood communities at local level to prevent anti-

social elements from engaging in communal riots
o Respect for religious customs, rituals and practices
Conclusion
In a vast country like India which is made up of diverse cultures, backgrounds, religions, identities
etc. it really requires to maintain a sense of equality among its citizen to provide a meaning to the
term democracy. The core reason behind all these discrimination are based on the nature of
unacceptance of diversities. We tend to commit heinous crimes to eradicate the population which
chooses a different set of traditions to follow. But these intolerance can lead India to get collapsed
from being a secular country to communal. And India is known to the world by the term “diversity”.
It is beautiful when the people irrespective of their differences are co-existing.

Our law keeps changing according to the society’s needs and requirements. There
should be laws to protect the victims of marital rape as this issue is reaching its peak
at an alarming rate. Comment. (250 words)
Reference: Indian Express
Why the question:
The Delhi High Court is hearing a challenge to the validity of the IPC provision for marital rape
immunity.
To write about the need for criminalization of marital rape in India.
Directive word:
Comment– here we must express our knowledge and understanding of the issue and form an overall
opinion thereupon.
Introduction:
Begin by giving context.
Body:
First, mention the need to criminalize marital rape in India – loss od dignity, abuse, constitutional
rights of women, marital rape as a symbol of oppressions of women.
Next, write about impediments to criminalization of marital rape – investigation, fake cases, burden
on police and judiciary etc.
Conclusion:
Introduction
Marital rape is the act of sexual intercourse with one’s spouse without the consent of the other
spouse. Although it was once widely unrecognized by law and society as wrong or as a crime, it is
now recognized as rape by many societies around the world. Criminal Law in India has been
amended multiple times for the protection of the women. However, the non-criminalization of
marital rape in India undermines the dignity and human rights of women.
The Delhi High Court is hearing a clutch of petitions challenging the exception to Section 375 of the
Indian Penal Code, which exempts forceful sexual intercourse by a man with his own wife from the
offence of rape, provided the wife is above 15 years of age, also known as the “marital rape
exception”.
Body
Current scenario:
 Marital rape has been impeached in more than 100 countries but, unfortunately, India is
one of the only 36 countries where marital rape is still not criminalized.
 In 2013, the UN Committee on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
(CEDAW) recommended that the Indian government should criminalize marital rape.
 The JS Verma committee set up in the aftermath of nationwide protests over the December
16, 2012 gang rape case had also recommended the same.
 As per the NCRB report, in India, a woman is raped every 16 minutes, and every four
minutes, she experiences cruelty at the hands of her in-laws.

 An analysis of National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2015-16 data indicates that an
estimated 99.1 per cent of sexual violence cases go unreported and that the average Indian
woman is 17 times more likely to face sexual violence from her husband than from others.
Marital Rape: inconsistent with the law as well as the constitutional rights of women:
 Rape laws in our country continue with the patriarchal outlook of considering women to be
the property of men post marriage, with no autonomy or agency over their bodies.
 They deny married women equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Indian
constitution.
 Lawmakers fail to understand that a marriage should not be viewed as a licence for a
husband to forcibly rape his wife with impunity. A married woman has the same right to
control her own body as does an unmarried woman.
 The concept of marital rape in India is the epitome of what we call an “implied consent”.
 Marriage between a man and a woman here implies that both have consented to sexual
intercourse and it cannot be otherwise.
 The centre argues that criminalising marital rape would destabilise the institution of
marriage and be an easy tool for harassing the husbands.
 It has cited the observations of the SC and various HCs on growing misuse of Section 498A
(harassment caused to a married woman by her husband and in-laws) of IPC.
 The Indian Penal Code, 1860, also communicates the same. Section 375 defines the offence
of rape with the help of six descriptions. One of the exceptions to this offence is “Sexual
intercourse or sexual acts by a man with his own wife, the wife not being under 15 years
of age, is not rape”.
 Earlier, Section 375 (Exception) created a classification not only between consent given by a
married and unmarried woman, but also between married females below 15 years of age
and over 15 years old. This was rightfully struck down by SC and made it 18 years.
Need to criminalize Marital Rape in India
 The SC judgment was only a small step towards striking down the legalisation of marital
rape.
 It is high time that the legislature should take cognisance of this legal infirmity and bring
marital rape within the purview of rape laws by eliminating Section 375 (Exception) of IPC.
 By removing this law, women will be safer from abusive spouses, can receive the help
needed to recover from marital rape and can save themselves from domestic violence and
sexual abuse.
 Indian women deserve to be treated equally, and an individual’s human rights do not
deserve to be ignored by anyone, including by their spouse.
Conclusion
Rape is rape, irrespective of the identity of the perpetrator, and age of the survivor. A woman who is
raped by a stranger, lives with a memory of a horrible attack; a woman who is raped by her husband

lives with her rapist. Our penal laws, handed down from the British, have by and large remained
untouched even after 73 years of independence. But English laws have been amended and marital
rape was criminalised way back in 1991. No Indian government has, however, so far shown an active
interest in remedying this problem.
Value Addition: Important cases and Committee reports
 The government defended exception to marital rape in Independent Thought v. Union of

India (2017) saying it against the institution of marriage.
 However, rejecting this claim, the Supreme Court observed, “Marriage is not institutional
but personal – nothing can destroy the ‘institution’ of marriage except a statute that
makes marriage illegal and punishable.”
 In Joseph Shine v. Union of India (2018), the Supreme Court held that the offence of adultery
was unconstitutional because it was founded on the principle that a woman is her husband’s
property after marriage.
Way forward:
 What constitutes marital rape and marital non-rape needs to be defined precisely before a
view on its criminalisation is taken.
 Defining marital rape would call for a broad based consensus of the society.
 States should intervene in the matter, since criminal law is on the concurrent list and
implemented by states —and given the vast diversity in cultures across states.
 Factors like literacy, lack of financial empowerment of the majority of females, mindset of
the society, vast diversity, poverty, etc., should be considered carefully before taking any
decision.
 The need for “moral and social awareness” to stop such an act.
 The recent privacy judgment by the Supreme Court is also set to play an important role. The
right to bodily integrity is a crucial facet of Article 21.
 Timely medical care and rehabilitation, skill development and employment for facilitating
economic independence of victims.
 Need for undertaking both legal and social reforms to deal with the menace of marital rape
To what extent do you think Indian Society has progressed in addressing “menstrual
hygiene”? Highlight few issues faced by women in this regard. (250 words)
Why this question:
Kumbalanghi, which won acclaim as India’s first model tourism village, is set to become the country’s
first sanitary-napkin-free panchayat.
The answer must discuss the concept of ‘Menstrual Hygiene’ applied in the Indian context.
Introduction:
Briefly give data and some recent examples about menstrual hygiene issues in Indian Society.
Body:

Give instances where provisions regarding menstrual issues have been provided in Indian Society with
certain examples. E.g. SUVIDHA Scheme.
Some circumstances make menstruation a “difficult experience” for women. These include
homelessness, coercive, controlling and violent relationships and health conditions such as
endometriosis. Some Trans people may also experience difficulties in accessing sanitary
products. Discuss the context within the Indian setup.
Explain how often it is a taboo in our country leading to extreme incidences of period poverty,
Comment on the lack of period dignity.
Suggest what needs to be done in India to improvise the conditions.
Conclusion:
Conclude with policy measures already in this direction while suggesting stronger ways forward.
Introduction
Menstrual hygiene continues to be amongst the most challenging development issues today.
Menstruation is still considered a taboo in the Indian society. Even today, the cultural and social
influences on people create a major hurdle in ensuring that the adolescent girls are given proper
knowledge on menstrual hygiene.
The main reasons for this taboo still being relevant in the Indian society are high rate of illiteracy
especially in girls, poverty and lack of awareness about menstrual health and hygiene. Only less
than 18 per cent of Indian women use sanitary pads.
Body
Indian society in addressing menstrual hygiene
 According to the fourth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) in 2015-16, half the women
in rural India (52%) do not use hygienic methods of protection during their menstrual period
in India.
 Available data reveals that Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) remains

deprioritized due to factors such as deep-seated social gender construct, cultural myths,
and discriminatory traditions.
 In India, only 48% of adolescent girls are aware of what menstruation is before getting their
first period.
 Young people do not have access to reliable and correct information about their
reproductive health and rights.
 The stigma around menstruation leads to parents, teachers and other community
stakeholders being reluctant to talk about periods.
 A 2016 landscape analysis titled Menstrual Health in India observed that of nearly 355
million girls in India who have reached menarche, 71 percent reported having no
information about menstruation before their first period.
Issues faced by women regarding menstrual hygiene
 Access to toilet: An estimated 355 million Indian women and girls must find ways to cope
with monthly menstrual hygiene. Most of these women either have no access to toilets or
are faced with unclean lavatory

 Access and safety: Moreover, they usually wait until night-time before using public toilets or
fields, which exposes them to various forms of physical attacks.
 Lack of awareness: The main reasons for this taboo still being relevant in the Indian society
are high rate of illiteracy especially in girls, poverty and lack of awareness about menstrual
health and hygiene. Only less than 18 per cent of Indian women use sanitary pads.
 Taboo: In some families, menstruation is being perceived as an unclean or embarrassing

thing, extending even to the mention of menstruation both in public and in private. Most
girls even hide themselves out of fear or embarrassment on their way to a medical store,
rather majority of them cannot afford to buy hygienic sanitary pads.
 School dropout: In some families, menstruation is being perceived as an unclean or
embarrassing thing, extending even to the mention of menstruation both in public and in
private.
o Most girls even hide themselves out of fear or embarrassment on their way to a
medical store, rather majority of them cannot afford to buy hygienic sanitary pads.
 Unclean ways of handling menstruation: A majority of rural women in India employ clothes
and rags for feminine hygiene. These materials might predispose women to reproductive
tract infections since it may be difficult for them to keep their used napkins clean and free of
harmful bacteria.
 Affordability: While commercially available sanitary napkins provide a possible alternative,

only 12 percent of Indian women can afford this option
Measures needed
 As depicted in the figure, girls and boys should receive accurate, timely information on the
biological and psycho-social aspects of puberty, menstruation, and MHM from all three
channels—mass media, influencers, and targeted education.
 There are significant challenges across these three areas with supporting evidence.
However, girl-targeted education and community influencers are particularly important
enablers for improving menstrual health for women and girls in India.

Conclusion
Currently, MHM curriculums focus on period management, and do not provide the time or space to
discuss psycho-social changes. This needs to be addressed for a comprehensive menstrual hygiene
management. Both boys and girls must be educated on these aspects, so that there is healthy
development of children and attitudes regarding menstruation.
Value Addition
Case Studies
 Goonj: Under the Not Just a Piece of Cloth Program, Goonj produces simple, reusable cloth
pads made by local women using old cloth; cloth pads are seen as a tool for women’s
empowerment.
 Menstrupedia: Menstrupedia is a for-profit enterprise that has designed and developed

a comic book on menstruation adapted to the local context to provide awareness and
education on MHM to adolescent girls.
Salient features of world’s physical geography.

Give an account of the seasonal variation in the Indian Monsoon. Also, Give reasons
for the late withdrawal and erratic progress of the monsoon winds over the country in
recent years. (250 Words)
Introduction
Monsoons are seasonal winds which reverse their direction with the change of season. The monsoon
is a double system of seasonal winds. They flow from sea to land during the summer and from land
to sea during winter. Monsoons are peculiar to Indian Subcontinent, South East Asia, parts of Central
Western Africa etc. Indian Monsoons are Convection cells on a very large scale. They are periodic or
secondary winds which seasonal reversal in wind direction.
Body
Seasonal variation in the India monsoons

Late withdrawal and erratic progress of the monsoon winds over the country in recent years
 IMD studies have shown that last 10 years in a row that the primary rainfall season of the
country will be withdrawing later than normal.
 The season’s rainfall for IMD ends September 30, when it changes its categorisation of
rainfall from monsoon (June to September) to post monsoon (October to December).
 The actual rainfall has not yet stopped. Eighteen states have received excess (20 to 59 per
cent excess) or large excess rains (greater than 60 per cent excess) in the first week of
October.
 This happened mainly because of a series of five low pressure areas that formed in the Bay
of Bengal and moved in a generally westward-north westward direction.
 Two of these systems further intensified to a deep depression and Cyclone Gulab over the
Bay of Bengal, before hitting land and causing torrents of rain over eastern, central and
western India.
 Factors like a developing La Nina phenomenon in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, favourable
conditions of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and the Madden Julian Oscillation may still be
the cause for the continuing October rainfall.
Conclusion
Monsoon does play a big role in India. It has social, political, as well as economic implications. Thus,
monsoon doesn’t only affect the crops but all the industries in the country. The monsoon-dependent
Indian economy needs climate-sensitive budgeting. The excessive dependence on monsoon may be
mitigated by the construction of modern irrigation canals, afforestation, and diversification of
Indian industries.
Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic

activity, cyclone etc.
Discuss the factors that cause earthquakes. Why are Earthquakes more common in
certain parts of the world than others? (250 words)
Reference: India Today
Why the question:

Earthquakes are very common in Hindu Kush Himalayas and even this year, UPSC has asked
Questions on Earthquake
To write about the causes of earthquakes and to account for their distribution.
Directive word:
Introduction:
Begin by defining an Earthquake.
Body:
In the first part, write about the various natural as well as anthropogenic causes that cause
earthquakes.
Next, give a brief about how some regions are more prone to earthquakes than others. Account for
reasons for the same. Also, draw a map. Focus on the Hindu Kush Himalayas region.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing about the importance of preparedness to deal with earthquakes.
Introduction
Earthquakes are the result of sudden movement along faults within the Earth. The movement
releases stored-up ‘elastic strain’ energy in the form of seismic waves, which propagate through the
Earth and cause the ground surface to shake. Such movement on the faults is generally a response to
long-term deformation and the build-up of stress.
Body
Factors that cause earthquakes
 The Earth’s crust consists of seven large lithospheric plates and numerous smaller plates.
These plates move towards each other (a convergent boundary), apart (a divergent
boundary) or past each other (a transform boundary).
 Earthquakes are caused by a sudden release of stress along faults in the earth’s crust.
 The continuous motion of tectonic plates causes a steady build-up of pressure in the rock
strata on both sides of a fault until the stress is sufficiently great that it is released in a
sudden, jerky movement. Earthquakes caused by plate tectonics are called tectonic quakes.
 Induced quakes are caused by human activity, like tunnel construction, filling reservoirs and
implementing geothermal or fracking projects. The earthquakes that occur in the areas of
large reservoirs are referred to as reservoir induced earthquakes.
 Volcanic quakes are associated with active volcanism. They are generally not as powerful as
tectonic quakes and often occur relatively near the surface. Consequently, they are usually
only felt in the vicinity of the hypocenter.
 Collapse quakes can be triggered by such phenomena as cave-ins, mostly in karst areas or
close to mining facilities, as a result of subsidence.
 Ground shaking may also occur due to the explosion of chemical or nuclear devices. Such
tremors are called explosion earthquakes.
Why Earthquakes more common in certain parts of the world than others
 Over 90% of earthquakes – including almost all of the largest and most destructive ones –
happen at or near so-called plate boundaries, where the 15 or so major subdivisions
(“plates”) of the Earth’s crust and uppermost mantle move towards, alongside, or away from
each other.
 Most of the plates’ movement is focused at these boundaries, so large earthquakes far away
from these boundaries are much less common.
 Earthquakes can strike any location at any time, but history shows they occur in the same
general patterns year after year, principally in three large zones of the earth:
o Circum-Pacific seismic belt: The world’s greatest earthquake belt is found along the
rim of the Pacific Ocean, where about 81 per cent of our planet’s largest
earthquakes occur. It is also known as “Ring of Fire”.
o Alpine earthquake belt: It extends from Java to Sumatra through the Himalayas, the
Mediterranean, and out into the Atlantic. This belt accounts for about 17 percent of
the world’s largest earthquakes.
o Submerged mid-Atlantic Ridge: The ridge marks where two tectonic plates are
spreading apart (a divergent plate boundary).
Conclusion
Unlike other disasters, the damages caused by earthquakes are more devastating. Since it also
destroys most of the transport and communication links, providing timely relief to the victims
becomes difficult. It is not possible to prevent the occurrence of an earthquake; hence, the next best
option is to emphasis on disaster preparedness and mitigation rather than curative measures.

Elucidate the process of volcano formation and its types. Also, mention a few
examples of the global occurrence of volcanic eruptions in recent times and their
impact on the regional environment. (Answer in 250 words)
Why the question:
The recent volcanic eruption in Tongo and a similar question was asked in UPSC Mains 2021 GS1 a
few days back.
Explain volcano formation and its types with suitable examples.
Directive:
Elucidate – Give a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the particular context.
You must be defining key terms where ever appropriate, and substantiate them with relevant
associated facts.
Introduction:
Define what Volcanoes are.
Body:
A volcano is a vent (opening) in the earth’s crust through which molten material erupts suddenly
from a magma chamber below the surface. Due to very high temperatures, some rocks slowly melt
and turn into a thick flowing matter known as magma. Since it is lighter than the solid rock around it,
the magma rises and gets collected in magma chambers which eventually pushes through fissures
and vents on the earth’s surface.
Start by discussing their formation.
Mention types of volcanoes with suitable diagrams and descriptions.
Present the various landforms associated with it. Both intrusive and extrusive.
Also, highlight its impact on the environment.
Conclusion:
Conclude with their significant contributions in landform formation.
Introduction
A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava,
volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. The process is called
Volcanism and has been ongoing on Earth since the initial stages of its evolution over 4 billion years
ago.
Body
Formation of volcano:
 The majority of volcanoes in the world form along the boundaries of Earth’s tectonic
plates—massive expanses of our planet’s lithosphere that continually shift, bumping into
one another.
 When tectonic plates collide, one often plunges deep below the other in what’s known as
a subduction zone.
 As the descending landmass sinks deep into the Earth, temperatures and pressures climb,
releasing water from the rocks.
 The water slightly reduces the melting point of the overlying rock, forming magma that can
work its way to the surface—the spark of life to reawaken a slumbering volcano.

 Not all volcanoes are related to subduction,
 Another way volcanoes can form is what’s known as hotspot volcanism.
 In this situation, a zone of magmatic activity—or a hotspot—in the middle of a tectonic plate
can push up through the crust to form a volcano.
 Although the hotspot itself is thought to be largely stationary, the tectonic plates continue
their slow march, building a line of volcanoes or islands on the surface. This mechanism is
thought to be behind the Hawaii volcanic chain.
Types of volcanoes
 Types of volcanoes found due to convergent plate boundaries:
 Composite Cones or Strato volcanoes
 Cinder cone (Tephra cones)
 Calderas
 Types of volcanoes found due to divergent plate boundaries:
 Conical Vent and Fissure Vent
 Shield Volcanoes or Lava domes
 Mid-Ocean Ridges
 Types of volcanoes found due to Hotspots:

 Shield Volcanoes or Lava domes
 Lava Plains and Basalt Plateaus
Global occurrence of volcanic eruptions in recent times
 Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcano
 The Philippine volcano near Manila
 Piton de la Fournaise in the Indian ocean
 Great Sitkin, Alaska
 Fukutoku-Oka-no-Ba, Japan
 Kīlauea, Hawaii
 Etna, Sicily, Italy
 Nyiragongo, Congo
 Soufrière St. Vincent
 Semeru, Indonesia
 Krýsuvík-Trölladyngja
Impact on the regional environment
 Volcanism can be a greatly damaging natural disaster.
 Habitats and landscapes are destroyed by lava flows.
 Violent earthquakes associated with volcanic activity and mud flows of volcanic ash
saturated by heavy rain can bury nearby places.
 Sometimes ash can precipitate under the influence of rain and completely cover the
surrounding regions.
 deterioration of water quality, fewer periods of rain, crop damages, and the destruction of
vegetation.
 In coastal areas, seismic sea waves called tsunamis are an additional danger which are
generated by submarine earth faults where volcanism is active.
 Volcanic rocks yield very fertile soil upon weathering and decomposition.
 Although steep volcano slopes prevent extensive agriculture, forestry operations on them
provide valuable timber resources.
 Mineral resources, particularly metallic ores are brought to the surface by volcanoes.
Sometimes copper and other ores fill the gas bubble cavities. The famed Kimberlite rock of
South Africa, source of diamonds is the pipe of an ancient volcano.
Conclusion

Volcanoes have a huge impact on man and material as urbanization and globalization increases. The
effects have impacts on flora, fauna and the global warming which can accelerate the climate
change.
Though Landslides are caused by Natural factors, but the increase in anthropogenic
factors causing Landslides in alarming. Analyse. (150 words)
Introduction
A landslide is defined as the movement of a mass of rock, debris, or earth down a slope. Landslides
are a type of “mass wasting,” which denotes any down-slope movement of soil and rock under the
direct influence of gravity.
The Himalayas are highly prone to landslides during the monsoon season from June to September.
The landslides usually occur in the altitudes between 500m to 3500m. Himalayan mountains are
a result of complex geological, geomorphological and geohydrological factors.
Body
The causes of the landslides can be studied under the following heads.
 Natural Causes:
 Earthquakes: Himalayas are situated at the convergent plate boundary zone of two
continental plates viz. Indo-Australian plate in the south and Eurasian plate in the north.
Thus geologically Himalayas are highly active seismic zone and Orogenesis is still in process.
The earthquakes loosen the soil, which trigger the landslides.
 Rainfall: Himalayan region receives quite heavy rainfall that leads to percolation of water in
the lower layers, soil erosion, solifluction & landslides.
 Slope: The steep slopes of Himalayan Mountains are one of the major reasons of frequent
landslides than any other mountain ranges in India.
 Structure: large portion of Himalayas is made up of sedimentary Rock which is more fragile.

 Anthropogenic Causes:
 Jhum Cultivation: popularly known as slash & burn type of cultivation practiced particularly
in the Himalayan region.
 Deforestation & Grazing: Himalayan region is centre of huge diversity when it comes to
trees & this diversity has led to indiscriminate chopping of trees. The trees help in holding
the soil together, curbing the erosion and landslides to maximum extent. Increased grazing
has led to wiping out of many grassland areas causing soil erosion and easy prey for
landslides.
 Illegal mining & Industrial activities: The rampant commercial activities have huge impact
on the sensitive zones of Himalayas. The constant blasting of rocks, increased vibrations due
to drilling, boring etc. lead to loosening of rocks and soil particles in turn causing landslides
when there is enough fluidity.
 Infrastructure projects: Himalayas being source of many rivers has led to construction of
multipurpose dam projects like Tehri. This has affected the already fragile Himalayas. There
has been increase in number of developmental projects of highways, tunnels through hills
which cause stress and sheer in the surrounding regions. Example: Chenani-Nashri tunnel
project.
 Unsustained Urbanization and Tourism: Increasing migration to cities has led to urban
sprawl clearing the forest areas. Increased vehicular traffic, clearing of forest land to build
infrastructure like roads, hotels etc. have affected the geography of the region.
 Climate change: Global warming has led to quicker melting of snow and more percolation of
water within the underlying surface of hill.
The impacts of the landslides are:
 Every year, landslides in the region kill dozens of people and cause widespread damage to
several villages such that they have now become almost unfit for habitation.
 They create blockades in the road network and river system, which in turn, cause floods.
 The terraced farm fields have been destroyed that cannot be easily renovated or made
productive again.
 The road network remains closed for long periods causing indescribable hardship to the
villagers who get their basic supplies and provisions from the neighbouring areas.
 Water sources are disrupted and choked by debris from landslides.
 The river sediment load is increased considerably, causing irregular courses and frequent
breaching of the banks- resulting into unexpected floods.
 The water channels are affected from the up hillside due to which the villagers are devoid of
water for irrigation purposes. This adversely affects agriculture production in the region.
The measures to control landslides are
 Structural measures:
o Stopping Jhum cultivation.

o Store Excess water in catchments areas to reduce the fury of flash floods, recharge
the ground water and improve the environment. Dig runoff collection ponds in the
catchments.
o Grow fuel / fodder trees in all of the common lands.
o Plantation in barren areas, especially on slopes, with grass cover is an important

component of integrated watershed management programme.
o Grazing should be restricted. The grasses of industrial importance should also be

planted so that there is some economic return to the farmers as well.
o Use the surface vegetative cover to protect the land from raindrop’s beating action,
bind the soil particles and decrease the velocity of flowing water.
o Construction of engineering structures like buttress beams, retaining walls, geogids,

nailings, anchors to stabilise the slopes.
 Non-structural measures:
o Environmental Impact Assessment of the infrastructure projects before

commencing the work.
o Declaration of eco-sensitive zones where mining and other industrial activities are
banned. Eco-tourism should be promoted.
o Hazard mapping of the region to identify the most vulnerable zones and take
measures to safeguard it.
o Local Disaster Management force for quick relief and safety of the people affected
by landslides.
o Teaching people about landslides & ways to mitigate.

o Constructing a permanent assessment team comprising scientists & geologists for
better mitigation and adaptation techniques.
o Involving the local people for sustainable development of Himalayas
Conclusion
Himalayas are of vital importance to India in terms of climate, monsoon, water source and a natural
barrier safeguarding the peninsula. The National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan
Ecosystem under NAPCC is a step ahead to address a variety of issues Himalayas is facing today.
Evaluate the status of ground water depletion in the major first green revolution
regions. Suggest steps to prevent over exploitation of ground water in those regions.
(250 words)
Why the question:
Groundwater depletion in Punjab has been a growing concern. The groundwater level in most parts
of the state has fallen to dangerous levels.


To write about the extent of ground water depletion and measures needed to prevent it.
Directive word:
Evaluate – When you are asked to evaluate, you have to pass a sound judgement about the truth of
the given statement in the question or the topic based on evidence. You must appraise the worth of
the statement in question. There is scope for forming an opinion here.
Introduction:
Begin by developing a link between green revolution and Groundwater depletion
Body:
First, with relevant statistics, mention to what extent ground has depleted in the regions. Write
about the causes and impact of the same.
Next, write about various steps that are needed to further prevent over exploitation and to ensure
recharging and rejuvenation of ground water.
Conclusion:
Introduction
Today, India is the largest user of the groundwater in the world with almost 90% being used for
drinking water and almost 60-70% for irrigation. Current statistics also show that nearly 50% of
urban water supply comes from groundwater. India is on the threshold of a very serious
groundwater crisis, which needs mitigation both in the fields and at the policy corridors of the
country.
Body
Status of Groundwater Depletion in India:
 India accounts for 16-17% per cent of the world’s population living in less than 5 per cent of
the global area, and has just 4 per cent of the global water resources.
 According to the Central Water Commission (CWC), the estimated water resources potential
of the country, which occurs as natural runoff in the rivers, is 1,999 billion cubic metres.
 Of this, the estimated usable resources are 1,122 billion cubic metres per year 690 BCM per
year surface water and 432 BCM per year replenishable groundwater.
 With the population rising, demand for water will increase manifold in coming years.
According to the CWC, per capita availability in the country will decrease from 1,434 cubic
metres in 2025 to 1,219 cubic metres in 2050.
 By CWC benchmarks, a water-stressed condition happens when per capita availability is less
than 1,700 cubic metres, and a water-scarcity condition when per capita availability falls
below 1,000 cubic metres. Some river basins are facing a water-scarcity condition.
 Among these are the basins of the Indus (up to the border), Krishna, Cauvery, Subarnarekha,
Pennar, Mahi, Sabarmati and east-flowing rivers, and west-flowing rivers of Kutch and
Saurashtra including Luni.
 ‘Water and Related Statistics 2019’ report:
 According to ‘Water and Related Statistics 2019’, a report published by the CWC, the annual
replenishable groundwater resources in India (2017) are 432 BCM, out of which 393 BCM is
the annual “extractable” groundwater availability.
 Fifteen states account for about 90 per cent of the groundwater potential in the country.
Uttar Pradesh accounts for 16.2 per cent, followed by Madhya Pradesh (8.4%), Maharashtra
(7.3%), Bihar (7.3%), West Bengal (6.8%), Assam (6.6%), Punjab (5.5%) and Gujarat (5.2%).
 The current annual groundwater extraction is 249 BCM, the largest user being the irrigation
sector. This is why the government has called for alternatives to water-intensive crops such
as paddy and sugarcane.
 Compared to the decadal average for 2009-18, there has been a decline in the groundwater
level in 61% of wells monitored by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB).
 Among the states where at least 100 wells were monitored, the highest depletion has been
in Karnataka (80%), Maharashtra (75%), Uttar Pradesh (73%), Andhra Pradesh (73%), Punjab
(69%).
Measures needed to augment ground water
 The government should develop policies to determine which crops should be grown in which
region according to the water availability, which “has not been the focus.” For instance,
Punjab has a semi-arid climate but it grows rice, which depletes groundwater and is “highly
unsustainable.”
 The traditional flood irrigation in India accounts for huge water loss through
evapotranspiration. Drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation must be used for efficient
utilization of water.
 There should be restrictions to cut off the access to groundwater in areas identified as
“critical” and “dark zones”, where the water table is overused or very low.
 There is a need to treat water as common resource rather than private property to prevent
its overexploitation
 Problems and issues such as water logging, salinity, agricultural toxins, and industrial
effluents, all need to be properly looked into.
 Government has initiated schemes like DRIP programme, more drop per crop, Krishi Sinchai
Yojana to ensure economical water use practices in agriculture.
 Bottom-up approach by empowering the local community to become active participants in

managing groundwater.
 Creating regulatory options at the community level such as panchayat is also one among the
feasible solutions.
 Traditional methods of water conservation should be encouraged to minimize the depletion

of water resources.
 Artificial recharge of tube wells, water reuse, afforestation, scientific methods of agriculture
should also be done.
Conclusion
The focus will be on arresting the rate of decline of groundwater levels as well as water
consumption. Leveraging schemes like Atal Bhujal Yojana which seeks to strengthen the institutional

framework and bring about behavioural changes at community level for sustainable groundwater
resource management is vital. We need to have more community-led Water Security Plans.
Explain the reasons as to why Bay of Bengal is the hot-bed for frequent cyclonic
storms on the east coast. What is its impact on the Sundarbans? (250 words)
Difficulty level: Tough
Why the question:
A 2021 study Spatiotemporal analysis of tropical cyclone landfalls in northern Bay of Bengal, India
and Bangladesh by the World Bank also underlined the increasing threat of cyclones in the
Sundarbans area.
To write the reasons for a large number cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and its impact on Sundarbans.
Directive word:
Explain – Clarify the topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the
context. You must be defining key terms wherever appropriate and substantiate with relevant
associated facts.
Introduction:
Begin by giving context of cyclones in Bay of Bengal with the recent examples.
Body:
First, mention the reasons as to why Bay of Bengal is the hot-bed for frequent cyclonic storms – The
Bay of Bengal is shaped like a trough, high sea surface temperature, more rainfall with sluggish
winds and warm air currents, constant inflow of fresh warm water etc.
Next, write about its impact on Sundarbans ecosystem and mention steps to mitigate it.
Conclusion:
Introduction
Tropical cyclones—also called typhoons or hurricanes—are intense water-rotating systems formed

by strong winds (of speeds at least 62 kilometres/hour) around low-pressure areas. They have a
spiral, anticlockwise movement.
West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district, within which the larger share of the Sundarbans is located,
is impacted by cyclones the most frequently among Indian districts, found a recent study.
Body
Reasons behind Bay of Bengal being the hot-bed for frequent cyclonic storms
 The vast low pressure created by the warm water of the ocean.
 The Bay of Bengal shaped like a trough that makes it more hospitable for storms to gain
force.
 The high sea surface temperature makes matters worse in the Bay triggering the intensity of
the storms.
 The Bay of Bengal also gets more rainfall with sluggish winds and warm air currents around it
that keep temperatures relatively high all year.

 The constant inflow of fresh warm water from the perineal rivers like Brahmaputra, Ganga
makes it further impossible to mix with the cooler water below.
 Lack of landmass between the Pacific Ocean and the Bay of Bengal tend cyclonic winds to
move into the coastal areas causing heavy rainfall.
 The absence of air movements from north-western India towards the Bay in the post-
monsoon phase is also another reason for the chances of cyclones in the Bay of Bengal.
Impact on Sundarbans
 In 2021, the Sundarbans saw two (Yaas and Jawad cyclones) out of the 10 cyclonic
disturbances that swept the country. What stands out is that around 70 per cent of the
cyclones were of severe categories in the Sundarbans area.
 A 2021 study Spatiotemporal analysis of tropical cyclone landfalls in northern Bay of Bengal,
India and Bangladesh by the World Bank also underlined the increasing threat of cyclones in
the Sundarbans area.
 About 28% of the Sunderbanswas damaged by Cyclone Amphan in 2020.
 Cyclone winds breaks the embankments, resulting in salt water pouring onto the
land, which will have the most durable impact on livelihoods.
 Saline water kills freshwater fish in ponds in a day, most sources of drinking water disappear,
and land can’t be used for cultivation for up to five years.
 Salinity increases whenever a cyclone strikes, since seawater enters the rivers and then the
riverine islands. This increases the saline content of the soil which, in turn, leads to stunted
growth and weak roots for the mangroves.
 There have been increasing incidences of tigers encroaching into the human habitation post-
cyclone in search of food resulting in wildlife-human conflicts. Wildlife-human conflicts
(WHC) pose a significant obstacle to the protection and conservation of wildlife in the
forests across the world.
Way forward
 Rebuilding shelter belts should be given utmost importance which are the breeding ground
of species such as the Olive Ridley Turtles.
 Trees such as cashews or exotic casuarinas will take only 6-7 years to grow but are less
resilient as compared to tropical trees that take almost two decades to grow fully such as
Neem and tamarind provided they are planted at a distance of 300 metres away from the
high tide line.
 Compensation records of human-wildlife conflicts could be utilised to identify an overview of

the distribution of the conflicts across the regions and prioritise areas that need immediate
intervention
 The forest department has to make sure that the losses compensated match the market
value, are dealt timely and the people affected by the conflict have a compassionate ear to
pour out their problems.

 To save Sundarbans from the fate of being lost, we need to check the rising level of global
warming. It is estimated that by the end of 2020, 20% of Sundarbans will be lost.
Conclusion
Natural disaster comes without warning and they are exacerbated by climate change. India should
prepare to mitigate and deflect the destruction caused by Cyclones. India needs to employ more
technology, strict following of command structure and most importantly the participation and
cooperation of local communities in the affected area



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INSIGHTSIAS

IA SIMPLIFYING IAS EXAM PREPARATION

INSTA SECURE SYNOPSIS

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Sangeet Natak Academy confers “classical” status on 8 dances – Bharatnatyam, Kathakali,

Aspects of Indian classical dances

 Dance is considered as having three aspects: natya, nritya and nritta.

 Nritya is essentially expressional, performed specifically to convey the meaning of a theme

 To present nritya and natya effectively, a dancer should be trained to communicate

 An ancient classification followed in all styles is of Tandava and Lasya.

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 The technique is built by the use of an intricate system of foot-work.

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Background: Chola Art and Architecture

 A large number of temples dedicated to these deities were built.

Art and Architecture

o Rajendra Chola built a temple at GangaiKonda Cholapuram which is also equally

o Kalyanasundara Murti is a 9th century art where marriage is represented by 2

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o In 1931, Chola frescoes were discovered within the circumambulatory corridor of

Temple architecture features

 This architecture developed under the chola regime

 Temples surrounded by boundary walls

 High entrance gateway gopuram

 The stepped pyramid that rises up is called vimana

 The entrance of garbagriha sculpture of Dwarpalaka, Mithun, and yakshas.

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Key demand of the question:

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Science and Technology in ancient India

o He did a lot of work in geometry, trigonometry and discovered new theorems. He

 In 300 BCE, Patanjali codified the Yoga sutras.

 Nagarjuna was a great metallurgist and chemist.

 Their contribution in astronomy, mathematics, medicine, metallurgy, chemistry havemade

Tracing development of sculpture from ancient to medieval India

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o The clothes of the Buddha figures are thin.

o Youthful and proportionate figures.

o Right hand in Achamana Mudra (indicating he is about to consume poison).

o Ardhanarisvara image: Union of Shiva and Parvati is represented.

Religion as influence in scultpure art

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Role played by INA

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Netaji Bose’s role in INA

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Bose’s political ideology:

 He had been a strong proponent of socialist reconstruction of the nation. He stood

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 Society must be purged of narrowness and inequality.

The causes for the tribal uprisings included

 Introduction of the notion of private property.

 It laid bare the colonial rule of East India company.