GS Paper - 2 Aug-Oct First Half-1 PDF

INSIGHTS
http://insightsonindia.com
PART - ONE
[INSIGHTS SECURE Q&A

COMPILATION GENERAL STUDIES
PAPER - 2]
COMPILATION FROM OCTOBER – 2013 TO AUGUST- 2014
Table of Contents
Historical underpinnings & evolution ..................................................................... 1
Q. Critically comment on the Indra Sawhney judgment of 1992. Do you think the judgement needs
revision? Substantiate. ..................................................................................................................... 1
Q:Is Article 370 a source of gender bias in disqualifying women from the State of property rights? (150
Words) ............................................................................................................................................... 1
Q:Critically evaluate the role played by the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence or Panchsheel
principles in improving India and China‘s relationship. Examine if these principles are still relevant
today. ................................................................................................................................................. 1
Q:Critically examine the birth of collegium system in India and its merits and demerits. ... 2
Ans: .................................................................................................................................................... 2
Features, amendments, significant provisions, basic structure ................................. 3
Question - How bills are usually passed in the Parliament? Do you think the process requires any
modification, especially in bringing more transparency and inclusiveness? Analyze. (200 Words)
(features and amendments constitution) ...................................................................................... 3
Question - ―India‘s Parliaments have been rendered non-functional — not by rowdy MPs but by the
executive which has concentrated total power in its hands.‖ Critically comment. ................ 3
Q:― Re-empowering national democracies places the world economy on a stronger footing.‖ Elaborate.
............................................................................................................................................................ 4
Q:Why is there a demand for decriminalising attempt to commit suicide in India? Critically examine the
merits and demerits of existing law of criminalising suicide. .................................................. 4
Q:Right to seek mercy under Article 72/161 is a constitutional right and it is not at the discretion or
whims of the executive.‖ Elaborate. (200 Words)........................................................................ 5
Q:―The right to life and dignity are the most important of all human rights … and this must be
demonstrated by the state in everything it does, including the way it punishes criminals.‖ Do you agree
with this view? Comment. (200 Words) ....................................................................................... 6
Q:Critically comment on the relevance of Article 370 of the Constitution of India. .............. 6
Q:Can freedom of speech be absolute? Comment. (150 Words) ............................................... 6
Q: Do you think Khap panchayats function within the ambit of the Constitution? If not, what measures
have states taken to curb their continued functioning? Critically comment on their unconstitutional
nature. (250 Words) ......................................................................................................................... 6
Q--Critically comment on how freedom of expression in India has been used, misused and curtailed post
Independence.................................................................................................................................... 6
Q--Do you agree with the view that the Section 66-A of the Information Technology Act is
unconstitutional? Critically comment. .......................................................................................... 7
Q---Why does the Constitution of India make provisions regarding ineligibility of certain categories for
further employment under the government of India? With examples, critically comment. 8
Does India need Uniform Civil Code? Critically comment. ...................................................... 8
Significance of 118th amendment bill to the Constitution (50 Words) ..................................... 9
Briefly explain the constitutional and legislative procedure involved in formation of a new state. (150
Words) ............................................................................................................................................... 9
Do you think the concept of Privy Purses and special privileges, which were abolished by a
constitutional amendment, were incompatible with an ―egalitarian social order‖ ? Comment. (200
Words) ............................................................................................................................................. 10
INSIGHTS SECURE Q&A COMPILATION GENERAL STUDIES PAPER - 2
Functions & responsibilities of the Union and the States; issues and challenges of federal structure
............................................................................................................................ 10
Question - ―The unprecedented nature of the rejection of the Bill by the Andhra Pradesh Assembly
requires the legal interpretation of Article 3 be reconsidered.‖ Critically analyze. (200 Words) (Question
relates to Andhra Pradesh reorganization bill).......................................................................... 10
Question - ―The proposed the Prevention of Communal Violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill,
2014 violates the spirit of federalism.‖ Examine. (200 Words) ................................................ 11
Question. Write a critical note on the nature of relationship within federal framework between Delhi
state and the Union government. (200 Words) .......................................................................... 11
Question - ―There are no costs involved in moving towards a more federalist structure called the United
States of India — only benefits.‖ Critically analyze. (200 Words) .......................................... 12
Q:What are the grievances of riparian states of Cauvery river regarding sharing of its waters? Explain the
recent awards of the tribunal set up for addressing disputes between these states. (200 Words) 13
Q:The Supreme Court directed the government to constitute a tribunal and refer all disputes to it. Like
that Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) is constituted in 1990. ................................ 13
Q:Should state governments be allowed to influence foreign policy decisions of the union government?
Critically comment. (200 Words) ................................................................................................. 14
Q:Do you think division of Andhra Pradesh by the Union government without the consent of the
concerned state legislature, would make India a more unitary state? Examine the implications of such
measure on the federalism ............................................................................................................ 14
Q:Critically examine the various factors that have led the creation of new states in last 25 years. Explain if
the creation of new states has met its objectives ........................................................................ 15
Q:Critically examine the issues involved in Sardar Sarovar Project....................................... 15
Q:Discuss the language related problems which erupted soon after independence in the country and
explain how they were resolved. ................................................................................................. 16
Q:In the light of recent news reports, critically examine the controversy behind the Kashmiri Pandits
issue.................................................................................................................................................. 17
Q:Briefly explain the causes for the demand of Gorkhaland. Do you think formation of a separate state
would fulfill the demand of the agitating people? Comment. (200 Words) .......................... 17
Q---Critically comment on the constitutional provisions and the actual procedures adopted for the
appointment and removal of Governors in India. Also explain the opinion of the Supreme Court in this
matter. .............................................................................................................................................. 17
Write a critical note on the financial relations between Union government and states in India. (200
Words) ............................................................................................................................................. 18
What aspects of centre-state relations are at conflict in the case of implementation of recommendations
of High-Level Working Group (HLWG) on Western Ghats (headed by Kasturirangan) by the state
governments? Explain. (150 Words)............................................................................................ 19
―The Supreme Court‘s 2006 verdict in the Prakash Singh vs. Union of India case was a landmark
judgement. But political class has failed it.‖ Critically comment. (200 Words) .................... 19
Do you think the Supreme Court‘s recent verdict on insulating officers from political interference is an
act of judicial overreach? Comment. (150 Words)..................................................................... 20
―A range of reforms — legal, judicial and institutional — needs to be initiated for dealing with delays
and ensuring access to justice.‖ Elaborate. (200 Words) .......................................................... 20
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Critically examine the working of tribunals in India. (250 Words) ........................................ 21

It is not easy to implement either Supreme Court‘s instructions or recommendations of various
committees on civil service reforms. Why? Analyze. (250 Words) ......................................... 21
What are the functions of Law Commission? (150 Words) ...................................................... 21
What are Lok Adalats? Explain the importance of National Lok Adalats disputes redressal. (150 Words)
.......................................................................................................................................................... 21
Ministries and Departments ................................................................................. 22
Critically examine the recommendations of Justice Mukul Mudgal committee set up by the Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting to suggest legislative framework in the wake of series f bans on movies by
the state governments. (150 Words) ............................................................................................ 22
Devolution of powers and finances to local levels; challenges therein .................... 22
Q-Comment on the provisions and the importance of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act,
1996................................................................................................................................................... 22
What do you understand by democratic decentralization? What are the likely challenges to be faced in its
proper implementation in Indian villages? Critically examine. .............................................. 23
Examine why Kerala has a more successful Panchayat Raj system compared to other states. (200 Words)
.......................................................................................................................................................... 24
Do you agree with the view that giving more powers to Gram Sabha hinders economic growth in the
tribal regions? Comment. (150 Words) ....................................................................................... 24
Q-‖In the new land acquisition act, Gram Sabha and Basti Sabha don‘t have legal right to decide the
nature of public purpose.‖ Critically examine the role of Gram Sabha in ensuring fair acquisition of land
by the government ......................................................................................................................... 24
‖Democratic decentralisation cannot be misunderstood to mean communitarian anarchy.‖
Comment. (150 Words) ................................................................................................................. 25
Separation of Powers (between different organs, dispute redressal mechanisms, institutions) 25
Evaluate the performance of National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in its mission. (150
Words) ............................................................................................................................................. 25
Q. ―Separation of powers is indispensable because under the Constitution, power divides itself so that
reason can rule.‖ In the light of recent tussle between various organs of the state, critically comment on
the statement. .................................................................................................................................. 26
Q. Analyze the factors which have contributed towards high voter turnouts during recent elections. 26
Q. Why is the Supreme Court‘s judgement in S.R. Bommai vs. Union of India case significant? Comment
with suitable examples. ................................................................................................................. 27
Q. Critically comment on the existing barriers to deepen Indian democracy further. In your opinion,
what reforms are needed to deepen it further? Comment. ...................................................... 27
Q. Do you support the idea of making voting in elections compulsory? Substantiate. ....... 28
With examples examine various factors that affect institutional ............................................ 29
Q. Discuss the evolution of India‘s patent laws since independence. Are they compliant with
international agreements? Examine. ........................................................................................... 29
What is the First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) type of election system? Explain the ....................... 30
8. What is the Proportional Representation (PR) system of elections? Does it suit India? Why has not
India adopted this system? Explain its merits and demerits. .................................................. 31

―The domestic origins of India‘s economic problems lie in the clash between democracy and capitalism.‖
Comment. (200 Words) ................................................................................................................. 33
Should political parties be brought under the ambit of RTI act? Explain why. (200 Words)33
Question - Are the powers of pardon vested in the President and the Governors under Articles 72 and
161 of the Constitution amenable to judicial review? Critically comment in the light of recent verdict by
the Supreme Court. (200 Words) (separation of power between executive and Judiciary) 34
Write a note on the role of SEBI with special reference to its role in ensuring corporate governance. (200
Words) ............................................................................................................................................. 34
Write a critical note on the National Green Tribunal as an effective grievances redressal forum. (200
Words) ............................................................................................................................................. 34
.Examine how the Constitution of India strives to maintain balance of power between the judiciary and
the executive? Has this balance been maintained? Critically comment. ................................ 35
Q-Write a critical note on the Mullaperiyar dam controversy. ............................................... 36
Q--Explain the rationale behind constituting Polavaram Project Authority (PPA). Comment on the
controversy related to the project. ............................................................................................... 37
Comparison of Indian constitutional scheme with other countries' ....................................... 37
Q. . Discuss the importance of opposition party in a parliamentary democracy. ................ 37
What is ‗caretaker government‘ in the context of Bangladesh politics? Does India have such a system? If
it has, explain the differences with examples. (200 Words) ..................................................... 38
Compare and contrast India‘s Rajya Sabha and UK‘s House of Lords in their composition, functions and
importance to their respective countries. (200 Words) ............................................................. 38
Do you observe any fundamental differences in how elected representatives in India and39
Compare and contrast the situation of government shutdown in USA when the .............. 39
.Critically comment on the Constitutional provisions that enable the Parliament to create new states. 39
Critically examine the main concerns of coastal Andhra and Rayalseema people against the formation of
Telangana state. .............................................................................................................................. 40
Q--Compare and contrast the grounds and procedure involved in the impeachment of the Presidents of
USA and India respectively. ......................................................................................................... 41
Union and State Legislatures (structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges;
issues therein) ...................................................................................................... 41
Q-On what grounds Members of Parliament can be disqualified from the membership of the Parliament?
Explain. (200 Words) ..................................................................................................................... 41
Question - Write a note on the importance of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances
(Amendment) Bill, 2011. (100 Words) (Any bill made could be put in Union or state legislature functions,
although it directly does not connote the relation, but indirectly they are linked) .............. 42
―Issues such as criminalisation of politics need to be addressed through legislation rather than the
judicial process.‖ Elaborate........................................................................................................... 42
8) Write a note on the importance of the Question Hour in the Parliament.......................... 43
What is dissolution of parliament in India? What would be its implications? Under what circumstances
usually dissolution takes place? Explain. (200 Words) ............................................................. 43
What is the composition and function of delimitation commission? Why is delimitation done? (200
Words)The Hindu .......................................................................................................................... 43

While drafting policies for the people, the concerns of citizens should be addressed by the government,
not excluded.‖ Critically examine the statement in the light of West Bengal government‘s ban on cycles
on certain roads in Kolkatta. Suggest measures to accommodate slow moving vehicles on busy Indian
roads.(250 Words) .......................................................................................................................... 44
―The fair play of the functioning of Parliament can be ensured only if the government willingly subjects
itself to legislative scrutiny.‖ Critically analyze.(250 Words) .................................................. 44
Q--Critically analyze various formulae put forward by many stakeholders to resolve the Kashmir
problem............................................................................................................................................ 46
Q--Discuss the procedure involved in selecting the Leader of the Opposition Lok Sabha. Also examine
his/her position an duties in Loksabha. .................................................................................... 47
Executive (structure, organisation, functioning) ........................................ 47
Q. . Do you think the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) can audit accounts of private firms?
Critically comment oh his duties and responsibilities. ............................................................. 47
Q. Do you think the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) can audit accounts of private firms?
Critically comment oh his duties and responsibilities. ............................................................. 48
Question – ―The third space in Indian politics is the largest and the most diverse, and yet the ‗third
alternative‘ has remained an unfulfilled experiment.‖ Comment. (200 Words)................... 48
Write a note on the composition and functions Expenditure Management Commission (EMC) 48
Critically comment on the issue of appointment and dismissal of Governor posts in India.49
Write a critical note on the relationship between the office of the President of India and the Governors of
states................................................................................................................................................. 49
Critically analyze the role of Governor in the development of states in India and his relationship with the
Union Government. ....................................................................................................................... 49
Critically examine the role of Prime Minister as envisaged in the Constitution of India and how the post
has been used by its occupants over the years since Independence to strengthen or weaken federalism.
.......................................................................................................................................................... 50
Q---Critically comment on how the role of the Prime Minister‘s Office has changed during past twenty
years. ................................................................................................................................................ 50
Q--Examine the functions of the Prime Minister‘s Office. Do you think a powerful PMO diminishes the
role of cabinet and cabinet ministries? Comment. .................................................................... 51
Q---Critically comment on the relationship between the President and the Prime Minister as envisaged in
the Constitution. ............................................................................................................................. 52
Q--A recognised leader of the opposition (LoP) is necessary for the proper and harmonious functioning
of Parliament and for the working of several of the recently enacted laws. In the light of the
statement critically comment on the selection procedure of LoP and the importance of this position in the
Parliament and outside. ................................................................................................................ 52
What are quasi judicial bodies and how different are they from judicial bodies such as High courts? Do
you think that the increased number of these bodies have diminished the function, structure and
importance of courts? Discuss. (200 Words) .............................................................................. 52
Question- ―It is only when we have a highly efficient and time-bound justice delivery mechanism that we
can proceed to judge the merits of death penalty.‖ Comment. (200 Words) ........................ 53
Suggest measures to address the issue of large number of pendency of cases in the Indian courts. 53

The independence of the judiciary is part of the basic structure of the Constitution. In the light of recent
developments, analyse if this basic structure has been disturbed. ......................................... 53
Critically comment on the various criticisms expressed against the proposed National Judicial
Appointments Commission. ......................................................................................................... 54
Write a critical note on the highlights and importance of the the 99th Constitution Amendment Bill that
was recently passed by the Lok Sabha. ....................................................................................... 55
―With a proactive role based on the power of judicial review, the higher judiciary in India has attained an
unprecedented significance. However, in the areas of judicial management and appointments, there is
little scope for euphoria.‖ Comment. (200 Words).................................................................... 55
The Hindu ....................................................................................................................................... 55
Do you support abolition of the capital punishment? Explain why. (200 Words) ............... 56
Comment on the shortcomings of criminal justice system t in India. (200 Words)The Indian Express 56
Critically examine why there is a consensus for replacing the present system of appointment of judges to
superior courts by a collegium of Supreme Court judges? Explain. ...................................... 57
At present how is the judge of a supreme court appointed ? Do you think it is a fair system ? 58
Write a critical note on the role of judiciary in ensuring social justice in India. (200 Words)58
―In India a staggering 30 million cases are said to be pending in the country‘s courts today. And to tackle
this intimidating problem requires comprehensive judicial reform, more judges of quality and
improvement of the judicial infrastructure.‖ Critically comment on the need for judicial reforms in the
context of low conviction rates in serious crimes committed against vulnerable sections of the society.
(250 Words) ..................................................................................................................................... 59
―The Constitution (120th Amendment) Bill, 2013 in its present form is a threat to judicial independence.‖
―Nothing can make for a more powerful case to abolish the retributive practice of death sentences than
the reformation of individuals convicted of heinous crimes.‖ Critically evaluate. (250 Words) 59
Do you think recent judgement by the Supreme Court removing the immunity for convicted MPs and
MLAs will help clean up politics and strengthen democracy in India? Comment .............. 60
In spite of the Supreme Court‘s ruling that in murder cases awarding of the death penalty61
In spite of the Supreme Court‘s ruling that in murder cases awarding of the death penalty is an exception
and life sentence is the rule, lower courts are increasingly giving death sentences owing to some
unwarranted external factors.‖ Critically comment. (200 Words) .......................................... 61
In spite of the Supreme Court‘s ruling that in murder cases awarding of the death penalty is an exception
and life sentence is the rule, lower courts are increasingly giving death sentences owing to some
unwarranted external factors.‖ Critically comment. (200 Words) .......................................... 61
.Critically evaluate merit and functioning of the collegium system in India. Do you think this system
either needs reform or replacement with a different system? Critically examine. ............... 62
Critically comment on the reforms needed in Indian judiciary .............................................. 62
It is observed that the media and the collective public sentiment are increasingly influencing the outcome
of court judgements. Is natural justice a victim here? Does this affect certain class of society? Critically
analyze. (250 Words) ..................................................................................................................... 63
―The Supreme Court has categorically laid down that bandh/hartal is unconstitutional and the State has
the obligation to protect the citizen against it.‖ Despite SC‘s framing guidelines in 2009 to recover costs
from bandhorganizers, neither the States nor the Central government have taken any action to put in
place a legislation, or fast track mechanism consistent with the guidelines. Comment on the
unconstitutional nature of bandhs and inaction of governments in implementing court order. (200 Words)
.......................................................................................................................................................... 63
What is judicial overreach? Does the SC order on Aadhar scheme putting critical restrictions against the
use and distribution of UID numbers encroaches upon the executive decision making authority? What is
the opinion of SC on the issue of judicial overreach? Explain. (250 Words) ......................... 64
Analyze the ethical issues involved in clinical trials involving human volunteers. What is the present
status of clinical trial rules in India. Explain in the light of recent Supreme Court verdict. (200 Words) 64
Q-Do you think the appointment of the Chief Justice of India should be solely based on seniority alone?
Critically comment......................................................................................................................... 65
Critically comment on the nature of tribunals, their composition and their relationship with the executive
and judiciary. .................................................................................................................................. 66
Q--What were the highlights of the lapsed Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill? Why was the bill
introduced? Explain. ...................................................................................................................... 66
Q--Critically comment on Supreme Court‘s decision to set-up committees headed by its judges to look
into matters beyond its jurisdiction. Do you think proactive and overreaching judiciary is necessary to
India? Comment. ............................................................................................................................ 67
Business Standard .......................................................................................................................... 67
Q--Critically comment the reasons behind the increasing pendency of cases in Indian law courts. How
this problem can be solved? Suggest measures. ........................................................................ 68
Q-Critically comment on the existence of Sharia courts in the country and the opinion of the Supreme
Court on their rulings. ................................................................................................................... 69
Q---Critically examine the linkage between resource allocation for the judiciary by the government and
the pendency of cases in India. .................................................................................................... 69
Q--Examine how the collegium system to choose new judges works in India. In the light of recent
controversy over the appointment of a judge to the Supreme Court, critically comment on the political,
constitutional and moral issues arising out of the controversy............................................... 70
Q-―The contemporary practice of Public Interest Litigation (PILs) has atrophied and morphed into a
format that has lost sight of this original political and constitutional justification.‖ Critically comment.
.......................................................................................................................................................... 70
Q-Critically comment on Supreme Court‘s ruling that the Section 6A of the Delhi Special Police
Establishment Act as unconstitutional and examine the implications of this ruling. .......... 71
Ministries and Departments (of Union and State govts.).......................... 72
What are the functions and responsibilities of the Ministry of Statistics, government of India? Examine.
.......................................................................................................................................................... 72
Pressure Groups & Formal, Informal associations (and their role in the polity) 72
Q-Do you support regulation of media in India by the government? Justify your answer and also suggest
alternate measures. (200 Words) .................................................................................................. 72
-- ‗Evolving editorial code and having internal ombudsman will help raise standards‘ .... 72
Q. Should armed forces be allowed to vote in general elections as general voters in peace stations?
Examine the problems associated with such a move and offer solutions.............................. 73
Critically evaluate various women rights movements that have taken place since Independence. Also
examine the role played by women organisations in these movements................................ 73

Q---Critically comment on the creative and commercial challenges that the news industry faces in India ,
across TV, print, radio or online. ................................................................................................. 73
Salient features of the Representation of People‘s Act. ......................... 74
Q-What is your opinion on Opinion Polls? Should they be conducted or not? Substantiate. (150 Words)
.......................................................................................................................................................... 74
Rule 49-O of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 (50 Words) (NOT part of RPA)............. 75
What is the intention behind declaration of assets by candidates contesting elections? Has it made any
positive impact? Comment. (150 Words).................................................................................... 75
Answer) ........................................................................................................................................... 75
Highlight recent Supreme Court judgments that are related to the conduct of elections and electoral
reforms. (200 Words) ..................................................................................................................... 76
―In recent years the Representation of the People Act has become the victim of tug of war between the
judiciary and executive.‖ Elucidate. (200 Words) ..................................................................... 76
Question - ―Indian elections are a ritualistic, five-yearly obeisance to democracy that hides the appalling
state of the country‘s institutions, in particular Parliament which today resembles a wrestling arena.‖
Question - ―India‘s future is imperilled if its Parliament is imperilled.‖ Do you agree with77
Question - ―To restore India as a liberal democratic nation, it will require more than a mere conduct of
regular, supposedly free and fair, elections.‖ Comment. ......................................................... 77
Examine the grounds on which a sitting member of legislature and a cabinet minister in the government
can be disqualified. Explain the opinion of the apex court on this issue. .............................. 78
Write a critical note on the need, principle behind its functioning and drawbacks of EVMs. (200 Words)
.......................................................................................................................................................... 78
What do you understand by electoral reforms? What were the recommendations of the Election
Commission on electoral reforms? Analyze. (200 Words) ....................................................... 79
Critically analyse the nature of voter behaviour in recent elections to state assemblies and to the
Parliament. ...................................................................................................................................... 79
Do you think regulation of poll campaign activities of political parties on internet by the Election
Commission is a right step? Substantiate. (150 Words) ............................................................ 80
.Compare and contrast the merits and demerits of adopting proportional representation system 80
in Indian elections vis a vis first-past-the-post system. ............................................................ 80
Q--What are the criticisms against the first-past-the-post system of elections in India? Do you think India
should adopt proportional representation system? Explain why........................................... 81
Appointment to various Constitutional posts .......................................... 81
Explain the procedure laid out in the Constitution on the appointment and removal of Governor of a
State in India. Do you think these procedures are strictly followed? Critically comment. . 81
Constitutional Bodies (powers, functions and responsibilities) .......... 82
Q-Explain the role of Finance Commission. Do you think Finance Commissions act as complimentary to
Planning Commission? Explain. (200 Words)............................................................................ 82
What are Autonomous District Councils in India? Critically analyze their role and performance over the
year. (200 Words) ........................................................................................................................... 82

―The Shunglu Committee had suggested structural changes in CAG by making it a multi-member body.‖
What is the rationale behind such a recommendation? Analyze.(200 Words) ..................... 83
Question. Write a note on the composition and functions of UPSC. Also critically examine its relationship
with the government at the centre and states. (200 Words) ..................................................... 83
Question - What measures has the Election Commission taken to bring electoral reforms in India in last
twenty years? Examine. (200 Words) .......................................................................................... 84
Question - ―Civil Services Examination reform ought to have been an easy enough place to begin the
arduous task of administrative reform.‖ Comment on the statement in the light of recent changes
introduced by the UPSC and the government to the examination and eligibility criteria respectively. (200
Words) ............................................................................................................................................. 84
Question - What are the major factors behind high voters turn-out in recent elections in India? Examine
the role of the Election Commission in detail. (200 Words) ..................................................... 85
In the light of past few years‘ developments, critically comment on the role of institutions in
strengthening democracy.............................................................................................................. 85
Write a critical note on the functioning of the speaker in Lok-Sabha and state assemblies. (200 Words) 86
Q3-Critically analyze the roles and responsibilities of CAG in India. (200 Words) ............. 86
Q---In the light of the Supreme Court order in the ―Association of Unified Telecom Service Providers
and Others vs Union of India‖ case, critically examine the concerns expressed by............. 87
Q--Is UPSC civil service exam‘s CSAT paper discriminatory? Critically comment. ............ 87
Statutory, Regulatory and Quasi-judicial bodies .................................... 88
Explain the composition and mandate of CBI. Comment on the recent verdict of Guwahati High Court
questioning the very existence and legality of CBI. (200 Words)............................................ 88
Do you think total autonomy to CBI would hurt criminal justice system? Comment. (150 Words) 88
Q. Critically comment on the role and importance of the Prime Minister‘s Office in India.89
Q. A key determinant of the role of the states in a federal polity is their participation in the formulation
and implementation of critical economic plans. Do you think India‘s Planning Commission is truly
federal in its nature and functioning? Examine what needs to be done. ............................... 90
What are the major inter-state river water disputes between riparian states in the peninsular India?
Explain the role of Tribunals in resolving these disputes. (250 Words) ................................. 90
Write a note on Mahadayi River Water Dispute. (200 Words) ................................................ 91
Critically examine the ideas and motivations that helped India to adopt economic planning for the
development of country after Independence. ............................................................................ 91
―…what India needs is not a new Planning Commission, not a new think tank, but a state-building
commission. ‖ In the light of arguments that state machineries need to be strengthened to bring growth
and development, critically analyse the statement. .................................................................. 92
―The body that replaces the Planning Commission should not be old wine in a new bottle.‖ In your
opinion, what should be the ideal composition and functions of new body that replaces the Planning
Commission? Comment. ............................................................................................................... 92
Write a note on SEBI‘s recent launch of Real Estate and Infrastructure Investment Trusts.93
Examine why there is a demand for amending the Consumer Protection Act, 1986? Comment on its
present provisions .......................................................................................................................... 94
―Human rights commissions are powerless to render any ―real service‖ to human rights.‖ Critically
comment. ......................................................................................................................................... 94
Does DRDO need a separate commission like Atomic Energy Commission and Space Commission to
make its laboratories more efficient and autonomous? Examine. (200 Words) .................... 95
Write a note on the need and highlights of draft Regulatory Reforms Bill, 2013. (200 Words) 95
The Indian competition enforcement system has been wisely designed, keeping in mind both the
―deterrence‖ and the ―compensation‖ goals of competition law.‖ Comment. ..................... 96
―The new Drug Price Control Order (DPCO) that prescribes a ceiling price on several essential medicines
is boon to patients but pain to chemists.‖ Comment.(200 Words).......................................... 97
Q--Do you agree with the view that the Planning Commission is redundant and should be wound up? In
the light of its present functions, critically comment. ............................................................... 97
Q--Why was the Planning Commission set up? Critically comment on its evolution since independence.
.......................................................................................................................................................... 98
Q---Critically comment on the relevance of the institution of Planning Commission in the context of a
rapidly changing Indian economy and society.......................................................................... 99
Q---Critically evaluate the role played by the Competition Commission of India in upholding its
mandate. .......................................................................................................................................... 99
Q--Write a note on the composition, necessity, role and mandate of the Law Commission of India. 100
Government Policies & Interventions for development of various sectors (issues
in their design, implementation) .............................................................. 101
Q-―Most government schemes fail not because they are inherently defective, but because many a times
on the ground the necessary infrastructure is non-existent.‖ Comment (150 Words) ....... 101
―In India, the functioning of democratic institutions and the deepening of the democratic process along
with the efforts to implement constitutional mandates for affirmative action have induced higher levels
of political mobilization.‖ Do you agree with this view? Elaborate. (200 Words).............. 101
Do you think AFSPA is anti-constitutional? Substantiate. (150 Words) .............................. 102
Critically assess the role of MGNREGA in empowering rural women in India. (200 Words) 102
Has MGNREGA benefited Indian farmer? Comment. (150 Words) .................................... 103
The anti-poverty programmes are leaky and inefficient, unable to lift Indians out of poverty.‖ Comment.
(150 Words) ................................................................................................................................... 103
Q. In India, the National Design Policy, announced in 2007, has not sufficiently focussed on socially
useful products. Identify the areas where creative, affordable, enduring and useful public structures are
much needed in India and comment on the existing architecture built by government funds in rural and
urban regions. ............................................................................................................................... 104
Q10. Do you think India‘s early childhood programs have succeeded in their mission? Critically examine
their functioning and need for reforms. If possible cite any example from other countries that can be
implemented in India. (250 Words) (Hint: talk about ICDS, anganwadi system, malnutrition, IMR, creche
system under NREGA etc) .......................................................................................................... 104
Question - Write a note on Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan. ....................................................... 105
Question - Is Aadhar initiative a failure? Critically comment. (200 Words) ....................... 105
Question - Write a note on the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme of the Indian government.
(200 Words) ................................................................................................................................... 106
In our rural and urban areas both water and sanitation are closely linked and hence the two should go
hand in hand. Comment on the statement in the light of continuing practice of open defecation by large
number of Indians and government‘s efforts to bring sanitation from past 65 years. (200 Words) 106
Write a note on the National Nutrition Mission (200 Words) ............................................... 107
Write a note on PURA model. (200 Words) ............................................................................. 108
Write a note on the objectives and components of National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) (200
Words) ........................................................................................................................................... 108
Has the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission programme succeeded in its mission?
Evaluate. (200 Words).................................................................................................................. 109
―The systems and strategies put in place to reach every child in every part of the country with lifesaving
polio vaccines can be used to save millions of children from other preventable diseases.‖ Elaborate. (200
Words) ........................................................................................................................................... 109
Analyze the measures needed to be taken to move towards sustainable solutions to urban water and
waste management. (200 Words) ............................................................................................... 111
Examine the merits and demerits of raising FDI in the insurance sector from 26 to 49 per cent. 111
Examine the criticisms against the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition,
Resettlement and Rehabilitation Act, which was notified in December 2013. .................... 112
Write a note on union government‘s new scheme – Financial Inclusion Mission.............. 113
Highlight the sociocultural importance of rural and traditional sports in India. What measures can
government take to protect waning traditional sports in India? (200 Words) .................... 114
The passage of the long-pending Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) Bill
confers several benefits to the organised pension sector.‖ Critically examine. (250 Words)115
Rampant encroachment and the misuse and usurpation of wakf assets representing Islamic religious
endowments is the reality across India.‖ Throw light on different measures taken by the government to
bring transparent administration and to stop illegal encroachments of wakf assets . (200 Words) 115
How can India allay the fears of nuclear suppliers about India‘s nuclear liability law without amending
it? (150 Words) .............................................................................................................................. 115
What is distress migration? Explain with examples which factors lead to this type of migration in India.
(200 Words) ................................................................................................................................... 115
Why did India enact a nuclear liability law? What are the concerns of nuclear suppliers regarding this
law? Do you think this law adversely affects India‘s energy security? Analyze ................ 116
The emphasis of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) Bill should be to ensure that the benefits of
surrogacy are most beneficial to those who are weakest in the supply chain – the surrogates.‖ Elaborate
........................................................................................................................................................ 116
What are the highlights of India‘s Whistleblower‘s Bill 2011? Analyze its drawbacks and suggest
improvements. (200 Words) ....................................................................................................... 117
Critically examine India‘s record in handling various refugee related problems since independence. 117
.Why the Bill on Women‘s Reservation in Parliament is not yet passed? What are the issues surrounding
it? Examine. ................................................................................................................................... 118
‖The Companies Act 2013 is in many parts a shabbily drafted law, defined not by clear principles but by
an enormous and unwieldy edifice of myriad central government rules.‖ Critically analyse. 118
Q1 )There is a need to revisit India‘s entire policy on identification and registration so that the twin
objectives of knowing who a citizen is and ensuring effective delivery of services are not undermined.‖
Examine ......................................................................................................................................... 119
Suggest some measures to tackle the problem of power theft in India? .............................. 120

In the light of increasing health risks associated with consumption of tobacco products, critically
comment on government‘s policy on tobacco cultivation and its products. ....................... 120
Critically comment on Road safety issues & measure taken by govt. to address these issues in India. 121
Why even so called developed states in India have large number of children suffering from malnutrition?
Examine the plausible factors behind this anomaly. (150 Words) ........................................ 123
Comment how far Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1972 has been successful in preventing
non-institutional abortions and explain the factors responsible for the rise in such non-institutional
abortions. (250 Words) ................................................................................................................ 123
In your opinion, what should be governments‘s priorities in the health sector? Critically examine the
roadblocks involved in bringing universal healthcare system in India. .............................. 124
‗Foreign education is both a vital ‗export‘ service that earns sizable revenue, and a powerful connector
between countries and peoples.‘ In the light of the statement, examine how India can build good
relationships with foreign countries by attracting their students to the country. .............. 125
Analyze the factors that have led to large scale migration of people from Kerala to Middle East countries.
........................................................................................................................................................ 125
====Analyze the factors that have led to large scale migration of people from Kerala to Middle East
countries. ....................................................................................................................................... 125
Haryana has one of the lowest sex ratio in the country. What are the factors responsible for this and what
implications does low sex ratio has on the society? Critically analyze. (200 Words) ......... 126
Explain how MNREGA scheme works. Critically comment on its design especially with reference to
transparency and accountability measures. ............................................................................. 126
Q--What improvements would you suggest to the MGNREGA scheme and why? Elucidate. 127
Q-In the light of India‘s regulatory mechanism and university system, critically comment on major
problems faced by higher education system. ........................................................................... 127
Q--Do you think Right Education Act needed constitutional status? Critically comment, especially
keeping in mind objections raised by unaided private schools. ........................................... 128
Q--―A uniform policy at the central level should focus on access to higher education and not on any
―right‖ to education. The rights-based narrative should be confined to universal primary education
alone, a fundamental right.‖ Comment. ................................................................................... 129
Q-Critically comment on the rights issue involved in Supreme Court‘s recent judgement upholding the
constitutional validity of the provision in the Right to Education Act reserving 25 percent seats in private
schools for economically disadvantaged students. ................................................................. 130
Q---‗The controversy over the Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) raises several important
issues on university autonomy, academic freedom, the regulatory powers of the University Grants
Commission and the power of the Central government to interfere in higher education in the country.‘
Critically analyse. ......................................................................................................................... 131
Q---Examine why right to education was not made a fundamental right by the Constituent Assembly
when it drafted the Constitution of India? ............................................................................... 132
Q--Critically evaluate the steps taken during the Eleventh Five year plan to boost higher education
sector. ............................................................................................................................................. 132
Q--Critically examine the arguments in favour of privatisation of higher education in India. Do you
think higher education should be completely privatised? Comment. ................................. 133
The Hindu ..................................................................................................................................... 133
Q--What do you understand by broad based education system? What are its benefits? .. 134
Q--Critically examine the benefits of reservation in higher education. ............................... 135

Q-Comment on recent controversy over the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa)
rankings about learning levels around the world. .................................................................. 136
Q-Write a critical note on Kerala government‘s Kudumbashree scheme. ........................... 137
Q--Critically comment on the type of development India needs considering its social and economic
realities and requirements. ......................................................................................................... 138
Q--Critically comment on the causes behind rise in drug abuse cases in Punjab. .............. 140
Q--Critically comment on government‘s taxation policy on tobacco products in India.... 140
India‘s high smoking rate causes alarming health and economic costs. One of the most effective ways to
reduce tobacco use in India is to raise the price of tobacco products through increase in excise tax. Higher
prices discourage youth from initiating cigarette smoking and encourage current smokers to quit.
Raising tax not only saves lives but also increases the government revenue. .................... 140
Development Processes & Development industry (role of NGOs, SHGs, groups &
associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders)141
Question - ―We need an effective international organisation that supports the rights of the world‘s most
vulnerable people i.e. people with disabilities.‖ Comment. (200 Words) (the question has 2 dimensions –
1st vulnerable section and 2nd different organizations that help them) ................................ 141
In the light of questions raised on their autonomy and integrity, critically comment on the mandate and
role of various human rights institutions in India and the part played by governments in upholding
their independence. ..................................................................................................................... 141
In the light of recent reports on the activities of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), critically
comment on their role in development and strengthening of economy and democracy. 142
Discuss how and in what ways private sector can play an important role in rural development. 142
Q role of SHGs in development ................................................................................................. 143
Q--Critically comment on the role of NGOs in the development process and development industry in the
country. .......................................................................................................................................... 143
Welfare Schemes (centre, states; performance, mechanisms, laws, institutions and
bodies constituted for protection of vulnerable sections) ................... 144
What are the obstacles faced being by governments in developing tribal areas across the country? Do you
think present schemes implemented by the Union government for the welfare of tribal areas are yielding
results? Explain why. (250 Words) ............................................................................................ 144
Q. A recent study (India Human Development Survey (IHDS) of 2004-05) has found that the
implementation of RTE and NRHM schemes have actually reversed the objectives of both the schemes.
Critically comment on the reasons behind this reversal. ....................................................... 145
Q. In the light of recent Supreme Court judgement, critically analyse all the positive and negative
criticisms against Aadhar project............................................................................................... 145
Highlight the important features of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2013. (200 Words) 146
Highlight the important features of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2013. (200 Words) 146
Question - ―Societally sanctioned rape and sexual assault is not new in India.‖ Critically comment. (200
Words) topic - (protection of vulnerable sections – women) ................................................. 146
Question - Should the current caste-based reservation system be replaced with an economic criteria-
based regime? Critically comment. (200 Words) ..................................................................... 146

Question - What measures has Indian taken to stop child abuse and to ensure protection of children in
line with the UN guidelines? Explain. (200 Words) ................................................................ 147
Question - Analyze the important provisions of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and
Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2014 . (200 Words) ........................................................... 147
Critically comment on the objectives of and challenges likely to be faced by the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan
Yojana. ........................................................................................................................................... 148
Critically examine the problems faced by farmers in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. What measures
have been taken to address their problems by the state and the union government? Explain. 148
Write a critical note on the Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Act, 2011 . (200 Words) 149
Write a note on the important recommendations of the Mihir Shah Task Force Committee on
Comprehensive National Social Assistance Program (Pension). (200 Words) .................... 149
Critically evaluate India‘s strategy and efforts to combat AIDS. (200 Words) ................... 150
―The new disabilities bill could help enshrine a more modern understanding of the issue.‖ Elaborate.
(200 Words) ................................................................................................................................... 151
Do you think the idea of imparting of education being treated as a trade is wrong? Critically comment in
the light of the issue of collection of capitation fee in private educational institutes in India. 152
Some argue that Indian youth, especially vast majority of engineering graduates lack necessary skills to
work in innovation industries. Do you agree with the view? Substantiate. (200 Words) . 153
Do you support the establishment of branches of foreign universities in India? Substantiate. (200 Words)
........................................................................................................................................................ 153
Critically examine the loopholes that exist in both the public and private health sectors in India. Explain
in what ways private medical practices can be regulated to ensure affordable and quality healthcare to
the people. ..................................................................................................................................... 154
What are the objectives of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM)? Do we need two separate
schemes for rural and urban population? Comment. (200 Words) ...................................... 154
―The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) has served as the
major catalyst in the global movement from viewing persons with disabilities as objects of charity,
medical treatment and social protection towards viewing them as full and equal members of society,
with human rights.‖ Critically analyze in the context of India‘s efforts at passing a legislation for disabled
persons on the line of above mentioned convention. (200 Words) ....................................... 155
Critically evaluate the NRLM and its objectives. (200 Words)The Hindu........................... 157
What is social audit? How effective is social audit in effective implementation of many government
schemes? Explain with examples. (200 Words) ....................................................................... 158
Critically evaluate the programme design and the performance of NREGA ..................... 158
What are the functions of the National Skill Development Corporation? Write a note on its importance
and performance in recent years. ............................................................................................... 158
With examples, illustrate the importance of social audit in evaluating the implementation and progress
of government schemes. .............................................................................................................. 159
What are the economic, cultural and sociological reasons behind lack of proper toilets in the majority
households in India? Do you think ‗Nirmal Bharat Abhiyaan (NBA) Scheme‘ would eradicate the open
defecation practice? Comment. (200 Words)............................................................................ 160
What were the important findings and recommendations of Sachar committee report? (200 Words) 160

Write a critical note on the importance and methods of evaluating government schemes that are funded
by the taxpayers‘ money. ............................................................................................................ 161
―Aadhaar is the biggest anti-corruption platform.‖ Do you agree with this view? Substantiate. (200
Words) ........................................................................................................................................... 161
How can India eliminate the practice of open defecation in India? Suggest measures and give examples
of any existing successful models. (200 words) ....................................................................... 161
What are the important features of Forest Rights Act 2006? Bring out the criticisms against the bill. (200
Words) ........................................................................................................................................... 162
Q7. Analyze what systemic factors are responsible for the poor quality of higher education in India. (200
Words). .......................................................................................................................................... 162
What are the main objectives of Direct Benefit Transfer program launched by the government of India?
What are the drawbacks of the program? Comment. ............................................................. 163
Question - ―The critical issue in India, where the pentavalent vaccine is being rolled out, is raising the
coverage levels of immunization.‖ Elucidate. (200 Words) ................................................... 163
Question - ―The Global Burden of Disease Study 2010 has established that indoor air pollution from cook
stoves is a primary cause of disease and death in South Asia. ‖ Elaborate. (200 Words) (topics are health
and pollution) ............................................................................................................................... 164
Question - What are autoimmune diseases and how they are caused? Examine the magnitude of its
presence in India‘s population. (200 Words)............................................................................ 164
Question - What is Option B Plus under AIDS treatment? Explain its advantages. (200 Words) 165
Question - India accounts for an astounding 29 per cent of the global deaths of newborns on their very
first day of birth. What measures has government taken to address this problem? Has it been successful?
Examine. (200 Words).................................................................................................................. 165
Critically discuss India‘s Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) and its success. ..... 165
Examine how India managed to eradicate polio in the country. (200 Words) .................... 166
What are the causes of high infant mortality rate (IMR) in India? Examine the measures taken by the
government in reducing IMR. (200 Words) ............................................................................. 167
―Overcrowding in hospitals, malnutrition, unhygienic tropical environs heighten problem of fungal
infection in India.‖ Highlight the magnitude of the problem, its causes and measures that need to be
taken to improve the situation. (200 Words) ............................................................................ 167
Analyze why India needs a comprehensive new disability rights legislation. (200 Words)168
In your opinion, what are the advantages and disadvantages of direct cash transfer to beneficiaries of
various schemes? Should PDS continue in its present form? Explain why. (200 Words) . 168
Write a note on Integrated Program for Older Persons (IPOP) scheme. (200 Words) ....... 169
Write a critical note on the role of bureaucracy in improving the education outcomes in Indian schools.
(200 Words) ................................................................................................................................... 169
―India‘s curriculum outpaces what pupils can realistically learn and achieve in the time given‖.
Comment on the statement in the light of recent findings by various reports about the poor quality of
education in India. ....................................................................................................................... 170
What are deemed universities and why were they conferred that status? Comment on the state of higher
education in India in the light of controversy surrounding these deemed universities. (200 Words)The
Hindu ............................................................................................................................................. 170

―The UGC is not able to do justice to its mandate in light of ‗massification‘ of higher education‖.
Critically comment....................................................................................................................... 171
Critically comment on the recent controversy over introduction of four year degree course by some
Universities in India..................................................................................................................... 171
A strong policy on early childhood care and education was long overdue because of the poor
performance of ICDS in many states.‖ Critically examine the key provisions of draft National Early
Childhood Care and Education policy (ECCE) in the light of the given statement. (200 Words) 171
Explain the importance of providing three percent reservations to disabled persons in government job.
(150 Words) ................................................................................................................................... 172
It is not enough to talk about pursuing excellence; to establish and build world-class universities of
excellence, the ecosystem of higher education has to change dramatically. ‖ In the light of the statement,
critically discuss which are all the changes that need to be brought in the higher education sector. 172
― .Critically examine the various problems that a small and marginal farmer faces in India despite good
monsoon and implementation of myriad farm related schemes. ......................................... 172
‖In the Indian context, building more and more toilets alone would not end open defecation in rural
areas.‖ In the light of the statements, critically comment on the fundamental reasons behind the practice
of open defecation in India and the policies needed to end this practice. ........................... 173
What is ‗sex education‘? What are its objectives? Do you think it is necessary to enforce it in schools as
part of curriculum? Critically comment. .................................................................................. 173
.In your opinion, should obesity be treated as disability? Critically comment. .................. 174
Q--Critically comment on the Social Progress Imperative and explain how is it different from other
indices that strive to measure development. ........................................................................... 174
Q--Examine the leading causes of high infant and maternal mortality rates in India. What steps need to
be taken and what is the cost of neglecting interventions to reduce these rates? Analyse.175
Q--What is Green Tobacco Sickness? Examine its causes, symptoms and prevalence in . 176
Q-Critically evaluate how and with what results the fight against AIDS was carried out by UN and the
global community with special reference to India. ................................................................. 176
Q---Critically examine the reforms needed to make healthcare affordable and universal in India. 176
Q--How is the Human Development Index calculated? Critically analyse India‘s ranking in the 2014 HDI
report.............................................................................................................................................. 178
Q--Why do close to 70 per cent of India‘s sick, mostly belonging to the poor or lower middle class, choose
to go to the private sector when there is ostensibly free healthcare in the public system? Critically
comment. ....................................................................................................................................... 178
Q--- Examine the causes of obesity around the world. Discuss its effect on health. .......... 178
Q--Write a note on the mechanism of AIDS virus infection in humans. Explain the latest breakthroughs
in AIDS treatment. ....................................................................................................................... 180
Q---According to reports and various opinions, the declining standards of medical education coupled
with poor health service delivery continue to be major national concerns. Discuss the reforms needed in
the health sector to improve the standards of medical education and health delivery. .... 181
Q-Critically comment on the design and implementation of the Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan
(RUSA) scheme. ........................................................................................................................... 182
Q) Do you think a repeal and re-enactment of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act,
2000 (the JJ Act), the country‘s primary law dealing with children in conflict with the law and children in
need of care is needed? Explain why. ....................................................................................... 182
Poverty and hunger issues .......................................................................... 183

Q. According to WHO, Vector-borne diseases are adding to the vicious cycle of poverty and have a
significant impact of socio-economic status of communities. Which are those diseases? How do they
exacerbate poverty? Comment. .................................................................................................. 183
Q. The recently-concluded India Human Development Survey (IHDS) seems to suggest that the
inclusive growth policy implemented during the 11th Five Year Plan may have been working. How?
Examine. ........................................................................................................................................ 184
Q. It is found that certain cancers are affected by the socio-economic status of individuals in India.
Elaborate with examples. ............................................................................................................ 185
Q. What measures can government take to stop the spread of cancer in India? Examine.185
Q. Comment on the nature and magnitude of drinking water problem in India. What measures would
you suggest to overcome these problems? ............................................................................... 186
1. ―Childhood obesity has become the most serious health concern – even in our part of the world, where
malnutrition is a big concern. ‖ Critically comment on the reasons behind this paradox.186
Q. Explain how technology can be harnessed to bring sanitation to Indian villages and cities 188
Q. Critically examine the problems being faced by the state and central governments in properly
implementing welfare schemes.................................................................................................. 188
Q. ―To improve overall health, the public health sector will have to coordinate and collaborate with other
sectors, nationally and regionally, and with several stakeholders.‖ In the light of the statement, critically
comment on the role of the governments, political parties in reforming this sector.......... 189
Q. Explain how technology can be harnessed to bring sanitation to Indian villages and cities. 190
Despite sufficient food production, India faces food insecurity problem. Critically examine the important
reasons behind this insecurity and throw light on upcoming challenges if this insecurity continues to
persist. ............................................................................................................................................ 191
Critically comment on the approach taken by the Rangarajan committee to measure poverty in India.
........................................................................................................................................................ 192
Critically examine India‘s achievements in meeting the targets of the Millennium Development Goals.
........................................................................................................................................................ 193
―It is imperative that the government reviews the methods of gathering data on poverty estimates
without further delay and significantly retool its development schemes.‖ Comment. (200 Words) 194
Q---―When it comes to economic matters, the government is an enabler and facilitator. Its primary job is
to develop and maintain a system in which people – the rich and the poor – can take steps by themselves
to better their lives. ‖ In the light of the statement, critically examine the nature of poverty removal
programmes in India. .................................................................................................................. 195
Q-Explain the importance of minimally invasive education concept and its application in India.(200
words) ............................................................................................................................................ 196
Q- Critically analyze the role of ASHAs as an interface between the community and the public health
system. Have they been successful in their mission? Give your views. (200 Words) ....... 196
Q-Comment on the recommendations of High Level Expert Group on Universal Health Coverage of the
Planning Commission. (150 Words) .......................................................................................... 197
Q-Critically examine India‘s Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) (200 Words) 198
Q-Critically evaluate Brazil‘s Bolsa Familia program in eradicating poverty. Examine in which schemes
this program can be adopted in India successfully. (200 Words) ......................................... 199

Q-Bring out the importance of social prescribing in providing a healthcare solution to patients suffering
from mental health problems. (150 Words).............................................................................. 199
Q- Critically examine the steps taken by the government in ensuring safe institutional delivery for
pregnant women in India. (200 Words) ................................................................................... 200
Q-In your opinion why India has high rate of MMR? (150 Words) ..................................... 200
Q-Has affirmative action affected wellbeing of people belonging to forward classes? Critically comment
if there is need to introduce the policy of affirmative action in favor of forward classes too. (200 Words)
........................................................................................................................................................ 201
Q-Do you agree with the view that Karnataka‘s Shaadi Bhagya scheme is unconstitutional?
Substantiate. (150 Words) ........................................................................................................... 201
Q-Comment on India‘s efforts to protect children under five from deaths caused by preventable
diseases. (200 Words)................................................................................................................... 201
Q-Do you support more government spending on social sectors schemes? Analyze the benefits or
drawbacks of such spendings taking cue from past and present performances of many high budget social
sector schemes. (200 Words) ....................................................................................................... 202
Q-Salinet features of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) (100 Words) ........... 202
Q-What are the important schemes undertaken by the government to improve the socio-economic
condition of the tribal population in India? Do you think those schemes have made positive impact?
Examine. (250 Words).................................................................................................................. 202
Important aspects of governance............................................................... 203
Discuss community policing as a tool for better policing. (150 words) ............................... 203
What is a Cabinet Committee? What is the composition and functions of Cabinet Committee on
Economic Affairs (CCEA)? (200 Words) ................................................................................... 203
With an example, examine how corruption can be reduced in government sponsored schemes. 204
―The quality and volume of public goods and services supplied by the government as well as the
effectiveness and efficiency of welfare transfers determine the voter behaviour in India.‖ Analyze. (200
Words) ........................................................................................................................................... 204
Analyze the important provisions of the draft Right of Citizens for Time Bound Delivery of Goods and
Services and Redressal of their Grievances Bill, 2011. (200 Words)...................................... 205
―…governance cannot simply mean growth any more but means the way it contributes through a
discourse of accountability, institutional procedures and transparency to widening economic
opportunities and a more inclusive democratic order.‖ Elaborate. (200 Words)The Hindu206
―Populist anarchy cannot be a substitute for governance. ―Comment in the light of recent political
developments in the country. (200 Words) .............................................................................. 206
‖The lack of involvement of beneficiaries, who are systematically dis-empowered and discouraged from
questioning service delivery and holding implementing agencies accountable, is one of the key reasons
for implementation failure of various government schemes.‖ Elaborate highlighting the importance of
social audits. (200 Words) ........................................................................................................... 207
What do you understand by governance? Discuss its relationship with economic growth.208
―Key to sustaining economic growth and promoting development is good governance and quality
decision-making.‖ Examine the factors that affect good governance and ethical decision making in the
higher echelons of government. (200 Words) .......................................................................... 209

.Examine what measures were recommended by the Second Administrative Reforms Commission to
bring speed and efficiency in governance. ............................................................................... 210
.Examine in what ways India can do away with unwanted archaic laws. .......................... 210
Analyse the lacunae observed in urban governance in India. ............................................... 210
Do you agree with the view that centralisation of decision-making powers and concentration of more
powers with the Prime Minister would eventually lead to an authoritarian system of governance? In the
context of India, critically comment. ......................................................................................... 211
Q--India‘s inability to provide public services to its masses is hindering its growth. Why do you think
India is unable to deliver public services efficiently to all its citizens? ................................ 212
Q--In your opinion, what are the major reasons behind delays in project clearances in India and what are
its consequences? Critically examine. ....................................................................................... 213
Q---Write a note on ‗Mee Seva‘ project of Andhra Pradesh government. ........................... 214
Transaparency and accountability (institutional and other measures)214
Comment on the Section 8(1)(i) of the Right to Information Act (100 WORDS) ................. 214
Do you think Indian media needs regulation? Comment why? (200 Words) ..................... 215
Why some Sections of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act were recently in news?215
―The provision of negative voting would be in the interests of promoting democracy and is a giant step
forward in push for more electoral reforms.‖ Critically analyse. (250 Words) ................... 215
What is the principle behind introducing None Of The Above (NOTA) in the Electronic Voting Machines
and ballot papers? Is it enough to radical reforms in the electoral system? Analyze. ....... 216
―The recent controversies involving sports administrative bodies in India calls for integrity and
transparency in their decision making process and overall functioning.‖ Critically comment. (200 Words)
........................................................................................................................................................ 216
Q--Comment on the highlights of the Whistleblowers Protection Bill, 2011 ....................... 217
Q--Which two colonial era laws would you like to see repealed or replaced and why? Critically
comment. ....................................................................................................................................... 218
E-Governance (applications, models, successes, limitations, potential)218
Write a note on the National Population Register (NPR) scheme. ...................................... 218
Write a note on Mobile Seva initiative of the government of India. ..................................... 219
Role of Civil Services in a democracy. ..................................................... 219
‖ Fixed minimum tenure would not only enable the civil servants to achieve their professional targets,
but also help them to function as effective instruments of public policy.‖ Critically evaluate. (200 Words)
........................................................................................................................................................ 219
What are the objectives of civil service reforms in India? Critically examine the various steps taken by the
government and judiciary in bringing civil service reforms in India. .................................. 220
Critically comment the role of media in influencing the public opinion, especially in India. Is it good for
the country? Explain. (200 Words) ............................................................................................ 220

can acquire any property in the state.

However, the J&K High Court Order of 2002 held
that daughter of Permanent Resident of J&K will
Historical underpinnings & evolution not lose her Permanent Resident status on
marrying a person outside the state and will have
all rights including property rights
Q. Critically comment on the Indra Sawhney
judgment of 1992. Do you think the judgement
needs revision? Substantiate.
Q:Critically evaluate the role played by the Five
Principles of Peaceful Coexistence or
Panchsheel principles in improving India and
 The Mandal commission was formed to
China‘s relationship. Examine if these
identify the social and the educationally
principles are still relevant today.
backward and to provide for the
reservations to remove the discrimination.
 The recommendation of the commission
provided for the 27 percent reservation for
Panchsheel Agreement was signed between India
the backward class. This was further
and China in 1954. Its Five principles include:
increased by 10 percent to incorporate the
1. Peaceful co-existence
socially and the educationally backward.
2. Non-interference in internal affairs
 At this juncture, Judiciary has to intervene
3. Non-aggression
and in its judgment it provided for the
4. Mutual respect for each other‘s territorial
caste to be included as a criteria for
integrity
determining backwardness.
5. Equality and mutual benefit
 The judgment also put a cap on the Role played
reservation to 50 percent and prohibited 1. It helped to reduce tensions between the two
the reservation in the promotions. countries which might have arisen due to the
 It allowed the executive to make Cold War against the backdrop of which it was
provisions for the reservations within the conceived
restrictions made. 2. Post 1962, by applying these principles, co-
 Hence in this judgement caste as the main operation between the two Countries increased
factor for reservation was taken. by leaps and bounds.
a. High bilateral trade
b. No bloddshed at LAC after 1962
Q:Is Article 370 a source of gender bias in c. Commitment to resolve border dispute by
disqualifying women from the State of property negotiations
rights? (150 Words) Relevance
1. Today India and China are emerging
Ans. Article 370 provides for a separate economies. For development they need a just
constitution of the state with separate provision world economic, political and security order.
including those relating to status as Permanent They need to increase their co-operation in
Resident. In the separate constitution, the various for a like BRICS, WTO, UN climate
definition of Permanent Resident was based on change.
notification issued by Maharaja of J&K in 1927 2. Both are threatened by terrorism within their
and 1932. The notification states that women of borders from the same neoghbourhood
the state shall continue to be Permanent Resident 3. Both share the dream of rising in the world
of the state, as long as they reside in the state and order for which they need to engage on
do not leave the state. This gave rise to Panchsheel lines and remove mutual distrust
apprehensions that there was gender bias in giving way to co-operation
disqualifying women from State of property
rights since only Permanent Resident of the state

Hence, for our shared goals, not only ‗peaceful *there are not any time schedules in selection
co-existence‘ but also ‗mutual respect‘ is process.
necessary *allegations of bias, nepotism and yielding to
political pressures have surfaced eroding the
credibility of process.
Q:Critically examine the birth of collegium *increasing incidences of misconduct of judges
system in India and its merits and demerits. raises doubts about quality of appointments
made.
Ans: *the process is also criticised for being an
armchair exercise as collegium members
Overt interference by government in appointment primarily from SC do not have adequate
of CJIs in 1973 and 1977 by overlooking seniority firsthand information regarding credentials of
principle raised concerns about politicisation of candidates.
judiciary. This concern was later deliberated upon Due to these reasons clamour for replacement of
by SC in a series of three cases, regarding collegium by JAC has increased. However, an
appointment of judges in supreme court and high institution (with or without executive
courts, as follows: participation) by itself is not panacea rather it is
1)First Judges case(1982) upheld primacy of only the extent of transparency and
executive in appointment of judges. accountability of procedure which can redeem the
2)Second Judges case1993 changed the meaning process of judicial appointments.
of ―consultation‖ in art 124 and 217 to mean
effectively ―concurrence‖ with CJI.Thus was
borne the idea of participative consultation Collegium system is a unique contribution of
through collegium system for appointment of Indian judiciary that has no parallel in the world.
judges. It implies that judges appoint their brother judges
3) Third Judgescase 1998 gave concrete shape to without executive interference.
collegium directing that CJI must consult his four Evolution of collegium system has it roots in
seniormost colleagues in case of selecting SC emergency period when the concept of commited
judges and two seniormost colleagues in case of judiciary evolved. Judges not toeing the executive
HC judges. line were discriminated in appointments and
Thus collegium system curtailed executives role promotions. To correct this malise in the ‗Second
to mere consultation. Judge Case‘ Justice J S Verma put collegium
Proponents of this mechanism cite many sytem of appointment of judges. The collegium
advantages like: consisting of two senior most judges of Supreme
* it has checked politicisation of judiciary and court and Cheif justice of India who‘s role was
helped maintain its independence from executive primal without executive interference. The ‗Third
. Judge Case‘ expanded collegium to have plurality
*it has provided an institutional mechanism to of 4 senior most judges along with Cheif Justice of
appoint judges and minimise arbitrariness of India. President was reduced as a mere approver.
process.Also the mechanism says that even if two The collegium system restored the independence
judges oppose any candidate that name should of judiciary. It insulated judiciary from executive
not be recommended. intrusion. Plurality insured objectivity in
*Moreover, collegium comprising of judges can selection.This was necessary to restore the health
better evaluate a candidate‘s knowledge than of democracy.
layman executive. The collegium system is vehemently debated on
But an analysis of functioning of collegium the issues of lack of transparency and
system has exposed its faults too like: accountability. Collegium system is insulated
*the selection process is not transparent with no from RTI. Thus, rarely anything is know about
information on criteria adopted and reasons for such a vital organ of democracy. Complete
choice in the public domain. exclusion of executive has purged any
accountability in the process. P D Dinakaran and

Soumitra Sen appointment and elevation has must be made public with a brief justification for
corraborated the claims of lack of transparency. such legislation, broad financial implications and
Recently, revelations by Justice Katju and effect on fundamental rights, lives and
removal of Gopal Subramaniam has brought fore livelihoods of affected people. Once this is
the covert intrusion and pressure casted by changes are made the bill will not face opposition
executives. Thus collegium is failing the basic in the later stage as bills which garner public
purpose of its creation. consensus will only be tabled.
Independence of judiciary is vital for democracy
and is also a basic structure of Constitution. The
present state of malise in executive machinery
demands continuation of collegium system. To Question - ―India‘s Parliaments have been
bring accountability Collegium process should be rendered non-functional — not by rowdy MPs
brought under the ambit of RTI. This will but by the executive which has concentrated
preserve the integrity of the institution. total power in its hands.‖ Critically comment.
Answer - The Parliament is the fountainhead of

India‘s democracy. The essence of democracy is
debate among the elected representatives to
dissect the merit of a legislative proposal on the
Features, amendments, significant national interest and public welfare.
provisions, basic structure The recent frequent disruption confounded by
reprehensible incidents such as use of chemical,
tearing of papers, throwing of furniture and
Question - How bills are usually passed in the blocking introduction by thronging well have
Parliament? Do you think the process requires rendered the Parliament non-functional.
any modification, especially in bringing more The issue however must be analysed whether it is
transparency and inclusiveness? Analyze. (200
a manifestation of rowdy MPs or the executive
Words) (features and amendments constitution)
concentration of power. In this respect, it has to
be seen in light of the fractured mandate
Answer - We have come to see that there has been
characterising coalition polity of today,
much uproar regarding the bills introduced by
criminalization of politics and thirdly, populism
the government from inside and outside of the
and short-termism approach of government.
parliament. This uproar has been mostly at the
First the rise of regional parties as well as rising
later stage of the bill processing when the bill is
media glare has led to a fractured mandate
placed before the house and the bill becomes
coming out of elections. The coalition polity
public. This has resulted into delay in passage of
which results is usually found pulling on separate
bill.
interests concerning them. Although Anti-
These foggy conditions surrounding the bill are defection has helped curb the instability but still it
due to the drafting process. The drafted bill is not has led to increased violence and dissent
always placed before the public for feedback. The expressed in form of protests and shouting by
draft bill only moves in the corridors of ministry, MPs for a legislation which transgresses their
standing committee and parliament this just does regional interests. This is not related to executive
not take into account the demands and concentration of power but a lack of it. Second
aspirations of the public as well as the opposition. issue is the criminalization of politics whereby the
So this colonial setup must be changed to become muscle and money power have come to rule
more inclusive. particularly in hinterlands and the political
parties give ticket to such candidates based on
The committee of secretaries & the national
winnability factor. It follows that such candidates
advisory council has proposed some changes so
if elected, not based on credentials and public will
that the bill becomes more inclusive. Some of
but by manipulative coercion, will definitely
these recommendations are that the draft bill
impact the quality of debate in Parliament.

Finally, the populism and short-termism of people. This can be seen in the Budget process
government is evident more so in an election year where the policies determines not only the future
to hurriedly pass through critical bills without a of big corporate but also the MSME and cottage
proper debate or scrutiny. Such legislation is industries.
maneuvered by backchannel debates among the
major political parties based on electoral For a stronger world economy trade is vital. A
calculations and the result id passing of bills y country which can assimilate the different
voice vote. interests of its society and progresses keeping all
It is essential that the sanctity of Parliament must sections in mind will be in a better position to
be maintained as it is exemplary to the promote trade and assimilate the world into itself.
democratic virtues which guide the nation.
Electoral reforms notwithstanding, an Another advantage with democracy is it offers
enlightened citizenry shall be developed by peace better than any other form. To a great
encouraging debate and dissent voices not stifling peaceful countries in the world are democracies.
them. Peace is a precondition for a booming economy.
A world economy would be on strong

foundations if all sections of the world are taken
Q:― Re-empowering national democracies places
into confidence and nobody is benefitted at the
the world economy on a stronger footing.‖
cost of others. Democracies in countries demand
Elaborate.
more from their govt. this will make the govt.
protect its interests in the world economy.
Democracy hives freedom to unleash our

Globalized economy need empowered democracy
creativity and promotes innovation,
for the following reasons
entrepreneurship. All preconditions for a strong
economy.
1. More Choices: The people are free to choose
and hence it gives a boost to global economy. This
All countries in Europe are democracies.
leads to more consumption driven economy.
European Union is the most assimilated regional
2. More entrepreneurship: More and More people
group. But, such cohesion could not be possible
can take risk, innovate and make their fortune in
else where. That is because democracy is not so
not only their own nation but abroad to, on the
widespread elsewhere.
other hand a communist or authoritarian regime
doesn‘t give this freedom.
Q:Why is there a demand for decriminalising
3. More investment: The people can invest their
attempt to commit suicide in India? Critically
money in other countries leads to all round
examine the merits and demerits of existing law
development
of criminalising suicide.
4. Knowledge and Technology Sharing: People
get the choice to study and gain knowledge in
As the Law Commissions repeatedly pointed out,
which ever place they want too. Some of the
S.309 IPC is inhuman, whether constitutional or not.
biggest global companies like Facebook emerged
Suicide attempt needs psychiatric attention, not jail-
due to freedom provided to innovate in a global
time. It is the only law where you are punished for
institute. This also, leads to technology transfer
failing in the attempt. If you succeed, you are
and more innovation.
unreachable for mundane law. This is
irrational.Therefore the demand to efface this law.
The above arguments it‘s clear that not only re
This law doubly punishes an already troubled
empowered national democracies leads to
individual. It serves no purpose: Retributive justice is
stronger world economy but it is true vice versa
a prerogative of society. It is indisputable that life is
also, a stronger globalized economy needs a truly
more important to the person than society. It is ‗a
representative, strong Government to protect the
strange paradox that in the age of votaries of
euthanasia, suicide should be criminally and Governors .However a long delay in deciding
punishable‘(Delhi HC). upon the mercy petitions have been seen in the past.
Its only merit that it helps the govt. to forestall a law- There is no time frame given in the constitution to
and-order problem that may arise if an Irom Sharmila decide upon the mercy petitions because constitution
or Anna Hazare starves himself to death. It can also be maker did not wanted to bind such a high executive
argued, that law prescribes only an upper limit and post within time limit but , the procedural delays like
most cases do not result any severe delays in sending the concerned documents to the
punishment(imprisonment till court adjourns is the respective authorities have often led pending of mercy
norm). Also, scrapping this may debase S.306 which petitions for years. These long delays have often
criminalizes abetting suicide. But, that is unfounded resulted in having a adverse impact on the petitioner
alarmism. which can be in form of mental trauma, illness,
This law is a joke, and a cruel joke at that. It has to go, negligence by jail authorities leading the petitioners
for good. living in insanitary conditions which violates article 21
which gives the right to live till last breath
One more
The Apex court recently commutes death sentence of
―Article 21 which gives right to life and liberty have 15 persons to life imprisonment citing inordinate
implicit meaning of right to die and right to die with delays in deciding mercy petitions.SC said that delays
dignity ‖ is the interpretation of some individuals and have resulted in the disposal of pleas and psychiatric
organisation who are demanding the conditions developed during incarceration are ground
decriminalisation of attempt to commit suicide (which for clemency.
is criminalised u. section 309 of IPC). Judicial guidance will humanise the process
Merits of criminalisation of suicide:
1.Historically laws against suicide have developed It reminds jail authorities of the bar on keeping death
from religious doctrine, for example, the claim that row convicts in solitary confinement before the
only God has the right to determine when a person rejection of their mercy pleas; it lists mental illnesses
will die. But this cant be the reason for the and solitary confinement as new grounds for
continuation of an archaic law. commutation. It further mandates legal aid for
2. there is debate that if the attempt to commit suicide convicts in drafting mercy petitions and exploring
is decriminalised ,the provision can be misused .But judicial remedies.
this also cant become the rationale for repealing the Apparently taking note of the secret execution of Afzal
law either Guru, the court has crafted a new rule that families of
Demerits of criminalisation of suicide: convicts ought to be informed in writing as soon as
1.The person who gets success in suicide cant be their mercy petitions are rejected. It bars execution for
punished by the law ( )! the next 14 days so that they have the consolation of a
2.Euthenasia cant be practiced. As the persons who final reunion. Speaking with moral clarity, the court
are tied to bed from 10-15 years and are showing no has gathered the best of its extant jurisprudence on the
improvements with existing medical support ,don‘t subject and added nuggets of humaneness to elevate
have any other option left. the existing body of law, as it were, to a higher
The law is a ruthless and archaic one and should not humanitarian plane. That those who benefit from this
find a place in our world!! judgment are guilty of heinous offences should not
cast a shadow on the moral foundation on which the
verdict stands. The principle that is reaffirmed is that
Q:Right to seek mercy under Article 72/161 is a be they terrorists or murderers, their fundamental
constitutional right and it is not at the discretion rights are not extinguished upon conviction. The
or whims of the executive.‖ Elaborate. (200 message that the executive should deal expeditiously
Words) with mercy petitions should, however, not propel
authorities to the other extreme — making hasty
decisions without considering relevant factors just to
Article 72 and 161 gives the right to convict to seek quicken the process. Constitutional functionaries face
mercy petitions on his death penalty from President a dilemma in considering clemency for convicts who

have caused multiple deaths or displayed great • They consist of only male representatives and
cruelty. Judicial guidance will humanise the process, rule on issues ranging from marriage, social
but the real solution lies in abolishing the cruel and norms, dressing habits to even carrying mobile
inhuman penalty of death. phones. They effective violate Art. 19 and Art. 21.
All of their decisions reflect of paternalism which
is against egalitarianism as given in Art.14
Q:―The right to life and dignity are the most
important of all human rights … and this must • Indian government is yet to come out with a
be demonstrated by the state in everything it policy on khaps. While politicians do not back
does, including the way it punishes criminals.‖ them publicly, there have been no concrete steps
Do you agree with this view? Comment. (200 to check them. Judiciary has taken a lead and SC
Words) has declared them illegal.
• But these are long entrenched institution of our

society. They cannot be flicked away
immediately. What is needed is to bring them up
Q:Critically comment on the relevance of Article
370 of the Constitution of India. to speed by meriting the advantages of an
egalitarian community. They should be used in
the social justice process by expunging them of
their adverse functions. Effective laws should be
framed to prevent their misuse and their
Q:Can freedom of speech be absolute?
Comment. (150 Words) participation should be made more equitable and
egalitarian.
Q--Critically comment on how freedom of

expression in India has been used, misused and
Q: Do you think Khap panchayats function
curtailed post Independence.
within the ambit of the Constitution? If not,
what measures have states taken to curb their
continued functioning? Critically comment on Freedom of expression is the life blood for any
their unconstitutional nature. (250 Words) democracy . In the view of this founding principle
of a democracy , the founding fathers of the
Khap Panchayet refers to a conglomeration of constitution of India made the freedom of
village elders which claim to exercise various expression as a fundamental right as mandated
functions for the betterment of village. They have by the article 19(1)(a) of the constitution . The use
no legal status and they have increasingly of this freedom is clearly visible in the form of a
resorted to exercising judicial functions and proliferating media (89000 newspapers) . The
implementing them. presence to a varied range of literature from
extreme right(religious organization) to extreme
• Article 50 vests the judicial functions in left(communists) is also proof of the same fact.
judiciary, separate from executive and as such
khap Panchayats are extra-constitutional and But to preserve the unity , integrity ,harmony and
illegal. Rights of liberty, dignity, freedom to security of the nation this right was not made
choose own life partner are jeopardised. Their absolute. There have been implementation of
medieval laws on socialising, marriage and several laws for the same . The most important
employment are against the right of an individual being IT Act and Section 153 and 295 of the IPC
and so rule of men and not rule of law prevails. act . Though limitation to the freedom of
While social solidarity is always welcomed but expression was put with a benign intention , but
khaps have refused to modernise themselves. the following incidence shows that it is not
They favour retrograde steps and refuse social always so :
upliftment. 1. India was the first nation to ban Salman
Rushdie‘s ‗Satanic verses‘.

2. M.F Hussein was forced to live in exile because national emergency during 1975-77. This resulted
of opposition of his paintings by some religious into a heavy blow to Indian democratic
fanatics. governance.
3. Arrest of the two young girls,under IT Act, in Today, when internet has become a raison d‘etre
Palghar because they made a comment in social of freedom of speech, Section 66A of Indian IT act
media about some leader. has been used by the state to amass draconian
powers and is not healthy for democracy. Though
4. Arrest of a cartoonist because of his alleged important to have control over hate messages
disrespect to the constitution. over the internet, it is not advisable to use the
powers of the state in a biased manner.
5. Withdrawal of Wendy Dognier book because of
alleged hurt of religious sentiments. Freedom of expression is very important for
healthy human development. It strengthens the
The above incidents and many more like them
roots of democracy and enables minorities to feel
have made the liberals to term the respective laws
safe in any nation. Given the diversity of India,
as draconian . But this is one side of the story , on
freedom of expression is extremely important.
the other side there has been gross misuse of the
The state must therefore use its powers to
freedom of expression to perpetuate the feeling of
strengthen democracy.
fear ,hatred and estrangement among the masses.
Mass exodus of the north eastern people from Q--Do you agree with the view that the Section
bangalore in 2012 showed the potential of the 66-A of the Information Technology Act is
internet to spread unrest in the country. unconstitutional? Critically comment.
Various hate speeches given by the politicians to Section 66A of the Information Technology
incite religious ,regional , and caste sentiments . (Amendment) Act, 2008 prohibits the sending of
offensive messages though a communication
The above points show that the laws like IT Act device (i.e. through an online medium). The
,or section 153 and 295 of the IPC are not only section has come to much focus to its misuse
relevant but in fact needed . But more often than recently on citizens like, a cartoonist, two girls
not these laws are used to suppress right and a professor for expressing their views on
expressions and fail to fulfill their mandate . Thus social media.
it is up to judiciary to make proper distinction
between use and misuse of free speech, and fulfill Constitutionality of the act:
its constitutional mandate of the ultimate
protectors of the fundamental rights (in this case Many terms in part (a) of Section 66A like
article 19(1)). ―grossly offensive‖ or ―menacing‖ are ambiguous
and open to interpretation. The term ―offensive‖
is also cast so wide that it can snare almost
anything. It clearly much more than the
But the constitution also mentions that these reasonable restrictions imposed on freedom of
rights are subject to restrictions that threaten the expression under Article 19(2) of the Constitution.
security of the nation.This is an important clause
as absolute freedom in a diverse society divided Secondly part (b) makes no distinction being
on lines of caste, class and religion can be made between messages that cause annoyance,
harmful. This has been manifested in a number of inconvenience which are surely not necessarily
communal riots the nation has seen both during criminal in nature with those that cause injury,
and post independence. danger, criminal intimidation or enmity which in
any case are covered under the Indian Penal Code
The constitution also went to the extent of (IPC)).
granting power to the state to restrict the freedom
of expression in case of national emergency. This
was done in a non democratic manner during the
The crime under the act is made cognisable, non- officeholders to work independently from the
bailable, and the police have power to arrest executive and act in an impartial manner.
without a warrant and the punishment of
imprisonment(upto 3 years) cannot be toned However, sometimes these restrictions causes the
down, even by the court. country to forego the service of excellent public
officials who can work more towards the
betterment of the nation through the skills that
they have acquired while in office. A long term in
What one can say in defence of the Section is that a public office bring enriching experience and all
the anonymity of the online world necessitates this goes waste since they are not allowed to
some form of checks. Also the words ―persistent‖ work further in the service of Govt. of India.
and ―intended‖ to cause insults as contained in
the Section are important and usually get But when seen in a broader context, the
overlooked when criticising the provision. advantages of having restrictions on further
public employment far outweighs their
However the real devil lies in its implementation. disadvantages in terms of maintaining the office
Most arrests under section 66(a) have been free from undue fear or favor and hence this
politically motivated and stink of system is necessary for the democratic machinery
highhandedness. Moreover despite numerous to work in an efficient and impartial manner.
examples of the utterances of leaders of political However, some relaxation can be made where the
parties and vigilante groups that spewed hatred, service of such individuals can be taken as
it has been difficult, almost impossible, to actually advisor to the Government or in some exceptional
prosecute them. cases, even for an executive post under the Govt.
The provisions in the section need to be toned
downed but the real remedy lies elsewhere- Independence and fairness are the hall marks of
reforms in police and criminal justice system. As an effective and efficient Bureaucracy . Whether
Google chairman Eric Schimdt once observed, the its in providing free and fair advice without fear
answer to ―bad‖ speech, Schmidt said, was more to the political executive for policy formulation or
speech, not a ban on speech altogether. for effective policy implementation .
Q---Why does the Constitution of India make This also help in maintaining an inflow of new
provisions regarding ineligibility of certain talent into the bureaucracy and maintains the
categories for further employment under the innovativeness required for policy formulation in
government of India? With examples, critically an complex and ever changing realities .
comment.
The only loss that accrues from this is the loss of
Ans. Independence and impartiality are two the vast experience and expertness in
major requirements of any important public office administration of these seasoned bureaucrats .
and to uphold these values, the Constitution of For minimizing such losses these bureaucrats can
India provides for some restrictions on the further be made part of think tanks which assists the
employment of these officeholders after Government in its capacity of a staff agency .
completing their term in the office. Thus effectively balancing the bureaucracy‘s
independence with the utilization of the ex
There are offices like the Comptroller and bureaucrats experience .
Auditor General of India, Chairman and
members of UPSC, Election Commission which Does India need Uniform Civil Code? Critically
plays in an important role upholding public trust comment.
in democratic values of the country and hence it
is essential that the incumbent in these offices • uniform civil code means one national civil
work without any fear or favour. A restriction on code will be applicable to all the citizens
further public employment will enable the irrespective of their religion

• it is based on the premise that there is • Politicization

necessarily no connection between religion and
personal law in a civilized society Due to these, UCC has become next to impossible
• Covers areas like marriage, divorce, Way forward

maintenance, inheritance, adoption. These
• We should ask all communities to suggest
matters are of secular nature and hence can be
reforms within personal laws on modern and
regulated by a uniform law
liberal lines
Arguments in favour
• Communities should be convinced that UCC is
• It will enhance the status of women and so- to bring reforms not suppress them
called lower castes as many personal laws are
• May be a piecemeal reform rather than a
biased against them
holistic reform starting with what minorities are
• Many provisions are violations of human rights most comfortable of doing away with
• Article 25 and 26 guarantee freedom of religion

and UCC is not opposed to secularism
Significance of 118th amendment bill to the
• Modern, liberal and gender-sensitive civil code Constitution (50 Words)
is need of the hour
Now it has been passed as 98th Amendment Act,
• A sign that the Nation has moved away from 2013
caste and religion considerations
To amend article 371 to bring 371-J.
• Will help in reducing vote bank politics that
most political parties indulge in during elections Article 371 J gave special status to six backward
districts (Gulbarga, Yadgir, Bellary, Bidar,
• Will help in National integration Raichur and Koppal) of Hyderabad-Karnataka.
Arguments against To provide an Institutional framework to reduce
the inter-district disparity and the economic
• Change in laws in favour of women like Hindu
backwardness of Hyderabad Karnataka regions =
inheritance Act has neither brought about any
establishing the Hyderabad- Karnataka region
change in the percentage of property held by
development board,2013, is to ensure equitable
women nor in their status
allocation of funds from state budget and various
• Some sections in Minorities claim it is a way of central ministries for upliftment of region.
imposing majority views on them
Governor, who will play more active role, can
Hurdles in implementation provide for local reservations in Educational
institutions & Public employment.
• Lack of political will
Briefly explain the constitutional and legislative
• Complexity and sensitivity of the issue procedure involved in formation of a new state.
(150 Words)
• Misinformation about UCC
• Content of UCC has not been spelt out leading Article 3 authorizes the parliament to
minorities to believe that it is a way of Hinduise
1)form new states
them
2)alter the boundary of any state
• Different religious communities have different
personal laws

3)increase or diminish the area of state provided mass poverty and India was striving to have food
the same security. Nevertheless the legal battle on this
issue had dented the values of commitment that
For formation of new state :- India has been know from its very existence.
lastly this is an issue of bygone era and we must
1) Prior approval of the president before
not dig graves when present India faces some
issuing the bill.
other problems.
2) The concerned state legislature needs to
be informed about the bill.
President or parliament can go ahead with the

formation of the state whether the concerned state Functions & responsibilities of the Union
legislature approves it or not within the specified and the States; issues and challenges of
time. federal structure
Hence the constitution authorizes the parliament

to alter the political map of the union without the Question - ―The unprecedented nature of the
consent of the states.so the territorial integrity of rejection of the Bill by the Andhra Pradesh
the states is not guaranteed by the constitution. Assembly requires the legal interpretation of
Article 3 be reconsidered.‖ Critically analyze.
This is why India is rightly described as (200 Words) (Question relates to Andhra
indestructible union of the destructible states. Pradesh reorganization bill)
Do you think the concept of Privy Purses and Answer- Article 3 of the Constitution vests
special privileges, which were abolished by a Parliament with the power to form a new State
constitutional amendment, were incompatible irrespective of the State Assembly‘s opinion so
with an ―egalitarian social order‖ ? Comment. that no single State could hold up the process of
(200 Words) reorganization.
Privy purse and special privileges was need of This centralizing tendency in India‘s federal
the time when India got independence but structure was adopted at a time when it was
geographically 48 5 of India was under princely necessary to weld India‘s disparate elements
control. the task of uniting India into a single together into a nation that required a supporting
country was on the task of the then home minister constitutional architecture. Hence central
Sardar Patel. hegemony was felt necessary.
The unprecedented rejection of the Telangana Bill
He negotiated with all the 555 ruler to surrender by the Andhra Pradesh Assembly is evidence of a
their territory, wealth, mostly everything in dramatically changed time. For the legal
return of an yearly privy purse and special interpretation of Article 3 to ignore such change
privilege. economically it was not a costly deal would be an anachronism.
becuse the total yearly cost was equal to the
revenue government received from Madhya This does not in any way mean that the Andhra
bharat area. Pradesh Assembly‘s views on the Telangana Bill
should be the last word on the matter. Such an
But as time rolled there was demands from all inference would be plainly unconstitutional.
quarters that a socialist national like India with However, it is necessary that the Central
aim of economic, social justice must not give government be required in law to adequately take
undue economical grants to the Kings who once into consideration the reasons why the Andhra
used to rule India. Pradesh Assembly rejected the Telangana Bill.
This bill overwhelmingly rejected, if passed,
This was correct in terms of forming an would seriously lack legitimacy and be
egalitarian society where during 1970 there was

inconsonant with the dynamic federal spirit of the with an aim to prevent violence between the
Constitution. communities, provide redressal mechanisms and
compensation for the victims of such violence.
In the current scenario, to respect the sentiments
The Bill has been opposed by several states like
and agreeably meaningful demands of both the
Gujarat,tamilnadu,Orissa saying that the
regions and to arrive at a logically acceptable
parliament has no legal competence to enact such
solution, reconsideration of Article 3 becomes
a law as the law and order is a state subject. The
necessary.
parliament may not have the legal competence
but the intent with which the law has been
brought should be considered. Recent riots at
Question - ―The proposed the Prevention of muzzafarnagar, gujarat riots in 2002, delayed and
Communal Violence (Access to Justice and inadequate compensation for the Gujarat riot
Reparations) Bill, 2014 violates the spirit of victims has made the law necessary to protect the
federalism.‖ Examine. (200 Words) rights of all the communities. Muzzafarnagar
communal riots show the failure of the states to
Answer - Communal violence (Access to Justice prevent the communal violence and safeguard
and Reparations) Bill, 2014 is aimed to provide the interests of all groups. Also, the riots are
central government an authority to intervene and fanned by political parties and it has become
act during communal violence in any part of more than a law and order problem. Centre has
India, with consent and cooperation of state. the responsibility to prevent such violence when
Communal Violence, of course is a law and order the state fails or state is a party to it. The
issue which comes under state subject. polarization caused by the riots and subsequent
The protestors of the bill term it against the spirit difficulty in rehabilitation, compensation for the
of federalism which provides respective state to victims has necessitated the centre to provide a
decide and regulate upon items under state proper redressal mechanism and national
subject, including law and order issue. Centre standards set for providing compensation for the
cannot legislate on state subjects. victims.
The Bill gives the National Human Rights
The protagonist of the bill varies in the opinion. Commission the power to investigate and
According to them when communal violence is monitor communal, caste violence only with the
state sponsored, as alleged time and again, it is state consent and the centre is left with the
the duty of Union government to intervene and coordinating role. However, some of the
safeguards the life and human rights of the provisions are worded vaguely and might be
citizens. It is also an issue of ethnic and national subjected to different interpretation and thereby
integration. encroaching upon state‘s jurisdiction. In the
It should also be noticed that riots, especially absence of specific clauses, the law might be
communal, stirs the political and communal misused by law enforcers. While the need for a
sentiments of whole nation defying the state and national law cannot be questioned, the centre
federal boundaries. History is witness to it. should have wider consultation with all the
Spilling effects of ethnic and communal violence stakeholders including all political parties, police,
to other states is common phenomena. In those and security agencies to prevent communal
crisis hours, a multi-state and multi-pronged violence and preserve national harmony.
approach is needed to stem it. This bill will be
stepping stone in that regard, with investing
power with centre to take immediate and Question. Write a critical note on the nature of
comprehensive action, of course with state relationship within federal framework between
consent. Delhi state and the Union government. (200
And one more good answer – Words)
The Government has introduced the communal

violence(Access to justice and reparations) bill

Answer – The National Capital Territory of Delhi, With in federal framework the relation is more
( NCTD ), Delhi state as a political subunit in unitary in favour of centre(this is heart in my
Indian union, has hybrid relationship with Union, view if i had to write)
combining the features of both state and union 1)Law & order – recent AAP govt protest
territories. 2)Legislative independence – State enjoy
considerable independence & whole motive of
Despite the status as Union territory, NCT of
having independent legislature is lost when LG
Delhi shows certain characterstics of state. While,
enjoys overriding power or when centre can
states deriver their political existence from Part-
enforce legislation(Lokpal controversy)
VI of constitution, the NCT of delhi derives its
3)Financial provision – Though with in federal
existence from 69th Constiutional amendment act
nature delhi is more dependent on centre & less
1991 under article 243. Like any other state, the
independent.
NCT of Delhi is endowed with a lestislature and
4)Functioning of governance – Day to day
executive , however it is barred from legislation
functioning is seriously troubled if the ruling
in public order, land and police, which are
political party are different & as state hv defined
subjects of state list. These three subjects are
right, delhi often suffers.
legislated by Parliament and implmented by
5)Thus relation within federal framework is more
Union.
vulnerable & require a positive change. However
Unlike other states, the NCT of Delhi exhibits being capital & the international importance of it
features of Union territory. The Chief minister is centre can hv certain well defined provision
appointed by President instead of Leuitant under it. But rest relation demands delhi to be
Governor and other ministers are appointed by granted more federal rights.
President on the advise of Chief minister. The
ministers can resign by addressing to the
President. Similarly, the LG can‘t progmulgate
ordinances without prior permission of president.
Question - ―There are no costs involved in
A controvery has arised regarding the Lokpal
moving towards a more federalist structure
prepared by government. The LG sough the
called the United States of India — only
opinion of SG, accoridng to which – the Delhi
benefits.‖ Critically analyze. (200 Words)
government need to take prior permission from
ministry of home affairs to introduce the bill. This
Answer - The Constitution of India provides for a
is refuted by the CM of Delhi.
federal system of government in the country.
Thus, unlike other political units, the NCT of However, there is a certain bias towards the
Delhi exhibits a special relationship with the union government particularly in the economic
Union government, in federal scheme of India. dependence of sates on the centre. Though
1 more point: the police, land , public order are Finance Commission which deals with the
assigned to Union. As Union is obliged under distribution of taxes between centre and states is
various international treties to protect the foregin a Constitutional body, the emergence of Planning
embassies and deplomats. Secondly, if land is Commission, a non-statutory and a non-
under state governmetn, state governmetn can Constitutional body disturbed the fiscal
ask for land tax from Union governmetn, which is federalism. The union also involves in the
not a good practice. political activities of the states through governor.
However, after the Bommai judgement, the
interference has decreased to a large extent.
Criticism of above answer - U hv answered to As the successive commissions appointed such as
compare federal relation of delhi & centre with Sarkaria and Punchhi have recommended, there
that of state & centre. is a need for further devolution of powers.
Leave all these article number & year stuff come Certain recommendations such as appointment
to core. and fixed term of governors, broader agreement
between Centre and states while legislating in
Concurrent list, more involvement of states in the meeting the need for consumption of water for
functions of Finance Commission, greater irrigation purposes
devolution of financial resources… must be
implemented. The interference of Planning STATE OF KARNATAKA
Commission in the development of states must be
It has been pleaded that from the rainfall studies
minimized to allow states to decide their
it shall appear that Karnataka suffers most,
development strategies as per their needs.
having large cultivable areas with inadequate
But, complete devolution as in the case of USA is rainfall. It has been pointed out that although in
not good for India. Politically still there are the hilly regions forming part of the Western
certain centrifugal tendencies in states such as Ghat system in Karnataka receive very heavy
those in North East. Also dealing with problems rainfall, yet other parts of the districts of Mysore,
such as communal violence requires a strong Mandya, Hassan, Tumkur, Bangalore and Kolar
Centre. Economically, Centre‘s role in fostering a are severely plagued by successive droughts.
balanced regional development is very much There is an imperative need to give relief to such
necessary. areas by providing proper irrigation facilities. The
State has to depend on surface water allocation in
India is unique in its problems and diversities.
the Cauvery basin because of uncertain ground
Any decision regarding more devolution must be
water resources due to reduced recharge, general
taken by weighing costs against benefits.
deep water table and low storage in the aquifer.
For this, the water from Cauvery is necessary.
STATE OF TAMIL NADU
Q:What are the grievances of riparian states of According to Tamil Nadu, it had to depend on
Cauvery river regarding sharing of its waters? the flows of river Cauvery due to less rainfall but
Explain the recent awards of the tribunal set up the State of Karnataka has constructed Kabini
for addressing disputes between these states. Reservoir, Hemavathy Reservoir, Harangi
(200 Words) Reservoir, Suvarnavathy Reservoir and other
projects for storing water of river Cauvery much
The sharing of Cauveri river is main problem more beyond the limit stipulated in the
between Tamil-nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, agreement of the year 1924 which has resulted
Pondicherry The grievances of riparian states of materially in diminishing the supply of waters of
Cauvery river regarding sharing of its waters. Cauvery to Tamil Nadu. This has adversely
affected the Ayacutdars in Tamil Nadu, who had
STATE OF KERALA been dependent on the water of river Cauvery for
centuries.
According to the State of Kerala river It has been
asserted that Kerala‘s contribution to the total UNION TERRITORY OF PONDICHERRY
run-off amounts to 20%, but the said State lags
behind the others so far utilisation of the waters According to the Union Territory of Pondicherry,
of the Cauvery are concerned. and ultimately the even under the French Administration, it had
State of Kerala had to be dependent on single riparian rights in Cauvery waters The water
crop of paddy. There is much scope for raising supplied to Karaikal region in Pondicherry from
second or even third crop with availability of river Cauvery is for both the irrigation and
irrigation facilities from the water available in drainage channels in the Karaikal area.
Cauvery basin. Because of the special
topographical feature of the Cauvery basin in the
State of Kerala, the diversion of the water from
Cauvery basin offers the scope for development Q:The Supreme Court directed the government
of the cheap hydroelectric power in addition to to constitute a tribunal and refer all disputes to
it. Like that Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal
(CWDT) is constituted in 1990.

On 20 February 2013, based on the directions of on the issue in future. Similarly, the recent, issue
the Supreme Court, the Indian Government has where Tamil Nadu Government wants non
notified the final award of the Cauvery Water participation of PM in CGOM meet in Sri Lanka.
Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) on sharing the waters The rational given does not hold much ground
of the Cauvery system among the basin States of and is bound to affect the much achieved
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala and Union cooperation of Sri Lanka . Pushing Sri Lanka
territory of Puducherry. The Tribunal, in a away would have negative consequences on
unanimous decision in 2007, determined the total other fronts for India.
availability of water in the Cauvery basin at 740 Hence such concerns are highly situational and
thousand million cubic (tmc) feet, including 14 subjective. They have to be seen under broad
tmcft for environmental protection and seepage contours of nation. But banning concerns of state
into the sea. The final award makes an annual governments should also be avoided.
allocation of 419 tmcft to Tamil Nadu in the entire
Cauvery basin, 270 tmcft to Karnataka, 30 tmcft to
Kerala and 7 tmcft to Puducherry.
==== . Assam-Immigration from the Bangla and
communal conflict between Bodos and
Immigrant.
2.If the state interest is accommodated then not
Q:Should state governments be allowed to much problem.This can be substantiated with
influence foreign policy decisions of the union respect to India voting infavour the UNHRC
government? Critically comment. (200 Words) related to SL issue last year.That time also due to
Answer: political compulsion and India did that way. But
In a federal polity, the power of foreign policy it didnt affect much wrt to India -SL relation.
rests with Union government. Foreign policy is a 3.India went for Look East policy because it will
holistic and long term vision, which is designed definitely improve the situation with the NE
keeping the larger interest of wider interests of all states of India.It means that in this policy the NE
citizens of the country. The influencing of foreign states concern is also involved.. Andi u now Look
policy decisions due to state governments is an east policy has yielded good results.
unhealthy practice. The interests of state
governments should also be taken into account
but they should not overweight the larger
interests of nation.
The answer to whether such practice be allowed
or not is out of context. Since a Union comprise of Q:Do you think division of Andhra Pradesh by
the States, hence Union cannot neglect the voices the Union government without the consent of
the concerned state legislature, would make
of a state. For instance, when Tamils were given
India a more unitary state? Examine the
harsh treatment by Sri Lankan government, it
implications of such measure on the federalism
was imperative for the Union to consider the
matter in its decisions regarding Sri-Lanka.
Similarly, on the matter of infiltration and cross
border terrorism, it is the duty of Union to
consider the grievances of Jammu and Kashmir
Government, while engaging with Pakistan. Examine the challenges that face the newly
But there are instances such as the recent one of formed state of Telangana. Do you think
engagement with Bangladesh on Teesta river. formation of small states is panacea for
Coming under pressure from coalition partner, development woes? Critically comment.
which was also in power in West Bengal, the
foreign policy decision was deferred by the Union =====Challenges for Telangana—
Government. This had undue consequences, as • Water sharing with border states.
Bangladesh shied away from further negotiation • Lack of administrative infrastructure.

• Higher aspiration of people of the region years. Explain if the creation of new states has
without having been able to accommodate these met its objectives
due to lack of appropriate financial resources,
infrastructural resources and human skill
resources. The States Reorganization Committee of 1956 had
• Keeping the corruption level down, as changed the boundaries of the then existing states
influential people from Telangana which was on linguistic basis. New states were formed and
relatively less developed would try to overpower boundaries were re-drawn from the old states
weaker section, this would increase inequality in based on the language spoken by the majority.
the reason. So this has to be checked by effective But, the last two decades or so had seen the rise of
governance. a new factor – Development. The new states
Smaller states are effectively managebale and which were formed after 1990 were so made due
local concerns can be easily addressed. But to administrational and developmental reasons.
smaller states are not the panacea and it is not Uttarakhand, was carved out of Uttar Pradesh for
important condition for good governance. As in administrational reasons. It was the only hilly
case of Jharkhand and Uttrakhand. Smaller states region which had different priorities. It needed
can help in providing good governance if more autonomy as it was a little different from
problems of the reason has been effectively the rest of the state. So, it was formed thinking
addressed and political stability is maintained. that it would enhance the tourism and the
ecological scenario. But, as we have seen in the
====Few of the challenges which the newly Alakananda floods earlier this year, this was not
formed state faces are: to be.
• Naxalism in notorious Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand and Chattisgarh had different reasons
Maharashtra boundary for their bifurcation. The tribal population and
• Power and water sharing other backward people were concentrated in
• Administrative infrastructure building these areas. Their specific development needed
• Setting up of capital more autonomy. Also, the main base of Naxalites
• Setting up industrial bases and trade centres to is also concentrated in these states. So, a separate
boost economy administrational region would ensure a more
• Alleviating economic and social problems effective control. On top this, the main natural
which has fuelled the genesis of the state resources of this country are found in here. The
In past few small states like Chhattisgarh has famous iron ores and coal fields are concentrated
performed well in administration and to curb the here. To, utilize these, the bifurcation of Bihar and
problem of regional disparity. But it is not always Madhya Pradesh was done. But, the difficulties
the case (states like Jharkhand and Uttarakhand still persist.
are facing huge administrative and political The demand for a separate state of Telangana has
problems). A state has to be economically viable been going on for over 5 decades. The people of
as well. Power generation, water resources, food Telangana claim that their region is backward
production, industrial base and other revenue due to the Andhrans and they are not represented
generation capabilities are required for self- properly in the state government, both in politics
sustenance of a state. Also small states at times and in administration. So, the demand for this
possess regional aspirations and political parties state is also based on development. The language
encash this and this result in poor and inefficient factor is not important anymore.
administration.
Q:Critically examine the issues involved in

Sardar Sarovar Project.
Q:Critically examine the various factors that
have led the creation of new states in last 25 The Hindu

There are many river disputes all over India but in confidence and think for the benefit of the poor
the Sardar Sarovar Project dispute has been masses instead of only small group of people.
controversial from decades. The sustained
campaign launched by the Narmada Bachao
Andolan in the past decade and half has brought
this in the eye of the whole world. Q:Discuss the language related problems which
The Sardar Sarovar Dam is a gravity dam on the erupted soon after independence in the country
Narmada River near Navagam, Gujarat in India. and explain how they were resolved.
It is the largest dam and part of the Narmada
Valley Project. It has a proposed final height of The Hindu
163 m from foundation. The project is expected to The constitution of India declared that Hindi as
serve the drought prone areas of Kutch and well as English will be the official language of
Saurashtra. India and in next 15 years English will be phased
There have been controversies over inter-State out and Hindi will be the only official language.
rivalry, conflicting claims over its irrigation, The choice of Hindi over other languages was
water and power benefits, ‗inadequate‘ because it was the language of majority of Indian
rehabilitation package, uncertain funding and English was seen as the symbol of slavery, as
arrangement and doubts about the feasibility of a symbol of English rule. The Hindi was to be
high dam. promoted in this 15 year period in all non-Hindi
The World Bank was initially a funder of this speaking states.
Dam, but withdrew in 1994 due to continued In a country like India where people of many
protests from many groups against the SSD. Main culture and many language leaves, enforcing one
leaders of the Narmada Bachao Aandolan are language over others was always to be
Medha Patkar and Arundhati Roy who led to problematic. This does not seem right as well, as
many protests against this project over people are proud of their languages and it makes
unsustainability of the Big Dam projects and non-Hindi speaking people in a disadvantaged
inadequate rehabilitation of the affected people. because people whose mother tongue is Hindi
Sardar Sarovar takes up over 80% of Gujarat‘s will need not learn it whereas other needs to.
irrigation budget but has only 1.6% of cultivable The Hindi promotion events in the first fifteen
land in Kutch, 9% of cultivable land in Saurashtra years did not fare well. Few days before 26
and 20% cultivable land in North Gujarat in its January 1965 when Hindi was supposed to be
command area. Thhese indicators suggest that made only official language massive protest
these needy areas are never going to benefit from erupted in Madras which was led by Dravida
the Sardar Sarovar Project. Munnetra Kajhagam(DMK).
Despite popular protest, in 2003, the Supreme In 1965 , via a presidential notification ,Hindi was
Court gave clearance for the height to be declared as only means in civil services
increased to 121.92 m, but in the same judgment, examinations . This announcement resulted in a
it gave directions to the Grievance Redressal violent protest in Southern states claiming many
Authorities that before further construction lives . The situation was resolved via an
begins, they should allocate suitable vacant land amendment in the official language act (1967) and
for rehabilitating the affected people. removing ‗may‘ word.
Recently in June 2014, Narmada Control
Authority gave the final clearance to raise the Anti Hindi protests were taking place all across
height from 121.92 m (400.0 ft) metres to 138.68 m Tamilnadu. In Northern India Pro-Hindi protests
(455.0 ft). This decision may have adverse impacts were organised. Finally a compromised was
on the many people living in the area. worked out that Hindi will not become the
There is need for better implementation of the official language of Indian Union until all states
rehabilitation programs as per the New Land agree to it.
Acquisition Act, 2013 and greater scientific The compromise was in the form of Three
research on the feasibility of the height of the Language Formula in the education. Non Hindi
Dam. For this Govt. need to take all stakeholders Speakers were to be learn regional Language,
Hindi and English whereas Hindi Speakers had government not making great efforts to prevent
to learn Hindi,English and any other language. the Pandit exodus.
This curriculum was not seriously imposed in The reality is probably a combination of all these
Northern India. The DMK govt. cried foul and elements.
abolished Hindi from all its curriculum.
Q:Briefly explain the causes for the demand of

Gorkhaland. Do you think formation of a
separate state would fulfill the demand of the
Q:In the light of recent news reports, critically agitating people? Comment. (200 Words)
examine the controversy behind the Kashmiri
Pandits issue. Link
Link
Kashmiri Pandits were aboriginal inhabitants of
Kashmir region, who had to leave due to rise of
extremism in valley and targeted killings during
1990′s on them. This resulted in plight of
Kashmiri‘ Pandits‘ who became refugee in their Q---Critically comment on the constitutional
own country. provisions and the actual procedures adopted
Recently, talks are being going on for safe return for the appointment and removal of Governors
of Kashmiri Pandits to their homeland and in India. Also explain the opinion of the
ancestral properties. But, the major issue is still Supreme Court in this matter.
the safety concern of these families. Kashmir
problem is still not solved and their are several Removal of Governors: What does the law say?
cases of terrorism still happening there.
Government of Kashmir (state) is welcoming and
want‘s the Kashmiri pandit‘s to return and so is In the last few weeks, after the 16th Lok Sabha
GOI and prime minister. election, there has been some debate around
powers of the central government to remove
several separatist leaders have claimed that it was Governors. News reports have suggested that the
the Indian state, working through its governor in central government is seeking resignations of
Jammu and Kashmir at the time, Jagmohan, that Governors, who were appointed by the previous
engineered the departures of the Hindus so as to central government. In this blog, we briefly look
leave the government a free hand to deal with at the key constitutional provisions, the law laid
Muslim militants. The government, and down by the Supreme Court, and some
Jagmohan himself, have denied this. recommendations made by different commissions
governor Jagmohan made several that have examined this issue.
announcements that reassured Pandits that if What does the Constitution say?
they did decide to leave, refugee settlement As per Article 155 and Article 156 of the
camps had been set up for them and also that Constitution, a Governor of a state is an
departing civil servants among the Pandits would appointee of the President, and he or she holds
continue to be paid their salaries. The political office ―during the pleasure of the President‖. If a
scientist, Sumit Ganguly, adds another important Governor continues to enjoy the ―pleasure of the
factor - that Jagmohan had also announced that President‖, he or she can be in office for a term of
his government would not be able to guarantee five years. Because the President is bound to
their safety, if Pandits decided to remain in the act on the aid and advice of the Council of
valley. Ministers under Article 74 of the Constitution, in
effect it is the central government that appoints
Although not an indication of a coordinated and removes the Governors. ―Pleasure of the
government policy to engineer the departure of President‖ merely refers to this will and wish of
the Pandits, these were signs certainly of a the central government.
The Supreme Court‘s interpretation and compelling circumstances. This was meant
In 2010, a constitutional bench of the Supreme to provide Governors with a measure of security
Court interpreted these provisions and laid down of tenure, so that they could carry out their duties
some binding principles (B.P. Singhal v. Union of without fear or favour. If such rare and
India). In this case, the newly elected central compelling circumstances did exist, the
government had removed the Governors of Uttar Commission said that the procedure of removal
Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana and Goa in July, 2004 must allow the Governors an opportunity to
after the 14th Lok Sabha election. When these explain their conduct, and the central government
removals were challenged, the Supreme Court must give fair consideration to such
held: explanation. It was further recommended that
1. The President, in effect the central Governors should be informed of the grounds of
government, has the power to remove a their removal.
Governor at any time without giving him or The Venkatachaliah Commission (2002) similarly
her any reason, and without granting an recommended that ordinarily Governors should
opportunity to be heard. be allowed to complete their five year term. If
2. However, this power cannot be exercised in they have to be removed before completion of
an arbitrary, capricious or unreasonable their term, the central government should do so
manner. The power of removing Governors only after consultation with the Chief Minister.
should only be exercised in rare and The Punchhi Commission (2010) suggested that
exceptional circumstances for valid and the phrase ―during the pleasure of the President‖
compelling reasons. should be deleted from the Constitution, because
3. The mere reason that a Governor is at a Governor should not be removed at the will of
variance with the policies and ideologies of the central government; instead he or she should
the central government, or that the central be removed only by a resolution of the state
government has lost confidence in him or legislature.
her, is not sufficient to remove a The above recommendations however were never
Governor. Thus, a change in central made into law by Parliament. Therefore, they are
government cannot be a ground for removal not binding on the central government.
of Governors, or to appoint more favourable
persons to this post.
4. A decision to remove a Governor can be Write a critical note on the financial relations
challenged in a court of law. In such cases, between Union government and states in
first the petitioner will have to make a India. (200 Words)
prima facie case of arbitrariness or bad faith
on part of the central government. If a The constitution of India, being federal in
prima facie case is established, the court can structure,divides financial powers between the
require the central government to produce centre and states. In regard to financial relations
the materials on the basis of which the between the Union and states, one can find
decision was made in order to verify the general tendency of Indian federalism for
presence of compelling reasons. centralisation. These are the provisions dealing
In summary, this means that the central with the subject;
government enjoys the power to remove 1. Allocation of taxing powers:
Governors of the different states, as long as it
The parliament has exclusive power to levy taxes
does not act arbitrarily, without reason, or in bad on Union List whereas the state Legislature on
faith. state list.
Recommendations of Various Commissions Further there is constitutional restrictions on
Three important commissions have examined this taxing powers of the states such as, imposing
issue. taxes on professions, trades,sale & purchase of
The Sarkaria Commission (1988) recommended goods
that Governors must not be removed before
completion of their five year tenure, except in rare

2. Distribution of tax revenues The HLWG constituted by MoEF under the

80th Amendment of 2000, 88th Amendment of Dr.Kasturirangan to study the report of
2003 were enacted to give effect to WGEEP(Gadgils report) made its
recommendations of 10th Finance commission recommendations & the ministry has accepted the
and to deal with Service Tax respectively. report ―in principle‖ subject to certain conditions.
Constitution envisages the Finance Commission
as the balancing wheel of fiscal federalism in
1.The HLWG has identified approx. 37% of WGs
India.
as ecologically sensitive.They cover almost 60000
Besides sharing taxes between the centre & the
sq.km of natural landscape .It extends in.all the 6
states, the constitution provides for grants-in-aid
states including Protected areas and UNESCO
to the states from central resources.
sites.
To protect the interests of states in financial
matters, constitution lays that the bills related to-
any taxes of states, varies agriculture income, 2.It recommends for banning on Mining,
affects distribution of money to states, can only be Quarrying & sand mining as also thermal plants
introduces in parliament on recommendations of ,Red category industries as classified by SPCBs.
President. If the state governments decide to implement the
report, all the industries identified for banning
3. Borrowing by the Centre and states are part of States subject and there will be a loss
Central govt can make loans to any states and can of revenue to the states due to same. But ,by
give guarantee in respect of raised loans by declaring only 37% as ESA the committee has
states,whereas a state govt can borrow within opened up the 63% area for further development
India upon the security of Consolidated fund of which were not allowed till.
the state. Also the hydro power projects and wind power
projects are allowed in ESA ,the state govts
4. Inter-governmental Tax communities should now realize the potential for harnessing
The property of the centre is exempted from all these powers to combat the power deficit.Thus
taxes imposed by states, however the state governments should adopt the report and
corporations of centre are not immune from state try to balance development and environmental
taxation. similarly the property of a state is protection.
exempted from central taxation.
5. Financial Emergency
According to Article 352, president can modify ―The Supreme Court‘s 2006 verdict in the
constitutional distribution of revenues between Prakash Singh vs. Union of India case was a
centre and states.While according to article 360, landmark judgement. But political class has
centre can give directions to reduce salaries and failed it.‖ Critically comment. (200 Words)
allowances of persons serving in state.
The union may be financially more powerful but Answer)
country‘s overall growth of economy needs
harmony in financial relations especially after The Supreme Court‘s 2006 verdict in the Prakash
liberalization era of 1990. Singh vs. Union of India case was a landmark
judgment which had two main objectives
What aspects of centre-state relations are at
conflict in the case of implementation -- for having functional autonomy for the police
of recommendations of High-Level Working through security of tenure, streamlined
Group (HLWG) on Western Ghats (headed by appointment and transfer processes and creation
Kasturirangan) by the state governments? of a ―buffer body‖ between the police and the
Explain. (150 Words) government; and

-- enhanced police accountability, both for --The draft bills are already in circulation.
organizational performance and individual
misconduct. -- Law making is domain of Legislature.
Seven years later, only some States have -- AIS is under control of Central government, SC
implemented directions in part. The court should not intrude domain of excutives and
reminded states of the need for compliance earlier should respect Separtion of power under Article-
this year. 50.
Political class is responsible for poor governance

in our country as it is never punished for its
misdeeds due to prevailing loopholes in the law. ―A range of reforms — legal, judicial and
institutional — needs to be initiated for dealing
For any transformation in India, change in the with delays and ensuring access to justice.‖
mindset of political class is essential that Elaborate. (200 Words)
considers itself to be above the ambit of law and
enriches itself at the expense of common man.
Ad mist desperation and utter hopelessness The Preamble to the Constitution of India lays
generated by the venal functioning of current emphasis on justice in all its forms: Social,
politics our political class must learn from Economic and Political. An effective justice
freedom fighters about morality and ethics. delivery system must be affordable and on time
delivery. For this reforms are needed.
Media and public must keep an eye on the
bureaucracy which is the day- to- day interface of
the State with the citizens as well as the elected Legal reforms:- the number of appeals must be
politicians and parliament which represent reduced to 3 as it was thought in Code of Civil
various interest groups. Procedure Amendment Act, 2002 which was
never implemented. There must be an uniform
civil code as said in DPSP. Further the criminal
cases although the fast track courts have helped
Do you think the Supreme Court‘s recent but still the problems of delay, and high costs
verdict on insulating officers from political persist in the criminal justice system.
interference is an act of judicial overreach?
Comment. (150 Words)
Judicial reforms:- with the area of judiciary
Positive becoming ever changing the like IPR, taxation,
child protection laws, cases regarding to
--It is case of Judicial Activism & not overreach. agreements‘ signed by India in international
forum. The lawyers who are an integral part of
--SC gave this direction, after taking judicial note
the judicial mechanism must be a socially
of the various official reports and studies in this
sensitive lawyer of conscience, for whom justice
regard, whose recommendations are
delayed, is not a commercial opportunity but a
pending.(Hotha, Santham, ARC,etc). The failure
blemish on one‘s professional integrity.
of the executive to frame a legislative framework
to address these key concerns has forced the court
to step in. Institutional reforms :- more number of high
court benches must be setup so that they become
-- The reality is that the phenomenon of the
accessible, ADR bodies like lok Adalats and gram
‗politician-bureaucrat-industrialist‘ nexus is so
nayalayas must be preferred in small cases as the
entrenched that it requires a sustained systemic
case pendency is least in these courts. Like the
effort to cleanse the administrative system.
present national law schools we needed more
Negative
such educational institutions for more competent Instead of creating tribunals, it is better to set up
lawyers. separate benches having jurisdiction in high
courts.that will serve better the purpose
Critically examine the working of tribunals in
India. (250 Words) It is not easy to implement either Supreme
Court‘s instructions or recommendations of
In the era of delayed trails by courts, tribunals are various committees on civil service reforms.
set up for speedy disposal of cases in matters of Why? Analyze. (250 Words)
urgency.Tribunals are the bodies of
administrative character having judicial or quasi Answer) http://www.thehindu.com/todays-
judicial functions. paper/tp-opinion/a-question-of-
accountability/article5353222.ece
Originally there was no provision of tribunals in

the constitution.It was introduced by forty second
amendment adding articles 323A and323B in part What are the functions of Law Commission?
XIVA. (150 Words)
The other side of motive of their formation is to Law Commission of India is an ad hoc body. It is
implement administrative law in india and setup time to time by the Government to
undermine the independence of judiciary. They recommend legal reforms. There term of
follow the principle of natural justice instead of reference are decided by the government. They
indian evidence act 1872 that is followed by members are usually from legal background. The
courts. chairman is a retired judge of Supreme court or
High court.
These tribunals are depending on their Law Commission is mandated to review the
sponsoring departments for resources to working of judicial administration. Its role is
functions. Therefore they are compromising on recommend measures for different ministries so
impartiality, capability,& fairness in decision as to dispense better justice by the courts. It seeks
making. to ensure that the judicial process is working
effectively and fair and without arbitrariness. Its
purpose is to recommend simplification of rules,
Since tribunals are created by transferring certain procedures and methodologies present in the
jurisdiction of the courts, the composition, status government.
and capability should be matched with such
courts.but it is not happening in India. Hence Law Commission is mandated to look into
different aspects of legal reforms and recommend
Political masters making them homes for retired standards and changes. Till now 20 Law
loyal bureaucrats and technicians. But the task of commissions have been formed. Recently 21st
judgement could be done well by judge of law Law Commission has been setup under former
background. Delhi HC Chief Justice AP Shah.
Through the tribunals the judicial activities are

What are Lok Adalats? Explain the importance
interpreted by executive violating the principle of
of National Lok Adalats disputes redressal. (150
division of powers provided by constitution.in
Words)
long it thretens the national and public interest.
Lok Adalats are alternate dispute redressal
platforms to the courts of India. They are manned
by legal experts, retired judges, civil servants,

civil society members and other proficient people. -- For certification, the committee has adopted
The main function of Lok Adalats is to redress the two guiding principles — ―protection of artistic and
minor disputes with mutual compromise. They creative freedom,” and remaining ―socially
function on the principles of Mahatma Gandhi. responsible and sensitive to values and standards of
society.‖
Lok Adalats can be setup by state authorities or
legal service committees. They generally convene -- It recommends a new procedure for
on matters related to civil suits, land disputes, appointments to advisory panels which actually
marriage conflicts, bank frauds, property feuds view films. And on the basis of their
etc. They act as a civil court and the verdict is recommendation the board issues certification.
binding on the two parties which accept it. It
--Such orders are justified only in the situation of
cannot be appealed further in any other court of
threats to public order and not merely peace.
India.
National Lok Adalat Dispute Redressal is started
by Supreme Court‘s National Legal Service Criticism:
Authority(NALSA). It seeks to lighten the burden
of Judicial pending cases by 21 lakhs. Such petty -- Didn‘t include advertisements;
cases should be resolved by mutual consensus
and compromises and Lok Adalats allow a
perfect platform for the same.
Ministries and Departments Devolution of powers and finances to local

levels; challenges therein
Critically examine the recommendations
of Justice Mukul Mudgal committee set up
by the Ministry of Information and Q-Comment on the provisions and the
Broadcasting to suggest legislative framework importance of the Panchayats (Extension to
in the wake of series f bans on movies by the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996.
state governments. (150 Words)
It was enacted to enable Gram Sabhas to self
Answer) govern their natural resources. Other than
Recommendations: extending the three tier Panchayathi Raj system to
fifth schedule areas, it contained two very
important provisions:
--Expanded the definition of ―film‖ – Including 1. State legislations on resource management
songs and lyrics; ( to control item songs ) which are applicable to the area, should take care
--Increasing the jurisdiction of Appellate board, of prevailing customs and religious practices.
should be first appellate; 2. Any mining license will need mandatory
-- Non-political elements in screening panel approval of gramsabha.
recommended
-- state governments should not ban the screening These provisions have legitimized the claim of the
because of sentiments, disturbance of peace; local populace on the resources in its patrimonial
-- Only Union government is empowered with lands. This provision empowers the tribes and is
suspending screening of film cleared by CBFC, a genuine attempt at mainstreaming them. It
that to only after the film is released. emphasizes that the right of a community cannot
--Change the certification – include 12+, 15+ – be trampled over in the name of ‗greater good‘.
international standards This is one of those laws that makes this nation
proud and renders its democracy meaningful.

This act helped the indigenous people to fight for to be faced in its proper implementation in
their rights in the Vedanta and Posco mining Indian villages? Critically examine.
cases. This law has demonstrated Indian
government‘s sincere commitment to an inclusive
governance that co-opts the tribes. Thus, it has
significantly contributed to the fight against Democratic decentralisation means taking
Maoist Insurgency by debasing its popular democracy to the grassroots level. It is in line
support. with the Gandhian idea of ―swaraj‖.
Decentralisation implies transfer of authority
…. from higher to lower levels. Democracy is
involving all sections in decision making.
PESA extends part 9 of the constitution to the Democratic decentralisation incorporates both
schedule V areas and thus is a vehicle for decentralisation and democracy.
democratic decentralisation Challenges
Provisions and Importance 1) complex social structure – sociological factors
1. Increased accountability of gram panchayats: such as caste, class, religion are a major challenge
As gram Sabhas need to issue utilisation in involving all sections of the society. Providing
certificates to panchayat thus increasing financial reservation in local bodies has to an extent led to
accountability. increased awareness and voice of lower strata.
2. Protection to traditional customs, laws 2) Elections – Money and muscle power in local
regulating moneylending: level elections have a great influence. Stringent
Star legislatures should ensure that gram sabhas measures by election commission and proactive
are competent to safeguard traditional customs, role by media can solve this menace.
practices. This will safeguard the unique cultural 3) Lack of awareness – Gram sabha are not aware
identity of tribes. of the powers they have. Very rarely met. People
3. Compulsory reservations : for ST both as do not know what to expect from their
members and as chairpersons at all levels of representatives. Role of NGOs, media and the state
panchayat will help safeguard their interests. government is needed. Citizen charters for all local
4. Obligations on states: level bodies would help.
Unlike part 9 , state legislatures are to specifically 4) Accountability – complete lack of transparency
confer powers that give panchayats or gram and accountability of local bodies. Social audit and
sabhas right to ownership of minor forest produce, e-services are needed.
their mandatory nod for granting clearance as well 5) reluctance of higher authorities to devolve
as concessions for mining of minor minerals, power – Very little responsibility and resources are
compulsory consultation with regard to land provided to local bodies. Principle of subsidiaries
acquisitions etc. thus clearly making the 3rd tier of should be followed by all bodies, provided
govt. more empowered. accountability and transparency is built into the
However by leaving out major minerals from their local bodies.
mandatory nod for mining clearance, the law 6) Vague distribution of powers – Most of the local
leaves the scope for their exploitation by mining bodies have very little financial sources.
lobbies. Also in case of land acquisition, they Dependent on state. Distribution of powers not
remain vulnerable to exploitation from land sharks clear. Frequent trespassing of state government
, for which adequate safeguards must be present. into their functions. Constitutional or legal
Nevertheless, Strict implementation of FRA where protection and devolution of powers to local
applicable along with PESA can go a long way in bodies is needed and they should be allowed to
ensuring welfare of schedule castes and tribes raise finance. The 13th finance commissions
suggestion of direct transfer of funds to local
bodies rather than via state has to be implemented.
What do you understand by democratic

decentralization? What are the likely challenges

Examine why Kerala has a more successful areas, where cultural and superstitious beliefs
Panchayat Raj system compared to other states. mobilize the villagers.
(200 Words) The economic growth of the country is necessary.
But the concerns of locals should also be heard.
Kerala has been most successful state as far This is the basis of principle of subsidiarity, i.e.
implementation of Panchayat Raj system is empowering them in decision making.
concerned. It has been ranked among top two The recent tribal protests against Aluminium
states multiple times by Ministry of Panchayati extraction from NiyamGiri hills sighting it their
Raj GOI. Kerala has shown exemplary cultural sacred place has come under scanner.
development especially in the field of public Such issues definitely hinder the economic
health and rural development with the help of process of the country. But since the constitution
PRIs. gives cultural and equality rights to all citizens
and minorities, such concerns cannot be ridiculed
The reasons behind this success can be attributed and ignored.
to many factors. High illiteracy , especially among The best possible solution is the hold negotiations
women helped them take leadership roles unlike and making them aware of the benefits of such
another states. Progressive political environment, economic activity. The country‘s aspirations
despite male domination has also played should be brought before them. Nevertheless
significant factor. Women empowerment due to such impediments should not stop the devolution
early lead of women in the state in the education, of powers and functions citing such fears. Hence,
health and social welfare sector played important a balance between both should be maintained
role success of SHGs.
Government must also be complimented for it‘s

eagerness to contribute. It reserved 30-40% of the
funds under 9th plan outlay for projects and
programs to be implemented by local governing Q-‖In the new land acquisition act, Gram Sabha
bodies. Massive devolution of decision making and Basti Sabha don‘t have legal right to decide
authority and 50 % reservation for women for the the nature of public purpose.‖ Critically
post of presidents and vice-presidents in the local examine the role of Gram Sabha in ensuring fair
acquisition of land by the government
bodies were landmark moves.
Gram Sabhas are the most decentralised
The government has constituted accounts wings
institutions of PRIs and play an important role in
in all village panchayats for greater accountability
portraying aspirations of Rural India &
and has also initiated a new project, with World
vulnerable sections like SCs, STs and Women.
Bank support, to strengthen account keeping,
capacity building, improvement of data base and Under Right to FCT-LAAR Act, rehabilitation and
to strengthen institutionalization. resettlement have been linked to acquisition make
the law more human. The definition of ‗Public
Do you agree with the view that giving more purpose‘ includes an expanded list of linear
powers to Gram Sabha hinders economic projects like Highways, Other Roads, Irrigation,
growth in the tribal regions? Comment. (150 Power lines, Ports etc. These doesn‘t require
Words) assent of Gram Sabha. These infrastructural assets
will help in development of physical &
Answer: consequential social infrastructure, thus
Gram Sabha function as village parliaments transforming villages as centre of sustainable
comprising of representatives from all families of development by increasing literacy rate, health
a village. The more devolution of power to Gram services and employment opportunities.
Sabha has been seen as impediment to economic
Delegation of power is important but matters in
growth. The rational given is the short terms and
which power is decentralised in important. Gram
illogical concerns of Gram Sabha. Especially tribal

Sabha certainly has a fair say in LA process & SIA But they are just concentrating on the negative
(Social Impact assessment) of Projects with side and trying to negate the spirit of
monitoring from district and state authorities. decentralization as it is not the motive of
decentralization to vest the people with all the
The recent cases of Dongri Kondh tribes in Orissa
powers to make new laws and legislate they just
giving a strong ‗no‘ to Bauxite mining by Vedanta
have to be strong enough to implement the
testimonies the role of Gram Sabha in LA process.
existing programmes and redress the problems of
Panchayat (Extension to scheduled areas) Act, locals. so in that context it is not true to say that
1996 and Forest Right Acts underlines the demo decentralization means communitarian
positive & significant contribution of Gram Sabha anarchy.
in giving Justice: social, economic and cultural to
local populace. The Gram Sabhs are guardians of
traditional & customary rights. Separation of Powers (between different
organs, dispute redressal mechanisms,
The Gram Sabhas though have no role in
technical definition of ‗Public Purpose‘; they are institutions)
completely at helm when it comes to securing
rights for local rural and tribal population
upholding pristine constitutional principles of a Evaluate the performance of National Consumer
Disputes Redressal Commission in its
‗Socialist State‘.
mission. (150 Words)
Answer)
‖Democratic decentralisation cannot be
misunderstood to mean communitarian The National Consumer Disputes Redressal
anarchy.‖ Comment. (150 Words) Commission (NCDRC), India is a quasi-
judicial commission in India which was set up in
Answer) 1988 under the Consumer Protection Act of 1986.
Its head office is in New Delhi. The commission is
Democratic decentralization which is a rooted headed by a sitting or retired judge of
idea in the philosophy of Gandhi ji and also got the Supreme Court of India.
mentioned by eminent planner and political
scientist like Jay Prakash Narayan in his people‘s Consumer protection is always a matter of great
plan and also in plan like Sarvodhya e is not all concern. From the analysis of performance with
new in itself regard to the disposal rate of cases of various
Consumer Disputes Redressal Agencies in India,
.As the Aam aadmi party is the new proprietor of it is found that the agencies at the district level
the tenet of democratic decentralization and has are on the top followed by national level and state
included the issues related to it and corruption in level it is observed that district level agencies are
their election manifesto and has been gaining working efficiently than the national and state
wide support from the public. level agencies. There is still need of agencies
functioning at state and national level to dispose
Certainly it will be a healthy development but of the pending cases as early as possible by
unfortunately it has not been interpreted rightly creating supplementary benches as per the
by some sections and they are taking it synonym provisions of Consumer Protection Act, 1986.
to oligarchy or polyarchy and defending their
position by stating some examples where in the SUGGESTIONS
decisions taken at the local level have yielded
false results ,according to them giving more  Establish relations through
power to take decision at grass root level could Universities, Schools, etc to highlight
result in conflict of interests and hence anarchy. the requirement of consumer
education in the program of study

 Encourage and support universal chief to step down is criticized to be an act of

alertness of the rights of the consumer judicial overreach.
by cheering consumer education
 Motivational campains for prospective Legislature and Executive
customers both in urban and rural
areas should be performed. Though the separation is partial between
 Arrange seminars and workshops and legislature and executives in parliamentary
offer a proposal for worn argument of democracy yet the vested interest of electoral
the issues and develop suitable politicking by providing reservations to
corrective action. backward community like Jat, TN government‘s
decision to release prisoners, etc. might provide
short term electoral victory but has long term
eroding consequences.
Q. ―Separation of powers is indispensable
because under the Constitution, power divides
itself so that reason can rule.‖ In the light of Q. Analyze the factors which have contributed
recent tussle between various organs of the towards high voter turnouts
state, critically comment on the statement. during recent elections.
 Voter participation is the reflection of the

The theory of separation of powers between the extent of penetration of democracy among
three organs of the Government is considered as the population. India‘s electorate
the basic structure of Constitution where each comprises of 81.5 crore voters for General
organ acts independently of one other. elections. It has been increasing which
today is 5 times what it was when it
Judiciary and Legislature emerged as a democracy.The different
contributing factors can be summarised as
SC has held that Parliament had no legislative following-
competence to enact Section 8(4) of RPA
underlining the increasing criminalization of • The efficiency of the Election Commission
politics. But Cabinet through ordinance (EC) is credited for this achievement. It
attempted to protect convicted MPs and MLAs focused on increasing voter registration and
from facing immediate disqualification negating preparing better quality of electoral rolls by
the SC order. The unilateral judicial solution weeding out the names of ghost voters and
undermines the importance of solutions based on increasing awareness. The EC‘s new initiative,
compromise and consensus. SC judgment in the ―Systematic Voters‘ Education and
declaring Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code as Electoral Participation‖ has helped in finding
unconstitutional has belittled the right of LGBT to the difficulties faced by voters and in
live with dignity instead of protecting them. addressing their issues.
• The rise in awareness about the governance

Judiciary and Executive
system due to development of
communication media putting forth the
The judicial solutions have curtailed the exclusive
discontent and expectations of the masses also
power of executives evident from SC judgement
influenced the public trust in the governance
on establishing Civil Service Board, fixing tenure
system.
of civil servants, etc aimed to protect officers from
wrongful pressure from their superiors, political  The realization of the fact that the quality
masters. SC in Shatrughan Chauhan Case has of life depends largely on the elected
overstepped the exclusive constitutional power of government has increased interest of
clemency of President providing humane voters in the political-electoral process
treatment of convict. But the SC‘s order to BCCI

The increasing mobilisation by political  S.R Bommai case vs Union of India case
parties has led to increased turn-out. 1994 is significant in terms of preventing
misuse of article 356 by centre. Prior to
 Also the demographic dividend of the bommai case , this article was used by
country with large population turning 18 ruling party at centre against opposition
has furthered the voter turn-out. party leading state goverment with gross
 EC made a bid to voo Young voters by misuse.
extensive use of Social media over It had reiterated that only ground for
internet. This has also proved to be a imposition of article 356 is breakdown of
game changer. constitutional machinery of state , it is not
 The turnout is increasing since the Anna being run with the constitutional spirit.
Hazare led movement against corruption Such proclaimation is being made by
two years ago. High voter turnout has president on the basis of governor‘s report ,
been associated with dissatisfaction with and is subjected to judicial review for
the existing government, an anti verifying any malafide intention.
incumbency wave in some states while No dissolution of assembly till such
pro- incumbency and satisfaction in other proclaimation is ratified by both houses of
states. parliament. Further, if there is malafide
action , then state assembly is restored ,
NOTA option- facilitates voting option to
suspension is lifted.
people who don‘t have faith for any
This judement has significance as it has
candidate.
strengthed the federal, secular values of the
 9) NGOs and watchdog organizations constitution. This is seen from different
have been motivating people to exercise verdicts of courts.
their voting right to demand their 1) it has made that state following non
fundamental rights by electing better govt. secular policy, is breach of constitutional
Higher no. of film , TV actors, sport policy , can be dismissed. This is related
players are urging people to vote this with upholding the dismissal of 4 states
time. aftermath of babri mosque demolition.
 10) Ease of voting- increased safety at poll  This instance shows that it effectively acted
booth, as check on misuse of article 356 ,
highlighted that governor in its report must
 Increase in voting by women is also one of
asses the state conditions in objective
the factors.
manner as he/she is not the political agent
 Aadarsh booth, and easy access due to
of centre but the executive head of
increased transport facilities. Raising
government as well representative of
voting timings till 6pm, online grievances
president. Also it has isrtumental to
Redressal mechanism and information
maintain fine balance between center state
dissemination by election commission
relations.
(EC) also contribute to this phenomenon.
 Though the increased voter turnout is an

achievement for the democracy yet there
is scope to achieve universal participation
to uphold the true democratic character of
Q. Critically comment on the existing barriers to
the Universal Adult Franchise.
deepen Indian democracy further. In your
opinion, what reforms are needed to deepen it
further? Comment.
Q. Why is the Supreme Court‘s judgement
in S.R. Bommai vs. Union of India
case significant? Comment with suitable  Three reforms are necessary to deepen India‘s
examples. democracy. First, political parties must report

the sources of their funding. If, under the RTI, his essay, ―The Intellectuals: Role, Function
all government activities, barring those and Paradox‖. ―Thinking intellectuals alone
dealing with national security, are in the are in no position to change the world even
open, why should the affairs of those who are though no such change is possible without
actually going to govern be opaque? Many of their contribution. This requires a united front
our issues with corruption, cronyism and of ordinary people and intellectuals.‖ Many in
patronage stem from the secrecy shrouding India today are writing about fraternity, the
campaign funding. critical necessity of electoral reforms and the
 The second key reform is establishing the rule importance of institutions. But how will they
of law. Much has been said on the need for reach the public imagination?
the Lokpal and Lokayukta as curative
institutions to tackle both big and petty
corruption. However, at the end of the day,
justice is provided by the legal system. The Q. Do you support the idea of making voting in
weakest spot in our judicial system is the elections compulsory? Substantiate.
pendency of cases. How can rule of law be
established when cases remain stuck in the
courts for decades? By current estimates, there  In a democracy, voting is the duty of citizens
are more than three crore cases waiting to be by which they are empowered to elect their
disposed of by the courts. A complacent representative and participate in the
judicial system is a millstone around the neck governance process. There has been a demand
of a liberal democracy. of introducing compulsory voting in India as
 The third area of reforms — strengthening introduced in countries like Australia, Brazil,
institutions — is vital but not tangible in Singapore, etc.
terms of remedies. Any constituent structure  It would help encourage true representation
of a liberal democracy — Parliament, political of all eligible citizens in the democracy and
parties, courts, regulatory bodies, army, help in developing an informed citizenry.
police, universities, corporations — is an Political and Civic education is imparted by
institution whose individual vitality and engaging them in voting. Parties are given
ability to evolve contributes to the overall less incentive to focus on their sectional vote
strength of a liberal democracy. banks, thus preventing lobbying and use of
Unfortunately, little consciousness exists on money for gathering crowds to vote and a
the role of institutions in deepening vibrant democracy is achieved.
democracy in India. In general, our  It would discourage the candidates to use
institutions easily succumb to political muscle and money power in influencing the
interference and tend to be individual-centric large voter population. Thus criminalization
rather than based on a shared commitment to of politics will be reduced, which would be
excellence, accountability and service. more effective in case of compulsory voting
Hopefully, reform in political funding and a with the introduction of negative voting in
time-conscious judicial system will catalyse form of NOTA.
reform in other vital institutions. 
 But how will these reforms come about?  But imposing compulsory voting might affect
Perhaps those elected will bring about a the freedom of the citizens. It would have an
revolution from the top. Maybe a citizen‘s adverse impact on certain sections of society
movement will force political parties to be like the economically backward classes,
more open and the judiciary, less complacent. migrants, etc. The absence of proper polling
If so, who will organise this citizens‘ and registration facilities, infrastructure,
movement? We already had one and it seems transportation facilities, etc affects the voter‘s
to be fizzling out. What is the role of participation. It might also lead to increase in
intellectuals in pushing for key reforms? It flow of black money in order to influence a
may be useful to quote Eric Hobsbawm from larger voter population. rather voter
awareness campaigns such as recent SVEEP of money was paid by top bureaucrats to get
campaign by EC should be further promoted, top most posts such as railway board
extended and strengthened. appointments. These practices increase
 Thus, compulsory voting can be introduced corruption in government. Also, gender and
only when the election machinery is equipped caste bias is sometime seen as in case of Kiran
with increased officials, polling booths, bedi‘s promotion as head of Police
facilities for easy registration and updation of department. Also, nepotism, favouritism,
voters list facilitating migrants, providing family ties and patronage are most prevalent
travel allowances etc. Also a system of online in Indian appointments to top posts.
voting interface in all polling booths can be  These factors have huge detrimental effect on
introduced enabling voting to any functioning of these institutions. Corruption
constituency, where the constituency moves becomes prevalent; merit appointments are
to the voters than the voters moving to reducing thus hampering the quality of
respective constituencies. functioning. Political bias is seen in working
of top officials. Governors take highly skewed
decisions in favour of central governments,
With examples examine various factors that thus disturbing the federal powers and rights
affect institutional procedures and conventions of state governments, which is basic feature of
while appointing a person to top posts in India. constitution. All, these effects democracy
Also comment what effect these factors can have whose purpose is to give a responsible and
on these institutions and on democracy as a
accountable government, which can be
whole.
ensured only by impartial decisions of higher
authorities of India.
 The top posts in India such as Chief Justice of  Irregularity and arbitrariness are present in
Supreme Court, CAG, Lokpal, heads of top appointments which need to be curbed.
different wings of defence forces, Governors More efficiency can be brought by including
of States, Election Commissioners, RBI all sections of society in such appointments
governor, Attorney General of India, Cabinet including judiciary, civil society and
Secretary and UPSC members are filled opposition parties.
through various executive decisions and
procedures. These posts hold considerable
responsibility and significance towards
people of country and help in effective Q. Discuss the evolution of India‘s patent laws
governance. since independence. Are they compliant with
 Institutionally merit and seniority are given international agreements? Examine.
preference in various cases. Chief justice of
India is almost always the senior most judge
as there is no question of merit of competence Answer-
between Supreme Court Judges. While  Indian patent law has changed over time
Governors of states are appointed by the to suit the needs of the time and counter
President of India, on recommendation of the domestic and external challenges. The
Central Government. These appointments are patent law in the pre independence was
generally political in nature. more suited to the British interests.
 Different secretaries of government of India 
are appointed on the personal preference of  Justice Bakshi Tek Chand committee was
Ministers heading their respective ministries, constituted to reform the archaic law to
ex- PM‘s personal secretary. Here, merit and make it conducive to national interests.It
ease of working is cited as basic feature for observed that the Indian patent law must
appointment, but recently many cases of provide the essentials such as
corruption have unearthed where, huge sum food,medicine ,surgical and curative
devices to the public at reasonable price

while providing reasonable compensation The process is easy & there is no special
to secure the interests of the patentee. knowledge require to understand(We still 25%
 Justice N Gopala Ayyangar committee illiterates)
was subsequently formed to revamp the
patent system. It recognized that due to voters have to simply endorse a party or
differences in industrialized and under candidate.
developed countries, the patent law must
It offers Voters a choice not simply between
be regulated in accordance with the needs
parties but specific candidates,Still people can
of the country. It provided for the process
win as independent candidate.
claims in cases of chemical inventions and
the refusal for patents in food and They know who their representative is and can
medicine in the Indian patent act 1970. held accountable,As it is not possible in
 With the formation of WTO in 1995, India Proportional representation(PR).
was made to confirm with the global
patent system under the TRIPS agreement. Our parliamentary system needs stable(majority)
India adopted the TRIPS agreement in the or coalition govt., This system vows to give.
Indian patents act 2005 .In the recent
It discourages the party to get all their votes only
years, significant objections have been
from one caste of community,As in PR system
raised by the US pharmaceutical lobbies
bound to happen.
due to use of the Compulsory licensing
and the rejection of the grant of patents by Demerits;
India. There is a threat of sanctions and
categorization as Priority foreign country Candidates who win the election may not get
on India. majority(50+1%) votes.
 However, the objections are invalid as
India has not violated the norms under Individual votes not accounted,majority prevails.
the TRIPS agreement. The Doha
A party may get more seats than votes in
declaration made that the TRIPS
legislature(in 1984 LS election congress got 48% of
agreement should not prevent the
vote share but won 80% seats, and bjp got 7% of
members from protecting public health
vote share but won 2 seats).
.India seeks to resolve the objections at
multilateral forum rather than bilateral A FPTP type of election system is one that is won
talks,. by the candidate who receives more votes than
the others in a constituency.
Following are the merits of FPTP
1. It is simple for the voter to understand
What is the First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) type of 2. Counting of votes is easy ,hence results can be
election system? Explain the merits and known quickly.
demerits of this system, especially in the Indian 3. It ensures a tight connection between the
context. candidate and the voters.
In this method of election, the state is divided into 4. It tends to produce a two-party system which
in turn tends to produce single-party
no. of constituencies.Each constituency elect one
governments, which don‘t have to rely on
representative and candidate who secure highest
no. of votes in that constituency is declared as support from other parties to pass legislation.
elected.In electoral roll who is ahead of others.
This method is prescribed in our constitution. Following are the demerits

1. Representatives can get elected on tiny
Merits:
amounts of public support as it does not matter
by how much they win, only that they get more

votes than other candidates.Therefore elected system. The low awareness and literacy among
candidates quite often do not receive the support the voters at the time of independence inhibited
of the majority of voters. the adoption of the PR system . Moreover, there
2. It encourages tactical voting, as voters vote not was a need for a stable single party government
for the candidate they most prefer, but against the that could take policy decisions effectively. The
candidate they most dislike sharing of the power under the PR system would
4. FPTP severely restricts voter choice. Parties are have led to creating impediments in the decisions,
coalitions of many different viewpoints. If the thereby delaying the welfare of the people.
preferred-party candidate in your constituency
has views with which you don‘t agree, you don‘t This system leads to sharing of the powers
have a means of saying so at the ballot box. between different political parties , thereby giving
5. Encouraging two-party politics can be an adequate representation to the concerns of all the
advantage, but in a multi-party culture, third sections. The assurance of fair representation in
parties with significant support can be greatly the governance would lead to reducing the
disadvantaged. money and muscle power in the elections .The
6. Because FPTP restricts a constituency‘s choice focus would then shift to formulating better
of candidates, representation of minorities and policies for the welfare of the people.
women suffers from ‗most broadly acceptable
The complex nature of the PR system may hinder
candidate syndrome‘, where the ‗safest‘ looking
the participation of the voters. The lower
candidate is the most likely to be offered a chance
candidate voter interaction may lead to the
to stand for election.
centralization of the policies ,thereby creating
The disadvantages far outweigh the advantages.
regional disparities. The shared power may also
New Zealand has opted for a voting reform
create obstacles in making the policy decisions. It
which has made the party system and the politics
may also lead to providing representation to the
of the country more dynamic.Hence India should
extremist sections of the population in the
also ponder over voting reforms.
governance of the country.
Pasted from
<http://insightsonindia.com/2014/04/23 Proportional representation (PR) is a concept in
/insights-secure-2014-questions-on- voting systems used to elect an assembly or
current-events-170/> council which means that the number of seats
won by a party or group of candidates is
proportionate to the number of votes received. So
if you have a 10-member district and the
8. What is the Proportional Representation (PR) Republicans win 50% of the vote, they receive five
system of elections? Does it suit India? Why has of the ten seats. If the Democrats win 30% of the
not India adopted this system? Explain its vote, they get three seats.
merits and demerits.
This suits to India partially for example, Dalits in
PR system refers to method of the elections in India are 17 per cent but being in the minority in
which the different political parties are allotted every constituency, one of them would never get
seats in proportion to the number of votes in their elected independently in the FPTP system. The
favour. The entire territory may be considered a PR system would assure them their share in
constituency or it may be divided into fewer large Parliament and legislatures and may even create
constituencies. a centripetal force to expand their constituency.
The voter cast their vote for the party rather than MERITS
the candidate .
1. This would give minority parties and
The PR system was not adopted in India as it was independent candidates a better chance
considered to be more complex than the FPTP

of winning seats in Parliament with much along with extremist may take prominent
fairer treatment place in decision making along with weak
2. PR ensures that the parties would have to government.Positives of this system
appeal to their core supporters, rather could be incorporated as adequate
than a small number of so called ‗swing representation of all section along with
voters‘ in marginal seats. enhancing voters selection for better
3. PR potentially offers greater and more- government.
representative choice for voters.
4. PR may encourage turn-out and reduce
apathy. Pasted from
5. PR rarely produces an absolute majority <http://insightsonindia.com/2014/04/23
for one party, however, it could be /insights-secure-2014-questions-on-
argued that PR ensures greater continuity current-events-170/>
of government and requires greater
consensus in policy-making.which is Pasted from
beneficial for India. <http://insightsonindia.com/2014/04/23
/insights-secure-2014-questions-on-
current-events-170/>
DEMERITS
Another model
1. Under FPTP, MPs serve the constituency
Was there no alternative to FPTP? The
they campaign in. This makes them more
diverse polity would point to a different
inclined to tackle important local issues.
model of election, say, the Proportional
2. PR can potentially provide a route for
Representation (PR) system, which is
extremists to force their way into the
followed in most European democracies
political mainstream: under a FPTP
and many others that have had far
electoral system this would be unlikely to
superior democratic records. While there
happen.
are many practical variants of the PR
3. Some would say that PR produces ‗weak‘
system, essentially it entails voting for
coalition governments rather than
parties or social groups (rather than for
‗strong‘ majority governments, which
individuals), that get representation in
arguably can lead to indecision,
proportion to their share of votes. For
compromise and even legislative
example, Dalits in India are 17 per cent
paralysis.
but being in the minority in every
4. PR can also reduce accountability to
constituency, one of them would never get
voters, as an ousted party of government
elected independently in the FPTP system;
can retain office by finding new coalition
not even from the so-called reserved
partners after an election
constituencies. The PR system would
5. The adoption of PR list systems weakens
assure them their share in Parliament and
the link between the elected
legislatures and may even create a
representative and his or her
centripetal force to expand their
constituency.which would be really
constituency. What is euphemistically
harmful .
called bahujan today was possible to be
6. The greater complexity and choice that
created through this process. The social
PR allows can put voters off voting, by
identities would make way for class
requiring them to have a greater
consciousness and impart class orientation
knowledge of individual and party
to the entire politics. There would be no
positions.
cut-throat competition as every interest
7. However,it might rise in delineating of
group would be reasonably assured of its
direct contact of MP(member of
share of representation. The competition
parliament)to ground level problem
would then shift to the ring of Parliament

to shape the policies in the interests of the need for redistribution of wealth and resources.
majority of the people. In the FPTP The rich and capitalist class view this as
system, once the elections are over, there detrimental to their economic freedom – freedom
is no motivation for debate in Parliament to invest and make profit, excess of which may
on policy content. The most material result in low investment climate. With less output
policies of the government that impacted produced, govt‘s mass welfare programmes
people (such as the imposition of cannot be sustained for long. Hence along with
Emergency and the neoliberal economic pro poor programmes , climate has to be pro
reforms) were never discussed in investment also.
Parliament.
However viewing it as a one sided relationship
The theoretical fallacy in the FPTP
would be erroneous at this point since the welfare
elections that the elected representatives
of the 2/3 rd population only will provide a
hardly enjoy consent of even half the
forum for the rich to exercise their economic
voters is overcome in the PR system that
freedom. The economic depression of 1929 is a
ensures most interest groups their due
case in point. In the absence of an aggregate
share of representation. The intense
demand, even pro investment policies fail to
competition of the FPTP elections leading
achieve sustained growth.This highlights the
to huge resource expenditure and
need for govt. expenditure in public welfare
consequent rise of corruption would also
programmes as a means to achieve inclusive
be eliminated in the PR system.
growth of India.
Most importantly, in the context of India, Hence viewing democracy as complimenting the
it would curb the vile motives in the economic growth of the country is the need of the
ruling classes to divide people on the lines hour.
of caste and community. For instance,
there would not be any need for the
reserved constituencies for Dalits and Should political parties be brought under the
hence even the Dalit tag, thereby ambit of RTI act? Explain why. (200 Words)
eliminating the salience of castes from
politics. Political parties have constitutional and statutory
status. Incorporation of Articles 102(2) and 191(2)
through the 42nd Amendment and the 10th
―The domestic origins of India‘s economic Schedule to the Constitution had given them
problems lie in the clash between democracy constitutional status. They are financed by the
and capitalism.‖ Comment. (200 Words) government through tax exemption, allotting
prime land for a nominal rate, giving free air time
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/democra in AIR & Doradarshan. These incentives have
cy-vs-capitalism/1167472/0 susbtaintially contributed to the financing of the
Ans - India with its developing economy has political parties. According to the RTI act section
come at crossroads where it has to balance 2(h) (ii) states that ―public authority‖ includes
democratic principles of political equality with any non-governmental organisation substantially
capitalist ideas of economic freedom. Though financed, directly or indirectly, by funds
principle values behind both may be in conflict, provided by the appropriate government. So in a
they may and should compliment each other to way the political parties are under the ambit of
provide sustained and inclusive growth. ―public authority‖ and are thus legally bound to
disclose their funding and process of decision-
The fundamental values enshrined in our
making. Lastly the political parties are the most
preamble and DPSP mandate india to be a
important component of democratic process and
socialist and welfare state. Given that more than
hence there transparency is a must.
2/3 rd of india‘s pollution comprise of low
income groups, there has always been urgent

Keeping this in The ruling of CIC to extend the fundamental rights should be upheld for
RTI over 6 national political parties is correct as it criminals and commoners in equal manner.
will strengthen transparency which in turn will
strengthen the people believe on democracy and
also help in efficient functioning of political
parties. Only before implementing there must be
Write a note on the role of SEBI with special
provision in the RTI act to see that whenever reference to its role in ensuring corporate
parties feel that the rivals are misusing the governance. (200 Words)
provisions the query must be sent to the CIC for
case by case study and approval.
Securities and Exchange Board of India, setup in
1992, envisages to perform the role of regulator for
the capital and securities market of the country to
promote the interest of the investors and
Question - Are the powers of pardon vested in encourage good corporate governance. It sets up
the President and the Governors under Articles governance standards in which security market
72 and 161 of the Constitution amenable to must operate and helps in protecting the rights of
judicial review? Critically comment in the light both the issuers and the investors.
of recent verdict by the Supreme Court. (200
Words) (separation of power between executive Corporate governance loosely refers to the best
and Judiciary) practices a company must follow in order to
protect and increase the value of the money the
Answer - constitution gives the power to the investors have invested in company‘s shares. Since
president and the governors to pardon any the investors invest the money on trust, it becomes
convict under Art. 72 and Art. 161 respectively. the responsibility of the board and its directors to
These powers have been used time and again by act in best interest and adopt good corporate
the president, in the manner which can be called governance practices. Corporate governance also
sometimes arbitrary. Several mercy pleas refers to the ethical business practices and making
application lies unheeded and unattended for a distinction between personal and corporate
years, subjecting the petitioner to continuous funds in the management of the company.
mental trauma and torture.
In the recent judgment while hearing The SEBI Act,1992 through with SEBI derives its
―Shatrughan Chauhan Vs. Union of India‖ case, powers along with companies Act, 1956 empowers
the apex court took a view of the matter and it to frame guidelines and regulations to control
reaffirmed the notion that indefinite delay on the the market and prevent fraudulent and unfair
mercy application is a violation of Fundamental trade practices. It has the authority to enforce its
Rights (Art. 21), which is applies irrespective of regulations and investigate cases of unfair
the gravity of crime. Thus, the court held that the practices such as insider trading, preferential
shares allotment unrelated to market prices, etc.
powers of the pardon vested in the President and
governors are amenable to judicial review, on the
basis of concomitant constitutional duty. The SEBI through its protective, Developmental
and Regulatory functions has been performing its
This development will further add fuel to the role in corporate governance in the country
debate of judicial activism and pervasiveness on
the other institutional bodies in the country. Also
it undermines the significance of President in the
country, where all powers are vested in elected
government. In the light of inordinate delay Write a critical note on the National Green
caused by president, the current stand of supreme Tribunal as an effective grievances redressal
court – though far reaching- is justified. The forum. (200 Words)

Link allegations of its ineffectiveness in front of

political corruption and use of money and
muscle power, etc. Even allegations on
CBI led to recent debates on independence
of CBI. So through these events it becomes
―Crass politicization of institutions of clear that allegations have blocked or
national importance is going on in atleast questioned their integrity in public
India undermining their integrity and but the same has also led to more debates
independence, thereby threatening for their empowerment so that they can
the smooth functioning of do their work in more better way.
democracy.‖ Critically analyze the
statement in the light of recent === Ruling party wants to keep their
events. stranglehold on the institutions of national
importance overlooking their importance
Politicisation of institutions has been a in nation building .Their brazen attempt
menace in recent times in case of CBI, of caging educational and strategic
UGC, KALA Academy, CAG, etc. It has institutions clearly have a bearing on
been clear in recent UGC case that a smooth functioning of
member was removed improperly after democracy.Interference leads to
joining opposition party. Another was destruction of institution and also leads to
CAG reports on coal scam and 2G reports injustice and dicrimination So,upholding
where parties accused it of interfering in the sanctity of such institutions must be
the policy domain despite CAG having the quintessential aspect of any
power by law to comment on the audit in governance
terms of policy adopted. Also CBI was
perennially accused of being used by
party in power for its political gains for its .Examine how the Constitution of India strives
operation and reporting being under to maintain balance of power between the
Home Ministry. Here it is noticeable that judiciary and the executive? Has this balance
judiciary has taken a stern view accepting been maintained? Critically comment.
these fallacies and also tried from its side
to curb this menace by commenting on Business Standard
these and suggesting measures for The three organs of the state i.e. Legislature,
freedom of CBI, state police, taking up executive and Judiciary are the cornerstone of our
cases of crass political remarks by democracy. The appropriate balance of power
politicians, etc. Though Judiciary itself as among them is quite evident in order to run the
an institution has not been out of purview state without any despotism and favoritism. The
of such political allegations like bowing to constitution of India though not recognized the
public anger in delhi rape case, power doctrine of separation of power it sufficiently
politics and corruption in many high defines the functions of different organs to
profile cases, recent spat over judicial differentiate the power of balance.
appointments, etc. Here truth of the Indian Constitution explicitly articulates that
matter is that the allegations are executive functions of the union/state shall be
considered by people as Right to Free vested in President/Governor with certain
Speech but some times such questioning legislative rights such as promulgating
has led to changes in the system like ordinances in special occasions and during
recent appointment of JAC to end judicial Emergency and President Rule.
collegium after allegations of corruption However, Judiciary through its ‗Right to Judicial
in judges, more powers to EC after judicial review‘ has been bestowed with powers to strike
orders when PILs are filed for down any such laws which are in violation of the
enhancement of its operations after constitution. The judiciary is largely independent
and separate wing of the government having no Few renovation measures have been taken
control from executives in its day to day function. by the Tamil Nadu government like
However, the complete separation between injecting cement solutions to plug the
executive and judiciary is not maintained. The seepages in the dam during 1930s.
executives such as President exercise judicial Consequently, Committee was setup by the
powers in matter of disqualification of members Supreme Court to look into the safety issue
of Parliament. Executives also have their say in of the dam. The committee reported that the
appointment of judges. At the same time dam is structurally and hydrologically safe
Judiciary also exercises executive powers when it and TN govt can raise water level.
direct a state investigation agency function 3. In 2006, Supreme Court allowed the
according to its wishes. Tamil Nadu government to increase the
Both these organs have worked as check and height of the dam to 142 ft.
balance over each other to be confined to the four Later, Kerala government has passed Kerala
wall of our Constitution. This wonderful balance Irrigation and Water Conservation
is the main reason behind triumph of democracy (Amendment) Act through which a Dam
in India. Safety Authority was set up to suspend or
or restrict functioning or decommission any
dam if public safety is endangered.
Tamil Nadu government approached
Supreme Court fearing that the act is aimed
at decommissioning the dam despite its
judgement.
Q-Write a critical note on the Mullaperiyar dam Supreme Court gave the judgement that the
controversy. 2006 act of Kerala is unconstitutional and
said Legislature could only amend a law but
The Hindu could not invalidate a judgement or decree
passed by the court. and allowed the Tamil
The Mullaperiyar Dam was costructed by Nadu govt to raise the dam level to its full
British during 1887-1895 on the Periyar river capacity.
in the then Travancore State. The dam
provides for diversion of water through a
tunnel into the Vaigai basin in Tamil Nadu  The Mullaperiyar Dam is a masonry gravity
for irrigation purposes. A 999-year lease dam built over the river Periyar in 1895
was made at that time and since then Tamil during the British colonial rule to divert
Nadu government is monitoring and water towards the Madras presidency area.
operating the dam. The Periyar Power  River water disputes are there in the entire
Station uses the water for power generation. sub continent. The Mullaperiyar is a small
The areas of conflict between Kerala and dispute compare to Cauvery and Sutlej
Tamil Nadu on this dam are: disputes and can be easily solved. Proper
1. Kerala govt. says that the dam is 115 years scientific study should be done and
old and it is not safe. In the case of a disaster appropriate decisions at all possible levels
the dam might be broken and the should be made and implemented. If an
downstream areas of Idukki, Kolamavu, earthquake causes the dam to collapse, it
Cheruthoni etc will be drowned where huge can threaten the lives of 3.5 million people
population is living. It proposed to downstream. The issue needs to be looked
decommission the dam and construct a new at as a national problem, not as a dispute
dam in its place. between two states.
2. The Tamil Nadu government contends
that if the dam is demolished then there will
be water scarcity. It wants to raise the level
of storage in the dam from 136 ft to 142 ft.
Q--Explain the rationale behind effective in solving the matter until the riparian
constituting Polavaram Project Authority (PPA). states and Supreme Court approves the project.
Comment on the controversy related to the There are many river water disputes in all over
project. India. The government must find a long-term
approach within its Department of Water
The Hindu Resource to deal with such skirmishes in the near
Indira Sagar (Polavaram) Project is a multi- future.
purpose irrigation project across the Godavari
River in India. It aims to transfer large surplus
water from the Godavari River basin to the Comparison of Indian constitutional scheme
Krishna River basin as a part of river linking with other countries'
project. According to the Water Resources
Ministry, works for Polavaram dam project
commenced in October 2004 and is programmed
to be completed by 2018 Q. . Discuss the importance of opposition party
There has been a controversy on this project since in a parliamentary democracy.
the initiation of the project in 2004. The
environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the Answer-
project says 276 villages will be affected and an In parliamentary democracy the opposition
estimated more than 2 lakh people will be actuates the checks and balances which are
displaced. Tribal constitute 50% of such a inherent for effective working of a democracy .
displaced population. proactive role by the opposition parties that
Some activist pointed out that this interlinking of highlight the diversity of opinions and hence
the rivers will harm the interests of the new plurality of democratic societies….More imp.in
Telangana state and Rayalaseema region of our democracy of first Pass the poll system in
Andhra Pradesh. The project not only will which even selected candidates does not truly
displace several thousands of families, it will also represent the will of majority.
submerge several archaeological sites, coal The government has the numbers to pass
deposits, a wildlife sanctuary and several hectares ordinary bills but needs active support of
of farm land. opposition on a number of matters including
The neighboring state of Orissa also expressed its amendments and special bills. Even on ordinary
concern on the submerging of its land. The bills the opposition brings out the acute
Polavaram dam involves a huge cost but its deficiencies and highlights it to the citizenry
benefit will be limited as 70% of the proposed through debates and discussions. Censure motion
irrigation area in the project detail report (PDR) is , vote of no confidence , adjournment motions etc.
already under irrigation cover. Also there is Provide the opposition with effective
problem to fund this huge costly project without parliamentary procedures to attack the
private investors. government on policy and governmental issues at
Recently passed the Andhra Pradesh large thus keeping government on it toes.
(Reorganization) Act, 2014 states that the Union Often important parliamentary committees (PAC
would take the regulation and development of in India ) are headed by leaders of opposition
the Polavaram project under its control. To parties so as to ensure Parliamentary check over
resolve any inter-State water dispute, the arbitrary executive decisions and maintain
government can resort to conflict resolution propriety of actions.
through the Interstate River Water Disputes Act, Few nations infact have the concept of shadow
1956, apart from regular dialogue and cabinet (like Britain) which comprises of
negotiation. opposition members to effectively censure unjust
So GoI passed proposal to constitute the actions of the ruling cabinet and also prepare
Polavaram Project Authority (PPA). The purpose them for governance incase the ruling
of the PPA is to overcome the project‘s hurdles government falls.
and generate investment. But the PPA can‘t be

term in power has expired or when the party has

lost confidence of the Lok Sabha, the President
• zero hour and question hour may have can ask the Prime Minister to continue in office
been mentioned because these two make the govt until a new government is selected. Unlike
of the day to stand on its toes on various issues… Bangladesh, no separate caretaker government is
Also opposition needs to ensure quality of debate elected in India. Prime Minister is responsible for
during sessions in both houses instead of creating conducting day-to-day affairs of the
ruckus is the need of the day….(little mention administration with the help of few ministers but
may be needed)… he cannot take important policy decisions.
• Collusion or reaching consensus between
ruing government and opposition (on various
issues that are in loop to discussion in parliament
Compare and contrast India‘s Rajya Sabha and
),out side the parliament during meetings is one
UK‘s House of Lords in their composition,
unhealthy trend witnessed these days. It avoids functions and importance to their respective
healthy debate, right of people to know facts with countries. (200 Words)
clarity & some what a mockery on parliamentary
system. Composition:-
• Rajya Sabha(RS)->lesser in number than House of
Lords; Indirectly elected
UK – House of Lords:-More members than RS;
Unlike RS or House of commons, most of them
What is ‗caretaker government‘ in the context of are appointed by the Queen either on
Bangladesh politics? Does India have such a recommendation of PM or appointments
system? If it has, explain the differences with committee while other sit by virtue of
examples. (200 Words) ecclesiastical role in established church of
England.
Ans. Caretaker government is a temporary or
Function:
transition government. In Bangladesh, when the
Rajya sabha:It can introduce, amend and veto an
term of the government ends, the government
ordinary bill.
hands over power to a caretaker government.
while UK – House of Lords can ―delay‖ and
Members of the caretaker government should not
amend but not veto bill.
belong to any political party and should be
independently selected. It is duty of the caretaker RS:-If vetoes, legislative deadlock and so
government to carry on day-to-day President may summon Joint Sitting
administration in the country and conduct free UK – House of Lords:-No question of Veto
and fair elections. The system was abused in power. So, no legislative deadlock and hence no
Bangladesh when in 2008, a military-backed joint sitting.
caretaker government was selected but it Importance:
continued in power for two years. In 2011, the Except in case of money bills, RS holds equal in
ruling party of Bangladesh abolished the system position and powers vis-a-vis Lok Sabha.
of caretaker government. The system has again UK – House of Lords:-Barring its subordinate role
generated controversy in Bangladesh since in case of Money bills, it is considered lesser in
elections are to be conducted soon but there is no power even in case of ordinary bills as it can
concept of caretaker government anymore. It is to ammend or dilate but can not veto. So, it is not
be noted that the system was a part of the equal in powers and position to House of
Bangladeshi constitution and was abolished by a Commons. This doesn‘t make the Lords
constitutional amendment. irrelevent. The Lords consists of many experts in
In India, caretaker government is not provided all fields – medicine, law, military, science, sports,
for by the Constitution but is practiced as a religion, charities, education and so on – which
matter of convention. When the ruling party‘s scrutinise Bills and highlight flaws and

improvements which the Commons may have rejected as the government has the majority. But
missed. if a cut motion is approved or a demand for grant
is rejected it shows that the house has lost
confidence in the government and it results in
resignation by the council of ministers.
Moreover the upper House has no power in
Do you observe any fundamental differences in relation to the passage of the budget and hence a
how elected representatives in India and USA majority in Rajya Sabha is not essential .So in
behave in their respective legislatures? Explain India a budget by the government has to be
with any one recent example from each approved if it has to stay in power , and hence
country. (200 Words) there is no such concept of Government
Link Shutdown.
Link
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Compare and contrast the situation .Critically comment on the Constitutional

of government shutdown in USA when provisions that enable the Parliament to create
the Congress fails to pass authorization new states.
for sufficient funds for government
operations with that of India‘s budgetary
process
Article 3 and article 4 of constitution deal with the
provisions for creating new states in Indian
The basic difference of budgetary processes in
union. As per article 3 the central government has
both country comes from the fact that both
the sole authority for creation of new states and
countries have different forms of Government
altering boundaries of existing states. Though
and difference in law making procedure.
there are provisions for eliciting the opinion of
The authorization of funds for government state legislature by centre on bifurcation issues,
operations in US goes through a layer of they are not binding in nature. Moreover
processes; both houses of Congress and the bifurcation laws are not treated as an amendment
president. In the current scenario, the democrats to the constitution.
do not have majority in the House of At the time of making of the constitution these
representatives and hence the government is provisions were introduced with greater power
dependent on the Republication for passage of for the centre so as to protect the sovereignty and
the authorization. But the Republicans wanted to integrity of the nation keeping in view the testing
use this as a bargaining chip to delay the times prevalent at that time. These provisions
landmark legislation on health by President helped in keeping India together. However
Obama (ObamaCare), that they are opposed to. concerns are being raised in the present times
So effectively this will result in shutting down of about giving too much power to centre on
all but ―essential Services‖. But this does not bifurcation issues, as evidenced recently in the
result in a removal of the government from office. case of creation of telangana, where the motives
In India, the budget or the annual financial for its creation appear to be primarily political
statement is laid before the Lok Sabha by the though the demand has been for long time.
finance minister. Subsequently series of As there are no criteria in the constitution on
discussions happen on the demand for grants by what basis the new states are to be formed, there
different departments and finally the is a need to streamline the provisions of article 3
appropriation bill and finance bill are laid before where by some sound juristic criteria for the
the house. Opposition parties can show their creation of new state are laid out and matters are
disapproval for different provisions by moving not left on the blanket will of the centre. These
types of Cut motions but generally they are criteria should be devised keeping in view the

needs of development, administration , financial and Seemandhra (Rayalseema and Coastal

viability etc. Also there is need for giving greater Andhra) and this raises serious concerns for
say for states on bifurcation issues as it is they Seemandhra citizenry.
who have to bear the consequences of division. A The foremost issue is about status of Hyderabad,
permanent State reorganization commission slated to be capital of Telangana, the present
should be setup as an expert and competent body capital and a metropolis housing major service
which considers the bifurcation issues holistically and manufacturing industry whose loss would
rather than on political considerations. mean revenue and job losses for government and
people from Seemandhra, who have equally
=========== toiled in bringing it its present fame. A new
capital is estimated at an investment of INR3lakh
The constitutional provides for an indestructible crores to accommodate high court, secretariat,
Indian territory with destructible states. This has govt. offices and housing projects among other
been proposed through the Article 3 of the Indian primary infrastructure. Its burden will be felt by
constitution. Seemandhra economically unless compensated.
Interestingly Punjab and Haryana govt which
The article provides that the parliament may alter
were earlier bifurcated are still fighting cases on
state boundaries, areas or create new states from
Chandigarh, there present and joint capital.
existing ones through simple majority. This is not
Political calls for driving away Seemandhra man
to be considered as a constitutional amendment.
from jobs in Telangana is reminiscent to tensions
The bill can only be proposed with the prior
in newly formed Jharkhand over domicile issue.
permission of the President. The states concerned
The people from two states share a common
are to be referred to but their views are not
language, food habbits and marriage relations.
binding on the president. Any subsequent
Other major issues are sharing of revenue from
amendments in the bill is also not necessarily
agriculture, industries, transport corporation,
referred to the states.
religious institutions and ongoing projects in the
India after independence needed a massive state. Water distribution from the major rivers
rearrangement which necessitated a relatively Godavari, Kauvery are another thorns.
simple and obstruction free procedure for states Universities will have to rework their affiliations.
reorganization. Article 3 proved to be apt for the Power projects and there distribution sharing
situation. But with the changed scenario today shall remain a challenge.
where vested interests have a role to play in the Seemandhra people will have their government
political decision making, caution is needed. A machinery fight left wing extremists as more
cost benefit analysis is indispensable which can districts of the red zone will fall in their territory.
be done through an independent body which take Problem remains many but a political will is
into account the concerns of all the stakeholders necessary to resolve and instill faith in people.
without any political bias. With regional parties Seemandhra can be financially compensated for
rising since the last decade, political concerns any burden and centre shall ensure that people in
seem to be a major factor in such decisions. two states see a safe transition of power.
Thus, the constitutional provisions for states
reorganization did suit our needs in the past but
now there is a need to check it efficacy.
===However u can add sm points regarding the
Critically examine the main concerns of coastal
real estate investments + big national Polvadram
Andhra and Rayalseema people against the
Dam project and the issues involved in it….
formation of Telangana state.
Energy Security + other concerns regarding clash
ANSWER-
between Agri Farmers interst Vs.. Global Industry
Division of states has well proved in India that it
aspects….
may or may not bring development but remains a
contentious issue for long. Andhra Pradesh when
bifurcated will see separate states of Telangana

Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and

India‘s foreign policy is the prerogative of the Misdemeanors.
Centre, not the State.‖ Comment. (150 Words)
b) In India, the process can be initiated by either
India is a state which is federal in character with
of the houses with charges signed by 1/4th
strong unitary form.The centre has a wider
members of the house framing the charges. 14
influence and role when it comes to India‘s
day notice should be given to the president
foreign policy.And it is prerogative also as nation
whereas in USA The House of Representatives
as a whole cannot amend its foreign policy just
starts the impeachment process by publicly
for the shake of its states.
investigating the charges and holding hearings.
Foreign Policy proves to be the strongest measure
of growth for any nation.When India is
progressing and projecting towards a leader in c) In India, after the bill is passed by a majority of
South Asia and converging itself to become a 2/3rd of total membership of the house, it is sent
world power.A lot depends on its strong and to the other house for investigation of the charges
instrumental foreign policy with its neighbors while in USA, if the House of Representatives
and the rest of the world.So in larger prospect its votes for Impeachment by a simple majority, the
the centre which is having a final say in the Articles of Impeachment are imposed and trials
diplomatic policies across the globe.Though there are held in US Senate. The President has now
is a coalition government at the centre which been officially impeached per the United States.
sometimes hinders in taking a collective decision
on foreign policy.For eg. the recent episode of d) Indian President has the right to appear and
Tamil Nadu government asking Indian not to represent himself at such investigations while the
parcipate in CHOGM to be held in Sri-Lanka next USA President is represented by his lawyers.
month over the issues of tamilians in Sri-Lanka.
But India has clearly reiterated the fact that it e) In India, if the other house also sustains the
cannot compromise on its foreign policy stand charges and passes the bill by majority of 2/3rd
just by giving the states a greater say the decision of the total membership, then president stands
making policy. removed from his office while in USA 2/3 votes
India‘s look east policy,BRICS and IBSA of the Senate results in conviction.
association and the recent economic and military
ties with many nations further boost the fact that f) No Indian President has been impeached yet.
its the centre which formulates the foreign policy. US president Andrew Jhonson became the first to
India‘s developing ties with U.S and china are be impeached.
also exemplary examples of its strong foreign
policy.
Union and State Legislatures (structure,

Q--Compare and contrast the grounds and functioning, conduct of business, powers &
procedure involved in the impeachment of the privileges; issues therein)
Presidents of USA and India respectively.
The Hindu Q-On what grounds Members of Parliament can

be disqualified from the membership of the
a) Indian President can be impeached for Parliament? Explain. (200 Words)
―violation of constitution‖ Whereas USA
President can be impeached for Conviction of, Answer

The major grounds on which members of Answer - The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic
Parliaments can be disqualified from the substances (amendment) bill, 2011 simplifies the
membership of the Parliament: regulations for procuring and possessing narcotic
1.If the member holds any office of profit under drugs like morphine when used for medicinal
the Union or State Govt.( except that of a minister purposes. Presently, getting morphine and other
or any other office exempted by Parliament. opioids for palliative care involves cumbersome
2. If the member is of unsound mind and stands licensing procedures under the NDPS Act, 1985.
so declared by a court. But once the amendments are approved by the
3. If the member is undischarged insolvent. parliament it would bring relief to thousands of
4.If the member is not citizen of India or has cancer patients in the country who use opioid for
voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a foreign chronic pain relief.
state or is under any acknowledgement of
Further, the proposed Bill seeks to alter the
allegiance to a foreign state.
process of licensing in States by bringing it under
5. If the member is disqualified under any law
the State drugs controller; multiple agencies are
made by Parliament.
involved in the process today.The bill also
Some additional disqualifications in the proposes changes in section 2 of the act to ensure
Representation of Peoples Act(1951). that a patient using narcotic drug or psychotropic
substance is not labelled as an ―addict‖.
The member must not have been found guilty of
certain election offenses or corrupt practices in
the elections.
The member must not have been convicted for
any offense resulting in imprisonment for two or
more years . ―Issues such as criminalisation of politics need
The member must not have failed to lodge an to be addressed through legislation rather than
account of his election expenses with in the time. the judicial process.‖ Elaborate.
The member must not have any interest in
government contracts, work or services.
The member must not be a director or managing Criminalisation of politics refers to the incorporation
agent nor hold an office of profit in a corporation of the criminal elements into the political system of the
in which the Govt. has at least 25 % share. country. The phenomenon has led to use of the muscle
6.The member must not have been dismissed and money power in politics, thereby deteriorating the
from Govt services for corruption or disloyalty to political standards.
the State. The SC bench has recently opined that it should be the
The member must not have been convicted for onus of the PM to ensure that ministers with tainted
promoting enmity between different groups or characters do not enjoy executive positions. The
for the offense of bribery. legislature is responsible for framing laws for ensuring
The member must not have been punished for that only candidates with clean backgrounds are
preaching and practising social crimes such as elected as the representatives of the people.
untouchability, dowry and sati. The judiciary can aid in the giving directions in the
cases of breach of the constitutional values. The
Apart from the above points of disqualification,
intervention of the judicial process in removing
disqualification on the basis of Defection under
criminal elements in the political system may be cited
the provisions of Tenth Schedule is also observed.
as an judicial overreach.
However,the judiciary had rightly stepped in
Question - Write a note on the importance of the
judgement for the disqualification of the convicted
Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances
members under section 8(4) of the RP act. Such
(Amendment) Bill, 2011. (100 Words) (Any bill
instances are aimed at removing the malaise in the
made could be put in Union or state legislature
functions, although it directly does not connote system and should be considered as exception rather
the relation, but indirectly they are linked) than normal course.

Thus, it should be realized that though judiciary may

intervene to put things in order, but the real onus of Dissolution of parliament in India, essentially means
the decriminalisation of the politics lies with the the dissolution of the House of People or the
legislature. Loksabha. Dissolution of the House means the end of
life of the Loksabha either by an order made by the
President under Article 85 (2) of the Constitution or on
the expiration of the period of 5 years from the date
8) Write a note on the importance of the appointed for its first meeting. Also when the leader
Question Hour in the Parliament. of the majority loses his majority in the Loksabha, the
prerogative passes to the President, who can ask
another leader to prove his majority in the Lok Sabha
or dissolve the Lok Sabha, and call for elections. The
The first hour of every parliamentary session is the dissolution of Loksabha has the following implications
question hour. During this period any member of on the business of the parliament:
parliament can raise question of public interest and • Bills originating in Rajya Sabha which are still
seek answer from the concerned ministry. Generally a pending in that House do not lapse.
week notice is given to the concerned ministry to • Bills originating in Rajya Sabha which having been
answer the relevant question. This makes both passed by the House and send to Lok Sabha and
ministers and civil servants on their toes. pending there lapse on the dissolution of Lok Sabha.
Although it is the minister who answers the question i.e Bill becomes invalid.
in the parliament but the civil servants working under • Bills originating in Lok Sabha which having been
the ministry have to collect the required data and passed by that House and transmitted to Rajya Sabha
prepare the answers and get them approved from the and still pending there on the date of dissolution of
ministry. So it plays a key role in making both Lok Sabha, lapse.
minister and administrators responsible. • Bills originating in Rajya Sabha and returned to that
The question hour carries importance in the following House by Lok Sabha with amendments and still
ways: pending there on the date of its dissolution,lapse.
-It keeps the ministers and civil servants aware of • A Bill upon which the Houses have disagreed and
public opinion. the President has notified his intention to summon a
-It helps in protecting the interests of the citizens and Joint Sitting of the Houses to consider the Bill prior to
few experts described it to be equivalent to the trails dissolution does not lapse on dissolution.
by jury. • A Bill passed by the two Houses of Parliament and
-This form of interpellation enables the minister to sent to the President for assent does not lapse on the
know about the happenings in the remote places of dissolution of Lok Sabha.
the country through the local members of parliament‘s • A Bill returned by the President to Rajya Sabha for
questions. reconsideration of the Houses does not lapse if the
-It also enables the government to know the pulse of dissolution of Lok Sabha takes place without the
the people about the policies and programs being Houses having considered the Bill.
implemented. The popular resentment could be
reflected through the protests by the representatives in
from of questions. What is the composition and function of
-It is also an effective means for citizens to control the delimitation commission? Why is delimitation
govt. through their representatives. done? (200 Words)The Hindu
Under article 82 of the constitution, Delimitation

commission is constituted by government of India
What is dissolution of parliament in India? under the provisions of delimitation commission act.
What would be its implications? Under what Main task of Delimitation commission is to redraw the
circumstances usually dissolution takes place? boundaries of constituencies of state assembly and
Explain. (200 Words) Lok Sabha.

Composition of delimitation commission is chairman, Subsequently nor do they pollute environment or

members and associate members. Chairman is former distort global climate. However they certainly
judge of supreme court, members are chief election help improve health with its positives of physical
commissioner, election commissioners and state activity.
election commissioners (ex-officio members) and A congested traffic during peak hours take
associate members are 5 MLA and 5 MPs of each state somewhere around one hour to travel a meagre
drawn from legislative assembly and parliament. distance of 5 km by car.
Present constituencies are carved out on the basis of Alternatively, if a dedicated corridor for cyclists is
delimitation commission under the provisions of provided, the same distance can be covered in
delimitation act 2002 on the basis on census 2001. much lesser time. Such a measure is already a
However, constitution is amended to not to redraw success in several western countries. Some cities
constituencies till the fist census after 2026. like Beijing ban use of a private car for at least one
Main purpose of the delimitation is to resize day in a week.
constituencies on the basis of population as Overhauling public transport system with some
population growth is not equal in all constituencies restrictive uses of private cars can effectively
over the time. reduce the loads on Indian roads.
National Urban Transport Policy, 2006
Each state has been allotted a no. of seats in a way that announced promotion of non motorised transport
the ratio between that no. and the population remain and equitable allocation of road spaces, but
almost same for all the states. However, there are nothing seems to trickle down from paper to
demographic changes in the country, measured by actual scenario. It is prudent to remind that ban
census report. which calls for fresh re-allocation of on cycles by WB Govt is a clear violation of this
seats among them policy.
Hence the The main task of the commission is to Dedicated lanes for cycles and public transport
redraw the boundaries of the various assembly and are need of the hour. They ensure equitable uses,
Lok Sabha constituencies based on a recent census. reduced accidents, saving in aggregate running
time, improving environment and of course
While drafting policies for the people, the bettering our current account deficit.
concerns of citizens should be addressed by the
government, not excluded.‖ Critically examine
the statement in the light of West Bengal
government‘s ban on cycles on certain roads in ―The fair play of the functioning of Parliament
Kolkatta. Suggest measures to accommodate can be ensured only if the government willingly
slow moving vehicles on busy Indian roads.(250 subjects itself to legislative scrutiny.‖ Critically
Words) analyze.(250 Words)
Decision to ban cycles on city roads is an ill

conceived strategy. It is an anti poor measure. At
a time when Governments across globe are
adopting or returning to greener mode of
transport, such a decision is retrograde.
Kolkata has higher number of cycle riders Is Rajya Sabha relevant today? Do you think it
compared to private car owners. A lot of people, should be abolished? Critically comment
including students, service providers like paper In our Westminster System of democracy Rajya
vendor, milkman plumber, etc depend on bicycle Sabha has a similar status as the House of Lords
as their mode of commute. Talking in terms of in UK. Rajya Sabha is a representation of the
equitable use of city roads, cycles occupy much states of the Indian Union in the Parliament
lesser space compared to a car. Neither do they whose members are elected by the members of
burden economy by inflated import of fossil fuels. the state assemblies and 12 members are

nominated by the President having made two factors can‘t undermine the position of Rajya
exceptional contribution to literature, arts, Sabha.
science, public Service etc. However, Rajya Sabha enjoys equal role with Lok
While Rajya Sabha enjoys similar status in case of Sabha in the passage of Constitutional
ordinary legislation at par with the Lok Sabha, in amendment bills,in the passage of resolutions,
case of money bills it has a lesser status than Lok election as well as impeachment of President etc.
Sabha. Rajya Sabha also enjoys certain privileges However in three cases Rajya Sabha have specal
like to enable central legislation in subjects under powers which are not available to Lok Sabha
state list and creation of All India Services. (though exercised less frequently)
So while Rajya Sabha has a very important (a) Parliament can enact on any state list subject
responsibility of representing the causes of states only after passing of resolution from the Rajya
in the parliament it also acts as a method of Sabha.
checks and balances in way of hasty legislation, (b) Parliament can create any new All Indian
amendment and in preserving the federal Services only when a resolution is first passed
structure. It also brings in diversity to the from Rajya Sabha
parliament by way of nominated members who (c) Removal Of Vice President can only begun in
bring with them expertise in various fields that Rajya Sabha.
enriches the discussions and the quality of Moreover, importance of Rajya Sabha can be
legislation. understood from the facts that- Firstly, Lok Sabha
At the same time the institution of Rajya Sabha is generally agrees with the policy and programmes
eroded by political Parties by using it as a of the government it is the Rajya Sabha who
backdoor entry for people losing in general expresses the fair and balanced opinion and
election, to elect people for petty political gains. A hence Rajya Sabha is able to exercise more
recent phenomenon has been the election of influence on the policies of the government.
outsiders from states whose reasons are other Secondly, it also acts as chamber to revise the
than representing the best interests of states. Al so decision of Lok Sabha and preventing any hasty
the method of nominating members has been legislation.
misused by governments for political interests. To conclude we can say that in Indian Context,
So while the Institution of Rajya Sabha has not the relevance of Lok Sabha is paramount as it
lost its relevance there is urgent need for political satisfies the two important pillars viz: as federal
parties to maintain the high standards of this set up of federal legislature and the spirit of
house and not using it for petty political gains. Parliamentary democracy.
.
More than what powers Rajyasabha is vested
with you could have stressed its necessity e.g. it is
===Relevance Of Rajya Sabha a sort of revising body for policy decision as
Rajya Sabha since its inception is relevant and politics alone is not the factor for member
will remain relevant in future also.It is considered selection. Bringing policy lacunae to public is
as second house and not the secondary house and imperative in a healthy democracy.
it‘s creation is based on the principle of equality In coalition politics it is not always possible for
of houses. Rajya Sabha is a constitutional ruling party to get their bills passed in Upper
necessity which is an institutionalised form of House- congress presently has only 70 seats in RS.
representation for the states to protect their Non-money bills are a choice for RS- lokpal bill
interests in any federal set up of federal was not passed in RS, though passed in LS.
legislature.
It is not inferior to Lok Sabha, if Lok Sabha enjoys I am for abolishing RS and my points are-
certain special powers that are not available to Vote buy out stories.
Rajya Sabha it is because of compulsion of 55 unopposed members to RS- a fair number not
Parliamentary democracy. even from states they represent-the idea of state
For example, representation in practical sense remains
(a) No Confidence motion and Money Bill- these
challanged- UK resident filing Rajyasabha increase the sittings. It is required to chose moral
nomination from Jharkhand figure from society.
1850 onward corruption in USA senate elction-
almost similar to RS saw reforms there- finally
leading to state elections.
Powers vested with RS can be transferred to LS
with direct provision for some eminent
representation- it will lessen exchequer burden.
=====Bicameral Legislature comprising of lower

house and upper house and it is one of the basic Q--Critically analyze various formulae put
characters of a federal state. Upper house consists forward by many stakeholders to resolve the
of representatives of the constituent state. The Kashmir problem.
states get voice in the legislation on union
matters. However the recent controversy in The Hindu
Ireland has raised the issue regarding its The ongoing territorial dispute between India and
importance. Wastage of money, delay in Pakistan over the status of the contested areas of
legislative process, hurdle to smooth functioning, Jammu and Kashmir is well known to everyone.
repetition, etc are some of the reasons by anti – When redrawing the borders is not a solution,
upper house. Rajya Sabha should not be India and Pakistan will have to look for ideas that
abolished as there are more strong points in are practical, workable and acceptable to resolve
favouring its need the Kashmir issue.
During past few years, number of actual working There have been many suggestions to solve this
days of parliament has been reducing. As a result issue like-
many important bills are pending before the 1) Accepting the Line of Control – After three
legislature. Now the already losing work adds up wars and long periods of disagreements, it is
the burden of getting passed by two houses, essential that any agreement must ensure that the
which further delays the task. It sometimes Line of Control is like a border between any two
appears that electing double representatives of a normal states. India would formally give up the
particular group of citizens is a burden on regions that it still shows in its map and Pakistan
exchequer. In case of conflict, there is a need for can fully integrate its part of Kashmir.
joint sitting for ordinary bills, one the other hand 2) UN controlled Kashmir Valley- Let India and
for the Constitutional Amendments cannot be Pakistan give up their control of the valley and
passed without the consent of both the houses. make the valley region (about 5% of the disputed
This again makes the process slow. area) into a quasi-independent nation with UN
All above arguments, although against the Rsjya control or guarded neutrality (similar to
Sabha, can not be deciding factors for its Switzerland). This could act as a sort of buffer
abolition. In a federation Rajya Sabha has state.
important role to play, through which the states 3) Kashmiri‘s right to decide through Plebiscite-
get opportunity to raise the voice in matters of let the people decide which nation they want to
union laws. State representatives look go with. However with change in demography
applicability of each and every clause of the bill to through trans border terrorism...India does no
the state to which they belong. They debate and favor this.
discuss and come to the more inclusive way. 4) The Chenab formula- suggested in the 1960s,
Indian federation is a unique federation; there are that Kashmir is divided along the line of the River
many instances when the states lose its power Chenab. This would give the vast majority of land
and India works as unitary government. The to Pakistan. The Muslim majority population of
abolition of upper house will further weaken the the valley and Jammu would be brought within
value of states. Instead of abolition of Rajya Pakistan‘s borders.
Sabha, its reform is required. It is required to

5) Independent Kashmir Valley- has been Helps in Floor management, in 2nd house -
considered by some as the best solution because it Rajyasaha
would address the grievances of those who have
been fighting against the Indian Government
since the insurgency began in 1989. But critics say
that, without external assistance, the region Executive (structure, organisation,
would not be economically viable. functioning)
India- Pakistan had Shimla peace conference,
Agra peace conference and many bilateral
dialogues, but there has not been any solution till
now. It is not easy to specify the outlines of a Q. . Do you think the Comptroller and Auditor
solution. However the history shows that the General (CAG) can audit accounts of private
Kashmir issue can‘t be settled by war, force or firms? Critically comment oh his duties and
violence. responsibilities.
A solution of the Kashmir issue will enhance
India‘s security, strengthen the prospects for
durable peace and stability in the region and Answer-
enable India to focus more on rapidly emerging  India being a parliamentary democracy
long-term geopolitical challenges. which means parliamentary control of
government earnings and spending. This
is the place where parliament places its
responsibility to CAG, a constitutional
Q--Discuss the procedure involved in post. Article 149
selecting the Leader of the Opposition Lok  Since spendings and earnings are part of
Sabha. Also examine his/her position an Consolidated fund of India CAG has
duties in Loksabha. every right to investigate into private
firms domains also.
The Hindu  Earlier there was clear cut distinction
Leader of the largest opposition party is chosen as between public and private domain and
the Leader of opposition, provided that largest CAG used to confine itself to Public
opposition party has at least 10% of the total seats domain but after opening up of economy
in the house. Thus the figure stands at 55 this distinction has diminished as can be
members for Lok Sabha and 25 members for seen from various PPP projects and use of
Rajaya Sabha. There is no formal process public resources by private players and
adopted, it is based on the recognition accorded sharing profit with government for ex
by Speaker in Lok Sabha and Chairman in Rajya Gas, Spectrum etc.
Sabha upon the leader of such party in  So CAG role must expand in consonance
opposition. However an alliance of parties cannot to the changing scenario to enforce
be considered as a party for the determination of accountability.
LoP. 
Leader of Opposition represents the entire  But it has to maintain a balance too
opposition in the house and voices his dissent because too many auditing agencies may
and opposition on issues in the house. He/she is confuse (TRAI for telecom and then CAG)
accorded rank of a cabinet minister and is eligible and defeat the very purpose of it. Its role
for perks, salaries and allowances of the same. in auditing should be limited to revenue
LoP plays important role in appointment of CVC, side only, see that revenues are not under-
CBI director, Lokpal, NHRC chairman and stated, and it should avoid its
members, CIC and secretary general of Lok investigation in economy, policy decision.
Sabha. Otherwise This may dampen the
investment environment which is very

much essential for development as politics to for see the prospects of national
envisaged by 12th plan. leadership.
 Apart from above it audits state, central The members of so called ―third alternative‖ have
gov, panchayts accounts and any work themselves to blame for this dismal presence and
assigned by president but he can not
performance. Their unity is based upon cashing
impose any punishment to defaulters.
on anti BJP and anti INC sentiments, rather than
 CAG does not have the power to shared ideology and principles. They also have
question the govt on the basis of its
many opportunistic allies who change sides
finding in its report but only places this
without inhibitions. Unfortunately the chances of
report in the parliament which is
third alternative in upcoming general elections
examined by PAC . Also there is a
looks bleak again.
possibility that its report is not examined
at all.
 Hence he is rightly called ―watchdog of
public purse‖.
Q. Do you think the Comptroller and Auditor

General (CAG) can audit accounts of private Write a note on the composition and functions
firms? Critically comment oh his duties and Expenditure Management Commission (EMC)
responsibilities.
The constitution of an Expenditure Management

Commission (EMC) as announced in 2014-15
Question – ―The third space in Indian politics is budget to recommend major expenditure reforms
the largest and the most diverse, and yet the will enable the government to lower its fiscal
‗third alternative‘ has remained an unfulfilled deficit. Controlled fiscal deficit will help the
experiment.‖ Comment. (200 Words) government to strengthen the macro economy
over time and especially ease inflation.
Answer - There is no doubt about the fact that the EMC composition:
―third alternative‖ in Indian politics has most HEAD: Bimal Jalan, former RBI governor
diverse composition. It includes parties from MEMBERS: Sumit Bose, Former finance secretary
north, east, west and south India.However, the Subir Gokarn former RBI deputy governor
notion of third place being largest can be MEMBER-SECRETARY: Senior officer with
interpreted as large void which has remained finance/expenditure experience
unfilled. EX-OFFICIO MEMBER: Additional Secretary,
After Independence, India was a single party Expenditure Department, Finance Ministry
country with sporadic presence of other regional Functions: The commission would look into
parties. It took five decades for an alternative to various aspects of expenditure to be undertaken
rise and threaten the monopoly. The dominance by the government,
of a single party was expected as it had eminent a) Suggest ways to reduce food, fertilizer and oil
freedom fighters in their ranks. But it is subsidies
astonishing to learn that despite two factions in b) Reforms to make subsidies more targeted
congress even before independence, second without compromising protection of marginalised
alternative took long time to rise. and poor people.
c) Formulation of a new Urea policy
Lack of third alternative, thus, is expected. Very d) Narrowing fiscal deficit
few party have pan India presence. In fact, other e) Review the operational and allocative
than INC no other party can claim this status. efficiencies of government expenditure to achieve
Regional parties are too engrossed in the local maximum output.

The Commission is expected to submit its interim SC held that the pleasure of president is not
report before Budget 2015-16 and the final report justifiable. The governor has no security of tenure
before Budget 2016-17 and no fixed term of office, he can be removed by
the president at any time. The constitution does
not lay down any grounds upon which a governor
Critically comment on the issue of appointment may be removed. Hence, since the commencement
and dismissal of Governor posts in India. of constitution in 1950, governors had to go
following the change of guard at the centre.
Office of governor is the one with great dignity,
responsibility and continuing relevance. A
The Governor of a state is appointed and governor was envisaged as the constitutional head
removed by the president on his pleasure under of the state, and the representative of Union in the
article 156 of Indian constitution. The governor is state. Governor is expected to be a vital link
a sensitive position in center-state relations. between the Union and the state, to act as the eyes
However, the process of appointment and and ears of the Centre, and to ensure that state
removal of president has been a matter government is carried out in accordance with the
surrounded by the political clouds. Owing to lack Constitution and to see that the interests of the
of concurrent meaning to the term ‗pleasure‘ in Union are safeguarded.
art.156 successive union governments have been The office of governor has been mired in
showing discriminatory attitude in the controversies, about their partisan behaviour and
appointment and removal of the governors. acting as agents of party in power at Centre. Some
critics also suggest scrapping the institution of
The major ground the successive union governor all together; but this could not be the
governments have been showing for the removal right solution.
of a governor is that he/she is not in sync with The Sarkaria Commission and National
the developmental ideas of the government. Commission to review Working of Constitution
Removal of governor on this basis is unfair and suggested that governors should be selected only
discriminatory. Instead government can try to from among eminent persons not too intimately
bring him/her in sync with the ideas. connected with active party politics. So long as this
advice is not heeded, controversies because of
There have been many criticisms stating that the their removal at the time of a change of
post of governor has become a rehabilitation for government would continue. Moreover when it is
political veterans and retired bureaucrats. institutional that governor holds the office at the
Sarkaria commission has recommended that the pleasure of president, the governors should
governor appointee should be a eminent person consult their own dignity and self respect and put
far from the political sphere. And also supreme in their papers immediately, without waiting to be
court in1979 and 2010 iterated that the governor asked to quit.
post is not a sub-ordinate to the central
government. Yet there is very little change in the
government attitude.
Critically analyze the role of Governor in the
Write a critical note on the relationship between development of states in India and his
the office of the President of India and the relationship with the Union Government.
Governors of states.
Governor is the titular head of state government

The Governor‘s appointment is not the result of and an agent of union. He doesn‘t have any direct
any electoral process. He is appointed by President role in the development of a state. In all functions
and holds office during the President‘s pleasure with a direct bearing on the economic or social
for a maximum period of five years. development, he is bound by the advice of the
state cabinet.

But he has discretion to reserve some bills for years since Independence to strengthen or
Presidential assent. Also he can ‗pocket veto‘ bills. weaken federalism.
Bills being the only device with the legislature to
direct the executive, the governor may be The Hindu
considered to be having an indirect and limited As envisaged in the constitution, the prime
proscriptive control on development, but no minister is the head of the govt. he heads the
prescriptive control. cabinet and advises the president in his actions.
The constitution considers the Governor as an As dr. B R Ambedkar said the post of prime
agent of Union. He holds post at the pleasure of minister of India can be equated with the
the President‘. But, in ‗S R Bommai‘ case, the SC president of the United States.
clarified that he is not a mere agent but an India is a union of States. States are constitutional
important constitutional functionary. As said, he authority‘s and thought they have been given
can reserve bills His report is considered while considerable power under their jurisdiction, the
declaring ―President‘s Rule‖. Once A. 356 is centre is the top authority with considerable
operational, he assumes the direct charge of state influence on States. Thus the functioning of the
administration and discharges his duties as per the central govt. determines the extent of federalism
wish of the union. Now, his removal cannot be in India.
arbitrary or malafide. In the initial years after independence, congress
party formed govt most of the states and the
-- centre. As the then prime minister was a pan-
indian figure and had immense say in who would
Article 153 provides for a governor for each state. lead state govt.
He is appointed by the president.
The governor is bound to the advice of the council But with the rise in regional parties and coalition
of ministers of the state. However, he is provided govt. regional demands had taken prominent
with considerable discretion by the constitution position in centre state relations. Be it foreign
and the parliament. policy, grants in aid, more budgetary allocation,
He can reserve any bill for the consideration of the special treatment, decentralised planning or the
president if it is against the directive or federal increased role of national development council
principles. He can recommend the imposition of have all been result of vociferous demands of
presidents rule in the state. During which, he is state governments. This was the rise of true
responsible for the administration. federalism in India.
Parliament has enacted several laws giving
governors of certain states discretionary powers. But many a time excessive use of President rule
In Maharashtra, Karnataka, telangana, Gujarat etc. shows that power of PM has also been exploited
the governor is responsible for development of in the past.
certain backward regions of the states. In states
with scheduled areas, he oversees their PM role here is much more imp to take all along
development. together in development of nation.
He plays a dual role as a nominee of the central Now, prime minister himself being an ex chief
government and as the head of the state. The minister has acknowledged that the prosperity of
governor holds office at the pleasure of the the country lies in the prosperity of the states and
president. The removal of governors after change has thus evolved the concept of cooperative
of government at the centre suggest that governors federalism
are treated subordinate to the union rather than as
an independent constitutional position.
Q---Critically comment on how the role of the
Prime Minister‘s Office has changed during past
Critically examine the role of Prime Minister as twenty years.
envisaged in the Constitution of India and how
the post has been used by its occupants over the The Hindu
The role of PMO has been as dynamic as the PMO diminishes the role of cabinet and cabinet
person who holds the chair of the PM. ministries? Comment.
Traditionally PMO has been the life and soul of
the Prime Minister. It helps the PM in his daily The Hindu
working from scheduling his meetings, press The PMO provides secretarial assistance to the
conferences to important matters like updating on PM. The PM through his office coordinates with
national and international affairs. This helps PM all central council of ministers, governors and
take informed decisions and implement policies ministers of state govts. It plays an important role
speedily. on important policy issues, which the minister
During the last twenty years, the PMO has not concerned feels should be submitted to the PM
been as powerful as it used to be. This can be for orders or information, and PMO provides the
attributed to the coalition politics that is evident requisite facts and information to PM regarding
at the central government, which has infact such policy matters leaving the ultimate decision
curtailed the powers of the Prime Minister. making at the discretion of the PM based on these
In the coalition era, the PM has not been as facts and information.
dynamic as he used to be earlier. The agenda of PMO administers the ministries in which PM is
the government is pre decided in the form of a the minister-in-charge under his guidance. Also
common minimum program that the ruling party since PM is the chairman of planning
has to stick to. The reduced power of the PM has commission, relevant files are forwarded to the
had an adverse impact on the PMO. PMO for his comments and clearance. PM
national relief fund (PMNRF) and National
Due to the decline of the Congress party in 1990s defence fund (NDF) is operated directly from the
and the emergence of regional political parties PMO.
has lead to the era of coalition politics at the Functions of PMO:-
national level. Coalition governments were 1. Provide secretarial assistance to PM.
formed not based on the common ideologies but 2. Coordinate between PM and various ministries
based on the necessities of the time. Every and with states on issues/projects/policies that
coalition had the leader of the stature of the Prime are deemed important by PM. Thus, it has an
Minister, which has led to the dispersion of important federal coordination role.
power among the various ministries. Prime 3. Facilitate speedy implementation and
Minister‘s office has been relegated to the status monitoring of any project that has been assigned
of ―primus inter pares‖ i.e. first among equals importance by PM.
from the most powerful status. 4. Advise PM on various policy issues and
This process has been intensified during the keeping him/her updated on issues of national
period of UPA government. The power to take and international importance.
decision has been completely taken away from In a vast country like ours, there are various
the Prime Minister,and it was vested in some issues that central govt. has to deal with. While
extra constitutional and unaccountable persons PMO is required to coordinate with various
and the PM had no say in the policy of the ministries while at the same time conveying PM‘s
Government. For Example when the government views on various policy issues, the importance of
decided to pass an ordinance to nullify the apex cabinet is not lost as various ministries are
court verdict on section 8(4) of RPA, due to required to provide specialized focus to sector
pressure from the Congress party‘s vice president issues. Thus, cabinet performs a significant role.
the ordinance was withdrawn hurriedly. In fact, a PMO‘s power increases if it provides
Only a strong PMO can help PM fulfill his/her certain level of autonomy and demands
role in the most effective manner. accountability from cabinet ministries. Thus, a
powerful PMO and cabinet are complementary
and not antithetical.
Q--Examine the functions of the Prime
Minister‘s Office. Do you think a powerful

Q---Critically comment on the relationship environment and the procedures should be

between the President and the Prime Minister designed in such a way that there always remains
as envisaged in the Constitution. an opposition and an LoP. May be cabinet post
not given, but surely need participation in crucial
The Hindu appointments.
under article 78, president has right to be

informed of affairs of the union, PM under this
provision is the principal channel of
communication between president and council of What are quasi judicial bodies and how
minister.he advises the president with regard to different are they from judicial bodies such as
appointment of important officials like attorney High courts? Do you think that the increased
general, CAG, EC etc. number of these bodies have diminished the
although the president is nominal executive function, structure and importance of courts?
authority. but as first citizen of India, he act as Discuss. (200 Words)
symbol of unity, integrity and solidarity of
nation.he is embodiment of ultimate authority of 1. The quasi judicial bodies are bodies that
constitution, which moves only on threat to perform the judicial function vestiged out
constitution government. of high court but are not a part of the
integrated judiciary system of India. These
bodies also called Tribunals are different
Q--A recognised leader of the opposition (LoP) from High Courts in various respects.
is necessary for the proper and harmonious 2. The appointment to various tribunals is by
functioning of Parliament and for the working
Central Government.
of several of the recently enacted laws. In the
light of the statement critically comment on the 3. Tthey refer dedicated cases in the area of
selection procedure of LoP and the importance litigation eg. National green tribunal,
of this position in the Parliament and outside. Income Tax Appealate Tribunal, Central
admin. Tribunal etc are specifically
The Hindu focused on environment and tax cases
The party with the second highest seats with at respectively.
least ten percent of seats of the house can claim to
4. The increased number of these bodies has
the post of the Leader of Opposition of that
diminished the structure and importance
house. The LoP leads his party in the house and
of these courts since the firm executive
plays crucial role in functioning of house as well
control on the appointment to these
as government.
bodies undermines the basic tenet of
With the new set of rules of recent decades the
judiciary viz; judicial independence.
LoP in Loksabha plays crucial role in
appointment of CVC, CIC, Director of CBI, 5. and the Finally, the appeal against their
Lokapal and members of NHRC. Apart from this judgement to High/Supreme court is also
the party in opposition provides constructive circuitious vide procedure of special leave
feedbacks to the government policies and petition.
criticizes all poor steps of the government. It also 6. Although The tribunals are a way ahead
poses a potential alternative to the government in for timely disposal of pending litigations
case of crisis to the government. besides the ‗expertise‘ approach which
The opposition party with leadership of LoP is ensures credible decision making and
crucial for better functioning of government. But restores public faith in judiciary, yet there
the changing political scenario and rising regional shall be safeguards for inter-institutional
parties may lead to lack of adequate strength for integration among various tribunals to
any party to form opposition party . So the rules integrate them under the existing judicial
needs to be changed as per the changing political

pyramid and secondaly appointments

need to be freed from political interference
7. SC in chandra kumar case of 1997
declared that those provision of Art.323A
and 323B that are excluded HC & SC from Suggest measures to address the issue of large
adjudicating those matters, for which number of pendency of cases in the Indian
tribunals were made, as un-constitutional. courts.
Judiciary being one of the pillar of democracy

and protector of rights of the citizen is constantly
Question- ―It is only when we have a highly delaying the justice.
efficient and time-bound justice delivery
mechanism that we can proceed to judge the Measures to avoid delay :
merits of death penalty.‖ Comment. (200 Words)
- FIFO : first in first out formula with some
There have been much debate now a days about exemption may work fine as many cases will take
the retention or otherwise of capital punishment, much less time
following the recent Supreme Court judgment, in -Computer : use of computer software to process
which it decided to commute the death penalty cases and accordingly creating average delivering
into life imprisonment citing an inordinate delay time cam be kept as maximum time limit by which
on part of executive in dealing with the mercy certain type of case should be delivered.
petition. -Filling Vacancies : At such a crucial time when
pending cases numbers are in millions urgent
We have the judiciary characterized by the filling of vacancies is needed .
lackluster approach when it comes to delivery of -Ad hoc : huge lot of cases pending in
time bound judgments. There remains a large nationwide high courts may appoint ad hoc judges
backlog of cases which are on increase day after from lower courts after filling in vacancies who
day. may boost the process the similar formula can be
used at apex level.
At such a position, it would be worthless to talk -Review : Case not being implemented in certain
about the merits and retention of Death penalty. period has to be taken up and cross check should
It may be said beyond doubt, that death penalty be done on certain responsible person.
acts as a deterrent for criminals. More Fast tracking the work of high courts may not be
particularly, for the grave crime involving done overnight but right step in the direction is
terrorism and what is called ―the rarest of the must.
rare‖, its importance can‘t be undermined at any
cost. But these all hold true, if and only if we have
highly efficient and time-bound justice delivery
mechanism. The independence of the judiciary is part of the
basic structure of the Constitution. In the light
The executive promptness in dealing with the of recent developments, analyse if this basic
existing cases, the strengthening and structure has been disturbed.
modernization in police, greater accountability of
public institutions and stick adherence to ―rule of
law‖ are some of the things which must be Recent developments in appointment of judiciary
ensured before we fairly introspect on the has brought to fore the conflict among two basic
justifiability or otherwise of the death penalty. structures of constitution ie judicial independence
vs democratic accountability. It therefore needs an
analysis of its pros and cons.

Pros The major drawback of NJAC is that it gives

(a) Brought transparency, objectivity and enough scope for political interference which is
accountability in whole process. threat to judicial independence. It also violates the
(b) Creates a professional judicial HR management basic structure of the constitution and the concept
agency in the form of NJAC. of separation of powers. Also there would be
(c) Included executives who were denied their procedural delay in appointments, tampering with
constitutional role in appointment process. IB reports of a candidate not having good rapport
Cons with the political parties. The bill also allows two
(a) Apparent parity in NJAC membership is members of the commission to scuttle the
actually tilted towards executives because: appointment of an individual, such provision can
selection of two eminent members have greater be misused.
role of executives; veto right may nullify judicial
choices but the opposite also holds true. Definitely, this bill has certain advantages like
(b) Wide criteria of selection, that is open to transparency in selection, more accountability in
legislative pronouncements, may stifle judicial judiciary etc, but this does not meet the purpose
independence with future amendments. for which the collegium was setup. NJAC does not
(c) Constitutional amendment without ratification guarantee the much needed freedom for the
by half of the states is just an indication of future judiciary.
executive intrusions. So to maintain its full-fledged freedom and
(d) Exposure by justice Katju, if true, tell the uprightness, the judiciary should have
vulnerability of judiciary which despite collegium predominant role in the commission. The role of
system was intruded. executive should be limited to transparency only.
Constitution is an organic document. Its judicial In absence of these features, the democracy would
interpretation has strengthened democracy. The be in danger.
present NJAC is not written on stone that can‘t be
changed. Collegium system itself evolved of the
failure of earlier system and so can NJAC be Another Answer..
evolved in future. Only the working of NJAC will
tell whether judicial independence is violated or 1. Some judges and eminents in law say that
not. proposed NJAC is against the fundamental rule of
constitution‘s ―Basic Structure‖
As according to article 50, there is separation
Critically comment on the various criticisms between judiciary and executive
expressed against the proposed National 2. Arguments that, there will be a shift of power
Judicial Appointments Commission. from Chief Justice of India to the Executive of the
day
3. The point which refers to Veto power: any 2
Judicial independence is absolute necessity for members of the commission can veto the
maintaining the rule of law in the country. If appointment to any post, which means
judiciary is under the control of the executive, it 2 eminents or Executive member along with
cannot punish the executive is it violates the law. eminents are enough to make judgement without
regard to 3 persons from judiciary
Immediately after Parliament‘s approval of 99th 4. There are few questions unresolved as to what
Constitution Amendment Bill, there were wide happens if a member is absent from the
spread criticisms on NJAC which will replace the commission during appointment? Is there
collegium in making judicial appointments, a Quorum?
though the bill still awaits ratification by at least 5. There must be opinion for the civilians also
half of the country‘s State legislatures, and then (provided with confidentiality of their details) in
President‘s assent for establishment of NJAC. order to get the true
service done by the member to be appointed.

6. Seniority should not obstruct merit while excluded executive role in appointment. Yet,
appointing members to courts executive dominance is checked by provisions like
7. parameters on whose basis members are veto power and mandatory approval by the
selected should be made public, or they must be President.
brought under the purview of RTI. With NJAC in place it is expected that the judicial
appointment process will be streamlined and will
restore the judicial credibility that has started to
Write a critical note on the highlights and dilute with the current trend in collegium system.
importance of the the 99th Constitution
Amendment Bill that was recently passed by the
Lok Sabha. ―With a proactive role based on the power of
judicial review, the higher judiciary in India has
attained an unprecedented significance.
Ans: The 99th Constitutional ammendment bill However, in the areas of judicial management
passed by Lok Sabha will replace the collegium and appointments, there is little scope for
system of judicial appointment and transfers. It euphoria.‖ Comment. (200 Words)
aims to bring more transparency, accountability
and objectivity in higher judicial appointments. The Hindu
Salient features:
(a) National Judicial Appointment Commission
(NJAC), a 6 member constitutional body consisting Indian judiciary system have played a very
of CJI, two senior most SC Judges, two eminent significant role in reviving people‘s confidence in
persons ( appointed by 3 member panel consisting it by giving landmark judgments in the past
of PM, CJI, LS opposition leader) and law minister whether it is in case of disqualifying convicted
is established and assigned the job of judicial legislature from contesting elections or including
appointments. NOTA option to give people the choice to reject
(b) NJAC will recommend the names of persons candidate or giving punishment in favor of female
on the basis of their ability, merit and other criteria protection and dignity.
to be devised soon. However , it can be noted that the method of
(c) NJAC will have veto power to reject any name appointing judges is not upto the demand of the
if two members oppose that. people. The method of collegium system for
(d) For HC, cheif justice shall be appointed on the appointing judges is failed to be transparent to
basis of inter-se seniority. Other judges shall be people and has brought corruption , nepotism etc.
appointed from the nominations made by chief
justice of that HC in consultation with two senior Hence a robust mechanism should be included in
most judges and views of CM and Governor of the JAC bill which can be effective in bring
state shall also be considered. transparency in judicial system , and remove all
(e) President shall have to make appointment if on loopholes . One way can be to introduce people‘s
reconsideration NJAC sticks to its participation in process and selecting judges on
recommendation. basis of merit ,if implemented can be a historical
Importance achievement in judicial process.
(a) NJAC will remove the mysticism associated
with collegium system. commission it should be ensured that it has the foll
(b) HR planning of judges will be handled characteristics-
professionally thus saving precious judicial time 1) It should be an independent body
and reducing vacancies. 2) All the organs of the state and the citizenry be
(c) Objective criteria for appointment will end represented
arbitrariness. 3) Transparent process of selection(guidelines and
(d) Inclusion of two eminent person will bring criteria of selection should be declared)
public accountibility in the process. 5) It should be effective and accountable
(e) Inclusion of law minister brings the much

6) There should be no predominance either of the Organisations like Amnesty International have
judiciary or of the executive acknowledged that the biggest concern regarding
7) selection should be based on merit CP is the miscarriage of justice,as even innocent
Recently brought JAC bill 2013 in parliament to people are put to death.it even supports the
bring reforms in the judiciary abolishing of CP. Studies have shown that CP
doesn‘t have any credible evidence in its name to
show that it has any deterrent effect on crime.
CP is a revenge masquerading justice.it doesn‘t
Do you support abolition of the capital solve anything ,nor it fixes anything. Certainty of
punishment? Explain why. (200 Words) punishment,not severity is the real deterrent in
crime.
Capital punishment should be continued in Indian please review my answer please.
cirminal jurisprudence.
The death punishment acts as a deterrent against
brutal crimes. Absence of it gives a freehand to the Comment on the shortcomings of criminal
criminal elements and inflists them to wound the justice system t in India. (200 Words)The Indian
society. A brutal crime isn‘t a crime agianst victim Express
only, it is a crime against the cociety. Dealth
sentence relieves the pain and keep the society into discipline needed to be brought urgently into the
normalcy. system by giving lawyers deadlines and enforcing
The punishmetnt is awarded only in rarest of rare them strictly.
cases. SC has given many guidelines from time to
time in this regard. If we look at the CPC, the
death punishment is given to only burtal crimes. Criminal justice system is failing in India as we
To eliminate the error of judgment, enough come across a huge number of reports of crime
safeguads and check points were placed. It can be and injustice meted out on people daily. The
implmeneted only by higher judiciary. Presidential reason being cited here is that it has failed to keep
celemency gives naother round of vetting. A crime up with the changing times and needs of the
came through all these deserve death sentence. people. As of 2011 there were around 3.2 crore
The state has righ and duty of elimination brutal cases pending in various courts across India.
criminals. Because state is the soul of society. An There are a few loopholes in the system
attack on society is an attack on state. Removal of responsible for such as sorry state. The first
vices is necessary for survival of society and loophole is that the courts are chronically under-
prevent chaos. staffed. India has 11 judges per thousand people
Thus, in a nation like India, the capital punishment which is a very low figure compared to the
should eb continued. developed countries such as the US where the
number is as high as 200 per 1000 people. The
A5 reason for the low number is that judges here are
MK Gandhi has rightly said-‖an eye for an eye low paid. Their salaries are not enough when a
makes the whole world blind‖. young graduate passes from a law college, high
Capital punishment is the ultimate denial of salary of corporate world seem lucrative...
human rights,violating the right to life as
proclaimed in the Universal declaration of human The second shortcoming is that of litigations. The
rights..It is a stain on a society built on reasons being lack of computerized records and
humanitarian grounds.Capital punishment was inadequate number of courts to clear pending
opposed by several members of the constituent cases. Therefore the cases continue to drag on for
assembly like Dr. Ambedkar himself saying years altogether. One adverse result of this
that‖people may not follow non-violence in phenomenon is the huge number of under trials
practice but they certainly adhere to it as a moral languishing in Indian jails, who loose the precious
mandate and it is the proper thin g for this state to years of life in jails due to the failure of the system
abolish Capital punishment altogether. to give them justice. This is a serious human rights

violation and of Article 21 of the Indian (v) Politics of patronage and favoritism has bred
Constitution. nepotism. A simple back ground check reveals
that many of the new appointees are either related
Another problem is a very low rate of conviction to existing Judges, or hail from their old offices.
even in grave crimes. Many a times, due to which Thus forms the so called ‗Judge Factories‘.
violent and organized crimes have become the
order of the day and even a profitable business for One More…..
some.
Speedy justice delivery through establishment of The consensus for replacing the present system of
fast track courts for grave crimes like murder and appointment of judges to superior courts by a
rape, simplifying the judicial procedures , bringing collegium of Supreme Court judges can be
about synergy among the judiciary, the uderstood on following grounds.
prosecution and Police, making the system
simpler, faster, cheaper and people-friendly can (a) Extreme secrecy : Collegium system lacks
only restore the confidence of common man in the transparency and is mired with controversial
judicial system which is in urgent need of reforms. selections. PD Dinakaran, AP Shah and Gopal
Subramanium case are living examples of this
obscurity.
Critically examine why there is a consensus for (b) Self selection: it is a unique procedure invented
replacing the present system of appointment of by judiciary that lacks any parallel in the world.
judges to superior courts by a collegium of
Supreme Court judges? Explain. (c) Man power planning: HR planning needs
expertise which judiciary lacks creating large
vaccancies resulting in backlog of cases. It also
There is a consensus because, presently: occupies precious time of judiciary.
1. Judges alone appoint judges. This is a practice
found nowhere in the world. (d) Commited judiciary: Collegium sytem was
2. The system is as opaque as a governance process adopted to insulate judiciary from executive
ever can be. The criteria of short-listing and details intrusions. But, latest revealitions by Jus. Katju has
of consultation are not in public domain. cleared the myth of judicial independence.
3. This arrangement is undemocratic. It vitiates the
‗Separation of Powers‘ doctrine. It tilts the checks (e) Democratic accountability: Indepence of
and balances in favor of judiciary. judiciary is nice, but with accountability it
4. There is no established rigorous procedure. becomes better.
There is a lot of latitude given to the collegium.
That much amount of discretion is unwarranted in Three judges case invented Collegium system to
a ‗rules-based democracy‘. It vitiates the ‗rule of provide cure from executive interventions, but the
law‘ principle and reverts to ‗rule of man‘. cure has become worse than disease. Considering
5. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. all the controversies there is an emergent need to
(i) After collegium came, there has been no modify the judges selection. Passing selection to
Chandrachuds, Bhagavatis or Krishna iyers. (ii) executives considering their records in CVC and
Judiciary has been marred with allegations of CBI appointments is also not feasible. There is a
corruption. Dubious judgments being pronounced need to evolve a selection procedure, an
on the last day in office in office, has become a independent and professional selection body with
norm. domain experts and opening selection criteria to
(iii) Judicial activism has crossed all tolerable RTI to ensure fair appointments.
limits. Judiciary‘s impunity has given it the
courage to legislate morality. The re-instatement of
S. 377 IPC, is a case in point.
(iv) Incompetent judges are causing undue delay.

At present how is the judge of a supreme court

appointed ? Do you think it is a fair system ? Vishakha guidelines…
PIL the best ever move for social justice

The supreme court judges in India subsequent to
the three judge cases, the president has to appoint
judges who has been chosen by the collegium – a But judiciary itself reform to promote more
closed system consisting of chief justice and four women at higher judicial level…..setting up
senior most judges of supreme court. commettees in accordance with vishakha
In words of present chief justice the collegium guideline…more representative ….So that Social
system worked fairly well but, it has been Justice can be promoted…
criticized for being a closed system in which the
union cabinet and parliament has almost no role to Apppintment of High / supreme court issue
play in appointment of judges, opacity and
accountability ,charges of nepotism in unable to ensure that the members of weaker
appointment. recently, a batch of advocates in sections - the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled
madras high court expressed their dissatisfaction Tribes - and women get meaningful representation
on process of shortlisting candidates for in the judiciary.
appointment as judges.
Although the collegium system has served our It recommended that the government make
country fairly well for last couple of decades reservation for S.C.s and S.T.s in the matter of
despite lot of controversies but present socio- appointments of High Court and Supreme Court
economic conditions demand to make it more judges, if need be, by amending the Constitution.
democratic in nature. The Judicial appointment It also wondered how Article 15(4) could not
bill 2013 which establishes a judicial appointment apply to the appointment of judges of the Supreme
commission (JAC) with CJI , two senior most Court and High Courts. Article 15(4) enables the
judges of SC, two eminent persons & law minister State to make any special provision for the
as its member is a move in right direction given a advancement of any socially and educationally
constitutional status to JAC will further eliminate backward classes of citizens or for the S.C.s and
the chances of executive overreach and at the same S.T.s.
will give a wider democratic representation to At present, the majority of the High Courts have
parliament and executive in selecting the provisions in place for reservation in their services
meritorious judges for the prestigious post. for S.C.s and S.T.s. This has been done by framing
maintaining the independence of judiciary. suitable rules for recruitment. However, the
Supreme Court has not made any such rules.
Write a critical note on the role of judiciary in

ensuring social justice in India. (200 Words) The poor administration of the country has
burdened the judiciary with the task of providing
social justice. It has time and again intervened and
provided assistance to the poor and
Constitution of India had given the responsibility disadvantaged class of the society.
to the judiciary to interpret the law so as to The judiciary has provided relief to the poor
provide social justice for the poor and victims. PIL has become very popular means for
marginalised people of the country. the aggrieved to get justice. human right
―The judiciary has played a vital role not only in violations, compensation in endosulphan,
preventing abuse of power but eliminating tightening noose on the political parties etc.
exploitation and injustice Inspite of these shining examples, the role of
judiciary has not been up to the mark. The affluent
Ex--ordering states to release grain from FCI and powerful have many a time gone unpunished
instead of letting them rot.. owing to the loopholes in the justice system. The

delay in justice process has been another problem. remained fair and non discriminatory. It
The compensation has been very small. The delay underlines the long stated ‗ Verdict for rich and
and meager concession in Bhopal Gas case is a powerful‘ . The concept of proven beyond
point in the case. The laxity and delay in unreasonable doubt, has provided loopholes for
enforcement of environmental laws is another escape of these influential people, thus again
example. highlighting the misery of downtrodden and
The judiciary is overburdened with cases. Social weak sections of society.
justice should be seperated from normal civil cases Hence, such events, indicate the need for judicial
as society shapes the future generation. For a reforms, whether in terms of All India Judicial
better future generation, social equity and justice is Services, Judicial Standards and Accountability
must and judiciary is a mean to achieving that bill or in terms of Judicial appointment committee
objective. and other minor reforms in ensuring rule of law
in real terms. Thus, reforms will reaffirm, the
much eroded faith in Judicial impartiality in the
―In India a staggering 30 million cases are said society.
to be pending in the country‘s courts today. And
to tackle this intimidating problem requires
comprehensive judicial reform, more judges of
quality and improvement of the judicial
infrastructure.‖ Critically comment on the need ―The Constitution (120th Amendment) Bill, 2013
for judicial reforms in the context of low in its present form is a threat to judicial
conviction rates in serious crimes committed independence.‖ Critically comment. (250 Words)
against vulnerable sections of the society. (250
Words) Link
Reference
Answer:
Judiciary, the prime body for grievance redressal ,
and mandated to ensure ‗rule of law‘, has given
landmark judgments and decisions for the same, ―Nothing can make for a more powerful case to
but its speed and efficiency is far than abolish the retributive practice of death
satisfactory. The large backlog of cases i.e. 30 sentences than the reformation of individuals
million , huge vacancy of judges, and highly convicted of heinous crimes.‖ Critically
complex, cumbersome process of judiciary , evaluate. (250 Words)
testify the above statement. Some judicial
verdicts, have allegedly, come under scanner of
corruption and misuse of power also. Hence the ―Nothing can make for a more powerful case to
need for judicial reforms is not out of place. abolish the retributive practice of death sentences
Recent judicial verdicts, acquitting the powerful than the reformation of individuals convicted of
Ranvir Sena members, from their conviction by heinous crimes.‖ Critically evaluate. (250 Words)
lower court, in the famous Laxmanpur Bathe In the recent Judgment by Supreme court, the
massacre case, leaving 56 Dalits killed . The court have commuted the death sentence of
previous verdict of lower court, relieving and re- Sushil Kumar for murdering his wife, Naina
affirming the judicial standards and faith of poor Sahni. The Court seems to have placed significant
and vulnerable sections of society in the judiciary, weight on the point that the State had not led any
has been much compromised again by this evidence to show that Sushil Sharma was beyond
acquittal. reformation. By taking the position that the State,
Another case, where a former HC Judge, was while demanding the death penalty, should
found involved in several Cash for Verdict scams, demonstrate that the individual will revert to
has been frozen by the recent HC judgement, such crimes, the Court has brought the focus back
freezing the CBI prosecution. The case points out , on the mitigating circumstances and the
the dilution in judicial verdicts, which has not appropriate burden on the State. It is this aspect

of reformation that was articulated in Bachan in cleaning up Indian politics, which has been
Singh case in 1980 that has been ignored most beset by corruption scandals.
often and the obligation is most certainly on the Judges ruled that ―If a [convicted] person has no
State to show the impossibility of reformation. right to vote, he has no right to contest,‖ .
Individual who have been awarded a death this judgement this could be a boost to the
sentence usually spent a very long time in prison growing demand for more transparency and
before their final fate is decided. In our legal accountability among the political class as parties
system, we have no mechanism to evaluate the may be reluctant to give tickets to those who face
changes they have undergone during this period. a plethora of charges, regardless of their ability to
Some of them are the most trusted prisoners in win an election
the jails in which they are lodged, some others =====You can also talk about how the ‗equality
contribute to the administration of the jail by before law‘ was skewed in favour of legislators,
maintaining records and teaching other prisoners especially with the ones having criminal record.
about work they could do in jail, some others
And about strengthening of democracy, you can
have picked up skills and earned degrees while
analyze the role of judiciary in keeping check on
simultaneously having introspected about their
executive and legislature. And then about rights
time in jail.
of citizens to have clean politics and
Reformation is an issue that is relevant to all
administration.
prisoners who appear before the Court
irrespective of the nature of the crime, age, sex
and social background. Before awarding a final ===The supreme court‘s judgement on debarring
sentence possibility of their reformation must be corrupt MP‘s from contesting elections is a
explored and the system must take an interest in landmark verdict and has a long way to go in
evaluating them as individuals as they are today. Indian Democracy. The Representation of
To argue that an individual cannot be reformed People‘s Act, 1951 provided scanty options for the
because of the crime she has committed is a people of India to keep away criminals and
perverse articulation of what was intended in corrupt politicians from the doorsteps of
Bachan Singh case 1980. Parliament and Legislative Assemblies. Though
the conviction of recent prominent politicians for
their siphoning off of public funds and corrupt
practices has come after two decades of waiting, it
Do you think recent judgement by the Supreme is still a victory for the people. It is a victory for
Court removing the immunity for convicted democracy that the judgement will keep
MPs and MLAs will help clean up politics and convicted politicians from political mainfray and
strengthen democracy in India? Comment ban them from contesting elections for atleast
another decade.
This judgement will have its serious effects in the
.1 Yes , the decision taken by supreme court is coming days as well, because of the elaborative
commendable and plausible , this judgement will list of corruption cases, disproportionate assets
not only improve indian political system but will cases and criminal charges under many
also prevent other MP‘s and MLA‘s to commit parliamentarians. As an immediate practice, this
further crimes. judgement will motivate people s representatives
According to the Association for Democratic to keep away from corrupt practices. In the long
Reforms (ADR), a non-profit organisation that term, this judgement by the Supreme Court will
campaigns for transparency and accountability in force all mainstream political parties to field good
public life, out of 4,807 members of Parliament candidates with clean background and
(MPs) and members of the legislative assemblies progressive track record for elections.
(MLAs) analysed by it, 1,406, or 30%, face
This as a result will have a positive and direct
criminal cases. 688 sitting MPs/MLAs are facing
impact on democracy in India. Good
serious criminal charges against them
Parliamentarians can make good laws and
nevertheless, they are lawmakers. it a major step
effective governments. A good Government will verdicts often prescribes for the capital
always consult the people in formulating policies punishment in rarest of the rare case. The cases
and take the people into confidence for its ending with a verdict of capital punishment has
implementation and thereby resulting in inclusive increased at the level of lower courts and most of
development. Inclusive Development can be them seemed to result of some external factors.
attributed as a sign of good democracy Media trial is one of the reasons of motivating the
judgments. The media on its own sensitizes the
In spite of the Supreme Court‘s ruling that in issue and end up in changing minds of judgment.
murder cases awarding of the death penalty is This sensitization often motivates public to
an exception and life sentence is the rule, lower protest. These protests at large scale pressurize
courts are increasingly giving death sentences
their representatives and for the vote bank these
owing to some unwarranted external factors.‖
political bosses often intervene in the matter and
Critically comment. (200 Words)
changing the verdict of the lower court. The story
Ans.The recent apex court decisions in 2 cases of not always begins with media, sometimes public
murder convicts being given life imprisonment on its own protests and demand for the capital
rather than capital punishment are glaring punishment due to emotions and empathy.
examples of changing stance of supreme court on Over and above these factors there are some
application of rarest of rare case criteria. It can be technical reasons also. The Supreme Court which
said that the recent judgments are so that we often advocates the capital punishment for the
develop a more clear view of the conditions rarest of the rare case has not defined clearly
under which the crime was committed. what these rarest of the rare cases consists of. The
Lower courts resorting more and more to the judges sitting in the lower courts are not
provision of capital punishment in murder cases experienced and often get confused, end up in
brings attention to the fact that either there is no choosing capital punishment for murder or
proper understanding and clear cut delineation of equivalent crimes.
boundary of the application of rare clause or the Media trial should be checked and public anger
lack of juridical experience to counter the various should be dealt with some innovative solution
factors that affect the trial viz. media reporting , and not allowed to violate integrity and ethics.
public perception and demand or expectation The more concrete solution would be; either the
which ends up in a biased decision . The onus of capital punishment should be replaced with
seeing each and every aspect of the case then falls absolute life imprisonment or there should be
on the higher judiciary which generally is clear guideline in deciding whether a case is
reversing death penalties now-a-days. rarest of the rare or not.
However the need of the hour is the role reversal In spite of the Supreme Court‘s ruling that in
of lower judiciary that needs to be done to save murder cases awarding of the death penalty is
the time , capital wasted in pursuing the case in a an exception and life sentence is the rule, lower
higher court for the lack of a unbiased and courts are increasingly giving death sentences
thoroughly understood decision.This will reduce owing to some unwarranted external factors.‖
the cases in higher courts as well as increase the Critically comment. (200 Words)
confidence in judicial system of the country. • SC has categorically stated that death penalty is
to be imposed in the rarest of the rare cases where
the community‘s collective conscience is so
In spite of the Supreme Court‘s ruling that in
shocked that it expects the judiciary to inflict
murder cases awarding of the death penalty is
death penalty. It can be awarded when fair, just
an exception and life sentence is the rule, lower
and proper procedure has been followed.
courts are increasingly giving death sentences
• Indian trial courts award about 130 death
owing to some unwarranted external factors.‖
sentences every year but SC upholds only 3-4 of
Critically comment. (200 Words)
them. While it is not possible to develop specific
guidelines, the wide latitude in definition of
India has not struck capital punishment from its
rarest of rare term has increased the number of
punishment provisions. Supreme Court in its

death penalties. candidate with no previous interaction with the

• An objective analysis of shocking collective selection panel has little to no chance of getting
conscience is impractical because of wide cultural, recommended. As a result focus shifts from
religious, racial and geographical divisions in performance towards keeps existing judges in
India. While lynching of thieves won‘t race much good humour.
eyebrows in Bihar, Sati is a relatively minor issues 3. Appointment / Transfer can still be denied by
in Rajasthan executives. Thus executives having a final say is
• Media trial has also started influencing public unhealthy in appointment to an independent
opinion. In Aarushi case, media has carried out institution like judiciary. This again promotes
the trial and proclaimed the victim going beyond political favour , bias and inequality.
the doctrine of presumed innocent till As it currently stands the system does call for
pronounced guilty. It is possible to sway public reform,
opinion by way of technology and this can have a Appointment of a judicial appointment
negative effect on judicial system. Judges are also committee as envisaged by JAC bill wherein both
part of the same society and this can make them the judiciary and executive have an equal say
amenable to such influences. would be an welcome step. This will eliminate
• Article 21 gives the state power to deprive any of two authority having a last say increasing
someone of his life provided due procedure is acceptability of decision taken by the committee.
followed. Judges are set to objectively analyse any It will also incentivise performing candidates and
case. In light of the changing socio-economic discourage bias and prejudice.
milieu, they should be trained and sensitised for a The Hindu
fair assessment.
Critically comment on the reforms needed in

.Critically evaluate merit and functioning of the Indian judiciary
collegium system in India. Do you think this
system either needs reform or replacement with judiciary being one of the major pillars of
a different system? Critically examine. democracy needs to maintain a clean image of
itself. But recently by and large, judiciary has
The Hindu been dragged into number of controversies. Cash
Collegium system is designed to recommend at home, Collegium system of opaque
selection and transfer of judges in Supreme Court appoinments,large pendency of cases that run
and high court. longer than ones lifespan,judicial overreach by
It consists of CJI and 4 senior most judges of extending to execuitve domain etc.Though
Supreme Court who makes recommendations to certainly judicairy acts as a custodian of
President. Executive however is not bound by the constitutuin and its right,but reforms in judiciary
decision and can turn down an appointment on are being long awaited.
cogent reasons. 1)Reforms include bringing transparency in
The system is not mentioned in Constitution and judges appointent.-Formation of All India Judicial
was born out of several Supreme court‘s service can be thought of in this regard.
judgement where court asserted that its views 2)Each and every case should not be
should be considered while making entertained,only cases based on urgency and
appointments and transfer in judiciary to check merit should be enteratined-Pendency of cases
undue interference of executives . will be reduced.
It has however come under criticism as : 3) Institunal level grievance redressal mechanism
1. It encourages favouritism and nepotism as only needs to be strengthened slothat pety matters
those having good repo and contacts with CJI can dont reach the court.
make it to the selection. 4) Sparing and judicious use of PIL by the public
2. Although it does not discourage merit it does should be encouraged by settling public spirited
not encourage it either way because a meritorious
PIL in fast track rather than entertaining all PIL‘s the middle class plays right into the hands of the
5) Lok adalats and other alternate dispute media by focusing only on that area.
settlement options should be publicized and
There is an urgent need to bring an end to this
mutual solving of problems at grass root levels
practice that violates the rights and also ends up
should be encouraged.
in biasing the trial.An informed public and media
6) Judge to case ratio is very poor in our country.
should be self restraining so that the dual
More judges need to be directly recruited.Legal
objective of voicing the public concerns and right
Infrastructure should be augmenetd to meet this
to fair trial do not end up taking each other down.
objective. Law should be publicized as a lucrative
career for zealous youth.
7) Last but not the least, Use of technology shold
be made in managing cases,hearing through
video conferencing etc. all in all a single window
―The Supreme Court has categorically laid
approach should be made available with the help
down that bandh/hartal is unconstitutional and
of technology for everything peratining to
the State has the obligation to protect the citizen
judiciary
against it.‖ Despite SC‘s framing guidelines in
2009 to recover costs
It is observed that the media and the collective from bandhorganizers, neither the States nor the
public sentiment are increasingly influencing Central government have taken any action to
the outcome of court judgements. Is natural put in place a legislation, or fast track
justice a victim here? Does this affect certain mechanism consistent with the guidelines.
class of society? Critically analyze. (250 Words) Comment on the unconstitutional
nature of bandhs and inaction of governments in
Ans.Indian constitution was written by our implementing court order. (200 Words)
forefathers with exceptional depth and after
rigorous discussions. The ‗rule of law‘ and the
provision of right to equality before law and
Bandhs or hartals have been used as a form of
equal protection of laws brings out the vision that
protest by political parties, pressure groups in our
a fair trial was to be provided to the accused.Any
country since long time. These bandhs throw the
violation of the rule resulted in Judiciary stepping
life in state out of gear and jeopardize the safety
in to provide justice. But recent pronouncements
of people.
by the courts in Kasab case to Delhi gangrape
Bandhs generally includes forcible closure of
cases of giving death penalty to the convicts bring
shops and business establishments, destruction of
out a peculiar case of satisfying the collective
property both public and private, disruption of
conscience of the people.
public transport system etc. It also leads to
Justice to those who were the affected by the acts disruption in supply of essential commodities like
of those convicted is the duty of the judiciary but food, water, medicines and electricity, cause law
it should be done in an unbiased manner so that and order problems like riots and certain
the principles of natural justice are not casualties. The aforesaid impacts of bandh forced
violated.But the role of media and public are SC to declare it unconstitutional on grounds of
becoming questionable as the acts of Media trial violation of fundamental rights 14, 19 and 21. It
and public trial are making the judiciary biased in also laid guidelines for state to penalize the
taking the decision in order to satisfy what needs organizers for damaging public authority.
to be done rather than what has to be done and Though these have not yet been implemented by
thus natural justice becomes a victim here. the state govt. as many a times the political party
Also in the cases involved there are two classes organizing bandh is the same which is in power
that are affected by this i.e. the lower and upper and even if it is being organized by some other
class. Cases involving the two mostly end up in a party, they let it continue just to settle their
question over the ‗character‘ of the accused and political scores and use the situation for vote bank
politics.

Till now the political parties had sacrificed our numbers encroaches upon the executive
democratic values at the altars of personal decision making authority? What is the opinion
pursuits, but with judicial activism & electoral of SC on the issue of judicial overreach?
reforms we will reach a stage where parties will Explain. (250 Words)
uphold the democratic legacy passed down by • Montesquieuan principle of separation of
our founding forefathers and wont squabble for powers tasks the legislature with policy
petty political gains. formulation, executive with implementing policy
and judiciary with interpretation of laws.
• Judicial overreach occurs when judiciary takes
======• Article 19 confers on citizens to form
into its hands matters of policy implementation.
political associations and trade unions. But it does
Indian Supreme Court has taken matters into its
not confer on the right to strike, which is a legal
own hands either due to executive incompetence,
right. Supreme Court has said that bandh is an
under public sway or to curb the narrow-minded
illegal strike which has a coercive nature. It
policies of legislature or executive. While PIL has
violates the right of life [Art.21] of citizens as it
been the preferred method of activism, Judiciary
prevents them from earning their livelihood and
has also started cognisance of matters suo motu.
violates their freedom of speech [Art.19].
• SC itself has said that it is not activism as PIL
• Bandh is a general strike which is not confined
merely introduces people-friendly procedures for
to a particular sector. It thus abrogates the basic
addressing people‘s grievances with judiciary. SC
right of citizens and is unconstitutional. Hartal, if
is tasked with maintaining a balance between FR
confined to a particular sector is not illegal,
and DPSP and their interpretation has to be in
however proper procedure is to be followed
context of changing socio-politico-economic
while going on a strike.
milieu.
• While executive has the option to apply
• Aadhar scheme for biometric data collection has
essential Services Maintenance Act [ESMA] for
been functioning on the basis of an executive
essential services, there are no clear guidelines on
order. It has no legal backing and it was proposed
its usage. SC has framed guidelines and has ruled
to be voluntary. Various concerns were raised
to recover costs from the bandh organisers.
regarding right to privacy of citizens, many
However there has been no legislation to this
services have mandated the use of Aadhar and
effect.
the efficacy of the technology. Cabinet recently
• Gandhi himself used this device but made sure
rejected all parliamentary considerations while
that it did not increase the suffering of common
clearing the UIDAI bill.
man. Nearly all political parties regularly resort
• Yet all these are executive issues and judicial
to bandhs and this has led to inaction. Instead of
intervention should be based on the legality of
following democratic process of participation,
affairs and not on the environment which led to
parties prefer to raise sentiments by way of
policy formulation, which is a prerogative of
bandhs. Since no action can be taken against them
legislature. SC should not dwell into assessing the
legally, this has become a favourite device of
correct way of policy formulation and as such, its
voicing dissent.
recent order does mimic activism to some extent.
• Recent bandh in AP where even basic services
• While mutual checks and balances are
have suffered highlights the narrow vision of
necessitated for the functioning of a democracy,
parties succumbing to this device. SC has recently
caution should be exercised while transgressing
sought a reply from the executive on the lack of
one‘s domain of constitutionally mandated
action. What is needed is that legislature should
powers.
frame a comprehensive policy in this regard so as
to reduce the plight of common man
What is judicial overreach? Does the SC order Analyze the ethical issues involved in clinical
on Aadhar scheme putting critical restrictions trials involving human volunteers. What is the
against the use and distribution of UID present status of clinical trial rules in India.

Explain in the light of recent Supreme Court A comprehensive and effective oversight system
verdict. (200 Words) is essential to uniformly protect the rights and
ANS:- Protecting the rights and welfare of those welfare of participants while permitting ethically
who volunteer to participate in research is a and scientifically responsible research to proceed
fundamental tenet of ethical research. A great without undue delay
deal of progress has been made in recent decades 5:- Education, Certification, and Accreditation
in changing the culture of research to incorporate Protecting the rights and welfare of research
more fully this ethical responsibility into protocol participants is the major ethical obligation of all
design and implementation. parties involved in the oversight system, and to
A series of scandals concerning social science provide these protections, all parties must be able
research and medical research conducted with the to demonstrate competence in research ethics—
sick and the illiterate underlined the need to that is, conducting, reviewing, or overseeing
systematically and rigorously protect individuals research involving human participants in an
in research. However, the resulting system of ethically sound manner
protections that evolved out of these rising In india, One hundred and fifty-seven human
concerns—although an improvement over past clinical trials were approved last year while just
practices—is no longer sufficient. It is a five managed to pass muster this year. The
patchwork arrangement associated with the differentiating factor was this: the trials cleared
regulatory review and approval of new drugs last year by the Drug Controller General of India
and devices. In addition, it depends on the were on the recommendation of only the New
voluntary cooperation of investigators, research Drug Advisory Committee, while the five cleared
institutions, and professional societies across a this year went through the new three-tier
wide array of research disciplines. Increasingly, regulatory regime that came into effect this
the current system is being viewed as uneven in January following the Supreme Court‘s directive.
its ability to protect the rights and welfare of This huge difference in the number of approved
research participants and promote ethically trials clearly reflects how a radical shift in priority
responsible research. — placing the well-being of volunteers and
The ethical issues involved in clinical trials benefits to the medical needs of the country much
involving human volunteers are as follow:- higher than the interests of pharmaceutical
1:- Respecting Research Participants companies — has drastically cut down the
Whether testing a new medical treatment, number of eligible trials. The SC directive to
interviewing people about their personal habits, reassess the 157 trials using the stringent
studying how people think and feel, or observing regulatory norms is welcome move.
how they live within groups, research seeks to Conducting human clinical trials is absolutely
learn something new about the human condition. necessary even if animal trial results are
Unfortunately, history has also demonstrated that promising. But human safety is supreme.
researchers sometimes treat participants not as
persons but as mere objects of study
2:- Ensuring Independent Review of Risks and
Potential Benefits
participants are susceptible to coercion or are
otherwise placed in vulnerable situations; and Q-Do you think the appointment of the Chief
monitoring ongoing research. Justice of India should be solely based on
3:- Compensating for Harms seniority alone? Critically comment.
Despite all precautions, however, some research
participants might be harmed. Participants who The Hindu
are harmed as a direct result of research should
be cared for and compensated Article 124 of the Constitution of India mandates
that there shall be a chief justice of India.
4:- Establishing a Comprehensive, Effective, and However, no specific provision is made to the
Streamlined System appointment of CJI. So, same rules are followed

as other judges and senior most judge is made Where 323 A refers to Administrative tribunals
CJI. and 323 B refers to other matters like taxation,
CJI holds the highest judicial position in India. He foreign exchange, import, export, industrial and
appoints the constitutional benches and allocates labour, land reforms etc.
the cases to them. Composition -These tribunals are specialised in
nature ,with specialists of the concerned field
Seniority is considered as a measure of the looking after the matter with speedy justice.
experience and wisdom of the judges. It provides Relationship with executive is more or less as the
a legitimate opportunity to the SC judges to be initiator of the tribunals with the spirit of
appointed as the CJI. objective criteria also seeks autonomy in its decision making notwithstanding
to reduce the corruption and the nepotism in the now a days day to day interference is a
judicial appointments, thereby , bringing routine.The judiciary commands appeal for the
transparency into the system. orders issued by these tribunals.
However, consideration of the seniority as the However ,these tribunals have been facing
sole criteria reduces the efficacy of the post. This various challenges such as violation of rule of law
should not override benefits of a stable leadership ,natural justice ,overlapping ,non accountability
in public interest. In the last twenty years the ,non participative nature ,out of bound of RTI.All
country has had 16 CJI`s with only a few with a these need to be considered with keeping in mind
tenure exceeding two years. He can no take long that tribunals should function under statutory
term reform in judicial system. Sometime Last law ,which in turn should work under spirit of
few months are spend in personal work like constitutionalism
pension, gratuity, debriefing next junior etc
considering seniority as the sole criteria would
not be adequate. The recent JAC bill has proposed
for commission for appointment and transfers of Q--What were the highlights of the
SC and HC judges would provide greater lapsed Judicial Standards and Accountability
consultation between the executive and judiciary , Bill? Why was the bill introduced? Explain.
thereby bringing greater efficiency into the
system. The Hindu
Judicial Standards and Accountability bill
was introduced to bring the transparency in
the judicial process of the country, and deal
with the charges of existing corruption in
Critically comment on the nature of tribunals, the judicial system. As of now there exists
their composition and their relationship with no law which can allow the common people
the executive and judiciary. to complaint against any misconduct by the
judges. The bill was to fill the lacunae, and
Business Standard for the same purpose the bill had following
The era of information revolution ,good provisions:
governance ,corprate governance forced the 1. Oversight committee: The bill envisaged
government to come out with alternative dispute to create an oversight committee under a
resolution mechanisms ,tribunals is one of them. former CJI to take the complaints against
Nature —tribunals are being formed under judges. If the complaint is of the CJI, then
executive or statutory order which limits its funds the oversight committee was supposed to
,functionaries and functions.The are not governed look into the matter itself. For other judges
by criminal or civil procedure code or indian it was supposed to give the case to an
evidence act. scrutiny panel.
There was no provision for Tribunal originally in 2. Scrutiny panel: The panel for the cases
the constitution but subsequently in 1976, related to a judge of SC was to contain two
Parliament Article 323 A and 323 B to start the judges of supreme court nominated by the
tribunals. CJI. And for a judge of high court, two

judges from high court nominated by the government. The lack of efficiency at executives‘
chief justice of the high court. level and PILs filed to consider the wellbeing of
The scrutiny panel was supposed to give the masses probably prompted the court to do so.
report of its investigation to the oversight The court has in many recent cases constituted
committee. If the report given by the panel committees to look after a certain area. The
does not confirm the charges then the committees mostly headed by its former judges
oversight panel rejects the complain, else a are looking into many cases such as black money,
investigation panel was to be set up for the cricket betting, and Road safety and so on. The
further investigation. court though it‘s various benches is also
3.Investigation panel: The panel was supervising many important cases such as 2G
supposed to investigate on the charges and spectrum, coalgate etc.
give the report back to the oversight panel. This proactive approach of the court though
And then oversight panel was to take the sometime considered as undue encroachment to
necessary action. the legislative and executive organs of the
Though the bill was passed by the Loksabha constitution and causing more strain to its
but the Rajya sabha halted it because of the overburdened infrastructure, it has resulted into
following reasons: many positive outcomes which otherwise were
1.Piecemeal bill: The bill does not dealt with not seemed possible in the realm of incumbent
the selection but only accountability. governments and its officials.
2. There was no proper representation of the The overreaching behaviour of the court, as it
executives. sometimes may be dubbed into, is often the result
3.The bill does not mentioned the of lax approach of the concerned and the court
composition of investigation panel. And the while taking a balanced approach must intervene
composition of the scrutiny panel cast doubt as and when required to justify the role the
on its impartiality. constitution makers have given to it.
4. The bill said the punishment was to be in
tandem with the crime of judges. But as the In the words of Gandhi .‖For democratic ideology
reputation of judges must be beyond all to become mass ideology , it should be taken to
doubt, thus this provision was questionable. the heart of the masses‖.For masses to believe in
Because of all theses reasons, the bill was the system , the balance of legislature , executive
forwarded to a committee to suggest and judiciary is crucial . On this context , it has be
necessary amendments, but it lapsed with analyzed whether judicial activism upholds or
the dissolution of the 15th Loksabha. upsets the balance.
 t mandatory declaration of asset and Supreme court ‗s decision should be seen from
liabilities..this can also be added the intent and object of the decision . If the intent
is to seek to know where the Lakshman Rekha
can be drawn in interpretation of the act , it is
highly commendable .On the other hand , if it is
Q--Critically comment on Supreme Court‘s intended to overpower the legislature and
decision to set-up committees headed by its executive in their jurisdiction , it sets a recipe for a
judges to look into matters beyond its democratic disaster. Judiciary till 1970s had an
jurisdiction. Do you think proactive and interpretative role and it is after the
overreaching judiciary is necessary to India? Keshavananda Bharthi case s introduction of
Comment. basic structure of the constitution , it changed its
course . Wider interpretation of Life to liberty in
Business Standard Maneka Gandhi case to introduction if Public
Interest Litigation without locus standi are
The Supreme Court being the guardian and final noteworthy interventions of judiciary.
interpreter of the constitution has endowed upon At the same time , policy directions are the
itself many tasks which were earlier thought only responsibilities of the legislature and executives
to be in the exclusive domain of executives and and any disrespect to that severely undermines

the very democratic process. It is the public guarantee that their productivity will
confidence on these representatives that increase/decrease with the aging.
empowers them to draft legislation .Unless such • Increasing working hours of courts and
legislations are unreasonable according to the Reduction of vacation period:
constitution, the intervention undermines the Judicial exhaustion can reduce the efficacy of the
public confidence . Judges and can also partially eclipse the true
From the last two decades , though there have purpose of delivering justice as the focus would
been anecdotal evidences of gross misuse of primarily be on disposing off more case rather
judicial powers ,the judiciary in majority of the than the just judgments.
cases has upheld the democratic principles suo • Setting up evening courts and additional courts:
motto. For a highly populated country like India would be partially successful in handling new
with decreasing moral standards in public life cases
and a gross disrespect for civic virtues ,judicial • Setting up E courts :would increase the ease of
activism is not alone desirable but a sheer access to judiciary, and as a result more filings
necessity. will happen. Thus the burden of the courts will
further increase.
Possible Solutions to the pendency problem:
Q--Critically comment the reasons behind the 1. Creating a National Judicial Talent Pool:
increasing pendency of cases in Indian law One of the reasons for non filling of judicial posts
courts. How this problem can be solved? is the non availability of efficient judges. Creation
Suggest measures. of National Judicial Talent Pool, by conducting a
competitive test can augment this.
The Hindu 2. Ad hoc Judicial Officers: The Ad hoc judges
According to PRS legislative research: As on 30th will be appointed for a honorarium to handle
September, 2010, a total of 2.8 crore cases are newly filed cases and the appointment will be on
pending in subordinate courts and 42 lakh in a per case basis. A judge cannot take up more
High Courts. Approximately 9% of these cases than one case at a time and only after disposal of
have been pending for over 10 years and a further the current case, a new case can be taken up.
24% cases have been pending for more than 5 3. Utilising untapped resources in Public and
years.2 Private Sectors for Judicial work: Due to a variety
Reasons for increasing pendency of cases: of reasons including lack of minimum wages in
• increase in institution of fresh cases; legal profession, a number of bright law
• inadequate number of judges and vacancies graduates enter paid employments, there by
• inadequate physical infrastructure and staff; depriving themselves the chance to join judicial
• frequent adjournments services, and depriving the nation their services.
• Absence of qualified personnel Practice requirement for higher judiciary should
• Over indulgence of judicial time in ministerial be done away with and instead, National Judicial
processes. Talent Rankings and Judicial Standards
• Non standardization of judicial performance Monitoring Authority Rankings should be taken
parameters as the basis for selection to all levels of judiciary.
• Ineffective utilisation of technology. 4. Independent Judicial Standards Monitoring
• High Cost in maintaining judicial Authority: There should be an independent
establishment. Judicial Standards Monitoring Authority, which
Solutions as proposed by Govt and its analysis: will rank judicial officers based on well defined
• Litigation Policy: avoiding unnecessary parameters of efficiency
litigation is akin to killing a patient to increase the 5. Strengthening E courts: E-courts as currently
efficiency of the health care system. envisaged by the judicial and legislative think
• Increasing retirement age of incumbent judges : tanks, is just a judicial workflow management
increasing the age will not be proportional to mechanism rather than an alternative mechanism
increase in number of judges and also there is no for dispensation of justice. IT platforms are
capable of holding and facilitating the entire

judicial process which will ensure mainstreaming discarding their importance ( The Shah Bano case
of judicial processes. is still fresh in our minds) lest it been seen as an
6. Strengthening and utilising Legal Educational enemy of Muslim people. People may continue
Institutions for Justice Dispensation: Apart from approaching them for advice and arbitration on a
reducing the arrears of the courts it can also help voluntary basis but their orders will only be
in building next line of good lawyers. binding on people willing to obey them ( subject
7. Enhancing Alternative Dispute Resolution to the constitutional supremacy of not being
Mechanisms: Alternative Dispute Resolution violative of Fundamental Rights). SC has played
Mechanisms should be seen as complimentary it‘s part as a gurdian of constitution to perfection.
and not as a substitute for formal judicial process.
Combination of both conventional and alternate
dispute resolution mechanisms need to be
employed. This could be made possible by
strengthening the existing ARD mechanisms, as Q---Critically examine the linkage between
well as by find new ADR mechanisms, to work resource allocation for the judiciary by the
supplemental to the conventional dispute government and the pendency of cases in India.
resolution mechanism of courts.
Business Standard
 ―Finances are the bloodlines of any
organisation‖..
To this above simple rule Judiciary is not an
Q-Critically comment on the existence of Sharia exception. India being the largest
courts in the country and the opinion of the democracy and aspiring to be the
Supreme Court on their rulings. superpower have to have deal with the
disputes. This has given to the mounting of
The Hindu cases to 30 million, many of which will be
Muslim personal laws are governed by various solved after the essence is lost.
laws , The Dissolution of Muslim Marriage Act Without finances the process and progress
1939 , Muslim Women ( Protection of Rights on of the system comes to standstill. Indian
Divorce) Act 1986 , Hanafi law etc. However budgetary allocation is paltry stands only
these are to be adjudicated and decided upon by 0.11 to 0.4 making the mockery of entire
the normal legal structure present in the country judiciary system.
through the Indian Judicial system. The Dar al 
Qazi ( personal courts based on sharia law  Unlike for critical issues of health and
appointed by All India Muslim Personal Law education there is no representative voice of
Board ) thus originally never had legal backing. judiciary in Budget making. Due to this
This has been recently substantiated by a SC poor funding Judiciary has suffered in
ruling that such courts have no legal support and following manner :
their orders are not binding upon the people ( the a. Number of judges in India at 10.5 per
illegality of Fatwas). At best they can be seen as million population is far lower than
clarification body as to ways and means sharia recommended figure of 50 judges per
laws could be synchronized with the existing million population. Due to lack of judges
legal structures. Thus SC has fulfilled it‘s serving judges are overloaded with work
constitutional mandate of protecting the thus drawing cases for long.
Fundamental rights of it‘s citizens. ( Recent b. Due to poor remuneration, judiciary has
Imrana case , the decision of the Muslim failed to attract best of the talent to bench.
panchayat was violative of the fundamental right Highly paid lawyers see no gain in opting
and anybody who would force her to follow the for it. This leads to incompetence in
dictat would be in violation of Indian constitution judiciary thus delays.
and SC would deal with them appropriately) . c. Government which is a party to 60% of
Also SC has shown a great maturity by not the cases pending at higher judiciary has no

incentive to push the court cases as the same c. Moral : By withdrawing his candidature Mr.
is not leading to higher budgetary Subramnium has averted a constitutional face off
allocation. between judiciary and executive. The moral
d. Courts sit of cases which are related to responsibility of this controversy however lies
laws passed by legislatures, but at the same with executive.
time there is no impact assessment of such
laws on the workload of judiciaries. This
would lead to appropriate allocation of
funds. Q-―The contemporary practice of Public Interest
Litigation (PILs) has atrophied and morphed
into a format that has lost sight of this original
Q--Examine how the collegium system to choose political and constitutional justification.‖
new judges works in India. In the light of recent Critically comment.
controversy over the appointment of a judge to
the Supreme Court, critically comment on the PIL were envisaged as the instruments to the
political, constitutional and moral issues arising provide justice to the poor and marginalized
out of the controversy. sections.
 The political motives have led to reducing
The Hindu the efficacy of the instrument. The majority
Appointment of judges has been subjected to of the PIL application come from the states
scrutiny of Supreme court. Ultimately in Third such as Delhi and Punjab and there is lesser
Judges Case, SC declared that appointment of representation from the states with
Judges to SC and HC will be done by President considerable poor and marginalized
on advice of a collegium of judges consisting of sections. Moreover, the success rates of the
Chief Justice and four senior most judges of SC. litigation filed by wealthy section is 73
Any advice tendered to President shall be percent , significantly higher than the 47
binding. Thus collegium became the appointing percent rate of success for the
authority for SC and HC judges. Over the years disadvantaged social class.
there have been many instances where questions  .
have been raised against it. First, it does not The PILs filed by Shiksha Bachao Andolan
provide enough checks, transparency and for removing the objection material from the
accountability in appointment of judges. Second, NCERT or the ones filed for strengthening
over the years this has led to favoritism, nepotism and consolidating the interests of the IAS
and neglect of meritocracy. There is an opinion community, among others, highlight that
that to make appointment more transparent the instrument which was meant to provide
another appointing body should be formed. On a justice to the marginalized sections has
positive side it has ensured autonomy and reduced into an instruments for partisan
independence of judiciary. considerations. The courts have become a
Recent controversy was because government forum for such oblique considerations.
returned G. Subramanium‘s name, which was It is essential that the poor and the
recommended by collegium. Dimension involved marginalized sections have an access to the
in controversy : judicial system for safeguarding their
a. Political : Due to Mr. Subramanium‘s interests. It should be ensured that PIL
involvement in politically relevant cases it should retain its relevance and do not lose
appears that government is trying to punish him the objectives which inspired its creation.
for taking stand against them.
b. Constitutional : By bringing in vested interest
in returning Mr. Subramnium‘s name the Public interest litigation (PIL) was invented
executive is undermining judiciary‘s in 1970‘s to bring the focus of Indian
independence and disregards doctrine of judiciary towards the plight of marginalized
separation of power. section and unheard voices of society. It has

been able to deliver justice and redress the government to an extent. Third DSPEA is now
grievances of the poor people. But in the more compliant with the Prevention of
new millennium, PIL is being transformed Corruption act.
from
. Issues like cricket and corruption etc which It removes conflict of interest as the very group of
were more popular in media were accepted officers who may be the target of the inquiry get
for regular hearing. So we may conclude to decide whether the probe should be allowed or
that PILs today are not exclusively focused not.
on remedying deficient access to the courts. Notwithstanding the political interference, the
CBI over the years have been adding to its
Another controversy with use of PIL is that powers, aided by some Supreme Court
by using this anti-democratic and judgments (Vineet Narain case, coal mining rights
illegitimate people can halt the govt. allotment case etc) as well as certain government
development process and program. initiatives. Caution must be taken not to allocate
the Shiksha Bachao Andolan Samiti, a front political autonomy at the expense of
organisation for the Rashtriya unaccountability to such a powerful organization
Swayamsevak Sangh, filed PILs to remove which must ultimately be answerable to some
―objectionable material‖ in National Council democratic institute. Additionally in an
of Educational Research and Training atmosphere of policy as well as functional
(NCERT) textbooks and thereby bring paralysis, an over vigilant CBI can add to the
―Indianness in the field of education.‖ existing inertia in bureaucracy.
Shisksha-Bachao-Andolan in bringing Besides the judgement is not the final answer to
Dongier‘s book on Hindus off-stores. CBI‘s perils. CBI today is saddled with multitude
PIL is a radical procedural innovation that of tasks without matching manpower, forensic
allows the court to overcome conventional, resources and financial strength. It is also
constitutional norms of the separation of dependent in most cases for preliminary
powers, dilute procedural norms and devise investigation on the state police and the CID
unique and far-reaching institutional which have been ignored even more acutely.
remedies. This may only be justified if it is Finally a judicial remedy to the institute
used by marginalized n unheard section of accountable to legislature has not been proven
society. very effective. The scant respect shown to the it‘s
It is essential for the court to revitalize PILs directives by the central and most of the state
by constraining them to their foundational governments in the ShriPrakash Singh judgement
justification on police reforms is a pointer.
 A piecemeal judicial remedy to solve its
problems may not prove very effective. CBI
Q-Critically comment on Supreme Court‘s today is saddled with multitude of tasks
ruling that the Section 6A of the Delhi Special without matching financial and functional
Police Establishment Act as unconstitutional autonomy. Hence, a thorough structural
and examine the implications of this ruling. overhaul of DSPEA is required to release the
‗caged parrot‘.
The Supreme Court recently held as invalid A strong political will must be the
Section 6A of the Delhi Special Police underlying basis for CBI reforms for them to
Establishment Act(DSPEA), which granted be sustainable.
protection to joint secretary and above officers
from facing even a preliminary inquiry by the CBI In negatives- With the over vigilant CBI,
in corruption cases. mention the corruption done by certain CBI
The judgement is significant on several counts. officials too, thus making it draconian.
One it strengthens the constitution‘s commitment In weaknesses of CBI- administrative
to towards equality of law for everyone enshrined control of CBI is still with government.
in Article 14. Two it reduces CBI‘s dependence on

Ministries and Departments (of Union and in check so that the power remains in the political
State govts.) domain and balance be maintained
What are the functions and responsibilities of

the Ministry of Statistics, government of India? Pressure Groups & Formal, Informal
Examine. associations (and their role in the polity)
―The ‗apolitical‘ character of our armed

forces and their subordination to the Q-Do you support regulation of media in India
political leadership were deliberately and by the government? Justify your answer and
carefully nurtured in the early years of the also suggest alternate measures. (200 Words)
republic.‖ Comment on the statement in
the light of recent events. (250 Words)
Positive
Military or other defence forces have been loyal
to civil leadership and still continues to be. But -- Media must be regulated on what they show,
the legality of their report, how invasive are in
recent events like opposition to afspa removal in
people‘s personal life = to maintain standard and
kashmir and siachen and north-east, frequent
quality.
incidents of political-military nexus in equipment
acquisitions explored in Tatra Truck scam, recent Because freedom came with caveats even in
spat of allegations of a former Gen in supplying Indian constitution‘s Article 19 (2), which
money to local ministers in kashmir, etc have stipulated that freedom of expression was subject
come to define a change in the said relationship. to reasonable restrictions.
Indian forces are loyal to the extent that defence
-- Regulation must be based on a ‗statutory,
ministry holds the final decision power. But many
mandatory self-regulatory body‘ with
things are there which the forces handle on the
appointments made by an independent
ground acc to their duties of security. Recent
mechanism.
issues of vacancy in forces at officer levels,
inadequate armed weaponry, difficult living -- Indian media is self-regulated and the existing
conditions, intermittant supplies in case of bad bodies for regulation of media such as the Press
weather on the border in himalayas and deep Council of India, which is a statutory body, and
seas, etc have taken a high toll on their lives and the News Broadcasting Standards Authority, a
their families. But incidents such as said in the self-regulatory organization, issue standards
beginning are worrying as they seem to which are more in the nature of guidelines.
demoralise the forces on account of corruption -- ‗Evolving editorial code and having internal
and culture of impunity. Main issue which ombudsman will help raise standards‘
brought the issue to the front is leak of an internal
inquiry report against former general. Another is -- To check-- paid news, projection women as
his recent joining of a political party to get ex- commodity and to make media accountable.
servicemen demands of one rank one pension.
Such scenario indicates defunct relations between  media misreporting and sustained
military and political leadership. Issue of former defamation of particular social groups or
general‘s retirement age also gained media hype. individuals;
Need is to bring in proper change in the structure  scandals involving millions of rupees in
of military and armed forces to reduce gap exchange for favourable coverage of
between people and soldiers. Also need is to particular political and investment
bring the demands of the servicemen to proper interests;
disposal so that they donot interfere in the civil  bribery and corruption linking lobbyists
domain. Also their opposition to the removal of and fixers for large industrialists with
forces from kashmir and other areas must be kept

major media houses, journalists and grievances of armed personnel,

politicians; movements started for their registration at
 the sale of editorial space and airtime for the place of their postings, as they could
advertorials; and the reckless hardly vote at their native places.
endangerment of members of the public  SC in a recent verdict made it their right to
through the unethical and sensationalist get registered as ordinary residents at
reporting of health scares and terror their place of postings in case of peace
attacks. stations.
 To check social media= to avoid  Voting in cantonments on the basis of SC
Communal violence like Muzaffarnagr judgement can create problems in case of
and Exodus of NE people =from small constituencies i with large
Bangalore cantonments, where competition among
contestants is cut throat.
Negative  The result of elections may be determined
--Media is called the fourth pillar of democracy= only by the voting pattern of cantonments.
check corruption, deteriorating law and order For example, in constituencies in North
and other issues of public interest East, J&K, Leh where local voter base is
small and cantonment sizes are
-- Acts as Public watch dog = therefore has a comparatively large, voting result can be
central role to play in the freedom of information decided by voting of cantonment only.
and freedom of expression Also in case of large cantonments like
--Acts as check and balance for government‘s Jalandhar, Gurdaspur, this may happen.
misuse of power.  The cantonment in changes can also be
accused of favouritism if substantial part
-- Article 19(2) = guarantees freedom of of cantonment moves to some other place
expression with reasonable restriction. before the elections
-- It will go against the freedom of the press,
maintenance and improvement of the standards
of newspapers and news agencies in India
leading to murky ownership structures and Critically evaluate various women rights
monopolistic practices. movements that have taken place since
Independence. Also examine the role played by
women organisations in these movements.
Q. Should armed forces be allowed to vote in
general elections as general voters in peace
stations? Examine the problems associated with
such a move and offer solutions.
Q---Critically comment on the creative and
commercial challenges that the news industry
ANSWER- faces in India , across TV, print, radio or online.
 For any person to participate in voting,
he/she should be registered at the place
―as an ordinary resident of that place‖. India has largest number of newspaper and news
 In case of armed personnel, they are channel in the world. It also has one of the biggest
generally stationed at the cantonments or social media population. However, the media
check posts different from their native houses are facing huge commercial and creative
places. challenges. Some of the challenges are:
 Most of the armed personnel are - With large number of newsroom, each channel
registered as the voters at their native tries to break news as early as possible. This
places. Recently to address the issues of result in monotonicity in the news viewing

experience and migration of audience to other long term mess is not taken care of. Different
avenues. branches, sections of the above mentioned forums
- With the advent of social media the newsroom work separately . They do not share their
has to reinvent itself because people do not prefer resources, bring own analysts, provide different
advertisements, the biggest revenue source of layouts, and finally try their luck with audience
newspaper and channels. reception. With so many options , the audience is
bound to migrate across them. But this costs high
The media consisting of the TV, print, radio or for these news providers and revenues do not
online is rightly considered as the fourth organ of sustain them in long term. Quality falls prey to
any democracy and Indian constitution sensationalism.
sufficiently provides many freedom to media to One solution can be integrated newsrooms. This
and report and articulate its view without any shall allow coherence, coordination and sharing
fear. of resources among different sections in a single
However, the news industry today is facing integrated newsroom. Costs can be reduced and
plethora of problems in the creative as well as also viewer‘s choice can be analyzed and
commercial scale. Though India now houses more resources diverted to that quickly. It can actually
than 135 channels (the biggest in the world), and generate employment as new ideas shall emerge,
around 86,000 newspapers, there are certain new ways of cross adaptations will accrue as a
challenges which prohibits them to come upon a result. New demands as result of adaptations will
quality and analytical news items. bring more jobs and business for the industry.
One such issue is the inability of the media Such innovations and risks need to be taken to
houses in ‗news integration‘ which essentially break the current commercial and creative
means combing all news divisions (radio, TV, stagnation which impedes the growth of news
print, online) to get maximum inputs from them. industry.
Another issue is about the revenue generation
which is almost depends on ad revenue. Even Media houses today are largely owned and
though there is a substantial generation of operated with profit in mind which in a way
revenue, the capital required to set-up the place obstruct in honest reporting on relevant matters.
itself has long gestation period. The saga of TRP has been dominating upon them
Media houses today are largely owned and which often compels them to sensationalize the
operated with profit in mind which in a way news instead of its useful assimilation.
obstruct in honest reporting on relevant matters.
The saga of TRP has been dominating upon them
which often compels them to sensationalize the
news instead of its useful assimilation. Salient features of the Representation of
People‘s Act.
The news industry holds crucial place in today‘s

world which is informed, inquisitive, vacillating Q-What is your opinion on Opinion Polls?
across different forums. Several forums like TV, Should they be conducted or not?
print media, radio, social websites, telephone Substantiate. (150 Words)
apps, online buzz feeds etc have arrived as a tool
for sharing news. The most critical challenges Answer)
faced now is to sustain this expansion is rising
costs, depreciating quality, stagnating revenues Opinion polls are the view expressed by the
and migrating audiences. There is lack of sample voters before the elections to predict the
visionary, long term approach followed by news voting behaviour and project the future
companies, which can address these government. These polls are conducted by the
simultaneously. leading print and electronic media in the country.
The most convenient option taken is of Existing law allows EC to ban opinion polls just
advertisements. These bring short term funds, but 48 hours prior to voting under Section 126 (1)(b)

of the Representation of People Act, 1951 findings that may or may not influence voter
(displaying any election matter including results behaviour ?
of any opinion poll or any other poll survey, in
-- The positive aspect of opinion polls is that they
any electronic media would be prohibited during
indicate a trend and make parties plan ahead
the period of 48 hours ending with the time fixed
while keeping their house in order.
for conclusion of poll)
Conclusion
Why are political parties getting so worked up
about opinion polls? With Greater transparency, if a poll is claiming to
There are two reasons. One, they tell voters about sum up the national mood, it should also describe
the national mood vis-a-vis parties. Two, they can its methodology --the size of the sample, its socio-
be used to sway undecided voters, especially economic profile, how the data was collected
those who want to vote for the winner to ensure (questionnaire, interview or phone), etc.
their vote doesn't go waste. For this reason, The poll should also disclose ownership and track
opinion polls are becoming a political weapon. record of the organisation that conducted the
Each party commissions and releases findings survey, and the client who paid for the survey. A
that show it will win. good start would be to ignore any survey that
doesn't provide detailed answers to all of these
Opinion polls are part of larger issue of electoral questions.
reforms.
Rule 49-O of the Conduct of Elections Rules,
Negative
1961 (50 Words) (NOT part of RPA)
--India having the literacy rate of 74%, out of
them a very few percentage of people really Answer)
understand the Indian governance system and
Rule 49-O was integrated in general elections of
value of their votes and in India.
India under the right to freedom of speech and
--Most of the political parties have running their expression under article 19. This rule empower
own media (Print and paper) for their own voters to vote against all the candidates. But this
benefits. Hence, these opinion polls inevitably exercise need some paper work which does not
project reports in their favour and lacks the provide enough privacy for the voter.
genuinity.
This led to the voting in favour of arbitrary
--Opinion polls shall be banned in order to candidate and defeated the very purpose.
conduct free and fair election , especially in However, now, SC has enforced to integrate the
Indian society. NOTA button in EVM for the same purpose
which does not violates the privacy of voter.
--Opinion polls that are not transparent and are
carried out unscientifically soon lose credibility. Correction: ―Rule 49-0 does not give right to vote
against all the candidates. when voter doesn‘t
Positive
want to cast his/her vote, It empowers not to vote
--any ban on opinion polls runs counter to Article in favour of any of the candidate.‖
19 (1) (a) of the Constitution that provides all
citizens the right to freedom of speech and What is the intention behind declaration of
expression. assets by candidates contesting elections? Has it
--Instead of banning opinion polls, the Election made any positive impact? Comment. (150
Commission can consider restricting their mode Words)
and the timing of the results‘ publication.
Answer)
-- If parties and candidates are allowed to try and
influence voters during the campaign period,
why cannot the media or others publish poll Declaration of assets and liabilities under
section 75A of RPA

The NOTA(None of the Above) choice will be

The main objective behind declaration of given in the elector voting machines from now
assets by candidates contesting elections is onwards after Supreme court directed the ECI.
combat the corruption.Using this tool several This is the second important election reform . It
countries decline the corruption.e.g. Latvia. gives a choice to reject to the voter. It also
Assets disclosure enhance the legitimacy of maintains his secrecy in doing so, which was
government in eyes of public.Due to this unavailable earlier.
increase the foreign direct investment in the The third and most significant judgment was
country.Because of this declaration, the terming the Section 8(4) of the RP Act to be
ordinary people select their representatives in unconstitutional. Now the convicted legislators
assembly or parliament. Suppose X candidate will be disqualified immediately. Also, they will
assets in last time election declared suppose be debarred from contesting elections for 6 years
some amount let us say 1 crore rupees and the after their release. This judgment will strike on
present his income 3 crores. Then the voter the criminality which was surfacing in the
can think about it and will give vote political cadres.
accordingly. The voter can know any criminal
offences is there are not.Declaration of assets
by candidates are powerful tool for voter to
―In recent years the Representation of the
elect good and fair representative.
People Act has become the victim of tug of war
Extras--- between the judiciary and executive.‖ Elucidate.
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid (200 Words)
=97577
Answer)
Highlight recent Supreme Court judgments that
are related to the conduct of elections and
electoral reforms. (200 Words) India is a Parliamentary Democracy. The
separation of powers is not as rigid as in USA.
Answer) Judiciary being the final interpretator of the
Constitution has time and again steped in to issue
of ―electoral reforms‖.
Supreme Court has passed crucial judgment in
recent times to bring more transparency, choice, Supreme Court upheald the Patna HC judgement
rational and clean polity at play. Free and Fair that a ―convicted‖ representative deems to be
elections are the door to a robust democracy. disqualifed to be a voter , so he loses his eligibility
Certain mal-practices and unjustified agendas to contest the elections. Along declaration of
had taken place in the election process. They section 8(4) of RPA, 1951 as un-constitutional and
seriously hampered the spirit of elections. Voting void for not treating ordinary citizen and
behaviour was also impacted. representative alike.
The three recent judgments tend to change some So, disqualifying the member from being a
of them. Firstly, Supreme court has asked the ECI legislator. The ECI was quick in implementing the
to frame guidelines in consultation with the judgement. However, there were loopholes left.
political spectrum regarding the Freebies. They
have become a major tool in the hands of parties These include even a person could be jailed for
to lure voters. Such freebies are in progressive. petty crimes like violation of traffic rules, political
They are for short sighted vote bank politics. vendata leads to filing of cases and use of state
They hide and dig the more positive agendas like machinery by the ruling party can lead to arrests.
development and social progress from the After considering such loopholes, the SC clarified
election campaign. that jailed persons can contest and those found
―guilty‖ will not be allowed.

imperilled, then the future of India looks very

gloomy.There are different reasons for such a
worrisome situation.
Firstly, rather than debate and discussion ,
Question - ―Indian elections are a ritualistic,
five-yearly obeisance to democracy that hides disruption and drama has now become usual.
the appalling state of the country‘s institutions, This is done as a way of making their presence
in particular Parliament which today resembles felt to the public and at times to disrupt the
a wrestling arena.‖ Critically comment. (200 opposition from functioning.
Words) Secondly, the respect for constitutional morality is
increasingly becoming dismal. The discipline of
Answer - Right to dissent is an important aspect parlimentarions and even members of other
of parliamentary democracy. The principle institutional bodies are decreasing .Even the
challenge for a democratic set up is to chalk out a speaker ,due to lack of consensus, is not able to
mutually acceptable agreement on a particular take any stringent measures.
issue among a dissenting group driven by Thirdly, democratic election inside a party is not
ideological and at times personal preferences to a been welcomed. Most importantly,anti defection
given situation. Our MP‘s represent Us. Its the law does not give room for any dissension within
core spirit of democracy as Abraham Lincoln a party and this leads to poor communication.
aptly defined it. The answer to the question lies in Subsequently , this manifests in disruption and
the responsibility that we as voters invest in the stalling the functioning of parliament.
hands of our representatives. The current spate of It is high time to enforce a strict code of conduct
rowdiness in parliament compels us to think if we for the better functioning of the highest legal
are delivering on our responsibilities as voters of body.
a vibrant democracy. The responsibility lies with
us and we cannot turn a blind eye to these events.
We are equally accountable and the onus lies with
us. The events in the parliament has not shamed Question - ―To restore India as a liberal
the MP‘s but Indians. democratic nation, it will require more than a
mere conduct of regular, supposedly free and
However, this does not justify the blatant fair, elections.‖ Comment.
hooliganism displayed by our MP‘s in the
parliament. There are many other ways to express Answer - India has come a long way from
dissent and mobilize public opinion in one‘s assassination of Gandhi for his empathy towards
favour and there are tools in the parliament Muslims in post-partition India, to a second
available for enabling this option. Resorting to fastest growing economy that has tried hard to
verbal and physical attacks or shouting down gain the all inclusive and liberal credential even
dissenting opinion shows the lack of confidence when the 1.2 billion strong Nation is majorly
one has in his viewpoint. Its nevertheless, a dark Hindu.
day in the history of our parliamentary
democracy. A failure of institutional set up that para to be dropped When the erstwhile CJI retired,
had so far withstood the test of time. he made an observation that a country that made a
Parsee (who comprise less than 1% of its total
population) its CJI has surely made a point (former CJI
Question - ―India‘s future is imperilled if its Mr. Justice S. H Kapadia). Arundhati Roy argues, it,s
Parliament is imperilled.‖ Do you agree with exactly the same, making a point by appointing a
this statement? Comment. (200 Words) Muslim as a vice-president, a dalit as a Lok Sabha
Answer - Discussion ,debate and dissension are Speaker, a Sikh as a Prime Minister, a woman as a
the critical features of a parliamentary President so on and so forth. She sees such
democracy. Representatives of political parties, as appointments as namesake and argues that India
a gatekeepers between government and citizens, is far from liberal.
involve in putting forward their constituencies The present day opposition that Ms. Doniger
interest. But if such a sacrosanct body is faces for her book The Hindu: An alternative
Historyraises questions about how tolerant are we days as causes inviting removal.
and are we truly liberal? (c) Art 102: Anti defection law enacted 10th
Though many people have not yet read the book, schedule to define anti defection inviting removal.
History shows that one word can cause riots in
India and many people can lose their lives. In ROPA 1951
early 1980s the use of word palaayan along (a) Section 8(4): Latest SC judgment overruled the
withHazart Muhammad in a History textbook, immunity provided to sitting legislature that
became the triggering incident and Malegaon saw allowing immediate removal. Rashid Masood was
several killings, loss of life and property. the first MP to be removed under it.
History is full of incidents that show we were not (b) Section 70: Calls for the vacation of seat if
liberal at all the times. elected from two seats which otherwise invites
disqualification from both seats.
And yet there are examples of Akbar talking
(c) Section 125(A) (3): Filling false information
about Din-e-ilahi and rahi-akl. Of epics like
invites disqualification though court judgment
Ramayana, giving place to Javali who was
often coming after the end of tenure of house
extremely critical about Rama.
defeats the purpose e.g. Kisan Shanker Kathore
Of Mahabharataincluding a transgender in the
disqualification from Maharashtra assembly.
story (Shikhandi) or a woman raising piercing
(d) Section 10 A: Failing to maintain and provide
questions to saints and high authorities in a
records of election expenses invited
highly patriarchal past (Maitrei, Gargi and
disqualification of Banswara MP Maan Shankar
Draupadi). Of nude sculptures on temple walls
Ninama.
(Kajuraho) and many more.
India will have to keep its tradition of being all
inclusive and tolerant so that another Gandhi The reports of Law commission, Commission for
does not get assassinated and the India can go on Review of Constitutions and Parliamentary
to become a beacon of democracy. Standing Committee have variously highlighted
the criminalization of politics. With 1/3rd
legislature facing criminal charges the latest SC
judgment advises the government to add a new
Examine the grounds on which a sitting member clause: ―Framing of Charges by Judges‖, as a
of legislature and a cabinet minister in the reason for disqualification.
government can be disqualified. Explain the
opinion of the apex court on this issue. This is a novel step to cleanse the public life by
setting high ethical standards as judicial
Ans: There are various grounds under which a determination of charges are based on prima facie
sitting member of legislature and a cabinet evidences. But it also opens the gate for political
minister can be disqualified. vendetta as Indian evidence act puts the onus of
evidence collection on police. And, political
CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS pressure on police is not a hidden fact.
Constitution has variously provided conditions for
disqualification. Write a critical note on the need, principle
(a) Article75(1) & 164(1) have provided three behind its functioning and drawbacks of EVMs.
conditions: Fixed 15% strength for cabinet (200 Words)
ministers beyond which the ministers appointed
have to abdicate; a nonmember shall leave his
ministerial berth after 6 months and doctrine of Electronic Voting Machine is the device which
pleasure that gives paramount to PM advice.( SC enables voters to cast votes through push of a
says that it is the prerogative of the PM/CM to not button instead of conventional paper system. EVM
appoint tainted ministers to executive posts as that consists of a control unit and a balloting unit
would hinder the sanctity of the post) which are connected together. Control unit is with
(b) Art 101: provides conditions like resignation, the presiding officer and the balloting unit is kept
holding seat in both houses and absence for 60 in voting compartment where voters cast their

vote. It was used for the first time in 1998 years or more, should be disqualified (Conviction
assembly elections. not required). But the charges should have been
Elections before introduction of EVMs were facing framed 6 months before election.
many problems like  The annual records of political parties should be
1. Huge no of invalid votes which reduced the audited and made public. There should also be
number of effective votes transparency in fund raising methods.
2. Manual counting of votes which created  ‗Paid news‘ should be made an electoral offence
suspicion among general public and with punishment of minimum 2 years of
3. Miscreants spoiling the ballots to manipulate imprisonment.
results.  Undue influence, bribery at elections and
These problems propelled election commission to publishing false statements are all non-cognizable
come up with new method with the aid of offenses. These laws -framed as far back as in
technology that could instill confidence among 1920- should be made cognizable and
voters. punishments to be enhanced.
Rationale behind its development was  During last 6 months of term of the house,
1. Cost cutting – Achieved through reduction in Government advertisements and transfer of
wastage of resources in the form of paper, election officers should be banned.
printing, transport and storage.  ‗Totalizer‘ should be introduced during
2. Overcome the evils of booth capturing – counting so that the trend of voting in individual
Achieved via recording of votes on real time and polling station areas would not be known. This
option of close in control unit which could disable will prevent post election victimization of electors.
voting as and when pressed. The lethargy in implementing above reforms is
Drawbacks: because it affects the implementers itself!
1. There is limit on maximum number of votes that However, recent developments (negative voting,
can be cast in a particular EVM and maximum disqualification of convicted legislators etc) prove
number of candidates (64). that the powers of judiciary could speedup
2. As most of Indian rural population is illiterate electoral reforms.
and they would not know how to operate the
machine to cast a vote. Critically analyse the nature of voter behaviour
3. EVMs do not automatically transmit the results in recent elections to state assemblies and to the
to election commission. EVMs have to be collected Parliament.
and tallied on the day of counting. This poses a
threat to security of EVMs.
Firstly, there has been an increase in the polling
percentage mainly because of intensive campaign
What do you understand by electoral reforms? run by EC and also the high mobilisation done by
What were the recommendations of the Election political parties to attract the large number of
Commission on electoral reforms? Analyze. (200 newly eligible young voters.
Words) Secondly, the voter behaviour is in contrast to the
previous elections mainly because of 2 reasons.
Large number of young voters and increased
Electoral reforms refer to a set of improvements influence of social media.
over existing laws to fix the loopholes that enable Thirdly, economic issues were in the forefront
officials, political parties, contestants, media, and was a crucial factor that shaped voter
ruling government etc to carry on corrupt behaviour.
practices during an election. Fourthly, mobilisation on caste and class lines
The Election commission of India (ECI) has failed to make any impact. Social engineering den
proposed many reform measures from 1992 till by political parties failed to give desired results.
date. Some of the notable recommendations are: Fifthly, there was a clear distinction among voters
 A candidate who has been framed by the court while voting for state and general elections. This
for offences punishable by imprisonment of 5 shows increased maturity and awareness.
Sixthly, voters preferred regional parties for state in Indian elections vis a vis first-past-the-post
elections. system.
Seventhly, communalisation before elections by
political parties have given them positive results.
There was considerable consolidation on religious
lines still. Allow the black knight to move straight rather
Finally, voters moved away from their traditional than to move two and half steps in a game of
voting behaviour and gave chance to new parties. chess , result will be entirely different similar is
Which is a healthy sign of a maturing democracy. the case with elections , change the rule from fptp
system to p.r. , you will get entirely different
Do you think regulation of poll campaign results . There are merits and demerits of each
activities of political parties on internet by the like one may favour majority and one may
Election Commission is a right step? include and protect minority.
Substantiate. (150 Words) In india we follow fptp system but there is a
continuous demand to introduce some form of
p.r. as a measure of electoral reform . Merits and
In this hyper-connected age of digital media, even demerits of p.r. are as follows:
political parties don‘t want to be left behind to Demerit:
reap the benefits of social media and that too with 1. P.r. system is very complex whereas fptp
an add-on of cheap publicity. system is very easy to understand even by a very
large illiterate population of india.
In the wake of this prevalence of web, EC recently 2. P.r. is easy to implement in small countries like
issued instructions for poll campaigning and israel but in country of subcontinent size like
advertisements to political parties and this really india ,it will be difficult to implement.
seems to be a prudent move in following ways: 3. In p.r. system there is only political parties and
1.Every candidate has to give their e-mail ids and no individual candidate , which abridge the right
accounts information for monitoring purpose and of person to contest election
this will help in restricting fake accounts which 4. Candidate cant be held responsible for local
would otherwise mushroom up misleading a issues as people vote for political parties and not
voter. for candidates
5. It may result in no clear majority.
2.Contents of the advertisements issued by
parties/candidates should be pre-certified by the But still there is demand among various sections
appropriate authorities and this will prevent to introduce p.r. system because of following
them from exaggerating their achievements & merits:
undermining of other parties. 1. It include every section‘s aspirations and seats
are allotted to a part n accordance with their vote
3. The payment to these digital media websites
percentage
will be included in poll expenditure and that will
2. Winner or ruling party is normally one which
help in bringing these expenses in account which
holds majority votes that is more than 50 percent
would have otherwise been written off.
3. With around 65 years of experience in holding
So in all this regulatory move will bring more elections now we can expect some form of p.r.
transparency, accountability & prevent spreading system to be introduced in elections and get true
communal hatred. representation of people in the parliament
====The proportional system has a number of

merits as demerits too.
.Compare and contrast the merits and demerits Merits:
of adopting proportional representation system • Effective reality by showing the proportionality
of votes got by the parties.
• Justicable party representation in the
legislatures with respect to voted polled. aggregate. Centrist policies get develop through
• Small minor parties can also have a compromise and consensus and traditionally less
representation in the legislature, which means a represented sections like women and minorities
effective representative system of democracy is get their due voice.
upheld.
• Effective discussion of a issue from all corners However there are certain shortcomings in the PR
and communities of the country system that in the Indian system can work against
• Number of countries are successful with this it. In a diverse country as India the PR can give
system leading to better governance. undue power to a large number fringe parties
Demerits: whose policies can be abhorring to most. Being
• In seen from the Indian perspective with the creatures of compromise, governments can be
literacy levels keeping into concern, Indian citizen made weak. Recent experiences in India point to
can not understand effectively this system. crucial decisions being left behind due to policy
• Lack of centralized power to form a stable logjam. PR systems are also complicated and In a
government, Indeed have to go for coalition country where more than 1/4th of its population
results a instable government is illiterate such system also tends to make the
• Huge election procedure than the FPTP system, elected representative less accountable to his
consider the population of india. voters.
• Efficient single policy decisions cant be take However, the FPTP system in India has not
from all parties, this results in policy roll out discouraged the growth of smaller parties as seen
delays. in the gradual regionalisation and federalisation
To be frank both the systems(PR,FPTP) have its of India‘s polity. Additionally reservation of seats
demerits and merits. Its depend on the nature of for marginalised groups such as the scheduled
politics and countries viability to adopt for a castes and tribes has largely ensured desirable
system that better reflect its aspirations. outcomes in terms of representation.
At the present scenario requires correcting the
fundamentals first- educating the electorate,
reducing the impact of big money on elections,
Q--What are the criticisms against the first-past-
moving over caste based and sectarian identities.
the-post system of elections in India? Do you
think India should adopt proportional
representation system? Explain why.
Business Standard
Appointment to various Constitutional
In the recent general elections in India, the
posts
winning party- the Bharatiya Janata party gained
an absolute majority of the seats with just 31% of
the votes. Likewise the Bahujan Samaj Party
Explain the procedure laid out in the
couldn‘t win a single seat despite getting over
Constitution on the appointment and removal
20% votes in Uttar Pradesh. Such anomalies point
of Governor of a State in India. Do you think
out to the inherent weaknesses of the First Past
these procedures are strictly followed? Critically
The Post(FTTP) system where winner takes it all comment.
and a large proportion of voters and certain
groups like those of the minorities risk being left The Hindu
unheard. The article 155 of the constitution says that the
A Proportionate Representation(PR) system of governor of a state should be appointed by the
elections is proposed to negate these effects. It president . And the article 156(1) makes his
allows smaller and newer voices to be heard more
removal dependent on the pleasure of the
easily. The system is likely to result in a higher president . Apart from the pleasure principle
turnout than the present 66.38% because every there are no specific procedure mentioned in the
voter knows that her vote counts in the

constitution for the appointment or removal of by the following methods:

the governor. a) Distributing net proceeds of taxes between
This provision of the constitution has been used Centre and States on the basis of their
as a tool by the central governments to appoint its contribution to the taxes.
representative as the governor . Thus a change of b) Determining the factors governing the Grants-
the guard at the center often results in a change of in-aid to the states and the magnitude of these
the governors appointed by the previous regime. grants.
Thus the pleasure principle has been severely c) Making recommendations to the President of
criticized for undermining the constitutional India about the measures to be adopted to
position of the head of state . The SC in BP augment the Consolidated Fund of States to
Singhal case ruled that the governor is a increase the resources of Panchayats and
constitutional representative and not an agent of Municipal Assemblies on the basis of
the center . In a verdict in 2010 it also said that recommendations made by Finance Commissions
any capricious removal of a governor will be of States.
liable to be judicially reviewed. The commissions
on center-state relationship like Sarkaria and
Punchhi have also recommended to remove the On the other hand Planning Commission
pleasure principal in the appointment and (without having any statuary and constitutional
removal of the governor . backup ) accesses the material, capital and human
Though the arbitrary removal of the governors is resources of the country and to formulate five
against the spirit of the constitution . But it is also year plans for is most effective and balanced
true that for an efficient administration , center utilization. It determines national priorities of
requires a governor sympathetic with its policies development and define stages of growth. It
and would not like a person in opposition to the points out the factors of economic retardation and
philosophy of the ruling party .To overcome this prepares conditions necessary for the successful
problem , implementation of recommendations of executions of the plans. It
Sarkaria and Punchhi commissions , like the
Definitely, Finance Commission acts as a
governor should not be a politically active person
complement to the Planning Commission as
in the state , should be an eminent personality
together they act as a whole. On one hand,
and should have a fixed tenure , is required . This
Finance Commission makes recommendations for
will make the position of the governor politically
fund augmentation and grants for states whereas
neutral and merit based.
on the other, Planning Commission endeavours
to bring these recommendations into practice by
formulating sections of five year plans on the
basis of some of these recommendations. So, both
Constitutional Bodies (powers, functions Finance Commission as well as Planning
and responsibilities) Commission work hand in hand for better
financial condition of the Centre as well as the
States. Finance Commissions act as
Q-Explain the role of Finance Commission. Do complimentary to Planning Commission.
you think Finance Commissions act as
complimentary to Planning Commission?
Explain. (200 Words)
What are Autonomous District Councils in
Answer) India? Critically analyze their role and
performance over the year. (200 Words)
Finance Commission is a constitutional body
which was set up in 1951.It is formulated every 5 Autonomous District Councils were set up in the
years having a Chairman and 4 other members. states of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura
The main role of Finance Commission is to define and Nagaland by the 6th schedule of the
the financial relations between Centre and States constitution. These councils can have at most 30
members and not more than four of whom are 3. A multi-member body will check CAG activism
nominated by the governor. They wield doesnt become CAG adventurism, thus exceeding
administrative, judicial and financial powers its jurisdiction.
though the function of the councils varies from Our constitution provides for safeguards for
district to district. independence of CAG, including security of
These were set up to protect the cultural and tenure, fixed conditions of services, rigid
traditional interests and practices of the tribal procedure of removal from office and so on.
minorities of the Assam region during the time of But considering the importance of its role, it
our Independence. They were set up so as to becomes imperative that as a body CAG is made
function in a way most suited to them and not get more accountable and democratic.
dominated by the mainstream population of Shunglu Committee report is a natural step in
Assam plains who mainly belonged to the higher that direction.
castes of Hindu religion.
Reply
However, the district autonomous councils have
become redundant in recent times. Nagaland
abolished them in 1972 when it was declared a
state. In meghalaya, the legislature has a tribal
Question. Write a note on the composition and
majority thereby making the very concept of
functions of UPSC. Also critically examine its
ADCs redundant. The ADCs have not function in relationship with the government at the centre
letter and spirit. Many of the regions remain and states. (200 Words)
backward and undeveloped with wide spread
corruption among the tribal elite who usually get Answer - UPSC is a constitutional body formed
elected to the top posts. Many of the ADCs lack under Art. 315 of the constitution of India. It
financial autonomy and those which have some consists of 1 chairman and 10 members.The
financial powers have also not seen proportional composition according to constitution is left to the
development. discretion of president.
May be it is time to rethink and review the 6th
schedule of the constitution. Functions of UPSC under Article 320 and Article
321 includes :
―The Shunglu Committee had suggested 1) Recruitment by conduct of competitive exams
structural changes in CAG by making it a multi- and selections through interviews.
member body.‖ What is the rationale behind 2) Advising on suitability of officers on
such a recommendation? Analyze.(200 Words) appointment as promotion and transfer on
Ans deputation.
The Shunglu Committee(2011), that was 3) Advising government on methods of
appointed into CWG scam, had recommended to recruitments for various posts and amending
bring structural changes in CAG by making it a rules for recruitments.
multi-member body, where one member shall 4) Disciplinary cases related to civil services.
necessarily be an accounting professional. 5) Miscellaneous matters relating to grant of
extraordinary pensions, legal expenses etc
The rational for the same is explained below->
6) Advising government on any matter referred
1. Making CAG a multi-member body makes it
to commission by president.
more professional, considering it includes the
7) On request of governor, to serve any or all
services of accounting professional and checks
functions of recruitments with permission of
any undesired bias that may creep in in its
president.
functioning.
2. Inclusion of an accounting professional into UPSC , on request, performs advisory work for
CAG lends it more credibility as a professional the government on the matters of promotion,
body. CAG in recent years has come under transfer, granting pensions. The advice is not
criticism over its accounting methodology by the binding in nature. It needs to take permission
political class. from president before initiating recruitment

process in any state, after being requested by state EC also used technological advancements such as
to do so. Also the salary of the UPSC members EVMs, computerization of voters‘ list, issue of
are drawn from consolidated fund of India, thus voter identity cards and recently VVPAT (Voter
parliament has no control over it. Verifiable Paper Audit Trial) system. This
resulted in improving voting percentage and
quicker and accurate results.
Question - What measures has the Election Though there are certain limitations, the above
Commission taken to bring electoral reforms in reforms introduced by the EC made Indian
India in last twenty years? Examine. (200 Words) democracy more transparent, responsive,
accountable and representative.
Answer -Conduct of free and fair elections at
regular intervals is essential for a healthy
democracy. Electoral reforms mean achieving the
Question - ―Civil Services Examination reform
above objective by increasing the efficiency of the
ought to have been an easy enough place to
systems in place. The Election Commission which
begin the arduous task of administrative
is the guardian of elections took the following
reform.‖ Comment on the statement in the light
measures to bring electoral reforms. of recent changes introduced by the UPSC and
The Model Code of Conduct which was set up in the government to the examination and
1971 to regulate the activities of political parties eligibility criteria respectively. (200 Words)
and candidates during elections has been revised
from time to time. It has mixed results. Despite its Answer – The Civil Service examination (CSE)
acceptance, many parties particularly the ruling conducted by UPSC is a coveted and revered
one violates it. examination across the country. The recent
changes introduced to the examination and
EC issued an order in 2002 on the direction of the
eligibility criteria have to be seen in the light of
SC court under Article 324 requiring all
administrative reforms sought by UPSC and the
candidates to submit affidavits detailing their
government.
financial, educational and criminal backgrounds.
Regarding examination, the increased weightage
This led to increased awareness among voters
to common papers, new pattern of qualifying
allowing them to make informed decisions.
examination are some of the changes aimed to
In order to prevent the mushrooming of political screen candidates who are dynamic, analytical
parties, the EC introduced strict guidelines for and aquainted with the contemporary politico-
their registration. EC also requires them to follow societal environment, thereby de-emphasizing the
internal democracy by holding regular elections. rote learning.
Though elections are held, they are not The second change which relaxes the upper age
democratic in nature. limit to appear for CSE has to be seen in two
respects. One, acommodating the diverse pool
EC also tried to decriminalise politics. It
who come from rural hinterland with limited
submitted a number of recommendations to
opportunities, exposure or guidance which calls
legislature to implement them. But due to the
for an equity and inclusive approach.However, It
reluctance of political parties they are not
is noteworthy that the Administrative reforms
implemented. With the involvement of judiciary,
recommended lowering the age limit to induct
some of them such as the 2002 directive regarding
trainees who are ‗malleable‘ to civil service
affidavits, the recent judgments declaring Section
values.
8(4) of the RPA invalid and the inclusion of
The examination must be seen as an easiest place
NOTA are implemented.
to begin with administrative reforms.As per the
To get rid of the growing money power, EC has examination pattern, the approach to examination
fixed legal limits on the amount a candidate can will inculcate a habit of dynamism, awareness
spend during elections. Despite EC‘s strict and objectivity which will go a long way in
implementation, this rule is flouted many times. bringing out a ‗steel frame‘ which takes informed

decisions analytically. democratic character of the Universal Adult

As with the main criticism of relaxation in age Franchise and conducting free and fair elections.
limit that a person becomes too rigid after a
certain age to imbibe the values of public service, In the light of past few years‘ developments,
similarly the task of administrative reforms critically comment on the role of institutions in
becomes more arduous as one goes deeper into strengthening democracy.
the subsequent stages of complex procedures or
networks of administration The four estates of democracy are: Legislative,
Executive, Judiciary and Media. All of them have
played there part in strengthening democracy,
Question - What are the major factors behind going by the developments in the last decade.
high voters turn-out in recent elections in India?
Examine the role of the Election Commission in • The Parliament passed watershed
detail. (200 Words) legislation like RTI Act, Lokpal Act, RTE Act,
Forest Rights Act and Land Acquisition Act and
Answer - Voter participation is the reflection of Food Security Act.
the extent of penetration of democracy among the
• ‗Basic structure‘ has not once been
population. The voter turn-out in recent elections
invoked to strike down a legislation in the past
in India has been increasing which today is 5
decade. State-legislatures have toed the
times what it was when it emerged as a
constitutional line. On the whole, Legislature has
democracy.
shined in both its restraint and its pro-activity in
The efficiency of the Election Commission (EC) is its designated function, striving to make the
credited for this achievement in increasing voter extant political democracy to achieve economic
registration by weeding out the names of ghost and socially inclusive dimensions; however,
voters and increasing awareness. The rise in resistance offered to Women‘s Reservation bill
awareness about the governance system due to and frequent un-parliamentary behavior are a
development of communication media putting downside.
forth the discontent and expectations of the
masses and increasing mobilisation by political • The Executive has mostly worked well to
parties have led to increased turn-out. Also the implement the above said progressive laws.
demographic dividend of the country with large Corruption perception index was on a downward
population turning 18 has furthered the voter trend until the 2G scam surfaced. The top
turn-out. executives have been mired in huge scams, while
the middle and lower bureaucracy is starting
The EC has helped streamline the election process shed the old robes of corruption and
by determining electoral constituencies, despondency. While the exponential growth in
preparing electoral rolls, granting recognition to infrastructure and the India jumping from 10th to
political parties, determining the code of conduct, 3rd position in the listing of economies, and a
notifying election schedules, thus ensuring the general better-show in indices measuring
smooth conduct of elections. A change in the security, the said scams, glossing over reports of
approach from supervising the election NHRC and NCW, and LWE menace does not
machinery to specific targeting is seen by reflect well on the executive.
initiatives leading to increasing sex ratio of voters
also. Initiatives like Systematic Voters‘ Education • The judiciary has gone out of its way to
and Electoral Participation and awareness make the democracy really inclusive. From urban
programmes, inclusion of NOTA option, paper waste management to right to education and RTI,
audit trail have helped increase voter‘s the SC has heralded most of the progressive
confidence in the system. legislation. This activism is dubbed ‗overreach‘ in
Though the initiatives by EC have been some narratives. Such an overreach has the
commendable yet there is scope to achieve potential of damaging democracy in the long run,
universal participation to uphold the true though the short-term effects are most welcome.

• The media has not only exposed the

corrupt but also lauded the fair. It was the
starting point of not only proscriptions on bad Write a critical note on the functioning of the
tendencies but also prescriptions of good ones. speaker in Lok-Sabha and state assemblies. (200
But corporate ownership of media houses puts a Words)
shadow on their credibility, as the discourse on
cronyism starts to dominate the political arena. • Speaker in Lok-Shabha gets elected by the
simple majority of members presenting and
In a nutshell, all democratic institutions have voting in the house. (With a basic requirement
done well. But they leave much to be desired. which is speaker to be Member of Parliament or
assemblies.)
* Institutions are the steel framework of a
democracy. Strong institutions preserve • Speaker although remains silent player in
democracy irrespective of the people acting in the assemblies but poses respectable and decisive
them. roles. (casting vote)
* The parliament is the pioneer and foremost • Speaker act as a neutral judge who listens
institution to preserve and strengthen our the argument of both parties (ruling and
democracy. But, in recent times, it‘s functioning opposition/) over bills and other important
has been dismal. Due to inefficient working of the issues.
parliament, there has been an increase in social
movements as can be seen from their demands. • He /she is responsible for conduct of
Though social movements are reflective of business of the body and is represented a true
people‘s participation, but their rise has been guardian of tradition of parliament, speaker can
more due to parliaments working then people punish member for misbehavior.
awareness.
• Speaker has function to perform in
* The judiciary is the preserver of our democracy. judicial administrative matters. Decisions made
It has played a much needed proactive role due to by speaker are final and cannot be challenged or
decline of the parliament. It‘s judgments on questionable.
Election reforms have strengthened democracy to
great extent. It prevented any overreach of the • Decides defection of MPs
parliament. It was not judicial activism rather
• It is speaker‘s duty to decide whether the
judicial reactivism.
bill is money bill or not and if any bill is pending
* The EC and the CAG have played a crucial role before house then speaker decide whether
in their respective domain in tune with the ideals amendments are allowed to introduce in the
of democracy. The EC has conducted elections clauses of bills. Along with it various motions
fairly, peacefully and made sure to a great extent such as motion of no confidence, motion of
our democracy is more representative. The CAG adjournment etc. are permitted by him/her.
has been the watchdog of any executive rashness
and recklessness in spending public money. CAG Q3-Critically analyze the roles and
report on 2G spectrum, coal bloc allocation have responsibilities of CAG in India. (200 Words)
revived the ―to the people‖ ideal of democracy.
CAG, is the Comptroller and Auditor General
* Though certain institutions have had degraded, (CAG) of India who heads the Audit and
as happens in any budding democracy. But our Accounts Dept. of our country, plays a key role in
constitution and the people have the will and financial committee of Parliament and state
power to revive them to restore and strengthen legislature. Under the Chapter V of Indian Const,
our democracy . he audits the Receipts and Expenditure of GOI,
State Gov and also the authorities financed by the
.

govt. He has come to be recognized as a ‗friend, with the Government in some sectors and
philosopher and guide‘ of the Committee. businesses that exploit natural resources, such as
coal, telecom spectrum, iron ore and crude oil etc.
He is also the external auditor of Govt. Owned There are some concerns expressed by the private
companies, the reports of CAG are taken into players such as-
consideration by PAC(Public Acc. Committee). By 1) Private companies are already going through
considering that every drafted report needs a many audits. This new audit will affect their
review before submission the CAG scrutinizes the business and may damage the distinctive
notes which is submitted by various entrepreneurial freedom. But this is not the big
Ministries/Departments and helps the problem as cost of audit can be cut from govt
committees to check the correctness of the facts revenue...
and figures in their draft reports to ensure that 2)Moreover CAG is empowered to audit...does
that every report is considered as an important not mean that every time they will come n audit
one by the govt. You.
3)It wont be a complete audit of all account….it
The audit done by C&A G is broadly classified
will only only reciept on which basis revenue is
into two
shared with govt….so no much hurdle for pvt.
1.Regularity Audit, which is to audit against the 3) It is also argued that it will also hurt the
provision of funds, to confirm whether the money auditing profession, as it will show the
shown as an expenditure were authorized for the government‘s lack of confidence in the
purpose for which they were spent and also to profession. But it is the need of the hour as the
confirm whether it satisfies the rules and government and civil societies has more
regulations framed for expending public money, confidence in CAG rather than in practicing audit
whether the expenditure was done with the professionals.
approval of concerned authority in the Gov. As in the 12th Plan, GoI aims for a $1,000-billion
While spending the public money.. infrastructure expenditure, half of which may
come from PPP, and Crony capitalism is rising in
Performance Audit, to focus whether the Gov. India, The role of public auditors, therefore,
Programmed have achieved the desired criteria at becomes critical in assessing whether such
lowest cost and given the intended benefits. arrangements are truly in public interest and are
also fair and balanced in sharing of risks as well
In conclusion the CAG is an official mandated by as rewards.
the Constitution to act as a watchdog on The scope of any CAG audit should be decided
government finances and its functioning. By through a consultative process involving all
auditing the accounts of bodies at various levels stakeholders; care should be taken that such
of government he plays an essential role in audits do not result in an over-reach. Company‘s
making the government more transparent and policy and business convenience should not
accountable to the legislature as well as civil become the subject of scrutiny.
society.
Q---In the light of the Supreme Court order in

the ―Association of Unified Telecom Service Q--Is UPSC civil service exam‘s CSAT paper
Providers and Others vs Union of India‖ case, discriminatory? Critically comment.
critically examine the concerns expressed by the
private players and comment if these concerns The Hindu
are genuine. UPSC introduced the CSAT paper in 2011 with a
Business Standard view to test the aptitude of candidates appearing
Recently in ―Association of Unified Telecom for the Civil Services [Pre] Exam. Recently, there
Service Providers and Others vs. Union of India‖ have been allegations that the paper is
case, Supreme Court ruled allowing the CAG to discriminatory as it gives more emphasis to
audit the accounts of private firms that have English and hence, creates a barrier for aspirants
specific, direct revenue sharing arrangements
from Hindi medium who have little exposure to Ministry in 1963.

English.
The allegations seem justified in the sense that
language should not be a criteria for testing the DSPE act enlarged the jurisdiction of
abilities of an aspirant. It is also true that investigation of CBI to all government
proportion of engineers, doctors and managers departments and to any state (except Union
has increased in the final selection after the Territories), subject to consent of government of
introduction of CSAT who have good exposure to concerned state. However, CBI could investigate
English while the proportion of Hindi-medium only with notification by the central government.
aspirants has decreased.
However, blaming the entire CSAT paper is not
Till date, CBI has legal powers to investigate
justified. Apart from English, the paper also has
corruption cases against central-government
other sections. Also, in this competitive world,
employees, or concerning affairs of the central
knowing English has become a sine qua non for
government and employees of central public-
success. Following recruitment, civil servant may
sector undertakings and public-sector banks.
have to serve in any part of the country during
Cases involving the financial interests of the
his/her career. Lack of English knowledge would
central government, breaches of central laws
be highly detrimental in such cases. Further, India
enforceable by the Government of India, major
is a multi-lingual country. In this situation, if any
fraud or embezzlement, multi-state organised
benefits are extended to Hindi-medium students,
crime and mulit-agency or international cases
it can spur demands from other regional
also lie under CBI‘s jurisdiction.
languages and it would be very difficult in such a
situation to conduct any national level exam.
To conclude, though some of the grievances Recently Gauhati High Court has quashed the
against CSAT paper is justified, blaming the 1963 resolution by which CBI was constituted and
entire paper is not correct and balance needs to be held that the CBI was neither an organ nor part of
struck so that grievances of Hindi-medium the DSPE and thus could not be treated as a
students are taken care of without affecting other ―police force‖ constituted under the DSPE Act.
aspirants. However there are opinions also that DSPE is
synonymous with the CBI and nowhere has it
been claimed that it applies to any investigating
body other than the CBI. The agency has also
never invoked its existence under any other law
Statutory, Regulatory and Quasi-judicial but DSPE.
bodies
Do you think total autonomy to CBI would hurt
criminal justice system? Comment. (150 Words)
Explain the composition and mandate of CBI. The administrative supervision over CBI is
Comment on the recent verdict of Guwahati divided between the ministry of home affairs and
High Court questioning the very existence and
Ministry of personnel. The overall supervision of
legality of CBI. (200 Words)
work and budgetary control is exercised through
ministry of personnel.
Government created a Special Police
Establishment (SPE) in 1941 to investigate
corruption in War and Supply Department of The CBI presently demanding for the complete
India during World War II. SPE derived its functional autonomy and vesting powers of a
jurisdictions and legal powers from the Delhi government secretary. CBI argues that since it
Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act 1946 and faces administrative hurdles at every stage. So it
was later renamed Central Bureau of wants direct reporting to the minister. If CBI
Investigation (CBI) by a resolution of Home directly Reports minister then the

superintendence of the minister will be the role they perform. While Cabinet
compromised. The present criticism of CBI as Secretariat co-ordinates the work of all the
political tool will further be strengthened. ministries and helps in formulating the
policies, PMO also does similar kind of
Also once the CBI director is treated as work, but the co-ordination is limited
government secretary he will have the power to mainly between PM and other ministries.
put up candidates for public prosecutors which is Also, PMO helps the Prime Minister to
presently done by Law ministry. So if CBI keep an eye on the performance of other
director acts as government secretary it may lead ministries as well as in controlling the
to the dilution of the principle of separation ministry which is under direct control of
between prosecuting agency and investigative the PM.
agency. Thus complete functional autonomy must  PMO is the hands and ears of the PM. It
be receives requests for meetings of PM with
avoided. ministers and others and coordinates
these, which are held at the office in South
Block, New Delhi. PMO passes on the
With respect to investigative autonomy CBI faces
necessary files for PM‘s review, including
several hurdles.Presently CBI personnel is largely
those from Planning Commission and
on deputation from other departments. So if
major policy decisions. As the PM heads
separate personnel cadre is given, then it would
the strategic ministries like Atomic
be able perform its investigation more efficiently.
energy, Department of Space, Ministry of
Personnel, Grievances hence all work
Presently the financial transaction of CBI are kept related to these is carried on due to the
outside CAG.It must be continued. And CBI PMO. In addition, if PM takes charge of
director must be given minimum financial any ministry, then all related files are
powers. handled by PMO. The PM‘s National
Relief Fund and National Defence Fund is
also overseen by the PMO.
Thus total autonomy to CBI must be avoided  Also, questions to be answered in
since it is detrimental to criminal justice system. Parliament by PM in relation to ministries
Instead a customized autonomy must be ensured under him or important policy matters are
with proper checks and balances. handled by the PMO.

 Many times, the role of PMO has often
been criticized for diminishing the role of
Q. Critically comment on the role and
Cabinet Secretariat and performing the
importance of the Prime Minister‘s Office in
tasks which are to originally performed by
India.
Cabinet Secretariat such as policy
formulation. Also, the role of PMO in
 . In a Parliamentary Democracy, Prime
taking over foreign policy decisions from
Minister is the Head of Government and
Foreign Ministry has also been criticized
has his imprint on all the major policy
in the past. However, it all depends on the
decisions. He is assisted by a PMO which
personal choice of Prime Minister and the
co-ordinates the work of all the ministries
incumbents in both the PMO as well as
with the Prime Minister and keeps him
Cabinet Secretariat.
updated about latest developments, both
 However, despite all the criticisms, an
home and abroad. PMO also scrutinizes
efficient and effective PMO is a necessity
the files that comes to Prime Minister and
for the efficient working of the
suitably advises him in policy matters.
government and proper implementation
 Certain parallels can be drawn between
of government policies and co-ordination
the PMO and the Cabinet Secretariat in
among various stakeholders.
analyse all the states challenges and come

up with a comprehensive plan to deal
Q. A key determinant of the role of the states in them all.
a federal polity is their participation in the
formulation and implementation of critical
economic plans. Do you think India‘s Planning
Commission is truly federal in its nature and
functioning? Examine what needs to be done. What are the major inter-state river water
disputes between riparian states in the
peninsular India? Explain the role of Tribunals
 Taking advantage of the concurrent power in resolving these disputes. (250 Words)
of ―economic and social planning‖ union
government has established planning
commission without resorting to Ans.
legislation to formulate an integrated five Article 262 provides that Parliament by law my
year plan for economic and social provide constitution od Inter State water Dispute
development which was need during tribunals and decisions of such tribunals shall be
those times. final and outside jurisdiction of Supreme Court.
 The function of the commissions is to This is so because ownership of watersource in
prepare a plan for the most effective and india can be pure commercial and legal matter, as
balanced utilization of the country‘s it influences life of everyone.
resources. Various inter-state river water disputes between
 It is obvious that implementation of the the riparian states in Peninsular India are:
plans rests with the states because the
development relates to most state subjects 1. Cauvery River Water Dispute : Between
and most states followed the plan as there Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
was a common political party governing
at the centre and state. 2. Krishna River Water Dispute : Between
 But as years passed by proliferation of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra
new political parties and establishment of Pradesh
coalition governments at the centre, states
have started taking a greater role in
central government. Cauver River Water Dispute: For this dispute, the
 Thus planning commission now fails to Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal was constituted
realize the true spirit of federal polity as it in 1990. It passed its award in 2007 which is yet to
still possesses larger powers with prime be implemented. There are still disputes going on
minister being the chairman of it. between two states.
 Though it started taking corrective
measures by realizing the condition but it Krishna River Water Dispute: In this case, two
doesn‘t seem enough and still lots need to tribunals have been constituted so far. The first
be done so that states get their due tribunal was constituted under the Justice R. S.
importance. Bachawat and its award was accepted by all the
 Some measures included diverging the states concerned. The second tribunal was
role of allocation of funds to the states to constituted in 2004. It gave its award in 2010 but
finance commission which proves there are still issues over the award and has not
efficient. To solve the economic challenges been implemented fully.
in India commission must be transformed This shows that the tribunals have been
into an independent expert body recruited somewhat successful in fulfilling their mandate
through a transparent process and i.e. hearing all the parties, doing detailed studies
establishing this body at every states to and passing the award. However, the awards
coordinated themselves together and have not been implemented and there are still

issues over the awards. The implementation of country‘s development. Similarly,

award is outside the scope of these tribunals and industrialists had also developed the
it is up to the Center and the concerned states to Bombay Plan.
reach to a amicable solution and implement these  Second, the condition of Indian
awards. economy at that point of time was
pathetic. Planned development would
help in proper resource assessment and
Write a note on Mahadayi River Water Dispute. their utilization in the most effective
(200 Words) way. In this endeavor, the Planning
Commission was set up.
Mahadayi or Mandovi river is said to be the life  Third, planned development would help
line of Goa, about two-third of it flows in Goa. in bringing regional balance in
Two of its tributaries are Kalasa & Banduari development.
nalas. What Karnataka wants to do is that  India at Independence was marked by
construct dams across the Kalasa and banduari gross regional inequalities which needed
and divert water to Malprabha river which flows to be changed in keeping with
in the Belgaum District. This diversion of water Constitution‘s directives.
will cater to the drinking water needs of villages  Fourth, planning would help the govt to
and towns of Belgaum, Dharwad, Bagalkot and control over various sectors of economy
Gadag districts.This diversion has been opposed and help generate employment
by Goa which depends upon the flow of River opportunities and develop
Mahadoyi for keeping its Zuari River navigable infrastructure which was very crucial at
till the Mormugao harbor in Panaji. To this Goa that juncture. It would lead to
has made a request under Section 3 of the Inter- betterment of social condition in the
State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 for country.
constitution of the Tribunal refer the matter for In retrospect, the idea of planned development
adjudication and decision of dispute relating to was in keeping with the historical, social,
Mandovi River. To this the cabinet in 2009 economic & geographical needs of the country.
constituted a tribunal headed by a Retired
Supreme Court judge J.M. Panchal. In this
dispute along with Goa and Karnataka, The relevant ideas and motivations were.
Maharashtra is also a party. Now after 10 years of 1. Nehru‘s Socialism: Nehru was a socialist and
this dispute the Tribunal has not come out with a he favored a controlled economy but democratic
report of the water sharing method, this only polity. In compromise with the faction headed by
aggravates the hostility and confusion. Dr. Rajendra Prasad and Sardar Patel, he
countenanced a mixed economy but insisted on
Critically examine the ideas and motivations Planning Commission and five year plans,
that helped India to adopt economic planning directly out of the Leninist Playbook.
for the development of country after 2. History: INC has had a Planning Committee
Independence. from late 1930‘s onward. A lot of
Planning exercises like Bombay Plan by Indian
industrialists, the Gandhian Plan and People‘s
India decided to adopt economic planning for Plan by Loknayak Jaiprakash Narayan had
development after Independence. This was owing already been proposed. It was a foregone
to several factors which acted as motivators. conclusion that independent India would be
 First, there was historical consensus on planned economy.
the issue of planned development. 3. Powerful Proponents: Well known intellectuals
Indian National Congress, in its pre- like M. Visvesvarayya, Dr. Meghnath Saha and
Independence era had formed National P.C.Mahalanobis rooted for developmental
Planning Committee under Nehru‘s planning. This helped Nehru to confidently
leadership to prepare blueprint for pursue planning.

4. Russian Model: In 1947, for the outside world, in communicative rationality in engaging those
USSR was a Utopia. Our leaders wanted to affected in the deliberations on policy making.
replicate that. Important in this direction will be in
5. Ground Realities: Resources were few, regions strengthening the Local Self Government
were highly unequal in development and a Institutions and ensuring they have adequate
middle class, who fuels the economy by creating funds, functions and functionaries to be able to
‗demand‘, was minuscule. ‗Laissez faire‘ models plan based on their local realities
would have been a very risky decision. It could - Personnel will have to be tuned to the changing
have been either a resounding success or a requirements. Instead of a facilitator of Centrally
disaster. Our leaders decided on a via-media sponsored schemes, an enabler will have make
path, since they were not ready to play games the State and its functions more participative
with the hard-won freedom - A finer balance between the Generalists and
Specialists will have to be sought in order to meet
the needs of an increasingly complex world
―…what India needs is not a new Planning
Commission, not a new think tank, but a state- ―The body that replaces the Planning
building commission. ‖ In the light of Commission should not be old wine in a new
arguments that state machineries need to be bottle.‖ In your opinion, what should be the
strengthened to bring growth and development, ideal composition and functions of new body
critically analyse the statement. that replaces the Planning Commission?
Comment.
A review the Role of the Planning Commission

- Came through an Executive Resolution therefore The ideal composition of the commission should
was acting as an extra constitutional body over be:
the Constitutional Finance Commission 1. Outgoing cabinet secretary
- Despite a planning machinery put in place 2. CAG
through the District Planning Committee‘s and 3. Representative of Indian Economic Service.
Metropolitan Planning Committee‘s in the 74th 4. Indian Expert developmental economics.
CAA yet a top down approach has mostly been 5. Foreign expert in economics
followed thereby making a farce of 6. NGO representative.
decentralization 7. Leader of Opposition as ex-officio chairman,
- With the increasingly Federal polity in which we with no power to vote.
exist, there is a need to give State‘s greater Domain experts to head different departments of
autonomy in designing and implementing PC that shadow the ministries.
development programmes rather than executing PM and other ministers are excluded so that PC
a one size fits all centrally driven programmes ‗advisory‘ does not become ‗diktat‘.
Despite its contributions over the years, it is time Cabinet Secretary is the most experienced public
envision a different approach to Growth and administrator which encompasses all fields of
Development that looks at strengthening State govt. activity. Expert members to remedy the
Institutions ‗govt. by amateurs‘ shortcoming of parliamentary
Evaluating imperatives system. Opposition leader and NGO
- The lacunae in the existing Planning representation raises credibility and transparency.
Commission must be addressed also to tailor Functions:
their functioning to the context in which we 1. To advise, and advise alone, about the policies
operate. that the govt. may take in economic realm and
- In the LPG era, the State must play a greater there alone.
Regulatory role which is anchored in a rule based 2. To assess the functioning of plans as well as
framework, is transparent and encourages MONITOR them.
competition 3. In case of sub-optimal performance of plans, to
- As stated by Habbermas the polity must engage suggest remedial measures including freezing of

funds. Ministry to inform parliament in case of operated by professional managers. It will invest
non-compliance. in real estate which comprises of housing, offices,
4. To suggest what indicative targets should be township etc. The investors can trade their
set for next FYP. holdings in SEBI prescribed exchanges. The
5. Plans to be indicative and that alone. Possible return from the investment would be given to the
models to be suggested but not enforced. shareholders according to their share, with some
6. To form a ‗shadow cabinet‘ of experts. commission being retained by the managers of
Departmental Secretary to liaison with respective the trust.
expert member while rendering advice to Infrastructure investment trust works in the same
minister on important policies. principle with only the investment destination of
the trust changing for real estate to complete
composition and functioning of new body should infrastructure sector.
be based on factors: These trusts are significant as
1) increase in investment options for people.
1. Federal spirit: In the globalisation era, states are 2) Efficient way of channelling FDI and FII into
becoming more and more central not only for infrastructure and real estate.
social policy initiatives, they must have due 3) The must needed push for stagnant real estate
representation in the proposed body. and infrastructure sectors in terms of finance.
2. Weightage: a body with little say will sooner However, the government and SEBI especially
become redundant. So it should be made has to regulate these trusts thoroughly due to
responsible to committee of Chief Ministers their nascent stage. There is more scope for
headed by Prime Minister. frauds. Have to retain and build investor
3. Professionalism: Perhaps, this is where sentiment in these trusts.
planning commission fall prey. This body should
be made professional.
4. Monitoring wing: Planning commission REITs will take small investors money and invest
proposed many good schemes, but it failed to in real-estate and infrastructure. A long gestation
monitor their impact and reform them period is imperative. A long-term investment is
accordingly. So, any new schemes for economic attractive only if there is security of capital. Hence
and social development should have in-built the reduction of asset requirement to 500Cr from
component of monitoring under aegis of this 1000Cr will hurt investor confidence; however,
body. Further, governments should be obliged to the market may get more players and thus be
consult with the body before announcing new competitive.
schemes, this will check exponential rise of FII is allowed with necessary riders from a
schemes and incentivize flexibility in existing strategic perspective and lock-in periods. No
ones. corporate tax would be levied on REITs for a
So a comprehensive package of reforms, much stipulated period.
beyond the making DE novo institution, is Advantages:
required to make the proposed body effective. 1. India has a comparatively high savings rate.
REITs will bring much needed investment in
infrastructure, tapping into household savings.
2. A higher yielding alternative to govt. securities
Write a note on SEBI‘s recent launch of Real 3. Rationalization of real estate prices – REITs
Estate and Infrastructure Investment Trusts. can‘t deal in black money, because of annually
published balanced sheets.
Real estate investment trusts and infrastructure 4. FII contribution to infrastructure.
investment trust were included in the Budget- Disadvantages:
2014 and sebi has recently launched them. 1. India is currently having a real-estate bubble.
REIT works on the principle of mutual trust. When it bursts, if household savings and FII lose
Citizens, Foreigners, NRI are all allowed albeit value because of the REITs, that would an
certain regulations to invest in them. The trust is economic disaster.

2. May promote real-estate speculation, further awareness and for the settlement of consumer
contributing to the bubble. disputes.
3. Urban bias: If RIETs should be profitable, the The main provisions of the Act in its present form
investor should find them more profitable than are,
govt. bonds. To make profit, RITEs will invest in * Consumers right to get information of quality,
projects with assured returns aka urban projects. quantity and price of products.
*Consumer power to sue fraud businessmen in
‗The passage of the Securities Laws (Amendment) district forum or state or central commission and
Bill by Parliament is an important step in get remedies.
empowering the Securities and Exchange Board *This act helps to educate consumers about his
of India to deal with financial shenanigans.‖ rights.
Elucidate. Currently though there is a three-tier quasi-
judicial consumer disputes redressal machinery at
The number of incidences in the financial services the National, State and District levels, for speed
market like Sardha Ponzi Scheme and Sahara and economical settlement of consumer disputes,
Optionally Convertible Debentures had made a case which would have been resolved in no
SEBI to come up with new Securitas Amendment time, keeps on lingering due to adjournments and
Bill 2013. It has been promulgated through paperwork. So there is a demand for amendment.
ordinance route initially and extended twice have To quickly dispose-off cases in these consumer
taken the shape of bill finally. councils, Union ministry of consumer affairs is
The Bill will provide the following powers to planning for amendments with proposals to
SEBI replace present Central Consumer Protection
1. Empowers SEBI to raid, investigate and attach Council by Central Consumer Protection
the bank account and properties Authority by delegating it with punitive powers
2. If a person doesn‘t comply with SEBI rules, It like,
can arrest the person without approaching the a) Imposing administrative penalty against
court. traders violating consumer rights
3. Any collected fund more than Rs. 100 would b) Conducting investigations
qualify as ―Collective Investment Scheme‖. SEBI c) Conducting search and seizure of related
can further extend the definition if needed. evidence,
4. SEBI can sign agreement with foreign financial d) Summoning offending manufacturers,
regulators advertisers and service providers to record oral
5. It will ensure speedy trail through fast track evidence
courts e) Recalling goods or withdraw services found to
6. People who lose their money in fraudulent be unsafe or hazardous
cases would receive the compensation through f) Ordering reimbursement to purchasers of such
sale of recovered assets. goods or services.
The above bill will help strengthen the SEBI Also the retired judges who were appointed at
existing regulatory framework and safe guard the these councils will be replaced by members
innocent investors. appointed through State and Union PSCs. Hence
Central Consumer Protection Authority with
extra powers and a new set of young judges at
consumer councils are expected quickly redress
Examine why there is a demand for amending consumer grievances.
the Consumer Protection Act, 1986? Comment
on its present provisions
―Human rights commissions are powerless to
Consumer Protection Act, 1986 aims to protect render any ―real service‖ to human rights.‖
interests of consumers in India through Critically comment.
establishment of consumer councils at national,
state and district level to increase consumer

The several issues human rights commissions are DRDO is the premier Research and Development
facing which have to an extent rendered them (R&D) wing under defense ministry and there is a
ineffective in protecting human rights are need for separate commission to ensure its
autonomy.
1) Inadequate infrastructure and manpower. Most The implementation of Rama Rao Committee
of the HRC are situated inside government offices (2008) report resulted in structural and financial
with very limited facilities. Thereby limiting its decentralization of DRDO, still many of its
scope to effectively deal with large number of functionalities appear handicapped. Being a R&D
cases. department, instead of judging DRDO by its
2) There is overlap of jurisdiction between the project‘s performance at the user‘s end (defense
different commission as in SC,ST commission, services), the overall procedural impact on
women‘s commission, minorities etc. This has knowledge enrichment and future developmental
several issues. Firstly, it leads yo confusion perspectives should be considered. This will be
among people as to whom to approach. Secondly, ensured by greater autonomy. A commission will
makes it difficult for the government to monitor fix DRDO‘s accountability to the nation, as it has
and evaluate its programmes in protecting direct bearing on the national security and its
human rights, and also evaluating the credibility. Moreover, it will ensure quicker
performance of these commissions. decisions, implementation and adherence to time
3) HRC submits its report annually to the frames, automatically enhancing its efficiency.
parliament or state legislature. So eventually the The commission will also facilitate the much
affectiveness of these commissions depends on needed collaboration with the willing private
how affective the parliament and SL are. players, as a part of New Defense techno-
4) for any case, the HRC submits the recommend industrial consortium.
nary course of action to the government. No At present, when 70% of Indian defense
mandatory compliance. Rendering them technologies are being imported, a commission
ineffective in cases of violation by the for DRDO will not only ensure greater efficiency
government itself. and autonomy, but will also help it in developing
5) Most importantly, their focus is on providing self- reliance for technologies. Thus, ultimately
relief to affected people rather than on finding the thrusting the indigenization of defense industry.
real cause of occurrence of such crimes and It will also drive DRDO towards being a
preventing them. knowledge hub and developmental center for
future defense prospectives.
However, HRC have imbibed a sense of security
among the people that their rights would be
protected. More importantly it has made people
aware of their human rights. Also, with the rise of
Write a note on the need and highlights of
media, a case of human rights violation against a
draft Regulatory Reforms Bill, 2013. (200
government official or private big shot is a sort of
Words)
embarrassment to them, preventing them from
indulging in such activities.
• Draft Regulatory Reform Bill, 2013 aims to
make regulators across key infrastructure sectors
accountable to the Parliament besides giving
them power of licensing.
Does DRDO need a separate commission like The need of Draft Regulatory Reform Bill, 2013 is
Atomic Energy Commission and Space being urged to govern the constitution, powers,
Commission to make its laboratories more functioning and accountability of the regulatory
efficient and autonomous? Examine. (200 commissions for public utilities and generally for
Words) taking measures conducive to development of
public utility industries, determination of tariff,
enforcement of performance standards,

promoting investment and competition and for make them accountable to the parliament, thus to
protecting the interests of consumers, and for the public in general.
matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. The bill has few major proposals. It aims at
This bill is needed to cover a wider range of governing constitution, powers and functioning
reforms to be carried out, such as for business of major regulators, tariff determination,
regulations etc, enforcement of performance standards,
Highlights of the bill: promotion of investment and protection of
1) This Act may be called the Regulatory Reform consumers. Bill also gives the regulator power to
Act, 2013. grant and revoke license and decisions can not be
2) It extends to the whole of India except in challenged in civil court.
respect of the regulatory commissions in the State
of Jammu and Kashmir
3) This Act (if enacted) shall apply to all The Indian competition enforcement system has
regulatory commissions established prior to this been wisely designed, keeping in mind both the
Act and to all regulatory commissions which may ―deterrence‖ and the ―compensation‖ goals of
be constituted hereinafter. competition law.‖ Comment.
4) The government may from time to time
constitute regulatory commissions and appellate Business Standard
tribunals, as the case may be, under and in
accordance with this Act or under any applicable Competition Act, 2002 consists of rules according
laws, but always subject to the provisions of this to which, if a company which is found faulty of
Act. violation of competition rules by Competition
5) The Government may from time to time Commission of India (CCI) and the verdict is
constitute tariff regulatory commissions under upheld by Competition Appellate Tribunal
this Act for determination of tariffs in the (Compat), then the affected consumers can also
provision of goods and services in public utility file a case of compensation against such
industries companies by forming a joint ‗class‘.
This bill if enacted is, committed to protect the This law is made to uphold the dual actions i.e.
interests of all consumers, by ensuring quality of ‗punitive‘ and ‗compensation‘ which are needed
service and lowering of costs and to promote to uphold law and rights of consumers. The
competition, efficiency and economy and prevent problem comes in the identification of end users
market domination, cartelisation and anti- who are affected by violation of the law, and who
competitive behavior and for orderly growth of can claim to form a ‗class‘. Joint ‗class‘ formation
the relevant public utility industry. leads to reduction of litigation costs and
distributes risks equally.
Regulatory Reforms Bill, 2013 is aimed at For eg.- compat upheld the ruling against 11
establishing super monitoring authority over cement companies of cartelization, and thus
regulators of 13 key sectors and initiate ‗class‘ action could be taken against them in
coordination and cooperation in their working. courts for compensation. But, who forms class?
Sectors which will come under this umbrella The end retail users, or the bulk purchasers such
legislation are – electricity oil & gas, coal, as builders who have anyway passed on the costs
telecommunications and internet, broadcasting to the end consumers i.e. purchasers of buildings.
and television, posts, airports, ports, waterways,
railways, mass rapid transit system, highways
and water supply, and sanitation.
Pasted from
There is need of this legislation as it will be
<http://insightsonindia.com/2014/06/18/insigh
helpful in establishing cohesion in working of the
ts-secure-2014-upsc-mains-questions-current-
regulators of these sectors, who till now have
events-june-
limited or nominal communication. It also will
18/?utm_source=feedly&utm_reader=feedly&ut

m_medium=rss&utm_campaign=insights-secure- ―The new Drug Price Control Order (DPCO)

2014-upsc-mains-questions-current-events-june- that prescribes a ceiling price on several
18> essential medicines is boon to patients but pain
to chemists.‖ Comment.(200 Words)
Yes it is true that The new Drug Price Control

It won‘t be wrong to say that ‖The Indian
Order (DPCO) that prescribes a ceiling price on
competition enforcement system has been wisely
several essential medicines is boon to patients but
designed, keeping in mind both the ―deterrence‖
pain to chemists.
and the ―compensation‖ goals of competition law
There is no doubt that the new DPCO is boon to
‖ but the ground reality has not been the same.
patients as NSLM list increased from 74 to 348
The problems lies in dejure to defacto
drugs, which leads to decrease the prices and
implementation of the enforcement system i.e
market based mechanism replaces the cost based
what is in the law and how its implementation
mechanism in formulating the prices which
has been on ground totally different.
ensures drugs reach the patients in cost based
The recent DLF and India Cement might show us effective manner and also protects the industry to
that there is a ray of hope but the problems are large extent .
not only limited with couple of cases, it still has to The Existing DPCO price policy is cost of
go a long way in order to act as a deterrent. production plus markup where as new DPCO
price policy is simple average of all brands which
The Competition Commission of India and are having market share > 1% .
Competition Appellate Tribunal derive their The new DPCO is pain to chemist as their
authority from the competition act, 2002. The margins are reduced on account of price
Competition Act provides that if violations of reduction, qualified pharmacist is mandatory for
competition law cause any loss or damage then any chemist and allowing FDI investment and
the aggrieved persons can form a group and can intense competition from bigger players.
file a ―class action suit‖ in the tribunal to recover Especially those are running on rent premises in
the compensation. For a common a class action cities like Mumbai etc , they are forced to shut
suit seems like a distant process and many times down due to this new DPCO impact .
big giants can distort the groups by partial Apart from chemist, it is also : likely most impact
compensation in order to avoid the class action MNC‘s in premium pricing brand (eg : GSK ) ;
suit. less effected the companies are Dr reddys,
Ranbaxy etc as their presence in exports and they
The enforcement system still not caters to the are not exposed to domestic market to large
need of individual consumer no matter how big extent ; companies profitability and growth
the issue is. Any enforcement system will not be
efficient as long as it doesn‘t cater to the needs of Q--Do you agree with the view that the
the last person in the line. Also, monopoly of big Planning Commission is redundant and should
companies has tilted the enforcement system in be wound up? In the light of its present
their favour as they can afford one of the best functions, critically comment.
lawyers which the consumer cannot.
Business Standard
DLF and India Cement cases might act as a
deterrent at a big level but may not work for an
individual consumer. The violations of the
competition law should be the same irrespective India has plethora of goals and limited resources.
of whether a group or an individual suffers from Thus need of planning cannot be wished away.
a loss or damage. At the same time, one can see The structure, functioning, and operation can be
the positive signs with the kind recent judgments re-oriented to meet the aspirations of a
given by the competition appellate tribunal. democracy.

Planning Commission assigns money from centre Today no single party dominates every state and
to states on developmental goals. It appraises the regional powers with varied aspirations have
policies and programmes at both levels. It serves cropped up. The initial role of the PC to frame a
as a conduit between Centre and States, brings central policy and allocate resources has become
coordination and understanding of their needs obsolete. It can be at best frame a guide pointing
and problems. towards the various forces influencing the
economy while leaving the budget management
Independent, timely, holistic review of various to the finance ministry as recommended by the
inter-related departments under one label is Rangarajan Committee.
important. This needs a full time specialized
body. Accordingly, central schemes, states centralization is likely to be inefficient because
schemes and price maps are designed. Adequate bureaucratic decision-making, subject to multiple
research, specialized innovation, out of the box levels of accountability, is inherently sluggish,
solutions have been provided by Planning rule bound and unlikely to promote risk-taking.
Commission.
The second ARC report suggested a revamp of
But , it‘s mandate, structure, membership, the structure and it should be implemented
functioning has been targeted by many. For gradually.
instance, a broad based membership from states
and other stakeholders. Lack of specialists in Planning for the new economic environment is a
dealing for typical issues. Rigid attitude and lack process that has to rely more on persuasion than
of flexibility in assigning resources. Imposing directions and has to be much more consultative
Centrally Sponsored Schemes have emerged as than in the past.
bone of contention between Centre and States.
Falling stature of Constitutional bodies like
Finance Commission is stated. Planning commission is an extra constitutional
and non -statutory body responsible for social
Thus, it should be re-oriented, re- integrated, re-
and economic planning of the country.
structured , linked with Finance Commission and
other oversight mechanisms. Improved
technology will arm it to give better policy
advice. But an independent, full time body is Q--Why was the Planning Commission set up?
necessary to bridge the gap between resources Critically comment on its evolution since
and imperatives, which India still faces. independence.
The Indian Express

The planning commission(PC) in India was
Livemint
formed in 1950 as the agency to formulate India‘s
planning It frames and evaluates policy in each Planning Commission was set up in 1950 with the
sector and frame broad government policies. objective of assessing resources, distributing it
Since many policies overlap ministries, the PC across states and sectors, setting priorities for the
helps coordinate those policies. overall development of India. It unconspicuously
works like a lobby for poor and marginalized
Indeed the role of PC as a coordinating agency is
section.
essential where every sector is ultimately
connected to a myriad of other sectors. Its role as With the growing influence of the socialist ideas
a policy framer and budget allocator however in 1930s and inspired by soviet planning success,
needs review. National Planning Committee was set up in1938.
In post independence major state intervention in
Unlike 60 years ago when PC was formed, private
the economy, ravaged of colonial exploitation,
sector is a much larger part of the economy and
necessitated a central planning body. With its
the economy itself is much more open globally.
success in 50s and early 60s, its power continued b. With change in centre-state relation, PC is
to rise. Gradually it started to have a significant increasingly being seen as an instrument of
say in Union plan budget and distribution of central interference in states‘ affair. Due to this
central grants across states. Lack of constitutional there is more focus on region specific
or statutory backing is a concern since it has development plan rather than a strait jacket plan
undermined the Finance Commission. Highly for whole of India.
centralized planning reduced the role of the states
and virtual veto over some financial matter has c. PC overlap of authority with Finance
alarmed the finance ministry., commission which is a constitutional body has
undermined FC.
Post liberalization, diminishing role of state,
increased decentralization has made the PC d. Planning commission has led to limited
somewhat redundant. Accepting the changed autonomy for ministerial planning.
reality to some extent, PC has also moved from
However after 1991 in eighth and subsequent five
―highly centralised planning‖ to ―indicative
year plans, PC has moved to indicative planning.
planning‖.
Also there is need to have a body which
But the call for completely closing down PC is not determines the priority at the national level and
a wise one. We need some sort of body to coordinates among various departments,
coordinate across ministries, states for long term ministries and states to ensure that there is
sustainable, inclusive development addressing coherence. For this PC has to shun bureaucratic
environmental concern. With its decades of mechanism and become a lean professional body.
expertise and institutional memory PC can do it
best. Yes, its mandate and function may be
modified.
Q---Critically evaluate the role played by the
Competition Commission of India in upholding
Q---Critically comment on the relevance of the
its mandate.
institution of Planning Commission in the
context of a rapidly changing Indian economy
Business Standard
and society.
ans:Competition commission of India(CCI) was
The Indian Express established in 2008 by the CCI act in 2003 as a
step away from licence raj and to ensure free
Planning commission started operation in 1950 as
market economy.The mandate of CCI is to
an advisory body. The prime goal of planning
improve competition within industries, to oversee
commission was to formulate five year plans
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and to protect
which were seen as instrument of economic
the rights of the consumers.
growth and development. In pre-liberalization
era it played a crucial role of determining Competition commission monitors the working of
development priorities, government expenditure economy to see if unfair practices are used to
of plans, implementation of plans and measuring eliminate competition and dominate market.
various socio-economic indicators. Since Earlier rules were in place that did not allow
liberalization it had to shift from imperative companies to have market share over a fixed limit
planning to indicative. With increased role of decided by government.
private players in the development. Following are
the changes and related issues : Competition commission have gained
international acclaim in its functioning. There has
a. With increase in private investment and been few shortcomings in the part of Competition
recognition of their role in development, PC has commission while acknowledging its
started to focus on setting policy priorities to contributions.
channelize private investment in desired sector
and region.

1. There has been overlapping in the domains of mergers in Indian companies allaying industry
CCI with other regulators like TRAI that needs to concerns that merger control would result in
be clarified. transaction delays and adversely impact
investment in India. It has also shown its
2.Competition commission should maintain a impartial side by penalizing Coal India, a public
balance between regulation and competition so sector unit for abuse of dominance as monopoly
that markets are not adversely effected by over suppliers of coal.
monitoring.
Moreover CCI‘s actions unleashed the
3. The competition commission has the duty to competition forces in the Indian economy
monitor mergers and acquisitions, but its often prompting pro competitive initiatives in several
seen that there is lack of clarity on how sectors of the Indian economy.
international companies having subsidiaries in
india should be evaluated when merger takes It has thus befitted Indian companies by not only
place between them. creating a level field but also making them more
competitive vis-à-vis foreign companies.
CCI has done a commendable job in handling the
market, whether it is the DLF case or the case of CCI‘s jurisdiction however sometimes overlaps
Coal India Limited. It has shown the will to with other regulators like Telecom Regulatory
monitor both government and private firms in Authority of India, Central Electricity Regulatory
equal footing and has gone after various cartels in Commission and Reserve Bank of India
the industry. Hence CCI has contributed weakening its mandate. Such ambiguities are
immensely in maintaining a free and fair market expected to be resolved with the proposal to
in the country amend the Competition act.
Finally it must be said that CCI can only go so

much in bringing competitive spirits in the
economy. The government on its part must see to
it that every business firm small or big can easily
The Competition Commission of India (CCI),
avail basic infrastructural facilities. Effective laws
functional since May 2009 has the mandate to
and institutions must be put in place to facilitate
sustain the competitiveness of Indian markets as
new entry of business and winding up of the
per the Competition Act (2002), amended in 2007,
same. Innovation must be promoted by
Over the years the CCI has reviewed anti- protection of intellectual rights.
competitive practices in diverse sectors and on
the way penalized some of the largest Q--Write a note on the composition, necessity,
corporations in India including DLF, Coal India , role and mandate of the Law Commission of
the Board of Control for Cricket in India or India.
investigating cartels in key economic sectors,
including cement, sugar, steel and tyre. The Hindu
Apart from the bigwigs, the CCI has also targeted Law Commission of India is an executive body
anti consumer practices like price-fixing by onion established by an order of the GoI .The Law
traders, domestic airlines and LPG gas traders Commission consists of the Chairman, the
and anti-competitive practices of limiting the sale Member-Secretary,full-time Member and part-
of drugs in India. It has also educated the Indian time Members. The no of full time and part time
consumer of their rights, through several members vary according to the requirement of
advocacy initiatives. time.
However its actions cannot be all clubbed as anti The law commision is constituted for a period of
industry. Over the years, the CCI has also greatly 3 years.It works as an advisory body to the
facilitated nearly 150 quick and transparent Ministry of Law and Justice.

During the start of its term it is given the ‗terms of running water which are necessary for
reference‘ for law reforms in the country. manufacturing strength eventually leaving scores
of industrial projects in bottlenecks.
The Commission reviews judicial administration
to ensure that it is responsive so that delays are Mostly government schemes fail not because they
eliminated, arrears are cleared and disposal of are inherently defective but due to the absence of
cases is quick and cost-effective.It seeks to necessary infrastructure resulting from lack of
simplify procedure to curb delays and improve transparency, lousy laws and corruption, lack of
standards of justice. simplified procedures, unwanted red-tapism and
callous attitude.
It also strives to promote an accountable and
citizen-friendly government which is transparent The recent decision by government to introduce
and ensures the people‘s right to information. e-billing in treasuries for disbursing the salary of
State government employees without enhancing
The commission also provides a firm assistance to the capacity of the server or providing other
legal research in the country. infrastructure facilities for conducting the
operations in a foolproof manner has been
Besides the Law Ministry, the commission is also
criticized.
sometimes requested to work upon specific issues
and submit its views to the Supreme Court.The In the past schemes implemented by the Indian
latest being ―the different ages at which a person Government have many loopholes where the
is defined as a child in different laws‖ It executives and operatives take the benefit are not
recommended a reduction in marriage age of allowing people to get benefits.
boys to be at par with girls at 18, stirring a public
debate. For financial inclusion = in villages, no electricity
is there, no internet, no rural banks
Though its recommendation are not binding on
govt the fact that a number of its reports have (For all the above problems government is
been taken up by various ministries and have already taking steps, we need write them when
been worked upon to change the legal scenario, is asked critically analyse)
itself an indicator of the role of the commission in
advancement of law reforms in India. ―In India, the functioning of democratic
institutions and the deepening of the democratic
process along with the efforts to implement
constitutional mandates for affirmative action
have induced higher levels of political
Government Policies & Interventions for mobilization.‖ Do you agree with this view?
development of various sectors (issues in Elaborate. (200 Words)
their design, implementation)
Answer)
Q-―Most government schemes fail not because --Role of RTI, Competition Commission of India,
they are inherently defective, but because many CIC, CVC, NHRC, NCSC/ST, National Women
a times on the ground the necessary Commission
infrastructure is non-existent.‖ Comment (150
Words) --Passage of 73rd and 74th Amendment act =
reservation for women, SC, ST
Answer)
--Election Commission= Universal adult franchise
India suffers from a well-known infrastructure (A-326), Free and fair election
deficit: a lack of efficient roads, ports and
--Reservation for women, SC, ST, OBC = for
distribution channels besides lack of reliable
education and job.
electrical power, sewage systems, and even

--Policies= MGNREGA, Aajevika, NRHM, RTI, forces and police personnel are not be given
etc. protection under the law if they commit sexual
offences against women. If this law cannot be
Many more dimension can be added (open ended removed, then the loopholes in this law should be
question) removed.
Do you think AFSPA is anti-constitutional? --The act allows any non-commissioned officer of
Substantiate. (150 Words) ‗armed forces‘ to fire upon civilians causing
death, to search any premises without warrant or
Answer) to detain any civilian on the grounds of
‗suspicion‘ in states and regions of the republic
AFSPA gives special powers to the personnel of termed as ‗disturbed areas‘ and no judicial action
Armed forces to act in conditions (disturbed of any sort can be taken against the personnel
areas) where security is under threat. The powers responsible.
include insulation of personnel from armed forces --Human rights organisations are against the Act,
from legal prosecution for their actions to as they claim that officers committing human
maintain law and order in such areas. The actions rights violations get away with their crime due to
include, searching any suspected person, arrest the Act. Its repeal will bring domestic law more in
without warrant and even shoot at sight after line with international standards and send a
warning. strong message that the government is committed
Such draconian powers are in line with the need to respect the right to life of all people in the
to counter serious threats from terrorism, country.
insurgency, extremism etc., present in certain
areas. They target integrity and unity of the
country. Even secessionist forces need to be Critically assess the role of MGNREGA in
tackled. Therefore AFSPA is justified on empowering rural women in India. (200 Words)
maintaining the security and sovereignty of the
nation. It cannot be termed anti-constitutional in Answer)
that light.
Whereas on the other hand, misuse of these The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
powers have also been reported numerous times. Employment Guarantee Act aims to strengthen
Frequent violation of human rights, exploitation the women employment by enforcing that about
and breach of fundamental rights which every 33 percent of total workforce should be women
citizen enjoys have been compromised. It has and also that there will be equal wages for men
been called anti-constitutional in this regard. and women. MGNREGA has positive impact on
employment pattern of women. Women have
But, the misuse cannot be the reason for benefitted both as individual and community.
overshadowing the security concerns of the
nation. Activities like terrorism, extremism etc. Women are benefitted individually because they
pose even more threat to human lives then are able to earn independently, spend some
AFSPA. The loss of life and property do not have money for their own needs, contribute in family
limits in their action. Therefore, AFSPA remains expenditure etc. The gained benefits of women as
important but its misuse should be checked by community can be understood by increased
the executive. Citizens should be given some presence in the Gramsabha, increasing number of
grievance redressal forum which effectively women in speaking out in the meetings,
provides reprieve. Hence, AFSPA cannot be increasing capacity of interaction etc.
called anti-constitutional in letter and spirit.
Against— However, women‘s decision for participation and
--The Justice Verma Committee recommendations their share in MNREGA jobs is hindered by
about amendments to AFSPA so that armed various factors. There are certain problems

associated with it such as social taboos (e.g. Panchayat Raj (RDPR) has made efforts to link the
Women going for work outside home and that MGNREGA jobs scheme with agriculture
too taking up earthen work in other people‘s farm activities of Indian farmers.This is a very positive
or place is a practice that is not accepted socially) . and constructive step towards encouraging
farmers in farming activities and discourage
The presence of illegal contractors has led to the migration of rural population.
harassment of women workers and working
conditions have been found to be exploitative. Under the scheme the small and marginal farmers
Since women are ignorant about the legal can take up development activities on their farms
entitlements to get work on demand, they are and draw wages from MGNREGA. The purpose
very often turned away by the contractors who of the was to ensure additional financial gains to
think they are less efficient. farmers and along with food production.
This facility has been designed and extended for
Although the Act requires that when there are
all farmers, since the agrarian crisis has hit the
more than five children under the age of six
nation and will only get worse if this kind of
present at a work site, a female worker (Aaya)
check on migration of rural population and
should be appointed to take care of them, such a
inclusion of farmer in MGNREGA scheme is not
facility is neglected. This has discouraged
initiated.
participation of women, especially breast feeding
mothers. Again, certain kinds of work such as Improving quality of land and generating extra
digging of wells etc., limit participation of income for marginal farmers was one of the main
women. Apart from this, delayed payment of aims of the scheme and to a great extent the aim
wages also makes women‘s participation difficult, has been achieved since households who sought
particularly for women who are the sole earners jobs under MGNREGA and on whose land work
of their families. was undertaken did not come back to work under
right to work scheme, a trend termed as positive.
The reasons for the Poor Performance of Four
states are many and major one‘s are as follows:
1. Patriarchal nature of the society of the states.
The anti-poverty programmes are leaky and
2. Delay in wages leads to aversion of women in
inefficient, unable to lift Indians out of
the MGNREGA work and they end up in some
poverty.‖ Comment. (150 Words)
other instant pay job but with less wages.
3. Nature of work which is of more physical in
nature attributed to them.
Answer)
Data released by Planning Commission in

The scheme has huge potential for regenerating
July shows that around 21% of the Indians
employment opportunities provided there is the
live below poverty line. It is also due to
resolution of loopholes. Certain changes and
widespread poverty that our Food Security
initiative should be taken to remove these
Bill has to cover 67% of the population.
barriers. The valuable gains should not be
Though the government has launched a
derailed for poor implementation.
number of programmes aimed to eliminate
poverty, yet these figures present a gloomy
Has MGNREGA benefited Indian farmer?
picture.
Comment. (150 Words)
The main reason that these programmes fall
short of achieving their target is the
Answer)
widespread leakage and inefficiency in their
The MGNREGA has benefitted Indian farmers implementation. Most of the times, the
immensely. benefits cannot reach the target audience. To
overcome these inefficiencies, technology can
help us a lot. We are already seeing the results
The Department of Rural Development and

in Direct Benefit Transfer Schemes. Social According to the NSSO , still a large
audit of schemes is another way to increase population lives in slums. The slums
transparency in schemes. could be reduced by formulating housing
These schemes can only be short term projects using a more creative and
measures. Real poverty can only be decreased innovative approach.
by real growth in every sector be it  The government has undertaken projects
agriculture, industry or service. for the rural and urban development.
Schemes like IAY and RAY aim at
providing houses to the population living
in the rural and the urban areas
respectively. The Bharat Nirman Program
has led to development of the
infrastructure in the rural areas. The
collaboration of the construction projects
in rural areas with MNREGA has led to
Q. In India, the National Design Policy, increase in the rural development.
announced in 2007, has not sufficiently focussed  The infrastructure development under
on socially useful products. Identify the areas different schemes has not been able to use
where creative, affordable, enduring and useful innovative and modern methods . This
public structures are much needed in India and has led to paucity of funds and delayed
comment on the existing architecture built by completion. An approach focusing on the
government funds in rural and urban regions. creative design methods would help in
ensuring the development of socially
useful products.
ANSWER-
 The National Design Policy was aimed to Q10. Do you think India‘s early childhood
strengthen the quality design education , programs have succeeded in their mission?
encouraging the use of design by the small Critically examine their functioning and need
scale industries and facilitating the for reforms. If possible cite any example from
involvement of the designers and industry other countries that can be implemented in
to promote the original designs. The India. (250 Words) (Hint: talk about ICDS,
design policy has not been able to focus on anganwadi system, malnutrition, IMR, creche
the products of social importance. system under NREGA etc)
 In India, there is a need for an innovative
and creative approach in the public Ans.
structures for the tackling the 1. Early childhood care has been mentioned
infrastructural problems. in the Constitution in Article 45 under
 The paucity of funds has led to the Directive Principles of State Policy and it
different infrastructure projects being signifies the importance, it has being
undertaken in the traditional approach accorded to, in India. In view of these
getting stalled. An innovative approach principles, Union Government has
could be used in setting up of affordable launched various initiatives such as ICDS,
infrastructure during disaster Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA), NRHM
management. Open defecation continues and Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme
to pose a threat to the health and for Children of Working Mother.
sanitation of the people. 2. ICDS is the largest public initiative in the
 A creative non-conventional approach for world to offer integrated Early Childhood
creating more public toilets would lead to Care. This centrally-sponsored state-
reducing the cases of open defecation. administered scheme provides services

such as supplementary nutrition, by 2020.

immunization, health check-up, pre- It has a special focus on the troubled North-
school, nutrition education etc. through Eastern states and the Maoist-affected areas. This
various Anganwadi Centres established will have twin benefits. First, it will be able to tap
across India. their talents and moreover, it will wear them
3. Similarly Rajiv Gandhi National Creche away from getting drawn towards extremist
Scheme was launched to provide activities.
assistance to NGOs for running Creches This initiative would help children develop
for babies. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is through sports, learning the virtues of unity,
responsibility, team-spirit, and help improve
aimed at providing primary education to
children. It focuses on opening new concentration which are very crucial for their
schools, improving infrastructure and overall growth and development. In fact sports
teacher availability. academies could also be linked to schools, in an
integrated approach towards the overall
development of children.
4. In spite of these programmes, India has a But the actual challenge lies in implementing it,
Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) of 42, which is as there is a lack of trained personnel in the field
though lower than the past, in way above of sports, and lack of proper remuneration which
global average of 37. Also a report has drives people away to pursue sports as a full time
suggested that around 48% children under profession.
five of the country have stunted growth,
indicating that half are suffering from
chronic malnutrition.
This indicates that India has a long way to Question - Is Aadhar initiative a failure?
go before achieving its desired objectives Critically comment. (200 Words)
in ECC.
5. For this, India can look for some other Answer – UID-AADHAAR was started as a
models implemented in countries such as transformational initiative and general perception
Denmark where guaranteed nursery and was that it would change India‘s face as a most
52-week paid leaves are provided to digitized nation in the world. Aadhaar,‘ which
children and their parents respectively. means ‗support‘ or ‗foundation,‘ was to be the
This can provide some vital inputs to platform on which all government programs and
India to further enhance its ECCE many commercial applications, were to be built.
programs. Government scheme to link many subsidies like
LPG, scholarships, wages, and marriage
registration with AADHAAR was cancelled by
SC judgment that AADHAAR card was not
mandatory.
Question - Write a note on Rajiv Gandhi Khel AADHAAR is also being criticized on the basis of
Abhiyan.
lack of feasibility study, hasty approval, threats to
national security, being directionless, using
Answer - The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan is an unreliable technology, need for privacy and data-
initiative by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs protection and lack of coordination among
and Sports to improve youth participation and government agencies involved. The concept of
their performance in sports. The strategies UID was based on the assumption that lack of
include establishing sports complexes in every identity is the reason for inability of the poor to
block, thus reaching out even to the rural, under- access welfare. This appeared seriously flawed. It
privileged youth and monthly stipend and ignored the discretion vested in government
incentive to trainers with the DC being the nodal
officials in deciding eligibility.
officer. This would help India in moving towards
On the basis of above talk it can be concluded that
the dream of joining the top 10 Olympic nations AADHAAR could not achieve its very purpose

and got failure on many grounds, political will is Weekly ‗S‘ ‗P‘ and ‗L ‘reports are received from
also one of them. To make AADHAAR applicable reporting units. Analysis done by districts and
government should go for deep study first and state unit, feed back given and early warning
try to find IT role in AADHAAR which could signals(EWS) are generated, epidemics are
make it very effective. detected and attended and investigation are being
undertaken
Question - Write a note on the Integrated

Disease Surveillance Programme of the Indian
government. (200 Words) In our rural and urban areas both water and
sanitation are closely linked and hence the two
Answer - Integrated Disease Surveillance Project should go hand in hand. Comment on the
(IDSP) was launched with World Bank assistance statement in the light of continuing practice of
in November 2004 to detect and respond to open defecation by large number of Indians and
disease outbreaks quickly. The project was government‘s efforts to bring sanitation from
extended for 2 years in March 2010. From April past 65 years. (200 Words)
2010 to March 2012, World Bank funds were
available for Central Surveillance Unit (CSU) at India‘s rural and urban sanitation problems
NCDC & 9 identified states (Uttarakhand, faced by people. In rural areas lack of sanitation is
Rajasthan, Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil not considered as a social taboo. There are
Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and West inadequate number of toilets, lack of water
Bengal) and the rest 26 states/UTs were funded supply and lack of awareness among the people
from domestic budget. for sanitation.
OBJECTIVE:-
-To establish a decentralized State based Whereas the urban areas suffer from problems
Surveillance system for communicable and non such as growing slum areas and unauthorized
communicable diseases in the State, so that timely colonies due to large scale migration from rural to
and effective public health action can be initiated urban areas. In these areas there is a lack of piped
in response to health challenges for water supply, inadequate number of toilets, lack
communicable and non communicable diseases. of maintenance of common toilets and so on.
-To improve the efficiency of the existing Large families live in cramped spaces as a result
Surveillance activities of the disease control of which there is less scope of building toilets for
programme and facilitate sharing of relevant individual houses.
information with health administrations, Therefore, problems related to sanitation, both in
community and other stakeholders so as to detect rural as well as urban areas
disease trends overtime & evaluate control
strategies. . the end result in both cases being open
MAJOR OBJECTIVE:- defeacation.
-Early detection & response to disease outbreaks.
MAJOR COMPONENTS:- Government of India has devised separate
Integration and Decentralization of Surveillance sanitation policies for both rural and urban
activities India.India started its Central Rural Sanitation
Strengthening of Public Health Laboratories Program in 1986 for rural areas. As a result of
Human Resource Development – Training of deficiencies and low financial allocations, the
SSO, DSO, RRT, other medical and paramedical CRSP had very little impact on the gargantuan
staff problem. The Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan, launched
Use of Information Technology for collection, in 1999 aims to make 50% of Gram Panchayats
collation, compilation, analysis & dissemination Nirmal Grams by 2017 and 100% access to
of data sanitation for all rural households by 2022.
Bringing academic institutions and medical National Urban Sanitation Policy was launched
colleges into disease surveillance during the XIth FYP, aims for 100% sanitation in

urban areas. Both these programs focus on women particularly in rural areas are prone to
community-based approach and strengthening sexual harassment.
local institutions.
Unavailability of water to majority of households
However it is to be seen as to how well these has led to serious sanitary problems and is a
programs are implemented in future to tackle this matter of National Shame that majority still
ever increasing problem of open defeacation. defecate in open air.
Provision of water and sanitation should be done

as it is a Constitutional Right of every citizen
In Rural & Urban India Sanitation problems are under ―Right to Life‖
created due to different circumstances.
In Rural India there is lack of awareness about

health, hygiene and sanitation. Further, there is
lack of ‗pucca‘ houses and proper domestic water
supply. 'toilets for all' is stated as a national priority and
the task be jointly assigned to all the relevant
In Urban areas, sanitation problems are widely ministries, making them accountable for time-
found in slums due to open air defecation. Lack bound targets. Required resources should be
of public toilets and their proper maintenance found as this is a national priority. Village
causes further problems. And open sewages, pradhans and city mayors/chairpersons should
overflowing drainages and garbage offer more be roped in and be made accountable for
challenges for sanitation. performance. Just building toilets is not enough,
their maintenance should be institutionalized.
The efforts taken by GoI for sanitation are:
1. Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) launched in

1999 which is now Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan is a Awareness creation must be a key hallmark of
demand driven & community based sanitation the programme; stakeholder involvement,
program. especially keeping in mind regional variations
and specificity of requirements, should also be
2. Indira Awas Yojana for ‗pucca‘ houses with emphasised. Let states compete for early credit
toilets in Rural areas. and substantial incentives. And corporate social
responsibility spending could be actively and
3. School Sanitation &Hygiene Education (SSHE)
effectively deployed.
to ensure child friendly water supply, hygiene,
toilet and hand washing facilities to School
Children.
Write a note on the National Nutrition Mission
4. Central Rural Sanitation Campaign was
(200 Words)
launched in 1986.
5. National Urban Sanitary Policy was launched

in 2009 for ―open defecation free‖ sanitary Cities.
An initiative of government of India for policy
Further, State Governments and ULBs have direction and effective coordination of all
launched many program‘s and campaigns for nutrition related programs being implemented by
sanitations locally. the Government .
However, despite many government efforts huge The main aim of the program is to check out the
majority of Urban and Rural people continue to problems of malnutrition, infant mortality, under
defecate openly. This has causes recurring five age mortality and maternal mortality.
diseases due to pathogens in many areas and

It would also review and revise the goals set out Asian Development Bank intends to implement
in the National Nutrition Policy, 1993, and the the PURA scheme under a Public Private
National Plan of Action on Nutrition, 1995, Partnership (PPP) framework between Gram
keeping in view the present nutrition profile of Panchayat(s) and private sector partners.
the country.
The scheme envisages twinning of rural
The Mission will have two tier- supervisory infrastructure development with economic re-
structures. It will be headed by the Prime generation activities and is the first attempt at
Minister and will include concerned union delivering a basket of infrastructure and
ministers, chief ministers by rotation, amenities through PPP in the rural areas.PURA
academicians, technical experts and NGOs. project spans several Panchayats in a cluster, the
private partner would propose sub-projects with
The Mission will have an Executive Committee, the PURA elements for each of the Panchayats.
which will be headed by the Minister of State in
charge of women and child development. It will The leveraging of public funds with private
have two ministers in charge of nutrition / capital and management expertise for creation
women and child development / health from and maintenance of rural infrastructure is the
nutritionally backward states, two ministers from essence of the PURA scheme, which is envisioned
states with good performance in nutrition related to act as the catalyst not only for convergence
programs, secretaries of union ministries between different infrastructure development
concerned and experts. schemes but also for the new model for the
management of urbanisation of rural areas.
The Mission will put in place effective mechanism

for coordinating the efforts of different ministries, Write a note on the objectives and components
after reviewing the goals set out in the National of National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM)
Nutrition Policy 1993, the National Plan of Action (200 Words)
on Nutrition 1995 and the existing strategies
being adopted by various ministries. NRLM was designed after restructuring
Swarnajayanti Grameen Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY)
The Executive Committee will be responsible for
to tackle some of its shortcomings like insufficient
identifying nutritionally backward regions and
investments for building community
groups, monitoring and evolving mechanisms for
institutions,and weak linkages with banks
coordination and conduct of evaluation studies.
leading to low credit mobilization.
Financial burden of this programme is shared

between the Centre and the States in the ratio of
Write a note on PURA model. (200 Words)
75:25 (90:10 in case of North Eastern States
including Sikkim; completely from the Centre in
PURA is a noble programme initiated by Hon‘ble
case of UTs).
Former President of India Dr A P J Abdul Kalam
for Providing Urban amenities in Rural Areas. Objective- To reduce poverty by enabling the
poor households to access gainful self-
The perspective of this programme is to enhance
employment and skilled wage employment
the development in villages with all basic
opportunities . It will result in the improvement
facilities like schools, roads, lighting, water,
of their livelihoods on a sustainable basis.
communication, health, employment and income.
The Indian central government has been running NRLM works on three pillars –
pilot PURA programs in several states since 2004.
-enhancing and expanding existing livelihoods
MoRD with support from Department of options of the poor
Economic Affairs and the technical assistance of

-building skills for the job market outside with long term project sustainability.
-nurturing self-employed and entrepreneurs. 5. Provision of basic services to urban poor with
affordable prices
Compnents :
6. Adequate provision of funds to meet
1.Promotion of Institutions of the poor – Strong deficiencies.
institutions of the poor such as SHGs and their
village level and higher level federations are It has been a MIXED report card for JNNURM
necessary to provide space, voice and resources regarding attaining its objectives.
for the poor, and for reducing their dependence
on external agencies. The Major criticism includes Tardy progress of
scheme implementation, Steep rise in prices of
2.Universal Social Mobilisation: NRLM would implementation of schemes, Gender concerns and
ensure that at least one member from each Large delay in process implementation. In fact,
identified rural poor household, preferably a implementation of JNNURM has already been
woman, is brought under the Self Help Group extended by 2 years up to 2014.
(SHG) network in a time bound manner.
But on the brighter side, a number of projects
3.Training, Capacity and skill building have been complemented under various sectors
such as Water Supply, Sewerage, Storm Water
4 Universal Financial Inclusion: NRLM would Drains, Solid Waste Management, Roads and
work towards achieving universal financial Flyovers, Development of Heritage Areas, Mass
inclusion, beyond basic banking services to all the Rapid Transport System, Urban Renewal, etc.
poor households
Infact, even the partial success of JNNURM has
5.Provision of Interest Subsidy paved way for JNNURM-2 which focuses more
on small and medium towns. Thus, JNNURM has
6.Skills and Placement ProjectsPartnerships with
certainly helped in development of various urban
NGOs
areas of our country but still a lot need to be
7.Linkages with Panchayat Raj Institutions done.
source : NRLM mission document ―The systems and strategies put in place to reach
every child in every part of the country with
lifesaving polio vaccines can be used to save
millions of children from other preventable
Has the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban diseases.‖ Elaborate. (200 Words)
Renewal Mission programme succeeded in its
mission? Evaluate. (200 Words)
JNNURM integrates various objectives in mission India has achieved amazing success in becoming
mode such as: a polio-free country in just five years when it had
nearly half of world‘s polio cases. This campaign
1. Integrated development of infrastructure has also shown the power of vaccines to wipe out
services in cities. a disease and safeguard the children. However,
the story doesn‘t end here. According to the
2 Focus on urban renewal programme of old
UNICEF around 1.4 million children die of
cities to reduce congestion.
preventable diseases such as pneumonia, measles,
3. Scaling up of civic amenities with emphasis on diphtheria, tetanus etc every year. The systems
access to urban poor. and strategies adopted in eradicated polio could
be very useful if they are re-implemented in
4. Establishing linkages between asset creation eradicating other childhood diseases. Measures
and asset management such as a vast surveillance system to allow

vaccinators to respond in a timely manner to vaccinators to respond quickly to outbreaks.

disease outbreaks, timely vaccination to children Strategies were formed to target children in
etc. could help in preventing avoidable deaths. vulnerable communities and other places that
Also children belonging to vulnerable were hard to reach. While we have won the war
communities should be targeted strategically. on polio, we still have a long way to go in
Strong commitment of the government as shown combating other childhood diseases that can be
in the case of Pulse Polio Immunization program prevented with vaccines. Today, we have
along with partnerships from other international vaccines that protect against some of the most
bodies such as the UNICEF and World Bank is common childhood diseases. If we can get the
required for reaching this goal. There is also a polio vaccine to every child, why can‘t we do the
section of society which is against the expansion same with vaccines that protect children against a
of the vaccination programme and introduction whole range deadly of diseases? We need to instil
of newer vaccines. Therefore, more scientific the urgency displayed against polio into the fight
research also needs to be done to ascertain the against other childhood diseases. While we have
good and evil effects, if any, on the lives of made some progress, we are catastrophically off
children due to any newly introduced vaccine. course to meet the UN Millennium Development
There needs to be a sense of urgency in order to Goal 4, which calls for reducing child mortality
fight against childhood diseases. by two-thirds by next year. The national
immunisation programme has only 61 per cent
coverage across the country. We lag behind many
of our neighbours in introducing critical new
Newspaper Extract
vaccines into the national immunisation
India must build on the polio campaign to programme, including those to protect against the
prioritize childhood immunisation. This week, we leading causes of diarrhoea and pneumonia —
mark the three-year anniversary of the last case of the two biggest killers of children under five.
polio virus in India. It is a monumental India has the opportunity to build on the success
achievement — and arguably one of the greatest of the polio campaign to prioritise childhood
public health success stories of all time. The immunisation. Polio successes have already
legacy of the polio campaign is more than just the contributed to efforts against other vaccine-
successful eradication of the crippling disease. preventable diseases. For example, the
The systems and strategies put in place to reach government has implemented a polio-style
every child in every part of the country with vaccination campaign in 14 high-risk states
lifesaving polio vaccines can be used to save against measles, a disease that killed
millions of children from other preventable approximately 56,000 children in 2011.
diseases. According to Unicef, every year in Surveillance laboratory systems set up under the
India, 1.4 million children under five die from polio programme now help monitor for measles
preventable diseases. Reaching every child with outbreaks. Already, large declines in measles
timely vaccination could dramatically reduce cases have been recorded in several states. This is
child deaths in the country. Polio shows that this a great step forward and more should be done to
can be done, if we put our minds to it. Five years leverage the systems and strategies that have
ago, India had nearly half of the world‘s polio defeated polio. The opposition to efforts to
cases. Experts considered the country the most strengthen and expand childhood immunisation,
technically difficult place to end polio, with however, poses a real threat. There are some
migration, high population density and low groups that vocally continue to resist vaccination,
immunisation coverage posing significant particularly newer vaccines. Most recently,
challenges. Through the commitment and criticism has stemmed from a small group of
leadership of the government and with support doctors that has expressed unfounded scepticism
from national and international partners, over 2.3 against the five-in-one pentavalent vaccine,
million vaccinators immunised 172 million despite the vast body of evidence supporting the
children with the polio vaccine every year. A vast use of this vaccine. Based on appropriate
surveillance system was established to allow scientific evidence and recommendations, the

government made the decision to introduce the

pentavalent vaccine, which protects against
diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B and —
haemophilus B (Hib), in the national turn sewage into water for irrigation or use in
immunisation system. This is an important step industry.
towards ensuring that children are protected
from life-threatening illnesses, including
pneumonia and meningitis caused by Hib. The diverse options for reuse and recycling of
waste water must be factored in for: use in
agriculture, recharge of water-bodies, gardening,
and industrial and domestic uses. In each case,
the treatment plan will be different. But in all
Analyze the measures needed to be taken to cases, the treated effluent will improve the
move towards sustainable solutions to urban hydrological cycle. It will return water and not
water and waste management. (200 Words) waste to the environment. While a larger sewage
treatment plant affords economies of scale in
operation, a plant fitted to size — collecting the
waste of a group of houses, an institution or even
Investments in water supply must focus on colonies — may have higher costs of operations,
demand management, reducing intra-city but there are substantial savings in the piping and
inequity and on the quality of water supplied. pumping cost.
This will require cities to plan to cut distribution
losses through bulk water meters and efficiency
drives.
Examine the merits and demerits of raising FDI
User charges should plan to cover increasing in the insurance sector from 26 to 49 per cent.
proportions of operation and maintenance (O&M)
costs, while building in equity by providing a
―lifeline‖ amount of water free of charge, with
higher tariffs for increasing levels of use. Ans: Raising FDI in insurance sector is a part of
2nd generation reforms that have both merits and
Each city must consider, as the first source of demerits.
supply, its local water-bodies. Therefore, cities
must only get funds for water projects, when they MERITS
have accounted for the water supply from local
(a) It will provide the much needed capital that
water-bodies and have protected these water-
cash starved Indian promoters are not able to
bodies and their catchments. This precondition
provide.
will force protection and build the infrastructure,
which will supply locally and then take back (b) Will improve insurance density.
sewage also locally. It will cut the length of the
pipeline twice over — once to supply and the (c) Brings best global practices of management
other to take back the waste. and technology transfer which are otherwise
denied to domestic insurance sector.
(d) Product diversification and tailored products

Planning for ―full coverage and costs‖ will lead to meet the demand of growing middle class.
cities to look for unconventional methods of
treating waste. Biological methods of wastewater (e) Will support financial inclusion efforts.
treatment introduce contact with bacteria, which
feed on the organic materials in the wastewater, (f) Provide long term finance to infrastructure
thereby reducing its Biochemical Oxygen sector that is a key driver of growth.
Demand (BOD) content.

(g) Increase employment. make much if a difference from the previous 26%
cap.
(h) More competition will cut cost, benefiting
customers. 3) More penetration – 26% cap didn‘t make much
of an impact. Rather domestic companies may
(i) Raise tax revenue of government. prefer to penetrate into rural areas as they know
the psyche of the people and can provide better
(j) Break domestic monopolies and thus improve
products rather than foreign companies who may
settlement process.
prefer safe, profitable ventures.
DEMERITS.
The demerits are
(a) FDI benefits have long gestation period so
1) Increase competition to domestic players – LIC
realization of benefits are not eminent.
and other do septic players have matured
(b) Gullible customers became prone to tricky considerably offering great products and have
insurance contracts, losing their life savings. developed trust among users. Thus, this would
not impact them much.
(c) Global financial integration has a contagious
effect when financial crises occur. 2) foreign dependence – The global crisis of 2008
has raised apprehensions of dependence on
(d) Once the business starts earning profit the foreign companies. But, our insurance regulator
capital starts flowing back to foreign country IRDA has put stringent regulations to prevent
creating long term balance of payment crises. any such incidents. Thus, raising the cap would
not affect our financial stability
(e) Negative externalities to labor market as
ultimate motive of FDI is profit maximization.
Another answer …with a bit of analysis Examine the criticisms against the Right to Fair
The extent of merit or demerit depends on the Compensation and Transparency in Land
Acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation
ability of IRDA to regulate and manage FDI. Only
Act, which was notified in December 2013.
time will determine the rationality of this
exuberance.
The Right to Fair Compensation and
1) Increased capital – Raising the cap would mean Transparency in Land Acquisition, R&R Act is a
a larger share for the foreign companies and a positive step, especially when we compare to the
major say in the company affairs. This would British era Draconian Act of land Acquisition
incentivize them to invest more. 1894. However, this act doesn‘t address all the
issues and have got some demerits:
The rationale to increase capital is the expectation
that insurance companies would invest more in 1. Applicability: This act applies to a land
infrastructure projects as they are best suited for acquired more than 100 acres in rural area and 50
long term investments. But, the investment acres in urban areas. Hence, it gives the leeway to
pattern of insurance companies show a massive the acquirer to acquire in small patches (less than
proportion going yo equity markets. Just by 100 and 50 acres) in step wise manner and escape
increasing the cap may not make much of a the law
difference.
2) Professionalism and innovative products – FDI 2. Consent: The act needs the consent of 80% and
would bring certain best practices from around 70% affected population, in case of acquiring by
the world to India. But, the cap of 49% would public enterprise and private enterprise
mean the foreign company still does not have respectively. This makes the acquiring process
authority over the company. Thus, it may not slow and would affect the business, this limit
should be reduced.

3. Other laws: acquired under laws like SEZ act, Criticism: Although the compensation is
atomic energy act, cantonment act, land increased ,it will not increase in substantial terms
acquisition (mines) act etc. doesn‘t appear under as the value is under reported
this.
However , the government is working on the
4. Compensation: The amount would be 4 times projects so that under reporting is curbed(e.g.
market price in rural and 2 times in urban, is very National digital land records).
less as the actual price is way high than the
amount generally shown in market for 4.Social Impact Assessment(SIA) provision
registration purpose. Criticism: this will delay the process of land
acquisition
All, this make the law toothless and have given
enough leeway for manipulation. 5. Rehabilitation provision Criticism: Pro business
lobbies say that this will increase the cost of the
project making it non-viable.
The Act continues the empowerment policy of In this way, the Act has been a welcome step
government with respect to the unprivileged as towards repealing the previous colonial act of
well as privileged sections of the society. The 1894.But much has to be done with respect to
provisions and the criticisms against the act are reviewing the act
discussed as follows.
.
1. The act mandates consent of 80 percent and
70% of the affected families in public and private Write a note on union government‘s new
enterprises. scheme – Financial Inclusion Mission.
Criticism :( a) pro- activists: the demand was Financial inclusion is delivery of financial services
100% consent required. at affordable costs to vast sections of
disadvantaged and low income groups. The new
(b) pro-business: it will increase the burden on
financial inclusion scheme named SAMPOORN
infrastructure development.
VITTEYA SAMAVESHAN, aims bank accounts
However, the consent requirement is adequately for every Indian and banking services within 5km
represented as 100% consent will stall the land of every town and village, and by March 2016
acquisition process and lesser consent with special focus on women, small and marginal
requirement will certainly decry the farmers and laborers.
empowerment framework of the government.
This campaign for inclusion will be at various
2. Nine union government acts are exempted layers,
from the purview of this act (such as defense act,
a) In areas where possible, the regular brick and
Sez act, etc.)
mortar branches will be created.
Criticism: this provision makes the rationale foul
b) In areas where not possible, small branches
as the requirement was in naxal affected areas
manned few people will be created.
and other areas
c) The layer below that will be kiosks
However ,some acts has to be exempted because
of deterrent of non completion of projects of d) Another layer below will be ATMs and
national importance
e) Then the human contact through fixed-point
3.Compensation provided under the act: four Business Correspondents.
times the market value at urban land, two times
the market value at rural land Contrary to the old financial inclusion
programme, this new scheme operates in both

rural and urban areas. Also the cumbersome KYC 6. Regulating the sale of the ultrasound machines
process is replace with easy e-KYC facility. Each only to registered bodies
account holder would be provided with RuPay
card giving him freedom to operate from The enforcement of PCPNDT Act 2003, which
anywhere. The government will encourage prohibits sex determination tests of the fetus
transfer of subsidies directly to bank accounts of (leading to abortion if it‘s female), has been far
the beneficiaries. The possibility of exploring and from satisfactory. The main reasons being:
expanding mobile telephony banking is also been
• Poor supervision of genetic and ultrasound
explored.
clinics
Financial inclusion is a critical step that requires
• Unethical and illegal practices of the concerned
political will, bureaucratic support and dogged
doctors/ radiologists
persuasion by RBI. It is expected to unleash the
hugely untapped potential of the bottom of • Rampant misuse of technology
pyramid section of Indian economy. Perhaps,
financial inclusion can begin the next revolution • Fast increase in the number of ultrasound
of growth and prosperity clinics over the years
• Implementation of PCPNDT Act is far from

expected
What are the highlights of the Pre-conception
and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition • A center doesn‘t generate any of the records of
of Sex Selection in India) (PNDT), Act 2003? illegal sex determination. No complainer and no
Evaluate its performance. (200 Words) evidences. Unfortunately like many other Acts,
this act also faces implementation problems
• No effective monitoring mechanism

concerned.
• Proper knowledge of the Law
Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic
Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, is an federal • No Standardization in practices, record keeping
legislation enacted by the parliament of India to etc.
stop female foeticide and arrest the declining sex
ratio in India. The act banned prenatal sex • Problem of False Reporting
determination. 2003 is an amendment to improve • No proofs & evidences for the authorities to
the regulation of the technology used in sex take action
selection.
To avoid the above, public awareness through
The highlights of the amendments are: media should be increased, public meetings
1. The technique of pre conception sex selection should be arranged in rural areas. Females are
within the ambit of the act treated weak hence equality should be
encouraged.
2. Bringing ultrasound within its ambit
3. Empowering the central supervisory board,

constitution of state level supervisory board
4. Provision for more stringent punishments Highlight the sociocultural importance of rural
and traditional sports in India. What measures
5. Empowering appropriate authorities with the can government take to protect waning
power of civil court for search, seizure and traditional sports in India? (200 Words)
sealing the machines and equipments of the
violators Link

India is a Secular Nation with 14% of Muslim

Population ,so the Minority assets and Interests
The passage of the long-pending Pension Fund should also take into account for a greater extent
Regulatory and Development Authority to save the country‘s diversity and Integrity
(PFRDA) Bill confers several benefits to the
organised pension sector.‖ Critically
examine. (250 Words) How can India allay the fears of nuclear
suppliers about India‘s nuclear liability law
Link without amending it? (150 Words)
• India‘s Nuclear Liability Law has raised
concern among potential investors due to its
deviance from international law in case of liability
due to an accident. This is to be seen in the light
of Bhopal tragedy and the fact that it has been
enacted by a sovereign democratic process.
Rampant encroachment and the misuse and • However in order to quell investors‘ concerns,
usurpation of wakf assets representing Islamic Government has already agreed to pay upto 1300
religious endowments is the reality across
cr over NPCIL‘s liability of 1500 cr. Pegging the
India.‖ Throw light on different measures taken
liability in term sof rupees and not SDR will
by the government to bring transparent
favour suppliers as SDR has been constantly
administration and to stop illegal
appreciating.
encroachments of wakf assets . (200 Words)
• It can bring an insurance package for the
nuclear industry. This will help in evaluating
Ans:-
actuarial liability which can be then factored in
―Wakf‖ or ―Waqf‖ is an arabic word which
agreements. Better quantification will lead to
means ‗Prohibited‘. According to Islamic Context
more certainity in agreement and this will further
any Interested can donate any type of Property
favour the nuclear suppliers.
for a charity for Noble Cause.All those Properties
• However, India should not dilute the bill to
are Headed by Central Wakf Council with it‘s
please suppliers. Industrial disaster is a
Respective State Wakf Boards.
controversial issue and India should not lose
Many a times the income and the Misproportion control over the liability process to please
or Encroachment of Assets was observed in the investors.
wakf board so, in 1996 a Working committee of
Rajya Sabha has Appointed to look into state
Wakf Boards.In 2006 Sachar Committee provided What is distress migration? Explain with
Counter Initiatives for Land Enchroachments and examples which factors lead to this type of
Related matters. Major Suggestions were putforth migration in India. (200 Words)
by Joint parliamentry Committee in its report in Answer:
2008.Later in 2012 Union Ministry for Minority Distressed with the circumstances, poor
Affairs directed State Wakf Boards to undertake livelihood opportunities or even food insecurity
survey and Computerise records but sadly there leads to the Distress migration. Such type of
is No Progress,So Wakf Act 2013 came in prospect migration, in contrary to find better
of managing more than Four Lakh Registered opportunities, is the one, which people take as a
Wakf Property. no choice option. Owing to poor conditions and
The New Act pushes the state boards to provide highly backward areas of some of the states,
necessary informaation with i Proper time Distress migration is common in India. So called
Frame.Encraochmet of Wakf Property is a non- BIMARU states, experience such migration,
bailable Offence that can convict for rigorous two where large number of inhabitants, move to
Years Imprisonment.The Act make the State distant places to work.
Governments Responsible to function Effectively The recent cyclone, which hit the Odisha coast,
severely destroying the district of Gangjam, will

also lead to distress migration. The district, Nuclear suppliers fear that this may put an onus
already, experiences migration of fishermen to on them though the mistake might be done by the
work in areas such as Mumbai, Surat, Goa etc operator, in this case, NPCIL. They also argue
seasonally. But in the aftermath of this cyclone, that the Indian liability law is not in tune with
and losing their homes and boats, nets etc, other international laws. Any question of liability
fishermen will be more prone to migrate to might also hamper their business interests.
distant areas. Even their bargaining power will be
Liability clause may invite some backlash from
less and will have to work under stated
the suppliers but it is in the greater interest.
conditions.
Modifications like including the right of recourse
Traditionally also, because of high economic and
of the operator in the initial aggrement, insurance
social disparities in India, the poor workers and
to be covered by the GIC India, providing the
labourers, carry out distress migration, in search
libility costs in the initial aggrement itself etc
for better livelihood and lives. Such trend was
might help to tide the backlash.
especially found in eastern states and north
eastern states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Bengal Nuclear liability law is critical to the India‘s
,Assam etc. energy security but it can be addressed in a
proactive manner by evoving a consensual
==You can include caste as a factor of approach in it.
distress migration. How lower caste go for
migration in order to avoid wrath of
higher caste and social mobility. Secondly
seasonal distress migration of agricultural
labourers should be included in normal
The emphasis of Assisted Reproductive
times.
Technologies (ART) Bill should be to ensure
Thirdly, communal violence as a source of
that the benefits of surrogacy are most
distress migration as seen in parts of UP
beneficial to those who are weakest in the
etc. or in case of India – Pakistan partition.
supply chain – the surrogates.‖ Elaborate
The ART through which surrogacy is conducted

are a recent and fast growing addition to India‘s
medical market and medical tourism sector. Their
Why did India enact a nuclear liability law? unregulated proliferation over the past few years
What are the concerns of nuclear suppliers has raised serious issues of safety, ethical practice,
regarding this law? Do you think this law cost and rights of surrogates.
adversely affects India‘s energy security?
Analyze The draft ART bill, 2010 fall short of many
A) Aftermath of the 2010 civil nuclear agreement commitments that health regulators were
with the US,Russia etc India has ostensibly supposed to advocate. The bill stipulates that
increased its quest for nuclear energy and this payment for surrogate is to be made in five
called for a formulation of policies including the installments whereby 75% would be given after
nuclear liability law. delivery. This not only shows a clear priority
accorded to intended parents but also betrays that
In the course of recent of events like the the worth of surrogate‘s labor pain, pregnancy,
Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan as well as related emotional and physiological risks are
from the past experiences of the Bhopal gas meaningless.
tragedy, the question of liability in the case of a
nuclear accident has called for the enactment of a Further, the bill increased the number of
nuclear liablity law. This is of great significance as successful cycle of live birth from 3 to 5 that
the aftereffects of any nuclear accident continue includes ART cycles. Surrogate mother may go
to haunt for a long time and concerns of all the through many cycles till achieving five successful
parties have to be addressed. live births; which will adversely affect her health.

As pointed, most surrogates are from poor 2.This bill mentions about complaining to the
background because middle income families CVC or SVC but these are already overburdened.
either don‘t need or are ethically constrained, so And also CVC enjoys only power to
chances of over exploitation is maximum. recommend.It ca not impose the penalties.
3.The bill has limited definition of disclosure and
Moreover it is observed that intended parents
victimization.Also the definition of the
once they get the child, never take care of
whistleblowers is narrow.
surrogates health effects which are more prone
4.This bill does not mention about the severe
after the delivery. There is no provision of any
punishment for the disclosure of the
insurance for further catastrophe in case it occurs.
whistleblowers names.
There should be proper counseling for surrogates
5.This bill does not mentions anything about
who are basically poor to understand the health
encouraging the whistleblower concept.
issues along with proper guidance and caretaker
Suggestions:
measures from their family.
1.An independent body should be set up deal
The recent bill though much desired but fall short with the whistleblowers complaints rather than
of many aspects that specifically attends the CVC or SVC.
concern of surrogates who are economically 2.The complaints must be prioritized and
challenged and come forward only to fill their accordingly they must be dealt.
monetary gaps.Therefore drafting and 3.It must be made according to the international
regulations should to be in line with the benefit of standards.Eg:USA.
the most suffered in the process i.e Surrogates.
Critically examine India‘s record in handling

various refugee related problems since
What are the highlights of India‘s independence.
Whistleblower‘s Bill 2011? Analyze its
drawbacks and suggest improvements. (200 The Hindu
Words) India has always been a home to refugees
Ans: This bill seeks to address the from all neighbouring countries right from
maladministration, administrative abuses and 11th century when hindu rulers of Gujarat
corruption by a public servant. granted refuge to Parsis and today there
Its basic features are as follows. number stands close to 4 lakh. Despite such
1. It protects the whistle blowers by maintaining a large number of refugees there have not
anonymity of complainant to a larger extent. been a concrete law,statue governing these
2. It requires the complainant to mention his refugees.
name in the complaint. The refugees from various countries have
3. The bill has the provisions to curtail the false come to India since Independence like
allegation by imposing the penalty on such Pakistan, Tibet, Bangladesh at large scale.
complaints. Refugees in India are governed by
4. Any public servant or NGO can complain to Foreigners Act, 1946. The lack of specific
the CVC orSVC. legislation in recognizing these refugees
5. The Vigilance commissioner keeps the hampers in their effect of getting basic
whistleblowers name secret. amenities, not to mention the increased
6. This bill aims to protect the honest officers from security concerns of nation. Only certain
undue maladministration. judicial decisions and some home
Drawback of the Bill. ministries‘ advisories have given directives
1.The provision of disclosing the name of the in ad-hoc manner. A comprehensive
whistleblower is detriments to the very aim of the legislation must be formulated
bill. This will discourage the Complainants. differentiating foreigners and refugees
giving them recognition and that entails in it
various international law like that of non- these steps will ensure better status of
refoulement. There must be structured refugees within India
system that gives these people a permit ,an
identity document and which would help
streamline the government records.
These measures not only will help to tackle .Why the Bill on Women‘s Reservation in
the issues of national security and a humane Parliament is not yet passed? What are the
life for these people but will also have a far- issues surrounding it? Examine.
reaching benefit for aiming-for-permanent-
membership-in-UN India in getting The Hindu
international recognition. There has been a long standing demand by
various sections of the society for passing of the
Women Reservation Bill. But this has not yet
• India known for its open arms policy of happened
giving shelter to refugees Reasons for non passage
• Evidence from Ancint times when Gujarat 1) Lack of political will: Politicians dont want to
ruler gave shelter to Parsis to now to risk their seats for the sake of an ethical issue. The
Rohingyas, afghans, somalians etc basic problem is the clause that calls for rotation
• As per UNHCR, total number of refugees of seats reserved for women every 5 years
in India – 2 laks 2) Opposition by caste groups: The OBCs, SC and
• Though India is not a party to UN STs have a fear that this reservation would be
convention on refugees, its policy restricted to upper castes and rich women.
commended when many countries have Backward castes and poor women would not gain
closed their borders and refused protection mileage.
Issues within the Country 3) Lack of consolidated women voting: Women
Lack of a specific law for refugees: general are expected to folow the foot steps of the male in
aw applicable to all Foreigners, The the family.
Foreigners Act applies to refugees as well. 4) Lack of a strong lobby for reservation: Though
2. standardised documentation for refugees pressure groups are there they seem to surface
3. lack of legal recognition has led to only during elections. Women groups must work
difficulties in their access to basic facilities to muster support till the bill is passed. They
such as decent living conditions, must also try to increase the participation of men
employment, free or subsidised medical in these pressure groups.
facilities and education Given their importance in the society and the
difficulty in knowing whether they have a historical importance Indian culture accords to
legitimate reason for their presence in India them, India has an opportunity to create history
– for security issues of India and become one of the first nations to pass this
a comprehensive draft law was passed by landmark bill. There is also an increasing hope
Justice Bhagwati. However, it failed to pass that the current mandate given to the 16th Lok
in the Parliament. Sabha would ensure the passage of this bill.
way forward
1. define the term ‗refugee‘ as against a
‗foreigner‘ so that they can be entitled to any
special provision
2. foreigners Act penalizes those who enter
‖The Companies Act 2013 is in many parts a
Country without any valid documents by
shabbily drafted law, defined not by clear
repatriating them to their home country. principles but by an enormous and unwieldy
Exception needs to be made for refugees edifice of myriad central government rules.‖
since they fled from their country in distress Critically analyse.
3. refugees permits must be given to them
once they enter for their easy identification

Business Standard WOMEN DIRECTORS: According to GMI

A modern law does not by itself become a great Ratings‘ Women on Boards Survey 2013, women
law, for success depends on implementation. account for only 11 percent of total directorships
There are few issues regarding TCA 2013 that will in world‘s best known companies. Major efforts
make or mar the success of the new law. They are will have to be made to create more women
analysed as under: directors, but before that there have to be more
INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS: This provision women reaching the top of the corporate
makes it mandatory for companies to have one- hierarchy. The legislation should act as a spur to
third of their board members as independent women‘s empowerment, but compliance could be
directors; more stringent definition of IDs, their years away.
tenures will be limited to two terms adding up to CLASS ACTION SUITS: Perhaps the best new
10 years; alongwith that IDs can also hold a provision in the Companies Bill is the enabling of
maximum of 20 directorships. All these class action suits, but the moot point is whether
provisions make its positive impression but there shareholders of government-owned companies
are few pitfalls in this provision, which are: can sue the government for squashing minority
Firstly, as IDs are appointed and paid for by the interests. There is ample scope for class action
promoters, so here arises a question for how suits against ONGC, Oil India and GAIL , which
much independent these IDs really be? are subsidizing losses in the oil marketing
Secondly, theoretically, enough people are companies.
available to be appointed as IDs, as there are no Class action suits have to be filed before the
qualifications for it. But practically this number National Company Law Tribunal first, but
diminishes, as soon as they get to know about the banking companies are excluded from such
responsibilities they will have to bear. This will action.
result in lack of commitment to work in the So, these dilemmas need to be removed before
interests of shareholders. proceeding further. At last but not the least, it can
Thirdly, the provision of allowing IDs to take be said that ―it‘s a great start, but, as always, the
upto 20 directorships each will affect the diligence proof of the pudding is in the eating.‖
in work. So, nothing bad in having so many IDs,
but with that the corporate governance will need
a heavy dose of regulation too to complete the
picture . Q1 )There is a need to revisit India‘s entire
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: There policy on identification and registration so that
is no clear definition of CSR in this bill. The only the twin objectives of knowing who a citizen is
obligation is to earmark the funds, form a and ensuring effective delivery of services are
committee, formulate a CSR policy, and spend the not undermined.‖ Examine
cash. No accountability for what purpose that
money is being spent but just have to give
reasons if in case it wasn‘t spent. So, beyond India‘s recent approach to UIDAI to give identity
inculcating a corporate conscience,it won‘t make to indian citizen has been in question after
any difference to the society. scheme was started without parliamentary
EXCESSIVE BUREAUCRACY : The new sanction and recent spat of SC to not making it
Companies Act mandates that every director mandatory for entitlement delivery has proved it.
should be registered with the government and Also there are apprehensions of data security and
obtain a Director Identification Number (DIN), snooping and misuse of biometrics in the wake of
which will enable the government to monitor the american NSA‘s spying project. Also private
number of directorships any person holds and control on the project has created suspicion in
also his track record. But India‘s track record people about the safety of personal data. Another
shows that bureaucratic monitoring of corporate concern is multiplicity of id proofs already with
affairs leads to corruption and bribery. So, this people which is creating additional burden on
will deter more competent people from taking up people and the govt. One more concern is the
directorships.

distribution of UID to refugees without Tobacco production is a very remunerative work

inspection. All these issues make this program a for many farmers, Govt intervention in this area
little in a difficulty. Despite being a good had mainly been through expilcit and implicit
initiative to create a data base for crime agencies subsidies. As of now, there is no promotion from
and security agencies there is a concern of its govt side but neither is there any regulation in
misuse in the absence of a proper and light of health concerns. There is a need to
comprehensive data privacy policy in the UID. provide incentives to farmers to shift to other
Recent allegations of violations of Right to crops.
Privacy in the project, the road ahead for the
In case of tobacco products, certain measures
project is not easy. Need is to bring confidence in
have been taken by govt. Pricing measures
people about the objectives of the project and
include increasing the tax but its only limited to
campaign to clarify doubts about the security of
cigarettes and not on tobacco products used by
data and use of the data and safety standards and
lower income group. Hence, this serves more as a
checks and balances in the system. Also the
measure to increase revenue rather than
distribution of the benefits can be made foolproof
disincentivize the consumers from tobacco
by accepting one more proof along with it till it
consumption. As a non price measure,
becomes foolproof on its own. Also identification
advertisements are issued and warnings have to
of citizen is critical and refugees must be
be mandatorily issued on the product packaging.
identified with strong guidelines to give them
some alternate identity which may help them There is no doubt a need to control the sector, but
either repatriate or get some facilities so that they it will have huge economic repercussions given
donot encroach upon the legible indian citizen the large proportion of people involved in
identity. Also there should be strict punishment cigarettes and bidi manufacturing units. The govt
for the violators. will need to take care of this aspect
simultaneously.
===Tobacco rolled in paper or leaves or packed

Suggest some measures to tackle the problem of
in plastic sachets is consumed by 35 per cent of
power theft in India?
adult population in our country, making India the
second largest consumer in tobacco products in
the world.
A recently released health ministry report
estimates that the total health expenditure burden
In the light of increasing health risks associated of tobacco in the year 2011 was a little over Rs. 1,
with consumption of tobacco products, critically 00,000 crores. Though it is argued that the taxes
comment on government‘s policy on tobacco from tobacco products is around Rs. 20,000 crores
cultivation and its products. and the tobacco as an industry provides
livelihood to many, but these arguments are mere
farce when compared to its negative effects.
 Tobacco has increasingly been proving a menace The health hazards like cancer, respiratory
to the society which can be gauged by the fact problems etc. affect not only active consumers but
that 27 % tobacco users are of the age group 15- also the passive ones. The out of pocket
24. Government‘s policy towards tobacco expenditure on health due to addiction makes
production and its products had been generally people more and more poor. Though increasing
supportive initially as it acted as a source of taxes on tobacco products is being suggested as
employment to many plus generated a high one of the solutions to reduce its consumption,
revenues. But with increasing health concerns, it but addicted person will buy the product at any
has stopped any promotional support to the cost, and this will further burden the pockets of
sector since the 7th five year plan. the poor.
Gradual decrease in the consumption of tobacco

through a multi pronged strategy of increasing change the behaviour

taxes and simultaneously setting up of tobacco * Establishment of Tobacco product laboratories
crisis centres where proper counseling is given to build regulatory capacity mandated under
must be setup and active advertisements to COPTA 2003
persuade them not to consume tobacco with the * Mainstreaming R&T on alternative crops
ultimate aim of zero-tobacco consumption must * Monitoring and evaluating (GATS-Global Adult
be given highest priority. Thus reducing the Tobacco Survey)
tobacco‘s burden on health and economy.
State and District level
Around 0,25% of total cropped area in the * Setting up of Tobacco control cells to monitor
country is under tobacco cultivation. Tobacco and implement the anti tobacco law.
comes under state jurisdiction but still centre * Training Health & Social workers
plays a crucial role in development of the sector * School programmes
Different ministries are involved in different * Monitoring the control laws as well as
aspects of the industry but due to the heath programmes…
concern associated with it no one has launched
any scheme since the 7th FYP but still they are
playing key role in marketing support, export
promotion, R&D and fertilizer and credit Critically comment on Road safety issues &
subsidies. measure taken by govt. to address these issues
In India the Flue Cured Virginia tobacco in India.
marketing is handled by Tobacco board which
has made auction compulsory and has provided Road infrastructure is responsible for maximum
complete backward and forward integration to number of deaths. It is estimated that every 4
the sector which is one of the reason that farmers minutes, one road accident takes place. Though
are not shifting to alternative crops. since independence many kilometers of road
The government policy of pricing tobacco network has been added, but very few steps have
products has focused on revenue perspective been taken in direction of road safety. Road safety
rather than disincentivising the product. Also the has been long neglected due to various reasons.
advertisement ban and mandatory warning has Lack of lighting, proper signals / signage‘s, non
not been effective in discouraging the consumers. usure of seat belts etc are some common causes of
As large number of farmers livelihood is road accidents. During emergency lack of quick
dependent on this they will only shift to emergency response team during those initial
alternative crops if provided with irrigation crucial hours result into maximum deaths. Also
which in case of tobacco product being draught non availability of trauma / emergency care
resistance not required and marketing support centers along highways & state highway are also
system. Apart from this from consumers a causes of high casuality enroute of hospital.
perspective to bring attitudinal change warning Non observance of traffic rules coupled with not
on packs needs to be more threatening and mass wearing helmets & other safety gears result into
awareness programme needs to be carried out maximum death. Drink and drive cases are also
with civil society participation. on the rise.
 In india , the govt implemented the Measure taken by govt.

comprehensive tobacco control programme act in (1) Govt. is focusing on building better & good
2003(COTPA) and ratified the WHO framework quality roads under various projects like Bharat
convention on tobacco control in 2004. Following Nirman, Pradhan mantra gram sadak yojana etc.
this it initiated the National Tobacco Control Effective lighting at blind spots / accident prone
programme during 11th FYP. spots as well as signals warning curves etc have
According to the NTCP, duties are divided into reduce road mishaps.
State , District and National levels. (2) Under PM swasthya suraksha yojana, it is
At National level envisaged to set trauma center along highway at
* Public awareness/ Mass media campaigns to every district Head quarter. Other emergency

treatment centre would be propped along is fully utilised for the construction and
highways for effective treatment in case of maintenance of roads.
emergency.
(3) 108 Ambulance, ICU on wheels have increased
the pace to faster delivery to hospitals.
(4) More awareness is being spread by programe
Apart from legal reforms, what other reforms are
like ―Sadak Par Pahle Aap‖
necessary to reduce and eliminate violence
(5) Road safety awareness program are being
against women? Critically comment.
made part of the curriculum.
Ans: Legal Reforms alone will not yield results
had they not been coupled with institutional and
====Why the policy paralysis in road safety? social reforms.
1) Officials in charge of road safety are almost
Violence against women starts right from her
never accountable
birth or even before her birth till she takes her last
2) Detailed investigations into road crashes are a
breath. Jumping the sonography related laws,
rarity
―infanticide‖ is a gloom for any progressive
3) Statute governing road safety in India, the
society. Punishing erring doctors and parents
Motor Vehicles Act (MVA) 1988 has proved
along with media attention is necessary for
ineffective
creating deterrence as well as awareness to check
4) Indian laws around road safety remain
such practices.
deficient and poorly enforced
Inspite of having ―Nutritional Programme and
5) Road design continues to be dangerous
Universal Immunisation programme‖ since birth,
However, the Rajya Sabha had introduced Motor in absence of poor implementation they field to
Vehicles Act (Amendment Bill) 2012, but that was bring desired results which is quite evident for
also archaic and did not address these issues. our repeated failure in bringing IMR below 25
Recommendations: and MMR below 100. Efficient and prompt
Medical service delivery mechanism is needed for
1) One possible way to solve this problem would solving these problems.
be to increase the amount of fines. Obviously, if The attitude of women seen as ―Liability‖ to
governments increase the penalties on breaking ―Responsibility‖ can be achieved by financially
traffic laws, then people might prevent empowering parents of girl child. Conditional
themselves from breaking rules. As a result, the cash transfer schemes like ―Dhanlaxmi Scheme‖
number of traffic accidents would be reduced. needs greater penetration for achieving twin
This is just one solution. objectives. First ,ensuring she being no more
2) Most important method to bring down remain as liability as she will be entitled for
accidents is strict enforcement of speed limits. 90 ―cash‖ on achieving specified age and education.
% of accidents can be avoided by strict Second, it will increase her chances of survival.
enforcement of speed limits. Compulsory registration and follow up therefore
3) Tamper proof speed controllers should be is necessary at frequent intervals. Offering her
made mandatory for all heavy vehicles. New skill training and employment opportunities on
heavy vehicles should have built in tamper proof achieving 18 years of age will give her freedom in
speed controllers. chosing her lifecourse along with choice for the
4) Two wheeler manufacturers should be asked to life partner. SEWA(Self employed womens
design two wheelers with a designed maximum association) can be emulated here.
possible speed of (say) 50/60 kmph. This limit Distressed women, deserted or separated women
may be decided based on the conditions of each often becomes victims to societal violence.
country. Offering her safe household under ―Indira Aawas
5) New gadgets are to be developed for collision Yojna‖ by categorizing such women as ― Priority
prevention and should be fitted on all vehicle. group‖ is necessary. Such houses muct be given
6) Ensure that the money recovered as Road Tax concrete toilet facilites,especially in rural areas

under ― Total Sanitation Campaign‖. This is ,bettering their health status (MDM ,ICDS ) is one
crucial as no. of cases suggest atrocities against of the potent factors for malnutrition.
women while she is out for attending natures call
in open fields.
Education facilities coupled with hostels will
ensure her continuance in education system.
===. Malnourishment in a child is a direct
Programmes like JNNURM must have gender
indication of the abject poverty in a region. It also
component in the mechanism for devolution of
shows that the intended governmental welfare
funds. Incetivising Urban Local Bodies for
schemes have not done their duty. Even though
running ―women only buses‖ or rail coaches will
the government spends billions of taxpayers‘
prevent her public abuse in buses and trains. All
money in eradicating such social evils, it does not
women bank,police stations are extension of
reach the poor.
similar approach.
This shows the inefficacy and inefficiency of such
Soicietal awareness is necessary. Reforms in
programs. The well-intended Integrated Child
marriage systems like co-sharing of marriage
Development Scheme is not successful in
expenses,giving social sanction to
reaching the grass roots, because more than 1.8
courtships,increasing age of marriages,right to
crore people in Gujarat have been deprived of its
employment in case of failure of marriage can be
benefits. Anganwadis, which are established to
the new beginning for them.
provide nutritional security to children, are also
not adequate enough. Even though we follow the
Rights-based approach towards such essential
Why even so called developed states in India commodities, we are depriving millions of people
have large number of children suffering from from their rights.
malnutrition? Examine the plausible factors This shows the utter callousness of governmental
behind this anomaly. (150 Words) offices. We need transparency, accountability,
competence in employees and a nation free from
–The definition of ―development‖ is hinged on corruption first, if we need to have our social
economic welfare and less on social well- welfare schemes to achieve their objectives.
being.Economic factors like FDI inflows,overall
state GDP rate,fiscal behaviour majorly determine
the contours of development while human you can replace last paragraph by single line, and
development indicators viz- add few points on causes like early marriages,
illiteracy,malnutrition,health constitute the poor availability of water and sanitation, lack of
secondary parameters. awareness regarding breast feeding, etc..
Some plausible fators for this anamoly-
-Poor show by ICDS-Integrated ChIld
Development Services faltered to deliver desired Comment how far Medical Termination of
results on two fronts thereby resulting in poor Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1972 has been successful
pre-school education and inefficiency in in preventing non-institutional abortions and
supplementing nutritional benefits to children explain the factors responsible for the rise in
belonging to age group of 0-6 years. such non-institutional abortions. (250 Words)
-Low investment on improving human • Medical Termination of Pregnancy [MTP] act
development indicators-Funds are utilized to aims to enable maternal health by legalising
make way for developing industrial units and abortion services. It legalises abortion services
other commercial ventures.Paucity of adequate and de-criminalises the abortion-seeker. It lays
funds to improve infrastructure related to strict guidelines such as abortion to be carried out
education,health takes a backseat. within 20 weeks ,risk to life, rape pregnancies,
-Poor implementation of welfare schemes-Poor contraceptive failure in couples under which
monitoring process of schemes intended to abortion can be carried out to prevent its misuse.
improve overall standards of children via • The act thus facilitated the creation of an
improving their educational status(RTE Act) enabling environment for seeking abortions. Yet,

most of the abortions are done in the non- diseases, diarrhea, pneumonia, tuber culosis and
regulated sector. Unsafe abortions contribute to tobacco consumption. This can be done by
eight per cent of the total maternal deaths and devising revised disease control programs with
unaccounted figure of morbidity. improved accessibility of combination drugs,
• The reasons for this anomaly is due to the lack investigation kits, vaccination and nutrition to
of certified abortion centres, shortage of doctors, masses.The menace of tobacco consumption can
lack of information among women esp. in rural be checked by a world over established technique
areas and social stigma associated with abortion. of increasing taxes and creating awareness.
MTP act fails to address these causes and has Secondly, the health infrastructure (PHCs, CHCs
been unable to safely regulate abortions in the etc) has to be revamped to make it accessible,
country. affordable and improving its quality. Since,
• There has been a rise in non-institutional health care falls in state list hence central
abortions across the country. Most of the women government should assist the state governments
are unaware about such abortion clinics. No to improve health care facilities and implement
information dissemination mechanism exists to Centrally Sponsored Schemes in health sector
recrify this. There is a severe shortage of effectively. Thirdly, the entire health care delivery
government clinics and more than 75% of such is based on the information collected at the field
clinics are in private sector. These clinics charge level. Hence, the methods of data collection and
very high rates and this has severly limited the its analysis should be made robust. Besides these,
efficacy of the act. the prerequisite of any health care program is
• Shortage of doctors and their reluctance to ensuring the availability of better nutrition, clean
serve in rural areas is another cause of concern. drinking water and sanitation facilities.
The MTP act should be amended and midwives The basic roadblock in the health sector today is
should be allowed trained in such procedures. the supply-demand mismatch. This sector is
Certification procedures should be made less severely starved of good quality specialist
stringent. doctors, para-medics and nutritionists. Though
• Social stigma associated is also a cause of the government through several programs like
concern and civil society should be utilised to Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna is
tackle this. Teenage pregnancies are on the rise trying to set up AIIMS like institutes to increase
but current laws term even consensual sex among the number and quality of human resources in
minors as rape, forcing them to seek non- health sector. Besides this, more than 80 % of the
institutional abortion centres. total expenditure on health care (6 % of GDP) is
• Right to a healthy life is protected by out-of-pocket expenditure. This plays a major role
constitution and necessary steps should be taken in pushing the already poor majority below the
to prevent such maternal deaths. poverty line. Government has come up with
several health insurance schemes like Rashtriya
In your opinion, what should be governments‘s Swasthya Bima Yojana but their effective
priorities in the health sector? Critically implementation and reach has still to be achieved.
examine the roadblocks involved in bringing But to top them all is the lack of availability of
universal healthcare system in India. nutrition, clean drinking water and sanitation
which is the major road block in ensuring better
The Hindu health care system. Taking this on priority the
India has dubious distinction of having highest government has already made efforts to improve
number of deaths due to malaria and tobacco the effectiveness of PDS, initiated schemes like
consumption besides performing poorly on Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan but the slow pace of their
Millenium Development Goals like IMR and implementation is a prolonging the delivery of
MMR. Hence the prioritization of measures to be benefits.
taken should be guided by the severity of the
impact. Firstly, health problems and diseases
leading to high mortality should be tackled with.
This includes diseases like malaria, vascular
‗Foreign education is both a vital ‗export‘ service viewing them as a responsibility to an

that earns sizable revenue, and a powerful opportunity. This means candid recognition that
connector between countries and peoples.‘ In scholarships are a sweetener, a fine gesture of
the light of the statement, examine how India solidarity with foreign countries, but the real
can build good relationships with foreign driver will be the self-funded student who comes
countries by attracting their students to the both because of the quality and the competitive
country. cost of an Indian education.
Business Standard
The biggest importance of having foreign
students is that these people do get a sympathetic
touch with India, and when they return home,
Analyze the factors that have led to large scale
they are the big supporters of friendship and migration of people from Kerala to Middle East
cooperation with India. They will be more aware countries.
about India's Political, Socio-economical
challenges. Better understanding in Handling Out of the people that are migrating to middle
critical situaion, like Khobragade east from India the most percentage is from
case………..Actually it helps in Better Public kerala .Most number of people migrated from
Diplomacy. kerala to gulf from 1972-1983 which is called gulf
'Soft power' has many facets, a key feature boom.There are approximately 2.5 million people
common to all of them is the building of long- in gulf countries from kerala and the money
term relationships between countries, especially annualy sent home is considerable high with
at the level of people and individuals. respect to remaining of the country.
Research has shown that those that have studied The factors that have led to the migration of
abroad become advocates for strong ties with the people are the unemployment level in the country
country that educated them but the situation in the middle east is opposite
with huge oil reserves and with less population
and less labour force these countries are in need
India's first education minister, the legendary of labour so they have increased the immigration
nationalist Abul Kalam Azad, understood this at all levels india which saw high employment
well. When he created our Indian Council for rates has gained the situation thus resulting on
Cultural Relations in 1951, in addition to high immigration rates from the region.
entrusting to it two-way cultural relations with The migrants who were from the working and the
foreign countries, a special charge assigned to it lower-middle classes have gradually gained
was to look after foreign students in India. study social status.The economy in the state have also
tours for them. it funds 2,404 scholarships increase due to the income sent by the migrants.
A report by the US-based Institute of

International Education, widely cited recently in ====Analyze the factors that have led to large
our media, gave foreign student figures in the scale migration of people from Kerala to Middle
major destination countries: the US, 819,000; the East countries.
UK, 488,000; China, 328,000; . In 2001, the number
of foreign students in China was 60,000, which The Kerala Gulf Diaspora can be traced to the Oil
has since been ramped up remarkably through boom of the 1970 in the middle east countries. As
deliberate policy actions; their announced goal is per the 2013 statistics, more than 60,000 crores
to receive 500,000 foreign students by 2020. was the inward remittances to Kerala from the
middle east countries.
As the middle east countries expanded their
What should we do to attract more foreign production, they were faced with severe shortage
students? We need first of all to shift from of skilled workforce. Back in Kerala, the following

factors have contributed to the increase in for Rs 30000 whereas a buffalo costs Rs 70000.
migration. Another crime which has surfaced is increasing
1) Demographic Pressure : The population number of rapes in the state. Haryana witnessed
increase was not matching with the employment 730 rapes in 2011-12.
requirement. The mortality rate in kerala was Apart from these immoral activities, such
declining as a result of better standards of living inconsistent demography is otherwise dangerous
when compared with the rest of the states. So for a society. Haryana can never progress and
people naturally opted to move to middle east prosper as a society, if such trends of 830/1000
countries, where the situation demanded skilled ratio remains. Thus reform needs to take place at
workers. individual, societal, state, institutional and even
2) Stagnation in Agriculture : The agricultural judicial level. The mindsets, attitudes and
reforms lacked far farsightedness which resulted irrational logics need to be countered by strong
in increased agricultural wages. As a result the action in different dimensions.
Agricultural sector was no longer profitable and
more people opted to migration as the solution.
3) Land Reforms : There were shortage of land in
kerala with the rising population pressure.
4) Educational Development : With low
profitability in Rice and Coconut, education was Explain how MNREGA scheme works.
seen as the key to more job prospects and parents Critically comment on its design especially with
concentrated in the education of their children. reference to transparency and accountability
This produced skilled workers who were in high measures.
demand in the middle east countries.
The Hindu
MNREGA is one of the demands driven and rural
people oriented scheme which has evoked mixed
Haryana has one of the lowest sex ratio in the response from different corners of the country.
country. What are the factors responsible for This difference in response is mainly because of
this and what implications does low sex ratio the agrarian social structural differences and the
has on the society? Critically analyze. (200 operating mechanism .
Words) The objective of the program is to create wage
employment and durable assets enhancing rural
Answer: infrastructure. Rather than being a regular
Haryana is one of the states, where the century welfare scheme , this scheme uniquely address
old societal taboos continue to exist. The belief the requirements to enhance farm productivity by
featuring ‗girl as burden‘ remains deep rooted channeling labor power to build small irrigation
.Add to this the inefficient law and order canals and also provide sustainable livelihood to
situation. The justice is delayed and body such as rural poors. In the long run , by creating such a
Khap Panchayat attracts more authority of people durable assets ,dependency on NREGA as such
than Judiciary and rules of government. These are would come down and more agro productivity
some factors responsible for lowest sex ratio in can be witnessed . In order to achieve this steps
Haryana. Girls, asserting ancestral rights are like strengthening of Panchayat raj institution,
considered socially unacceptable. The same belief bringing in social audit , utilizing IT to enhance
is attributed to girls demanding some say in their transparency was envisaged and had been
own marriage. Hence Girls face discrimination implemented.
and practices such as female foeticide are being
carried out on large scale. On the one hand ,such measures has increased
The implications of this low sex ratio are the rural income to agricultural laborers ,like in
disastrous. The unavailability of girls for TamilNadu and Andhra , on the other hand it has
marriages, leads to unethical practices like human also led to unprecedented ramifications.
trafficking from other states. A girl can be bought

Systemic flaws like fudging of rolls , transfer of monitoring needs to be undertaken and local
money either delayed or stalled for some communities should be engaged for the same.
unknown reasons ,backdoor entry of contractors c) The biggest complaint from the beneficiaries is
with their known labors manifest the flaws in of delayed payment. This should be done away
transparency . with by electronic transfer of funds directly to the
Also , laxity in implementation of social audit and account of the beneficiaries. Work needs to be
sometimes even manipulated audits manifests the done for taking banks closer to unbanked areas or
miscarriage of accountability. making use of business correspondents.
d) The officials involved in execution of works
This can be rectified by enhancing end to end should be made more accountable to prevent
computerization of datas , money transfer with misuse of funds.
hand held computer devices / mobile devices as e) The panchayat level planning and district level
per the local conditions . The above planning should be strengthened to come up with
computerization , a successful model in Andhra , better works oriented to the needs of the rural
will engender more accountability and areas. Focus should also be on identifying
transparency as the data are all time accessible for convergences with other schemes.
public scrutiny. Furthermore ,separating the f) Social audit mechanism should be strengthened
implementation agency and auditing agency will and this requires training at the local level by
provide more objectivity in the success of the experts in audit.
scheme. Nevertheless ,with technology driven g) Planning of works should be such that the
adaptations this scheme promises a real there are sufficient workers available for the
development in the distant hinterlands. farmers in the sowing and the harvesting season.
h) Works should be designed so as to benefit the
workers towards developing their skills which
Mandatory social audit by Gram Sabha within 6 they can then use for self employment removing
months is provided, to ensure accountability. But their dependence on the government.
lack of training & educational provisions has MGNREGA has increased the standard of life in
weakened it. Through e-FMS (electronic fund rural areas by increasing wages and with certain
management system) & e-FRS (expenditure based modifications it can make a greater impact on the
fund release system), fund management & release overall economy.
is done on real time basis. Still, wage mafia in
Odisha & Uttar Pradesh has extracted benefits by
bogus entries & fake accounts.
Q-In the light of India‘s regulatory mechanism
and university system, critically comment on
Q--What improvements would you suggest to major problems faced by higher education
the MGNREGA scheme and why? Elucidate. system.
The Indian Express

MGNREGA is the flagship rural employment There is a need of reforms in the higher education
programme of the government of India and aims system of India. Various issues ranging from
to provide livelihood security to the rural governance to regulation have stagnated the
households. However the scheme needs some progress of higher education in India.
improvements Lack of quality institutions has limited the
a) The works undertaken should be linked more opportunities for the students who want to
with asset creation in agriculture and allied pursue academics and research. Politicization of
activities. This will act as much needed institutions has hindered their autonomy and
investment in the agricultural sector and will growth.There are multiple organizations through
improve agriculture output. which these are governed causing conflict and
b) There is also the need to improve upon the overlapping of functions there by holding
quality of the asset created. Continuous

decision making. Not all students and teachers question of educating one and all becomes
are admitted and hired only on the basis of merit. difficult to address.
This has let to the degradation of teaching quality
and accountability of teachers. Number of The Right to Education draws its constitutional
universities without any authorization from the validity from the provisions of equality and also
UGC for profit motives have poor standards of directive principled of state policy, The
teaching and research. Their primary role of government‘s view is since the land used by the
creating knowledge has been compromised and private unaided schools, is many a times given at
they are just disseminating knowledge. Spoon throw away prices, they have social responsibility
feeding techniques hinders the innovative to wards the poor sections of the society as well.
capabilities of students. As the government has taken recourse of Right
based approach for job, food and education, and
Lack of funds,suitable infrastructure like
with the SC ruling in favor of such laws, the
labs,libraries etc and technology up-gradation are
question of their propriety from Constitutional
also hurdles in the efficiency of the higher
point of view can hardly be debated. What
education.
remains to look into is whether the Right based
For improvement in teaching quality,student welfare measures remain the only way forward
evaluation of the teachers should be conducted even when private investors have genuine
and publicly displayed and made a criteria for concerns against such laws.
promotion. This will also improve teacher
absenteeism. Different reforms considering – India being a welfare state is duty-bound to
different modes of working should be help improve the living standards of all her
implemented through UGC. citizens and education is best poised to do so.
– Transferring it from DPSP to Part III announces
our seriousness regarding it and also opens it to
the ultimate safeguard of Article 32 (SC writ
jurisdiction).
Q--Do you think Right Education Act needed
constitutional status? Critically comment,
Education is a potential weapon to bring in
especially keeping in mind objections raised by
progress , development and equality. In the
unaided private schools.
words of Amartya sen ,‖Knowledge as a power is
now more understood by state and societies in
India‖.In this context , the landmark legislation
requires a constitutional mandate.
The RTE Act came into being in 2009 through the
It is by the 93 rd amendment ,article 15 (5)
93rd Constitutional Amendment. The Act makes
empowered State to make special provisions to
it compulsory for a private unaided educational
SC/ST or any educationally backward sections
institution to provide reserve 25% seats for
for appointment in unaided educational
educationally and economically weaker children
institutions.On this context ,under article 21(a)
in the age group of 6 to 14 years.
,Right to education act was implemented . From
the unaided institution angle, this infringes on
The private unaided institutions have challenged
their fundamental right to carry on any
the law to be unconstitutional but a recent
profession or trade . It impedes them to establish
Supreme Court verdict have rejected all such
,administer and run their own institution.
appeals ruling in favor of the law.
They also apprehend that the teacher pupil ratio,
The main contention from the private schools is
physical infrastructure ,quality of students from
that the law infringes in their autonomy, gives
the backward sections will make the process of
rise to inspector raj and affects the educations
inculcating education cumbersome .They also
quality as well.
complain that the vaguely drafted act makes no
The high fees of private schools and lack of basic
clear standing on the fees reimbursement by the
facilities in government schools, leaves the

government and it leaves minority institution out system and taking steps to attract students
of the purview. to school. There exists a general consensus
However , keeping in mind of the above aspects , among the masses on the need and role of
it can be fairly stated that the intention of the bill education as a liberator. The govt. has so far
is not to rob off the freedom of unaided been able to do fair amount of justice to the
institutions but to provide a social goal of constitutionality of Right to Education act.
equality of opportunities and mobility to the However, much needs to be done if we are
weaker sections. On this ground , the above to take our primary education system to
argument of unaided institutions becomes comparable levels as exists in developed
untenable.Though certain clauses of the law can nations.
be sorted out with proper deliberation among all A shift of focus from primary education to
stakeholders ,awarding constitutional status to reforming the higher education at this
this landmark act should never be compromised . critical juncture will require massive
investments and resource mobilizations.
Also, the quality of higher education cannot
Q--―A uniform policy at the central level should be ensured owing to the fragile structure of
focus on access to higher education and not on our primary education system. The govt.
any ―right‖ to education. The rights-based instead of intervening aggressively can play
narrative should be confined to universal the role of a facilitator for its citizens. With
primary education alone, a fundamental right.‖ its huge funding requirements and
Comment. infrastructure related pre-requisites, the
govt. should open new avenues for
 A qualified, talented and well-trained investments coupled with liberal regulatory
human capital is central to the development policies as higher education is more about
plans of a nation and more so for India, interest than about the compulsory
which is home to 1/5th of world‘s requirement. The govt. should focus on
population with a nationwide average age harnessing the potential of the private
of 35 yrs, making it one the youngest sector, governed by forces of demand and
nations of the world. However, owing to supply, to generate opportunities for the
our socio-economic conditions plagued by masses. Cheaper education loans, tax breaks
burgeoning population and related for promoting R&D activities, setting up of
stumbling blocks, improper resource centres of excellence etc has without doubt
utilization, lop-sided growth patterns etc, boosted the growth and expansion of this
we have so far not been able to harness the sector. At this level of societal development,
potential that exists in our citizens. the need of the hour is that govt. should
Especially, the deplorable literacy rate when currently focus on enhancing access to
compared to our GDP growth and isolated primary education and provide parallel
pockets of steep growth, calls for policies for support for expansion of higher education.
the education sector aimed at enhancing the
human capital, both qualitatively and  The government provides resources to the
quantitatively. institutes such as the IITs and NITs for the
With chronic deficiencies in the primary development of the higher education sector.
education sector like lack of quality The resources are meant for the
teachers, poor infrastructure at schools, development of the infrastructure and
improper teaching methodologies, high access to technology for facilitating research
drop-out rate etc we have a long distance to potential in the sector.
cover before embarking upon the The growth of the quality private
challenging task of reforming the higher institutions in the higher education sector
education. Govt. has taken cognizance of has raised a call for change in the
this impending need and has taken a host of government policies towards the
measures for reforming the education mobilization of the resources to the sector.

Concerns have been made to ensure 1. private schools will increase the fee to
government monitoring the primary maintain their profit. That means additional
education while reducing its control over burden on already burdened parents. They
the higher education. already pay education cess in other taxes of
However, this may not be adequate, since which two-third goes to primary school.
governments aid would be essential in Thus it means those money has not been
developing the potential of the higher properly utilised also.
education. The low number of institutes in 2. This decision indirectly convey that they
the world rankings has raised concerns over also understand private sector education is
the quality of research. Recognizing this, it better than govt. school. Thus it shows
should provide more resources to facilitate failure in improving quality of education in
the development of the aided institutions. govt. schools.
This would lead to increased research 3. It shows the discrimination of SC towards
contribution from India at global level. The minority school and private school.
research would lead to advances in the Minority school have been removed from
science and technology thereby fostering RTE through rajasthani school vs union of
Indias growth . It would provide feasible India case and pramati educational trust vs
solutions to the problems in the society and union of India case. That means minority
lead to greater employment generation. school can take any amount of fees, can
According to reports, for every rupee prescribe any criteria for admission, can
invested over IIT, 15 rupees are added to the discriminate against any class without being
economy .Moreover, the entrepreneur skills answerable to court of law or parents.
lead to greater employment generation.The 4. However it will provide benefit to
research contribution cannot be disadvantaged section. They will get quality
undermined. Recognizing the objectives of education and able to harness their potential
the government in fostering India`s research in much better environment. It will be more
potential and benefits accrued from the prone towards RTE.
aided institutions, the government should 5. It will also result in different section of
continue its control over the higher people at same school and thus privileged
education sector. will understand the plight of inequality
from childhood and help in character and
sympathy development. Their way of
looking poor people will change and thus it
Q-Critically comment on the rights issue will be beneficial for society as a whole.
involved in Supreme Court‘s recent judgement However if govt. works hard to improve
upholding the constitutional validity of the education in their own school, these won‘t
provision in the Right be necessary and all stakeholders included
to Education Act reserving 25 percent seats in here will be on same page. This steps will
private schools for economically disadvantaged instead alienate some section of society
students. further.
Right of Children to Free and Compulsory

The decision of SC to reserve 25% seat for Education (RTE) Act 2009 serves as a
economically disadvantaged students building block to ensure that every child has
clearifies the failure of govt. in right to get a quality elementary education,
implementing right to education and SC is and that the State, with the help of families
counting now on private sector to fulfil this and communities, fulfils this obligation.
wish. But the question is it right to do this Recently Supreme Court delivered two
through reservation in private sector? Many judgments about the RTE act. These are-
points are to be pondered among which few 1) All non-minority private schools (aided
are: or unaided by Govt.) need to reserve 25 per

cent of their seats for economically  Education is a potential tool of progress

disadvantaged students. ,prosperity and equality.
The Section 12(2) of the Act which provided  The Supreme Court recently validated a
that a private school admitting students clause on Right to Education Act (RTE)
from disadvantaged and weaker sections which requires 25% reservation for
would be reimbursed at the rate of per-child economically disadvantaged students in all
expenditure incurred by the state or the schools.
actual fees charged from the child, The spirit of the decision is indeed laudable
whichever was less. Thus, ultimately, it is as it reflects the egalitarian ethos of the
the State which is funding the expenses of Right to Education (RTE) Act. Students and
free and compulsory education of the indeed teachers will only benefit from a
children belonging to weaker sections who firsthand experience of India‘s socio-
are admitted to a private unaided school. cultural diversity and economic disparity in
So Article 21A (right to free and compulsory a single classroom.
education) of the Constitution and the 2009
Act does not violate private schools‘ right However, giving exemption to the minority
under Article 19(1) (g) (right to engage in a educational creates a sense of unnecessary
profession) of the Constitution. importance to Article 30 over the
2) Minority communities do not have to fundamental freedoms. Even if there is a
reserve a minimum of 25% seats for children 25% reservation for economically weaker
from economically backward classes as sections in minority institutions, it does not
mandated by India‘s RTE law. take away their minority character.
According to the Court, if the Act is made Right to Education is a human entitlement
applicable to minority schools, aided or which must be guaranteed and protected. A
unaided, the right of the minorities under better aid by Government to aided schools
Article 30(1) of the Constitution will be is called for and a better protection of the
abrogated. Therefore, the provision of the right will help in the basic deprived
2009 Act, which made it applicable to children in the country and minority
minority schools, is unconstitutional. institutions an play a vital role.
But one should not look reservation as
infringement, even in minority
economically backward classes are there, Q---‗The controversy over the Four Year
they can give benefit to them. And yes it Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) raises
should be flexible region to region basis several important issues on university
depending upon the demography of that autonomy, academic freedom, the regulatory
particular place n socio-economic. powers of the University Grants Commission
and the power of the Central government to
The court direction reinforces the RTE Act interfere in higher education in the country.‘
as Private institution provide more quality Critically analyse.
education compare to Govt. schools. But
Govt. should also need to improve quality The Hindu
of its school and should not only depend on Earlier in 2012 when the proposal were made
Private sector alone. It‘s now up to the ,UGC has supported FYUP proposal ,but within a
central and state governments and the year without a single batch pass out and results
National Council for Protection of Child analyzed the very step of withdrawing has made
Rights to improve monitoring as many such the role of UGC ambiguous . If authorities such as
schools don‘t follow the law. Ensuring the Human Resource dept (HRD), UGC etc are
implementation of the Act is key focus now. themselves not confident or as considered
pressurized under new government regime, the
question of innovation, making students excel
and increasing the quality of education is having

a big question mark. While such disturbances in Including Right to education in fundamental
education system also questions on the autonomy rights meant that Government would have been
of education institution where changes for better compelled to invest heavily in education sector
prospect are not discussed and analyzed i.e. infrastructure development, teachers
beforehand. If authorities are concern about recruitment, and opening up of a lot of new
student‘s education then they must include schools. But, this was not possible, without
students (committee) in discussion sessions so achieving the basic needs i.e. food, clothing and
that strong and encouraging steps can be taken. shelter. Also, we didn‘t had enough competent
number of educated teachers to implement this
law.
India had more pressing problems of
Q---Examine why right to education was not underdevelopment, poverty, hunger, food
made a fundamental right by the Constituent security, health, defense, law and order,
Assembly when it drafted the Constitution of industrialization, improving agricultural sector,
India? land reforms, communalism, regionalism, north-
east insurgency and many more such problems
The Hindu which needed equal attention and resources.
Though the visionary members of the constituent None, of these could be neglected at the cost of
assembly knew the importance of right to others.
education, yet it was not incorporated as a Thus, our constituent assembly was knowing the
fundamental right in the constitution. The timing ground situation of country, and it was more
of the discussion of the clause and the proposed important for it to solve India‘s basic problems
political structure led to inclusion in the DPSP. and keep it united rather than giving false
India was to be a union of independent units as promises which our country was not able to
per the Cripps proposal. The weak center with deliver at that point of time. So, Right to
autonomous states structure of the center-state Education was kept in DPSP instead of
relations was thought to restrict the Fundamental rights.
implementation of the right to free and
compulsory education. Moreover, such a clause
would have impacted the fiscal and political
autonomy of the independent units as the
implementation would have required greater Q--Critically evaluate the steps taken during the
coordination. This has resulted into the inclusion Eleventh Five year plan to boost higher
of the education in the non justifiable DPSP article education sector.
45. However, the clause could not be discussed
after the change in the center-state relations in The Hindu
which Center was strong with residuary powers. Manifold efforts have been made to boost the
higher education sector in the 11th FYP with the
view to harness the benefits of Indian
The rejection of the Right to Education(RTE) as a demographic dividend as-
fundamental right during the drafting of the Enrollment- During the Eleventh Plan period
constitution of India has to been seen in the light (2007–2012), India achieved a Gross Enrollment
of the then historical proceedings and the Ratio (GER) of 18%, up from 12% at the beginning
capabilities of the Indian state. of the Plan period.
Expansion- Growth in private institutions was
significant during the plan period. 17 private
Fundamental Rights are those rights that are deemed universities, more than 8000 private
justifiable in the court of law. These are absolute colleges were setup. The expansion of central
basic rights, which can‘t be relegated by state, or institution was historic as govt. established 65
infringed upon new institutions. 8 New IITs and AIIMS were
setup in different states during the period.

Inclusiveness- Now each state except Goa has opportunities of higher education to the
central university. Medical and agricultural growing population of the country, but now
universities, institution of Fashion technology, its increasingly argued that now it should
pharmaceutical education and research institute, withdraw and let private sector take over.
South Asia and Nalanda universities were also The main arguments in favour of
setup. privatisation are that, since a lot of tax
Reservation- Special financial assistance was payers money is invested in educating
provided by the central govt. to existing students of such colleges, so they should
institutions to raise their intake capacity in order give pay back to society by serving in India.
to provide 27% reservation to OBCs without But, many doctors and engineers prefer to
affecting the number of general seats. serve in foreign countries. Also, many
Many measures also taken for the improvement change their professions, thus wasting their
of technology level through MOUs with foreign profession degree.
universities, linking projects with industries, Total privatization is detrimental to higher
using e- Governance and decentralization. education quality and affordability. In
Despite considerable progress during the foreign developed countries, where higher
Eleventh Plan, less than one-fifth of the estimated education is totally privatized, a major
120 million potential students are enrolled in concern to parents is the affordability of
HEIs in India, well below the world average of 26 college education, for which a normal
per cent. Regulatory authorities like UGC and family have to invest their lifetime
AICTE have not been successful to control the investments to get their ward a college
menace of private universities which are running degree.
courses without any affiliation or recognition. Private colleges have not been able to
Wide disparities exist in enrollment percentages prove themself and come at par with
among the States and between urban and rural Government colleges. Neither they have
areas while disadvantaged sections of society and done better research or provided better
women have significantly lower enrollments than quality of education leaving few cases,
the national average. Sachar committee report while charging many times fees. So,
pointed out that Minorities have very low privatisation of entire education sector is
enrollment level in higher education. not required.
There is need to focus on bringing well-trained
faculty, adequate infrastructure and updated and
relevant curricula. The use of technology in There used to be a debate in India on
higher education should be as per international whether there is a demand for education in
standards of research and teaching. Only then, this country. That debate is now dead. And
some Indian universities may be featured in the ironically supply side is not able to cope
rankings of the top institutions globally. up with the surge on the demand side.
Higher education in the arguably single
most critical aspect for a country‘s
development. India is close to cent per cent
enrollment ratio in primary education; more
Q--Critically examine the arguments in and more students are coming up on the
favour of privatisation of higher education in higher education level. But our higher
India. Do you think higher education should be education sector faces both qualitative and
completely privatised? Comment. quantitative problems.
Higher education sector in India is
The Hindu entangled in bureaucratic and regulatory
web The domestic laws prohibit ‗for-profit‘
 Privatisation of higher education is organisations to set up a higher education
vehemently discussed and debated these institute; foreign universities are also barred
days. Government had to provide from entry.There is an urgent need to re-

look at these stipulations. Both of these benefit the company.

regulations are aggravating the already-in- Thus, there should be a collaboration
crisis sector. And it is also pushing between private and public sector, and both
financially well to do students to secede should work in tandem for development of
from the domestic education system. There higher education.
is a huge out-flux of students to countries
like USA, Australia, UK and Russia.
Government can explore other options like
voucher or funding system for marginalised Q--What do you understand by broad based
students. 100 per cent privatisation of education system? What are its benefits?
higher education is not desirable but ther
certainly is greater need for greater  Broad Based education system:
participation for private sector. It can be summed up as having ‗N‘ number
India has peculiar demographic structure of skills rather than any specific skills. E.g.
which necessitate urgent action on this Given the boom in the management sector
front. If the opportunity to equip young in recent times in India and all over the
Indians with broad-based skills is lost, it world, instead of having only management
will be disastrous for the country‘s long knowledge if candidate has engineering
term prospects. background with skills in banking then that
. can be referred as something broad based.
As we know the businesses, industries even
on that matter schools and colleges are
getting complex and so the profiles of the
India is currently at a stage of reaping the persons recruited. In this scenario person
―Demographic dividend‖. The young with the diverse knowledge will always
population in India will need proper higher outshine others. In a history of education
education to get job ready. However, where saturation happens firstly at primary
government alone is not able to fulfill the level, then secondary and so on, at present it
demand and there is a need for more private has reached to higher education level and
investment in higher education sector. But broad based education is the next in list.
some proposes complete privatisation of Countries all over the world especially USA
higher education. is aware of the reality hence much
The complete privatisation logic is a fallacy diversification is getting done in the
and will be detrimental to India‘s inclusive universities. India needs to follow the path
growth strategy. Some of the argument put as it has following benefits:
forward for privatisation are:- 1. Persons with broad based education will
1. Private sector can provide more efficient himself a need for the industry rather he
and better education. However, the logic being needy for the job.
falls on its face, with evidence showing 2. Best from the cultures all around the
various engineering colleges churning out world will be exchanged with individual as
sub-standard professionals. a medium.
2. Private sector will be much more 3. Revolutionary in field of education in
demand-driven and will churn out country like India where market oriented
professional as per requirement of industry. approach is long due.
The above logic will crowd out other
streams of education like Arts/ science. 
3. Indian talent getting subsidised education Broad-based education is to ensure their all-
moves out of the country cusing harm to round or holistic development, in and out of
countries exchequer. However, it must be the classroom.These approaches in
noted, that the remittance that they bring education will allow to nurture young with
and geopolitical influence they create the different skills that they need for the

future. government intervention is of utmost

The best preparation for a lifetime, for importance especially for a welfare state like
business success, is broad training and part India. With proper planning help from
of that is international experience. If there is private sector and Foreign institutions can
anything that pays in the market, it is be sought for the same purpose.
cultural literacy. The ability to not just
survive but also thrive in different cultures,
pays off pretty nicely Q--Critically examine the benefits of reservation
Jobs are created for people with really good in higher education.
talent but if you see the broad sweep of
economic history, there might be a The Hindu
temporary imbalance between the higher  Article 15 of the Indian constitution
education skills that people bring and the guarantees the fundamental right of
number of jobs available for them. reservation in higher education institutes for
the best defence against off-shoring is what students of Scheduled Caste, Scheduled
is called ―whole brain learning‖ — logic and Tribe and Other Backward Classes. The
maths with aesthetic appreciation and policy has had a positive effect on the
creative thinking. Cultural literacy with core education landscape of India.
knowledge is very important. 1.It negates the debilitating effect of
It builds the ability to think in new ways, exclusion that socially backward class faced
solve new problems and create new over thousands of years in country.
opportunities for the future. And, equally 2.It amplifies the employment opportunities
important, help young to build up a set of as higher education leads to better salary
sound values so that they have the strength and thus improves the economic condition.
of character and resilience to deal with life‘s 3.It has positive feedback effect on the entire
inevitable setbacks without being unduly society as students who have successfully
discouraged, and so that they have the completed their higher education serve as
willingness to work hard to achieve their role model for other students.
dreams. 4.It fulfills the ideals of justice enshrined in
the constitution.
 5.It has eroded the dividing line between
The skills sets required by human resource caste significantly in work places and
of any country have undergone manifold educational institutes.
changes in todays globalised world. To However, the reservation policy has also led
impart such skills a broad based education to several unintended consequences as a
system is required , which comprises lion‘s share of seats is pocketed by few
cultural literacy with core knowledge. groups only leaving the rest in the same
Cultural literacy means ability of an state as they were during the independence.
individual to adapt in all cultures . If this Moreover, the reservation has not translated
trait is imparted through school education , into jobs in media, judiciary, higher
the human resource thus prepared can echelons of bureaucracy as on the false
easily enjoy the employment opportunities notion of merit the students belonging the
in other countries as well as in various backward classes are excluded from it.
MNCs within their own countries.
One other important aspect of broad based
education is creative thinking. Innovations
are very important for any country‘s
growth. Inculcation of this trait among 
students will make them an important Education is a potential weapon for the
drivers of growth of any country. upward mobility of the disadvantaged
Needless to say that for any such endeavour sections and in general prosperity for all .

The intent of the reservation in education is education and this step will increase their
to provide equality of opportunities to all participation in higher education.
sections irrespective of their social setting . 2) It will help to come forward those
On the one hand , the inherited social talented lower class students who do not get
structure mandates special provisions to necessary aid to continue their studies.
socially backward sections in the higher 3) Reservation in higher education will also
institutions . This is buttressed by the fetch good job to them which results into the
constitutional mandate under Article 15(5) higher socio economic development.
Secondly , in the increasing technical skill 4) Higher inclusion of the lower class people
oriented employment world and capitation will also help in changing the mindset of the
fee dominated private institution people which may be culminated in
,reservation in higher education provides a remotion of the reservation in the future
hope for the socially disadvantaged (when their will be no disparity)
sections. 5) Contrary to this reservation in higher
Thirdly , in context of demographic education may deteriorate the process of
dividend ,reservation enhances the skills of selection on merit basis, which may further
people from different backgrounds by discourage the talented students.
providing an opportunity in higher We can see that reservation in higher
institutions. education has several benefits but it comes
On the other hand , the State has to take with few hiccups also which should be
enough measures to ensure that merit and tackled properly otherwise this practice may
quality of the institution is upheld . Also , hamper the society negatively.
adequate opportunities are to be provided
to the other sections of the society .Recent
survey in NASSCOM says that 50% of
graduates from higher institutions are
unemployable. Though it cannot be entirely Q-Comment on recent controversy over the
attributed to the policy of reservation ,it Programme for International Student
cannot be wishfully ignored too. So , the Assessment (Pisa) rankings about learning
State has a responsibility in not only levels around the world.
providing an opportunity in higher
education but also to ensure the outcome is  Programme for International Student
in the direction of the objective. Assessment is a worldwide study
conducted by the Organization of Economic
cooperation and development in the
member and non-member nations to test the
scholastic performance of the 15 year old in
mathematics,reading and science. It is
 conducted at an interval of 3 years.
Reservation in higher education was The impact of the PISA on educational
introduced with the objective of including policies has raised concerns. It influences
more vulnerable class people in the higher the educational policies of the nations ,
education which also comply with the which in their bid to improve the rankings
article 15 of the constitution. Reservation take short term measures. These measures
will not only provide advanced knowledge result into violating the joys of learning. The
to this class but also furnish them with urge to modify the educational policies to
better employment opportunity. Following replicate the China`s education policy,
benefits can be attributed to reservation in which has been ranked one , reflects the
higher education- importance given to the rankings.
1) As per different studies lower class do The school reforms proposed by OECD does
not have sufficient representation in higher not take into the socio economic inequalities

that effect the performance of the pupils. Kudumbashree was started as ‗State Poverty
India has raised concerns on the socio Eradication Mission (SPEM)‘. It has unique three
cultural disconnect between the questions in tier structure.
test and the students. The focus on the Neighborhood Groups (NHG) at the grassroots
economic role of the schools without level send representatives to the ward level Area
adequate attention to the multiple Development Societies (ADS). The ADS sends its
dimensions for overall development depicts representatives to the Community Development
the lacunae in the evaluation. Moreover, the Society (CDS). It is the largest women movement
cooperation with multinationals which get in Asia with a membership of 40 lakhs families.
benefited due to change in economic The programs conceived as a part of the strategy
policies raises questions on the objectives of to reduce poverty are:
the PISA. • Microfinance operations/Thrift and Credit
Indian government has refused to take part Societies
in the evaluations post 2009 citing the • Micro Enterprises
inadequacies in the evaluation. The • Bhavanashree – Micro Housing
educational policies of the governments • Ashraya- Destitute Identification, Rehabilitation
should be suited to the country`s needs and Monitoring Program
rather than driven by the parameters • Haritashree – Lease Land Farming
outlined by few nations . • Balasabha – Children‘s Neighbourhood groups
• Solid Waste Management /Clean Kerala
1.PISA:Triennial tests of 15-year-olds carried Business
out by the Organisation for Economic Co- • Special Employment Program for the Educated
operation and Development (OECD). Youth
2.Latest scores in the Programme for • Buds- Special School for the Disabled Children/
International Student Assessment It launched ‗Sree-Sakthi Portal‘ which is
(Pisa)..China topped. exclusively for women to participate in active
3.This led to vigorous and haphazard discussions on various issues related to them.
changes in UK education policies even Political Empowerment of Women is also a main
imitating chinese model. approach of this initiative. Its success can be
imperfect assessed by the fact that in 2010 alone nearly
5.Further ther argue that school reforms 12000 women candidates contested Panchayat
should not ignore the ―paramount‖ role of election and nearly 5500 of them had won the
socio-economic inequality in influencing elections.
pupil performance. It also argues that the Women, who were regarded as voiceless and
OECD‘s growing influence over how powerless started identifying their inner strength,
schools are run is undemocratic. opportunities for growth, and their role in
reshaping their own destiny. The process of
empowerment becomes the lifeline to their
children, their families and the society at large.
Q-Write a critical note on Kerala Kudumbashree presents a unique model of
government‘s Kudumbashree scheme. participatory development, which can very well,
be adopted by other states in India and other
The Hindu developing countries.
Kudumbashree means ‗prosperity of the family‘
in Malayalam. Kudumbashree, a joint program of
Govt. of Kerala and NABARD for the
empowerment of women was launched in 1998. Kudumbashree is a female oriented, community
This aims to encourage their entrepreneurship based,poverty reduction project of the
and active leadership in women-involved government of Kerala.
activities through community development The purpose of this mission is to ensure that
societies. women should no longer remain as passive

recipients of public assistance, but active leaders Unemployment levels are high and poverty
in women involved development initiatives. is still rampant.
The mission has launched a streeshakthi portal  However, India ranks poorly on Human
for women to participate on discussions on issues Development Index and Gender Inequality
related to them. Index. Hunger and malnutrition are still
The mission has received various awards and rampant. Caste and religion-based
accolades for women empowerment and discrimination still persists.
eradication of poverty. In this context, development paradigm
which India needs should necessarily have
issues being faced by KS can also be mentioned fast economic growth, inclusiveness and
like sustainability as its main pillars.
1. Unsustainable micro enterprises because of lack Fast economic growth is crucial for two
of entrepreneuial training, lack of vision. many reasons. First, increase in production with
exist only to receive govt subsidy lead to greater employment generation.
2. Lack of specialized training –need assessment Second, fast economic growth will lead to
is not done before giving training which is too greater revenue generation for the govt
general. specific training is needed which can be used for pro-poor welfare
3. lack of proper coordination between gram schemes. Inclusiveness is crucial to bring
panchayat and block panchayat in providing those who are socially unprivileged within
assistance to Kudumbshree the fold of development. These should have
4. faulty identification of BPL beneficiaries full opportunity to benefit from the process
5. Non repayment and misuse of loan and of development. Sustainability is also
dual/multiple membership crucial because without it no growth can
6. Division of women on caste, religious and continue for long by haphazard exploitation
political basis of natural resources.
6. Corruption at CBO and Official levels To conclude, given the present social and
economic realities and requirements, India
1. Close monitoring and follow up on the needs to pursue a model of development
effective utilization of micro credit that focuses on rapid growth, inclusiveness
2. An Institute for capacity building for SHGs in and sustainability.
the state
3. Coordination between gram and block
panchayats
4. Proper Marketing of KDMS products  Amartya Sen argues in Development as
Freedom that development should lead to
freedom. He further divides freedom in five
Q--Critically comment on the type of parts:
development India needs considering its social 1) Economic Freedom
and economic realities and requirements. 2) Freedom of movement
3) Social Freedom
 Economically, India is the one of the fastest 4) Cultural freedom
growing economies of the world today. 5) Political freedom
Rising incomes of people, huge market, high Adam Smith believed that no society can be
Gross Domestic Savings and investment flourishing and happy, of which far great
levels point towards bright economic future. number of people are poor.and miserable.
However, all is not well in the economic In the light of such definitions of
field. Infrastructure bottlenecks continue to development and directions for building a
constrain the growth of agricultural and happy society, India‘s 12th Five Year Plan
manufacturing sectors. Economic that is titled as ―Inclusive Growth and
Inequalities have risen in the past decade. Sustainable Development‖, seems to be the
right path ahead.

 On its quest and rightful path of becoming needs of the population being unheard.
an economic superpower India needs to There is need for ensuring greater
adopt the often touted models of sustainable participation in the governance.The
development and inclusive growth. decentralization through 73rd and 74th
Inclusive growth should not stop at more amendment act has not been effective.
access to banking services and increased There is a need for enabling legislation for
social security cover for the reducing the discrimination in the society.
underprivileged. A strategic shift in The discrimination leads to exacerbating the
programs from the traditional BPL /caste conditions of the vulnerable sections,
based mass targeting towards individual thereby inhibiting their development. The
targeting to ensure growth of all . development should aid in overcoming the
Similarly Ever Green Revolution , rapid prevalent social norms which restrict the
industrialization is necessary for the country realization of the potential of the
but without infrastructure creation(roads , marginalized sections.
cold storage , sanitary godowns) and change The development should lead to effective
of byzantine laws like APMC ‗ labour laws , governance with the virtues of
economic and food security will be hard to transparency, accountability and
come by. responsiveness which cater to needs of the
Increasing enrolment in schools , skill public and ensure their welfare.
development , increased credit for Thus restricting development to growth
SHG‘s are necessary not sufficient. What use would be unfair. The development aims at
is economic progress in a society where creating an unbiased, participatory and
tribals are rendered homeless for minerals inclusive model and is not restricted to
exploitation and where increased money in economic growth.
hands of youth has pushed them into drug
menance like in Punjab ? What use is  India is a developing country with
education if people like Dabholkar are killed multifarious aspirations & myriad
and women are traumatized more brutally challenges. It needs a sustainable
at every step of life ? development which reaches up to last man
Hence the quality of education stressing on of society.
scitenific temper and humanity , social – In India, more than 60% people are engaged
moral skills and empowerment of women in primary sector which is labor intensive,
needs to be equally stressed inefficient & obsolete. It needs
modernization & increase in productivity.
Education & employment for all may assure
 Development is a broad term which leads to dignified standard of living which is a
expansion in freedom in the economic, requirement for Indian development.
social, and political aspects of life. It leads to Equality & well established connectivity
true realization of the potential . among various regions of India may boost a
Though India has witnessed growth in the real development. Development should
recent years, the development has remained facilitate basic amenities for marginalized
low. The growth has aggravated the section of society. It will inspire social
inequality in the society. The development freedom of participating in economic
should aim at providing equal opportunities activities, enhancing benefits from our
.There is need for reviving the growth in the demographic dividend.
agriculture and manufacturing sector, Open defecation & inadequate sanitation
thereby increasing the employment negates fruits of economic development.
generation. Thus it needs elimination. Affordable
Due to criminalization of the politics, the healthcare with pure water & food may help
democracy has been reduced to elections in in true development of India. Safe
India. The dominance of the few has led to environment for women & communalism

free society are other aspects India needs for reduction and elimination of the drug addiction
development. crime.
A rapidly growing India needs overhaul to
improve its human development indicators.
Removal of social curses like casteism,
female feticide & child labor are other acute Q--Critically comment on government‘s taxation
needs of development. Equal opportunities policy on tobacco products in India.
for all to excel in any walk of life may
realize Swaraj on earth, another word for India‘s high smoking rate causes alarming
inclusive development. health and economic costs. One of the most
effective ways to reduce tobacco use in India is
to raise the price of tobacco products through
increase in excise tax. Higher prices discourage
Q--Critically comment on the causes behind rise youth from initiating cigarette smoking and
in drug abuse cases in Punjab. encourage current smokers to quit. Raising tax
not only saves lives but also increases the
Reasons for rise in drug addiction in Punjab - government revenue.
a. Rise of income level after Green revolution – As
an immediate consequence of Green revolution In recent budget 2014-15, there has been
average household income rose sharply in substantial increase in the excise duties of
Punjab. This was much higher than rest of India. chewing tobacco and cigarettes. Though this is a
Due to this excess income and influx of farm very good move, one of the most important
labourers from elsewhere, youth in Punjab got shortcomings is the failure to tax bidi. Bidi
more leisure time as well as extra money to spend consumption constitutes 35 to 40% of total
on drugs and alcohols. This was the period when tobacco use in the country and it attracts
at village level youths started to use drugs in extremely low tax. This may result in product
groups. substitution. Moreover the elimination of the
b. Proximity to Pakistan border – Being close to current taxation system that is based on the
Pakistan, it was always easy to smuggle drugs length of cigarette would have proved more
into Punjab. The drug produced in gold crescent beneficial. There is possibility of the smokers
was routed through middle man directly into shifting from longer to shorter length cigarettes to
Punjab. Thus increasing the availability of drugs. cut tax. Finally, the government has failed to link
c. Absence of industrial growth and the tax rates to adjust automatically according to
unemployment – Since Green revolution, Punjab annual inflation and so real price increase may
has failed to take off its industrial sector. Due to not be achieved. And in course of time expensive
this currently there is huge unemployment cigarettes would become affordable to majority of
among youth in Punjab. These youth serve a smokers.
perfect prospective for drug addiction. Though the sharp increase in excise duty on
d. Lack of motivation and rise in NRI culture – cigarettes and chewing tobacco would surely
Due to aspiration of moving outside India, many prove deterrent and distinctive, it lacks other
youths in Punjab spend long years in waiting for measures to curb the consumption of tobacco
formalities etc., doing no productive work products as a whole.
meanwhile. They are highly susceptible to drug
addiction. Tobacco products results in a conundrum to the
e. Political involvement – Large drug rackets are government. One one side they are a source of
run by either political leaders or have their huge revenue and on the other they play havoc
support. Due to this they are able to operate with the health of the population. Thus any affect
without the fear of govt‘s action. to control the production and consumption of the
There is an acute shortage of de-addiction and tobacco products is always marred in the
rehabilitation centres. This hinders the steps in controversy.

The government in the recent budget raised the services; and inaccessible transport, buildings and
taxes on the tobacco products which is a information and communication technologies. As
commendable step, but left bidis out of its a result, people with disabilities experience
purview which may result in shifting the smokers poorer health, lower educational achievements,
from cigratees to bidis . Further the taxation on fewer economic opportunities and higher rates of
the cigratte is a specific tax which depends on the poverty than people without disabilities.
length of a cigarettes. Thus if the government
These barriers which segregate people with
increase on some specific length, smokers always
disabilities, in many cases forcing them to the
shift towards the shorter cigarettes. Thus
margins of society must be checked to help
defeating the whole purpose of the taxation.
disabled people enjoying and availing their
Therefore government should shift from specific
rights.
to ad valorem tax in case of the tobacco products.
Further keeping in mind the affect which a lower By analyzing this grave concern of providing the
consumption may have on the farmers and poor disabled people across the world with a sense of
labourers, the government should shift them security, we would come to conclusion that we
towards some other sustainable employment in a need an effective international organisation that
phased manner. supports the rights of the world‘s most
vulnerable people and if one small yet useful step
in this direction is, it‘s ratifying the U.N. treaty on
the rights of people with disabilities .
Development Processes & Development

industry (role of NGOs, SHGs, groups &
associations, donors, charities, institutional
and other stakeholders) In the light of questions raised on their
autonomy and integrity, critically comment on
Question - ―We need an effective international the mandate and role of various human rights
organisation that supports the rights of the institutions in India and the part played by
world‘s most vulnerable people i.e. people with governments in upholding their independence.
disabilities.‖ Comment. (200 Words) (the
question has 2 dimensions – 1st vulnerable Even after scathing remarks by SC and HCs, there
section and 2nd different organizations that help is little improvement on ground. The measures
them) taken are half hearted and the recommendations
for members are largely from political parties.
Answer - Given the data revealed by new global In such a situation where political connect has
estimates that more than one billion people been a sine qua non for appointments ethics has
experience some form of disability, it is not taken the back seat. Words like integrity,
strange to put a demand for an effective impartiality, transparency are just found in the
international organisation in support of people dictionaries of these institutions rather than in
with disabilities. working.
New research shows that almost one-fifth of the Over the years some steps were taken by Delhi
estimated global total of persons living with government last year. Qualifications (educated
disabilities, or between 110-190 million, encounter from recognized college), advertisements in four
significant difficulties. The report stresses that national dailies regarding openings etc. But not
few countries have adequate mechanisms in place much has changed on the ground. Political
to respond to the needs of people with opportunism still rules high.
disabilities. But until and unless there is a overhaul in the
appointment and dismissal process there is little
Barriers include stigma and discrimination, lack
hope for redemption of these institutions.
of adequate health care and rehabilitation

Administrative and financial power…... sector in order to bring in more accountability

and transparency.
Thirdly, just like Representation of Peoples Act
.In the light of controversy over foreign funding 1951 mandates each political party to make its
of certain NGOs and the accusation of stalling source of funding (>20000) public, a similar
development processes by few of them, critically provision could be extended to NGOs as well.
comment on what should be government‘s
strategy in dealing with them.
Business Standard
The Hindu In the light of recent reports on the activities of
Foreign funding of NGOs has long been Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs),
contentious. Recent report of IB accusing critically comment on their role in development
Greenpeace of stalling projects especially those and strengthening of economy and democracy.
related to coal and nuclear projects is highly
concerning. The Hindu
Course of action for government The Hindu
1) Stop all foreign funding to NGOs: This is not a The recent report of IB has claimed that several
recommended strategy as this paints all NGOs in NGOs funded on by the foreign countries are
the same colour. Some of the concerns and acting as a road block to the development
projects around them may have genuine ethical activities , and this has caused a loss of around 2-
standing and must be allowed. 3% of GDP . The report clearly points to the role
2) Stop all direct funding to NGOs. All fundings of NGOs in disrupting work on Nuclear
must pass through government approval route. energy(Kundakulam) and mining
This gives excessive power to government and an projects(Vendanta and Posco).
ability to stall some real concerns of citizens when While the claims of the report may be correct but
it comes to conflict with government view it does not mean that all the NGOs fall in its
3) Start a rating system of institutions keeping in purview . The work of NGOs like Association of
mind factors like Democratic Reforms in the passage of legislations
a) IB report like RTI , and SEWA in working with women is
b) Foreign institutions that provide them funding commendable . Further NGOs has given a
c) Ability to raise resources from alternate means platform to the civil society and poors to express
d) Past track record their views , thus democratizing the democracy .
4) Strengthen FCRA law: This too is not As the role of foreign funding is concerned , the
recommended as the present law itself is quite FCRA(foreign contribution regulation act) is there
broad to keep a track . And if the government thinks
Out of the four options, the 2nd last balances the that the act is not sufficient to prevent malicious
moral, ethical, economic viability and better funding of the NGOs , it can make more stringent
ecosystem for raising voices in support of laws . But to criminalize the activities of the
genuine concerns. NGOs form a vital part of NGOs or any attempt to control their legal
governance and give voices to many under functioning will be a setback to the democracy .
priviledged, in absence of which a silent Like the presence of 34% of MPs with criminal
undercurrent that leads to violent movements records does not mandate that the parliament
may take place. should be vilified , similarly the presence of some
Government must therefore ensure that freedom ill meaning NGOs should not undermine the
of speech and expression is given as much good works done by the NGOs.
importance as sovereignty as both are
interdependent.
Secondly, the concept of social audit of Discuss how and in what ways private sector
government schemes could be extended to NGO can play an important role in rural development.

Business Standard this perspective Self Help Groups (SHG‘s) play a

Consumer services can be very well taken up by very important role.
pvt sector, their supply chain management, Role of SHG‘s in rural development is of utmost
efficiency, productivity can be utilized in this. important and as follows:
Govt can outsource some work to MSME in pvt • Effective mobilization of selected people to a
sector similar platform for a unitary problem.
Joint ventures , joint development program can • Catering the financial needs of the individuals
be launched. which a single member on his own cannot do.
Private sector has initiated e-chaupal, marketing • Organising the identified poor people in small
and extension services in rural areas for the groups.
development of agriculture. It has brought in new • Effective women empowerment can be
technology for disseminating information and achieved at the group discussions regarding their
help in better market connectivity for agricultural own problems.
products. • Easily credit available from bank and also
subsidy from government in the name of SHG
Contract farming, future trading on commodity name
has helped farmers to know the future price of • Ultimately with the credit availability and
their produce. It has reduced the exploitation of development works the members can go for self
middlemen in the market. Even though some of it employment and thus leads to poverty alleviation
suffers from disadvantages like less penetration and also self reliant.
of technology, monopoly created by contract But though the role played by the SHG‘s is
farming, private sector can bring in huge change encouraging, a additional effort of government
under investor friendly government policies. and credit giving agencies with NGO‘s have to
Rules and regulations: government has been play a effective role to harvest the benefits of this
trying to attract private investment by creating scheme.
suitable infrastructure in various fields. In order
 ==== apart from positives ,cons also needs to be
to increase mobile penetration, universal
added ,we also need to point out how they have
obligatory fund has been created by the way of
failed in capacity development, imparting skills
cess to improve mobile infrastructure in rural
to women, marketing and linkage to various
areas. RBI has also directed all banks both public
private enterprises etc. as well as helping in
and private , to have 1/4th of its branches in
execution of various schemes and policy.
unbanked rural areas to achieve financial
inclusion. Such regulations by government has
made private sector involvement in rural
development an obligation. Also, compulsory
corporate social responsibility by companies will
also attract considerable involvement in the rural Q--Critically comment on the role of NGOs in
areas.PURA model the development process and development
Government must act as a mediator by industry in the country.
encouraging private participation in rural areas
through its policies and also create opportunities The Hindu
for them to generate profit which benefits The Recent IB report estimates that NGOs
mutually. resistance has negatively impacted GDP by two
to three per cent.It has created a question mark
over role of NGOs in furthering development and
growth of the nation.
At one level, NGOs acts as an extended arm of
Q role of SHGs in development
the state, engaging in humanitarian act and social
work.Government being the largest fund
At the grassroot level, to achieve development it provider itself speak their utility for
can be possible through effective people
development.
participation, that too in a decentralized form. In
At the other level NGOs are political and Welfare Schemes (centre, states;
cognitive entity challenging development performance, mechanisms, laws, institutions
paradigms and arguing issues of governance and and bodies constituted for protection of
democracy. vulnerable sections)
Many of these groups have advocated
transparency and responsibility but failed to What are the obstacles faced being by
apply it to themselves.As these organisation draw governments in developing tribal areas across
major funding from the foreign entities they may the country? Do you think present schemes
succumb to their objective which might be implemented by the Union government for the
antithetical to national goals.However it can‘t be welfare of tribal areas are yielding results?
generalized and all NGOs should not be painted Explain why. (250 Words)
with the same brush.
The double-edged nature of the NGOs puts it in a Answer)
perpetual state of suspicion. Yet, we have to
recognize that civic epistemologies and civil
society creativity are crucial for democracy.India The tribal‘s constitute about 8% of India‘s
need the support of developmental NGOs and population and spread across . they the least
think tanks, which can strengthen government developed 5 of the geographical area. Community
hands for better informed public of India and government through different
policies.However to mitigate the apprehension schemes in the field of education, health,
against their role NGOs need to be evolved to agriculture, marketing of their indigenous
create systems of audit which are both rule produces are being implemented. but the
bound, time bound and transparent.They need to implementation has not been that successful
develop credible policy alternatives against the because of number of obstacles.
developmental issues in which they dont align These obstacles are:–
with government.
And while doing critical analysis, it does not
always means you have to write pros as well as • poor accessibility of the tribal hamlets which
cons, it means : are mostly situated deep inside forested area.
1. your stand
2. proof why u took that stand • tribal areas of middle and eastern India are
3. challenges that could shoot up in future or naxal infested which hinders the proper
presently faced implementation of schemes as official are
4. If has any con in your opinion reluctant to work in these insecure environment.
5. way to curtail these -ves
6. a prudent way forward.
This a structure but not always necessary to stick • tribal‘s are unaware of schemes which are
on it. Depends on length of answer required. implemented for them as they are unable to read
In this answer you could have suggested way these schemes which are mostly implemented
forward like the institution of Lokpal, all NGO‘s through the main official language of the state.
reieving foreign aid comes under its ambit.
Then effectively implementing Foreign • the lack proper documents like date of birth,
Contribution(Regulation) Act (FCRA). land ownership document, to avail the benefits
quickly.
• some tribal‘s which prefers isolation are

reluctant to accept any type of schemes. they
must be persuaded by the officials.

•the schemes implemented by the tribal welfare Patients too prefer to have appointments
ministry at central and state level are multifaceted with government doctors in their private
so general evaluation of their efficacy cannot be practise.
generalized.  Hence, instead of focusing mainly on
village-based sub centres — which
Schemes in reference to education and
scholarships, hostels, and grants for higher patients rarely seem to use — enhancing
education are being implemented successfully. PHCs in better connected towns may have
programs like marketing of forest minor produce a greater potential for improving the
are successful through the TRIFED(Tribal quality of services.
Cooperative Marketing Development Federation
of India Limited ) one such example is the
Kandhamal Women‘s Leafplate Cooperative Ltd Q. In the light of recent Supreme Court
judgement, critically analyse all the positive and
in which number of SHG‘s are working
negative criticisms against Aadhar project.
successfully in marketing leaf plates in odisha.
overall trifed has been successful. where the
government schemes lag which are right based
ANSWER-
like handing over them their land rights, giving
them the control of minor forest products.  The main aim of Adhar is to provide a
unique id to every citizen so that he can
avail public service.
 Recently SC delivered 2 major judgements
Q. A recent study (India Human Development wrto Adhar:
Survey (IHDS) of 2004-05) has found that the  Firstly, Adhar not mandatory for public
implementation of RTE and NRHM schemes service:-
have actually reversed the objectives of both the  Adhar, as is unique id for every citizen,
schemes. Critically comment on the reasons eliminates inclusion and exclusion errors.
behind this reversal. As it is characterised by universal
portability, it helps migrant rural workers
to avail public benefits where ever they
ANSWER- go.
 The government which ensures fund  But some state govts have mandated
allocation has but little control over its compulsory linking of Adhar for getting
usage and on actual health or educational public service. Hitherto, not all got Adhar
outcomes. because for securing Adhar, identity proof
 The grim picture in the ASER report on is needed. It is linked to banking inclusion
education and accessibility ratio between which has not yet become universal. So SC
public to private health centers further judgement is timely. Untill the Adhar
exemplifies the aforesaid. enrolement, till now around 50% India‘s
 Moreover,the overall quality of public population covered, is completed for rest,
services is disheartening. Absenteeism is a there should not be any mandatory
regular phenomenon here. linking. Else, it becomes an instrument of
 Also, The confidence level between doctor exclusion rather of inclusion.
and patient or that between teacher and  Second judgement:- Not to handover
patient is low. This is inspite of high Adhar details for law enforcement
qualification that government officials agencies to solve a case in Goa.
have compared to their private  UIDAI maintains details of all those
counterparts. Adhar registrants in a unified database.
 The respect quotient that students or Several law enforcement agencies claim
patients seek are often unanswered.In access to these details for investigation
remote areas, harassing of students by purpose. Though it has positive dimesion,
teachers on the basis of caste is a norm . it has an equal negative dimension. This
leads to State intrusion on individuals people with disability by opting for postal ballots
right to privacy under Art21. By for them.
disallowing access, SC upheld the
fundamental right.
 Any project coughs in the nascent stage. It Question - ―Societally sanctioned rape and
is only by correcting errors in progressive sexual assault is not new in India.‖ Critically
manner, project could made successful. comment. (200 Words) topic - (protection of
vulnerable sections – women)
Highlight the important features of the Rights Answer - Though our ancient culture does not
of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2013. (200 degrade the position of women, in the later Vedic
Words) period it starts decreasing dramatically. It was
followed as an inherited policy by the subsequent
The important features of the Rights of Persons dynasties both Hindus and Muslims. During 17th
with Disabilities Bill, 2013 are: and 18 the century, at time of British invasion, it
1. It expands the definition of disability not was at its heights with very few exceptions.
merely confining to physical disability but Lack of gender equality concept is the root cause
various and varying degrees of disabilities. of attacks against women. Thus the society
2. The Bill attempts to increase the reservation consider women as inferior to men. In Indian
quota for the disabled in PSU from present 3% to marriages, men if not virgin it is acceptable, even
5%. to the prospective bride. But vice versa is
3. The Bill mandates Private Sector to make way something that is very offensive. Marital rape is a
for a Disabled friendly environment, concept which is unkown even to many educated
4. The Disability bill grants the right of fertility to women and thus considers it as their fate or duty.
a female prone to unsound mental infirmities Due to this dominant ― man ideology‖ many
5. The Bill is an improvement over the previous traditional courts like khapp/katta panchayats
Disabilities Protection Bill in that it strives for a exist in India. Most of the time, it puts the blame
more meaningful inclusion right to vote for on the women and her family. Later family finds
people with disability by opting for postal ballots that they can live peacefully only at the expense
for them. of her by killing or rejecting her. Though not so
inflexible, the condition is not different among the
Highlight the important features of the Rights educated middle and upper classes too. Though
of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2013. (200 unheard in the past, the recent brutality against
Words) the tribal women, by her community itself is
unpardonable.
The important features of the Rights of Persons This calls for the need of a strong reform
with Disabilities Bill, 2013 are: movement, among all caste/class/ethnicity. It
1. It expands the definition of disability not could done through effective implementation of
merely confining to physical disability but the already existing stringent laws, compulsory
various and varying degrees of disabilities. value education in all schools, awareness
2. The Bill attempts to increase the reservation campaigns in villages and among tribals could
quota for the disabled in PSU from present 3% to help.
5%. Other points are – Devadasi system, Social stigma
3. The Bill mandates Private Sector to make way attached to the women victim, 98% of rapes being
for a Disabled friendly environment, done by known person, objectification of women,
4. The Disability bill grants the right of fertility to honor killing, diktat of rape as prosecution etc.
a female prone to unsound mental infirmities
5. The Bill is an improvement over the previous
Disabilities Protection Bill in that it strives for a
more meaningful inclusion right to vote for Question - Should the current caste-based
reservation system be replaced with an
economic criteria-based regime? Critically children in line with the UN guidelines?

comment. (200 Words) Explain. (200 Words)
Answer - Rawls stretched on the importance of Answer - Dominant patriarchal societies have
creating differentiated opportunities for the made the women and child a vulnerable section
realization of social justice. to various abuses like physical, sexual, emotional
etc. and India is not an exception.
In India, oppression of a one class by dominant
As per constitution of India, it is bounded duty of
class in the society had historically led to several
the state under article 21, 21A , 23 ,24 , 39 to
social reforms and revolts. Buddhism and Jainism
provide a protected and secure environment to
were born with, among other things, a focus on
the child. In line with these provisions,
creating a casteless society.
government has enacted much legislation like
Ambedkar was disenchanted with modernity and child labor (prohibition and regulation) act,
suggested conversion to Buddhism. He saw juvenile justice act, immoral trafficking
moral justification as internal to ‗bahujan‘ or (prevention) act, right to education act etc.
heterodox concept of social justice. While framing To streamline its domestic policy framework with
the Indian Constitution the centuries of caste UN convention on rights of child 1989, which it
based segregation of society was kept in mind has ratified in 1992, government has enacted
and some castes and tribes with notified in commission for protection of child right act, 2005
Scheduled lists. and recently POSCO (protection of children from
Based on NSSO data, the extent of inclusiveness sexual offence act 2012 advocating right based
do not show a consistent profile for different approach regarding child.
social groups. For the year 2011-12, the monthly in order to sensitize the parliamentarians
mean per capita consumption (Rs at current regarding child protection , parliament
prices) are 1087, 1278, 1488 and 2154 for SC, ST, constituted a parliamentary forum on child
OBCs and other social groups (OSGs). protection in 2005.
Government has made various efforts to protect
The caste based census will throw more light on child from abuses but despite of these entire
the present spectrum of inequality in our society. actions more than 50% child still facing sexual
There has been a debate on barring the ‗creamy abuse and two third are facing physical abuse in
layer‘ from availing reservation opportunities but India. Hence the need of the hour is to strengthen
to make a shift from caste-based reservation to an the already established institution by
economic criteria-based regime can be justified implementing it in an effective, accountable and
only if there is a major divergence in the target efficient way with all round participation from
group. various organizations, NGOs and civil society.
Caste based reservation does creates the social
divide on the basis of birth. But studies have
shown that occupational mobility in lower Question - Analyze the important provisions of
income groups, who majorly happen to be the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and
socially and economically backward groups, is Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2014 . (200
very low. The perpetuation of poverty and Words)
deprivation cannot be overlooked.
Answer - Provisions of Street Vendors Bill, 2014
Such a situation calls for greater study and 1. Creation of Town Vending Authority in each
research in the patterns of inclusion or exclusion local Local Authority to implement the
before making any major transition. provisions of the Bill.
2. TVC to have both official and non-official
members with due representation from
Question - What measures has Indian taken to Minorities, SC, SC, OBC and PWD.
stop child abuse and to ensure protection of 3. Regular survey of street vendors once in 5
years and issuing certificates of vending to those

surveyed. he can gain from the trip. He will therefore avoid

4. No vendor to be evicted till the survey is using his account.
completed. The task however is not unachievable. Opening of
5. Certificate can be inherited by family till the more than 1 crore account and government bid for
validity of the certificate. major role of FIs like NABARD and rope in more
6. Relocation, eviction and confiscation Business Correspondents will definately go a long
procedures made vendore friendly. Relocation to way in achieving objectives of PMJDY.
be exercised as last resort.
7. Establishment of Dispute Redressal
Mechanism under retired judicial officer.
8. Protection from harassment by the Police and Critically examine the problems faced
other authorities. by farmers in the Vidarbha region of
9. Provision of Credit, Insurance and other Maharashtra. What measures have been taken to
welfare schemes. address their problems by the state and the
10. Thrust on natural market and also defines it union government? Explain.
under the Bill.
The Problem faced by farmers in Vidarbha region

Critically comment on the objectives of and is multifaceted, but all these are taking the farmers
challenges likely to be faced by the Pradhan towards the penury condition and forcing them to
Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana. commit suicide
1. Rain based: Most of the farmers in this region
Financial Inclusion has both been a dream and are holding a small farm land only 10% of the
challenge for India towards it aim of providing farmlands are irrigable rest is rain based.
banking coverage to all especially poor and Whenever there is a deficit in rain fall the
marginalized section of society. Pradhan Mantri Jan productivity gets affected. Vidarbha naturally lies
Dhan Yojana is a latest attempt in this direction. in a low rainfall area too.
Key Objectives 2. Multiple sowing: When the rain moves away
1. Universal Access to Banking facilities from its predicted schedule, the farmers have to
2. RuPay Debit card to each account holder with an sow the seeds multiple times to catch up with the
over draft of 5000 Rs rain. This leads to more investment and more debt.
3. Accidental Insurance of 100000 rupees 3. International Prices: The cotton prices are
4. RuPay Kisan Card determined by the market, if US Produces more
5. Financial Literacy than usual or China imports less than usual, the
6. Creation of Credit Guarantee Fund and Micro prices slump, which makes their earning go down
Insurance drastically.
7. Providing unorganized pension scheme like 4. Financial Exclusivity: The farmers have to
Swalambhan. borrow from money lenders at very high monthly
Given the low financial literacy and low prospect of interest rates as they have not been financially
profit in providing banking services to poor, task of included into the system so far. This makes the
Financial Inclusion has always been a challenging task farmers sale the cotton immediately to get rid of
for India. Two major roadblocks in this direction are: debt, else, they could have waited for a better
1. Firstly, financing the overdraft facility and prices
insurance cover. It is highly unlikely that poors will be
able to pay premium charges to cover their insurance. Vidarbha, a windward region of western ghats, is
Therefore government will have to finance both the part of India‘s drought triangle that face persistent
facilities. and severe drought. As a result the problems faced
2. Secondly, given the poor banking infrastructure in by its farmers are multifaceted.
most part of country it is likely that villagers may not
use their account. If one has to travel several kms , his Vidarbha is endowed with regur soil suitable for
expense of traveling is likely to be grater than benefits cotton cultivation. Though a drought resistant

crop, erratic monsoons, absence of assured The scope of the act is widened to include tissues
irrigation, lack of agriculture information also, compared with only organs in the previous
dessimination centre and poorly served by act. The scope of near-relatives is widened to
extension centre, crop failure is a common include grandparents and grandchildren instead
occurance. Poor institutional credit support pushes of only spouse, parents and siblings. These
farmers in the laps unscrupulous money lender features improve the probability of getting a organ
who charge usurious rates. Thus, a vicious cycle of donor in time and proves life-saving.
distress sale and poverty sets in that ultimately This act makes it compulsory for medical team to
ends with farmers suicide. request relatives of all brain dead patients for
organ donation and their consent or refusal should
MEASURE BY GOVERNMENT be recorded. This act enables, a team of Anesthetist
Surgeon to declare in case of non-availability of
Our constitution recognises the apathy of neurologist or neurosurgeon to declare brain
Vidarbha and assign its special responsibilty to death.
Governor. In persuance of this, various measures
have been taken by government like: This act increases penalty for commercialization of
(a) Announcing MSP and purchasing through CCI organ donation by imposing 5-20 lakhs fine and 5-
to give minimum cover to farmers. 10 years imprisonment for both sellers and buyers
(b) Various crop insurance schemes like MNAIS, of organs. This will deter commercial sale of
WBCIS etc to cover risk of crop failure. organs.
(c) Loan waiver and focus on financial inclusion. Negative features of the act:
(d) Establishment of KVK, extension centres, Organ donation from a person who is not a ―near
running adivisories through IVR messages. relative‖ requires permission of the State
(e) Promotion of agroforestry, mixed cropping. authorization Committee. It is not clear which
(f) Promoting livestock especially goat rearing to State authorization Committee shall have
enhance livelihood support. jurisdiction if the donor and recipient belong to
(g) Exhorting state governments to expand different states or if the transplanting hospital is in
irrigation facilities under AIBP by giving aid a different state.
through RKVY. Though the penalty for sale of organ has been
increased it is unsure if it will deter potential
WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE sellers as the conviction rate of the previous act
Besides focusing on development of drought was very low.
resistant varities their is an emergent need to Conclusion:
estimate future market prices. So futures and The Bill seeks to strengthen provisions to curb
forward market should be developed for price commercial trade in human organs while
predictions. Effort should be make for transition of facilitating organ transplantation for needy
farmers from agriculture sector to agrobased patients. This bill has been passed with noble
occupations. intentions but its purpose will not be served unless
it is strictly enforced and offenders are convicted.
Write a critical note on the Transplantation of

Human Organs (Amendment) Act, 2011 . (200 Write a note on the important recommendations
Words) of the Mihir Shah Task Force Committee on
Comprehensive National Social Assistance
Program (Pension). (200 Words)
In spite of Transplantation of Human Organs Act,
1994, there is a huge shortage of organ donations The Hindu
in India and many patients die while on waiting A Task Force Committee headed by Dr. Mihir
list. It is at this juncture that Transplantation of Shah, member Planning Commission was formed
Human Organs (Amendment) Act, 2011 is passed. by Ministry of Rural Development in 2012 to come
Positive features of the act: up with a proposal for restructuring already

existing National Social Assistance Programme. channels and also in print media Govt is making
This was done keeping in view the significance of people aware of the mode of HIV transmission.
the scheme for the the elderly, widows and Govt has established blood banks so that blood is
disabled persons, the most vulnerable among the given only after being declared free from such
poor in the country. microorganisms.also to prevent parents to child
The main recommendations of the Task Force are- transmission govt is giving free nevi rapine syrup
1. Increase central assistance under Indira Gandhi in all hospitals.
National Old Age Pension Scheme from Rs. 200 Govt also established Integrated counselling and
per month to Rs.300 per month for the age group testing center for diagnosis of HIV. Anti retro viral
60-79. therapy is Instituted in those centers.
But still India could not halt or reverse the process
2. Revise eligibility norms for Indira Gandhi of HIV transmission because-
National Widow Pension Scheme by reducing 1 many people don‘t aware about the protection
minimum age from 40 years to 18 years & the measures to be used
pension to be extended to single never married 2 lack of infrastructure – drugs and diagnosis
women above 40 yrs & available at tertiary health centers only
divorced/separated/abandoned women above 18 3 those having HIV are socially boycotted
yrs. 4 resistance against second line anti HIV drugs (
now GOI has introduced third line)
3. Remove age restrictions and reduce disability
level from 80% to 40% under Indira Gandhi to combat this disease efforts are also required
National Disability Pension Scheme. from the people so that India can achieve this
MDG goal
4. Rates of assistance to be indexed to inflation
annually.
• HIV AIDS is one of the most lethal diseases with
5. Use of Aadhar based payment systems. no sure shot treatment available. India with its
6. Direct release of Administrative expenses large population and little awareness about HIV
implementing agencies & strengthening the and its infection, is more vulnerable to this
administrative structure so that time bound menace. Already India is suffering with more than
sanctions of pensions can be done two million people are living with AIDS.
• The National Aids Control Program (NACP)

started in 1992 has already in its fourth phase with
Critically evaluate India‘s strategy and efforts to the objective of zero new infection and better
combat AIDS. (200 Words) treatment with no discrimination.
The Department of Aids control, a part of ministry
The Hindu of health and family welfare is an specialized
To combat the transmission of HIV transmission agency to look after all government initiatives.
Govt created a separate department for AIDS • A policy making body of AIDS known as
control under the ministry of Health. The NACP National Council of AIDS is directly being chaired
programme has completed three phases now by the Prime Minister of India.
NACP-4 has been started. However, the effective implementation and
The basic strategy to combat HIV is- monitoring of the AIDS control programs are yet
1 Prevention to be realized. The reach of the programs is not
2 Treatment upto the mark and the vulnerable sections as sex
3 those who can not be cured – providing them workers, the gay and transgender community and
support,care, and their psychological and social poorer section of the population in the rural areas
integration. are not yet covered properly.
For prevention Govt has introduced IEC( •
information, communication, education) In TV

but aggressive as well as effective strategy is disability. Providing for a 5 per cent reservation of
missing, which was witnessed in case of Polio. public sector jobs and urging an inclusive
Government has started Prevention of Parent-to- educational framework that would absorb
Child Transmission scheme, but a comprehensive children with special needs, it aims to integrate
care, support & treatment to all HIV infected such persons with the mainstream.
persons have been proved as inadequate.
Recent studies have found that despite increased
• The cost of HIV drugs is very high in India & outlays in education, especially after the RTE was
special needs as well as quality of the Aids control passed, learning levels have remained stagnant in
programs are not commensurate with the panic Indian schools. What are the reasons behind it?
prevalent in society against AIDS. What needs to be done? Analyze. (200 Words)
Therefore flexibility ,community participation
must be emphasized. Moreover, proper Right to Education act of 2009 made primary
monitoring with humane considerations will make education for children between 9 to 14 years
India‘s AIDS control programs more effective. compulsory. So every child in this age group will
have the fundamental rights to avail primary
education free of cost in near a government school.
The result of this act is that the total enrollment
―The new disabilities bill could help enshrine a rate has increased to 96% .
more modern understanding of the issue.‖
Elaborate. (200 Words) But at the same time there is deterioration in the
quality o education in government run schools.
The Indian Express For example a comparison of data of 2008 when
Disability is an umbrella term; this includes only about 50 percent of Standard 3 students could
physical, physiological disorder. In India about 10 read a Standard 1 text, but by 2012, it declined to
crore people are under these category. Some year 30 percent. Same is seen in arithmetic skills. RTE
ago these people were perceived as the people has become a manufacturing unit where quantity
who need charity and welfare so the mainstream is good but quality is abysmal.
had a attitude to look down upon them with eyes The reasons are as follows: –
of pity. This has been changing and now these Low teachers to student ratio — more skilled
people with disability are demanding their rights teachers need to recruit under transparent
and entitlements. This change is now to be screening system. Contractual system of teachers‘
codified by the drafted disabilities bill. appointment must be stopped.
This new bill caters to almost all needs of the Emphasis on promotion of students to upper
disability group, from democratic rights to classes without proper evaluation — ―no-
educational aspiration. detention‖ and ―comprehensive and continuous
evaluation‖ provisions of the Right to Education
the discourse on disability has shifted from charity has although reduces exam pressures over the
and welfare to rights and entitlements. The new students. This system has omitted exam, which
bill seeks to enshrine a more modern could have been a measure of evaluation of
understanding of the issue, in keeping with the students‘ performance.
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Depleting image of government schools — this has
Disabilities, ratified by India. This means ensuring accompanied which rise in private schools which
a range of economic, political, and legal rights for have poached the experienced faculty from the
such persons, as well as addressing social attitudes government schools, better pay will reverse this
that have kept them marginalised for so long. flow and help in better impartation of education.
Under the new bill, persons with disabilities Government needs to change primary education
would have greater legal access and control over from just imparting education to infusing
their finances. It also seeks to enable political knowledge.
participation, laying down that no person would
be disqualified from voting on the grounds of

The 12th plan on education has started to focus on The scenario is different in higher especially
learning outcomes and monitoring it at all the professional education. Any positive externality
levels of school education ensuring basic reading they espouse is monetarily compensated by the
and numeracy skills by class II and skills of critical society. So the govt. need not subsidize their
thinking, expression and problem solving by class education. Therefore it goes without saying that
5. Different curriculums in states will make it the private colleges are right to consider education
difficult to produce and monitor such outcome. a trade.
Centre can provide a basic framework for framing
a curriculum without reducing its quality. Apart The price of a commodity shoots up when the
from this, special training should be provided for trade is pushed underground. Therefore, the
teachers to deal with late entry students. colleges should be allowed to charge whatever fee
The guarantee of education is useless without they want. In any case, the dichotomy in fee
satisfactory learning. It has serious implications for between ‗merit‘ and ‗management‘ is illegal, as
growth and equity as India has growing observed by the SC in ‗TMA Pai‘ case.
demographic population.
But an ignorant doctor or an ignorant engineer can
Actions to be taken: be detrimental to society. Therefore it is imperative
1. Measures taken for quality check of education in for the govt. to regulate this ‗Trade‘. That is what
schools the AICTE, MCI and Universities do.
2. Regular independent assessment system which
will require the schools to meet the necessary test Once the qualification criteria for admission are
scores made stringent and a strict national level licensing
3. Penalties such as private tutoring exam is instituted, the irrational fee(capitation)
will come down`
4. Provision of retaining student in a rare case
where he/she found unfit to move to higher grade
5. Training provided to teachers for quality
teaching method Collection of capitation fee is not justified on any
It is thus important to state that the objective of the account. It goes against the principle of economic
bill is to provide children with education and not and social justice envisaged in our constitution. At
just schooling this juncture of our country, where education is
vital for our favourable demography, capitation
fee is a menace which needs to be curbed urgently.
Capitation fee is charged by almost all private
Do you think the idea of imparting of education institutions. A college with a higher ranking
being treated as a trade is wrong? Critically charges higher. A course with higher demand
comment in the light of the issue of collection of costs more. And if there are not enough alternate
capitation fee in private educational institutes in opportunities or seats, then the price will sky
India. rocket. Private education has become a commodity
in an unregulated market.
The idea of considering education as a trade is There are several issues involved here
both right and wrong, depending on the adjective 1) The reason for charging fees is because there is
put before ‗education‘, and the perspective from demand for it. The rise of the middle class and
which we look at it. their desire for higher education with which the
government institutions has not kept pace with
Primary education has positive externalities. So it has led to immense demand for private
is wrong for the govt. to consider it a trade. But, institutions.
that doesn‘t mean it is wrong for a private school 2) Due to limited seats, charging fees is a profitable
to consider it as trade. and easier way to grant seats.
3) It is ok if at least the institutes use the money
and invest in improving the quality. Even that has

not happened. The fees is siphoned of by the 3. Neo liberal policies have created
management and enters our black economy. lucrative jobs. This has affected the
Capitation fees prevents a large chunk of our able teaching and research culture. Graduates
youth from having quality education. It furthers are not willing to pursue research and
the rich-poor divide. Hence, it is imperative for teaching instead take up lucrative jobs
certain drastic changes. which are in reality transitory and non-
1) treating capitation fees as a bribe. Making it a satisfying in the long run. This has created
crime to give and take would have an impact. a shortage of good teaching faculty
2) Increasing the expenditure on education.
3) Institutes with public private partnership that The Govt. and other agencies like UGC
has the combination of governments public need to devolve a better percentage of
purpose and private efficiency along with doing GDP on education so that teaching
away with some government finance would help. profession is made more remunerative
4) Audit of private institutions and their and attracts talented professionals. It also
management is necessary. needs to give more autonomy and give
incentives for research and publications.
Forums for better interaction with
Some argue that Indian youth, especially vast industry needs to be setup as well.
majority of engineering graduates lack
necessary skills to work in innovation
industries. Do you agree with the view?
Substantiate. (200 Words)
Do you support the establishment of branches
India with a favorable demographic of foreign universities in India? Substantiate.
dividend is emerging as the engine o (200 Words)
human resource for the global economy in
the coming decades. However MNC‘s
who have already recruited a sizeable
number of Indian youth in their firms are Providing quality higher education to the
peeved by the skill deficit exhibited by the expanding population and rapidly growing
Indian youth. middle class is a huge challenge that India faces
today. A very small fraction of institutes in India
This anomaly is basically due to the like the IITs ,IIMs etc can actually meet the
systemic constraints in our education international standards. And the complex legal
system more specifically the professional arrangement of providing reservations to the
education .The problems are numerous weaker sections puts further stress on educational
institutes.
1. The engineering education is regulated India also faces capacity problems due to under-
by the UGC and the AICTE. The investments in this sector over decades. More than
regulatory regime grants very little 1/3rd of Indians still remain illiterate even after 50
autonomy to the individual universities years of independence despite measures like Sarva
thus constraining quick decision making Sikhsha Abhiyaan and Free and Compulsory
and formulating innovative curriculum. Primary Education .If this is the situation of
2. Very little industry tie up. Most of the primary education, we can well imagine the
premier institutes like IIts and NITs are set urgent need of qualified professionals ,
up at remote places(as per politicians investments, infrastructure required for improving
whims) far away from industrial centres. higher education in India. Even the remuneration
This is detrimental to developing provided to educationists is not good enough to
industrial tie ups. Often the graduates draw quality towards it.
have no industrial exposure during their In such a scenario, following an open door policy
course period. for the quality foreign institutes to open

universities in India would provide the much institutions providing medical services. This is to
needed capacity and new ideas on higher eliminate ‗fake‘ doctors and clinics run in rural
education management, curriculum, teaching areas mostly.
methods, and research and investment. Therefore I 2) Revamping the MCI which is the nodal body to
feel that opening doors for foreign universities for supervise medical practitioners to include patient
India would partially address the problems. groups.
Though India allowed foreign universities to 3) Frequent audit of hospitals and practitioners.
establish institutes in India ,it strict rules like a 4) Online portal which will have all information
minimum investment requirement, approval of about necessary test for common diseases to make
home country & its embassy in India, no people aware if they are being exploited.
expatriation of profit generated to the home 5) Computerisation of patient prescription and
country are major deterrants. On top of that is the sudden checking to prevent doctors from
impenetrable and corrupt bureaucracy. exploitation.
Critically examine the loopholes that exist in What are the objectives of the National Rural
both the public and private health sectors in Health Mission (NRHM)? Do we need two
India. Explain in what ways private medical separate schemes for rural and urban
practices can be regulated to ensure affordable population? Comment. (200 Words)
and quality healthcare to the people.
The objective of NRHM are as follows:

a) To revitalizing existing infrastructure and fresh
Public sector construction or renovation wherever required
1) Massive inadequacy from primary health care to through manpower planning and infrastructure
tertiary. PHCs ill equipped to deal with basic building.
diseases. Lack of hi-tech equipment in tertiary b) To provide effective healthcare to rural
hospitals to deal with complex diseases arising in population throughout the country
recent times. Need to increase expenditure on
health sector. c) Reduce infant mortality rate(IMR) and
2) Shortage of tertiary institutions. Pradhan mantri Maternity mortality ratio (MMR)
Swasthya Suraksha yojana aims to address this. d) Universal access to Public Health Service.
3) Shortage of trained manpower. From doctors to e) Related terms: women health, child health,
compunders. Doctors prefer private institutions nutrition, clean drinking water, immunization,
and urban areas. Mandatory rural service, training sanitization, hygiene.
of rural practitioners is needed. f) Prevention and control of communicable and
4) even where facilities are available, frequent non-communicable diseases
absenteeism by health workers.
5) Too much reliance on private insurance rather. h) Population stabilization and demographic
RSBY is another such program. Should rather balance.
spend on improving and increasing facilities. i) Revitalize local health tradition and mainstream
Private AYUSH
1) Immense commercialisation of health.
2) Unregulated, disorganised, inefficient, leaving
the patients at their mercy. The main objective of NRHM is to reduce infant
3) Incidences of fraud, over medication, and maternal mortality rate, ensure population
exploitative pricing and unnecessary surgery. stabilization, prevent and control communicable
Private medical sector can be regulated by and non communicable diseases and promte
1) Compulsory registration of all private ayush for healthy life style.

The challenges and the problems faced by rural The UNCRPD mandates that persons with
and urban population in meeting their health care disabilities have the right to be recognised as
services are different. In rural areas, there was persons before the law, and enjoy the same legal
absence of health care infrastructure and health capacity as others in all aspects of life. Neither of
care professionals to take care of the needs which these mandates is reflected in the bill. Though
was improved significantly through NRHM while persons with disabilities are granted the right to
in urban areas the challenges are absence of own or inherit property, control their financial
primary health care units in government sector, affairs and obtain access to bank loans, mortgages
marked inequality in accessing health services, and other forms of financial credit, there is no
inefficient service delivery and escalated effective manner of realising these rights and no
healthcare costs. Absence of primary health care provision for safeguards whatsoever.
has overburdened the secondary and tertiary In any case, these provisions only apply to persons
health units and also escalated the expenditure for who have legal capacity, and there are exclusions
the middle class and the poor. to this, perhaps unprecedented in Indian law.
Pollution, poor sanitation and lack of clean There is no shift from substituted decision-making
drinking water in urban areas show that urban to supported decision-making. The ―mentally ill‖
poor are in worse condition than their who are unable to take care of themselves or make
counterparts. Urban poor also face the problems of legally binding decisions will have all decisions
rise in blood pressure, diabetes, multiple taken on their behalf by guardians. The position of
addictions (alcohol, tobacco, drugs), violence and persons governed under the NTA does not change
mental illness which are less visible in rural at all. And then, more categories of persons with
settings. Non communicable diseases, road disabilities may have their legal capacity
accidents, disabilities, spectrum of nutritional threatened. The bill creates the category of persons
disorders ranging from under nutrition, with ―high support needs‖. Any person with more
overweight to obesity have to be addressed by than 40 per cent of a disability and who needs
urban health facilities. ―intensive support, physical, psychological and
NUHM envisages primary, community health care otherwise,… for activities of daily living;
infrastructure similar to that of NRHM but with independent and informed decision-making;
different challenges. Being a part of national health accessing facilities and participating in all areas of
mission, both programmes provide a life including education; employment; family and
comprehensive health services to the population community life; and treatment and therapy‖ is
according to their needs. included in this category — effectively all persons
with over 40 per cent disabilities. An assessment
The rural health is more about accessibility where board gets to take decisions on the nature of
as urban areas is the timely diversified facility. ―support‖ to be given to these persons, with no
obligation to consult the person concerned. The
scope of ―support‖ is not defined under the bill,
which means it could include guardianship or
―The United Nations Convention on the Rights even institutionalisation, neither of which are
of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) has barred.
served as the major catalyst in the global Undoubtedly, the bill opens up various
movement from viewing persons with opportunities — there are incentives for the
disabilities as objects of charity, medical private sector to accommodate persons with
treatment and social protection towards viewing disabilities, and with that will come requirements
them as full and equal members of society, with for training the persons who are employed,
human rights.‖ Critically analyze in the context sensitizing other staff members and making
of India‘s efforts at passing a legislation for workplaces accessible. These measures are
disabled persons on the line of above beneficial to many. However, is it worth shutting
mentioned convention. (200 Words) the door on discussions in order to — quoting the
Centre for Advocacy in Mental Health — ―secure
maximum rights for maximum people with

disabilities; and lay to rest the original inclusive

concern about all rights for all persons with Newspaper Extract--
disabilities‖? One could possibly argue that other
concerns could be addressed in the form of Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2012,
amendments at a later stage — but these replaces the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995,
amendments would be fragmented discussions, and brings India in line with the 21 century
running contrary to the cross-disability movement understanding of the rights of persons with
that the drafting of the bill and the UNCRPD have disabilities as captured in the UN Convention on
come to symbolise. Like charity, inclusion starts the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)
from home. ratified by India.
For a flailing government trying its best to play to Although, very late, it is a matter of great joy for
the gallery, enacting a ―social welfare‖ legislation India‘s 100 million disabled people. Now, once the
like the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill is a act would be enacted,it will lead to more inclusive
marvellous opportunity. Something as serious as development of the country. In the areas such as
an all-encompassing legislation for all persons Education, social protection, medical treatment,
with all disabilities deserves more than to be their recognition will ultimately be increased.
reduced to a bullet point on an election poster. However, the government‘s efforts in giving more
importance to inclusive educational centers
(catering to all children in a common environment)
• India has already made several acts for the than to special schools (catering only to children
welfare of persons with disabilities including the with disabilities) are creating controversies and
National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with these provision need to be rechecked as without a
Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and transition plan to move a set up with adequate
Multiple Disabilities Act (NTA), 2009 and the numbers of trained teachers and proper
Mental Health Act, 1987. But the Right of Persons infrastructure, the disabled children requiring
with Disabilities Bill, if passed in its present draft infrastructures like wheel-chairs and training to
form, would make a law which would be in line read in case one is blind would suffer miserably.
with the UNCRPD convention on the Rights of The enactment would also see greater employment
persons with disabilities of which India is a opportunities for the disabled people thus making
signatory. them improve their standard of overall living as it
But there seem to be dilutions or violations in the gives incentives to employers in the form of
original draft when the time has come for the bill rewards to them on employing disabled persons
to be finally passed. Important clauses such as but again here the new clause provides that
legal recognition for the disabled, right to inherit reservation for persons with disabilities shall be
property, control of financial affairs, access to bank only for the specific posts that are expressly
loans, mortgages and other forms of financial identified by the concerned authority. Thus, even
credit etc. seem to be missing from the bill. if a person is able to do the work required for a
This bill gives persons with more than 40% particular post, he will be ineligible unless it is
disabilities access to education, employment, specifically reserved. This is highly controversial
family and community life. These are the persons and violates UNCRPD principles since it
who have ‗high support needs‘ as they do not have presumes, wrongly, that persons with disabilities
the mental capacity to take their own decisions. can only perform some jobs or tasks.
However, the scope of the support they require Surely, it is a welcome decision to replace the
has not been specified in the bill. An assessment existing law ( the Persons with Disabilities Act,
board would take decisions regarding the nature 1995 ) with the new law on the same subject but
of ‗support‘ required to the person without even the government should relook the flawed parts
consulting him. and seriously consider the input from the
Therefore, a very strong Bill in favour of the disability sector before finalizing the Bill.
persons with disabilities is what is required at the
moment rather than scoring a few election points
through a sloppy legislation.

Critically evaluate the NRLM and its objectives. agencies and DRDAs according to district wise
(200 Words)The Hindu annual action plan including the Self Help Groups
(SHGs) in its implementation.
Main objectives of NRLM
NRLM is a poverty alleviation project of Ministry * It focuses on targets, outcomes and time bound
of Rural Development. It Focuses on promoting strategies.
self employment and organization of rural poor. It * The objective of NRLM is to shift from allocation
organizes poor people into Self Help Groups based approach to demand driven strategy
(SHGs) and make them capable of self- enabling states to formulate their own poverty
employment. NRLM will harness their capability reduction action plan.
and complement with them capacities such as * It aims at providing Equity to the disadvantaged
knowledge, skill, tools, finance, information . It especially women, children and other vulnerable
shifts its approach from allocation strategy to grouped.
demand driven strategies allowing states to form * It aims at universal social mobilization and
their own livelihood-based poverty alleviation therefore approaches to bring one member from
plans. each rural poor household especially women
Making compulsory to be a part of SHG to receive under SHGs network.
funds may exclude few people. Micro finance * It aims at achieving universal financial inclusion
agents works as mediator between banks and and both demand and supply side of Financial
SHGs which in turn makes loan repayment costly. inclusion.
Most of SHGs are taken over by elite groups Thus NRLM promises a lot with regard to creation
leaving poor people out of its benefits. Diverse and strengthening of rural livelihoods , it does
rural economy needs diverse financial service suffer some serious shortcomings like:-
according to its necessity which lacks in NRLM. - NRLM talks of rural livelihoods primarily
Agriculture and MSME are still out of its ambit through SHGs but relying only on SHGs appears
which are in dire need of financial support. to be serious limitation as not everyone in rural
Keeping household along with SHG as criteria for area is a member of an SHG and unlikeness of a
getting benefits will cover excluded people. person to become its member lead to forceful
Strengthening and continuous monitoring will mandatory membership which in turn lead to
contribute to the welfare of masses. Inclusion of corruption of the process. It can cause exclusion
agriculture and MSME sector into NRLM will instead of inclusion , of rural low income people.
greatly help agri-based rural economy. More - NRLM lacks serious attention to value added
customized services can be allocated to each agriculture and rural Micro, Small and Medium
NLRM if planning is done at panchayat level Enterprises (MSMEs) which can play a major role
instead of state. in enabling and sustaining inclusive growth in
rural areas.
Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) with the - Strategy of NRLM is too broad and sweeping.
mandate of poverty alleviation in rural India is Rather than attempting to do a whole lot of things
implementing various poverty alleviation and across the board , it should focus on areas that
rural development schemes. One such scheme is could impact livelihoods of large number of rural
National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) which livelihoods.
is the rechristened version of Swarna Jayanti The major reason for the failure of past programs
Swarojgar Yojna (SJSY). like SJSY is that they failed to understand and
Its aim is to reduce poverty by enabling the poor grasp the whole range of vulnerabilities and risks
households to access gainful self-employment and faced by different points in various value chains in
skilled wage employment opportunities resulting many strategic contexts. So NRLM should learn
in a sustainable livelihood . NRLM plans to give from these past programs and should work on its
special attention to the household which are design and implementation properly to become a
currently dependent on the Mahatma Gandhi flagship program.
Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNEGA) .
NRLM funds are released to the state level

1. High rate of corruption in the scheme has

done havoc to the popularity of scheme. For
What is social audit? How effective is social tackling high rate of corruption, wage payment
audit in effective implementation of many was started through bank accounts, directly to
government schemes? Explain with examples. workers but banking sector is itself facing the
(200 Words) problem of financial inclusion this led to delay
in delivery of wages.
2. Social audits were made compulsory to check
Audit in general is a process of systematic and corruption but these don‘t take place regularly.
independent examination of data, records, However some states example united Andhra
operations and performances of an enterprise in Pradesh. Several corruption cases have been
achievement of its stated objectives. Social audit is exposed.
thus an audit which measures the impact of 3. Regular social audits could also check forging
organization‘s work on the society as a whole. It is of muster rolls and siphoning of wages of
a scale to measure the social responsibility of an workers.
organization or a govt. 4. Decrease in no. working days per household
Social audit evolved in India with 73rd are also decreasing. Though scheme gives right
Constitutional Amendment Act. Its effectiveness to 100 days of work per year(inreased to 150
can be gauged from the paradigm change it has days before general elections).
brought at the grassroot level. Numbers of Civil 5.all weather assets aren‘t constructed which
Society Organizations and NGOs have gets washed away easily. If material-labor ratio
successfully utilized the provision of social audit is increased from 40:60 to atleast 50:50 ratio,this
in eliminating rampant corruption in MGNREGA can give flexibility to states in using funds.
in states like Andhra Pradesh & Rajasthan. 6. States are also nt able to use their alloted
Enactment of RTI Act 2005 gave further fillip to funds for the scheme.
the social audit process. Now easy availability of Howevr despite many flaws, this has been
govt. records has brought in transparency to the major booster in increasing rural wages which
once opaque functioning of govt. depts. Very is being shown in changing consuming pattern
recently, Indira Awas Yojana, a flagship scheme of of rural masses. More awareness among people
Central govt. has come under the ambit of social needs to be spread so that they demand their
audit to address the grievances of BPL families. right.
Further it can be useful with schemes like Mid-day
meal, public service delivery, etc.
Social audit is a powerful tool in the hands of
society. But unlike financial audit, its fruits can
only be reaped with the active participation of What are the functions of the National Skill
common man and civil society. Development Corporation? Write a note on its
importance and performance in recent years.
Critically evaluate the programme design and

the performance of NREGA Skills shortage is evident in every sector of Indian
economy, but a growing economy like India
requires a large and skilled workforce. NSDC
NREGA is a very ambitious programme of GOI seeks to fill the gap between growing demand and
which aims to provide 100days of work in rural scarce supply of skilled personnel across various
areas itself and check the rising trend of economic sectors. The main goal of NSDC is to
migration amongst rural masses. It is even foster private sector participation in skill training
supported by National Rural Employment and development. NSDC is implemented through
Guarantee Act. Public-Private and Public-Public partnerships.
But the scheme hasn‘t worked well due to many The main functions of NSDC are,
flaws such as a) Funding and incentivizing private sector and

ensure that its funds are largely ―re-circulating‖ economy for the availability of skilled personnels
i.e. loan or equity rather than grant in sectors with better pay and facilities.This would
b) Enabling support services in setting up also benefits the underprivileged sections of our
standards and accreditation systems. society and backward regions of country to move
c) Creating momentum for large scale out of poverty,working in unorganized sectors.
participation by private sectors.
d) Develop ultra low cost, high-quality, innovative
business models With examples, illustrate the importance of
e) Attract significant private investment. social audit in evaluating the implementation
Since its formation five years ago, it has skilled and progress of government schemes.
over 2 million people. Over half the districts in
India have NSDC training centres which offer 720 Ans: Social audit is a process of public monitoring
courses covering nearly 750 job roles in 27 of government programmes to ensure that monies
important sectors. Sector skill councils (SSCs) are being spent in desired way and for stated
under NDSC have developed standards for purpose. The idea of social audit evolved with
specific job roles to ensure that the skilled hands monumental efforts of MKSS which put to public
meet the needs of the employers from Day One. scrutiny, information obtained through RTI in jan
It is a good start. But this will not suffice the sunvai.
challenge of skilling 500 million people by 2022. Importance of Social audit:
Just like freedom struggle, building Skill India (a) Discloses and reduces coruption in public
should catch the imagination of all stakeholders works. Social audit in MGNREGA has disclosed
and results in participation of all with shared various cases of fake muster rolls and false works.
benefits. (b) Brings accountability and transparency in
implementation of schemes. This makes
bureaucrats vigilant in discharge of their duty.
National Skill Development Corporation India TPDS is cleansed to a great extent and pilferage
(NSDC) is set up as a part of national skill checked through social audit.
development mission to fulfill the increasing need (c) Develops public participation and sense of
of manpower across sectors.It is a unique Public ownership. Social audit of infrastructure project
Private Partnership which is aimed to promote and service delivery in Delhi by NGO Parivartan
skill development to international standards by ensured its prompt delivery and efficient after
creating large, quality, for-profit vocational utilisation.
institutions mainly in unorganized sector. It (d) Quality and quantity can be checked. This
provides funding to build scalable, for-profit check especially in MDM will prevent Bihar like
vocational training initiatives. It also enables tragedy from repeating in future.
support systems such as quality assurance, (e) Brings economy in utilisation of public money.
information systems and train the trainer (f) Brings public officials in close contact with
academies either directly or through partnerships. public. This enhances their understanding of social
The importance of NSDC comes into picture when needs leading to a better planning and
we realize that about 500 million people have to be implementation.
targeted in upskilling in India by 2022 in order to Social audits enhace public participation thus
narrow down the existing gap between demand bringing to life the idea of participative
and supply of skills and to bring up skill level of democracy.
our country to that of international standards.With
its installation five years ago, over 2 million people A social audit is an intervention by the society
have been benefitted directly.With an aim of through civil bodies like NGOs and Civil Society
skilling 3.3 million people by offering 720 courses Organisations.
in nearly 750 jobs roles in 27 important sectors These audits have shown its positive impact on the
through NSDC training centers set up in various areas like
districts in India,we realize he importance of 1. Helping the Government to find the priority
NSDC.This also will be a major boost for our work areas.

2. Better designing and implementation of dung cakes or for other purposes. Due to such
Schemes reasons, there is considerable gap between the number
3. Reduction in corruption of toilets constructed and those in actual use. As per
Examples the NBA scheme, a shift from motivating an
1. Social Audit in Midday Meal: Under the behest individual for constructing a toilet to covering whole
of Union Ministry of HRD, the Social Audit had communities in Gram Panchayat for holistic sanitation
been conducted in 2013 across 40 schools in outcomes is envisaged. A conjoint approach with
Andhra Pradesh. It inspected the food quality, the National Rural Drinking Water Program has been
hygiene level of cooking area, cost per children, undertaken to ensure availability of water for
cook appointment and salary. Based on its sanitation in Gram Panchayat. Incentives for
observation it recommended cost per children to construction of toilets have been extended to all APL
be increased by 50 paise and marginal salary households belonging to SCs, STs, marginal farmers
increase in cook salary. makes this program even more inclusive and thus
2. Social Audit in NREGA: In Durgapur District of raises the hopes of getting rid of the problem of open
Rajasthan the social audit on NREGA has been defecation a strong possibility.
conducted in 2006. Its observation says less than
2% corruption in fudging the master roll, water
harvesting in drought prone areas should be the What were the important findings and
priority and emphasised timely payment of wages. recommendations of Sachar committee report?
The Social audit involves the society directly and (200 Words)
makes them an active stakeholder. These audits
can certainly help society mitigate the risk of The Rajinder Sachar Committee, appointed in 2005 by
accidents like what happened last year in a Bihar our Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and was
School. commissioned to prepare a report on the latest social,
economic and educational condition of the Muslim
community of India .The Census 2001 data was taken
What are the economic, cultural and sociological as basis to understand the demographic profile.
reasons behind lack of proper toilets in the majority Key findings of the report:-
households in India? Do you think ‗Nirmal Bharat Rate of Literacy among Muslims is very much below
Abhiyaan (NBA) Scheme‘ would eradicate the open than the national average.
defecation practice? Comment. (200 Words) #Muslim parents are not averse to mainstream
education.
Open defecation has been a deep-rooted age old #Participation of Muslims in the professional and
socially inherited behaviour in rural India. The reason managerial cadre is low.
behind the lack of toilets in the country is that people Larger proportion of the Muslim households in urban
just do not follow the habit of using toilets because areas are in the less than Rs.500 expenditure bracket.
these lack the required privacy and availability of Recommendations of Sachar committee report:-
water. People are not aware about the benefits of #Need for effective mechanism to ensure equity and
sanitation. This is why sanitation is neither a felt need equality of opportunity and eliminate discrimination.
nor is open defecation a socio-cultural taboo. Investing #Creation of a National Data Bank (NDB) where all
on a toilet is not a priority as of now for many of them. relevant data for various Socio Religious Communities
Well over 600 million Indians continue to lack access are maintained.
to even the most basic of sanitation facilities forcing #Equal Opportunity Commission should be
them to defecate in the open. There is a considerable constituted.
gap between access and use of toilet in rural areas. #Promoting and enhancing access to Muslims in
This could be due to various reasons like lack of Priority Sector Bank Advances.
proper privacy-providing super structure, lack of Provide financial and other support to initiatives built
proper design, lack of maintenance or lack of required around occupations where Muslims are concentrated.
awareness to use toilets. Many of such toilets have Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Right to Education
been found actually dysfunctional. Many toilets have have improved their access to education and
been reported to be used as store houses for dry cow enrollment of Muslim children at primary level

have increased sharply and ―Aadhaar is the biggest anti-corruption

a new scheme – the Maulana Azad Taleem-e- platform.‖ Do you agree with this view?
Baligan – has been drawn by Govt for adults in Substantiate. (200 Words)
the 15-plus age group to increase enrollment and
reduce dropouts in Higher Education.
The Aadhar Scheme was introduced by the
planning commission to provide for a unique ID to
all resident of India and to maintain a detailed
Write a critical note on the importance and biometric database of each person.
methods of evaluating government schemes that This initiative aims to link aadhar number to their
are funded by the taxpayers‘ money. bank accounts so that all the benefits of different
government schemes like MGREGA, Old Age
India is having a number of schemes running and Pensions,Widow Pensions, Scholarships ,subsidies
many on the same problem area. The government accrue directly to the account holder .This
is looking towards better control and output, eliminates the chances of any duplicacy or ghost
hence the importance and methods of evaluation beneficiaries which are falsely created by
becomes very important unscrupulous middlemen transparency and
accountability to the process to the grass root
Importance levels.
1. Lead to better resource allocation This initiative has also plugged the loopholes in
2. Efficient way of merging, removing and adding banking system by streamlining the Know Your
schemes Customer system. Even some corporate houses are
3. We would be able to achieve the health, switching over to the Adhar payment bridge
employment etc. goals faster. We will not miss the (APB) for disbursal of salaries to their employees.
‗Sustainable Development Goals‘, the way we But, the huge population of our country , has
have missed many of the ‗Millennium made it very difficult for the timely and
Development Goals‘ comprehensive implementation of this scheme . It
4. It will lead to better and faster development, can has a plan to deliver aadhar number to about 60
help in achieving higher GDP and meet FRBM crore recipients by 2014 at the same time adhering
commitment. to stringent biometrics. Adding to it it the lack of
financial inclusion of the rural areas where most
Methods people donot have bank accounts. This might
1. Independent, apolitical agency should do the defeat the very purpose of the Addhar Card
evaluation (under evaluation office as per scheme if it doesnot cover the fringe communities.
Economic Survey) But slow and steady in its approach the Adhaar is
2. Report card should be developed by agency for definitely an anti-corruption platform.
an objective evaluation Cons-
3. Feedback loop should be created Adhaar can not check corruption at higher levels.
For instance practices like rent seeking by
Apart from the above methods the Government politicians (2g scam), judicial corruption, and
should also adopt the following measures corruption stems from corporate funding of
1. move from Cash based accounting from accrual elections which is beleived to be the biggest source
based accounting. It will portray a better picture of of corruption etc. There is a wider issue of culture
expenditure of corruption in India which can be eliminated
2. Shift from ‗input‘ as success to ‗outcome‘ as through holistic approach consisting legislation,
success. For example currently the success of awareness, effective implementation etc.
health scheme is measured by number of beds
added, hospital built. These should be considered How can India eliminate the practice of open
as input and health survey and results should be defecation in India? Suggest measures and give
considered as output. examples of any existing successful models. (200
words)

Ans. According to a UNICEF survey, over 50% of 2. The important features are that the gram
the total population of the country practice in Sabha will call for claims over forest land
open defecation. It is really a significant threat to which will be examined by the gram forest
the human capital of the country as it increase the right committee at the Panchayat level
instances of diarrhoea among the children. and than by the sub divisional level
Various government plans such as Total committee and finally by the district level
Sanitation Campaign have been launched to committee which will include atleast 2
tackle this problem, but still the instances of open members of scheduled tribe out of 3
defecation are very high in the country. Some members.
steps to improve the this situation could be:
3. Gram Sabha will be the competent
1. Educate the people. Only when people know
authority to give permission for diversion
the harmful effects of defecation in the open, they
of lands for development purpose. The
will be able to appreciate the use of toilets and
forest dwellers have right of the extraction
construct toilets in their home.
of Minor Forest Products. And most
2. This education could be imparted through
importantly the rights conferred are
Village Schools, ASHA workers and through
heritable.
PRIs.
3. One of the primary reasons behind not using 4. The main criticism of this act has been that
the toilet is the unavailability of water in homes. it has been the cause of delay in land
For this, water supply infrastructure should also diversion for developmental projects like
be strengthened in the villages. This can be done steel mills, roads and railway lines. But
by installing hand-pumps in identified areas of the fact lies that forest land graders have
villages where rates of open defecation are become afraid of the sudden rise of the
higher. gram Sabha as a protector of forest.
4. Construction of toilets should be linked to 5. Another criticism is that the process of
MGNREGA. claim of right is very much bureaucratic
One of the successful models of reducing open and tribal people may feel alienated in the
defecation is that of Indonesia. It is a community process.
based model where facilitators from different
communities are educated and provided training
and resources and they help in spreading the
awareness about toilets. They also help in the Q7. Analyze what systemic factors are
construction of toilets and in this way they also responsible for the poor quality of higher
get a living while fulfilling a social purpose. education in India. (200 Words).
Ans. India has the third largest educational

system in the world only behind the China and
What are the important features of Forest Rights the United States, but when it comes to
Act 2006? Bring out the criticisms against the transforming this human capital coming out of
bill. (200 Words) colleges into social capital as well as economic
capital, India lags far behind. Following are some
1. The Forest Rights Act (FRA) or Scheduled of the factors responsible for the poor quality of
Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Higher Education in India.
Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights)
Act, 2006 gives the right to cultivate forest Infrastructure Bottlenecks
land which was under occupation, the a) Absence of adequate classrooms and
right to own, collect, use and dispose of laboratories.
minor forest produce, rights inside forests b) Colleges also lack auditoriums, stadiums,
which are traditional and customary like libraries which contribute to overall intellectual
grazing. growth of young students.

c) India achieved near universal primary 2. The subsidy includes the Cooking LPG,
enrollments, but dropout rate remains high and, Scholarship, old age Pension etc. The
secondry and tertiary studies are not able to programme was enumerated from the
absorb all the students passing preceding stage. brazilian govt and these programme
avoids the leakage of the Govt subsidy
d) In India uneployement rate rises with the level
and bring about the transparency and
of qualification. For eg. More percentage of post
efficient way to transfer the subsidy
graduates are unemployed than illeterate people.
directly into the Beneficiary account.
It means markets don‘t have capacity to provide
jobs according to skill and knowledge. 3. And this also provide the Financial
inclusion to the system and give away the
access to door steps banking to the rural
Academic Issues:
people.
a) One of the major problem is the lack of
qualified teachers. 4. These programme has its own
b) Unlike the west where there is continuous disadvantages such as stakeholders of the
movement of talent from Industry to Academia programme have not been identified and
and Academia to Industry, teaching in India is a there is no compensation for the stake
full time profession. So, not many talented people holder. Risk of wrong identification
could come to teaching at later stage. results in wrong Beneficiary in such case
c) Syllabus is out of sync with the needs of the bank have refused to take the
industry. responsibility of recovering the lost
d) High End Research is often absent in Indian amount. More of the security is not
Universities due to lack of research facilities as included like bio metrics and storage of
well as talented students. Most of the students the data. It also need to be improved. If
passing out of prestigious institutes pursues their these task are met the DBt would be a
higher studies and research abroad thus leaving a successful project in tackling the
vacuum of cutting-edge research in India. corruption and improving efficiency
Highly politicized environment in Higher
Recent – Pardhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna aims at
Education which undermines the significance of
providing bank A/c to every Indian and inbuilt
studies.
facility of overdraft of Rs 5000 and Insurance of Rs
Absence of entrepreneurial spirit among the
1 Lakh. This is to facilitate Direct Banifit Transfers.
youths. Many join college just to get degrees and
search for jobs. If they enter the college with
mindset of gaining something valuable and
Question - ―The critical issue in India, where
applying that to create jobs in society, then the
the pentavalent vaccine is being rolled out, is
face of Higher Education will be completely raising the coverage levels of immunization.‖
different in India. Elucidate. (200 Words)
Answer - Immunization forms the major focus of

What are the main objectives of Direct Benefit childhood survival throughout the world. India
Transfer program launched by the government launched the Universal Immunization
of India? What are the drawbacks of the Programme in 1985 to protect all infants from six
program? Comment. serious but preventable diseases. The pulse polio
initiative was started in 1995.
1. DBT is one of the initiative which is take
Ideally about 90 percent of the country must be
by the central govt to provide the govt
immunised but we stand at a shameful average of
subsidy directly into the bank account of
60 percent, with the northern areas contributing
the beneficiary. It is one of the largest such
only a meagre 30 percent. This calls in for a
programme which is take by India.
retrospection of the infrastructure in place as
better coverage levels can only be achieved by a

routine immunisation, improved survellaince and amount of lives every year.Illeteracy among the
a better understanding of the supply chain. population keeps them away from being aware of
adverse health impacts like breathing problems
Since the roll out of the pentavalent vaccines have
etc which is further aggravated by poverty
been approved, the main concern of the
leading to neglect of health.Haphazard structure
authorities now should be to give a push to
of houses with no chimneys intensifies the
increase the system output(coverage levels) in
adverse impact on IAP.
even the most backward areas of the country.
Otherwise the whole exercise will be futile. Awareness needs to be created by the respective
governments among masses of the ill-effects of
The pentavalent vaccines are indeed easier to
cook stoves,chulhas and also providing them
manage and hence can increase the coverage. The
with alternatives like smoke free chullas,battery
storage, transportation and other operational
or solar power opearted chulhas,high subsidized
difficulties are solved since there is no need to
LPG to the targeted population will help in
manage 5 different vaccines separately. The target
improving upon the present situation.
population will also gain since they have to visit
the facility only once to get immunised for the
diseases covered.
Question - What are autoimmune diseases and
The eradication of polio have provided an
how they are caused? Examine the magnitude of
opportunity to introduce the same level of
its presence in India‘s population. (200 Words)
urgency in other vaccines as well. Revitalizing
and strengthening the immunization
Answer - Autoimmune diseases arise from an
programmes will help us combat the death of
abnormal response of body‘s immune system
thousands of children due to preventable
against substances & tissues normally present in
diseases.
the body.
Our immune system generates antibodies, a class
of proteins to neutralize foreign bacteria &
Question - ―The Global Burden of Disease viruses. When these antibodies attach themselves
Study 2010 has established that indoor air to membrane protein of a human cell & try to
pollution from cook stoves is a primary cause of destroy it, they cause autoimmune diseases.
disease and death in South Asia. ‖ Elaborate. Because of their abnormal behavior they are
(200 Words) (topics are health and pollution) called auto-antibodies.
For example in Myasthenia Gravis, these auto-
Answer - Toxic emissions from cook stoves apart antibodies bind themselves to Acetylcholine
from causing Indoor Air Pollution(IAP) also have receptors, which lead to reduced signaling
an adverse impact on the health of women between nerves & muscles. This reduced
leading to primary cause of disease and death in response causes weakness of select muscles.
South Asia as stated by Global Burden of Disease Reasons of this abnormal behavior of antibodies
Study,2010. are not well known. In some patients tumors, a
Majority of the population in South Asia are poor preceding infection or a preceding allergic
living in rural areas followed by low literacy reaction is thought to have caused the disease.
which amounts to increased use of cook In some brain related autoimmune diseases,
stoves,chulhas for cooking,lighting and quick response & severity may be treated. But
heating.Cheap and Easy availability of raw sometimes disease burns itself out, leading to a
material like firewood,animal dung,leaves is stage where treatment is not possible.
another reason for its wide penetration among In India, probably 10 patients per million per year
masses. get diagnosed with autoimmune diseases.
Though the quantity of patients is not at
According to WHO, 36 per cent of all Acute dangerous level, yet India is high risk country
Lower Respiratory Infections (ALRI) is attributed because of low quality of healthcare & lack of
to Indoor Air Pollution(IAP) which claim a huge sufficient research on these slowly growing

diseases. corners at 24×7 Primary Health Centres (PHCs)

Therefore the need of hour is to boost healthcare to provide new born and child care services,
& spread awareness about autoimmune diseases. Vitamin A supplementation and Iron and Folic
Recent lecture in Chennai dedicated to Acid supplementation, early identification and
autoimmune diseases was timely in this regard. appropriate management of Diarrhoea disease
and Acute Respiratory Infections, Improving
Infant and young child feeding practices
Question - What is Option B Plus under AIDS including breastfeeding promotion.
treatment? Explain its advantages. (200 Words) The different programs undertaken in this
regard include the Janani Shishu Suraksha
Answer - Although India has millions of AIDS Karyakram (JSSK) a programme for training
patients, according to the data released by health care providers on essential newborn care
NACO, India has seen a reduction of more than and resuscitation, Rashtriya Bal Swasthya
50% in the estimated annual new HIV infections Karyakram (RBSK), an introduction of child
among the adult population in the last decade of health screening for 4Ds i.e. defects at birth,
2002-2011. deficiencies, diseases, development delays and
Option B Plus is a WHO-approved drug regimen their management among the children 0-18 years
to drastically reduce HIV transmission from of age and so on.
mother to child. The HIV-positive woman is put Different states in India have different IMR rates.
on lifelong triple drugs administered as one pill The states having poor IMR are categorized as
per day also called anti-retroviral therapy. The High Focus States. Since 2009 and upto 2012 as
newborn is put under medication and given per the data released by the RGI the IMR in all
Nevirapine for six weeks. these states have declined. Even in non-high
With this treatment the mother can have a natural focus states it has declined, except for Kerala
delivery instead of a C section which puts a risk which has shown no change. In he N-E states
on both mother and child‘s life. The mother can which are classified separately, except for
breastfeed the child without fear of infecting it. Arunachal Pradesh which has shown an
She can even continue to have pregnancies later increase, all the states have shown a decline in
without the fear of transmission to the child. IMR. Even the UTs have shown significant
Under Option B+ the rate of infection has declines.
dropped to 2-5% among breastfed babies, which This shows the enormour success of the
without medication is as high as 30-40%. program. However, India still has to a long way
Also a study by the Ministry of Health in Malawi, to achieve the IMR target set by the UN MDG of
Africa has found the treatment to be cost- 27/1000.
effective.
Under the NACO-IV, Option B+ has been
adopted in the southern states and Maharashtra.
Critically discuss India‘s Universal

Question - India accounts for an astounding 29 Immunization Programme (UIP) and its success.
per cent of the global deaths of newborns on
their very first day of birth. What measures has The Universal Immunization programme (UIP)
government taken to address this problem? Has was initiated by the govt. of India in 1985 in order
it been successful? Examine. (200 Words) to minimize and later eradicate six Vaccine
Preventable Diseases (VPD). One more disease
Answer - There is a long list of initiatives taken was later in included into it.
up by the government to reduced IMR under the
NRHM. These include establishment of Sick The programme managed by Ministry of Women
New Born Care Units at District Hospitals, and Family welfare target mainly the children
newborn stabilization Units at Community including newly born and mothers to make them
Health Centres (CHCs) and New Born Care safe towards the diseases. The district wise

implementation considering it was declared a injection practice and proper waste

National Technology mission greatly got the disposal.
boost and millions were benefitted from the
programme especially in rural areas where The recent launch of four new vaccines as a part
private health care services are either absent or of UIP – Rotavirus, Rubella( covering children
negligible. from 9 months to 15 years), Polio(injectable) and
Japanese Encephalitis – for adults, are the latest
However, there are still many lacunas which were addition in this programme, which aim to follow
pointed out by the subject matter experts which a pan-India roadmap to achieve the vision.
still keep majority of the intended beneficiaries
excluded from it. Due to widespread corruption A strict monitoring and surveillance over every
complimented with already inadequate total area and providing the necessary skills to the
expenditure on health, makes it highly inefficient. nurses and medical officers are bound to have a
great impact overall.
The govt. recognizing the importance of Along with this, Increasing awareness with the
healthcare to the children has further decided to help of advertisements and campaigns, even in
add four more diseases into this programme the remotest area, will work wonders and hence,
which has given a new hope that more thrust and the goal of reducing morbidity and mortality will
energy will be now devoted by the bureaucracy be achieved.
into this hugely important component of National
Rural Health Mission Examine how India managed to eradicate polio
in the country. (200 Words)
Few objectives of the India‘s Universal
Immunisation Programme (UIP) are :
India owing to its huge diversity and large
1) Increase immunization coverage. population was considered to be the centre of viral
2) Achieve self-sufficiency in vaccine production. infectious disease Polio. The country has
3) Reduce morbidity and mortality successfully conquered the same with the
concerted international and domestic efforts and
The progamme impacted the country in many firm political determination.
ways. The polio eradication programme in India was
started in 1980s with the introduction of oral polio
Positive: vaccine. Country was signatory to WHO treaty of
1) Eradication of small pox (During its initial Rotary International‘s global effort to eliminate
launch) Polio.
2) Fall in the IMR from 125 to 50 deaths per However results were not visible and the number
thousand. of polio cases remained almost stagnant.
3) Decline in the cases of vaccine preventable Government focused on routine immunization
diseases (VPDs) has been observed. and later annual national immunization days were
4) Polio eradication announced.However there was only marginal
success. This led government to initiate National
Certain barriers restricted the speed of the Polio Surveillance Project and an expert advisory
operation being performed at a large scale. group was constituted.
Polio cases were thoroughly studied across the
Barriers: nation and specific strategy was adopted. States
1) Lack of quality surveillance throughout. like UP and Bihar was given more concentration as
2) Inefficient cold chain systems for storing and these states were having more poverty and also
transporting vaccine. higher migration of labours.
3) Coverage reported by districts are always There was significant success in the last decade
higher than actual. and polio cases dropped drastically. In 2011 only
4) Immunization staff often unaware of safe one case was reported all over the country.

However India needs to continue this effort for malnutrition illnesses by combating and
several more years to secure eradication, high level preventing micronutrient deficiencies of Vitamin
immunity and any case of re-emergence of this A, Iron and Folic Acid,
viral mishap. • Village Health and Nutrition Days and Mother
and Child Protection Card,
• Nutrition Education, Growth
A partnership between the Indian government, • Monitoring of children upto 3 years by
the WHO, Unicef, Rotary International and the promoting the use of Mother and Child Protection
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation raised more Card.
than $2 billion and an army of two million
vaccinators was deployed to reach more than 170
million children in polio immunization
campaigns each year. ―Overcrowding in hospitals, malnutrition,
unhygienic tropical environs heighten problem
New technological innovations like genetic of fungal infection in India.‖ Highlight the
sequencing helped us quickly identify where an magnitude of the problem, its causes and
outbreak of the virus originated, enabling us to measures that need to be taken to improve the
rapidly stop it from spreading. A system to track situation. (200 Words)
newborn babies helped health workers reach
them with the vaccine and other lifesaving
interventions. Apart from lethal diseases like TB and AIDS,
India, in particular, suffers from a serious problem
What are the causes of high infant mortality rate of fungal infections which is furthered by
(IMR) in India? Examine the measures taken by overcrowding in hospitals, malnutrition, and
the government in reducing IMR. (200 Words) unhygienic tropical environment of the country.
To top it all the country suffers from poorly
trained clinicians, lack of basic infrastructure and
The main causes of high infant mortality rate training in most of the microbiology labs and the
(IMR) in India are low awareness of health and high cost of antifungal drugs making them
reproductive rights, maternal anaemia and the unaffordable.
burden of malnutrition. The causes for infant To one‘s shock, among the three types of
deaths include perinatal conditions, respiratory infections, two, candidema and invasive
infections, diahorreal diseases etc. Factors muormycosis, involving brain and lungs have
contributing to above causes are home delivery by reached alarming proportions in the country as a
unskilled persons, lack of essential new born care result of unhygienic handling, untimely diagnosis
for asphyxia and hypothermia, poor child care and inappropriate treatment with the former being
practices, lack of early detection of sick newborn, reported at numbers even more than those
inadequate/delayed referral mechanisms, reported in the whole of Australia(300-500 cases
inadequate infrastructure at health care facilities per year at a tertiary institute with 1500 beds) and
for specialized care of sick newborn etc. India has the latter being reported at numbers more than
launched the National Rural Health Mission half the total cases reported annually from all the
(NRHM) under which the steps taken for reducing European countries put together.(50 cases per
IMR include: year).
• Promotion of appropriate infant and young child These infections lead to blindness, allergic asthma
feeding practices, and can also prove to be fatal.
• Management of malnutrition and common With a view to addressing these issues,
neonatal and childhood illnesses at community international experts have come together and
facility level by training service providers in launched two initiatives — Leading International
Integrated Management of Neonatal and Fungal Education (LIFE) and Global Action Fund
Childhood Illnesses training, for Fungal Infections (GAFFI) — to improve
• Treatment of children with severe acute fungal infections outcomes in patients through

awareness and education and access to legislation in the form of Disabilty rights act is in
appropriate antifungal therapies. In India, LIFE the anvil.
will offer educational material, conduct training Some of the defects of the present legislation are:
workshops for healthcare personnel, strengthen 1. Very constrained definition of disabilty listing
the network of laboratories and establish new ones specific conditions like blindness, motor
and provide better diagnostic tools. impairment, hearing imparement etc..The UN
convention has adopted a evolving and broad
Fungal infections are at par with other diseases definition which identifies multitude of physical
such as cancer , AIDS ,TB when it comes to kill the and mental disabilities.
people. In India , due to overcrowding of people in 2. Percieves disabled persons as passive recipients
hospitals , malnutrition , lack of awareness in of Govt support and only tries to eliminate few
people , unhealthy tropical environment the social and physical barriers. The UN provision
problem of fungal infection is very acute and takes a right based approach and empowers them
severe. to be active stakeholders in their development.
3. Only provides for reservations in education and
It has been seen that , the staff in clinics are poorly public employment. Post liberation private
trained due to which they can hardly detect and enterprises are thriving. Govt needs to provide
manage the disease . Lack of infrastructure in incntives like tax breaks to private firms to hire
clinical labs to diagnose the disease or monitor disabled.
anti-fungal resistance is another problem . Due to 4. The old law woofully fails to identify the civil
cost constraint , modern equipment are not and political rights of the disabled.
utilized and even research on these issues are not The PWD act 1995 did succeed to identify the
sufficiently done. Candidemia is one of fungal hitherto invisible group and helped them organise
infection which flows right up to the blood stream but has woofully failed on other counts. The
and causes blindness , asthma etc and unhygienic enrolment rate of disabled continue to be low and
handling by healthcare staff only adds the their drop out rates in schools are lamentably high.
problem to it. Huge proportions of them remain unemployed
and there is very less awareness about their rights.
To tackle the above said problem the international Hopefully the new law might plug the ―disabilty‖
experts have come together and launched two of the old law.
initiatives — Leading International Fungal
Education (LIFE) and Global Action Fund for
Fungal Infections (GAFFI) — to improve fungal In your opinion, what are the advantages and
infections outcomes in patients through awareness disadvantages of direct cash transfer to
and education and access to appropriate beneficiaries of various schemes? Should PDS
antifungal therapies continue in its present form? Explain why. (200
Words)
Analyze why India needs a comprehensive new

disability rights legislation. (200 Words) Direct cash transfer is being looked at as the
panacea for all the ills of social security schemes,
however it has had mixed results which has
The existing legislation the PWD act of 1995 has pioneered the scheme called Bolsa Familia.
become outdated with numerous loopholes and It has several advantages such as :
needs a complete overhaul. India ratified the UN 1. Reduction in leakages
convention on rights of PWD in 2007 which 2. coercive bribery
incorporates a social model approach in contrast to 3.no bureaucratic delays,
the medical model approach of the PWD act of 4.cash utilization to meet immediate needs,
1995. To make the national legislation consistent 5. May expedite Financial Inclusion.
with the UN convention a comprehensive Disadvantages can be severe as well :
1. Ghost beneficiaries may still continue.

2. Delays in transfer of cash may hit the • Mental Health Care and Specialized Care for
beneficiaries severely. Vulnerable Elderly
3. Lack of banking and postal facilities, leading to • Helplines and Counselling for Older Persons
travel. • Programme for sensitization of School College
4. Wrong usage of the cash such as alcoholism students
5. Unconditional transfers may not give the • Regional Resource and Training Center
intended results. • Training of Caregivers to Older Persons
Hence we need to sort out these issues before we • Awareness Projects for Older Persons
start disbursing cash. • Multi Facility Care Centers for Older Widowed
PDS even though has not been most effective, Women
studies reveal poverty has been reduced by about • Volunteers Bureau for Older Persons
15% over a decade or so. Inefficiencies and • Formation of Vridha Sanghas -Senior Citizen
leakages have been corrected. Following the Associatations Self help Groups
models of Chattisgarh which has used SHGs and
technology in PDS has made it efficient. With
similar practices it can be made more effective and Write a critical note on the role of bureaucracy
efficient. in improving the education outcomes in Indian
Kotkasim where a pilot has been conducted on schools. (200 Words)
DCT for kerosene has largely been a failure due to
various reasons. There can further be issues of Bureaucracy affects all fields of life from womb to
inflation etc. Hence we should make PDS more tomb. Education is one of these diverse fields. The
effective rather than DCT for these basic role of bureaucracy can be segmented into three
necessities. different sections.
The first one is Implementation, The second is

Write a note on Integrated Program for Older innovation and last one is inclusion.
Persons (IPOP) scheme. (200 Words) In the school education the bureaucracy has the
epitome duty to implement the legal provision like
admission of EWS of students in private school as
It is a Central Sector scheme implemented by the stated under the RTE act.
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The
main objective of the Scheme is to improve the quality The next is innovation, because there are always
of life of the Older Persons by providing basic local specific problems which can only be solved
amenities like shelter, food, medical care and by innovating the prescribed methodology. For
entertainment opportunities and by encouraging example if there is poor mid day meal preparation
productive and active ageing through providing by the cook then it can be sourced out to any SHG.
support for capacity building of Government/ Non-
Governmental Organizations/Panchayati Raj The last one inclusion is that bureaucracy must be
Institutions/ local bodies and the Community. flexible enough to include parents, NGO and PRI
Persons above 60 years of age are eligible for the into the decision making process.
scheme. Under the Scheme of Integrated Programme Having said the role of bureaucracy, the outcome
for Older Persons, the following projects are taken has not been mostly encouraging leaving some
care of- pockets. For example there are at times when
• Maintenance of old age homes (OAH) bureaucrats with ulterior motive shroud their
• Maintenance of Respite Care Homes, Continuous activities behind bloated paper work. Further
Care Homes, Multi Service Center, Mobile Medicare there has been activities o0f leakage of funds and
Unit goods provided by the government for the
• Day care Centers for Care of Older Persons with students.
Dementia The bureaucracy of India can make or break the
• physiotherapy Clinic progress of school education of India.
• Disability and Hearing Aids for Elderly

―India‘s curriculum outpaces what pupils can poor staffing, ill-trained teachers, social -cultural
realistically learn and achieve in the time barriers to education etc.
given‖. Comment on the statement in the light
of recent findings by various reports about the The quality of education in India can only improved
poor quality of education in India. by increased political will and governmental support.
Implementing RTE at one hand and reducing budget
allocated for education at another won‘t help the
The Recent ASER and UNESCO‘s GMR reports on cause. Regulators with the authority of taking punitive
education highlight the fact that initiatives like RTE actions on schools not complying with RTE should be
and SSA have not yielded satisfactory results in terms set up. As India is already about to reach it‘s
of quality and outcome. The learning crisis can be enrollment goal, focus now should shift on providing
attributed to lack of trained teachers, obsolete quality of education. Educated and skilled youth, not
curriculum, deficient pedagogy, and infrastructural just literate, can participate in nation building.
shortcomings.
Although improvements in infrastructure like school
buildings, stationery etc. have been dealt with, the What are deemed universities and why were
major lacunae of the curriculum still persist to cripple they conferred that status? Comment on the
the system. First of all, the curriculum does not adopt state of higher education in India in the light of
teaching through innovative examples or connecting controversy surrounding these deemed
to the local environment or nature but forces children universities. (200 Words)The Hindu
towards rote learning. It also does not deal with what
the child actually wants to learn, instead forces on
him. Deemed universities are the higher educational
Coupled with the pedagogy of Age to Class matrix , it institutions, which are granted greater autonomy in
does not address the individual capabilities of each administration, under section 3 of UGC Act 1949. The
child. It means that even if a child missed school in the objective is to develop these as centers of excellence
primary years of his life, he would be admitted to the and innovation as per international standards. And to
same class even if he was incapable of understanding create de novo insititutions devoted to unique and
it. Too much stress on English as a medium of emerging areas of knowledge…..
learning , instead of promoting learning in mother
tongue is another factor The higher education in India is mainly consists of
Collaborative efforts between government and univestity afficliation system. The planning
teaching staff to reform curriculum to make it more commission has recommended more number of
holistic, child-centric which focuses on the autonomous institutions as a way to achieve high
foundations. Linking the curriculum directly to standards. Whlie there are institutions like TISS which
opportunities of income generation could make it used the autonomy to achieved word class excellence,
more appealing to the weaker sections. there are univestities which misused it. The Tandon
committee, appointed by UGC, has recommended de-
recognition of deemed status for 44 universities of 3rd
Over ambitious curriculum is one of the major factor category, which are not upto the standards or
held responsible in these reports. violation the UGC guidelines by establishing
There is little doubt over overbearing complexities in branches. Like more independent member than
the curriculum in Indian schools among intellectual trustee, rationalization of fee, courses related to field
,who deem it far from pragmatic and practical. It of expertise not just increasing courses to make more
theory centered with little focus on activity based or money via more enrollment……...
problem based learning. The situation is compounded While autonomy is proved to help in achieveing grater
by the fact that each state follow their own curriculum standards, as seen in the many cases, the mechanism
with a few central curriculums as well. Lack of of granting the status need to be strenghened and
uniformity and coordination among curriculum made transparent.
developer can be another factor for the poor show. It is
aided by other factors such as poor infrastructure ,

―The UGC is not able to do justice to its Under National education programme (NEP),
mandate in light of ‗massification‘ of higher India‘s education structure is of 10+2+3 form. In
education‖. Critically comment. general, Bachelor degree is received in 3 years
except certain cases such as B.Tech and Bachelor
UGC is mandated to set minimum standards in higher degree from Indian Institute of Science (IISc).
education and monitor the universities accordingly. It The Delhi university step to introduce FYUP last
needs to monitor and make sure that universities year is controversial programme. Various
maintain these standards. It is expected to co-ordinate arguments and counter-arguments were floated
higher education and interface between universities in this context.
and governments. It is ALSO supposed to disburse First, FYUP is not in accordance of NEP policy of
grants. Currently, this is the only function being done 10+2+3. But it is also aruged that it is not the only
adequately. bachelor programme of four years. Even students
can pass with bachelor degree in three years
Education has gotten to the masses resulting in under FYUP.
mushrooming deemed universities and self-financing Second, FYUP was not debated extensively
colleges. New courses have come up, rigorously among stakeholders – students, professor and
pegging education to industry through technology. parents. It was introduced with strong opposition
Old classification of Arts, Humanities and Science is and is recently withdrawn in a haphazzard
fast losing its relevance. manner without any proper debate.
Delhi University has autonomy to setup courses
UGC has neither expertise nor resources to deal with and their time period under Delhi university act.
these challenges. The mandarins there are not familiar However, university grant commission (UGC) is
with the realities of the new pedagogy. This is the over-arching autonomous body to look after
reflected in the out-dated benchmarks still pursued by university education in India. It is again
UGC. debatable whether DU can go against the UGC
guidelines or not.
The sheer number of, these new institutions, The FYUP could have been tested in certain
overpower the minuscule staff available. The paucity subjects as a pilot project that too after
of funds and staff, interferes with co-ordination and discussions. After analysing the success or failure
monitoring functions, on account of this large number. of this pilot project, FYUP could be extended or
The Tandon and then Thakur committee report have closed accordingly.
been blamed of adopting flawed method of university
evaluation by using wrong scaling and not visiting the
university but deciding based on presentation given
by the universities A strong policy on early childhood care and
education was long overdue because of the poor
A systematic reform of relevant laws has not performance of ICDS in many states.‖ Critically
accompanied the ‗massification‘ of education. This examine the key provisions of draft National
creates difficulties in imposing standards, and Early Childhood Care and Education policy
interfacing between institutions and government. (ECCE) in the light of the given statement. (200
Words)
Therefore the quote is a truism. Urgent reforms in Answer
underlying legislative and structural framework, fund India, despite its enormous growth in last decade,
allocation, procedures & functions, and choice of houses large number of malnourished children.
functionaries, is warranted. The ICDS has been criticised on its
underperformance in twin goals of nutrition
supplement and early education. The Anganwadi
centres lack basic infrastructure, like toilets and
Critically comment on the recent controversy drinking water. The letting in of private players,
over introduction of four year degree course by resulted in lack of delivery on the front of equity
some Universities in India. and inclusivity, showcasing their profit motives

and cashing on costly crèches and playschools.

The ECCE, was long overdue, and is step forward
in creating a broad framework in this field, It is not enough to talk about pursuing
involving all the sectors. The policy emphasis on excellence; to establish and build world-class
mother tongue followed by English and national universities of excellence, the ecosystem of
languages, thus signalling a positive tone. But it higher education has to change dramatically. ‖
still lacks a rights based approach, aiming to In the light of the statement, critically discuss
empower the children by giving them legal rights which are all the changes that need to be
towards care. The policy again follows traditional brought in the higher education sector.
approach of promote, follow and supervise,
rather than , legally empowering them. In The recent announcement by the ministry of HRD
absence of such approach, the proposed policy, for the establishment of IITs , IIMs and AIMs in
also remains vulnerable to the fate, which existing every state , though an appreciable step is far
ICDS has seen. Such welfare schemes, with much from solving the problems in the Indian Higher
dependence on private partners and faulty Education System . It should be noted that even
delivery systems are bound to unproductive. the existing and highly regarded elite institutions
Hence the need is to follow the lines of RTE,i.e. have not been able to find any place in top 200
86th constitutional amendment, so that the 157 universities . The research work in India is
million children of the country get adequate virtually non existent . Further the basic aim of
resources, asserted by them as their legal rights. any policy should be provision of higher
education to masses rather than classes . All these
factors which are the impediments in the process
of developing a world class framework for higher
Explain the importance of providing three education.
percent reservations to disabled persons in The government should focus on encouraging
government job. (150 Words) research works in the existing institutes . As per
12th planning commission , a national research
• Indian state is mandated under constitution and fund should be established for the purpose .
international treaties to provide for the Further the existing infrastructure , teacher
development of all its citizens. The disabled have student ratio and regulatory mechanism should
been at a perennial disadvantage partly due to be improved . Private players should also be
disability but more importantly due to social- encouraged via PPP to play an active role .
economic impediments. To make the higher education viable for masses ,
• By providing them reservation in jobs, it will innovative use of the technology should be
most importantly raise their self-confidence by encouraged like Stanford‘s online classes . Further
making them independent. Economic security the stigma attached with the distance education
will help in impeding socio-economic barrier and should be removed and it should be treated at par
will lead to the development of an active with the campus education .
citizenry. All these changes are required if the existing
• They will be able to voice their concerns better infrastructure of the higher education is to be
and will be able to secure rights mentioned in changed and the goals of Rashtriya Ucchatr
DPSP. This will also help the state in better Abhiyan has to be met.
targeted interventions for their betterment. With
their regular movement in economic domain,
disabled-friendly infrastructure will become a
common standard.
• Economic security will also lead them to dwell ― .Critically examine the various problems that
into political arena as securing basic rights will a small and marginal farmer faces in India
not be an issue. The move has the potential to be despite good monsoon and implementation of
used as a multiplying force and should be myriad farm related schemes.
pursued in sincerity.

Small and marginal farmers are those who have a behind the practice of open defecation in India
holding of less than 2 ha of land. The average and the policies needed to end this practice.
land holding in India has been decreasing
continually and is about 1.16 ha as per recent India is acutely facing the problem of open
estimates by NSSO. More than 50% of Indian defecation and more than 70 percent of rural
farmers are small and marginal, hence households do not have toilet facility. This leads
governments have rolled out many programs to to major health hazards and environmental and
protect these. Despite such efforts, they face a ecological imbalance. However, it has been
number of problems due to : realized that, despite having access to toilets, a
Lack of credit availability : Due to lower holdings, major portion of the population do not use it. It
banks may not be willing to give loans to these requires to put efforts in understand the
farmers. This pushes them to informal sources, behavioural mindset of the people.
who charge high interest rates, making them The practice of open defecation is closely
indebted perennially. Lower banking penetration associated with people‘s mindset in which
is anothe majoe issue. building toilet is important only for protecting the
Lack of mechanization : Capital inadequacy is one dignity of female members (especially the newly
major reason due to which, they cannot afford wedded daughter-in-law) or for emergencies.
technology. This results in lower productivity per Else, the people still prefer defecating in open
acre. Productivity of Indian farms is about 2/3 of citing it a pleasurable, healthy and fresh air
Chinas. activity.
Seeds : Seeds are the major input for agriculture, The unawareness of the rural population about
farmers are often dumped with seeds of lower the strong relationship of health and toilet is yet
quality, sometimes resulting in zero production. another reason behind open defecation.
This increases their debts. State and Union level Open defecation also traces its roots in people‘s
institutions set up to provide seeds have also not habit or tradition where toilets are not used to the
been effective. extent desired.
Climate change : Climate change impacts the The government policy of creating toilet in every
monsoons. Untimely monsoons and heavy household is indeed a good idea. However, citing
downpours sometime, affect the crop. Most of the tradition, habit and culture of people, it is
them cannot afford insurance. This results in pertinent to be complemented with adequate
higher loans. efforts in educating the people about usages of
Lack of market integration : Poor connectivity toilets and its close relation with health.
and lack of warehousing and other facilities
results in losses of the harvest. APMC rules have
also resulted in inefficient markets.
Agriculture is the prime moving factor of the What is ‗sex education‘? What are its objectives?
economy and about 2/3 rd of Indian population Do you think it is necessary to enforce it in
depends on agriculture. Hence the government schools as part of curriculum? Critically
has to take steps to ensure, effective comment.
implementation of existing schemes such as PSL,
crop insurance, reform of APMC acts etc. To Sex education implies to educate , inform ,
ensure the growth of farmers and the senstivize adolescent in schools over sex related
development of rural areas. concerns. Although it has been considered a
sensitive issue given indias social structure, thus
has become a controversial whether it should be
included in schools or not.
‖In the Indian context, building more and more Its objectives include to aware children about
toilets alone would not end open defecation in gender, sex, growth and dignity of opposite sex in
rural areas.‖ In the light of the statements, order to build a healthy society.
critically comment on the fundamental reasons ‗Sex education‘ refers to instructions related to
sexual anatomy, healthy sexual practice, birth
control, sexual diseases etc. It also deals with Obesity takes a toll on normal health of
various gender, emotional, psychological, individual, it affects not only physical but also
physiological issues related to it. Thus it should social mobility of the obese person. Such persons
be viewed as a broad health and hygiene finds it difficult to find life-partner, social
education. acceptibilty and dignity . The feeling of loneliness
Initially, in India its objectives were limited to creeps in and tendency of isolation develops with
population control and later extended to AIDS poor confidence. This affects psychological well
prevention. Now it also seeks to prevent teenage being and progression in their career.
pregnancies, spreading awareness regarding safe
sexual practice, use of condom and But considering all obesity as disability is not
contraceptives. In wake of the increasing cases of suitable, because all obesity are not involuntary.
sexual violence against women, sensitizing Disability invited diseases like heart ailment,
people of gender equality and sexuality is gastrointestinal diseases, hypertension and
expected to bring attitudinal change among diabetes. They creates unwarranted pressure on
people in our patriarchal society. This could also limited health infrastructure. They eats savings of
become a platform to remove various prejudices victims as well as his kins.
related to third gender, homo sexuality, sperm To overcome this disability we need to adopt
donation etc. preventive and curative approach. The junk food
Lack of proper and regular often leads teenagers habits, excessive spending of time on digital
to look for other misinforming sources of medium must be replaced by culture of healthy
information. Since more than half of the HIV food, playgrounds and workouts. Physical
patients in India belong to young group(15-24), a education still not taken seriously in school
formal early awareness is necessary. Gender curriculum. Children must be made realized
sensitization starting from high school days will there are Adventure sports beyond computer
reflect their behavior later in society. In rural games.
areas, this could really help girls dealing with Societal attitude restructuring is needed
early marriage and reproduction, mother and preventing obese person from becoming laughing
child care etc. stocks.
The criticism by some section that, this will make
teenagers promiscuous, leading to increased
sexual activity is lacking any evidence. In fact,
WHO survey revealed reverse behavior such as
delaying onset of sexual activity, reduced Q--Critically comment on the Social Progress
unplanned pregnancies etc. Imperative and explain how is it different from
Considering its manifold benefits in country‘s other indices that strive to measure
health, society and culture; it should be development.
implemented at the earliest.
GDP indicates the Economic growth of the nation
but doesn‘t portray the social progress. Many
countries have tried to measure it at there level,
.In your opinion, should obesity be treated as for example, Bhutan measures GNH (Gross
disability? Critically comment. National Happiness). A social Progress has
recently been developed by a group of academics
and institution. It tries to measure the Social
India today being paradoxical situation. 40% of its progress under three measure headers and have
younger population is malnourished and at the subsequently sub parameters
same time significant numbers are facing problem a. Basic Human Needs:
of obesity. Obesity is the consequence of either Nutrition and Basic Medical care, water and
excessive intake of food or inability of body sanitation, shelter and Personal Safety
enzymes to digest the food consumed. b. Foundations of well being:

Access to basic knowledge, Access to information Q--Examine the leading causes of high infant
and communications, Health and wellness and and maternal mortality rates in India. What
Ecosystem sustainability steps need to be taken and what is the cost of
c. Opportunity neglecting interventions to reduce these rates?
Personal rights, Personal Freedom and Choice, Analyse.
Tolerance and Inclusion and Access to Advance
Education
Based on these parameters New Zealand scores Causes of high Maternal Mortality Rates are:
maximum followed by Switzerland and Iceland. i. Maternal malnutrition due to lack of awareness
US falls at 25th even though having much higher and poverty.
per capita income then the first three countries. ii. Maternal anemia due to lack of iron
India lies way below majorly due to lack in the supplementation.
basic human needs. iii. Post partum hemorrhage, compounded by (ii)
When comparing it to other social indicators, we iv. Lack of trained birth attendants as in trained
find certain differences in the parameter and dais and institutional delivery, leading unsafe
objectives. For example GNH, it has got certain birth practices
difference. GNH has got the following headers v. Puerperal infections due to malnutrition,
a. Economic wellness: measures the debt level poverty, lack of hygiene and environmental
and the CPI, income distribution etc. pollution.
b. Environmental wellness:measures level of Causes of high Infant Mortality Rates are:
pollution, noise and traffic Maternal factors:
c. Physical wellness: measures physical health i. Anemia and malnutrition leads to IUGR and
conditions LBW babies.
d. Mental wellness: measure rise of the ii. Paucity in breast feeding
psychotherapy patients and the use of certain Infant factors:
medicines like anti depressant i. Lack of immunization leads to death by vaccine
e. Social wellness: Measures domestic violence, preventable diseases.
lawsuits, divorce, discrimination, crime rates etc. ii. Indoor pollution, lack of hygiene and non-
f. workplace wellness: Measures job claims, job immunized status leading to ARIs. Deficient ARI
change, work place environment and lawsuits at program coverage
workplace iii. ADD due to water pollution, lack of hygiene
g. Political wellness: Measures democracy, and lack of vaccination. Deficient ADD program
personal freedom and external conflicts. coverage
Clearly GNH measures more towards individual Steps that need to be taken:
more basic, varied and more aspects of wellness i. General poverty alleviation measures
than Social Progress Indicator. ii. IEC activities on nutrition in pregnancy,
However, there can be debate over inclusion of institutional delivery, hygiene and first aid for
some new parameter and exclusion of some from ADD
the Social Progress indicator or GNH, but overall iii. Immunization programme:
both gives a good picture to measure the social Strengthening with addition of IPV, rotavirus,
progress. The UN post 2015 can use these tools to HepB vaccines – already done.
pursue ―Sustainable Development Goals‖. Ensuring universal coverage.
individual countries should also adopt one of iv. Replacement of ‗Chulah‘ stoves with
these tools or develop for their own nation based smokeless type
on these parameters and pursue Social V. Universal coverage of ADD/ARI programs
Development along with Economic growth. and IMNCI.
Cost of neglecting interventions:
i. Avoidable loss of human life.
ii. Economic burden on state
iii. Detrimental to productivity in future

IMR is one of the best predictors of ‗state failure‘. among the tobacco workers and stringent laws
It is high time the nation took note of the would provide adequate safeguards to the
situation. workers.
Q--What is Green Tobacco Sickness? Examine Q-Critically evaluate how and with what results
its causes, symptoms and prevalence in India. the fight against AIDS was carried out by UN
and the global community with special
Green Tobacco Sickness is a mild and acute form reference to India.
of Nicotine Toxicity in the patient. It affects
tobacco workers who have direct skin contact
with tobacco plants during cultivation and The United Nation has supported a wide range
harvesting.The symptoms include Headache, of activities and initiatives around the world in its
Nausea, Vomiting, Giddiness, Loss of Appetite, battle against HIV and AIDS. The creation of a
Fatigue, weakness and fluctuations in blood coherent and effective long-term campaign
pressure. It may lead to fever and deteriorate the against the epidemic has been given new impetus
health of a gynae women . by the UN Secretary General‘s call to action
India ranks third among the tobacco producing against HIV/AIDS and the proposed global funds
countries. It accounts for 7.9% of total world on AIDS and health.
production. Around 7 lakh growers and 5 lakh 1. UN system recognizes the value of encouraging
curers are engaged in tobacco cultivation in India. volunteers in its outreach work against
Major states are Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, HIV/AIDS. The UN volunteers, together with
Karnataka, West Bengal, Odisha etc. UNAIDS and UNDP, has launched a unique pilot
Prevalence of GTS is fairly high in the tobacco project to enlist people living with HIV/AIDS to
harvesters in India. Use of Gloves is work as national UN volunteers in their own
recommended for preventing this disease, which communities.
should be promoted by the government. 2. The project helps set up support groups for
AIDS orphans and their foster parents.
Green tobacco sickness causes refers to the 3. Provides technical assistance to help
dermal absorption of the nicotine through the communities produce their own publications on
contact with wet tobacco plants. It is prevalent in HIV/AIDS.
the tobacco harvester who come in contact with 4. Supported by UNESCO, NAZ foundation
the wet tobacco leaves. (India) Trust is training young peer educators to
The workers are advised to let the leaves dry raise awareness on HIV/AIDS.
before harvesting them. It may also be the result 5. Young people who inject drugs and workers in
of the wet clothing coming in contact with the dry the sex industry are being targeted in
tobacco leaves. programmes run by UNICEF.
Dizziness,headaches, vomiting and nausea are 6. Policies focused on prevention and a huge
the common symptoms of the GTS. It may also social mobilization have allowed India to reduce
result into fluctuations in the blood pressure and new infections of HIV
heart beat. The difficulty in breathing , increased India has made a significant progress in fight
sweating and salvation are considered symptoms against HIV/AIDS in recent years. The number of
of GTS. The symptoms are visible in 1-2 days and annual new infections has decreased. Moreover,
may require urgent medical treatment. UN is hoping to beat this killer disease by 2030.
Gujarat is the second largest producer of tobacco
in the country accounting for 10.4 percent of the
global output. 47 percent of the state tobacco Q---Critically examine the reforms needed to
workers are effected with GTS, with 55% make healthcare affordable and universal in
prevalence in female and 42% in males. India.
Nicotine poisoning adversely effects the
development of the brain. Increased awareness

To make it affordable and universal reforms are needed. The government should
1. Improve existing infrastructure and make utilize the existing public health infrastructure
investment in new infrastructure. effectively . This can be done via community
2. Give good salary to doctors ,so that they get involvement making the system accountable(eg
attracted and work for government. :Tamilnadu).
4. Open more medical college ….so as to produce It may not be possible for the government to
more doctors and nurses . fulfill all the health requirement via public
5. Rural areas should be the focus. sector . Thus the private sector should be
6. Encourage Ayurveda medicine , utilized(better insurance schemes) and made
homeopathy,and some other traditional medicine accountable.
, according to needs of certain area,like few The government has taken some initiatives like
people prefer them over western medicine,and National rural health mission , Janani Suraksha
they are effective also ,but need to encourage Yojana , bharat nirmal abhiyaan ,ASHA,ICDS
their work shares etc. The requirement is religious
7. Effective governance so that those who found implementation of these schemes. The task may
absent from there duties,strictly punished….this be tough but the successful polio eradication
itself can lead to improvement in affordable proves that it is not impossible.
aspect.
8. Mobile health clinic concept to reach remote 2. There is a need to make people aware of
areas . simple hygiene practices such as cleaning
9. Insurance of all should also be one of the hands, cooking nutritious food, keeping
priority….so that poor can afford private health surroundings clean, prevent breading of
care too. mosquitos, proper waste disposal etc
11. Encourage foreign settled Indian doctors to 5. Proper regulators should be set up to
come back and work for their country,there are ensure that healthcare provided in country
many who wants to do a lot for society ,but fed is quality health care.
up with the red tapism do not want to come 6. The clinics and hospitals should be
back.. monitored so as to ensure governmental
12. Same way encourage FDI . rule and standards are followed.
Having strong bond with education &

India spends only 1.07% of its GDP on its economy, healthcare has emerged as
health sector . This is far less than the mainstay of India‘s inclusive development.
mandated threshold by the WHO(5%) , lowest To make it affordable, quality medical
among the BRICs and one of the worst in the colleges need to be established. Though it
world . In this meager expenditure also , the needs political will & large capital for
share of the government is only one third. The infrastructure, yet it is an investment for
apathy towards the sector is reflected in the bright future.
human development indicators of the nation . Primary healthcare centres (PHCs) at
India‘s 52% children are malnourished , 59% remote locations with appropriate medical
stunted and 49% women anemic (Hungama staff are badly needed. Further, existing
report) . She also account for 27% of world‘s TB PHCs are in dilapidated conditions. Thus a
patients and an increasing number of MDR dedicated task force for monitoring &
cases. Apart from this even the existing ensuring availability of drugs & medical
structure of public health care is not properly facilities is pre-requisite for universal
maintained forcing people ,even poor , to opt healthcare.
for the private health care(IHDS report – 70% Recent step by Delhi government of online
out of the pocket expenditure is on health). OPD registration may be extended to whole
All these factors indicate that there is a crisis India. Health kiosks in rural areas may be
situation in the sector and the imminent formed for awareness, information

dissemination & online OPD registration. during 1990-2011 is better than many high HDI
Grievance redressal mechanisms should be countries. In between 2000-2011 India(1.54%) has
made effective & feedbacks obtained must out performed China(1.43%).
be carefully analysed for improvement. HDI does not throw much light on poverty,
Some badly needed reforms like Insurance income inequality, gender inequality etc. India‘s
schemes for reducing out-of-pocket performance in gender inequality(127 rank) in not
expenses have been implemented. But they surprising since it‘s commonsense going by
are marred by irregularities in exclusion & appalling state of women. India accounting for
inclusion of beneficiaries. These schemes 40% of people with ―multi dimensional poverty ―
need to be made result-oriented, attractive might shift our obsession from poverty line.
& universal.
Irregularities, corruption & apathetic
attitude of doctors are to be eliminated for Q--Why do close to 70 per cent of India‘s sick,
affordable & universal healthcare. mostly belonging to the poor or lower middle
Accessibility of healthcare should be class, choose to go to the private sector when
improved through e-governance. In essence, there is ostensibly free healthcare in the public
healthcare must be based on 5 A- system? Critically comment.
Availability, Accessibility, Affordability,
Accountability & Absorptivity.
In the recent past, Bangladesh has improved
upon the following health indicators:
Q--How is the Human Development Index i. Lowering MMR: The rate of no. of maternal
calculated? Critically analyse India‘s ranking in deaths pet 1,00,000 live births have come down
the 2014 HDI report. by almost 66 % in span of last 20 years.
ii. Ahead of MDG target of 5.5 in reduction of
MMR.
Human Development Index is a measure of Reasons:
improvement in human capability to live a better i. Women empowernment due to access to
life. This is calculated and published every year education and finance which makes them aware
by United Nation Development Programme in its of their health care.
annual report called Human Development ii. Governmental policy to encourage education
Report. It has three components; health, among women and other people.
education and income. Health component takes iii. Family planning awareness among womens
into account average life expectancy at birth. which improves on the problems of malnutrition
Education head is measured by average years of and mental care of children which is not proper in
schooling by an adult aged 25 years and expected big families.
years of schooling of children just entering school. iv. Improved access and use of health facilities
Finally, gross national per capita income is the like safe delieveries of children and health
yardstick for the third component. The geometric nutrition.
mean of normalized indices of all three Making universal health coverage alongwith
dimension gives the value of HDI. affordable services their motive and cooperation
India ranks 135th among 187 nations with a score of the people in implementing these initiatives
of 0.586, placed among medium human makes Bangladesh ahead of India in health
development category. India is the worst indicators.
performer among all BRICS nations. India falls far
behind many developing countries such as China,
Thailand, Indonesia, Philipines and even Srilanka
and Vietnam! All this after two decades of high Q--- Examine the causes of obesity around the
growth rate, where as Egypt, marred by political world. Discuss its effect on health.
uncertainity has performed better. However, the
annual average annual HDI growth rate of India

People are considered obese when their body this will cause weight gain if it isn't
mass index (BMI),[3] a measurement obtained by balanced with physical activity.
dividing a person's weight by the square of the  Lack of access to healthy foods. Some
person's height, exceeds30 kg/m2. people don't live in neighborhoods
that have supermarkets that sell
Overweight and obesity happen over time when healthy foods, such as fresh fruits and
you take in more calories than you use. vegetables. Or, for some people, these
healthy foods are too costly.
Other Causes  Food advertising. Americans are
surrounded by ads from food
An Inactive Lifestyle companies. Often children are the
Many Americans aren't very physically active. targets of advertising for high-calorie,
One reason for this is that many people spend high-fat snacks and sugary drinks. The
hours in front of TVs and computers doing work, goal of these ads is to sway people to
schoolwork, and leisure activities. In fact, more buy these high-calorie foods, and often
than 2 hours a day of regular TV viewing time they do.
has been linked to overweight and obesity.
Other reasons for not being active include: relying Genes and Family History
on cars instead of walking, fewer physical Studies of identical twins who have been raised
demands at work or at home because of modern apart show that genes have a strong influence on
technology and conveniences, and lack of a person's weight. Overweight and obesity tend
physical education classes in schools. to run in families. Your chances of being
People who are inactive are more likely to gain overweight are greater if one or both of your
weight because they don't burn the calories that parents are overweight or obese.
they take in from food and drinks. An inactive Your genes also may affect the amount of fat you
lifestyle also raises your risk for coronary heart store in your body and where on your body you
disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, colon carry the extra fat. Because families also share
cancer, and other health problems. food and physical activity habits, a link exists
between genes and the environment.
Environment
Our environment doesn't support healthy Health Conditions
lifestyle habits; in fact, it encourages obesity.
Some reasons include: Some hormone problems may cause overweight
 Lack of neighborhood sidewalks and and obesity, such as underactive thyroid
safe places for recreation. Not having (hypothyroidism), Cushing's syndrome, and
area parks, trails, sidewalks, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
affordable gyms makes it hard for Underactive thyroid is a condition in which the
people to be physically active. thyroid gland doesn't make enough thyroid
 Work schedules. People often say that hormone. Lack of thyroid hormone will slow
they don't have time to be physically down your metabolism and cause weight gain.
active because of long work hours and You'll also feel tired and weak.
time spent commuting.
 Oversized food portions. Americans Medicines
are exposed to huge food portions in Certain medicines may cause you to gain weight.
restaurants, fast food places, gas These medicines include some corticosteroids,
stations, movie theaters, supermarkets, antidepressants, and seizure medicines.
and even at home. Some of these
meals and snacks can feed two or Emotional Factors
more people. Eating large portions Some people eat more than usual when they're
means too much energy IN. Over time, bored, angry, or stressed. Over time, overeating

will lead to weight gain and may cause 7.threat of kidney failure as elevated level of
overweight or obesity. ketons ,cretanin in blood
Solution lies with parental care,control on
Age calories intake,promoting sports among
As you get older, you tend to lose muscle, people of all age.
especially if you're less active. Muscle loss can  Type 2 diabetes
slow down the rate at which your body burns  High blood pressure
calories. If you don't reduce your calorie intake as  Metabolic syndrome — a combination of
you get older, you may gain weight. high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high
Midlife weight gain in women is mainly due to triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol
aging and lifestyle, but menopause also plays a  Heart disease
role. Many women gain about 5 pounds during  Stroke
menopause and have more fat around the waist  Cancer, including cancer of the uterus,
than they did before. cervix, endometrium, ovaries, breast, colon,
rectum, esophagus, liver, gallbladder,
Pregnancy pancreas, kidney and prostate
During pregnancy, women gain weight to  Breathing disorders, including sleep apnea,
support their babies‘ growth and development. a potentially serious sleep disorder in which
After giving birth, some women find it hard to breathing repeatedly stops and starts
lose the weight. This may lead to overweight or  Gallbladder disease
obesity, especially after a few pregnancies.  Gynecologic problems, such as infertility
and irregular periods
Lack of Sleep  Erectile dysfunction and sexual health
Research shows that lack of sleep increases the issues
risk of obesity.  Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, a condition
in which fat builds up in the liver and can
cause inflammation or scarring
Obesity is a physiology condition when weight of  Osteoarthritis
body exceeds body (height-weight index) and  Skin conditions, including poor wound
symptoms of overweight tends to appear on healing
body.with the industrialisation and rapid Quality of life
modernisation of human civilisation ,more use of When you're obese, your overall quality of
technology in day to day activities life may be lower, too. You may not be able
increased,manual worked reduced gradually, to do things you'd normally enjoy as easily
with consumption of more nutritious food as you'd like, such as participating in
ultimately leading to obesity. enjoyable activities. You may avoid public
obesity is global threat with 30% population is places. Obese people may even encounter
fatty and no country is immune to it.highest rate discrimination.
of obesity is recorded among people of middle Other weight-related issues that may affect
east and northern Africa. your quality of life include:
there is a strong link between income and obesity  Depression
as people are getting richer,their waistline also  Disability
tend to start bulging.  Sexual problems
obesity is linked with various I‘ll effect on health.  Shame and guilt
1.type 2 diabetes  Social isolation
2. heart disease and hypertension related  Lower work achievement
disorders.
3.increase incidence of cancer
4.socially neglected particularly obese child Q--Write a note on the mechanism of AIDS
5.arthralgia pain in joints with age virus infection in humans. Explain the latest
6.lack of confidence personality disorder breakthroughs in AIDS treatment.

education coupled with poor health service

delivery continue to be major national concerns.
How HIV Affects the Body Discuss the reforms needed in the health sector
HIV is unique in its ability to compromise the to improve the standards of medical education
immune system. and health delivery.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infects
the cells of the immune system. In particular,
HIV attacks and destroys the T helper India is home to ―officially‖ 30 Crore people and
lymphocytes, or T-cells, which are crucial to the same number in the lower middle class layer.
immune system and immune response. These are the people who are more susceptible to
the diseases because their work culture, amount
HIV (human immuno deficiency virus) infection they spent on health etc. With time no doubt the
to human occurs through several modes, quantities of the medical colleges and hospitals
prominent among them are through blood have been increased but quality remained status
transfusions, unprotected sex, spread from quo. There are number of reasons as follow with
mother to child through pregnancy, feeding and needed reform.
other related activities. It is pertinent, to Government Spending: Both on the educational
understand the life cycle of HIV/AIDS virus side and on health, government still spends less
when it infects human. compared to other developing countries.
HIV being a retro virus infects the human Government need to streamline delivery chain
immuno system called the CD4+ T-cells(the mechanism and regular inspection and
defence mechanism). After infecting the target accreditation renewal of institution.
cells, the viral RNA genome (HIV) is converted to High Fees for admission: With limited
viral DNA. The resulting viral DNA is imported government seat, students need to opt for private
to cell nucleus and integrated with the cellular institution for medical seat for which they need to
DNA, after this process the viral DNA and the spend exorbitant fee ranging in crores for their
host cell become latent and avoids detection from full course. After finishing student see Medical as
immune system. Subsequently this viral genome a profession but as a business and quality
replicates and thereby spreading through out the automatically decreases. Government need to
body. The lack of detection from the immune open more institution keeping eye on quality.
system and the loss of CD4+T-cells are the Further fee structure of private institution shall be
primary reason behind the struggle involved to scrutinized thru government lenses.
produce better drugs to cure this. Same old Syllabus: With changing time,
a)- HIV hides in a state of hibernation in CD4 globalisation and interstate, international
cells. Yet CD4 cells are unable to fight HIV exchange of people new diseases are getting
themselves. This can be done by immune introduced but to study the same equal focus has
system‘s killer T-cells. not paid to syllabus.
b)- But because killer T-cells can‘t detect the HIV Inadequate Teaching Faculty: The national
hidden within CD4 cells they are unable to attack Knowledge network established need to work on
and eliminate them from the body. war basis for having adequate teaching staff.
In latest breakthrough, an anticancer medicine is Without teaching facility all exercise will be futile.
used to activate HIV hidden in the cell of patients Vacancy: Vacancies in PHC as well as CHC need
taking anti HIV drugs. Once activated these to be filled urgently. Government need to make
particles will go to the surface & signal to PHC and CHC challenging and interesting
immune system that this cell is infected & needs profession with high pay, home posting etc.
to be cleared from the body. Regulatory Body: For checking admission
process, syllabus, fees structure etc a independent
body need to be created.
No doubt in country like India, every task is a
Q---According to reports and various mammoth one because of our numbers and size.
opinions, the declining standards of medical But it is not impossible to bring change. With

Polio eradication we have shown it. Now next Instead of sending students to foreign countries,
shall be reforming medical sector and increasing we will receive foreign students
quality of health facilities
Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA)
scheme introduced by government of India for
Q-Critically comment on the design and the development of higher education in state/ UT
implementation of the Rashtriya Ucchatar , as the state/UT managed universities are not
Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) scheme. included in University Grants Commission
(UGC) of India. The education in India facing
many problems such as poor infrastructure and
Rastriya Uchhatara Shikshya Abhiyan (RUSA) is technology, inadequately trained teachers,lack of
a centrally sponsored scheme promoted by autonomy for institutions, absence of research
ministry of Human Resource Development, institute in universities, failure of develope
aimed at reforming higher education in India. Its international linkage etc. To deal with these
objectives are: problems RUSA is introduced so that a better
• Most of the colleges and education plateform will be develope.
universities are run y state
governments and hence always RUSA is lacking far behind in implementation
underfunded. RUSA will provide because it is still dealing with basic problems of
necessary funding for the reform education like enrollment , infrastructure etc. For
initiatives. this there is a need of proper management and
• Promoting autonomy of new policies and also need to free education
universities in academic, finance system from the control of bureaucrats. Its a time
and governance matter by doing to leave the blackboard age and enter into the
away with the bureaucratic world of connectivity because innovation will
control. comes with experience not by writing essays. The
• Improving the quality of education reason behind degradation of Indian universities
by making the institutes follow is not giving priority to research. Further the
certain standards and compulsory serious efforts should be taken to attract foreign
accreditation for quality assurance. students to India so that Indian faculties and
• Promote some institutes as students can easily go to abroad.
research institutes to promote a RUSA is still doing its best and it can do much
culture of research. This will make better by introducing some innovative planning
India a producer of knowledge and policies which can give a better future so that
rather than a consumer. India can touch the new heights of EDUCATION.
• Reform the affiliation system to
meet their resource and reform
requirement
• Availability of quality faculty Q) Do you think a repeal and re-enactment of
• Correcting regional imbalance in the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of
access to higher education by Children) Act, 2000 (the JJ Act), the country‘s
establishing high quality primary law dealing with children in conflict
institutions in urban and semi- with the law and children in need of care is
urban area. needed? Explain why.
Implementation of RUSA will bring sea change in
higher education as per the demand of the
changing world and India‘s own need. In  The juvenile justice law 1986 deals with the
addition to enhancing the demographic dividend, crimes committed by the juveniles which
this will attract students and faculties across the are defined under the act as any person
world. This will be a boost for education tourism. below the age of 18. Thus juveniles are tried
by the special juvenile courts and are not

punished by the ordinary courts under the poor families, destitute etc in which
CrPc. Though the requirement of such a environment play the role and not the
system is beyond doubt due to the young biological factor.
and modifiable age of the child involved in Hence by just amending the age and not
a crime. But in the aftermath of the events focusing on the core issues which calls these
like Nirbhaya case and Mumbai Gang rape innocent lives to commit the crime will be a
case, where some culprits virtually went mistake in long term though it will be a
unpunished due their age, there has been soothing act for few. At the end we cannot
voices to repeal or amend the JJ Act in the have the right to snatch the entire life of
cases where heinous crimes like rape and child for which he was unknowingly
murders are involved. moulded.
The amendment to the JJ act which will
exclude the culprits of the crimes like
murder and rape from its purview is the
need of hour. Firstly the amendment will be
only for the persons above 16 years, thus
not having any significant effect on the Poverty and hunger issues
children below that age. Further there
should be a strong deterrent and no
exception for committing the grave crimes. Q. According to WHO, Vector-borne diseases
Many developed countries like the US and are adding to the vicious cycle of poverty and
UK have similar provisions and India have a significant impact of socio-economic
should move in the same direction. Because status of communities. Which are those
to protect the right of so called child at the diseases? How do they exacerbate poverty?
cost of right of justice of the victim when the Comment.
crime is so grave is not just.

ANSWER-
There are discussions about amending the  The diseases in which pathogen is
Juvenile Justice Act 2000 by the present transmitted by vectors(fly, mosquito etc)
government for the only purpose of from one source to another is known as
reducing the age for trying out children vector borne diseases.These includes
from 18 by one or two years. Recent rape Dengue,Malaria,TB,Yellow fever,kala azar
incident in Delhi and after which juvenile etc.
who left with the very minor punishment  Half of the population globally are infected
had made nervous the entire women centric with atleast one of these diseases.Out of this
organisation, media and politicians majority of the infected population lives in
according to their place in parliament. developing countries.These diseases affect
Issue cant be solve with the just lowering the poor maximum both economically and
when age itself is not the sole reason for socially.High population along with
carrying out various crime which have been inadequate health services complicates the
listed in the act. No doubt the act gives issue.As a result timely detection and
opportunity to the juvenile to live a life after treatment is not there which leads to
paltry punishment but it is warranted too. development of disease and further spread
The maturity in the child or the knowledge of it.
about the society starts to come from the age  Firstly, diseases are carried by vector which
of 11-12 in which he can be easily trapped are usually present in places that lack
by other disturbing entities to commit sanitation. These are mostly slums where
crime. bottom of society lives. So, one can say that
Further it is on record that the crime people fraught with poverty are mostly
committed by the children‘s belong to the prone to them.

 Since vector-borne, such areas could be Good governance, education, energy and
subjected to social exclusion. Hence poeple resources, telecom and technology,
are also socially-excluded from society infrastructure, healthcare, and financial
approved activities. Hence social inclusion are key levers for inclusion growth.
deprivation. All this lead to deprivation of
right to opportunity to choose own While assessing 11th FYP achievements, we can
livelihood. Thus, multi-dimenstional observe some evidences of inclusive growth as-
poverty.
 Employment guarantee schemes like
MGNREGS have performed so well to
 Once affected, they impact physical and reduce gender and social inequalities by
cognitive abilities. So, it imacts economic including more women in workforce and
livelihood activities. Thus worsens raised their economic status in the family.
impoversihed state.  Rural housing scheme IAY provided houses
to BPL families while urban housing
schemes like RAY helped to remove slums
from cities and provided pakka houses to
 This affects working efficiency of the urban poor.
infected people added with increased  There has been an increase in median real
expenditure on health.High costs of drugs income of nearly 5 percent. Growth has been
and medical services aggravates the burden noted more for Dalits and OBCs.
on families.Many a times they end up in  There is significant change in Gini
taking loans which is very difficult to pay in coefficient of India which suggests
their hand to mouth livings.Families often decreasing inequality.
have to cut down on other amenities.In  Backward region grant funds (BRGF) have
extreme cases death due to these diseases helped in reducing regional disparity in
ends the family in vicious cycle of poverty. India.
 Vector borne diseases are deadly but  Integrated rural development program
preventable.Better health services added (IRDP) and Bharat Nirman program helped
with sanitation,hygienic living conditions to increase rural income more compare to
and awareness in the masses about the do‘s cities. This has narrowing rural-urban
and dont‘s by the countries is the way divides.
through.  Income of Adivasis and Muslims also grew
in this period.
 The average household income in rural
India has increased 5.0 % almost twice the
2.6 % annual growth in urban India
Q. The recently-concluded India Human
But at the same time Sachar Committee for
Development Survey (IHDS) seems to suggest
minorities had suggested that Muslims are
that the inclusive growth policy implemented
lagging behind in growth even compare to SCs
during the 11th Five Year Plan may have been
and STs. 70% population still dependent on
working. How? Examine.
primary activities which contribute only 13% of
GDP. More than 80 % workforce is in
Inclusive growth means providing equal
unorganized sector and lacks provision of social
opportunities to people of every section of society
security. Women work participation in urban
in the process of growth to benefit everyone
areas is going down.
equally. 11th FYP envisages providing inclusive
growth to all including women, backward classes, Inclusive growth remains a mirage for India.
STs and SCs, differentially able, and minorities. Govt. formulated 12th FYP with the theme
―more faster, inclusive and sustainable growth‖
should be implemented with more enthusiast
and zeal for the development of all sections of consumption . Awareness about the
society. symptoms and causes of the incidences of
cancer would aid in reducing the losses .
Q. What measures can government take to stop

the spread of cancer in India? Examine.
Q. It is found that certain cancers are affected by
Answer-
the socio-economic status of individuals in
India. Elaborate with examples.  India witness nearly one million new
cases of different cancers every year.
Tobacco is singularly responsible for
 The incidence of certain cancers was found
nearly 40 per cent of all cancers.
to be affected by the socio-economic status
of individuals. For instance, oral cancer was  To control cancer, Govt. launched
widely prevalent in the low income group. National Cancer Control Program in 1982.
―Ninety per cent of rural patients with oral The program envisages control of tobacco
cancer are poor,‖ Similarly, a study in related cancers; early diagnosis and
southern India has found that women with treatment of uterine cervical cancer; and
breast cancer are from a low socio-economic distribution of therapy services, pain relief
background in rural areas. and palliative care through developing
health infrastructure.
 A significant portion of the adult deaths
across the world are attributed to cancer. 
Cancer is the unregulated growth of cells in  Prevention and early diagnosis is
the body.The imbalance in the genes could important for cancer treatment because
be effect the different parts of the body stage 3 and 4 cases have very low results.
through blood stream. Govt. can take many measures to control
 Cancer is caused due to increased exposure cancer as-
to solar and nuclear radiations, consumption  1) Govt. can consider primary prevention
of alcohol,smokeless tobacco and bidis, The by promoting hygiene and sexual
unhygienic conditions and lack of sanitation behavior reducing cervical cancer
also lead to certain types of cancer. Studies incidence.
have shown the greater incidence of the  2) Regular breast self examination needs
cancer in the lower socio economic sections, to be promoted for early detection of
with ninety percent of the oral cancers being breast cancer.
reported in this section.  3) The school curricula should involve
 The cervical cancer in the poor women due messages for a healthy life style and warn
to Human papilloma virus infection is about the harmful effects of tobacco and
largely attributed to lack of sanitation and alcohol.
hygiene. The unhygienic conditions lead to  4) Legislation has to be enforced for
aggravating the conditions and aid in the prohibiting tobacco advertisement and
development of cancer tissues. The low sale of tobacco to youngsters.
awareness about the symptoms and the  5) A multidisciplinary approach to cancer
causes leads to exposing the people in the treatment is essential and this has to be
lower strata to greater risks. The delay in the made available at all Regional Cancer
access to the medical services exacerbate the Centers. In a country of 1.2 billion people,
conditions of the patients. we have just 2000 cancer specialists:
 The government should make efforts to radiation and medical oncologists. The
increase the availability and accessibility of services of a trained surgeon and a
the medical services to all . Moreover, Clinical Oncologist are needed to plan the
emphasis should be made to increase the most appropriate treatment.
awareness on the harmful effects of tobacco

 6) An essential drug list has to be  Many of the tribal villages suffer form the
prepared for cancer chemotherapy. shortage of drinking water supply.
 7) A network of cancer registries have to  Flouride in water…..
be set up to maintain earlier data. 
 8) The treatment costs are so high that  In towns and cities of the country
mere diagnosis can land a poor patient sustainable supply of portable drinking
into debt trap. Govt. should take steps to water is a major problem, which is a
bring down the treatment cost. problem on the sustainabiliy of our cities.
 Last year Supreme Court rejected shortage in water supply and poor water
Novartis attempt to win patent protection quality are the twin problems here. water
for a major cancer drug Gleevec, was a contaminated with bacteria,iron,ammonia
landmark judgment to make cancer etc poses several health problems.
treatment cost effective.  In summer the situation gets worse and the
 WHO contributes in Tobacco Control, municipalities will not be able to meet the
Palliative Care and Human resource water needs of all the wards.
development . The International Union  Bore wells, wells have gone dry in many
Against Cancer (UICC) and other agencies areas due to over utilization of the ground
are supporting fellowships and India can water.
utilize these opportunities to get the much  The crisis of drinking water shortage is not
needed human resource for the country. insurmountable it reqires strong political
India could take up these programs and will and civic awareness.
demonstrate to the World that Cancer  - Awareness should be created about the
Control is feasible and become a model for benefits of rain water harvesting and it
Cancer Control Programs in low resource should be made compulsory to have rain
settings. water harvesting structures in all the
houses, apartments, educational
institutions, companies .
 - River linking in place where it is feasible.
Q. Comment on the nature and magnitude of
 1. Decentralised water supply system:
drinking water problem in India. What
Rather than diverting rivers, emphasis
measures would you suggest to overcome these
should be given on rejuvenating local
problems?
water bodies.
 The problem of drinking water in our  - Better water management

country is a growing challenge not just in systems,sewage management systems to
cities but also in many villages. check the water contamination.
 villages are also facing the drinking water  -water shed management programmes in
crisis and the situation gets wore in dry villages, building of water storage
seasons. women have to travel longer structures like ponds.
distances to featch water. well and ponds  - large scale afforestation on barren and
dry up and there will be lack of water for waste lands to improve the ground water
the livestock and deaths of livestock due to potential. measures to ensure tree cover at
nonavailability of water in dry seasons is the catchment areas..
common.
 Arid and semi arid regions of the country 1. ―Childhood obesity has become the most
like bundelkhand,chambal valley, parts of serious health concern – even in our part of the
rajasthan , deccan plateau region , parts of world, where malnutrition is a big concern. ‖
karnataka,andhra pradesh face acute Critically comment on the reasons behind this
shortage of drinking water. paradox.

Business Standard
Anything that is consumed in excess or less than Efforts at family, social and legislative level are
actual requirement both causes adverse effects on required to face this problems. Parents should see
health. This what actually happening in our that child is having balanced food with all
country where many children are facing necessary nutrition and regular exercise. At
malnutrition on the other hand large number of school level also, teaching importance of healthy
children are facing childhood obesity. Today diet and increasing physical activities can be
childhood obesity is as serius health concern as done. Experts are debating on banning junk food
malnutrition. in school canteen, also categorizing food as red,
Childhood obesity is unnecessary accumulation orange and green per food contents is nice
of fats in body of children. It leads to increase in approach. Strict laws and schemes should made
risk of developing high blood pressure, to provide healthy diet to malnourished children.
cardiovascular diseases, cancer and reduced life
span. There are many other problems such as
laziness, not able to mix up with children of same Ans--The unequal distribution of the fruits of
age, emotional suffering etc. It is observed in growth and development in a developing country
urban population and number of cases are has many problems associated with it. One such
increasing day by day. Reasons behind this can be problem is health problem where the problems of
stated as changed lifestyle, consuming junk food childhood obesity and malnutrition co-exist in the
with no or less percentage of nutrients, vitamins society. The various reasons behind this paradox
and protein and large amount of salt, sugar and can be attributed to the following-
fats, lack of regular exercise, eating food while • Economic- A large section of society lives below
watching TV which leads to often over- poverty line and cannot afford and meet the
consumption etc. Industry people are health, nutrition and sanitation requirements
emphasizing on lack of regular health where as which lead to malnutrition. On the other hand,
pediatrician and doctors are focusing on junk the easy way of life due to more money and less
food and unhealthy eating habits as reason of time in urban places have led to dependence on
childhood obesity. processed and junk food causing obesity.
• Lifestyle- The economic condition largely paves
Apart from poverty...in rich also...malnutrition of the lifestyle. Thus, the children in poor families
different type=====critical who are also involved in earning living engage in
Malnutrition is caused by insufficient large amount of physical activities. However, the
consumption of nutrients, although excessive or children in other places engage themselves in
imbalanced nutrient consumption can also lead to indoor activities and less exercise due to the
malnutrition and obesity at the same time. This is sedentary and busy lifestyle causing obesity.
the paradox of the food consumption. • Negligence- The illiteracy and unawareness
among the poor parents leads to negligence of
their child‘s health. While unawareness among
In modern times, nutritionists point to a condition the parents in other regions of the consequence of
called over-nutrition as one of the primary causes obesity and belief that the energy-dense food is
of malnutrition in mainly in developed nations required during the growing stage and health
and spreading in developing countries like India, would improve with age leads to negligence of
China now with increasing use of Junk food. childhood obesity.
These junk food items include sufficient calories, Thus, the problem of malnutrition and obesity
carbohydrates and processed sugar and fat, but among the future generation needs to be
do not include enough vitamins, minerals, fiber prioritized by providing low-cost high-nutrition
and other nutrients. This leads to obesity and food, effective regulation of junk foods and
malnutrition simultaneously and related increasing awareness.
conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.

Pasted from and growth of a country. It is the single

<http://insightsonindia.com/2014/04/28/insigh largest problem facing India in its
ts-secure-2014-questions-on-current-events-174/> development efforts and needs to be
addressed urgently
honest effort, but one thing for poor, government  The economic growth in the past decade
have many scheme like- Aganwani scheme, but not ensured increased levels of sanitation.
the implementation of these scheme is poor, these 57 percent of the Indians still resort to
marketed the things those get from govt.if we open defecation. The lack of effective
correct this in this way,we can provide food sewage management aggravates the
supplement to poor. problem by worsening the levels of
2 school-hood obesity due to over exposure or sanitation and hygiene.
aggressive ad strategy of these big commercial  Though the advances have been made in
entity. the technology domain, the application in
the social domain has remained low.
Effective usage of technology could be
lead to improved levels of sanitation.
Q. Explain how technology can be harnessed to Firstly, there is a need for technology
bring sanitation to Indian villages and cities induction in the construction and
accessibility to toilets. The high cost and
 As per the National Sample Survey (2012), unavailability of the water restrict the use
only 32% of families in India have their of the conventional toilets. Different
own toilets. And only an additional 9% models of the toilets such pit toilet , eco
have access to one. This is the shocking san toilets have been exhibited which do
state of Indian Sanitation. This crisis is not use water and are economic.
compounded by the lack of access to Moreover,the waste treatment leads to
water which further hampers hygiene and generation of fertilizers which could be
leads to various diseases and morbidity. used in the fields.
 Technology, harnessed intelligently can be  An effective sewage treatment plan by
a way out. It needs to be applied at all adopting modern technology and
levels in the sanitation chain – scientific methods would lead to
containment (toilets), emptying (septic increasing sanitation levels at reduced
tanks), transportation (to sewage facilities) cost. The technology could be used for the
and waste treatment and disposal. increasing the awareness among the
 Many international organisations and people and encouraging the use of the
private foundations are contributing toilets.
millions for innovative no-water required  Though the initiatives undertaken by the
solutions. DRDO has unveiled their bio- government under different schemes for
digestor toilets that convert waste into health and rural construction has led to
methane gas that can be further used. increase in sanitation, technology
Costing just Rs. 15000, they are an induction can lead to further gains in
economical alternative especially on a ensuring the sanitation and hygiene
community sharing basis. Scientific levels.
solutions to water management can also
be applied to traditional toilets. For
example, reuse of grey water for flushing.
We also need to Upgrade sewage facilities Q. Critically examine the problems being faced
and recycle waste, like the recent by the state and central governments in properly
breakthrough of using solar energy to implementing welfare schemes.
sterilize waste and covert it into charcoal.
 Poor Sanitation not only direct affects
health but indirectly inhibits productivity Answer

Govt. have been implementing many programs their power properly to tame the guilty
and schemes like MGNREGA, Mid-Day-Meal, officers
ICDS, IAY, RAY, old age pensions, slum 7) Lack of transparency and accessibility to
development etc. But many of these schemes are details and status of implementation
performing poor and facing many problems in 8) Prolonged departmental inquiries lead to
implementation. more opportunity for irregularity.
Lack of proper synchronization among state and
centre officials and machineries, Lack of
awareness among people and beneficiaries, Q. ―To improve overall health, the public health
ineffective monitoring of program sector will have to coordinate and collaborate
implementation and Improper resources with other sectors, nationally and regionally,
utilization, frequent transfers of program officers and with several stakeholders.‖ In the light of
also reduce the work willingness and the statement, critically comment on the role of
accountability, Lack of transparency and the governments, political parties in reforming
accessibility to details and status of this sector.
implementation, prolonged departmental
inquiries leads to more opportunity for
irregularity in many schemes. Answer-
many schemes like MGNREGS etc. suffers due to Health is an umbrella term in many ways. It
its dependency on the local self government primarily depends on many interrelated sectors at
(often the village panchayats) and faces caste national scale.
prejudices, politicization and a complete lack of Health is dependent on quality of water we drink,
accountability. People belonging to the lower air we inhale, sanitation, infrastructure available
castes suffer from discrimination and do not for treatment and quality of food we take.
enjoy equal rights of employment and wages they this requires coordination among various
are entitled to under the scheme. ministries of government for eg transport
Many old age pension schemes also witnesses ministry for air quality (EURO norms), sanitation,
cases where the pension gets disbursed to the food department etc.
beneficiary after his/her death and since there is Also any development at far away places like
nobody to claim it, that money ends up filling up new drug discovery, new practices and know
pockets of the officials in charge. This problem, how needs to be shared regionally and globally,
however, can be handled if funds are released in which requires coordinated effort on part of all
time and carefully monitored. stake holders.
Reluctant financial officers don‘t exercise their Government has initiated many schemes like
power properly to tame the guilty officers NRHM, primary health care system, janani
suraksha karyakrma, ASHAs to cater rural areas,
Immunization programmes to cater health related
 Main points : (in the above answer) services to people, but due to implementation
1) Lack of proper synchronization among issues, lack of trained manpower, proper
state and centre officials and machineries awareness, corruption schemes are not showing
2) Lack of awareness among people and proper results, so a revitalization of all is
beneficiaries required.
3) Improper or ineffective monitoring of NGOs and local level participation will certainly
program implementation and resources make way for good, politiciations with their
utilization wider reach may urge and mobilize people for
4) Insufficient fund allocation and misuses o better healthcare facility for masses.
diversion of the fund  India needs to expand its health sector
5) Frequent transfers of program officers because of increasing incidence of various
also reduce the work willingness and diseases and also to improve various HDI
accountability indicator.Expansion is taking place, but
6) Reluctant financial officers don‘t exercise because of investment in private sector,

usage of which pertains to huge cost, out only focus on BPL but also include the
of bound to many of country‘s population. APL in its domain. Also, Essential
 Public health sector has to collaborate medicines should be provided at
with private sector, to augment the subsidized rate to all.
capacity and expertise. It also needs to
work with NGO‘s and organization like  Including the private sectors is necessary
doctor‘s without borders. as they are the first-point contact of many
 The most basic requirement is of human people. Though autonomy for private
resources, which is what we are lacking in sector should not be disturbed yet the
pubic sector, we have to establish more government should monitor the quality
nursing schools and also medical school, and other services it provides.
so as to improve the healthcare facilities. Government should also invest in
 The above initiative will require infrastructure by including private
improvement at all the level of through PPP model.
government. If all these stakeholders are included, it is
 1. Primary health care center at rural and obvious that India can soon comply with
urban centers are required to be the MDG targets.
improved.
 2. State level hospital: For all the
secondary care and some tertiary care.
Q. Explain how technology can be harnessed to
 3. Central level: We need to establish
bring sanitation to Indian villages and cities.
super-specialty centers in various parts of
country.
 As per the National Sample Survey (2012),
 However, all these will require huge
only 32% of families in India have their
investment and such an amount can only
own toilets. And only an additional 9%
be made available if politicians root for it.
have access to one. This is the shocking
Investment in health care may not
state of Indian Sanitation. This crisis is
generate short-term electoral benefit, but
compounded by the lack of access to
in the longer run it will be beneficial to
water which further hampers hygiene and
country and also to politician.
leads to various diseases and morbidity.

 Technology, harnessed intelligently can be
 Diseases like TB show that the public
a way out. It needs to be applied at all
sector needs the help of different
levels in the sanitation chain –
stakeholders in tackling diseases, be it at
containment (toilets), emptying (septic
regional or national level or by including
tanks), transportation (to sewage facilities)
private sector.
and waste treatment and disposal.
The Political parties should try to tackle
 Many international organisations and
this issue. This can be done by
private foundations are contributing
coordinating the different sectors like
millions for innovative no-water required
water, food , pollution sectors that can
solutions. DRDO has unveiled their bio-
have effect on health of the people. Inter
digestor toilets that convert waste into
regional disparity in health should be
methane gas that can be further used.
reduced through targeted policies
Costing just Rs. 15000, they are an
formulated at regional and national level.
economical alternative especially on a
More number of health sectors employees
community sharing basis. Scientific
should be deployed . Here, Service by
solutions to water management can also
ASHA workers are commendable and
be applied to traditional toilets. For
they should be hired with proper
example, reuse of grey water for flushing.
incentives. Primary health centers need to
We also need to Upgrade sewage facilities
be boosted while the tertiary should not
and recycle waste, like the recent

breakthrough of using solar energy to Despite sufficient food production, India faces
sterilize waste and covert it into charcoal. food insecurity problem. Critically examine the
 Poor Sanitation not only direct affects important reasons behind this insecurity and
health but indirectly inhibits productivity throw light on upcoming challenges if this
and growth of a country. It is the single insecurity continues to persist.
largest problem facing India in its
development efforts and needs to be
addressed urgently With teaming millions and the population
 expected to cross China‘s population by 2028,
 ensuring food security is a persistent challenge to
 The economic growth in the past decade address. The main reasons behind the present state
not ensured increased levels of sanitation. of food mismanagement are:
57 percent of the Indians still resort to (a) Food production: Though our production is far
open defecation. The lack of effective greater than our need yet, the mismanaged
sewage management aggravates the subsidies are inhibiting production to match the
problem by worsening the levels of changing consumption pattern. Hence, cereals are
sanitation and hygiene. surplus while fruits and vegetables face constant
 Though the advances have been made in inflation.
the technology domain, the application in (b) Post harvest wastages: By all standards food
the social domain has remained low. loss post harvest accounts to approx. 40% of the
Effective usage of technology could be total production. Poor supply chain, lack of cold
lead to improved levels of sanitation. storage and near absence of food processing sector
Firstly, there is a need for technology are major infrastructural bottlenecks causing huge
induction in the construction and food loss.
accessibility to toilets. The high cost and (c) Accessibility. Food accessibility (according to
unavailability of the water restrict the use FAO) is the major cause of food insecurity. Our
of the conventional toilets. Different antiquated laws like APMC, Essential commodity
models of the toilets such pit toilet , eco act etc renders any development of pan national
san toilets have been exhibited which do agricultural market.
not use water and are economic. (d) Nutritional outcomes: Poor nutrition
Moreover,the waste treatment leads to knowledge has caused not only malnutrition and
generation of fertilizers which could be under nurishment but also lifestyle disease like
used in the fields. obesity. Nutri cereals like jowa, bajara, ragi are
 An effective sewage treatment plan by both cheap and nutritious and should be
adopting modern technology and promoted.
scientific methods would lead to Upcoming Challenges:
increasing sanitation levels at reduced With population expected to cross 1.7b by 2050,
cost. The technology could be used for the the major challenges regarding food security are:
increasing the awareness among the (a) Production: With shrinking area under
people and encouraging the use of the cultivation and stagnating outcome of green
toilets. revolution, constant rise in production is a major
 Though the initiatives undertaken by the challenge. BGREI along with R&D in high yield
government under different schemes for varities need focus.
health and rural construction has led to (b) Climate change: A monsoon dependent
increase in sanitation, technology agriculture faces great threat from climate change.
induction can lead to further gains in Holistic strategy consisting of R&D, irrigation
ensuring the sanitation and hygiene expansion, and containing global temperature rise
levels. is an area to focus on.
(c) Food processing: Changing life style favours
processed foods. Challenge lies not only in
developing food processing sector but also

sticking to CODEX, GHP,GMP standards. line with relative poverty line. Its recommendation
(d) Food wastages: 40% food loss and high of linking welfare schemes to particular
inflation reflects poorly on our supply chain and deprivations rather than poverty line is also
processing activities. Pan national agrimarket, commendable.
supply chain development, cold storage,
reforming and legislating new agri laws will There is an urgent need to simplify this complex
determine the outcome on this front. statistical exercise so that people are able to
(e) Awareness: Awareness towards safe and identify themselves as poors or not, and apply for
nutitious food to realise the dream of healthy India entitlements. A multidimensional aspect of
needs aggressive IEC activities. poverty should also be accounted in any
estimation.
Critically comment on the approach taken by ( Some gyaan on Ranga poverty estimates )
the Rangarajan committee to measure poverty
in India. (Regarding doubling of urban poverty line.
Increase in rent of house and education is always
more in urban compared to rural so.
Poverty estimation is a important socio-political
exercise. Different expert groups like: Y K Alag, D For reducing calories. Use human shift machines,
T Lakdawala and Suresh Tendulkar have tried energy requirement automatically comes down.
time and again to solve this riddle. The latest such
attempt is made by C Rangarajan. Observe that Ranga reduced the calorie
requirement- why?
C Rangarajan has reverted back to food intake
norms. It used the per capita expenditure data of  Because ICMR study report said so.
NSS using ―modified mixed reference period‖. The Besides, over the years use of machinery
result added 100 million people over Tendulkar and vehicles has increased, so today‘s
estimation of 270 million poors in 2011-2012. generation doesn‘t require that much
―calorie‖
Rangarajan estimates set minimum requirement of
calories ( protein and fats) but missed the nutrition Poverty in India: Year 2011
outcome which itself depend on a number of Formula # of BPL in crores
factors like health, sanitation, drinking water etc. Tendu 27
Ranga 37
Secondly it failed to explain its arbitrary difference 10 crore = 100 million BPL increased.
discounting of calorie norm by 10%. ( it said that
increased mechanization has reduced the calorie publicity because:
needs of a human  )
Use of NSS mmrp expenditure data has doubled
o He kept poverty line to be ridiculously
the urban poverty while rural poverty are much
low – Rs.32 for rural and Rs.47 for Urban.
similar to Tendulkar estimation, an anomaly
o Therefore He is insensitive towards the
difficult to understand.
poor.
Access and delivery of public service, an
never gave those daily numbers. He
important determinant of poverty, is not taken
had given combined poverty line for a family of
into account.
five members- Rs.7035 (Urban), which is a
plausible number. After all, if you live in a family
Yet, the credit goes to Rangarajan group for
of five, then some costs will get reduced per head
delinking poverty estimation from fixed
(e.g. rent, lightbill, LPG etc.)
consumption level and replacing absolute poverty

under-nutrition of women and children, especially

= their income would be definitely above 7000. So the female child, continues to be a major issue.
in reality, Ranga has not ―insulted‖ the poor.
Infact, He has tried to cover more poor under BPL [Relevant efforts by govt.: Integrated Child
& Sarkaari schemes. Development Scheme or ICDS (1975) and National
itive‖ daily Mid-Day Meal Scheme, Antyodaya Anna Yojana,
Expenditure figures (Rs.33, Rs.47) by dividing the Targeted Public Distribution Scheme (TPDS)]
monthly Expenditure of five people, then further Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
dividing that number by 30. c) Target 3- to ensure all boys & girls complete a
full course of primary schooling is ON TRACK.
The primary completion rate of both the sexes has
into purchasing power parity (PPP), it‘s $2.44 per increased significantly from 55% in 1993 to 85.7%
person, per day. And that figure even higher than in 2006.
World bank estimate. In other words, Ranga [Relevant efforts by govt.: Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
included more poor in BPL, than even World (SSA), Prarambhik Shiksha Kosh (PSK), District
bank would! Primary Education Programme (DPEP) ]
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and women
Critically examine India‘s achievements in empowerment
meeting the targets of the Millennium d) Target 4- To eliminate gender disparity in
Development Goals. primary and secondary education, by 2005, and in
all levels of education by 2015 is ON TRACK.
There has been an appreciable increase in the
The MDGs adopted by the United Nations in the gender parity index at all levels of education. The
year 2000 project the efforts of the international share of women in wage employment in the
community as an effort to free people from nonagricultural sector and proportion of seats held
miserable and dehumanizing conditions of in Parliament has risen
extreme poverty. The MDGs are eight goals to be [Relevant efforts by govt.: National Programme for
achieved by 2015. Corresponding targets and the Education of Girls at the Elementary Level
achievements by India are: (NPEGEL), Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya
Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger (KGBV), Mahila Samakhya (MS), National policy
a) Target 1- To reduce by half the proportion of for the empowerment of women]
people living on less than a dollar a day is ON Goal 4: Reduce child Mortality
TRACK. According to national estimates e) Target 5-To reduce by two thirds the mortality
population below poverty line came down from rate among children under five is MODERATELY
36% in 1993 to 25% in 2008 which should be ON TRACK. With current rate of decline of IMR
further reduced to 18.75% by 2015. and U5MR India could not catch up this target.
[Relevant efforts by govt.: Child health
[Relevant efforts by govt.: National Rural interventions under the Reproductive and Child
Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), Health (RCH) Programme]
Swaranjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY), Goal 5: Improve maternal health
Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY), Jawahar Lal Nehru f) Target 6- To reduce by three quarters the
Urban Renewal Mission, Integrated Housing and maternal mortality ratio is SLOW or OFF TRACK.
Slum Development Program and Swarna Jayanti MMR declined to 200 per 100, 000 live births in
Shahari Rojgar Yojana (SJSRY)] 2007 but it should reach 109 by 2015. The progress
toward reaching this estimated goal appears to be
seemingly slow.
b) Target 2- To Reduce by half the proportion of [Relevant efforts by govt.: Janani Suraksha Yojana,
people who suffer from hunger is NOT ON (JSY) which is a safe motherhood scheme under
TRACK. Though proportion of undernourished NRHM, round-the-clock delivery services at PHCs
people decreased from 25% in 1991 to 20% in 2002, etc.]

Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other Goal 8: Develop global partnership for
diseases development
g) Target 7- To have halted by 2015 and begun to l) Target 18- To make available the benefits of new
reverse spread of HIV/AIDS is ON TRACK. technologies, especially information and
[Relevant efforts by govt.: Condom Vending communication, in cooperation with the private
Machine (CVM) Project in collaboration with sector is ON FAST TRACK. India‘s diverse
Hindustan Latex limited, School Based economy ranges from traditional village farming
Adolescence Programme, Free anti-retroviral to a wide range of modern industries, and a
treatment (ART) centers] multitude of services. India‘s increasing
h) Target 8- To have halted by 2015 and begun to participation with the world economy is evident
reverse spread of Malaria and other diseases is from the trade to GDP ratio. The promotion of e-
MODERATELY ON TRACK. Malarial and TB governance on a massive scale is one of the
cases were brought down. Malarial death rate also important areas of concern of the National
declined. Common Minimum Needs Programme of the
[Relevant efforts by govt.: National Vector Borne Government.
Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) for control Despite the existence and launch of various
of malaria, drug distribution centers (DDCs), fever programs and policies to address the major areas
treatment depots (FTDs) and malaria clinics; of concern under the MDGs, the progress toward
Directly Observed Treatment Short course (DOTS) achieving these goals appears to be rather slow in
strategy for TB] most of the areas, with the exception of education
Goal 7: Ensure Environment sustainability and global economic progress. It has been
i) Target 9- To integrate the principles of observed that the utilization of services offered by
sustainable development into country policies and different programs is rather low. With only about
programmes and reverse the loss of environmental an year more to go for achieving these goals, the
resources is ON TRACK. The proportion of land only way to do so would be to further intensify
covered by the forest area has shown a very our efforts in reaching out to the unreached
marginal increase. In terms of the per capita populations and ensuring uniform distribution of
consumption of ozone depleting substances (ODS), resources.
India seems to have taken effective measures.
[Relevant efforts by govt.: Joint Forest
Management scheme, Rajiv Gandhi Grameen ―It is imperative that the government reviews
Vidyutikiran Yojana] the methods of gathering data on poverty
j) Target 10- To halve, by 2015, the proportion of estimates without further delay and
people without sustainable access to safe drinking significantly retool its development schemes.‖
water is ON TRACK and basic sanitation is NOT Comment. (200 Words)
ON TRACK. The proportion of people with access
to safe drinking water increased to 89% in 2006 It is beyond any doubt that data gathering plays
from 62% in 1991. While Basic sanitation to be on an extremely role in helping the policy makers
low pace. design appropriate policies, allocate funds, and
k) Target 11- To have achieved a significant putting thrust upon the implementation. The data
improvement in the lives of at least 100 million gathering assumes an even more important role
slum dwellers is NOT ON TRACK. Posses major when it comes to find out the number of poor in
challenge with rapid growth in urban slums with the country. As India continues to act as a welfare
no sanitary facilities. state, the major emphasis of the government is to
[Relevant efforts by govt.: National Urban alleviate the poor out of the poverty via numerous
Renewal Mission, Valmiki Ambedkar Awas schemes on food security, employment generation,
Yojana (VAMBAY) and National Slum primary and higher education, health and
Development Programme (NSDP), Rajiv Gandhi sanitation and so on.
National Drinking Water Mission, Total Sanitation
Campaign (TSC)] However, it is increasingly being realized that the
data gathering process by several departments of

state and central governments such as National child in school and at home to implement the best
Sample Survey Organization (NSSO), survey practices and adopting long term measures as part
department of Ministry of Housing and Urban of their life. For this many factors work like
Poverty Alleviation, The Census etc. is not illiteracy of parents, insensitivity in teachers,
coherent and many times reflect major differences overburdened schedules, widespread corruption
in the data of the same set of samples. and poverty overdues of two-meal syndrome.
Also recently highlighted issues are education not
For example, the data gathering of urban slum according to situation, non-preference to
households conducted by different organizations continuity of education in all circumstances
have shown significant variations and there are according to regional realities, non-maintainance
different procedures they have followed to come of infrastructure, deficit of good teachers, non-
to the numbers. recognition of teaching as a credible profession,
inadequate proper skill based job oriented training
Hence, It is quite imperative that there should be a in education so that a child can bring expertise into
single framework of collecting the data for a the learning and practical orientation towards
particular set of people in order to enable our entrepreneurship, absence of strong education
policy makers to design good policies and mentorship so that child can recognise its interests
implementation gets eas and arrive at meaningful career choice, non-
compatibility of education sector with the
changing trends in the job sector, absence of a
Poverty and education are critically linked but not scheme where women are given priority to learn
much recognised. Reason is incompatibility of skills along with the children, proper education
long term investments and impact of education insurance schemes, etc. All these need to be taken
and short term issues of survival in poverty. Poor into account if education has to become productive
children face issues of discrimination, facilities, and effective in elimination of poverty
hunger, inadequate concentration, house help in
income, etc. In rural areas they face further issues
of distances, transport, infrastructure, calamities, Q---―When it comes to economic matters, the
agriculture help, displacement on land acquisition government is an enabler and facilitator. Its
and other issues of health and sanitation. Esp girls primary job is to develop and maintain a system
become more vulnerable when no toilets for them in which people – the rich and the poor – can
are in school as indicated by a study showing less take steps by themselves to better their lives. ‖
than 10% schools having it. Issues of health In the light of the statement, critically examine
hazards like mixing of urinal and faecal bacteria the nature of poverty removal programmes in
into water and food consumed causing severe India.
diarrhoea and other ailments of worms and
intestinal problems. These cause disruption in Economy of a country and its well-being surely
studies and deterioration of health and decrease in depends on all the stake holders involved in it
nutrition status along with defence strength of a like the Government, Investors(Public + Private),
child. Another poverty related issue is awareness Human Capital) and if one overlaps the other the
of teachers and parents which is seriously lacking economy will go down. This was the attitude of
on all above fronts. all the governments in power. The state is acting
Govt has taken many steps like ICDS, mdm, as a mediator between the so called poor and the
deworming, vitamin tablets, telling children about capitalists/investors. The policies were biased
handwashing, mosquito nets, bicycle schemes, towards just the so called peoples well-being.
subsidised books and dress , Right to Education
This is where all the governments are going in a
for 8 yrs till 14 yrs age, etc but still the measures
wrong way designed by politicians and
are either partially applied or inadequate
bureaucrats. The state should only be a facilitator
monitoring left the measures ineffective. Also part
and enabler. It should not try to give the needy
of the issue is non-involvement of parents and
what they want instead teach the person to come
teachers into the whole process of well being of a

out of their misery on their own.(Teach to catch MIE's uniqueness is its ability to attract children
Fish instead of giving them the fish). – provide towards the Learning Station driven purely by
the right impetus to the industry and right skills their own interests.
to the human capital so that they can earn on
their own. Conventional pedagogy, on the other hand,
focuses on the teacher's ability to disseminate
But off-late government policies are recognizing information in a classroom setting. MIE thus
this, with the introduction of Rashtriya krishi complements the formal schooling system by
vikas yojana and few others of the same. But if we providing a much needed balance for a child to
see other schemes like MGNREGA-scheme learn on her own and provides for a holistic
designed to uplift the poor, Food Security scheme learning experience.
though started on a good note are major factors
for rising fiscal deficits. It has gone on to become an important project
with the formation of Hole in the Wall Education
On this note, it is high time that the new govt in Limited (HiWEL), a cooperative effort between
place should review these policies without NIIT and the International Finance Corporation
affecting the beneficiaries much and sending the which is employed in some 300 ‗learning stations‘
wrong signal among the masses. covering around 300,000 children in India and
various other nations.
Q-Explain the importance of minimally invasive
education concept and its application in Importance for India
India.(200 words)
-- Level of education in Government schools
(Quality, Teacher-pupil ratio)
Minimally Invasive Education is defined as a
pedagogic -- Increasing population = need for education
(the function or work of a teacher; teaching.)
method that uses the learning environment to -- Tapping the demographic dividend = for their
generate an adequate level of motivation to timely contribution in the economy
induce learning in groups of children, with
minimal, or no, intervention by a teacher. -- For inclusive development and growth
Today‘s children do not need only basic -- will fill the gap between traditional ongoing
education, but also the ability to deal with an education system and requirement of todays
increasingly complex and connected world. generation.
We need to create inclusive educational solutions

that address all sections of society and help
transform them. Q- Critically analyze the role of ASHAs as an
interface between the community and the public
MIE uses children's natural curiosity and focuses health system. Have they been successful in
on providing an enabling environment where their mission? Give your views. (200 Words)
they can learn on their own. Children, in the
process of freely experimenting with the Learning ASHA = introduced to bridge the gap between
Station, pick up critical problem solving skills. Gov. Health services in rural areas and their
(very similar to Tagore‘s idea of education – intended beneficiary.
―Learning from Nature‖ )
Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) = key
It also provides a collaborative setting where components (women form community itself) of
children can share their knowledge and in the the National Rural Health Mission.
process, develop better group dynamics, all in a
highly natural environment. ASHA= trained community health activist = first
port of call for any health related demands of

deprived sections of the population, especially -- Despite the training given to ASHAs, lacunae
women and children. still exists in their knowledge regarding various
aspects of child health morbidity.
ASHA is responsible for promoting universal
immunization, referral and providing escort Improvement in performance incentives required
services for RCH and other health programmes that will encourage ASHAs for more effective
and construction of household toilets results = Government must try to strengthen this
by proper appraisal, feedback mechanism, and
Nearly 8.85 lakhs ASHA are now covering 70% of better fresher and periodic training to the
the rural area. recruited ASHA workers.
According to the NRHM guidelines, ASHAs are
Q-Comment on the recommendations of High
paid performance-based incentives Selected from
Level Expert Group on Universal Health
the village itself and accountable to it.
Coverage of the Planning Commission. (150
Positives Words)
-- Utilization of healthcare services at the --will address the question of criminal culpability
peripheral level has improved. of medical practitioners.
-- According to a report released by the State --will be good where the health care system — in
Institute of Health & Family Welfare, Rajasthan, the public and the private sector — functions
ASHA workers have brought an increase of 80.7% under sub-optimal conditions; while the entire
in institutional deliveries. medical profession operates within the purview
of the Consumer Protection Act.
-- has helped in improved immunization,
institutional deliveries and post neonatal care. --There is, above all, a need for mandatory
accreditation of all medical facilities in the public
-- They are instrumental in decreasing mortality and private sectors and an independent
due to malaria and other infectious diseases.( evaluation of their performance.
diarrhoea etc. )
--A health regulatory authority to develop legal,
-- have helped reducing infant and maternal financial and regulatory norms is the other
mortality. proposal in the report.
Negatives -- India‘s doctor-to-population ratio is well below
the World Health Organisation stipulation of one
-- needs to be done like increasing
per one thousand and calls for urgent corrective
remuneration,quick reimbursement
intervention.
-- lot of overload on one ASHA worker at ground
The recommendations of the HLEG, inter-alia,
level.
include:
-- recent research has found that ASHA‘s are not
aware of their role as given in the NRHM (i) Increase public expenditure on health to at
guidelines. least 2.5 percent of GDP by the end of the 12th
Plan and to at least 3% of GDP by 2022.
-- none of the ASHAs are involved in village
level health planning programmes such as (ii) Ensure availability of free essential medicines
construction of toilets, promotion of hygienic by increasing public spending on drug
practices etc. procurement.
-- ASHAs are institutionally limited by the (iii) Purchase of all health care services under the
outcome-based remuneration structure and poor Universal Health Coverage (UHC) system should
institutional support be undertaken either directly by the Central and
state governments through their Departments of (xv) Introduce All India and state level Public
Health or by quasi-governmental autonomous Health Service Cadres and a specialized state
agencies established for the purpose. level Health Systems Management Cadre in order
to give greater attention to public health and also
(iv) All government funded insurance schemes strengthen the management of the UHC system.
should, over time, be integrated with the UHC
system. All health insurance cards should, in due (xvi) Establishment of National Health
course, be replaced by National Health Regulatory and Development Authority
Entitlement Cards. The technical and other (NHRDA).
capacities developed by the Ministry of Labour
for the RSBY should be leveraged as the core of (xvii) National Drug Regulatory and
UHC operations – and transferred to the Ministry Development Authority (NDRDA): The main aim
of Health and Family Welfare. of NDRDA should be to regulate pharmaceuticals
and medical devices and provide patients access
(v) Develop a National Health Package that to safe and cost effective products.
offers, as part of the entitlement of every citizen,
essential health services at different levels of the The recommendations of the High Level Expert
health care delivery system. Group (HLEG) are considered by Planning
Commission, for formulating the 12th Five Year
(vi) Reorient health care provision to focus Plan which has to be approved by the National
significantly on primary health care. Development Council (NDC).
(vii) Strengthen District Hospitals. Q-Critically examine India‘s Revised National

TB Control Programme (RNTCP) (200 Words)
(viii) Ensure adequate numbers of trained health
care providers and technical health care workers The Revised National Tuberculosis Control
at different levels by a) giving primacy to the Programme (RNTCP), although pilot-tested in
provision of primary health care b) increasing 1993, began large-scale expansion in late 1998. By
Human Resources for Health (HRH) density to early 2001, more than one third of the country
achieve WHO norms of at least 23 health workers was covered by RNTCP, making it the second
(doctors, nurses, and midwives). largest such progrmme in the world.
(ix) Establish District Health Knowledge Although the diagnostic and treatment policies of
Institutes (DHKIs). RNTCP are technically very sound, perhaps its
greater strength lies in its system of reporting.
(x) Establish the National Council for Human
The DOTS strategy along with the other
Resources in Health (NCHRH).
components of the Stop TB strategy, implemented
under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control
(xi) Transform existing Village Health
Program (RNTCP) in India, is a comprehensive
Committees (or Health and Sanitation
package for TB control.
Committees) into participatory Health Councils.
Every day in India, under the RNTCP, more than
(xii) Ensure the rational use of drugs. 15,000 suspects are being examined for TB, free of
charge.
(xiii) Set up national and state drug supply
logistics corporations. The diagnosis of these patients and the follow-up
of patients on treatment are achieved through the
(xiv) Empower the Ministry of Health and Family examination of more than 50,000 laboratory
Welfare to strengthen the drug regulatory specimens.
system.

As a result of these examinations, each day, about Imposing conditions like compulsory vaccination,
3,500 patients are started on treatment, stopping schooling can be included in schemes like Food
the spread of TB in the community. Security, MGNREGA, Direct Benefit Transfer
started recently. Already, Mid Day Meal uses
In order to achieve this, more than 600,000 health such dual targeting of education and food
care workers have been trained and more than provisio. But proper feasibility study needs to be
11,500 designated laboratory Microscopy Centers conducted for the success of such schemes in
have been upgraded and supplied with binocular Indian conditions and system. Hence,
microscopes since the inception of the RNTCP. undoubtedly, Bolsa Familia presents a role model
for Indian policy makers.
As a result of rapid expansion in diagnostic
facilities, the proportions of sputum- positive
cases confirmed in the laboratory are double that
of the previous program and are on par with Q-Bring out the importance of social prescribing
international standards. in providing a healthcare solution to patients
suffering from mental health problems. (150
Despite the rapid expansion, overall performance Words)
remains good and in many areas is excellent.
Treatment success rates have tripled from 25%in Answer)
the earlier program to 86%in RNTCP.
Social prescribing aims to expand the options
Q-Critically evaluate Brazil‘s Bolsa available in a primary care consultation. This
Familia program in eradicating poverty. expansion is in the direction of strong choices-
Examine in which schemes this program can be options that make available new life
adopted in India successfully. (200 Words) opportunities that can add meaning, form new
relationships, or give the patient a chance to take
Bolsa Familia (Family Grant) is a direct cash responsibility or be creative, which typically
transfer scheme of Brazil started in 2002. It includes activities from dance classes to knitting
provides money to the 14 million poor families of groups and cookery clubs.
Brazil. Conditions for getting this benefit are Usually these services need to be available locally
compulsory vaccination of children and their and often within the voluntary, community, and
attendance in schools. According to a recent social enterprise sector.
report by UN, Brazil has seen significant fall in
In all cases, social prescribing is a formal means
the poverty numbers in the last decade, owing to
of making links to locally accessible opportunities
this scheme.
for patients. Where there is nothing appropriate
Bolsa Familia not enhances the incomes of poor, (especially in rural areas) it can provide a
but also target menace of illiteracy and child framework for getting something started. Once
mortality. Although some criticisms are thrown the facilitator and supporting network is in place,
like being populist and affecting the labour force making the ‗prescription‘ is quick and easy.
requirements , but its benefit towards poor
Social prescription is claimed to have a range of
overshadow such allegations. The success of
positive outcomes for individuals including
scheme is immense.
enhanced self-esteem, improved mood,
India also stations large numbers of poor, opportunities for social contact, increased self-
undernourished and illiterate. Thus Bolsa Familia efficacy, various transferable skills and greater
presents positive opportunities to adopt in Indian confidence.
schemes. Specially, the conditions which
Developed societies around the world are
empower Bolsa Familia and make it multi-faceted
struggling to provide universal health care at an
can be adopted in India. Indian parents,
affordable cost. Population growth, longer life
especially poor, often discourage their children
expectancy for some, increasingly expensive
from education due to economic and social
factors.

technology, and rising patient expectations are immunisation along with a feedback system for
widely expected to make this problem worse. the ANM, ASHA etc to ensure that all pregnant
women receive their Ante-Natal Care Check-ups
At the same time a recent World Health
(ANCs) and post-natal care (PNCs); and further
Organization report underlines how powerfully
children receive their full immunisation.
social determinants contribute to shortened life
expectancy in the poor. In short, society is not The Janani Suraksha Yojana is the key strategy to
meeting our needs despite (perhaps because of) achieve this reduction which is a modified
the most important ones being simple and few. scheme of National Maternity Benefit Scheme. In
JSY the dominant explanation became one of a
Social prescribing has been shown to help some
cash transfer that hinged on a condition -whether
individuals and is an option we should
the pregnant woman chose to deliver in an
embrace. This requires a shift in medical culture
institution or not.
towards a closer identification with the public
health of the local community. Also other parallel schemes were planned to meet
increasing deliveries. JSY achieved scale in terms
Q- Critically examine the steps taken by the of increased volume of intuitional deliveries in
government in ensuring safe institutional health facilities, but a number of major concerns
delivery for pregnant women in India. (200 began to emerge no proper clinical and
Words) supportive care, reaching the poorest and most
marginalised, and Persistence of home deliveries
–40% in most districts. Hoping current incentives
Institutional deliveries help pregnant woman by ministry to improve infrastructure would
further help in institutional deliveries.
accessible to skilled attendants and also helps
during emergency to combat maternal deaths.
Q-In your opinion why India has high rate of
Due to poor economic conditions and lack of MMR? (150 Words)
proper transportation facilities,
underdevelopment of hospitals and its equipment
people prefer to undergo in homes as they cannot India joined with international community in
affordable to private institutions. millennium development programme, as a part of
Government incentives to promote deliveries in which reduction of 2/3rd mortality deaths by
institutions include 2015 was one of the prescribed goals.
--National Rural Health Mission and Jan Despite of all this still India is having high MMR
Suraksha Yojana is due to
-- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has -poor infrastructure facilities in hospitals,
drafted protocols on improving the condition of
labour rooms in public-funded hospitals. -not aware of medical necessity and also
--ASHA role haemorrhage,
-sepsis,
National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) launched
in 2005 provide equitable accessible and -obstructed labor and unsafe abortions remain the
affordable health care by reduction in MMR is biggest direct preventable medical causes,
one of its goals. -Teenage pregnancy is one of the major area of
In NHRM there is seperate program for pregnent concern,
women, i.e MCTS(mother and child tracking
system). -poverty,
The goal of MCTS is pregnant women and - human resource paucity,

children can be tracked for their ANCs and

-Gov. spending below 1% They are strangled in the vicious circle of poverty.
To facilitate proper institutionalized delivery to

curb maternal death GOI initiated certain Furthermore there are many people in backward
schemes like National Rural Health Mission, Jan classes who do not deserve positive
Suraksha Yojana Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog discrimination as they are well off and sustain
Yojana (IGMSY) and the Pradhan Mantri Gram themselves but hey still seek benefits, hence the
Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). parameters that define the affirmative actions has
to re-examined and more comprehensive
These schemes contributed to reduction of MMR mechanism to include all desirable people should
in appreciable percent but still India ranks 142 be added based on their financial status rather
among 176 countries in MMR. than their lineage of caste.
This is because of poor implementation and many
Q-Do you agree with the view that
times it doesn‘t reach the gross roots like
Karnataka‘s Shaadi Bhagya scheme is
panchayata and block level and lack of
unconstitutional? Substantiate. (150 Words)
coordination between GOI, private sector and
NGOs.
Shaadi Bhagya scheme for women from all
Therefore immediate attentions are need to make economically weaker sections of society.
our policies to adopt modern technology,
The government had announced Rs. 50,000 to
implementation targets at local levels, record
poor girls at the time of their marriage.
keeping, reporting monitoring, and developing
infrastructure.
Q-Comment on India‘s efforts to protect
children under five from deaths caused
Q-Has affirmative action affected wellbeing of
by preventable diseases. (200 Words)
people belonging to forward classes? Critically
comment if there is need to introduce the policy
India‘s current position on the child death caused
of affirmative action in favor of forward classes
too. (200 Words) by preventable diseases,
1. India is currently topped the list of countries
with most of child deaths due to pneumonia
Affirmative action is also known as positive
along with Nigeria
discrimination. Affirmative action by the state is
2. India losses 4 lakh children due to pneumonia,
an endeavour to provide a helping hand to those
diarrhea before they turn age of 5 based on 4th
sections of the society which has been facing
Pneumonia and Diarrhoea Progress Report 2013.
social ignorance since ages.
3. In 2013, India lost 436 children below 5 yrs/
As most of these people belong to SCs STs and 1000 livebirths due to pneumonia and diarrhoea.
other backward sections of the society, the state 4. In 2012, India‘s coverage of Pertussis measles
has taken care to include measures to make these vaccine – 72%, Measles vaccine – 74%, Exclusive
people on par with the advanced sections of the breastfeeding for 6 months – 46%.
society.
But in this attempt a slight strand of section went => These figures are based on based on
missing that is the forward classes with ‗Pneumonia and diarrhea Progress Report‘.
economical backwardness. There are many such => India placed with lowest GAPPD (Integrated
classes who are advanced by social status but Global Action Plan for Prevention and Control of
very backward in all other spheres. Pneumonia and Diarrhoea) scores and not met
any of 9 targets in the 2013 report.
These people can neither enjoy the benefits from => In 2012, India jointed UNICEF and with US
govt as received by backward classes nor can they and Ethiopia to start an global effort ―Committing
have advancements as other forward classes do. to Child Survival: A Promise Renewed‖ and this
year reaffirmed its commitment through a
national event ―India‘s Call to Action Summit for 3. States will be incentivised to bring
Child Survival and Development‖. amendments in their higher education
=> India has made some progress in coverage of organisations and working.
pneumonia interventions since last year‘s IVAC‘s 4. Key problems which this scheme targets are :
report. Access, Equity and Excellence
=> India made some progress on introducing new 5. Funding to the state universities will be
vaccine and improving coverage during this year. performance and result oriented.
1. Hib (Haemophilus influenza type B ) 6. More autonomy and accountability to be fixed
containing pentavalent vaccine to protect from on state universities.
pneumonia going to be introduce all over country 7. Emphasis to be on quality enhancement.
through the Universal Immunization Programme Curriculum revision, research, innovation and
(UIP). expansion to be envisaged in contrary to
2, Recently India developed 1st indigenous traditional approach.
vaccine against Rota virus through PPP (Public-
Hence RUSA will bring paradigm shift by
Private Partnership) mode to protect child from
targeting higher education specifically, so that
diarrhea.
India can build an asset of its bright demographic
=> Even though there is some progress, India‘s
dividend.
current vaccine coverage, treatment interventions
are lesser than the targeted 90%.
=> India need more comprehensive integrated
efforts to develop new indigenous low cost Q-What are the important schemes undertaken
vaccines for various preventable diseases, by the government to improve the socio-
improve Universal Immunization Programme to economic condition of the tribal population in
increase vaccination coverage and more India? Do you think those schemes have made
importantly creating awareness about importance positive impact? Examine. (250 Words)
of clean, hygienic practices, breast-feeding among
people to achieve the target of ending child Answer)
mortality caused by preventable disease in The constitution of India has special provisions to
successful manner. increase the socio-economic development of the
scheduled tribal people by following art 342,164,
Q-Do you support more government spending 244, 275, 330 and 332, also it directs the state
on social sectors schemes? Analyze the benefits government to implement article 42 of the
or drawbacks of such spendings taking cue from ―Directive principles of the state policy‖.
past and present performances of many high
budget social sector schemes. (200 Words) The ministry of tribal affairs is the nodal ministry
for overall development of the scheduled tribes
Answer) http://www.thehindu.com/todays- which focus on the integrated socio and economic
paper/tp-opinion/tightrope- development.
walking/article5353221.ece Even though government endeavor to increase
socio-economic aspects of the particularly
Q-Salinet features of Rashtriya Uchchatar vulnerable tribal groups (PVTG) they have
Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) (100 Words) started the integrated tribal development
project(ITDP).
The salient features of Rashtriya Uchchatar
Shiksha Abhiyan(RUSA) are: They are given subsidies , and encouraged for the
small production of forest produce. But the main
concern with respect to these community people
1. This flagship scheme will focus on higher are the health and education.
education .
2. Centres of higher education in states will be the The government of india has given free
main focus scholarship and free health check facilities but
these are scarce to the people living in the forest

regions. The recent survey by the UNICEF(united How does the proposed Prevention of
nations international children‘s emergency fund) Communal Violence (Access to Justice and
in Attappady village in pukkad district of Kerala Reparations) Bill proposes to deal with communal
where health facilities are failed in these areas, the violence in the country? Why is there controversy
children and new born babies are died due to regarding the bill? Do you think objections raised
malnutrition. against the bill are justified? Comment. (200
Words)
The reasons for this is the encroachment of land
by the private and government agencies, this will Ans. For dealing with instances of communal
affect the economic conditions of these hamlets violence in the country, following provision have
which will have an impact on their families. So been made in the Communal Violence (Access to
the government should restore the land of the Justice and Reparations) Bill:
scheduled tribes and making ASHA workers to 1. State Government can declare an area as
work to their full potential and increase the communally disturbed. In that case, the DM can
malnutrition level of these people. take measures such as regulating assembly,
directing persons to deposit arms, searching
premises etc. to control the communal violence.
2. The Bill seeks to double the punishment as
Important aspects of governance provided by the existing laws. The State
Government shall establish special courts to try
Discuss community policing as a tool for better offences under this law. These courts may direct
policing. (150 words) the convicted persons to pay compensation to the
victims or dependents.
3. A Communal Disturbance Relief and
Ans. Community Policing is a mechanism that Rehabilitation Council will be formed at National,
encourages increased interaction between the State and the District level.
people and police to identify various security 4. The district council shall pay at least 20% of the
issues proactively and take time bound measures compensation as immediate relief to the victim.
to address them. This also helps the police to Bill is also being opposed for it treats different
identify the criminals. In this mechanism, police communities differently.
is no longer the only guardian of law and order
and all members of the community become active The key issue in the opposition to the Bill is that
allies to enhance the safety and quality of many of the provisions are vaguely worded
neighborhood. It helps to break down the barrier which could rise to different interpretations. The
of apathy and mistrust between community and Bill is also opposed because it is said to encroach
the police and mobilize the sources of community on rights of States, since law and order is a subject
to help the police personnels to solve the of the state.
problems and enhance the quality of life. Without
trust between police and citizens, policing is
impossible and community policing is aimed to What is a Cabinet Committee? What is the
fill this trust deficit. Local communities or composition and functions of Cabinet
resident welfare associations can thus play an Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)? (200
important role in increasing the effectiveness of Words)
police in the society.
Community Policing is used widely in the Cabinet Committees on economic Affairs is a
Western Countries and is also being adopted specific mandate committee set up by the Prime
slowly in India. It will help the people to become Minister to provide recommendation and
more responsible towards their safety and allow decision making on issues of economic affairs of
the police to effectively perform its functions State. The Composition of CCEA will be more
understandable once the major functions of
CCEA are enumerated. The main functions of

CCEA are: can be go for delegate legislation under which

1. To continuously review the economomic trends certain authorities can be assigned to Panchayats,
2. To coordinate on activities in economic Gram-sabha and local authorities to admire the
relations such as FDI etc doctrine of check and balance.
3., To deal with fixation of prices of agicultural
products etc Social audit can also be prominent in this regard
4. Policy control over price rise in essential .Karnataka model was exemplary in assigning
commodities such delegate authorities.
5. Lay down guidelines for Public sector
Notably, there is empirical evidence that the local
investment etc
thesils are just like the hub of corruption as they
The composition of CCEA thus include Prime are also have great authorities to implement such
Minister, Minister of Defence, Finance Minister, schemes the situation become quite vulnerable. In
Home Minister and other Cabinet Ministers of this regard ITC and technology driven e platform
various Departments relating to Economic can be a important source .As it has been observe
development such as Agriculture Health, Poer, in many states that the computerization of
Urban development, Power etc, Additionally, it records eliminate the middleman and the
may have as its special invitees the Deputy corruption to the larger extent. Furthermore some
Chairman of Planning Commission and Minister stringent laws and regulations are also essential
of State for Consumer Affairs. to mitigate the corruption. Thus with the help of
It must be noted that a Prime Minister may open proper vision ,accountability, global knowledge
the decisions of CCEA to full Cabinet for and moral leadership this prevailing corruption
deliberation can easily be eliminate from the government
sponsored schemes and thus it will serve the
With an example, examine how corruption can larger national interest.
be reduced in government sponsored schemes.
―The quality and volume of public goods and
A recent global report clearly revealed that the services supplied by the government as well as
corruption in India reached to alarming the effectiveness and efficiency of welfare
proportions . Report further exposed that the transfers determine the voter behaviour in
government sponsored schemes become the India.‖ Analyze. (200 Words)
major apparatus behind such prevailing
corruption. The Indian Express
It should to be noted that the GOI is investing is Voter behavior in India is a complex function of
huge sum of GDP in such schemes to adhere to several factors. People tend to vote on caste and
it‘s constitutional obligations ,but the prevailing religious lines, especially rural and uneducated
corruption has not only led to the financial crisis voters. Money and muscle power of the
but it has also overshadowed the basic objectives candidates continue to be key determinants of
behind these schemes that the welfare of subjects. winability of candidates.
To mitigate such incidence of corruption
government first of all take initiative for direct But an analysis of elections over the last couple of
cash transfers. decades point at the declining influence of the
above stated factors and greater influence of
As the research done by PC itself revealed that governance. A greater number of voters now
the direct cash transfer schemes have great compare governments on the basis of their
potential to revoke such tendency of corruption. performance with regard to matters that affect
Infact such scheme adopted by government in them on a daily basis. Standard of living, quality
certain domains like scholarship, subsidies shows and volume of public goods and services such as
the tremendous result. It has been also observe public transport, electricity, education, health etc
that certain programs like PDS are the prominent and welfare are key performance indicators.
source of corruption. In this regard government

Some analysts have been able to correlate the

performance of the incumbent governments in
elections to quantifiable indicators such as the rise 2. This Bill may create a parallel grievance
in standard of living. The widely unexpected redressal mechanism as many central and
performance of the AAP in Delhi Assembly polls state laws have established similar
is testimonial to the fact that corruption which mechanisms.
disregards good governance can be a key election
issue. +
3. Lack of clarity on the meaning of public
How to sell your welfare policies among the
authority It is not clear whether the Bill
masses also a new factor because of fast
applies to private entities only if they are
communication era and media trials……
established or constituted under a
Governance is not the sole criteria. However, its notification. The term ‗public authorities‘
growing influence on the voter behavior is a has been defined broadly to mean
welcome change, which can be fast-tracked by authorities constituted under: (a) the
educating the masses. Constitution or under any central or state
law; (b) an agreement between the
Analyze the important provisions of the draft government and a private entity as a PPP;
Right of Citizens for Time Bound Delivery of and (c) any entity established under a
Goods and Services and Redressal of their notification or order of the government.
Grievances Bill, 2011. (200 Words) This definition also includes: (i) non-
governmental organizations that receive
government finances either directly or
indirectly, and (ii) other companies that
Bill seeks to create a mechanism to ensure timely are supplying goods or services to fulfil a
delivery of goods and services to citizens. statutory obligation, or under a license or
authorisation by law. It is not clear if
♦ Every public authority is required to publish a these organisations are required to be
citizens charter within six months of the established under a notification. It is
commencement of the Act. pertinent to note that the Right to
Bill requires all public authorities to appoint Information Act, 2005 includes private
officers to redress grievances. Grievances are to entities as long as they are controlled or
be redressed within 30 working days. financed by the government. Private
sector companies are covered by other
The Bill also provides for the appointment of laws such as
Central and State Public Grievance Redressal
Commissions. Consumer Protection Act, 1986 and the
Competition Act, 2002. Inclusion under
♦ A penalty of up to Rs 50,000 may be levied this Bill may lead to multiple dispute
upon the responsible officer or the Grievance settlement forums being available for the
Redressal Officer for failure to render services. same dispute. For instance, grievances
related to services to be provided under a
contract would fall under the Consumer
Key Issues and Analysis Protection Act and this Bill.
1. Parliament may not have the jurisdiction

to regulate the functioning of state public
4. The Commissioners may be removed
officials as state public services fall within
without a judicial inquiry on an allegation
the purview of state legislatures.
of misbehaviour or incapacity. This
….Preventable wrong under concurrent
list….
differs from the procedure under other land acquisition will be functions after they have
legislations. received all the clearance starting from the
environ ministry to the gram Sabha of the
affected region. The growth will be not only
measured by the growth figure but the number of
5. Only citizens can seek redressal of
people getting benefited by the activity.
grievances under the Bill. The Bill does
Transparency will not only benefit the masses but
not enable foreign nationals who also use
also the investor as decision will be fast without
services such as driving licenses,
the hindrances faced when decisions are taken
electricity, etc., to file complaints.
behind doors. For transparency to creep in the
institutions which are vested with the duty to see
that transparency and accountability is secured
6. Inconsistency between the powers of the they must function without any partisan supports
DA and the Commissions The Bill or fears. Some these institutions are CAG, CBI,
provides for two levels of appeals by a CVC, Green tribunals to name a few.
complainant: first to the DA, and then to
the Commission. So strong impartial institutions will help in
establishment of transparent ways to growth
There is an inconsistency between the powers of which will ultimately help all
the two. If there is a prima facie indication of
corruption, the DA may either refer the matter to ―Populist anarchy cannot be a substitute for
the appropriate authority or initiate proceedings. governance. ―Comment in the light of recent
However, if the political developments in the country. (200
Words)
complainant appeals against the DA‘s decision to
the Commission, it can only refer the matter to Incidents of protests by political parties are not
the new phenomena. They have been happening in
India even before it gained independence from
appropriate authority. Unlike the DA, the
the British. In fact the most popular mode
Commission does not have the power to initiate
adopted by Mahatma Gandhi to oppose the
proceedings.
British was protest and that is how we attained
our independence. Political parties have resorted
―…governance cannot simply mean growth any
to protests even for petty and strange issues such
more but means the way it contributes through a
as securing release of their party worker or leader
discourse of accountability, institutional
procedures and transparency to widening who is allegedly involved in criminal activities or
economic opportunities and a more inclusive to fulfill some demand which would be in their
democratic order.‖ Elaborate. (200 Words)The own party‘s interest.
Hindu
Sometimes the protests would even take violent
turns such as vandalizing private and public
We have seen the growth in the past; the pre-2008
property, causing disruption in road and rail
period was the period of economic growth and
transportation, city or state-wide bandhs for petty
post 2010 the period of inflation. Now India
reasons and so on. They would cause huge losses
slowly limps back to its past growth trajectory.
to the state, disruption of normal life such as loss
But will this new growth become development
of productive office hours, closure of schools and
for the masses. The answer will lie in how much
colleges which would affect studies and so on.
is the growth is inclusive, transparency,
Extreme forms include causing riots, arson more
accountability and ultimately who are benefitted
specifically is the case of the Sikh riots or Gujarat
and who are affected.
riots were loss of human life took place in active
Now growth will be measured by the connivance with the state‘s political and
transparency and accountability for example any administrative machinery. This is anarchy.

Whereas, the Delhi CM went on a peaceful scale corruption in the implementation of

protest, for a just and a valid cause, without MGNREGS, it also redefines and strengthens
declaring any bandh which was branded by the people‘s engagement and participation. Thus, in
mainstream media as anarchist. assessing the credibility of social audits, it is
imperative to look at these through a qualitative
The Indian constitution guarantees every lens throwing light on people‘s engagement with
individual the right to express our concerns on the state at the grassroots level, beyond
various social and public issues through peaceful measuring corruption.
means. But the onus lies on civil societies, and
people who should control their actions if they The public hearing forum in the social audit
want the government to be accountable to them. process is one of the few platforms at the
grassroots level where beneficiaries can voice
People's voice through NGO's civil society need their concerns and negotiate their entitlements
to be Institutionalized…. directly with senior state officials. In Andhra
Pradesh, where the process of social audits has
‖The lack of involvement of beneficiaries, who been institutionalised
are systematically dis-empowered and
discouraged from questioning service delivery training in filing RTIs, accessing scheme-related
and holding implementing agencies records, verifying the records and conducting
accountable, is one of the key reasons for door-to-door beneficiary verification, alongside
implementation failure of various government worksite verification. . It brings the local
schemes.‖ Elaborate highlighting the government and implementing agencies directly
importance of social audits. (200 Words) under the radar for provisions, such as the
number of works completed, quality of work
undertaken, expenses incurred on projects,
appropriate facilities offered at worksites, etc, by
The mere provision of a scheme does not
bringing in credible and well-scrutinised
necessarily guarantee its access, and certainly not
evidence.
where the awareness on rights and entitlements is
lacking. participatory democracy. Alongside unearthing
corruption related to labour and material, social
in the case of India, which has a set of well-
audits offer the finer details of corruption, such as
designed social policies suffering from major
specific tasks where delays have been observed,
implementation failure. Among other things, it is
tasks not recorded, or reasons for payment
a stark manifestation of the existing top-down
delays.
approach that has failed to deliver at the
grassroots level and needs to be addressed on It is true that social audit is an excellent
priority. community monitoring tool, but judging its
effectiveness by looking only at corruption data is
It is important to differentiate between the
to overlook the process of gradual empowerment
structural- and the process-related barriers to
it brings about at the grassroots level. It provides
implementation that lead to financial and non-
a mechanism to those currently not getting
financial irregularities and the scope of social
served, or are underserved, and negotiate services
audits to impact them. Structural barriers arise
meant for them. Field observations also suggest a
from within the social, economic and political
phenomenal lack of awareness about scheme-
contexts within which the scheme operates,
related entitlements that social audits address.
which shape and define the constraints of
Particularly, in door-to-door verification, social
implementation. On the other hand, process-
audit gram sabha and public hearings creates
related barriers refer to issues of awareness,
awareness regarding rights and entitlements. It
access to information and overall participation
also serves as an empowering tool that
that impact implementation. As a community
encourages rural citizenry to participate in local
monitoring tool, while social audit reveals large-

governance and creates a sense of civic

responsibility.
Quote: - Daniel Kauffman (in "Growth without
Judging the credibility of the social audit process governance", a World Bank discussion paper
led by beneficiaries by analysing it against the from 2002) defines a measure of governance that
post-audit follow-up led by the state and its considers a basket of six things: voice and
larger impact on the scheme‘s workability is a accountability; political stability and the absence
short-sighted proposition. of violence; government effectiveness; regulatory
quality; rule of law; and control of corruption.
Accountability is one of the pillar of governance
without which a country can not achieve its
intended objective of welfare state that is
inclusive development of all its citizen.
Success or failure of government schemes • In simple words governance is the vital

depends upon its achievement of its objective compliance of all citizen-centric services of
means whether the intended service has reached government, which will deal in mitigating
its beneficiaries in a effective or efficient manner the grievances of citizens and adhere to
or not. Therefore efficient working of schemes the constitutional obligation of welfare
requires its scrutinisation at each level of its state.
implementation by involving the targeted people • It should to be noted that the good
in the process of scrutinisation. governance plays a pivotal role in the
economic growth of the country. As the
Although by showing financial and political basic philosophy of good governance
commitment , the government has succeeded in deals with the noble ideas of global
removing the structure related barrier to knowledge, moral leadership, and
implementation but lagged behind in removing collective action. All these are also the
the process related barrier such as issue of prominent apparatus behind the full-
awareness, overall participation. Therefore to fill fledged working of an economy.
the gap between the structure and process related • It has been also observe that for the better
barriers social auditing plays a crucial rule. flow of economy transparency and
accountability are essential and the
It is a tool for empowerment and helps to involve governance can be only consider as good
the people at grass root level in the process of governance if it is accountable and
implementation by making the authority transparent.
accountable to any mismatch in intended and real • Furthermore the concept of good
outcome of any scheme. governance was also rely on the efficient
use of ICT and such conceptual use of e-
By providing RTI , government has taken a step
technology forum also pave the sound
forward to involve all sections in the process of
economic flow. If we analyze the Indian
implementation.But the real outcome will depend
scenario we can easily find that the new
upon the awareness, access , infrastructure
initiative taken government like single
development at grass root level which can be
window clearance, filing of e- taxes etc.
achieved only by effective participation from
proves very significant in elaborating the
NGO , people and government agencies.
economic growth. Such vibrant use of
technology not only mitigates the
incidence of corruption and red tapism, it
What do you understand by governance? also make feasible environment for the
Discuss its relationship with economic growth. new investments in nation.
• More on the basic agenda of good
governance is the emancipation and
upliftment of marginalized sections of the

society and the economic obligation of the parking lot for retired politicians, loyal party
constitution of India was also same. Infact workers. Highly politicized.
the new economic goal of nation is
inclusive growth which again closely The above examples suggest that governance
related to good governance. structure of the organisation has a bearing on its
• So while visualizing all these arguments it outputs. A transparent, independent, accountable
is apparent that the good government is bodies have fared well over politicized and
not only a political phenomenon which controlled ones
led to crystallization of democracy, it also
has a miraculous potential for economic
―Key to sustaining economic growth and
advancement of nation.
promoting development is good governance and
Globally, there is widespread evidence that quality decision-making.‖ Examine the factors
establishes the strong effect that governance that affect good governance and ethical decision
structure has on research output.‖ In the context making in the higher echelons of government.
(200 Words)
of India and its institutions of national
importance, critically comment on the statement.
• Indian state has been mired in a lot of
Governance structure of any organisation has an controversy due to its decision making –
impact on its working. Efficiency, effectiveness, characterised by slow pace, reversal of decisions,
transparency, work culture imbibed, monitoring lack of clarity and ambiguity. This has adversely
and evaluating mechanisms, it‘s financial viability affected the policy scenario contributing to fall in
and sustenance are all determined by its growth rate and development process.
organizational structure. • Good governance and quality decision making
is the key here, which is affected by the quality of
In the Indian context and with special reference to personnel, information availability, creative
research, the following analysis can be made control, discussion with stake holders, awareness
of various aspects of decision and issues arising
1) The atomic energy commission and space out of its implementation, clarity over grey areas
commission are the nodal agencies for the in policy making etc.
respective sectors. They are headed by the prime • Honest and upright persons are the key to good
minister. Our success in these sectors is owed to governance. They have the ability to provide a
the functioning of these bodies. They have a self- moral backing to the decisions and motivate other
fulfilling prophesy, independence and self- employees. Ministers, bureaucrats and
accountable. The organizational structure of these technocrats constitute this echelon and their
bodies has a great beating on their success. integrity has been increasingly questioned.
2) Whereas, the DRDO, the nodal agency for • Being a developing state, not all the institutions
defense research works under the defense are well developed and several areas are
characterised by overlapping or absence of
ministry. The defense services sets targets and
goals. Due to its political nature is prone to legislation. Non-availability of raw data also
lobbying by vested interests, adversely affecting hampers the decision making ability. The
controversy about deciding the poverty line us a
DRDOs working.
case in point.
3) The planning commission, one of its roles is to • Decision makers have to be provided creative
plan strategies for optimum utilization of control over the process and they have to be
resources. Very powerful body with immense provided some legal protection so as to exercise
resources. Even then the strategies and research their functions effectively. Transparency,
output is substandard as evident in the statistics discussion are also vital ingredients of this
of our countries human development. This has to process. Awareness of grey areas in decision
be attributed to its structure. It has become a making and understanding conflicting claims for
an unbiased analysis is needed to provide colour
to decisions. Ordinance or no ordinance still
remains a question. Benefit Transfer (DBT) linked with the Aadhar

• Healthy and effective implementation card was a major step forward in this direction.
mechanism is also imperative as decisions are to Online applications, Mission mode projects and
be made analysis the competence of the existing many e-governance schemes have been launched
machinery. India‘s colonial mind set based by the states and central govt.
bureaucracy has been unable to adapt to It also recommended the adoption of the self-
changing circumstances. certification provision to simplify procedures,
• What is needed is an overhaul of the existing minimizing the paper work, containing the govt.
system so as to make it more responsive to the forms in single page formats by doing away
needs of nation and help it regain its moral unnecessary information and reducing the By-
authority. laws to provide effective governance.
There is need for good understanding between
states and center and among different dept. of the
govt. to better implementation of many of these
.Examine what measures were recommended by good recommendations.
the Second Administrative Reforms
Commission to bring speed and efficiency in
governance.
.Examine in what ways India can do away with
unwanted archaic laws.
The Second Administrative Reforms Commission
(ARC) was constituted in 2005 to suggest India has been infamous for its red tape for long.
measures to achieve a proactive, responsive, Before 1991′s Economic reforms India was
accountable, sustainable and efficient characterized with ―Inspector Raj‖.
administration for the country at all levels of the There were too many laws which necessitated too
government. many permissions to start an enterprise.After
2nd ARC prepared 15 reports for the 1991 and the opening of India‘s economy
consideration of Govt. It made following main government did away with many such laws.But
recommendations for effective governance- Even then that‘s not enough. Even today India
1) Citizen-centric administration is the heart of rank very low in the global list of ―countries with
the governance. Rajasthan‘s ‗Right to hearing‘, ease to work‖.
‗Jan-Sunwayi‘ by many state govt. and Some of the ways that can be used to do away
‗Administration at your door‘ are many different with them are:-
models working effectively to take public views 1. Creation of an institutional mechanism such as
about the govt. policies and their implementation. that in UK and Australia. These executive bodies
2) Right to information will be a master key for are required to continuously review legislations,
public to keep an eye on the govt. functions and assess their impact and recommend those that are
will prompt public servants to deliver the speedy unwanted.
services and justice. It will also bring the 2. Sunset clause in laws that prescribe the time till
transparency in govt. office work and will result which the law would be active.
in the effective utilization of the public fund.
3) Empowering the Local Government in both 1. More Delegation to departments...But it
rural and urban area will help in decentralization can lead to more discretion and poor Rule
of decision power and will increase responsibility of law.
on the local administrator to act and make
policies according to the local requirement. This
will fasten the service delivery to public.
4) Promoting e- Governance is the smart way Analyse the lacunae observed in urban
forward in good governance. Use of ICT in govt. governance in India.
work will improve effectiveness, speed, accuracy,
transparency and will minimize arbitrage. Direct
The Urban governance ,vis-a-vis. Rural local self It is no denying the fact that concentration of
governance has not yet been rooted seriously. powers in a single authority tends to increase the
Control over urban bodies by State government authoritarian character of any government. But
and unwillingness to bring in concrete scheme of the moot question is whether there is any
implementation is a cause for concern. probability of concentration of power in one‘s
Though 74th amendment act constitutionally hand in Indian context. The constitution framers
legitimized Urban Local bodies,it is the of India were very much aware of the inherent
‗Implementation Part‘,which was divested to the strengths and weaknesses of India as a nation.
respective state governments is affecting the This is the reason why they rejected the
Urban governance. Presidential form of government ( which has a
The definition of ‗Urban Area‘ itself is relatively higher shade of authoritarianism) and
controversial. Moreover,urban areas are dynamic selected a parliamentary form of governance for
so their size keeps on varying. Further, there is India. Besides these they ensured that the level of
absence of uniform 3-Tier structure of urban decentralization defined in the constitution is
governance amongst states. Most of the states maintained by putting in various check and
missing the intermediate level. balances. Firstly, the executive is collectively and
Number of subjects restricted for the Urban directly responsible to the elected representatives
bodies(19 presently) are of local nature. Most of of the people, the Parliament. Secondly, the
subjects overlaps with state or central subjects federal structure of our polity ensures that there
creating ambiguity in jurisdiction. Further,in the is no overlapping and encroachment of powers
wake of unwillingness of state governments to between different tiers of government. Thirdly,
divest financial resources,inability of Urban the ever active and independent judiciary is there
bodies to levy taxes on their own leaves its plan to confine the actions of the government within
on paper only. the four corners of the constitution. Fourthly, the
The bifurcation of urban population into different fourth pillar of our democracy – the media is
wards is criticized on ground on non-uniformity highly alert and maintains a tight oversight on
of population size. The elected bodies and their the actions of the government. Fifthly, the civil
tussle with bureaucracy further creates woes for society of our country is increasingly active and is
Urban governance. Role of District collector and now claiming its participation in the governance.
his relationship with the Mayor have generated Sixthly, the non-partisan character of our
friction in some states. bureaucracy is a strong factor in dissuading any
In most of the Metropolitan cities,the ‗Parastatals‘ kind of authoritarianism. Besides these, there are
like Water Board,Electricity Board,Housing Board independent institutions like Election
are responsible for basic services. However,their Commission and CAG which are not bound by
‗Autonomous status‘ makes them non- the powers of the head of the government i.e. the
responsible to Urban Bodies. This results in Prime Minister and legislations like RTI Act
blame-game with shirking of responsibilities,with which are capable to nip the rise of
urban population at suffering end. authoritarianism in the bud.
JNNURM is seen as an encroachment of Centre However, there can be shades of grey where the
over Urban Local Bodies bypassing states. What very primus-inter-parse (first among equals)
we need is incorporation of successful features of character of the Prime Minister may tend towards
Rural Local self governance for improving Urban an authoritative one. This includes bearing more
Governance. influence in decision making , especially in
cabinet committees and institutions like Planning
Commission and NDC where the PM is the de-
Do you agree with the view that centralisation facto chairman, imposing a particular style of
of decision-making powers and concentration of governance, reducing the interaction of the
more powers with the Prime Minister would council of ministers with the media, bypassing
eventually lead to an authoritarian system of the ministers while interacting with bureaucrats
governance? In the context of India, critically etc. But till all such modes of governance are
comment. within the four walls of the constitution and all

other constitutional mandated checks and of public services have given rise to diversions,
balances are working properly there is absolutely ghost beneficiaries, misappropriation.
no way of the highest office of government Recent efforts of the GOI through Aadhar
becoming an authoritarian one. platform, use of telenetworks, panchayat
empowerment seems to address lacuna-es in the
public delivery of services.
Public services include education, healthcare,

Q--India‘s inability to provide public services to water, sanitation, providing driving
its masses is hindering its growth. Why do you licenses/passports etc. by government. Even after
think India is unable to deliver public services 66 years of independence, India‘s public services
efficiently to all its citizens? Critically comment. delivery system remains inefficient.
Firstly, too many central flagship schemes make
The thumb rule for the governance is the capacity efficient implementation difficult. Rather,
of the government to deliver the public services trimming the more than 100 schemes to 10 will be
to its masses effectively. Government of India easier to control and more successful. Secondly,
seems to be falling behind in this aspect. Though government programmes rather than being
by various legislation and initiatives such as Food outcome-oriented and data driven, are simply
security mission, NHRM, IAY, SSA among-st made rigidly on political whims. These must
other the government has increased the services have limited objectives which can be measured.
under its disposal. But failure to derive any Example: MGNREGA has about 7 objectives, and
effective mechanism to provide these services to no tangible measurement metrics are in place.
the needy has questioned the propriety of the Thirdly, rigid allocation of funds for ‗plan
government. The inability of government has expenditure‘ to states by Planning Commission
affected growth in following ways. needs to be modified. States prefer their own
Firstly, Lack of basic services that are essential for models of development. Lumpsum allocation by
the human capital such as education, health, food Finance Ministry and Finance Commission will
have negated any advantage of the demography help states engineer their own growth.
for India. Fourthly, outsourcing of public services to NGOs
Secondly, The inability of the government to alongwith use of e-governance to monitor their
provide infrastructural facilities such as road, outcomes will introduce better efficiency in
houses, irrigation have tended to keep the delivering services like education, health etc.
economical sector below its potential. Also, more financial and functional autonomy
Inability of India to deliver public services may cum flexibility to local bodies/district
arise due to the following reasons. administrations will lead to better
Firstly, The rampant corruption in governmental implementation, as exemplified in Bihar where
machinery sucks much of the benefit meant for Panchayat Sarpanches could effect better outcome
the poor. As per one estimate in the PDS system of education by recruiting para-teachers.
only 42 percent grain reaches the real Therefore, public services delivery can be
beneficiaries. improved to a great degree by being outcome-
Secondly, Lack of transparency and oriented, using technology, efficient grievance
accountability, pressure from below, illiteracy, redressal, training personnel to be service-
negligence tends to promote inefficiency and oriented, punishing corrupt people etc. Passage of
diversion of the public services. Public Service Delivery Acts by about 14 states is
Thirdly, The ineffective grievances redressal a step in right direction. Effective implementation
mechanisms have tended to provide blankets to will bring about better service delivery at all
wrong doings. levels of government.
Fourthly, Failure of the government to properly
integrate the technology in its overall framework

Q--In your opinion, what are the major reasons judgement said that these two clearances
behind delays in project clearances in India and should be simultaneously given.
what are its consequences? Critically examine. And when critical analysis is done in your
second point related to promoters you could
 India ranks among the bottom 50 nations in have added that when development and
terms of ‗ease of doing business‘, and one of envt are at loggerheads, it is the envt that
the main reasons is the prolonged delays in have to suffer modification and not
project clearances. Project clearances are development. Just tweaking a line or two
needed mainly to ensure that the project makes your answer more appealing.
does not excessively harm the environment. And in consequences, stalled projects
The main reasons behind delays in project directly leads to rising NPA crisis for banks
clearances are and hence economy as a whole goes spiral
a) inefficiency on the part of clearance down.
agency And another consequence is that this
b) poor project formulation on the part of attitude on part of promoter further
the project promoter. promotes apathetic attitude towards envt in
Ministry of Environment and Forest is in society.
charge of granting environmental Its a very basic consequence but since you
clearances. The environmental impact of will point it in ur answer relating points to
projects is assessed by the Expert Appraisal it, it will definitely fetch good marks.
Committee which then forwards its
recommendations to the ministry. The 
ministry often takes a lot of time to grant the Delays in project clearances especially green
clearance even after the recommendations clearances are cited as one of the reasons
of the EAC have been received. that have stalled growth and raised costs of
Poor project formulation is the second main various infra projects. Such delays could be
reason. The promoters of the project do not due to various reasons.
design the project keeping in view the One is built up inefficiencies in appraisal
environmental impacts of the project. This process. This may be because of excessive
results in the ministry asking the promoters red Tapism where projects are stuck at
to redesign the project to minimize the multiple layers due to delays in data
environmental impact. collation from different source or lack of
Delays in project clearances have serious inter sectors of inter ministerial
consequences for the economy. In India, coordination over big ticket projects
stalled projects in critical areas are one of spanning multiple sectors.
the prime reasons for slowdown in Second, due to disagreements among
industrial activity and thus the economic various agencies involved in appraisal.
growth. Delays due to inefficiency on part Projects requiring forest clearance under
of clearance agency also affects the investor FCA 1980 and EPA 1986 are appraised by
sentiments negatively which leads to expert advisory committee based on EIA
slowdown in investment which further reports. Disagreements over EIA report or
aggravates the problem of slowdown in delay in preparing EIA reports can also
growth. The government must ensure that cause delay.
there are no delays on its part. Finally judicial and social activism can stall
projects in many cases. For eg ban on iron
 ore mining imposed by SC in goa can also
The main hurdle is clearances required result in delays.
where a project is in forest areas are Th immediate consequence is the
environmental and forest clearance and this continuous rise in cost of projects. Scarce
leads to massive delay as often one is given capital resources of private sector and govt
and other is held back, and SC in its recent alike gets locked up due to want of

clearances. If loans are raised through

banks, they risk of turning into bad assets Mee Seva project of Andhra Pradesh Government
increasing the provisioning costs for banks is one of the largest e-governance or e-service
and erosion of their profitability. The stalled delivery projects by a government in the world. It
projects in core sectors like mining, power saves almost Rs 1000 Cr per year (Rs 1000 saving
plants and infrastructure sectors reduces the for 10 million annual transactions) for citizens
gross capital formation and hence and businesses. Hence, it has been hailed as a best
negatively affects the investment climate practice model, for emulation by other states and
and GDP growth. governments in the world.
It is no surprise then that India ranks at As per Mee Seva, a number of government
more than 100 globally for ease of doing services (delivery of driving licenses, birth/death
business. certificate etc.) are being provided via Internet to
In all, streamlining the appraisal process by the citizens. Digitally signed document copies are
eliminating inefficiency should be the provided. Private-public partnership model is
priority. The proposed national leveraged in this innovative system, whereby
environment appraisal and monitoring 25,000 trained youth have become digital agents
authority ( NEAMA ) in noteworthy in this to provide these services for a nominal fee
regard. However the quality of appraisal throughout the state.
must not be compromised. Overcoming attitudinal lethargy was a hurdle at
the beginning, yet with speedy implementation of
the project every nay-sayer was enthusiastic and
political will also saw this project through.
Q---Write a note on ‗Mee Seva‘ project of Therefore, this project recently won an excellence
Andhra Pradesh government. award for E-governance. Such public service
delivery projects using ICT must be leveraged for
Business Standard efficient governance throughout India, so that
Ans. ‗Mee Seva‘ is an e-Governance initiative of citizens are benefitted by minimising of red-tape
Government of Andhra Pradesh, which aims to and adherence to service time limits.
bring citizen-centric services to their doorsteps
through the use of information technology.
This initiative works on Public-Private
partnership model, where a large number of Transaparency and accountability
citizen centers are run by self-employed youths. (institutional and other measures)
Citizens can avail various government services
such as payment of taxes, issue of telephone Comment on the Section 8(1)(i) of the Right to
connections, driving license etc through these Information Act (100 WORDS)
centers. The requests made through this channel Ans.
is available in public domain, so that the time 1. Section 8(1))(i) of RTI states that an authority
taken to dispose applications could be tracked shall not be in any obligation to give information
and transparency could be introduced in the over cabinet papers including records of
working of the Government. deliberations of the Council of Ministers,
This initiative has helped in taking the Secretaries and other officers.
government closer to citizens, saving time and
money of citizens to avail these services, 2. However, the decision taken, the reasons for
improving coordination among various decisions and material on the basis of which the
departments for the delivery of services. Besides decision was taken can be made public after the
this, it has also generated a large number of decision has been taken or the matter is over.
employment opportunities for educated youth to Also only those matters can be disclosed which
get employment through the citizen centers, thus do not come under any exemption under the RTI
contributing to the inclusive growth of the Act.
society.

Do you think Indian media needs regulation? whole of india.

Comment why? (200 Words) The SPE acquired its current name by a Home
Ministry resolution dated 1 April 1963, and the
bureau was consolidated and came to be known
1. There have been various incidents where as CBI.
media failed to distinguish between its
There were two petitions which challenged the
freedom and moral responsibility. One such
legal stature of CBI.
incident was the live coverage of security
• Firstly there is no co-relation between the DSPE
operation during 26/11 which created
Act and CBI as the word ‗CBI‘ is, nowhere,
problems for our security personnels.
mentioned, even though the DSPE Act has
2. The recent buzzword in India, media-trial is
undergone several amendments
also an example of this where a strong public
• Second, the plea, that the CBI is merely a
opinion is created against a person who was
change of name of the DSPE, does not have legal
yet to be declared guilty by a court
standing as the DSPE Act, 1946. Petitioner said
3. There are alegations that some media houses
that though the CBI has been empowered to
are entering into ‗private treaties‘ with big
‗investigate‘ crimes, no power has been
corporates. Under this they are issued shares
specifically provided for ‗prosecution‘ of
and in turn they provide positive publicity
offenders by the CBI. The DSPE can merely
which increases shareprices held by them
‗investigate‘ a case and lay charge-sheet and,
4. They are also said to be running paid news, in
hence, the CBI‘s role shall come to an end once
favour of selected politicians and
‗investigation‘ is complete
businessman.
The bench noted the amicus curiae had been
5. Various business groups and politicians hold
correct in his submission that the Centre has
stake in media houses. And there is serious
constituted a body called ‗CBI‘ but the
conflict of interst and news can be tampered
investigating agency does not have any legal
to suit them.
sanction till date
The court declare that the DSPE Act, 1946, was
TRAI in recent report recommended that
not valid, it held that the CBI is neither an organ
entry of politicans and big businessmen in
nor a part of the DSPE and the CBI cannot be
media needs to be checked.
treated as a ‗police force‘ constituted under the
DSPE Act.
Why some Sections of the Delhi Special Police
Establishment Act were recently in news?
―The provision of negative voting would be in
the interests of promoting democracy and is a
The Delhi Special Police Establishment Act was giant step forward in push for more electoral
recently in news due to Guahati high court reforms.‖ Critically analyse. (250 Words)
verdict that quashed the stature of CBI ,which • Supreme Court recently recognised the right of
was constituted by an executive resolution of casting a vote as a constitutional right under
home ministry dated 1 april 1963. Article 19. It has thus provided a major thrust to
The Central Bureau of Investigation traces its Indian democracy by recognising the none-of-the
origins to Special Police Establishment (SPE) –above [NOTA] or negative vote as a
established in 1941.SPE was mainly established to constitutional right.
investigate bribery and corruption cases by GOI • Democratic politics in India is characterised by
during WW2.However Sardar Patel wanted to division on ethnic, religious, caste driven lines.
continue this Establishment to weed out This has forced parties to cultivate such
corruption form earstwhile princely states .This candidates which has led to increased use of
establishment or deptt was was transferred to the money and muscle power, candidates cultivating
Home Department by the 1946 Delhi Special short vote banks based on such fractures to gain
Police Establishment Act and was extended to via first-past-the-poll system. Citizens have been

unable to reject candidates and a whole ensuring electoral consequence in case NOTA
ecosystem of politics has emerged around such receives the maximum number of hits. As per the
factionalism. present provisions, candidate getting highest
• NOTA can prove to be the falling boulder from votes after NOTA will be declared winner. but
hill which can eradicate such falsifying structures. that need to be changed for meaningful effect of
It can lead to political parties choosing honest and introducing negative voting. one way is to cancel
upright candidates, force them to cultivate a the election in which NOTA receives maximum
national vision going beyond narrow gains, work number of votes and re -election be held with
for welfare of all and not just one community. earlier candidates barred from re contesting.
Candidates will be forced to participate more in This will force political parties to think about
their constituency. Candidates wielding money fielding candidates with better image and no
and muscle power will slowly fall behind. criminal background. With better people entering
• The winner will be the democratic tradition as our parliament and assemblies, democratic
more grassroot leaders will emerge. Puppet institutions will be cleaner and strengthened. so
leaders in the form of wives, relatives will no In a way such electoral reforms will put more
longer tolerated. The role of ethnic/religion/caste power in to the hands of general people to elect
based politics will be superseded by development better government. For time being NOTA is right
based inclusive politics. step in right direction and more electoral reforms
• However, NOTA has to be contextuated to are expected in times to come
emerge as an enabling force. Currently, it will not
be counted and if a candidate receives only 1%
vote and rest is NOTA, he/she will be elected. ―The recent controversies involving sports
Next series of reforms should be built around administrative bodies in India calls for integrity
ensuring genuine participatory politics. First- and transparency in their decision making
past-the poll system should be scrapped and process and overall functioning.‖ Critically
comment. (200 Words)
developmental issues will automatically gain
• India with more than one billion population has
currency. NOTA has the potential to be a
not been able to produce world class athletes
phenomenal development and it should not be
barring a few exceptions. The primary lacuna
allowed to go waste.
seems to be a missing nurturing environment
coupled with colonial-style managed sports
administrative institutions.
What is the principle behind introducing None
• India‘s sports administrative bodies have been
Of The Above (NOTA) in the Electronic Voting
Machines and ballot papers? Is it enough to in the limelight for all the wrong reasons. Indian
radical reforms in the electoral system? Analyze. Olympic association has been run like a fiefdom
with utter disregard to calls for more
For the past one years civil rights groups has been transparency in decision making. It was
demanding to introduce the option of NOTA as a suspended by International Olympic Association.
part of electoral reforms. After no response from Hockey federation has been running under a
Government they moved to Sc to ensure adoption chairman for many years. Badminton association
of NOTA in EVMs.SC recently instructed the has placed life ban on a player as per whims.
Election commission to introduce it in the coming • Players also complain about the shady selection
elections. Earlier cases of invalid votes were procedures, lack of facility for training and
possible when paper ballot voting system was misuse of funds meant for sports. The needs of
there. Ever since EVMs, Elector was forced to these organisations are chosen as per political
choose one of the candidates, after registering patronage and not for their interests and
name in electoral register. NOTA they have got commitment. This has nipped in the bud Indian
the option to not to choose any of them. sports sector will and ability.
It is expected that it will act as stepping stone • It is necessary to bring fundamental changes in
towards more radical electoral reforms which are their functioning. While an interested
long due. one way to achieve that will be parliamentarian should be appointed at their

helm, a players committee should be the main Law Commission and the 2nd
decision making emulating the President-PM Administrative Reform Commission‘s
model of Indian democracy. The minutes of report
meeting should be openly accessible and they  -The CVC itself cannot serve penalties or
should be audited by CAG and external bodies. punishments. It is advisory in nature.
• These are professional institutions and they -The bill unlike its counterparts in UK, US
should not be run in bureaucratic style. Sports and Canada define ‗disclosure‘ very
have the unique ability to forge unity among a narrowly despite amendments to it recently
plethora of people cutting across religious, and doesn‘t even define ‗victimisation‘
cultural and ethnic lines. It should be seen as a Despite such loopholes however, the
nation-building and morale raising tool and whistle blower‘s act is definitive step
should be shielded from political influence. forward and along with the RTI can shift
our present culture of zero tolerance of
Q--Comment on the highlights of the whistleblowing to a culture of zero
Whistleblowers Protection Bill, 2011 tolerance of whistleblower retaliation.
 Whistleblowing is the act of disclosing

information by an employee or any Whistelblowers Protection Bill, 2011 which
stakeholder about an illegal or unethical recently got passed in the parliament and
conduct within an organisation. The whistle received President‘s assent is a powerful
blowers protection bill, 2011 seeks to protect legislation which provides for
such whistleblowers. institutionalised mechanism to protect and
The provisions of the bill are encourage those who disclose information
 Any public servant or any other person on corrupt practices and/or abuse of power
including a non-governmental organisation by government officials.
may make a disclosure related to an act of 
corruption, misuse of power, or criminal  India , a signatory of United Nations
offence by a public servant to the convention on corruption , passed the
Central(CVC) or State Vigilance whistle blowers bill ,2011. This bill protects
Commission. the public servant who discloses any act of
 Every complaint has to include the identity abuse /misuse of public servant leading to
of the complainant. self-aggrandizement or loss to the public
 The Vigilance Commission shall not disclose exchequer .
the identity of the complainant except to the a. The bill tries to balance between any
head of the department if he deems it undue harassment of a public servant for
necessary. The Bill penalises any person frivolous complaints and protection of the
who has disclosed the identity of the complainant from extraneous forces or any
complainant upto Rs 50000) vested interests.
-The Bill prescribes penalties for knowingly
making false complaints 
-An aggrieved party by an order of the  The Public Interest Disclosure and
Vigilance Commission may file an appeal to Protection to Persons Making the Disclosure
the High Court. Bill, later renamed as Whistle-blower
Issues Protection Bill, 2011 was passed by
-It only regulates Government of India‘s parliament recently. Main highlights of the
bureaucracy and not the private sector and bill are-
State governments. 1) This Bill seeks to protect whistle-blowers,
-it does not provide any penalty for i.e. persons making a public interest
victimising a complainant nor does it disclosure related to an act of corruption,
include anonymous complaints. These are misuse of power, or criminal offence by a
against the recommendations of Bill of the public servant. Any public servant or any

other person including a non-governmental 1861 and section 377 of IPC are two such
organization may make such a disclosure to examples.
the Central or State Vigilance Commission. Police act 1861 was enacted in response to the
2) Every complaint has to include the sepoy mutiny of1857 to prevent another revolt.
identity of the complainant. The Bill does This became an instrument of terror to perpetuate
not provide for admission of anonymous colonial rule. This authoritarian attitude still
complaints by the competent authority. The conspicuous in police. Moreover, our police
Vigilance Commission shall not disclose the recruitment, appointment, promotion, training,
identity of the complainant except to the resources are still archaic; our ex- colonial master
head of the department if he deems it has overhauled its police force. Keeping in mind
necessary. It could have gone a step further the new and important role of police the current
in protecting the complainant‘s identity statute needs to be replaced.
permanently and ensuring protection. Inspired by Voctorian mores, section 377 of IPC
3) This Bill seeks to protect whistle-blowers criminalises any ―Carnatic intercourse against the
but does not provide for any penalty for order of nature.‖ It means anyone, not necessarily
harassing a public servant/ any other transgenders, indulged in any kind of ―unnatural
person making a disclosure. sex‖ has committed a criminal offence. Since
4) The Bill penalizes any person who has LGBT communites have no other choice but to
disclosed the identity of the complainant. It indulge in unnatural sex, they are the prime
prescribes penalties for knowingly making victim of this draconian law. This is indeed a
false complaints. This will create fear and breach of privacy of an individual and an assault
act as hurdle to the complainants, thus on human rights of LGBT community. Again, UK
many offenses may go unreported. has recently legalized same sex marriage, moving
5) An attempt to commit a criminal offence away from its own regressive thought.
by a public servant is also covered under Repeated direction by honorable Supreme Court
this Act. Judges of the Supreme Court and to bring comprehensive change in police act has
high courts are, however, not covered by the fallen on deaf year, which is concerning. Apex
definition of a public servant as given under court verdict on section 377 came as a shock but it
the Bill. can be changed by an amendment by Parliament
7) Other probable flaws in the Bill would be Third======Section 124-A IPC: Offence of
that it differs on many issues with the sedition under 124A is the doing of certain act
proposed Bill of the Law Commission and which would bring the Government established
the second Administrative Reform by law in India into hatred or contempt, or create
Commission‘s report. This bill has not disaffection against it.
mentioned the time limit, burden of proof,
definition of victimization etc. which may
create ambiguity later. E-Governance (applications, models,
The Bill is expected to establish an effective successes, limitations, potential)
mechanism in checking and eradicating
corruption in the country. Only time will Write a note on the National Population
prove whether this is possible or not. Register (NPR) scheme.
Q--Which two colonial era laws would you like National Population Register (NPR) is the biggest
to see repealed or replaced and why? Critically security and e-governance initiative of the world
comment. started by the government of India in 2010 after
the amendment in Citizenship Act, 1955 to
Business Standard compulsory register every citizen under NPR.
Sadly after seven decades of many colonial era The scheme envisages various category of
laws are waiting to be replaced. Indian Police Act demographic and biometric data to be collected
from all citizen with the register prepared at the

local, sub-district, district, state and national level. The project is among the second place winners of
The objective of NPR is creating a national citizen the 2014 UN Public Service Awards.
register which would help in improving security The initiative provides a one-stop solution for all
by checking illegal migration and help in e- mobile based public delivery needs through
governance by providing services to the citizen mobile based channels including SMS,
under government schemes. voice/integrated voice response system and
The NPR is being designed and maintained by mobile applications
Registrar General and Census Commissioner of
India, MHA. The enrollments are being carried
out through house to house canvassing. The
Department of Information Technology, GoI has Role of Civil Services in a democracy
been entrusted with collecting and digitizing data
in various states and UTs. The collected
information then will be approved by the local ‖ Fixed minimum tenure would not only enable
gram sabha or ward committees to make it more the civil servants to achieve their professional
transparent and accountable. targets, but also help them to function as
NPR is similar to the another scheme i.e. UID effective instruments of public policy.‖
which also takes demographic and biometric data Critically evaluate. (200 Words)
and provide a unique number. However, the
difference lies in compulsory registration (NPR) Answer)
and volunteerly registration (UID). Also, the NPR
is legally backed whereas UID is an executive --The main role of bureaucracy envisioned is to
decision. implement the laws, schemes, programs, policy
which are formulated by the legislatures. To run
an impartial and vibrant government at the centre
it is very much essential it to be backed by an
equally efficient and noble administration at the
Write a note on Mobile Seva initiative of the
district and block level for a vast nation like India.
government of India.
So the role of civil servants in the nation building
is very important
The Hindu
Mobile Sewa project was launched by --But there role has been time to time being
Department of Information and Technology manipulated by the political executive to gain
(DEITY) of the Government of India in 2012. selfish objectives. The ways of manipulation are
The project mainly develops and provides mobile untimely transfers, interference in official
apps for government and citizen use. functioning, delayed promotion, and unwanted
It is a platform to deliver government services on vigilance raids.
mobile phones considering the penetration of
mobile technology focussing on rural areas. --The result of these manhandling of civil
This makes the services readily accessible to the servants are bad implementation of government
citizen. programs and laws which ultimately results in
The mobile apps are available on mgov.gov.in increased misery of people. These abuses affect
and includes services like passport, election the efficiency and effectiveness of the
related and more. performance of the bureaucrat.
Citizens can also calculate fees for a particular
public service , track application status and more. --Fixed tenure will help government to have an
There are other apps like intra-departmental use objective way in assessing the performance of
like the Employee Leave Management System bureaucrats and take effective decision in
app , currently live only for Rajasthan. promotion. This will enhance the faith of the
The project covers over 1000 departments and public in the local administration
agencies across the country.

--This reform ensures the accountability of 5. fostering accountability and inculcating ethics,
Bureaucrat as they can perform their duty more integrity, professionalism, efficiency and good
efficiently without fearing of the consequences. governance.
This will minimize the corruption to ensure that Steps taken by govt to reform civil services:-
govt. policies and programmes reach to poor
people in more transparent manner. 1. in Jan 2012,a proposal to retire and remove
incompetent, unproductive and inefficient IAS
--The civil servants will have more liberties and a officers after 15 years of service was accepted.
fixed tenure to plan their professional targets and but there is a possibility of misuse of this provision
implement them effectively without any political to target good officials.
pressure. 2.in order to recruit better candidates for various
services, UPSC brought about changes in civil
-- The recent judgment of Supreme Court for
service examination in 2011 and 2013.
constitution of Civil Services Board, under Art
But the new pattern has received wide criticism for
309 of the constitution, which will look into
being biased and for improper translations.
management of transfers, postings, inquiries,
3.other reforms include creation of separate
process of promotion, reward, punishment &
department for administrative reforms, setting of
disciplinary matters if implemented with right
Indian Institute of Public administration, focus on
spirit will help in better implementation and
training and capacity building of civil servants etc
functioning of govt machinery
as suggested by by 2nd ARC report.
--The SC directions came after recent
controversies in the transfer of IAS officers Ashok Most of these reforms done by govt have produced
Khemka and Durga Shakti Nagpal. more problems than they have solved – protest
against the changed pattern ,
suspension/retirement/transfer of honest officials
who dared to take action against corrupt politicians to
What are the objectives of civil service reforms name a few.
in India? Critically examine the various steps the most recent example being suspension (later
taken by the government and judiciary in revoked) of MS. Nag pal and transfer of Sanjeeev
bringing civil service reforms in India. Chaturvedi.
Reform steps taken by judiciary:-
In case of TSR SUBRAMANIUM & OTHERS vs
Civil Service is an integral part of the institution of UNION OF INDIA & OTHERS in 2013, the SC
administration, and responsible for delivering ordered -
governance . The civil service has long been regarded 1.union and state govts to ensure fixed tenure to
as the ―STEEL FRAME‖ of administration in India civil servants.
from colonial era to present era of globalization.It is in 2.setting up of an independent Civil Service Board
this context that reform in civil service forms a for mgmt. of transfer ,promotion, posting ,reward
quintessential part of good governance. ,punishment &disciplinary matters regarding civil
servants.
Objectives of reform:- 3.SC also advised bureaucrats not to act on verbal
1. eliminate abuse of power and corruption orders given by politicians.
among government officials. But even after a year , these orders remain
2. building a motivated and capable civil service unimplemented.
force through a merit based and non As a result this institution of administration and
discriminatory recruitment process. implementation remains vulnerable to
3. eliminate rot learning and providing level idiosyncrasies of political class.
playing field in civil service examinations.
4. provide proper training at induction level.
Critically comment the role of media in
influencing the public opinion, especially in

India. Is it good for the country? Explain. (200

Words)
Media can be broadly classified into print media,

electronic media and social media. While print media
has played an important role in our national struggle
and forming a strong public opinion against colonial
government, the power of media has increase
manifolds with the coming up of electronic and social
media.
Now with coming up of 24 hours news channels and

deeper penetration of social media among the citizens,
any issue in any part of the country soon becomes a
national issue. A good example of this is the public
support that the Anti-Corruption Movement by Anna
Hazare received all over the country. Similarly, the
exposure of various scams and irregularities in
government business soon became a national issue all
over India.
Although these developments are good and

strengthen the resolve of people in democracy, there
are some side-effects too of excess media coverage.
The term ‗Media-trial‘ explains this concept well
where a strong public opinion is already formed
against a person or a body even when the matter is
under consideration in a court. This is quite harmful
especially when the person is proved innocent in the
court. Similarly, the power of media can be used by
vested interest to bend the public opinion in their
favor and hence get undue advantages

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INSIGHTS

[INSIGHTS SECURE Q&A

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Critically examine the working of tribunals in India. (250 Words) ........................................ 21

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Q--Critically examine the benefits of reservation in higher education. ............................... 135

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Poverty and hunger issues .......................................................................... 183

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can acquire any property in the state.

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Answer - The Parliament is the fountainhead of

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A world economy would be on strong

Democracy hives freedom to unleash our

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• But these are long entrenched institution of our

Q--Critically comment on how freedom of

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• it is based on the premise that there is • Politicization

• Covers areas like marriage, divorce, Way forward

• Article 25 and 26 guarantee freedom of religion

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President or parliament can go ahead with the

Hence the constitution authorizes the parliament

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The Government has introduced the communal

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STATE OF TAMIL NADU

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Q:Critically examine the issues involved in

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Q:Briefly explain the causes for the demand of

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2. Distribution of tax revenues The HLWG constituted by MoEF under the

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Political class is responsible for poor governance

Originally there was no provision of tribunals in

Through the tribunals the judicial activities are

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Ministries and Departments Devolution of powers and finances to local

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What do you understand by democratic

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Government must also be complimented for it‘s

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 Encourage and support universal chief to step down is criticized to be an act of

 Voter participation is the reflection of the

• The rise in awareness about the governance

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