[Insights Secure – 2015] UPSC Mains Questions on Current Events: 14 November 2015
Archives – Secure 2015
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WISH YOU A VERY HAPPY DIWALI
General Studies – 1;
Topic: Role of women
1) Some findings have found that gender-based crime rates have grown while general crime rates have decreased over the years in India. Analyse why. (200 Words)
EPW
Topic: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues
2) Critically analyse Gandhiji’s thoughts on untouchability and untouchables. (200 Words)
EPW
Topic: Role of women
3) “Women’s right to wealth and property is of singular importance, not only for its utilitarian benefits of providing them security and independence, but also, and more importantly, for the principle of equal rights.” Critically discuss in the Indian context. (200 Words)
EPW
Topic: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues
4) “Ambedkar and Periyar were at the forefront of social movements that challenged the deeply entrenched caste system, traced its origins to Hinduism which laid the theoretical foundations of the system, and saw the emancipation of the socially oppressed in abolishing the religion itself.” Discuss the commonalities between these two personalities. (200 Words)
Frontline
General Studies – 2
Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests
5) “The US hopes to eventually draw China and India into the TPP; if that were to happen the scuttling of the multilateral trading system will be complete.” Examine. (150 Words)
EPW
Topic: India and its neighborhood- relations
6) Why is India concerned about the plight of Madhesi community in India, especially aftermath of promulgation of new Constitution by Nepal? Critically comment on the manner India is dealing the Madhesi issue with Nepal. (200 Words)
EPW
Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education, Human Resources.
7) Do you think education, especially higher education, in India is treated as a commodity rather than as a social need? Critically comment. (200 Words)
Frontline
General Studies – 3
Topic: Public Distribution System- objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping
8) Do you think the JAM Trinity (an acronym for Jan Dhan Yojana, Aadhaar and mobile numbers) might dismantle the current Public Distribution System? Examine. (200 Words)
EPW
General Studies – 4
Topic: Ethical concerns and dilemmas in public and private institutions
9) Your friend from village is arguing that what he and his family urgently needs in his village is regular access to clean water and electricity. He says that youth use smartphones, but have no toilets at their home. Parents send their children to schools, but even schools lack toilets. Children who attend schools hardly make it past tenth standard as most fail in English and Mathematics subjects. When you tell him about digitizing his village by providing 24×7 free internet access, he pleads you to instead urgently write to concerned authorities to first repair water pipelines, burnt motors, defunct hand pumps, non-existent drains and then think about providing internet which anyway is accessed by many youth via 2g and 3g services.
Assuming you are working as Panchayat Development Officer in the same village from where your friend hails, and if you are asked to implement a scheme to provide free internet to all in your panchayat jurisdiction by the government in a mission mode within next one month by using all your resources at your disposal only for this purpose, what will you do? Justify. (200 Words)
The Hindu
