[Insights Secure – 2019] Daily UPSC Mains Answer Writing Practice: 30 NOVEMBER 2018
Click on EACH question to post/upload you answers.
How to Follow Secure Initiative?
How to Self-evaluate your answer?
INSIGHTS NEW SECURE – 2019: YEARLONG TIMETABLE
Tomorrow’s Static Topic: The Freedom Struggle – its various stages and important contributors /contributions from different parts of the country.
General Studies – 1
Topic -The Freedom Struggle – its various stages and important contributors /contributions from different parts of the country.
India’s struggle for independence by Bipin Chandra Pal
Directive word
Discuss- this is an all-encompassing directive which mandates us to write in detail about the key demand of the question. we also have to discuss about the related and important aspects of the question in order to bring out a complete picture of the issue in hand.
Key demand of the question.
The question wants us to discuss the contribution of Bhagat Singh towards Indian freedom struggle and describe his revolutionary actions and socialist ideas/ ideals.
Structure of the answer
Introduction– write a few introductory lines about the contribution of Bhagat Singh towards Indian freedom struggle E.g Bhagat Singh is considered to be one of the most influential revolutionaries of Indian Nationalist Movement. He became involved with numerous revolutionary organizations and played an important role in the Indian National movement. He died a martyr at the age of just 23 years.
Body-
Discuss the important contributions of Bhagat Singh towards Indian Freedom E.g At Lahore, he organized several study circles with the help of Sukhdev and others and carried on intensive political discussions; helped establish the Punjab Naujawan Bharat Sabha in 1926 (becoming its founding Secretary), as the open wing of the revolutionaries.The Sabha was to carry out open political work among the youth, peasants and workers;organized the Lahore Students Union for open, legal work among the students;broaden the scope and definition of revolution ; a great innovator in two areas of politics. Being fully and consciously secular, he understood, more clearly than many of his contemporaries, the danger that communalism posed to the nation and the national movement; Initially, Bhagat Singh’s activities were limited to writing corrosive articles against the British Government, printing and distributing pamphlets outlining principles of a violent uprising, aimed at overthrowing the Government; On April 8 1929, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw a bomb onto the corridors of the assembly, shouted ‘Inquilab Zindabad!’ and threw pamphlet outlining their missive into the air. Singh believed that something as precious as Independence can only be achieved by a thorough cleansing of the exploitative nature of imperialism. He opined that such change can only be brought forward by means of an armed revolution, in similar lines to the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. He introduced the slogan “Inquilab Zindabad” which sort of transformed into the war cry of the Indian Independence movement etc.
Conclusion– based on your discussion, form a fair and a balanced conclusion on the given issue.
Topic- The Freedom Struggle – its various stages and important contributors /contributions from different parts of the country.
India’s struggle for independence by Bipin Chandra Pal
Directive word
Analyze- here we have to examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts, and present them as a whole in a summary.
Key demand of the question.
The question wants us to probe into the Rajkot Satyagraha, discuss its background, its outcomes and how it conspicuously highlighted the paradoxical situation existing in the Princely states.
Structure of the answer
Introduction-
write a few introductory lines about the Rajkot Satyagraha. E.g mention the reasons behind Rajkot Satyagraha- protest against the Raja.
Body-
- Discuss the outcome of the Satyagraha. E.g Despite the apparent failure, the Rajkot Satyagraha had a powerful politicizing influence on the people of the States, especially in Western India; It brought clear to the Princes that they survived only because of the British support etc.
- Discuss the differences between the British India and the Princely States in terms of civil liberties, political backwardness etc. E.g The ultimate protection provided by the British enabled the rulers of the States to withstand popular pressure;The great differences in the political conditions between British India and the States, and between the different; States themselves, the general lack of civil liberties including freedom of association, the comparative political backwardness of the people, and the fact that the Indian States were legally independent entities; the Indian States were legally independent entities, these were understandable restraints imposed in the interest of the movements in the States as well as the movement in British India;
Conclusion– based on your discussion, form a fair and a balanced conclusion on the given issue.
Topic– Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India; Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.
Why this question
Our policy towards the tribal population has been under intense scrutiny in the past few days post the incident of killing a foreign national in sentinel islands. This issue is important for mains as we need to understand our tribal policies and the impact that these policies are having.
Key demand of the question
The question expects us to first explain the tribal panchsheel policy of Nehru. Thereafter, we need to discuss how this policy led to the development of ANPATR and how these regulations has impacted the tribal population. Thereafter, we also need to highlight the changes in these regulations and the impact they have had. Finally, we need to provide a fair and balanced opinion on these changes and discuss the way forward.
Directive word
Discuss –
Structure of the answer
Introduction – Explain why the Sentinelese are in news
Body
- Explain about the Tribal Panchsheel policy –
- Non-imposition: People should develop along the lines of their own genius, and the imposition of alien values should be avoided.
- TribaI rights in land and forest should be respected.
- Teams of tribals should be trained in the work of administration and development. Introducing too many outsiders into tribal territory should be avoided.
- TribaI areas should not be over administered or overwhelmed with a multiplicity of schemes.
- Results should be judged not by statistics or the amount of money spent, but by the human character that is evolved.
- Explain ANPATR and the impact it has had. Jawaharlal Nehru’s Tribal Panchsheel were the guiding principles after Independence to formulate policies for the indigenous communities of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Based on them, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation (ANPATR), 1956 was promulgated by the President. This Regulation protected the tribals from outside interference, specified the limits of reserved areas and said no land in a reserved area shall be allotted for agricultural purposes or sold or mortgaged to outsiders. Those violating the land rights of the tribals were to be imprisoned for one year, fined Rs. 1,000, or both. Despite this, there continued to be constant interactions between the tribals and settlers/ outsiders. Discuss the impact of this policy.
- Explain the changes brought about and the impact it had – In 2005, nearly 50 years after it was promulgated, the ANPATR was amended. The term of imprisonment as well as the fine were increased. However, in the years in between, the Andaman Trunk Road had already ensured increased interaction with the tribals. In the case of the Jarawas, this had led to the spread of diseases, sexual exploitation, and begging. Similarly, a policy for protecting the Shompen tribes was released only in 2015. However, in spite of the 2005 amendment, videos of commercial exploitation of the Jarawas in the name of “human safaris” were widely reported in the media. Following this, the government amended the ANPATR yet again in 2012, creating a buffer zone contiguous to the Jarawa tribal reserve where commercial establishments were prohibited, and regulating tourist operators. Despite all these amendments and provisions, there continue to be numerous reports of civilian intrusion into the Jarawa tribal reserve.
Conclusion – give a fair and balanced opinion in the impact of the changes and the way forward.
General Studies – 2
Topic– Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance-
applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency &
accountability and institutional and other measures.
Why this question
The interrelationship between RBI, RBI board and government and the limits and scope of their power had been under scrutiny in recent days. This is a general trend being seen all over the world. The regulations government this and how to reconcile the scope of power of each needs to be understood.
Key demand of the question
The question expects us to discuss the relationship between the RBI and the government and between the RBI management and its board. Thereafter we need to discuss the issues and analyze their ramifications.
Directive word
Discuss –
Structure of the answer
Introduction – Explain the recent turn of events relating to RBI and government which has brought this issue in focus.
Body
- Discuss about section 7 of RBI Act – This section gives the government the right to issue directions to the RBI in public interest. Highlight how this section governs the relationship between RBI and government from a historical, economic and political perspective
- Explain about the recent change in the monetary policy framework setting up the Monetary Policy Committee and giving it full freedom to determine the policy rate is a giant step forward in terms of giving the RBI autonomy.
- Discuss about the relationship between the RBI management headed by the Governor and the board. Explain why the debate arose because of the contentious issues between the government and the RBI being referred to the board. The question that has been raised is whether the board as it is constituted today can discuss such issues and compel the Governor to act according to the majority view.
Conclusion – Give your view on the interrelationship between the three and discuss way forward.
General Studies – 3
Topic – Awareness in the fields of bio-technology
Why this question
Human microbiome is an emerging research area where India has started research and thus awareness about this area is necessary.
Structure of the answer
Introduction – Pune hosted an international conference on microbiome research — a field of study that is still in its infancy in India. That could be set to change, with a proposed project that would study and map the human microbiome across the country.
Body
- Explain about microbiome – The human body carries diverse communities of microorganisms, which are mainly bacterial. These are referred to as “human microbiome”. These organisms play a key role in many aspects of host physiology, ranging from metabolism of otherwise complex indigestible carbohydrates and fats to producing essential vitamins, maintaining immune systems and acting as a first line of defense against pathogens.
- Discuss why microbiome are important – Research on the human microbiome has thrown light on various aspects — how different parts of the human body are occupied by characteristic microbial communities, and how various factors contribute in shaping the composition of the microbiome, including the genetics, dietary habits, age, geographic location and ethnicity. These studies laid a strong foundation to decipher the microbiome’s implications on health and a wide range of diseases
- Discuss about the research project in India – Various research groups in the country are working on the human microbiome, Scientists at NCSS have conducted a meta-analysis on gut microbiota of healthy Indian individuals and compared it with that of individuals from other parts of the world. It shows that the Indian population harbours a distinct gut microbial community, which, scientists say, calls for an in-depth investigation of the Indian microbiome. India has a large number of tribal populations largely unaffected by “modern” diet and lifestyle. The prevalence of lifestyle-related disorders such as obesity and diabetes has been known to be significantly lower compared to the non-tribal (urbanised) populations across the globe. Hence, scientists say, a study on the tribal population would help improve knowledge of evolution of the mutualism between gut microbiota and the host.
Conclusion – Conclude by discussing the importance and implication of this research.
General Studies – 4
Topic– Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance.
Directive word
Comment- here we have to express our knowledge and understanding of the issue and form an overall opinion thereupon.
Key demand of the question.
The question wants us to express our knowledge and understanding about emotional intelligence and express our opinion on the need for leaders to be emotionally intelligent. We also have to give an example of a leader that we think is emotionally intelligent.
Structure of the answer
Introduction– write a few introductory lines about the emotional intelligence E.g Emotional intelligence is not a golden ticket but rather, a core competency essential to lead in turbulent times etc
Body-
- Discuss the qualities of a good leader wrt EI E.g leaders who are more emotionally intelligent were more likely to achieve their goals; Leaders higher on the EI measure are slightly more likely to achieve their concrete goals than leaders lower in EI; higher EI leaders are more likely to display behaviors such as exemplifying personal drive and integrity, or cultivating productive working relationships; Emotional intelligence is essential to lead in turbulent times.
- Discuss the example of an emotionally intelligent leader. E.g Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi etc. E.g Possessed of a powerful emotional intelligence, Lincoln was both merciful and merciless, confident and humble, patient and persistent — able to mediate among factions and sustain the spirits of his countrymen. He displayed an extraordinary ability to absorb the conflicting skills and wills of a divided people and reflect back to them an unbending faith in a unified future etc.
Conclusion- based on your discussion, form a fair and a balanced conclusion on the given issue.
NOTE:
