Category: Ranker Webinars

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Context

• According to a report by the WHO, more than 25 percent increase in mental depression and anxiety was registered in the first year due to the covid-19 pandemic.
• According to the World Mental Health Report, nearly one billion people, of whom 14 percent were adolescents, were living with some form of mental health issue in 2019.

What is Mental Illness?

• Mental health is not just a concept that refers to an individual’s psychological and emotional well-being.
• Rather it’s a state of psychological and emotional well-being where an individual is able to use their cognitive and emotional capabilities, to meet the ordinary demand and functions in society.
• According to WHO, there is no single ‘official’ definition of mental health.
• The social determinants of health predispose individuals and populations to poor physical and mental health, and increased risk for many physical and mental illnesses.

Mental Illness in India

• Mental disorders are now among the top leading causes of health burden worldwide, with no evidence of global reduction since 1990.
• In 2017, an estimation of the burden of mental health conditions for the states across India revealed that as many as 197.3 million people required care for mental health conditions.
• This included around 45.7 million people with depressive disorders and 44.9 million people with anxiety disorders.
• The situation has been exacerbated due to the Covid-19 pandemic, making it a serious concern the world over.

Reasons for Persistence of Mental Illness

• Stigma to seek help: The staggering figures are void of millions of others directly, or indirectly impacted by the challenge and those who face deep-rooted stigma, many times rendering them unable to seek help.
• Lack of awareness: This growing challenge in dealing with mental health issues is further compounded by a lack of information and awareness, self-diagnosis, and stigma.
• Psycho-social factors: Institutions like gender, race and ethnicity, are also responsible for mental health conditions.
• Post-Treatment gap: There is a need for proper rehabilitation of the mentally ill persons post/her treatment which is currently not present.
• Rise in Severity: Mental health problems tend to increase during economic downturns, therefore special attention is needed during times of economic distress.

Need for immediate intervention

• Neglected Area: Mental health which forms the core of our personhood is often neglected which impeded the development of an individual to full potential.
• Disproportionate impact: It is the poor, dispossessed and marginalised who bear the greatest burden of mental health problems, but historically their sufferings are dismissed as a natural extension of their social and economic conditions.
• Vulnerability of the ills: Mentally ill patients are vulnerable to and usually suffer from drug abuse, wrongful confinement, even at homes and mental healthcare facilities which is a cause of concern and a gross human right violation.
• Suicidal tendencies: Suicidal behavior was found to have relation with female gender, working condition, independent decision making, premarital sex, physical abuse and sexual abuse.
• Gendered nature: Females are more predisposed to mental disorders due to rapid social change, gender discrimination, social exclusion, gender disadvantage like marrying at young age, concern about the husband’s substance misuse habits, and domestic violence.

Policy initiatives

• National Mental Health Program (NMHP): To address the huge burden of mental disorders and shortage of qualified professionals in the field of mental health, the government has been implementing the NMHP since 1982.
• Mental HealthCare Act 2017: It guarantees every affected person access to mental healthcare and treatment from services run or funded by the government.
• Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2017: The Act acknowledges mental illness as a disability and seeks to enhance the Rights and Entitlements of the Disabled and provide an effective mechanism for ensuring their empowerment and inclusion in the society
• Manodarpan Initiative: An initiative under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan aims to provide psycho-social support to students for their mental health and well-being.

Way Forward

• Policy boost: Mental health situation in India demands active policy interventions and resource allocation by the government.
• Public sensitization: To reduce the stigma around mental health, we need measures to train and sensitize the community/society.
• Awareness: People should be made aware of the significance of mental health, as much as that of physical health.
• Destigmatising: Sharing one’s story about mental health (through media campaigns) is the most effective strategy to reduce stigma attached with mental illness
• Community Approach: There is need to deploy community health workers who, with appropriate training and supervision, effectively deliver psychosocial interventions for the needy
• Broadening the scope: Mental health care must embrace the diversity of experiences and strategies which work, well beyond the narrow confines of traditional biomedicine with its emphasis on “doctors, diagnoses and drugs”.

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Topics for Today’s questions:

GS-1         Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present – significant events, personalities, issues.

GS-2       Panchayats and urban local bodies

GS-3        Indian Economy

GS-4        Human Values- Lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders

Question 1)

Q.1 Colonialism in India gained foothold in distinct stages with debilitating impact on the Indian economy. Discuss. (10 Marks)

Question 2)

Q.2 The health of municipal finances is a critical element of municipal governance. In context of this, examine the challenges in strengthening the municipal finances and suggest the way forward. (10 Marks)

Question 3)

Q.3 A well-crafted trade agreement could help India enhance its share in global trade. Therefore, India needs to take care of a few key concerns before entering into trade agreements. What are such concerns India need to address? (10 Marks)

Question 4)  

Q.4 “All persons ought to endeavour to follow what is right, and not what is established.” ― Aristotle. What does this quote mean to you? (10 Marks)

HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?

1. Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.

2. A Mentor’s Comment will be available for all answers. This can be used as a guidance tool but we encourage you to write original answers.

3. You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.

4.  Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.

5. Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.

6. If you upload the answer on the same day like the answer of 11th  February is uploaded on 11th February then your answer will be checked within 72 hours. Also, reviews will be in the order of submission- First come first serve basis

7. If you are writing answers late, for example, 11th February is uploaded on 13th February , then these answers will be evaluated as per the mentor’s schedule.

8. We encourage you to write answers on the same day. However, if you are uploading an answer late then tag the mentor like @Staff so that the mentor is notified about your answer.

*In case your answer is not reviewed, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*. 

1. For the philosophy of AWE and payment: 

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Context

• Last month, the government announced setting up of a committee to regulate online gaming and to identify a ministry to oversee it.
• In this article, we will discuss about the growing landscape of the online gaming industry in India and the need for regulation.

Why in news?

• During the Budget session of Parliament, The Online Gaming (Regulation) Bill, 2022 was introduced in Lok Sabha a member from Kerala as a Private Member’s Bill.
• The Bill sought to maintain integrity in online gaming and introduce a regulatory regime for online gaming.

Online gaming sector in India

• In the past few years, India’s nascent online gaming industry witnessed an unprecedented rise, catapulting it to the top five mobile gaming markets in the world.
• Registering a growth rate of 38%, online gaming is the next sunrise industry.
• Currently, there are more than 400 gaming companies in India, and it is home to 420 million online gamers, second only to China, according to an analysis by KPMG.

Types of gaming

• The types of online gaming include:

1. E-sports (well-organized electronic sports which include professional players) ex. Chess
2. Fantasy sports (choosing real-life sports players and winning points based on players’ performance) ex. MPL cricket
3. Skill-based (mental skill) ex. Archery
4. Gamble (based on random activity) ex. Playing Cards, Rummy

Why is the gaming industry booming in India?

1. Digital India boom in the gaming industry
2. Narrowing of the digital divide
3. IT boom

Other factors promoting the boom

1. Growing younger population
2. Higher disposable income
3. Inexpensive internet data
4. Introduction of new gaming genres, and
5. Increasing number of smartphone and tablet users

Prospects of online gaming

• State List Subject:  The state legislators are, vide Entry No. 34 of List II (State List) of the Seventh Schedule, given exclusive power to make laws relating to betting and gambling.
• Distinction in laws: Most Indian states regulate gaming on the basis of a distinction in law between ‘games of skill’ and ‘games of chance’.
• Classification on dominant element: As such, a ‘dominant element’ test is utilized to determine whether chance or skill is the dominating element in determining the result of the game.
• Linked economic activity: Staking money or property on the outcome of a ‘game of chance’ is prohibited and subjects the guilty parties to criminal sanctions.
• ‘Game of Skill’ debate: Placing any stakes on the outcome of a ‘game of skill’ is not illegal per se and may be permissible. It is important to note that the Supreme Court recognized that no game is purely a ‘game of skill’ and almost all games have an element of chance.

Need for regulation

• No comprehensive regulation:  India currently has no comprehensive legislation with regards to the legality of online gaming or boundaries that specify applicable tax rates within the betting and gambling industry.
• Ambiguity of the sector: The gaming sector is nascent and is still evolving, and many states are bringing about legislation seeking to bring about some order in the online gaming sector.
• State list subject: Online gaming in India is allowed in most parts of the country. However, different states have their own legislation with regards to whether online gaming is permitted.
• Economic advantage: Well-regulated online gaming has its own advantages, such as economic growth and employment benefits.

Issues with online gaming

• Gaming addiction: Numerous people are developing an addiction to online gaming. This is destroying lives and devastating families.  
• Compulsive gaming: Gaming by children is affecting their performance in schools and impacting their social lives & relationships with family members. Ex. PUBG
• Impact on psychological health: Online games like PUBG and the Blue Whale Challenge were banned after incidents of violence and suicide.  
• Threat to Data privacy: Inadvertent sharing of personal information can lead to cases of cheating, privacy violations, abuse, and bullying.
• Betting and gambling: Online games based on the traditional ludo, arguably the most popular online game in India, have run into controversy, and allegations of betting and gambling.

Why hasn’t a comprehensive law yet materialized?

• Earlier, states like Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka also passed laws banning online games.
• However, they were quashed by state High Courts on grounds that an outright ban was unfair to games of skill:

1. Violation of fundamental rights of trade and commerce, liberty and privacy, speech and expression;
2. Law being manifestly arbitrary and irrational insofar as it did not distinguish between two different categories of games, i.e. games of skill and chance;
3. Lack of legislative Competence of State legislatures to enact laws on online skill-based games.

Way forward

• Censoring: Minors should be allowed to proceed only with the consent of their parents — OTP verification on Aadhaar could resolve this.
• Awareness: Gaming companies should proactively educate users about potential risks and how to identify likely situations of cheating and abuse.
• Regulating mechanism: A Gaming Authority in the central government should be created.
• Accountability of the gaming company: It could be made responsible for the online gaming industry, monitoring its operations, preventing societal issues, suitably classifying games of skill or chance, overseeing consumer protection, and combatting illegality and crime.
• All-encompassing legislation: the Centre should formulate an overarching regulatory framework for online games of skill. India must move beyond skill-versus-chance debates to keep up with the global gaming industry.

UPSC 2023 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

Topics for Today’s questions:

GS-1         Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present – significant events, personalities, issues.

GS-2       Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests.

GS-3        Indian Economy

GS-4        Ethics & Human Interface

Question 1)

Q.1 What were the prominent causes behind the recurring tribal movements in the 19th century? Also, discuss the limitations of these movements. (10 Marks)

Question 2)

Q.2 How does lack of self-reliance in defense technology and manufacturing influence India’s foreign policy options? Suggest the way forward. (10 Marks)

Question 3)

Q.3 What are the reasons for the high prevalence of scams in the banking industry in India? What are the implications of such scams for the economy? Suggest the way forward. (10 Marks)

Question 4)  

Q.4 While it may seem restrictive, anonymity is one of the greatest strengths of the civil services. Comment in the context of growth of social media in recent times. (10 Marks)

HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?

1. Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.

2. A Mentor’s Comment will be available for all answers. This can be used as a guidance tool but we encourage you to write original answers.

3. You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.

4.  Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.

5. Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.

6. If you upload the answer on the same day like the answer of 11th  February is uploaded on 11th February then your answer will be checked within 72 hours. Also, reviews will be in the order of submission- First come first serve basis

7. If you are writing answers late, for example, 11th February is uploaded on 13th February , then these answers will be evaluated as per the mentor’s schedule.

8. We encourage you to write answers on the same day. However, if you are uploading an answer late then tag the mentor like @Staff so that the mentor is notified about your answer.

*In case your answer is not reviewed, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*. 

1. For the philosophy of AWE and payment: 

Topics for Today’s questions:

GS-1         Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present – significant events, personalities, issues.

GS-2         Parliament and State Legislatures

GS-3        Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

GS-4        Ethics & Human Interface

Question 1)

Q.1 Among the major legacies of the Indian freedom movement, civil liberties formed an important one. Analyze. (10 Marks)

Question 2)

Q. 2 Examine the significance of political parties in India. What are the legal provisions to deal with a split in political parties. (10 Marks)

Question 3)

Q.3 What is forest landscape restoration? How it is different from traditional approach to afforestation? (10 Marks)

Question 4)  

Q.4 Family values influence the decisions individuals make both within the family structure and outside of it. Do you agree with the statement? Justify with relevant examples. (10 Marks)

HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?

1. Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.

2. A Mentor’s Comment will be available for all answers. This can be used as a guidance tool but we encourage you to write original answers.

3. You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.

4.  Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.

5. Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.

6. If you upload the answer on the same day like the answer of 11th  February is uploaded on 11th February then your answer will be checked within 72 hours. Also, reviews will be in the order of submission- First come first serve basis

7. If you are writing answers late, for example, 11th February is uploaded on 13th February , then these answers will be evaluated as per the mentor’s schedule.

8. We encourage you to write answers on the same day. However, if you are uploading an answer late then tag the mentor like @Staff so that the mentor is notified about your answer.

*In case your answer is not reviewed, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*. 

1. For the philosophy of AWE and payment: 

UPSC 2023 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

Context

• The Make-in-India initiative has yielded many positive results.
• The import of toys is down by 70% in the last three years.
• Exports have jumped by over 61% over the same period.

In this article, we shall discuss what’s behind the ‘Rebranding of the Indian Toy Story’.

Toy Industry in India

• Presently, the Indian toy industry is only 0.5% of the global industry size indicating a large potential growth opportunity.
• The domestic toy demand forecasted to grow at 10-15% against the global average of 5%.
• The report ‘State of play: India’s toy story- Unboxing fun and beyond’ said India could also target a 2% share of global exports by 2025.
• There is high growth potential for India in exports of plastic toys and board games in the US, EU, and the Middle East among other markets.

Significance of Toy Industries

• According to a report by the National Productivity Council, India’s toy industry employs 3 million workers, of which 70 percent are women.

Toy Industries & Women Empowerment

• Employment in the toy manufacturing sector offers its female-majority workforce avenues for socio-economic empowerment, financial security, and skill development.
• It also offers opportunities for women to act as agents of change by preserving local toy forms, intrinsic to their regions.
• Toy manufacturing also creates possibilities for men and women artisans to work together, thereby promoting equal task division and partnerships.
• For instance, in Tamil Nadu, the manufacturing processes of ‘Vilachary‘ clay toys are divided between men and women.

Challenges

• Unorganized and fragmented: It continues to be significantly fragmented, with 90 percent of the market being unorganized.
• Small scale: 75 percent of domestic manufacturing originates in micro-industries, while 22 percent comes from MSMEs. Less than 3 percent of the domestic toy manufacturing processes come from large units.
• Less competitive: The retail value of the Indian toy market is INR 16, 000 crores of which close to three-fourths are Chinese imports.
• Chinese incursion: Consumers are habituated for long to cheap Chinese toys.

Govt Initiatives

• Toycathon: In January 2021, it launched ‘Toycathon’, a hackathon to develop toys and games based on Indian culture and ethos.
• Atmanirbhar Bharat: To promote the indigenous toy manufacturing industry, this multi-Ministerial effort sought to create an ‘Aatmanirbhar’ eco-system for local manufacturers by exploring their untapped potential.
• Formal recognition in years: Toy manufacturing clusters across the country have come to be formally recognized and supported by the govt.
• Cluster-based production: State govt. are in the process of allocating spaces for toy parks. For instance, Koppal District in Karnataka has recently been recognized as the country’s first toy manufacturing cluster.
• Tax incentives: Basic Custom Duty (BCD) on Toys-HS Code-9503 has been increased from 20% to 60% in February 2020.
• GI tags: The Toys bearing GI tags such as Chennapatna, Varanasi, etc. are also being exported. 

Way forward

• Toy industry has its own small-scale industry, artisans comprising rural population, dalits, poor people and tribal population.
• In order to take the benefits to these segments, we need to be vocal for local toys.
• There is a need for new ideas to be incubated, new start-ups promoted, taking new technology to traditional toy makers and creating new market demand.
• The 75th anniversary of India’s Independence is a huge opportunity for the innovators and creators of the toy industry.
• Many incidents, stories of our freedom fighters and their valour and leadership can be created into gaming concepts.
• There is a need to create interesting and interactive games that ‘engage, entertain and educate’.

Conclusion

• As India looks to build its ‘toyoconomy — women workers will continue to play a significant role in fulfilling domestic demand, reducing imports and raising India’s share of toy manufacturing in the global marketplace.

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