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GS Paper: GS1

  • Positive Secularism is allowed: Student to SC in hijab case

    India believes in ‘positive secularism’ based on tolerance of all religious faiths and not ‘negative secularism’ followed in countries like France which holds that display of religion in public is offensive, said a student from Karnataka who has challenged the ban on wearing hijab to school.

    What is Positive Secularism?

    • Secularism is most commonly defined as the separation of religion from civic affairs and the state.
    • It may be broadened to a similar position seeking to remove or to minimize the role of religion in any public sphere.
    • Positive secularism is where the state plays an enabler role in the exercise of fundamental rights and the religious freedoms of all communities.

    What did the petitioner argue?

    • The petitioner replied that the Constitution itself says that all religions have to be treated with equal respect.
    • It said that the Supreme Court has also held in the Aruna Roy Judgment that there should be no discrimination on the ground of any religion.
    • It went on to say that the State should show ‘reasonable accommodation’ of Muslim students’ right to wear hijab to school as a part of her right to expression, religion and dignity.

    Circumstances where hijab can be prohibited in school

    The State can only restrict her right in three circumstances, the petition highlighted.

    1. One, to protect public order, morality and health.
    2. Two, to protect another fundamental right.
    3. Three, if such a restriction is authorised by a law made to regulate or restrict any economic, financial, political or secular activity which may be associated with religious practice or to provide for social welfare and reform.

    What was the judgment announced by Karnataka HC?

    • The HC held that wearing hijab is not an essential religious practice in Islam and is not, therefore, protected under by the right to freedom of religion guaranteed by Article 25 of the Constitution.
    • The court said it was a reasonable restriction that was constitutionally permissible.
    • The Bench also upheld the legality of the order prescribing guidelines for uniforms in schools and pre-university colleges under the provisions of the Karnataka Education Act, 1983.
    • The court said that school uniform will cease to be a uniform if hijab is also allowed.

    Also read

    [Burning Issue] Freedom of religion and attire

     

     

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  • Subash Chandra Bose

    boseContext

    • In the year of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, the nation pays tribute to Subhas Bose on September 8 as his statue rises tall next to India Gate.

    Crux of this article in simple words

    • The transfer of power to India took place on August 15, 1947. Had Bose and his Indian National Army (INA) succeeded, India would have attained freedom, not inherited it through a transfer of power.

    Brief of historical account of his career

    • Bose was the ninth child in 14 and the sixth son to Janakinath Bose, a lawyer from the Kayasth caste.
    • He passed matriculation in 1913 from Cuttack and joined the Presidency College in Kolkata (then Calcutta).
    • The teachings of Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna Paramhansa led to a spiritual awakening in Bose at the young age of 15.
    • Subhash Chandra Bose reached Singapore on July 2, 1943, at the invitation of Rash Behari Bose. He took charge as the President of the Indian Independence League and took over as the leader for East Asia.
    • On October 23 1943, with the help of the Japanese Army, Netaji declared war on the United States and Britain.
    • He was fondly called Netaji and was arrested 11 times in his freedom struggle and died under mysterious circumstances in an air crash over Taipei.

    boseHis vision for INA march in India

    • Creating revolutionary conditions: Bose had hoped to capture Imphal. That would give the INA a large number of Indian soldiers. Once this was achieved, fighting in India would create revolutionary conditions.
    • Organization of INA divisions at border: When the fighting commenced, the INA had only one division stationed on India’s borders. Another was on the move towards Burma. And the third was in the process of formation. All three divisions were expected to be in Burma by the time Imphal fell.
    • Rapid invasion from north east: Bose was confident of raising three more divisions from among the Indian troops that would fall to him after the capture of Imphal. With six divisions, the INA would be the single largest force in the region. The rapid advance into India would create the right conditions for the Indian army to switch sides along with the people of the Northeast.

    His famous quotes for value addition

    “It is our duty to pay for our liberty with our own blood.”

    “No great change in history has ever been achieved by discussions”

    boseAzad Hind Radio

    • This radio station was created to encourage countrymen to fight for freedom under the leadership of Subhas Chandra Bose.
    • The radio station used to broadcast news at weekly intervals in various languages like English, Hindi, Tamil, Punjabi, Urdu, etc.
    • The main aim for the formation of the Azad Hind Radio was to counter the broadcast of allied radio stations and to fill Indian nationals with pride and motivation to fight for freedom.

    The Rani Jhansi Regiment

    • Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was a firm believer of women’s power and women were also greatly inspired by his words.
    • He had always wanted to form an only women’s regiment and his dream came to fruition with the formation of the Rani Jhansi Regiment on 12th July 1943.
    • About 170 women cadets joined the force and their training camp was set in Singapore.
    • They were given ranks according to their educational background.
    • By November of 1943, this unit had more than 300 cadets as camps were also established in Rangoon and Bangkok.
    • The women cadets were given military and combat training, weapons training, and route marches. Some of them were also chosen for advanced training and some were also chosen for training as a nurse.
    • The Rani Jhansi Regiment mainly worked as care and relief givers.
    • The unit later disbanded after the fall of Rangoon and the withdrawal of the Azad Hind Government.

    Conclusion

    • Bose maintained that the Congress leaders wanted freedom in their lifetime. He believed that no revolutionary leader had the right to expect that. A movement, a fight, had to be passed on. Expecting freedom in one’s lifetime was bound to lead to compromises.

     

    Mains question

    Q. Netaji Subhas Bose was an exceptional leader who turned his vision into action. Critically analyse.

     

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  • 7th September 2022| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1        Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

    GS-2        Constitution of India—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.

    GS-3        Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment; Agriculture and related issues

    GS-4        Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 Mauryan empire achieved greatness not only through its territorial conquest but also through the cultural developments. Discuss. (10 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 What do you understand by the doctrine of harmonious construction? How has it helped in balancing religious rights with other fundamental rights in India? (10 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 A growing global population increasingly living in cities has led to a spiralling rise in the extraction of sand and aggregates, with serious environmental, political and social consequences. Examine. (15 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 Distinguish between rules, regulations and laws. Do you agree that objectivity of rules should be complicated by the subjectivity of conscience to achieve justice? Discuss. (10 Marks)

     

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  • What is the idea of Climate Reparation?

    Facing the worst flooding disaster in its history, Pakistan has begun demanding reparations, or compensation, from the rich countries that are mainly responsible for causing climate change.

    Why in news?

    • On the face of it, Pakistan’s demand for reparations appears to be a long shot, but the principles being invoked are fairly well-established in environmental jurisprudence.
    • In fact, Pakistan is not alone in making this demand.
    • Almost the entire developing world has for years been insisting on setting up an international mechanism for financial reparation for loss and damage caused by climate disasters.
    • The issue has come up repeatedly at international negotiations for climate change, and on other platforms.

    What is Climate Reparation?

    • At its heart, the demand for compensation for loss and damage from climate disasters is an extension of the universally acknowledged “Polluter Pays” principle.
    • This makes the polluter liable for paying not just for the cost of remedial action, but also for compensating the victims of environmental damage caused by their actions.
    • Climate justice is based on the notion of not being punished for someone else’s bad behaviour, but it does not sanction additional bad behaviour.

    Who are responsible for climate change?

    • In the climate change framework, the burden of responsibility falls on those rich countries that have contributed most of the greenhouse gas emissions since 1850, generally considered to be the beginning of the industrial age.
    • The United States and the European Union, including the UK, account for over 50% of all emissions during this time.
    • If Russia, Canada, Japan, and Australia too are included, the combined contribution goes past 65%, or almost two-thirds of all emissions.
    • Historical responsibility is important because carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for hundreds of years, and it is the cumulative accumulation of carbon dioxide that causes global warming.

    What about developing countries?

    • A country like India, currently the third largest emitter, accounts for only 3% of historical emissions.
    • China, which is the world’s biggest emitter for over 15 years now, has contributed about 11% to total emissions since 1850.

    Why need climate reparations?

    • While the impact of climate change is global, it is much more severe on the poorer nations because of their geographical locations and weaker capacity to cope.
    • Countries that have had negligible contributions to historical emissions and have severe limitations of resources are the ones that face the most devastating impacts of climate change.

    Institutional mechanism for Climate Reparations

    (1) United Nations

    • The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the 1994 international agreement that lays down the broad principles of the global effort to fight climate change.
    • It explicitly acknowledges this differentiated responsibility of nations.
    • It makes it very clear that rich countries must provide both the finance and the technology to the developing nations to help them tackle climate change.
    • It is this mandate that later evolved into the $100 billion amount that the rich countries agreed to provide every year to the developing world.
    • While this promise is yet to be met, this $100 billion per year amount is not meant for loss and damage.
    • Climate disasters were not a regular occurrence in 1994, and as such the UNFCCC does not make a mention of loss and damage.
    • This particular demand emerged much later, and faced stiff resistance from the developed nations.

    (2) Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM)

    • The WIM for Loss and Damages, set up in 2013, was the first formal acknowledgment of the need to compensate developing countries struck by climate disasters.
    • However, the progress on this front has been painfully slow.
    • No funding mechanism, or even a promise to provide funds, has come about.

    Pushback from Developed Countries

    • It is not hard to understand why the developed countries are dead against compensation claims.
    • They are struggling to put together even the $100 billion per year flow that they had reluctantly agreed to provide.
    • Further, loss and damage claims can easily spiral into billions of dollars, or even more.
    • The report said that the United States alone is estimated to have “inflicted more than $1.9 trillion in damages to other countries” due to its emissions.

    Issues with loss assessment

    • There are practical difficulties in estimating how much a country has actually suffered due to the actions of others.
    • To begin with, it has to be established that the disaster was caused by climate change.
    • Then there are non-economic losses as well, including loss of lives, displacement and migration, health impacts, and damage to cultural heritage.
    • Then there is this other step about assessing how much of the losses are due to the event itself, and what could be attributed to misgovernance.

    Conclusion

    • A lot of background work is going on to create the framework in which it would be possible to quantify the compensation due to an affected country.
    • What Pakistan has done, through its demands for reparations, is to call attention to this often neglected aspect.

     

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  • 6th September 2022| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1        Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone. etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes. 

    GS-2        Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.

    GS-3        Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment; Agriculture and related issues

    GS-4        Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 Impact of climate change on Himalaya poses far reaching threats to biodiversity, food, water and energy security of India. Discuss. (15 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 Religious appeals during elections continue to be practiced despite Supreme Court directives and provisions within Representation of Peoples Act (RPA) 1951 against it. Highlighting the various checks against communalization of politics, discuss why appeals to religions continue to be a part of electioneering. (10 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 Solar power sector is not only leading the mitigation efforts against climate change, but the innovations in solar power can also accelerate adaptation of agriculture to a new reality of changed climate. Discuss. (10 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 Some people argue that corruption emanates from the incentive structures within the society, while others see corruption as a purely administrative problem. Which view do you think is more appropriate? Justify your answer. (10 Marks)

     

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  • Pakistan floods may take away Mohenjo Daro’s World Heritage Tag

    Heavy floods in Pakistan has pushed the archeological site of Mohenjo Daro – near the bank of the Indus river – to the “brink of extinction”.

    What is the news?

    • Pakistan’s Department of Archaeology has said that Mohenjo Daro might be removed from the world heritage list, if urgent attention towards its conservation and restoration is not given.

    About Mohenjo Daro

    • Mohenjo Daro, a group of mounds and ruins, is a 5000-year-old archaeological site located about 80-km off the city of Sukkur.
    • It comprises the remnants of one of two main centres of the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation, the other one being Harappa, located 640 km to the northwest, in Punjab province.
    • Mohenjo Daro, which means ‘mound of the dead’, was one of the oldest cities of the world.
    • Known to be a model planned city of the ancient civilisation, the houses here had bathrooms, toilets and drainage system.
    • The sheer size of the city, and its provision of public buildings and facilities, suggests a high level of social organization.
    • Though in ruins, the walls and brick pavements in the streets are still in a preserved condition.

    How did it came to prominance

    • The ruins of the city remained undocumented for around 3,700 years, until 1920, when archaeologist RD Banerji visited the site.
    • Its excavation started in 1921 and continued in phases till 1964-65.
    • The site went to Pakistan during Partition.

    Other Indus Valley sites

    • The Indus Valley Civilisation spanned much of what is now Pakistan and the northern states of India (Gujarat, Haryana and Rajasthan), even extending towards the Iranian border.
    • Its major urban centres included Harappa and Mohenjo Daro in Pakistan, and Lothal, Kalibangan, Dholavira and Rakhigarhi in India.
    • Mohenjo Daro is considered the most advanced city of its time, with sophisticated civil engineering and urban planning.
    • When the Indus Valley Civilisation went into sudden decline around 19th century BC, Mohenjo Daro was abandoned.

    What next for the site

    • According to media reports, many streets and sewerage drains of the historical ruins have been badly damaged due to the floods.
    • However, the work of removing the sediments deposited due the flooding is still underway.
    • But if this kind of flooding happens again, the heritage site may once again get buried under the ground, archaeologists say.
    • It is expected that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will visit the site during his visit to Pakistan on September 11.
    • The visit might provide some clarity on if the site has lost some of its attributes that are necessary for it to retain its prestigious world heritage tag.

    Losing world heritage tag

    • There are around 1,100 UNESCO listed sites across its 167 member countries.
    • Last year, the World Heritage Committee decided to delete the property ‘Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City’ (UK) from the World Heritage List.
    • This was due to the irreversible loss of attributes conveying the outstanding universal value of the property.
    • Liverpool was added to the World Heritage List in 2004 in recognition of its role as one of the world’s major trading centres in the 18th and 19th centuries – and its pioneering dock technology, transport systems and port management.
    • Before that, the first venue to be delisted by the UNESCO panel was the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary in Oman, in 2007, after concerns over poaching and habitat degradation.
    • Another site to be removed from the World Heritage list in 2009 was Elbe Valley in Dresden, Germany, after the construction of the Waldschloesschen road bridge across the Elbe River.

    Back2Basics: UNESCO World Heritage Sites

    • A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area, selected by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for having cultural, historical, scientific or other forms of significance, which is legally protected by international treaties.
    • The sites are judged to be important for the collective and preservative interests of humanity.
    • To be selected, a WHS must be an already-classified landmark, unique in some respect as a geographically and historically identifiable place having special cultural or physical significance (such as an ancient ruin or historical structure, building, city, complex, desert, forest, island, lake, monument, mountain, or wilderness area).
    • It may signify a remarkable accomplishment of humanity, and serve as evidence of our intellectual history on the planet.
    • The sites are intended for practical conservation for posterity, which otherwise would be subject to risk from human or animal trespassing, unmonitored/uncontrolled/unrestricted access, or threat from local administrative negligence.
    • The list is maintained by the international World Heritage Program administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 “states parties” that are elected by their General Assembly.

    UNESCO World Heritage Committee

    • The World Heritage Committee selects the sites to be listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger.
    • It monitors the state of conservation of the World Heritage properties, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties.
    • It is composed of 21 states parties that are elected by the General Assembly of States Parties for a four-year term.
    • India is NOT a member of this Committee.

     

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  • Martand Temple in Kashmir

    In May this year, some pilgrims offered prayers inside the Martand Temple, an Archaeological Survey of India-protected (ASI) monument

    About Martand Sun Temple

    • The Martand Sun Temple is a Hindu temple located near the city of Anantnag in the Kashmir Valley.
    • It dates back to the eighth century AD and was dedicated to Surya, the chief solar deity.
    • The temple was destroyed by Sikandar Shah Miri in a bid to undertake mass conversion and execution of Hindus in the valley.
    • According to Kalhana, the Temple was commissioned by Lalitaditya Muktapida in the eighth century AD.
    • The temple is built on top of a plateau from where one can view whole of the Kashmir Valley.
    • From the ruins the visible architecture seems to be blended with the Gandharan, Gupta and Chinese forms of architecture.

    Why in news now?

    • According to ASI, prayers are allowed at its protected sites only if they were “functioning places of worship” at the time it took charge of them.
    • No religious rituals can be conducted at non-living monuments where there has been no continuity of worship when it became an ASI-protected site.

    What are the living/non-living monument?

    • If some activity, like any kind of worship, has been going on for years in the structure, then it is taken over as a living monument.
    • But where no activity has taken place, say an abandoned building, then it is declared a dead monument.
    • The latter is difficult to restore because it is generally covered by a lot of overgrowth.
    • The best-known example of a living ASI monument is the Taj Mahal in Agra, where namaz is held every Friday.

     

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  • 5th September 2022| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1        Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone. etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes. 

    GS-2        India and its neighbourhood- relations.

    GS-3        Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

    GS-4        Strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance; ethical issues in international relations and funding; corporate governance.

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 What is a bomb cyclone? Discussing the mechanism of their formation and highlight their impact on the weather pattern of the affected region. (10 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 Relations between India and Bangladesh have seen a steady progress over the years. Do you agree? Also, mention some of the challenges in the relationship. (15 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 How can India achieve “Energy Atmanirbharta” by 2040- an ambitious target stated by the PM? What are the challenges in achieving this goal? (10 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 The recent Covid 19 pandemic has reinvigorated the debate about ‘compassionate capitalism’. Define the concept and explain its importance in the present times. (10 Marks)

     

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  • Abnormal’ La Nina conditions impacting India’s monsoon

    In what may be termed as an uncommon ocean phenomenon, the prevailing La Nina conditions over the equatorial Pacific Ocean have entered the third consecutive year.

    What is the news?

    • The current La Nina phase has been prevailing since September 2020.
    • Since the 1950s, La Nina lasting for more than two years has been recorded only on six instances (see graph below), data by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated.
    • It confirmed that India’s La Nina conditions are here to stay till the end of 2022.

    What is El Nino and La Nina?

    • While El Nino (Spanish for ‘little boy’), the more common expression, is the abnormal surface warming observed along the eastern and central regions of the Pacific Ocean (the region between Peru and Papua New Guinea).
    • The La Nina (Spanish for ‘little girl’) is an abnormal cooling of these surface waters.
    • Together, the El Nino (Warm Phase) and La Nina (Cool Phase) phenomena are termed as El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
    • These are large-scale ocean phenomena that influence the global weather — winds, temperature and rainfall. They have the ability to trigger extreme weather events like droughts, floods, hot and cold conditions, globally.
    • Each cycle can last anywhere between 9 to 12 months, at times extendable to 18 months — and re-occur after every three to five years.
    • Meteorologists record the sea surface temperatures for four different regions, known as Nino regions, along this equatorial belt.
    • Depending on the temperatures, they forecast either as an El Nino, an ENSO neutral phase, or a La Nina.

    Why has La Nina conditions continued for 3 years?

    • It is surprising that it has continued for the last three years. It may be good for India but not for some other countries.
    • Under climate change conditions, one must expect more such instances. Climate change could be a factor driving such anomalous conditions.

    Issues with La Nina

    • La Nina years are infamous for frequent and intense hurricanes and cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean and the Bay of Bengal.
    • Chances of more cyclones are likely due to multiple aiding factors, including high relative moisture and relative low wind shear over the Bay of Bengal.

     

    Try this PYQ:

    Q. La Nina is suspected to have caused recent floods in Australia. How is La Nina different from El Nino?

    1. La Nina is characterized by unusually cold ocean temperature in equatorial Indian Ocean whereas El Nino is characterized by unusually warm ocean temperature in the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
    2. El Nino has an adverse effect on south-west monsoon of India, but La Nina has no effect on monsoon climate.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) Only 1

    (b) Only 2

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

     

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”b6qp23xiv6″ question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

     

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  • 2nd September 2022| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1        Factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India).

    GS-2        Poverty and Hunger

    GS-3        Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

    GS-4        Case Studies

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 What are the factors that affect the location of manufacturing industries in India? Also mention the major industrial regions of India. (15 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 Poverty is not only lack of resources but also lack of opportunity to improve one’s standard of living and acquire resources. Elaborate. (10 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 Electricity Amendment Bill 2022 is a remedy worse than the disease afflicting India’s power sector. Critically analyse. (15 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 A private company has proposed a large-scale hydel power project to tap the potential of a fast-flowing river in a state predominantly occupied by indigenous tribal groups. The state is backward and badly needs funds for socio-economic development. The state government is deliberating on the issue and is yet to take a final decision on the matter. While the project is expected to generate substantial revenue and employment, it will submerge the surrounding areas eventually displacing the tribals. Another issue of concern is that the tribal community regards this land and the river as sacred and integral to their cultural heritage. Thus, the tribals are not in favour of going ahead with the project and are already protesting against it. Their leader has threatened to initiate a hunger strike if the government goes ahead with the project. This has caught the attention of the mainstream media and social activists. Based on the information given above, answer the following: (a) Identify the stakeholders involved in the case and their respective interests. (b) Keeping in mind the issues involved, how can differing interests be reconciled for ensuring sustainable development in the area? (20 Marks)

     

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    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*. 

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