Mentors Comments: World history by Norman Lowe The question is based on the theme of the American Civil War. The question seeks to ascertain the geographical causes of the American Civil War in detail. Briefly introduce the contrast between the geography of northern American and Southern American (Confederate) states. In the main body first brief… Continue reading Explain how conflicting geographical differences between the northern and southern states of America led to the outbreak of the American Civil War. (15 Marks) 

Mentors Comments: https://www.google.com/amp/s/indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/tiger-population-india-wildlife-the-right-count-ntca-6184814/lite/ Mention the state of tiger conservation in the country. Mention the challenges in the process of monitoring. Highlight solutions for the same. Answer: Ever since they slumped to an all-time low of around 1,400 in 2006-2007, India’s tiger numbers have increased. But the achievements in conservation have been clouded by doubts over… Continue reading Monitoring and auditing is the first step to conservation. Discuss the statement in the light of recent issues with Tiger Census in India. (15 Marks)

Mentors Comments: Mention the constitutional provisions for local bodies in the country. Highlight the significance of these bodies. Discuss the challenges faced by these institutions in financing developmental projects. Mention steps ahead regarding financing developmental projects. Answer: Envisaged in the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP – Article 40 of Indian Constitution) Panchayati Raj Institutions… Continue reading Assess the importance of the Panchayat system in India as a part of local government. Apart from government grants, what sources the Panchayats can look out for financing developmental projects. (15 Marks)

Mentors Comments: The answer must analyze various aspects of the problem of honour killing- social, emotional and attitudinal. While explaining this problem, the second part of the question should be simultaneously dealt with.  Finally, suggest some practical and relevant suggestions to overcome these problems. Supreme Court’s observations can also be cited here. Answer: Many experts… Continue reading Honour killing’ has been in the news recently. It involves the homicide of a member of a family by other members, due to the perpetrators’ belief that the victim has brought shame or dishonour upon the family. Analyse this problem in detail and indicate not only the social but also the emotional and attitudinal factors responsible for this problem? Also, distinctly bring out why: (a) The youth in such areas do not speak up against these practices. (b) The conviction rate in ‘honour killing’ cases is extremely low.  (c) Women, who have to face the brunt of this crime the most, do not speak against it collectively. Discuss some feasible steps, which could be effective in controlling this serious problem. (15 Marks)

Mentors Comments: https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/statue-vs-statute-5125393/ With the recent Supreme Court’s order on the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, and the ensuing Dalit protests, it becomes important to delve deep into the history of Dalit movements and contrast it with the nature of Dalit movement as it is currently. The current Dalit protests should be prepared from a… Continue reading “The restiveness of Dalit communities across the country only reflects the failure of successive governments and the political mainstream in translating the vision in the statute books into everyday experience.” Critically examine the statement tracing the evolution of dalit movement and its limitations of being only a mass political mobilsation. (15 Marks)

Answer:  Adhering to ethical standards in fundraising is especially important because the success of an organization’s mission rests on trust: the trust of clients, volunteers, donors, and the community served.  The Problem: Doing Good With Something Obtained Immorally  The conflict in this story stems from the strain between the hospital’s need for the money and… Continue reading A convicted mobster decides to make a charitable contribution. He offers more than 1 Crore Rs. to a hospital to build a children’s wing. He will make the contribution if the new pavilion is named after him. The hospital board accepts the gift, with that stipulation. Do you think the hospital was right in accepting the gift? (15 Marks)

Mentors Comments: Mention the changes in Indian policy at the time of LPG. Highlight the changes brought about by the Indian government. Mention the limitations  Suggest what can be done to improve the response. Answer: The 1991 balance of payment crisis in India came as a blessing in disguise. It led to the adoption of… Continue reading Has the Indian governmental system responded adequately to the demands of Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization started in 1991? What can the government do to be responsive to this important change? (15 Marks)

Mentors Comments: Discuss the importance of these Islamic nations for India and vice versa. Mention the relationship of India with nations in the Islamic world. Highlight what limitations exist in the relationship. Suggest steps to address the same. https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/islamic-summit-kuala-lumour-malayasia-turkey-qatar-6181755/ Answer: The year of 2019 has been the harbinger of new momentum in India’s relationships with… Continue reading What should be India’s priorities in dealing with countries in the Islamic world? (15 Marks)

Mentors Comments: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/25961/1/Unit-14.pdf The question wants us to write in detail about the working-class movements in pre-independent India; their phases and significant events etc. Write a few introductory lines about the working class in pre-independent India. E.g The modern Indian working class arose in consequence to the development and growth of factory industries in India… Continue reading “It was after World War-I that the working class struggle in the country entered into a different phase.” In the light of this statement, discuss the phases of the working class movements in pre-independent India. (15 Marks)

Mentors Comments: Lexicon ethics; Attitude The question wants us to bring out the principles of social influence and persuasion and relate them practically to the situation at hand. You should give some examples of the type of audience, the message to be given etc and give practical solutions related to those principles. Introduction– Write a… Continue reading You have been asked to devise an advertisement campaign for a development programme to be launched nationally. What are the principles on which you will focus to increase the social influence of your advertisement? Discuss. (15 Marks)

Mentors Comments: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/still-a-developing-country/article29834940.ece The article highlights that India might face challenges in the future to its status as a developing country in the multilateral forum of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Explain that India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. It has made giant strides in recent times in various fields. However,… Continue reading Why India still defends its “developing country” status at the WTO? Explain this dichotomy in India’s development status. (15 Marks)

Mentors Comments: https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/gst-council-lotteries-taxation-kerala-6177500/  In the intro, briefly give the outline of GST tax and its background. Mention the decline in GST collections and reasons for the same. Highlight the issue raised by the CAG. Also, highlight recent discord in GST council and reasons for the same. Highlight steps to be taken to ensure that GST… Continue reading “The need of the hour is a comprehensive review of the GST architecture, addressing, in particular, the issues flagged by the CAG.” What are the limitations of GST as a tax? What other steps do you suggest to improve its efficiency? (15 Marks)

Mentors Comments: http://www.historydiscussion.net/british-india/cripps-mission-march-1942-in-india-and-why-did-it-fail/2603 The question wants us to write in detail about the salient provisions of the Cripps mission and bring out the reasons as to why those proposals were rejected by the Congress and the Muslim league. Write a few introductory lines about the  Cripps mission. E.g signing of the Atlantic Charter guaranteed the… Continue reading Discuss the reasons as to why the proposals of the Cripps mission were rejected by the Congress and the Muslim league. (15 Marks)

Mentor Comments: https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/mother-tongue-english-medium-regional-language-6130916/ The article explains that with India being a linguistic treasure-trove, a nation widely acknowledged for its extraordinary linguistic and cultural diversity. The plurality and co-existence of multiple languages add colour and vitality to our country and make it unique. Elucidate upon the linguistic diversity of the country and the importance of the… Continue reading “The mother tongue lays a strong foundation for the expression of creativity. Every effort must be made to nurture creativity at the formative stage.” Analyse. (15 Marks)

Mentors Comments: http://www.fao.org/fishery/countrysector/naso_india/en The question is based on the aspects of aquaculture. One must present a detailed discussion of the scope & challenges of aquaculture in India. In the intro, define Aquaculture and provide certain facts regarding the aquaculture in India.  In the main body, write about the scope of aquaculture in India and then… Continue reading Only after the Indian Independence, has fisheries together with agriculture been recognized as an important sector. Examine the scope & challenges of aquaculture in India. (15 Marks) 

Mentors Comments: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-review-of-mandelas-legacy/article24445861.ece The question expects us to draw values from his life and struggles examine their relevance in contemporary times and how can we ensure that we don’t forget his values by discussing what lessons can we implement in India. In the introduction, introduce Nelson Mandela and the stellar role he played as a… Continue reading “Nelson Mandela expanded our capacity to rethink politics in terms of empathy, forgiveness, and values. His life offers many lessons which are of relevance to us more now than ever.” Comment. (15 Marks)

Mentors Comments:  https://nios.ac.in/media/documents/SecICHCour/English/CH.02.pdf India is a unique country with a rich ancient history and with one of the oldest yet dynamic cultures. It has a distinct identity and although diverse in all respects, there is an underlying unity in Indian culture. The question wants us to write in detail about the uniqueness of Indian culture… Continue reading Indian culture has had an enduring character. Despite major changes and upheavals significant threads of continuity can be traced throughout the course of Indian history right upto the present day.” Discuss. (15 Marks)

Mentors Comments: Discuss the energy needs in the Indian economy. Briefly give the current status of Nuclear Energy in India. Argue for and against nuclear energy as a source of energy to meet the needs of the economy while keeping in mind the safety and waste issues. Give your opinion and suggest a way forward.

Mentors Comments: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-rhetoric-and-reality-of-capital-punishment/article30341861.ece Mention Supreme court stance on capital punishment. Argue for and against capital punishment as a deterrent Conclude with your opinion. Answer: Recently a veterinary doctor was brutally raped and burnt in Telangana. Post this incidence Supreme Court of India has upheld the capital punishment of all four convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya… Continue reading “State-sanctioned death penalty promotes fear of the law and serves as a deterrent to future offenders.” In the light of the given statement, critically analyze the idea of capital punishment as a deterrent to heinous crimes in the country. (15 Marks)

Mentors Comments: https://hbr.org/2017/02/the-rise-of-ai-makes-emotional-intelligence-more-important The question wants us to express our opinion as to whether the progress and increased adoption of AI needs to be complemented by more emotional intelligence in the leadership. We can present our opinion for or against the statement but we have to back up our opinion with sufficient and valid arguments.… Continue reading “Skills like persuasion, social understanding, and empathy are going to become differentiators as artificial intelligence and machine learning take over our other tasks. Artificial Intelligence needs to be complemented with Emotional Intelligence” Comment. (15 Marks)