Mentor’s Comment: This type of question in Paper One of GS is quite common and they combine some aspects of India like culture, society, religion with the geographic spread of our nation. Start with an introductory paragraph regarding the first statement as in how geography influences human life in general and then in the same… Continue reading Geography influences almost every aspect of human life. Highlight the link between physical geography and contemporary Indian politics. (15 Marks)

Mentors Comments: 1. Discuss in the context of the recent report on piped water quality. 2. Mention the reasons for pollution in other sources of water. 3. Highlight solutions to deal with the same. https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/quality-on-tap-on-report-of-ministry-of-consumer-affairs/article30000474.ece Answer: The report of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution red-flagged tap water quality in major Indian… Continue reading Critically examine the state of water quality in India. Mention solutions for the same. (15 Marks)

Mentors Comments: 1. Introduce by defining IBC 2. Touch upon its key provisions 3. Mention the significance of IBC. Highlight the limitations 4. Discuss the ESSAR case and it’s link to IBC mechanism https://m.economictimes.com/news/et-explains/et-explains-how-essar-steel-verdict-changes-the-rules-of-the-game-for-future-bankruptcy-cases/amp_articleshow/72070567.cms Answer: The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC) is the bankruptcy law of India that seeks to consolidate the existing framework… Continue reading Discuss the key provisions of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. Present a case for its significance and how the recent judgment on Essar Steel is important. (15 Marks)

Public service is a public trust. Citizens expect public servants to serve the public interest with fairness and to manage public resources properly on a daily basis. Fair and reliable public services inspire public trust and create a favorable environment for businesses, thus contributing to well-functioning markets and economic growth. Therefore, civil servants and public… Continue reading The public servants are the holders of public trust and their ultimate loyalty shall be to the public interests of their country. Illustrate. (15 marks)

Mentors Comment: NCBC bill was recently passed in the Parliament, which gives constitutional status to NCBC. The related act assigns several functions/ duties to the Parliament. But there are also several issues associated with the body, which need to be discussed upon, along with its impact on the socio-economic conditions of the OBCs. That’s the… Continue reading Will granting constitutional status to NCBC have significant impact on the socio-economic conditions of the OBC’s. Critically examine. (15 Marks)

1st Approach It is not difficult to recognize that this clerk is not only involved in unethical conduct but is also clearly violating the law. Both moral and legal sanctions against stealing are well established and generally accepted. You are immediately aware that his behavior is unacceptable and must be stopped, although you would probably… Continue reading Imagine that you have been recently appointed as the head of the accounts department in a municipal corporation. Soon after you assumed your duties, you discovered that a clerk in your department was falsifying the payroll account by continuing to carry the names of some employees who have already been terminated. When the clerk picked up the payroll, he would pull out those cheques, endorse and cash them and keep the money. You have no difficulty in recognizing that this clerk is not only involved in unethical conduct but is also clearly violating the law. In this situation, the following two options are available to you. Which amongst these two would you choose as your response? Give logical arguments in support of your answer. (15 Marks) (1) Your responsibility for the image of the corporation may suggest firing the clerk quietly, involving as few other people as possible. (2) Your responsibility for maintaining the public trust may demand you to consider formal charges and prosecution.

Mentors Comments: Slums are an omnipresent reality for most of the major cities of India and various efforts have been made by the government to address the issue. In this context, it is essential to understand the relationship of India’s slums with its political and economic structure and discuss why the slum development and relocation… Continue reading Slums are a natural development of India’s economic and political structure. Do you agree? Why the various slum development strategies in India have not delivered the required results? (15 Marks)

Mentors Comments: 1. Briefly introduce with the significance of the telecom sector in India 2. Mention the specific challenges facing the sector 3. Also, highlight the ways in which these can be addressed https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.livemint.com/industry/telecom/multiple-policy-flip-flops-push-telecom-industry-to-a-corner/amp-11573580873505.html Answer: India is the world’s second-largest telecommunications market, with around 1.2 billion subscribers as of September 2018. It has contributed around… Continue reading Indian Telecom Sector has achieved great success in the last 3 decades. But it has been facing turbulent times recently. In the light of above statement, discuss the specific challenges that telecom sector in India is facing. Suggest solutions. (15 Marks)

Mentors Comments: 1. Briefly describe Art 356 2. Explain the reasons for which it can be used 3. Explain the gross misuse of the article 4. Suggest remedies to limit it’s misuse https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/betrayal-of-the-mandate/article29956096.ece/amp/ Answer: President’s rule is the suspension of state government and the imposition of direct central government rule in a state.  Grounds of… Continue reading Art 356 should be the last resort to restore democracy in a state. Discuss. (15 Marks)

Mentors Comments: 1. Discuss the changing nature of work – with the advent of the 4th Industrial Revolution 2. What are the challenges posed by new work environments? 3. Highlight steps to be taken by governments to secure the citizens. Answer: Innovation and technological progress have caused disruption, but they have created more prosperity than… Continue reading In the context of the changing nature of work, what challenges do governments face, in providing social security to all it’s employed citizens? Discuss. (15 Marks)

Mentors Comments: 1. Discuss in the context of Kerala’s effort to provide last mile internet connectivity 2. What are the benefits of the internet and digital connectivity? 3. Highlight the challenges in providing accessible, affordable and efficient internet services in India. Answer: Recently, the Kerala High Court upheld the right to have access to the… Continue reading Examine the case that the Internet is one of the rights of an individual. (15 Marks)

Answer:   1st Approach In this case, principle of integrity applies. In line with the global professional and ethical standards you should always act with integrity. This means being open and transparent in the way you work. It also means being honest with others and never trying to hide the facts or purposely deceive those… Continue reading Mr. X worked in the human resources department that was interviewing applicants for a top job in a widget company. After reading many applications, one stood out way ahead of the others. Then he realized that he knew the applicant, Mr. Y. They had hung out together when they were teenagers. Mr. Y had been a wild kid and once was arrested for shoplifting and the possession of drugs. Mr. Y had completed mandatory counseling and, as far as Mr. X knew, Mr. Y had straightened out his life and had done well during the last twenty years. Mr. Y hadn’t indicated in his application that he had once been arrested and Mr. X feared that the company would never hire someone with a police record, no matter how minor or how long ago the offence was. Do you favor Mr. X revealing the information?

  Mentors Comment: The terms of reference (TOR) of the 15th finance commission have been under criticism from the southern states for various reasons. The question is therefore important for GS-1 paper. The question wants us to bring out the salient provisions of the TOR of the 15th finance commission and discuss how they would… Continue reading The 15th Finance Commission May Split Open Demographic Fault Lines Between South and North India? Discuss. What alternative criteria would you suggest for fair sharing of central resources between North and South Indian states, keeping in mind the population issue in hand? (15 Marks)

Mentors Comments: 1. Explain in brief, the Clean Development Mechanism. 2. Highlight it’s limitations in changing climate financing. 3. Suggest ways to rectify gaps and provide alternatives. Answer: The Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol allows developing countries to profit from climate-friendly projects, and India is second only to China in using the mechanism… Continue reading What are the roadblocks in the success of the Clean Development Mechanism? What ways can be found to tackle the issue of financing climate change? (15 Marks)

Mentors Comment: Introduce the concept of separation of power and separation of functions in India. How it is distinctive than other constitutions in the world. What is the constitutional backing of this doctrine. The main answer will be in two parts. First, discuss the salient features of the doctrine in Indian sense and what are… Continue reading Comment on the nature of the separation of powers envisaged by the constitution of India. How successful has been the constitutional scheme in the Indian context? Discuss. (15 Marks)

Answer: 1st Approach First, consider the facts concerning your objective responsibility: The laws and MCH project guidelines related to demolition and redevelopment projects authorize the demolition of substandard structures. If the owner cannot or will not make the necessary repairs, the building may be torn down. The criteria for determining substandard buildings are well defined… Continue reading As the Housing society in Faircity, an older community in Honestopolis, is in a dilapidated state, the Municipal Corporation of Honestopolis (MCH) has declared the area appropriate for redevelopment appointing you as project director. You have a team of two specialists, Prateek and Tarun, and the mandate is to determine which of the houses should be rehabilitated and which must be demolished. Prateek and Tarun, report to you about Mrs. Sudha, who has lived in project area 1 for thirty years. Mrs. Sudha is now eighty-five years old, her husband is deceased and the little money her husband left her with has been so battered by inflation that it barely meets her basic living expenses. She has been neglecting the repairs on her home, which is now in a pretty bad shape. They sum up the condition of the house by admitting that according to the standards they have been applying elsewhere in the first project area, Mrs. Sudha’s home should be demolished and she be relocated somewhere else. However, Prateek cannot bring himself to recommend the destruction of the old woman’s home. He tells you that he knows what the law requires and what the MCH project guidelines specify, but it seems wrong. He argues that “Elderly people, when relocated often lapse into senility and sometimes death. We should not treat decent people who have worked hard all their lives as though they were disposable trash just because they do not fit in certain guidelines. ” However, Tarun does not agree. He feels as strongly as Prateek but not in the same way. “It is too bad about Mrs. Sudha, and all the Mrs. Sudhas who get caught in her predicament, but there is nothing we can do about it,” says Tarun. He tells you that MCH’s job is to rehabilitate the houses when it can and demolish when it cannot, and there are laws and rules and standards that must govern those decisions. He insists that we cannot go around making exceptions; we have to be fair with everyone and that means treating everyone equally. There must be no special favours, or everyone will demand an exception, and nothing will get done The only way is to follow the rules. What would be your objective responsibility in this case? Also, clarify what is your subjective responsibility? What would be your future course of action? Is there any other essential information that you would need in order to arrive at a suitable decision? If yes, what could be this information?

Mentors Comment: The reform movement of 19th century played a prominent role in the social life of the 19th century. The highlight of these reforms were education of women and banning of various evil practices that were aimed at women only. But when looked closely, it can be seen that fell short of giving equality… Continue reading The male reformers of the 19th century treated women as subjects of their modernizing project and could not imagine them to be their conscious equals claiming agency for their own emancipation. Discuss. (15 Marks)

Mentors Comment: Disaster Management under Environment is one of the important topics for UPSC Civil Services preparation. Questions have been asked in every year’s UPSC Mains exam on Disaster Management.  A couple of years ago, the government came out with NDMP and it is the first-ever plan on the national level for DM, both man-made… Continue reading The National Disaster Management Plan is devoid of many important elements that make a good and robust action plan. It may fulfill the formal requirement of the law of having a plan but it may not be effective in achieving its grandiose vision of building resilience. Critically comment. (15 Marks)

Mentors Comments: 1. Discuss the extent of underweight and obesity in India, especially in the context of the Hunger Index. 2. What are the reasons for this state of malnutrition? 3. Discuss FSSAI guidelines and analyze their relevance. 4. What more needs to be done regarding stunting as well as obesity among children Answer: India’s… Continue reading The twin problems of underweight and overweight trouble Indian children. Do you think the latest FSSAI regulations on fast food will address the problem of child malnutrition in the country? Discuss. (15 Marks)

Answer:   Perform an objective and subjective analysis of the case.   Objective Analysis: The constitution of India caters to treat everybody as equal before the law irrespective of his religion. Thus, the religious community in the question should not be dealt with any special treatment. As a civil servant, an officer should follow the… Continue reading You are posted as a District Collector in one of the districts in India. It has been brought to your notice that a structure has been built by few members of a religious community on the public land without getting due permissions. In keeping with the guidelines of the Supreme Court of India, disallowing the construction of any permanent religious structures on public land, you are contemplating its removal. However, the leaders of the community in question have requested you to permit the structure saying that it is for the period of month long religious festival only. Moreover, they say that there is no other religious place nearby where community members can celebrate their festival. Your seniors and the political leader of the area also support their views. However you are skeptical that after the festival is over, it may not be easy to remove the religious structure from the public land due to the involvement of community members at large. (1) Perform an objective and subjective analysis of the case. (2) What will you do in such a situation?