The civil service is a subdivision of government which is usually grouped with the Executive, and without which governments cannot function. The civil services by the quality of its knowledge, experience and understanding of public affairs support the chosen representatives to device effectual policy and have great responsibility to implement these policies for the welfare… Continue reading Take the civil service out of government and the country will collapse, take politics out of government and the country will flourish. Analyse. (250 words)

Mentors Comment: This is quite straightforward question and you should not have much trouble with it. Start with discussion on grasslands and their spread in India. Next discussion will focus on their importance in the ecology of our nation. How they support our ever growing cattle stocks, how they are the home of some of… Continue reading Despite their critical role in biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation, grasslands are amongst the most neglected ecosystems in India. Comment. (250 Words)

Mentors Comments: 1. Briefly explain NRC and what the debate surrounding it 2. Discuss both the human rights and strategic dimensions of the debate Answer: The National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise is among the most ambitious experiments the Indian state has undertaken. The NRC is the list of Indian citizens and was prepared in 1951,… Continue reading The debate around National Register of Citizens (NRC) should not be viewed as a human rights issue, but as a strategic and security issue. (250 Words)

Mentors Comments: 1. Define/ briefly explain what NFU is 2. List down how it benefited India 3. Debate for and against India abrogating NFU Answer: No First Use doctrine is a commitment to not be the first to use a nuclear weapon in a conflict i.e. nuclear weapons to be used only in case of… Continue reading What is No First Use Doctrine? Did it serve India? Do you agree that it is high time India adopts an aggressive nuclear posture? (250 Words)

The headmaster of the school is not only a civil servant but a role model in the vicinity. Teaching and grooming the impressionable young boys is his service and a mission. He should leave an indelible mark in the minds of young boys about moral values such as helping the disabled and diseased and standing… Continue reading Suppose you are a headmaster of a government higher secondary school where there is a student of class X who is diagnosed with AIDS. The children in the class discriminate him on various grounds and you have also been getting calls from the parents of other students in the class that they are against the continuance of his studies with their children. You call the parents of the AIDS affected student and tell his parents about the same and that you are under pressure from other parents to expel their child from school. What will be the right course for you on ethical and professional grounds? Evaluate the following options and suggest which course of action would you take along with justification. (1)Rusticate the student. (2)Let the student continue his studies and make separate sitting arrangements for him. (3) Keep the student as usual in the classroom and make efforts to convince the students and their parents that AIDS in not contagious. If some of them are not convinced, you ask them to seek admission elsewhere rather than expelling the AIDS affected student. (250 words)

Mentors Comment: The answer is both traditional as well as current based. You have to provide the role of diplomacy in recent times which has averted international crisis by bringing peace in those situations. Doklam crisis, summits between Korean leaders, Trump-Kim meet, diplomatic relations between US and Cuba, negotiations between Afghanistan govt and Taliban etc… Continue reading Despite war-mongering and aggressive rhetoric on an upswing in international politics in recent years, diplomacy has remained critical. Comment. (250 Words)

Mentors Comments: 1. Briefly mention the issue in news 2. Argue for and against both privacy and security. Discuss what are the issues of privacy that get violated if Aadhaar is linked to social sites, then discuss and debate on what are the advantages of doing the same. 3. Give a stand of your choice.… Continue reading Do you think privacy should be relegated behind state security? Debate in the context of recent Aadhaar social media linkage issue. (250 Words)