Mains Marathon: Essay Test – January 28



Instructions:  Write an essay on any one of the following in about 1000-1200 words.
Time : 90 minutes

Marks : 125


1.Digital economy: A leveller or a source of economic inequality.
डिजिटल अर्थवयवस्था : एक समताकारी या आर्थिक असमता का स्त्रोत|

Source: Previous Year UPSC Essay Test


2.Innovation is the key determinant of economic growth and social welfare.
नवप्रवर्तन आर्थिक संवृद्धि और सामाजिक कल्याण का अपरिहार्य निर्धारक है |

SourcePrevious Year UPSC Essay Test


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Comments

70 responses to “Mains Marathon: Essay Test – January 28”

  1. Thank you devmitra sen for your valuable feedback!!!….Yes I would inculcate your wonderful examples..

  2. Ankit Mehra Avatar
    Ankit Mehra

    Innovation is the key determinant of economic growth and social welfare

    There are many things in this world that we don’t know about, and there are also things that we don’t know that we don’t know about.In the first case, at least we know that we do not know but in the second case we do not even have the knowledge of our ignorance about the unknown .It in this second sense i believe, that innovation has its true meaning. Significance of Innovation is not in it being an incremental process, but in its shifting of paradigms and in its jump into unknown. Innovation is bringing into conscious the unconscious , What the product will be ?- and what value it will have to economy and society? -is another question altogether.
    To see the value of innovation in economic growth first we need to ask what is economic growth? and how do you perceive growth?. Growth is defined sometimes in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and sometimes as Human Development Index(HDI).But what if an innovation tries to totally change the direction of economic growth or growth as we perceive it? If the underlying idea of economic growth is open markets ,competition, and attribution of monetary value to every product and resource available. Then ,yes, current technology or ‘marketable innovation’ has that value. But is this the real growth? Real growth will be when the person with most laborious job gets all the benefits and resources he needs.This marketable innovation model has basically attributed a market value to intellectual capacity of a person. More innovative or more intellectually able you are more is your market value. By using this analogy we have linked intelligence or innovativeness with money and therefore breed greed in the minds of intelligent to dupe and subdue not so intelligent masses.Innovation drives economy, create new products ,saleable products for market , but the question is innovation to what end?- for economic growth as has been understood by current discourse or for liberation of mankind from this cost driven, money attributed ,market oriented system, in which every thing has a monetary value?
    Society is a collective organism made up of many beings . It is a system with many parts and each part has an equal value.But innovation in its pursuit of marketable value has brought more social inequality than equality. Take the case of innovation in Pharma sector .Big multinational Pharma companies like Pfizer have created anti-retro viral(ARV) drug used in AIDS treatment.By using Trade related Intellectual property rights(TRIPS) and Intellectual Property Rights(IPR) they placed very high cost upon these ARV drugs. But AIDS patient in African countries ,who were most affected by AIDS diseases were not able to pay such high cost.So this IPR driven and motivated innovation will only create an economic value for the innovator not social value. Not only this, Pharma company tries to keep their patents or IPRs alive beyond twenty years ,they try to do what is called ‘Evergreening’. In which they tweak patented drugs’s chemistry slightly without changing its therapeutic merit thereby again getting it patented for 20 more years. Society provides a person with security, a habitable environment ,his very existence depend upon it. So innovation by a person should be an act of paying society back.But marketable innovation has changed this real objective of innovation.Innovation now, as it is done in market funded research facilities of big universities and R&D labs is done for the purpose of market value how will that help society. And why cannot so called Intellectual Property Rights(IPR) become social property rights?
    Innovation is a great force , it has brought so much comfort and ease to mankind. Information Technology, an innovation of 20th century has brought the world closer like never before, it has brought the power of information to common man and decreased his informational asymmetry , it is also great democratic force in that sense.But we need to understand why Information technology in general and specifically internet has produced so much good .They have become a liberating force specially in 21st century because at their base is participation of people ,who creates and consume information. And after arrival of mobile technology ,internet is becoming a great equaliser as well, it does not ask for your class, religion, caste, with an internet enabled device and small amount of money any body can have access to unlimited amount of information. At the very base of internet is the ideal of freedom of information. Innovation in this sense which does not create gate keepers for itself and increases freedom is an economic and social good.
    Innovation ,the discovery of unknown, is a great intellectual ability of mankind. It can produce greater good or can be source of destruction and inequality.Albert Einstein created history by the discovery of Theory of relativity and by his famous energy-mass equation E= mc 2, but this very innovation of his was used for production of Atomic bomb , which has the capacity of wiping out whole of humanity from the face of the earth.Not only this the whole industrial-military complex has basically used innovation for its own growth. By selling a new weapon system to a country they create a weapon race because an advance weapon system will only create fear thereby forcing other country to buy that new weapon system. Therefore weapon industry use innovation as an exploitative tool by creating a false demand where none existed. Innovation with its penchant towards market valuation can create disasters for the world .We can see, that it is because of this market driven transport and oil economy that we have come at the verge of climate change fuelled by global warming.Petrol and diesel engines were great innovations of their times., but even after understanding there deplorable side effects like air pollution and its eventual effect on climate and environment, we have failed to invest appropriately in innovation of cleaner energy.
    So, innovation has the potential to create great economic and social good provided we understand the value of innovation in itself and also the larger question -Innovation for what end? . It is not innovative to attribute market value to innovation but, to attribute social value to it, and perhaps if possible make it a social property.

  3. Ankit Mehra Avatar
    Ankit Mehra

    Innovation is the key determinant of economic growth and social welfare
    There are many things in this world that we don’t know about, and there are also things that we don’t know that we don’t know about.In the first case, at least we know that we do not know but in the second case we do not even have the knowledge of our ignorance about the unknown .It in this second sense i believe, that innovation has its true meaning. Significance of Innovation is not in it being an incremental process, but in its shifting of paradigms and in its jump into unknown. Innovation is bringing into conscious the unconscious , What the product will be ?- and what value it will have to economy and society? -is another question altogether.
    To see the value of innovation in economic growth first we need to ask what is economic growth? and how do you perceive growth?. Growth is defined sometimes in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and sometimes as Human Development Index(HDI).But what if an innovation tries to totally change the direction of economic growth or growth as we perceive it? If the underlying idea of economic growth is open markets ,competition, and attribution of monetary value to every product and resource available. Then ,yes, current technology or ‘marketable innovation’ has that value. But is this the real growth? Real growth will be when the person with most laborious job gets all the benefits and resources he needs.This marketable innovation model has basically attributed a market value to intellectual capacity of a person. More innovative or more intellectually able you are more is your market value. By using this analogy we have linked intelligence or innovativeness with money and therefore breed greed in the minds of intelligent to dupe and subdue not so intelligent masses.Innovation drives economy, create new products ,saleable products for market , but the question is innovation to what end?- for economic growth as has been understood by current discourse or for liberation of mankind from this cost driven, money attributed ,market oriented system, in which every thing has a monetary value?
    Society is a collective organism made up of many beings . It is a system with many parts and each part has an equal value.But innovation in its pursuit of marketable value has brought more social inequality than equality. Take the case of innovation in Pharma sector .Big multinational Pharma companies like Pfizer have created anti-retro viral(ARV) drug used in AIDS treatment.By using Trade related Intellectual property rights(TRIPS) and Intellectual Property Rights(IPR) they placed very high cost upon these ARV drugs. But AIDS patient in African countries ,who were most affected by AIDS diseases were not able to pay such high cost.So this IPR driven and motivated innovation will only create an economic value for the innovator not social value. Not only this, Pharma company tries to keep their patents or IPRs alive beyond twenty years ,they try to do what is called ‘Evergreening’. In which they tweak patented drugs’s chemistry slightly without changing its therapeutic merit thereby again getting it patented for 20 more years. Society provides a person with security, a habitable environment ,his very existence depend upon it. So innovation by a person should be an act of paying society back.But marketable innovation has changed this real objective of innovation.Innovation now, as it is done in market funded research facilities of big universities and R&D labs is done for the purpose of market value how will that help society. And why cannot so called Intellectual Property Rights(IPR) become social property rights?
    Innovation is a great force , it has brought so much comfort and ease to mankind. Information Technology, an innovation of 20th century has brought the world closer like never before, it has brought the power of information to common man and decreased his informational asymmetry , it is also great democratic force in that sense.But we need to understand why Information technology in general and specifically internet has produced so much good .They have become a liberating force specially in 21st century because at their base is participation of people ,who creates and consume information. And after arrival of mobile technology ,internet is becoming a great equaliser as well, it does not ask for your class, religion, caste, with an internet enabled device and small amount of money any body can have access to unlimited amount of information. At the very base of internet is the ideal of freedom of information. Innovation in this sense which does not create gate keepers for itself and increases freedom is an economic and social good.
    Innovation ,the discovery of unknown, is a great intellectual ability of mankind. It can produce greater good or can be source of destruction and inequality.Albert Einstein created history by the discovery of Theory of relativity and by his famous energy-mass equation E= mc 2, but this very innovation of his was used for production of Atomic bomb , which has the capacity of wiping out whole of humanity from the face of the earth.Not only this the whole industrial-military complex has basically used innovation for its own growth. By selling a new weapon system to a country they create a weapon race because an advance weapon system will only create fear thereby forcing other country to buy that new weapon system. Therefore weapon industry use innovation as an exploitative tool by creating a false demand where none existed. Innovation with its penchant towards market valuation can create disasters for the world .We can see, that it is because of this market driven transport and oil economy that we have come at the verge of climate change fuelled by global warming.Petrol and diesel engines were great innovations of their times., but even after understanding there deplorable side effects like air pollution and its eventual effect on climate and environment, we have failed to invest appropriately in innovation of cleaner energy.
    So, innovation has the potential to create great economic and social good provided we understand the value of innovation in itself and also the larger question -Innovation for what end? . It is not innovative to attribute market value to innovation but, to attribute social value to it, and perhaps if possible make it a social property.

  4. devmitra sen Avatar
    devmitra sen

    🙂

  5. Rhythm 2017 Avatar
    Rhythm 2017

    @devmitra_sen:disqus please have a look

  6. Hi devmitra 🙂
    I agree with your suggestions and will improve further.The points you have given for this essay topic are so good. Really Wonderful points and ideas. Thank you so much for such a nice review. Keep writing and reviewing 🙂

  7. devmitra sen Avatar
    devmitra sen

    Anytime 🙂

  8. Thank you for feeding my hunger for reviews 🙂
    I feel essay is the toughest part of the syllabus…examiner is actually weighing u on all scale require to be an administrator. so writing and expressing in 1000-1200 word become very hard.
    a single statement requires 1000 word , very unholy. but,yes room is there for all to be not-ordinary….KWAR
    Regarding review:
    decent knowledge of vocab is must…a perfect vocab is as expressive as a full statement.In essay we are expressing our thought.
    I finished in 700-750 words so many aspects was missed.will improve —- my database need to be updated with information 🙂
    Thanks for reviewing and using above decent and reader’s feel things for my essay attempt.

  9. frontrunner Avatar
    frontrunner

    a big thanks to u for the dtailed reading and analysis u did
    I will definitely work on it and improve from next week onwards
    thank you again

  10. devmitra sen Avatar
    devmitra sen

    A very very enjoyable read..the intro is impactful!..Certainlines like innovation is reiligion is also appreciative.It is a checked paper it seems??..A gradual mention from fire ,wheel,to PIL is encouraging..For making it a step ahead,if you could useexamples for waste to energy,molasses to ethanol,(biodiesel),accesible infrastructure for the physically challenged that promotessafety and inclusive growth,growthof community media like Lahria newspaper by Dalit women to display their problems,promotion of the idea of a buyers platform like a sellers platform on the lines of OPEC,app/web based access to services today including obtaining a passport,online trading even of animals like Pashuhaat,etc .Though it is filled with examples already,a few more targeting inclusion,progress and growth under the respective headings will further the content.
    However a very enriching read!..keep it up!

  11. devmitra sen Avatar
    devmitra sen

    Hi 🙂
    Just went through your read..Decent essay..However,you should focus on being exceptionally good in essay paper..Go above the generic..NAM is a great example for India..Also focus on how digitisation in Economy has helped in giving global online trading of both commodities and equity a positive filip..global money transer..remmitances..DBT in India..transparency and tax compliance that leads to increasing social equity and better reaching and effective welfare schemes for the vulnerables.,widening tax base,reduction in BEPS,all these..similarly the other side of the coin(cons)..
    The core issue is..Go beyond the normal and generic in essays..So..focus on improvement on A MASSIVE SCALE FOR ESSAY!

  12. devmitra sen Avatar
    devmitra sen

    Hi:)
    Just went through your read..its a decent essay..my perception is in an essay you should be exceptionally good..not only points but vocab as well..Papers will be evaulated by eng professors..Now your content is also decent..Thoughts are good but your focus in an essay must be to not only touch the core aspects but raise your bar by innovative points as well supported with a “above decent” vocab and targeted structure (not mandatory in an essay though)..An enriching reading experience should be the reader’s feel..
    For ex “inequality comes from uneven distribution but not from uneven usage of equal opportunity in a common infrastructure “-a lovely word craft..that way you have to bring in the extra edge..
    Digital security??..Cyber threats?..Digitl literacy?..Some vital points as leveller like increasing access to services..increasing social equity through tax compliance..can be mentioned as well..
    However,flaws are necessary to know what can be done for improvement..rite?..So no worries..you have to keep writting nomatter what criticisms/compliments you get..

  13. devmitra sen Avatar
    devmitra sen

    Hi 🙂
    Just went through teh piece..whatever points you have mentioned are worthy to the topic..very appreciative is Constitution..but what is the innovation in Indian context?Constitution is a feature of democracies..so what is the innovation?..positive discrimination yes..secularism yes..what else can be?..Give a thought..point is good but needs to be highlighted more through stark examples..Focussed on India completely??:) Happens..So widen your reach of thoughts ..Lets say the first innovationfor mankind would be the WHEEL..from transport to pottery..it ushered in an era of change..3 parent baby today..innovation..going cashless or polymer notes of Uk..getting or accessing everything through easiy navigable apps..start ups,mergers are also innovationin economy..freedom struggle..using baloons and kites to highlight “Simon go away” or children wearing cloths that represent national flag so that british could not throw them away..global revolutions..
    Your structure is good..core content when stronger through broad thinking will help you present a great essay Raghav and youuu CAN do that!!..

  14. got the points. thanks for the review. keep writing and reviewing

  15. Rhythm 2017 Avatar
    Rhythm 2017

    @ForumIAS:disqus Do you think i have missed it by a little this time?
    🙁 🙁

  16. Rhythm 2017 Avatar
    Rhythm 2017

    your approach is right..
    dividing the various subheadings of innovation
    i will give you some general points so that you can evaluate yourself
    1. the essay must be balanced in terms of examples and analysis.
    2. strictly follow what is asked in the essay. don’t pour in information that is not required.
    3. maintain a flow that keeps the reader tied to your essay.

  17. @9822101168:disqus , @heisenbergpink:disqus , @disqus_b7Hhji6nod:disqus , @nomadicmindatwork:disqus , @ForumIAS:disqus , @gomathisekar:disqus , @disqus_ywdAFm8Bud:disqus , @VVKEMPEROR:disqus Please review my essay and expecting your critical comments

  18. I failed to notice that all my ideas are India centric. I realize that I should have written in a broader perspective. will improve in future. I also expect your further critical comments on content of my essay apart from this point.

    Also please do tell me how do we understand the scope of essay whether it is India centric or not.

    thanks for the review. keep writing and reviewing

  19. Rhythm 2017 Avatar
    Rhythm 2017

    why India-centric??

  20. Pankaj Nimbolkar Avatar
    Pankaj Nimbolkar

    Good evaluation sir

  21. @ForumIAS and friends please review

    Innovation is a key deteminant of economic growth and social welfare

    Every aspect of life today is related to innovation, be it polity, economic,social, or technological. It can be even said that economic growth of nation as well as social welfare of a nation is directly proportional to the level of innovation in the country

    Innovation is a constructive deteminant of growth and welfare
    POLITICAL INNOVATIONS
    Indian Constitution is the best example of an innovative effort. The features of our Constitution borrowed as such from other Constitutions of the world but have been modified to suit the needs of Indian society. Hence It is an Indian innovation by our Constitution makers for promoting social welfare and equality.
    Directive Principles of State Policy, Indian federalism, Democratic socialism, Indian secularism,positive discrimination concept, and the Indian judicial innovation of Basic Structure Doctrine are a few examples in Indian polity to show that innovation is helpful to establish an egalitarian social order

    ECONOMIC INNOVATION
    The bold and innovative effort of LPG (Liberalisation, Privatization and Globalisation) Reforms in 1991 helped to propel India’s economic growth trajectory in the right path. It helped India to transform from a slow paced nation into an emerging powerful economy of the world.

    GOVERNANCE INNOVATION
    Panchayat Raj institution is an innovative idea to ensure participatory governance in India. It has helped in achieving social welfare with the help of grass root participation in decision making.

    RTI (Right to Information) Act is another important innovative legislation ensuring transparency and good governance. It has helped to create accountability and fear of corruption which are essential for social welfare

    AGRICULTURAL INNOVATIONS IN INDIA
    Green revolution and White Revolution are important and innovative milestones with respect to welfare efforts in India. While green revolution has ensured food security and self sufficiency by saving the huge Indian population from famine like conditions, white revolution has helped India to become the world’s biggest diary industry thereby steering economic growth through dairy exports.

    INNOVATIVE IDEA IN INDIAN FREEDOM STRUGGLE
    With innovative ideas of Ahimsa and Satyagraha, Indian Freedom struggle stands out as an unique effort against colonialism. The modern British weapons could not match the power of Gandhi’s innovative weapons of Truth and non violence. Indian satyagraha is the best testimony for proving that innovation could result not only in social but also a nation’s welfare

    FOREIGN RELATIONS
    Non alignment is an important innovation in India’s foreign policy. It has helped to Promote mutual interests and co-operation thereby ensuring human welfare not only at the level of Indian society but at the international level involving many emergent nations.

    CULTURAL INNOVATION
    India’s unique tradition of Unity in Diversity is an example of cultural innovation. This innovation of unity without uniformity and diversity without fragmentation has resulted in social welfare by ensuring tolerance and brotherhood in the pluralistic Indian society.

    EDUCATION AND NUTRITION
    Mid day meal scheme is a significant innovative effort in ensuring social welfare. It helped to improve the nutritional as well as educational status of school going children.

    HEALTH INNOVATIONS
    Ayurveda and Yoga is an important innovation of Indian health science which ensures welfare of the people by ensuring perfect healing of several chronic diseases. Health is an important sector of social welfare and these innovations are a real gift to the entire mankind.

    Innovation is a destructive deteminant of growth and welfare
    Though innovations have been the key determinant of constructive growth and welfare, the negative impacts of few innovations cannot be ignored.

    Industrial innovations have created negative impacts on both human health as well as on the environment. The pollutants emitted by few industrial innovations has resulted in pollution of air, water and soil which has serious health consequences. Environmental impacts of these innovations such as ozone depletion, acid rain, global warming etc. cannot be ignored

    Genetically modified crops has become a controversial innovation as it is believed to drain the fertility of soil

    Social networking sites despite its advantages has resulted in destruction of welfare in the form of cyber stalking, social media addiction ,cyber terrorism etc.

    Ironically, innovations have found a way even in corruption and crimes. As a result technological innovations are essential for enforcement agencies to nab the culprits. Right from corruption in coffins of soldiers to spectrum allocation, and from cyber crimes to faking insolvency, criminal innovations reflect the degradation of ethics and morality of the society which is not a good sign of development

    INNOVATION DEMANDING SECTORS OF THE FUTURE
    With many constructive innovations have been made so far, the need for innovations has been continuously increasing. The most demanding and important sectors of growth and welfare in future are women safety and empowerment, climate change tackling, solving water disputes and energy crisis and tackling the global threat of terrorism

    The power of innovation is like the power of fire. It can be used constructively for economic growth and welfare as well be used for destruction. Construction innovations benefit the human society. Being the key determinants of economic growth and welfare, innovations are the need of the hour

  22. Insulator Avatar
    Insulator

    good try…keep writing 🙂

  23. ForumIAS Avatar
    ForumIAS

    Hi,
    -Don’t write an intro this long. You should finish it in half a page or one.
    -Make your stand very clear immediately after the intro. You didn’t mention it at all.
    -Address more dimensions on WHY it is leveller or WHY it increases inequality. Your arguments should be persuasive.
    -The topic is NOT India-centric but your essay is. A big mistake.

    Understand the scope of the essay, elaborate and expand on it judiciously, and conclude on a positive note which reinforces your stand. The essay does none of these things. They seem more like your notes instead of a proper essay.
    Lots of scope for improvement. But don’t worry, practice is how we improve. Do write more. 🙂

  24. frontrunner Avatar
    frontrunner

    @ForumIAS:disqus sir kindly review

  25. Nomadic Mind At work Avatar
    Nomadic Mind At work

    Thank you forumias. Your suggestions will be of lot of help.
    I really missed out parliament and PIL part and other dimensions as well. Will work on the points you mentioned.
    This was the first essay attempt. Will write regularly hence forth.
    thanks for taking out time.
    :):)

  26. Digital economy: A leveller or a source of economic inequality.

    Digital economy is a new concept in the economic world which holds responsibility to push in growth , innovation and competitiveness among the nations. A economy is driven by trade , transactions and its business models and if these things are supported by fast , secure and innovation methodology it will bring cheer to the country ,and these things are made successful together in a digital economy.
    The digital economy is also called as Internet economy, the new economy or Web economy, which is in simple terms means economic value generated from internet. It is a kind of development which can generate sustainable growth and narrow inequality and development doesn’t bring inequality, inequality is the cause of uneven distribution of resources.

    The growing use of digital technologies in conventional commercial environments, is removing the distinction between the digital economy and the traditional one. Years ago , when a laborer working in a remote village have to get paid for the work under MGNREGA, he had to approach the staff or the village head man but now with the evolution of Digital payment method he is paid directly by the authority into his account. He is happy and feels empowered .HE can now transfer money digitally ,to his son or daughter working somewhere else for their expense immediately. Now he need not requires others help for such simple work. I am not a labor but I am equally happy benefitting from digital economy infrastructure. I buy books online through e-commerce portal , I do my mobile recharges and recharge for my parents who are staying outstation in a village and even buy groceries online and get delivered at home . This saves my time and make me equally privileged among others who uses alternative modes for similar works.

    Earlier, Peoples could not open bank account and had hard times getting money when they were travelling outstation. Now with the invent of Core banking solutions and debit/ATM cards most of the informal sector population have been included in the main-stream economy.

    Centuries ago,Barter system was mode of doing business.people exchanged goods for goods .We had no digital economy or no physical form of economy. We evolved and created coin and paper form of money for transaction .It made our lives easy.I recent time we became part of digital transformation where things became too easy . From mobile based payment mode to advent of bitcoin humans are becoming more relaxed and empowered.

    Digital economy is helping rural India get included in the mainstream and making the Indian in total self-reliant and empowered:

    a) It is helping formal sector to get the push and informal sector a touch of inclusiveness.

    b) Loopholes would be plugged in transferring of subsidies to beneficiaries. Hence, reduce leakages
    .
    c) Greater efficiency in welfare programmes as the money would be directly transferred into the accounts of beneficiaries. Hence, better target delivery of subsidies

    d) Online education , online banking , online trading these all are positive features

    Inequality comes from uneven distribution but not from uneven usage of equal opportunity in a common infrastructure .This can be argued same as saying ‘ do reservation hampering creativity and innovations in India? ’
    Even though India is rising in creating successful cashless economy and building a infrastructure of complete digital economy, there are lots of challenges and issues need to be addresses , to prevent it from making source on economic inequality.

    What are the challenges:

    a) Inadequate Infrastructure: rural India too need to be connected through internet to enjoy banking and electricity to enjoy internet.

    b) Illiteracy : before introducing internet they must be introduced to alphabets

    c) Digital divide: I know internet , mobile or banking system but don’t have access while majority in cities have all.This have to be reduced.

    Wayahead and conclusion:

    It is known fact that digital economy requires skill , it is skill-biased. Digital economy have less require of people with higher education but skill is necessary to do normal online things.We must need to concentrate on developing skills among youth altogether with imparting digital education at younger age.
    At social and cultural level we have to accept the usage of digital way of economy.
    A digital economy mode is neither universal nor absolute.It have its own benefit and side-effects. It is upto India to show its maturity to adopt its benefit or lost yet again in a beautiful transition.

  27. ForumIAS Avatar
    ForumIAS

    Decent attempt.
    However, some glaring flaws:

    1. Too long an intro, do cut it short. IT should be over in at most the first page.

    2. You are mixing “invention” and “innovation”. Both are different things. You have to mention how innovation leads to welfare, not invention of new things or processes.

    3. You should’ve expanded on what can be done to foster innovation worldwide.

    4. Instead of just enlisting a few innovations (and inventions) in a few sectors, you could’ve shown how they can be used for nefarious purposes immediately after, thus bringing things into perspective. For example, online trading was an innovation made possible by integrating technology into the already existing trading platforms. But algorithmic trading, also an innovative financial technology, skews the level playing field and is therefore detrimental.

    5. Examples from more dimensions should be added: Zero hour of Indian parliament, PILs etc also help in social welfare, no?

    You need to expand the scope of the essay, while making sure it surrounds the topic and does not digress. It’ll come with practice.
    Keep writing!

  28. Nomadic Mind At work Avatar
    Nomadic Mind At work

    Hi, very nice essay. Very Good language used.
    I think one para specific to india could have added. I mean relating to essay to india and todays problems is also important in my opinion considering we are writing for upsc.
    Otherwise good coverage of aspects of innovation.

  29. Nomadic Mind At work Avatar
    Nomadic Mind At work

    Thank you 🙂

  30. Rhythm 2017 Avatar
    Rhythm 2017

    @nomadicmindatwork:disqus : very beautiful essay
    quite diverse and good language and flow

  31. Dharmachakra Avatar
    Dharmachakra

    K buddy..

  32. good essay.

  33. Word limit is 1000-1200 …work on it.. extend your content.

  34. ty sir..

  35. Rhythm 2017 Avatar
    Rhythm 2017

    Sorry buddy @amareek:disqus
    i’m not philosophy optional
    I’m a geologist

    🙂

  36. Rhythm 2017 Avatar
    Rhythm 2017

    thank you @Shal247:disqus
    I agree with your observation. But that is done deliberately.
    The essay in my opinion must support the topic from all perspective. There is no point taking a stand that is opposite of what is suggested in the topic.
    But a little mention can be done. Agreed!

  37. sure..

  38. ForumIAS Avatar
    ForumIAS

    Rhythm, please help him 🙂

  39. Rhythm Sir whats is the best source(online) to study Philosophy optional?

  40. frontrunner Avatar
    frontrunner

    okk thank u
    will improve on it
    kwar

  41. Very nicely written.
    U justify the qoute “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”. But i want to add that not all innovations are harmonious, there are certain innovations that create chaos and conflicts. So innovations cannot be seen as “sacred cows”. The negative side of innovations also deserves a mention. eg. weapons technology, innovative Caste System in India , etc.

  42. i think u are right , it needs a lot of improvement.

  43. Shraddha Avatar
    Shraddha

    You’ve good flow in your writing and have nicely incorporated appropriate government efforts as per need. But I feel the essay speaks of a more general phenomenon. Writing the whole essay in context of India has deviated you from the same. Correct me if I’m wrong.

  44. EMPEROR RELOADED Avatar
    EMPEROR RELOADED

    Net issue will check once resolved

  45. your essay are gernally good but not satisified with this one

  46. Yaa sure thank you

  47. frontrunner Avatar
    frontrunner

    good
    but you can mnetion how innovations in science and technolgy has made economic growth faster,research in space missions given impetus to growth,healthcare facilties improved.many diverse points could have been mentioned
    rest fyn
    kwar

  48. frontrunner Avatar
    frontrunner

    you need sentence restructuring
    essay should look like a logical flow of ideas and not just mentioning points
    I hope friend you take this in a constructive manner
    rest fyn
    kwar

  49. frontrunner Avatar
    frontrunner

    good one
    but rather than focussing more on digital economy you have done on digital India.
    so you can be more specific in the regard
    rest fyn
    kwar

  50. Bunty kumar Avatar
    Bunty kumar

    beautiful writing very creative brother

  51. Thank yo yaar

  52. Rhythm 2017 Avatar
    Rhythm 2017

    its Steve jobs dear,
    your essay lacks structuring and bombarded with facts and less understanding of how how innovation is key player in development.
    you can improve a lot
    keep writing

  53. Pankaj Nimbolkar Avatar
    Pankaj Nimbolkar

    Thank you sir

  54. Digital economy : A leveller or source of economic inequality.

    Digital economy is the worldwide network of economic activities enabled by Information and communication technologies. Digital economy has enabled to carry out our buisness transactions electronically via moblie phones, internet etc. . Our economy has undergone a sea change from barter to coins and coins to digital, transforming world into a global market.Transactions in cash has been replaced by new modes of payment like debit card, credit card etc.

    Govt’s recent launch of digital India program has given a boost to digital economy.In the economy where wealth is concentrated in few hands the scheme of digital India was mooted so that the inequalities can be reduced.

    Digital economy has helped in making a society which is conducive for the growth all, where the poor and rich both reap the benefits of digital economy. Govt’s scheme JAM(jan dhan adhar moblie) trinity in which the bank account is linked to adhar has led to financial inclusion of people, enabled benefits such as subsidies , pensions and minimum payments under various govt scheme to reach the poor and prevented leakages and the role of middleman.

    Farmers can sell their products through e-markets which also help in better price discovery and ensured that benefits reaches to the farmers , and various pro farmer channels like DD kisan teaching new farm techniques, organic farmingetc , m-kisan sms portal helpline which provides help through sms and thus helped to bring farmers to the mainstream of development.

    Tax procedures have been simplified and online transactions has helped in better tax compliance and helped to reduce tax evasions and thus ensure transparency and thus taxes can be used for developmental works.

    Students who could not afford high class education can now complete their education through MOOC(massive online open courses) . various lectures of world class lectures like NPTEL, MIT etc. are available free of cost on online media . disadvantaged sections of society due to financial or their distant location who could otherwise not avail world class education can do online courses .

    Although digital economy has helped in bridge the gap between the have and havenots there are some cases where it has given rise to inequality too, digital economy has affected the buisness of small shopkeepers, vendors etc . It has been seen that digital economy has given rise to big online companies and the big rich companies have benefited more instead of poor.

    Digital economy has given rise to digital divide where the technology is not accessible to all. Lack of digital literacy has create a hinderance in access of services to the poor. It has been seen that many govt schemes were stopped because of failure of tecchnologies.People in rural ares are not accustomed to digital transactions and lack the means and knowledge.

    ” A nation will not serve morally and economically when so few have so many and so many have so few”- Bernie sanders

    If a nation has to prosper the needs and aspirations of each and every individual should be kept in mind. Move towards Digital economy has enabled to lessen the gap.Govt’s digital literacy mission is a great step in this regard.If we are to move towards a better India there should be equitable distribution of wealth and resources which would also help to acheive the UN sustainable goal 10 of reducing inequality,

  55. ForumIAS Avatar
    ForumIAS

    Sure, in a while. Keep writing 🙂

  56. Innovation is the key determinant of economic growth and social welfare:

    Steve John was very apt when he said ” innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower ”
    Innovation is the force that transforms creativity into reality. When creativity is thinking of new things , innovation is doing new things.
    From the time life started, man has been innovating and evolving. It was innovation only that created ” fire “, it was this only which started agriculture and domestication,it was someone innovation only that gave wings to human beings and flying become possible
    Behind every luxury,every process,every machine,every method someone innovation worked out
    Every aspect of life today is related to innovation, be it polity, economic,social, or technological
    If policy makers stop innovating new ways of creating laws, it would be very difficult then to provide justice
    Bankruptcy of insolvency bill, Rights of person with disabilities bill, are result of innovation only here it will be political innovation
    Social Welfare itself a very complex phenomena is intrically connected with innovation
    Similarly economic growth of nation (which is also necessary condition of social welfare )I’d directly proportional to the level of innovation in the country

    Some examples in india :

    Green revolution in india came in 1960’s, before its advent we hardly had enough food to eat, out condition was so critical that time Indira gandhi PM of India had to import food from USA on PL 480 (which was very humiliating for us )
    But after Green Revolution ( which was direct result of innovation in developing HYV seeds ) in the next 20 years we were not only producing enough for domestic need but also for export purpose
    Similar things goes with innovation in milk and dairy sector that gave us ” white Revolution ” and changed the lives of many poor
    Green revolution and White revolution not only helped in creating wealth for the nation but it also helped in achieving the objectives of social welfare
    PIL was a judicial innovation and today it is one of the most powerful weapon of providing social justice and social welfare
    RTI act , a legislative innovation has helped in unearthing many scams and has saved / deterred many future ones
    List is very long but to quote ” Genetic drugs ” ( an innovation in the provision of health services ) which has made it possible for poor to access life saving drugs which otherwise would not have been possible
    All these things are just few examples where innovation had acted as a benchmark and pillar that has given support to India’s objectives of social welfare and economic growth
    But still india has not achieved it’s full potential in this field since two most important things are still lagging in india
    They are 1) impetus on Research and Development
    2) Initiative and Competitiveness
    We can learn from the experience of our neighbour China from 1980 ‘s innovation a lot and today we can see the difference
    In 1970’s we were at par with China but after that China focused and understood that growth (be it economic, social or political ) It is not possible without innovation and thus it invested a lot in science part , University Affiliated Research, Project torch and today it contribute 16 % of world GDP whereas we only 5.77 %
    Also China has replaced USA as the manufacturing hub and today it share 23 % which is more than USA (17%)
    All this had been possible only because if innovation
    We should learn from these and try to tap the full potential we have got
    On a positive note, now we are also innovating and proving to the world that we are not behind for example : Recent success shown by ISRO when it succeeded in the mangalyan mission , the cheapest program to Mars in the world
    This will surely enhance our credibility and help us in achieving a top spot in the world Research , which will later converted into economic growth as other nations will also contact us
    MGNREGA which was a legislative innovation in changing the lives of many poor families today and will continue to do so.
    All this prove that economic growth or social welfare can be achieved If we focus on Research and Development and try to creative , competitive and innovative
    We as a nation have the best of minds and a lot more capability that we are actually utilising. We can surely improve our place
    We have to create an atmosphere of innovation which is visible in india account we can see the chain of startups and entrepreneurs who are making us competitive and creative
    Innovation is the most important weapon in this battle of Growth and Development
    Innovation is like Krishna in mahabharat and prophet in quran which will show the way forward and lead us to a brighter tomorrow

  57. Rhythm 2017 Avatar
    Rhythm 2017

    Innovation is the key determinant of economic growth and social welfare

    If I had asked people what they wanted they would have said faster horses. – Henry Ford

    Innovation in layman terms will mean challenging status quo. It means making change in something established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas or product.
    Innovation has always been the key player of bringing change in the individual life, social level or something that can affect the whole world. Curiosity and necessity has always been the ingredients behind any successful innovations. Most of the time people relate innovation to advancement or breakthrough in science and technology but this is not true. Science and tech. are part of it but real driver of innovation is ability to look what cannot be seen. Innovation is not a process but a state of mind. Therefore it cannot be learned but felt.
    Innovation has affected every walk of human life. It has changed and will keep changing the way we interact, commute, live, eat, transact, etc. It has impacted our economy and social life in way that is hard to believe.

    Innovation cruising through economic development:
    Humans started the economic process from barter system. Certainly it has some flaws like magnitude of exchange was not equal, who will not feel good to exchange an apple with 25 kg of rice, reciprocity of demand was essential i.e. you must have something I want to get something what you need. This continued for long time and would have continued even longer unless there was someone somewhere wanting to challenge this status quo. And hence from some unknown but a definitely innovative mind came the idea of transacting via coins of some special common material, a rather simple idea that changed the course in which humans used to transact. Innovation gave birth to institutions like IMF, World Bank, WTO to address the challenges in international transactions.
    Today we are in the 21st century where transaction has gone digital, payments of millions are done with a ‘click’ of a mouse. Mouse, something which used to be an animal not so long ago. The economic evolution till 21st century is a result of solving the problems in the existing system. Opportunity if not always, most of the time lies in the adversity caused due to existing systemic flaws. Thomas Edison once said – “There’s a way to do it better – find it”

    The idea of introducing paper money, raising loans for funding any business idea, imposing taxes for public spending, and even democracy itself are all innovative answers to the problems of the existing system. Since, no system is perfect innovation will never stop but die with human race.
    There are numerous examples of innovation throughout the evolutionary history of mankind but one idea of identifying problem, looking for innovative solutions and changing the world is rather simple and unchanging.

    Social Development has found its soulmate in innovation:
    Social development of human beings is yet another area where innovation has played a key role throughout the history. Human beings are primates and primates are evolved to live in groups. The very idea of social security gave rise to the innovative institution of marriage. Relations and particularly marriage if we see is a human concept that has became the source of building of society as we know it.
    Human beings has lived through different ages and evolved in all of them. From a simple idea of wheel that made commuting a multi-fold easier and time saving, today we have bullet trains that run at 400 kmph, and international space station that is 2500 miles above the earth surface.
    Innovation has changed the way we communicated with each other. What started from paintings in caves, to language, to evolution of paper, to internet has reached to social media of present day. The world has shrunk and people have come closer to each other, all owing to a simple idea of making communication easier and faster. Humans started by living in caves and now we have skyscrapers like Burj Khalifa in Dubai with all the amenities and comfort.
    Innovation is therefore the keystone for economic and social development. For example, if we look into the modern ways of giving subsidies and benefits directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiary is an innovative process. But it would have not evolved if it there were no leakages in the present system. The presence of middlemen in the process was addressed with this innovative yet simple idea.
    Similarly, it was innovation that led to introduction of voting machines. The earlier process of casting ballet was tedious and time consuming. There was technology, there was a problem and someone with a curious mind to yet again come forward and challenge the status quo.

    Innovation will never give up!
    Innovation if we look closely is an involuntary process that manifests itself in time but some minds are curious and take the responsibility of dedicating there entire life to look for problems and address it. We call them as Scientists, Philosophers, Leaders, and by many other names. But something common in all of them is the underlying belief that they can change the way we are living, thinking, eating, transacting, to almost everything. They are not afraid of failures, but they embrace it. In words of Elon Musk, founder of Payapl, Tesla motors and SpaceX, – “Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough”
    Therefore it would not be wrong to say that innovation has shaped the present world and played a keyrole in the developmental process. Economy of world has become very dynamic and faster owing all this to innovation. Society has come closer and more connected. But, there are still huge problems before the world like, terrorism, climate change, diseases etc. But what is also true is that someone somewhere is working on solving them, with a belief that she will not settle unless she is done. That is innovation.

  58. frontrunner Avatar
    frontrunner

    good one bro……………
    you can mention about innovation in science and technology,japan;s example in this fiels.
    How specifically innovation ahs helped in achieving growth and welfare by mentioning some indices to compare,the more the country spends on innovation,the more is the growth etc etc
    overall nice handwriting and good one
    kwar

  59. Pankaj Nimbolkar Avatar
    Pankaj Nimbolkar

    Plz review my essay

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