Mission Mains 2021: GS 1
This is for those of you who are planning to write Mains 2020. Primarily, the agenda of this thread would be
1. Answer Writing Practice
2. Sharing examples - anecdotes from Current affairs relevant for Answer writing
3. Any doubts wrt. Paper 1!
Feel free to pool in your suggestions!
Hitman2021,boht boht shukriya madam for the feedback as well as VAM.plus congratulations for getting mentioned in the Sunday’s answer writing session conducted by the one and only “I ain’t no knight” Sir. :D :P
What is that? I am not aware.
boht boht shukriya madam for the feedback as well as VAM.plus congratulations for getting mentioned in the Sunday’s answer writing session conducted by the one and only “I ain’t no knight” Sir. :D :P
What is that? I am not aware.
Have tagged you at two different threads. Kindly check.
upsc2020,boht boht shukriya madam for the feedback as well as VAM.plus congratulations for getting mentioned in the Sunday’s answer writing session conducted by the one and only “I ain’t no knight” Sir. :D :P
What is that? I am not aware.
Have tagged you at two different threads. Kindly check.
I did not get a notification. Can you please share the link?
Q.Constitutional secularism is the cornerstone of India's pluralistic society. Comment. 150/200
Constitutional secularism, in the Indian context, refers to the Indian adaptation of the ideal of secularism. It is located in the Preamble and Articles 14, 15, 17, 19, 21 and 25-28 (Fundamental Rights) of the Constitution of India.
In the Indian Constitution, secularism does not mean that the State is blind to religion. Instead, it means that the State recognises and respects all religions.
How it is the cornerstone of Indian Pluralistic society
1. It recognises the deeply spiritual nature of the Indian citizen, of religious sects and of religions.
2. This spiritual nature is seen as part of individual and collective identity which shaped our composite culture.
3. Freely professing, practicing, and propagating religion is seen as an aspect of life and personal liberty under Article 21. (Puttaswamy v. UoI)
4. State equally promotes all religions (Eg. Haj Subsidy for Muslims, Kartarpur Corridor for Sikhs, Chardham Project for Hindus) to promote individual liberty. This enables the full development of the individual and of the religious group.
5. Discrimination existing within religions (A. 17) and diversity within religions (A.26) is recognised to enable independent development of such groups, which have a unique culture of their own.
6. In case of violation of these rights, a remedy to approach the Supreme Court is provided for in Article 32.
However, in order for these protections to be meaningful, constitutional morality must be imbibed in the hearts and minds of each individual. Otherwise, when the practices of religions come in conflict, these fundamental rights may be rendered meaningless.
Therefore, beyond the mere text, it is also our constitutionalism that serves at the heart of our pluralistic society.
Q.Constitutional secularism is the cornerstone of India's pluralistic society. Comment. 150/200Secularism refers to distinction from religious matters. Constitutional secularism refers to the constitutional backing of the idea of secularism, example, SECULAR word in preamble of Indian constitution via 42nd AA 1976.
A pluralistic society, is a society where people having different kind of faiths, religious beliefs and practices co-exist and live peacefully. It is a society which is more tolerant, peaceful, and humane.
Constitutional secularism in India has led to existence of a pluralistic society in the following ways:-
- Backing of idea of secularism by a written Indian constitution, eg Preamble of Indian Constitution referring India as a SECULAR country along with the Fundamental duty of abiding by the constitution under part 4A has led to its acceptance and practice among the citizens.
- Provisions of Fundamental rights under part 3 of IC under article 25 to 28 have enabled Indian citizens to profess, practice and propagate any religion that they wish to.
- The difference between Indian Secularism from that of the western secularism, in the sense that apart from being clearly separated from the religious affairs in case of Western secularism, Indian state do take part in religious affairs of the country but with a positive attitude and this has resulted in equal treatment to all religions present in India. For eg, Indian state provides concessions to Islam followers for Haj pilgrimage, Indian state recently constructed the Kartarpur corridor on Indian side to facilitate Sikh pilgrimage, Indian state is developing the Char Dham route and likewise. All these mentioned examples reflect that all religions are equal in the eyes of Indian state which is an essential feature of Indian Secularism.
- The concept of Fraternity in Indian Constitution along with the concept of secularism has further strengthened the bonhomie among citizens of India having different beliefs and faiths. Such brotherhood is clearly reflected when a Muslim family decorates their house on the occasion of Diwali, when a Hindu friend visits a Muslim friend’s house on the occasion of Eid to have biryani and sewai, when people of all faiths are served langar at community kitchens at Gurduwaras.
- Adoption and practice of ancient philosophies such as Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and Athithi Devo Bhawa have attracted foreigners too to India to seek mental peace and spirituality eg places such as Haridwar, Varanasi, golden temple, Fatehpur sikri, Jama Masjid etc.
India has come a long way post the 200 years of Divide and rule policy under the imperialist regime but still certain issues like oppression of lower castes, communalisation of politics, hate speeches and mob lynching are still plaguing the very peacefulness of this pluralistic Indian society. Steps such as effective implementation of Manual scavenging act 2013, criminalisation of mob lynching and curbing of circulation of fake news and hate speeches are all warranted.
That is a very crisp answer. Some points for value addition from my notes:
1. Ideal of secularism for India denotes equality among various religious communities as interpreted by the Supreme Court in the Ismail Faruqui v. Union of India judgment.
2. Constitutional secularism cannot be sustained by governments alone but requires collective commitment from an impartial judiciary, a scrupulous media, civil society activists, and an alert citizenry - which are all the foundations of a healthy democracy.
I feel, a one liner needs to be added that constitution is the guiding force. Secularism as a value should be followed by citizens, wherein they respect plurality of cultures and ideas.
@AlexanderSupertramp This question can be in GS1/2. You can quote these articles and judgements for GS2.
As far as GS1 is concerned, we can rely on examples apart from the ones quoted by@TheNotorious . In The Discovery of India, Jawaharlal Nehru traced back the evolution of India’s composite culture through millennia of cultural osmosis. The State Emblem of India, the Lion Capital of Ashoka, from 250 BCE at Sarnath, has Buddhist roots.
can you share any compilation of important SC judgements with respect to various topics in news?
Q.Constitutional secularism is the cornerstone of India's pluralistic society. Comment. 150/200Secularism refers to distinction from religious matters. Constitutional secularism refers to the constitutional backing of the idea of secularism, example, SECULAR word in preamble of Indian constitution via 42nd AA 1976.
A pluralistic society, is a society where people having different kind of faiths, religious beliefs and practices co-exist and live peacefully. It is a society which is more tolerant, peaceful, and humane.
Constitutional secularism in India has led to existence of a pluralistic society in the following ways:-
- Backing of idea of secularism by a written Indian constitution, eg Preamble of Indian Constitution referring India as a SECULAR country along with the Fundamental duty of abiding by the constitution under part 4A has led to its acceptance and practice among the citizens.
- Provisions of Fundamental rights under part 3 of IC under article 25 to 28 have enabled Indian citizens to profess, practice and propagate any religion that they wish to.
- The difference between Indian Secularism from that of the western secularism, in the sense that apart from being clearly separated from the religious affairs in case of Western secularism, Indian state do take part in religious affairs of the country but with a positive attitude and this has resulted in equal treatment to all religions present in India. For eg, Indian state provides concessions to Islam followers for Haj pilgrimage, Indian state recently constructed the Kartarpur corridor on Indian side to facilitate Sikh pilgrimage, Indian state is developing the Char Dham route and likewise. All these mentioned examples reflect that all religions are equal in the eyes of Indian state which is an essential feature of Indian Secularism.
- The concept of Fraternity in Indian Constitution along with the concept of secularism has further strengthened the bonhomie among citizens of India having different beliefs and faiths. Such brotherhood is clearly reflected when a Muslim family decorates their house on the occasion of Diwali, when a Hindu friend visits a Muslim friend’s house on the occasion of Eid to have biryani and sewai, when people of all faiths are served langar at community kitchens at Gurduwaras.
- Adoption and practice of ancient philosophies such as Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and Athithi Devo Bhawa have attracted foreigners too to India to seek mental peace and spirituality eg places such as Haridwar, Varanasi, golden temple, Fatehpur sikri, Jama Masjid etc.
India has come a long way post the 200 years of Divide and rule policy under the imperialist regime but still certain issues like oppression of lower castes, communalisation of politics, hate speeches and mob lynching are still plaguing the very peacefulness of this pluralistic Indian society. Steps such as effective implementation of Manual scavenging act 2013, criminalisation of mob lynching and curbing of circulation of fake news and hate speeches are all warranted.
That is a very crisp answer. Some points for value addition from my notes:
1. Ideal of secularism for India denotes equality among various religious communities as interpreted by the Supreme Court in the Ismail Faruqui v. Union of India judgment.
2. Constitutional secularism cannot be sustained by governments alone but requires collective commitment from an impartial judiciary, a scrupulous media, civil society activists, and an alert citizenry - which are all the foundations of a healthy democracy.
I feel, a one liner needs to be added that constitution is the guiding force. Secularism as a value should be followed by citizens, wherein they respect plurality of cultures and ideas.
@AlexanderSupertramp This question can be in GS1/2. You can quote these articles and judgements for GS2.
As far as GS1 is concerned, we can rely on examples apart from the ones quoted by@TheNotorious . In The Discovery of India, Jawaharlal Nehru traced back the evolution of India’s composite culture through millennia of cultural osmosis. The State Emblem of India, the Lion Capital of Ashoka, from 250 BCE at Sarnath, has Buddhist roots.
can you share any compilation of important SC judgements with respect to various topics in news?
I have some handy right now from a compilation I downloaded sometime back.
- SR Bommai: Kept a check on the powers under Article 356.
- Keshavananda Bharati: Propounded the concept of Basic Structure of the Constitution
- Waman Rao, Minerva Mills: Upheld that Judicial review is part of the basic structure
- I.R. Coelho: Clarified the limits of Ninth Schedule of the Constitution and upheld importance of basic structure
- Navtej Singh Johar: Stuck down Sec 377 of IPC
- Maneka Gandhi: Interpreted scope of Art 21 and gave the concept of due process of law
- Shreya Singhal: Struck down Sec 66A of IT Act, 2000
- Puttaswamy (Privacy case): Upheld Right to privacy as a fundamental right
- Lily Thomas: On disqualification of convicted elected representatives
- Shah Bano Begum: Gave precedence to individual rights over personal laws.
Constitutional secularism, in the Indian context, refers to the Indian adaptation of the ideal of secularism. It is located in the Preamble and Articles 14, 15, 17, 19, 21 and 25-28 (Fundamental Rights) of the Constitution of India.
In the Indian Constitution, secularism does not mean that the State is blind to religion. Instead, it means that the State recognises and respects all religions.
How it is the cornerstone of Indian Pluralistic society
1. It recognises the deeply spiritual nature of the Indian citizen, of religious sects and of religions.
2. This spiritual nature is seen as part of individual and collective identity which shaped our composite culture.
3. Freely professing, practicing, and propagating religion is seen as an aspect of life and personal liberty under Article 21. (Puttaswamy v. UoI)
4. State equally promotes all religions (Eg. Haj Subsidy for Muslims, Kartarpur Corridor for Sikhs, Chardham Project for Hindus) to promote individual liberty. This enables the full development of the individual and of the religious group.
5. Discrimination existing within religions (A. 17) and diversity within religions (A.26) is recognised to enable independent development of such groups, which have a unique culture of their own.
6. In case of violation of these rights, a remedy to approach the Supreme Court is provided for in Article 32.
However, in order for these protections to be meaningful, constitutional morality must be imbibed in the hearts and minds of each individual. Otherwise, when the practices of religions come in conflict, these fundamental rights may be rendered meaningless.
Therefore, beyond the mere text, it is also our constitutionalism that serves at the heart of our pluralistic society.
Yourreadingof law is superb. Awesome way how you've put your answer.
How would you have answered this question?
1. What makes the Indian society unique in sustaining its culture? Discuss.
I would focus on two or three pillars of Indian society that sustain its culture.
#1 Sarv Dharma Sambhava:
#2 All the world is one big family ( Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam )
#3 Atithi Devo Bhavah: Treat the Guests like Gods
#4 God is everywhere - Kan kan me Bhagwan ; we worship everything ; animate inanimate objects , animals, nature, fire,
These doctrines Of Indian society have made india a hospitable land for new cultures , making it possible for them to be assimilated and absorbed in the Indian way of life, and yet retaining the diversity - such that no moutside culture feels threatened by us.
examples: Buddhism , Jainism absorbed , Buddha incarnation of Vishnu ; Islamic Thoughts assimilated in the Indian society making Islam less radical and more open in India compared to how it developed in other parts of the world. And so on.
#3
How would you have answered this question?
1. What makes the Indian society unique in sustaining its culture? Discuss.
1. Each part of India, and each of our different peoples have a unique history which shaped their societies. Thousands of different tribal groups have settled in India in the past and have adapted their culture to local conditions to create a unique culture of their own.
(For eg: The freedom struggle was not only a united struggle against imperial rule, but also struggles of individual groups for protection of their cultures.)
2. The diversity in languages among the different states, within states, and between tribes. Each language/dialect is associated with a culture endemic to the area in which it is spoken.
3. Historically, India has been a melting pot of cultures. Arrival of foreign cultures did not replace Indian cultures, but were absorbed. This is true today as well.
(Eg: Maggi "Magic Masala" noodles, "Maharaja Mac" Burger)
4. The deeply spiritual nature of the Indian citizen, and Indian religious groups, as recognised and protected by the Constitution.
5. Certain elements like Caste are unique to India, with only incomplete parallels elsewhere. The fight against such discrimination in different parts of India have created thousands of different Dalit identities and cultures.
6. Each culture of India does not develop independently, but through intersectionality. The inherent cultural and structural diversity offers a greater scope for intersectionality in India than in other countries due to its diversity. (For eg: The culture of a "lower caste" urban woman is shaped by her caste's culture, urban culture as well as the Indian ideal of womanhood.)
Therefore, Indian culture is not merely adept and unique at sustaining its own culture. Instead, it is a melting pot of hundreds of thousands of different cultures, constantly interacting and developing together.
chamomile,MauraislesYourreadingof law is superb. Awesome way how you've put your answer.
Thank you. Just wanted to mention for the benefit of everyone,
Whenever there is a scope to mention fundamental rights, remember that fundamental rights dont function as islands. (RC Cooper case, Maneka Gandhi case, Puttaswamy, Sabarimala) Whenever there is scope to mention one fundamental right, most often, there is scope to mention Articles 21, 14 and 19. There is also scope to mention constitutionalism, Constitutional morality, and rule of law. There is scope to mention the preamble and maybe even how sovereignty resides in the people.
If one can do that, the answer would imbibe the spirit of the constitution and not just the letter. Always remember that the Constitution was not just a document guaranteeing rights; it was the result of the freedom struggle. It is an organic, living document that encompasses the pursuit of individual development. It is not what each right protects alone that matters; but what each right enables.
Hope this helps.:)
boht boht shukriya madam for the feedback as well as VAM.plus congratulations for getting mentioned in the Sunday’s answer writing session conducted by the one and only “I ain’t no knight” Sir. :D :P
What is that? I am not aware.
Have tagged you at two different threads. Kindly check.
I did not get a notification. Can you please share the link?
https://forumias.com/post/detail/REGISTRATION-LIVE-Session-for-Answer-Writing-for-Mains-2020-25th-October-at-11-AM-1603443580?page=3#
Watch @10:26 and onwards
Q.Constitutional secularism is the cornerstone of India's pluralistic society. Comment. 150/200Secularism refers to distinction from religious matters. Constitutional secularism refers to the constitutional backing of the idea of secularism, example, SECULAR word in preamble of Indian constitution via 42nd AA 1976.
A pluralistic society, is a society where people having different kind of faiths, religious beliefs and practices co-exist and live peacefully. It is a society which is more tolerant, peaceful, and humane.
Constitutional secularism in India has led to existence of a pluralistic society in the following ways:-
- Backing of idea of secularism by a written Indian constitution, eg Preamble of Indian Constitution referring India as a SECULAR country along with the Fundamental duty of abiding by the constitution under part 4A has led to its acceptance and practice among the citizens.
- Provisions of Fundamental rights under part 3 of IC under article 25 to 28 have enabled Indian citizens to profess, practice and propagate any religion that they wish to.
- The difference between Indian Secularism from that of the western secularism, in the sense that apart from being clearly separated from the religious affairs in case of Western secularism, Indian state do take part in religious affairs of the country but with a positive attitude and this has resulted in equal treatment to all religions present in India. For eg, Indian state provides concessions to Islam followers for Haj pilgrimage, Indian state recently constructed the Kartarpur corridor on Indian side to facilitate Sikh pilgrimage, Indian state is developing the Char Dham route and likewise. All these mentioned examples reflect that all religions are equal in the eyes of Indian state which is an essential feature of Indian Secularism.
- The concept of Fraternity in Indian Constitution along with the concept of secularism has further strengthened the bonhomie among citizens of India having different beliefs and faiths. Such brotherhood is clearly reflected when a Muslim family decorates their house on the occasion of Diwali, when a Hindu friend visits a Muslim friend’s house on the occasion of Eid to have biryani and sewai, when people of all faiths are served langar at community kitchens at Gurduwaras.
- Adoption and practice of ancient philosophies such as Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and Athithi Devo Bhawa have attracted foreigners too to India to seek mental peace and spirituality eg places such as Haridwar, Varanasi, golden temple, Fatehpur sikri, Jama Masjid etc.
India has come a long way post the 200 years of Divide and rule policy under the imperialist regime but still certain issues like oppression of lower castes, communalisation of politics, hate speeches and mob lynching are still plaguing the very peacefulness of this pluralistic Indian society. Steps such as effective implementation of Manual scavenging act 2013, criminalisation of mob lynching and curbing of circulation of fake news and hate speeches are all warranted.
That is a very crisp answer. Some points for value addition from my notes:
1. Ideal of secularism for India denotes equality among various religious communities as interpreted by the Supreme Court in the Ismail Faruqui v. Union of India judgment.
2. Constitutional secularism cannot be sustained by governments alone but requires collective commitment from an impartial judiciary, a scrupulous media, civil society activists, and an alert citizenry - which are all the foundations of a healthy democracy.
I feel, a one liner needs to be added that constitution is the guiding force. Secularism as a value should be followed by citizens, wherein they respect plurality of cultures and ideas.
@AlexanderSupertramp This question can be in GS1/2. You can quote these articles and judgements for GS2.
As far as GS1 is concerned, we can rely on examples apart from the ones quoted by@TheNotorious . In The Discovery of India, Jawaharlal Nehru traced back the evolution of India’s composite culture through millennia of cultural osmosis. The State Emblem of India, the Lion Capital of Ashoka, from 250 BCE at Sarnath, has Buddhist roots.
can you share any compilation of important SC judgements with respect to various topics in news?
https://www.scobserver.in/the-desk
https://www.scobserver.in/court-cases
Q: Raising the legal age of marriage displays a lack of understanding of the reasons for the low age of marriage for women in India, which have little to do with the law. Comment.
Pointers in brief below:
Reasons for low age of marriage for women in India:
1. Society imposes a very high cost of raising girl child, especially in poor Indian families, which attempt to reduce those costs by marrying daughters off at a young age. Correlated with high preference for sons.
2. Families prefer to find brides within their own caste group/community, marriage-aged men look for younger female brides within their community.
3. Girls are often married off at a younger age because less dowry is expected for younger brides.
4. Girls are promised in marriage before they are born in order to secure their future. Upon adolescence, send-off ceremonies take place and they are sent to their husband’s home to commence married life.
5. Lack of Education and beliefs like paraya dhan make families assume that girl’s productive capacities benefit her marital family. Educating daughters is therefore seen as less of a priority than educating sons and hence, early marriage.
6. Customs like Atta Satta - It happends, where the parents of a boy cannot find their son a bride, they trade their daughter for a girl that will marry the son.
7. Fear of violence against women
8. Clash and inconsistency of personal religion laws which with Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.
Myriad reasons economic, social, traditional, lack of education, stigma of unwed daughters choosing their life partner on their own, inability to protect unwed girls from unwanted sexual advances, belief that marriage is safer contribute to this problem.
A U.N. report released in late April predicted that COVID-19 could lead to an additional 13 million child marriages over the next decade all over the world.
India hosts the world’s largest number of child brides – 23 million, according to a 2019 report by UNICEF
Steps already undertaken:
1. Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006 imposes a fine and two years in prison for parents marrying off their underage children.
2. India committed to eliminating child, early, and forced marriage by 2030 in line with target 5.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals.
3. India acceded to the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1992, which sets a minimum age of marriage of 18, and ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1993, which obligates states to ensure free and full consent to marriage.
4. Government has also used cash incentives (such as the Dhan Laxmi scheme), adolescents’ empowerment programmes (Kishori Shakti Yojana) and awareness-raising to encourage behavior change related to child marriage.
Way Forward:
Approach is to empower and educate all stakeholders — children, village influencers, panchayat leaders, parents, teachers to make change possible at the grassroots. Through Bal Panchayats (children’s councils) officially recognized by Gram Panchayats, we sensitize kids about their rights. This gives them confidence to raise their voices against all forms of exploitations.
Q: Raising the legal age of marriage displays a lack of understanding of the reasons for the low age of marriage for women in India, which have little to do with the law. Comment.Pointers in brief below:
Reasons for low age of marriage for women in India:
1. Society imposes a very high cost of raising girl child, especially in poor Indian families, which attempt to reduce those costs by marrying daughters off at a young age. Correlated with high preference for sons.
2. Families prefer to find brides within their own caste group/community, marriage-aged men look for younger female brides within their community.
3. Girls are often married off at a younger age because less dowry is expected for younger brides.
4. Girls are promised in marriage before they are born in order to secure their future. Upon adolescence, send-off ceremonies take place and they are sent to their husband’s home to commence married life.
5. Lack of Education and beliefs like paraya dhan make families assume that girl’s productive capacities benefit her marital family. Educating daughters is therefore seen as less of a priority than educating sons and hence, early marriage.
6. Customs like Atta Satta - It happends, where the parents of a boy cannot find their son a bride, they trade their daughter for a girl that will marry the son.
7. Fear of violence against women
8. Clash and inconsistency of personal religion laws which with Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.
Myriad reasons economic, social, traditional, lack of education, stigma of unwed daughters choosing their life partner on their own, inability to protect unwed girls from unwanted sexual advances, belief that marriage is safer contribute to this problem.
A U.N. report released in late April predicted that COVID-19 could lead to an additional 13 million child marriages over the next decade all over the world.
India hosts the world’s largest number of child brides – 23 million, according to a 2019 report by UNICEF
Steps already undertaken:
1. Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006 imposes a fine and two years in prison for parents marrying off their underage children.
2. India committed to eliminating child, early, and forced marriage by 2030 in line with target 5.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals.
3. India acceded to the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1992, which sets a minimum age of marriage of 18, and ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1993, which obligates states to ensure free and full consent to marriage.
4. Government has also used cash incentives (such as the Dhan Laxmi scheme), adolescents’ empowerment programmes (Kishori Shakti Yojana) and awareness-raising to encourage behavior change related to child marriage.
Way Forward:
Approach is to empower and educate all stakeholders — children, village influencers, panchayat leaders, parents, teachers to make change possible at the grassroots. Through Bal Panchayats (children’s councils) officially recognized by Gram Panchayats, we sensitize kids about their rights. This gives them confidence to raise their voices against all forms of exploitations.
Good points. The conclusion is apt. I heard about atta satta for the first time though.
We could add how the world over the age of majority is 18 years and raised age could lead to the criminalisation of couples who choose to marry without their parent's permission before 21years of age.
Also, don't you think we should write a few points briefly in favour of raised marriage age like improved nutrition standards, lower maternal and infant mortality, lower stunting-wasting, increased agency among women etc.
upsc2020,
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