Mains Practice Questions

Q. ‘People must not be turned back to countries where they would face persecution or severe human rights violations.’ Discuss the statement in terms of ethics of refugees. (150 Words)

Q. ‘Informal workers in rural and urban areas have been hit the most due to the pandemic.’ In the light of the statement discuss the need for a comprehensive plan for the welfare of the informal sector workers. (250 words)

Q. ‘There has been a shift in India’s Tibet Policy.’ Discuss the statement in the event of increasing tensions between India and China. (250 Words)

Q. There were some common characteristics of the tribal uprisings even though they were separated from one another in time and space. Discuss. (250 Words)

Essay Topic

Mind is never a problem. Mindset is.

Case Study

Farmers and their families have been protesting on the interstate border of Delhi for months, camped out on roads demonstrating over the government's new farm laws which they think will ruin their livelihoods.

Farmer unions and their representatives have demanded that the laws be repealed and have stated that they will not accept a compromise. Farmer leaders have welcomed the Supreme Court of India stay order on the implementation of the farm laws but rejected the committee appointed by the Supreme Court.

Farmer leaders have also rejected a government proposal of suspending the laws for 18 months. Eleven rounds of talks have taken place between the central government and farmers represented by the farm unions; all were inconclusive.

The protesting farmers sometimes turn violent and damage public property in the guise of peaceful protest. A number of telecom towers of a particular company and other infrastructure were also damaged. The roads approaching to Delhi have been turned into protesting sites and are blocked by protesters causing nuisance to passengers and local population.

However supporters of the laws say improvements are badly needed, as thousands of farmers are struggling. 

What are the ethical issues in the case? Discuss the different options available and how will you respond in this case?

Q. Mahatma Gandhi created a moral system which also served as the framework for his political practice. Elucidate. (150 Words)

Q. Physical closure of educational institutions due to Covid-19 pandemic has forced us to reimagine the education system and align it with the unprecedented technological transformation. Discuss. (250 Words)

Q. Manual scavenging remains an embodiment of injustice and failure of India to follow Gandhian ideas. Discuss. (250 Words)

Q. As the severity of the water crisis in India increases every year, all stakeholders must use a variety of measures to tackle the water crisis. Comment. (250 Words)

Essay Topic

The Internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow

Q. Without Parliament Privileges, Members of Parliament cannot discharge their functions as entrusted upon them by the Constitution. Discuss. (250 Words)

Q. Human actions should aim at promoting the greatest happiness of the greatest number of people. Comment. (150 Words)

Q. Police reform is the need of the hour to make Indian justice delivery system more efficient. Comment (250 Words).

Q. The US's exit from Afghanistan has triggered Taliban emergence, geopolitical flux and thus, instability in the region. Discuss the options available for India to deal with the issue. (250 Words)

Q. The empowerment of youth will ensure that demographic dividend, which is a time-limited opportunity, becomes a boon for India. Discuss. (250 words)

Essay Topic

In a conflict between the heart and the brain, follow your heart.

Rampura, a remote district inhabited by a tribal population, is marked by extreme backwardness and abject poverty. Agriculture is the mainstay of the local population, though it is primarily subsistence due to the very small land holdings. There is insignificant industrial or mining activity. Even the targeted welfare programs have inadequately benefited the tribal population.
In this restrictive scenario, the youth has begun to migrate to other states to supplement the family income. Plight of minor girls is that their parents are persuaded by labour contractors to send them to work in the Bt Cotton farms of a nearby state. The soft fingers of the minor girls are well suited for plucking the cotton.
The inadequate living and working conditions in these farms have caused serious health issues for the minor girls. NGOs in the districts of domicile and the cotton farms appear to be compromised and have not effectively espoused the twin issues of child labour and development of the area. You are appointed as the District Collector of Rampura.

Identify the ethical issues involved. Which specific steps will you initiate to ameliorate the conditions of minor girls of your district and to improve the overall economic scenario in the district? (250 words)

Q. What do you understand by the term ethical egoism? (150 words)

Q. Plastic pollution is the most widespread problem affecting the marine environment. Discuss. (250 Words)

Q. The Covid-19 pandemic impacted women more than the men and further increased the gender gap. Discuss the statement. (250 words)

Q. A unique form of temple architecture developed on the Himalaya in northern Indian states. Elucidate. (150 Words)

Q. International politics, like all politics, is a struggle for power. 

Q. The pursuance of a foreign policy, guided by the interest of British imperialism often led to India’s conflicts with neighboring countries. Discuss.

Q. With the changing nature of public administration and higher expectations from public servants, codes of conduct in the public sphere assumed greater importance. Comment. (150 Words)

Q. Disasters are not an ‘act of God’ alone, but are also determined by human interventions. Comment. (250 Words)

Q. One Nation One Ration Card scheme is the panacea for India's migrant population. Critically examine. (250 Words)

Q. Mahatma Gandhi and Subhash Chandra Bose had a deep respect for one another despite their hugely differing ideologies.Comment (250 words)

Q. Federalism for me but not for thee.

Q. Gauav successfully cleared the prestigious civil services examination and was excited about the opportunity that he would get through the civil services to serve the country. However, soon after joining the service, he realized that things are not as rosy as he had imagined.

He found a number of malpractices prevailing in the department assigned to him. For example, funds under various schemes and grants were being misappropriated. The official facilities were frequently being used for personal needs by the officers and staff.

After some time, he noticed that the process of recruiting the staff was also not up to the mark. Prospective candidates were required to write an examination in which a lot of cheating was going on. Some candidates were provided external help in the examination.

Gaurav brought these incidents to the notice of his seniors. However, he was advised to keep his eyes, ears and mouth shut and ignore all the things which were taking place with the connivance of the higher-ups. Gaurav felt highly disillusioned and uncomfortable. He comes to you seeking your advice.

Indicate various options that you think are available in this situation. How would you help him to evaluate these options and choose the most appropriate path to be adopted?