Mains

2021-11-05 19:30:30 #GS1 #Society #CSM20

Q.10 Do you agree that regionalism in India appears to be a consequence of rising cultural assertiveness? Argue. (Answer in 150 words) Open / Comment

2021-11-05 08:31:31 IR Notes Click Here Open / Comment

2021-11-04 19:31:01 Caste refers to a broad hierarchical institutional arrangement along which basic social factors like birth, marriage and food sharing etc are arranged in a hierarchy of rank and status. These divisions have been linked to occupations and decide the social relations between people belonging to various castes.

The division of people into various castes was based on the distinction between „purity‟ and „pollution‟. While the manifestation of the hierarchical order has changed to a large extent in recent times, the caste system itself has not lost its relevance in today‟s multicultural society.

Example: Even though untouchability and caste based discrimintaion are barred in the constitution, manual scavenging is still practiced by the lower caste.

The caste system has assumed new forms and identities:

A. Political form: Various castes today assert themselves by forming political associations.
Example: Bahujan Samaj Party.

B. Economic Identity: Development policies targeting the backward classes like OBCs, SCs, STs etc have cemented the caste identities. The castes which do not benefit from such welfare policies have mobilised based on their caste identity and have been demanding reservations.

Example: Dominant castes like Marathas, Patidars and kapus have been demanding reservation.

C. Inter-caste marriages: Today, the strict codes of some caste marriages have been diluted and more and more inter caste marriages are taking place daily. Caste groups like khap panchayats have also been brought under the scrutiny of the judiciary. However, the caste based identity has not completely vanished and it has assumed more subtle forms.

Example: Matrimonial advertisements in newspapers based on communities and caste. D. Class divisions: Instead of division on the basis of castes, the class, access to luxury and privileges, standard of living etc. divides the society into different classes.

E. Division on the basis of education: People prefer engaging themselves with those having equal intellect levels so as to have a better and meaningful conversations where interests and thoughts interact.

Considering that the caste based divisions offer a sense of solidarity and belonging to various marginalised sections, the caste based identity will be difficult to be erased. Open / Comment

2021-11-04 19:30:03 #GS1 #Society #CSM20

Q.9 Has caste lost its relevance in understanding the multi- cultural Indian Society? Elaborate your answer with illustrations. (Answer in 150 words)  Open / Comment

2021-11-03 19:31:01 The COVID-19 pandemic has been a great leveler. Unlike TB, which is regarded as a poor man‟s disease, COVID has affected all irrespective of their socio-economic status. It has however also exacerbated various inequalities. It has also nullified significant progress achieved so far in poverty alleviation across the globe.

The inequalities exacerbated by the pandemic can be seen in the following areas/sectors:

1. Health care: Significant intra-state(rural/urban) and inter-state disparities in access to medical care.

● Urban to rural doctor density ratio is just 3.8:1

● Hospital Beds availability: States like Bihar are well below the national average of 0.55 beds in the public sector per 1000 population.

2. Gender Inequality:

● With work from Home becoming the norm during the pandemic to maintain social distancing, women who work full time will also have to do household chores. This will lead to reduced efficiency.

● There were reports of domestic violence and sexual abuses against women and children.

● Women are also expected to be primary caregivers for sick family members, increasing their probability of infection.

3. Income inequality:

● As the salaried and employed workforce working in information and technology had the luxury to work from home. The poor and unskilled migrants unable to find work and food had to return to their native places mostly on foot.

● Most of the workers in the unorganised sector who did not have access to social security benefits had to suffer disproportionately.

4. Education: Children from well -to -do families had access to the online classes but those from the less fortunate sections had to miss on their studies.

Thus, from the points mentioned above we can see how the Covid-19 had impacted the different sections of the society differently with the poor and destitutes suffering more than the fortunate sections of the society. Efforts need to be made and a proper plan be devised to ensure that such inequalities could be managed well if situations like this happen again in future. Open / Comment

2021-11-03 19:30:06 #GS1 #Society #CSM20

Q.8 COVID-19 pandemic accelerated class inequalities and poverty in India. Comment. (Answer in 150 words) Open / Comment

2021-11-02 19:31:03 The raw materials required for the Iron and steel industry are bulky and thus transportation would be expensive therefore, traditionally the iron and steel industries world over were located close to the sites of raw material.

Today, these industries are located away from the sources of raw material as well.

Reasons:

1. Depletion of iron and coal: As the iron and coal deposits depleted, the need for imported coal and iron increased. This made the industries shift to the coastal region. These factories depended on the imported coal and iron and lowered the cost of transport from factory to port.

Example: Visakhapatnam Plant located near Visakhapatnam port.

2. Technology: New technologies available for making steel reduced the full factor of coal mines.

Example: Essar Steel India Ltd.- Hazira, Gujarat

3. Open Hearth System: Industries began using scrap steel and this reduced dependency on mines. Even natural gas can now be used as fuel.

4. Electric Smelters: These used less energy and oxygen converter process and hence such mini steel plants could be located away from mines and near the cities.

5. Recycling Industries: The mini steel plants located near the cities used scrap iron/waste iron to make finished products. Hence, they could move away from iron mines.

With changing times, iron and steel industries adopted their ways to settle up near the areas where their demand for raw materials were timely met and it was more financially viable to function. Open / Comment

2021-11-02 19:30:06 #GS1 #GEOGRAPHY #CSM20

Q.7 Account for the present location of iron and steel industries away from the source of raw material, by giving examples. (Answer in 150 words) Open / Comment

2021-11-01 19:31:01 A report on climate change has warned that even if global warming is held at 1.5 degree Celsius, we will still lose one-third of the glaciers in the Hindu-Kush Himalayan region. This region is the home to the sources of important rivers that sustain close to 2billion people in the region.

Impact of melting glaciers on water resources: A) Short term impact:

i). Floods: The melting of glaciers in the short term will lead to increased river flows causing floods.

ii). Glacial Lake outburst: As glaciers retreat, lakes are commonly formed behind the newly exposed terminal moraine. The rapid accumulation of water in these lakes can lead to a sudden breach of the moraine dams causing glacial lake outburst.

B) Long Term impact:

i). Decrease in river flows: The glacials regulate the flow of rivers during the non monsoon months. With the glaciers receding, the flow of rivers will decrease, harming the marine ecosystem.

ii). Decrease in water availability for irrigation, domestic and industrial purposes: This will lead to food shortage, sanitation and health issues and decrease in industrial production.

iii). Contamination of river water: Continuous flow of water in the river dilutes the contaminants and checks water pollution. But decreased water flow due to glacial melt in the long term will lead to increased concentration of contaminants and serve water pollution in the indo-gangetic plains.

iv). Increased extraction of groundwater: Decreased flow of water in the river will prompt the people to extract groundwater for drinking,irrigation and other purposes.

The technology if used wisely can help decrease the negative impact of the melting glaciers. The focus should be on the conservation of resources emphasising on the judicious use of water, reducing wastage and recycling. Open / Comment

2021-11-01 19:30:05 #GS1 #GEOGRAPHY #CSM20

Q6. How will the melting of Himalayan glaciers have a far-reaching impact on the water resources of India? (Answer in 150 words, 10 marks) Open / Comment