[Mission 2023] SECURE SYNOPSIS: 30 December 2022

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NOTE: Please remember that following ‘answers’ are NOT ‘model answers’. They are NOT synopsis too if we go by definition of the term. What we are providing is content that both meets demand of the question and at the same

General Studies – 1

Topic: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

1. Throw light on the reasons behind the rise of Bhakti movement in India. Discuss the contributions of female saints towards Bhakti movement. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Easy

Reference: Insights on India

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 1 and mentioned as part of Mission-2023 Secure timetable.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about origins of Bhakti movement and contributions by female bhakti saints.

Directive word:

Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you must debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You must give reasons for both for and against arguments.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction:

Begin by defining bhakti movement of medieval in India.

Body:

First, mention the factors behind rise of Bhakti – orthodoxy of priests, caste system, oppression of women, impact of Sufism, establishment of Turkish rule and role of Bhakti saints.

Next, mention the role played by female Bhakti saints like – Mira Bai, Lal Ded, Akka Mahadevi etc in the Bhakti movement. Write about their contributions.

Conclusion:

Conclude by mentioning the impact of Bhakti movement.

Introduction

Bhakti was accepted as a means to attain moksha along with jnana and karma. The Bhakti Movement originated in the seventh-century in Tamil, South India (now parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala), and spread northwards. It swept over east and north India from the 15th century onwards, reached its peak between the 15th and 17th century CE. The Bhakti Saints moved against the austerities propagated by the Buddhist and Jain schools and professed that ultimate devotion to god was the means to salvation.

Body

Factors that led to the Bhakti movement:

Political:

It has been pointed out that as the popular bhakti movement could not take root in Northern India before the Turkish conquest because the socio-religious milieu was dominated by the Rajput-Brahman alliance which was hostile to any heterodox movement.
The Turkish conquests brought the supremacy of this alliance to an end.
The advent of Islam with the Turkish conquest also caused a setback to the power and prestige commanded by the Brahmans.
Thus, the way was paved for the growth of non-conformist movements, with anti-caste and anti-Brahminical ideology.
The loss of power and influence by the Brahmans and the new political situation ultimately created conditions for the rise of the popular monotheistic movements and other bhakti movements in Northern India.

Socio-economic:

It has been argued that the bhakti movements of medieval India represented sentiments of the common people against feudal oppression.
The Vaishnava bhakti saints broke away from orthodox Brahminical order only to the extent that they believed in bhakti and religious equality.
Normally, they continued to subscribe to many basic principles of orthodox Brahmanism.

Religious:

Evils in the Hindu Society: Hindu society was full of many social anomalies like rigidity of caste system, irrelevant rituals and religious practices, blind faiths and social dogmas. Common men in general had developed an adverse attitude towards these social evils and were in need of a liberal form of religion where they could identify themselves with simple religious practices.
Complexity of religion: The high philosophy of the Vedas and Upanishads were very complicated for the common people. They wanted a simple way of worship, simple religious practices and simple social customs. Alternative was Bhakti marga—a simple way of devotion to get salvation from worldly life.
Role of Religious Reformers: The chief exponents of the movement were Shankara, Ramanuja, Kabir, Nanak, Shri Chaitanya, Mirabai, Ramananda, Namdev, Nimbarka, Madhava, Eknath, Surdas, Tulsidas, Tukaram, Vallabhacharya and Chandidas. They were the propounders of Bhakti movement and gave a call to the people to worship in the simplest possible way of devotion and love.
Challenge from Rival Religion: the impact of the Muslim rule and Islam put dread in the heart of Hindu masses. The Hindus had suffered a lot under some of the fanatic rulers. They wanted some solace to heal their despairing hearts.
Influence of Sufism: The Sufi saints of the Muslim community also inspired the movement. Some similar chords in the two evoked resonance.

contributions of female saints towards Bhakti movement

Akkamahadevi: During the 12^th century CE, Akkamahadevi, also known as Akka or Mahadevi, belonging to the southern region of Karnataka, established herself as an ardent devotee of Shiva whom she addressed as Chennamallikarjuna.

Janabai: Janabai was born around the 13th century in Maharashtra in a low caste sudra family. She was sent to work in the upper caste family of Namdev, one of the most revered of the bhakti poet saints.

Mirabhay: Mirabai, or Mira is said to have been born into a ruling Rajput Mirabai’s poetry tells about her vision of Lord Krishna when she was a child; from that point on Mira vowed that she would forever be his bride.

Bahinabhai: Bahinabai was a poet saint from 17th century Maharashtra. written in the form of abangas, women’s songs that accompanied their labors, especially in the fields. Her writings are particularly autobiographical, recounting her childhood, puberty and married life.

Conclusion

Bhakti cult was out-of-the-box thoughts on religion. It was mainly against the common religious views, and most importantly, it was strongly against the caste system. With such long-lasting impacts, the religious depression of the medieval society was set aside. The teachings acted as a healing balm to the suppressed classes. A deep-rooted change came about to lay the foundations of a liberal and composite Indian society.

Topic: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

2. Explain the salient features of Sufism in India. How did Sufi movement impact the Indian society in medieval India? (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: Insights on India

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 1 and mentioned as part of Mission-2023 Secure timetable.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the features of Sufi movement and its impact.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction:

Begin by giving context of the origin and rise of Sufi movement

Body:

First, write about the various features of the Sufi movement – nature, austerity, liberalism, tolerance etc.

Next, write about the detailed impact of Sufi movement on contemporary society.

Conclusion:

Conclude by writing about the legacy of the Sufi movement.

Introduction

Sufis were a group of religious-minded people who turned to asceticism and mysticism in protest against the growing materialism of the Caliphate as a religious and political institution. Sufism entered India in the 12th century with Muslim invaders and became popular in the 13th century. The socio-religious movement saw many mystic Sufis, who were unorthodox Muslim saints. These Sufis had a deep study of vedantic philosophy and had come in contact with great sages and seers of India. Sufism emphasizes upon leading a simple life. Sufi saints preached in Arabic, Persian and Urdu etc. The Sufis were divided into 12 orders each under a mystic Sufi saint like Khwaja Moinuddin Chisthi, Fariuddin Ganj-i-Shakar, Nizam-ud-din Auliya etc.

Body

The word ‘Sufi’ derives its name from another Arabic word ‘Suf which means wool. The Muslim saints who wore garments of coarse wool began to be called Sufi saints. The Sufi saints lived and worked in the midst of the common people. They needed to reach out to common people in order to spread their socio-religious and philosophical messages. They did everything to establish brotherhood, love and friendship between the Hindus and Muslims.

Features of Sufism in India

Sufism derives is inspiration from Islam.
While the orthodox Muslims depend upon external conduct and blind observance of religious rituals, the Sufi saints seek inner purity.
They were critical of the dogmatic definitions and scholastic methods of interpreting the Qur’an and sunna (traditions of the Prophet) adopted by theologians.
Instead, they laid emphasis on seeking salvation through intense devotion and love for God by following His commands, and by following the example of the Prophet Muhammad whom they regarded as a perfect human being.
The sufis thus sought an interpretation of the Qur’an on the basis of their personal experience
Devotion is more important than fast (Roza) or prayer (Namaz).
Sufis bridged the communal divide as is evidenced by the reverence the Subcontinent’s non-Muslim population exhibited for Sufi saints. Sufism around the world and in the Subcontinent had the depth to connect beyond caste, creed and gender

Impact of Sufism:

Sufism does not believe in caste system.
They broke all societal rules and stereotypes, and lived their lives as they pleased.
They awakened a new sense of confidence and attempted to redefine social and religious values. Saints like Kabir and Nanak stressed upon the reordering of society along egalitarian lines. Their call to social equality attracted many a downtrodden.
The efforts of Sufi saints helped to lessen religious fanaticism in India.
Their stress on social welfare led to the establishment of works of charitable naturee. opening of orphanages and women service centres.
A notable contribution of the Sufis was their service to the poorer and downtrodden sections of society. Nizamuddin Auliya was famous for distributing gifts amongst the needy irrespective of religion or caste.
The efforts of Sufi saints helped to promote equality and lessen the evils of casteism. They also tried to infuse a spirit of piety and morality.
Sufism also inculcated a spirit of tolerance among its followers.
At a time when struggle for political power was the prevailing madness, the Sufi saints reminded men of their moral obligations. To a world torn by strife and conflict they tried to bring peace and harmony.
Other ideas emphasised by Sufism are meditation, good actions, repentance for sins, performance of prayers and pilgrimages, fasting, charity and suppression of passions by ascetic practices.

Conclusion

Sufi movement a deep-rooted change came about to lay the foundations of a liberal and composite Indian society. The Sufi movement is a characteristics feature of the medieval Indian Period. As the Sufi saints’ holiness, asceticism and relatively open hospices appealed to the masses and numerous followers thronged to them

Topic: History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.— their forms and effect on the society.

3. Over four million British Indian troops served with distinction in both the World Wars combined, seeing action in almost every theatre of War. Their contributions were pivotal but they are seldom remembered in Europe. Examine. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: Indian Express , Insights on India

Why the question:

A new British Indian Army Memorial, commemorating the sacrifice of millions of Indian soldiers who fought for the British during the two World Wars, is set to be built in the Scottish city of Glasgow. The memorial is visualised as Scotland’s first permanent memorial wall to recognise the service and sacrifice of the British Indian Army during the world wars.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the participation of Indian soldiers the first world war and the second world war.

Directive word:

Examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we must investigate the topic (content words) in detail, inspect it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction:

Begin by giving the context.

Body:

First, write about the immense participation and contribution of Indian soldiers in the world war-I. Discuss the role they played across key theatres of the world war-I. Give statistics to substantiate.

Next, about the participation of Indian soldiers in World war-II and the role played by them.

Next, write about how role of Indians in both great wars is not acknowledged as much as it should be and need to rectify the same.

Conclusion:

Conclude by summarising.

Introduction

A new British Indian Army Memorial, commemorating the sacrifice of millions of Indian soldiers who fought for the British during the two World Wars, is set to be built in the Scottish city of Glasgow. The memorial is visualised as Scotland’s first permanent memorial wall to recognise the service and sacrifice of the British Indian Army during the world wars.

Body

Contribution of Indian Soldiers to World War I

Indian Armycontributed in large numbers and distinctly to the European, Mediterranean and the Middle East theatres of war in WW I. Their contribution in the victory of Allied powers was vital.
Indian Army was taken in the WW I by British rule without consulting the Indian leaders. Indians fought in the war hoping that they may be awarded with independence after the war ends.
Almost 1.5 million Muslim, Sikh and Hindu men from regions such as the Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Bihar volunteered in the Indian Expeditionary Force
It is recorded that above 70,000 died and another 67,000 were wounded. A total of 11 Victoria Crosses were won by Indian soldiers.
India also supplied various equipment, materials and animalsrequired during the war.
The Indian Army served in France, Belgium, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Sinai, Gallipoli, etc.
The Indian Army fought against the German Empirein German East Africa (a German colony in the African Great Lakes region) and on the Western Front.
Western Frontwas opened by Germany by invading Luxembourg and Belgium which bordered France. It became a main theatre of WW I and saw many attacks between 1915 and 1917.
After the war ended officially(by the signing of TREATY OF VERSAILLES on 28 June 1919), India was denied its promise of self-rule.
Instead the British imposed the Rowlett act in 1919 that effectively authorized the government to imprison any suspected person for up to 2 years without a trial.

Contributions to World War II

Approximately 2.5 millionIndian soldiers served in World War 2.
These troops fought the Axis powers (Germany, Italy and Japan) as part ofthe Allies.
Over 36,000Indian soldiers lost their lives, 34,000 were wounded and 67,000 were taken prisoners of war.
Unlike WW I, the majority of Indian soldiers in combat roles were deployed in South and South East Asia, in defence of the Indian subcontinent from the marauding Japanese advance from the east.
Their exploits were seen in East and North Africa, Italy, Burma, and as far out as Singapore, Malay Peninsula, Guam, and Indo China.
In the East, the Indian soldiers, as part of the British Indian Army, fought against the Japanese and were responsible for ultimately securing South East Asia that included Singapore, the Malay Peninsula and Burma.
At its peak, the Japanese advance had managed to conquer Burma and reached Kohima, capital of present day Nagaland, and Imphal, capital of present day Manipur. The Japanese were driven back by the British Army composed of largely Indian and Nepali Gurkha troops, though both sides suffered heavy losses.
The campaigns in the North East and Burma exhibited some of Indian soldiers’ bravest moments.
The roles played by Air Force pilots from India are legendary and well documented.
Indian doctors and nurses were also involved on the British soil and other countries.
India supplied over 1.7 million food packets to soldiers and Asian prisoners of war, besides putting together warm clothes and other supplies.

Conclusion

Thus, the role of Indian Army was unflinching in both the world wars. The troops stood as the backbone of the British Empire albeit being unrecognized for their bravery and sacrifice.

General Studies – 2

Topic: Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.

4. What is asymmetric federalism? Is it needed in the Indian polity? Analyse its impact on the Indian federal set up. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: Indian Express

Why the question:

Broadly speaking, Indian federalism has passed through four stages: the British Raj, the Congress System, the coalition interlude, and the BJP domination. Federalism flourished only during the coalition interlude. In all the other stages, the states/provinces have been dominated by the Central government, politically and financially.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about asymmetric federalism and its need and its impact.

Directive word:

Analyse – When asked to analyse, you must examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them in a summary.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction:

Begin by defining asymmetric federalism in India.

Body:

Explain the asymmetric federalism prevalent and followed in the country; the main forms of administrative units in India are the Centre and the States. But there are other forms, too, all set up to address specific local, historical and geographical contexts.

Next, write about the need of asymmetric federalism – Besides the Centre and the States, the country has Union Territories with a legislature and Union Territories without a legislature. Substantiate with examples.

Next, write about the impact of asymmetric federalism on India federal set up. Write both the positive and negative aspects.

Conclusion:

Conclude by writing a way forward to overcome negative aspects.

Introduction

Federalism is a system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units. The term asymmetrical federalism refers to a flexible type of union of states which allows the government to cut different deals with different states in special matters pertaining to them. This method allows the government to grant special status to some units providing them with special powers not enjoyed by other states. Asymmetry involves providing greater autonomy to some states when compared with others. It permits particular states to have greater executive, legislative, and at times, judicial powers than other states.

Body

Asymmetric federalism in India:

The following four characteristics highlighting the fact that the Indian Constitution is not a “traditional federal Constitution”:

Firstly, being that there is no provision of separate Constitutions for each State as required in a federal state. The Constitution of India is the supreme document, which governs all the states.
Secondly, the Constitution can be altered only by the Union Parliament; whereas the States have no power to alter it.
Thirdly, in contradiction to a federal Constitution, the Indian Constitution renders supreme power upon the Courts to invalidate any action which violates the Constitution.
Fourthly, the distribution of powers facilitates local governance by the states and national policies by the Centre.
The main forms of administrative units in India are the Centre and the States. But there are other forms, too, all set up to address specific local, historical and geographical contexts. Besides the Centre and the States, the country has Union Territories with a legislature, and Union Territories without a legislature.
Just as the Centre and the States do not have matching powers in all matters, there are some differences in the way some States and other constituent units of the Indian Union relate to the Centre. This creates a notable asymmetry in the way Indian federalism works

Need for Constitutional Asymmetry in Indian Federalism in India

The Indian Constitution is a constitution sui generis.
On one hand, the constitution contains features which are of high importance for a federal arrangement, at the same time it contains provisions which fight for a strong Centre, thus making it quasi-federal in nature.
The fact to be appreciated here is that these dual federalism provisions were deliberately incorporated to best fit a polyglot country like India
These special provisions in the Constitution help in protecting fundamental rights, and compensate for initial inequalities in the social system.
Allowance for separate laws to govern different religious groups, and provisions for various kinds of affirmative action for extremely disadvantaged groups help in ensuring justice to them.
These provisions respects and preserve diversity of the country by protecting vulnerable group through special powers. This ensure unity in diversity leading to ‘sabka sath sabka vikas’.
It act as a solution to satisfy different needs of various federal units, as the result of an ethnic, linguistic or cultural difference. Asymmetric federalism has helped in reducing dissatisfaction among various states

Asymmetric federalism in Indian states

A strong Union: Residuary powers vested with it, it is an indestructible Union with destructible States constituting it, Emergency provisions give the Union overriding powers over the States to tackle any adverse exigency, power to initiate a constitutional amendment lies with the Union, President’s Rule, Governor’s office, etc.
Special provisions for some States: Article 371 of the Constitution makes some special provisions for States or regions of States that are socio-economically backward, have internal security challenges, difficult geographical conditions, predominance of tribal populations with distinct identity and cultures, etc.
Allocation of Parliamentary seats to the States is not uniform but on the basis of population
The Sixth Schedule envisages special provisions for and autonomy to tribal areas in four north-eastern States
Special Category Status (SCS) given to 11 States as a means of financially assisting States at a relative disadvantage due to various factors
Union Territories: Puducherry and Delhi have legislatures, while the other territories under the Centre do not have legislatures or a ministerial council to advise the administrator. Even between Puducherry and Delhi, there is a notable difference.
Puducherry has legislative powers on any matter mentioned in the State List or the Concurrent List, insofar as it applies to the Union Territory. Delhi, which has the same field, has three further exceptions: police, land and public order are outside its purview. However, Parliament has overriding powers over any law made by the Assembly in the Union Territories.
Article 370: Special powers were given to the state of Jammu and Kashmir help in reducing radicalisation. It has helped in providing representation to minority areas and areas with less population providing them justice. However, the article is now amended.

Conclusion

Specific socio-economic and political circumstances warrant the ‘asymmetrical’ federal structure of Indian polity. It is important to fulfill the aspiration of social and economic democracy and to promote egalitarian development throughout the country. It also serves to keep regional resentments under check which if neglected can lead to separatist tendencies as manifested in the demands for statehood. Thus national unity and integrity is also contingent on this scheme of federalism.

Value addition

Federal Features of the India Union:

Two governments i.e. Union Government and State governments
Division of powers between the union and its constituents (Seventh Schedule of the Constitution contains three lists such as the Union List, State List, and Concurrent List)
Supremacy of the Constitution (Basic structure of the Constitution is made indestructible by the Judiciary)
Partial rigidity of the Constitution
Independent Judiciary
Bicameralism

Unitary Features of the Constitution:

A strong centre – The Union Government becomes all powerful in certain times like emergencies. Article 200 of the Constitution of India demands that the States must comply with the central laws.
Single Constitution
Single citizenship
Flexibility of Constitution
Integrated judiciary
Appointment of the Centre. E.g.: Governor
All India Services
Emergency provisions

General Studies – 3

Topic: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

5. Examine the causes behind the fall in crop incomes and the crisis of economic viability among farmers across India. How can the ambitious target of doubling farmers’ income be realised in the near future? (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: Live Mint , Insights on India

Why the question:

On 28 February 2016, at a farmer rally in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the government’s intention of doubling the income of farmers by 2022, a year marking 75 years of India’s independence. That it was not just political rhetoric but a real project was evident from the follow-up. An expert committee headed by Ashok Dalwai submitted a report on Doubling Farmers’ Income (DFI) in 14 volumes.

Key Demand of the question: To write about causes behind falling crop incomes and unviable agriculture and measures needed to double farmers income.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction:

Begin by giving context.

Body:

First, write about the causes for the falling crop incomes and unsustainable agriculture – Small holdings make agriculture uneconomic, Perpetual indebtedness, Inability to procure quality seeds, Lack of water and poor yields etc.

Next, suggest measures that are needed in order to overcome the above and double farmers income in India.

Conclusion:

Conclude by writing a way forward.

Introduction

In 2016, the Government had set the target of doubling farmers’ income by 2022-23. To achieve this goal, the government had set up a committee to recommend changes to all parts of the agricultural production and supply chain. The Committee listed its recommendations in a 14-volume report. At the time, by the government’s own calculations, a farming household in India earned an average of INR 8,059 per month, or about INR 97,000 per year. The Government is likely to miss the target as less than a year remains in the timeline. No individual state is likely to achieve it either.

Body

Causes behind fall in crop incomes

Decreasing Profitability in agriculture sector:Profitability has been declining in recent years due to plummeting agricultural prices and rising cultivation costs. Recently, prices of critical inputs such as fuel and fertilizers have risen sharply as well. Further there have been issues in land and labour productivity on farms, post-harvest processing, agricultural research and extension, among others.
Web of Middlemen: There exists a strong web of intermediaries that enjoy maximum profit and leaves bare minimum revenue for the farmers. A major share of the income is cornered by the middlemen.
Policy Lacunae: According to many experts, the policies to achieve the growth rates have not been clearly articulated by the Centre to the states. This becomes extremely crucial considering agriculture is a State subject. In addition, there have been issues in the implementation of policy initiatives. For example, many States have opted out of PMFBY due to implementation issues.
High Input costs: Land degradation has become a major challenge and cost of farming is constantly rising with usage of fertilizer, pesticides, expensive seed varieties, machinery, labour cost, rise in fuel prices, vagaries of monsoon. This further complicates the livelihood of farmers
- In India, farmers are poor due to low productivity (yield per hectare) of all major crops.
- Growth in rural lending has decreased and indeed most of the rural lending is indirect rather than direct.
Credit, finance and Insurance: Raising the MSP, price deficiency payments or income support schemes can only be a partial solution to the problem of providing remunerative returns to farmers.
- A functional institutional credit systemwhich is accessible and accountable to all cultivators.
- This covers not only land-owning farmers but also sharecroppers, tenants, adivasi and women farmers, and animal-rearers.
- Credit products for agriculture need to be tailor-made based on cropping and rain cycle, specific to a particular region. The regional offices of commercial banks should contribute in this exercise. Registration of all cultivators and providing Kisan credit cards.
- The period of crop loan should be extendable to four years, given that, on average, every second or third year the spatial distribution of rain pattern is erratic in India.
Land holdings: The average size of farm holdingsdeclined from 2.3 hectares in 1970-71 to 1.08 hectares in 2015-16.
- Policies for land consolidation along with land development activities in order to tackle the challenge of the low average size of holdings.
- Farmers can voluntarily come togetherand pool land to gain the benefits of size. Through consolidation, farmers can reap the economies of scale both in input procurement and output marketing.
Remunerative Prices: Extending reach of minimum support price which has been dedicated to few crops and in a narrow geographical area is important.
- Set up of Futures and Trade markets, tie up of farmer and private companies for procurement should be looked into as alternative methods against distress sale.

Reforms to envision doubling of farmer’s income

Intervention of the Government:The government schemes will not help them double their income unless the government policies on agriculture are comprehensive, grant freedom of technology and market, and infuse more money into infrastructure development.
- Ad hoc policies and schemeswill not help farmers as long as the government intervenes in the market to control prices to keep the consumers happy at the cost of farmers.
Need for Technology & New Practices:The country needs to increase the use of quality seed, fertiliser and power supply for agriculture. Adoption of agronomic practices like precision farming to raise production and income of farmers substantially.
- Since India is a diverse country where the majority of agriculture is monsoon dependent therefore interventions are needed which include research, technology promotion, extension, post-harvest management, processing and marketing, in consonance with the comparative advantage of each State/region and its diverse agro-climatic features.
Expansion in Required Areas:Area under irrigation has to be expanded by 1.78 million hectares and area under double cropping should be increased by 1.85 million hectares every year.
- Besides, the area for fruits and vegetables is required to increase by 5% each year.
Improvement in Livestock Management: In the case of livestock, improvement in herd quality, better feed, increase in artificial insemination, reduction in calving interval and lowering age atfirst calving are the potential sources of growth.
Need for Comprehensive Reforms: About one-third of the increase in farmers’ income is easily attainable through better price realization, efficient post-harvest management, competitive value chains and adoption of allied activities.
- Thisrequires comprehensive reforms in market, land lease and raising of trees on private land.
Enhance Participation: Most of the development initiatives and policies for agriculture are implemented by the States. Therefore, it is essential to mobilise States and UTs to own and achieve the goal of doubling farmers’ income.
Need to Liberalise Agriculture:To attract responsible private investments in production and the market. Similarly, FPO (Farmers Producer Organisation)/FPC (Farmers Producer Company) can play a big role in promoting small farm businesses.

Conclusion

To achieve government’s goal of doubling farmers’ incomes by 2022-23, the Dalwai Committee points out that farmers real incomes need to grow at 10.4 per annum, that is 2.8 times the growth rate achieved historically. To secure future of agriculture and to improve livelihood of half of India’s population, adequate attention needs to be given to improve the welfare of farmers and raise agricultural income. It is essential to mobilize States and UTs to own and achieve the goal of doubling farmers’ income with active focus on capacity building (technology adoption and awareness) of farmers that will be the catalyst to boost farmers’ income.

Topic : basics of cyber security;

6. With cyber frauds in India on the rise, voice biometrics technology can help financial institutions provide higher levels of protection for customers and data. Elaborate.

Difficulty level: Easy

Reference: The Hindu

Why the question:

Bank and cyber frauds in India are on the rise. According to data by the Reserve Bank of India, frauds have cost the country an estimated ₹100 crore a day over the last seven years. The frauds reported in 2021-22 were 23.69% higher than in the previous year (9,103 cases reported compared to 7,359 in 2020-21), although there was a decline in the amount involved.

Directive word:

Elaborate – Give a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the context. You must be defining key terms wherever appropriate and substantiate with relevant associated facts.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction:

Begin by defining the voice biometrics technology.

Body:

First, write about the various types of cyber crimes affecting India – Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attacks, Botnets, Identity Theft, Cyber stalking, Phishing etc. and measures required to tackle them.

Next, write about as to how the voice biometrics technology works and how it can help the country combat the cyber crimes and improve cyber security.

Conclusion:

Conclude by writing a way forward.

Introduction

Cyber crime or cyber fraud is defined as a crime where a computer is the object of the crime or is used as a tool to commit an offense. Cybercrimes are at an all-time high, impacting individuals, businesses, and countries.

According to the Reserve Bank of India, cyber-frauds have cost the country an estimated ₹100 crore a day over the last seven years. The frauds reported in 2021-22 were around 24% higher than in the previous year.

Body

Voice Biometrics Technology

Voice Biometrics Technology encompasses voice biometrics or voice/speech recognition technology.
It uses the unique characteristics of a person’s voice as identification.
The technology creates a digital voiceprint and compares it to a caller’s voice.

Potential of Voice Biometrics

Voice authentication can significantly improve security over knowledge-based authentication methods, which fraudsters have exploited to scam people.
Voice use is the cheapest technology: It does not require a reader or special device.
It is non-invasive, portable and affords remote identification.
Challenging to hack: Unlike a password, a customer’s voice is impossible to spoof or copy, and is far more challenging to hack.
VT verifies a caller swiftly in seconds by analyzing the caller’s voice and flags suspicious calls.
VT allows privacy because it does not require users to reveal personal information.
Voice biometrics can help financial institutionsto ensure higher levels of protection for customers and employees.

Uses of Voice Biometrics

Forensic and law enforcement: VT is an essential tool for forensics and law enforcement.
The police can leverage voiceto improve investigation efficiency, identify criminals, track criminals, and better respond to and prevent crimes.
Criminal background checksto airport security.
Voice has a much lower error rate,and requires no eye contact.
VT has the advantage:
- improving user experience
- reducing call handle time
- call center costs
High accuracy: It ensures high-accuracy authentication in seconds.
Playback attacks: It also has the ability to resist playback attacks.
The technology is sensitiveenough to detect if someone is impersonating the user or playing a recording.
- It can identify even if the user has a cold or a sore throat.

Way forward

The voice biometrics industry is growing exponentially: Experts expect the market to reach a market size of $9(three point nine)billion by 2026, with a compound annual growth rate of 8(twenty two point eight)%.
The Government needs to develop a mechanism for proper coordination between financial institutions and the police to investigate and prosecute fraudsters, as a fraud deterrent, and to maintain an extensive database of such criminals.
Verification accuracy: The technology may not be 100%foolproof, may give false positives, and has an accuracy between 90% and 99%.
- But some recent systems which come with voice analytics of gender and age identification, claim 100% verification accuracy
Voice could be an excellent tool for the Governmentto disburse money for various schemes and verify the proof of life of pensioners from their homes.
Once in place, user establishments can reap the benefits from a substantial reduction in fraud, making the technology an essential feature in the security toolkit of the future.

General Studies – 4

Topic: determinants and consequences of Ethics in-human actions.

7. Examine in detail the ethical concerns posed by the rise of Artificial Intelligence in the contemporary society.

Difficulty level: Moderate

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4.

Directive word:

Examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we must investigate the topic (content words) in detail, inspect it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction:

Begin by giving context growth of A.I as well growing ethical concerns regarding it.

Body:

First, write about the technological potential of A.I and by taking examples highlight the ethical concern associated with A.I.

Next, suggest ways to address the above concerns in an equitable and efficient manner without stifling the growth of technology.

Conclusion:

Conclude by summarising that technology has to grow within ethical boundaries of modern societies.

Introduction

We often see technology as a helping hand or better yet, a path to a better world. But before any of that, we have to lay down the ethics with in it so we can have a moral underground on where to start. This is especially true with Artificial intelligence.

Body

Techno ethics views technology and ethics as socially embedded enterprises and focuses on discovering the ethical use of technology, protecting against the misuse of technology, and devising common principles to guide new advances in technological development and application to benefit society.

Background: Rapid development of AI

In just the last decade, AI has evolved with unprecedented velocity — from beating human champions at Jeopardy (a game) in 2011, to vanquishing the world’s number one player of Go, to decoding proteins.
Already, AI has helped increase crop yields, raised business productivity, improved access to credit and made cancer detection faster and more precise.
It could contribute more than $15 trillion to the world economy by 2030, adding 14% to global GDP. Google has identified over 2,600 use cases of “AI for good” worldwide.
As AI is evolving, it is raising some new ethical and legal questions. AI works by analysing data that is fed into it and draws conclusions based on what it has learned or been trained to do.
Though it has many benefits, it may pose a threat to humans, data privacy, and the potential outcomes of the decisions. To curb the chances of such outcomes, organisations and policymakers are crafting recommendations about ensuring the responsible and ethical use of AI.

Significant advances and applications of Artificial intelligence

It has the potential to overcome the physical limitations of capital and labour and open up new sources of value and growth.
- It has the potential to drive growth by enabling
- Intelligent automation ability to automate complex physical world tasks.
- Innovation diffusion propelling innovations through the economy.
Heavy Industries & Space: Through AI an entire manufacturing process can be made totally automated, controlled & maintained by computer system.
- Example: car manufacturing machine tool production, computer chip production. Etc.
- They carry out dangerous tasks like handling hazardous radioactive materials.
Finance: Banks use intelligent software application to screen & analyse financial data.
- Software that can predict trends in stock market have been created which have been known to beat humans in predictive power.
Aviation: Air lines use expert system in planes to monitor atmospheric condition & system status.
Role in social development and inclusive growth: Access to quality health facilities, addressing location barriers, providing real-time advisory to farmers and help in increasing productivity, building smart and efficient cities etc.
- The exponential growth of data is constantly feeding AI improvements.
- AI has varied applications in fields like Healthcare, Education, Smart Cities, Environment, Agriculture, smart Mobility etc.
Examples of AI use in India: A Statement of Intent has been signed between NITI Aayog and IBM to develop Precision Agriculture using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Aspirational Districts.
- National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) launched Pai which is an AI based chatbot, to create awareness around NPCI’s products like FASTag, RuPay, UPI, AePS on a real time basis.

Need for value-based global AI governance framework

First, algorithms, whether static or of the machine-learning sort, are not value-free. The data underlying them and the formulae that make them function, think, and transform over time embody the biases of history and that of their designers.
This means that algorithms should be subordinated to the same kind of universal ethics regime that governs human and state behaviour: something similar to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Artificial intelligence will make human lives more efficient.
- But here we must not mistake efficiency for morality – just because something is more efficient does not mean that it is morally better.
- For example, people can make more efficient weapons – more efficient at killing people and destroying things – but that does not mean they are good or will be used for good. Weapons always reflect a form of damage to the common good.
- As the realms of unexplored areas of AI progresses, existing regulation will become obsolete.
The challenge today is that several AI applications have been used by consumers or organisations only for them to later realise that the project was not ethically fit. An example is the development of a fully autonomous AI-controlled weapon system which is drawing criticism from various nations across the globe and the UN itself.
Another challenge arises from a data protection perspective because AI models are fed with data sets for their training and learning. This data is often obtained from usage history and data tracking that may compromise an individual’s identity
Another example, for instance are self-driving cars.It executes as per the algorithm it has been fed. Now, in a hypothetical situation the car has to decide whether to swerve left or right. But in either case there is collateral damage, say of a school bus with students or a pedestrian.
- Can this decision be taken in a rational manner? It is not possible to choose whom to save or put a price on whose life as being more precious.

Conclusion

Any new technology that changes our businesses or society for the better often has a potential dark side that is viewed with suspicion and mistrust. The disruptive potential of AI poses looming risks around ethics, transparency, and security, hence the need for greater governance. AI will be used safely only once governance and policies have been framed, mandating its use.

General Studies – 1

General Studies – 2

General Studies – 3

General Studies – 4

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