mw gs1 indian society - upsc study material for ias

INDIAN SOCIETYMAINS WORKBOOK (GS 1)

Indian Society is an integral part of UPSC General Studies 1 preparation. Major part of the subject is of dynamic nature that requires wide and realistic understanding of the issues faced by Indian society at large. The various sections of Indian society including the marginalized and vulnerable groups like women, SCs and STs, elderly population etc need to be understood in a specifi c and empathetic manner. Along with this, Social empowerment, poverty and development issues form an important part of Indian society too. UPSC demands that a student must have a clear and wide understanding of such issues along with the ability to write in a crisp and lucid mannerGS Score Indian society workbook helps you build conceptual understanding of various dimensions of Indian society.

How will the workbook help students? Workbook is designed in a manner that it helps you in coverage of syllabus and in understanding of different aspects of Indian society. The question and answer format helps you to learn how to address the demand of questions. For its maximum benefi t, student must fi rst attempt each set by himself and then compare them with model hints given. This exercise will help in answer writing practice, enrichment of answers and time management.

The GS SCORE Indian Society Workbook consists of questions from the following topics:

Total 5 Sets: Covering Salient features of the Indian Society along with Diversity of India.

Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies.

Effects of globalization on Indian society.

Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism and secularism

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INDIAN SOCIETYWORKBOOK

SET:1-5QUESTION & ANSWER

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WORKBOOK | GS MAINS PAPER - 1 www.iasscore.in

What is Social Role Valorization and why is it a very practical strategy to help raise the Q1. status of people with disabilities? Also mention the reasons why India should evolve its own alternatives to western institutional models with respect to disabilities?

Land reforms in India have neither been benefi cial in increasing the production of Q2. farms nor in setting up new industrial units. Comment. Also, evaluate the need for repealing the existing land ceiling laws.

Discuss the importance of land reforms for women in India, especially for rural Q3. women.

India’s old age population will dramatically increase over the next three-four decades. Q4. What are the problems that are going to be encountered in this process and what effective measures should be taken to tackle them?

Idea of Universal Basic Income has gained traction in many countries across the Q5. world in recent. Can universal basic income address the problem of poverty in India? Critically examine.

Youth suicide rate in India is among the highest in the world which can be heavy cost Q6. to India’s demographic dividend. Discuss its various reasons. Suggest solutions to overcome this problem.

What do you understand by social empowerment? What are the factors which inhibit Q7. social empowerment in India and how it affects Indian development process? What effective steps were taken to overcome these problems?

Is India’s waste management economy clearly and uniquely impregnated with caste? Q8. How exponential is the problem of waste management in India? Also, highlight measures needed to strengthen the mechanisms.

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INDIAN SOCIETY (SET-1)QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

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INDIAN SOCIETYwww.iasscore.in

What is Social Role Valorization and why is it a very practical strategy to help 1. raise the status of people with disabilities? Also mention the reasons why India should evolve its own alternatives to western institutional models with respect to disabilities?

(250 words)

APPROACH

Briefl y introduce about Social Role Valorisation. 1. (30 words)

Explain in detail potential of Social Role Valorisation 2. (100 words)

Highlight the reasons for having indigenous institutional models with 3. (100 words) respect to disabilities?

Way Forward 4. (20 words)

HINTS

As per Census 2011, in India, out of the 121 Cr population, about 2.68 Cr persons are ‘disabled’ which is 2.21% of the total population. In an era where ‘inclusive development’ is being emphasised as the right path towards sustainable development, focussed initiatives for the welfare of disabled persons are essential. Despite growing awareness, they continue to suffer lack of opportunities alongside several physical and attitudinal barriers.

Social role valorization and its Potential:Social role valorization (SRV) is defi ned as the use of culturally valued means to enable, establish, enhance, maintain, and/or defend valued social roles for people at value risk.

The overall goal of SRV is to create social roles for devalued populations that enhance their image and personal competencies.

SRV is a way to fi gure out how to support people on the margins to participate in socially valued activities. The idea is that when people hold valued roles, they are more likely to receive the opportunities that will help them to achieve ‘the good life’ that goes along with those roles.

It recognizes that many of the experiences of exclusion (referred to as ‘wounds’) result in behaviours that are frequently perceived as ‘symptoms’ of developmental disability. Itacknowledges these and comes up with strategies to turn things around, by harnessing the power of a valued social role.

The inclusive India initiative is also in lines of SRV.

India needs to evolve its own institutional models:Institutionalisation: In most situations, no one think about their rights. They had no personal space. In institutions for people with intellectual disabilities, many thousands of people were locked away, often for their entire lives. Other citizens did not see them and often were hardly aware of their existence. It represents an approach that denies choice, denies opportunity that congregate, segregate and isolates people.

Inconsistencies in application of a distinction between valuing the person and valuing the person’s social role.

The fact that valued social roles do not automatically lead to culturally valued lives and identities.

Social role valorization not being substantially less “trans-empirical” than normalization.

The inadequacy of valued social roles in providing defense against the dynamics of social devaluation.

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Way Forward:The term social valorization, in which the person and role are valued, is offered as a possibly more coherent replacement for the term normalization.Efforts toward de-institutionalization are worldwide. Many countries have adopted or are moving rapidly toward a system of supports and services in which institutions play no role with respect to persons with intellectual disabilities.India has a strong community support structure. There isn’t a history of institutionalization of people with disabilities like there is in many Western countries where tens of thousands of people have been put away in institutes. Indian alternatives need to be the institutional-residential model which should be more community-based, fl exible and natural for long-term care.

Supplementary Notes:

Social Role Valorization theory began as a way to fi gure out how to support people on the margins to participate in socially valued activities. The idea is that when people hold valued roles, they are more likely to receive the opportunities that will help them to achieve ‘the good life’ that goes along with those roles. This philosophy is very deeply embedded in the very idea of Inclusive Post-Secondary Education.The theory also recognizes that many of the experiences of exclusion (referred to as ‘wounds’) result in behaviour that are frequently perceived as ‘symptoms’ of developmental disability. When we are supporting people we often have to stop and recognize that the student is struggling with one of these experiences and sometimes we have to temporarily shift our support in ways that are uncomfortable and inconvenient for us in order to help them move past it and believe they belong in the real world.

Effects of Exclusion

Rejection Rejection by peer’s groups stems from the idea that people with developmental disabilities should be ‘with their own kind.’ It can be experienced as physical or social segregation. The outcome of repeated rejection is that students, in turn, may reject society. They may not want to behave in ways that give them a positive self-image because they don’t see a point in trying to fi t in only to be rejected again. They may withdraw, not care about their appearance or hygiene and act in ways that are ‘deliberately’ rude.

Accorded low social status When you notice the patterns of how people with developmental disabilities are treated in society, this is pretty obvious. For example: the frequency with which the ‘R’ word is an acceptable term for rejecting something, how frequently people who are labelled in high school are involved in recycling programs (i.e. picking up the garbage of normal people), the fact that special education classrooms are almost always in the basement, the tone of voice people use when addressing someone with an obvious label. Etc. Students are frequently very attuned to these reactions from others and will react back either with anger or by accepting that this is true because they are worthless.

Physical and social discontinuity Because people with developmental disabilities are often put into artifi cially constructed situations (for example volunteer and paid friends, segregated classrooms, specialized recreation activities) they often experience a disconnection from what is usual or typical. This can cause strange ways of interacting with others that make people who have been well-included confused or uncomfortable. The most common example of the reaction of students to this experience is by attaching themselves to people in ways that are often perceived as ‘clingy.’ However, if we step back and recognize students have never had genuine relationships, they also may have an expectation that things must revolve around them and are unsure of how to negotiate friendships. Usually, our role is about supporting the potential friend to understand this history and feel comfortable about having a natural relationship with a friend including setting boundaries and being authentic about who they are. We can then support the student to learn how to navigate the ups and downs of natural reciprocal friendships.

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De-individualization Through interacting with large, bureaucratic structures, people with developmental disabilities often experience a loss of ‘positive identity’: low self-esteem, little belief in their future and feeling out of control of their own life. Our solution is to support students to adhere to the most typical path possible at University or College, including participating in things based on their interest (e.g. clubs and course unions).We also commonly see this when students perceive their whole identity to being about being a person with a developmental disability. Although being an advocate for people with disabilities is a generally positive role in society, it also negates the idea that they have anything else to offer or be interested in.

Loss People with developmental disabilities often lose the opportunity to have control over their life, even small choices that might seem on the surface to be unimportant. That students have control over their own lives can take a long time to sink in. It often looks like students being very submissive (“can I go make a phone call?”) (“is it okay if I go to class late?”) or power tripping on staff over little things (“I will not do that just because you said so”). Often times this last one is a good moment to check in and ask yourself ‘is this really important? why am I trying to control this? did I explain it in a way that this person understands the consequences of not doing this?’ and remind yourself - your job is to support the student through the decision process (including the fallout), not to support them to make the “right” decision!

Deprivation When people are segregated, they are deprived of normal life experiences (like making mistakes, for example). This means that when they are in the ‘real world’ they do not have the same context for social expectations. This most commonly becomes obvious students have been segregated into a “special” education classroom in high school. When they join a regular University or College classroom, they are missing all those unwritten rules about how to be a student in a regular classroom, such as raising your hand or greeting (or not greeting) fellow students.

Normalization The idea of normalization is not to make people with disabilities become normal. The idea is to ensure the ways people are supported and the things people are supported to do are part of the normal rhythms of daily life. These daily routines are not experienced by people who participate in segregated options. These rhythms are fl exible and authentic, not part of an attempt to replicate ‘real life’ in a false way based on labels.“Human services usually address the same human needs that all people have such as physical care, a place to live, and opportunities for growth and development, health care, and education. However, the manner in which many services address these needs is very different from the ways in which ordinary valued people have these needs met. The normalization principle of the ‘culturally valued analogue’ stated that services should be modelled as much as possible on culturally valued ways of addressing the particular needs concerned.”

Normal Rhythm of the Day: Anticipate the upcoming events of the day, have a reason to leave the house, have signifi cant parts of the day that are not completely prescribed and monotonous, participate in events [meals, other activities] when it is normal not when is convenient for staff, have accomplishments to refl ect on at the end of the day.Normal Rhythm of the Week: live in one place that is different from where you work and hang out during the day, anticipate leisure activities at the weekend, look forward to school or work on MondayNormal Rhythm of Life: exerience normal rhythms of holidays and seasonal activities, participate in normal markers of growth and change, have a wide range of choices, wishes and desires that are considered and respected, have normal economic standards, live in a normal house in a normal neighbourhood

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This diagram examines some of the ways in which the replication of ‘services’ for people with developmental disabilities does not succeed in being included in community.

Think About:What are the normal rhythms of regular post-secondary student life? How would supporting regular student life be challenging in contrast to how life was in high school? How can we support families through the frequently changing schedules? How can we be mindful of not falling into artifi cial schedules because it’s easier? How can we balance adapting for individual needs without losing sight of the goal?

Philosophy of Social Role ValorizationThere are two main ways to achieve role-valorization for devalued people:

Enhancement of people’s social image in the eyes of other Enhancement of their competencies, in the widest sense of the term

A simple way of thinking about this is “disrupting the self-fulfi lling prophecy.” These two ideas go together, and reinforce each other in ways that are both positive and negative.For example, people with developmental disabilities who are involved in things that devalue their image (participating in socially devalued or childlike activities; dressing in ill-fi tting, seriously dated/unfl attering or worn clothing; always being seen in a group of people with disabilities or with a support person) are signifi cantly at risk of people having low expectations of their competency (‘let me do that for you’ ‘he/she could never do that!’ etc.). The reverse is also true - people who demonstrate low competency will have a devalued image in society.

In contrast, when someone demonstrates a positive social image (independence and confi dence, professional and age-appropriate clothing, participating in mainstream, niche activities) he or she is more likely to be provided with opportunities to have experiences that expand his or her competencies. This also means that when someone with a developmental disability demonstrates their competency, their social image is seen in a positive way.

It is important to think about the fact that this happens both on the individual level, all the way up to being a part of the pattern of society. This chart looks at how these two factors play out on micro (individual) and macro (structural/societal) levels.

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Land reforms in India have neither been benefi cial in increasing the production 2. of farms nor in setting up new industrial units. Comment. Also, evaluate the need for repealing the existing land ceiling laws.

(250 words)

APPROACH

Give introduction by providing a brief overview about Land reforms in India. 1. (30 words)

Discuss in detail Impact of land ceiling on farming 2. (70 words)

Impact of land ceiling on Industry 3. (60 words)

Arguments in favour of repeal and concerned challenges 4. (60 words)


HINTS

Land reforms in India have been a vital aspect of agricultural development policy and have been an issue of national importance. The basic goals of land reforms have been promotion of social justice and improvement of rural economy and farm productivity. However, even though well intentioned, their implementation has been tardy and has led to a situation where the remedy is worse than the disease.

Not only have they mostly failed to realize their objectives, they have had a debilitating effect on industrialization, especially in rural areas.

Unproductive impact on farmingTenancy laws, though designed with the objective of helping tenants, actually reduced tenancy in most parts of the country. This has had negative effect on productivity, suggesting equity-effi ciency trade-off, meaning that in absence of equity in land rights, the tenants do not work as effi ciently as otherwise.

Skewed land distribution was not reformed in signifi cant manner. Land owners with more than 4 hectares of land, about 5% of total, still own more than 50% of total agricultural area. Per unit productivity of smaller farms has been found to be more because of higher effort.

Land rights transferred were not realized due to poor land records and high rates of compensation to be paid by the owners. Also, this did not benefi t sub tenants and sharecroppers as they did not have occupancy rights.

Many landholders continued to hold large landholdings through Benami transactions, absentee landlordism continued till recently, effecting productivity.

Since, only the inferior and uncultivable land was surrendered, in many cases they could not be put to proper use of the land as they did not have enough resources for improvement.

Unfavourable impact on industry:The complexity of laws led to a situation where neither the farmer could sell the land and move to urban areasnor could the entrepreneur buy the land and set up an industrial unit.

Absence of proper land records and small scattered land holdings has made task of agglomerating land from numerous land holders cumbersome and time taking for corporate sector.

High costs and number of procedures have meant that it is the government which becomes the sole acquirer of land, even for private purpose. Not only does this have fi nancial implications, it also incorporated the

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element of political meddling in corporate affairs, as was refl ected in Singur land case for Tata Nano project in West Bengal.

Need for repealing existing land ceiling lawsThe imposition of land ceiling on agriculture is pre-eminently a redistributive measure. It was compelled due to shortage of land in relation to the population and a limited prospect of transfer of population dependent on agriculture to other means of livelihood. However, the socio-economic realities have changed since the time these laws were introduced.

With modernization of agricultural inputs, both costs and returns have increased. The ceiling laws denied farmers to hold more land to generate surplus and profi ts.

This is compounded with the tenancy laws which have practically abolished the lease market.

It has also curtailed the development of contract farming and downstream food processing industry, both of which have large potential to absorb the released agricultural labour.

Agricultural growth needs to pick up to achieve rural prosperity. This needs private investment, which has been negligible since last many years, partly due to land ceiling laws.

Way ForwardAlthough repealing of ceiling laws is now a desirable goal, several measures need to be taken before considering such a drastic change. These laws can only be repealed in a phased manner. The model of Urban Land (Ceiling & Regulation) Repeal Act, 1999 can be applied in phased manner to cover the hinterland. The foremost benefi ciaries would be the agro-processing and housing sectors. But with glaring inequity in access to resources and power, a blanket repeal of land ceiling laws would make an already highly speculative land market more attractive, leaving limited scope for farmers to grow.

Therefore, framing a land use policy and instituting a regulatory body along with digitization of land records needs to be done to ensure fairness in transfer of land titles.

Supplementary Notes:

Outcomes of Land ReformsAbolition of middlemen like landlords The powerful class of Zamindars and Jagirdars cease to exist. This reduced the exploitation of peasants who now became owners of the land they tilled. This move was vehemently opposed by the Zamindars who employed many means to evade the law. They registered their own land under their relatives’ names. They also shuffl ed tenants around different plots of land so that they wouldn’t acquire incumbency rights.

Land ceiling

With a cap on the size of land holding an individual/family could hold equitable distribution of land was possible to an extent. With only landlord abolition and no land ceiling, the land reforms would not have been at least partially successful. Land ceiling ensured that the rich farmers or higher tenants did not become the new avatar Zamindars.

Land possession

Land is a source of not just economic income but also social standing. Land reforms made it mandatory to have records of holdings, which was not the case previously. It is also compulsory to register all tenancy arrangements.

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Increased productivity More land came under cultivation and since tillers themselves became the landowners, productivity increased.Land reforms were largely successful in the states of West Bengal and Kerala because of the political will of the left-wing governments to implement them effi ciently. There was a sort of revolution in these places in terms of land holding patterns and ownership, and also the condition of peasants. The backing slogan was ‘land to the tiller’. In Jammu and Kashmir also, there was partial success in the redistribution of land to landless labourers.

Drawbacks of land reformsThere are still many small and marginal farmers in India who pray to the clutches of moneylenders and continue to remain indebted.Rural poverty still exists. Land ceiling varies from state to state. Many plantations were exempt from land ceiling act. Many people own huge tracts of land under ‘benami’ names. Land reforms also include agrarian reforms which deal with measures to improve the productivity of land especially agricultural land. This includes the Green Revolution.

To fi x the various loopholes in the land reforms, in the late 60s and early 70s, the recommendations of the Central Land Reforms Committee were implemented.

The ceiling was lowered according to the crop pattern. It was brought to 54 acres for inferior dry land.For purposes of law, family of fi ve was made one unit. Land distribution was given priority particularly to the landless peasants, SC and ST communities.

The government was responsible for the acquisition of land which it did under the Land Acquisition Act of 1894. This law, being archaic and inadequate to address farmers’ concerns was replaced by the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act of 2013. In 2015, the government proposed a few amendments to the law and introduced the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill of 2015, which came into effect as an ordinance.

Discuss the importance of land reforms for women in India, especially for rural 3. women.

(250 words)

APPROACH

Give brief Introduction about Land Reforms in India and its purpose. 1. (30 words)

Highlight the importance of land reform for women in India. 2. (150 words)

Challenges in acquiring ownership of land by women. 3. (40 words)

Conclude with suggestions. 4. (30 words)

HINTS

In an agricultural economy such as India with great dearth, and an unequal distribution, of land, coupled with a large mass of the rural population below the poverty line, there are enthralling fi nancial and political opinions

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for land reform. Purpose of land reforms is effi cient use of scarce land resource, redistributing agricultural land in favour of the less privileged class in general & cultivating class in particular.

A Signifi cant category under land reforms is ownership distribution on gender basis. In India especially rural India, the ownership of land is highly skewed in favour of men. Reforms need to correct it. With regard to women especially rural women, land reforms become more important because

Ownership of land plays an important role in strengthening women’s agency and giving those opportunities to assert themselves.

It is about power, security, equality, and opportunity. Women direct the use of income from productive land to meet the basic nutritional, welfare, and educational needs of their children and family.

Increasing women’s control over land can positively and signifi cantly infl uence the welfare of the country’s next generation.

Rural women’s lack of land rights also limits their access to the other livelihood assets that fl ow from the control of land. Women are dependent on their relationships with male family members. If those relationships terminate by death, divorce, or other circumstances, the women are left without any assets on which they can rely to sustain their livelihoods.

Land ownership provides women access to institutional credit such as bank loans. Rural women can take advantage of agricultural extension programs like government offers of subsidized seeds and fertilizers.

Facilitating women in India to access and control of rural land is one of the most signifi cant steps that could be taken toward enhancing the country’s rural livelihoods. It is also among the most challenging.

Challenges involvedInheritance laws: India’s Constitution mandates gender equality, but the command of non-discrimination does not reach the religious and customary laws that are skewed in favour of men.

Patriarchal mind set: since land is a valuable and critical resource, the resistance towards women’s land ownership rights is equally strong in the patriarchal system that governs Indian society. In such scenario, laws like Hindi Succession Act have limited impact.

Awareness: Many women are not aware that they can legally inherit the land. A recent study in two states found that only 22 percent of families surveyed knew about the 2005 amendment that gave women equal inheritance rights. And those women who know they have a right to land say that powerful social customs prevent them from asking for their share.

Social customs: Families are pressuring their daughters and sisters to circumvent the law by relinquishing their claim to their inheritance in writing in favour of their brothers. So, social practice of women forfeiting their claim in exchange for family harmony and cordial relations with their parents and brothers is intact.

Way ForwardRobust support systems are needed to help women stand up for their rights and begin to claim the land that is rightfully theirs.

SHGs should be strengthened to educate and support women on their land rights.

Local offi cials, particularly revenue offi cials, need to be aware of the challenges women face, and should be trained to support women’s claims to land. Many local revenue offi cials are not knowledgeable about women’s rights.

Educating both young boys and girls about their equal inheritance right will help ensure that they support their mother’s claim to their family land and theirs as well later in life.

If women’s empowerment and equality in general, and their ownership of land and assets in particular, is to be achieved, legal reforms alone are not suffi cient. Making conscious efforts to challenge the cultural norms and making institutions an equal partner in the same is equally important.

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India’s old age population will dramatically increase over the next three-four 4. decades. What are the problems that are going to be encountered in this process and what effective measures should be taken to tackle them?

(250 words)

APPROACH

Give brief introduction by providing a current status of elderly 1. (50 words) population in India Explain in detail Problems associated with Old age. 2. (60 words)

Discuss in detail Steps taken by government. 3. (60 words)

Highlight Suggestive measures 4. (50 words)


HINTS

India has a rapidly ageing population which is facing various challenges because of the changes in economic, technological and value system of Indian Society. The challenges of providing healthcare, social security, warmth of family relations etc. for old age persons may soon outweigh the demographic dividend of a young workforce. Unless attitudes towards the elderly improve and the government increases resources for their care, India is staring at the prospect of a generational socioeconomic crisis.

What is the old- age population in India?Since, Ageing is a continuous, irreversible, universal process .However, the age at which one’s productive contribution declines and one tends to be economically dependent can probably be treated as the onset of the aged stage of life. National Elderly Policy defi nes person of 60+ age group as elderly.

Age division of Indian population (0-14) is 30.8%,

(15-59) is 60.3%,

(60+) is 8.6%.

As regards rural and urban areas, more than 73 million persons i.e. 71% of elderly population resides in rural areas while 31 million or 29% of elderly population are in urban area. According to Population Census 2011, there are nearly 104 million elderly persons in India. Rise up to 19% in 2050 is projected.

Problems associated with old age

SocialIndian society is undergoing rapid transformation under the impact of industrialization, urbanization, technical & technological change, education and globalization. Consequently, the traditional values and institutions are in the process of erosion and adaptation, resulting in the weakening of intergenerational ties that were the hallmark of the traditional family.

Industrialization has replaced the simple family production units by the mass production and the factory.

Negligence by kids towards their old parents.

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Disillusionment due to retirement.

Feeling of powerlessness, loneliness, uselessness and isolation in elderly.

Generational gap.

Financial Retirement and dependence of elderly on their child for basic necessity.

Sudden increase in out of pocket expenses on treatment.

Migration of young working-age persons from rural area has negative impacts on the elderly, living alone or with only the spouse usually poverty and distress.

Insuffi cient housing facility.

Health Multiple disabilities among the elders in old age.

Health issues like blindness,loco motor disabilities and deafness are most prevalent.

Mental illness arising from senility and neurosis.

Absence of geriatric care facilities at hospitals in rural area.

Feminization of AgeingAmong the challenges which India faces, UNPF report says the feminization of ageing remained a key one.

The sex ratio of the elderly has increased from 938 women to 1,000 men in 1971 to 1,033 in 2011 and is projected to increase to 1,060 by 2026.

The report also noted that between 2000 and 2050, the population of 80-plus people would have grown 700% “with a predominance of widowed and highly dependent very old women” and so the special needs of such old women would need signifi cant focus of policy and programmes.

What are the steps taken by government?

SchemesIntegrated Programme for Older Persons (IPOP)

Nodal Agency: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

Objective: The main objective of the scheme is to improve the quality of life of older persons by providing basic amenities like shelter, food, medical care and entertainment opportunities, etc.

RashtriyaVayoshriYojana (RVY)

Nodal Agency: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Objective : Under the RVY scheme, aids and assistive living devices are provided to senior citizens belonging to BPL category who suffer from age-related disabilities such as low vision, hearing impairment, loss of teeth and loco motor disabilities.

Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS)

Nodal Agency: The Ministry of Rural Development

Objective: extends social assistance for poor households for the aged, widows, disabled, and in cases of death where the breadwinner has passed away. Under this scheme, fi nancial assistance is provided to person of 60 years and above and belonging to family living below poverty line as per the criteria prescribed by Government of India. Central assistance of Rs 200 per month is provided to person in the age group of 60-79 years and Rs 500 per month to persons of 80 years and above.

Varishtha Pension BimaYojana (VPBY)

Nodal Agency: Ministry of Finance.

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Objective: The Varishtha Pension BimaYojana (VPBY) was fi rst launched in 2003 and then relaunched in 2014. Both are social security schemes for senior citizens intended to give an assured minimum pension on a guaranteed minimum return on the subscription amount.

The PradhanMantriVayaVandanaYojana

The PradhanMantriVayaVandanaYojana (PNVVY) was launched in May 2017 to provide social security during old age. This is a simplifi ed version of the VPBY and will be implemented by the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India.

Under the scheme, on payment of an initial lump sum amount ranging from Rs 1,50,000 for a minimum pension of Rs 1000 per month to a maximum of Rs 7,50,000/- for a maximum pension of Rs 5,000 per month, subscribers will get an assured pension based on a guaranteed rate of return of 8% per annum payable monthly/quarterly/half-yearly/annually.

The Centre will bear 75 percent of the total budget and the state government will contribute 25 percent of the budget, for activities up to district level.

VayoshreshthaSamman

Conferred as a National award, and given to eminent senior citizens & institutions under various categories for their contributions on International day of older persons on 1st october.

Legal backingsArticle 41 and Article 46 are the constitutional provisions for elderly persons.

Section 20 of Hindu marriage and adoption act, 1956 makes it obligatory provisions to maintain aged parents.

Under Section 125 of Criminal Procedure Code, the elder parents can claim maintenance from their children.

The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, seek to make it legal for the children or heirs to maintain their parents or senior citizens of the family.

Convention on the Rights of Older Persons is proposed in united nation.

What measures can be taken?Raising of retirement age by both public and private sector should be considered thoughtfully.

Increasing the monthly pension of elderly to minimum of Rs 2,000 per month.

Under PradhanMantriAwasYojana, Housing for the aged, particularly the aged poor, must be a priority.

Assisted living facilities for indigent elderly, particularly those with age-related issues like dementia, needs policy focus.

More tax benefi ts, or at least removing tax on deposit interest for seniors.

Enhancing the geriatric care health infrastructure especially in rural area.

Allocation of special budget for elderly population at both levels.

Providing entertainment facilities like libraries and clubs at panchayat level.

Appreciations for the contributions of elderlies at village level.

Way ForwardFor the welfare and care for the older persons, we must focus on the protection of already existing social support systems/traditional social institutions such as family and kinship, neighbourhood bonding, community bonding and community participation must be revived and kins should show sensitivity towards elderly citizens.

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The elderly with their vast experience of personal and professional life contribute to the society.

At large, society should channelize those experiences for better tomorrow. Their deep cultural impressions and social experiences provide the necessary buffer against intolerance, violence and hate crimes which provides stability in society especially in the era of hate and crime. They can play a signifi cant role in easing out societal tensions, both within and outside families through their insight and understanding.

Idea of Universal Basic Income has gained traction in many countries across 5. the world in recent. Can universal basic income address the problem of poverty in India? Critically examine.

(250 words)

APPROACH

Give brief Introduction about the Universal basic Income 1. (40 words)

Explain in detail Reasons of failure of poverty alleviation schemes 2. (60 words)

Discuss Universal basic income and its benefi ts 3. (70 words)

Criticism 4. (50 words)


HINTS

Though India has 3rd largest GDP in PPP terms but still 22% of its population lives below poverty line. Despite a plethora of policies and programmes for poverty alleviation the issue of poverty remains.

There are various reasons why the poverty alleviation programmes have not succeeded, like:

Poor targeting of benefi ciaries resulting in errors of exclusion.

Misallocation of resources across districts

Present poverty alleviation programmes suffer from universalization of factors causing poverty and do not consider the different reasons of poverty for different sets of population.

High levels of corruption and leakages under PDS scheme divert nearly 40% of the ration and the poor must buy from market.

High administrative costs with nearly no ground results.

In this background, the idea of Universal Basic Income (UBI) appears most feasible. UBI requires that every person should have a right to a basic income to cover their needs, just by being citizens. It has three components: universality, unconditionality, and agency (by providing support in the form of cash transfers to respect, not dictate, recipients’ choices).

What will be the benefi ts of UBI?UBI strengthens economic liberty at an individual level. This would help them to choose the kind of work they want to do, rather than forcing them to do unproductive work to meet their daily requirements.

UBI is easy to implement. Because of its universal character, there is no need to identify the benefi ciaries. Thus it excludes errors in identifying the intended benefi ciaries – which is a common problem in targeted welfare schemes.

It promotes effi ciency by reducing waste in government transfers as every individual will receive a basic income that in turn would lead to minimizing levels of corruption.

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UBI is also, paradoxically, more feasible in a country like India, where it can be pegged at relatively low levels of income but still yield immense welfare gains.

UBI could promote greater productivity. For example, agriculture labourers who own small patch of land and earlier used to work in others’ farm for low wages, can now undertake farming on their own land. In long term, this will reduce the percentage of unused land and helps in increasing agriculture productivity.

It will provide psychological benefi ts to poor and they will think beyond survival.

Apart from these direct benefi ts it will help indirectly by increasing fi nancial inclusion, allowing government administrative machinery to focus on developmental issues, providing poor greater say in labor market etc.

Though, the idea of UBI appears viable to tackle the problem of poverty, by directly attacking it, its implementation face various challenges which dent the benefi ts accruing from UBI.

ChallengesConstrained Resource capacity of the state to implement such an ambitious scheme.

The disincentive for middle class and rich to work and pay tax because they are being taxed to provide doles to poor

Absence of universal fi nancial inclusion

Possibility of poor to use resources for consumptive needs

The moral hazard of people not working when their needs are fulfi lled by state

The manner of implementation will be incremental, sectoral or universal etc. to be decided.

Way ForwardThough these are valid concerns, but all of them do not stand against such scheme.

Controlled trials of government cash transfer programs in 6 developing countries {Honduras, Morocco, Mexico, Philippines, Indonesia and Nicaragua where cash transfer formed between 4 percent (Honduras) and 20 percent (Morocco) of household consumption.} fi nd no signifi cant reduction in labor supply (inside and outside the household) for men or women from the provision of cash transfers. Similar results were obtained from trials in Indian villages from state of Madhya Pradesh.NSSO 2011-12 data shows that the consumption goods form a smaller share of overall budget/consumption as overall consumption increases. This provides an indication that an increase in income from UBI alone will not necessarily lead to an increase in temptation goods consumption.UBI in fact will recognize non-wage work by individuals like housewife. Government is already providing large subsidies to the well off. By eliminating those subsidies government can create fi nancial space for such initiative.Therefore, it can be argued that UBI can be a very useful tool for reforming the welfare programmes of the government and a call for UBI must be taken after consultation with all the stakeholders.

SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

Guiding principle for setting up a UBI

De jure universality, de facto quasi-universalityUsing automatic exclusion criterion like:

Ownership of key assets such as AC, automobiles Adopt a give up scheme

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Public display of UBI list, this would ‘name and shame’ the rich who choose to avail themselves of UBI. Self-targeting: under this Develop a system where benefi ciaries regularly verify themselves to avail themselves of their UBI - the assumption here is that the rich, whose opportunity cost of time is higher, would not fi nd it worth their while to go through this process and the poor would self-target into the scheme. However, this run counter to the objective of JAM trinity.

GradualismA guiding principle is gradualism: the UBI must be embraced in a deliberate, phased manner. A key advantage of phasing would be that it allows reform to occur incrementally - weighing the costs and benefi ts at every step. This can be done in following ways:

Choice to persuade and to establish the principle of replacement, not additionality Under this UBI is offered as a choice to benefi ciaries of existing programmes. Apart from having the normal advantages of cost reduction, giving choice to benefi ciaries it will give them greater negotiating power with administrators, which will force latter to improve their performance.However, it will have its own disadvantages of enforcing current problems with targeting, continues with the problem of misallocation with richer districts getting more, does not solve the problem of wrong exclusion and inclusion and will be cumbersome to administer.

UBI for women It is worth considering because women suffer worse prospects in almost every aspect of their daily lives - employment opportunities, education, health or fi nancial inclusion. Simultaneously, the higher social benefi ts and the multi-generational impact of improved development outcomes for women.A UBI for women can, therefore, not only reduce the fi scal cost of providing a UBI (to about half) but have large multiplier effects on the household. It will increase their bargaining power, reduce concerns of money being splurged on conspicuous goods and by factoring in children in household higher UBI can be provided to women.

However, this has three problems of counting number of children, parents may go for more children and identifi cation & phasing out of boys after they reach 18 years of age.

Universalize across groups: Certain groups like widows, old age, divyaang etc. can be included under UBI net under phase one because these groups are easily identifi able. However, this may suffer from less access to bank accounts and not part of JAM trinity.

UBI in urban areas: Urban areas have proper banking infrastructure and as poor are less dependent on state for sustenance, a disruptive step like UBI will not be that tricky in these areas.

Youth suicide rate in India is among the highest in the world which can be heavy 6. cost to India’s demographic dividend. Discuss its various reasons. Suggest solutions to overcome this problem.

(250 words)

APPROACH

Introduction 1. (40 words)

Reasons of Suicide 2. (80 words)

Steps to tackle the issue 3. (90 words)


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HINTS

India has one of the world’s highest suicide rates for youth aged 15 to 29, according to Lancet report and according to NCRB data, suicide is a leading cause of death in young people. According to the government, 60,000 young ones commit suicide annually, which is much lesser than other independent estimates. Such high fi gures immediately need attention to save the future of country through understanding problems of youth and adequate resolution mechanisms in changing dynamics of market, competition and society.

Reasons of SuicideYouth is a vulnerable period for suicide because this is the phase of life which is associated with dramatic changes in one’s self-image and aspirations, and some of the most important life decisions related to education and relationships are made. Therefore, suicide attempts in youth are often impulsive, triggered by acute disappointments such as a poor examination result or loss of a romantic relationship.

However, depression is also a major cause of suicide and it is more gradual. Some risk factors of depression among youths are long drawn academic pressure, alcohol consumption, loss of a valued relationship, frequent change of residence, poor family patterns, youths confused about their sexual identities particularly if they have suffered harassment, etc. In some instances, there is a history of social problems precipitating a clinical depression.

Financial issues dominate the reasons for suicide; about 70% of suicide victims in 2015 had an income of less than Rs 100,000 per annum.

Further, it is seen that such suicides are more common in developed States. Possibly a key reason for this is the growing gap between the aspirations of educated youth and the harsh perception they have of society. For example, the will to freely choose their life partner or to live a life free of social prejudices or to choose a career of their choice does come into confl ict with what the society expects.

Following steps can be taken to tackle the issue: An open dialogue to challenge the stigma surrounding mental health like depression,mental health and wellness should be added to school curriculum. Only when children know about these disorders in their formative years then will they be able to seek help.

Buildings of life skills in schools to strengthen emotional regulation, which can help build resilience to cope with periods of loss of hope that are inevitable in the transition from childhood to adulthood.

Parenting interventions to reduce the pressures on young people to perform academically and to choose their partner.

Ensuring freedom from violence, gender discrimination, and social exclusion of youth, at least in campuses.

A campaign to ensure the safe storage of pesticides, most commonly used suicide method.

Easy access to trained personnel to deliver psychological treatments in educational institutions and health-care facilities.

Way ForwardNo matter whether the suicide was impulsive or well planned, no one attempts to end their lives unless they have lost hope for their future. Hence, a well devised strategy to tackle problem of youth suicide is the need of the hour .Schools are a great place to provide more education and support on suicide prevention since students spend majority of their time at school, school can be either a haven from or a source of suicidal triggers and students’ peers can heavily infl uence their state of mind. The school setting is an ideal environment to educate students on suicide and have support readily available.

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What do you understand by social empowerment? What are the factors which 7. inhibit social empowerment in India and how it affects Indian development process? What effective steps were taken to overcome these problems?

(250 words)

APPROACH

Give brief introduction about Meaning of Social Empowerment 1. (40 words)

Explain in detail regarding Factors inhibiting social empowerment 2. (60 words)

Discuss its Effects on Indian developmental process 3. (60 words)

Highlight different Steps to overcome the problems 4. (50 words)


HINTS

Social empowerment is understood as the process of developing a sense of autonomy and self-confi dence, and acting individually and collectively to change social relationships and the institutions and discourses that exclude poor people and keep them in poverty.

Poor people’s empowerment, and their ability to hold others to account, is strongly infl uenced by their individual assets (such as land, housing, livestock, savings) and capabilities of all types: human (such as good health and education), social (such as social belonging, a sense of identity, leadership relations) and psychological (self-esteem, self-confi dence, the ability to imagine and aspire to a better future). Also important are people’s collective assets and capabilities, such as voice, organization, representation and identity

Factors inhibiting social empowerment in IndiaTraditions, customs and some of corrupted religious practices has given low status to SCs, STs and women. This impacted there economic and social mobilization because they were denied access to education, standard of living, etc.

SCs did not have access to land resources or other means of permanent livelihood, along with this the social and political discrimination took a heavy toll on their educational development and self-esteem.

Women were also denied access to education, ownership of family resources and access to public places which negatively impacted their participation in various spheres of life.

Certain sections of society like trans-genders, disabled were seen with stigma and denied opportunities for healthy development.

STs because of their different language, culture was not incorporated into the mainstream and the ownership their resources were transferred to state or commercial entities. In this process, they were denied due share.

The long years of foreign rule lead to impoverishment of India. The disadvantaged section of society was to suffer most because of this colonialism led impoverishment.

What effective steps must be taken?Social justice and equality were important objectives of Indian independence movement and post-independence many steps were taken to achieve them which were refl ected in various provisions of the Indian Constitution.

Representation to SC/STs in Parliament and state legislatures so that their interests are protected. Later, through 73rd and 74th amendment reservation was also provided at the local level also.

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Land reforms, reservation in jobs, various scholarship schemes, concessions in fees etc. were other instruments used.

Establishing institutions like NCSC, NCSTs, Ministry of Social Justice to take care of issues of marginalized sections.

Giving autonomy to STs in the governance through 5th and 6th Schedule areas.

Despite these efforts the literacy levels, poverty levels, level of malnutrition and the recent attacks on people of SCs in different areas of country, skewed sex ratio, etc. indicate that a lot needs to be done in this direction.

Way ForwardStrict propagation and enforcement of Constitutional values wherever they confl ict with religious or customary values should be done. It will help in changing the attitude of both the marginalized and those who infl ict violence.

Mobilizing the marginalized to form pressure groups, organizations and evolve leadership among them who can become role models for them.

Quality education has been missing for the marginalized. With increasing privatization, rising cost of education and low performance of government schools has not helped them. There is need to provide bridge courses for them so that they can upgrade their knowledge in areas where they are poor.

Focus on providing self-employment opportunities and inculcating entrepreneurial spirit through loan subsidies, technical support, etc.

If such steps are taken the objective of social justice and social empowerment as enunciated in Indian Constitution will be achieved to an extent. However, this is going to be long drawn effort and needs dynamisms in approach and patience in looking for the results.

SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

Scheme and steps for social empowerment in India in recentVanjeevan - ST resource center: Vanjeevan will be a programme to identify the problems in livelihood issues in select districts of six states having low HDI of tribal people in the fi rst phase. The states are Assam, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha and Telangana. he programme will focus on the identifi cation of local resources, keeping in view the existing skill level. The programme will facilitate utilization of funds under various Government programmes for the above purpose.Establishment of District Mineral Fund, which will receive proceeds from the mine auction and the resources to be used to welfare of STs.Stand Up India scheme: The scheme offers bank loans of between ?10 lakhs (US$16,000) and 1 crore (US$160,000) for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes and women setting up new enterprises outside of the farm sector.

WomenReservation for women in jobs in Bihar, Delhi Police and Central police forces.Nari Shakti Kendra to be set up in Anganwadicenters which will act as one stop resource center for all kind of supports.Credit support for women SHGsNaiRoshni, NaiManzil, Tejaswini scheme for empowerment of women, providing skill training and building leadership qualities in them.

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Is India’s waste management economy clearly and uniquely impregnated with 8. caste? How exponential is the problem of waste management in India? Also, highlight measures needed to strengthen the mechanisms.

(250 words)

APPROACH

Give brief introduction about Sanitation work in India 1. (40 words)

Explain in detail Association between waste management and caste in India 2. (90 words)

Provide an overview related to Magnitude of problem of waste management 3. (80 words)in India

Highlight the Challenges and Reforms required 4. (80 words)


HINTS

Sanitation in IndiaThe UNICEF report has validated the effectiveness of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The SBA has indeed made a huge difference in the lives of people who earlier had no access at all to proper sanitation facilities. It goes without saying that the Indian population, especially the most vulnerable section of our society - the poor and the impoverished, will reap the benefi ts of this staggering improvement in sanitation facilities in the long run. However, there still are a lot many loopholes, especially regarding proper usage of the sanitation infrastructure being created. It takes time to change the habits of people.

Association with CasteSanitation in India’s cities relies heavily on the most oppressed castes — the erstwhile untouchables, the Dalits. Not only is the work itself degrading, it is also performed under extremely hazardous conditions.

The increased generation of garbage reveals how modernization has created new forms of untouchability and reproduction of caste relations. Increased use of consumer goods leads to generating more and more waste because of the throw away culture.

The generation of municipal solid waste is seemingly deeply connected with casteism, the historical availability of certain ‘lower castes’ to clean impurities shapes the waste generation and management practices in India. The caste system, abolished by the Constitution but alive into the 21st century, relegates a section of society to the task of getting rid of refuse.

Manual sanitation in urban centers rests on the caste system. The lowest castes, whose traditional occupation has been sweeping, scavenging and dealing with dead animals, work as sweepers and scavengers in urban centers as well, keeping them clean. Their work as manual scavengers continues despite legal prohibitions.

For municipal offi cials, the caste dimension is not seen as an anomaly; it is expected: “Those who know the best are in the job” is the rational given by the offi cials, thus, attaching a professional skill dimension to what is otherwise a consolidation of caste status quo.

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Magnitude of waste management problem in IndiaIndia generates over 150,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW) per day, with Mumbai being the world’s fi fth most wasteful city. Yet, only 83% of waste is collected and less than 30% is treated. According to the World Bank, India’s daily waste generation will reach 377,000 tonnes by 2025.

Rate of increase in access to sanitation infrastructure generally lags behind the rate of urbanization by 33% around the world; however, the lack of planning and impromptu piecemeal responses to waste management issues observed in India might indicate a much wider gap.

The role of municipal authorities: Currently, these civic bodies are under-resourced, underpowered, and subject to political manipulations.

The volume of waste generated in the cities is projected to reach 125 million tonnes per annum by 2031 and the disposal system today focuses on collection and transportation of this waste only.

Waste segregation being virtually absent has resulted in resource wastage, environmental pollution and health/safety hazards, due to leaching and methane generation from wet solid waste in the landfi lls.

Un-segregated waste also undermines the waste-to-electricity option of disposal, given high wet waste content pushes the overall calorifi c value to a level below the required threshold.

While 95 commercial composting plants exist, only 14% of the capacity is utilized.

Nearly 75% of the waste generated in India is not treated and openly dumped onto fallow lands, leaching lethal chemicals into the ground, toxic fumes into the air and poison into the water systems.

ChallengesThe practices that have been legally challenged have social legitimacy due to traditional caste divisions and practices. For instance, visible presence of caste system, manual scavenging, etc.

Issue of scarcity of land for waste disposal, which led to overfl owing dumpsites and waste treatment facilities receiving more waste than what they were designed for.

Segregation of waste is not performed and recyclables, organic wastes, toxic wastes, etc. are all dumped together.

Increased urbanization is putting additional pressure on landfi ll sites located in urban areas.

Considering that waste volumes are estimated to grow to 165 million a tonne per year by 2030, many more suburbs are threatened by collapsing or burning Trash Mountains.

Measures needed to strengthen Waste ManagementTo maximize benefi ts along the waste value chain, the Solid Waste Management Guidelines 2016 have detailed the most appropriate steps to improve the waste management paradigm in the Indian context and minimize environmental impact of the same.

Municipalities need to be supported by skilled staff and appropriate technology to ensure local recycling and composting systems work.

Waste-workers need to be incorporated in ways that draw on their experiences and expertise and offer dignity and rewards in return for reliable service.

Learning from the global practices like Japan i.e. by promoting Extended Producer Responsibility, placing some responsibility on consumers.South Korea: The Korean government has promoted the “SSSR Campaign” (Ahnabada Campaign), which stands for “Save, Share, Swap, and Reuse,” to bring the reuse of goods into everyday habits, and has hosted marketplaces for exchanging or trading second-hand goods.

Local Practices: Alappuzha in Kerala and Panaji in Goa do not have landfi lls. They convert their compost or biogas and recycle plastic, glass, metals and papers.

Implementing Zero Waste would ideally eliminate all discharges to land, water, or air that may be a threat to planetary, human, animal or plant health. The philosophy ultimately focuses on eliminating waste.

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An effective waste management strategy must fi gure waste segregation at source and appropriate treatment of different components.

The wet solid waste, primarily biodegradable organic waste, can be then processed in a decentralized manner through composting and bio-methanation.

Way ForwardThe government has initiated a new initiative to promote sanitation and effective waste management, ‘My Home-My Neighborhood’ (Ghar Bi Saaf-PadosBhiSaaf) campaign with the following six components:

Segregation of waste at sourceCompost making from wet waste within the premises/neighborhood/area

Recycling of dry waste

Freeing the neighborhood from open defecation and open urination

Motivating the residents of neighborhood against throwing garbage in open spaces; and

Adopting a nearby park or open place for collection and waste segregation.

Though the government is putting signifi cant efforts in waste management, it should also be the responsibility of every citizen to improve the quality of environment around him/her thinking beyond the barriers of caste leaving the job to few and should contribute towards a cleaner and healthier India.

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