GS1 Weekly [2nd – 7th Mar 2015] [The Undercover group] (Insightsonindia.com)

Topic: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Architecture in ancient times.

Q ) “Lomas Rishi cave in the Barabar Hills of Bihar and gateways of some of Buddhist stupas are an excellent example showing true imitations in stone of early wooden constructions.” Examine. (150 Words)

Reference – 1

Reference – 2

Ans- The Maryan period was initially dominated by timber as is corroborated by accounts of Kautilya and Megasthenes. Ashoka was the first Mauryan to think in stone. The stone masonry and carvings were imported to India during Ashoka from Persia according to the similar signs are seen in Persepolis. So the gradual transition from wood to stone happened.

Lomas rishi cave was excavated during Ashoka for Ajivak sect. The entrance of the cave imitates hut entrance on stone. The back of the roof is made of bent timber and the carved freize of elephants is an imitation of previous woodwork. Besides there is a stone imitation of trellis work made of small piece of bamboo.

Besides, various Buddhist architecture also exist that support the argument in the question. Stupas were built over ashes of Budhha. The stupas of Sanchi, Bharhut, Gaya, Amravati and Naharjunkonda are famous for their entrances, torans, with upright pillars and crossbars based on wooden style, on which relief was carved in various Buddha symbols. The stupa of Sanchi was enlarged to enclose the original one and railing was made of stone replacing wood. In chaityas also, like at Karle, rafters and cross beams were carved in the rock though they serves no purpose. Chaityas also had wooden roof or pillars supporting a vaultes roof, a ribbing inspired by wooden architecture.

Topic: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Architecture in medieval times.

Q ) Compare and contrast the Indo-Islamic architecture with that of temple architecture in India. (200 Words)

Reference

Ans- Indo-Islamic Architecture:

(1.) Started with 12th Century after Turks settled in India subcontinents.

(2.)Turks and Afghans Muslims having inherited a wealth of varied designs from Sassanian and Byzantine empires and being naturally endowed with good taste for buildings

(3.) Ornamental decoration, open space for prayer toward mecca(quibla), light and open, lesser decoration in prayer hall, purdah hall system for females coming for prayer, tower/minaret to call prayer(azaan),

(4.) Re-brought the fashion of true arch, trabeate(horizontal layers of bricks in arch, lintel). Often contained qabr at centre if it is masouleum, arches, domes, minars and minarets, the pendentive, squinch arch, half domed double portals, kiosks (chhatris) and the use of concrete as a factor of construction

(5.) Ornamental decoration contain non-human figures, mainly floral decoration, symmetry, rhythmic pattern, arabic writing in beautiful way.

(6.) The Muslims, like the Romans, were also responsible for making extensive use of concrete and lime mortar as an important factor of construction and incidentally used lime as plaster and a base for decoration which was incised into it and held enamel work on tiles.

(7.) Elaborate gardens like charbagh, fountains were given importance.

Indian Temple Architecture:

(1.) Small prayer hall, many pillars, shikharas, small garbha-griha, mandapas.

(2.) Initially Arch were used but during Maurya and Magadha time, Arch usage disappeared and after later part of 14th century remerged in southern India.

(3.) Ornamental decoration were largely containing animal, humans motifs and postures.

(4.) Use of sandstone was important to carve delicate motifs

Topic: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Architecture in modern times.

Q ) Do we have anything today as representative of Modern Architecture which could be compared with our old buildings? Critically examine. (200 Words)

Reference

Ans- The architecture practices of modern times were quite different from Indian old buildings but till share some common features.The modern form of architecture was developed by the distinct and far more developed advanced british regime while the old buildings range from ancient India to the medieval Indian architecture.The common features which they share are-1. use of stone. the immense use of stone was common in both cases. The modern rashtrapati bhavan and the medieval red fort of delhi and agra are example of it.2. glorification of the architecture. the architecture of modern and old times were equally glorified. They represent the pride of the ruling regime. the viceroy palace of shimla and the chola temples and taj mahal are the examples of the same.3. Vastness of architecture. They cover a huge area and height. The Rashtrapati Bhavan region covers north and south blocks too and similarly, the shahjahanabad and fatehpur sikri represent the vastness and height at the same time.

Besides these similarities, both type of architectures have many differences.1. the british style of architecture was dominant in recent times. eg- connaught place.2. more efforts were made for the living place architecture and not just for the glory of the regime. eg- lutyen's delhi.3. the modern architecture was limited to Britishers only and Indians remain aloof but it wasn't the case in old times. Indian people had main role in making of taj mahal.4. industrialisation changed the style of construction from hammer and chisel to latest technlogy.5. the thin designs and art of architects is missing in recent times. eg- dilwara jain temple.

Thus, though the representatives of modern architectures can be compared with old buildings in some way, but there distinct traits make them class apart and best in their own fields.

Topic: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Literature in modern times.

Q ) “Unlike in Europe where, by the 17th century, French and English had broken with the dominance of Latin to create not just literature, but also philosophy, historiography, sociology, science etc in their tongues, in India the achievement of regional languages beyond the crucial (and yet also limited) domain of literature is a major impediment.” In the light of ongoing movements to make regional languages medium of instruction in schools and politics associated with them, critically examine why regional languages have failed to excel in fields other than literature. (200 Words)

The Hindu

Ans- After independence, the leaders of new Indian nation recognized the opportunity to unite all the regions of India with a common, universal language. Thus, the following requirements were pointed out by Mahatma Gandhi for any language to be accepted as the national language:-It must be easy to learn for government officials and for the whole country.-Capable of serving as a medium of religious, economic and political intercourse throughout India.-It must be spoken by the majority.As a result, Hindi was chosen as a national language and on Nehru's assurance it was never imposed on people in non-Hindi areas where English started playing a prominent role as an official language in addition to the regional language.-The educational consequence was that many children have to learn 2 languages (English and Hindi) next to their mother tongue in school and other children speaking a non-official minority language are taught 3 languages.-In general, schools using regional language as the medium of instruction have come to be associated with poor quality, mainly because most of them are government run and hence not held accountable.-While the government encourages the idea of teaching and learning in the regional languages (Three Language Formula, etc), the truth is that most students have to know

English to do well in higher education. Students learning in regional languages do not have the kind of resources they need, as English books are not translated into their regional languages. Even though some higher education courses are available in regional languages, the demand for these is less. -Given the multitude of problems and the diversity of languages, the medium of instruction remains a topic of impassioned debate. Language is seen as a factor fuelling nationalistic pride. Despite govt trying to kindle linguistic pride, many parents still see English could help their wards find employment and thus regional languages failed to make an impact in the education and other fields of India.

Topic: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues

Q ) The Revolt of the sepoys was accompanied by a rebellion of the civil population, particularly in the North Western Provinces and Oudh, the two areas from which the sepoys of the Bengal army were recruited. Comment on the reasons which prompted civil population to rebel during the 1857 Revolt. (200 Words)

India’s Struggle for Independence, Chapter 1

Ans- The revolt of 1857 which was initiated by sepoys, later also was accompanied by civil popoluation. Though the sepoys has their own reasons like differentiation among indian and british soldiers, chewing of gun parts before firing etc, the civil population has their own reasons-

1. Peasants and farmers- Most of the sepoys were from rural area. Thus the oppressive on them had a direct impact on their relatives in villages. In fact, it is said that sepoys in british India were "peasants in uniform"

2. Land taxation- the land revenues was increased manifold by zamindars which was tough to pay by peasants. This high taxation, many a times even resulted in loss of land to farmers. Thus the farmers revolted to reduce the high taxation.

3. Loyalty towards Oudh king- The Oudh king was removed by Britishers, which angered the local population. They revolted to restore the kingship of Oudh.

4. Indigo planters- Britishers forced the local peasants to plant indigo. They revolted against this practise.

The revolt of 1857, was not fought on a united reasons. Different parts of the country have their own reasons to revolt. But the involvement of civil population along with sepoys added fire to the revolt.

Topic: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues

Q ) Critically examine how did British colonialism affect tribal way of life and their relationship with the forests in the nineteenth century. How did tribals react to this and with what consequences? Examine. (200 Words)

India’s Struggle for Independence, Chapter 2

Ans- At the time British advent in India was having a thick forest cover and mostly inhabited by the tribals who in their own way had an association of harmonious sustenance with nature. But with the increase of the British commercial interests given the vast diversity of crops and minerals in India , they have started cutting down forests and thus came in conflict with tribals.

They were made to pay land revenue and often debarred from their lands, they were not allowed to practice Juhm cultivation , forced to do begar and the missionary influence who tried to convert them to and persuade them to leave their centuries old traditions.

This has evoked popular discontent in the tribal and several tribal uprisings such as Santhal, Munda, Gonds, Lushai,Bhil, Kols etc. have erupted which waged all out struggles against the Britishers to safeguard their lands and people. Although they fought valiantly with great leaders such as Birsa Munda, Sido and Kanhu but given the military and modern artillery of the Britishers , they were not able to face them for long and eventually faced catastrophic repressions amounting to pogroms.

Last but not the least they have shown the way to the much educated and modern Indians to fight and assert for their rights.

Topic: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues

Q ) The most militant and widespread of the peasant movements was the Indigo Revolt of 1859-60. Did it succeed in its objectives? If so, how? Examine. (200 Words)

India’s Struggle for Independence, Chapter 3

Ans- British in which planters were forced to grow Indigo which made their land infertile was a major cause of the uprising. The ryot was even cheated and enforcement of fraudulent contracts crushed him completely. It succeeded because of

- mass and collective non cooperation from the rebellious ryots, like refusal to pay enhanced revenue and mass social boycott.

- The united resistance was very powerful and the planters were forced to shut down factories.

- The revolt had immense cooperation, organized and a disciplined effort.

- Complete Hindu Muslim unity was one of the major factors.

- The leadership was strong which were accompanied by well off ryots, moneylenders and ex employees of planters

- The Bengal intelligentsia played an important role by organizing a powerful campaign in support by using Press as the tool. It had a deep impact on the emerging nationalist intellectuals.

_ Missionaries extended active support to the revolt.

Overall it was a success and ultimately government notified that ryots could not be compelled to grow Indigo and planters closed all the factories. It was a brave and intelligent example for the future generations.

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

Q ) Write a note on the significance of the statue of dancing girl of Mohenjodaro to India’s art and culture. (150 Words)

CCRT

Ans- One of the rarest artefacts world-over, a tiny bronze-cast, the statue of a young lady called 'Indus dancing girl', represents a stylistically poised female figure performing a dance. The bronze statue is hardly four inches high yet speaks ample of the superb craftsmanship and of the caster's skills.

Significance-

1) Social outlook - The forward thrust of the left leg and backwards tilted right, the gesture of the hands, demeanour of the face and uplifted head, all speak of absorption in dance, perhaps one of those early styles that combined drama with dance, and dialogue with body-gestures. It was a well developed society, Indus people had innovated dance and other performing arts as modes of entertainment. Her elaborately coiled hair, her bangles and necklaces speaks of social life of India at that time.

2)Scientific & technical outlook- But its most interesting aspect is that in casting it the Harappan metallurgists used an advanced technique known as the lost-wax (cire perdue) process. The Indus artists knew metal blending and casting and perhaps other technical aspects of metallurgy

3) Skill of art & handicraft - The figure has been cast as wearing on herbreasts a necklace with four 'phalis' like shaped pendants.

4) Dress, hair styles & ornaments - Women loved jewellery and wore heavy bangles in profusion, large necklaces, and earrings.

5) Women’s Status- with hand on hip, and the expression of self-assurance on her face, it represents a respected & confident woman of Harappan society

6) Open Society - This small figure confirms that the Harappan people were neither shy of nakedness nor of explicit sensuality

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

Q ) Examine the influence of Buddhism and its concepts on the art of Mauryan empire with suitable examples. (150 Words)

CCRT

Ans- Ashoka made a dramatic conversion to Buddhism after witnessing the carnage that resulted from his conquest of Kalinga. He adopted the teachings of the Buddha known as the Four Noble Truths, referred to as the dharma. We can see following influence of Buddhism and its concepts on the art of Mauryan Empire.

Influence of Buddhism and its concepts on the art of Mauryan Empire -:

1. The physical appearance of the pillars underscores the Buddhist doctrine. Most of the pillars were topped by sculptures of animals. 2. Each pillar is also topped by an inverted lotus flower, which is the most pervasive symbol of Buddhism (a lotus flower rises from the muddy water to bloom unblemished on the surface—thus the lotus became an analogy for the Buddhist practitioner as he or she, living with the challenges of everyday life and the endless cycle of birth and rebirth, was able to achieve Enlightenment). 3. This flower, and the animal that surmount it, form the capital, the topmost part of a column. Most pillars are topped with a single lion or a bull in either seated or standing positions. The Buddha was born into the Shakya or lion clan. The lion, in many cultures, also indicates royalty or leadership. The animals are always in the round and carved from a single piece of stone.4. They were also erected at pilgrimage sites such as at Bodh Gaya, the place of Buddha’s Enlightenment, and Sarnath, the site of his First Sermon and Sanchi, where the Mahastupa, the Great Stupa of Sanchi, is located. Stupa is a burial mound for an esteemed person. When the Buddha died, he was cremated and his ashes were divided and buried in several stupas. These stupas became pilgrimage sites for Buddhist practitioners.5. several symbols became popular as stand-ins for the human likeness of the Buddha. The lotus, as noted above, is one. The lion, which is typically seen on the Ashokan pillars, is another. 6. The wheel (chakra) is a symbol of both samsara, the endless circle of birth and rebirth, and the dharma, the Four Noble Truths.

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

Q ) “Gupta sculpture is the logical outcome of the early classical sculpture of Amravati and Mathura.” Discuss with examples. (150 Words)

CCRT

Ans- The Gupta period can be described as “classic” in the sense of the degree of perfection never achieved before or since, and in the perfect balance and harmony of all elements in style and iconography.

Mathura art flourished during Kushana period. Numbers of sculptures of Buddha and Brahmanical deities were carved which included Kartikeya, Vishnu, Kubera in Mathura art.

Amravati art flourished during Satavahanas and Ikshavaku rules. The main characteristic of the Amravati school is the “narrative art”. The medallions were carved in such a manner that they depict an incident in a natural way ex: taming of an elephant by Buddha.

Gupta art shows an emphasis on Hindu art carried from Kushana period and the climax of Buddha art and all combined tendencies of Amravati School seen at Udayagiri caves where narrative Vishnu figures can be seen. Gupta art also showed exemplary tolerance for both Buddhism and Jainism.

So, it can be concluded that Gupta sculpture is the logical outcome of early art forms of Kushana and Satavahanas period.

Topic: changes in critical geographical features (including waterbodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes; Paper-3; Conservation

Q ) Critically discuss the effects of deforestation on Indian economy. (200 Words)

The Hindu

Ans- Recent study which observed that Deforestration in Northern mid attitudes has caused a decreased of 1/5th of Monsoon in India ,though raised moderately rainn in Southern Hemisphere and Australia and South Africa

It is evident that Deforestation has the impact on the Indian economy , which still largely depend on the Agriculture and Monsoon . Some of effects of Deforestration are~ Greater Pollution or carbon emission with no carbon capture increased the Health burden of the country~Greater amount of funds will be diverted for the climate change , resilient crops which otherwise could have helped in raising the incomes~Monsoon plays key role in Monetary policy of Rbi thus tight and dear economy may harm the market sentiments Like after ELNINO ,ENSO

~Deforestation caused increased land pressure as more tribal becomes share croppers thus increasing of lower strata in the economy ~Deforestation and Encroachment to natural resources like Wetlands etc also causes disasters like Deluge in Uttarakhand etc ~Forest, tress preserve and withhold the nutrients in the soil. Absence causes greater use of fertiliser, which is generally subsidised in India ~ 70k cr subsidy~Tourism and Aviation are also affected as, Eco tourism is affected , also Leads to job loss unemployment etc As cited in recent AAI report~It also causes Change in rainfall, crop failure , pushing farmer s to migrate already stressed over burdened cities , thereby causing slums , poor hygiene crime, prostitution ,social inequalities etc

In totality, depleting the Nature's wealth also decreases the health of its Human and Economy.

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

Q ) Describe the nature and form of wall paintings of Ajanta caves. (200 Words)

CCRT

Ans- The wall paintings of Ajanta caves belong to period from 2nd century BCE to 7th century CE.NATURE: they are mainly religious in their content depicting buddhist scriptures (especially jatakas) except few places where Hindu religious gods are represented.FORM: As they are drawn over many centuries and by artisans belonging to various guilds they show great stylistic variation along with maintaining certain common features.The common features are...>Centrality>perspective drawing >common physical features such as half closed eyes >black outline with various body coloursEarly paintings are naturalistic without overstylisation whereas later ones are more sophisticated and fluid. Their evolution was parallel and similar to the evolution of buddhist sculpture...ex:sanchi and vengi sculptureThe greatness of these paintings lies in thier success in bringing out the philosophy of Buddhism in paintings ex:Padmapani painting showing bitterness of renunciation of life and hope for future happiness.They were the inspiration for paintings in southern region. They also attained the status of World heritage site status and continue to inspire present generations.

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

Q ) Write short notes on the following in about 100 words:

a) The Mughal School of Painting

b) Basohli School of Painting

c) Kangra School of Painting

CCRT

Ans- a) The Mughal School of Painting (Words: 114)

Mughal painting developed under Akbar and his successors. They can be classified into two categories: 1. Persian factor is prominent, 2. Portraits.

The former consists of illustration in manuscripts and the latter portraits mounted as album pages. The representation of historical events, typical darbar scenes show the true character of the Mughal style of painting.

Most significant are Hamza Nama, Razm-Nama or “The Book of War”, Akbar Nama.

Mughal artists were influenced by European subject matter, motifs, and techniques. So, they gradually abandoned the Persian mode of colouring and took to the technique of representing consistent lighting through chiaroscuro. During Jahangir’s time Animal paintings reached new height. Shah Jahan –Nama was also vital work.

b) Basohli School of Painting (Words-110)

Basholi painting existed in Basholi a tiny state between the rivers of Ravi and Chenab.

Emotional scenes from a text called “Rasamanjari” formed the theme for these paintings, besides the Krishna legend. Paintings are splendidly coloured each colour describing a particular emotion. A Plain background was preferred as that the figures would be prominent. The origin of this school of painting is a subject of debate some attributing it to Rajasthan having much in common with the Rajasthani painting and some saying it has impact of Mughal miniature techniques.

The state of Gular drew inspiration from Basholi painting but developed a style of its own.

c) Kangra School of Painting (Words: ~110)

The Kangra school refers to the painting which existed in the Kangra valley and in the adjacent Punjab plains. In Kangra paintings the main theme is the story of Lord Krishna. There are some naturalistic drawings of flowers and fruits but no "Ragamalas". The colour is

tender and charming. The eyes of figures are long strokes of the brush as in the Ajanta paintings. The paintings are realisitic and prove that the artists have studied nature.

The Kangra style can be seen in the paintings during the period of Shah Jahan in whose time Molaram, a painter was a descendant of Rajput painters, worked at the Mughal court.

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

Q ) With suitable examples, explain what features describe the ‘modern school’ of Indian painting. (200 Words)

CCRT

Ans- For the sake of chronology, the Modern period in Indian art is said to have begun in 1857. It was called 'modern' due to Western influence evident in the work of Raja Ravi Verma who is considered the foremost exponent of the style. Lady in moonlight and Ravana kidnapping Sita are two of his famous paintings. These paintings are in the western naturalistic style using oil paint and easel painting and not for glorification.

The Bengal school developed as a reactionary style. It was characterised by simple colours and was distinctly nostalgic and romantic. The Bengal school developed under Abhinidranath Tagore and came to dominate for the next three decades until it declined in the 1940s. Rabindranath Tagore's paintings also belong to the same school. Its main features are use of simple colours, domianat black lines, sense of rhythm and small size paintings. Eg. Abhindranath Tagore's Arabian Night series.

Eventually, the modern school came to be characterised by an international aesthetic of abstract form, emphasis on the individual''s sensory perception of colour, form, structure and medium. These were explored by artist like Amrita Shergill and later by Tyeb Mehta, Jamini Roy, MF Hussain etc.

Topic: The Freedom Struggle – its various stages and important contributors /contributions from different parts of the country.

Q ) Which names stand out among the large number of Indians who initiated and carried out the economic analysis of British rule during the years 1870-1905? Analyse how they interpreted colonialism and what impact their analyses had on India’s national movement. (200 Words)

Bipan Chandra – Struggle for India’s Independence, Chapter – 7

Ans- Initially, Indians intellectuals looked upon British Raj with a positive attitude, with the hope that the highly developed nation of that time, will also help in the advancement of India.---But gradually, such hopes began to fade away with the discriminatory export-import policies of the Britishers, which deprived many Indian workers from their ancestral livelihood, and the economy of the nation began to crumble.

---Dadabhai Naoroji was the first person to look through the plans of the Raj. He wrote the book “Poverty and Unbritish Rule in India”. In this, he exposed the economic policies of the govt, which were detrimental to the countrymen, in the form of the Drain theory.---Another person, R C Dutt, published the book “Economic History of India”, in which he wrote about the entire economic system of the nation under Britishers, since the Battle of Plassey (1757).---Others like, G Subramaniyam Iyer and Gopal Krishna Gokhale, along with many others, worked together to analyse every aspect of the nation’s economy under the colonial rule.---The result of all the analysis was that, all the thinkers began to interpret colonialism as the drain of nation’s wealth, to fill the coffers of the foreign rulers. They understood that the imperialism was being sustained by subordinating India’s economy to Britain’s economy.---Due to these revelations, this period served as the seed time of the national struggle, where the people began to see the real face of the colonial masters. This prepared the base for the more vigorous movements that were to come in the future.

Topic: The Freedom Struggle – its various stages and important contributors /contributions from different parts of the country.

Q ) Critically examine how did the Press started by prominent Indians both in English and vernacular languages influence the freedom struggle. Also examine how the British reacted to this medium of national awakening. (200 Words)

Bipan Chandra – Struggle for India’s Independence, Chapter – 8

Ans- From the beginning of the 19th century, politically conscious Indians had been attracted to modem civil rights, especially the freedom of the Press, Considering it as the chief instrument for carrying out education and formation of nationalist ideology.

This is how press helped the freedom struggle :

--Awakening the masses- Nearly all the major political controversies of the day were conducted through the Press. Newspapers would reach the remote villages and would then be read by a reader to tens of others.

--Opposition to the government - Almost every act and every policy of the Government was subjected to sharp criticism.

--Library culture - Libraries were opened and frequently used by the people.

--Highlighting the freedom fighters - Press highlighted the ideologies and works of freedom fighters which helped them to reach to all section of people.

--Helping INC - INC's resolutions and proceedings had to be propagated through newspapers.

Britishers soon realised the potential of press to ignite the agitation among Indians.

Section 124 A was already there against the journalists because of which they cannot criticize government personnel’s directly. Britishers arrested many Indian journalists and writers who opposed the government. Vernacular press act provided for the confiscation of the printing press if the Government believed that it was publishing seditious materials. The Government amended a new Section 153A to the penal code, making it a criminaloffence for anyone to attempt ‘to bring into contempt’ the Government of India or to create hatred among different classes.

Press was responsible for arousing, training, mobilizing people and consolidating nationalist public opinion. The actions of Britishers against the freedom of press led to a nationwide protest and helped the freedom struggle.

Topic: The Freedom Struggle – its various stages and important contributors /contributions from different parts of the country.

Q ) “Legislative Councils in India had no real official power till 1920. Yet, work done in them by the nationalists helped the growth of the national movement.” Examine. (200 Words)

Bipan Chandra – Struggle for India’s Independence, Chapter – 9

Ans- The Imperial legislative council formed was an impotent body with few representation for Indians and that too rich and wealthy and having no power to make a significant effect. It was formed to vent out the political steam by British but nationalist were able to use these platform significantly in following ways:

They use these council for exposing the true nature of British Government and their indifferent attitude towards Indians. Nationalist flayed government foreign policy which resulted in annexation of Burma and attack on Afghanistan and time-consuming judicial system.

They made these councils a platform for political discussions and severely criticised the government policies. G.K Gokhale raised important questions regarding the budget in the council and severely reprimanded British government for their anti –Indian economic policies.

The councils were used to raise demands regarding discrimination of Indians in civil services exam, to increase the social spending, to treat Indian bureaucrats on par with European etc.

Nationalists were able to create a wide national awakening and a feeling of unity from these platforms

They used these councils to disseminate modern ideas and to mobilize the masses.

But restricted social base and their failure to achieve anything substantive through these councils made the nationalist to raise the demand for swaraj. It was only through their incessant efforts inside the councils that several economic and political demands for the betterment of Indians could be raised.

Topic: The Freedom Struggle – its various stages and important contributors /contributions from different parts of the country.

Q ) An important aspect of the Swadeshi Movement was the great emphasis given to self- reliance or ‘Atmasakti’ as a necessary part of the struggle against the Government. What was the nature of ‘Atmasakti’ and how successful was it in its objective during the movement? Examine. (200 Words)

Bipan Chandra – Struggle for India’s Independence, Chapter – 10

Ans- Greater emphasis on self-reliance or Atmashakti is one of the few important methods of struggle against the government during Swadeshi Movement. Self-reliance in various fields impliedthe re-assertion of national dignity and self-respect.

Nature of Self-Reliance work:

Social and economic regeneration of the villages :

-As part of social regeneration, campaign against evils such as caste oppression, dowry system early marriage and consumption of alcohol etc.-Effort to setup swadeshi or indigenous enterprise. Ex: Acharya P.C. Ray’s Bengal chemical factory.

Swadeshi Education: -One of the major works is promoting Swadeshi education.National council of Education was setup to intensify these efforts. Primary education in vernacular language was encouragedand for technical education Bengal technical institute was established

How far it is successful?

Atmasakti could instil confidence among the Indians by undermining their perception of inferiority about their own culture and superiority of white man. Atmasakti helped in expanding the base of Swadeshi movement by bringing many sections who were hitherto untouched under its fold.

But the split of congress, exile of extremist leaders and lack of effective organization caused a severe blow to the movement. The movement slowly declined by time. However, the new ideas, methods of mass mobilization and the spirit of movement served as an inspiration for the upcoming successful national movement.

Topic: Effects of globalization on Indian society

Q ) “The State of the elderly in India: 2014 report serves to highlight the dichotomy between an apparently happy picture of increased longevity and the reality of long years of hopelessness without family, society or state support, which the elderly in India face today.” Critically analyse. (200 Words)

Frontline

Ans- With marvels in preventive medicines, better food, sanitaion and health care, Longetivity has increased considerably(Life Expectanacy) from 36 years in 1947 to 68 years in 2014. Lifestyles, priorities and technological advancements are changing fast in societies, which pushed the aged people on corner and made them live a secluded life. There are many reasons for misery of old people these days which raise doubts on whether longetivity of some extra years filled with idleness and hopelessness are really great achievement ?. Some problems elderly people faces are:

(1.) Loneliness as all children are prefering nuclear family.

(2.) Lesser social space due to busy life of everyone.

(3.) Mostly they are under life supporting drugs which prevent them from taking radical steps like excercise, travelling alone, living unattended by nurse etc.

(4.) Dependent monetary wise on someone else.

(5.) Loss of self-esteem because, once they were useful part of society but due to technological development and all, there experience and wisdom doesn’t hold any value now.

(6.) Many elderly are single as other partner has died, so they are left with no one to depend on.

Some steps needed to minify such issues:

(1.) Spreading awareness for insurance, provident funds, retirement plans.

(2.) Regular training in all fields so that, they are updated with newer ways and technologies in those fields.

(3.) Increased stress on formation of Old age home in each districts where one can settle after retirement. NGOs can also come forward for it.

(4.) Elders who were in good services like teaching, nursing etc. Their service should be increased if they wish with no raise in salary.

Govt should focus on providing safety net for old aged by various health cover plans; this will boost health sector as well as insurance sector. Old age care home is also required for their support and care.