ESSAY 2020 TEST 5 - vyomaonline.com

ESSAY 2020 TEST 5

Write an essay on each of the following topic in 1000 - 1200 words.

125*2 = 250 Marks

SECTION – A

1. Education is the key to create a truly inclusive society.

2. E-governance: A key to Good Governance in India.

SECTION – B

1. It’s easy to stand with the crowd. It takes courage to stand alone.

2. Man is a complex being: he makes deserts bloom - and lakes die.

Instructions

The essay must be written in the medium authorized in the admission

certificate which must be stated clearly on the cover of this question-cum-

answer (QCA) booklet in the space provided.

No marks will be given for answers written in medium other than authorized

one.

Word limit, as specified, should be adhered to.

Any page or portion of the page left blank, must be struck off clearly.

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MGP 2020

ESSAY TEST 5 CONTENT BUILDER (FODDER POINTS)

This is a supplementary study material for ForumIAS Essay 2019


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SECTION – A

EDUCATION IS THE KEY TO CREATE A TRULY INCLUSIVE SOCIETY

“Until we get equality in education, we won’t have an equal society”-Sonia Sotomayor Education is derived from the Latin word "Educatio" which means "to bring up" or "to raise" that is to bring out best of the quality in the soul of child. As Gandhiji described it as moral, physical, educational, spiritual and social development. Education is not just to achieve academic qualification but for overall development of the children. Education creates moral and spiritual value in children which makes them more empathetic and sympathetic towards other which is the pillar for inclusive society. Inclusive society is ultimately about the dignity and worth of every person, which is the backbone of all human rights- the rights, which are inalienable and fundamental to every human being! An inclusive society aims at empowering and promoting the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, economic, or other status. It is a society that leaves no one behind. Since ancient times, students are taught about Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is our family) which in essence indicated the essentiality of an inclusive society. Education has created great political leaders like M.K. Gandhi, Nelson Mandela among other; spiritual leaders like Adi Shankaracharaya, Guru Nanak Dev, Dalai Lama et al and social reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Martin Luther King Jr. et al, who have invested their whole life to create an inclusive society. Today around the world, children are excluded from schools because of their disability, race, language, religion, gender, and poverty. But every child has the right to be supported by their parents and community to grow, learn, and develop in the early years, and, upon reaching school age, to go to school and be welcomed and included by teachers and peers alike. In fact, Constitution of India under Article 51A(k) has one of the fundamental duties to realise this very objective! When all children, regardless of their differences, are educated together, everyone benefits. This is the cornerstone of a truly inclusive society. An inclusive society provides a better-quality education for all children and is instrumental in changing discriminatory attitudes. Schools provide the ground for a child’s first relationship with the world outside their families, enabling the development of social relationships and interactions. Respect and understanding grow when students of diverse abilities and backgrounds play, socialize, and learn together. Education that excludes and segregates, perpetuates discrimination against traditionally marginalized groups. When education is inclusive, the high concepts of civic participation, employment, and community life bring the society closer to development and prosperity. Education teaches us gender equality which can reduce crimes against women. If children are taught right from their school days to respect their opposite sex, then they develop a higher emotional intelligence, thereby resulting in significant reduction in incidents of crime against women. According to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data in 2019, around 53% of juveniles apprehended in 2014 were either illiterate or educated only up to primary level or Class 5, one percentage point jump in two years! Half of these juveniles dropped out of school even before reaching Class 5. The low education also means that a large number of juveniles are not qualified for the recently launched Skill India mission which promises decent jobs. The basic qualification for seeking skills under the mission is Class 10. Only 36.6% of juveniles had education between primary but below Class 10 or high secondary level. The data showed that poverty and lack of education were pushing children into crime. An answer to this grim situation is education. If a person acquires proper education, he can develop employability skills and thus the unemployment may see a

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huge plunge, thereby eradicating poverty and thus social crimes. This will result into an upliftment of general well-being of the society, making it more sustainable and inclusive. Reducing inequalities through education is high on the agenda of the Governments across the world. Several initiatives have been taken up by the Government of India to educate and empower the marginalized sections of the society. For instance, Right to Education, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, ICDS, Mid-Day Meal Scheme, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, Eklavya schools, Navodaya Vidayalas etc are steps in the right direction to impart education to the ‘young’ India. Education for the marginalised communities require special attention. In this direction, the provision of reservation provided by the Government to various sections of society like Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC) and recently to the Economically Weaker Section (EWS), in educational institutions are for realising the objective of an inclusive society where all sections of society have their participation and voice in decision making. According to Economic Survey 2017-18, utmost priority to social infrastructure like education, health and social protection is being given by the Government to engineer an inclusive and sustainable growth in India. The survey points out that there is a significant relationship between social infrastructure and total years in schooling, especially for the girls, who usually drop out of schools due to lack of toilets in schools. Basic elements of education in bringing out an inclusive society: An Educator is at the vanguard of this education fleet, who has the potential as well as the responsibility to bring out the ship from the choppy waters of poverty, unemployment, social crimes and discrimination in society. She is the one who can be truly inclusive in idea and practice, to impart the right education. They can create an inclusive society by treating every child impartially, thus building confidence in children about their capability to grow into a successful and happy adult. The utility of this approach multiplies and grows into an inclusive society. There is thus no gainsaying that this is possible to a large extent because of good education. But the most important factor for any inclusive society is the attitude of its citizens which is developed primarily by the educator. This is the message that needs to be given to the people that in an inclusive society, people are known by their work rather than their birth. This is the touch stone of creating an inclusive society. Inclusive curriculum is also an important element in ensuring good education. It includes socially relevant themes and contributions by marginalized and minority groups. It avoids binary narratives of good and bad, and allows adapting the curriculum to the learning styles of children. School project, sports and extra curriculum activities are the areas where every student learns to cooperate with the other; where every member in the group is equally important. This basic concept is carried by the children in the entirety of their life, imbibing a spirit of brotherhood. This is how an inclusive society is created, brought about by education. Parental involvement is an essential ingredient in making an inclusive society. Parents are the first teachers of the children, so whatever they learn are from their parents first than from the others. The values, morals and emotions develop in a child courtesy her parents. Hence, their role in shaping up the psyche of children is quintessential. Further, schools try to make parents aware of the emotional churning of the children through teacher-parent meeting and even try to reduce the social gap by organising these meetings collectively with other parents. Creating awareness among parents through educational institution and other social means helps to create inclusive society.

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How education brings Inclusive society: Political: Through education, people become more politically aware. History is replete with examples wherein many revolutionary changes were brought about by politically aware citizenry, especially youth, who have raised voice for the establishment of an inclusive society. Statutory regulations, written constitution and rule of law are followed by educated and aware citizens and education plays a vital role in ensuring this. To ensure that people are politically educated, initiatives like public debates, youth parliament and college presidential elections have been quite successful. Economic: Through education, citizens acquire certain skills which help them to earn their living in a dignified manner. This results into an uplift of standard of living, which is an essential step towards an inclusive society. With economic well-being, the basic needs of people get fulfilled, which results into investment in health, education and development. Such people are more content and desist from unscrupulous activities. The divide in the society is bridged and moves towards an inclusive society. Social: Education is key for inclusive society but education should not be misinterpreted only as academic education. There is much more to education than the academic education like a child learns honesty and truthfulness through family values. Family values and religious values that a person incorporates in herself helps her to develop love, empathy, trust and brotherhood for the people in the society. When a person is educated then her thinking develops on scientific lines and reduces superstition; she gives more value to a human life than any socio-cultural divide. This type of inclusive society was the dream of Mahatma Gandhi, Karl Marx and many such great leaders. In such a society, people respect each other and live in a peaceful society. Such a society will hardly see a war or communal riots. Environmental- A healthy environment is directly linked to the quality of life that we lead. An environment with clean air, pleasant weather, timely rains etc. help in leading prosperous life. With the advent of technology, there has been environmental degradation as well. This has left millions of people vulnerable to extreme weather events and several millions have been rendered climate refugees. Education plays an important role to develop sensitization towards environmental sustainability. An educated person tries to adopt greener lifestyle and takes care that her surroundings in particular are clean and hygienic. Thus, she can lead a healthier life, which has a direct relationship with her socio-economic well-being, thereby ensuring a healthier, prosperous and inclusive society. Women: Indian culture attaches great importance to women, comprising about half of world’s population. It is said, “You teach a man, you teach a person. You teach a woman; you teach a family”. Such is the potential of educating a woman, which as a cascading effect on the whole society. The higher emotional intelligence is another quality that women possess in general. Education including gender sensitization and value education helps in making people more sensitive towards the rights of women, thereby making the society more egalitarian and inclusive. Farmers: Farmers play a major role in society. They toil hard to grow food grains for us. They are the caretakers of the landscape and nature. Responsibility and commitment go way beyond their farms, crops and livestock. But today their condition is pitiful. Lack of education and awareness in scientific farming area are costing them economically and socially stressed, leading to end their life. It is an irony that those who feed us are unable to feed themselves! It, therefore, becomes necessary for the society to educate them on farming on scientific lines and organic farming. This way a significant section of the society can be benefitted, leading to a more egalitarian and inclusive society.

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Tribes: The scheduled tribes constitute over 8% of the country’s population, which is a is a significant number. In real terms, it corresponds to over 10 crore Indians. The national objective of inclusive development (Sabka Vikas) includes the development of tribes as an important part. Our constitution bestows upon the Government the responsibility of addressing the special needs of the tribals. But the conditions of tribals is not very encouraging. They suffer from lack of modern means of healthcare and knowledge that other societies have gained. Due to lack of education, they are not aware of their rights and often end up on the victim side by sheer discrimination and oppression of the mighty few. Besides, the tribal art, handicraft and customs are also very enriching, which can help to make their societies more prosperous. A remedy to this conundrum of discrimination against tribals and to help them realise their true potential is education. Government seeks to promote interaction between the tribal artisans and the mainstream designers from reputed design organizations. In this direction, the government has formed the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (Trifed). A well informed and educated tribal population will be aware of its rights and can lead to a more prosperous life. This will lead to a more inclusive society, courtesy education. Left Wing Extremism: Naxalism is a big threat to the peace and prosperity of our society. Naxalism started with some ideology but today it is a nuisance, deliberately involved in violent outbursts against the establishment and keeping the area under their control backward. Innocent people, especially youth are lured into this terror plot, who are usually poor and marginalised. To desist these people from taking up arms, education is akin to the light at the end of the tunnel! Education can bring them in mainstream society. With the help of education, they can be accepted by the society and they too accept the society as their own, by taking up honest livelihood means, assimilation in society etc., thereby building an inclusive society. Rural Area: Gandhi ji once remarked- “India lives in her villages”. As per Census of India data 2011, 68.84% of the population lives in villages. There is a huge rural-urban divide in India on account of healthcare, education and other social infrastructures, which are generally lacklustre in rural areas. This creates an image of two different Indias! Though there have been several schemes for uplifting of rural India like MGNREGA, NRLM among others, but the real weapon is education, which will not only improve the lives of people but also change the mindset of people where both rural and urban area people accept each other and live in an inclusive society where both respect each other. Caste: Word “caste” is just of five letter but it plays a big role in dividing our society. Society is divided in a number of castes which creates the worst kind of discrimination that human race has ever faced! To uplift these marginalised people, government has taken a number of steps like giving reservation to scheduled and other backward caste in educational institution, parliament and in job. But the condition cannot be ameliorated until and unless we change the attitude of the people. This can be done through education, not only in school but also in society through social awareness campaigns, cinema and discussions in the public forum. Caste divide helps only vested interests of a few at the cost of millions of poor. For an inclusive society we need to have love, trust and fraternity, which can be made possible through education. Challenges in achieving an inclusive society: The road to achieving inclusive society is a long and strenuous one, on which challenges and opportunities galore. India is a multi-lingual, multi-cultural, multi-religious country, and its people are stratified along sharp socio-economic and caste lines. Though education helps in bringing inclusive society yet there are several other challenges which undermines it.

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Language policies and barriers in education can impact the minority people. For example, in Tajikistan, the use of anything besides the majority Tajik language is discouraged and university applicants must be fluent in Tajik. For minority Uzbek communities, this can pose a barrier to education. Although schoolchildren study the Tajik language for two hours a day, for many rural Uzbeks this is not enough to master reading and writing. People can face discrimination right from school to job and marriages. For example, in Afghanistan there have been reports that children from Hindu and Sikh communities were forced to drop out of school because of bullying. Minority and indigenous students may find themselves ostracized not only by their peers, but also by teachers responsible for their care. Honour killing, out casting from society are the punishment for the people who has violated the rule of society that are made by few influential people. All this are real barriers to an inclusive society. The underprivileged people suffer higher levels of ill health and poorer quality of care across the globe. There are also insufficient number of health centres, including mother and child health services and tuberculosis clinics, in minority areas. In part, these indicators reflect extreme levels of poverty, which are often especially acute among minority and indigenous populations. In India lack of education among mothers makes their children malnourished, stunted and wasted. They become more susceptible to diseases, for instance due to low literacy rates among ST women (49% as per 2011 census) in India, tribal girls have a stunted growth, are underweight, and malnourished. This situation has been declining at a slower rate than for the rest of the population over the last 15 years. Conclusion: There is a need to ensure that societies are open and inclusive to all and education can play a key role in it. This can be achieved by adopting a multi-pronged strategy. Narrow identities which surround around caste, creed, religion, sex, will be dialled down and this will promote egalitarian societies where each and every person will be respected irrespective of her primordial identities. More regular and permanent employment in organized sector will reduce the social inequalities. Promotion of scientific- temper and critical thinking will increase the trust and social harmony in society thereby improving its inclusive character. Advancing research and knowledge will provide several practical solutions to the problems of poor and marginalized sections thereby improving their economic conditions and bringing prosperity. Besides, an aware and active citizenry which will not only remain a passive recipient of government policies and schemes but an active participant in the development process, thereby ensuring that the fruits of development reach the needy people, thereby bridging the gap and making am egalitarian society. Moral education acts as driver for understanding humanism and human rights which will ward off the social evils and crime from society. Education will empower members of society who have been subjected to discrimination and whose rights have been violated as a result of social and political processes that disregard the right to participation. Lastly, we can say “inclusion is a right not a special privilege for a select few” that is why a quality education which is affordable and accessible to all is the foundation of an egalitarian and inclusive society.

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E-GOVERNANCE: A KEY TO GOOD GOVERNANCE IN INDIA Quotations: Good governance should be like air. Its existence need not be discussed, but its absence would make a huge difference. Pras Hanth Governance is possible with assistance. A single wheel does not move. Chanakya “A transparent, smart e-governance with seamless access, secure and authentic flow of information crosses the interdepartmental barrier and provides a fair and unbiased service to the citizen.” Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Transparency is the key to good governance and e-governance is the only effective way of transparent governance. Narendra Modi. E governance to me is easy, effective and efficient governance. Narendra Modi. “The beauty of e-governance is that a few keystrokes can bring smiles on a million faces.” — Narendra Modi "Government's foremost job is to focus society on achieving the public interest. Governance is a way of describing the links between government and its broader environment - political, social, and administrative.” - Thomas B Riley “When digital transformation is done right, it’s like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, but when done wrong, all you have is a really fast caterpillar.” George Westerman Case Studies: INAM-Pro+ INAM-Pro+ is a web-based platform and marketplace for infrastructure and material providers to conduct business in a fair, transparent and swift manner. Ministry of Road Transport & Highway has developed this platform, as an initiative under e-governance. This platform covers suppliers of various Materials and Equipments throughout the country. Any business registered in India can conduct its business on its platform. INAM-Pro+ plays vital role in preparing standards for infrastructure works and analyzing prices for cost estimation in public projects. This platform gives real time information on such materials, equipments, services to any user via digital mode. INAM-Pro+ e-governance initiative has result in various benefits, such as contractors are getting benefited due to mitigation of cost risk, tax payers money is saved on projects, cement industry was known for abrupt price change but after implementation of INAM-Pro+ the prices have stabilized. Padhe Dantewada Likhe Dantewada (PDLD): Dantewada is an aspirational district under NITI Aayog. Due to poverty and lack of any alternative earning mechanism most of the children of the district had been involved with their parents in forest yields collection and hunting animals and thus they could not focus on their school studies. Most of the students were found to be low on parameter of appropriate learning and studying skills. Only 18% of the students between class 3rd and 8th were able to identify letters of Hindi correctly, while only 11% of the students were found being comfortable with simple mathematical division. Due to this, students were unable to cope with the studies in higher classes and the enrolment ratio dipped from classes 9th to 12th. Malnutrition, low hemoglobin among students and being endemic to malaria it is necessary to have a health profile and growth of every chart. To tackle various issues, PDLD Initiative was launched. First, to make learning attractive, understandable and relevant teaching and learning materials were developed in local dialects of “Gondi” and “Halbi”. Along with it a mobile app and website were developed. This helped in tracking progress of each student. Mobile app under PDLD helps in bringing in transparency. To measure the learning levels of the students, base line tests were developed. Also, health data of the wide students were aggregated and

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based on the data, monitoring of health profiles were done at different intervals. All the reports of the students can be downloaded from PDLD website. With a pass percentage of 84%, Dantewada created benchmark for other districts. PDLD has bought in an encouraging competitiveness spirit not amongst students from various schools, but also among the teachers and community heads of the villages, persisting of which may see a vast improvement in the quality of teaching and learning in Government Schools. Introduction : In his Grundlegung Zur Metaphysik de Sitten (Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals), Immanual Kant says, “So act as to treat humanity, whether in their own person or in that of any other, in every case- as an end withal, never as means only”. Kant’s observation is even more valid today. The citizens are ends in themselves, rather than as means to other ends. Today, citizens are becoming more and more conscious about their rights to get the required services at their doorstep. The concept of "governance" is not new. It is as old as human civilization. Simply put, "governance" means- “the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented.” Good Governance is an approach wherein the government is committed towards creating a system founded in justice and peace that protects individual’s human rights and civil liberties. The concept of good governance has also emerged from New Public Management which began in the early 1980s, to improve public service efficiency. The core values around which new public management works are economy, efficiency and effectiveness. Good governance has eight major characteristics. It is participatory, consensus oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive and follows the rule of law. It assures that corruption is minimized, the views of minorities are taken into account and that the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making. It is also responsive to the present and future needs of society. It is being widely appreciated that good governance is dependant not merely upon good policy advice but more importantly on the processes and incentives to design and implement good policies themselves. Dysfunctional and ineffective public institutions are increasingly seen to be at the heart of the economic development challenge. Misguided resource allocations, excessive government interventions, and widespread corruption have helped in perpetuation of poverty. The weak institutions of governance make an adverse impact on service delivery. Participation by both men and women is a key cornerstone of good governance. Also, the use of Information and Communication Technology is a great enabler for achieving the noble objectives of good governance. However, the road to good governance has several obstacles and challenges, which need to be addressed to realise the full potential of good governance. Body: Good governance means providing people with opportunities and proper delivery of goods and services in an equitable, fair, efficient, transparent and open manner. Participation by both men and women is a key cornerstone of good governance. Participation could be either direct or through legitimate intermediate institutions or representatives. Good governance requires fair legal frameworks that are enforced

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impartially. It also requires full protection of human rights, particularly those of minorities. Impartial enforcement of laws requires an independent judiciary and an impartial and incorruptible police force. Transparency ensures decisions taken and their enforcement are done in a manner that follows rules and regulations. It also means that information is freely available and directly accessible to those who will be affected by such decisions and their enforcement. It also means that enough information is provided and that it is provided in easily understandable forms and media. Good governance requires that institutions and processes try to serve all stakeholders within a reasonable timeframe. Good governance requires mediation of the different interests in society to reach a broad consensus in society on what is in the best interest of the whole community and how this can be achieved. A society’s well-being depends on ensuring that all its members feel that they have a stake in it and do not feel excluded from the mainstream of society. This requires all groups, but particularly the most vulnerable, have opportunities to improve or maintain their well-being. Good governance means that processes and institutions produce results that meet the needs of society while making the best use of resources at their disposal. Accountability is a key requirement of good governance. Not only governmental institutions but also the private sector and civil society organizations must be accountable to the public and to their institutional stakeholders. The concept and practice of good governance in a country demands that there should be constructive mechanisms and procedures that will enable the three principal actors – government, market and civil society – to play in concert and to supplement each other’s capability. The working of all governments at the Centre and in the States has clearly revealed the existence of powerful interest groups who have a strong vested interest in preserving the status quo. The poor are poor of course because of historical inequities but also on account of failure of the State to empower them adequately to get their entitlements. Democratic governance demands that the State can not for long serve the demands of the rich and organized sectors of the society and ignore the dalits, the minorities and the women because they are unorganized and poor. Placed in these circumstances, a multi-sectoral approach to governance that serves the cause of growth as well as equity alone can help in achieving the goal of good governance. The revolution in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has brought a whole new agenda for governance into the realm of possibility. e-Governance comprises decisional processes and the use of ICT for wider participation of citizens in public affairs. Citizens are participants in e-Governance. The purpose of implementing e-Governance is to improve governance processes and outcomes with a view to improving the delivery of public services to citizens. E-governance is the application of ICT for delivering government services, exchange of information, communication transactions, integration of various stand-alone systems and services between G2C, G2B as well as back office processes and interactions within the entire government frame work. E-governance making use of ICT for better government functioning, is a tool for achieving good governance. Good governance requires a long-term, strategic approach evolved through a consensus process. It also requires a long-term perspective on what is needed for sustainable human development. This can only result from an understanding of the social context of a given society or community. e-governance connects the citizen and government with ease and speed and hence has a pivotal role in the governance agenda.

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e-Governance facilitates interaction between different stake holders in governance. G2G (Government to Government) – In this case, Information and Communications Technology is used not only to restructure the governmental processes involved in the functioning of government entities but also to increase the flow of information and services within and between different entities. G2C (Government to Citizens) – In this case, an interface is created between the government and citizens which enables the citizens to benefit from efficient delivery of a large range of public services. G2B (Government to Business) – Here, e-Governance tools are used to aid the business community – providers of goods and services – to seamlessly interact with the government. G2E (Government to Employees) – Government is by far the biggest employer and like any organisation, it has to interact with its employees on a regular basis. This interaction is a two-way process between the organisation and the employee. Use of ICT tools helps in making these interactions fast and efficient on the one hand and increase satisfaction levels of employees on the other. National e-governance Plan (NeGP) is an enormous step towards making the government accessible to citizens, in ways that not only save huge costs to the government but also make it more transparent and efficient in its day-to-day interactions with the common man. To that effect, the role of the common services centers, envisaged as the front-end delivery network for government services assumes great significance. Over the years, a large number of initiatives have been undertaken by various state governments and central ministries to usher in an era of e-government. Government Initiatives: Recent interactions with public on Twitter and on radio by government officials are steps in the direction of minimum governance and a step towards direct democracy. Some of the successful e-governance initiatives taken are- GeM Portal, Vikaspedia, E-courts, PRAGATI, ETAAL, Mobileseva, DIGILOCKER, Attendance.gov.in, passportseva, jeevan praman, Aadhar, Mygov, Jandhan Yojana, e-bhasha, etc. Some state Government inititatives have also brought in tremendous results in ensuring good governance like- MeeSeva(Telangana), Prajavani initiative (A.P.), Jankari (Bihar), Choice(Chattisgarh), SWAGAT(Gujrat), e-Vidhan(H.P.), Gyanshila(Jharkhand), BhuRekha(Kerala), Gyandoot(M.P.), E-Abhijhogha (Odisha), Saarthi and Vahan(Punjab), Koshvani and Lokvani (U.P), PARISHODH(Assam), m-sampark(Chandigarh), Utkarh Bangla and Sabooj Sathi (W.B.) and many more. International e-governance examples In July, 2001 an initiative known as ‘Expanding Electronic Government’ was initiated as a part of the President’s Management Agenda in the USA. In 2009 the U.S. federal government launched Data.gov to make more government data available to the public. With data from Data.Gov, the public can build apps, websites, and mashups. Although "Gov 2.0", as a concept and as a term, had been in existence since the mid-2000s, it was the launch of Data.gov that made it "go viral". In April 2000, the Cabinet Office in the UK came out with the document ‘E-Government: A Strategic Framework for Public Services in the Information Age’. Realising the importance of opportunities offered by ICT, the New Zealand Government came out with its e-government vision document in May 2000 and an ‘E-Government Unit’ was established by the State Services Commission (SSC) in July 2000. In April 2001, the government came out with its ‘E-Government Strategy Challenges of e-governance in India: Implementation of e-governance has changed the way of living of the people in many countries. The GoI has embraced e-governance as a trigger and means to redefine and streamline outdated, inefficient processes and procedures while simultaneously exploiting the full power of modern ICT. The aim is to

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provide citizens with easier and faster access to government services. India has recognized the benefits of e-governance and through it, ushered in a paradigm shift of citizen-centric service delivery. e-governance is reforming the way government manages and shares information with external and internal clients. Specifically, it harnesses ICT to transform relations with citizens, businesses and the various arms of government. There are, however, numerous challenges. One of these challenges is clarity in objective setting. Project approval and funding of projects through multiple departmental budgets lead to wide variations in the approach to project objective setting, without a clear focus on outcomes or on building sustainable services. Another challenge is ensuring service delivery. e-governance projects have primarily focused on internal process automation and generally are hardware and infrastructure driven with little focus on citizen service delivery or outcomes. Awareness is also a huge challenge towards the realization of the potential of e governance. There is a general lack of awareness regarding benefits of e-governance as well as the process involved in implementing successful G2C, G2B and G2G projects. Awareness of not only citizens, but also of government officials about ICT is a major roadblock. Lack of availability of localization/multi-lingual support is a hinderance towards adoption of e-governance initiatives. e-governance has an impact only when the services to citizens are made available in their respective language. More than anything else, it is the mindset of government officials that poses the biggest bottleneck to e-governance. There are a number of reasons why they resist the use of computers beyond the usual typing of letters and documents. Public Awareness about ICTs: Although there is much hype about IT among the younger generation, there is not a high level of awareness among the general public about how ICTs may be useful to their lives. Also, there is a cultural inhibition about the use of PCs in this country. Non-acceptability of IT systems is also a challenge. It is often seen that even after an IT system is implemented in a government office, it becomes hard for government officials to convince themselves to use it. Leveraging Private Capital has been poor, which is a major challenge. The experience of successful e-governance initiatives indicates that well-structured service-oriented projects can attract private capital linked to explicit service-linked revenues from users or from government. Resistance to re-engineering of departmental processes is a hurdle. Successful implementation of e-governance projects requires a lot of restructuring in the administrative processes and redefining of administrative procedures and formats. Standardization has been poor, which is a hinderance towards e-governance. A departmental approach and the absence of a national framework for common standards has resulted in the adoption of different technical standards and varied architectures. Independent Impact Assessment has been lackadaisically adopted, thus emerging as a challenge to e-governance. In the current system, there is no requirement or institutional mechanism for an independent assessment of projects post-implementation to determine whether they have achieved the set objectives, except in purely financial terms. Internal Capacity/Project Management Expertise has been lacking. Departments/ states have limited access to any institutional mechanisms for building capacities in the areas of e-governance project development and design. Underutilization of existing ICT infrastructure is also a sad reality. To a larger extent, the computers in the department are used for the purpose of word processing only, resulting in the under-utilization of the computers in terms of their use in data mining for supporting management decisions. Lack of coordination between the government department and solution developers, lack of infrastructure

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for sustaining e-governance projects on a national level, sharing of data across various e-governance implementations etc. are also some issues to be looked into. One of the key benefits that a citizen is looking at from e-governance initiatives is simplification, especially like a single window access to various government services no matter which department is responsible for giving the service. To achieve this, there is a need to be able to seamlessly share data across the applications. There are some security issues as well. While there are clear standards like ISO 27001 and ISO 20000 for IT securities and IT service management which are presently being used by various e-governance applications, it has been seen however, that the 136 concerns of the respective departments with regard to data and application security and control are still not adequately addressed. Lack of adequate training programs is a crippling factor. Many e-government or computerization projects suffer gravely from a lack of adequate training programs. Lack of reliable maintenance adds to the woes. It is of vital necessity that computers get fixed as soon as they malfunction or users very easily lose confidence in the IT systems. Solutions/Way Forward: To compete successfully in a network based global economy and to provide effective and good governance, governments need to be both leaders and facilitators. The leadership and facilitation roles comprise the elements like- developing a national e-strategy, making ICT adoption and network readiness a national priority and undertaking innovative projects that make a difference. Governments should lead by example by adopting best practices. Government processes need to be revamped by covering areas such as revenues, expenditures, procurement, service delivery, customer grievances etc. Tracking, storing and managing information, promoting production of national content online and through electronic media, major improvements towards e governance can be easily achieved. According high priority to protection of individual rights, intellectual property, privacy, security, consumer protection etc. and mobilising the civil society can bolster te confidence in e governance initiatives, leading to wider adoption. Developing a supportive framework for early adoption of ICT and creating a regulatory framework for ICT-related activities with efficient implementation architecture and grievance redressal is a sine qua non towards e-governance initiatives. Creating the macro-economic environment for growth and innovation in ICT, including fiscal policies (cost, innovation, investment, and venture capital), legal and regulatory environment (competition, independent regulator, rule of law, intellectual property protection) and channelizing and mobilization of resources for ICT is an important corollary to e-Governance as is implementing an education policy for the right quantum and quality of manpower resources for a network-ready economy-curricula, ICT training facilities and wiring/networking of educational institutions. Addressing the ‘digital divide’ domestically and internationally, giving signals to markets - articulating a national vision of ICT, according national priority to ICT, undertaking large projects, promoting innovation and risk taking through fiscal concessions and availability of venture capital; creating an investment climate for domestic and foreign investment in ICT sector; championing national interests in international forums etc. are equally important to truly realise the potential of e-governance.

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Conclusion: Good governance is an ideal which is difficult to achieve in its totality given the various challenges in its implementation. Very few countries and societies have come close to achieving good governance in its totality. However, to ensure sustainable human development, actions must be taken to work towards this ideal with the aim of making it a reality. E-governance is a welcome move in such direction. e-Governance has to be implemented across different departments and organizations with a wide spectrum of activities and with varying levels of readiness for e-Governance. Achieving the desired results would, therefore, require the fullest political backing, a determined and resolute approach by all organizations and departments of Government as well as active and constructive participation by the public and civil society. It would require providing institutional and physical infrastructure for taking e-Governance initiatives across our cultural and regional diversities; more importantly it would require the creation of an environment that would encourage the adoption of ICT. Thus, apart from the technical requirement, success of e-Governance initiatives would depend on capacity building and creating awareness within government and outside it. E-governance has every dimension in its armour which can propel it as cornerstone of prosperity and well-being of the citizens to realise the telos of an inclusive and sustainable society.

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SECTION – B

IT’S EASY TO STAND WITH THE CROWD. IT TAKES COURAGE TO STAND ALONE Robert Frost in his well-known poem writes- ‘Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less travelled by and that has made all the difference.” It is said that the path to success is treacherous but then, it needs courage, grit and determination to tread that path. The statement that ‘it is easy to stand with the crowd but it takes courage to stand alone” also reflects the same! The aforementioned statement is a belief which shows an understanding of the human nature that we tend to follow conventions, traditions etc. and behave with a herd mentality in general. It is not only easily accepted by the society but is also the safe and convenient way ahead. However, at the same time, it follows with a critique of the same statement. The idea is that ‘to stand with the crowd’ might be the safe or conventional way but ‘to stand alone’ is the courageous way. Standing alone or charting your own course takes courage as such a course of action is either unprecedented or against the prevailing norms. Besides, it shows other qualities such as creativity, confidence, honest, grit and perseverance. In the following section, we shall examine various manifestations of this belief in real life across various walks of life. Points for Introduction

1. Anecdotal evidence: The legendary Rosa Parks sat still and ironically, showed how standing alone requires courage. Rosa Parks was an American activist of the times of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and is known for her pivotal role in the American civil rights movement. On a fateful day in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955, Rosa Parks was travelling in a city bus full of people. A ‘white’ passenger walked into the bus which was already fully and expected Rosa Parks to vacate her seat for the white passenger, as was the norm in those days. Rosa Parks could have followed the norm but instead, showed courage and sat still. She was even arrested for this act. But this defiance of her sparked a wave of protests and ignited a fire of dignity and confidence among the ‘black’ Americans. Rosa Parks’ courage was such an inspiration that she is called ‘the first lady of civil rights’ in USA.

2. Literary reference: The renowned poet Robert Frost dwells upon this idea in his famous poem ‘The Road Not Taken’. He explains his dilemma of choosing between two diverging paths in the woods. He conveys how the frequently travelled path is safe and certain whereas the less travelled one is uncertain and probably risky, though probably more rewarding. He says that choosing the latter needs courage and confidence. Finally, he takes the road less travelled by and acknowledges that it ‘has made all the difference’ in his life. Standing alone is probably risky and needs courage but if we do it with the right spirit, we shall be rewarded in life.

3. Tracing back to the source: Mahatma Gandhi said the legendary words, “It’s easy to stand with the crowd. It takes courage to stand alone”. Gandhi ji very well practiced what he preached. He showed courage and stood alone when he fought for causes like harijan welfare; when he started marching alone to Dandi to break the salt law; when he stood by his principles of satya and ahimsa even during desperate times like World Wars and famines. Gandhi ji also practiced what he preached. He showed tolerance and respect by accommodating various voices of the time. He worked with leaders of all shades from Ambedkar to Jinnah while struggling for India’s freedom. He believed that all those who raise a different voice must be appreciated for their courage.

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4. Contemporary example: Our present world shows a clear trend of ‘herd mentality’ or ‘mob mentality’ where individuals find it easy to stand with the crowd rather than paying heed to individual reason or thought. One can see many instances of extremism, chauvinistic nationalism, protectionism, xenophobia, mob violence etc. These things happen because people accepted the popular opinion as fait accompli and lack the courage to raise their voice against injustice. Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Laureate, is a shining example of courage that is needed to stand alone for gender equality in society full of patriarchy and violence. Edward Snowden is another person who showed immense courage to act against his own Big Brother government in the interest of people’s right to privacy, even though it made him a fugitive for the rest of his life. Standing alone might have its own problems but it indeed deserves recognition and appreciation for its courage and its potential to change the world for better.

Body: The given statement can be looked at from various dimensions. It can be applied across different subject matters, walks of life, periods of history etc. Apart from its application, one can also explore the implications of the logic and also the ways to respond to such logic. For instance, one can respond to this logic by developing inner strength, patience, empathy etc. Students can devote one paragraph to each dimension so as to ensure clarity and effectiveness in their communication. Below are some ideas for illustrative purposes which students may frame in their own words as per their discretion. Historical dimension: Socrates, the foremost ancient Greek philosopher, showed the courage of speaking up against the orthodox social and political order of the day. He emphasized the importance of reason and knowledge in life by saying “An unexamined life isn’t worth living”. He urged people to not follow tradition blindly but find the rationale behind every human action and hence, live a life based on reason and rationality. Needless to say, it hurt the powers that be and Socrates was punished with a death sentence. Socrates was aware of the possible consequences but continued preaching among the people and had the courage to stand apart from the crowd. His courage was proved when he readily drank the poison as he was ready to face the consequences for his actions. Explorers like Christopher Columbus, Vasco Da Gama shaped the present world by exploring its different parts. They did not accept the irrational socio-religious beliefs such as flat earth and so on. They had the courage to take a different path and explore the edges of the then world which not only involved physical dangers but social scepticism as well. However, their courage led to the discovery of new lands and routes that went on to shape the course of history. Social reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar et al had the courage to stand apart from the society and show a mirror to it. They advocated gender equality, abolition of caste system, eradication of religious superstition etc. This needed great courage as they faced a lot of backlash from the society in the form of boycott, name calling etc. Moving a step further, some leaders showed the courage of leading by example. In the tough times of 19th century, D.C. Karwe promoted the cause of widow remarriage by marrying a widow himself. The courage of going against social norms was behind such open-minded action.

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Economic dimension Startups: India has become the hub of the global start up revolution by hosting the 3rd highest number of startups in the world. The startups of India are great not only because of their ideas and innovation but also for taking the road less travelled and inspiring many others. Indian society has showed a preference for stable government jobs and family-based businesses. In such a scenario, young entrepreneurs have shown courage to break the trend and have gone on to create jobs, technology, wealth etc. The founders of Flipkart had the courage to leave their jobs at a multi-national company and start one of India’s first e-commerce from a small apartment. Japan: The traditional industrial model of economy was based on resource exploitation, manufacturing or trade. However, after World War II, Japan’s industry was destroyed and it was a small country devoid of natural resources. Japan gathered the courage of devising a new economic model for itself based on human resource and innovation. It did not stand with the crowd by following either agriculture or manufacturing only but built a service sector-based economy. The courage and confidence of Japan and its people to rebuild after destruction bore fruits eventually and Japan is today the world’s 4th largest economy despite its small size and population. Social dimension: LGBTQ rights: The community is struggling for its rights even in the 21st century. Many people have followed the easy path of alienation, discrimination, ostracization and so on. Even within the community, many have taken the easier and safer path of concealing their identity from others. The activism pursued by this miniscule minority is an example of great courage as they have the audacity to come out into the open with pride and dignity and stand apart from the crowd. Shabnam Bano from Madhya Pradesh became the first ever transgender to be elected to public office (as an MLA) in 1998 when transgenders still faced social discrimination. There are many such examples of first ever PhD scholars, college principals and so on. Dr B.R. Ambedkar: Ambedkar showed courage to stand alone for his cause of social equality and justice. Socio-economic justice was the goal for many leaders but through the path of inclusive development and changing mindset of the privileged sections. But Ambedkar stood for affirmative action such as reservation in legislatures to protect the rights of the depressed classes. Ambedkar could have taken the path of mainstream politics but had the courage to oppose the Indian National Congress and even Gandhi ji on some matters for his approach to social reform. The fear of losing out on political power or public office did not stop Ambedkar from advocating his cause. His courage has led to the upliftment and empowerment of the disadvantaged sections since independence. Nelson Mandela: After the independence of South Africa, the popular opinion was in favour of dominance by the native black people over the country and driving out the white population due to the history of oppression and injustice. Following the popular sentiment would have added to Mandela’s political popularity but he had the courage to stand apart from the society based on his conscience. He proposed a different path of forgiveness and reconciliation for South Africa where everyone enjoys equality and justice. He was faced with lot of criticism but his lone voice gave a stable and prosperous future to South Africa which went on to become the leading country in the African continent. The other adherents of peace and non-violence like Martin Luther King Jr. were also lone voices amid popular opinion in favour of radical revolution.

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Political dimension: Snowden’s revelations: Edward Snowden has been seen as a foreign spy and a fugitive by the US government and the people who side with nationalism and national security. Nevertheless, Snowden showed immense courage in acting for the cause of privacy and stopping abuse of power by government, as he had to flee his country and become an asylum seeker. Snowden’s actions ignited the debate on mass surveillance, right to privacy and made people across the world aware of cyber security and privacy issues. Julian Assange: Wikileaks is an initiative that brings out government secrets into the public domain in order to fulfil people’s right to information in a democracy. Such disclosures have exposed corruption and held the government accountable. Wikileaks did not take the path of ignorance and suppression but showed the courage to promote transparency even if it means committing a crime. Although violation of laws cannot be justified, one must acknowledge the courage showed by the organization in the interest of the people and world at large. The people involved deserve a fair hearing and should be treated in a just manner even if under a criminal judicial process. Activism: Politics and government suffers from various problems and such problems are often accepted as a part of life by people who either have vested interests or are unable to find an alternative. For instance, corruption was seen with a ‘chalta hai’ attitude in India until Anna Hazare showed the courage to start the Jan Lokpal movement and changed people’s attitude towards corruption. Irom Sharmila is an activist from Manipur who went on a fast for decades to protest against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act due to its relation with human rights violations. Such activists should not be seen as anarchists or rebels. Such people deserve acknowledgement for their courage as their struggle of today leads to reforms of tomorrow. Dissent: In recent times, India has seen some events indicating intolerance such as mob violence, social media trolling and so on. Amid the rise of intolerance and majoritarianism, many voices across the nation have emerged who have refused to stand with crowd as it commits injustice. They have gathered the courage to speak out and stand-alone against the popular sentiment. Prof. Amartya Sen, Dr. Raghuram Rajan etc. have spoken up in favour of democracy, rule of law and pluralism in order to ensure peace, stability and progress of the nation as well as society. Their courage has inspired the youth to look towards the constitution rather than popular sentiment. Governance dimension: Civil Service Activism: Indian administration suffers from the ills of corruption, red tapeism, elitism and so on. The system is believed to reward the slow and corrupt and punish the efficient and honest. Even young recruits to bureaucracy become part of the system very soon as they see it impossible to fight it. It requires great courage to uphold one’s values and continue serving the people. Such civil servants often face harassment and alienation but are a great inspiration to present and future civil servants. Ashok Khemka is well known for his crusade against corruption and is very vocal on such issues. Young IAS office Armstrong Pame has shown the courage to be creative and take quick decisions when he built an entire stretch of national highway with crowdfunding in Manipur. Such civil servants are courageous pioneers who will usher in a ‘New India’ with their character and competence. Rural development: Rural distress and urban migration are the common trends in present times. Villages lack the basic infrastructure and hence, are being abandoned by the people who move into cities. Such villages are losing their identity, history and culture as they are overwhelmed by the processes of land acquisition, real estate development, industrialization and so on. Gandhi ji said that India’s villages should

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develop on their own lines. While villages are becoming a symbol of poverty and backwardness, some villages have redefined themselves through their unique models of development. Village of Piplantri in Rajasthan has focused on watershed development, sanitation, digital literacy etc. which led to better agricultural production and local governance. This has reduced migration and increased rural incomes which finally led to Piplantri being awarded as Adarsh Gram by the Government of India. This has become a ray of hope for village folk who can now have a stable family life along with livelihood. Such villages and their leadership must be appreciated for their courage and innovation. International dimension India: When the whole world was being divided among capitalist and socialist and coming under authoritarian rule, India uniquely went for democracy, universal adult franchise, mixed economy and non-alignment in foreign policy. There was immense pressure upon India to join either the capitalist or communist bloc like rest of the third world countries but India’s visionary leadership took the different path of peace, stability and progress. Such policies were possible because India’s founding fathers had the courage to resist international pressure and experiment with a new type of nation. The benefit of such courage is evident in India’s success as a democracy as well as economy unlike many other peers. New Zealand: The recent armed terror attack on a mosque by an extremist native of New Zealand was an unprecedented event for the country. There was scepticism that the country’s leadership might not show compassion towards victims who were largely Muslim immigrants especially when there is a wave of anti-immigrant sentiment across the Western world. However, the young woman prime minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern set an example for the whole when she showed courage and responsibility in her leadership. She did not give into the pressure from the right wing but emphasized the secular and pluralistic nature of her country and promised to uphold it against the force of xenophobia and protectionism. Her courage has also been rewarded with worldwide praise. Environmental dimension: Chipko movement: In modern civilization, the environment suffers from rampant degradation due to industrialization, urbanization and so on. However, in 1970s, the tribal and rural people of Uttarakhand chose a different path of progress which is ecologically sustainable and inclusive. There were wide protests against indiscriminate deforestation and government-industry nexus which saw wide participation of women. The protesters showed the courage to put their lives at stake in order to protect the trees which were not only their source of livelihood but also their natural and cultural heritage. The movement was often criticized as anti-development but was a great example of courage and confidence of people in their own nature-centric way of life. The movement became a rallying point for environmentalists and civil society across the world who wanted to raise the voice of dissent. Sikkim: Modern agriculture has led to soil and water pollution which has not only degraded the quality of agricultural produce but also lowered agricultural productivity in the long run. States in India are reluctant to experiment and innovate in agriculture and rather rely upon populist doles like loan waivers which are of no benefit in long run. The State of Sikkim has made a departure from the crowd and has vigorously pushed organic agriculture which has finally led to Sikkim becoming India’s first organic state and is now known across the world for its high-quality agricultural exports. The government and leadership showed immense courage in rolling back unproductive subsidies and prohibiting the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and not surrendering to popular pressure and lobbying. The courage was eventually rewarded in the form of sustainable and remunerative agriculture and hence, inclusive development throughout the State.

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Technological dimension: Galileo and Copernicus: In medieval times, science and innovation was discouraged by the Roman Church as it undermined its authority and orthodox rule. It was easy for thinkers and scientists to toe the Church’s line and enjoy a life of patronage. However, scientists like Galileo and Copernicus showed great courage to oppose the Church in some tough times and made fundamental discoveries like the heliocentrism i.e. earth revolving round the sun (not vice versa). The modern science and knowledge owe its existence to their courage of standing alone Innovators: Pioneers like Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg had the courage to not follow the usual course of life and instead, drop out from renowned colleges to pursue their innovative ideas. Their courage not only created big businesses but also changed the way of life for the whole world through innovations like social media (Facebook), iPhones and so on. It must be noted that they are praised not only for their success but for their courage to try. Household dimension: Women: In modern society, women are seen breaking the shackles of patriarchy and gender discrimination and are stepping out of their domestic spheres into the society, market, politics and so on. Following the tradition and old social norms is the easy way for women as it does not involve social criticism or sanctions. Nevertheless, many women across the country are showing the courage to stand alone. They are showing courage by not only questioning orthodox norms but also stepping out of households into professional and social sphere. Moreover, it is even more courageous for women to work in different fields like industry, science, politics, military etc. where there are always glass ceilings and discrimination. Women must be appreciated for their courage and zeal in life and this courage has the potential to bring a lot of positive change if channelized properly. Women like Kalpana Chawla, Kiran Bedi, Sakshi Malik etc. are examples of such courage not only literally but also psychologically. Individual dimension: Spirituality: In the modern times of materialism, consumerism, capitalism and so on, spirituality and salvation has taken a back seat. Most of the people in the world are running in one or the other rat race as it is the easy and obvious way forward. In such a scenario, few people show the courage to move away from the usual worldly life and focus on matters of spirituality. It takes a lot of courage to abandon the worldly affairs and lead an unconventional life amid various social pressures. People like Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Dalai Lama etc. have shown this courage and have went on to benefit the human civilization at large with their contributions. Choice of career: It is easy to do what everyone is doing but it takes a lot of courage to believe in ourselves and take a leap of faith. India also presently needs such courage of conviction with which its youth can enter into less explored fields like art, sports, politics, entrepreneurship etc. With its huge diverse population, India can become a great nation of great people if it channelizes its demographic dividend in suitable ways instead of a straight-jacketed approach for all. People who take up unusual fields must be encouraged as every walk of life offers promising opportunities provided one is ready to put in effort. Note: Students are expected to connect the aforementioned ideas among each other into a continuous flow so as to ‘arrange their ideas in an orderly fashion’, as demanded by UPSC. The transition from one para to another should not be abrupt but logical. For instance, the transition from political to governance

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dimension can be made by making activism and Anna Hazare as the last point in political section. Then a smooth transition can be made to discuss the point of civil service activism in Indian governance. Here is an illustration, ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… The courageous agitation of activists like Anna Hazare has went on to reshape Indian politics and governance by mobilizing people against corruption and pushing enactment of institutions like the Lokpal. [para ends] [next para begins] The courage of activism has not remained limited to politics but has even been imbibed by the modern civil servants so as to spearhead the country towards good governance and development [Continue talking about Ashok Khemka, Armstrong Pame etc.] Benefits of such courage Having the courage to move away from the crowd and think and act independently needs a lot of courage. Such courage is a sign of a remarkable character. Besides being virtuous, it is also a trait that is very beneficial to one and all. Rewarding: As explained above in many cases, showing such courage is beneficial in many ways. It psychologically empowers and uplifts an individual. It enhances our place in society. Moreover, it also benefits the society at large as free thinking and expression is often a precursor to social and political reform. New ideas also translate into innovations which bring prosperity and better lives to people. Avoids ills: Societies tend to stagnate and deteriorate with time if there is no change or reform. Courage among people to stand out and express their ideas to the society is essential to end various social, political, economic and psychological ills and make the world a better place to live in. Due to the very same reason, preamble of the Constitution of India guarantees freedom of faith, belief and expression to every individual so that unity, integrity and fraternity of the nation is balanced with dignity of individual. What’s the way ahead? For individuals: Courage is not learnt but inculcated. Such courage to be the free voice need to be inculcated among people since young age through the means of education. Value based education is the need of the hour to ensure that the future generation has the courage to speak for not only itself but for justice, freedom and the nation. Nelson Mandela has rightly said that “education is the weapon you can use to change the world.” For society: Various social institutions such as family, community, market etc. need to be encouraged to appreciate courage, creativity, liberty etc. Only then can we ensure that people show the courage to speak up and stand up. Families need to listen to the women and children; politics needs to listen to the youth; superiors need to listen to their subordinates and so on. This way we can ensure that our society becomes vibrant and dynamic. Conclusion: Note: Students can use the following approaches to conclude their essay. The basic idea is to sound positive and constructive towards the end of the essay. The essay is about the courage needed to stand alone apart from the crowd. Students should explore the possible ideas that immediately flow from the topic and pick one of them to conclude the essay. Sanskrit verse

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Rig Veda – India’s ancient glory was not based upon merely wealth or powerful dynasties but also the respect India showed for people who had the courage to think freely and act to make the society better. India gave respect to thoughts of all shades from Buddha to Carvaka. The Vedas are called the fountainhead of India’s wisdom and the Rig Veda has rightly said, “Aano bhadra krtavo yantu vishwatah” (Let noble thoughts come to us from all directions) The courage shown by people in standing alone apart from the crowd is to be respected not only for its benefits but also for the virtues it entails. Such thought and expression is essential for a righteous and progressive society. The Bhagavad Gita emphasizes this thought in its legendary words, “yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata abhyutthanam adharmasya tadatmanam srjamy aham” (Whenever and wherever there is a decline in righteousness, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of evil—at that time I descend Myself) The Bhagavad Gita, the treasure trove of India’s spiritual wisdom, has given the right prescription for such people who show the courage to stand alone raise their voice against their crowd. It says that such persons are doing their duty in this world and they should focus on doing just that without caring for the consequences. That is the key to their salvation. The Gita says, Karmanye Vadhikaraste, Ma phaleshu kada chana, Ma Karma Phala Hetur Bhurmatey Sangostva Akarmani (You have a right to perform your duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of the action. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty) Quote Mahatma Gandhi: When Gandhi ji said the words, ‘it’s easy to stand with the crowd, it takes courage to stand alone’, he meant to encourage people with different opinions and extended respect to their thoughts and expression. He recognized the value of dissent and free thinking and considered it essential for a progressive and tolerant society and nation. He even tried to give a roadmap to such courageous people by saying, “Be the change you wish to see in the world”. He emphasized that such courageous people must begin by changing themselves and lead by example. He even appreciated such courage and believed that it eventually leads to success after due struggle. After all, “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win”. Song Rabindranath Tagore: Nobel laureate Tagore was a sincere believer of humanism, liberty of thought and expression etc. He very well recognized the value of dissent and courage and believed that such courage is the key to change and progress. He urged the society to be more tolerant and liberal and at the same time encouraged reformers and leaders to follow their hearts with courage of conviction. Tagore wisely articulated this democratic message in his patriotic song, “Jodi Tor Dak Shune Keu Na Ase Tobe Akla Cholo Re” (If no one responds to your call, then go your own way alone)

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MAN IS A COMPLEX BEING: HE MAKES DESERTS BLOOM - AND LAKES DIE (The aforementioned phrase has been quoted by Gil Scott Heron, an American Musician. By this means that behaviour of man is complex or difficult to understand as he is the wisest animal on earth but has done enough good as well as enough harm to himself and to the nature in terms of environmental damage, increasing crime, deteriorating value system and propagating threat of nuclear war). Points for Introduction: The introduction is supposed to be catchy in nature which evinces interest of the examiner. Since the topic makes a philosophical point, the essay can be introduced by exhibiting the validity of the argument. For illustrative purposes, below are some possible introductions for the essay. Validation by another quote – “Some human emotions are like fire. They can cook your food and keep you warm, or they can burn your house down.” Cus Dmato Man is equipped with the mightiest weapon to survive on earth i.e. his Brain. Humans have developed cozy houses to live in Siberia for his loved ones but also developed deadly weapons like nuclear missile to kill millions of people in a single shot. Conceptual Explanation: Humans on an evolutionary scale, have fared much better than most other species. With power of thinking, knowledge of language and skill of cooperation created an overwhelming niche for himself. Their inventions assert supremacy over other beings. Inventions like internet have connected people all over the globe. He has set foot on another planetary body and is thinking of making it habitable. Several medicines have proven to be life savers for many and he has created oases in the deserts. All this speaks of human‘s willingness to make this world a better place. But sometimes, his actions tell a different story. His very own mother Earth is plagued with reckless exploitation of resources. Climate Change is now called Climate Crisis. That shows the anomaly of behaviour, where he lives is under threat because of his own deeds. Relatable statistics- The Global Climate Risk Index 2019 released at the Katowice summit shows that intense cyclones, excessive rainfall and severe floods make India and its neighbours among the worst affected countries in the world. India is also witnessing the formation and spread of glacial lakes. Thus, the science and technology development which was bloom in desert is turning the earth into an inhospitable habitat. Anecdotal Evidence: 1. One of the famous Yakshaprashna to the Yudhisthra in Mahabharata was “What is the greatest wonder on earth?”

“Day after day countless people die. Yet living wishes to live forever.” Yudhisthra replied. Yudhisthira's answer states the anomaly of human behaviour. Where every human being knows that he is heading towards death but still he wishes to live forever. Thus, humans dig happiness in materialistic things and forget to dig it within themselves. Also, humans try to endeavour inspiration from outer world but forget to search it within themselves.

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2. Dried-out taps, shutting down of schools, restaurants and hotels running out of business, police protection for protecting water resources, water being transported by train and tankers are not isolated events taking place in faraway places but are increasingly taking place almost every year in Indian cities. Very recent example is of Chennai water crisis where protesters were incarcerated by police for disrupting law and order situation where local government failed to manage its own water resources. The Science capital- Bengaluru also faced the problem of water management crisis. Thus, man has created bloom in desert by bringing technological advancement but the same is passively responsible for its destruction by creating issues like water crisis and is now paying unbearable costs for mere survival!

Body: The given statement can be looked at from various dimensions. It can be applied across different subject matters, walks of life, periods of history etc. Apart from its application, one can also explore the implications of the logic and also the ways to respond to such logic. For instance, one can also respond to this logic by developing positive spirit, inner strength etc. Historical Dimension: Indians have always welcomed ethnic groups of various types to our subcontinent be it Parthians, Greeks Shaka’s etc. They all got assimilated in the Indian society and adopted Indian culture. This trend was broken when British started conquering Indian subcontinent. Indian masses showed resilience and made protests. They opted the violent methods and also peaceful methods according to the changing political dynamics and economic conditions in the country. The same society can absorb the culture which is totally different but can also expel them and show resilience if the conquerer is covetous and willing to destroy the fabric of society. Basically, it is a complex human nature of tolerance which has a tendency to accept or reject the ideologies and rules according to which they want to live. Social Dimension: Being rational animal, we can make impossible possible. As we can surpass the natural limitations. However, we haven’t been rational all the time in the history. Ignoble example is an evil Sati Tradition, girls were denied education, purdah system, caste system. These customaries were followed even in the elite and educated families. With time, people have started rejecting these evil customs and started applying rationality as the ideas of equality and fraternity propagated. In this century where these evil customs have faded away and various societies across the world have accepted that even the slaves are not slaves. It is human nature that evolved over a time period socially, educationally, economically and technologically which has ultimately helped to develop the attitude to see others empathetically. Be it human or animal, man or woman. Promotion of schemes like Beti Bacho, Beti Padhao with respect to this subject gives the evidence of it. Article 15 in Indian constitution prohibits the discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth is an eminent example of changed human attitude to see the ills in society. However, it is not always the irrational thinking which creates anomaly of complex human behaviour but certain vices like anger, arrogance, recklessness, cowardice which creates events of injustice. Riots at various places in the name of religion have killed thousands. Incidents of rape have spoiled life of thousands of girls. Youngsters sending parents to old age homes or making them homeless shows the crisis of conscience and virtues.

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Anger is a vice present in every human being. It should be used only to protect the human life and not to destroy the others life. For example, a woman can use her anger to protect herself in self defence during a crisis. Instilling moral education in schools can be a solution to overcome these vices in society as more than external restraints, inner restraints help in framing human actions morally. These cognitive biases evolved for good reason. But they’re now hamstringing our ability to respond to what could be the largest crisis humanity has ever created or had to face that is a problem of sustaining life on earth. Climate Change and International Relations: We are impressed with nature’s power, but by projecting upon this power an image of the feminine, the mother, we reassure ourselves- for surely a mother will always be loving towards us, continue to feed us, clothe us and carry our away our wastes, and never punish us, no matter how much toxic wastes we are putting into the soil, oceans and in air. The sense of nature as inexhaustible mother encourages us to feel there are no limits to a finite planet, while the sense of nature as benign and ever-loving mother permits us to disregarding. The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in our atmosphere, as of 2018, is the highest it has been in 3 million years i.e. 408 parts per million. With rising temperatures, the ice cover of the Himalayas is retreating more rapidly than the global average. Thus, the science and technology development which was bloom in desert of scarcity making lakes of happiness to die for the future generations in the form of climate change. On global stage we talk of human rights and mutual cooperation among countries but at the same time industries are being allowed to be set up in environmentally sensitive areas in the name of ease of doing business. Ultimately, we are going to face climate change crisis which can trigger conflicts, violence and migration due to water scarcity, food insecurity, lack of shelter and livelihood constrains. If we take South Asia’s low level of economic development and high degree of mutual apathy and mistrust, environmental degradation, along with climate change, has the potential to give rise to instability. The regional inter-linkage of environmental issues has given rise to bilateral and multi-lateral conflicts. This can be further explored along the lines of water insecurity and the issue of migration in the region in the context of climate change. The latest accord, the 2015 Paris Agreement, takes a different approach. The 197 signatory countries have promised to limit global temperature increase to just 1.5 °C over pre-industrialization levels. Although humans have started recognising the threat globally action is waiting to be done as a firm step taken by Bhutan to step out of BBIN citing the environmental threat to the country. Solutions like Carbon fund to promote the programs for protection and rejuvenation of environmental damage and being executed across the countries. But they are to be taken more competitively as man has to find a solution for the problem which he has created passively in a proactive manner. Agriculture and Food Security: Desert was bloomed by Indira Gandhi Water Canal and the efforts were taken for green Revolution but Global climate change (GCC) is likely to increase food demand by around 300% by 2080 because of higher population, higher income, and demand for bio-fuel; and this rise is likely to create an imbalance between food supply and demand even without the effects of GCC and, as is expected, if there is a decline in food production due to GCC, it is likely that there will be more crises over food supply and demand, and a gigantic spike in prices, threatening food security. Also, the excessive use of fertilisers and water for

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irrigation are killing the soul of soil and making it infertile. In gist, we understand the laws of nature but we are not following them as remarked by David Garrold- Understanding the laws of nature does not mean that we are immune to their operations. Sometimes though we think of technological advancement of our future generations, we forget that now actually we are borrowing this earth from them by exploiting the resources unaccountably. Policy Dimension: Lack of policy enthusiasm towards marginalised and poor section is as bad as taking them for granted. This is happening at all places. Illegal mining and quarry units are given permission by governmental agencies after allegedly taking Crores of rupees as bribes from prospective money laundering individuals and agencies. Government should cautiously promote positive and sustainable consumerism in the direction for e.g. Renewable energy resources are being promoted by the government by initiating schemes like KUSUM and establishing think tanks in institutions like NITI AAYOG for renewable energy solutions. Science and Technology Dimension: Rocket Science has been developed for satisfying our urge to know about the universe and serving humans in multiple ways. It has led us to the problem of debris pollution in the space. Soon we will on the edge of space war ultimately destroying our own species. Medical science has become so precise that we can edit the genes and develop the designer babies. At the same time human is acting against the law of natural selection. Countries spending more on research for developing weapons that destroy the earth and human species. Weapons should be developed for the protection of the humans but sometimes it is the urge to show supremacy to the world and also to control the various resources like fossil fuel and natural gas.

A few politically dominating countries have provided support to non-state actors to indulge in war economy. It was the tussle between Russia and America to control over Afghanistan, as the Rimland theory of geopolitics goes, which has spoiled the Afghanistan’s sovereignty and turned it into breeding ground of terrorism. It was America which provided Afghani groups weapons in 1989 to fight against the Russian troops. These groups are now responsible for training the terrorists all over the world. Middle East crisis also somewhere has roots in such covetous policies of few dominating countries. These countries are the same which have provided technological solutions to medical field, made communication easy by developing communication technologies build sophisticated infrastructures to save humans in times of catastrophe. It clearly reflects the dichotomy of human behaviour where on one hand he is developing the deserts, on the other hand is drying up the lakes! Political Dimension: Democratic system of government was developed for the welfare and promoting equality among the human beings. To make it successful power was to be delegated in the hands of few to make laws and have responsibility to execute them appropriately. But again, it is the irrational behaviour or the presence of vices in human being which is responsible for making the system corrupt and defeat its purpose. Patriotism means devotion to a particular nation and a particular way of life, which one believes to be the best in the world but has no wish to force upon other people. Patriotism is of its nature defensive, both militarily and culturally. It is a positive value which helps to promote feeling of binding to one’s homeland irrespective of existing diversities between regions. But when people follow it on extreme level, edging on jingoism and hyper nationalism! This creates a rift in the society and the very ideal of patriotism, which was spelled out to promote common brotherhood, destroys the very camaraderie!

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Man, himself created nuclear weapons and even dropped it on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and devastated thousands of lives during the war time. It is technological advancement of a human being and political will which availed enough funds for the city to recover from its losses. Recently Hiroshima was one of the bidders for hosting Olympic Games for 2020! Essentially it was human being who bloomed this desert which was then turned to dust full of harmful radiations. Individual dimension: Once a girl named Arunima Sinha was travelling through train, some hood looms jumped into the train and began robbing passengers. She who was trying to protect herself and the co-passengers, was pushed off the train and fell on a parallel railway track. Unfortunately, there was another train passing on the parallel track and it ran over one of Arunima’s legs. As a result, the leg had to be amputated. With this grave wound on her hopes of living a good life and shadowed future, spirit within her perceived her light to fight back with the enthusiasm. She decided to climb the Mount Everest with an amputee leg. She climbed the Everest with artificial leg with her indomitable spirit and made the country proud by becoming the world's first female amputee to climb Mount Everest in 2013! It shows that it was a human being who had negative attitude in life, who could throw her out of running train to die, and it was also a positive attitude of a human being which created incredible achievement out of adversity of life. So, it was a human being who left her to death but it was her spirit that she was able to make bloom her deserted life. Economic Dimension: General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT) was formed after the First World War to promote free trade between the countries and also to recover the economic loss caused during world war by liberating the trade policies. Developed countries have masks of liberalism on their face and want to help the developing countries by bringing technological advancement in these countries. Today developed countries have monopolised the market of developing countries. Also while World Trade Organisation (WTO) is propagating its liberalisation belief to the developing countries, a new trend of trade protectionism is being cleverly incorporated into the Agreements for the benefit of the developed countries. This reflects the fickle nature of human mind wherein, the approach changes as per the needs! Where during colonialism, several countries were rendered famished and poor, are now being helped out in the name of subsidies, which again has changed with a wind of protectionism! Conclusion: Humans have incredible gift from the nature in the form of rationality. Due to this he has turned his life easy in many ways through sheer grit and determination by developing arts, science and technology. The inhospitable conditions have been turned into luxuries! But with the avarice to grab all the resources for himself, he has done more damage to the earth and to himself than the improvements made by him. The future of human beings is associated with the collective sustainability of the system comprising the earth and all its living and non living entities. It is high time to realise that the fickle minded and piecemeal approach to development with only create more problems for us. It is thus a crying need to realise this that man should bahave responsibly with mother nature and with his own beings to bloom more deserts and to not dry any more lakes. This is possible through high ideals of responsible consumption, common brotherhood and sustainable solutions to live and prosper. With these ideals imbibed into the life of man, many deserts can be bloomed and these can be enjoyed by generations to come.

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