General Studies Paper – I
1. Answer any three of the following in about 250 words each: 20x3=60
(a) ‘Essentially all that is contained in part IV- A
of the Constitution is just a codification of tasks integral to Indian
way of life.’ Critically examine the statement.
Answer:
Article 51A of the part IV-A of the Indian Constitution lists the
fundamental duties of the citizens which were added to the Indian
Constitution by the 42nd Amendment Act. Fundamental duties are
restrictions on the citizens, but they are not enforceable in a court
of law. They act more like a lighthouse to guide citizens’ conduct and
bring it in conformity with the Indian way of life. They include
abiding the constitution and respecting its ideals and institutions
such as the National Flag and the National Anthem. Fundamental Duties
also include cherishing and following the noble ideals that inspired
our freedom struggle, upholding the sovereignty and integrity of the
nation, rendering national services, promoting harmony and brotherhood,
renouncing practices derogatory to the dignity of women, safeguarding
public property, developing scientific temper etc.
Incidents like destruction of public property by violent mobs and
protestors, delivering of hate speeches to cause disharmony and rift
among communities, mounting corruption, declining child sex ratio,
reports of practices like sati which still is continuing in some parts
of the country point towards the fact that the republic has not
succeeded completely in instilling the values contained in part IV-A,
in the hearts and minds of the Indian citizens.
These values should be taught from the early childhood through a free,
fair, secular, and non-discriminatory education system. The society
also needs role models from all walks of life such as politics,
business, administration, judiciary, academia etc. so that national
identity becomes paramount and the values are most cherished.
(b) ‘The exercise of executive clemency is not a
privilege but is based on several principles, and discretion has to be
exercised in public consideration.’ Analyse this statement in the
context of judicial powers of the President of India.
Answer:
Article 72 of the Indian Constitution empowers the president to pardon,
remit, commute, respite and reprieves a person of any offence. Supreme
Court has held that pardoning power of the President is subject to
judicial review and it should not be handled dishonestly in the public
interest.
The question of executive clemency has come into focus due to the
recent decision of the President’s rejecting the mercy plea of those,
convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and Tamil Nadu
assembly’s passage of a resolution over it. The Afzal Guru case has
also not yet been resolved which also is giving political colour to the
whole issue.
Supreme Court in its 1989 judgement laid down several principles or
‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’ with respect to the executive clemency. The apex
court observed that the delay in making a decision on the death penalty
leads to adverse psychological impact on the convicted and it amounts
to the court’s inhuman and brutal treatment. Thus inordinate delay can
form the basis for clemency. It also observed that the nature of crime
needs to be taken into consideration before granting executive
clemency. The conduct of the convicted cannot form the basis for
granting clemency and the time calculated should be from the date the
final verdict was given on the case if it needs to form the ground for
clemency.
Constitution should be amended to provide the time limits within which
mercy petition are to be decided. Importantly, the political parties
should restrain from politicising the power of the President which is
supposed to be used in the public consideration.
(c) Discuss the extent, causes, and implications of ‘nutrition transition’ said to be underway in India.
Answer:
Nutrition Transition can be referred to as the increased consumption of
unhealthy foods compounded with increased prevalence of overweight in
middle-to-low-income countries. It has serious implications in terms of
public health outcomes, risk factors, economic growth and
international nutrition policy.
Extent: As developing societies like India
industrialise and urbanise, and as standards of living continue to
rise, weight gain and obesity are beginning to pose a growing threat to
the health of the citizens. Repeated episodes of malnutrition,
followed by nutritional rehabilitation, are known to alter body
composition and increase the risk of obesity. Food balance data from
the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) show that the change in
energy intake in Asian countries has been small, but there have been
large changes in consumption of animal products, sugars and fats in
countries like India. There is a progressive increase in the intake of
protein, and probably fats. The increase in the intake of protein and
fats is due to the phenomenal increase in the consumption of milk and
milk products and an increase in the intake of animal products. On the
other hand consumption of pulses and legumes has fallen drastically in
India.
Causes: In India, the demographic and
epidemiological transition, the forces of internal migration and
urbanisation, the changes in food consumption patterns and low physical
activity patterns to an epidemic of obesity and other NCDs
(Non-communicable Diseases). There is also a decrease in the energy
expenditure in occupational activities, increased urbanisation,
universal use of motor cars, mechanisation of most manual jobs outside
the occupational sphere and increasing leisure time have aggravated this
trend in India.
Implications: There is a large increase in
the non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the developing countries
specially the countries under transition like India. Approximately 40%
of the deaths in the developing countries take place due to NCDs.
(d) Bring out the salient features of the PCPNDT Act, 1994, and the implication of its amendment in 2003.
Answer:
Pre Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Technique Act, 1994 was enacted
to arrest the declining sex ration. It is a subject of discussion now
because; an all-time low child sex ratio of 914 was reported in the
2011 provisional census data.
The main purpose of enacting the act is to ban the use of sex selection
techniques before or after conception and prevent the misuse of
prenatal diagnostic technique for sex selective absorption.
Offences under this act include conducting or helping in the conduct of
prenatal diagnostic technique in the unregistered units, sex selection
on a man or woman, conducting PND test for any purpose other than the
one mentioned in the act, sale, distribution, supply, renting etc. of
any ultra sound machine or any other equipment capable of detecting sex
of the foetus.
The act was amended in 2003 to improve the regulation of the technology used in sex selection.
Implications of PCPNDT Act, 1994 amendment:
1. Amendment of the act mainly covered bringing the technique of pre conception sex selection within the ambit of the act
2. Bringing ultrasound within its ambit
3. Empowering the central supervisory board, constitution of state level supervisory board
4. Provision for more stringent punishments
5. Empowering appropriate authorities with the power
of civil court for search, seizure and sealing the machines and
equipments of the violators
6. Regulating the sale of the ultrasound machines only to registered bodies
2. Answer one of the following in about 250 words: 20x1=20
(a) Trace the salient sequences of events in popular
revolt that took place in February 1946 in the then Royal Indian Navy
and bring out its significance in the freedom struggle. Do you agree
with the views that the sailors who took part in this revolt were some
of the unsung heroes of the freedom struggle?
Answer:
Royal Indian Navy revolt of February 1946 took place in the background
of Quit India Movement and Second World War. This was a very turbulent
phase in India’s freedom struggle. The popular revolt shook the very
foundation of British Raj and made it abundantly clear that their time
in India was numbered.
In November 1945 some students from Forward Block, Students Federation
of India and Islamia College participated in a protest march over the
INA trials. They tied together League, Congress and red flag, as a
symbol of anti imperialist unity.
In February 1946, Muslim League students took a protest march in which
some Congress students also participated against the seven year
sentence to INA prisoner Rashid Ali.
