Digest Digest Imparting essays and articles based on UPSC Mains pattern Filling your monthly current affairs craving Get the latest scoop on this month’s hot news
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Hindu College, University of Delhi is one of India's most eminent institutes and Buniyaad, the Civil Services Society, Hindu College has been consistently working since 4 years with an aim to help aspirants enhance knowledge and understand the nature of the UPSC CSE At Buniyaad, we bring our heads and hands together to help and get helped by people who set their goals high and aspire to become the future bureaucrats We coordinate, collaborate and cooperate among ourselves thereby helping each other to climb the ladder of success and fulfill our ambition
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TEAM BUNIYAAD DIGEST
NOTE FOR READERS
The Buniyaad Digest , a visionary initiative by Buniyaad -The Civil Services Society, Hindu College is coming up with its August 2022 issue. On behalf of the entire editorial team and graphics team , we the Chief Editors would like to express a token of love and gratitude to all our readers . This magazine is a product of amalgamation of ideas and efforts put in by our team members . We would also like to acknowledge all those who took the initiative of authoring various articles and share their valuable insights with our readers.
E D I T O R ' S N O T E S
e wholeheartedly encourage some luable feedbacks and inputs from you l in order to improve the content and erall outlook of our magazine. hank you mridhi Harsh Vardhan Chief Editors
his magazine is a compilation of amazing ticles on various topics pertaining to e syllabus of UPSC CSE . It is an tremely valuable resource for not only e aspirants of UPSC-CSE but also for yone who is a voracious reader .
01 Agnipath Scheme Shailja Dixit 06 El Salvador and Its Gambling with Bitcoin Sania Soni 11 Unboxing Geneva Package Kashish Chaudhary 14 MentalHealth inUPSC Aayushi 19 SeditionLaw Vyshnav
27 Rising Food and Oil Prices Kanu Priya 32 Dynamic Shift in Indian Politics Milind Singh 38 Women Empowerment Anshika Katare 42 Optional In Focus 46 PRAYAAS Quiz
Political resistance exists because it believes that the plan would be unfair to new recruits and would reduce the military's capacity to counter the security concerns of the nation.
ecently, the government launched its new Agnipath scheme for enro lling soldiers in all three services. The Cabinet Committee on Security has approved the new defense recruiting reform, which will go into action imme diately. The soldiers hired under the scheme will be referred to as Agniveers.
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By: Shailja Dixit
·In hand salary(70%) contri bution to Seva Nidhi (30%). After 4 years, 11.71 lakh as Seva Nidhi package.
·It will empower discipline & skill youth with military ethos in civil society and improve battle preparedness suited to the changing dyna mics.
4
will
·Upto 25% Agniveers will be given option to opt for enrollment into the regular cadre.
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·Agniveers be enrolled for a duration of years including training period.
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Only 25% of the total yearly recruits will be permitted to continue for an additional 15 years under a permanent commission
Only individuals below officer ranks are eligible under the new system (those who do not join the forces as commissioned officers).
Aspirants between the ages of 17.5 and 21 are eligible to enroll under the Agnipath scheme. The requirements for recruiting will remain the same, and rallies will be used to conduct recruitment twice a year.
Importantly, 30% of their pay will be set aside during this time under the Seva Nidhi Scheme, with equal monthly contributions from the government and interest accruing. Each soldier will get a lump sum payment of Rs.11.71 lakh at the conclusion of the four-year period that is tax-free.
The majority of the 45,000 to 50,000 troops who are recruited under the new plan will exit the military in four years.
Following selection, the candidates will undergo six months of training before beginning their three and a half year deployment They will get a starting pay of Rs 30,000 during this time, as well as extra perks, which will increase to Rs 40,000 at the conclusion of the four year service.
Additionally, they would receive a Rs 48 lakh four year life insurance cover. In the event of death, the payout will exceed Rs 1 crore and include salary for any unserved tenure.
Lower Defense Revenue Expenditure Bill:
Younger Armed Forces:
Leaner forces will significantly lower the defense pension cost in the upcoming years, which has been a key issue for governments for many years.
The decision will result in a significant reduction in the permanent force levels against the nations more than 13 lakh strong armed forces.
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It would eventually erase caste and region restrictions, allowing anyone of any caste, area, class or religious background to join existing regiments. This is especially important for the Army because regiments there are now based on region and caste.
The government also declared that it would enhance job possibilities and that soldiers would be able to find work in avariety of industries thanks to the skills and expere nce they had gained during their four year service.
Leaner Armed Force:
Reduced Average Age:
Employable Skills Instilled:
Armed forces that are younger will be more readily taught in modern technology. Additionally, a merit based selection proce ss will considerably raise the caliber of permanent troops for the remaining 25% of Agniveers.
According to the plan, the average age of he armed services will drop from 32 to 26 n six to seven years.
Merit based system:
The veterans have been quite skeptical and have felt that the plan threatens the tried and tested regimental system based on caste, religion, and area as well as unit/sub unit cohesiveness, which is the main driving force in battle.
It is being suggested that the purpose of the measure was originally to lower the wage and pension costs, but the ruling party is currently promoting it politically as an employment creation strategy. Political resistance exists because it believes that the plan would be unfair to new recruits and would reduce the military's capacity to counter the security concerns of the nation.
Changes to the status quo that have been successful:
Needs to be a part of holistic reform: Unfortunately, the plan is a standalone reformative decision unrelated to the holi stic transformation of the armed forces, which must adhere to the tried and tested order of a strategic review, concep tualization of a formal national security strategy, defense policy, and a time bound execution plan.
Too unattractive to succeed: Adherence to two principles is necessary for a Vshort-term engagement strategy to be successful. First, it ought to be financially and benefit wise appealing while employment as well as after retirement. Second, under a welfare state, it can't seem exploitative. The Agnipath system falls short on each of these criteria in its current version.
Intent of bill:
Inadequate Post Retirement Benefits: Maintaining the tenure at four years and refusing gratuity, which according to current policy, is authorized after five years of service, will continue to be a point of contention, along with the denial of ex servicemen status for benefits/privileges and a health plan. The topic of post retirement incentives for Agniveers has to be addressed because it is still unclear.
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This is especially important for the Army because regiments there are now based on region and caste.
B Y S A N I A S O N I
Created in 2009 by an unknown person leveraging the nom de guerre Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin, the first cryptographic commodity, is a blockchain that can be exchanged like cash protected through cryptocurrencies. Cryptocurrencies, in turn, are digital encrypted tokens that can be transferred between two parties without the need of a centralised regulator. This virtual currency has been created using block chain technology and has been designated by some as “decentralised currency” and given the public ledger, cryptocurrencies are more traceable than currency notes So far, trading in cryptocurrencies has been considered anonymous without any intercessation from agent and negotiator. But, unlike gold, shares and bonds, cryptocurrencies are non productive assets whose trading is completely dependent on its demand Moreover, it possesses no intrinsic
EL SALVADOR AND IT’S GAMBLING WITH BITCOIN
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BITCOIN? WHAT'S THAT?
CRYPTOCURRENCY
The dicey Bitcoin bet
El Salvador, the smallest country in Central America became the first country in the world to adopt bitcoin as legal tender in September, 2021. Spearheaded by young, self proclaimed fan of cryptocurrency President Nayib Bukele, the plan was “reportedly” aimed at allowing Salvadorans to save on $400 million spent annually in commission for remittances, mostly sent from the United States.
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value. Adoption of cryptocurrency as a legitimate currency has the potential to spell the end of regulation and economic intervention by the Central Bank which has been considered very essential, especially during periods of economic crisis. Largest cryptocurrency in the world promoting peer to peer electronic cash system, Bitcoin, is completely autonomous in the sense that it does not come under the control of any financial institution, bank or jurisdiction. Being a digital currency, Bitcoin cannot be owned in the form of cash, but rather in the form of unique private keys, and all the transactions are formed through a process named ‘Bitcoin mining’ which, unlike the colloquial meaning of the term, includes computational algorithms becoming part of the challenging mathematical puzzle. Whenever a puzzle is solved, one mining block is mined and the user or programmer receives a reward in the form of a Bitcoin But, Bitcoins, just like any other cryptocurrency, comes with its own share of risks among which high volatility and lack of transparency and regulation makes it very prone to market turmoil and thus is a matter of major concern for policymakers.
Salvadorans, in the year 2020, sent around $6 billion from abroad which was around 26% of the country's GDP and taking this into account, Bukele set up a $150 million fund for the conversion of Bitcoin into dollars but the problems related to the sharp fluctuation in the digital currency (which sometimes varies by hundreds of dollars in a day) invited critical views from across the globe. Nine months in, there are signs that the Central American country’s crypto dream is not shining as much. The crash in the value of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies has created a huge problem for El Salvador’s economic condition with a raised concern over the government’s ability to repay its debts The collapse in the price of Bitcoin from $69,000 in November 2021 to around $20,000 in June 2022 has caused extreme losses to investors worldwide and needless to mention, the government of El Salvador has also not been spared The Salvadoran government, led by President Bukele, had used taxpayers’ money in its gambling with Bitcoin. Going by the reports, El Salvador’s investment of over $100 million in Bitcoin has lost more than half of its value till date due to the collapse
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Since 2001, U.S dollar has been the official currency of El Salvador and now, after the adoption of Bitcoin as a legal tender, both the U.S. dollar and Bitcoin have been used as official currencies. Right after this, El Salvador’s government started its efforts to persuade its citizens to use Bitcoin for the most part of their daily transactions. The government also came up with a payment wallet ‘Chivo’ which gave free Bitcoin worth $30 initially to encourage people to employ Bitcoin in their transactions But, given the miniscule acceptance of the Bitcoin across the globe, Slvadorans have been sceptical of Bitcoin as a medium of exchange and it was found out that many citizens registered themselves on the payments wallet Chivo which was pushed by the government only to sell off their free Bitcoin in exchange for $30. This is also supported by the fact that the dollar is still the most widely used medium of exchange in El Salvador.
El Salvador’s government took the rise in demand of Bitcoin as an opportunity to cut down its dependency on U.S. dollars to fund its expenditure and to take leverage of this opportunity, it is trying to emphasise on the greater adoption of Bitcoin which in turn will allow the government to tax and spend in Bitcoins in lieu of dollars. Mr. Bukele also decided to establish geothermal
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"BITCOIN IS NOT A CURRENCY FOR A GOVERNMENT,IT IS A GLOBAL CURRENCY FOR THE PEOPLE"
plants to power the Bitcoin mining facilities with the aim to directly use mined Bitcoin to fund its government’s expenditure but, given the large energy requirement for extracting the digital currency from cyberspace, it is feared that it will result in severe environmental degradation. According to a report launched by Bank of America in March, 2022, the Bitcoin industry’s global CO2 emissions have already risen to 60 million tonnes, which is equivalent to exhaust released from around 9 million cars Mr Bukele, although, had sought to counter all the environment related concerns by stating in June that he had instructed the state owned geo thermal electric firm LaGeo to develop a roadmap to offer Bitcoin mining facilities by employing renewable energy from the country's volcanoes. Adoption of Bitcoin as the official currency, analysts believe, also has strong links with El Salvador government’s inability to secure loans in U.S. dollars. The public debt of the Central American country has risen over 100% of the gross domestic product and the latest attempt to secure a $1 billion loan using bonds backed by Bitcoin met with failure. Furthermore, if the collapse in the prices of Bitcoin persists, then the government will be forced to sell its Bitcoin for fewer dollars which in turn will further deteriorate El Salvador’s capacity to repay its dollar debt.
Bitcoin, after falling below the key support level of $20,000 in June 2022, is showing signs of upcoming economic catastrophe for the Central American country. The only hope left is the recovery in the prices of Bitcoin after the bear market ends.
And although the proponents of Bitcoin has been pitching that it is an innovation which is independent of any governmental caprice, the claim has sparked warning that it could, in reality, result in increasing regulatory, financial and operational hazards for financial institutions, among them international money laundering and terrorist financing are of major concern. Apart from this, right after the approval of Bukele’s Bitcoin law, rating agency Moody’s demoted El Salvador’s credit worthiness bringing the country’s dollar-denominated bonds under extreme pressure Fitch has also argued that bitcoin can prove to be credit negative for Salvadoran insurance companies exposed to the currency given the higher foreign exchange and earnings volatility risks.
The government's bonds, seeing a steep discount, are also being classified as “junk” by investors. The country is already relying on financial help from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank to meet the government’s spending needs. Additionally, there is a widespread belief that President Bukele’s mismanagement of the funds received during the pandemic from abroad has made international financial organisations reluctant to lend any more dollars. On top of that, the IMF has been opposing the government's decision to give legal tender to Bitcoin since the very beginning.
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"BITCOIN IS TECHNOLOGICAL TOUR DE FORCE" -BILL GATES
UNBOXING GENEVA PACKAGE
BREAKING LOOSE FROM AN IMPASSE
IIt being the first such international trade related meeting to take place after an unprecedented pandemic which upturned lives and got economies toppled, the world had its eyes on it. Inculpated with partisanship gratifying the developed world against interests of developing and least developed countries(LDCs),WTO this time acknowledged India as voice of the latter that “turned the tide of negotiations from failure, gloom and doom to optimism, enthusiasm and outcome based conclusion” in words of India’s Union Minister for Commerce Piyush Goyal.
The WTO's 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) took place from 12 to 17 June 2022 at WTO headquarters in Geneva.
Author- Kashish Chaudhary
Twelfth in the line of biennial Ministerial Conferences (MC), it put
an end to a stalemate spanning 24 years. With no major negotiations made and no weighty decisions reached in the past, the largely upbraided intergovernmental organization involving 164 countries heaves a sigh of relief this time TO being a consensus based body, every member nation enjoys the power of veto; a fact explaining why it founders in forging negotiations.
The rabbit WTO pulled out of its hat.
After being called off twice in view of the devastating COVID 19 pandemic, the 12th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization recently concluded in Geneva adopting the historic Geneva Package
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● The TRIPS (Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) wavering deal is a notable upshot of the conference. With a global health challenge recently faced, countries realize the need to waive certain provisions of the TRIPS agreement to promote manufacturing and distribution of vaccines. In layman terms, exclusive rights of the owner of an invention have been limited for public welfare.
● Secondly, the area of productive
● Third, Moratorium (ban on custom duties) on e commerce trade is to be continued at least until the next MC with a target to help businesses and consumers predictability
MC '12 is a breakthrough seen in this light given that 164 countries arrived at unanimous decisions pertaining to food security, fish subsidies, intellectual property rights all wrapped into the Geneva Package.
● To begin with, the first not so cheery outcome of the ongoing Russia Ukraine War is food security being menaced. The two East European countries alone account for 30% of the world’s wheat production.Ostensible grain export sanctions on Russia and missile stricken tactical port city of Odessa (a Ukrainian port playing a major role in maintaining food supply chains) have beckoned a global food crisis causing worldwide food inflation leaving millions famished.It is against this backdrop that the package mandates a ban on food grain export restrictions in all the member nations so as to facilitate uninterrupted grain supply to assist the World Food Program. All of this to happen provided domestic food security of respective members is not compromised with.
PACKAGE CONTENTS
parley concerns fishing subsidies With talks on for 20 years and a failed deal at 11th MC (Buenos Aires), WTO regained credibility with a win at this deal. Under the pact, all the member nations have been asked to avoid granting subsidies for any fishing operation that is illegal, unreported or unregulated (IUU). A major step towards substantiating SDG 14 and paving the way to sustainability for marine ecosystem, this aims at reining in overfishing which in turn will buttress millions who earn bread by selling fishes.
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INDIAN RECEPTION
With developing countries under India’s leadership pitching in for flexibility with regards to food security, their demand for the same has been met with ‘no compromise with domestic food security’ clause. However, India now also roots for permission to use its public stock holding for government to government aid the decision for which couldn't be reached at. To help the developing world exploit its underexploited fishing reserves, these states have been provided with a 7 year phasing period allowing fish subsidies here for capacity building (IUU subsidies nonetheless prohibited) which only ‘quarterly’ aligns with India’s demand for 25 years.
Piyush Goyal meets WTO's DG Iweala in Geneva; discuss long term solution for food security
WHAT LIES AHEAD
As WTO puts a full stop (or a comma) to its dormancy, India exerts a notable influence on most of the decisions that are a part of the package, primarily patent waving and fishing subsidies As we unbox the package, the decisions with minor chasms seem to satiate India (One couldn't help but observe the million dollar smile on the face of the Indian Union Minister.) The upcoming trade negotiations demand a similar and even more undeterred stance to bring about favorable outcomes for India. Had it not been for an unyielding bearing on India’s part, bias accused WTO deals wouldn’t secure lauds pouring in from around the globe.
Waiving of just one IP provision (dealing with vaccine exports) is a semi-success for India, a country that has helped other countries out of the pandemic abyss through its vaccine Maitri Program. India hankers for waiving of provisions concerning diagnosis, PPE kits and medical devices. The only clause however out rightly opposed by India is the continuation of moratorium as it leads to a loss of revenue of $50 billion annually (UNCTAD). Indian persistence nevertheless evaded a permanent moratorium.
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"Lock yourself in the room for 1 year to be able to crack UPSC. " We hear this kind of statement from our close people but practically it's impossible to get isolated and dive into a bundle of books for one year. UPSC is a journey of hard work, patience and perseverance. Agreed! But it will become a more fruitful and satisfying journey if our mental health is balanced well with our sanity.
If studying is the necessity for our brain to pass UPSC then mental health is the heart of this process. Preparation for this exam is stressful. It can lead to anxiety, and frustration when the needs are conflicted. There is neverending pressure from close people, which eventually leads to self doubt and stinks our motivation to study.
Alankrita Pandey scored 85th rank in 2015 UPSC battling with depression.
But it is time to bust the myth that motivational videos help people regain their lost confidence It might help for the time being but not for the long term. Isn't it obvious that if a video can make you feel instantly motivated to study, then the same motivation will start going downhill within a few hours? So, rather than finding the motivation to study from outer sources in the environment, it is significant to find our reasons for why are we going on this long journey. I know, it seems cliche but it works! After being clear with the motivation, it's time to gear up and start studying. As an ideal UPSC aspirant, our nextstep is to switch to watching some motivational videos.
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No matter how inspiring this looks, let me remind you mental health is not just about the absence of mental illness, instead, it means the well being and stable function of the brain.
Avoid stress UPSC can be stressful and this is not something to be mentioned but to regulate the stress and have a healthy mind by meditating or doing yoga in your room for 10 minutes is no harm. As the doctor says and I quote: “Regular yoga practice creates mental clarity and calmness; increases body awareness; relieves chronic stress patterns; relaxes the mind; centers attention; and sharpens concentration”
Avoid depression Aspirants tend to isolate themselves during the preparation and feel that this is the only way to crack UPSC. But a big no to this!
It's equally important to free your mind from depression by giving yourself a treat every 15 days. Aspirants can go out with friends or sit with their families to have a social life and avoid any kind of mental illness like depression, morbid thoughts and the tendency to give up on their journey because of exhaustion.
Everyone has a checklist of what to do but it is more important to have a checklist of what not to do. So we do not take the road that is taken by the majority of the people that is to give up due to the burden of their journey and inability to handle themselves.
WHAT TO AVOID TO ACHIEVE A SOUND MENTAL HEALTH:
Avoid burnout We all know how vast the syllabus of UPSC is, and it requires plenty of hours every day. To cover the syllabus, aspirants burn their energy and mind every day. So it is important to not burn yourself out because not only does it hampers your mental health but also ruins your focus and concentration in the long run. So between those continuous hours, it's necessary to take small breaks. Aspirants can approach their studies through the Pomodoro technique.This method gives us breaks to soak all the information and increases our ability to study for more hours. Even you can get Pomodoro application from the playstore.
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Avoid lethargy Some days make us feel motivated to study and we tend to study for extra hours. But there are days as well where getting up from the bed becomes a task itself. In a blink of an eye, that one day turns into 2 3 days and then kicks the guilt for not being able to study. It is very important to avoid this lethargic behavior and it can be done so by doing any type of physical activity to keep up the energy. This does not mean that we start hitting the gym for exercise during our UPSC preparation. Giving half an hour for exercise, running, or stretching on alternative days can make us feel energetic, freshen up our minds and gain back the energy to go to our study table.
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Avoid drug addiction This is nothing to mention but teenage years draw the curiosity to try drinking, smoking and taking drugs.The habit of these things sends non positive signals to your brain which makes you less concentrative, focused, and productive. The addiction to drugs is like oil in the fire of our passion.
Avoid anxiety- Anxious behavior can be handy especially when aspirants are preparing for the top notch institution of our country. So it kind of makes us important to know how to calm ourselves. This can be done so by indulging in relaxation practicebreathing peacefully and consciously for 2-3 mins. This technique is useful not just in the journey of UPSC but in the journey of our lives to be able to live a vibrant life.
Avoid people It is a strange tip but avoid those people who drain your energy from you. UPSC itself asks a lot in the preparation so you cannot afford to be surrounded by people who cast negative vibes and demotivates altogether your will to crack the exam
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TAKEAWAY:
AVOID THINGS THAT WILL NOT MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL IN THE NEARBY FUTURE.”
ALL THE VERY BEST FOR THE FUTURE!
to gain a fresh perspective to approach the syllabus of UPSC again. The creative side of the brain should always be active to let the growth be nonstop. It should be surrounded by dullness and monotonous life.
Avoid skipping meals Getting so lost in studies sometimes makes aspirants skip their meals and they start eating 2 times or sometimes 1 time in a day. Eating a brain-healthy diet to support mental health and physical health should be the prime goal in this journey. Dry fruits and protein rich food makes people energetic and keeps our brains off the negative things.
“
Avoid staying awake- Studies force aspirants to skip their sleep or cut short their hours of sleep. An average person requires 6-7 hours of sleep and this balance should never be disturbed. Sleep regulates blood flow and energizes humans. It promotes clearer thinking and concentration. It helps to revive the knowledge gained in the whole day and start a fresh start with retained information the next day. Don't you feel excited after hearing this?
Avoid a monotonous set of mindFeeding the mind with knowledge all the time makes it tiring and eventually starts getting deteriorated. The way we always give chocolate to a kid after completion of homework in the very same way, it is important to treat the mind like a small kid and give some positive reinforcements like choosing a hobby and being in touch with it once in 2 weeks. This helps aspirants
This mantra will help the aspirants to be strong and be on the right path paved by themselves to success as a destination.
SEDITION LAW
~
NEEDDOESTHELARGESTDEMOCRACYIT?
“There is enormous power of misuse. We can compare it to the carpenter, instead of cutting wood, cutting the forest itself. That is the effect of this law.”
On May 11 2022, The Supreme Court of India passed a historic order to suspend the sedition law for the first time since India's independence. This would suspend it until it is reviewed and notified. The Supreme Court order is extremely important in light of the continuous abuse of section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
-Chief justice N V Ramana Vyshnav
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Chapter VI of the IPC
It deals with offenses against state and includes Sections 121 to 130 which are some of the most stringent penal provisions of the entire code. The offenses defined under this Section have been heavily blackened as it was used by the British to prosecute many freedom fighters and it was also used after independence to suppress government criticism.
The Indian Penal Code is India's sanctioned felonious code. This is a comprehensive code that covers all areas of criminal law. Thomas Babington Macaulay, who chaired the first law commission drafted the IPC in 1834. It came into effect in 1862 throughout the British Presidencies. In its various sections, IPC explains specific crimes and provides disciplines for them. It is subdivided into 23 chapters, which include 511 sections.
Disloyalty and all passions of hostility are indicated through “disaffection”. Comments showing disapproval of the measures of the government to gain their alteration by legal means, without exciting or attempting to provoke hatred, contempt, or disaffection, do not constitute an offense under this law. Similarly, comments expressing disapproval of the administrative or other action of the government without exciting or attempting to provoke abomination, contempt or dissatisfaction, do not constitute an offense under this law.
As per Section 124A of IPC, sedition is defined as: “Whoever, by words, either spoken, or written, or by signs, or
Indian Penal Code (IPC)
by visible representation, or else, brings or attempts to bring into abomination or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards, the Government established by law in India, shall be penalized with imprisonment for life, to which forfeiture may be added, or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added, or with fine.”
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Section 124A
In Section 124A, sedition is defined as: “Whoever, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or else, brings or attempts to bring into abomination or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards, the Government established by law in India, shall be penalized with imprisonment for life, to which forfeiture may be added, or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added, or with fine.”
Section 124A of the IPC sets out the penalty for sedition. In 1870, it was added to the IPC through an amendment which was incorporated in Section 124A of the IPC by the British Government in order to address the disapproval against colonial rule and to curb the activities of the freedom struggle in India. The word “sedition” is derived from the old French word “sedicion” which means “fictitious disturbance in the state, rebellion, violent conflict between fragments, insurrection, rebellion of civil or felonious disorder ”
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The first case on sedition was in Calcutta High Court in 1891 in Queen Empress vs Jogendra Chunder Bose. Bangobasi, Bose's Bengali magazine criticized the Age of Consent Act, 1891 which raised the age of consent for sexual intercourse for all girls. The authorities put forth a claim that Bose had triggered revolt. In his instructions to the jury, the Chief Justice William Comer Petheram explained the meaning of "disapproval" as "a feeling contrary to affection, in other words, dislike or hatred" and linked it with disobedience towards the government. Bose was nevertheless released on bail, and the case was dropped.
CASES OF SEDITION IN PREINDEPENDENCE PERIOD
According to him, it would include “every possible form of bad feeling towards the government”. Tilak was convicted by the jury and sentenced to 18 months of harsh prison. Two Kesari articles, titled "The Country's Misfortune" and "These Remedies Are Not Lasting" again suffered charges against sedition and Tilak sentenced to another six years of imprisonment in Burma. Tilak’s cases may be considered as the genesis of the extreme power ascribed to the crime of sedition.
In 1922, Mahatma Gandhi's three articles for Young India led to his and the proprietor of the newspaper Shankarlal Banker's imprisonment under the sedition law. Gandhi called Section 124A as the "prince among the political sections of the Indian Penal Code designed to suppress the liberty of the citizen".
Bal Gangadhar Tilak was the first person to be convicted under this law as he attacked colonial rule through his daily in 1897. Justice Arthur Strachey, who presided over Tilak's case, widened the understanding of Section 124A and stated that sedition wasn’t just the presence of hatred, but even the “absence of affection".
The constitutional assembly went through serious debates on the relevance of the sedition law and removed the term sedition by retaining Section 124-A from the constitution in 1949. In 1951, the first amendment of the Constitution to reduce the freedom under Article 19(1)(a) was brought by Jawaharlal Nehru and passed Article 19(2) to empower the State to put “reasonable restrictions” on the right to free speech. For the first time in India’s history, the Indira Gandhi government made Section 124 A as a cognisable offense which allows the police to make arrests without a warrant.
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INDEPENDENCE
CHANGES IN SEDITION LAW AFTER
POST-INDEPENDENCE PERIOD
Kedarnath Case 1962
In August 2018, in its consultation paper on sedition, the Law Commission of India remarked that while preserving the offense of sedition was significant to protect national integrity, it should not be used as a tool to control free speech.
Kedarnath Singh, a member of the Forward Communist Party in Bihar had used some words like goondas for the Indian National Congress Party and dogs for the C.I.D. officials. He also said that he believes revolution will come and the politicians and the capitalists of the country will burn in the flames of that revolution, and then a new government of the poor will come into existence rising from those flames. This statement led to a case under Section 124A of the IPC against him sentencing him to one year imprisonment. The court ruled out that criticism of the government cannot be labeled sedition unless accompanied by a provocation or call for violence.
Section 124 A was declared as unconstitutional by the Punjab high court in 1951 in Tara Singh Gopi Chand vs the State and by the Allahabad High Court in 1959 in Ram Nandan vs State of Uttar Pradesh. The court observed that this law put a restriction on the freedom of speech and expression and was primarily a tool for colonialists to put an end to disaffection in the country.
Even after a correct explanation for sedition law by the apex court, in recent times, the use of sedition law has been increased, many states including the central government charged this law unruly The most prominent among them includes the case of Balwant Singh and Anr vs State Of Punjab in 1995, Dr Binayak Sen vs the State of Chhattisgarh in 2010, Indra Das vs State of Assam in 2011, Arup Bhuyan vs State of Assam in 2011, Arun Jaitley vs State of Uttar Pradesh in 2011, Vinod Dua vs Union of India in 2020, etc. In every case, the court concluded that the expressions of disapproval or criticism towards the actions of any government cannot be treated as sedition
CASES OF SEDITION IN
The Supreme Court emphasized that the presence of a destructive tendency to provoke violence is a precondition to invoke the sedition section and the provision cannot be used to suppress free speech.
The most authoritative judgement on the explanation of the sedition law was given by the Supreme Court in the case of Kedarnath Singh vs State of Bihar in 1962 which settled the puzzle arising from various views of the high courts.
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According to the Union Home Ministry data, between 2014 and 2019, a total of 326 cases were registered under the sedition law, with the highest 54 cases in Assam out of which charge sheets filed in 141 cases and six people were sentenced for the offense. The data of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) showed a 25% increase in sedition cases in 2019 but a 3% conviction rate. A total of 93 cases of sedition were reported in 2019, with 96 arrests and charge sheets filed in 76 cases, but only two were convicted for the crime.
section. Many journalists, artists, and dissenters have been booked under the provision unsuccessfully.
In May 2022, a bench of Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli of Supreme Court ordered to keep Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code in abeyance till government’s exercise of reviewing the law is complete. It reflects the recognition by the court of the widespread misuse of Section 124A and its chilling effect on acceptable political speech.
Incidentally, 2019 is also the year with the lowest conviction rate at 3.3%. According to the NCRB, of the 30 cases in which trial was completed that year, only one resulted in conviction
INCREASED RATE OF SEDITION CASES AND DECREASED RATE OF CONVICTION
The low conviction rates show that Section 124A is being misused and cases are being filed despite the lack of the evidence required under the
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CJI NV Ramana
Affection cannot be manufactured or regulated by law. If one has no affection for a person or system, one should be free to give the fullest expression to his disaffection, so long as he does not contemplate, promote, or incite to violence. I know that some of the most loved of India’s patriots have been convicted under it. I consider it a privilege, therefore, to be charged under that section”.
Sedition is a colonial law. It suppresses freedoms. It was used against Mahatma Gandhi, Tilak… Is this law necessary after 75 years of Independence?”
This was the question CJI raised before the government. As the nation celebrates ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, existence of such colonialistic laws is an insult to a country that is supposed to be the bastion of democracy and citizens rights. It has overshadowed the progress made in 75 years of independence. The law which the British used to suppress the freedom struggle must be uprooted out of the Constitution.
DO WE NEED SUCH COLONIALISTIC RULE ?
FOOD
PRICES GLOBALLY
~ Kanupriya 27 | Buniyaad Digest | August 2022
RISING AND OIL
Beginning of food crises:
After the second World War, the entire world collectively suffered from "Food Crises".In 1951, the Rockefeller Center's Mexican Agriculture Programme produced a paper on the world "Food Problem", it was the first time when global food scarcity was viewed as a primary cause of political instability. The result of all these conditions was the " Green Revolution " .
The beginnings of the Green Revolution was started by Norman Borlaug, an American scientist interested in agriculture. In the 1940s, he began conducting research in Mexico and developed new disease resistant high yield varieties of wheat. Dr.MS Swaminathan is known as the father of the green revolution in India.
Factors of food scarcity causing the inflation described as:
Climate change: Climate change is considered as huge factor in increasing food crises by changing weather patterns such as rainfall, cyclones, floods and drought which all have an impact on crop harvesting. Assam is a recent example for this as it has come through flood. Assam, a state prone to flooding and erosion, has been inundated with flooding and the resulting landslides , with 28 districts reporting flooding. The condition of the farmers has worsened because their crop is destroyed by floods and they have not been able to transport the rest of the crops.
GREEN REVOLUTION:
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In2022, rapid increase is seen in food and oil prices and shortages of food supplies around the world. There are many factors which cause an increase in global food and oil crises. These are geopolitical, economic, and natural causes, such as extreme heat, flooding and drought caused by climate change.
Food and oil Crises of 2022:
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China is the world's largest producer and also exporter of wheat, where India comes after China. But less than 1% is accounted by India in global wheat trade. India has suspended the export of wheat effectively in may this year. Main reason for this suspension is heatwave, which affected the wheat production to a very large extent this year. The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) in India stood at 14.55 which increased from 2.26. Retail inflation also hit an eight year high of 7.79 percent in April, 2022.
Nearly one-third of world's wheat and barley is exported by Russia and Ukraine and more than 70 percent of its sunflower oil. Together, Russia and Ukraine export nearly a third of the world’s wheat and barley.
The World Bank has warned that each percentage point increase in food prices would increase poverty among additional 10 million people. The impact of food inflation is impacting the world’s poor and developing countries the most, because most of these countries are also food importers.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict:
Inflation and economic shocks:
It impacted the access to food for many people. Even if food is available, for many people it is too expensive to buy, reducing people’s access to food. Many people have lost their livelihoods and jobs in the pandemic.
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High pricesWheat prices in India have risen to record highs, in some spot markets hitting 25,000 rupees ($320) per tone, well above the government’s minimum support price of 20,150 rupees ($260).“It was not wheat alone. The rise in overall prices raised concerns. Today, 690 million people around the world will go to bed on an empty stomach.
Covid 19:
The conflict in Ukraine has sent global food prices on high rates. The ongoing conflict means that fields won’t be prepared, crops won’t be planted and fertilizers won’t be available. For instance, some 50 countries, mostly poor countries, depend on Ukraine and Russia for wheat, a staple grain. Global Food crisis globally.
Russia is the top global fertilizer producer. India has banned exports of wheat effective immediately, citing a risk to food security, partly due to the war in Ukraine and as a scorching heatwave curtailed output and domestic prices hit a record high. Although not one of the world’s top wheat exporters, India’s ban could drive global prices to new peaks given already tight supply, hitting poor consumers in Asia and Africa particularly hard. “If everyone starts to impose export restrictions or to close markets, that would worsen the crisis,” German agriculture minister Cem Ozdemir said at a news conference in Stuttgart.
Effect on Agriculture -
Covid 19 also caused a sharp rise in poverty and inequality globally, as lockdowns devastated family livelihoods. Pandemic restrictions also meant disturbed food supplies, slowing remittances from families overseas and the halting of school meal programs. According to the UN, 928 million people were severely food insecure already in 2020 an increase of 148 million on the previous year.
When food is scarce, girls often eat less and eat last. Women and girls account for 70% of the world’s hunger. And as families and communities come under strain, girls are more likely than boys to be taken out of school, and will be at risk of child, early and forced marriage, gender-based violence, sexual exploitation and unwanted pregnancy. Adolescents and children under the age of 5 are particularly vulnerable if they are malnourished, because of the increased rate at which they are growing and their bodies are changing. Being hungry during these critical years can stunt growth and have a significant impact on brain development, with profound consequences for a child’s educational attainment, health and future earning potential.
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Hunger affects girls, boys, women and men differently:
Landmark Change In Indian Politics
Since the 1952 elections the only party which had been dominant at the center and in the states was the Indian National Congress and this dominance of the Indian National Congress was termed as the 'Congress System' by the eminent theorist Rajni Kothari.
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Author-Milind Singh
Since independence, Indian politics has undergone various changes starting from Congress' dominance, transition to coalition politics and then the most significant turn came in 2014 elections when BJP got a humongous mandate which was an unprecedented event in Indian political history. There were various factors which contributed to the huge victory of the BJP in the 2014 elections and then subsequently in the 2019 elections which are of great importance for the future elections as well and which have and will shape the future of Indian elections.
If India is a computer, congress is it's default program
This trend underwent a change from 1989 elections when no single party got a majority in the Lok Sabha and many parties came together to form coalition governments. This phase included Prime Ministers like P.V. Narasimha Rao, V.P.Singh and many more stalwarts
The 2004 elections saw the return of the Congress to power leading an alliance of parties termed as UPA, though the former glory of Congress was missing. Dr. Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister under the UPA 1 from 2004 and the UPA 2 government from 2009.
The Congress owed a great part of its success to its substantial and most prominent role in the Indian National Movement, many Congress members were the leaders during the nationalist movement and also contested in the first Lok Sabha elections. As Jawaharlal Nehru, the party had a charismatic leader who had an influential impact on the populace. The Congress accommodated leaders from different ideological dispensations and exhibited a broad spectrum of views and ideas in different issues hence the Congress was termed as a 'rainbow like coalition'.No party was able to challenge the dominance of the Congress as what the opposition parties wanted to say already found a place in the policies of the Congress owing to the broad range of ideas the party was able to accommodate. All these factors contributed to the uncontested dominance of the Congress. After the 1967 elections, the Congress lost its former glory and the 'Congress System ' was reduced to 'Congress Dominance ' .
CONGRESS REVIVAL
COALITION POLITICS
AND THE RISE OF BJP
•There were various reasons for the defeat of the Congress which can be broadly divided into three categories:
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The respite that the Congress got by winning the elections in 2004 and 2009 was short lived as the BJP got a humongous mandate and came to power in 2014 Lok Sabha elections winning more than 350 seats which was a 'Surplus Majority Coalition' This marked the rise of hard core Hindutva politics in India
Rampant corruption and scams in the UPA government were numerous which turned the people's perception against the Congress, which led to dissatisfaction against the Congress at centre and even greater dissatisfaction against the Congress.in the states which was also the reason for the satisfaction for BJP in the states.
The BJP weaved an elaborate strategy and was thus successful in capturing the power.Majorfactors responsible for this massive electoral change are: The BJP successfully projected itself as the only and the most strong alternative to the Congress which was in power. It successfully exposed the loopholes and the errors committed by the Congress and banked on the shortcomings of thegovernment.
•There was dissatisfaction among the people due to the economic slowdown marked by high inflation, poor policies and unemployment.
The BJP weaved an elaborate strategy and was thus successful in capturing the power. Major factors responsible for this massive electoral change are: The BJP successfully projected itself as the only and the most strong alternative to the Congress which was in power. It successfully exposed the loopholes and the errors committed by the Congress and banked on the shortcomings of thegovernment.
•There was a lack of policy direction, decision making and strong leadership in the party which played a significant role in its downfall.
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There were broadly two phases of 'post congress polity', the first phase was characterized by instability when there were frequent downfalls of the governments owing to the fragile nature of coalition governments and the second phase was also a coalition phase when NDA under Atal Bihari Vajpayee completed its term, which was characterized by stability and continuity
In the name of mobilizing people across the agenda of Hindutva, the BJP made the Ram Mandir issue as its biggest electoral plank and even took out a rath yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya.In 2014 elections Narendra Modi spoke at a rally " the next decade belongs to the backwards' ' which was the clearest manifestation of the BJP's strategy of mobilizing the backward castes in the name of Hindutva. The BJP mobilized the backward castes on the plank of social justice and empowerment,which benefited it tremendously.
In the 2014 elections the BJP gained the largest share of OBC vote share (which is the largest share of the population), approx two thirds of the OBC voted for BJP. Not only the OBCs, but a sizeable number of SCs and STs also voted for the BJP which was not the scene before.
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The BJP weaved an elaborate strategy and was thus successful in capturing the power Major factors responsible for this massive electoral change are: The BJP successfully projected itself as the only and the most strong alternative to the Congress which was in power. It successfully exposed the loopholes and the errors committed by the Congress and banked on the shortcomings of the government.
BJP projected a very strong candidate in Narendra Modi who had already won the Gujarat C.M. elections thrice in a row and had initiated many development works in the form of infrastructure and rapidindustrialization People were of the opinion that the same Gujarat model would be replicated at the centre also which will bring prosperity to the general public.
The BJP started off as a party which enjoyed its support base mainly among the upper caste, middle class and Hindi speaking people But it constructed a marvelous social engineering which expanded its base and helped it to capture political power.
MY REMARKS
The BJP as it has been known as the party of capitalists, projected its free market policiesicies explicitly in the 2014 elections It made various economic promises focusing on rapid industrialization like it did in Gujarat, quality infrastructure,including roads, highways, water, electricity, setting up of industrial plants etc
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According to my opinion, the 2014 elections were a significant landmark in thehistory of Indian politics which changed the dynamics of Indian politics totally.The party which steered the Indian National Movement and had enjoyed power fora long time was uprooted by the BJP which made use of various strategies including the economic promises, social empowerment promises, communal mobilization and so on.
BJP also promised to make India a global manufacturing hub rather than a market hub for the world , focusing on free market reforms. It also promised to make a business friendly environment by giving various economic incentives to the businesses including those from the foreign countries, it promised to bridge the demand supply gap to build a strong manufacturing sector in India and also promised to generate lakhs of employment opportunities.The use of slogans like ' Bahut hui mehangai ki maar, abki baar Modi Sarkar' and Achhe din aane wale hain' appealed to a populace who was fed up with the lagging economy, persistent inflation of the essentials like gas cylinder, petrol ,diesel and rising unemployment etc. All these created an impression on the mind of people that this is the time for change and the change will usher them into an era of prosperity
This marked a significant change in the Indian elections, the repercussions of which were seen in the subsequent elections including the 2019 elections, 2022 UPelections and so on.But the pertinent thing is that the BJP has not been able to fulfill the extravagant promises it made , even after coming to power again in 2019. The economy has seen a new low in the recent years , the problems which were present in the Congress rule like inflation, and unemployment marked as more degraded and it has only made lives of the millions of Indians worse who are struggling to fulfill their basic needs.
A l l t h e s e s i t u a t i o n s i n d i c a t e a v e r y d a n g e r o u s t r e n d f o r t h e c o u n t r y w h i c h n e e d s t o b e r e s o l v e d a t t h e e a r l i e s t i n o r d e r t o m a k e t h e c o u n t r y a b e t t e r a n d a s a f e r p l a c e S o , t o s u m u p , t h e 2 0 1 4 e l e c t i o n s h a v e l e f t a d e e p i m p r i n t o n I n d i a n p o l i t i c s w h i c h h a v e a n d w i l l s h a p e t h e f u t u r e e l e c t i o n s o f I n d i a .
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CONCLUSION
T h e y o u t h a r e s t r u g g l i n g t o g e t e m p l o y m e n t , s c a m s i n t h e c o m p e t i t i v e e x a m i n a t i o n s h a v e i n c r e a s e d w h i c h i s a c l e a r f a i l u r e o f o u r e d u c a t i o n s y s t e m , f a r m e r s h a v e b e e n f o r c e d t o l e a v e t h e i r f i e l d s a n d c o m e t o t h e r o a d s t o s t r u g g l e a g a i n s t t h e o p p r e s s i v e f a r m l a w s , s t u d e n t s a n d j o u r n a l i s t s s p e a k i n g a g a i n s t t h e i n j u s t i c e s a n d t h e o p p r e s s i v e p o l i c i e s a r e t e r m e d a s a n t i n a t i o n a l s . t h e f a v o r o f a p a r t y w h o b a r e l y h a d a c h a n c e t o c o m e t o t h e c e n t r e a f e w y e a r s a g o . T h e v i c t o r y o f B J P c a n b e a t t r i b u t e d t o m a n y f a c t o r s i n c l u d i n g t h e p o p u l a r i t y o f M o d i , r e l i g i o u s a p p e a l i n t h e n a m e o f H i n d u t v a , c o r r u p t i o n a n d l a c k o f p r o p e r f u n c t i o n i n g o f t h e C o n g r e s s a n d s o o n .
B y c o n c l u d i n g , t h e 2 0 1 4 e l e c t i o n s m a r k e d a t u r n i n g p o i n t i n I n d i a n p o l i t i c s w h i c h h a d s i g n i f i c a n t c o n s e q u e n c e s f o r t h e f u t u r e o f I n d i a n p o l i t i c s . I t t u r n e d t h e t i d e f r o m t h e f a v o r o f a p a r t y w h o w a s s y n o n y m o u s w i t h I n d i a a t o n e p o i n t o f t i m e t o
The 2014 elections have already impacted Indian politics on a large which is evident in the increasing victories of BJP in various states including the most recent 2022 state elections and this will surely impact the future of the Indian politics as well
By: Anshika Katare
Yet discrimination against women including gender based violence, economic discrimination, reproductive health inequalities, and harmful traditional practices is still a widespread and persistent form of inequality.
ender equality is not only the basic human right but also the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful world. Empowering women, in my view, is to give them the voice of speech, education, knowledge, opportuni ties to express themselves, to build them up as individuals and not as ‘women who rely on their husbands’ or any male member of her family. The importance of gender equality is emphasized by its inclusion as one of the eight goals of millennial develop ment. Gender equality was recognized as essential to the achievement of the other seven goals.
Women are the ones who do most of the work behind the scenes and have never been praised for it.
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G
The advancement of women can be defined in a number of ways, including uplifting the status of women through education, awareness, literacy and training, accepting women's ideas or making an effort to seek them out.
Women have been abused and deprived of their rights for several years. They were treated like animals bound for evil in society. Policies such as female fetal, child marriage, domestic violence, sati pratha, etc. always adhere to women. Regarded as a burden on the family, they were usually executed in the womb or shortly after birth. Even if they survive, they marry at an early age. After the wedding, they were harassed and severe ly beaten if they did not live up to their expectations. And when their husbands died, they were burned alive with their husbands. They were not expected to learn to be leaders. What they were expected to do was to serve the people; first the fathers and brothers at home and then the husbands after the wedding. The end of their job was to do household chores and that too without pay. But now, times are changing as well as public opinion. Women are coming up for their rights. The government has also taken a number of steps towards their expansion and ensuring their safety and justice. Although the government, NGOs and feminist leaders are trying to cross all borders to bring equality all their efforts are in vain and will continue to prevail until women unite and fight.
Many women like Kalpana Chawla, Sarojini Naidu, PT Usha, etc. have proven that women are not an addition to men but are equal to them. At the Rio Olympics, PV Sindhu and Sakshi Malik even looked better than men. But most of our empowe red women come from modern non racial families, and the status of rural women remains the same. Indian women are not the same class. In urban areas women with higher education and employment are empowered to a greater extent. In some pockets foreign women working economic ally enjoy better decision making power. Above all awareness of rights and Economic Conservation helps in their empowerment. Indian culture gives women great respect. Many of our gods are women and have been venerated as goddesses by the goddess of power and might by Durga and by the goddess of wisdom Saraswati. Women are the ones who do most of the work behind the scenes and have never been praised for it.
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Empowerment can be done in a variety of ways, social development is where women are portrayed as flexible and worthy of the media instead of backsliding. Economic development occurs when they are treated equally as men and are paid fairly without discrimination. The most important way is to teach because edu cation is quality and it makes everyone equal. Being educated does not mean that you are a man or a woman as long as you get a job. And that is why education should not be denied to girls.
There is a complete example to be found in the Mythological tale of Ramayana. When Hanuman was reminded of his great power by his friend Jamwant when they were all near the coast facing Lanka and no one was sure of their ability to take the Giant leap to reach Lanka where Sita was imprisoned. During this Opportunity Jamwant reminded Hanuman of his Past and Attempt as he was the Son of the Spirit of God and the only one who could do this with effort. Until then Hanuman had not realized her Great
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the same. Women do not care about their strengths. And in order to work better and improve the Health and Wellness of our community we need to remind them of their natural strengths and abilities.The government of India has started a few schemes such as BETI BACHAO BETI PADHAO SCHEME, HOSTEL FOR WORKING WOMEN etc. Under Article 15 (3), the Constitution of India allows for fair discrimination in favor of women. The article, under the right to equality, states: "Nothing in this article shall prec lude the State from making any provision for the benefit of women and children." to ensure that citizens, men and women equally, have the right to adequate living conditions. "
Empowerment may be a very broad term and every one has its own. the final idea of empowerment however is to integrate with others who are often overlooked in decision making. during this case, the inclusion and acceptance of ladies in such roles is empowering. we are going to not all succeed if our part is postponed, right? When you create opportunities for ladies academically and professionally in their fields of interest without limitations, it empowers them. this offers all girls the ability to settle on and choose what raises their status in society. In the past the role of ladies in society as a men's decision was to manage the household, marry early and problems like tolerance of assorted kinds of marital abuse. Of course, the modification won't happen overnight, any change is slow and slow. the primary step should be to acknowledge their role with in the economy and make opportunities for them. It will be in any field like busin ess, IT, Edutech, Culinary, law, banking, creative arts and sports.
There are many ways to empower women but we must use them at a lower level than talking. we have a lot to do and the journey is still a long way off.
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Women's empowerment is to acknowledge that yes, they can think and make responsible decisions. It is to help them and not to make decisions for them. If you do not do this, no economic independence will earn them respect.
women equalrights also towards gender equalityfreedom issues think belief political society treated men genders different sex lives social means power people male everyone respect
Welcome to the fourth edition in the series of “Optional in Focus”, where we will try examining different aspects of important optional subjects. It’s an effort to aid you understand what all things one needs to know while choosing an optional. The suggestions are collected from credible sources. There are no universal ways that one should follow while preparing for UPSC CSE. Not all fingers are the same, so are our minds. So, you can also follow any other credible sources or toppers suggestions when preparing for Optional.
Optional in focus that we bring to you this time is HISTORY.
OPTIONAL OIN PTIONAL IN FOCUS FOCUS
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Year No. of candidates cleared Success rate (%) 2019 257 11 2018 158 9.5 2017 59 5.5 2016 212 5.5 2015 174 8.3 2014 100 7.7
History optional success rate over the years is as follows:
History is an intricate part of the UPSC-CSE Examination, right from the prelims to GS-1 Paper in the Mains Examination, History plays a crucial role right through your UPSC journey. History is a good pick for your optional paper also even for the aspirants with no prior background in History. It is a discipline that is a really interesting one and helps you to develop a sense of critical thinking. Over the years many aspirants have taken up History as their optional and achieved success in not only English but Hindi Medium also.
You must have good writing skills to score good marks in history. You do need to remember a few dates and names in history. A good memory and understanding are required to ace history. A lot of things are subject to interpretation, unlike the sciences. So, your marks may vary from your expectations in this subject. The UPSC syllabus for history is vast and you require good time to cover the syllabus.
Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals-Delhi Sultanat (1206-1526) - 1 by Satish Chandra Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals Mughal Empire (1526 1748) 2 by Satish Chandra
A
It is by and large a static subject. So, if you cover this subject once, it will not change in the next two three years. So, if you are in your second or subsequent attempts, your preparation will get easier. In general studies papers, writing about the historical perspective of things gives depth to your arguments. Here, history preparation can help. There is ample study material available for this subject.
PROS OF HISTORY OPTIONAL
CONS OF HISTORY OPTIONAL
A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: from the Stone Age to the 12th Century by Upinder Singh India's Ancient Past by RS Sharma
General studies (prelims + mains) contain portions from history. So here, you can optimize time by preparing for optional and GS papers. Will also be helpful in the essay paper.
HISTORY OPTIONAL SYLLABUS
There are two optional papers in the UPSC exam pattern. Both the papers are for a total of 250 marks making the total optional marks to 500. UPSC History Optional Syllabushttps://byjus.com/free-ias-prep/ias-history-syllabus/ ncient Indian History Indian History
Medieval
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Without an interest in the subject it may be difficult to comprehend the subject.
Ensemble History Through Maps
Medieval India : The Study Of A Civlization by Irfan Habib
A History of the Modern World: An Outline by Ranjan Chakrabarti Mastering Modern World History (Palgrave Master Series) by Norman Lowe
From Plassey to Partition and After A History of Modern India by Sekhar Bandyopadhyay India's Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra India since Independence by Bipan Chandra
World
Optional 45| Buniyaad Digest | 2022
Modern Indian History History for History
Map
THE CIVIL SERVICES SOCIETY HINDU COLLEGE RANK HOLDERS OF PRAYAAS 16.0 | Thankyou Everyone for Participating in Quiz | SOUVIK BISWAS Hindu College DEVENDRA KUMAR PRAGATI RANA GANESH SHARMA Hindu College PUNEET Kirorimal College Hindu College Hindu College
(with answers)
(a)Mysuru (b)Hyderabad (c)Pune (d)Ahmedabad Answer:(c)
Q/A
PRAYAS 14
1 They are extra tropical cyclones that originate over the Mediterraneanregionand travelfromeasterntowesterndirection.
3. The Himalayan ranges influence the disturbances by inhibitingitsgrowth
1 Thereisaunicellularmodelofatmosphericcirculation
Q3 Which of the following country’s governments had an underwatercabinetmeetingto highlightthethreatofglobalwarming?
(a)MinistryofRuralDevelopment (b)MinistryofSocialJusticeandEmpowerment (c)MinistryofHousingandUrbanAffairs (d)MinistryofAgriculture&Farmers’Welfare Answer:(c)
Q1 Which Indian ministry is implementing the Support to UrbanStreetVendors(SUSV) scheme?
Q4 India's first indigenously developed Hydrogen Fuel Cell hasbeeninauguratedinwhich city:
2 Hadley , Ferrel and Polar cells are present over the equatorialregion
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Q2 Which state’s astronomical observatory has been includedintheUNESCOlistof ImportantEndangeredHeritageObservatories?
3 Thereisahighpressureareaprevailingasapressurebelt overtheequator
4 Hadley cell makes the warm air rise near the equatorial highpressurearea Whichareincorrect (a)Only1 (b)Only2 (c)Allthestatements (d)Noneofthestatements Answer:(d)
(a)Srilanka (b)Maldives (c)Nepal (d)India Answer:(b)
Q5 Consider the following statements on Western disturbances
4 It need not be regarded as an atmospheric concern for India
Whichamongthefollowingstatementsaretrue? (a)Noneoftheabove (b)Alloftheabove (c)Only2 and3 (d)Only1 and3 Answer:(c)
(a)Maharashtra (b)Bihar (c)WestBengal (d)Kerala Answer:(b)
2. Brings non monsoonal rainfall to north western parts of Indiaandattimescrosses thetropicofcancerandbringsrainfalltoGujarataswell.
Q6. Consider the following statements regarding the global aircirculation(general atmosphericcirculation)
Q10 With reference to the “G20 Common Framework”,considerthefollowingstatements:
1 It is an initiative endorsed by the G20 together withtheParisClub
Q14 Select the statement which correctly defines the differencebetween‘factorcost’and ‘factoryprice’:
2 ItisaninitiativetosupportLowIncomeCountries withunsustainabledebt
1 Western ghats are the ranges that run parallel to the Arabiansea.
Q11 With reference to the India economy, what are the advantagesof“Inflation Indexed Bonds(IIBs)”?
Q13 Selectthecorrectoption: (a) The value of total goods demanded in an economy is alwaysidenticallyequaltothe totalvalueofgoodssupplied (b)Statement(a)iscorrectinthecaseofmoderneconomies only,whereuseof currencies as the mode of exchange, but does not hold correctifitisabarter economy (c)Both(a)and(b)arecorrect (d)Noneoftheabove Answer:(a)
3. The interest received as well as capital gains on IIBs are nottaxable.
Whichofthestatementsgivenaboveis/arecorrect? (a)Only1 (b)Only2 (c)Both1 and2 (d)Neither1.nor2. Answer:(c)
4 Easternghatsarelesscontinuousascomparedtothe westernasternghats
(a) ‘Factor cost’ is the manufacturing price of any product, whilethe‘factoryprice’ includestheburdenofindirecttaxesontheproduct,too.
Q7 Consider the following statements on the western ghatsandtheeasternghats
2. IIGs provide protection to the investors from uncertainty regardinginflation.
(b) While ‘factory price’ of a product includes the current rateofinflation,the‘factorcost’ doesnot.
(c) When the weight of the state taxes are added to the ‘factorcost’itbecomes‘factory price’.
(a) All expenditures are used for the national debt payment only (b)Onlyaggregatedemandisincreased (c) Government expenditure leads to an increase in the aggregatesupplyinratioofthe aggregatedemand (d) Fresh currencies are printed to fulfil its deficit financial needs Answer:(c)
Q9 The area known as ‘Golan Heights’ sometimes appearsinthenewsinthecontextofthe eventsrelatedto: (a)CentralAsia (b)MiddleEast (c)South EastAsia (d)CentralAfrica Answer:(b)
(a)Hydrogen,Oxygen,Sodium (b)Carbon,Hydrogen,Nitrogen (c)Oxygen,Calcium,Phosphorous (d)Carbon,Hydrogen,Potassium Answer:(b)
(d)Noneoftheabove Answer:(d)
2. Western ghats are having more elevation as comparedtotheeastenghats.
47| Buniyaad Digest | August 2022
Q8 Which one of the following sets of elements was primarilyresponsiblefortheoriginoflife ontheEarth?
3.Westernghatshaveasignificantroleinthemonsoon windssheddingamajorpartof therainontheKeralacoast.
Whichofthestatementsgivenabovearecorrect? (a)1 and2 only (b)2 and3 only (c)1 and3 only (d)1,2,and3 Answer:(a)
Whichamongthegivenstatementsarecorrect (a)only1 and4 (b)Only2 and3 (c)1,2,3,and4 (d)Noneoftheabove Answer:(c)
Q12.Deficitfinancingleadstoinflationingeneral,butitcan becheckedif
1.Governmentcanreducethecouponratesonitsborrowing bywayofIIBs.
Q15. What is correct about the concept of 'transfer earnings’?
(b) The return that an asset must earn to prevent its transfertothenextbestalternative use
Q16 Select the correct statement about the popular stockmarketterm‘reverseyieldgap’from theoptionsgivenbelow:
Q18 Which of the following periods saw the emergenceoftradebetweenIndiaandthe RomanEmpire?
Q22 WhichoneofthefollowingisnotaHarappansite? (a)Chanhudaro (b)KotDijit (c)Sohgaura (d)Desalpur Answer:(c)
3 TheEnglishneveroccupiedPondicherry Selectthecorrectoption: (a)Only1 (b)2.and3. (c)Only3. (d)1.,2.,and3. Answer:(a)
Q19. Which among the following is / are cardinal doctrines ofSufism?
(a) A situation when the returns of government securitiesareinexcessovertheequities.
2.Annihilationoftheself
2 The second European power to occupy Pondicherry was theFrench
Q20 Which of the following looked after intelligence and policeintheadministrationof Shivaji?
(a)GovernmentofIndiaAct,1858 (b)CharterAct,1853 (c)IndianCouncilsAct,1861 (d)IndianCouncilsAct,1909 Answer:(a)
(c) The instance of comparatively higher inflation whichdepletesthereturnsearnedby investorsonthegovernmentbonds
Q17 The dual government introduced by Pitts India ActcontinuedtooperateinIndia,untilit wasabolishedbywhichofthefollowinglaws?
Q21 WithreferencetoPondicherry,whichofthestatements givenbelowis/arecorrect?
(a)MauryanPeriod (b)PostMauryanperiod (c)Pre vedicperiod (d)Vedicperiod Answer:(b)
(b)Asituationwhenthecapitalgainscompensatefor thenegativeimpactofinflationon theequities’returns.
Answer:(b)
Selectthecorrectoptionfromthecodesgivenbelow: (a)Only1 and2 (b)Only2,3,and4 (c)Only1,2,and3 (d)1,2,3,and4 Answer:(c)
(d) The situation when due to low long term capital gainstax,returnsonthegovernment securitiesbecomehigher
(c) The earnings companies get on their exports by drawingbackthefullamountof indirecttaxesontheexporteditemspopularlyknown as‘dutydrawbackscheme’
1 The first European power to occupy Pondicherry were Portuguese
1.CompletesurrendertothewillofGod
(a)Nyayadhish (b)Surnavis (c)PanditRao (d)Waqenavis Answer:(d)
(a) The private remittances’ earnings of an economy withthehelpofthetransferredpart ofincometoitbyitsnationalslivingabroad.
3.Becomingaperfectperson
4 RationalistPhilosophy
Q23 The feature of Indian constitution borrowed from SouthAfricanconstitutionis: (a)Procedureestablishedbylaw (b) Procedure for amendment of constitution and election ofRajyaSabhamembers (c)MethodofelectionofPresident (d)JointSittingoftheParliament Answer:(b)
(d) The transfer of the earnings by one arm of a companyfromoneeconomytoitsother arm in another economy under the agreement of ‘doubletaxation’ Answer:(b)
48 | Buniyaad Digest | August 2022
(c) The President can neither reject the bill nor return the bill.
(b) The President cannot reject the bill but can return the bill.
49| Buniyaad Digest | August 2022
Q25 With Regard to Constitutional Amendment Bill, select thecorrectoption:
Selectthecorrectoption: (a)1only (b)2only (c)Both1 and2 (d)Noneoftheabove Answer:(c)
(a) The President can reject the bill but cannot return the bill
1 Fundamental Rights enjoy legal supremacy over Directive principles
2 The parliament can amend the Fundamental Rights for implementingthedirective principles
Q24 Whichofthefollowingstatement/sis/arecorrect:
(d)ThePresidentcaneitherrejectthebillorreturnthebill. Answer:(c)
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