MAINS DAILY QUESTIONS & MODEL ANSWERS
Q1. What, in your opinion, does the adage “Always aim at complete harmony of thought, word, and deed” mean? “Aim to purify your mind and all will be well,” declared Mahatma Gandhi. (250 Words)
Paper & Topic: GS IV – Ethics and Integrity
Model Answer:
- A person with integrity constantly possesses harmony in their words, deeds, and thoughts. A person’s strong character is developed in this way. Gandhi said that when ideas, words, and deeds are in harmony, there is happiness and peace in life because ideas influence words and deeds. Because ideas influence words and deeds, he places a strong emphasis on cleansing the mind.
What happens when speech, conduct, and mind are out of sync?
- To have a conscience is to be conscious of the moral rightness or wrongness of one’s actions or the goodness or badness of one’s intentions. If thoughts and deeds are not in harmony, there will be dissonance in the mind, for example, when someone tells a lie even though they believe they are being honest.
- When a person’s words and actions don’t line up, it’s known as having double standards. One example is when a high-ranking employee preaches about gender equality at work yet favors male personnel when making promotions.
- False negative ideas will soon lead to erroneous actions, preventing a person from growing in all areas of life. Using corruption in public office as an example, false negative ideas will cause a person to feel uneasy inside.
What happens when ideas are pure?
- A person will behave morally if their ideas are pure, their conscience provides guidance, and positivity helps control selfish desires.
- A government employee with pure intentions will always prioritize serving the public; this helps to resolve the conflict between personal and public interest. When one has pure ideas, they will make an attempt to help others and act in a selfless manner.
- When a person’s ideas are pure, they grow a strong character, which gives them the internal fortitude to act honorably and endure trying circumstances.
- It should be noted that millions of people have lived before, but their names have been lost to history because their actions, words, and thoughts were meaningless. However, over time, the names of noble, sincere individuals persisted because their truth was divine in nature and there was harmony in their words, thoughts, and deeds.
- Gandhiji also said that “happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” For this reason, one should always strive to have complete harmony of thought, word, and deed in order to have peace of mind and happiness in life. Politicians today exhibit double standards, and dishonest government employees lack honesty.
Q2. Despite significant challenges, a pragmatic approach and mutual sensitivity might re-energize bilateral relations between India and Nepal. Critically Analyse (250 Words)
Paper & Topic: GS II – International Relations
Model Answer:
- During the recent visit of the Nepalese prime minister, India and Nepal were able to examine the full spectrum of the bilateral agenda spanning political, economic, trade, security, and developmental cooperation, driven by challenges presented by the post-COVID-19 world and a special friendship and cooperative relationship that is characterized by open borders and enduring people-to-people interaction of kinship and culture.
The following list of problems affects relations between India and Nepal:
- Open borders notwithstanding, challenging regulatory requirements have made import and export between the two countries more challenging; small enterprises are disproportionately affected by this; trading agreements between India and Nepal still adhere to outdated regulations; the practical complexity of trade frequently leaves it susceptible to the high degree of discretionary authority of local customs authorities, from imp
- Trade barriers: China has supplanted India as the exclusive source of FDIs (Foreign Direct Investments) into Nepal, undermining India’s hegemony. For instance, China obtained about 40% of the new FDI in 2019 compared to India’s 30% share.
- In 2019, Nepal published a new map that claimed portions of Lipulekh and Kalapani as its own. Territorial issues: One of the main barriers between India and Nepal is the Kalapani boundary dispute. These borders were drawn by the British in 1816, and India inherited control of the former British colonies in 1947.
- Chinese involvement in Nepal was minimal prior to 2015, but it moved quickly to fill the gap through increased security cooperation and cultural diplomacy. India is concerned about how China may affect its ability to influence Nepal in the future. China presented Kathmandu with a quick and profitable option after the 2015 blockade made it necessary to reevaluate its reliance on India.
- Challenges posed by an open border: India’s porous border with Nepal presents a number of internal security challenges, including the Pakistani military’s use of Nepal as a base to enter India and the formation of a “Revolutionary Corridor” by the Indian Maoists and the Nepalese Maoists that extends from Nepal through Bihar and up to Andhra Pradesh.
In order to strengthen the bilateral relationship between India and Nepal, the following steps must be taken:
- Building trust between the two countries might be facilitated by strengthening economic relations, and the recent visit of the prime minister of Nepal has highlighted the real priorities that have the potential to change the sub-region’s economy, including the need for hydropower projects to power Indian infrastructure, access to river transportation, creative tourism routes, and improved connectivity.
- Neighbourhood First strategy: More consideration should be given to India’s Neighbourhood First policy in order to maximize strategic impact and speed up the construction of infrastructure projects.
- Increasing digital connectivity: Nepal and India may create modern business hubs that would link their nations’ innovations with their young, tech-savvy entrepreneurs.
- To improve the level of democracy and governance and control rampant corruption, Nepal’s key concern is depoliticizing cooperation with India, notably in the area of water resources cooperation.
- Sensible response to Nepal’s issues: India must address Nepal’s impression that its foreign policy is no longer a top priority and provide all political parties a sense of ownership, equality, and credit for substantial achievements in areas like hydropower.
- For instance, it would provide credit lines that small and medium-sized firms might utilize directly for international commerce and investment. India should concentrate on “aid diplomacy” in order to increase trust and continue providing support for post-earthquake recovery.
- The governments of India and Nepal must alter the narrative and modernise their policies for the bonds between people to once again flourish, as they can only remain strong if they can remain relevant to changing times over centuries of social, cultural, political, strategic, and economic relationships.
