The Prayas ePathshala

Exams आसान है !

Q1. What are the causes and concerns related to cereal inflation? Discuss.

Paper & Topic: GS II à Government Policies and Interventions related issues

Model Answer:

What is the situation right now?

At its highest point in September, retail inflation was 7.41%. The consumer pricing index offers information on the rate of retail inflation.
It should be emphasised that the majority of the CPI—45.86%—is made up of food prices. The CPI takes into account the cost of goods including grains, pulses, fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs, meat, and fish.

Causes:

The conversation has thus far centred on assisting farmers in expanding their production of crops besides rice, wheat, and sugarcane while also enhancing the availability of nutritious meals for the underprivileged that are rich in protein, vitamins, fibre, and minerals in addition to carbohydrates.
Market-based, resource-efficient, and environmentally conscious agriculture are the main concerns of policymakers.
The Russia-Ukraine War and the ensuing global economic unrest, however, have postponed these opportunities for significant change.

Concerns:

Despite the fact that stocks of wheat and rice at government godowns are at a five-year low, food prices are currently rising.
When compared to how full similar godowns were at the beginning of the year, the situation is startlingly grain-depleted.
A record 105.6 million tonnes of wheat and rice were exported in 2021–2022, with a record 28.4 million tonnes going through the PDS.

How do we approach it?

The wheat sowing season has not yet begun, and the new harvest won’t be arriving at the mandis until March, so the administration’s options are limited.
Importing wheat is not feasible because even the cheapest Russian wheat costs 30 INR per kg. Given that imports can only be made for legitimate government objectives, the government may think about ordering 1-2 million tonnes of imports to refill supplies for the general public and to undertake OMOs (open market operations) to regulate pricing.
It would not be wise to ascend MSP at this moment. Furthermore, no further incentives are required to persuade Indian farmers to grow wheat.

Conclusion:

Last but not least, in past years and even in the first half of 2022, India benefited from a sizable supply of foodgrains. The decision to extend the free grain programme may increase demand-side pressure while the disruption of the global supply chain and the intensifying effects of climate change have ignited inflationary pressure on the supply side.

Q2. Discuss some of the achievements of the Gupta Empire mainly in terms of its economic prosperity.

Paper & Topic: GS I à Art and Culture

Model Answer:

The hub of civilizations has historically been India. As a result of regional expansion, India’s social, economic, and cultural foundations have evolved. With the rise of the Aryans and the Indus Valley Civilization, Indian history officially began. The pre-Vedic and Vedic ages, respectively, are the names given to these two periods. The Vedic era is when Hinduism first emerged.
The Rig Veda contains the earliest Indian tale that is currently known. Between 2800 and 1800 BC, the Indus Valley civilization developed a highly effective economic system. The people of the Indus Valley practised agriculture, raised domesticated animals, traded with Middle Eastern countries, and produced tools and weapons out of bronze, tin, and copper.
Most of the Indian subcontinent was governed by the Mauryan Empire between the fourth and third centuries BCE. While Prakrit and Pali literature emerged in the north, Tamil Sangam literature began to develop in the south in the third century BCE. Wootz steel was created in South India and exported to other countries in the first century BCE. The Gupta Empire distinguished itself from the many dynasties that ruled various parts of India over the ensuing 1,500 years, known as the Classical period.

The Gupta Empire’s monetary system was as follows:

The Gupta Empire valued agriculture highly.
The Gupta economy flourished because they placed a significant emphasis on agriculture.
The Gupta kings used scientific methods to increase agricultural productivity during the Gupta era, which saw the development of a sophisticated agricultural system.
India had a highly developed agricultural, industrial, and commercial system even before the Gupta dynasty rose to imperial dominance. The stability and prosperity of the economy during this time period allowed for a broad increase in culture.
On the ground and near to the coast, trade took place. Both eastern and western countries had trade relationships with India.
India and other nations, including Sri Lanka, Persia, Arabia, the Byzantine Empire, Africa, and others, frequently exchanged naval communications.

Conclusion:

It’s common knowledge that North Indian art was at its best during the Gupta era. Despite the fact that painting was clearly more prevalent, religious sculptures make up the majority of the surviving works. During this period, the Buddha image, the well-known carved stone god, and the Jain Tirthankara figures all made their debuts in Hindu art; the latter was regularly produced in exceedingly huge sizes.