22 July 2022 – Daily Mains Answer Writing & Model Answer
Q1. Following the third Carnatic War, the English ruled India with a vengeance, having defeated all of their European adversaries. Examine the causes for the English triumph. (250 words)
- Paper & Topic: GS I àIndian Culture
- Model Answer:
Introduction:
- The Anglo-French conflict in India lasted over 20 years, culminating with the establishment of British power in India.
- The Anglo-French rivalry was quite visible in the Carnatic region and Bengal.
- Alivardi Khan’s effective involvement in Bengal had successfully subdued their resentment.
- However, the French position in the south was strengthened by the arrival of a fleet from Mauritius, which resulted in a French attack on the English position in Madras.
Body:
- When Austria attempted to reclaim Silesia in 1756, the Seven Years War (1756-63) erupted in Europe. Once again, the United Kingdom and France were on opposing sides.
In India, the War’s Progress:
- The English forts of St. David and Vizianagaram were conquered by the French army under the command of Count Thomas Arthur de Lally in 1758.
- The English went on the offensive now, and the French fleet led by Admiral D’Acheat Masulipatnam suffered terrible losses.
Wandiwash’s Battle:
- On January 22, 1760, the English won the final battle of the Third Carnatic War at Wandiwash (or Vandavasi) in Tamil Nadu.
- The English army of General Eyre Coote routed the French army of Count de Lally and captured Marquis de Bussy.
- Lally bravely fought Pondicherry for eight months before surrendering on January 16, 1761.
- The French dominance in India was brought to its nadir with the fall of Pondicherry, Gingee, and Mahe.
- Lally returned to France after being taken as a prisoner of war in London, where he was imprisoned and executed in 1766.
The Importance of the Result:
- The Third Carnatic War was a decisive victory.
- The Treaty of Paris (1763) brought an end to the third war, allowing Pondicherry and Chandannagar to be ceded to France but solely for commerce purposes.
- Despite the fact that the treaty restored the French factories in India, French political power in India faded after the war.
- Following that, the French in India, like their Portuguese and Dutch counterparts, restricted themselves to small enclaves and commerce.
- In the Indian subcontinent, the English became the ultimate European power.
The Reasons for English Success and French Failure:
- Governmental Control Over British: The English Company was a private company with little government involvement.
- People become more enthusiastic and self-assured as a result of this.
- With less government oversight, this corporation could make quick decisions without having to wait for clearance from the government.
- The French firm, on the other hand, was a government-owned enterprise.
- The French government controlled and regulated it, and it was hemmed in by government policies and decision-making delays.
- Superior British Navy and Control of Larger Cities: The English fleet was superior to the French navy, and it assisted in cutting off the important maritime route between French territories in India and France.
- The English controlled three significant cities: Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras, while the French only controlled Pondicherry.
- The British had a strong financial position, whereas the French prioritized geographical ambition over business interests, leaving the French enterprise cash-strapped.
- Regardless of their imperialistic motivations, the British never failed to consider their business interests.
- The British have always had sufficient funds and, as a result, a good financial position to aid them greatly in conflicts against their adversaries.
- Superior British Commanders: The supremacy of the British commanders in India was a crucial factor in the English victory.
- On the French side, there was only Dupleix, compared to the vast list of leaders on the English side – Sir Eyre Coote, Major Stringer Lawrence, Robert Clive, and many others.
Conclusion:
- The English East India Company had no European adversary in India after the victory at Wandiwash.
- As a result, they were prepared to take control of the entire country.
- Native Americans served as sepoys in both armies at the Battle of Wandiwash.
- It leads one to believe that the fall of India to European invaders was inevitable, regardless of which side prevailed.
Q2. There was a complex power struggle between diverse groups of powers in the eighteenth century. There was a fight for political supremacy not only between the colonial power and the Indian states, but also among the Indian powers themselves. Discuss. (250 words)
- Paper & Topic: GS I àIndian Culture
- Model Answer:
Introduction:
- With Aurangzeb’s mistaken policies weakening the stable Mughal polity and the failure of other Mughals like Muhammad Shah’s leadership from 1719 to 1748, the Mughal Empire was altered by the rise of a number of independent kingdoms during the first half of the eighteenth century.
- By 1773, the East India Corporation had gained geographical control over Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Madras, and Bombay, having begun as a trade company. Their dependents were the Nawabs of Awadh and Carnatic.
Body:
The following are the three sorts of states that have emerged as a result of the establishment of a large number of independent and semi-independent or autonomous nations:
- Hyderabad, Bengal, and Awadh were the three cases in which Mughal provincial governors established independent states.
- The ‘new states’ or ‘insurgent states’ established by rebels against the Mughals—the Marathas, Sikhs, Jats, and Afghans—were the second group of regional states.
- This group includes sovereign states like as Mysore, the Rajput states, and Kerala.
- They faced heavy opposition from the Marathas, Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan of Mysore, and the Sikhs after 1765. To be supreme in India, the East India Company had to subjugate these powers.
The conflict between colonial powers and Indian states:
- Conflict between the English and the Bengali Nawabs
- The victory of Robert Clive over Siraj-ud-daula at the Battle of Plassey (June 23, 1757) set the territorial foundations for British dominance in India.
- Clive’s victory at Buxar (1764) over the united troops of the Nawab of Bengal, Nawab of Awadh, and the Mughal Emperor created the true foundations of English authority.
Mysore’s British Conquest:
- First Anglo-Mysore War (1767-69); Madras Treaty Second Anglo-Mysore War (1779-1784); Mangalore Treaty Third Anglo-Mysore War (1790-92); Srirangapattanam Treaty Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799); Mysore is overrun by British forces
- The Anglo-Maratha War for Supremacy
- Treaties of Surat (1775), Purandhar (1776), and Salbai (1782); Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803-05); Treaty of Bassein, 1802. Third Anglo-Maratha War (1803-05); Treaty of Bassein, 1802. (1817-1819)
Indian powers are at odds:
- Against South Indian nations like Hyderabad and Mysore, which were both closer to the French, the Marathas regularly sided with the British.
- After 1761, the Maratha state became more of a confederacy than an empire, as its successful generals carved out new territories for themselves and established dynasties, such as the Holkars and Sindhias, in addition to the peshwas, or hereditary prime ministers who had become the de facto rulers of the empire during the 18th century.
- In the Anglo-Maratha wars, the Nizams and Marathas united with the British against Hyder Ali.
- Indeed, political fragmentation and regional volatility characterized the Indian subcontinent in the middle of the eighteenth century.
Conclusion:
- The ‘de-facto’ ruler of India was no longer the ruler of Delhi.
- Because of regional rulers’ fighting, the ‘right to live’ became a’struggle for survival,’ and the ‘freedom of trade’ became ‘ransom and robbery,’ for a huge number of Indians.
- All of this paved the way for the British to conquer India and engage in large-scale ‘draining of wealth.’
Q3. The Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) 2.0 has been updated to conform with the Sustainable Development Goal for Education (SDG-4) and the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP), which will focus on providing high-quality education in an equitable environment. Discuss. (250 words)
- Paper & Topic: GS I àIndian Society
- Model Answer:
- Introduction:
- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the Samagra Shiksha Scheme 2.0 school education program for the fiscal year 2025-26.
- It has been updated to conform with the new National Education Policy, which was launched in 2020, and the Sustainable Development Goal for Education.
- Around 180 of the National Education Policy 2020’s 293 revolutionary paragraphs are dedicated to school education.
- The Union government approved the redesigned Samagra Shiksha 2.0 scheme, which includes provisions from 86 of those clauses.
- Body:
- SDG-4 and NEP are aligned in Samagra Shiksha 2.0:
- All child-centric treatments will be offered directly to pupils in DBT mode on an IT-based platform throughout time, in order to improve the scheme’s direct outreach.
- Teacher training: Master Trainers will be trained to train Anganwadi workers, and ECCE teachers will receive in-service teacher training.
- NCERT has developed specific training modules for Secondary and Primary teachers under the NISHTHA program.
- A new element Appointment of a Language Teacher has been included in the system, along with components for teacher training and bilingual books and teaching learning materials, as well as financial support for teachers.
- Ensure learning outcomes:NIPUN Bharat, a National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, was launched under the scheme with TLM up to Rs 500 per child per year, Rs 150 per teacher for teacher manuals and resources, and Rs 10-20 lakh per district for assessment to ensure that every child achieves the desired learning competencies in reading, writing, and numeracy by the end of grade III and not later than grade 5.
- All girls’ hostels have an incinerator and sanitary pad vending machines, empowering them.
- There is a plan in place to upgrade all KGBVs to class XII.
- Increased financial support of up to Rs 40 lakh per annum for existing Stand-alone Girls’ Hostels for classes IX to XII (KGBV Type IV) (earlier Rs 25 lakh per annum).
- Training for three months to instill self-defense skills under the ‘Rani Laxmibai Atma Raksha Prashikshan,’ with a monthly stipend of Rs 3000 to Rs 5000.
- Stipend of Rs. 200 per month for 10 months for CWSN females, in addition to student component from pre-primary to senior secondary level.
- Providing annual CWSN identification camps at the block level at a cost of Rs. 10,000 per camp, as well as equipping Block Resource Centers for CWSN rehabilitation and specific training.
- Syllabus Revision:In existing senior high schools, new courses will be added instead of Streams.
- Infrastructure:Transportation services have been extended to secondary schools at a cost of up to Rs 6000 per year.
- If at least two students from a school win a medal in the Khelo India school games at the national level, the school would receive an additional sports grant of up to Rs. 25000.
- ICT laboratories, Smart classrooms with support for digital boards, smart classrooms, virtual classes, and DTH channels have all been made available.
- Support for dropouts:Support would be provided to SC, ST, and disabled students aged 16 to 19 years old, up to Rs 2000 per child every grade, to complete their secondary/senior secondary levels through NIOS/SOS.
- Support for the State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights in the amount of Rs 50 every primary school in the state for the protection and safety of children.
- Bagless days, school complexes, internships with local craftspeople, curricular and pedagogical reforms, and other innovations in education are mentioned.
- Provision has been made for the creation of new SCERTs and new DIETs in districts till March 31, 2020.
- Assessment:Establishment of an assessment cell, preferably at SCERT, to perform various achievement surveys, prepare test materials and item banks, train various stakeholders and administer tests, analyze data, and generate reports, among other things.
- BRCs and CRCs’ academic help has been extended to pre-primary and secondary school students as well.
- In addition to Government Schools, support under Vocational Education was extended to Government Aided Schools, with grant/number of work roles/sections tied to enrolment and demand.
- Provision of Vocational Education classrooms and workshops in schools that serve as hubs for other schools in the neighborhood. For schools serving as spokes, transportation and evaluation costs have been provided.
- For pupils in government and government-aided schools, child tracking is available.
- Support for a social audit of 20% of schools per year, with the goal of covering all schools in five years.
- Conclusion:
- Infusing joy into every step and component of school education in a holistic manner, with the full support and participation of all stakeholders, is the way forward not only for instilling positive in the system, but also for creating synchronicity in the experiences of both instructors and students.
- This is the goal of Samagra Shiksha 2.0.
Q4. Describe the concept of a Social Stock Exchange and how it affects civil
society. Examine the aspects that must be considered in order for this unique
concept to be a success in India. (250 words)
- Paper & Topic: GS I àIndian Society
- Model Answer:
- Introduction:
- A social stock exchange (SSE) is a platform where social enterprises, volunteer groups, and welfare organizations can list themselves in order to collect funds.
- On a single platform, it will bring together social enterprises and impact investors.
- In the 2019 budget, the Finance Minister said that the government intends to establish a social stock exchange (SSE). In India, the SSE will be regulated by SEBI.
- Body:
- Background:
- In this regard, in September 2019, the Securities and Market Board of India (Sebi) established a 15-member working group on a social stock exchange (SSE).
- According to a June 2020 study by Sebi’s SSE working group, India has at least 3.1 million non-profit organizations (NPOs), which is more than double the number of schools and 250 times the number of government hospitals.
- Civil Society Implications of Social Stock Exchanges:
- The plan has gotten a lot of attention, and social entrepreneurs, among others, have argued that it may revolutionize how they raise money from investors.
- The exchange will assist social and voluntary organizations that work for social issues in raising funds in the form of stock, debt, or mutual fund units.
- It’s a fantastic idea for the government to invest some resources in the construction of a facilitating institution.
- Because the government is wary of foreign donations to nonprofits, the exchange might assist the sector raise funds.
- In a society marked by glaring inequality and strong economic growth, the plan would be a daring experiment.
- The exchange, if established, may provide new and cheaper sources of funding for social welfare initiatives while also demonstrating India’s independence from foreign aid as it attempts to improve its global standing.
- SSEs exist in multiple nations in various forms, but the Indian version’s trading, tax benefit transferability, and third-party accountability remain unclear.
- Factors to consider if this unique notion is to be successful in India:
- Non-profit organizations (NPOs) would have to demonstrate the measurability of their efforts as well as establish “primacy of social impact.”
- For-profit social businesses appear to be any organization “in corporation structure, partnership, or sole-proprietorship firm” that creates a social impact as part of its business (FPEs). This is a gray area that could be abused, thereby reducing the flow of cash to non-profits.
- The SSE aims to promote openness in the NPO sector by requiring increased financial, social, and governance reporting. While this is a worthy goal in and of itself, procedures that rely on information risk leaving smaller NPOs out of the SSE’s scope.
- It also runs the danger of alienating organizations whose efforts and/or influence aren’t easily quantifiable. NPOs working in environmental justice, digital rights, or other areas where existing institutions and processes are stacked against them, for example.
- While the SSE technical committee establishes rules for social auditors, intermediaries agencies are feared to develop.
- Given the proposals’ lack of regulatory checks and balances, such agencies may gain unfettered power over the SSE-NPO-donor ecosystem. This may be contrary to the spirit of the concept.
- The fine line between controlling non-profits to prevent them from abusing the flexibility they have been granted and allowing for a broader range of fund-raisers who go beyond a small set of easily verifiable objectives is a delicate one that will require a lot of work as the plan is implemented.
- Steps to take/Conclusion:
- The government must first establish how to distinguish between a social company and a traditional business.
- It would be novel if corporate social responsibility monies could be channeled through the exchange to social enterprises.
- This can help organizations route funding through a more viable path and avoid misuse of CSR monies.
- The notion of a Social Stock Exchange is a good one, but it need further thought and collaboration with all stakeholders.
- Some of these crucial choices taken at the outset will determine its realization and eventual worth to these stakeholders, particularly non-profits.
- The Social Stock Exchange is a positive move toward assisting cash-strapped social enterprises. This will help to advance the cause of socioeconomic development while also providing a high level of openness and accountability.