MAINS DAILY QUESTIONS & MODEL ANSWERS
Q1. The central teaching of the Buddha is the middle road, which is applicable to all spheres of life. Give specific instances to support your points.
GS IV – Ethics-related issues
Introduction:
- Based on Gautama Buddha’s teachings, Buddhist philosophy and beliefs offer significant insights into reality and the human condition. Buddhism promotes the Middle Path, which rejects extreme practices like rigorous abstinence and pleasure. In his view, each person is ultimately accountable for their own happiness in life, highlighting Buddhism’s emphasis on individualism.
The central teaching of the Buddha is the middle road, which is applicable to all spheres of life:
- It basically means staying away from extremes like the ones we are seeing today—religious hatred and criticism of religion, narrow nationalism and unchecked liberalism, fixation with a golden past and the justification of anything deemed modern. g.: mindlessly discriminating against a segment of the population based on their attire, diet, etc.
- Simply put, unquestioning belief in what one feels is right without regard for the opinions of others.
- It is imperative that we follow the advice of the Buddha https://www.insightsonindia.com/ethics-integrity-and-aptitude/contributions-of-moral-thinkers-from-India-and-the-world/indian-moral-thinkers/the-buddha/ to steer clear of extreme practices and instead follow the moderate path of reason. Take the current conflict in Ukraine, where both Russia and NATO are attempting to forward their respective agendas.
- Buddhism instills a high code of ethics, and the teachings of the eight-fold path provide a straightforward yet effective direction for everyone, including the strong and influential—political and corporate leaders, religious seers, bureaucrats, and professionals.
- The “middle path” outlined by the Buddha is the only one that can deliver humanity from the ills of hatred, vituperation, and violence in today’s world of intense religious and political conflicts, growing inequality, and unethical commercial competition.
- “Peace and Justice” is one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that the UN has set for 2030 completion.
- The Buddha’s prism can serve as a guiding light for all stakeholders, from local to global institutions and leaders, in encouraging discourse, harmony, and justice based on compassion and wisdom, given the interdependence of peace and sustainable development.
- The teachings of Buddhism foster compassion, serenity, happiness, and peacefulness in people, and they can support the preservation of a long-term equilibrium between nature and humans. As the Dalai Lama, a prominent figure in Tibetan spirituality, has said, “the 20th century was a century of war and violence, now we all need to work to see that the 21st century is of peace and dialogue,” Buddha’s teachings have the power to change cultures into better, more compassionate ones.
Q2. A hidden calamity known as land subsidence is engulfing the Himalayan region. Examine the reasons for it, the effects it has, and the steps that must be taken to stop this silent calamity.
GS III – Environmental Conservation
Introduction:
- “Sinking of the ground because of underground material movement” is the definition of subsidence given by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It can occur for a variety of natural or man-made causes, including mining operations and the extraction of natural resources like oil, water, or other natural resources. Among the other well-known causes of subsidence include earthquakes, soil erosion, and soil compaction.
- Joshimath, often referred to as Jyotirmath, is a town in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli District, situated on the NH-7 (Rishikesh-Badrinath) at an elevation of 1890 metres, in the Garhwal Himalayas. The town has a population of around 20,000.
- It is located on the central slopes of a hill, with the Dhauliganga and Alaknanda rivers to the south and north, and the Karmanasa and Dhaknala streams to the west and east.
- The locals were alarmed and protested when Joshimath, a major transit hub for visitors heading to Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib, began to show signs of cracking due to earth subsidence.
- Over sixty families who were residing in unusable dwellings in the collapsing town of Joshimath have been evacuated to make way for temporary relief centres. Joshimath has been declared a landslide-subsidence zone.
Reasons for the subsidence of land:
- According to sources, an expert team appointed by the Uttarakhand government in 2022 discovered that both natural and man-made elements are to blame for numerous areas of Joshimath “sinking.”
- It was discovered that practically every ward in the city had structural flaws and damage as a result of the earth’s surface gradually settling or abruptly sinking as a result of the removal or relocation of underlying materials.
- Joshimath is not on the main rock; rather, it is situated on a layer of sand and stone, according to the 1976 Mishra Committee report. Situated above a historic landslip.
- According to the research, landslides are also caused by the undercutting caused by the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga river currents.
- The area’s dispersed rocks are coated in aged landslip debris, which includes loose soil, gneissic rocks, and boulders with a limited bearing capacity.
- Because the region is in a seismic zone, earthquakes are likely to occur there frequently.
- These extensively worn gneissic rocks have a poor cohesive value and a propensity for high pore pressure when they get wet, particularly during the monsoon season.
- In the past few decades, the NH has widened, hydroelectric projects, overpopulation, increased building, and obstructions to the natural flow of water have all contributed to the slopes’ extreme instability.
- The tragedy has been attributed by the locals to the Tapovan Vishnugad Hydro Power Project of NTPC. They claim that water seepage from a broken aquifer in the tunnel caused Joshimath’s water supplies to dry up.
- The other grounds for the city’s demise are the flowing waters from Vishnuprayag and sliding along the natural streams.
Effects:
- Numerous roads and hundreds of homes in Joshimath started to show cracks.
- According to officials, 68 families have already been moved to makeshift aid shelters, and perhaps 90 more will follow shortly.
- It might have an impact on the Char Dham project.
- It might have an impact on tourism, which was one of Uttarakhand’s main sources of income.
- Many families who work in tourism and related industries may lose their means of subsistence.
- Although experts advise against any further expansion or hydropower projects in the area, it is urgently necessary to move the population to a safer location and then redesign the town’s layout to take into account the new circumstances and the shifting geographic features.
- One of the most important aspects that needs to be researched and updated is drainage planning. Due to increasing amounts of trash seeping into the soil and loosening it from inside, the city is experiencing inadequate drainage and sewage management. The state administration has requested that the irrigation department investigate the problem and develop a new drainage system design.
- The committee had suggested putting limits on large-scale construction projects, blasting or excavating to remove rocks for road repairs and other projects, and tree-felling.
- In order to preserve the soil’s capacity, experts have also recommended replanting the area, particularly at the most vulnerable locations.
- Although the state already has weather forecasting technologies that can alert citizens to nearby events, more has to be done to expand its coverage.
- Additionally, the state administration must give greater weight to scientific research that elucidate the causes of the current problem. The state won’t stop its development frenzy till then.
- To save Joshimath, a concerted effort involving the government, civic society, and military groups such as the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is required.
