28 June 2023

MAINS DAILY QUESTIONS & MODEL ANSWERS

Q1. Compare and contrast the similarities and differences between Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas of modern India.

Paper & Topic: GS I – Modern Indian History

Model Answer:

• Two key figures in the struggle for Indian freedom, Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi, have contributed significantly to the idea of modern India. While Mahatma Gandhi revolutionised political protest and helped bring about India’s independence, Rabindranath Tagore was essential to the restoration of Indian culture.  Despite having diverse intellectual views, they shared several fundamental principles.

Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore concurred on the following issues:

• Service commitment: Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi had a vision of Swaraj that was indissolubly entwined with their desire to helping the less fortunate. They both found it difficult to understand swaraj as merely political independence from British rule. This political independence was meant to be complemented by the emancipation of the individual.
• They both anticipated humanism and a love of the natural environment. They both had a strong commitment to assisting Native Americans and saw themselves as resolving problems that affected all of humanity.
• The importance of non-violence (ahimsa): Since non-violence was a core value in their lives, Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi regarded India and the world as peaceful places free of all sorts of animosity. Their idea of India was inclusive, peaceful, and devoid of any sort of sectarian strife.
• Both of them put a lot of effort into working in villages because they understood that India’s numerous villages needed to be revived if the country was to prosper.
• They both emphasise how important it is to teach students in their native tongues. They believe that studying a foreign language cannot result in a worthwhile education. The employment of a foreign tongue unnecessarily strains children’s nerves and stifles creativity.
• Contribution to the war for independence: Mahatma Gandhi started the Civil Disobedience Movement to show that Indians supported injustice while fighting the British without resorting to violence. While this was going on, Tagore used literature to instill nationalist ideas in the minds of young people. He also forfeited his knighthood while supporting the fight for Indian independence.

Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore disagreed on the following issues:

• They both held distinctive and progressive views regarding how nationalism ought to be analysed. In contrast, Tagore embraced “internationalism” since it transcended the confines of nationalism and saw imperialism as a physical form of nationalism. On the other side, Gandhiji characterised nationalism as an ideology built on self-sufficiency at all societal levels. Gandhi wanted “Purna Swarajya,” but Tagore wanted the country to be free from the yoke of British empire.
• The idea of non-cooperation has been interpreted in several ways. According to Tagore, the idea of non-cooperation itself encourages negativity. He believed that practising civil disobedience and refusing to cooperate runs counter to the idea of being accepting of and actively interacting with all cultural influences.
• Different perspectives on education: Mahatma Gandhi stressed the need of a child’s overall development, whilst Tagore was sure that education might lead to self-realization. Tagore embraced Plato’s method of generating curiosity as a means of teaching, in contrast to Mahatma Gandhi who believed in learning by doing through his concept of Nai Talim.
• Gandhiji and Tagore were both idealists, but they had differing ideas on what education should be used for. Mahatma Gandhi prioritised a child’s complete growth, whereas Tagore only focused on loftier ideals and ideas. Mahatma Gandhi’s educational philosophy was more concerned with promoting Indian culture and civilisation, but Rabindranath Tagore wanted to assimilate the best aspects of Western education into the Indian educational system.
• Jawaharlal Nehru referred to Gandhiji as the “man of ceaseless activity” and Tagore as the “man of thought”. Even though they had different opinions on a number of issues, they believed that modern India should be a peaceful, welcoming nation built on humanistic principles.

Q2. Examine the possible implications of the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on India’s exports to the EU.

Paper & Topic: GS II – International Relations

Model Answer:

• The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) has been proposed by the European Union as a tool to reduce carbon emissions from imported goods. It is a particular form of carbon pricing system made to prevent carbon leakages, which occur when businesses transfer manufacturing to countries with lenient climate policies, increasing greenhouse gas emissions. The CBAM will impose a levy on a group of imports having a high carbon footprint, which EU importers and companies who export these products to EU countries will be liable to pay.

How will the CBAM function?

• The CBAM first aims to impose a border tax on carbon emissions on imports of the most carbon-intensive items, such as iron and steel, cement, fertilisers, aluminium, and energy.
• In order to receive a new type of pollution permit that accurately reflects that discharge, importers will need to pay rates in accordance with the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS). Some or all of the cost may be waived if a carbon tax has previously been paid in the country where the commodities were produced.
• The proceeds from CBAM taxes may be used to advance the EU’s climate objectives, including financing climate-friendly initiatives and aiding climate programmes in developing countries.

The impact of CBAM on Indian exports:

• The carbon tax imposed by the EU is perceived as a non-tariff barrier (NTB) that will have an effect on India’s exports, increasing costs and lowering competitiveness. Indian exporters might anticipate increased prices, diminished competition, and declining demand for their goods on the EU market.
• Impact on metal exports: In 2022, 27% of India’s exports of iron, steel, and aluminium products went to the EU. A 20%–35% fee on a variety of commodities entering the EU as a result of CBAM. It will have a negative impact on India’s exports of goods made of metals like iron, steel, and aluminium to the EU.
• Impact on engineering products: Engineering products, which have recently been India’s largest export growth driver, would be impacted by the introduction of CBAM.
• The impact of CBAM on India would depend on the carbon intensities of the exported items and the alternatives available on the EU market. Products with higher carbon intensities are riskier. Products with a high carbon intensity are likely to face higher fees, which will hurt their ability to compete. If there are no low-carbon substitutes for Indian goods on the EU market, the impact of CBAM on Indian exports could be negligible.
• One of India’s main issues is the absence of an emissions trading system akin to the EU’s ETS, which might make it harder for Indian businesses to demonstrate that their products are produced using low-carbon technology and result in higher CBAM payments.

Moving forward:

• It is being discussed with the EU whether to exempt or reduce tariffs for Indian producers. To avoid unfairly penalise Indian enterprises for their emissions is the goal.
• Work is being done on the development of a domestic carbon pricing mechanism to provide incentives for companies to reduce their emissions. This will boost Indian businesses’ competitiveness and help India’s policies meet the EU’s carbon reduction targets.
• encouraging the use of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, in order to reduce carbon emissions. The government plans to keep investing in renewable energy infrastructure to help Indian industry make the transition to cleaner energy sources.
• India may try to diversify its exports to other countries by concentrating on other markets and products.
• Exports from both India and other developing countries will be considerably impacted by the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). India needs to get ready for the long-term transition to greener technologies. In the near future, India can use the G20 summit to express, on behalf of both itself and the developing countries, its worries about the carbon tax.