Mains Self Study Questions Synopsis Test 1 - Textbook Based

Mains Self Study Questions Synopsis
Test 1 – Textbook based
1) India is planning to have its own Space Station by 2030. In this context, discuss the challenges of
having own space station by India considering its financial viability.
Introduction:
A space station is a habitable spacecraft capable of supporting human crewmembers and

designed to remain in space. As of now, the International Space Station (ISS) is the only fully
functioning space station and largest human-made body in low Earth orbit. India is planning to
launch its own space station by 2030, joining the league of US, Russia, and China to an elite space
club.
Body:
Features of the Indian Space Station:
 The Indian space station will be much smaller (mass of 20 tonnes) than the International Space
Station and will be used for carrying out microgravity experiments (not for space tourism).
 Preliminary plan for the space station is to accommodate astronauts for up to 20 days in space,
and the project will be an extension of the Gaganyaan mission.
 It will orbit Earth at an altitude of around 400km.
 ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) is working on space docking experiment (Spadex), a
technology that is crucial for making the space station functional.
 Space docking is a technology that allows transferring humans from one spacecraft to another.
 Space station is essential for collecting meaningful scientific data, especially for biological
experiments.
 Provide platforms for greater number and length of scientific studies than available on other
space vehicles.
Challenges to set up own space station:
 The stakes are high as Israel recently failed attempting its first landing on the moon. It is the
most difficult task Isro has ever undertaken.
 Russia, the first to build the world’s crewed space station, had failed in its first two attempts.
 It took nearly 15 years for the country to fulfil its space ambition when it launched Salyut-1 in
1971, but even then it lost three of its crew member on re-entry.
 The ISS itself took over 10 years to be built, as scientists and engineers from five space agencies
representing 15 countries carried out 40 mission flights to assemble it.
 While Isro has proved its mettle through its historic space missions, it is has not yet mastered
the expertise required to ensure human viability on its missions.
 And a space station could be a futile exercise without a human crew on board.
 The cost of the project in Isro’s pipeline is yet to be estimated.
 Out of the total budget of ₹9,918 crore allocated to the agency for 2018-19, a major chunk is
spent on carrying out missions for space technology, then for space applications that are used by
the INSAT satellite system.
 The existing ISS cost nearly $150 billion and remains the most expensive space set-up ever built.
 The existing ISS, orbiting Earth since 1998, is a multinational collaborative project involving the
US, Russia, Japan, Canada and 11 member states of the European Space Agency.
 If India hopes to take forward the mission, it would be wiser to bring other South Asian countries
on board to further international cooperation in space and arrange the necessary resources.
WWW.INSIGHTSIAS.COM WWW.INSIGHTSONINDIA.COM
Conclusion:
After Chandrayaan-2, ISRO has set its sights on two interplanetary missions. Mission Aditya-L1 is
scheduled for next year to study the Sun’s corona, which effects climate on earth, and another
mission to study Venus in 2-3 years. Such missions are important to keep the research and
development up and running. It will further lead to many spin-off projects leading to employment
and socio-economic growth.
2) What are the salient features of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban Mission? To what extent will
this mission transform the rural livelihood?
Introduction:
Large parts of rural areas in the country are not stand-alone settlements but part of a cluster
of settlements, which are relatively proximate to each other. These clusters typically illustrate
potential for growth, have economic drivers and derive locational and competitive advantages.
These clusters once developed can then be classified as 'Rurban'.
Hence taking cognizance of this, Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM) was
launched by Government of India in 2016 to deliver integrated project based infrastructure in the
rural areas, which will also include development of economic activities and skill development. The
preferred mode of delivery is through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) while using various scheme
funds for financing.
Body:
Salient features of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban Mission:
 With an outlay of Rs. 5142.08 crore, the Rurban Mission will develop clusters of smart villages
which have a potential for holistic growth. These clusters will be developed by encouraging
economic activities, local entrepreneurship and creation of infrastructure.
 By 2019-20, the government will set up 300 such clusters across the nation. The funding will be
through different schemes of the Government converged into the cluster.
 Fourteen components have been suggested as desirable for a cluster to ensure optimum
development: skill development training linked to economic activities, Agro Processing or Agri
Services/Storage and Warehousing, Digital Literacy, Sanitation, etc.
 To select the clusters, the Ministry of Rural Development is using a scientific method, which
involves an objective analysis of demography, economy, tourism and pilgrimage significance and
transportation corridor impact. This will be done at the District, Sub-District and Village levels.
 Integrated Cluster Action Plans will be prepared by the States for Rurban Clusters. These will be
detailed plan documents that will lay out the strategy for the cluster, desired results for the
cluster under the mission, along with the converged resources under Central sector, schemes
sponsored by Centre and State Sector, and the Critical Gap Funding (CGF) needed for the cluster.
 Along with CGF, major steps have been taken to ensure the success of the programme with
proper budget provisions to support the State Government towards project development,
capacity building and other institutional arrangements at the state level.
 The programme will provide an additional funding support of up to 30 per cent of the project
cost per cluster as CGF as Central Share so as to enable development of Rurban clusters.
 For smooth implementation of the Mission, both State and Centre will make institutional
arrangements. An Innovation budget towards facilitating research, development and capacity
building has also been allotted.
 The clusters will have geographically proximity to Gram Panchayats with a population of about
25,000 to 50,000 in plain and coastal areas, and a population of 5,000 to 15,000 in desert, hilly
or tribal areas.
 A separate approach of selection will be at work to select clusters in Tribal and Non-Tribal
Districts.
Challenges towards Rurban mission:
 Though welcome in its conception, its implementation is wrought with contradictions.

 Though role has been given to state governments to delineate the clusters, role of PRIs has not
been demarcated.
 Further poor implementation of the 73rd amendment act to achieve meaningful devolution of
funds, functions and functionaries risks jeopardising any significant socio-economic growth of
rural areas.
 Multiplicity of schemes in this regard in the form of SAGY, BRGF etc. can lead to delayed decision
making and confusion.
 Poor agricultural performance in dwindling monsoon times need to be safeguarded and drought
mitigation, smart cropping patterns and institutional support in the form of insurance are key for
any scheme for rural development and this hasn’t been integrated with the SPMRM.
Conclusion:
The Rurban mission in order to be successful has to look to supplement and augment capabilities
of PRIs, improve congruencies with AMRUT for deciding on administering an ever growing rural-
urban fringe and promote a low carbon growth pattern for villages through use of renewables to
achieve a model sustainable growth paradigm for our villages.
3) Enumerate the provisions 73rd Constitutional amendment act. Why 73rd Constitutional
amendment has largely failed to empower the Panchayat Raj Institutions.
Introduction:
The 73rd constitutional amendment gave constitutional status to local self-governments. At

present India has around 2.5 lakh institutions of local self-governance with 32 lakh representatives.
They were created to realize the objectives of Article 40 of the Indian constitution to create a truly
participatory democracy
Body:
Provisions of the 73rd Constitutional amendment act are as follows:
Compulsory Provisions:
 Organization of Gram Sabha in a village or group of villages

 Establishment of panchayats at the village, intermediate and district levels
 Direct elections to all seats in panchayats at the village, intermediate and district levels
 Indirect elections to the post of chairperson of panchayats at the intermediate and district levels
 21 years to be the minimum age for contesting elections to panchayats
 Reservation of seats (both members and chairpersons) for SCs and STs in panchayats at all the
three levels
 Reservation of one-third seats (both members and chairpersons) for women in panchayats at all
the three levels
 Fixing tenure of five years for panchayats at all levels and holding fresh elections within six
months in the event of supersession of any panchayat
 Establishment of a State Election Commission for conducting elections to the panchayats
 Constitution of a State Finance Commission after every five years to review the financial position
of the panchayats
Voluntary Provisions:
 Giving representation to members of the Parliament (both the Houses) and the state legislature
(both the Houses) in the panchayats at different levels falling within their constituencies.
 Providing reservation of seats (both members and chairpersons) for backward classes in
panchayats at any level.
 Granting powers and authority to the panchayats to enable them to function as institutions of
self-government.
 Devolution of powers and responsibilities upon panchayats to prepare plans for economic
development and social justice; and to perform some or all of the 29 functions listed in the
Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution.
 Granting financial powers to the panchayats, i.e. authorizing them to levy, collect and
appropriate taxes, duties, tolls and fees.
However, even after 25 years of existence, they have failed to be effective instruments of
governance. The factors mentioned below combined resulted in ineffectiveness of local self-
governments.
 Systemic issues:
 State finance commissions are not as effective as central finance commission
 State election commissions are alleged over issues like delimitation of
constituencies.
 Issues related to funds functions and functionaries:
 Devolution of powers as per eleventh schedule except in few states like Kerala,
Madhya Pradesh is not satisfactory.
 Capacity building of both panchayats and urban local bodies is not proportional to the
responsibilities they are assigned.
 Departmentalization of development: A lot of government bodies have sidelined local bodies.
For example, recently in Haryana, a rural development agency, presided over by the Chief
Minister, to enter into the functional domain of panchayats.
 Legislative approval of these parallel bodies legitimises the process of weakening decentralised
democracy.
 Mani Shankar Aiyyar committee observed that decentralization has led to decentralization of
corruption
 There are criticisms that initiatives like smart city projects affect the autonomy of urban local
bodies.
 In urban areas, participation from people in elections as well as in governance is very limited.
 Structural lacunae:
 No secretarial support – No dedicated carder of people or service is working for
Panchayati raj. This make administrative and documentation work very difficult.
 Low technical knowledge – has restricted the aggregation of planning from village to
block to district to state to centre. Hence bottom up approach of planning is very
limited.
 Adhoc meetings – lack of clear setting of agenda in gram sabha, gram samiti
meetings; there is lot of adhocism; no proper structure
Conclusion:
Local bodies need to be empowered to create greater inclusiveness, participation and women
empowerment at the grassroots level. Integrating institutional reforms in local governance with
economic reforms was Gandhiji’s far-sighted vision of ‘PoornaSwaraj’. The 73rd Amendments of
the Constitution which seek to create an institutional framework for ushering in grass roots
democracy through the medium of genuinely self-governing local bodies in both rural and urban
areas of the country.
4) What are the problems faced by women at workplace? Suggest measures to increase their
labour force participation rate.
Introduction:
India’s female labour force participation is among the lowest in the world. The Economic
Survey 2017-18 revealed that women comprise only 24% of the Indian workforce. In fact, as India
grows economically, the number of women in workplaces is declining steadily, despite enrolment of
girls in higher education courses is growing steadily to 46% in 2014 from 39% in 2007.
Body:
More than half of the women who would like a job, particularly those in rural areas, say they
do not have the skills required for the work they want to do — for example, leatherwork or textile
manufacturing. Further, the opportunities that exist need to be more unbiased.
Status of Women in India’s workforce:
 Female labour force participation is a driver of growth and therefore, participation rates indicate
the potential for a country to grow more rapidly.
 However, the relationship between women engagement in the labour market and broader
development outcomes is complex.
 The share of women in India’s workforce has fallen dramatically from about 35% to 25%, since
2004.
 According to the World Economic Forum’s “Global Gender Gap Report 2018”, India is ranked at
108th position out of 149 countries.
 It is much sharper, when one looks at the age group of 15 to 24. As per ILO, India’s female
Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) fell from 35.8% in 1994 to merely 20.2% in 2012. It has
fallen for other age groups as well.
 It declined over time from 36% women being employed in 2005-06 to 24% of women being
employed in 2015-16.
Problems faced by Women in Employment:
The problems are a mix of economic, social and cultural factors.
 Maternity: Many women who join the workforce are unable to re-join after having a child.
 The landmark legislation Maternity Benefit Act, 2017, which entitles a woman to 26 weeks of
paid maternity leave, is becoming a big hurdle as start-ups and SMEs have become reluctant to
hire them.
 The increased cost for companies and this may discourage them from hiring women.
 The share of women workers in the agriculture sector dropped from 42% in 2004 -05 to 35.5% in
2011-12. This decrease in FLPR in agriculture can be attributed to increased adoption of
technology in agriculture.
 The gender pay gap was 34 per cent in India, that is, women get 34 per cent less compared to
men for performing the same job with same qualifications.
 In the organised sector, women professionals even in the highest ranks of labour (legislators,
senior officials, and managers) are also paid less compared to their male counterparts. However,
these women constitute only one per cent of the total female work force and the gap is lowest
as they are aware of their rights.
 Concerns about safety and Harassment at work site, both explicit and implicit.
 According to NSSO, urban males accounted for 16% of India’s population, but held 77% of all
jobs in computer-related activities in 2011-12. This shows how gender has become a
discriminatory factor for certain white-collared jobs.
 Higher Education levels of women also allow them to pursue leisure and other non-work
activities, all of which reduce female labour force participation.
 Insufficient availability of the type of jobs that women say they would like to do, such as regular
part-time jobs that provide steady income and allow women to reconcile household duties with
work.
 According to the reports, about 74 per cent in rural areas and about 70 per cent in urban areas
preferred ‘part time’ work on a regular basis while 21 per cent in rural areas and 25 per cent in
urban areas wanted regular ‘full-time’ work.
 Marriage is a career stopper for the majority of Indian women and this cultural abhorrence
towards women working is a not-so-subtle way of ensuring that the escape routes out of a
marriage are minimised, if not entirely closed
 Social norms about household work are against women’s mobility and participation in paid work.
Childbirth and taking care of elderly parents or in-laws account for the subsequent points
where women drop off the employment pipeline.
 The cultural baggage about women working outside the home is so strong that in most
traditional Indian families, quitting work is a necessary precondition to the wedding itself.
 When increases in family incomes are there, due to the cultural factors, women leave the work
to take care of the family and avoid the stigma of working outside.
Way forward:
 Non-farm job creation for women: there is a need to generate education-based jobs in rural
areas in the industrial and services sectors
 The state governments should make policies for the participation of rural women in
permanent salaried jobs.
 The governments should also generate awareness to espouse a positive attitude towards
women among the public since it is one of the most important impediments in women’s
participation in economic activities.
 Local bodies, with aid from state governments, should open more crèches in towns and cities so
that women with children can step out and work. The crèches will open employment
opportunities for women.
 Supply side reforms to improve infrastructure and address other constraints to job creation
could enable more women to enter the labour force.
 Higher social spending, including in education, can lead to higher female labour force
participation by boosting female stocks of human capital.
 Skilling the women:
o Initiatives such as Skill India, Make in India, and new gender-based quotas from
corporate boards to the police force can spur a positive change. But we need to invest
in skill training and job support.
o The private sector could also take active part in training women entrepreneurs. For
example: Unilever’s Shakti program, which has trained more than 70,000 rural women in
India as micro-entrepreneurs to sell personal-care products as a way of making its
brands available in rural India
 Equal pay: The principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value that is protected by
Indian law must be put to actual practice. Improved wage-transparency and gender neutral job
evaluation is required to achieve this end.
 Assuring safe access to work: It is important to improve existing transport and communication
networks and provide safe accommodation for women who travel to or has migrated for work.
 A useful and easily implementable idea would be to give income tax benefits to women. It
would be a bold and effective step to increasing India’s female workforce participation.
 For political empowerment of women, their representation in Parliament and in decision
making roles in public sphere is one of the key indicators of empowerment.
 Gig Economy provides women flexible work options to pursue their career while not missing
important milestones in their family lives.
 Drawing more women into the labour force, supplemented by structural reforms that could help
create more jobs would be a source of future growth for India. Only then would India be able to
reap the benefits of “demographic dividend” from its large and youthful labour force.
Conclusion:
With more than 75% women not contributing to the economy, the nation is not only losing on
the economic part but also the development of 50% of our population. The numeric consequences
of reducing obstacles to women’s full economic participation far exceed the demographic
advantages of having a larger pool of young workers. It is thus high time to talk of the gender
dividend along with the demographic dividend.
5) Enumerate the principles of Buddhism? To what extent Buddhism had influenced on Ashoka and
his administration.
Introduction:
Buddhism started in India over 2,600 years ago as a way life that had a potential of
transforming a person. It is one of the important religions of South and South-Eastern Asian
countries. The religion is based upon the teachings, life experiences of its founder Siddhartha
Gautama, born in circa 563 BCE.
Body:
Principles of Buddhism:
 Buddha asked his followers to avoid the two extremes of indulgence in worldly pleasure and the
practice of strict abstinence and asceticism.
 He ascribed instead the 'Madhyam Marg' or the middle path which was to be followed.
 According to him everyone was responsible for their own happiness in life, stressing upon the
individualistic component of Buddhism.
 The main teachings of Buddhism are encapsulated in the basic concept of four noble truths or
ariya-sachchani and eightfold path or astangika marg.
 Four noble truths:
 Suffering (dukkha) is the essence of the world.
 Every suffering has a cause – Samudya.

 Suffering could be extinguished – Nirodha.
 It can be achieved by following the Atthanga Magga (Eight Fold Path).
 Eight Fold Paths: the path consists of various interconnected activities related to knowledge,
conduct, and meditative practices.
 Right view
 Right intention
 Right speech
 Right action
 Right livelihood
 Right mindfulness
 Right effort
 Right concentration
 Dukkha and its extinction are central to the Buddha’s doctrine. Suffering is not limited to the
actual pain but also to the potential to experience these things.
 The essence of Buddhism is the attainment of enlightenment. It points to a way of life that
avoids self-indulgence and self-denial. There is no supreme god or deity in Buddhism.
 The ultimate goal of Buddha’s teaching was the attainment of nibbana which was not a place but
an experience, and could be attained in this life.
 Buddha also established code of conduct both for the monastic order and the laymen to follow
which are also known as the Five Precepts or Pancasil and refrain from them.
 Violence
 stealing
 sexual misconduct
 lying or gossip
 taking intoxicating substances e.g. drugs or drink.
Influence of Buddhism on Ashoka and his administration:
 Ashoka's personal religion was Buddhism.

 In Bhabru rock edict, he says that he had full faith in Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha.
 Ashoka accepted Buddhism as his main faith, but he never forced Buddhist ideals on his subjects.
 Ashoka believed in unity among ethical and moral values of all sects. He showed great respect to
all sects and faiths.
 Dhamma is a code for moral and virtuous life. He never discussed god or soul or religion.
 Ashoka implanted a moral law i.e. Dhamma as the governing principle in every sphere of life.
 Ashoka’s dhamma did not involve worship of a god, or performance of a sacrifice. He felt that
just as a father tries to teach his children, he had a duty to instruct his subjects.
 There were a number of problems that troubled him. People in the empire followed different
religions, and this sometimes led to conflict.
 Animals were sacrificed. Slaves and servants were ill treated. Besides, there were quarrels in
families and amongst neighbours.
 Ashoka felt it was his duty to solve these problems. So, he appointed officials, known as the
dhamma mahamatta who went from place to place teaching people about dhamma.
 Besides, Ashoka got his messages inscribed on rocks and pillars, instructing his officials to read
his message to those who could not read it themselves.
 He organized the third Buddhist Council at Pataliputra in 250 BCE to settle the internal
differences among the monks.
 Ashoka also sent messengers to spread ideas about dhamma to other lands, such as Syria, Egypt,
Greece and Sri Lanka.
 Ashoka sent missionaries to preach Buddhism in Afghanistan, Burma, Sri Lanka and Europe. He
sent his son Mahendra and daughter Sanghamitra to Sri Lanka with a Bodhi sapling as a symbol
of peace.
 Ashoka undertook many welfare activities. He dug wells, built rest houses, planted fruit bearing
trees along road sides, constructed hospitals for men and animal and established schools.
 Ashoka made arrangement to feed the poor and physically unfit people. He was like a father to
his subjects. His motto was “Service and sacrifice”
Conclusion:
Significantly, none of Asoka's successors continued the propagation of dhamma. Although few of the
dynasties were patrons of Buddhism, Hinduism gained a lot of importance. This led to the decline of
Buddhism in India, whereas it prospered in the South-East Asian Countries.
6) Why is Gupta period called as Golden period in Indian History? Briefly explain the reasons
behind the fall of Gupta Empire?
Introduction:
The period between the 4th century and 6th century CE is known as the Golden Age of India
because of the large achievements Indians made in the fields of science, technology, engineering,
art, dialectic, literature, logic, mathematics, astronomy, religion and philosophy during the Gupta
Empire.
Body:
Achievements in Gupta period:
 It was only during the Gupta period, which was founded by Maharaja Sri-Gupta and which ruled
almost the entire country, that the decimal system, concept of zero and chess came into
existence.
 Many scholars made huge contributions in many fields during this golden age. Famous among
these were Aryabhatta, Kalidasa, and Varahamihira.
 At that time Gupta philosophers also discovered that the Earth is not flat but round and it is
rotating on its own axis causing lunar eclipse.
 Discoveries regarding gravity, planets and solar system were also made during this time.
 Not only scientific, but there were developments in literature as well that includes famous story
tales of Panchatantra, the very popular Kama Sutra, epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata were
also written during the Gupta Empire.
 Because of peace and prosperity under Gupta rulers, India had shown all these scientific as well
as artistic developments.
 Almost all the rulers of Gupta Empire were very strong leaders, administrators and able traders
but not dictators.
 So strong trade ties with almost all the neighbouring countries and regions such as Burma, Malay
Archipelago, Sri Lanka and Indochina were made and that led to the expansion of their rule.
 Major rulers of Gupta Empire who contributed towards the Golden Age of India are
Chandragupta (319 – 335 A.D), Samudragupta (335 – 375 A.D), Chandragupta II (375 – 414 A.D),
Kumaragupta I (415 – 455 AD), Skandagupta (455 – 467 A.D)
 Magnificent architecture was also part of this empire. Most of the sculptures found in the Gupta
Empire were related to religion and spiritual realm, such as standing Buddha of Mathura and the
sitting Buddha in Sarnath.
 Famous caves of rock-cut monasteries in Ajanta were also part of Gupta Empire. Then were the
eminent paintings of Badami and Bagh.
 The style of Gandhara School of art that was originally developed in Mathura had gained much
prominence during this period.
 There was huge transformation in the way temples used to look before that period. Installing
statutes of Gods in temple were brought in by Guptas.
 During the Golden age of Indi, temples were bigger and were fully decorated with carving.
Invaders destroyed most of the temples constructed during that period.
The reasons behind the fall of Gupta Empire:
 Dynastic dissensions and weak rulers:

 There is evidence to show that following the death of Kumaragupta and Skandagupta,
there were civil wars and struggles for the throne.
 For instance, we have the successors of Buddhagupta, highlighting the rule of more than
just one king.
 Those were Vinayagupta in Bengal and Bhanugupta in Iran.
 They were not only men of weak character but also some of them followed pacifies that
affected other spheres of administration, particularly that of military efficiency.
 Foreign invasions:
 Foreign invasions were the second major factor in the decline and disappearance of the
Guptas.
 The invasion of barbaric tribe Pushyamitra was not the decisive.
 A far more important invasion was that of the White Huns, who, after settling in the
Oxus valley, invaded India.
 Administrative failure:
 Yet another factor behind the disintegration of the Gupta state power was the
administrative weakness.
 Guptas made no efforts to impose an effective control over their regions.
 Their control was effective as long as powerful rulers occupied the Gupta throne and
exercised their authority effectively
 Internal rebellions:
 As a result of the weakening of Central Authority a number of feudal chieftains,
principally those of the north-western region, assumed the status of independent rulers
might more some names in this regard such as Maitrakas (of Kathiawar), Panivarajaks (of
Budndhelkhand), Unchkalpas, Laxman in Allahabad etc.
 Buddhist principles:
 Another cause for the decline and disintegration of the Guptas is said to be their tilt
towards the asceticism of Buddhism during the reign of Kumaragupta and Buddhagupta.
 It is suggested that the founding of Nalanda University by Kumaragupta and of Buddhist

learning and the patronage extended by Buddhagupta are index of their tilt towards
Buddhism that advocates non-violence.
Conclusion:
The various developments in society were enough for an epithet of ‘The Golden Age of India.’
Gupta culture has carved a niche for itself in the annals of Indian history by virtue of its individuality
and perfection. The period evolved an all-India norm which in due course was designated as the
classical tradition of the country. No description of Indian culture can be complete without
reference to the high standards of Gupta cultural heritage which attained its zenith of excellence.
7) Discuss the potential of Inland waterways in India. Analyze the environmental implications
associated with the development of Inland Water Ways.
Introduction:
Inland waterway is a network of rivers, canals, backwaters, and creeks which can be utilized
for transportation instead of or in addition to roads and rails. In 1986, the Government of India
created Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) for regulation and development of Inland
Waterways for navigation and shipping. Out of the 111 National Waterways declared under the
National Waterways Act, 2016, only 13 are operational for shipping and navigation and
cargo/passenger vessels are moving on them.
Body:
Potential of IWT in India:
 India has nearly 14,500 km of navigable waterways, however, inland water transport (IWT)
accounts for less than 1% of its freight track, compared to 35% in Bangladesh and 20% in
Germany.
 About 55 million tonnes of cargo moves on waterways, but the activity is largely restricted to the
Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly system, the Brahmaputra, the Barak river, the rivers of Goa, the
backwaters of Kerala, Inland waterways in Mumbai and the delta regions of the Godavari and
Krishna.
 Overall, waterways account for just about 3% of all freight movement in India, and the mode
remains grossly underutilised.
 Low cost: Low capital, operation, and maintenance costs
 Least energy consumption: Inland water transport is considered to be the most cost-effective
mode of transport from the point of view of fuel efficiency.
 Fewer emissions: CO2 Emission from container vessels range much lesser than road transport
vehicles.
 Capacity: It has an enormous capacity to carry bulk cargo, coal etc.
 Navigable: In India, around 14,500 km of river channels are navigable. But only 2000 km is used.
 Growth: The development of waterways will stimulate industrial growth and tourism. It will also
promote export and import as it reduces logistics cost of moving cargo between ports and
hinterland.
 Reduced losses: Fewer accidents and less congestion compared to roads.
 Accessibility: It can provide access to remote areas. For instance, North-eastern states now
receive coal, food grains through inland water transport.
Environmental implications of IWT:
The government has made a strong push for inland waterways but confusion over environmental
assessments and clearance processes cloud development
 Dredging operations will damage river bed and can result in a change in habitats for several
aquatic flora and fauna.
 Dredging may also affect aquifers along the river, impacting the ability of water to percolate
underground.
 In estuaries and creeks of rivers, the removal of river bed material during capital dredging can
lead to the entry of
 Excess saline water into the creek or rivers. This is one of the reasons why the state of Kerala
had opposed several of the proposed waterways.
 Construction of jetties, river ports will require removal of trees/ mangrove forests in the area,
thus affecting the ecosystem altogether.
 Inland water transport also requires dam construction which has adverse impact on ecology.
 Other environmental concerns include pollution due to oil and diesel from vessels, leakage and
spilling of cargo
 The environmental assessment and clearance process is governed by the EIA Notification 2006,
which does not mention waterways in its list of projects needing environmental clearance.
Way forward:
 Strengthening public-private partnership has the key role to play in developing the inland
waterways sector.
 Private players can undertake terminal development, cargo and passenger handling, and
building low-draft vessels and related repair facilities.
 Measures should be taken to develop basic infrastructure, address technological bottlenecks
and maintenance of rivers to ensure year-round navigability
 Measures should be taken to taken to ensure availability of seamless, multimodal last-mile
connectivity to and from hinterland to reduce trans-shipment cost and make inland water
transport economically more viable
 Cargo transport through inland waterways should be incentivised. Following measures can be
taken:
o The Government can mandate/incentivise industries in the proximity of national
waterways to use this mode for a portion of their shipments.
o The government can promote industrial corridors along riverbanks and foster
waterways-based industrialisation.
o Higher road taxes can be levied on transportation of coal and inflammable material over
longer distances
 The government should develop passenger terminal development, offer financial support to
ferry operators to improve safety, and facilitate insurance coverage to boost passenger
transport
 Measures should be taken to promote river tourism in states like Assam and Kerala
 Keeping in mind the concerns, it is important to assess the environmental and social impact of
development of inland waterways and associated infrastructure to negate potential damage.
8) Solid waste management is a pressing problem in most of the urban areas in India. Discuss the
causes and implication of garbage issue in urban areas.
Introduction:
India alone generates more than 1,00,000 metric tonnes of solid waste every day, which is
higher than many countries’ total daily waste generation taken together. Large metropolis such as
Mumbai and Delhi generate around 9,000 metric tonnes and 8,300 metric tonnes of waste per day,
respectively. India suffers from inefficient and insufficient waste infrastructure and also from
increasing rates of solid waste generation per capita. Besides, the infrastructure and technologies,
we must also concede that we have not addressed the issue from a systemic perspective.
Body:
Current Situation of Solid Waste in India:
 ULBs are responsible for segregated waste collection, transporting waste in covered vehicle,
processing, recyclables, separating domestic hazardous waste and disposing inert material in
sanitary landfills
 Various studies reveal that about 90% of MSW is disposed of unscientifically in open dumps and
landfills, creating problems to public health and the environment.
 Over 377 million urban people live in 7,935 towns and cities and generate 62 million tonnes of
municipal solid waste per annum.
 Only 43 million tonnes (MT) of the waste is collected, 11.9 MT is treated and 31 MT is dumped in
landfill sites.
 Most cities have confined themselves to collection and transportation of solid waste. Processing
and safe disposal are being attempted only in a few cases.
 The CPCB report also reveals that only 68% of the Solid waste generated in the country is
collected of which, 28% is treated by the municipal authorities. Thus, merely 19% of the total
waste generated is currently treated.
 According to a UN report, India’s e-waste from old computers alone will jump 500 per cent by
2020, compared to 2007.
 Disappearance of urban water bodies and wetlands in urban areas can be attributed to illegal
dumping of Construction & Demolition waste.
Some of the major issues concerning solid waste management are:
 Absence of segregation of waste at source

 Lack of funds for waste management at ULBs.
 Unwillingness of ULBs to introduce proper collection, segregation, transportation and
treatment/ disposal systems.
 Lack of technical expertise and appropriate institutional arrangement
 lack of infrastructure and technology
 lack of involvement from the private sector and non-governmental organisations
 Indifference of citizens towards waste management due to lack of awareness
 Lack of community participation towards waste management and hygienic conditions
 Lack of sewage management plan.

 About 70% of the plastic packaging products turn into plastic waste within a short period.
 Unorganized vendors and markets, existence of slum areas and Corruption are other issues
plaguing SWM.
Measures needed:
 State governments should provide financial support to ULBs to improve their waste
management system under various schemes and programs.
 Initiatives like Smart Cities Mission, AMRUT should provide significant funding to improve civic
services infrastructure.
 The key to efficient waste management is to ensure proper segregation of waste at source and
to ensure that the waste goes through different streams of recycling and resource recovery as
stated in the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.
 Waste to energy is a key component of SWM. Installation of waste-to-compost and bio-
methanation plants would reduce the load of landfill sites
 There is a need to encourage research and development so as to reinvent waste management
system in India.
 The focus should be on recycling and recovering from waste and not landfill. Further, it is
important to encourage recycling of e-waste so that the problem of e-waste
 Public- Private Partnership models for waste management should be encouraged.
 Construction and demolition waste should be stored, separately disposed off, as per the
Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016.
 Responsibilities of Generators have been introduced to segregate waste in to three streams,
Wet (Biodegradable), Dry (Plastic, Paper, metal, wood, etc.) and domestic hazardous wastes
(diapers, napkins, empty containers of cleaning agents, mosquito repellents, etc.) and handover
segregated wastes to authorized rag-pickers or waste collectors or local bodies.
 International Best practices should be emulated. South Korea is one of the few countries to
separate and recycle food waste. It has also launched landfill recovery projects such as the
Nanjido recovery project which have successfully transformed hazardous waste sites into
sustainable ecological attractions.
 Awareness campaigns which involves the high officials leveraging social media by posting
photos of themselves in their home kitchens with separate bins for wet and dry waste.
 Sensitization of citizens as well as government authorities, community participation,
involvement of NGOs. Littering should be prohibited.
 Religious leaders of different communities can be approached and urged to convey to their
followers the importance of keeping wet and dry wastes unmixed and to avoid the use of one-
time-use plastics.
 Doorstep collection of mixed waste using primary collection vehicles and municipal workers to
transport the waste to the MCCs. These can be run by self-help groups or NGO’s who are
provided with covered space for sorting, and are paid on daily basis.
 Micro-planning of collection vehicle routes manned by municipal staff, and tracking their
punctuality and performance, is also key to citizen cooperation
Conclusion:
Solid waste management is one of the major environmental problems of Indian cities. A
Decentralized management of solid waste can help mitigate the problem to a great extent. The
need of the hour is scientific, sustainable and environment friendly management of wastes
9) Briefly explain the reasons behind the degradation of Indian forest. What are the measures
taken by the government to reduce degradation and protecting wildlife?
Introduction:
Forests are among the first casualties as human populations explode. It is estimated that
between 1950 and 1980, around 50 lakh hectares of forestland was diverted for non-forestry
activities and India is unable to reach the national goal of 33 per cent. Yet forestlands continue to be
diverted for non-forestry purposes in an ad hoc manner. In the light of the contemporary challenges
like climate change, human-wildlife conflict, intensifying water crisis, increasing air and water
pollution and deteriorating environment, urgent action is required to conserve and grow the forest
cover.
Body:
Reasons behind the degradation of Indian forest:
 Agriculture: Conversion of forests to agricultural land to feed growing needs of people. There
are an estimated 300 million people living as shifting cultivators who practice slash and burn
agriculture and are supposed to clear more than 5 lakh ha of forests for shifting cultivation
annually.
 Commercial logging: It destroys trees as well as opening up forest for agriculture. Cutting of
trees for fire wood and building material, the heavy lopping of foliage for fodder and heavy
grazing of saplings by domestic animals like goals.
 Mining: This causes environmental impacts like erosion, formation of sinkholes, loss of
biodiversity, and contamination of soil, groundwater and surface water by chemicals from
mining processes. In some cases, additional forest logging is done in the vicinity of mines to
increase the available room for the storage of the created debris and soil.
 Increase in population: The needs also increase and utilize forests resources. To meet the
demands of rapidly growing population, agricultural lands and settlements are created
permanently by clearing forests.
 Urbanization and industrialization: Since Industrialization and Urbanization needs land to grow,
so major amount of forest lands are cut in order to promote Industrialization and Urbanization.
This creates harmful effect on environment and forest ecological balance.
 Construction of dam reservoirs: For building big dams, large scale devastation of forests takes
place which breaks the natural ecological balance of the region. Floods, droughts and landslides
become more prevalent in such areas. Forests are the repositories of invaluable gifts of nature in
the form of biodiversity and by destroying these we are going to lose these species even before
knowing them.
 Forest fires: They may be natural or manmade, and cause huge forest loss.
 Overgrazing: Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended
periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in
poorly managed agricultural applications, or by overpopulations of native or non- native wild
animals. Overgrazing reduces the usefulness, productivity, and biodiversity of the land and is one
cause of desertification and erosion. Overgrazing is also seen as a cause of the spread of invasive
species of non-native plants and of weeds.
Measures taken by the government to reduce degradation and protecting wildlife:
Forest Conservation:
 The role of forests in the national economy and in ecology was emphasized in the 1988 National
Forest Policy, which focused on ensuring environmental stability, restoring the ecological
balance, and preserving the remaining forests.
 Also in 1988, the Forest Conservation Act of 1980 was amended to facilitate stricter
conservation measures.
 The 2009 Indian national forest policy document emphasizes the need to combine India's effort
at forest conservation with sustainable forest management.
 National Mission for a Green India: Enhancing quality of forest cover and improving ecosystem
services from 4.9 million hectares (mha) of predominantly forest lands, including 1.5 mha of
moderately dense forest cover, 3 mha of open forest cover, 0.4 mha of degraded grass lands.
 Afforestation in the country is taken up under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes such as
National Afforestation Programme (NAP), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP),
National Bamboo Mission (NBM) and under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management
and Planning Authority (CAMPA), 13th Finance Commission Grant, different State Plan/ Non-
Plan Schemes including externally aided projects.
 National green highways mission: Union road transport and highways minister begins initial
plantation drive along 1,500km of national highways at a cost of about Rs.300 crore. The mission
aims to provide a green canopy along 100,000km of highways and create jobs for 1 million
youth.
Biodiversity Conservation measures: Indian Government has taken various biodiversity protection
steps.
 The Central Government has enacted the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. The Act, inter alia,
provides for the creation of Protected Areas for the protection of wildlife and also provides for
punishment for hunting of specified fauna specified in the schedules I to IV thereof.
 The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 is a federal legislation enacted by the Parliament of India for
preservation of biological diversity in India, and provides mechanism for equitable sharing of
benefits arising out of use of traditional biological resources and knowledge
 Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules 2010 have been framed for the protection of
wetlands, in the States.
 The Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-System also
provides assistance to the States for the management of wetlands including Ramsar sites in the
country.
 Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has been established for control of illegal trade in wildlife,
including endangered species.
 Wildlife Institute of India, Bombay Natural History society and Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology
and Natural History are some of the research organisations undertaking research on
conservation of wildlife.
Conclusion:
India’s diverse forests support the livelihoods of 250 million people, providing them firewood,
fodder, bamboo, beedi leaves and many other products. The timber currently benefits the state
treasury. There is a need of revamping India’s forest policy
10) What is tidal locking? Briefly explain the reasons for the formation of tides.
Introduction:
Tidal locking is the name given to the situation when an object’s orbital period matches its
rotational period. A great example of this is our own Moon. The moon takes 28 days to go around
the Earth and 28 days to rotate once around its axis. If both bodies are of comparable size and are
close together, both bodies can be tidally locked to each other – this is the case in the Pluto-Charon
system.
Body:
Implications of Tidal Locking:
 Tidal locking is a natural consequence of the gravitational distortions induced by a body on

another.
 This results in the same face of the Moon always facing the Earth.
 Tidal locking can have an effect on the system.
 In the Earth-Moon system the Earth’s rotation is actually slowing. It is altered by a tiny amount
but something that can be noticed in fossils that are millions of years old.
 It is possible that the length of a day on Earth could lengthen considerably if full tidal locking
were to occur.
 In fact, scientists predict that days could eventually take as long as one-year to complete, which
could result in half of the Earth freezing due to uneven sunlight distribution. Fortunately, this
possibility would only exist in the very far future.
Tides refer to the rise and fall of oceans surfaces.
Reasons for formation of tides:
 The relationship between the masses of the Earth, moon and sun and their distances to each
other play critical roles in affecting tides:
 They are caused by the attractive forces of the Moon and Sun’s gravitational fields as
well as the centrifugal force due to the Earth’s spin. As the positions of these celestial
bodies change, so do the surfaces’ heights.
 For example, when the Sun and Moon are aligned with the Earth, water levels in ocean
surfaces fronting them are pulled and subsequently rise.
 The Moon, although much smaller than the Sun, is much closer. Now, gravitational
forces decrease rapidly as the distance between two masses widen. Thus, the Moon’s
gravity has a larger effect on tides than the Sun. In fact, the Sun’s effect is only about
half that of the Moon’s.
 The shape of bays and estuaries, geographic location and weather patterns all can affect local
tidal intensity.
 At a smaller scale, the magnitude of tides can be strongly influenced by the shape of the
shoreline. When oceanic tidal bulges hit wide continental margins, the height of the
tides can be magnified. Conversely, mid-oceanic islands not near continental margins
typically experience very small tides of 1 meter or less.
 Local wind and weather patterns also can affect tides.
 Strong offshore winds can move water away from coastlines, exaggerating low tide
exposures. Onshore winds may act to pile up water onto the shoreline, virtually
eliminating low tide exposures.
 High pressure systems can depress sea levels, leading to clear sunny days with
exceptionally low tides. Conversely, low-pressure systems that contribute to cloudy,
rainy conditions typically are associated with tides than are much higher than predicted.
Tides and Tidal Locking:
 When a moon has considerable mass, such as the Earth's moon, something called a tidal force
occurs.
 Tidal force refers to the uneven gravitational pull between two objects.
 This is also where high tides and low tides are born, depending on which ocean is closest to the
moon at a given time.
 Over the course of history, the strong gravitational pull of the Moon by the Earth has shifted the
Moon's rotation, eventually resulting in matching patterns of orbit.
 This uniform rotation is exactly what is meant when it is said that the moon is tidally locked to
the Earth.
 In simple terms, due to years of shift caused by imbalanced gravity, when the Earth is spinning,
the Moon is copying its exact spin, rendering it impossible to ever see the moon's other side
unless from a spacecraft
Conclusion:
The phenomenon of Tidal locking has evoked interest in astronomers since long. The lunar
missions like Chang’e-4 and Chandrayaan-2 are missions to study the unexplored far side of the
moon which is not visible due to the tidal locking. Thus, tidal locking becomes important.

Mains Self Study Questions Synopsis Test 1 - Textbook Based

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Mains Self Study Questions Synopsis

Test 1 – Textbook based

A space station is a habitable spacecraft capable of supporting human crewmembers and

Features of the Indian Space Station:

Challenges to set up own space station:

Salient features of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban Mission:

Challenges towards Rurban mission:

 Though welcome in its conception, its implementation is wrought with contradictions.

The 73rd constitutional amendment gave constitutional status to local self-governments. At

Provisions of the 73rd Constitutional amendment act are as follows:

 Organization of Gram Sabha in a village or group of villages

Status of Women in India’s workforce:

Problems faced by Women in Employment:

The problems are a mix of economic, social and cultural factors.

 Every suffering has a cause – Samudya.

Influence of Buddhism on Ashoka and his administration:

 Ashoka's personal religion was Buddhism.

Achievements in Gupta period:

The reasons behind the fall of Gupta Empire:

 Dynastic dissensions and weak rulers:

 It is suggested that the founding of Nalanda University by Kumaragupta and of Buddhist

Potential of IWT in India:

Environmental implications of IWT:

Current Situation of Solid Waste in India:

Some of the major issues concerning solid waste management are:

 Absence of segregation of waste at source

 Lack of sewage management plan.

Reasons behind the degradation of Indian forest:

Measures taken by the government to reduce degradation and protecting wildlife:

Implications of Tidal Locking:

 Tidal locking is a natural consequence of the gravitational distortions induced by a body on

Tides refer to the rise and fall of oceans surfaces.

Reasons for formation of tides:

Tides and Tidal Locking:

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