MAINS QUESTIONS DAILY QUESTIONS & MODEL ANSWERS: Q1. “China’s hegemony in Sri Lanka poses a security threat to India.” In this  light, consider the necessity to restructure India’s relationship with Sri Lanka.       (250 words) Paper & Topic: GS II  India & its Neighbourhood – Relations Model Answer: Introduction:  Traditionally, the relationship between India and Sri Lanka is one of equals as independent nations.  It is rich in myth and folklore, and religious, cultural, and social connections have affected it.  This is an ideal time for Sri Lanka and India to strengthen the foundations of their relationship by combining contemporary tools with age-old wisdom and experience.  However, China’s proximity to Sri Lanka is cause for alarm.  Body: Relationships between India and Sri Lanka: The India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (FTA) went into effect in March 2000.  According to Sri Lankan Customs, bilateral trade totaled $4.38 billion in 2016. Development loans and lines of credit: Sri Lanka receives about a sixth of India’s development loans. India’s private sector invests heavily in Sri Lanka, as well as Sri Lanka’s private sector invests heavily in India. Petroleum, IT, Financial Services, Real Estate, Telecom, Hospitals, Tourism, Banking, Food Processing, and other fields of collaboration between the two countries. For Sri Lankan tourists visiting India, Indian railways are giving a unique package.  For Sri Lanka, India has implemented an e-visa system. India is Sri Lanka’s fourth-largest investor.  We have invested roughly $1 billion in Sri Lanka since 2003.  China’s Predominance in Sri Lanka  A Security Concern for India: The Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill was passed by the Sri Lankan Parliament on May 19, 2021.  With little oversight from the Sri Lankan government, China will obtain an additional 269 hectares of reclaimed seafront off the Colombo port in the country’s south-west after the Bill becomes an Act. Colombo assumes importance for India because it trans-ships nearly 70% of all container cargo for and from India, mostly at Chinese-operated terminals. Chinese initiatives in Sri Lanka have risen tremendously, owing to the country’s importance in the Major Sea Lines of Communication.  This not only has security issues, but also results in transit delays and financial loss for India. China’s debt trap diplomacy was exposed with the 99-year takeover of Hambantota port. This is bad news for India’s maritime security and the Indian Ocean region’s Chinese encirclement. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will almost certainly have a presence in these waters as a result of the leasing of Hambantota and the Port City project, which could include bases for warships/submarines as well as a staging post for longer naval deployments in the Indian Ocean. The Chinese navy will be able to easily monitor Indian naval activity in the Indian Ocean.  It will undoubtedly limit the Indian Navy’s deployment options and negate the country’s geographic advantage in these regions.  The relationship between India and Sri Lanka is considerably different from that between China and Sri Lanka.  Due to the presence of Tamils on both sides of the Palk Straits, India has an ethnically ambiguous maritime border with Sri Lanka and is thus involved in the island nation’s domestic affairs.  India’s engagement has to be reimagined: To prevent China from making further advances into Sri Lanka, India will need to continue working on the Kankesanturai port in Jaffna and the oil tank farm project in Trincomalee. Sri Lanka’s socioeconomic progress has remained linked to India.  However, there are numerous solutions for dealing with imbalances and asymmetries. For example, Sri Lanka might encourage Indian businesses to make Colombo another business hub for them, as the country’s logistical capabilities and rest and recreation facilities continue to improve. Fast-tracking the integration of the two economies, but with specific and unequal treatment for Sri Lanka due to economic inequalities. Strong collaborations across the economic and social spectrum can encourage people-to-people bonhomie. There is enormous opportunity to amplify or create complementarity, employing locational and human resource potential, for capturing benefits in modern value chains.  Legislative engagement is also critical for developing multiparty support. With many countries retreating into cocoons as a result of the pandemic, this is a good time for both countries to focus on alliance renewal and revitalization.  Conclusion: Now, India must adjust to the fact that its main foe is essentially in its backyard and adjust its preparedness and response accordingly.  Furthermore, an unified Sino-Pakistan axis, with China being based in Gwadar, will pose a significant challenge for India.  The governing Rajapaksa dynasty now has a fantastic personal relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping.  The presence of China on the island nation is a source of concern for India, since Beijing is known to use subversion, espionage, and sabotage to advance its national goals and objectives.  As a result, as part of its ‘Island Diplomacy,’ India’s foreign policy toward Sri Lanka will have to develop in response to new realities and dangers. Q2. What impact did the Covid-19 waves have on India’s diplomacy? What challenges does India face in dealing with the pandemic’s aftermath in the ear future? Explain. (250 words) Paper & Topic: GS II  Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian Diaspora Model Answer: Introduction:  The world will recall occurrences as either pre-Covid or post-Covid in the future.  Even India’s diplomatic structure reflects this. While the focus in 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic, was on coordinating COVID-19 medicine exports, flights to repatriate Indians abroad (the ‘Vande Bharat Mission’) after the lockdown, and then exporting vaccines worldwide (‘Vaccine Maitri’),  Covid Diplomacy 2.0 has a different order of tasks, both in the short and long term, following the second wave.  Body: Covid-19 waves have had a variety of effects on India’s diplomacy. When it was supposed to be a prophylactic, India provided hydro chloroquine pills to the United States and many other countries. When the Vaccine Maitri programme provided 6 crore vaccines to smaller countries, it received a lot of positive press.  India also sent Remdesivir, which it is running out of in the second wave. India contributed ambulances to

Q1. What were the reasons for the Non-Aligned Movement’s (NAM) formation? What part did India play in its development? Examine NAM’s achievements and shortcomings in accomplishing its stated goals. (250 words)   Paper & Topic: GS I  Post Independence India Model Answer: Introduction: During the fall of the colonial system and the independence movements of peoples in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and other parts of the world, and during the height of the Cold War, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) was conceived and founded. The Non-Aligned Movement was founded as a group of countries that did not want to openly align with either the US or the Soviet Union, preferring to stay independent or neutral. The Movement was founded in 1955 at the Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung, Indonesia. The “Ten Principles of Bandung,” which were declared at the Conference, were NAM’s guiding principles. Body: India’s contribution to the creation of the NAM: The importance of India in the development and maintenance of the NAM cannot be overstated. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, was not only one of the Movement’s founding founders, but also the driving force behind the values that NAM came to represent. In reality, India’s Ambassador to the United Nations, V.K Menon, originated the term “non-alignment.” Nehru’s efforts in support of NAM were shaped by his country’s experience as a newly independent nation free of colonialism, both of which helped many other newly independent states join the movement. NAM was led by India and Nehru, who expressed the concerns of newly formed nation states that were being actively pressured and persuaded by the two Cold War powers to choose between two, opposing political and social regimes. Instead, India and the NAM promoted the notion of nonalignment and a country’s right to determine its own destiny, while also emphasising the need of multilateralism, nonviolence, and international collaboration in resolving international conflicts. Using NAM as a forum, India promoted her desire for peace and collaboration over conflict and hostility. NAM’s achievements: NAM aided republics that were enslaved by colonialism in achieving independence. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NAM) aided its members in preserving their national security and territorial integrity. By avoiding the two armed blocs, the United States and the Soviet Union, NAM helped to create an environment conducive to peace, justice, equality, and international collaboration. NAM provides a global platform for members’ voices to be heard. During the Cold War, the movement was active in opposing the superpowers’ armaments race. It has advocated for international peace, justice, and liberty. It has spoken out against all types of injustice, including the 1956 Suez Crisis, Israel’s aggressive actions, and the unilateral US invasion on Iraq. The development of a New International Economic Order (NIEO) based on increased economic cooperation and justice has been promoted by NAM. In reality, the Non-Aligned countries were substantially responsible for the inaugural UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in 1964. The NAM has persuaded affluent countries that continuing to deprive the third world has a negative impact on the global economy and their own prosperity. The movement has succeeded in establishing a strong international front, representing third-world countries in international organisations, including the United Nations. NAM’s Limitations: The world has returned to bipolarity, with the United States leading one side and China-Russia leading the other. Syria, which is split apart by civil conflict, is a great illustration of this, with both the US and Russia establishing influence. The rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific region as a result of China’s assertiveness, and the US acting as a check on China’s expansionist strategy. Climate change is a serious problem all across the world. Changing US policy, protectionism, widespread terrorism, and the Middle East’s nuclearization. Other difficulties confronting the NAM include the need to maintain international law principles, eliminate weapons of mass destruction, combat terrorism, and defend human rights. NAM is also up against a challenge in making the UN more successful in addressing the requirements of all of its member states in order to maintain international peace, security, and stability, as well as achieving justice in the international economic system. The Movement’s long-term aims, on the other hand, have yet to be accomplished. Conclusion: Faced with unmet goals and numerous new obstacles, the Non-Aligned Movement is urged to maintain a prominent and leading role in current international affairs in defence of its member states’ interests and priorities, as well as for the attainment of world peace and security. Q2. Nehru advocated for the integration of tribal people into Indian society by making them an integral part of the Indian nation while preserving their own identity and culture. Elucidate. (250 words)   Paper & Topic: GS I  Post Independence India Model Answer: Introduction: The government’s tribal integration policy prioritised the preservation of the tribal people’s unique social and cultural legacy. ‘The first problem we have to face there [in the tribal areas] is to inspire them [the tribal people] with confidence and to make them feel at one with India, and to realise that they are part of India and have an honoured place in it,’ said Jawaharlal Nehru, the main influence in shaping the government’s attitude toward the tribals. At the same time, ‘India should represent not just a defending but also a liberating force to them.’ Nehru believed that Indian nationalism could accommodate the indigenous people’s diversity. Body: The integration of indigenous people into Indian society was a Nehruvian aim: There were two major perspectives to how tribals should be treated in Indian society. One strategy was to leave the tribal people alone, free of modern influences from outside their society, and allow them to remain as they were. The second strategy was to fully integrate them into Indian society as rapidly as possible. The demise of the tribal way of life was not to be lamented; rather, it was to be embraced as a sign of their ‘upliftment.’ Both of these techniques were rejected by Jawaharlal Nehru. The first method, which he saw as insulting, was to treat the

Q1. Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana is working to improve India’s healthcare system, but it is up against several challenges. Discuss. (250 words) Paper & Topic: GS II  Social Sector of India – Health. Model Answer: In order to lessen the financial burden placed on the poor and vulnerable groups as a result of catastrophic hospital episodes and to guarantee their access to high-quality medical treatment, the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat’s Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) was developed. Each household will receive annual benefit coverage worth Rs. 500,000 as a result (approx. 50 crore beneficiaries). Hospitalization and medical expenses will be paid for by PM-JAY for almost all secondary care and most tertiary care procedures. The programme clearly has the admirable objective of giving the less fortunate and economically weaker portions of society the best medical treatment at the lowest rates. The program’s success is hampered by a number of issues. Finance: Between 2008 and 2015, India’s public healthcare spending virtually stayed steady at 1.3% of the country’s gross domestic product. It is a mammoth challenge to put into action a scheme that might cost Rs 5 lakh per person and assist 53.7 crore of India’s 121 crore residents, or roughly about 44% of the population. Because healthcare inflation has a history of rising faster than general inflation, the problem is likely to get worse in the future. Doctor to Patient Ratio: In India, there are 8 doctors for every 10,000 people, according to the WHO. To enable this access, more than more primary and secondary healthcare facilities are needed. Fair access is necessary. Infrastructure expansion and the quantity of healthcare facilities ought to coexist. Populist policies by the government: The inclusion of Above Poverty Line (APL) individuals who work in the unorganised sector within the purview of a programme has long been debatable. A sizable number of most lower middle class and middle class households with wage earners who work in the unorganised sector would still be without insurance. Due to the high insurance costs in comparison to PMJAY, this component would not be protected. Differences in medical care between public and private hospitals: As long as public hospitals receive budgetary support, this has been a big worry. As a result, the private players would be dissuaded from actively participating in the scheme. Additional benefits for hospital participants who are from private sector: Private players may open hospitals in underserved locations if the State provides incentives. Without it, last-mile medical care would remain constrained as it is now. Inadequate IT infrastructure assistance: The initiative is being introduced quickly, even before the crucial systems and procedures have been completely established and tested for robustness. Due to continued out-of-pocket costs, this has led to many poor people staying in poverty. Other problems: Since public health is a state issue, the state government will largely determine the effectiveness of PMJAY. The line ministries typically imposed an excessive amount of rules and regulations, emphasising a top-down approach, according to previous centrally supported programmes. How to Proceed: The APL population need not be incorporated immediately, but rather, say, in a few years. For time-beng, pay attention to the penetration of health insurance by the APL. Budgetary assistance for public hospitals may be employed to persuade private companies to make investments in disadvantaged regions. The National Health Institution was founded as an autonomous authority, allowing private parties to engage, therefore less government participation should be permitted. A legally binding policy commitment is necessary to eliminate policy ambiguity and encourage investments in hospital infrastructure. Conclusion: PM-JAY intends to speed India’s development in these areas to meet Sustainable Development Goal – 3 and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) (SDG3). Q2. Political parties may profit from repeated loan waivers, but farmers do not stand to gain from them in the long run. Discuss. (250 words) Paper & Topic: GS III  Indian Agriculture. Model Answer: The act of writing off loans given to farmers who are unable to repay them owing to calamities, disasters, governmental policies, etc. is known as the practise of waiving agricultural debts. Since 2014, states ruled by other parties, including Telangana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, have also implemented similar measures. Political parties now use loan waivers as a potent political instrument, which is worsening the financial situation of Indian agriculture. The Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households conducted by the NSSO in 2013 found that 52% of agricultural households had debt, with rates rising to 89-92% in several States. Agricultural debt exemptions are necessary for farmers’ welfare: Numerous issues, such as dispersed land ownership, deteriorating soil quality, dropping water table levels, growing input costs, and low productivity, have been plaguing India’s agriculture. Add the whims of the monsoon to this. It’s possible that the output cost is not profitable. Loans are commonly needed by farmers to pay their bills. In addition, a lot of small farmers who are not eligible for bank financing borrow money from unreasonably high-interest sources. The unexpected monsoons and crop failures caused by nature force farmers who are drowning in debt to make difficult choices. Debt is one of the key reasons why so many farmers commit suicide each year in this country. Political parties have more to gain from loan forgiveness than farmers’ welfare: Loan exemptions are frequently announced by political parties to increase their chances of winning elections. The entire waiving process has to be reconsidered because the very justification for waiving is flawed. Due to the evolution of farm loan exemptions into political campaign tools for parties, small business owners and dealers are forced to take on the burden of high-interest loans from banks. Farm loan waivers do not help the vast majority of small and marginal farmers who lack access to institutional finance and owe money to local money lenders. Tenant farmers in Telangana account for 75% of farmer suicides and have the least or no access to official credit, according to a RythuSwarajyaVedika study released in June 2018. Farm loan waivers

Q1. Write a short note on cold waves in North India and its after effects? (250 words) Paper & Topic: GS I  Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes. Model Answer: Introduction:  A cold wave (also known as a cold snap or cold spell) is a weather phenomena marked by a cooling of the air.  A cold wave, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), is “a situation of air temperature that becomes lethal to the human body when exposed.” Over the following three days, a cold wave is expected in areas of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, according to the IMD. Body: Criteria for declaring a winter storm: When the minimum temperature in a weather station in the plains is equal to or less than 10 degrees Celsius and is 4.5 degrees to 6.4 degrees below the usual temperature for that period, the IMD reports a cold wave. When the minimum temperature is less than or equal to 0 degrees Celsius and the minimum temperature is 4.5 degrees to 6.4 degrees below normal in hilly areas, a cold wave is declared. The following are the causes of India’s current cold wave: Impact of Western Disturbances: The lack of western disturbances causes cold wave conditions. Western disturbances bring rain and lower daytime temperatures, while nighttime temperatures stay stable. Snowfall in the Himalayas’ upper reaches generates a wind chill factor in India’s northern regions. Cold air sinking downward: Movement of cold air masses caused by upper-level winds. Strong westerly winds entering northwest India and delivering cold air in the southeast direction might cause them. Cold waves can also be caused by the formation of an extended area of relatively high pressure across northwest Asia. In North India, La Nina is known to favor cold waves. It enhances the severity of cold weather, as well as the frequency and region covered by a cold wave. For example, due to the impact of La Nina in the Pacific, the winters of October 2020 were colder than typical (2 degrees Celsius, the lowest since 1962). The effect of a cold spell: Impact on agriculture in North India: It widens the temperature range between day and night, resulting in irregular winter conditions that wreak havoc on agricultural practices throughout the Rabi season. Impact on Cash Crops: It may have an impact on the production of cash crops such as coffee, which is grown mostly in south India (coffee growth is particularly sensitive to temperature changes). Impact on Human Life:Cold waves increase the risk of catching the flu and can cause symptoms such as nosebleeds and a runny nose. In many regions of North India, it was also blamed for the second wave of COVID 19. Those in vulnerable age categories, such as the very young, the elderly, and the infirm, are the most vulnerable. Extreme weather conditions are also obvious targets for the poorer elements of society who cannot afford to defend themselves from the extremes of weather. A path forward: However, avoiding lengthy exposure to the outdoors during cold wave conditions is the greatest strategy to avoid disease. In this regard, departments involved should be given special responsibilities, and a nodal team at the district level should be established, reporting to the district magistrate. To ensure the safety of our door staff, working hours will be adjusted according to region, i.e., in locations where temperatures are expected to drop, work hours will be shifted to later hours. Where there is a risk of hot or cold winds, the district level disaster management system should be activated, and rescue homes and food and water should be set up. Special health camps will be organized by the health department in collaboration with the AYUSH sector, and special health volunteers will be recruited if necessary. Awareness campaigns will be launched, not only through ASHA workers but also through the media and social media. The panchayathi raj institutions must be mobilized to take a specific step for cleaning their respective areas, in order to eliminate disease carrier breeding and grooming sites. All actions should be reviewed at the district level, which should then be monitored at the state level, with officials convening on a regular basis to review their progress. Q2. What are the main reasons of Brain Drain from the STEM Sector of India and how to deal with the same? (250 words) Paper & Topic: GS II   Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources. Model Answer: Introduction: India has been a major exporter of healthcare workers to industrialised countries, particularly the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Europe, and other English-speaking countries, for several decades.  Part of the reason for the scarcity of nurses and doctors is because of this.  According to government data, India has 1.7 nurses per 1,000 people and a doctor-to-patient ratio of 1:1,404, which is much below than the WHO standard of three nurses per 1,000 people and a doctor-to-patient ratio of 1:1,100. Body: Figures and facts: According to OECD data, approximately 69,000 Indian-trained doctors worked in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Australia in 2017. In the same year, 56,000 Indian-trained nurses worked in these four countries. There is also a large-scale movement of health workers to the GCC countries, however there is no reliable statistics on the number of these workers in these countries. As with low- and semi-skilled migration, there is no real-time data on high-skilled migration from India. Reasons for India’s brain drain: Resident doctors are overworked and underpaid: Residents in MD and DM programmes are required to work more than 90 hours a week. They are either paid a pittance of less than $50,000 a month, which is insufficient to compensate for their stress and pressure. As a result, people who complete their MBBS seek greater prospects in the United