Essay Writing

A walk from Economic Growth

to Economic Development
[Type here]

A walk from Economic Growth to Economic Development

“Two brothers Chinna and Kaaka live in the slums of Chennai, where both the young boys are
ragpickers. They support the family by selling the junk they sort in the nearby scrap market.
The mother does household work to sustain the family. The boys are able to earn their
livelihood by selling the scrap, but poverty and necessity does not allow them to attend the
nearby government school. The mother works hard but her earnings are not enough alone to
sustain a living in the city. Do we see economic growth or development here?”

The above storyline gives us an opportunity to understand the key difference

between economic growth and economic development. By selling scrap in the scrap market,
the boys are contributing to economic growth because the scrap ultimately becomes a part
of production. Their earnings are also a part of Factor Income. Thus, there is economic
growth. Similarly, the services provided by the mother is paid for and thus, is a part of
economic growth. However, the boys are not getting educated, they are stuck in the vicious
circle of poverty by working in their childhood and not learning, they might face health
problems in the future and might also get entangled in crime. Thus, there is no economic
development in such a living. A country, by allowing millions of brothers like chinna and
kaaka to remain ragpickers when they should be picking up books, is deprived of fruits of
Economic development.

Hence it is important to understand the concept and evolution of economic growth and
development.

Historically, rapid economic growth has been accompanied by greater industrialization. But
more accurately the process of economic growth can be described in terms of greater
commercialization of economic activities. Economic growth may be defined as a rate of
expansion that can move an underdeveloped economy from a near subsistence mode of living
to substantially higher levels in a few decades. It is an increase in the level of output of goods
and services that is sustained over a long period of time, measured in terms of value-
added. The process of economic growth is essentially a dynamic concept and refers to a
continuous expansion in the level of output, i.e. it refers to forces that generate more output
over time. It leads to greater commercialization of economic activities.

Economic growth can be categorized as extensive and intensive growth. An increase in the
total output is referred to as ‘extensive growth’. An increase in the output per capita is called
‘intensive growth’. The process of economic growth may also lead to changes in the form of
economic activity which is referred to as a structural shift in the economic structure of an
economy. This means that the economy moves away from being largely rural and agriculture-
based to urban and industry-dominated.

pg. 1
[Type here]

Economic growth is measures through Gross domestic product, Gross National product and
per capita product. But these make growth very quantitative. A country may record increase
in any of these measurements, but it wouldn’t mean that the country is developing. A country
may experience high economic growth accompanied with an increase in inequalities and fall
in overall social welfare of the society.

Adam smith, in his theory of “Wealth of Nations” given an example of “Baker and Bread” in
which he explains the selfish intent of both the seller of bread and buyer of bread. According
to Smith, the seller of bread wants to sell his bread for selfish motive of profit and the buyer
wants to buy for selfish motive of hunger. According to smith, fulfilment of both selfish
motives gives us economic growth.
However, this idea of growth is in itself very narrow. The aim should not be only quantitative
change but also qualitative change. This brings us to Economic development.

Till 1960’s the concept of economic development was used synonymously with economic
growth. But now it’s no longer considered identical to growth. Economic development is seen
as Economic Growth plus Progressive changes in certain crucial variables which determine
well-being of people. Mahbub ul haq has remarked “The problem of development must be
defined as selective attack on worst forms of poverty. Development goals must be defined in
terms of progressive reduction and eventual elimination of malnutrition, disease, illiteracy,
squalor, unemployment and inequalities”.

Economic development can be understood by two approaches- the first is a traditional

approach prevalent during the 1950s, and another is the new approach that came during
the early 1960s. The traditional development approach primarily focused on economic
growth in terms of the rise in Per Capita Income in real terms and ignored other factors like
the elimination of poverty and inequalities. During this phase, economic growth was often
considered synonymous with economic development. It was assumed that rapid gains in
overall growth in GNP or per capita national product would trickle down to people in one
form or the other, thus reducing inequalities, poverty, and enhancing employment
generation. But the trickle-down theory did not work completely.

Furthermore, with the advent of new challenges like climate change, increasing poverty, and
inequalities, there was a dire need to undertake a holistic approach towards development.
Therefore, to overcome the drawbacks of traditional approach, a sustainable growth model
has been incorporated that is multi-dimensional and welfare-oriented development model.

The economic growth model focussed on continuous expansion in level of output and
increasing GDP, but it has certain limitations in its approach such as:
• Inequality of income: The issue of distribution of the fruits of the growth process
becomes the first important limitation of the process of economic growth. There is
evidence to suggest that, at least in the initial stages of development; growth tends to
worsen the distribution of income. Unequal distribution of income brings new
challenges like high crime, high impoverishment and dissatisfaction among the
people. A holistic focus on Economic development can help a country get rid of
inequality.

pg. 2
[Type here]

• Pollution (and other negative externalities): The drive for increased output tends to
put more and more pressure on the environment and the result is often increased
pollution – air, water, and noise. Economic growth measure does not value rise in
pollution, which has resulted in over-use and exploitation of limited natural resources
in our environment.
• Loss of non-renewable resources - The more we want to produce, the more resources
we need. This is resulting in loss of non-renewable resources that are in limited supply.
Economic growth does not value depletion and ultimate extinction of limited
resources.

Due to these limitations, there was a need to adopt a holistic approach to development. The
concept of economic development incorporates multidimensional parameters to
development.

Under the Modern approach of economic development, Economic development is generally

defined to include improvements in material welfare, eradication of mass poverty, along with
changes in production structure from agriculture to industry. Some of the parameters unique
to Economic Development are-

• Constituents of GDP: Under economic development, the constitution of GDP is

measured and given utmost importance in deciding whether an economy is moving
ahead in development or not. For example, a major portion of government revenues
in India come from taxes on Alcohol, tobacco and transport vehicles. 10-15% of
revenues of all states come from VAT on alcohol alone. As a result, these states
progress in economic growth but their progress in economic development becomes
uncertain.

• Employment Changes and productivity: Employment changes reflect the shift in

output and changes in Productivity. Progress in Economic development demand an
increase in overall productivity of labour in the economy and a shift of labour from
agriculture to industry. As per a report by SBI Research, by 2021 India’s output per
worker rose to just $6,414 compared to China’s $16,698. Thus, India has enough
labour available to produce in the present but lack productivity to sustain economic
development in the future.

• Shift in the Composition of Exports: As development proceeds, exports should

account for a larger proportion of income and there should be a marked shift in the
composition of exports so that the value of export of manufactures rises relative to
that of primary products. India currently exports more of primary goods and imports
more of value added and manufactured products. For development to happen, there
is a need to increase the value of exports by converting primary goods into
manufactured goods and minimise imports of capital goods.

• Rate of Increase in Population: As incomes increase, the rate of increase in

population may be expected to fall, as the birth rate declines along with a fall in the
death rate. The population would still be increasing, but gradually the rate of growth
will tend to peter out.

pg. 3
[Type here]

To measure development accurately, various indices have been created over time. These
indices bring out the wide variety of ways in which development can be measured for an
economy.

Human Development Index

The concept of human development was created by Mahbub-ul-Haq and Amartya Sen as “a
process of enlarging people’s choices”. The latest and the most ambitious index of quality of
life is the Human Development Index devised by the United Nations Development Program
(UNDP), an agency of the United Nations. UNDP prepared the HDI for the first time in 1990 in
its first Human Development Report. Since then, the UNDP has been publishing Human
Development Report every year. to evaluate a country’s human development progress a
statistical tool is developed known as Human Development Index (HDI) that compare
countries on several dimensions including:
• Life expectancy at birth
• Education- mean years of schooling and expected years of schooling
• Real GNI per capita
In terms of HDI, countries are classified into 3 groups:
• High human development countries- HDI values of 0.800 and above
• Medium human development countries- HDI values of 0.500- 0.799
• Low human development countries- HDI value below 0.500
Human Development Report 2020 outlined that India’s HDI since 1990 has increased to 0.645
from 0.429, recording a 50% increase. Comparatively, India's HDI is more than overall South
Asia’s average, which is 0.641.

Gender Inequality Index

The GII is an inequality index. It shows the loss in potential human development due to
disparity between female and male achievements in three dimensions:
1. Reproductive health
2. Empowerment
3. Labour Force Participation

There is no country with perfect gender equality. The GII ranges between 0 and 1and higher
GII values indicate higher levels of inequalities. The GDI value of India stands at 0.820 with a
wide gap pertaining between female and male GII value, where GII value for females stands
for 0.573 while for males it is valued at 0.699 in the 2020 year report.

GII reveals the level of gender based inequality in India, which is a clear indicator of mental
and physical health of half of our population that are women. A better score in GII indicates
overall economic development of a country.

Gross National Happiness Index

Gross national happiness (GNH) is a measure of economic and moral progress that the king
of Bhutan- Jigme Singye Wangchuck introduced in the 1970s as an alternative to gross

pg. 4
[Type here]

domestic product. Rather than focusing strictly on quantitative economic measures, gross
national happiness takes into account an evolving mix of quality-of-life factors. Following
parameters are used in GNH:
1. Higher real per capita income
2. Good governance
3. Environmental Protection
4. Cultural Promotion

A progress in GNH means progress in overall economic development of a country.

Unfortunately, most countries do not use GNH measures as it reduces their GDP numbers
drastically. Economic development is incomplete without happiness of the populace.

Thus, the questions to ask about a country’s development are: What is the status of poverty
and unemployment? What has been happening to inequality? Which brings us back to our
story of Chinna and Kaaka. Thus, growth and development are not limited to a rise in
production or a rise in income of households, it also includes the source of income, the status
of poverty and upliftment of present generation for a better future. It means overall
prosperity and economic freedom of Chinna and Kaaka. Thus, economic growth and
development co-exist both qualitative and quantitatively.

Multiple initiatives have been undertaken by the governments and global forums to tackle
the issues of climate change, food security, unemployment and money others. Global targets
under Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Agenda 21, and Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) have been set to stimulate development across various socio-economic
parameters. India, in this respect, has also launched a range of national welfare and
development projects, including the National Health Mission (NHM), AYUSHMAN BHARAT,
Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana
(PMJDY), complimenting various global initiatives that are directed to foster equalities among
people, communities, and cultures to help achieve a reasonable and fairly-distributed quality
of life and to ensure socio-economic and environmental sustainability in line with new
development model.

NOTE:

Classification of countries on the basis of per capita income

Based on per capita income World Bank has classified countries into four categories:
• Low Income per capita income less than 1005 US $
• Low middle income per capita ranges between 1006-3995 US$
• Upper middle income per capita 3956-12,235 US$
• High income per capita greater than 12, 235 US $

On basis of these parameters, countries are further categorized as:

pg. 5
[Type here]

Developed country: An industrialized country (or post-industrial country), a more

developed country, or a More Economically Developed Country (MEDC) is a sovereign state
that has a developed economy and advanced technological infrastructure relative to other
less industrialized nations. An example is the USA.

Developing country: A relatively less industrialized nation that is based on primary activities
but is thriving for new industrial development such as services (India) or mass production
(China).

Least Developed Countries: Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are low-income countries
confronting severe structural impediments to sustainable development. They are highly
vulnerable to economic and environmental shocks and have low levels of human assets.
Examples include Somalia, Sudan, etc.

Common characteristics of Underdeveloped/ developing countries:

(1) Low GNP Per Capita- GNP per capita in developing and underdeveloped countries is
appallingly low compared to developed countries. As a result, the majority of the population
leads a wretched and sub-human life in developing and underdeveloped countries.

(2) Scarcity of Capital- The rate of capital formation in underdeveloped countries is low due
to a vicious cycle of “poverty-low savings-low investment-low capital formation”.
When absolute income is high, the ability to save is also high.

(3) Rapid population growth and high dependency burden- Population growth rate in
developing and underdeveloped countries has been high due to “a sudden fall in death rate
because of better medical facilities but high birth rate due to widespread poverty, ignorance
and religious orthodoxy”. High population growth rate puts more pressure on the limited
resources and prevent an economy in transforming itself from an underdeveloped to
developed country.

(4) Technological Backwardness- In underdeveloped countries, technological methods are

backward. Lack of research and development is the reason for low technological
advancement. This problem is often reinforced by conscious effort to employ labor-
intensive techniques of production, resulting in even more backwardness on the
technological front.

pg. 6
[Type here]

pg. 7
[Type here]

pg. 8
[Type here]

pg. 9
[Type here]

pg. 10
[Type here]

pg. 11
Lesson 1 Essay Writing
[Type here]

Hello Aspirants,
I welcome you to this class wherein I intend to guide you on how to start with English
Descriptive paper preparation. Under the series, which I called ‘Mastering English
Descriptive,’ I will be talking about some of the fundamental techniques and approaches that
a student should endorse while starting with English descriptive preparation. But before
jumping into that, lets first understand the format of the descriptive sections.
English descriptive section is an important constituent of Phase II of all the three exams i.e.,
RBI, SEBI and NABARD. The section contains Essay Writing for 40 marks, Precis or summary
writing for 30 marks and Reading comprehension for 30 marks, with a total of 100 marks
weightage a section becomes very important for excelling Phase II exam. (SEBI exam has Essay
with a weightage of 30 marks, Precis with a weightage of 40 marks and RC with a weightage
of 30 marks). Therefore, if a student wants to clear any of the above-mentioned exam, he/she
must master the art of writing along with a clear understanding about the idea behind
descriptive paper.
Now that we know ‘what’ the scope of English descriptive paper is, let’s move on to address
‘how,’ i.e., how to deal or how to excel in the English descriptive section.
That’s where I come in!
I will teach you how to start with preparation, how to practice in the right manner and write
an impactful Essay, Precis and RC so that you can HIT A HOME RUN!
As a common saying goes, ROME WAS NOT BUILT IN A DAY. Similarly, mastering the art of
writing requires dedication, determination and obviously more than one class. Therefore, I
have divided the series into different classes explaining the dos and don’ts to be followed in
writing Essay, Precis and Reading Comprehension. This means that rather than overburdening
you with all the information in one go, I will be taking baby steps teaching you each section
separately.
NOW THE BALL IS IN YOUR COURT! Grab a piece of paper and pen and sit with me for the next
30 minutes religiously through all classes. That’s all I need from you. No more, No less. I can
guarantee, that at the end of this series you will be mastering the art of writing, which will
eventually help you to score better in English descriptive exam and will definitely boost your
confidence for facing any such exam format in future.

pg. 1
[Type here]

I am sure that you are ready and excited about learning the art of writing and dealing with
the English descriptive exam with me.

How to Start with Essay Writing??

There are a total of 6 rules that one must follow to learn the art of Essay writing. I will be
taking you to all these six rules one by one. The objective is to give you a fair understanding
about how to start practicing, how to frame your essay and many more. You can trust me
that towards the end of these 6 rules, you will be a master in Essay Writing.
However, my job is not done with lecturing on the nuances of writing essays. As we move
along with the classes, I will be providing you with sample essays from which you can get an
idea on how to start practicing and excelling your essays to fetch high scores in your exam.
But before we get to the point where we discuss “what to do”, I think it’s more important that
we cover “what not to do”. There are many mistakes that students make while preparing for
Essay writing. Let us first talk about those mistakes, understand them, own them. Unless we
own our mistakes, we cannot get rid of them.

MISTAKE # 1
The first mistake that we as students make is “Kicking off essay preparation with an
impetuous attitude / casual attitude”
Many students assume that Essay writing is a piece of cake. It’s assumed to be a by-product
of their knowledge and hard work in other subjects. This assumption could not be farther
from the truth. Due to this notion, these students decide to invest a minimum time in
preparing or practicing essays. We all know what the result is! They get hurt. The impact is
not even minor. It destroys one complete year of hard work and dedication.
I would like to accept that the fault also lies in people like ME who are unable to send across
the message loud enough so that every student can hear it.
The message to NOT TAKE ESSAY WRITING LIGHTLY. The message to start preparing for essay
writing from day 1. After all, it holds almost 10% of the entire weightage of the exam, then
why not spend at least 2 hours per week practicing essay writing. You might ask what’s the
need. I want to ask- WHY NOT!
I hope that with this SO-CALLED LECTURE of mine on NOT TAKING ESSAY WRITING CASUALLY
is not too much. I hope the point is clear- take essay writing seriously. Make it your strength.

pg. 2
[Type here]

MISTAKE # 2
Another common mistake students make is that they try to KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE
STONE! By this I mean, students usually have a perception that practicing answer writing will
help them get through essays as well.
It’s Not True!
Answer writing and Essay writing demand very different approaches. Let me Explain How!

The format and structure to be followed in answer writing is more straight forward, formal
and impersonal. There is no scope or space for opinions of learned personalities. All you need
to do is explain “What”, “How” and “Why” of the keyword asked.
It’s not the same in Essay writing.
Essay writing demands building-up coherent arguments, discussing multiple dimensions and
giving a long-descriptive analysis of the given topic.
I know what you are wondering. “Can you explain all of this through an example? I get what
you are saying but I can’t digest it. I need an example to get what you wish to explain”
Well, let me!
Below is the example of an answer and an essay on the same topic. This will give you a fair
idea on the difference between the two and what kind of approach one must adopt while
writing the two.
In the below sample, we talk about “Green Revolution and the need for the upgraded version
of it” or as popularly called, “evergreen revolution”. I will discuss the topic in the Essay format
and then discuss the same topic in the answer writing format.

Essay Topic: India from the Green revolution to the evergreen revolution.

Introduction: Start by mentioning the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of the green revolution and go further
by explaining how it impacted India and in what ways (briefly)

pg. 3
[Type here]

Body of the Essay: From here you have to start building arguments that analyze the green
revolution and its impact on multiple dimensions that led to the evergreen revolution.
• Dimensions including:
o Stress on the Environment
o Increased interpersonal inequalities, and
o Regional disparities.
Further move on by mentioning the 'why' and 'what' of ever-green revolution covering its
objectives and aspects.
• Adding dimensions such as:
o Adopting sustainable agricultural practices
o Technological advancement and dissemination in the agriculture sector,
o Ensuring food security, and
o Addressing nutritional deficiency.

• Mention what are the major steps taken by the GOI to tackle those challenges.
o Introduced Zero Budget Natural Farming
o Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana in 2015 to promote organic farming, etc.

Conclusion: Mention some of the challenges in implementing the evergreen revolution and
how the evergreen revolution can potentially transform Indian agriculture and millions of
people dependent on it.

Here is the example of answer writing with more of less the same topic and it will give you a
clear idea of on difference between both:

Question- Explain the difference between Green Revolution 1.0 and Green Revolution 2.0?
Critically analyse the impact of green revolution in aggravating regional disparities.
Answer- In attempting this question, you need to keep in mind that the question is divided
into two parts.
• Where the first part is asking about the difference between green revolution 1.0 and
2.0.

pg. 4
[Type here]

• The second part is concerned with green revolution 1.0 and its role in aggravating
regional disparities.
Start with introducing both the phases of the green revolution, i.e., GR 1.0 and GR 2.0. Point
out the difference between the two on the basis of:
• Objectives
• Achievements
Mention all possible differences you can think of, between GR 1.0 and GR 2.0

Now address the second part of the question, i.e., the impact of GR 1.0 in aggravating
interpersonal and regional disparities.
This you can write in points, providing relevant data to support your points.
• HYV seeds were initiated on a small area (around 1.89 million hectares and by 1997-
98, it covered only covered 40 percent of the gross cropped area. Consequently, the
benefits of GR 1.0 were confined to these areas only)
• The process was started in the Northwestern region of India and continued to be a
high-growth region even in the latter phase of the Green Revolution. On the other
hand, the Southern and Eastern regions experienced minimal growth. There was a
steep decline in food production in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, and Kerala.
• GR 1.0 created regional disparity in the country by focusing too much on 5 food crops
while ignoring the other crops completely.

Give a proper conclusion, by mentioning that GR 2.0 must be catalyzed in a way that bridges
regional disparities, improves soil quality and tackles other emerging challenges.

pg. 5
[Type here]

MISTAKE # 3

Strategy of reading 20-30 topics for writing a good essay is NO STRATEGY AT ALL!
A naïve mistake that students often make while preparing for Essay is reading some 20-30
topics from the prescribed syllabus and assuming that their work is done.
You need to let that habit go.
If you want to CLEAR THE EXAM and not just write it for the sake of it, you need to start making
difficult choices. One of that choice is to WRITE, not just read. Reading is step 1 in the process
of your preparation; it is not the final step. Reading has to be followed by WRITING
REGULARLY and WRITING COMPLETE TESTS.
The mistake that students often make is that they limit themselves to reading and HOPE FOR
THE BEST IN THE EXAM. Well, Hope is not enough. We need to work on it too.
An approach of only reading might help you in gaining some knowledge about the topic, but
an essay requires much more than that. It requires argument building, coherent structure,
simplicity and many more, which could only come with proper guidance and investing time in
practicing.
Reading is not the problem; NOT PRACTICING Essay Writing is!
As a common saying goes, ‘PRACTICE MAKES YOU PERFECT’ therefore the best way to get
your hands on essay writing is to practice once every week without failing, with the right
amount of reading. This will help students to deal with any type of essay in any given exam.

MISTAKE # 4
The last mistake that students make is NOT FOLLOWING ANY STANDARD PROCEDURE for
writing. Majority students reading this right now don’t even know what a STANDARD
OPERATING PROCEDURE (SOP) is.
Do not worry, I will be talking in detail about SOP, its need, its advantages and how it can help
you attain confidence as well as save time in essay writing.
For now, we need to understand that WE NEED AN SOP

pg. 6
[Type here]

FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS!

It's time to embark on the journey of mastering essay writing and scoring high in English
Descriptive of Phase II exam.
The next area we want to delve into is expectation and thought process of the examiner.
We often fail to understand how the examiner might think. We feel and assume that she/he
thinks just like us. The problem with this assumption is that IT’S ALL WRONG
I have to be straight with you to help you understand where you can get an edge over other
students out there, competing hard with all they have.
Get into the mind of the examiner to get out everything you can, that can help you in reaching
out to his/her expectations.
Let’s get started with learning how the examiner thinks-

Expectation of the examiner from your Essay

Knowing your mistakes is a good start, now let us get into the head of the examiner. Knowing
your enemy is the biggest advantage you can get over him in this fight.
In this class I will unveil to you the psychology of examiner while evaluating your essays. I have
listed a set of thoughts going on in the examiner’s mind and what he/she expects from your
essays.
Towards the end of the session, you will have an ample amount of knowledge on what are
the do’s and don'ts that you should keep in mind to start with practicing you essay writing.
1. Language and Grammar: The language and grammar of the essay are important
parameters on which the examiner evaluates your essays. The descriptive section in exam
along with other factors, majorly tests a students’ language and grammar skills. Many a times
students, in order to impress the examiner, extensively use jargons or long sentences to make
the essay impactful.
This should be avoided! Why?
Let me break it down for you.
Essay with long sentences and jargon, especially when students have not practiced it enough
or do not have enough expertise in writing essays, tends to have grammatical errors and will
make yours sentences complex to read and understand. This will dissuade examiner’s interest

pg. 7
[Type here]

in your essay and soon he/she will move on without giving a thought or reading your essay
completely.
I am sure you don’t want that!
Let me show you with the help of an example how long sentences and grammatical errors can
hamper the sentences and presentation of your essay.

Essay Topic: Crises in Indian Agriculture

Introduction of the Essay
India, which has always been an agricultural nation, comes in second place globally in terms of
agricultural output. More than half of India’s workforce is employed in agricultural sector
which also bestows the majority of its rural households with a means of subsistence (about
70%). The grisly legacy of farmer indebtedness, the inordinate poverty that farmers live in and
abysmal quality of life of Indian farmers consistently shows that Indian agriculture is in a
tumultuous time, despite the importance of farmers and agriculture.
OR
Being an agriculture country from the beginning, India ranks second worldwide in farming
outputs. Agriculture employs more than 50% of India’s workforce and is also the largest source
of livelihood with about 70% of its rural household's dependent on agriculture. Despite
importance of farmers and agriculture, the bloody history of farmer debts, extreme poverty
that farmers live in and low quality of life of Indian farmers delineates that Indian agriculture
is in a crisis.

Honestly, what do you like more! I, with utmost certainty, can say that I find the second
introduction more appealing, easy to digest, easy to understand and easy to judge. Why make
things more complex for yourself and for the examiner.
Remember, the examiner is sitting out there on a chair, checking hundreds of copies every
day. HUNDREDS. You must do something extraordinary to get his attention.
Surprisingly, THAT EXTRAORDINARY thing need not be complexity.
IT HAS TO BE SIMPLICITY
I remember my professor once shared something very personal with me. She said, “when I
enrolled in Bachelors Program, I started reading writers I could not understand to impress

pg. 8
[Type here]

others. When I enrolled in Masters program, I started reading complex books to impress
myself. But once I enrolled in PhD program, I realized that I need to read the basics again
because I read everything, but I had not understood or internalized anything.
SIMPLICITY IS THE KEY TO ALL OUR PROBLEMS
THE EXAMINER LOVES SIMPLICITY
Now that we understand the importance of simplicity, let’s get into the details of learnings
from the above comparison:
Firstly, in order to avoid grammatical errors, one must avoid writing long sentences. Long
sentences make it complex for the reader to grasp the meaning that you want to convey. It
also reflects that the student does not have clarity in thought and IT WILL hamper your score.
Secondly, always remember it is not a test of vocabulary. Avoid writing jargons; adding big
and complex words will not make your essay better or more impactful. Through essays, the
examiner is trying to test your clarity in thought and how perfectly you can present it on
paper. Remember here that vocabulary is not the same as keywords. You need to use the
right keywords to send across the message of EXPERTISE and COMPLETE understanding of the
essay. But using complex vocabulary does not help.
Lastly, follow the thumb-rule which says, practice makes an essay perfect! Practice and only
practice with awareness on grammatical rules is the best possible way to avoid grammatical
errors.
Now that we have understood the importance of Grammar, let’s get on to the next
expectation of the examiner-

2. Well-Articulated/Structured Essay- The examiner is always focused on checking well-

articulated and structured essays. The fundamental notion behind introducing the essay type
question is to check how well students can put his/her ideas. The examiner with this, wants
to evaluate your writing style and the way you present your essay.
Well! this is an important lesson to start with practicing essays
Let me first unveil to you with the help of an example, what is meant by a well-articulated
and structured essay.

Essay Topic: Globalization Vs Protectionism

pg. 9
[Type here]

Introduction: Briefly define what is globalization and protectionism. Then move on with
mentioning the basic characteristics of globalization.
(1st paragraph) Discuss what is globalization and try to give a proper definition of it.
Adding points on what are the basic characteristics of it and how it transformed the world
in several ways.
Introduce protectionism as an opposite force against globalization (examples: Brexit,
America first policy). Mention the various tools governments adopt to restrict
international trade and shield its industries from international competition.

Body of the Essay: In this, try to compare globalization and protectionism. Mention some
positive arguments with respect to globalization and protectionism, presenting a
balanced overview of both.

Remember to give a holistic coverage to the essay and try to add various dimensions
from different perspectives. A 360-degree view is a must wherein you cover the
following or some of the following dimensions-
1. Economic dimension of Globalization (G) and Protectionism (P)
2. Financial dimension of G and P
3. International dimension of G and P
4. Ethical dimension of G and P
5. Agriculture, Industry and Service dimension (GDP)
6. Historical dimension
7. Societal dimension
8. Geographical dimension

Please understand that you don’t have to write all dimensions. We pick and choose what fits
in the Essay topic.

Let’s have a Brief look at the Body:

pg. 10
[Type here]

(1st paragraph) Mention how the adoption of globalization with the 1991 reforms has
transformed India in numerous ways. (Examples: Top outsourcing destination, highest FDI
flows, massive development of service sector)
(2nd Paragraph) Globalization ensures economic growth for all, one of the primary reasons
nations trades is to gain access to resources it otherwise does not possess. Many modern
luxuries would be impossible to manufactures or producers without this flow.
(3rd paragraph) Globalization creates a complex relationship among worlds’ economies and
promotes multilateral cooperation across socio-economic parameters. This helps by avoiding
outbreak of total war, as happened during World War I and II.

Arguments in favour of protectionism

(1st paragraph) The covid-19 led lockdown has disrupted the global supply chain impacting
the economy of every country. In light of this, the debate over protectionism has ignited and
leaders around the world have called for protectionist policies.
(2nd paragraph) Protectionist policy helps small companies in India survive and grow so that
they can keep providing employment to the massive labour force of the country.
(3rd paragraph) Protectionist policy is not always bad. It helps in survival of local
entrepreneurship and businesses. It has the potential to reduce unequal distribution of
wealth, that is a major outcome of globalization.

Conclusion
Give a balanced view of both. Also, mention that a blend of both globalization and
protectionism is the right approach. (Give example of India)

In the above example, you can find that an essay is well-articulated and properly structured
in line with INTRO, BODY and CONCLUSION!
You can see an alignment in thoughts, ideas are not spilled over just in terms of
arguments or facts. It is a perfect blend of both, with least complexity.
It is necessary to follow this structure. You can see in this essay that we stuck with what
was asked and did not beat around the bush.
A well-structured essay indicates that we have clarity on what is being asked and what we
have to write.

pg. 11
[Type here]

Let’s move on to the third expectation of the examiner-

3. Coherent Arguments- Another important parameter on which the examiner evaluates

your essay is “arguments that you build in your essay”. The essay question usually tests a
students' ability to build an argument around the topic and not on producing facts on
answer sheet.
As I mentioned earlier, the most common mistake students make is that they do rigorous
reading but do not focus on the practicing part. Due to this, students can present facts or
simply put data on a certain topic, but they are unable to build an argument. It’s like pouring
beads into a thread to make a beautiful necklace out of it. If the beads are not in order or if
there is a knot in the thread, no matter how hard you try, the necklace will not come out fine.
Merely presenting facts is not going to fetch marks, there is a need for building arguments
and backing them with right facts or data.
Without further ado, let me explain my point with the help of an example:

Essay Topic: School dropouts in India: Causes and Prevention

Introduction: Start by explaining “what is education” and why is it important for holistic
development of any individual.
(2nd Paragraph) Explain “what do we mean by school dropouts”.

Body of the Essay: Try to explore different dimensions of the essay and do not merely stick to
the facts.
Causes of School dropouts in India:
1) Economic Reasons: The primary reason that pressurizes students to discontinue their
education is economic in nature. This emanates from another misconception among the
poor- Many poor families believe that “the benefits of having children outweigh the costs,
leading to a high demand for children and a high fertility”. Parents from poor families want to
teach their children but when the cost of raising kids goes out of control, children are asked
to dropout from the school and contribute to earnings for the family.
We can make arguments around all dimensions one by one in a similar fashion.

pg. 12
[Type here]

2) School Infrastructure and Quality of Teaching: Limited expenditure on school education.

The quality of school infrastructure still lies in shambles in India. Bad school infrastructure
demotivates both teachers and students to attend school and learn something new.
3) Child Marriage: Child marriage is a direct cause of school dropout since raising a family is
assumed to be the only priority post marriage.
4) Obsolete School Curriculum: It is felt that learning in schools is anyways not useful for kids
so why send them to school and waste time. This is due to obsolete school curriculums that
have not been updated in decades.

Preventive measures in limiting school dropouts:

1) The first step in correcting the problem can be to remove the supply side constraints i.e.,
provide world class infrastructure in every corner of the country and train teachers to be
more passionate and serious about teaching.
2) Reliable Digital education can solve the problem of proximity of schools for a lot of
students, especially girls. The Government needs to create more exhaustive platforms like
SWAYAM so that anyone anywhere can learn at the click of a mouse.
3) Vocational education was rightly focused upon by Mahatma Gandhi but the same has been
ignored due to the focus laid on higher education alone. In today’s Gig Economy, vocational
education in new areas like digital marketing, creative designing, google analytics, soft skills
etc hold immense importance.
Conclusion......

4. Facts, Data and examples: Student should not forget that while building arguments is
important, presenting data and numbers to back those arguments are equally necessary.
Not backing your arguments with proper facts, or examples shows lack of reading or
knowledge on the topic. The best way is to balance out both argument and facts to make
your essay comprehensive, and impactful.
Let me show you with the help of a sample essay, a perfect essay recipe with the right blend
of arguments and facts to make it perfect and impactful.

pg. 13
[Type here]

Essay Topic: School dropouts in India: Causes and Prevention

Introduction: (Similar as mentioned above)
Body of the Essay:
Try to mention different dimensions to the essay and do not merely stick to facts
Mention various reasons behind high school dropouts in India.

1) Economic Reasons: The primary reason that pressurizes students to discontinue their
education is economic in nature..........In India, due to consistent efforts through schemes
like Mid-Day Meal, the school dropout has reduced to below 2% in primary and upper
primary classes but it still remains high at 17% in secondary level.

2) School Infrastructure and Quality of Teaching: Limited expenditure on school

education........Also, there is a need for upgrading classes to provide education via digital
means, which has become the need of the hour. The Union government report mentions
that less than 12% of government schools had internet facilities in the academic year 2019-
20. Less than 30% had functional computers, indicating the need for digital education up-
gradation.

3) Child Marriage: Child marriage is a direct cause of school dropout............ According to

UNICEF, each year, at least 1.5 million girls under 18 get married in India, which makes it
home to the largest number of child brides in the world - accounting for a third of the
global total. Nearly 16 per cent adolescent girls aged 15-19 are currently married.

4) Obsolete School Curriculum: It is felt that the learning in schools is anyways not useful for
kids so why send them to school and waste time............The New National Education policy
2020 also recognizes this fact and aims at overhauling the curriculum to make it more
relevant to the present generation.

Preventive measure:

pg. 14
[Type here]

1) The first step in correcting the problem can be to remove the supply side constraints.........
PPP to invest CSR funds into school infrastructure and Teacher training can be the right
strategy to prevent further spike in school dropouts.
2) Reliable Digital education can solve the problem of proximity of schools for a lot of
students, especially girls. The Government needs to create more exhaustive platforms like
SWAYAM so that anyone anywhere can learn at the click of a mouse. The school education
program of NGOs like Khan Academy can also be adopted to speed-up the process of
spreading high quality education to the remote corners of our country
3) Vocational education was rightly focused upon by Mahatma Gandhi but the same has been
ignored due to the focus laid on higher education alone. In today’s Gig Economy, vocational
education in new areas like digital marketing, creative designing, google analytics, soft skills
etc hold immense importance.
Conclusion.....

5. Holistic or 360° coverage: Your essay should not only talk about one dimension. Students
often do this, while writing an essay they mention only one dimension and stretch it
towards the end and even conclude with it. Following such a strategy will not only make
essay lack arguments but monotonous as well.
In such a case, one should always try to include as many dimensions as possible and present
holistic arguments in support of the essay topic.
Essay Topic: Advantages and Limitations of MSP

Introduction: Briefly (3-4 lines) mention the ‘when’ and ‘what’ of the MSP and move on to
address the ‘why’.
(1st Paragraph) Discuss that among various initiatives that government adopted to improve
the farmers’ income, MSP was the one that was introduced during the Green Revolution.
(2nd Paragraph) Discuss what is Minimum Support Price (MSP), what was the idea behind
introducing MSP and how it acts like a safety net for farmers. Further move on by mentioning
its objectives, and the current crops recognized under MSP.

pg. 15
[Type here]

Body of the essay: Address what has been asked. In this topic, we have been asked about the
Advantages and Limitations of MSP.

Remember to give holistic coverage to the essay and try to add various dimensions from
different perspectives.
For this particular essay, try to get into the shoes of farmers, and with your understanding,
consider what can be an advantage you, and your family could reap from MSP.
Try to answer questions like:
• How would MSP have impacted your life?
• How it must have enhanced your family’s standard of living?
• How it helped your surroundings to grow?
• How it helped during the time of crisis/ distress sale?
Giving thoughts to these questions, you can start mentioning advantages of MSP.
1) Increased food production in the country, which ensures food security.
2) Surety of Income for Farmers, directly impacting their standard of living.
3) Helps in rural development
4) MSP safeguards farmers from distress sales

Similarly, discuss limitations, considering what limitations one could face due to MSP, both
at individual and national level.

1) MSP creates disparities among the farmers, as many are unable to reap the benefits of it.
2) Eroding nature of the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) and the presence of
middlemen made farming a low-profit business despite policies like MSP
3) MSP incentivizes the production of a particular type of crop. Farmers indulge in
monoculture to benefit from MSP, leading to overproduction issues.
4) The World Trade Organisation has also criticized the government-led MSP scheme for
distorting the terms of trade between nations.
(Back your dimensions with fact, examples or data)

Conclusion:

pg. 16
[Type here]

• Bringing reforms in MSP- making it more market oriented

• Make MSP more beneficial for small farmers.
• The scope of MSP needs to be expanded, and all crops could be brought under its
ambit.
Also mentioning that MSP has the potential to transform farmers’ conditions and could help
India’s agriculture sector to grow.

6. Keywords: The examiner always looks for essential keywords. Students must always try to
write or include keywords mentioned in the topic or related to the essay

Why is it necessary?
Keywords are the building blocks. They help you stay focused when you are writing your essay
along with different dimensions. It is essential because keywords mentioned throughout the
essay indicates that you are not deviating from the topic and have command over it.

But the importance of keywords does not end here.

Due to the presence of keywords, examiner does not lose interest in the essay and
understands that the student has fair knowledge about the topic he/she is writing on.
Apart from indicating your understanding and keeping examiner’s interest, Keywords also
help by giving flow to the essay. If you have mentioned keywords, your essay looks
comprehensive and with a proper structure, it becomes easy for the examiner to read and
understand your thought process.
Let’s take a sample essay with all the keywords.

Essay Topic: Global Warming and Climate Change: A colossal crisis in making
Introduction: In this essay we have keywords like Global Warming, Climate change and colossal
crisis. We need to keep in mind keywords and frame our essay on the same lines.

pg. 17
[Type here]

Try explaining the term global warming, climate change. Discuss the various reports like IPCC
and what are the various changes we are experiencing in our day-to-day life due to global
warming and climate change.

Body of the essay: Start introducing various dimensions which will be impacted by climate
change.
1) The collapse of the global economic system
2) Impact on the vulnerable sections
3) Refugee Crisis
4) Violence and Instability
5) Impact on Biodiversity

Conclusion: With the help of the above-mentioned points, argue that the world is on the cusp
of experiencing a colossal crisis and explain some of the measures governments or we can
adapt to change course.

Solutions:
1) Deep Cuts in the global emissions, (give data)
2) Adopting renewable sources such as solar, wind, biomass, and hydropower energy
3) A strict action in case of non-conformity to the INDCs decided at the Paris Agreement on
Climate Change.

Lastly, mention that climate change is not an individual problem but a crisis for all that
governments cannot solve alone; we need proactive participation across regional
governments, businesses, and communities. A priority must also be given to protecting existing
biodiversity equally affected by a rapidly warming planet.

7. Rational Conclusion: The Examiner, along with other aspects also looks forward to a
rational conclusion in your essay. What examiner does not expect is:
➢ An Abstract Ending
➢ Irrational conclusion
➢ A new dimension

pg. 18
[Type here]

➢ A summary of the body

The examiner always wants conclusion to be:
➢ A proper closure, no scope for if and but!
➢ Rational conclusion (essay should not deviate to another topic towards the end)
➢ Way Forward (solution to the given problems or challenges)
➢ Some quotes from the scholars or philosophers that is relevant to the topic.
Students must keep in mind that conclusion has a lasting impression on the reader and reflect
on the ideas mentioned in the essay. Introducing any new information that you have not
discussed in the essay will throw off the examiner and will also affect the impact of your
otherwise focused argument. Rather, students can provide suggestions as to how your
argument opens a new window of perspective on the topic.

Essay Topic: Advantages and Limitation of MSP

Conclusion to the Essay
In conclusion, we can say that the Minimum Support Price was introduced when India was
struggling to meet its food requirements. Today, 55 years since its implementation, India has
become the largest producer of food grains. It has made agriculture-intensive regions
prosperous and saved an uncountable number of farmers from the clutches of debt, poverty,
and destitution. However, further improvements and refinements in the policy and its
implementation are required.
There is a requirement to make MSP more useful for small farmers. The scope of MSP needs
to be expanded, and all crops should be brought under its ambit.
MSP can also be made more market oriented so that the gap between market prices and
MSP can be minimized. Subsidies like MSP distort the market, which is harmful for the sector
in the long run.

This brings us to the end of this session where we discussed the mistakes we end up making
unconsciously and the approach of the examiner while he is checking your essay.
Our Work on Essay writing has just begun. There is a long way to go.
Let us now move forward and talk about some relevant Do’s and Don’t's that can help you be
better at essay writing.

pg. 19
[Type here]

pg. 20
[Type here]

pg. 21
[Type here]

pg. 22
[Type here]

pg. 23
[Type here]

pg. 24
 Essay Writing
Liberalization and its impact on
the Indian Economy
[Type here]

Liberalization and its impact on the Indian Economy

Liberalization refers to removal of restrictions and controls on economic activities in a country

to maximise production and productivity of businesses. India adopted three major reforms in
1991 i.e Liberalization, Privatisation and Globalisation. Under the LPG reforms, Liberalization
was meant to reduce barriers to produce, trade and consume so that India could come out of
the vicious cycle of low production and low consumption. Thanks to Liberalization, Indian GDP
has increased from 5 lakh crore in 1991 to about 200 lakh crore in 2021.
The reforms were introduced in India after the economy came to a grinding halt with severe
Balance of Payments (BOP) crises, declining foreign exchange reserves, the gulf war that
stopped remittances from Gulf countries and compulsions created by the IMF and World Bank
to adopt an open economy.
Liberalization is a broad term that refers to the practice of making laws and systems less
severe, eliminating certain government regulations or restrictions. Liberalization was
intended to end the ‘License Raj’ and end the restrictions which were a hindrance in the
development and growth of the nation. It allowed private players to expand their business.
The prime reforms that liberalization brought were:
• Removal of Industrial licensing
• Liberalization of import and export rules
• Liberalization of determination of exchange rates to a managed floating exchange rate
system
• Liberalized investment policy that allowed FDI and FII in Indian market

The introduced reforms consisted of two categories of measures- stabilization measures that
were short-run measures to return to low and stable inflation and structural measures that
were long-run measures to change the nature of Indian economy.
Stabilization policy includes measures like:
• Fiscal correction- In order to reduce the fiscal deficit, the government came out with
the policy of fiscal correction which included reduction in the Government’s non-plan
expenditure and reduction in subsidies on many items. The objective of Fiscal
correction was to regulate Government’s expenditures better and to reduce
Government’s role in various sectors that could be developed by the market, if given
a free hand.
• Reforms in tax structure- To bring out reforms in tax structure, the Chelliah
Committee was constituted that recommended rationalisation of income tax by
bringing down the maximum rate of income tax from 51% to 30%, to rationalise
custom duties by bringing down the peak tariff duties so as to encourage exports and
imports, tax rates on profits were also reduced to attract more investment,
particularly foreign direct investment into the economy and rates on corporate tax
was also reduced to encourage setting up and growth of private enterprises. All tax
reforms were focussed on increasing the tax base for the Government and rationalise
the tax rates to make Indian products more competitive. Lower tax rates have proved
to be healthy for private sector growth.

pg. 1
[Type here]

• Improvement in balance of payments situation- After 1991 BOP crisis, a more

market-based approach to manage BOP was adopted under liberalization. RBI
adopted managed float regime in foreign exchange management to enable free
determination of exchange rate based on market conditions. As a result of a liberalized
BOP policy, foreign exchange reserves have increased from $5.8 billion in 1991 to $640
billion in 2021. India now has a 13-month forex buffer as against a 3-week forex
reserve in 1991.
• Control of inflation- There has been a fall in inflation rates as reforms pushed up
production of goods and services resulting in either prices falling or remaining
constant. Competition also helped to keep inflation in check. Before 1991, any
imbalance between demand and supply was managed by the government but after
reforms, the task was handed over to the market. This has resulted in a more efficient
and fast response to Inflation.

Under the structural adjustment, the government focussed on reforms related to:
• Foreign trade and investment- Under the foreign trade and Investment reform
government decided to dismantle all tariff and non-tariff barriers on imports. The
government agreed to put tariff and non-tariff barriers only on consumer goods.
Foreign investment norms in India and outside India have been liberalized, as a result
of which India has become one of the largest recipients of foreign investment. As a
part of Institutional reforms in capital market & insurance, SEBI and IRDA have been
setup as independent regulators of Indian capital and Insurance market respectively.
• Industrial sector- Industrial licensing was abolished for all sectors except for 5
industries. These were Alcohol, Cigarettes, Hazardous chemicals, electronic aerospace
and defence equipment, and Industrial explosive. The Industrial policy Resolution of
1956 had reserved 17 industries for the public sector. The Industrial policy 1991
reduced the number of such industries to eight. Subsequently, the number of
industries reserved for the public sector was reduced to merely 2 (in 2016). Many
production areas which earlier were reserved for SSI (small scale industries) were de-
reserved. Forces of the market were allowed to determine allocation of resources
(rather than the directive policy of government).
• Financial sector reforms- The new economic reforms brought about some progressive
transformation in financial sector. Licensing to private companies and foreign
ventures to set-up banks in India was made open after 1991 reforms. Three phases of
private licensing of banks have been carried out till date. The first one was carried out
in 1993, second in the year 2001 and third in the year 2013. The administered interest
rate regime has been done away with in phases, replaced with market determined
interest rates. Administered interest rate means that the government decides on the
interest rate to be charged by banks to customers. Due to the policy of administered
interest rates, interest rates being charged were lower than cost of capital to banks
and thus pushed banks into losses. As a part of reforms, Government’s interference in
deciding loans was reduced. A greater autonomy to banks and FIs has made them
more efficient and profitable.

pg. 2
[Type here]

These reforms had positive as well as negative consequences on the Indian economy, which
can be observed from the following trends pertaining to the economy.
Some of the positive changes are:
• Increased GDP growth rate- India's economic growth has recorded a consistent
increase since the LPG reforms. India’s GDP growth rate has increased from an
average of 4% during 1950s to 1980s to about 7% during post reform period, as
estimated by the IMF. The service sector has recorded a remarkable growth, at 7.5
percent in 2018-19.
• Remarkable changes have been observed in the composition of National Income as
well. The share of the agricultural sector and allied sector in national income has
decreased from 29% in 1991-92 to about 18% in 2019-20. The share of industrial
sector showed a steady increase from 24% in 1991-92 to 27% in 2019-20. The share
of tertiary/service sector has increased from 44% in 1991-92 to about 55% in 2019-20.
Thus, the service sector has registered a large and consistent growth in the post-
reform period. This reflects the structural transformation of the Indian economy.
• Saving and Investment performance- There has been a remarkable increase in savings
and investments. Gross Domestic Savings have increased from about 23% in 1990-91
to 28% in 2021. Rate of investment (rate of gross domestic capital formation as
percentage of GDP) has increased from 26% in 1990-91 to about 30% in 2021. Higher
savings and Investments are healthy for overall development of Indian economy and
its people. India was marred by a vicious cycle of low savings and low investments
before 1991, that has been broken due to liberalization reforms.
• India’s exports- There has been a transformation of Indian economy from a closed
economy to an open economy. The exports sector has grown to be a significant earner
of foreign exchange. India is seen as a successful exporter of auto parts, engineering
goods, IT software and textiles in the reform period. Post 1991 reforms, India has
emerged as a major exporter of services, processed items from agricultural products
and chemicals.
• Foreign direct investment- India is the new favourite destination of foreign investors
due to its huge market, friendly laws and stable governance structure. Since 2008,
India has been the top receiver of FDI investments and remittances on account of its
bright future potential. This has been made possible due to comprehensive
Liberalization reforms, that have opened Indian market to foreign participants. FDI has
Increased from $1.3 billion in 1990-91 to $ 74 billion in 2021.
• Reduction in fiscal deficit- There has been a consistent fall in Fiscal and Revenue
deficit due to ongoing FRBM reforms. Fiscal responsibility and Budget management
(FRBM) Act kickstarted fiscal reforms by creating an accountable institutional
structure to reduce fiscal deficit over a period. Fiscal deficit of the government was
8% in 1991 and has come down to 4.6% in 2019.

Negative effects of economic reforms

• Agricultural crisis- Economic reforms have not been able to benefit agriculture, where
the growth rate has been decelerating. The public investments were reduced
following economic reforms, but the private sector has not been able to enter
agriculture due to archaic laws and restrictions on trade of agriculture produce. The
GDP growth rate in agriculture has stagnated at 3% since 1991, despite major

pg. 3
[Type here]

improvements in agricultural technologies around the world. India has not been able
to keep pace in growth of agricultural sector despite LPG reforms.
• Slowdown in Industrial growth- Globalisation has created conditions for free
movement of goods and services from foreign countries. It has adversely affected the
local industries and employment in developing countries. Globalisation has led to
decrease in demand for domestic industrial products due to cheaper imports.
• Neglected social sector- The social sector including healthcare, education, social
security, gender equity and environmental protection have suffered a setback owing
to the decline of the public investment in these crucial areas. Government spending
reduced after 1991 reforms relying on entry of the market due to LPG reforms.
However, the private sector has focused on profits rather than welfare and equality.
This has resulted in piecemeal solutions in social sectors and inequitable distribution
of welfare services to the people who can afford them. In each category, there is the
existence of a disadvantaged section that finds it extremely difficult to get access to
social services and thus remains left out.
• Jobless growth- The period of economic reforms has witnessed the phenomenon of
jobless growth where the growth rate has accelerated but jobs have failed to increase.
The percentage of workers in the informal sector has been increasing. In the last 10
years alone, the percentage of contract workers without social security increased from
19% to 32% in the organised industrial sector.
• Growing inequalities- India’s per capita gross domestic product increased five times
between 2000 and 2019. The income, however, is concentrated only in a few hands.
The top 10 per cent earned 56 per cent of the country’s total income in 2019; the
bottom 10 per cent earned only 3.5 per cent. Wealth distribution tells a similar story.
The richest 10 per cent Indians owned 80.7 per cent of wealth in 2019. With
Globalization and Privatization, GDP has certainly growth exponentially but so has
inequality.

Keeping these concerns in view, the government decided to introduce the second –
generation reforms while continuing the beneficial measures of the first – generation
reforms. The economic reforms initiated in 1991 are now called ‘First Generation Reforms’.
The second- generation reforms focus on the predominant issues of contemporary India.
These includes, extending reforms to the states, creating infrastructure through public-
private partnerships, reforming the labour-market, agriculture, intellectual property rights
regime and the telecom sector, achieving environmental sustainability with the inclusive
growth of all.
Liberalization has taken a new turn in Indian policy making with second generation reforms.
It was previously focused on bringing India on the global map but now it aims at making India
a global force to reckon with. India’s 100 unicorn start-ups valued at $300 billion plus have
not only added value to made in India but also given a global standing to Indian companies.
The future lies in dominating global businesses by creating a liberalized and business friendly
environment at home.

pg. 4
[Type here]

pg. 5
[Type here]

pg. 6
[Type here]

pg. 7
[Type here]

pg. 8
[Type here]

pg. 9
Essay Writing Class 2
[Type here]

Hello Aspirants,

In this second session of the series on Essay writing, I will be unpacking some of the major areas or topics
from which your essay topic might be framed.
But wait!
Through this session, I will provide you with an exhaustive list of the broad themes you should start reading
so that you have a fair understanding of relevant topics and an ample amount of information on your answer
sheet.
Towards the end, I will discuss the BEST Standard Operating Procedure you can follow to make your essay
an OUTLIER, making it different from the other essays.
But before jumping to SOP, let’s start with our first discussion on the broad areas or themes from where
Essays are asked in your Exam.
Over the last two to three years, we have observed a trend that essay topics framed in exams are least
related to or limited to the prescribed syllabus. You might be wondering what that means.
Let me break it down for you all.
Suppose you are preparing for RBI English descriptive paper and started preparing to score the highest in
the exam, especially in the essay section.
With that motivation, you thought that it be good to start reading topics from the prescribed syllabus, which
contains a major part of economics, finance and management which is a good start but after a while you feel
like something is missing.

YOU ARE RIGHT. SOMETHING IS MISSING IN THAT PREPARATION STRATEGY

It’s not wrong but it’s INCOMPLETE
You might be thinking, what sort of incompleteness I am talking about, your mind would be full of questions
like-
• From where else can topics be framed if not the syllabus?
• What broader themes is he talking about?
And many more...
Before further ado, allow me to unveil for you what incompleteness and broader themes I am talking about.
If you are actively following the RBI, SEBI, and NABARD exam pattern, you must have noticed that the essay
topics have become more generic, philosophical, and broader in scope in the last two years.
pg. 1
[Type here]

It is not the same old pattern anymore!

All three exams are expanding their scope in framing essay topics and setting up question papers. They do
not repeat the same old pattern anymore.
In such a case, if you go on with reading only from the syllabus, it will obviously be an incomplete strategy;
there might be a chance that topics are not at all from the syllabus but only generic and philosophical.
To help you get clarity on my claim, let us go through some of past year papers.
Below are the essay topics that came in RBI Phase II English descriptive in the 2021-22 exams:
Essay Topics in RBI Phase II 2021:
1. Pros and Cons of teaching coding/computer language to students (technology, New Education policy-
current affairs)
2. Importance of creative thinking in business (Generic, Management, Entrepreneurship)
3. An ounce in protection/prevention is worth a pound in cure (philosophical, Health)
4. Future of BPO Industry in India (Service sector in India)

Essay Topics in RBI Phase II 2022:

1. Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding (philosophical)
2. Role of female entrepreneurs in India (Social Issues- Women Empowerment)
3. Advantages and disadvantages of renewable energy. (Climate change, sustainable development,
energy)
4. India has become a medical destination for the World (Generic, medical tourism)

Similarly,
We can also see that SEBI and NABARD are following a similar pattern and formulated topics that are more
generic and from a diverse range of themes.
Let's first see topics asked in SEBI in both 2020 and 2022:
Essay Topics in SEBI Phase II 2020:
1. Pros and Cons of mergers of companies (finance)
2. Fake news and how to identify them (generic, related to current affairs)
3. Importance of Teamwork (management)
4. How to prevent financial crime with the help of technology (Technology, Fintech)
Essay Topics in SEBI Phase II 2022:

pg. 2
[Type here]

1. Importance of Mental health and how it can be improved by open and unashamed conversation
(generic topic, with philosophical underpinning)
2. Role of banks in financial literacy (Social Welfare, Banking)
3. Techno-Stress and its impact on students & teachers in the Education sector (generic, social issues,
technological underpinning, online education- current affairs)
4. Asset Reconstruction in Companies (finance)

In SEBI, you can also see the variations in topics; they have kept essays from finance and management along
with some generic and philosophical topics.
Coming to NABARD, Essay topics in 2020 were more diverse, including topics apart from ESI and ARD. Let’s
have a look at the essays asked in NABARD in 2020 and 2021:

Essay Topics in NABARD Phase II 2020:

1. What is your personal view on Old Age Homes (Generic)
2. Health is Wealth: Do we need to be rich to be healthy (generic and social welfare- health)
3. Which is better: Unemployment or Underemployment (Economic and Social Issues)
4. Impact of music on one's life (generic, philosophical, and psychological)

Essay Topics in NABARD Phase II 2021:

1. Dropouts in school: Causes and Prevention (ESI)
2. Workplace diversity. Suggest measures promoting diversity at work (Management)
3. Role of the social media platforms for farmer's benefit (generic, agriculture, impact of social media)
4. Contribution of tourism to India's economy (Economics, tourism sector)
In this, you can also see a great deal of diversity in themes from which Essay topics have been framed.
Gone were the days when we dwelled on our syllabus and guessed the expected topic; along with sharp-
witted students, exams are also turning sharp-witted. The exams are no more about mugging up and
throwing up in the paper.
IT IS MORE THAN THAT!
The new pattern tries to evaluate your critical analysis skills and how impactfully you can present your
ideas.

pg. 3
[Type here]

You can see topics with philosophical and psychological underpinnings, where you have to lay out
dimensions applicable in real life, answer the questions on morality and compassion and have a philosophical
worldview of certain ideas.
The reality is that every year the essay topics are getting more diverse, inclusive of a range of topics from
climate change to women's emancipation to school dropouts and industrial revolution 4.0, etc. Therefore,
we must also change our approach towards essay preparation.
In such a case, we must not stick to one or two themes; we must read and cover broader areas to confidently
attempt the Essay section and score well in it.
Do not limit yourself to hard work but include an ounce of smart work to understand the exam pattern.
Now, apart from the themes mentioned above, you must be wondering what other areas we must cover for
essay preparation.
So, let me help you with this and provide you with an exhaustive list from which you can start with preparing
your essay writing.

TOPIC # 1:
Current Affairs- "Love me or hate me, you can't ignore me," yes! That’s True
Current affairs topics always pop up in your question paper in some or the other way. One way can be in
your general awareness part and the other way can be in the form of your essay topic as well. We can see
from the past years’ papers that some essay topics are always framed around current affairs.
In SEBI 2020 English descriptive Paper, there was an Essay on “Fake News and How to identify them”. This
is one such example of how questions can be framed from current affairs.
(We all know that the year 2019-20 was the most horrific time in human history due to the breakout of the
Covid-19 pandemic. Due to the panic and paranoia among people, the trail of fake news also started
simmering. People used to receive news/information related to vaccines, lockdowns, and homemade
remedies to cure Covid-19, consequently making fake news part and parcel of our daily life)
How do you prepare for current affairs??
You all can start reading about current affairs and figure out the hot topics, on which you can write around
200-300 words and start practicing.
You can refer to all kinds of current affairs magazines, newspaper editorials, and YouTube videos to create a
list of 50-100 topics that you feel are important in the field of current affairs.
Remember, not every small current affair news is relevant for your exam. Try to understand a broader theme
that is being tested in the exam.

pg. 4
[Type here]

Do not worry, we are limiting ourselves to understanding the AREAS for now. We will come to sample essay
topics later.

TOPIC # 2:
Climate Change/Global warming/Extreme weather conditions including Heatwaves, Cyclones,
Wildfires/Migration/ Climate Refugees
Climate Change and its ill impacts have become more than a relevant topic and are on the radar of every
exam. An essay can be framed directly or indirectly from these broader themes and land on your question
paper in some of the following ways-
➢ Climate Refugees: Challenges and Prospects
➢ India's mitigation and Adaptation strategies for climate change
➢ Climate change and global warming: A colossal crisis in making
Even in terms of finance and economy, a topic can be curated relating to climate change and its impact.
Recently RBI has also published a discussion paper on climate risks and sustainable finance. To say the least,
many emerging global issues like Climate change and Finance or Global Economy are strongly connected as
one has an impact on the other.
Even financial institutions are now talking about climate change-related risks; therefore, it can probably
come as an essay topic in one or the other way.
This is how you try to understand the hottest topics in town.
Related to climate change, other broader themes that you can read on:
➢ Sustainable Development
➢ Sustainable Agricultural Practices
➢ Evergreen Revolution
➢ SDGs w.r.t India
➢ Renewable energy
➢ International Solar Alliance
The list goes on...
The topics mentioned above are some of the booming issues of this time because India and many other
countries are taking some remarkable initiatives and incorporating them as part of their policies.
The essay topics from these sub-themes can come in your exam, and you must start reading them.
Some examples from the above themes- You can expect topics like:
➢ Sustainable development: A paradigm shift in development approach

pg. 5
[Type here]

➢ International Solar Alliance: India’s quest for clean energy

➢ India from the green revolution to the evergreen revolution.
I hope we have understood how to go about reading from different areas and what kind of themes can be
created under the broad theme of CLIMATE CHANGE.
Let’s move on!
Another major set of themes from which you can expect essay topics can be-

TOPIC # 3:
Technology/ Industrial Revolution 4.0/Internet of Things/E-vehicles/ FinTech/ Digital
Education/technology in agriculture/Cybersecurity
Technology has become a vital part of our lives. It is changing the World and all of us in several ways.
Technologies have their foothold across various socio-economic, political and environmental dimensions;
therefore, you can expect topics with technological underpinnings.
Examples from past year’s papers:
➢ Techno-Stress and its impact on students & teachers in the Education sector (SEBI 2022)

➢ Pros and Cons of teaching coding/computer language to students (RBI 2021)

➢ Role of social media platforms for farmer's benefit (NABARD 2021)
➢ Scope of 5G in India (RBI 2019)
These topics have one thing in common. They are not limited to only technology. Just like the fact that
technology does not work in isolation anymore, it is strongly connected with everything that we do,
EVERYTHING; the Essay topics are also very Integrative. They are trying to understand your conceptual
clarity and ability to think out of the box. These essay topics are not typical Essays that you used to get in
your school. These essay topics demand that you read and practice a variety of Essay Writing beforehand.
The good thing here is that these essay topics do not judge you merely by your factual memory or your
ability to memorize what’s given in books. These essays demand to KNOW YOU!
Some examples of technology + daily living:
➢ India’s drive towards electric vehicles: Progress and Prospects
➢ The Cyberworld: Its charms and challenges
As the role and importance of technology increases in our lives, so does its frequency in competitive exams.
Brainstorm a little and try to figure out various interconnections you can make between technology and all
things around us.

pg. 6
[Type here]

Let us move ahead to other topics.

TOPIC # 4:
Moving on, it has become a trend over the last two years that essay topics have a philosophical and
psychological underpinning.
Examples of such topics are:
➢ Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding (RBI 2022)
➢ An ounce in protection/prevention is worth a pound in cure (RBI 2021)
➢ Importance of Mental health and how it can be improved by open and unashamed conversation (SEBI
2022)
➢ Impact of music on one's life (NABARD 2020)
The above topics show that all three exams have included philosophical topics and follow a trend like UPSC.
In philosophical topics, you need to have clarity of the keywords given and need to present balanced
arguments. Philosophical essays demand more worldview and argument building than any other essays. It
does not require you to present facts or data, it is more like presenting an idea of some famous leader or
philosopher.
Try listening to “I have a dream” speech of Martin Luther King Jr. Philosophical essays is like that, they seem
to be lacking content on the outside, but once you get deep enough, you realize that there’s so much more
than meets the eye.

TOPIC # 5:
International Relations
You might feel like skimming this section or have decided to skip it as soon as you looked at the topic.
You must be wondering what’s the connection between the exams for financial institutions and
international relations. Such topics are neither part of the syllabus nor are they fitting well here.
But wait! have you heard about the intensifying threat of long-lasting inflation, Or the geopolitical tension
triggering turmoil in financial markets?
I hope you did and hopefully know the reasons as well.
That’s where international relations as a broader topic comes into the picture.
It is often said that with strong global integration, due to globalization, the events and crises in one region
have the potential to spill over across several regions and impact the countries’ financial, political and social
institutions.

pg. 7
[Type here]

If we take the example of the Ukraine-Russia political row, which gained much attention and became the
talk of the town, it has impacted the global supply chain and raised inflation to dangerous levels in many
parts of the world.
Apart from that, another stimulating crisis between the US and China, which are at loggerhead as the Taiwan
issues, has also gained attention and can prove to be, as predicted by many policymakers, a turning point in
the history of the 21st century.
With a lot going on at the international level, consequently impacting countries in one or the other ways,
international relations turn out to be an important theme that we must consider while preparing for these
exams. Also, there are high chances that these topics might be on the hit list of any of the three exams,
because of the financial and economic turmoil it created across the world.
Coming back to address the question, why read when such topics are not mentioned in the exam's syllabus?
Remember! that even philosophical topics are not part or have any connection with the exam syllabus, but
topics can be seen in exams regularly.
Therefore, taking IR causally or eliminating it will not be a good strategy at all.
As the scope of the essay topics is widening, our preparation for it must include wide themes and topics. It
is very recent that exams have started framing topics around these out-of-ordinary themes. So, you must
read and practice topics around these areas and prepare well in advance.
You might be wondering-
➢ How can I prepare for it?
➢ What are the best sources to follow for international relations?
In that case, you can read or learn about international relations topics by reading national dailies like the
Hindu, the Indian Express, and the economic times, YouTube videos, and various global magazines including,
the Diplomat, Foreign Affairs, or some local magazines including Frontline and India Today.
But there is a disclaimer for everyone
Do not try to read every other topic or news of international relations; try to figure out topics that
are relevant and have a broader impact. For this, you can also make a rough list of the topics that you find
relevant and that have a worldwide impact across various socio-economic and political aspects.
Having understood the relevance of International Relations, let’s get to our next topic-

TOPIC #6
Finance and Banking
As already mentioned in your syllabus, you can often find essay topics curated around this major theme.

pg. 8
[Type here]

We are aware that all three exams are conducted to recruit for financial institutions. Also, it is mentioned in
the syllabus of the exams; therefore, apart from the mentioned themes, do not forget to read on topics
related to finance.
Examples from the past years:
➢ Pros and Cons of mergers of companies (SEBI 2020)
➢ Asset Reconstruction in Companies (SEBI 2022)
➢ Management of Non-Performing Assets (RBI 2017)
➢ SBI and other banks merger (RBI 2017)
➢ Financial Literacy in India: Achievement and Challenges (RBI 2018)
➢ Role of banks in financial literacy (SEBI 2022)
These topics tell us that finance and banking, including fintech, hold immense importance in the future, as
the relevance of finance increases further in our daily lives and in our economic growth.
Let’s move on to the next topic-

TOPIC #7
Social Issues and Welfare
Along with other themes, issues within society and its welfare measures are often asked topics in these
exams. You can look out for your syllabus to see what topics could be made from the area of social issues
and welfare.
Examples of such topics are:
➢ Role of female entrepreneurs in India (RBI 2022)
➢ Role of banks in financial literacy (SEBI 2022) (both banking and social welfare- financial literacy)
➢ Techno-Stress and its impact on students & teachers in the Education sector (SEBI 2022)
➢ Stress among youth (RBI 2019)
➢ Potential and challenges of doubling farmer’s income by 2022 (NABARD 2018)
These topics are usually formed out of your ESI syllabus and could be prepared by thoroughly reading them.
Some of the sub-themes that you can read for preparing topics under the umbrella theme of social issues
and welfare are:
➢ New Education Policy: Feature, Strength, and Weakness
➢ Urbanization is killing rural India
➢ Women Empowerment
➢ Child Labor in India

pg. 9
[Type here]

➢ Food Security: Challenges and Measures

➢ The way to Social Justice
And many more....
Apart from this, another major area that you cannot ignore while preparing for your essay writing is the
Indian Economy, which constitutes our topic 8

TOPIC #8
Indian Economy
All three exams are for recruitment of national financial institutions, which are essential in turning the wheels
of our economy. So, reading about the Indian economy is a must. It is also a low-hanging fruit since students
have to read about everything from the Economy’s perspective around the year. Therefore, attempting
essays from this area becomes much easier.
Let’s see what some previous year’s topics were
➢ Which is better: Unemployment or Underemployment (NABARD 2020)
➢ Key Issues of rural development in India (NABARD 2018)
➢ Demonetization: Pros and Cons (RBI 2018)
Continuous reading on the new policies and emerging events with economic underpinning is the best way
to deal with the above-mentioned topics.

Now that we are done with some topics that can be and have been asked before, let us get on with the
Standard operating procedure for essay writing.
We are now getting into the territory of WRITING.
Fasten your seat belts because things are going to get serious now!

Standard Operating Procedure for Writing an Essay

Having attained a broad understanding of the themes or areas we must focus on in essay preparation, we
can now address one of the most crucial aspects of essay writing, i.e., Standard Operation Procedure (SOP).
We all know that before attempting any important task related to work or life, we usually create a proper
framework or set a deadline to complete that task on time. This step-by-step procedure of executing any
task is known as SOP. Following an SOP is essential and helps us to execute any task with ease and
efficiency.
Similarly, in an Essay, following an SOP is as crucial as doing any other task.

pg. 10
[Type here]

I have repeatedly said that essay writing is an art, but to make this art a masterpiece, so that it stands out,
you must follow a proper SOP.
So, let's see the Standard Operating Procedure for writing a good essay.

Step 1- Highlight all keywords in all essay topics in front of you (30 seconds)
Step 2- Understand the core theme or central theme of every essay. (1 minute)
Step 3- Figure out which topic are you most comfortable in. Use elimination to remove unwanted essay
topics. (2-5 minutes)
Step 4- Write keywords, facts, arguments, schemes etc. of the essay topic finalized (5 minutes)
Step 5- Make a rough structure- definition in the intro, dimensions in the body, how to conclude (5
minutes)
Step 6- Start writing (10 –15 minutes)

STEP # 1:
Highlight all the keywords in all essay topics in front of you (30 seconds)
The first task you should follow is to look out for keywords in all the essay topics given in front of you. Always
remember that understanding keywords is the key to writing a good essay. You must be thinking how?
Let me break it down for you all.
Keywords are important because it helps you to understand what the essay demands from you, what you
need to write and which particular idea you need to stress on while writing an essay.
Therefore, it is advisable to first figure out and underline the keywords in all the essay topics.
Suppose we are in the examination hall giving the NABARD phase II exam and an essay paper with four essay
topics is in front of us on the screen. According to our first step, we will highlight the keywords of all the four
given topics.
➢ Cricket is taken as a religion in India.
➢ Key Issues of rural development in India.
➢ Reasons for Unicorn Boom in India.
➢ Empowering Women, Rebuilding the Society
In the above-given topics, we have highlighted the keywords and based on that, we shall move on to the
next step in following the SOP.

pg. 11
[Type here]

But before going to the next step, remember the clock is ticking on your screen. Highlighting the keywords
should be the least time taking process of your essay writing, and you must not spend more than 30 seconds
in this step.
The purpose behind highlighting the keywords is to make it easier for us to know what the examiner is
looking for. Step # 1 gives way to Step # 2. If you skip Step # 1 in a hurry or in laziness, you will suffer in Step
# 2.

STEP # 2:
Understand the core theme or central theme of every essay (1 minute)
In this step, you need to question yourself on the central theme of every essay and figure out which topics
have what kind of underpinning. The above list can help you decipher the broader theme under which you
can place your essay and understand the central theme.
With the help of this step, you will have a quite fair understanding of how to start with the essay, what things
you need to write, and in which context you need to discuss various dimensions.
Let’s understand it by taking the above set of essay topics, and try to place them under broader themes, and
analyze what are the key ideas of these topics.
1. Cricket is taken as a religion in India:
The keywords here are cricket and religion. We need to answer the question- “how is cricket equivalent to
religion in India”, or “cricket is like religion in India”.
I am trying to convert the essay topic into my own by changing its language while keeping its core theme
intact.
Make sure that you do not end up changing the core theme of the essay while doing this exercise.

2. Key Issues of rural development in India:

The topic can be categorized under the broader theme of Economic and Social Issues, where we must jot
down the points or challenges hindering rural development. we can also reframe the topic as, “problems
with rural development in India”.
This is a straightforward topic, and from the given syllabus, therefore, it is easy to attempt.

3. Reasons for Unicorn Boom in India:

pg. 12
[Type here]

The central theme of this topic is the Unicorn boom in India i.e., the boom of startups. This topic is from
current affairs and some aspects of the Indian economy. It is a very straightforward topic that requires you
to answer the reasons behind the unicorn boom in India.

4. Empowering Women, Rebuilding the Society:

The central theme of this essay is, “how women’s empowerment can help in the rebuilding of society”.
This topic can be placed under social issues due to the focus on women empowerment and hold an essence
of philosophical aspect when it asks about how women empowerment can rebuild a society.

Step # 2 will not take more than 1 minute of your time, and you can move forward with the next step towards
writing your essay.

STEP #3
Figure out which topic are you most comfortable with. use elimination techniques to remove unwanted
essay topics (2-3 minutes)
In this, you have to make an important decision as it would decide your overall performance in descriptive
writing. You have to choose wisely from the given topics, on which you have ample knowledge and content
along with relevant arguments and examples. Remember that you need to be confident about the topic and
be able to write 400-600 words on it.
It is evident that after classifying the topics under broader themes and understanding the core ideas, you
will have enough understanding or confidence about which topic to write on.
In case you have any doubt about how to choose a topic, you can employ the elimination technique to
remove unwanted essay topics. This can be done by removing the topics about which you are not confident,
do not have enough content, and cannot figure out examples to support your arguments.
Always remember, that it is important to provide enough fodder to write a good essay. Do you remember
what the examiner expects from your essay? I hope you do but let me repeat it for you.
➢ An essay with holistic coverage or multiple dimensions
➢ An essay with coherent arguments
➢ An essay with enough data

A solid argument with multidimensional analysis backed up with data is the key to scoring high in the exam.
This can be incorporated into an essay only when you have enough information on the topic.

pg. 13
[Type here]

STEP #4
Write Keywords, facts, arguments, schemes, etc. of the essay topic finalized (5 minutes)
Once you are done with deciding the topic, write down the arguments you want to make in your essay, and
the different socio-economic and other dimensions on which you want to analyze the topic. Apart from that,
you need to write examples, facts, and government schemes that you want to mention in your essay.
In the above-mentioned examples, if I decide to write on the third topic i.e., Reasons for Unicorn Boom in
India-
Firstly, I will mention the keywords and figure out what is the demand of this particular essay; reasons and
unicorn boom are the two main keywords. Remember to incorporate these keywords throughout the essay
so that it looks structured and reflects your clarity on the topic.
Secondly, you have to mention the facts that prove that there has been a unicorn boom in India, For
example:
➢ As per DPIIT, there are 69000 recognized start-ups in India, making it 3rd largest start-up ecosystem
in the world after US and China
➢ India is home to 100+ unicorns
➢ In 2021, 44 Indian start-ups attained the status of Unicorns

Such facts would help you build an argument which is another crucial aspect you should write before starting
an essay.
Furthermore, you should mention different dimensions which help you analyze the topic and provide a
holistic coverage that would make your essay comprehensive.
For example,
➢ A thriving digital payments ecosystem
➢ Smartphone penetration in the country, making it easier for companies to reach their customers
➢ Innovations in the e-commerce space and tech-oriented businesses
➢ A large corpus of skilled workers looking for white-collar jobs
➢ International funding in the form of FDI- bright future prospects for India
➢ Expansion of Fintech space
➢ Ease of doing business with self-certifications
➢ Expansion of financial services through tech- Insurance-tech unicorns like Digit
➢ Easy availability of credit due to RBI’s liberal norms and the P2P lending boom
➢ A rise in average spending due to the higher standard of living of people in India

pg. 14
[Type here]

In a matter of 3-4 minutes, we can write down all points that we expect to write in the essay. These are just
preliminary points that give us the right direction. We can improve upon these points and even add more
points as we start writing.
Moving on, you can add points like what are the various government schemes and initiatives that have
helped create a robust startup ecosystem in India.
Mention some of the government schemes that promote the start-up ecosystem and entrepreneurship in
India-
➢ E-Biz Portal
➢ SIP-EIT and CGTSME
➢ Software technology parks
➢ Single point registration
➢ Stand up India
➢ MUDRA
➢ Credit linked capital subsidy for technology upgradation
➢ And many more...

This step would help you get clarity on what arguments, dimensions, and examples to include in your essay.
If you have any confusion in curating arguments or dimensions you should follow a simple MANTRA.
Think about it ALOUD!
This means, you can think about the keyword/ central theme and try to answer it with your arguments
by saying it (slowly please) rather than just writing it down on paper.
Doing this will help you find the thesis and anti-thesis of the topic and can give you clarity on what to write
and what not to.
Give this step at least 5 minutes to jot down points you need to include in your essay.

STEP #5
Make a rough structure of your essay, definition in the intro, dimensions in the body, and how to conclude
(5 minutes)
After choosing the right topic, and figuring out all facts, arguments, and examples, make a rough structure
of the essay. Give your brain some time to process and create a structure for your essay. A proper structure
reflects your clarity and understanding of the topic. Remember not to jump from one idea to another, make
a proper structure, and mention what you intend to write in Introduction, Body and Conclusion.

pg. 15
[Type here]

Let me show, with the help of examples, how to form a rough structure of an essay, mentioning the main
points and dimensions you can add to your essay.

You must be wondering what a useless thing to do; such practices can eat away my precious time.
But believe me, it's the most efficient way to save your time and also help you write quality essays.
Let me tell you what will happen if you spend time forming a rough structure.
Firstly, it will NOT waste your time; however, it will help you SAVE time. We often have a tendency to think
and write, which is time-consuming, because we have spent no time figuring out what to write and how to
write. This way, you might lose sense of time and might not be able to complete your essay. Therefore,
framing a rough structure and writing down points would help save your time, and this way you will have
ample time to review your essay towards the end.
Secondly, your essay will have conceptual clarity. If you have framed your essay beforehand. you will have
clarity on what to add and what not to. This will give an impression to the examiner that you have the right
skills to present your ideas. This will eventually help you fetch decent marks.
While thinking and writing, there might be a chance that you extend on one dimension and leave others
hanging, or you might deviate from the topic, which always kills the essence of your essay. That’s why it is
important to make a rough structure of your essay and then move further.

pg. 16
[Type here]

Thirdly, it keeps your essay within word limits. The Achilles heel of many students, i.e., going beyond the
word limit while writing essays, can be avoided by giving a rough structure to the essay beforehand.
Through rough structure, you usually have a fair understanding or knowledge about the topic and well-know
about how many dimensions and examples to add. This way, you can stay within the word limit and write
quality content.
The rough structure is just for your understanding and how you should start with essay writing, so make sure
not to spend more than 5 minutes on this step.
Move on further to WRITING the Essay.

STEP # 6
Start Writing (10-15 minutes)
When you are done with all the steps, now it is time to start writing your essay. You should inculcate all the
points that you jotted down in your previous steps. Start with writing the Introduction, Body and Conclusion
of the essay. Remember to complete the essay in the defined time span because we need to attempt other
sections of English Descriptive as well.
After you are done with the Essay, do not forget to review your essay towards the end. Always remember
this best practice to review or look back to various arguments, dimensions, and examples you have
mentioned in your essay. This will help you correct the mistakes that you might have unintentionally done
while writing your essay.
It is normal to miss out on points or examples while writing because of the time constraints and the stress
during the exam. Reviewing it back won’t bring any harm and will only help you to refine your essay.

With this, we come to the end of this session. I hope it was useful and I’m sure you are better prepared to
start writing now.
Let us move on to our next session where we understand HOW TO PRACTICE WRITING.

pg. 17
[Type here]

pg. 18
[Type here]

pg. 19
[Type here]

pg. 20
 Essay Writing
Can India be called an open and investment
friendly economy? If yes, why. If no, why
not?
[Type here]

Can India be called an open and investment friendly economy? If yes, why. If no, why not?

India, after following a centrally planned economic policy for four decades, decided to
liberalize its economy in 1991 due to various domestic and international factors. The
government of India through the Economic reforms of 1991, (LPG) opened up the Indian
economy for the world. Since then, India has adopted a series of structural reforms to
change the nature of its economy making it lucrative for foreign and Indian investors to
make active contributions in stimulating India’s economic growth. The government’s
favourable policy regime and robust business environment has ensured a stable capital flow
into the country. However, the point of difference still exists among investors on weather
Indian economy is investment friendly or not.
The foremost requirement to create an investment friendly economy is to liberalise rules on
investments, trading, imports-exports, currency conversions, FDI and ease of doing
business. India has substantially moved forward in all these dimensions. The government
has allowed FDIs in various sensitive sectors like defence manufacturing, coal mining and
Insurance due to which India is one of the top 10 recipients of FDI in the year 2021. There is
continuous effort by the government in relaxing FDI norms and it has even allowed 100
percent investment in some sectors such as mining, railways and Telecom which shows that
the government is eager to invite foreign investors to invest. A string of Free Trade
Agreements (FTAs), CECA and CEPA have been signed with countries like Australia, Europe
and UAE to open up Indian economy to their products and integrate Indian economy with
the global economy even further. The Agreements and heavy FDI investments in India are a
sign of openness and investment friendliness of India.

India is emerging as an ideal place of doing business. It is an important spoke in the wheel of
global supply chains of both goods and services. Consider the case of Pharma Industry and
Automobile Industry. India is one of the biggest producers and suppliers of generic
medicines to the world, especially the under-developed countries. The improvement is
business environment is also evident in India’s ease of doing business rankings. India’s
ranking has improved from 142nd in 2014 to 63rd in 2020. Thus, India has developed as one
of the most important investment destinations in the world, creating a profitable
environment for global businesses.

Investment friendliness requires a strong and internationally connected financial system.

India allowed current account convertibility since 1993, which makes it easy for global
traders to deal in Indian markets. Financial Institutional Investment rules in India are one of
the most liberal in the world, making it a desirable destination of foreign capital. However,
these liberal rules and regulations are not enough to finance Indian growth story. To turn
India into the global financial services hub, an International financial services centre (IFSC)
has been set up in Gujarat. Furthermore, Gujrat has been designated as International
Finance Tec-City (GIFT City). This is meant to enable International financial transactions in
India round the clock so that India can emerge as the financial hub of the world. Only a
handful of countries around the world have such international financial centres, making
India one of the most open and investment friendly countries.

pg. 1
[Type here]

Indian diaspora is found around the world, but it invests a majority of its earnings back
home in the form of remittances. In 2021, India received world’s largest remittances at $87
billion. The reason Non-resident Indians prefer to invest back in their home country is
because they see India as a land of opportunities. RBI’s liberal and clear remittance rules
also allow NRIs to remit their money back home with ease and safety. The trust of NRIs in
Indian growth scenario and their regular remittances back home show that India has
emerged as an open and investment friendly economy.

Major considerations of foreign investors are political stability, predictable policies and
business friendly reforms. Indian Government has embarked on structural reforms in the
form of GST, automatic route of FDI and ongoing labour reforms. All these steps have
created an open market for foreign investors and allowed them to invest fearlessly in Indian
businesses. A case in point is labour reforms that have reduced them from hundreds to just
4 codes-

A major drawback for a foreign entrepreneur in establishing a business in India is the

complexities involved in labour legislation and, its compliances. There used to be hundreds
of central level and state level labour legislation, that resulted in corruption, delays and
harassment of the investors. The central government reformed the multiple labour laws by
consolidating and simplifying hundreds of labour laws into 4 codes. This is one of the biggest
steps towards promoting Ease of doing business in India.

India might have taken some steps in creating an open and investment friendly economy
but there are still major impediments that need early resolution for India to be declared as
an investment friendly destination-

According to World Economic Forum, compared to other Asian economies, India’s overall
infrastructure quality ranks low. The burden of bureaucratic red tape and regulations
worsen the investment climate in the country. It is estimated that it takes 89 days to start a
business in India, more than doubled a time it requires in China.

Complete Capital account convertibility allows foreign investors to invest freely in the
country in long term investments. India has placed a limit of $250,000 per financial year on
long term investments. Lack of capital account convertibility slows foreign investments to
India. It also pushes investors away from India.

India is on the verge of getting into the trap of “Stagflation”. Foreign investors do not want
to invest in financially volatile economies. Lack of coordination between RBI and
Government, combined with lack of complete autonomy to RBI to decide on matters related
to Inflation affect the global perspective on Indian future. Investments lose value very fast in
case of high Inflation in an economy. Foreign investors like to invest in a financially stable
economy that is protected from global Inflation and loss of value. Thus, India is still away
from being called an investment friendly economy.

pg. 2
[Type here]

Foreign investors are of 2 kinds. The first kind invests in Indian businesses by acquiring
equity. This kind does not care about the difficulty involved in running of businesses
because it does not need to deal with the complexities on ground. The second kind invests
directly by opening businesses in the country. This type of investment cares about a lot of
ground issues like time taken to get electricity connections, time taken to get all approvals,
quality of water supply and level of skills among local youth. India lacks behind in all these
parameters, affecting the volume of foreign greenfield investment in the economy. To be
called an open and investment friendly economy, the policy makers need to ensure that all
elements in running a smooth business are in place.

Despite having some gaps in business ecosystem in India, it is one of the most preferred
destinations for doing business across the world because of its liberal policies, business
friendly reforms, democracy and an open market. Although necessary but these are not
sufficient conditions to attract significant FDI inflows. To be called an investment friendly
economy, Indian policymakers need to keep up with the standard determinants of FDI
including labor market conditions, the quality of infrastructure, simplification in tax rules
trade openness, corruption and other administrative bottlenecks.

pg. 3
[Type here]

pg. 4
[Type here]

pg. 5
[Type here]

pg. 6
[Type here]

pg. 7
[Type here]

pg. 8
Lesson 3 Essay Writing
[Type here]

Hello Aspirants,
I welcome you to this new session on Essay writing; in the previous two documents, we went
into its’ length and breadth, discussing various approaches and nuances to master Essay
writing. So far, we have discussed
 Mistakes that we should avoid while approaching essay preparation
 Examiners' expectations from your essay, basically a notion behind the ideal essay
 Broader areas from where topics might be framed and the Standard operating
procedure (SOP) for writing an essay.
I hope this has provided you with ample fodder for starting your essay preparation, and it will
surely help you in many ways, especially writing during your exams. But indeed, on the
condition that you have gone through the sessions and read the documents religiously.
But something is missing without which the whole lecture on Essay writing can go in vain, and
that is, practicing. Yes! Merely knowing the fundamentals of an essay won't be enough. We
need to practice, as mentioned in the first document.
Practice is the key to mastering the art of Essay Writing
But before that, you need to master the art of Practicing.
Yes! You read that well.
To master the art of writing, you must first excel in practicing it. You must spend AT
LEAST 10-20% of your preparation time in practicing essay writing.
In this session, I have set out FIVE STEPS that will guide you on HOW TO START
PRACTICING and streamline your essay preparation.
But remember that you have to get into that zone of practicing. You cannot take writing
casually; you must invest time and effort equally. We have already discussed that you MUST
WRITE ONCE EVERY WEEK. That’s all you need to ace English Paper- One test every
week!
Moving forward with our 5-step practicing strategy, which will set the right direction so that
you can start your essay writing practice.
It is a day-long process!
DON'T WORRY! These steps do not demand you to stay in one place and keep writing essays
back-to-back. IT IS NOTHING OF THAT SORT.
When I say it's a day-long process, that means you have to start this exercise in the morning,
take a long break and resume it in the evening.

pg. 1
[Type here]

Without further words on prerequisites. Let us get into the steps we need to follow

STEP #1
Identify the topic from the given list
The foremost step you must follow while starting your essay writing practice is to identify a
topic from the given list.
I hope you have a sharp memory and remember that in the last document, I have provided you
with an exhaustive list of themes from which your essays might be framed.
You simply have to pick up one broader theme from the list and figure out the topic. It is
completely your choice, so select a topic that you strongly believe is relevant from exam
perspective. Also, check whether you can write 400-600 words on that topic or not.
Doing this will give you a clear understanding of the topic you want to practice, and then you
can move further to another step.

STEP #2
Start reading on the chosen topics
Now, when you have chosen the topic, the next thing you must do is start reading about it.
You can do this exercise Early in the morning.
Remember not to limit yourself to one source; refer to at least 3-4 sources on the same topic.
Reading from more than one source will help you in several ways.
 It will help you get various perspectives.
 It will help you analyze the topic through multiple dimensions.
 It will help you crosscheck facts and numbers.
 It will help you gather enough content for your essay.

Try reading as much content as you can get on the topic to have a holistic perspective. If you
limit yourself to 1-2 perspectives or dimensions, believe me, you cannot write a quality essay
on it.
You must be wondering what reliable source you can hinge upon for reading.
You can refer to national dailies like the Hindu, the Indian Express, Live Mint, and some
magazines that are tailored and made for competitive exams. They are best in what they provide
and contain enough content to curate your 400-600 words essay. So, try to give it a thorough
read.

pg. 2
[Type here]

Now when you have read on the topic, it is time to move on to the next step.

STEP #3
Make NOTES
Have you heard? “Reading! Reading! and no Notes leads nowhere”
You might not have! I reframed it from another idiom.
Anyways, framing, or reframing idioms is not our concern, but MAKING NOTES is.
Making notes is an important task that we must do while attending lectures in college, business
meetings, etc. Likewise, we must make comprehensive notes while reading on any essay
topic.
Making notes will help you in multiple ways.
It will keep you ALERT and avoid distraction, which is quite common while reading,
particularly when you are reading from an exam point of view.
It will help you in ORGANIZING information; as you make notes, you try to highlight or jot
down important points and add examples, data, and arguments about that topic.
It will surely save your precious TIME. Note-making is an essential task that you must follow
in order to avoid repeating the class or going back to your reading sources.
In this case, if you make notes, you do not have to go back and follow STEP #2
What will happen if you do not make notes and rely on reading?
The obvious answer is that you will forget and write nothing in the essay.
We all know that our brain can process only a few pieces of information at times; overloading
it with all the information at one time would create confusion. Also, if we do not make notes,
there are high chances that we might forget everything after some time.
It is also well-known that our brain retains information for much longer when we read and
make notes or write simultaneously compared to when we only read.
But note making here does not mean that you start writing everything in a notebook.
No No No! You don’t want to kill yourself amid pens, ink, and notebooks. Let us be a little
smart here.
Since you are reading on your chosen essay topic online, note making shall also be done online.
Get hold of some note making app like Evernote or OneNote and get on with copying important
stuff that you like online and pasting it in-to your note making app.
It does not have to be a well-organized Note either.
Simply pasting the good points, Facts, Arguments, Examples etc. will make sure that you don’t
have to repeat the research that you just did.

pg. 3
[Type here]

When you are done with the research and have understood the essay topic completely, move
to the next step, which is the most effortless exercise.

STEP #4
REST!
After reading this, you must be on your toes, wondering why I am asking you to rest.
But relax; in this step, you just have to let the brain do its work; you must process information,
facts, and examples that you read in the morning. You can go through your notes and review
them once or twice, but that’s it. Nothing more than that.
You might ask, what's the point of waiting? I have read about the topic, made notes, and
remembered all the facts. Why can't I write IMMEDIATELY and be done with the essay
practice?
No! You should not start writing immediately, it will nullify the whole idea of practicing, and
this kind of practice won't help you in the exam.
I hope you know that you will not have the privilege to read and write immediately during the
exam. You have to depend on the knowledge that you gained from your regular preparation.
Therefore, writing straight away after reading will not help.
Always remember that you have to practice essay writing by assuming that it's your exam
day and not some self-practicing exercise.

STEP #5
Write! Write! Write!
After giving ample time to yourself (around 6-7 hours) and processing all the information you
read in the morning, start writing without going back to your notes or sources.
This you can do in the evening on the same day.
Imagine that you are sitting in your examination hall, and in front of your screen is your essay
topic, and you have just 20-30 minutes to complete the essay.
Don't forget to follow SOP properly, as told in the previous session, so that you practice in the
right direction.
This way, you can evaluate your reading and note-making skills and how much information
your brain retained.
This is the best way to practice essay writing because you are simulating the exam while
practicing, which will definitely help you in many ways, and believe me, for good.

pg. 4
[Type here]

With this session, I am concluding the classes on Essay writing. We will now move towards
practicing some Essays.

pg. 5
[Type here]

pg. 6
[Type here]

pg. 7
[Type here]

pg. 8
[Type here]

pg. 9
 Essay Writing
Imbalances in Indian Economic
Development
[Type here]

Imbalances in Indian Economic Development

While economic growth measures increase in real GDP and national income, economic
development measures the trickle down effect of economic growth in terms of qualitative
indices. These include better quality of life through access to social and physical
infrastructure, reduced multi-dimensional poverty, access to clean environment, etc.

In the last 7 decades of Independence, India has evolved by leaps and bounds, growing in
many aspects of Indian economy. The per capita GDP of India has increased from 80 USD in
1960 to 1900 USD in 2021. The poverty ratio has come down from almost 50% in 1951 to less
than 10% in 2021. The population growth rate has stabilised with a growth of less than
replacement rate of 2.1. Despite many improvements in standard of living of the masses,
there are many imbalances in Indian model of Economic development, that require a
thorough discussion and analysis.

One of the key indicators of imbalances in economic development include mass urbanization
of the skilled and educated professionals to more developed regions within the country, or to
other countries for better opportunities in terms of employment, and better access to
physical and social infrastructure. Dr. Amartya Sen has termed this kind of development in
India as “Islands of california in the sea of sub saharan Africa”. According to him, imbalanced
urbanization has created pockets of highly developed regions within the country where skilled
workforce comes to look for employment. Outside these dense urbanized regions,
development is at par with the under-developed regions of sub Saharan Africa. For example,
skilled professionals from across the country settle in IT hubs of Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
These hubs become economic powerhouses for the states and the country, leaving behind
the rural areas, that are unable to provide enough job and growth opportunities to their
people. Realising the importance of this imbalance, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam gave the concept of
“PURA i.e. Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas”. According to him, true development
can only happen in India when our rural areas are developed to provide urban like amenities
so that people do not have to migrate for better living conditions or opportunities. Realising
the importance of PURA, the “Smart city mission” focuses on converting every small town
into a smart city of the future. Similarly, “SP Mukherjee Rurban Mission” has been launched
to bridge the gap between rural and urban areas through infrastructure and skill
development. The ultimate aim is to make development more balanced so that India’s huge
population of 1.4 billion people can be lifted up through development together.

There is prominent imbalance in the access to physical and social infrastructure in the
economy. Physical infrastructure includes amenities like a good transport system, liveable
housing, reliable power supply and clean drinking water system, among many others. Social
infrastructure includes quality and cost of healthcare, availability of free and quality
education, opportunities to achieve one’s potential, a crime free society and clean air &
environment to live in. India has developed in economic terms but has lagged behind in both

pg. 1
[Type here]

physical and social infrastructure. The out-of-pocket expenditure of people on health in India
is one of the highest in the world at 68%, due to lack of insurance and low quality of public
healthcare systems. This has a serious impact on the productivity of people and on economic
growth of the nation.
Similarly, the quality of education in India is under serious scrutiny even though there is 100
percent enrolment at the primary level. Lack of social infrastructure like good quality of
training for teachers and lack of proper physical infrastructure in schools is to blame for low
performance in education.
The solution lies in getting rid of the imbalances in physical and social infrastructures so that
we can attain a more balanced and holistic development.

The imbalances in development are not limited to the real world. There is a widening gap in
Internet accessibility between urban and rural areas. As per a report by the National Sample
Survey for 2017-18, less than 15% of the rural households have access to the Internet, as
compared to their urban counterparts which stands at 42%. In a digital world, growing
without Internet access is like trying to breathe without lungs. For a nation to grow well into
the future, every individual needs to be always empowered with Internet. There are many
private and government initiatives to provide universal Internet access to everyone. The
BharatNet Project aims to bridge the rural urban digital divide by connecting all the 2,50,000
Gram Panchayats in the country with 100 Mbps of Internet connection. Through public-
private partnership, accessibility to internet to rural households can be increased further.

As per the latest WHO report, the doctor-population ratio in India today lies at 1:834 as
against the WHO recommended 1:1000, which is a positive sign. The vast network of Primary
Health Centres reaches out to and serves 72.2% of country’s population living in rural areas.
Better access to generic medicines has also managed to reduce out-of-pocket expenditures
through 8500 PM Jan Aarogya Kendras in the country. However, as per the reports by
Registrar General of India’s Sample Registration System, Maternal Mortality Rate still remains
high in northern states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh, while it is well
under control in in the States of Kerala, Maharashtra and Telangana. It is the highest in Assam
at 205 per 1 lakh births. Such an imbalance is indicative of lack of uniformity in accessibility
to basic healthcare and post-natal facilities across states. Uniform grass-root implementation
of initiatives like PM-Matritva Vandana Yojana, LaQshya guidelines may help in reducing the
regional imbalances.

The most prominent yet the most ignored imbalance in Indian economic development is
access to financial services or financial inclusion. Access to credit, ability to save from earnings
and access to insurance are some basic financial services that can secure individuals
financially and help them grow over time. Lack of financial inclusion hampers entire
generations and contribute to an imbalanced development where some people are able to
grow while others are stuck in poverty despite hard work. PM Jan Dhan Yojana and Aadhaar
have changed the course of financial inclusion by providing equal financial access to everyone.
But, these are mere starting points. The Government needs to do a lot to ensure that every
individual, rich or poor, has access to unhindered financial services so that the gap between
haves and have-nots can be reduced overtime.

pg. 2
[Type here]

India has one of the most diversified power sectors in the world. However, disparity remains
in per capita power consumption across the States, with the highest being in Gujarat at 2379
kWh per capita consumption, and lowest in Bihar at 311 kWh. Initiatives like Deen Dayal
Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana scheme have managed to electrify large number of rural
households in India, but the regional disparities result in long term regional differences in
development. When we compare Gujarat and Bihar on broad development parameters like
education, quality of life, access to water, quality of air etc, we can see clear differences in
their levels of development. Access to electricity has a major role to play in improving the
quality of lives of people in a region.

The role of State has transitioned from a welfare state to an enabler of private sector growth
across India. Various schemes and initiatives like the Goods and Service Tax to reduce trade
barriers, Ease of Doing Business across the cities, Smart City Mission, and Stand-up India
scheme aims to even out regional imbalances in economic development by removing trade
barriers and enable employment generation activities by promoting entrepreneurship. This
can only be achieved if there is significant support and accessibility of physical and social
infrastructures uniformly across the country. Initiatives like National Infrastructure
Investment Fund aims to bridge the deficit in physical infrastructure across the country and
enable a balanced economic development. Moreover, it is important to raise the living
standards of the rural poor by improving agricultural productivity and improving farmer
remuneration. Contract farming, linkages to Mega Food Parks, and capitalising small and
medium agricultural lands may help improve the profitability in agriculture as well.

A bottom-up approach towards economic development and economic empowerment along

with financial inclusion of the people is the way ahead for a balanced economic development
in our country.

pg. 3
[Type here]

pg. 4
[Type here]

pg. 5
[Type here]

pg. 6
[Type here]

pg. 7
[Type here]

pg. 8
 Essay Writing
GDP (Gross Domestic Product) along with GDH
(Gross Domestic Happiness) would be the right
indices for judging the wellbeing of a country
[Type here]

GDP (Gross Domestic Product) along with GDH (Gross Domestic Happiness) would be the
right indices for judging the wellbeing of a country

In the words of the biochemist turned Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard: “Happiness is a deep
sense of flourishing, not a mere pleasurable feeling or fleeting emotion but an optimal state
of being.” Happiness is not only beneficial personally, it has deep implications on our
professional well-being as well. As per a study, happy people are 11% more productive than
others. In healthcare, happy doctors are found to make faster and more accurate diagnosis.
In education, schools that focus on children’s social and emotional wellbeing experience
significant gains in academic attainment as well as improvements in pupil behaviour.
Happiness has also been linked to better decision-making and improved creativity.

GDP can be defined as the total production in an economy in a limited time period. GDP is
considered as a reliable quantitative measure of capacity utilization and level of performance
of an economy in a year. On the other hand, GDH is defined as the level of happiness,
contentment and satisfaction of the people in an economy. It is a qualitative measure of the
standard of living of a country’s residents. While GDP measures performance in numbers,
GDH measures performance in terms of “psychological impact of those numbers”. GDP and
GDH can together form the perfect measure of all round development for the following
reasons-

GDP alone does not consider the mental and environmental impacts of production. Residents
in developed nations like Finland are placed at the top of Happiness index because there are
strong regulations on how much they can work every week. India is placed at 139 out of 149
countries because it does not focus on the mental well-being of its people and side-effects of
over-work. In the long run, a mentally, socially and environmentally fit society is a more
productive, more advanced and developed society. If India truly wants to become a
developed nation, it has to adopt a holistic approach towards growth by considering the
psychological and physical impacts of a rise in GDP.

GDP does not consider Inequality in growth and total production. Inequality breeds
unhappiness. Inequality is also harmful for the overall development of a nation because a
certain class of the society is able to accumulate majority of the wealth while the remaining
people remain poor. Poverty breeds problems in health, education, skill development and
freedom to do as one wants. GDP and GDH together can overcome the problem of Inequality.
A more equal society will automatically be more content and productive society with
maximum contribution to growth.

GDP does not consider negative impacts of growth on the ecosystem. Humans are a part of
the global ecosystem and we cannot stay happy forever by isolating ourselves from it.
Pollution, carbon emissions, Greenhouse gases emissions and climate change have a direct
impact on the human population, thus affecting their standard of living and quality of life.
GDH measures the contribution of a clean environment on human happiness. Thus, a

pg. 1
[Type here]

combined GDP and GDH can bring a wholesome measurement of real growth in an economy.
If GDP of a country increases by higher extraction of oil and coal, the rise in GDP cannot be
termed as rise in overall development. Higher extraction of oil and coal is bound to result in
more pollution and depletion of the ground, that will have long term implications on the
people and their livelihoods.

GDP lays complete focus on monetary contribution of every act. By doing so, it promotes
Greed and creates a race towards accumulation of wealth. On the other hand, GDH focuses
equally or more towards cultural diversity, assimilation and health. All of the wars in the world
today are due to cultural isolation of people and hatred towards each-other. If GDP combines
with GDH, there can be an end to needless hatred, war and cultural isolation of people. Peace
brings happiness and joy to people, contributing towards a higher standard of living.

GDP ignores the impact of vices like Corruption, that have a direct impact on Good
Governance. Corruption has a direct effect on future GDP and Growth potential of a country.
GDH measures the impact of corruption on quality of life of people in a country. Thus, GDP
combined with GDH can be helpful for the people as well as future growth potential of a
nation. Globally, India stands 3rd in GDP based on PPP but as per corruptions perception index,
we are ranked at 85th out of 180 countries. If development is measured based purely on Gross
domestic product, the harmful impacts of issues like corruption would be ignored. However,
their long-term impact on Good Governance cannot be ignored. Therefore, GDP along with
GDH is a more comprehensive and holistic measure of wellbeing in a society.

GDP alone cannot bring prosperity to the world in the long run. It can increase wealth of a
country and make lives of a few better by providing ease of living but the masses cannot be
pulled towards prosperity by GDP alone. Bhutan is the only country in the world that
measures its growth in terms of happiness that Growth brings to the people. India can make
its idea of development more inclusive by doing the same. Considering the climate crisis, the
world is witnessing at the moment in the form of heat waves, cyclones, hurricanes, tsunamis
and earthquakes, GDP along with GDH is no more a luxury and a choice but a necessity that
has to be adopted globally to save humans from natural disasters and ultimately extinction.
Fortunately, India has had a rich history of focus on happiness, that can be revived to take us
back to being a wealthy and healthy nation.

pg. 2
[Type here]

pg. 3
[Type here]

pg. 4
[Type here]

pg. 5
[Type here]

pg. 6
[Type here]

pg. 7
 Essay Writing
Globalization Vs. Protectionism
[Type here]

Globalization Vs. Protectionism

The world has integrated into a global village, sharing complex relations in myriad ways. The advent
of globalization has intensified the interdependence and interconnectedness of the countries across
the globe. In the words of Antony Giddens, “globalization is the intensification of worldwide social
relations which link distant localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events
occurring many miles away and vice versa.” Globalization is borne out of liberal democracy, which
allows states to trade without tariffs, capital flows with few impediments and easy international
movement of people, goods and ideas. It creates a situation of complex interdependence among
nations in terms of trade, technology, and information.
Globalization has transformed the world in several ways. It has accelerated the pace of global
interactions with the evolution of worldwide transportation and communication systems. It has
Increased the speed with which ideas, news, goods, information, and technology move around the
world. In this respect, globalization embraces the process of deterritorialization due to the stretching
of economic, political, and cultural activities across the globe.
Globalization has been embraced and accepted with open arms since the turn of the century. It has
connected the world in ways never seen before. But just like every rising tide has an ebb,
protectionism has emerged as an opposite force to globalization.
The ongoing crises of globalization and emergence of protectionism started unfolding with the 2008-
09 global financial crisis. The crisis brought forward the side-effects of interconnected financial
systems where a financial crisis in one part of the world had serious implications in another part of
the world. People started opposing the idea of globalization due to its inherent requirement of
responsible behavior by everyone. Under globalization, if one country acted in an irresponsible way,
people in another country might have to bear its consequences. Thus, an opposite wave of
protectionism started developing in the world. It became an official part of national policy of many
countries after unemployment, Inflation and low growth surpassed tolerable levels. Brexit and USs’
“America first policy” are striking examples of backsliding globalization. Under these policies, UK and
USA have started popularizing the idea of “producing and consuming locally made goods”.
Protectionism refers to a system where the government tries to restrict international trade and shield
its industries from international competition. It is a defensive, politically-motivated policy intended to
empower local producers. Countries can protect their industries in several ways.
• Via quotas limit the import of goods and services in a given period.
• The government also provides subsidies and gives money to companies to support them while
they grow and experiment with new production techniques.
• The most common measure government adopted while enacting Protectionism is to put
tariffs on imported goods. Tariffs make foreign goods expensive, which encourages people to
buy domestic products, giving local companies a chance to flourish.

In light of the above push and pull between globalization and protectionism, the world needs
globalization for the following reasons:
India, after independence, spent decades surviving without international trade. The current wave of
globalization in India dates to the adoption of the 1991 economic reforms. Since then, India has played
a significant role in the process of globalization. Today, India is one of the top outsourcing service
destinations, with a huge workforce engaged in IT, call centers, and software development. It attracts
one of the highest FDI flows due to its investment friendly environment and bright opportunities for
growth. India’s high growth in Infrastructure and service sectors in the last 3 decades is largely due to

pg. 1
[Type here]

the international push received through globalization. India’s service sector contributes a massive 55%
to its GDP due to its global recognition as the back-office of the world.

It is explicitly established that the benefits of international trade outweigh any feasible economic
forecast that can be achieved through Protectionism. Protectionism may create jobs at home but leads
to price inflation and slow growth. Tariffs imposed can be destructive for the domestic industries in
the long run. With Protectionism, there is a risk of conflict- like World Wars. Globalization creates a
complex relationship among world economies, for example, the European Union-a comprehensive
supranational organization that discourages unilateralism and encourages multilateral cooperation
across socio-economic parameters. Thus, globalization is beneficial for every economy, given that the
right institutions are in place to check any mis happenings and frauds. India’s exports as a percentage
of GDP in 1991 was a mere 5%. Since reforms, it has increased to a whopping 18.5% of GDP in 2019.

India is the largest democracy in the world, and as an emerging super-power, its responsibility lies in
moving in the right direction and becoming welfarist. In India, globalization has been evolving right
from the era of the Indus Valley Civilization. India has been engaged economically in terms of the flow
of goods with almost all South and Southeast Asia countries and Middle Eastern countries. In cultural
terms, there is noted evidence that Hinduism and Buddhism spread across the world when ancient
travelers like Huen Tsang and Fah-Hian visited India. Indian slogan of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: the
world is one family, aptly captures the essence of globalization ingrained into India’s culture since
ancient period.

Despite the positive effects of globalization, there are some arguments that support protectionism-
In India, during the Global Technology summit, India’s EAM S. Jaishankar said that “the Covid-19
pandemic has brought India’s capabilities and need for domestic production rather than unchecked
globalization”. He further mentioned that to foster tech growth, the nation must seek more start-ups,
supply chains and jobs to be created internally. A blind reliance on global supply chains to push
economic growth in India might be attractive but it is strategically undesirable and unsustainable for
the growth of local population.

The MSME Sector in India, through more than 6,000 products, contributes about 8% to GDP, besides
45% to the total manufacturing output and 40% to the exports from the country. A Protectionist policy
focusing on self-reliance can help the small companies in India survive and grow so that they can keep
providing employment to the massive labor force of the country. Without direct protection to the
MSMEs, large conglomerates of the developed world can easily take over the market and kill domestic
competition with cheap, imported, mass produced goods. Thus, protectionist policy is not always bad.
It helps in survival of local entrepreneurship and businesses.

India should continue giving key importance to globalization and put out policies that improve
competitiveness and de-bureaucratize sectors such as agriculture. To accelerate growth and
development, India needs to articulate people-centric and sector-specific policies. The focus must be
given to strengthening trade and alliance with like-minded countries in terms of trade, such as the US,
EU, and Japan. Instead of following protectionism, focus on self-reliance, within the system of
globalization can be the right approach for India so that it can successfully exploit the opportunities
that global growth has to offer to the people of India.

NOTE:

The main driving forces of globalization are-

pg. 2
[Type here]

• Declining trade and investment barriers- During the 1920s and 1930s, many of the world’s
nation-states imposed formidable barriers to international trade and foreign direct
investment. The primary aim of such barriers was to protect domestic industries from foreign
competition. This depressed the world demand and contributed to the Great Depression of
the 1930s. Countries learned from this experience and ended barriers.
• Technology shaped and set the foundation for modern globalization- Innovations in
transportation technology revolutionized the industry. The most critical development among
these is the commercial jet aircraft and the concept of containerization in the late 1970s and
1980s. The invention in the area of Information and Communication technology also enabled
effective computing and communication techniques at a low-cost. Further, the rapid growth
of the internet gave room for the global e-business and e-commerce industry to flourish.

Other Advantages of Globalization-

• Globalization leads to economic growth for all- One of the primary reasons nations trade is to
gain access to resources it otherwise does not possess. Many modern luxuries would be
impossible to manufacture or produce without this flow. Globalization allows companies to
find cheap ways to produce their goods and provides access to new markets.
• Globalization enhances global cooperation- For globalization to exist, nations must be willing
to put aside their differences and work together. Therefore, increased globalization reduces
the scope of conflict.
• Globalization also creates employment opportunities nations often gain access to jobs in the
form of work outsourced by industries. It also provides developing countries, through
infusions of foreign capital and technology, with the chance to develop economically.
• Globalization increases cultural awareness and cross-cultural understanding and sharing. A
globalized society boosts the rate at which people are exposed to the culture, ethics, and
values of people in other countries. Such exposure can inspire artists, strengthen ties between
nations, and dampen xenophobia.

Despite its advantages, globalization also brings disadvantages for society-

• Globalization, by speeding up the process of economic growth around the world, has resulted
in emergence of a new problem- climate change. By laying all focus on economic growth,
globalization has dwarfed all other issues and made the world blind to Side effects of
uncontrolled growth. The world is now facing a new humanitarian crisis in the form of climate
change that has the potential of destroying humanity.

pg. 3
[Type here]

pg. 4
[Type here]

pg. 5
[Type here]

pg. 6
[Type here]

pg. 7
[Type here]

pg. 8
 Essay Writing
Should the Public Sector be
privatized
[Type here]

Should the Public Sector be privatized?

“Nearly two decades after the last Privatization, a landmark disinvestment concluded this year
when loss-making carrier Air India was sold back to TATA. Originally launched as nation’s first
carrier, it was nationalized in 1953 as Air India. It took two decades and three attempts for
government to finally take the decision of privatization. The decision is in the backdrop of
governments’ push to privatization of public sector in India.”
The above example highlights a change in Government policy towards public sector
enterprises and privatization. A new force of privatization is being experienced by the country
where companies in all non-strategic sectors are to be handed over to the private sector for
fulfillment of minimum government, maximum governance. This raises a new question-
should public sector enterprises be privatized or not?
The term privatization is a form of majority disinvestment wherein 100% control of the
company is passed on to a buyer i.e., government of India completely disinvests from that
PSU. Privatization implies change in ownership, management and control of public sector
enterprises to private sector. A line must be drawn between disinvestment and privatization
where the former happens when the government sells a part of PSE’s equity, while in the
latter, the government transfers complete ownership of the PSE to the private sector. The
recent transfer of the Air India to Tata Group is the example of complete privatization, which
marks fresh approach of the government.
In 2020-21 Union Budget, the government of India announced a new Disinvestment policy
that provided a clear roadmap for the disinvestment and privatization of PSEs in non-
strategic as well as strategic sectors. All PSEs in non-strategic sectors are to be privatized
immediately at profits or losses. The government policy mentioned four strategic sectors
including atomic energy and defense, transport and telecommunications, power and
petroleum and banking and insurance. As per the new policy, the government has to move
forward with privatization, merger, or subsidiarization of strategic PSEs with another CPSE.
Only a bare minimum presence of CPSEs in the aforesaid Strategic Sector is to be
maintained.
The new approach towards privatization in India has been motivated by a basic market
principle that the government reiterates, “government has no business to do business”. This
means that government should not be involved in running businesses and must engage in
welfare activities that the private sector cannot provide efficiently.
The primary reason behind such decisions is the current state of PSEs regarding its poor
performance and the increasing fiscal deficit. As per the data by a Confederation of Indian
Industry analysis, 55 non-strategic central PSEs have incurred major losses during 2016-19.
Thus, it makes economic sense to hand these enterprises to the private sector so that they
can be either turned around or closed for loss of capital.
The economists and experts during the initial years of Indian independence (1950s to 1980s)
believed that for building a resilient economic system and seamless industrialization,
government intervention is important. Therefore, Public Sectors Enterprises (PSEs) were
initiated in various socio-economic forms including- Central public enterprises, Public Sector
Banks and State Level Public Enterprises. These enterprises were established on a socialist
pattern of development and further classified under, Maharatna, Navratna and Miniratna
companies. These PSEs played a critical role in setting up of major industries that could not

pg. 1
[Type here]

be established by the private sector due to limited capacity. However, it was ultimately
realized that public sector enterprises cannot match the efficiency of the private sector. Due
to a wide gap in efficiency levels, it was decided in 1991 to privatize PSEs in a phased manner.
PSEs are often inefficient and work in losses because there is a flawed assumption that
Government has unlimited funds to finance these PSEs. Since 1991 economic reforms and
growth of a capitalist economy in India, it has now been realized that the Government also
has limited funds, that need to be used in most critical areas. Spending limited resources on
commercial activities not only results in wastage of resources but also hampers competition
in the market. Therefore, privatization is not only good for Government’s budget, but also
healthy for national economy and competitiveness in the market.
Privatization works with a fundamental belief in markets and price mechanism. Private
companies have more incentives to cut costs and be more efficient by raising labor
productivity. On the other hand, the government works with the belief that maximum people
need to be served, no matter what the cost. This goes against principles of profits and free
market. Due to inconsistency between government’s principles and market mechanism, it has
now been realized that the government should exit non-strategic commercial sectors and let
the private sector provide those services.
The Government is financed by resources of the people, and it is directly responsible to needs
of the people, not the market. By running a public sector enterprise, the government violates
the promise made to the people to serve. It tries to earn profits by running a business. The
dilution of its role from welfare activities to business activities is harmful for sustainable
development of a country. Thus, in national interest, it is important that the government
focuses on its core activities by privatizing commercial enterprises.

However, privatization is not always beneficial for an Economy. There are certain arguments
that call for limited presence of the Government in some sectors-
As per Economist Dr. Raghuram Rajan, in a democratic country like India that serves a huge
underserved and poor population, it is important for the government to fulfill social
objectives that have a commercial face. For example, Railways serves as the cheapest mode
of transportation for the poor and middle class of India. Indian Railways has a long and rich
history of empowerment of Indians. When Mahatma Gandhi came back to India, he went on
a Bharat Darshan through Indian Railways to see the real India. Indian Railways employs 1.2
million people, networks 68000 km all around India and has a daily passenger count of 24
million people. If it is privatized, the common people might be deprived of an efficient and
cheap mode of transport. Thus, it lies in national interest for the government to maintain
and modernize Indian Railways for the poor and middle-class citizens.
Strategic sectors like Defense and Atomic energy demand Government Intervention due to
National security that they command. If Defense sector is completely privatized, the private
companies can do anything for profits. In times of war, it has been seen that private
companies exploit the Government and even engage in anti-national activities merely for
profits. In such a scenario, Government control comes handy. Thus, Government presence
in strategic sectors like atomic energy and Defense is crucial for a war affected country like
India.

There are many landmark examples of Government owned products and enterprises that
are highly profitable, along with a global presence. UPI is the first instant real time payment
system created by NPCI, that is an initiative of RBI. The private sector followed on UPI’s

pg. 2
[Type here]

technology and came up with multiple wallets and payment systems later. UPI is globally
renowned as a revolutionary service enabling real time digital transactions. Similarly, ONGC
has developed as a major oil conglomerate in the world and runs profitably, at par with
global oil companies like Aramco and Exxon. Thus, government enterprises are not always
loss making.
With privatization in mind reflected in government’s intention in the last two years, the
most crucial question before us is the assumptions and framework on which government
views the public sector and policy of privatization. The assumption of movement towards
profit – oriented objectives as a solution is not appropriate for examining the performance
of state-owned enterprises. The existence of state-owned firms goes beyond narrow
paradigm of profit maximization. It enters in multi-dimensional objective function ranging
from employing the masses, keeping prices low in specific sectors, reducing regional
imbalances and operating in sectors where private sector is not suited and unwilling. Hence,
haziness of this social objective may be thoroughly diluted when solutions are perceived
through narrow lens of privatization.

Privatization if followed in true spirit will be game changer for the Indian economy.
However, the process must be fair and transparent. A fair procedure must be undertaken to
privatize the PSEs and the funds received must be used for welfare and development.

pg. 3
[Type here]

pg. 4
[Type here]

pg. 5
[Type here]

pg. 6
[Type here]

pg. 7
[Type here]

pg. 8
 Essay Writing
Crisis in Indian Agriculture
[Type here]

Crisis in Indian Agriculture

‘Till, sow, plough and reap

Are the promises I keep
The soil I watered with my sweat
Storms I weathered on my chest
In days gone by, my fields were wrenched
With a couple of acres to pay my debt
We cultivate pearls, gems and jewelry
But our children face hunger and misery
Harvest I reap No merchant wants to keep
Can there be another solution?
Its neither noose nor revolution
Sickle and scythe my arms indeed
Till the last breath this body breathes’
- Tale of a farmer

The above poem is a tale of Indian farmer’s plight in cultivation and agriculture. Being an
agriculture country from the beginning, India ranks second worldwide in farming outputs.
Agriculture employs more than 50% of India’s workforce and is also the largest source of
livelihood with about 70% of its rural household's dependent on agriculture. Despite
importance of farmers and agriculture, the bloody history of farmer debts, extreme poverty
that farmers live in and low quality of life of Indian farmers delineates that Indian agriculture
is in a crisis.
Going back to history, India agriculture has seen only a few silver linings. Agriculture in India
flourished in ancient and medieval times. India was a dominant exporter of silk and spices to
European countries. Indian exports were so prominent globally that a dedicated route from
India to Europe was given the name of “silk route”. All of this changed gradually and Indian
Farmers faced a decline following British rule in India. The Britishers exploited agriculture for
their personal benefits. They diverted Farming from food crops to cash crops because cash
crops were more lucrative for them. This resulted in consequent famines in India due to lack
of food crops for the masses. The Britishers also created an exploitative Land revenue system
that led to the erosion of agriculture. “Neel darpan”, written by Dinbandhu mitra, shares the
plight of farmers who turned into landless laborers due to the exploitative land revenue
system and talks about total dismantling of traditional agriculture in India.
After Independence, the new leaders realized the importance of Agriculture but despite many
attempts, failed to make India a self-sufficient agricultural economy till 1960s. Almost 75
percent of the population was indulged in agricultural activities for its livelihood. Faced with
droughts and scarcity of food grains, the Indian agriculture became structurally and
fundamentally weak.
In 1965, Dr. Lal bahadur shastri gave the slogan “Jai Javan, Jai Kisan”. It was the beginning of
golden period of agriculture in India. It was coupled with Green Revolution under Dr. M.S
Swaminathan whose efforts made sure that India become self-sufficient in Food grains.
Introduction of HYV seeds and modern irrigation techniques improved the condition of Indian

pg. 1
[Type here]

farmers and gave them protection from abnormal weather conditions. Dams were termed as
“temples of modern India”, considering their important contribution to prosperity of
Agriculture in India. However, the impact of green revolution was limited to the northern
region of the country and created disparities between rich and poor farmers. The structural
and fundamental problems in agriculture could not be solved. After 1991 economic reforms,
a remarkable growth rate was noted in the industry and service sector but there was a sharp
deceleration in the growth rate in the agricultural sector from 3.62 to 1.97. Currently, Indian
agriculture faces multiple challenges ranging from farmer suicides to income of farmers to
quality of India’s produce, among others.
The crisis in Indian agriculture has become deep-rooted. Distress and stagnation in Indian
agriculture is because of several factors-
Economical unviability in farming has led to large number of people abandoning agriculture.
According to Periodic Labor Force Survey (PLFS), employment in the agriculture sector has
declined to as low as 50 percent. Indian farmer is squeezed between high input costs of land
rent, fertilizers and irrigation which results in higher cost of cultivation. Yet farmer doesn’t
receive remunerative returns due to crop failures, price variations, & distorted and
exploitative market. According to a study, a farmer typically gets as little as 25% of price that
consumer pays for agricultural good in market.
Invariable and extreme weather conditions lead to failure of crops. Nearly 60 % of farmers
depend on rainfall for irrigation and failed monsoon usually hits the crop production and
prices. To ensure that farmer gets good price for their crops, Minimum support price acts as
security net for farmers. But if crop fails due to adverse climate and poor rainfall then post-
harvest losses are also to be borne by farmers. Though modern means of irrigation,
technology has made agriculture less dependent on monsoon, but still majority of small and
marginal farmers still waits for onset of monsoon for agriculture.
Fragmentation of land under agricultural cultivation has also reduced income of farmers.
Demographic pressure has pushed land to man ratio to less than 0.2 hectares of cultivable
land per head of rural population. Around 83% of rural households are either entirely landless
or own less than 1 hectare of land. Fragmentation of land causes increase in cost of
production per unit field of crop. Optimization of technology, fertilizers and input costs is also
not possible on fragmented lands. Landless or marginal farmers don’t have the resources to
either buy or lease more land or invest in farm infrastructure to compensate for the scarcity
of land. This reduces yield and productivity per hectare of crop.
The lack of credit facility and dependency on money lenders reduces financial independence
of farmers. The challenges of farmers' debts and loans are another major cause of distress
among the agriculture community. According to an NSSO report, only 16 % of the total
farmers have access to institutional credit & the rest, 84 % are majorly dependent on informal
means such as rich landowners, or moneylenders. Mother India, a movie from 1957,
showcases the plight of debt cycle of farmers. NCRB reports state that more than 10,000
farmer suicides were due to indebtedness.
Political and governance issues have also plagued the agricultural crisis further. Farmer’s
issues have been politicized resulting in populist measures such as loan waiver, free electricity
etc. Political parties try to take advantage of agricultural distress during elections by offering
lucrative schemes and benefits to farmers. The Federal structure in India also makes things
complicated as agriculture is a part of Union, State and concurrent lists, which makes
governance in agriculture a complicated affair.

pg. 2
[Type here]

Pre-harvest and post-harvest bottlenecks in agriculture have squeezed Indian farmer in a

deadlock. Lack of capital, insurance for pre-harvest, capital for fertilizers, irrigation etc. are
pre-harvest bottlenecks in agriculture. Post-harvest problems such as lack of storage facility,
monopoly of APMCs and exploitation by middlemen reduces the profitability of agriculture.
MSP distribution to large traders prevents smaller farmers to benefit from government
assured MSPs.
Agri-sector needs to be developed as an investment opportunity. It may help to transform
agriculture farmers in to Agri-prenuers. From 1976 to 2001, public investment in agriculture
has declined from 4% to 2%. There is a need of investment in agriculture in Infrastructure,
Farmer skills, supply chain, food processing, Self-help groups and Microfinancing. Agricultural
clusters and hubs could be established for improving investment and funding in agricultural
research and production.
Providing subsidies is unavoidable as the cost of cultivation and modernization requires huge
additional costs. But the aim of such subsidies must be to enhance the capacity of farmers
and ease the burden of cultivator. Loan waivers may be temporarily necessary for the revival
of farming, but such waivers do not provide conditions for a secure credit system in the long
term. Such relief measures that temporarily ease the pain of farmers, however, fail to make
a significant difference to their lives in the long run. It is time that subsidies which disrupt the
market should be reduced in a phased manner and investment opportunities must be pushed
for the same.

Transformation of “Kisan to Annadata” is the need of the hour. The Government is trying to
reform agriculture with various initiatives-
A set of reforms and policies have been adopted to revolutionize the agricultural sector at the
structural and policy level. The central government has taken measures to retain farmers in
the sector by improving institutional credit to farmers. PM’s vision of “Doubling the farmer’s
income by 2022” could be a reality through various schemes such as Rashtriya Krishi Vikas
Yojana and Paramparagat krishi Yojana. To improve access to irrigation, the government has
launched Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY). To adopt organic and sustainable
farming, Evergreen revolution has been launched with the vision to lead agriculture with
noble practices.

Credit facility and investment in agriculture could make farmers financially independent. A
strong set of Microfinance institutions and Self-Help groups can help farmers to bear the input
costs and cost of production. This can make agriculture more economically viable and reduce
farmers dependency on money lenders. Reforms in APMCs for better prices, breaking up the
cartelization of middlemen can further reduce the financial distress of farmers.

Improvement in allied sectors through initiatives like CHAMAN, AGRI-UDAAN, SAMPADA

bring different allied sectors of horticulture, food processing, poultry etc. Other schemes such
as PM-KISAN, Ryuthu Bandhu Scheme, Operation Greens Zero budget natural farming etc. are
some schemes which add to the earning opportunities of farmers along with agricultural
cultivation.

Co-operative and Contract Farming can result in consolidation of land holdings and raise
income of farmers. Such consolidation could provide economies of scale for both input
procurement and outputs. Organic farming and traditional farming methods could solve the

pg. 3
[Type here]

problem of unviability of agriculture and give farmers option to carry sustainable practices in
agriculture.

Modern technologies can also be adopted for enhancing agricultural output. The government
is introducing mobile technology for monitoring and controlling crop irrigation systems. The
adoption of biotechnology is also a significant step to increase agricultural output. The
government has approved 17 GM crops with eight traits which are virus and pest resistant.
Innovation and research for strengthening agriculture can be seen through various schemes
like Soil Health card scheme, Meghdoot App for weather forecast etc.
“The ultimate goal of farming is not in cultivation of crops but cultivation and perfection of
human beings”- Fukuoka
Agriculture is not just about surplus production, but it is a way of economic and social
revolution for a civilization. Agriculture could be the savior for challenges of the future such
as climate change, nutritional and food security, protecting environment, and feeding a
growing population. The Future awaits in farming and agriculture. For we should remember
that Agriculture is Noblest of all Alchemy, it turns earth to gold, hunters to civilized ones, poor
to prosperous, sustenance to enrichment, and world to a better place.

pg. 4
[Type here]

pg. 5
[Type here]

pg. 6
[Type here]

pg. 7
[Type here]

pg. 8
[Type here]

pg. 9
 Essay Writing
Crisis in Indian Agriculture
[Type here]

Crisis in Indian Agriculture

‘Till, sow, plough and reap

Are the promises I keep
The soil I watered with my sweat
Storms I weathered on my chest
In days gone by, my fields were wrenched
With a couple of acres to pay my debt
We cultivate pearls, gems and jewelry
But our children face hunger and misery
Harvest I reap No merchant wants to keep
Can there be another solution?
Its neither noose nor revolution
Sickle and scythe my arms indeed
Till the last breath this body breathes’
- Tale of a farmer

The above poem is a tale of Indian farmer’s plight in cultivation and agriculture. Being an
agriculture country from the beginning, India ranks second worldwide in farming outputs.
Agriculture employs more than 50% of India’s workforce and is also the largest source of
livelihood with about 70% of its rural household's dependent on agriculture. Despite
importance of farmers and agriculture, the bloody history of farmer debts, extreme poverty
that farmers live in and low quality of life of Indian farmers delineates that Indian agriculture
is in a crisis.
Going back to history, India agriculture has seen only a few silver linings. Agriculture in India
flourished in ancient and medieval times. India was a dominant exporter of silk and spices to
European countries. Indian exports were so prominent globally that a dedicated route from
India to Europe was given the name of “silk route”. All of this changed gradually and Indian
Farmers faced a decline following British rule in India. The Britishers exploited agriculture for
their personal benefits. They diverted Farming from food crops to cash crops because cash
crops were more lucrative for them. This resulted in consequent famines in India due to lack
of food crops for the masses. The Britishers also created an exploitative Land revenue system
that led to the erosion of agriculture. “Neel darpan”, written by Dinbandhu mitra, shares the
plight of farmers who turned into landless laborers due to the exploitative land revenue
system and talks about total dismantling of traditional agriculture in India.
After Independence, the new leaders realized the importance of Agriculture but despite many
attempts, failed to make India a self-sufficient agricultural economy till 1960s. Almost 75
percent of the population was indulged in agricultural activities for its livelihood. Faced with
droughts and scarcity of food grains, the Indian agriculture became structurally and
fundamentally weak.
In 1965, Dr. Lal bahadur shastri gave the slogan “Jai Javan, Jai Kisan”. It was the beginning of
golden period of agriculture in India. It was coupled with Green Revolution under Dr. M.S
Swaminathan whose efforts made sure that India become self-sufficient in Food grains.
Introduction of HYV seeds and modern irrigation techniques improved the condition of Indian

pg. 1
[Type here]

farmers and gave them protection from abnormal weather conditions. Dams were termed as
“temples of modern India”, considering their important contribution to prosperity of
Agriculture in India. However, the impact of green revolution was limited to the northern
region of the country and created disparities between rich and poor farmers. The structural
and fundamental problems in agriculture could not be solved. After 1991 economic reforms,
a remarkable growth rate was noted in the industry and service sector but there was a sharp
deceleration in the growth rate in the agricultural sector from 3.62 to 1.97. Currently, Indian
agriculture faces multiple challenges ranging from farmer suicides to income of farmers to
quality of India’s produce, among others.
The crisis in Indian agriculture has become deep-rooted. Distress and stagnation in Indian
agriculture is because of several factors-
Economical unviability in farming has led to large number of people abandoning agriculture.
According to Periodic Labor Force Survey (PLFS), employment in the agriculture sector has
declined to as low as 50 percent. Indian farmer is squeezed between high input costs of land
rent, fertilizers and irrigation which results in higher cost of cultivation. Yet farmer doesn’t
receive remunerative returns due to crop failures, price variations, & distorted and
exploitative market. According to a study, a farmer typically gets as little as 25% of price that
consumer pays for agricultural good in market.
Invariable and extreme weather conditions lead to failure of crops. Nearly 60 % of farmers
depend on rainfall for irrigation and failed monsoon usually hits the crop production and
prices. To ensure that farmer gets good price for their crops, Minimum support price acts as
security net for farmers. But if crop fails due to adverse climate and poor rainfall then post-
harvest losses are also to be borne by farmers. Though modern means of irrigation,
technology has made agriculture less dependent on monsoon, but still majority of small and
marginal farmers still waits for onset of monsoon for agriculture.
Fragmentation of land under agricultural cultivation has also reduced income of farmers.
Demographic pressure has pushed land to man ratio to less than 0.2 hectares of cultivable
land per head of rural population. Around 83% of rural households are either entirely landless
or own less than 1 hectare of land. Fragmentation of land causes increase in cost of
production per unit field of crop. Optimization of technology, fertilizers and input costs is also
not possible on fragmented lands. Landless or marginal farmers don’t have the resources to
either buy or lease more land or invest in farm infrastructure to compensate for the scarcity
of land. This reduces yield and productivity per hectare of crop.
The lack of credit facility and dependency on money lenders reduces financial independence
of farmers. The challenges of farmers' debts and loans are another major cause of distress
among the agriculture community. According to an NSSO report, only 16 % of the total
farmers have access to institutional credit & the rest, 84 % are majorly dependent on informal
means such as rich landowners, or moneylenders. Mother India, a movie from 1957,
showcases the plight of debt cycle of farmers. NCRB reports state that more than 10,000
farmer suicides were due to indebtedness.
Political and governance issues have also plagued the agricultural crisis further. Farmer’s
issues have been politicized resulting in populist measures such as loan waiver, free electricity
etc. Political parties try to take advantage of agricultural distress during elections by offering
lucrative schemes and benefits to farmers. The Federal structure in India also makes things
complicated as agriculture is a part of Union, State and concurrent lists, which makes
governance in agriculture a complicated affair.

pg. 2
[Type here]

Pre-harvest and post-harvest bottlenecks in agriculture have squeezed Indian farmer in a

deadlock. Lack of capital, insurance for pre-harvest, capital for fertilizers, irrigation etc. are
pre-harvest bottlenecks in agriculture. Post-harvest problems such as lack of storage facility,
monopoly of APMCs and exploitation by middlemen reduces the profitability of agriculture.
MSP distribution to large traders prevents smaller farmers to benefit from government
assured MSPs.
Agri-sector needs to be developed as an investment opportunity. It may help to transform
agriculture farmers in to Agri-prenuers. From 1976 to 2001, public investment in agriculture
has declined from 4% to 2%. There is a need of investment in agriculture in Infrastructure,
Farmer skills, supply chain, food processing, Self-help groups and Microfinancing. Agricultural
clusters and hubs could be established for improving investment and funding in agricultural
research and production.
Providing subsidies is unavoidable as the cost of cultivation and modernization requires huge
additional costs. But the aim of such subsidies must be to enhance the capacity of farmers
and ease the burden of cultivator. Loan waivers may be temporarily necessary for the revival
of farming, but such waivers do not provide conditions for a secure credit system in the long
term. Such relief measures that temporarily ease the pain of farmers, however, fail to make
a significant difference to their lives in the long run. It is time that subsidies which disrupt the
market should be reduced in a phased manner and investment opportunities must be pushed
for the same.

Transformation of “Kisan to Annadata” is the need of the hour. The Government is trying to
reform agriculture with various initiatives-
A set of reforms and policies have been adopted to revolutionize the agricultural sector at the
structural and policy level. The central government has taken measures to retain farmers in
the sector by improving institutional credit to farmers. PM’s vision of “Doubling the farmer’s
income by 2022” could be a reality through various schemes such as Rashtriya Krishi Vikas
Yojana and Paramparagat krishi Yojana. To improve access to irrigation, the government has
launched Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY). To adopt organic and sustainable
farming, Evergreen revolution has been launched with the vision to lead agriculture with
noble practices.

Credit facility and investment in agriculture could make farmers financially independent. A
strong set of Microfinance institutions and Self-Help groups can help farmers to bear the input
costs and cost of production. This can make agriculture more economically viable and reduce
farmers dependency on money lenders. Reforms in APMCs for better prices, breaking up the
cartelization of middlemen can further reduce the financial distress of farmers.

Improvement in allied sectors through initiatives like CHAMAN, AGRI-UDAAN, SAMPADA

bring different allied sectors of horticulture, food processing, poultry etc. Other schemes such
as PM-KISAN, Ryuthu Bandhu Scheme, Operation Greens Zero budget natural farming etc. are
some schemes which add to the earning opportunities of farmers along with agricultural
cultivation.

Co-operative and Contract Farming can result in consolidation of land holdings and raise
income of farmers. Such consolidation could provide economies of scale for both input
procurement and outputs. Organic farming and traditional farming methods could solve the

pg. 3
[Type here]

problem of unviability of agriculture and give farmers option to carry sustainable practices in
agriculture.

Modern technologies can also be adopted for enhancing agricultural output. The government
is introducing mobile technology for monitoring and controlling crop irrigation systems. The
adoption of biotechnology is also a significant step to increase agricultural output. The
government has approved 17 GM crops with eight traits which are virus and pest resistant.
Innovation and research for strengthening agriculture can be seen through various schemes
like Soil Health card scheme, Meghdoot App for weather forecast etc.
“The ultimate goal of farming is not in cultivation of crops but cultivation and perfection of
human beings”- Fukuoka
Agriculture is not just about surplus production, but it is a way of economic and social
revolution for a civilization. Agriculture could be the savior for challenges of the future such
as climate change, nutritional and food security, protecting environment, and feeding a
growing population. The Future awaits in farming and agriculture. For we should remember
that Agriculture is Noblest of all Alchemy, it turns earth to gold, hunters to civilized ones, poor
to prosperous, sustenance to enrichment, and world to a better place.

pg. 4
[Type here]

pg. 5
[Type here]

pg. 6
[Type here]

pg. 7
[Type here]

pg. 8
[Type here]

pg. 9
 Essay Writing
Farm loan waiver: a Double-
edged sword
[Type here]

Can farm loan waivers be considered a good support system for farmers? Explain its impact
on agriculture and the economy as a whole
OR
Viability of farm loan Waiver
OR
Farm loan waiver: a Double-edged sword

“सरकार ने ककया ककसान ों की कर्जमाफी का ऐलान, ककसान ों क ह गा फायदा” (Government

declares farmers loan waiver, farmers would be benefitted), is a headline from Krishi Jagran,
reads Gita daughter of Ramnath, who is a small farmer in Madhya Pradesh. Reading this news,
solves all the woes of Ramnath who is gripped with a small strip of infertile land where he
produces vegetables. Debt-ridden condition and bad monsoons have brought his livelihood to
the brink of sustenance. Ramnath hopes that loan waiver may solve all his problems, provide
him enough sum to bring out his family from apathy and give his daughter a good life.
Above story relates how farm loan waivers are a ray of hope for small and marginal farmers.
Such farm waivers have become a policy instrument to alleviate the financial distress of
farmers. Similar loans have been declared by newly elected governments of Madhya Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. Since last two-decades, farm loan waivers have
been given to many farmers like Ramnath as a hope to end their misery in farming. Farm loan
waivers are customized schemes announced by states to help the distressed farmers.
Indian agriculture struggles with issues like fragmented land holdings, rising input costs
coupled with less output, low productivity and vagaries of monsoon. Farmers are unable to
pay their loans due to these issues. Such rural distress often prompts States or Centre to offer
relief in form of complete or partial waiver of loan. These loan waivers originally intended as
one time settlement, have turned into a regular affair signaling chronic distress in agriculture.
Historically, first ever instance of granting loans to peasants in medieval India dates back to
regime of Muhammad Bin Tughlaq to ameliorate the distress of villagers. This scheme of
Muhammad bin Tughlaq was short-lived as famines and rebellion broke out due to
agricultural distress. These loans were written off by subsequent ruler, Firoz Shah Tughlaq.
Agricultural crisis continued further till the advent of the British empire in India. British
exploitative policies of land revenue and cash cropping further tarnished agriculture in India.
After independence, leaders of the country tried to revive agriculture by different reforms,
but the condition of agricultural distress was worse than thought, and condition of farmers
was inflicted with poverty and disparity. Green revolution was introduced in India in the form
of HYV seeds in 1960s. It made Indian agriculture self-reliant in food grains. But, despite green
revolution and reforms in agriculture, the farmers condition did not improve. Indian farmer
continued to fall in debt traps and the vicious cycle of using livelihood money for farming. The
Agricultural Debt Waiver and Debt relief scheme was implemented by the government in
2008, which involved outgo of Rs 70000 Crore in the form of farm loan waivers. Since then,
there has been a continuous wave of farm loan waivers.
There are arguments in support of and against viability of farm loan waivers. The arguments
in support claim the following:
Rationale behind farm loan waiver is availability of money for the farmer during critical
moments when the crop fails, and the farmer is in debt from either formal banks or informal

pg. 1
[Type here]

money lenders. Farmers in India have often given up in such critical times due to the immense
pressure from creditors and committed suicides. In order to help Indian farmers when crops
fail due to lack of rain or insufficient market demand, the government decided to intervene
in the form of farm loan waivers. Government intervention has helped in survival of many
farmers who might have succumbed to the pressure of money lenders or banks to pay back
in time. While it is not a long-term solution to the problem, it does provide immediate relief
to Indian farming community.

85% of farmers in India possess small and marginal landholdings between 1-2 hectares. Most
of the farming community in India is thus formed by small and marginal farmers. The risk
appetite and ability of these farmers to survive the long gestation period of agriculture is very
limited. They take on debt in the hope of improving their livelihood with higher earnings from
a good crop, but limited government support and market exploitation does not allow them
to improve their livelihood. Farm loan waivers provide them the required cushion and enables
survival of such small and marginal farmers. Without farm loan waivers, these farmers would
be deprived of the immediate support that allows them to contribute to Indian Food security.
Farm loan waivers also help these farmers to stay in agriculture if they do not have any other
skill and thus safeguard India from an unemployment crisis.

Indian agriculture is still heavily dependent on Monsoons. Even after 7 decades of

Independence, only about 50% of agriculture is irrigated. This can be assumed to be a failure
of the successive governments in providing required infrastructure support to farmers.
Considering such limitations, the farmer often needs immediate support to survive the
market pressures and get protection from indebtedness. Though farm loan waivers do not
provide a permanent solution to the problems of agriculture, but the immediate support
provided through them is irreplaceable till infrastructure loopholes are plugged by the
Government for farmers. Farm loan waiver is often the only ray of hope for a small farmer
who has nowhere else to go.

Farm loan waivers may seem to have changed the face of agriculture in India. But rather than
solving fundamental problems, these loans have become an easy mechanism to lure farmers.
The fundamental issues that need resolution are pending marketing reforms, high input costs
of fertilizers and seeds, expensive and ineffective insurance facility, lack of storage facilities
for perishables and slow reforms in food processing. Instead of modernizing Indian agriculture
so that every farmer becomes self-sufficient, farm loan waivers provide quick fix solution
without any permanent solution. Instead of spending huge sums of money after a farmer
becomes indebted, the government needs to invest the same money in modernization of
farming so that the problem does not arise again.
“Farm loan waivers are necessity but not the solution”- M.S. Swaminathan
Dr. M.S. Swaminathan says that loan waiver acts as an immediate relief as it removes the
agony of farmers. But it does not solve the fundamental and structural problems of
agriculture. Also, there is no concrete evidence that loan waivers reduce agrarian distress.
Hence, Possible solutions and reforms have to be implemented apart from farm loan waivers.

Schemes of farm loan waivers have disrupted the credit discipline of farmers. Many farmers
across the country take loans even if they don’t need it, resulting in free rider problem. The
loan that could have provided support to a needy farmer now goes to a farmer who does not

pg. 2
[Type here]

need it in the first place. This has also reduced the effectiveness of banking system in
providing timely support to Indian agriculture because loans often go in the wrong hands. It
is nothing short of an Institutional failure, created due to short sighted policy of the
government.

Loan waivers create moral hazards, that incentivize farmers to not service their loans resulting
in deterioration of the credit culture. There is a huge fiscal burden on the government,
combined with high cost to be borne by the bank in terms of direct interest income foregone
and high NPAs. Many Governments also have to borrow from the market to provide waiver
support to farmers.

It has been witnessed that benefits of the Loan waivers have not been passed on to small
farmers, who need them. The Big farmers are able to exploit such government schemes
through their connections and local support, while the small and marginal farmers are left
empty handed. According to NSSO’s 59th survey, about 40% of highly distressed farmers in
states did not receive any loan waiver benefits.

It has thus been identified that farm loan waivers are not panacea for Indian agriculture. There
is a need to take other steps so that the requirement of farm loan waivers can be eliminated
in the future. Some of the initiatives that can help in modernization of Indian agriculture are:

• There is an immediate need to Strengthen the financial, technical and professional

capacity of farmers so that they can face the market fluctuations without any
government support. The industrial and service sectors in India have been left to the
market with minimal government support. A similar advancement is required in Indian
agriculture as well.
• Agriculture in India still needs heavy Investments to reduce vulnerabilities of farmers.
Presently, farmers are heavily dependent on nature for success or failure of their
crops. Creating centers of excellence for research in farm technology and adopting
international technologies to protect farmers from vagaries of nature can help in
growth of Indian agriculture in the future.
• Financial modernization in agriculture has taken a backseat due to farm loan waivers.
Agriculture needs strong institutional support in the form in Micro Finance
Institutions, Self-help groups and Schemes like kisan credit card. Financial
independence of Indian agriculture can make it a global force.
• Despite all efforts, Agriculture is one activity that cannot be isolated from natural
disasters and fluctuations. There is a need to establish farmers’ distress and disaster
relief commissions at the national and State levels, based on the model of Kerala’s
Farmers’ Debt Relief Commission. These commissions can predict future distress
situations and take proactive steps to minimize the impact of such mishaps.

Many people think that Agriculture can never improve because it is dependent on so many
external factors for its survival. But there are examples that prove that the face of agriculture
can change with the right steps. Hiware Bazaar is a small village in Maharashtra that is
dependent on agriculture for its survival. Hiware Bazaar was once deeply stuck in the vicious

pg. 3
[Type here]

cycle of water crisis and multiple droughts, but the village saw it as an opportunity and tackled
the crisis with water harvesting, farming coupled with ancillary activities, SHG’s and micro
financing, and water conservation. Today, Hiware Bazaar stands with 60 millionaires and
highest per capita income in the country. Thus, farmer loan waivers could act as short-term
solution but there is a need of various permanent reforms to make Farmers financially
independent.

pg. 4
[Type here]

pg. 5
[Type here]

pg. 6
[Type here]

pg. 7
[Type here]

pg. 8
 Essay Writing
Advantages and Limitations of
Minimum support price
[Type here]

Advantages and Limitations of Minimum support price

Farmers form the foundation of the Indian economy. Since Independence, India has launched
numerous schemes and provided farmers a helping hand for their emancipation. It was at
times of the breakthrough moment in Indian agriculture, the Green Revolution, that
government decided to launch the Minimum Support Price (MSP) scheme to encourage
farmers to produce more.

Minimum Support Price (MSP) is a central government-led scheme adopted during the Green
Revolution, 1966-67, as an incentive to farmers to increase crop production, especially high-
yield crops. Under this, the government fixes a minimum price for any crop it considers to be
remunerative and worthy of support. It acts like a ‘safety net’ for farmers, protecting them
from recurring financial fluctuations. The first-ever crop to get an MSP was wheat, which got
an MSP fixed at 54 Rs per quintal. At present, the centre provides MSP for 23 crops which
includes a variety of crops such as maize, pulses, and oilseeds such as groundnut and soya
bean.

In determining MSP, the centre follows the recommendations of the Commission for
Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP), which considers factors such as cost of production,
demand and supply of the commodity, market price trends, and terms of trade between
agriculture and non-agriculture sector.

The primary objective of introducing MSP was to address three significant problems prevailing
in the Indian economy- firstly, it aimed to reduce food scarcity in the country by encouraging
farmers to produce more through higher guaranteed prices. secondly, it aimed to reduce price
fluctuations due to droughts, floods, famine, and international price volatility. Thirdly, it
aimed to maintain reasonable food prices for consumers by providing food grains through
PDS.

Since its inception, MSP has encouraged farmers to produce more because of the attractive
price offered by the government. This, in turn, increased food production in the country,
ensuring food security. In doing so, the government set up the Food Corporation of India (FCI)
to procure food grains from farmers at remunerative prices and, through PDS, distribute them
to consumers and also maintain buffer stock for food security. MSP has transformed India
from being a food scarce country in the 1960s to a food surplus country today. Currently, India
has become the largest producer (25 percent of global production) of food grain in the world.

Along with the surplus food production, MSP ensures surety of income for farmers, which
directly impacts their standard of living. Higher profits help farmers to invest in necessary
infrastructure and equipment, contributing to the holistic development of the sector. This
further allows farmers to invest in new technologies, innovating the production process.

Agriculture is the primary source of income for majority of rural households. around 70
percent of rural households still depend on agriculture for their livelihood. By ensuring
maximum profit for farmers’ produce, MSP plays a significant role in the development of rural

pg. 1
[Type here]

India. Farmers with a handful of income in their hands can invest in their overall development,
from providing better healthcare to their families to educating their children. In a larger
context, it positively impacts rural development in India.

MSP safeguards farmers from distress sales. Indian farmers, due to a lack of agricultural
marketing infrastructure, often sell off their produce at a low price under fear of spoilage or
failure to pay off debt. This is termed as distress sale. Farmers tend to suffer highly on account
of these sales because they get a low price, are also cheated by false weights, and are charged
a high commission. MSP ensures that farmers do not fall victim to distress sales and at least
get the minimum cost of production for the crop and other incurred implicit costs.

As mentioned, MSP works as a ‘security net’ for farmers, and therefore it protects them from
any sharp fluctuations in price. This helps keep a floor price and helps the government make
these crops available to the people below the poverty line at a low cost. MSP indirectly
contributes to the rural development of the country. The government has lifted many people
out of poverty by providing minimum support prices to farmers.

Although agriculture sector flourished under the aegis of MSP and covered great miles, but
to fully utilize the full potential of MSP, there is a need to realize its limitations and address
its shortcomings.

The foremost issue with MSP is that it creates disparities among the farming communities.
Not all farmers have equal access to the benefits provided by the government through MSP.
Several regions in the country do not have effective implementation of MSP. At the same
time, small farmers from the remotest regions cannot incur transportation and transaction
costs to bring their produce to the AMPCs and fail to get benefits from MSP.

The eroding nature of the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) has made farming
a low-profit business despite policies like MSP. Middlemen, by creating cartels, eat away
almost all of the farmers’ margins and employ monopolistic tactics to force farmers to sell
their produce at a price lower than the MSP. This results in a loss for farmers, leading to
bankruptcy and a reduction of trust in the government and its policies.

MSP incentivizes the production of a particular type of crop. Since MSP ensures that a crop
would be sold at a fixed price, which is normally higher than the prevailing price of the same
in the free market, farmers indulge in monoculture to benefit from MSP, leading to
overproduction issues. This has been observed in the case of wheat and paddy. Since these
crops have a higher MSP, they are cultivated in excess, whereas the production of other
necessary crops such as pulses and oilseeds has suffered. This has a dual effect on Indian
agriculture. Firstly, it results in shortage of crops like pulses and oilseeds, which are then
imported from other countries, raising India’s Import cost. Secondly, it results in
overexploitation of soil and water resources, affecting the quality of land and underground
water table in the long run.

The World Trade Organisation has heavily criticized the government-led MSP scheme for
distorting the terms of trade between nations. India being a founding member of the WTO is
a signatory to the Agreement on Agriculture (AOA) which regulates domestic subsidies. The

pg. 2
[Type here]

central aim of AoA is to curb trade- distorting domestic support that WTO member countries
provide to agriculture. Domestic subsidies are divided into three categories: green box, blue
box and amber box. Subsidies falling under green and blue box are considered non-trade
distorting, and governments are allowed to provide unlimited subsidies under these two
categories. Price support provided in the form of MSP is classified as a trade-distorting subsidy
and is part of the amber box which are subject to certain limits. The United States has argued
that India subsidizes the production of wheat and paddy by 60%-70%, which is much higher
than the fixed 10% agreed subsidy rate.

As a means to subsidize agriculture production, MSP is considered to be less efficient than

other forms of direct support transfers since it includes huge inventory costs for the
government, big logistic support, and the advantages of MSP are often taken by big & rich
farmers rather than small & marginal farmers. Small farmers are not able to sell their produce
at MSP due to logistical reasons and, as such, are not able to take benefit of MSP.

While MSP is an important policy of the government, it has no statutory backing nor any law
mandating its enforcement. Consequently, only a third of wheat and rice crops are procured
at MSP, and just about 10% - 20% of selected oilseeds and pulses. Furthermore, this
procurement has been disproportionally from regions that are rich and have a proper
logistical support structure.

In conclusion, we can say that the Minimum Support Price was introduced when India was
struggling to meet its food requirements. Today, 55 years since its implementation, India has
become the largest producer of food grains. It has made agriculture-intensive regions
prosperous and saved an uncountable number of farmers from the clutches of debt, poverty,
and destitution. However, further improvements and refinements in the policy and its
implementation are required. There is a requirement to educate farmers on all the aspects
and provisions of MSP. The scope of MSP needs to be expanded, and all crops should be
brought under its ambit.

Furthermore, MSP declarations need to be made well in advance of the sowing season so that
the farmers are able to plan their production better. The recommendations of the MS
Swaminathan committee to fix MSP to “at least 50 percent more than the weighted average
cost of production”, which includes all assumed costs, should be given consideration. MSP
needs to be legally enforced, and its implementation needs to be managed properly so that
the whole country, including the poor and marginalized, benefit from it.

pg. 3
[Type here]

pg. 4
[Type here]

pg. 5
[Type here]

pg. 6
[Type here]

pg. 7
[Type here]

pg. 8
 Essay Writing
Education for all campaigns in India – past
performance, challenges, and opportunities
[Type here]

Education for all campaigns in India – past performance, challenges, and opportunities

Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.
-Nelson Mandela

In order to transform the world, realizing the goal of “Education for all” is a prerequisite. The
importance of Education is evident when it comes to being self-dependent. An educated
person can contribute in all dimensions viz; socially, economically, financially, and morally.
There will be no place for violence if the world is educated. Education breeds a sense of
rationality among the masses subsequently promoting peace and prosperity. An educated
person, by their skills and knowledge, can contribute more to the economy of a nation
compared to an uneducated person. It is evident, with the fact that the countries with higher
literacy rates tend to be in better economic situations compared to countries with lower
literacy rates. Concepts like ethics and morality can be better understood and executed by an
educated human being. If everyone is provided with equal education opportunities, then
there would be fewer gaps between social classes.

Realizing the importance of education, countries adopted the World Declaration on

"Education for All" in 1990 in Jomtien, Thailand. The declaration formed the bedrock for free
and compulsory Education for children across the world. Another major conference, the
World Education Forum, held in Dakar in 2000, also reiterated the commitment of the global
community in the area of early childhood care in Education.

Following this commitment, India amended its constitution and inserted article 21-A in the
constitution of India. This article offered a fundamental right to free and compulsory
Education for all children in the age group of 6 to 14 years. After the amendment, a "National
Plan of Action for Education for All" was formulated in 2002. Further, the right to Education
act was enacted in 2009 to implement the fundamental right mentioned in article 21-A.

India's education system has performed exceptionally well since ancient times. From the
great mathematicians like "Aryabhata" to the father of plastic surgery "Sushruta," to versatile
authors Charaka, Kalidasa, Panini, etc., India has produced the world's most exemplary
personalities in respective fields. India was an epicenter of some world-famous universities
too, including Nalanda and Taxila.

However, this excellent education system started deteriorating due to continuous foreign
invasion. Majority population in India was being devoid of its fundamental rights, so the rights
to proper Education were not granted. Also, invaders imposed their own educational system
on Indians, compelling them to leave their traditional educational arrangement. The denial of
education did not end with foreign invasions. The British Raj created an exclusive educational
system for their own benefit. Britishers denied the Indians "Education for all" and were just
focused on the Education of a few people, majorly elites. For example – Lord Macaulay's

pg. 1
[Type here]

minute on Education clearly indicated that Education in India was to form a class who may be
interpreters between the rulers and the ruled.

Since independence, the goal of ‘Education for All’ has been high on the agenda of the
government of India. Education has always got significant importance in the five-year
developmental plans since 1951. For example – the 12th five-year plan targeted increasing
the mean years of schooling to 7 years. A key milestone in India's march towards Education
for All was the adoption of the National Policy on Education 1986 (revised in 1992) which
states, "In our national perception, education is essentially for all." National Policy on Early
Childhood Care and Education was adopted in September 2013. It envisages the promotion
of inclusive and equitable Education. Integrated Child Development Services, Sarva Shiksha
Abhiyan, the National Mid-Day Meal program, etc., are some of the remarkable steps that the
government of India has taken in achieving the goals of Education for all. The opening of IITs,
NITs, AIIMs, and other institutions has contributed to the transition of Education from
secondary to higher levels.

India, despite being a developing country, always contributed progressively toward

Education. Through its various interventions, the Government of India compelled the poor
class of the society to send their children to school. A case in point is the Mid-day Meal (MDM)
program. By providing mid-day meals to children, the government has reduced the burden of
providing meals for poor parents. At the same time, it successfully achieves higher enrolment
rates, thereby achieving the goals of Education for all. This can be quantified as per the Census
of India, the total literacy rate in India has increased from 18.33% in 1951 to 74% in 2011.
Male and female literacy rates have also shown incremental performance.

As per the Ministry of Education, the Gross Enrolment Ratio in pre-primary Education has also
increased by 37 percentage points (from 18% to 55%) during the period 1999 to 2010. Apart
from this, the recent Annual survey on education report 2021 mentions that the enrolment
in government schools has increased to approximately 70%. The gruesome impact of
pandemic lockdown on education resulting in the large-scale digital divide in terms of online
classes has impacted education in many ways, especially for children of migrant laborers,
despite this Indian government through its various initiatives like PM e-Vidya, DTH channel,
Vidyanjali, etc., ensured quality education during the pandemic.

As it is rightly said, "Without challenges, there would be no opportunity to evolve" This is true
even for the education system of India. Despite concerted efforts by the governments, various
challenges are associated with ensuring Education for all.

Access to quality education, inappropriate infrastructure, school dropouts, learning gaps,

digital support (especially during the pandemic), etc., has always remained significant
educational challenges. According to Unified District Information System for Education Plus
report, 14.6% is the school dropout rate for secondary level education. Many schools and
colleges are still deprived of a complete requirement of Rights to education infrastructure.
They lack basic amenities like drinking water, clean toilets, separate toilets for girls, etc. The
national Pupil-teacher ratio was 26:1 as per UDISE, which is not enough at the school level.
As per the ASER report, only 16% of children in class 1st can read the text at the prescribed
level. This indicates a learning gap among students across the country.

pg. 2
[Type here]

This gap persists even at the higher education level, where employers find it difficult to select
the right choice for their companies during campus placement. Very few universities are
featured in the world's top rankings primarily due to a lack of research facilities, low student-
teacher ratio, etc.

The COVID-19 pandemic added to these challenges and presented a new set of challenges in
front of the education system. The rural areas suffered more because of the lack of digital
infrastructure. Although smartphones increased, students in lower grades found it
challenging to study online. Due to the lack of teachers' training in digital Education, they
could not deliver what they ought to.

The challenges push us beyond what we might otherwise be able to accomplish. Despite
various challenges, India's education system has always performed more than its ability and
will always do in the future. There are various opportunities through which we can refine the
ever-growing education system of the country.

The National Education Policy 2020 has the potential to eliminate most of the challenges that
our education system is facing. The NEP has, under its ambit, a new structure of school
education to recognize the primacy of formative years from age 3 to 8 in shaping a child's
future. Breaking the strict division of science, arts, and commerce, NEP has laid the foundation
for a multi-disciplinary approach to higher Education. The most remarkable feature of NEP is
the introduction of vocational courses with an internship. This may nudge the vulnerable
sections of society to send their children to school. The children would be allowed to play
with technology like AI, Machine learning which gives a boost to the goals of Education for all.
To achieve all the goals of Education for All, there is a need to increase the government's
expenditure on Education which was already reflected in the union budget 2022-23. The
expenditure has to be distributed proportionately. Where more intervention is required,
more money should be allocated, for example – to building infrastructure and capacity
building of teachers.

There is a need for skilled teaching staff which can reduce the existing learning gaps among
students at all levels. A program like Mission Karmayogi is required for the capacity building
of teachers. The Need to harness the resources to strengthen the digital education ecosystem
is of utmost importance. A dedicated unit to coordinate digital infrastructure, content, and
capacity building should be created to look after the online learning needs of both school and
higher Education.

Not only is Education important, but its quality matters equally. Governments have to focus
on quality, so a student-centric target-based special framework is required at the national
level. Special intervention for promoting the Education of SC/ST/girl children is required at all
levels. This can be done with the efforts of district-level administration. If implemented
efficiently, the strategic framework for achieving universal enrolment can facilitate the
retention of children in schools and upward transition from elementary to higher levels of
Education. India's young population must develop skills that are relevant to employment
needs to ensure employability.

pg. 3
[Type here]

Efforts made by central and state governments have produced positive results, but the goals
of Education for all are yet to be achieved. A child has the fundamental right to education,
which the state must fulfill. With the right strategy and approach, Universal Education is not
a distant dream in India, as it is rightly said by great Nelson Mandela – "It is not beyond our
power to create a world in which all children have access to a good education."

pg. 4
[Type here]

pg. 5
[Type here]

pg. 6
[Type here]

pg. 7
[Type here]

pg. 8
 Essay Writing
Destiny of a Nation is Shaped in
its Classrooms
[Type here]

Destiny of a Nation is Shaped in its Classrooms

“A Classroom is a place that lays down the basis of future of a nation.” This quote is best
described by the fact that a nation’s development is reflected by the sustained level of
education it provides to its children. Quality education leads to efficient human development,
a skilled workforce, reduced income inequalities, increased per capita income and rational
thinking, among many others. The World Economic Forum 2016 suggested three channels
through which education affects a country’s productivity. First, it increases the collective
ability of the workforce to carry out existing tasks more quickly. Second, secondary and
tertiary education facilitates the transfer of knowledge about new information, products, and
technologies created by others. Finally, increasing creativity boosts a country’s capacity to
create new knowledge, products, and technologies.

In India, the classroom tradition has existed since ancient times when students used to go to
Gurukuls or Pathshalas for their education. It was this tradition that has given us some
remarkable scholars and their textbooks, such as Vedas, Upanishads, Kautilya’s Arthashastra,
Ashtadhyayi by Panini, etc. Did these Gurukuls or Pathshalas produce any result? The answer
to this question is answered by history itself. These books have helped the world with
significant inventions. There are several statements in the Vedic texts about the universe
being infinite, while at the same time, the finite distance to the sun is explicitly mentioned.
The philosophical school of Vaisheshika Darshan represents an atomic theory. Similarly, the
Sankhya Darshan forms the basis of the development of Physics in India.

Apart from disciplinary knowledge, these textbooks also teach different life lessons that also
resonate with the importance of the classroom. From Gurus teaching in open spaces under
tree shades to teachers teaching within the four walls to mentors taking online classes, the
form of the classroom has transformed in various ways. However, the one thing that
remained the same is the idea behind it, i.e., learning; classrooms are an important place
where individuals learn not only about different disciplines but other important life lessons
which help develop their personality and later contribute to the development of society and
consequently of the nation.

The several ways in which classroom culture shapes individual personality, consequently
contributing to shaping the destiny of the nation, are:

The foremost and common outcome of classroom learning is receiving basic or elementary
knowledge of various disciplines, including science, mathematics, social science etc. This
learning helps an individual in attaining knowledge and understanding about the existing
world. It is through these classrooms an individual grows and develops expertise in various
disciplines and later contributes to society by applying the knowledge it attained throughout
his/her lifetime. An expert in economics, mathematics, or science will contribute to his/her
specialized field and help in developing his/her country in various ways.

Classrooms inculcate a sense of oneness in individuals. In a country like India, having such
diversity across religion, culture, caste, and class, the sense of oneness becomes important to

pg. 1
[Type here]

uphold the fabric of society. In doing so, the classroom, with its equitable treatment along
with provisions of uniforms, promotes the feeling of oneness among students from the very
elementary level, which also helps in building a tolerant and equal society.

Fostering democratic values like cooperation, mutual understanding, freedom, equality, and
justice is essential for national development. This can be achieved only if we have the right
education system and a classroom environment which promotes all these values among
students. These values can be infused in the classrooms right from the initiation of education
of a child to its higher studies.

With all these values and a sense of belongingness, the classroom culture can help foster
peace and prosperity in a society. In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, “Non-violence is the
greatest force at the disposal of mankind.” The power of non-violence can only be understood
by an educated person. A non-violent society lives in harmony and peace-promoting the
ideals of “Fraternity”, mentioned in the preamble of the constitution of India.

A classroom setting allows students from diverse backgrounds to be under one roof. This
allows students/individuals to engage in debates and healthy arguments, which develop their
minds in a critical way and allow them to question and demystify the ill practices and norms
existing in society. Therefore, the classroom provides a scope to develop rational thinking
among the students, which helps them in rational decision-making. As a consequence, it helps
in choosing the right leaders and government, that promote visionary and progressive ideas
for the country.

Classrooms also instill a sense of responsibility for one’s actions. A classroom environment
teaches you the art of sustenance in every possible way. There are various people and
teachers around whom you learn and develop other major life skills, including leadership,
survival, and healthy competition. Such skills help you in the normal conduct of society as
well. It was from the classroom of universities that many leaders in contemporary India began
their political careers, formulating policies and taking India to new heights.

Classroom delineates the importance of education, which is the most powerful driver of
development and one of the strongest instruments for reducing poverty, improving health,
progressive economy, peace, and stability of the nation. Developing countries have made
commendable progress in getting children to the classrooms and transformed themselves in
several ways; however, there is still a long way to go.

India has also, time-to-time since independence, made necessary interventions to ensure
education to all via introducing flagship programs like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya
Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan, Mid-Day meal program, etc. For all development achievements,
from health advances and agricultural innovations to efficient public administration and
private sector growth, education is the foremost weapon. The full potential of a nation can
be harnessed only by its educated population; as Malcolm X rightly said, “It is the process of
miseducation that inhibits the full potential of a nation.”

pg. 2
[Type here]

pg. 3
[Type here]

pg. 4
[Type here]

pg. 5
[Type here]

pg. 6
[Type here]

pg. 7
 Essay Writing
New Education policy 2020- Features,
strengths and weaknesses
[Type here]

New Education policy 2020- Features, strengths and weaknesses

The New Education Policy 2020 is aimed at transforming the Indian education system to meet
the needs of the 21st century. The policy is based on the draft report submitted by Dr. K.
Kasturirangan committee constituted by the Ministry of HRD in 2017. It is a vision document
that is going to guide the creation of future laws, rules, and regulations in the education sector
of India and convert India into a global knowledge superpower. The NEP deals with School
education and higher education and set-out key targets to overhaul the existing education
system since 1986.

The purpose of NEP 2020 is twofold. Firstly, it will help the government in creating futuristic
and modern laws on how to educate Indian youth. Secondly, it will help people understand
the direction in which education is going to move in the future. The NEP has envisioned many
innovative steps however left some lacunas in its approach to holistic education.

Under NEP 2020, the highly competitive and rote-learning led 10+2 system of school
education in India is to be replaced with 5+3+3+4 system. This system gives way to 5 years of
foundational education, 3 years of preparatory, 3 of middle and 4 years of secondary
schooling. Apart from this, students are provided flexibility to choose subjects across streams
and all subjects are to be offered at two levels of proficiency. Also, the importance of Board
examinations and segmentation of students into commerce, humanities and science students
are to be eliminated through the new system of 5+3+3+4.

Early education plays an important role in healthy intellectual development of a child. This
fact was ignored in Indian education system, till now. The NEP 2020 reignites the importance
of early childhood education by creating a childhood curriculum and pedagogical structure.
In doing so, a National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for Early Childhood Care and
Education (NCPFECCE) is to be developed by NCERT in two parts (0-3 and 3-8).

Language opens the doors to a culture’s entire evolution in knowledge. The NEP 2020
underlines the importance of language in holistic education. It talks about educating children
in local language, along with learning of foreign languages from elementary level itself.

The NEP 2020 underlines the faulty method of assessment in Indian education system. It aims
at holistic development of students through regular and formative assessment. The policy
proposes to set up PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for
Holistic Development), a national assessment center, as a standard-setting body under MHRD
for all recognized school boards of India.

Education is incomplete without creating an army of committed, qualified and passionate

teachers. NEP aims to create National professional standard for teachers so that teaching as
a profession can be promoted further.

For making education more inclusive, the NEP proposes the extension of the Right to
Education (RTE) to all children up to the age of 18. The NEP also aims to increase Gross

pg. 1
[Type here]

Enrolment Ratio in Higher education from 26% to 50% by 2035 by leveraging the huge
potential of online pedagogy and learning methodologies.

NEP aims at making the undergraduate education system credit based so that students can
opt for multidisciplinary studies; they are provided with multiple points of exit and can easily
convert a degree into a diploma or certificate with ease.

The NEP aims at creating a new regulatory body for entire higher education system in India
(excluding medical and legal education). This will ensure consistency in laws, coordination
among different disciplines and ease for the student in understanding the convoluted system
of education in India.

The NEP recognises importance of technology in education. Keeping this in mind, it has
decided to setup a National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) to encourage use of
technology in education so that students of rural areas can also take advantage of high-quality
education, which is often unavailable in rural areas.

Finally, NEP understands the importance of increasing expenditure on education as a

percentage of GDP. It aims to increase public investment in the Education sector to reach 6%
of GDP. The NEP also sets forth a plan to set up foreign universities from among the top 100
in the world in India. This will result in an infusion of international perspective and innovation,
which will transform and upgrade the Indian education system in several ways.

The NEP suggests that by 2040, all higher education institutions shall aim to become
multidisciplinary institutions. The objective is to integrate professional education, higher
education and holistic learning of different disciplines in every institution.

Although National Education Policy is forward looking and ambitious in nature, it is not devoid
of weaknesses of its own. Some major weaknesses in the policy are-

The policy fails to talk about importance of sports in education. With increasing competition
and pressure of studies on students, it’s important that relevance of sports as a lifestyle and
a profession is communicated to students. A child who is unable to inculcate the habit of
sports due to societal, peer and parental pressure to excel in studies is deprived of a very
important experience in life.

The policy has been heavily criticized for impacting learning outcomes due to its decision for
taking no exams till the 7th and 8th standard.

The suggestion to spend 6 percent of the GDP on education sector exists since the Kothari
Commission however, consecutive governments have failed to achieve the target that was
set long ago. It can be a challenge for the current government as well, especially in times
when other sectors such as healthcare and infrastructure are set to demand more
expenditure.

pg. 2
[Type here]

The policy talks about creating major reforms and transformations in the education system
of India but fails to provide any roadmap on how to implement them. Indian laws and policies
are famous for being comprehensive on paper but shallow on ground.

The issues related to mismatch in the skill imparted in educational institutions and jobs
available is largely ignored in the NEP. There is no proper mention on new-age technologies
like Artificial Intelligence, cyber security etc, when these fields set to dominate world
knowledge and job space.

Despite the weaknesses, NEP 2020 is a major forward step in the way education is imparted
in India. If the Government can justify the ambition of NEP by implementing it in letter and
spirit, India will embark on a new journey similar to the reforms China introduced in 1978 in
its education system.

pg. 3
[Type here]

pg. 4
[Type here]

pg. 5
[Type here]

pg. 6
[Type here]

pg. 7
 Essay Writing
Privatization of Education: Pros and Cons
[Type here]

Privatization of Education: Pros and Cons

Privatization is a process wherein the services which are owned and provided by the
government are transferred to the private companies for operation. This includes transfer of
educational assets and management, charities or religious institutions to private companies.
As education is the most important source of a higher income and standard of living in a
country, everyone feels that education is the way to improve their future.

In a vastly populated country like India, one of the most important tasks of the Government is
to provide education to all and improve the literacy rate of its citizens in order to aid the
development of the country. The Public education system primarily focuses on imparting
education to large number of people rather than giving importance to providing quality
education. Due to this, the quality of education in primary and secondary colleges has
deteriorated over a period of time. The situation reached to a point where the government
authorities started to believe that privatization of education would be a good initiative to reduce
the burden on the public education institutions in the country.

Due to the failure of the public sector in the country and the success of the private sector
industries, a rising demand for the privatization of the public sector came to the forefront during
the leadership of P.V. Narasimha Rao in 1991. In a similar manner, privatization of higher
education was also advocated with the initiation of the Liberalization, Privatization, and
Globalization (LPG) Policy in India. The Ministry of Human Resource Development
introduced a Private University Bill in the Rajya Sabha in August 1995. To meet the growing
demands for higher education in India, the establishment of private colleges, autonomous
colleges, deemed universities, and private universities started taking place. Even the number
of self-financed colleges of engineering and medicine increased manifold. As a result, private
educational institutions began to grow throughout the country.

Major factors leading to the growth of private educational institutions in India

Quality of Education: It is a well-known fact that the quality of education offered by the
government institutions is no match to that of private educational institutions. Hence, the craze
for private schools and colleges has increased.

Change in Social Needs: Due to a constant and vast change in societal norms, getting
education in a private institution slowly became a status symbol. The number of people
graduating from government institutions is nowhere close to that of private institutions.

The Financial burden on government: Higher education in India has been under financial
stress. The government is unable to bear the financial burden of public education. Current
expenditure on education in India is not more than 3.5% of GDP, which actually should be
around 6%. This compares unfavourably with the international levels. Hence, there is a need
to mobilize private resources for educational upliftment.

Advantages of Privatization of Education

pg. 1
[Type here]

Improved infrastructure: Privatization of education has led to a remarkable change in the

infrastructure of educational facilities, and has replenished state of the art framework. It has
helped in introducing modern techniques of pedagogy, which promotes better learning and
increased performance of the students. The modern educational technology like the use of
smart classes, laptops, tabs and other gadgets has improved the overall quality of education in
the country.

Provides technical education: A large number of students in the private technical colleges
receive diploma or degrees in their respective streams like Diploma in Electrical/ Mechanical/
Computer Science or Engineering. The public sector created hallmark institutions like IITs but
the growing demand for more seats so that every child has an opportunity to attain technical
education, has been met by private technical institutions. The privatization of education has
allowed every student to be job ready through technical education.

Gives employment to trainees: Every year, a large number of private training institutions in
the country get enrolment of graduate or post-graduate students. After completing B.Ed.,
M.Ed., and other such degrees, they are eligible for good jobs. In this way, the private training
colleges provide students with a way to become independent early in their lives.

Liberty to choose institutions: The massive increase in the number of private schools and
educational institutions has made education easily accessible in every nook and corner of the
country. In this way, the families are able to make more empowered decisions for their
children’s future because there are more options for them to choose from.
Reduces the political influence in the school system: Kids go to school so that they can learn
whatever they want to learn. They need education to help them decide what they want to do
with their life. Instead of letting the politicians/government decide what the students get to
study, the private organizations can design customized curriculum that benefits the needs of
the community as a whole.
Encourages more competition: Due to the privatization of education, public schools face
more competition. When a private organization takes over an entire area, an internal
competition emerges to create the best institutions possible. Competition leads to more
innovation in the learning processes of schools, both private and public.

Disadvantages of Privatization of Education

Commercialization of education: Many private educational institutions charge hefty fees

from students for admissions. Such educational institutions are mainly there to reap money out
of students, and some students are ready to pay huge amounts of money to get desired degrees.
After paying the money, there is no requirement to attend the classes. It is evident that these
students later get jobs they are not even suitable for. These institutions are more common in
professional courses like Engineering, Pharmacy, Education, and Management. The whole
process is commercialized, leading to a decrease in the quality of education.

Lack of innovation: In many private institutions, there is no freedom of innovation in the

teaching style and methods. Most of the private schools and colleges have their own set rules
and methods that the teachers ought to follow. One has to obey the management, which
comprises the members who are not qualified enough to understand the importance of
innovation in teaching and learning. In such a situation, privatization has provided them with

pg. 2
[Type here]

many job opportunities but no job satisfaction. Lack of innovation also leads to rote learning
and over focus on results rather than the process of awareness for the child.

Under-representation of the weaker sections: The weaker sections of the society struggle a
lot to make it to these institutions. Lack of money and opportunities makes it difficult for them
to get quality education as private institutions are very expensive. Anyone with money can get
admission in private schools and colleges. It is quite difficult for parents with meagre incomes
to get their children admitted in these institutions. Privatization of education has made
education a privilege to be enjoyed by the elite class.

Leads to less flexibility: Even though the involvement of politicians in the educational system
is mostly not beneficial, there is more flexibility within a public system because of its structure.
If there is a need to change something so that the students can have the classroom learning they
deserve, the legislators can always pass new laws while in session that can make this outcome
happen. The same cannot be happen within the private institutions.

The role of privatization is important to expand education qualitatively as well as

quantitatively. As the government has preferred quantity over quality, private schools and
colleges are growing in large numbers. Over commercialization of education ignores quality
improvement and students are keen to get degrees without even studying for them. Privatization
has increased the number of degrees holders on one hand, and joblessness on the other hand.
To minimize this wastage and stagnation, the government needs to check the private
institutions seriously.

In order to maintain the quality and standard of education, regulatory bodies should be
established in various states. They should decide the fee structure of these institutions as per
government norms. They should also check the salaries and status of the teachers for
minimizing their exploitation. In this way, both private and public education systems can
equally thrive in the country, and the quality of education provided through privatization can
be improved to remove its negative impact on education and society.

pg. 3
[Type here]

pg. 4
[Type here]

pg. 5
[Type here]

pg. 6
[Type here]

pg. 7
 Essay Writing
Public Health in India - Challenges and
Opportunities
[Type here]

Public Health in India - Challenges and Opportunities

Health is an important aspect of living a peaceful and content life. A healthy body impacts not
only individual’s longevity and mental well-being but also contributes to their personal
growth and success. While health is considered in narrower terms of individual, public health
is a broader concept primarily a service provided by the government for ensuring the health
of the entire population. According to the WHO definition, “public health is defined as an art
and science of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the
organized efforts of society.” The healthcare services intend to provide conditions under
which individuals can improve their health, well-being and prevent the further deterioration
of any medical condition.

Efficient healthcare services are the prerequisites for every country to grow. Even the WHO
quantifies that a 10-year increase in average life expectancy at birth is associated with a rise
in the economic growth of some 0.3-0.4 percent a year. Improved health of the population
contributes positively to the holistic development of society. It results in the availability of a
healthy workforce in a country, reduces production losses caused by worker illness, increases
enrollment of children in schools, and impacts other development parameters.

In India, the healthcare system consists of a mix of the public and private sectors providing
healthcare services. Where networks of health care facilities at the primary, secondary, and
tertiary levels, run mainly by State Governments, provide free or very low-cost medical
services. There is also an extensive private health care sector, covering the entire spectrum
from individual doctors and their clinics to general hospitals and super-specialty hospitals.

Since its independence India has undertaken several measures to provide efficient healthcare
services to its citizens. It adopted the National Health Policy (NHP) in 1983 to attain the goal
of Health for all by the year 2000 through a phased, time-bound program. Despite marked
improvements health care sector in some regions, with NHP 1983, there was still scope of
improvement which led to the formulation of the NHP, 2002. The NHP identified many of the
gross deficiencies of the existing healthcare policy and proposed to increase government
spending on health by two to three percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) by the year
2010. It also proposed regulation of the private sector and focus on those diseases which are
principally contributing to disease burdens such as tuberculosis, malaria, blindness, and
HIV/AIDS. Later, the GOI incorporated health dimensions in the Twelfth Five Year Plan 2012-
2017 and focused towards the long-term objective of establishing a system of Universal
Health Coverage (UHC). The NHP 2017 proposed a new aim- to achieve the health goals in
line with the SDGs.

As a result, the healthcare sector has showed progressive increments in various health
indicators including a decrease in Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), which stood at 146 per
thousand in 1951 and dropped to just 28 per thousand in 2020. Also, there has been an
incremental increase in Life expectancy at birth and fall in Maternal Mortality ratio.

pg. 1
[Type here]

However, despite considerable efforts and growth, the current state of health standards in
India is quite low. This was apparent during the pandemic, in which the public healthcare
centres faced a shortage of beds, doctors, and oxygen cylinders. There are various challenges
associated with the public health structure of the country.

Low public health expenditure: In order to strengthen the healthcare sector, India's public
health expenditure has moved up in the past years, but still remains the lowest among the
peer nations. The Covid-19 second wave shone the light on the existing deficiencies of the
healthcare sector. It is estimated that in 2020-21, India spent 1.3% of its gross domestic
product (GDP) on enhancing healthcare sector. Moreover, according to the Global Health
Expenditure database released by WHO, India ranks 170 out of 188 countries in domestic
general government health expenditure as a percentage of the GDP.

Insufficient Medical personnel- In choosing a profession, every five out of ten children aspire
to be a doctor in India. Despite the profession’s high popularity, the doctor-to-patient ratio is
merely 0.7 doctors per 1,000 people in contrast with World Health Organisation’s prescribed
limit of 1:1000 doctors per patient. There is a lack of nurse-to-patient ratio along with
shortage of lab technician and pharmacists.

Brain Drain in the Healthcare sector- One of the primary reasons for the shortage of doctors
and nurses in-country is due to the problem of brain drain in the healthcare sector. This
generally happens when there are favourable professional opportunities, with high pay in
other countries, or a person’s desire to seek a high standard of living. In the case of nurses in
India, the reduced opportunities in the public sector and low wages in the private sector are
the major push factors that often drive these workers to migrate abroad.

Crumbling public health infrastructure: The major roadblock in developing a robust public
healthcare sector in India is the crumbling public health infrastructure. There is a critical
shortage of public health centres in India. Many hospitals, particularly in rural areas, face
shortages of beds, medical equipment, and high-tech surgical instruments. Also, there are
no proper laboratories set up in the country for conducting experiments and Research and
Development in the field of medical science. This poor infrastructure acts as a barrier to the
advancement of health services.

Besides these challenges, expensive out of pocket expenditure, poor insurance penetration,
fake doctors and weak governance and accountability issues are also underlying challenges
plaguing Indian healthcare sector.

The pandemic crises held up the mirror for the government to establish a robust and efficient
health care sector. Therefore, the government has introduced ‘Health and well-being’ as one
of the six pillars of the Union Budget 2021-22. Under this the government has committed
approximately 2.5-3% of GDP to develop the sector in India. Healthcare in India now
comprises a plethora of services such as hospitals, medical devices, clinical trials,
telemedicine, medical tourism, health insurance, and medical equipment, which will
eventually help the country to take a quantum leap in the coming years.

pg. 2
[Type here]

Also, the government-led schemes are playing a significant role in making the government’s
dream to strengthen the healthcare system a reality. Schemes such as National Health
Mission launched in 2013, to reduce MMR, and IMR and reduce mortality & morbidity from
communicable & non-communicable, injuries and emerging diseases has bridged a vast-gap
since its inception.

For setting up a resilient and sustainable medical infrastructure, various steps have been
taken by the government. For example- Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY),
aims to correct regional imbalances in the availability of affordable/ reliable tertiary
healthcare services, to Set up AIIMS-like institutions, and Upgradation of Government medical
college institutions.

Another area which needed an immediate intervention by the government was the health
insurance which now is being tackled by the implementation of Ayushman Bharat.

India has also put technology to work in strengthening the healthcare system. It has launched
the Integrated Disease Surveillance Network which has now been put to use in all districts
providing for 100% coverage. Recently launched e-Sanjeevani by the Health Ministry,
telemedicine services have crossed 3 million teleconsultations. The telemedicine market in
India is expected to increase at a CAGR of 31 percent from 2020 to 2025.

India constitutes around 22 percent of the youth (18-29 years) among its overall population,
which is more than 261 million people. It becomes important for India to resonate with its
youth than anyone else to become a world leader. In such a case, ensuring sound health for
all is a fundamental to country’s stable growth. Health can be a significant causative factor for
the economic growth of a country. Therefore, a mutual effort in maintaining sustainable
growth in the healthcare sector is important. Also, to control communicable infections,
improve personal hygiene, there is a need for organized community efforts. The government
needs to invest more in public healthcare and should strengthen urban local bodies as well.
Providing training, skilling, and knowledge up-gradation of healthcare workers and preparing
them for crises must also be prioritized by the government.

pg. 3
[Type here]

pg. 4
[Type here]

pg. 5
[Type here]

pg. 6
[Type here]

pg. 7
[Type here]

pg. 8
 Essay Writing-
Media’s duty is to inform Public,
not manufacture opinion
[Type here]

3. Media’s duty is to inform Public, not manufacture opinion.

Media is an umbrella term that refers to the components of the mass media communication
industry, such as print media, news channels, photography, cinema, broadcasting (radio and
television), and advertising. It is considered the fourth pillar of democracy and upholds equal
importance as any other institution in a democratic setup.
Democracy survives and thrives when citizens actively participate while engaging in every
level of decision-making. For that, becoming an informed and empowered society is essential
and requires all members to adopt learning lifestyles and embrace constitutional rights. In a
democracy, opinions are curated and molded on the basis of information available to people,
and in doing so, the role of media becomes prominent.
Media is a key instrument of communicating information. Before the advent of electronic
media, print media was considered the primary source of information, having large-scale
distribution across the country. However, over the years, a range of media, including
televisions, radio, films, and now social media, have been used for communication purposes.
The Indian Constitution does not explicitly mention the word "press" but provides individual
and press "the right to freedom of speech and expression" under Article 19 (1)(a) with subject
to restriction under subclause (2). In this respect, media practices freedom of speech in the true
sense and sometimes on behalf of the public.
Apart from that, it also works as a watchdog investigating politicians and institutions, holding
them answerable to the public. The Narada Sting operation 2014 carried out by India news-
channel where it targeted high-ranking officials and politicians accepting cash bribery is an
example. Another case, that recently got highlighted is the Pegasus Spyware scandal, where 17
media groups across the world collaborated to expose secret surveillance targeting human
rights activists, journalists, and lawyers around the world. The Pegasus was the type of
malicious software developed by the Israeli firm NSO groups. Media, by exercising its power
holds politicians accountable, preventing them from crimes that harness the democratic setup
in the country.
Media also acts as a bridge between government and people. It reflects on the functioning of
the ruling government as well as the elected candidates. As an informer, it reiterates
government policies and the decisions to the public and in turn reflects the public reactions on
it, enabling the government to modify it, for example, the application of farm law, that later

pg. 1
[Type here]

faced mass protest from farmers, was repealed by government. The media keeps reminding the
elected candidates that they are answerable to the public and must never forget their duties
towards them.

Media spreads political awareness among common people through various editorials and
analysis. People mostly rely on media for reliable and neutral sources of information so that
they can shape their opinion. Sometimes it becomes complex for common people to break
down information on their own, in such cases, media bring analysis or experts and provide
room for debates to aware masses. By doing so, media provides important information which
later helps public to make inform decisions.

However, the role of media has changed from an informer to merely an opinion manufacturer.
Also, the media’s role came under severe criticism due to biased reporting on specific issues
and in favor of incumbents. There are noted incidences of intimidating journalists and charging
them for dissents. The cases of fake news via social media forwards are some of the key
challenges in front of media industry that was noted during the Covid-19 lockdowns, where
fake information on lockdowns and remedies to tackle Covid-19 created panic among the
masses. Therefore, such challenges must be given attention for maintaining trust and reliability
of media.

However, if the media becomes biased it can create certain crises in a country, such as:

A biased media, manufacturing its own opinion, prevents citizens from receiving information
that might be important to public wellbeing by filtering information through a lens that serves
government interests. Biased journalists or news channels publicize all the policies and
schemes of political parties as beneficial for the masses. They do not criticize the political
leaders for their wrongdoings, which harms the very essence of democratic principles in our
country.

Media bias plays an influencing role at the voting booth. Propaganda for certain leader or
political party can skew voter decisions and perceptions of what is true. During general
elections, the party that is advertised more through the media gets more exposure to the voters,
who are then most likely to vote for that particular party. To influence the voters, media bias
often utilizes inflammatory messaging to convince more people to vote, selective information

pg. 2
[Type here]

to make voters believe about the efficacy of a particular candidate, and appeasement to
convince voters that they will personally benefit from voting for a certain party.

Media, in the process of manufacturing opinion, also takes away the right of a citizen to have
an independent and original opinion of his own. The media then relies on pushing its personal
opinion on the people rather than providing transparent information including both sides of a
coin so that a citizen can have his own opinion. In order to prove its own opinion, the media
provides only information that strengthens its opinion or argument. This creates information
asymmetry among the masses. Little knowledge is dangerous and half-baked understanding
imbued with confidence is fatal.

Media works as an agency in molding opinion over specific national and international issues.
It can manipulate people’s decisions by covering those stories or news which are biased
towards specific religions, caste, or country. In India, such practice would hamper the strong
foundation of our republic, which is secular and plural in terms of caste and religion.

Media is a major source of information across the country and for all age groups. Whether it is
print or electronic, the information leaves a lasting impact on the masses. As democracy is a
fragile governing system; to sustain it, a reliable source of information is essential regarding
every decision impacting citizen life. There must be no scope of biasness in reportage as it will
impact the media's credibility, resulting in decay of democracy. In such a case, it becomes the
responsibility of the media fraternity to act in a manner that keeps alive the essence of
democracy.

pg. 3
[Type here]

pg. 4
[Type here]

pg. 5
[Type here]

pg. 6
[Type here]

pg. 7
 Essay Writing-
Rise of Artificial Intelligence:
Prospects and Challenges
[Type here]

1. Rise of Artificial Intelligence: Prospects and Challenges

The impact of the fourth industrial revolution can be witnessed in every nook and corner of the
world. The technology developed and advances under this have blurred the boundaries between
the physical, digital, and biological worlds. Among these innovative technologies, Artificial
Intelligence (AI) is one that is transforming every aspect of our socio-economic and political
life to the extent that imagining life without it is nearly becoming impossible.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the simulation of human intelligence in machines that can think
like humans and mimic their actions. It also includes the machines that exhibit traits like the
human mind, viz., learning and thinking. AI works on the principle that human intelligence can
be defined so that a machine can easily learn. The goals of AI are to imitate human cognitive
activity-including, thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving. Currently, the AI devices
gaining traction in India, like smart bulbs, smart speakers, etc., are the best examples. The AI
assistant in many phones like SIRI, ALEXA, and Google Assistant are the most basic ones.
Currently, the world is experiencing the rise of AI with its application, from online shopping
and advertising and using it as digital personal assistant. Countries are actively promoting and
adapting AI on a large scale, especially India, which stands at the ninth position in terms of the
number of AI specialists working in the field, according to the Global AI Report, 2019. Along
with that, India’s eminent institutes like IITs are launching a full fledge program in AI and
adopting it widely for school curriculum.
The popularity and adoption of AI is because of the various advantages that come along with
it, which are manifold:
Improve Decision-making- Decision-making is a human activity that significantly impacts
many domains of work, including finance, healthcare, marketing, and eCommerce. Time-to-
time research have been conducted to improve the quality of decisions by developing computer
technologies to extend and enhance human decision-making capabilities. Along with that,
many a time, decision-making done by humans might have a scope of error and cost these
organizations negatively. In such a case, the advent of AI has helped improve the decision-
making process by analyzing data trends, anticipating the user’s data and providing information
to organizations in the most appropriate form, and suggesting the best course of action. Rather
than merely improving decision-making, AI also makes the process seamless and accurate.

pg. 1
[Type here]

Enhance Financial Service- Long-gone are times when people had to walk miles in rural areas
and to their vicinity in urban areas, stand in queues and wait for their turn to avail financial
services. The rise and adoption of AI have enhanced financial services in numerous ways.
Many banks have adopted AI to provide customer support, and detect anomalies and credit card
frauds. HDFC bank has developed an AI chat bot called EVA (Electronic Virtual Assistant) to
address customer queries, and to interact with customers with remarkable speed. AI is taking
Banking experience to the next level by integrating financial markets, commercial banking and
Insurance sector.
Development in Healthcare Sector-The application of AI in the healthcare sector will boost
the sector by leaps and bounds. It will prove most beneficial development where the AI can be
used to diagnose lethal diseases such as cancer, where early detection of the disease can be the
difference between life and death. Along with that, Artificial intelligence through
nanotechnology applications in health care range from manufacturing drugs to predicting
cardiac arrests. It can help in precision drug delivery and conducting operations with minimal
intrusion.
Help in Mitigating Climate crises- AI can benefit conservation and environmental effort in
many ways. As the climate crisis is reaching its zenith, humanity is failing to act as quickly as
required to deal with climate change. In such a scenario, AI comes to the rescue in this critical
moment through mitigation or adaptation. Applying AI in various industries like recycling and
renewable energy can help to deal with climate change. Apart from that, the adoption of AI in
organizations can help reduce GHG emission by 5 to 10 percent of an organization’s carbon
footprint. AI can also improve forecasting for hazardous events, including sea-level rise and
extreme events, such as hurricanes and cyclones.
AI application in agriculture is also beneficial in several ways. AI sensor helps detect weeds-
affected areas and can spray herbicides in the right region, reducing the usage of herbicides. It
can also help farmers by providing insights on the right time to sow the seeds for maximum
productivity and forecasting crop prices. The application of AI in agriculture will also give
prior information on any plant disease that helps farmers control it via proper strategy.

Apart from revolutionizing the above-mentioned sector and efforts, AI also has the capability
to reduce accidents by bringing change in the automobile sector. It is estimated that 1 lakh
people die yearly in India from motor vehicle accidents. The development of autonomous
vehicles can revolutionize the automobile sector. The AI system collects data from vehicles’

pg. 2
[Type here]

radar, camera, GPS, etc., to produce control signals that operate the vehicle. ‘Robotaxi’ of Tesla
is an example.
As every coin has two faces, AI along with its advantages poses various challenges for the
world which merit attention.

Unemployment- It is predicted that AI will take over jobs that demand repetitive tasks with
minimum subjectivity in the coming years. This will result in a high unemployment rate, which
is also quantified by the study conducted by McKinsey Global Institute, which states that AI
and robots could potentially replace 30 percent of the world’s current human labour by the year
2030.
Turning Workforce Lazy- Apart from this, all work when assigned to machines, there are
high chances that people or workforce of the country turns lazy and unproductive. In such a
case, the country will come to a standstill where everyone is dependent on robots or AI to work
for them.
Fraud and Crime- AI can be misused through digital frauds and by spreading fake information
online. Microsoft’s infamous Tay bot is the best example here. Tay was supposed to ‘learn’
from user interactions. “The more you talk, the smarter Tay gets,” boasted her profile. But she
was beset with racist, anti-Semitic and misogynistic commentary, almost from the start.
Learning from her environment, Tay began spitting out a string of inflammatory responses. It
could have been used to spread lies and do digital frauds. Presently, there are no laws to put
responsibility on AI for any illegal activity.
Amplify Armament Race- The major advances in AI technology have led to the growth of
military weapons; among all, the devices such as Lethal Autonomous Weapon System
(L.A.W.S): machines engineered weapon to recognize, engage and destroy targets without
human control are AI-led. With such weapons in use, countries are trying to acquire and apply
the best AI for their military forces leading to an arms race.

In order to make AI effective, there is a need to minimize its usage in areas where decision
making by AI can have catastrophic consequences on humans and maximise its usage in
technical areas like space research and automobiles where AI can bring more prosperity than
destruction. A global regulatory framework for AI can also bring about uniformity in its
evolution over time.

pg. 3
[Type here]

pg. 4
[Type here]

pg. 5
[Type here]

pg. 6
[Type here]

pg. 7
[Type here]

pg. 8
 Essay Writing-
Agri tourism in India - potential
and challenges?
[Type here]

Agri tourism in India - potential and challenges?

Tourism is an important source of generating revenue for any country, and consequently, it
generates employment opportunities, uplifting people out of poverty. The travel and tourism
industry has made a significant contribution to the Indian economy for decades and continues
to do so at a rapid speed. The data released by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC)
mentioned that in 2020, the tourism industry in India contributed $194 billion to the overall
GDP. In the contemporary context, tourism has evolved into different types, and among those,
Agri-tourism has gained much relevance.

Agri-tourism is a form of tourism that takes place in the rural area, involving accommodation
offered at the farmhouse, providing meals, and organizing and assisting the participation of
tourists in various farming operations. In Agri-tourism, agriculture meets tourism, which helps
individuals understand agriculture activities, observe nature, hunt, and fish along with leisure
visits. It is the latest concept in the Indian tourism sector, where people travel miles from their
hometown to experience the pristine environment and authentic rural life and taste the region’s
local cuisine. In India, the formation of the Agri Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC)
in 2004 sowed the seeds of Agri-tourism. The organization aims to encourage tourism and
promote business opportunities while securing a viable livelihood for farmers.

It is a crucial sector that can contribute vastly to the Indian economy. Agri-tourism could be
beneficial to the rural community in multiple ways. It helps boost rural development in India
by increasing farmers' income, creating employment opportunities for youth, as Agri-tourism
guides, and for women, as they get contacts for food preparation services. It also encourages
local markets to produce more local products promoting Agri-preneurship and helping preserve
local tradition and culture. There is enormous potential to boost Agri-tourism in India because
of certain existing factors:

Increasing demand for Agri-tourism- There is a vast potential for Agri-tourism in India due
to the increasing urbanization and pollution. These days people are confined within closed
doors and adopt a modern lifestyle with a hectic schedule. This has made life stressful, leading
to other health issues such as obesity, and diabetes. Also, the covid-19 induced challenges have

pg. 1
[Type here]

made people conscious of their lifestyle and mental health, subsequently turning people
towards living a minimalist lifestyle. In such a situation, Agri-tourism comes along with a
perfect escape from the toxic urban lifestyle along with pro-nature means to make life peaceful
along with minimum resources to use. Therefore, Agri-tourism has become popular, especially
among youths who find solace in nature-friendly surroundings.

Awareness of Quality food Products- There is an increasing awareness among the mass
population regarding food quality. Agri-tourism provides an opportunity to tourists to pick
quality products directly from farms. For example, farmers from Kerala are initiating a ‘Fresh
from Farm’ experience for tourists by offering sugarcane, fruits and vegetables. Similarly,
fresh apples from Himachal Orchids, Strawberries from Mahabaleshwar are disseminating
popularity of the Agri-Products. This gives individuals first-hand experience and relief from
the adulterated food products, which are harmful to their health. Such initiatives work two
ways, firstly it helps marginal and small farmers to earn, and secondly it promotes Agri-tourism
in the country.

Contribute to Research- There is a vast potential for Agri-tourism in India due to the large
expanse of Agriculture land. According to the World Bank report, India has 60.43 percent of
land area utilized for agricultural activities, second to the U.S. Apart from this India is blessed
with 15 Agro-climatic zones along with 46 of the 60 soil types in the world. With such a wide
range of available resources, the sector not only offers leisure tourism but also has the potential
to attract the scientific community from around the world. Consequently, contributing to and
enhancing research in the sector, is very limited to date.

Diversity in crop production- Due to presence of such large varieties of soil, India’s
agriculture lands have the potential to produce a numbers of crops. These crops, due to the
monsoon have certain sowing and reaping period, which also becomes a part of individuals
itinerary. Given such large swathe of crops with diverse geographical features, there is a lot of
untapped potential in agriculture tourism. For example, Tea plantation in Munnar, Below Sea
level Farming System (KBSFS), famous for Bio saline farming in Kuttanad and Saffron
cultivation in Kashmir are famous tourist attractions in the country.

Sustainable Agriculture Practices- Given the challenges of climate change and the
government targets of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 33-35 percent below 2005 levels

pg. 2
[Type here]

by 2030, The government started promoting sustainable development methods across all three
sectors. Agricultural sustainable practices such as organic farming, rainwater harvesting, and
use of solar power plants are some measures recently adopted by a few farming communities
in India. For example, farms in Maharashtra, like Sula Vineyard, adopted sustainable wine-
making practices. They have started using solar power to run the machinery in the firm, and
they have also come up with state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plants, resulting in a 45
percent reduction in water consumption. This has captivated people's interest, especially youth
who are fascinated with such practices and want to learn about it.

Expanding Soft Power- In India, farming and agriculture have moved beyond a means of
livelihood. It has become the essence of our cultural existence, from festivals being celebrated
according to the farming calendar and the monsoon cycle to deciding weddings- agriculture
plays a huge role influencing it all. Furthermore, it has lent its influence in shaping artistic
expression in its various forms be in painting, dances and also in movies. Such blend of
agriculture and culture gives India a huge scope to promote its diversity worldwide, eventually
expanding its soft power. ‘Incredible India’ tourism campaign, and promotion of Yoga played
a critical role in advancing ‘Brand India’ around the world. Similarly, if promoted on such a
large scale, Agri-tourism can contribute to India’s economic progress as well enhancing its
cultural and diverse agriculture practices.

Agri-tourism in India is a very recent phenomenon with huge potential to contribute positively
to holistic rural development; however, few underlying challenges require immediate action to
the industry.

Lack of capital to develop infrastructure: In India, most of the agricultural lands are situated
in rural areas, which still lack basic amenities including proper toilets, poor transport facilities
and slow internet connection. Lack of such basic needs result in inconvenience and discourage
tourists to visit such regions. Tourists would enjoy more of the rural life with a blend of
urbanity. Therefore, the absence of such facilities could make Agri-tourism less appealing and
act as a barrier for industry to flourish.

Communication Barrier- India is recognized as one of the most diverse countries in the world
in terms of religion, culture, and language. It is estimated that India is home to around hundreds
of languages spoken across the country making communication difficult. Since the popularity

pg. 3
[Type here]

of English as a global language, we are able to communicate efficiently with others. However,
in India, many people, especially from farming communities, speak only their native language.
This creates a huge communication barrier and a major roadblock in the development of Agri-
tourism. It is estimated that around one-third of the rural population is illiterate and many small
farmers cannot understand or speak English, and only parts of them speak Hindi. This, if not
corrected in the long-term, could fail to attract tourists coming to enjoy rustic rural India.

Unawareness- Till today, many people are unaware of Agri-tourism. This lack of awareness
results from several factors, including narrow mindsets regarding rural India, lack of
communication skills among farmers, and paucity of commercial approaches towards farm
tourism. As a result, to date, there are only 52 farmers who have adopted such a model of Agri-
tourism; other regions, including North Indian farms, are still unaware of such concepts.

Lack of cooperation amongst the stakeholders. Although the farmers are at the centre of
this network, Agri-tourism requires a collaborative effort from all major stakeholders including
the medical facilities, media and communication sector, tour and travel services, hospitality
industry and tourists itself. However, there is lack of cooperation among these major players.
All stakeholders must get equally involved to ensure tourists' safety align with providing
seamless services. On the other hand, in promoting Agri-tourism, media industry can play a
bigger role. In order to strengthen Agri-tourism in country, all stakeholders must work together
and in tandem.

To overcome these challenges Indian government initiated various schemes, such as PM Gram
Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), to improve rural urban connectivity and Swachh Bharat Mission
(Gramin), focussing on infrastructure development. The government also launched BharatNet
under Digital India for ensuring internet connectivity and a robust communication network. It
has also framed and produced Draft National Strategy & Roadmap for the development of
Rural Tourism in India to promote rural tourism in the country, including Agri-tourism. Under
this government started campaigns such as Swadesh Darshan: fifteen thematic circuits aimed
at revitalizing the rural economy and providing domestic and international tourists a glimpse
of rural India.

In a country where 41 percent of the population is directly employed in agriculture (2020),

Agritourism is too big an opportunity to ignore. Over time, agriculture as an employment

pg. 4
[Type here]

opportunity has been despised, and people migrated to urban centers for better lifestyles and
opportunities. However, with the increasing awareness of healthy and minimalist life
agriculture has gain it relevance in the form of Agri-tourism. It has also stimulated the interest
of the youth in farming, who are now looking at it as a potential employment opportunity. It is
time that India should remember the famous saying by the father of the Nation, ‘that India’s
soul lives in its village’ and materialize the untapped potential of it through Agri-tourism, along
with a responsibility to protect and keep intact the pristine environment. In doing so, the
government, along with major stakeholder and youth, should plan comprehensive policies and
projects that deals with the challenges and contribute to promoting and strengthening the Agri-
tourism in India.

NOTE:

The Indian Government has realised the country’s potential in the tourism industry and has
taken several steps to make India a global tourism hub.
Some of the major initiatives planned by the Government of India to boost the tourism and
hospitality sector of India are as follows:

• In October 2020, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated four new tourist
attractions in Gujarat namely, Arogya Van, Ekta Mall, Children's Nutrition Park and Sardar
Patel Zoological Park/ Jungle Safari, near the Statue of Unity at Kevadiya in Narmada district.
• The initiative is a part of 17 new projects that are planned. Additionally, the government
will also launch seaplane service from Ahmedabad to Statue of Unity in a major push to India’s
tourism.
• The Ministry of Tourism developed an initiative called SAATHI (System for Assessment,
Awareness & Training for Hospitality Industry) by partnering with the Quality Council of India
(QCI) in October 2020. The initiative will effectively implement guidelines/SOPs issued with
reference to COVID-19 for safe operations of hotels, restaurants, B&Bs and other units.
• Ministry of Tourism launched Dekho Apna Desh webinar series to provide information
on many destinations and sheer depth and expanse on the culture and heritage of India.

pg. 5
[Type here]

• Ministry of Tourism launched Audio Guide facility App called Audio Odigos for 12
sites in India (including iconic sites).
• Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi urged people to visit 15 domestic tourist destinations
in
India by 2022.
• Statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, also known as ‘Statue of Unity’, was inaugurated in
October 2018. It is the highest standing statue in the world at a height of 182 metre. It is
expected to boost the tourism sector in the country and put it on the world tourism map.
• Government of India is working to achieve one% share in world's international tourist
arrivals by 2020 and 2% share by 2025.
• Under Budget 2020-21, the Government of India has allotted Rs. 1,200 crore (US$
171.70 million) for development of tourist circuits under Swadesh Darshan for eight Northeast
states.
• Under Budget 2020-21, the Government of India has allotted Rs. 207.55 crore (US$
29.70 million) for development of tourist circuits under PRASHAD scheme.
• In 2019, Government reduced GST on hotel rooms with tariffs of Rs. 1,001 (US$ 14.32)
to Rs. 7,500 (US$ 107.31) per night to 12% and those above Rs. 7,501 (US$ 107.32) to 18%
to increase India’s competitiveness as a tourism destination.
Achievements
Following are the achievements of the Government during 2019-20:

• During 2019-20, an additional fund Rs. 1,854.67 crore (US$ 269.22 million) was
sanctioned for new projects under the Swadesh Darshan scheme.
• Ministry of Tourism sanctioned 18 projects covering all the North Eastern States for Rs.
1,456 crore (US$ 211.35 million) to develop and promote of tourism in the region under
Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD schemes.
• Statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, also known as ‘State of Unity’, was inaugurated in
October 2018 and the total revenue generated till November 2019 stood at Rs. 82.51 crore (US$
11.81 million).

pg. 6
[Type here]

pg. 7
[Type here]

pg. 8
[Type here]

pg. 9
[Type here]

pg. 10
[Type here]

pg. 11
 Essay Writing-
Food processing in India- present
Challenges and steps required to make it
India’s strength
[Type here]

Food processing in India- present Challenges and steps required to make it India’s strength

Preparation, Preservation and enhancement of food products has been an essential part of
human civilisation. Since ancient times, we have been looking for techniques and methods of
improving the quality and longevity of our source of sustenance. India has a rich and varied
history of food processing. Ayurveda, the ancient Indian medical science, discusses food
preparation and consumption in such a way as to improve digestibility and palatability of
food.
Food processing is defined as any operation by which raw food is made suitable for
consumption, cooking or storage. It can be something as simple as washing an Apple before
consuming it and as complex as converting potato into chips and packaging them in nitrogen
flushed packs for long lasting storage. With industrialization, along with globalisation and
technology, food processing has become a complex and multifaceted operation. The demand
for convenience food such as easy-to-cook, and ready-to-serve has increased and with it, the
opportunities to expand the food processing industry have also increased.
In India, the food processing industry accounts for 32 percent of the country’s total food
market. It is one of the largest industries in India and is ranked fifth in terms of production,
consumption, export and expected growth. The food processing industry is poised for massive
growth due to its immense potential for value addition. In India’s context food processing
sector is of enormous significance as it provides vital linkages and synergies across all the
sectors of the economy, i.e., Primary (agriculture), Secondary (industry), and Tertiary
(services).
The food processing industry is growing in the Indian market at rapid speed. However, there
are a few underlying challenges faced by this industry. These challenges are multidimensional
and can be broadly classified into three-levels: Challenges at the production level, distribution
level, and consumer level.
The Food Processing Industry in India faces challenges which are directly linked to the
challenges of the agriculture sector. The plight of agriculture sector is apparent. It is plagued
by issues such as paucity of inputs essential for production, lack of modern methods of
farming, lack of investment, poor infrastructure, dependency on monsoon for production,
lack of proper logistics, lack of cold storage facilities near farm, etc. It is estimated, by the NITI
Aayog, that 30 percent of the produce from farms is lost due to inadequate cold storage
infrastructure. Consequently, food processing industry is not able to procure adequate
amount of raw materials. This creates a supply side bottleneck, furthering the gap in supply
chain infrastructure and works as a barrier for food processing industries.
Due to poor connectivity and the high cost of transportation, distribution of processed food
is infeasible in rural and far-flung areas of the nation. Processed food requires proper
packaging to maintain its quality and shelf life. Packaging, however, adds its own costs and
complications. The Lack of proper governmental structure further hinders the distribution of
processed food. Alos, there is absence of proper governmental guidelines and private
organisations have to work out the complete process of distribution on their own. there is no
formalized market for the distribution of processed products and due to limited market
support, distribution of processed products is challenging.

pg. 1
[Type here]

Consumer demand for processed products in India, compared to developed nations, is low. A
significant majority of the population considers processed products to be unequivocally
unhealthy and harmful. People prefer to consume food cooked in their homes and like to
procure fresh raw materials for consumption. Lack of packaging/preservation standards only
exacerbate this issue. Although FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) regulates
the quality of processed food, prevalent corruption and non-compliance has resulted into low
confidence of the public in the quality of processed food. The ban of Maggie is one case in
point, where the lead: a harmful chemical substance was found in the instant maker which
widens the already existing public mistrust on processed food. Furthermore, due to the high
cost of nutritious and healthy processed food, very few people are able to afford them,
especially when a home cooked meal is generally healthier and cheaper.
Apart from the above-mentioned challenges, numerous laws along with poor regulatory
environment such as multiple administrative bodies, red-tapism, and involvement of multiple
departments has directly affected the efficiency of developing food processing companies.
They are unable to perform in an unhealthy business environment due to multiple legal and
bureaucratic hurdles.
The GOI has undertaken several measures to strengthen the food processing industry in India,
such as the National Mission on Food Processing, under the Ministry of Food Processing
Industries (MOFPI) with an aim to implement food processing related schemes for ensuring
an inclusive participation of State Governments and UTs. Under this, government launched
PM Kisan Sampada Yojana to supplement agriculture, modernize processing and decrease
Agri-waste. Government has also announced Mega food parks to boost investments in the
food processing industry, and provide integrated facility for storage, and processing.
Presently India has 22 Mega food Parks which are in line with the ‘Make in India’ and Atma
Nirbha Bharat’ visions of the government.
Additionally, the government, to promote the food processing sector has relaxed the FDI
norms, allowing up to 100 percent FDI in food e-commerce through automatic route. It is
estimated that the food processing sector in India has the potential to attract around US$ 33
billion of investment over the next ten years.
In order to strengthen food testing and build confidence among the mass, the FSSAI (Food
Safety and Standards Authority of India) has planned to invest around Rs 482 crore and
upgrade the existing infrastructure in India. Also, to increase food security and provide raw
materials for food processing units, the Indian Council for Fertilizer and Nutrient Research
(ICFNR) will adopt international best practices for research in the fertilizer sector, enabling
farmers to get quality fertilisers at an affordable rate.
Apart from the government, the RBI has also given utmost importance to ensuring availability
of adequate credit to the food processing industries. It has classified major activities related
to the development of food processing under priority sector lending. These include, agro-
based processing units, for the construction of storage and cold storage facilities, loans to
MSMEs involved in food processing, etc.
The biggest challenge in front of food processing sector is how to deal with all the plastic
generated from packaged food. All countries around the world are fighting the menace of
plastic and food processing is adding to that menace by packing everything possible. It is not
only a challenge for the food industry but also a challenge for the government and the people.
Uncontrolled use of plastic in processed foods’ packaging can destroy the environment
permanently. The food processing industry needs to come up with more sustainable and

pg. 2
[Type here]

environmentally friendly methods of storing the food so that its products become a natural
choice for all consumers.
The food processing industry in India is labelled as a sunrise sector with the expectation to
leapfrog with the market size touching $470 billion by 2025-26 and generate 9 million
employments by 2024; but in making these numbers a reality, India needs to address the
underlying challenges to strengthen its food processing industry. A step government must
undertake to deal with the challenges are:
The foremost step is to enhance the storage capacities and infrastructure at the agricultural
and distribution level. Food processing can be successful only if agriculture as a sector is
healthy and the produce is not wasted through enough storage capacity. All developed &
industrialised countries have been successful in food processing through this simple step-
develop the agriculture sector and create a strong storage system.

In order to make food processing successful in India, there is a strong need of Diversification
of crops and a shift from staple food crops. Presently, Indian agriculture is skewed towards
cropping of rice and wheat. Food processing requires cropping of a variety of crops. It’s not
only healthy for soil, farmers and the environment but also healthy for the consumer and the
market. If food processing companies can convince the farmers to produce a variety of crops
so that different kinds of products can be produced by these companies, it’s a win-win for
everyone.

Food processing can be promoted immensely by creating forward and backward linkages.
Forward linkages are directed towards connectivity with consumers, i.e., vegetable markets.
Whereas backward linkages are directed towards connectivity with suppliers, i.e., farmers.
The integration of these forward and backward linkages is crucial for the success of the food
processing sector as it reduces food inflation and prevents wastage of food.

Also, skilling is required at both levels, first at the farm level in promoting agricultural best
practices and secondly at the distribution level promoting processing and packaging
techniques. The government also needs to upgrade technologies in the food processing units,
and skill development should be given the topmost priority. Encouraging domestic start-ups
and industry is also a need of the hour.
There are no organized and recognized courses in the field of food processing. New
entrepreneurs can enter the market only if a pool of human resources is available to work for
these entrepreneurs. The government can take active steps to encourage food processing as
a profession so that quality employment can be created in this emerging sector.
The food processing industry is dominated mainly by MSME players but these players have
limited ability to invest and access credit. Therefore, government need to strengthen the
MSME sector. The government needs to focus on specific crop value chains. It must provide
funding and invest in capability building through R&D. The GOI can also help MSME process
food efficiently via the Internet of Things (IoT) and industry 4.0, making manufacturing more
efficient and sustainable practices.
Food processing is termed as a sunrise sector. However, compared to other countries, India’s
level of food processing is very low. With the proper focus and approach, the food processing
industries have the capacity to fight the persistent problems in agriculture such as issue of
low productivity, food wastage, high variation in production & sales of output. The
unavailability of the right price for farmers can be overcome by connecting agriculture with

pg. 3
[Type here]

the global and local organized market through food processing. Promotion of the food
processing industry will ensure availability, awareness, affordability, and access to quality and
safety of food for all. Processed food has become a hallmark of standardization, and with the
burgeoning young population, demand for processed food items is set to increase in the
coming years. Therefore, government needs to adopt a comprehensive policy in addressing
the various bottlenecks hindering the growth of the food processing industry.

pg. 4
[Type here]

pg. 5
[Type here]

pg. 6
[Type here]

pg. 7
[Type here]

pg. 8