UPSC Essentials | Experts Talk: Pranay Aggarwal on Civil Services Exam’s emphasis on Social Issues

FYI:

In the UPSC Prelims, questions related to Social Issues can be found under two headings of the syllabus:

1. Current events of national and international importance.

2. Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.

In the UPSC Mains, questions related to Social Issues can be found in both GS I (Society) and GS II (Social Justice).

Manas: Even though ‘Social Issues’ is one of the most dynamic areas for UPSC Prelims, it is often ignored. Why does it need special focus?

Pranay Aggarwal: The civil services exam has a significant emphasis on Social Issues in India. The syllabus for the preliminary exams covers a wide range of social issues, including social development, poverty, social inclusion, demographics and social sector initiatives. Typically, the questions related to these topics concentrate on welfare schemes in the social sector.

Questions pertaining to fundamental concepts such as social capital, rights, and equality in society are also included in the prelims exam. These areas are inherently dynamic and constantly evolving because the government launches numerous new schemes and initiatives every year to address a wide range of societal problems. So, the questions in the prelims exam require a sound comprehension of the relevant facts to be answered correctly. Therefore, social issues topics must be prepared effectively if one is to achieve success in the prelims exam.

Manas: Why do you think aspirants must take ‘Social Issues’ as an important subject in their preparation for UPSC Mains?

Pranay Aggarwal: While a good understanding of social issues and the nature of Indian society is useful in all stages of the IAS exam- prelims, Mains and Interview; it is of crucial importance in the Mains exam.

Issues related to Indian society and social justice are included in the General Studies-I paper and the General Studies-II paper respectively. In fact, the weightage of questions from these areas seem to be increasing over time. 

Especially in the General Studies-I mains paper, Indian society is given a significant weightage nowadays. For example, 75 out of 250 marks were allotted to the society portion in the 2022 mains exam in GS-1 paper. 

In GS II paper also, welfare schemes related to vulnerable sections of the society, managing the social sector including health and education; and the role of civil society are important from the exam point of view.

In General Studies III paper (covering economic development, environment, etc.); an understanding of societal dimension comes in handy on questions related to inclusive growth, impact of land reforms, environmental degradation and liberalization of different sections of the society; as well as to understand the impact of science and technology on our everyday lives.

In the Ethics papers (GS-4) in the mains exam, being attuned to the nature and complexities of our society is immensely useful. After all, our ethics are affected sufficiently by social institutions like family and religion. Also, administration operates in a social context. So, one faces ethical dilemmas while dealing with the prevailing social problems. In fact, many of the case studies in the ethics paper require one to suggest ways to deal with the reality of social arrangements like casteism and patriarchy while implementing government programs.

So, a comprehensive preparation for this subject is necessary to succeed in both the prelims and the mains exam.

Manas: Knowing the fact that it is really essential, why, through your experience, students ignore it? What are the challenges while studying ‘Social Issues’?

Pranay Aggarwal: Given that the syllabus of the civil services exam is vast; time management is a major issue that students face. So, many students have a tendency to devote more time to syllabus areas such as polity, economics, geography and history; and neglect the society portion of the syllabus. One of the reasons for this is that the topics covered seem to be of a common-sense character, and everyone has at least some basic understanding of the society in which they live.

Amongst the challenges, first and foremost, is that many society-related topics are intricately interwoven with other syllabus areas. For example, how reverse migration during COVID affected the migrant labourers is to be understood in the context of India’s human geography. Similarly, to understand the impact of feminization of agriculture will need one to appreciate the nature of our agrarian economy as well. So, to prepare for the society portion, it is necessary to have a good grasp of the whole syllabus.

Another issue is the dynamic nature of the subject. So, the aspirants must keep on updating their knowledge according to new developments.

Thirdly, there is no single standard source for the preparation of society topics which is another issue for the aspirants.

Manas: Can you highlight the dynamic nature of this particular subject?

Pranay Aggarwal: Society is always in a state of flux. As the society changes, so should our understanding of it. The UPSC exam tries to capture those changes in the kind of questions it asks.

Several topics in the syllabus, such as urbanisation, globalisation and social empowerment are of a dynamic character. So it is vital to keep updated on the recent developments in these areas. Aspirants should be, for instance, aware of the welfare schemes for vulnerable groups of society, government initiatives to alleviate poverty and for empowerment of women, etc.

For example, in the current scenario after COVID-19, there have been new developments in the working lives of people, such as the emergence of new phenomena like working from home, the emergence of the gig economy, etc. There is an increase in the feminization in various sectors of the economy.

The candidates for the UPSC should be familiar with these emerging patterns.

Manas: Often students feel that the core knowledge of Sociology is required to answer ‘Social Issues’ questions. Your views…

Pranay Aggarwal: In my view, in order to score well in the UPSC CSE general studies papers, one must have a general awareness of various societal themes and social issues. It is my considered opinion that it is in no way essential to have a core understanding of sociology while trying to address concerns pertaining to social issues in the general studies papers. The UPSC expects the candidates to only have an understanding of various social dimensions of an issue. Aspirants are not expected to cite sociologists’ views or their empirical studies in the general studies papers.

An excellent answer in the general studies papers will be one that is written in a language that is easy to understand and precise and will show the candidate’s understanding of the numerous facets that are involved, with appropriate facts supporting the arguments.

Manas: Can you suggest the right strategy to deal with social issues so that it doesn’t look like a burden and aspirants can make the best use of it in overall preparation? 

Pranay Aggarwal: To begin with, candidates need to have a comprehensive understanding of the exam syllabus. Second, they should refer to the question papers from previous years to identify underlying sub-topics and the inter-linkages with social institutions that are related to each theme.

To acquire a basic knowledge of the issues that are associated with our society, it is useful to refer to NCERT textbooks of 11^th and 12^th standard, as well as a standard book. Reading newspapers is a crucial component of getting a well-rounded knowledge on social concerns, developing a multifaceted perspective on such topics, and being up to date on contemporary trends. 

Several of the other subjects of the syllabus are also intricately connected to social issues. For instance, having knowledge of social issues enables one to form a more holistic perspective on the problem at hand when writing an effective answer related to ethics or economic development.

Manas: So, what should be the sources to study ‘Social Issues’?

Pranay Aggarwal: The foundation for understanding Indian society can be developed by reading the Sociology NCERT books for classes 11th and 12th.  Standard books such as Social Problems in India by Ram Ahuja or the one by Batista Das may be referred to selectively for select topics.

For the dynamic portions, it is important to read current affairs regularly.  Reading editorials related to social issues from a quality newspaper can be a good way to have a good comprehension of the multifaceted nature of various social issues. Students may also watch TV or YouTube shows to develop an understanding of current social issues.

It is also important to learn the techniques of how to write impressive answers in questions or essays related to social issues. Newspaper reading helps.