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Journalism of Courage
UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative for the practice of Mains answer writing. It covers essential topics of static and dynamic parts of the UPSC Civil Services syllabus covered under various GS papers. This answer-writing practice is designed to help you as a value addition to your UPSC CSE Mains. Attempt today’s answer writing on questions related to topics of GS-1 to check your progress.
Mahatma Gandhi was one of the most influential figures of the 20th century and lead India to freedom. Discuss how Gandhi’s struggle in South Africa inspired the Champaran Satyagraha.
Women’s empowerment is crucial in ensuring food security and sustainability. Discuss in the context of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields.
Introduction
— The introduction of the answer is essential and should be restricted to 3-5 lines. Remember, a one-liner is not a standard introduction.
— It may consist of basic information by giving some definitions from the trusted source and authentic facts.
Body
— It is the central part of the answer and one should understand the demand of the question to provide rich content.
— The answer must be preferably written as a mix of points and short paragraphs rather than using long paragraphs or just points.
— Using facts from authentic government sources makes your answer more comprehensive. Analysis is important based on the demand of the question, but do not over analyse.
— Underlining keywords gives you an edge over other candidates and enhances presentation of the answer.
— Using flowcharts/tree-diagram in the answers saves much time and boosts your score. However, it should be used logically and only where it is required.
Way forward/ conclusion
— The ending of the answer should be on a positive note and it should have a forward-looking approach. However, if you feel that an important problem must be highlighted, you may add it in your conclusion. Try not to repeat any point from body or introduction.
— You may use the findings of reports or surveys conducted at national and international levels, quotes etc. in your answers.
Self Evaluation
— It is the most important part of our Mains answer writing practice. UPSC Essentials will provide some guiding points or ideas as a thought process that will help you to evaluate your answers.
QUESTION 1: Mahatma Gandhi was one of the most influential figures of the 20th century and lead India to freedom. Discuss how Gandhi’s struggle in South Africa inspired the Champaran Satyagraha.
Introduction:
— Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869. He was one of the most influential figures of the twentieth century, leading India to independence on the back of one of the greatest mass movements in history.
— Mahatma Gandhi’s visit to Champaran, a district in North Bihar, has left an indelible mark on the history of our national movement. The Champaran Satyagraha is remembered as an uprising of Indian farmers against colonial planters and Indian policies.
Body:
— Mahatma Gandhi led a similar movement in South Africa for the Indian farmers suffering on the sugar plantations overseas.
— It was the anti-indenture movement.
— The indenture system (also known as girmit pratha) was established in 1834 to address the shortage of plantation labour caused by the British empire’s abolition of slavery.
— More than 1.3 million Indian farmers left their homeland between 1834 and 1917 to work on sugar plantations in Mauritius, Trinidad, Demerara, Guyana, South Africa, Surinam, Fiji, and many other smaller islands.
— The indenture system was still in use, with minor changes made from time to time. However, the system was abolished in March 1917, when Indian nationalist leaders led by M K Gandhi achieved a mass agitation followed by an anti-indenture resolution in the Imperial Legislative Council.
— It was Gandhi’s effort and public mobilisation, which compelled then Governor General of India Lord Hardinge to announce termination of the indenture system.
— According to historian K I Gillion, the anti-indenture movement “enlisted more public support than any other movement in modern Indian history, including the independence movement.” Surprisingly, such a significant mass movement is rarely mentioned in popular histories of the national movement.
— Gandhi’s Champaran movement in India was heavily influenced by his experiences in South Africa and his Satyagraha for equal rights for Indians there. Gandhi criticised the colonial policy of indentured labour emigration in 1915.
— The colonial critique of Gandhi was so powerful that it compelled the governor general of India, Lord Hardinge to announce the termination of emigration of Indian farmers under the indenture system.
— The South African activism and a successful anti-indenture movement made Gandhi a special person amongst the oppressed population of India.
Conclusion:
— On February 27, 1917, Raj Kumar Shukla on behalf of tenants of Champaran sent a letter to Gandhi requesting him to visit them and see the deplorable condition in which they were compelled to live in.
— Gandhi accepted Rajkumar Shukla’s invitation and arrived in Patna on April 10. Although the Champaran Satyagraha did not achieve its ultimate goal, Gandhi’s visit instilled new energy and awakening among Indian farmers, quickly elevating Gandhi to the status of ‘Mahatma’ among India’s general masses.
Points to Ponder
Other movements led by Mahatma Gandhi
Quit India Movement
Indigo Plantations
Related Previous Year Questions
What was the difference between Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore in their approach towards education and nationalism? (2023)
Bring out the constructive programmes of Mahatma Gandhi during Non-Cooperation Movement and Civil Disobedience Movement. (2021)
Throw light on the significance of thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi in the present times. (2018)
Discuss the role of women in the freedom struggle especially during the Gandhian phase. (2016)
QUESTION 2: Women’s empowerment is crucial in ensuring food security and sustainability. Discuss in the context of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields.
Introduction:
— Women are the agricultural workforce’s backbone, working tirelessly to feed nations. Women’s empowerment in STEM allows them to better explore applications of new and emerging technologies in the delivery of various rural practises, mostly centred on agriculture.
— To realise the dream of a progressive India, we must prioritise empowering women farmers. This includes giving them equal access to land ownership, financial resources, modern farming techniques, and agricultural education on sustainable practices.
Body:
— WISE (Women in Science Engineering from Rural Parts of India) is an outreach initiative launched by IIT-Bombay to combat the skewed gender ratio in STEM courses.
— The initiative aims to introduce STEM courses and includes a periodical mentorship structure through which student volunteers at IIT Bombay will follow up with the girls.
— According to recent data from the Department of Science and Technology (DST), women made up 28% of participants in extramural Research and Development (R&D) projects in 2018-19, up from 13% in 2000-01.
— The proportion of women primary investigators in R&D increased more than four times — from 232 in 2000-01 to 941 in 2016-17. The proportion of women researchers rose from 13.9% in 2015 to 18.7% in 2018.
— In a video message to the G20 Ministerial Conference on Women’s Empowerment in Gandhinagar, the Prime Minister emphasised that President Droupadi Murmu is setting an inspiring example. “She leads the world’s largest democracy and serves as the commander-in-chief of the world’s second-largest defence force though she comes from a humble tribal background.”
— The PM highlighted the pivotal roles played by women as the backbone of rural agricultural families and as small traders and shopkeepers.
— “Women in India have also served as brand ambassadors for ‘Mission LiFE – Lifestyle for Environment,'” Modi said, emphasising their traditional wisdom to reduce, reuse, recycle, and repurpose.
— According to the PM, women are actively being trained in the production of solar panels and lights through various initiatives.
Conclusion:
— The PM emphasised the importance of creating a level-playing field where women achievers become the norm, as well as working to remove barriers that limit their access to markets, global value chains, and affordable finance, while also ensuring that the burden of care and domestic work is appropriately addressed.
— The number of women in technical education in industrial training institutes has doubled since 2014, nearly 43 per cent of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) graduates in India are women and about one-fourth of space scientists in India are women.
(Source: IIT-Bombay launches initiative to mentor rural girls in STEM by Pallavi Smart, When women prosper, the world prospers: PM, India’s women in science, and their struggle by Paromita Chakrabarti)
Points to Ponder
Women in Parliament
Women in Agriculture
Related Previous Year Questions
Women’s movement in India has not addressed the issues of women of lower social strata.’ Substantiate your view. (2018)
Discuss the positive and negative effects of globalization on women in India. (2015)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 24)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 25)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 25)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 26)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 26)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 25)
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