UPSC Essentials | Mains answer practice — GS 1 : Questions on B.R. Ambedkar and UNESCO World Heritage Site (Week 98)

QUESTION 1

​Examine the significance of Anuradhapura as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. How does its preservation contribute to our understanding of ancient Buddhist civilisations?

QUESTION 2

“Ambedkar was a thinker ahead of his time, while much of the politics carried out in his name is behind its own time.” Critically examine this statement in the context of contemporary Indian society.​

General points on the structure of the answers

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.

QUESTION 1: ​Examine the significance of Anuradhapura as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. How does its preservation contribute to our understanding of ancient Buddhist civilisations?

Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— The Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi tree is the world’s oldest live cultivated plant, said to have sprouted from a branch carried by an Indian princess to Sri Lanka.

— This Bo (Ficus religiosa, Pipal in Hindi) tree is thought to have originated from a limb of the tree at Bodhgaya (modern-day Bihar) where Gautam Buddha obtained enlightenment. Sanghamitta (or Sanghamitra), the daughter of Mauryan king Ashoka and a Buddhist nun, took the branch to Sri Lanka.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:

— The tree, like the other Buddhist shrines in the historic city of Anuradhapura, is a popular pilgrimage destination for Buddhists.

— Anuradhapura is officially a UNESCO World Heritage site. “Anuradhapura, a Ceylonese political and religious capital that thrived for 1,300 years, was abandoned following an invasion in 993 CE. The magnificent site, with its palaces, monasteries, and monuments, has long been hidden away in impenetrable jungle, but it is now accessible again,” according to the UNESCO website. The Chola empire of South India launched the invasion in 993 CE.

— During Ashoka’s rule, the Third Buddhist Council is thought to have occurred, where it was agreed to send missionaries to various regions to spread Buddhism. Missions set out for Gandhara, Kashmir, south India, various Greek countries, and Sri Lanka.

— Prince Mahendra, or Mahinda, Ashoka’s son, led a highly successful journey to Sri Lanka. Mahinda encountered King Devanampiya Tissa, whose capital was Anuradhapura, and converted him to Buddhism. When a number of royal ladies expressed interest in joining the Buddhist monastic order, Mahinda sent for his sister, Sanghamitta, to initiate them.

Conclusion:

— Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a visit to the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi shrine in the historic city of Anuradhapura while in Sri Lanka.

— Anuradhapura, considered the earliest planned city in South Asia, has a rich heritage of physical, environmental, and archaeological features. Anuradhapura is a World Heritage City that attracts a considerable number of local and foreign visitors.

(Source: PM Modi at Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi: All about the ‘oldest living tree’, linked to an Indian princess)

Points to Ponder

Read about other UNESCO World Heritage Site in news

Read about India-Sri Lanka relations and trade

Related Previous Year Questions

‘India is an age-old friend of Sri Lanka.’ Discuss India’s role in the recent crisis in Sri Lanka in the light of the preceding statement. (2022)

What are the aims and objectives of the McBride Commission of UNESCO? What is India’s position on these? (2016)

QUESTION 2: “Ambedkar was a thinker ahead of his time, while much of the politics carried out in his name is behind its own time.” Critically examine this statement in the context of contemporary Indian society.​

Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar is recognised as one of India’s most prominent anti-caste Dalit leaders, a legal genius who presided over the draughting of the Indian Constitution, and a man who advocated for a progressive vision of society.

— He was fully aware that the end of decades of colonial control would be insufficient to improve the lives of Dalits, women, and other marginalised groups. Existing hierarchies and systems of inequity would continue to operate, with the caste system serving as possibly the most prominent perpetrator.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:

— Suraj Yengde and Anand Teltumbde began this daring undertaking with The Radical in Ambedkar: Critical Reflections, a wonderful collection of writings from scholars from all over the world. The introduction points out a flaw in much of Ambedkar scholarship: “One finds Ambedkar eulogised for the wrong reasons: as a messiah of the Untouchables, a Constitution maker, a Bodhisattva, a neoliberal free-market protagonist, a monetarist; he is also vilified unjustly as a casteist, a British stooge, and a communist hater.” However, the book was constrained by its status as a pioneering attempt, as well as its tendency to define “radical” in a conventional left or communist sense.

— Another crucial reassessment was sparked by D R Nagraj’s key essay, ‘Self purification vs self-respect: On the roots of the Dalit struggle’ (Flaming Feet and Other Essays), in which he provided a new perspective on how Gandhi and Ambedkar transformed each other. That thread was developed politically by Devanur Mahadeva and academically by Nishikant Kolge (Gandhi vs Caste). However, the political consequences have still to be ironed out. Recovering Ambedkar’s radicalism is not an academic project. This is one of the most important intellectual and political enterprises of our time. It is inextricably linked with the objective of regaining our constitutional democracy, and even defending our endangered republic.

— Most other Indian political theorists at the time saw democracy as a necessary outcome or bonus to their primary ideological goal of achieving national independence or creating socialism. While thinkers such as Jayaprakash Narayan and M N Roy provided extensive critiques of representative democracy centred on party politics, Ambedkar placed democracy at the centre of his philosophy. He considered the complex topic of representative democracy’s political architecture, as well as the political and social ramifications of various institutional systems.

— Ambedkar radicalised the liberal concept of democracy by moving from a formal to a substantive conception. For him, the purpose of the legal and constitutional mechanisms was “to bring about the welfare of the people”. He proposed a fresh definition of democracy as “a form and method of government in which revolutionary changes in the economic and social lives of the people are brought about without bloodshed.” (‘Conditions antecedent for the successful operation of democracy,’ 1952). This distinguishes him from his contemporaries in India and the West. Unlike Dewey, his definition of democracy is more than merely “social democracy”. He envisioned a radical republicanist conception of democracy.

— Ambedkar taught us that “democracy is not a plant that grows everywhere”. For him, the first and most important prerequisite of democracy was that every citizen receives equal treatment in everyday administration and governance, that constitutional morality is widely accepted, and that moral order is maintained in society. There is no democracy without the existence and respect for opposition: tyranny of the majority is diametrically opposed to democracy.

Conclusion:

— In contemporary polemics, he is reduced to political debates of his era between the Congress-led national movement and the British colonial state. We can discover a radical Ambedkar by retrieving the principles that underpinned these debates and reapplying them in the current political context. Ambedkar was a forerunner in thought, but many of the politics that bear his name are out of date.

(Source: Recovering the radical in Ambedkar by Yogendra Yadav)

Points to Ponder

Read more about B.R Ambedkar and his role in freedom struggle

Read about the publications of B.R Ambedkar

Related Previous Year Questions

Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, despite having divergent approaches and strategies, had a common goal of amelioration of the downtrodden. Elucidate. (2015)

Despite comprehensive policies for equity and social justice, underprivileged sections are not yet getting the full benefits of affirmative action envisaged by the Constitution. Comment. (2024)

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 98)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 97)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 98)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 97)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 97)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 96)

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