UPSC Essentials | Mains answer practice — GS 2 : Questions on India’s PM visit to Singapore and passive euthanasia (Week 68)

QUESTION 2

Discuss the strategic importance of India’s visit to Singapore in the context of India’s semiconductor industry.

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: Evaluate the implications of passive euthanasia on medical ethics and patient rights.

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

Introduction:

— The deliberate taking of a life to relieve pain and suffering is known as euthanasia. It can be further divided into passive and active categories.

— When a patient passes away as a result of either a medical professional’s failure to take required action to keep them alive or their cessation of such action, this is known as passive euthanasia.

Body:

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

— In Aruna Ramchandra Shanbaug v Union of India (2011), the Supreme Court accepted the legitimacy of passive euthanasia for the first time.

— In 2018, the Supreme Court upheld the validity of ‘passive euthanasia’ for terminally ill patients, ruling that the ‘right to die with dignity’ is part of the right to life under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.

— The court also established specific standards for passive euthanasia, both in circumstances where the patient left a ‘advance directive’ or a ‘living will’ saying that life support should be discontinued if they became terminally ill and in cases where no such request was left behind.

— Among the requirements was the requirement that the living will be signed in front of two witnesses and by a Judicial Magistrate. The standards also required three approvals before a terminally sick patient’s case could be cleared, including from the treating physician, an adequately qualified medical board, and another external medical board, with representation from the local administration.

— In 2023, another five-judge court authorised the guidelines to be changed in a variety of ways. This included establishing deadlines for each board to make a decision and limiting the role of the Judicial Magistrate.

Conclusion:

— Recently, the Supreme Court dismissed the plea for passive euthanasia in Harish Rana’s case on August 20, the bench was sympathetic to the plight of Rana’s parents who had spent a significant portion of their own lives and savings caring for their son who will likely never recover.

— According to medical experts, the financial implications are often drastic for patients in a vegetative state. Dr Bhavani Prasad Gudavalli, Head of the Critical Care Department at CARE Hospitals, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, said, “It’s not as if they (the families) don’t have compassion, but when the finances come into play and you tell them that the financial implications are very high and the chance of recovery is very low, then the family will often want to withdraw treatment.”

(Source: The law and the ground realities of passive euthanasia in India by Ajoy Sinha Karpuram)

Points to Ponder

What is active euthanasia?

How to ensure dignity for the terminally-ill?

Related Previous Year Question

Public health system has limitations in providing universal health coverage. Do you think that the private sector could help in bridging the gap? What other viable alternatives would you suggest? (2015)

QUESTION 2: Discuss the strategic importance of India’s visit to Singapore in the context of India’s semiconductor industry.

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

Introduction:

— India’s recent visit to Singapore resulted in agreements in semiconductors, digital technologies, health, and skill development.

— The Indian Prime Minister and his newly elected Singaporean counterpart attended the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding for an India-Singapore Semiconductor Ecosystem Partnership.

Body:

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

Need of the semiconductor industry

— The semiconductor chips are used in almost everything from missiles to mobile phones, cars to computers, the agreement with Singapore has significant geostrategic and economic implications.

— Supply disruptions caused by the Covid-19 epidemic, as well as geopolitical issues resulting from China’s aggressive manoeuvres in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, have accelerated India’s ambitions to establish its own semiconductor ecosystem.

— The global chip business is dominated by corporations from a small number of countries, and India is a latecomer to this high-tech and expensive race.

— Today, Singapore accounts for approximately 10% of global semiconductor output, 5% of global wafer fabrication capacity (a silicon wafer is a circular piece of ultra pure silicon, typically 8-12 inches in diameter, from which circuits are carved), and 20% of semiconductor equipment manufacture.

What are the challenges?

— Singapore’s semiconductor sector focuses on “mature-node chips” (process node technology of 28 nm or more), which are utilised in appliances, automobiles, and industrial equipment. It is not equipped to produce high-end logic chips required in the AI field.

— As production prices rise, semiconductor companies are looking to move certain low-cost, labour-intensive operations out of Singapore. For example, Utac, a semiconductor test and assembly services provider, has relocated some of its manual and technologically obsolete operations to Thailand. Furthermore, Singapore does not appear to be interested in following the lead of other governments that offer incentives to attract semiconductor investments.

Conclusion:

— The India Semiconductor Mission was launched in 2021 with a Rs 76,000 crore chip incentive scheme, under which the central government offered half the plant’s capital expenditure costs as subsidy.

— In February, the Cabinet approved semiconductor-related projects adding up to investments of about Rs 1.26 lakh crore. At the same time, the government announced a partnership between the Tata Group and Taiwan’s Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC) to set up a semiconductor fabrication plant.

(Source: Why PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Singapore is significant for India’s semiconductor push by Shubhajit Roy)

Points to Ponder

What are the different segments of the semiconductor industry?

India Semiconductor Mission

Related Previous Year Questions

What is the significance of Indo-US defence deals over Indo-Russian defence deals? Discuss with reference to stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (2020)

Indian Diaspora has an important role to play in South East Asian countries economy and society. Appraise the role of Indian Diaspora in South-East Asia in this context. (2017)

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 67)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 66)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 66)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 67)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 67)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 68)

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