UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice | GS 2 (Week 17)

Discuss the key highlights of the Women’s Reservation (128th Amendment) Bill, 2023.

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.

— 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.

THOUGHT PROCESS

You may enrich your answers by some of the following points

QUESTION 1: The G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration is a comprehensive document as it lays the roadmap for collective global action in building a prosperous future. Discuss.

Introduction:

A simple introduction to this answer can revolve around a general statement about G20

— The G20, or the Group of Twenty, comprises 19 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States) and the European Union and African Union.

— It plays an important role in shaping and strengthening global architecture and governance on all major international economic issues.

— On December 1, 2022, India assumed the presidency of the G20 with the call of “One Earth, One Family, One Future”. This motto aligns with our civilisational ethos and the idea of vasudhaiva kutumbakam (the world is one family).

— The leaders at India’s G20 Summit arrived at a joint communique — called the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration. The main focus was on the Ukraine-Russia conflict. The chapters are numbered A to J, in 10 chapters, based on themes like — Progress for all; focus on education, health, Sustainability, Digital infrastructure, and a safe, secure Internet, Focus on gender equality, terror in G20 crosshairs.

(Source: G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration: Sense of the consensus by Shubhajit Roy)

Body:

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

Key Outcomes

— The summit adopted a leaders’ declaration, which reflects China’s proposition and states that the G20 would act in concrete ways through partnerships, sending a positive signal of the G20 working together to tackle global challenges and promote world economic recovery and global development.

— A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Governments of India, the US, Saudi Arabia, the European Union, the UAE, France, Germany and Italy to establish the India – Middle East – Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

— A commitment to work towards tripling of global renewable energy capacity by 2030 is the most significant climate-related outcome from the G20 meeting.

— Addition of the African Union to the grouping.

— The leaders from India and Saudi Arabia reviewed the various facets of bilateral ties and discussed ways to further unlock the potential of the India-Saudi strategic partnership.

— India–EU Strategic Partnership, including the next India-EU Summit, the ongoing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, climate change and LiFE and digital technology.

(Source: G20 Summit 2023 Highlights: Hope war has ended when Brazil’s G20 presidency begins, says President Lula)

Points to Ponder

African Union

Strategic Partnership

IMEC

Related Previous Year Question

Do you think that BIMSTEC is a parallel organisation like the SAARC? What are the similarities and dissimilarities between the two? How are Indian foreign policy objectives realized by forming this new organisation (2022)

QUESTION 2: Discuss the key highlights of the Women’s Reservation (128th Amendment) Bill, 2023.

Introduction:

A simple introduction to this answer can revolve around a general statement about women reservation bill.

— The government brought The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023 to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in Lok Sabha and state Legislative Assemblies.

— According to The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Amendment) Bill 2023, “as nearly as maybe, one-third (including the seats reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) of the total number of seats to be filled by direct election to the House of People shall be reserved for women”.

(Source: Women’s reservation: What is the road ahead, before it can be implemented by Apurva Vishwanath and Harikishan Sharma)

Body:

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

Key highlights

— The Bill reserves, as nearly as may be, one-third of all seats for women in Lok Sabha, state legislative assemblies, and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.  This will also apply to the seats reserved for SCs and STs in Lok Sabha and states legislatures.

— The reservation will be effective after the census conducted after the commencement of this Bill has been published.   Based on the census, delimitation will be undertaken to reserve seats for women.  The reservation will be provided for a period of 15 years.   However, it shall continue till such date as determined by a law made by Parliament.

— Seats reserved for women will be rotated after each delimitation, as determined by a law made by Parliament.

(Source: prsindia.org)

Current Status on Reservation of Women

— The Constitution also provides for reservation of seats in Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in proportion to their number in the population.

— The Constitution does not provide for reservation of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.

— The 73rd and 74th Amendments passed in 1993, which introduced panchayats and municipalities in the Constitution, reserve one-third of seats for women in these bodies.

Conclusion:

Your conclusion should be short.

— According to government data, as on September 8, 2021, in at least 18 states, the percentage of women elected representatives in Panchayati Raj institutions was more than 50 per cent: Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Kerala, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Manipur, Telangana, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.

(Source: Women’s reservation: What is the road ahead, before it can be implemented by Apurva Vishwanath and Harikishan Sharma)

Points to Ponder

What constitutional amendments will be needed to operationalise the scheme of women’s reservation?

How are the seats that are reserved for SCs and STs decided currently?

Related Previous Year Questions

National Education Policy 2020 is in conformity with the Sustainable Development Goal-4 (2030). It intends to restructure and reorient education system in India. Critically examine the statement. (2020)

Discuss the contribution of civil society groups for women’s effective and meaningful participation and representation in state legislatures in India. (2023)

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 16)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 15)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 15)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 16)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 17)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 16)

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.