UPSC Mains Answer Practice — GS 2 : Questions on significance of fraternity as a constitutional value and India’s urban water crisis (Week 160)

QUESTION 2

“India’s urban water crisis is primarily a governance challenge rather than merely an environmental problem.” Discuss.

QUESTION 1: “Liberty and equality cannot be sustained in the absence of fraternity.” Discuss the significance of fraternity as a constitutional value in contemporary India.

Relevance: Fraternity is one of the most under-discussed yet fundamental constitutional values. The topic is relevant for GS-2 (Constitution, Constitutional Values, Social Justice) and can be used in essays and ethics answers dealing with social cohesion, citizenship, and democratic governance.

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

Introduction:

— The Preamble to the Indian Constitution attempts to secure fraternity by ensuring individual dignity as well as national unity and integrity.

— Liberty and equality are legal protections; yet, fraternity fosters social acceptance of those values. Fraternity provides a sense of shared citizenship, allowing individuals of many religions, languages, castes, and regions to live peacefully despite their differences.

Body:

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

Why does liberty and equality require fraternity?

— Without mutual respect and a sense of shared belonging, constitutional rights are vulnerable to social prejudice and exclusion. Fraternity serves as a moral foundation, transforming a group of people into a nation bound by common constitutional principles rather than specific identities.

— Fraternity is the social foundation that prevents liberty from degenerating into hostility and equality from becoming merely a formal legal principle.

Significance of fraternity in contemporary India

— Fraternity acts as a constitutional antidote to hatred, exclusion, and identity-based antagonism by developing empathy and mutual respect.

— The Constitution explicitly connects fraternity with individual dignity. A society that values brotherhood is more likely to respect all citizens’ rights, views, and identities.

— Fraternity strengthens the constitutional commitment to justice, liberty, and equality by encouraging citizens and public institutions to act in line with shared constitutional ideals rather than narrow partisan interests.

— India’s diversity necessitates a constitutional morality that goes beyond caste, religion, language, and geography. Fraternity fosters a sense of common national identity while accepting pluralism.

Conclusion:

— Fraternity is not a religious aspiration enshrined in a preamble and ceremoniously spoken on national holidays. It is the social oxygen that neither liberty nor equality can survive, and without which no economy, no matter how lofty its goals, can genuinely thrive. Ambedkar warned that without fraternity, liberty and equality would be no deeper than coats of paint.

(Source: Former CEC S Y Quraishi writes: Constitution’s promise of fraternity matters more than ever)

Points to Ponder

How does fraternity help preserve social harmony, individual dignity, and national unity in a diverse society?

Related Previous Year Questions

Discuss each adjective attached to the word ‘Republic’ in the ‘Preamble’. Are they defendable in the present circumstances? (2016)

Analyse the distinguishing features of the notion of Right to Equality in the Constitutions of the USA and India. (2021)

QUESTION 2: “India’s urban water crisis is primarily a governance challenge rather than merely an environmental problem.” Discuss.

Relevance: Urban water stress is emerging as a major governance challenge amid rapid urbanisation and climate change. The topic links GS-2 (Governance, Local Bodies) and is relevant for questions on sustainable urban development and resource management.

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

Introduction:

— The heat wave in several parts of the country has been aggravated by severe water shortage, driven by a groundwater crisis and falling reservoir levels. The emergency has shone a light on the challenges faced by cities, including metros such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai.

— Despite repeated warnings about groundwater depletion and dwindling reservoir levels, some urban areas manage to avoid reoccurring water crises. The problem is fundamentally driven by governance and institutional shortcomings.

Body:

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

Why is the crisis a governance challenge?

— According to the NITI Aayog’s Composite Water Management Index (2018), Indian cities are “living beyond their hydrological means”. The Jal Shakti Ministry’s Dynamic Groundwater Resources Assessment has consistently emphasised the overexploitation of aquifers. The authorities have typically regarded each water scarcity as an individual incident rather than addressing systemic reasons.

— Inefficient urban water management is caused by poor municipal administration. Governance flaws such as decrepit distribution networks, inefficient operations, and insufficient metering cause large losses, and poor use of finite water resources exacerbates shortages even when water sources are available.

— Large amounts of wastewater remain untreated. Despite increasing water scarcity, rainwater collection is still underutilised. These inadequacies limit the best use and reuse of available water resources.

— Water policy has always been focused on increasing supply rather than managing demand. Scientific assessment of residential and industrial water consumption remains poor, allowing for overexploitation.

Conclusion:

— Climate change acts as a threat multiplier by exacerbating existing vulnerabilities. However, it is not the sole or primary cause of recurring shortages. Sustainable urban water security would therefore require governance reforms as much as environmental adaptation.

(Source: Indian cities need to rethink their water future)

Points to Ponder

Why are Indian cities facing recurring water shortages despite substantial investments in water infrastructure?

Can demand-side management, wastewater reuse, rainwater harvesting, and stronger urban local bodies improve water security?

Related Previous Year Questions

Analyse the role of local bodies in providing good governance at the local level and bring out the pros and cons of merging rural local bodies with urban local bodies. (2024)

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 160)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 159)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 158)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 159)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 158)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 159)

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