“Nari Shakti Puraskars 2016”- National Award for Women

Women have played an integral role in Indian history from ancient times. We find that in the Vedic or Upanishadic age Maitreyi, Gargi, and others ladies of revered memory have taken the places of rishis through their skill in discussing about Brahman. In an assembly of a thousand Brahmanas who were all erudite in the Vedas, Gargi boldly challenged Yajnabalka in a discussion about Brahman.

In pre-independence times also, women have led the charge for educational and social upliftment causes. In 1950, India was one of the few countries in the world to grant universal adult suffrage to its citizens. Women paved the way for a young India’s development. And today, we see women leading our Government, businesses, sports, armed forces and even in real rocket science. Women are breaking the glass ceiling and setting our standards higher every day.

The Nari Shakti Puraskar, instituted in 1999 is a way for us to recognize women who have exceeded expectations to challenge the status quo and make a lasting contribution to women’s empowerment. The Government of India confers these awards on individuals and institutions in recognition of their service to the cause of women. The outstanding contributions in the field of women development & upliftment by way of being role models are of primary consideration in identifying the recipients of Puraskar.

This year’s Nari Shakti Awards are being conferred on women and institutions that represent a variety of fields. Having received an overwhelming number of applications, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has chosen candidates who are leaders in sectors as varied as social entrepreneurship, art, horticulture, yoga, environmental conservation, journalism, dance, social work, science and technology. Women have made a mark in each of these sectors both at the national and international level, proving to the world that gender is not a limitation to success. These awardees are breaking new frontiers in emerging fields such as building social enterprises, promoting organic consumption and working for the creation of a sustainable environment. It is encouraging to see women lead this charge, making lasting impressions that will set the course for future developments.

These awardees have challenged stereotypes associated with women, by being torchbearers in fields such as space research, railways, motorcycling and mountaineering. They have not only made inroads, but also excelled in sectors that have historically not seen the participation of many women.

The Scientists and Engineers from ISRO, Ms. Mumtaz Kazi, the first diesel train driver, Ms. Pallavi Fauzdar, the motorcyclist & Ms. Sunita Choken, the mountaineer are examples for young India to follow in their footsteps and pursue their dreams, no matter what they may be. In fact the winners represent the face of a changing global India.

The Government has awarded women and institutions that are working for the cause of vulnerable and marginalized women, including those facing violence, improving the Child Sex Ratio, providing livelihood opportunities to encourage women’s economic independence, working for the development of women farmers and bringing real development to the remotest corners of the country. The institutions Chhanv Foundation, Shikshit Rojgar Kendra Prabandhak Samiti, Sadhana Mahila Sangha and Dr. Kalpana Sankar through her organization ‘Hand in Hand’ have worked at the grassroots level for the betterment of women in the society.

The awardees have proven that innovative ideas can often transcend situational limitations. Facing a lack of financial avenues, women have leveraged social media to raise funds; in the aftermath of natural disasters they have found unusual ways of rehabilitating locals; with a lack of economic opportunities, women have tapped into the digital economy; in the face of health challenges, women have adopted and popularized alternative treatment practices; and faced with social ostracism, women have taken their lives into their own hands and set an example for others to follow. One of the awardees, Ms. Smita Tandi collects money through social media and helps those who require medical treatment, Dr. Nandita Shah founder of SHARAN has a vision of diabetes free India, she assists in reversing diabetes by using food as medicine and Ms. Kalyani Pramod Balakrishnan, a textile designer has helped poor weavers by promoting traditional crafts. They show us that no challenge is insurmountable if one has the courage to take the road less travelled.

A quality common to all the winners of the Nari Shakti Puraskar this year has been their perseverance and will to go the extra mile. Government and non-Governmental organizations have worked for decades to improve the quality of life for all in their regions. People have left the comfort of their homes and lives to lead the fight for a cause, taking others along with them. Change often comes slowly, but these women and institutions have demonstrated that a committed effort will eventually lead to a positive outcome. The awardees has shown that one can achieve anything if one has determination, Ms. Tiasa Adhya and Ms. Bano Haralu fought to impose ban on hunting of fishing cat and migratory Amur Falcons in their respective regions. Ms. V. Nanammal, a nonagenarian yoga enthusiast has taught yoga to many people, now her students are teaching yoga across the world.

The Nari Shakti Puraskar this year sets a high standard for our country. The awardees are examples of motivation, dedication, innovation and the belief that an effort made with the right intention can lead to an improvement in the lives of millions. Let us inspire more people to join the effort to make a better India.

*Author LEENA NAIR is Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Govt. Of India.

UPSC Essay Paper Mains 2015.

Hello friends, this is the Essay paper of CSE mains 2015, which started today. Hope this helps future aspirants .The instructions being write 1000-1200 words with 125 marks each essay and time duration is 3 hours.

Section A

  1. Lending hands to some one is better than giving a dole
  2. Quick but steady wins the race
  3. Character of an institution is reflected in its leader.
  4. Education with out values, as useful as it is , seems rather to make a man more clever devil.

Section B

  1. Technology cannot replace man power
  2. Crisis faced in India – moral or economic
  3. Dreams which should not let India sleep
  4. Can capitalism bring inclusive growth.

To fellow bloggers , please give proper credit while copying.

Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Lecture : Jawaharlal Nehru and the Making of Modern India

By The President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee  I am honoured to deliver the 46thJawaharlal Nehru Memorial Lecture being organized on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru. I am grateful to Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson and the Trustees of the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund for this invitation.

It is not easy to do justice to Jawaharlal Nehru’s remarkable life as well as his contribution to the making of a modern India in a short lecture. I shall however strive today to briefly cover some of his views, his actions and the legacy he left behind.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In May of this year, India saw a peaceful transfer of power from one political formation to another for the eighth time since 1952. On September 24, 2014, the Mars Mission launched by the Indian Space Research Organization entered the orbit of the red planet. In 2008, India and United States concluded a Civil Nuclear Agreement which recognized India as a State with advanced nuclear technologies and brought India into the international nuclear mainstream.

What I have cited above are three important but different moments in India’s recent history. But, a common thread which runs through them and what they dramatically illustrate is how Nehru’s legacy is not just intact, but continues to lead modern day India to new heights of achievement.

Nehru’s services to India are immeasurable. He was one of the greatest figures of our times. Nehru had a clear vision of what modern India should look like and he set out to realize his dreams by establishing strong pillars which would support the young nation. If India is a vibrant democracy today, it is because of the foundations laid by Nehru. If India has become the third largest economy in the world in terms of Purchasing Power Parity, it is because of the multi-purpose projects, the public sector undertakings and institutions of higher learning established by Nehru as well as the systematic planning process initiated by him. If India is today counted amongst the technologically advanced nations of the world, it is because of Nehru’s promotion of scientific temper and the chain of scientific research laboratories that he built across the country.

It is Nehru who brought us from a backward and dependent economy to the emerging power we are today. It is he who has equipped Indians with the confidence and ability to ensure that our country obtains its rightful and honoured place amongst the leading nations of the world.

Nehru and the Freedom Movement

Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Jawaharlal Nehru’s contribution to the freedom movement was unique.

The end of the First World War saw the unravelling of major empires ruled by the Kaiser, the Caliph and the Tsar. In India, 1917 saw the Home Rule Movement commence under the leadership of Dr. Annie Besant. Jawaharlal Nehru, still in his twenties, began his political career as one of the Joint Secretaries of the Home Rule League in Uttar Pradesh with his father Motilal Nehru as President. Jawaharlal Nehru then plunged into the Non-Cooperation movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi and went to jail in December, 1921.

Thereafter, Nehru continued to be in the front ranks of the freedom movement. He became the Congress President at the age of 40 in the Lahore Congress of 1929. The transfer of baton from the father, Motilal Nehru who presided over the Congress Session at Calcutta in 1928 was not just symbolic. It truly meant a transfer of leadership of the Congress to the younger generation. The Lahore Congress declared “Purna Swaraj” as its goal and authorised the launch of the Civil Disobedience Movement. Nehru then went on to become President of the Congress in the Lucknow Session of 1936, Faizpur Session in 1937 and many more times.

Long before freedom from foreign rule became a reality, Jawaharlal Nehru as President of the Indian National Congress declared in 1936 that India’s ultimate objective was the establishment of “a democratic state,” “full democracy” and a “new social and economic order[1]. Nehru also popularized the demand for a Constituent Assembly to draft India’s Constitution and made it a central issue in the 1937 provincial elections.

Nehru logged a total of 3262 days in jail during the freedom struggle with 1040 days during the 1942 Quit India Movement as the longest spell. It is during this period that Nehru penned the 1200 page manuscript ofThe Discovery of India while under arrest in Ahmednagar Fort. It was written in flowing hand using rationed war time paper with no cut, blemish or correction. Nehru was prodigiously productive in terms of writing and thinking during his different periods in jail. As is well known, Glimpses of World Historywas written by him in 1934, based on 196 letters written to his young daughter, Indira from various prisons. He covered in these letters the entire history of humankind from 6000 B.C. to the time of writing these letters using only his personal notes and without any reference books.

Nehru’s intense passion for India’s freedom can be seen from his words of April 1942, “We want much”, “Our appetite for freedom is insatiable. We are hungry for it, and our throats are parched with thirst.”[2]

Nehru and Parliamentary Democracy

The establishment of full Parliamentary Democracy in India was a momentous step in the history of de- colonization. Nehru played a central role in shaping the process by which limited representative government given by the British in progressive doses was transformed into vibrant and powerful institutions that suited the genius of the Indian people. Democracy, for Nehru, meant a responsible and responsive political system governing through consultation and discussion. There was in him what his biographer S. Gopal calls:

“a granite core of intellectual and moral commitment to democratic values”[3].

Moving the ‘Objectives’ Resolution in the Constituent Assembly, Nehru observed “Whatever system of Government we may establish here must fit in with the temper of our people and be acceptable to them[4].

Nehru established healthy practices and precedents as Leader of the House in the Provisional Parliament of 1950 and in the First, Second, and Third Lok Sabhas from 1952 to 1964. He treated Parliament with great respect and sat patiently through long and often tedious debates as an example to his colleagues and young parliamentarians. He spoke frequently in Parliament, and used it as a forum to disseminate his views to the public. Letters from Members of Parliament were invariably replied to personally and promptly. Nehru laid down conventions of lasting value by upholding the Speaker’s position in the House.

Nehru promoted frank discussions on subjects of importance in the Houses of Parliament and did not appreciate the use of public interest as a reason to deny information. Nehru was aware that the lack of an established Opposition meant significant weakness in the system. He said:

“I do not want India to be a country in which millions of people say “yes” to one man, I want a strong opposition.”[5]

Most of the time of Parliament Sessions during the first to the third Lok Sabhas were devoted to discussing legislation, budget, Plan and matters related to money and finance. The volume of financial transactions in those days was very meagre. In fact, Jawaharlal Nehru once jokingly commented that the budget of the Government of India is less than the budget of the New York Municipal Corporation. But, this did not prevent Members of Parliament from having full debate on various financial issues, especially the Five Year Plans.

Nehru frequently met Opposition leaders to exchange ideas on crucial issues and asked his Ministers to welcome probing questions and debates. Even though, there was no formal opposition party, Nehru gave highest respect to Opposition leaders like Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Shri Hiren Mukherjee, Shri H.V. Kamath, Shri A.K. Gopalan and Shri Ashok Mehta, all of whom were members of the first Lok Sabha. Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee who was elected to the second Lok Sabha and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia who became member of the third Lok Sabha also received special attention from Nehru.

Nehru took keen interest in the Question Hour and was almost always present during the Hour. Nehru was attentive to the need to preserve and protect the rights and privileges of members. He was also particular that the dignity and prestige of the House should be maintained at all times.

Nehru had tremendous faith in the capacity of poor, unlettered people to understand issues and exercise reasoned choices. He did not use the excuse of the partition of the country and the consequent communal violence or influx of refugees to postpone elections. On the contrary, he was impatient to go to the people and unhappy that elections could not be held earlier. In the campaign for the first General Elections of 1951-52, Nehru personally travelled some 25,000 miles and addressed around 35 million people or a tenth of India’s then population. He educated the people about the value of adult suffrage and their duty to discharge their right to vote with responsibility.

Nehru and Secularism

Nehru was secular to the core. When the French writer André Malraux asked Nehru late in life what had been his most difficult task, he replied, “creating a just state by just means, I think….” And, after a brief pause: “Perhaps creating a secular state in a religious country, especially when its religion is not founded on an inspired book.”[6]

It was because of Nehru’s consistent efforts that India established itself as a secular state with equal rights for all regardless of their religious affiliation.

Nehru and Empowerment of Women

Nehru was keen that women play their part as equal citizens in the nation. Unlike in the West, women in India got the right to vote at the same time as men, a goal spelt out by the Congress as early as 1928. He said in a speech at Kalyani in 1954 that:

“Women of India must play an adequate role in the building of the country. Without them the country cannot make rapid progress. The state of progress of the country can be known by the condition of its women because they are the makers of the people of the country”[7].

Nehru and Foreign Policy

The aftermath of World War II saw the globe split between two rival power blocs of East and West. For India, more so for Nehru, who as Prime Minister, held the portfolio of foreign affairs for seventeen long years, staying out of military blocs and alliances was essential to maintaining freedom of action for the nascent Indian state. Nehru refused to accept assistance under the Marshall Plan so as not to compromise India’s independence in foreign policy matters.

Nehru’s policy of non-alignment did not mean equidistance or isolationism. It meant independence of judgment and action. It was not a passive but a pro-active and dynamic policy in which India was strongly committed to the goals of the United Nations and would do its best for peace in the world. Nehru did not wish to involve India in the conflict which the great powers were waging or become a camp follower of any group.

As early as in 1946, India moved a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly condemning racial discrimination in South Africa. India sent troops for peace keeping to the Gaza strip and Congo. India was a tireless campaigner against nuclear weapons and testing in the oceans and the atmosphere. It played an important role in the conclusion of the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1963. Today, when the Cold War has passed into history books, it should be kept in mind that Nehru’s foreign policy was rooted in the sound, consistent principle of “India first”.

Nehru and the building of India’s economy

India emerged from colonial rule a mostly agrarian country. Agriculture had been virtually stagnant for half a century and the average rate of economic growth was less than one percent. Against this dismal backdrop, the first fifteen years saw an estimated GDP growth at 4% and nearly 2 percent per capita (as opposed to 0.1 percent in the years 1900-47). This was a historic turning point and India was on par with the best performing economies of its time, ahead of China, UK, Japan[8].

Congress President Subash Chandra Bose in 1938 set up a National Planning Committee with Jawaharlal Nehru as its Chairman. Jawaharlal Nehru included in it not just politicians but scientists, economists, businessmen and industrialists.Planning was seen by Nehru as a vast national endeavour and not just the task of the Planning Commission.The well known economist P.C. Mahalanobis described the Nehruvian approach to planning as the Middle Way or the Middle Path. The Mixed Economy and Welfare State emerged thereafter as important concepts. The setting up of the Planning Commission, the emergence of the public sector, of land reforms, of regulations on industrial monopoly, of state trading were all the result of Nehru’s multifaceted initiatives. Nehru also devised the institution of the National Development Council (NDC) to secure national and inter-regional consensus on development programmes. The NDC has been described as an example of federalism in action.

Nehru oriented the country to the socialist path by including the Directive Principles of State Policy in the Constitution. It was at the historic Avadi Session of the Indian National Congress in 1955, that the Congress gave itself, formally, the creed of a socialistic pattern of society. The Session coincided with the launch of the Second Five Year Plan. From then onwards, vigorous utilization of resources, rapid industrialization and achieving equitable distribution became the nation’s priorities.

Nehru has been criticised in later years for having accorded primacy to the Government in economic matters. These policies must be however seen in the context of Nehru’s times. Capital formation in a society, exploited for 190 years was a huge task which could not be left to the private sector alone. Planning helped allocate scarce resources in accordance with national priorities. The relative merit of a regulated economy was widely accepted those days.

Nehru’s efforts did not throttle private initiative. The private sector continued to play an important role, especially in agriculture and small and medium industries. In fact, during the early days of independence, even the private sector supported the idea of a key role for government in creating economic growth. Moreover, many private sector companies received strong support from public sector financial institutions, enabling them turn into domestic giants in their respective fields.

Nehru’s speech at the inauguration of the Bhakra Nangal Dam still remains in memory as one of his finest ever.

“For me, the temples, the gurudwaras, the churches, the mosques of today are these places where human beings labour for the benefit of other human beings, of humanity as a whole. They are the temples of today. I feel more, if I may use the word, religious-minded when I see these great works than when I see any temple or any place of pure worship. These are the places of worship because here we worship something; we build up Indians; we build up the millions of India and so this is a sacred task”[9].

Investment in steel and fertilisers, hydro-electric dams and aluminium smelters had an all round effect on the economy. Growth rates in agriculture during 1950-65 averaged 2.6 percent, higher than in the entire first half of the 20thcentury in India.

  1. Gopal has summarised Nehru’s achievements as follows:“He consolidated a nation, trained it for democracy, constructed a model for economic development and set the country on the path to growth[10].”

Nehru and Science

Nehru believed that caste prejudices, religious bigotry, social inequalities etc. could be eliminated only by developing a scientific spirit in our social relations and mental habits. Along with scientific achievement, the development of a scientific frame of mind and a scientific habit of thinking was equally important. Science was not only a search for truth, but also meant for the betterment of man.

A Science Policy was adopted by the Government and scientific laboratories set up across the country. Indian Institutes of Technology were established to nurture manpower in engineering. Frontier disciplines such as space and atomic energy came under the personal supervision of the Prime Minster.

Conclusion

Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today we tend to take for granted the success of our Parliamentary Democracy. It must be however kept in mind that in many newly independent nations, first generation nationalist leaders concentrated all power in their own hands and were succeeded by military rulers. It was Jawaharlal Nehru and other founding fathers who ensured that on gaining independence, power was transferred to the people of India through adoption of the Constitution and regular free and fair elections.

At the time of independence, it was widely believed that India would soon lapse into authoritarianism and the democratic experiment will collapse. India consolidated itself in the difficult formative years of its nation-building because of the strong and stable system of parliamentary democracy established by Nehru.

The challenge that India faced and the importance of her success has been well described by former Prime Minister of Britain, Sir Anthony Eden:

Of all the experiments in government, which have been attempted since the beginning of time, I believe that the Indian venture into parliamentary government is the most exciting. A vast sub-continent is attempting to apply to its tens and thousands of millions a system of free democracy. It is a brave thing to try to do so. The Indian venture is not a pale imitation of our practice at home, but a magnified and multiplied reproduction on a scale we have never dreamt of. If it succeeds, its influence on Asia is incalculable for good. Whatever the outcome, we must honour those who attempt it.”[11]

Nehru when once asked what his legacy to India would be, replied: “Hopefully, it is four hundred million people capable of governing themselves[12].

In the words of S Gopal,

Achieved against daunting odds, democracy in India – Adult suffrage, a sovereign Parliament, a free press, an independent judiciary – is Nehru’s most lasting monument.”[13]

Jawaharlal Nehru’s life and vision, his struggles and his achievements were no less than epic. But it is his deep democratic spirit and practice of a politics vested in the sovereignty of the people that is his most precious legacy to us. The manner in which 66.4% of our 834 million strong electorate exercised their vote in the recent elections to the 16th Lok Sabha is the best validation of Nehru’s efforts in the above regard.

Democracy has struck deep roots in India and survived against enormous odds thanks to Nehru’s stewardship of the nation in its early years.Every one of our institutions from the independent judiciary and free press to the legislatures and the Election Commission bear the hallmark of Nehru.

Looking ahead, we must renew afresh the imperative of protecting and strengthening our democratic institutions and practices. Imperfect they may be, but they represent the best way forward for our nation as we forge ahead into the 21stcentury.

Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I conclude this memorial lecture saluting and paying my humble respects to Jawahar, the Jewel of India. India is what it is today because of Nehru, his vision and his lifetime of dedication to the nation. Let us celebrate his legacy and draw inspiration from his life to take our nation towards greater and greater glory.

Thank you,

Jai Hind.

[1]Address at the Faizpur Congress Session, 27 December, 1936, See SelectedWorks of Jawaharlal Nehru/First Series/Vol.7/ (hereafter SWJN/FS/1 etc.) pp. 598-614.

[2]‘The Flower of Freedom’, National Herald,16 April, 1942 from S. Gopal, ed., An Anthology, 1980, p. 59.

[3] Sarvepalli Gopal,Jawaharlal Nehru: A Biography, Vol 3, 1956-64, (New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1984), P. 276.

[4] Speech to the Constituent Assembly. SeeSelected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru/Second Series/Vol.1/(hereafter SWJN/SS/1 etc.) pp. 240-251, here p.247.

[5]Speech in Trivandrum, 2 June 1950, See Sarvepalli Gopal,Jawaharlal Nehru: A Biography, Vol 2, 1947-56, (New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1979), p.68.

[6] André Malraux,Antimemoirs,translated by Terence Kilmartin (London: Hamish Hamilton, 1968), p. 145.

[7]Speech at a convention of Women, Kalyani, 23 January 1954. FromCongress Bulletin, February-March 1954. SWJN/SS/24/p.361-362.

[8] Pulapre Balakrishnan, Economic Growth in India: History and Prospect, (Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2010), pp.56 and 58-59.

[9]At the inauguration of the Bhakra-Nangal, 8 July 1954. See SWJN/SS/26/pp.130-143, here p. 143.

[10]Sarvepalli Gopal, Jawaharlal Nehru: A Biography, Vol. 3, 1956-64: p.302.

[11]A. Eden, Full Circle (Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Company 1960), p.246

[12]“Talk with the PM” by Norman Cousins, The Saturday Review, May 27, 1961, pp. 10-13

[13]S Gopal Jawaharlal Nehru, A Biography, Vol.3, 1956-64 (published 1984) Harvard University Press, p.279

How to Write Essay for UPSC Mains Exam? Toppers Advice

The Importance of essay has increased manifold  and every serious candidate is trying to maximize their score in essay.This year every one is focusing on Optional,essay and Ethics paper as last year mains marks stand testimony that they are the most scoring areas.But as usual the best approach is to try to score in a balanced way in all papers.

In this post I would like to share the best resources on how to prepare for essay.The best advise I received on how to write an essay is try not to be a hero. One of my friend who is in service said this to me,he said  few people try to choose a Different topic from the rest and try to prove their uniqueness and some times it backfires. (two such hero’s I know became martyrs both scored less than 50 in essay).

He said best way is to write a common topic and give your best and you will probably score more than average, there wont be any surprises in your mains score in this approach.But exceptions are always there if you are too good you might score very high marks  if you choose a different topic but its a risk anyhow.

for example that year essay were

  • In the context of Gandhiji’s views on the matter, explore, on an evolutionary scale, the terms ‘Swadhinata’ ‘Swaraj’ and ‘Dharmarajya’ Critically comment on their contemporary relevance to Indian democracy.Very rare
  • Is the criticism ‘Public-Private-Partnership’ that (PPP) model the for development is more of a bane than a boon in the Indian context, justified? Most people selected this
  • Science and Mysticism: Are they compatible? Unique and less number 
  • Managing work and home-is the Indian working woman getting a fair deal? Most people selected this too.

So best way is to write PPP or Woman but try to write it better than others.

How to write a Mind Blowing UPSC mains essay

by UPSC toppers Dr.Roman Saini and Hemant Rohilla they got 145 and 160 respectively out of 250.

Part 2 will be uploaded soon.

Gaurav Agarwal : How to improve Essay Writing for UPSC Mains?

Gaurav Agarwal has written some wonderful articles on his personal experience of how he improved his score.

  • Lesson #1: An essay should be for a general person and not a subject expert
  • Lesson #2: Points should be covered in sufficient depth
  • Lesson #3: Wide range of points should be covered
  • Lesson #4: ‘Continuity’ in Essay: Essay Structure

Here are the list of articles he wrote on essay.

  1. How to improve Essay Writing for UPSC Mains?
  2. UPSC Essay: Are our traditional handicrafts doomed to a slow death?
  3. UPSC Essay: Credit Based Higher Education System – Status, Opportunities and Challenges.
  4. UPSC Essay: Is the criticism that PPP model of development is more of a bane than a boon in the Indian context justified?
  5. UPSC Mock Essay: Internet: the new battleground for governments and people on free expression, privacy and transparency?
  6. UPSC Mock Essay: Governance is not about institutions but about people being empowered to engage with them.
  7. UPSC Mock Essay: Regulatory Institutions in India: White Knights or Trojan Horses?
  8. UPSC Essay: Science and Technology is a panacea for the growth and security of the nation

Others :

List of Previous years Essay questions

2013

  1. Be the change you want to see in others (Gandhi)
  2. Is the Colonial mentality hindering India’s Success?
  3. GDP (Gross Domestic Product) along with GDH (Gross Domestic Happiness) would be the right indices for judging the wellbeing of a country
  4. Science and technology is the panacea for the growth and security of the nation.

2012

  1. In the context of Gandhiji’s views on the matter, explore, on an evolutionary scale, the terms ‘Swadhinata’ ‘Swaraj’ and ‘Dharmarajya’ Critically comment on their contemporary relevance to Indian democracy.
  2. Is the criticism ‘Public-Private-Partnership’ that (PPP) model the for development is more of a bane than a boon in the Indian context, justified?
  3. Science and Mysticism: Are they compatible?
  4. Managing work and home-is the Indian working woman getting a fair deal?

2011

  1. Creation of smaller states and the consequent administrative, economic and developmental implications.
  2. Does Indian cinema shape our popular culture or merely reflect it?
  3. Credit-based higher education system-status, opportunities and challenges.
  4. In the Indian context, both human intelligence and technical intelligence are crucial in combating terrorism

2010

  1. Geography may remain the same ; history need not.
  2.  Should a moratorium be imposed on all fresh mining in tribal areas of the country?
  3.  Preparedness of our society for India’s global leadership role.
  4.  From traditional Indian philanthropy to the Gates-Buffet model-a natural progression or a paradigm shift?

2009

  1.  Are our traditional handicrafts doomed to a slow death?
  2. Are we a ‘Soft’ state?
  3. The focus of health care is increasingly getting skewed towards the haves of our society.
  4. Good Fences make good neighbors
  5. ‘Globlisation’ vs. ‘Nationalism’

2008

  1. Role of media in good governance
  2. National Identity and Patriotism
  3. Special Economic Zones: Boon or Bane
  4. Discipline means success, anarchy means ruin
  5. Urbanization and its hazards
  6. Is an egalitarian society possible by educating the masses?

Older Essay

1993

1. My Vision of India in 2001 A.D.
2. The emerging Global Order, Political and Economic.
3. “He who Reigns within himself and Rules his Passions, Desires and Fears, is more than a King”.
4. Compassion is the Basis of All Morality.
5. Men have failed; let Women take over.
6. Economic Growth without Distributive justice is bound to breed Violence.
7. Ecological considerations need not hamper development.
8. Computer: The Harbinger of a Silent Revolution.

1994

1. Youth is a blunder. Manhood a struggle. Old age a regret.
2. Indian Society at the crossroads.
3. The Challenge before a Civil Servant Today.
4. Modernisation and Westernisation are not identical concepts.
5. A useless life is an early death.
6. Politics, Business and Bureaucracy—a fatal triangle.
7. Multinational Corporations—saviours or saboteurs.

1995

1. Politics without ethics is a disaster.
2. The new emerging woman-power: the ground realities.
3. When money speaks, the truth is silent.
4. Whither Indian democracy?
5. Restructuring of Indian education system.
6. Disinterested intellectual curiosity is the life-blood of real civilization.
7. Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deeds.

1996

1. Literacy is growing very fast but there is no corresponding growth in education.
2. Restructuring of the UNO to reflect present realities.
3. New cults and godmen: a threat to traditional religions.
4. The VIP cult is a bane of Indian democracy.
5. Need for transparency in public administration.
6. Truth is lived, not taught.

1997

1. What we have not learnt during fifty years of Independence.
2. Judicial activism.
3. Greater political power alone will not improve women’s plight.
4. True religion cannot be misused.
5. The modern doctor and his patients.
6. Urbanization is a blessing in disguise.

1998

1. The composite culture of India.
2. Woman is God’s best creation.
3. The misinterpretation and misuse of freedom in India.
4. India’s contribution to world wisdom.
5. The language problem in India: Its past, present and prospects.
6. The world of the twenty-first century.

1999

1. Women empowerment: Challenges and prospects.
2. Youth culture today.
3. Mass media and cultural invasion.
4. Resource management in the Indian context.
5. Value-based science and education.
6. Reservation, politics and empowerment.

2000

1. Why should we be proud of being Indians?
2. The cyberworld: Its charms and challenges.
3. The country’s need for a better disaster management system.
4. Indian culture today: A myth or a reality?
5. The implications of globalisation for India.
6. Modernism and our traditional socio-ethical values.

2001

1. What have we gained from our democratic set-up?
2. My vision of an ideal world order.
3. The march of science and the erosion of human values.
4. Irrelevance of the classroom.
5. The pursuit of excellence.
6. Empowerment alone cannot help our women.

2002

1. Modern technological education and human values.
2. Search for truth can only be a spiritual problem.
3. If youth knew, if age could.
4. The paths of glory lead but to the grave.
5. Privatisation of higher education in India.
6. Responsibility of media in a democracy.

2003

1. The Masks of New Imperialism.
2. How far has democracy in India delivered the goods?
3. How should a civil servant conduct himself?
4. As civilization advances culture declines.
5. There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.
6. Spirituality and Scientific temper.

2004

1. India’s Role in Promoting ASEAN Co-operation.
2. Judicial Activism and Indian Democracy.
3. Whither Women’s Emancipation?
4. Globalisation and Its Impact on Indian Culture.
5. The Lure of Space.
6. Water Resources Should Be Under the Control of the Central Government.

2005

1. Justice must reach the poor
2. The hand that rocks the cradle
3. If women ruled the world
4. What is real education?
5. Terrorism and world peace
6. Food security for sustainable national development

2006

1. Women’s Reservation Bill Would Usher in Empowerment for Women in India.
2. Protection of Ecology and Environment is Essential for Sustained Economic Development.
3. Importance of Indo-U.S. Nuclear Agreement.
4. “Education For All” Campaign in India: Myth or Reality.
5. Globalization Would Finish Small-Scale Industries in India.
6. Increasing Computerization Would lead to the Creation of a Dehumanized Society.

2007

1. Independent thinking should be encouraged right from childhood.
2. Evaluation of Panchayati Raj System in India from the point of view of eradication of poverty to empower to people.
3. Attitude makes habit, habit makes character and character makes a man.
4. Is autonomy the best answer to combat balkanization?
5. How has satellite television brought about cultural change in the Indian mindset?
6. BPO boom in India.

Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Lectures

These are collection on links of Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Lectures from Cambridge trust, all the links are PDF’s which open from the host site all credit lies with the original up-loader.

 1968 The Earl Mountbatten of Burma Reflections on the Transfer of Power and Jawaharlal Nehru
 1970 Vengalil K. Krishna Menon Personal Memories of Jawaharlal Nehru
 1971 Lord Blackett of Chelsea Aspects of India’s Development
 1973 General J N Chaudhuri Nehru and the Indian Armed Forces
 1974 P N Haksar The Relevance of Jawaharlal Nehru
 1975 Mrs V L Pandit The Nehru Family and its Imprint on Modern India
 1978 Sir Harold Wilson Nehru and the New Commonwealth
 1980 The Earl of Listowel The British Partner in the Transfer of Power
 1983 Shri T. N. Kaul Nehru the Idealist and Revolutionary
 1985 Shridath S. Ramphal Rekindling Nehru’s Internationalism
 1988 Dr Sarvepalli Gopal The English Language in India since Independence, and its  future Role
 1989 Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma Nehru’s Internal Impact on India as Prime Minister
 1990 Shri Nani A. Palkhivala Forty-three years of Independence
 1991 Mark Tully The Media in India
 1993 Amartya Sen The Idea of India
 1993 Kapila Vatsyayan Indian Art: The One and the Many (to follow)
 1994 John Grigg Indo-British Mythology about the Approach to Independence
 1995 Shyam Benegal The Indian Film Industry and Popular Cinema
 1997 Dr Manmohan Singh India and the World Economy
 1998 Kenneth Clarke India and the New Global Economy
 1998 Arundhati Roy The Cost of Living
 1999 Narayana N.R. Murthy Software Enterprises – Temples of New India
 2001 Asma Jahingir Human Rights in South Asia
 2003 Linda Colley The Indian Armed Forces and Politics since 1947: Putting   Difference in Context
 2003 HRH Prince Hassan of Jordan Multilateralism: Alignment for Peace?
 2005 Montek S Ahluwalia India in a Globalising World
 2006 Lord Patten Democracy and Development: Friends or Foes
 2007 Ratan Tata Entrepreneurship in Modern India
 2009 Lord Stern Climate Change, Internationalism and India in the 21st Century
 2010 Shri Gopalkrishna Gandhi Britain, Gandhi and Nehru
 2011 Prof Lord Bhikhu Parekh The Crisis of Indian Democracy
 2012 Prof Sunil Khilnani Making India: India, China, and the struggle for an Idea
 2014 Dr Neil MacGregor video
 2014 Shivshankar Menon Jawaharlal Nehru and World Order

 

Kaushik Basu Playing at Democracy

Kaushik Basu Playing at Democracy explains in this article In Calcutta, when some younger kid came along and insisted on joining the game my friends were playing, we would let the new kid in, but only after whispering into each other’s ears the words, elé belé . An elé belé is a player who thinks he is participating but, in truth, is merely going through the motions. Everybody knew that a goal scored by him was not a real goal.

The truth Behind:“Be The Change You Want To See In Others”

When I saw this question in UPSC essay paper 2013 I was very happy , It gives you freedom to write and allows you to paint beyond the lines , but I am a quote-o-holic and I really love quotes too much and I know that in Internet quotes are often wrongly attributed .

Misquoting and bogus quotes are every where , what happened here too is that words are tweaked and simplified,there is actually no proof of Gandhi Ji every saying these lines verbatim .

The closest verifiable remark we have from Gandhi ji is this:

“If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. … We need not wait to see what others do.”

In this open-ed Falser Words Were Never Spoken by Brian Morton he interprets,

Gandhi is telling us that personal and social transformation go hand in hand, but there is no suggestion in his words that personal transformation is enough. In fact, for Gandhi, the struggle to bring about a better world involved not only stringent self-denial and rigorous adherence to the philosophy of nonviolence; it also involved a steady awareness that one person, alone, can’t change anything, an awareness that unjust authority can be overturned only by great numbers of people working together with discipline and persistence.

So this is as close as we come to find the source of real quote , UPSC has immortalized this quote now ,if you find any source or interesting article please do let me know . Have you written this essay ? Please do share some key points and dimension for this essay “Be The Change You Want To See In Others” .

As Albert Einstein once said (or most likely didn’t),

“If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor.”

this quote via Bryan Farrell Spare the quotations: the truth behind famous quotes .


UPSC Essay question paper 2013

1. “Be The Change You Want To See In Others” – Gandhi.

2. Is The Colonial Mentality Hindering India’s Success?

3. GDP (Gross Domestic Product) Along with GDH (Gross Domestic Happiness) Would Be The Right Indices For Judging The Well-being Of A Country ?

4. Science and Technology Is The Panacea For The Growth and Security Of The Nation.

Prem Bhatia Memorial Lectures

Mr. Prem Bhatia was one of the most eminent and influential journalists of our age. During his active career span of six decades, his writings on political and social events were chracterised by independence of judgement, objectivity and exceptional analytical ability.

Read morePrem Bhatia Memorial Lectures