IASbaba’s TLP 2016 [11th Nov]: UPSC Mains GS Questions [HOT]

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IASbaba’s TLP 2016, 11th Nov

UPSC Mains ‘High Order Thinking [HOT]’ GS Questions

• Please note that there won’t be a mini test on Saturday. We want you to focus on revision for the full mock tests.
• From Monday onwards, TLP will be dedicated to current affairs only.

1. On a Sunday morning, you are flipping through the pages of a news paper. You see a news about Canada and that leaves you pondering about your own country.

The recently elected Prime Minister of Canada is a young and charismatic man, with the youth of Canada and other parts of the world looking upto him as a role model. Some of the steps taken by him are truly remarkable. His cabinet includes learned men from related disciplines. For instance, his defence minister is a former war veteran and also includes Nobel laureates and astronauts! Moreover, his cabinet includes 15 women members, exactly half of the total strength of the cabinet. All these indicate towards the aspirational new Canada. India in contrast is a unique case. A country where the majority of the population is aged below 35 years, the institutions, policy and leadership hardly reflects the expectations of the youth.

Suppose you have cleared the civil service examination with top rank. Overnight, you become a youth icon for the young population of India. What will be your message to them, keeping in mind that you are equally baffled by the situation in the country? (250 words) (20 Marks)

2. The Indian middle class lacks empathy for the depressed and the downtrodden masses of the society. The economic growth that scripted the transformation story of the middle class could not uplift the marginalized section. The prevalence of disparity even after years of economic reforms is a display of the utter insensitiveness and ignorance of the middle class Indians towards these sections. Is it indicative of the erosion of fundamental Indian values? Who is to blamed for this? Analyse. (250 words) (20 marks)

3. The day you joined a department known for it’s corruption, you are counseled by a group of officers about the avenues, opportunities and means to earn extra money in the system. They tell you that you need not promote illegal activities and also no one will ask you for undue favours. You just need to speed up your work and clear the files as soon as they reach your table. In lieu of this, you will get what they call it as ‘speed money’. They also try to convince you that there is no illegality involved and in fact 99% of the officers are involved in this business. Moreover, in a city like your place of posting, expensive housing and lifestyle makes it almost impossible to sustain yourself and your family with the meager salary. However, you don’t respond to them and ask for some time to think about it.

Discuss the ethical dimensions involved in this case. How will you approach this issue? (250 words)

4. Social values are more important than economic values. Discuss the above statement with examples in the context of inclusive growth of a nation. (150 words)

5. What is the mandate of National Pharmaceuticals Pricing Authority (NPPA)? The body was in news recently. Why? Do you think drug pricing policy in India needs an overhaul? Examine.

NOTE: Week 11 & Week 12 Plan has been updated in the Archives.

P.S: The review from IASbaba will happen from the time the question is posted till 10 pm everyday. We would also encourage peer reviews.. so friends get actively involved and start reviewing each others answers. This will keep the entire community motivated.

All the Best 🙂