1. There is a general perception that people with impeccable integrity can’t survive long in the public services. What is your assessment of this perception? Substantiate.
Introduction
Integrity, in simple words, is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. It is one of the most desired value for a civil servant. Integrity is one of the core foundational values of public service. It helps the public servant to uphold consistently ones moral and ethical standards.
Reasons for public perception
1.There is a general perception that people with impeccable integrity can’t survive long in public services. This false assumption is the result of slow progress that we have achieved towards tackling corruption.Today, a large section of society thinks that corruption is inevitable and is required for smooth functioning of the administration.
2.One who selflessly performs his/her duties is subject to pressure from friends, family, higher-ups and also from societal pressures of accumulating wealth and self aggrandisation.
3.Cases of transfers, punishment appointments, denying due position on promotions to officers with impeccable integrity and on clash of interest by political class.
Impeccable Integrity in public services
It is wrong perception that a person with impeccable integrity cannot survive long in public service.
Conclusion
It is no wonder that Integrity forms an important part of core civil service foundational values. Implementing ARC recommendations and having strong institutional framework are needed to further instill integrity among public servants.
Best Answer: Peeku
2. What imparts the characteristics of ‘services’ to civil services in India? Examine with the help of suitable examples.
It is often said that civil services is not like a typical job, where a person performs some task in lieu of a salary. It is something different. It is a service that you do for your country or society.
1.Welfarist approach: service delivery,law and order,policy formulation etc
2.Accountibility to public: RTI,Citizen Charter
3.Selflessness and dedication to public service: Public interest over private interest
4.Allegience to constitutional and citizenship values: Rule by law, real power with people
5.Trusteeship: Fiduciary responsibility
6.Objectivity
Service’ nature of civil service is what makes it special and place it on a higher pedestal. There few key characteristics that brings out the ‘service’ nature.
These elements form core of any civil service and reinforces its ‘service ‘ nature. So civil service to truly reflect its ‘service’ nature efforts have to made to inculcate there values among civil servants.
Best Answer: Shobhit
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3. Why are values like empathy and tolerance significant in civil services? Discuss.
Introduction:
Tolerance is a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality etc., differ from one’s own. Empathy on the other hand refers to the ability to imagine oneself in another’s place and understand the others’ feelings, desires, ideas, and actions. The necessity of these two values among civil servants was highlighted by the 2nd ARC report.
Significance of Empathy:
Significance of tolerance:
Conclusion:
Instances of communal riots, violent protests as seen in case of Jat reservation in Haryana, and frequent cases of lynching reflects how intolerance in our society is on rise. In such a scenario it has become very important that bureaucracy which maintains the link between the state and the public remains tolerant and empathetic. It will help them uphold our constitutional values, like secularism, brotherhood and fraternity, in true spirit.
Best answer: Lokmanya
Best answer: Pranoti
4. The children and young must find greater attention in India’s public policy discourse. Do you agree? Substantiate.
Best Answer: Shobhit.
5. Critically analyse centre’s crop insurance schemes, their performance and further scope for improvement.
SYNOPSIS:
Agriculture in India is varied, diversified and prone to variety of risks, most farmers are small and marginal, rain fed agriculture. Crop insurance in India though necessary suffers from structural, design and financial deficiencies.
Crop insurance in India was scattered till 1985, then CCIS was launched on nationwide basis , following which NAIS was launched in 1999 to address anomalies arose during CCIS, Later MNAIS and WBCIS were launched and in 2013 NCIP was launched a mixture of NAIS,WBCIS and CPIS.
Recently in 2016 GOI implemented the PMFBY where in technology plays a major part
PERFORMANCE:
The PK Mishra committee(2013)was appointed to analyse the performance of the schemes
1)NAIS did not address the problems of horticulture crops, did not cover post-harvest losses, area discrepancy , high rate of premiums was noted, lack of awareness and interest amongst farmer limited the spread of it.
2) MNAIS also had similar problems along with NCIP suffered from problem of high premiums which affected the spread of the scheme resulting only in 23% insurance coverage even after three decades
3) The recent CAG report says that due to high premium and unpaid claims resulted in profit making of Insurance companies and an amount to the extent of 32000 crores might have not reached the intended beneficiaries. Lack of verification from the Government also led to wrongful disbursement of 5600 crores to Insurance companies.
4) To address all the problems from Kharif of 2016 Fasal bima yojana was launched subsuming all existing schemes to increased insured cropped area from existing 23 % to 50% in three years with attractive low premiums of 2%, 3% and 5% and designed to cover post-harvest losses and crop inundation with technology as basis of implementation and use of mobile phones, satellite imagery and GIS for assessment offered a ray of hope
But structural deficiencies in the scheme like fund sharing of 50:50 between centre and states, resulted in low interest from states, damage by wild animals not covered and tenant farmers still remain vulnerable and lack of unit of assessment has limited the spread of the scheme.
WAY FORWARD:
There is a definite need to use technology to assess area of destruction and regular verifications have to be made to reduce false claims.
Need for centralised weather system with knowledge dispersal leading to increased awareness and insurance literacy amongst farmers
.There is a definite need to revisit premiums across the seasons and make for timely disbursal of relief funds to reach intended beneficiaries. A community based insurance can be a viable product.
There is a need to create a centre of expertise to look after crop insurance as a whole and also an urgent need to integrate crop insurance with disaster mitigation activities. So that Indian farmer can reap the benefits of his efforts rather than be helpless.
BEST ANSWER : BY RKM
Crop insurance schemes aims to protect the farmers from the after-effects and risks from natural calamities like droughts and floods. The govt has launched various schemes like Comprehensive Crop Insurance Scheme , Experimental Crop Insurance , Farm Income Insurance Scheme , National Agriculture Insurance Scheme and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.
Benefits-:
1.Reduction in premium rates so as to enable more farmers to avail insurance. Under PMFBY target of from current 23% of the area under cultivation at present to 50% of the crop area by 2018-19.
2 .Fast settlement of claims by using technologies.
3. Use of remote sensing for accurate assessment of claims.
4. Provide insurance for both yield and price.
Issues-
1.Delay in transfer of funds due to lack of cooperation from state govts. A recent CAG report noted Rs 32,000 crore released as premium subsidy under old insurance might not have reached the intended beneficiaries — there was no record or data on this.
2. Non digitisation and lack of proper land records.
3. Most of previous schemes doesnt include small farmers esp NAIS (arountD14% small farmers availed the benefits).
4. Lack of awareness among farmers.
Scope of improvement-
1.Social audits by Panchyats and full digitalisation of land records.
2.Better integration of schemes along with time bound settlement of claims.
3.Creating awareness among farmers.
Agriculture in india is still a vary risky business due to frequent calamities and small land holdings . So there is need to increase insurance coverage of farmers to remove their vulnerability from various risks.
