Daily Answer Writing Practice
[Question 30, 11 August 20]
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The Colonial forest policy disturbed the traditional Indian socio-economic pattern. Discuss [15 Marks, 250 words][#GS1 #History]

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30 History - Colonial Forest Policy.pdf

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[Question 30, 11 August 20] The Colonial forest policy disturbed the traditional Indian socio-
economic pattern. Discuss [15 Marks, 250 words] [#GS1 #History]
Answer:

The territorial conquest of India created conditions for an unprecedented intervention in the ecology and social fabric of the country which was accentuated due to commercial factors.

The colonial forest policy led to an artificial separation of cultivable land and forest land, affecting millions of cultivators. The indigenous knowledge of traditional conservation and management of forests was devalued.

1. Re-settlement and Assessment Policy
a. British discontinued the pre-colonial practice of not assessing forest and waste land. They parcelled it out to the 'rebellious' elements to contain them on the fringes of arableland. (e.g. Santhal Pargana)

2. Encouraging Sedentary Agriculture
a. The colonial authorities coerced tribals away from the shifting cultivation as they thought sedentary agriculture would increase revenue, facilitate policing and enforce social order.

3. Commercial timber production
a. From the 1860s, the commercial demand for timber (teak, sal, and deodar) grew as ship-building, iron-smelting and railway sleepers required large quantities of wood. Private contractors - both European and Indian - participated in this commercial venture. Many areas of the Doab, Kumaon, Garhwal, and Peninsular Deccan forests
were denuded.

4. Legal-Institutional Plunder
a. In pre-colonial era, state control of forest was restricted. e.g. Shivaji monopolised forest timber for navy building, Tipu Sultan asserted his rights over sandalwood, Sind Amirs developed hunting reserves. But in most cases, peasant and tribal communities had free and open access to forests and other common property resources.
b. However, the colonial intervention unprecedented and massive. The aim of colonial forest management was to increase timber-productivity by preventing fires, prohibiting
of grazing, marginalising indigenous forest users, abolishing the traditional customary rights and regulating the use of private forests. All of these destroyed the way of life of many pastoralist and tribal groups.
c. Imperial Forest Department (1864) and Forest Act, 1865 facilitated the control over the forests. The Forest Act, 1878 delineated the pattern of land-use to colonise the land further. It classified forests into reserved, protected and village forests and completely marginalised the villagers and tribals. The area under reserved forests increased from 14,000 sq. miles (1878) to 81,400 sq. miles (1900). In Central Province, private Malguzari forests were brought under control of the forest officers.

The colonial commercial priorities were the guiding principles of the new regime. Hence, there was an intense opposition and defiance of forest regulations whenever opportunities permitted such
outbursts.

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Daily Answer Writing Practice [Question 31, 12 August 20]
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Question 31 : Forest fire is essential in some regions but now it is becoming a problem in many parts of the world. What are the major reasons for forest fire and government measures to tackle the forest fire in India? (10 Marks, 150 Words)

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Daily Answer Writing Practice [Question 31, 12 August 20]
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Please find below the answer for daily answer writing practice for today
Question 31: Forest fire is essential in some regions but now it is becoming a problem in many parts of the world. What are the major reasons for forest fire and government measures to tackle the forest fire in India? (10 Marks, 150 Words)

Forest fire plays an important role in the management of grasslands, keeping the forests healthy, helping tree species regenerate, recycling nutrients, maintaining habitat for some wildlife, removing invasive weeds and pathogens, and Burning increases the forage yields.
However, Forest fires of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh in 2016, Forest fires of Western Ghats 2015 and 2017, California and Scandinavian forest fire of 2018 and forest fire in Australia, China, Amazon forest (Brazil), China, Siberia in 2019 has caused immense loss of forests, human life, animals and release of billions of tons of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere further fueling global warming.


The reasons for forest fire are:
1. Natural Causes
A. Lightning during thunderstorms may lead to forest fire.
B. In dry season, friction leading to sparks by rolling stones in the mountainous areas may lead to forest fires.
C. In bamboo areas, forest fires may occur by the rubbing together of clumps of dry bamboos.
D. Volcanic eruptions also lead to forest fires naturally.

2. Anthropogenic Causes: More than 90% forest fires are caused by human beings, deliberately (for personal gains or rivalry) or merely due to negligence or just by accident.

A. Deliberate or intentional causes are Shifting cultivation, to get better flush for tendu leaves, for concealing the illicit felling, for cleaning forest paths by the villagers and to settle scores.

B. Accidental or Unintentional causes Many times due to negligence, even small fires may result into devastating fires such as Collection of Non Timber Forest Produce, Burning farm residue, Protecting crops from the wild animals, Careless throwing of cigarettes, bidi stubs, match sticks by grazers/ travelers or negligence in camp fires and working operations near camping ground and fairs etc.


Measures taken by Government to tackle forest fire are as follows:


1. National Action Plan on Forest Fires was launched in 2018 by focusing on informing, enabling and empowering forest fringe communities and incentivizing them to work with the State Forest Departments and aims to aims to enhance capabilities of forest personnel and institutions in fighting fires and swift recovery subsequent to fire incidents.

2. Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme replaced the Intensification of Forest Management Scheme (IFMS) in 2017 and is the only centrally funded program specifically dedicated to assist the states in dealing with forest fires.

3. Forest Risk Zonation and mapping

4. Digitization of forest boundaries
A. Promoting greater adoption of the Forest Fire Alert System:
B. Improving Ground based Detection
C. Strengthening engagement with local communities:



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Daily Answer Writing Practice
[Question 32, 13 August 20]

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Enlist the factors affecting onset of Indian monsoon. Explain why Western Ghats in Karnataka receive more monsoon rainfall than either Maharashtra or Kerala. (15 Marks, 250 Words)

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Question 32. Geography

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[Question 32, 13 August 20] Enlist the factors affecting onset of Indian monsoon. Explain why Western Ghats in Karnataka receive more monsoon rainfall than either Maharashtra or Kerala. [15 Marks, 250 Words]

Monsoons are seasonal winds which reverse their direction with the change of season. The monsoons are experienced in the tropical area roughly between 20° N and 20°S. India receives south-west monsoon winds in summer and north-east monsoon winds in winter.

Following facts influences the Indian Monsoon:
1) Differential heating and cooling of land and water creates low pressure on the landmass of India while the seas around experience comparatively high pressure.
2) The shift of the position of Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) in summer, over the Ganga plain (this is the equatorial trough normally positioned about 5°N of the equator. It is also known as the monsoon trough during the monsoon season).
3) The presence of the high-pressure area, east of Madagascar, approximately at 20°S over the Indian Ocean. The intensity and position of this high-pressure area affects the Indian Monsoon.
4) The Tibetan plateau gets intensely heated during summer, which results in strong vertical air currents and the formation of low pressure over the plateau at about 9 km above sea level.
5) The movement of the westerly jet stream to the north of the Himalayas and the presence of the tropical easterly jet stream over the Indian peninsula during summer.
6) Indian Ocean Dipole is an irregular oscillation of sea surface temperatures in which the western Indian Ocean becomes alternately warmer (positive phase) and then colder (negative phase) than the eastern part of the ocean.
7) El Nino increases the sea-surface temperatures and weakening of the trade winds in the region.

Why Karnataka gets more Rainfall?
1) Karnataka’s Mountain topography broader than Maharashtra. Since Mountain width greater Rain clouds need to travel longer distance  more time for water to coalesce and precipitate as rainfall. Compared to this, narrower width of Western Ghats in Maharashtra Rain bearing winds cross over to the leeward side quickly before rainfall can occur.
2) In Kerala, Western Ghats is isolated mountains. Rain-bearing winds can easily cross over leeward side through the gaps, without precipitation occurring. In Karnataka, mountains are continuous (No gaps). Thus, Clouds can’t easily escape to leeward side.
3) Karnataka Mountains has gentle slope than Kerala and Maharashtra. On Gentle slope air parcel can retain energy and speed for a long time, allowing cloud droplets to grow and precipitate as rainfall.

The monsoon of South Asia is among several geographically distributed global monsoons. In south Asia, it is only partly understood and notoriously difficult to predict.

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Daily Answer Writing Practice [Question 33, 14 August 20]
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Question 33: The Indian Ocean is becoming battleground among many countries. Discuss the importance of the Indian Ocean and recent Indian government strategy to maintain its supremacy in the Indian Ocean. (15 Marks, 250 Words)


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Daily Answer Writing Practice [Question 32, 14 August 20]
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Question 32: The Indian Ocean is becoming battleground among many countries. Discuss the importance of the Indian Ocean and recent Indian government strategy to maintain its supremacy in the Indian Ocean. (15 Marks, 250 Words)


The Indian ocean is becoming battleground because of the conflicting maritime policies of extra-regional countries such as China’s maritime silk route policy, USA’s pivot to Asia, Japan’s arc of freedom and prosperity and India’s own maritime policies to maintain supremacy in the Indian Ocean.

The Indian ocean is important because of the following reasons:

1.Geostrategic significance because of the vital sea lanes of communication which connect eastern and western parts of the world and has important choke points such as Strait of Malacca, Strait of Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb, Sunda strait and others are important not only for India but also for global trade.

2.Energy Security as more than 80 % of the world’s seaborne trade in oil passes through the Indian Ocean choke points and for India’s 95% of the foreign trade including oil comes by the Indian Ocean.

3.Economic significance as the Indian ocean has huge resources such as oil and natural gas reserves, Uranium, iron, polymetallic nodules etc.

4.Providing security by containing piracy, maritime crime and controlling human trafficking in the Indian Ocean.

Steps taken to strengthen its supremacy in the India Ocean are:
1.Indian Ocean Naval Symposium to increase maritime co-operation among navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region.

2.Port development to secure bases in Indian Ocean littoral countries such as Duqm port in Oman for military use, Agalega in Mauritius, the naval base at Assumption Island in Seychelles and a deal with Singapore to use Changi naval base.
3.Defence cooperation such as Malabar exercise, RIMPAC, Varuna exercise with France, Anti-submarine exercise with USA Navy near Diego Garcia etc.

4.Infrastructure development in the form of Aircraft carrier development, nuclear and diesel submarine and focusing on increasing technical capability of Indian naval forces.


India has always been a ‘Net Security Provider’ in the Indian Ocean region and should maintain its position to secure its strategic and economic interests by investing in capability, collaboration and infrastructure development.


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Daily Answer Writing Practice [Question 34, 15 August 20]
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The success of the Green Revolution in 1960s and 70s led to certain adverse social consequences. Discuss. (15 Marks, 250 Words)

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Daily Answer Writing Practice [Question 34, 15 August 20]
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The success of the Green Revolution in 1960s and 70s led to certain adverse social consequences. Discuss. (15 marks, 250 words)
Answer:
The phenomenal increase in food-grains production in the late 1960s and 1970s due to technological and policy support to the farmers is called as Green Revolution. It successfully achieved food security, improved agricultural productivity as well as farm incomes. These fundamental and rapid changes led to the emergence of new rich rural agrarian class with political capital. However, the record is not unblemished as there were certain negative environmental externalities and adverse social consequences.

Adverse social consequences:
1. Inter-regional disparity:
a. Since, it was successful in only certain area, it created regional disparity, leading to different lifestyles differences in areas like Punjab and Haryana vs regions like Bihar and Eastern UP.

2. Inequality, Unemployment and Migration:
a. It was mostly the medium and large farmers who benefitted from the new methods due to expensive inputs. It thus led to de-peasantisation of poor farmers who were forced to become agricultural labourers. (In 1970 and 1980, the small holdings in the Punjab decreased by around 25% due to their non-feasibility)
b. Mechanization and profitability of direct cultivation led to the eviction of tenants leading to the increased migration to the urban areas.

3. Religious fundamentalism and militancy:
a. Khalistan separatist movement got boost due to rising costs of investment in agriculture and perception of Punjab being treated as a colony by India for providing food-grains to the urban elites elsewhere.

4. Caste Conflicts:
a. Caste violence by ascendant castes (e.g. Jat Sikhs against Dalits) increased.
b. Consolidation of the status of the middle peasantry as a dominant class. It led power competition with the traditionally dominant upper caste groups.

5. Environment issues:
a. Soil degradation and pollution/depletion of groundwater became prevalent due to fertilizer and water intensive monoculture of wheat and rice.
b. Rising consumerism in values due to higher purchasing power leading to unsustainable development.

6. Health issues:
a. Even though overall calorie consumption increased, dietary diversity decreased for many poor people leading to nutrient deficiency and persistent micronutrient malnutrition.
b. Incidence of cancer and pulmonary problems are on the rise from pesticide/fertilizer overuse.

In view of the negative environmental and social consequences, many scientists and farmers’ movements now suggest an Evergreen revolution with environment-gender justice and sustainable-precision-organic agriculture to ensure equity and inclusivity in the agrarian sector.


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Daily Answer Writing Practice [Question 35, 16 August 2020]
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What is Minimum Support Price [MSP]? What are the key objectives that MSP serves? Discuss the key issues associated with current MSP regime in India. [15 marks, 250 words]

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Model Answer [Question 35, 16th Aug 2020]
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Daily Answer Writing Practice [Question 36, 17 August 20]
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Question 36: “Aptitude along with positive attitude provides altitude in life”. Comment (10Marks, 150 Words)

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Daily Answer Writing Practice [Question 35, 17 August 20]
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Question 35: “Aptitude along with positive attitude provides altitude in life”. Comment (10Marks, 150 Words)

Aptitude is the competency or natural ability to acquire new information or skills in some specific field. Aptitude could be a potential, which has as yet not been tapped and trained to a skill level.

It is used primarily to predict future performance. Every job requires a set of different aptitudes. For example- to a civil servant it is important to be good at analytical thinking, and good communication because he/she to understand the needs of all sections of the society and must interact with various stakeholders.

But, does only aptitude lead to altitude such as success, fame, recognition etc. in life? Most of the successful people from different sections of the society believe that between aptitude and altitude, there is an intervening component in the form of attitude, which is learned predisposition to act or react in a certain way.

Aptitude + Positive Attitude = Attitude (Success, fame etc.)

It means positive attitude provides a way of responding to a situation, contradictions, conflicts, crisis and allows one to use one’s ability (aptitude) to give the best performance when it is needed and enables one to make a difference in the world (altitude).

Hence, a positive attitude with the right amount of aptitude leads to high altitude in life.

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The Daily Answer Writing Practice
[Question 36, 18 August, 2020]

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The dismantling of the Planning Commission led to the establishment of an institution that balances federal aspiration in one hand and acts as the apex think tank on the other. Comment. (15 Marks, 250 Words)

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The Daily Answer Writing Practice
[Question 36, 18 August, 2020]

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Please find below today’s answer for Daily Answer Writing Practice

The dismantling of the Planning Commission led to the establishment of an institution that balances federal aspiration in one hand and acts as the apex think tank on the other. Comment. (15 Marks, 250 Words)

Answer:
NITI Aayog was formed after dismantling Planning commission in 2015 by the present NDA government. The primary reason listed was the failure of planning commission in strengthening federalism and over centralisation.
NITI Aayog as evident from above has to function as a apex think tank since it came in the backdrop of the scrapped planning commission and as a body to promote federalist aspirations since it was instituted on the same promise.
The functions aligned are:
As a body to address federal aspirations:
• To work with state governments on national development priorities sectors and strategies.
• Develop federalism where national and state governments work with proper coordination and harmony.
• It doesn’t have the fund devolution power which the erstwhile planning commission had.
• It doesn’t have the power to confer any state as special state status.
• The composition itself indicates to the new era of cooperative federalism.
As an Apex think tank:
• It would be conducting studies, research on Macro socio- political Issue.
• It would formulate 3-year action, 7-year strategy and 15-year vision plan.(Short-Medium-Long term Action plan for the government)
• Helping Implementing schemes and initiatives for rural development.
• Ensure that economic strategy and policy work in the interest of national security.
• Advice and encourage partnership between key stakeholders and national and international like-minded think tank.
• Create a knowledge, innovation and entrepreneurial support system.
• Actively monitor and evaluate the implementation of programmes and initiatives.
Has it really lived up to its responsibilities??
Positives:
• It has been successful in acting as an apex think tank. The major pros has been digital payments movement, Atal innovation mission, South Asian Regional Conference on Urban infrastructure, Agreement with Microsoft for Artificial intelligence etc
• On federalist aspirations, the major takeaways have been Model land leasing law, reforms of APMC, reforming medical education, constitution of Himalayan State Regional Council etc.
Negatives:
• The cycle of policy making must be followed in true spirit, i.e. policy making must include collection of proper feedback and aligned action. NITI Aayog failed on this front.
• It is alleged that like the erstwhile planning commission, NITI Aayog too is issuing directives without consulting state governments.
• In the era of devolution of powers, a central body to decide on policy matters for the federal units looks out of context.

NITI Aayog must stick to its vision document and make sure that it doesn’t fall for the follies of erstwhile planning commission. Its performance would decide the fate of cooperative federalism in our country.

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