- : About this Document : - The essay is an important paper for UPSC Mains and carries a weightage of 250 marks. Essay paper provides an opportunity to fetch more marks than the GS papers and can be a potential game-changer. In this booklet, there are 14 topics, of which 10 are general topics and 4 are specific ones. General topics have been chosen in such a way that a candidate can take fodder points irrespective of the way UPSC frames the question. It comprehensively covers many perspectives required to act as your springboard. It will also help you in brainstorming different sub-headings for a particular topic. The 4 specific topics have been chosen because they have been in news frequently in the recent past. There is a high probability that these topics will be asked in the Essay paper. This booklet can also be utilised for your GS preparations. 1 | Essay LEARN, UNLEARN & RE-LEARN S. No. Chapter Name Page No. 01. Mahatma Gandhi 3-11 02. Education 12-19 03. Agriculture 20-34 04. Governance 35-45 05. Vulnerable Communities 46-54 06. Security 55-70 07. Women 71-81 08. Health 83-91 09. Disaster Management 92-100 10. Environment 101-113 11. Space: A New Frontier 114-122 12. Water 123-132 13. India – 5 Trillion Economy 133-142 14. Sports 143-148 2 | Essay Mahatma Gandhi 01 1. Previous Year Questions 9. Gandhi and Education 2. Context 10. Gandhi and Religion 3. Basic Information 11. Gandhi and modern India 4. Gandhi and Freedom Movement 12. Gandhi and the constitution 5. Gandhi and his principles 13. Case Study 6. Gandhi: society and way of life 14. Quotes 7. Gandhiji and women 8. Political Thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi: A brief outline 1. Previous Year Questions 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 -2012 Be the change you want to see in others (Gandhi)-2013 2. Context This year India is celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi whose values of peace, tolerance & sustainability continue to be relevant and guide the world. The two yearlong celebrations from 2nd October 2018 to 02nd October 2020 is being held across the country and all over the globe to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Recently the Government has been invoking his principles through various programmes like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan etc. Recently UAE released postage stamps on Mahatma Gandhi to commemorate his 150th Birth Anniversary in UAE. Mahatma Gandhi and his principles are always important and are asked very frequently in the exam. 3. Basic Information 3.1 Early Life Mahatma Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, at Porbandar (Kathiawar), a small town on the western coast of India. He was seven when his family moved to Rajkot, another state in Kathiawar, where his father became Dewan. He attended a primary school there and later joined a high school. He was married at the age of thirteen, to Kasturbai who was also of the same age. At the age of 19, he left home to study law in London. He came back to India in mid-1891 and set up a law practice in Bombay, but met with little success. He soon accepted a position with an Indian firm that sent him to its office in South Africa. Gandhi remained in South Africa for nearly 20 years with his wife, Kasturbai, and their children. 3 | Essay 3.2 Gandhi in South Africa Gandhi, in 1898, went to South Africa for a case involving his client, Dada Abdullah. In South Africa, he was shocked as he saw the ugly face of white racism and the humiliation and contempt to which Asians, who had gone to South Africa as labourers, were subjected. To organise the Indian workers to enable them to fight for their rights, he decided to stay in South Africa. He stayed there until 1914 after which he returned to India. Most of the Indians workers were illiterate and had little knowledge of English. They accepted racial discrimination as a part of their life. They had to suffer many disabilities. They were denied their right to vote. They could reside only in prescribed locations which were unsanitary and congested. In some areas, they could not stay out of doors after 9 PM nor could they use public footpaths. He formed the Natal Indian Congress in 1894 to fight for the rights of the indians and raise a voice against the discrimination faced by them. Here Gandhiji was involved in many movements like Satyagraha against Registration Certificates (1906), Campaign against Restrictions on Indian Migration, Campaign against the Poll Tax and Invalidation of Indian Marriages, Protest against Transvaal Immigration Act. He started the journal Indian Opinion to bring to light the issues faced by the people and give a voice to their plight. It was during this long struggle of two decades that he evolved the technique of satyagraha based on truth and non-violence. Gandhi’s Experience in South Africa (i) Gandhi found that the masses had an immense capacity to participate and sacrifice for a cause that moved them. (ii) He was able to unite Indians belonging to different religions and classes, and men and women alike under his leadership. (iii) He also came to realise that at times the leaders have to take decisions unpopular with their enthusiastic supporters. (iv) He was able to evolve his own style of leadership and politics and new techniques of struggle on a limited scale, untrammelled by the opposition of contending political currents. 4. Gandhi and Freedom Movement Gandhi returned to India in 1915 at the age of 46. He was keen to serve his country and people. Since he was unaware of the situation of the country, he promised his "political guru", Gokhale, that he would spend the first year in India knowing the country, with "his ears open but his mouth shut". In 1916, he founded the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad where his friends and followers were to learn and practice the ideals of truth and non-violence. Gandhiji perfected his technique of Satyagraha in India During 1917 and 1918. Gandhi was involved in three struggles during this period—in Champaran, Ahmedabad and Kheda—before he launched the Rowlatt Satyagraha. o Champaran Satyagraha: This was the first civil disobedience movement by Gandhi in the freedom struggle. The farmers were suffering under heavy taxes and an exploitative system. They were forced to grow indigo by the British planters under the ‘tinkathia’ system. After peaceful protests against the planters and landlords led by Gandhi, the government agreed to abolish the exploitative tinkathia system. Champaran struggle is called the first experiment on Satyagraha by Gandhi. It was during this satyagraha that Gandhi was given the names ‘Bapu’ and ‘Mahatma’ by the people. o Kheda Satyagraha (1918): Due to droughts in 1918 crops failed in Kheda district of Gujarat. The farmers were entitled to remission as per law. But the government denied any remission. Under Gandhi’s guidance, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel led the farmers to protest against the 4 | Essay collection of taxes in the wake of the famine. Finally, the authorities agreed and gave some concessions to the farmers. o Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918): Gandhi for the first time used Satyagraha and hunger strike during an industrial dispute between the owners and workers of a cotton mill in Ahmedabad. The owners had earlier promised the plague bonus to the workers but now wanted to withdraw the same while the workers were demanding a hike of 35% in their wages. Gandhi led a peaceful strike and started a hunger strike. At last the owners agreed and the workers were granted the wage hike they wanted. This is how slowly and gradually he perfected his idea of satyagraha and became the leader of the masses. Gandhi demonstrated to the people the efficacy of his technique of satyagraha. He found his feet among the masses and came to have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the masses. It was the Rowlatt Act of 2019 with its denial of civil liberties which finally brought Gandhi into active Indian politics. From there, he led the country in various movements like non-cooperation, civil disobedience, quit movement etc. From 1919 until his death in 1948, he occupied the centre stage of Indian society and politics and was the hero of the great historical movement which culminated in the independence of his country. He changed the entire character of the political scene in India. And ultimately, he was able to drive British from India. Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, was shot on 30 January in 1948 by Nathuram Godse. 5. Gandhi and his principles It is generally known that he lived an austere life, practised strict vegetarianism and abstained from alcoholic drinks, tobacco and even the milder stimulants like coffee and tea. The first principle which guided all his thoughts and activities is the complete unity and integrity of body, mind and soul in the individual human being. He was never tired of saying that the body should be controlled by the mind and the mind by the soul. He was convinced that real thought must be organically connected to moral purposes on the one side and useful and right action on the other. The second principle of Gandhian philosophy may be stated as follows: All social action should be governed by the same simple set of moral values, of which the main elements are selflessness, non-attachment, nonviolence and active service.