UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 1)

Each day, we will cover one new subject. Attempt today’s answer writing on questions related to topics of GS-2 to check your progress. Come back tomorrow to attempt questions on topics related to GS-3.

QUESTION 1

India has assumed the rotating presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. How will it help India fulfil its interests? (250 words, 15 marks)

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QUESTION 2

Describe the Basic Structure of the Constitution. Highlight its importance in the strengthening of democracy. (150 words, 10 marks)

General points on the structure of the answers

Introduction

— The introduction of the answer is essential and should be restricted to 3-5 lines. Remember, a one liner is not a standard introduction.

— It may consist of a basic information by giving some definitions from a trusted source and authentic facts.

Body

— It is the central part of the answer and one should understand the demand of the question to provide rich content.

— The answer must be preferably written as a mix of points and short paragraphs rather than using long paragraphs or just points.

— Using facts from authentic government sources makes your answer more comprehensive. Analysis is important based on the demand of the question but do not over analyse.

— Underlining keywords give you an edge over the other candidates and helps in the better presentation of the answer.

— Using flowcharts/tree-diagram in the answers saves much time and boosts your score. However, it should be use logically and only where it is required.

Way forward/ Conclusion

— The ending of the answer should be on a positive note and it should have a forward-looking approach. However, if you feel that an important problem must be highlighted, you may add it in your conclusion. Try not to repeat any point from body or introduction.

— You may use the findings of reports or surveys conducted at national and international levels, quotes etc. in your answers.

Self Evaluation

— It is the most important part of our Mains answer writing practice. UPSC Essentials will provide some guiding points or ideas as a thought process which will help you to evaluate your answers.

THOUGHT PROCESS

You may enrich your answers by some of the following points

QUESTION 1: India has assumed the rotating presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. How will it help India to fulfill its interests?

Introduction:

A simple introduction to this answer can revolve around a basic fact such as:

— The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is an intergovernmental organisation founded in 2001. It comprises eight member states (China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan).

— The SCO Secretariat, based in Beijing, is the main permanent executive body of the SCO. It focuses on cooperation with international and regional organisations.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

India and SCO

— In 2015, Russia pushed for India’s membership in the SCO grouping. It was around the time that China’s Xi Jinping launched his Belt and Road Initiative in Kazakhstan (Fact). Moscow sees India’s presence in the SCO as a potential countervailing force to Chinese dominance of Central Asia. Just as much as Russia needs India in the SCO, with relations between India and China rough since the Doklam episode in 2017 and worsening steadily after the Chinese incursions in eastern Ladakh, the group has provided Delhi a forum to play up its proximity to Moscow (Analysis).

— The recent visit of the Indian Prime Minister to the Central Asian countries opened the doors to collaborating and working together in the fields of connectivity, energy security and combating terrorism.

—  As India does not have direct access to the Central Asian countries, permanent membership in the SCO will help India improve its bilateral ties with the Central Asian countries.

—  As the Chair, India has set up new pillars of cooperation within the bloc, such as startups and innovation; traditional medicine; digital inclusion; youth empowerment; and shared Buddhist heritage.

—  India has named the upcoming summit ‘Towards a SECURE SCO’. “SECURE”, an acronym coined by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 2018 SCO Summit. It stands for Security, Economy and Trade, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity, and the Environment.

— SCO can also be seen as an exercise of true multipolarity. If the SCO is a bipolar China-Russia platform, it offers several multipolarities within as other members leverage their strengths to get the best deal for themselves. At last year’s foreign ministers’ meeting in Tashkent, India was the only country that did not sign a joint statement calling for the strengthening of the Biological Weapons Convention.

Conclusion:

Your concluding remark should be short and should encapsulate both parts of the answer. You may have a suggestive tone to conclude. For example:

— India has worked towards fostering more significant people-to-people ties that celebrate the historical and civilisational bonds between the nations. SCO veterans describe the forum as a “diplomatic battlefield”. The challenge for India is to use both the SCO and the Quad to further its own interests instead of getting trapped in an either-or proposition.

You may talk about ‘double presidency’ this year and get an extra edge. For example:

— The coincidence of the double presidency (G20 and SCO) — of an expanding regional group and an international prestige club with some overlapping membership but different power centres — is an opportunity for Delhi to demonstrate it has the goodwill and clout cutting across geopolitical fault lines to convene high profile international gatherings at a time of global turbulence.

Sources: (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meet in Goa: As Russia, China vie for upper hand, what SCO means for India by Nirupama Subramanian, What is the SCO, which recently held a tourism ministers’ conference in Varanasi)

Point to ponder: Since its formation, the SCO has focused on regional non-traditional security, with counter-terrorism as a priority: The fight against the “three evils” of terrorism, separatism and extremism has become its mantra. Discuss. (Refer: What SCO summit means for India’s global and regional interests.)

QUESTION 2: Describe the Basic Structure of the Constitution. Highlight its importance in the strengthening of democracy.

Caution: Word limit is only 150 words. It is the biggest challenge for general questions like the one in context. So, do not get carried away. Keep it tight!

Introduction:

A simple introduction to this answer can revolve around a basic fact such as:

—  The Doctrine of Basic Structure is a form of judicial review used by the courts to test the legality of any legislation. It was evolved by the Supreme Court in the landmark ruling in Kesavananda Bharti State of Kerala, in 1973.

— In a 7-6 verdict, a 13-judge Constitution Bench ruled that the ‘basic structure’ of the Constitution is inviolable and could not be amended by Parliament.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

Importance in Strengthening Democracy

— The Doctrine of Basic Structure is a form of judicial review that is used to test the legality of any legislation by the courts.

— In the Kesavananda ruling, the Supreme Court cited several aspects of the Constitution that could be identified as “basic features” of the document but added that it was not an exhaustive list. For example, judicial review, rule of law, secularism, separation of powers, an independent judiciary, and free, fair, and periodic elections, federalism, and democratic republic structure are identified as basic features. In the 2015 ruling where the Supreme Court struck down the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act and the related Constitutional Amendment, “judicial independence” was identified as a basic feature of the Constitution.

—  If a law is found to “damage or destroy” the “basic features of the Constitution”, the Court declares it unconstitutional.

— The test is applied to constitutional amendments to ensure the amendment does not dilute the fundamentals of the Constitutional itself.

—  It helps to strengthen democracy through the separation of powers, where the judiciary is independent of the other two organs of the government. The test is widely regarded as a check on majoritarian impulses of the Parliament since it places substantive limits on the power to amend the Constitution.

Conclusion:

Your concluding remark may hint towards the debate or criticism (very briefly) but return to the original tone of the question. For example:

Basic structure doctrine is criticized on many grounds such as it is not found in the text of the Constitution itself. By evolving a test, which is not a textual application of judicial review, an argument is made that the judiciary is encroaching on the Parliament’s powers. Some critics of the doctrine have argued that the power of unelected judges to strike down amendments to the Constitution on the basis of this doctrine is anti-democratic and counter-majoritarian. However, legal scholarship opine that doctrine rests on a sound structural interpretation of the Constitution or it is India’s strongest shield against any autocratic government which continues to keep any riotous misadventure or authoritarian impunity at bay.

Source: (V-P Jagdeep Dhankhar sparks debate with remarks on Basic Structure of Constitution; what is it? by Apurva Vishwanath and Khadija Khan.)

Point to ponder: Without the basic structure, we end up with constitutions without constitutionalism. Discuss. (Refer: Upendra Baxi writes on 50 years of Kesavananda Bharati judgment: It prescribed the basic structure doctrine, set limits to parliamentary sovereignty)

— Edited by Manas Srivastava

Previous Mains Answer Practice: GS 1 (Week 1)

Post your inputs and answers to points to ponder in the comment box below and engage with other aspirants too. All the best!

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