CONVENTIONAL

TOPICS – MAIN 2016

MIGOM DOLEY
HISTORY & CULTURE

CULTURE
Contrasting the Progressives against the
Q) “Formed in the 1940s, the Progressives Classical European Art
rebelled against the romanticism of the Bengal
school and rejected the conventions of classical Progressive European Art
European art.” In the light of recent death of Break conventions Focused on
Indian painter Syed Haider Raza, discuss the by reimaging art perfection of
statement. (Insights T1) instead of sticking to human anatomy
traditions while drawing figures
Progressive Art Group in India Used oil, water Mostly used oil
 formed after independence colour etc colour
 initiated by 6 painters including SH Reimaging art and Treated art as Elitist
Raza, MF Hussain and others taking it closer to
 best known for combining Indian the people
subject matter with new artistic
techniques such as post
impressionism, cubism etc.

Contrasting the Progressives against the

Bengal School of Art:

Progressive Bengal School

emerges from the demonstrate the
Age of spiritual capital of
Enlightenment in the East
Europe and placed
importance on
industry, science,
social organization,
economic
development as
critical to human
existence
Marxist, anti - romanticized the
imperialist world idea of
view independence
sought to relate art
to the common
lives of the people
vibrant colours, worked with simple
geometrical motifs, colours, revived
symmetry and past literary
rhythmicity in their traditions in
painting paintings, took art
back to subject
matter of ancient
periods in an
imitative manner
without much
creativity

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MODERN
Q) Analyse the sources and various aspects of
Mahatma Gandhi’s political thinking. (Insights
T1)
1) Ahimsha –
 an article of faith for Gandhi
 encompassed not only non-violence
in physical actions but also in
thoughts, speech etc.
 not only in political sphere but also in
social, economic and other spheres.
 inspired by his understanding of
religions like Hinduism, Buddhism,
Jainism, Christianity, Islam etc
2) Swarajya –
 important at the level of an individual.
 believed that if man develops soul force
and has control over his actions,
there is no need of any external
authority like the state for him.
 influenced from Leo Tolstoy’s book
“Kingdom of God within you”.
 Hind Swarajya – not simply liberation
from foreign rule but ensuring a life of
dignity and equality of opportunity
for all individuals which is possible in
Ram Rajya
 influenced by Upanishads,
Ramcharitmanas and also by ideas of
Aurobindo Ghosh
3) Satyagraha –
 a fight for truth.
 Since the fight is for truth the
methodology employed must also be
noble.
 a long drawn out process, inspired by
the ideals of Swami Vivekananda who
exhorted individuals to rise up, awake
and not stop until the goal is achieved.
 tools of Gandhian Satyagraha was
o Non Cooperation
o Civil Disobedience - inspired
by HD Thoreau’s idea of “right
of individuals to resist if the
state does wrong”
4) Views on state –
 Gandhi was an anarchist believing
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that state is unnecessary evil,
incompatible with the idea of non-
violence
 even medium state according to him
needed some sort of coercion and
policing
 state according to him is incompatible
with the idea of Swarajya
5) Sarvodaya –
 Gandhian alternative to Marxist
Socialism
 believed in the idea of class
cooperation in place of class
conflict
 gave the concept of Bread Labour and
Trusteeship theory to ensure that
fruits of development are well
dispersed.
 inspired by John Ruskin’s book “Unto
this Last”
Gandhian political philosophies had a profound
influence on India’s freedom struggle and led to
its independence in what Bipan Chandra calls
the “largest, greatest, one of a kind, non-
violent freedom struggle”
Q) How did the Indian Statutory Commission
appointed by the Conservative Government of
Britain in 1927 affect India’s National
Movement? Examine.
 Appointed by Secretary of State, Lord
Birkenhead - 7 member all white
 Indian Statutory Commission or
Simon Commission
 to decide on the readiness of India for
constitutional reforms and on what
lines
Following are the development post
appointment of Simon Commission and the
impact it had on Indian Freedom Struggle
1) The constitution of an all-white Simon
Commission was detested.
  boycotted by almost all major
political parties including Congress,
Muslim League and liberals of Hindu
Mahasabha
 thought it took away the right of self-
determination of Indians
 widespread protests and the youth got
involved who then started playing a big
role in subsequent mass movements
2) It also gave opportunity to young leaders with
Socialist leanings like Jawaharlal Nehru and
Subash Chandra Bose to come to the
forefront.
 demanded not just constitutional
reforms but also socio economic
reforms on socialist lines
3) Appointment of the Commission came along
with the challenge thrown by Lord Birkenhead
who doubted the ability of Indians to
formulate a constitution by consensus.
 led to an All Party Meet which formed a
committee under Motilal Nehru to
decide the constitutional framework
of India.
 the prospect for Indian unity therefore
seemed bright at the time.
4) The report of Nehru Commission led to two
major conflicts:
a. Conflict between the Hindu Mahasabha and
Muslim League over the question of separate
electorates for Muslims and formation of
Muslim majority provinces.
b. The majority of members of the
subcommittee supported the idea of Dominion
status which was not agreeable to the young
leaders JL Nehru and SC Bose who formed
Independence for India League. The goal of
Poorna Swarajya at Karachi session can be
traced back to this opposition
Thus the appointment of Simon Commission
played a pivotal role in India’s Independence
Struggle.
Q) The GOI Act of 1935 was condemned by
nearly all sections of Indian opinion and was
unanimously rejected by the Congress.
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Examine. (Insights T1)
GOI Act – promised too much and delivered too
little.
Following were the contentions:
1) All India Federation: Representation of the
Princely States in the Federal Assembly on the
basis of nominations and not on the basis of
elections.
2) Federal Level
a) Governor General
i) In matters of Foreign Affairs, Defence, Tribal
Affairs and Ecclesiastical Affairs, to be
advised by the Executive Councilor, and
therefore not responsible to the Central
Legislature
ii) Residuary Powers to overturn decisions of
central legislature
b) Religion and Caste based electorates
3) Provincial Level – granted autonomy but had
following shortcomings
a) Governor
i) Special powers regarding
- minorities
- civil servants
- could run and take up administration in case
of “special circumstances”
4) Constitutional Level
Rigid constitution + Amendment by British
Parliament -> denied Indians the right to self
determination
In the words of Nehru, the act provided a car
with all brakes and no engines
WORLD non-participation of Jews.

Q) The rise of Nazi Germany could be partly Darwin’s theory also fitted to explain – Racial
traced back to the German experience at the Egalitarianism, Feminism and Marxism etc.
end of the First World War. Examine. (Insights Nazism, Fascism – opportunistic ideologies, by
T1) relating it to Darwin’s theory Hitler was just
searching for a scapegoat.
The rise of Hitler’s Nazi Germany was a result
of many factors, the primary being its bitter To conclude, Darwinism does not inevitably
experience of the Treaty of Versailles at the lead to Hitler. At the very best, it might have
end of the First World War. provided him some rational basis for his Anti -
Semitism.
1) Repatriations:
- imposed were economically burdensome
on Germany
- humiliated the Germans as the entire blame
of the war was put on them
- led to spiraling hyperinflation

2) Economic unrest -> caused social unrest

destabilizing the fragile Weimar Republic

3) Need felt to restore German ‘prestige’ lost

after the First World War through militarization
and expansion.

Q) Several scholars and many religiously

conservative thinkers have recently charged
that Hitler’s ideas about race and racial struggle
derived from the theories of Charles Darwin
(1809-1882), either directly or through
intermediate sources. Do you agree? Critically
examine. (Insights T1)

Darwin’s idea of ‘survival of fittest’ resembled

the idea of EUGENICS i.e. superiority of the
Aryan Race espoused by Hitler.

Several reasons attributed to Hitler’s Anti-

Semitism:

1) Guided by ‘Lebensraum’ – greater living

space for Germans

2) Hatred for Jews – guided by economic

disparity between Jews and the rest of the
German population

3) Hitler believed that a major reason why

Germany lost the World War I is because of

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POLITY
Q) Do you think only tribals and other forest
dwellers should have rights to manage their
forests under Forest Rights Act or should state
also have stakes in it? Critically discuss.
FRA 2006 and PESA 1996 unequivocally
recognizes the right of forest dwellers and the
Gram Sabha over the management of forest
and mineral resources. In light of the recent
rules formulated by the Maharashtra Govt.
diluting the rights of forest dwellers and
enhancing the right of forest department over
forest management, the issue gains
significance.
Arguments in favour of state control over forest
management:
3) Nehru in his Tribal Panchsheel talked about
giving control over the forest and mineral rights
to the forest dwellers to ensure their
development.
4) SC in Samantha and Vedanta judgement
has upheld the rights of Adivasis over forest
and mineral produce and their consent in
exploitation of these resources.
5) Globally, the practice is to recognize the
rights of indigenous population over forest
produce.
FRA and PESA are progressive legislations
recognizing the rights of tribals. State needs to
work in consonance with the Gram Sabha to
ensure these people are not exploited and their
rights are protected.

1) Source of revenue: Forest produce can be

a possible source of revenue. As per the
erstwhile Planning Commission, the total
revenue potential of forest produces is pegged
at Rs.50,0000 crore.

2) Resources for AYUSH – Indian forest

produce includes many plants with medicinal
plants which can be used for AYUSH etc.

3) Economic benefits for forest dwellers:

Indigenous population might not have the
technical know-how to protect and trade
certain resources. The state can come into play
in this regard.

Arguments against state control over forest

management:

1) Source of livelihood: Forest are a part of

life of the forest dwellers. The forest produces
are their source of livelihood. Before FRA and
PESA, the benefits were mostly cornered by the
contractors and never reached the real
beneficiaries.

2) As per Schedule 5 and Schedule 6 of the

Constitution, the Gram Sabha should be
involved in matters concerning the forest
dwellers thus furthering the process of
decentralization.

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ECONOMY

BANK BOARD BUREAU

Background
 Set up with a view to improve
governance of PSBs

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S & T / ENVIRONMENT

COASTAL REGULATION ZONES (CRZ)

Background
 Original Notification: CRZ 1991
 Latest Notification: 2011