Q2.

Social audit is an effective instrument of citizen centric governance to fight

corruption. Discuss along with the mechanisms of social audit in India.
Approach
 Introduce with social audit.
 Discuss the significance of social audit and its role to fight corruption.
 Then, give social audit mechanism in India.
 Conclude with suggestions.
Model Answer :
A social audit is a way of measuring, understanding, reporting and ultimately improving an organization’s
social and ethical performance. A social audit helps to narrow gaps between vision/goal and reality,
between efficiency and effectiveness. Civil society organizations (CSOs), non-governmental organizations
(NGOs), political representatives, civil servants and local people collectively organize such social audits.
Importance of social audit as tool of citizen centric governance:
 It values the voice of stakeholders, including marginalized/poor groups whose voices are rarely
heard.
 It also trains the community on participatory local planning.
 It strengthens accountability and transparency in local bodies.
 It involves those people in developmental activities for whom schemes are targeted, thus reducing
corruption.
 It promotes collective decision making and shared responsibilities.
 It develops human resources and social capital by educating them.
Various mechanisms of social audit in India are:
 The 73rd amendment of the Indian Constitution empowers the gram sabhas to conduct Social
Audits in addition to its other functions.
 Social audits were made statutory for the first time in National Rural Employment Guarantee Act,
2005.
 Recently, Meghalaya became the first state in India to operationalize a law that makes social audit
of government programmes and schemes a part of government practice.
Way Forward:
Social audit strengths the democracy by empowering citizens. But there is no mechanism in India for its
effective implementation. Powers to audit NGOs, summon ministers and former secretaries and a
monitoring mechanism for following up the effective implementation of the recommendations are some of
the proposals of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on the auditing reforms.

Q1. The Right to Information act has completed ten years, but there are mixed
opinions evaluating its journey so far. Discuss the challenges in the implementation of
the Act in its true spirit.
Approach:
 Introduce with RTI and its positives.
 Discuss both the demand side and supply side challenges to its implementation.
 Conclude with the way forward.
Model Answer :
Under the Right to Information ( RTI) Act, which came into force in 2005, any citizen of India
may request information from a public authority which is required to reply expeditiously or within thirty
days. It also mandates self disclosure of information on websites by the authorities. In its decade long
existence, the Act has managed to bring transparency by exposing corruption cases such as CWG, 2G and
Adarsh society scams.
However, challenges remain in the implementation. They include:
Demand Side Problems:
 Awareness of the RTI act: The awareness levels about the Act are still poor. According to an
RTI Assessment, not more than 35% are aware of the act in rural areas and about 40% are aware of the Act
in urban areas.
 Use of the RTI act: Only a small percentage of population is using the Act, and even in that, a
mere 8% of all the applications nationally were women. Rural-urban divide is also seen.
 Supply side problems:
1. Information & Record Management: The record management in the government departments is
still in shambles with issues like lack of computerization, files being lost or burnt, files and information
being dispersed across several offices of one department etc.
2. Implementation of Section 4: It mandates self disclosure by the authorities. Studies found that
more than 50% of the applications filed under the RTI Act ask for information that should have been
disclosed under Section 4.
3. Working of the Information Commissions: There is a huge pendency of cases, with close to
2 lakh appeals/complaints pending in 23 different commissions. 
4. Public Information Officers (PIOs): These officers are often not properly equipped or trained to
handle the responsibility of supplying information .
5. Lack of substantive authority: State Information Commissions do not have enough authority to
uphold accountability in functioning of public authorities; even penalties that are imposed are not
recovered.
6. Lack of Ownership by State Government: Lack of ownership of the Act by state
governments has also resulted in scarcity of financial resources for the functioning of the Act. 
Way forward:
A lot remains to be done to make transparency and accountability a regular feature of governance in India.
Given that the weakness of the RTI lies in its weak implementation, the next phase of RTI act needs to
focus on increasing the authority of implementing agencies, especially the SICs to ensure much needed
compliance from government agencies.

Q2. Constitutionalisation of Panchayati Raj paved the way for grass root empowerment
in India. In this regard discuss the salient features of the 73rd amendment Act, 1992.
Approach
 Introduce with how 73rd Amendment Act, 1992 was significant
 Discuss the salient features of this act
 Conclude Appropriately
Model Answer :
The 73rd amendment Act, 1992 has given practical shape to the Directive Principles of State Policy by
Constitutionalising the Panchayati Raj in India and transformed the representative democracy into a
participatory one.
Its salient features are:
1. Three tier system: In every state, the panchayat will be at three levels i.e, village, intermediate
and district level.
2. Gram Sabha: Village assembly comprises of all registered voters in the area of a panchayat and
serves as the foundation of Panchayati Raj. The powers and functions of a Gram Sabha are determined by
the respective state legislatures.
3. Election of representatives: All members at all levels are directly elected by people. The
chairperson of panchayat at village level is elected as per provisions of the state legislature and chairperson
of panchayat at remaining two tiers are elected indirectly by and from amongst elected members.
4. Reservations: There is proportionate reservation for SCs and STs at every level of the Panchayati
Raj. Also, women are provided with minimum one-third reservations at all the levels of panchayats. The
state legislature may also make provisions for reservations of OBCs.
5. Duration: A panchayat is given a five year term, but it can be dissolved before its completion of
the term. A definite timeline is given for holding fresh elections and if a panchayat is dissolved
prematurely then the original period of five years then the reconstituted panchayat will hold office only for
the remaining period.
6. State Election Commission: The conduct of Panchayati Raj elections is vested in the state
election commission consisting of a state election commissioner appointed by the governor of the state.
7. State Finance Commission: The Governor of a state will, after every five years, constitute a
finance commission to review the financial position of panchayats. 
However, the performance of Panchayats has lot left to be desired, especially in light of limited powers and
financial autonomy provided to them by the States. A lot can be done to improve the performance of
panchayats, including greater financial autonomy, capacity building, infrastructure improvement and less
bureaucratic control.
 Despite being in the position of a titular Head of the State, therole of President of India
in Indian democracy has been more than just symbolic. Comment.
Approach:
 In the introduction, briefly talk about the Constitutional status of the President of
India
 Analyze the institution of President for being symbolic/substantive
 Explain how over the last seven decades the institution of President has evolved
 Conclude by giving your opinion on the issue
Model Answer :
The Preamble of Indian Constitution clearly articulates India as a Republic, signifying that India has an
elected Head of the State. The Constitution envisaged this institution to maintain continuity
in administration. Since the President is Constitutionally bound to act on the advise of the Council of
Ministers and has few discretionary powers, he/she is referred to as the titular head of the State. 
However, the Constitution of India and conventions provide several discretionary powers to the President
of India, which shows that its institution is more than just symbolic:
 In case of a hung Parliament, the President may invite the leader of the party he deems capable
of proving its majority to form the government.
 U/Art. 78(c) he can use his discretion to enforce collective responsibility of the CoM  
 He can exercise what are referred to as Suspensive Veto and Pocket Veto to halt legislation that he
deems unconstitutional or not in good faith
Over the last seven decades, notwithstanding some instances like proclamation of emergency under
pressure from the then Prime Minister, the Presidents have been a significant presence in keeping a watch
over state of affairs. For instance:
 Dr Rajendra Prasad believed that the President was not bound to accept all the pieces of advice of
the Prime Minister and his Council of Ministers.
 Pocket Veto was used in 1986 by the then President Zail Singh in the Postal (Amendment) Bill.
The President did not assent to the bill by arguing that the scope of the bill was too sweeping which would
give the government arbitrary powers to intercept postal communications indiscriminately.
 In mid-2006, President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam sent back a controversial bill regarding the exclusion
of certain offices from the scope of 'offices of profit'.
Thus, it can be said that the Presidents of India have fulfilled greater roles in shaping the nation and have
not remained mere figureheads. In a country marked by immense diversity of language, culture,
preferences, and leadership, the Indian Presidents have served to remain a strong unifying factor and
symbol of the nation’s prestige.

The Constitution of India provides pardoning power to the executive. Explain the
pardoning powers of the President, and discuss how the scope of the pardoning power
of the President is wider than the pardoning power of the Governor?
Approach
 Introduce with why pardoning powers are provided to the executives
 Highlight the Pardoning powers of the President under Article 72
 Discuss how the scope of the pardoning power of the President is wider than the
pardoning power of the Governor
 Conclude appropriately
Model Answer :
The Constitution of India grants clemency powers to the President and the Governors of States,
respectively through Articles 72 and 161 of the Constitution of India. These powers are to allow for
correction of any possible judicial errors and to provide relief to those they regard as being punished
unduly harshly.
Pardoning powers of the President:
 Under Article 72(1) of the Constitution, the President is empowered to grant pardons, reprieves,
respites or remissions of punishment, or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any individual who
has been convicted of offences in all cases where:
1. In all cases where the punishment or sentence is by a Court Martial;
2. In all cases where the punishment or sentence is for an offence against any law relating to
a matter to which the executive power of the Union extends;
3. In all cases where the sentence is a sentence of death.
The scope of the pardoning power of the President under Article 72 is wider than the pardoning power of
the Governor under Article 161. The power differs in the following two ways:
 The power of the President to grant pardon extends in cases where the punishment or sentence is
by a Court Martial, but Article 161 does not provide any such power to the Governor.
 The President can grant pardon in all cases where the sentence given is sentence of death, but
pardoning power of Governor does not extend to death sentence cases.
The pardoning power of President and Governor is bound by the advice of their respective Councils of
Ministers. The Supreme Court held that the pardoning power is subject to judicial review in case of mala
fide, irrelevant, irrational or discriminating pardons.

There has been some criticism of the government's plan to invest in high speed railway
(HSR). Discuss the demerits and merits of HSR.
Approach:
 Introduce with the HSR project that was launched
 Highlight the demerits
 Enumerate the merits
 Conclude appropriately
Model Answer :
In 2017, foundation stone was laid for the ambitious Rs 1 lakh crore Ahmedabad-Mumbai high-speed rail
project. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Union Railway Ministry have inked a
MoU for the 508-km corridor. However, it led to criticism from some quarters in light of the high
expenditure.
Demerits of High Speed Railway:
1. The huge financial expenditure can further strain the country's limited resources, which can
invested in sectors like health and education. 
2. India may not be ready as it is still in a learning phase in terms of safe operation of its present
trains. We need to first ensure that we have build proper managerial capacity and accident free running of
the trains before jumping to the next level. 
Merits of High Speed Railway:
1. More intensive urbanisation as well as rising incomes would lead to higher travel propensity.
2. They have the highest safety standards as can be seen from the fact that Japan had no accidents in
decades.
3. With the average operating speeds of around 250 km/h, HSR helps bring settlements 500 km
apart within two hours of each other.
4. The financing for the project is mostly by Japan on highly favourable terms with low interest rates
and great leeway in repayment.
5. The technology transfer envisaged in this project will benefit Indian Railways, and boost the Make
in India initiative.
6. High-speed electric trains are energy-efficient and environment friendly, and only emits an eight
and a fifth of carbon dioxide as against automobiles and airplanes per passenger km, respectively.
7. HSR can been a catalyst for economic growth, a stimulus for the development of satellite towns,
helping alleviate migration to metropolises, as seen in Japan.
A nation of India’s size, potential and aspirations has to acquire the best technologies in line with the high
ambition and willpower of “New India.” Such technologies can also have a great downstream impact, as
seen when India adapted to technological advances like computers and smart phones.