UPSC Mains Daily Answer Writing (05-12-2022) - GS 4


Questions

Q1. “Education means enabling the mind to find out that ultimate truth which emancipates us from the bondage of dust and gives us wealth not of things but of inner light.” Examine the role of education in building an enlightened society. (150 words)                      10 marks

Q2. What do you mean by “emotional strength”? Why is emotional strength important for human wellbeing? (150 words)                                 10 marks


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Model Solutions

Q1. “Education means enabling the mind to find out that ultimate truth which emancipates us from the bondage of dust and gives us wealth not of things but of inner light.” Examine the role of education in building an enlightened society. (150 words) 10 marks

Model Structure
Introduction:

  • Education enables us to gather not material gains, but wisdom. Wisdom in turn expands the outlook of the society through the probing activities of enlightened minds.

Main Body:

Education plays an important role in building an enlightened society in following ways:

  • Education facilitates socio-economic development by building the capacity of people to escape poverty and satisfy other basic needs.
  • Brings change: Education enhances the thinking capabilities and also increases the awareness about one’s rights and duties.
    • For example, highly educated Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a pioneer in social change for women’s rights.
  • With Vocational freedom, people can decide to work based on their interests like engineers, scientists, artists etc. This can reduce the stress levels and even foster innovations for a better society tomorrow.
  • Builds a knowledge society, where people understand deep social and ethical concerns which help them inculcate values such as altruism, empathy, compassion among others.
    • This enhances social capital leading to an enlightened society.
  • Spiritual growth: Education provokes individuals to think deep about oneself and life, which makes people move away from purely materialistic goals.

Conclusion:

  • Education is the most powerful tool which can change the world but it is important that it also focuses on character building. In modern knowledge-based society, the emphasis on education cannot be overstated either for the mundane or for the exploratory mind.

Q2. What do you mean by “emotional strength”? Why is emotional strength important for human wellbeing? (150 words) 10 marks

Model Structure
Introduction:

  • Emotional strength is the internal fortitude or the ability of an individual to respond rather than react in intensely emotional situations. Emotional strength is a component of emotional intelligence, as such, it involves selfawareness, self-regulation and self-motivation. This helps us to change the way we understand our emotions in daily life.
  • For example, issues in pandemic and lockdown like the merger of personal and professional life due to work from home, limited mobility, loss of loved ones, survivors' guilt etc. require emotional strength.

Main Body:

Emotional strength plays important role in human wellbeing because:

  • Focus on solutions over problems: Facing obstacles is a part of life. People with emotional strength focus on answers to problems rather than getting distracted by problems themselves.
    • Dr. Rajendra Bharud, district collector of Nandurbar, Maharashtra, has managed to protect his district in the second wave of the pandemic with systematic preparation beforehand.
  • Practice emotional intelligence: Emotionally strong people easily understand one’s own emotions and those of others to regulate and manage them and utilize them to execute tasks.
    • For example, fighting at home does not lead to a bad mood at the office in an emotionally strong person due to better management and regulation of emotions.
  • Seeking respect not attention: Emotionally strong people seek long-term respect from peers rather than short-term attention.
    • This brings greater satisfaction and happens to achieve the well-being of an individual.
  • Comfortable with themselves: People with emotional strength are completely comfortable with the achievement of their life; they can easily neglect destructive criticism of others to focus on important things of life.
  • Letting go of grudges: Emotionally strong people know that it is more detrimental to hold grudges than it is to let them go. The trait of forgiveness is always found in them.
    • Example, an emotionally strong person may forgive a friend for cheating him/her rather than holding a grudge against him/her.

Conclusion:

  • Emotional strength must be learned with greater practicing of emotional intelligence. It can be enhanced in person by training modules at education and work institutions. Apart from this use of workshops, role-play games,meditation and practice of mindfulness could improve emotional strength among people.
  • Emotional strength makes a person more confident and also helps in feeling the pleasures of life at a much greater level.
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