[Essays] December Week4: Apoplectic Secularism, Syncretism, Spiritual Alzheimer, Pragmatic Diplomacy

1. Democracy and Development
2. Globalization, Diplomacy
3. Science, Education, History
4. Society, Culture, Religion
5. GS4: Ethics Paper

Democracy and Development

Essay list for December week2 and week4 will be released soon.

1. Apoplectic secularism, paranoid minoritarianism and repressive majoritarianism in India.
2. Democracy is not an instrument to attain power but a solemn commitment to serve the people (Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi)
3. Though we live in a world of nation-states, the idea of a homogeneous nation-state is clearly problematic. (Hamid Ansari)
4. Tradition and Revolution: The two concepts driving socio-political changes across ages.
5. Fight to eradicate poverty or quest for shared prosperity? (World banking moving from former to later.)
6. Development & good governance are the only ways ahead for India (Modi)
7. When socially divisive issues are frozen for future generations to tackle…
8. Democracy is one that promotes free speech, protects liberties and safeguards minority rights.
9. Ordinance raj: Constitutional impropriety or a necessity of Modern times?

Globalization, Diplomacy

1. A prudent foreign policy requires not “non-alignment” but selective alignments on the basis of mutual benefit across geographical and ideological divides.
2. A prudent foreign policy requires both pragmatism and opportunism.
3. Walls that prevent danger, also prevent entry of knowledge.
4. From Arab “spring” to Arab “winter”. (Context: ISIS and the rise of extremism)

Science, Education, History

1. Education system is not meant to produce robots, but to develop a holistic humanist vision along with science and technology,” (Modi)
2. The propensity to read the past into the present and the present into the past, is hazardous. (Hamid Ansari)
3. History without political Science has no fruit and Political Science without History has no roots ( Professor John Seeley)
4. The undercurrents of Anti-modernism in Modern India.
5. In history lies all the secrets of statecraft. (Churchill)

Society, Culture, Religion

1. Truth is a Pathless Land. (Jiddu Krishnamurti)
2. All identities are unnecessary except human being.  (Jiddu Krishnamurti) Elaborate
3. “Freedom is a state of nothingness”  (Jiddu Krishnamurti)
4. Wisdom brings freedom. (Jiddu Krishnamurti)
5. Humanity is inseparable from divinity (Charles Dickens)
6. Syncretism. (Meaning union of different systems of belief. Context: Ghar-Waapsi / religious conversions.)
7. When secularism becomes empty and religions become theocratic…
8. In the search for modernity and development, India has compromised on “quality”.
9. Modern man and Spiritual Alzheimer. (Pope says the lust for power, is creating this disease among men)
10. Communalism: a challenge to peace. (N. Ram)
11. Parliamentary obstructionism- a challenge to democracy. (Jaitley)
12. Relevance of Yoga for Modern world (This column got sufficient points)
13. Patriarchy and gender injustice: the defining characteristics of societies around the world.
14. Human identity altered by digital boom.
15. Men are simultaneously both perpetrators and victims of gender inequality
16. India: the superpower in spiritual world (Rajnath Singh)

GS4/Ethics

Discuss / elaborate following statements:

1. “Success cannot be achieved by endless squabbling, but by accepting responsibility and acting decisively.” Elaborate preferably with personal triumph.
2. Continuous personal development is essential in order to make positive contribute towards society. Elaborate preferable with personal experience.
3. “To win the respect and affection of people, to find the best in others, to leave the world a little better-This is success.” Elaborate with example of a famous personality. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
4. Credibility, respectability and trust- the three defining pillars of an exemplary leadership. Elaborate with example of a famous leader.
5. Discuss the significance of government process re-engineering for assuring good governance. (Modi says he’ll be doing this).
6. Sources of Good Governance: Simple and Inclusive technology and processes. (Ravi Shankar Prasad).
7. Suggest novel remedies to change the bureaucratic mindset from ABCD [Avoid Bypass, Confuse, and Delay] to ROAD [Responsibility Ownership Accountability Discipline]. (Context: Modi says he’ll do this).
8. Psychological warfare exists in all walks of life (Viswanath Anand)

Want to participate?

For earlier lists, visit Mrunal.org/essays.