Gandhi Jayanti Special: How and why Gandhi acquires centre stage in UPSC Mains exam

The evident section: History question of GS-I

If you look astatine the syllabus GS-I paper, the Freedom Struggle forms an indispensable portion of it. It goes without saying that this conception sees the dominance of themes astir Mahatma Gandhi arsenic a person of the state question and his contributions to India’s Freedom. This is besides reflected successful galore questions asked.

Role, contribution, and comparisons

UPSC has asked respective questions straight regarding Mahatma Gandhi’s publication during antithetic stages of the state movement, and examination with different nationalist leaders successful their approaches to the conflict for freedom, education, and nationalism. Thus, it becomes a cardinal country of absorption for aspirants, particularly successful grasping penetration into India’s socio-political scenery during the pre-independence period.

When it comes to the relation and publication of Gandhi, the fashionable movements and episodes from past autumn successful the easier class of questions. Some examples are the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, aboriginal Satyagraha Movements (Champaran, Kheda, and Ahmedabad), Non-Cooperation Movement, Civil Disobedience Movement, Quit India Movement, and Partition of India. These questions are basal textbook kinds of questions that request immoderate simple preparation. That’s wherefore it is ever advised to instrumentality your schoolhouse acquisition seriously.

Comparisons with antithetic personalities are an absorbing acceptable of questions that UPSC often asks. You often spot successful nationalist debates that Mahatma Gandhi is compared and contrasted with different modern leaders and personalities. Even UPSC asks you to bash the same, nevertheless successful an world way. The questions revolve astir the examination of the Gandhian attack to the state movement, education, and nationalism with those of  B.R. Ambedkar, Subhash Chandra Bose, and Rabindranath Tagore.

Rabindranath Tagore and Gandhi successful 1940 (Wikimedia.org)

Here are immoderate questions that volition assistance you cognize the types and standards of questions that UPSC asks comparing Gandhi with others.

— “Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, contempt having divergent approaches and strategies, had a communal extremity of amelioration of the downtrodden. Elucidate.” (UPSC CSE Mains 2015)

— “Highlight the differences successful the attack of Subhash Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi successful the conflict for freedom.” (UPSC CSE Mains 2016)

— “What were the differences betwixt Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore successful their attack towards acquisition and nationalism?” (UPSC CSE Mains 2023)

These comparisons are not conscionable random ones. These are portion of the agelong contented of humanities probe and debates which person an important spot successful the past of our country. Who other tin beryllium compared with Mahatma Gandhi? Any guesses?

Linking Themes with Gandhian Phase

So important is Gandhi successful our History that an full signifier is named aft him — The Gandhian phase. One indispensable not beryllium amazed if UPSC asks questions astir antithetic sections of nine linked to the Gandhian phase. For illustration present is however UPSC asked questions astir women:

Discuss the relation of women successful the state conflict particularly during the Gandhian phase. (UPSC Mains 2016)

So, should we besides expect questions connected the roles of students, farmers, etc successful the Gandhian phase? UPSC doesn’t privation to suggest that you over-explore the topics but decidedly cognize your history.

Questions for mature minds

Gandhi remained applicable adjacent aft the years of independence. His ideas of non-violence and satyagraha person been inspirations for respective movements each implicit the world. It is often expected of you to deliberation and link with the ideals and lives of celebrated personalities. Isn’t it?

UPSC excessively doesn’t bounds itself to humanities boundaries and expects the aboriginal bureaucrats to beryllium not conscionable bookworms but deterioration reasoning hats astatine times. Hence, UPSC keeps throwing absorbing surprises similar these.

— “Throw airy connected the value of the thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi successful the contiguous times.” (UPSC CSE 2018)

— How antithetic would person been the accomplishment of Indian independency without Mahatma Gandhi? Discuss. (UPSC CSE 2015)

So, adjacent clip erstwhile you travel crossed specified questions, don’t beryllium surprised. UPSC wants to prime reasoning administrators for this nation.

Gandhi beyond History

Gandhi arsenic a taxable is not conscionable constricted to history. Ask immoderate societal sciences pupil and she oregon helium volition archer you that Gandhi is applicable successful astir each the sections.

Here are immoderate examples that volition assistance you notation to Gandhi whenever you woody with a taxable successful non-history sections.

According to Mahatma Gandhi,

“Decentralisation of Political and economical powerfulness provides for the moving of ideology based upon idiosyncratic state and inaugural and for the idiosyncratic being allowed to enactment successful the authorities of the country.”

The Gandhian conception of decentralisation has besides been incorporated into our constitution arsenic Directive Principles of State Policy. In turn, becoming indispensable successful the GS- II insubstantial wherever it constitutes the syllabus successful the polity section.

To recognize further, instrumentality a look astatine what was asked successful GS – II, the 1 related to Polity, Governance, and Social Justice: “To what extent, successful your opinion, has the decentralisation of powerfulness successful India changed the governance scenery astatine the grassroots?” (UPSC 2022)

Similarly, questions person been asked connected the relation of self-help groups and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs). Guess the Gandhi link here?

Here is different illustration that tin beryllium cited.

Gandhi believed that the authorities should purpose astatine the payment of the radical astatine ample and peculiarly should facilitate to eradication of poverty, hunger, and illiteracy and make employment successful the agrarian areas.

Gandhian economics focusses connected self-reliance, employment generation, and the upliftment of the marginalised. If you analyse the GS-III questions, the UPSC regularly asks questions connected inclusive maturation and reforms for the betterment of the marginalised. In 2021, it acceptable a question connected National nutrient information and its relation successful the elimination of hunger and malnutrition successful India.

As an intelligent campaigner volition you not item Gandhi successful specified questions, whether arsenic a portion of the instauration oregon conclusion?

Gandhi and his quotes: Easy to decode for aspirants, easier to framework a question for UPSC.

Mahatma Gandhi has been a favourite taxable successful GS -IV, particularly owed to his quotes. The syllabus mentions the contributions of motivation thinkers and philosophers of India and the world. Gandhi catches the maximum limelight present too, it seems. Here are a fewer quotes that UPSC has asked successful the past years which you indispensable instrumentality a look at:

“There is capable connected this world for everyone’s request but for nary one’s greed.” (2013)

“The anemic tin ne'er forgive. Forgiveness is the property of the strong.” (2015)

“A antheral is but the merchandise of his thoughts. What helium thinks, helium becomes.” (2019)

“The champion mode to find yourself is to suffer yourself successful the work of others .” (2020)

“The simplest acts of kindness are by acold much almighty than a 1000 heads bowing successful prayer.” (2023)

By the way, immoderate thought astir the 7 sins of Gandhi? UPSC asked this too.

The Gandhian doctrine – Nai Talim, Truth, Satyagraha, Non-violence, Sarvodaya, Swadeshi, and Trusteeship are halfway areas to people good successful the Essays arsenic well. The relevance of his doctrine successful economy, environment, governance, and overseas argumentation is paramount. In 2013, his quote, ‘Be the alteration you privation to spot successful others.’ was an effort topic. Easy, isn’t it? But adjacent if not asked directly, Gandhi tin beryllium your go-to property to capable up your pages of effort sheets with value-enriching content. Ever tried? Ask a veteran.

Evoking Gandhi successful modern issues

Also erstwhile you work the paper bash not miss however Gandhi becomes applicable successful the quality astir governance, society, economy, environment, planetary relations, etc. For example: India’s basal successful the Russia-Ukraine war reflects Gandhi’s doctrine of bid and non-violence. Hence, Gandhian principles stay eternal and a guiding unit for India’s overseas and home policies.

So what…

As a UPSC aspirant, keeping Gandhian doctrine and values adjacent to your preparation, some successful missive and spirit, tin assistance you to make a deeper knowing of assorted themes and topics of the elaborate syllabus of UPSC – some static and current. Thus, speechmaking Gandhi is simply a indispensable to recognize modern issues, and constitute amended answers. Of course, you can’t miss the Gandhian signifier for the History section. Remember, Gandhi whitethorn not person been asked straight arsenic a question successful immoderate years similar successful 2024 Mains GS-I. But did you decorativeness penning your Main exams without mentioning him successful your answers? That is your constituent to ponder.

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