smu assignment

1. ASSIGNMENT DRIVE
SPRING 2015
PROGRAM
BA – ENGLISH
SEMESTER VI
SUBJECT CODE & NAME - BAS 601 – GENERAL STUDIES AND APTITUDE
BK ID B1895 CREDIT 4 MARKS 60
Q.No 1 Comment on the implications of the caste system in India. 10
Answer:
The social structure of India is based upon the caste system. The caste system as originally conceived was
different from what it is today. The ancient Indian scriptures make anexplicit mention of the society
comprising four varnas:
• The Brahmins
• Kshatriyas
• Vaishyas
• Shudras
Actually, these four varnas denoted the specific roles of the people constituting a society. People were allotted
status according to different callings. Those who were engaged in acquisition and imparting of knowledge
were called the Brahmins; people responsible for the rule, administration and defence of the society were
called Kshatriyas; those who were engaged in trade and commerce are called Vaishyas and the last category
were people who did other jobs necessary for living and were called the Shudras. As the fourth category
included a number of professions, the Shudras far outnumbered people belonging to the other three
categories. There was, however, no binding based on one’s birth and a person belonging to a lower category
had the option of rising to a higher category by enhancing the skills required for it. For instance, the great
sage Vishwamitra, though born to a Kshatriya king, thought of renouncing the mundane affairs of day-to-day
life and set out in the pursuit of higher truth. Once his astounding knowledge of the divine aspect of human
understanding was established, he was elevated to the rank of a Brahmin and called a Brahmarshi instead of
a Rajarshi, i.e., a Kshatriya sage. Similarly, the son of a Brahmin degenerated into a Shudra, if he accepted
and practised the calling thought to be socially low. The Hindu scriptures, in fact, prescribed only four castes
(varnas) and that too on the basis of functionality.

2. It was purely a vocational classification of society based on duty. But today, it has become a four-fold
gradation of society based upon one’s birth in a particular caste. Castes are further divided into sub-castes
each having a distinct place in the social hierarchy. Caste system is closely associated with the Hindus and
also to some extent; it exists among the Muslims, Christians and Sikhs.
Caste creates social gradation and social groupings, which leads to social distinction, discrimination and
disintegration. The British exploited casteism to keep Indians divided and to perpetuate their rule over India.
The caste of a person is determined by the caste of the family in which he or she is born. If someone happens
to be born in a caste which was considered low, he or she is subjected to inhumane and discriminatory
treatment. His or her caste becomes a curse for life without any fault of his or her.
Q2 Explain Corporate Social Responsibility and enumerate the three chief principles of
Corporate Social Responsibility.
 Meaning……………………… 1 mark
 The three primary principles……………………… 3 + 3+3 mark =10
Answer:
Meaning:-
CSR is a business model that follows a code of business ethics and international business practices, adhering
to the laws of the state. It reaps positive growth for the business and its stakeholders.
Three primary principles:
1. Stakeholder-driven CSR
This type of CSR is a response to stakeholder pressures. The response tends to be more reactive to
stakeholder pressures, and often degenerates into a public relations exercise for protecting the image and
reputation of the company (which is obviously a costly asset and one that can be easily damaged by the ability
of stakeholders to voice their concerns in the media more convincingly). We can state the principle of
stakeholder-driven CSR as going beyond the self-interest and engaging in stakeholder dialogue that furthers
mutually the interests of stakeholders and of the company, balancing various interests, limiting the perceived
harm done through business actions and limiting the effect of (un)ethical business actions. Holding
companies accountable and asking them to voluntarily disclose critical information and be transparent
becomes difficult.

3. 2. Value-driven CSR
In this type of CSR, the company has its core values and the CSR is the live expression of those core values,
which the corporation expects from all its employees, both as a means of communicating the meaning and
purpose of life and also enhancing the quality of life. It is more driven from withinby the policy and culture
of the company.
We can state the principle of value-driven CSR as going beyond the law and giving full expression to its core
values, defining what is right for the corporation in terms of the core values and their pursuit. A corporation
in this sense would aim at maximizing the ‘intangible’ value of the company for all, which recognizes the core
values (ethics of the company) as prime assets that make up the good corporation.
3. Performance-driven CSR
In this type of CSR, the company has found a way to integrate business strategy and ethics (CSR) which is
more proactive, self-regulative and advantageous both for the company and for the society. It is part of the
corporate performance.
We can state the principle of performance-driven CSR as measuring the company performance in a more
comprehensive manner which seeks to internalize the externalities of its own actions and thus aims to be
more accountable and transparent to society, in such a way as to ensure mutual sustainability of the company
and the society.
Thus, CSR has some of its roots in responding to societal problems and unrest. From such early philanthropic
origins, it has now become a widespread business practice and is increasingly integrated with business
performance strategy. Performance-drivenCSR integration is becoming the norm. Whether or not this leads
to greater social welfare and also long-term business success may depend on the changing notions of
sustainability. Shell, for instance, has all three strands of CSR in its sustainability report and shows how a
company today can put behind its past and be a good CSR company or a sustainable global company for the
future.
Q3 Attempt a critical analysis of the relevance of the National Food Security Bill. 10
Answer:
India’s high economic growth rate in the past decade has not been fully reflected in the health status of its
people, since 22 per cent of its population is undernourished. According to the National Family Health

4. Survey (2005-06), about 40 per cent of children under the age of 3 years are underweight; 33 per cent of
women in the age group of 15–49 years have a body mass index below normal and 79 per cent children in the
age group of 6–35 months are anaemic.
These are disturbing statistics, which point to nutritional deficiencies. The National Advisory Council (NAC)
proposed a National Food Security Bill to tackle this problem. It is perhaps the most important national effort
to eliminate these deficiencies in India.
It is correct to say that the relationship between economic growth and health is unidirectional with improving
economic conditions leading to better health. In reality, and as confirmed by a recent research, the reverse is
equally true that health is an ‘economic engine’. This means that better health, which is an important end in
itself, is a necessary prerequisite for economic development. Hence, the NFSB (National Food Security Bill)
proposed by the NAC is a potentially revolutionary bill that can have a huge impact on the economy. Well
crafted and effectively executed, it can transform the lives of the Indian people. The salient features of the
NFSB proposed by the NAC are as follows:
• Legal entitlement to subsidized food grains to be extended to at least 75% of the country’s population–90%
in rural areas and 50% in urban areas.
• The priority households (46% in rural areas and 28% in urban areas) to have a monthly entitlement of 35 kg
(equivalent to 7 kgs per person) at a subsidized price of `1 per kg for millets, `2 per kg for wheat and `3 per
kg for rice.
• The general households (39% rural and 12% urban in phase 1 and 44% rural and 22% urban in the final
phase) to have a monthly entitlement of 20 kgs (equivalent to 4 kgs per person) at a price not exceeding 50%
of the current Minimum Support Price for millets, wheat and rice.
• The minimum coverage, entitlement and price to remain unchanged until the end of the Twelfth Five Year
Plan
• The Government of India to specify the criteria for the categorization of population into priority and general
households
• In the first phase, food entitlement is to be extended to 72 per cent of the population. In the final phase, to
be completed before 31 March 2014, the full coverage of food entitlement (to 75 per cent of the population) to
be ensured
• Legal entitlements for child and maternal nutrition, destitute and other vulnerable groups

5. • Reform of the Public Distribution System
Q4 Compare the current system of tackling corruption and the proposed Lokpal-Lokayukta
system. 10
Answer:
A ‘Lokpal’ or a ‘Lokayukta’ are anti corruption citizen’s ombudsman organizations in India. A lokpal is at the
central level while the lokayukta is at the state level. The idea behind these measures is to establish
organizations who will have the power and independence to investigate and prosecute cases of corruption.
The Lokpal and the Lokayukta work on behalf of Indian citizens to protect the interests of the public from
abuse of public office at the level of the central and state governments, respectively.
The idea behind the enactment of acts related to the Lokpal and the Lokayukta is that their establishment will
do away with the multiplicity of anticorruption agencies and will be able to investigate corruption cases
independent of the government.
Table 6.1 illustrates the difference between the current system of monitoring corruption and the proposed
Jan Lokpall Bill of the India Against Corruption Movement.
Table 6.1 A Comparison between the Current System and the Proposed Lokpal-Lokayukta System
CURRENT SYSTEM PROPOSED LOKPAL
FUNCTIONING OFLOKPAL
1. Complaints on corruption are not registered as it is believed that nothing will come out of complaints.
2. In the current system, there is no time limit imposed in which a complaint against corruption is to be
investigated.
In the current system, an FIR against a high court or a supreme court judge cannot be registered without the
express permission of the chief justice. Under the proposed system, a full bench of the Lokpal will have the
power to investigate and register an FIR against any judge without any permission.

6. The quantum of imprisonment that is given for corruption cases is inadequate.
In the current system, ministers continue in their positions despite substantial evidence against them.
There is currently no provision in place to recover losses arising from a scam.
At present, there are multiple anti-corruption agencies. There is wastage of resources as sometimes multiple
agencies work on the same case.
– LOKAYUKTA SYSTEM
1. Anyone can approach Lokpal and Lokayukta with a complaint of corruption. Under the proposed system,
the Lokpal or Lokayukta will have to complete its enquiries or investigations within one year.
2. In the proposed system, the Lokpal and Lokayukta will have the powers to get a guilty official dismissed or
suspended.
3. The Lokpal or Lokayukta will make an annual estimate of the number of special courts required to ensure
that the trial in each case is completed within a year.
4. Every complaint shall have to be compulsorily disposed by Lokpal or Lokayukta. No complaint canbe
disposed of without giving a hearing to the complainant. JUDGES – SC & HC
At the time of conviction, the court will make an assessment of the loss caused by the accused, which shall be
recovered from them.
If the beneficiary of the corrupt practices is a business entity, five times the loss caused to the government
will be recovered. The recovery may be done from the assets of that business entity or the personal assets of
its directors.
The quantum of punishment will be increased and will be commensurate with the rank of the accused.
If the allegations against a minister are substantiated through anenquiry or investigation,the Lokpal or
Lokayukta will be able to recommend removal of that minister (other thanthe Prime Minister).

7. Under the proposed system all existing anti corruption agencies will come under the Lokpal.
Q5 Explain the status of the laws related to euthanasia in India. 10
Answer:
Euthanasia refers to bringing about of a mercifully easy and painless death for a person who is suffering from
an incurable and painful disease. According to the Concise Law Dictionary, Edition 2009, euthanasia or
mercy killing is ‘the causing or hastening of death, particularly of incurable or terminally ill patients, at their
own request’. Generally, it is treated as illegal and not distinguishable from murder.
Types of Euthanasia
The following are the two main types of euthanasia:
(i) Active euthanasia: It involves the use of force or lethal substance to kill a person.
(ii) Passive euthanasia: It involves withdrawing or withholding of medical treatment for the continuance
of life, which involves withdrawal of life support system from the patient, who is in a permanent vegetative
state. The difference between active and passive euthanasia is that active euthanasia requires something to be
done to end the life of the patient, while in passive euthanasia, something that is essential to the continuance
of a person’s life is not done, with a view to ending the life of the patient.
Further, euthanasia canbe categorized as follows:
(i) Voluntary euthanasia: It involves the process of euthanasia where the consent is being given by the
patient voluntarily. Voluntary consent shall be an informed voluntary consent.
(ii) Non-voluntary euthanasia: It involves the process of euthanasia where informed voluntary consent
cannot be obtained from the patient. In case a patient is suffering from a terminally ill disease, with
unbearable pain and agony, informed voluntary consent can be obtained, whereas in a case where the patient
is in a permanent vegetative stage, no informed voluntary consent canbe obtained. This creates a lot of legal
trouble in the case of passive euthanasia.

8. Informed consent is a person’s agreement to allow something to happen, made with full knowledge of the
risks involved and the alternatives. Further, free consent is what is defined as consent in the Contract Act,
1872 where a consent is said to be free when it is not caused by:
(a) Coercion
(b) Undue influence
(c) Fraud
(d) Misrepresentation
(e) Mistake
The overall legal position of euthanasia in the world stands as follows:
(a) Active euthanasia is illegal if not supported by legal provisions of the land.
(b) Passive euthanasia can be legal only when certain conditions and safeguards are put into place.
Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Dying
The difference between the two lies in who actually administers the lethal substance to the patient. In
euthanasia, a physician or a third party administers the lethal substance to the patient, whereas in physician-
assisted death or suicide, the patient himself administers the lethal substances on the advice of the doctor.
Q6 Why has the Right to Education garnered international attention? 10
Answer:
The Right to Education (RTE) is a universal entitlement to education enacted by the Indian Parliament in
2010. According to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the right to
education includes ‘the right to free, compulsory, primary education for all, an obligation to develop
secondary education that is accessible to all, in particular by the progressive introduction of free secondary
education, as well as an obligation to develop equitable access to higher education, ideally by the progressive
introduction of free higher education.’ The right to education is a law in Article 26 of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and Articles 200 and 14 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights. The incorporation of the Right to Education in India is a part of India’s rights-based
approach to development. How the RTE can be fulfilled can be assessed using the 4As framework. For RTE to
be a universal right, it must be available, accessible, acceptable and adaptable. The 4 As framework was
developed by the former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, Katarina Tomasevski.
Let us now look at the framework in detail:

9. • Availability: Education must be universal, free and compulsory. This can only be provided by the
government as they have ensure that there is adequate infrastructure and facilities in place for all children.
• Accessibility: Children must be able to have equal access of infrastructure facilities for their education
irrespective of their race, caste, class or gender.
• Acceptability: The method of teaching should be unbiased, objective allowing the students to be exposed
to a variety of views and beliefs. Health and safety should be emphasized within schools, including the
elimination of any forms of corporal punishment.
• Adaptability: Education programmes need to be adapted to the needs
of the local community and adjusted according to changes in society. Implementation
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that education is a right of everyone. However, the right
mainly applies to children and young adults. The rights to education can be separated into three levels:
• Primary (Elemental or Fundamental) Education shall be compulsory and free for all children,
regardless of their nationality, gender, place of birth, or any other discrimination.
• Secondary (or Elementary, Technical and Professional in the UDHR) Education must be
generally available and accessible.
• Higher Education (at the University Level) should be provided according to capacity. This means
that anyone who meets the necessary education standards should be able to go to university.
Both secondary and higher education shall be made accessible ‘by every appropriate means, and in particular
by the progressive introduction of free education’.
India enacted the right to education under an Act called the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory
Education Act or the Right to Education Act (RTE) on 4 August 2009. The Act describes the modalities of the
importance of free and compulsory education for children between 6 and 14 years in India under Article 21A
of the Indian Constitution. After the enactment of the RTE, India became one of 135 countries to make
education a fundamental right of every child.