UPSC Mains 2025 GS2 Q8 — Civil Society Organizations
Civil Society Organizations are often perceived as being anti-State actors than non-State actors. Do you agree? Justify. (Answer in 150 words)
Question Decoded — examiner's intent
- Directive verbs
- Do you agree?Justify
- Scope keywords
- Civil Society Organizationsanti-State actorsnon-State actors
- Implicit sub-parts
- What defines the traditional role of CSOs as 'non-State' collaborative actors?
- Why have CSOs recently been labeled as 'anti-State' (e.g., foreign funding issues, developmental obstructions, ideological clashes)?
- Evidence or arguments to counter the 'anti-State' perception to show their role in deepening democracy.
- A balanced synthesis on how CSOs can maintain autonomy while being constructive partners.
- Common pitfalls
- Writing a generic essay on the benefits of NGOs without addressing the 'anti-State' vs 'non-State' distinction.
- Taking an overly biased stand either against the government or against CSOs instead of providing a balanced administrative perspective.
- Focusing only on high-profile protests (like Kudankulam or Narmada) while ignoring the routine service-delivery role of CSOs.
- Failing to mention the regulatory context such as FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) which is central to this perception.
- Dimensions required
- Legal/RegulatoryDevelopmentalDemocratic/ConstitutionalSecurity/StabilityEconomic
- Marks allocation hint
Spend 30 words defining the non-state actor role, 50 words addressing the 'anti-state' perception with examples like FCRA or developmental delays, 50 words justifying their necessity for democratic accountability to balance the view, and 20 words for a constructive conclusion.
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