UPSC Mains 2016 GS2 Q20 — International Organizations
What are the aims and objectives of the McBride Commission of the UNESCO ? What is India's position on these ? (Answer in 200 words)
Question Decoded — examiner's intent
- Directive verbs
- What areWhat is
- Scope keywords
- aims and objectivesMcBride CommissionUNESCOIndia's position
- Implicit sub-parts
- What is the NWICO (New World Information and Communication Order) context?
- How does the commission's report address the 'North-South divide' in media influence?
- Has India's stance evolved from the Cold War era to the current digital era?
- What specific recommendations did India champion regarding democratizing global news flows?
- Common pitfalls
- Writing too much about the history of UNESCO generally instead of focusing on the 1980 'Many Voices, One World' report.
- Failing to mention the concept of 'Media Imperialism' which was the core driver of the commission.
- Ignoring the US and UK withdrawal from UNESCO as a consequence of the report's recommendations.
- Vagueness on India's stance—needs to mention India's leadership in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the News Agencies Pool.
- Dimensions required
- Historical (Cold War geopolitics)Sociopolitical (Right to communicate vs. Right to information)Geopolitical (North-South Dialogue)Technological (Digital Sovereignty)
- Marks allocation hint
Allocate approximately 80 words to the 'Aims and Objectives' focusing on NWICO and media democratization. Use the remaining 120 words for 'India's Position,' emphasizing its historical role in NAM, its push for balanced information flow, and modern parallels like data sovereignty.
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