UPSC Mains 2016 GS4 Q10 — Rehabilitation Case Study
Land needed for mining, dams and other large-scale projects is acquired mostly from Adivasis, hill dwellers and rural communities. The displaced persons are paid monetary compensation as per the legal provisions. However, the payment is often tardy. In any case, it cannot sustain the displaced families for long. These people do not possess marketable skills to engage in some other occupation. They end up as low paid migrant labourers. Moreover, their traditional ways of community living are destroyed. Thus, the benefits of development go to industries, industrialists and urban communities whereas the costs are passed on to these poor helpless people. This unjust distribution of costs and benefits is unethical. Suppose you have been entrusted with the task of drafting a better compensation-cum-rehabilitation policy for such displaced persons, how would you approach the problem and what would be the main elements of your suggested policy ? (250 words) 20
Question Decoded — examiner's intent
- Directive verbs
- how would you approachsuggested
- Scope keywords
- unjust distribution of costs and benefitstraditional ways of community livingmarketable skillscompensation-cum-rehabilitation policytardymonetary compensation
- Implicit sub-parts
- Identify the ethical principles guiding the new approach (e.g., distributive justice, trusteeship, social equity).
- Address the failure of 'one-time cash' and propose sustainable livelihood alternatives.
- Devise a mechanism for preserving community social capital and cultural identity during relocation.
- Propose administrative reforms to eliminate 'tardy' delivery and procedural delays.
- Common pitfalls
- Focusing too much on existing laws like LARR 2013 instead of proposing creative policy improvements.
- Failing to address the psychological and cultural trauma mentioned in the prompt (community living destruction).
- Suggesting high-tech jobs for displaced persons that are unrealistic given their lack of marketable skills.
- Treating it as a GS3 economy question instead of a GS4 ethics question regarding justice and fairness.
- Dimensions required
- Distributive JusticeSocio-cultural EthicsLivelihood SecurityProcedural IntegrityStakeholder Inclusivity
- Marks allocation hint
Spend approximately 50-60 words establishing the ethical framework of 'Development as Freedom' and Justice. Devote 100 words to the 'how to approach' section by emphasizing empathy and consultation. Use the remaining 90-100 words to detail specific policy elements like annuity-based payments, skill-mapping, and social impact audits.
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