QUESTION 6(a)
GS4
10 marks
There is enough on this earth for every one's need but for no one's greed. — Mahatma Gandhi.
WRITE IN
7 min
150 words
What the examiner wants
Explain Gandhi's need-versus-greed idea and what it means for society and public servants today.
ExplainMake clear how and why it happens: causes, process, and an example for each point.
Demand-wise check
- 1Meaning: scarcity is created by greed and unequal use, not by nature; limit wants to what is needed≈30 words
- 2Present context: climate crisis and overconsumption, resource conflicts, extreme inequality, corruption as greed in office≈30 words
- 3Gandhian answers: trusteeship (wealth held for society), voluntary simplicity, Sarvodaya≈30 words
- 4For administrators: frugal use of public funds, refusing gifts, fair distribution of scarce resources≈30 words
Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.
Answer plan
MeaningThree present-day arenas (environment, inequality, corruption)Gandhian remediesPublic service application
Where marks usually go
- Writing only about the environment
- Restating the quote without any current illustration
Draw this
- Balance scale: needs (food, water, shelter) vs greed (excess consumption, hoarding, corruption)
Value addition
- PolicyMission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment, 2022) promotes mindful consumption over mindless consumption.Government of India, 2022
- ConceptGandhi's trusteeship: the rich hold surplus wealth as trustees for society.M.K. Gandhi, Harijan
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 23 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Vidushi Singh · AIR 13 · Page 5 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Aakash Garg · AIR 5 · Page 7 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 7 minutes, then get it checked.