MAINS 2016
GS2
12.5 marks
Effectiveness of the government system at various levels and people’s participation in the governance system are inter-dependent. Discuss their relationship with each other in the context of India.
WRITE IN
9 min
200 words
What the examiner wants
Discuss how effective government and people's participation reinforce each other in India.
DiscussExplain the different sides of the issue, use evidence, and finish with a balanced view.
Demand-wise check
- 1Participation improves effectiveness: local knowledge, social audits, feedback, ownership≈35 words
- 2Effectiveness builds participation: trust, visible delivery, grievance redress≈35 words
- 3Indian cases: gram sabhas, MGNREGA social audits, MyGov, participatory budgeting, Kerala People's Plan≈35 words
- 4Barriers: elite capture, weak devolution, low awareness≈35 words
Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.
Answer plan
Two-way linkExamples each wayBarriersMeasuresConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Discussing the two separately without the interdependence
- Only national-level examples
Draw this
- Two-way arrow diagram: effectiveness ⇄ participation
Value addition
- ExampleKerala's People's Plan Campaign (1996) devolved about 35-40% of state plan funds to local bodies.Kerala, 1996
- LawSection 17 of MGNREGA mandates social audit by the Gram Sabha.MGNREGA 2005
- ThinkerSherry Arnstein's 'Ladder of Citizen Participation' (1969) separates tokenism from real citizen power.Arnstein, 1969
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Aditya Srivastava · AIR 1 · Page 32 ↗Reviewed PYQ reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 41 ↗Reviewed PYQ reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 13 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
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