QUESTION 3(a)
GS4
10 marks
Analyse John Rawls's concept of social justice in the Indian context.
WRITE IN
7 min
150 words
What the examiner wants
Analyse Rawls's theory of justice and its fit with Indian conditions.
AnalyseBreak it into parts, show how the parts connect, and judge which matter most.
Demand-wise check
- 1Theory: original position, veil of ignorance; two principles: equal basic liberties; fair equality of opportunity and difference principle≈35 words
- 2Indian reflection: Fundamental Rights, DPSPs (Art 38, 46), reservations, progressive taxation, welfare schemes≈35 words
- 3Limits: caste and group identities, Sen's critique favouring realisations over ideal institutions≈35 words
Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.
Answer plan
TheoryIndian constitutional and policy parallelsCritiqueConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Not explaining the difference principle
- No link to Indian context
Draw this
- Diagram of veil of ignorance leading to two principles
Value addition
- ThinkerJohn Rawls, A Theory of Justice (1971).Rawls, 1971
- CaseIndra Sawhney (1992) upheld OBC reservations as a means of substantive equality.Supreme Court, 1992
- ThinkerAmartya Sen's The Idea of Justice (2009) contrasts 'niti' (institutions) with 'nyaya' (realised justice).Sen, 2009
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Aakash Garg · AIR 5 · Page 7 ↗Same syllabus reference
- G Sanjana · AIR 55 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Vidushi Singh · AIR 13 · Page 5 ↗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.