QUESTION 19
GS1
15 marks
Customs and traditions suppress reason leading to obscurantism. Do you agree?
WRITE IN
11 min
250 words
What the examiner wants
Take a stand on whether customs and traditions suppress reason and lead to obscurantism.
Do you agreeAnswer exactly what the question asks.
Demand-wise check
- 1Yes, sometimes: witch-hunting, child marriage, superstition, caste practices, menstrual taboos≈50 words
- 2No, not always: traditions carry knowledge (Ayurveda, water harvesting), identity and social cohesion≈50 words
- 3Reform from within tradition: Ram Mohan Roy, Phule, Narayana Guru≈50 words
- 4Constitutional duty to develop scientific temper (Article 51A(h))≈50 words
Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.
Answer plan
StandHarmful examplesUseful traditionsReformConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Rejecting all tradition
- No examples, e.g. witch-hunting, menstrual taboos vs reformers Ram Mohan Roy, Phule, Narayana Guru
Draw this
- Two columns: obscurantist vs rational traditions
Value addition
- LawMaharashtra Prevention of Human Sacrifice and Black Magic Act, 2013 followed Narendra Dabholkar's campaign and murder.Maharashtra Act, 2013
- LawArticle 51A(h): duty to develop scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform.Constitution of India
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 11 minutes, then get it checked.