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General Studies 2024 GS Paper II 10 marks 150 words Compulsory Comment

GS Paper II — Q6

Public charitable trusts have the potential to make India's development more inclusive as they relate to certain vital public…

Public charitable trusts have the potential to make India's development more inclusive as they relate to certain vital public issues. Comment. (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

कतिपय अत्यावश्यक सार्वजनिक मुद्दों से संबंधित होने के कारण, सार्वजनिक चैरिटेबल ट्रस्टों में भारत के विकास को अधिक समावेशी बनाने का सामर्थ्य है। टिप्पणी कीजिए। (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में लिखिए)

Q6 of the 2024 UPSC Mains General Studies GS Paper II, as printed
The question as printed in the 2024 General Studies paper
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Model answer

Written by UPSC Answer Check against this question's marking rubric, to the 150-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key.

Public charitable trusts, functioning for public benefit without a profit motive under frameworks linked to the Indian Trusts Act, 1882, are vital catalysts for fostering inclusive development.

Promoting Socio-Economic Inclusion

  • Education: Foundations like Tata Trusts and Azim Premji Foundation bridge rural-urban learning divides through grassroots capacity building.
  • Healthcare: Models like Aravind Eye Care and Narayana Health democratize affordable, quality healthcare for marginalized sections through cross-subsidization.
  • Livelihood and Environment: Initiatives like SEWA and the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) empower rural women and promote community-led environmental conservation.

Crucially, these trusts complement the state by bridging implementation deficits where government welfare schemes face last-mile delivery constraints.

However, issues such as regulatory gaps, opaque financial disclosures, risks of elite capture, and inadequate state-trust coordination hinder their optimal impact. Strengthening governance frameworks and institutionalizing public-trust partnerships are essential to fully harness their potential for equitable national growth.

What "Comment" is asking you to do

Take a position on the statement and support it. Comment usually attaches to a quoted line in the short slots, so the reasoning must be compressed — an opening view, a few load-bearing reasons, and the limit of the claim.

Structure that answers it

Unpack what the statement asserts → your stance → two or three supporting reasons → the qualification that limits it

Where marks are lost

Neutral summary; a comment without a stance has not answered. Equally costly is accepting the quoted line wholesale and never testing where it fails.

All UPSC directive words, compared →

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

Framework: GS2 Governance & Social Justice. comment: context > arguments both sides > judgment > close Full marks: Balanced judgment with specific examples and a clear reform path

Key points expected

  • Define Public Charitable Trusts (PCTs) and their mandate
  • Link PCTs to specific vital public issues (health, education, welfare)
  • Provide a balanced judgment on their potential for inclusive development
  • Conclude with a realistic reform or way forward

Evaluation rubric

Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.

  1. The answer Context on PCTs > Arguments for/against inclusive potential > Judgment on their role 10 marks · 150 words

    comment— context → arguments both sides → judgment → close

    Must cover

    • Define Public Charitable Trusts (PCTs) and their mandate
    • Link PCTs to specific vital public issues (health, education, welfare)
    • Provide a balanced judgment on their potential for inclusive development
    • Conclude with a realistic reform or way forward

    Loses marks

    • Reciting the Indian Trusts Act without analysis
    • Activist tone without balanced judgment
    • Ending without a reform or way forward

    Earns more

    • Mention specific PCTs (e.g., Tata Trusts, Azim Premji Foundation)
    • Reference the Indian Trusts Act, 1882
    • Discuss the role of CSR in complementing PCTs
    • Mention the 2nd ARC or Law Commission recommendations

    Extra mark

    • Cite a specific Supreme Court judgment on charitable trusts
    • Reference a specific 2nd ARC recommendation on civil society

Practice this exact question

Write your answer and it is marked point by point against the model answer above — what you covered, what you missed, what you got wrong.

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