INSIGHTS MISSION 2018

STATIC TEST 7 SYNOPSIS

1.Advaita philosophy cuts at the root of the ideas of Bhakti movement. Discuss.
Answer:
Bhakti movement emphasized single-minded intense devotion to God. Bhakti to God was
accepted as salvation. It was essentially monothe-istic and the devotees worshipped one
personal God, who could either have form (saguna) or be formless (nirguna).
Advaita was the doctrine of oneness of the individual soul and the Supreme God, which is the
ultimate reality. The concept of Bhakti was placed on a firmer ground in South India by
Shankara who was one of the most influential philosophers of India and an advocate of Advaita
according to which:
1. Ultimate reality was the Brahman (divine) who was formless and without any attributes.
2. World around was considered to be an illusion or maya.
3. Renunciation of the world and adoption of the path of knowledge to understand the
true nature of Brahman was necessary to attain salvation.
Thus, it can be said that both Advaita philosophy and Bhakti movement suc-ceeded in realizing,
to a great extent in bringing about the simplification of worship and liberalizing the traditional
caste rules. Roots of both were same and only the ways to achieve salvation had minor
variations.

2. The concept of Avatar in Bhagvatism had a social purpose to serve. Critically

comment.
Answer:
An Avtar or incarnation is essentially an interference in the affairs and progression of the
manifested worlds. It is an intervention that becomes necessary due to the activity of beings
endowed with free will.

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According to the law of karma, each individual is responsible for his/her action. But in some
cases, that alone may not deter some from causing a great imbalance in the working of the
worlds or interfering with the lives of other people through their actions. Thus, when their
number increases disproportionately, God decides to take matter into His own hands and
comes down to earth in physical form to restore order and morality. Sometimes He may
manifest Himself indirectly through His emanations or directly as an incarnation to perform
these functions:
1. Restoring and establishing dharma or righteousness in society.
2. Restoring the forgotten or lost knowledge of sacred scriptures for the welfare of the
humanity.
3. Restoring and strengthening people’s faith in God and righteousness.
4. Serving as a role model and a source of inspiration to his devotees.

Whenever there is excessive presence of evil and suffering of virtuous people, Lord Vishnu
incarnates upon earth upon earth to restore order and destroy evil. This is the justification and
the purpose of incarnation socially as mentioned in the Bhagavadgita.

3. Critically discuss Ethics as prescribed by Hinduism.

Answer:
Ethics is concerned with the study of conduct and is derived, in Hinduism, from certain
spiritual concepts.
1. Hindu ethics prescribes the disciplines for a spiritual life, which are to be observed
consciously or unconsciously as long as man lives.
2. It is meant to eliminate mental impurities such as greed and egoism, for the attainment
of the highest good.
3. It is based upon the conception of Dharma, or duty, related to a man’s position in
society and his stage in life.
4. Objective ethics in Hinduism is a means to achieve an end. Hinduism also speaks of
certain universal ethical principles, which apply, to all human beings irrespective of their
position in society or stage in life.
5. The ethical doctrines of the Hindus are based upon the teachings of the Upanishads
and of certain secondary scriptures, which derive their authority from the Vedas.
According to the Upanishads, the Gods, who are the custodians of society, place
obstacles in the path of those who seek liberation from samsara, or the relative world,
without previously discharging their social duties.

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 6. The hierarchy in the caste system has been determined by the degree of voluntary
renunciation, poverty, and self-control, and also by the degree of intellectual and
spiritual attainments according to scriptures.
7. By suitable ethical disciplines, the brutish man may become a decent man, a decent
man an aristocrat, and the aristocrat a spiritual person, has been explained in one of
the Upanishads.
8. Hinduism also recognizes four legitimate and basic desires in life: Dharma or
righteousness, Artha or wealth, Kama or sense pleasure, and Moksha or freedom
through communion with God.
However, the neglect of social ethics, on the other hand, has undermined its vitality. The
struggle for existence in an increasingly competitive society has become keen, and wealth is
not evenly distributed. The strong often invoke the law of karma to justify their exploitation
of the poor, who are helpless in their suffering. There exists in a widespread misery due to
ignorance, poverty, ill health, and general backwardness in India. The rich and the powerful
are often too selfish to remove these drawbacks. Therefore, India is now emphasizing the value
of social ethics and the government is trying to create a welfare state.

4. Religion in India was a tool both for conservation and change. Discuss the
statement with reference to Hinduism in India.
Answer:
Indian civilization is blessed with mixed character from the beginning. This pluralistic and
combined ethos of Indian civilization started developing during Vedic period and was
complemented with the rise of Buddhism, Jainism and further strengthened during the
medieval era, which witnessed the entry of Islam, Sikh, Rajput and Mughal dynasties.
1. Aryan religious and social beliefs and practices, described in their religious literature,
particularly their Vedas, were profusely immersed in the Indian society and culture and
are still followed. Spreading over Indian subcontinent, their initial religious beliefs and
practices were shaped by the absorption of local religious traditions and culture.
2. The original Varna system was flexible and caste was assigned not on the basis of birth
but as per the aptitude and choice of work. The caste system survived and became one
of the basic features of traditional Hindu society. Even though the caste system was
opposed by many, but it was not outlawed until modern times, by legislation restricting
from the Constitution of India.

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 3. The Sramana traditions drove the synthesis of Hinduism after the Vedic period that
spread to southern Indian and parts of Southeast Asia. As it spread, it assimilated
popular non-Vedic gods and other traditions from local cultures.
4. During the reign of the Gupta Empire, the first known stone and cave temples
dedicated to Hindu deities were built.
5. Later in the ancient and medieval period, various religions developed here like Jainism,
Buddhism and Sikhism, which had brought religious revolution and changes in Hinduism.
6. During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Hindu Vijayanagar Empire had arisen and
served as a barrier against invasion by Muslim rulers to the north, fostering a
reconstruction of Hindu life and administration.
7. Through the period of the British rule until its end in 1947, there was a Hindu
resurgence in Bengal and other parts of India (ban on sati, allowing widow
remarriage).
This process of integration, conservation and change has been widespread in the pan-Indian
civilization. The ethnic diversity, linguistic multiplicity, fusions, and variations as well as
synthesis in social customs, behavioral patterns, beliefs and rituals have been enriching the
Indian Culture.

5. Critically analyze the factors that led to the rise and fall of Bhakti movement
in India.
Answer:
The Bhakti movement started in the South in response to the conquest of northern India by
Muslim rulers. From 8th century A.D. to 15th century A.D, the movement gathered
momentum and the reasons were:
1. Dominance of Brahmanical society and their practices.
2. The Hindu society at the time of rise of Islam was full of many social anomalies like
rigidity of caste system, irrelevant rituals and religious practices, blind faiths and social
dogmas.
3. The society also suffered from polytheism, segregation, severe economic disparity due
to casteism, untouchability etc.
4. It preached simple living in contrast to Buddhism and Jainism.

All the saints loved humanity and were devoted to God. But their disciples failed to rise above
personal bias and created sects and sub-sects. Proliferation of castes into new castes and sub
castes emerged and some of them even pushed to the lowest strata of the society. The new

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Bhakts were Sikhs, Kabirpanthis, Lingayats or others and had to settle with one or the other sub
caste is in their own tradition gradually. As a result, the Indian society came to be divided into
number of new cults based on orthodoxy.

6. The recent judgement on the right to privacy is a doorway to a multitude of

issues but not a solution in itself. Comment.
Answer:
By declaring that privacy is protected under the Constitution, the Supreme Court has armed the
common man against unreasonable State intrusions and protected informational privacy in a
digital age. According to Article 21 no person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty
except in accordance with the procedure established by law. So, if there is a procedure by
which privacy can be curtailed, it is permissible in accordance with the procedure established
by law.
The right to privacy like all others is not absolute and may result in government enacting more
laws for security reasons. Every government action can now be challenged in a court if it is
seen as violating privacy.
Whether the collection of data under Aadhaar from 2009 till 2016 without any legislative
sanction at that point of time had actually violated fundamental right to privacy remains a
question. Aadhaar has been made mandatory for income tax, companies, bank accounts,
mobile numbers and others by the Government. A complete eco system is developing around
Aadhaar and therefore, a robust cyber security system needs to be in place.
A constitutional right to privacy will undoubtedly limit the states intrusive power over
individuals but the full potential of this right will only be realized by data protection laws that
will govern how private companies collect and use data.

7. Right to Life is the most open-ended right amongst all mentioned in the
Constitution. Comment.
Answer:

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The right to life is the most fundamental of all rights as all other rights add quality to the life in
question and depend on the pre-existence of life itself for their operation. This right has been
examined, interpreted and applied by the Supreme Court of India in different ways. Article 21
of the Constitution of India, says that, “No person shall be deprived of his life or personal
liberty except according to procedure established by law.”
Life has a much wider meaning, which includes:
1. Right to live with human dignity,
2. Right to livelihood,
3. Right to health,
4. Right to pollution free air,
5. Right to live with human dignity etc.
This right includes all those aspects of life, which makes a man’s life meaningful, complete,
and worth living. Thus, the bare necessities, minimum and basic requirements that is essential
and unavoidable for a person is the core concept of right to life and therefore, it is the only
Article in the Constitution that has received the widest possible interpretation and is most open
ended.

8. Fundamental Duties are the moral compass of Indian Society. Elucidate.

Answer:
The Fundamental Duties (Part IV-A) were added as Article 51-A by the 42nd Amendment, 1976
on the recommendation of Swaran Singh Committee in the Indian Constitution. These duties
concern individuals and the nation. They refer to such values, which have been a part of the
Indian tradition, mythology, religion and practices. They are considered moral compass of
Indian society due to these reasons:
1. They serve as a reminder to the citizens that while enjoying their rights, they should
also be conscious of duties they owe to their country, society and fellow citizens.
2. They serve as a warning against the anti-national and anti-social activities like burning
the national flag, destroying public property and so on.
3. They serve as a source of inspiration for the citizens and promote a sense of discipline
and commitment among them. They create a feeling that the citizens are not mere
spectators but active participants in the realization of national goals.
4. These duties are in the nature of a code of conduct.

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Fundamental Duties are not mere expressions of pious platitudes. Courts take cognizance of
laws seeking to give effect to these duties. Finally, the very fact that these duties figure in the
Constitution, keeps the door open for the duties to be given higher constitutional at status in
future through constitutional amendments.

9. Writs mentioned under Art 32, should be used in such that they must uphold
principles of Judicial Review and not Judicial Activism.
Answer:
The makers of the Constitution have adopted the remedies in the Constitution under Article 32.
There has been specifically made provisions in the Constitution, which empowers the Supreme
Court to issue writs in the nature of Habeas Corpus, Mandamus, Prohibition, Quo Warranto
and Certiorari.
As far as the role of the writs is concerned, they are accepted as necessary instruments of
modern administrative and constitutional machinery subject to judicial review. Writs are to
be used in good faith and for the purpose for which they are granted.
The absence of arbitrary power is the first criteria of the rule of law upon which the whole
Constitution is based. In a system governed by rule of law, when a writ (Mandamus, Quo
Warranto) is issued upon the executive authorities, it must be based on clearly defined limits
and should not depart from established precedent. In the name of judicial activism, judges
should not try to perform executive or legislative functions thereby disturbing the separation
of powers.
The prerogative powers of writ jurisdiction conferred by the Constitution for judicial review of
administrative action is undoubtedly unbounded in its limits. The discretion of the judiciary
should be exercised on sound legal principles and not force the legislative and executive
organs to discharge their duties (Judicial Activism).

10. The effectiveness of Rights in a society are a reflection of the sensitivity of

the State.
Answer:

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The rights of citizens in a country are ensured through strong and effective institutional
mechanisms that uphold the rule of law. A dynamic society requires that laws are upgraded
and new ones introduced to meet emerging needs of the society in order to meet challenges
to citizens’ welfare, protection and development as and when they arise. Rule of law requires
institutions that are well empowered, properly structured and have the right quality of
personnel and resources at their disposal.
For example- The Constitution of India has provisions to protect the rights of the citizens and
ensure that the socio-economic empowerment of all sections of population is guaranteed. The
Fundamental Rights are critical for democracy to thrive. A strong legal framework comprising
of the National Human Rights Commission, National Commission for Women, National
Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Lokayuktas, affirmative action policies etc. has
been established to address the grievances of people in India.
The Supreme Court has been constituted as the guarantor and defender of the rights of the
citizens and it has been vested with original and wide powers for that purpose. If the State aims
at securing justice, transparency and accountability, empowerment, employment and efficient
delivery of services, then it is truly dedicated towards the service of its people.
Thus, it is the duty of the state to ensure that individuals have certain rights and that the
government will always recognize these rights.

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