Solved General Studies Paper I of IAS Main Exam 2013

Q.1 Though not very useful from the point of view of a connected political history of South India, the Sangam literature portrays the social and economic conditions of its time with remarkable vividness. Comment. (10m | 200words)

Key points:

1)Sagam Litt. fails to give political history because:

• While three Sangams were held, only the last gathering provides material relevant to political history.
• With Hero worship as prime focus, Poets often exaggerated victories and territories of the kings.
• Some of the names, places, dynasties, territories are imaginary and not corroborated by archeological evidences.
• Part of the literature is erotic and romantic in nature.

2)Sagam Litt. Gives social picture:

• Society cherished love, wars and heroes.
• Bards, priests and poets received royal patronage.
• Poets mention four varnas: Nobility, priests, traders and farmers.
• Society divided into clans (Kuti), however dining and social interactions permitted among them.
• Unlike North India, the South Indian society did not have stringent 4-fold varna stratification and Jati system.
• Women were allowed to choose partners, but life of widows was miserable.

3)Sagam Litt. Gives economy picture:

• Five economic zones (tinai) viz. hills, drylands, jungle, plains and coast, each supporting a different economic activity.
• Agriculture, hunting, gathering, fishing and pastoralism were primary occupations. Crafting, weaving served as secondary source of income.
• Women formed a significant part of labour force, particularly in paddy cultivation, craft and weaving.
• Kings received income from trade, tributes and plunder. Regular system of taxation was absent. However, export of pepper, ivory, silk, cotton and booty from raids made the kings wealthy.

Q. Chola architecture represents a high watermark in the evolution of temple architecture. Discuss. (5 marks | 100 words)

Keypoints:

The Cholas followed and refined Pallava architecture, with following notable features:

1. Use of stones instead of bricks.
2. Walls decorated with sculptures and paintings of deities, kings and queen instead of lion motifs from Pallava.
3. Temples are enclosed by decorative walls and entrance (Gopuram);
4. have an audience hall (Mandap); a deity room (Garbhgriha); a pyramid like storey above the deity room (Vimana)
5. Ultimately the beautiful Shikara stone at the top – each with elaborate and meticulous carvings- Weighing in tonnes yet placed without help of cranes.

During their reign, Cholas studded the entire Tamil landscape with such temples including Nagaeshwvara, Brihadeshwvara, Airavateshwara and Chidambaram -their style even followed by other kingdoms in South India and Sri Lanka.

Q. Discuss the Tandava dance as recorded in the early Indian inscriptions. (5 marks |100 words)

• Spectrum’s culture book barely gives two lines.
• NIOS culture course ch. 12 mentions that “traditional Indian culture the function of dance was to give symbolic expression to religious ideas. The figure of Lord Shiva as Nataraja represents the creation and destruction of the cosmic cycle.”
• From a small paragraph in AL Basham page 310, it becomes obvious that ^above NIOS sentence is talking about Tandava dance.
•  In South India, religious dancing was part of the earliest known tradition –and Shiva himself is considered to have invented no less than 108 different dances.
• Some of his dances are calm and gentle, while others fierce, orgiastic, heroic, bold, vigorous and terrible- such as the Tandava dance of Nataraja.
• Tandava and Lasya, are two basic aspects of Classical Indian Dance, associated with Shiva and Parvati respectively.
• In Tandava dance form, the angry Shiva is surrounded by his drunken attendants (ganas), he beats out a wild rhythm which destroys the world at the end of the cosmic cycle.
• Thus Tandava dance is meant to give symbolic expression to religious idea of Shiva being the Destroyer among the trinity of Bramha, Vishnu and Mahesh.

Ancient Hindu scriptures narrate various occasions when Shiva or other gods have performed the Tandava viz.

1. When Sati jumped in sacrificial fire in Daksha’s Yajna to give up her life, Shiva performed the Rudra Tandava to express his grief and anger.
2. The Bhagavata Purana talks of Krishna dancing his Tandava on the head of the serpent Kaliya.
3. According to Jain text: Indra performed Tandava in honour of Rishabha’s birth (Jain tirthankar).
4. Shivapradosha stotra mentions: when Shiva performs the Sandhya Tandava, the other gods like Brahma, Vishnu, Sarasvati, Lakshmi and Indra play musical instruments and sing Shiva’s praises.
5. In some temple sculptures, Ganesha is depicted in Eight armed form, dancing the Tandava.

IT Act

Section 66 in The Information Technology Act, 2000
Hacking with computer system :-
(1) Whoever with the intent to cause or knowing that he is likely to cause wrongful loss or damage to the public or any person destroys or deletes or alters any information residing in a computer resource or diminishes i s value or utility or affects it injuriously by any means, commits hacking.
(2) Whoever commits hacking shall be punished with imprisonment up to three years, or with fine which may extend up to two lakh rupees, or with both.

Section 66A. Punishment for sending offensive messages through communication service, etc.

Any person who sends, by means of a computer resource or a communication device,—

(a) any information that is grossly offensive or has menacing character; or

(b) any information which he knows to be false, but for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred or ill will, persistently by making use of such computer resource or a communication device,

(c) any electronic mail or electronic mail message for the purpose of causing annoyance or inconvenience or to deceive or to mislead the addressee or recipient about the origin of such messages,

shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and with fine.

Explanation.— For the purpose of this section, terms “electronic mail” and “electronic mail message” means a message or information created or transmitted or received on a computer, computer system, computer resource or communication device including attachments in text, images, audio, video and any other electronic record, which may be transmitted with the message.

Articles 14,15 and 21......

Article 14
Equality before law :-The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth

विधि के समक्ष समता--राज्य, भारत के राज्यक्षेत्र में किसी व्यक्ति को विधि के समक्ष समता से या विधियों के समान संरक्षण से वंचित नहीं करेगा।

Essay:-
Article 14 declares that "the State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or equal protection of the laws within the territory of India". The phrase "equality before the law" occurs in almost all written constitutions that guarantee fundamental rights. Equality before the law is an expression of English Common Law while "equal protection of laws" owes its origin to the American Constitution.

Both the phrases aim to establish what is called the "equality to status and of opportunity" as embodied in the Preamble of the Constitution. While equality before the law is a somewhat negative concept implying the absence of any special privilege in favour of any individual and the equal subjection of all classes to the ordinary law, equal protection of laws is a more positive concept employing equality of treatment under equal circumstances.

Thus, Article 14 stands for the establishment of a situation under which there is complete absence of any arbitrary discrimination by the laws themselves or in their administration.

Interpreting the scope of the Article, the Supreme Court of India held in Charanjit Lai Choudhury vs. The Union of India that: (a) Equal protection means equal protection under equal circumstances; (b) The state can make reasonable classification for purposes of legislation; (c) Presumption of reasonableness is in favour of legislation; (d) The burden of proof is on those who challenge the legislation.

Explaining the scope of reasonable classification, the Court held that "even one corporation or a group of persons can be taken to be a class by itself for the purpose of legislation provided there is sufficient basis or reason for it. The onus of proving that there were also other companies similarly situated and this company alone has been discriminated against, was on the petitioner".

In its struggle for social and political freedom mankind has always tried to move towards the ideal of equality for all. The urge for equality and liberty has been the motive force of many revolutions. The charter of the United Nations records the determination of the member nations to reaffirm their faith in the equal rights of men and women.

Indeed, real and effective democracy cannot be achieved unless equality in all spheres is realised in a full measure. However, complete equality among men and women in all spheres of life is a distant ideal to be realised only by the march of humanity along the long and difficult path of economic, social and political progress.

The Constitution and laws of a country can at best assure to its citizens only a limited measure of equality. The framers of the Indian Constitution were fully conscious of this. This is why while they gave political and legal equality the status of a fundamental right, economic and social equality was largely left within the scope of Directive Principles of State Policy.

The Right to Equality affords protection not only against discriminatory laws passed by legislatures but also prevents arbitrary discretion being vested in the executive. In the modern State, the executive is armed with vast powers, in the matter of enforcing by-laws, rules and regulations as well as in the performance of a number of other functions.

The equality clause prevents such power being exercised in a discriminatory manner. For example, the issue of licenses regulating various trades and business activities cannot be left to the unqualified discretion of the licensing authority. The law regulating such activities should lay down the principles under which the licensing authority has to act in the grant of these licenses.

Article 14 prevents discriminatory practices only by the State and not by individuals. For instance, if a private employer like the owner of a private business concern discriminates in choosing his employees or treats his employees unequally, the person discriminated against will have no judicial remedy.

One might ask here, why the Constitution should not extend the scope of these right to private individuals also. There is good reason for not doing so. For, such extension to individual action may result in serious interference with the liberty of the individual and, in the process; fundamental rights themselves may become meaningless.

After all, real democracy can be achieved only by a proper balance between the freedom of the individual and the restrictions imposed on him in the interests of the community. Yet, even individual action in certain spheres has been restricted by the Constitution, as for example, the abolition of untouchability, and its practice in any form by any one being made an offence. Altogether, Article 14 lays down an important fundamental right which has to be closely and vigilantly guarded.

There is a related matter that deserves consideration here. The right to equality and equal protection of laws loses its reality if all the citizens do not have equal facilities of access to the courts for the protection of their fundamental rights.

The fact that these rights are guaranteed in the Constitution does not make them real unless legal assistance is available for all on reasonable terms. There cannot be any real equality in the right "to sue and be sued" unless the poorer sections of the community have equal access to courts as the richer sections.


There is evidence that this point is widely appreciated in the country as a whole and the Government of India in particular and that is why steps are now being taken to establish a system of legal aid to those who cannot afford the prohibitive legal cost that prevails in all parts of the country.

Article 15
Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth:-
धर्म, मूलवंश, जाति, लिंग या जन्मस्थान के आधार पर विभेद का प्रतिषेध
(1) The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them
राज्य, किसी नागरिक के विरुद्ध के केवल धर्म, मूलवंश, जाति, लिंग, जन्मस्थान या इनमें से किसी के आधार पर कोई विभेद नहीं करेगा।
(2) No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them, be subject to any disability, liability, restriction or condition with regard to
कोई नागरिक केवल धर्म, मूलवंश, जाति, लिंग, जन्मस्थान या इनमें से किसी के आधार पर--
(a) access to shops, public restaurants, hotels and palaces of public entertainment; or
        दुकानों, सार्वजनिक भोजनालयों, होटलों और सार्वजनिक मनोरंजन के स्थानों में प्रवेश, या
(b) the use of wells, tanks, bathing ghats, roads and places of public resort maintained     wholly or partly out of State funds or dedicated to the use of the general public
पूर्णतः या भागतः राज्य-निधि से पोषित या साधारण जनता के प्रयोग के लिए समर्पित कुओं, तालाबों, स्नानघाटों, सड़कों और सार्वजनिक समागम के स्थानों के उपयोग,के संबंध में किसी भी निर्योषयता, दायित्व, निर्बन्धन या शर्त के अधीन नहीं होगा।
(3) Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from making any special provision for women and children
इस अनुच्छेद की कोई बात राज्य को स्त्रियों और बालकों के लिए कोई विशेष उपबंध करने से निवारित नहीं करेगी।
(4) Nothing in this article or in clause ( 2 ) of Article 29 shall prevent the State from making any special provision for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes
इस अनुच्छेद की या अनुच्छेद 29 के खंड (2) की कोई बात राज्य को सामाजिक और शैक्षिक दृष्टि से पिछड़े हुए नागरिकों के किन्हीं वर्गों की उन्नति के लिए या अनुसूचित जातियों और अनुसूचित जनजातियों के लिए कोई विशेष उपबंध करने से निवारित नहीं करेगी।

Article 19(1) in The Constitution Of India 1949
(1) All citizens shall have the right
(a) to freedom of speech and expression;
(b) to assemble peaceably and without arms;
(c) to form associations or unions;
(d) to move freely throughout the territory of India;
(e) to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India; and
(f) omitted

(g) to practise any profession, or to carry on any occupation, trade or business

Article 21

Protection of life and personal liberty :-No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law

प्राण और दैहिक स्वतंत्रता का संरक्षण--किसी व्यक्ति को उसके प्राण या दैहिक स्वतंत्रता से विधि द्वारा स्थापित प्रक्रिया के अनुसार ही वंचित किया जाएगा, अन्यथा नहीं।

Political Term

Suo motu, meaning "on its own motion," is a Latin legal term, approximately equivalent to the English term sua sponte. It is used, for example, where a government agency acts on its own cognizance, as in "the Commission took suo motu control over the matter." Example - "there is no requirement that a court suo motu instruct a jury upon these defenses."

When a court pics up a case without having victim approached it, it is called suo moto.

There have been instances when judges issued notices to offending parties based on newpaper clipping/report.

prima facie is used to describe the apparent nature of something upon initial observation. In legal practice the term generally is used to describe two things: the presentation of sufficient evidence by a civil claimant to support the legal claim (a prima facie case), or a piece of evidence itself (prima facie evidence).

Disclosing criminal name....

Under Section 228 A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), disclosing the name or any matter which gives away the rape victim's identity is punishable.

Under Section 377 in The Indian Penal Code, 1860
Unnatural offences:-Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with 1[ imprisonment for life], or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Explanation.- Penetration is sufficient to constitute the carnal intercourse necessary to the offence described in this section.

Public Administration and Sociology

PAPER - I(FUNDAMENTALS OF SOCIOLOGY)

1. Sociology - The Discipline:

Modernity and social changes in Europe and emergence of sociology.

Scope of the subject and comparison with other social sciences.

Sociology and common sense.

Sociology as a science and as an interpretative discipline; impact of industrial and French Revolution on the emergence of sociology; sociology and its relationship with history, economics, political science, psychology and anthropology.

2. Sociology as Science:

Science, scientific method and critique.

Major theoretical strands of research methodology.

Positivism and its critique.

Fact value and objectivity.

Non- positivist methodologies.

3. Research Methods and Analysis:

Qualitative and quantitative methods.

Techniques of data collection.

Variables, sampling, hypothesis, reliability and validity.

4. Sociological Thinkers:

Kar l Marx- Histor ical mater ial ism, mode of production, alienation, class struggle.

Emile Durkheim- Division of labour, social fact, suicide, religion and society.

Max Weber- Social action, ideal types, author i ty, bureaucracy, protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism.

Talcolt Parsons- Social system, pattern variables.

Robert K. Merton- Latent and manifest functions, conformity and deviance, reference groups.

Mead - Self and identity.

5. Stratification and Mobility:

Concepts- equality, inequality, hierarchy, exclusion, poverty and deprivation.

Theories of social stratification- Structural functionalist theory, Marxist theory, Weberian theory.

Dimensions – Social stratification of class, status groups, gender, ethnicity and race.

Social mobility- open and closed systems, types of mobility, sources and causes of mobility.

6. Works and Economic Life:

Social organization of work in different types of society- slave society, feudal society, industrial /capitalist society.

Formal and informal organization of work.

Labour and society.

7. Politics and Society:

Sociological theories of power.

Power elite, bureaucracy, pressure groups, and political parties.

Nation, state, citizenship, democracy, civil society, ideology.

Protest, agitation, social movements, collective action, revolution.

8. Religion and Society:

Sociological theories of religion.

Types of religious practices: animism, monism, pluralism, sects, cults.

Religion in modern society: religion and science, secularization, religious revivalism, fundamentalism.

9. Systems of Kinship:

Family, household, marriage.

Types and forms of family.

Lineage and descent.

Patriarchy and sexual division oflabour.

Contemporary trends.

10. Social Change in Modern Society:

Sociological theories of social change.

Development and dependency.

Agents of social change.

Education and social change.

Science, technology and social change.

11.

PAPER - II(INDIAN SOCIETY : STRUCTURE AND CHANGE)

A. Introducing Indian Society:

(i) Perspectives on the study of Indian society:

Indology (GS. Ghurye).

Structural functionalism (M N Srinivas).

Marxist sociology (A R Desai).

(ii) Impact of colonial rule on Indian society :

Social background of Indian nationalism.

Modernization of Indian tradition.

Protests and movements during the colonial period.

Social reforms.

B. Social Structure:

(i) Rural and Agrarian Social Structure:

The idea of Indian village and village studies.

Agrarian social structure - evolution of land tenure system, land reforms.

(ii) Caste System:

Perspectives on the study of caste systems: GS Ghurye, M N Srinivas, Louis Dumont, Andre Beteille.

Features of caste system.

Untouchability - forms and perspectives.

(iii) Tribal communities in India:

Definitional problems.

Geographical spread.

Colonial policies and tribes.

Issues of integration and autonomy.

(iv) Social Classes in India:

Agrarian class structure.

Industrial class structure.

Middle classes in India.

(v) Systems of Kinship in India:

Lineage and descent in India.

Types of kinship systems.

Family and marriage in India.

Household dimensions of the family.

(vi) Religion and Society:

Religious communities in India.

Problems of religious minorities.

C. Social Changes in India:

(i) Visions of Social Change in India:

Idea of development planning and mixed economy.

Constitution, law and social change.

Education and social change.

(ii) Rural and Agrarian transformation in India:

Programmes of rural development, Community Development Programme, cooperatives, poverty alleviation schemes.

Green revolution and social change.

Changing modes of production in Indian agriculture .

Problems of rural labour, bondage,migration.

(iii) Industrialization and Urbanisation in India:

Evolution of modern industry in India.

Growth of urban settlements in India.

Working class: structure, growth, class mobilization.

Informal sector, child labour.

Slums and deprivation in urban areas.

(iv) Politics and Society:

Nation, democracy and citizenship.

Political parties, pressure groups , social and political elite.

Regionalism and decentralization of power.

Secularization

(v) Social Movements in Modern India:

Peasants and farmers movements.

Women’s movement.

Backward classes & Dalit movement.

Environmental movements.

Ethnicity and Identity movements.

(vi) Population Dynamics:

Population size, growth, composition and distribution.

Components of population growth: birth, death, migration.

Population policy and family planning.

Emerging issues: ageing, sex ratios, child and infant mortality, reproductive health.

(vii) Challenges of Social Transformation:

Crisis of development: displacement, environmental problems and sustainability.

Poverty, deprivation and inequalities.

Violence against women.

Caste conflicts.

Ethnic conflicts, communalism, religious revivalism.

Illiteracy and disparities in education.

Books
Administrative Thinker (Prasad and Prasad)
Indian Admnistration by arora and Goyal
IGNOU
IIPA Notes
Vajiram notes
NCERT

PAPER – I

Administrative Theory

1. Introduction:

Meaning, scope and significance of Public Administration; Wilson’s vision of Public Administration; Evolution of the discipline and its present status; New Public Administration; Public Choice approach; Challenges of liberalization, Privatisation , Globalisation; Good Governance: concept and application; New Public Management.

2. Administrative Thought:

Scientific Management and Scientific Management movement; Classical Theory; Weber’s bureaucratic model – its critique and post-Weberian Developments; Dynamic Administration (Mary Parker Follett); Human Relations School (Elton Mayo and others); Functions of the Executive (C.I. Barnard); Simon’s decision-making theory; Participative Management (R. Likert, C. Argyris, D. McGregor).

3. Administrative Behaviour:

Process and techniques of decision-making; Communication; Morale; Motivation Theories – content, process and contemporary; Theories of Leadership: Traditional and Modern.

4. Organisations:

Theories – systems, contingency; Structure and forms: Ministries and Departments, Corporations, Companies, Boards and Commissions; Ad hoc and advisory bodies; Headquarters and Field relationships; Regulatory Authorities; Public - Private Partnerships.

5. Accountability and control:Concepts of accountability and control;

Legislative, Executive and Judicial control over administration; Citizen and Administration; Role of media, interest groups, voluntary organizations ; Civil society; Citizen’s Charters; Right to Information; Social audit.

6. Administrative Law:

Meaning, scope and significance; Dicey on Administrative law; Delegated legislation; Administrative Tribunals.

7. Comparative Public Administration:

Historical and sociological factors affecting administrative systems; Administration and politics in different countries; Current status of Comparative Public Administration; Ecology and administration; Riggsian models and their critique.

8. Development Dynamics:

Concept of development; Changing profile of development administration; ‘Antidevelopment thesis’; Bureaucracy and development; Strong state versus the market debate; Impact of liberalisation on administration in developing countries; Women and development - the self-help group movement.

9. Personnel Administration:

Importance of human resource development; Recruitment, training, career advancement, position classification, discipline, performance appraisal, promotion, pay and service conditions; employer-employee relations, grievance redressal mechanism; Code of conduct; Administrative ethics.

10. Public Policy:

Models of policy-making and their critique; Processes of conceptualisation, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and review and their limitations; State theories and public policy formulation.

11. Techniques of Administrative Improvement:

Organisation and methods, Work study and work management; e-governance and information technology; Management aid tools like network analysis, MIS, PERT, CPM.

12. Financial Administration:

Monetary and fiscal policies; Public borrowings and public debt Budgets - types and forms; Budgetary process; Financial accountability; Accounts and audit.

PAPER - II

Indian Administration

1. Evolution of Indian Administration:

Kautilya’s Arthashastra; Mughal administration; Legacy of British rule in politics and administration - Indianization of public services, revenue administration, district administration, local self-government.

2. Philosophical and Constitutional framework of government:

Salient features and value premises; Constitutionalism; Political culture; Bureaucracy and democracy; Bureaucracy and development.

3. Public Sector Undertakings:

Public sector in modern India; Forms of Public Sector Undertakings; Problems of autonomy, accountability and control; Impact of liberalization and privatization.

4. Union Government and Administration:

Executive, Parliament, Judiciary - structure, functions, work processes; Recent trends; Intragovernmental relations; Cabinet Secretariat; Prime Minister’s Office; Central Secretariat; Ministries and Departments; Boards; Commissions; Attached offices; Field organizations.

5. Plans and Priorities:

Machinery of planning; Role, composition and functions of the Planning Commission and the National Development Council; ‘Indicative’ planning; Process of plan formulation at Union and State levels; Constitutional Amendments (1992) and decentralized planning for economic development and social justice.

6. State Government and Administration:

Union-State administrative, legislative and financial relations; Role of the Finance Commission; Governor; Chief Minister; Council of Ministers; Chief Secretary; State Secretariat; Directorates.

7. District Administration since Independence:

Changing role of the Collector; Unionstate-local relations; Imperatives of development management and law and order administration; District administration and democratic decentralization.

8. Civil Services:

Constitutional position; Structure, recruitment, training and capacity-building; Good governance initiatives; Code of conduct and discipline; Staff associations; Political rights; Grievance redressal mechanism; Civil service neutrality; Civil service activism.

9. Financial Management:

Budget as a political instrument; Parliamentary control of public expenditure; Role of finance ministry in monetary and fiscal area; Accounting techniques; Audit; Role of Controller General of Accounts and Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

10. Administrative Reforms since Independence:

Major concerns; Important Committees and Commissions; Reforms in financial management and human resource development; Problems of implementation.

11. Rural Development:

Institutions and agencies since independence; Rural development programmes: foci and strategies; Decentralization and Panchayati Raj;73rd Constitutional amendment.

12. Urban Local Government:

Municipal governance: main features, structures, finance and problem areas; 74th Constitutional Amendment; Globallocal debate; New localism; Development dynamics, politics and administration with special reference to city management.

13. Law and Order Administration:

British legacy; National Police Commission; Investigative agencies; Role of central and state agencies including paramilitary forces in maintenance of law and order and countering insurgency and terrorism; Criminalisation of politics and administration; Police-public relations; Reforms in Police.

14. Significant issues in Indian Administration:

Values in public service; Regulatory Commissions; National Human Rights Commission; Problems of administration in coalition regimes; Citizen-administration interface; Corruption and administration; Disaster management.

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)

The decision will be taken by prime minister after weighing the conflicting views of the people of Tamil Nadu, reflected in stands taken by Congress and DMK leaders, on the one hand, and maintaining good relations with a neighbour, on the other.

Out of 11 CHOGM sessions in the past 20 years, this would be the sixth in which India is unrepresented by the Prime Minister. And since 1993, it will be the third CHOGM, after Auckland in 1995 (Pranab Mukherjee) and Coolum in 2002 (Jaswant Singh), where the External Affairs Minister led the Indian delegation.

If peace returned and development took place in the Tamil areas in Sri Lanka, it would be advantageous for Tamil Nadu in the form of more industrial investments. At present, 10 lakh youths from Tamil Nadu’s southern districts migrate every year to other States in search of jobs, the Minister claimed.
LawAsia president-elect and advocate Prashant Kumar said the Sri Lankan government had denied entry to the participants of the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute’s (IBAHRI) high-level delegation which included the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers.

The IBAHRI delegation was intending to travel to Colombo to participate in a conference co-hosted by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka and the IBAHRI titled ‘Making Commonwealth Values a Reality: the Rule of Law and the Independence of the Legal Profession’.

Asian Centre for Human Rights Director Suhas Chakma urged indian PM to attend CHOGM and demand accountability for the “war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Sri Lanka.”