The only sample questions you'll need to crack WAT 2020

1. 
   

   Slowdown of the Indian Economy: How long will it last? 

   
   

• The economic slowdown began in late 2015. This could be a serious blow for the government which promised to improve the economic conditions of the country.


• India’s GDP growth rate has fallen to as low as 4.5% in the second quarter of 2019-20. It has declined from a high of 7.1% in the second quarter of 2018-19. The GDP numbers have witnessed a declining trend for 7 consecutive quarters now. 


• India, as promised by the Modi government, was to become a 5 trillion economy by the year 2025. But if the declining rate stays at 4.5%, it will take 9 more years for our country to reach that mark.


• In lieu of the current status, the Union Finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman ruled out the possibility of economic revival anytime soon adding that the government is doing everything possible. 


• The National Statistics Office revealed that the manufacturing sector output is estimated to decelerate to a rate of 2 per cent in the year 2019-20.


• On similar grounds, growth of the construction sector is estimated at 3.2 per cent for the coming year. 

2. 
   

   The Citizenship Amendment Act and its relationship with NRC

   
   

What is CAA?

• Before this Act was passed, the Indian citizenship was granted to people who were either born in India or to the ones who had resided in the country for a period of 11 years or more. 


• It aims to revise the definition of illegal immigrants for Sikhs, Hindus, Parsis, Buddhists, Christians and Jains, who are refugees from either Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan, the ones who have lived in India without documentation for several years. 


• It will fast-track the process of granting Indian citizenship for people belonging to these communities, providing them Indian citizenship in a period of 6 years.


• The students and people who are protesting against this are of the view that this Act discriminates against Muslims because they aren’t mentioned in the CAA. 


• The government, on the other hand, holds the opinion that the refugees of the above-mentioned communities do not find shelter in the neighbouring countries and have escaped Muslim-majority nations.

What is NRC?

• In simple words, NRC is the National Register of Citizens. Already adopted in Assam on the order of the Supreme Court, it was initially a state-specific exercise which aimed at removing illegal immigrants from the country. This was carried out in order to keep the ethnic diversity intact. The government, however, looks forward to implementing the same in the entire country. In clearer words, the ones who will be identified as illegal immigrants will be detained and deported to places they had initially come from. 

The connection between CAA and NRC:

• In regard to the current scenario, NRC, if implemented, will detain illegal immigrants in India. But people belonging to the above-mentioned communities who are refugees and hail from the countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh will be granted citizenship under CAA, if they claim the same. This means that the ones who have fled from countries other than the ones mentioned will be affected. In addition, people belonging exclusively to the Muslim community will also be affected as they are not mentioned in the CAA. 

3. 
   

   Ban on Plastic: Environment v/s Economy

   
   

How plastic harms the environment:

• Plastics are difficult to decompose and take around 500-1000 years for decomposition. So, they are a form of permanent pollutant. 


• Disposal of plastic is another factor which is affecting the environment. It cannot be disposed off in landfills because it occupies the land which could have been used for various other purposes. If left on soil, it does not let water seep into the ground which results in breeding of germs. In water, it makes way to oceans which affects marine life. It cannot be burnt because the burnt plastic releases toxic gases.


• Wild animals directly or indirectly consume plastic which kills numerous animals every year. 


• The demand of plastic has increased manifolds in the recent years. With a global demand of 300 million tons of plastic every year, the overuse of plastic has led to massive destruction everywhere.

How the ban can harm economy:

• Plastics are cheap, lightweight and durable. The immediate alternatives to plastic being paper bags and cloth are expensive and aren’t durable. Also, plastic bags being less durable aren’t reliable and can affect the safety of goods that are packed. 


• If the products are packed with alternatives, the cost of the overall product will rise. This will affect businesses and thus, the market. 


• The plastic industry is growing at a rapid pace which was expected to grow to 1.2 billion dollars by 2020. The plastic ban will bring down an industry that is worth multibillion dollars. That will lead to a catastrophic effect on the economy, in turn affecting the share market.

Dealing with WAT 2020