social media essay drishti ias

Writing a good Essay in UPSC Mains, Explained by Anudeep Durishetty

Novelist Stephen King put it beautifully when he said, “I write to find out what I think.”

Writing is a window to your thought process. What you write on paper will tell the reader how you think, how you argue and the way you substantiate your viewpoint. This is why for most competitive examinations and academic entrance tests, essay is mandatory.

In the Civil Services Exam too, we have a paper worth 250 marks, equivalent to a General Studies paper. Despite its importance, essay paper often does not get the attention it deserves from aspirants. First timers think they will write an excellent essay in the final exam itself, whereas experienced aspirants believe that since they had already studied a ton for GS, it will alone be enough to write a good essay. This is a fatal miscalculation.

I was one of those who made these errors in the past, and it is not a coincidence that I scored only 100 in CSE 2015. But in 2017, I devoted adequate time to this paper. I collected useful quotes, prepared notes and even made rough essay drafts for frequently asked topics. All this effort in essay paper helped me score 155.

What follows is an elaborate post on how you should tackle the Essay paper. I’ve organised the content as follows:

What UPSC says about the essay paper

How and from where to prepare?

Improving language and expression

• On subheadings and rough drafts
• What you must avoid
• How to write a powerful introduction?
• Developing the content of an Essay

Substantiating your arguments

• How to conclude an Essay
• My notes, quote collection and sample essays

“Candidates may be required to write essays on multiple topics. They will be expected to  keep closely to the subject of the essay,   to arrange their ideas in an orderly fashion, and to write concisely . Credit will be given for  effective and exact expression .”

Essay distinguishes itself from GS in the sense that in GS, marks will be awarded purely for content. But in essay, examiners will pay special attention to not just the content, but also the language, coherence and the way you organise your write-up.

So you must take adequate care to arrange your ideas properly and not commit any fundamental spelling or grammatical errors.

Most of the content you write in Essay will come from your GS preparation. Apart from this, the following sources will help:

• Reading non-fiction  helps you develop a matured thought process. Apart from imparting knowledge, they will also let you come across good figures of speech, art of argumentation, powerful rhetoric and unique content etc. For example, in an essay on Artificial Intelligence, I took arguments from Yuval Harari’s  Homo Deus  to argue that AI is an imminent threat to humanity. Or if you read  Why Nations Fail,  a book replete with examples, you will understand the importance of innovation, political and economic freedoms in propelling a nation forward. So my suggestion is, apart from UPSC related material, develop the hobby of reading non-fiction books. I do not mean to suggest that you should start reading one  non-fiction book per topic to get good scores in Essay, but reading them occasionally in your free time will benefit you in the long run.
• Referring to specific magazines:  For certain topics, you can refer to specific issues of Yojana/EPW/Economic Survey etc. Example: for an essay on tribal issues or public health, you can go through specific issues of these magazines for getting the latest statistics (IMR, MMR, malnutrition levels etc) and also about the positives and criticisms of govt schemes in that sector.
• Collecting good stories/anecdotes and quotes: Anecdotes, quotes and real life stories you see in newspapers and books which can be used in essay should be noted down. In most of my essays, I used to start with a relevant story or an anecdote that has the essay topic as its underlying theme. Apart from these, I also used a couple of quotes of eminent persons.

         List of quotes, anecdotes I collected are available in the link at the end of this article.

Language in essay must be simple and clear with as little jargon as possible. If you want to use complex definitional terms such as, say, ‘Constitutionalism’ or ‘Sanskritisation’ please define it in sentence just before you use it. Examiner will also understand clearly what you want to convey. Clear writing is clear thinking. And that is what any reader looks for.

Keep your sentences short and powerful. Long, winding sentences makes it difficult to read and understand. If you tack on one clause after another through conjunctions, what you get is a bad sentence sprawl.

Example of a bad sentence sprawl:

At the end of World War 2, on the one hand, while capitalism was successfully championed by the nations in North America and Europe, on the other hand, it was USSR that put Communism at the forefront due to which there was an ideological clash between the the two superpowers which had led to proxy wars in various parts of the globe, a nuclear arms race and a rapid deterioration of the security of the world.

(By the time readers finish reading it, they will lose their breath and the point of the sentence)

So I had a simple rule: If you run out of your breath while  reading a sentence, then probably you will have to break it into two.

Rewriting the aforementioned example after breaking it into two (which makes it much easier to read and comprehend):

After World War 2, while the North American and European nations championed capitalism, USSR put communism at the forefront. This ideological clash between the superpowers led to several proxy wars, a nuclear arms race and a rapid deterioration of world security.

There is no need to memorise complex words for writing a good essay. But an occasional use of a powerful word, or a good phrase definitely gives your write-up an edge.

Also, I believe that learning numerous words by rote will not make them stick in your brain for long. The best way to build your vocabulary is by reading non-fiction and English newspapers. While reading these, if you come across a good turn of phrase, or a word that you don’t recognise, please note it down in a book, find its meaning and understand the context in which the word was used. This helps in long term memory. Having a dictionary app on your phone also helps.

Building vocabulary is a slow process, but with consistency, anyone can become better at using an expansive set of words.

Subheadings & Rough Drafts

We can be a little innovative in our subheadings. Instead of bland subheadings such as ‘ Benefits of Nuclear Energy’  we can use “ Nuclear Energy: Promise or Peril?’  Similarly, for the essay on Social Media, instead of writing ‘ Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media ’, I wrote  “Social Media: A Double Edged Sword”

You can find my collection of a few such subheadings in the link to my notes, given at the end of the article.

I also prepared a rough draft for a few essay topics (link given at the end). You may need to modify the structure as per the demand of the question.

What you must avoid in Essay

• Do not focus excessively only on one point, or one dimension (such as the historical or political aspect) Your essay needs to be expansive and multi-dimensional.
• During preparation, we read a lot and it’s understandable that we feel strongly about certain topics. And since essay offers freedom to write, it’s very easy to get carried away with such a topic. But make sure that you write what is asked, not what you know or feel like. No  mann ki baat . Always stick to the subject of the topic. It helps to read the question in the midst of your essay to ensure that you are not steering away from the topic.
• If you are not comfortable writing about abstract philosophical topics (I am terrible at writing them), avoid such questions. Your choice of topic has no bearing on the marks and that is why, selecting an unpopular topic just for the sake of it is unwise. Also, if there’s a technical term in the question, be doubly sure that you understand it correctly. For instance, in 2014, there was a question on ‘standard tests’, which is a technical term. I misunderstood it and wrote a generic essay. I got 112.
• When you take a final stand on an issue, it’s best to avoid extreme or highly unpopular opinions. We are free to have any opinion in the privacy of our minds, but in UPSC essay why take that risk? For instance, in an essay on Capital Punishment, in the main body content, you should present a case for both abolition and retention. But when you take a stance, it’s best to be an abolitionist.
• No ranting. You might be a great fan of Karl Marx, but if there’s a question on Capitalism, do not rant or rail against it ? You must present both the positives and negatives of Capitalism and end the essay on a balanced note.
• Do not dedicate disproportionate amount of time for the first essay and scamper through the second. Both carry equal marks, so please invest equal time.

How to transition smoothly from one para to the next

This can be done in three ways.

Through a link sentence at the end of a para:

Here, at the end of a para, you write a sentence that signals to the examiner what’s coming next. For example, let’s say you have just written a para about the threat posed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) to jobs. At the end of that para you can write a link sentence—   “Further, we must be mindful of the fact that Artificial Intelligence poses a major challenge not just economically, but also ethically.”  And in the next para, you can write about the ethical issues concerning AI.

Through a question:

Instead of a link sentence, you can also add a question at the end of a para so that examiner’s attention is helplessly carried to the next. To take the similar example as above, the question can be something like—   “Thus we have examined the threat posed by AI to our economy, but what about the challenges brought by AI to our ethics and morals?”  And in the next para, you can write about the ethical issues concerning AI.

Signalling the shift at the start of next paragraph:

Here you can simply add a word or two at the beginning of a para that signals a shift in your subtopic. For example in an essay on  Globalisation , let’s say you have just written a para about its historical evolution and impact. You can start the next para with something like—  “Politically too, globalisation has had a tremendous impact……” This way examiner immediately knows what to expect.

These steps will ensure that the transition between paragraphs is not abrupt.

How to write a good Introduction to your Essay?

Essay introduction can be:

a fictitious incident or story (where you introduce a character); a real life anecdote; a quote; or a simple definition of the words in the question (not recommended in Essay)

In GS, definitional approach is a great way to introduce your answers. But in essay, they are rather stale, lacking in any human element. I always believe that a good way to start your essay is to have that touch of humanity and warmth in your introduction.

In my Mains exam, this was my introduction to the essay ‘Destiny of a nation is shaped in its classroom’

“The year was 1945. Towards the end of a gruesome world war, the world powers decided to carve up the Korean peninsula along the 38th parallel.

“Before partition, North and South Korea might have been homogeneous in every respect, but after the division, they steered onto different paths. While schools in the North chose to ‘educate’ their children in the worship of a cult leader, ideological indoctrination and servility, its southern counterpart focused on liberal education, innovation and economic growth.

“Today, almost seven decades later, the difference in the fates of these people and the trajectories of both these nations cannot be more stark. One is known for gross violation of human rights, while the other a champion of liberal democracy. One is known for gut-wrenching poverty, while the other unbridled prosperity.

“This only proves the age old adage that the destiny of a nation is indeed shaped in its classrooms.”

Similarly, for the Social Media essay, my introduction sought to bring to the fore the paradox of Social Media. I wrote on how social media was leveraged to crowdsource help and rescue during Chennai floods in 2015. At the same time, I mentioned how it was used nefariously in 2012 to cause mass exodus of northeast people from Bangalore. And taking cue from this introduction, in the main body, I discussed about the inherent selfishness and altruism associated with social media.

These real life stories, anecdotes and incidents are everywhere in our books and newspapers. So when you come across them, note down and ponder as to how you can use them in your essay.

Developing the Main Content from the Topic

This is like spinning the web from a thread. Depending on the topic, you can choose among the following options that fits best.

• Temporal: Past, present and future
• Sectoral: Media, Science & Tech, Business, Sports, Religion, Politics, Administration etc
• Walks of Life : Individual, Family, Professional workplace, Society, Community, National, Global
• Problem & Solution:  Concept (historical evolution+status), benefits, problems, solutions
• Standard : Social, Political, Economical, Administrative, International, Environmental, Historical, Scientific, Security/Defence, Legal

Example: for a topic like  “Has Globalisation delivered on its promise?”  I find the problem & solution method an apt way to develop your narrative. So choose as per the question.

In the main body of the essay, each para must have an argument or an idea and a reasoning to back that argument. You can substantiate it through a real life example, a statistic, an authentic committee or organisational report etc.

For example, if you are arguing that Capital punishment is an expensive form of justice, you should be able to given an example or a statistic or Law Commission’s opinion as to how the subjects of death penalty are overwhelmingly from poor communities.

Statistics, examples, expert opinions and constitutional provisions are crucial and they make your arguments authoritative.

Concluding an Essay

Conclusion needs to be on  a futuristic, optimistic note. You need to summarise the complete essay in 3-4 sentences, after which you can write your vision for future.

You can source some useful terms from the speeches of PM Modi. Phrases like  Sabka saath sabka vikas ,  Reform-Perform-Transform, Building A New India  etc can come handy.  Rhetoric, lofty expressions, constitutional ideals, sanskrit slokas and quotes are a good way to conclude your essay.

But suppose in your introduction, if you had written about a fictitious character, then it’s always advisable to end your write-up with a reference to that character. It gives a sense of completeness to the essay.

Readers should keep in mind that these notes are written rather haphazardly (I mean who makes notes thinking that in future, they might have to upload them publicly :D)

They are fragmented in certain pages, so you may not be able to comprehend them completely, but nevertheless I hope you take home something useful.

Link to handwritten notes:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jmVMGOzAk2d9B5Y0HQ9XpVF5Mh2IXGku

Quote collection:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jk71jLao60hHwJoTuGYaIDgJWccxa5Xn

List of Topics one needs to prepare:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1q0W0PeH-80EKt6ucJTFOVPUlmXvCIzd-

Sample Essays:  

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jqfUi1FXdG0icBdJpdQvwH1wlAizCMvo

Read More at: https://anudeepdurishetty.in/ 

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ESSAY STRATEGY By Anudeep Durishetty, UPSC Civil Services Exam Topper, All India Rank – 1 CSE-2017 – How to write a good Essay in UPSC Mains, Explained 

Essay strategy.

How to write a good Essay in UPSC Mains, Explained 

By Anudeep Durishetty

UPSC Civil Services Exam Topper, All India Rank – 1 CSE-2017

Novelist Stephen King put it beautifully when he said, “I write to find out what I think.” 

Writing is a window to your thought process. What you write on paper will tell the reader how you think, how you argue and the way you substantiate your viewpoint. This is why for most competitive examinations and academic entrance tests, essay is mandatory. 

In the Civil Services Exam too, we have a paper worth 250 marks, equivalent to a General Studies paper. Despite its importance, essay paper often does not get the attention it deserves from aspirants. First timers think they will write an excellent essay in the final exam itself, whereas experienced aspirants believe that since they had already studied a ton for GS, it will alone be enough to write a good essay. This is a fatal miscalculation. 

I was one of those who made these errors in the past, and it is not a coincidence that I scored only 100 in CSE 2015. But in 2017, I devoted adequate time to this paper. I collected useful quotes, prepared notes and even made rough essay drafts for frequently asked topics. All this effort in essay paper helped me score 155. 

What follows is an elaborate post on how you should tackle the Essay paper. I’ve organised the content as follows: 

What UPSC says about the essay paper 

• How and from where to prepare? 

Improving language and expression 

• On subheadings and rough drafts 
• What you must avoid 
• How to write a powerful introduction? 
• Developing the content of an Essay 

Substantiating your arguments 

• How to conclude an Essay 
• My notes, quote collection and sample essays 

“Candidates may be required to write essays on multiple topics. They will be expected to  keep closely to the subject of the essay,   to arrange their ideas in an orderly fashion, and to write concisely . Credit will be given for  effective and exact expression .”  

Essay distinguishes itself from GS in the sense that in GS, marks will be awarded purely for content. But in essay, examiners will pay special attention to not just the content, but also the language, coherence and the way you organise your write-up. 

So you must take adequate care to arrange your ideas properly and not commit any fundamental spelling or grammatical errors. 

How and from where to prepare?  

Most of the content you write in Essay will come from your GS preparation. Apart from this, the following sources will help: 

• Reading non-fiction  helps you develop a matured thought process. Apart from imparting knowledge, they will also let you come across good figures of speech, art of argumentation, powerful rhetoric and unique content etc. For example, in an essay on Artificial Intelligence, I took arguments from Yuval Harari’s  Homo Deus  to argue that AI is an imminent threat to humanity. Or if you read  Why Nations Fail,  a book replete with examples, you will understand the importance of innovation, political and economic freedoms in propelling a nation forward. So my suggestion is, apart from UPSC related material, develop the hobby of reading non-fiction books. I do not mean to suggest that you should start reading one  non-fiction book per topic to get good scores in Essay, but reading them occasionally in your free time will benefit you in the long run. 
• Referring to specific magazines:  For certain topics, you can refer to specific issues of Yojana/EPW/Economic Survey etc. Example: for an essay on tribal issues or public health, you can go through specific issues of these magazines for getting the latest statistics (IMR, MMR, malnutrition levels etc) and also about the positives and criticisms of govt schemes in that sector. 
• Collecting good stories/anecdotes and quotes  Anecdotes, quotes and real life stories you see in newspapers and books which can be used in essay should be noted down. In most of my essays, I used to start with a relevant story or an anecdote that has the essay topic as its underlying theme. Apart from these, I also used a couple of quotes of eminent persons. 

         List of quotes, anecdotes I collected are available in the link at the end of this article.  

Language in essay must be simple and clear with as little jargon as possible. If you want to use complex definitional terms such as, say, ‘Constitutionalism’ or ‘Sanskritisation’ please define it in sentence just before you use it. Examiner will also understand clearly what you want to convey. Clear writing is clear thinking. And that is what any reader looks for. 

Keep your sentences short and powerful. Long, winding sentences makes it difficult to read and understand. If you tack on one clause after another through conjunctions, what you get is a bad sentence sprawl.   

Example of a bad sentence sprawl: 

At the end of World War 2, on the one hand, while capitalism was successfully championed by the nations in North America and Europe, on the other hand, it was USSR that put Communism at the forefront due to which there was an ideological clash between the  the  two superpowers which had led to proxy wars in various parts of the globe, a nuclear arms race and a rapid deterioration of the security of the world.  

(By the time readers finish reading it, they will lose their breath and the point of the sentence) 

So I had a simple rule: If you run out of your breath while  reading a sentence, then probably you will have to break it into two. 

Rewriting the aforementioned example after breaking it into two (which makes it much easier to read and comprehend): 

After World War 2, while the North American and European nations championed capitalism, USSR put communism at the forefront. This ideological clash between the superpowers led to several proxy wars, a nuclear arms race and a rapid deterioration of world security.  

Vocabulary   

There is no need to memorise complex words for writing a good essay. But an occasional use of a powerful word, or a good phrase definitely gives your write-up an edge. 

Also, I believe that learning numerous words by rote will not make them stick in your brain for long. The best way to build your vocabulary is by reading non-fiction and English newspapers. While reading these, if you come across a good turn of phrase, or a word that you don’t recognise, please note it down in a book, find its meaning and understand the context in which the word was used. This helps in long term memory. Having a dictionary app on your phone also helps. 

Building vocabulary is a slow process, but with consistency, anyone can become better at using an expansive set of words. 

Subheadings & Rough Drafts 

We can be a little innovative in our subheadings. Instead of bland subheadings such as ‘ Benefits of Nuclear Energy’  we can use “ Nuclear Energy: Promise or Peril?’  Similarly, for the essay on Social Media, instead of writing ‘ Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media ’, I wrote  “Social Media: A Double Edged Sword”  

You can find my collection of a few such subheadings in the link to my notes, given at the end of the article. 

I also prepared a rough draft for a few essay topics (link given at the end). You may need to modify the structure as per the demand of the question. 

What you must avoid in Essay 

• Do not focus excessively only on one point, or one dimension (such as the historical or political aspect) Your essay needs to be expansive and multi-dimensional. 
• During preparation, we read a lot and it’s understandable that we feel strongly about certain topics. And since essay offers freedom to write, it’s very easy to get carried away with such a topic. But make sure that you write what is asked, not what you know or feel like. No  mann   ki   baat . Always stick to the subject of the topic. It helps to read the question in the midst of your essay to ensure that you are not steering away from the topic. 
• If you are not comfortable writing about abstract philosophical topics (I am terrible at writing them), avoid such questions. Your choice of topic has no bearing on the marks and that is why, selecting an unpopular topic just for the sake of it is unwise. Also, if there’s a technical term in the question, be doubly sure that you understand it correctly. For instance, in 2014, there was a question on ‘standard tests’, which is a technical term. I misunderstood it and wrote a generic essay. I got 112. 
• When you take a final stand on an issue, it’s best to avoid extreme or highly unpopular opinions. We are free to have any opinion in the privacy of our minds, but in UPSC essay why take that risk? For instance, in an essay on Capital Punishment, in the main body content, you should present a case for both abolition and retention. But when you take a stance, it’s best to be an abolitionist. 
• No ranting. You might be a great fan of Karl Marx, but if there’s a question on Capitalism, do not rant or rail against it  You must present both the positives and negatives of Capitalism and end the essay on a balanced note. 
• Do not dedicate disproportionate amount of time for the first essay and scamper through the second. Both carry equal marks, so please invest equal time. 

How to transition smoothly from one para to the next 

This can be done in three ways. 

Through a link sentence at the end of a para:  

Here, at the end of a para, you write a sentence that signals to the examiner what’s coming next. For example, let’s say you have just written a para about the threat posed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) to jobs. At the end of that para you can write a link sentence—   “Further, we must be mindful of the fact that Artificial Intelligence poses a major challenge not just economically, but also ethically.”  And in the next para, you can write about the ethical issues concerning AI. 

Through a question:    

Instead of a link sentence, you can also add a question at the end of a para so that examiner’s attention is helplessly carried to the next. To take the similar example as above, the question can be something like—   “Thus we have examined the threat posed by AI to our economy, but what about the challenges brought by AI to our ethics and morals?”  And in the next para, you can write about the ethical issues concerning AI. 

Signalling the shift at the start of next paragraph: 

Here you can simply add a word or two at the beginning of a para that signals a shift in your subtopic. For example in an essay on  Globalisation , let’s say you have just written a para about its historical evolution and impact. You can start the next para with something like—  “Politically too, globalisation has had a tremendous impact……” This way examiner immediately knows what to expect. 

These steps will ensure that the transition between paragraphs is not abrupt. 

How to write a good Introduction to your Essay? 

Essay introduction can be: 

a fictitious incident or story (where you introduce a character);  a real life anecdote;  a quote; or  a simple definition of the words in the question (not recommended in Essay) 

In GS, definitional approach is a great way to introduce your answers. But in essay, they are rather stale, lacking in any human element. I always believe that a good way to start your essay is to have that touch of humanity and warmth in your introduction. 

In my Mains exam, this was my introduction to the essay ‘Destiny of a nation is shaped in its classroom’ 

“The year was 1945. Towards the end of a gruesome world war, the world powers decided to carve up the Korean peninsula along the 38th parallel.  

“Before partition, North and South Korea might have been homogeneous in every respect, but after the division, they steered onto different paths. While schools in the North chose to ‘educate’ their children in the worship of a cult leader, ideological indoctrination and servility, its southern counterpart focused on liberal education, innovation and economic growth.  

“Today, almost seven decades later, the difference in the fates of these people and the trajectories of both these nations cannot be more stark. One is known for gross violation of human rights, while the other a champion of liberal democracy. One is known for gut-wrenching poverty, while the other unbridled prosperity.  

“This only proves the age old adage that the destiny of a nation is indeed shaped in its classrooms.”  

Similarly, for the Social Media essay, my introduction sought to bring to the fore the paradox of Social Media. I wrote on how social media was leveraged to crowdsource help and rescue during Chennai floods in 2015. At the same time, I mentioned how it was used nefariously in 2012 to cause mass exodus of northeast people from Bangalore. And taking cue from this introduction, in the main body, I discussed about the inherent selfishness and altruism associated with social media. 

These real life stories, anecdotes and incidents are everywhere in our books and newspapers. So when you come across them, note down and ponder as to how you can use them in your essay.   

Developing the Main Content from the Topic 

This is like spinning the web from a thread. Depending on the topic, you can choose among the following options that fits best. 

• Temporal : Past, present and future 
• Sectoral :  Media, Science & Tech, Business, Sports, Religion, Politics, Administration etc 
• Walks of Life : Individual, Family, Professional workplace, Society, Community, National, Global 
• Problem & Solution:  Concept (historical evolution+status), benefits, problems, solutions 
• Standard : Social, Political, Economical, Administrative, International, Environmental, Historical, Scientific, Security/Defence, Legal 

Example: for a topic like  “Has  Globalisation  delivered on its promise?”  I find the problem & solution method an apt way to develop your narrative. So choose as per the question. 

In the main body of the essay, each para must have an argument or an idea and a reasoning to back that argument. You can substantiate it through a real life example, a statistic, an authentic committee or organisational report etc. 

For example, if you are arguing that Capital punishment is an expensive form of justice, you should be able to given an example or a statistic or Law Commission’s opinion as to how the subjects of death penalty are overwhelmingly from poor communities. 

Statistics, examples, expert opinions and constitutional provisions are crucial and they make your arguments authoritative. 

Concluding an Essay 

Conclusion needs to be on  a futuristic, optimistic note. You need to summarise the complete essay in 3-4 sentences, after which you can write your vision for future. 

You can source some useful terms from the speeches of PM Modi. Phrases like  Sabka   saath   sabka   vikas ,  Reform-Perform-Transform, Building A New India  etc can come handy.  Rhetoric, lofty expressions, constitutional ideals, sanskrit slokas and quotes are a good way to conclude your essay. 

But suppose in your introduction, if you had written about a fictitious character, then it’s always advisable to end your write-up with a reference to that character. It gives a sense of completeness to the essay. 

Readers should keep in mind that these notes are written rather haphazardly (I mean who makes notes thinking that in future, they might have to upload them publicly :D)  

They are fragmented in certain pages, so you may not be able to comprehend them completely, but nevertheless I hope you take home something useful.  

Link to handwritten notes: 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jmVMGOzAk2d9B5Y0HQ9XpVF5Mh2IXGku  

Quote collection:  

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jk71jLao60hHwJoTuGYaIDgJWccxa5Xn  

List of Topics one needs to prepare:  

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1q0W0PeH-80EKt6ucJTFOVPUlmXvCIzd-  

Sample Essay:    

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jqfUi1FXdG0icBdJpdQvwH1wlAizCMvo  

https://anudeepdurishetty.in/my-upsc-marksheet/

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Information Technology Rules, 2021

The Central Government enacted the Information Technology (Guidelines For Intermediaries And Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 in February 2021. The Rules largely cover OTT platforms and social media. In this article, you can read all about the new Information Technology Rules, 2021, which is an important topic for the UPSC exam .

The topic has a very high chance of being asked as a UPSC Prelims Polity Question or as a Current Affairs Question, as it has been in the news recently.

Note: UPSC 2022 is approaching closer, supplement your preparation with the free Daily Video Analysis of The Hindu Newspaper by BYJU’S.

Information Technology Rules, 2021 – Download PDF Here

New Information Technology Rules

The new Rules have been passed under Sections 69A(2), 79(2)(c) and 87 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 . These new rules supersede the previously enacted Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules 2011.

• The Rules aim to provide a robust complaint mechanism for the users of social media and over-the-top (OTT) platforms to address their grievances.
• They place special emphasis on the protection of women and children from sexual offences on social media.
• The rules stress the point that online content publishers and social media intermediaries should follow the Constitution of the country and subject themselves to domestic laws.
• With these rules, India joins other international regimes that have provisions for digital media regulation and provides a comprehensive mechanism for the protection of digital media consumers.

IT Rules Background

In 2018, the Supreme Court observed that the Indian Government may frame necessary guidelines to eradicate child pornography, rape and gang rape images, videos and sites in content hosting platforms and other applications.

• In 2020, an Ad-hoc committee of the Rajya Sabha submitted its report on the issue of social media pornography and its effect on children and society as a whole. The report recommended tracing the originator of such content.
• In 2020, the GOI also brought OTT platforms under the ambit of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

New Guidelines for Social Media Intermediaries

The new rules classify social media intermediaries into two categories:

• Social media intermediaries
• Significant social media intermediaries

Note: UPSC 2022 is approaching closer, keep yourself updated with the latest UPSC current affairs where we explain the important news in a simplified manner.

Note: You can make your current affairs revision robust using Free Monthly Magazines by BYJU’S .

What are internet intermediaries?

Internet intermediaries can be described as entities that facilitate access to the internet or services on the internet (Association Progressive Communications 2014). For example, internet service providers, social media networks, search engines, etc. Generally, the intermediaries adopt a passive approach to the content they provide or host (unlike book publishers). Since they generally do not have editorial control over the content, countries are encouraged to enact safe harbour protections which offer immunity to intermediaries from criminal liability. In India, the safe harbour provisions have been defined under Section 79 of the IT Act.

• According to the new rules, in the case due diligence is not followed by the intermediary, the safe harbour provisions would not apply to them.
• Intermediaries shall appoint a Grievance Officer to deal with complaints and share the name and contact details of such officers.
• This officer should acknowledge the complaint received within 24 hours and resolve the issue within 15 days.
• Intermediaries should remove or disable, within 24 hours of the complaint received, content that displays partial or full nudity, sexual act, morphed images, etc.
• Complaints of such nature can be filed either by individuals or any person on behalf of the individuals.
• They have to appoint a Chief Compliance Officer, a Nodal Contact Person and a Resident Grievance Officer, and all these officers should be Indian residents.
• They should publish a monthly compliance report detailing the complaints received.
• Such intermediaries offering services chiefly in the nature of messaging shall enable the identification of the first originator of the information.
• The purpose of this identification is for the prevention, detection, investigation, prosecution or punishment of an offence related to the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign states, or public order, or in relation to rape, sexually explicit material or child sexual abuse material punishable with imprisonment for a term of not less than five years.
• Here, the social media intermediaries offering messaging services will have the responsibility to help law enforcement agencies identify and track the first originator of any contentious or problematic information.
• This can only be executed through an order of a competent court or the Competent Authority under Section 69 of the Act and must only be employed as a measure of last resort.
• An intermediary upon receiving actual knowledge in the form of an order by a court or being notified by the appropriate govt. or its agencies through an authorised officer should not host or publish any information which is prohibited under any law in relation to the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India, public order, friendly relations with foreign countries, etc.

New Guidelines for OTT Platforms, News Publishers & Digital Media

Over-the-top (OTT) Platforms

• The new rules call OTT platforms ‘publishers of online curated content’.
• U (Universal)
• OTT platforms would be required to provide parental lock systems for content classified U/A 13+ or higher, and have an age verification mechanism for content classified as ‘Adult’.
• The rating for the content should be prominently displayed before the programme starts so that users can make informed decisions based on suitability. Along with the rating, the content’s description should also be provided with a viewer discretion message if applicable.

Note: Read in detail about OTT Platforms in India in the linked article.

News Publishers

• Publishers of news on digital media should observe the Norms of Journalistic Conduct of the Press Council of India and the Programme Code under the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act 1995 in order to provide a level playing field between the offline (Print, TV) and digital media.

Grievance redressal mechanism

• A three-level grievance redressal mechanism has been mandated with different levels of self-regulation. They are:
• Publisher should appoint a Grievance Redressal Officer who is a resident of India.
• This officer should take his/her decision on complaints within 15 days.
• The self-regulating bodies of the publishers should register themselves with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
• One publisher can have more than one self-regulating body.
• Such bodies would be headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court , a High Court, or an eminent independent person and shall not have more than six members.
• This body should oversee that the publisher adheres to the Code of Ethics.
• The body will also address grievances that are not resolved within 15 days by the publisher.
• An oversight mechanism will be framed by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
• It shall publish a charter for self-regulating bodies, including Codes of Practices. 
• It shall also establish an Inter-Departmental Committee for hearing grievances.

New IT Rules Concerns

Some of the concerns expressed about these new Rules are mentioned below.

• Some people say that instead of soft-touch monitoring, the government has opted for predatory new rules.
• The mandate that social media intermediaries should help authorities trace the first originator of contentious messages can be problematic, experts opine. Tracking the first originator would entail storing sensitive information or breaking end-to-end encryption protocol, moves that could weaken overall security. Here, the users’ right to privacy could be potentially violated. The issue gets even more complicated if the message originator is outside India. Also read: Puttaswamy Case, 2017 .
• While many laud the steps to mitigate and penalise child sexual abuse online, some worry that the lack of nuanced automated tools to filter material could have a deleterious effect on free speech. 

Draft Information Technology Rules, 2021

A new draft version of the revision to the IT Rules 2021 has been published by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY). Many modifications have been suggested by MEITY. According to the government, because India is fast moving toward digitalisation and the number of users is growing, there are some gaps in current legislation regarding big tech platforms. Following are some of the new major proposals under the draft document:

• The very first amendment is the addition of 3(1)(a) and 3(1)(b) to the IT Rules 2021, which compels intermediaries to observe users’ rights as guaranteed by the Indian Constitution.
• Secondly, the government has proposed requiring intermediaries to respond to certain complaints about content removal from the platform within 72 hours. Because of the possibility of something going viral, the ministry has advocated this. Intermediaries were also advised to put in place measures to protect the grievance redress system from being abused.
• MEITY has also proposed establishing a new Grievance Appellate Committee, which would provide consumers with an extra avenue to challenge judgments made by intermediary grievance officers. Such a committee will work over and above the intermediary’s grievance redressal officer. The central government will establish one or more such committees, each of which will have a chairperson and as many other members as the central government deems necessary. The committee will have to dispose of the complaint within 30 days and its decision will have to be complied with by the platform concerned.
• The document also stipulated that all social media intermediaries must settle all complaints within 72 hours of receipt of the complaint.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Information Technology Rules, 2021:

When was the it rules, 2021 notified in india, who introduced the new information technology rules, 2021, which statutory law is concerned with the introduction and implementation of the new it rules, 2021.

Note : You may get all the Polity and Governance Questions for the UPSC Mains exam by visiting the linked article.

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Social Media and Internal Security Threat

• Published 12th Jul, 2019

 Social Media can be defined as any web or mobile based platform that enables an individual or agency to communicate interactively and enables exchange of user generated content and it is explained by a number of tools, which includes blogs, Wikis, discussion forums, micro-blogs, twitter and social networking sites. 

Challenges in Monitoring Social Media

1)    Server Location and Laws of Different Countries: Lack of Geographical Boundaries makes social media regulation an arduous task. Major Complicating Factors to secure the networks and Media Much of the hardware and software that make up the communications ecosystem is sourced externally.

2)    Encrypted Message: Use of phones/whatsapp to send and receive messages, concerns the government because the communications sent via such devices and applications are encrypted and could not be monitored and consequently hinders the country's efforts to fight terrorism and crime.

3)    Complicated Networks: The task of securing the networks is also complicated by the fact that much of the infrastructure is in the hands of private companies who see measures such as security auditing and other regulations and frameworks as adding to their costs. Source of Origin is difficult to find out.

In a globalised society media becomes a lethal weapon against the enemy, and the populace as well. Information, as an element of soft power, is a strategic instrument within the context of grand strategy. There should be judicious use of social media. But we will have to mull steps to check its misuse for creating Internal security threat to Nation. Social Media, with all its benefits and the potential for more, is definitely a boon to our world, however misuse or irresponsible usage can have negative affectson  an Internal security. We need to guard against the negative impact of the social media, which ought to be used in the correct manner for creative or productive purposes so that it is progressive to mankind and society at large, rather than regressive.

Role of Media in India

  Media is the means of communication that reaches or influences people widely, has a significant place in the statecraft machinery especially in the age of information revolution. It is the source of information for a society regarding any issue be it local, regional or global, people rely and even trust on what is presented to them by media.

Uses of Social Media by Terrorist Organizations

One of the biggest challenges of today's world is Terrorism & its increasing reach. Almost all the continents are facing it with the same urge. Terrorist organizations are using media & especially electronic media like internet platforms, emails, and social media etc. due to convenience, affordability & broad reach provided by it.

Case Studies of Uses of Social Media by Terrorist Organizations:

1)      In Recruitment from other countries: 

ISIS is using the network of their recruiters around the world & paying them $2000 to $10000 depending upon who is recruited. Recruiters are using social media platform. They are releasing videos of to target individuals who are susceptible to its message of violence and adventure. ISIS has also benefited from "disseminators", individuals who are sympathetic to their cause but not fighting for them. Social media and other communication methods has also enabled those who are willing to be radicalised to directly engage with the conflicts in Iraq and Syria and communicate with ISIS fighters. As per new confidential U.S. intelligence assessment indicates that as many as 30,000 foreigners from more than 100 countries have flocked to Syria and Iraq to join the ranks of ISIS in the past year, double the number of recruits from the year before. Of the 30,000 newcomers more than 4,500 have come from Western countries, including 250 Americans and 750 Britons In Europe it is Belgium from where more than 500 people joined ISIS.

India is also suffered from it however less severely. So far, near 23 Indians have gone to ISIS hold areas in Iraq-Syria to fight for the terrorist group.

2)    In Name of religion:

A 26-year-old MBA from Hyderabad, decided to leave his pregnant wife to join the ISIS in Syria. To do khidmat (service) and be part of the ISIS or the Islamic State, this young man, like many other Indian Muslims, had been interacting with handlers on the social media and gradually getting lured to the idea of attaining jannat (heaven) by serving the Sunni terror group that has massacred thousands in order to set up a Caliphate. After watching ISIS videos and interacting with radicals, he wanted to go to Syria.

3)   Targeting Women:

Recently three teenage girls left their homes and families in London to travel to Syria and join ISIS. Days before the girls' departure, a Twitter account appearing to belong to 15-year-old Shamima Begum tweeted to an account associated with a female ISIS member known online as ‘Umm Layth’. Umm Layth is the name used online by Aqsa Mahmood, a 20-year-old woman who ran away from her home in Glasgow in November 2013 to join ISIS and marry a militant. Mahmood is part of a small clique of ISIS women with active and publicly visible Twitter profiles. They use the platform to share "the truth" about their lives in Syria and Iraq and make themselves available to potential "recruits." These accounts actively encourage interested parties to reach out to them using messaging apps like. Kik and SureSpot for advice on how to "make hijrah," or migrate, to the "Islamic State." In addition to offering one-on-one advice, these accounts also continually tweet reasons why women should leave their countries and join the militant group. Accounts claiming to belong to ISIS fighters also applaud the women who have joined the group. One of the much-touted selling points of living in ISIS-controlled territory, according to these accounts, is its diverse membership.

4)    Use of Print Media:

Copies of Dabiq which carries ISIS propaganda on an array of topics including jihad and reviving slavery were available for $26. The product description described Dabiq as "a periodical magazine focusing on issues of tawhid (unity), manhaj (truth-seeking), hijrah (migration), jihad (holy war), and jama'ah (community), including photo reports, current events, and informative articles on matters relating to the Islamic State." Despite going on sale Saturday, Dabiq is freely available online. The magazine is part of ISIS's sophisticated propaganda efforts that also include YouTube videos and forays into social media.

Social Media in the arena of Communal Violence:

i)     2012 North East Violence :

In July 2012, violence in the Indian state of Assam broke out with riots between indigenous Bodos and Bengali-speaking Muslims. The violence and exodus of thousands of people from North-east India reportedly led to a series of incessant protests in Assam, at multiple locations, during the months of August-September. The protesters' main demand was expeditious detection and deportation of illegal infiltrators from Assam.

Nearly 80 people have been killed and 4,00,000 displaced in fighting between Muslims and mostly Hindu Bodo tribesmen in North-eastern Assam state. The mass flight was sparked by rumours that Muslims, a big minority in pred ominantly Hindu India, were seeking revenge for the Assam violence. First a Mumbai demonstration in support of Muslims in Assam turned violent, leaving two people dead. Then tens of thousands of people from the Northeast who lived and worked in big cities in the south of India packed up and fled back home terrorized by Facebook, Twitter and text messages threatening them with violence in retaliation for what was happening in the North. The Indian government accused Pakistani agents of producing the threatening material to destabilize India. Then India went on a web crackdown, ostensibly trying to shut off the social media causing the panic but setting off a fierce debate about censorship in the process.

As the government began to dig in to the cause of the panic, the story became increasingly strange. Almost none of the images that were ostensibly outraging Muslims in the rest of India, and potentially spurring them to acts of vicious revenge, were actually of Assam. The much-circulated Facebook images were Photoshopped (often badly) pictures of atrocities allegedly carried out against Muslims in Burma several years ago or entirely unrelated pictures (such as those of Buddhist monks helping earthquake victims in Tibet) purporting to be from Assam. But the media consumers in question were not sophisticated, and the rationality was lost in the mass panic.

The use of bulk SMSs and social media to aggravate the communal situation is a new challenge that the recent disturbances have thrown before us we need to devise strategies to counter the propaganda that iscarried out by these new means. Any measure to control the use of such media must be carefully weighed against the need for the freedom to express and communicate.

ii)    Muzaffarnagar Riots:

Social Media had a key role in the Muzaffarnagar riots also, the posts by user over Facebook, Twitter, SMS & coverage by the Indian media tend to affect to mold the opinions and actions of the other individuals of the society.

27th August 2013, a terrifying yet sad day in India which gave birth to a new group of communal riots namely 'Muzaffarnagar Riots'. Severe clashes between the two communities, the 'Muslims' and 'Jats' in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli, India broke out in the parts of rural areas and communally sensitive district of Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh which claimed more than 43 lives leaving 93 plus injured.

From inception, the situations and factors which led to the emergence of such serious riots and violence was, on this one day when a Hindu girl was walking past a Muslim community on her way to school; she was being harassed by a man who passed lewd, insulting comments on her. Subsequently killing of Muslim boy & lynching of girl's brother in revenge started the problem which turned into a social unrest.

This was not the end but a beginning which opened doors to the Muzaffarnagar communal riots. The girl's father, when tried filing a FIR against the family of the boy who had harassed the girl, the police refused to register the FIR. On the other hand, when the Muslim family went to file a FIR for the murder of their son who harassed the girl, the police readily registered the case and arrested the Father of the girl with his other close relatives.

Here, the problem actually started, as by thinking that, clear discrimination was done by the administration, theJat community requested the panchayat of their community to force the police in order to drop the charges against girl's father. Nonetheless, the Administration did not take any final decision. The Jat community again approached the Panchayat under the 'BahuBetiBachaoSammelan' and distributed a few inflammatory videos and pictures via CD/MMS. In situation when no action taken by administration, Muslim community attacked the Hindu on certain day . After this incident, the riots spread like fire which became uncontrollable.

The vernacular media and a few major national news channels (electronic) have seemed to have played a vital role in provoking and instigating serious violence and aggression against the Muslim community. Through unfound and false stories, a mischievous and deliberate attempt in spreading hatred between the communities was a part of the role which the media played. Nonetheless, with the support of the representatives of political parties like BJP, they used social media like Facebook, MMS and CD's as a tool arouse hatred before as well as during the riots. Moreover, the people of Muzaffarnagar gave a communal color to the violence by exaggerating the incidents. Many Hindi news channels and newspapers misreported the happenings on daily basis by setting up a picture in the minds of the public that it was the Muslims who were slaughtering the Hindus and initiating distorted violence. As a result, there was a severe rise in the rumors and passion to fight and revolt back in the riots.

The internet has become an integral part of modern living. The spread of social media and the use of platforms is changing the way society operates. Social media has been playing a destructive role in inciting communal violence in India and time has come to check its misuse. Social networking sites are a threat to national security as they are used as tools for drug trafficking, money laundering and match-fixing, terrorism, instigating violence and for rumor tools etc. Social media tools like Blogs, Wikis, Discussion forums, Micro blogs, SMS, And the most burning issue, i.e. Social networking sites Facebook, Twitter etc.

Social Media can be  defined, among other things, as  tools; how they are used, by whom they are used and for what  reason can represent either a threat or an opportunity for  National Security, it is itself shouldn't  be seen as a potential threat  to National Security but those who use these tools may  pose a potential risk.

"It is now a given that social media environments are important sources of data for understanding the dynamics of the diffusion of information and human behavior”. Evidence suggests that, social media had an impact on events such as Mujaffarnagar riots, Godhara Riots, Babri Masjid riots etc. Groups representing a potential threat to National Security like, International terrorist groups, Transnational Crime Organisations, Cracker groups, Religious sections, Hacker groups, NGO's, International organizations,Allied foreign states, terrorist groups etc.

Media and Internal Security Threat

  Throughout history, nation & states have faced security threats from both internal and external sources, but in modern times internal security complications poses greater threats especially when these are accentuated by hostile states. Many nations, like Yugoslavia, Sudan, Congo etc. have succumbed to them and many, like Yemen are facing survival threat.

Political destabilizations, violent internal conflicts, legitimacy crisis etc are some of the internal security threats to which South Asia is not an outlier. These have disintegrated nations like Pakistan in 1971 and some have been able to return from the brink like in Sri Lanka but all continue to face challenges.

What are different components of internal security and challenges faced by India?

If we define security as the maintaining territorial integrity and keeping peace and harmony within, than internal security automatically presupposes:

• The feeling of nationalism, brotherhood among all citizens because without these maintenance of integrity will be difficult. In the absence of this there are always chances of nation breaking into pieces.

•  Respect for laws, policies and institutions among the people and the capacity of the state to earn respect through policies which promote inclusive growth, ensure justice, equity and participation.

• Capabilities of the organs of the state like police, security forces, judiciary to keep faith of people intact, earn legitimacy and respond to the new emerging challenges like organized crime,

In spite of the efforts by the constitution makers to provide independent and credible institutions, political mechanism to tackle any kind of internal security problems India faces many of them:

• India is diverse and large country and in such situations differences are bound to arise. Many a times such differences are aggravated naturally and sometimes because of politics which create internal security challenges like communalism, Caste and ethnic violence etc.

• Sometimes unintended consequences of government policies or inefficiencies of governments may also create internal security challenges like left wing extremism, organized crime, illegal migration from Bangladesh etc.

• Other times the threats are posed by well organized crime syndicates whose main aim is just to run illegal, underground businesses but they attack the psyche of people eroding the credibility of state.

What is the role of media in internal security?

Media role in internal security can be analyzed from the prism of news, views and issues. How it presents them to the populace can help either in strengthening or weakening of the basics of internal security. In the globalized world it has to strike a balance between people's right to know on the one side and national security and social ethics on the other.

If we look from the perspective of issues media can play a very important role in improving internal security as it plays the role of information provider, information disseminator. It can mould the perception of both people and government, can lead to re-formulation of policies if they are wrong and can prevent negative outcomes which could have arisen.

Through its ground reporting it can warn of governments about the issues which can become security threat in future, like it can inform about the growing discontent in a particular area or group of people.

Role of Awareness Creation

·          It can disseminate information about the various programmes and policies that government has launched for vulnerable section and areas and thus creating a feeling of belongingness and thus creating a mass based shield against internal security threats.

·          It can educate people about the long term benefits of various initiatives by government as people many a times fail to see beyond what is visible immediately.

·          It can act a morale builder by showcasing the gains country has made in different spheres, economic, social, technological etc. and thus creating a sense of pride among people, various agencies. This sense of pride along helps in creating sense of nationalism, brotherhood if gains are equitably distributed.

·          It can help in countering propaganda and act as a tool to play information war. For example, it can counter the propaganda by Maoists, North-East insurgent groups by providing right facts and figures.

·          It can help in creating social cohesion by showing such programmes which shows inter-group cordial relations, rich history of peaceful Coexistence etc.

·          It can bring accountability among government institutions by highlighting lapses, atrocities committed by them or other lacunas in their operations. It helps in making institutions ready for any emergency situation

Regarding news reporting the media should know the difference between information, curiosity and the rumour. It has to strike a balance between giving instantaneous news and not acting as a tool in the hands of the anti-thetical elements by telecasting horrifying, gory images, live telecasting or divisive speeches. It should not act as an intelligence tool for terrorists by live telecasting operation details of security agencies.

How has Indian media played its role in internal security?

Media in India has played its role very responsibly most of the times, but it also has its share of lapses.

• It has helped in bringing out the correct information regarding issues of naxalism, the ineffectiveness of the policies pursued and thus helping in course correction. It has fought tooth and nail against policies like that of SalwaJudum, which might have long term repercussions on national integration.

• It has highlighted the issues of displacement, inequitable growth, rising inequalities, forcible acquisition of land and other resources etc, which if not handled may become security threats in long term.

•  Many a times it has brought out the reports of lapses in governments preparedness related to internal security and thus bringing accountability. In India media has played great role in highlighting the issues of human rights violation by security forces, absence of latest arms and technologies with police forces and thus creating a public opinion against such lapses.

• It has brought atrocities committed by security forces in light and course correction, which has helped in bringing people closer to governments as they feel that government care for them.

•  It has helped in building resilience against any kind of efforts by ISIS to spread roots in India by creating a popular opinion against it.

• It has helped by giving a space for the dis-heartened people to vent their anger. This alternative has helped in maintenance of law and order in great way.

But, in recent times because of proliferation of news channels and them pivalry with another for TRP instances of yellow journalism, dissemination of unverified news and one sided information by some unscrupulous news channels have emerged. Such actions of media have negative impact on long term internal security.

• The concept of breaking news have many a times detrimental effect on National Security.  Amplifying the fear factor through news reporting, live telecast of sensitive information are some of the concern areas here. For example, during the time of Mumbai terror attacks TV channels live telecasted operations by security forces. In recent Gurdaspur terrorist attack also same thing happened.

• The instances of playing too much with divisive issues, blowing news out of context have also surfaced in recent times. Seeking opinion of irresponsible individuals on sensitive issues may disrupt the social fabric of the country.

• This has also been aggravated by spread of social media which is taking the shape of public sourced media and also as a barometer of acceptance & popularity. This has made media houses dump objective reporting and playing to the tunes of masses who don't have knowledge of long term ill-effects of such things.

What should be done?

Media is an important tool of statecraft and ‘fourth pillar’ of democracy. Our constitution ensures freedom of speech and expression which also includes freedom of press. But, it should be kelp in mind that, this freedom must be exercised responsibly otherwise it can turn into a tool for creating disorder, confusion and mistrust. This in turn will bring media regulation by government in future, which will weaken the fourth pillar and democracy itself. The reasonable restrictions on freedom of speech must be treated as sacrosanct by media houses and must be self-adhered.

• The media houses must evolve their own code of ethics and self regulation mechanisms through which actions against those acting against the interest of the national security can be taken.

• Governments must also be proactive and must continuously provide immediate, accurate and reliable information so that public is not influenced by sensational and biased news reporting.

•  Media houses must also strengthen their local networks so that they can provide actual ground reports, can provide information in local languages because at present there exist a gap between local and national news which should be bridged.

•  With emergence of multiple sources of information the credibility of information is lost. This aspect must be taken care of because credibility is of paramount importance for media.

It is said that, media should do objective reporting without any objective but sometimes reporting with objective of strengthening of the National Integration can be carried. The example of role played by media in unification of Germany must be kept in mind and that should be the objective of the media, uniting the divided.

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