UPSC Mains 2024 GS2 Q6: model answer
Public charitable trusts have the potential to make India’s development more inclusive as they relate to certain vital public issues. Comment.
What the question wants
Role of public charitable trusts in inclusive development, examples, and concerns.
How to structure it
Intro: Public charitable trusts hold property for public purposes such as relief of poverty. Body: (1) Contribution to inclusive development (health, education, livelihoods and rural development); (2) Concerns; (3) Reforms. Conclusion: Well-regulated trusts can extend the reach of the State and bring compassion to development.
- 1(1) Contribution to inclusive development (health, education, livelihoods and rural development)
- 2(2) Concerns
- 3(3) Reforms
Model answer
Public charitable trusts hold property for public purposes such as relief of poverty, education, medical relief and environment. They are regulated by State laws like the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act, 1950 and get tax benefits under the Income Tax Act.
Contribution to inclusive development
- Health: Tata Trusts' cancer care network; trust hospitals offer subsidised care.
- Education: Azim Premji Foundation's work with government schools; university endowments.
- Livelihoods and rural development: trusts work with SHGs, water conservation.
- Disaster relief and support during COVID-19.
- They can take risks on new ideas that governments later scale up.
Concerns
- Misuse for tax evasion or money laundering.
- Concentration in cities and certain States.
- Poor transparency in some trusts; complex registration.
- Limits on foreign funding under FCRA.
Reforms: online registration and disclosure, outcome reporting, partnerships with government programmes.
Well-regulated trusts can extend the reach of the State and bring compassion to development.
Keywords, cases and data to drop in
public trusts philanthropy Tata Trusts Azim Premji Foundation transparency
Where most answers lose marks
- No examples.
Fresh examples from current affairs
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Question text as printed in the official UPSC question paper: https://www.upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/QP_CSM_2024_GenStud_II_03102024.pdf The model answer is original Battle IAS work; use it to learn structure, not to memorise.