Young people with ethical conduct are not willing to come forward to join active politics. Suggest steps to motivate them to come forward.
Approach · directive: “suggest steps”
What it asks · Identify why ethical young people stay out of politics and suggest steps that make it easier and more rewarding for them to enter.
The question has 2 parts — answer each
- Identify why young people of ethical conduct stay away from active politics
- Suggest steps to motivate them to come forward
Open with · Politics decides how public resources and rules are used; if principled young people stay away, the field is left to money and muscle.
Cover
- Barriers: criminalisation, money power in elections, family control of parties, abusive campaigns and fear of harm to career and family.
- Party reform: open selection of candidates, internal party democracy, real roles for youth wings and tickets for clean, capable young people.
- Electoral reform: disclosure of candidates' criminal cases and assets, faster trials of elected representatives and cleaner campaign finance.
- Education: civic education, student and youth parliaments, debating and internships with legislators and local bodies present politics as public service.
- Local entry: empowered panchayats and urban bodies and youth presence in gram sabhas let young people begin with issues close to them.
- Role models: honest leaders, mentoring, recognition and media stories of clean politicians show that integrity can succeed.
- Safeguards: protection from harassment and online abuse for those who challenge entrenched interests.
Close with · Cleaner rules, open parties and civic education can make politics an honourable choice for principled young citizens.
Add value (verified)
- Plato, Republic, Book I (Jowett translation): the worst part of the punishment for refusing to rule is being ruled by someone worse; this fear induces the good to take office. Plato, The Republic, tr. Benjamin Jowett — Project Gutenberg ↗“Now the worst part of the punishment is that he who refuses to rule is liable to be ruled by one who is worse than himself. And the fear of this, as I conceive, induces the good to take office”
- Para 6.2 of the Vohra Committee report (Ministry of Home Affairs), quoted in ADR (2002): criminal gangs and economic lobbies had developed an extensive network of contacts with government functionaries, politicians and media persons. Union of India v. Association for Democratic Reforms, Supreme Court, 2 May 2002 — Indian Kanoon ↗“the DIB has also stated that there has been a rapid spread and growth of criminal gangs, armed seas, drug Mafias, smuggling gang, drug peddlers and economic lobbies in the country which have, over the years, developed an extensive network of contacts with the bureaucrats/Government functionaries at the local levels, politicians, media persons”
- ADR (2002): the Supreme Court directed the Election Commission, under Article 324, to obtain affidavits from candidates on criminal antecedents, and reasoned that voters must be able to avoid electing law breakers as law makers. Union of India v. Association for Democratic Reforms, Supreme Court, 2 May 2002 — Indian Kanoon ↗“The little man may think over before making his choice of electing law breakers as law makers.”
- Lily Thomas v. Union of India (Supreme Court, 10 July 2013): Section 8(4) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 was declared ultra vires, so a convicted legislator's membership is no longer saved by filing an appeal. Lily Thomas v. Union of India, Supreme Court, 10 July 2013 — Indian Kanoon ↗“his membership of Parliament or the State Legislature, as the case may be, will not be saved by sub-section (4) of Section 8 of the Act which we have by this judgment declared as ultra vires the Constitution”
- Gandhi's list of seven social sins, beginning with Politics without Principle (Young India, 22 October 1925). Seven Social Sins — mkgandhi.org (Bombay Sarvodaya Mandal / Gandhi Research Foundation) ↗“Seven Social Sins Politics without Principle Wealth Without Work Pleasure Without Conscience Knowledge without Character Commerce without Morality Science without Humanity Worship without Sacrifice - Young India, 22-10-1925”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2017, GS Paper IV — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer · 213 words (UPSC limit 150) · Minimalist IAS
Plato warned that the worst penalty for refusing to rule is to be "ruled by one who is worse than himself". When ethical young Indians stay out of politics, that penalty falls on everyone.
Why ethical youth stay away
- Criminalisation: the Vohra Committee reported criminal networks with contacts among officials and politicians; clean entrants fear being co-opted or crushed.
- Money and dynasty: costly campaigns, family control of tickets and abusive politics leave no honourable entry point.
Steps to motivate them to come forward
- Cleaner contests: build on ADR (2002), which made candidates disclose criminal cases and assets so that voters avoid "electing law breakers as law makers", and Lily Thomas (2013), which ended the shield that kept convicted legislators in their seats.
- Open parties: internal elections, transparent candidate selection and real authority for youth wings.
- A first rung: empowered panchayats, municipal bodies and student unions let the young start close to home.
- Civic education: youth parliaments and internships with legislators show politics as learnable public service.
- Role models and safety: mentoring by honest representatives, and protection from harassment and online abuse.
Gandhi listed "Politics without Principle" first among the seven social sins (Young India, 1925). Clean rules, open parties and an honest first rung can draw principled youth in to cure that sin.
Written by Minimalist IAS from facts checked at source (how we verify) — a little fuller than exam length, so every part of the question is covered; in the hall, keep the structure and trim the detail. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.