UPSC Mains 2022 · GS IV · Q3(b) · 10 marks · 150 words

What does each of the following quotations mean to you? “If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel that there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are father, mother and teacher.” —A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

हिन्दी में

निम्नलिखित में से प्रत्येक उद्धरण का आपके विचार से क्या अभिप्राय है? ‘‘अगर किसी देश को भ्रष्टाचारमुक्त होना है और खूबसूरत दिमागों का देश बनना है, तो मैं दृढ़ता से मानता हूँ कि तीन प्रमुख सामाजिक सदस्य हैं, जो बदलाव ला सकते हैं। वे हैं पिता, माता और शिक्षक।’’ —ए० पी० जे० अब्दुल कलाम

Family, Society and EducationCorruptionIndian Thinkers

How a topper answered the closest question

Toppers wrote this one in a test series: “What do each of the following quotations mean to you? "There is no school equal to a decent home and no teacher equal to a virtuous parent." - Mahatma Gandhi”

Ujjwal PriyankAIR 10 · CSE 2025 · 172 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening

Mahatma Gandhi expresses his desire to impart moral and ethical values in children. In this regard, he adds that a decent home and virtuous parents are key to moral upbringing of child.

Body · points and prose

Role of parents in upbringing

(1) Parents are the first teacher of children.

(2) A child imitates what he/she learns at home.

Eg: Maharana Pratap was taught to be a warrior as influenced by his brave lineage.

(3) A decent home, void of quarrels and gloomy environment, helps a child to unleash full potential.

Eg: Development of emotional intelligence.

(4) Virtuous parents pass on their ethical values and guidance for holistic development of child.

Eg: Sushma Swaraj imbibed the values of "cultural pride" in her daughter.

However there are challenges...

(1) Work-life imbalance.

(2) Both parents working leaves a child feeling lonely and oppressed.

(3) Tension in household may not allow the child to realise his true potential.

Close · a summary

Thus, there can be no school better than decent home and no teacher better than virtuous parent for development of child.

1 more topper’s answer to this question, part by part, and how they all approached it: open the question.

Toppers’ answers to other close questions

Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Main) Examination 2022, General Studies Paper IV, Q3(b). The paper on upsc.gov.in. Themes and links to toppers’ answers are by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.