📋 Written Ability Test (WAT)/Essay Analysis Guide

🌟 Topic: Should Political Parties Be Banned from Accepting Donations from Corporations?

🌐 Understanding the Topic

Corporate donations influence political processes, raising critical questions about transparency, accountability, and democratic fairness.

📑 Effective Planning and Writing

• Time Allocation:
  • Planning: 5 minutes
  • Writing: 20 minutes
  • Review: 5 minutes

✍️ Introduction Techniques for Essays

1. Contrast Approach: “While corporate donations sustain political campaigns, they risk tilting policymaking towards vested interests.”
2. Solution-Based Introduction: “Public financing offers a viable alternative to corporate funding, ensuring fairness in politics.”
3. Timeline Introduction: “From unregulated donations to rising public scrutiny, political funding practices are under the global spotlight.”

📚 Structuring the Essay Body

✨ Paragraph 1: Achievements

• Corporate donations bolster campaign resources.
• Example: BJP’s ₹720.407 crore in corporate funding for effective election strategies.

⚠️ Paragraph 2: Challenges

• Donations lead to policy biases and opaque transactions.
• Example: Electoral bonds in India criticized for lacking transparency.

🌟 Paragraph 3: Future Outlook

• Introduce public financing, capped donations, and blockchain for transparency.

📄 Concluding Effectively

1. Balanced Perspective: “While banning corporate donations addresses fairness, alternative funding mechanisms must ensure resource adequacy.”
2. Global Comparison: “The UK’s strict ban and the U.S.’s regulated approach highlight the need for context-specific solutions.”

📊 Analyzing Successes and Shortcomings

• Successes: Resource provision for campaigns, examples of successful regulation.
• Challenges: Policy biases, lack of transparency, and public mistrust.
• Global Context: Comparing India’s donation practices with the UK and U.S.

🚀 Recommendations for Sustainable Progress

• Limit corporate donations with strict caps.
• Increase transparency using technology like blockchain.
• Encourage public funding to promote equity.

📝 Sample Short Essays

🌍 Balanced Perspective

“Corporate donations fuel political campaigns but challenge democratic principles. A balanced approach with transparent regulations and alternative funding is key.”

💡 Solution-Oriented

“Public financing, combined with capped and transparent corporate contributions, ensures fair and resourceful elections.”

🌐 Global Comparison

“The UK’s outright ban and the U.S.’s PAC framework highlight the varying global responses to corporate influence in politics.”