UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative for the practice of Mains answer writing. It covers essential topics of static and dynamic parts of the UPSC Civil Services syllabus covered under various GS papers. This answer-writing practice is designed to help you as a value addition to your UPSC CSE Mains. Attempt today’s answer writing on questions related to topics of GS-2 to check your progress. Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for October 2026. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.comCooperative federalism requires effective coordination between the Centre and States in the implementation of regulatory laws. Discuss with reference to food safety administration in India.QUESTION 2Examine the challenges in balancing electoral roll verification with the constitutional right to vote in a representative democracy.QUESTION 1: Cooperative federalism requires effective coordination between the Centre and States in the implementation of regulatory laws. Discuss with reference to food safety administration in India.Relevance: The question is relevant to the syllabus: Centre–State relations, federal structure and challenges therein. The topic links to governance, institutional accountability and effective delivery of public health services.Note: This is not a model UPSC answer. It only provides you with a thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.Introduction:Story continues below this ad— Cooperative federalism entails coordination between the Union and state governments in carrying out their respective authorities and responsibilities.— The implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, highlights the importance of such coordination in ensuring effective regulatory governance and public health protection.Body:You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:Challenges in Centre–State coordination— The establishment of competing enforcement procedures might result in disagreements over inspection authority, licensing, and regulatory oversight.— The ambiguity around licensing thresholds and the allocation of responsibilities causes problems for both enforcement agency and food enterprises.— Overlapping jurisdictions: For example, Maharashtra has claimed that the FSSAI’s regulations prohibiting State agents from examining centrally regulated food firms violate the rights granted to State authorities under the Act.Story continues below this ad— Differences in administrative capacity, manpower, and testing infrastructure between states lead to unequal execution of food safety rules.— Accountability gaps: When multiple authorities conduct inspections, collect samples, and prosecute violators, procedural inconsistencies can undermine cases.— Changes in regulatory procedures without adequate engagement with state governments can jeopardise institutional confidence and collaborative decision-making.Conclusion:— Effective food safety governance necessitates a balance of consistent national standards and decentralised enforcement.Story continues below this ad— Strengthening cooperative federalism through institutional clarity, consultation, and administrative capability is critical for protecting public health and improving regulatory accountability.(Sources: How does India regulate food safety? Maharashtra’s plea highlights Centre-state divide, Tukaram Mundhe vs FSSAI: Why a BJP-led state is taking on a BJP-led Centre, How well does India’s food safety rulebook protect what actually lands on your plate?, Orders for eateries to display owners’ names: Understanding food safety laws in states)Points to PonderHow can Centre–State coordination in regulatory enforcement be improved?Related Previous Year QuestionsHow far has the Indian federal framework been successful in accommodating regional and cultural diversities? Highlight the role of asymmetric federalism and suggest measures to make dispute resolution mechanisms more effective (2026)Story continues below this adHow far do you agree with the view that the focus on lack of availability of food as the main cause of hunger takes the attention away from ineffective human development policies in India? (2018)QUESTION 2: Examine the challenges in balancing electoral roll verification with the constitutional right to vote in a representative democracy.Relevance: The question is relevant to the syllabus: Constitutional bodies, particularly the Election Commission of India, and its powers and responsibilities. It links electoral roll revision with democratic representation, electoral integrity and constitutional safeguards.Note: This is not a model UPSC answer. It only provides you with a thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.Introduction:Story continues below this ad— Free and fair elections are the foundation of representative democracy. Adult suffrage is provided for in Article 326 of the Constitution, which governs elections to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assembly.— Accurate electoral rolls are therefore essential to ensuring that every eligible citizen can exercise the right to vote.Body:You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:Challenges in balancing electoral roll verification with voting rights— Large-scale electoral roll changes may result in the removal of qualified voters due to gaps in paperwork, procedural errors, or insufficient verification.Story continues below this ad— Shifting the burden of determining eligibility solely on citizens may disproportionately harm poor people, migrants, women, and marginalised communities.— Tight deadlines, insufficient field verification, and overwhelmed Booth Level Officers can jeopardise the quality of electoral registers.— Inadequate explanations for deletion and limited access to electoral data might erode public trust in the Election Commission.— Even if eligible persons are determined to be eligible by electoral officials, centralised digital systems and software mistakes may prohibit them from being included.— Electoral roll verification must remain distinct from citizenship determination, which is the responsibility of the appropriate authorities under the citizenship framework.Conclusion:— Electoral roll verification is required to ensure election integrity, but it must not be used to disenfranchise voters.— A transparent, inclusive and accountable revision process is essential to uphold universal adult suffrage and public confidence in democratic institutions.(Sources: Redefining we the people — that’s the task of a new Demography Committee without demographers, What Election Commission doesn’t seem to get: Democracy cannot be ‘revised’ in haste, This isn’t about who wins, but about the citizen’s right to her vote, Democracy not only story of voting but identifying who has right to vote: Supreme Court in SIR verdict)Points to PonderWhat safeguards are needed to prevent wrongful exclusion of eligible voters?Related Previous Year QuestionIs the right to vote a fundamental right? Discuss the position of the Election Commission of India while undertaking the revision of electoral rolls. Can it also examine the question of citizenship of voters (2026)Previous Mains Answer PracticeUPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 178)UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 179)UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 178)UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 177)UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 178)UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 177)Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.