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20 July 2026

Mentorship traditions

The topic provides useful conceptual context for ethics and human values in educational institutions, which can be used as an illustrative example in GS4 answers, though it is not a direct policy or legislative development.

1 min read 2 questions 1 prelims

Notes

  • Mentorship is a historical tradition exemplified by figures like Socrates-Plato-Aristotle, Chanakya-Chandragupta, and modern examples like the team of Sarabhai, Dhawan, and Brahm Prakash mentoring A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
  • Mentorship functions as a moral compass, providing empathy, guidance, and support for anxieties and life decisions.
  • Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in India mandate faculty to counsel students, but this often becomes a ritualistic exercise for accreditation records rather than genuine engagement.
  • Essential mentor skills include empathy, aptitude assessment, time commitment, counseling ability, and maintaining professional boundaries.
  • Challenges in Indian HEIs include: lack of formal training for faculty in mentorship, focus restricted to academic guidance, high student-teacher ratios, and heavy academic workloads.
  • Proposed solutions: HEIs should identify and train specific faculty members as mentors who can then train their colleagues; faculty should be encouraged to go beyond academic guidance to address psycho-social needs.

Questions

  1. The role of a mentor in higher education extends beyond academic guidance to the holistic development of students. Discuss the challenges faced by Indian universities in implementing effective mentorship programs and suggest measures to overcome them. 150 words
    Attempt this — 150 words in 8 min
    0 / 150 words 8:00
  2. Mentorship is a vital component of the social and educational fabric, yet it is often reduced to a procedural formality in Indian higher education. Critically examine the essential attributes of a mentor and how institutionalizing mentorship can contribute to the psycho-social well-being of students in a rapidly changing society. 250 words
    Attempt this — 250 words in 11 min
    0 / 250 words 11:00

Prelims

  1. Which of the following is identified as a primary challenge for effective mentorship in Indian higher educational institutions?

Syllabus

Topics

Sources

250words.in · https://250words.in/daily/2026-07-20/mentorship-traditions