APSC CCE Mains PYQ 2022, Essay Paper: If necessity is the mother of invention, discontent is the father of progress
Many aspirants treat the APSC Essay paper as a game of luck, hoping for a “common” topic to appear. But a deep dive into the archives tells a different story. From the philosophical depth of the 2020 papers to the tech-heavy debates of 2024, the Essay paper isn’t a test of your memory—it’s a test of your perspective. In this post, we’re moving beyond just listing old questions. We are deconstructing the recurring themes, the “Assam-specific” weightage, and how you can use the past to predict your future success in the Mains
Here is a structured, detailed look at how to approach this topic.
APSC Mains Essay Paper, 2022: If necessity is the mother of invention, discontent is the father of progress
Model Answer:
The human journey from the caves of the prehistoric era to the skyscrapers of the modern age is often described as a series of accidental discoveries. However, a deeper analysis reveals that human advancement is driven by two powerful psychological forces: the urgent pressure of survival and the restless spirit of dissatisfaction. While the proverb “necessity is the mother of invention” highlights how physical needs like hunger, cold, or danger force us to create tools, it is the “father of progress”—discontent—that ensures we do not stop once those basic needs are met. Necessity creates the wheel, but discontent creates the supersonic jet. In the context of our evolving global society and the specific developmental journey of Assam, this duality defines the difference between “survival” and “excellence.” To understand this dynamic, we must examine how dissatisfaction with the status quo drives intellectual, social, and technological breakthroughs.
Historically, the most significant leaps in civilization occurred when individuals refused to accept the “good enough.” Necessity might have driven ancient humans to use stones for protection, but it was a profound discontent with the limitations of manual labor that led to the Industrial Revolution. In the history of India’s freedom struggle, necessity was the need for self rule, but the progress toward a sovereign republic was fueled by a deep discontent with colonial injustice. Figures like Mahatma Gandhi or B.R. Ambedkar were not just responding to an immediate necessity; they were driven by a restless dissatisfaction with the moral and social state of the nation. They proved that while necessity solves a problem, discontent changes a paradigm.
Psychologically, discontent is the “creative restlessness” of the human mind. It is the refusal to be complacent. When a scientist is discontented with the speed of a cure, or an engineer is dissatisfied with the efficiency of an engine, progress is born. This “divine discontent” is what separates humans from other species. While an animal is satisfied once its stomach is full and its territory is safe, the human spirit asks, “Can we do this better?” or “Is there more to life than this?” In our local context, the literary and cultural revolution led by Jyoti Prasad Agarwala and Bishnu Prasad Rabha was a product of their discontent with the stagnant social and artistic conditions of their time. They didn’t just “invent” new forms of art; they progressed the entire Assamese consciousness toward modernity.
If we look through a sectoral lens, particularly in technology and the economy, the “father of progress” is visible in every update and iteration. The internet was born out of a military necessity for decentralized communication, but its progress into the world wide web was driven by a discontent with how information was shared. Similarly, the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy is driven by a global discontent with the environmental cost of traditional growth. This aligns with the Sustainable Development Goal of “Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure” (SDG 9). Necessity gives us the “first draft” of a solution, but discontent provides the “edited masterpiece.” Without this fatherly push for improvement, humanity would still be using the same “inventions” for a thousand years.
The socio political dimension of this topic is equally profound. Progress in human rights, gender equality, and social justice is rarely a product of mere necessity. It is the result of a “principled discontent” with inequality. The move toward “Reduced Inequalities” (SDG 10) is driven by those who are dissatisfied with the “structural injustice” of their society. In Assam, the various movements for ethnic identity and linguistic pride are reflections of a people discontented with being overlooked. This restlessness ensures that democracy remains an “ever-flowing river” rather than a stagnant pond. It forces the state to evolve and adapt to the changing aspirations of its citizens.
However, the “Dharma” of progress requires that discontent be channeled constructively. There is a fine line between “creative discontent” that builds and “destructive discontent” that only complains. True progress happens when dissatisfaction is paired with a “vision for the future.” It is not enough to be unhappy with the “shoe that pinches”; one must have the ingenuity to design a better one. For an aspirant or a civil servant, this means looking at the “administrative gaps” not with despair, but with a restless desire to innovate. It means asking how the “last person in the queue” can be served more efficiently, not because the law requires it, but because the mind is discontented with the current delay.
Ethically, this philosophy teaches us the value of “aspirational growth.” A society that is too satisfied with itself becomes stagnant and eventually decays. Discontent is the “internal engine” that keeps us moving toward the “Viksit Bharat” we envision. It encourages us to maintain our “Linguistic Pride” while being discontented with the lack of digital resources for our mother tongue. It drives us to cherish our “Joint Family” traditions while being dissatisfied with the regressive elements within them. This “balance of tradition and transformation” is the hallmark of a healthy civilization.
In the realm of personal development, this proverb serves as a “call to action.” We must cultivate a “healthy dissatisfaction” with our own limitations. Necessity might bring us to the classroom, but only discontent with our current level of knowledge will lead us to “Gyan” or true wisdom. As the immortal lines of our heritage suggest, “Siro senehee mor vasa jononi,” we love our mother tongue, yet we must be discontented with its limited reach in the global scientific community and work to expand it.
In conclusion, necessity and discontent are the dual parents of the human story. If necessity provides the “survival instinct,” discontent provides the “visionary spark.” Together, they ensure that humanity does not just “exist” but “evolves.” As we navigate the complexities of the twenty first century, we should not fear our restlessness. Instead, we should embrace it as the “father” that will guide us toward a future that is more “blessed and virtuous” than our present.
As we look toward the horizon of a more advanced and inclusive society, let us remember that the “path to prosperity” is paved by those who were brave enough to be dissatisfied. We must cherish the “spirit of inquiry” and the “courage to change.” Only by acknowledging the “pinch of the current shoe” and dreaming of a “better fit” will we truly reach the peak of human potential. Let our discontent be the wind in the sails of our progress, ensuring that the ship of our civilization always moves toward the “light of the infinite.”
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