Directives Explained: Examine, Critically

Examine, Analyse and Critically Analyse

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Introduction
We see lots of Directive words being given in UPSC Civil Services Mains General Studies
and Optional question papers every year. For example, in last years (2013) General Studies
Paper 2, out of 25 questions, 23 questions had clear Directives ranging from Discuss to
Elucidate ( Other Directives given Comment, Examine, Critically Examine, Analyse,
Critically Evaluate, Assess, Outline, Justify and Discuss Critically.)
These directives are not randomly given. They serve a purpose. In every question, when
they are given, they demand specific response from candidates. In the above mentioned
question paper, every directive would have been just Discuss. But we see diverse directives
including a directive that expects candidate to Discuss Critically the given question.
What is a Directive?
It is an instruction that tells you what to do with content words given in the question.
Directives are also called as Task Words. They ask you to follow a clear path throughout
your answer/essay. You need to follow its instruction to make your answer relevant.
But, What are Content Words?
These words/phrases in the question tell you which ideas and concepts are required to be
dealt with in your answer.These words guide you to establish the general focus of your
answer.
But only directives and content words do not sufficiently guide you to write a complete
answer. There is something else called as Limiting Words/phrases.
Limiting Words
These words/phrases limit the scope of your answer. You may be asked to comment on an
event that took place only after certain year (For example, Comment on Indias
defence policy since Kargil war). Here, the particular year is the limiting word i.e. Year
1999. You should never write anything related to defence policy that is before 1999.
Even word limit is part of this. Limiting words create a boundary lest you wander away
from the demand of the question.
In this article, we will take up Questions that appeared in 2013 Mains as an example and
explain all the three Key words mentioned above. In this article, we will discuss only two
key directives - Examine and Analyse and their variants.

The Question
The concept of Mid Day Meal (MDM) scheme is almost a century old in India with early
beginnings in Madras Presidency in pre Independent India. The scheme as again been
given impetus in most states in the last two decades. Critically examine its twin
objectives, latest mandates and success. (Question 8, General Studies-2, CSE-2013, 200
words)
(Refer this link to frame your answer)
Key Words in the Question
Directive:
In this question, the directive used is Critically Examine. First we should know the clear
meaning of examine and what does it direct us to do in our answer.
When asked to Examine, we have to look into the topic (content words) in detail, inspect it,
investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While
doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their
implications.
If in the above question, the directive was just Examine and not Critically Examine, what
difference would have it made?
The word Critically is usually added when the examiner clearly demands a fair
judgement from you. You can not take a single stance, or be blind to other facts.
In the above question, the directive Critically Examine is given because at the end of the
question you are asked to examine its Success too. Someone might think that it is not
good to write negative things about the Mid Day Meal scheme because UPSC likes only
positive answers and the question itself is asking to write about success alone. Its wrong.
Here, you should talk about its shortcomings too. You can not just write a glowing tribute to
the scheme and try to impress the examiner.
But, if the directive was just Examine, can we just mention only positive or
negative facts?
No. You still have to balance your answer with fair judgement, but emphasis should be more
on establishing facts, not worrying much about good or bad about those facts.
In the same question paper (Q 18, CSE-2013, GS-2), see this question:
The proposed withdrawal of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) from
Afghanistan in 2014 is fraught with major security implications for the countries of the
region. Examine in light of the fact that India is faced with a plethora of challenges and
needs to safeguard its own strategic interests.(200 Words)
In the above question you are just asked to establish facts and explain the implications. You

dont have to necessarily take both positions: i.e. the need for India to fill the vacuum once
USA evacuates from Afghanistan or for it to just stay away and focus on tightening its
security apparatus at home. As it is clearly given in the question to support the directive
that in light of the fact that India is faced with a plethora of challenges and needs to
safeguard its own strategic interests, you need to objectively establish facts here. If it was
Critically examine, it was imperative for you to talk both about Indias involvement and
non-involvement and their implications. But to this question you can safely answer that
Indias non-involvement in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, or military adventurism, or
getting entangled in regional geopolitics is good for its own security.

What if the directive was Analyse in the question (on Mid Day meal scheme)?
When asked to analyse, we have to break the question into parts and carefully examine their
details and interrelationships. Analyse is digging deeper than examine but into every aspect
of the question.
In the question on MDM, already various parts are given in the question itself. History of
MDM, Twin Objective (Education and Health of children), latest mandates and success of
the scheme. These are interrelated. In the answer you should clearly talk about their
interrelationship. When analysing twin objectives, you have to examine in detail educational
and health aspects of the scheme provisions, their impact, shortcomings etc.
It appears to be a challenge to think about directives in the exam hall and frame a
coherent and relevant answer. But if you go there with sufficient practice, these things
will be easy to manage even in the pressure situation of the exam.
Though many toppers suggest that one should just go with the flow or write a simple
answer, I dont think UPSC is stupid to give so many directives in all its question papers.
Understanding the demand of the question actually solves the 50 per cent of the
problem. Directives help a great deal in this regard (along with content words and
limiting words, of which we will talk shortly)
Usually the directive analyse is given whenever that question demands a detailed
examination of various parts.
For example,
In the same question paper, UPSC gave the following question with the directive analyse':
Though Citizens charters have been formulated by many public service delivery
organizations, there is no corresponding improvement in the level of citizens satisfaction
and quality of services being provided. Analyse.(200 Words)
In the above question, you need to identify content words to properly analyse the question
in your answer. Citizens charters, public service delivery organizations (this is the most

important one here many organizations from Panchayat to PMO come here), citizens
satisfaction and quality of services are the content words here. You have to examine these
in-depth and establish their interrelationship in the answer.
If the directive was Critically analyse in the above question, all you need to do is to be fair
in your argument. Some may argue that Citizens Charters are just futile exercise and
nothing else. Even though the question itself has a negative tone, you have to examine
positive aspects and explain them well.
Critically is usually added to the directive when the topic is controversial or issues related to
it clearly have both positives and negatives. You can go through previous year papers and
check it yourself.
Content Words
In the first question (MDM), content words are: concept of MDM, its history, its twin
objectives, its new mandates, its success and effect on states.
Limiting Words
If you observe carefully, the limiting words are Latest mandates you should not talk
lengthily about past mandates; in Two decades you dont have to write about its effect
from time immemorial.
Once you identify these key words in a given question, your job becomes easier. You just
have to fill the content as demanded by the question. Remember, relevance is most
important in your answer. If you maintain relevance till the end while meeting the demand
of the question at the same time, examiner will be impressed.
Wait, there is one more key word!
Context Words
In the second question (Indias role in Afghanistan) we saw that the directive word is
followed by a specific context. In may questions we see such a context given such as in the
light of.. type questions. Here, you dont have to write anything extra regarding the
context. You just have to maintain a boundary in your answer within the context.
Thus, these four key words/phrases actually help you understand the demand of the
question better and make your job easy. Thats why you should first try to understand these
words and use them when you do writing practice here or at home.
Note:
With more practice you will be able to clearly differentiate between different directives.
Without going through these words you can still get decent marks. But to be in the top
league your answers must be clear, logical, relevant and straight to the point. This is why
few people get very good marks in General Studies papers. If you practice with these points
in mind, slowly you will learn to see things with different perspective altogether the
perspective which UPSC expects from you.

In the next article, we shall discuss other directive words: Comment, Discuss and
Elucidate.
References:
http://libguides.jcu.edu.au/content.php?pid=99122&sid=2561380
http://services.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/468867/5299-ASU_TertiaryEssay
WritingWeb.pdf (extremely useful for essay writing)
http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/resources/writing/writing-resources/essay-terms
definitions of Directive words)

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