TARGET IAS 2016

UPSC MAINS 2015

(G.S. Paper 1 MODEL ANSWERS)
1.

The ancient civilization in Indian sub-continent differed from those of Egypt,

Mesopotamia and Greece in that its culture and traditions have been preserved without
breakdown to the present day. Comment.
Question Break up:
Cultural aspects in India followed from ancient times + Cultural aspects of
Egypt,Mesopotamia and Greece which became non-existent over the years.
Approach:
a. Make a list of all the cultural and traditional aspects that have been passed down in the
Indian subcontinent and has not been passed down in the case of the other countries.
b. Ancient civilisations of Indian subcontinent include those from the pre-historic
times (7000 B.C or earlier) to the start of the Middle Ages (A.D 500)

Model Answer:
Unlike their western counterparts the remnants of the ancient civilisations of India
from the Indus valley civilisation to that of the Gupta's still abound in the culture and
traditions of the Indian subcontinent:
a. Ancient religions like Hinduism and Buddhism are still widely practised unlike the
now dead religions of Mesopotamia (Assyro-Babylonian religion) and Ancient Greek
religion which have given way to Islam and Christianity respectively.
b. Languages like Sanskrit and Pali are learned even today unlike Sumerian, Akkadian of
Mesopotamia and Coptic of Egypt which have been replaced by Arabic.
c. Ancient Indian civilisations were dominantly vegetarian and this culture is still
followed in many parts of the subcontinent. In ancient Greece meat eaters were
considered barbaric while modern day Greeks consume a lot of meat.
Thus culture in India has withstood the test of time due to factors like peculiar geography,
strong ideological foundations etc. while in the other countries it was replaced due to
influx of other religions and massive conquests.
Current Aspect: Static Portion (Art and Culture)
Related Topic:
Indus valley civilisation cultural aspects.
Clothing: Men and women dressed in colourful robes. Women wore jewellery of gold
and precious stone, and even wore lipstick! Among the treasures found was a statue of
a women wearing a bracelet.
Dance/Music: A beautiful small bronze statue of a dancer was found, which tells us
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that they enjoyed dance and had great skill working with metals.

Reference Material:
NCERT Themes in Indian history I- Class XII
2.

Mesolithic rock cut architecture of India not only reflects the cultural life of the times
but also a fine aesthetic sense comparable to modern painting. Critically evaluate this
comment.
Question Break up and Approach:
How Mesolithic rock art reflects:
a. Cultural life
b. Fine aesthetic sense
Also compare its aesthetic sense to that of modern painting.
c. Keep in mind the time period (The term "Mesolithic art" refers to all arts and crafts
created between the end of the Palaeolithic Ice Age (10,000 BCE) and the beginning of
farming, with its cultivation and animal husbandry).
d. Think of examples of rock cut architecture from Mesolithic era and try to bring out the
two aspects from the rock cut art.

Bhimbetka caves

Model Answer:
Mesolithic rock cut architecture of India like the Adamgarh, Bhimbetka of Madhya
Pradesh and Pratapgarh, Mirzapur of Rajasthan give ample evidence about the cultural life
of the Mesolithic era and also display remarkable aesthetic quality.
The cultural life is depicted in the human figures and hunting scenes of the caves, giving a
clear picture of the weapons they used: barbed spears, pointed sticks, bows and arrows.
The depiction of communal dances, birds, musical instruments, mothers and children,
pregnant women, men carrying dead animals, drinking and burials appear in rhythmic
movement. These show community aspects of their culture and finer aspects like craft in
ornaments, masks and head-dresses etc.
The paintings of individual animals show the mastery of skill of the primitive artist in
drawing these forms. Both, proportion and tonal effect, have been realistically maintained
in them. The artists of Bhimbetka used many colours by grinding various rocks and
minerals which is comparable to that of modern era paintings in that they have remained
intact for thousands of years of adverse weather conditions. Despite various limitations
such as acute working conditions, inadequate tools, materials, etc., the pictorial quality of
the paintings are stellar.
Current Aspect: Static Portion (Art and Culture)
Related Topic:
Rock cut architecture of India
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Indian rock-cut architecture is more various and found in greater abundance than any
other form of rock- cut architecture around the world. Rock-cut architecture is the
practice of creating a structure by carving it out of solid natural rock.
Indian rock-cut architecture is mostly religious in nature.

Reference Material:
Introduction to Indian Art Part I - NCERT class XI

3. How difficult would have been the achievement of Indian independence without
Mahatma Gandhi? Discuss.
Question Break up:
Only one part- Gandhis role in Independence movement.
Approach:
List out the contributions of Gandhi and think how in the absence of those contributions
how the Independence movement would have turned out.
Model Answer:
Due to being a mass leader, skilled tactician and innovative thinker Mahatma Gandhi's role
in the Independence movement is unparalleled and his absence would have had possible
effects like:

Delayed Independence: Without Gandhi's charismatic nature many Indians

especially the lower caste would not have participated in the struggle, resulting in
delay of Independence.

Independence on paper but not in reality: If not for Gandhi's efforts many sections
of the society like lower castes and women would not have come fore to the process
and thus they would not be seen as equals by the rest of the society.

More bloodshed: Gandhi's role as a pacifier and icon of hope would have been
missed especially during the communal riots and this would have resulted in more
deaths.

Possible fragmentation upon independence: Gandhi acted as the force which

glued all parts of the country and all sections of the society. In his absence many
people would not have identified with the concept of the Indian state and thus
independence would have become difficult.
Thus Gandhi effectively united everyone towards a common goal using symbols like
charkha and salt (Dandi Satyagraha) which everyone could associate with.
Current Aspect:
8,500 letters received by Mahatma Gandhi are to be published.
Related Topic:
Role of other leaders such as Valla Bhai Patel in uniting India, Nehru in the national
movement and socialist nature of independent India.
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Vallabhbhai Patel, known as the iron man of India was a pivotal force in ensuring all
the states of India stayed together. He used his immense tact and persuaded and
coerced states which wanted to remain independent to stay with India.

Reference Topic:
THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III (Class XII)
4.

Mahatma Gandhi and Dr B R Ambedkar, despite having divergent approaches and

strategies, had a common goal of amelioration of the downtrodden. Elucidate.
Question Break up:
Comparison of Gandhi and Ambedkar on various approaches towards caste.
Approach:
Describe aspects about caste upon which Ambedkar and Gandhi differed. Both worked
towards upliftment of lower castes but exactly how they did differed on some points.

Model Answer:
Mahatma Gandhi and B R Ambedkar both dedicated their lives to upliftment of the
downtrodden especially the lower caste people but they differed in their approach towards
it such as:
Gandhi wanted the savarna system of caste structure to stay whereas Ambedkar wanted
complete annihilation of the caste system. In this Ambedkar was more radical in approach and
distrusting of the upper castes.

Gandhi wanted a common electorate while Ambedkar wanted separate electorates

for lower castes. Gandhi thought that separate electorates would delay the
absorption of harijans into the rest of the society while Ambedkar thought this
was the only way to ensure harijans would get equal representation.

Gandhi focused on villages as the basic units of economy and wanted them to
stay intact while Ambedkar considered villages as the root of all caste related evils
and wanted urbanisation. Ambedkar also asked his followers to leave villages and
live in cities.

Gandhi sought to reform caste system from within Hinduism while Ambedkar
favoured using the state policies for reforms and stayed outside Hinduism by
converting to Buddhism.
Thus their basic goal was same while their methods differed.
Current Aspect:
2015 marks 125 years since BR Ambedkar's birth.
Related Topic:
Comparison of Nehru and Patel, Comparison of Gandhi and Patel, Comparison of
Subhash ChandraBose and Gandhi.
Nehru was chosen as his successor by Gandhi and this was mainly due to their
difference in approach in handling the hindu-muslim divide that existed back then.
Nehru took an approach towards the issue which was similar to what Gandhi
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wanted.
Comparison of Subhash Chandra Bose and Gandhi.
Subhash Chandra Bose opted for more radical measures and called for military
action while Gandhi wanted to follow the method of satyagraha to achieve
independence.

Reference Material:
Spectrum's- A Brief History of Modern India - Rajiv Ahir.
India's Struggle for Independence- Bipan Chandra.
5.

It would have been difficult for the Constituent Assembly to complete its historic task
of drafting the Constitution for Independent India in just three years, but its experience
gained with the Government of India Act, 1935.Discuss.
Question Break up:
How 1935 act helped in drafting the constitution.
Approach:
Explain not just how various features of GoI act of 1935 found their place in the
constitution but also how having seen and involved in the making of GoI 1935, the
members of the constituent assembly were very well placed to draft the new constitution.

Model Answer:
The GoI act was based on the recommendations of the Simon commission given after
elaborate dialogue including 3 round table conferences with various parties. The
experience from this process helped in different ways
The structural part of the Indian Constitution is, largely, derived from the 1935
Government of India Act.

Even the Directive Principles of State Policy are said to be inspired by the
Instruments of Direction issued under GOI Act 1935.

Union State relationship in Constitution of India finds similarity in GOI Act 1935.
The provision for three lists federal, provincial and concurrent were replicated in the Indian
Constitution as union, state and concurrent lists.
But the stalwarts of our freedom struggle had already a taste of constitution making and
deliberation required for it when Nehru Report was made late 1920s. So apart from
knowledge of Government of India Act 1935, Indians learned from other sources and also
employed the experience that they had in making Nehru report while framing the
constitution.
Current Aspect: Static Portion (Modern Indian History)
Related Topic: Evolution of Indian Constitution, B R Ambedkars
contribution to Indian Constitution.
Indian constitution was not made in a day but it was shaped through various drafts of
it since the 1900s. Many of the aims of the struggles that happened after 1857 where
incorporated in the constitution. E.g. federalism, rights for women etc.
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Reference Material:
Spectrum's- A Brief History of Modern India Rajiv Ahir. India's Struggle for IndependenceBipan Chandra.
6.

Why did the industrial revolution first occur in England? Discuss the quality of life of
the people there during the industrialization. How does it compare with that in India at
present times?
Question Break up:

Reason for Industrial revolution beginning in England;

Quality of life during industrial revolution;

Comparison with living conditions of present day India.

Approach:

Think of the factors required for industrial revolution and connect it with that of
England. For example, steam engine required fuel such as coal and England has
large reserves of coal and thus it is one factor.

Quality of life: when examining quality of life examine it for various sections of
the society as everywhere in the world living conditions differ based on wealth.

Model Answer:
A number of factors contributed to Britains role as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution:

It had great deposits of coal and iron ore, which proved essential for industrialization.

Additionally, Britain was a politically stable society providing solid

foundation for rapid industrialisation.

It was the worlds leading colonial power, which meant its colonies could serve as
a source for raw materials, as well as a marketplace for manufactured goods.
The quality of life in England became better for the middle class and upper class while it
became worse for the poor and the factory workers such as:

Wages for those who laboured in factories were low and working conditions
could be dangerous and monotonous.

Unskilled workers had little job security and were easily replaceable.

Children were part of the labour force and often worked long hours and were
used for such highly hazardous tasks.

Inadequate, overcrowded housing and polluted, unsanitary living conditions in

which disease was rampant.
Poor air quality affected people living in industrial areas Quality of life of the poor in India is
comparable to poor of England in 18th century because the issues faced by the poor are
similar even now. Lack of housing, unsanitary living conditions and low wages are
widespread in India as well. But severe environmental issues are less in India compared to
that of 18th century England.
Current Aspect: Static Portion (World History)
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Related Topics:
Factors leading to emergence of colonial powers, WWI, WWII.
There are many reasons which led to Europeans being colonialists and African and
Asian nations turning into colonies. Primary reason for this was the advancements
made by Europe after Renaissance in Technology especially gunpowder and other
combat technologies.

Reference:
NCERT HISTORY FOR CLASS XI- Themes in world history.

7.

To what extend can Germany be held responsible for causing the two World Wars?
Discuss critically. Question Break up&Approach:

WW I

WW II
While taking a stand give valid reasons.

Model Answer:
WW-1:

In numerous perspectives, Germany has had a significant role in causing word war
I; however, some other events which occurred much earlier like the Balkan wars,
the alliance system also fuelled the commencement of WWI.
German responsibility for WWI:

The German government under the Kaiser's rule held the notion since 1911/12 that
a war in Europe was inevitable. They consequently prepared for a war, and acted
when the opportunity arose.

German government and general staff precipitated an escalation of the Austro-Serb

crisis in order to launch what they considered a preventive strike against Russia and
France.

A long-term continuity existed in German aims for expansion, leading right up to

the Second World War: an eastern empire, predominance over Belgium and France.
WWII

Germany under Adolf Hitler violated the treaty of Versailles by mounting an army
and preparing for a war.

Germany demanded that Poland return the Polish Corridor and the port of Danzig of
Germany.
But some others reasons for the war included the weak nature of league of nations and
Nazi-Soviet pact signed by Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin that two countries would not
war with each other. Therefore Germanys expansionist dictatorial regime combined by
apathy and isolation of Europe by USA and the truce by Soviet Union led to Germany
trying to occupy the vacuum in Europe through WW II.
Current Aspect:
100 years of World War 1 ,1914-2014
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Related Topic:
Armenian Genocide (100-year anniversary)

The Armenian Genocidealso known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian

Massacres and, traditionally by Armenians, as Medz Yeghern was the Ottoman
government's systematic extermination of its minority Armenian subjects inside their
historic homeland, which lies within the territory constituting the present-day
Republic of Turkey. The total number of people killed as a result has been estimated
at between 800,000 and 1.5 million. The starting date is conventionally held to be 24
April 1915, the day Ottoman authorities rounded up and arrested, subsequently
executing, some 250 Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in Constantinople.

Reference Material:
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26048324
8.

Describe any four cultural elements of diversity in India and rate their relative
significance in building a national identity.

Model Answer:
1. Religion has been of prime importance India since ancient times and still remain so.
Despite many religions coexisting India has generally remained peaceful and tolerant
compared to its neighbours in accommodating religious diversity.
2. Language: India is home to thousands of different languages and has 22 officially
recognised languages. From being the basis for demarcating different states to a source
of cultural pride language is truly diverse in India.
3. Cuisine: Food habits vary widely from place to place owing to the geography and
history of each place. It varies from primarily vegetarian places such as kurukshetra,
Varanasi to predominantly meat eating states like Kerala and north eastern states.
4. Art: Movies,music, dance, paintings vary widely across the country.
The most important factor is language, language trumps other identities such as race or
common ancestry and brings together diverse races. Next comes religion, major religions
in India are followed by millions cutting across race,language and region. This shared
identity and respect for other religions is one reason for India's success as a democracy
when its neighbours have faltered. Third, cuisine varies across the nation depending
upon the cropping pattern, religious beliefs etc. While language might instill separate
identities different people in the north east, their shared food habits bring them together.
Fourth, art has played a distinct role in tying India together. Movies,music,dances from
different regions are enjoyed by everyone in India irrespective of the race,religion, and
language. Thus having distinct set of cultural practices which cut across all sorts of elements
has built multiple identities for every Indian. E.g. While language might separate a person
from UP and Tamil Nadu, their shared love for Hindustani music helps them build
fraternity as fellow Indians.

Current Aspect:
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Debates about intolerance and religious polarisation in the country.

Related Topic:
Role of cinema, music, art in national integration.
Music brings together different diverse communities in India. Communities which are
otherwise hostile maybe brought together through their shared love for the same
kind of music.

Reference Material: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_India

9.

Critically examine whether growing population is the cause of poverty OR poverty is the
mains cause of population increase in India.
Question Break up:

Part 1: growing population causing poverty

Part 2: poverty causing population growth.

Approach:

Examine how growing population results in poverty and how poverty results in
population growth.

Model Answer:
Poverty causes high population growth and high population growth also results in poverty.
Both reinforce each other in many ways:
How poverty causes population growth:

The poor have low literacy levels and this results in lack of awareness about
contraceptive measures.

Some of the poor farmers think of more children as more workforce for farm work
but this reinforces poverty as there is not adequate work for everyone.

Children of the poor have high mortality rate due to lack of healthcare and this
results in them choosing to have many kids.

Impoverished parents think of more kids as more people to take care of them
during old age as they don't have the financial resources.
How high population growth causes poverty:

It decreases the amount of resources a family can spare per child be it food or
healthcare.

It decreases the per person welfare measure government can provide to each poor
person.

It leads to division of land among many children resulting in fragmentation of land

holdings.
But high population need not always mean poverty if the population is educated, skilled
and healthy. Thus while trying to propagate family planning measures we need to increase
quality of our population.
Current Aspect:Static Portion (Poverty and Developmental Issues)
Related Topic:
Relation between population and urbanisation, population and disasters etc.
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 Extensive urbanisation in Chennai and Uttarakhand made the natural disasters in these

places worse. Part of the reason for this extensive urbanisation is the fast rise in
population in India.

Reference Topic:
http://www.donellameadows.org/archives/poverty-causes-population-growth-causespoverty/
10. How do you explain the statistics that show that the sex ratio in Tribes in India is

more favourable to women than the sex ratio among Scheduled Castes?
Question Break up:

Reasons for better sex ratio among ST's

Reasons for lower sex ratio among SC's

Approach:
Reasons include positive ones like social conditions and negative ones like lack of access to
abortion clinics.

Model Answer: Despite being worse off compared to SC's the tribes of India have better sex
ratio due to a host of positive and negative reasons:
Positive reasons:

Cultural gender parity- Many tribes of India, especially in the north east have
equal rights and hold equal respect for their women. Some tribes also have
matrilineal systems this makes having girl children a positive thing and
discourages sex selection.

Women are active participants in work among tribals, spending on food and
healthcare is almost equal among men and women of tribals and this results in better
sex ratio.
Negative reasons:

Lack of access to pre-natal diagnostic technology: Many tribes do not even have
access to basic healthcare technology and consequently they cannot indulge in
abortion of female foetus.

The SC's generally follow strict patriarchy and also have more access to pre-natal
diagnostic technology and this causes sex selection and consequent decrease in sex
ratio among them.
Current Aspect:
Socio economic caste census results were published in 2015.
Related Topics:
Geographical variations of sex ratio, literacy rate, Gross enrolment ratio, income levels
(Both North-south variation and East-west variation).
Southern states fare better in many social indicators mentioned above. But there is
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also an east west divide that exists in India. States in the east such as NE states,
Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand are worse off compared to states such as Gujarat and
Rajasthan although they are all northern states.

Reference Material: Understanding Society NCERT

11. Discuss the changes in the trends of labour migration within and outside India in the

last four decades. Question Break up:

International migration

Within India
Approach:
Look at who migrated and where they migrated to.
Model Answer:
International
migration:

1980's saw large scale migration to countries such as Singapore, Malaysia in the
migration wave that started after Second World War. This was especially common
from the southern states. Most of the migration was by high-school-educated, semiskilled workers.

From 1975 to 1992, until the first gulf war there was massive migration to Persian
Gulf, the United States, Germany and other countries in Europe and elsewhere.
This was fuelled by the oil boom in Middle East as well as demand for qualified
professionals in European countries such as engineers,doctors and nurses. The
migration to the Middle East saw mainly labourers and semi-skilled workers owing
to the growth of the construction industry in Middle East.

Post liberalisation (-1993) migration decreased due to increased availability of jobs

within India.
Domestic migration:

While pre 1980 migration was to the traditional port cities of Kolkata,Mumbai and
the capital Delhi, the IT boom 90's saw new centres of migration such as Bangalore
and Chennai. Women's migration: women mostly migrated before 80's due to
marriage but they began migrating for work in the 90's.

Post 2000, considerable labour migration from states like Bihar and UP to Delhi
and southern states started occurring. This was fuelled by the promise of higher
wages in the new states.
Current Aspect:
Demographic Dividend, lack of employment opportunities in rural areas, in particular and
India in general.
Related Topics:
Social repercussions of large scale rural to urban migration.
Increase in crimes in cities such as Delhi has been pointed to large scale migration of rural
poor.
Vast cultural difference exists between rural migrants and the city folk. This leads
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to migrants being perceived as uncultured and consequently them being

discriminated against and treated badly.

Reference Topic:
http://www.journalcra.com/article/changing-pattern-internal-migration-india-someevidences-census-data
12. Discuss the positive and negative effects of globalization on

women in India? Question Break up:

Positive effects

Negative effects
Approach:
Self-explanatory.
Model Answer:
Positive effects:

More job opportunities: Modern jobs are gender blind and this has helped more
women take up these jobs.

Better status and respect in family and society: Due to women being earners they are
seen on an equal footing.
Negative effects:

More pressure due to having to manage work and chores at home.

Attacks on women have increased as they work late as well as due to

patriarchal setups being questioned. There are also increasing trends of sexual
harassment of women at workplaces.

Job security has decreased in some sectors due to globalisation and this affects
women more as they are laid off first.
Thus globalisation has been a mixed bag for Indian women but the negative effects can
be solved using adequate policy measures and societal awareness.
Current Aspect:
Increasing globalisation in the present world.
Related Topics:
Effect of globalisation on agriculture, casual labourers, tribals, older population
(basically all vulnerable sections of the society)
Globalisation has decreased the permanency of jobs. This has led to casualization of labour.
Globalisation in India has led to neo-liberalisation and this has negatively affected the tribals of
India. Often they are displace and their livelihoods destroyed to give way for development
projects that benefit other sections of the society.
Reference Material:
http://www.mainstreamweekly.net/article1351.html
13. Debate the issue whether and how contemporary movements for assertion of Dalit

identity work towards annihilation of caste.

Question Break up:
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Effect of Dalit movements in annihilating caste

Effect of Dalit movements in propagating caste

Approach:
Since a debate on the issue is demanded, both sides have to be presented.
Model Answer:
Contemporary movements for Dalit identity have the upliftment of Dalits as their
objective and this has had both positive and negative effects towards annihilation of
caste:
Positive effects:
Dalit movements focus on equal rights and opportunities for them and this helps
them get better living conditions. This in turn decreases their differences with upper caste
people.
Negative effects:

Dalit movements make the lower caste dependent upon support from
government and this institutionalises the caste system and reinforces it in a way.

Contemporary movements and their involvement in politics causes divisions

among people based on caste lines. This causes Dalit people and their leaders to be
seen as a separate group.

Given the poor state of Dalits in India contemporary movements are required but
they also cause deepening of caste divisions in the society.
Current Aspect:
Change in Dalit politics and voting patterns in 2014 Lok Sabha elections compared to 2009
elections.
Related Topic:
Change in the pattern of communal issues and riots in India:
Communal riots in India have changed drastically. From direct confrontations between
communities, the recent riots have been politically motivated. Accusations are that
many of the riots happen to take political advantage before elections. Political parties
have been accused of instigating riots and also engaging in proxy riots.

Reference Material:
The Hindu
14. Explain the factors responsible for the origin of ocean currents. How do they influence

regional climates, fishing and navigation?

Question Break up:

Factors causing ocean currents

Influence on regional climates

Influence on fishing

Influence on navigation
Approach:
List out the factors and explain the influence of ocean currents on each of the three.
Model Answer:
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The primary factors that cause ocean currents are:

(i)
Heating by solar energy:Heating by solar energy causes the water to expand. This
causes a very slight gradientand water tends to flow down the slope.
(ii)
Wind: Wind blowing on the surface of the ocean pushes the water to move. Friction
between the wind andthe water surface affects the movement of the water body in its
course.
(iii)
Gravity: Gravity tends to pull the water down the pile and create gradient variation.
(iv)
CoriolisForce. The Coriolis force intervenes and causes the water to move to the
right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere.
Effect of ocean currents on:
1. Regional climates: Warm ocean currents help decrease the severity of winters (e.g.
UK). Cold currents sometimes prevent cloud formation (e.g. Canary current in
WestAfrica) and warm currents result in cloud formation and consequently
precipitation.
2. Fishing: The mixing of warm and cold currents help to replenish the oxygen and
favour the growth of planktons, the primary food for fish population. The best fishing
grounds of the world exist mainly in these mixing zones.
3. Navigation: Knowledge of surface ocean currents is essential in reducing costs of
shipping, since traveling with them reduces fuel costs and decreases travel time.
Current Aspect:
Static Portion Geography
Related Topic:
Cause and effects of:
el-Nio and la Nina:
El Nio is defined by prolonged warming in the Pacific Ocean sea surface
temperatures when compared with the average value.
The first signs of an El Nio are a weakening of the Walker circulation or
trade winds and strengthening of the Hadley circulation and may include:
Rise in surface pressure over the Indian Ocean, Indonesia, and Australia;
Fall in air pressure over Tahiti and the rest of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean;
Trade winds in the south Pacific weaken or head east
Warm air rises near Peru, causing rain in the northern Peruvian deserts.
Effects of El nino:
Economic impact
When El Nio conditions last for many months, extensive ocean warming and
the reduction in easterly trade winds limits upwelling of cold nutrient-rich deep
water, and its economic impact to local fishing for an international market can
be serious.
Health and social impacts:

Extreme weather conditions related to the El Nio cycle correlate with

changes in the incidence of epidemic diseases. For example, the El Nio
cycle is associated with increased risks of some of the diseases transmitted
by mosquitoes, such as malaria, dengue, and Rift Valley fever.

Reference Material:
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NCERT Geography Class XI- FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

15. Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata are the three Mega cities of the country but the air
pollution is much more serious problem in Delhi as compared to the other two. Why is
this so?
Question Break up:
Peculiar causes of air pollution in Delhi Approach:
Think about the various factors which cause air pollution and those factors which
exacerbate it like wind patterns, weather and temperature etc.
Model Answer:
Air pollution in Delhi is a much bigger problem compared to the other cities because:

Peculiar geography: Delhi is a landlocked megacity and unlike Mumbai and Kolkata
there are no sea breezes to take away polluted air. Delhi lies locked between the
Aravallis and the Himalayas and this decreases air movement.

Low quality fuels: Delhi has a lot more diesel vehicles compared to other cities and
diesel pollutes more than petrol. Delhi uses comparatively lower quality fuels
such as raw wood, agricultural and plastic waste in industrial settings, cow dung
for cooking stoves and widespread use of diesel generator. This leads to heavy
levels of particulate matter in Delhi.

Severe winter: Delhi being higher in latitude has a severe winter and this causes
temperature inversion effects which result in lack of movement of polluted air. The
severe winter also results in more people burning wood, coal etc. for warmth.

Poorly planned city: Delhi being a city from ancient times was not properly planned
and this results in choked roads which causes more pollution from vehicles.
Thus various factors cause production of pollutants and also lack of air movement
which exacerbates the pollution unlike other cities.
Current Aspect:

NGT ruling on diesel vehicles in Delhi

Delhi govt. -odd even rule for vehicles

Related Topics:
Why was Chennai more affected by strong rains than Mumbai which experiences strong
monsoon every year?
Many reasons can be pointed out such as poor drainage system, not experienced in
handling floods like Mumbai etc.
Why is water logging more rampant in Punjab and Haryana?
Water logging is a serious issue in Punjab and Haryana due to the faulty irrigation
practises employed in these areas.
Despite higher income levels Punjab and Haryana fare worse compared to southern
states when it comes to social indicators.
Punjab and Haryana have poorer social indicators compared to states such as TN
and Kerala. This could be attributed to less welfare spending by the
governments of Punjab and Haryana and this subsequently leading to social
disparities.

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Reference Material:
http://www.business-standard.com/article/specials/delhi-s-transport-sector-3-timesmore-polluting-than- mumbai-s-115121800228_1.html
16. India is well endowed with fresh water resources. Critically examine why it still
suffers from water scarcity.
Question Break up:
Only
list
the
reasons Approach:
List all factors which cause scarcity- with respect to obtaining water, accessibility, over
exploitation etc.
Model Answer: India suffers from water scarcity due to a multitude of reasons:

Falling ground water tables due to aggressive use for agriculture, as around 40% of
India depends on ground water;

Water leakages are rampant in distribution in the cities and towns.

Overpopulation causes stress on existing water resources especially in drier areas and
cities.

Inefficient irrigation techniques result in drawing of excessive water and water

logging. This is more severe in areas which use a lot of deep bore wells.

Lack of on-time de-silting operations in large water bodies results in them becoming
unusable.

Inadequate access to sanitation causes pollution of water bodies due to mixing of waste
with water.

Regional conflicts over scarce water resources causes certain groups to not get access to
water.

Sometimes even though water maybe available, caste discrimination results in not
granting of access to water for lower castes.
Current Aspect:
Groundwater levels in many parts of the country are at low level.
Related Topic:
Energy scarcity despite potential.
India is endowed with a lot of potential but we are not able to harness it. We have
immense potential for wind and solar energy but we utilised only very little.
Hunger despite producing sufficient quantity of food grains.
Tons of grains are wasted in FCI warehouses even when people are dying of
hunger and malnutrition. This is an irony. This has to do with poor management
and lack of adequate transportation facilities.

Reference:
Indian Geography Khullar
17. The states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are reaching

the limits of ecological carrying capacity due to tourism. Critically evaluate.

Question Break up:
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Ecological carrying capacity of these states

Role of tourism in this.

Approach:
Examine if ecological capacity is being exceeded by presenting evidence to support the
same and then give a verdict on whether tourism is causing it and what can be done to
solve the problem without harming tourism economy in these states.
Model Answer:
The three states are major tourist centres but recently they have been home to disasters
which were augmented by human mismanagement. Ecological carrying capacity is the
maximum population that an areas can support sustainably. There is evidence to prove that
these limits have been breached in these 3 states:

Construction on slopes which are prone to landslides has caused thousands of

deaths during floods in Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand.
Pollution of the land, water and air in ecologically sensitive areas have occurred in
these states, thereby impacting flora and fauna along with natural beauty of the place.
Therefore, there is an immediate need to ensure the safety of the local population as well as
stop the pollution of these areas. Like many tourist destinations in India, there should be
stringent measures to stop pollution by tourists by restricting food, plastic etc. Buildings in
these areas must be checked to ensure buildings codes are followed as well as no
construction on dangerous floodplains is undertaken.
Tourism being a very important source of income for these states, any measure taken in
this regard must be sensitive towards the socio-economic setup of the local population.
A new brand of eco-tourism which is sustainable for everyone should be promoted.
Current Aspect:
Floods in these states
Related Topics:
Western Ghats ecological issue- Gadgil committee;
There are serious issues with the economic activities that are happening in Western
Ghats. These pose a serious threat to the ecological diversity of Western Ghats. The
Gadgil committee has recommended various measures to tackle these. Examine if
these are feasible since this could affect the economic activities of the region. What
should be given priority environment or economic development?

Reference Topic:
http://www.ipsnews.net/2012/03/tourism-woes-replace-terrorism-in-kashmir/
18. How far do you agree that the behaviour of the Indian monsoon has been changing due

to humanizing landscape? Discuss.

Question Break up:

Has Indian monsoon been changing?

If it is, how much of the change can be attributed to human factors?

Approach:
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Show that Indian monsoon is indeed changing and then examine how humans are inducing it.
Model Answer:
The Indian monsoon has been seeing variations in in its pattern and intensity and
increased humanising of landscapes and the subsequent climate change is partly
responsible for this. Evidence for this include:

Increased freak incidents of unprecedented heavy rainfalls leading to floods. E.g.

Chennai floods witnessed the highest rainfall in about 100 years.

Increased incidents of drought: Since 1970's there has been a rise in drought
incidents in the Indian subcontinent according to World Bank studies.

There have been unprecedented delays in the onset of monsoon since 2000's.

Events such as El-Nio have been expanding in the duration through which it occurs.
Such weather extremes can be attributed to the phenomenon of global warming due to
human activities. The latest IPCC report also points to the same reason for occurrence
of weather extremes. Hence measures to mitigate climate change and coping up with the
loss and damages due to the vagaries of weather have become very important. With the
CoP in Paris, positive steps have been taken but much more financial contribution is
required to cope up with the extensive damage due to floods and the crop failures due to
drought. Government programmes such as National action plan on climate change need to
be aligned to the changing Indian monsoon and provide adaptation measures. If
unchecked this could result in heavy crop loss and loss of livelihood subsequently
resulting in heavy food inflation and increased incidents of hunger. It could also lead to
extensive flood damages and loss of lives.
Current Aspect:
Chennai floods Droughts in Vidarbha, Telangana

Related Topic:
Delay in winter onset in India.
There has been delays in the onset of winter in India. Reasons for this could be the global warming
and the associated climate change.

Reference:
http://qz.com/246563/indias-vital-monsoon-rains-are-changing-and-not-for-the-better/
19. Smart cities in India cannot sustain without smart villages. Discuss this statement

in the backdrop of rural urban integration.

Question Break up &Approach:
Connect smart city to villages.

Discuss how rural and urban landscape can be integrated

Model Answer:
Smart cities envisions to transform and build well planned, sustainable cities
leaning on state of the art technology from countries such as Sweden. Smart villages
are vital to sustain smart cities because:
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Villages still host more than 60% of Indians and the economy will break down if
only select places are developed due to the interconnected nature of the economy.
Smart cities will not be able to sustain large scale migration from villages by
people in search of better places to live and work. Hence to avoid breakdown
of capacity, the villages of India must also be made smart.
Developmental disparities across geography has historically led to crime and
unrest. E.g. In Sri Lanka Tamil places were historically less developed and this
led to the formation of LTTE.
To build truly sustainable and smart cities, India also needs to develop its villages in
terms of connectivity, transportation, sanitation, power and water. True sustainability is
achieved only wheneconomic (e.g. investment in solar panels), social (e.g. gender
sensitive cities) and ecological sustainability (e.g. biogas plants) is achieved and this
should be simultaneously done in both cities and villages.
Current Aspect:

Introduction of smart city project

Statements by politicians that smart villages are needed before smart cities.
Related Topic:
Rural urban digital divide- and digital Indias role.
Although 15% of Indians access internet they are mostly concentrated in the urban
areas. This disparity could be bridged by digital India. Although they do not have
internet most of them have access to mobiles. So with reasonable pricing and coverage
they can also access internet and achieve the objectives of digital India.

Reference:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/rs-5000-crore-plan-govt-plans300-clusters-of-smart- villages/
20. What are the economic significance of discovery of oil in Arctic Sea and its

possible environmental consequences?

Question Break up and Approach:
Economic significance
Environmental consequences
Model Answer:
The discovery of oil in arctic sea could have economic impacts like:
The global price of crude oil which is already low could go down further.
This benefits oil importer countries such as India and china as their fiscal deficits
will fall and they can use this opportunity to recover from economic slump and
achieve much needed economic growth.
This negatively affects the oil exporting nations such as USA and OPEC.
The nations which lie around the arctic sea like Canada, Russia, Norway and Denmark
have staked claims for the oil resources and they are most likely to gain from the oil
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discovery.
The exploration of oil and allied activities are likely to open new shipping lanes
which could change the global trade routes and thereby negatively affect the
nations who lie on the existing trade route.
But the estimation of costs is still in progress and it could be expensive to extract oil from
arctic sea. With such low global oil prices (around $40/barrel), the exploration could be
delayed as cost of extraction is estimated to be around $100/barrel.
Possible environmental consequences:
Oil exploration could lead to trapped carbon dioxide escaping from ice, adding to the
global warming.
Exploration of marine resources would negatively affect the marine ecology which is
very fragile.
Many threatened species like seals, polar bears face extinction due to oil exploration.
The new shipping lanes and activities will lead to melting of more ice leading to
increase in global sea levels putting vulnerable port cities at risk.
Current Aspect:
Global race to drill oil in the arctic sea.
Differing opinions on who gets what and the possible environmental issues
Related Topic:
South china sea resources
South China Sea is home to oil resources and fishing resources. These are claimed by
many nations in the rim such as China, Philippines, and Vietnam etc. India needs to
be vary of the developments in the South China Sea because it is a major global
shipping lane and the key for India to connect with the east. With bilateral
agreements with Japan these become all the more important. India also has oil
exploration agreements in the region with Vietnam.

Reference Material:
http://thediplomat.com/2014/02/asian-giants-look-to-the-arctic/

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