UPSC Mains Answer Writing Practice – Insights SECURE: 3 September 2024

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General Studies – 1

Topic: Cabinet mission plan

Q1. Examine the reasons behind the failure of the Cabinet Mission and its impact on subsequent political developments. 10M

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: Insights ias

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 1 and mentioned as part of Mission-2025 Secure timetable.

Key Demand of the question:

To examine the key reasons for the failure of the Cabinet Mission Plan and assess how its failure affected the political scenario in India.

Structure of the Answer:

Introduction:

Introduce the Cabinet Mission (1946) as a significant attempt by the British government to resolve the constitutional deadlock between the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League.

Body:

1. Firstly, write the Objectives of the Cabinet Mission- Proposal of a Federal Structure, Grouping of Provinces, Interim Government Formation.
2. Next mention the Reasons for the Failure of the Cabinet Mission – Incompatible Aspirations of Congress and Muslim League, Ambiguity in the Grouping Clause, Jinnah’s Intransigence and Demand for Pakistan, Congress’s Opposition to Grouping, etc.
3. Next, write the Impact of the Failure of the Cabinet Mission – Increased Communal Polarization, Direct Action Day and Communal Violence, Weakening of British Control, Paving the Way for the Mountbatten Plan etc.

Conclusion:

Conclude by noting that while the Cabinet Mission Plan was a genuine attempt to preserve India’s unity, its failure underscored the deep communal divisions that ultimately led to the division of the country.

Topic: Mountbatten Plan

Q2. The Mountbatten Plan was the final blueprint for the partition of India. In this light, Analyze the key features of the Mountbatten Plan and its role in the partition of India. 15M

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: Insights ias

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 1 and mentioned as part of Mission-2025 Secure timetable.

 

Key Demand of the question:

To analyze the key features of the Mountbatten Plan and explain how it facilitated the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan, leading to the end of British colonial rule in the subcontinent.

Structure of the Answer:

Introduction:

Provide a brief context on the situation leading up to the Mountbatten Plan, including the failure of earlier attempts to keep India united (e.g., the Cripps Mission, the Cabinet Mission Plan).

Body:

1. In first part, Background and Context Leading to the Mountbatten Plan – Growing Communal Tensions, Failure of Previous Plans, etc.
2. Secondly, write the Key Features of the Mountbatten Plan – Partition of British India, Creation of Boundary Commissions, Acceleration of the Transfer of Power, etc.
3. Next mention the Role of the Mountbatten Plan in the Partition of India – Formalization of Partition, Impact on Communal Violence, Legacy of Boundary Disputes.

Conclusion:

Conclude by reflecting on the complex and tragic outcomes of the partition, which, while achieving independence, also sowed the seeds of lasting discord in the subcontinent.

General Studies – 2

Topic: Important aspects of Governance; Function of the Judiciary.

Q3. Explore various issues with the tendency of states to enact extrajudicial punishment through bulldozer justice in India. What does various judicial rulings say? Discuss. (150 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: NDTV

Why the question:

The Supreme Court came down heavily on ‘bulldozer justice’, questioning how a house can be demolished just because it belongs to an accused or a convict.

Key Demand of the Question: 

Examine the issues related to the practice of “bulldozer justice” in India and discuss judicial rulings on the matter.

Structure of the Answer:

Introduction:

Brief mention of “bulldozer justice” as a form of extrajudicial punishment by state authorities.

Body:

First part: Issues with Bulldozer Justice:

Violation of Rule of Law, Due Process Violations, Targeted and Discriminatory Actions, Property Rights Infringement

Second part: Judicial Rulings:

Olga Tellis case, recent SC judgement.

Conclusion:

Stress the need for upholding constitutional values and judicial processes to prevent misuse of power by state authorities.

 

Topic: Issues pertaining to the federal structure.

Q4. “The Governors have been acting more of an ‘agent of the centre’ rather than being the ‘constitutional head of state’.” Analyse in the light of recent controversies. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: The Hindu

Why the question:

Governor R.N. Ravi’s recent speech in which he said that the curriculum taught in schools in Tamil Nadu is qualitatively inferior to the national curriculum.

 

Key Demand of the Question: 

Analyze how Governors in India have increasingly been seen as agents of the Centre rather than impartial constitutional heads, especially in light of recent controversies.

 

Structure of the Answer:

 

Introduction:

Briefly introduce the role of the Governor as the constitutional head of a state, intended to function impartially.

Body:

First part: functions of Governor as agent of centre, functions of governor as constitutional head of state. Second part: Issues with Governors Acting as Agents of the Centre:

Frequent Interventions in State Affairs (Tamil Nadu), Withholding Assent to Bills (Telangana), Public Criticism of State Governments (Tamil Nadu), Controversial Appointments and Recommendation (Kerala)

Third part: Implications for Federalism:

Erosion of State Autonomy, Loss of Credibility and Trust:

Conclusion:

Emphasize the need for Governors to adhere strictly to their constitutional mandate, acting impartially and fostering cooperative federalism.

General Studies – 3

Topic: Agriculture

Q5. Analyze the potential impact of Dgital Agriculture Mission on improving agricultural productivity and transparency in the farm sector. Discuss the key components of the Mission and their likely contribution to sustainable farming practices. (15M)

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Reference: Indian Express

Key Demand of the Question: Analyze the role of the Digital Agriculture Mission in enhancing agricultural productivity and transparency, while discussing its major components such as AgriStack, Krishi Decision Support System, and Soil Profile Maps.

Structure of the Answer:

Introduction: Introduce the Digital Agriculture Mission as a government initiative aimed at creating robust Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in the agricultural sector, aligning with other e-governance platforms like Aadhaar and UPI. Mention the significant budgetary allocation and expected impact.

Body:

1. AgriStack:

• Farmers’ Registry: Digital identity for farmers will streamline access to subsidies, schemes, and credit, reducing bureaucratic delays.
• Crop Sown Registry: Accurate digital recording of crop patterns through surveys, enhancing data for policy-making and yield estimation.
• Geo-referenced Village Maps: Integration of land records and geography, improving farm management and precision agriculture.

2. Krishi Decision Support System (DSS):

• Geospatial information on weather, crops, and water resources will enable better decision-making and climate adaptation for farmers.
• Support for drought/flood monitoring, yield assessment, and risk mitigation for crop insurance claims.

3. Soil Profile Maps:

• Detailed soil mapping will assist in the balanced use of fertilizers and promote sustainable agricultural practices based on soil health.

4. Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES):

• Enhanced accuracy in crop yield estimation and production data will support efficient MSP procurement, insurance, and credit schemes.

Conclusion: Summarize the transformative potential of the Digital Agriculture Mission in increasing agricultural productivity, ensuring transparency, and fostering sustainable farming. Emphasize its alignment with the government’s broader goal of digital governance and long-term agricultural sustainability.

Topic: Disaster Management

Q6. Analyze the concerns posed by the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and its implications on cooperative federalism and climate-induced disasters in India. (150 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: The Hindu

Why the Question: The article highlights the issues of centralization in the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and its adverse effects on cooperative federalism, especially in managing climate-induced disasters. The Bill further centralizes disaster management without adequately addressing financial devolution to States, leaving them vulnerable during disaster response.

Key Demand of the Question: Examine the centralization tendencies in the proposed Bill and their impact on State-Centre relations, cooperative federalism, and the handling of climate-induced disasters like heatwaves.

Structure of the Answer:

Introduction: Briefly introduce the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and its centralization of disaster management functions, highlighting the challenges to cooperative federalism.

Body:

1. Centralization Concerns:

• The Bill strengthens the top-down approach, complicating disaster response.
• Delays in disaster relief funds, affecting State-level disaster preparedness.
• Financial control remaining concentrated with the Centre, undermining State autonomy.

2. Implications on Cooperative Federalism:

• Strains State-Centre relations due to delays in fund disbursement and decision-making.
• Weakens the spirit of cooperative federalism in disaster management, limiting local adaptive responses.

3. Climate-Induced Disasters:

• The Bill’s narrow disaster definition excludes emerging climate challenges like heatwaves.
• Global trends support the recognition of heatwaves as disasters, yet the Bill remains static.

Conclusion: Addressing the challenges posed by the Bill requires revisiting the Centre-State power dynamics and expanding the definition of disasters to incorporate climate-induced phenomena.

General Studies – 4

Topic: Ethical philosophies.

Q7. Explain the following ethical philosophies:

1. Veil of Ignorance.
2. Hedonism
3. Utilitarianism [10M]

Difficulty level: Medium

Reference:         Insights on India

 

Why the question: Static portion of ethics.

Structure of the answer:

 

Introduction: Begin with a general definition of ethical philosophy.

 

Body:

• Maintain the following structure in your answer
  • First explain philosophy.
  • Then explain a few features of it.
  • Write some significance of it.

 

Conclusion: Summarize by writing an ethical philosophy or quote.

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