UPSC Mains Answer Writing Practice – Insights SECURE: 25 April 2025

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General Studies – 1

Topic: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present significant events, personalities, issues.

Q1. While the Indian National Congress dominated the national stage, regional movements significantly shaped the freedom struggle. Discuss. Illustrate with examples. (10 M)

Difficulty Level: Medium

Reference: InsightsIAS

Why the question

The crucial, yet underrepresented, role of regional actors in India’s independence movement.

Key Demand of the question
To discuss how regional movements meaningfully contributed to the freedom struggle and support this with specific illustrations from various parts of India.

Structure of the Answer:

Introduction
Briefly state that the Indian freedom movement was a multi-centred effort, with regional initiatives acting as critical drivers alongside national leadership.

Body

• Explain the ideological, strategic, and social contributions of regional movements.
• Highlight their role in mass mobilisation, early resistance, and experiments in self-governance.
• Provide diverse examples from tribal, peasant, and revolutionary movements that complemented national efforts.

Conclusion
Emphasise that acknowledging regional contributions enriches our understanding of Indian nationalism’s plural and decentralised character.

Topic: Salient features of world’s physical geography

Q2. Analyse the atmospheric triggers responsible for the recent surge in lightning events in Eastern India. How do regional physiographic features influence lightning distribution across the Indo-Gangetic plains? Examine the implications of these patterns for rural population vulnerability. (15 M)

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Reference: DTE

Why the question
More than 140 deaths in first 17 days of April; Bihar records nine-year high as humid Bay winds and poor preparedness blamed

Key Demand of the question
It demands an analysis of the meteorological reasons behind lightning surges, a geographical explanation of how terrain influences lightning patterns, and an assessment of how these affect vulnerable rural populations.

Structure of the Answer:

Introduction
Highlight the rising trend of lightning-related deaths and connect it with convective weather systems and vulnerability in the Indo-Gangetic belt.

Body

• Atmospheric triggers: Discuss easterlies, western disturbances, jet streams, and pre-monsoon heating.
• Physiographic influence: Explain role of Shivalik foothills, flat plains, vegetation cover, and soil conductivity.
• Rural vulnerability: Cover behavioural risks, infrastructural gaps, lack of early warning access, and exposure due to livelihoods.

Conclusion
Suggest the inclusion of lightning as a notified disaster and call for grassroots-level integration of forecasting and response.

General Studies – 2

Topic: Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary Ministries and Departments of the Government.

Q3. Cabinet Committees enable strategic agility but pose risks of centralised decision-making. Discuss. (15 M)

Difficulty Level: Medium

Reference: IE

Why the question:
The recent CCS-led retaliatory steps post-Pahalgam attack, there is growing debate over Cabinet Committees’ strategic utility and concerns around centralised executive functioning.

Key demand of the question:
The question requires discussing how Cabinet Committees promote quick, efficient governance (strategic agility), while also examining risks of power concentration and proposing measures to ensure accountability and democratic balance.

Structure of the Answer:

Introduction
Mention the growing reliance on Cabinet Committees in high-stakes policy domains and the tension between speed and democratic consultation.

Body

• Strategic agility through Cabinet Committees: Explain how committees enable rapid decision-making, policy coordination and crisis response.
• Risks of centralised decision-making: Show how limited membership, opacity and PM-led dominance can undermine collective cabinet functioning.
• Ensuring accountability in committee governance: Suggest reforms like statutory backing, parliamentary briefings, wider participation and internal review systems.

Conclusion
Assert that while Cabinet Committees are vital for statecraft, their institutional architecture must evolve to preserve democratic legitimacy.

Topic: Devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein

Q4. The gap between constitutional devolution and functional empowerment has rendered many Panchayats symbolic. Examine. Suggest mechanisms to restore genuine decentralisation. (10 M)

Difficulty Level: Medium

Reference: IE

Why the question:
The 2024 Panchayat Devolution Index reveals a mismatch between the legal status of PRIs and their actual autonomy, prompting urgent discourse on grassroots reforms.

Key Demand of the question:
To examine how constitutional devolution has failed to translate into functional empowerment for Panchayats and propose mechanisms to restore genuine decentralisation in practice.

Structure of the Answer:

Introduction
Mention the contrast between constitutional status under the 73rd Amendment and limited practical autonomy of Panchayats.

Body

• Explain institutional, financial, and administrative factors that keep Panchayats symbolic despite devolution.
• Suggest measures like statutory function mapping, fiscal empowerment, convergence mechanisms, and capacity building to restore functional autonomy.

Conclusion
Highlight the need to evolve Panchayats from representative bodies into fully empowered units for democratic decentralisation.

General Studies – 3

Topic: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment

Q5. How do contingent liabilities and off-budget borrowings pose hidden fiscal risks? Why must they be incorporated into fiscal sustainability assessments? Recommend tools to transparently measure such liabilities. (15 M)

Difficulty Level: Medium

Reference: NIE

Why the question
The question is relevant due to the recent scrutiny of NITI Aayog’s Fiscal Health Index (2025) which ignored off-budget borrowings and contingent liabilities, raising concerns over transparency in state finances.

Key demand of the question
The answer must examine how off-budget and contingent liabilities pose hidden fiscal risks, explain why they should be integrated into sustainability assessments, and recommend tools for their transparent measurement.

Structure of the Answer:

Introduction
Introduce how India’s official debt understates real fiscal stress due to off-budget borrowings and contingent liabilities.

Body

• Explain how these hidden liabilities create fiscal risks by deferring deficits, increasing inefficiencies, and threatening inter-generational equity.
• Justify their inclusion in fiscal sustainability frameworks using recent reports and state examples.
• Recommend institutional and policy tools like comprehensive fiscal risk statements, audit reforms, and integrated debt dashboards to improve transparency.

Conclusion
Conclude with a solution-oriented line stressing the need for transparent fiscal accounting to ensure sustainable and accountable governance.

Topic: Infrastructure

Q6. What are the key bottlenecks in ensuring consistent water quality under Jal Jeevan Mission? How can innovation and data-driven monitoring address these issues? (10 M)

Difficulty Level: Medium

Reference: IE

Why the question
Due to the recent extension of JJM till 2028 and concerns over declining water quality in rural areas, the question probes the effectiveness of monitoring mechanisms and the role of technology in addressing delivery gaps.

Key demand of the question
Identify the systemic and operational challenges in maintaining water quality under JJM, and suggest how technological and data-driven tools can resolve these bottlenecks to ensure long-term sustainability.

Structure of the Answer:

Introduction
Mention JJM’s scope and the emerging challenge of ensuring consistent water quality beyond infrastructure provisioning.

Body

• Key bottlenecks in water quality under JJM: focus on source contamination, manpower, lab delays, etc.
• Role of innovation and data systems: focus on IoT, AI models, community-led digital tools, decentralised labs.

Conclusion
Highlight the need for a resilient, tech-enabled rural water governance model to secure quality alongside access.

General Studies – 4

Q7. Due to recent heavy rains, the district has experienced severe rainfall. As the District Commissioner, Manav imposed vehicle movement restrictions along the ghat section road that connects two major cities in the state. Unfortunately, a truck driver was involved in an accident on this road. Upon hearing this, Manav rushed to the spot and saw a large heap of mud that had fallen down the cliff into the river below. He was informed that the truck driver was still stuck inside the vehicle. On further inquiry, Manav learned that the driver came from a poor background, had two young children, and an elderly mother, and was the sole breadwinner for his family. Due to the heavy load of mud, the driver’s body couldn’t be retrieved in time. The driver’s family raised concerns that the administration was not showing enough interest in recovering the body. Manav was working tirelessly, even though his wife was in the hospital due to labor. His subordinates, initially working day and night to recover the body, felt demoralized as their efforts went unrecognized by the public and the media. Additionally, the neighboring state government accused the state administration of not doing enough to recover the truck driver’s body. (20 M)

 Given this situation, answer the following:

1. 1. Identify the stakeholders involved in this case.
   2. What ethical challenges does Manav face as a public office holder?
   3. If you were in Manav’s position, how would you motivate your subordinates to continue working in these challenging conditions?
   4. What steps would you take to address the concerns of the driver’s family and the public while ensuring the morale of your team remains high?

Difficulty Level: Medium

Reference: InsightsIAS

Why the question:
Ethical decision-making, emotional intelligence, administrative leadership, and public accountability during a humanitarian crisis—a typical real-world ethical dilemma faced by civil servants.

Key Demand of the question:
The answer must identify all key stakeholders in the scenario, highlight the ethical dilemmas faced by the DC, suggest ways to inspire and guide a demotivated team, and propose empathetic and strategic steps to address public and familial concerns.

Structure of the Answer:

Introduction
Briefly introduce the ethical and administrative dimensions of crisis leadership in disaster-hit zones, highlighting the significance of duty and empathy.

Body

• Stakeholders involved: List all direct and indirect parties affected by or involved in the situation (family, DC, media, public, team, etc.).
• Ethical challenges faced by Manav: Point out dilemmas like duty vs personal life, morale vs public anger, and transparency vs resource limitations.
• How to motivate subordinates: Suggest internal motivators, team engagement, empowerment, visible leadership, and recognition.
• Addressing concerns while maintaining morale: Include public communication, empathy-driven outreach, logistical reinforcements, collaboration, and internal team care mechanisms.

Conclusion
Close with a value-driven reflection on ethical leadership under pressure, citing the importance of empathy, resilience, and moral courage in public service.

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