Author: Explains

[Update] Starting today, we have launched a Daily Debate Module – CD Pe Charcha

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Hi, after more than a month of 4 GS questions everyday, and with a great response from people we would like some feedback. Here are some questions for you, please leave the feedback in the comments.

1. Is the DNA (the Demand and Approach, e.g. DNA) useful? We believe its purpose is to help people new to answer writing get started, and experienced answer writers should not feel the need for it. Its disadvantage is that people use the format and don’t develop question interpretation skills themselves. Some forum members also complain that its use results in similar answer. So here are the questions –

a) Should we keep the DNA?

b) If yes should we publish it later in the day so that people can develop interpretation skills themselves?

c) Or would people new to answer writing prefer things the way it is?

2. What is your view about the level of difficulty of the questions? Would you like more difficult questions or the present questions are good?

3. Students who are not attempting the questions, what’s the main reason? Paucity of time/ Lack of basic knowledge? How are you making the best use of this initiative then?

GS1 (Indian Geography)

The IMD recently got its forecast for this year wrong. India will now get 3% less rain than normal. What are the phenomena that result in variations in Indian monsoon.

Demand – Discuss all phenomena which can bring variations in monsoon such as La Nina etc.

Approach –

– Discuss Indian monsoon (4 marks)

– Reasons for variation, e.g. La Nina, El Nino etc (4 marks)

– Why was the rainfall low this year? (2 marks)

GS2 (Government policies)

The government claims to have gotten almost USD 10 billion in the recent Income Declaration Scheme. What is this scheme? Is this a short term measure only?

Demand – Give the features of the scheme.

Approach –

– Need for such a scheme? (4 marks)

– Features of scheme. (4 marks)

– Is this a short term measure only? (2 marks)

GS3 (Disaster and disaster management)

Pakistan has threatened first use of its nuclear weapons in the case of war with India. Throughout the 20^th century the US and USSR did everything possible to avoid using nuclear weapons. What damage would nuclear weapons result in? How would we contain such damage?

Demand – Damage from nuclear weapons such as the primary explosion, radiation etc to be discussed.

Approach –

– Explain working of nuclear bomb, why is it so destructive (3 marks)

– Damages caused by it – heat, shockwave, radiation etc (3 marks)

– Measures to contain damage (4 marks)

GS4 (Ethics in public administration)

“Living up to the public trust is much more than just an act of compliance”. Explain with suitable examples.

Demand – Public officials should walk the talk.

Approach –

– What kind of trust does the public impose on public officials? (5 marks)

– How can public officials honor that trust? (5 marks)

GS4 (Ethics in public administration)

“Living up to the public trust is much more than just an act of compliance”. Explain with suitable examples.

Best answer

Kunal Aggarwal wrote the best answer for this question and got a score of 4/10 (if the best answer is an image, it cannot be uploaded here, hence scroll down to see those). The answer is being reproduced below for everyone’s convenience. Of course these answers can always be improved. (Best answer  of a particular only involves those given on that day, later answers may not have been checked)

GS3 (Disaster and disaster management)

Pakistan has threatened first use of its nuclear weapons in the case of war with India. Throughout the 20^th century the US and USSR did everything possible to avoid using nuclear weapons. What damage would nuclear weapons result in? How would we contain such damage?

Best answer

Simran Bains wrote the best answer for this question and got a score of 4/10 (if the best answer is an image, it cannot be uploaded here, hence scroll down to see those). The answer is being reproduced below for everyone’s convenience. Of course these answers can always be improved. (Best answer  of a particular only involves those given on that day, later answers may not have been checked)

GS2 (Government policies)

The government announced that it has gotten almost USD 10 billion in the recent Income Declaration Scheme. What is this scheme? Is this only a short term measure?

Best answer

Aman Chauhan wrote the best answer for this question and got a score of 5/10 (if the best answer is an image, it cannot be uploaded here, hence scroll down to see those). The answer is being reproduced below for everyone’s convenience. Of course these answers can always be improved. (Best answer  of a particular only involves those given on that day, later answers may not have been checked)

GS1 (Indian Geography)

The IMD recently got its forecast for this year wrong. India will now get 3% less rain than normal. What are the phenomena that result in variations in Indian monsoon.

Best answer

Shashank Pander wrote the best answer for this question and got a score of 4/10 (if the best answer is an image, it cannot be uploaded here, hence scroll down to see those). The answer is being reproduced below for everyone’s convenience. Of course these answers can always be improved. (Best answer  of a particular only involves those given on that day, later answers may not have been checked)

If op-eds are like human beings then I mostly find that environment op-eds are like ARTS students and economics op-eds are like ENGINEERS. Confused Billi for one, is an engineer by training.

Why I make such an observation is because I always felt that environmentalists are rarely bothered about the developmental concerns. And the thing is that aside from UPSC preparation where I have to unwittingly mug up some quotes and write down some point of views –

Confusion Level 1: I always wonder if there an equation where we can put in some funda like:

Environmentalists ki concerns + Economist ki development optimism = NET ANSWER (Profit yaa Loss?)

You get the drift right? Engineers always feel that life would be much sorted if there were an equation available to understand the whole world view!

You want examples? Take this one

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s grand culture show: Positives due to the culture meet on tourism, soft power etc + Negatives due to environmental losses & Health issues post that = What net dollar gain?

Or should we have a happiness gain index (Just like Bhutan has a Gross National Happiness)

You get the drift right? Koi Prelims question nahi aaega iss discussion se but you can get some really cool mains & interview level points. How! I was reading this op-ed from Live Mint

1. Measures to safeguard the environment are often considered to be economic spoilers

2. World Bank did a new study – The cost of air pollution: strengthening the economic case for action

3. What’s different about this study? Usually economists rant about the costs of shutting down the factories due to environmental concerns. These guys said what about the “cost imposed on people living in regions where pollution and environmental degradation is higher.” Genius, right?

This right here is first point for your mains, essay and interview masala!

4. What were the findings? 

# The welfare costs and lost labour income due to air pollution amounted to 8.5% of India’s GDP in 2013! Big numbers right! Seedhe quote karne ka hai isko to

# The report ranks air pollution as the fourth biggest fatal risk factor in the world. Air pollution kills more people than tobacco, alcohol or drug use or unsafe sex in most countries. That’s a huge point of concern right?

If you are reading this line, then you know that you have enough ammo to beat the shit out of a crazy economics major who shuns the environmentalists. So, essentially the arts’ student won.

Infact – today’s Target Mains question was also on the similar lines – Read it later. This might also be a good time to revise PRELIMS specific basics on pollution and stuff – Air Pollution: Issues & Challenges and this Simple acts like brushing your teeth may be polluting the environment (this is more like a trivia blog).

So, what next? I was happy for a while that somehow, some study is able to marry economist and an environmentalist but then I thought okay, so what is the world doing for it!

But apne ko kya hai, apne ko to bass UPSC nikalna hai 🙂

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Now, the literature for environmental concerns & initiatives is huuuge! There is no way I can summarise everything in one post! I mean before entering into UPSC prep, I had no clue of UNEP and the Earth Summit of 1992 and then the Rio + 20 and so on. I am still grappling with its timeline and I still get confused with the outcomes of various talks, treaties, etc. etc.

This is a blog on the roadmap to Paris Climate Talk – Part 3 and this is the blog on outcome of Paris Talk and this is the update on Lima-Paris Action Agenda.

If someone can help this billi ki yahan pe chal kya raha hai, I will be forever indebted! For now, I am reading old cards listed on this story – NAPCC: India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change to understand the backstory on what India is doing.

Confusion Level 2: While reading up on these links, I wondered what if there is an essay question in general with a theme like – We are not doing enough for the environment  OR the famous old age – world has everything for your need but not for your greed etc. etc. What different can one write? What case studies can we give to give a simple, easy to understand narrative and voila, I found this nice interactive comparison done by guardian – Which countries are doing the most to stop dangerous global warming?

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Do read the links. You will like them (I hope). Tell me if you liked reading the post. What else do you want to be covered?

GS1 (Indian geography)

India is a rich source of renewable energy. What are these sources and what are the geographic factors which make it so rich?

Demand – Discuss sources of energy such as solar, wind etc and why India is rich in them.

Approach –

• What are the sources of renewable energy? (4 marks)
• Why is Indian rich in them? List factors such as latitude, longitude, vegetation etc. (6 marks)

GS2 (International relations)

The recent surgical strikes by India in PoK mark a watershed moment in India’s Pakistan policy. Critically comment.

Demand – Contrast India’s present approach towards Pakistan with previous approaches. Is there a difference?

Approach –

• Previous approaches by India to deal with Pakistan’s sponsoring terror activities (3.5 marks)
• Is the present response really different? Illustrate with examples. (3.5 marks)
• Future implications. (3 marks)

GS3 (Internal security)

Despite radical organisations coming up all over the world, Indian youth have largely stayed away. What could be the reasons for this? Is the internet leading to a reversal of this trend?

Demand – Discuss why ISIS, Al Qaeda have very limited influence among Indian youth, and how the internet could be changing this.

Approach –

• Radical organisations and factors which stop their growth in India, e.g. culture of India, democracy (5 marks)
• How is the internet being used to spread radical ideologies? (5 marks)

GS4 (Ethics and attitudes)

Since ancient times Indian society has concentrated more on the duty of an individual than his rights, in contrast to western society. Is this attitude changing in India today?

Demand – Are Indians today more aware/demanding of their rights? Are we forgetting our duties?

Approach –

• Ancient Indian attitudes towards duty and rights (2.5 marks)
• Views of leaders such as Gandhi (2.5 marks)
• Role of constitution and modernisation in making people demand their right (2.5 marks)
• Is this a good trend or bad? (2.5 marks)

GS1 (Indian Geography)

India is a rich source of renewable energy. What are these sources and what are the geographic factors which make it so rich?

Best answer

Rahul Jain wrote the best answer for this question and got a score of 5/10 (if the best answer is an image, it cannot be uploaded here, hence scroll down to see those). The answer is being reproduced below for everyone’s convenience. Of course these answers can always be improved. (Best answer  of a particular only involves those given on that day, later answers may not have been checked)

GS2 (International relations)

The recent surgical strikes by India in PoK mark a watershed moment in India’s Pakistan policy. Critically comment.

Best answer

Kunal Aggarwal wrote the best answer for this question and got a score of 5/10 (if the best answer is an image, it cannot be uploaded here, hence scroll down to see those). The answer is being reproduced below for everyone’s convenience. Of course these answers can always be improved. (Best answer  of a particular only involves those given on that day, later answers may not have been checked)