Author: Sukanya Rana

Civil Services Examination result 2020 was released on 24th September 2021. Civilsdaily is proud to announce its toppers. In 2020, we took 50 Students for Mains exclusive one-to-one mentorship program and 80% got interview calls with 50% making it to the final list.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD TOPPER COPIES

Even Toppers of Civil services examination 2020 were impressed by the quality of questions from the Mains Test and Mentorship provided:

Here’s a look at some questions from our FLT Tests:

FLT 1 PAPER 1

Q. While there are several theories about why the Indus Valley Civilisation declined, climate change appears to be the most likely scenario. Discuss in what way the decline of IVC could be related to climate change aspects of that time. Draw an analogy of how past experiences can prove to be lessons to our future generations.

Model Answers:

More than 4,000 years ago, the Indus Valley Civilisation thrived in the Indus river valley of what is now modern Pakistan and north-western India. They built sophisticated cities, invented sewage systems, and even engaged in long-distance trade. However, by 1800 BCE, this advanced culture had abandoned their cities, moving instead to smaller villages in the Himalayan foothills. 

Various causes have been suggested for the decline of the civilization which includes:

• Aryan invasion theory- Very little evidence.
• Decreasing fertility- Due to increasing salinity of soil
• Sudden subsistence or uplift of land- Causing floods
• Tectonic disturbances- caused earthquakes
• Climate change- Most accepted theory. A new study titled ‘Neoglacial climate anomalies and the Harappan metamorphosis also supports this.

Climate change and decline of IVC: 

• Wetter winter monsoon- Between 4,500 and 3,000 years ago, strong winter monsoons were characterised by early neoglacial anomalies (ENA) that are characterised by changes in wind and precipitation patterns that are evident across the eastern Northern Hemisphere and tropics. This may have led to urban Harappan society turning into a rural one, as inhabitants migrated from a summer flood-deficient river valley to the Himalayan plains.
• Decline in the winter monsoon- This could have played a role in the demise of the rural late Harappans.
• Shift in temperatures and weather patterns- This caused summer monsoon rains to gradually dry up, making agriculture difficult or impossible near Harappan cities.
• Neo-glaciation- A general cooling, occurred between 2,500 and 4,500 years ago. Records for the last 4,500 years generally indicate that temperatures were lower than the Holocene thermal maximum. 
• Less predictable floods in the Indus and tributary rivers- This affected the Indus people who depended a lot on inundation agriculture.
• Changing character of the Indian monsoon- Affected atmospheric temperatures and the flow of rivers originating in the Himalayas. Both the changing temperature and the changes in river flow would have influenced the crops that were grown in the region.
• Drying up of Ghaggar-Hakra- The probable course of the Saraswati river, dried at the same time.

The Indus story is important today because it provides us with a vivid example of what climate change could do to people. Some analogous examples observable in modern times are:

• Migration due to climate change– The study provides a powerful lesson for today as the migration out of Syria, Venezuela and African countries has some roots in climate change.
• Sea level rise- The sea level is rising at a rate of 12 mm per year in the western Pacific and has already submerged eight islands. This can lead to huge migrations from the low-lying regions or from hurricane-prone regions in the southern U.S.
• South Asia- Increasing temperatures, more frequent cyclones, flooding of river systems fed by melting glaciers, and other extreme weather events along with rapid economic growth and urbanization are accelerating and magnifying the impact and drivers of climate change

The Harappans could cope with the change by migrating but owing to the existing rigid political boundaries with the increasing tendency of protectionism, this option is nearly closed in today’s global scenario which ultimately can cause political and social convulsion. Multilateral institutions, development agencies, and international law must do far more to resolve the impending crisis in line with the sustainable development goals.

FLT 2 PAPER 2

Q. Involving local communities along with the welfare of women can prevent malnutrition in the country effectively. Elaborate.

Model Answer:

While India’s malnutrition rates have improved over the recent years, the country is still facing a Triple burden of Malnutrition i.e. undernutrition, Hidden hunger, and Child overweight. In Global Hunger Index 2021 India ranked 101 among 116 countries under the Serious Level category, whereas the report of the WHO positioned India as the world’s third most obese nation after the USA and China.

The Core Strength of a nation is vested in the capabilities of its people. Malnutrition inflicts the very human resources base, severely limiting the socio-economic development of a nation. In this regard involvement of the local community along with the empowerment of women becomes essential in tackling the issue of malnutrition.

Role of Local Community  in preventing Malnutrition:

• Ensuring accountability and Avoiding Leakages- using methods like surveys, social audits, local community’s checks both inclusion and exclusion errors and ensure accountability and better targeting thus improving the delivery of food and nutrition. Eg. ‘Collective Action for Nutrition’ (CAN) social audit program in Odisha.
• Making Govt. interventions culturally adaptable– involvement local community build trust and cooperation that ensures various Govt. interventions are culturally appropriate and holistic in terms of design and implementation thus making it easier to adapt in fighting against Malnutrition. Example- fish, egg, and dry fruits in mid-day meal program of states like Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Lakshadweep. 
• Checking discrimination: There is a correlation between discrimination based on gender, caste or religion and poor nutrition. With participation and active sensitization of the local community, such discrimination can be checked which in turn helps in fighting malnutrition.  
• Acting as Role Model:  Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) recommended by both WHO and UNICEF, has shown positive results in the Nandurbar district of Maharashtra that led to rapid reduction of malnutrition among children between 2015-16 (NFHS-4) to 2019-20 (NFHS-5). it has the potential to be scaled up anywhere in India.
• Support system: This collective action by communities imparts a sense of psychosocial well-being, self-efficacy and confidence to the group members along with the creation of a protective environment that helps in fighting malnutrition. Eg. the Proliferation of various community kitchens was conceived, organized, and run by the people in various states to tackle food security crisis during the lockdown.
• Promotion of nutritional behavior: Synergy between the local community and various govt. departments can help in making the public aware of nutritional behavior.

Eg.  SAAMAR (Strategic Action for Alleviation of Malnutrition and Anemia Reduction) campaign to tackle malnutrition in the state of Jharkhand.

Welfare of women and Malnutrition

• Mother’s Literacy: Mothers empowered with knowledge and a facilitative environment, as the decision-maker in the house they can ensure proper dietary diversity, breastfeeding immunization and other interventions which is crucial for reducing malnutrition.
• Ending gender discrimination- female members of the household tend to be treated as inferior and receive a relatively lower share of nutrition. Women end up eating the last and the least. Undernourished mothers give birth to an undernourished baby thus perpetuating an intergenerational cycle of under nutrition. To break this circle, the welfare of women is imperative. 
• Empowered women farmers can help fight malnutrition- Given financial support and choice in crop selection. A report of CARE India suggested that women farmers preferred crops that would contribute to household dietary diversity while promoting food and nutrition security rather than being more inclined towards cash crops. 
• Political empowerment-  Role of women Sarpanchs in states like Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh showed that Women in leadership positions tend to take up issues related to health and hygiene on priority hence fighting rather effectively with menace like Malnutrition.

In the fight against Malnutrition India needs a change of perspective where malnutrition is seen as a social issue rather than as a health problem. An integrated approach involving all the stakeholders along with the robust framework of service delivery can help India to achieve the aim of the second Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) to end all forms of hunger and malnutrition by 2030.

MAINS MANTHAN 2021

Here is the list of Mains programs available:

Mains Guidance Plus

Mains Guidance Plus is a wholesome package for UPSC Aspirants. The aim behind this program is not just to provide students with Model tests, but to cover multiple needs of students. From Mentorship to current affairs, the program has all the necessary elements needed for mains 2021.

PROGRAM INCLUSION:

Sectional Tests: 8 sectional tests to cover your static portions in detail. The scope will spread over your core subjects like History, economics, and polity, etc.

Full-length tests: 12 FLTs to help you practice for the final Mains examination. These FLTs are patterned on UPSC Examination and have medium to high-quality questions. They will surely boost your preparation and test your analytical skills.

One on One Mentorship: After every test, a call with a mentor will be arranged and you can clear your doubts on the paper. This is important as with your mentor you can discuss your weakness and strategize for the next paper.

Quality Enrichment Program Notes: QEP is an intensive and holistic program for IAS Mains 2021 GS papers. We aim to cover up to 250 most relevant issues with a 360-degree view, covering all dimensions of each and every topic. Not only you’ll learn and analyze these issues but will also understand how to utilize them via Daily Answer Writing and Mains Test Series.

Mains Super 50

Mains Super 50 is a program apt for those aspirants whose focus lies on clearing Mains 2021. Those Students who have been practicing some answer writing and want to directly start with FLTs should opt for this. This program also has complete mentorship support.

PROGRAM INCLUSION:

Full-length tests: 12 FLTs to help you practice for the final Mains examination. These FLTs are patterned on UPSC Examination and have medium to high-quality questions. They will surely boost your preparation and test your analytical skills.

One on One Mentorship: After every test, a call with a mentor will be arranged and you can clear your doubts on the paper. This is important as with your mentor you can discuss your weakness and strategize for the next paper.

Weekly Zoom Call with Sukanya Ma’am: These calls will focus on paper discussion and students can as well raise their queries.

Mains Guidance Mini

Mentorship is a forte of Civilsdaily and once you experience it, you will believe it. Mains Guidance Mini is a program focused on mentorship-based improvement. You can appear in any Test series, we will provide you the mentorship on that paper.

PROGRAM INCLUSION:

10 Test Discussion: You can discuss 10 FLTs in which you have appeared recently. These tests can be from any institute. Just mail to us and we will provide you the guidance.

One on One Mentorship: After submitting a test, a call with a mentor will be arranged and you can clear your doubts on the paper. This is important as with your mentor you can discuss your weakness and strategize for the next paper.

TOPPER COPIES 2020

Download and read how their answers improved after guidance from our mentors.

Other than these programs, you can check out our test series for Mains 2022 as well.

https://www.civilsdaily.com/course/mains-essential-program-2022/

ALL THE BEST FOR MAINS 2021!! LET THE FINAL PREPARATION BEGIN!!

Paper 4 aka Ethics is the most dynamic General studies paper out of the lot. There is no “ONE WAY approach” in ethics. In our experience of working with 1000+ students, ethics is a gamechanger for the UPSC examination. As compared to other paper, it has less syllabus and require less time to master but can be very rewarding.

The TRICK is to learn the static portion, link them to current affairs and bring it in writing. So, ethics needs hold over ART OF ANSWER WRITING as well as STATIC MATERIAL.

The Smash ethics program will focus on both the needs of answer writing and static coverage of the syllabus.

REMEMBER: General studies paper 4 is the only paper where you can score 110+ marks easily. Considering the fact that the syllabus is least out of all the other General studies papers. The amount of time this paper requires is also relatively less. Thus, this paper can play a major role in boosting your score in the final mark sheet.

TRENDS IN ETHICS PAPER

• Shift towards more conceptual questions than direct static questions

Consider the first questions of 2 years:

What do you understand by ‘values’ and ‘ethics’? In what way is it important to be ethical along with being professionally competent? (PYQ 2013)

Discuss the role of ethics and values in enhancing the following three major components of Comprehensive National Power viz. human capital, soft power, and social harmony. (PYQ 2020)

The difficulty level of paper has more or less increased. This requires more practice and smart work.

• More current affairs focused

The number of questions linked to current affairs is increasing. So, here you have to be careful to link the theory with current affairs.

“Education is not an injunction, it is an effective and pervasive tool for all-round development of an individual and social transformation”. Examine the New Education Policy, 2020 (NEP, 2020) in light of the above statement. (PYQ 2020)

There is a view that the Official Secrets Act is an obstacle to the implementation of the Right to Information Act. Do you agree with the view? Discuss. (PYQ 2019)

• Complex case studies

Parmal is a small but underdeveloped district. It has rocky terrain that is not suitable for agriculture, though some subsistence agriculture is being done on small plots of land. The area receives adequate rainfall and has an irrigation canal flowing through it. Amria, its administrative center, is a medium-sized town. It houses a large district hospital, an Industrial Training Institute, and some privately owned skill training centers. It has all the facilities of a district headquarters. A trunk railway line passes approximately 50 kilometers from Amria. Its poor connectivity is a major reason for the absence of any major industry therein. The state government offers a 10 years tax holiday as an incentive to the new industries.

In 2010 Anil, an industrialist decided to take benefits to set up Amria Plastic Works (APW) in Noora village, about 20 km from Amria. While the factory was being built, Anil hired the required key labor and got them trained at the skill training centers at Amria. This act of his made the key personnel very loyal to APW.

APW started production in 2011 with the labor drawn fully from Noora village. The villagers were very happy to get employment near their homes and were motivated by the key personnel to meet the production targets with high quality. APW started making large profits, a sizeable portion of which was used to improve the quality of life in Noora. By 2016, Noora could boast of a greener village and a renovated village temple. Anil liaised with the local MLA to increase the frequency of the bus services to Amria. The government also opened a primary health care center and primary school at Noora in buildings constructed by APW. APW used its CSR funds to set up women’s self-help groups, subsidize primary education to the village children and procure an ambulance for use by its employees and the needy.

In 2019, there was a minor fire in APW It was quickly extinguished as fire safety protocols were in place in the factory. Investigations revealed that the factory had been using electricity in excess of its authorized capacity. This was soon rectified. The next year, due to a nationwide lockdown, the requirement of production fell for four months. Anil decided that all employees would be paid regularly. He employed them to plant trees and improve the village habitat. APW had developed a reputation for high-quality production and a motivated workforce.

Critically analyze the story of APW and state the ethical issues involved. Do you consider APW as a role model for the development of backward areas? Give reasons. (PYQ 2020)

Not only the length but also, complexity levels of the case studies has also increased.

• Lengthier paper

Gone are the days when solving Ethics papers within the time limits without practicing mocks seemed achievable. Today, with lengthy case studies and tricky Section A questions, this paper demands more answer writing practice.

Here’s what the program includes:

VIDEO LECTURES

Structured video lectures of Paper 4 for a concrete understanding of the syllabus. Our novel methodology accompanied by an in-depth explanation ensures comprehensive coverage of every topic in the syllabus. Added to this, we have made sure to add that extra element of fun.

Here’s a snapshot of the lecture for you:

8 FLT TESTS

FLT tests will help to bring together the ideas and concepts to the art of answer writing. Practice full-length tests to evaluate your levels. With every test and discussion on strategies to follow, one can improve with every test.

Questions framed are from the most important UPSC relevant themes and papers are based on the latest pattern of UPSC. Get model answers covering all the aspects of a question and providing enriching points to the student.

MENTORSHIP SUPPORT ON ZOOM CALL

A schedule is created where dedicated days are kept to discuss your doubts regarding each test and lecture. Weekly zoom calls can help boost ideas and discussion on various techniques, also among peers so that one can get a lot of exposure on various answer writing techniques and points to write in the answer.

Also, the best answer copy of the week can be taken for discussion so that you can get an idea of how to write better.

CIVILSDAILY’S HANDHOLDING

You’ll be given membership to an exclusive group on Civilsdaily’s Habitat. The group will be headed by Sukanya ma’am herself. From doubt resolution and discussion will be done by Sukanya ma’am only. Here you can directly connect with ma’am.

Habitat is where everything comes together learning, doubt clearing, mentor’s support, and a focused community. You’re going to learn and discuss it like never before.

Program inclusion

• Comprehensive Video Lectures covering Paper 4
• 8 FLT tests with dedicated days for test discussion
• Mentorship support over weekly zoom calls by Sukanya ma’am
• Membership of Ethics group (exclusive) on Civilsdaily’s Habitat
• Doubt resolution session on lecture on Habitat

*Note: The test in the module will be uploaded as per the 2021 schedule…2022 students can follow their respective schedules or flexible ones*

About the mentor:

Sukanya Rana:

Sukanya ma’am has firsthand experience of 4 mains and 2 interviews of UPSC. She has also appeared in the State PCS interview. Before she has worked as an officer in a public sector bank and now as a Mentor at Civilsdaily, she aims to guide future aspirants in finding success.

Sukanya Ma’am has scored consistently 100+ marks in ethics and in 2019 her marks were 140 in GS 4. In 2020, under her mentorship, many smash mains students were able to secure 110+ marks.

Paper 4 aka Ethics is the most dynamic General studies paper out of the lot. There is no “ONE WAY approach” in ethics. In our experience of working with 1000+ students, ethics is a gamechanger for the UPSC examination. As compared to other paper, it has less syllabus and require less time to master but can be very rewarding.

The TRICK is to learn the static portion, link them to current affairs and bring it in writing. So, ethics needs hold over ART OF ANSWER WRITING as well as STATIC MATERIAL.

The Smash ethics program will focus on both the needs of answer writing and static coverage of the syllabus.

REMEMBER: General studies paper 4 is the only paper where you can score 110+ marks easily. Considering the fact that the syllabus is least out of all the other General studies papers. The amount of time this paper requires is also relatively less. Thus, this paper can play a major role in boosting your score in the final mark sheet.

TRENDS IN ETHICS PAPER

• Shift towards more conceptual questions than direct static questions

Consider the first questions of 2 years:

What do you understand by ‘values’ and ‘ethics’? In what way is it important to be ethical along with being professionally competent? (PYQ 2013)

Discuss the role of ethics and values in enhancing the following three major components of Comprehensive National Power viz. human capital, soft power, and social harmony. (PYQ 2020)

The difficulty level of paper has more or less increased. This requires more practice and smart work.

• More current affairs focused

The number of questions linked to current affairs is increasing. So, here you have to be careful to link the theory with current affairs.

“Education is not an injunction, it is an effective and pervasive tool for all-round development of an individual and social transformation”. Examine the New Education Policy, 2020 (NEP, 2020) in light of the above statement. (PYQ 2020)

There is a view that the Official Secrets Act is an obstacle to the implementation of the Right to Information Act. Do you agree with the view? Discuss. (PYQ 2019)

• Complex case studies

Parmal is a small but underdeveloped district. It has rocky terrain that is not suitable for agriculture, though some subsistence agriculture is being done on small plots of land. The area receives adequate rainfall and has an irrigation canal flowing through it. Amria, its administrative center, is a medium-sized town. It houses a large district hospital, an Industrial Training Institute, and some privately owned skill training centers. It has all the facilities of a district headquarters. A trunk railway line passes approximately 50 kilometers from Amria. Its poor connectivity is a major reason for the absence of any major industry therein. The state government offers a 10 years tax holiday as an incentive to the new industries.

In 2010 Anil, an industrialist decided to take benefits to set up Amria Plastic Works (APW) in Noora village, about 20 km from Amria. While the factory was being built, Anil hired the required key labor and got them trained at the skill training centers at Amria. This act of his made the key personnel very loyal to APW.

APW started production in 2011 with the labor drawn fully from Noora village. The villagers were very happy to get employment near their homes and were motivated by the key personnel to meet the production targets with high quality. APW started making large profits, a sizeable portion of which was used to improve the quality of life in Noora. By 2016, Noora could boast of a greener village and a renovated village temple. Anil liaised with the local MLA to increase the frequency of the bus services to Amria. The government also opened a primary health care center and primary school at Noora in buildings constructed by APW. APW used its CSR funds to set up women’s self-help groups, subsidize primary education to the village children and procure an ambulance for use by its employees and the needy.

In 2019, there was a minor fire in APW It was quickly extinguished as fire safety protocols were in place in the factory. Investigations revealed that the factory had been using electricity in excess of its authorized capacity. This was soon rectified. The next year, due to a nationwide lockdown, the requirement of production fell for four months. Anil decided that all employees would be paid regularly. He employed them to plant trees and improve the village habitat. APW had developed a reputation for high-quality production and a motivated workforce.

Critically analyze the story of APW and state the ethical issues involved. Do you consider APW as a role model for the development of backward areas? Give reasons. (PYQ 2020)

Not only the length but also, complexity levels of the case studies has also increased.

• Lengthier paper

Gone are the days when solving Ethics papers within the time limits without practicing mocks seemed achievable. Today, with lengthy case studies and tricky Section A questions, this paper demands more answer writing practice.

Here’s what the program includes:

VIDEO LECTURES

Structured video lectures of Paper 4 for a concrete understanding of the syllabus. Our novel methodology accompanied by an in-depth explanation ensures comprehensive coverage of every topic in the syllabus. Added to this, we have made sure to add that extra element of fun.

Here’s a snapshot of the lecture for you:

8 FLT TESTS

FLT tests will help to bring together the ideas and concepts to the art of answer writing. Practice full-length tests to evaluate your levels. With every test and discussion on strategies to follow, one can improve with every test.

Questions framed are from the most important UPSC relevant themes and papers are based on the latest pattern of UPSC. Get model answers covering all the aspects of a question and providing enriching points to the student.

MENTORSHIP SUPPORT ON ZOOM CALL

A schedule is created where dedicated days are kept to discuss your doubts regarding each test and lecture. Weekly zoom calls can help boost ideas and discussion on various techniques, also among peers so that one can get a lot of exposure on various answer writing techniques and points to write in the answer.

Also, the best answer copy of the week can be taken for discussion so that you can get an idea of how to write better.

CIVILSDAILY’S HANDHOLDING

You’ll be given membership to an exclusive group on Civilsdaily’s Habitat. The group will be headed by Sukanya ma’am herself. From doubt resolution and discussion will be done by Sukanya ma’am only. Here you can directly connect with ma’am.

Habitat is where everything comes together learning, doubt clearing, mentor’s support, and a focused community. You’re going to learn and discuss it like never before.

Program inclusion

• Comprehensive Video Lectures covering Paper 4
• 8 FLT tests with dedicated days for test discussion
• Mentorship support over weekly zoom calls by Sukanya ma’am
• Membership of Ethics group (exclusive) on Civilsdaily’s Habitat
• Doubt resolution session on lecture on Habitat

*Note: The test in the module will be uploaded as per the 2021 schedule…2022 students can follow their respective schedules or flexible ones*

About the mentor:

Sukanya Rana:

Sukanya ma’am has firsthand experience of 4 mains and 2 interviews of UPSC. She has also appeared in the State PCS interview. Before she has worked as an officer in a public sector bank and now as a Mentor at Civilsdaily, she aims to guide future aspirants in finding success.

Sukanya Ma’am has scored consistently 100+ marks in ethics and in 2019 her marks were 140 in GS 4. In 2020, under her mentorship, many smash mains students were able to secure 110+ marks.