UPSC Mains 2020 GS Paper 1 with Solutions - 1 | UPSC Previous Year Question Papers and Video Analysis PDF Download

Q.1. The rock-cut architecture represents one of the most important sources of our knowledge of early Indian art and history. Discuss. (Answer in 150 Words)

Indian rock-cut architecture are an important source of art and history (others being numismatic, literary, epigraphy). But, in absence of written history it remains one of the most important source.

The Oldest rock-cut architecture is the Barabar caves from Mauryan times.

The sculptures surround to the entrance to the Lomas Rishi Cave is the earliest survival of the ogee shaped “chaitra arch” that was to be an important feature of Indian rock-cut architecture and sculptural decoration for centuries.

The rock cut architecture has sustained over a large period and remains a clear cut source of art and culture in india. These have largely religious centes, teaching centes, with inscription holding information about the past

Mahabalipuram

• Mahabalipuram has a large number of rock-cut monuments including cave shrines, monolithic temples, and large sculptures carved out of boulders.
• They also supported the creation of temples dedicated to other Hindu gods and goddesses and to other religious traditions such as
• The Pallava rulers were particularly inspired by the growing personal devotional movement known as bhakti
• The ornamentation clearly exhibit the continuing influence of traditions used in earlier wooden structure
• It demonstrates progression from rock cut structures to free standing structural temples, and displays all the elements of mature Dravidian architecture. It signifies religious harmony with sacred spaces dedicated to both Shiva and Vishnu, and was also an important symbol of Pallava political and economic strength.
• According to legend, sailors and merchants at sea could spot the shikharas of the temple from a distance and use those majestic towers to mark their arrival to the prosperous port city of Mahabalipuram.
• The inscriptions in the architecture gives the chronology, name of pallava, trade and economy of the capital city.
• The Tamil inscriptions shows the vibrant tradition of language
• The different subdivisions of shrines shows the combinations of different styles over different periods.
• Several shrines show influence by Buddhist history in deccan

Ellora

• The marvellous rock cut temples of the Kailash Temple in Ellora. Ellora has over 30 caves, out of these some belong to Buddhist, Jain and Hindu. one of the largest rock cut Hindu temple, built by the Rashtrakuta King Krishna
• It shows a religious coexistence and diversity of India since ancient times
• The existence of fine knowledge and highly skilled sculptors
• It also gives us a picture of a fine administration, as only a well organised administration can plan and execute such huge structure employing a huge mass in the stone cut work
• It also tells us about the training and skill education imparted to the masses involved in the work
• The religious background of the state and the patronage by kings of various time period is evident from the religious diversity over the caves
• The unparalled grandeur shows the prosperity of economy and the most overwhelming energy is seen in the life size images sculpted
• The fine carving and sculptures of the animals shows the evolution of sculpting animals
• The monolithic rock cut of the entire hill shows the millennium long tradition and evolution of architectural technique is a full grown Dravidian style
• Such a majestic architecture shows the coordination between painters, scuptors and labourers
• Such a long transfer of techniques shows the depth of caste system, that helped in transfer of knowledge.
•  Chaityas and Viharas were carved out in the second century BC as a symbolic representation of Buddha was done
• In this phase more, the focus was given on stupa and figurative sculpture was neglected.
• Gives us information on the rise and fall of Buddhism at different periods
• It gives a wide picture on patronage pattern of different kingdoms
• the philosophies and teachings of Buddha, the various literary work gets depicted an sculptures
• (jataka tales, symbolic representation of chaitya, various stages of life of Buddha etc..,)
• The simplistic life of the monk gets deciphered from these architectures

Conclusion
The rock cut architecture has sustained over the time and have been the symbol of ancient Indian social political and economic representation even today India preferred solid rock to hewn stone as the material to confer permanence on religious buildings, whether to provide enduring embodiments of belief to a continuing succession of dedicated believers. 

Q.2. Pala period is the most significant phase in the history of Buddhism in India, Enumerate. 

Introduction: Mention about Pala period and its association with Buddhism representing peak of Buddhism history in India.

Pala period spreading from 8th to 12th century AD is significant for Buddhism as its rulers were patrons of Mahayana Buddhism. The period is also associated with some of the famous Buddhist architecture and learning centres.

Body

• Rulers as patrons of Mahayana Buddhism
• World Famous learning centres of Buddhists. Ex- Nalanda, Vikramshila etc.
• Emergence of Tantrism
• Scholars and Buddhist literature: Patronism of rulers led to many Buddhist scholars flourishing. Ex- Atisha, Santaraksita, Saraha, Tilopa

Art and Architecture

Q.3. Evaluate the policies of Lord Curzon and their long-term implication on the national movement.

Introduction

Discussing about Lord Curzon, his broad policy approach and it changing the direction of national movement in India.
For ex- Lord Curzon represented peak of the imperialist tendency at the leadership level. His policy approach largely focused around institutionalising paramountcy and checking anti-British movement. This reactionary approach naturally gave the national movement a mass push.

Body
Here discuss with examples how and what policies Curzon followed and its impact on national movement.

1. Positive aspect of his policy

• Educational reform
• Professional education
• Police Reforms
• Created natural frontier for British India in North

These policies led to creation of a new middle class/capitalist who didn’t out rightly support INM, yet, post-1920s when movement grew, they became active support of INM.

2. Policies with reactionary intent leading to response from masses and deepening of nationalism 

• Policy of Divide and Rule: Bengal partition made Indian national Movement (INM) mass-based and truly national.
• Education policy: Through Indian University Act, 1904. Discuss how these were aimed at controlling rising nationalism and this infuriated youth who already got a taste of national movement and self-rule.
• Curtailing transparency and targeting people: Official Secrets Act, 1904 made more stringent targeting nationalist leaders
• Foreign Policy: Secured the remaining natural frontier of British India by ending the problem from North (i.e., Tibet). This made British government more reactionary and complacent leading to reactionary policies
• Handling Famine: In 1899 approach to famine generated huge ill-will among the people for British government’s aim.

Conclusion
All these policies done with the aim to perpetuate British rule in India. Yet, it had long-term implications in form of movements becoming mass-based, nationalistic and methods changing from prayer, petition to Constitutional (and later legal means) with active role of new youth of India.

Q.4. Discuss the geophysical characteristics of the Circum-Pacific zone. (Answer in 150 Words)

Introduction:  Mention about Ring of Fire as a zone of:

• String of Volcanoes (around 452)
• Seismic activity
•  90% of all earthquakes of the world
• 75% of all active volcanoes

Body: Geophysical characteristics

• Horseshoe shaped ( around 40000kms) on the edges of Pacific ocean from the southern tip of South America along the west coast of North America, Bering Strait to Japan, southern NewZealand.
• Result of activities of Plate Tectonics.
• Subduction Zones and convergent plate boundary: Add a small diagram showing subduction of oceanic plate under continental plate.
• O-C collision: Denser oceanic plate subduct under lighter continental plate.
• Mantle Dynamics: Melting of plate produces magma which rises up to the surface as a volcano.
• Add a small diagram showing pacific ring of fire:

Q.5. The process of desertification does not have climate boundaries. Justify with examples. (Answer in 150 Words)

Introduction: Define Desertification as the persistent degradation of dryland ecosystems by climatic variations and human activities.(UNCCD)

Desertification has been described as “the greatest environmental challenge of our time” and climate change is making it worse.

Body

According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the lives of 250 million people are affected by desertification, and as many as 135 million people may be displaced by desertification by 2045, making it one of the most severe environmental challenges facing humanity.

Africa is the continent most affected by desertification, and one of the most obvious natural borders on the landmass is the southern edge of the Sahara desert. One-third of Africa’s drylands are largely uninhabited arid deserts. Apart from tropical drylands the process of desertification can be grouped into four broad areas beyond climate boundaries:

• Irrigated croplands, whose soils are often degraded by the accumulation of salts. E.g. Most salt-degraded cropland occurs in Asia and southwestern North America, which account for 75 and 15 percent of the worldwide total, respectively. In Asia, Iraq has lost over 70 percent of its irrigated land to salt accumulation.
• Rain-fed croplands, which experience unreliable rainfall and wind-driven soil erosion. E.g Many grasslands in western North America, for example, are predicted to be at greater risk of drought due to projected increases in summer temperatures and changes to existing rainfall patterns.
• Grazing lands, which are harmed by overgrazing, soil compaction, and erosion. E.g. Murray Darling Basin of Australia is degraded due to overgrazing.
• Dry woodlands, which are plagued by the over consumption of fuel wood.

Status of land Degradation in India
About 29.32% of the Total Geographical Area of the country is undergoing the process of desertification/land degradation (based on Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India). With approximately 69% of Indian land falling under dryland, the land degradation or desertification is a huge challenge on India’s already scarce land resource (With 2.4% of world surface area it supports 17% of world population). State of India’s Environment 2017 says that the desertification has increased to 90 percent of states in India. Also, 40 to 70 per cent of the land has undergone desertification in eight states of Rajasthan, Delhi, Goa, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Nagaland, Tripura and Himachal Pradesh.

Causes of land Desertification

• Water erosion and Wind erosion
• Chemical factors: Natural occurrence of alkaline chemicals, movement of subsoil chemicals (e.g. salinity) to the surface due to water logging.
• Physical factors: waterlogging, over-irrigation, geomorphological
• Direct anthropogenic influences and drivers include: Agriculture, and related activities and associate land use change leading to deforestation.

Conclude with the measures like: Achieving LDN needs two-pronged strategy based on multi-stakeholder approach, collaboration with all sectors, national level targets and monitoring.

1. Protect what is left

• Sustainable agriculture: Focus on increasing productivity of land to meet food security through Integrated Farming Mechanism or
• Zero Budget Natural Farming.
• Strong forest laws, its implementation and community participation in protection: Along with the legal regulation community needs to be given responsibility to prevent losses like the Amazon forest fire last year. Ex- Protection of Khejri tree in Rajasthan by the Bishnoi tribe Address flood and heavy precipitation related degradation by watershed management, better drainage and bringing in traditional water conservation practices like AharPynes, Bawari etc. Shelter belts in arid areas to prevent wind erosion.

2. Fix what has been degraded: This seeks to achieve the second aspect of LDN i.e. Reclaim degraded land

• Aggressive REDD+ strategy which not only focuses on preventing deforestation, but also increasing carbon stock through Afforestation.
• Drought Toolbox as a knowledge bank to support the National Drought Policy Plan.
• Delhi Declaration to achieve land degradation neutrality

Q.6. How will the melting of Himalayan glaciers have a far-reaching impact on the water resources of India? 

Introduction: As per the special IPCC report on Ocean and Cryosphere Glaciers will continue to melt even with no climate change. Non-polar glaciers will lose more than 80% of their current ice by 2100.

Body 
High Mountain is a home to one tenth of the world’s population.
Impact of melting of Himalayan Glaciers have a far reaching impact on the water resources of India

• River runoff i.e. Peak Water.
• Increase Wet snow avalanches.
• Glacier fragmentation and splitting of big glaciers into small ones.
• Glaciers hold toxic human derived chemicals e.g DDT , heavy metals which diminish drinking water quality.
• Hydropower at risk due to change in runoff.
• Since surface and groundwater systems are interconnected, such a situation may lead to a substantial drop in the rates of groundwater recharge in some regions.
• Huge water stress in many parts of the HKH region and affect the river basins that relate to the Himalayan glaciers.
• Threat to Alpine biodiversity Phytoplankton bloom.
• Threat to food security as it affects fishing.
• Glacial lake outburst floods e.g. Uttarakhand floods of 2013.
• Influence the Indian Monsoon, intense precipitation, Flood, Landslides etc.
• Coastal areas, especially heavily populated mega-delta regions, will be at greatest risk due to increased flooding from the sea and, in some cases, from river flooding.

Conclusion
A regional approach is necessary for the protection of the HKH’s interconnected systems. Countries that share the hydrological boundaries must come together to understand the nature of the resource, share data with one another, and contribute to comprehensive planning.

To effectively respond to the effects of climate change, water management systems will need to take into account the social, economic, and ecological complexities of the region.

Q.7. Account for the present location of iron and steel industries away from the source of raw material, by giving examples. (Answer in 150 Words)

Introduction: About the iron and steel industry as the capital goods industry and the base of all other industries. India is the second largest producer of crude steel , largest producer of sponge iron and third largest producer of finished steel in the world.

Body
Location of industries is determined by various factors. It varies with time, space as well as development priorities.

General factors of location of Industries

• Raw materials: Industries using weight losing raw materials tend to be located closer to it. Steel industry in Bokaro, Bhilai (Iron and coal weight losing) ,Manchurian deposits in China, Lorraine France etc.
• Power: Today almost all industries need power. But certain industries are power intensive and need huge quantities of electricity. Ex- Aluminium and synthetic nitrogen industries.
• Market: Non-weight losing industries, heavy equipment industries etc. tend to be located near markets to meet demand. Ex- oil refineries in Barauni (Bihar) to supply oil to markets.
• Transport: Provides easy access to both raw materials and market. Ex- Concentration of industry around Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai.
• Labour: Cheap and skilled labour is an important determinant of location of industries. Ex- Shifting of many industries to China from Western countries and now shifting to India, Vietnam, Bangladesh.
• Historical factors: Emergence of Vadodara, Mysore, Mumbaietc as industrial centre also is based in history where during colonisation period British focused setting up industries here.
• Industrial policy or development priorities: Development of backward areas as policy decision post-1947 saw iron and steel industry in Bhilai and Rourkela.

The growth and development of the iron and steel industry is a reflection of the global economy. The iron and steel industry depicts a changing nature in its growth and production pattern. In the mid-1970s, the relatively developed countries of the North.

America, Western Europe and Japan accounted for nearly two-third of the world’s steel production. But gradually the spatial pattern has changed and attention has now shifted to the developing regions.

The recent changes in the location of iron and steel industries away from sources of raw material is largely due to the following reasons:

• Development in technology and increased use of scrap steel. E.g. Mini Steel Plants near the NCT of Delhi.
• Manufacturing of new raw materials using nanotechnology for aircraft and other industries like carbon nanotubes.
• Depletion of raw material in the major iron ore and coal producing ares eg. Ruhr valley Germany.
• Nearness to market minimise cost of transportation. E.g. Mini Steel Plants in Osaka-Kobe-Himeji Region Japan.

Conclusion 
Globalization has dismantled trade barriers between nations. Industries are increasingly becoming footloose i.e. losing their locational dependence on raw materials.

Q.8. Has caste lost its relevance in understanding the multi-cultural Indian Society? Elaborate your answers with illustrations. (Answer in 150 Words)

Introduction

Post-independence, the Indian caste system had lost its relevance, but it is still alive in the deepest corners of our society. Prejudices related to caste were and are still alive in private matters of households, marriages, trade, etc.

Why caste has not lost its relevance

Prevalence of caste in India:
More dangerous is subversive untouchability: which remains in households that have maids or servants or even drivers.
Across India, Untouchability was practised among 52 per cent of Brahmins, 33 per cent of Other Backward Classes and 24 per cent of non-Brahmin forward castes. Untouchability was also practiced by people of minority religions – 23 per cent of Sikhs, 18 per cent of Muslims and 5 per cent of Christians.

Sanskritization:
Here the lower caste imitates the rituals and habits of upper caste in order climb the social mobility ladder.
This aspiration shows that caste awareness exists. This intensified caste identity and consciousness, especially in the contemporary Indian society.

Vote bank Politics:
Caste has permeated into the political arena with castes representing easily identifiable vote banks. Caste was chosen over class as identities of caste are much clearer than class and almost everyone can say which caste they belong to.

Education:

• The caste system has penetrated the education institutes too. Caste plays an important role in access to these educational institutions. Primary state education even though deemed to be universal, is still ruled by the caste system. This social stratification is detrimental to the advancement of millions of Dalit and lowers caste children.
• Dalits and lower castes are stuck in the vicious cycle of poverty and one-half of the poorest children belong to the Dalit community. Low school enrollment rate and high percentages of child labor plague these disadvantaged communities.
• Their dropout rate is also high since another helping hand for blue collar working class families. This gives rise to a high literacy rate and thereby gives them no economic or social mobility.
• According to a UNICEF survey, 51% of Dalit children drop out of elementary schools as opposed to 37% children from non-Dalit and non-Adivasi communities.
• Even though the introduction of reservations have improved the conditions, it isn’t a flawless concept and this disparity due to the systematic social segregation does exist.
• Justice Rohini Committee findings on Sub categorization of OBC’s. “Less than 1% of OBC castes corner 50% reservation benefits, 20% get none

Social dimensions:
The matrimonial advertisements are frequent in the newspapers that especially demand brides and grooms from particular communities.
Example: In India the percentage of inter-caste marriages is about 11 percent

Honor killing:

• An honour killing is the practice wherein an individual is killed by one or more family member(s), because he or she is believed to have brought shame on the family.
• The shame may range from refusing to enter an arranged marriage, having sex outside marriage, being in a relationship that is disapproved by the family, starting a divorce proceeding, or engaging in homosexual relations.
• In 2017, the Supreme Court of India issued notice seeking data and explanation for rise in honor killings to the states of Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

According to a report on crime statistics for 2018 by the National Crime Records Bureau of India, there were 30 murders with motives recorded as “honour killings” in 2018.

Though in urban centers, the caste identity looks blurred, the prevalence of caste system in the society is still a reality.

Conclusion
To conclude, the ‘Right to Equality’ (Article 14) should not only remain on papers. This right should be properly exercised. Otherwise it will lose its essence if all the citizens of India, especially the weaker and backward classes do not have equal rights and equality before law.

Affirmative actions ,multi dimensional and prolonged approach should be taken by both Centre and State Government to do away with the menace of Caste system and its detrimental effects.

Q.9. COVID-19 pandemic accelerated class inequalities and poverty in India. Comment. (Answer in 150 Words)

The COVID-19 pandemic has played an important role in highlighting growing inequalities. It exposed the myth that everyone is in the same boat. While we are all floating on the same sea, it’s clear that some are in superyachts, while others are clinging to the drifting debris.

Oxfam, a non-profit operating across the world, has estimated that there are 121 million more people on the brink of starvation today due to mass unemployment, disruption to food production and supplies. “As many as 12,000 people could die every day from COVID-linked hunger,” declared Oxfam.

Inequality and Poverty in India

Inequality in healthcare:
The stagnation in public spending on health care has become even more detrimental as the coronavirus pandemic ravages India, affecting over 4.5 million people, with India reporting more daily COVID-19 cases than any other country in the world at the end of August.
India’s spending on public health care is among the lowest in the world. Almost 120 people every minute are being pushed into poverty in India because of health care costs, a situation worsened by the recent wave of health care privatization.

In India, there are significant inter- and intra-state disparities. Rural–urban differentials are also severe.

For instance, there is a huge skew in the distribution of doctors working in urban and rural areas, with the urban to rural doctor density ratio being 3.8:1. In terms of availability of hospital beds, states like Bihar are well below the national average of 0.55 beds in the public sector per 1000 population.

Inequality in Gender

• Domestic violence( Shadow Pandemic)
• Low wages for women
• Loss of livelihood
• Double burden of economic and social inequality
• Sexual harassment
• Malnourishment and hidden hunger

Inequality in access to education

Unequal access to technology will fuel other consequences especially in education and employment.

As many of the world’s children switch to online learning, girls in countries like India may lose out, given that they are less likely than boys to have access to the internet. And as analysts foresee more jobs moving online post-pandemic, the digital divide might exacerbate job market inequalities.

Poverty

In the second week of April 2020, UN’s International Labour Organization (ILO) claimed that about 400 million workers from India’s informal sector are likely to be pushed deeper into poverty due to Covid-19.

At the same time, the International Labor Organization (ILO) estimated that nearly 400 million workers in India’s informal economy are at risk of falling deeper into poverty. According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, over 18.9 million salaried people lost their jobs since April 2020 — 5 million in July alone.

Mental illness
Mass unemployment and poverty often induce anxiety and depression – even suicides. A recent survey by the Indian Psychiatry Society (IPS) found that the number of mental illness cases had increased by 20 per cent since the lockdown, and that at least one in five Indians were affected.

Inequality in wealth
In the last two decades, inequality in India has grown faster than in any other country except Russia. Oxfam’s 2019 “Time to Care” report found that the richest 1 percent of Indians held more than four times the wealth held by the bottom 70 percent of the country – that is, four times the wealth of 953 million people.

Way forward
India has committed to attaining the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, and to end extreme poverty by that year. So proactive steps, policy formulations and inclusive growth should be ushered by the Government to eradicate poverty and promote equality in India.

Q.10. Do you agree that regionalism in India appears to be a consequence of rising cultural assertiveness? Argue (Answer in 150 Words) 

Regionalism means to situate the approach and sentiments towards the particular region. It is argued that regionalism can be a form of resistance against the imposition of a particular cultural ideology that is linked to the integration of a nation.Regionalism is found to have connections with the cultural patterns that exist as a part of the dominant culture. Sometimes, it becomes a threat to the nation state by regional groups who struggle for their particular sectional interests.

Sons of soil theory is the ardent form of Regionalism which in long run poses communal disharmony in the Indian society.

Eg: Maharastra

The supra consciousness of Regionalism leads to violation of Article 16 of the Indian Constitution.

The drawbacks of regionalism include the possibility for each individual city or county to lose their respective independence and/or identity.”

• While trying to ensure the culture and tradition of a particular geographical area is sustained, regionalism often ends up making the people of a certain region narrow minded and less accepting of other cultures found in different parts of the country.
• In certain cases it develops a superiority complex in the minds of the people who have inhabited a place for many years and gives them a false sense of ownership over the region. These effects of regionalism greatly hurt and disturb one`s national identity.
• National identity is a sense of belonging to one nation, a feeling one shares with a group of people, regardless of one`s citizenship status.
• Another regionalist policy known as decentralization is usually employed by the central government to spread its decision making governance closer to the people. While these measures are often taken to improve the governance at the grassroots level, it can lead to rebellion which is aided by the newly empowered inhabitants of a region.
• Another problem regionalism brings about is its disastrous effect on national integration.
• Though regionalism has many advantages it certainly poses many threats to the unity and integrity of India. It in a long run leads to Secessionist and separatist movements. Eg: Khalistan movement

This leads to the formation of multiple communities within one nation and restricts the free interplay of culture and tradition between a country`s citizens.

The nation consists not only of variations in terms of people from different states, but also different languages, religions, economic backgrounds as well as ethnic roots.

Recent Issues on Regionalism

• In recent times, Maharastra and Assam have come under heavy criticism for countless attacks on people who migrated from other states. At times, regionalism has been used for political leverage in order to secure a vote bank
• People are brain washed into believing philosophies that go against the very principles that establish us as a unity in diversity.
• Worse still is the fact that once hatred develops towards a particular group of people, it persists throughout the ages.
• The Andhra Pradesh government has made it mandatory for existing and upcoming industries in the state to reserve 75 per cent jobs for locals.
• Jammu and Kashmir
• North east India
• Regional parties (TN,AP,WB)

Way forward

The values enshrined in the constitution should be upheld by the Government in power in order to foster unity and fraternity amongst the people of India.

Cooperative federalism should be the guiding factor between Union and States to bypass the threats posted by Regionalism. NITI aayog should be strengthened to ensure regional balance in all the parts of India.