GS Paper - III Model Answers (2021)- 2 | UPSC Mains Answer Writing: Practice PDF Download

Q11: Do you agree that the Indian economy has recently experienced V- shaped recovery? Give reasons in support of your answer. (UPSC GS3 2021)
Ans: V-shaped recovery is characterised by a quick and sustained recovery in measures of economic performance after a sharp economic decline. It is very apt to state that the Indian economy has recently experienced V-shaped recovery.
Supportive Arguments

• Quarterly GDP Growth: The COVID-19 pandemic has been a human and economic catastrophe for India. Almost one-fourth of the country's economic activity was wiped out due to fall in domestic demand in wake of the strict nationwide lockdowns. India's GDP dipped a historic 23.9% in the first quarter (Q1) of 2020. The contraction narrowed down to 7.5% in the second quarter (Q2).
• Rise in Government Expenditure: Total expenditure of the government rose 48.3% on year-onyear basis in the month of November. On the other hand, capital expenditure shrugged off a three-month contraction and expanded 248.5%. This was mainly due to the introduction of the Atmanirbhar Bharat package.
• Revival of Imports/Exports: After dipping for 9 consecutive months, merchandise imports finally experienced a growth of 7.6% (y-o-y) in December 2020. The revival was led by gold, electronic goods and vegetable oils. India’s merchandise exports have reached pre-Covid-19 levels and exhibited a growth of 0.1% in December 2020.
• Financial Markets Surge: The COVID-19 pandemic kept the Sensex to a record low in late March 2020. However, it staged a strong recovery from the lows. Both the BSE and NSE indices finally wrapped up 2020 on a bullish note.
• IPO Market: During December 2020, the listings of two Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), aggregating Rs. 1,351 crore, took the total resource mobilisation through main board IPOs to Rs. 15,971 crore during 2020-21 (up to December 2020), marking a sharp rebound from Rs. 10,487 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year.
• Industrial Activity: Although industrial output remains volatile, contracting by 1.9% in November 2020 after a record expansion in October by 4.2%, industrial activity is finally turning around. The headline Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) manufacturing expanded in December 2020 to 56.4, a tick higher than November’s reading of 56.3.
• Record GST Collections: The gross Goods and Services Tax collections touched a record high of over Rs. 1.15 lakh crore in December - the highest since the implementation of the regime. The collection indicates that the economy continues to show signs of recovery after a stringent lockdown.

Q12: Investment in infrastructure is essential for more rapid and inclusive economic growth. “Discuss in the light of India’s experience. (UPSC GS3 2021)
Ans: The infrastructure sector is a major economic driver in India. The sector plays a critical role in propelling India’s overall development, and the government places a high priority on implementing policies that will ensure the country’s world-class infrastructure is built in a timely manner. Power, bridges, dams, roads, and urban infrastructure development are all part of the infrastructure sector.
According to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), FDIs in the construction development sector (townships, housing, built up infrastructure, and construction development projects) and construction (infrastructure) activities totaled US$ 26.14 billion and US$ 25.38 billion, respectively, between April 2000 and June 2021. In FY21, infrastructure operations accounted for 13% of overall FDI inflows of US$ 81.72 billion. This shows the potential of this sector.
Why Investment in Infrastructure is needed for an inclusive economic growth?

• Infrastructure development promotes inclusive growth and poverty reduction by creating new jobs and economic activities; lowering production and transportation costs through improved transportation and connectivity; increasing overall production capacity; connecting markets and other economic facilities that may extend beyond the country; and improving access to key facilities such as health, education, and other basic services.
• It should be highlighted that good quality infrastructure is critical not only for faster economic growth but also for inclusive growth. By inclusive growth, we mean that the advantages of growth are shared by the majority of a country’s inhabitants. As a result, inclusive growth will alleviate poverty and reduce income disparity in the country.
• Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) are dispersed throughout the economy, and their production and growth require access to quality and dependable infrastructure services in order to compete efficiently with large-scale enterprises, which can often build some of their own infrastructure, such as installing their own small power plants or generators.
•  Furthermore, large-scale businesses might position themselves near ports and transportation hubs where the necessary infrastructure is accessible.
• Small businesses are extensively spread across the economy and must rely on the provision of general infrastructure amenities. Thus, constructing general infrastructural facilities enables small businesses to compete successfully with big-scale companies, while being labor-intensive generates a significant number of job possibilities. This will aid in the alleviation of poverty in developing countries.
• Infrastructure expansion, such as irrigation, rural electrification, highways, and road transport, would encourage agricultural growth and the establishment of agro-processing enterprises. These general infrastructure facilities will assist farmers and owners of processing companies in obtaining raw materials, fertilizers, and other inputs at a low cost, as well as in transporting their goods to markets in large towns and cities.

Government Initiatives

• The government has allocated Rs. 233,083 crores (US$ 32.02 billion) to improve transportation infrastructure in the Union Budget 2021. The government increased the number of projects included in the ‘National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP)‘ to 7,400. As of 2020, 217 projects totaling Rs. 1.10 lakh crore (US$ 15.09 billion) had been completed. As of July 2021, the government had invested US$ 1.4 trillion in infrastructure development through the NIP.
• The government intends to develop a geospatial digital platform as part of the GatiShakti National Master Plan to facilitate the planning and monitoring of projects ranging from telecom networks to gas pipelines to roads and railroads.
• The Second Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP-2) will improve dam safety by developing dam safety rules, bringing in worldwide experience, and introducing new technologies. The project will be carried out at 120 dams spanning Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu, as well as at the national level via the CWC.
• Government of India has ambitious road and maritime connectivity programmers in the form of Bharatmala and Sagarmala Missions. This will enhance the logistics facilities in India.
• To increase accountability and transparency in the infrastructure sector, it is necessary to facilitate the assimilation of data and information from all stakeholders, including Central and State Governments, Urban Local Bodies, Banks and Financial Institutions, PE funds, and private investors, both local and foreign, on a single platform.

Q13: What are the salient features of the National Food Security Act, 2013? How has the Food Security Bill helped in eliminating hunger and malnutrition in India? (UPSC Mains GS3 2021)
Ans: The National Food Security Act, 2013 aims to provide subsidized food grains to approximately two-third of the country’s population. The enactment of this landmark legislation, brought a paradigm shift in approach to food security, from welfare to rights-based approach.
The salient features of the act are as: 

• Coverage and entitlement: Up to 75% of rural and 50% of the urban population will be covered under TPDS, with uniform entitlement of 5kg/person/month ration. 
• Identification of households: The work of identification of eligible households is to be done by States/UTS. 
• Maternity benefit: Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers (PWLM) are entitled to receive maternity benefits of not less than 6000 rupees. 
• Nutritional support: PWLM and children in the age group of 6 months to 14 years will be entitled to meals as per prescribed nutritional norms under ICDS, MDM (PM-Poshan). 
• Women empowerment: Eldest women of the household of age 18 years or above to be deemed as head of the household for the purpose of issuing ration cards. 
• Grievance Redressal: Act calls for dedicated mechanism for grievance redressal at district and state level. 
• Transparency/Accountability: Provisions regarding social audits, setting up of vigilance committees, disclosure of PDS records etc. 
• Food security allowance: It is entitled to the beneficiaries in case of non-supply of entitled food grains or meals.

Role of NFSA in eliminating hunger and malnutrition:

• According to a UN report number of undernourished people in India has declined by 60 million between 2006 to 2019. 
• Improved access to food grains have improved the hunger outcomes amongst the poor and underprivileged. 
• Wide coverage of the 2/3rd population have increased resilience in the poor against income shocks. 
• Stunting in children under 5 years of age, according to the UN report have decreased from 47.8% in 2012 to 34.7% in 2019. 
• Monetary compensation has compensated against wage loss during pregnancy. PWLM can now access to healthier food options like fruits, vegetables etc. 
• The awareness generated by the Asha workers have increased the number of infants who were exclusively breastfed from 11.2 million in 2012 to 13.9 million in 2019.

However, there is still a long way for India to reach nutritional sufficiency as:

• Number of women in reproductive age suffering from anaemia grew from 165.6million in 2012 to 175.6 million in 2019. 
• The CNNS have highlighted prevalence of hunger/malnutrition in India children. 
• The number of obese adults in India grew from 25.2 million in 2012 to 34.3 million in 2016. 
• Institutional infrastructure for delivering the provisions of the food bill is poor. 
• Widespread corruption has siphoned off the benefits to ghost beneficiaries and middlemen. 
• The food bill has revolutionized the access to food grains; however, the need is to move towards nutritional security and not just food security. Further the structural bottlenecks in the implementation food bill should be corrected by leverage of technology.

Q14: What are the present challenges before crop diversification? How do emerging technologies provide an opportunity for crop diversification?  (UPSC MAINS GS3 2021)
Ans: Crop diversification refers to the addition of new crops or cropping systems to agricultural production on a particular farm taking into account the different returns in socio-economic and environmental terms. Due to diverse set of climates, soil types and cultures, India has diverse range of cropping systems.
The challenges before crop diversification:

• Impact of Green Revolution: There has been shift towards Mono cropping of wheat and rice at cost of coarse grains (Government policy of MSP). 
• Monsoon Dependence: Around 55% of India’s Cultivable Land is Rain-fed with heavy dependence on monsoon. 
• Fragmented land holding: It makes it difficult to use efficient modern technology on large scale, raises cost of land boundary management, land disputes etc. 
• Shift from Food crops to Commercial Crops: This especially includes Cotton in Deccan belt; and Sugarcane in Green revolution belt and Krishna-Godavari basin. 
• Other Factors: 
  • Human factors: Heavy Population Pressure on agriculture and continuation of subsistence farming 
  • Technical Factors: Lack of High Yielding Varieties (HYV) of seeds, usage of old implements, lack of weather forecasting usage amongst others. 
  • Institutional factors: It includes defective land tenure system (leading to land fallowing), improper marketing and processing of perishable products (e.g vegetables, fruits). 
  • Infrastructural Factors: Poor basic infrastructure like rural roads, power, transport, communications etc. Along with inadequate post-harvest processing infrastructure.  

Emerging Technologies and opportunities provided by them:

• IT Revolution: It is helping to connect farmers directly with grocery-customers ( farm to fork model) leading to cultivation of high value perishable products (e.g Big Basket, BlinkIt startup platforms) 
• Aquaponics and Urban Farming: To meet the heavy urban demand for Persisahble items, this technique of controlled environment cultivation is helping in crop diversification. 
• Financial Inclusion and Digitization: It has helped small farmers, women SHGs to ensure crop diversification through credit supply. 
• Irrigation: PM Krishi Sinchai Yojna has ensured access to micro irrigation (Per Drop More Crop), drip irrigation, sprinklers etc. 
• Dryland Agriculture: Indo-Israel Agriculture Project has introduced technologies like Urea Deep Placement (UDP), Poly-bag Nursery farming etc in arid areas(e.g Rajasthan has seen cultivation of strawberries and olives). 
• Soil Health Management: It has helped ensuring right Fertilizer usage, developing Organic Framing, providing GIS based thematic mapping for soil.(e.g. Soil Health Card)

Thus, these emerging technologies should be made integral part of Mission to double farmer’s income by 2022 as recommended by Ashok Dalwai Committee.

Q15: What are the research and developmental achievements in applied biotechnology? How will these achievements help to uplift the poorer sections of society? (UPSC GS3 2021)
Ans: Biotechnology is an interdisciplinary field that involves the use of live organisms or enzymes from organisms to produce products and processes useful to humans.
Achievement in Biotechnology:

• Biotechnology is used to produce genetically modified crops that are resistant to pests, improve crop yield, and have higher nutritional value. For example, Bt Cotton, GM Soyabean, etc. 
• Recombinant DNA techniques are used to produce a number of medicines like Insulin, etc. 
• Biotechnology is also employed in waste management and reducing pollution. For example, Phytoremediation uses plants for the removal, degradation, or containment of contaminants in soils, groundwater, etc. 
• Biotechnology is used for the diagnosis of a number of diseases. For instance, RT-PCR is based on genetic amplification to detect the presence of viruses like Dengue, SARS, etc. 
• Development of RNA (mRNA) based vaccine is used to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. 
• Biotechnology is also at forefront of Assisted Reproductive Technologies like IVF, Test tube babies, etc.

Role of Biotech in Uplifting Poor’s

• Biotechnology is helping to increase the income of marginal farmers by increasing crop yield and making them climate and pest resilient. 
• The development of medicines using Biotech is reducing healthcare expenditure for the poor. E.g; the cost of Insulin has come down. 
• Biotechnology is also helping in the conversion of waste into assets for the poor. E.g.; Bio-composting turns waste into valuable fertilizer. 
• The poor suffer the most from pollution. Biotechnology also helps in reducing pollution and thus alleviates their suffering. E.g.; Bioremediation techniques help clean landfills around slums. 
• Biotechnology also helps in increasing the shelf life of food products which in turn keeps their price in check for the poor.

Biotechnology is a revolutionary field that has the potential to alleviate poverty and hunger. However, there is a need to equitably distribute its benefits among all strata of society.

Q16: The Nobel Prize in Physics of 2014 was jointly awarded to Akasaki, Amano and Nakamura for the invention of Blue LEDs in 1990s. How has this invention impacted the everyday life of human beings? (UPSC GS3 2021)
Ans: The 2014 Nobel Prize for physics has been awarded to a trio of scientists Professors Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura for the invention of blue light emitting diodes (LEDs) in the early 1990s.
Importance of Blue LED

• Although LED had been around for more than 50 years but these LED were monochromatic (one color) in nature. Only red and green color LED were available, the blue color LED was not invented which restricted the making of white LEDs. 
• As white LED can only be made by a combination of the three primary colors LED, e., green, red, and blue. So, Gallium nitride was the key ingredient used by the Nobel laureates in their ground-breaking blue LEDs. The invention of blue LEDs opened floodgates for several applications.  

Impact of LED on Everyday Life

• LED have replaced the traditional incandescent bulb, as the latter was only monochromatic and energy guzzler. While LED is available in different colors and energy efficient. 
• LED have become an essential component in digital screens because they offer higher contrast than their predecessor technologies and are also energy efficient. 
• The recent development in LED is o-LED or organic-LED which offers flexibility in shaping the screens. o-LED has now widely used in wearable devices, smartphones etc. 
• LED have a greater durability which up to 10 times more than the incandescent bulbs. 
• The amount of light from LED can be varied, i.e., LEDs can very easily be dimmed by modulating the input current which is not possible in the earlier light bulbs. 
• LED offers great variation in size, their size range from few millimeters to several foots. It makes compatible for wide range of application from circuit boards to home lighting.

Even the government has realized their importance in energy conservation and have encouraged their use by several schemes like UJJALA (Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All) and Street Light National Programme. Thus, it is apt to say that LED has revolutionized our lives.

Q17: Describe the major outcomes of the 26th session of the Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on climate change (UNFCCC). What are the commitments made by India in this conference? (Answer in 250 words)
Ans: The 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) was held in Glasgow, UK with the aim to finalise the rules and procedures for implementation of the Paris Agreement and to get all countries to commit to a net-zero target by a specific year.
Outcomes of COP-26 

• For the first time, COP agreed upon phasing down coal power. A pledge to end coal power generation by 2040 was taken. 
• Providing the long promised $100 billion annual support towards developing countries’ green transition. 
• Supporting electric vehicles and a phase out of gasoline and diesel-powered motor vehicles by 2040. 
• Reversing deforestation in an attempt to protect existing nature-based solutions to capturing emissions. 
• The Paris Agreement rulebook was completed which kept the Paris targets alive of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees celsius. 
• The member countries agreed for the Glasgow Climate Pact, under which member countries will report their progress towards more climate ambition next year, at COP27 Egypt. 
• A methane pledge, led by the United States and the European Union, by which more than 100 countries agreed to cut emissions of this greenhouse gas by 2030. 

India’s commitment at COP-26 

• India announced that its net zero target is to be achieved by 2070. 
• The Government of India has launched ‘E-Amrit’, a web portal on electric vehicles (EVs), in COP-26. The portal will encourage adoption of EV and bust myth regarding it. 
• India did not join methane pledge as it would have negatively impacted India’s agriculture. 
• India will fulfil 50% of its energy requirement through renewable energy by 2030. 
• India will reduce 1 billion tonnes of carbon emissions by 2030. 

Although, COP-26 marked several breakthroughs in action towards climate change, yet the targets are not enough to control the rise of earth’s temperature by 1.5 degree at the end of century. Therefore, the countries should constantly strive to improve upon targets and adopt newer carbon neutral technologies.

Q18: Describe the various causes and the effects of landslides. Mention the important components of the National Landslide Risk Management Strategy. (UPSC GS3 2021)
Ans: A landslip/landslide is defined as the rapid movement of a mass of rock, debris, or earth, down a slope under the influence of gravity. They are a natural phenomenon whose frequency has significantly increased due to anthropogenic causes.
Causes of Landslides

• Climate change: Rising global temperature has led to extreme rainfall events, increased melting of glaciers; as a result, more water flows over the steep slope. This increased water presence saturates the soil which results in solifluction (soil/mud flow) increasing landslide risk. E.g. Increased flooding and landslip incidents in Kerala. 
• Tectonically active Himalaya: Himalayas being a young fold mountain range, lies above an active convergent zone which is prone to earthquakes. Seismic activity induced vibration can overcome frictional force responsible for holding the sediments together. Also, it makes easier for water to seep into the soil. 
• Population pressure: Rising population over a fixed land availability increases pressure on land. Deforestation and dam construction for developmental activities, slope modification significantly reduces soil binding capacity, making them prone to erosion and landslides. E.g. Char Dham project in Uttarakhand. 
• Nature of rivers: Rivers in Himalayas are in their youthful stage. Swift flow of river over a steep slope result in vertical corrosion and down-cutting. This enhances the occurrence of landslides.

Effects of Landslides

• The impact of a landslide can be extensive, including loss of life, destruction of infrastructure, damage to land and loss of natural resources.  
• Landslide material can also block rivers and increase the risk of floods.  
• Deep landslides, triggered by major earthquakes or volcanic activity can destroy thousands of square kilometres of land and kill thousands of people.  
• Landslides have a devastating effect on farmers’ livelihoods as they can prevent access to land for years, destroy seed and food stocks and will commonly result in the loss of livestock and standing crops.

Important components of the National Landslide Risk Management strategy

• Generation of User-Friendly Landslide Hazard Maps 
• Development of Landslide Monitoring and Early Warning System 
• Awareness Programmes 
• Capacity Building and Training of Stakeholders 
• Preparation of Mountain Zone Regulations & Policies 
• Stabilization and Mitigation of Landslides and Creation of Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for Landslide Management.

Q19: Analyse the multidimensional challenges posed by external state and non-state actors, to the internal security of India. Also discuss measures required to be taken to combat these threats.
Ans: India face multifold threat from external states and non-state actors on internal security front. State actors includes government’ representative and their agencies. Non state actors may include international NGOs, multinational companies, terrorist and religious groups, hackers etc.  
Challenge posed by external state actors: 

• May support various insurgent groups such as Naxalites or separatist groups through illegal money, supplying arms etc. 
• Instability in Jammu and Kashmir by the Pakistan (Pakistan’s state policy to bleed India through a thousand cuts) 
• External state actors may also indulge in cyberattacks, thus affecting national security. (e.g. cyberattacks emanating from China) 

Non-state actors:  

• Terrorism: State sponsored terrorism as well as support to other terrorist groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad by Pakistan. 
• Indulging in counterfeit currency and money laundering activities and providing illegal funds to insurgents in NE India 
• Inter and Intra state drug trafficking (proximity to golden crescent and golden triangle routes). 
• The deep-rooted nexus between drug mafias, arms dealers, and money launderers for financing terrorism. 

Measures required to combat these threats are: 

• Effective communication and co-ordination between intelligence agencies and law enforcement agencies. To ensure better coordination, interoperability among the agencies must be improved.  
• Cyber security measures to thwart any attempt of cyber attacks 
• Collaboration between the government, media and the public to ensure quick and efficient sharing of information about suspicious activities to the law enforcement agencies.  
• Local police forces must be well trained and well equipped with necessary gears so that they can respond to the terrorist attacks until the Special Forces reach the site.

Q20: Analyse the complexity and intensity of terrorism, its causes, linkages and obnoxious nexus. Also suggest measures required to be taken to eradicate the menace of terrorism.  (UPSC MAINS GS3 2021)
Ans: Terrorism can be defined as the calculated use of violence or the threat of violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological.
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Causes of terrorism

• Lack of political legitimacy and continuity, as well as a lack of integration for the political fringes, encourages ideological terrorism.
• Perceptions of deprivation and inequality, especially amongst culturally defined groups. This can lead to civil violence, of which terrorism may be a part.
• Terrorist tactics are used not out of a random desire to fire rockets at civilians but to leverage violence to gain specific concessions.
• Socio-economic explanations of terrorism suggest that various forms of deprivation drive people to terrorism, or that they are more susceptible to recruitment by organisations using terrorist tactics. Poverty, lack of education or lack of political freedom are a few examples.
• Extreme ideologies may sometime result in hatred towards other sections of society and may lead to terrorism. Examples of terrorist groups motivated by ideology include the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamal Eelam (LTTE).

The linkages and obnoxious nexus of terrorism include:

• Terrorism and organised crime aid each other to thrive and survive. The financial proceeds of organised crime such as extortion/kidnapping are made legal through money laundering and then used to fund terrorist activities.
• Terrorist groups levy taxes on drug traffickers to provide security to criminals in their controlled area.
• Terrorist groups act as proxies of enemy governments which in turn provide them funding and shelter.

The measures undertaken to combat terrorism are:

• Adoption of a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.
• Strengthening national coordination mechanisms to promote inter-agency participation and
• information exchange, facilitating joint monitoring, threat assessment.
• Updating national legislation to ensure that terrorist and organised crime offences are precisely defined.
• Awareness generation and deradicalization of the youth to wean them away from the clutches of their influencers.