[Download] UPSC Mains-2014: General Studies Paper 3: Economy, Agriculture, Science Tech, Environment & Internal security

1. GS3: 2014 paper itself
2. General Studies Paper III in 2013 vs 2014
   1. Economy (5 Qs | 62.5 marks)
   2. Infrastructure & investment (2 Qs | 25 marks)
   3. Agriculture (2 Qs | 25 marks)
   4. Science Tech (3 Qs | 37.5 marks)
   5. Environment (3 Qs | 37.5 marks)
   6. Security (5 Qs | 62.5 marks)
3. Question Paper: Linear Format
4. Bogus marketing propaganda

2014 paper itself

• Easy: You just have to reproduce the mugged up bullet points on the answersheet.
• Moderate: you have to brainstorm for ideas and invent points to fillup the gaps.
• Difficult: when hardly 1-2 points can be recalled or invented.

1. Only one question from theory. 19 questions are of current / contemporary nature, and majority of them appeared in theHindu. Therefore, one should keep habit of reading newspaper on daily basis and maintaining notes out of it, particularly the ‘fodder’ type points from columns.
2. Majority of questions, essay-ish type with moderate to difficult level- requiring you to brainstorm for points.
3. Facts, figures, salient features are important for CSAT but gave negligible benefit for Mains-2014.
4. Verbose questions. For example: Environmental impact assessment studies are increasingly undertaken before project is cleared by the government. Discuss the environmental impacts of coal-fired thermal plants located at Pitheads.
5. It could be simply asked as “Discuss the environmental impacts of coal-fired thermal plants located at Pitheads.” Opening statement of the statement (shown above in bold) is redundant. Same in many questions. UPSC could save a lot of paper by avoiding such bol-bachchan-giri.

2013 vs 2014

anyways, let’s check the paper.

INSTRUCTIONS for General studies paper-3 (GS3)

1. Duration 3 hours. Total marks 250.
2. There are TWENTY (20) questions printed both in HINDI and ENGLISH.
3. Answer the questions in NOT MORE THAN 200 words each. Contents of the answer is more important than its length. All questions carry equal marks.
4. All the questions are compulsory.
5. Answers must be written in the medium authorized in the Admission Certificate which must be stated clearly on the cover of this Question-cum-Answer (QCA) Booklet in the space provided. No marks will be given for answers written in a medium other than the authorized one.
6. Word limit in questions, wherever specified, should be adhered to.
7. Any page or portion of the page left blank in the answer book must be clearly struck off.

Economy (5 Qs | 62.5 marks)

1. Normally countries shift from agriculture to industry and then later to services, but India shifted directly from agriculture to services. What are the reasons for the huge growth of services vis-a-vis industry in the country? Can India become a developed country without a strong industrial base?
2. While we found India’s demographic dividend, we ignore the dropping rates of employability. What are we missing while doing so? Where will the jobs that India desperately needs come from? Explain.
3. The right to fair compensation and transparency land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement act, 2013 has come into effect from 1 January 2014. What implication would it have on industrialization and agriculture in India?
4. Capitalism has guided the world economy to unprecedented prosperity. However, it often encourages shortsightedness and contributes to wide disparities between the rich and the poor. In this light, would it be correct to believe and adopt capitalism driving inclusive growth in India? Discuss. (Statement lifted from Business-world column, 27^th June 2014)
5. Foreign direct investment in the defence sector is now said to be liberalized. What influence this is expected to have on Indian defence and economy in the short and long run?

Infrastructure & investment (2 Qs | 25 marks)

Syllabus Topic: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.; Investment models.

1. Explain how private public partnership agreements, in longer gestation infrastructure projects, can transfer unsuitable liabilities to the future. What arrangements need to be put in place to ensure that successive generations’ capacities are not compromised?
2. National urban transport policy emphasizes on moving people instead of moving vehicles. Discuss critically the success of various strategies of the government in this regard.

Agriculture (2 Qs | 25 marks)

1. There is also a point of view that agriculture produce market committees (APMCs) set up under the state acts have not only impeded the development of agriculture but also have been the cause of food inflation in India. Critically examine.
2. “In the villages itself no form of credit organisation will be suitable except the cooperative society.” – All Indian rural credit survey. Discuss this statement in the background of agriculture finance in India. What constrain and challenges do financial institutions supplying agricultural finances? How can technology be used to better reach and serve rural clients?

Science Tech (3 Qs | 37.5 marks)

1. Can overuse and the availability of antibiotics without doctor’s prescription, the contributors to the emergence of drug-resistant diseases in India? What are the available mechanisms for monitoring and control? Critically discuss the various issues involved.
2. Scientific research in Indian universities is declining, because a career in science is not as attractive as our business operations, engineering or administration, and the universities are becoming consumer oriented. Critically comment.
3. In a globalised world, intellectual property rights assume significance and are a source of litigation. Broadly distinguish between the terms – copyrights, patents and trade secrets.

Environment (3 Qs | 37.5 marks)

1. Should the pursuit of carbon credit and clean development mechanism set up under UNFCCC be maintained even through there has been a massive slide in the value of carbon credit? Discuss with respect to India’s energy needs for economic growth. Issue discussed in Business world 21st January 2014, and sufficient bullets available
2. Drought has been recognized as a disaster in view of its party expense, temporal duration, slow onset and lasting effect on various vulnerable sections. With a focus on the September 2010 guidelines from the National disaster management authority, discuss the mechanism for preparedness to deal with the El Nino and La Nina fallouts in India.
3. Environmental impact assessment studies are increasingly undertaken before project is cleared by the government. Discuss the environmental impacts of coal-fired thermal plants located at Pitheads.

Security (5 Qs | 62.5 marks)

1. The diverse nature of India as a multi-religious and multi-ethnic society is not immune to the impact of radicalism which has been in her neighborhood. Discuss along with the strategies to be adopted to counter this environment. (Been in news after Al-Qaeda threat to India and US report on counter-terror measures in India).
2. International civil aviation laws provide all countries complete and exclusive severity over the airspace above the territory. What do you understand by airspace? What are the implications of these laws on the space above this airspace? Discuss the challenges which this poses and suggests ways to contain the threat.
3. How illegal transborder migration does pose a threat to India’s security? Discuss the strategies to curb this, bring out the factors which give impetus to such migration. (Been in news for a long time due to election speeches of Modi and issue of Rohingya migrants.)
4. In 2012, the longitudinal marking of the high-risk areas for piracy was moved from 65° East to 78° east in the Arabian Sea by International Maritime organisation. What impact does this have on India’s maritime security concerns? (Statement resurfaced Hindu 14/Jan/14 but not much hardcore points. Same with NewIndianexpress)
5. China and Pakistan have entered into an agreement for development of an economic corridor. What thread does it dispose for India’s security? Critically examine. (Talks were on going since mid-2013s, but official launch news appeared in  1^st Dec’14 Hindu. Moral of the story: one should keep reading it even if exam is near.)

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1. Normally countries shift from agriculture to industry and then later to services, but India shifted directly from agriculture to services. What are the reasons for the huge growth of services vis-a-vis industry in the country? Can India become a developed country without a strong industrial base?
2. While we found India’s demographic dividend, we ignore the dropping rates of employability. What are we missing while doing so? Where will the jobs that India desperately needs come from? Explain.
3. There is also a point of view that agriculture produce market committees (APMCs) set up under the state acts have not only impeded the development of agriculture but also have been the cause of food inflation in India. Critically examine.
4. “In the villages itself no form of credit organisation will be suitable except the cooperative society.” – All Indian rural credit survey. Discuss this statement in the background of agriculture finance in India. What constrain and challenges do financial institutions supplying agricultural finances? How can technology be used to better reach and serve rural clients?
5. The right to fair compensation and transparency land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement act, 2013 has come into effect from 1 January 2014. What implication would it have on industrialisation and agriculture in India?
6. Capitalism has guided the world economy to unprecedented prosperity. However, it often encourages shortsightedness and contributes to wide disparities between the rich and the poor. In this light, would it be correct to believe and adopt capitalism driving inclusive growth in India? Discuss.
7. Explain how private public partnership agreements, in longer gestation infrastructure projects, can transfer unsuitable liabilities to the future. What arrangements need to be put in place to ensure that successive generations’ capacities are not compromised?
8. National urban transport policy emphasizes on moving people instead of moving vehicles. Discuss critically the success of various strategies of the government in this regard.
9. Foreign direct investment in the defence sector is now said to be liberalised. What influence this is expected to have on Indian defence and economy in the short and long run?
10. Scientific research in Indian universities is declining, because a career in science is not as attractive as our business operations, engineering or administration, and the universities are becoming consumer oriented. Critically comment.
11. Can overuse and the availability of antibiotics without doctor’s prescription, the contributors to the emergence of drug-resistant diseases in India? What are the available mechanisms for monitoring and control? Critically discuss the various issues involved.
12. In a globalised world, intellectual property rights assume significance and are a source of litigation. Broadly distinguish between the terms – copyrights, patents and trade secrets.
13. Should the pursuit of carbon credit and clean development mechanism set up under UNFCCC be maintained even through there has been a massive slide in the value of carbon credit? Discuss with respect to India’s energy needs for economic growth.
14. Drought has been recognised as a disaster in view of its party expense, temporal duration, slow onset and lasting effect on various vulnerable sections. With a focus on the September 2010 guidelines from the National disaster management authority, discuss the mechanism for preparedness to deal with the El Nino and La Nina fallouts in India.
15. Environmental impact assessment studies are increasingly undertaken before project is cleared by the government. Discuss the environmental impacts of coal-fired thermal plants located at Pitheads.
16. The diverse nature of India as a multireligious and multi-ethnic society is not immune to the impact of radicalism which has been in her neighbourhood. Discuss along with the strategies to be adopted to counter this environment.
17. International civil aviation laws provide all countries complete and exclusive severity over the airspace above the territory. What do you understand by airspace? What are the implications of these laws on the space above this airspace? Discuss the challenges which this poses and suggests ways to contain the threat.
18. How illegal transborder migration does pose a threat to India’s security? Discuss the strategies to curb this, bring out the factors which give impetus to such migration.
19. In 2012, the longitudinal marking of the high-risk areas for piracy was moved from 65° East to 78° east in the Arabian Sea by International Maritime organisation. What impact does this have on India’s maritime security concerns?
20. China and Pakistan have entered into an agreement for development of an economic corridor. What thread does it dispose for India’s security? Critically examine.

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Bogus marketing propaganda*

• Since UPSC did not ask straightforward questions such as salient features of agro-forestry, Mars missions, IRNSS-C, cyclone hudhud, biotechnology, tonnes of stupid IT-electronics and space inventions. Hence a Lot of hard-labour gone to waste from my side in writing, and from your side in memorizing them.
• But in economy-agriculture-security portion, there was good amount of material scattered around.

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