NOTE: Please remember that following ‘answers’ are NOT ‘model answers’. They are NOT synopsis too if we go by definition of the term. What we are providing is content that both meets demand of the question and at the same time gives you extra points in the form of background information.
Topic: Salient features of world’s physical geography.
1. The continental shelf contains valuable minerals and marine organisms which makes it suitable for exploration and commercial exploitation. Discuss. Also, trace the bottom reliefs feature of the Indian ocean. (250 words)
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 1 and mentioned as part of Mission-2023 Secure timetable.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the resources present in continental shelves and reasons for it as well as to trace the bottom relief of India ocean.
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you must debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You must give reasons for both for and against arguments.
Start by briefly mentioning about relief of the ocean floor and its divisions.
First, mention certain figures/stats regarding the economic resources of continental shelves with examples.
Next, discuss in detail the reasons for high productivity of the continental shelves like high nutrient loads, vertical stability and shallowness etc.
Next, trace the bottom relief features of India ocean.
Conclude by summarising the overall economic importance of continental shelves.
Water covers 70% of the earth’s surface in which only 3% are fresh water (Of this, 2% is in polar ice caps and only 1% is usable water). Oceans make up around 67 percent of the Earth’s surface. The relief features of the oceans are quite different from the continental features because the Oceanic crust is less than 60-70- million years old whereas continental features are of Proterozoic age which is over 1 billion years old. The Oceanic relief features are in the form of mountains, basins, plateaus, ridges, canyons and trenches beneath the ocean water. These forms are called Submarine Relief.
Factors that make continental shelves one of the highly productive ecosystems:
Ocean relief is largely due to tectonic, volcanic, erosional and depositional processes and their interactions. Ocean relief features are divided into major and minor relief features.
Major Ocean Relief Features: There are four major divisions in the ocean relief
The Continental Shelf of the Indian Ocean is economically very significant for people. Indian Ocean is an “ocean of economic opportunities” for India. The security threats posed by State and non-state actors are impeding the progress. The Government initiatives like SAGAR, IORA, Sagarmala etc. should ensure that the fruits of Blue Economy is well reaped.
Topic: Salient features of world’s physical geography.
2. Explain the various factors that are responsible for varying vertical and latitudinal distribution of temperature of the oceans. (250 words)
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 1 and mentioned as part of Mission-2023 Secure timetable.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the vertical and latitudinal distribution of temperature in ocean waters along with factors responsible for such a distribution.
Explain – Clarify the topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the context. You must be defining key terms wherever appropriate and substantiate with relevant associated facts.
Start by mentioning that temperature varies across the oceans of the world.
Write about the factors responsible – The study of temperature of the oceans is important for studying the movement of large volumes of water, distribution of marine organisms, other properties such as salinity. This distribution pattern of temperature of ocean water can be studied through two ways – vertical and latitudinal distribution.
Enumerate the factors responsible for the above distribution. Use appropriate examples wherever necessary
Ocean Temperature is a measure of the energy due to the motion of molecules in the ocean. The temperature of the oceanic water is important for marine organisms including plants (phytoplanktons) and animals (zooplanktons). The temperature of sea water also affects the climate of coastal lands and plants and animals therein. The study of both, surface and subsurface temperature of sea water is significant.
Various factors that are responsible for varying vertical and latitudinal distribution of temperature of the oceans
Unequal distribution of land and water:
(ii) Local weather conditions like storms, cyclones, hurricanes, fog, cloudiness, evaporation and condensation, and
(iii) Location and shape of the sea.
The process of cooling and heating of ocean water is slower as compared to land as Sun rays penetrate more in water than land and water molecules diffuse the energy more quickly than land.
Topic: Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these
3. The parliamentary discussions and debate are important for political representation because it creates a link between people and their representatives and to discuss government policy, proposed new laws and current issues. Evaluate. (250 words)
Reference: The Hindu , Indian Express
The refrain that standards of parliamentary functioning have taken a beating in recent years is not without merit. In terms of the time spent on deliberating legislation, the conduct of fruitful debates both in tone and tenor, and in the quality of discussion, the reliance and participation of expert opinion through the agency of standing and parliamentary committees besides other factors, parliamentary sessions have been found to be wanting.
Key Demand of the question:
Evaluate – When you are asked to evaluate, you have to pass a sound judgement about the truth of the given statement in the question or the topic based on evidence. You must appraise the worth of the statement in question. There is scope for forming an opinion here.
Begin by writing about the importance of parliamentary debates and discussion to our democracy.
Further elaborate how these debates and deliberations are enriching for our democracy. Cite examples to substantiate your points.
Next, evaluate the legislative process with respect of debates and discussions. Mention hasty passage of bills, frequent litigations, lack of expertise, bypassing Rajya Sabha, lack of referral to parliamentary committees etc.
Mention the measures that are needed to remedy this situation.
Conclude with a way forward.
The refrain that standards of parliamentary functioning have taken a beating in recent years is not without merit. In terms of the time spent on deliberating legislation, the conduct of fruitful debates both in tone and tenor, and in the quality of discussion, the reliance and participation of expert opinion through the agency of standing and parliamentary committees besides other factors, parliamentary sessions have been found to be wanting.
Much of this deterioration is a consequence of representatives of political parties utilising Parliament more to showcase political spectacle than to use it as a forum for serious legislative functioning.
Deteriorating parliamentary productivity in recent times
A revocation of the suspensions and dialogue will go a long way in mending relations. As the farmers’ protests that raged on for more than a year showed, the lack of adequate parliamentary process in deliberating legislation of consequence can result in social conflict and a democratic deficit in outcomes. There are enough tools, mechanisms, structures and precedents in India’s parliamentary history that can be relied upon by the current set of legislators to bring back useful deliberation. Parliamentarians must realise that the bedrock of a functioning democracy is a flourishing legislature.
Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
4. Analyse the importance of the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) for India’s geopolitics and geoeconomics. (250 words)
Reference: The Hindu , Insights on India
Last week, RailFreight.Com reported that two 40-ft containers of wood laminate sheets crossed the Caspian Sea from Russia’s Astrakhan port, entered Iran’s Anzali port, continued their southward journey towards the Arabian Sea, entered the waters at Bandar Abbas and eventually reach Nhava Shiva port in Mumbai.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the importance of INSTC for India.
Analyse – When asked to analyse, you must examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them in a summary.
Begin by giving context of International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC)
In the first part, briefly write about INSTC and India’s role so far, its aims and objectives.
Next, write about the geopolitical importance of INSTC for India.
Next, write about the geoeconomically importance of INSTC for India.
The International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is the ship, rail, and road route for moving freight between India, Russia, Iran, Europe and Central Asia. It is a not a new concept. But the current INSTC project was initiated by Russia, India and Iran in September 2000 in St. Petersburg. The agreement was signed on 16th May 2002.
Importance of INSTC for India
India expressed its intent to include Chabahar port in the 13-nation International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) that extends from India to Russia, and to expand INSTC membership by including Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.
Topic: Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country
5. Millets have enormous potential to form a core component in climate smart agriculture whilst offering nutritional and food security benefits. Elaborate. (250 words)
Reference: Times of India , Insights on India
Taking lead in celebrating 2023 as ‘International Year of Millets’, India has planned to hold several programmes within the country and abroad to popularize millets. The government’s programmes will revolve around ‘seven sutras’ ( seven themes) including measures on how to promote these climate-resilient and less water consuming coarse cereals as a tool of sustainable agriculture.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about plethora of benefits offered by Millet production with respect to tackling climate change and food security.
Elaborate – Give a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the context. You must be defining key terms wherever appropriate and substantiate with relevant associated facts.
Begin by mentioning giving context that the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring 2023 as the International Year of Millets.
Mention about the low demand of water and soil fertility needs to cultivate millets and millets as a nutritional package with whole lot of vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids etc. Also mention that millets also offer a significant cost advantage over maize as a feedstock for bio-ethanol production. Bring in the aspect of food security and ecological benefits.
Conclude by saying millets are the way forward in the food consumption area as it addresses the twin challenge of both nutritional security as well as climate change.
With nearly 60 percent of India’s cultivated area is rain-fed, the damage caused by climate change is huge in agriculture sector. In order to save the farmers from such calamities, climate smart agricultural practices are increasingly promoted by government and other stakeholders. Millets cultivation is one such practice which seems to be the answer to fighting climate change, poverty and malnutrition. The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring 2023 the International Year of Millets, as proposed by India to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Millets – a core component in climate smart agriculture:
Nutritional and food security benefits:
The value of millets is evident in their relevance to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of food security, nutrition and poverty eradication. Brimming with potential, millets can act as a vital cog in the country’s sustainable development wheel if backed by policies that promote their production, incentivize farmers and strengthen market linkages.
Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment
6. Examine the factors that leads to Invasive alien species thriving in non-native areas. What measures are needed to contain their spread? (250 words)
A recent study published in Nature ISME Journal indicates that the plant species considered as invasive in non-native regions, use characteristics to survive and flourish that are different from the ones in their native regions.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the factors aiding invasive alien species and ways to tackle their spread.
Examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we must investigate the topic (content words) in detail, inspect it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications.
Start by explaining the term invasive alien species.
First, write about the factors that ensure that to Invasive alien species survive in non-native areas.
Next, Explain the various threats posed by them. Provide examples and present the scenario of harm posed by invasive species in India – threaten cultivable land and wildlife habitats alike, may lead to the conversion of marshy wetlands into dry land. E.g.: water hyacinth, spread into the forests through the corridors created by landslides, affect the soil and destroy the microhabitat of that area
Next, write about the steps that are needed to tackle their spread.
Conclude with a way forward.
Invasive alien species are plants, animals, pathogens and other organisms that are non-native to an ecosystem, and which may cause economic or environmental harm or adversely affect human health. In particular, they impact adversely upon biodiversity, including decline or elimination of native species – through competition, predation, or transmission of pathogens – and the disruption of local ecosystems and ecosystem functions. Examples: Needle Bush, Goat weed, Prickly Poppy, Black Mimosa.
Since the 17th century, invasive alien species have contributed to nearly 40% of all animal extinctions for which the cause is known (CBD, 2006).
Factors leading to Invasive alien species thriving in non-native areas
Intentional Causes of Invasive Species Introduction: Intentional causes are listed below with a brief description.
Unintentional Causes of Invasive Species Introduction: Unintentional causes also include human activities.
Ecosystems need to be prioritized according to their vulnerability to climate change and IAS, making it possible to establish measures that will prevent IAS introduction. This should include establishing effective biosecurity measures to manage priority pathways of introduction, supported by early warning and rapid eradication to tackle alien species before they become invasive.
Topic: moral and political attitudes.
7. Explain the concept of public morality with examples. What are various factors affecting it? (150 words)
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Philosophical Mondays’ in Mission-2022 Secure.
Explain – Clarify the topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the context. You must be defining key terms wherever appropriate and substantiate with relevant associated facts.
Give a simple elaboration on the concept of public morality.
Write about aspects such as what is accepted within the realms of public morality, is it static and indestructible by quoting few examples. Influence of public morality on legislations and the changes with time such as legalisation of same-sex marriage etc.
Next, write about the various factors affecting public morality.
Conclude by stating that society evolves with time and thus the public morality also takes its shape, however certain historically sustainable values must be preserved as well.
A morality is a system of principles and values concerning people’s behaviour, which is generally accepted by a society or by a particular group of people. Public morality refers to moral and ethical standards enforced in a society, by law or police work or social pressure, and applied to public life, to the content of the media, and to conduct in public places.
Public morality is concerned with collective obligations, and is generally based on the notion of consequentialism. For instance, Public morality often means regulation of sexual matters, including prostitution and homosexuality, but also matters of dress and nudity, pornography, acceptability in social terms of cohabitation before marriage, and the protection of children.
It is a main justification for censorship; it can lead to campaigns against profanity, and so be at odds with freedom of speech. Gambling is generally controlled: casinos have been considered much more of a threat than large-scale lotteries or football pools. Public drunkenness is quite unacceptable in some societies, and legal control of consumption of alcohol is often justified in terms of public morality, just as much as for medical reasons or to limit alcohol-related crime.
Abortion is sometimes treated as an aspect of public morality, even if it is legally defined, regulated by medical professionals, and almost entirely hidden from public view. AIDS as a health policy issue is linked to public morality in a complicated manner.
Views on public morality do change over time. Public views on which things are acceptable often move towards wider tolerance.
Various factors affecting Public morality
Public morality has been on a decline due to a host of factors such as legal, corruption, malpractices, cultural etc. Citizens in a political community must be bound together neither by feelings nor by self-interest but by a commitment to common values discovered by public reason — values such as political freedom, solidarity, shared traditions and cultural heritage.
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