General Studies Paper-1 2013 PDF Download
Q.1 Though not very useful from the point of view of a connected political history of South India, the Sangam Literature portrays the social and economic conditions of its time with remarkable vividness. Comment. (200 words) 10 marks.
Ans. The Sangam literature is a collection of long and short poems composed by various poets in praise of numerous characters. Most of the Sangam literature was composed during 100 AD to 250 AD during the reign of Pandyan kings of Madurai. The period of 400 BC to 300 AD is known as Sangam age. The socio-economic conditions of the sangam age are mentioned in its length and breadth in the sangam literature.
The sangam literature explains the markets and trade of the period in details. The Indo-Roman trade and import of gold, wine and slaves as well as export of spices and silk is mentioned. It also mentions important ports of time eg. Muchiri, Arikamedu and important cities like Kanchivaram. The decline of economy that began by the end of 3rd century is also mentioned.
The prevalent social hierarchy with Brahmins placed at the top of the order is clearly noticed in the sangam literature. Untouchability had come into existence and education was dominated by the Brahmins. The poets praised entire kins of the kings which tell us the importance of clan based society and importance of kinship.
Sangam literature attached due importance to women in domestic environment. Sangam literature is dotted with a large number of references codifying self discipline and ideal way of life.
Sangam literature combines idealism with realism and classic grace with indigenous industry and strength. It deals in details with secular matter relating to public and social activity like government, war charity, trade,worship, agriculture etc.
The chief merits of the sangam works is the absolute devotion of poets and thinkers of the Sangam age to standards and adherence to literary conventions.
Therefore sangam literature might not be very relevant from the perspective of connected political history of south India, but it portrays the social and economic conditions of its time with remarkable vividness.
Q.2 (a) Discuss the Tandava dance as recorded in the early Indian inscriptions.(100 words) 5 marks
Ans. Tandava dance, as described in Rig-Veda, is the vigorous dance of the particles on the stage of the cosmic field. Similarly, Brahma-sutra speaks of the cosmic vibration. The Tandava dance is the vigorous and acrobatic dance of change and destruction associated with Lord Shiva. According to Natya Shastra compiled by sage Bharat Muni, Lord Shiva conceived the Tandava Dance Mythology places Tandava dance or 'dance of bliss' at the centre of the Universe.
Religious dancing was essential part of the earliest known tradition of India and Shiva himself is believed to have invented more than 100 different dances. Tandava and Lasya, are two basic aspects of Classical Indian Dance, associated with Shiva and Parvati respectively.
Tandava dance depicts angry Shiva surrounded by his ganas; Shiva beats out a wild rhythm which destroys the world at the end of the cosmic cycle. Thus Tandava dance is meant to give symbolic expression to religious idea of Shiva being the destroyer and that destruction is inevitable.
The early Indian inscriptions record many incidents when Tandava was performed like:
• Shiva performed Tandava at the death of Sati, to express his grief and anger.
• Krishna performed Tandava on the head of serpant Kaliya.
• Indra performed Tandava at the birth of Jain Tirthankar Rishabhdev.
Q.2 (b) Chola architecture represent a high watermark in the evolution of temple architecture. Discuss. (100 words) 5 marks
Ans. The Dravidian temple architecture started by the Pallavas reached its high water mark and got matured at the hand of the Cholas. The Cholas refined Pallava architecture with following notable features:
• Cholas used stones instead of bricks.
• They decorated the walls with sculptures and paintings of deities, kings and queen instead of lion motifs from Pallava.
• Temples were enclosed by decorative walls and entrance (Gopuram).
• Temples of the build by Cholas also had an audience hall called Mandapa; a deity room called Garbhgriha and a pyramid like storey above the deity room called Vimana.
• The temples were decorated by a beautiful Shikhara stone at the top.Each Shikara stone weighed in tonnes and had meticulous carvings on it.
During their reign, Cholas studded the entire Tamil landscape with such temples including Nagaeshwara, Brihadeshwara, Airavateshwara and Chidambaram. The temple architecture of Cholas was even followed by other kingdoms in South India and Sri Lanka.
Q.3 Defying the barriers of age, gender and religion, the Indian women became the torch bearer during the struggle for freedom in India. (200 words) 10 marks.
Ans. Indian women marked their presence in the struggle against the alien rule.as early as 1857. During the entire life time of Indian national movement women have played very crucial role whether it is constructive work at village level or for that matter providing leadership at national level.
• Women played proactive role during Swadeshi movement by picketing shops and burning foreign cloths.
• Gandhi's arrival provided more responsibilities and space to women in the national movement.
• Sarojini Naidu in Salt March, Vijaya Laxmi in CDM, Kasturba in QIM, Madam Bhikaiji Cama among Indians in UK were the prominent women leaders.
• Women like Kalpana Dutt, Nanibala Devi and Preetilata Waddedar even joined revolutionary movements.
• Women acted as courier and provided food and hide out to revolutionaries.They were even active in ambush against British officials.
• During the non cooperation movement and civil disobedience movement women participated on massive scale and even leaded the struggle at many places eg. Calcutta.
• Aruna Asaf Ali, Usha Mehta and Sucheta Kriplani were prominent faces during Quit India movement.
• Thousands of women enrolled in the national army of Subhas Bose and Captain Laxmi Sehgal was the leader of INA women regiment.
• Rani Gadileiu is example of one of the youngest girl arrested during the CDM while protesting in north-east.
Matangini Hajra, Durgabai Deshmukh and many others from poor and middle class families, Begum Safia Wajid, Rehana Tyabjee from Muslim community and Rajkumari Amrita Kaur royal lineage all participated for the cause of India's freedom. Therefore it can be argued that defying the barriers of age, gender and religion, the Indian women became the torch bearer during the struggle for freedom in India.
Q.4. Several foreigners made India their homeland and participated in various movements. Analyze their role in the Indian struggle for freedom. ( 200 words) 10 marks.
Ans. Indian national movement was driven by a rational and just cause, therefore since its beginning it attracted many liberal foreign nationals who supported the Indian cause.
• Charles Andrews was an English missionary philanthropist who criticizes the British for their unjust and racial policies. He championed the right of labourers, railway workers and cotton weaver. Gandhi gave him the title of Dinbandhu.
•Annie Besant was an Irish national who came to India as part of theosophical society. She played important role in the national movement post Surat split and also formed the Home rule in 1915.
• Madelein Slade or Miraben was influenced by Gandhian philosophy.
• She joined Sabarmati Ashram and actively participated in Gandhi's socio-political campaigns. She travelled across the country to promote Khadi and Satyagraha.
• Samuel Evans Stokes or Satyanand Stokes belonged to a wealthy American family. He fought relentlessly against the pathetic condition of labours in the Shimla hills.
• Katherine Mary Heilaman or Sarla Ben was disciple of Gandhi who set up setup ashram in Uttarakhand, helped the families of political prisoners.
• Mira Alphonse was a French woman, associated with Shri Aurobindo.She motivated many foreign national women to join the Indian national movement.
• Margaret Elizabeth Noble or Sister Nivedita was from Ireland who joined Swami Vivekananda's Ramakrishna Mission. She actively.contributed during Bengal famine and plagues epidemics and worked for upliftment of Women.
•Nalini Sengupta came from Cambridge. She actively participated in boycott and non-cooperation movements and was arrested several times.
Most of these foreigners came to India with primary aim of social service. However the exploitative and miserable condition of India moved them to actively participate in the national freedom struggle.
5. In many ways, Lord Dalhousie was the founder of modern India. Elaborate. (200 words) 10 marks
Ans. Lord Dalhousie functioned as the Governor-General of India from 1848 1856. He is regarded as one of the greatest Governor-General of India. He introduced a number of reforms which paved the way for the modernisation of India and also earned him the title. "Maker of the Modern India".
Administrative reforms:
• Dalhousie's chief aim was the consolidation of British rule in India. So he adopted the principle of centralization.
• He devised the 'Non-Regulation System" under which commissioners were appointed to deal with the administrative problems.
• In 1852 Dalhousie introduced the Electric Telegraph System in India and in 1854 a new Postal Department was set up for the entire country.
• A separate Public Works Department was established to construct roads, bridges and government buildings.
• The construction of Ganges Canal was completed during Dalhousie's tenure.
• Many bridges and canals were constructed and also the construction of Grand Trunk Road was taken up.
Military reforms: He focussed on the numerical strength of the army and on the maintenance of balance between British and Indian forces. He shifted the Bengal artillery from Calcutta to Meerut. He also created a new Ghurkha regiments from the foothills of Himalayas.
Social reforms:
• He abolished female infanticide prevalent among the higher castes.
• The practice of human sacrifice practiced by the khonds of Orissa and Central Provinces was also abolished.
• Dalhousie passed the Religious Disability Act in 1850 which enabled. The Hindu convert to inherit his ancestral property
• Widow Remarriage Act: 1855 legalized the marriage of Hindu widows.
Economic and commercial reforms: Dalhousie followed the policy of free trade. Dalhousie's commercial reforms were designed to throw open the produce and market of India to the exploitation of English Capital. The commercial reforms of Dalhousie spoiled the Indian trade and economic conditions of Indians became miserable.
He is known as the father of Indian Railways. He envisaged a network of railways connecting the main cities with ports and providing both for strategic needs and commercial development. Besides facilitating trade and commerce, the railways have played an instrumental role in uniting India.Irrigational works were undertaken on an extensive scale in his tenure.
Educational reforms:
• The wood's dispatch of 1854 laid the foundations of modern education system.
• A separate department of education was to be established in each district.
• In 1857 universities were established at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. Dalhousie's special contribution was the construction of an engineering college at Roorkee and in other presidencies.
Lord Dalhousie had introduced several reforms touching all most every department. Some of the Social reforms of Dalhousie were responsible to some extent for the outbreak of the revolt of 1857. But most of the reforms of Dalhousie took India to the path of modernization.
6. Critically discuss the objectives of Bhoodan and Gramdan Movements initiated by Acharya Vinoba Bhave and their success.(200 words) 10 Marks
Ans. When India gained independence from centuries old foreign role the land ownership pattern was highly skewed in favour of big landlords. There were millions of land less agricultural labours in the country who had no other source of livelihood.
The Bhoodan movement was started by Acharya Vinoba Bhave immediately after independence so that big land owners and Zamindars could voluntarily donate their excess land to landless and marginal farmers. The objective of Bhoodan was to reduce inequality in land ownership and to make Indian society more equitable.
Gramdan was an initiative where the entire village was to be persuaded to come together and pool their land resources. It was a kind of community farming where each would then get his share in the produce as per his needs and capacity. While Bhoodan was meant for areas where there was high land inequality in land ownership, Gramdan was meant for areas with low inequality.
Bhoodan could succeed in getting vast amount of land redistributed but when compare to overall cultivable area the success was not very enthusiastic, Corruption was evident in the big landlords and they transferred most of the land to their relatives or to get some kind of favour in return.
Only some thousand villages could come under Gramdan. This was due to its inherent nature that it could succeed only in areas with low inequality. Although both Bhoodan and Gramdan were good in its intent, they had to face the attitudinal barriers and could achieve only partial success.
The enthusiasm for Bhoodan ebbed away after 1957 and the idea of Gramdan did not proved to be popular in the non-tribal areas and this partly accounted for the decline of the movement at the end of the 1950s.
However it can be said that by adopting Gandhi's ideas of equitable redistribution among the landless, the Bhoodan and Gramdan movements kept Gandhi's ideas of socio-economic reconstruction alive.
7. Write a critical note on the evolution and significance of the slogan "Jai Jawan Jai Kisan". (200 words) 10 marks
Ans. The slogan "Jai Jawan Jai Kisan" was given by Lal Bahadur Shastri during his prime minister ship. Soon after Shastri took over the prime minister ship of India after Nehru's death, India was attacked by Pakistan in 1965. Also India was suffering from drought year and huge shortage of food grains. Therefore the slogan Jai Jawana Jai Kisan highlighted the significance of soldiers and peasants in the country. While the soldiers were securing the frontiers from her enemy, the peasants were struggling to provide nation with enough food grains. Therefore the slogan "hail soldier and hail farmer" signified the national mood of the time. India was surrounded by hostile neighbours on two fronts in China in the North East and Pakistan in the North West. Besides the cold war politics was further complicating the situation in the Indian sub-continent. Therefore India needed to boost the morale of its soldiers and strengthened our armed forces. Hence the slogan "Jai Jawan"..
At the same time India was facing twin droughts. Indian economy of the time was dominated by agriculture and that too was at primitive stage. Green revolution was yet to come to India, Area under cultivation had remained more or less same while the population had increased significantly. Therefore to feed such a huge population was a big challenge for the Indian peasants. Besides USA was consistently threatening to cancel the food aid provided under PL-480 programme so as to weaken India's stand on Kashmir. This way the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the nation was under threat. Therefore it was necessary to boost the morale and confidence of farmers and to highlight their role in Indian state. Hence the slogan "Jai Kisan".
8. Discuss the contribution of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad to pre-and post independent India. (200 words) 10 marks
Ans. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was a great Gandhian leader and a prominent freedom fighter. He firmly believed in Gandhi's methodology of Satyagraha and non-violence and significantly contributed not just in the freedom struggle but also in nation building post independence.
Contributions in the pre-independence struggle:
• He was a journalist and took out his own publication to further the cause of freedom. He published Al Hilal and Al Balagh on weekly basis.
• He served as the head of the Khilafat Committee and Supported Gandhi during the Non-cooperation movement.
• He presided over many congress sessions and also was arrested during the quit India movement. He negotiated with British Cabinet mission for India's independence.
• He had mass support among the Indian liberal Muslims. Therefore he was instrumental in opposing the two-nation theory of Jinnah. He also wrote a book "India Wins freedom" to give account of the memoirs of the freedom struggle.
Post-independence contributions:
• He was secular in approach and played important role in diffusing the communal tensions at many places.
• He served as member of Constitution assembly and actively participated in many debates.
• He was the first Union minister of education, later held the portfolios of Natural resources and scientific research.
• His role was pivotal in establishment of IIT, UGC, AICTE, CSIR, Sahitya Academy, Lalit Kala Academy, Sangeet Natak Academy and many other educational and scientific research laboratories in India.
• For his immense service to nation he was posthumously awarded country's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna.
9. Analyse the circumstances that led to Tashkent Agreement in 1966. Discuss the highlights of the agreement. (200 words) 10 marks
Ans. India fought a fierce war with Pakistan in 1965 and scored a decisive victory. Indian forces had reached upto Lahore. It was speculated that the Kashmir issue would be resolved forever. However this was the era of cold war and therefore the international powers interfered.
A cease-fire had been secured by the United Nations Security Council and Soviet premier Aleksey Kosygin, invited both the parties to Tashkent to mediate an agreement. The Tashkent Agreement was signed on Jan.10.1966 between India's Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and Pakistan's president. Ayub Khan, ending the war.
Highlights of the agreement:
Both sides were to end all hostilities and resort back to pre war boundaries.They would give up all occupations. But nothing was agreed on restoring Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Therefore the Kashmir issue remained unsolved and India was literally forced to give up all her gains in the 1965 war.
Circumstances that led to Tashkent Agreement in 1966:
USA actively supported Pakistan and pressurized India so that the agreement could not resolve the Kashmir issue in India's favour. USA also provided Pakistan with diplomatic support and arms supply and threatened India to cancel its food aid.
The war had huge economic cost on India as India fought war with China as well in 1962 and was suffering from a drought year. Therefore India urgently needed the food imports and was not in a good situation to bargain the terms with super powers of the time. Therefore India had to yield to the terms of international powers..
10. Critically examine the compulsions which prompted India to play a decisive role in the emergence of Bangladesh. ( 200 words) 10 Marks
Ans. The genesis of the Bangladesh liberation war lies in the biased and step brotherly treatment given to the East Pakistan by the West Pakistan. The 1970 Pakistan election secured majority for the East Pakistani Awami League in the lower house of Pakistan's Parliament. However the leader of the Pakistan People's Party, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto refused to yield power to the Awami League. President Yahya Khan called in the military dominated by West Pakistanis to suppress dissent in East Pakistan.
The Pakistan army conducted a widespread genocide against the Bengali population of East Pakistan, aimed in particular at the minority Hindu population. Even before 1970 Pakistan had always suppressed the liberal elements in Bangladesh. Moved by the developments of 1970 India was prompted to play a decisive role in the emergence of Bangladesh.
India helped in the formation of Mukti Vahini under the leadership of Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rehman. Mukti Vahini has widespread mass support and it became premiere organization for the independence of Bangladesh. The large scale atrocities committed by Pakistani army forced millions of Bangladeshi's to flee from East Pakistan and find refugee in bordering Indian states. This complicated the situation immensely and necessitated India's reaction.
India provided the needed humanitarian support to refugees and Indira Gandhi in March 1971 expressed full support to the cause of Bangladesh. This was the era f cold war so Indian signed a Treaty of Friendship with Soviet Union to balance USA In case of war.
Pakistan in the apprehension conducted air raids on India on 3rd December 1971, which led to a full fledged two front war between India and Pakistan.Indian army went deep into the East Pakistan and secured the formation of Bangladesh as an independent nation. Pakistan suffered humiliating defeat in the war and was chopped off of half of its territories.
Some strategic compulsions also made it necessary for India to intervene in East Pakistan. Pakistan since its formation has been a hostile country to India and India had already experienced two wars with Pakistan. Therefore
11. "Latecomer" Industrial revolution in Japan involved certain factors that were markedly different from what west had experience. ( 200 words) 10 Marks
Ans. With the restoration of Meiji to power, Japan gained absolute control over its foreign trade and legal system. The industrial revolution in Japan started in the late 19th century when industrialization has reached most of the Europe. However the industrial revolution of Japan was remarkably different from that of western countries.
• Industrialization in the west was mainly driven by the scientific inventions and discoveries. However Japan began with western technologies as foundation.
• Japan reversed engineered most of the western technologies to suit its requirements.
• Unlike west Japan lacked most of the raw materials required for industrialization eg. Coal and iron ore. Since it was heavily dependent on imports, Japan set up most of the industries close to the sea.
• The agricultural revolution and commercial revolution preceded the industrial revolution in the west. However this was not the case with Japan.
• Industrial revolution in west was primarily driven by the private sector. But in Japan it was the state that played major role.
• Unlike much of Europe, Japan was not dependent on its colonies to finance its industrial revolution
• Western product had worldwide appeal however Japanese products were inferior in quality and were discouraged in European markets.
Therefore major factors that led to the industrialization of Japan were introduction foreign technology, stable import dependence a d hard working cautious labours.
12. Africa was chopped into states artificially created by accidents of European competition. Analyse.(200 words) 10 Marks
Ans. Most of the African continent has the colonial past and the number of nation states formed in Africa in modern times is more than that formed in the rest of world for many centuries. The process of creation of states in Africa has near absent participation of local people and it was primarily driven by colonial interest and competition between different colonial powers.
• By 1878, King Leopold of Belgium had gained a large sphere of influence in Congo region which was rich in minerals and timber. This alarmed the other European powers who subsequently carved out Africa into their individual spheres of influence.
• The British got hold over Nigeria and France over Morocco and large parts of interior Africa.
• US founded Liberia to resettle the slaves liberated from America and Portugal got control over Angola.
• Similarly in southern Africa the Dutch had settled in Cape of Good. After the defeat of Dutch at the hands of Napoleon, the South Africa was surrendered to Britain.
• The present day Zambia and Zimbabwe was founded by an English explorer.
• In the east the Great Britain controlled Kenya, Germans controlled Cameroon and the French and Portugal established Madagascar and the Mozambique as their respective sphere of influence.
• After the defeat of Germany in the war, Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia were given to Italy.
• In the North Africa, Algeria and sub-Saharan Africa was controlled by France while England dominated Egypt and Sudan.
• In the entire process the African customs and regional identities were totally overlooked which is evident from the geometrically precise boundaries of African nations. Therefore it is evident that the present day political boundaries of Africa are outcome of colonial completion and bargain among the imperial powers of the time which the nothing to do with the parameters on which the modern nation states are created.
13. "American Revolution was an economic revolt against mercantilism". Substantiate.(200 words) 10 Marks
Ans. Mercantilism is an economic theory that holds the prosperity of a nation depends upon its supply of capital and that the global volume of trade is unchangeable.
American Revolution was inspired by various socio-economic and political factors besides the increased awareness of the masses about their natural rights. However the main factor behind the American Revolution was the economic policies of England in its colonies in America which clearly supported mercantilism. This is evident from the following actions of Britain:
• The Navigation law of 1651 required American ships to compulsorily sail towards Britain ports.
• Although the Britain won the war with France but at a huge economic cost. To overcome the huge debt it imposed coercive laws on American colonies like new taxes on stamp, sugar etc which led to emergence of revolutions.
• Heavy duties were imposed on the import of goods from other countries. to the colonies.
• The settlers were prevented from moving West as the English aristocrats wanted the farmers to remain renters.
• Absence of heavy industries in America because of industrial regulations imposed by Britain.
• There was restriction on trade with other European countries and American colonies could trade only with Britain.
• Increased duty on trade of tea provided direct favouritism to mercantilism. This enraged American settlers and led to the famous Boston Tea Party.
• While the Americans wanted no taxation without representation, the Rockingham Declaratory Act gave British parliament all the rights to impose taxes on American colonies.
Therefore mercantilism was the prevailing policy in Europe at that time ande the American Revolution can be said to be an economic revolt against this mercantilism.
14. What policy instruments were deployed to contain the Great Economic Depression? ( 200 words) 10 Marks
Ans. The Great Depression (1929-39) was the worst economic downturn in the history of the industrialized world. It began after the US stock market crash of October 1929 and eventually affected much of the Europe and America. Over the next several years, consumer spending and investment dropped, causing steep declines in industrial output and employment.
Various policy Economic Depression:
• In USA the Hoover's administration in 1930s tried to support failing banks with government loans in the hope that the banks in turn would loan to businesses, which would spur employment.
• In 1932 Roosevelt came to power and took immediate action to address the country's economic woes. His administration passed legislation that aimed to stabilize industrial and agricultural production, create jobs and stimulate recovery.
• Roosevelt also sought to reform the financial system, creating the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to protect depositors' accounts and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to regulate the stock market and prevent abuses of the kind that led to the 1929 crash.
• Under the New Deal programme, dams and hydroelectric projects were built to control flooding and provide electric power to the impoverished people.
• Also a permanent jobs program provided employment to 8.5 million. people from 1935 to 1943.
• In 1935, Congress passed the Social Security Act, which for the first time provided Americans with unemployment, disability and pensions, for old age.
• As far as the European countries are concerned the brunt of the depression fell on the colonies in form of increased taxes and economic exploitation.
The great depression was very much under control by the end of 1930s. However the depression-era hardships had fuelled the rise of extremist political movements in various European countries. As a result the end of Great Depression is marked with the beginning of the Second World War.
15. Discuss the various social problems which originated out of the speedy Ans. process of urbanization in India. (200 words) 10 Marks
Ans. Last few decades has seen rapid urbanization in India with around 31% of the population currently living in urban areas. It is projected that by 2030 around 30% of the Indian population would be living in the cities. But the speedy process of urbanization in India has also created numerous social problems,
• Large scale migration from rural areas to the urban centres has resulted into skewed demography in the rural areas as majority of those who migrate are males.
• Rural to urban migration, the major process leading to urbanization, has caused urban distress where most of the cities are congested and overpopulated.
• Overpopulated cities put stress on public services like transport, education, health, electricity and water requirement, law and order management etc.
• Over availability of manual labour has reduced the average wages in the cities leading to poverty and low standards of living.
• Most of the cities are studded with large slums where even basic amenities are not available leading to poor standard of living.
• Growth of slums has also caused increase in the crime against women and other petty crimes. The socio-cultural conflicts are also contributing to increased crime rates.
• Beside slums has created problems of sanitation and waste management. Urban bodies find it difficult to manage the ever expanding slums with limited resources.
• The poor population of the urban areas are always vulnerable to epidemics like dengue, malaria etc and are most affected in case of natural calamities like flood etc.
• Speedy urbanization has also led to heinous crimes, juvenile delinquency, drug abuse and rise of alcoholism due to reduced social checks and easy availability.
• Increased urbanization has led to increase in nuclear families and weaker social relations.
16. Male membership needs to be encouraged in order to make women's. organization free from gender bias.Comment. (200 words) 10 marks.
Ans. Idea of increasing male membership in the women's organization is motivated from the opinion that such organizations represented solely by women leads to conflict of opinions and distortions. In the backdrop of increased cases of misuse of law meant to safeguard women's interest. (eg. Protection of women against domestic violence Act. 2006) Women's organisations have been accused of gender bias and male membership is suggested as a remedy to overcome it.
No doubt women's organisations are meant to articulate women's interests. However it is argued that such organizations (eg. National commission for Women) dominated by women may not be able to see the men's point of view and may lead to a neglect of male issues and create a distortion.
Radical feminists firmly assert that only women can understand women's problems and organizations/NGO created to carry forward the fight against discrimination should be represented preferably by women. Despite the fact that the element of patriarchy is deep rooted in the Indian society we find many men who have significantly raised their voice and contributed for the women's cause.
The arbitrary nature of government is reflected in the policy making. In the recent times many laws have been passed which is gender specific instead of gender neutral. Nevertheless certain amount of gender bias is considered necessary as women have been traditionally in a weaker position compared to men.
Therefore male membership should be encouraged in a constructive way so as to make women's organization gender neutral and more inclusive while keeping the purpose of such organizations intact.
17. Critically examine the effects of globalization on the aged population in Indian (200 words) 10 marks
Ans. The post globalization era has brought significant changes to both the economy and society in India. Globalization has had a mixed impact ie both positive and negative, on the aged population in India.
The aged population has definitely benefitted from advancement in the medical field and increased access to services. Globalisation has brought more social security measures and avenues for income post retirement. Advancement in the Information Communication Technology has provided better amusement to elderly people. Governments of the globalised era with an over active media are becoming more sensitive towards the needs of elderly people. Also increased per capita income has resulted into better standards of life.
Aged population in India is classified as one of the vulnerable groups by the policy makers. In the globalised era the aged people are largely been secluded from their family and from the society. The tremendous increase in the nuclear families has led to mushrooming of old age care homes that are often reported to be insensitive to the needs of elderly. Increase in two parent working families has resulted into neglect of old age citizens. Globalisation has led to faster inflation and elderly population find their savings are often eaten away by inflation
Migration from rural areas has left the aged population without anyone to take care of their needs. Besides the moral and ethical values are fast eroding in the Globalized India. There is significant rise in crime against elderly people.
It can be argued that while globalization has prolonged the life of elderly people, it has to some extent eroded the purpose of life. When the demographic dividend of India recedes, it will be left with a large old age population. Therefore government should frame policies that cater to long term needs of the old age population.
18. Growing feeling of regionalism is an important factor in the generation of demand for a separate state. Discuss.(200 words) 10 marks
Ans. Regionalism has remained perhaps the most potent force in Indian politics ever since independence. Regionalism is the desire of the people who live in a particular region to have more political and economical space.
In a diverse country like India every individual carries a kind of sub-national identity because of his affinity to a particular region, ethnicity, language, culture etc. After independence, Indian Constitution and the political setup tried to unite this diverse group of people by accommodating them in the constitution and in the political system. However from time to time the regional aspirations of people have surfaced and have led to widespread movements, violence and also creation of some new states.
The demand for state hood arises when a regional community feels that their interests are not achieved in the present political setup. Also imposing a homogenous culture threatens the culture and identity of a region which leads to growing feeling of regionalism and therefore demand for statehood. Eg. Imposing Hindi language in south India and the Dravidian movement. Backwardness of a region and lack of opportunities also triggers regionalism. Therefore regionalism no doubt is an important factor in the generation of demand for a separate state.
The formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1952 and in recent times Telangana are all examples of growing regional aspirations resulting into statehood demand. The struggle for the creation of three states in 2000 (i.e. Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttrakhand) was also motivated by feeling of regionalism and distinctive ethnic culture of the region coupled with economic backwardness.
Feeling of regionalism when grows beyond a certain level can surpass the statehood demand and lead to secessionist movements as happened in case of Dravidian movement and Khalistan movement.
In the recent times emergence of region aspirations is pushing the demand of separate state in many regions of India. Some examples of existing Sub Regio Movements in India for separate Statehood are:
• Demand for creation of Vidharbha state comprising of the economically. backward sub regions of Northern Maharashtra.
• Demand for Kosal/Koshal state in the Western Orissa.
• Movement for the Liberation of the State of Kodagu out of the state of Karnataka.
• Demand for a separate state of Purvanchal comprising around twenty districts of eastern UP.
• Demand for creation of Harit Pradesh comprising the districts of western UP.
• Bundelkhand state encompasses twelve districts of northern Madhya Pradesh and five districts of southern Uttar Pradesh.
• Gorkha Land comprising parts of hill subdivisions of Darjeeling,Kurseong, and Kalimpong in WB.
19. (a) What do you understand by the theory of continental drift? Discuss the prominent evidences in its support. (100 words) 5 marks
Ans. The continental drift theory was developed in the 1912 by Alfred Wegener,Wegner suggested that the continents were once united into a single supercontinent named Pangaea. The super continent was surrounded by mega Ocean known as Panthalassa. Wegener further argued that about 225 million years ago, Pangea split broke into two large continental masses ie Laurasia (the northern component) and Gondwanaland (the southern component). Subsequently, Laurasia and Gondwanaland continued to break into smaller continents.
Evidence in support of the Continental Drift Theory :
1. Jig-Saw Fit evidence or the Matching of continents: The shorelines of South America and Africa show a remarkable fit. Africa, Madagascar and east coast of India fit into each other.
2. Rocks of Same Age across the Oceans: Ancient rocks from Brazil coast matches the mountain belt found in Western Africa. Also the Caledonian and Appalachian mountains show similarity.
3. The Gondwana system of sediments from India has its counterparts in six various landmasses of the Southern Hemisphere which demonstrates that these landmasses had remarkably same antiquities.
4. The rich placer deposits of gold In Ghana is devoid of source rock in the area. It suggests that the gold deposits of Ghana are derived from the Brazil plateau.
5, Fossil evidence: Lemurs occur in Africa, Madagascar and India suggesting that a contiguous landmass Lemuria existed connecting the three landmasses.
Although, the Continental Drift theory has become obsolete, it paved the way for modern theories including the theory of plate tectonics and seafloor spreading.
19. (b) The recent cyclone on the east coast of India was called "Phailin". How are the tropical cyclones named across the world? Elaborate.(100 words) 5 marks
Ans. The naming of tropical cyclones is a recent phenomenon. The process involves several countries in the region and is done under the aegis of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The WMO has divided the world Oceans into Basins and assigned the responsibility of naming the Cyclones to the respective regional bodies. There are 5 such regional bodies, called Regional Specialized Meteorological Centres (RSMC).
World Meteorological Organization maintains rotating lists of names which are appropriate for each Tropical Cyclone basin. The RSMC follow their own rules in naming cyclones. Some rotate the same list every 6 years while some prefer alternate male and female names. If a cyclone is particularly deadly or costly, then its name is retired and replaced by another one eg. Katrina. India Meteorological Department (IMD) is responsible for assigning name to the tropical cyclones occurring in the North Indian Ocean.
The naming of tropical cyclones helps in quick identification of storms in warning messages because local names are far easier to remember than numbers and technical terms. It makes it easier for the media to report on tropical cyclones, heightens interest in warnings and increases community preparedness.
20. (a) Bring out the causes for the formation of heat islands in the urban habitat of the world.(100 words) 5 marks
Ans. An urban heat island is a metropolitan area that is comparatively much warmer than the surrounding rural areas. Formation of heat islands has emerged as a major problem associated with rapid urbanisation. There are many reasons behind the formation of heat islands in urban habitats:
• Concrete, cement, and metal surfaces in urban areas tend to absorb heat energy rather than reflect it, contributing to higher urban temperatures.
• Cities have a low albedo, the increased surface area of buildings results in more solar radiation absorption than reflection.
• Construction of skyscrapers generates waste heat and heat that escapes.insulation has nowhere to go. Therefore it lingers between buildings in the cities.
• In densely populated areas tools such as cars and factories are always burning off energy which escapes in form of heat.
• The energy used in electric fans and air conditioning ends up contributing to an even hotter UHI.
Urban heat islands often have lower air quality because there are more pollutants being pumped into the air. When warm water from the UHI ends up flowing into local streams, it stresses the native species that have adapted to life in a cooler aquatic environment.
20 (b) what do you understand by the phenomenon of 'temperature inversion' in meteorology? How does it affect the weather and the habitants of the place? (100 words) 5 marks.
Ans. The reversal of the normal behaviour of temperature in the troposphere in which a layer of cool air at the surface is overlain by a layer of warmer air is known as temperature inversion'. It is most common in mountain valleys.
Inversions play an important role in determining cloud forms, precipitation, and visibility. An inversion acts as a cap on the upward movement of air which limits the convection produced by the heating of air from below.
Diffusion of dust, smoke, and other air pollutants is likewise limited and visibility may be greatly reduced in the region where temperature inversion takes place. Because air near the base of an inversion tends to be cool, fog is frequently present. Inversions also affect diurnal variations in air temperature.
Temperature inversion causes frost which leads to crop damage. Beside soccurrence of temperature inversion is a health hazard for the people living in the valleys. Inversion is the reason why the factories, houses and farms are located along the upper slopes of the valley.
21. Major hot deserts in northern hemisphere are located between 20 30 degree north and on the western side of the continents. Why? (200 words) 10 marks
Ans. There are multiple factors that attribute to the location of major hot deserts between 20-30 degree in the northern hemisphere north on the western side of the continents.
The 20-30 N regions falls under Horse Latitudes or the Sub-Tropical High Pressure Belts where the air descends and forms condition least favourable for precipitation of any kind to take place.
The aridity of the hot deserts is mainly due to the effects of off-shore Trade Winds. The limited winds that reach the region come from cooler regions having low relative humidity which makes condensation almost impossible. Under such conditions the deserts become regions of permanent drought.
The north eastern trade winds that manage to reach the western coast of the northern hemisphere are devoid of any moisture as they have already blew over vast stretches of land. Also the low level of Relative humidity in the region prevents saturation of air with water vapour thus preventing any cloud formation.
For any sort of convectional rainfall there should be moisture laden warm air. But the Cold currents near coastal areas prevent formation of convectional rainfall, leading to formation of deserts on western coast of continents. For example: Californian cold current along Mohave Desert and Canaries cold current along Sahara desert and Arabian Desert. Similarly the desiccating effect of the cold Peruvian Current along the Chilean coasts reduces the mean annual rainfall to extreme low. All these climatic factors make the region between 20-30 N along the western coasts, an ideal ground for the formation of deserts.
22. (a) Bring out the causes for more frequent landslides in the Himalayas than in Western Ghats. (100 words) 5 marks.
Ans. Landslides are mass movement of soil or rocks along the slopes of mountains triggered by various natural and anthropogenic causes. The Himalayan mountain system is among the youngest tertiary fold mountains in the world. The Himalayas have been created by interaction of convergent boundary: between the Indian and Eurasian plate. The mountain building process of Himalayas is still in progress and it is still gaining height. Therefore the Himalayas form a highly unstable mountain system which is subjected to tectonic activities. Tectonic movement increases the incidence of earthquake which in turn increases the chances of landslides.
In contrast, Western Ghats are older block mountain forming a stable mountain system much older than the Himalayas. Western Ghats are located on the stable part of Indian plate ie Deccan plateau and the movement of Indian plate does not affect Western Ghats.
The Himalayas are characterized by high peaks, steep slopes and heavy. rainfall and snowfall which increase the vulnerability of landslides. Whereas Western Ghats are eroded and denuded with gentle slope on the eastern side. Also there is no snowfall and very little rainfall on the leeward side of the mountain. Therefore the there are very few landslides in the Western Ghats. Unplanned constructions in the Himalayas, shifting cultivation, growth of industries and tourist influx in the region has also increased vulnerability of landslides in the Himalayas.
22. (b) There is no formation of deltas by rivers of the Western Ghats. Why?(100 words) 5 marks
Ans. Delta is a landform created at the mouth of a river due to deposition of silt or load of the river. Unlike the Himalayan Rivers, the rivers of the Western Ghats do not form delta. The following factors explain absence of delta formation by the rivers of Western Ghats:
. The erosion activity of the Rivers of Western Ghats flow is very low as it flows through peninsular plateau which is characterized by hard rock. surface and lacks alluvial material.
• Therefore these rivers do not carry much silt/load to be deposited at the mouth of the river.
• They receive less amount of rainfall compared to the Himalayan Rivers and their catchment area is also small.
• The west flowing rivers of Western Ghats fall from steep slope and cover very short distance before they fall into Arabian Sea.
• Similarly the East flowing rivers flows through relatively shallow and eroded valley and has less fluvial force.
• Also Most of the tributaries of these rivers make trellis pattern because of their confluence at right angles. Therefore these rivers can only forms canyons, estuaries, falls etc.
23. (a) Do you agree that there is a growing trend of opening new sugar mills in the Southern states of India? Discuss with justification.(100 words) 5 marks.
Ans. Sugar mills are located near sugar growing areas, because of the perishable nature of sugarcane and its weight losing tendency post harvesting. The last few decades has seen growing trend of opening new sugar mills in the southern parts of India because of the following reasons:
• Absence of loo and frost and the moderating effect of ocean makes south India ideal for sugarcane growth.
• The sugar canes of these areas have a higher sucrose content which makes better quality sugar.
• The relatively cooler climate in southern states ensures a longer crushing season for the producers.
• Sugarcane industry is a seasonal industry and is generally run by cooperatives. Southern states have well developed network of co-operatives. In north India mills have to be closed during winters because of unavailability of raw material. But in south mills can operate throughout the year.
• The black lava soil of the region is very fertile and retains water that is good for growth of sugarcane plants.
• The location of ports also reduces the transportation cost of processed goods and facilitates exports.
23. (b) Analyse the factors for highly decentralized cotton textile industry in India.(100 words) 5 marks
Ans. Maharashtra and Gujarat were the traditional regions of cotton cultivation and preferred areas for textile industries. However off late it was realized cotton is extremely light weight as a raw material and also a non perishable item. Therefore setting up textile industries away from the cotton growing areas seemed viable.
With expansion of irrigation, the non-traditional regions also took up cotton cultivation. Besides better transportation infrastructure also facilitated scattered locations of textile industries.
Other factors that determine the location of textile industries are:
• Proximity to the market, railways and ports.
• Availability of water for dyeing and bleaching.
• Reliable power supply to run power looms and other machinery.
• Availability of cheap labour.
• Availability of capital/ finance.
Since the textile industry require relatively less capital and labour, it can be set up anywhere, where the raw material could be transported. Therefore gradually the textile industries started shifting to small towns scattered all over the country where the required facilities were available.
24. with growing scarcity of fossil fuels, the atomic energy is gaining more and more significance in India. Discuss the availability of raw material required for the generation of atomic energy in India and in the world. (200 words) 10 Marks.
Ans. India produces only 3% of its current energy demand from nuclear sources.Therefore atomic energy has huge untapped potential in India.
India has devised three staged program to generate Nuclear power. The first stage requires Uranium, second stage creates plutonium from Uranium and third stage requires thorium. Therefore Uranium and Thorium are the most critical for generation of Nuclear Energy.
In India Uranium deposits occur in Singhbhum and Hazaribagh in Jharkhand, Gaya in Bihar and in the sedimentary rocks of Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh. But the largest source of uranium comprises the monazite sands which are mainly found around the Kerala coast. Some uranium is also found in the copper mines of Udaipur in Rajasthan.
However India has no significant reserves of Uranium that are being exploited commercially and it produces only about 2 per cent of world's uranium.Therefore all current needs are met through imports. At the world level the largest viable deposits of Uranium are found in Australia (Port Darwin, Rum Jungle), Canada (Lake Great Bear) and Russia (South of Urals). Kazakhstan, Namibia, Niger and Uzbekistan also produce uranium.
Thorium is several times more abundant in Earth's crust than all isotopes of uranium. United States, Australia and India have particularly large reserves of thorium. India's thorium is mainly found in a contiguous belt formed by its eastern coastal states with Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala holding major reserves. Some reserves of thorium are also found in Bihar, Jharkhand and Rajasthan.
25. It is said the India has substantial reserves of shale oil and gas, which can feed the needs of country for quarter century. However, tapping of the resources doesn't appear to be high on the agenda. Discuss critically the availability and issues involved.( 200 words) 10 Marks
Ans. Shale gas is natural gas that is found trapped within the hard shale rock beds inside the earth. It's cleaner than coal and cheaper than nuclear and solar energy. India has technically recoverable shale gas of around 96 trillion cubic feet. The recoverable reserves are identified in Cambay, Krishna Godavari, Cauvery, Damodar Valley, Upper Assam, Pranahita - Godavari, Rajasthan and Vindhya Basins.
In addition to shale gas, India has got reserves of other unconventional natural gases like Coal Bed Methane, Coal Mine Methane, and Tight Gas which are in the different stages of development/production.
The coal bed methane is extracted from virgin coal mines at Jharia, Raniganj and Sohagpur. However the reserves of tight gas at Cambay basin are not economically viable with current technologies.
Challenges in exploring shale oil and gas:
• The predominant challenges in the production of shale gas are availability of land and water, treatment of flowback water, seismic threat and methane emissions etc.
• Shale gas is extracted through the process of "hydraulic fracturing" which requires millions of gallons of water. It may affect requirement of water for drinking and agriculture etc around the area.
• In Fracking process one fourth to one half of fluid mixture comes back to the surface as waste water, which contains high levels of dissolved solids and sometimes naturally occurring radioactive materials.
• Availability of land is a major challenge. The Indian government can authorise shale gas exploitation by granting licenses. However the vast population cover and agriculture pursuit poses challenge in shale gas production.
• India needs to have base line water data about stock which requires a lot of capacity building in manpower resources.
India's opportunities and prospects:
Companies like ONGC should be allowed to explore shale gas on pilot basis to understand the properties and behaviour of different shale formations in different Indian basins. The Centre needs to issue regulations so that the State governments may enforce these regulations as land and water being state issues.
The technical expertise and infrastructure required must be acquired in near future. India's shale gas production will reduce coal consumption and will help to mitigate emission of Green House Gases.
Shale gas has enormous potential in India and it can become a 'game changer' in the global energy market where conventional supplies are already on decline and demand of energy is on rise.
Reviewed by Aslam Ansari
on
September 28, 2021
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