GENERAL STUDIES PAPER-1 1...3 GS Paper 1_1 Answer Key Byju’s Classes: 9873643487 Delhi’s summer aandhis, like Kolkata’s kaalbaisakhis, are localised events. However, the recent

1 GS Paper 1_1 Answer Key Byju’s Classes: 9873643487

GENERAL STUDIES

PAPER-1_1

GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA AND THE WORLD, SOCIETY OF INDIA

Q1) Discuss the distribution and socioeconomic significance of winter precipitation in different regions of India.

(200 words/12.5 marks)

Introduction Western disturbances originate in the

Mediterranean region. A high-pressure area consolidates, causing the intrusion of cold air from Polar Regions towards an area of relatively warmer air with high moisture. This generates favourable conditions for cyclogenesis in the upper atmosphere, which promotes the formation of an eastward-moving extra tropical depression.

The disturbance moves towards the Indian subcontinent until the Himalayas inhibits its development, upon which the depression rapidly weakens.

Main Body

Western disturbances, specifically the ones in

winter, bring moderate to heavy rain in low-lying areas and heavy snow to mountainous areas of the Indian Subcontinent.

They are the cause of most winter and pre-monsoon season rainfall across northwest India.

Western disturbances are usually associated with cloudy sky, higher night temperatures and unusual rain. Some areas which receive rainfall during the winters are:

1. Central and northern parts of India get occasional rainfall during winter.

2. Weak temperate cyclones lead to rainfall in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh. This rainfall benefits the rabi crops.

3. Northeastern areas of the country also receive

winter rainfall. 4. In October and November, northeast monsoon

receives heavy moisture while blowing over the Bay of Bengal and cause enormous rainfall over the coast of Tamil Nadu and the southern tip of Andhra Pradesh.

Impacts

Precipitation during the winter season has great

importance in agriculture, particularly for the rabi crops.

Wheat among them is one of the most important crops, which helps to meet India’s food security. An average of four to five western disturbances form during the winter season.

The rainfall distribution and amount varies with

every western disturbance.

Excessive precipitation due to western disturbances can cause crop damage, landslides, floods and avalanches.

Over the Indo-Gangetic plains, they occasionally bring cold wave conditions and dense fog. These

conditions remain stable until disturbed by another western disturbance.

When western disturbances move across

northwest India before the onset of monsoon, a temporary advancement of monsoon current appears over the region.

The strongest western disturbances usually occur in the northern parts of Pakistan, where flooding is reported number of times during the winter season. Q2) In the light of recent spate of protests by farmers, Discuss the major issues faced by Farming community in India and suggest suitable measures required to be taken by Government to solve Agrarian crisis.


Introduction The History of farmer protests in India is century

old. However, demands have been varying time to time.

The peasant protests since the 1980s have focused on getting more benefits from the government instead of working on fundamental changes in the way agriculture is organized.

Their political protests were always focused on

lowering input costs or increasing support.

Indian state has, since the Green Revolution, taken at least some of the risk out of agriculture by putting farm inputs at subsidized costs as well as providing guaranteed prices for certain types of farm produce.

Main Body

The recent protests, which started in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, have spread to other states like Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.

Farmer suicides are also still rampant in the

country. But the problems facing the Indian farmer are not just economic.

Incomplete land reforms, inappropriate water and irrigation facilities, lack of institutional credit and technological backwardness are some of the reasons which cause distress amongst farmers in India.

What angered people more was that while the government claims that India is an agrarian economy, most schemes are aimed at helping the big industrialists and the capitalists of the country.

Schemes such as the Make in India campaign, the

building-up of textile parks and the proposed Mumbai Nagpur Super Expressway highlight this bias. Some of the causes of farmer unrest are

Price slide: Due to the overproduction, India is still carrying a huge inventory of food grains from last year's record harvest.


Exports were hit by an appreciating rupee, falling global prices and restrictions on overseas shipments.

Rising production in agriculture on its own cannot lead to good prices for farmers.

High cost of production: These include availability

of high quality seeds, inputs such as water and fertilisers, finance at both the pre-harvest and post-harvest levels, logistics in moving the goods and finally marketing where it is sold to the consumer.

There are several levels of intermediaries which can stretch to 6-8 depending on the crop and location.

Loan waivers continue to be just a temporary relief

rather than a long-term solution. 2008-09 loan waivers did not improve conditions.

A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report found that 13.5 percent of loan accounts were denied the waiver though they were eligible for it, while as much as Rs 20.5 crore was spent on waiving debts of non-eligible farmers.

Small landholdings: While the global average of landholding size is 5.5 hectares, the per capita availability of land in India from 1951 to 2011 declined by 70 percent, from 0.5 hectares to 0.15 hectares.

Small and marginal landholdings make up 85

percent of the number of operational farms in India. Small farms make it tough for farmers to use modern machinery, because such farmers are too poor to afford such equipment.

Manual labour costs also increase. And the small size and output makes it difficult for the farmers to get loans and institutional credit.

Demonetisation: Tomato farmers in Karnataka and

Tamil Nadu, and onion farmers in Maharashtra and Gujarat were the worst hit, as their prices fell by 60 to 85 percent.

Climate change: Rainfall is becoming increasingly uncertain in a country where over half of the farmers still depend on rain.

Extreme rainfall events in central India are increasing and moderate rainfall is decreasing — as a part of complex changes in local and world weather.

And even though the droughts of 2014 and 2015 in rural Maharashtra were followed by plentiful rains in 2016, many parts of the state were also flooded.

Groundwater levels, which provide water for two-thirds of India's irrigated land, are also falling.

Other Local Causes

Water distribution and dam construction issues in

many parts of the India.

Industry sucks existing water from river in many areas.

Mineral or hydrocarbon exploration causes harm to the faming system in nearby areas. Measures required to be taken by Government

Give the suitable reasons to overcome the each of

above problems.

Some of the possible solutions are:

Disbursement of micro-credit system for small

land holders.

Reinstallation of local irrigation system like well, bawri, pond etc.

Water conservation and water harvesting.

Moving towards allied- agriculture system.

Bridge the divide between the urban and rural

India.

Conclusion It is duty of government to look after drought hit areas since farmers have been becoming minority in Agrarian society.

Q3) Dust storms and thunderstorms wreak havoc in north Indian states during summer season. Discuss the factors responsible for development of dust storms and Thunderstorms and suggest appropriate measures to minimize their damaging effects. (200 words/12.5 marks)

Introduction Sand and dust storms are regular occurrences in arid and semi-arid regions. Dust storms play an important role in global dust cycle, and can alter the radiative balance.

When the visibility is below 1000 meters on a dusty day, it is considered that dust storm is occurring. Sand and dust storms should not be confused with other types of dusts such as rising dust, suspended dust and haze.

The former are mostly associated with dry and hot northerly and north-westerly winds locally whereas the latter are mostly caused by human activities.

The dust storm occurs at any place when there is

an interaction of weather event with soil and land management such as soil structure and vegetation cover.

It can damage agricultural crops and retard plant growth and alter the life cycle of the marine benthic organisms due to less sun light penetration into the sea floor. Dust storms can cause social disruption, economic loss and adverse impact on human health.

Main Body In the desert regions, there are two main factors that have been identified as causing sand and dust storms. These are geographic condition and climatic conditions. Some of the components of these two conditions are;

Loose and dry sand, dirt, lack of vegetation or land cover

strong seasonal wind speed on the ground

Surface air turbulence due to huge amounts of radiation in the region

Vertical and unstable weather conditions,

Dry surfaces due to lack of rain.

Decrease in soil moisture and the soil/ sand binding capacity due to reduced or lack of rainfall

Anthropogenic factors such as land clearing and desertification.

Recent Phenomenon

The recent phenomenon was triggered by a dust storm that began over Rajasthan. It was carried by strong westerly wind. The dusty blanket spread itself over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and western UP.

It was kept close to the surface by the anti-cyclonic flow of winds. Anti-cyclones swirl clockwise in the northern hemisphere. It pushes the local air down and prevents outside air from entering the region.


Delhi’s summer aandhis, like Kolkata’s kaalbaisakhis, are localised events.

However, the recent development is different in scale and impact. Strangely, all of North India was enveloped. These climatic conditions cannot any longer be seen in isolation.

Changing Conditions

The recent dust haze is notably not a onetime incident resulting just from desert storm.

The phenomenon could be aggravated by o desertification around Delhi o the uncontrolled urban development o climate change

The frequency of dust storms during the summer time are more as it provides the most favorable climatic conditions for the same. Human induced changes are also considered as significant factors in increase in occurrences of dust storms in some non-arid regions. Impact of Dust Storm

Dust particles in the air, also known as dust aerosols, cause a shielding effect on solar radiation similar to rain cloud.

This causes a local cooling effect for a temporary

period of time. The temperature can reduce by 10C due to diminished sunlight falling onto the surface.

Sand and dust storm can cause negative impacts on three pillars of sustainability; society, economy and environment.

Low visibility can affect human life in many ways.

The fine suspended particles also contain

contaminants, bacteria, pollens, which cause negative health impacts such as allergies and respiratory diseases.

Dust also carries air borne pollutants such as toxins, heavy metals, salt, sulphur, pesticides etc. They cause significant health impacts when people inhale the contaminated dust.

Dusts can corrode buildings and other built

infrastructure since it is contains high level of salts particularly in the dust storms of deserted gulf region. Mitigation

Dust Fall Monitoring: Australia and several countries in sub-Saharan Africa and West Asia carry out dust fall monitoring.

Measuring dust deposits in the air alongside ambient air monitoring can be done. The data would help in the mitigation processes.

Great Green Wall: Projects like the African Union-led “Great Green Wall for the Sahara and Sahel Initiative” could be taken up. It aims to create a mosaic of trees across North Africa, Sahel and the Horn.

Vegetation buffers could be positioned between residential and industrial areas or roads.

The urban design of cities should be rethought. Greening has to be done intelligently; roads need to be designed with tree cover.

The Aravalli and the Ridge need to be protected. This in turn will protect the water table and benefit the city throughout the year.

Q4) Recently Andhra Pradesh Government decided to promote Zero budget natural farming (ZBNF) in the state. Discuss various components of ZBNF and it’s significance in mitigating the new challenges emerging due to global warming and climate change.


Introduction

Zero Budget Natural farming (ZBNF) is said to be “do nothing farming”.

It involves the application of nature’s principles in farming. It practices no-till, no chemical use in farming.

Alongside, dispersal of clay seed balls to propagate plants is done.

Main Body Components

seeds treated with cow dung and urine

soil rejuvenated with cow dung, cow urine and other local materials to increase microbes

cover crops, straw and other organic matter to retain soil moisture and build humus

soil aeration for favorable soil conditions

These methods are combined with natural insect management methods when required.

The ZBNF is a technology of the future with a traditional idiom. Significance in Mitigating Climate Change

In ZBNF, yields of various cash and food crops have been found to be significantly higher.

E.g. yields from ZBNF plots were found on average to be 11% higher for cotton than in non-ZBNF plots.

The yield for Guli ragi (ZBNF) was 40% higher than non-ZBNF.

Input costs are near zero as no fertilizers and pesticides are used. Profits in most areas under ZBNF were from higher yield and lower inputs.

Model ZBNF farms were able to withstand drought and flooding.

Planting multiple crops and border crops on same field provides varied income and nutrient sources.

Overall, there is reduced use of water and electricity

improved health of farmers

flourishing of local ecosystems and biodiversity

no toxic chemical residues in the environment

improvements in soil, biodiversity, livelihoods, water

climate resilience

women empowerment and nutrition

Conclusion

The programme can have a positive effect on many of the sustainable development goals.

As ZBNF is applied in India’s various agro-ecological zones, making farmers the innovators is essential.

Agricultural scientists in India have to rework their strategy so that farming is in consonance with nature.

The dominant paradigm of chemical-based agriculture has failed and regenerative agriculture is the emerging new science.


Q5) Indian agriculture needs to stop being “obsessed” with land productivity and instead start worrying about Agricultural efficiency. Elucidate


Introduction In contrast to the discrete land use and land cover

classes, land productivity is a continuous variable, which represents land cover through vegetation density and vigour.

On a regional scale, land productivity follows the climatic gradient other driver of land productivity such as soils, topography, land use and management also play a role in modulating land productivity at finer scales.

Despite high acreage under agriculture the yield

ratio is far less in India as compared to other develop countries.

Main Body

Increasing population and existing climate change scenario is posing a major challenge to the global fresh water resource. This challenge is more visible in agriculture sector, especially of water stressed countries, as it is often the biggest user of fresh water supplies.

India is a classic case of this unfolding scenario. India is already categorised as water stressed country in terms of per capita freshwater availability (1544 cubic meter in 2011).

Out of the 4 per cent share of global freshwater

availability in India, almost 78 cent share of water is consumed by the agriculture sector.

UN Population projections (revised) of 2017 show that India will be most populous country on this planet surpassing China by 2024. Most of the studies by OECD, IMF, etc also show that India is likely to register a population growth of about 7 to 8 percent for the coming decade or so.

By 2030, India is also likely to have 600 million

people living in urban areas, up from current level of about 380 million. What all this implies is that the pressure on water, both for producing more food, feed and fibre as well as for rising urbanization and industrial activity, will be tremendous.

In a recent OECD study on global water risk hotspots, India’s north-western region has already been identified as one among the three top most water risk hotspots in agricultural production, the others being north eastern China and south western USA.

Against this backdrop, ensuring optimum water

productivity becomes essential to ensure sustainable growth in agriculture.

It may be worth noting that water is likely to be a more binding constraint to Indian agriculture than even land, and therefore it is time to change the mind-set from raising agricultural productivity per unit of land to per unit of water.

All these factors force Indian policymaker to think about increasing agriculture efficiency so that same amount of productivity can be achieved with the decreasing resource or input cost.

Improving Agriculture efficiency

The agricultural efficiency can be improved by introducing latest agricultural implements on the field for the smooth cultivation of land.

As both the access and less use of water can damage crop. There is need to adopt smart use of water such as sprinkler.

High yield seed along with diseases resistant verity can improve the productivity and input ratio.

Re-aligning cropping pattern with water resource

endowments

Price policy reforms.

Lessons from model districts may be implemented on larger scale with proper investments.

Improving irrigation efficiency.

Infrastructure development for water management

Encourage Participatory Irrigation Management

through WUAs, FPO and Corporate Farming Ventures

Conclusion Cropping patterns be re-aligned to water availability, using both demand and supply side interventions. With water and power subsidies skewing cropping patterns, it also recommends reform in these areas, with a shift from the price policy approach of heavily subsidising inputs to an income policy approach of directly giving money

farmers on per hectare basis. Prices will then be determined by market forces. Q6) According to recent report released by Niti Aayog, India is heading towards an unprecedented water catastrophe. Discuss the major risks associated with water crisis and how “Water budgeting” can help solve the crisis.


Introduction The NITI Aayog’s water management index was

released recently.

This, along with a NABARD sponsored study on water productivity of different crops depicts the country’s increasing water stress.

Main Body

NITI Aayog maintains that about 600 million people face high to extreme water scarcity. This is almost half the population of the country.

About 200,000 people die every year due to lack of safe water. The crisis will escalate with the water availability dwindling to merely half of the effective demand by 2030.

Groundwater resources (40% of total water supply) are also predicted to deplete rapidly. This may accentuate water paucity in both rural and urban areas.

Some 21 cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, will almost run out of groundwater by as soon as 2020.

If these come true, around 40% of the population will lose access to water. Also, the gross domestic product (GDP) will take a hit of about 6%.

It holds the overuse of water in the agricultural sector responsible for the present adversity. Over two-thirds of the nation’s available water is consumed in the farm sector. In this, about 80% goes just to three crops — rice, wheat and sugarcane.

The most intensive cultivation of these water-guzzling crops is high in water-stressed regions E.g. sugarcane in Maharashtra, rice and wheat in Punjab and Haryana.


Composite Water Management Index

The index is developed by NITI Aayog and it ranked states on how well they managed water. It comprises 9 broad sectors with 28 different indicators covering various aspects of groundwater, restoration of water bodies, irrigation, farm practices, drinking water, policy and governance.

According to the recent report, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh have managed water resources efficiently. Meghalaya, Uttarakhand and Nagaland are the bottom three states in the index. While Tripura has emerged as top performer in north-east, Rajasthan has emerged as the best performer in the incremental progress over last two years.

Water Budgeting

Ultimately, the water management problem is that of allocating the water available each year among users —both people and the ecosystem.

Without understanding how much water is

available, how much is being used and by whom, solving India’s water crisis is going to be a non-starter.

The way forward is comprehensive water budgeting, simultaneously in each watershed and the river basin as a whole.

Water budgets at the watershed level will inform communities about how much water they have, so it can be equitably shared within communities.

Water budgets for the river basin will inform

communities how much must be left for downstream users, ensuring that water resources are allocated between communities fairly and transparently.

Given the zero-sum nature of the game and the impossibility of creating “new” water, it is likely that we cannot restore the water balance in severely depleted regions without painful cuts in water use.

Conclusion Water users everywhere are worried about the disappearing resource and willing to engage. The trick lies in combining technology (low-water-use crops, xeriscaping) and economic incentives that reduce actual water use (“cash-for-blue” schemes) without reducing productivity or quality of life. This needs a strong water governance system based on awareness building, science and a commitment to fairness and sustainability. Q7) The process of development and evolution of landforms over the earth surface is systematic and is controlled by multiple factors. Analyse.


Introduction The landscape development on the earth surface is

created by a number of exogenesis and endogenic forces operating on and inside the earth surface.

Landforms are individual expressions of terrain, from mountain peaks to level, featureless plains.

While they sometimes seem stolid and inviolable, they are built up and destroyed by physical and chemical forces on a scale of time often dizzying to the human mind. From winds and floods to plant

roots, these forces act on the natural

characteristics of the constituent rocks, under the strong influence of regional climate.

Main body Factor Controlling Landform Development Many factors determine the rate and type of weathering that will occur in a given location on Earth's surface. These factors include variations in the location, composition, and size of rocks, as well as in local weather conditions.

Exposure Involved in Landform development Both the rate and type of weathering are dependent on the exposure of rocks to air, water, and the actions of living things. Generally, the closer a rock is to Earth's surface, the faster it will weather. The difference in the amount of solar energy on the north and south sides of mountains affects the temperature and amount of moisture available for weathering. This often results in different soil characteristics on opposite sides of mountains. Particle Size - Landform development Weathering results in the formation of rock particles of different sizes. When the rock particles are smaller, the total surface area per unit volume exposed to weathering is greater. Therefore, the rate of weathering is faster. To understand the effect of increased surface area, consider what happens when you add sugar to a drink. Granulated sugar dissolves more quickly than an equal mass of sugar cubes because the granulated sugar has a greater surface area exposed to the liquid around it. Mineral Composition A rock's mineral com position affects the rate of weathering because different minerals have different physical and chemical properties. Some minerals, such as cal-cite in limestone and marble, weather rapidly because they dissolve in slightly acidic water. In contrast, the mineral quartz does not react chemically with most substances in the environment. Thus, quartz is largely unaffected by chemical weathering and is commonly found as sand in many environments.

Conclusion In the formation of landforms on earth surface is attributed to both exogenesis and endogenic forces, which are operating throughout the geological history of the earth.


Q8) The vision of doubling of farmers’ income can be realised by establishing India as hub for the global food processing industry. In the light of this statement, discuss the scope for Food Processing Industries in India and the major challenges faced by the sector.


Introduction Part of the idea of new India by 2020.

Making India free of communalism, casteism etc.

The governments idea of doubling farmers income

along with reduction in poverty, unemployment etc.

Food processing Industry- A sunrise Industry.

Although the Industry faces certain challenges in its development.

Main Body

Governments aim of reducing poverty,

unemployment, hunger, malnutrition etc.

Country largest share of population comprises of farmers and governments idea of doubling their income.

For Doubling farmers income their is need for increasing production, productivity, diversification of crops insuring the procurement of the crops of the produce.

Minimizing the leakage

Rationalism of subsidies

Increase in shelf life of products through food

processing industries ex. Milk Products.

Food processing industry and its contribution to GDP and economy.

Food processing Industry a sunrise industry development of mega food parks schemes like Sampada

Challenges

Poor investment in the sector

Labour pool and unskilled labour

quality of the agricultural produce

government intravation

technological upgradation

Conclusion

Agricultural production, raw material for the food processing industries and improvement in the farms income.

Reduction in poverty hunger malnutrition and

development of economy. Q9) Discuss the growth and distribution of Cotton textile industry in India and Account for major challenges faced by the sector.


Introduction Cotton plays an important role in the Indian

economy as the country's textile industry is predominantly cotton based. India is one of the largest producers as well as exporters of cotton yarn and the Indian textile industry contributes about 11 percent to industrial production, 14 per cent to the manufacturing sector, 4 percent to the GDP and 12 per cent to the country's total export earnings. The cotton cultivation in India in 2013-14 was estimated at 37 million bales (170 kg each) of cotton, making it the second largest producer of cotton worldwide.

During 2013-14 in India, cotton yarn production increased by two per cent and cloth production by mill and power loom sector increased by five per cent and six per cent respectively.

The states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh (AP), Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh (MP), Rajasthan, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu (TN) are the major cotton producers in India. Growth of the Industry The Indian textiles industry is extremely varied, with the hand-spun and handwoven textiles sectors at one end of the spectrum, while the capital intensive sophisticated mills sector at the other end of the spectrum. The decentralised power looms/ hosiery and knitting sector form the

largest component of the textiles sector. The close linkage of the textile industry to agriculture (for raw materials such as cotton) and the ancient culture and traditions of the country in terms of textiles make the Indian textiles sector unique in comparison to the industries of other countries. The Indian textile industry has the capacity to produce a wide variety of products suitable to different market segments, both within India and across the world.

Market Size

The Indian textiles industry, currently estimated at around US$ 108 billion, is expected to reach US$ 223 billion by 2021. The industry is the second largest employer after agriculture, providing employment to over 45 million people directly and 60 million people indirectly. The Indian Textile Industry contributes approximately 5 per cent to India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and 14 per cent to overall Index of Industrial Production (IIP).

The Indian textile industry has the potential to

reach US$ 500 billion in size according to a study by Wazir Advisors and PCI Xylenes & Polyester. The growth implies domestic sales to rise to US$ 315 billion from currently US$ 68 billion. At the same time, exports are implied to increase to US$ 185 billion from approximately US $41 billion currently. Investments

The textiles sector has witnessed a spurt in investment during the last five years. The industry (including dyed and printed) attracted Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) worth US$ 1.85 billion during April 2000 to March 2016.


Distribution of Cotton Textile Industry in India

Challenges of the Cotton Industry

Growing Popularity of Synthetic Fibers

Increase in Production Cost for Cotton

Price Volatility in Cotton Industry

High Competition for Acreage among Agricultural Crops

Q10) Why Asia Pacific region is often in news for natural disasters like Earthquakes and Cyclones. Discuss the scope of political Cooperation for Mitigation of their impact.


Earthquake in Asia-Pacific Region


Explanation using plate tectonics theory

Major and Minor Plates

Interaction of Plates along its margin

Earthquakes regions along the margins of the plates Cyclones in the Asia-Pacific Region

Mainly tropical cyclones in the region

Development of favourable conditions like warm seas (Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, South China Seas etc.)

Closeness of Seas

Development of cyclonic conditions

Easterlies in the region causing the movement of the cyclones Scope for Political Cooperation

The several countries in the Asia-Pacific region can

come together to fight against the common disaster (earthquake and cyclone) in the region.

Greater co-operation and collaboration in the development of warning systems post disaster systems, mitigation majors etc.

Development of multi-lateral forum for co-

operation in the field of research and development, mapping etc.

Bilateral relations for humanitarian assistance during the disaster ex. Military and Naval Exercise.

Fight against climate change and global warming.

Conclusion

With greater co-operation and co-ordination the

intensity and the frequency of the disasters in the region can be minimized. Q11) Account for variations in general atmospheric Circulation and its impact on global precipitation patterns.

(200 words/12.5 marks) The atmospheric circulation, transporting heat in both its sensible and latent forms, moisture (both as invisible vapour and in its condensed forms as fog, clouds, rain and snow, etc.), solid matter carried up from the surface (dust, sand, sea-salt, smoke particles, ice grains, etc.) and various liquid or gaseous forms of pollution. Atmospheric circulation processes involving vertical motion (and

therefore adiabatic cooling) are responsible for most of the clouds and weather, thunderstorms, showers and long continued gentler rains, which correspond respectively to different types of vertical motion. The atmospheric constituents named also partly screen, scatter or reflect back some of the incoming solar and outgoing terrestrial radiation. The atmospheric circulation is therefore the fundamental mechanism of climate. And even in the Sahara, the Australian desert and the central regions of the Antarctic ice cap one year differs from another because the atmospheric circulation gives rise to events which interfere with the heat balance which the regular astronomical and geometrical controls of the radiation climate would otherwise produce. The atmosphere is set in motion by the unequal heating of different latitudes and different types of surface, causing vertical expansion (lifting of the upper atmosphere) over the warm regions and vertical contraction of the air columns over the cold regions. Thus, even if we could suppose the air initially at rest, and pressure uniform everywhere at sea level, pressure gradients from the warm to the cold zones would be bound to exist aloft and a circulation tendency would be introduced.

Factors Affecting the Atmospheric Circulation

Latitude and Sunlight

Pressure

Temperature

Geography

Wind

Humidity

Clouds

Precipitation

Impact on Global Precipitation patterns Decreasing precipitation is inducing the emergence of drought in land surfaces and enlarging dry climate regions as a result of global warming. The middle of Asia is suffering high risk of extreme drought and degenerating into deserts, which is leading the deterioration of ecological environment. Previous studies have shown that there are two major sources of precipitation on land: the water vapor transportation from surrounding areas to inland areas by the movement of the atmosphere, and the local evaporation and water vapor produced by transpiration. The former is related to atmospheric circulation in the horizontal direction, which is more important to the precipitation of inland arid and semi-arid regions such as TRB. Many researches have analyzed the effects of different scale atmospheric circulation on precipitation. Precipitation over East Africa is associated with a west-east propagating wave of convective activity. Large-scale circulation changes is a direct result of the reduction of precipitation in Northwest Europe; While in southern Europe, its effect is weak when using large-scale circulation to do aggregating simulation about average precipitation. In the central region of Southwest Asia, El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) will also affect local climate, such as in a small area of


Northern Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and South of Uzbekistan. The increased precipitation in East China is related to the main features of the atmospheric circulation. Q12) Discuss the impact of global warming and climate change on distribution and availability of water resources and associated socioeconomic consequences. (200 words/12.5 marks) Impact of Global Warming and Climate Change

Rising seas and increased coastal flooding

Longer and more damaging wildfire seasons

More destructive hurricanes

More frequent and intense heat waves

Military bases at risk

National landmarks at risk

Widespread forest death in the Rocky Mountains

Costly and growing health impacts

An increase in extreme weather events

Heavier precipitation and flooding

More severe droughts in some areas

Increased pressure on groundwater supplies

Growing risks to our electricity supply

Changing seasons

Melting Ice

Disruptions to food supplies

Destruction of coral reefs

Plant and animal range shifts

The potential for abrupt climate change

Climate Change is Bad for Water Security Climate change poses a huge threat to something humans need above all else – water. We need it for drinking, of course, but also for growing food. We’re seeing the dire consequences climate change

can have on our water supplies right now in places like Cape Town, South Africa. Put simply? The city – and the four million people who call it home – could run out of water (and soon). While many factors have led to Cape Town’s water crisis, climate change has undoubtedly made a bad situation much worse. We know that increasing global temperatures can lead to droughts, and Cape Town has been experiencing record drought for years – getting only about half of its average annual rainfall since 2015. Many cities around the world could face a similar fate. We already know that the largest reservoir in the US – Lake Mead – contained less than half the amount of water in 2015 as it did in 2000. Everyone deserves access to water for their survival. And climate change is making our water supply much less secure. Consequences on socio-economic conditions

Longer and more damaging wildfire seasons

More frequent and intense heat waves

Military bases at risk

National landmarks at risk

Costly and growing health impacts

An increase in extreme weather events

Heavier precipitation and flooding

Increased pressure on groundwater supplies

Disruptions to food supplies

Q13) “Global distribution of continents and Oceanic basins is dynamic in nature “. Explain the statement in the light of Plate Tectonics Theory.


Introduction Plate Tectonics Theory (PTT) – Most scientific

analysis for the distribution of continents and oceans.

Over the Geological History – The Continent and Oceans have remained dynamic.

PTT suggest that the plates are still moving.

Main Body

The Theory of plate tectonics is probably the most

important geological hypothesis ever developed, after the Theory of Continental Drift espoused by Alfred Wegner in the early 20th century. The scientific community at that time ridiculed Wegner and flatly rejected his hypothesis.

The theory of plate tectonics was formulated by American, Canadian and British geophysicists. It explains the earthquakes, volcanoes, the formation of mountains, and other geophysical phenomena to interactions of the rigid plates forming the earth’s crust. The word tectonics derives from the Greek tektonikos, meaning ‘pertaining to construction’.

Dr Robert Ballard at Woods Hole Oceanographic

Institution, wrote in 1983: “plate tectonics not only vindicated Wegner, it transformed geology as profoundly as the theories of evolution. and relativity transformed biology and physics.”

The interior of Earth is divided into crust, mantle and core. According to the theory, the earth’s surface layer, or lithosphere (the upper layer of earth’s interior, including the crust and the ‘brittle’ portion of the top mantle), consists of seven large and eighteen smaller plates that move and interact in various ways. They converge, diverge and slip past one another creating the earth’s seismic and volcanic activities.

These plates are not fused with each other but

they are in constant but slow motion. This is what is known as “Continental drift”. This term is now replaced by “plate tectonics” (plate building).

These plates lie atop a layer of partly molten rock called the asthenosphere. These plates can carry both continents and oceans, or exclusively one or the other. Example: the Pacific plate is entirely oceanic. The continental plates are lighter than the oceanic plates at the bottom of the sea.

According to John Gribbin, scientist and the

master of popular science writings, at the heart of understanding plate tectonics is the discovery that the sea floor is also spreading.

The direct observations from the space, magnetic surveys of sea floor, seismography have produced many lines of evidence that there are cracks in the sea floor where molten materials from beneath the crust (magma) well up to the surface in a ridge, and then pushes out on either side of the crack, where it sets, especially in the Atlantic.

But the reverse destruction of the sea floor is also

going, driving down back into the interior of the earth, somewhere, especially under a continent. The Pacific Ocean is shrinking as a result at about the same rate as the Atlantic Ocean is expanding. As these happen far out in the sea these


earthquakes and underwater volcanoes do not bother us.

When the hot fluid material from beneath the surface of the earth rises and breaks though continents and cracks them apart, new oceans form, as it is happening in East Africa today. And sometimes continents collide, as the seafloor between them shrinks away to nothing, forming new mountain ranges, such as the Himalayas.

Continental plates are composed mainly of granite, while oceanic plates are mostly basalt, which is considerably heavier. The continents are thus lighter and buoyant and hence float higher on the earth’s mantle than the ocean’s crust does.

The average depth of the ocean is 3,800 m more

than four times the average height of the continents, and two thirds of the planet is covered by sea.

John Gribbin says: “It is clear that these processes can only operate on a planet, like the earth, with a relatively thin crust of solid material on top of the fluid layers beneath. Without water none of this would happen; without water, there would be no plate tectonics.”

He says all these processes are necessary for the

existence of life on earth. Gases bubble out of magma and rises to the surface, where they are released at volcanic vents, as water vapour, carbon dioxide and nitrogen. All these gases are used by life on earth, maintaining the balance of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and regulate the earth’s temperature.

John Gribbin argues that without the combination of thin crust and water of the earth technology would not have been possible. And without the metals, intelligence alone, the technological civilisation would not have happened.

There is scientific evidence that more than half of

the continental crust that exists today had already formed by 2.5 billion years ago when the earth was struck by a series of major impacts. The rest was produced in just 700,000 years, less than a fifth of its life time to date.

There is direct evidence for these impacts in geological features known as Crations found in some ancient rocks. And there is indirect evidence from the battered face of the moon, from which astronomers can estimate how many impacts of different sizes affected the earth and its neighbour moon during different intervals of geological time.

Gribbin put this in perspective: the asteroid

implicated in the death of dinosaurs some 65 million years ago was only 10 km across. The incoming piece of debris, say, at a speed of 20 km per second, would smash straight into the underlying crust, generating so much heat that it would melt the surface of the earth into a lake of liquid rock, perhaps 400 km across.

The theory is very attractive by no means certain that plate tectonics helped tremendously in continent building. This is similar to my theory of the origin of Meitei language. At such a distance in time, any explanation must be speculative. One can take it or leave it. There is no point in arguing unless one has a more plausible hypothesis.

Andrew Glikson, of the Australian National

University has a plausible explanation, but it is rather mouthful and is beyond the compass of this article.

The old theory of Wenger was right but he could not explain exactly how the continental drift had occurred. The answer now, is the plate tectonics.

Conclusion

The plate tectonics is new and widely accepted theory. It provides a convincing explanation of such phenomena as continental drift, earthquakes, mountain formation and volcanic eruptions. It explains the processes that have shaped the Earth in terms of plates and their movement. Q14) The Intensity and Frequency of Landslides and Mudflows has increased in Himalayan region and Western Ghats in last few decades. Examine the major reasons behind this change and suggest suitable mitigation measures to be taken to reverse the trend.


Introduction Landslides are the significant form of natural

disaster that causes the loss of properties and lives, especially in the mountainous areas. The mountainous terrains are characterised by high energy with instability and variability of the masses.

Recently, in Darjeeling Himalaya, major landslides have occurred in July-August, 1993 and May 2009 and in September 2011. Heavy rain has triggered landslides at Mirik, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong during June-July, 2015, causes the loss of several lives and properties. Several factors may be responsible for the landslip

Main Body Causes for Landslides and Mudflows

Landslide differs from the other mass movement processes and it is the movement of the mass occurs primarily along a discrete failure surface. The internally unreformed plane slips the materials and disintegrates the mass and further movement includes the flow element.

In India, most of the hilly regions are characterised

with the landslide disaster. In the Himalayan region, several avalanche zones are prominent, such as Jammu Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Kumayun, Darjeeling and Sikkim and North-eastern hilly states.

In the Himalayan foothills where rainfall is prominent, the occurrence of landslides is significant. The Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalaya are among the most vulnerable areas of landslides. The main triggering factors (excluding geological and geomorphological) of the landslide are heavy rainfall and seismicity.

Of late, landslide disasters have been accelerated

by the several anthropogenic activities in this region.

Due to varied geomorphology and neotectonic activities, the region is one of the highly earthquake-prone areas. The main rock types of the Darjeeling Himalayas are Pre-Cambrian high-grade gneiss and quartzite, high-grade schist phyletic and calc-silicate and quartzite.

The major soils of this region are characterised by

high concentration of iron oxide with the lack of mineral and organic nutrients.

The sedimentary rock of young folded mountain promotes the active erosion in Darjeeling Himalaya.


This region is highly vulnerable to landslides and the onset of monsoon in the north India usually culminates into massive high rainfall over the Himalayan foothill belt.

The primary causes of the landslides are the varied and intensive rainfall and earthquake.

Landslides are often the subsequent event of

intense rainfall. Rainfall lubricates the materials slip off from the parent body and moves downward under the force of gravity.

During the downward movement of earth unconsolidated materials, the force of gravity exceeds the resistance to shearing.

The percolation of water through the soil pore

space accelerates the probability of occurrence of the landslides. Landslides are also caused by the earthquake shock. The tremor generated by the earthquake can disturb the underlying structures of the hilly region. The shock can disrupt the underlying parent body and as a result landslide along with the fall, slump, and the slide occurs.

The anthropogenic activities such as the unscientific uses of the slope for construction, deforestation and the development of towns and tourism industry are also responsible for the increase of the vulnerability of landslide in this region.

The causes are the dynamic forces (earthquakes, neotectonic activity etc.), an increase of pore space due to high rainfall, the increment in internal pressure due to chemical and physical

alteration, and unscientific land use, mining and quarrying etc.

Mitigation Measures

Landslide susceptibility mapping of landslide

hazard

Engineering geomorphology

The Indian Government has for instance laid

down a roadmap for a National Mission for Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem as a part of its National Action Plan on Climate Change. However, India needs to go beyond “climate policy” on the Himalayan front and look into these aspects of environmental security as well as set up a sub-regional arrangement to pool in disaster management resources.

Consideration of environmental/geological risk assessment and management Q15) Account for strengths and weaknesses associated with various modes of transportation in India and discuss the socioeconomic and political significance of Bharatmala project. (200 words/12.5 marks)

India’s transport sector is large and diverse; it caters to the needs of 1.2 billion people. Good physical connectivity in the urban and rural areas is essential for economic growth. Since the early 1990s, India's growing economy has witnessed a rise in demand for transport infrastructure and services. Strengths associated with various modes of transportation:

1. RAILWAYS

Indian Railways is the largest railway system in

the world under a single management.

Cheap

Faster mode of transportation

Can transport larger volume of goods and more

number of people at one time. 2. ROADS

Enabled greater penetration of transport infrastructure

Enables easy commutation

Faster mobility

Feasible for short distance travel 3. AVIATION

Dramatic increase in air traffic for both passengers

and cargo in recent years

Fastest mode of transportation

Safe mode of transportation

Can cater to emerging demand for transportation

4. SHIPPING

Cheapest mode of transportation

Has backward and forward linkages with development of industries

Used for international trade

Can transport Heavy goods. However, the sector has not been able to keep pace with rising demand and is proving to be a drag on the economy. Weaknesses associated with various modes of transportation:

India’s roads are congested and of poor quality.

Rural areas have poor access. Roads are significant for the development of the rural areas. The problem is more acute in India's northern and north-eastern states which are poorly linked to the country’s major economic centers.

The railways are facing severe capacity constraints. All the country’s high-density rail corridors face severe capacity constraints. Also, freight transportation costs by rail are much higher than in most countries.

Urban centers are severely congested. In Mumbai,

Delhi and other metropolitan centers, roads are often severely congested during the rush hours.

Ports are congested and inefficient. Capacity utilization in some of the major ports remain as low India's ports need to significantly ramp up their capacity and efficiency to meet this surging demand.

Airport infrastructure is strained. . Air traffic has

been growing rapidly leading to severe strain on infrastructure at major airports, especially in the Delhi and Mumbai airports.

Major improvements in the sector are therefore required to support the country's continued economic growth and to reduce poverty.

Bharatmala The Bharatmala is designed as an umbrella program that will subsume unfinished components of NHDP besides focusing on some new projects. Besides completing the NHDP projects, new efforts like development of Border and International connectivity roads, Coastal and port connectivity roads, National Corridors Efficiency improvements, Economic corridors development etc., will be part of Bharatmala.

http://dst.gov.in/scientific-programme/NMSHE_June_2010.pdf

http://dst.gov.in/scientific-programme/NMSHE_June_2010.pdf


Significance of Bharatmala Project

Improvement in efficiency of existing corridors through development of Multimodal Logistics Parks and elimination of choke point

Enhance focus on improving connectivity in North East and leveraging synergies with Inland Waterways

Emphasis on use of technology & scientific

planning for Project Preparation and Asset Monitoring

Improving connectivity in the North East

Q16) Urbanization is a fact, a reality. What’s the desirability of rapid urbanization in India? Has Gandhi’s vision of rural development lost its relevance in the 21st Century?

(200 words/12.5 marks) About 34% of India's population now lives in urban areas, the U.N. World Urbanization Prospects 2018 report has said. This is an increase of about three percentage points since the 2011 Census. Population and economic growth has fostered urbanization in the country and the numbers of urban towns and cities have drastically increased. This growth is expected to continue in the years to come and India has to step up its game in order to catch up with this kind of change. Investments have to be made in order to better serve the country. There are several factors at play that have led to the urbanization in India – population growth and migration as one of the 2 major factors.

Recently, a third factor has been seen as a huge contributor to the urbanization growth: the expansion of towns and cities. This factor is due to the high economic growth that the city has witnessed over the years. Because of this, the government in India has decided to grab the opportunity: projects to further thrust the country into urbanization, a number of smart cities to be put up in various locations, and other initiatives. The movement of people from rural to urban areas can result in greater production of goods and services, but it can also create congestion, pollution, and a greater demand for housing, clean water, sanitation facilities, recreation areas, public transport, health care and education. During the time of rapid migration to cities governments have to provide the necessary services. Consequences of Rapid Urbanisation The rapid urbanisation is subjected to both healthy and unhealthy consequences and aspects. (i) Healthy Aspects Rapid industrialisation results the development and setting up of many industrial cities. Along with manufacturing units, ancillaries and service sector started to grow in those urban areas. Secondly, new and additional employment opportunities are created in the urban areas in its newly expanding manufacturing and service sector units. This would result rural-urban migration and “industrialisation- urbanisation process” to set in. Thirdly, growth of cities can give rise to external economies so as to reap the benefit of economies of scale for various services and activities. Finally, urbanisation results changes in attitudes and mind set of the urban people resulting modernisation in behaviour and proper motivation

which indirectly helps the country to attain faster economic development. (ii) Unhealthy Aspects Although development of the economy are very much associated with urbanisaition but it has resulted some serious problems. Firstly, growing urbanisation is largely responsible for increasing congestion in the urban areas. Too much congestion has resulted problems like traffic jams, too much concentration of population, the management of which is gradually becoming very difficult and costly. Secondly, too much of population is another unhealthy aspect of urbanisation which creates urban chaos related to housing, education, medical facilities, growth of slums, unemployment, violence, overcrowding etc. All these would result in deterioration in the quality of human life. Finally, as a result of urbanisation, large scale migration takes place from rural to urban areas. Such large scale migration of active population from rural areas would result loss of productivity in rural areas, leading to poor conditions in village economy. Thus urbanisation, beyond a certain point, would result in unhealthy consequences. Relevance of Gandhian vision of rural development in 21st century Rural development implies both the economic betterment of people as well as greater social transformation. The basic objective of all rural development endeavors / programmes has been the welfare of the millions.

Availability of employment opportunities in rural

areas

Lesser stress on urban infrastructure

Emergence of concept of satellite towns

Urban- rural balance

Sustainability of local capacities For furthering rural development, the government has taken a number of initiatives: MGNREGA, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Grameen Kaushal Yojana, HRIDAY etc Other initiatives like Smart City development. Q17) The term “regionalism” has negative connotations attached with it? Why is it so? Do you think nationalism is not possible with regionalism?

(200 words/12.5 marks) The regionalism is catering the interest of the region for its growth and development. The term regionalism has a negative connotation when its interests goes over and above the interest of the nation. Regionalism in India is a multidimensional phenomenon as it is a complex amalgam of geographical, historical, cultural, economic, politico- administrative and psyche factors. It is not possible to indicate exactly any particular factor, which has been solely responsible for the phenomenon of regionalism. Therefore, all these factors need to be explained briefly. Some of the most important the causes of regionalism in India are as follows: (i) Geographical Factor (ii) Historical and Cultural Factors (iii) Caste and Region (iv) Economic Factors (v) Political-

Administrative Factors.


(i) Geographical Factor: The territorial orientation based on geographical boundaries relate to the inhabitants of a particular region which are symbolic, at least in the Indian context. This is more so because of the linguistic distribution along geographical boundaries. The topographic and climatic variations along with differences in the settlement pattern induce in people the concept of regionalism. (ii) Historical and Cultural Factors: In the Indian scenario the historical or cultural factors may be considered the prime components of the phenomenon of regionalism. The historical and cultural components interpret regionalism by way of cultural heritage, folklore, myths, symbolism and historical traditions. People of a particular cultural group also derive inspirations from the noble deeds and glorious achievements of the local heroes. Nevertheless there are sudden political and economic realities which can be covered under the gamut of historical and cultural factors. (iii) Caste and Region: Caste system and religion in Indian society play only a marginal roll in causing regionalism. Only when caste is combined with linguistic preponderance or religion it may cause regional feeling. In the like manner religion is not so significant except when it is combined with linguistic homogeneity or based on dogmatism and orthodoxy or linked with economic deprivation. However, regionalism is usually a secular phenomenon in a relative sense and it can cross-cut the caste affiliation or religious loyalties. (iv) Economic Factors: In the present times, uneven developments in different parts of the country may be construed as the prime reason for regionalism and separatism. There are certain regions in the country where industries and factories have been concentrated, educational and health facilities are sufficiently provided, communication network has been developed, rapid agricultural development has been made possible. But there are also certain areas where the worth of independence is yet to be realized in terms of socio-economic development. Of course, the British administration may be held responsible for causing such wide regional variations due to their suitability for the purpose of administration, trade and commerce. But in the post-Independence era, efforts should have been made for regional balance in matters of industrial, agricultural and above all, economic development. This disparity has caused the feeling of relative deprivation among the inhabitants of economically

neglected regions. It has manifested itself in the demand for separate states such as Bodoland or Jharkhand land, Uttarakhand, etc. (v) Political-Administrative Factors: Political parties, especially the regional political parties as well as local leaders exploit the regional sentiments, regional deprivation and convert them to solidify their factional support bases. They give place to the regional problems in their election manifesto and promise for political and regional development. In the present day Indian political scenario some regional parties have strongly emerged and captured power in some states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Assam (Regional parties like ADMK, AIDMK, in Tamil Nadu, Telegu-Desam in Andhra Pradesh. Assam Gana Parishad in Assam). That apart some other regional parties like Akali

Dal in Punjab, Jharkhand party in Bihar, etc. have posed constant threat to the nation.

Nationalism and Regionalism can go hand in hand provided the regionalism does not over power the interest of the nation.

Regionalism can be a vehicle for the development of the nation as the smaller units in the nation can be small developed regions of the nation.

Gandhian idea of development also focus on the

development of small regions.

Regionalism cannot be regarded as against the concept of nationalism until or unless it is laying greater emphasis beyond the interest of the nation. Q18) The age of demographic dividend has forgotten its elderly and children. Discuss the plight of elderly abandoned women and children who die due to government negligence in India. What are the provisions made by government for welfare of elderly population and children and also analyze them.


Elderly: Important Facts

According to Population Census 2011 there are

nearly 104 million elderly persons (aged 60 years or above) in India; 53 million females and 51 million males.

Both the share and size of elderly population is increasing over time. From 5.6% in 1961 the proportion has increased to 8.6% in 2011. For males it was marginally lower at 8.2%, while for females it was 9.0%. As regards rural and urban areas, 71% of elderly population resides in rural areas while 29 % is in urban areas.

The sex ratio among elderly people was as high as

1028 in 1951, subsequently dropped and again reached up to 1033 in 2011.

Difficulties faced by elderly women in India

Health and care Physical and mental health care availability and community and social care aspects of life for the elderly women are key concerns. Nutritional problems are also a concern. Income and housing Access to employment opportunities, transportation, housing and income are key concerns. Inhumane living conditions are also a concern. Social networks and customs Poor social interaction with family and friends, poor social networks, and those without families are some difficulties faced by some senior citizens. Losing the will to live from a lack of social support is another issue. Additional concerns Educational access and opportunities, the potential for leisure pursuits, consumer protections and having access to information are also key concerns Provisions for welfare of elderlies Constitutional provisions: Art 38, 42, 47 Legal: Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007.


Schemes: Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY), Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana (VPBY), The Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PNVVY) etc. Other Concessions Health Many government and private hospitals provide concessions to the older persons in the treatment of the diseases like cardiac problems, diabetes, kidney problems, blood pressure, joint problems and eye problems. There is also a condition for separate queuing of reservations for hospital beds. Travel Indian railways give concessions in the ticket prices to all the persons aged 60 years and above. It is 50% for women aged over 60 years. Proof of age is required. There are also conditions of lower berth for older persons and also separate counters for booking and cancelling tickets to avoid rushes at the counters. Indian airlines provide concessions in its economy class, (with particular terms and conditions applied). High rates of interest to its senior citizens on certain savings plans which are run by the post offices and other private banks. Housing The Indian government provides housing facilities such as retirement homes and recreational or educational centers. Children According to the UNCRC, a child means every human being below the age of eighteen years unless, under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier. In India, various laws related to children define children in different age limits. India with 1.21 billion people constitutes as the second most populous country in the world, while children represents 39% of total population of the country. Difficulties faced by children in India

Safety issues like kidnapping, rape etc.

Education facilities for poor kids are grim

Malnutrition

Child Labour

Forced begging

Health issues

Provisions for children Constitutional Provisions: Art 14, 15(3), 21A, 23, 24, 45 Legal- Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) 2012; Child Labour (Prohibition And Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016; Right to Education Act, 2009; Juvenile Justice (Care and protection of Children) Act, 2000 Schemes-

Mid-day Meal Scheme

Integrated Child Development Scheme

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

Operation Blackboard

Integrated Programme for Street Children

Kishori Shakti Yojana

Wheat Based Nutrition Programme (WBNP)

Nutrition Programme for Adolescent Girls (NPAG)

Rajiv Gandhi National Crèche Scheme For the Children of Working Mothers

Q19) The age of imperialism may be over but scholars point towards a phenomenon called cultural imperialism. Is it a myth or reality? What are the possible implications and how to deal with them?

(200 words/12.5 marks) Imperialism: Imperialism here refers to the creation and maintenance of unequal relationships between civilizations, favoring the more powerful civilization Cultural imperialism: is the practice of promoting and imposing a culture, usually that of a politically powerful nation, over a less powerful society; in other words, the cultural hegemony of industrialized or economically influential countries which determine general cultural values and standardize civilizations throughout the world. Myth or reality: The term is employed especially in the fields of history, cultural studies, and postcolonial theory. It is usually used in a pejorative sense, often in conjunction with calls to reject such influence. Cultural imperialism can take various forms, such as an attitude, a formal policy, or military action, insofar as it reinforces cultural hegemony. The concept of cultural imperialism today [1975] best describes the sum of the processes by which a society is brought into the modern world system and how its dominating stratum is attracted, pressured, forced, and sometimes bribed into shaping social institutions to correspond to, or even promote, the values and structures of the dominating centre of the system. The public media are the foremost example of operating enterprises that are used in the penetrative process. For penetration on a significant scale the media themselves must be captured by the dominating/penetrating power. This occurs largely through the commercialization of broadcasting." Imperialism is the conquest and control of one country by a more powerful one. Cultural imperialism signifies the dimensions of the process that go beyond economic exploitation or military force. In the history of colonialism, (i.e., the form of imperialism in which the government of the colony is run directly by foreigners), the educational and media systems of many Third World countries have been set up as replicas of those in Britain, France, or the United States and carry their values. Western advertising has made further

inroads, as have architectural and fashion styles. Subtly but powerfully, the message has often been insinuated that Western cultures are superior to the cultures of the Third World." Needless to say, all these authors agree that cultural imperialism promotes the interests of certain circles within the imperial powers, often to the detriment of the target societies.

Implications and Solutions The term cultural commodities refers to products

of print and audio visual industries that include movies, television, publishing, radio and music, products that are vehicles for transmission of values, lifestyles and ideologies that many see as corrosive to the recipient culture. Thus, the term cultural imperialism raises both questions of cultural identity and government policy. While


cultural exchange between nations is not in itself a harmful thing given the fact that throughout human history, nations have exchanged cultural experiences, ideas, values, and goods through art, trade and migrations, the advent of technology has rapidly changed the whole spectrum of mutual exchange of goods and cultural products. The Western model of freedom for all ideas, open debate, individualism and reason, is superior to all other models, and hopefully will be adopted by every country. It does not have to belong only to the West - it is the birth right and greatest hope of every human on the planet. "Cultural imperialism" is a term for something good, something that the world needs more of. Q20) Discuss the Importance of Uniform Civil Code as sine qua non for secularism in India. Do you find oddity in the current scenario where the so called communal elements are front runners in demand of UCC? (200 words/12.5 marks) Secularism: Secularism, in simple terms means ‘separation of State and Religion’. That is, religious concerns will not dictate State policies and the State will not interfere in religious activities. This

concept of secularism originated in the European society, necessitated by the constant struggle for power between the Church and the Monarchy. Secularism was thus, a unique solution in response to unique challenges prevalent in Western civilization in general and European society in particular. Importance of UCC as sine qua non for secularism in India

The presence of numerous personal laws goes against the very essence of secularism.

These personal laws have been discriminatory in nature.

Directive Principles call for the eventual adoption

of a Uniform Civil Code (Art 44).

It will bring fairness in personal laws and check discriminatory practices based on gender, caste etc. Communal elements and UCC

Certain groups are in favour and some are against

Intra group differences on the stand of UCC

Linking UCC only to a particular religion

Demand for universalization of personal laws

Documents

GENERAL STUDIES PAPER-1 1...3 GS Paper 1_1 Answer Key Byju’s Classes: 9873643487 Delhi’s summer aandhis, like Kolkata’s kaalbaisakhis, are localised events. However, the recent