UPSC Mains 2014 GS3 Question Paper Analysis

General Studies Paper 3 – GS3 Question Paper deals with multiple topics like Indian economy, biodiversity/environment, science and technology, internal security and disaster management. Like GS2 paper, UPSC Mains 2014 GS3 Question Paper had TWENTY (20) questions printed both in HINDI and ENGLISH.

All the questions were compulsory. Each question was of 12.5 marks. UPSC wanted to answer the questions in NOT MORE THAN 200 words each. It was also mentioned that contents of the answer is more important than its length. 3 pages were left blank to answer each question.

UPSC Mains 2014 GS3 Question Paper

1. Normally countries shift from agriculture to industry and then later to services, but India shifted directly from agriculture to services. What are the reasons for the huge growth-services vis-a-vis industry in the country? Can India become a developed country without a strong industrial base?
2. “While we flaunt India’s demographic dividend, we ignore the dropping rates of employability.” What are we missing while doing so? Where will the jobs that India desperately needs come from? Explain.
3. There is also a point of view that Agricultural Produce Market Committees [APMCs) set up under the State Acts have not only impeded the development of agriculture but also have been the cause of food inflation in India. Critically examine.
4. “In the villages itself no form of credit organization will be suitable except the cooperative society.” – All India Rural Credit Survey.
   Discuss this statement in the background of agricultural finance in India. What constraints and challenges do financial institutions supplying agricultural finance face? How can technology be used to better reach and serve rural clients?
5. The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 has come into effect from Ist January, 2014. What are the key issues
   which would get addressed with the Act in place? What implications would it have on industrialization and agriculture in India?
6. Capitalism has guided the world economy to unprecedented prosperity. However, it often encourages short-sightedness and contributes to wide disparities between the rich and the poor. In this light, would it be correct to believe and adopt capitalism for bringing inclusive growth in India? Discuss.
7. Explain how Private Public Partnership arrangements, in long gestation infrastructure projects, can transfer unsustainable liabilities to the future. What arrangements need to be put in place to ensure that successive generations’ capacities are not compromised?
8. National Urban Transport Policy emphasises on ‘moving people’ instead of ‘moving vehicles’. Discuss critically the success of the various strategies of the Government in this regard.
9. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the defence sector is now set to be liberalized: What influence this is expected to have on Indian defence and economy in the short and long run?
10. Scientific research in Indian universities is declining, because a career in science is not as attractive as are business professions, engineering or administration, and the universities are becoming consumer-oriented. Critically comment.
11. Can overuse and free availability of antibiotics without Doctor’s prescription, be contributors to the emergence of drug-resistant diseases in India? What are the available mechanisms for monitoring and control? Critically discuss the various issues involved.
12. In a globalized world, Intellectual Property Rights assume significance and are a source of litigation. Broadly distinguish between the terms—Copyrights, Patents and Trade Secrets.
13. Should the pursuit of carbon credits and clean development mechanisms set up under UNFCCC be maintained even though there has been a massive slide in the value of a carbon credit? Discuss with respect to India’s energy needs for economic growth.
14. Drought has been recognized as a disaster in view of its spatial expanse, temporal duration, slow onset and lasting effects on vulnerable sections. With a focus on the September 2010 guidelines from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), discuss the mechanisms for preparedness to deal with likely El Nino and La Nina fallouts in India.
15. Environmental Impact Assessment studies are increasingly undertaken before a project is cleared by the Government. Discuss the environmental impacts of coal-fired thermal plants located at coal pitheads.
16. “The diverse nature of India as a multi-religious and multi-ethnic society is not immune to the impact of radicalism which is seen in her neighbourhood? Discuss along with strategies to be adopted to counter this environment.
17. International civil aviation laws provide all countries complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above their territory. What do you understand by ‘airspace’ What are the implications of these laws on the space above this airspace? Discuss the challenges which this poses and suggest ways to contain the threat.
18. How does illegal trans-border migration pose a threat to India’s security? Discuss the strategies to curb this, bringing out the factors which give impetus to such migration.
19. In 2012, the longitudinal marking for high-risk areas for piracy was moved from 65 degrees east to 78 degrees east in the Arabian Sea by the International Maritime Organisation. What impact does this have on India’s maritime security concerns?
20. China and Pakistan have entered into an agreement for development of an economic corridor. What threat does this pose for India’s security? Critically examine.

IAS Mains 2014 General Studies Paper 3 (GS3) : Break-Up of Marks

• Indian Economy – 9 questions = 112.5 marks.
• Science and Technology – 3 questions = 75 marks
• Disaster Management – 1 question = 12.5 marks
• Environment – 2 questions = 25 marks
• Internal Security – 5 questions = 62.5 marks

Comparison of Mains 2014 GS3 Question Paper with Mains 2013 GS3 Question Paper

In 2013, the mark split was like this :

• Indian Economy –12 questions = 120 marks.
• Science and Technology – 5 questions = 50 marks
• Disaster Management – 1 question = 10 marks
• Environment – 2 questions = 20 marks
• Internal Security – 5 questions = 50 marks

There were 25 questions in 2013, but that was reduced to 20 questions in 2014. Detailed analysis of 2013 GS3 paper is available in this link. It can be seen that in 2014, the weightage for different subsections were more or less same as what was there for 2013. The core topics in GS3, without any doubt, are Indian Economy and Internal Security.

UPSC Mains 2014 GS3 Question Paper Analysis

• Just like other subjects/papers, there is no single book/source which helps aspirants to answer all the questions. Most of the questions demanded not only good knowledge of current affairs, but good analytical abilities too. Wide reading, especially newspapers and magazines, was the only solution.
• Indian economy, the section with lion’s share, covered questions related to agriculture, industries, transport, infrastructure etc. Aspirants should understand that there is a clear difference between the requirements of UPSC for Prelims and Mains.
• The question on APMC was predictable, but many other questions came from newspapers like Economic times and Hindu. This demanded wide reading, mixing text books and newspapers, often about peripheral areas. Read the article from Economic times which mentions “While we keep flaunting India’s demographic dividend, we conveniently ignore the dropping rates of employability with passing year” – Question 2.
• The 2014 official UPSC question paper had many questions from Clear IAS Answer Writing Test Series and Mock Tests. We shall come up with the details of that later in another post.