General Studies Model Test Paper-1 for IAS Mains Exam - 2013
1. Examine the contributions of India to the growth of science
and technology in ancient times. (10 marks, 200 words)
Indians in ancient times made significant contributions to
the knowledge of medicine, mathematics and astronomy, metallurgy, boat-building
etc. It is evident from a number of books written on these subjects and their
translations in Arabic, Persian and other languages. In medicine, the most
authoritative text is Charak’s Charaksamhita which gives scientific explanations
to the cause of and remedies for different diseases.
The manuscript found in western china contains a part of it. Another text is
Sushruta’s Sushruta-samhita which refers to different types of surgical
instruments and surgeons including plastic surgeries. It was translated as
kitab-i-susrud in Arabic in the 9th century.In the fields of maths and
astronomy, two most important names are Aryabhatta and Bhaskaracharya.
Aryabhatt’s Aryabhattiyam covers algebra, arithmetic, trigonometry, fractions,
equations and a table of sine. It also refers to pie (Π). Aryabhatt’s work
was greatly used in Arabic world and is cited by Al-khwarizmi and Al-beruni.
His discovery of zero and decimal system revolutionised the system of
mathematical calculations all over the medieval world. He is also credited with
the discovery of the concept that Earth moves on its axis and this explains the
cause of eclipses. Bhaskaracharya is regarded as a pioneer in differential
calculus which was later adopted by Leibniz and Newton. His treatise Lilavati, a
part of Siddhanta Shiromani, refers to simple methods of solving mathematical
calculations and was translated into Persian by Faizi during Akbar’s reign. In
metallurgy, the iron pillar at Delhi is a standing example of ancient India’s
iron making technology.
The Arab scholar, Al-idrisi says that Indian swords were known for their
sharpness and were in great demand in the west. Bhoja’s Yuktikalptaru deals with
the construction of different types of boats meant for inland water ways as well
as high seas. The compass, known as Matsya yantra is also believed to have been
an Indian invention and its role in the growth and navigation all over the world
is well known.
2. How far is it correct to describe Shahjehan’s reign as
the golden age of Mughal architecture? (10 marks, 200 words)
The Mughal architecture represents an amalgam of India as
well as Persian and Turkish traditions and is remarkably symmetrical and
ornamental in nature. It first developed under Akbar and reached the highest
level of perfection during the reign of Shahjehan. Akbar made extensive use of
red sandstone for his buildings whereas Shahjehan considered white marbles as
better building material.
As against the sturdy and plain constructions of Akbar, Shahjehan’s buildings
are highly delicate and ornamental. Shahjehan’s buildings are full of pietra
dura and beautiful carvings in marble. The archs became more foliated, the domes
became bulbous. Shahjehan even demolished some of Akbar’s simple brick sandstone
structures in Agra fort and replaced them with magnificent marble buildings. But
the most fabulous building of his period is the Taj Mahal. It is a logical
culmination of the Persian Charbagh style of garden tomb with pathways, water
channels and garden on four sides.
The earliest example of it in India is the Humayun’s tomb in Delhi. It’s
soaring dome, black inscriptions against the white marble background and jaali,
the marble lattice work are the chief features. Among other monuments of
Shahjehan is the city of Shahjehanabad which is one of the most systematically
planned towns in the medieval period with proper laid out fort, markets, roads,
sarais and hydraulic water pumping system.
3. Communalism and Nationalism in India were the outcome of
British Imperialism. - Discuss. (10 marks, 200 words)
The policy of divide and rule was inaugurated right in the
days of East India Company when the British were establishing themselves as
rulers of India. Due to the economic backwardness of India and rampant
unemployment, there was ample scope for the colonial government to use
concessions, favors and reservations to fuel communal and separatist tendencies.
Later on this became responsible for the division of the country into
India and Pakistan. The sense of being oppressed under colonial rule provided a
shared bond that tied different groups together. Each class and group felt the
effects of colonialism differently. Their experiences were varied, and their
notions of freedom were not always the same. Several other causes also
contributed towards the rise and growth of Nationalism. One set of laws of
British Government across several regions led to political and administrative
unity. This strengthened the concept of citizenship and one nation among
Indians.
4. Answer the following:
(a) Gandhi – Irwin pact was an unconditional surrender by Gandhi. Evaluate.(5
marks, 100 words)
The pact was signed between the Viceroy representing the
British Indian Government and Gandhi representing Indian people in Delhi in
February 1931. Terms agreed to by Irwin were
1) Immediate release of all political prisoners not convicted
of violence
2) Lenient treatment of all government servants who had resigned
3) Right to make salt for personal consumption
4) Right to peaceful picketing
5) Withdrawal of emergency ordinances
Gandhi on his behalf agreed to suspend civil disobedience
movement and participate in next round table conference.
The pact was criticized by many as surrender by Gandhi on the grounds of
a) refusal for public inquiry into police excesses, and
b) refusal to commute Bhagat Singh and his comrades death to life sentence.
However the pact cannot be viewed as unconditional surrender by Gandhi because
1) He agreed to suspend Civil disobedience movement because mass movements are
necessarily short lived and capacity of masses to make sacrifices is limited.
2) Signs of exhaustion were seen especially among merchants and shopkeepers who
were enthusiastic participants.
Gandhijis decision was based on logic and should not be viewed as surrender and
most of demands were met by Irwin excluding some.
(b) Round Table conferences were basically stage shows in
London by supporters of British rule. Comment. (5 marks, 100 words)
Round table conferences were the first high level talks
arranged between the British and Indians as equals to decide future course of
Constitutional reforms in India. First round table conference was boycotted by
Congress and attended only by Muslim League and the Hindu Mahasabha and the
princes. Every delegate reiterated that a constitutional discussion without the
Congress was meaningless. Second round table conference: Congress agreed to
attend it after Gandhi-Irwin Pact. Right wing led by Churchill opposed British
Government negotiating with Congress on an equal basis.
The Government failed to concede basic Indian demand of freedom and this
led to Gandhiji’s return and revival of Civil Disobedience movement. Third round
table conference was just a nominal conference Congress refused to attend it (in
fact it was not invited) and the Labor party also refused to attend it. The
outcome was a white paper issued by Government and on the basis of this paper
Government of India Act 1935 was to be passed. Hence the purpose of discussing
constitutional reforms with Indians on equal basis was never fulfilled and
Congress being main representative of India was never taken into consensus.
Indian demands were barely met. Hence Round Table conferences were basically
stage shows in London by supporters of British rule.
5. Suppression of mass movements gave provocation to
Revolutionary Terrorism in Indian freedom struggle. -Discuss. (10 marks, 200
words)
The revolutionary terrorist movement was largely the outcome
of the same set of causes which gave rise to the extremist wing in the national
politics. The only difference was that the revolutionaries wanted quicker
results and discounted the value of moderates and applying low grade pressure on
the British. The revolutionaries believed that the British rule was destructive
of all that is worthwhile in national life- political liberties, religious
freedom, morality and Indian culture.
Though the political philosophy of the revolutionary terrorists in
different parts of India might have differed from one another, but their one
common aim was freedom from the British rule. In order to suppress popular
movements and counter widespread discontent among the masses the British used
several measures like gagging the press and banning public assembly. This
attitude flared the already existing extremist tendencies of the youth.
The political measures of the government during Curzon’s rule and subsequent
repression directed against the nationalist movement were also greatly
responsible for the terrorist activities. One was the education policy
illustrated by the Universities Act, 1904. Curzon`s education reforms were
obviously interpreted by the nationalists as an attempt to keep the educational
institutions under tight imperial control. The second and most controversial
reform measure was the Partition of Bengal in the name of improving the
efficiency of the traditionally neglected Bengal province.
Activities of the Terrorists The activities mainly comprised of political
assassination, generally of unpopular officials, hoping thereby to strike terror
in the bureaucracy and break its will. They also thought that a campaign of
political assassination when carried out on a large scale would even create a
favorable atmosphere for armed insurrection. Another method was to organize
armed dacoities with a view to securing money from wealthy Indians and the
government, which they could use for their work such as the establishment and
operation of the secret groups, laboratories to make bombs, factories to forge
arms. There also sprang up revolutionary groups which had a more extensive
program such as the fomenting of mutinies in the army and agrarian riots.
6. Answer the following:
(a) Sardar Patel played a great role as a maker of modern India. - Comment. (5
marks, 100 words)
Sardar Patel was a visionary and played a major role in
shaping modern India.
Some of his major contributions are:
-
Role in Independence Movement: Played an active
role in Kheda Satyagraha, Dandi Salt march, Quit India movement.
-
Role in political integration of India: A
fragmented land mass of 565 princely states. This arduous task of swiftly
uniting all the princely states would not have been possible if not for
Patel who personally met each prince for negotiations and convinced them to
accede to India.
-
Military Policies: During his tenure of being the
home minister, Patel envisioned some policies to keep India secure and
develop it overall.
-
Role in Constitution: Patel had played a dominant
and decisive role in the Constituent Assembly from day one and was the
motivator for the team.
-
His role in white revolution: The idea of
co-operatives for milk industry was the brainchild of Patel which led to
white revolution (headed by Dr. Kurien of Amul).
Patel was instrumental in motivating farmers to join the movement so as to
break the monopoly enjoyed by private players and place the power among
hands of
the farmers/producers. Hence Sardar Patel is considered as one of the
architects of modern India.
(b) J. P. movement was an unconstitutional movement. -
Discuss. (5 marks, 100 words)
Post 1971 war the nation faced many problems like steep price
rise and rise in discontent among people. Law and order deteriorated further in
1974-75 strikes and popular demonstrations often turned violent. Jayaprakash
Narayan gave a call for “Total Revolution”. The main justification of the JP
movement was that it arose to end corruption in Indian politics.
Indira Gandhi justified her action of imposing emergency on the grounds of
India’s stability, need to implement rapid economic development programme for
the poor and warned against intervention and subversion from abroad to weaken
India. JP was considered ideologically vague as his Total Revolution concepts
were unclear. JP movement came to include communal Jansangh and Jamaat-i-Islami,
the RSS and the extremist left Naxalite groups. This resulted in political
character of the movement also undergoing a change. The agitational methods
adopted and propagated by the JP Movement were extra constitutional and
undemocratic.
Going beyond demonstrations in Bihar and Gujarat the tactic was to force the
governments to resign and dissolve legislatures. Thus paralyzing individual
government and forcing legislators to resign. There were attempts to incite army
police and civil services to rebel. Thus it can be said that JP movement was an
unconstitutional movement for the sheer reason of the means they adopted.
7. Napoleon was the son of revolution. – Comment. (10 marks,
200 words)
Napoleon’s rise owed everything to the French Revolution, to
its ideals of liberty and equality, the meritocracy that lay at its roots, and
the huge institutional changes that it wrought. For Napoleon the changes that
were being made in the name of the French people opened the door to brilliant
careers and rapid social advancement. In the early period of his career,
Napoleon found the desire of the revolutionary authorities to pass sweeping
measures to renew the fabric of the nation refreshing and energising.
He was a convinced believer in the benefits of meritocracy and applauded the
boldness of the revolutionaries in abolishing nobility, selling church lands and
reforming a society rooted in privilege. In print, he mocked the corruption of
the old order and lambasted the privileged idleness of many members of the
nobility. He did not emigrate; he continued to serve in the army; he took the
oath of loyalty to the constitution of 1791. Root-and-branch reform in the army
led in 1799 to full-blown conscription and the professional background and
social configuration of the troops changed dramatically, and the army, for a few
short years, became predominantly French as the government relied on its own
people where, previously, it had bought soldiers from other states.
Because of the high turnover of officers – both through heavy casualty
rates in battle and as a result of resignations and emigration – promotion could
come rapidly and at a very young age. Recognition was there to be won for those
with flair and talent, and a new generation of officers, such as Napoleon
Bonaparte, sieged the initiative.The Revolution demanded not only talent from
its officers, but also political loyalty.
The political leadership had had too many painful experiences with
officers who proved untrustworthy, socially conservative, or whose loyalty was
to the king or to the Catholic Church before it was to the French people.
Napoleon who was trustworthy, loyal to the nationalistic cause, socially
moderate and firm believer in meritocracy can thus be said to be the child of
revolution.
8. Cold war after 1945 was basically the outcome of fear and
provocative steps of U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. - Discuss. (10 marks, 200 words)
In 1945, the United States and Soviet Union were allies but
within just a few years, wartime allies became mortal enemies, locked in a
struggle—military, political, economic, ideological—to prevail in a new "Cold
War." Causes of the Cold War after 1945:
-
American fear of communist attack
-
Truman’s dislike of Stalin
-
USSR’s fear of the American's atomic bomb
-
USSR’s dislike of capitalism
-
USSR’s actions in the Soviet zone of Germany
-
America’s refusal to share nuclear secrets
-
USSR’s expansion west into Eastern Europe + broken
election promises
-
USSR’s fear of American attack
-
USSR’s need for a secure western border
-
USSR’s aim of spreading world communism
-
This feeling of suspicion lead to mutual distrust
and this did a great deal to deepen the Cold War
9. Fear of communism was the most important cause of
aggressive nationalism in Europe. (10 marks, 200 words)
-
The answer should clearly bring about the causes
for World War II that rode on the fear of spread of communism in Italy,
Germany and Spain.
-
The capitalist nations of Britain and France wanted to
contain the spread of communism and thus they showed a policy of appeasement
towards Germany and Italy. They did not want another Russia in the making.
-
Communist ideology was considered as a threat to the
existing life and it was treated as an evil by the businessman, feudal lords
in these countries and moreover all these countries that harboured an
anti-communist feeling had their entire economy controlled by the state. The
emphasis was on self sufficiency as it was important for the growth of the
nation
-
How this policy complemented the expansionist
policy of Hitler leading to rise of a nationalistic feeling. He also
envisaged a living space for all Germans across Europe and called it
Lebensraum.
-
His idea of pan-Germanism and elements of social
welfare were already present in his policies to avoid any future clash with
the community.
-
Use some of the pacts signed by Germany to support
the above arguments -
1933 - Anglo German Treaty to allow Germany to maintain its Navy - A mark of
appeasement policy by Britain towards Germany.
-
1936 - Anti Commintern Pact between Germany and Japan.
10. Indira Gandhi’s era was one of turmoil as well as glory.
- Critically analyse. (10 marks, 200 words)
Indira Gandhi, the third Prime Minister of India was a
central figure of the Indian National Congress. Gandhi served from 1966 to 1977
and then again from 1980 until her assassination in 1984.
Turmoil
-
Killing of democracy- Unnecessary declaration of
emergency
-
Election irregularities
-
Reduced role of cabinet- Authoritarian head
-
Politicization of Judicial appointments
-
Breaking up of Congress party and weakening of the
organization
-
Corruption
-
Politicization of bureaucracy
-
Economic losses of war
-
Price rise
-
Public unrest leading to movements like JP
Glory
-
1971 war victory over Pakistan and creation of
Bangladesh.
-
Agreement with Soviet Union promising mutual
assistance in the case of war
-
Khalisthan movement problem solved.
-
Brought poverty to focus - Garibi Hatao
-
Nationalization of Banks
-
Environmental Legislations
-
Abolition of Privy Purse
-
Green revolution
11. Nehru’s liberalism and faith towards China became the
cause for the disaster of 1962. - Comment. (10 marks, 200 words)
-
Nehru as a Prime Minister had a towering personality and
earned the status of an international statesman. Nehru's idealistic mind
conjured a situation where might was not right and war had to been banished.
He decided that India with its history of non-violence could play a leading
role in international affairs.
-
Nehru introduced the mantra of ‘Peaceful
Co-existence’. With the signing of the Panchsheel Pact in 1954, Nehru
believed that he had set a personal example in how international problems
could be resolved in a peaceful manner. Through intensive diplomacy he
sought to cement the friendly relations between India and
China.
-
Nehru anticipated an Indo-Chinese conflict much
earlier than 1962 but decided to follow the policy of appeasement. Nehru was
under the illusion that China would never go to war with India. China's
intrusion into Ladakh in 1957 or its aggressive tone post Dalai Lama's
asylum in India could not shake India out of its complacency. The tragedy
was that Nehru, a man of peace, disliked war.
-
It is argued that putting faith in personal
diplomacy and rejecting war as an instrument of foreign policy became the
cause of war in 1962. Foreign policy was Nehru's forte as well as obsession.
He had staked his all on it and found it hard to recover after the Chinese
humiliation knocked out the bottom of his policy.
12. How does mining of sand damage the ecosystem of rivers
in India? (10 marks, 200 words)
Sand, is the soil of the river, providing and sustaining
virtually all life that exists in the river itself. Along with gravels, it forms
an intermediate zone between the surface water of the river and the ground water
beneath. This intermediate zone is called hyporheic zone and performs critical
functions:
1. Recharging the groundwater table far beyond the river basin by slowing down
the flow of water in the river and allowing for percolation, not just downwards
but laterally across large areas.
2. Sand being porous serves the function of buffering
agricultural lands and towns from rising water levels during floods.
3. Harbouring unique fauna and micro – organisms that filter
the water due to its physical, chemical and biological conditions.
The removal of sand – and – gravel layer of the river
ecosystem is inhibiting the self- cleansing mechanism of the river, even as
India’s rivers receive increasing loads of toxic and sewage wastes from the
urban and rural areas.
13. Discuss the various surface application methods of
irrigation used in India. (10 marks, 200 words)
In this method, water is applied to the crop by flooding it
on the soil surface. This method requires proper land grading for the flow of
water over the land surface. It is simple in layout and operation. The overall
irrigation efficiency is low. The worldwide average irrigation in canal command
areas shows overall efficiency of as low as 28%. It may result in water –
logging, soil salinization besides the huge amount of water losses.
More than 95% of the irrigated area in India is under surface irrigation.
Surface Irrigation method may be broadly classified as: (a) Border Method; (b)
Furrow Method; (c) Check Basin. Border Method: Borders are formed by dividing
the field into number of strips which are separated by ridges. The strips are
generally levelled along the width but may or may not have slope along the
length. An irrigation channel runs along the upper end of the borders. Furrow
Method: The furrow irrigation is adaptable to a great variation in slope, crops
and topography.
Close growing crops, on slopes and soils that develop crust after being wet, may
be irrigated with small furrows which are called corrugations or rills. The main
design parameters of Furrow are: longitudinal slope, inflow stream design,
furrow spacing and furrow length. The longer furrows result in more percolation
losses and less run – off, and result in greater economy in handling of farm
equipment, turning of farm machinery and labour requirement and vice versa.
Furrow spacing should be such that the lateral water movement of the moisture
wets the ridges by the time irrigation is complete.
The lateral movement from the furrows depends on the soil type. The furrow
spacing for row crops is determined by agronomic requirements of row to row
spacing and machinery to be used for planting and cultivation. Check Basin: It
consists of running water into relatively level plots surrounded by small
ridges. The length of plot is generally less than 3 times the width. The main
and lateral channels irrigate the plots.
The main channel is aligned along the upper end of the field and checks
are made on either side of the lateral channels. The check basins are especially
suitable for heavy soils with low infiltration rate or highly permeable sandy
soils. The key to attain high irrigation efficiency in the design of check basin
is to spread water over the entire basin as rapidly as possible. Therefore, the
use of large inflow stream reduces water spread time over the basin.
14. Taking the illustration of any one of the recent
disasters in India, critically discuss - institutional failures, increasing
human interventions and climatechange footprint. (10 marks, 200 words)
The recent widespread devastation unleashed by cloudbursts
and sudden torrential rains in the hills of Uttarakhand was tragic Natural
phenomena unleash disasters all the time. But natural disasters transform into
national calamities only because of human action and inaction. Gross
commercialization, burgeoning building and structures, and uncontrolled tourism
have robbed the hills of their beauty and tranquil calm.
Mindless and unplanned development, rampant mining, blasting of hills to make
way for roads, uprooting of trees, change in the soil structure, unabated
expansion of hydro-power projects and an overall insensitive attitude towards
the highly ecologically sensitive region has led to widespread ecological
degradation of the hills. This in turn has severely compromised the carrying
capacity of the hills, robbing them of their natural strength and resilience.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts the
increased frequency of extreme weather events as a result of global warming.
There is a dire need for some sense and sensitivity to prevail when it comes to
drawing development plans for hilly regions with fragile ecologies. There is a
need for sensitizing the political and the bureaucratic class that development
at any cost and that phenomena like global warming and extreme weather are no
more in the realm of fiction. Nature gives its own warnings. Heed them and only
then will the drama of death and misery not play out, every time there is a
natural disaster.
15. What is a shield in Geology? Discuss the major features
of the shield region of India. (10 marks, 200 words)
The continental shields are large, stable, relatively flat
expanses of very old rocks. They perhaps constitute the earliest “slabs” of
solidification of the molten crust. The Peninsular plateau region of India is an
ancient tabular block composed mostly of the Archaean gneisses and schists. It
has been a stable shield which has gone through little structural changes since
its formation. Ever since the dawn of geological history, the peninsula has been
a land area and has never been submerged beneath the sea except in a few places
where marine transgressions have been made. The entire peninsular plateau is an
aggregation of several smaller plateaus and hill ranges interspersed with river
basins and valleys. The important plateaus are:
1. The Marwar upland
2. The Central highlands
3. The Bundelkhand uplands
4. The Malwa plateaus
5. The Baghelkhand plateau
6. The Chhotanagpur plateau
8. The Deccan plateau. The Chhattisgarh plain is the only plain worth the name
in the vast stretch of plateaus and hill ranges of the peninsular plateau.
