(Download) UPSC Mains 2012 : English Compulsory
Question Paper
ENGLISH (COMPULSORY)
Time Allowed : Three hours
Maximum Marks : 300
QUESTION PAPER SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS
1. Write an essay in about 300 words on any one of the following:
(a) Indian women in international sports
(b) Cultivation of organic foods
(c) Foreign Direct investment in retail – boon or bane?
(d) How effective are our systems and institutions in dealing with disasters?
(e) Food security – legislation and implementation
2. Read carefully the passage below and write your answers to the questions
that follow in clear, correct and concise language:
Oratory demands enthusiasm, which can spring only in an
earnest soul; and neither beauty of composition nor graceful delivery can
compensate for want of passion. To be able to interest people without tiring
them is a prime test of oratory. It is a gift that may draw valuable aid from
such natural advantages as a noble figure, handsome countenance, and pleasant
voice. But there has been no lack of eminent orators of ungainly mien at any
time. Few have equaled Sir Robert Peel in skillful management of the House of
Commons, but the often assumed very undignified postures standing with his hands
behind his coat trails, or thumbs buried in the pockets of his waistcoat, and
thees one leg over the other in attitudes of nonchalance. The composition of his
speeches was slovenly and they were noted for the disorder of their contents.
Oliver Cromwell was one of the most influential speakers of his day, but he
rarely wore clean linen and his voice was “harsh and untenable.”
The indispensable requisite of oratory is a mind
well-stored with knowledge and information, sound well-stored with knowledge and
information, sound reasoning, wit and humour, vehemence, fire, and imaginative
insight all conductive to enhance the power of eloquence; but the same speakers
are not able to make the same impression in all places, nor secure the same
effect at all times. The pinnacle of triumph of oratory is reached when a
speaker is able to magnetise his hearers into thinking as he thinks, and feeling
as he feels. When Sheridan had concluded his famous speech in Parliament on the
“Begum Charge”, so great was the excitement caused by it that the Minister
concerned besought the House to adjourn the decision of the question, “as being
incapacitated from forming a just judgement under the influence of such powerful
eloquence.”
It is clear that there is a rivalry between the orator and
the occasion and the dazzling effect of the moment does not always endure
through later cool reflection.
The world moves in continual cycles of action and
reaction, and the homage paid to speakers is followed by tests in the course of
which there is unrelenting research as to what extent precept and example tally.
When there is no wide gulf between the two, further speeches are listened to
with increased respect.
Question:
(a) What are the most important qualities required for becoming a good
orator?
(b) What was the effect created by Sheridan’s speech?
(c) How can one judge the true effect of a good oration?
(d) What research does the audience to when they listen to speakers?
(e) Which speeches are not taken seriously by an audience?
3. Make a precis of the following passage in about 200 words. It is not
necessary to suggest a title. Failure to write within the word limit may result
in deduction of marks. The precis must be written on the separate precis sheets
provided, which must then be fastened securely inside the answer-book.
Taking into account the compelling and inescapable reality
of an increasingly resource-constrained world, India needs to link the
aspirations of the people and its prospects for accelerated growth to what I
would call a “resource-frugal” instead of a “resource-intensive” strategy of
development. I believe that such a strategy would enable India to sustain a high
rate of growth over a more extended period of time, delivering affluence without
waste, and current welfare without sacrificing the welfare of future
generations. I will touch upon just a few illustrative examples.
The notion of frugality is current in some sectors of our
economy and has been successful enough to attract international attention.
“Frugal manufacture” is already acclaimed as Indian industry’s contribution to
innovative production processes. This involves the stripping down of complex
machinery or devices, to their most essential applications without frills. An
example is the cost-effective, easy to use, hand-held ECG machine, which is a
major contribution to public health. The other is the use of the mobile
telephone to deliver information, services as well as funds on a low-cost and
widely spread platform. Even in agriculture, there have been significant
successes in promoting production processes which are dramatically economical in
the use of water, dispense with the use of costly chemical fertilizers and
pesticides or G.M. seeds and still deliver high agricultural output, ensuring
food security. This is frugal agriculture. What should be appreciated is that
these innovations, by making products affordable, lead to significant market
expansion. This in turn brings economies of scale, further lowering of costs and
generating even greater demand in a virtuous, self-reinforcing circle.
The hallmark of any modern society is its ability to
deliver rapid affordable and efficient means of mobility to its people. Enabling
people to exercise their right to mobility is a critical state responsibility.
However, mobility is a critical state exercise their right to mobility is a
linked to the use of energy and the use of scarce land, both of which are in
short supply in our country. It follows, therefore, that we must have a
transport strategy that ensures the most economical use of these resources. The
continued expansion of private vehicular transportation is not sustainable. If
the density of private car ownership in India were to approach U.S. or European
levels, we would be using liquid fuels far in excess of the total consumption of
all such fuels globally today. Just as the space required for parking a billion
cars and constructing highways for them to run on, would occupy land on a scale
that would leave little space for any other activity. Therefore, shifting
resources from private transportation to public transportation and investing in
the latter to make them convenient, comfortable and cost-effective is another
essential component of a “resource-frugal” strategy. Greater mobility ensures a
more productive population and a more efficient distribution of goods and
services. This is what can ensure a sustained and high rate of growth.
What is more, each of these innovations enable inclusive
growth, because they empower the poor; they profit from leveraging the power of
numbers. What we need is to upscale these successes from the margin to the
mainstream, from the local to the national level.
