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MrunalDownload:UPSCMains2014GeneralStudiesPaper1

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[Download]UPSCMains2014:GS1Culture,History,Geographyand
Socialissues
PostedByMrunalOn15/12/2014@10:16pmInQuestionPapers|57Comments

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Analysis
Instructions
Culture(40m)
IndianHistory(30m)
WorldHistory(30m)
Socialissues(50m)
Geography(100m)
1. IndustrialLocation(30m)
2. PhysicalGeography(20m)
3. Climatology(30m)
4. Resourcedistribution(20m)
8. Mains2014GS1QuestionPaper:Linearformat
9. BogusMarketingPropaganda

AnalysisofMains2014GS1Paper

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1. Wordlimitreducedbutcomplexity&vaguenessincreased.

2.
3.

4.

5.

?(Whoprepareseverythinginthismuchdetail?)
ItseemsMainsexamhasbecomeacompetition,nottoselectbestamonggood
answersbutratherlessbadamongtheworstanswers.Becauseitsimpossibleto
write25/25inhonestmannerevenwithsincerepreparation.
EasytogivearmchaircommentarieslikeUPSCistestingcandidatesemotional
aptitude,andforxyzquestionHindu,oldNCERTorsomerandomoptionalsubjectbook
hasgiven12points,socandidateoughttohavewebresearchedbackwardsand
preparedadecent200wordsnotesoneverythingundertheSun.Plainwasteof
demographicdividend,electricityandbandwidthitis.
Butpositiveside:Paperdoesntputthosewithoutcoaching,atdisadvantage.Evenfor
Mains2015exam,ifcoachingwallatrytorevamptheirmaterialfromscratch,perhaps
UPSCwillcomeupwithyetanotherBackBreakingMoveTM.
MorecanbesaidafteranalyzingthepaperandpreparingitsAnswerkeyinpeace.
2013

10marks=200words

Culturedifficult.
ModernIndianHistory:Lord
Dalhousieasked.(1850s)

Freedomstrugglecomplicated
likeroleofforeignerswho
madeIndiatheirhomeland.
Womenfreedomfighters.

2014
Nofivemarkerquestionsthistime.10mark=150
words.Wordlimitreduced.SeemsUPSCexaminer
realizeditsdifficulttoassemble200wordsforeverytopic
undertheSun.
Moredifficult,andweightagedoubledfrom20todirect40
marks.
Rewindthetapeevenfurther(1760s).Panipatasked.
1. Worldhistory:slightlyeasierthan2013.
StraightforwardquestionslikeSuezcrisis,factors
motivatinganticolonialstruggleinIndia.
2. ButnothingaboutfallofBerlinwall,despite25th
Anniversary.
FreedomstrugglerelativelyeasierBritishPolicies,
navalmutiny,becausetheyreavailableinBipanand
Spectrum.
ButnoquestiononGhadhar,KomagataMaru
incident,GandhiinSouthAfrica,ShurawadySarat
Bose,SardarPatel,Nehru(exceptindirectabout
Lenin)etc.topicswhichwereinHinduandFrontline.
Questionwithinterlinkingbetweentwosyllabustopics
Example

Lessquestionsofthisformat.

1. InfluenceofLeninsPolicy(1921)onIndianpolicies
afterindependence.(WorldHistoryscommunism+
PostIndependentIndia)
2. HarappaandPresentdayurbanization(Culture+
Urbanization)
3. GreenrevolutionbypassedEasternregion(Agro
location+PostIndependence)
4. IndiasplaceinAfricanresources(Geography+
Diplomacy)

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Globalizationtopicasked

Geography70marks.

sociologyvague(increase
malemembershipinwomen
organization)

Notasked.
Bothmarksanddifficultylevelincreasedfurther.e.g.
Britishteaplanters,thousandislandsinIndonesia
etc.
Butatthesametime,somestraightforward
questionslikeElNino,Oceanresourcesetc.
Slightlylessvaguebecausethereisampleopportunitiesto
inventanswersinjointfamilyeconomicfactors,patriarchy
andworkingwomen.

Anyways,letscheckthepaper:

InstructionsforGeneralStudiesPaper1
1.
2.
3.
4.

ThereareTWENTYFIVE(25)questionsprintedbothinHINDIandENGLISH.
Allthequestionsarecompulsory.
Thenumberofmarkscarriedbyaquestion/partisindicatedagainstit.
AnswersmustbewritteninthemediumauthorizedintheAdmissionCertificatewhich
mustbestatedclearlyonthecoverofthisQuestioncumAnswer(QCA)Bookletinthe
spaceprovided.Nomarkswillbegivenforanswerswritteninamediumotherthanthe
authorizedone.
5. Wordlimitinquestions,whereverspecified,shouldbeadheredto.
6. Anypageorportionofthepageleftblankintheanswerbookmustbeclearlystruckoff.
7. AnswerthequestionsinNOTMORETHAN150wordseach.Contentsoftheansweris
moreimportantthanitslength.Allquestionscarryequalmarks.

Culture(40m)
SyllabusTopic:IndianculturewillcoverthesalientaspectsofArtForms,Literatureand
Architecturefromancienttomoderntimes.
1. TowhatextenthastheurbanplanningandcultureoftheIndusValleyCivilization
providedinputstothepresentdayurbanization?Discuss.
2. GandharasculptureowedasmuchtotheRomansastotheGreeks.Explain.
3. Taxilauniversitywasoneoftheoldestuniversitiesoftheworldwithwhichwere
associatedanumberofrenownedlearnedpersonalitiesofdifferentdisciplines.Its
strategiclocationcauseditsfametoflourish,butunlikeNalanda,itisnotconsideredas
auniversityinthemodernsense.Discuss.
4. Sufisandmedievalmysticsaintsfailedtomodifyeitherthereligiousideasandpractices
ortheoutwardstructureofHindu/Muslimsocietiestoanyappreciableextent.
Comment.

IndianHistory(30m)
1. ThethirdbattleofPanipatwasfoughtin1761.Whyweresomanyempireshaking
battlesfoughtatPanipat?
2. ExaminecriticallythevariousfacetsofeconomicpoliciesoftheBritishinIndiafrommid
eighteenthcenturytillindependence.
3. InwhatwaysdidthenavalmutinyprovetobethelastnailinthecoffinofBritishcolonial
aspirationsinIndia?

WorldHistory(30m)
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SyllabusTopic:Historyoftheworldwillincludeeventsfrom18thcenturysuchasindustrial
revolution,worldwars,redrawalofnationalboundaries,colonization,decolonization,political
philosophieslikecommunism,capitalism,socialismetc.theirformsandeffectonthesociety.
1. Whatwerethemajorpolitical,economicandsocialdevelopmentsintheworldwhich
motivatedtheanticolonialstruggleinIndia?
2. WhatweretheeventsthatledtotheSuezCrisisin1956?Howdiditdealafinalblowto
Britainsselfimageasaworldpower?
3. TheNewEconomicPolicy1921ofLeninhadinfluencedthepoliciesadoptedbyIndia
soonafterindependence.Evaluate.

Socialissues(50m)
RoleOfWomen

1. Howdoespatriarchyimpactthepositionofamiddleclass
workingwomaninIndia?

PopulationIssues

2. WhydosomeofthemostprosperousregionsofIndiahavean
adversesexratioforwomen?Giveyourarguments.

PopulationIssues

3. Thelifecycleofajointfamilydependsoneconomicfactors
ratherthansocialvalues.Discuss.

RoleOfWomen/
PovertyDevelopment

4. Discussthevariouseconomicandsocioculturalforcesthatare
drivingincreasingfeminizationofagricultureinIndia.

Secularism

5. HowdotheIndiandebatesonsecularismdifferfromthe
debatesintheWest?

Geography(100m)

IndustrialLocation(30m)
1. WhereastheBritishplantershaddevelopedteagardensallalongtheShivaliksand
LesserHimalayasfromAssamtoHimachalPradesh,ineffecttheydidnotsucceed
beyondtheDarjeelingarea.Explain.
2. AccountforthechangeinthespatialpatternoftheIronandSteelindustryintheworld.
3. WhydidtheGreenRevolutioninIndiavirtuallybypasstheeasternregiondespitefertile
soilandgoodavailabilityofwater?

PhysicalGeography(20m)
1. ExplaintheformationofthousandsofislandsinIndonesianandPhilippines
archipelagos.
2. Whyaretheworldsfoldmountainsystemslocatedalongthemarginsofcontinents?
BringouttheassociationbetweentheglobaldistributionofFoldMountainsandthe
earthquakesandvolcanoes.

Climatology(30m)
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1. TropicalcyclonesarelargelyconfinedtoSouthChinaSea,BayofBengalandGulfof
Mexico.Why?
2. MostoftheunusualclimatichappeningsareexplainedasanoutcomeoftheElNino
effect.Doyouagree?
3. BringouttherelationshipbetweentheshrinkingHimalayanglaciersandthesymptoms
ofclimatechangeintheIndiansubcontinent.

Resourcedistribution(20m)
1. Criticallyevaluatethevariousresourcesoftheoceanswhichcanbeharnessedtomeet
theresourcecrisisintheworld.
2. HowdoesIndiaseeitsplaceintheeconomicspaceofrisingnaturalresourcerich
Africa?

QuestionPaper:Linearformat.Clicktoexpand
1. TowhatextenthastheurbanplanningandcultureoftheIndusValleyCivilization
providedinputstothepresentdayurbanization?Discuss.
2. GandharasculptureowedasmuchtotheRomansastotheGreeks.Explain.
3. Taxilauniversitywasoneoftheoldestuniversitiesoftheworldwithwhichwere
associatedanumberofrenownedlearnedpersonalitiesofdifferentdisciplines.Its
strategiclocationcauseditsfametoflourish,butunlikeNalanda,itisnotconsideredas
auniversityinthemodernsense.Discuss.
4. ThethirdbattleofPanipatwasfoughtin1761.Whyweresomanyempireshaking
battlesfoughtatPanipat?
5. Sufisandmedievalmysticsaintsfailedtomodifyeitherthereligiousideasandpractices
ortheoutwardstructureofHindu/Muslimsocietiestoanyappreciableextent.
Comment.
6. ExaminecriticallythevariousfacetsofeconomicpoliciesoftheBritishinIndiafrommid
eighteenthcenturytillindependence.
7. InwhatwaysdidthenavalmutinyprovetobethelastnailinthecoffinofBritishcolonial
aspirationsinIndia?
8. Whatwerethemajorpolitical,economicandsocialdevelopmentsintheworldwhich
motivatedtheanticolonialstruggleinIndia?
9. WhatweretheeventsthatledtotheSuezCrisisin1956?Howdiditdealafinalblowto
Britainsselfimageasaworldpower?
10. TheNewEconomicPolicy1921ofLeninhadinfluencedthepoliciesadoptedbyIndia
soonafterindependence.Evaluate.
11. HowdoespatriarchyimpactthepositionofamiddleclassworkingwomaninIndia?
12. WhydosomeofthemostprosperousregionsofIndiahaveanadversesexratiofor
women?Giveyourarguments.
13. WhereastheBritishplantershaddevelopedteagardensallalongtheShivaliksand
LesserHimalayasfromAssamtoHimachalPradesh,ineffecttheydidnotsucceed
beyondtheDarjeelingarea.Explain.
14. WhydidtheGreenRevolutioninIndiavirtuallybypasstheeasternregiondespitefertile
soilandgoodavailabilityofwater?
15. Thelifecycleofajointfamilydependsoneconomicfactorsratherthansocialvalues.
Discuss.
16. Discussthevariouseconomicandsocioculturalforcesthataredrivingincreasing
feminizationofagricultureinIndia.
17. HowdotheIndiandebatesonsecularismdifferfromthedebatesintheWest?
18. MostoftheunusualclimatichappeningsareexplainedasanoutcomeoftheElNino
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19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.

effect.Doyouagree?
Whyaretheworldsfoldmountainsystemslocatedalongthemarginsofcontinents?
Bringouttheassociationbetweentheglobaldistributionoffoldmountainsandthe
earthquakesandvolcanoes.
ExplaintheformationofthousandsofislandsinIndonesianandPhilippines
archipelagos.
TropicalcyclonesarelargelyconfinedtoSouthChinaSea,BayofBengalandGulfof
Mexico.Why?
BringouttherelationshipbetweentheshrinkingHimalayanglaciersandthesymptoms
ofclimatechangeintheIndiansubcontinent.
AccountforthechangeinthespatialpatternoftheIronandSteelindustryintheworld.
Criticallyevaluatethevariousresourcesoftheoceanswhichcanbeharnessedtomeet
theresourcecrisisintheworld.
HowdoesIndiaseeitsplaceintheeconomicspaceofrisingnaturalresourcerich
Africa?

BogusMarketingPropaganda
Thereisnotmuchtopropagandize,becausejusttwoquestionswhereMrunal.orghad
sufficientcontent:
Question

utilityoutof10marks

1. ElNino(link)

10/10

2. IronSteelindustry(link1:
Ironindustry link2:Steel
Industry )

10/10

Worldhistoryquestionsgood
amountofpointsinold
NCERTsuploadedat
Mrunal.org/history
DarjeelingTea.
TotalAukaat

0becauseIdidnotwriteoldNCERT.
5/10.Becausethesaidarticleonlytalksaboutwhy
Darjeelingwassuitable.Butdoesnttalkaboutwhy
Britisherscouldntmovebeyondthat.Thosepointshadto
beinvented.
25/250

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