Strategic interests seem to be replacing commercial interests for the host country with regard to “Cam Ranh Bay.” Amplify
(Civil Services Exam 2011, 150 words)
Cam Ranh Bay is one of the most important ports in the region located in South China Sea in Vietnam. With the growing influence of China in the region in general, and China Sea in particular Vietnam which earlier intended to develop the port as commercial center has now gradually change its policy and is moving towards its usage as a strategic base with foreign military access.
From the point of view of the commercial interest, the port has great commercial potential as well as this port lies in one of the busiest trade route of western Pacific. Earlier Vietnam was trying to privatize the port but off late the country has reversed its policy. Now the host country has intention to use it for strategic purpose by providing military access to foreign countries and thus reduce China’s influence in the region.
Vietnam has entered into bilateral defense relationship with US over the usage of this port. Similarly, the country is trying to involve Russia also in context of this port to counter the influence of China.
Subsequent to the Nuclear Suppliers Group waiver in 2008, what are the agreements on nuclear energy that India has signed with different countries?
(IAS- 2010, 150 words)
India is accepted as the responsible state with advance nuclear technology or a de-facto nuclear state by NSG. This has removed the label of “nuclear untouchable” from India and has opened the flood gates for civil nuclear cooperation with the rest of the world.
As a result India has signed agreements with France, Russia, Mongolia, Namibia, Argentina, UK, Canada, Kazakhstan and South Korea.
The agreement with Russia is very important in this context. The agreement guarantees uninterrupted supply of nuclear fuel to Indian Atomic reactors. The technology transfer and military agreements are also the part of this agreement. Likewise India has signed inter-governmental framework on civil nuclear supplies with Kazakhstan which is the country with the one of the richest nuclear fuel availability.
In spite of the concern over the Indian nuclear weapon program, Canada also signed the agreement on nuclear supplies with India.
These agreements to promote nuclear energy for peaceful purpose would promote energy security and supplement the growth story of India.
Do you agree with the view that Israel is a “natural” ally of India?
(Civil Services Exam- 2010, 150 words)
There are two important similarities behind the logic that India and Israel are natural allies i.e. both are plural democracies and both the countries are suffering from cross border sponsored Islamic Terrorism. However since the history and geo-politics of the regions are different there are stronger reasons to believe that both the countries can be allies but not natural allies.
The champions of the view that India and Israel are “natural” allies support their claim by the fact that cross border sponsored Islamic terrorism is common to both the countries. According to this school of thought issues related to Kashmir and Palestine that both these countries are facing also have similarity. This view of “natural allies” reached its apex culmination during the NDA government when the idea of “India-Israel-US” nexus gained prominence.
However, it’s true that both the countries are suffering from Islamic terrorism and low intensity proxy wars across the border, but the core issues are entirely different. Kashmir cannot be compared with Palestine at any cost since the histories of both these are entirely different.
On the other hand there are various sectors wherein the two countries have mutually helped each other. For example India’s raising service sector and software industry can be useful for Israel. On the other hand Israel can support India in defense technology, drip irrigation, Falcon radars, drought resistant high yielding crops and treating sea water. Thus India and Israel can be allies but they are not natural allies.
With respect to Cooperative Societies, what are the salient features of the 106th and 111th Constitutional Amendment Bills as at present?
(Civil Services Exam, 2010- 150 words)
These two Bills have the purpose of empowering the Cooperative Societies, and preventing the interference of state and bureaucracy in them. The following are the main provisions of these Acts:
1.The Bills propose to give Constitutional status for incorporating, regulating and winding up of Cooperative societies.
2.The Bills also envisages promoting the Cooperative Societies by adding the provision in Directive Principle of State Policy for their formation and autonomous functioning
3.The Bills seek to make the management of Cooperative Societies more inclusive by including the representative from women and Schedule Caste in the Board of Directors
4.The Bills seek formation of an independent body in each states similar to Election Commission to conduct free and fair elections in the Cooperative societies
5.To give autonomy in the functioning of the Cooperatives the Bills have the provision for the auditing by the autonomous agencies
The Bills if passed and implemented properly would give fillip to the cooperative movement in India.
List the significance of local storms in the country and bring out their socio-economic impact.
(Civil Services 2010- 150 words)
The local winds have different impact in the different part of the country. These winds occur generally in the summer season, some of them provide solace from the scotching heat while the other made the heat wave more severe.
In the Northwest and Central part of the country the dust carrying winds called “Andhi” are rampant in the summer season. Sometimes these winds are very powerful and disrupt the normal life. Uprooting of trees, standing crops, electricity poles, and shelters of poor people by these winds are common. Similarly the hot wind called “Loo” in North Western and Central India add to the heat wave. The vulnerable and marginalized section of the society are effected most by this and every year many people lost their lives due to intense heat wave. The electricity and water consumption also increases due to this wind which has severe implications in states which are power deficit.
In eastern India, the wind called Kalbaisakhi is responsible for heavy rainfall and speed lightning. This causes damage to life and property. However, the rainfall due to this wind is extremely beneficial from crops like jute and fruits and vegetables.
Mango Showers and Cherry Blossoms are winds that occur in Kerala and Karnataka respectively. These winds provide solace from the intense heat wave and are beneficial for mango and coffee crops respectively
The significance of counter urbanization in the improvement of metropolitan cities in India
(Civil Services 2011-150 words)
In just one decade India has witnessed the growth in urban centers with million plus population from 23 to 35. Although the urban population in India is only about 28% of the total population but the pattern of urbanization is highly skewed. The bulk of urban population is concentrated in only a few big cities in general and metropolitan cities in particular. As a result of this there is intense pressure on the metropolitan cities to make the resources available and accessible for the quality living. The high density of population not only creates intense pressure on the resources but also result into sociological, cultural and political issues. The recent controversy in Mumbai regarding the influx of people from the north India is a manifestation of these complex issues.
In the backdrop of this, counter urbanization scheme which would try to develop the small cities and rural areas thus mitigating the gap between amenities and opportunities of metropolitan cities and other areas would lead to sustainable and balance regional development. The ability to generate the gainful employment opportunities in small cities, towns and rural area would be the most crucial factor in counter urbanization scheme which could mitigate migration to metropolitan cities.
Thus the counter urbanization has significant role to play in present context in India, it would not only improve quality of life and reduce pressure on resources in the metropolitan cities but would also help to reduce the India-Bharat cleavage.
Small holder farms need to be strengthened to achieve national food security. Do you agree with the statement? Substantiate.
(Civil Services Exam 2010- 150 words)
Household owing small farms along with agriculture labor constitutes more than 50% of total population of our country which generally practice subsistence farming. The bulk of marginalized and underprivileged population of the country also belongs to category, thus strengthening the small farms have a key role to play to achieve food security.
Food security has three connotations:
1.Affordability of the food
2.Availability of the food
3.Accessibility of the food
Strengthening the small farms would have the direct impact on the first two connotations of food security i.e. affordability and availability of food.
The agriculture productivity of the farms in India in general and small farms in particular is very low. The investment, capital formation and access to the institutional credit in the small farm sector are in a pathetic state. Fragmentation of the land, lack of modern farm inputs including high yielding varieties of crop are also the constraints faced by the small farmers.
Strengthening the above in the small farm sector would increase the productivity and production thus would ensure the higher availability of the food. Also this would increase the farm income and thus enhance the affordability of the small farmers. This would have direct impact on achieving the food security.
The impact of climate change on water resources on India
(150 words Civil Services 2011)
Climate change can severely impact the water resources in India. Since India is already witnessing changes in cropping pattern, changes in irrigation and storage of water, over exploitation of water resources, rapid urbanization etc the impact of climate change on water resources can result into further downward trend.
The rise of sea level due to climate change in the future can have severely effect the human settlements and bio diversity near the coastal areas. In Indian peninsular region this can have severe implications.
Climate change can result into change in hydrological cycle this can have serious implications on the water resources in India. The altered water cycle can result into rampant floods, droughts and can alter rainfall magnitude and pattern.
The climate change and increase in temperature would also increase evaporation rate. The increase in evaporation rate would have severe implication on the soil moisture which would effect the agriculture production and productivity.
In a thickly populated country like India, where agriculture is the mainstay of the economy and highly dependant on rainfall, the alteration in rainfall pattern along with decrease in soil moisture would impact the economy and would put further pressure on ground water and rivers.
“Cost Benefit Analysis should not be the sole consideration, while deciding to host events like Commonwealth Games”. Critically comment on this prospective.
(Civil Services Exam 2010- 150 words)
India was the host of commonwealth games in 2010. The cost that the country incurred to host this event was about more than rupees one lakh crores. This gave birth to a debate that a developing country like India where there is acute paucity of resources for the developmental goals was an event like this justifiable?
On the other if we minutely consider the issue it’s a fact that Cost Benefit analysis is a parochial way to estimate the events of this kind. Since in the classical Cost Benefit analysis various intangible factors like increase in the prestige of the country, the rise of India as a soft power, development of infrastructure of Delhi and surrounding areas, increase in the civic sense, traffic sense and awareness of the citizens and moreover the environmental issue are not taken into account thus Cost Benefit Analysis should not be the sole consideration to decide about the events of such kind.
It’s true that Cost benefit analysis has some limitations when the social, environmental and human factors come into the picture but on this pretext the economy and effectiveness should not be compromised.
UPSC Civil Service Mains Previous Year General Studies Questions With Model Answer Part 2
UPSC Civil Service Mains Previous Year General Studies Questions With Model Answer Part 4
