(a) (i) Describe the factors responsible for colic in horses and its treatment. (10 marks)
(ii) What is the importance of DNA fingerprinting technique in disease investigation of animals? (10 marks)
(b) Explain the functional anatomy of female fowl i

Question

(a) (i) Describe the factors responsible for colic in horses and its treatment. (10 marks)
(ii) What is the importance of DNA fingerprinting technique in disease investigation of animals? (10 marks)
(b) Explain the functional anatomy of female fowl in relation to its reproductive status. (15 marks)
(c) Explain the effect of environment on production and reproductive health of animals. (15 marks)

UPSC Answer Check · Accepted Answer

The question demands explanatory depth across four distinct sub-parts with varying mark weights. Allocate approximately 20% time/words to (a)(i) on equine colic (10 marks), 20% to (a)(ii) on DNA fingerprinting (10 marks), 30% to (b) on female fowl reproductive anatomy (15 marks), and 30% to (c) on environmental effects (15 marks). Structure with brief contextual introductions for each sub-part, followed by systematic explanatory body paragraphs, and conclude with integrated insights on how modern diagnostic tools and environmental management converge for optimal animal health.
- (a)(i) Etiology of equine colic: dietary factors (sudden feed change, low forage), management factors (stall confinement, inadequate water), parasitic load (Strongylus vulgaris), and anatomical predisposition; treatment protocols including medical management (analgesics, antispasmodics, fluids) and surgical intervention criteria
- (a)(ii) DNA fingerprinting applications: disease outbreak tracing (FMD virus lineage analysis), reservoir identification, transmission pathway mapping, vaccine strain matching, and wildlife-livestock interface disease ecology; mention RFLP, PCR-based methods, and whole genome sequencing
- (b) Functional anatomy of female fowl: left ovary-oviduct dominance, sequential maturation of follicles, five functional regions of oviduct (infundibulum, magnum, isthmus, uterus, vagina) with secretory specializations, clutch formation physiology, and regression of right gonad
- (c) Environmental effects: thermal stress on hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, photoperiod manipulation for seasonal breeders, humidity-mycotoxin interactions, heat stress-induced embryonic mortality, and shelter design for thermoregulation
- Integration point: connection between molecular diagnostics (a)(ii) and environmental disease management (c) for One Health implementation

Dimension	Weight	Max marks	Excellent	Average	Poor
Demand-directive understanding	15%	7.5	Correctly interprets 'describe' for (a)(i) requiring comprehensive etiological cataloguing; 'what is importance' for (a)(ii) demanding applied significance; 'explain' for (b) and (c) requiring causal mechanisms and functional relationships; maintains appropriate depth gradient matching 10 vs 15 mark allocations	Addresses all sub-parts but treats directives uniformly without adjusting explanatory depth; either over-describes low-mark sections or under-explains high-mark sections	Misinterprets directives (e.g., merely lists for 'explain'), omits sub-parts, or fails to adjust response scope to mark weightings
Content depth & accuracy	30%	15	Precise veterinary terminology throughout: for (a)(i) cites specific colic types (spasmodic, impaction, torsion) with pathophysiology; for (a)(ii) explains STR, SNP markers with disease application; for (b) details oviduct histo-functional zones; for (c) quantifies temperature-humidity index effects on conception rates	Generally accurate content with some terminological imprecision; covers major points but lacks mechanistic depth (e.g., mentions 'heat stress' without HSP70 pathway explanation)	Significant factual errors (e.g., confusing ruminant and equine digestive anatomy, stating both ovaries functional in fowl), outdated information, or superficial coverage omitting core concepts
Structure & flow	20%	10	Clear four-part architecture with visible demarcation; within each part, logical progression from definition → mechanism → application; effective transitions between veterinary medicine (a), molecular diagnostics (a)(ii), avian physiology (b), and environmental physiology (c); integrated conclusion bridging molecular to population level	All sub-parts present but internal organization uneven; some sections bullet-pointed while others narrative; transitions between parts abrupt	Disorganized or merged sub-parts making evaluation difficult; stream-of-consciousness writing without paragraph discipline; missing structural markers for examiners
Examples / case-law / data	20%	10	Indian context prominently featured: equine colic incidence data from RVC Bangalore or equine research stations; DNA fingerprinting applications from IVRI Izatnagar or NDRI Karnal disease investigations; ICAR poultry breeding records for oviduct physiology; environmental data from CLFMA or state livestock department THI studies; cites specific outbreaks (e.g., avian influenza traceback using molecular epidemiology)	Generic examples without Indian specificity; or accurate data but unsourced; mentions 'research shows' without institutional attribution	No examples, or invented/fabricated data; exclusively foreign examples when Indian data available; irrelevant case citations
Conclusion & analytical edge	15%	7.5	Synthesizes across sub-parts: how DNA fingerprinting enables targeted environmental intervention (c); how understanding fowl anatomy (b) informs precision housing design (c); forward-looking statement on precision livestock farming integrating molecular diagnostics with environmental control; policy recommendation for veterinary infrastructure	Summarizes each sub-part separately without cross-integration; generic concluding statement on 'importance of scientific approach'	No conclusion, or abrupt termination; conclusion merely repeats introduction; introduces entirely new unsubstantiated claims

(a) (i) Describe the factors responsible for colic in horses and its treatment. (10 marks) (ii) What is the importance of DNA…

Directive word: Explain

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

Key points expected

Evaluation rubric

Practice this exact question

More from Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science 2022 Paper II