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General Studies 2021 GS Paper II 10 marks 150 words Compulsory Explain

GS Paper II — Q10

"The USA is facing an existential threat in the form of a China, that is much more challenging than the erstwhile Soviet Union."…

"The USA is facing an existential threat in the form of a China, that is much more challenging than the erstwhile Soviet Union." Explain. (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

"संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिका, चीन के रूप में एक ऐसे अस्तित्व के खतरे का सामना कर रहा है जो तत्कालीन सोवियत संघ की तुलना में कहीं अधिक चुनौतीपूर्ण है।" विवेचना कीजिए। (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए)

Q10 of the 2021 UPSC Mains General Studies GS Paper II, as printed
The question as printed in the 2021 General Studies paper
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Model answer

Written by UPSC Answer Check against this question's marking rubric, to the 150-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key.

China challenges the USA more existentially than the USSR because its power is systemic, not merely military. The Soviet Union was economically autarkic and technologically lagging, so containment worked through decoupling. China, by contrast, is deeply embedded in global supply chains, making decoupling self-harming for the USA. It competes directly in AI, 5G and semiconductors, threatening the technological edge underpinning US primacy. Ideologically, its authoritarian capitalism and developmental model attract the Global South, unlike Soviet communism's limited appeal. Military-civil fusion and grey-zone tactics blur deterrence, while institutions like AIIB and BRI co-opt multilateral order, unlike the exclusive Soviet bloc. For India, this bipolarity complicates strategic autonomy, demanding multi-alignment and indigenous capability. Thus China poses a comprehensive, interdependent challenge the USSR never did.

What "Explain" is asking you to do

Make the working of something clear — what sets it off, what follows from what, and what it produces. Explain is the Commission's mechanism word: it dominates the technical papers and the “explain why” stems, where the marks sit in the causal chain and not in the label.

Structure that answers it

State what it is → the initiating condition → the chain of cause, step by step → an instance where it plays out → what the chain produces

Where marks are lost

Describing what something looks like instead of why it works that way. Naming the stages without linking them reads as description too.

All UPSC directive words, compared →

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

Framework: GS2 International Relations. explain: definition/context > points in order > small example > short close Full marks: Nuanced comparison of economic/tech vs military threats with specific examples.

Key points expected

  • Contrast China's economic interdependence with USSR's isolation
  • Highlight China's technological and military modernization
  • Mention China's global footprint (BRI, trade)
  • Explain the 'existential' nature of the threat

Evaluation rubric

Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.

  1. The answer Contextualize the US-China rivalry and substantiate why China is a more challenging threat than the USSR. 10 marks · 150 words

    explain— definition/context → points in order → small example → short close

    Must cover

    • Contrast China's economic interdependence with USSR's isolation
    • Highlight China's technological and military modernization
    • Mention China's global footprint (BRI, trade)
    • Explain the 'existential' nature of the threat

    Loses marks

    • Treating China and USSR as identical threats
    • Ignoring the economic dimension of the threat
    • Vague generalities without specific examples

    Earns more

    • Reference to 'Thucydides Trap' or 'Great Power Competition'
    • Mention of US-China decoupling or de-risking
    • Comparison of nuclear arsenals or GDP parity
    • Reference to Indo-Pacific strategy

    Extra mark

    • Cite specific data on US-China trade deficit
    • Reference to specific US policy documents (e.g., National Security Strategy)

Practice this exact question

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