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

GS Paper II — Q6

"Besides being a moral imperative of a Welfare State, primary health structure is a necessary precondition for sustainable…

"Besides being a moral imperative of a Welfare State, primary health structure is a necessary precondition for sustainable development." Analyze. (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

"एक कल्याणकारी राज्य की नैतिक अनिवार्यता के अलावा, प्राथमिक स्वास्थ्य संरचना धारणीय विकास की एक आवश्यक पूर्व शर्त है।" विश्लेषण कीजिए। (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए)

Q6 of the 2021 UPSC Mains General Studies GS Paper II, as printed
The question as printed in the 2021 General Studies paper
Evaluate your answer to this question → See all 2021 General Studies questions

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.

Primary healthcare embodies the constitutional mandate under Article 47 (duty to improve public health) and the judicially recognized Right to Health under Article 21. As a moral imperative of a Welfare State, interventions like Ayushman Bharat minimize out-of-pocket expenditure, shielding vulnerable households from catastrophic health spending and breaking the intergenerational poverty trap (SDG 1).

Simultaneously, primary health acts as an indispensable engine for sustainable development. Grassroots mechanisms driven by ASHA workers facilitate institutional deliveries, systematically reducing MMR and IMR to nurture India’s demographic dividend into capable human capital. Good health (SDG 3) directly bolsters learning outcomes (SDG 4), fosters gender equality through maternal and reproductive care (SDG 5), and secures a productive workforce essential for economic growth and decent work (SDG 8).

Way Forward: Strengthening decentralized primary health infrastructure is thus not merely a redistributive welfare measure, but a foundational precondition for achieving resilient and sustainable national development.

What "Analyse" is asking you to do

Break the subject into its working parts and show how they act on each other. The marks are in the interconnections — which factor drives which, and what the resulting structure explains — not in the inventory of factors.

Structure that answers it

Define the whole → separate it into its parts → show which part drives which → what that interaction produces → what the structure implies

Where marks are lost

A flat list of causes with no account of which drives which. An answer of neatly separated headings, each self-contained, scores as description.

All UPSC directive words, compared →

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

Framework: GS2: Social Justice & Health. analyse: intro > causes > effects > stakeholders/linkages > way forward Full marks: Clear link between health and development, cites Art 47/21, mentions SDG 3 or NHP 2017, balanced analysis.

Key points expected

  • Define primary health structure (PHC/ASHA/ANM)
  • Explain health as a precondition for development
  • Link health to human capital and productivity
  • Mention constitutional mandate (Art 47/21)

Evaluation rubric

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

  1. The answer Link primary health structure to sustainable development and welfare state obligations. 10 marks · 150 words

    analyse— intro → causes → effects → stakeholders/linkages → way forward

    Must cover

    • Define primary health structure (PHC/ASHA/ANM)
    • Explain health as a precondition for development
    • Link health to human capital and productivity
    • Mention constitutional mandate (Art 47/21)

    Loses marks

    • Reciting Articles without analysis
    • Focusing only on moral imperative, ignoring development
    • Ending without a way forward or reform

    Earns more

    • Reference to SDG 3 (Health and Well-being)
    • Mention of National Health Policy 2017
    • Link to poverty reduction and social equity
    • Reference to Universal Health Coverage (UHC)

    Extra mark

    • Cite specific Supreme Court judgment on right to health
    • Reference to 2nd ARC or Law Commission on health

Practice this exact question

Write your answer and it is marked point by point against the model answer above — what you covered, what you missed, what you got wrong.

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