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

Q9

"If the last few decades were of Asia's growth story, the next few are expected to be of Africa's." In the light of this statement, examine India's influence in Africa in recent years. (Answer in 150 words) 10

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

"यदि विगत कुछ दशक एशिया के विकास की कहानी के रहे, तो परवर्ती कुछ दशक अफ्रीका के हो सकते हैं।" इस कथन के आलोक में, हाल के वर्षों में अफ्रीका में भारत के प्रभाव का परीक्षण कीजिए। (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए)

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Directive word: Examine

This question asks you to examine. The directive word signals the depth of analysis expected, the structure of your answer, and the weight of evidence you must bring.

See our UPSC directive words guide for a full breakdown of how to respond to each command word.

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

The directive 'examine' requires a detailed investigation of India's influence in Africa, presenting both achievements and limitations. Structure: brief context linking Asia's growth to Africa's potential (20-25 words); body covering economic, political, developmental and strategic dimensions with critical assessment (100-110 words); conclusion on future trajectory and challenges (20-25 words).

Key points expected

Economic engagement: trade growth, concessional lines of credit (~$12.5 billion), India-Africa Forum Summit institutionalization
Developmental cooperation: capacity building via ITEC, Pan-African e-Network, solar diplomacy (ISA membership of 34 African nations)
Diaspora and soft power: 3 million+ PIOs, cultural linkages, pharmaceutical and IT presence
Strategic competition: positioning against China's debt-trap concerns, naval base in Djibouti context, defence exports
Critical gaps: trade imbalance favouring India, project implementation delays, limited private sector investment vs China
Future potential: AfCFTA opportunities, critical mineral partnerships (lithium, cobalt), climate finance leadership

Evaluation rubric

Dimension	Weight	Max marks	Excellent	Average	Poor
Demand-directive understanding	20%	2	Correctly interprets 'examine' as requiring critical investigation with balanced coverage of achievements and shortcomings; explicitly connects Asia's past growth to Africa's future potential in the opening	Partially understands 'examine' as description only; mentions Asia-Africa linkage superficially or misses the temporal comparison entirely	Treats as 'describe' or 'list'; completely ignores the Asia-Africa comparative framing or misinterprets directive as 'explain why Africa will grow'
Content depth & accuracy	20%	2	Covers minimum three dimensions (economic, developmental, strategic) with accurate data; includes critical perspective on limitations; no factual errors on summits, credit lines or institutional mechanisms	Two dimensions covered adequately; minor inaccuracies in figures or conflates India-Africa Forum Summit with other forums; limited critical element	Single dimension focus (only trade or only diaspora); significant factual errors; confuses India's Africa policy with China's or generic global South rhetoric
Structure & flow	20%	2	Clear tripartite structure within 150 words; smooth transitions between economic, political and strategic dimensions; each paragraph advances the analytical narrative	Recognizable structure but uneven weightage; some abrupt shifts; conclusion feels tagged on rather than synthesizing the examination	Bullet points or disjointed listing; no logical progression; exceeds word limit significantly or severely underwrites; missing conclusion
Examples / case-law / data	20%	2	Specific quantified data (credit lines ~$12.5bn, 42 African ISA members, $98bn trade target); concrete projects (Kenya's Mombasa port, Ethiopia's sugar projects, vaccine diplomacy during COVID-19)	Generic references to 'ITEC scholarships' or 'lines of credit' without specifics; one accurate data point; examples from only one region (East Africa bias)	No data or examples; vague 'cultural ties' or 'historical friendship' without substantiation; incorrect examples (mentioning non-existent military bases)
Conclusion & analytical edge	20%	2	Forward-looking synthesis addressing Africa's growth potential and India's positioning; identifies AfCFTA or critical minerals as future leverage; acknowledges competition with China without polemics	Generic restatement of 'India-Africa partnership is important'; mild optimism without specific future pathways; misses analytical opportunity in the Asia-Africa transition	No conclusion or abrupt ending; purely descriptive closing; irrelevant moralistic statements; contradicts own analysis or introduces new unsubstantiated claims

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