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General Studies 2022 GS Paper I 15 marks 250 words Compulsory Describe

GS Paper I — Q14

What are the forces that influence ocean currents ? Describe their role in fishing industry of the world. (Answer in 250 words) 15

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

समुद्री धाराओं को प्रभावित करने वाली शक्तियाँ कौन सी हैं ? विश्व के मत्स्य-उद्योग में इनके योगदान का वर्णन करें । (250 शब्दों में उत्तर दें)

Q14 of the 2022 UPSC Mains General Studies GS Paper I, as printed
The question as printed in the 2022 General Studies paper
Evaluate your answer to this question → See all 2022 General Studies questions

Model answer

Written by UPSC Answer Check against this question's marking rubric, to the 250-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key.

Ocean currents are large-scale water movements driven by energy input and modified by Earth’s rotation and geography. Forces. Solar insolation heats equatorial waters, creating temperature gradients; gravity acts on density differences and sea-surface slope to produce pressure-gradient flow. Planetary winds—trade winds and westerlies—drive surface currents, while the Coriolis force deflects them rather than driving them, shaping gyres. Thermohaline circulation, caused by temperature and salinity density gradients, moves deep water globally. Continental configuration, seabed topography and friction with coasts and the seabed deflect, split or channel currents.

Fishing industry. Alongshore winds and Ekman transport draw up nutrient-rich deep water; cold eastern boundary currents such as the Humboldt/Peru, Benguela, California and Canary are associated with these upwelling zones, supporting dense phytoplankton and fish populations. Convergence and mixing zones create rich grounds: the Grand Banks, where Gulf Stream and Labrador waters meet, and the Kuroshio-Oyashio mixing zone, supporting tuna, mackerel and migratory routes. Warm currents such as the Gulf Stream and Kuroshio provide transport routes for tuna, mackerel and pelagic fish. Shallow continental shelves and tidal mixing make the North Sea and Dogger Bank productive. In India, the Laccadive Current and monsoon-driven upwelling support Malabar and Gujarat fisheries; the SW-monsoon Somali upwelling and Indian Ocean Dipole phases alter productivity along Kerala and Tamil Nadu coasts. The West Australian Current, a cold current off Western Australia, is a separate example of boundary-current influence on fisheries. Climate change is shifting winds, temperature, salinity and upwelling, threatening stable fish stocks and requiring adaptive fishery management.

What "Describe" is asking you to do

Give a full, ordered account of the thing named — its parts, stages or mechanism — in the sequence in which it actually exists or occurs. Most describe questions come from the science optionals, where the marks sit in correct technical detail and, where the stem says so, a labelled diagram.

Structure that answers it

One-line identification of the subject → the parts or stages in their real order, each with its defining detail → labelled diagram where the subject is structural → closing line on function or significance

Where marks are lost

Loose general prose where the examiner is ticking named parts, correct terminology and their sequence; and in the General Studies papers, turning to evaluation before the description is finished.

All UPSC directive words, compared →

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

Framework: Geography: explain the mechanism, then location follows; Link physical geography to human outcome. describe: define > structure or process in order > labelled diagram > significance Full marks: Mechanisms of wind/thermohaline clearly linked to upwelling and specific global fishing zones.

Key points expected

  • Wind (Coriolis, Westerlies, Trade winds)
  • Thermohaline circulation (density/salinity)
  • Upwelling mechanism (nutrient supply)
  • Link to specific fishing grounds (e.g., Peru, Grand Banks)

Evaluation rubric

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

  1. The answer Identify forces driving currents and explain their specific impact on global fishing.  · 250 words

    describe— define → structure or process in order → labelled diagram → significance

    Must cover

    • Wind (Coriolis, Westerlies, Trade winds)
    • Thermohaline circulation (density/salinity)
    • Upwelling mechanism (nutrient supply)
    • Link to specific fishing grounds (e.g., Peru, Grand Banks)

    Loses marks

    • Listing forces without explaining the mechanism
    • Generic description of fishing without linking to currents
    • Confusing tides with ocean currents

    Earns more

    • Role of tides and river discharge
    • Impact of El Niño on fisheries
    • Geographic location of major upwelling zones
    • Distinction between surface and deep currents

    Extra mark

    • Sketch map of major currents and fishing zones
    • Specific statistic on catch volume in upwelling zones

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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