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General Studies 2022 GS Paper III 15 marks 250 words Compulsory Explain

GS Paper III — Q18

Explain the causes and effects of coastal erosion in India. What are the available coastal management techniques for combating…

Explain the causes and effects of coastal erosion in India. What are the available coastal management techniques for combating the hazard? (Answer in 250 words) 15 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

भारत में तटीय अपरदन के कारणों एवं प्रभावों को समझाइए। खतरे का मुकाबला करने के लिए उपलब्ध तटीय प्रबंधन तकनीकें क्या हैं? (250 शब्दों में उत्तर दीजिए)

Q18 of the 2022 UPSC Mains General Studies GS Paper III, 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.

Coastal erosion in India is the net landward retreat of the shoreline where wave, tidal and storm energy removes sand faster than it is replaced. Causes are natural and anthropogenic. Wave dynamics, especially longshore drift, redistribute sediment; sea-level rise and cyclonic storms increase energy; tidal action and the geological composition of soft alluvial or sandy coasts make erosion easier. Dams and ports trap or divert sediment, sand mining removes beach material, mangrove and coral reef destruction removes natural buffers, and unregulated coastal development accelerates loss. In Odisha, Kerala and the Sundarbans, these processes are intensified by cyclones and soft coastlines.

Effects are severe. Habitats and habitable land shrink, groundwater salinity ingress affects agriculture, roads, ports and houses are damaged, fishing communities are displaced, biodiversity is lost, and heritage sites can be threatened. NCCR estimates about one-third of India’s coastline is eroding, making this a climate-hazard issue.

Management requires hard, soft and institutional measures. Hard structures such as seawalls, groynes and breakwaters protect specific assets but can shift erosion downstream. These techniques must be site-specific, because a seawall that protects one port may starve a neighbouring beach. Soft shoreline stabilisation—beach nourishment, mangrove restoration, dune rehabilitation and setback lines—works with natural processes. Institutionally, the CRZ Notification 2011, amended in 2019, regulates development; the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change finances resilience; NCSCM’s shoreline change assessments and NCCR’s Shoreline Change Atlas guide planning.

Ultimately, India needs integrated coastal zone management, community participation and climate-resilient planning rather than relying only on structural works.

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: Environment: threat, causes, impact, mitigation. explain: definition/context > points in order > small example > short close Full marks: Balanced analysis of natural/anthropogenic causes with specific Indian examples and detailed management strategies.

Key points expected

  • Natural causes: waves, tides, currents, storms
  • Anthropogenic causes: dredging, construction, deforestation
  • Effects: loss of land, habitat destruction, infrastructure damage
  • Management: hard engineering (seawalls) and soft (dune restoration)

Evaluation rubric

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

  1. The answer Definition of coastal erosion, its causes, effects, and management techniques in India.  · 250 words

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

    Must cover

    • Natural causes: waves, tides, currents, storms
    • Anthropogenic causes: dredging, construction, deforestation
    • Effects: loss of land, habitat destruction, infrastructure damage
    • Management: hard engineering (seawalls) and soft (dune restoration)

    Loses marks

    • Generic environmental writing without India-specific context
    • Listing causes without explaining the mechanism
    • Ignoring the 'management techniques' part of the question

    Earns more

    • Mention of specific Indian locations (e.g., Odisha, Kerala)
    • Reference to climate change/sea-level rise
    • Distinction between hard and soft engineering
    • Mention of institutional frameworks (e.g., CRZ norms)

    Extra mark

    • Reference to specific schemes (e.g., National Coastal Mission)
    • Simple diagram of erosion process or management structure

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