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

Q20

Naxalism is a social, economic and developmental issue manifesting as a violent internal security threat. In this context, discuss the emerging issues and suggest a multilayered strategy to tackle the menace of Naxalism. (Answer in 250 words) 15

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

नक्सलवाद एक सामाजिक, आर्थिक और विकासात्मक मुद्दा है जो एक हिंसक आंतरिक सुरक्षा खतरे के रूप में प्रकट होता है। इस संदर्भ में उभरते हुए मुद्दों की चर्चा कीजिए और नक्सलवाद के खतरे से निपटने की बहुस्तरीय रणनीति का सुझाव दीजिए। (250 शब्दों में उत्तर दीजिए)

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Directive word: Discuss

This question asks you to discuss. 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 'discuss' requires a balanced examination of emerging issues in Naxalism followed by actionable strategy suggestions. Structure as: brief introduction acknowledging the dual nature (socio-economic roots, security manifestation) → body paragraph on emerging issues (urban Naxalism, technology use, trans-border linkages, recruitment patterns) → body paragraph on multilayered strategy (security, development, political, administrative dimensions) → conclusion emphasizing holistic approach.

Key points expected

Recognition of Naxalism as simultaneously a development failure and security threat, not purely law-and-order problem
Emerging issues: urban Naxalism (Elgar Parishad case), use of encrypted apps/drones, Maoist-transnational terror linkages, growing influence in tri-junction areas (Odisha-Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra), child recruitment and women cadres
Multilayered strategy covering: security (SAMADHAN doctrine, Greyhound forces), development (PMGSY, Eklavya schools, mobile towers), political (PESA implementation, local self-governance), administrative (LWE-affected districts scheme, surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy)
Specific mention of recent government initiatives: Aspirational Districts Programme, Bastar internet connectivity project, inter-state coordination through Multi-Agency Centre (MAC)
Balanced conclusion avoiding purely militaristic or purely welfare-centric solutions, emphasizing 'winning hearts and minds' alongside surgical operations

Evaluation rubric

Dimension	Weight	Max marks	Excellent	Average	Poor
Demand-directive understanding	20%	3	Clearly distinguishes between 'emerging issues' (new trends) and 'strategy' (solutions), treats both socio-economic roots and security dimensions as interconnected rather than separate, maintains analytical balance without over-emphasizing one aspect	Addresses both parts but treats them as disconnected sections, or over-focuses on either security or development while underplaying the other, misses the 'emerging' qualifier for issues	Misinterprets 'discuss' as purely descriptive narrative, or conflates issues with strategy, or treats Naxalism only as terrorism without acknowledging developmental roots
Content depth & accuracy	20%	3	Demonstrates nuanced understanding of post-2017 developments (urban networks, technology adaptation), cites specific policies (SAMADHAN, Aspirational Districts), accurately links Fifth Schedule areas and PESA to grievances, mentions specific affected states correctly	Generic description of 'poverty and inequality' as causes, lists standard security measures without specificity, confuses old and new trends, minor factual errors on geography or policy names	Outdated content pre-dating 2010, factually incorrect on affected areas (e.g., mentioning Punjab/Northeast), confuses Naxalism with other insurgencies, purely theoretical without contemporary relevance
Structure & flow	20%	3	Clear two-part structure with visible transition from diagnosis to prescription, logical progression within each section (security→development→governance), effective signposting, maintains 250-word discipline with proportional allocation	Recognizable structure but abrupt transitions, some repetition between issues and strategy sections, uneven word distribution (over 150 words on one part), conclusion feels appended rather than integrated	Stream-of-consciousness writing without paragraph breaks, no discernible structure, exceeds word limit significantly or grossly underwrites, missing either issues or strategy component entirely
Examples / case-law / data	20%	3	Cites specific incidents (2021 Sukma attack, Elgar Parishad chargesheet), uses quantitative data (LWE districts reduced from 126 to 90, 2023 MHA data), references specific schemes (Roshni project for surrendered militants), mentions affected districts by name (Bastar, Malkangiri, Gadchiroli)	Vague references to 'recent attacks' without specifics, mentions general schemes without linking to Naxalism context, uses outdated statistics, generic mention of 'tribal areas' without specificity	No examples or data whatsoever, or completely fabricated/incorrect examples, irrelevant international comparisons without Indian context, examples from wrong conflict zones
Conclusion & analytical edge	20%	3	Synthesizes security-development dialectic with original insight, suggests way forward emphasizing community policing or local capacity building, acknowledges limitations of current approach, ends on constructive note without being naive about violence	Standard summary of points made, generic 'government should do more' conclusion, restates strategy without synthesis, balanced but lacks original insight	Absurdly optimistic 'Naxalism will end soon' or defeatist 'problem unsolvable' conclusion, introduces new arguments in conclusion, purely emotional appeal without analysis, missing conclusion entirely

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