GS Paper III — Q20
Naxalism is a social, economic and developmental issue manifesting as a violent internal security threat. In this context…
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 marks
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)
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.
Naxalism is simultaneously a development failure and a violent internal security threat; reducing it to a law-and-order problem ignores its roots in exclusion, forest rights, tribal alienation and governance gaps. It is a social, economic and developmental issue manifesting as violence.
Emerging issues: The menace is changing shape. Urban Naxalism, reflected in the Elgar Parishad case, links city-based agitation with rural insurgency. Maoists use encrypted apps, drones and social media for recruitment, communication and propaganda, complicating surveillance and evidence collection. Trans-border and transnational terror linkages raise intelligence concerns. Influence is growing in forested tri-junction areas such as Odisha-Chhattisgarh-Andhra Pradesh, where porous terrain and weak state presence aid movement. Recruitment increasingly targets children and women, including women cadres, exploiting deprivation, local grievances and the absence of credible alternatives.
Multilayered strategy: Security must follow the SAMADHAN doctrine: Subversion, Assurance, Motivation, Action, Development, Harnessing intelligence, Name and shame, supported by Greyhound forces, joint operations and inter-state coordination through the Multi-Agency Centre (MAC). Sustained development must reach the last mile through PMGSY, Eklavya schools, mobile towers, and the Bastar internet connectivity project. Political inclusion requires effective PESA implementation, local self-governance and forest rights. Administrative measures should strengthen the LWE-affected districts scheme, Aspirational Districts Programme, and surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy with targeted livelihoods, education and human dignity. Intelligence fusion, community policing and local leadership reduce misinformation and build trust.
The way forward is neither purely militaristic nor purely welfare-centric. Surgical operations must be paired with winning hearts and minds, ensuring security, development and political trust advance together.
What "Discuss" is asking you to do
Lay the issue out from more than one side — how it arose, what is claimed for it, what is held against it, and where it now stands. UPSC attaches discuss to broad topics with several live dimensions, so coverage of the dimensions earns more than the strength of your opinion.
Structure that answers it
Set the issue up → the case as it is made → the case against → the dimension both sides leave out → where the balance now lies
Where marks are lost
Listing facts with no thread between them, or arguing one side throughout and calling it a discussion.
How this answer will be evaluated
Approach
Framework: Security: classify threat, vulnerability, response; stay calm. discuss: intro > 3-4 dimensions > example > balanced close Full marks: Balanced analysis of root causes and multi-layered strategy with specific schemes and legal references.
Key points expected
- Identify root causes: land rights, exclusion, governance failure
- Discuss emerging issues: tribal rights, resource conflict, state capture
- Propose security measures: CAPF deployment, intelligence, legal action
- Propose developmental measures: infrastructure, livelihoods, welfare schemes
Evaluation rubric
Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.
- The answer Analyze Naxalism as a developmental issue and propose a multi-layered strategy. 15 marks · 250 words
discuss— intro → 3-4 dimensions → example → balanced close
Must cover
- Identify root causes: land rights, exclusion, governance failure
- Discuss emerging issues: tribal rights, resource conflict, state capture
- Propose security measures: CAPF deployment, intelligence, legal action
- Propose developmental measures: infrastructure, livelihoods, welfare schemes
Loses marks
- Focusing only on military/security response
- Ignoring the developmental and social roots
- Vague, aspirational solutions without implementation details
Earns more
- Mention specific schemes: PM-GRYMAJ, PM-KISAN, MGNREGA
- Reference legal framework: UAPA, AFSPA, PESA Act
- Discuss 'hearts and minds' approach and rehabilitation
- Mention specific regions: Red Corridor, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand
Extra mark
- Cite specific data: Naxal affected districts, casualties
- Reference specific committees: Dinesh Gupta Committee
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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