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General Studies 2023 GS Paper I 15 marks 250 words Compulsory Comment

GS Paper I — Q14

Comment on the resource potentials of the long coastline of India and highlight the status of natural hazard preparedness in…

Comment on the resource potentials of the long coastline of India and highlight the status of natural hazard preparedness in these areas. (Answer in 250 words) 15 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

भारत की लंबी तटरेखीय संसाधन क्षमताओं पर टिप्पणी कीजिए और इन क्षेत्रों में प्राकृतिक खतरे की तैयारी की स्थिति पर प्रकाश डालिए। (उत्तर 250 शब्दों में दीजिए)

Q14 of the 2023 UPSC Mains General Studies GS Paper I, as printed
The question as printed in the 2023 General Studies paper
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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.

India’s 7,516.6 km coastline represents a strategic intersection of immense economic potential and acute ecological vulnerability.

Resource Potentials The coastline anchors India’s expanding Blue Economy. India is the world’s second-largest fish producer, sustained by an Exclusive Economic Zone spanning over 2 million sq km. Maritime trade is facilitated by 13 major and over 200 non-major ports, which handle roughly 95% of the country’s international trade by volume. Additionally, the coast holds vast, underutilized offshore wind and tidal energy potential—notably along the Gujarat and Tamil Nadu coasts—alongside rich mineral placers and coastal tourism circuits developed under initiatives like the Swadesh Darshan scheme. However, full resource realization remains hindered by technological deficits in deep-sea mining and sustainable aquaculture.

Hazard Profile and Preparedness The coastline faces recurring multi-hazard vulnerabilities, including IMD-tracked severe tropical cyclones (predominantly on the east coast), storm surges, progressive coastal erosion, and tsunamis, as evidenced during the 2004 Indian Ocean disaster. Hazard preparedness has improved markedly. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) provides real-time tsunami and storm surge early warnings, while the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) and NDMA guidelines have institutionalized structural mitigation through multi-purpose cyclone shelters and embankments. Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notifications further regulate developmental footprints.

Critical Gaps and Assessment Persistent vulnerabilities remain due to inadequate last-mile warning dissemination for artisanal fishers, ongoing mangrove degradation, unregulated coastal construction, and slow local climate adaptation planning. Thus, while India has successfully shifted from reactive relief to proactive disaster preparedness, sustainable coastal resource exploitation fundamentally requires reconciling infrastructure expansion with nature-based resilience and stringent CRZ enforcement.

What "Comment" is asking you to do

Take a position on the statement and support it. Comment usually attaches to a quoted line in the short slots, so the reasoning must be compressed — an opening view, a few load-bearing reasons, and the limit of the claim.

Structure that answers it

Unpack what the statement asserts → your stance → two or three supporting reasons → the qualification that limits it

Where marks are lost

Neutral summary; a comment without a stance has not answered. Equally costly is accepting the quoted line wholesale and never testing where it fails.

All UPSC directive words, compared →

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

Framework: GS1 Geography: Resource Potential & Hazard Preparedness. comment: context > arguments both sides > judgment > close Full marks: Analyzes resource-hazard nexus with specific examples and clear judgment on preparedness gaps.

Key points expected

  • Identify key resource potentials (fisheries, ports, energy, tourism)
  • Highlight specific natural hazards (cyclones, tsunamis, erosion)
  • Assess status of preparedness (infrastructure, early warning, policy)
  • Provide a balanced judgment on the current state

Evaluation rubric

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

  1. The answer Contextualize India's coastline, analyze resource potential, and assess hazard preparedness status. 15 marks · 250 words

    comment— context → arguments both sides → judgment → close

    Must cover

    • Identify key resource potentials (fisheries, ports, energy, tourism)
    • Highlight specific natural hazards (cyclones, tsunamis, erosion)
    • Assess status of preparedness (infrastructure, early warning, policy)
    • Provide a balanced judgment on the current state

    Loses marks

    • Listing resources without explaining the mechanism
    • Vague statements on preparedness without specific examples
    • Ignoring the 'status' aspect (current state vs. potential)

    Earns more

    • Mention specific coastal states or regions
    • Reference specific preparedness mechanisms (e.g., cyclone shelters)
    • Link resource exploitation to vulnerability
    • Mention specific policies (e.g., Coastal Regulation Zone)

    Extra mark

    • 30-second sketch map of coastline with hazard zones
    • One robust statistic on economic value or disaster loss

Practice this exact question

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