General Studies 2023 GS Paper I 10 marks 150 words Compulsory Explain

Q5

Why is the world today confronted with a crisis of availability of and access to freshwater resources? (Answer in 150 words) 10

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

आज विश्व ताजे जल के संसाधनों की उपलब्धता और पहुंच के संकट से क्यों जूझ रहा है? (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए)

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Directive word: Explain

This question asks you to explain. 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 'why' demands causal analysis of freshwater crisis drivers. Structure: brief context on freshwater scarcity → body addressing availability (physical shortage, pollution, climate change) and access (economic, political, infrastructural barriers) → conclusion with forward-looking insight on sustainable water governance.

Key points expected

Physical scarcity: uneven distribution (2.5% freshwater, 68% locked in ice), over-extraction of aquifers (Ogallala, India's Punjab-Haryana belt)
Demand-supply mismatch: population growth, urbanization, industrial/agricultural intensification
Quality degradation: pollution from untreated sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff reducing usable water
Climate change impacts: altered precipitation, glacial melt (Himalayan rivers), increased droughts/floods
Access inequities: economic exclusion (privatization costs), transboundary conflicts (Indus, Nile, Mekong), weak infrastructure in Global South
Governance failures: fragmented policies, lack of integrated water resource management, weak enforcement

Evaluation rubric

Dimension	Weight	Max marks	Excellent	Average	Poor
Demand-directive understanding	20%	2	Clearly distinguishes between 'availability' (physical/quantitative scarcity) and 'access' (socio-economic/political barriers) with integrated causal analysis showing their interconnection	Addresses both availability and access but treats them separately without showing causal links; some conflation of the two concepts	Fails to distinguish between availability and access; treats question as generic water crisis description without analytical separation
Content depth & accuracy	20%	2	Covers hydrological, climatic, demographic, economic and governance dimensions with accurate data (e.g., 2.5% freshwater, 70% agricultural use, 2 billion people water-stressed)	Covers 3-4 dimensions adequately but misses critical interconnections; minor factual inaccuracies or vague generalizations	Superficial coverage with major factual errors; limited to 1-2 dimensions (e.g., only pollution or only population growth)
Structure & flow	20%	2	Logical progression from physical to human dimensions; clear thematic organization; smooth transitions between scarcity drivers and access barriers within 150-word constraint	Generally coherent structure but some abrupt shifts; either availability or access section disproportionately developed	Disorganized or list-like presentation; no clear thematic structure; exceeds word limit significantly or severely underwrites
Examples / case-law / data	20%	2	Includes specific Indian examples (Cauvery dispute, NITI Aayog's 21 cities groundwater report, Atal Bhujal Yojana) and global instances (Cape Town Day Zero, Aral Sea) with precise data points	Includes 1-2 relevant examples but lacks specificity (e.g., 'some Indian cities' instead of named cities); generic global references without data	No concrete examples; only vague references like 'developing countries' or 'many rivers'; irrelevant or invented examples
Conclusion & analytical edge	20%	2	Synthesizes availability-access nexus; offers critical insight on water as commons vs. commodity, or need for transboundary cooperation/integrated management; forward-looking without being prescriptive	Generic conclusion restating points; OR prescriptive solution-list without analytical depth; lacks synthesis of core tension	No conclusion; OR abrupt ending; OR completely new unrelated point; moralistic or utopian closing without analytical grounding

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