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

GS Paper I — Q7

Why is the South-West Monsoon called 'Purvaiya' (easterly) in Bhojpur Region? How has this directional seasonal wind system…

Why is the South-West Monsoon called 'Purvaiya' (easterly) in Bhojpur Region? How has this directional seasonal wind system influenced the cultural ethos of the region? (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

दक्षिण-पश्चिम मानसून भोजपुर क्षेत्र में 'पूर्वैया' (पूर्वी) क्यों कहलाता है? इस दिशापरक मौसमी पवन प्रणाली ने क्षेत्र के सांस्कृतिक लोकाचार को कैसे प्रभावित किया है? (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए)

Q7 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 150-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key.

The term Purvaiya comes from Purva, east, because in Bhojpur the south-west monsoon is felt locally as an easterly or south-easterly wind. The south-west monsoon, deflected westward along the Gangetic plain by the Himalayas, meets the Chotanagpur plateau; local relief then channels it, so the rain-bearing wind enters Bhojpur from the east. This apparent direction, not the wind’s source, shaped the region’s ethos. The Purvaiya fixed the kharif calendar: sowing, transplanting and paddy cultivation were timed to its onset, strength and retreat, making farming rain-dependent. It coloured culture: Chhath Puja’s monsoon-timed solar rituals, Kajari songs praising the easterly wind, and folk rain-forecasting reflect this rhythm. The easterly flow reinforced identity, treating the wind as the season’s herald. Vernacular settlements responded through courtyards, ponds (pokhars) and canals that harvested and drained the monsoon. Thus the wind became a cultural marker of season, labour and belief, embedding human-environment interaction in Bhojpur’s identity.

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: GS1 Paper 1. explain: definition/context > points in order > small example > short close Full marks: Clear mechanism of 'Purvaiya' with specific cultural examples and map

Key points expected

  • Define 'Purvaiya' as the local term for SW monsoon
  • Explain the mechanism: wind direction relative to local geography
  • Link wind system to specific cultural ethos (e.g., agriculture, festivals)
  • Connect physical geography to human outcome

Evaluation rubric

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

  1. The answer Explain the directional mechanism of the SW monsoon in Bhojpur and its cultural impact. 10 marks · 150 words

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

    Must cover

    • Define 'Purvaiya' as the local term for SW monsoon
    • Explain the mechanism: wind direction relative to local geography
    • Link wind system to specific cultural ethos (e.g., agriculture, festivals)
    • Connect physical geography to human outcome

    Loses marks

    • Narrating chronology of monsoon seasons
    • Emotive words on cultural issues without mechanism
    • Where without why (location without directional explanation)

    Earns more

    • Mention specific local crops or festivals linked to the wind
    • Reference the specific geography of the Bhojpur region
    • Use the term 'directional seasonal wind system' effectively

    Extra mark

    • 30-second sketch map of Bhojpur showing wind direction
    • One robust statistic on rainfall or agricultural yield

Practice this exact question

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