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

GS Paper I — Q9

Explain why suicide among young women is increasing in Indian society. (Answer in 150 words) 10

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

भारतीय समाज में नवयुवतियों में आत्महत्या क्यों बढ़ रही है? स्पष्ट कीजिए। (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए)

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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.

NCRB data highlights an alarming rise in suicides among young Indian women (aged 18–30), driven by the friction between rapid modernization and rigid socio-economic realities.

Structural and Familial Stressors: Entrenched patriarchal norms subject young women to intense domestic subordination, marital conflicts, and dowry-related harassment. In a transitioning society, the twin burdens of economic precarity and societal pressure regarding delayed marriage create chronic psychological distress and a sense of entrapment.

Aspirational and Digital Realities: A sharp mismatch between rising educational attainment and limited formal employment opportunities (reflected in low female labour force participation) fosters acute aspirational frustration. Simultaneously, digital proliferation fuels distress through social media-induced comparison culture, cyberbullying, and online harassment, heightening anxiety and alienation.

Institutional Deficits: Pervasive social stigma surrounding psychiatric help, compounded by the scarcity of affordable mental health counseling in semi-urban and rural areas, prevents timely intervention. Addressing this requires strengthening grassroots counseling networks through Tele-MANAS, destigmatizing mental healthcare, and strictly enforcing protective laws against gender-based harassment.

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 Society: Continuity, Data, Intersectionality, Solution. explain: definition/context > points in order > small example > short close Full marks: Analytical, data-backed, covers multiple dimensions with clear 'why' logic.

Key points expected

  • Contextualize the trend (e.g., NSSO data or general rise)
  • Identify 3-4 distinct causal dimensions (social, economic, psychological)
  • Explain the 'why' behind each cause, not just list them
  • Conclude with a brief synthesis or way forward

Evaluation rubric

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

  1. The answer Contextualize the rise in female youth suicide and provide ordered causal points. 10 marks · 150 words

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

    Must cover

    • Contextualize the trend (e.g., NSSO data or general rise)
    • Identify 3-4 distinct causal dimensions (social, economic, psychological)
    • Explain the 'why' behind each cause, not just list them
    • Conclude with a brief synthesis or way forward

    Loses marks

    • Emotive or moralizing language instead of analysis
    • Narrating chronology of events rather than causes
    • Listing causes without explaining the mechanism

    Earns more

    • Mentioning intersectionality (e.g., rural vs urban, education status)
    • Linking social media or digital pressure to mental health
    • Discussing the 'double burden' of modernization and patriarchy
    • Referencing specific stressors like academic pressure or marriage

    Extra mark

    • Citing a specific NSSO report year or statistic
    • Mentioning a specific government scheme (e.g., KIRAN helpline)

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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