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General Studies 2023 GS Paper III 15 marks 250 words Compulsory Describe

GS Paper III — Q19

What are the internal security challenges being faced by India? Give out the role of Central Intelligence and Investigative…

What are the internal security challenges being faced by India? Give out the role of Central Intelligence and Investigative Agencies tasked to counter such threats. (Answer in 250 words) 15 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

भारत द्वारा सामना की जाने वाली आंतरिक सुरक्षा चुनौतियाँ क्या हैं? ऐसे खतरों का मुकाबला करने के लिए नियुक्त केंद्रीय खुफिया और जाँच एजेंसियों की भूमिका बताइए। (उत्तर 250 शब्दों में दीजिए)

Q19 of the 2023 UPSC Mains General Studies GS Paper III, 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 internal security matrix is shaped by a complex interplay of historical fault lines, hostile neighborhood dynamics, and emerging non-traditional threats.

Internal Security Challenges

  • Left-Wing Extremism (LWE): While the geographical spread in the ‘Red Corridor’ has significantly shrunk, persistent Maoist violence in states like Chhattisgarh continues to target security personnel and infrastructure.
  • Cross-Border Terrorism: Pakistan-sponsored proxy warfare, infiltration, and the deployment of drones for dropping arms and narcotics in Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab remain persistent vulnerabilities.
  • Insurgency in the Northeast: Despite several peace accords, ethnic clashes and active insurgent factions such as ULFA-I and sections of NSCN perpetuate regional instability.
  • Emerging Hybrid Threats: The rise of cyber warfare targeting critical national infrastructure, digital radicalization, and the illicit narco-terrorism nexus driven by proximity to the Golden Crescent and Golden Triangle present evolving challenges.

Role of Central Intelligence and Investigative Agencies

  • Intelligence Bureau (IB): Gathers domestic intelligence, leads counter-espionage operations, and coordinates counter-radicalization efforts across states.
  • Research and Analysis Wing (RAW): Collects external intelligence to neutralize cross-border terror infrastructure and track foreign state and non-state actors targeting India.
  • National Investigation Agency (NIA): Operates as the apex federal counter-terrorism agency, mandated to investigate terror strikes, terror financing, and subversive conspiracies across state boundaries.
  • Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI): Investigates high-profile corruption, transnational organized crimes, and acts as India’s interface with INTERPOL.
  • Enforcement Directorate (ED): Dismantles terror-financing syndicates and organized crime through the enforcement of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Effectively countering these threats demands integrated intelligence-sharing through the Multi-Agency Centre (MAC), full operationalization of NATGRID, and robust data synchronization via the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS).

What "Describe" is asking you to do

Give a full, ordered account of the thing named — its parts, stages or mechanism — in the sequence in which it actually exists or occurs. Most describe questions come from the science optionals, where the marks sit in correct technical detail and, where the stem says so, a labelled diagram.

Structure that answers it

One-line identification of the subject → the parts or stages in their real order, each with its defining detail → labelled diagram where the subject is structural → closing line on function or significance

Where marks are lost

Loose general prose where the examiner is ticking named parts, correct terminology and their sequence; and in the General Studies papers, turning to evaluation before the description is finished.

All UPSC directive words, compared →

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

Framework: Situation > Analysis > Measures: legal, institutional, developmental > Assessment. challenges: 3-4 challenges > solutions mapped to them > conclusion Full marks: Precise mapping of specific agencies to specific threats with statutory context.

Key points expected

  • Classify threats (e.g., terrorism, Naxalism, cyber, communal)
  • Identify specific Central Intelligence/Investigative Agencies
  • Map specific agency roles to specific threats
  • Conclude with assessment of institutional response

Evaluation rubric

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

  1. The answer Classify internal security threats and map specific Central Agency roles to counter them.  · 250 words

    challenges— 3-4 challenges → solutions mapped to them → conclusion

    Must cover

    • Classify threats (e.g., terrorism, Naxalism, cyber, communal)
    • Identify specific Central Intelligence/Investigative Agencies
    • Map specific agency roles to specific threats
    • Conclude with assessment of institutional response

    Loses marks

    • Generic listing of agencies without specific roles
    • Dramatic or emotional security writing
    • Confusing state police with central agencies

    Earns more

    • Mention specific statutes (e.g., UAPA, NSA)
    • Reference specific operational mechanisms (e.g., NIA, IB)
    • Distinguish between intelligence and investigative functions
    • Mention inter-agency coordination mechanisms

    Extra mark

    • Cite a specific recent case or operation
    • Mention a specific committee or report (e.g., P.C. Alexander)

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