General Studies 2024 GS Paper I 15 marks 250 words Compulsory How
Q19
Globalization has increased urban migration by skilled, young, unmarried women from various classes. How has this trend impacted upon their personal freedom and relationship with family? (Answer in 250 words) 15
हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें
वैश्वीकरण ने विभिन्न वर्गों की कुशल, युवा एवं अविवाहित महिलाओं द्वारा शहरी प्रवास में वृद्धि की है। इस प्रवृत्ति ने उनकी व्यक्तिगत स्वतंत्रता एवं परिवार के साथ संबंधों पर क्या प्रभाव डाला है? (उत्तर 250 शब्दों में दीजिए)
Directive word: How
This question asks you to how. 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 'How' requires examining the causal mechanisms and multifaceted impacts of globalization-driven female urban migration on personal freedom and family relationships. Structure: brief introduction linking globalization to feminization of migration; body with parallel analysis of personal freedom gains (economic autonomy, mobility, lifestyle choices) and family relationship transformations (negotiated patriarchy, remittance dynamics, delayed marriage, intergenerational role shifts); conclusion with balanced assessment of empowerment versus new vulnerabilities.
Key points expected
- Economic independence and financial autonomy as core dimension of personal freedom enabled by skilled employment in IT, finance, healthcare sectors
- Spatial mobility and lifestyle choices including delayed marriage, cohabitation, and independent living arrangements challenging traditional norms
- Transformation of family relationships: remittance flows altering intra-household power dynamics and decision-making authority
- Negotiated patriarchy: continued familial obligations alongside autonomy, including 'transnational mothering' and care deficits
- Digital connectivity enabling sustained family ties while permitting geographical separation (Skype/WhatsApp families)
- Class-differentiated experiences: upper-middle-class professional women versus lower-tier service sector migrants facing precarity
Evaluation rubric
| Dimension | Weight | Max marks | Excellent | Average | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demand-directive understanding | 20% | 3 | Precisely addresses both components of the 'how' question—personal freedom AND family relationships—with clear causal links to globalization; avoids conflating with 'why' or merely describing migration trends | Covers both aspects but treats them sequentially without interconnection; some drift into general discussion of women and globalization | Misreads directive as descriptive 'what' or 'describe'; focuses only on one aspect (freedom or family) or discusses male migration |
| Content depth & accuracy | 20% | 3 | Demonstrates nuanced understanding of class heterogeneity among migrants; distinguishes between IT professionals, nurses, domestic workers; captures paradox of autonomy coexisting with persistent patriarchal controls | Mentions class variation superficially; treats 'personal freedom' and 'family' as static categories without dialectical tension; some sociological concepts misapplied | Relies on stereotypes of 'liberated' urban women; conflates all female migration with empowerment; factual errors about migration patterns or legal frameworks |
| Structure & flow | 20% | 3 | Clear parallel structure examining freedom and family with explicit cross-references; smooth transitions between individual and household levels of analysis; disciplined 250-word economy | Competent introduction-body-conclusion but sections operate in isolation; some redundancy or uneven weighting between the two question components | Disorganized or bullet-point dump; abrupt shifts; conclusion merely restates points; significantly over/under word limit |
| Examples / case-law / data | 20% | 3 | Specific Indian evidence: Kerala nurses in Gulf/Western healthcare markets; Bengaluru IT sector 'techies'; Census 2011 female migration data; studies by Irudaya Rajan or Neetha N.; NCRB data on crimes against migrant women | Generic references to ' metros like Mumbai/Delhi' without specificity; international examples (Filipina domestic workers) without Indian contextualization | No concrete examples; invented statistics; irrelevant case law; examples actually describe male migration or rural-urban movement generally |
| Conclusion & analytical edge | 20% | 3 | Synthesizes tension between individualization and family embeddedness; notes policy implications (safe housing, portability of social security); avoids both celebratory and victimization narratives | Balanced but bland summary; no forward-looking element; restates main points without integration | Moralistic judgment on 'breakdown of family values' or uncritical celebration of 'women's liberation'; abrupt ending; introduces entirely new argument |
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