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General Studies 2024 GS Paper I 10 marks 150 words Compulsory Explain

GS Paper I — Q6

What is the phenomenon of 'cloudbursts'? Explain. (Answer in 150 words) 10

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

'बादल फटने' की परिघटना क्या है? व्याख्या 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.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a cloudburst is an extreme, localized precipitation event exceeding 100 mm per hour over a small area of 20–30 sq km, differing fundamentally from normal monsoon rainfall in its extreme intensity, short duration, and tight spatial coverage.

Causal Mechanism: It occurs when moisture-laden winds undergo rapid orographic lifting along mountain barriers, forming towering cumulonimbus clouds. Powerful vertical updrafts prevent condensed droplets from descending, trapping vast amounts of moisture above the freezing level. When these updrafts abruptly weaken or moisture overload exceeds vertical aerodynamic support, the suspended water crashes down simultaneously in a torrential deluge.

Hotspots and Impacts: Highly prevalent in rugged terrains like Uttarakhand (2013 Kedarnath disaster), Himachal Pradesh (2023–2024 incidents), the Northeast, and the Western Ghats, cloudbursts trigger catastrophic flash floods, landslides, and severe infrastructure destruction.

Because of their hyper-local nature and complex topography, early warning remains difficult, demanding denser high-altitude X-band Doppler Weather Radar networks for timely disaster mitigation.

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: Geography: explain the mechanism, then location follows. explain: definition/context > points in order > small example > short close Full marks: Clear mechanism (condensation/lifting) with specific conditions and location.

Key points expected

  • Precise definition of cloudburst
  • Explanation of rapid condensation mechanism
  • Identification of orographic lifting role
  • Mention of high moisture content

Evaluation rubric

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

  1. The answer Define cloudburst and explain the meteorological mechanism and conditions causing it. 10 marks · 150 words

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

    Must cover

    • Precise definition of cloudburst
    • Explanation of rapid condensation mechanism
    • Identification of orographic lifting role
    • Mention of high moisture content

    Loses marks

    • Narrating a specific event without mechanism
    • Confusing with general heavy rain
    • Vague description without physical process

    Earns more

    • Reference to specific regions (e.g., Himalayas)
    • Mention of 'flash flood' consequence
    • Distinction from normal rainfall

    Extra mark

    • Specific rainfall rate statistic (e.g., >100mm/hr)
    • Sketch of orographic lifting process

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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