Chat with us
General Studies 2024 GS Paper II 10 marks 150 words Compulsory Critically analyse

GS Paper II — Q10

Critically analyse India's evolving diplomatic, economic and strategic relations with the Central Asian Republics (CARs)…

Critically analyse India's evolving diplomatic, economic and strategic relations with the Central Asian Republics (CARs) highlighting their increasing significance in regional and global geopolitics. (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

मध्य एशियाई गणराज्यों (C.A.R.s) के साथ भारत के विकसित होते राजनीतिक, आर्थिक और रणनीतिक संबंधों का आलोचनात्मक विश्लेषण कीजिये, तथा क्षेत्रीय और वैश्विक भूराजनीति में उनके बढ़ते महत्व पर प्रकाश डालिये। (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में लिखिए)

Q10 of the 2024 UPSC Mains General Studies GS Paper II, as printed
The question as printed in the 2024 General Studies paper
Evaluate your answer to this question → See all 2024 General Studies questions

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.

India’s engagement with the Central Asian Republics (CARs) has evolved from the 2012 ‘Connect Central Asia’ policy to institutionalised mechanisms like the India-Central Asia Dialogue and full SCO membership (2017). Strategically, CARs are vital for regional counter-terrorism, stabilizing post-Taliban Afghanistan, and hedging against the China-Pakistan axis through joint military exercises (e.g., KAZIND, DUSTLIK).

Economically, however, relations remain severely under-realised, with bilateral trade stagnant at ~$2 billion. While critical uranium supplies from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan support India’s civil nuclear sector, projects like the TAPI pipeline remain stalled. India’s footprint faces structural constraints: absence of direct overland access, overwhelming Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) dominance, and Russia’s residual security influence.

Crucially, the Ukraine war and CARs’ pursuit of a ‘multi-vector’ foreign policy create strategic space for India. By operationalizing Chabahar Port, fast-tracking the INSTC, and deploying soft power in IT, education, and healthcare, India can effectively anchor its Eurasian outreach without direct great-power friction. Addressing physical connectivity deficits remains imperative to translate diplomatic goodwill into tangible strategic influence.

What "Critically analyse" is asking you to do

Break the subject into its working parts and show how they act on each other. The marks are in the interconnections — which factor drives which, and what the resulting structure explains — not in the inventory of factors. “Critically” is not a section added at the end: name the yardstick you are judging by — the evidence, the stated objective, a constitutional principle, a rival explanation — and let a verdict close each part of the body. Where the question quotes a claim, that verdict must land on the claim itself, accepted, qualified or rejected, and not on the theme in general.

Structure that answers it

Define the whole → separate it into its parts → show which part drives which → what that interaction produces → what the structure implies

Where marks are lost

Merits in one paragraph, demerits in the next, and a conclusion calling for a balanced and holistic approach. That is a survey with the judgement left out and it holds the answer in the middle band. The opposite error is reading “critically” as permission to attack — and with the odd pairings, critically describe or critically explain, the exposition still carries most of the marks, the judgement being a layer on it rather than a substitute for it.

All UPSC directive words, compared →

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

Framework: GS2 International Relations. analyse: intro > causes > effects > stakeholders/linkages > way forward Full marks: Critical analysis with specific examples of diplomatic, economic, and strategic linkages.

Key points expected

  • Diplomatic relations: CICA, SCO, and bilateral summits
  • Economic relations: TIR, trade, and energy security
  • Strategic relations: Connectivity (Zanzibar, Chabahar) and counter-terrorism
  • Geopolitical significance: Balancing China and Russia influence

Evaluation rubric

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

  1. The answer Critical analysis of India-CAR relations across diplomatic, economic, and strategic dimensions. 10 marks · 150 words

    analyse— intro → causes → effects → stakeholders/linkages → way forward

    Must cover

    • Diplomatic relations: CICA, SCO, and bilateral summits
    • Economic relations: TIR, trade, and energy security
    • Strategic relations: Connectivity (Zanzibar, Chabahar) and counter-terrorism
    • Geopolitical significance: Balancing China and Russia influence

    Loses marks

    • Reciting history without critical analysis
    • Ignoring the strategic dimension (China/Russia factor)
    • Vague generalities without specific examples

    Earns more

    • Mention of specific initiatives like India-CAR Forum
    • Reference to energy imports (Kazakhstan) or transit (Tajikistan)
    • Discussion of the 'Act East' policy linkage
    • Mention of the 'Neighbourhood First' policy extension

    Extra mark

    • Specific data on trade volume or energy imports
    • Reference to specific infrastructure projects (e.g., Zanzibar port)

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.

Evaluate my answer →

More from General Studies 2024 GS Paper II