Chat with us
General Studies 2024 GS Paper III 10 marks 150 words Compulsory Examine

GS Paper III — Q1

Examine the pattern and trend of public expenditure on social services in the post-reforms period in India. To what extent this…

Examine the pattern and trend of public expenditure on social services in the post-reforms period in India. To what extent this has been in consonance with achieving the objective of inclusive growth? (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

भारत में सुधारों के उपरांत की अवधि में, सामाजिक सेवाओं पर सार्वजनिक व्यय के स्वरूप एवं प्रवृत्ति का परीक्षण कीजिए। किस सीमा तक यह समावेशी संवृद्धि के उद्देश्य को प्राप्त करने के अनुरूप है? (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए)

Q1 of the 2024 UPSC Mains General Studies GS Paper III, 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.

Post-1991 economic reforms initially witnessed fiscal compression in social sector spending, followed by a sustained recovery post-2004 and sharp increases post-NFSA (2013) and the pandemic, reaching ~8.3% of GDP (Economic Survey).

Pattern of Expenditure:

  • Sectoral Disparities: Education expenditure has stagnated around 2.9% of GDP (against the 6% NEP target), while health spending remains modest at ~1.35% (against the 2.5% NHP target).
  • Expansion of Social Safety Nets: Schemes like MGNREGA, PM-KISAN, Samagra Shiksha, and Ayushman Bharat have driven outlays.
  • Structural Composition: Spending is overwhelmingly revenue-heavy (salaries, subsidies) with limited capital formation. States bear over 60% of this burden, often constrained by FRBM targets despite Finance Commission devolutions.

Nexus with Inclusive Growth: Increased outlays accelerated poverty reduction (Tendulkar and MPI metrics) and improved HDI indicators. However, as NITI Aayog’s SDG Index highlights, stubborn inter-state disparities, high out-of-pocket health expenses, and child malnutrition persist.

Finding: Expenditure has broadened basic social safety nets, but translating it into genuine inclusive growth necessitates shifting focus from input-based allocations to outcome-oriented capital investments in human capacity.

What "Examine" is asking you to do

Test the proposition the question puts to you and return a finding on how far it holds. Examine stems carry a claim, or ask whether something has happened, and expect evidence weighed both ways before the extent is stated — often with remedial measures attached.

Structure that answers it

Restate the claim as the question frames it → evidence that supports it → evidence that undercuts it → the conditions under which it holds → verdict on how far it stands

Where marks are lost

Stopping at description. An examination has to reach a finding, and “examine with justification” means the extent must be stated, not implied.

All UPSC directive words, compared →

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

Framework: Economy: carry live data, draw the simple diagram. examine: intro > how/why with reasoning > evidence > conclusion Full marks: Clear trend analysis with specific data, strong link to inclusive growth

Key points expected

  • Identify post-reform trend in social service spending
  • Define inclusive growth objective in this context
  • Assess consonance of expenditure with inclusive growth
  • Provide specific evidence or data points

Evaluation rubric

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

  1. The answer Analyze post-reform expenditure trends and their alignment with inclusive growth. 10 marks · 150 words

    examine— intro → how/why with reasoning → evidence → conclusion

    Must cover

    • Identify post-reform trend in social service spending
    • Define inclusive growth objective in this context
    • Assess consonance of expenditure with inclusive growth
    • Provide specific evidence or data points

    Loses marks

    • Vague generalizations without specific data
    • Ignoring the 'post-reform' temporal constraint
    • Confusing social services with other expenditure

    Earns more

    • Mention specific social service sectors (health, education)
    • Reference specific government schemes or policies
    • Discuss regional disparities in expenditure
    • Compare pre-reform and post-reform patterns

    Extra mark

    • Cite specific budget figures or percentages
    • Reference NITI Aayog or Planning Commission reports

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 III