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General Studies 2024 GS Paper III 15 marks 250 words Compulsory What

GS Paper III — Q16

What are asteroids? How real is the threat of them causing extinction of life? What strategies have been developed to prevent…

What are asteroids? How real is the threat of them causing extinction of life? What strategies have been developed to prevent such a catastrophe? (Answer in 250 words) 15 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

शुद्रग्रह क्या हैं? इनसे जीवन के विलुप्त होने का खतरा कितना वास्तविक है? ऐसे विध्वंस को रोकने के लिए क्या रणनीतियाँ विकसित की गई हैं? (उत्तर 250 शब्दों में दीजिए)

Q16 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 250-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key.

Asteroids are rocky, airless remnants left over from the formation of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago, mostly orbiting the Sun within the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter; unlike icy comets or smaller pebble-to-boulder-sized meteoroids, they are composed primarily of minerals and metals.

Threat Assessment and Scientific Basis The threat of extinction-level impacts is statistically rare—occurring roughly every 50 to 100 million years—yet existential. The primary empirical evidence is the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-T) mass extinction 66 million years ago, where a 10-kilometer asteroid struck the Chicxulub site, eradicating 75% of terrestrial life including non-avian dinosaurs. Recent precedents like Tunguska (1908) and Chelyabinsk (2013) prove that even smaller Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) cause extensive atmospheric and surface damage. Scientists continuously evaluate these risks using the Torino and Palermo impact hazard scales to assess Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs).

Prevention Strategies Early detection and deflection form the two pillars of planetary defence:

  • Detection and Tracking: Telescopic surveys like Spaceguard, Pan-STARRS, and ATLAS detect NEO trajectories. In India, ISRO monitors space hazards and NEOs through its Space Situational Awareness (SSA) Control Centre in Bengaluru.
  • Mitigation Mechanisms: Proven methods include the Kinetic Impactor technique, demonstrated by NASA’s DART mission (2022), which altered the orbit of the asteroid Dimorphos. Theoretical and developing techniques include Gravity Tractors for gradual gravitational towing, Laser Ablation to induce thrust via vaporisation, and stand-off Nuclear Deflection for large, short-warning objects.

A robust defence requires strengthening global coordination under the UN-endorsed International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) and the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group (SMPAG), eventually formalising an international treaty on planetary defence.

What "What" is asking you to do

What is an interrogative rather than a command word. It opens a multi-part stem — what the thing is, then its causes, risks or remedies — and the definitional clause is the gate rather than the answer, with the marks spread across the clauses that follow it.

Structure that answers it

What it is, in two or three lines → the second clause of the stem, at length → the third clause, at length → a closing line only if room remains

Where marks are lost

Spending half the answer establishing the object and leaving the later clauses, which carry most of the marks, thinly answered.

All UPSC directive words, compared →

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

Framework: GS3 Environment/Security: Threat, Causes, Impact, Mitigation. explain: definition/context > points in order > small example > short close Full marks: Precise definition, realistic threat assessment with historical context, and specific named mitigation strategies (e.g., DART).

Key points expected

  • Define asteroids as rocky bodies in the asteroid belt
  • Assess threat using historical extinction events (e.g., Chicxulub)
  • Explain mitigation strategies like kinetic impactors or gravity tractors
  • Mention specific missions like DART or planetary defense programs

Evaluation rubric

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

  1. The answer Define asteroids, assess extinction threat, and detail prevention strategies.  · 250 words

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

    Must cover

    • Define asteroids as rocky bodies in the asteroid belt
    • Assess threat using historical extinction events (e.g., Chicxulub)
    • Explain mitigation strategies like kinetic impactors or gravity tractors
    • Mention specific missions like DART or planetary defense programs

    Loses marks

    • Confusing asteroids with comets or meteorites
    • Vague 'space technology' without naming specific mechanisms
    • Ignoring the 'extinction' aspect and focusing only on local damage

    Earns more

    • Distinguish between Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) and other asteroids
    • Reference the 'Doomsday' asteroid Apophis or Bennu
    • Mention international cooperation (UN COPUOS) in tracking
    • Discuss the difference between deflection and destruction

    Extra mark

    • Cite the specific DART mission impact date (2022)
    • Mention the specific deflection percentage achieved by DART

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