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

GS Paper III — Q9

Explain how narco-terrorism has emerged as a serious threat across the country. Suggest suitable measures to counter…

Explain how narco-terrorism has emerged as a serious threat across the country. Suggest suitable measures to counter narco-terrorism. (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

समझाइए कि नारको-आतंकवाद सम्पूर्ण देश में किस प्रकार एक गंभीर खतरे के रूप में उभरकर आया है। नारको-आतंकवाद से निपटने के लिए समुचित उपायों पर सुझाव दीजिए। (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए)

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.

Narco-terrorism is the symbiotic nexus wherein illicit drug trafficking finances terror operations. Sandwiched between the Golden Crescent and the Golden Triangle, India faces acute security vulnerabilities along its porous borders in Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, and the Northeast. The causal mechanism operates through cartels funneling drug revenues to procure sophisticated weapons, fund recruitment, and sustain logistics for terror outfits like LeT, JeM, ULFA, and Maoists. This threat is exacerbated by the use of the darknet and cryptocurrencies, alongside widespread youth addiction that weakens internal resilience.

Countermeasures:

  • Border and Legal Hardening: Strengthen the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), enforce the NDPS Act rigorously, and deploy smart border infrastructure, including anti-drone technology and CIBMS.
  • Financial Tracking: Leverage the PMLA and Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU-IND) to choke hawala and crypto-based money trails.
  • Multilateral Intelligence: Deepen actionable intelligence sharing via UNODC, INTERPOL, SAARC, and BIMSTEC frameworks.
  • Socio-Economic Interventions: Expand de-addiction infrastructure under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan and provide alternative livelihoods to border populations.

A synchronized strategy combining border enforcement, financial interdiction, and community rehabilitation is vital to permanently dismantle the narco-terror pipeline.

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: Security: classify threat, vulnerability, response; stay calm. explain: definition/context > points in order > small example > short close Full marks: Clear definition, specific examples of emergence, and implementable measures with named agencies/schemes.

Key points expected

  • Define narco-terrorism (link between drugs and terror)
  • Explain emergence: funding, cross-border routes, state failure
  • Suggest legal measures (e.g., UNODC, NDPS Act)
  • Suggest institutional measures (e.g., NCB, border fencing)

Evaluation rubric

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

  1. The answer Define narco-terrorism, explain its emergence as a threat, and suggest counter-measures. 10 marks · 150 words

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

    Must cover

    • Define narco-terrorism (link between drugs and terror)
    • Explain emergence: funding, cross-border routes, state failure
    • Suggest legal measures (e.g., UNODC, NDPS Act)
    • Suggest institutional measures (e.g., NCB, border fencing)

    Loses marks

    • Dramatic security writing without substance
    • Vague measures (e.g., 'strict action' without specifics)
    • Ignoring the 'narco' link to 'terrorism'

    Earns more

    • Mention specific routes (e.g., Golden Triangle, Golden Crescent)
    • Reference specific agencies (NCB, RAW, IB)
    • Mention international cooperation (UNODC, Interpol)
    • Link to internal security (e.g., J&K, Northeast)

    Extra mark

    • Cite specific data on drug seizures or terror funding
    • Mention specific schemes (e.g., NABARD for rural development)

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