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General Studies 2025 GS Paper III 10 marks 150 words Compulsory Explain

GS Paper III — Q10

The Government of India recently stated that Left Wing Extremism (LWE) will be eliminated by 2026. What do you understand by LWE…

The Government of India recently stated that Left Wing Extremism (LWE) will be eliminated by 2026. What do you understand by LWE and how are the people affected by it ? What measures have been taken by the government to eliminate LWE ? (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

भारत सरकार ने हाल ही में घोषणा की है कि वामपंथी उग्रवाद (एल डब्ल्यू ई) 2026 तक समाप्त कर दिया जाएगा। आप एल डब्ल्यू ई से क्या समझते हैं तथा जनता इससे किस प्रकार प्रभावित है ? एल डब्ल्यू ई को समाप्त करने के लिए सरकार ने क्या उपाय किए हैं ? (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए)

Q10 of the 2025 UPSC Mains General Studies GS Paper III, as printed
The question as printed in the 2025 General Studies paper
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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.

Left Wing Extremism (LWE) refers to an armed Maoist insurgency operating across the 'Red Corridor' (states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Odisha) seeking to overthrow the constitutional state through violent revolution.

Impact on People: LWE causes civilian casualties, extortion, forced displacement, and coercive recruitment of tribal youth. By deliberately targeting schools, roads, and healthcare centres, extremists deny basic public services and perpetuate severe socio-economic underdevelopment in tribal belts.

Government Measures: Security Framework: Implementation of the holistic SAMADHAN doctrine, Operation Green Hunt, joint CAPF deployments, and surrender-cum-rehabilitation policies, which reduced LWE-affected districts to around 90 by 2023. Developmental Interventions: Road Connectivity Project for LWE Areas (RCPLWE), installation of telecom mobile towers, establishing Eklavya Model Residential Schools, PMGAY housing, and focused development through the Aspirational Districts Programme.

Consequently, violent incidents declined from 1,814 in 2010 to around 500 in 2023. However, achieving the 2026 elimination target requires complementing security operations with resolving structural issues, notably tribal land alienation, Forest Rights Act implementation gaps, and governance deficits.

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: Precise definition, clear impact analysis, specific legal and developmental measures cited.

Key points expected

  • Define LWE as Naxalism/Maoism
  • Explain impact on people (displacement, violence)
  • List legal measures (UAPA, AFSPA)
  • List developmental measures (infrastructure, connectivity)

Evaluation rubric

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

  1. The answer Define LWE, detail its impact on people, and list government measures for elimination. 10 marks · 150 words

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

    Must cover

    • Define LWE as Naxalism/Maoism
    • Explain impact on people (displacement, violence)
    • List legal measures (UAPA, AFSPA)
    • List developmental measures (infrastructure, connectivity)

    Loses marks

    • Dramatic or emotional security writing
    • Vague generalities without specific measures
    • Ignoring the 'impact on people' aspect

    Earns more

    • Mention specific schemes (e.g., PM Gati Shakti)
    • Reference specific states (e.g., Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand)
    • Mention institutional measures (e.g., DRI, CAPF)

    Extra mark

    • Cite specific statistic on LWE affected districts
    • Mention specific committee (e.g., K. Chandrashekhar)

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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