General Studies 2025 GS Paper III 15 marks 250 words Compulsory Discuss

Q20

Why is maritime security vital to protect India's sea trade ? Discuss maritime and coastal security challenges and the way forward. (Answer in 250 words) 15

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

भारत के समुद्री व्यापार के संरक्षण के लिए समुद्री सुरक्षा क्यों अत्यावश्यक है ? समुद्री तथा तटीय सुरक्षा की चुनौतियों तथा आगे बढ़ने के मार्ग पर चर्चा कीजिए । (उत्तर 250 शब्दों में दीजिए)

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Directive word: Discuss

This question asks you to discuss. The directive word signals the depth of analysis expected, the structure of your answer, and the weight of evidence you must bring.

See our UPSC directive words guide for a full breakdown of how to respond to each command word.

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

The directive 'discuss' requires a balanced examination of multiple dimensions: first establishing why maritime security is vital for India's sea trade, then elaborating on specific maritime and coastal security challenges, and finally outlining the way forward. Structure as: introduction highlighting India's maritime geography and trade dependence; body covering (a) strategic importance of sea trade, (b) maritime challenges (piracy, terrorism, grey-zone warfare, chokepoints), (c) coastal challenges (porous borders, fishing vessel vulnerabilities, island security), and (d) way forward (SAGAR, coastal radar network, maritime domain awareness, international cooperation); conclusion with integrated vision.

Key points expected

India's 7,500 km coastline, 90% trade by volume, 70% by value moves through sea; critical energy imports (80% oil) pass through Indian Ocean chokepoints
Maritime threats: piracy in Gulf of Aden, terrorism (26/11 Mumbai attack via sea), illegal fishing, drug trafficking, Chinese string of pearls, submarine deployments
Coastal vulnerabilities: porous Indo-Bangladesh/Pakistan borders, lack of fishing vessel tracking, uninhabited islands (Andaman-Nicobar, Lakshadweep), limited coastal police integration
Institutional mechanisms: Indian Navy's Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC), Coastal Surveillance Network, SAGAR policy, white shipping agreements, IORA, BIMSTEC maritime cooperation
Way forward: strengthening National Maritime Domain Awareness, faster coastal infrastructure, community participation (Sagar Rakshak Dal), blue economy-security synergy, indigenous shipbuilding

Evaluation rubric

Dimension	Weight	Max marks	Excellent	Average	Poor
Demand-directive understanding	20%	3	Clearly addresses all three components: why sea trade protection is vital (with data), comprehensive discussion of both maritime AND coastal challenges as distinct categories, and substantive way forward; no conflation of directives	Covers trade importance and challenges but merges maritime/coastal distinctions or treats way forward superficially; partial directive compliance	Misses one major component (e.g., no coastal challenges), or confuses 'discuss' with 'enumerate' leading to list-like answer without elaboration
Content depth & accuracy	20%	3	Precise data on trade volumes, accurate naming of chokepoints (Hormuz, Malacca), correct institutional mechanisms (IMAC, SAGAR), nuanced threat analysis distinguishing conventional, non-conventional, and grey-zone challenges	Generally accurate but vague on specifics; mentions 26/11 or piracy without elaboration; generic references to 'coastal security' without naming schemes	Factually incorrect (e.g., wrong coastline length, confusing coastal police with Navy roles), outdated information, or purely descriptive without security analysis
Structure & flow	20%	3	Logical tripartite structure with clear signposting; seamless transition from trade importance to threats to solutions; integrated paragraphs showing causality between challenges and responses	Basic intro-body-conclusion present but uneven weightage; challenges section dominates with cramped way forward; some disjointedness between maritime and coastal sections	No discernible structure or random organisation; conclusion missing or mere repetition; word limit mismanagement with incomplete sections
Examples / case-law / data	20%	3	Specific quantitative anchors (90% trade by volume, $5 trillion economy target linked to blue economy), operational examples (Operation Sankalp, 26/11 lessons, INS Kochi deployment), recent initiatives (2023 Indian Ocean Region Conference)	Some data present but generic (mentions 'long coastline' without km); examples like 26/11 mentioned without extracting security lessons; no recent developments	No supporting data or examples; purely theoretical treatment; incorrect or invented statistics
Conclusion & analytical edge	20%	3	Forward-looking synthesis connecting maritime security to Act East Policy, Indo-Pacific vision, and economic aspirations; critical insight on technology-human resource balance or climate-security nexus; concise yet comprehensive	Standard conclusion summarising points without synthesis; generic 'need for cooperation' ending without strategic vision	Absent or abrupt ending; mere bullet-point summary; introduces new arguments in conclusion

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