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General Studies 2026 GS Paper I 10 marks 150 words Compulsory How

GS Paper I — Q9

How do you understand disability? Substantiate the need for inclusive policy framework in India in this regard. (Answer in 150…

How do you understand disability? Substantiate the need for inclusive policy framework in India in this regard. (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

अपंगता को आप किस प्रकार समझते हैं? इस विषय में भारत में समावेशी नीतिगत ढाँचे की आवश्यकता सिद्ध कीजिए। (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए)

Q9 of the 2026 UPSC Mains General Studies GS Paper I, as printed
The question as printed in the 2026 General Studies paper
Evaluate your answer to this question → See all 2026 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.

Disability is understood not as an individual medical deficit (medical model), but as a condition resulting from the interaction between impairments and societal, environmental, and attitudinal barriers (social model), as codified under the UNCRPD (2006).

Substantiating the Need for Inclusive Policy in India

Rights-Based Transition: The RPWD Act, 2016 shifted India to a rights-based approach, expanding coverage to 21 disability categories and mandating 4% reservation in public employment.

Institutional Gaps: Implementation lags persist, reflected in unmet accessible infrastructure targets under the Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan and persistently low employment rates among persons with disabilities despite statutory quotas.

Intersectionality: Disability intersects acutely with poverty, gender, and rurality, demanding targeted interventions over one-size-fits-all welfare schemes.

What "How" is asking you to do

Set out the route by which the outcome comes about, step by step. Many how stems ask how one thing affects another, and there the channel of transmission is precisely what is being marked.

Structure that answers it

Starting condition → step → step → outcome reached → the conditions the route depends on

Where marks are lost

Answering why it happens instead of how, the commonest single misread in the paper. An answer full of causes and significance that never traces the mechanism has answered a different question.

All UPSC directive words, compared →

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

Framework: GS1 Society: Continuity, data, intersectionality, then solution. justify: claim > 3-4 reasons > evidence > conclusion Full marks: Analytical definition + specific policy gaps + robust data/statistic + clear link to inclusion.

Key points expected

  • Define disability (e.g., social model vs medical model)
  • Identify specific gaps in current Indian policy or implementation
  • Link policy gaps to exclusion in education, employment, or access
  • Substantiate need with specific examples 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 Define disability and provide evidence for the need for an inclusive policy framework in India. 10 marks · 150 words

    justify— claim → 3-4 reasons → evidence → conclusion

    Must cover

    • Define disability (e.g., social model vs medical model)
    • Identify specific gaps in current Indian policy or implementation
    • Link policy gaps to exclusion in education, employment, or access
    • Substantiate need with specific examples or data points

    Loses marks

    • Emotive language without policy analysis
    • Generic definition without social context
    • Listing policies without substantiating the 'need'

    Earns more

    • Mention Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016
    • Reference specific data (e.g., Census 2011 disability stats)
    • Discuss intersectionality (e.g., disabled women, rural disabled)

    Extra mark

    • Cite specific Supreme Court judgment on disability rights
    • Mention specific scheme (e.g., SUGAMYATA, NISHKRAM)

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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