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General Studies 2026 GS Paper II 10 marks 150 words Compulsory Assess

GS Paper II — Q9

"IPMDA (Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness) bridges the gap between India's SAGAR (Security and Growth for…

"IPMDA (Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness) bridges the gap between India's SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision and the Quad's collective Indo-Pacific strategy." Make a critical assessment of the statement focusing on IPMDA. (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

“आई.पी.एम.डी.ए. (इंडो-पैसिफिक पार्टनरशिप फॉर मैरीटाइम डोमेन अवेयरनेस) के लिए साझेदारी भारत के SAGAR (सेक्योरिटी एंड ग्रोथ फॉर ऑल इन द रीजन) दृष्टिकोण और क्वाड (Quad) की सामूहिक इंडो-पैसिफिक रणनीति के बीच की खाई को पाटती है।” आई.पी.एम.डी.ए. पर केंद्रित रहते हुए इस कथन का समालोचनात्मक मूल्यांकन कीजिए। (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए)

Q9 of the 2026 UPSC Mains General Studies GS Paper II, as printed
The question as printed in the 2026 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.

Launched at the 2022 Tokyo Summit, the Quad’s (India, US, Japan, Australia) Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) uses commercial satellite data to provide near-real-time tracking of 'dark shipping' and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. It acts as a concrete deliverable translating the Quad’s broad Indo-Pacific strategy into an operational maritime-security tool. Operationally, IPMDA feeds into and leverages India’s Information Fusion Centre–Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in Gurugram, reinforcing the security, connectivity, and capacity-building pillars of India's 2015 SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) doctrine.

However, significant structural gaps remain. IPMDA is strictly an information-sharing and surveillance mechanism, lacking interdiction or enforcement authority to act against detected illegal activities. Furthermore, its narrow surveillance focus does not encompass SAGAR’s broader mandate, which spans disaster relief, blue economy cooperation, and regional economic development.

Thus, while IPMDA effectively bridges intelligence coordination, realizing SAGAR's full potential requires supplementing surveillance with joint enforcement mechanisms.

What "Assess" is asking you to do

Size something up where no pass-or-fail standard exists — how far a role matters, how large an impact runs, how serious a problem is. Evaluate and assess are marked on the same scale; the working difference is that evaluate answers whether it worked, assess answers how much it weighs.

Structure that answers it

What is being sized up and on what evidence → evidence of reach → limits and counter-evidence → a stated degree, considerable or partial or marginal, with reasons

Where marks are lost

Describing the thing rather than sizing its effect. Calling something significant without saying how significant, or against what, loses the assessment marks.

All UPSC directive words, compared →

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

Framework: GS2 International Relations. critique: the claim > its strengths > its weaknesses > your judgment Full marks: Precise analysis of IPMDA's technical and strategic role in bridging SAGAR and Quad.

Key points expected

  • Define IPMDA's specific maritime domain awareness mandate
  • Explain SAGAR's 'Security and Growth' dual objective
  • Analyze IPMDA as a bridge between SAGAR and Quad
  • Provide a critical judgment on the statement's validity

Evaluation rubric

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

  1. The answer Assess IPMDA's role in linking SAGAR and Quad strategy. 10 marks · 150 words

    critique— the claim → its strengths → its weaknesses → your judgment

    Must cover

    • Define IPMDA's specific maritime domain awareness mandate
    • Explain SAGAR's 'Security and Growth' dual objective
    • Analyze IPMDA as a bridge between SAGAR and Quad
    • Provide a critical judgment on the statement's validity

    Loses marks

    • Reciting general Quad objectives without IPMDA focus
    • Ignoring the 'critical' aspect of the command word
    • Confusing IPMDA with general diplomatic relations

    Earns more

    • Mention specific IPMDA initiatives like maritime exercises
    • Reference the 'Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative' (IPOI)
    • Discuss the shift from security to growth focus
    • Highlight the role of technology sharing in IPMDA

    Extra mark

    • Cite a specific joint exercise (e.g., Malabar, Varuna)
    • Reference the 2022 Quad Leaders' Declaration

Practice this exact question

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