Geography 2022 Paper II 50 marks Evaluate

Q3

(a) Discuss the recent changes brought about in institutional frameworks of agriculture in India. Evaluate its impact on the agrarian economy of the country. 20 (b) Discuss the continuing disputes on water sharing between the riparian states of North-West India. 15 (c) Soils of India, are clear reflections of the structure and process. Comment. 15

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

(a) भारत में कृषि क्षेत्र में संस्थागत तंत्रों में लाए गए अभिनव परिवर्तनों की विवेचना कीजिए । देश की कृषि अर्थव्यवस्था पर इसके प्रभाव का मूल्यांकन कीजिए । 20 (b) भारत के उत्तरी-पश्चिमी नदी-बहाव के राज्यों में जल-विभाजन पर होने वाले निरंतर विवाद की विवेचना कीजिए । 15 (c) भारत की मृदा, संरचना तथा प्रक्रमों का स्पष्ट प्रतिबिंब है । टिप्पणी कीजिए । 15

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Directive word: Evaluate

This question asks you to evaluate. 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 'evaluate' in part (a) demands critical judgment with evidence, while parts (b) and (c) require 'discuss' and 'comment' respectively—meaning explanatory analysis with balanced viewpoints. Allocate approximately 40% of word budget to part (a) given its 20 marks, ~30% each to parts (b) and (c) with 15 marks each. Structure: brief integrated introduction → part-wise treatment with clear sub-headings → consolidated conclusion linking institutional reforms, water federalism, and soil management.

Key points expected

  • Part (a): Post-2020 farm laws (repealed but with residual impact), eNAM expansion, PM-KISAN, FPO promotion, and contract farming frameworks; evaluation must cover both efficiency gains and equity concerns including MSP protests
  • Part (a): Impact assessment on agrarian economy—market integration vs. informalization, debt cycles, regional disparities between Green Revolution belt and eastern/northeastern states
  • Part (b): Punjab-Haryana-Rajasthan disputes over Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal, Ravi-Beas waters, and Indus Water Treaty implications; interstate tribunal limitations and Supreme Court interventions
  • Part (b): Federal dimensions—Centre-state water jurisdiction under Entry 17 of State List vs. Entry 56 of Union List, and emerging climate-induced scarcity conflicts
  • Part (c): Soil-structure linkage—peninsular black cotton soils with Deccan Trap basalt, alluvial soils with Himalayan foreland basin, laterites with Western Ghats relief and monsoon leaching
  • Part (c): Soil-process connection—zonal soils reflecting climate-vegetation (chernozems to aridisols), azonal soils (fluvial, glacial) showing topographic/erosional controls, and intrazonal soils (saline-alkali) indicating drainage deficiencies

Evaluation rubric

DimensionWeightMax marksExcellentAveragePoor
Concept correctness22%11Precise use of institutional terminology (APMC reforms, eNAM, FPOs, Water Tribunals under ISWD Act 1956); for (c) accurate pedological concepts—pedogenesis, soil orders, and distinction between soil structure (parent material) and process (climate/organisms/topography/time)General familiarity with farm bills and water disputes but conflates institutional mechanisms; soils described descriptively without clear structure-process frameworkConfuses institutional frameworks (e.g., treating PM-KISAN as market reform), misidentifies riparian states (e.g., including non-Northwest states), or describes soils purely by color/texture without genetic basis
Map / diagram18%9For (b): sketch map showing Sutlej-Yamuna canal alignment with disputed sections; for (c): soil map of India with zonal/azone/intrazonal distribution or schematic soil profile diagrams showing horizon development; for (a): flowchart of institutional hierarchy from farmer to marketMentions maps but provides rough unlabeled sketches; or includes one relevant diagram without integration across partsNo maps or diagrams; or entirely irrelevant sketches (e.g., rainfall map for soil question)
Indian regional examples20%10For (a): Bihar's AMUL-model FPOs vs. Punjab's APMC resistance; for (b): specific SYL canal tribunal awards (1985, 2017) and Haryana's alternative Bhakra-Beas management; for (c): black cotton soils of Maharashtra/Madhya Pradesh, red soils of Tamil Nadu, and saline soils of Rann of KutchGeneric regional references (e.g., 'northern plains' for alluvial soils) without specific state or district-level exemplificationNo Indian examples; or incorrect associations (e.g., laterite soils in Gangetic plains)
Spatial analysis20%10For (a): spatial variation in institutional adoption (high in Gujarat via cooperatives, low in eastern states due to land fragmentation); for (b): upstream-downstream asymmetry in Sutlej basin and groundwater-surface water interdependence; for (c): latitudinal and altitudinal soil zonation with explanatory spatial reasoningAcknowledges regional differences without explaining spatial patterns or interconnections between partsPurely aspatial treatment; lists regions without spatial relationships or causation
Application / policy20%10Critical policy synthesis: for (a) evaluates whether institutional reforms address agrarian distress or deepen corporatization; for (b) proposes inter-state river basin authorities and groundwater governance reforms; for (c) links soil knowledge to watershed management (MGNREGA), precision agriculture, and carbon sequestration potentialLists policies without evaluation; or provides generic recommendations without question-specific groundingNo policy dimension; or irrelevant policy discussion (e.g., industrial policy for agriculture question)

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