Q7
(a) India is playing a very significant role in world affairs. Examine the stands taken by India in important global and regional summits. (20 marks) (b) The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act devolved functions, finances and functionaries for planning of rural areas in India. Discuss the major achievements with examples. (15 marks) (c) How do small and fragmented landholdings affect the agro-ecological system in rural India? What are the resilient steps needed to overcome this issue? (15 marks)
हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें
(a) भारत विश्व मामलों में बहुत महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभा रहा है। भारत द्वारा महत्वपूर्ण वैश्विक व क्षेत्रीय शिखरों में अपनाए गए रुख का परीक्षण कीजिए। (20 अंक) (b) 73वें संविधान संशोधन अधिनियम ने भारत में ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों की योजना के लिए कार्य, वित्त व पदाधिकारियों को हस्तांतरित किया। प्रमुख उपलब्धियों की उदाहरणों सहित विवेचना कीजिए। (15 अंक) (c) ग्रामीण भारत में लघु एवं खंडित भूमि जोत, कृषि-पारिस्थितिकी प्रणाली को कैसे प्रभावित करती है? इस मुद्दे पर काबू पाने हेतु कौन-से लचीले कदमों की आवश्यकता है? (15 अंक)
Directive word: Examine
This question asks you to examine. 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 'examine' for part (a) requires critical analysis of India's diplomatic positions, while 'discuss' for (b) and 'how/what' for (c) demand explanatory and evaluative treatment. Allocate approximately 40% of time/words to part (a) given its 20 marks, and 30% each to parts (b) and (c). Structure with a brief composite introduction, three distinct sections with clear sub-headings, and a conclusion that synthesizes India's evolving role across global, institutional and grassroots scales.
Key points expected
- Part (a): India's principled stands at G20 (climate finance, debt restructuring), COP (LiFE initiative, equity in CBDR), SCO (connectivity projects countering BRI), QUAD (Indo-Pacific maritime security), and BRICS (de-dollarization, institutional reform)
- Part (a): Strategic autonomy in Ukraine conflict, vaccine diplomacy during COVID-19, and leadership in ISA/CDRI as evidence of normative power projection
- Part (b): Constitutional mandate of 29 subjects in Eleventh Schedule, PESA extension to Fifth Schedule areas, and devolution metrics (14th/15th Finance Commission grants)
- Part (b): Exemplary achievements—Kerala's People's Plan Campaign (1996), West Bengal's three-tier resource mapping, Madhya Pradesh's watershed committees, and residual challenges like untied fund utilization below 15%
- Part (c): Agro-ecological degradation through loss of biodiversity, soil micronutrient depletion, inefficient water use (flood irrigation on small plots), and carbon sequestration reduction due to monocropping
- Part (c): Resilience measures—land consolidation via voluntary pooling (Andhra Pradesh's LAPS), FPO promotion (10,000+ registered), precision agriculture adoption, and agroforestry integration under National Agroforestry Policy 2014
Evaluation rubric
| Dimension | Weight | Max marks | Excellent | Average | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concept correctness | 20% | 10 | Precise articulation of Article 243G-243ZD provisions for (b); accurate distinction between multilateral vs minilateral forums for (a); correct linkage of agro-ecology to ecosystem services and landscape fragmentation for (c) | General awareness of 73rd Amendment without specific schedule references; broad mention of India's global role without summit-specific stands; superficial treatment of land fragmentation as merely economic problem | Confusion between 73rd and 74th Amendments; conflation of SAARC with SCO achievements; describing fragmentation only as inheritance law outcome without ecological dimensions |
| Map / diagram | 15% | 7.5 | Sketch map showing India's strategic partnerships (QUAD, SCO, BRICS membership with dates); flowchart of 73rd Amendment institutional architecture; diagram illustrating fragmentation-induced edge effects on agro-ecosystems | Generic world map without specific institutional overlays; simple three-tier panchayat pyramid without financial flow indicators; tabular presentation of landholding size categories without spatial implications | No visual representation; irrelevant maps (e.g., physical features of India); poorly labeled diagrams that misrepresent fiscal devolution flows or agro-ecological feedback loops |
| Indian regional examples | 25% | 12.5 | For (a): India's G20 presidency achievements (Delhi Declaration, Global Biofuel Alliance); for (b): State-specific innovations like Karnataka's e-Swathu land records, Telangana's Palle Pragathi; for (c): Kerala's Kudumbashree-integrated farming, Gujarat's Jyotigram separating farm/domestic power | Mention of generic examples like 'Kerala model' without specificity; broad reference to 'many states' implementing PESA; general observation that small farmers exist in Bihar/UP without named interventions | No Indian examples; using foreign case studies (e.g., EU CAP, China's TVEs) as primary illustrations; factually incorrect state-programme pairings |
| Spatial analysis | 20% | 10 | Analysis of how India's geographic position shapes its summit diplomacy (Indo-Pacific strategy, continental vs maritime interests); spatial variation in panchayat effectiveness (North-South gap in devolution indices); fragmentation's landscape-scale impacts on watershed connectivity and wildlife corridors | Acknowledgment that India is located in South Asia; mention of rural-urban differences without data; recognition that small holdings are concentrated in certain regions without explaining spatial consequences | No spatial perspective; treating India as undifferentiated unit; ignoring regional disparities in institutional capacity or agro-ecological conditions |
| Application / policy | 20% | 10 | Critical evaluation of India's summit diplomacy effectiveness; assessment of panchayat empowerment through Social Audit, SVAMITVA scheme; concrete policy recommendations for land leasing reforms (Model Agricultural Land Leasing Act 2016), consolidation incentives, and climate-smart village scaling | Descriptive list of policies without evaluation; uncritical celebration of 73rd Amendment; generic suggestions like 'cooperative farming' without implementation pathway | No policy recommendations; purely theoretical treatment; outdated or unconstitutional suggestions (forced land acquisition, cooperative compulsion) |
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