GS Paper 3 — every PYQ, with answer skeletons

1[15m] Examine the scope of the food processing industries in India. Elaborate the measures taken by the government in the food processing industries for generating employment opportunities.

2[15m] Discuss the rationale of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. What are its achievements? In what way can the functioning and outcomes of the scheme be improved?

3[15m] Explain how the Fiscal Health Index (FHI) can be used as a tool for assessing the fiscal performance of states in India. In what way would it encourage the states to adopt prudent and sustainable fiscal policies?

4[10m] Elaborate the scope and significance of supply chain management of agricultural commodities in India.

5[10m] Explain the factors influencing the decision of the farmers on the selection of high value crops in India.

6[10m] What are the challenges before the Indian economy when the world is moving away from free trade and multilateralism to protectionism and bilateralism? How can these challenges be met?

7[10m] Distinguish between the Human Development Index (HDI) and Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI) with special reference to India. Why is the IHDI considered a better indicator of inclusive growth?

8[15m] Write a review on India's climate commitments under the Paris Agreement (2015) and mention how these have been further strengthened in COP26 (2021). In this direction, how has the first Nationally Determined Contribution intended by India been updated in 2022?

9[15m] Mineral resources are fundamental to the country's economy and these are exploited by mining. Why is mining considered an environmental hazard? Explain the remedial measures required to reduce the environmental hazard due to mining.

10[15m] Examine the factors responsible for depleting groundwater in India. What are the steps taken by the government to mitigate such depletion of groundwater?

11[10m] Seawater intrusion in the coastal aquifers is a major concern in India. What are the causes of seawater intrusion and the remedial measures to combat this hazard?

12[15m] India aims to become a semiconductor manufacturing hub. What are the challenges faced by the semiconductor industry in India? Mention the salient features of the India Semiconductor Mission.

13[15m] How does nanotechnology offer significant advancements in the field of agriculture? How can this technology help to uplift the socio-economic status of farmers?

14[10m] What is Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS)? What is the potential role of CCUS in tackling climate change?

15[10m] How can India achieve energy independence through clean technology by 2047? How can biotechnology play a crucial role in this endeavour?

16[10m] The fusion energy programme in India has steadily evolved over the past few decades. Mention India's contributions to the international fusion energy project – International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). What will be the implications of the success of this project for the future of global energy?

17[15m] Why is maritime security vital to protect India's sea trade? Discuss maritime and coastal security challenges and the way forward.

18[15m] What are the major challenges to internal security and peace process in the North-Eastern States? Map the various peace accords and agreements initiated by the government in the past decade.

19[10m] The Government of India recently stated that Left Wing Extremism (LWE) will be eliminated by 2026. What do you understand by LWE and how are the people affected by it? What measures have been taken by the government to eliminate LWE?

20[10m] Terrorism is a global scourge. How has it manifested in India? Elaborate with contemporary examples. What are the counter measures adopted by the State? Explain.

1[15m] Elucidate the importance of buffer stocks for stabilizing agricultural prices in India. What are the challenges associated with the storage of buffer stocks? Discuss.

2[15m] What are the major challenges faced by the Indian irrigation system in recent times? State the measures taken by the government for efficient irrigation management.

3[15m] What is the need for expanding the regional air connectivity in India? In this context, discuss the government's UDAN Scheme and its achievements.

4[15m] Discuss the merits and demerits of the four 'Labour Codes' in the context of labour market reforms in India. What has been the progress so far in these regards?

5[10m] Explain the role of millets for ensuring health and nutritional security in India.

6[10m] What were the factors responsible for the successful implementation of land reforms in some parts of the country? Elaborate.

7[10m] What are the causes of persistent high food inflation in India? Comment on the effectiveness of the monetary policy of the RBI to control this type of inflation.

8[10m] Examine the pattern and trend of public expenditure on social services in the post-reform period in India. To what extent has this been in consonance with achieving the objective of inclusive growth?

9[15m] The world is facing an acute shortage of clean and safe freshwater. What are the alternative technologies which can solve this crisis? Briefly discuss any three such technologies citing their key merits and demerits.

10[10m] What role do Environmental NGOs and activists play in influencing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) outcomes for major projects in India? Cite four examples with all important details.

11[10m] Industrial pollution of river water is a significant environmental issue in India. Discuss the various mitigation measures to deal with this problem and also the government's initiatives in this regard.

12[15m] What are asteroids? How real is the threat of them causing extinction of life? What strategies have been developed to prevent such a catastrophe?

13[10m] What is the technology being employed for electronic toll collection on highways? What are its advantages and limitations? What are the proposed changes that will make this process seamless? Would this transition carry any potential hazards?

14[10m] What is the present world scenario of intellectual property rights with respect to life materials? Although India is second in the world to file patents, still only a few have been commercialized. Explain the reasons behind this less commercialization.

15[15m] Flooding in urban areas is an emerging climate-induced disaster. Discuss the causes of this disaster. Mention the features of two such major floods that occurred in India in the last two decades. Describe the policies and frameworks in India that aim at tackling such floods.

16[15m] What is disaster resilience? How is it determined? Describe various elements of a resilience framework. Also mention the global targets of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030).

17[15m] Social media and encrypting messaging services pose a serious security challenge. What measures have been adopted at various levels to address the security implications of social media? Also suggest any other remedies to address the problem.

18[15m] India has a long and troubled border with China and Pakistan fraught with contentious issues. Examine the conflicting issues and security challenges along the border. Also give out the development being undertaken in these areas under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) and Border Infrastructure and Management (BIM) Scheme.

19[10m] Describe the context and salient features of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.

20[10m] Explain how narcoterrorism has emerged as a serious threat across the country. Suggest suitable measures to counter narcoterrorism.

1[15m] Explain the changes in cropping pattern in India in the context of changes in consumption pattern and marketing conditions.

2[15m] Distinguish between 'care economy' and 'monetized economy'. How can care economy be brought into monetized economy through women empowerment?

3[15m] Most of the unemployment in India is structural in nature. Examine the methodology adopted to compute unemployment in the country and suggest improvements.

4[10m] State the objectives and measures of land reforms in India. Discuss how land ceiling policy on landholding can be considered as an effective reform under economic criteria.

5[10m] How does e-Technology help farmers in production and marketing of agricultural produce? Explain it.

6[10m] What is the status of digitalization in the Indian economy? Examine the problems faced in this regard and suggest improvements.

7[10m] Faster economic growth requires increased share of the manufacturing sector in GDP, particularly of MSMEs. Comment on the present policies of the Government in this regard.

8[15m] What are the direct and indirect subsidies provided to farm sector in India? Discuss the issues raised by the World Trade Organization (WTO) in relation to agricultural subsidies.

9[15m] Comment on the National Wetland Conservation Programme initiated by the Government of India and name a few India's wetlands of international importance included in the Ramsar Sites.

10[15m] The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predicted a global sea level rise of about one metre by AD 2100. What would be its impact in India and the other countries in the Indian Ocean region?

11[15m] The adoption of electric vehicles is rapidly growing worldwide. How do electric vehicles contribute to reducing carbon emissions and what are the key benefits they offer compared to traditional combustion engine vehicles?

12[10m] What is oil pollution? What are its impacts on the marine ecosystem? In what way is oil pollution particularly harmful for a country like India?

13[15m] What is the main task of India's third moon mission which could not be achieved in its earlier mission? List the countries that have achieved this task. Introduce the subsystems in the spacecraft launched and explain the role of the 'Virtual Launch Control Centre' at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre which contributed to the successful launch from Sriharikota.

14[10m] Discuss several ways in which microorganisms can help in meeting the current fuel shortage.

15[10m] Introduce the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI). How does AI help clinical diagnosis? Do you perceive any threat to privacy of the individual in the use of AI in the healthcare?

16[10m] Dam failures are always catastrophic, especially on the downstream side, resulting in a colossal loss of life and property. Analyze the various causes of dam failures. Give two examples of large dam failures.

17[15m] Give out the major sources of terror funding in India and efforts being made to curtail these sources. In the light of this, also discuss the aim and objective of the 'No Money for Terror [NMFT]' Conference recently held at New Delhi in November 2022.

18[15m] What are the internal security challenges being faced by India? Give out the role of Central Intelligence and Investigative Agencies tasked to counter such threats.

19[10m] The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by our adversaries across the borders to ferry arms/ammunitions, drugs, etc., is a serious threat to the internal security. Comment on the measures being taken to tackle this threat.

20[10m] Winning of 'Hearts and Minds' in terrorism affected areas is an essential step in restoring the trust of the population. Discuss the measures adopted by the Government in this respect as part of the conflict resolution in Jammu and Kashmir.

1[15m] "Economic growth in the recent past has been led by increase in labour activity." Explain this statement. Suggest the growth pattern that will lead to creation of more jobs without compromising labour productivity.

2[10m] Elaborate the scope and significance of the food processing industry in India.

3[10m] What are the major challenges of Public Distribution System (PDS) in India? How can it be made effective and transparent?

4[10m] Is inclusive growth possible under market economy? State the significance of financial inclusion in achieving economic growth in India.

5[10m] Why is Public Private Partnership (PPP) required in infrastructural projects? Examine the role of PPP model in the redevelopment of Railway Stations in India.

6[10m] The increase in life expectancy in the country has led to newer health challenges in the community. What are those challenges and what steps need to be taken to meet them?

7[15m] What is an Integrated Farming System? How is it helpful to small and marginal farmers in India?

8[15m] What are the main bottlenecks in the upstream and downstream process of marketing of agricultural products in India?

9[15m] Discuss global warming and mention its effects on the global climate. Explain the control measures to bring down the level of greenhouse gases which cause global warming, in the light of the Kyoto Protocol, 1997.

10[15m] Do you think India will meet 50 percent of its energy needs from renewable energy by 2030? Justify your answer. How will the shift of subsidies from fossil fuels to renewables help achieve the above objective? Explain.

11[10m] Discuss in detail the photochemical smog emphasizing its formation, effects and mitigation. Explain the 1999 Gothenburg Protocol.

12[15m] What is the basic principle behind vaccine development? How do vaccines work? What approaches were adopted by the Indian vaccine manufacturers to produce COVID-19 vaccines?

13[15m] Launched on 25th December, 2021, James Webb Space Telescope has been much in the news since then. What are its unique features which make it superior to its predecessor Space Telescopes? What are the key goals of this mission? What potential benefits does it hold for the human race?

14[10m] Each year a large amount of plant material, cellulose, is deposited on the surface of Planet Earth. What are the natural processes this cellulose undergoes before yielding carbon dioxide, water and other end products?

15[15m] Explain the causes and effects of coastal erosion in India. What are the available coastal management techniques for combating the hazard?

16[10m] Explain the mechanism and occurrence of cloudburst in the context of the Indian subcontinent. Discuss two recent examples.

17[15m] Naxalism is a social, economic and developmental issue manifesting as a violent internal security threat. In this context, discuss the emerging issues and suggest a multilayered strategy to tackle the menace of Naxalism.

18[15m] What are the different elements of cyber security? Keeping in view the challenges in cyber security, examine the extent to which India has successfully developed a comprehensive National Cyber Security Strategy.

19[10m] What are the maritime security challenges in India? Discuss the organisational, technical and procedural initiatives taken to improve maritime security.

20[10m] Discuss the types of organised crimes. Describe the linkages between terrorists and organised crime that exist at the national and transnational levels.

1[15m] What are the present challenges before crop diversification? How do emerging technologies provide an opportunity for crop diversification?

2[15m] What are the salient features of the National Food Security Act, 2013? How has the Food Security Bill helped in eliminating hunger and malnutrition in India?

3[15m] "Investment in infrastructure is essential for more rapid and inclusive economic growth." Discuss in the light of India's experience.

4[15m] Do you agree that the Indian economy has recently experienced a V-shaped recovery? Give reasons in support of your answer.

5[10m] How and to what extent would micro-irrigation help in solving India's water crisis?

6[10m] How did land reforms in some parts of the country help to improve the socio-economic conditions of marginal and small farmers?

7[10m] Distinguish between Capital Budget and Revenue Budget. Explain the components of both these Budgets.

8[10m] Explain the difference between computing methodology of India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) before the year 2015 and after the year 2015.

9[15m] Describe the major outcomes of the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). What are the commitments made by India in this conference?

10[10m] Describe the key points of the revised Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) recently released by the World Health Organisation (WHO). How are these different from its last update in 2005? What changes in India's National Clean Air Programme are required to achieve these revised standards?

11[10m] Explain the purpose of the Green Grid Initiative launched at the World Leaders Summit of the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November, 2021. When was this idea first floated in the International Solar Alliance (ISA)?

12[15m] The Nobel Prize in Physics of 2014 was jointly awarded to Akasaki, Amano and Nakamura for the invention of Blue LEDs in the 1990s. How has this invention impacted the everyday life of human beings?

13[15m] What are the research and developmental achievements in applied biotechnology? How will these achievements help to uplift the poorer sections of the society?

14[15m] Describe the various causes and the effects of landslides. Mention the important components of the National Landslide Risk Management Strategy.

15[10m] Discuss about the vulnerability of India to earthquake related hazards. Give examples including the salient features of major disasters caused by earthquakes in different parts of India during the last three decades.

16[15m] Analyse the complexity and intensity of terrorism, its causes, linkages and obnoxious nexus. Also suggest measures required to be taken to eradicate the menace of terrorism.

17[15m] Analyse the multidimensional challenges posed by external state and non-state actors, to the internal security of India. Also discuss measures required to be taken to combat these threats.

18[10m] Keeping in view India's internal security, analyse the impact of cross-border cyber attacks. Also discuss defensive measures against these sophisticated attacks.

19[10m] Discuss how emerging technologies and globalisation contribute to money laundering. Elaborate measures to tackle the problem of money laundering both at national and international levels.

20[10m] How is the S-400 air defence system technically superior to any other system presently available in the world?

1[15m] What are the major factors responsible for making the rice-wheat system a success? In spite of this success, how has this system become bane in India?

2[15m] Explain the rationale behind the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Act of 2017. How has COVID-19 impacted the GST compensation fund and created new federal tensions?

3[15m] Explain the meaning of investment in an economy in terms of capital formation. Discuss the factors to be considered while designing a concession agreement between a public entity and a private entity.

4[10m] What are the challenges and opportunities of the food processing sector in the country? How can income of the farmers be substantially increased by encouraging food processing?

5[10m] What are the main constraints in transport and marketing of agricultural produce in India?

6[10m] Define potential GDP and explain its determinants. What are the factors that have been inhibiting India from realising its potential GDP?

7[10m] Explain intragenerational and intergenerational issues of equity from the perspective of inclusive growth and sustainable development.

8[15m] What are the key features of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) initiated by the Government of India?

9[15m] Describe the benefits of deriving electric energy from sunlight in contrast to conventional energy generation. What are the initiatives offered by our Government for this purpose?

10[15m] Suggest measures to improve water storage and irrigation system to make its judicious use under depleting scenarios.

11[10m] What are the salient features of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan launched by the Government of India for water conservation and water security?

12[10m] How does the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2020 differ from the existing EIA Notification, 2006?

13[15m] COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented devastation worldwide. However, technological advancements are being availed readily to win over the crisis. Give an account of how technology was sought to aid management of the pandemic.

14[10m] How is science interwoven deeply with our lives? What are the striking changes in agriculture triggered by science-based technologies?

15[10m] What do you understand about nanotechnology and how is it helping in the health sector?

16[15m] Discuss the recent measures initiated in disaster management by the Government of India departing from the earlier reactive approach.

17[15m] Analyse internal security threats and transborder crimes along Myanmar, Bangladesh and Pakistan borders including Line of Control (LoC). Also discuss the role played by various security forces in this regard.

18[15m] What are the determinants of left-wing extremism in the Eastern part of India? What strategy should the Government of India, civil administration and security forces adopt to counter the threat in the affected areas?

19[10m] For effective border area management, discuss the steps required to be taken to deny local support to militants and also suggest ways to manage favourable perception among locals.

20[10m] Discuss different types of cybercrimes and measures required to be taken to fight the menace.

1[15m] Elaborate the policy taken by the Government of India to meet the challenges of the food processing sector.

2[15m] What are the reformative steps taken by the Government to make the food grain distribution system more effective?

3[15m] The public expenditure management is a challenge to the Government of India in the context of budget making during the post liberalisation period. Clarify it.

4[15m] It is argued that the strategy of inclusive growth is intended to meet the objectives of inclusiveness and sustainability together. Comment on this statement.

5[10m] Enumerate the indirect taxes which have been subsumed in the goods and services tax (GST) in India. Also, comment on the revenue implications of the GST introduced in India since July 2017.

6[10m] Do you agree with the view that steady GDP growth and low inflation have left the Indian economy in good shape? Give reasons in support of your arguments.

7[10m] How did India benefit from the contributions of Sir M. Visvesvaraya and Dr. M. S. Swaminathan in the fields of water engineering and agricultural science respectively?

8[10m] Elaborate the impact of the National Watershed Project in increasing agricultural production from water-stressed areas.

9[10m] How far is the Integrated Farming System (IFS) helpful in sustaining agricultural production?

10[15m] How is the Government of India protecting traditional knowledge of medicine from patenting by pharmaceutical companies?

11[15m] Define the concept of carrying capacity of an ecosystem as relevant to an environment. Explain how understanding this concept is vital while planning for sustainable development of a region.

12[10m] Coastal sand mining, whether legal or illegal, poses one of the biggest threats to our environment. Analyze the impact of sand mining along the Indian coasts, citing specific examples.

13[15m] How can biotechnology help to improve the living standards of farmers?

14[10m] What is India's plan to have its space station and how will it benefit our space programme?

15[15m] Disaster preparedness is the first step in any disaster management process. Explain how hazard zonation mapping will help disaster mitigation in the case of landslides.

16[10m] Vulnerability is an essential element for defining disaster impacts and its threat to people. How and in what ways can vulnerability to disasters be characterized? Discuss different types of vulnerability with reference to disasters.

17[15m] Cross-Border movement of insurgents is only one of the several security challenges facing the policing of the border in North-East India. Examine the various challenges currently emanating across the India-Myanmar border. Also, discuss the steps to counter the challenges.

18[15m] Indian Government has recently strengthened the anti-terrorism laws by amending the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967 and the NIA Act. Analyse the changes in the context of the prevailing security environment while discussing the scope and reasons for opposing the UAPA by human rights organisations.

19[10m] What is the CyberDome Project? Explain how it can be useful in controlling internet crimes in India.

20[10m] The banning of 'Jamaat-e-Islami' in Jammu and Kashmir brought into focus the role of over-ground workers (OGWs) in assisting terrorist organizations. Examine the role played by OGWs in assisting terrorist organizations in insurgency-affected areas. Discuss measures to neutralize the influence of OGWs.

1[15m] How has the emphasis on certain crops brought about changes in cropping patterns in the recent past? Elaborate the emphasis on millet production and consumption.

2[15m] Assess the role of the National Horticulture Mission (NHM) in boosting the production, productivity and income of horticulture farms. How far has it succeeded in increasing the income of farmers?

3[15m] How would the recent phenomena of protectionism and currency manipulations in world trade affect the macroeconomic stability of India?

4[15m] How are the principles followed by NITI Aayog different from those followed by the erstwhile planning commission in India?

5[15m] With growing energy needs should India keep on expanding its nuclear energy programme? Discuss the facts and fears associated with nuclear energy.

6[10m] Sikkim is the first 'Organic State' in India. What are the ecological and economic benefits of an Organic State?

7[10m] Examine the role of supermarkets in supply chain management of fruits, vegetables and food items. How do they eliminate the number of intermediaries?

8[10m] What do you mean by Minimum Support Price (MSP)? How will MSP rescue the farmers from the low-income trap?

9[10m] Comment on the important changes introduced in respect of the Long term Capital Gains Tax (LCGT) and Dividend Distribution Tax (DDT) in the Union Budget for 2018-2019.

10[10m] "Access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy is the sine qua non to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)". Comment on the progress made in India in this regard.

11[15m] How does biodiversity vary in India? How is the Biological Diversity Act, of 2002 helpful in the conservation of flora and fauna?

12[10m] What is wetland? Explain the Ramsar concept of 'wise use' in the context of wetland conservation. Cite two examples of Ramsar sites from India.

13[10m] What are the impediments in disposing of the huge quantities of discarded solid wastes that are continuously being generated? How do we safely remove the toxic wastes that have been accumulating in our habitable environment?

14[15m] Why is there so much activity in the field of biotechnology in our country? How has this activity benefitted the field of biopharma?

15[10m] Discuss the work of 'Bose-Einstein Statistics' done by Prof. Satyendra Nath Bose and show how it revolutionised the field of Physics.

16[15m] Describe various measures taken in India for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) before and after signing 'Sendai Framework for DRR (2015-2030)'. How is this framework different from the 'Hyogo Framework for Action, 2005'?

17[15m] India's proximity to two of the world's biggest illicit opium-growing states has enhanced her internal security concerns. Explain the linkages between drug trafficking and other illicit activities such as gunrunning, money laundering and human trafficking. What countermeasures should be taken to prevent the same?

18[15m] Data security has assumed significant importance in the digitised world due to rising cyber crimes. The Justice B. N. Srikrishna Committee Report addresses issues related to data security. What, in your view, are the strengths and weaknesses of the Report relating to the protection of personal data in cyberspace?

19[10m] Left-wing extremism (LWE) is showing a downward trend but still affects many parts of the country. Briefly explain the Government of India's approach to counter the challenges posed by LWE.

20[10m] The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is viewed as a cardinal subset of China's larger 'One Belt One Road' initiative. Give a brief description of CPEC and enumerate the reasons why India has distanced itself from the same.

1[15m] How do subsidies affect the cropping pattern, crop diversity and economy of farmers? What is the significance of crop insurance, minimum support price and food processing for small and marginal farmers?

2[15m] What are the major reasons for declining rice and wheat yield in the cropping system? How crop diversification is helpful to stabilise the yield of the crop in the system?

3[15m] What are the salient features of 'inclusive growth'? Has India been experiencing such a growth process? Analyse and suggest measures for inclusive growth.

4[15m] "Industrial growth rate has lagged in the overall growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the post-reform period." Give reasons. How far are the recent changes in Industrial Policy capable of increasing the industrial growth rate?

5[15m] One of the intended objectives of the Union Budget 2017-18 is to 'transform, energise and clean India'. Analyse the measures proposed in the Budget 2017-18 to achieve the objective.

6[10m] What are the reasons for the poor acceptance of cost effective small processing units? How will the food processing unit be helpful to uplift the socio-economic status of poor farmers?

7[10m] Explain various types of revolutions that took place in agriculture after the Independence of India. How have these revolutions helped in poverty alleviation and food security in India?

8[10m] Examine the developments of Airports in India through Joint Ventures under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. What are the challenges faced by the authorities in this regard?

9[10m] Account for the failure of the manufacturing sector to achieve the goal of labour-intensive exports rather than capital-intensive exports. Suggest measures for more labour-intensive rather than capital-intensive exports.

10[10m] Among several factors for India's potential growth, the savings rate is the most effective one. Do you agree? What are the other factors available for growth potential?

11[15m] 'Climate Change' is a global problem. How will India be affected by climate change? How Himalayan and coastal states of India be affected by climate change?

12[10m] Not many years ago, river linking was a concept but it is becoming a reality in the country. Discuss the advantages of river linking and its possible impact on the environment.

13[15m] Give an account of the growth and development of nuclear science and technology in India. What is the advantage of the fast breeder reactor programme in India?

14[10m] India has achieved remarkable success in unmanned space missions including the Chandrayaan and Mars Orbiter Mission, but has not ventured into manned space missions, both in terms of technology and logistics? Explain critically.

15[10m] Stem cell therapy is gaining popularity in India to treat a wide variety of medical conditions including leukaemia, Thalassemia, damaged cornea and several burns. Describe briefly what stem cell therapy is and what advantages it has over other treatments?

16[15m] In December 2004, a tsunami brought havoc on 14 countries including India. Discuss the factors responsible for the occurrence of the Tsunami and its effects on life and economy. In the light of guidelines of NDMA (2010) describe the mechanisms for preparedness to reduce the risk during such events.

17[15m] The scourge of terrorism is a grave challenge to national security. What solutions do you suggest to curb this growing menace? What are the major sources of terrorist funding?

18[15m] Mob violence is emerging as a serious law and order problem in India. By giving suitable examples, analyze the causes and consequences of such violence.

19[10m] The north-eastern region of India has been infested with insurgency for a very long time. Analyse the major reasons for the survival of armed insurgency in this region.

20[10m] Discuss the potential threats of Cyber attack and the security framework to prevent it.

1[12.5m] Given the vulnerability of Indian agriculture to vagaries of nature, discuss the need for crop insurance and bring out the salient features of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).

2[12.5m] Discuss the role of land reforms in agricultural development. Identify the factors that were responsible for the success of land reforms in India.

3[12.5m] What is allelopathy? Discuss its role in major cropping systems of irrigated agriculture.

4[12.5m] What is water-use efficiency? Describe the role of micro-irrigation in increasing the water-use efficiency.

5[12.5m] Comment on the challenges for inclusive growth which include careless and useless manpower in the Indian context. Suggest measures to be taken to face these challenges.

6[12.5m] Justify the need for FDI for the development of the Indian economy. Why there is a gap between MOUs signed and actual FDIs? Suggest remedial steps to be taken to increase actual FDIs in India.

7[12.5m] What are 'Smart Cities'? Examine their relevance for urban development in India. Will it increase rural-urban differences? Give arguments for 'Smart Villages' in the light of PURA and RURBAN Mission.

8[12.5m] Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) is necessary for bringing the unbanked to the institutional finance fold. Do you agree with this for the financial inclusion of the poor section of the Indian society? Give arguments to justify your opinion.

9[12.5m] Women empowerment in India needs gender budgeting. What are the requirements and status of gender budgeting in the Indian context?

10[12.5m] How globalization has led to the reduction of employment in the formal sector of the Indian economy? Is increased informalization detrimental to the development of the country?

11[12.5m] The frequency of urban floods due to high-intensity rainfall has increased over the years. Discussing the reasons for urban floods highlight the mechanisms for preparedness to reduce the risk during such events.

12[12.5m] Rehabilitation of human settlements is one of the important environmental impacts that always attract controversy while planning major projects. Discuss the measures suggested for mitigation of this impact while proposing major developmental projects.

13[12.5m] Why is nanotechnology one of the key technologies of the 21st century? Describe the salient features of the Indian Government's Mission on Nanoscience and Technology and the scope of its application in the development process of the country.

14[12.5m] Discuss India's achievements in the field of Space Science and Technology. How the application of this technology has helped India in its socio-economic development?

15[12.5m] Give an account of the current status and the targets to be achieved pertaining to renewable energy sources in the country. Discuss in brief the importance of the National Programme on Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).

16[12.5m] With reference to National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) guidelines discuss the measures to be adopted to mitigate the impact of recent incidents of cloudbursts in many places of Uttarakhand.

17[12.5m] The use of the internet and social media by non-state actors for subversive activities is a major security concern. How have these been misused in the recent past? Suggest effective guidelines to curb the above threat.

18[12.5m] Border management is a complex task due to difficult terrain and hostile relations with some countries. Elucidate the challenges and strategies for effective border management.

19[12.5m] "Terrorism is emerging as a competitive industry over the last few decades." Analyse the above statement.

20[12.5m] The terms 'Hot Pursuit' and 'Surgical Strikes' are often used in connection with armed action against terrorist attacks. Discuss the strategic impact of such actions.