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Intial Thoughts:

• This year’s UPSC Mains GS 3 has been easy to moderate in difficulty as many questions were straightforward and directly related to the syllabus but tested the ability to analytically think in a time-constrained environment.
• The static syllabus and current events were properly balanced.
• The paper was a bit lengthy, but it was easy to score high marks. The topics included the PPP, labour productivity, the James Webb telescope, vaccine development, the Kyoto protocol, Naxalism, etc.

Most of the topics were directly covered from the Samajho’s Corner: Static Topics Repository for Mains

SMAP Initiative and Important Topics for UPSC Mains-2022

• The overall difficulty level of the Economy portion was medium. There were only three questions.
• Themes included inclusive growth, the PPP model, and economic growth, all of which were expected.
• This section was scoring.

Questions:

Q1. Why is Public Private Partnership (PPP) required in infrastructural projects? Examine the role of PPP model in the redevelopment of Railway Stations in India. (Answer in 150 words)

Topic in the syllabus: Investment Models.
Covered in Samajho’s Corner: Investment models

Q2. Is inclusive growth possible under market economy? State the significance of financial inclusion in achieving economic growth in India. (Answer in 150 words)

Topic in the syllabus: Inclusive Growth and issues arising from it.
Covered in Samajho’s Corner: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it

Q11. ”Economic growth in the recent past has been led by increase in labour productivity.” Explain this statement. Suggest the growth pattern that will lead to creation of more jobs without compromising labour productivity. (Answer in 250 words)

Topic in the syllabus: Indian Economy and issues relating to Planning, Mobilization of Resources, Growth, Development and Employment.

Covered in Samajho’s Corner: 1. Indian Economy and issues relating... and 2. New Labour Codes

• The questions from the agriculture section were moderate and straightforward.
• Previous year themes such as PDS and Integrated Farming System were repeated.
• Questions on food processing industry and upstream and downstream of process of marketing of agricultural products in India were on the expected lines.

Questions:

Q3. What are the major challenges of Public Distribution System (PDS) in India? How can it be made effective and transparent? (Answer in 150 words)

Topic in the syllabus: Issues related to Direct and Indirect Farm Subsidies and Minimum Support Prices; Public Distribution System – Objectives, Functioning, Limitations, Revamping;

Covered in Samajho’s Corner: Public Distribution System- objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping

Q4. Elaborate the scope and significance of the food processing industry in India. (Answer in 150 words)

Topic in the syllabus: Food Processing and Related Industries in India- Scope’ and Significance, Location, Upstream and Downstream Requirements, Supply Chain Management.

Covered in Samajho’s Corner: Food processing and related industries in India- scope and significance

Q13. What are the main bottlenecks in upstream and downstream process of marketing of agricultural products in India? (Answer in 250 words)

Topic in the syllabus: Transport and Marketing of Agricultural Produce and Issues and Related Constraints; Upstream and Downstream Requirements, Supply Chain Management.

Covered in Samajho’s Corner: Storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints

Q14. What is Integrated Farming System? How is it helpful to small and marginal farmers in India? (Answer in 250 words)

Topic in the syllabus: Major Crops – Cropping Patterns in various parts of the country, – Different Types of Irrigation and Irrigation Systems; E-technology in the aid of farmers.

Covered in Samajho’s Corner in various articles.

• All questions in the environment section were moderate and straightforward, with the exception of one on plant material-cellulose.
• There was a proper balance between static and current affairs, which was reflected in questions like India’s energy needs, global warming and the Kyoto protocol, etc.

Questions:

Q6. 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? (Answer in 150 words)

Topic in the syllabus: Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation

Q7. Discuss in detail the photochemical smog emphasizing its formation, effects and mitigation. Explain the 1999 Gothenburg protocol. (Answer in 150 words)

Topic in the syllabus: Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation.

Covered in Environmrnt SMP NOTES in bits & pieces: Environment Pollution

Q12. 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. (Answer in 250 words)

Topic in the syllabus: Infrastructure: Energy; Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation.

Covered in Samajho’s Corner in various articles: 450 GW Renewable Energy Target 

Q17. 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 (Answer in 250 words)

Topic in the syllabus: Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation.

Covered in Environmrnt SMP NOTES: 1.Climate Change: Global Warming, Greenhouse Effect & Gases and 2. Climate Change-4: Part-1 International Organisations, Institutions & Summits, UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol

• All questions in the Science and Technology section were moderate and straightforward.
• A question on life expectancy was challenging, whereas a question on the James Webb Space Telescope was easy to answer.
• The vaccine development question reflected the topic of Indians’ achievements in the indigenization of technology and the development of new technology.

Questions:

Q5. 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?  (Answer in 150 words)

Topic in the syllabus: Science and Technology- Developments and their Applications and Effects in Everyday Life.

Covered in Samajho’s Corner in various articles.

Q15. 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? (Answer in 250 words)

Topic in the syllabus: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, Robotics, Nano-technology, etc.,

Covered in Samajho’s Corner in various articles: 1. Major Telescopes and their observations and 2. Important Space Missions

Q16. 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? (Answer in 250 words)

Topic in the syllabus: Achievements of Indians in Science & Technology; Indigenization of Technology and Developing New Technology.

Covered in Samajho’s Corner in various articles: 1. Vaccine and Immunology</a> ; 2.Will TRIPS patent waiver solve India’s vaccine crunch</a> ; 3. Diseases types and Vaccines</a> ;

• All questions in the Disaster Management section were moderate and straightforward.
• A question on coastal erosion in India was challenging, whereas a question on the cloudburst was easy to answer.

Questions:

Q8. Explain the mechanism and occurrence of cloudburst in the context of the Indian subcontinent. Discuss two recent examples. (Answer in 150 words)

Topic in the syllabus: Disaster and Disaster Management.

Covered in Samajho’s Corner in various articles.

Q2. Explain the causes and effects of coastal erosion in India. What are the available coastal management techniques for combating the hazard? (Answer in 250 words)

Topic in the syllabus: Disaster and Disaster Management.

Covered in Samajho’s Corner in various articles.

• All questions in the Internal Security section were moderate and straightforward, with the exception of one on plant material-cellulose.
• There was a proper balance between static and current affairs, which was reflected in questions like maritime security challenges, cyber security, organised crimesetc.

Questions:

Q9. Discuss the types of organised crimes. Describe the linkages between terrorists and organised crime that exist at the national and transnational levels. (Answer in 150 words)

Topic in the syllabus: Security Challenges and their Management in Border Areas – Linkages of Organized Crime with Terrorism.

Covered in Samajho’s Corner: Linkages of organized crime with terrorism

Q10.What are the maritime security challenges in India? Discuss the organisational, technical and procedural initiatives taken to improve the maritime security. (Answer in 150 words)

Topic in the syllabus: Security Challenges and their Management in Border Areas.

Covered in Samajho’s Corner in various articles.

Q19. 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. (Answer in 250 words)

Topic in the syllabus: Basics of Cyber Security

Covered in Samajho’s Corner: Basics of cybersecurity

Q20. 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. (Answer in 250 words)

Topic in the syllabus: Linkages between Development and Spread of Extremism.

Covered in Samajho’s Corner: 1. Linkages between development and spread of extremism and 2. Naxalism Explained