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Initial 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 Most Important Topics for UPSC Mains 2023

• 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:

1. 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. (Answer in 150 words) 10

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

2. What is the status of digitalization in the Indian economy? Examine the problems faced in this regard and suggest improvements. (Answer in 150 words) 10

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

11. Most of the unemployment in India is structural in nature. Examine the methodology adopted to compute unemployment in the country and suggest improvements. (Answer in 250 words) 15

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

12.  Distinguish between ‘care economy’ and ‘monetized economy’. How can care economy be brought into monetized economy through women empowerment? (Answer in 250 words) 15

Topic in the syllabus: Indian Economy and issues relating to Planning, Mobilization of Resources, Growth, Development and Employment; Inclusive Growth and issues arising from it.
Covered in Samajho's Corner.

• The questions from the agriculture section were moderate and straightforward.
• Previous year themes were repeated.
• Questions reflected the current events in the field of agriculture and food processing industry.

3. How does e-Technology help farmers in production and marketing of agricultural produce? Explain it. (Answer in 150 words) 10

Topic in the syllabus: E-technology in the aid of farmers.
Covered in Samajho's Corner.

4.  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. (Answer in 150 words) 10

Topic in the syllabus: Land Reforms in India.
Covered in Samajho's Corner.

13.  Explain the changes in cropping pattern in India in the context of changes in consumption pattern and marketing conditions. (Answer in 250 words) 15

Topic in the syllabus: Major Crops – Cropping Patterns in various parts of the country, – Different Types of Irrigation and Irrigation Systems; Storage, Transport and Marketing of Agricultural Produce and Issues and Related Constraints; E-technology in the aid of farmers.
Covered in Samajho's Corner.

14. What are the direct and indirect subsidies provided to farm sector in India? Discuss the issues raised by the World Trade Organization(WTP) in relation to agricultural subsidies. (Answer in 250 words) 15

Topic in the syllabus: Issues related to Direct and Indirect Farm Subsidies and Minimum Support Prices; Public Distribution System – Objectives, Functioning, Limitations, Revamping; Issues of Buffer Stocks and Food Security; Technology Missions; Economics of Animal-Rearing.
Covered in Samajho's Corner.

• 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.

5. 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? (Answer in 150 words) 10

Topic in the syllabus: Science and Technology- Developments and their Applications and Effects in Everyday Life.
Covered in Samajho's Corner.

16.  What is the main task of India’s third mood 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. (Answer in 250 words) 15

Topic in the syllabus: Achievements of Indians in Science & Technology; Indigenization of Technology and Developing New Technology; Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, Robotics, Nano-technology, Bio-technology and issues relating to Intellectual Property Rights.
Covered in Samajho's Corner.

• All questions in the environment section were moderate and straightforward.
• There was a proper balance between static and current affairs, which was reflected in questions like several ways in which microorganisms can help in meeting the current fuel shortage, oil pollution, etc.

Questions:

6. Discuss several ways in which microorganisms can help in meeting the current fuel shortage. (Answer in 150 words) 10

Topic in the syllabus: Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.
Covered in Samajho's Corner.

8. 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? (Answer in 150 words) 10

Topic in the syllabus: Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.
Covered in Samajho's Corner.

15. 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? (Answer in 250 words) 15

Topic in the syllabus: Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.
Covered in Samajho's Corner.

17. 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. (Answer in 250 words) 15

Topic in the syllabus: Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.
Covered in Samajho's Corner.

18.  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? (Answer in 250 words) 15

Topic in the syllabus: Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.
Covered in Samajho's Corner.

• A question in the Disaster Management section was moderate and straightforward.
• Only one question was asked on that on dam safety.

Questions:

7. 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. (Answer in 150 words) 10

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.
• There was a proper balance between static and current affairs, which was reflected in questions.

Questions:

9. 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. (Answer in 150 words) 10

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

10. 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. (Answer in 150 words) 10

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

19.  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. (Answer in 250 words) 15

Topic in the syllabus: Challenges to Internal Security through Communication Networks, Role of Media and Social Networking Sites in Internal Security Challenges, Basics of Cyber Security; Money-Laundering and its prevention.
Covered in Samajho's Corner.

20. 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. (Answer in 250 words) 15

Topic in the syllabus: Challenges to Internal Security through Communication Networks, Role of Media and Social Networking Sites in Internal Security Challenges, Basics of Cyber Security; Money-Laundering and its prevention.
Covered in Samajho's Corner.