20 questions
General Studies Paper III
UPSC Civil Services Mains 2018
- 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.
- 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?
- What do you mean by Minimum Support Price (MSP)? How will MSP rescue the farmers from the low-income trap?
- 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.
- What is wetland? Explain the Ramsar concept of ‘wise use’ in the context of wetland conservation. Cite two examples of Ramsar sites from India.
- Sikkim is the first ‘Organic State’ in India. What are the ecological and economic benefits of an Organic State?
- Examine the role of supermarkets in supply chain management of fruits, vegetables and food items. How do they eliminate the number of intermediaries?
- “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.
- 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.
- Discuss the work of ‘Bose-Einstein Statistics’ done by Prof. Satyendra Nath Bose and show how it revolutionised the field of Physics.
- 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?
- 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’?
- 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?
- 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.
- How does biodiversity vary in India? How is the Biological Diversity Act, of 2002 helpful in the conservation of flora and fauna?
- How would the recent phenomena of protectionism and currency manipulations in world trade affect the macroeconomic stability of India?
- With growing energy needs should India keep on expanding its nuclear energy programme? Discuss the facts and fears associated with nuclear energy.
- How are the principles followed by NITI Aayog different from those followed by the erstwhile planning commission in India?
- Why is there so much activity in the field of biotechnology in our country? How has this activity benefitted the field of biopharma?
- 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?