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APPROACH - ANSWER: GENERAL STUDIES MAINS MOCK TEST - 1246 (2019)
1. Rock-cut structures were closely associated with various religions and religious activities.
Discuss the statement giving relevant examples. (150 words) 10
Approach:
• Give brief introduction regarding rock cut architecture in India.
• Discuss in brief how rock-cut structures were closely associated with various religions and
religious activities with examples.
• Conclude on the basis of above points.
Answer:
Rock-cut architecture is the exercise of creating a structure by carving it out of the natural rock. It
occupies a very important place in the history of Indian Architecture. Most of the rock-cut
structures over different periods were closely associated with various religions such as Buddhism,
Jainism and Hinduism.
One of the prominent features found in Indian rock-cut architecture is that it is closely associated
with various religious activities. Both Buddhist and Jain rock cut architecture mainly consisted of
"Chaitya caves", where stupas were enshrined for worship and "Vihara caves", which were
residence of monks.
The association of rock-cut architecture with religion and religious activities can be understood
from the following examples:
1. As a center of religion: Monks of various religions used these rock cut structures as a place of
worship. For example:
a) Barabar Caves in Bihar were used by ascetics from the Ajivika sect founded by Makkhali
Gosala,
b) Karle Chaitya in Maharashtra was used as a place of worship by Buddhist monks.
c) Kailasha temple by Rashtrakutas dedicated to lord Shiva in Ellora caves.
2. As a place of residence for monks: Monks also used these caves as abodes. For example:
a) Kanheri caves and Ajanta caves were used by Buddhist monks as Viharas.
b) Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves are believed to be carved out as residential blocks for
Jain monks during the reign of King Kharavela.
3. For religious activities like propagating religion and its teachings: For example:
a) The Mauryan emperor Ashoka used stone as a medium of proclamation for the message of
law and tolerance known as “Dhamma” through the rock edicts and pillar edicts.
b) Ajanta caves house paintings illustrating the Jatakas, major events of Buddha’s life, etc.
c) Cave temples dedicated to Hindu gods and goddesses like Badami Cave temples by
Chalukyas depicted themes associated with Dasavatara, Ramayana and Mahabharata.
4. Other activities: The association of Buddhist caves along with the trade routes shows that these
rock-cut caves were not only the place for meditation but were also used as trade centres by the
traders.
Rock cut architectures have been the centers of religion and religious activities for various religions
in India and they remain a rich part of our cultural heritage even today.
4. The inherent limitations of Napoleon's policy of Continental Blockade ultimately resulted in its
failure. Analyze. (150 words) 10
Approach:
• Introduce by giving a brief account of the Continental System of Napoleon Bonaparte.
• Discuss in brief the limitations of this system, which ultimately caused its failure.
• Conclude on the basis of the above points.
Answer:
Continental System or Continental blockade was adopted by Napoleon to paralyze Great Britain
through the destruction of British commerce. The decrees of Berlin, 1806 and Milan, 1807
proclaimed a blockade that neutrals and French allies were not to trade with the British. Also,
restrictions were placed on the movements of British ships. They were debarred from using ports in
Europe.
As per Napoleon’s plan, a blockade would not only destroy British trade and economy, but also its
democracy thus, paving way for French exports and increased political influence, establishing
France as the leading power in Europe.
Though British economy suffered initially, the outcome was more disastrous for Napoleon because
of the inherent limitations of the continental blockade policy:
• It was impossible for France to control the vast sea without a powerful navy fleet. England
responded to the continental system with a counterblockade and its powerful navy was more
effective in blockading France.
• Entire Europe was disturbed by this policy and various countries began to conspire against
France. Russia and Sweden jointly started to oppose the continental system. Portugal and Spain
also declared war against Napoleon.
• Napoleon had to wage wars against many countries to enforce this policy. E.g. Russia, Spain and
Holland. His invasion of Russia in 1812 to enforce blockade turned out be disastrous for France.
• The Continental System needed to be applied for a long time over the continent to make it work.
However, after the supply of necessary goods and articles was stopped, people in Europe had to
face great difficulties and they began to oppose the continental system vehemently.
The Continental System represents one of Napoleon’s great miscalculations and a great blunder on
his part. Successive wars drained French resources and ultimately led to his downfall in Battle of
Leipzig (1813) and Battle of Waterloo (1815).
7. Highlight the reasons behind prevalence of low literacy rate among tribals. Also, mention some
initiatives taken by the government in this regard. (150 words) 10
Approach:
• Briefly discuss the education status of tribals.
• Highlight the reasons behind low literacy rate among tribals.
• Enumerate the initiatives taken by government towards tribal education.
Following are the prominent evidences given by Alfred Wegener to support the Continental Drift
Theory:
• Matching of Continents (Jig-Saw-Fit): Shorelines of South America and Africa seem to fit in
with each other, especially, the bulge of Brazil fits into the Gulf of Guinea. The west coast of
India, Madagascar and the east coast of Africa seem to have been joined. North and South
America on one side and Africa and Europe on the other fit along the mid-Atlantic ridge.
• Similarity in rocks: The belt of ancient rocks of 2,000 million years from Brazil coast matches
with those from the western Africa. The earliest marine deposits along the coastline of South
America and Africa are of the Jurassic age. This suggests that the ocean didn’t exist prior to that
time.
• Tillite Deposits: Tillite is a sedimentary rock formed out of deposits of glaciers. The
Gondawana system of sediments from India is known to have its counterparts in different
landmasses of the Southern Hemisphere – Africa, Falkland Island, Madagascar, Antarctica and
Australia. At the base the system has thick tillite indicating extensive and prolonged glaciation.
Overall resemblance of the Gondawana type sediments demonstrates that these landmasses had
remarkably similar histories. The glacial tillite provides evidence of paleoclimates and drifting
of continents.
• Placer Deposits: Rich placer deposits of gold are found in Ghana coast despite the absolute
absence of source rock in the region. The gold deposits of the Ghana seem to have been derived
from the Brazil plateau when the two continents were once joined.
9. The variety of landforms on the earth’s surface is the result of internal and external forces.
Discuss. (150 words) 10
Approach:
• Introduce by mentioning the source of energy for both processes.
• Explain the internal forces and associated landforms.
• Explain the external forces and associated landforms.
Answer:
Landforms on the surface of the earth are constantly being created, modified and destroyed by a
variety of forces. These are broadly categorised into internal (those which originate from inside of
the earth) and external (those which originate on/outside the surface). The internal (endogenic)
forces are mainly land building in nature, whereas the external (exogenic) forces are mainly land
wearing.
Endogenic Processes
The endogenic forces are mostly generated by radioactivity, rotational and tidal friction and
primordial heat from the origin of the earth. The internal movements in the earth are manifested in
some form or the other on the surface, which creates new landforms. Diastrophism and volcanism
are endogenic geomorphic processes.
Diastrophism includes all those processes that move, elevate or build up portions of the earth’s
crust. Such as:
• Orogenic movements which are horizontal movements lead to mountain building through
severe folding of earth’s crust, for example, fold mountains like the Himalayas and Andes.
• Epeirogenic processes are vertical movements involving uplift or warping (twisting/
bending) of large parts of the earth’s crust. It is a continent building process. Raised beaches,
elevated wave-cut terraces, sea caves and fossiliferous beds above sea level are evidence of
uplift and submerged forests and valleys are evidence of subsidence.
• It also includes earthquakes involving local (relatively) minor movements and plate tectonics
involving horizontal movements of crustal plates.
Volcanism includes the movement of molten rock (magma) onto or toward the earth’s surface and
also formation of many intrusive and extrusive volcanic forms.
10. Explaining the concept of Lapse Rate, examine its relationship with atmospheric stability.
(150 words) 10
Approach:
• Explain what is Lapse Rate and highlight its types.
• Elaborate its relationship with atmospheric stability/instability using graphs, equations.
Answer:
Lapse rate is rate of change in temperature observed while moving upward through the Earth’s
atmosphere. It is considered positive when the temperature decreases with elevation, zero when
the temperature is constant and negative when the temperature increases with
elevation (temperature inversion).
Types of lapse rates:
• Environmental Lapse Rate (ELR): This is the actual measured decrease in temperature with
height above the ground (the rate which is actually occurring, not a theoretical rate). Generally,
this is about 6.5 C per 1000 m. This rate does vary and depends on local air conditions.
• Adiabatic lapse Rate (ALR): When a parcel of air mass rises adiabatically, it cools at an
Adiabatic lapse rate. Adiabatic processes are those where no exchange of heat takes place
between the system and the environment. The parcel of air can be assumed to be relatively
isolated from the surrounding environment because of the distinct physical properties
(temperature & humidity) As such, when it rises, the air expands and the energy to expand
comes from the molecules of air within that parcel. These molecules lose their energy and hence
the air mass becomes cold on rising and expanding. Depending on the saturation of the air mass,
there are two types of ALR:
13. Explaining the reasons behind partition of Bengal, discuss the successes and limitations of the
Swadeshi movement launched in its wake. (250 words) 15
Approach:
• Briefly mention how and when the Bengal partition was carried out.
• Give reasons, official and real, for the partition of Bengal.
• Explain the successes and limitations of the Swadeshi movement launched after the Bengal
partition.
• Conclude by highlighting the importance of Swadeshi movement in terms of lessons learnt.
14. The reorganisation of states in India post-independence has been an ongoing process with
distinct contributing factors. Analyse. (250 words) 15
Approach:
• Give a brief status of states just after independence and an account of initiation of
reorganization of states.
• Then giving a course of states reorganizations after independence, bring out various
contributing factors.
• Finally explain why reorganization of states is an ongoing process in India.
15. The Treaty of Versailles was not a peace agreement based on reconciliation but was ‘dictated
peace’ forced on Germany, which eventually triggered the Second World War. Examine.
(250 words) 15
Approach:
• Give a brief introduction about the Treaty of Versailles.
• Discuss how this treaty was not a peace agreement and was a dictated peace on Germany.
• Discuss how the treaty prepared the ground for the Second World War.
• Also, discuss other factors, which led to the outbreak of the Second World War.
Answer:
The Treaty of Versailles of 1919 was one of the most controversial peace treaties signed between
the victorious Allied powers and Germany. The Allied powers had differences among themselves
on issues regarding the treatment of the defeated powers after World War One.
This Treaty is considered as a dictated peace on Germany, as the Germans were not allowed in the
discussions at Versailles and were simply presented with the terms of the Treaty and asked to sign it.
Although they were allowed to criticize the treaty in writing, most of their criticisms were ignored.
16. Legal measures alone are not sufficient for addressing the issue of domestic violence against
women, rather it requires intervention at societal level. Discuss. (250 words) 15
Approach:
• Discuss the issue of domestic violence against women in India.
• Mention the legal measures in this context.
• Comment on the need for intervention at the societal level.
Answer:
Domestic violence against women in India is a social reality and a serious violation of their human
rights. It includes physical, sexual or emotional abuse of women by their husbands & other family
members. In order to address the issue, several legal measures have been adopted in India. The
main legal provisions include:
• The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005: It includes a comprehensive
definition of abuse, including physical, sexual, verbal, emotional and economic abuse. It also
includes unlawful dowry demands, enlarging the sphere of protection.
• Other legal provisions include Dowry Prohibition Act 1961 and related provisions in the Indian
Penal Code (IPC).
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Despite legal provisions, domestic violence as a practice continues both covertly and overtly.
National Family Health Survey-4 data states that every third woman in India, since the age of 15,
has faced domestic violence in various forms. The cases related to domestic violence persist not just
due to poor enforcement of laws but because the roots of the problem are firmly entrenched in our
social structures & familial practices:
• There is a clear relationship between strong patriarchal familial structures and limited
capabilities and agency for women, which are strongly correlated with domestic violence
against women.
• Most women do not seek help when they are abused. Only one in four abused women seek
help to try to end the violence they have experienced. This is often because of the taboo
associated with familial discord. In case of married women, it often stems from the desire to
preserve marriage as divorce is stigmatised.
o Further, only a few abused women seek help from any institutional source such as
police, medical institutions, or social service organizations. It may be because domestic
violence is often not handled as a legitimate crime or complaint, but more of a private or
family matter.
• Socio-economic class, educational level, and family structure are other reasons why
domestic violence still persists in India.
• Another issue is marital rape, which is not considered a crime in India, as marriage is deemed
sacred.
This suggests shortcomings in the enforcement of the legal provisions as well as a need for societal
intervention beyond legal remedies. To address the aforementioned factors, the victims need the
support of their family and friends to report instances of domestic violence. Further, the issue needs
deliberation at social settings so that it gets de-stigmatized and those who face violence are able to
discuss their concerns and seek remedies.
17. India is undergoing a demographic transition the implications of which are multipronged.
Analyze. (250 words) 15
Approach:
• Briefly define different stages of demographic transition.
• Enlist the factors that depict India’s transition to third stage
• Discuss its implications for India.
Answer:
Demographic transition describes population change over a period of time. The phenomenon can be
broadly explained in four stages:
• Stage I: Period of high fertility and high mortality due to low life expectancy, low technology
levels and high illiteracy leading to no or very low population growth.
• Stage II: Population growth rate increases due to high fertility and reduced mortality rate on
account of improvements in sanitation and health facilities.
• Stage III: Population growth rate slows down as fertility rate declines and mortality rate
continues to be low. The economy witness structural changes along with rapid urbanization.
• Stage IV: Rising urbanization, literacy levels and reproductive knowhow leads to shrinking
family size. Fertility and the mortality rates decline considerably; resultantly, the population is
either stable or grows slowly.
19. Explain the relationship between raw materials and location of industries. How are
globalisation and technological advancements changing this relationship? (250 words) 15
Approach:
• Introduce by giving a brief account of relationship between raw materials and the location of
industries.
• Discuss in brief the effect of globalization and the technological advancements on this
relationship.
• Give appropriate examples wherever necessary.
• Conclude on the basis of the above points.
Answer:
Industrial locations are primarily driven by costs. Merely high endowment of resources does not
cause industry to be attracted to an area. It is the comparative advantages that a place enjoys that
actually attracts industries. These are influenced by several factors like access to raw materials,
power, market, capital, transport and labour, etc. It is economical to locate the manufacturing
industries at a place where cost of production and delivery cost of manufactured goods to
consumers are the least.
There is a strong relationship between availability of raw material and location of the industry as
seen below:
• Industries which use heavy and bulky raw materials in their primary stage in large quantities
are usually located near the supply of the raw materials. For example, Iron and steel industries,
coal industry, etc.
• Industries based on raw materials which loses weight in the process of manufacturing are
located near source of raw material. For example, Sugar mills, etc.
• Industries based on raw materials which cannot be transported over long distances because of
their perishable nature are located near source of raw material. For example, Agro-processing
and dairy products.
• Finished product of one industry may well be the raw material of another. For example,
pig iron, produced by smelting industry, serves as the raw material for steel making industry. So
these industries are located closer to each other.
• Industries based on raw materials which cannot bear high transport cost are located near
source of raw material. For example: Cotton textile industry, etc.
However, at present, this trend seems to be changing due to the effects of globalization and the
technological advancements in the following manner:
• Decreased transportation cost due to technological advances: This has changed the above
relationship and now a days industries may establish themselves away from the source of raw
material.
20. Explain how natural greenhouse effect helps in maintaining Earth's heat budget. What are the
possible implications of rising concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in atmosphere on
Earth's heat budget? (250 words) 15
Approach:
• Define Earth’s Heat Budget.
• Explain how Greenhouse effect helps maintain Earth’s energy budget by making use of diagrams
/flow charts.
• Discuss the potential consequences of increasing concentration of GHG’s in the atmosphere.
Answer:
Heat budget or heat balance of the earth means that the earth as a whole does not accumulate or
lose heat. It maintains its temperature. This can happen only if the amount of heat received in the
form of insolation equals the amount lost by the earth through terrestrial radiation.
GHG Effect & its role in maintaining Earth’s Heat Budget:
About 29 percent of incoming sunlight is reflected back to space by bright particles in the
atmosphere or bright ground surfaces, which leaves about 71 percent to be absorbed by the Earth’s
surface.
Since the atmosphere and the surface of the Earth together absorb 71 % of incoming solar radiation,
so they must radiate an equal amount of energy back to space for the average temperature to
remain stable.
The atmosphere absorbs 23% of incoming sunlight, while the surface absorbs 48%. For the energy
budget at earth’s surface to balance, processes on the ground must get rid of the 48% of incoming
solar energy that the ocean and land surfaces absorb. Energy leaves the surface through three
processes: 25% through evaporation, 5% through convection, and 17% through emission of
thermal infrared energy.
It is in the emission of thermal infrared energy by the surface, where Greenhouse effect plays the
main role.