UPSC 2014 Paper 1 analysis :Why the question could have asked?

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UPSC 2014 preliminary is over and aspirants are busy discussing the cut off's and future course of actions. This post is neither to speculate the cut off nor a copy of my version of key. Being a chemist I believe in irreversible reactions, after all the completed exams too fall in the same category. So do not waste time in discussing the cut off. Remember everyone wishes to speculate and fix the cut off with which he has crossed. However the reality usually is different. Coming to the present concluded many aspirants have commented that UPSC has went back to pre-2011 era by asking few static questions which are of no relevance and just need to crammed as it is done for SSC or other examinations which has many Raw GK. I am firm believer that UPSC doesn't go silly by asking the height of an actress or something like which is first in the world in this post 2011 era. I have also argued that watching news (preferably DD and selected programs of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and AIR) will be beneficial other than reading newspapers for both preliminary and mains, but not many accepted , but criticized it a waste of time for preliminary though they accepted that some programs may be useful for gaining some points for mains. I have made a comprehensive analysis of paper-1 with respect to the current happenings and tried to correlate reason about why such a question was asked.

Before going in the analysis,
  • UPSC has the bad habit of not asking hot debated topics 'directly' in the preliminary (may be it knows that aspirants would have eyed it).
  • But it wishes to know whether they made a 360 degree study of the hot topic by asking a question from its branch. (This is what I noticed in few static questions).


Let's Start (Question No’s mentioned are from Set A)

Question 7: Photovoltaics
In March 2014, India's Largest Solar Power Plant was launched in Madhya Pradesh (Walsun Solar MP Project). It is a Photovoltaic plant and it was inaugurated by Narendra Modi. Apart from this, whenever nuclear technology is opposed the possible answers from those who oppose directed towards renewable source with Solar in its priority.

Question 8: Classical Language
Odia and Malayalam got the classical language status in Feb 2014 and Dec 2013 respectively. Status provided to a language after 2008.

Question 12: Disease eradicated from India
In March 2014, India was officially declared Polio free. Small Pox and Rinderpest was in news the same time as they were also eradicated.

Question 13: Evolution of Organism: Continental drift and Glacial Cycles
In March 2014, HINDU Science and Technology had an article which discussed about a study on volcanoes which are responsible for survival of species in Ice ages.

Question 14: Ganges River Dolphin
Was in news and was criticised by environmentalist when BJP government proposed its plan to establish commercial navigation along Ganga. Also, the Dolphin census is schedule to happen post monsoon this year. Down to Earth had editorials on the same apart from other leading dailies including HINDU.

Question 24: Pollution from Steel Industry
China to bring down pollution in its capital has made anti-pollution rules and shifted or closed its steel plants in the vicinity of its capital. This was in news predominantly in Dec 2013. Few editorials came in the same topic and the lessons to be learned from it in Indian context.

Question 27: Sales Tax
One who understood the debates going on with respect to GST would have answered it easily. In fact DTC and GST which was expected in interim budget was left to the next government.

Question 28: Venture Capital
Venture capital fund for SC/ST in Interim budget and in January 2014 India Inclusive Innovation Fund was launched which also deals with the same subject.

Question 32: Business Correspondents
Nachiket Mor Committee gave few guidelines to allow NBFC to function as BC’s and accordingly later on in June 2014 RBI has reviewed and accepted it.

Question 34: Arab Spring
It was making headlines and is still in news. Considerable foreign remittance of India is from Arab nations. Impacts of the same in India were debated.

Question 35: Arctic Council
Canada boycotted Arctic Council meeting in Moscow in April 2014, due to Russian military presence in Ukraine. Canada also expressed to extend Arctic to NATO with the fear of Russian interest of expansion in the Arctic.

Question 36: Regions in News
Chechnya – during Crimean annexure, Darfur – in the ongoing tension in sudan, Swat –when Malala was shot.

Question 37: Agni 4
Third successful launch in January 2014 and its production is expected to start by the end of 2014.

Question 49: Anti-Defection
Though a basic question as a part of Indian polity, it was discussed widely when 13 RJD MLA’s shifted to Nitish Kumar party and returned back after few hours.

Question 51: Turkey is located between
 The question seems to be a raw GK asked in the format of pre 2011 era. But it is definitely not so and it has relation with Russian annexure of Crimea. The strategic reason behind the annexure of Crimea is that Russia will continue to have its strong naval hold along Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea, without which the west powers can come closer to Russia cutting its strategic defence along the two seas. The other country along this region is Turkey; if Russia cannot have hold over Crimea then the only option available to it will be to have closer ties with Turkey so that it can make use of the two seas. But the situation was different as Turkey has already applied for its affiliation to EU and is in the process and it also has closer ties with the west compared to Russia since Ottaman period.

Question 54: Satyameva Jayate
 Though it is inscribed in our emblem, it was in news after the Aamir Khan program. The program was successful in forcing the government to go ahead with One Stop Crisis Centre. The popularity can also be understood as Election Commission announced Aamir Khan as its ambassador for the 2014 election. The other question which I expected is the “Athithi Devo Bava” which the tourism ministry is using.

Question 61: Decreasing rate of interest
Though it is an economics fundamental, it was often in news during monetary policy review of RBI as manufacturing sector was asking the same and Raghuram Rajan in all his interviews has explained about why he cannot prefer it at the present scenario of higher inflation

Question 66: Finger print scanning
Alternative for finger printing was discussed when difficulty was faced during Aadhar enrolments where fingers prints of many was not able to recognise due to their hard work. If I am sure Kurukshetra carried an article on the same (Not able to find which edition).

Question 68: Space Craft
Voyager was in news in Dec 2013 when it crossed solar system. Cassini was also in news in the same month when it sent a new better resolution image of Saturn. Messenger was in news in April 2014 when it completed its 3000th orbit and went closer than any other space orbit to Mercury.

Question 71: Dispute between Centre and State
 Though a fundamental in Polity, this was the hot topic when Tamil Nadu government announced to free Rajiv Killers and there was dispute between the state and the centre on the same. Supreme Court referred the matter to a constitutional bench.

Question 73: Maize
It is one of the 10 GM crops for which field trail was allowed by the government in March 2014.

Question 77: NH 4, 6 and 15
 Diamond Quadrilateral was in news during railway budget; it was at this time the Golden Quadrilateral was also in news as it was also announced by the BJP government led by Vajpayee. NH 4 and NH6 are part of Golden Quadrilateral.

Question 79: Earth Hour
March 29  this year (for one hour) was observed as Earth Hour. IPCC report came out after this event. This year the event in India was promoted by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and CBSE. You could have noticed the same in paper ads too in leading dailies on that day.

Question 92: Queen Victoria Proclamation
Skeletal remains of the martyrs of 1857 revolt were exhumed in Punjab in the month of March, 2014. Last rites of the martyrs done after 160 years by Gurudwara Shaheed Ganj Committee. Queen Victoria’s Proclamation was the outcome of the same revolt.

Question 50 and 95: Eco-Sensitive Zone
 In October 2013 human activity was prohibited in the wildlife sanctuary of Goa. The other and more relevant news is that the Ministry of Environment has brought fresh draft guidelines in March 2014 related to eco-sensitive zone of Western Ghats. One would have noticed several protests related to these stories in news along the Western Ghats.

Question 100: Non-Plan Expenditure
In Jan 2014 Finance Ministry asked the government offices to reduce non-planned expenditure, which includes cutting of foreign visits, cutting programs or seminars in 5 star hotels, restrictions on new recruitments for old vacancies etc. Apart from it Raghuram Rajan panel suggested cutting of Non-planned expenditure. So this topic had its position in the fiscal policy this year.

So What's the point?
  • Sometimes what you hear in news may be helpful to sort out the options (what toppers call as intelligent guessing).
  • Understanding the current affairs and interpreting the same with the fundamentals is the need of this era.
  • Learn 360 degree about the hot topics in headlines, they are asked indirectly in preliminary and can play a vital role in mains to come out with a better answer. (It doesn't mean you have to do phd in every topic).
  • UPSC wants its aspirants to correlate facts instead of sticking with the same.


Finally......
 I have tried to come out with this article with the best of my knowledge. If there are any factual error, I would like to learn and rectify if anyone can point it. There is a chance that the paper setter would have not thought about the incident before asking the same, but if you have concentrated on current affairs it would have given you hint in the exam hall just like the movie slum dog millionaire.  

1 comment :

  1. awesome effort .. previous papers did not have much of current .. thats y most felt it hard.. need is 360 degree prep .. thanks a ton :)

    ReplyDelete