UPSC 2014 Paper 1 analysis :Why the question could have asked?
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.
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awesome effort .. previous papers did not have much of current .. thats y most felt it hard.. need is 360 degree prep .. thanks a ton :)
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