Secure Mains 2017
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INSIGHTSONINDIA www.insightsonindia.com | www.insightsias.com SECURE SYNOPSIS MAINS 2017 GENERAL STUDIES PAPER I FEBRUARY SECURE SYNOPSIS | FEBRUARY 2017 Table of Contents Topic: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times ___________________________________________________________ 4 1. Discuss critically the role played by Archeological Survey of India (ASI) in preserving India’s art and architecture since colonial times. (200 Words) _______________________________________________ 4 2. How can governance patterns of the past inscribed and depicted in various art forms across Tamil Nadu, help present administration deal with various burning issues? Examine. (200 Words) __________ 5 3. In order to bridge the gap between urban and rural consciousness, between the past and the present, another trend which is very much visible in the post-modernist poetry scene is the use of mythology to present the modern predicament. Discuss features of this trend. (200 Words) __________ 6 4. Examine the contribution of women poets to Bhakti movement. (200 Words)__________________ 7 Topic: The Freedom Struggle – its various stages and important contributors /contributions from different parts of the country. _______________________________________________________ 9 5. How different would have been the nature and direction of Indian independence movement without Lord Curzon? Discuss. (200 Words) ________________________________________________________ 9 6. Discuss critically the role played by moderates in India’s national movement, especially by Dadabhai Naoroji and Phirojshah Mehta. (200 Words) _______________________________________________ 10 7. In what ways ideology and methods of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad differed from Mahatma Gandhi’s vis a vis in playing their role in India’s national movement. (200 Words) _________________________ 11 8. Discuss the significance of contributions made by women freedom fighters during the second half of the 20th century. (200 Words) __________________________________________________________ 12 9. What role did foreign women play in struggle for India’s independence? Also examine what prompted them to contribute to India’s freedom struggle. (200 Words) _________________________ 13 10. How did British policies impact Indian agriculture and farmers during the period 1700 – 1857? Critically examine. (200 Words) _________________________________________________________ 15 11. Critically analyse how did the 1857 Revolt affect various aspects of India’s struggle for Independence. (200 Words) ____________________________________________________________ 16 Topic: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues _______________________________________________ 17 12. Robert Clive, Warren Hastings and Dalhousie contributed immensely in helping the British expand and hold on to power in India. Compare and contrast their role in making India a victim of colonial atrocities. (200 Words) ________________________________________________________________ 17 13. Why was Mahatma Gandhiji killed? In your opinion, how should Indians remember and celebrate January 30? Comment. (200 Words) ______________________________________________________ 18 14. Critically discuss contributions made by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar to anticolonial struggle and nationalism. (200 Words) ______________________________________________________________ 19 © INSIGHTS ACTIVE LEARNING 1 GS I SECURE SYNOPSIS | FEBRUARY 2017 Topic: Modern World History; Redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, ______________ 20 15. What do you understand by ‘two state solution’ in the Israel – Palestine conflict situation? What are the other alternative solutions available and which one should international players endorse and push for? Critically examine. (200 Words) ______________________________________________________ 20 Topic: Political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.- their forms and effect on the society. _____________________________________________________________________ 21 16. What do you understand by liberal capitalism? Do we need liberal capitalism today? Justify. (200 Words) 21 Topic: Salient features of Indian society ______________________________________________ 24 17. “The problem of pit emptying must become central to India’s efforts to eliminate open defecation.” Critically discuss importance of pit emptying and measures needed to enforce it to eliminate open defecation. (200 Words) __________________________________________________________ 24 Topic: Role of women; Social empowerment __________________________________________ 25 18. Recently protests erupted in Nagaland after its government refused to revoke the decision to reserve 33 per cent seats for women in upcoming civic body polls. Examine why there is opposition to women’s reservation and also critically comment on this issue. (200 Words) ______________________ 25 19. Discuss critically various problems faced by women with mental illness and measures needed to address these problems. (200 Words) ____________________________________________________ 25 20. Illustrate with facts the disproportionate burden that falls on women and girls due to deficiencies in sanitation facilities in India. (200 Words) ________________________________________________ 27 21. Critically comment on the role of women in electoral politics in India. (200 Words) __________ 28 22. Should triple talaq be outlawed? What arguments can be made in favour of outlawing triple talaq? Critically comment. (200 Words) _________________________________________________________ 29 23. The 2011 Census revealed the welcome fact that both the child sex ratio and the overall sex ratio in Punjab had improved considerably over the previous census data. However, subsequent rounds of National Family Health Survey data show that gender bias against the girl child in terms of health coverage and nutrition is not only higher than in the developed states but also the poorer ones. In this light, what should state and union government do to address this issue? Critically examine. (200 Words) ________ 31 24. What are the benefits of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act to women? Also examine issues involved in using the MTP Act. (200 Words) ___________________________________ 32 Topic: Poverty and developmental issues; population and associated issues _________________ 33 25. More than 240 million children are living in conflict zones and even more children are suffering from various abuses. What should be done to protect the rights, lives and futures of the world’s most vulnerable children? Critically examine. (200 Words) ________________________________________ 33 26. Last month, Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi once again reiterated the need to set up a national sex offender registry. Do sex offender registration laws and public access to these records reduce sex crimes? Critically examine. (200 Words) ______________________________ 34 27. What challenges does rapid ageing of population pose to policymakers in India? Social attitudes toward ageing in India and around the world is unfavourable towards aged people. How can this attitude be changed? Examine. (200 Words) ______________________________________________________ 36 © INSIGHTS ACTIVE LEARNING 2 GS I SECURE SYNOPSIS | FEBRUARY 2017 Topic: Effects of globalization on Indian society ________________________________________ 37 28. It is said that the opposition to women’s participation in decision-making bodies and processes is centuries-old in Naga society. Critically examine how economics and globalization have exacerbated this attitude against women. (200 Words) ____________________________________________________ 37 Topic: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, ___ 38 29. Identify earthquake prone regions of India. Explain why they are prone to frequent earthquakes. (200 Words) _________________________________________________________________________ 38 30. What do you understand by plate tectonics? Examine latest findings made in understanding plate tectonics. (200 Words) ________________________________________________________________ 40 Topic: Changes in critical geographical features (including waterbodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes ____________________________________________ 41 31. Recently researchers from the University of Cambridge in the UK and Banaras Hindu University in Uttar Pradesh have examined how Indus populations in north-west India interacted with their environment. Discuss their findings. (200 Words) ___________________________________________ 41 32. How eras, epochs and eons are decided in geological timescale? Recently it was decided to name present epoch as anthropocene. Critically discuss salient features of anthropocene. (200 Words) _____ 42 Topic: Urbanization – problems and remedies _________________________________________ 44 33. With Indian cities and towns already struggling, the management of rapid urban expansion will remain one of the most important challenges over the next decade. What’s the solution to meet these challenges? Discuss. (200 Words) ________________________________________________________ 44 34. What is a proprietary city? Examine role of these cities in urbanization and national development. (200 Words) _________________________________________________________________________