UPSC Mains 2015 GS-3 Question Paper

All 20 questions from this paper, with real topper answers where available.

• Q2. How can the ‘Digital India’ programme help farmers to improve farm productivity and income? What steps has the Government taken in this regard?12.5 marks · Digital India Programme
• Q2. What do you understand by ‘Standard Positioning Systems’ and ‘Protection Positioning Systems’ in the GPS era? Discuss the advantages India perceives from its ambitious IRNSS programme employing just seven satellites.12.5 marks · IRNSS
• Q2. The persisting drives of the government for development of large industries in backward areas have resulted in isolating the tribal population and the farmers who face multiple displacements with Malkangiri and Naxalbari foci. Discuss the corrective strategies needed to win the left wing extremism (LWE) affected citizens back into the mainstream of social and economic growth.12.5 marks · LWE
• Q3. Livestock rearing has a big potential for providing non-farm employment and income in rural areas. Discuss suggesting suitable measures to promote this sector in India.12.5 marks
• Q3. In view of the declining average size of land holdings in India which has made agriculture non-viable for a majority of farmers, should contract farming and land leasing be promoted in agriculture? Critically evaluate the pros and cons.12.5 marks · Contract Farming and land leasing
• Q3. In what way could replacement of price subsidy with Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) change the scenario of subsidies in India? Discuss.12.5 marks · Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Subsidies
• Q3. The frequency of earthquakes appears to have increased in the Indian subcontinent. However, India's preparedness for mitigating their impact has significant gaps. Discuss various aspects.12.5 marks · Earthquake
• Q4. What are the impediments in marketing and supply chain management in industry in India? Can e-commerce help in overcoming these bottlenecks?12.5 marks · Agri Supply Chain
• Q4. Discuss the advantages and security implications of cloud hosting of servers vis-a-vis in-house machine-based hosting for government businesses.12.5 marks · Cloud Hosting Security
• Q5. The nature of economic growth in India is described as jobless growth. Do you agree with this view? Give arguments in favour of your answer.12.5 marks
• Q5. To what factors can the recent dramatic fall in equipment costs and tariff of solar energy be attributed? What implications does the trend have for the thermal power producers and the related industry?12.5 marks · Solar Energy
• Q5. Considering the threats cyberspace poses for the country, India needs a “Digital Armed Force” to prevent crimes. Critically evaluate the National Cyber Security Policy, 2013 outlining the challenges perceived in its effective implementation.12.5 marks · National Cyber Security Policy, 2013
• Q6. The craze for gold in Indians has led to a surge in import of gold in recent years and put pressure on balance of payments and external value of rupee. In view of this, examine the merits of Gold Monetization Scheme.12.5 marks · Gold Monetization Scheme.
• Q6. “Success of ‘Make in India’ programme depends on the success of ‘Skill India’ programme and radical labour reforms.” Discuss with logical arguments. There is a clear acknowledgement that Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are a tool of industrial development, manufacturing and exports. Recognizing this potential, the whole instrumentality of SEZs requires augmentation. Discuss the issues plaguing the success of SEZs with respect to taxation, governing laws and administration.12.5 marks · Make in India and Skill India
• Q6. The Namami Gange and National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) programmes and causes of mixed results from the previous schemes. What quantum leaps can help preserve the river Ganga better than incremental inputs?12.5 marks · Namami Gange and National mission for clean Ganga (NMCG)
• Q6. Religious indoctrination via digital media has resulted in Indian youth joining the ISIS. What is ISIS and its mission? How can ISIS be dangerous for the internal security of our country?12.5 marks · Digital (ISIS)
• Q7. Recognizing the potential of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) as a tool of industrial development, manufacturing and exports, the whole instrumentality of SEZs requires augmentation. Discuss the issues plaguing the success of SEZs with respect to taxation, governing laws and administration.12.5 marks · SEZ
• Q7. Human rights activists constantly highlight the view that the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) is a draconian act leading to cases of human rights abuses by the security forces. What sections of AFSPA are opposed by the activists? Critically evaluate the requirement with reference to the view held by the Apex Court.12.5 marks · AFSPA
• Q8. India’s Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) which has a database containing formatted information on more than 2 million medicinal formulations is proving a powerful weapon in the country’s fight against erroneous patents. Discuss the pros and cons of making this database publicly available under open-source licensing.12.5 marks · Traditional Knowledge (TKDL)
• Q9. What are the areas of prohibitive labour that can be sustainably managed by robots? Discuss the initiatives that can propel research in premier research institutes for substantive and gainful innovation.12.5 marks · Robotics