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Topper's GS answer benchmarking - Getting into the head of UPSC examiners

edited October 2015 in Preparation FAQs
If you have got a good score in GS - any GS paper (1-4) - kindly post a few answers along with your marks in the paper concerned.

Type / scan upload / take a picture on your mobile and post your answers. Any answer that you feel comfortable sharing is good enough - no restrictions on topic or number.

Kindly contribute freely if possible.
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Comments

  • You need not have a gotten rank. You need not have cleared mains. But if you've scored high in any paper, kindle share your answers and benefit from the collaboration. Let's decipher exactly what UPSC wants in an answer. This is the only way that it's possible.
  • Feel free to share essays in the new format as well. Topic of your choice.
  • If you've seen answers by toppers, maybe on some coaching website, post your analysis. My rough analysis is as follows -

    Traits of top answers :

    - Short sentences
    - Lucid and simple language
    - Packed with data
    - To the point / succinct / no beating around the bush
    - Good grip on grammar, diction and spelling
    - Sticking to the word limit
    - Neat and legible handwriting
    - In-depth grasp of the topic being attempted
    - Examples
    - Simple pen/pencil diagrams and flowcharts wherever they can be inserted to boost aesthetics
  • @Krispy posted this a few weeks back.

    International civil aviation laws provide all countries complete and exclusive severity over the airspace above the territory. What do you understand by airspace? What are the implications of these laws on the space above this airspace? Discuss the challenges which this poses and suggests ways to contain the threat.

    For example, air-space.
    Vertical limit: No agreement.
    Horizontal limit: Same as waters - 12 nauticals
    Even if you didn't know the above, you can simply state that 'air-space' is the atmosphere over one's sovereign space.
    Also mention that apart from sovereign airspace, you can have ADIZ: Not a law per-se. But a declaration that if you don't ask before coming in, I may shoot. [From Nov-Dec 2013]

    Implications:
    A country has power and responsibility over its airspace. The implication of power is that - civilian aircraft in that space will have to co-ordinate with the authorities of that sovereign as may be required. The implication of responsibility is that, a country that has an extremism/law and order situation might not be able to control it.

    Challenges/threats thereof -
    What if you want to fly from zone 1 to zone 2 and the sovereign air-space is not controlled by the country? Risk to civilian aircrafts that fly through.
    Countries could get 'isolated' if the air-space around them is compromised.
    Circumventing areas of conflict might be expensive fuel-wise

    How to counter these threats:
    Don't navigate over areas of conflict.
    Civil Aviation Ministry can assess and issue advisories to aircraft operators.
    Prevent proliferation of missiles that could not only be used to shoot down aircrafts, but also have a superior range compared to rockets
  • edited July 2015
    @abhinitb Thanks for posting, but I am no topper and my answer doesn't really merit a mention here. As far as UPSC's judgment is concerned - I am a somewhat unethical person with a totally defective personality who drafts mildly mediocre essays. :D
  • edited July 2015
    @Krispy - Dost don't worry, you did very good in GS 1/2/3 and your answers can help a lot of people here.

    If you get time, please post a few other answers too (whichever you like).
  • Mitr .. will do after prelims. Right now too worried about prelims.
  • edited July 2015
    I have 418 in GS. The key to answers in GS is linkage. How well can you compare and contrast one idea to another.

    Let's take an example-- GS P1, Q1 (CSE 2014) about IVC inputs of planning and culture in modern urbanization.

    Why do you think this question was asked in the first place? Yep, that's right! Smart Cities.

    So link IVC and the modern civilization to the present day pet project of the government. Talk about Chandigarh grid planning. Issues of drainage and water logging and how that was addressed in IVC cities.

    With regards cultural inputs, a distinct architectural features of houses in the IVC was that the kitchen and the lavatory were at diagonally opposite corners of the unit. Why do you think that is? Yes, hygiene. From there came the concept of keeping the two separate-- kitchen being a 'clean' place and the lavatory, 'dirty'. Ergo, those working in the kitchen would not be asked to work in the lavatories and those associated with the lavatories weren't allowed entry into the kitchen. Varna comes from the root 'varya' or 'to choose' (your profession). Those working in the kitchen were considered inferior to those involved elsewhere. Thus came the concept of high and low in society. So although there wasn't any caste system in the IVC, no Jati et al, but the seeds of modern day evils of caste system-- it's stringent vertical hierarchical structure-- were laid way back in that period.

    Hope this helps. :)
  • If you've seen answers by toppers, maybe on some coaching website, post your analysis. My rough analysis is as follows -

    Traits of top answers :

    - Short sentences
    - Lucid and simple language
    - Packed with data
    - To the point / succinct / no beating around the bush
    - Good grip on grammar, diction and spelling
    - Sticking to the word limit
    - Neat and legible handwriting
    - In-depth grasp of the topic being attempted
    - Examples
    - Simple pen/pencil diagrams and flowcharts wherever they can be inserted to boost aesthetics
    Some examples plz !
  • I have 418 in GS. The key to answers in GS is linkage. How well can you compare and contrast one idea to another.

    Let's take an example-- GS P1, Q1 (CSE 2014) about IVC inputs of planning and culture in modern urbanization.

    Why do you think this question was asked in the first place? Yep, that's right! Smart Cities.

    So link IVC and the modern civilization to the present day pet project of the government. Talk about Chandigarh grid planning. Issues of drainage and water logging and how that was addressed in IVC cities.

    With regards cultural inputs, a distinct architectural features of houses in the IVC was that the kitchen and the lavatory were at diagonally opposite corners of the unit. Why do you think that is? Yes, hygiene. From there came the concept of keeping the two separate-- kitchen being a 'clean' place and the lavatory, 'dirty'. Ergo, those working in the kitchen would not be asked to work in the lavatories and those associated with the lavatories weren't allowed entry into the kitchen. Varna comes from the root 'varya' or 'to choose' (your profession). Those working in the kitchen were considered inferior to those involved elsewhere. Thus came the concept of high and low in society. So although there wasn't any caste system in the IVC, no Jati et al, but the seeds of modern day evils of caste system-- it's stringent vertical hierarchical structure-- were laid way back in that period.

    Hope this helps. :)
    Excellent ! Can you give some more examples please ... Especially in GS 3 if possible !
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