Directive word/s: Justify: Take a stand either in agreement or in disagreement with the statement. Given various explanation along with facts to substantiate your view.

Demands of the question:

• First part: Need to talk about artistic excellence achieved under Gupta rulers
• Second part: Provide reasons why it has declined in later times.

Structure of your answer:

• Introduction: Talk about why Gupta period is known as Golden age and how economy resulted into the inflow of gold into India and their artistic excellence achieved in coins.
• Unique feature of Gupta numismatics such as unique Indian style of inscriptions, representation of kings, queen and Indian deities, Archer style coins, inscribing legends etc.
• Reasons for the decline of this art in later period include internal strife’s, regional kingdoms, and emergence of Europeans etc.

Answer: The Gupta period is considered as ‘Golden Age’ in Ancient Indian history because the level was excellence it achieved in art, literature, science and technology and architecture. The flourishing state of economy was ascertained by issuance of large number of gold coins during this period. The Gupta gold coins are known as Dinars and they are the most extraordinary examples of numismatic and artistic excellence.

Unique features of Gupta’s Numismatic Art:

• First Coins of pure Indian style: Post Indo-Greeks and Kushans, Gupta’s portrayed kings, queens and even goddesses on their coins with pure Indian dressing style, attire and grace.
• First to introduce Archer type coins: Samudragupta was the first ruler to introduce Archer type of coins in to India’s numismatics here they portray Sumbragupta holding a bow.
• First to inscribe their legends on coins: Gupta empire reached its zenith under Chandragupta –II by acquiring new territories. To mark his successes he inscribed his legend on his coins as “Deva Sri Maharajadhiraja Sri Chandragupta” and this tradition was followed by subsequent Indian rulers.
• First to depict Rhino on coins: Kumaragupta was the first ruler to introduce features of Rhino in Indian numismatics.
• Inscribed religious themes on large scale: Image of a female goddess in almost every coin, an image of the king holding an animal at the altar for sacrifice, ruler performing Ashwamedha Yajna.

Despite their vast circulation of number of gold and silver and other coins, the artistic excellence has declined considerably during the later Gupta period due to constant wars declined the treasury and effected the general trade and commerce.

Decline in Numismatic art in post Gupta period in Indian History because of

• Internal Strife: Medieval period is characterised by frequent inter-dynasty and intra-dynasty wars led to decline of arts and architecture and decline all aspects of life. Which is true in case of Numismatics and most of the kings didn’t have sufficient time to focus on Numismatics.
• Prohibition of Idolatry: As medieval period is dominated by Muslim rulers, who prohibited the inscribing ideal on coins led to wide scale adoption among the common people.
• Prevalence of monotonous coins: During the later Mughals and British time coins were mostly monotonous contains texts on rare side and king or other images on obverse side. After independence kings were replaced by Ashoka’s lion capital.

Hence, it is clear that the numismatic art flourished during the Gupta period and variety of motifs and representation were not carried forward in later Indian history because of decline nature of state and political consideration. The Gupta period is treated as the “Golden Age” of classical India because of the progress achieved in various domains including numismatics.

Directive word/s: Clarify: Make some thing clear to understand to the reader

Demands of the question:

• The question is asking about the reasons for the fragmented policy in India such as Decline of Mughal Empire, Rise of Regional Rulers, Rise of European powers and lack of unity among Indian rulers

Structure of your answer:

• Introduction: Provide two or three statements about the major events in political, economic history of India in before 18^th century and later events and how it laid foundation for modern India.
• Major reasons for the fragmentation of polity include decline of Mughal power, succession wars, raise of regional kingdoms, Nadir shah invasion, Emergence of Europeans etc.
• Conclude by saying other reasons such as economic reasons, social reasons and other in aiding the fragmentation process and their result into colonisation of India by Europeans.

Answer: The Indian history in mid-eighteenth century has seen major changes in terms of polity, economy, social and cultural aspects. This period also laid the foundations for the modern political system in India which is now ruled by monarchs such as Delhi sultanates and Mughals and enjoyed little freedom over their religion, trade and other social dimensions. The mid eighteenth century also witnessed events that resulted in laying foundation for modern democratic polity of India.

Major events that led to the fragmented polity in India in mid 18^th century includes:

• Decline of Mughal power and Weak successors: Aurangzeb’s religious and political ambitions has led to economic decline of empire and his successor are not established stable government for internal succession wars led to the fragmentation of Mughal empire.
• Emergence of Regional Kingdoms: Regional kingdoms such as Marathas, Mysore, Nizams of Hyderabad and Sikhs in Punjab had involved in mutually fought for control over land and resources led to the drain of resources and not evolving the spirit of one nation among them, which provided a play ground for European involvement.
• Nadir Shah Invasion: Persian emperor Nader Shah invaded India and plundered Delhi, leading to a significant loss of wealth and power for the Mughal Empire. This invasion exposed the vulnerabilities of the Mughal rule.
• Rise of European powers: Post the Battle of Wandiwash  resulted into the decline of French power and Battle of Plassey and Battle of Buxar made British the paramount power in India. This resulted into the decline of regional powers and laid the foundation for British divide and rule policy.
• Ineffective alliances and shifting loyalties: The alliances formed by regional powers and European companies were often short-lived and based on temporary convenience. As a result, loyalties shifted frequently, and alliances were constantly being formed and broken. This fluidity in the political landscape further exacerbated the fragmentation and instability of the Indian polity.

Apart from the above political factors, economic decline of India and colonisation of Indian economy by British, lack of one nation feeling among rulers and subjects made it as a easy pray for European to lay their food hold and rule the country for the next two centuries by capitalising on the Indian resources and at the cost of miseries of Indian people.

Directive word/s: No directive words: It is straight forward question

Demand of the questions: The question is asking about the reasons why moderates were not able to achieve their proclaimed political goals.

Structure of your answer:

• Introduction: Give two or three statements about the major political events happened since 1857, such as formation of regional political parties and then Indian National Congress.
• Give four or five reasons for failure of Moderates to yield results such as Narrow support base, limited objective, trust on British, limiting to constitutional methods, rise of extremists etc.
• Conclude by providing some their achievements such as sowing seeds of nationalism, spread of education, modern ideas and removing social evils from society etc.

Answer: The struggle for India’s independence started with the first war of independence that is 1857 revolt. Since then various political organisation were set up around India either to fulfil their such as ‘Landholders Society’ and ‘Bengal British Indian Society’ stated objective or to evolve a national conscience among Indians. In 1885, all the then political leaders came together to form Indian National Congress to put a unified objective before the British. However they failed to achieve their stated objective because of the following reasons

• Narrow base: The moderate leaders didn’t have much faith on the capabilities of the masses and they even believe that the masses can’t sustain a long drawn political struggle against the British. Hence they didn’t include the masses into their movement.
• Limited objective: The major objective of early moderate leaders was a self government as a domain within the British Empire less appealing to many Indians as they wanted complete independence from the foreign rule.
• Limited to Constitutional Methods of Protest: Moderates depend on PPP (Prayer, Petitions and Protest) methods which are allowed under British constitutional setup. They have a immense faith on the British rule and judicial system hence they couldn’t move beyond PPP method.
• Focus on Western Ideals: As majority of these moderated are upper and upper middle class western educated Indian who spread the ideas of Democracy, Freedom of Speech and Expression and Freedoms to form association. However they didn’t understand the problems faced by the rural uneducated Indians such as poverty, excess taxes etc.
• Neglect of Rural concerns: In the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries India has witnessed devastating famines which resulted huge loss of life led to problems of poverty and hunger. However, these moderate leaders didn’t paid much heed required to alleviate their problems.
• Rise of Extremists within the Congress: Leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, and Lala Lajpat Rai advocated for more assertive and aggressive means to achieve independence, which resonated with many Indians disillusioned with the moderate approach.
• British Repression: From the beginning British took active steps to suppress any nationalist movement in the country either through ‘Divide and Rule’ policy and other repressive measures such as Criminal Law Amendment Act: 1908, Indian Press Act: 1910 and Bengal Partition in 1905.

Notwithstanding their limitations as stated above they made significant contribution towards independence by sowing the seeds of nationalism among the Indians, spreading the modern ideals, promoting education among Indians, abolition of social evils such as child marriage and widow remarriage and political guidance to the future leaders of India such as Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru and Bose and many more unsung hero’s of India.

Directive word: No directive word. It is a straightforward question

Demand of the question: Need to provide problems emerged during the decolonisation process of Malay Peninsula

Structure of your answer:

• Introduction: Talk about the Atlantic charter which provided a hope to colonial people for freedom and decline of British power status and emergence of radical movements in colonies for freedom.
• Problems surfaced during the decolonisation process include Ethnic tensions, Political discrimination, Economic disparities, territorial disputes, religious tensions, cold war rivalry etc.
• Provide way forward i.e cooperation between the government and civil society to resolve all problems persistent even today.

Answer: During the course of Second World War, USA and Britain has signed a “Atlantic Charter” which had a provision of giving freedom or recognition of right of colonies to self rule was part of it. Post the war, the decline of British power has started the transferring power to colonies, known to be known as ‘Decolonisation’ process. However the decolonisation process in Malaya peninsula was not so easy owing to many socio, political, ethnic, economic, strategic and geo-political issue has its role to be overcome. They are

• Ethnic Tensions: In Malaya the population primarily consist of Chinese, Malays and Indian. Chinese dominate the trade and commerce whereas native Malayas involved in Agriculture activites. By the time of independence, Chinese dominated the Economy which lead to ethnic tensions between the these groups.
• Political discrimination: The British established a political system that often marginalized the Malays while empowering the Chinese and Indian communities. As decolonization progressed, the Malays sought greater political representation, leading to tensions with other ethnic groups.
• Territorial disputes: The decolonization process led to several territorial disputes between Malaysia and its neighbours, including disputes over the island of Borneo with Indonesia and the Philippines, and over the Spratly Islands with China and other countries.
• Religious tensions: As Malaya become a Islam dominated country and Buddhism and Hinduism were next two major religions. As these minority groups had a significant political influence as a result of British divide and rule policy, led to emergence of religious tensions among them.
• Historical Revisionism: The decolonization process led to several territorial disputes between Malaysia and its neighbours, including disputes over the island of Borneo with Indonesia and the Philippines, and over the Spratly Islands with China and other countries.
• Cold war rivalry: The decolonisation process in Malaya and other parts of the world was deeply affected by Cold war between USA and USSR as one play a card against the other. The best example was Vietnam and Korea.

The decolonization process in the Malay Peninsula has left a legacy of key issues that continue to shape the region’s development. Addressing these concerns requires concerted efforts from both the government and civil society to foster greater inclusivity, social cohesion, and equitable development for all citizens. By tackling these challenges, the region can move toward a more stable and prosperous future.

Directive word: No directive word. It is a straight question

Demand of the question: Need to provide major objectives of Juno mission and how it helps in understanding the origin and evolution of earth.

Structure of your answer:

• Introduction: Give a brief description about the Juno mission, when it is launched and what are its objectives.
• Give details about its Atmospheric composition, presence of water, magnetic fields and its composition helps in better understanding the origin and evolution of solar system and particularly our Earth.

Answer: On August 5, 2011, NASA’s Juno spacecraft began a 5-year journey to Jupiter. After covering 1,740 million miles, Juno reached Jupiter on July 4, 2016. During 35 orbits, Juno gathered over three terabits of science data on Jupiter. It unveiled an extensive atmospheric weather layer and a deep interior with a dilute heavy element core. Flybys of Ganymede marked Juno’s transition to a full Jovian system explorer. 

Apart from its key objective to discover Jupiter and its atmosphere, it also include larger objective to known the evolution of our solar system and particularly our Earth.

• To know the existence/emergence of life on Earth: Jupiter is the largest planet in the Solar System and, as such, played a major role in our system’s formation. Studying Jupiter and its history can help astrobiologists understand the conditions that led Earth to become habitable for life as we know it.
• To understand the theory behind formation of Earth: Data from Juno improves our understanding of the solar system’s beginnings by revealing the origin and evolution of Jupiter. By knowing the evolution theory behind the Jupiter will help scientists to better predict the formation of Earth.
• To understand the link between the atmosphere and magnetic field: Juno will explore and study Jupiter’s magnetosphere near the planet’s poles, especially the auroras Jupiter’s northern and southern lights providing new insights about how the planet’s enormous magnetic force field affects its atmosphere. This is applicable to Earth’s atmosphere as well.
• Formation of solar system: Studying Jupiter’s composition, structure, and magnetic field, we can learn more about the conditions that existed during the solar system’s formation. This can help to better understand how Earth and the other planets in our solar system formed.
• Atmosphere: Jupiter’s distance from the Sun prevented solar winds from blowing away its hydrogen and helium. Consequently, Jupiter’s atmosphere evolved through a mechanism distinct from Earth’s atmosphere.

The Juno Mission has provided significant insights into Jupiter’s composition, structure, and magnetic field, which has helped scientists understand the formation and evolution of not only Jupiter but also our entire solar system. The knowledge gained from this mission has contributed to our understanding of the early stages of planetary formation, and thus, the origin and evolution of Earth.

Directive word/s: Discuss: Provide details of a topic (or) going into the argument in favour or against of a given topic by carefully selecting the evidences or supporting statements. And in final give your opinion in the form of a way forward.

Demands of the question:

• First part: Need to talk about environmental impacts of coal mining
• Second part: Need to provide details for continuing coal mining in India or in other parts of the world

Structure of your answer:

• Introduction: Give some statistics about the importance of coal to Indian economy, per capital consumption and growing population and development objectives of India.
• Provide three or four environmental impacts of coal such as Acid Mine Drainage, water pollution, green house gas emissions, and health impacts.
• Necessacity of coal for India, to meet its energy demands, Reliability, Employment generation, revenue generation for government.

Answer: Coal is most important and abundant fossil fuel in India. It accounts for about 55% of countries energy needs. Consumption of energy in India is grown by about 700% in the last four decades. Per capita energy consumption in India is 350 Kg/year which is way below the most developed countries. Considering the growing population, energy needs and economic outlook India aiming at, coal is going to be major source of energy in the near future too.

Environmental impacts of coal mining:

• Acid Mine Drainage: It refers to outflow of acid water from coal mines where abandoned mines have exposed the rocks containing sulphur bearing mineral pyrite. This pyrite reacts with air and water to form sulphuric acid as water washes through mines thereby reaching the nearby water bodies such as lakes, river and oceans.
• Fuelling Climate Change: Major heat trapping gases such as carbon monoxide, Methane and Sulphur dioxide are realised from coal mines, which are fuelling the climate change impact
• Health impacts: Coal dust stirred up during the mining process, as well as released during coal transport, which can cause severe and potentially deadly respiratory problems.
• Water pollution: Coal sludge, also known as slurry, is the liquid coal waste generated by washing coal. It is typically disposed of at impoundments located near coal mines, but in some cases it is directly injected into abandoned underground mines. Since coal sludge contains toxins, leaks or spills can endanger underground and surface waters.
• Greenhouse gas emissions: According to a 2010 study, mountaintop removal mining releases large amounts of carbon through clear cutting and burning of trees and through releases of carbon in soil brought to the surface by mining operations. These greenhouse gas emissions amount to at least 7% of conventional power plant emissions.

Coal mining is inevitable for economic development of India because:

• Intermittent nature of renewable energy sources: India has made remarkable progress in renewable energy, but the intermittent nature of these sources and the lack of scalable battery storage mean that coal still underpins its power supply and industries like steel and cement.
• Reliable Energy source: Over the decades coal become a dominate player in our energy mix with 56% of electricity needs of our country. And since India being a developing country with significant energy and less historical emissions, it has the right to combustion of coal for the next few decades.
• Employment: Coal section is labour intensive sector which can provide employment to large number of semi skilled and unskilled workers. Therefore, for India coal mining is a reliable option to achieve multiple objects such as employment creation and meeting energy security.
• Revenue generation: Coal mining generates significant revenue for governments through taxes, royalties, and other fees. This revenue can be used to fund social welfare programs, education, and healthcare.

Coal mining is still inevitable for development, but its negative impacts cannot be ignored. To ensure sustainable development, it is necessary to adopt cleaner coal technologies and invest in renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. Governments and businesses should also focus on reducing the environmental and health impacts of coal mining and address the social and economic concerns of affected communities. Only by balancing the benefits and costs of coal mining can we achieve sustainable development in the long run.

Directive word/s: No directive word. It is a straight forward question

Demand of the question: Need to talk about why 2016 was declared as International year of Pulses by highlighting the advantages of cultivating/consuming pulses

Structure of your answer:

• Introduction: Give two or three statements about the International Year of Pulses and the objective behind such declaration such as food security, sustainability, environment conservation etc.
• Advantages of cultivating pulses include food and nutrition security, Water conservation, environment friendly, Improve farm income, women empowerment etc.

Answer: The 68th UN General Assembly declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses (IYP). The IYP 2016 aims to heighten public awareness of the nutritional benefits of pulses as part of sustainable food production aimed towards food security and nutrition. It also aimed at production of pulses and their benefits to soil fertility, climate change and for combating the malnutrition.

Advantages of cultivation of pulses include:

• Food and nutrition security: Pulses are a vital source of plant-based proteins and amino acids for people around the globe and should be eaten as part of a healthy diet to address obesity, as well as to prevent and help manage chronic diseases such as diabetes, coronary conditions and cancer.
• Soil health: Pulses are leguminous plants that have nitrogen fixing properties which can be contribute to increase soil fertility and thus have a positive impact on environment.
• Drought resistance: Pulses are mostly cultivate under rain fed conditions and do not require extensive irrigation. Even at these conditions they give better production and returns to farmers. Hence they are considered for future crops for most of the countries in world considering the adverse impacts of climate change.
• Reduces carbon emissions and help in climate change action: Pulses have been shown to increase yields while reducing carbon emissions. Studies have shown that planting a sequence of pulse-pulse-durum wheat every three years yielded 13% more wheat and reduced the carbon footprint of the wheat by 34%. This is because farmers used less fertilizer and fuel, resulting in fewer emissions.
• Improves farmer’s income: As these crops can be cultivate for short duration in between the different growing seasons. Thus they can be giving extra income opportunity to rural farmers.
• Women empowerment: In many parts of India women are responsible for cultivation and processing of pulses as they can be grown in short spans in between growing seasons. Thus they help women to generate income thereby empower them economically and socially.

The cultivation of pulses has several advantages, including their high nutritional value, ability to improve soil health, and contribution to sustainable agriculture. By promoting the cultivation and consumption of pulses, we can help address issues such as malnutrition, food insecurity, and environmental degradation. It is crucial that we continue to support the cultivation of pulses to achieve a healthier and more sustainable future.

Directive word/s: No directive words. It is a straight forward question

Demands of the question: Need to explain what cryosphere is and how it affects global climate.

Structure of your answer:

• Introduction: Give definition of cryosphere and its components and its significance.
• Affects of cryosphere on global climate such as albedo affect, Permafrost thawing, Sea level rice, Snow-ice-albedo feedback, ocean circulations etc.
• Conclude by saying how its understanding is important to mitigate the impacts of climate change and developing strategies for better future.

Answer: There are places on Earth that are so cold that water is frozen solid. These areas of snow or ice, which are subject to temperatures below 0°C for at least part of the year, compose the cryosphere. The term “cryosphere” comes from the Greek word, “krios,” which means cold. It includes ice sheets, ice shelves, glaciers, snow cover, permafrost (frozen ground), sea ice, and river and lake ice.

Cryosphere affects the global climate in the following ways:

• By changing the albedo affect: Ice and white surfaces reflects the incoming solar rays more effectively than any other surfaces thus influences how much solar energy is absorbed by land and oceans. If any change in cryosphere then this reflection capacity will reduce and temperature of our earth will increase leading to global warming.
• Impact on global sea levels and associated weather phenomenon: Ice on land, in the form of ice sheets and glaciers, plays a further important role in the Earth system through its ability to store vast amounts of water away from the oceans for long periods of time. Any change in the ice volume stored on land has a direct impact on global sea levels which further fuels the climate change impacts directly and indirectly.
• Snow-ice-albedo feedback: increased melting of snow and ice caused by a warming planet enables more solar energy to be absorbed by land or water, which in turn leads to more warming. This is also known as the snow- or ice-albedo feedback. This has a direct impact on all most all weather patterns.
• Permafrost thawing: Permafrost which stores the large volumes of green house gases such as Methane and Carbon dioxide under this shelf thereby minimising the impact of climate change and global warming. Any change in its composition can have detrimental impact on global weather/climate phenomenon.
• Ocean circulations: The melting of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean can alter ocean circulation patterns, which can impact global climate. Changes in ocean circulation can affect the distribution of heat and nutrients, which can impact weather patterns around the world. Like changes in the North Atlantic circulation pattern can impact the Gulf Stream, which brings warm water and mild temperatures to Europe.

Changes to the cryosphere can have significant implications for the planet’s climate, ecosystems, and communities. Understanding the role of the cryosphere in global climate is essential for mitigating the impacts of climate change and developing strategies for adaptation and resilience.

Directive word/s: No directive words. It is a straight forward question

Demands of the question: Need to take a stand on either regions form the cultural units or states form the cultural units and explain them with suitable examples.

Structure of your answer:

• Introduction: Give two or three statements about why India is said to have multiple cultures by giving examples from Ancient to medieval to modern times.
• Given reasons why states are not form the cultural units such as political boundaries are not based on culture, georgraphy and economic development, assimilation of cultures, hotspots of cultures etc.

Answer: India is said to be “melting spot of cultures’ because of reasons spanning from Ancient history to the contemporary times. In ancient times, many central Asian tribes invaded India and later assimilated into the India culture like Shakas, Parthians and Kushanas. In Medieval time, we saw the Delhi sultans and Mughals who also be part of India and brought significant changes into Indian cultures.

Here, in India, Regions form the cultural regions rather than the states because of the following reasons.

• Political boundaries are not based on cultural uniqueness: Through the States Reorganisation Act: 1956, many states were created majorly on language basis. However, with in the same state there are many differences in terms of language, traditions and religious beliefs. For example, within Karnataka, Tulu speaking people are accounted for around 4% of total state population, however they are not given any separate state.
• Culture influenced by geography and development: In India state were formed on many considerations one such consideration is under development. Economic prosperity depends on geography of a place which is true in case of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Since Andhra Pradesh’s rich coastal plains and Krishna Godavari delta led to economic prosperity while Telangana was not so developed because of lack of water resources and soil type is not suited for all types of crops.
• Culture flows as a continuum: Culture is a way of life of people and thus people living in proximity would have similarities in culture. This similarity would not go away simply because of any political boundary. Culture would be spread across boundaries. For example rural males in Southern Gujarat and Maharashtra prefer to wear white Gandhi cap, shirt and pajama, whereas in Northern Gujarat and Rajasthan, they prefer turbans, kurta and dhoti. Also, Eastern UP is more similar to Bihar culture than to Western UP.
• Accumulation of cultures: Over a period of time, many cultures can accumulate to form a new cultures which we had seen in evolution of various art forms in India such as Gandhara School of Art, Nagara style of Architecture etc which do not have any geographical boundaries.
• Cultural Hubs: North Eastern states were formed on ethno-linguistic lines but Culture differs within and across the state. The tribes living in proximity would have distinct cultural practices that separates its identity from the others. For example Even within the small state of Sikkim, we can see two broad cultural elements- Sikkim-Buddhist culture & Nepali-Brahmin/Hindus.

No state forms a single monolithic cultural unit in India. While some cultures are spread across State boundaries, there are multiple cultural variations within the States as well. This is why India is said to be melting spot of all cultures.

Directive word/s: No directive word. It is straight forward question

Demand of the question: Need to provide some constitutional and legal safeguards under taken by government of India to address the problem of discrimination against scheduled tribes.

Structure of your answer:

• Introduction: Provide two or three statements about the origin of Scheduled tribes and why they need special protection such as historical discrimination, isolation, backwardness, economic under development etc.
• Some constitutional provisions such as Article 14, 15, 338A and legal provisions such as Protection of Human Rights Act, and The Schedule Cast and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act etc.

Answer: British classified scheduled tribe as Depressed classes by considering number of characteristics such as geographical isolation, race, language, religion , occupation, food habits and other socio-economic indicators. The term schedule caste and scheduled tribes were first used in “The Government of India Act: 1935”. Post independence, many steps have been taken to protect them from types of exploitation and protect them from historical discrimination they had faced. They are

Constitutional provisions:

• Article 14: Promotes the equality among the all section of society and prohibits the discrimination by providing a level playing filed to historically discriminated sections of society such as Scheduled castes and Scheduled Tribes.
• Article 15: Prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex and place birth or any them. It also had some provisions for advancement of scheduled tribes.
• Article 338A: Which provides for constitution of national commission for scheduled tribes, which looks into the constitutional and legal safeguards provided to scheduled tribes?

Legal provisions:

• The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act: 1989: To prevent the commission of offences of atrocities against the members of Scheduled Castes and Tribes, to provide for Special Courts for the trial of such offences and for the relief and rehabilitation of the victims of such offences and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto are provided under this act.
• In order to prescribe punishment for the preaching and practice of “Untouchability” for the enforcement of any disability arising therefrom and for matters connected therewith are provided under the Protection of Civil Rights Act: 1955
• To recognize and vest the forest rights and occupation in forest land in forest dwelling scheduled tribes and other traditional forest dwellers who have been residing in such forests for generations but whose rights could not be recorded and to provide for a framework for recording the forest rights so vested, the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 has been enacted.

Apart from the above there are various other measures in various constitutional and legal provisions which effectively safeguarding the interests of Scheduled Tribes.

Directive word/s: Elaborate: Make something clear to the reader by providing relevant statistics to substantiate your point or evidences.

Demand of the question: Need to explain the tolerance in domains of religious, cultural have developed in Indian society from ancient society and at the same time love and compassion towards the fellow human beings, other living organisms was evolved.

Structure of your answer:

• Introduction: Give brief introduction about Indian diversity in terms of religion, culture, languages, cousin and dressing and their presence since ancient times.
• Give reasons for this tolerance and love such as religious philosophy of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism etc, assimilation of foreign powers, glorious trade and commerce, social reforms and globalisation etc.

Answer: India is considered as land of diversity in terms of religion, cultures, traditions, languages, cousin, dressing because of various invasions and assimilations that have been be part of Indian society since immemorial. This was made possible because of spirit of tolerance and love that Indian had imbibed as from ancient times. The major reasons for this culture of tolerance and love behind Indians are

• Tolerance and Love preached by religion: Since Ancient times, India been the land of various religious such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Islam and Christianity which preached the message of love and tolerance and non-violence to their followers. Thus these features became an integral feature of Indian society.
• Assimilation of various groups into Indian society: From Greeks to Kushanas and from Persians to Central Asian people and from British to French, India always been ruled by many outsiders who eventually be part of Indian society. Thus creating a feeling of adoptability among Indians to assimilate various traditions and people.
• Presence of glorious trade and commerce: Till the time of Aurangzeb, India been the dream destination for many travellers, traders and emperors because of its richness, luxury items, and later for spies and other raw materials which was evident in the statement of Pliny that “India been the world sink of Gold”. These resulted into frequent visits of foreigners, travellers provided Indian an opportunity to learn and adopt best features of other society. Thus it created a feeling of tolerance and love among Indians.
• Social reforms: Gandhiji and many other social reformers strived for Hindu-Muslim harmony, fought against social evils such as untouchability, etc and were successful because our society was tolerant.
• Globalisation: The diversity of Indian society is further strengthened post second world war and adoption of LPG reforms, which brought many changes in Indian society almost in all walks of life. However, it didn’t completely taken away the basic features of Indian society such as family, marriage, tolerance and love from Indian society.

Despite all the above positive things there are some new elements which are not acceptable to Indian society are also emerging in the recent times such as living relations, individualism, communal violence, religious persecution and social evils are still persistent in our society. Today, religion has a big role to play in Indian politics and thus religiosity is seen to be side-lined by communal ideas which give greater electoral benefits.

Directive word/s: Examine: Look in close detail to establish key facts and important issues surrounding a topic.  You should also provide evidence to show why the facts and issues that you highlighted more important.

Demand of the question: Need to explain the impact of colonial rule on Indian artisanal industry and handicraft industry and how it impacted the rural economy.

Structure of your answer:

• Introduction: Talk about the India’s share in global economy before the arrival of Britishers and subsequent decline of India’s share and export of artisan and handicraft.
• Talk about De-Industrialisation of India, dependency on Agriculture, loss of livelihood, population increase, lack of education and skill development and drain of wealth etc.

Answer: India had been an economic superpower for more than 1500 years, contributing between 25% to 30% of the world’s GDP, but productivity had stagnated due to poor education and a lack of technology. Beginning in 1600, India’s contribution to the world GDP began declining. But during the British rule the Indian rural economy, which had monopolized fine muslin cloth production for more than 1500 years, deteriorated and India was forced to import cheap Manchester mill-produced cloth. This trend is observed in almost all rural industry, this was done by the following ways

• De-Industrialisation of India: British ensure that all investments in road, rail, postal and other was allocated to British capitalists at the cost of Indian and made it difficult for India to set up industry. Moreover they developed infrastructure to send raw materials from India to fuel their industrial revolutions. This has deep impact on rural artisans such as weavers, potters and other craft men.
• Loss of livelihood: As many Indian products have been replaced with British manufactured goods which are cheaper than Indian products led to the decline of demand for Indian products which resulted into loss of livelihood for many Indian artisan and craftsmen.
• Increased dependency on Agriculture: As many artisan and craftsman lose their livelihood they increasingly depend on Agriculture to get a labour and to meet their basic necessacities which resulted in surplus labour force to be employed in Agriculture. This higher dependency made rural economy more vulnerable as Indian agriculture was depend on monsoons.
• Population Increase: During the colonial time, the Indian population has been growing constantly owing to improvements in modern medical system. This increase in population has put extra burden on already straining rural economy
• Lack education and skill development: As British education policy were not direct towards empowering Indian but to serve their commercial and administrative needs. This lack of education and skills made them depend on traditional livelihood options such as agriculture, handicraft, textile and more.
• Drain of wealth: As more money was spent on imported goods, less was available to invest in local industries and infrastructure, further impeding the growth of the rural economy.

The decline of traditional artisanal industry in colonial India had a devastating impact on the rural economy. The colonial policies and economic practices of the British further exacerbated these issues, leaving the rural economy crippled and vulnerable.

Directive word/s: No directive word. It is a straight forward question

Demand of the question: Need to explain the new objectives i.e political, economic, social, cultural, religious and other objectives that were added to the Indian’s independence movements since 1920s

Structure of your answer:

• Introduction: Give two or three statements about the reasons for the change in objectives and impact of liberal and radical leaders in bringing those changes like Gandhi, Nehru, Bose, Bhagat Singh and others.
• Changes they brought such as complete independence, self reliance and economic independence, social justice, Secularism, democratic form of government etc.

Answer: The India’s independence movement has taken a mass phase in mid 1920s owing to the arrival of Gandhi’s, Nehru and other liberal and radical leaders like Bhagat Singh, Bose and many more. The emergence of other religion based political organisations such as Muslim league and others has also made the freedom fighters to consider religion be part of our future transition which resulted into the adoption of secularism, Democracy, rule of law in our struggle against British and in our constitution.

Major objectives that were added to India’s independence movement post 1920s include:

• Complete Independence: During the moderate phase of Indian national movement, the objective was dominion status under the British rule, but with the emergence of radical leaders, the objective become complete independence free from all sorts of dependencies and discriminations.
• Self Reliance and Economic independence: Till then, India was followed the colonial economic model which suits the interests of capitalists at the cost of Indian industry as India being seen as a major suppliers of raw material. Now the focus has changes to make India self reliant in trade and to revive the rural economy by limiting the consumption.
• Secularism: This time period also seen emergence of political parties based on religion such as Muslim league, Hindu Mahasabha etc. The Freedom fighter identified the danger of India being Balakanised and took active steps to maintain secularism as part of our struggle and in post independence time.
• Democratic governance: The vision evolved to include the establishment of a democratic system of governance, allowing citizens to participate in the decision-making process and fostering accountability and transparency.
• Social Justice: Through laying down the grounds for planned economic model has an objective of creating a just and egalitarian society where everybody enjoying the benefits of economic development.
• Women empowerment: Since 1920s women were started participating in all walks of life from participation in politics, economic activities, education and abolition of social evils against women are progressed during this time.

The new objectives that emerged since the 1920s significantly enriched the vision of Indian Independence, providing a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to the struggle for freedom. These objectives helped create a foundation for the modern Indian state, which emphasizes democracy, secularism, and social justice. Furthermore, they continue to guide India’s progress and development in the post-independence era.

Directive word/s: Account for: Give detailed description about something. This not only asking about what but also why something is happened.

Demand of the question:

• First part: Need to talk about the reasons for the variations in oceanic salinity
• Second part: Need to talk about its impacts on economy, environment, biodiversity,  strategic dimensions.

Structure of your answer:

• Introduction: Give two or three statements about ocean salinity, major sources such as runoff, hydrothermal fluids and salt domes and average salinity of 35 parts for thousand.
• Reasons for salinity change such as Precipitation, melting of snow, ocean currents, winds, temperature and influx of fresh water etc.
• Impacts such as loss of fishing resources, biodiversity composition, water cycle and geo-political issues between nations.

Answer: Salinity of sea water is the amount of dissolved salts in the ocean water. The most prevalent icons in sea water are chloride and sodium, together they make up around 85% of dissolved ions in ocean water.The major source of salinity in sea water include salts dissolved in sea water through run off, hydrothermal fluids and salt domes in oceans. The concentration of salt in sea water is about 35 parts from thousand or 3.5% of total weight of sea water.

The salinity of sea water changes with temperature, evaporation and precipitation.

• Influx of fresh water: As rivers drain their water into oceans, the drainage of this fresh water significantly reduce salinity of top layer. For example, the salinity of Bay of Bengal (32 ppt) is lesser than Arabian sea which is 37 ppt.
• Melting of ice and precipitation: As major portions of Arctic and Antarctic are covered with snow, the increasing global temperatures have resulting into melting of these ice sheets thereby reducing the salinity of these oceans.
• Temperatures: Salinity is maximum at equator as more water evaporates leaves behind salt ions thereby increases the salinity of sea water.
• Ocean currents: Warm currents can transport warm, saline water from one region to another. These currents can either raise or lower the salinity of effected areas depending on their origin.
• Winds: Global circulation of waters through the influence of wind can also transfer the salts form higher density region to lower density region.

Consequences of salinity variations:

• Fishing resources: Many marine organism are sensitive to salinity level, any change in salinity can affect their distribution and abundance which can have impact on marine food web.
• Water cycle: As evaporation rate will decrease as water becomes more saline and less salinity will increase the evaporation and associated precipitation also changes based on salinity. This can lead to more than usual rainfall in some regions and drought like conditions in other areas.
• Biodiversity: As density of saline water higher than less saline water. Absorbing of heat will increase in saline water and their loose heat very slowly. Over a period of time this makes the region warmer than other and turns unfavourable for many marine organisms such as coral reefs.
• When sea water become more saline, the part of ocean become inhabitable for marine organisms pushes the people depend on the them to venture into neighbouring countries as we seen in India-Sri Lanka fishermen issue. So, it had its geo-political and geo-strategic concerns as well.

The multi-dimensional effects of oceanic salinity are vast, ranging from changes in ocean circulation and climate patterns to impacts on marine biodiversity and fisheries. Understanding the factors that contribute to variations in oceanic salinity is critical for predicting and mitigating the impacts of climate change on the world’s oceans and the communities that depend on them.

Directive word/s: Explain: Give details about the given topic by providing relevant examples to substantiate your answer

Demand of the question:

• First part: Need to provide benefits of having a refinery away from the crude oil producing areas
• Second part: Need to provide negative implication of having the refineries away from the producing area

Structure of your answer:

• Introduction: Provide two or three statements about the heavy dependency of India on imports and to meet domestic and to export by products and to ensure its energy security needs.
• Provide three or four advantages of having refineries away from production units include industrialisation and employment generation, export of by products and bring down the current account deficit, strategic purpose and etc.
• Negative impacts of having away from the production areas include increase in transportation cost, inflationary trend, environmental issues, fuels civil wars and others.

Answer: India being 2^nd most importer of crude oil in the world next to China where 86% of its energy requirements are met with imports, it is very much essential to have refineries to refine it and making other products from crude for not only to meet domestic needs but also export the by-products which has been described as “Friend Shoring” by western countries. India, not been having many oil sources but it built its refinery capabilities over time to shield itself from any misfortunes.

Advantages of having refineries away from the producing area include:

• Industrialisation and employment generation in under-served and under-developed areas: Crude oil refineries have many by products such as petroleum, diesel, Bitumen and other petrol chemicals which have applications in chemical, fertilizers, paint and plastic industry which can generate employment and help in development of underserved areas. Ex: Vishakhapatnam, Belur refineries.
• Earn foreign exchange and bridge current account deficit: As by products of crude oil has huge market potential in other countries and many developing countries doesn’t have full refinery infrastructure, which help India to export refinery products to those countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan etc there by bringing foreign exchange and bridge the gap in current account deficit.
• Strategic purpose: As India has been facing the threat of two front war and terrorist activities deep inside our country, any miscalculation at the production sites having refinery could have endanger our energy security.
• Helps in price control and optimal utilisation and return on capital investments: Oil field can be exhaust in future, but market can last for a longer period. Thus establishing refinery near to consuming market helps in optimal utilization of capital intensive infrastructure. Because it can draw crude oil from multiple fields from multiple countries.

Disadvantages of having refineries away from the production centres include:

• Fuels civil wars: As we seen in Sudan and South Sudan example where production was located in South Sudan and refineries are located in Sudan from where exports are made, led to civil and ethnic conflicts and led to the bifurcation.
• Increased transport cost: As long distance transport of crude increases the logistics cost which will end up on direct bearing on consumer having an inflation trend and negatively impact the overall economic prospects.
• Environmental concerns: As any accident either over land or oceans, can have a significant impact on environment as they are not easily degradable and takes longer time for decomposition. Ex: Deep water horizon oil spill in 2010.
• Supply disruptions: Countries with refineries located far from their oil sources become increasingly dependent on imports, making them vulnerable to supply disruptions and price volatility in the global oil market.

Energy security of a control is not only impacts the economic development, but it also had a significant geo-political and geo-strategic consequences any disruption in reliable supply can cripple the economy and thus energy diplomacy and energy war is actively put in place by many rival countries such as USA, EU and China against India. So, India has to plan its refineries to meet both objectives of energy security and strategic purposes.

Directive word: No directive word. It is a straight forward question

Demand of the question:

• First part: Need to talk about how flood water can be used as a source for sustainable irrigation
• Second part: Further need to provide how these flood water can be used for inland navigation purpose.

Structure of your answer:

• Introduction: Talk about the impact of climate change in fuelling flooding events, and give some statistics about the potential of flood water for irrigation and navigation.
• Potential of flood water can be realised by constructing reservoirs check dams, river basin interlinking, rain water harvesting, inland navigation using canal system etc by keeping in mind sustainability.

Answer: As world is facing the adverse impacts of climate change the frequency of extreme weather events such as slash floods, heat waves, frequent heavy rainfall events, biodiversity loss etc. However, India being the located at a hot spot of cyclonic events has been receiving frequent flood events this can be evident from the recent Krishna floods in Andhra Pradesh. During a small span of 2 days Krishna river had received 3.88 lakh cusecs of water, which can be irrigated to around 12 lakh hectares of land.

Flood can be used as a sustainable source of irrigation by the following ways:

• Interlinking of river basins: Interlinking of river basins can help in transferring excess flood water from once basin to deficit basin, which can be used for irrigation, drinking water and industrial use. For example, Ken-Betwa river basin linking project helps in transferring excess water of Ken river to Betwa river to feed the deficit areas in UP and Madhya Pradesh.
• Constructing Reservoirs and check dams: By constructing the reservoirs and check dams can help in limiting the amount that runs into the seas but also used for power generation and inland navigation. Ex: It is estimated that Godavari river alone receives 110 billion cubic metres of water annually which can be used to irrigate around 1.6 million acres of land.
• Rainwater harvesting: Rainwater harvesting involves collecting and storing rainwater for future use, which can be stored in wells, tanks or through rooftop harvesting. Countries such as China, Argentina, and Brazil practice this method to use rainwater for drinking, irrigation and to avoid groundwater depletion.

Floods can be used for sustainable source of navigation by the following ways:

• Inland navigation: Floods can also be used to facilitate inland navigation in India. During the monsoon season, many rivers in India experience high water levels, making them navigable. By improving river transport infrastructure, such as building ports and terminals, it is possible to facilitate all-weather inland navigation. This can improve connectivity between different regions, reduce transportation costs, and increase trade and economic growth
• Inter-linking of rivers: Inter-linking of rivers have a potential to boost inland navigation as most of the northern rivers are perennial in nature. As a result government of India has been focusing on development inland waterways on a big scale.

The flood management in India, not only take into account better forecast, post flood risk reduction, it should consider the economic potential of floods for irrigation and inland navigation and devise strategies by keeping in mind environmental sustainability and ecological flow of rivers and canals.

Directive word: No directive word. It is straight forward question

Demand of the question:

• Need to talk about the characteristics of monsoonal climate.
• Just one statement about how this climate helps in agriculture production or feeding huge population of Asia

Structure of your answer:

• Introduction: Talk about the British contribution to Indian society in terms of ideologies such as democracy, secularism, justice, equality and most importantly English education.
• Talk about major women issues such as Sati, chid marriage, widow remarriage, Female infanticide, social discrimination, Purdah system, education and legal rights etc.

Answer: Monsoon climate was characterised by distinct wet and dry seasons associated with season reversal of winds which brought rainfall through our the country. This type of climate can be observed in India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Combodia, Vietnam and other Asian countries. As India being the majorly depend on Monsoons for agriculture production, which is a main source for irrigation for crops grown in these countries to feed their people.

Main characteristics of Monsoonal Climate in Asia:

• Temperature: The monthly mean temperature is above 18° C with mean summer temperature is about 30° C and winter temperature is 20°-25°C. These temperature variations are necessary for growing different agriculture crops such as paddy and wheat.
• Seasonal rainfall: The climate is changes for every 3 months based on apparent movement of Sun. The rainy season generally follows from mid June to September which gives mean rainfall of 200-250 CM. However in some regions, the rainfall is very high owing to physical barriers such as Western ghats and Himalayas. For example Chirapunji in Meghalaya receives more than 1000 cm of rainfall.
• Retreating Monsoons: Because of the geographical barriers these winds could never cross the Aravali mountains and retreat as North-East Monsoons blowing over Bay of Bengal by acquiring moisture bring rains to South Eastern tip of Peninsular India during the November and December. At the same time, northern part of India receive some amount of rains from Western disturbances which helps in Rabi crops such as Wheat.
• High temperature and humidity: The wet season in monsoon Asia is also characterized by high temperatures and humidity. These conditions are ideal for the growth of crops, particularly rice, which is a staple food in many countries in the region. The high temperatures and humidity also create an environment conducive to the growth of tropical fruits and vegetables.
• Adaptation strategies to seasonal variations in rainfall: As monsoonal rainfall is not predictable at it depend on various global weather phenomenon, the people in South Asia have adopted strategies to cope up with the rainfall variations such as crop rotation, crop diversification, water management techniques such as building reservoirs, check dams, rain water harvesting techniques etc.

The unique characteristics of monsoon climate, including seasonal rainfall patterns and ample sunlight, have enabled the development of highly productive agricultural systems in monsoon Asia. Understanding the factors that contribute to the success of these systems is essential for ensuring food security and sustainable development in the region and beyond.

Directive word/s: No directive word. It is straight forward question

Demand of the question: Need to identify and wrote about major issues taken up by reformers of 19^th century and what is the outcome of their struggle in removing those difficulties.

Structure of your answer:

• Introduction: Talk about the British contribution to Indian society in terms of ideologies such as democracy, secularism, justice, equality and most importantly English education.
• Talk about major women issues such as Sati, chid marriage, widow remarriage, Female infanticide, social discrimination, Purdah system, education and legal rights etc.

Answer: By the time, Britishers came to India, the Indian society was caste-riden, decadent and rigid state. They brought with them modern ideas such as democracy, liberty, justice, equality, fraternity and more importantly English language. As a consequence, several educated Indians, sought to bring out a change in social and religious practise of India. This movement was known as Renaissance movement led by Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Iswar Chandra Vidhya Sagar, Dayananda Saraswathi and others.

The major issues and debates fought by these reform movements include.

• Sati and Child Marriage: Brahma Samaj founded by Raja Ram Mohan roy in 1828 with comprehensive outlook of reforming Indian particularly focuses on women issues such as Sati, polygamy, purdah system and child marriage etc. His efforts led to discussion about the women issues in the British parliament and led to the enactment of Abolition of Sati in 1829.
• Women Education: By the beginning of 19^th century, the adult literacy rate in India was 3.2% and Female literacy rate was just about 0.5%. And it was also felt by many reformers that lack of education of women was major reason for degraded condition of women in society. Hence leaders like Is Jyothiba Phule and Savitri bhai Phule made significant contribution for women education. They formed Satyasodhak samaj for lower caste women and fought for their rights.
• Female infanticide: Female infanticide is a practise that killing of girl child just immediately after her birth. This is very prevalent in Indian society owing to preference towards boy child. Social reformers such as Ishwar Chandra Vidhya Sagar and Raja Ram Mohan Roy were actively fought for women empowerment and abolition of these barbaric practises.
• Widow Remarriage: The condition of Indian widowed women was so discriminatory and they were not allowed to have any basic rights. Ishwar Chandra Vidhya Sagar actively fought against this menace because whose the “The Widow Remarriage Act: 1856” was passed.
• Purdah System: The impact of Muslim invasion and rule by Muslim rulers in Medieval period had resulted to concretisation of Purdah system in India. Social reformers such as Begum Roquiah Sakhawat Hossain, a Bengali writer and social reformer advocated for women rights and abolition of Purdah system.
• Women’s legal rights: The lack of legal rights for women in matters of inheritance of property, and marriage was another significant issue during this period. Reformers sought to challenge traditional laws and customs, pushing for legal reforms that would grant women equal rights and status in society.

This social reform movement in India played a significant role in addressing women’s issues and laying the foundation for further progress in women’s rights and gender equality. The debates and reforms initiated during this period continue to influence and shape the ongoing efforts towards gender equality in modern India.

Directive word/s: Distinguish: Differentiate between the two things with clear examples to make it clearer to understand for the reader.

Demand of the question:

• Need to differentiate between religiousness and communalism
• Need to explain the transition of religiousness has got transformed into communalism with examples.

Structure of your answer:

• Introduction: Give some statistics about the contribution of service sector to Indian economy and its growth potential and employment it provides.
• Negative impact of I.T Hubs, neglect of other traditional industries of Indian economy such as agriculture, weaving etc, environmental concerns i.e water and air pollution, urban heat island and urban floods etc.

Answer: Indian being a land of diversity in terms of its religions, cultures, languages and other things. However it have been maintaining secular character since ancient times because of peace loving nature of Indians. However, during the British rule in India religiousness has converted/turned to communalism as nurtured by them to ensure their rule over India continue such a long period.

The differences between religiosity and Communalism:

Reasons for the transformation of religiosity into communalism are:

• Divide and Rule Policy of British: The major reason for the success of initial freedom movement was the Hindu-Muslim unity which almost drove British away from India. Since the 1857 revolt particularly after formation of Indian National Congress, the British adopted this policy to sown the seeds of alienation among Indians. For example, the Communal Award of 1932 was a policy implemented by the British government that allocated seats in the legislative assembly to different depressed communities based on their population.
• Developmental differences: Post Independence, some regions of the country were well developed owing to availability of resources and government initiatives such as Green Revolution. This has created intra state and inter-state resentment among various sections. This has used by some radical political leaders for their political gains or to secede from India to form a new state on communal basis. For example Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale used the resentment of landless farmers and promoted violence.

Religiousness was always a part of the Indian way of life. It has helped us dive to spiritual depths that no other civilization has ever delved into. This is what held so many diverse cultures together. Today, religion has a big role to play in Indian politics and thus religiosity is seen to be side-lined by communal ideas which give greater electoral benefits. But transformation of religiosity into communalism for petty political gains of few creates serious obstacles to good governance, economic development and social harmony of our country. This must be prevented at all costs.

Directive word: Substantiate: Provide evidence to support or prove the truth of a topic.

Demand of the question: Take a stance whether you are in support of this statement and give examples or data or supporting statement to prove your statement is true.

Structure of your answer:

• Introduction: Give some statistics about the contribution of service sector to Indian economy and its growth potential and employment it provides.
• Employment opportunities in I.T-BPO, Infrastructure development, other service sectors and electronics and fast moving consumer goods industry.
• Negative impact of I.T Hubs, neglect of other traditional industries of Indian economy such as agriculture, weaving etc, environmental concerns i.e water and air pollution, urban heat island and urban floods etc.

Answer: Indian economy being largely depend on service sector which contribute around 51% to India’s GDP, out of which around 53% is from I.T and I.T related industries. As of 2023-24, IT-BPO sector contributed approximately 7.5% to India’s total GDP and it is growing at 11.1% per year. This sector is one of the largest employment generator with 5.4 million people are employed directly or indirectly into this sector.

As like any sector in Indian economy, the growth of I.T has created lot of employment opportunities as well as also created several problems as discussed below.

New Avenues for Employment include:

• New Jobs based on Emerging Technologies: Post liberalisation of Indian economy, the new Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) jobs were started to operate in India on 24*7 basis as labour cost in India is less compared to other countries.
• Infrastructure development: As setting up of a company needs better infrastructure and connectivity as a result roads, hotels, international airports and office spaces have been created on large scale, resulting into job creation in these fields.
• Jobs in allied sectors: As new companies started operating from different cities in India, employees required hotels, schools, entertainment and other allied sector led to the huge job creation in these sectors as well.
• Demand for electronic and Fast Moving Consumer Goods: As these cities emerged as major economic hubs, they developed as a major market for electronics and fast moving consumer goods. Thus the developed of I.T sector created huge employment opportunities in almost all sectors of Indian economy.

Challenges created by development of I.T Hubs:

• Neglect towards other traditional sectors: As Globalisation has resulted into the rapid development in I.T, this forced many rural people to migrate to cities to seek better life style and employment opportunities led to the neglect of traditional agriculture and other crafts such as weaving, carpenters and others.
• Environmental concerns: As these hubs becoming large, transportation associated air pollution and extraction of ground water also increased created concerns over sustainability of these resources. Ex: Severe water crisis faced by Bangalore.
• Health concerns: As these jobs are associated with rotation shifts and irregular food habits and sleep patterns resulted into health concerns such as obesity, micro nutrient deficient disease which further increases the out of pocket health burden.
• Urban floods and Urban heart islands: As cities become congested and constructions on ecological sensitive zones led to very frequent floods in all metro cities and excessive heat resulting to urban heat island effect. Ex: Recent floods in Chennai and Hyderabad. 

Hence, With over half the world population now living in cities, mass transport and renewable energy are becoming even more important, as are the growth of new industries and information and communication technologies. Promoting sustainable industries and investing in scientific research and innovation are all important ways to facilitate sustainable development. So, the only way forward here is to practise sustainable development goals i.e. SDG 9 while growing IT hubs.