General Studies -3 Paper – UPSC Civil Services Mains Examination – 2019

1. Enumerate the indirect taxes which have been subsumed in the goods and services tax (GST) in India. Also, comment on the revenue implications of the GST introduced in India since July 2017.                                                                                          (10)

2. Do you agree with the view that steady GDP growth and low inflation have left the Indian economy in good shape? Give reasons in support of your arguments    (10)

3. How far is Integrated Farming System (IFS) helpful in sustaining agricultural production    (10)

4. Elaborate the impact of National Watershed Project in increasing agricultural production from water-stressed areas                                   (10)

5. How was India benefitted from the contributions of Sir M. Visvesvaraya and Dr. M. S. Swaminathan in the fields of water engineering and agricultural science respectively? (10)

6. What is India’s plan to have its own space station and how will it benefit our space programme (10)

7. Coastal sand mining, whether legal or illegal, poses one of the biggest threats to our environment. Analyze the impact of sand mining along the Indians coasts, citing specific examples (10)

8. Vulnerability is an essential element for defining disaster impacts and its threat to people. How and in what ways can vulnerability to disasters be characterized? Discuss different types of vulnerability with reference to disasters    (10)

9. The banning of ‘Jammat-e-Islami’ in Jammu and Kashmir brought into focus the role of over-ground workers (OGWs) in assisting terrorist organizations. Examine the role played by OGWs in assisting terrorist organizations in insurgency affected areas. Discuss measures to neutralize influence of OGWs   (10)

10. What is CyberDome Project? Explain how it can be useful in controlling internet crimes in India.     (10)

11. It is argued that the strategy of inclusive growth is intended to meet the objectives of inclusiveness and sustainability together. Comment on this statement.            (15)

12. The public expenditure management is a challenge to the Government of India in context of budget making during the post liberalization period. Clarify it (15)

13. What are the reformative steps taken by the Government to make food grain distribution system more effective   (15)

14. Elaborate the policy taken by the Government of India to meet the challenges of the food processing sector   (15)

15. How is the Government of India protecting traditional knowledge of medicine from patenting by pharmaceutical companies  (15)

16. How can biotechnology help to improve the living standards of farmers    (15)

17. Define the concept of carrying capacity of an ecosystem as relevant to an environment. Explain how understanding this concept is vital while planning for sustainable development of a region  (15)

18. Disaster preparedness is the first step in any disaster management process. Explain how hazard zonation mapping will help disaster mitigation in the case of landslides (15)

19. Indian Government has recently strengthened the anti-terrorism laws by amending the unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967 and the NIA act. Analyze the changes in the context of prevailing security environment while discussing the scope and reasons for opposing the UAPA by human rights organizations (15)

20. Cross-Border movement of insurgents is only one of the several security challenges facing the policing of the border in North-East India. Examine the various challenges currently emanating across the India-Myanmar border. Also, discuss the steps to counter the challenges.                                                                                                  (15)