Topic:changes in critical geographical features (including

waterbodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of
such changes.
1) Write a critical note on the effect of climate change on worlds oceans. (150
Words)
The Hindu

Critically there are four effects of climate change on world oceans:

Melting of Sea ice to (b)

Lowered Albedo to (c) Increase in absorption of sunlight to (d) Melting of ICE. This
1.

elting of Glaciers and Ice Sheets: The cycle: (a)

affects food chain of marine animals and production of phytoplankton (primary food of fish)
-RESULT: loss of species, habitat, and life in oceans

2.

Sea Level Rise

: sea level rose about 15-20 centimeters (roughly 1.5 to 2.0

mm/year). contributor to sea level rise is the melting of glaciers and ice caps.
-RESULT:
1. Very large numbers of

2. the hreat of

wetland and swamp species are likely at serious risk.

extinction for polar bears, seals, and some breeds of penguins

3. Over 600 million people live in coastal areas that are less than 10 meters above sea level,
they are at-risk areas.

3.

O A
cean

cidification: An exponential increase in the net amount of CO2 being

dissolved in the ocean.

-RESULT: 60% drop in available calcium carbonate, a substance used by many marine
organisms (including coral, shellfish, crustaceans, and mollusks ) to build their, so
productivity and even the survival of thousands of marine species at risk.

4.

hermohaline

irculation: Driven by density gradients in ocean waters, the

thermohaline (or deep ocean overturning) circulation is made up of the global flow of ocean
currents.
-RESULT:
1.Ocean temperatures and circulation patterns may get change.
2. Circulation plays a key role in ocean temperature patterns around the globe, weather
patterns are also likely to be disrupted.

Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in

various sectors and issues arising out of their design and
implementation
2) How does some of the provisions of the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage
(CLND) Act of 2010 affect average Indian? Critically examine. (200 Words)
The Hindu

The Civil

Liability for Nuclear Damage (CLND) act was passed in 2010 with its

focus on setting iabilities on

suppliers in case of a nuclear accident.( /if) However its has

acted as a bone of contention in moving ahead the India-US civil nuclear agreement deal
signed in 2008.(\)
The CNLD law affects average Indian in following ways:
1. The CNLD law capped all the liabilities to 300 million Special Drawing Rights or Rs 2610
crore. The government will create an 'Nuclear Insurance pool' of Rs 1500 crores of which it
will contribute Rs 750 crore. In case of Nuclear damage government will be liable to
additional Rs 1110 crores (

1500+1110=2610). Hence in doing all these, the

government will end up spending the Indian taxpayers money which should be the suppliers
liability.

2. The suppliers will be paying

nominal premium to the 'Nuclear Insurance Pool',

hence this cost will be added in the total cost of building a nuclear plant and thus will finally
have to bear by Indian consumers.
3. The capped amount of Rs 2610 will not be sufficient in case of a Nuclear accident as we
have seen in the Fukushima nuclear disaster. The potential victims will suffer due to this.
4. The section 17 of CNLD acts specifies that the right to recourse of an operator is not
mandatory but merely an enabling clause. This it will prohibit operators to sue suppliers.
Thus overall it will make victims more vulnerable to potential accidents.
5. Section 46 prevents the Indian victims from moving to a foreign court. It also prohibits
from claiming compensation under other laws.
The CNLD act was primarily designed to protect the victims of any unfortunate nuclear
accident but ended up virtually putting the burden on average Indian as a taxpayer, energy
consumer, potential victim of any nuclear accident.

Topic: Infrastructure: ports

3) Describe the composition of export and import trade of India and the role
of ports in it. (150 Words)
NCERT

India is a very old participant in world trade.

Export consists of Plantation Crops, Agriculture and Allied Products, Ores and Minerals,
Leather and Leather Manufactures, Gems and Jewellery, Chemical and Related Products,
Engineering Goods, Textiles, Handicrafts and Carpets, Cotton Raw Including Waste.
Import Consists of Fertilizers, Petroleum Crude and Products, Pearls, Precious and SemiPrecious Stones, Organic and In-organic Chemical.

Importance of Ports:
1. Approximately 95 percent of Indias trade by volume is transported by sea.
2. Total sea-borne trade of India, more than 85 per centers shared by Mumbai, Kolkata,
Cochin, Chennai and Visakhapatnam.
3. The average ship-borne traffic in India is 700 million tonnes per annum
Indias 12 major ports are expected to double their annual cargo handling capacity to 1,600
million tonnes (MT) within the next five years.
Besides foreign trade, ports play an important role in internal trade. Inland water transport
in India carries about 16 million tonnes of goods each year.
With 7500 kms coastline and 14,500 kms rivers, port play most vital role in India's
economic growth.

Topic: Indian economy

4) Critically comment why decontrol of urea prices, fewer subsidised cylinders
a year and withdrawal of kerosene from the public distribution system (PDS)
are considered as economic reforms. (200 Words)
The Hindu

Answer: Subsidies are like spoonfeeding a child. It is useful in infant stage because child is
not capable of self-developing himself, But continuing spoonfeeding a child is harmful for
his all round development and also for parents as they cant engage in other activities which
are more important. Hence, phasing out subsidies slowly is what is required as one of the
Economic Reforms.
Decontroling the price in economy means, leaving the price control to the dynamics of
market rather than artificially lowering the price by providing backdoor subsidies.
Why Decontrolling the price is required as Economic Reforms:
Urea:
(1.) Most of subsidised urea are collected by rich and bigger farmer and never reach
marginal farmer.

(2.) Major part of urea reaches to Bangaladesh, Burma and Nepal through blackmarketting.
Also, Chemical industries uses this urea as their raw material.
(3.) Over use of urea leads to Eutrophication, pollutes water bodies, deoxygenate water and
hence deplete diversity of marine life in rivers.
(4.) Urea subsidy is opposed by WHO because it distorts real price of crops.
(5.) Continous use led to depleted nutrients for what urea is not providing.
Hence Urea subsidy should phase out. NBS is a good step toward it.
Fewer Cylinder to each family:
(1.) Many subsidised cylinder end to restaurents, hotels, LPG kit to cars and black market.
(2.) Oil companies are not achieving their potential and losing on their economic edge
against private companies.
(3.) Use of subsidized gas by gas power plant is also non scientific and ecological
unsustainable.
Hence it should be limited to 6-9 cylinders per year.
Kerosene at PDS:
(1.) Though Kerosene is an outdated fuel but still some fraction of population in rural areas
use it for lighting and cooking. But providing kerosene to everyone is not efficiency. All
kerosene ends up in blackmarket for adulterating the diesel, fueling pumps in fields,
Smuggled to neighbouring nations.
(2.) Rural populations these days are also electrified so no need to give subsidised kerosene,
instead solar lamps can be distributed.
Hence solving such basic issues and phasing out subsidy is a big step toward bridging fiscal
deficit and bringing economci reforms.

Topic: Science and Technology- developments and their applications

and effects in everyday life

5) Recently scientists reported that obesity should be recognised as a

chronic and an often treatment-resistant disease with both biological and
behavioural causes. What do you understand by this? Examine its
implications. (150 Words)
The Hindu

Topic: Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and

application in administration and governance.
6) Please carefully read the following case and answer the questions
within the specified word limit.
Your close friend recently got selected into IAS. She has been your close friend
since childhood. You both studied together till graduation. You also tried your
best to pass civil services exam but you could not clear it. You have exhausted
all your attempts. At present you are unemployed. Your friend who is
undergoing training, who initially used to answer your calls, has stopped
receiving your calls. She is always active on social networking sites though.
Very recently she visited her parents, but did not visit you (she lives on the
same street as yours). Your parents tell you that she has become arrogant ever
since she passed civil services exam. Some of your friends tell you that she
might be busy with training and has no time to talk. Some even suggest that
she may not be comfortable to talk to you anymore as she has found new
friends there who are successful. Your friends advice you to forget her, make
new friends and move on with your life.

a) How will you react in this type of situation to your parents and friends
suggestions/advises? Give reasons. (150 Words)
b) If your friend do not reply to any of your emails, facebook messages or text
messages, how will you react? Give reasons. (100 Words)
General
Answer(a): We have full control on our behaviour and ettiquetes. But, We have no control
on others behaviour and response.
This being said, Until unless other person is not doing something which amounts to
criminal offences, I have no right to expect a response suiting my definition of well-behaved.
Everyone is free to behave in a way they want. As I am unsuccessful in exam and she got
through, It is quite possible that me and my wellwisher may get preoccupied with notion of
her arrogance. But thats not correct. This is a biasness as no one has faced first hand
experience of discrimination from her.
To my Parents: As her visit was short to her home, Maybe she was busy with some work or
other prior engagements. As she has not met my parents either hence their statement of
arrogance is more of a prejudice than realistic. Until unless I dont experience
discrimination from her, I would not make judgement about her supposed changed
behaviour.
To my Friends: Yes, they are right that she may be busy with training and travel. But I dont
agree that I should forget her because she is now successful. I would try to reach her atleast
2 times before forming any perception about her.
Answer(b) If she doesnt reply to my emails and chats. I will take it calmly because, being an
aspirant for the elite service alongwith knowledge base I developed maturity and
considerate aspects in my attitude. Hence, I will not bother her there on. Ignoring 2-3 times
or an unpleasant response is a clear message that she is no more interested in maintaining
old friendship. Hence, friendship being two way relation cant be achieved from ones effort.
Hence, I will also stop contacting her.

------dwithiya #tr

A.
As a childhood friend of mine I will have great affection and respect towards my friend who
is under probation. As a future Civil servant She might have many activities in public space
and and knowing her from childhood, I will not take random opinions conveyed by people
around. I will convey to my parents/friends that mere not talking or visiting for a year or
few does not impact our respect towards each other. There could be many reasons like busy
schedule, training etc, but the amount of respect that as a friend I have given to her will not
come to terms with the profession or personal choices of my friend.
Even if She is not willing to talk to me or not willing to meet me, It is her personal choice
and as a friend it is on my part to respect her decisions. Irrespective of her behavior, I will
hold my respect towards her not just as a friend but the one who is going to serve many
people by being a civil servant, which once I wanted to do.
B.
Responding to emails, messages, texts is again dependent on the time and willingness of my
friend. I will ignore the reasons behind and move on. If I stick on to the petty reasons of not
responding, then the whole friendship is at stake. Afterall for every human being making
friendship is one side and keeping it longer is anotherside and above all believing in it is the
utmost important factor in life. Even if my friend is not willing to respond, and if at all She
feels to meet me in her future life, I will to extend the same warmth and kindness of our
Childhood. Our interests keep changing with time, and our choices differ, But being kind
and humble is the greatest virtue that I feel is important in life.