UPSC Essentials | Mains answer practice — GS 1 : Questions on Harappan script and polar vortex (Week 87)

QUESTION 2

Analyse the role of the polar vortex in influencing winter weather patterns. Discuss the challenges these extreme weather events pose to infrastructure and public safety.

General points on the structure of the answers

Introduction

— The introduction of the answer is essential and should be restricted to 3-5 lines. Remember, a one-liner is not a standard introduction.

— It may consist of basic information by giving some definitions from the trusted source and authentic facts.

Body

— It is the central part of the answer and one should understand the demand of the question to provide rich content.

— The answer must be preferably written as a mix of points and short paragraphs rather than using long paragraphs or just points.

— Using facts from authentic government sources makes your answer more comprehensive. Analysis is important based on the demand of the question, but do not over analyse.

QUESTION 1: Examine the primary challenges that have hindered the decipherment of the Harappan writing system. Discuss the significance of the brevity of inscriptions, the absence of bilingual texts, and the unknown underlying language in this context.

Introduction:

— The Harappan civilisation, along with Egypt and Mesopotamia, is thought to be among the oldest in the world.

— The Harappan civilisation arose near the mighty river Indus, which is why it is also known as the Indus Valley Civilisation. Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro, Nal (now in Pakistan), Dholavira, Kalibangan, Lothal, and Rakhigarhi (in India) are significant Harappan Civilisation centres.

Body:

— There is evidence that the Indus Valley Civilisation had strong commercial relations with the contemporary Mesopotamian Civilisation, whose cuneiform script was deciphered in the early nineteenth century – but no bilingual inscriptions have been unearthed thus far.

— Archaeologists, epigraphists, linguists, historians, and scientists have made over 100 documented attempts to decode the Harappan writing system with little success.

— The numerous inscriptions on seals and terracotta tablets discovered at Indus sites include a wide range of symbols, including human and animal themes, as well as fragments of a vanished script. However, there is no consensus on the number of symbols in the alleged script.

— According to Andrew Robinson, author of the popular Lost Languages: The Enigma of the World’s Undeciphered Scripts (2008), undeciphered scripts/languages can be divided into three types. These are the following: “an unknown script writing a known language; a known script writing an unknown language; and an unknown script writing an unknown language.”

A seal bearing the very common unicorn motif. (Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

— The third group is the most difficult to comprehend because scholars have the fewest points of reference to work with. The Indus script falls into this category. Although experts have variously proposed that the writing represents several languages, there is no conclusive evidence to settle the argument. Scholars have struggled to assign phonetic sounds to the script’s symbols since they do not know what language it represents.

— The greater the availability of material evidence, such as inscribed items, the more likely it is that a script will be decoded. This is because each item, as well as the circumstances in which it was discovered, might reveal information about the writing written on it. Although 3,500 seals have been identified to date, with each seal containing on average only five characters, experts simply do not have enough data to study.

Conclusion:

— The general lack of knowledge has made it impossible to comprehend its script. More archaeological investigation will be required to offer philologists, epigraphists, and linguists with a better understanding of the writing system.

— Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin recently announced a $1 million prize for deciphering the script of the Indus Valley Civilisation, an enigma that has persisted for more than a century since Sir John Marshall announced the discovery of the Bronze Age culture that thrived in the Indus Valley between c. 3300 and 1300 BCE.

(Source: Why is it so difficult to decipher the Harappan writing system? by Arjun Sengupta, Mystery of the Indus script, and the over 100 failed deciphering attempts by Adrija Roychowdhury)

Points to Ponder

Read about Mesopotamian Civilisation

Important sites of Indus Valley Civilisation

Related Previous Year Questions

To what extent has the urban planning and culture of the Indus Valley Civilization provided inputs to the present day urbanization? Discuss. (2014)

The ancient civilization in the Indian sub-continent differed from those of Egypt, Mesopotamia and Greece in that its culture and traditions have been preserved without a breakdown to the present day. Comment. (2015)

QUESTION 2: Analyse the role of the polar vortex in influencing winter weather patterns. Discuss the challenges these extreme weather events pose to infrastructure and public safety.

Introduction:

— The polar vortex is a large area of low-pressure and cold air that swirls like a wheel around both of the Earth’s polar regions. There are two types of polar vortex: tropospheric and stratospheric.

— The tropospheric polar vortex occurs in the lowest layer of the atmosphere, which stretches from the surface to around 10 to 15 km and is where most meteorological occurrences occur.

— The stratospheric polar vortex occurs at heights ranging from 15 to 50 kilometres. Unlike the tropospheric polar vortex, the stratospheric polar vortex fades over the summer and peaks in the autumn.

Body:

— When the polar vortex near the North Pole weakens and moves away from its regular position, the United States, parts of Europe, and Asia are hit with icy winds. As this system weakens, some of the cold, arctic air may break off and flow south, carrying a lot of frigid air with it. As a result, arctic weather might reach as far south as Florida.

— This occurs when the polar vortex is strong and stable, causing the jet stream to travel in a circular pattern around the planet. The jet stream is a short band of strong wind in the high atmosphere that helps keep cold air north and warm air south.

— Without such a strong low-pressure system, the jet stream lacks enough force to maintain its normal path. It gets wavy and rambling. When high-pressure systems interfere, a collection of cold air moves south, along with the rest of the polar vortex system.

Impact caused by polar vortex on infrastructure and public safety

— Frozen electrical equipment, renewables such as windmills and solar panels, and fuel pipelines might make it impossible to supply energy demands.

— Damaged aircraft water systems can cause aircraft damage or other mechanical concerns, posing a risk to incoming aircraft on runways.

— Road closures and severe automobile crashes

— Cracked water, oil and gas pipelines, frozen substances producing pressure buildup/expansion damage, and soil movements at the base of supporting structures can all cause damage or pressure loss.

— Structural collapse, such as roof failure, caused by frozen precipitation accumulation, resulting in damage, operational disruption, and even fatalities.

Conclusion:

— Recently, at least five people were killed in the United States after a winter storm slammed a huge portion of the country over the weekend, causing mass school closures, perilous traffic conditions, and power outages.

— The National Weather Service has issued a warning about severe thunderstorms, including the threat of tornadoes and hail. The harsh weather was caused by the polar vortex expanding southward.

(Source: Winter storm in the US: How is the polar vortex responsible for it? by Alind Chauhan, http://www.climate.gov)

Points to Ponder

What are jet streams?

What is the difference between tropospheric and stratospheric polar vortex?

Difference between polar vortex, blizzard and freezing rain

Related Previous Year Questions

What is a twister? Why are the majority of twisters observed in areas around the Gulf of Mexico? (2024)

What is the concept of a ‘demographic winter’? Is the world moving towards such a situation? Elaborate. (2024)

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 86)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 85)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 86)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 87)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 86)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 87)

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