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.
— Underlining keywords gives you an edge over other candidates and enhances presentation of the answer.
— Using flowcharts/tree-diagram in the answers saves much time and boosts your score. However, it should be used logically and only where it is required.
Way forward/ conclusion
— The ending of the answer should be on a positive note and it should have a forward-looking approach. However, if you feel that an important problem must be highlighted, you may add it in your conclusion. Try not to repeat any point from body or introduction.
— You may use the findings of reports or surveys conducted at national and international levels, quotes etc. in your answers.
Self Evaluation
— It is the most important part of our Mains answer writing practice. UPSC Essentials will provide some guiding points or ideas as a thought process that will help you to evaluate your answers.
THOUGHT PROCESS
You may enrich your answers by some of the following points
QUESTION 1: Discuss the role of Bal Gangadhar Tilak in transforming the Ganesh Utsav into a platform for nationalist sentiments during the Indian freedom struggle.
Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.
Introduction:
— A glimpse into history indicates that this deity has long been revered in the Deccan, which now includes parts of Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.
— However, with the rise of the Peshwas and the Maratha rulers, Ganesh celebrations received financial support and evolved into a more community-centred event.
— The event saw considerable changes in the late nineteenth century. Following communal violence between Hindus and Muslims in Bombay City in 1893, Bal Gangadhar Tilak worked with the Chitpavan Brahmins, a subset of the Brahmin population, to revive the annual Ganapati festival.
Body:
You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:
— B.G. Tilak sought to bring together the Brahmin-dominated Congress and the non-Brahmin communities by integrating politics and spirituality. He thought that uniting Hindus from all backgrounds in a shared quasi-political event would challenge the British notion of Hindu culture as fractured, with elite Brahmins isolated from the rest.
— To organise Indians against British rule, Tilak inspired pride in Indian heroes and exploited Hindu imagery and symbolism in political efforts.
— According to academic Richard I Cashman in his book The Myth of the Lokmanya: Tilak and Mass Politics in Maharashtra, Tilak introduced several innovations during the 1894 celebrations to reshape the festival. Large public images of Ganesha were installed in mandaps (decorated pavilions), and each street, or peth, collected funds to support a sarvajanik (public) Ganapati. Another significant reform was the consolidation of the festival’s community aspects.
— The latter decade of the nineteenth century saw enormous turbulence in various sections of the country, and the people had to endure unspeakable hardships. Tilak began his social efforts in 1880, championing the cause of the people and winning hearts by his selfless service.
— The period between 1900 and 1908 saw the growth of revolutionary nationalism in India. Lokmanya Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, and Lala Lajpat Rai, all endowed with remarkable political foresight, emerged as shining stars in our national firmament.
Conclusion:
— It turned into more of a political event. As Cashman’s study reminds, “It was Tilak, rather than Ganapati, who benefited most from the reorganised festival.”
— However, Tilak has been criticised for giving the freedom struggle a communal shade and for his conservative stand on women’s emancipation and caste reforms.
(Source: How Bal Gangadhar Tilak made Ganesh Utsav a nationalist political festival by Nikita Mohta, How Bal Gangadhar Tilak made the worship of Lord Ganesh a grand community festival by Arjun Sengupta)
Points to Ponder
Other important leaders – Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal
Contribution of BG Tilak in nationalist movements
Famous quotes and monthly/weekly publications by BG Tilak
Related Previous Year Questions
To what extent did the role of the moderates prepare a base for the wider freedom movement? Comment. (2021)
Since the decade of the 1920s, the national movement acquired various ideological strands and thereby expanded its social base. Discuss. (2020)
QUESTION 2: What is the Indus Water Treaty (IWT)? Discuss why India wants to renegotiate IWT.
Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.
Introduction:
— On September 19, 1960, India and Pakistan signed the Indus Waters Treaty, which governs the use of water from the Indus and its tributaries. It was signed in Karachi by then-Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan President Mohammed Ayub Khan following nine years of World Bank-arranged discussions.
— The IWT states that India has “unrestricted use” of the three “Eastern Rivers [Beas, Ravi, Sutlej] except as otherwise expressly provided,” while Pakistan controls the three “Western Rivers” [Indus, Chenab, Jhelum].
— The preamble of the treaty states: “The Government of India and the Government of Pakistan, being equally desirous of attaining the most complete and satisfactory utilisation of the waters of the Indus system of rivers and recognising the need, therefore, of fixing and delimiting, in a spirit of goodwill and friendship, the rights and obligations of each in relation to the other concerning the use of these waters and of making provision for the settlement, in a cooperative spirit…”
Body:
You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:
— India’s latest notification highlights “fundamental and unforeseen changes in circumstances” that require a reassessment of obligations made under the IWT. Among New Delhi’s concerns, sources said, are the “change in population demographics, environmental issues and the need to accelerate development of clean energy to meet India’s emission targets, and the impact of persistent cross-border terrorism”.
— Moreover, the two notifications come amidst a prolonged controversy over the construction of two hydel power projects by India in Jammu & Kashmir — one on Kishanganga, a tributary of Jhelum, in Bandipora district, and the other (Ratle Hydroelectric Project) on Chenab in Kishtwar district.
— Both are “run-of-the-river” projects, meaning they generate electricity (330 MW and 850 MW respectively) using the natural flow of the river, and without obstructing its course. However, Pakistan has repeatedly alleged that both these projects violate the IWT.
— According to the treaty, disputes are resolved sequentially at the level of the two countries’ Indus Commissioners, then escalated to the Neutral Expert appointed by the World Bank, and finally to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Hague.
— The commencement of two simultaneous processes on the same topics — and their potentially contradicting consequences — is not permitted by any article of the IWT, resulting in an unprecedented, legally untenable situation.
— In 2016, the World Bank “paused” the commencement of parallel processes and asked India and Pakistan to find an acceptable solution. However, despite persistent attempts by New Delhi, Islamabad has refused to discuss the subject throughout the five meetings of the Permanent Indus Commission from 2017 to 2022, a source said.
Conclusion:
— The Indus River has been integral to the Indus Valley Civilisation, one of the world’s earliest urban cultures, which thrived around 2500 BCE.
— The river springs from Southwestern Tibet, near Lake Mansarovar, meandering through the stunning landscapes of Kashmir before flowing into the lush fields of Punjab and ultimately spilling into the Arabian Sea.
(Source: Why India wants ‘review & modification’ of Indus Waters Treaty by Harikishan Sharma)
Points to Ponder
Map Work: Lake Mansarovar, course of Indus River, tributaries of Indus
What will be the implications of such a move on India-Pakistan relations and regional water security?
Related Previous Year Questions
Present an account of the Indus Water Treaty and examine its ecological, economic and political implications in the context of changing bilateral relations. (2016)
The interlinking of rivers can provide viable solutions to the multi-dimensional inter-related problems of droughts, floods, and interrupted navigation. Critically examine. (2020)
Previous Mains Answer Practice
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 67)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 68)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 68)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 69)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 69)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 68)
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The six rivers of the Indus basin originate in Tibet and flow across the Himalayan ranges to end in the Arabian sea south of Karachi. Attempt a question on the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) in today's answer writing practice. (Source: Wikimedia Commons) 
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