UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice | GS 1 (Week 19)

QUESTION 2

How did the most influential religious movements of the 19th century — Brahmo Samaj shaped the modern India?

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: What do you understand by “Glacial Lake Outburst Flood” (GLOF)? Highlight the root causes of GLOF.

Introduction:

— Glacial lakes are large bodies of water that sit in front of, on top of, or beneath a melting glacier. As they grow larger, they become more dangerous because glacial lakes are mostly dammed by unstable ice or sediment composed of loose rock and debris.

— Glacial lakes are common in the high elevation of glacierised basin. They are formed when glacial ice or moraines or natural depressions impound water.

— There are several types of such lakes, ranging from melt water ponds on the glacier’s surface to enormous lakes blocked by a glacier in the main valley. Normally, these lakes discharge their water by seepage in front of the retreating glacier.

— The moraine creates a topographic depression in which the melt water is generally accumulated leading to formation of glacial lake. When this lake is watertight, melt waters will accumulate in the basin until seepage or overflow limits the lake level.

(Source: Glacial lake outburst flood kills 14 in Sikkim, 102 people missing: What is GLOF, and why does it happen? by Alind Chauhan, cwc.gov.in)

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

— According to the Tom Robinson, lecturer in Disaster Risk & Resilience at the University of Canterbury (New Zealand), GLOF can be triggered by several reasons, including earthquakes, extremely heavy rains and ice avalanches.

— These lakes are also often found in steep, mountainous regions, which means landslides or ice avalanches can sometimes fall directly into the lakes and displace the water, causing it to over-top the natural dam and flood downstream.

— For example, In 2013, one such event took place in Uttarakhand’s Kedarnath when the region witnessed flash floods along with a GLOF caused by the Chorabari Tal glacial lake, killing thousands of people.

— There are various reasons for the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood such as:

(i) Lack of availability of sufficient data regarding rainfall intensity

(ii) Location of landslide

(iii) Impounded volume and area and physical conditions of lakes/ water bodies.

Conclusion:

— With the rising global temperatures, glaciers in Sikkim Himalayan have been melting rapidly, giving rise to many glacier lakes and expanding the already existing ones in the region.

— Lhonak Lake has grown nearly 1.5 times and South Lhonak nearly 2.5 times of their initial size in 1989. An earthquake of magnitude 4.9 on Sept 21, 1991 (as reported by United States Geological Survey) near the parent glacier feeding the South Lhonak Lake and the recent earthquake (magnitude 6.9) of Sept 18, 2011 approximately 70 km from the lakes and future earthquakes may trigger the GLOF events.

(Source: Glacial lake outburst flood kills 14 in Sikkim, 102 people missing: What is GLOF, and why does it happen? by Alind Chauhan)

Points to Ponder

Difference between floods and flash floods

Lakes and Rivers of Sikkim

Related Previous Year Questions

The interlinking of rivers can provide viable solutions to the multi-dimensional inter-related problems of droughts, floods, and interrupted navigation. Critically examine. (2020)

Major cities of India are becoming vulnerable to flood conditions. Discuss. (2016)

QUESTION 2: How did the most influential religious movements of the 19th century — Brahmo Samaj shaped the modern India?

Introduction:

— The term “Brahmo Samaj” refers to the group of people who worship the One True God. The terms “Brahmo” and “Samaj” refer to groups of men who worship Brahma, the Supreme Spirit of the cosmos.

— One of the most influential religious movements of the 19th century that took birth in Bengal and spread far and wide.

— There were various principles laid down by the Brahmo Samaj like, denunciation of idol worship and polytheism, rejection of the caste system, emancipation of women, respect for all religions, and others.

— Brahmoism was founded in the 19th century as an attempt to change Hinduism from within in reaction to Western critiques of Hindu society. “It was a movement that managed to strike a delicate balance between reform and rejection.

(Source: Celebrating the ‘essence of Hinduism’: How 19th century Brahmo Samaj altered Bengali society by Adrija Roychowdhury)

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

— The Historian David Kopf, who authored the book ‘The Brahmo Samaj and the shaping of Modern India’, explains that the establishment of the Brahmo Sabha by the social reformer Raja Ram Mohan Roy needs to be understood in context of the Unitarian movement that was raging in large parts of the Western world since the 16th century.

— Raja Ram Mohan Roy had helped form the Calcutta Unitarian Committee and by 1825-26, his scattered writings in their cumulative effect already contained a kind of syllabus for activists dedicated to Hindu reform.

— In 1828, Roy founded Brahmo Sabha’ and its first meeting was place on August 20, 1828, in a residence on Calcutta’s Chitpore Road.

— According to the John Nicol Farquhar, a Scottish education missionary in Calcutta who authored the book, ‘Modern religious movements in India’ – there was no organisation, no membership, no creed. It was a weekly meeting open to any who cared to attend. Ram Mohan believed he was restoring Hindu worship to its pristine purity.

Role of Brahmo Samaj in modernising Indian society

— Roy successfully campaigned against Sati, or the immolation of Hindu widows, and founded several educational institutions, including the Vedanta College, the English School, and the City College of Calcutta, popularising English education and promoting a rational and non-authoritarian form of Hinduism.

— He also played a pioneering role in opening the Hindu School in 1817, which is now the Presidency University.

— After the death of Ram Mohan Roy, in 1842, the Sabha was given a fresh lease of life under the leadership of Debendranath Tagore, son of Dwarkanath Tagore.

— According to the Farquhar, Debendra followed Ram Mohan in his belief that original Hinduism was a pure spiritual theism, and in his enthusiasm for the Upanishads, but did not share his deep reverence for Christ.

— In 1843, he drew up a Brahmo convent or a list of solemn vows to be taken by every member. Some of these included abstaining from idolatry and to worship God by doing good deeds.

— In 1857, Keshub Chandra Sen joined the Sabha. He was heavily influenced by Christianity. At his suggestion, the Sabha began to follow the example of Christian philanthropy, gathering money and food for the needy.

— In 1861, the preacher Pundit Navin Chandra Roy travelled to Punjab to propagate the new faith. He founded the Brahmo Samaj in Lahore. Another preacher, Atmuri Lakshminarasimham, travelled to the Madras Presidency to disseminate the Brahmo doctrines in Telugu-speaking districts.

— The Brahmo Samaj was not just restricted to Bengal. It was the first pan-Indian movement of Hindu reform. But Bengal was the first province to come under Western influence through British colonialism. In cultural terms, Bengal was indeed the province of paradoxes. It was to produce the first crop of western educated intelligentsia, many of whom were anglophiles.

— The Brahmo Samaj made an enormous impact ideologically and culturally to Bengal and created an enduring value system in the region.

(Source: Celebrating the ‘essence of Hinduism’: How 19th century Brahmo Samaj altered Bengali society by Adrija Roychowdhury)

Points to Ponder

Other religious movements

Sati Abolition

Related Previous Year Questions

Since the decade of the 1920s, the national movement acquired various ideological strands and thereby expanded its social base. Discuss. (2020)

The women’s questions arose in modern India as a part of the 19th century social reform movement. What were the major issues and debates concerning women in that period? (2017)

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 18)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 17)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 19)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 18)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 19)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 18)

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