UPSC Essentials | Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 42)

QUESTION 2

What are the different types of vegetation identified in India? Why are forest fires in the hills intensifying, and what are the causes of forest fires?

General points on the structure of the answers

Introduction

QUESTION 1: Modern pedagogy and age-old wisdom can benefit Indian students taking open-book exams. Discuss.

Introduction:

— The open book examination (OBE) approach simply means teaching, developing, and empowering people to apply theory in practice.

— It is a system that safeguards humans’ core nature, which is to be curious and innovative.

— The goal of OBE is to solve real-world issues via discussion, debate, and critical thinking; this approach departs significantly from the colonial-era conformity-over-creativity paradigm.

Body:

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

— Despite the importance of this traditional system in generating leaders across sectors, the requirement for accepting OBE is acknowledging the necessity for an educational reform driven by globalisation and technology improvements.

— In order to accomplish this, it will be necessary to blend traditional knowledge with contemporary teaching methods, thereby educating Indian young for leadership positions around the world.

— The traditional emphasis on rote memorization was significantly altered with the advent of OBE. To make this shift, it is necessary to acknowledge the limitations of the current educational system’s preference on memorization over analysis. Furthermore, with the current educational paradigm becoming outdated, there is a risk of “moronization of masses” due to the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and deep learning technologies.

— The purpose is to assess students’ critical thinking skills, innovative knowledge application, and sophisticated problem solving abilities, all of which are not only timely but also important in an age dominated by AI and digital technology. The aim here is to provide test questions that challenge pupils to demonstrate knowledge and application rather than simply memorising facts.

Conclusion:

— This paradigm change is critical in an era where traditional academic achievements, measured by grades, are becoming increasingly separated from the requirements for higher education and the professional world, as indicated by efforts such as the Common University Entrance Test.

— OBE offers a learning environment that goes beyond the constraints of memorization. Actually, the shift started a few years ago when the percentage of competency-based, analytical, and applied questions in the exams grew over time. The effectiveness of this strategy will be replicated in a learning atmosphere reminiscent of traditional gurukuls, where creative teaching techniques will be incorporated through ongoing assessments.

(Source: Best of Both Sides: With open book exams, Indian students will benefit from ancient wisdom, modern pedagogy by Radhey Shyam Sharma)

Points to Ponder

Advantages and limitations of Open Book Examination (OBE)

Related Previous Year Questions

Explore and evaluate the impact of ‘Work From Home’ on family relationships. (2022)

Examine the uniqueness of tribal knowledge systems when compared with mainstream knowledge and cultural systems. (2021)

Discuss the main objectives of Population Education and point out the measures to achieve them in India in detail. (2021)

QUESTION 2: What are the different types of vegetation identified in India? Why are forest fires in the hills intensifying, and what are the causes of forest fires?

Introduction:

— Natural vegetation refers to a plant community, which has grown naturally without human aid and has been left undisturbed by humans for a long time.

— There are various types of vegetation which are identified in our country:

(i) Tropical Evergreen Forests

(ii) Tropical Deciduous Forests

(iii) Tropical Thorn Forests and Scrubs

(iv) Montane Forests

(v) Mangrove Forests

Body:

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

— Forest fires are broadly categorised into three categories – ground, surface and crown fire.

— Fires that burn organic material in the soil are called ground fires, and they burn slowly, under vegetation.

— Surface fires are caused largely by burning of dry leaves, branches and other materials on the ground. Such fires spread swiftly, as in the case of fires in Himachal.

— Crown fires burn quickly, from one tree top to another and have huge flames with intense heat. Such fires are rare in India.

— The number of forest fire points rose from 8,735 to 42,486 during the four weeks in March last year. Forest fires continue to scorch several hectares of green cover in the Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

Causes of Forest Fires

— The forest fire season in India lasts between November to June and there are several factors responsible for forests fires like:

Temperatures

Precipitation

Vegetation, and

Moisture.

— According to the Forest Survey of India, nearly 36 per cent of India’s forests are prone to frequent fires. Higher fire incidents are reported in March, April and May due to ample availability of dry biomass (fuel load) following the end of winter and the ongoing summer season.

— Most forest fires are man-made due to changes in agriculture and unchecked land-use patterns.

(Source: Explained: Why are forest fires in the hills intensifying this summer? by Manraj Grewal Sharma , Avaneesh Mishra and Anjali Marar, ncert.nic.in)

Points to Ponder

Forests fires in Uttarakhand

How vulnerable are forests in Uttarakhand and Himachal?

Related Previous Year Questions

Discuss the consequence of Climate change on the food security in tropical countries. (2023)

Identify and discuss the factors responsible for diversity of natural vegetation in India. Assess the significance of wildlife sanctuaries in rain forest regions of India. (2023)

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 41)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 40)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 41)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 42)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 41)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 42)

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