UPSC Essentials | Mains answer practice — GS 1 : Questions on heatwaves and role of Chandra Shekhar Azad in the Indian freedom struggle (Week 94)

QUESTION 1

Discuss the role of Chandra Shekhar Azad in the Indian freedom struggle, focusing on his leadership within the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) and his contributions to revolutionary activities against British colonial rule.

QUESTION 2

Discuss the criteria used by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to define and declare a heatwave. How do these criteria vary across different regions in India, and what are the implications of these variations for public health and 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: Discuss the role of Chandra Shekhar Azad in the Indian freedom struggle, focusing on his leadership within the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) and his contributions to revolutionary activities against British colonial rule.

Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— Chandra Shekhar Tiwari, also known as Chandra Shekhar Azad, was an Indian revolutionary who renamed the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) following the deaths of its founder, Ram Prasad Bismil, and three other prominent party leaders, Roshan Singh, Rajendra Nath Lahiri, and Ashfaqulla Khan.

Body:

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

— When Gandhi called off the Non-Cooperation Movement in February 1922, Azad, like many of his contemporaries, became increasingly violent.

— Azad joined the Hindustan Republican Army (HRA), where he engaged in a number of political scams to generate funds for an eventual armed rebellion. The most notable of these was the Kakori train robbery in 1925. Azad was the only one who escaped the authorities; he fled to Jhansi and remained hidden until the trial concluded.

— In 1928, the two would bring together a group of revolutionaries from the United Provinces and Punjab to form the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA). This was the successor to the Human Resources Administration.

— While Bhagat Singh was the organization’s political ideologue, Azad was its military leader, strategising, planning, and assisting in the execution of ‘activities’, providing young men with target practice instruction, and assisting with the organisation of weaponry and ammunition.

— He planned and carried out the murder of John Saunders, a British police officer, in Lahore in December 1928. Bhagat Singh and Rajguru shot Saunders, while Azad killed a police officer who pursued the assassins.

— The HSRA carried out one more action in 1929, when Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt bombed the Central Assembly in Delhi. Following this, the British crackdown threw the group into turmoil.

— Almost all of its leaders were ultimately apprehended. On March 21, 1931, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev were hanged for killing Saunders.

— On February 27, 1931, Azad was on his way to meet fellow revolutionary Sukhdev Raj at Allahabad’s Alfred Park when the police learnt of his whereabouts. He helped Sukhdev flee before shooting himself in the head.

Conclusion:

— Azad’s work is distinguished by three major elements, the most notable of which is his ability to elude capture and remain a “free” man until his death. The word itself, Azad, or free, conjures up images of post-independence India. The second component of Azad’s personality was that he was an iconic character who transcended his caste or religious background. The third feature of Azad, as shared by his companions in the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA), was a clear vision of why they were doing what they were doing and what a free India should look like.

(Source: How Chandra Shekhar remained ‘Azad’ until the very end, pib.gov.in)

Points to Ponder

Major events in which Azad was involved

Read about Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev

Related Previous Year Question

Why did the ‘Moderates’ fail to carry conviction with the nation about their proclaimed ideology and political goals by the end of the nineteenth century? (2017)

QUESTION 2: Discuss the criteria used by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to define and declare a heatwave. How do these criteria vary across different regions in India, and what are the implications of these variations for public health and safety?

Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— A heatwave is defined as a period of unusually high temperatures across a certain location. Thus, the threshold for declaring a heatwave is determined by the average temperatures in that place at that time of year.

— Heat waves usually occur between March and June, but in rare circumstances they might last until July. Extreme temperatures and climatic conditions have a negative impact on those who live in these areas because they produce physiological stress, which can lead to mortality.

Body:

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

How is a heatwave declared?

— According to the IMD, a heatwave occurs when the “maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40 degree C or more for plains and at least 30 degree C or more for hilly regions.”

— A heatwave is announced when the departure from normal temperature is between 4.5 and 6.4 degrees Celsius, while a severe heatwave is called when the departure exceeds 6.4 degrees Celsius.

— According to the IMD, a heatwave happens when the highest temperature exceeds 45 degrees Celsius, and a severe heatwave occurs when the temperature exceeds 47 degrees Celsius.

— “If the above criteria are met at least in two stations in a Meteorological sub-division for at least two consecutive days,” the IMD adds. The heatwave is declared on the second day.

— In coastal locations, a heatwave can be proclaimed if the highest temperature deviates by 4.5 degrees Celsius or more from normal and the actual maximum temperature exceeds 37 degrees Celsius.

Implications of these variations for public health and safety

— Discomfort for people is worsened if along with temperatures

— High humidity

— If the night-time temperatures are high, then the body is unable to recover from the day’s heat.

— Heat Cramp and heat strokes

— Heat Exhaustion like Fatigue, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps and sweating.

Conclusion:

— Many parts of India are still sweltering, and the soaring temperatures show no signs of abating. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts heatwave conditions in isolated areas of Odisha, Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal, interior Odisha, Rajasthan, and north Gujarat.

(Source: Mercury soaring in parts of country: How a ‘heatwave’ is defined and measured, what makes it worse, ndma.gov.in)

Points to Ponder

What is the difference between heatwaves and drought?

Can interlinking of rivers solve the problem of heatwaves?

Related Previous Year Questions

Bring out the causes for the formation of heat islands in the urban habitat of the world. (b) What do you understand by the phenomenon of ‘temperature inversion’ in meteorology? How does it affect the weather and the habitants of the place? (2013)

Why is the South-West Monsoon called ‘Purvaiya’ (easterly) in Bhojpur Region? How has this directional seasonal wind system influenced the cultured ethos of the region? (2023)

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 94)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 93)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 92)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 93)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 93)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 92)

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