UPSC Essentials | Mains answer practice — GS 3 : Questions on Axiom-4 mission and PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (Week 113)

QUESTION 1

Discuss the implications of the Axiom-4 mission, especially with India’s participation, for ISRO’s Gaganyaan program and India’s future spaceflight goals.

QUESTION 2

How will the PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana focus exclusively on agriculture and allied activities? Discuss its governance and institutional framework. 

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

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— 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.

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THOUGHT PROCESS

You may enrich your answers by some of the following points

QUESTION 1: Discuss the implications of the Axiom-4 mission, especially with India’s participation, for ISRO’s Gaganyaan program and India’s future spaceflight goals.

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

Introduction:

— The Axiom-4 mission, which took Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS), symbolises the start of a new era in Indian space.

— The Axiom-4 mission is tightly linked to our own space goals and will provide key inputs to the Gaganyaan mission and future missions.

Body:

Implications of the Axiom-4 mission

— Human spaceflight missions are incredibly difficult, especially when undertaking it for the first time. Because of the safety precautions that must be implemented, they are potentially several orders of magnitude more complex than uncrewed missions. This is the problem that ISRO faces with its Gaganyaan mission. And any additional information that reduces risk and improves mission safety is really valuable.

— Although much of the spaceship is automated, it still requires human involvement. It is not a direct route. To approach the International Space Station, which is a moving target in space, the spaceship must follow a convoluted orbit. Throughout the trip to the destination, the pilot will be required to make a number of decisions and initiate many processes.

— This type of experience would be crucial for the other Indian astronauts who will be flying on the Gaganyaan mission. Real-life experience is vastly different from training and simulation.

— Countries with a human spaceflight program benefit greatly from astronauts passing on their expertise and experience to the next generation.

— The experiments that ISRO has designed for the Axiom-4 mission are very interesting. And again, they directly feed into ISRO’s own future needs and projects. This is the first opportunity for ISRO to carry out such customised experiments in space. Many are biology-related, and a few are technology experiments.

— Zero-gravity conditions in space provide a unique setting for experiments that are extremely difficult to do on Earth. For example, one of ISRO’s experiments is on muscular behaviour. Muscle deterioration can occur due to natural factors, but it can also be influenced by a person’s weight. Gravity makes it impossible to separate these two factors on Earth. The zero-gravity environment in space eliminates the weight element and enables for the study of muscle changes caused only by natural processes, which can lead to advancements in our understanding of human health.

Conclusion:

— Space is an expensive effort, and the sector can greatly benefit from private-sector participation. It will also boost the sector’s vibrancy, promote innovation, accelerate technological progress, and attract fresh, youthful people. It can also stimulate economic growth.

— The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has completed a number of significant missions, putting India in a very tiny group of nations possessing cutting-edge space capabilities. The Moon landing by ISRO with the Chandrayaan-3 was the pinnacle of these efforts.

(Source: Why Axiom-4 matters)

Points to Ponder

Read more about Axiom-4 mission

Read about Gaganyaan Mission

Related Previous Year Questions

What is the main task of India’s third moon mission which could not be achieved in its earlier mission? List the countries that have achieved this task. Introduce the subsystems in the spacecraft launched and explain the role of the Virtual Launch Control Centre’ at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre which contributed to the successful launch from Sriharikota. (2023)

India has achieved remarkable successes in unmanned space missions including the Chandrayaan and Mars Orbiter Mission, but has not ventured into manned space mission. What are the main obstacles to launching a manned space mission, both in terms of technology and logistics? Examine critically. (2017)

QUESTION 2: How will the PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana focus exclusively on agriculture and allied activities? Discuss its governance and institutional framework. 

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

Introduction:

— The Union Cabinet approved the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY), a scheme to develop 100 agricultural districts through the convergence of 36 schemes of 11 ministries. The scheme has an outlay of Rs 24,000 crore per year, and will be implemented for six years beginning with the current financial year, 2025-26.

— A master plan for the implementation of PMDDKY, which will include agriculture and allied activities. This District Agriculture and Allied Activities Plan will be prepared by the District Dhan Dhaanya Samiti headed by the Collector, and will have progressive farmers as members.

Body:

— According to the government, the program has five objectives: (i) Enhancing agricultural productivity; (ii) Adopting crop diversification and sustainable agriculture practices; (iii) Augmenting post-harvest storage at the panchayat and block level; (iv) Improving irrigation facilities; (v) Facilitating availability of long-term and short-term credit.

— The District Plans will be connected with national goals such as crop diversification, water and soil health conservation, self-sufficiency in agriculture and related industries, and the expansion of natural and organic farming.

— The plans will be based on thorough consultations and an understanding of cropping patterns and related activities under agro-climatic conditions. Committees will be formed at the district, state, and national levels to ensure proper implementation. Central Nodal Officers (CNOs) will be appointed to conduct field visits, reviews, and monitoring. Each district will have technical knowledge partners from central and state agriculture universities.

— PMDDKY is designed on the lines of the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP). The ADP is based on the 3 Cs, Convergence (of central and state schemes), Collaboration (of central and state level nodal officers and District Collectors), and Competition among districts through monthly delta ranking based on incremental progress in 49 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) under five broad socio-economic themes: Health & Nutrition, Education, Agriculture & Water Resources, Financial Inclusion & Skill Development, and Infrastructure.

— The NITI Aayog, which is responsible for the ADP’s implementation and monitoring, would also give “overall guidance and capacity building” support to PMDDKY.

— PMDDKY districts will be ranked based on their performance. The scheme’s progress in each Dhan-Dhaanya district will be monitored monthly using 117 Key Performance Indicators, according to the announcement. A portal/dashboard will be created for this purpose.

Conclusion:

— The scheme will result in higher productivity, value addition in agriculture and allied sector, local livelihood creation and hence increase domestic production and achieving self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat).

(Source: Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, the new scheme to develop 100 agri districts across the country)

Points to Ponder

Read about other agriculture-related schemes

Read about ADP and NITI Aayog

Related Previous Year Questions

How does e-Technology help farmers in production and marketing of agricultural produce? Explain it. (2023)

What are the direct and indirect subsidies provided to farm sector in India? Discuss the issues raised by the World Trade Organization (WTO) in relation to agricultural subsidies. (2023)

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 112)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 111)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 112)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 111)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 112)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 111)

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