UPSC Mains Answer Practice GS 1: India’s multilingual society and changes in territorial boundaries after World War 1 | Week 151

QUESTION 2

Discuss how the aftermath of World War I altered territorial boundaries and power structures in the Persian Gulf region. How do these changes continue to influence present-day geopolitics?

QUESTION 1: “Learning foreign languages goes beyond communication and becomes a tool for cultural introspection.” Discuss in the context of India’s multilingual society.

Relevance: The question highlights India’s linguistic diversity and its relevance to social cohesion and cultural understanding. It also connects to education policies like National Education Policy 2020 and debates on multilingualism.

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

Introduction:

— Learning a foreign language is an effective instrument for cultural introspection, forcing students to go beyond their own linguistic and cultural frameworks, acquire distance, and reconsider their original ideas and behaviours.

— It evolves from a mere communication tool to a “mirror of thought,” instilling empathy, self-awareness, and a deeper understanding of how their own culture impacts their worldview.

Body:

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

— Language allows us to explore entire worlds, from theatre to movies, gastronomy to politics, commerce to tourism. Interactions with native speakers frequently expand beyond language practice to include explanations and demonstrations of Indian culture, such as Bollywood dance, cuisine, the caste system, religions, and sartorial customs.

— Interestingly, exposure to new linguistic settings can help to improve one’s knowledge and vocabulary of Indian languages. Conversations among Indian or South Asian students studying abroad may alternate between Hindustani, Bangla, Tamil, and other languages.

— Even when language purity is difficult to achieve, recognisable phrases from films or everyday life might aid to maintain group communication. The responsibility to appropriately depict can lead to a more in-depth engagement with and meditation on what it means to be Indian.

— Because we had been schooled in not only a foreign language but also its phonetics, sociolinguistic characteristics, and syntax, we found ourselves taking notes, drawing comparisons, and reflecting on our own languages. When faced with otherness, we can appreciate what is unique to us.

— Language learning has been associated to the slowed progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. Thus, studying a new language literally expands one’s mind.

— In an increasingly AI-dominated society, we may no longer require translators, as there are applications available to do the work. There are also language-learning applications (to each their own). The reality is that apps and AI can teach grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure. However, they cannot educate humans how to engage and connect with one another.

Conclusion:

— The world is becoming more interdependent while being plagued by geopolitical tensions. Intercultural contact is the most effective strategy to bridge cultural gaps. And no intercultural communication is more uplifting, valuable, or long-lasting than embracing the sounds of the other and making them one’s own.

(Source: Teaching and learning ‘foreign’ languages opened up worlds – and the idea of India – for me)

Points to Ponder

How does learning foreign languages deepen understanding of one’s own culture and identity?

What is the relevance of foreign language learning in the context of globalization and soft power?

Related Previous Year Question

Critically analyse the proposition that there is a high correlation between India’s cultural diversities and socio-economic marginalities. (2024)

QUESTION 2: Discuss how the aftermath of World War I altered territorial boundaries and power structures in the Persian Gulf region. How do these changes continue to influence present-day geopolitics?

Relevance: The topic bridges modern world history with contemporary geopolitical developments in West Asia. It is also relevant for understanding resource politics, especially oil and strategic waterways.

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

Introduction:

— The Ottoman Empire was dissolved and replaced with British-mandated provinces and protectorates in the aftermath of World War I (1914–1918), radically altering the Persian Gulf’s topography.

— The Sykes-Picot Agreement, which was signed in 1916, gave Britain control over Iraq and the Arab shaykhdoms, turning the area into a vital strategic and oil-producing sphere of influence. Ottoman rule was replaced by fractured tribal borders, laying the groundwork for decades of conflict.

Body:

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

— By 1622, the East India Company had established a presence in India, and in subsequent centuries, the Gulf became one of the two “arteries” of Britain’s trade with India. However, it was in the 20th century that Britain began searching for oil.

— Britain established political control over much of the Gulf in the early 1800s, retaining it for over a century. By the mid-nineteenth century, the region’s strategic importance had grown, with Britain, Tsarist Russia, and the Ottoman Empire competing for influence.

— The commercial potential of oil became clear, driven by the invention of the combustion engine. In 1884, a British firm obtained an exploration concession near Bushehr, a city in Iran. “In the course of the following twenty years wells were dug in Deleki and Qeshm Island.

— “The rivalry between Britain and Russia turned Persia into a major issue in Great Power diplomacy. Lord Curzon… described Persia as one of ‘the pieces on a chessboard upon which is being played out a game for the domination of the world,’” notes author Daniel Yergin in The Prize (2008).

— Yet, West Asia would not remain under European control alone. “The American companies were embarking on a campaign to develop new oil supplies worldwide.” Fear of depletion gripped the United States after World War I, drawing it ever deeper into global competition for oil in the Gulf.

Conclusion:

Influence on Present-Day Geopolitics

— The arbitrary boundaries created after WWI between Iraq and Kuwait continue to cause territorial disputes.

— Many states’ artificial nature has resulted in persistent sectarian divides, as seen in Iraq and Lebanon.

— The British search for oil to fuel its Navy reinforced the region’s strategic importance, resulting in ongoing high-stakes participation by external powers in Middle Eastern politics.

(Source: How World War 1 redrew Persian Gulf’s map and why Trump’s South Pars threat echoes a century of conflict, http://www.mea.gov.in)

Points to Ponder

What role did colonial powers play in shaping political structures in West Asia?

How do historical legacies continue to influence current geopolitical tensions and external interventions?

Related Previous Year Questions

How far is it correct to say that the First World War was fought essentially for the preservation of balance of power? (2024)

“There arose a serious challenge to the Democratic State System between the two World Wars.” Evaluate the statement. (2021)

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Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 150)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 151)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 150)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 151)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 150)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 149)

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