Friday, November 3, 2017

UPSC Mains 2017 - HISTORY paper 2 - Quick Analysis, Comparison & Source


Overall, standard paper. Expected, marks ought to go up. Only 5a was a yorker. 


ATS = Advance Test Series


PART A: Modern India 

1 a - maratha polity - standard




1e  “Artillery remained the weak link in the Maratha army.....Besides, it lagged far behind in sophistication”

1b - std - Rammohun

ATS 2016

What are the contributions of Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar and Rammohan Roy towards social reforms?

1c - std

1d - conditions imported into India - condirtions of Western Imperialism , affecting Indian socity - attackigmn it - and hence Arya Samaj acting as a reaction 
std qs
1e - narayan guru - std

but the world 'subaltern' requiers appl of mind 
he was son of Ezhava peasant - fought for societal upliftment of Ezhavas - hence gave voice to the subalterns

2a - famine policy of the british - was asked in ATS 2015  - std

a.       “Famine commissions were a hogwash, and famines the reality in British India.”



2b role of press - std - ATS 2016
 std qs
5. “The press in India was largely an English institution.” Do you agree? 
2 c - annexation of Punjab - std

3a - Ghadar Mov - std
ATS 2017
8. How could the Ghadar movement have been turned into a success? Should Lala Hardayal be held responsible for its apparent failure?

3b 1942-6 - constitutional impasse - solutions failed?
ATS 2017
4C. The Cabinet Mission proposed a two-tiered federal plan, which was expected to maintain national unity while conceding the largest measure of regional autonomy. Do you think this was the best possible solution at that juncture? Did it work? 
  1c  “Against the background of Cripps Mission and the compulsive inclusion of India in the war the political scenario in India had worsened. As such if Congress was to keep its promises for an independent India , the time has come when Congress was to give a final blow to British paramount in India”

3c peasant movs 1920-40
ATS 2017
10. Demonstrate the difference between peasant-based anti-colonial movements of pre and post-1920. Provide special reference to Tebhaga and Telangana movements.

4a - Satyagrahas of Gandhi - very much std

ATS 2017
7. “Gandhian Satyagraha was merely a utopian exercise. In a span of over three decades, Gandhian political methods emasculated a large section of the populace.” Critically opine.

4b - Sc&Tech post-indpt India - non-std qs
ATS 2016
9. “The last decades of the nineteenth and early decades of the twentieth century witnessed a national awakening in all spheres of creativity. Fired by nationalism, disregarding comforts, and undeterred by severe handicaps, these men did world-class science by indomitable will.” Citing instances of individual scientists, illustrate the contribution of Indian scientists in pre-independent India.

4c - princely states - std qs

ATS 2017

2. Would you agree that post-independence, India dealt with the Princely States with a kid-glove strategy? Can you suggest any alternative model of integrating the recalcitrant Princely states? 



WORLD HISTORY

q 5a - was the only difficult qs, yorker

ATS 2017: http://trademark-ias.blogspot.in/2017/09/modern-indian-world-history-question.html

   “The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement. Enlightenment thinkers tried to apply reason and the scientific method to laws that shaped human actions.”


5 b - reforms of napoleon

'methods of Bonaparte the general = belief in meritocracy + giving equal opportunity to all + leadership + precision in taking decisions'

5 c - chartist mov in britain - std

ATS 2015
“Rain, poor management, and unwillingness on the part of many to do battle with the well-armed constabulary put an end to the Chartists’ campaign.”  

5 d - german unification climax & loss in WWI combined


5 e - repeat qs - 2011 

hints in pg 11.7 of World History Book [WHB] as under:

https://www.amazon.in/Modern-World-History-Services-Examination/dp/9386860732






6a Ind Rev in England first why?? SOcial Consequences of I Rev 

pg 3.2 , 3.5, 3.10 of WHB as under:
https://www.amazon.in/Modern-World-History-Services-Examination/dp/9386860732


6b - WWI as TOTAL War 

fully solved in 7.13 of WHB as under
https://www.amazon.in/Modern-World-History-Services-Examination/dp/9386860732



6c - tricky qs - requires application of mind

peterloo massacre - pg 2.18 & 2.19 & coupled with Socialsim before marx 

https://www.amazon.in/Modern-World-History-Services-Examination/dp/9386860732


7a -german unification

7b - Focus on Stalinism & Cold War, describe bolshevism

pg 6.14 of WHB of https://www.amazon.in/Modern-World-History-Services-Examination/dp/9386860732

7c - Simon BOlivar - for the 1st time in UPSC this Qs asked - we have stressed umpteen no of times that any day this qs can come - finally, we feel vindicated

see pp 9.1 to 9.3 of WHB of 

https://www.amazon.in/Modern-World-History-Services-Examination/dp/9386860732

failure of bolivar to provide united stand = civil wars, different nationalisties, Chile having a diffrent leader, heavy spanish repression, brazil was under portuguese - had a different liberation path, 

nonehtl;ess Bolivar cannot be termed to have failed as such


8a - fascism in Italy

8b - repeat 2007, 2013

fully solved 

pg 12.10 of WHB of https://www.amazon.in/Modern-World-History-Services-Examination/dp/9386860732


8c - Dutch imperialism in Indonesia

read pg 5.4 of WHB of

https://www.amazon.in/Modern-World-History-Services-Examination/dp/9386860732



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