Paper
I [Ancient + Medieval India] [30 OCT 2016]
Max
Marks: 250 marks
Max Time: 180 mins
Question
Nos. 1 & 5 are compulsory. Answer any three questions from the rest, taking
at least one question from each section. Marks are detailed against each
question.
Section
A
1.
Identify the following places marked on the
outline map supplied to you and write short notes of about 30 words on each of
them. Locational hints for each of the places marked on the map are given below
in seriatim : - [2&1/2 x 20 = 50]
(i)
Capital of a mahajanapad [Ahichchatra]
(ii)
Ochre Coloured pottery centre [Atranjikhera]
(iii)
Chola King Rajendra I’s capital city
[Gangaikondacholapuram]
(iv)
Famous for Buddhist Chaiyas [Bhaja]
(v)
Northern Black Polished Ware site
[Chandraketugarh]
(vi)
Important port [Masulipatnam]
(vii)
Ancient capital of Gandhara [Taxila]
(viii)
Two minor rock edicts of Asoka found here
[Brahmagiri]
(ix)
Known for its regional medieval architecture
[Mandu]
(x)
Present name is Kodungaloor [Muziris]
(xi)
Famous for Shiva-Parvati Gupta temples
[Nachna-Kuthar]
(xii)
Late Harappan site [Sanghol]
(xiii)
Bronze Buddha image discovered here
[Sultanganj]
(xiv)
Town on southern trade route [Gyaraspur]
(xv)
Stupa & terracotta figurines discovered
[Harwan]
(xvi)
Important Neolithic site [Chirand]
(xvii)
Capital of Eastern Chalukyas [Vengi]
(xviii)
Major fort town under Chandellas [Kalpi]
(xix)
Remains of Gandhara School of Art found here
[Bamiyan]
(xx)
Inscription of Western Kshatrap Saka ruler
found here [Girnar]
2A. Elucidate the
position of Sudras and Untouchables in pre-Islamic India [25]
2B. What was the
philosophy of marriage and divorce in Ancient India? [25]
3A. Compare the state
of Trade & Commerce during Gupta period with that of the post-Mauryan period
in the sub-continent.
3B. “The sixth century B.C. left a permanent impression on Indian history
mainly because it witnessed an intense pre-occupation with philosophical
speculation.” Comment.
3C. “The ‘meek and the good wife’ syndrome which left its impress on Indian
woman echoed in the Buddhist texts with the slave-like wife being extolled as
the best kind of wife.” Discuss [20+15 + 15 = 50]
4A. With examples,
describe the phases of growth of Chola Temple Architecture.
4B. “Varna was party an ideology that reflected the increasing social
differentiation of the times. It was even more an ideology that justified this
differentiation from the point of view of the elite groups.” Contextualise and critically
discuss.
4C : “The NITISARA describe cattle
rearing, farming and trade as the three sources of livelihood”. Discuss [20+15 + 15 = 50]
Section
B
5. Write short notes
in not more than 150 words on each of the following [10x5=50]
a. Rajasthani style of
Painting
b. Jaunpur as a regional hub of architecture
c. Economy during Mughal period
d. Historiography during Akbar’s regime
e. Sultanate Nobility Vs Mughal Nobility
6A Elucidate Aurangzeb’s
Rajput policy
6B. “Barani’s Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi is undoubtedly the most interesting and the
most vigorous. He wrote in a simple, vivid, imaginative style shorn of ornamental
verbiage, sometimes soaring high in poetic ecstasy. But doubts have been
expressed on Barani’s bona fides as an authoritative historian.” Critically
analyse
6C. What is Segmentary State Theory? Elaborate the same for South Indian
states. [10+20+20=50]
7A. “In the thirteenth
and fourteenth centuries, the two most influential orders among the Sufis were
the Suhrawardi, centred at Multan, and the Chishti at Delhi and other places.”
Do you agree?
7B. How did the revenue collection system evolve under Akbar’s reign?
7C. Discuss how Mathematics as a subject develop during Medieval period? [20+15+15=50]
8A. How
did the Sikhs rise as a regional power?
8B. Present
a brief on the growth of Technology during Sultanate period.
8C. “Miniature
painting entered a richly productive phase in the Mughal period.” Comment. [15 +15 + 20 = 50]
Paper
II [Modern India + World History] [12 NOV 2016]
Max
Marks: 250 Max Time: 180 mins
Question Nos. 1 & 5
are compulsory. Answer any three questions from the rest, taking at least one
question from each section. Marks are detailed against each question.
Section A
1. Critically examine the following
statements in NOT more than 150 words each:
[10x5=50]
a. “The
history of the Indian renaissance in the 19th century and the European Renaissance
in the 14th century offers us a pleasant contrast and also a curious scenario
of creative synthesis of the best of the East and the West.”
b.
“Communist influence started growing
among the Bombay textiles workers and Kharagpur Railway workshop labourers”
c.
“Colonial intervention, it bears pointing out,
set in motion two contradictory processes. On the one hand, there was a
secularization of caste. On the other hand, there was a ‘novel association of
caste with Hindu religion”
d. “The Revolutionary terrorist
movement was largely the out-come of the same set of causes which gave rise to
the Extremist wing in nationalist politics”
e. “The 562 princely states, comprising almost two-fifths of India’s
territory, had remained ‘walled off’ and relatively autonomous internally since
they were under the loose supervision of British residents posted at their
courts, although their external relations remained under British control”
2A. Trace the tribal movements between 1885
and 1905.
2B. “In the 18th century, emergence
of Mysore as a significant power was most spectacular” Do you concur?
2C. Evaluate the role of Pandita Rama Bai (1858-1922)
in the struggle against caste system [20+20+10=50]
3A. Bring to the surface the basic tenets
of Subaltern nationalism.
3B. How was deindustrialisation a feature
in India in the 19th century?
3C. Posit a brief sketch of Orientalist
governance during the Company Raj
[15+15+20=50]
4A. “The growth of tea plantations in Assam
and Darjeeling accounted for the emergence of significant immigrant and
indentured labour population.” Critically discuss.
4B. Present a brief
account of the JP movement in the 1970s.
4C. Trace the post-independence secessionist
movements in the North-East. [20+15+15=50]
Section B
5. Critically examine the following
statements in about 150 words each:
[10x5=50]
a. “The newly drafted constitution containing four pages was signed by
fifty-five persons on 17 September 1787 and came into force on
June 21, 1788”
b. “The guillotine twist
which Robespierre had given to the teachings of Jean Jacques Rousseau was
repeated by Hitler and the Gestapo in their political simplification of the
contradictory theories of Nietzsche”
c. “The
Latin American revolutions were deeply indebted to contemporary developments in
Europe and North America, both for their inspiration, manifestoes, and slogans,
and also for material assistance”
d. “The
battle of Waterloo”, remarked Napoleon at St. Helena, “will be as dangerous to
the liberties of Europe as the battle of Philippi was dangerous to the
liberties of Rome””
e. “Although France, in 1870, was
not a newly constructed nation like the German Empire, it was a nation sorely
in need of reunification and dedication to a common set of political purposes”
6A. “Balkan Wars
were precursors to the First World War” Explain
6B. “Treaty of Versailles was a dictated peace.” Do you agree?
6C. Why did the
League of Nations fall to preserve peace? [15+15+20=50]
7A. How did the
relations between USSR & Germany develop during 1919 and 1933?
7B. Evaluate
Hitler’s foreign policy from 1933-1938
7C. “Japan’s
motives for the attack on Pearl Harbour were tied up with her economic
situation” Critically examine. [15+15+20=50]
8A. How did
Stalin manage to reach to supreme authority?
8B. Why did the European powers give up their empires post second world war?
8C. Do you think demagogues possess masterly skill to mesmerise people so as to
rise to the top of political authority? Cite instances from 20th
century world history as well as 21st century. [15+15+20=50]
UPSC Mains Political Science Simulated Paper
I [30 OCT 2016]
Max Marks 250 Max Time 180 mins
Qs 1 & 5 are compulsory and answer any
three from the rest.
Section A
Q1. Prepare
commentaries on the following in about 150 words each: (10 × 5 = 50)
a. “Critical
theory provides a specific interpretation of Marxist philosophy and reinterprets
some of its central economic and political notions” [Ref: http://www.iep.utm.edu/frankfur/]
b. “In the Republic, Plato suggests that ruling is a kind of science or craft and
concludes that only those trained in this craft should be permitted to govern.”
c. “Spinoza ultimately
endorsed a relatively democratic and open society.”
d. “Burke is best known as an apostle of order, tradition, and
authority; indeed, as the ‘father’ of modern conservatism” [Ref:
http://oll.libertyfund.org/pages/people]
e. “Sartre's
primary idea is that people, as humans, are condemned to be free"
Q2A. What
is Political theory? What is the justification to study Political Theory? [Ref:
IGNOU MA]
Q2B. Discuss
the Marxian and Gramscian traditions of Civil Society. [Ref: IGNOU MA]
Q2C. Explain
John Rawls’ Liberal-Egalitarian principles of justice. [Ref: IGNOU MA] [15+10+25=50]
Q3A.
Enumerate the views of feminist scholars with respect to the sex/gender
distinction in feminist theory [Ref: IGNOU MA]
Q3B. Bring
out the theoretical difference between Fundamentalism and Fascism. [Ref: IGNOU
MA]
Q3C. Is
Gandhism same as Pacifism? Critically examine. [Ref: IGNOU MA]
[15+20+15=50]
Q4A. Compare
the notions of Justice by Plato and Aristotle
[Ref: IGNOU MA]
Q4B.
What is Dialectical method? Distinguish between Marx’s and Hegel’s philosophy
of history. [Ref: IGNOU MA]
Q4C. Prepare
a discourse linking Nationalism and Colonial Modernity [Ref: IGNOU MA] [15+20+15=50]
Section B
Q5.
Comment on the following in about 150 words each: (10 × 5 = 50)
a. Gandhi’s Concept of Social
Justice
b. Women Empowerment in India in the
21st century
c. Judicial Activism or Overreach?
d. Cooperative Federalism
e. Local Self Government’s success
in India
Q6A. Discuss
the various ideological positions taken during India’s freedom struggle.
Q6B. Highlight
the impact of the amending procedure on the development of constitutionalism in
India.
Q6C. Suggest
reforms in India’s present bureaucratic structure [20+15+15=50]
Q7A.
Evaluate the new avatar of planning in India.
Q7B.
What is the concept of coloured legislation? Suggest methods of controlling
pandemonium in the parliamentary proceedings.
Q7C.
Critically discuss the issues related to inter-state water disputes in India. [15+15+20=50]
Q8A. “Religion is a more significant factor in Indian polity than caste.” Do
you agree?
Q8B. Enumerate
the composition & role of the National Commission for Minorities
Q8C. Chart
out the changing socio- economic profile of Legislators
in Union parliament since 2001. [15+15+20=50]
Political Science Paper II
Instructions for Simulated Mains Political
Science Optional Paper
·
Time
Allowed : Three Hours
Maximum Marks :
250
·
There
are EIGHT questions divided in two Sections and printed in ENGLISH.
·
Candidate
has to attempt FIVE questions in all.
·
Question
Nos. 1 and 5 are compulsory and out of the remaining, THREE are to be attempted
choosing at least ONE question from each Section.
·
The
number of marks carried by a question/part is indicated against it.
·
Word
limit in questions, wherever specified, should be adhered to.
·
Attempts
of questions shall be counted in chronological order. Unless struck off,
attempt of a question shall be counted even if attempted
partly. Any page or portion of the page left blank in the Question-cum-Answer
Booklet must be clearly struck off.
SECTION-A
Q1. Answer the following
questions in about 150 words each : 10 marks x 5 = 50
1. “Of late, ultra-nationalism seems to have grown
worldwide. It appears to be a reaction against globalisation and liberalisation”
Critically analyse.
2. “Terrorism is the most
immediate global concern” Discuss.
3. What is
Strategic coercion? Illustrate with
respect to the foreign policy of a state.
4. “Deterrence aims to persuade the opponent not to initiate
action.” Analyse with instances.
5. Write a note on Functionalist
and Systems theory towards the study of International Relatons.
Q2. Answer the following
(20+15+15 marks)
1. “India has failed to establish its foothold in
Central Asia” Do you agree?
2. Describe the membership & organisational
structure of Council for Mutual Economic
Assistance.
3. “Globalization
is seen more as colonization than liberating force” Critically evaluate
Q3. Answer the following
(20+15+15 marks)
1. Posit an argumentative case for United Nations
Security Council reforms.
2. Argue for India’s case of membership in Nuclear
Supplier’s Group.
3. “From Brettonwoods
to WTO, the journey was surely not smooth, but since therafter, there have been
new challenges”
Explain.
Q4. Answer following (15+15+20
marks)
1.
“The
political instability post-1991, in the Central Asian Republics is due to the
lack of the shield provided by erstwhile USSR.” Critically assess the
statement.
2.
“Non-aligned movement has almost lost its relevance with multipolarity emerging
in world order.” Opine.
3.
“European Union has suffered disasters, in the form of Brexit and
Sovereign Debt Crisis.” Discuss.
Q5. Answer the following
questions in about 150 words each : 10 marksx5=50
1. “What began as another Arab Spring uprising against an autocratic ruler
has mushroomed into a brutal proxy war that has drawn in regional and world
powers.” Discuss
in the context of the Syrian crisis.
2. Do you think India should do away with Indus Water
Treaty?
3. “Pakistan's Federally Administered
Tribal Areas (FATA) is a chessboard of great power politics” Analyse
4. Present a brief on Columbia’s approach towards
Communist Insurgency
5. Elaborate on : Role of domestic factors in foreign policy making
Q6. Answer following
(20+15+15 marks)
1. “None of
the Indian governments have ever explicitly spelled out their strategic
intentions in a single document, although there are plenty of public statements that offer a good indication of the government’s
outlook.” Discuss
2. Evaluate the recent trend in India – USA relations.
Will it have a different trajectory with a change in dispensation in the US?
3. What are India’s nuclear capabilities? Are they
sufficient enough for acting as a credible minimum deterrence?
Q7.
Answer following (20+15+15 marks)
1. “India’s immediate neighbourhood needs to be
nurtured to the maximum. Soft power has to be utilised at its best.” Discuss
2. Analyse the contours of Indo – Japan relations in
the last decade.
3. Examine India’s
role in democratising Afghanisatan.
Q8.
Answer following (20+15+15 marks)
1. “SAARC has come to a dead end” Do you agree?
2. Should India take more active stance in emboldening
its relations with Latin America? Why?
3. Are India and Israel, post-2001, strategic partners?
Analyse.
