GS-III UPSC PYQ 2020

For effective border area management, discuss the steps required to be taken to deny local support to militants and also suggest ways to manage favourable perception among locals. (150 words, 10 Marks)

Explain the meaning of investment in an economy in terms of capital formation. Discuss the factors to be considered while designing a concession agreement between a public entity and private entity. (250 words, 15 Marks)

Discuss the recent measures initiated in disaster management by the Government of India departing from the earlier reactive approach. [ 250 Words, 15 Marks]

Describe the benefits of deriving electric energy from sunlight in contrast to the conventional energy generation. What are the initiatives offered by our Government for this purpose? (250 words, 15 marks)

What are the main constraints in transport and marketing of agricultural produce in India? How to approach this question Write a brief introduction setting context ( 1–2 lines ) Cover both sides if question says "critically discuss / examine / analyse" Use data, schemes, examples specific to INDIAN ECONOMY Conclude with a forward-looking statement ( 1 line ) Practice all GS3 Mains questions Model answers + key points for every question Open App Model Answer Framework (English) Show Hide Constraints in Transport and Marketing of Agricultural Produce Introduction Efficient transport and marketing determine whether farmers capture a fair share of the consumer rupee. In India, farmers often receive only 25–35% of the final price, and 5–16% of horticultural produce is lost in transit — pointing to deep structural constraints. Constraints in Transport Inadequate cold chain: A severe shortage of cold storage, reefer vans and pack-houses causes heavy spoilage of perishables. Poor rural connectivity: Despite PMGSY, last-mile roads remain weak; many villages lack all-weather links to mandis. easemyprep.in High logistics cost and delays: Fragmented loads, multiple handling, check-posts and a low share of rail freight raise costs and transit time. Lack of grading and packaging at source: Poor on-farm handling increases damage during transport. Constraints in Marketing APMC monopoly and intermediaries: Regulated mandis with licensed traders and commission agents foster cartelisation; produce passes through many layers, each adding a margin. easemyprep.in Information asymmetry: Farmers lack real-time price information and bargaining power against organised traders. Small, fragmented marketable surplus: Tiny holdings make individual marketing costly and weak in the absence of aggregation. Inadequate market infrastructure: Too few regulated markets, weak electronic-trading penetration and poor warehousing limit holding capacity. easemyprep.in Distress sales: Lacking storage and finance, small farmers sell immediately after harvest at low prices. Price volatility and weak assured procurement: For most crops beyond wheat and paddy, there is no assured procurement, exposing farmers to sharp price swings. Way Forward Strengthen e-NAM for a unified national market; expand FPOs for collective bargaining; build the cold chain and warehousing through the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund; promote Kisan Rail and multimodal logistics; reform APMC to allow direct and contract marketing with farmer safeguards; and improve grading, packaging and price-information systems. easemyprep.in Conclusion Transport and marketing inefficiencies are the weakest link between the farm and the market. Removing them through infrastructure, aggregation and market reform is essential to raise farmers' incomes and reduce both wastage and consumer prices. Value addition (Ease My Prep, August 2026) Current data: Parliament ( Aug 2024 ) placed post-harvest losses at 4-8% for grains and 5-15% for fruits and vegetables . NABCONS (2020-22, 54 crops) gives the crop-wise detail — guava loses 11.59% at the farm plus 3.46% at the market , highest among fruits, against paddy's 4.16% plus 0.61%. Market density: Beyond the regulated yards lie 22,941 rural periodic haats , which the GrAMs scheme was to upgrade into Gramin Agricultural Markets: only ~ 6% were upgraded two years in. An unupgraded haat has no auction, no weighment standard, no dispute forum — the transport constraint and the marketing constraint are one. easemyprep.in Infrastructure gap: The shortage is not cold storage as such but the links that make the chain *continuous* — village pack-houses, pre-cooling units, ripening chambers, reefer vans. A cold chain is only as strong as its warmest link, in India the first mile. Committee: The NITI Aayog Committee of Chief Ministers on Agricultural Reforms (2019) recommended linking Finance Commission grants to State adoption of the model marketing Acts — the only lever the Union has, agriculture being State List Entry 14. Recent policy: Kisan Rail proved multimodal perishable movement but was limited by round-trip load balance; PM Gati Shakti and the National Logistics Policy (2022) now attack the coordination failure directly. Under the Agriculture Export Policy 2018 with APEDA as nodal agency, agricultural exports reached US$51.9 billion in 2024-25 , where cold chain and phytosanitary certification bind harder than output. easemyprep.in Global comparison: Kenya's M-PESA shows that a payments rail, once laid, becomes the delivery channel for credit, insurance and input finance to the last mile — the lesson for AgriStack. Analytical edge: Agricultural freight moves by road in small fragmented loads owned by a different agent on each leg, so no single actor bears the loss and therefore no one invests in reducing it . Aggregation — FPO-level assembly and One District One Product volumes — is what makes reefer rail and pack-house investment bankable. Source: easemyprep.in Structured Mains Preparation Mains Mastery Programme Master Every GS Theme — GS1 to GS4 Theme-first. PYQ-anchored. You write every answer. All themes + all PYQs covered 2-Month or 4-Month track Starting ₹4,999 View GS4 Ethics Mastery · Now Live Ethics Mastery — 2 Questions Daily All GS4 PYQs · Part A + Part B Ethical lens built through daily practice Concept clarity + case study method Starting ₹1,999 View इस प्रश्न को हिंदी में पढ़ें हिंदी में पढ़ें → Structured Preparation Mains Mastery Programme Master Every GS Theme — GS1 to GS4 Theme-first. PYQ-anchored. You write every answer. All themes + all PYQs covered 2-Month or 4-Month track Starting ₹4,999 View GS4 Ethics Mastery · Now Live Ethics Mastery — 2 Questions Daily All GS4 PYQs · Part A + Part B Ethical lens built through daily practice Concept clarity + case study method Starting ₹1,999 View Practice All Mains GS3 — Economy, Environment & Security Questions Download App More GS3 Questions Ease My Prep Focused UPSC preparation. Daily current affairs, PYQ practice, trend analysis, and mentorship for serious CSE aspirants across India. Based in Gurugram, Haryana · Founded 2022 Product Features Pricing AI Copy Checking Courses Daily News Mentorship Books Blog Company About Us Community Contact Legal Privacy Policy Terms of Service Refund Policy 📱 Android App 🍎 iOS App 🌐 Web App © 2022 – 2026 Ease My Prep . All rights reserved. Made with dedication for UPSC aspirants across India.

What are salient features of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan launched by the Government of India for water conservation and water security? [150 Word, 10 Marks]

Suggest measures to improve water storage and irrigation system to make its judicious use under depleting scenario. (250 words, 15 marks)

Discuss different types of cybercrimes and measures required to be taken to fight the menace. (150 words, 10 Marks)

What are the key features of the National Clean Air Programme [NCAP] initiated by the Government of India.[250 Words,15 Marks]

Analyze internal security threats and transborder crimes along Myanmar, Bangladesh and Pakistan borders including Line of Control (LoC). Also discuss the role played by various security forces in this regard. (250 words, 15 Marks)

What are the challenges and opportunities in food processing sector in the country? How can income of the farmers be sustainably increased by encouraging food processing? (150 words, 10 Marks)

What are the main constraints in transports and marketing of agricultural produce in India? (150 words, 10 Marks)

Explain the rationale behind the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to states) act of 2017. How has COVID-19 impacted the GST compensation fund and created new federal tensions? (250 words, 15 Marks)

Explain intra-generational and inter-generational issues of equity from the perspective of inclusive growth and sustainable growth. (150 words, 10 Marks)

Discuss different types of cyber crimes and measures required to be taken to fight the menace. How to approach this question Write a brief introduction setting context ( 1–2 lines ) Cover both sides if question says "critically discuss / examine / analyse" Use data, schemes, examples specific to INTERNAL SECURITY Conclude with a forward-looking statement ( 1 line ) Practice all GS3 Mains questions Model answers + key points for every question Open App Model Answer Framework (English) Show Hide Cyber crime — any criminal activity that targets or uses a computer, network or digital device — is among the fastest-growing crime categories in a rapidly digitalising India, where lakhs of complaints are now filed each year on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Different types of cyber crimes Crimes against individuals: Identity theft, phishing, online financial and UPI fraud, cyber-stalking, cyber-bullying, sextortion, morphing and online defamation. easemyprep.in Crimes against property: Hacking, ransomware, malware and virus attacks, intellectual-property theft, and large-scale data breaches. Crimes against organisations and the state: Cyber espionage, attacks on critical information infrastructure, website defacement and cyber-terrorism. Crimes against society: Circulation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), online radicalisation, fake news and disinformation, dark-web trade and cyber-enabled trafficking. easemyprep.in Emerging forms: Deepfakes, cryptocurrency fraud and AI-enabled scams. Measures required to fight the menace Legal framework: Robust enforcement of the IT Act, 2000, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and the relevant provisions of the new criminal codes, with speedy adjudication. easemyprep.in Institutional architecture: Strengthen CERT-In, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) , the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, the Cyber Swachhta Kendra and dedicated state cyber cells. Capacity building: A trained cyber-police cadre and cyber-forensic laboratories in every district. Public awareness: Sustained citizen cyber-hygiene campaigns to reduce the pool of potential victims. easemyprep.in Technology: AI-based threat detection and "secure-by-design" systems. International cooperation: Engagement with the Budapest Convention framework, Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties and Interpol. Public-private partnership with technology platforms, banks and industry. easemyprep.in Conclusion As cyber crime grows in scale and sophistication, the response must be equally comprehensive — combining law, institutions, skilled manpower, technology, awareness and global cooperation — so that India's digital growth rests on a foundation of trust and cyber resilience. Source: easemyprep.in Structured Mains Preparation Mains Mastery Programme Master Every GS Theme — GS1 to GS4 Theme-first. PYQ-anchored. You write every answer. All themes + all PYQs covered 2-Month or 4-Month track Starting ₹4,999 View GS4 Ethics Mastery · Now Live Ethics Mastery — 2 Questions Daily All GS4 PYQs · Part A + Part B Ethical lens built through daily practice Concept clarity + case study method Starting ₹1,999 View इस प्रश्न को हिंदी में पढ़ें हिंदी में पढ़ें → Structured Preparation Mains Mastery Programme Master Every GS Theme — GS1 to GS4 Theme-first. PYQ-anchored. You write every answer. All themes + all PYQs covered 2-Month or 4-Month track Starting ₹4,999 View GS4 Ethics Mastery · Now Live Ethics Mastery — 2 Questions Daily All GS4 PYQs · Part A + Part B Ethical lens built through daily practice Concept clarity + case study method Starting ₹1,999 View Practice All Mains GS3 — Economy, Environment & Security Questions Download App More GS3 Questions Ease My Prep Focused UPSC preparation. Daily current affairs, PYQ practice, trend analysis, and mentorship for serious CSE aspirants across India. Based in Gurugram, Haryana · Founded 2022 Product Features Pricing AI Copy Checking Courses Daily News Mentorship Books Blog Company About Us Community Contact Legal Privacy Policy Terms of Service Refund Policy 📱 Android App 🍎 iOS App 🌐 Web App © 2022 – 2026 Ease My Prep . All rights reserved. Made with dedication for UPSC aspirants across India.

COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented devastation worldwide. However, technological advancements are being availed readily to win over the crisis. Give an account of how technology was sought to aid management of the pandemic. (250 words, 15 marks)

How is science interwoven deeply with our lives? What are the striking changes in agriculture triggered off by science-based technologies? (150 words, 10 marks)

What are the determinants of left-wing extremism in Eastern part of India? What strategy should the Government of India, civil administration and security forces adopt to counter the threat in the affected areas? (250 words, 15 Marks)

What do you understand by nanotechnology and how is it helping in health sector? How to approach this question Write a brief introduction setting context ( 1–2 lines ) Cover both sides if question says "critically discuss / examine / analyse" Use data, schemes, examples specific to SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Conclude with a forward-looking statement ( 1 line ) Practice all GS3 Mains questions Model answers + key points for every question Open App Model Answer Framework (English) Show Hide Nanotechnology is the science and engineering of understanding and manipulating matter at the nanoscale — between 1 and 100 nanometres (a nanometre is one-billionth of a metre). At this scale, materials display unique physical, chemical and biological properties — enhanced reactivity, strength, conductivity and optical behaviour — absent in their bulk form. The application of nanotechnology to medicine, called nanomedicine , is one of its most promising frontiers. How nanotechnology is helping the health sector Targeted drug delivery: Nanoparticles can carry drugs directly to diseased cells — for example, to a tumour — releasing the medicine precisely where needed. This raises effectiveness while reducing the side effects of systemic treatment. easemyprep.in Cancer diagnosis and therapy: Nanoparticle-based platforms enable early tumour detection and treatments such as targeted chemotherapy and nanoparticle-assisted hyperthermia. Early and sensitive diagnostics: Nano-biosensors and "lab-on-a-chip" devices detect biomarkers of disease at very low concentrations, enabling earlier diagnosis. Medical imaging: Quantum dots and nanoparticle contrast agents sharpen the imaging of tissues and cells. easemyprep.in Regenerative medicine: Nano-scaffolds support tissue engineering and the repair of damaged organs. Antimicrobial applications: Nano-silver coatings and advanced wound dressings fight infection. Vaccines: Lipid nanoparticles are central to the delivery of modern mRNA vaccines, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. easemyprep.in Theranostics: Nanoparticles that combine therapy and diagnostics in a single platform. Better implants: Nano-coatings improve the biocompatibility of implants and prosthetics. Concerns easemyprep.in The field must address nano-toxicity — the possible harmful effects of nanoparticles in the body — along with high costs and the need for clear regulatory standards. Conclusion Nanotechnology is transforming healthcare from a one-size-fits-all model towards precise, personalised and preventive medicine. Harnessed responsibly, with due attention to safety, it can make diagnosis earlier, treatment gentler and healthcare more effective for all. easemyprep.in Source: easemyprep.in Structured Mains Preparation Mains Mastery Programme Master Every GS Theme — GS1 to GS4 Theme-first. PYQ-anchored. You write every answer. All themes + all PYQs covered 2-Month or 4-Month track Starting ₹4,999 View GS4 Ethics Mastery · Now Live Ethics Mastery — 2 Questions Daily All GS4 PYQs · Part A + Part B Ethical lens built through daily practice Concept clarity + case study method Starting ₹1,999 View इस प्रश्न को हिंदी में पढ़ें हिंदी में पढ़ें → Structured Preparation Mains Mastery Programme Master Every GS Theme — GS1 to GS4 Theme-first. PYQ-anchored. You write every answer. All themes + all PYQs covered 2-Month or 4-Month track Starting ₹4,999 View GS4 Ethics Mastery · Now Live Ethics Mastery — 2 Questions Daily All GS4 PYQs · Part A + Part B Ethical lens built through daily practice Concept clarity + case study method Starting ₹1,999 View Practice All Mains GS3 — Economy, Environment & Security Questions Download App More GS3 Questions Ease My Prep Focused UPSC preparation. Daily current affairs, PYQ practice, trend analysis, and mentorship for serious CSE aspirants across India. Based in Gurugram, Haryana · Founded 2022 Product Features Pricing AI Copy Checking Courses Daily News Mentorship Books Blog Company About Us Community Contact Legal Privacy Policy Terms of Service Refund Policy 📱 Android App 🍎 iOS App 🌐 Web App © 2022 – 2026 Ease My Prep . All rights reserved. Made with dedication for UPSC aspirants across India.

What are the major factors responsible for making the rice-wheat system a success? In spite of this success, how has this system become a bane in India? (250 words, 15 Marks)

How does the draft Environment Impact Assessment [EIA] Notification,2020 Differ from the existing EIA Notification, 2006? [150 Word, 10 Marks]

"Institutional quality is a crucial driver of economic performance". In this context suggest reforms in the Civil Service for strengthening democracy.

What do you understand by nanotechnology and how is it helping in health sector? (150 words, 10 marks)

Define potential GDP and its determinants. What are the factors that have been inhibiting India from realizing its potential GDP? (150 words, 10 Marks)