Mains answer practice — GS 1 : Questions on significance of the Ambubachi festival and jet streams (Week 109)

Indian Express

16 hours ago

UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative for the practice of Mains answer writing. It covers essential topics of static and dynamic parts of the UPSC Civil Services syllabus covered under various GS papers. This answer-writing practice is designed to help you as a value addition to your UPSC CSE Mains. Attempt today's answer writing on questions related to topics of GS-1 to check your progress.
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Discuss the role of Ambubachi festival in shaping religious tourism and local economies in North-East India.
Discuss the formation, characteristics, and seasonal variability of jet streams. How does modern aviation strategically utilises these atmospheric currents, citing their benefits and potential hazards?
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
— 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.
QUESTION 1: Discuss the role of Ambubachi festival in shaping religious tourism and local economies in North-East India.
Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.
Introduction:
— The event takes place during the monsoon season, usually in June, at the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, which is a shrine to the Goddess Kamakhya and one of the most prominent Tantrik Shakti centres.
— The event is associated with fertility, the beginning of the monsoon season, and the common historical connotation of a fertile woman among nations on Earth. The name 'Ambubachi' literally means 'water flowing.'
Body:
You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:
— During Ambubachi, devotees at this spot are said to have access to the creative and nurturing power of mother Earth's'menses' during monsoon rain. During this time, all agricultural activities, including ploughing and sowing, are suspended.
— The Kamakhya Temple has a long and complicated history, reaching back at least to the early years of the Common Era, but its beginnings are thought to be far older. It has been destroyed and rebuilt several times, most notably in the 16th century by Koch monarch Naranarayana, giving the current edifice a mix of ancient and mediaeval architecture.
— 'Ambubachi' means 'spoken with water,' and it signifies that the rains expected this month would make the ground fruitful and suitable for conception. Daily worship is halted at this time. All agricultural activities, including digging, ploughing, sowing, and transplanting crops, are outlawed.
— The concept of Ambubachi thus has formative effects, as well as components of agricultural, social, and religious beliefs that have led to the phenomenon's emergence. It is thus symbolic and religiously sanctioned.
Conclusion:
— The Ambubachi period is thought to correspond to the goddess's annual menstruation, and the shrine is shuttered during this time. At the end of the period, the shrine's doors are ceremonially opened, and devotees flock to see the deity. This year, the shrine remained closed from June 22 to 25, then reopened on June 26.
(Source: Ambubachi Mela at Kamakhya temple: Significance of major Assam religious festival, directortourism.assam.gov.in)
Points to Ponder
Read about other important festivals of North-East India
Related Previous Year Questions
How does Indian society maintain continuity in traditional social values? Enumerate the changes taking place in it. (2021)
QUESTION 2: Discuss the formation, characteristics, and seasonal variability of jet streams. How does modern aviation strategically utilises these atmospheric currents, citing their benefits and potential hazards?
Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.
Introduction:
— Jet streams are narrow bands of high winds that travel thousands of miles from west to east. Major jet streams are found near the higher regions of the atmosphere, around 9 to 16 kilometres above the earth's surface, and can reach speeds of over 320 kph.
— The jet streams move to the north or south depending on the season. During the winter, the wind current is strongest. They are also closer to the equator in the winter.
— The three main jet streams are the Polar Front, Subtropical, and Tropical jet streams. In India, the tropical jet stream influences the origin and duration of the summer monsoon.
Body:
You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:
Formation of Jet Streams
— They are generated because of two key ingredients: rotation and heating.
— The earth is unevenly heated due to the disproportionate concentration of solar heating in the tropics and the absence of warmth at the poles. This causes the atmosphere to move, as some particles of air become warmer and more buoyant than others. But the globe also rotates, which limits the resulting fluid flow, notably in the north-south direction. These two elements cause the ensuing flow to spread west-eastward and produce jet streams.
Characteristics of Jet Streams
— These are narrow bands of strong winds blowing from west to east.
— They follow the boundary between hot and cold air.
— During the winter months in both the northern and southern hemispheres, jet streams are at their fiercest.
Conclusion:
How does modern aviation utilise atmospheric currents?
— Most commercial flights fly at jet stream altitude, and a strong jet stream can offer a powerful tailwind to a trip heading from west to east, such as the British Airways journey from New York to London. This helps to minimise travel time for such planes by increasing their speeds.
— Modern aviation takes advantage of air currents in several important ways:
— Jet streams, or high-altitude winds, can considerably cut flight time and fuel consumption when flown with, whereas turbulence, another atmospheric phenomenon, necessitates careful management and mitigation measures.
— Airlines intentionally plan routes to use jet streams for eastward trips, decreasing travel time and fuel consumption. They avoid regions of known turbulence to protect passenger comfort and safety.
(Source: What is a jet stream, which helped a flight beat speed record?, http://www.climate.gov)
Points to Ponder
Read about polar vortices, and atmospheric rivers
What are Rossby waves?
Related Previous Year Questions
What is the phenomenon of 'Cloudbursts'? Explain. (2024)
What is the concept of a 'demographic winter'? Is the world moving towards such a situation? Elaborate. (2024)
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