Mains answer practice — GS 3 : Questions on Bonn Climate Change Conference and identification and deportation of illegal immigrants (Week 107)
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-3 to check your progress.
🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for May 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨
Discuss how technology is transforming the identification and deportation of illegal immigrants, assessing both its benefits and limitations.
The Bonn Climate Change Conference serves as a crucial mid-year platform under the UNFCCC process. Discuss its role in shaping the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) and climate finance frameworks ahead of COP30.
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 how technology is transforming the identification and deportation of illegal immigrants, assessing both its benefits and limitations.
Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.
Introduction:
— Since Operation Sindoor began on May 7, Indian officials have 'pushed back' about 2,500 alleged illegal Bangladeshi immigrants across the international border.
— The government has not only set a 30-day deadline for verifying illegal immigration, but identified persons are currently being carried from various states to border outposts by Indian Air Force aircraft.
— This has, however, aroused concerns about due process, humanitarian difficulties, and pending litigation, particularly allegations of persons being abandoned in the no-man's land between India and Bangladesh.
Body:
You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:
— Migration between what is now Bangladesh and India dates back to British times. The colonial administration encouraged settlement in the then sparsely populated Assam by bringing in labourers from Bengal and North India.
— Following partition, millions of East Pakistan refugees, predominantly Hindus, migrated to India. During Pakistan's violent crackdown on Bengalis, over 10 million people, predominantly Hindus, sought asylum in India in 1971 alone.
— This inflow has resulted in major socio political turmoil, particularly in Assam. While the India-Bangladesh border is largely walled now, gaps remain and illegal migration continues, with Bangladeshi labourers noticeable in metropolitan labour markets across India.
— There is currently no official or commonly accepted figure for the number of undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants in India, and estimates vary greatly.
The government has also pursued a more tech-driven approach to the problem:
— It developed the identification.mha.gov.in portal to collect biographic and biometric information from Rohingya immigrants. This was eventually expanded to cover Bangladeshi migrants as well.
— In 2023, the government redesigned this webpage as the Foreigners Identification webpage (FIP) to record more thorough profiles of suspected illegal immigrants. States/UTs and the Ministry of External Affairs now have access to the portal, which is used to upload and verify information about suspected illegal immigrants. If verification fails, expulsion is initiated with assistance from the Foreigners' Regional Registration Offices (FRROs).
— In 2023, the government also launched a District Police Module on the Immigration Visa Foreigner Registration Tracking (IVFRT) portal to track overstaying foreigners.
— Biometric capture technology, including fingerprint scanners, cameras, and computers, has been installed throughout the BSF's police stations, detention centres, and Border Outposts.
Conclusion:
— Currently, states including Gujarat, Delhi, Assam, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan are gathering up and transporting detected illegal immigrants to Assam, Tripura, and Meghalaya border points. They are then 'pushed back' across the border by the Border Security Force (BSF).
— However, the current effort represents a more organised, digitised approach to the issue of illegal migration. With biometric data now on the FIP, the government aims to check re-entry.
(Source: How latest drive to deport illegal Bangladeshi immigrants stands out)
Points to Ponder
Read about places in news in India and Bangladesh
Read about trade between India and Bangladesh
Related Previous Year Questions
India has a long and troubled border with China and Pakistan fraught with contentious issues. Examine the conflicting issues and security challenges along the border. Also give out the development Programme (BADP) and Border Infrastructure and Management (BM) Scheme. (2024)
What are the internal security challenges being faced by India? Give out the role of Central Intelligence and Investigative Agencies tasked to counter such threats. (2023)
QUESTION 2: The Bonn Climate Change Conference serves as a crucial mid-year platform under the UNFCCC process. Discuss its role in shaping the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) and climate finance frameworks ahead of COP30.
Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.
Introduction:
— The Bonn Climate Change Conference is an annual mid-year gathering held under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), an international accord adopted in 1992 that serves as a foundation for climate negotiations.
— The conference is officially called the Sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies (SBs). It is the UNFCCC's sole regular climate conference, in addition to the annual Conference of the Parties (COP).
Body:
You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:
— It is attended by members of SBs, which are committees that support the UNFCCC's governing bodies in executing and assessing climate change accords. Indigenous representatives, international groups, scientists, and representatives from civil society all attend the summit.
— The meeting is held to examine technical and scientific aspects of climate discussions, as well as to determine the agenda for the COP, which typically occurs in November.
— The Bonn Climate Conference is also where the implementation of agreements reached at the previous COP is discussed.
— One of the main topics of discussion will be the Global objective on Adaptation (GGA), which is an attempt to create a shared global objective on adaptation, similar to how maintaining temperatures below the 1.5°C threshold is a global goal on mitigation.
— Although the GGA was established in the Paris Agreement in 2015, no major breakthrough occurred until COP28 in Dubai, when parties agreed on a framework for outlining global adaptation goals.
Conclusion:
— The meeting is led by the SBs of the UNFCCC. There are two permanent SBs of the UNFCCC, the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA).
— SBI assists the UNFCCC governing bodies in the assessment and review of the implementation of their decisions, while SBSTA advises the governing bodies on scientific knowledge related to climate change.
(Source: Bonn Climate Change Conference begins: Everything you need to know)
Points to Ponder
Read more about Bonn Climate Conference
Read more about COP
Related Previous Year Questions
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predicted a global sea level rise of about one metre by AD 2100. What would be its impact in India and the other countries in the Indian Ocean region? (2023)
Explain the purpose of the Green Grid Initiative launched at World Leaders Summit of the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November, 2021. When was this idea first floated in the International Solar Alliance (ISA)? (2021)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 106)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 105)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 106)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 105)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 106)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 105)
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Indian Express
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Knowledge Nugget: 170th anniversary of Santhal Revolt — Revisiting tribal resistance for UPSC Prelims and Mains
Take a look at the essential events, concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here's your knowledge nugget for today on 170th anniversary of Santhal Revolt and other significant tribal revolts. (Relevance: In the 2018 UPSC prelims, a question was asked about the Santhal Uprising. In 2023, a question was asked on the response of the tribes against colonial oppression in General Studies I. Tribal movements and leaders form an important section of the UPSC syllabus. Therefore, knowing about the Santhal Revolt and other key tribal rebellions becomes significant for your UPSC prep.) The landmark event in tribal history, referred to as Santhal Hul, completes 170 years today. Every year, the state of Jharkhand also celebrates June 30 as 'Hul Diwas', marking the beginning of the rebellion. On this occasion, let's revisit this landmark event in Indian history and understand it from a broader perspective. 1. The Santhal rebellion or 'Hul' – literally, revolution – began in 1855, two years before the the uprising of 1857, often referred to as 'the first war for Indian independence'. 2. It was an 'organised war against colonialism' led by the Santhals, standing against the myriad forms of oppression – economic and otherwise – they were subjected to by the British and their collaborator zamindars and corrupt moneylenders. 3. Led by two brothers, Sidhu and Kanhu, it saw the participation of as many as 32 castes and communities rallying behind them. 4. The seeds of the Santhal rebellion, however, were sown in 1832 when the East India Company created the Damin-i-Koh region in the forested belt of the Rajmahal hills. The area was allocated to the Santhals displaced from Birbhum, Murshidabad, Bhagalpur, Barabhum, Manbhum, Palamau, and Chhotanagpur, all areas the Bengal Presidency. 5. While the Santhals were promised settlement and agriculture in Damin-i-Koh, what followed was the repressive practice of land-grabbing and begari (bonded labour) of two types: kamioti and harwahi. Over the years, Santhals found themselves at the receiving end of exploitative practices aided by the British. 6. After the rebellion broke out in 1855, both sides continued clashing till the uprising was crushed in 1856. The British defeated the Santhals using modern firearms and war elephants in decisive action in which both Sidho and Kanho died. Abhishek Angad writes-'Inder Kumar Choudhary, former HoD of History at Ranchi University, who has also written a book 'From Region to Nation: The Tribal Revolts in Jharkhand 1855-58', told The Indian Express that it was not that the 1855 uprising died down. 'In 1857, when there was a mutiny (as reported the first such in British India), the hin Hazaribagh and Manbhum area(current Dhanbad and Purulia area) had also led a war against the Britishers. So the idea of 'Hul' rebellion did not die down with its suppression.' 1. The Santhals were not the original inhabitants of modern day Santhal Pargana – which includes the six districts of Dumka, Pakur, Godda, Sahibganj, Deoghar and parts of Jamtara. They had migrated from the Birbhum and Manbhum regions (present-day Bengal), starting around the late 18th century. 2. The 1770 famine in Bengal caused the Santhals to begin moving and soon, the British turned to them for help. With the enactment of the Permanent Settlement Act of 1790, the East India Company was desperate to bring an ever-increasing area in its control under settled agriculture. They, thus, chose the area of Damin-i-Koh, at the time heavily forested, to be settled by the Santals, in order to collect a steady stream of revenue. However, once settled, the Santals bore the brunt of colonial oppression. 3. Today, the Santal community is the third largest tribal community in India, spread across Jharkhand-Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal. 📌Munda Rebellion: Birsa Munda launched the Ulgulan movement (Munda rebellion) in 1899, using weapons and guerrilla warfare to drive out foreigners. He encouraged the tribals to follow the Birsa Raj and not comply with colonial laws and rent payments. It was one of the most organised and widespread tribal revolts, with clear objectives: to overthrow the British government, expel outsiders from the region, and establish an independent Munda state. Known as 'Dharti Aba' ('Father of the Earth'), Birsa Munda organised the 'Ulgulan' or the Munda Rebellion against British oppression in the late 1890s. November 15, the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, is celebrated as 'Janjatiya Gaurav Divas' to honour the contributions of the tribal freedom fighters. — However, the British were soon able to halt the movement through the superior strength of their forces. On March 3, 1900, Munda was arrested by the British police while he was sleeping along with his tribal guerilla army at the Jamkopai forest in Chakradharpur. — The movement contributed to the government's repeal of the begar system and led to the Tenancy Act (1903) which recognised the khuntkhatti system. The Chotanagpur Tenancy Act (1908) later banned the passage of tribal land to non-tribal folks. 📌Paika Rebellion: In several recent descriptions, the 1817 Paika Rebellion in Odisha's Khurda is referred to as the 'original' first war of Indian Independence. That year, the Paikas – a class of military retainers traditionally recruited by the kings of Odisha – revolted against the British colonial rulers mainly over being dispossessed of their land holdings. —In the run-up to the revolt, the British had dethroned and exiled the Khurda king in 1803, and then started introducing new revenue settlements. For Paikas, who were into rendering martial services in return for hereditary rent-free land (nish-kar jagirs) and titles, this disruption meant losing both their estates and social standing. —The trigger for the revolt came as some 400 Kondhs descended from the Ghumusar area to rise against the British. Bakshi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar Mohapatra Bharamarbar Rai, the highest-ranking military general of the banished Khurda king, led an army of Paikas to join the uprising of the Kondhs. —Over the next few months, the Paikas fought bloody battles at several places, but the colonial army gradually crushed the revolt. 📌Kol Revolt: The Kols, tribal people from the Chhota Nagpur area, rose in revolt against the British in 1831. The trigger here too was the gradual takeover of tribal land and property by non-tribal settlers who were aided by new land laws. The simmering discontent over the economic exploitation of the original inhabitants led to an uprising led by Buddhu Bhagat, Joa Bhagat, and Madara Mahato among others. The Kols were joined by other tribes like the Hos, Mundas, and Oraons. —The tribals fought with traditional weapons taking the battle to colonial forces who finally overpowered them with modern weaponry. The uprising, which spread to areas like Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Palamau, Manbhum and continued for almost two years before being snuffed out, mainly targeted colonial officials and private money-lenders. 📌Bhil uprising: After the British intruded into the Bhil territory in Maharashtra's Khandesh region, the tribals pushed back fearing exploitation under the new regime in 1818. The revolt was led by their leader, Sewaram and was brutally crushed using the British military might. —This uprising again erupted in 1825 as the Bhils sought to take advantage of reverses being suffered by the British in the first Anglo-Burmese war. 📌Dhal Revolt: The first tribal revolt during British rule in Jharkhand was the Dhal Revolt in 1767, led by Jagannath Dhal, the former king of Dhalbhum, a part of West Bengal today. —Triggered by the presence of the British East India Company that marginalised the local population, this revolt lasted 10 years. In response to the ongoing unrest, the British reinstated Jagannath Dhal as the ruler of Dhalbhum in 1777. 📌 Tana Bhagat Movement: It began in 1914 by Jatra Bhagat, a leader of the Oraon tribe. He called for a return to traditional practices, rejecting colonial rule and Western influences. Bhagat highlighted agrarian issues and initiated a no-rent campaign, urging labourers to refuse forced or low-wage work. (1) After the Santhal Uprising subsided, what were the measures taken by the colonial government? (UPSC CSE 2018) 1. The territories called 'Santhal Parganas' were created. 2. It became illegal for a Santhal to transfer land to a non-Santhal. Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (2) With reference to the history of India, 'Ulgulan' or 'the Great Tumult' is led by? (UPSC CSE 2020) (a) Bakshi Jagabandhu (b) Alluri Sitaramaraju (c) Sidhu & Kanhu Murmu (d) Birsa Munda (3) With reference to the Santhal Rebellion, consider the following statements: 1. It was an organised war against colonialism. 2. The rebellion was led by two brothers Sidhu and Kanhu. 3. The rebellion took place in the Damin-i-Koh region. How many of the statements given above are correct? 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Her interests lie in national and international affairs, governance, economy, and social issues. You can contact her via email: ... Read More
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