Decoding The

Answer
Nitin Sir
Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]
• After the structure of the question is well understood,
now let's move on to the answer. For understanding,
Answers can be divided along the following aspects.
• STRUCTURE
• CONTENT
• PRESENTATION

• A healthy balance at all these 3 levels can bring about a

decent answer. Let us understand this through an
answer I wrote. The answer is only there as a specimen
to explain different parts of an answer and is not a
model answer.

Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]

SAMPLE QUESTION:
• Child marriage is failure of Indian society in its efforts
to women empowerment and inclusiveness. In this
contract while highlighting the prevalence of Child
marriage in India. Elaborate on the factors responsible
for it and measures to prevent it.

SAMPLE ANSWER:
• Child marriage is one of the worst social bid prevalent
in India that reflects our inadequate efforts towards'
women empowerment, social change and inclusive
development.

Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]

• 1/3 of total child brides in world are Indian (UN
Population fund) NFHS survey reflects that aged
between 21-24 years, near to 50% women were
married as minors. Rajasthan & Jharkhand have a
prevalance rate of 65% & 63% respectively suggesting
the gravity of issue.

• Low Education among girls - it has a cyclical relation

with marriage, due to which they are married early.

• Conservative patriarchal attitude of considering girls

'Paraya Dhan' or a burden on family due to dowry
expenses.

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• Poor self autonomy to women - who are not even
taken consent from before being married off.

• Need for extra hands to labour at home - due to

larger families example in rural areas, prompts
bringing daughter in laws early.

• Norms to control sexuality of women - early in life

and Sanctity/purity of marital norms.

• Concern for safety of single young girls - Example

in slum areas prompts early marriage too.

Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]

Measures to prevent this scourge:

• Educating girls and sensitising them.

• Education of women and training - who can delay

marriage of their daughters / sons.

• Preventing school Dropouts & child labour by constant

school monitoring & parent teacher interaction.

• Punishment of religious priests solemnising Such

Educating girls and sensitising them. marriages and
media activation.

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• Sensitising about health risks, psychological and
physical burden on young girls due to marriage.

• Strict implementation of prevention / prohibition

of child marriage Act 2006.

• Child helplines and civil society support to report

cases of child marriage.

• Novel approaches ex Karnataka declares marriage

below 18-21 years for girls and boys as void ab
initio.

Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]

• CABE Committee recommendation of making
girls education free till post graduation.

• Sensitising boys about responsible and late

marriage as well as employment / education.

A sustained effort is required to prevent child

marriages and allow rights of self determination
of healthy living to girls and boys in India.

Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]

DECODING THE QUESTION

1. Parts: Highlight the prevalence, Elaborate on

the factors, Measures to prevent

2. Background: Indian Society, Women

Empowerment, Inclusiveness

3. Focus Point: Child Marriage

4. Hinted Flow:

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Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]
DECODING THE ANSWER:

STRUCTURE is related to the Organisation of

Answer. This is the basic skeleton of an answer
and remains on the same line for all. It has the
following pointers:

Introduction:

1 or 2 lines which give an idea about the

'Background' of the answer or some hard facts
can be the opening.

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Addressing each part of the question :
There might be more than 1 sub part to a
question. Don't forget to answer them all as
each carries some marks.

In the above sample, there are 3 parts:

➢ Highlighting the prevalence

➢ Elaborate on factors

➢ Suggest measures

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All these parts need to be answered to make
sure you can claim points.

Required weightage given to each part of the

question:

Each sub part might not demand the same

weightage. How much to write for each part
must be gauged by how the question is framed.

Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]

In the sample,

> 'Highlighting' is only required to set a context and is not

the major focus of the answer. Hence, 2-3 lines will suffice.
Data points used to support the prevalence improve the
authenticity of the argument.

>'Elaborate on factors' and 'Suggest measures' are more

likely to be equally weighed and hence they can be given
similar space.

> This way you must judge for each question how to
structure the answer.

Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]

Conclusion:

• This is Not a summary of what you've written in the

whole answer. Some additional points, govt scheme,
constitutional or other references can be given.

• In this answer, there is a very generalistic conclusion.

Answers could be concluded in Any other way by
highlighting some major report, finding, law, judgement,
International agreement etc. If none of these come to
your head at the moment and you have invested enough
in the main part, such a conclusion should suffice.

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Way forward:

• This can be given in the later part of the

answer whenever there is scope to provide
ideas for how things should be. This brings
out an optimistic side of any issue and shows
that there is scope for better.

• In this answer, 'Suggest measures' was a part

of the question itself and hence, giving a
different "Way Forward' was avoided.

Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]

CONTENT is the crux of the answer. It is the basic matter of
what is asked in the question and comprises of:

Basic Information:

Basic information about the 'Background' and 'focus points'

of the answer can be the starting.

Definitions:
Some Keywords or Technical terms can be defined in simpler
words. This can be done at the Introduction level itself. In this
sample, Child Marriage could be defined by explaining the
legal age of marriage.

Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]

Facts:
• Some statistics or data can be quoted in the answer to
increase its weight.

• In the sample, these are given to substantiate the

prevalence of child marriage in India.

Arguments:
• This is the part in which we present our arguments in
favour or against any topic asked.

• In the sample, the major Arguments are supposed to be

around the 2 parts of the question.

Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]

• What you write inside will be determined by
how well you know the syllabus and how
properly you have prepared that topic.

• The better read you are about the topic, the

better you'll be able to analyse and write
accordingly.

• PRESENTATION consists of how the answer is

presented to break the monotony of long
statements

Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]

Use of flowcharts:

It can be done to effectively present the

information you have or to present some points
in less space. Few flowcharts can be prepared
beforehand so that we can use them in the
relevant subject.

For Example:

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Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]
Usage of Examples:

• In the Labour sector, Govt schemes like PM

Rozgar Protsahan Yojana, Shram Suvidha Portal
and 4 labour laws.

• Indian or International examples for various

categories can be given to substantiate.

• In Water Conservation, NGT lauded the Jal

Samvardhan Yojana of Rajasthan in which the
traditional water bodies were rejuvenated and
requirement of tankers was reduced.

Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]

Diagrams:
They can be used to illustrate certain aspects in
the question in an easy manner.

This will enhance the overall presentation of the

answer.

Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]

Maps:

Both India and World Maps Can be drawn in the

paper in a simplistic manner so that any location
based industries or other such things can be
indicated in the map itself. Similarly, in other
questions of geography, the wind, waves or
other phenomena can be represented through
the world map.

Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]

Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]
Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]
 Innovative ways like bar graph, pie chart:

a) For showing issues like Man-Animal Conflict,

Tribal Rights etc,

Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]

b) Share of Irrigation Sector based on sources,
how it is distributed between Canal and
Groundwater

Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]

c) For Health related triple burden theory,

Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]

Once your structure and content have come at a
decen level, you must start supplementing your
answer with som or the other point which enhances
the presentation to mak your copy slightly different
from other copies in the bundle.

Multi dimensionality of arguments

Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]

• Another aspect in Answer Writing is the
different dimensions you can present for any
particular subject.

• In the sample answer above, if you see in the

first part of the answer, only a girl's perspective
is added.

• To make it holistic, how a child marriage affects

a boy should have been added too. In the
factors responsible, Tribal - Cultural norms due
to which adolescent children are married off
early can also be added.

Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]

• In case, you are unable to think about
dimensions, you can go with the Several
Aspects of UPSC syllabus itself.

• For example - Factors and Consequences can

be elaborated on the following aspects:

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 Historical Environmental
Cultural International
Geographical Legal
Social Security
Political Administrative
Economic Technological

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Similarly, Sometimes the points can be
elaborated on the Question Words:

This can make an answer more comprehensive

and organised.

1. What
2. How
3. When
4. Where and
5. Why

Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]

Another aspect is by elucidating on the Different
Stakeholders and Special sections of the Indian
Society.

1. Women
2. Children
3. Specially Abled
4. Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe
5. Senior Citizens
6. Transgenders, LGBTQI community etc.

Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]

This shows the sensitivity of an examinee with
regard to the marginalised sections of the
society and the awareness of how things affect
them differently.

Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]

Interconnection of Points

• While elaborating various dimensions in any

question, the final important aspect is
Interconnection of Points.

• Whatever dimensions you are mentioning, their

relevance will come out well only when they will be
interlinked to the question and with respect to each
other.

• This will come with practice when you connect

multiple topics with each other.

Nitin Kumar, Cont. +91 99991 54587, Email- [email protected]