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.

There is a significant increase in India’s leopard population as per Status of Leopards in India 2022. Discuss the methodology and outcomes of the report.

What is WTO Agreement on Agriculture? Discuss the broad areas of agriculture and trade policy.

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: There is a significant increase in India’s leopard population as per Status of Leopards in India 2022. Discuss the methodology and outcomes of the report.

Introduction:

— The Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) is distributed across a variety of forested habitats in India, Nepal, Bhutan, and parts of Pakistan.

— It is listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and classified as “Vulnerable” by the IUCN Red List.

— According to the report, India’s estimated leopard population rose from 12,852 in 2018 to 13,874 in 2022.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

Methodology

— The fifth cycle of leopard population assessment in India (2022) concentrated on forested habitats in 18 tiger states, which included four important tiger conservation landscapes.

— To estimate leopard abundance, photo-captures were coupled with geographical data on prey, habitat, and anthropogenic factors using a likelihood-based spatially explicit capture mark-recapture (SECR) covariate model.

Phase 1

— M-STrIPES Android apps and desktop applications were used to sample wooded regions within each landscape in a systematic manner.

Phase 2

— The use of remotely sensed and secondary data to model leopard occupancy and abundance in response to habitat factors and human effects.

Phase 3

— SECR models are used to predict leopard density using camera trap data, and individuals are identified using image and pattern processing applications CaTRACT and ExtractCompare.

Outcomes

— Madhya Pradesh has the maximum number of leopards in the country at 3,907 (up from 3,421 in 2018).

— Central India has highest population with 8,820 leopards followed by Western Ghats 3,596 and Shivalik Hills and Gangetic Plains having 1,109 individuals.

— From 2018 to 2022, India’s population growth in common areas was 1.08% per year, with Shivalik Hills and Gangetic Plains declining by -3.4% per year, while Central India and Eastern Ghats, Western Ghats and North East Hills, and Brahmaputra Flood Plains increased by 1.5%, 1.0%, and 1.3% per year, respectively.

— In Central India, a substantial portion (68%) of the leopard population inhabits human-use forests outside Protected Areas, increasing vulnerability to poaching and human-leopards conflict.

— In the Western Ghats, leopard populations exhibit stability, but 65% of leopards reside outside Protected Areas.

Conclusion:

— Records maintained by the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) show that over 5,500 leopards have been poached since 1994.

— There are various conservation efforts for the Indian leopard which require:

(i) Habitat restoration initiatives,

(ii) Protection outside Protected Area system and

(iii) Implementation of measures to mitigate human-leopard conflict.

(Source: ntca.gov.in, National leopard survey shows count up, but fewer animals outside tiger reserves: What this means by Jay Mazoomdaar, 13,874 leopards in India, Madhya Pradesh leads the pack)

Points to Ponder

Benefits from tiger conservation efforts

Leopard-human conflict remains a worry

Related Previous Year Questions

How does the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2020 differ from the existing EIA Notification, 2006? (2020)

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)

QUESTION 2: What is WTO Agreement on Agriculture? Discuss the broad areas of agriculture and trade policy.

Introduction:

— The Uruguay Round global trade discussions were formally ratified in Marrakesh, Morocco, in April 1994. Among the numerous agreements that were negotiated during the Uruguay Round was the WTO Agreement on Agriculture.

— The implementation of the Agreement on Agriculture started with effect from 1.1.1995.

— According to the Agreement’s stipulations, industrialised countries were to complete their reduction obligations within 6 years, i.e., by the year 2000, while developing countries’ commitments were to be finished within 10 years, or by the year 2004.

— The least developed countries were not required to make any cutbacks.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

— The WTO Agreement on Agriculture contains provisions in 3 broad areas of agriculture and trade policy:

Market Access

— Tariffication, tariff reductions, and access opportunities are all included. Ordinary tariffs, including those originating from tariffication, were to be cut by 36% on average, with a minimum rate of 15% reduction for each tariff item over a six-year period.

— Developing countries, which were still subject to quantitative restrictions due to balance-of-payments issues, were authorised to give ceiling bindings rather than tariffs.

Domestic Support

— Domestic support measures, subject to reduction promises, should cut overall support supplied in 1986-88 by 20% in rich nations (13.3% in underdeveloped countries).

— Policies that amount to domestic support in both product-specific and non-product-specific categories of less than 5% of the value of production for developed nations and less than 10% for developing countries are likewise exempt from reduction commitments.

Export Subsidies

— The Agreement includes clauses about members’ commitments to minimise export subsidies. Developed countries must reduce export subsidy expenditure by 36% and volume by 21% in six years, in equal installments (from 1986 to 1990 levels).

— For developing countries, the percentage cutbacks are 24% and 14%, respectively, paid in equal annual installments over a decade. The Agreement further states that no future subsidies will be awarded to products that are not subject to export subsidy reduction agreements.

Conclusion:

— The negotiations at the WTO’s ministerial conference ended with no decision on key issues of India’s interest including finding a permanent solution to public food Public Stockholding (PSH) programme and on curbing fisheries subsidies that lead to over-capacity and over fishing.

— However, the WTO members agreed to further extend the moratorium on imposing import duties on e-commerce trade for two more years.

(Source: WTO talks end with no decision on key issues of agri, fisheries subsidies by Ravi Dutta Mishra, commerce.gov.in)

Points to Ponder

13th ministerial conference (MC)

India’s commitment

India’s PSH (Public Stockholding) programme

Related Previous Year Questions

What are the direct and indirect subsidies provided to farm sector in India? Discuss the issues raised by the World Trade Organization (WTO) in relation to agricultural subsidies. (2023)

How would the recent phenomena of protectionism and currency manipulations in world trade affect macroeconomic stability of India? (2018)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 39)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 40)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 39)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 40)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 39)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 40)

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