← All questionsGS2 · 2015 · International Relations ·Neighbourhood
QUESTION N18
GS2
12.5 marks

Terrorist activities and mutual distrust have clouded India-Pakistan relations. To what extent could soft power like sports and cultural exchanges help generate goodwill? Discuss with suitable examples.

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9 min
200 words
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What the examiner wants

Discuss the exact proposition in the PYQ — “Terrorist activities and mutual distrust have clouded India-Pakistan relations. To what extent could soft power like sports and cultural exchanges help generate goodwill? Discuss with suitable examples.” — using concept/chronology or mechanism, evidence on both sides where relevant, and a conclusion that answers the directive rather than merely describing Neighbourhood.

DiscussExplain the different sides of the issue, use evidence, and finish with a balanced view.

Demand-wise check

  1. 1For the prompt cue ‘Terrorist activities and mutual distrust have clouded India-Pakistan relations. To what extent could soft power like sports and cu’, directly answer: Terrorist activities and mutual distrust have clouded India-Pakistan relations≈45 words
  2. 2For the prompt cue ‘Terrorist activities and mutual distrust have clouded India-Pakistan relations. To what extent could soft power like sports and cu’, directly answer: To what extent could soft power like sports and cultural exchanges help generate goodwill?≈45 words
  3. 3For the prompt cue ‘Terrorist activities and mutual distrust have clouded India-Pakistan relations. To what extent could soft power like sports and cu’, directly answer: Discuss with suitable examples≈45 words

Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.

Answer plan

Define/contextualise NeighbourhoodExplain mechanism/chronologyQuestion-specific evidence/examplesImplicationsConcise conclusion

Where marks usually go

  • For the prompt cue ‘Terrorist activities and mutual distrust have clouded India-Pakistan relations. To what extent could soft power like spo’, avoid a generic note on Neighbourhood; answer the actual wording/directive and the Neighbourhood proposition
  • For the prompt cue ‘Terrorist activities and mutual distrust have clouded India-Pakistan relations. To what extent could soft power like spo’, do not add examples around Neighbourhood unless they prove, qualify or rebut the proposition asked

Value addition

  • Provision/institution → issue → implication table
    → Draw it in the body, next to the point it supports.

Official source anchors

These are authoritative sources selected for this exact PYQ. Where a card is an official-domain anchor rather than a fact-level citation, verify the precise provision, definition or data point on the linked source before using it.