Naxalism is a social, economic and developmental issue... | UPSC 2022 GS3 Q20

QUESTION 20

GS3

15 marks

Naxalism is a social, economic and developmental issue manifesting as a violent internal security threat. In this context, discuss the emerging issues and suggest a multilayered strategy to tackle the menace of Naxalism.

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11 min

250 words

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What the examiner wants

Treat Naxalism as a development and governance problem that shows up as violence; discuss current issues and propose a strategy with several layers.

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

Demand-wise check

1Root causes: land alienation, displacement, forest rights denial, poor governance in tribal areas≈65 words
2Emerging issues: core shrinking to south Bastar and border areas, IED use, urban support networks, extortion from mining and road projects, recruitment of tribal youth, inter-state border sanctuaries≈65 words
3Multi-layered strategy: security (SAMADHAN doctrine, forward camps, intelligence), development (roads, mobile towers, Eklavya schools, banking), rights (FRA, PESA), governance (Aspirational Districts), surrender and rehabilitation, financial choke≈65 words

Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.

Answer plan

Nature of the problemEmerging issuesStrategy in layers (security, development, rights, governance, perception)Conclusion

Where marks usually go

Giving only a security answer when the question frames it as social and economic too
No data showing the decline in violence and affected districts

Draw this

Concentric layers diagram: security core → development → rights → governance

Value addition

DataMHA reported LWE-affected districts fell from 126 (2018) to 38 (2024), and violent incidents fell by over 70% from the 2010 peak.Ministry of Home Affairs
DoctrineSAMADHAN (2017): Smart leadership, Aggressive strategy, Motivation and training, Actionable intelligence, Dashboard KPIs, Harnessing technology, Action plan for each theatre, No access to financing.Ministry of Home Affairs

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Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.

Ritika Chitlangia · Page 28 ↗Reviewed PYQ reference

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