UPSC Mains 2014 GS Paper 3 Q16: model answer
“The diverse nature of India as a multi-religious and multi-ethnic society is not immune to the impact of radicalism which is seen in her neighbourhood.” Discuss along with strategies to be adopted to counter this environment.
What the question wants
Discuss how radicalism in India's neighbourhood can affect its diverse society and suggest strategies to counter it.
How to structure it
Neighbourhood, impact, strategy.
- Radicalism around India
- Channels into India
- Vulnerabilities
- Strategies
How to think it through
Pakistan (LeT, JeM state-backed), Afghanistan (Taliban), Bangladesh (JMB, HuJI), Sri Lanka (LTTE earlier, Easter 2019), Myanmar (Rohingya crisis; Buddhist radicalism), Maldives (ISIS recruitment). Channels: online propaganda, cross-border terror, funding via charities, refugee flows, communal riots exploited. India strategy: inclusive governance, deradicalisation (Maharashtra 2016, Kerala), community leaders, counter-narratives, intelligence, social media monitoring, avoid communal politics, education.
Model answer
India sits in a neighbourhood where radical ideas have been exported as policy. Lashkar- e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed were nurtured across the western border; the Taliban returned to Kabul in 2021; Bangladesh saw the Holey Artisan attack in 2016; and Sri Lanka's Easter bombings of 2019 were planned by a small group radicalised online.
How it reaches India
- Cross-border terror in J&K and beyond.
- Online propaganda that targets lonely or angry young people.
- Funds routed through charities and hawala.
- Communal incidents that radical groups exploit to recruit.
- Refugee flows and porous borders that hide a few bad actors.
Why a diverse society is vulnerable
- Identity grievances, real or felt, can be turned into anger.
- Unemployment and poor schooling leave young people open to recruiters.
- Polarising speech at home makes outside propaganda easier.
- Weak community policing means early signs are missed.
Strategies to counter it
- Inclusive governance: equal policing, jobs and justice for every community.
- Deradicalisation programmes, like Maharashtra's 2016 plan and counselling-led returns of youth.
- Counter-narratives by religious scholars, teachers and families.
- Intelligence and cyber monitoring with legal safeguards.
- Firm action against hate speech of every colour.
- Regional cooperation on terror lists and extradition.
- Quality schooling and skilling in border and backward districts, so recruiters find fewer idle hands.
India's best shield is not a wall but a society where no community feels it has to look abroad for justice.
Draw: A map of India's neighbourhood with arrows showing radical influences and their entry routes.
Keywords, cases and data to drop in
LeT, JeM, Taliban 2021, Holey Artisan 2016, Easter bombings 2019, online radicalisation, hawala, deradicalisation (Maharashtra 2016), counter-narrative, inclusive governance.
Where most answers lose marks
- Blaming only the neighbours and ignoring domestic vulnerabilities and remedies.
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Question text as printed in the official UPSC Civil Services (Main) question paper. The model answer is original Battle IAS work; use it to learn structure, not to memorise.
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