UPSC Mains 2015 GS Paper 3 Q13: model answer
Discuss the advantages and security implications of cloud hosting of servers vis-a-vis in-house machine-based hosting for government businesses.
What the question wants
Discuss the advantages and the security risks of cloud hosting compared with in-house servers for government work.
How to structure it
Compare in two columns, then a way forward.
- Meaning
- Advantages of cloud
- Security implications
- In-house trade-offs
- Balance
How to think it through
Cloud: servers run by provider (IaaS/PaaS/SaaS); MeghRaj GI Cloud 2014; MeitY empanelment of CSPs; National Data Centres (NIC). Advantages: cost, scale, faster rollout (CoWIN scaled), disaster recovery, updates, pay-per-use. Risks: data location and jurisdiction (US CLOUD Act), vendor lock-in, multi-tenancy breaches, insider access, outages, compliance; in-house: control but costly, outdated security, skills shortage (AIIMS 2022 in-house servers hit). Balance: hybrid, sovereign cloud, data classification, localisation for sensitive, CERT-In audits, encryption with own keys.
Model answer
When CoWIN had to handle crores of vaccine bookings in a few weeks in 2021, it ran on cloud capacity that could grow overnight. In November 2022, the AIIMS Delhi servers, run in-house, were hit by ransomware and the hospital went back to paper for days. Both cases show that the question is not 'cloud or not' but how safely.
Advantages of cloud hosting
- Lower cost: no big upfront spending on servers; pay as you use.
- Scale up and down quickly for peak demand.
- Faster rollout of new e-services.
- Built-in backup and disaster recovery.
- Regular security updates by the provider.
- India's MeghRaj (GI Cloud, 2014) and MeitY's empanelment of cloud providers make it easier.
Security implications of cloud
- Data location and jurisdiction: foreign laws may allow access to data stored abroad.
- Shared servers with other customers raise breach risks.
- Vendor lock-in and dependence on private firms.
- Outages that can shut many departments at once.
In-house hosting: the trade-off
- Full control over sensitive data.
- But costly, often outdated, and short of skilled staff, as AIIMS showed.
The way forward
- Classify data: keep highly sensitive data on government or sovereign cloud.
- Hybrid model for routine services.
- Encryption with government-held keys.
- CERT-In audits and its 2022 rule to report incidents within 6 hours.
Where data sits matters less than who holds the keys and who checks the locks.
Draw: A two-column table: cloud vs in-house on cost, scale, control, security and skills.
Keywords, cases and data to drop in
cloud hosting, IaaS/PaaS/SaaS, MeghRaj GI Cloud 2014, MeitY empanelment, CoWIN, AIIMS ransomware 2022, data localisation, jurisdiction, multi-tenancy, vendor lock-in, sovereign cloud, hybrid, encryption keys, CERT-In 6-hour rule.
Where most answers lose marks
- Writing only the advantages of the cloud and ignoring the security implications the question highlights.
Related Mains PYQs
- What is the basic principle behind vaccine development? How do vaccines work? What approaches were adopted by the Indian vaccine manufacturers to… UPSC 2022 · GS-III
- The increase in life expectancy in the country has led to newer health challenges in the community. What are those challenges and… UPSC 2022 · GS-III
- Each year a large amount of plant material, cellulose, is deposited on the surface of Planet Earth. What are the natural processes… UPSC 2022 · GS-III
- Launched on 25th December, 2021, James Webb Space Telescope has been much in the news since then. What are its unique features… UPSC 2022 · GS-III
Fresh examples from current affairs
DRDO’s indigenous AIP for Kalvari-class submarines reaches the Setting to Work Phase-2 stage
Diesel-electric submarines must come up often to run their engines and charge batteries, which can give away their position. Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) lets them stay underwater much longer. The DRDO’s Naval Materials Research Laboratory has built India’s own AIP, and its energy module began the Setting to Work Phase-2 activity at Larsen and Toubro’s Hazira yard on 24 October. For you, it links fuel cells, the Kalvari class and defence self-reliance.
UPSC angle: Prelims: AIP, fuel cells, Kalvari class, Project-75. · Mains GS-III: defence indigenisation; maritime security.
25 Oct 2026
Panel to review pharma marketing code: UCPMP 2024 and why a voluntary code is not enough
The Department of Pharmaceuticals has set up a committee under Dr. M. Srinivas, Member, NITI Aayog, to review how drug companies market medicines and to suggest ways to curb unethical practices, PIB said on 23 October 2026. Former Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan and Dr. Naresh Trehan of Medanta are members, and the report is due within two months of its first meeting. The core issue: the Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices is still voluntary.
UPSC angle: Prelims: UCPMP, Department of Pharmaceuticals, NITI Aayog. · Mains GS-II: health governance, regulation and ethics.
24 Oct 2026
NVS-03 launch on 30 October: can ISRO’s new satellite bring NavIC back to life?
ISRO will launch NVS-03, its third new-generation navigation satellite, on 30 October 2026, The Indian Express reported on 24 October. NavIC, India’s own GPS-like system, has not been able to give location data because only three satellites work, while positioning needs at least four. If NVS-03 works, NavIC can offer positioning again. It is a lesson in why strategic technology needs both satellites and users.
UPSC angle: Prelims: NavIC/IRNSS, coverage, signals, global GNSS. · Mains GS-III: indigenisation of technology, space programme.
24 Oct 2026
Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan reaches 35 crore people: demand reduction and the 2029 drug-free goal
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment said on 22 October 2026 that the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan has reached over 35 crore people, including 13.94 crore youth and 10.86 crore women, and more than 32 lakh educational institutions. Launched on 15 August 2020 in 272 vulnerable districts, it now runs across the country. It is the demand side of a twin strategy, while police and the NCB attack supply, with the Home Minister’s target of uprooting the drug trade by 31 December 2029.
UPSC angle: Prelims: NMBA, NAPDDR, Article 47, NDPS Act, helpline 14446. · Mains GS-II/III: drug abuse, demand and supply reduction.
23 Oct 2026Learn the concept
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.
Want every PYQ in one place? See the Battle IAS PYQ Book.