UPSC Mains 2022 GS3 Q10 — Maritime Security
What are the maritime security challenges in India? Discuss the organisational, technical and procedural initiatives taken to improve the maritime security. (Answer in 150 words)
Question Decoded — examiner's intent
- Directive verbs
- WhatDiscuss
- Scope keywords
- maritime security challengesIndiaorganisationaltechnicalprocedural initiatives
- Implicit sub-parts
- Assessment of non-traditional threats like piracy, smuggling, and maritime terrorism (e.g., 26/11 context).
- State-actor threats including the 'string of pearls' and Chinese naval presence in the IOR.
- Categorization of government responses into specific administrative, technological, and operational buckets.
- Evaluation of the current effectiveness of the multi-tier security architecture.
- Common pitfalls
- Over-emphasizing 26/11 and historical events without addressing modern challenges like drone attacks or undersea cable security.
- Failing to distinguish between 'organisational' (e.g., NMDA) and 'procedural' (e.g., Standard Operating Procedures/SOPs) initiatives.
- Ignoring the role of coastal states and the Coast Guard, focusing solely on the Indian Navy.
- Neglecting technical advancements like ReMAC, NC3I, or AIS transponders for small boats.
- Dimensions required
- Geopolitical (IOR dominance)Technological (Surveillance and Satellites)Administrative/Bureaucratic (Inter-agency coordination)Legal and Procedural (Coastal policing and SOPs)
- Marks allocation hint
Spend approximately 40 words (3 marks) on identifying a diverse set of challenges. Use the remaining 110 words (7 marks) to address the three specific pillars of initiatives—Organisational, Technical, and Procedural—ensuring each gets dedicated space and specific examples like the National Maritime Domain Awareness (NMDA) project and Sagar Prahari Bal.
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