GS3 2020 Q10 10 marks 150 words Border management

UPSC Mains 2020 GS3 Q10 — Border management

For effective border area management, discuss the steps required to be taken to deny local support to militants and also suggest ways to manage favourable perception among locals. (Answer in 150 words)

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Question Decoded — examiner's intent

Directive verbs
discusssuggest
Scope keywords
effective border area managementdeny local support to militantsmanage favourable perception among locals
Implicit sub-parts
  • Identify the socio-economic and security reasons why locals currently support or harbor militants.
  • Propose a 'denial strategy' that focuses on cutting off logistical, financial, and ideological ties between militants and the border population.
  • Develop a 'hearts and minds' strategy (Winning Hearts and Minds - WHAM) to bridge the trust deficit between the security forces and the community.
Common pitfalls
  • Focusing too much on military hardware, fencing, and surveillance rather than the human element requested by the prompt.
  • Treating 'border areas' as a monolith instead of distinguishing between the specific challenges of the J&K border, the Northeast, and the Indo-Myanmar terrain.
  • Suggesting purely coercive measures to deny support, which usually counter-productively damages local perception.
  • Ignoring the role of cross-border ethnic ties and the influence of 'fake news' or digital radicalization in shaping perception.
Dimensions required
Socio-economicPsychological/Perception ManagementSecurity/TacticalAdministrative/GovernanceInfrastructural
Marks allocation hint

Allocate approximately 60-70 words to the 'denial of support' section, focusing on intelligence and policing, and another 60-70 words on 'perception management' through civic action and development. Use the remaining 10-20 words for a concise introduction and a forward-looking conclusion emphasizing the 'Border Area Development Programme' (BADP).

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