Remember there was a recent UPSC PYQ on American Civil War

"In the American civil war, the victory of the North had many consequences. Some of them were direct and obvious. However, its indirect effects on American development were perhaps even more important." Comment. [2021, 20 Marks]

#bookreview of The Golden Road.

First Observations:

1. Total Six questions as usual, with 75 marks weightage (3 AMAC, 2 Modern, 1 World, 0 Post- Independence)

2. AMAC questions this year are from main topic and also very direct. Modern India Questions are also quite mainstream. Students would not struggle here in both AMAC and Modern India. Even the prelims level preparation along with some decent answer writing practice is more than enough.

3. All the six questions have been earlier asked in History Optional, including the World History question that was asked in the 2015 Paper II History Optional.

4. In AMAC even though the questions are easy, there are two unusual things. So far UPSC has stuck to the Mains syllabus of asking questions specifically from culture and religion. Now they have asked economy of Vedic era. It could be justified by saying that it is based in study of Vedic literature that is a part of Culture. But there is a scope foe disagreement whether this topic is from Culture and religion. Thankfully it is from such a mainstream prelims preparation that students won't face any problem here. Secondly, they have asked two questions from South, both Pallava and Chola in the same year. Both are pretty standard questions but it is also unusual that Both Pallava and Cholas to be asked in the same year.

5. In Modern, the question on deindustrialization is a very debatable topic among historians. And upsc has asked it for 15 marks and also of 'how far' type. Here we have a huge scope of going into the debate. But GS students are advised to keep the historians names out. Focus on arguments.

6. Balance of Power and World War 1 is a very core topic. It is also a debate among historians. There is also a huge scope becusse it is again a 15 marker with How Far type question.

7. Does it mean that UPSC now wants you to go into some more depth of analysis that reading history only factually? Both 12 and 13 questions are openly being asked as historiographical. Earlier such questions were asked in AMAC but now they are opening debated in Modern and World.

I was just preparing an answer to a question regarding Japanese ultra-nationalism in the interwar era.

While doing that, just found this tabular comparison.