UPSC Mains Answer Practice — GS 1: India’s Decolonisation, Nation-building after Independence, and the Harappan ‘Dancing Girl’ Figurine (Week 159) The UPSC Essentials initiative continues its focus on Mains answer-writing practice, offering aspirants a structured approach to
tackle key topics from the UPSC Civil Services syllabus. Covering both static and dynamic portions across various General Studies (GS) papers, this exercise is designed to help candidates engage with themes that are highly relevant to the examination and current developments.
This week’s GS-1 practice delves into India’s decolonisation and nation-building post-Independence, alongside the archaeological significance of the Harappan ‘Dancing Girl’ figurine.
--- Question 1: Significance of the Goa Liberation Movement in India’s Decolonisation and Nation-building India’s struggle against colonial rule did not end with its independence in 1947. Goa, along with Daman and Diu, remained under Portuguese sovereignty until December 1961.
The liberation of Goa marked the conclusion of India’s decolonisation process and was a pivotal moment in consolidating national unity.
Initially, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru pursued diplomatic efforts to resolve the issue peacefully, as India was already grappling with challenges like Partition and the Kashmir conflict.
However, Portugal’s refusal to negotiate and its insistence on treating Goa as an integral part of metropolitan Portugal led India to adopt military action. This culminated in Operation Vijay in December 1961, which successfully ended Portuguese rule.
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