Topper’s Copy

GS2

Indian Polity

10 marks

“Amaravati as the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh reflects the interplay of historical legacy and modern urban planning.” Discuss.

Student’s Answer

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Demand of the Question

  • Historical Legacy: Discuss how the choice of Amaravati is rooted in the region's historical significance.
  • Modern Urban Planning: Discuss how the city is being designed as a model of contemporary urban development.
  • Interplay/Discussion: Critically link these two aspects to show how the city represents a synthesis of the past and the future.

What you wrote:

Amaravati became the sole and permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh through the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (amendment) act, 2024, retrospective from June, 2, 2024 ending the 10 years long wait of sharing Hyderabad as capital & having a tricapital system.

Amaravati became the sole and permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh through the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (amendment) act, 2024, retrospective from June, 2, 2024 ending the 10 years long wait of sharing Hyderabad as capital & having a tricapital system.

Suggestions to improve:

  • Could briefly mention the vision behind the "People’s Capital" concept, which aims to balance the aspirations of a new state with its ancient heritage, to better frame the "interplay" mentioned in the question.

What you wrote:

Historical legacy:-

(i) Satavahana dynasty :- Amaravati (then known as the Dhanyakatakam) was the capital of the Satavahan dynasty.

(ii) Amaravati School of art :- It was one of the three most ancient school of arts alongside Mathura and Gandhara, from 200BCE to 200CE. Key features include white limestones architecture and intricate depictions of Budha lifestyle.

(iii) Amaravati Stupa:- One of the most oldest Buddhist monuments in India known in inscriptions as the Maha Chaitya (the great Stupa).

Modern Urban Planning :-

(i) Blue-green design:- It has an area of 217 Km² which is designed in a way 60% of the city area will be covered by greeneries & water bodies.

(ii) Innovative LPS schemes:- Instead of acquiring land from farmers, government used a voluntary land pooling system acquiring over 33000 acres promising developed, high quality plots in return.

(iii) Greenfield capital city:- It is being developed as a highly modern, sustainable, high-tech infrastructure blueprint based city with a goal to have 0 dependence on fossil fuels by 2050.

Historical legacy:-

(i) Satavahana dynasty :- Amaravati (then known as the Dhanyakatakam) was the capital of the Satavahan dynasty.

(ii) Amaravati School of art :- It was one of the three most ancient school of arts alongside Mathura and Gandhara, from 200BCE to 200CE. Key features include white limestones architecture and intricate depictions of Budha lifestyle.

(iii) Amaravati Stupa:- One of the most oldest Buddhist monuments in India known in inscriptions as the Maha Chaitya (the great Stupa).

Modern Urban Planning :-

(i) Blue-green design:- It has an area of 217 Km² which is designed in a way 60% of the city area will be covered by greeneries & water bodies.

(ii) Innovative LPS schemes:- Instead of acquiring land from farmers, government used a voluntary land pooling system acquiring over 33000 acres promising developed, high quality plots in return.

(iii) Greenfield capital city:- It is being developed as a highly modern, sustainable, high-tech infrastructure blueprint based city with a goal to have 0 dependence on fossil fuels by 2050.

Suggestions to improve:

  • Could explicitly state how this historical continuity provides a "civilizational identity" to the new state of Andhra Pradesh, differentiating it from the colonial-era urban centers.
  • Could mention the significance of the Krishna River basin, which has been the cradle of Telugu culture, reinforcing why this location was chosen for its symbolic value.
  • Could discuss how the modern layout (e.g., the "seed capital" area) incorporates heritage zones or reflects the ancient town planning principles of the region.
  • Could mention the "Smart City" components (e.g., integrated public transport, digital governance) as a contrast to the ancient legacy, highlighting the "modern" aspect of the question.

What you wrote:

Amaravati serves as a model for development of modern infrastructure with blending India's rich cultural legacy but the execution depends on several factors like financial constraint, changing administrative priorities.

Amaravati serves as a model for development of modern infrastructure with blending India's rich cultural legacy but the execution depends on several factors like financial constraint, changing administrative priorities.

Suggestions to improve:

  • Could conclude by emphasizing that the success of Amaravati as a "People's Capital" depends on maintaining this delicate balance between being a "heritage-conscious" city and a "future-ready" economic hub.
  • Could link this to the broader goal of "Competitive Federalism," where states compete to create world-class urban centers to attract investment.

Demand of the Question

  • Historical Legacy: Discuss how the choice of Amaravati is rooted in the region's historical significance.
  • Modern Urban Planning: Discuss how the city is being designed as a model of contemporary urban development.
  • Interplay/Discussion: Critically link these two aspects to show how the city represents a synthesis of the past and the future.

What you wrote:

Amaravati became the sole and permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh through the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (amendment) act, 2024, retrospective from June, 2, 2024 ending the 10 years long wait of sharing Hyderabad as capital & having a tricapital system.

Amaravati became the sole and permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh through the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (amendment) act, 2024, retrospective from June, 2, 2024 ending the 10 years long wait of sharing Hyderabad as capital & having a tricapital system.

Suggestions to improve:

  • Could briefly mention the vision behind the "People’s Capital" concept, which aims to balance the aspirations of a new state with its ancient heritage, to better frame the "interplay" mentioned in the question.

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