BharatNotes Resilience
noun (uncountable; also countable in technical senses)Usage in a UPSC answer
India's developmental trajectory will ultimately be judged not by the height of its growth in boom years but by the resilience of its institutions and its poorest households in the face of climate shocks, pandemics and global financial volatility.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
resilient (adj), resiliently (adv), resiliency (n), non-resilient (adj)
Root
Latin resilīre = to spring back; re- = back + salīre = to leap, jump; first English use 1626 (Francis Bacon)
Etymology
From Latin resilīre ("to spring back, recoil"), from re- ("back") + salīre ("to leap, jump"); first recorded in English in 1626 in the writing of Francis Bacon.
Memory Hook
Root re- ("back") + salire ("to leap") — think of a spring that LEAPS BACK into shape; a resilient person, like that spring, bounces back from every blow.
How This Word Works in UPSC Writing
The ability of a system, community or society exposed to hazards to resist, absorb, accommodate and recover from their effects in a timely and efficient manner. The refinement that improves a GS3 answer is that resilience is not the same as resistance: a resilient system may be damaged and still recover functioning quickly, whereas a resistant one aims not to be damaged at all, and the two imply different investments.
Don’t Confuse It With
Resilience is the capacity to absorb a shock and recover function. Resistance is the capacity to withstand without damage. Vulnerability is susceptibility to harm and is broadly the inverse of resilience. Adaptive capacity is the ability to adjust to changing conditions over the longer term rather than to recover from a single event.
Hindi Meaning
प्रत्यास्थता (pratyāsthatā) or समुत्थानशीलता (samutthānshīltā).
Common Questions
- What is resilience in disaster management?
- The ability of a community or system to resist, absorb, accommodate and recover from the effects of a hazard in a timely and efficient way.
- Is resilience the same as resistance?
- No. Resistance aims to avoid damage altogether. Resilience accepts that damage may occur and focuses on recovering function quickly.
Seen in UPSC Question Papers
- Prelims 2025 — Climate Change
- Mains 2024 · GS3 · 15 marks — Disaster Management
Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Resilience” — proof this word earns its place on your list.
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