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Essay (UPSC Mains) - Previous Year Questions

  • Thinking is like a game; it does not begin unless there is an opposite team.
  • Visionary decision-making happens at the intersection of intuition and logic.
  • Not all who wander are lost.
  • Inspiration for creativity springs from the effort to look for the magical in the mundane.
  • Girls are weighed down by restrictions, boys with demands — two equally harmful disciplines.
  • Mathematics is the Music of Reason.
  • A society that has more justice is a society that needs less charity.
  • Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.

Value based / Ethical Issues

  • A smile is the chosen vehicle for all ambiguities.
  • Just because you have a choice, it does not mean that any of them has to be right.

Philosophical

  • The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.
  • You can not step twice in the same river.
  • A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ship is for.

Miscellaneous / Mixed

  • Forests are the best case studies for economic excellence. (Environment / Economics)
  • Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world ( Literature / Socio-political-economic impacts)
  • History is a series of victories won by the scientific man over the romantic man ( History / Values / Philosophy)
  • Your perception of me is a reflection of you; my reaction to you is an awareness of me.
  • Philosophy of wantlessness is Utopian, while materialism is a chimera.
  • The real is rational and the rational is real.
  • Hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.

History / Culture

  • History repeats itself, first as a tragedy, second as a farce.

Science and Technology

  • What is research, but a blind date with knowledge!
  • There are better practices to “best practices”. ( Multiple Themes )
  • The process of self-discovery has now been technologically outsourced. ( Philosophy / Technology)
  • Life is long journey between human being and being humane.
  • Mindful manifesto is the catalyst to a tranquil self.
  • Ships do not sink because of water around them; ships sink because of water that gets into them.
  • Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
  • Culture is what we are, civilization is what we have.

Social Issues

  • There can be no social justice without economic prosperity but economic prosperity without social justice is meaningless.
  • Patriarchy is the least noticed yet the most significant structure of social inequality.
  • Technology as the silent factor in international relations ( Technology / International Relation ).
  • Values are not what humanity is, but what humanity ought to be.
  • Courage to accept and dedication to improve are two keys to success.
  • Wisdom finds truth.
  • South Asian societies are woven not around the state, but around their plural cultures and plural identities.
  • Best for an individual is not necessarily best for the society.
  • Neglect of primary health care and education in India are reasons for its backwardness.

Science & Technology

  • Rise of Artificial Intelligence: the threat of jobless future or better job opportunities through reskilling and upskilling.
  • Biased media is a real threat to Indian democracy.
  • A good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge.
  • A people that value its privileges above its principles lose both.
  • “The past’ is a permanent dimension of human consciousness and values.
  • Customary morality cannot be a guide to modern life.
  • Reality does not conform to the ideal, but confirms it.
  • Poverty anywhere is a threat to prosperity everywhere.

Environment

  • Alternative technologies for a climate change resilient India.

IR & Security

  • Management of Indian border disputes – a complex task.
  • Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.
  • Fulfilment of ‘new woman’ in India is a myth.
  • Social media is inherently a selfish medium Domain.
  • Has the Non- Alignment Movement (NAM) lost its relevance in a multi-polar world Domain.
  • Farming has lost the ability to be a source of subsistence for majority of farmers in India Domain. ( Agriculture )
  • Impact of the new economic measures on fiscal ties between the union and states in India Domain.
  • Destiny of a nation is shaped in its classrooms.

Polity & Governance

  • We may brave human laws but cannot resist natural laws Domain.
  • Need brings greed, if greed increases it spoils breed.
  • If development is not engendered, it is endangered.
  • Cyberspace and internet: Blessing or curse to the human civilization in the long run Domain.
  • Near jobless growth in India: An anomaly or an outcome of economic reforms.
  • Water disputes between states in federal India Domain.
  • Cooperative federalism: Myth or reality India.
  • Digital economy: A leveller or a source of economic inequality. ( Technology / Economy)
  • Innovation is the key determinant of economic growth and social welfare Domain. ( Technology / Economy / Social Sector)
  • Character of an institution is reflected in its leader.
  • Lending hands to someone is better than giving a dole.
  • Quick but steady wins the race.
  • Technology cannot replace manpower.
  • Can capitalism bring inclusive growth?
  • Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make a man more clever devil. ( Education / Ethics)
  • Crisis faced in India – moral or economic. ( Morality / Economics)
  • With greater power comes greater responsibility.
  • Words are sharper than the two-edged sword.
  • Is sting operation an invasion on privacy?
  • Was it the policy paralysis or the paralysis of implementation which slowed the growth of our country?
  • Tourism: Can this be the next big thing for India?
  • Is the growing level of competition good for the youth?
  • Are the standardized tests, good measure of academic ability or progress?
  • Dreams which should not let India sleep. ( Multiple themes )
  • Fifty Gold’s in Olympics: Can this be a reality for India? ( Sports / Governance )
  • Be the change you want to see in others – Gandhiji
  • Science and technology is the panacea for the growth and security of the nation.
  • GDP (Gross Domestic Product) along with GDH (Gross Domestic Happiness) would be the right indices for judging the well-being of a country.
  • Is the Colonial mentality hindering India’s Success? ( History / Culture / Growth & Development / Ethics )

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upsc mains essay questions

UPSC Mains: Syllabus, Question Papers, Mock Tests, Art of Answer Writing

  • Mains GS Papers Topicwise from 2013-2023
  • Mrunal’s Model Answers for UPSC GSM-2020 Paper

Mains GS Paper1: History, Social Science, Geography

Mains gs paper2: polity, governance,international relation, mains gs paper3: economy, environment, sci-tech, internal security, mains gs paper4: ethics, integrity, attitude, mains gs and essay papers topicwise from 2013-2022.

  • [Download] UPSC Mains Essay Paper, Including Topicwise last 30 YEARS Essay Question Papers (1993-2023) with booklist, strategy!
  • [Download] Topicwise UPSC Mains General Studies Paper-1 (GSM1): History, Geography, Social Science
  • [Download] Topicwise UPSC Mains General Studies Paper-2 (GSM2): Polity, Welfare, Governance, International Relations (IR) since new Syllabus of 2013-2023
  • [Download] Topicwise UPSC Mains General Studies Paper-3 (GSM3): Economy, Agriculture, Disaster Management, EIA, Science, Internal Security since new Syllabus of (2013-2023)
  • [Download] UPSC Mains General Studies Paper-4 (GSM4) Topicwise Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude – All Papers (2013-2023)
  • Indian culture covers the salient features of Literature, Art Forms, and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
  • Modern Indian history include the significant events, personalities, issues during the middle of the eighteenth century until the present
  • Various stages and important contributors and contributions from different parts of the country in ‘The Freedom Struggle’
  • Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country
  • History of the world includes events, forms and effect on the society from 18th century like world wars, industrial revolution, colonization, redrawal of national boundaries, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc
  • Salient aspects of Diversity of India and Indian Society
  • Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and remedies
  • Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism
  • Distribution of key natural resources across the world including South Asia and the Indian sub-continent; factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world including India
  • Effects of globalization on Indian society
  • Salient features of world’s physical geography
  • Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location- changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes
  • [Download] ALL UPSC GSM1 Question Papers (Topicwise) from 2013-22 with Analysis & Future Strategy
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM1: Urban poor women living conditions more deplorable than rural counterparts
  • [Lecture] UPSC Mains Answer Writing with Self-Assessment-Benchmarks: Democractic Elements in Religious Reforms (250 Words)
  • [Lecture] UPSC Mains Answer Writing with Self-Assessment-Benchmarks: Quit India Movement- Planned or Spontaneous? (250 Words)
  • [Lecture] UPSC Mains Answer Writing with Self-Assessment-Benchmarks: Gandhi’s Secular Image vs. Khilafat Support
  • [Lecture] UPSC Mains Answer Writing with Self-Assessment-Benchmarks: British Imperialism Exigencies
  • [Lecture] UPSC Mains Answer Writing with Self-Assessment-Benchmarks: Hindu elements in Mughal Architecture
  • [Lecture] UPSC Mains Answer Writing with Self-Assessment-Benchmarks: Chola Bronze Sculptures
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM1-2017/Q20: Geography / Urbanization- New Problems of IT-BPO Cities (250 words, 15 marks)
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM1-2017/Q19: How religiosity transformed into communalism in Independent India? (250 words)
  • [Full Length Mock] UPSC Mains General Studies Paper-1 with FREE Question-cum-Answerbooklet (QCA)
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM1-2017/Q18: Women Issues & Debates in the 19th Century India (250 words, 15 marks)
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM1-2017/Q17: Geography- Monsoon climate that feeds over 50% population of World
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM1-2017/Q16: Geography- Converting floods into irrigation & inland navigation sources?
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM1-2017/Q15: Implications of Market-based Petro Refineries on developing country?
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM1-2017/Q14: Oceanic Salinity variations & its multi-dimensional effects (250 words, 15 marks) Physical Geography
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM1-2017/Q13: New Objectives added to vision of Free India since 1920s
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM1-2017/Q12: How traditional artisanal industry’s decline crippled rural economy of colonial India
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM1-2017/Q11: Indian society’s spirit of tolerance & love in past & present times
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM1-2017/Q10: Major legal initiatives by the State since Independence on discrimination against Scheduled Tribes (STs)
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM1-2017/Q9: Whether regions form cultural units or States? (10 Marks)
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM1-2017/Q8: Geography: How does Cryosphere affect Global Climate?
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM1-2017/Q7: Benefits of Pulse Cultivation, Why UN declared International Year of Pulses?
  • [Model Answer] GSM1-2017/Q5: Physical Geography: NASA’s Juno Mission: Knowing Earth’s Origin from Jupiter’s Data?
  • [Model Answer] GSM1-2017/Q4: World History- Decolonization problems in Malay Peninsula
  • [Model Answer] GSM1-2017/Q3: Freedom Struggle: Why Moderates failed to convince masses by end of 19th Century?
  • [Model Answer] GSM1-2017/Q2: Spectre of fragmented polity in mid-eighteenth century India (150 words, 10 Marks)
  • [Model Answer] GSM1-2017/Q1: Gupta coins & numismatic art was better than its successive dynasties. Justify (150 Words, 10 Marks)
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM1-2017/Q6: Carbon Imperialism vs Economic Cost of Renewable Energy vs Social Cost of Thermal Powerplants: Model Answers in Hindi & English
  • [Full Length Mock] UPSC Mains GS1, Set#1: History & Culture, Society & Geography; with sources for Model Answerkey
  • [AW/GSM1] Art & Culture: Declining Male Classical Dancers & Sanskrit Literature in Modern India- with Model Answers
  • [AW/GSM1] History: Thugs of Hindustan, Criminal Tribes Act 1871, Rise of Totalitarianism in Europe- with Model Answers
  • [AW/GSM1] Society: Post-Truth & Rise of Intolerance in India vs (GSM2): Constitution: Liberty of Thought & Expression? With Model Answers
  • [AW/GSM1] Post-Independence: LTTE vs IPKF & Globalization vs FLPR with Model Answers
  • Lecture/Rao forGSM1: Narasimha Rao’s Diplomacy & Mains Answer writing Basics
  • Lecture/GSM1: Right wing Vigilantism in India vs Alt-Right in Trump’s USA: Compare Contrast
  • Lecture/GSM1&4: DeenDayal- Integral humanism (एकात्म मानवदर्शन), One India (एक भारत), Dharma Rajya
  • Lecture/GSM1: Leather Industry- Location Factors, Opportunities, Challenges, Cow Vigilantism
  • Lecture/GSM1- Urban Floods: Problem, Remedies, Chennai Floods & Disaster Mitigation
  • FREE Complete Lecture Series on World History by Pratik Nayak
  • Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure
  • Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein
  • Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries
  • Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions
  • Parliament and State Legislatures – structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these
  • Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies
  • Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity
  • Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act
  • Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation
  • Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies
  • Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections
  • Health, Education, Human Resources
  • Development processes and the development industry the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders
  • Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to
  • Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures
  • Issues relating to poverty and hunger
  • Role of civil services in a democracy
  • Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests
  • India and its neighborhood- relations
  • Important International institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate
  • Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora
  • [Download] ALL UPSC GSM2 Question Papers (Topicwise) from 2013-22 with Analysis & Future Strategy
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM2: Critically Examine the Need to abolish No-Detention Policy under Right to Education Act (150 words)
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM2: Explain the signifiance of ‘Affordable Housing’ in Human & Economic Development of India (150 words)
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM2: Why did Govt. propose Triple Talaq Bill / Ordinance? List Salient Features (150 words)
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM2: Diplomacy- Modi’s De-hyphenation Policy vs Nehru’s NAM Policy (250 words, 15 Marks)
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM2: Son Meta-Preference impact on India’s Gender Inequality Index (GII) at UNDP (250 words)
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM2: Ayushman Bharat-NHPM: Features, Fiscal & Administrative challenges (250 words, 15 marks)
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM2: 15th Finance Commission’s Terms of Reference (TOR)- Why are States apprehensive? (250 words)
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM2: Law Commission Report#276: Legalizing Sports-Betting in India. Discuss your Stand (250 words)
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM2: National Register of Citizens (NRC) & Assam Accord: Features & Interconnections (250 words)
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM2: Article 239AA & Lieutenant Governor’s Absolutism Post-SC Judgement
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM2: OBC Sub-categorization: Constitutional and Legal dimensions (150 words, 10 marks)
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM2: American Senate is more powerful than Indian Rajya Sabha. Analyse
  • [Full Length Mock] UPSC Mains GS2: Set#2- US Senate vs Rajya Sabha, Modi’s De-hyphenated Policy vs Nehru’s NAM
  • [Full Length Mock] UPSC Mains GS2: Set#1 with model Answerkey: SC guidelines on Section 498-A
  • [Economy/GSM2] Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) vs WTO: MFN-Forward, Standstill & Ratchet, India’s stand, with Model Answers in Hindi & English
  • [AW/GSM2] Art of Answer writing: Uniform Civil Code (UCC)- 3 Mock Questions & Model Answers in Hindi & English
  • [AW/GSM2] Art of Answer writing: Regulatory Bodies autonomy & independence: Model Answers in English & Hindi
  • Lecture/GS2: Natural Fiber Textiles vs SDG; Bulk Drugs & API Industry- Govt Policies
  • Lecture/GSM2: Polity- Referendum in India? Lessons from BREXIT, Columbia & Scotland
  • Lecture/GSM2: Polity- Refugee & Asylum Framework in India? Lessons from EU-Refugee Crisis
  • Lecture/GSM2: Polity- Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Profit: Constitutional origins?
  • Lecture/GSM2: Polity- Directly Elected Mayor system in ULBs, Private Member’s Bill- merits of
  • Lecture/GSM2: Polity- Regulatory Bodies: Algo-Trading vs SEBI, MCI vs NMC?
  • Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.
  • Development, Bio diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management.
  • Government Budgeting.
  • Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
  • Major crops cropping patterns in various parts of the country, different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers
  • Economics of animal-rearing.
  • Food processing and related industries in India- scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.
  • Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices; Public Distribution System objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of buffer stocks and food security; Technology missions
  • Land reforms in India.
  • Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.
  • Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
  • Investment models.
  • Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life Achievements of Indians in science & technology;
  • Indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
  • Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment
  • Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.
  • Disaster and disaster management.
  • Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.
  • Linkages between development and spread of extremism.
  • Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention
  • Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate
  • Security challenges and their management in border areas; linkages of organized crime with terrorism
  • [Download] ALL UPSC GSM3 Question Papers (Topicwise) from 2013-22 with Analysis & Future Strategy
  • Model Answers for UPSC Mains → GSM3-2019/Q12: Disaster Vulnerability types & characterization in हिंदी & English (10m, 150 words)
  • Model Answers for UPSC Mains → GSM3-2019/Q11: Hazard Zonation Mapping for Landslide Disaster Preparedness in हिंदी & English (15m, 250 words)
  • Model Answers for UPSC Mains → GSM3-2019/Q10: Govt Reforms to make PDS food grain distribution system more effective (15m, 250 words) in हिंदी & English
  • Model Answers for UPSC Mains → GSM3-2019/Q9: Govt initiatives for Food Processing Sector in India (15m, 250 words) in हिंदी & English
  • [Model Ans in हिंदी & English] UPSC GSM3-2019/Q8: Contributions of Sir M.Visvesvaraya and Dr. M. S. Swaminathan
  • [Model Ans in हिंदी & English] UPSC GSM3-2019/Q7:National Watershed Project in increasing agricultural production? (10m, 150 words)
  • [Model Ans in हिंदी & English] UPSC GSM3-2019/Q6: Integrated Farming System for sustaining agricultural production? (10m, 150 words)
  • [Model Ans in हिंदी & English] UPSC GSM3-2019/Q5: Biotechnology for Farmers Income Improvement? (15m, 250 words)
  • [Model Ans in हिंदी & English] UPSC GSM3-2019/Q3: Is Indian Economy in Good shape?
  • [Model Ans in हिंदी & English] UPSC GSM3-2019/Q3: Inclusive Growth strategy for Sustainability
  • [Model Ans in हिंदी & English] UPSC GSM3-2019/Q2: Public Expenditure Management challenges Post-LPG Reforms
  • [Model Ans in हिंदी & English] UPSC GSM3-2019/Q1: Comment on Revenue implications of GST
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM3-2018/Q12: How is Protectionism & Currency Manipulation affecting Indian Economy?
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM3-2018/Q11: How principles of NITI Aayog different from Planning Commission? (15 marks) incl. HINDI ANSWER
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM3-2018/Q10: Internal Security- Govt’s approach to Left Wing Extremism (LWE)? (10m)
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM3-2018/Q9: Why India distanced from China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)? (10 marks)
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM3-2018/Q8: 100% Organic Farming State’s ecological and economical benefits? (10 marks)
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM3-2018/Q7: Ramsar “Wise use” Concept for wetland conservation (150 words, 10 marks)
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM3-2018/Q6: How to remove Toxic Solid Waste from Habitable Environment? (10 marks)
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM3-2018/Q5: Discuss how Bose-Einstein Statistics revolutionized the field of Physics? (10 marks)
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM3-2018/Q4: Food-Processing: How Supermarket supply chain management (SCM) eliminates intermediaries?
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM3-2018/Q3: Agriculture Issues- How MSP protects farmers from Low-Income Trap?
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM3-2018/Q2: Long-term Capital Gains Tax (LCGT) & Dividend Distribution Tax (DDT) in the Union Budget
  • [Model Answer] UPSC GSM3-2018/Q1: Energy Access initiatives for SDG: Ujjwala, Saubhagya, Gram-Jyoti, Urja Ganga, Uday (150 words)
  • [AW/GSM3] Internal Security: Preventing Lone Wolf & Hate Speech on Social Media: Mock Questions with Model Answer Writing
  • [GSM3/Disasters] Human Stampede Prevention, Role of Science Tech (GSM3) & Code for Media (GSM4) With Model Answer Writing
  • [AW/GSM3] Economy: Give Fiscal stimulus for 6-Quarter GDP dip & GST troubles of MSME/Small Traders? Critically Examine. Model Answer Included
  • [Economy] WTO Buenos Aires Summit #EPICFAIL: Model Answers for UPSC Mains GS2 & GS3
  • [AW/GSM3] Carbon Imperialism vs Economic Cost of Renewable Energy vs Social Cost of Thermal Powerplants: Model Answers in Hindi & English
  • [Summary] Economy#4A: Agriculture Credit & Inputs (Part 1/3) for Descriptive Exams gist of Survey Vol1&2, NITI 3YRs & SDG30
  • [Summary] Economy#4A: Agriculture Extension & Research, GM Crops (Part 2/3) for Descriptive Exams gist of Survey Vol1&2, NITI 3YRs & SDG30
  • [Summary] Economy#4A: Agriculture Output Selling (3/3): Price Deficiency Payment (PDP), MSP, APMC & Food Management gist of Survey Vol1&2, NITI 3YRs & SDG30
  • [AW/GSM3] Tomato Inflation, Organic Farming, Pulses Inflation: Mock Questions & Model Answer Writing for UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam
  • [AW/GSM3] Art of Answer writing: Minor Forest Produce (MFP) significance & challenges for Tribal economy: Model Answers in English & Hindi
  • [Economy] GSM3: New Metro Rail Policy 2017: Investment Models, PPP vs EPC, DFBOT, VGF with Model Answers in Hindi & English
  • Lecture/Rao forGSM3: Rao’s Economic Reforms, Impact of Liberalization & industrial Policy
  • Lecture/GSM3- SENDAI Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction & India’s updated NDM Plan 2016
  • Lecture/GSM3: Pollution- Kigali Amendment, India- a Rejectionist Power in SDG, Paris, ICAO?
  • Lecture/GSM3/Agri: Pulses inflation: Arvind Subramanian report, PPP procurement, higher MSP, DBT?
  • Lecture/GSM3/Agri: GM Mustard, DMH-11 Hybrid should we adopt in India? GEAC report? Cartagena Protocol?
  • Lecture/GSM3/Budgeting: Why Plan-Non plan merger? Is Revenue-Capital classification sufficient?
  • Lecture/GSM3/Budgeting: Why Budget advanced to 1st February? Merits, Rationale, Summary
  • Lecture/GSM3/Budgeting: Why change Financial Year of India instead of 1st April-31st March?
  • Lecture/GSM3/Economy: GST-Proposed Framework, Benefits, Challenges- Summary
  • Lecture/GSM3/Poverty: UBI- Universal Basic Income for Indian Poor: Benefits, Challenges- Summary

This paper includes questions to check the candidate’s’ attitude and approach to issues relating to integrity, probity in public life and his/her problem solving approach to various issues and conflicts faced by him/her while dealing with society. Questions may utilise the case study approach to determine these aspects and covers area:

  • Ethics and Human Interface- Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics in private and public relationships
  • Human Values- lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values
  • Attitude- content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behaviour; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion
  • Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service, integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker-sections
  • Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance
  • Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world
  • Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration- Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance; ethical issues in international relations and funding; corporate governance
  • Probity in Governance- Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity; Information; sharing and transparency in government, Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizen’s Charters, Work culture, Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds, challenges of corruption
  • Case Studies on above issues.
  • [Download] ALL UPSC GSM4 Question Papers (Topicwise) from 2013-22 with Analysis & Future Strategy
  • [Full Length Mock] UPSC Mains GS4: Set#1 Ethics, Integrity, Aptitude incl. Case Studies on Blue Whale Game, Gender Equality, Artistic Freedom
  • [Full Length Mock] UPSC Mains GS4: Set#2- Ethics, Integrity, Aptitude with case study on recruitment, Ostracism, Friendship & More
  • [AW/GSM4] Art of Answer writing: Transparency of Rules Act (TORA) vs RTI vs Citizen Charter for Transparency, Accountability & Good Governance
  • Lecture/Rao forGS3&4: LPG Legacy= Growth NOT Redistributed? Crisis Mgmt using Kautilya?
  • FREE Complete Lecture Series on Ethics by UPSC Topper Kavan Limbasiya (IRS)
  • More Case Studies and Articles

upsc mains essay questions

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WEEKLY UPSC IAS ESSAY WRITING CHALLENGE

Following are the topics on which our followers have written (and writing essays) every Sunday to hone their essay writing skills. The topics are chosen based on UPSC previous year topics. Writing one essay on each Sunday will help you get better marks in this paper.

ESSAY STRATEGY by Topper – Rank 1 CSE 2017

ESSAY STRATEGY by Topper – Rank 25 CSE 2015

ESSAY STRATEGY by Topper – Rank 40 CSE 2015

  • [VIDEO] How to Improve Marks in Essay and Ethics Papers?
  • [VIDEO] How to Write Philosophical Essays

WEEKLY UPSC IAS ESSAY WRITING CHALLENGES – 2024

  • 11 August, 2024 : The world is not magic and that is the most magical thing about it. 
  • 4 August, 2024 : Art is I; Science is We. 
  • 28 July, 2024 : History, in general, only informs us what bad government is
  • 21 July, 2024 : Sarcasam : the last refuge of the chaste-souled individuals when their privacy is coarsely invaded.
  • 14 July, 2024 : Wound is the place where light enters you
  • 7 July, 2024 : What is Religion to One is Superstition To Another
  • June 30, 2024 : Gender Is Spectrum
  • June 23, 2024 : Those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.
  • June 16, 2024 : Saint Has A Past. Sinner Has A Future
  • June 9, 2024 : The worst disease in the world today is corruption and the cure for it is transparency.
  • June 2, 2024 : Escape Competition Through Authenticity.
  • May 26, 2024 : Creativity Is Allowing Yourself to Make Mistakes. Art Is Knowing Which Ones to Keep.
  • May 19 2024 : In No Man’s Land, the only way to survive is to adapt.
  • May 12, 2024 : Economics is concerned with what emerges, not what anyone intended.
  • May 5, 2024 : A right is not what someone gives you; it’s what no one can take from you.
  • April 28, 2024 : We come nearest to the great when we are great in humility.
  • April 21, 2024 : Well done is better than well said.
  • April 14, 2024 : Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative. 
  • April 07, 2024 : Came from plant, use it; made in plant, don’t.
  • March 30, 2024 : A Business That Makes Nothing More Than Money Is Poor Business
  • March 24, 2024 : If Voting Really Made Difference, They Would Not Let Us Do It
  • March 17, 2024 : Cinema Is Not A Slice Of Life, But A Piece Of Cake. 
  • March 10, 2024 : Education Can give skill, but a liberal education can give dignity
  • March 3, 2024 : Sometimes when you lose your way you find yourself
  • February 25, 2024 : Who Looks Inside Awakes, Who Looks Outside Dream
  • February 18, 2024 : Never Let School Interfere With Your Education
  • February 11, 2024 : Whoever Controls the Media Controls the Mind
  • February 04, 2024 : A certain darkness is needed to see the stars
  • January 28, 2024 : Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it
  • January 21, 2024 : Subtle Is powerful
  • January 14, 2024 : The power of community to create health is far greater than any physician, clinic or hospital. 
  • January  07, 2024 : Give them Quality. That’s The Best Kind of Advertising

WEEKLY UPSC IAS ESSAY WRITING CHALLENGES – 2023

  • December 31, 2023 : The only antidote to mental suffering is physical pain
  • December 24, 2023 : All Great Changes Are Preceded By Chaos
  • December 17, 2023 : We are drowning in information, but starved for Knowledge
  • December 10, 2023 : Violence Is the last resort of the incompetent
  • December 03, 2023 : Be a Voice, Not an Echo
  • November 26, 2023 : A Society that has more justice is the society that needs less charity
  • November 19, 2023 : Sell Your Cleverness and Buy Bewilderment
  • November 12, 2023 : love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within
  • November 5, 2023 : Clothes Make The Man
  • October 29, 2023 : Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.
  • October 22, 2023 : Mathematics is the music of reason
  • October 15, 2023 : Girls are weighed down by restrictions, boys with demands – two equally harmful disciplines
  • October 08, 2023 : Inspiration for creativity springs from the effort to look for the magical in the mundane.
  • October 01, 2023 : Not All Who Wander Are Lost
  • September 24, 2023 : Visionary Decision-Making happens at the intersection of intuition and logic
  • September 17, 2023 : Thinking Is Like A game. It does not begin unless there is an opposition team.
  • September 10, 2023 : Unless we have well-educated people, we are vulnerable on National Security
  • September 03, 2023 : Harsh Laws are, at times, better than No laws
  • August 27, 2023 : Nations Do Not Die From Invasion. They Die From Internal Rottenness
  • August 20, 2023 : In Individuals, insanity is rare; In groups, parties and nations, it is the rule.
  • August 13, 2023 : Economics Is Too Important To Leave To The Economists.
  • August 06, 2023 : A self without a book-shelf is naked.
  • July 30, 2023 : Wrong Choices Lead To Right Places
  • July 23, 2023 : Credit where credit is due.
  • July 16, 2023 : A right is not what someone gives you; it’s what no one can take away from you.
  • July 9, 2023 : The measure of intelligence is the ability to change
  • July 2, 2023 : Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. 
  • June 25, 2023 : In the long run , the sword will always be conquered by the spirit
  • June 18, 2023 : The company you keep determines your Success
  • June 11, 2023 : A disciplined mind brings happiness.
  • June 4, 2023 : Our moral responsibility is not to stop the future but to shape it
  • May 28, 2023 : Action breeds confidence and courage
  • May 21, 2023 : A library is a hospital for the mind
  • May 14, 2023 : Self-Education is Life-Long Curiosity
  • May 7, 2023 : Silence is Spurious Golden
  • April 30, 2023 : The price of greatness is responsibility
  • April 23, 2023 : Progress is impossible without change
  • April 16, 2023 : The Impact of Artificial Intelligence.
  • April 9, 2023 : People would rather believe than know.
  • April  2, 2023 : Prioritizing education technology for global growth
  • March 26, 2023 : Technology is a weapon against poverty
  • March 19, 2023 : Every choice you make makes you
  • March 12, 2023 : Patience is a virture ; virtue is a grace
  • March 5, 2023 : Before any fight, it is the fight of mind
  • February 26, 2023 :  The Measure of a man is what he does with Power.
  • February 19, 2023 : When you kill time, you kill life.
  • February 12, 2023 : Delayed success mostly stays forever.
  • February 05, 2023 : The wound is the place where the Light enters you.
  • January 29, 2023 : Doubt is an uncomfortable condition, but certainty is a ridiculous one.
  • January 22, 2023 : I am what I am, so take me as I am
  • January 15, 2023 : Real learning comes about when the competitive spirit has ceased
  • January 08, 2023 : Time hurts but it also heals. It punishes but it rewards too- it is the greatest teacher ever for a human.
  • January 01, 2023 : The Beginning is the End and the End is The Beginning.

WEEKLY UPSC IAS ESSAY WRITING CHALLENGES – 2022

  • December 25, 2022 : To tolerate is purely an act of mind
  • December 18, 2022 : The arc of moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice
  • December 11, 2022 : Religion is a culture of faith; Science is a culture of doubt.
  • December 04, 2022 : My best friend is a person who will give me a book I have not read
  • November 27, 2022 : Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits
  • November 20, 2022 : We are always blind as we want to be
  • November 13, 2022  : By your stumbling, the world is perfected.
  • November 6, 2022 : You cannot step twice in the same river
  • October 30, 2022 : Just because you have a choice, it does not mean that any of them has to be right.
  • October 23, 2022 : A smile is the chosen vehicle for all ambiguities
  • October 16, 2022 : The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining
  • October 9, 2022 : A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ship is for
  • October 2, 2022 : History is a series of victories won by the scientific man over the romantic man
  • September 25, 2022 : Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world
  • September 18, 2022 : Forests are the best case studies for economic excellence
  • September 11, 2022 : Culture changes with economic development.
  • September 4 2022 : We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.
  • August 28 2022 :  The obstacle is the path.
  • August 21 2022 : What is to give light must endure burning.
  • August 14 2022 : “He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander.” Aristotle.
  • August 7 2022 : Any fool can know. The point is to understand.” Albert Einstein
  • July 31, 2022 : A bad conscience is easier to cope with than a bad reputation. Friedrich Nietzsche.
  • July 24, 2022 : Time is all we have and don’t
  • July 17, 2022 : Life fritters away when distractions become your lifestyle
  • July 10, 2022 : After every darkness comes the dawn July 10, 2022 : After every darkness comes the dawn
  • July 3, 2022 : Mind – a beautiful servant? Or a dangerous master?
  • June 26, 2022 : Education Breeds Peace
  • June 19, 2022 : A great leader is never angry
  • June 12, 2022 : That which hurts, instructs; That which instructs, creates; Creates Wonders!
  • June 05, 2022 : Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do
  • May 29, 2022 : The journey is a reward as well as destination
  • May 22, 2022 : Imagination creates reality
  • May 15, 2022 : The curious paradox is, only if we accept things as they are, things can change
  • May 08, 2022:  The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are so certain of themselves, while wiser people are so full of doubts
  • May 01, 2022:  Loyalty To Country Always. Loyalty To Government Only When It Deserves
  • April 24, 2022: Successful Investing Is Anticipating The Anticipations of Others
  • April 17, 2022: Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear
  • April 10, 2022 : Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn
  • April 03, 2022 : Forgiveness is the final form of love
  • March 27, 2022 : The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless
  • March 20, 2022 : Reason has always existed, but not always in a reasonable form.
  • March 13, 2022 : Everything we hear is an opinion; not a fact
  • March 5, 2022 : There are better practices to “best practices”
  • February 27, 2022 : History repeats itself first as a tragedy second as a farce.
  • February 20, 2022 : What is research, but a blind date with knowledge!
  • February 13, 2022 : Hand that rocks the cradle rules the world
  • February 6, 2022 : The real is rational and the rational is real.
  • January 30, 2022 : Philosophy of Wantlessness Is Utopian, while the philosophy of materialism is chimera.
  • January 23, 2022 : Your perception of me is a reflection of you; my reaction to you is an awareness of me.
  • January 16, 2022 : The process of self-discovery has now been technologically outsourced.
  • January 09, 2022 : Knowing oneself is the beginning of all wisdom
  • January 02, 2022 : Biased Media Is A Real Threat To Indian Democracy

WEEKLY UPSC IAS ESSAY WRITING CHALLENGES – 2021

  • December 26, 2021 : What Gets Measured Gets Managed
  • December 19, 2021 : The enemy of stability is complacency
  • December 12, 2021 : A clear conscience fears no accusation
  • December 05, 2021 : Power of vested interests is vastly exaggerated compared with the gradual encroachment of ideas
  • November 28, 2021 : The whole is more than a sum of its parts
  • November 21, 2021 : Scientific and technological progress cannot be equated with the progress of humanity
  • November 14, 2021 : The price of our vitality is the sum of all our fears
  • November 7, 2021 : Lawlessness is the result of failure to cultivate a sense of self-evaluation
  • October 30, 2021 : What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make
  • October 24, 2021 : Science for the economic freedom of humanity
  • October 17, 2021 : An interdependent world cannot be an inequitable world
  • October 03, 2021 : Strength comes from an indomitable Will
  • SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 : Ethnocracy and concentration of power can derail even an affluent nation
  • SEPTEMBER 19, 2021 : Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land.
  • SEPTEMBER 12, 2021 : Culture of entitlement comes with unreasonable expectations and insecurities 
  • SEPTEMBER 5, 2021 : Literacy is a vital skill that enhances dignity, improves health outcomes, empowers people to access their rights and bolsters opportunities
  • AUGUST 29, 2021 : A parliamentary system of government rests on a functioning opposition as ‘no democracy can do without it’.
  • AUGUST 22, 2021 : Development must lead to dismantle all kinds of human unfreedom
  • AUGUST 15, 2021 : Sport is a reflection of larger social phenomena
  • AUGUST 8, 2021 : Every social stratum has its own Common Sense and its own good sense
  • AUGUST 1, 2021 : Capitalism without competition is not Capitalism. It is Exploitation.
  • JULY 25, 2021 : We don’t have to sacrifice a Strong Economy for a Healthy Environment
  • JULY 18,2021 : We Need not a social conscience, but a social consciousness.
  • JULY 11, 2021 : The cure for evils of democracy is more democracy.
  • JULY 04, 2021 : No Constitution by itself achieves perfect justice
  • JUNE 27, 2021 : Our world has achieved brilliance without conscience.
  • JUNE 20, 2021 : Our common humanity demands that we make the impossible possible.
  • JUNE 13, 2021 : Without courage we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.
  • JUNE 06, 2021 : The political problem of mankind is to combine three things: economic efficiency, social justice and individual liberty.
  • MAY 30, 2021 : Economics without ethics is a caricature & ethics without economics is a fairy tale.
  • MAY 23 , 2021 : Indecisiveness is the rival of Progression
  • MAY 16 , 2021 : Time changes everything except something within us which is always surprised by change.
  • May 09, 2021 : The possession of arbitrary power has always, the world over, tended irresistibly to destroy humane sensibility, magnanimity, and truth
  • May 02, 2021 : The truth of character is expressed through choice of act ions
  • April 25, 2021 : It is not our differences that divide us; It is our inability to recognise, accept, and celebrate those differences.
  • April 18, 2021 : Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.
  • April 11, 2021 : Solutions emerge if situations are not forced
  • April 04, 2021 : Morality is subservient to materialistic values in present times
  • March 28, 2021 : Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible
  • March 21, 2021 : Our major social problems are not the cause of our decadence but are a reflection of it
  • March 14, 2021 : The Future of Multilateralism : Towards a responsible Globalization
  • March 07, 2021 : Subtlety may deceive you; Integrity never will
  • February 28, 2021 :Technology as the silent factor in international relations
  • February 21, 2021 :Patriarchy is the least noticed yet the most significant structure of social inequality
  • February 14, 2021:There can be no social justice without economic prosperity but economic prosperity without social justice is meaningless
  • February 07, 2021: Culture is what we are civilization is what we have
  • January 31, 2021: Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication
  • January 24, 2021: Ships do not sink because of water around them , ships sink because of water that gets into them
  • January 17, 2021: Mindful manifesto is the catalyst to a tranquil self
  • January 10, 2021: Life is long journey between human being and being humane
  • January 03, 2021: The Covid pandemic has revealed the urgent need for effective governance everywhere”
  • December 27, 2020: Challenges of 21st Century – insurmountable?
  • December 20, 2020: Too much Democracy is Detrimental to Development
  • December 13, 2020: Happiness is not an ideal of reason, but of imagination.

WEEKLY UPSC IAS ESSAY WRITING CHALLENGES – 2020

  • December 06, 2020 : As you Start to walk on the way, the Way appears
  • November 29, 2020: Need of the Hour is to Maximise Possibilities of Agriculture in India
  • November 22, 2020: The survival of democracy depends on its ability to lower social uncertainty
  • November 15, 2020: There is no greatness where there is no simplicity
  • November 08, 2020: Inequality can be Reduced by the Power of the Market rather than the Government
  • November 01, 2020: Civil liberties are fundamental to the functioning of modern democracies
  • October 25, 2020: Artificial Intelligence is Not All Evil – It can Promote Social Good Too
  • October 18, 2020: Wherever law ends, tyranny begins
  • October 11, 2020:Hyper-globalism is threat to human prosperity
  • September 27, 2020: Our World is in a Surplus of Multilateral Challenges and a Deficit of Solutions
  • September 20, 2020: In India Agriculture and the Farmer are both the Victims of Narrow Political Vision
  • September 13, 2020: India Needs Aggressive and Pragmatic Neighbourhood Policy
  • September 6, 2020: “The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his  attitude .
  • August 30, 2020: The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal
  • August 23, 2020: Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.
  • August 16, 2020: Life without liberty is like a body without spirit.
  • August 09, 2020: Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value
  • August 02, 2020: New Education Policy 2020: A Progressive Policy with Diverse Challenges
  • July 26, 2020: In a democracy, the individual enjoys not only the ultimate power but carries the ultimate responsibility
  • July 19, 2020: Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance
  • July 12, 2020: The human spirit must prevail over technology
  • July 05, 2020: When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.
  • June 28, 2020: Today India Needs ‘Harmony in Diversity’, Not Unity in Diversity.
  • June 21, 2020: A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.
  • June 14, 2020: Post Independence, the Issue of Land is at the Core of India’s Non-Achievement of Its Development Aspirations
  • June 7, 2020: Never Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste
  • May 31, 2020: Despite Challenges, To be a Healthy and Successful Nation, India must Ensure Universal Health Coverage 
  • May 24, 2020: Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.
  • May 17, 2020:The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little
  • May 10, 2020: Urban Exclusion of Migrant Workers in India is a Reality and Needs Urgent Robust Policy Measures
  • May 03, 2020: Uncertainty should ignite creativity, not depravity
  • April 26, 2020: The fool doth think he is wise but the wise man knows himself to be a fool
  • April 19, 2020: Social Harmony, not Social Distancing, is the final solution to all our problems
  • April 12, 2020: It is our choices, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities
  • April 05, 2020: Education must also train one for quick, resolute and effective thinking
  • March 29, 2020: “Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them”
  • March 22, 2020: In order to understand the world one has to turn away from it on occasion
  • March 15, 2020: Pandemics such as COVID-19, though Catastrophic, are in the end Meant to Reset Humanity and its Priorities
  • March 08, 2020: Those who have wisdom have all: Fools with all have nothing
  • March 01, 2020: Indifferentism is the worst kind of disease that can affect people.
  • [VIDEO] Perspectives on Essay Topic of Feb 23
  • February 23, 2020: To ease another’s heartache is to forget one’s own.
  • February 16, 2020 : When civil services does its job, people will not need social service
  • February 09, 2020 : The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.
  • February 02, 2020: Ability will get you success, Character will keep you successful.
  • January 26, 2020: Media’s duty is to inform public, not manufacture opinion.
  • January 19, 2020: Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes
  • January 12, 2020 : Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition
  • J anuary 5, 2020 : All war is a symptom of man’s failure as a thinking animal
  • December 29, 2019 : There cannot be daily democracy without daily citizenship
  • December 22, 2019: War is the ultimate Price we pay for lasting Peace
  • December 15, 2019 : Inclusivity and Plurality are the hallmarks of a peaceful society
  • December 08, 2019: Justice Loses Character if it becomes Revenge
  • December 01. 2019: Economic Growth and Development are Shaped by the Societies in which they Operate
  • November 24, 2019: Social Media is the Fourth Pillar of Democracy
  • November 17, 2019: Media is No More a Fourth Pillar of Democracy
  • November 10, 2019: Rise of Artificial Intelligence: the threat of jobless future or better job opportunities through reskilling and upskilling
  • November 03, 2019:Biased media is a real threat to Indian democracy
  • October 27, 2019: Neglect of primary health care and education in India are reasons for its backwardness
  • October 20, 2019: South Asian societies are woven not around the state, but around their plural cultures and plural identities
  • October 13, 2019: Courage to accept and dedication to improve are two keys to success
  • October 06, 2019: Best for an individual is not necessarily best for the society
  • September 29, 2019: Values are not what humanity is, but what humanity ought to be
  • September 22, 2019: Wisdom finds truth

WEEKLY UPSC IAS ESSAY WRITING CHALLENGES – 2019

  • September 15, 2019: Kashmir Problem – Historical Injustice or Misguided Geopolitics?
  • September 08, 2019: India’s Space Ambitions – Are they Welfarist?
  • September 01, 2019: India – $5 Trillion Economy: Dream or Reality?
  • August 25, 2019 Knowledge will give you power, but character respect.
  • August 18, 2019 The mind is everything. What you think you become.
  • August 11, 2019: Virtue is Knowledge
  • August 04, 2019: Inclusive governance begets Inclusive growth
  • July 28, 2019: India’s headache: Unemployment or Underemployment?
  • July 21, 2019: The road to science and spirituality are opposite, but we should tread both
  • July 14, 2019: India is a leading power, rather than just a balancing power
  • July 07, 2019: Should the world embrace democratic socialism or progressive capitalism?
  • June 30, 2019: Impact of Digital Revolution on Human Wellbeing
  • June 23, 20 19: Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty
  • June 16, 2019: The definition of happiness is the full use of your powers, along the lines of excellence.
  • June 09, 2019: Not Corruption, Communalism is the Greatest Threat India is facing Today
  • May 19, 2019: First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.
  • May 12, 2019: Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake
  • May 05, 2019: Happiness equals reality minus expectations
  • April 28, 2019: Political correctness is tyranny with manners
  • April 21, 2019: The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
  • April 07, 2019: Dogma is the sacrifice of wisdom to consistency
  • March 31, 2019: The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.
  • March 24, 2019: Terrorism has No Religion
  • March 17, 2019: Money and Religion – Great Unifiers of Humankind?
  • March 10, 2019: Tradition becomes our security, and when the mind is secure it is in decay
  • March 03, 2019: Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower
  • February 24,2019: Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens
  • February 17, 2019: Problems worthy of attack prove their worth by fighting back
  • February 10, 2019: Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.
  • February 03, 2019: You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality
  • January 27, 2019: Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever
  • January 20, 2019: All that we are is the result of what we have thought.
  • January 12, 2019: All differences in this world are of degree, and not of kind, because oneness is the secret of everything.
  • January 06, 2019: National security is Irreversibly linked to good economic growth

WEEKLY UPSC IAS ESSAY WRITING CHALLENGES – 2018

  • December 28, 2018: To plan for smart development, governments and business must recognize nature’s role in supporting economic activity
  • December 23, 2018: Government Surveillance – Good or Bad?
  • December 16, 2018: Trade Wars – Economic or Geopolitical?
  • December 02, 2018: Immigration is Not a Threat, but Fundamentally it’s an Economic Issue
  • November 25, 2018: A people that values its privileges above its principles loses both
  • November 18, 2018: “The past’ is a permanent dimension of human consciousness and values
  • November 11, 2018: A good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge
  • November 04, 2018: Management of Indian border disputes – a complex task
  • October 28, 2018: Alternative technologies for a climate change resilient India
  • October 21, 2018: Poverty anywhere is a threat to prosperity everywhere
  • October 14, 2018: Reality does not conform to the ideal, but confirms it
  • October 07, 2018: Customary morality cannot be a guide to modern life
  • September 30, 2018: Commercialization of Space : Importance and the need for regulation
  • September 23, 2018: E-commerce as a new form of trade and its challenges to India.
  • September 16, 2018: Ability is nothing without opportunity
  • September 09, 2018: Death Penalty eliminates Criminals, not Crime.
  • September 02, 2018: Dissent is the foundation of democracy.
  • August 26, 2018: Mars Mission and Mob lynchings are two obverse faces of India
  • August 19, 2018: Strengthening Land Rights Strengthens Development
  • August 12, 2018: Age of Big Data: Data is the New Oil, History is its oldest bank
  • August 05, 2018: Strong Institutions and fair procedures, not personalities constitute the fundamentals of good governance
  • July 29, 2018: Social reform is a myth if places of worship are open only to all castes and not to all genders.
  • July 22, 2018: Section 377, not the carnal acts banned under it is ‘against the order of nature ‘
  • July 15, 2018: Schooling Is Not Education
  • July 08, 2018: Sometimes it takes a natural disaster to reveal a social disaster.
  • July 01, 2018: Normal human activity is worse for nature than the greatest nuclear accident in history
  • June 24, 2018: Gender Sensitive Indian Society is Prerequisite for Women and Child Empowerment
  • June 17, 2018: Where Should India Invest More – Human Capital or Human Development?
  • June 10, 2018: Has Democracy Taken Backseat Due to the Rise of Populists and Demagogues?
  • June 03, 2018: We won’t have a society ,if we destroy the environment
  • May 27, 2018: Can Development and Environment Protection Go Together?
  • May 20, 2018: Governor is the Choke Point of Federal Circuit of India
  • May 13, 2018: Anonymity is the Best and the Worst Feature of Urbanism
  • May 06, 2018: A man is but the product of his thoughts; what he thinks, he becomes
  • April 29, 2018: Guaranteeing Right to Vote may Establish a Democracy, But Ensuring it’s Right Use Only Will Bring a True Democracy
  • April 22, 2018: Stereotyping is an Ideological Force Which Hinders and Endangers Consolidation of India
  • April 15, 2018: Can Education and legislation Address Violence Against Women and Children in India?
  • April 8, 2018: Banking Crisis in India – Failure of Governance and Regulation?
  • April 1, 2018: Privacy is the fountainhead of all other rights
  • March 25, 2018: Impact of Technology on Human Relations and Human Productivity
  • March 18, 2018: India’s Focus should be on Ease of Living, not on Easy of Doing Business
  • March 11, 2018: A friend to everybody is a friend to nobody
  • March 04, 2018: Capitalism can not Bring Inclusive Growth
  • February 25, 2018: The unprecedented advance of technologies facilitate individual empowerment but at the cost of Institutions and Democratic societies
  • February 18, 2018: Threats being Faced by Liberal Democratic Systems are both Dangerous and Permanent
  • February 11, 2018: For India, Stigmatised Capitalism is Better than Crony Socialism
  • February 04, 2018: Art, freedom and creativity will change society faster than politics.
  • January 28, 2018: Politics of Identity is the Politics of the Weak
  • January 21, 2018: Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime
  • January 14, 2018: Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding
  • January 07, 2018: The Root Cause of Agrarian Distress in India – Failure of Policies or Failure of Governance?

WEEKLY UPSC IAS ESSAY WRITING CHALLENGES – 2017

  • December 31, 2017: Impact of the new economic measures on fiscal ties between the union and states in India
  • December 24, 2017: Fulfilment of ‘new woman’ in India is a myth
  • December 17, 2017: Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.
  • December 10, 2017: Farming has lost the ability to be a source of subsistence for majority of farmers in India
  • December 03, 2017: Destiny of a nation is shaped in its classrooms
  • November 19, 2017: Has the Non- Alignment Movement(NAM) lost its relevance in a multipolar world
  • November 12, 2017: Social media is inherently a selfish medium.
  • November 04, 2017: We may brave human laws but cannot resist natural laws
  • October 29, 2017: Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.
  • October 22, 2017: Harith Diwali, Swasth Diwali : What measures are needed to deal with Festivity and Air Pollution?
  • October 15, 2017: Biggest Threat to Humanity – Moral Crisis or Climate Change?
  • October 08, 2017: The monsoon is a defining aspect of India’s nationhood
  • October 01, 2017: India’s Infrastructure Story – Why is India not able to Build like China?
  • September 24, 2017: Impact of Digital Technologies on Globalisation
  • September 17, 2017: Urbanisation and Solid Waste Management in India – Challenges and Opportunities
  • September 10,2017: Gender Equality and Peace: Are They Connected?
  • September 03, 2017: Recent Natural Disasters – What do they Reveal about Humanity?
  • August 27, 2017: Godmen – A Threat to Indian Society and Culture
  • August 20, 2017: Corruption in India: Neither Systemic Reforms nor Surgical Strikes would End it
  • August 13,2017: Interrelationship between Gender Equality and Sustainable Development
  • August 06, 2017: Utility and relevance of Parliament in our polity
  • July 30, 2017: Caste System – Source of India’s Eternal Inequality?
  • July 23, 2017: Indian Democracy, Media and Public Opinion – Does Public Opinion Matter in Policymaking?
  • July 16, 2017: Poverty and Environment – Their Interrelationship is the Key to Sustainable World
  • July 09, 2017: Soft Power is India’s Strength, not its Weakness
  • July 02, 2017: Technology and Jobs – Is Technology a Curse?
  • June 25, 2017: Democracy’s Relevance in the Face of New Global Threats
  • June 18, 2017: Federalism in India – Competitive or Cooperative?
  • June 11, 2017: Peace, Environment and Development: Are these Interrelated?
  • June 04, 2017: Role of Technology in Development – Is Technology Helping or Hindering Development?
  • May 28, 2017: Poverty is a State of Mind
  • May 21, 2017: Does India Need Superpower Status?
  • May 14, 2017: India’s Achilles Heel – Lack of Ambition or Lack of Leadership in Achieving Greatness?
  • May 07, 2017: Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time.
  • April 29, 2017: The greatest happiness of the greatest number is the foundation of morals and legislation
  • April 23, 2017: To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom
  • April 16, 2017: One-Party-Dominant System – Is it Good for India?
  • April 09, 2017: Should Youth in India Consider Politics as Career?
  • April 02, 2017: Can World Save Succeeding Generations from the Scourge of War?
  • March 26, 2017: Low, stagnating female labour-force participation in India: An anomaly or an outcome of economic reforms?
  • March 19, 2017: When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw
  • March 12, 2017: The marks humans leave are too often scars
  • March 05, 2017: Environmental Challenges and Geopolitics: How to save our Environment?
  • February 27, 2017: Radical Solutions are Needed to Address Today’s Radical Problems
  • February 19, 2017: India’s Importance in the Post-truth World
  • February 12, 2017: The Role of Politics in Development
  • February 05, 2017: Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored
  • January 29, 2017: Building Walls and Banning Refugees – Does this Help Humanity?
  • January 22, 2017: Digital economy: A leveller or a source of economic inequality
  • January 15, 2017: Cyberspace and internet: Blessing or curse to the human civilization in the long run
  • January 08, 2017: Water disputes between states in federal India
  • January 01, 2017: Need brings greed, if greed increases it spoils breed

WEEKLY UPSC IAS ESSAY WRITING CHALLENGES – 2016

  • (December 25, 2016) – Cooperative federalism: Myth or reality
  • (December 18, 2016) – Innovation is the key determinant of economic growth and social welfare
  • (December 11, 2016) – Near jobless growth in India: An anomaly or an outcome of economic reforms
  • (December 04, 2016) – If development is not engendered, it is endangered
  • (November 27, 2016) – Social media is better at breaking things than at making things
  • (November 20, 2016) – Deglobalization is good for the world
  • (November 12, 2016) – Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others
  • (November 06, 2016) – It is not inequality which is the real misfortune, it is dependence
  • (October 30, 2016) – Reducing Poverty while also Conserving Nature is an Impossible Task
  • (October 23, 2016) – Poverty can be eliminated by putting science at the heart of development
  • (October 16, 2016) – People shouldn’t be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people
  • (October 09, 2016) – Better Access is Key to Inclusive Cities
  • (October 02, 2016) – The weaker sections of Indian society – Are their Rights and Access to Justice Getting Better?
  • (September 25, 2016) – Imagination is more important than intelligence
  • (September 18, 2016) – Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life
  • (September 11, 2016) – Not what we have But what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance
  • (September 04, 2016) – It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it
  • (August 28, 2016) – If one can Address Moral Crisis, many of World’s Problems can be Solved
  • (August 21, 2016) – Overdependence on Technology will Advance Human Development
  • (August 14, 2016) – Geography may remain the same ; history need not
  • (August 07, 2016) – Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom
  • (July 31, 2016) – To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all
  • (July 24, 2016) – True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing
  • (July 17, 2016) – We Can Not Fight Terrorism – We have to Live With it
  • (July 10, 2016) – A house divided against itself cannot stand
  • (July 02, 2016) – When the going gets tough, the tough get going
  • (June 26, 2016) – India a Reluctant Participant in the New Global Order?
  • (June 19, 2016) – Inclusiveness in India – Still a Dream?
  • (June 12, 2016) – No one can make you feel inferior without your consent
  • (June 05, 2016) – Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted
  • (May 29, 2016) – It is hard to free fools from the chains they revere
  • (May 22, 2016) – Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress
  • (May 15, 2016) – Fire is a good servant but a bad master
  • (May 08, 2016) – The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence
  • (May 01, 2016) – Labour Reforms in India and its Role in Economic Development
  • (April 24, 2016) – It takes a whole village to raise a child
  • (April 17, 2016) – Trust take years to Build, Seconds to Break
  • (April 10, 2016) – Cleanliness is next to Godliness
  • (April 03, 2016) – Honesty is the Best Policy
  • (March 27, 2016) – Before criticizing a man, walk a mile in his shoes
  • (March 20, 2016) – Caste System – India’s Enduring Curse
  • (March 13, 2016) – Fortune favors the bold
  • (March 06, 2016) – Quick but steady wins the race
  • (February 28, 2016) – Dreams which should not let India sleep
  • (February 21, 2016) – Lending hands to someone is better than giving a dole
  • (February 14, 2016) – Technology cannot replace manpower
  • (February 7, 2016) – Character of an institution is reflected in its leader
  • (January 31, 2016) – Can Capitalism bring Inclusive Growth?
  • (January 24, 2016) – Crisis Faced in India – Moral or Economic?
  • (January 17, 2016) – Too many cooks spoil the broth
  • (January 10, 2016) – The Best Things in Life are Free
  • (January 3, 2016) – Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

WEEKLY ESSAY WRITING CHALLENGES – 2015

  • 27 December 2015
  • 20 December 2015
  • 13 December 2015
  • 06 December 2015
  • 28 November 2015
  • 21 November 2015
  • 15 November 2015
  • 08 November 2015
  • 01 November 2015
  • 25 October 2015
  • 18 October 2015
  • 11 October 2015
  • 04 October 2015
  • 27 September 2015
  • 20 September 2015
  • 13 September 2015
  • 06 September 2015
  • 31 August 2015
  • 30 August 2015
  • 23 August 2015
  • 16 August 2015
  • 09 August 2015
  • 01 August 2015
  • 26 July 2015
  • 19 July 2015
  • 12 July 2015
  • 05 July 2015
  • 28 June 2015
  • 21 June 2015
  • 14 June 2015
  • 07 June 2015
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upsc mains essay questions

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Indian Economic Service - Indian Statistical Service Examination, 2022
Engineering Services (Main) Examination, 2022
Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2022
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National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (I), 2022
CISF AC(EXE) LDCE-2022
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Engineering Services (Main) Examination, 2021
Combined Medical Services Examination, 2021
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Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2021
Central Armed Police Forces (ACs) Examination, 2021
Indian Economic Service - Indian Statistical Service Examination, 2021
Engineering Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2021
Combined Geo-Scientist (Main) Examination, 2021
National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (I), 2021
CISF AC(EXE) LDCE-2021
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Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination, 2020
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upsc mains essay questions

Topic-Wise Essay Questions from UPSC Mains (1994 -2018)

upsc mains essay questions

The initial paper in the UPSC mains examination is the Essay (Paper I). In this section, candidates who have qualified in the prelims stage must compose two essays from a selection of provided topics. The paper holds a total of 250 marks, and these marks contribute to the determination of the Final Merit List. This article compiles all the essay topics presented in the UPSC mains exam from 1994 to 2018. Additionally, we have organized the essay questions from the last 25 years into distinct topics to facilitate your preparation.

Table of Contents

UPSC Essay Topics

Administration.

  • 1994: The nexus of politics, bureaucracy, and business – a lethal trio.
  • 1995: Politics bereft of ethics spells disaster.
  • 1996: The VIP cult poses a detriment to Indian democracy.
  • 1996: Advocating the necessity for transparency in public administration.
  • 2000: Addressing the nation’s imperative for an improved disaster management system.
  • 2003: Guidelines on the conduct expected of a civil servant.

Democracy/India since independence

  • 1995: The trajectory of Indian democracy—where does it lead?
  • 1997: Unlearned lessons in fifty years of independence.
  • 2000: Reasons to take pride in our Indian identity.
  • 2001: Assessing the gains from our democratic framework.
  • 2003: Evaluating the effectiveness of democracy in delivering positive outcomes in India.
  • 2008: Exploring national identity and patriotism.
  • 2012: Examining the evolutionary significance of ‘Swadhinata,’ ‘Swaraj,’ and ‘Dharmarajya’ in the context of Gandhiji’s views and their contemporary relevance to Indian democracy.
  • 2013: Is India’s success hindered by a lingering colonial mentality?
  • 2015: Aspirations that should keep India awake.
  • 2018: Navigating the intricate challenge of managing Indian border disputes.

Economic growth and development

  • 1999: Managing resources in the Indian context.
  • 2013: GDP (Gross Domestic Product) alongside GDH (Gross Domestic Happiness) as apt measures for assessing a country’s well-being.
  • 2014: The hindrance to our country’s growth—was it policy paralysis or implementation inertia?
  • 2015: Assessing the crisis in India—moral or economic in nature.
  • 2016: Jobless growth in India: An aberration or a consequence of economic reforms.
  • 2016: The digital economy: An equalizer or a source of economic inequality.
  • 2016: Identifying innovation as the pivotal factor influencing economic growth and social welfare.
  • 2017: Examining the impact of new economic measures on fiscal relations between the union and states in India.

Federalism, Decentralisation

  • 1998: Tracing the language problem in India—its historical evolution, current status, and future prospects.
  • 2004: Advocating for central government control over water resources.
  • 2007: Assessing the effectiveness of the panchayati raj system in India in empowering the people.
  • 2007: Examining whether autonomy is the optimal solution to counter balkanization.
  • 2011: The establishment of smaller states and its resultant administrative, economic, and developmental implications.
  • 2016: Cooperative federalism in India: Myth or reality?
  • 2016: Exploring water disputes between states in federal India.

Indian Culture & Society

  • 1994: The Indian society standing at a crucial juncture.
  • 1996: Emerging cults and spiritual leaders posing a challenge to traditional religion.
  • 1998: Examining the mosaic of India’s composite culture.
  • 1999: Contemporary youth culture in focus.
  • 2000: Navigating the intersection of modernism and our traditional socio-ethical values.
  • 2000: Indian culture today—myth or reality?
  • 2003: Contemplating the correlation between civilization’s advancement and cultural decline.
  • 2010: From traditional Indian philanthropy to the Gates-Buffett model—natural progression or paradigm shift?
  • 1997: Exploring the realm of judicial activism.
  • 2004: Investigating the intersection of judicial activism and Indian democracy.
  • 2005: Advocating for the imperative that justice extends to the impoverished.

Social justice/Poverty

  • 1999: Reservation, politics, and the pursuit of empowerment.
  • 2005: Envisioning food security as a foundation for sustainable national development.
  • 2009: The disproportionate focus of healthcare on the privileged segments of our society.
  • 2017: The diminishing capacity of farming to serve as a subsistence source for the majority of Indian farmers.
  • 2018: Recognizing poverty anywhere as a menace to prosperity everywhere.

Media & Society

  • 1998: The misinterpretation and abuse of freedom in India.
  • 1999: Mass media and its impact on cultural invasion.
  • 2002: The democratic role and responsibility of the media.
  • 2007: Examining the cultural shift in Indian mindsets brought about by satellite television.
  • 2008: The contribution of media to fostering good governance.
  • 2011: Assessing whether Indian cinema shapes our popular culture or simply mirrors it.
  • 2014: Contemplating whether sting operations constitute an invasion of privacy.

Environment/Urbanisation

  • 1997: Unraveling the hidden benefits of urbanization.
  • 2006: Asserting the crucial role of safeguarding ecology and the environment for sustained economic development.
  • 2008: Exploring the perils associated with urbanization.
  • 2010: Debating the imposition of a moratorium on new mining activities in tribal areas of the country.
  • 2017: Acknowledging the inevitability of succumbing to natural laws despite challenging human laws.

Economic sectors/MNCs

  • 1994: Multinational corporations—saviors or underminers.
  • 2006: Contemplating the potential demise of small-scale industries in India due to globalization.
  • 2007: The surge of BPOs in India.
  • 2008: Evaluating the Special Economic Zone—benefit or detriment?
  • 2009: Pondering the fate of our traditional handicrafts, destined for a gradual decline.
  • 2012: Scrutinizing the criticism that the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model is more of a curse than a blessing in the Indian context.
  • 2014: Exploring the prospect of tourism as the next major venture for India.
  • 1995: Overhauling the structure of the Indian education system.
  • 1996: Noting the rapid increase in literacy without corresponding growth in education.
  • 2001: Questioning the relevance of traditional classrooms.
  • 2002: Examining the privatization of higher education in India.
  • 2002: Navigating the intersection of modern technological education and human values.
  • 2005: Reflecting on the essence of real education.
  • 2006: Investigating the “Education for All” campaign in India—myth or reality.
  • 2007: Advocating for the cultivation of independent thinking from early childhood.
  • 2008: Contemplating whether educating the masses can pave the way for an egalitarian society.
  • 2011: Assessing the status, opportunities, and challenges of the credit-based higher education system.
  • 2014: Evaluating the impact of growing competition on the youth.
  • 2014: Questioning the effectiveness of standardized tests as a measure of academic ability or progress.
  • 2015: Highlighting the limitations of education without values.
  • 2017: Acknowledging the pivotal role of classrooms in shaping the destiny of a nation.
  • 1995: Unveiling the emerging power of women: the realities on the ground.
  • 1997: Asserting that greater political power alone won’t improve the plight of women.
  • 1998: Contemplating woman as God’s finest creation.
  • 1999: Delving into the challenges and prospects of women’s empowerment.
  • 2001: Emphasizing that empowerment alone cannot fully uplift our women.
  • 2004: Questioning the trajectory of women’s emancipation.
  • 2005: Imagining a world where women rule.
  • 2005: Acknowledging the influential role of the hand that rocks the cradle.
  • 2006: Advocating for the Women’s Reservation Bill as a catalyst for empowerment in India.
  • 2012: Evaluating whether the Indian working woman receives a fair deal in managing work and home.
  • 2016: Stating that if development is not engendered, it is endangered.
  • 2017: Dispelling the myth of the fulfillment of the ‘new woman’ in India.

Quotes-based/Philosophy

  • 1994: Youth is a mistake, manhood a challenge, old age a remorse.
  • 1994: A purposeless life is an untimely demise.
  • 1995: Disinterested intellectual curiosity is the life force of civilization.
  • 1995: When money speaks, the truth remains silent.
  • 1995: Our actions define us as much as we shape our actions.
  • 1996: Truth is something to be lived, not just taught.
  • 1997: True religion cannot be misappropriated.
  • 2002: The pursuit of truth is inherently a spiritual challenge.
  • 2002: The paths of glory ultimately lead to the grave.
  • 2002: If youth possessed knowledge, if age possessed capability.
  • 2003: Nothing is inherently good or bad; it is our perceptions that shape it.
  • 2013: Be the change you wish to witness in others.
  • 2014: With greater power comes greater responsibility.
  • 2014: Words have a sharper impact than a two-edged sword.
  • 2015: Extending a helping hand is superior to merely giving charity.
  • 2018: The past is a permanent dimension of human consciousness and values.
  • 2018: Reality may not conform to the ideal, but it affirms it.
  • 2007: Attitude shapes habits, habits form character, and character defines a person.
  • 2008: Discipline paves the way to success, while anarchy leads to ruin.
  • 2015: The character of an institution is a reflection of its leader.
  • 2016: Need fosters greed, and an increase in greed tarnishes the lineage.
  • 2017: Joy is the purest expression of gratitude.
  • 2018: A fulfilling life is one fueled by love and steered by knowledge.
  • 2018: A society that prioritizes privileges over principles forfeits both.
  • 2018: Traditional morality cannot serve as a guide for modern living.

Globalisation

  • 1994: Modernization and Westernization are distinct concepts.
  • 1998: Envisioning the world in the twenty-first century.
  • 2000: Unraveling the implications of globalization for India.
  • 2001: Articulating my vision of an ideal world order.
  • 2003: Unmasking the facades of new imperialism.
  • 2004: Assessing the impact of globalization on Indian culture.
  • 2009: Contemplating the clash between ‘Globalization’ and ‘Nationalism.’
  • 2010: Evaluating the readiness of our society for India’s global leadership role.

Science & Tech

  • 1997: The contemporary physician and their relationship with patients.
  • 1999: Embedding values in science and education.
  • 2001: Examining the progress of science and its impact on human values.
  • 2003: Exploring the interplay between spirituality and scientific temper.
  • 2004: The magnetic appeal of space.
  • 2012: Debating the compatibility of Science and Mysticism.
  • 2013: Asserting that science and technology serve as the cure-all for the nation’s growth and security.
  • 2015: Emphasizing that technology cannot replace human manpower.
  • 2018: Advocating for alternative technologies to build a climate change-resilient India.

Internet/IT

  • 2000: The allure and challenges of the cyberworld.
  • 2006: The rise of computerization and its potential to foster a dehumanized society.
  • 2016: Reflecting on the long-term impact of cyberspace and the Internet on human civilization—blessing or curse?
  • 2017: Contending that social media, by its nature, is a self-centered medium.

International organisations /relations

  • 1996: The restructuring of the UNO as a reflection of current realities.
  • 2004: Analyzing India’s contribution to fostering ASEAN cooperation.
  • 2006: Assessing the significance of the Indo-US nuclear agreement.
  • 2017: Questioning the continued relevance of the Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) in a multipolar world.
  • 2005: The impact of terrorism on global peace.
  • 2009: Examining whether we are a ‘soft’ state.
  • 2009: Asserting the value of well-defined boundaries in fostering good relations between neighbors.
  • 2011: Recognizing the importance of both human intelligence and technical intelligence in addressing terrorism in the Indian context.

Miscellaneous

  • 1998: India’s impact on global wisdom.
  • 2001: The quest for excellence.
  • 2010: Geography may be constant, but history is subject to change.
  • 2014: Aspiring for fifty gold medals in the Olympics—can India turn this into a reality?
  • 2015: Embracing the strategy of swift yet consistent progress.

Topic-Wise Essay Questions from UPSC Mains (1994 -2018) FAQS

Q 1. how can i write a good essay in upsc.

 Essay writing not only checks your ability to understand the topic but also how well you can explain the same. While preparing for any subject, keep making notes. Read editorial articles in newspapers like The Hindu. Listen to analysis of particular topics on Rajya Sabha TV. There is no shortcut to master the essay, it is all about regular practice.

Q 2. Does handwriting matter in UPSC?

If the answer is good and the handwriting is not good, then there is a possibility of being at a state of disadvantage because the person who evaluates your paper will be evaluating thousands of other papers. Hence, to make sure that your evaluator has not missed out on any piece of information that you have written, it is better to have good and legible handwriting.

3.  What is the format of the UPSC Civil Services Mains examination?

The UPSC Civil Services Mains examination includes an Essay paper (Paper I), which is the initial paper in the exam.

4. How many essays are candidates required to write in the Essay paper?

Candidates are required to compose two essays from a selection of provided topics in the Essay paper.

5. How many marks does the Essay paper hold, and how does it contribute to the Final Merit List?

The Essay paper holds a total of 250 marks, and these marks contribute to the determination of the Final Merit List.

6. What is the time duration for the Essay paper in the UPSC Mains examination?

The time duration for the Essay paper is not specified, but candidates are advised to manage their time effectively.

7. Can candidates choose any topic for their essays, or are there specific topics provided?

Candidates must choose two essay topics from a selection of provided topics.

8. How are the essay topics categorized in the provided list?

The essay topics from the last 25 years are categorized into distinct topics such as Administration, Democracy/India since independence, Economic growth and development, Federalism, Decentralisation, Indian Culture & Society, Judiciary, Social justice/Poverty, Media & Society, Environment/Urbanisation, Economic sectors/MNCs, Education, Women, Quotes-based/Philosophy, Character, Globalisation, Science & Tech, Internet/IT, International organisations/relations, Security, and Miscellaneous.

9. What are some examples of essay topics related to Indian Culture & Society?

Examples include “The Indian society standing at a crucial juncture,” “Contemplating the correlation between civilization’s advancement and cultural decline,” and “Navigating the intersection of modernism and our traditional socio-ethical values.”

10. Are there specific essay topics related to Economics and Development?

Yes, essay topics related to Economics and Development include “Managing resources in the Indian context,” “Jobless growth in India: An aberration or a consequence of economic reforms,” and “Exploring the impact of new economic measures on fiscal relations between the union and states in India.”

11. How can candidates prepare for the essay paper effectively?

Candidates can prepare by reviewing and understanding essay topics from previous years, practicing essay writing, and staying updated on current affairs and relevant issues.

12. Are there any specific guidelines for essay writing provided by UPSC?

While specific guidelines are not mentioned, candidates are expected to express their thoughts coherently, provide well-reasoned arguments, and adhere to the given word limit. It is advisable to maintain clarity, conciseness, and a balanced perspective in essay writing.

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upsc mains essay questions

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This exam necessitates a lot of serious study and devotion. Every applicant who understands the UPSC’s trends and expectations and works diligently toward achieving a rank under suitable supervision has a chance to succeed.

This year’s Mains – 2021 questions in GS, Essay, and even Optional papers need in-depth examination of trending topics as well as certain key static topics that may or may not be in the news.

Analytical skills can only be enhanced by regularly thinking and writing. Regular writing, in particular, is essential for improving your analytical abilities. Writing answers after reading other people’s answers or reading a synopsis will get you nowhere.

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General Studies

All Programmes

Study Material

Topic Wise UPSC Mains Questions

by Vajiram & Ravi

UPSC Mains Test Series

Essay Course for UPSC

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This compilation serves as a valuable resource for aspirants aiming to conquer the formidable UPSC Mains examination, offering a structured and focused approach to their preparation. Below here is a comprehensive breakdown of UPSC Mains previous year questions meticulously organized by their respective topics.

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Topic Wise UPSC Mains Questions PDF

Candidates preparing for the CSE Mains examination extensively study these topic-wise UPSC Mains questions to gain a deeper insight into the subject matter and develop a structured approach to answer them effectively within the allotted time frame. Download the GS papers 1 to 4 questions PDF segregated into topics and subtopics from the links below.

  • Topic Wise GS I Questions PDF
  • Topic Wise GS II Questions PDF
  • Topic Wise GS III Questions PDF
  • Topic Wise GS IV Questions PDF

Modern History

Question 1:  What was the difference between Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore in their approach towards education and nationalism ? (10M)

Question 2: How did the colonial rule affect the tribals in India and what was the tribal response to the colonial oppression ? (15M)

upsc mains essay questions

Question 3: Why did the armies of the British East India Company – mostly comprising of Indian soldiers – win consistently against the more numerous and better-equipped armies of the Indian rulers? Give reasons. (10M)

Question 4: Why was there a sudden spurt in famines in colonial India since the mid-eighteenth century? Give reasons. (10M)

Question 5: The political and administrative reorganization of states and territories has been a continuous ongoing process since the mid-nineteenth century. Discuss with examples. (15M)

Question 6: Trace the rise and growth of socio-religious reform movements with special reference to Young Bengal and Brahmo Samaj. (10M)

Question 7: Assess the main administrative issues and socio-cultural problems in the integration process of Indian Princely States. (10M)

Question 8: To what extent did the role of the moderates prepare a base for the wider freedom movement? Comment. (15M)

Question 9: Bring out the constructive programmes of Mahatma Gandhi during the Non-Cooperation Movement and Civil Disobedience Movement . (15M)

Question 1: Discuss the consequences of climate change on food security in tropical countries . (10M)

Question 2: Why is the world today confronted with a crisis of availability of and access to freshwater resources ? (10M)

Question 3: How are the fjords formed? Why do they constitute some of the most picturesque areas of the world ? (10M)

Question 4: Why is the South-West monsoon called ‘Purvaiya’ (easterly) in the Bhojpur Region? How has this directional seasonal wind system influenced the cultural ethos of the region? (10M)

Question 5: Comment on the resource potentials of the long coastline of India and highlight the status of natural hazard preparedness in these areas . (15M)

Question 6: Identify and discuss the factors responsible for diversity of natural vegetation in India. Assess the significance of wildlife sanctuaries in rain forests regions of India . (15M)

Question 7: Why did human development fail to keep pace with economic development in India ? (15M)

Question 8: From being net food importer in 1960s, India has emerged as a net food exporter to the world. Provide reasons . (15M)

Question 9: Describe the characteristics and types of primary rocks. (10M)

Question 10: Discuss the meaning of colour-coded weather warnings for cyclone prone areas given by India Meteorological department. (10M)

Question 11: Discuss the natural resource potentials of ‘Deccan trap’. (10M)

Question 12: Examine the potential of wind energy in India and explain the reasons for their limited spatial spread. (10M)

Question 13:  Mention the significance of straits and isthmus in international trade. (15M)

Question 14: Troposphere is a very significant atmospheric layer that determines weather processes. How? (15M)

Question 15: What are the forces that influence ocean currents? Describe their role in fishing industry of the world. (15M)

Question 16: Describing the distribution of rubber-producing countries, indicate the major environmental issues faced by them. (15M)

Question 17: Differentiate the causes of landslides in the Himalayan region and Western Ghats. (10M)

Question 18: Despite India being one of the countries of the Gondwanaland, its mining industry contributes much less to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in percentage. Discuss. (10M)

Question 19: Mention the global occurrence of volcanic eruptions in 2021 and their impact on regional environment. (10M)

Question 20: Why is India considered as a sub-continent? Elaborate your answer. (10M)

Question 21: Briefly mention the alignment of major mountain ranges of the world and explain their impact on local weather conditions, with examples. (15M)

Question 22: How do the melting of the Arctic ice and glaciers of the Antarctic differently affect the weather patterns and human activities on the Earth? Explain. (15M)

Question 23: Discuss the multi-dimensional implications of uneven distribution of mineral oil in the world. (15M)

Question 24: What are the main socio-economic implications arising out of the development of IT industries in major cities of India? (15M)

Art and Culture

Question 1: What are the main features of Vedic society and religion? Do you think some of the features are still prevailing in Indian society ? (15M)

Question 2: What were the major technological changes introduced during the Sultanate period? How did those technological changes influence the Indian society ? (15M)

Question 3: Explain the role of geographical factors towards the development of Ancient India . (10M)

Question 4: How will you explain the medieval Indian temple sculptures represent the social life of those days? (10M)

Question 5: Discuss the main contributions of Gupta period and Chola period to Indian heritage and culture. (15M)

Question 6: Discuss the significance of the lion and bull figures in Indian mythology, art and architecture. (15M)

Question 7: Evaluate the nature of the Bhakti Literature and its contribution to Indian culture. (10M)

Question 1: “Constitutionally guaranteed judicial independence is a prerequisite of democracy”. Comment . (10M)

Question 2: “The states in India seem reluctant to empower urban local bodies both functionally as well as financially.” Comment . (10M)

Question 3: Compare and contrast the British and Indian approaches to Parliamentary sovereignty . (10M)

Question 4: Discuss the role of Presiding Officers of state legislatures in maintaining order and impartiality in conducting legislative work and in facilitating best democratic practices . (10M)

Question 5: ”The Construction of India is a living instrument with capabilities of enormous dynamism. It is a constitution made for a progressive society”. Illustrate with special reference to the expanding horizons of the right to life and personal liberty. (15M)

Question 6: Account for the legal and political factors responsible for the reduced frequency of using Article 356 by the Union Governments since mid-1990s . (15M)

Question 7: Explain the significance of the 101st Constitutional Amendment Act. To what extent does it reflect the accommodative spirit of federalism ? (15M)

Question 8: Explain the structure of the Parliamentary Committee system. How far have the financial committees helped in the institutionalization of Indian Parliament ? (15M)

Question 9: Critically examine the procedures through which the Presidents of India and France are elected. (15M)

Question 10: “The most significant achievement of modern law in India is the constitutionalization of environmental problems by the Supreme Court.” Discuss this statement with the help of relevant case laws. (10M)

Question 11: “Right of movement and residence throughout the territory of India are freely available to the Indian citizens, but these rights are not absolute. “ Comment. (10M)

Question 12: Discuss the role of the Vice-Presidents of India as the chairman of the Rajyasabha. (10M)

Question 13: Discuss the procedures to decide the disputes arising out of the election of a Member of the Parliament or State Legislature under The Representation of the People Act, 1951. What are the grounds on which the election of any returned candidate may be declared void? What remedy is available to the aggrieved party against the decision? Refer to the case laws. (15M)

Question 14: Discuss the essential conditions for exercise of the legislative powers by the Governor. Discuss the legality of the re-promulgation of ordinances by the Governor without placing them before the Legislature. (15M)

Question 15: While the national political parties in India favour centralisation, the regional parties are in favour of State autonomy.” Comment. (15M)

Question 16: Discuss the role of the Election Commission of India in the light of the evolution of the Model Code of Conduct. (15M)

Question 17: ‘Constitutional Morality’ is rooted in the Constitution itself and is founded on its essential facets. Explain the doctrine of ‘Constitutional Morality’ with the help of relevant judicial decisions. (10M)

Question 18: How have the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission of India enabled the states to improve their fiscal position? (10M)

Question 19: To what extent, in your view, the Parliament is able to ensure accountability of the executive in India? (10M)

Question 20: The jurisdiction of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) regarding lodging an FIR and conducting probe within a particular state is being questioned by various States. However, the power of States to withhold consent to the CBI is not absolute. Explain with special reference to the federal character of India. (15M)

Question 21: Though the Human Rights Commissions have contributed immensely to the protection of human rights in India, yet they have failed to assert themselves against the mighty and powerful. Analyzing their structural and practical limitations, suggest remedial measures. (15M)

Question 22: Explain the constitutional provisions under which Legislative Councils are established. Review the working and current status of Legislative Councils with suitable illustrations. (15M)

Question 23: Do Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees keep the administration on its toes and inspire reverence for parliamentary control? Evaluate the working of such committees with suitable examples. (15M)

Question 24: Analyze the distinguishing features of the notion of Equality in the Constitutions of the USA and India. (15M)

Question 1: The crucial aspect of the development process has been the inadequate attention paid to Human Resource Development in India. Suggest measures that can address this adequacy . (10M)

Question 2: Discuss the role of the Competition Commission of India in containing the abuse of dominant position by the Multi-National Corporations in India. Refer to the recent decisions.

e-governance, as a critical tool of governance, has ushered in effectiveness, transparency and accountability in governments. What inadequacies hamper the enhancement of these features ? (10M)

Question 3: Discuss the contribution of civil society groups for women’s effective and meaningful participation and representation in state legislatures in India . (15M)

Question 4: “Development and welfare schemes for the vulnerable, by its nature, are discriminatory in approach.” Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer . (15M)

Question 5: Skill development programs have succeeded in increasing human resources supply to various sectors. In the context of the statement, analyze the linkages between education, skill and employment . (15M)

Question 6: To what extent, in your opinion, as the decentralisation of power in India changed the governance landscape at the grassroots? (10M)

Question 7: The Gati-Shakti Yojana needs meticulous coordination between the government and the private sector to achieve the goal of connectivity. Discuss. (10M)

Question 8: Reforming the government delivery system through the Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme is a progressive step, but it has its limitations too. Comment. (10M)

Question 9: Besides the welfare schemes, India needs deft management of inflation and unemployment to serve the poor and the underprivileged sections of society. Discuss. (15M)

Question 10: Do you agree with the view that increasing dependence on donor agencies for development reduces the importance of community participation in the development process? Justify your answer. (15M)

Question 11: “Besides being a moral imperative of Welfare State, primary health structure is a necessary pre-condition for sustainable development.” Analyze. (10M)

Question 12: "Earn while you learn’ scheme needs to be strengthened to make vocational education and skill training meaningful.” Comment. (10M)

Question 13: “Pressure groups play a vital role in influencing public policy making in India.” Explain how the business associations contribute to public policies. (10M)

Question 14: Has digital illiteracy, particularly in rural areas, couple with lack of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) accessibility hindered socio-economic development? Examine with justification. (15M)

Question 15: Can Civil Society and Non-Governmental Organizations present an alternative model of public service delivery to benefit the common citizen? Discuss the challenges of this alternative model. (15M)

International Relations

Question 1: Indian diaspora has scaled new heights in the West. Describe its economic and political benefits for India . (10M)

Question 2: ‘The expansion and strengthening of NATO and a stronger US-Europe strategic partnership works well in India.’ What is your opinion about this statement? Give reasons and examples to support your answer . (15M)

Question 3: ‘Sea is an important Component of the Cosmos’. Discuss in the light of the above statement the role of the IMO (International Maritime Organisation) in protecting environment and enhancing maritime safety and security . (15M)

Question 4: ‘Virus of Conflict is affecting the functioning of the SCO’. In the light of the above statement point out the role of India in mitigating problems . (10M)

Question 5: India is an age-old friend of Sri Lanka.’ Discuss India’s role in the recent crisis in Sri Lanka in light of the preceding statement. (10M)

Question 6: Do you think that BIMSTEC is a parallel organisation like the SAARC? What are the similarities and dissimilarities between the two? How are Indian foreign policy objectives realized by forming this new organisation? (10M)

Question 7: How will 12U2 (India, Israel, UAE and USA) grouping transform India’s position in global politics? (15M)

Question 8: Clean energy is the order of the day.’ Describe briefly India’s changing policy towards climate change in various international fora in the context of geopolitics. (15M)

Question 9: “If the last few decades were of Asia’s growth story, the next few are expected to be of Africa’s.” In the light of this statement, examine India’s influence in Africa in recent years. (10M)

Question 10: “The USA is facing an existential threat in the form of a China, that is much more challenging than the erstwhile Soviet Union.” Explain (10M)

Question 11: Critically examine the aims and objectives of SCO . what importance does it hold for India? (15M)

Question 12: The newly tri-nation partnership AUKUS is aimed at countering China’s ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region. Is it going to supersede the existing partnerships in the region? Discuss the strength and impact of AUKUS in the present scenario. (15M)

Social Justice

Question 1: Explain the constitutional perspectives of Gender Justice with the help of relevant Constitutional Provisions and case laws . (15M)

Question 2: Who are entitled to receive free legal aid? Assess the role of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) in rendering free legal aid in India . (10M)

Question 3: Discuss the role of the National Commission for Backward Classes in the wake of its transformation from a statutory body to a constitutional body. (10M)

Question 4: The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 remains only a legal document without intense sensitisation of government functionaries and citizens regarding disability. Comment. (10M)

Question 5: The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 remains inadequate in promoting incentive-based system for children’s education without generating awareness about the importance of schooling. Analyse (15M)

Question 6: Can the vicious cycle of gender inequality, poverty and malnutrition be broken through microfinancing of women SHGs? Explain with examples. (10M)

Question 7: “Though women in post-Independent India have excelled in various fields, the social attitude towards women and the feminist movement has been patriarchal.” Apart from women education and women empowerment schemes, what interventions can help change this milieu? (15M)

Question 8: Discuss the desirability of greater representation to women in the higher judiciary to ensure diversity, equity and inclusiveness. (10M)

Indian Society

Question 1: Do you think marriage as a sacrament is losing its value in Modern India ? (10M)

Question 2: Explain why suicide among young women is increasing in Indian Society . (10M)

Question 3: Child cuddling is now being replaced by mobile phones. Discuss its impact on the socialization of children . (10M)

Question 4: Does urbanization lead to more segregation and/or marginalization of the poor in Indian metropolises ? (15M)

Question 5: Why is caste identity in India both fluid and static ? (15M)

Question 6: Discuss the impact of post-liberal economy on ethnic identity and communalism . (15M)

Question 7: Explore and evaluate the impact of ‘Work From Home’ on family relationships. (10M)

Question 8: How is the growth of Tier 2 cities related to the rise of a new middle class with an emphasis on the culture of consumption? (10M)

Question 9: Given the diversities among the tribal communities in India, in which specific contexts should they be considered as a single category? (10M)

Question 10: Analyze the salience of ‘sect’ in Indian society vis-a-vis caste, region and religion. (15M)

Question 11: Are tolerance, assimilation and pluralism the key elements in the making of an Indian form of secularism ? Justify your answer. (15M)

Question 12: Elucidate the relationship between globalization and new technology in a world of scarce resources, with special reference to India. (15M)

World History

Question 1: Bring out the socio-economic effects of the introduction of railways in different countries of the world . (10M)

Question 2: “There arose a serious challenge to the Democratic State System between the two World Wars.” Evaluate the statement. (15M)

Question 1: Faster economic growth requires increased share of the manufacturing sector in GDP, particularly of MSMEs. Comment on the present policies of the Government in this regard . (10M)

Question 2: What is the status of digitalization in the Indian economy? Examine the problems faced in this regard and suggest improvements . (10M)

Question 3: How does e-Technology help farmers in production and marketing of agricultural produce? Explain it . (10M)

Question 4: State the objectives and measures of land reforms in India. Discuss how land ceiling policy on landholding can be considered as an effective reform under economic criteria . (10M)

Question 5: Most of the unemployment in India is structural in nature. Examine the methodology adopted to compute unemployment in the country and suggest improvements . (15M)

Question 6: Distinguish between ‘care economy’ and ‘monetized economy’. How can care economy be brought into monetized economy through women empowerment ? (15M)

Question 7: Explain the changes in cropping pattern in India in the context of changes in consumption pattern and marketing conditions . (15M)

Question 8: What are the direct and indirect subsidies provided to farm sector in India? Discuss the issues raised by the World Trade Organization(WTP) in relation to agricultural subsidies . (15M)

Question 9: Comment on the National Wetland Conservation Programme initiated by the Government of India and name a few India’s wetlands of international importance included in the Ramsar Sites . (15M)

Question 10: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) has predicted a global sea level rise of about one metre by AD 2100. What would be its impact in India and the other countries in the Indian Ocean region ? (15M)

Question 11: Why is Public Private Partnership (PPP) required in infrastructural projects? Examine the role of PPP model in the redevelopment of Railway Stations in India. (10M)

Question 12: Is inclusive growth possible under market economy? State the significance of financial inclusion in achieving economic growth in India. (10M)

Question 13: What are the major challenges of Public Distribution System (PDS) in India? How can it be made effective and transparent? (10M)

Question 14: Elaborate the scope and significance of the food processing industry in India. (10M)

Question 15: Economic growth in the recent past has been led by increase in labour activity.” Explain this statement. Suggest the growth pattern that will lead to creation of more jobs without compromising labour productivity. (15M)

Question 16: What are the main bottlenecks in upstream and downstream process of marketing of agricultural products in India? (15M)

Question 17: What is Integrated Farming System? How is it helpful to small and marginal farmers in India? (15M)

Question 18: Explain the difference between computing methodology of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) before the year 2015 and after the year 2015. (10M)

Question 19: Distinguish between Capital Budget and Revenue Budget. Explain the components of both these Budgets. (10M)

Question 20: How did land reforms in some parts of the country help to improve the socio-economic conditions of marginal and small farmers? (10M)

Question 21: How and to what extent would micro-irrigation help in solving India’s water crisis? (10M)

Question 22: Do you agree that the Indian economy has recently experienced V- shapes recovery? Give reasons in support of your answer. (15M)

Question 23: “Investment in infrastructure is essential for more rapid and inclusive economic growth. ”Discuss in the light of India’s experience. (15M)

Question 24: What are the salient features of the National Food Security Act, 2013? How has the Food Security Bill helped in eliminating hunger and malnutrition in India? (15M)

Question 25: What are the present challenges before crop diversification? How do emerging technologies provide an opportunity for crop diversification? (15M)

Science & Technology

Question 1: Introduce the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI). How does AI help clinical diagnosis? Do you perceive any threat to privacy of the individual in the use of AI in the healthcare ? (10M)

Question 2: Discuss several ways in which microorganisms can help in meeting the current fuel shortage (10M)

Question 3: What is the main task of India’s third mood mission which could not be achieved in its earlier mission? List the countries that have achieved this task. Introduce the subsystems in the spacecraft launched and explain the role of the ‘Virtual Launch Control Centre’ at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre which contributed to the successful launch from Sriharikota . (15M)

Question 4: The increase in life expectancy in the country has led to newer health challenges in the community. What are those challenges and what steps need to be taken to meet them? (10M)

Question 5: Each year a large amount of plant material, cellulose, is deposited on the surface of Planet Earth. What are the natural processes this cellulose undergoes before yielding carbon dioxide, water and other end products? (10M)

Question 6: Launched on 25th December 2021, James Webb Space Telescope has been much in the news since then. What are its unique features which make it superior to its predecessor Space Telescopes? What are the key goals of this mission? What potential benefits does it hold for the human race? (15M)

Question 7: What is the basic principle behind vaccine development? How do vaccines work? What approaches were adopted by the Indian vaccine manufacturers to produce COVID-19 vaccines? (15M)

Question 8: How is S-400 air defence system technically superior to any other system presently available in the world? (10M)

Question 9: What are the research and developmental achievements in applied biotechnology/? How will these achievements help to uplift the poorer sections of the society? (15M)

Question 10: The Nobel Prize in Physics of 2014 was jointly awarded to Akasaki, Amano and Nakamura for the invention of Blue LEDs in 1990s. How has this invention impacted the everyday life of human beings? (15M)

Question 1: Winning of ‘Hearts and Minds’ in terrorism affected areas is an essential step in restoring the trust of the population. Discuss the measures adopted by the Government in this respect as part of the conflict resolution in Jammu and Kashmir . (10M)

Question 2: The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by our adversaries across the borders to ferry arms/ammunitions, drugs, etc., is a serious threat to internal security. Comment on the measures being taken to tackle this threat . (10M)

Question 3: What are the internal security challenges being faced by India? Give out the role of Central Intelligence and Investigative Agencies tasked to counter such threats . (15M)

Question 4: Give out the major sources of terror funding in India and efforts being made to curtail these sources. In light of this, also discuss the aim and objective of the ‘ No Money for Terror [NMFT]’ Conference recently held at New Delhi in November 2022 . (15M)

Question 5: Discuss the types of organised crimes. Describe the linkages between terrorists and organised crime that exist at the national and transnational levels. (10M)

Question 6: What are the maritime security challenges in India? Discuss the organisational, technical and procedural initiatives taken to improve the maritime security. (10M)

Question 7: What are the different elements of cyber security? Keeping in view the challenges in cyber security, examine the extent to which India has successfully developed a comprehensive National Cyber Security Strategy. (15M)

Question 8: Naxalism is a social, economic and developmental issue manifesting as a violent internal security threat. In this context, discuss the emerging issues gest a multilayered strategy to tackle the menace of Naxalism. (15M)

Question 9: Discuss how emerging technologies and globalisation contribute to money laundering. Elaborate measures to tackle the problem of money laundering both at national and international levels. (10M)

Question 10: Keeping in view India’s internal security, analyse the impact of cross-border cyber attacks. Also, discuss defensive measures against these sophisticated attacks. (10M)

Question 11: Analyse the multidimensıonal challenges posed by external state and non-state actors, to the internal security of India. Also, discuss measures required to be taken to combat these threats. (15M)

Question 12: Analyse the complexity and intensity of terrorism, its causes, linkages and obnoxious nexus. Also suggests measures required to be taken to eradicate the menace of terrorism. (15M)

Environment

Question 1: What is oil pollution? What are its impacts on the marine ecosystem? In what way is oil pollution particularly harmful for a country like India ? (10M)

Question 2: The adoption of electric vehicles is rapidly growing worldwide. How do electric vehicles contribute to reducing carbon emissions and what are the key benefits they offer compared to traditional combustion engine vehicles ? (15M)

Question 1: Discuss in detail the photochemical smog emphasizing its formation, effects and mitigation. Explain the 1999 Gothenburg Protocol. (10M)

Question 2: Explain the mechanism and occurrence of cloudburst in the context of the Indian subcontinent. Discuss two recent examples. (10M)

Question 3: Do you think India will meet 50 percent of its energy needs from renewable energy by 2030? Justify your answer. How will the shift of subsidies from fossil fuels to renewables help achieve the above objective? Explain. (15M)

Question 4: Discuss global warming and mention its effects on the global climate. Explain the control measures to bring down the level of greenhouse gases which cause global warming, in the light of the Kyoto Protocol, 1997. (15M)

Question 1: Explain the purpose of the Green Grid Initiative launched at the World Leaders Summit of the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November 2021. When was this idea first floated in the International Solar Alliance (ISA)? (10M)

Question 2: Describe the key points of the revised Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) recently released by the World Health Organisation (WHO). How are these different from its last update in 2005? What changes in India’s National Clean Air Programme are required to achieve these revised standards? (10M)

Question 3: Describe the major outcomes of the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). What are the commitments made by India in this conference? (15M)

Disaster and Disaster Management

Question 1: Dam failures are always catastrophic, especially on the downstream side, resulting in a colossal loss of life and property. Analyze the various causes of dam failures. Give two examples of large dam failures . (10M)

Question 1: Explain the causes and effects of coastal erosion in India. What are the available coastal management techniques for combating the hazard? (15M)

Question 1: Discuss about the vulnerability of India to earthquake related hazards. Give examples including the salient features of major disasters caused by earthquakes in different parts of India during the last three decades. (10M)

Question 2: Describe the various causes and the effects of landslides. Mention the important components of the National Landslide Risk Management Strategy. (15M)

Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude

Question 1:

(a) What do you understand by ‘moral integrity’ and ‘professional efficiency in the context of corporate governance in India? Illustrate with suitable examples . (10M)

(b) ‘International aid’ is an accepted form of helping ‘resource-challenged’ nations. Comment on ‘ethics in contemporary international aid’. Support your answer with suitable examples. " (10M)

Question 2: (a) “Corruption is the manifestation of the failure of core values in the society.” In your opinion, what measures can be adopted to uplift the core values in the society ? (10M)

(b) In the context of work environment, differentiate between ‘coercion’ and ‘undue influence’ with suitable examples. " (10M)

Question 3: "Given below are the three quotations of great thinkers. What do each of these quotations convey to you in the present context?

  • (a) “The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.” – Mahatma Gandhi (10M)
  • (b) “To awaken the people, it is the women who must be awakened. Ones she is on the move, the family moves, the village moves, the nation moves.” – Jawaharlal Nehru (10M)
  • (c) Do not hate anybody, because that hatred that comes out from you must, in the long run, come back to you. If you love, that love will come back to you, completing the circle. ” – Swami Vivekanand." (10M)

Question 4: (a) What really matters for success, character, happiness and lifelong achievements is a definite set of emotional skills – your EQ- not just purely cognitive abilities that are measured by conventional IQ tests.” Do you agree with this view? Give reasons in support of your answer. (10M)

(b) Differentiate ‘moral intuition from ‘moral reasoning’ with suitable examples . (10M)

Question 5: (a) Is conscience a more reliable guide when compared to laws, rules and regulations in the context of ethical decision-making? Discuss . (10M)

(b) ‘Probity is essential for an effective system of governance and socio-economic development.’ Discuss. (10M)

Question 6: (a) What were the major teachings of Guru Nanak? Explain their relevance in the contemporary world . (10M)

(b) Explain the term social capital. How does it enhance good governance ? (10M)

Question 1: "(a) Wisdom lies in knowing what to reckon with and what to overlook. An officer being engrossed with the periphery, ignoring the core issues before him, is no rare in the bureaucracy. Do you agree that such preoccupation of an administrator leads to travesty of justice to the cause of effective service delivery and good governance? Critically evaluate. (10M)

(b) Apart from intellectual competency and moral qualities, empathy and compassion are some of the other vital attributes that facilitate the civil servants to be more competent in tackling the crucial issues or taking critical decisions. Explain with suitable illustrations." (10M)

Question 2: "(a) The Rules and Regulations provided to all the civil servants are same, yet there is difference in the performance. Positive minded officers are able to interpret the Rules and Regulations in favour of the case and achieve success, whereas negative minded officers are unable to achieve goals by interpreting the same Rules and Regulations against the case. Discuss with illustrations. (10M)

(b) It is believed that adherence to ethics in human actions would ensure in smooth functioning of an organization/system. If so, what does ethics seek to promote in human life? How do ethical values assist in the resolution of conflicts faced by him in his day-to-day functioning?" (10M)

Question 3: (a) Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have the right to do and what is right to do.’-Potter Stewart . (10M)

(b) “If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher.” – Abdul Kalam. (10M)

(c) “Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.”- Dalai Lama. (10M)

Question 4: "(a) What do you understand by term ‘good governance’? How far recent initiatives in terms of e-Governance steps taken by the State have helped the beneficiaries? Discuss with suitable examples. (10M)

(b)Online methodology is being used for day-to-day meetings, institutional approvals in the administration and for teaching and learning in education sector to the extent telemedicine in the health sector is getting popular with the approvals of the competent authority. No doubt it has advantages and disadvantages for both the beneficiaries and system at large. Describe and discuss the ethical issues involved in the use of online method particularly to vulnerable section of society." (10M)

Question 5: "(a) Russia and Ukraine war has been going on for the last seven months. Different countries have taken independent stands and actions keeping in view their own national interests. We are all aware that war has its own impact on the different aspects of society, including human tragedy. What are those ethical issues that are crucial to be considered while launching the war and its continuation so far? Illustrate with justification the ethical issues involved in the given state of affair. (10M)

(b) Write short notes on the following in 30 words each : (10M)

 (i) Constitutional morality

 (ii) Conflict of interest

 (iii) Probity in public life

 (iv) Challenges of digitalization

 (v) Devotion to duty"

Question 6: "(a) Whistle blower, who reports corruption and illegal activities, wrongdoing and misconduct to the concerned authorities, runs the risk of being exposed to grave danger, physical harm and victimization by the vested interests, accused persons and his team. What policy measures would you suggest to strengthen protection mechanism to safeguard the whistle blower? (10M)

(b) In contemporary world, corporate sector’s contribution in generating wealth and employment is increasing. In doing so, they are bringing in unprecedented onslaught on the climate, environmental sustainability and living conditions of human beings. In this background, do you Responsibility (CSR) is efficient and sufficient enough to fulfill the social roles and responsibilities needed in the corporate work mandated? Critically examine." (10M)

Question 1: "(a) Identify five ethical traits on which one can plot the performance of a civil servant. Justify their inclusion in the matrix. (10M)

(b) Identify ten essential values that are needed to be an effective public servant. Describ the /ways and means to prevent non-ethical behaviour in the pubic servants." (10M)

Question 2: "(a) Impact of digital technology as reliable source of input for rational decision-making is debatable issue. Critically evaluate with suitable example. (10M)

(b) Besides domain knowledge, a public official needs innovativeness and creativity of a high order as well, while resolving ethical dilemmas. Discuss with suitable example." (10M)

Question 3: "What does each of the following quotations mean to you?

(a) “Every work has got to pass through hundreds of difficulties before succeeding. Those that persevere will see the light, sooner or later. - Swami Vivekananda (10M)

(b) “We can never obtain peace in the outer world until and unless we obtain peace within ourselves.” – Dalai Lama (10M)

(c) Life doesn’t make any sense without interdependence. We need each other, and the sooner we learn that, it is better for us all.” -Erik Erikson word" (10M)

Question 4: (a) Attitude is an important component that goes as input in the elopement of human. How to build a suitable attitude needed for a public servant? (10M)

(b) In case of crisis of conscience does emotional intelligence help to overcome the same without compromising the ethical or moral stand that you are likely to follow? Critically examine." (10M)

Question 5: "(a) “Refugees should not be turned back to the country where they would face persecution or human right violation.” Examine the statement with reference to ethical dimension being violated by the nation claiming to be democratic with open society. (10M)

(b) Should impartial and being non-partisan be considered as indispensable qualities to make a successful civil servant? Discuss with illustrations." (10M)

Question 6: "(a) An independent and empowered social audit mechanism is an absolute must in every sphere of public service, including judiciary, to ensure performance, accountability and ethical conduct. Elaborate. (10M)

(b) “Integrity is a value that empowers the human being.” Justify with suitable illustration." (10M)

Note: Case Studies questions can be downloaded from the above GS 4 PYQs PDF.

How to make topic wise notes for UPSC Mains?

To create effective topic-wise notes for UPSC Mains , start by thoroughly understanding the exam syllabus. Choose reliable sources like standard books and government reports for each subject. Break down subjects into manageable subtopics and summarize key points using bullet points and visual aids. Connect concepts across subjects for a holistic understanding. Lastly, revise and update your notes regularly for better retention and comprehension.

Does UPSC repeat questions in Mains?

Yes, UPSC does repeat questions in mains, especially in subjects like History, Geography, Polity, and Environment. Analyzing previous year papers can provide valuable insights into recurring themes and topics.

Which is the toughest subject in UPSC Mains?

The perception of the toughest subject varies from candidate to candidate based on their background and interests. However, subjects like General Studies Paper III (which includes Economics, Environment, Science and Tech) and Optional subjects like Mathematics or Philosophy are often considered challenging due to their technical nature and depth of content.

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Important Essay Topics for UPSC Mains Exam

With every passing day, the democratic setup of India is strengthening, so are its administrative wings where transparency and accountability are evident. Well, it gives credibility to the fact that there are top administrative officers whose brilliant performance is at par excellence. Amid rigorous competition, UPSC ( Union Public Service Commission ) gets efficient candidates on-board who crack this toughest exam in India to serve the nation. This competitive examination includes 3 steps, Prelims, Mains and Personal Interview. Nevertheless, it’s a daunting task to crack such exam without meticulous preparation and strategies. In this blog, we have collated information related to the UPSC essay writing topics and their related components. It is paramount to have a tap on all those important UPSC Essay Topics which have been widely asked in previous years question papers .

Let’s take a look at important UPSC essay writing topics , you need to start practicing:

Social Topics

  • Literacy and education.
  • Modernization and Westernization in India
  • Gender Equality-problems and perspectives
  • Information Revolution and its increasing effects
  • Consumerist culture and its effects.
  • Reservation: Need, problems and solutions
  • The issue of child labour: what to do?
  • The mentality of misusing freedom
  • Composite culture of India
  • Rewriting of History
  • The problem of conversion and its solution
  • Uniform Civil Code: Need and perspective
  • Sustainable Development
  • Population Explosion:  Problem and solution
  • Indian nationalism: Nature and perspectives
  • The freedom of expression and its limitations.
  • Socialism: An irrelevant ideology
  • The responsibilities of Journalism
  • Human Rights: Need of every human being        
  • Corruption: A part of our way of life
  • The problem of language and its solution             
  • Need of saving childhood
  • Youth unrest: Causes and solutions
  • The problem of vulgarity
  • Need for a youth and culture policy
  • Indian culture: Unity in Diversity.

Like above questions Mirant Parikh, IAS(AIR 67, CSE 2016) has written Essay on one of above questions:

upsc mains essay questions

Click here for Full Copy

Political topics.

  • India as a soft state
  • The Constitutional Review: need and perspective
  • The need of interaction between administration and public
  • Every right is attached with a duty.
  • The criminalization of politics
  • Political instability: A hurdle in national development
  • Achievements and failures of Democracy in India
  • Is India really a secular state?
  • Parliamentary Democracy: situation, problems and solutions
  • Corruption in politics
  • Judicial Activism
  • The need of sensible administration
  • National Security: Challenges and hopes
  • Democracy: A way of life
  • Kashmir problem: Need of a proper solution
  • Coalition politics: past, present and future
  • The gifts of Democracy: Casteism, Regionalism and Communalism.

Economic Topics

  • India in the age of privatization, liberalization and globalization.
  • New economic policies and the ideal of Democratic Socialism
  • Poverty and socialism: the Indian contradiction
  • New economic policies: oceans of poverty and islands of wealth
  • Regional imbalance in development
  • Human resource development and management.

International Topics

  • The problems of third world countries
  • The problem of international terrorism
  • India's contribution to the world
  • United Nations: Evaluation
  • Human Rights: A universal propaganda
  • Indian foreign policy: Need of restructuring
  • India and its neighboring countries
  • Idealism and pragmatism in foreign policy.

Mock answer by Mirant Parikh, IAS (AIR 67, CSE 2016)

upsc mains essay questions

Click here for full copy

Philosophical/imaginative topics.

  • God is a subject of belief, not of reason
  • The philosophy of post-modernism in context of India
  • India's basic philosophy and its effect on our society
  • Religion and Politics: the professions without capital
  • 'Who cares’: the basic of youth culture.

Other topics

  • New concepts of alternative medicine: Realities about them
  • Natural disasters: the management of rescue
  • Need of a sport policy for India
  • Environment Protection: problem and solution.

Essay Preparation Strategy By: Mirant Parikh (AIR 67, CSE 2016)

Apart from these topics, candidates should browse through articles, columns, features of newspapers, magazines, journals for the preparation of good essays. Regular clippings and jotting down of important points on the side of clipped topics will ease your time and tension while giving a cursory look during the UPSC IAS examination period.

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  • UPSC Mains 2021 Essay Question Paper

UPSC Mains 2021 Essay Question Paper - Download PDF

The UPSC Mains 2021 was conducted on 7th, 8th, 9th, 15th and 16th January 2022. The Essay paper has been conducted on 7th January 2022 in the forenoon session (9 AM to 12 PM). 

The Mains (Written) Examination consists of nine papers in total. The first stage, that is, Prelims, was conducted on October 10, 2021. 

UPSC Mains 2021 Essay Question Paper:- Download PDF Here

Download compulsory language papers from the links below:

  • UPSC Mains 2021 Indian Language Paper PDF
  • UPSC Mains 2021 English Language Paper PDF

To download all question papers of UPSC Mains 2021 from the linked article. 

UPSC 2021 Mains Essay Question Paper PDF

In the UPSC Essay paper, there are two sections, namely Section A and Section B. Each section consists of four questions. The aspirants have to choose one topic from each section and in total have to answer 2 essay questions. Each essay question has to be answered with a word limit ranging from 1000-1200 words. One essay question has been awarded 125 marks and the total marks allotted to the essay paper is 250 marks. This paper is counted for merit ranking. 

The Essay Topics asked in the UPSC Mains 2021 are given below:

  • The process of self-discovery has now been technologically outsourced.
  • Your perception of me is a reflection of you; my reaction to you is an awareness of me.
  • Philosophy of wantlessness is Utopian, while materialism is a chimera.
  • The real is rational and the rational is real.
  • Hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.
  • What is research, but a blind date with knowledge!
  • History repeats itself, first as a tragedy, second as a farce.
  • There are better practices to ‘best practices’.

UPSC Mains 2021 Essay Question Paper

Some of the useful links for the candidates to prepare for an essay paper are as follows:

.

The candidates may be required to write essays on multiple topics. While answering the essay questions, the aspirants are expected to keep closely to the subject of the essay to arrange their ideas in an orderly manner and to write concisely. It is important to remember that credit will be given for effective and exact expression.

To download the question paper PDFs of General Studies papers, the aspirants can check the links below:

The candidates can also download the question paper PDFs of UPSC Mains 2021 Optional Paper from the linked article. 

UPSC Mains 2021 Essay Paper:- Download PDF Here

IAS General Studies Notes Links

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Essay Question Paper (Analysis & Solutions) – UPSC Civil Services Mains 2023

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This topic of “Essay Question Paper (Analysis & Solutions) – UPSC Civil Services Mains 2023” is important from the perspective of the UPSC IAS Examination , which falls under General Studies Portion.

Write two essays, choosing one topic from each of the following Sections A and B, in about 1000 – 1200 words each: (125×2=250 marks)

(Click the links to read the solutions)

  • Thinking is like a game, it does not begin unless there is an opposite team.
  • Visionary deci sion-making happens at the intersection of intuition and logic.
  • Not all who wander are lost.
  • Inspiration for creativity springs from the effort to look for the magical in the mundane .
  • Girls are weighed down by restrictions, boys with demands – two equally harmful disciplines.
  • Mathematics is the music of reason.
  • A society that has more justice is a society that needs less charity.
  • Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.

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Analysis & Approach

Each question in the essay paper reflects a different dimension of thinking, and the aspirant is expected to demonstrate their analytical skills, coherence in arguments, and proficiency in language while addressing these questions.

  • Analysis: This topic seems to delve into the dialectical nature of thought. It could be interpreted that for any idea or thought to be truly explored or expanded upon, there must be an opposing or challenging force. This could relate to the Hegelian dialectic (thesis-antithesis-synthesis) or even the fundamental nature of debates.
  • Approach: A candidate can start by illustrating the importance of opposition in any form of critical thinking or decision-making. Real-world examples like scientific debates, democratic procedures, and the role of a loyal opposition in a parliament can be cited.
  • Analysis: Visionary decisions are those that shape the future, and they strike a balance between intuition (which is often based on subconscious processing) and logic (structured reasoning).
  • Approach: Candidates can discuss examples of visionary leaders and their decisions. For instance, Steve Jobs’ intuition in product design combined with logical market analysis, or Mahatma Gandhi ’s intuition about non-violence and its logical implications in the Indian freedom struggle.
  • Analysis: This statement, borrowed from J.R.R. Tolkien’s work, implies that not all who seem directionless are without purpose; sometimes, wandering can be a form of discovery.
  • Approach: This can be addressed by discussing the importance of exploration, serendipity in scientific discoveries, or even the self-exploratory journey that many individuals undertake in life.
  • Analysis: This implies that true creativity often arises from observing and interpreting everyday life in unique ways.
  • Approach: Real-life examples of artists, writers, and scientists who drew inspiration from everyday occurrences can be highlighted. Picasso’s simplistic drawings or Archimedes’ Eureka moment in his bathtub, for instance.
  • Analysis: This topic brings out the gender disparities and societal norms and expectations imposed upon individuals based on their gender.
  • Approach: It’s crucial to address both sides of the coin, discussing how gender norms restrict the potential and well-being of both girls and boys. Comparisons of societal expectations, real-life anecdotes, and data-driven evidence on gender disparities can be effective.
  • Analysis: The quote explores the harmony, structure, and beauty in mathematics similar to the rhythm and patterns in music.
  • Approach: Discussing the inherent order and logic in mathematics, and drawing parallels with musical structures can be a starting point. Mentioning mathematicians who were also musicians or vice versa might add value.
  • Analysis: This touches upon the idea that if a society is just, equitable, and provides opportunities for all, then the need for charity diminishes as fewer people would be in a position of deprivation.
  • Approach: Highlighting the correlation between justice and social welfare, discussing models of developed nations, and contrasting them with societies where charity becomes a band-aid solution for deeper systemic issues can be effective.
  • Analysis: This topic delves into the difference between rote learning and true education – the values, critical thinking skills, and character that endure beyond mere facts.
  • Approach: Drawing a distinction between learning for exams and learning for life, discussing the role of education in character building, and bringing in philosophical views on education would be insightful.

For all the essays, it’s essential to remember to structure the arguments coherently, provide relevant examples, and ensure a holistic view is presented. Best of luck to all the aspirants!

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Mains practice questions is now being continued in Be Mains Ready program with a dedicated syllabus coverage for Mains 2019. To join this program, click here "Be Mains Ready program"

Total Questions : 229

Essay topics.

1. Economic progress cannot come at the cost of democracy and civil liberties.

2. The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.

1. There is a nobility in compassion, a beauty in empathy and a grace in forgiveness.

2. When the winds of change blow, some build walls while others build windmills

1. What you are afraid to do is the clear indication of what you need to do.

2. It is a mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it

1. The weight of a decision is not in its making, but in the shadows it casts on the souls it touches.

2. Every dawn brings a promise, and every dusk a reflection.

1. Power is the invisible current that shapes the landscape of human interaction, eroding some structures while fortifying others.

2. Freedom is the space between stimulus and response, expanding and contracting with each conscious choice

1. The unexamined life is not worth living, but the unlived life is not worth examining.

2. The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.

1. We are simultaneously the observer and the observed, caught in a recursive loop of self-perception that defines our reality.

2. Consciousness is both the canvas and the brush, painting realities that collapse and expand with each thought.

1. The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.

2. We shape our tools, and thereafter our tools shape us.

1. Every problem is a gift—without problems we would not grow.

2. No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness.

1. Wisdom whispers in the winds of change, reminding us that growth springs from the fertile soil of adaptability.

2. Stars are born from the darkness they emerge from

1. Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.

2. Creativity is intelligence having fun.

1. There's no shortage of remarkable ideas, what's missing is the will to execute them.

2. Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier

1. Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.

2. What one hears is often an opinion rather than a fact, and what one sees is typically a perspective rather than the truth

1.The world is a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to those who think.

2. The puzzle of existence is not in finding the missing pieces but in realizing that each piece is a mirror reflecting the whole

1 The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

2 Morality is simply the attitude we adopt towards people we personally dislike.

1. Education is not a destination, it’s a journey that never ends.

2. Liberty consists in doing what one desires.

Essay Topics:

1. No citizen shall ever be wealthy enough to buy another, and None poor enough to be forced to sell himself.

2. Economic growth cannot be achieved at the cost of environmental destruction and people’s right to healthy environment.

1. No matter how far you rise, you are still fundamentally equal to others.

2. Bureaucracy is not an obstacle to democracy but an inevitable complement to it.

1. Keeping the forest in sight, do not get lost in the trees.

2. In times of uncertainty, people yearn for certainty.

1. A thing of beauty is a joy forever.

2. Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter.

1. We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.

2. The heaviest penalty for declining to rule is to be ruled by someone inferior to yourself.

1. Strongest Minds are Often Those Whom the Noisy World Hears Least.

2. More Honoured in the Breach Than in the Observance.

Essay Topic:

1. The strong do what they have to do and the weak accept what they have to accept.

2. Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

Essay Topic

1. Power doesn't corrupt people, people corrupt power.

2. Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.

1. Truth can be stated in a thousand different ways, yet each one can be true.

2. The external world is only internal nature writ large.

1. Once all struggle is grasped, miracles are possible.

2. An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.

1. The Impact of Urbanization on Governance and Civic Engagement in Urban Communities

2. Navigating the Path to Success Embracing Failure with Enduring Enthusiasm

1.The highest result of education is tolerance.

2. GDP (Gross Domestic Product) Along with GDH (Gross Domestic Happiness) Would Be The Right Indices For Judging The Well-being Of A Country

1. Desire is a contract that you make with yourself to be unhappy until you get what you want.

2. The unexamined life is not worth living.

1. Sustainability is not a cost, it's an investment.

2. Science without humanity is but a roaring chaos.

upsc mains essay questions

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Important Topics for UPSC Mains 2024

upsc mains essay questions

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The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination is one of the most prestigious and competitive exams in India. The Mains examination, which follows the Preliminary stage, assesses a candidate's in-depth knowledge of various subjects and their ability to articulate their thoughts clearly and effectively. With the vast syllabus and the complexity of topics, understanding the important subjects for UPSC Mains 2024 can significantly enhance an aspirant's preparation strategy.

Overview of UPSC Mains Examination

The UPSC Mains examination consists of nine papers, including two language papers, an essay paper, four General Studies (GS) papers , and two optional subject papers. Each paper tests different aspects of a candidate's knowledge and analytical abilities. Understanding the important topics within these papers is essential for effective preparation.

  • Paper A: Compulsory Indian Language (Qualifying)
  • Paper B: English (Qualifying)
  • Paper 1: Essay
  • Paper 2: General Studies 1 (Indian Heritage and Culture, History, and Geography of the World and Society)
  • Paper 3: General Studies 2 (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and International Relations)
  • Paper 4: General Studies 3 (Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security, and Disaster Management)
  • Paper 5: General Studies 4 (Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude)
  • Paper 6: Optional Subject Paper 1
  • Paper 7: Optional Subject Paper 2

upsc mains essay questions

General Studies Paper I: Indian Heritage and Culture, History, and Geography

The GS Paper I focuses on Indian heritage, culture, history, and geography.

Ancient and Modern Indian History:

  • Important events, personalities, and movements in Indian history.
  • Key topics: Rowlatt Act, Civil Disobedience Movement, Quit India Movement, and the Revolt of 1857.

Cultural Developments:

  • Art, architecture, literature, and socio-religious reforms.
  • Important figures: Rabindranath Tagore, Raja Ravi Varma, and the role of the Bhakti and Sufi movements.

Geographical Features:

  • Understanding of India's physical geography, climate, and natural resources.
  • Key topics: Population dynamics, urbanization, and environmental issues.

World History:

  • Significant revolutions, world wars, and their impact on global politics.
  • Important events: The Cold War, the rise of nationalism, and decolonization.

General Studies Paper II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, and International Relations

The GS Paper II covers governance, the Indian Constitution, and international relations. Important topics include:.

Indian Constitution:

  • Fundamental rights, duties, and the structure of the government.
  • Key topics: Constitutional amendments, the role of the judiciary, and federalism.

Governance and Public Policy:

  • Government policies, welfare schemes, and their impact on society.
  • Important areas: Health, education, and poverty alleviation.

International Relations:

  • Bilateral and multilateral relations, global institutions, and current international issues.
  • Key topics: India's foreign policy, relations with neighboring countries, and participation in international organizations like the UN.

Pressure Groups and Political Parties:

  • Role of pressure groups, political parties, and civil society in governance.
  • Important organizations: NGOs, SHGs, and their contributions to social justice.

General Studies Paper III: Technology, Economic Development, and Environmental Issues

The GS Paper III encompasses technology, economic development, and environmental conservation. Key topics include:

Indian Economy:

  • Economic planning, resource mobilization, and employment generation.
  • Important areas: Growth and development, inclusive growth, and government budgeting.

Agricultural Development:

  • Major crops, cropping patterns, and food security.
  • Key topics: Farm subsidies, irrigation methods, and the impact of climate change on agriculture.

Science and Technology:

  • Recent developments in science and technology and their applications.
  • Important areas: IT, biotechnology, and space technology.

Environmental Issues:

  • Conservation, pollution, and sustainable development.
  • Key topics: Environmental impact assessment, biodiversity, and disaster management.

General Studies Paper IV: Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude :

The GS Paper IV focuses on ethics, integrity, and aptitude in public service. Important topics include:

Ethical Theories and Governance:

  • Understanding ethical theories and their application in governance.
  • Key concepts: Accountability, transparency, and probity in public administration.

Public Service Values::

  • Values essential for civil servants, including integrity, empathy, and dedication.
  • Important areas: Ethical dilemmas, challenges in governance, and case studies.

Emotional Intelligence::

  • The role of emotional intelligence in decision-making and leadership.
  • Key topics: Conflict resolution, team dynamics, and communication skills.

Moral Thinkers:

  • Contributions of moral thinkers from India and worldwide.
  • Important figures: Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and their philosophies.

Current Affairs: National and International Issues

Current affairs play a crucial role in the UPSC Mains examination. Candidates should stay updated on significant national and international events . Important areas to focus on include:

National Issues:

  • Current government policies, social movements, and economic challenges.
  • Key topics : Health crises, education reforms, and infrastructure development.

International Issues:

  • Global events, international treaties, and geopolitical developments.
  • Important areas: Climate change negotiations, trade agreements, and security concerns.
  • Recent advancements in technology and their implications for society.
  • Key topics: Cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and space exploration

Defense and Security :

  • National security challenges and defense policies.
  • Important areas: Counter-terrorism, border security, and defense cooperation.

Essay Paper: Important Topics:

The essay paper requires candidates to write on various topics, reflecting their understanding and analytical abilities.

Social Issues:

  • Gender equality, poverty alleviation, and education for all.

Environmental Concerns:

  • Climate change, sustainable development, and conservation efforts.

Technological Advancements:

  • The impact of technology on society, privacy concerns, and digital divide.
  • Society and Culture : Issues like caste and community, gender equality, family values, and the impact of globalization.
  • Economics: Economic development, poverty, unemployment, rural development, and industrialization.
  • Politics and Governance: Democracy, corruption, transparency, and accountability.
  • Environment: Sustainable development, climate change, and biodiversity conservation.
  • Science and Technology: Innovations, space technology, biotechnology, and ethical concerns.
  • Philosophy and Ethics: Moral values, human rights, and global peace.

Preparation Strategies

Comprehensive Study Plan:

  • Create a detailed study plan that covers all important topics and allows for regular revisions.

Regular Practice:

  • Practice writing answers for GS papers and essays to improve articulation and time management.

Current Affairs Updates:

  • Stay updated with current affairs through newspapers, magazines, and online resources.

Mock Tests:

  • Participate in mock tests to assess preparation levels and identify areas for improvement.

Group Discussions:

  • Engage in group discussions to enhance understanding and gain different perspectives on various topics.

Final Touches and Strategy Revision:

As the exam approaches, it’s essential to refine your strategy and focus on the essentials.

  • Last-Minute Revisions: In the final week, focus on quick revisions of key topics and important concepts. Avoid learning new material to prevent confusion.
  • Review Strategy: Revisit your exam strategy. Decide how you will approach each paper, including time allocation for each section.
  • Preparation for the Day: Prepare for the exam day by organizing necessary documents, writing materials, and other essentials a day prior . This eliminates last-minute stress.

Optional Subjects

Choosing Your Optional Subject:

  • Interest and Academic Background: Assess your interest and academic qualifications in the subject.
  • Availability of Resources : Availability of study material and guidance.
  • Overlap with General Studies : Some subjects like Public Administration, Geography, and Sociology have considerable overlap with General Studies.

Tips for Preparing for UPSC Mains 2024

  • Understand the Syllabus: Thoroughly understand the syllabus of each paper. The syllabus is your primary guide.
  • Current Affairs: Stay updated with current events, and their relevance to the syllabus. Reading newspapers like The Hindu and magazines like Yojana and Kurukshetra is crucial.
  • Practice Answer Writing: Regular answer writing practice is essential for Mains. Join a test series if possible.
  • Revise Regularly: Regular revision is crucial for retaining information. Make concise notes for quick revision.
  • Time Management: Proper time management is key. Allocate time for each subject according to your strengths and weaknesses.

The UPSC Mains examination is a challenging yet rewarding journey for aspiring civil servants. Understanding the important topics for UPSC Mains 2024 is crucial for effective preparation and success. By focusing on the key subjects outlined in this blog and adopting strategic study methods, candidates can enhance their chances of achieving their goals. Remember, dedication, perseverance, and a well-structured preparation plan are the keys to success in the UPSC Mains examination.

By staying informed, practicing regularly, and maintaining a positive attitude, you can navigate the complexities of the UPSC Mains and emerge victorious in your pursuit of a career in civil services.

Best of luck to all aspirants as you approach this pivotal moment in your UPSC journey!

upsc mains essay questions

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Essay Paper UPSC 2020 (Mains): Question Paper and Analysis

Last updated on January 9, 2021 by ClearIAS Team

Essay Paper UPSC 2020

UPSC conducted the  Essay Paper , as part of the Civil Services Main Exam 2020 on 08-01-2021.

There were 8 Essay topics, out of which candidates were asked to write on two topics in 3 hours.

Table of Contents

Essay Paper UPSC 2020 Instructions

  • Total Marks: 250 marks, Time duration: 3 hours.
  • The essay must be written in the medium authorized in the admission certificate which must be stated clearly on the cover of this question-cum-answer (QCA) booklet in the space provided.
  • No marks will be given for answers written in the medium other than the authorized one.
  • Word limit, as specified, should be adhered to.
  • Any page or portion of the page left blank, must be struck off clearly.

Essay Question Paper – UPSC Civil Services Main Exam (Written) 2020

Write two essays, choosing one topic from each of the following Sections A and B, in about 1000-1200 words each:

  • Life is long journey between human being and being humane
  • Mindful manifesto is the catalyst to a tranquil self
  • Ships do not sink because of water around them,  ships sink because of water that gets into them
  • Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication
  • Culture is what we are, civilization is what we have
  • There can be no social justice without economic prosperity but economic prosperity without social justice is meaningless
  • Patriarchy is the least noticed yet the most significant structure of social inequality
  • Technology as the silent factor in international relations

Though aspirants were asked to write only two essays out of eight, most aspirants faced difficulty to select the right combination of two essays.

A philosophical theme was present in most of the essay topics in Section A as well as Section B.

As per most aspirants, the essay topic ‘Mindful manifesto is the catalyst to a tranquil self’ seemed the most tricky one. Only a few attempted that topic.

UPSC CSE 2025: Study Plan ⇓

(1) ⇒ UPSC 2025: Prelims cum Mains

(2) ⇒ UPSC 2025: Prelims Test Series

(3) ⇒ UPSC 2025: CSAT

Note: To know more about ClearIAS Courses (Online/Offline) and the most effective study plan, you can call ClearIAS Mentors at +91-9605741000, +91-9656621000, or +91-9656731000.

UPSC has ensured that the essay topics were much different from the GS questions.

As we have mentioned many times, Essay needs a different approach than GS. Only those candidates with good essay writing skills will score high in this year’s essay paper.

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UPSC Civil Services Mains 2024 Exam Dates: Check full schedule and key details

UPSC Civil Services Mains 2024 Exam Dates: Check full schedule and key details

UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2024 complete schedule here




Sept 20th
Paper-I: Essay
No Paper
Sept 21th
Paper-II: General Studies-I
Paper-III: General Studies-II
Sept 22thPaper-IV: General Studies-III
Paper-V: General Studies-IV
Sept 28th
Paper-A: Indian Language
Paper-B: English
Sept 29th
Paper-VI: Optional Subject-Paper-1
Paper-VII: Optional Subject-Paper-2

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upsc mains essay questions

UPSC CSE Mains 2024 Schedule Released at upsc.gov.in; Exams From September 20

Published By : Suramya Sunilraj

Last Updated: August 10, 2024, 08:54 IST

New Delhi, India

UPSC CSE preliminary test was held on June 16, and the results were announced on July 1 (Representational/ PTI Photo)

UPSC CSE preliminary test was held on June 16, and the results were announced on July 1 (Representational/ PTI Photo)

The UPSC CSE mains 2024 test will commence with the essay paper on September 20. The UPSC intends to fill 1,056 positions this year

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has published the examination dates for the Civil Services Main Exam 2024. The UPSC CSE Mains 2024 test will take place from September 20 to September 29. The UPSC CSE mains 2024 comprehensive exam schedule may be seen on the official website, upsc.gov.in. Candidates who passed the UPSC CSE Prelims this year are eligible to compete in the UPSC CSE Mains 2024. A total of 14,627 students passed the preliminary test. UPSC CSE preliminary test was held on June 16, and the results were announced on July 1.

UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam 2024 Schedule: How to Check

Each applicant who will take the test can view and download the test schedule by following the steps outlined below.

Step 1: Go to UPSC’s official website, upsc.gov.in.

Step 2: From the home page, select the UPSC Civil Services Main Exam 2024 schedule link.

Step 3: Candidates can view the timetable by opening a new PDF file that opens.

Step 4: Download the page and save a physical copy of the UPSC Civil Services Main Exam 2024 time table in case you need it later.

The UPSC CSE mains 2024 test will commence with the essay paper on September 20. The General Studies Paper I and II sessions will take place on September 21 in the morning and afternoon, respectively. General studies papers III and IV will be due the next day, September 22, in the morning and afternoon, respectively. The qualifying papers for the Indian language and English will be conducted in the morning and afternoon sessions on September 28. The final examinations on September 29 will include optional subject papers I and II in the morning and afternoon, respectively.

The UPSC intends to fill 1,056 positions this year, 40 of which are set aside for people with benchmark disabilities (PwBD). This encompasses positions in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Indian Police Service (IPS), and the Indian Foreign Service (IFS). For additional information, aspirants can visit the UPSC’s official website.

upsc mains essay questions

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Upsc civil services main exam 2024 schedule released; check date and time, upsc civil services main exam 2024 schedule is out and the exams are expected to begin on 20 september 2024.

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The Union Public Service Commission ( UPSC ) is conducting the Civil Services Main Examination 2024. The exam is expected to begin on September 20 and will be held in two shifts.

The first shift, which will consist of 12 hours of on-duty time, will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. The second shift, lasting from 2.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m., will be conducted in the afternoon. The examination will be conducted in two parts, with the first part comprising the essay paper and the second part containing the general studies I, II, III, and IV papers.

CUET UG 2024 Final Answer Key Declared; How To Download and CUET UG Results Date

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The candidates who have successfully passed the prelims examination will now be eligible to appear for the mains round, which consists of two parts: a written exam and a personality test.

The personality test will be conducted from 2.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. on September 29. The total number of vacancies in the central government services and departments that are expected to be filled through the recruitment exams this year is 1,056.

The candidates can visit the official website of UPSC- upsc.gov.in to check the detailed schedule for the Civil Services Main Examination 2024. Candidates can also download the schedule in a PDF file and keep it for future reference.

( Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated by AI and published after the content was editorially modified and verified by a human based on their own judgement and expertise.  The Quint  does not publish AI-generated content without direct human involvement and oversight).

CUET UG Re-Test Answer Key 2024 Released; Steps To Download

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  2. Essay Paper UPSC 2023 (Mains) Question Paper and Analysis

    Essay Question Paper: UPSC Civil Services Main Exam (Written) 2023. The question paper of the UPSC CSE mains essay paper is provided here. Write two essays, choosing one topic from each of the following Sections A and B, in about 1000-1200 words each: UPSC CSE 2025: Study Plan ⇓. (1) ⇒ UPSC 2025: Prelims cum Mains.

  3. Essay Paper UPSC 2022 (Mains): Question Paper and Analysis

    Please find the questions in the Essay Paper of the UPSC 2022 Civil Services Mains Examination (written). UPSC conducted the Essay Paper, as part of the Civil Services Main Exam 2022 on 16-09-2022. The question paper was not as shocking as last year. There were 8 Essay topics, out of which candidates were asked to write on two topics in 3 hours.

  4. Essay Paper UPSC 2021 (Mains): Question Paper and Analysis

    UPSC conducted the Essay Paper, as part of the Civil Services Main Exam 2021 on 07-01-2022. There were 8 Essay topics, out of which candidates were asked to write on two topics in 3 hours. Candidates were supposed to answer about 1000 words for each essay (about 10-12 pages).

  5. UPSC Essay Topics From Last 25 Years

    Last 25 Years Topic-wise Essay Questions From UPSC Mains (1994 - 2018) Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services mains exam is the Essay. Here, prelims-qualified IAS aspirants have to write two essays out of a few given topics. The paper is for a total of 250 marks and its marks are taken into consideration for the Final Merit List.

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    Essay (UPSC Mains) - Previous Year Questions. 2023. Thinking is like a game; it does not begin unless there is an opposite team. Visionary decision-making happens at the intersection of intuition and logic. Not all who wander are lost. Inspiration for creativity springs from the effort to look for the magical in the mundane.

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    DOWNLOAD General Studies 4 QUESTION PAPER : UPSC CSE MAINS 2022. ESSAY QUESTION PAPER - UPSC Civil Services IAS Mains - 2022 . Section A. 1. Forests are the best case studies for economic excellence. 2. Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world. 3. History is a series of victories won by the scientific man over the romantic man

  9. UPSC Essay Topics

    Here are some UPSC Essay Topics on Science and Technology: Deglobalisation is good for the world. Science is organised Knowledge. Wisdom is Organised life. Technology is a Weapon against Poverty. Prioritising Education Technology for Global Growth. Technology is the silent factor in International Relations.

  10. UPSC Mains: Mock Questions with Model Answers & Explanations

    This page contains UPSC civil services IAS/IPS Mains exam official question papers, mock tests, sample answers and the art of answer writing within time and space limits of real exam hall. ... [Download] UPSC Mains Essay Paper, Including Topicwise last 30 YEARS Essay Question Papers (1993-2023) with booklist, strategy! ...

  11. Weekly Upsc Ias Essay Writing Challenge

    WEEKLY UPSC IAS ESSAY WRITING CHALLENGES - 2024. 4 August, 2024 : Art is I; Science is We. 28 July, 2024 : History, in general, only informs us what bad government is. 21 July, 2024 : Sarcasam : the last refuge of the chaste-souled individuals when their privacy is coarsely invaded. 14 July, 2024 : Wound is the place where light enters you.

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  13. Main Answer Writing Practice

    Mains Practice Questions. 1. Economic progress cannot come at the cost of democracy and civil liberties. 2. The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven. You are the District Collector of a rural district with a high rate of female illiteracy and child marriage. A new government scheme has been launched ...

  14. Topic-Wise Essay Questions from UPSC Mains (1994 -2018)

    The paper holds a total of 250 marks, and these marks contribute to the determination of the Final Merit List. This article compiles all the essay topics presented in the UPSC mains exam from 1994 to 2018. Additionally, we have organized the essay questions from the last 25 years into distinct topics to facilitate your preparation.

  15. Model Essays

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  16. Daily UPSC Mains Essay Writing

    Legacy IAS team will frame as many questions as feasible on each and every component of the GS syllabi as part of this initiative. This will allow you to take continuous notes and write answers until your UPSC Mains Exam 2022-2023. All GS Paper. GS Paper 1. GS Paper 2.

  17. Topic Wise UPSC Mains Questions

    Essay Course for UPSC. ... Candidates preparing for the CSE Mains examination extensively study these topic-wise UPSC Mains questions to gain a deeper insight into the subject matter and develop a structured approach to answer them effectively within the allotted time frame. Download the GS papers 1 to 4 questions PDF segregated into topics and ...

  18. Important Essay Topics for UPSC Mains Exam

    Apart from these topics, candidates should browse through articles, columns, features of newspapers, magazines, journals for the preparation of good essays. Regular clippings and jotting down of important points on the side of clipped topics will ease your time and tension while giving a cursory look during the UPSC IAS examination period.

  19. UPSC Mains 2021 Essay Question Paper

    UPSC 2021 Mains Essay Question Paper PDF. In the UPSC Essay paper, there are two sections, namely Section A and Section B. Each section consists of four questions. The aspirants have to choose one topic from each section and in total have to answer 2 essay questions. Each essay question has to be answered with a word limit ranging from 1000 ...

  20. Last 25 Years Topic-wise Essay Questions From UPSC Mains (1994

    In this article, we have compiled all the essay topics that have been asked in the UPSC mains exam from 1994 to 2018. We have further categorized the essay questions from the last 25 years into various topics to facilitate your preparation. Update - Check out the Essay Topics in the IAS Mains 2020 Essay Paper.

  21. Essay Question Paper (Analysis & Solutions)

    This topic of "Essay Question Paper (Analysis & Solutions) - UPSC Civil Services Mains 2023" is important from the perspective of the UPSC IAS Examination, which falls under General Studies Portion. Questions. Write two essays, choosing one topic from each of the following Sections A and B, in about 1000 - 1200 words each: (125×2=250 ...

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    Mains Practice Questions. 1. There is a nobility in compassion, a beauty in empathy and a grace in forgiveness. 2. When the winds of change blow, some build walls while others build windmills. 1. What you are afraid to do is the clear indication of what you need to do.

  23. Important Topics for UPSC Mains 2024: A Comprehensive Guide

    Discover key topics for UPSC Mains 2024, including General Studies, current affairs, and essay themes. Enhance your preparation strategy with expert insights and tips. ... Essay Paper: Important Topics: The essay paper requires candidates to write on various topics, reflecting their understanding and analytical abilities. Social Issues:

  24. Essay Paper UPSC 2020 (Mains): Question Paper and Analysis

    Please find the questions in the Essay Paper of UPSC 2020 Civil Services Mains Examination (written). UPSC conducted the Essay Paper , as part of the Civil Services Main Exam 2020 on 08-01-2021. There were 8 Essay topics, out of which candidates were asked to write on two topics in 3 hours.

  25. UPSC CSE Mains 2024: Finding essay-writing difficult? Experts ...

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    News News: UPSC announces Civil Services Mains 2024 exam dates from September 20-29. Check the complete schedule, exam timings, and important details for successful candidates.

  27. UPSC CSE Mains 2024 Schedule Released at upsc.gov.in; Exams ...

    The UPSC CSE Mains 2024 test will take place from September 20 to September 29. The UPSC CSE mains 2024 comprehensive exam schedule may be seen on the official website, upsc.gov.in. Candidates who passed the UPSC CSE Prelims this year are eligible to compete in the UPSC CSE Mains 2024. A total of 14,627 students passed the preliminary test.

  28. UPSC Civil Services Main Exam 2024 Schedule Released; Check Date and Time

    UPSC Civil Services Main Exam 2024 Schedule is out and the exams are expected to begin on 20 September 2024. The dates, timings and shift have been given below