Upsc Mains Essay Previous Year Question 1993-2013
1993
1. My Vision of India in 2001 A.D.
2. The emerging Global Order, Political and Economic.
3. “He who Reigns within himself and Rules his Passions, Desires and Fears, is
more than a King”.
4. Compassion is the Basis of All Morality.
5. Men have failed; let Women take over.
6. Economic Growth without Distributive justice is bound to breed Violence.
7. Ecological considerations need not hamper development.
8. Computer: The Harbinger of a Silent Revolution.
1994
1. Youth is a blunder. Manhood a struggle. Old age a regret.
2. Indian Society at the crossroads.
3. The Challenge before a Civil Servant Today.
4. Modernisation and Westernisation are not identical concepts.
5. A useless life is an early death.
6. Politics, Business and Bureaucracy—a fatal triangle.
7. Multinational Corporations—saviours or saboteurs.
1995
1. Politics without ethics is a disaster.
2. The new emerging woman-power: the ground realities.
3. When money speaks, the truth is silent.
4. Whither Indian democracy?
5. Restructuring of Indian education system.
6. Disinterested intellectual curiosity is the life-blood of real civilization.
7. Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deeds.
1996
1. Literacy is growing very fast but there is no corresponding growth in
education.
2. Restructuring of the UNO to reflect present realities.
3. New cults and godmen: a threat to traditional religions.
4. The VIP cult is a bane of Indian democracy.
5. Need for transparency in public administration.
6. Truth is lived, not taught.
1997
1. What we have not learnt during fifty years of Independence.
2. Judicial activism.
3. Greater political power alone will not improve women’s plight.
4. True religion cannot be misused.
5. The modern doctor and his patients.
6. Urbanization is a blessing in disguise.
1998
1. The composite culture of India.
2. Woman is God’s best creation.
3. The misinterpretation and misuse of freedom in India.
4. India’s contribution to world wisdom.
5. The language problem in India: Its past, present and prospects.
6. The world of the twenty-first century.
1999
1. Women empowerment: Challenges and prospects.
2. Youth culture today.
3. Mass media and cultural invasion.
4. Resource management in the Indian context.
5. Value-based science and education.
6. Reservation, politics and empowerment.
2000
1. Why should we be proud of being Indians?
2. The cyberworld: Its charms and challenges.
3. The country’s need for a better disaster management system.
4. Indian culture today: A myth or a reality?
5. The implications of globalisation for India.
6. Modernism and our traditional socio-ethical values.
2001
1. What have we gained from our democratic set-up?
2. My vision of an ideal world order.
3. The march of science and the erosion of human values.
4. Irrelevance of the classroom.
5. The pursuit of excellence.
6. Empowerment alone cannot help our women.
2002
1. Modern technological education and human values.
2. Search for truth can only be a spiritual problem.
3. If youth knew, if age could.
4. The paths of glory lead but to the grave.
5. Privatisation of higher education in India.
6. Responsibility of media in a democracy.
2003
1. The Masks of New Imperialism.
2. How far has democracy in India delivered the goods?
3. How should a civil servant conduct himself?
4. As civilization advances culture declines.
5. There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.
6. Spirituality and Scientific temper.
2004
1. India’s Role in Promoting ASEAN Co-operation.
2. Judicial Activism and Indian Democracy.
3. Whither Women’s Emancipation?
4. Globalisation and Its Impact on Indian Culture.
5. The Lure of Space.
6. Water Resources Should Be Under the Control of the Central Government.
2005
1. Justice must reach the poor
2. The hand that rocks the cradle
3. If women ruled the world
4. What is real education?
5. Terrorism and world peace
6. Food security for sustainable national development
2006
1. Women’s Reservation Bill Would Usher in Empowerment for Women in India.
2. Protection of Ecology and Environment is Essential for Sustained Economic
Development.
3. Importance of Indo-U.S. Nuclear Agreement.
4. “Education For All” Campaign in India: Myth or Reality.
5. Globalization Would Finish Small-Scale Industries in India.
6. Increasing Computerization Would lead to the Creation of a Dehumanized
Society.
2007
1. Independent thinking should be encouraged right from childhood.
2. Evaluation of Panchayati Raj System in India from the point of view of
eradication of poverty to empower to people.
3. Attitude makes habit, habit makes character and character makes a man.
4. Is autonomy the best answer to combat balkanization?
5. How has satellite television brought about cultural change in the Indian
mindset?
6. BPO boom in India.
2008
Maximum Marks: 200 Topics: 1.Role of media in good governance
2.National Identity and Patriotism
3.Special Economic Zones:
4.Boon or Bane Discipline means success, anarchy means ruin
5.Urbanization and its hazards
6. Is an egalitarian society possible by educating the masses?
2009
Time Allowed: Three Hours Max. Marks: 200 Instruction: The Essay must be written in the medium specified in the admission certificate issue to you. The name of medium must be stated clearly on the cover of the answer-book in the space provided for the purpose. No credit will be given to the essay written in a medium other than that specified in the admission certificate. (Examiner will pay special attention to the candidate's grasp of his material, it's relevant to the subject chosen and to his ability to think constructed and present his ideas concisely, logically and effectively).
Write an Essay on any one of the following topics:
1.Are our traditional handicrafts doomed to a slow death?
2.Are we a ‘Soft’ state?
3.The focus of health care is increasingly getting skewed towards the haves of our society.
4.Good Fences make good neighbors
5.‘Globalization’ vs. ‘Nationalism’
2010
2011
Time Allowed: Three Hours Maximum Marks: 200 Instructions The essay must be written in the medium specified in the Admission Certificate issued, to you. The name of the medium must. Be stated clearly on the cover of the answer-book in the space provided for the purpose. No credit will be given to the essay written in a medium other than that specified in the Admission Certificate. (Examiners will pay special attention to the candidate's grasp of his/her material, its relevance to the subject chosen, and to his/her ability to think constructively and to present his/her ideas concisely, logically and effectively.) Write an essay on any one of the following topics: 200
1. Creation of smaller states and the consequent administrative, economic and developmental implications.
2.Does Indian cinema shape our popular culture or merely reflect it?
3.Credit-based higher education system-status, opportunities and challenges.
4.In the Indian context, both human intelligence and technical intelligence are crucial in combating terrorism.
20121.In the context of Gandhiji's views on the matter, explore, on an evolutionary scale, the terms ‘Swadhinata’ ‘Swaraj’ and ‘Dharmarajya’ Critically comment on their contemporary relevance to Indian democracy.
2. Is the criticism ‘Public-Private-Partnership’ that (PPP) model the for development is more of a bane than a boon in the Indian context, justified?
3.Science and Mysticism: Are they compatible?
4.Managing work and home-is the Indian working woman getting a fair deal?
2013
