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UPSC Mains PYQs

1053 questions

Every General Studies question since 2013, ready to attempt. Model answers arrive week by week.

GS1

275 questions

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2016

  1. 2016 · GS1 · 12.5 marksKrishnadeva Raya, the king of Vijayanagar, was not only an accomplished scholar himself but was also a great patron of learning and literature. Discuss.
  2. 2016 · GS1 · 12.5 marksMajor cities of India are becoming vulnerable to flood conditions. Discuss.
  3. 2016 · GS1 · 12.5 marksPresent an account of the Indus Water Treaty and examine its ecological, economic and political implications in the context of changing bilateral relations.
  4. 2016 · GS1 · 12.5 marksDiscuss the role of women in the freedom struggle especially during the Gandhian phase.
  5. 2016 · GS1 · 12.5 marksThe South China Sea has assumed great geopolitical significance in the present context. Comment.
  6. 2016 · GS1 · 12.5 marksWhy are the tribals in India referred to as ‘the Scheduled Tribes’? Indicate the major provisions enshrined in the Constitution of India for their upliftment.
  7. 2016 · GS1 · 12.5 marksExplain how the uprising of 1857 constitutes an important watershed in the evolution of British policies towards colonial India.
  8. 2016 · GS1 · 12.5 marksIn what way micro-watershed development projects help in water conservation in drought-prone and semi-arid regions of India?

2015

  1. 2015 · GS1 · 12.5 marksThe ancient civilization in the Indian sub continent differed from those of Egypt, Mesopotamia and Greece in that its culture and traditions have been preserved without breakdown to the present day. Comment.
  2. 2015 · GS1 · 12.5 marksDiscuss the changes in the trends of labour migration within and outside India in the last four decades.
  3. 2015 · GS1 · 12.5 marksDebate the issue whether and how contemporary movements for assertion of Dalit identity work towards annihilation of caste.
  4. 2015 · GS1 · 12.5 marksDescribe any four cultural elements of diversity in India and rate their relative significance in building a national identity.
  5. 2015 · GS1 · 12.5 marksHow difficult would have been the achievement of Indian independence without Mahatma Gandhi? Discuss.
  6. 2015 · GS1 · 12.5 marksIt would have been difficult for the Constituent Assembly to complete its historic task of drafting the Constitution for Independent India in just three years, but its experience gained with the Government of India Act, 1935. Discuss.
  7. 2015 · GS1 · 12.5 marksWhat is the economic significance of the discovery of oil in the Arctic Sea and its possible environmental consequences?
  8. 2015 · GS1 · 12.5 marksTo what extent can Germany be held responsible for causing the two World Wars? Discuss critically.
  9. 2015 · GS1 · 12.5 marksExplain the factors responsible for the origin of ocean currents. How do they influence regional climates, fishing and navigation?
  10. 2015 · GS1 · 12.5 marksHow far do you agree that the behaviour of the Indian monsoon has been changing due to humanising landscape? Discuss.
  11. 2015 · GS1 · 12.5 marksIndia is well endowed with fresh water resources. Critically examine why it still suffers from water scarcity.
  12. 2015 · GS1 · 12.5 marksWhy did the industrial revolution first occur in England? Discuss the quality of life of the people there during the industrialization. How does it compare with that in India at present times?Video
  13. 2015 · GS1 · 12.5 marksMahatma Gandhi and Dr. B R Ambedkar, despite having divergent approaches and strategies, had a common goal of amelioration of the downtrodden. Elucidate.
  14. 2015 · GS1 · 12.5 marksMesolithic rock cut architecture of India not only reflects the cultural life of the times but also a fine aesthetic sense comparable to modern painting. Critically evaluate this comment.
  15. 2015 · GS1 · 12.5 marksMumbai, Delhi and Kolkata are the three Megacities of the country but the air pollution is a much more serious problem in Delhi as compared to the other two. Why is this so?
  16. 2015 · GS1 · 12.5 marksDiscuss the positive and negative effects of globalisation on women in India?
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