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UPSC Mains PYQs

1053 questions

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

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2016

  1. 2016 · GS3 · 12.5 marksJustify the need for FDI for the development of the Indian economy. Why there is a gap between MOUs signed and actual FDIs? Suggest remedial steps to be taken to increase actual FDIs in India.
  2. 2016 · GS3 · 12.5 marksWhy is nanotechnology one of the key technologies of the 21st century? Describe the salient features of the Indian Government’s Mission on Nanoscience and Technology and the scope of its application in the development process of the country.
  3. 2016 · GS3 · 12.5 marksPradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) is necessary for bringing the unbanked to the institutional finance fold. Do you agree with this for the financial inclusion of the poor section of the Indian society? Give arguments to justify your opinion.
  4. 2016 · GS3 · 12.5 marksWith reference to National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) guidelines discuss the measures to be adopted to mitigate the impact of recent incidents of cloudbursts in many places of Uttarakhand.
  5. 2016 · GS3 · 12.5 marksRehabilitation of human settlements is one of the important environmental impacts that always attract controversy while planning major projects. Discuss the measures suggested for mitigation of this impact while proposing major developmental projects.
  6. 2016 · GS3 · 12.5 marksDiscuss the role of land reforms in agricultural development. Identify the factors that were responsible for the success of land reforms in India.
  7. 2016 · GS3 · 12.5 marksWhat are ‘Smart Cities’? Examine their relevance for urban development in India. Will it increase rural-urban differences? Give arguments for ’Smart Villages’ in the light of PURA and RURBAN Mission.
  8. 2016 · GS3 · 12.5 marksThe terms ‘Hot Pursuit’ and ‘Surgical Strikes’ are often used in connection with armed action against terrorist attacks. Discuss the strategic impact of such actions.
  9. 2016 · GS3 · 12.5 marks“Terrorism is emerging as a competitive industry over the last few decades.” Analyse the above statement.
  10. 2016 · GS3 · 12.5 marksThe use of the internet and social media by non-state actors for subversive activities is a major security concern. How have these been misused in the recent past? Suggest effective guidelines to curb the above threat.
  11. 2016 · GS3 · 12.5 marksWhat is water-use efficiency? Describe the role of micro-irrigation in increasing the water-use efficiency.
  12. 2016 · GS3 · 12.5 marksWomen empowerment in India needs gender budgeting. What are the requirements and status of gender budgeting in the Indian context?
  13. 2016 · GS4 · 10 marksAnger is a harmful negative emotion. It is injurious to both personal life and work life. (a) Discuss how it leads to negative emotions and undesirable behaviors. (b) How can hit be managed and controlled?
  14. 2016 · GS4 · 25 marksABC Ltd. Is a large transnational company having diversified business activities with a huge shareholder base. The company is continuously expanding the generating employment. The company, in its expansion and diversification programme, decides to establish a new plant at Vikaspuri, an area which is underdeveloped. The new plant is designed to use energy efficient technology that will help the company to save production cost by 20%. The company’s decision goes well with the Government policy of attracting investment to develop such underdeveloped regions. The government has also announced tax holiday for five years for the companies that invest in underdeveloped areas. However, the new plant may bring chaos for the inhabitants of Vikaspuri region, which is otherwise tranquil. The new plant may result in increased cost of living, aliens migrating to the region, disturbing the social and economic order. The company sensing the possible protest tried to educate the people of Vikaspuri region and public in general that how its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy would help overcome the likely difficulties of the residents of Vikaspuri region. In spite of this the protests begin and some of the residents decided to approach the judiciary as their plea before the Government did not yield any result. a) Identify the issues involved in the case b) What can be suggested to satisfy the company’s goal and to address the residents’ concern?
  15. 2016 · GS4 · 10 marks“Corruption causes misuse of government treasury, administrative inefficiency and obstruction in the path of national development.” Discuss Kautilya’s views.
  16. 2016 · GS4 · 10 marksHow could social influence and persuasion contribute to the success of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan?
  17. 2016 · GS4 · 10 marksExplain how ethics contributes to social and human well-being.
  18. 2016 · GS4 · 10 marksAnalyse John rawls’s concept of social justice in the Indian Context.
  19. 2016 · GS4 · 20 marksLand needed for mining, dams and other large-scale projects is acquired mostly from Adivasis, hill dwellers and rural communities. The displaced persons are paid monetary compensation as per the legal provisions. However, the payment is often tardy. In any case, hit cannot sustain the displaced families for long. These people do not possess marketable skills to engage in some other accusation. They end up as low paid migrant laborers. Moreover, their development go to industries, industrialists and urban communities whereas the costs are passed on to these poor helpless people. This unjust distribution of costs and benefits is unethical. Suppose you have been entrusted with the task of drafting a better compensation-cum-rehabilitation policy for such displaced persons, how would you approach the problem and what would be the main elements of your suggested policy?
  20. 2016 · GS4 · 10 marksLaw and ethics are considered to be the two tools for controlling human conduct so as to make it conducive to civilized social existence. (a) Discuss how they achieve this objective. (b) Giving examples, show how the two differ in their approaches.
  21. 2016 · GS4 · 10 marksDiscuss Mahatma Gandhi’s concept of seven sins.
  22. 2016 · GS4 · 10 marks“Max Webar said that it is not wise to apply to public administration the sort of moral and ethical norms we apply to matters of personal conscience. It is important to realize that the state bureaucracy might possess its own independent bureaucratic morality.” Critically analyse this statement.
  23. 2016 · GS4 · 20 marksYou are a young, aspiring and sincere employee in a Government office working as an assistant to the director of your department. Since you have joined recently, you need to learn and progress. Luckily your superior is very kind and ready to train you for your job. He is a very intelligent and well-informed person having knowledge of various departments. In short, you respect your boss and are looking forward to learn a lot from him. Since you have good tuning with the boss, he started depending on you. One day due to ill health he invited you at his place for finishing some urgent work. You reached his house and before you could ring the bell you heard shouting noises. You waited for a while. After entering the house the boss greeted you and explained the work. But you were constantly disturbed by the crying of a woman. At last, you inquired with the boss but his answer did not satisfy you. Next day, you were compelled to inquire further in the office and found out that his behavior is very bad at home with his wife. He also beats up bit wife. His wife is not well educated and is a simple woman in comparison to her husband. you see that though your boss is a nice person in the office, he is engaged in domestic violence at home. In such a situation, you are left with the following options. Analyse each option with its consequences. (a) just ignore thinking about it because it is their personal matter. (b) Report the case to the appropriate authority. (c) Your own innovative approach towards the situation.
  24. 2016 · GS4 · 20 marksA fresh engineering graduate gets a job in a prestigious chemical industry. She likes the work. The salary is also good. However, after a few months she accidentally discovers that a highly toxic waste is being secretly discharged into a river nearby. This is causing health problems to the villagers downstream who depend on the river for their water needs. She is perturbed and mentions her concern to her colleagues who have been with the company for longer periods. They advise her to keep quite as anyone who mentions the topic is summarily dismissed. She cannot risk losing her job as she is the sole bread-winner for her family and has to support her ailing parents and siblings. At first, she thinks that if her seniors are keeping quiet, why should she stick out her neck. But her conscience pricks her to do something to save the river and the people who depend upon it. At heart she feels that the advice of silence given by her friends is not correct though she cannot give reasons for it. She thinks you are a wise person and seeks your advice. (a) What arguments can you advance to show her that keeping quiet is not morally right? (b) What course of action would you advise her to adopt and why?
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