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UPSC Mains PYQs

1053 questions

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

275 questions

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2017

  1. 2017 · GS1 · 15 marks“The growth of cities as I.T. hubs has opened up new avenues of employment, but has also created new problems”. Substantiate this statement with examples.
  2. 2017 · GS1 · 15 marksHighlight the importance of the new objectives that got added to the vision of Indian Independence since the twenties of the last century.
  3. 2017 · GS1 · 10 marksHow does the Juno Mission of NASA help to understand the origin and evolution of the Earth?
  4. 2017 · GS1 · 10 marksHow do you justify the view that the level of excellence of the Gupta numismatic art is not at all noticeable in later times?
  5. 2017 · GS1 · 10 marksMention the advantages of the cultivation of pulses because of which the year 2016 was declared as the International Year of Pulses by the United Nations.
  6. 2017 · GS1 · 15 marksPetroleum refineries are not necessarily located nearer to crude oil producing areas, particularly in many of the developing countries. Explain its implications.
  7. 2017 · GS1 · 10 marksWhat problems are germane to the decolonization process in the Malay Peninsula?
  8. 2017 · GS1 · 15 marksThe spirit of tolerance and love is not only an interesting feature of Indian society from very early times, but it is also playing an important part at the present. Elaborate.
  9. 2017 · GS1 · 10 marks“In spite of adverse environmental impact, coal mining is still inevitable for development”. Discuss
  10. 2017 · GS1 · 10 marksWhat are the two major legal initiatives by the State since Independence addressing discrimination against Scheduled Tribes (STs)?
  11. 2017 · GS1 · 15 marksIn what way can floods be converted into a sustainable source of irrigation and all-weather inland navigation in India?
  12. 2017 · GS1 · 15 marksThe women’s questions arose in modern India as a part of the 19th-century social reform movement. What are the major issues and debates concerning women in that period?

2016

  1. 2016 · GS1 · 12.5 marksThe anti-colonial struggles in West Africa were led by the new elite of Western-educated Africans. Examine.
  2. 2016 · GS1 · 12.5 marksWhat is the basis of regionalism? Is it that unequal distribution of benefits of development on a regional basis eventually promotes regionalism? Substantiate your answer.
  3. 2016 · GS1 · 12.5 marksWith a brief background of the quality of urban life in India, introduce the objectives and strategy of the ‘Smart City Programme.’
  4. 2016 · GS1 · 12.5 marksDiscuss the concept of air mass and explain its role in macro-climatic changes.
  5. 2016 · GS1 · 12.5 marksEarly Buddhist Stupa-art, while depicting folk motifs and narratives, successfully expounds Buddhist ideals. Elucidate.
  6. 2016 · GS1 · 12.5 marksThe effective management of land and water resources will drastically reduce the human miseries. Explain.
  7. 2016 · GS1 · 12.5 marksEnumerate the problems and prospects of inland water transport in India
  8. 2016 · GS1 · 12.5 marks“An essential condition to eradicate poverty is to liberate the poor from the process of deprivation.” Substantiate this statement with suitable examples.
  9. 2016 · GS1 · 12.5 marksTo what extent globalisation has influenced the core of cultural diversity in India? Explain.
  10. 2016 · GS1 · 12.5 marksHas the formation of linguistic states strengthened the cause of Indian unity?
  11. 2016 · GS1 · 12.5 marksHighlight the differences in the approach of Subhash Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi in the struggle for freedom.
  12. 2016 · GS1 · 12.5 marks“The Himalayas are highly prone to landslides.” Discuss the causes and suggest suitable measures of mitigation.
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