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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 · 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.
  13. 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.
  14. 2016 · GS1 · 12.5 marksMajor cities of India are becoming vulnerable to flood conditions. Discuss.
  15. 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.
  16. 2016 · GS1 · 12.5 marksDiscuss the role of women in the freedom struggle especially during the Gandhian phase.
  17. 2016 · GS1 · 12.5 marksThe South China Sea has assumed great geopolitical significance in the present context. Comment.
  18. 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.
  19. 2016 · GS1 · 12.5 marksExplain how the uprising of 1857 constitutes an important watershed in the evolution of British policies towards colonial India.
  20. 2016 · GS1 · 12.5 marksIn what way micro-watershed development projects help in water conservation in drought-prone and semi-arid regions of India?
  21. 2016 · GS2 · 12.5 marksWhat are the aims and objectives of the McBride Commission of UNESCO? What is India’s position on these?
  22. 2016 · GS2 · 12.5 marks“The broader aims and objectives of WTO are to manage and promote international trade in the era of globalization. But the Doha round of negotiations seems doomed due to differences between the developed and the developing countries.” Discuss from the Indian perspective.
  23. 2016 · GS2 · 12.5 marks“Demographic Dividend in India will remain only theoretical unless our manpower becomes more educated, aware, skilled and creative.” What measures have been taken by the government to enhance the capacity of our population to be more productive and employable?
  24. 2016 · GS2 · 12.5 marksDid the Government of India Act, of 1935 lay down a federal constitution? Discuss.
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