UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers
General Studies Paper 1
Social Science: Caste, Religion, Region, Globalization
Syllabus Topic: Communalism, Regionalism, Secularism; Social Empowerment, Salient features of Indian Society; Diversity of India;
Q. “Empowering women is the key to control population growth”. Discuss. 2019
Q. What are the challenges to our cultural practices in the name of secularism? 2019
Q. Do we have cultural pockets of small India all over the nation? Elaborate with examples. 2019
Q. What are the continued challenges for women in India against time and space? 2019
Q. Are we losing our local identity for the global identity? Discuss. 2019
Q. “Caste system is assuming new identities and associational forms. Hence, caste system cannot be eradicated in India.” Comment. 2018
Q. How the Indian concept of secularism is different from the western model of secularism? Discuss. 2018
Q. ‘Communalism arises either due to power struggle or relative deprivation. Argue by giving suitable illustrations. 2018
Q. The spirit 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. 2017
Q. Distinguish between religiousness/religiosity and communalism giving one example of how the former has got transformed into the latter in independent India. 2017
Q. In the context of diversity of India, can it be said that the regions form cultural units rather than the States? Give reasons with examples for your viewpoint. 2017
Q. What are the two major legal initiatives by the State since Independence, addressing discrimination against Scheduled Tribes (STs)? 2017
Q. Has the formation of linguistic States strengthened the cause of Indian Unity? 2016
Q. Why are the tribals in India referred to as the Scheduled Tribes? Indicate the major provisions enshrined in the Constitution of India for their upliftment. 2016
Q. What is the basis of regionalism? Is it that unequal distribution of benefits of development on regional basis eventually promotes regionalism? Substantiate your answer. 2016
Q. Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, despite having divergent approaches and strategies, had a common goal of amelioration of the downtrodden. Elucidate. 2015
Q. Describe any four cultural elements of diversity in India and rate their relative significance in building a national identity. 2015
Q. Debate the issue of whether and how contemporary movements for assertion of Dalit identity work towards annihilation of caste. 2015
Q. How do the Indian debates on secularism differ from the debates in the West? 2014
Q. Growing feeling of regionalism is an important factor in the generation of demand for a separate state. Discuss. 2013
Social Science: Poverty, Population, Globalization
Syllabus Topic: Poverty, Population; Development and associated issues
Q. ‘Despite implementation of various programmes for eradication of poverty by the government in India, poverty is still existing.’ Explain by giving reasons. 2018
Q. Discuss whether formation of new states in recent times is beneficial or not for the economy of India. 2018
Q. Mention core strategies for the transformation of aspirational districts in India and explain the nature of convergence, collaboration and competition for its success. 2018
Q. “An essential condition to eradicate poverty is to liberate the poor from deprivation.” Substantiate this statement with suitable examples 2016
Q. Critically examine whether growing population is the cause of poverty OR poverty is the main cause of population increase in India. 2015
Q. Discuss the changes in the trends of labour migration within and outside India in the last four decades. 2015
Q. The life cycle of a joint family depends on economic factors rather than social values. Discuss. 2014
Social Science: Globalization
Syllabus Topic: Globalisation (effects on Indian society)
Q. ‘Globalization is generally said to promote cultural homogenization but due to this cultural specificities appear to be strengthened in the Indian Society. Elucidate. 2018
Q. Discuss the positive and negative effects of globalization on women in India. 2015
Q. To what extent globalization has influenced the core of cultural diversity in India? Explain. 2016
Q. Critically examine the effects of globalization on the aged population in India. 2013
Social Science: Women
Syllabus Topic: Role of women and women’s organisation;
(Although some of the following questions fall under populationglobalization categories, but if a person cultivates habit of noting down women related topics under one head, it’ll benefit in both GS1, GS2 and Essay.)
Q. ‘Women’s movement in India has not addressed the issues of women of lower social strata. Substantiate your view. 2018
Q. How do you explain the statistics that show that the sex ratio in Tribes in India is more favourable to women than the sex ratio among Scheduled Castes? 2015
Q. How does patriarchy impact the position of a middle-class working woman in India? 2014
Q. Discuss the various economic and socio-cultural forces that are driving increasing feminization of agriculture in India. 2014
Q. Why do some of the most prosperous regions of India have an adverse sex ratio for women? Give your arguments. 2014
Q. Male membership needs to be encouraged in order to make women’s organization free from gender bias. Comment. 2013
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