IAS UPSC MAINS General Studies paper 1 Previous years topic wise asked Questions

Dear UPSC Aspirants, IAS IPS UPSC Civil service  General Studies paper 1MAINS Previous years topic wise asked Questions below find 

PAPER-I: INDIAN HERITAGE AND CULTURE, HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF THE WORLD AND SOCIETY

2019

1.      Highlight the Central Asian and Greco Bactrian elements in the Gandhara art.
2.      The 1857 uprising was the culmination of the recurrent, big and small local rebellions that had occurred in the preceding hundred years of British rule. Elucidate.
3.      Examine the linkages between the nineteenth century’s ‘Indian Renaissance’ and the emergence of national identity.
4.      Many voices had strengthened and enriched the nationalist movement during the Gandhian phase. Elaborate.
5.      Assess the role of British imperial power in complicating the process of transfer of power during the 1940s.

2018

1.      Safeguarding the Indian art heritage is the need of the moment. Comment.
2.      Assess the importance of the accounts of the Chinese and Arab travellers in the reconstruction of the history of India.
3.      Throw light on the significance of the thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi in the present times.
4.      The Bhakti movement received a remarkable re-orientation with the advent of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Discuss.
5.      Discuss whether the formation of new states in recent times is beneficial or not for the economy of India.
6.      Why indentured labour was taken by the British from India to their colonies? Have they been able to preserve their cultural identity over there?

2017
1.      How do you justify the view that the level of excellence of the Gupta numismatic art is not at all noticeable in later times?
2.      Clarify how mid-eighteenth century India was beset with the spectre of a fragmented polity.
3.      Why did the ‘Moderates’ failed to carry conviction with the nation about their proclaimed ideology and political goals by the end of the nineteenth century?
4.      Examine how the decline of traditional artisanal industry in colonial India crippled the rural economy.
5.      Highlight  the  importance  of  the  new  objectives  that  got  added  to  the  vision  of  Indian Independence since the twenties of the last century.
6.      The 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.      Early Buddhist Stupa-art, while depicting folk motifs and narratives, successfully expounds Buddhist ideals. Elucidate.
2.      Krishnadeva Raya, the king of Vijayanagar, was not only an accomplished scholar himself but was a also a great patron of learning and literature. Discuss.
3.      Explain how the upraising of  1857 constitutes an important watershed in the evolution of British policies towards colonial India.
4.      Discuss the role of women in the freedom struggle especially during the Gandhian phase.
5.      Highlight the differences in the approach of Subhash Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi in the struggle for freedom.

2015
1. The ancient civilization in Indian sub-continent differed from those of Egypt, Mesopotamia and Greece in that its culture and traditions have been preserved without a breakdown to the present day. Comment.
2.      Mesolithic rock cut architecture of India not only reflects the cultural life of the times but also a fine aesthetic sense comparable to modem painting. Critically evaluate this comment.
3.      How different would have been the achievement of Indian independence without Mahatma Gandhi? Discuss.
4.      Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, despite having divergent approaches and strategies, had a common goal of amelioration of the downtrodden. Elucidate.
5. It 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 for the experience gained with the Government of India Act, 1935. Discuss.

2014

1.      To what extent has the urban planning and culture of the Indus Valley Civilization provided inputs to the present day urbanization? Discuss.
2.      Gandhara sculpture owed as much to the Romans as to the Greeks. Explain.
3. Taxila university was one of the oldest universities of the world with which were associated a number of renowned learned personalities of different disciplines. Its strategic location caused its fame to flourish, but unlike Nalanda, it is not considered as a university in the modern sense. Discuss.
4.      Sufis and medieval mystic saints failed to modify either the religious ideas and practices or the outward structure of Hindu / Muslim societies to any appreciable extent. Comment.
5.      The third battle of Panipat was fought in 1761. Why were so many empire-shaking battles fought at Panipat?
6.      Examine critically the various facets of economic policies of the British in India from mid- eighteenth century till independence.
7.       In what ways did the naval mutiny prove to be the last nail in the coffin of British colonial aspirations in India?
2013
1. Though not very useful from the point of view of a connected political history of South India, the Sangam literature portrays the social and economic conditions of its time with remarkable vividness. Comment.
2.       (a)     Discuss the Tandava dance as recorded in the early Indian inscriptions.
(b)    Chola architecture represents a high watermark in the evolution of temple architecture. Discuss.
3.       Defying the barriers of age, gender and religion, the Indian women became the torch bearer during the struggle for freedom in India. Discuss.
4.       Several foreigners made India their homeland and participated in various movements. Analyze their role in the Indian struggle for freedom.
5.       In many ways, Lord Dalhousie was the founder of modern India. Elaborate.
6.       Critically discuss the objectives of Bhoodan and Gramdan movements initiated by Acharya Vinoba Bhave and their success.
7.       Write a critical note on the evolution and significance of the slogan “Jai Jawana Jai Kisan”.
8.       Discuss the contribution of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad to pre-and post-independent India.
9.       Analyze the circumstances that led to Tashkent Agreement in 1966. Discuss the highlights of the agreement.
10.     Critically  examine  the  compulsions  which  prompted  India  to  play  a  decisive  roles  in  the emergence of Bangladesh.

World History 

1. Explain how the foundations of the modern world were laid by the American and French Revolutions.
2. How is efficient and affordable urban mass transport key to the rapid economic development in India?
3. What problems are germane to the decolonization process in the Malay Peninsula?
4. The anti-colonial struggles in West Africa were led by the new elite of Western-educated Africans. Examine.
5. Why 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?
6. To what extent can Germany be held responsible for causing the two World Wars? Discuss critically.
7. What were the major political, economic and social developments in the world which motivated the anti-colonial struggle in India?
8. What were the events that led to the Suez Crisis in 1956? How did it deal a final blow to Britain’s self-image as a world power?
9. The New Economic Policy – 1921 of Lenin had influenced the policies adopted by India soon after independence. Evaluate.
10. “Latecomer”  Industrial  revolution  in  Japan  involved  certain  factors  that  were  markedly different from what west had experience.
11. Africa  was  chopped  into  states  artificially  created  by  accident  of  European  competition. Analyse.
12. American Revolution was an economic revolt against mercantilism. Substantiate.
13. What policy instruments were deployed to contain the great economic depression?

Indian Society

1. What makes the Indian society unique in sustaining its culture? Discuss.
2. “Empowering women is the key to control population growth.” Discuss.
3. What are the challenges to our cultural practices in the name of secularism?
4. Do we have cultural pockets of small India all over the nation? Elaborate with examples.
5. What are the continued challenges for women in India against time and space?
6. Are we losing our local identity for the global identity? Discuss.
7. “Caste system is assuming new identities and associational forms. Hence, the caste system cannot be eradicated in India.” Comment.
8. ‘Despite  the implementation of various programmes for the eradication  of poverty by the government in India, poverty is still existing’. Explain by giving reasons.
9. How the Indian concept of secularism different from the western model of secularism? Discuss.
10. ‘Women’s movement in India has not addresses the issues of women of lower social strata.’ Substantiate your view.
11. ‘Globalisation is generally said to promote cultural homogenisation but due to this cultural specificities appear to be strengthened in the Indian society.’ Elucidate.
12. ‘Communalism arises either due to power struggle or relative deprivation.’ Argue by giving suitable illustrations.
13. In the context of the diversity of India, can it be said that the regions form cultural units rather than the States? Give reasons with examples for your view point.
14. What  are  the  two  major  legal  initiatives  by  the  State  since  Independence  addressing discrimination against Scheduled Tribes (STs)?
15. The 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.
16. Distinguish between religiousness/religiosity and communalism giving one example of how the former has got transformed into the latter in independent India.
17. “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.
18. Has the formation of linguistic states strengthened the cause of Indian unity?
19. To what extent globalisation has influenced the core of cultural diversity in India? Explain.
20.  “An  essential  condition  to  eradicate  poverty  is  to  liberate  the  poor  from  the  process  of deprivation.” Substantiate this statement with suitable examples.
21. 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.
22. With a brief background of quality of urban life in India, introduce the objectives and strategy of the ‘Smart City Programme.”
23. What is the basis of regionalism? Is it that unequal distribution of benefits of development on regional basis eventually promotes regionalism? Substantiate your answer.
24. Describe any four cultural elements of diversity in India and rate their relative significance in building a national identity.
25. Critically examine whether growing population is the cause of poverty OR poverty is the main cause of population increase in India.
26. 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?
27.  Discuss the changes in the trends of labour migration within and outside India in the last four decades.
28. Discuss the positive and negative effects of globalization on women in India.
29. Debate the issue of whether and how contemporary movements for assertion of Dalit identity work towards annihilation of caste.
30. Smart  cities  in  India  cannot  sustain  without  smart  villages.  Discuss  this  statement  in  the backdrop of rural urban integration.
31. How does patriarchy impact the position of a middle class working woman in India?
32.  Why do some of the most prosperous regions of India have an adverse sex ratio for women? Give your arguments.
33. The life cycle of a joint family depends on economic factors rather than social values. Discuss.
34. Discuss the various economic and socio-cultural forces that are driving increasing feminization of agriculture in India.
35. How do the Indian debates on secularism differ from the debates in the West?
36.  Discussion  the  various  social  problems  which  originated  out  of  the  speedy  process  of urbanization in India.
37.  Male membership needs to be encouraged in order to make women’s organization free from gender bias. Comment.
38. Critically examine the effects of globalization on the aged population in India.
39. Growing  feeling  of  regionalism  is  an  important  factor  in  the  generation  of  demand  for  a separate state. Discuss.

World Geography

1.      Assess the impact of global warming on the coral life system with examples.
2. Discuss the causes of depletion of mangroves and explain their importance in maintaining coastal ecology.
3.  Can the strategy of regional resource-based manufacturing help in promoting employment in India?
4. Discuss the factors for localisation of agro-based food processing industries of North-West India.
5. What is water stress? How and why does it differ regionally in India?
6. How  can  the  mountain  ecosystem  be  restored  from  the  negative  impact  of  development initiatives and tourism?
7. How do ocean currents and water masses differ in their impacts on marine life and coastal environment? Give suitable examples.
8. Why is the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) needed? How does it help in navigation?
9. Why is India taking a keen interest in the Arctic region?
10.  Define mantle plume and explain its role in plate tectonics.
11. What are the consequences of spreading of ‘Dead Zones’ on marine ecosystem?
12.  “The ideal solution of depleting groundwater resources in India is water harvesting system.” How can it be made effective in urban areas?
13. Defining blue revolution, explain the problems and strategies for pisciculture development in India.
14. What  is  the  significance  of  Industrial  Corridors  in  India?  Identifying  industrial  corridors, explain their main characteristics.
15. Mention core strategies for the transformation of aspirational districts in India and explain the nature of convergence, collaboration and competition for its success.
16. How does the Juno Mission of NASA help to understand the origin and evolution of the Earth?
17.  “In spite of adverse environmental impact, coal mining is still inevitable for development”. Discuss.
18. Mention  the  advantages  of  the  cultivation  of  pulses  because  of  which  the  year  2016  was declared as the International Year of Pulses by United Nations.
19. How does the cryosphere affect global climate?
20.  Account for variations in oceanic salinity and discuss its multi-dimensional effects.
21. Petroleum refineries are not necessarily located nearer to crude oil producing areas, particularly in many of the developing countries. Explain its implications.
22. In what way can floods be converted into a sustainable source of irrigation and all-weather inland navigation in India?
23.  What characteristics can be assigned to monsoon climate that succeeds in feeding more than 50 percent of the world population residing in Monsoon Asia?
24. Discuss the concept of air mass and explain its role in macro-climatic changes.
25. “The  Himalayas  are  highly  prone  to  landslides.”Discuss  the  causes  and  suggest  suitable measures of mitigation.
26. The  effective  management  of  land  and  water  resources  will  drastically  reduce  the  human miseries. Explain.
27.  South China Sea has assumed great geopolitical significance in the present context. Comment.
28.  Major cities of India are becoming vulnerable to flood conditions. Discuss.