Mains Practice Questions

Q. Examine the impact of India’s huge dependence on imports to meet its energy and oil needs. Also, suggest measures to attain self-sufficiency in this regard. (250 words)

Q. What do you understand by neo-colonialism? Do you agree that international institutions have promoted neocolonialism in the garb of promoting growth, stability and peace? (250 words)

Q. Despite being mineral-rich regions, the Eastern states of India have failed to register expected growth and social indices. Examine the reasons for this failure along with suitable remedial measures. (250 words)

Essay Topics

A. Hero worship of politicians breeds polarisation of the masses.

B. Globalization, far from putting an end to power diplomacy between States, has, on the contrary, intensified it.

You are the Superintendent of Police (SP) in the district where instances of honour killing are rampant. One day you receive a phone call from a girl informing you of the potential threat to her and her partners’ life from her family as she has decided to marry a boy belonging to a lower caste. Moreover, the local police station is not filing the FIR or granting them protection. You ask her to visit your office but she demands police protection to come out from the hideout as her father’s goons are chasing her.

On further inquiry, you come to know that the girl is the daughter of one of the most powerful Minister of the State and both girl and boy are legally eligible to get married. The family is concerned about the family prestige due to the lower caste of the boy and also of the financial stability of marriage as they both are unemployed. You are under extreme political pressure to charge the boy of kidnapping the girl or else face the consequences.

In such circumstances, point out the ethical dilemma faced by you and options available to you. Also, chalk out the course of action you would prefer to follow. (250 words)

Q. What do you understand by ethical governance and examine how is it different from good governance? (150 words)

Q. Examine the reasons and situations that lead to a conflict of interest for a public servant and ways to resolve them. (150 words)

Q. Unequal access to the Internet creates and reproduces socio-economic exclusions. Discuss. (250 words)

Q. Discuss the environmental and strategic importance of the Arctic region for India. (250 words)

Q. What were the key objectives of the Self Respect Movement? Critically evaluate the success of this movement. (250 words)

Q. What were the major consequences of the disintegration of the Soviet Union for countries like India? (250 words)

Essay Topics

A. True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence.

B. He who can listen to music in the midst of noise can achieve great things.

Q. You are District Magistrate of a flood-prone district. The flood control department has allocated forty crore rupees for building embankments in the low lying area of the river bed. There have been various complaints from locals over the delay in project completion, violations of rules and misuse of funds by the nexus of politicians and contractors.

During monsoon, the embankment construction couldn’t withstand a single season of flooding. This has led to the submergence of many villages in floodwater and thousands of people are trapped in the villages. The villages are completely cut off and there is a scarcity of food and drinking water. Due to water stagnation, there is also a risk of epidemic spread in the region.

There is huge discontent and protest over the allegation of corruption against the local politician. As he is a popular face of ruling political party in the state, there is severe pressure from political heads to cover the corruption issue. Defying the orders of political bosses will bring wrath towards you and may also lead to transfer.

1. As a District Magistrate what will be your course of action to manage the situation in the district. (200 words)
2. Identify the various dimensions of the crisis involved in the issue. Based on your understanding, suggest measures to deal with the crisis. (200 Words)

Q. Discuss the similarities and differences between the code of ethics and code of conduct. (250 words)

Q. The needs of development must be balanced with that of climate justice. In this context, explain the relevance of climate justice in the present times. (250 words)

Q. The MSME sector, apart from being the backbone of the Indian economy, plays a great role in ensuring socialist goals like income equality, employment generation, poverty eradication and balanced regional development. Substantiate. (250 words)

Q. Without investing in human capital, the goal of becoming a $5 trillion economy will remain a pipe dream for India. Discuss. (250 words)

Q. In countries like India, social security in its modern form has been a response to many issues arising out of the development process. Discuss. (250 words)

Q. India does not have a deficit of laws and rules, in fact we have too much of them. Critically examine. (250 words)

Q. Chinese pilgrims played a key role in the exchanges between ancient India and ancient China. Comment. (250 words)

Q. In India, language is not only a reflection of the diversity of the country but is also the carrier of the caste system, cultural oppressions and societal inequalities. Comment. (250 words)

Essay Topics

A. Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.

B. "Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life.” – Immanuel Kant

Q. You are a Municipal Corporation Commissioner of your city which is under heavy rainfall over the last few days. The boundary wall of one of the housing society collapses. The incident took place at midnight, leading to the death of 12 workers, including two children, sleeping in the shade beside the wall. 

On the preliminary inquiry, it has been found that inspite of inappropriate soil conditions, the permission to construct wall was given by previous Municipal Commissioner, who happens to be your close friend. Also, irregularities in construction material have been found and the other officials in the department are trying to influence or manipulate you. The whole scenario seems like a nexus between the officials of the municipal department and builder. However, the builder is a close relative of one of the most powerful leaders of the party in power and is trying to threaten you. 

(A) What are the ethical issues involved and the options available to you in such a situation? 

(B) Also, suggest a course of action you would like to follow.

Q. Some people feel that values keep changing with time and situation, while others strongly believe that there are certain universal and eternal human values. Discuss with examples. (250 words)

Q. Explain with examples, how emotional intelligence can be used by the civil servants for better governance. (250 words)

Q. It is the effective and timely implementation of well-designed primary healthcare policies which results in improved health outcomes. List the steps that can be taken by India to strengthen primary healthcare in the country. (250 words)

Q. Explain the significance of access to clean energy for developing countries like India. (250 words)

Q. Explain how e-governance can facilitate economic inclusiveness and bring social transformation in India. (250 words)

Q. Discuss the challenges and opportunities in India’s domestic civil aviation sector by highlighting the policy interventions like UDAN, Nabh Nirman etc. (250 words)

Q. A focus on improving the condition of women of India can immensely contribute to poverty alleviation. Discuss. (250 words)