1. Instructions
2. Section-A: 125 Marks
3. Section-B: 125 Marks
4. Previous Papers vs. 2015
5. Essay-list: Topic wise last 23 years (1993-2015)
   1. Economy, Development
   2. Education
   3. Indian Democracy, society, culture, mindset
   4. International issues
   5. Quote based, Philosophy, Ethics
   6. Polity, administration
   7. Science-Technology
   8. Women empowerment
6. Essaylist: Yearwise Last 23 years (1993-2015)

Instructions

• On 18^th December 2015, UPSC conducted the Essay paper for the civil services mains examination.
• The essay must be written in the medium authorized in the admission certificate which must be stated clearly on the cover of this question-cum-answer (QCA) booklet in the space provided. No marks will be given for answers written in medium other than authorized one.
• Word limit, as specified, should be adhered to.
• Any page or portion of the page left blank, must be struck off clearly.

Section-A: 125 Marks

Write any one of the following essay in 1000-1200 words.

1. Lending hands to someone is better than giving a dole.
2. Quick but steady wins the race.
3. Character of an institution is reflected in its leader.
4. Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make a man more clever devil.

Section-B: 125 Marks

Write any one of the following essay in 1000-1200 words.

1. Technology cannot replace manpower.
2. Crisis faced in India – moral or economic.
3. Dreams which should not let India sleep.
4. Can capitalism bring inclusive growth?

Previous Papers vs. 2015

Earlier Papers	2015
2014- new trend started: Total 8 essay topics divided equally in two sections and you’ve to write one essay from each section	System continued
2014: section “A” two essays on education	Three essays on ethics/philosophy, and one on education.
2014: section “B” two essays on economy (1) Policy paralysis (2) tourism- next big thing for India	Trend continued. Although some of the topics can be classified in two or more ways e.g. Indian crisis- moral or economy = both an essay on ethics as well as on economy.
2014: 6 out of 8 topics ended with “question-mark”, requiring the student to take a stand.	Two topics required the student to take a stand Crisis faced in India: Moral *OR* Economic? Can capitalism bring inclusive growth (*YES or NO*)?
2014: Leadership / power related Essay: With greater power comes greater responsibility.	Trend continues: Character of an institution is reflected in its leader.
2001: The march of science and the erosion of human values.	Technology cannot replace manpower.
2002: Modern technological education and human values.	Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make a man more clever devil
1993: My vision of India in 2001	Dreams which should not let India sleep. -2015 Perhaps based on the quote by late President Dr. APJ  Kalam who died on 2015, July: “Dream is not that which you see while sleeping it is something that does not let you sleep.”
Since last two years no essay on women (2013,2014)	Trend continues for the third year in succession (2015), no essay on women.

Essay-list: Topic wise last 23 years (1993-2015)

Economy, Development

1. Crisis faced in India – moral or economic. -2015
2. Can capitalism bring inclusive growth? -2015
3. Was it the policy paralysis or the paralysis of implementation which slowed the growth of our country? -2014
4. Tourism: Can this be the next big thing for India? -2014
5. GDP (Gross Domestic Product) along with GDH (Gross Domestic Happiness) would be the right indices for judging the wellbeing of a country-2013
6. Is the criticism that the ‘Public-Private-Partnership’ (PPP) model for development is more of a bane than a boon in the Indian context, justified ?-2012
7. Protection of ecology and environment is essential for sustained economic development. -2006
8. BPO boom in India.   -2007
9. Globalization would finish small-scale industries in India. -2006
10. Economic growth without distributive justice is bound to breed violence. -1993
11. Ecological considerations need not hamper development. -1993
12. Multinational corporations – saviours or saboteurs -1994
13. Special economic zone: boon or bane -2008
14. Resource management in the Indian context. -1999
15. Should a moratorium be imposed on all fresh mining in tribal areas of the country? -2010
16. Are our traditional handicrafts doomed to a slow death? -2009
17. The focus of health care is increasingly getting skewed towards the ‘haves’ of our society. -2009
18. Urbanization is a blessing in disguise. -1997

Education

1. Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make a man more clever devil-2015
2. Is the growing level of competition good for the youth? -2014
3. Are the standardized tests good measure of academic ability or progress? -2014
4. Modern technological education and human values. -2002
5. Credit – based higher education system – status , opportunities and challenges -2011
6. “Education for all” campaign in India: myth or reality. -2006
7. Privatization of higher education in India. -2002
8. Irrelevance of the classroom. -2001
9. Value-based science and education. -1999
10. Is an egalitarian society possible by educating the masses ? -2008
11. Independent thinking should be encouraged right form the childhood. -2007
12. Restructuring of Indian education system. -1995
13. Literacy is growing very fast, but there is no corresponding growth in education. -1996
14. What is real education? -2005

Indian Democracy, society, culture, mindset

1. Dreams which should not let India sleep. -2015
2. Is sting operation an invasion on privacy? -2014
3. Fifty Golds in Olympics: Can this be a reality for India? -2014
4. Is the Colonial mentality hindering India’s Success? -2013
5. In the context of Gandhiji’s views on the matter, explore, on an evolutionary scale, the terms ‘Swadhinata’, ‘Swaraj’ and ‘Dharmarajya’. Critically comment on their contemporary relevance to Indian democracy -2012
6. Does Indian cinema shape our popular culture or merely reflect it? -2011
7. Indian culture today: a myth or a reality? -2000
8. Modernism and our traditional socio-ethical values. -2000
9. Youth culture today. -1999
10. Mass media and cultural invasion. -1999
11. The composite culture of India. -1998
12. The Indian society at the crossroads. -1994
13. Geography may remain the same ; history need not. -2010
14. From traditional Indian philanthropy to the gates-buffet model-a natural progression or a paradigm shift? -2010
15. Modernisation and westernisation are not identical concepts. -1994
16. New cults and godmen: a threat to traditional religion -1996
17. How has satellite television brought about cultural change in Indian mindsets? -2007
18. ‘ globalization’ vs. ‘ nationalism’ -2009
19. National identity and patriotism -2008
20. Responsibility of media in a democracy. -2002
21. Why should we be proud of being Indians? -2000
22. True religion cannot be misused. -1997
23. Globalizations and its impact on Indian culture. -2004

International issues

1. India’s role in promoting ASEAN co-operation. -2004
2. The masks of new imperialism. -2003
3. As civilization advances culture declines. -2003
4. The implications of globalization for India. -2000
5. My vision of an ideal world order. -2001
6. India’s contribution to world wisdom. -1998
7. The world of the twenty-first century. -1998
8. Preparedness of our society for India’s global leadership role. -2010
9. The global order: political and economic -1993
10. Importance of Indo-US nuclear agreement -2006
11. Good fences make good neighbours -2009
12. Terrorism and world peace -2005
13. Restructuring of UNO reflect present realities -1996

Quote based, Philosophy, Ethics

1. Lending hands to someone is better than giving a dole. -2015
2. Quick but steady wins the race. -2015
3. Character of an institution is reflected in its leader. -2015
4. With greater power comes greater responsibility. -2014
5. Words are sharper than the two-edged sword. -2014
6. Be the change you want to see in others (Gandhi)-2013
7. Discipline means success, anarchy means ruin -2008
8. Attitude makes, habit makes character and character makes a man.  -2007
9. There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so. -2003
10. Search for truth can only be a spiritual problem. -2002
11. Disinterested intellectual curiosity is the lifeblood of civilisation. -1995
12. Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deeds. -1995
13. Youth is a blunder, manhood a struggle, old age a regret -1994
14. Useless life is an early death. -1994
15. He would reigns within himself and folds his passions and desires and fears is more than a king. -1993
16. Compassion is the basic of all morality would -1993
17. If youth knew, if age could. -2002
18. The paths of glory lead but to the grave. -2002
19. The pursuit of excellence. -2001
20. Truth is lived, not taught -1996

Polity, administration

1. Creation of smaller states and the consequent administrative , economic and developmental implication -2011
2. Evaluation of panchayati raj system in India from the point of view of eradication of power to people.  -2007
3. Justice must reach the poor -2005
4. Water resources should be under the control of the central government. -2004
5. The misinterpretation and misuse of freedom in India. -1998
6. The language problem in India: its past, present and prospects. -1998
7. Reservation, politics and empowerment. -1999
8. When money speaks, the truth is silent. -1995
9. How should a civil servant conduct himself? -2003
10. Politics without ethics is a disaster. -1995
11. Judicial activism. -1997
12. The vip cult is a bane of Indian democracy -1996
13. Need for transparency in public administration -1996
14. Whither Indian democracy? -1995
15. Politics, bureaucracy and business – fatal triangle. -1994
16. How far has democracy in India delivered the goods? -2003
17. What we have not learnt during fifty years of independence. -1997
18. My vision of India in 2001 a.d. -1993
19. In the Indian context , both human intelligence and technical intelligence are crucial in combating terrorism -2011
20. Is autonomy the best answer to combat balkanization? -2007
21. The country’s need for a better disaster management system. -2000
22. Are we a ‘soft ’ state ? -2009
23. Role of media in good governance -2008
24. Judicial activism and Indian democracy. -2004
25. What have we gained from our democratic set-up? -2001
26. Urbanisation and its hazards -2008
27. Food security for sustainable national development -2005

Science-Technology

1. Technology cannot replace manpower. -2015
2. Science and technology is the panacea for the growth and security of the nation-2013
3. Science and Mysticism : Are they compatible ?-2012
4. Computer: the harbinger of silent revolution. -1993
5. The march of science and the erosion of human values. -2001
6. The modern doctor and his patients. -1997
7. Increasing computerization would lead to the creation of a dehumanized society. -2006
8. The cyberworld: its charms and challenges. -2000
9. The lure of space. -2004
10. Spirituality and scientific temper. -2003

Women empowerment

1. Managing work and home – is the Indian working woman getting a fair deal ?-2012
2. Men have failed: let women take over. -1993
3. Women’s reservation bill would usher in empowerment for women in India. -2006
4. The hand that rocks the cradle -2005
5. If women ruled the world -2005
6. Whither women’s emancipation? -2004
7. Empowerment alone cannot help our women. -2001
8. Women empowerment: challenges and prospects. -1999
9. Woman is god’s best creation. -1998
10. Greater political power alone will not improve women’s plight. -1997
11. The new emerging women power: the ground realities. -1995

Essaylist: Yearwise Last 23 years (1993-2015)

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