Essay (Mains PYQs)
Explore Previous Year Questions (PYQs) on Essay for UPSC Mains from 2013–2024. Enhance your preparation with these questions.
Percentage Share of Each Topic (2013–2024)
| Sr. No. | Topic Name | Percentage Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 8% |
| 2 | Politics & History | 8% |
| 3 | Society | 16% |
| 4 | Economics | 8% |
| 5 | Science and Tech | 8% |
| 6 | Philosophical Essays | 51% |
Essay PYQs by Year
2024 Mains PYQs
Section-A
Philosophical Essays:
Q1. Forests precede civilizations and deserts follow them. [2024]
Q2. The empires of the futures will be the empires of the mind. [2024]
Q3. There is no path to happiness, Happiness is the path. [2024]
Q4. The doubter is a true man of science. [2024]
Section-B
Philosophical Essays:
Q1. Social media is triggering ‘Fear of Missing Out’ amongst the youth precipitating depression and loneliness. [2024]
Q2. Nearly all men can stand adversity, but to test the character, give him power. [2024]
Q3. All ideas having large consequences are always simple. [2024]
Q4. The cost of being wrong is less than the cost of doing nothing. [2024]
2023 Mains PYQs
Section-A
Philosophical Essays:
Q1. Thinking is like a game; it does not begin unless there is an opposite team. [2023]
Q2. Visionary decision-making happens at the intersection of intuition and logic. [2023]
Q3. Not all who wander are lost. [2023]
Q4. Inspiration for creativity springs from the effort to look for the magical in the mundane. [2023]
Section-B
Society:
Q1. Girls are weighed down by restrictions, boys with demands- two equally harmful disciplines. [2023]
Science and Tech:
Q2. Mathematics is the music of reasons. [2023]
Society:
Q3. A society that has more justice is a society that needs less charity. [2023]
Q4. Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school. [2023]
2022 Mains PYQs
Section-A
Economics:
Q1. Forests are the best case studies for economic excellence. [2022]
Society:
Q2. Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world. [2022]
Politics & History:
Q3. History is a series of victories won by the scientific man over the romantic man. [2022]
Philosophical Essays:
Q4. A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ship is for. [2022]
Section-B
Philosophical Essays:
Q1. The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining? [2022]
Q2. You cannot step twice in the same river. [2022]
Q3. A smile is the chosen vehicle for all ambiguities. [2022]
Q4. Just because you have a choice, it does not mean that any of them has to be right. [2022]
2021 Mains PYQs
Section-A
Philosophical Essays:
Q1. The process of self-discovery has now been technologically outsourced. [2021]
Q2. Your perception of me is a reflection of you; my reaction to you is an awareness of me. [2021]
Q3. Philosophy of wantlessness is Utopian, while materialism is a chimera. [2021]
Q4. The real is rational and the rational is real. [2021]
Section-B
Society:
Q1. Hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. [2021]
Science and Tech:
Q2. What is research, but a blind date with knowledge! [2021]
Politics & History:
Q3. History repeats itself, first as a tragedy, second as a farce. [2021]
Philosophical Essays:
Q4. There are better practices to “best practices”. [2021]
2020 Mains PYQs
Section-A
Philosophical Essays:
Q1. Life is long journey between human being and being humane. [2020]
Q2. Mindful manifesto is the catalyst to a tranquil self. [2020]
Q3. Ships do not sink because of water around them, ships sink because of water that gets into them. [2020]
Q4. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. [2020]
Section-B
Society:
Q1. Culture is what we are, civilization is what we have. [2020]
Q2. There can be no social justice without economic prosperity but economic prosperity without social justice is meaningless. [2020]
Q3. Patriarchy is the least noticed yet the most significant structure of social inequality. [2020]
Politics & History:
Q4. Technology as the silent factor in international relations. [2020]
2019 Mains PYQs
Section-A
Philosophical Essays:
Q1. Wisdom finds truth. [2019]
Q2. Values are not what humanity is, but what humanity ought to be. [2019]
Q3. Best for an individual is not necessarily best for the society. [2019]
Q4. Courage to accept and dedication to improve are two keys to success. [2019]
Section-B
Society:
Q1. South Asian societies are woven not around the state, but around their plural cultures and plural identities. [2019]
India:
Q2. Neglect of primary health care and education in India are reasons for its backwardness. [2019]
Politics & History:
Q3. Biased media is a real threat to Indian democracy. [2019]
Science and Tech:
Q4. Rise of Artificial Intelligence: the threat of jobless future or better job opportunities through reskilling and upskilling. [2019]
2018 Mains PYQs
Section-A
Science and Tech:
Q1. Alternative technologies for a climate change resilient India. [2018]
Philosophical Essays:
Q2. A good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge. [2018]
Society:
Q3. Poverty anywhere is a threat to prosperity everywhere. [2018]
India:
Q4. Management of Indian border disputes – a complex task. [2018]
Section-B
Philosophical Essays:
Q1. Customary morality cannot be a guide to modern life. [2018]
Q2. ‘The past’ is a permanent dimension of human consciousness and values. [2018]
Q3. A people that values its privileges above its principles loses both. [2018]
Q4. Reality does not conform to the ideal, but confirms it. [2018]
2017 Mains PYQs
Section-A
India:
Q1. Farming has lost the ability to be a source of subsistence for majority of farmers in India. [2017]
Politics & History:
Q2. Impact of the new economic measures on fiscal ties between the union and states in India. [2017]
Society:
Q3. Destiny of a nation is shaped in its classrooms. [2017]
Politics & History:
Q4. Has the Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) lost its relevance in a multipolar world? [2017]
Section-B
Philosophical Essays:
Q1. Joy is the simplest form of gratitude. [2017]
Society:
Q2. Fulfilment of ‘new woman’ in India is a myth. [2017]
Philosophical Essays:
Q3. We may brave human laws but cannot resist natural laws. [2017]
Society:
Q4. ‘Social media’ is inherently a selfish medium. [2017]
2016 Mains PYQs
Section-A
Society:
Q1. If development is not engendered, it is endangered. [2016]
Economics:
Q2. Need brings greed, if greed increases it spoils breed. [2016]
India:
Q3. Water disputes between States in federal India. [2016]
Economics:
Q4. Innovation is the key determinant of economic growth and social welfare. [2016]
Section-B
Politics & History:
Q1. Cooperative federalism: Myth or reality. [2016]
Science and Tech:
Q2. Cyberspace and Internet: Blessing or curse to the human civilization in the long run. [2016]
Economics:
Q3. Near jobless growth in India: An anomaly or an outcome of economic reforms. [2016]
Q4. Digital economy: A leveller or a source of economic inequality. [2016]
2015 Mains PYQs
Section-A
Society:
Q1. Lending hands to someone is better than giving a dole. [2015]
Philosophical Essays:
Q2. Quick but steady wins the race. [2015]
Q3. Character of an institution is reflected in its leader. [2015]
Society:
Q4. Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make a man more clever devil. [2015]
Section-B
Science and Tech:
Q1. Technology cannot replace manpower. [2015]
Economics:
Q2. Crisis faced in India— moral or economic. [2015]
India:
Q3. Dreams which should not let India sleep. [2015]
Economics:
Q4. Can capitalism bring inclusive growth? [2015]
2014 Mains PYQs
Section-A
Philosophical Essays:
Q1. With greater power comes greater responsibility. [2014]
Society:
Q2. Is the growing level of competition good for the youth? [2014]
Science and Tech:
Q3. Are the standardized tests good measure of academic ability or progress? [2014]
Philosophical Essays:
Q4. Words are sharper than the two-edged sword. [2014]
Section-B
India:
Q1. Was it the policy paralysis or the paralysis of implementation which slowed the growth of our country? [2014]
Politics & History:
Q2. Is sting operation an invasion on privacy? [2014]
India:
Q3. Fifty Golds in Olympics: Can this be a reality for India? [2014]
Society:
Q4. Tourism: Can this be the next big thing for India? [2014]
2013 Mains PYQs
Section-A
Philosophical Essays:
Q1. Be the change you want to see in others — Gandhiji. [2013]
India:
Q2. Is the Colonial mentality hindering India's success? [2013]
Economics:
Q3. GDP (Gross Domestic Product) along with GDH (Gross Domestic Happiness) would be the right indices for judging the well-being of a country. [2013]
Science and Tech:
Q4. Science and Technology is the panacea for the growth and security of the nation. [2013]
Section-B
UPSC did not ask questions in Section-B for Essay in 2013.
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Why Essay becomes the game changer in mains marksheet and getting a final rank?
Why Study Essay PYQs for UPSC Mains? The Essay paper in UPSC Mains is a critical component that tests your ability to articulate thoughts on diverse topics like Philosophical Essays (51% weightage), Society (16%), and more. Practicing PYQs from 2013 to 2024 helps you understand the evolving trends, such as the dominance of philosophical themes, and prepares you for unexpected topics.
How to Use These PYQs? Analyze the questions by topic, focus on structuring your essays with a balanced introduction, body, and conclusion, and practice writing on similar themes. Download the PDF for offline access and integrate these questions into your daily preparation routine.
Additional Resources: For more UPSC Mains resources, visit UPSC Pathfinder. You can also explore mock tests and detailed notes to complement your Essay preparation.
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