Mains Practice Questions

Q. “It was like a hungry man, expecting bread, being offered stones”. Examine the given statement in light of the Rowlatt Act imposed by the British government in 1919, along with its impact. (250 words)

Essay Topics

a. Writing laws is easy, but governing is difficult.
b. Mobocracy is autocracy multiplied a million times.

Q. You are an auditor with a government department. Your son is starting a business and for that, he needs a large amount of loan from a bank you are auditing. But he couldn’t secure a loan from the bank because of his bad CIBIL score. Moreover, you cannot take the loan as the amount far exceeds your salary range. When you scrutinize the accounts of the bank, you find that its balance sheet has hidden stressed assets. However, one Assistant General Manager of the bank offers you help in return of favour that you do not reveal the balance sheet of the bank.

1. What are the values in conflict in the above situation?
2. What are the various options before you? Also, provide justification for each of the option. (250 Words)

Q. Law and Ethics are considered to be the two tools for controlling human conduct so as to make it conducive to civilized social existence.

1. Discuss how they achieve this objective.
2. Giving examples, show how the two differ in their approaches. (250 words)

Q. What does the following quotation mean to you in the present context?

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all”. – Aristotle (150 words)

Q. What do you understand by agrobiodiversity? Examine its significance in light of climate change, sustainable agriculture and poverty. (250 words)

Q. Explain the significance of climate diplomacy for India. (250 words)

Q. State the criteria followed for the determination of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). What are the issues faced by them? Also mention the measures taken by the government to address these issues. (150 words)

Q. What are the various issues around ordinance making power of President and Governors? Also discuss the safeguards which are in place to prevent misuse of ordinance making power. (150 words)

Q. The linguistic reorganization of states resulted in rationalizing the political map of India without seriously weakening its unity. Examine. (250 words)

Q. The western policy of appeasement of the fascist powers caused the Second World War. Examine. (250 words)

Essay Topics

1. Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime.
2. A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.

Q. Amrita, a young IAS officer, has joined a government department. After working for a while in this department, she realizes that the position of women staff is subservient to male staff. The male staff does not want to take orders from senior women officers. Moreover, women are not taken on serious departmental projects and are discouraged from participating in such projects. Amrita through informal channels comes to know that even the Head of the Department is of the same mindset and believes that women should not be sent to this department. Discuss the course of action Amrita should take so that the work culture becomes conducive for women.

Q. Increase of probity in governance does not always result in a decrease in corruption. Do you agree? Substantiate your argument with examples. (150 Words)

Q. In case of conflict between human values and other fundamental values, the former should triumph. Do you agree? Justify your argument with an appropriate example. (150 Words)

Q. ‘Every matter of public interest cannot be a matter of public interest litigation’. Comment. (250 words)

Q. Despite having numerous advantages, the potential of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism remains underutilized in India. Analyze. (250 words)

Q. What were the prominent changes made in the administration of India after the Revolt of 1857, especially in the fields of the provincial administration, local bodies and public services? (150 words)

Q. Globalisation has changed the role of State. Critically evaluate its impact in the context of developing countries. (250 words)

Essay Topics

1. He who can listen to music in the midst of noise can achieve great things.
2. A rich, robust, well-resourced public education is one of the best routes out of poverty and a pathway to prosperity.

Q. Several villages in Jharkhand have resorted to Pathalgarhi – a tribal tradition of erecting stone slabs to demarcate the area of their villages’ jurisdiction, declaring their autonomy and self-rule in the areas under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution. In these localities, no outsider including the government servants is allowed. From various sources, it has come to be known that tribals are not happy with the state and central government as they feel ignored, marginalized and have been experiencing the plunder of their resources on which traditionally they enjoyed control. They hold new laws and developmental activities responsible for their plight.

Suppose you are a DM in one such affected district where this movement is going on, what strategies will you adopt to tackle the issues on short term as well as long term basis. Give justification for your strategies. (250 Words)

Q. Analyze with an example, the role of discretion in decision making. (150 Words)

Q. Do you agree that sometimes rules and laws become the basis for moral corruption in society? (150 Words)

Q. What do you mean by shadow banking system? What are the challenges faced by India’s shadow banking system at present? (150 words)

Q. Shifting of priority from land productivity to irrigation water productivity has its own set of challenges which need to be addressed in time. Discuss. (150 words)

Q. Describe the procedure of amendment of the Constitution of India under Article 368. Why this amendment procedure has been often criticized? (150 words)

Q. The rhetoric over severe punishments should not deflect our attention from the problems related to implementation of POCSO Act so far. Discuss in the context of POCSO (Amendment) Bill 2019. (150 words)

Q. Chola bronze sculptures are considered as the most elegant. Substantiate. (150 words)

Q. The issue of multiple time-zones for a country like India keeps resurfacing. In this context, examine the feasibility of multiple time zones in India. (150 words)

Essay Topics

1. Shared interests more than shared values are increasingly what drive international relations today.
2. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.