Mains Practice Questions

Essay Topic

1. Agriculture should mediate between nature and the human community.
2. What we need is a generation of peace.

End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is a secure line of communication that blocks third-party users from accessing transferred data. When the data is being transferred online, only the sender and recipient can decrypt it with a key. In that way, E2EE can help mitigate risk and protect sensitive information by blocking third parties from accessing user data when data is transferred from one source to another.  This can be seen as a concern in many cases where privacy is very important, such as persons living under repressive governments, whistle-blowing, mass surveillance, businesses whose reputation depends on its ability to protect third party data.

Facebook and WhatsApp along with other social networking sites are announcing the end to end encryption to protect the privacy of people. But the National Society for the Prevention to Cruelty to Children, the UK along with other organizations have expressed significant concerns over this. According to these organizations, E2EE will reduce child safety online as it will prevent the monitoring of content that is not safe for children and might lead to child grooming and the proliferation of pornographic materials. 

1. Identify the ethical issues involved in the case.
2. Suggest measures to resolve them. (250 words)

Q. What is Ethics? Explain its significance in society. (250 words)

Q. Like religion and art, morality also is an institution of life for anyone to adopt in his life. Explain. (250 words)

Q. Though there has been a significant focus on skill development in India, the employability of skilled manpower has remained a big challenge. Discuss. (250 words)

Q. India’s aspiration to become a $5 trillion economy depends critically on strengthening the invisible hand of markets together with the hand of trust that can support markets. What do you understand by the ‘invisible hand’? How can it be strengthened in Indian economy? (250 words)

Q. Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 strives to provide reproductive rights to women in India. Critically examine. (250 words)

Q. Indian Constitution balances procedural norms and flexibility in adapting to changing needs of society. Discuss. (250 words)

The States People’s movement contributed towards the integration of princely states into the Indian Union. Discuss. (250 words)

The distinct architectural style of temple construction in different parts of India was a result of geographical, ethnic, racial, historic and linguistic diversities. Comment. (250 words)

Essay Topics

1. “Science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.”
2. There is no tool more effective than the empowerment of women for the development of a country.

Q. You are Abhishek and you went to Jodhpur to attend the wedding of your friend Neeraj. The wedding went very well and all the rituals were properly followed. At the end of the wedding, the father of the bride offered Rs 10 Lakh to Neeraj to buy a car as a dowry. Since Neeraj and his family are very progressive, they are against the practice of dowry, they denied it. They also reminded the father that under the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, it is illegal to offer a dowry. But the father insisted that being a father, he has the right to give his money to his daughter and her husband.

1. Identify the ethical dilemmas involved in the case.
2. What suggestions will you give to your friend Neeraj in this scenario? 
3. Are legislative solutions effective to solve social issues?

Q. Examine the types of value conflicts that may be present in public service. (250 words)

Q. Examine the role of emotional intelligence for an administrator. Also enumerate, with examples, the key attributes that an emotionally intelligent administrator should imbibe. (250 words)

Q. Discuss whether the frequent viral outbreaks can be termed as man-made disasters. (250 words)

Q. What do you understand by precision irrigation? Discuss the advantages of precision irrigation in India. (250 words)

Q. Speakers are not apolitical entities and are embedded in party politics. Critically examine. (250 words)

Q. Explain the significance of the right to protest in a democracy. (250 words)

Q. What were the different types of art and crafts of Harappan civilization? Also, examine their significance. (250 words)

Q. Examine the significance of pillars in Mauryan architecture. (150 words)

Essay Topics

1. The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice.
2. Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world.

Q. Suppose you are an officer-in-charge of implementing a social service scheme to provide support to old and destitute women. An old and illiterate woman comes to you to avail the benefits of the scheme. However, she has no documents to show that she fulfils the eligibility criteria. But after meeting her and listening to her you feel that she certainly needs support. Your enquirers also show that she is really destitute and living in a pitiable condition. You are in a dilemma as to what to do. Putting her under the scheme without necessary documents would clearly be a violation of rules. But denying her the support would be cruel and inhuman.

1. Can you think of a rational way to resolve this dilemma?
2. Give your reasons for it. (250 words)

Q. What is international ethics? Explain its significance with the help of examples. (250 words)

Q. A technology should be evaluated both on the basis of its utility and the intention of its creator. Critically examine. (250 words)

Q. Genome India Project provides an opportunity for India to make great progress in the fields of biotechnology, agriculture and healthcare. Discuss. (250 words)

Q. Indigenous people are one of the most vulnerable sections facing climate change, however, they can act as change agents, towards mitigating and adapting to climate change. Discuss. (250 words)

Q. Growing criminalisation of polity is a threat to the basic structure of the constitution. Discuss. (250 words)

Q. Progress from Millennium Development to Sustainable Development entails a shift in the focus from universalizing access to education towards the delivery of quality education. Explain. (250 words)

Q. What do you understand by sex ratio? Examine the implications of a declining sex ratio and meta son preference? What are the reasons for such trends in India? (250 words)

Q. Examine the significance of prehistoric paintings found in India. Also, trace the changes that occurred in the painting styles during this period. (250 words)