CivilsIASPrep.comUPSC PYQs: Essay
Review complete published questions grouped by paper: Essay.
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- Prelims CSAT1201 published questions
- Prelims GS11525 published questions
Questions
- Oxymorons reflect the ironies of life.2026 · Essay · Philosophy · Paradox and Human Experience
- A grateful mind is very beautiful.2026 · Essay · Ethics · Gratitude and Character
- A thorn is a changed bud.2026 · Essay · Philosophy · Adversity and Transformation
- When two elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled.2026 · Essay · International Relations · Power, Conflict and the Vulnerable
- Nature is the symbol of the spirit.2026 · Essay · Philosophy · Nature, Meaning and the Human Spirit
- A well-educated mind will always have more questions than answers.2026 · Essay · Education · Inquiry, Knowledge and Intellectual Humility
- Shelving hard decisions is the least ethical course.2026 · Essay · Ethics · Decision-making and Moral Responsibility
- A good leader is one who follows the followers.2026 · Essay · Governance · Leadership, Listening and Democratic Legitimacy
- Truth knows no color.2025 · Essay · Philosophy · Truth
- The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.2025 · Essay · International Relations · War and Diplomacy
- Thought finds a world and creates one also.2025 · Essay · Philosophy · Thought and Reality
- Best lessons are learnt through bitter experiences.2025 · Essay · Life and Learning · Experience
- Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.2025 · Essay · Philosophy · Patience and Clarity
- The years teach much which the days never know.2025 · Essay · Life and Time · Wisdom
- It is best to see life as a journey, not as a destination.2025 · Essay · Life and Purpose · Journey
- Contentment is natural wealth; luxury is artificial poverty.2025 · Essay · Society · Contentment and Consumerism
- Forests precede civilizations and deserts follow them.2024 · Essay · Society · Environment and Civilization
- The empires of the future will be the empires of the mind.2024 · Essay · Ethics · Mind and Future Power
- There is no path to happiness; happiness is the path.2024 · Essay · Ethics · Happiness
- The doubter is a true man of science.2024 · Essay · Science & Technology · Scientific Temper
- Social media is triggering fear of missing out among youth, causing depression and loneliness.2024 · Essay · Science & Technology · Social Media and Youth
- Nearly all men can stand adversity, but to test character, give him power.2024 · Essay · Ethics · Power and Character
- All ideas having large consequences are always simple.2024 · Essay · Philosophy · Ideas and Consequences
- The cost of being wrong is less than the cost of doing nothing.2024 · Essay · Ethics · Action and Inaction
- Thinking is like a game; it does not begin unless there is an opposite team.2023 · Essay · Essay · Thinking and Opposition
- Visionary decision-making happens at the intersection of intuition and logic.2023 · Essay · Philosophy · Decision Making
- Not all who wander are lost.2023 · Essay · Essay · Exploration and Purpose
- Inspiration for creativity springs from the effort to look for the magical in the mundane.2023 · Essay · Essay · Creativity
- Girls are weighed down by restrictions and boys by demands; both are harmful disciplines.2023 · Essay · Society · Gender Socialisation
- Mathematics is the music of reason.2023 · Essay · Science & Technology · Mathematics and Reason
- A society with more justice needs less charity.2023 · Essay · Ethics · Justice and Charity
- Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one learned in school.2023 · Essay · Science & Technology · Education and Learning
- Forests are the best case studies for economic excellence.2022 · Essay · Environment · Forests and Economic Excellence
- Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.2022 · Essay · Essay · Poetry and Society
- History is a series of victories won by the scientific man over the romantic man.2022 · Essay · Science & Technology · Science and History
- A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ship is for.2022 · Essay · Philosophy · Risk and Purpose
- The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.2022 · Essay · Philosophy · Preparedness
- You cannot step twice in the same river.2022 · Essay · Philosophy · Change and Continuity
- A smile is the chosen vehicle for all ambiguities.2022 · Essay · Ethics · Human Communication
- Just because you have a choice, it does not mean that any of them has to be right.2022 · Essay · Ethics · Choice and Ethics
- The process of self-discovery has now been technologically outsourced.2021 · Essay · Science & Technology · Self Discovery and Technology
- Your perception of me is a reflection of you; my reaction to you is an awareness of me.2021 · Essay · Ethics · Perception and Self Awareness
- Philosophy of wantlessness is Utopian, while materialism is a chimera.2021 · Essay · Ethics · Wantlessness and Materialism
- The real is rational and the rational is real.2021 · Essay · Ethics · Philosophy and Reality
- Hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.2021 · Essay · Ethics · Women and Social Change
- What is research, but a blind date with knowledge!2021 · Essay · Science & Technology · Research and Knowledge
- History repeats itself, first as a tragedy, second as a farce.2021 · Essay · Philosophy · History and Human Behaviour
- There are better practices to “best practices”.2021 · Essay · Ethics · Innovation and Governance
- Life is long journey between human being and being humane2020 · Essay · Ethics · Life Is Long Journey
- Mindful manifesto is the catalyst to a tranquil self2020 · Essay · Ethics · Mindful Manifesto Is The
- Ships do not sink because of water around them, ships sink because of water that gets into them2020 · Essay · Essay · Ships Do Not Sink
- Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication2020 · Essay · Ethics · Simplicity Is The Ultimate
- Culture is what we are, civilization is what we have2020 · Essay · Society · Culture Is What We
- There can be no social justice without economic prosperity but economic prosperity without social justice is meaningless2020 · Essay · Society · Social Justice & Economic Prosperity
- Patriarchy is the least noticed yet the most significant structure of social inequality2020 · Essay · Society · Patriarchy Is The Least
- Technology as the silent factor in international relations2020 · Essay · Science & Technology · Technology As The Silent
- Wisdom finds truth2019 · Essay · Ethics · Wisdom Finds Truth
- Values are not what humanity is, but what humanity ought to be2019 · Essay · Ethics · Values Are Not What
- Best for an Individual is not necessarily best for society2019 · Essay · Society · Best For An Individual
- Courage to accept and dedication to improve are two keys to success2019 · Essay · Ethics · Courage To Accept And
- South Asian societies are woven not around the state but around their plural cultures and identities.2019 · Essay · Society · South Asian Societies Are
- Neglect of primary health care and education in India are reasons for its backwardness2019 · Essay · Society · Education and Ethics
- Biased media is a real threat to Indian democracy2019 · Essay · Governance · Biased Media Is A
- Rise of Artificial Intelligence: the threat of a jobless future or better job opportunities through reskilling and upskilling.2019 · Essay · Science & Technology · Right to Information
- Alternative technologies for a climate change resilient India.2018 · Essay · Environment · Climate Resilient Technology
- A good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge.2018 · Essay · Education · Good Life
- Poverty anywhere is a threat to prosperity everywhere.2018 · Essay · Economy · Poverty and Prosperity
- Management of Indian border disputes: a complex task.2018 · Essay · Environment · Border Disputes
- Customary morality cannot be a guide to modern life.2018 · Essay · Society · Customary Morality
- The past is a permanent dimension of human consciousness and values.2018 · Essay · Ethics · History and Values
- A people that values its privileges above its principles loses both.2018 · Essay · Society · Privileges and Principles
- Reality does not conform to the ideal, but confirms it.2018 · Essay · Ethics · Reality and Ideal
- Farming has lost the ability to be a source of subsistence for majority of farmers in India.2017 · Essay · Environment · Agrarian Distress
- Impact of the new economic measures on fiscal ties between the Union and States in India.2017 · Essay · Economy · Fiscal Federalism
- Destiny of a nation is shaped in its classrooms.2017 · Essay · Education · Education and Nation Building
- Has the Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) lost its relevance in a multipolar world?2017 · Essay · International Relations · Non Alignment Movement
- Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.2017 · Essay · Ethics · Gratitude
- Fulfillment of “new woman” in India is a myth.2017 · Essay · Society · Gender Equality
- We may brave human laws but cannot resist natural laws.2017 · Essay · Environment · Natural Laws
- Social media is inherently a selfish medium.2017 · Essay · Society · Social Media
- If development is not engendered, it is endangered.2016 · Essay · Society · Gender and Development
- Need brings greed, if greed increases it spoils breed.2016 · Essay · Ethics · Need and Greed
- Water disputes between states in federal India.2016 · Essay · Polity · Water Disputes
- Innovation is the key determinant of economic growth and social welfare.2016 · Essay · Economy · Innovation and Growth
- Cooperative federalism: Myth or reality.2016 · Essay · Polity · Cooperative Federalism
- Cyberspace and internet: Blessing or curse to the human civilization in the long run.2016 · Essay · Science & Technology · Cyberspace and Internet
- Near jobless growth in India: An anomaly or an outcome of economic reforms.2016 · Essay · Economy · Jobless Growth
- Digital economy: A leveller or a source of economic inequality.2016 · Essay · Economy · Digital Economy
- Lending hands to someone is better than giving a dole.2015 · Essay · Ethics · Service and Charity
- Quick but steady wins the race.2015 · Essay · Ethics · Consistency and Action
- Character of an institution is reflected in its leader.2015 · Essay · Governance · Leadership and Institutions
- Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make a man more clever devil.2015 · Essay · Education · Values in Education
- Technology cannot replace manpower.2015 · Essay · Science & Technology · Technology and Labour
- Crisis faced in India — moral or economic.2015 · Essay · Ethics · Crisis in India
- Dreams which should not let India sleep.2015 · Essay · Governance · Nation Building
- Can capitalism bring inclusive growth?2015 · Essay · Economy · Capitalism and Inclusion
- With greater power comes greater responsibility.2014 · Essay · Governance · Power and Responsibility
- Is the growing level of competition good for the youth?2014 · Essay · Society · Competition and Youth
- Are the standardized tests good measure of academic ability or progress?2014 · Essay · Education · Standardized Testing
- Words are sharper than the two-edged sword.2014 · Essay · Ethics · Words and Violence
- Was it the policy paralysis or the paralysis of implementation which slowed the growth of our country?2014 · Essay · Governance · Policy Paralysis
- Is sting operation an invasion on privacy?2014 · Essay · Ethics · Sting Operation and Privacy
- Fifty Golds in Olympics: Can this be a reality for India?2014 · Essay · Sports · Olympics
- Tourism: Can this be the next big thing for India?2014 · Essay · Economy · Tourism
- Be The Change You Want To See In Others – Gandhiji2013 · Essay · Ethics · Personal Change
- Is The Colonial Mentality Hindering India’s Success?2013 · Essay · History · Colonial Mentality
- GDP (Gross Domestic Product) Along with GDH (Gross Domestic Happiness) Would Be The Right Indices For Judging The Well-being Of A Country2013 · Essay · Governance · Well-being Indices
- Science and Technology Is The Panacea For The Growth and Security Of The Nation.2013 · Essay · Science & Technology · Growth and Security