UPSC Mains 2018 — All Papers & Questions

Safeguarding the Indian art heritage is the need of the moment. Discuss.

Assess the importance of the accounts of the Chinese and Arab travellers in the reconstruction of the history of India.

Throw light on the significance of the thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi in the present times.

Why is Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) needed? How does it help in navigation?

Why is India taking keen interest in resources of Arctic Region?

In the light of recent controversy regarding the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), what are the challenges before the Election Commission of India to ensure the trustworthiness of elections in India?

Whether National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) can enforce the implementation of constitutional reservation for the Scheduled Castes in the religious minority institutions? Examine.

Under what circumstances can the Financial Emergency be proclaimed by the President of India? What consequences follow when such a declaration remains in force?

Why do you think the committees are considered to be useful for parliamentary work? Discuss, in this context, the role of the Estimates Committee.

"The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has a very vital role to play." Explain how this is reflected in the method and terms of his appointment as well as the range of powers he can exercise.

“Access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy is the sine qua non to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).” Comment on the progress made in India in this regard.

Comment on the important changes introduced in respect of the Long-term Capital Gains Tax (LCGT) and Dividend Distribution Tax (DDT) in the Union Budget for 2018-2019.

What do you mean by Minimum Support Price (MSP)? How will MSP rescue the farmers from the low income trap?

Examine the role of supermarkets in supply chain management of fruits, vegetables and food items. How do they eliminate number of intermediaries?

Discuss the work of ‘Bose-Einstein Statistics’ done by Prof. Satyendra Nath Bose and show how it revolutionized the field of Physics.

What do each of the following quotations mean to you in the present context?

Rakesh is a responsible district level officer, who enjoys the trust of his higher officials. Knowing his honesty, the government entrusted him with the responsibility of identifying the beneficiaries under a healthcare scheme meant for senior citizens. The criteria to be a beneficiary are the following : (a) 60 years of age or above. (b) Belonging to a reserved community. (c) Family income of less than ₹ 1 lakh per annum. (d) Post-treatment prognosis is likely to be high to make a positive difference to the quality of life of the beneficiary. One day, an old couple visited Rakesh’s office with their application. They have been the residents of a village in his district since their birth. The old man is diagnosed with a rare condition that causes obstruction in the large intestine. As a consequence, he has severe abdominal pain frequently that prevents him from doing any physical labour. The couple have no children to support them. The expert surgeon whom they contacted is willing to do the surgery without charging any fee. However, the couple will have to bear the cost of incidental charges, such as medicines, hospitalization, etc., to the tune of ₹ 1 lakh. The couple fulfils all the criteria except criterion ‘b’. However, any financial aid would certainly make a significant difference in their quality of life. How should Rakesh respond to the situation?

As a senior officer in the Ministry, you have access to important policy decisions and upcoming big announcements such as road construction projects before they reach the public domain. The Ministry is going to announce a major road construction project for which land acquisition has already been identified and compensation rates for the land owners have been fixed according to government norms. The compensation is expected to be on the lower side. It is anticipated that once the project is announced, land prices in and around that area will rise sharply. In the meantime, the concerned Minister has asked you to realign the road in such a way that it passes near his 20-acre farm-house. He has also suggested that he will help to purchase land in your wife’s name around the proposed highway at the current nominal rates. The Minister assures you that there is no harm in doing so as the land is being purchased at the prevailing market price. He also wants you to keep him informed about the date when the project will be announced. If you report the alleged malpractices in the land procurement for the project to your higher authorities, it will cause a long delay in your department’s work, resulting in hardship to the farmers as well. Besides, the project is very essential; it will also lead to cutting down of a large number of trees, thereby destroying the green landscape of the area. How would you deal with this situation? Evaluate the options available to you, indicating their merits and demerits, and explain what your responsibilities are as a public servant.

It is a State where prohibition is in force. You are recently appointed as the Superintendent of Police of a district notorious for illicit distillation of liquor. The illicit liquor leads to many deaths, reported and unreported, and causes a major problem for the district authorities. The approach till now had been to view it as a law and order problem and tackle it accordingly. Raids, arrests, police cases, criminal trials – all these had only limited impact. The problem remains as serious as ever. Your inspections show that the parts of the district where the distillation flourishes are economically, industrially and educationally backward. Agriculture is badly affected by poor irrigation facilities. Frequent clashes among communities gave boost to illicit distillation. No major initiatives had taken place in the past either from the government’s side or from social organizations to improve the lot of the people. Which new approach will you adopt to bring the problem under control? (250 words)

A big corporate house is engaged in manufacturing industrial chemicals on a large scale. It proposes to set up an additional unit. Many States rejected its proposal due to detrimental effect on the environment. But one State government acceded to the request and permitted the unit close to a city, brushing aside all opposition. The unit was set up 10 years ago and was in full swing till recently. The pollution caused by the industrial effluents was affecting the land, water and crops in the area. It was also causing serious health problems to human beings and animals. This gave rise to a series of agitations demanding the closure of the plant. In a recent agitation thousands of people took part, creating a law and order problem necessitating stern police action. Following the public outcry, the State government ordered the closure of the factory. The closure of the factory resulted in the unemployment of not only those workers who were engaged in the factory but also those who were working in the ancillary units. It also very badly affected those industries which depended on the chemicals manufactured by it. As a senior officer entrusted with the responsibility of handling this issue, how are you going to address it? (250 words)

Alternative technologies for a climate change resilient India

A good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge

Poverty anywhere is a threat to prosperity everywhere

Management of Indian border disputes — a complex task

Customary morality cannot be a guide to modern life