UPSC Mains Questions by Theme — from topper copies
We read 92 topper answer copies and pulled out the 1168 questions the candidates answered. Here are the recurring themes — 699 questions sorted into 12 clusters — with real examples and a link to the copy that answered each. A ready-made practice set, straight from the booklets.
Case studies
147 questions
GS4 Section-B dilemmas with a protagonist
▸Case study — Apex Tutorials misleading JEE coaching advertisement / CCPA action; ethics of omission, regulator role, rebuilding trust (max 20) — Aakash Garg (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Case study — Sonia Patel, PIO, RTI dilemma over disclosing adverse environmental impact assessment; stakeholders, principles, options (max 20) — Aakash Garg (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Case study — HealthInnovate Inc. experimental drug / compassionate-use access; ethical principles and fair access criteria (max 20) — Aakash Garg (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Case study — Ravi Kumar, District Collector, flood disaster management; evacuation priority, disclosure vs panic, relief and recovery (max 20) — Aakash Garg (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Case study — Ganganagar stray-dog bite; Mayor's dilemma between public health and animal welfare; guiding principles (max 20) — Aakash Garg (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Case study — PMGSY Suryavilla road embezzlement by contractor Vikram Joshi; role of social audit and contractor's ethical responsibilities (max 20) — Aakash Garg (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Case study: DRM, railway platform stampede — Aakash Om Trivedi (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Case study: EduNow ed-tech startup / NSGB compliance (governance-triangle diagram) — Aakash Om Trivedi (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
+ 139 more case studies questions across the copies.
Economy, society & polity
95 questions
GS-style economy / society / constitution
▸Social capital — Aakash Om Trivedi (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Outcome-based finance / Social Impact Bonds to catalyse socio-economic impact at scale — Aditya Srivastava (GS Paper 2)read ›
▸Civil Registration System (CRS) as essential to socio-economic planning; recent revamp — Aditya Srivastava (GS Paper 2)read ›
▸India-West Asia geoeconomics (UPI, de-dollarisation, I2U2, Abraham Accords) — Aditya Srivastava (GS Paper 2)read ›
▸Communalism, economic deprivation and social exclusion — Comment — Akansh Dhull (GS Paper 1)read ›
▸Biofuel — economic, environmental and social sustainability debate (250w) — Akshat Jain (GS Mains (Geography & Environment))read ›
▸Role of human capital in economic development; challenges & opportunities in human-capital formation — Akshat Jain (GS Mains (Economy & Infrastructure))read ›
▸Sagarmala / port-led development and the coastal economy (10m) — Aniket Ranjan (GS Paper 3)read ›
+ 87 more economy, society & polity questions across the copies.
Governance & public service
85 questions
Administration, PPP, service delivery, reform
▸Ethics in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) — Aakash Om Trivedi (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Public service delivery & socio-cultural factors — Aakash Om Trivedi (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Tolerance and diversity — importance for governance; how civil servants foster tolerance/inclusivity — Aayushi Bansal (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Empathy and emotionally intelligent civil servants improving governance/service delivery — Aayushi Bansal (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Impartiality vs neutrality in the civil service — Aayushi Bansal (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Relevance of Bhagavad Gita teachings for ethical conduct in contemporary public service — Aayushi Bansal (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Improving quality of public-service delivery in government hospitals — Abhigyan Khaund (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Role of persuasion in public administration — Abhigyan Khaund (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
+ 77 more governance & public service questions across the copies.
Probity & integrity
67 questions
Integrity, conflict of interest, corruption, RTI
▸Difference between probity and integrity with examples; measures to ensure probity in governance (max 10) — Aakash Garg (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Ethical considerations of withholding information in public administration; transparency enhancing accountability (max 10) — Aakash Garg (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Integrity vs objectivity — Aakash Om Trivedi (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Social audits & the RTI Act (diagram + table) — Aakash Om Trivedi (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Short notes: (i) Intellectual integrity in administrative decision-making; (ii) Citizen Charter in good governance — Aayushi Bansal (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Accountability mechanisms vs bureaucratic delays/efficiency; can a balance be struck — Aayushi Bansal (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Formulate a comprehensive national AI policy framework — jobs, privacy, bias, accountability, black-box — Aayushi Bansal (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸RTI Act 2005 - transparency, challenges and way forward — Abhigyan Khaund (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
+ 59 more probity & integrity questions across the copies.
Quotation-based
65 questions
Explain / interpret a thinker’s quote
▸Quotation — Henry Paulson: nothing more important than ethics in every area of society (max 10) — Aakash Garg (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Quotation — Rabindranath Tagore: love is not a mere impulse, it must contain truth, which is law (max 10) — Aakash Garg (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Quotation — Kofi Annan: every great faith holds values of tolerance and mutual understanding (max 10) — Aakash Garg (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Explain three quotations — (a) Gandhi, (b) Swami Vivekananda, (c) Kant — Aakash Om Trivedi (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸MLK Jr quote — measure of a person at times of challenge/controversy — Aayushi Bansal (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Gandhi quote — 'In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place' — Aayushi Bansal (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Indian concept of 'giving it back' (Kalidasa quote on taxes/Sun) and its relevance as a guiding value for civil servants (150 words, 10 marks) — Animesh Jain (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Quote: 'Wars begin in the minds of men...love and compassion would have built the defences of peace' — Diksha Rai (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
+ 57 more quotation-based questions across the copies.
Ethics theory & thinkers
51 questions
Philosophers, virtue, schools of ethics
▸Major teachings of Adi Shankaracharya and their relevance to current social/ethical challenges (max 10) — Aakash Garg (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Plato's Republic — justice as a virtue of people and of institutions; comment (max 10) — Aakash Garg (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Compare/contrast roles of family vs educational institutions in value inculcation; how they complement each other — Aayushi Bansal (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Role of educational institutions in instilling ethical values — Abhigyan Khaund (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Consequentialism (ends-based) vs Deontology (duty-based) ethics — Abhigyan Khaund (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸How discrete moral values translate into ethical principles — Abhigyan Khaund (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Gandhi's Harijan Yatra (1934) / treating the downtrodden with dignity in present context — Abhigyan Khaund (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Confucius's universally-valid moral qualities (wisdom, compassion, courage) — Abhigyan Khaund (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
+ 43 more ethics theory & thinkers questions across the copies.
▸Antibiotic resistance as a crisis on the level of climate change (comment) — Anudeep Durishetty (GS Paper 3)read ›
▸Disasters intertwined with development; SDGs, Paris Accord, Sendai Framework for DM — Anudeep Durishetty (GS Paper 3)read ›
▸Urbanisation without planning is a disaster in slow motion — Astha Jain (Essay)read ›
▸Climate risk insurance within a climate risk management system (LEFT BLANK — not attempted, answer space empty) — Junaid Ahmad (GS Mains (Economy, Sci-Tech & Security))read ›
+ 30 more geography & environment questions across the copies.
Emotional intelligence & attitude
37 questions
EI, attitude, empathy, conscience
▸How persuasion impacts public opinion and fosters social change (150 words / max 10) — Aakash Garg (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Persuasion vs social influence (two-column table) — Aakash Om Trivedi (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Emotional Intelligence and building a cohesive work culture — Abhigyan Khaund (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Emotional skills (empathy, compassion) in healthcare/welfare delivery — Deepali Mahto (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Civil servant's political & moral attitude — positive and negative manifestations — Deepali Mahto (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Whether self-awareness and empathy (emotional skills) are essential for effective health/social interventions — Diksha Rai (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸How civil servants' political and moral attitudes impact work ethics and daily decision-making — Diksha Rai (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸How persuasion impacts public opinion and fosters social change (10) — Gore Akash (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
+ 29 more emotional intelligence & attitude questions across the copies.
Science, tech & security
37 questions
GS3 — S&T, space, defence, internal security
▸Social security for unorganised-sector workers as a requirement for inclusive growth — Akshat Jain (GS Mains (Economy & Infrastructure))read ›
▸Importance of UAVs/drones in defence and modern warfare (10m) — Aniket Ranjan (GS Paper 3)read ›
▸Crypto/emerging tech in money laundering & terror financing; govt steps (10m) — Aniket Ranjan (GS Paper 3)read ›
▸Reusable launch vehicles for future space operations; India's initiatives (15m) — Aniket Ranjan (GS Paper 3)read ›
▸Internal-security threats from external state & non-state actors; strategies (15m) — Aniket Ranjan (GS Paper 3)read ›
▸Doklam face-off, India-Bhutan special relationship, India-China border dispute and strategic concern — Anudeep Durishetty (GS Mains (ForumIAS practice test))read ›
▸Universal Social Security network; and Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill 2017 impact — Anudeep Durishetty (GS Mains (ForumIAS practice test))read ›
▸Concept of 'minimum deterrence', strategic stability & nuclear disarmament (15 marks) — Harshita Goyal (PSIR (Optional) — Paper II)read ›
+ 29 more science, tech & security questions across the copies.
Technology & bio-ethics
31 questions
AI, biotech, social media, the workplace
▸Key ethical challenges in the workplace; effect on organizational culture and employee morale; strategies to foster an ethics culture (max 10) — Aakash Garg (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Bio-ethics / ethical concerns in biotechnology — Aakash Om Trivedi (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Ethical implications of hybrid work models — Aakash Om Trivedi (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸iCET India-US Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology — Aditya Srivastava (GS Paper 2)read ›
▸Artificial neural networks and their role in ML/AI (10m) — Aniket Ranjan (GS Paper 3)read ›
▸Impact of AI on employment and measures to promote job growth (15m) — Aniket Ranjan (GS Paper 3)read ›
▸Autonomous Vehicle Technology (ATV): benefits and challenges — Anudeep Durishetty (GS Paper 3)read ›
+ 23 more technology & bio-ethics questions across the copies.
International & aid
23 questions
Diplomacy, IR, foreign aid
▸Role of ethics in the application of international aid to less developed nations (max 10) — Aakash Garg (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Vaccine diplomacy; ethics of prioritizing domestic vaccine distribution over sharing during a pandemic (max 10) — Aakash Garg (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Indo-Pak & Indo-China wars: causes and impact on bilateral relations — Akansh Dhull (GS Paper 1)read ›
▸How far India's foreign policy has travelled from NAM heydays and contributing factors — Anudeep Durishetty (GS Paper 2)read ›
▸De-dollarization & insulation from geopolitical risk (10m) — Apsara N (GS Paper 3)read ›
▸Role of ethics in international aid to less-developed nations, with examples (10) — Gore Akash (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Vaccine diplomacy; ethics of prioritising domestic vaccine distribution over sharing (10) — Gore Akash (GS Paper 4 · Ethics)read ›
▸Significance of economic diplomacy in India — Harshita Goyal (PSIR (Optional) — Paper II)read ›
+ 15 more international & aid questions across the copies.
History & culture
23 questions
GS1 — freedom struggle, art & heritage
▸Reform of the IMF / global financial architecture — Aditya Srivastava (GS Paper 2)read ›
▸19th-c. social reform impulse as a response to colonial rule — Examine — Akansh Dhull (GS Paper 1)read ›
▸History of land reforms in India and whether they achieved their purpose — Anudeep Durishetty (GS Paper 3)read ›
▸Culture and the individual — does culture widen the mind/spirit or narrow worldview; how culture and the individual shape each other — Apeksh Jakhar (Essay)read ›
▸Increasing emphasis on horticulture — reasons + evaluation of govt measures — 15 marks — Devdarshdeep Singh (GS Mains (ForumIAS MGP))read ›
▸Quit India movement marked a new direction in the struggle against British colonial rule - Analyse (10m, 150w) — Jagrati Awasthi (GS Mains (History, IR & Society))read ›
▸Simla Agreement (1972) and Lahore Declaration (1999) as milestones in subcontinent history - Discuss (10m, 150w) — Jagrati Awasthi (GS Mains (History, IR & Society))read ›
▸Advent of Buddhism and Jainism instrumental in development of ancient Indian architecture - Discuss (15m, 250w) — Jagrati Awasthi (GS Mains (History, IR & Society))read ›
+ 15 more history & culture questions across the copies.
Each question is copied verbatim from a real UPSC topper answer sheet. We read 92 booklets and catalogued the 1168 questions the candidates answered, then clustered them into themes. The counts update automatically from the data.
How should I use a theme bank?+
Pick a theme, take three or four questions, and write them under timed conditions — then open the linked copy to compare your structure, examples and conclusion against the topper’s. It turns passive reading into deliberate practice.
Does this cover every mains question?+
No — it covers the recurring themes across the copies we have read, which lean towards GS4 (ethics) and essay because those are the booklets most often shared. Questions that don’t fit a theme aren’t forced into one.
A theme bank is only useful if you write it. The Sherlocking Mains programme gives you daily answer writing on exactly these themes, AWE Bot evaluation and mentorship. Or get one Mains answer evaluated free.
