Raus IAS UPSC Mains Previous Year Topic-Wise Question Paper

58 Pages·3.61 MB·English

by  Raus IAS

U P S C
MAIN EXAMINATION
GENERAL STUDIES
(PAPER-I)
INDIAN HERITAGE AND CULTURE,
HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF THE
WORLD AND SOCIETY

PREVIOUS YEARS TOPIC-WISE
QUESTIONS
(YEAR 2013 TO 2019)
PAPER-I: INDIAN HERITAGE AND CULTURE, HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF THE WORLD AND SOCIETY

Indian Heritage and Culture, History of Modern India
2019
1. Highlight the Central Asian and Greco Bactrian elements in the Gandhara art.
2. The 1857 uprising was the culmination of the recurrent, big and small local rebellions that had
occurred in the preceding hundred years of British rule. Elucidate.
3. Examine the linkages between the nineteenth century’s ‘Indian Renaissance’ and the emergence
of national identity.
4. Many voices had strengthened and enriched the nationalist movement during the Gandhian
phase. Elaborate.
5. Assess the role of British imperial power in complicating the process of transfer of power
during the 1940s.

2018
1. Safeguarding the Indian art heritage is the need of the moment. Comment.
2. Assess the importance of the accounts of the Chinese and Arab travellers in the reconstruction
of the history of India.
3. Throw light on the significance of the thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi in the present times.
4. The Bhakti movement received a remarkable re-orientation with the advent of Sri Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu. Discuss.
5. Discuss whether the formation of new states in recent times is beneficial or not for the economy
of India.
6. Why indentured labour was taken by the British from India to their colonies? Have they been
able to preserve their cultural identity over there?

2017
1. How do you justify the view that the level of excellence of the Gupta numismatic art is not at all
noticeable in later times?
2. Clarify how mid-eighteenth century India was beset with the spectre of a fragmented polity.
3. Why did the ‘Moderates’ failed to carry conviction with the nation about their proclaimed
ideology and political goals by the end of the nineteenth century?
4. Examine how the decline of traditional artisanal industry in colonial India crippled the rural
economy.
5. Highlight the importance of the new objectives that got added to the vision of Indian
Independence since the twenties of the last century.
6. The women’s questions arose in modern India as a part of the 19th century social reform
movement. What are the major issues and debates concerning women in that period?

2
PAPER-I: INDIAN HERITAGE AND CULTURE, HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF THE WORLD AND SOCIETY

2016
1. Early Buddhist Stupa-art, while depicting folk motifs and narratives, successfully expounds
Buddhist ideals. Elucidate.
2. Krishnadeva Raya, the king of Vijayanagar, was not only an accomplished scholar himself but
was a also a great patron of learning and literature. Discuss.
3. Explain how the upraising of 1857 constitutes an important watershed in the evolution of
British policies towards colonial India.
4. Discuss the role of women in the freedom struggle especially during the Gandhian phase.
5. Highlight the differences in the approach of Subhash Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi in
the struggle for freedom.

2015
1. The ancient civilization in Indian sub-continent differed from those of Egypt, Mesopotamia and
Greece in that its culture and traditions have been preserved without a breakdown to the
present day. Comment.
2. Mesolithic rock cut architecture of India not only reflects the cultural life of the times but also a
fine aesthetic sense comparable to modem painting. Critically evaluate this comment.
3. How different would have been the achievement of Indian independence without Mahatma
Gandhi? Discuss.
4. Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, despite having divergent approaches and strategies,
had a common goal of amelioration of the downtrodden. Elucidate.
5. It would have been difficult for the Constituent Assembly to complete its historic task of
drafting the Constitution for Independent India in just three years but for the experience gained
with the Government of India Act, 1935. Discuss.

2014
1. To what extent has the urban planning and culture of the Indus Valley Civilization provided
inputs to the present day urbanization? Discuss.
2. Gandhara sculpture owed as much to the Romans as to the Greeks. Explain.
3. Taxila university was one of the oldest universities of the world with which were associated a
number of renowned learned personalities of different disciplines. Its strategic location caused
its fame to flourish, but unlike Nalanda, it is not considered as a university in the modern sense.
Discuss.
4. Sufis and medieval mystic saints failed to modify either the religious ideas and practices or the
outward structure of Hindu / Muslim societies to any appreciable extent. Comment.
5. The third battle of Panipat was fought in 1761. Why were so many empire-shaking battles
fought at Panipat?
6. Examine critically the various facets of economic policies of the British in India from mid-
eighteenth century till independence.
3
PAPER-I: INDIAN HERITAGE AND CULTURE, HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF THE WORLD AND SOCIETY
7. In what ways did the naval mutiny prove to be the last nail in the coffin of British colonial
aspirations in India?
2013
1. Though not very useful from the point of view of a connected political history of South India,
the Sangam literature portrays the social and economic conditions of its time with remarkable
vividness. Comment.
2. (a) Discuss the Tandava dance as recorded in the early Indian inscriptions.
(b) Chola architecture represents a high watermark in the evolution of temple architecture.
Discuss.
3. Defying the barriers of age, gender and religion, the Indian women became the torch bearer
during the struggle for freedom in India. Discuss.
4. Several foreigners made India their homeland and participated in various movements. Analyze
their role in the Indian struggle for freedom.
5. In many ways, Lord Dalhousie was the founder of modern India. Elaborate.
6. Critically discuss the objectives of Bhoodan and Gramdan movements initiated by Acharya
Vinoba Bhave and their success.
7. Write a critical note on the evolution and significance of the slogan “Jai Jawana Jai Kisan”.
8. Discuss the contribution of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad to pre-and post-independent India.
9. Analyze the circumstances that led to Tashkent Agreement in 1966. Discuss the highlights of the
agreement.
10. Critically examine the compulsions which prompted India to play a decisive roles in the
emergence of Bangladesh.
World History
2019
1. Explain how the foundations of the modern world were laid by the American and French
Revolutions.
2. How is efficient and affordable urban mass transport key to the rapid economic development in
India?
2017
1. What problems are germane to the decolonization process in the Malay Peninsula?
2016
1. The anti-colonial struggles in West Africa were led by the new elite of Western-educated
Africans. Examine.
4
PAPER-I: INDIAN HERITAGE AND CULTURE, HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF THE WORLD AND SOCIETY

2015
1. Why did the industrial revolution first occur in England? Discuss the quality of life of the
people there during the industrialization. How does it compare with that in India at present?
2. To what extent can Germany be held responsible for causing the two World Wars? Discuss
critically.

2014
1. What were the major political, economic and social developments in the world which motivated
the anti-colonial struggle in India?
2. What were the events that led to the Suez Crisis in 1956? How did it deal a final blow to
Britain’s self-image as a world power?
3. The New Economic Policy – 1921 of Lenin had influenced the policies adopted by India soon
after independence. Evaluate.

2013
1. “Latecomer” Industrial revolution in Japan involved certain factors that were markedly
different from what west had experience.
2. Africa was chopped into states artificially created by accident of European competition.
Analyse.
3. American Revolution was an economic revolt against mercantilism. Substantiate.
4. What policy instruments were deployed to contain the great economic depression?

Indian Society
2019
1. What makes the Indian society unique in sustaining its culture? Discuss.
2. “Empowering women is the key to control population growth.” Discuss.
3. What are the challenges to our cultural practices in the name of secularism?
4. Do we have cultural pockets of small India all over the nation? Elaborate with examples.
5. What are the continued challenges for women in India against time and space?
6. Are we losing our local identity for the global identity? Discuss.

2018
1. “Caste system is assuming new identities and associational forms. Hence, the caste system
cannot be eradicated in India.” Comment.
2. ‘Despite the implementation of various programmes for the eradication of poverty by the
government in India, poverty is still existing’. Explain by giving reasons.
3. How the Indian concept of secularism different from the western model of secularism? Discuss.
5
PAPER-I: INDIAN HERITAGE AND CULTURE, HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF THE WORLD AND SOCIETY

4. ‘Women’s movement in India has not addresses the issues of women of lower social strata.’
Substantiate your view.
5. ‘Globalisation is generally said to promote cultural homogenisation but due to this cultural
specificities appear to be strengthened in the Indian society.’ Elucidate.
6. ‘Communalism arises either due to power struggle or relative deprivation.’ Argue by giving
suitable illustrations.

2017
1. In the context of the diversity of India, can it be said that the regions form cultural units rather
than the States? Give reasons with examples for your view point.
2. What are the two major legal initiatives by the State since Independence addressing
discrimination against Scheduled Tribes (STs)?
3. The spirit of tolerance and love is not only an interesting feature of Indian society from very
early times, but it is also playing an important part at the present. Elaborate.
4. Distinguish between religiousness/religiosity and communalism giving one example of how
the former has got transformed into the latter in independent India.
5. “The growth of cities as I.T. hubs has opened up new avenues of employment, but has also
created new problems”. Substantiate this statement with examples.

2016
1. Has the formation of linguistic states strengthened the cause of Indian unity?
2. To what extent globalisation has influenced the core of cultural diversity in India? Explain.
3. “An essential condition to eradicate poverty is to liberate the poor from the process of
deprivation.” Substantiate this statement with suitable examples.
4. Why are the tribals in India referred to as ‘the Scheduled Tribes’? Indicate the major provisions
enshrined in the Constitution of India for their upliftment.
5. With a brief background of quality of urban life in India, introduce the objectives and strategy
of the ‘Smart City Programme.”
6. What is the basis of regionalism? Is it that unequal distribution of benefits of development on
regional basis eventually promotes regionalism? Substantiate your answer.
2015
1. Describe any four cultural elements of diversity in India and rate their relative significance in
building a national identity.
2. Critically examine whether growing population is the cause of poverty OR poverty is the main
cause of population increase in India.
3. How do you explain the statistics that show that the sex ratio in Tribes in India is more
favourable to women than the sex ratio among Scheduled Castes?
4. Discuss the changes in the trends of labour migration within and outside India in the last four
decades.
6
PAPER-I: INDIAN HERITAGE AND CULTURE, HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF THE WORLD AND SOCIETY

5. Discuss the positive and negative effects of globalization on women in India.
6. Debate the issue of whether and how contemporary movements for assertion of Dalit identity
work towards annihilation of caste.
7. Smart cities in India cannot sustain without smart villages. Discuss this statement in the
backdrop of rural urban integration.

2014
1. How does patriarchy impact the position of a middle class working woman in India?
2. Why do some of the most prosperous regions of India have an adverse sex ratio for women?
Give your arguments.
3. The life cycle of a joint family depends on economic factors rather than social values. Discuss.
4. Discuss the various economic and socio-cultural forces that are driving increasing feminization
of agriculture in India.
5. How do the Indian debates on secularism differ from the debates in the West?

2013
1. Discussion the various social problems which originated out of the speedy process of
urbanization in India.
2. Male membership needs to be encouraged in order to make women’s organization free from
gender bias. Comment.
3. Critically examine the effects of globalization on the aged population in India.
4. Growing feeling of regionalism is an important factor in the generation of demand for a
separate state. Discuss.

World Geography
2019
1. Assess the impact of global warming on the coral life system with examples.
2. Discuss the causes of depletion of mangroves and explain their importance in maintaining
coastal ecology.
3. Can the strategy of regional resource-based manufacturing help in promoting employment in
India?
4. Discuss the factors for localisation of agro-based food processing industries of North-West
India.
5. What is water stress? How and why does it differ regionally in India?
6. How can the mountain ecosystem be restored from the negative impact of development
initiatives and tourism?
7. How do ocean currents and water masses differ in their impacts on marine life and coastal
environment? Give suitable examples.
7
PAPER-I: INDIAN HERITAGE AND CULTURE, HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF THE WORLD AND SOCIETY
2018
1. Why is the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) needed? How does it help in
navigation?
2. Why is India taking a keen interest in the Arctic region?
3. Define mantle plume and explain its role in plate tectonics.
4. What are the consequences of spreading of ‘Dead Zones’ on marine ecosystem?
5. “The ideal solution of depleting groundwater resources in India is water harvesting system.”
How can it be made effective in urban areas?
6. Defining blue revolution, explain the problems and strategies for pisciculture development in
India.
7. What is the significance of Industrial Corridors in India? Identifying industrial corridors,
explain their main characteristics.
8. Mention core strategies for the transformation of aspirational districts in India and explain the
nature of convergence, collaboration and competition for its success.
2017
1. How does the Juno Mission of NASA help to understand the origin and evolution of the Earth?
2. “In spite of adverse environmental impact, coal mining is still inevitable for development”.
Discuss.
3. Mention the advantages of the cultivation of pulses because of which the year 2016 was
declared as the International Year of Pulses by United Nations.
4. How does the cryosphere affect global climate?
5. Account for variations in oceanic salinity and discuss its multi-dimensional effects.
6. Petroleum refineries are not necessarily located nearer to crude oil producing areas, particularly
in many of the developing countries. Explain its implications.
7. In what way can floods be converted into a sustainable source of irrigation and all-weather
inland navigation in India?
8. What characteristics can be assigned to monsoon climate that succeeds in feeding more than 50
percent of the world population residing in Monsoon Asia?
2016
1. Discuss the concept of air mass and explain its role in macro-climatic changes.
2. “The Himalayas are highly prone to landslides.”Discuss the causes and suggest suitable
measures of mitigation.
3. The effective management of land and water resources will drastically reduce the human
miseries. Explain.
4. South China Sea has assumed great geopolitical significance in the present context. Comment.
5. Major cities of India are becoming vulnerable to flood conditions. Discuss.
8