ESSAY LIST 2016 MAINS

UPSC Mains would blast its way through from 3 DEC, that is, tomorrow !

We wish all aspirants a great & enjoyable MAINS 2016

Keep Cool, good health & write your best 

Don't experiment with your writing methodology at this stage, please. 

Just revise your notes / booklets & carry enough pens

If the number of Qs in the paper turns out to be 25, don't panic. 

Expect any twist from UPSC - may be marks distribution could be uneven - like the good old days !!

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Let us list out our prescribed Essays of Advanced Test Series for MAINS 2016. Let's keep a close watch on the Essay paper on 3 DEC & see if we could HIT the BULL's EYE !!!!!!

1.      Write an Essay on the following topic in NOT more than 1000 words                                    [100]

      “Use of Drug in Sports is unethical; but who cares for it if a medal is achieved?”                                                              

                                                                   OR

              “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” 

2.      Write an Essay on any one of the following topics in NOT more than 1500 words                                    [150]

a.                  “All India and Central Civil Services – a parity is warranted”

b.                 Feminism and the position of women in post-1991 India

c.                  “India goes to Moon, pushes towards Mars, tests a Scram-jet; Is China Watching?”

1.     Write an Essay on any one of the following topics in NOT more than 1000 words                                    [100]

a.     Why have nations at all? The concept of nation divides mankind

b.     Indian University system has hardly changed from the colonial pattern

c.      Niti Aayog over Planning Commission, it’s more of an analysis rather than rhetorical planning

2.     Write an Essay on any one of the following topics in NOT more than 500 words                                    [50]

a.           “Vivekananda is worshipped, Tagore is respected, but Gandhiji remains in the heart and daily chores of Indians”

b.           “If journalists chase fame, glory and money, then God save democracy”

c.           “Be positive, stay upright, focus  - this is life”

3.     Write an Essay on any one of the following topics in NOT more than 1000 words                                    [100]

a.     In a world of sovereign debt crisis, the Central bank and the Federal Government needs to work in tandem and cooperate

b.     Surgical strikes, Hot Pursuits or the like are merely tools in the hands of the theoretician-strategist; mostly unfeasible to implement

c.     Religion may give rise to obscurantism, yet it is powerful – at times so influential so as to rapture existing power structures and give rise to fresh ones

Section-A (125 marks)

Write any one of the following essays in 1000-1200 words.

1.      “I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.”

2.      Cross-border terrorism can only be curbed by hard power, not soft

3.      Foreign Funds and Non-Governmental Organisations

4.      “If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher.”

Section-B (125 marks)

Write any one of the following essays in 1000-1200 words.

1.      Is India emerging in the comity of nations?

2.      Has India done enough towards sustainable development?

3.      Feminism, unlike almost every other social movement, is not a struggle against a distinct oppressor - it's not the ruling class or the occupiers or the colonizers - it's against a deeply held set of beliefs and assumptions 

4.      Should India adopt Uniform Civil Code?