Previous year questions 2020
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UPPSC Mains · 518 questions

UPPSC Mains 2020: previous year questions

Every question as the commission asked it, paper by paper. Where a question matches a syllabus topic, it links there, with notes for the topic.

Paper-1

  1. Write a note on the town planning of Harappan Civilization period.Write your answer →
  2. Evaluate the views of Gandhi on the Varna system.Write your answer →
  3. Write a critical note on the Foreign Policy of Musolini, the leader of Fascism in Italy.Write your answer →
  4. Describe the advantages of India being a composite culture society.Write your answer →
  5. Critically examine the contributions of major women's organisations in contemporary India.Write your answer →
  6. Critically examine whether 'growing population is the main cause of poverty or poverty is the main cause of population increase in India'.Write your answer →
  7. Divide Uttar Pradesh into major physical regions and describe the geographical features of Bhabar and Terai regions.Write your answer →
  8. What is 'Smart City Mission'? Discuss the main characteristics of cities of Eastern Uttar Pradesh selected under this scheme.Write your answer →
  9. Describe the location of major tourist places of Bundelkhand Tourist Circuit of U. P.Write your answer →
  10. Explain the difference between the frontier and the boundary with special reference to India.Syllabus: Distribution of major natural resources of World-WaterWrite your answer →
  11. Critically examine the impacts of West on the field of Indian education.Write your answer →
  12. Discuss the expansion of British rule in India during Governor Generalship of Lord Wellesley.Write your answer →
  13. Who was Jacobins ? What were their role in the French Revolution?Write your answer →
  14. Critically examine the concept of nation and citizenship in context of communalism.Write your answer →
  15. What is Liberalization ? How is it affecting the Indian social structure?Syllabus: Meaning of liberalization, privatization and globalization and their…Write your answer →
  16. Underline the changes happening gradually in the sources of irrigation in U. P.Write your answer →
  17. Discuss the causes of volcanic eruption and describe the land-forms formed by deposition of its lava.Write your answer →
  18. Highlight the various ecological problems associated with the exploitation and utilization of resources from the Indian Ocean.Write your answer →
  19. What is 'reverse migration' ? What was its impact on the economy and social order of Uttar Pradesh during the COVID - 19 Lockdown?Syllabus: Specific knowledge of Uttar Pradesh Economy:- Overview of UP EconomyWrite your answer →
  20. Describe the role of Glaciers in shaping the land-forms in high mountain areas.Write your answer →

Paper-2

  1. Explain the concept of Judicial Activism and evaluate its impact on the relationship of Executive and Judiciary in India.Write your answer →
  2. "The President of India cannot become a dictator." Explain.Write your answer →
  3. Critically analyse the role of the Inter-State Council in promoting Co-operative Federalism in India.Write your answer →
  4. 'Article 32 is the soul of the Indian Constitution.' Explain it in brief.Write your answer →
  5. Examine the role of Non-Governmental Organisations (N.G.Os.) for the rural development in Uttar Pradesh.Write your answer →
  6. Evaluate the role of Information and Communications Technology in the context of government policies.Syllabus: Government policies and interventions for development in various…Write your answer →
  7. Analyse various aspects relating to Management of Human Resources in India.Write your answer →
  8. Examine the efforts of Uttar Pradesh in attracting multi-national companies so as to boost the economy of the state in the wake of labour migration during the Pandemic.Syllabus: Specific knowledge of Uttar Pradesh Economy:- Overview of UP EconomyWrite your answer →
  9. What is India's Diaspora policy? What are the challenges before Indian Diaspora at present?Write your answer →
  10. Comment on India-America "2+2 ministerial dialogue"Write your answer →
  11. "Every matter of Public Interest can not be a matter of Public Interest Litigation." Evaluate.Syllabus: Public Interest Litigation (PIL)Write your answer →
  12. What are the problems faced by the Election Commission as an institution at present? Also mention solution for them.Write your answer →
  13. What are the functions of Finance Commission? Examine its emerging role in Fiscal Federalism.Write your answer →
  14. Identify the major pressure groups in Indian Politics and examine their role in it.Syllabus: Pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the PolityWrite your answer →
  15. To what extent has e-governance made the administrative system more citizen-centric? Can e-governance be made more participative?Write your answer →
  16. "Right to Information Act has forced civil servants to come out of steel frame and serve people sincerely." Explain.Write your answer →
  17. Evaluate the impact of welfare schemes implemented for the welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes by Uttar Pradesh Government.Syllabus: Government Programmes and Welfare SchemesWrite your answer →
  18. Despite a cordial Mamalipuram Summit between Prime Minister Modi and the Chinese President, the dispute on line of actual control has deepened after a gap of several years. What do you think, are the reasons behind it?Write your answer →
  19. What do you know about 'Quadrilateral Security Dialogue' (QUAD) 7 Whether Malabar Military exercise would be successful in containment of growing influence of China in world politics?Write your answer →
  20. Discuss the role of World Health Organisation (WH.O.) in the period of Corona (Covid - 19).Write your answer →

Paper-3

  1. What do you understand by "leaving no one behind" with reference to sustainable development goals?Syllabus: Pursuit of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's)Write your answer →
  2. What are the objectives of NITI Aayog? Explain its three years action plan.Write your answer →
  3. "Indian food processing industry has not grown with the pace of developed countries." Discuss it.Write your answer →
  4. Explain the small scale industries of Uttar Pradesh and discuss its role in the economy of the province.Syllabus: Specific knowledge of Uttar Pradesh Economy:- Overview of UP EconomyWrite your answer →
  5. What are the causes of low agricultural productivity in India?Write your answer →
  6. What is 'S-CNG' 7 Describe its different uses.Write your answer →
  7. Critically examine the challenges of conservation of wild life.Write your answer →
  8. 'Narco Terrorism' is a threat to India's internal security Discuss it.Syllabus: India's internal security challengesWrite your answer →
  9. Analyse 'Money Laundering' and 'Human Trafficking' as a non-traditional security challenges.Syllabus: Challenges of International SecurityWrite your answer →
  10. What is 'Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA)' in security perspective of India?Write your answer →
  11. Discuss the impact of globalisation on trade, employment, particularly women employment, equality of income and wealth distribution etc.Write your answer →
  12. Explain the welfare schemes of Uttar Pradesh Government and its role.Syllabus: Government Programmes and Welfare SchemesWrite your answer →
  13. What are the major challenges in reducing poverty and inequality in India?Write your answer →
  14. What is meant by 'Line of Poverty'? Explain the 'Poverty Alleviation' Programme of India.Write your answer →
  15. What are objectives of National Manufacturing Policy? Critically examine the 'Make in India' and 'Start up India'.Write your answer →
  16. Explain Science, Technology and Innovation Policy - 2020.Syllabus: India's Science and Technology policyWrite your answer →
  17. Explain the steps taken by the government to counter Naxalism in India.Write your answer →
  18. Describe in detail the issues of nuclear proliferation and existing control mechanism.Syllabus: Challenges of International SecurityWrite your answer →
  19. Explain the 'Higher Defence Organisation of India'.Write your answer →
  20. At present in emerging security challenges, how nuclear weapons can be advantageous in India's security management? Explain it.Syllabus: Challenges of International SecurityWrite your answer →

Paper-4

  1. Discuss the role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values.Syllabus: educational institutions in inculcating valuesWrite your answer →
  2. Discuss the role of 'Right to Information' for transparency in Governance.Write your answer →
  3. "The requirement of government sanction for prosecuting the dishonest officials is a protective shield for corruption' Examine the statement.Write your answer →
  4. Discuss the following in the context of civil services. A) ImpartialityB) CommitmentSyllabus: Role of Civil Services in a democracy in the context of emerging trendsWrite your answer →
  5. An employee was taking a bribe in his office. His officer caught him red-handed. The officer knows that if he is dismissed from his job, his old parents will become homeless and destitute. Therefore, the officer left him with a warning only. Imagine that you are the same officer. What will you do in these situations? Discuss in detail.Write your answer →
  6. How will you apply emotional intelligence in administrative practices ? Explain.Write your answer →
  7. What do you understand by the term 'Public Servant'? What kind of aptitude is considered important for the civil services? Explain.Write your answer →
  8. Differentiate between the following. A) Tolerance and Compassion B) Attitude and AptitudeWrite your answer →
  9. How do the values of tolerance and compassion get manifested in public service towards the weaker sections? Explain with suitable examples.Write your answer →
  10. Explain the importance of persuasive communication in attitudinal change.Write your answer →
  11. What is the probity ? Explain clearly the philosophical basis of probity in governance.Write your answer →
  12. Which of the five principles of code of conduct will be given priority by you and why? Discuss.Write your answer →
  13. What is Gita's 'Anasakta Yoga' ? What message does it provide to civil servants? Explain.Write your answer →
  14. What is Kant's doctrine of 'duty for duty's sake' ? What is the role of this principle in civil services? Discuss.Write your answer →
  15. Dev Anand is working as under secretary in the Pension Department. One day, his friend Guru Dutta, an S.B.I. P.O. narrates the following incident: 1) For last two years, a retired government employee Mr. Ashok Kumar is giving 30% of his monthly pension to Mrs. Bindu Chopra every month through a cheque. 2) 1 found that Mrs. Chopra happens to be the wife of Mr. Prem Chopra, a Section Officer in the pension office under you. 3) I feel something is fishy-may be this is part of a bribe scam, where a senior citizen is forced to pay money to clear his pension files from Prem Chopra and to submit bribes in his wife's account. Dev Anand visits Mr. Ashok Kumar's home and finds that he is suffering from Alzheimer's disease unable to give coherent answers. Frustrated Dev Anand directly questions Prem Chopra. But Prem Chopra says, "Mr Ashok Kumar was a friend of my father. He has no relatives and children and my wife Bindu has been taking care of him like a daughter since a long time. Therefore Mr. Ashok Kumar gives us money out of goodwill and so we can send our son to an expensive l.l.T. coaching at Kota, Rajasthan. Besides, this is a personal family matter and none of your damn business". Do you think that Deva Anand has made a blunder or is he merely performing an ethical duty? Answer logically.Write your answer →
  16. Anger is a harmful negative emotion, it is injurious to both the personal life and the work life. How can it be controlled? Explain.Write your answer →
  17. "It is said that government servants take bribe because people offer bribe to them. If people stop offering bribe, the problem of bribe will be solved." What is your opinion about the statement? Examine critically.Write your answer →
  18. Present in brief the necessary foundational values for the civil servants.Write your answer →
  19. Social influence and persuasion contributed in controlling the spread of the Corona Virus in India. Discuss.Write your answer →
  20. You are a civil servant posted in State where elections were held recently. To ban the sale of alcohol was the main promise in the election manifesto of newly elected Chief Minister, To fulfil this promise, Chief Minister has ordered a total ban on sale and purchase of the alcohol in the State. Whether the government should interfere in the matter which is considered by many to be a matter of personal choice? Comment logically.Write your answer →