PREVIOUS YEARS ESSAY

Essay Paper – UPSC Mains

Thinking is like a game; it does not begin unless there is an opposite team.
Visionary decision-making happens at the intersection of intuition and logic.
Not all who wander are lost.
Inspiration for creativity springs from the effort to look for the magical in the mundane.
Girls are weighed down by restrictions, boys with demands — two equally harmful disciplines.
Mathematics is the Music of Reason.
A society that has more justice is a society that needs less charity.
Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.

A smile is the chosen vehicle for all ambiguities.
Just because you have a choice, it does not mean that any of them has to be right.
The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.
You can not step twice in the same river.
A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ship is for.
Forests are the best case studies for economic excellence. (Environment / Economics)
Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world (Literature / Socio-political-economic impacts)
History is a series of victories won by the scientific man over the romantic man (History / Values / Philosophy)

Your perception of me is a reflection of you; my reaction to you is an awareness of me.
Philosophy of wantlessness is Utopian, while materialism is a chimera.
The real is rational and the rational is real.
Hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.
History repeats itself, first as a tragedy, second as a farce.
What is research, but a blind date with knowledge!
There are better practices to “best practices”. (Multiple Themes)
The process of self-discovery has now been technologically outsourced. (Philosophy / Technology)

Life is long journey between human being and being humane.
Mindful manifesto is the catalyst to a tranquil self.
Ships do not sink because of water around them; ships sink because of water that gets into them.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
Culture is what we are, civilization is what we have.
There can be no social justice without economic prosperity but economic prosperity without social justice is meaningless.
Patriarchy is the least noticed yet the most significant structure of social inequality.
Technology as the silent factor in international relations (Technology / International Relation).

Values are not what humanity is, but what humanity ought to be.
Courage to accept and dedication to improve are two keys to success.
Wisdom finds truth.
South Asian societies are woven not around the state, but around their plural cultures and plural identities.
Best for an individual is not necessarily best for the society.
Neglect of primary health care and education in India are reasons for its backwardness.
Rise of Artificial Intelligence: the threat of jobless future or better job opportunities through reskilling and upskilling.
Biased media is a real threat to Indian democracy.

Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.
Fulfilment of ‘new woman’ in India is a myth.
Social media is inherently a selfish medium Domain.
Has the Non- Alignment Movement (NAM) lost its relevance in a multi-polar world Domain.
Farming has lost the ability to be a source of subsistence for majority of farmers in India Domain. (Agriculture)
Impact of the new economic measures on fiscal ties between the union and states in India Domain.
Destiny of a nation is shaped in its classrooms.
We may brave human laws but cannot resist natural laws Domain.

Need brings greed, if greed increases it spoils breed.
If development is not engendered, it is endangered.
Cyberspace and internet: Blessing or curse to the human civilization in the long run Domain.
Near jobless growth in India: An anomaly or an outcome of economic reforms.
Water disputes between states in federal India Domain.
Cooperative federalism: Myth or reality India.
Digital economy: A leveller or a source of economic inequality. (Technology / Economy)
Innovation is the key determinant of economic growth and social welfare Domain. (Technology / Economy / Social Sector)

Character of an institution is reflected in its leader.
Lending hands to someone is better than giving a dole.
Quick but steady wins the race.
Technology cannot replace manpower.
Can capitalism bring inclusive growth?
Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make a man more clever devil. (Education / Ethics)
Crisis faced in India – moral or economic. (Morality / Economics)

With greater power comes greater responsibility.
Words are sharper than the two-edged sword.
Is sting operation an invasion on privacy?
Was it the policy paralysis or the paralysis of implementation which slowed the growth of our country?
Tourism: Can this be the next big thing for India?
Is the growing level of competition good for the youth?
Are the standardized tests, good measure of academic ability or progress?
Dreams which should not let India sleep. (Multiple themes)
Fifty Gold’s in Olympics: Can this be a reality for India? (Sports / Governance)

Be the change you want to see in others – Gandhiji
Science and technology is the panacea for the growth and security of the nation.
GDP (Gross Domestic Product) along with GDH (Gross Domestic Happiness) would be the right indices for judging the well-being of a country.
Is the Colonial mentality hindering India’s Success?