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[ESSAY and GS ANSWER COPIES] Rank 36 SARANYA RAMCHANDRAN UPSC CSE 2019 TOPPER- IASbaba’s TLP Connect Student

• August 24, 2020

IASbaba's Toppers , Important Updates , UPSC Toppers

Hello Everyone,

Please find below the Essay, Ethics, GS Answer copies of  SARANYA RAMCHANDRAN Rank 36 UPSC CSE 2019 TOPPER.

She is our TLP CONNECT Student .

Her hard work and judicious use of IASbaba’s Programs like THINK LEARN PERFORM (TLP) -Connect , Integrated Learning Programme (ILP) – Babapedia, Test Series sailed her through the exam with a splendid rank.

ETHICS ANSWER COPY   -> CLICK HERE 

GENERAL STUDIES (GS 1 Society) ANSWER COPY  -> CLICK HERE 

ESSAY COPY ->  CLICK HERE 

TESTIMONIAL:

We at IASbaba , wish her all the success and become a role model for everyone to follow.. and keep us inspiring!

You can check Final Results of UPSC CSE 2019 – CLICK HERE

100+ Ranks UPSC CSE 2019 Topper’s from IASbaba – 5 in Top 20 Ranks makes it even more Special! -> CLICK HERE

• Essay and GS Answer Copies of Rank 36 SARANYA RAMCHANDRAN UPSC CSE 2019 TOPPER , IAS Toppers 2019 , IASbaba Toppers , IASbaba UPSC Toppers 2019 , Saranya Ramchandran Rank 36 UPSC 2019 , Saranya Ramchandran UPSC CSE 2019 , UPSC IAS 2019 final result , UPSC IAS Civil Services Examination 2019 Final Result , UPSC IAS Civil Services Examination Final Result 2019 , UPSC IAS Toppers 2019

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CSE Toppers' Answer Booklets

ADITYA SRIVASTAVA

All india rank: 1 (2023).

• ESSAY TEST 1
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• CSE 2022 - ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING - 1
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• CSE 2022 - ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING - 4
• CSE 2022 - ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING - 5
• CSE 2022 - ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING - 6

All India Rank: 5 (2023)

• GS I - TEST 1
• Analytics Test - 1
• GS II - TEST 2
• Analytics Test - 2
• GS III - TEST 3
• Analytics Test - 3
• GS IV - TEST 4
• Analytics Test - 4
• ESSAY TEST 4
• CSE 2022 - ECONOMICS - TEST 1
• CSE 2022 - ECONOMICS - TEST 2
• CSE 2022 - ECONOMICS - TEST 3
• CSE 2022 - ECONOMICS - TEST 4
• CSE 2022 - ECONOMICS - TEST 5
• CSE 2022 - ECONOMICS - TEST 7

All India Rank: 9 (2023)

• GS I - TEST 5
• Analytics Test- 5
• GS II - TEST 6
• Analytics Test - 6
• GS III - TEST 7
• Analytics Test - 7
• GS IV - TEST 8
• Analytics Test - 8

KUSH MOTWANI

All india rank: 11 (2023).

• Analytics Test - 5

MEDHA ANAND

All india rank: 13 (2023).

All India Rank: 16 (2023)

• CSE-2022 MATHEMATICS TEST 05
• CSE-2022 MATHEMATICS TEST 06

SHIVAM KUMAR

All india rank: 19 (2023).

ANSHUL BHAT

All india rank: 22 (2023).

PRAJNANANDAN GIRI

All india rank: 24 (2023).

VISHNU SASIKUMAR

All india rank: 31 (2023).

• ESSAY TEST - 1
• ESSAY TEST - 2
• ESSAY TEST - 3

AYUSHI PRADHAN

All india rank: 36 (2023).

THAKUR ANJALI AJAY

All india rank: 43 (2023).

ANSHUL HINDAL

All india rank: 48 (2023).

K N CHANDANA JAHNAVI

All india rank: 50 (2023).

• ESSAY TEST - 4

All India Rank: 53 (2023)

SURABHI SRIVASTAVA

All india rank: 56 (2023).

• Analytics Test- 01
• Analytics Test- 03
• Analytics Test- 04
• Analytics Test- 08

ABHIMANYU MALIK

All india rank: 60 (2023).

• Analytics Test- 02

KHUSHHALI SOLANKI

All india rank: 61 (2023).

• Analytics Test- 07

All India Rank: 69 (2023)

SHOHAM TEBERIWAL

All india rank: 77 (2023).

• Analytics Test- 05
• Analytics Test- 06
• CSE 2023 MATHEMATICS - TEST 1
• CSE 2023 MATHEMATICS - TEST 2
• CSE 2023 MATHEMATICS - TES T 3
• CSE 2023 MATHEMATICS - TEST 4
• CSE 2023 MATHEMATICS - TEST 5
• CSE 2023 MATHEMATICS - TEST 6
• CSE 2023 MATHEMATICS - TEST 7
• CSE 2023 MATHEMATICS - TEST 8

ESHANI ANAND

All india rank: 79 (2023).

All India Rank: 81 (2023)

• ESSAY TEST - 5

All India Rank: 88 (2023)

NIDHI GOYAL

All india rank: 91 (2023).

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Today's toppers , were yesterday's aspirants. They don't do different things. They just do the right things differently.Toppers Corner is your gateway to unravel the SUCCESS MANTRAS of the toppers.Explore their stories, strategies, analyse their copies, see how they got top scores, their profile and more!!

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AIR-13 | 2023

AIR-16 | 2023

ANSHUL BHATT

AIR-22 | 2023

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AIR-23 | 2023

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AIR-1 | 2022

GARIMA LOHIA

AIR-2 | 2022

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AIR-3 | 2022

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AKASH VERMA

• Test Copy-1 (Ethics)
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PRAJNANANDAN GIRI

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PAWAN KUMAR GOEL

Kashish bakshi.

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VAIBHAV ANAND SHARMA

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ANIKET DNYANESHWAR HIRDE

Srishti mishra.

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• Test Copy-7 (Essay)
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CHAITANYA GIRI

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SIDDHARTH SRIVASTAVA

• Test Copy-5 (Essay)
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ISHITA GUPTA

Sanket kumar, surbhi pathak.

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MANISH BHARDWAJ

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VISHAL SINGH

Ananya rana, deepak meena, sachin rahar, harseerat kaur, akansh dhull, rahul kanwaria, manika gupta.

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ASHA SHARMA

Ambika raina.

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PRACHI RATHI

Palak goyal.

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• Test Copy-17 (Environment)
• Test Copy-18 (Environment)
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• Test Copy-28 (Polity)
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MAHAJAN HARSHAL RAJESH

Sarika choudhary.

• Test Copy-2 (Economy)

DIVYANSHU PAL NAGAR

• Test Copy-9 (Essay)

YASH VISHEN

Prajwal chaurasia, hemant kumar sahu.

• Test Copy-5 (History)
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AYUSH MANI CHAUDHARY

• Test Copy-6 (Ethics)
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PRADEEP KUMAR CHOUDHARY

• Test Copy-1 (GS Paper-1)

DEEPAK NAIN

Baviskar pritesh ashok, rekulwar subham, mahalle mayuri madhavrao, sanjay yadav, koyye chitti raju, ankush bicka.

• Test Copy-1 (GS Paper-IV)
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VIJAY PRATAP SINGH

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Rajendra bishnoi.

• Test Copy-6 (History Optional)

UDIT KADIAN

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SURBHI JAIN

Gyanendra bharti, pradeep goyal, psir optional:, kunal rastogi.

• Test Copy-1 (PSIR Optional)
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Mrinalika rathore.

• Test Copy-4 (PSIR Optional)
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• Test Copy-6 (PSIR Optional)
• Test Copy-7 (PSIR Optional)
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• Test Copy-12 (PSIR Optional)

KRITI TRIPATHI

Suyash kumar singh, mayank mishra, prince babu mishra, bipin kumar singh, avinash kumar, aditya anil bamane, anthropology optional:, shivansh singh.

• Test Copy-1 (Anthropology Optional)
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PENKEESU DHEERAJ REDDY

Harnit singh sudan.

• Test Copy-1 (Anthropology)
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• Test Copy-3 (Anthropology)
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Geography Optional:

• Test Copy-1 (Geography Optional)

RISHENDRA SINGH

• Test Copy-2 (Geography Optional)
• Test Copy-3 (Geography Optional)
• Test Copy-4 (Geography Optional)
• Test Copy-5 (Geography Optional)
• Test Copy-6 (Geography Optional)

SINDHU N RAGHAVAN

Rohit kumar.

• Test Copy-7 (Geography Optional)

ANUSHKA SARKAR

Abhishek dange, krishnakumar g, ritwik mehta, sairaj mishra.

• Test Copy-8 (Geography Optional)
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Suman saurabh, rashmi paikra, public administration optional:, dhruv sapra.

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IMSURENLA LONGKUMER

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KHAN SAIMA SERAJ AHMED

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UPSC IAS Toppers Study Notes PDF

Upsc toppers notes 2023:, aditya srivastava rank - 1, animesh pradhan rank - 2, ruhani rank - 5, srishti dabas rank - 6, nausheen rank - 9, aishwaryam prajapati rank - 10, kush motwani rank - 11, aniket shandilya-12, medha anand rank - 13, ayan jain rank - 16, swati sharma rank - 17, shivam kumar rank - 19, pururaj singh solanki rank - 21, saurabh sharma-23, prajnanandan giri-24, ritika verma-25, rupal rana-26, nandala saikiran-27, pawan kumar goel-28, vishnu sasikumar-31, zufishan haque-34, ayushi pradhan-36, animesh verma-38 ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​, deepti rohilla-39, archana p p-40, khode sameer prakash-42, akanchha singh-44, upsc toppers notes 2022:.

Ishita Kishore Rank - 1

Uma Haritha N Rank - 3

Waseem Ahmad Bhat Rank - 7

Aniruddh Yadav Rank - 8

• Parsanjeet Kour Rank - 11
• Abhinav Siwach Rank - 12
• Vidushi Singh Rank - 13
• Kritika Goyal Rank - 14
• Siddharth Shukla Rank - 18
• Anoushka Sharma Rank - 20
• Sankhe Kashmira Kishor Rank - 25
• Yadav Suryabhan Achchhelal Rank - 27
• Ankita Puwar Rank - 28
• Pourush Sood Rank - 29
• Preksha Agrawal Rank - 30
• Priyansha Garg Rank - 31
• Tharun Patnaik Madala Rank - 33
• Damini M Das Rank-345

UPSC Toppers Notes 2021:

(Download) UPSC ANCIENT HISTORY HANDWRITTEN NOTES PDF

• Shruti Sharma Rank-1
• Gamini Singla Rank - 3
• Aishwarya Verma Rank - 4
• Utkarsh Dwivedi Rank - 5
• Yaksh Chaudhary Rank - 6
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UPSC Toppers Notes 2020:

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Essay Paper Strategy from Toppers

The Essay Paper in the UPSC civil services mains exam is sometimes overlooked by candidates thinking that all they have to do is write on a topic from material that they have learnt for the general studies papers. They take it easy thinking it doesn’t require any additional preparation. But, read on to understand why the essay paper is important and should not be ignored.

Aspirants would find this article very helpful while preparing for the IAS Exam .

On the other hand, this paper can also rattle candidates who are unnerved by the ‘lack of a concrete syllabus’ for the UPSC essay paper. Both extremes should be avoided and candidates are advised to put in the right amount of effort needed for this paper. IAS toppers Chandra Mohan Garg and Mittali Sethi aced the essay paper and scored 149 marks and 160 marks respectively out of a total of 250.

Essay Tips from Chandra Mohan Garg (AIR 25; CSE 2015)

• Choose your topic wisely. You should have a holistic understanding of the topic. Avoid thinking that a common topic cannot do you good since most candidates would opt for it. Take an unconventional topic only if you are most comfortable with it.
• After topic selection, brainstorm for fodder material like keywords, quotes, examples, illustrations, case studies, facts and figures, etc.
• Also, think about the past, present and future scenario related to the topic.
• Structure your essay properly. Have an introduction, body and a conclusion. In the body, you must write about both sides of view as illustrated below:

• Keep your language simple with short sentences and small paragraphs.
• Mention examples, government schemes and plans in your essay.
• Always cover the social, economic, political, cultural, legal, international and humanistic perspectives of the topic.
• There should be a definite flow to the essay.
• The essay should reflect your vision and ideas rather than display your knowledge.
• Your introduction should be impressive. Include striking quotes or illustrations here. Also, it should outline your essay and tell the reader what to expect in reading further.
• Try to conclude your essay with a positive or visionary note.
• When you read the newspaper for your IAS preparation, note down good lines and examples.
• Prepare some fodder about general topics like education, women, healthcare, internet, technology, democracy, etc. Stay updated on all the important UPSC current affairs with our daily current affairs features.
• Before your exam, you should practice writing at least 5 – 6 essays.

Download the 2019 UPSC Essay Paper at the linked article.

Essay tips from Mittali Sethi (AIR 56; CSE 2016)

• Your introduction and conclusion should stand out. Psychologically, a person remembers what is at the beginning and at the end. So, try to impress the examiner when you write the introduction and the conclusion. It would leave a good impression if you portray your compassionate and empathetic side at the beginning of the essay itself.
• You should connect to the topic as a HUMAN. Avoid writing mechanically.
• You should conclude the essay on a positive note. You could give possible solutions or also end with a futuristic vision.
• You can make a rough flowchart before you begin writing your essay so that you can outline what you will be writing where. This will make your essay more structured and also ensure that you don’t forget important points and perspectives.
• Write in simple English but make you don’t make any grammatical errors. Put in efforts to improve your language if you feel you need to. Wrong language/grammar can change the meaning of a sentence.
• You can have strong opinions on a topic but make sure you are not just opinionated but also informed.
• Don’t just crib about things, also present solutions.
• Make sure your quotes are correct and verbatim otherwise, don’t quote them. You can get some good and authoritative quotes for UPSC exam in the linked article.
• Try to be concise so that you can cover maximum dimensions and also avoid repetitions.
• Try to cover multiple perspectives like social, economic, political, cultural, linguistic, local, international, and humanistic ones.

The above details would help candidates prepare for UPSC 2023 .

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Essay Paper UPSC 2022 (Mains): Question Paper and Analysis

Last updated on September 16, 2022 by ClearIAS Team

The Essay Paper in UPSC CSE 2022 was easy compared to previous years. Please find the questions in the Essay Paper of the UPSC 2022 Civil Services Mains Examination (written).

UPSC conducted the Essay Paper , as part of the Civil Services Main Exam 2022 on 16-09-2022. The question paper was not as shocking as last year.

There were 8 Essay topics, out of which candidates were asked to write on two topics in 3 hours.

Candidates were supposed to answer about 1000 words for each essay (about 10-12 pages).

Table of Contents

Essay Paper UPSC 2022 Instructions

• Total Marks: 250 marks, Time duration: 3 hours.
• The essay must be written in the medium authorized in the admission certificate which must be stated clearly on the cover of this question-cum-answer (QCA) booklet in the space provided.
• No marks will be given for answers written in a medium other than the authorized one.
• Word limit, as specified, should be adhered to.
• Any page or portion of the page left blank, must be struck off clearly.

Essay Question Paper – UPSC Civil Services Main Exam (Written) 2022

Write two essays, choosing one topic from each of the following Sections A and B, in about 1000-1200 words each:

• Forests are the best case studies for economic excellence.
• Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.
• History is a series of victories won by the scientific man over the romantic man.
• A ship in the harbour is safe but that is not what a ship is for.
• The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.
• You cannot step twice in the same river.
• 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.

UPSC , as always, has ensured that the essay topics were much different from the GS questions.

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A philosophical theme is clearly evident in most of the essay topics in Section A as well as Section B. This was the case in 2020 and 2021 as well. It is a clue about what UPSC expects from the essay paper.

Rather than asking candidates to write on topics most aspirants are familiar with or trained with, UPSC is now evaluating the essay writing skills of aspirants by providing them with abstract or philosophical topics. 

This year, most of the topics were either proverbs or famous quotes.

All 8 topics presented this year will test the spontaneous thinking, comprehension, writing skills, and time management of aspirants.

Thinkers, Philosophers, and their Quotes

Let’s analyse the source of some of the question topics.

POETS ARE THE UNACKNOWLEDGED LEGISLATORS OF THE WORLD 

This essay topic is one of the best-known and most frequently quoted lines from the Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822).

Shelley thinks that poets can institute laws and create new materials for knowledge, determining the role of poets as legislators. 

Shelley’s account of poetic language seeks to find an order to the chaos, which, possibly, Shelley sees in human society: the mess that only poets can fathom. 

Therefore, he thinks, the poets’ enhanced poetic language can re-institute order in human society. 

A SHIP IN HARBOUR IS SAFE BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT A SHIP IS FOR 

This essay topic is connected with John A Shedd , an author and professor, who is attributed to this quote. Reference: his book Salt from My Attic , a collection of quotes and sayings (1928).

This phrase means, that getting out of your comfort zone is key to experiencing new things and broadening your horizons.

Only taking risks helps us grow as people—to either achieve our goals or do the things we’ve always wanted to do.

THE TIME  TO REPAIR THE ROOF IS WHEN THE SUN IS SHINING 

This essay topic was connected with John F. Kennedy. In his 1962 State of the Union Address, John F. Kennedy declared, “The best time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining”.

The primary message of the quote is fixing a leak is best done when the weather is good, rather than when it is not.

Ideally, you should begin the work of fixing the roof as soon after the leak was found. The first sunny day would be ideal. It is not easy to fix a roof when it is raining.

This statement is being used to remind us to do the right things at the right time. It also points us to take the advantage of favourable time.

YOU CAN NOT STEP TWICE IN THE SAME RIVER 

This essay topic was quoted by Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher born in 544 b.c.

This means that you cannot step into the same river twice because the flow of the river will change each second. You will also change each second.

It is not possible to repeat past experiences, as time changes all things. You won’t get the exact experience twice. You need to live in the present and enjoy each moment.

A SMILE IS A CHOSEN VEHICLE FOR ALL AMBIGUITIES 

This essay topic was quoted by Herman Melville, an American novelist.

JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE A CHOICE DOES NOT MEAN THAT ANY OF THEM HAS TO BE RIGHT 

This essay topic was quoted by Norton Juster, an American academic, architect, and writer in his book The Phantom Tollbooth

What should aspirants preparing for next year do for an essay paper?

First of all, you should take the essay paper seriously.

Unless properly trained, it is not easy to write 10-12 pages on an abstract or philosophical topic.

You need to polish your comprehension and analytical skills.

Read different kinds of essays – particularly philosophical essays.

Give stress to the thoughts of philosophers like Immanuel Kant, Thomas Aquinas, John Locke, Friedrich Niche, Karl Marx etc. Start writing essays on famous quotes.

Also, be prepared to write essays touching on other areas like society, politics, economy, or technology. UPSC is known for surprises.

Remember that there is nothing like a constant trend with respect to UPSC questions.

What you get by analysing the previous year’s question papers are clues. And only those are what you need from UPSC questions!

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ESSAY STRATEGY By Anudeep Durishetty, UPSC Civil Services Exam Topper, All India Rank – 1 CSE-2017 – How to write a good Essay in UPSC Mains, Explained 

Essay strategy.

How to write a good Essay in UPSC Mains, Explained 

By Anudeep Durishetty

UPSC Civil Services Exam Topper, All India Rank – 1 CSE-2017

Novelist Stephen King put it beautifully when he said, “I write to find out what I think.” 

Writing is a window to your thought process. What you write on paper will tell the reader how you think, how you argue and the way you substantiate your viewpoint. This is why for most competitive examinations and academic entrance tests, essay is mandatory. 

In the Civil Services Exam too, we have a paper worth 250 marks, equivalent to a General Studies paper. Despite its importance, essay paper often does not get the attention it deserves from aspirants. First timers think they will write an excellent essay in the final exam itself, whereas experienced aspirants believe that since they had already studied a ton for GS, it will alone be enough to write a good essay. This is a fatal miscalculation. 

I was one of those who made these errors in the past, and it is not a coincidence that I scored only 100 in CSE 2015. But in 2017, I devoted adequate time to this paper. I collected useful quotes, prepared notes and even made rough essay drafts for frequently asked topics. All this effort in essay paper helped me score 155. 

What follows is an elaborate post on how you should tackle the Essay paper. I’ve organised the content as follows: 

What UPSC says about the essay paper 

• How and from where to prepare? 

Improving language and expression 

• On subheadings and rough drafts 
• What you must avoid 
• How to write a powerful introduction? 
• Developing the content of an Essay 

Substantiating your arguments 

• How to conclude an Essay 
• My notes, quote collection and sample essays 

“Candidates may be required to write essays on multiple topics. They will be expected to  keep closely to the subject of the essay,   to arrange their ideas in an orderly fashion, and to write concisely . Credit will be given for  effective and exact expression .”  

Essay distinguishes itself from GS in the sense that in GS, marks will be awarded purely for content. But in essay, examiners will pay special attention to not just the content, but also the language, coherence and the way you organise your write-up. 

So you must take adequate care to arrange your ideas properly and not commit any fundamental spelling or grammatical errors. 

How and from where to prepare?  

Most of the content you write in Essay will come from your GS preparation. Apart from this, the following sources will help: 

• Reading non-fiction  helps you develop a matured thought process. Apart from imparting knowledge, they will also let you come across good figures of speech, art of argumentation, powerful rhetoric and unique content etc. For example, in an essay on Artificial Intelligence, I took arguments from Yuval Harari’s  Homo Deus  to argue that AI is an imminent threat to humanity. Or if you read  Why Nations Fail,  a book replete with examples, you will understand the importance of innovation, political and economic freedoms in propelling a nation forward. So my suggestion is, apart from UPSC related material, develop the hobby of reading non-fiction books. I do not mean to suggest that you should start reading one  non-fiction book per topic to get good scores in Essay, but reading them occasionally in your free time will benefit you in the long run. 
• Referring to specific magazines:  For certain topics, you can refer to specific issues of Yojana/EPW/Economic Survey etc. Example: for an essay on tribal issues or public health, you can go through specific issues of these magazines for getting the latest statistics (IMR, MMR, malnutrition levels etc) and also about the positives and criticisms of govt schemes in that sector. 
• Collecting good stories/anecdotes and quotes  Anecdotes, quotes and real life stories you see in newspapers and books which can be used in essay should be noted down. In most of my essays, I used to start with a relevant story or an anecdote that has the essay topic as its underlying theme. Apart from these, I also used a couple of quotes of eminent persons. 

         List of quotes, anecdotes I collected are available in the link at the end of this article.  

Language in essay must be simple and clear with as little jargon as possible. If you want to use complex definitional terms such as, say, ‘Constitutionalism’ or ‘Sanskritisation’ please define it in sentence just before you use it. Examiner will also understand clearly what you want to convey. Clear writing is clear thinking. And that is what any reader looks for. 

Keep your sentences short and powerful. Long, winding sentences makes it difficult to read and understand. If you tack on one clause after another through conjunctions, what you get is a bad sentence sprawl.   

Example of a bad sentence sprawl: 

At the end of World War 2, on the one hand, while capitalism was successfully championed by the nations in North America and Europe, on the other hand, it was USSR that put Communism at the forefront due to which there was an ideological clash between the  the  two superpowers which had led to proxy wars in various parts of the globe, a nuclear arms race and a rapid deterioration of the security of the world.  

(By the time readers finish reading it, they will lose their breath and the point of the sentence) 

So I had a simple rule: If you run out of your breath while  reading a sentence, then probably you will have to break it into two. 

Rewriting the aforementioned example after breaking it into two (which makes it much easier to read and comprehend): 

After World War 2, while the North American and European nations championed capitalism, USSR put communism at the forefront. This ideological clash between the superpowers led to several proxy wars, a nuclear arms race and a rapid deterioration of world security.  

Vocabulary   

There is no need to memorise complex words for writing a good essay. But an occasional use of a powerful word, or a good phrase definitely gives your write-up an edge. 

Also, I believe that learning numerous words by rote will not make them stick in your brain for long. The best way to build your vocabulary is by reading non-fiction and English newspapers. While reading these, if you come across a good turn of phrase, or a word that you don’t recognise, please note it down in a book, find its meaning and understand the context in which the word was used. This helps in long term memory. Having a dictionary app on your phone also helps. 

Building vocabulary is a slow process, but with consistency, anyone can become better at using an expansive set of words. 

Subheadings & Rough Drafts 

We can be a little innovative in our subheadings. Instead of bland subheadings such as ‘ Benefits of Nuclear Energy’  we can use “ Nuclear Energy: Promise or Peril?’  Similarly, for the essay on Social Media, instead of writing ‘ Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media ’, I wrote  “Social Media: A Double Edged Sword”  

You can find my collection of a few such subheadings in the link to my notes, given at the end of the article. 

I also prepared a rough draft for a few essay topics (link given at the end). You may need to modify the structure as per the demand of the question. 

What you must avoid in Essay 

• Do not focus excessively only on one point, or one dimension (such as the historical or political aspect) Your essay needs to be expansive and multi-dimensional. 
• During preparation, we read a lot and it’s understandable that we feel strongly about certain topics. And since essay offers freedom to write, it’s very easy to get carried away with such a topic. But make sure that you write what is asked, not what you know or feel like. No  mann   ki   baat . Always stick to the subject of the topic. It helps to read the question in the midst of your essay to ensure that you are not steering away from the topic. 
• If you are not comfortable writing about abstract philosophical topics (I am terrible at writing them), avoid such questions. Your choice of topic has no bearing on the marks and that is why, selecting an unpopular topic just for the sake of it is unwise. Also, if there’s a technical term in the question, be doubly sure that you understand it correctly. For instance, in 2014, there was a question on ‘standard tests’, which is a technical term. I misunderstood it and wrote a generic essay. I got 112. 
• When you take a final stand on an issue, it’s best to avoid extreme or highly unpopular opinions. We are free to have any opinion in the privacy of our minds, but in UPSC essay why take that risk? For instance, in an essay on Capital Punishment, in the main body content, you should present a case for both abolition and retention. But when you take a stance, it’s best to be an abolitionist. 
• No ranting. You might be a great fan of Karl Marx, but if there’s a question on Capitalism, do not rant or rail against it  You must present both the positives and negatives of Capitalism and end the essay on a balanced note. 
• Do not dedicate disproportionate amount of time for the first essay and scamper through the second. Both carry equal marks, so please invest equal time. 

How to transition smoothly from one para to the next 

This can be done in three ways. 

Through a link sentence at the end of a para:  

Here, at the end of a para, you write a sentence that signals to the examiner what’s coming next. For example, let’s say you have just written a para about the threat posed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) to jobs. At the end of that para you can write a link sentence—   “Further, we must be mindful of the fact that Artificial Intelligence poses a major challenge not just economically, but also ethically.”  And in the next para, you can write about the ethical issues concerning AI. 

Through a question:    

Instead of a link sentence, you can also add a question at the end of a para so that examiner’s attention is helplessly carried to the next. To take the similar example as above, the question can be something like—   “Thus we have examined the threat posed by AI to our economy, but what about the challenges brought by AI to our ethics and morals?”  And in the next para, you can write about the ethical issues concerning AI. 

Signalling the shift at the start of next paragraph: 

Here you can simply add a word or two at the beginning of a para that signals a shift in your subtopic. For example in an essay on  Globalisation , let’s say you have just written a para about its historical evolution and impact. You can start the next para with something like—  “Politically too, globalisation has had a tremendous impact……” This way examiner immediately knows what to expect. 

These steps will ensure that the transition between paragraphs is not abrupt. 

How to write a good Introduction to your Essay? 

Essay introduction can be: 

a fictitious incident or story (where you introduce a character);  a real life anecdote;  a quote; or  a simple definition of the words in the question (not recommended in Essay) 

In GS, definitional approach is a great way to introduce your answers. But in essay, they are rather stale, lacking in any human element. I always believe that a good way to start your essay is to have that touch of humanity and warmth in your introduction. 

In my Mains exam, this was my introduction to the essay ‘Destiny of a nation is shaped in its classroom’ 

“The year was 1945. Towards the end of a gruesome world war, the world powers decided to carve up the Korean peninsula along the 38th parallel.  

“Before partition, North and South Korea might have been homogeneous in every respect, but after the division, they steered onto different paths. While schools in the North chose to ‘educate’ their children in the worship of a cult leader, ideological indoctrination and servility, its southern counterpart focused on liberal education, innovation and economic growth.  

“Today, almost seven decades later, the difference in the fates of these people and the trajectories of both these nations cannot be more stark. One is known for gross violation of human rights, while the other a champion of liberal democracy. One is known for gut-wrenching poverty, while the other unbridled prosperity.  

“This only proves the age old adage that the destiny of a nation is indeed shaped in its classrooms.”  

Similarly, for the Social Media essay, my introduction sought to bring to the fore the paradox of Social Media. I wrote on how social media was leveraged to crowdsource help and rescue during Chennai floods in 2015. At the same time, I mentioned how it was used nefariously in 2012 to cause mass exodus of northeast people from Bangalore. And taking cue from this introduction, in the main body, I discussed about the inherent selfishness and altruism associated with social media. 

These real life stories, anecdotes and incidents are everywhere in our books and newspapers. So when you come across them, note down and ponder as to how you can use them in your essay.   

Developing the Main Content from the Topic 

This is like spinning the web from a thread. Depending on the topic, you can choose among the following options that fits best. 

• Temporal : Past, present and future 
• Sectoral :  Media, Science & Tech, Business, Sports, Religion, Politics, Administration etc 
• Walks of Life : Individual, Family, Professional workplace, Society, Community, National, Global 
• Problem & Solution:  Concept (historical evolution+status), benefits, problems, solutions 
• Standard : Social, Political, Economical, Administrative, International, Environmental, Historical, Scientific, Security/Defence, Legal 

Example: for a topic like  “Has  Globalisation  delivered on its promise?”  I find the problem & solution method an apt way to develop your narrative. So choose as per the question. 

In the main body of the essay, each para must have an argument or an idea and a reasoning to back that argument. You can substantiate it through a real life example, a statistic, an authentic committee or organisational report etc. 

For example, if you are arguing that Capital punishment is an expensive form of justice, you should be able to given an example or a statistic or Law Commission’s opinion as to how the subjects of death penalty are overwhelmingly from poor communities. 

Statistics, examples, expert opinions and constitutional provisions are crucial and they make your arguments authoritative. 

Concluding an Essay 

Conclusion needs to be on  a futuristic, optimistic note. You need to summarise the complete essay in 3-4 sentences, after which you can write your vision for future. 

You can source some useful terms from the speeches of PM Modi. Phrases like  Sabka   saath   sabka   vikas ,  Reform-Perform-Transform, Building A New India  etc can come handy.  Rhetoric, lofty expressions, constitutional ideals, sanskrit slokas and quotes are a good way to conclude your essay. 

But suppose in your introduction, if you had written about a fictitious character, then it’s always advisable to end your write-up with a reference to that character. It gives a sense of completeness to the essay. 

Readers should keep in mind that these notes are written rather haphazardly (I mean who makes notes thinking that in future, they might have to upload them publicly :D)  

They are fragmented in certain pages, so you may not be able to comprehend them completely, but nevertheless I hope you take home something useful.  

Link to handwritten notes: 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jmVMGOzAk2d9B5Y0HQ9XpVF5Mh2IXGku  

Quote collection:  

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jk71jLao60hHwJoTuGYaIDgJWccxa5Xn  

List of Topics one needs to prepare:  

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1q0W0PeH-80EKt6ucJTFOVPUlmXvCIzd-  

Sample Essay:    

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jqfUi1FXdG0icBdJpdQvwH1wlAizCMvo  

https://anudeepdurishetty.in/my-upsc-marksheet/

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Sample UPSC Essay Written by IAS Topper

This was the only essay that I practiced during the entire preparation  period. It was a huge coincidence that a similar essay topic came in the UPSC Mains 2016 Essay Paper. I will reproduce the essay below.  I have scored 164 in Essay.

 Consumption, Consumerism & Environment

Little girl Sunita watches her richer counterpart shop bright new clothes for the upcoming festive season. She cravingly stares at them while breathing in the smokes off cars running by her shabby tent on the footpath. Sunita is a victim of consumerism.

Our modern economic systems hinge on mass-consumption. The measure of a country’s ‘growth’ is defined by the amount of consumption. The industry, capitalists and governments push for higher growth by driving consumption. In such situation, we ignore the limit of our needs, breeding the culture of consumerism. And as Gandhiji pointed out much before Rio ’92 conference, there is not enough for everyone’s greed.

In our blind chase for consumerism-driven economic growth, we have failed to factor in the environmental cost. It is a capital that is not accounted for. The result is that we are exceeding earth’s carrying capacity even as millions go hungry. The externalities are affecting the world’s poor disproportionately by vitiating the environment.

Vandan Shiva in ‘Stolen Harvest’ has exposed the precarious environmental situation created by fast food chains like KFC. Water guzzling animal breeding farms are run on cleared Amazon forest land to feed the consumerism. At the same time the world is staring at water wars and global warming.

This unsustainable lifestyle promoted by consumerism has created glaring inequalities. For example, the Times Square, NY consumes as much electricity in one night as the entire Zimbabwe in one year. Such massive inequality further forces the poor to adopt unsustainable methods like log burning to meet their energy needs. Thus, the cycle of environmental degradation continues.

Closer home, we have seen the negative effects of unsustainable methods of agriculture in Punjab. In our focus on meeting consumption demands, the environmental costs were ignored. The result is salinated soil, depleted ground water and higher incidence of cancer.

Consumerism has promoted ‘Climate Injustice’. The colonial countries and developed nations consume disproportionately larger amount of resources. However, their demands are met by vitiating the environment in poorer nations. The 5th IPCC Report points out how the developed nations have exported their production factories and thus externalities to the developing nations.

Thus, while the cocoa farmer in Cameroon does not know what chocolate is, his farm could be hit most by the global warming. And while Sunita’s parents cannot afford a house or a car, they will take in the dirty air from others’ vehicles.

Consumption driven economy is also behind the food shortage and its fallout has been on the environment. About 70% of the cereals grown in the USA are fed to the animals in the meat industry. The extensive monoculture, mechanization, use of chemical fertilizers, extension of agriculture in forest areas and overuse of water have affected the environment. It has caused habitat destruction, loss of biodiversity, global warming due to methane and food scarcity.

The biggest beneficiaries of consumerism, at least in the short run, are the corporates. A section of the big corporates have also promoted climate change denialism to keep accumulating wealth uninterrupted. Oil companies like Shell have allegedly funded a section of scientists and politicians to deny the effects of climate change so that there is no moderation in consumption levels. Such activities have further harmed the cause of environmentalism.

The global community, however, has built a consensus around the idea of sustainable living and development. Right from the Club of Rome to the UNFCCC summit in Paris, the efforts have been to contain climate change by promoting sustainability. Remarkable success of the Montreal Protocol and modest achievements of the Kyoto Protocol are testimonies to that effort. Unfortunately, the global community has skirted the question of consumerism even at this point.

The Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) of different nations talk about reducing emissions, increasing emission efficiency, peaking emission targets. However, moderation in consumerism, an essential component of sustainability, has been ignored. Similarly, the sustainable development goals (SDGs) have multiple targets to achieve equality, reduce poverty, etc. There has been a consensus on the minimum standards of living but no talk of the ceiling on the standards.

In India, the culture of consumerism entered with the opening of economy in 1991. While still at its infancy, the effect of unsustainable living are already showing. The Uttarakhand floods were largely driven by ‘developmental’ activities in the flood plains and fragile Himalayan ecosystem. Even the Chennai flood of 2015 was apparently caused by the greed of builders and promoters, driven by consumerism.

For a developing nation like India, the challenge is even greater. On the one hand she has to sustain the culture of frugal living amidst the onslaught of consumerism. On the other hand she has to ensure that there is social and economic justice through economic progress. This, however, is definitely achievable.

To contain the gluttony of consumerism without compromising the need for development, the world has to firstly define the upper limits of standard of living. While we have tools like Multidimensional Poverty Index, Poverty Line, Depth of Poverty, etc. there is no definition of a sustainable lifestyle. All the nations have to promote the acceptance of such a lifestyle to achieve environmental sustainability.

Additionally, a cultural shift is needed in the global community. The fashion of wealth display has to make way for the fashion of ecological consciousness. A society where green living is promoted will naturally avoid the clutches of consumerism.

The industry and big corporates have a big role to play. They are the ones who promote blatant consumerism through advertisements, rapid churning of new models and glorifying the culture of flaunting. In the longer run, they have to realize that the ever-expanding consumption is not sustainable. A responsible corporate community must tone down the promotion of consumerism.

A living example of how Capitalism can be blended with Socialism and create sustainable living with high standards comes from the Nordic countries. The Nordic Socialism, as it is called, has had higher taxes, cradle-to-grave welfare programs, environmentally sustainable energy programs etc. Denmark is a wind energy surplus country while Sweden imports garbage to run its waste-to-energy programs. Another example is Bhutan which ranks high on Gross National Happiness Index and is a carbon negative country. The global community can follow these models and protect itself from the dangers of rampant consumerism. This will ensure that the cocoa farmers of Cameroon tastes the fruit of his own labour and Sunita’s parents can afford a home and her education in a safe and healthy environment.

10 thoughts on “Sample UPSC Essay Written by IAS Topper”

Multidimensional essay with apt examples. But I feel the content wrt to India can be added more. Thank you.

Awesome essay sir,the flow and language kept me connected throughout ??

Sir,How much you have scored in essay

Great sir. Could you please share you essay strategy ?

Dear sir, in my first attempt i have scored 95 in essay. In my second attempt (2016) i have scored 130 in essay . Went till interview. Missed by 9 marks. I need some mentorship in essay writing from you sir. I will send one or two essay per month till mains. Could you please give me your views on it?.

My mail id: [email protected] .

Please send me your mail id or telegram id to this address sir. Thank you.

Sir I am more focused on ethics+essay+ optional…than GS…so I am doing right or wrong

Thanks for sharing! Your essay is well written and multidimensional. Can you provide details on how did you brainstorm and structure your essay? I was unable to find the structure, even though the flow is brilliant

Your Blog is very nice. Wish to see much more like this. Thanks for sharing your information.

For all the IAS aspirants, this blog is worth reading, hopefully expecting more information like this.

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Writing a good Essay in UPSC Mains, Explained by Anudeep Durishetty

Current Affairs Classes Pre cum Mains 2025, Batch Starts: 11th September 2024 Click Here for more information

Novelist Stephen King put it beautifully when he said, “I write to find out what I think.”

Writing is a window to your thought process. What you write on paper will tell the reader how you think, how you argue and the way you substantiate your viewpoint. This is why for most competitive examinations and academic entrance tests, essay is mandatory.

In the Civil Services Exam too, we have a paper worth 250 marks, equivalent to a General Studies paper. Despite its importance, essay paper often does not get the attention it deserves from aspirants. First timers think they will write an excellent essay in the final exam itself, whereas experienced aspirants believe that since they had already studied a ton for GS, it will alone be enough to write a good essay. This is a fatal miscalculation.

I was one of those who made these errors in the past, and it is not a coincidence that I scored only 100 in CSE 2015. But in 2017, I devoted adequate time to this paper. I collected useful quotes, prepared notes and even made rough essay drafts for frequently asked topics. All this effort in essay paper helped me score 155.

What follows is an elaborate post on how you should tackle the Essay paper. I’ve organised the content as follows:

What UPSC says about the essay paper

How and from where to prepare?

Improving language and expression

• On subheadings and rough drafts
• What you must avoid
• How to write a powerful introduction?
• Developing the content of an Essay

Substantiating your arguments

• How to conclude an Essay
• My notes, quote collection and sample essays

“Candidates may be required to write essays on multiple topics. They will be expected to  keep closely to the subject of the essay,   to arrange their ideas in an orderly fashion, and to write concisely . Credit will be given for  effective and exact expression .”

Essay distinguishes itself from GS in the sense that in GS, marks will be awarded purely for content. But in essay, examiners will pay special attention to not just the content, but also the language, coherence and the way you organise your write-up.

So you must take adequate care to arrange your ideas properly and not commit any fundamental spelling or grammatical errors.

Most of the content you write in Essay will come from your GS preparation. Apart from this, the following sources will help:

• Reading non-fiction  helps you develop a matured thought process. Apart from imparting knowledge, they will also let you come across good figures of speech, art of argumentation, powerful rhetoric and unique content etc. For example, in an essay on Artificial Intelligence, I took arguments from Yuval Harari’s  Homo Deus  to argue that AI is an imminent threat to humanity. Or if you read  Why Nations Fail,  a book replete with examples, you will understand the importance of innovation, political and economic freedoms in propelling a nation forward. So my suggestion is, apart from UPSC related material, develop the hobby of reading non-fiction books. I do not mean to suggest that you should start reading one  non-fiction book per topic to get good scores in Essay, but reading them occasionally in your free time will benefit you in the long run.
• Referring to specific magazines:  For certain topics, you can refer to specific issues of Yojana/EPW/Economic Survey etc. Example: for an essay on tribal issues or public health, you can go through specific issues of these magazines for getting the latest statistics (IMR, MMR, malnutrition levels etc) and also about the positives and criticisms of govt schemes in that sector.
• Collecting good stories/anecdotes and quotes: Anecdotes, quotes and real life stories you see in newspapers and books which can be used in essay should be noted down. In most of my essays, I used to start with a relevant story or an anecdote that has the essay topic as its underlying theme. Apart from these, I also used a couple of quotes of eminent persons.

         List of quotes, anecdotes I collected are available in the link at the end of this article.

Language in essay must be simple and clear with as little jargon as possible. If you want to use complex definitional terms such as, say, ‘Constitutionalism’ or ‘Sanskritisation’ please define it in sentence just before you use it. Examiner will also understand clearly what you want to convey. Clear writing is clear thinking. And that is what any reader looks for.

Keep your sentences short and powerful. Long, winding sentences makes it difficult to read and understand. If you tack on one clause after another through conjunctions, what you get is a bad sentence sprawl.

Example of a bad sentence sprawl:

At the end of World War 2, on the one hand, while capitalism was successfully championed by the nations in North America and Europe, on the other hand, it was USSR that put Communism at the forefront due to which there was an ideological clash between the the two superpowers which had led to proxy wars in various parts of the globe, a nuclear arms race and a rapid deterioration of the security of the world.

(By the time readers finish reading it, they will lose their breath and the point of the sentence)

So I had a simple rule: If you run out of your breath while  reading a sentence, then probably you will have to break it into two.

Rewriting the aforementioned example after breaking it into two (which makes it much easier to read and comprehend):

After World War 2, while the North American and European nations championed capitalism, USSR put communism at the forefront. This ideological clash between the superpowers led to several proxy wars, a nuclear arms race and a rapid deterioration of world security.

There is no need to memorise complex words for writing a good essay. But an occasional use of a powerful word, or a good phrase definitely gives your write-up an edge.

Also, I believe that learning numerous words by rote will not make them stick in your brain for long. The best way to build your vocabulary is by reading non-fiction and English newspapers. While reading these, if you come across a good turn of phrase, or a word that you don’t recognise, please note it down in a book, find its meaning and understand the context in which the word was used. This helps in long term memory. Having a dictionary app on your phone also helps.

Building vocabulary is a slow process, but with consistency, anyone can become better at using an expansive set of words.

Subheadings & Rough Drafts

We can be a little innovative in our subheadings. Instead of bland subheadings such as ‘ Benefits of Nuclear Energy’  we can use “ Nuclear Energy: Promise or Peril?’  Similarly, for the essay on Social Media, instead of writing ‘ Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media ’, I wrote  “Social Media: A Double Edged Sword”

You can find my collection of a few such subheadings in the link to my notes, given at the end of the article.

I also prepared a rough draft for a few essay topics (link given at the end). You may need to modify the structure as per the demand of the question.

What you must avoid in Essay

• Do not focus excessively only on one point, or one dimension (such as the historical or political aspect) Your essay needs to be expansive and multi-dimensional.
• During preparation, we read a lot and it’s understandable that we feel strongly about certain topics. And since essay offers freedom to write, it’s very easy to get carried away with such a topic. But make sure that you write what is asked, not what you know or feel like. No  mann ki baat . Always stick to the subject of the topic. It helps to read the question in the midst of your essay to ensure that you are not steering away from the topic.
• If you are not comfortable writing about abstract philosophical topics (I am terrible at writing them), avoid such questions. Your choice of topic has no bearing on the marks and that is why, selecting an unpopular topic just for the sake of it is unwise. Also, if there’s a technical term in the question, be doubly sure that you understand it correctly. For instance, in 2014, there was a question on ‘standard tests’, which is a technical term. I misunderstood it and wrote a generic essay. I got 112.
• When you take a final stand on an issue, it’s best to avoid extreme or highly unpopular opinions. We are free to have any opinion in the privacy of our minds, but in UPSC essay why take that risk? For instance, in an essay on Capital Punishment, in the main body content, you should present a case for both abolition and retention. But when you take a stance, it’s best to be an abolitionist.
• No ranting. You might be a great fan of Karl Marx, but if there’s a question on Capitalism, do not rant or rail against it ? You must present both the positives and negatives of Capitalism and end the essay on a balanced note.
• Do not dedicate disproportionate amount of time for the first essay and scamper through the second. Both carry equal marks, so please invest equal time.

How to transition smoothly from one para to the next

This can be done in three ways.

Through a link sentence at the end of a para:

Here, at the end of a para, you write a sentence that signals to the examiner what’s coming next. For example, let’s say you have just written a para about the threat posed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) to jobs. At the end of that para you can write a link sentence—   “Further, we must be mindful of the fact that Artificial Intelligence poses a major challenge not just economically, but also ethically.”  And in the next para, you can write about the ethical issues concerning AI.

Through a question:

Instead of a link sentence, you can also add a question at the end of a para so that examiner’s attention is helplessly carried to the next. To take the similar example as above, the question can be something like—   “Thus we have examined the threat posed by AI to our economy, but what about the challenges brought by AI to our ethics and morals?”  And in the next para, you can write about the ethical issues concerning AI.

Signalling the shift at the start of next paragraph:

Here you can simply add a word or two at the beginning of a para that signals a shift in your subtopic. For example in an essay on  Globalisation , let’s say you have just written a para about its historical evolution and impact. You can start the next para with something like—  “Politically too, globalisation has had a tremendous impact……” This way examiner immediately knows what to expect.

These steps will ensure that the transition between paragraphs is not abrupt.

How to write a good Introduction to your Essay?

Essay introduction can be:

a fictitious incident or story (where you introduce a character); a real life anecdote; a quote; or a simple definition of the words in the question (not recommended in Essay)

In GS, definitional approach is a great way to introduce your answers. But in essay, they are rather stale, lacking in any human element. I always believe that a good way to start your essay is to have that touch of humanity and warmth in your introduction.

In my Mains exam, this was my introduction to the essay ‘Destiny of a nation is shaped in its classroom’

“The year was 1945. Towards the end of a gruesome world war, the world powers decided to carve up the Korean peninsula along the 38th parallel.

“Before partition, North and South Korea might have been homogeneous in every respect, but after the division, they steered onto different paths. While schools in the North chose to ‘educate’ their children in the worship of a cult leader, ideological indoctrination and servility, its southern counterpart focused on liberal education, innovation and economic growth.

“Today, almost seven decades later, the difference in the fates of these people and the trajectories of both these nations cannot be more stark. One is known for gross violation of human rights, while the other a champion of liberal democracy. One is known for gut-wrenching poverty, while the other unbridled prosperity.

“This only proves the age old adage that the destiny of a nation is indeed shaped in its classrooms.”

Similarly, for the Social Media essay, my introduction sought to bring to the fore the paradox of Social Media. I wrote on how social media was leveraged to crowdsource help and rescue during Chennai floods in 2015. At the same time, I mentioned how it was used nefariously in 2012 to cause mass exodus of northeast people from Bangalore. And taking cue from this introduction, in the main body, I discussed about the inherent selfishness and altruism associated with social media.

These real life stories, anecdotes and incidents are everywhere in our books and newspapers. So when you come across them, note down and ponder as to how you can use them in your essay.

Developing the Main Content from the Topic

This is like spinning the web from a thread. Depending on the topic, you can choose among the following options that fits best.

• Temporal: Past, present and future
• Sectoral: Media, Science & Tech, Business, Sports, Religion, Politics, Administration etc
• Walks of Life : Individual, Family, Professional workplace, Society, Community, National, Global
• Problem & Solution:  Concept (historical evolution+status), benefits, problems, solutions
• Standard : Social, Political, Economical, Administrative, International, Environmental, Historical, Scientific, Security/Defence, Legal

Example: for a topic like  “Has Globalisation delivered on its promise?”  I find the problem & solution method an apt way to develop your narrative. So choose as per the question.

In the main body of the essay, each para must have an argument or an idea and a reasoning to back that argument. You can substantiate it through a real life example, a statistic, an authentic committee or organisational report etc.

For example, if you are arguing that Capital punishment is an expensive form of justice, you should be able to given an example or a statistic or Law Commission’s opinion as to how the subjects of death penalty are overwhelmingly from poor communities.

Statistics, examples, expert opinions and constitutional provisions are crucial and they make your arguments authoritative.

Concluding an Essay

Conclusion needs to be on  a futuristic, optimistic note. You need to summarise the complete essay in 3-4 sentences, after which you can write your vision for future.

You can source some useful terms from the speeches of PM Modi. Phrases like  Sabka saath sabka vikas ,  Reform-Perform-Transform, Building A New India  etc can come handy.  Rhetoric, lofty expressions, constitutional ideals, sanskrit slokas and quotes are a good way to conclude your essay.

But suppose in your introduction, if you had written about a fictitious character, then it’s always advisable to end your write-up with a reference to that character. It gives a sense of completeness to the essay.

Readers should keep in mind that these notes are written rather haphazardly (I mean who makes notes thinking that in future, they might have to upload them publicly :D)

They are fragmented in certain pages, so you may not be able to comprehend them completely, but nevertheless I hope you take home something useful.

Link to handwritten notes:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jmVMGOzAk2d9B5Y0HQ9XpVF5Mh2IXGku

Quote collection:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jk71jLao60hHwJoTuGYaIDgJWccxa5Xn

List of Topics one needs to prepare:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1q0W0PeH-80EKt6ucJTFOVPUlmXvCIzd-

Sample Essays:  

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jqfUi1FXdG0icBdJpdQvwH1wlAizCMvo

Read More at: https://anudeepdurishetty.in/ 

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Sample Essay for UPSC | How to Prepare and Important Essay Topics for UPSC Exam

February 13, 2024 by Prasanna

Sample Essay for UPSC: Essay writing is an art. One may have a thorough knowledge of a topic or a subject but to use one’s ability, logically and coherently requires logical skills practice and subtle technique. This is why the essay paper, paper 1 of UPSC main examination of 250 marks is very important.

UPSC through Its easy paper checks the coherence in writing of candidate ideas in their minds and the way one can systematically write them on a paper. The essay paper carries 250 marks, consisting of eight questions of two sections, where you have to answer any one item from each area of four questions.

The questions asked in this paper are not subject-specific but a blend of current affairs, ethics agriculture economics etc. The topics range from contemporary social issues to ethical and philosophical inquiries. To score good marks and to test the success, the approach to attempt this paper is to have a broader perspective of history, geography economics, and politics.

You can also find more  Essay Writing  articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

Important Essay Topics for UPSC Civil Service Exams

The ongoing trade war between the US and China has both positive and negative impacts on India as the US continues to escalate Sharif in the name of protectionism which, in turn, will hamper global trade on a large scale and it will have multiple implications on the international relations.

The Water Crisis in India

India is facing one of its major and the most serious water crisis. After two consecutive years of week monsoon, 330 million people- a quarter of the country’s population is affected by severe drought. The trouble is so big that the government of India has to establish a dedicated ministry ” jal Shakti” for tackling the problem of the water crisis and providing clean drinking water.

India and Central Asia

India has a very wide away of interest in Central Asia covering security, energy, economic opportunities, etc. This is the main reason that India hosted the second meeting of the India-Central Asia dialogue in the year 2020. The participation of India in SCO has also increased.

Water Disputes between States

Cauvery water dispute and the Sutlej Yamuna link canal case and Mahadayi river in Goa, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. The interstate river water disputes bill,2017 was introduced in Lok Sabha will be the points to be thought upon

Mob Lynching

The incident of mob lynching is increasing in India. Suggestions of Rajnath Singh and Rajiv Gauba community, how to control mob lynching, whether legislation is required or not.

Religious Diversity Leading to Religious Conflicts

The polarization of vote, mob lynching, cow vigilantism, lack of secularization of society groups gravitate to their communities, the politicization of religion, personal laws, universal Civil Code etc. are points that should necessarily be included.

Nationalism Debate

Effect of globalization, possible substitute suggest Global capitalism, socialist internationalism, and even multilateralism.

Article 370 and Kashmir

Abrogation of Article 370 created a shockwave in national and international politics. Its provisions, controlling the reactions, progress, and development will help explain the topic better.

Ethics in Politics

The recent Lok-Sabha election campaign was full of personal defamation. The role of ECI, revisiting model code of conduct, ethics insides a party and moral values of a leader and so on are the points that should be elaborated in this topic.

Emancipation of Women and Women Empowerment

Passing of the Triple Talaq Bill, the highest number of women MPs in the 17th Lok Sabha.

Criminalization of Politics

17th Lok Sabha will have to maximum number of MPS with criminal antecedent and records. Out of 539, 233 MPs have declared criminal cases against them.

List of Topics One Needs to Prepare

• Education/ higher education/ foreign university in higher education
• Social media
• Women empowerment/ gender bias
• Disaster management
• Science and technology
• Environment / sustainable development
• Constitution
• Hunger / poverty / food security
• Water security
• Political / electoral reforms / democracy
• Freedom of speech
• Terrorism/ internal security/ cyber security
• Human resources/employment
• Human development
• United Nations
• Foreign policy
• Globalization
• Organization
• Communism/ secularism
• Society/ diversity
• Development
• Ethics/ values/ morals
• Capital punishment
• Swachh Bharat

Some more Sample Essay Topics for UPSC

• Higher education and skill acquisition
• De legalization of section 377
• Social security policies of the central government
• depreciation of rupee
• Impact of increasing oil prices on the Indian economy

How and from where to prepare?

Most of the content you write in your essay will come from your GS preparation. Other sources that might help are:

Reading Non-fiction: Reading non-fiction helps you develop a mature thought process. Apart from important knowledge, they also let you come across good figures of speech, the art of argumentation, powerful rhetoric and unique content, and many more. Therefore, apart from UPSC-related books developing a hobby of reading non-fiction books occasionally in your free time will benefit you in the long run.

Referring to Specific Magazines: For certain topics, you can refer to particular magazine issues of Yojana/financial services. Going through specific problems of these magazines gets you the latest statistics and also the positive remarks or criticisms of the government scheme in one specific sector.

Collecting Good Stories/Anecdotes and Quotations: Anecdotes, quotes and real-life stories that you see in newspapers and books which can be used in essays should be noted down. Using them in your article wisely will always fetch you marks.

The essay paper is one of the nine papers in the UPSC civil service main exam. In this paper, you will have to write two essays, each with a word count of 1000-1200. You have to select one topic out of the four given ones. The paper has a total of 250 marks. Essay writing is mandatory for most of the competitive exams and entrance exam and is often wrongly termed as the easiest paper. Through your essay, you show the reader your viewpoint of a matter, and the only way to leave a striking impression is through rigorous practice.

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