Are you preparing for UPSC CSE Mains? One of the most effective strategies is to thoroughly analyze previous year questions (PYQs). This post provides a comprehensive compilation of UPSC GS3 PYQ from 2015 to 2024. Covering topics like Economic Development, Technology, Environment, Security, and Disaster Management, GS Paper 3 is critical for success in the exam.
Understanding the type of questions asked, recurring themes, and new trends can help you plan your preparation effectively. Dive into this resource to strengthen your strategy and excel in the UPSC Mains!
Year-wise Compilation of UPSC GS3 PYQ (2015-2024):
UPSC CSE Mains 2024 General Studies Paper 3 (GS 3) Previous Year Questions
1.Examine the pattern and trend of public expenditure on social services in the post-reforms period in India. To what extent has this been in consonance with achieving the objective of inclusive growth?
(10 marks, 150 words)
2.What are the causes of persistent high food inflation in India? Comment on the effectiveness of the monetary policy of the RBI to control this type of inflation.
(10 marks, 150 words)
3.What were the factors responsible for the successful implementation of land reforms in some parts of the country? Elaborate.
(10 marks, 150 words)
4.Explain the role of millets in ensuring health and nutritional security in India.
(10 marks, 150 words)
5.What is the present world scenario of intellectual property rights with respect to life materials? Although India is second in the world to file patents, only a few have been commercialized. Explain the reasons behind this less commercialization.
(10 marks, 150 words)
6.What is the technology being employed for electronic toll collection on highways? What are its advantages and limitations? What are the proposed changes that will make this process seamless? Would this transition carry any potential hazards?
(10 marks, 150 words)
7.Industrial pollution of river water is a significant environmental issue in India. Discuss the various mitigation measures to deal with this problem and the government’s initiatives in this regard.
(10 marks, 150 words)
8.What role do Environmental NGOs and activists play in influencing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) outcomes for major projects in India? Cite four examples with details.
(10 marks, 150 words)
9.Explain how narco-terrorism has emerged as a serious threat across the country. Suggest suitable measures to counter narco-terrorism.
(10 marks, 150 words)
10.Describe the context and salient features of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
(10 marks, 150 words)
11.Discuss the merits and demerits of the four ‘Labour Codes’ in the context of labour market reforms in India. What has been the progress so far in this regard?
(15 marks, 250 words)
12.What is the need for expanding regional air connectivity in India? In this context, discuss the government’s UDAN Scheme and its achievements.
(15 marks, 250 words)
13.What are the major challenges faced by the Indian irrigation system in recent times? State the measures taken by the government for efficient irrigation management.
(15 marks, 250 words)
14.Elucidate the importance of buffer stocks for stabilizing agricultural prices in India. What are the challenges associated with the storage of buffer stock? Discuss.
(15 marks, 250 words)
15.The world is facing an acute shortage of clean and safe freshwater. What are the alternative technologies which can solve this crisis? Briefly discuss any three such technologies citing their key merits and demerits.
(15 marks, 250 words)
16.What are asteroids? How real is the threat of them causing extinction of life? What strategies have been developed to prevent such a catastrophe?
(15 marks, 250 words)
17.What is disaster resilience? How is it determined? Describe various elements of a resilience framework. Also mention the global targets of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030).
(15 marks, 250 words)
18.Flooding in urban areas is an emerging climate-induced disaster. Discuss the causes of this disaster. Mention the features of two such major floods in the last two decades in India. Describe the policies and frameworks in India that aim at tackling such floods.
(15 marks, 250 words)
19.India has a long and troubled border with China and Pakistan fraught with contentious issues. Examine the conflicting issues and security challenges along the border. Also give out the development being undertaken in these areas under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) and Border Infrastructure and Management (BIM) Scheme.
(15 marks, 250 words)
20.Social media and encrypting messaging services pose a serious security challenge. What measures have been adopted at various levels to address the security implications of social media? Also suggest any other remedies to address the problem.
(15 marks, 250 words)
UPSC CSE Mains 2023 General Studies Paper 3 (GS 3) Previous Year Questions
1.Faster economic growth requires increased share of the manufacturing sector in GDP, particularly of MSMEs. Comment on the present policies of the Government in this regard.
(Answer in 150 words)
(10 marks)
2.What is the status of digitalization in the Indian economy? Examine the problems faced in this regard and suggest improvements.
(Answer in 150 words)
(10 marks)
3.How does e-Technology help farmers in production and marketing of agricultural produce? Explain it.
(Answer in 150 words)
(10 marks)
4.State the objectives and measures of land reforms in India. Discuss how land ceiling policy on landholding can be considered as an effective reform under economic criteria.
(Answer in 150 words)
(10 marks)
5.Introduce the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI). How does AI help clinical diagnosis? Do you perceive any threat to privacy of the individual in the use of AI in the healthcare?
(Answer in 150 words)
(10 marks)
6.Discuss several ways in which microorganisms can help in meeting the current fuel shortage.
(Answer in 150 words)
(10 marks)
7.Dam failures are always catastrophic, especially on the downstream side, resulting in a colossal loss of life and property. Analyze the various causes of dam failures. Give two examples of large dam failures.
(Answer in 150 words)
(10 marks)
8.What is oil pollution? What are its impacts on the marine ecosystem? In what way is oil pollution particularly harmful for a country like India?
(Answer in 150 words)
(10 marks)
9.Winning of ‘Hearts and Minds’ in terrorism-affected areas is an essential step in restoring the trust of the population. Discuss the measures adopted by the Government in this respect as part of the conflict resolution in Jammu and Kashmir.
(Answer in 150 words)
(10 marks)
10.The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by our adversaries across the borders to ferry arms/ammunitions, drugs, etc., is a serious threat to the internal security. Comment on the measures being taken to tackle this threat.
(Answer in 150 words)
(10 marks)
11.Most of the unemployment in India is structural in nature. Examine the methodology adopted to compute unemployment in the country and suggest improvements.
(Answer in 250 words)
(15 marks)
12.Distinguish between ‘care economy’ and ‘monetized economy’. How can care economy be brought into monetized economy through women empowerment?
(Answer in 250 words)
(15 marks)
13.Explain the changes in cropping pattern in India in the context of changes in consumption pattern and marketing conditions.
(Answer in 250 words)
(15 marks)
14.What are the direct and indirect subsidies provided to the farm sector in India? Discuss the issues raised by the World Trade Organization (WTO) in relation to agricultural subsidies.
(Answer in 250 words)
(15 marks)
15.The adoption of electric vehicles is rapidly growing worldwide. How do electric vehicles contribute to reducing carbon emissions and what are the key benefits they offer compared to traditional combustion engine vehicles?
(Answer in 250 words)
(15 marks)
16.What is the main task of India’s third moon mission which could not be achieved in its earlier mission? List the countries that have achieved this task. Introduce the subsystems in the spacecraft launched and explain the role of the ‘Virtual Launch Control Centre’ at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre which contributed to the successful launch from Sriharikota.
(Answer in 250 words)
(15 marks)
17.Comment on the National Wetland Conservation Programme initiated by the Government of India and name a few of India’s wetlands of international importance included in the Ramsar Sites.
(Answer in 250 words)
(15 marks)
18.The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predicted a global sea level rise of about one metre by AD 2100. What would be its impact in India and the other countries in the Indian Ocean region?
(Answer in 250 words)
(15 marks)
19.What are the internal security challenges being faced by India? Give out the role of Central Intelligence and Investigative Agencies tasked to counter such threats.
(Answer in 250 words)
(15 marks)
20.Give out the major sources of terror funding in India and efforts being made to curtail these sources. In the light of this, also discuss the aim and objective of the ‘No Money for Terror [NMFT]’ Conference recently held at New Delhi in November 2022.
(Answer in 250 words)
(15 marks)
UPSC CSE Mains 2021 General Studies Paper 3 (GS 3) Previous Year Questions
1. Explain the difference between computing methodology of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) before the year 2015 and after the year 2015. (Answer in 150 words)
2. Distinguish between Capital Budget and Revenue Budget. Explain the components of both these Budgets. (Answer in 150 words)
3. How did land reforms in some parts of the country help to improve the socio-economic conditions of marginal and small farmers? (Answer in 150 words)
4. How and to what extent would micro-irrigation help in solving India’s water crisis? (Answer in 150 words)
5. How is S-400 air defence system technically superior to any other system presently available in the world? (Answer in 150 words)
6. Explain the purpose of the Green Grid Initiative launched at World Leaders Summit of the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November, 2021. When was this idea first floated in the International Solar Alliance (ISA)? (Answer in 150 words)
7. Describe the key points of the revised Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) recently released by the World Health Organisation (WHO). How are these different from its last update in 2005? What changes in India’s National Clean Air Programme are required to achieve these revised standards? (Answer in 150 words)
8. Discuss about the vulnerability of India to earthquake-related hazards. Give examples including the salient features of major disasters caused by earthquakes in different parts of India during the last three decades. (Answer in 150 words)
9. Discuss how emerging technologies and globalisation contribute to money laundering. Elaborate measures to tackle the problem of money laundering both at national and international levels. (Answer in 150 words)
10. Keeping in view India’s internal security, analyse the impact of cross-border cyber attacks. Also discuss defensive measures against these sophisticated attacks. (Answer in 150 words)
11. Do you agree that the Indian economy has recently experienced V-shaped recovery? Give reasons in support of your answer. (Answer in 250 words)
12. “Investment in infrastructure is essential for more rapid and inclusive economic growth.” Discuss in the light of India’s experience. (Answer in 250 words)
13. What are the salient features of the National Food Security Act, 2013? How has the Food Security Bill helped in eliminating hunger and malnutrition in India? (Answer in 250 words)
14. What are the present challenges before crop diversification? How do emerging technologies provide an opportunity for crop diversification? (Answer in 250 words)
15. What are the research and developmental achievements in applied biotechnology? How will these achievements help to uplift the poorer sections of the society? (Answer in 250 words)
16. The Nobel Prize in Physics of 2014 was jointly awarded to Akasaki, Amano and Nakamura for the invention of Blue LEDs in 1990s. How has this invention impacted the everyday life of human beings? (Answer in 250 words)
17. Describe the major outcomes of the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). What are the commitments made by India in this conference? (Answer in 250 words)
18. Describe the various causes and the effects of landslides. Mention the important components of the National Landslide Risk Management Strategy. (Answer in 250 words)
19. Analyse the multidimensional challenges posed by external state and non-state actors, to the internal security of India. Also discuss measures required to be taken to combat these threats. (Answer in 250 words)
20. Analyse the complexity and intensity of terrorism, its causes, linkages and obnoxious nexus. Also suggest measures required to be taken to eradicate the menace of terrorism. (Answer in 250 words)
UPSC CSE Mains 2020 General Studies Paper 3 (GS 3) Previous Year Questions
1. Explain intra-generational and inter-generational issues of equity from the perspective of inclusive growth and sustainable development. (Answer in 150 words)
2. Define potential GDP and explain its determinants. What are the factors that have been inhibiting India from realizing its potential GDP? (Answer in 150 words)
3. What are the main constraints in transport and marketing of agricultural produce in India? (Answer in 150 words)
4. What are the challenges and opportunities of food processing sector in the country? How can income of the farmers be substantially increased by encouraging food processing? (Answer in 150 words)
5. What do you understand by nanotechnology and how is it helping in health sector? (Answer in 150 words)
6. How is science interwoven deeply with our lives? What are the striking changes in agriculture triggered off by the science-based technologies? (Answer in 150 words)
7. How does the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2020 differ from the existing EIA Notification, 2006? (Answer in 150 words)
8. What are the salient features of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan launched by the Government of India for water conservation and water security? (Answer in 150 words)
9. Discuss different types of cybercrimes and measures required to be taken to fight the menace. (Answer in 150 words)
10. For effective border area management, discuss the steps required to be taken to deny local support to militants and also suggest ways to manage favourable perception among locals. (Answer in 150 words)
11. Explain the meaning of investment in an economy in terms of capital formation. Discuss the factors to be considered while designing a concession agreement between a public entity and a private entity. (Answer in 250 words)
12. Explain the rationale behind the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Act of 2017. How has COVID-19 impacted the GST compensation fund and created new federal tensions? (Answer in 250 words)
13. What are the major factors responsible for making rice-wheat system a success? In spite of this success, how has this system become bane in India? (Answer in 250 words)
14. Suggest measures to improve water storage and irrigation system to make its judicious use under depleting scenario. (Answer in 250 words)
15. COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented devastation worldwide. However, technological advancements are being availed readily to win over the crisis. Give an account of how technology was sought to aid management of the pandemic. (Answer in 250 words)
16. Describe the benefits of deriving electric energy from sunlight in contrast to the conventional energy generation. What are the initiatives offered by our Government for this purpose? (Answer in 250 words)
17. What are the key features of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) initiated by the Government of India? (Answer in 250 words)
18. Discuss the recent measures initiated in disaster management by the Government of India departing from the earlier reactive approach. (Answer in 250 words)
19. What are the determinants of left-wing extremism in Eastern part of India? What strategy should Government of India, civil administration and security forces adopt to counter the threat in the affected areas? (Answer in 250 words)
20. Analyse internal security threats and transborder crimes along Myanmar, Bangladesh and Pakistan borders including Line of Control (LoC). Also discuss the role played by various security forces in this regard. (Answer in 250 words)
UPSC CSE Mains 2019 General Studies Paper 3 (GS 3) Previous Year Questions
1. Enumerate the indirect taxes which have been subsumed in the goods and services tax (GST) in India. Also, comment on the revenue implications of the GST introduced in India since July 2017. (Answer in 150 words)
2. Do you agree with the view that steady GDP growth and low inflation have left the Indian economy in good shape? Give reasons in support of your arguments. (Answer in 150 words)
3. How far is Integrated Farming System (IFS) helpful in sustaining agricultural production? (Answer in 150 words)
4. Elaborate the impact of National Watershed Project in increasing agricultural production from water-stressed areas. (Answer in 150 words)
5. How was India benefitted from the contributions of Sir M. Visvesvaraya and Dr. M. S. Swaminathan in the fields of water engineering and agricultural science respectively? (Answer in 150 words)
6. What is India’s plan to have its own space station and how will it benefit our space programme? (Answer in 150 words)
7. Coastal sand mining, whether legal or illegal, poses one of the biggest threats to our environment. Analyze the impact of sand mining along the Indian coasts, citing specific examples. (Answer in 150 words)
8. Vulnerability is an essential element for defining disaster impacts and its threat to people. How and in what ways can vulnerability to disasters be characterized? Discuss different types of vulnerability with reference to disasters. (Answer in 150 words)
9. The banning of ‘Jammat-e-Islami’ in Jammu and Kashmir brought into focus the role of over-ground workers (OGWs) in assisting terrorist organizations. Examine the role played by OGWs in assisting terrorist organizations in insurgency affected areas. Discuss measures to neutralize influence of OGWs. (Answer in 150 words)
10. What is CyberDome Project? Explain how it can be useful in controlling internet crimes in India. (Answer in 150 words)
11. It is argued that the strategy of inclusive growth is intended to meet the objectives of inclusiveness and sustainability together. Comment on this statement. (Answer in 250 words)
12. The public expenditure management is a challenge to the Government of India in context of budget making during the post-liberalization period. Clarify it. (Answer in 250 words)
13. What are the reformative steps taken by the Government to make food grain distribution system more effective? (Answer in 250 words)
14. Elaborate the policy taken by the Government of India to meet the challenges of the food processing sector. (Answer in 250 words)
15. How is the Government of India protecting traditional knowledge of medicine from patenting by pharmaceutical companies? (Answer in 250 words)
16. How can biotechnology help to improve the living standards of farmers? (Answer in 250 words)
17. Define the concept of carrying capacity of an ecosystem as relevant to an environment. Explain how understanding this concept is vital while planning for sustainable development of a region. (Answer in 250 words)
18. Disaster preparedness is the first step in any disaster management process. Explain how hazard zonation mapping will help disaster mitigation in the case of landslides. (Answer in 250 words)
19. Indian Government has recently strengthened the anti-terrorism laws by amending the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967 and the NIA Act. Analyze the changes in the context of prevailing security environment while discussing the scope and reasons for opposing the UAPA by human rights organizations. (Answer in 250 words)
20. Cross-border movement of insurgents is only one of the several security challenges facing the policing of the border in North-East India. Examine the various challenges currently emanating across the India-Myanmar border. Also, discuss the steps to counter the challenges. (Answer in 250 words)
UPSC CSE Mains 2018 General Studies Paper 3 (GS 3) Previous Year Questions
1.“Access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy is the sine qua non to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).” Comment on the progress made in India in this regard. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
2.Comment on the important changes introduced in respect of the Long-term Capital Gains Tax (LCGT) and Dividend Distribution Tax (DDT) in the Union Budget for 2018-2019. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
3.What do you mean by Minimum Support Price (MSP)? How will MSP rescue the farmers from the low-income trap? (10 Marks, 150 Words)
4.Examine the role of supermarkets in supply chain management of fruits, vegetables, and food items. How do they eliminate the number of intermediaries? (10 Marks, 150 Words)
5.Discuss the work of ‘Bose-Einstein Statistics’ done by Prof. Satyendra Nath Bose and show how it revolutionized the field of Physics. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
6.What are the impediments in disposing of the huge quantities of discarded solid wastes that are continuously being generated? How do we safely remove toxic wastes that have been accumulating in our habitable environment? (10 Marks, 150 Words)
7.What is a wetland? Explain the Ramsar concept of ‘wise use’ in the context of wetland conservation. Cite two examples of Ramsar sites from India. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
8.Sikkim is the first ‘Organic State’ in India. What are the ecological and economic benefits of an Organic State? (10 Marks, 150 Words)
9.The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is viewed as a cardinal subset of China’s larger ‘One Belt One Road’ initiative. Give a brief description of CPEC and enumerate the reasons why India has distanced itself from the same. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
10.Left Wing Extremism (LWE) is showing a downward trend but still affects many parts of the country. Briefly explain the Government of India’s approach to counter the challenges posed by LWE. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
11.How are the principles followed by NITI Aayog different from those followed by the erstwhile Planning Commission in India? (15 Marks, 250 Words)
12.How would the recent phenomena of protectionism and currency manipulations in world trade affect the macroeconomic stability of India? (15 Marks, 250 Words)
13.Assess the role of the National Horticulture Mission (NHM) in boosting the production, productivity, and income of horticulture farms. How far has it succeeded in increasing farmers’ income? (15 Marks, 250 Words)
14.How has the emphasis on certain crops brought about changes in cropping patterns in recent past? Elaborate the emphasis on millets production and consumption. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
15.Why is there so much activity in the field of biotechnology in our country? How has this activity benefitted the field of biopharma? (15 Marks, 250 Words)
16.With growing energy needs, should India keep on expanding its nuclear energy programme? Discuss the facts and fears associated with nuclear energy. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
17.How does biodiversity vary in India? How is the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 helpful in conservation of flora and fauna? (15 Marks, 250 Words)
18.Describe various measures taken in India for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) before and after signing the ‘Sendai Framework for DRR (2015-2030)’. How is this framework different from the ‘Hyogo Framework for Action, 2005’? (15 Marks, 250 Words)
19.Data security has assumed significant importance in the digitized world due to rising cyber-crimes. The Justice B. N. Srikrishna Committee Report addresses issues related to data security. What, in your view, are the strengths and weaknesses of the Report relating to protection of personal data in cyberspace? (15 Marks, 250 Words)
20.India’s proximity to two of the world’s biggest illicit opium-growing states has enhanced her internal security concerns. Explain the linkages between drug trafficking and other illicit activities such as gunrunning, money laundering, and human trafficking. What countermeasures should be taken to prevent the same? (15 Marks, 250 Words)
UPSC CSE Mains 2017 General Studies Paper 3 (GS 3) Previous Year Questions
1.Among several factors for India’s potential growth, savings rate is the most effective one. Do you agree? What are the other factors available for growth potential? (10 Marks, 150 Words)
2.Account for the failure of the manufacturing sector in achieving the goal of labour-intensive exports rather than capital-intensive exports. Suggest measures for more labour-intensive exports. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
3.Examine the developments of airports in India through Joint Ventures under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. What are the challenges faced by the authorities in this regard? (10 Marks, 150 Words)
4.Explain various types of revolutions that took place in agriculture after Independence in India. How have these revolutions helped in poverty alleviation and food security in India? (10 Marks, 150 Words)
5.What are the reasons for the poor acceptance of cost-effective small processing units? How will food processing units help uplift the socio-economic status of poor farmers? (10 Marks, 150 Words)
6.Stem cell therapy is gaining popularity in India to treat a wide variety of medical conditions, including leukemia, thalassemia, damaged cornea, and severe burns. Describe briefly what stem cell therapy is and what advantages it has over other treatments. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
7.India has achieved remarkable successes in unmanned space missions, including Chandrayaan and the Mars Orbiter Mission, but has not ventured into manned space missions, both in terms of technology and logistics. Explain critically. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
8.Not many years ago, river linking was a concept, but it is becoming a reality in the country. Discuss the advantages of river linking and its possible impact on the environment. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
9.Discuss the potential threats of cyber-attacks and the security framework to prevent them. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
10.The north-eastern region of India has been infested with insurgency for a very long time. Analyze the major reasons for the survival of armed insurgency in this region. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
11.One of the intended objectives of Union Budget 2017-18 is to ‘Transform, Energize and Clean India’. Analyze the measures proposed in Budget 2017-18 to achieve this objective. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
12.“Industrial growth rate has lagged behind in the overall growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the post-reform period.” Give reasons. How far are the recent changes in Industrial Policy capable of increasing the industrial growth rate? (15 Marks, 250 Words)
13.What are the salient features of ‘inclusive growth’? Has India been experiencing such a growth process? Analyze and suggest measures for inclusive growth. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
14.What are the major reasons for declining rice and wheat yields in the cropping system? How is crop diversification helpful in stabilizing the yield of crops in the system? (15 Marks, 250 Words)
15.How do subsidies affect the cropping pattern, crop diversity, and economy of farmers? What is the significance of crop insurance, minimum support price, and food processing for small and marginal farmers? (15 Marks, 250 Words)
16.Give an account of the growth and development of nuclear science and technology in India. What is the advantage of the fast breeder reactor programme in India? (15 Marks, 250 Words)
17.‘Climate Change’ is a global problem. How will India be affected by climate change? How will the Himalayan and coastal states of India be impacted? (15 Marks, 250 Words)
18.On December 2004, the tsunami brought havoc to 14 countries, including India. Discuss the factors responsible for the occurrence of a tsunami and its effects on life and the economy. In light of the guidelines of NDMA (2010), describe the mechanisms for preparedness to reduce the risk during such events. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
19.Mob violence is emerging as a serious law and order problem in India. By giving suitable examples, analyze the causes and consequences of such violence. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
20.The scourge of terrorism is a grave challenge to national security. What solutions do you suggest to curb this growing menace? What are the major sources of terrorist funding? (15 Marks, 250 Words)
UPSC CSE Mains 2016 General Studies Paper 3 (GS 3) Previous Year Questions
1.How has globalization led to the reduction of employment in the formal sector of the Indian economy? Is increased informalization detrimental to the development of the country? (10 Marks, 150 Words)
2.Women empowerment in India needs gender budgeting. What are the requirements and status of gender budgeting in the Indian context? (10 Marks, 150 Words)
3.Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) is necessary for bringing the unbanked into the institutional finance fold. Do you agree with this for the financial inclusion of the poor section of Indian society? Give arguments to justify your opinion. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
4.What are ‘Smart Cities’? Examine their relevance for urban development in India. Will it increase rural-urban differences? Give arguments for ‘Smart Villages’ in light of PURA and the RURBAN Mission. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
5.Justify the need for FDI for the development of the Indian economy. Why is there a gap between MOUs signed and actual FDIs? Suggest remedial steps to increase actual FDIs in India. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
6.Comment on the challenges for inclusive growth, which include careless and useless manpower, in the Indian context. Suggest measures to face these challenges. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
7.What is water-use efficiency? Describe the role of micro-irrigation in increasing water-use efficiency. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
8.What is allelopathy? Discuss its role in major cropping systems of irrigated agriculture. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
9.Discuss the role of land reforms in agricultural development. Identify the factors responsible for the success of land reforms in India. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
10.Given the vulnerability of Indian agriculture to vagaries of nature, discuss the need for crop insurance and bring out the salient features of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). (10 Marks, 150 Words)
11.Give an account of the current status and the targets to be achieved concerning renewable energy sources in the country. Discuss briefly the importance of the National Programme on Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). (15 Marks, 250 Words)
12.Discuss India’s achievements in the field of Space Science and Technology. How has the application of this technology helped India in its socio-economic development? (15 Marks, 250 Words)
13.Why is nanotechnology one of the key technologies of the 21st century? Describe the salient features of the Indian Government’s Mission on Nanoscience and Technology and the scope of its application in the development process of the country. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
14.Rehabilitation of human settlements is one of the important environmental impacts that always attract controversy while planning major projects. Discuss the measures suggested for mitigating this impact while proposing major developmental projects. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
15.The frequency of urban floods due to high-intensity rainfall is increasing over the years. Discussing the reasons for urban floods, highlight the mechanisms for preparedness to reduce the risk during such events. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
16.With reference to National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) guidelines, discuss the measures to be adopted to mitigate the impact of recent incidents of cloudbursts in many places of Uttarakhand. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
17.The terms ‘Hot Pursuit’ and ‘Surgical Strikes’ are often used in connection with armed action against terrorist attacks. Discuss the strategic impact of such actions. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
18.‘Terrorism is emerging as a competitive industry over the last few decades.’ Analyze the statement. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
19.Border management is a complex task due to difficult terrain and hostile relations with some countries. Elucidate the challenges and strategies for effective border management. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
20.Use of the internet and social media by non-state actors for subversive activities is a major security concern. How have these been misused in the recent past? Suggest effective guidelines to curb the above threat. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
UPSC CSE Mains 2015 General Studies Paper 3 (GS 3) Previous Year Questions
(Word limit of 200 and carrying 12.5 marks each)
1.The nature of economic growth in India in recent times is often described as a jobless growth. Do you agree with this view? Give arguments in favour of your answer. (12.5 Marks, 200 Words)
2.Livestock rearing has a big potential for providing non-farm employment and income in rural areas. Discuss, suggesting suitable measures to promote this sector in India. (12.5 Marks, 200 Words)
3.In view of the declining average size of land holdings in India, which has made agriculture non-viable for a majority of farmers, should contract farming and land leasing be promoted in agriculture? Critically evaluate the pros and cons. (12.5 Marks, 200 Words)
4.How can the Digital India program help farmers to improve farm productivity and income? What steps has the government taken in this regard? (12.5 Marks, 200 Words)
5.In what way could the replacement of price subsidy with Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) change the scenario of subsidies in India? Discuss. (12.5 Marks, 200 Words)
6.What are the impediments in marketing and supply chain management in developing the food processing industry in India? Can e-commerce help in overcoming these bottlenecks? (12.5 Marks, 200 Words)
7.Craze for gold in India has led to a surge in gold imports in recent years, putting pressure on the balance of payments and the external value of the rupee. In view of this, examine the merits of the Gold Monetization Scheme. (12.5 Marks, 200 Words)
8.“Success of the Make in India program depends on the success of the Skill India program and radical labour reforms.” Discuss with logical arguments. (12.5 Marks, 200 Words)
9.To what factors can the recent dramatic fall in equipment cost and tariff of solar energy be attributed? What implications does this trend have for thermal power producers and related industries? (12.5 Marks, 200 Words)
10.There is a clear acknowledgement that Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are a tool of industrial development, manufacturing, and exports. Recognizing this potential, the whole instrumentality of SEZs requires augmentation. Discuss the issues plaguing the success of SEZs with respect to taxation, governing laws, and administration. (12.5 Marks, 200 Words)
11.What do you understand by “Standard Positioning System” and “Precision Positioning System” in the GPS era? Discuss the advantages India perceives from its ambitious IRNSS programme employing just seven satellites. (12.5 Marks, 200 Words)
12.What are the areas of prohibitive labour that can be sustainably managed by robots? Discuss the initiatives that can propel research in premier research institutes for substantive and gainful innovation. (12.5 Marks, 200 Words)
13.Discuss the advantages and security implications of cloud hosting of servers vis-à-vis in-house machine-based hosting for government business. (12.5 Marks, 200 Words)
14.India’s Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL), which has a database containing formatted information on more than 2 million medicinal formulations, is proving a powerful weapon in the country’s fight against erroneous patents. Discuss the pros and cons of making the database publicly available under open-source licensing. (12.5 Marks, 200 Words)
15.Discuss the Namami Gange and National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) programmes and the causes of mixed results from previous schemes. What quantum leaps can help preserve the river Ganga better than incremental inputs? (12.5 Marks, 200 Words)
16.The frequency of earthquakes appears to have increased in the Indian subcontinent. However, India’s preparedness for mitigating their impact has significant gaps. Discuss various aspects. (12.5 Marks, 200 Words)
17.Human rights activists constantly highlight the fact that the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA), is a draconian act leading to cases of human rights abuses by security forces. What sections of AFSPA are opposed by the activists? Critically evaluate its requirement with reference to the view held by the Apex Court. (12.5 Marks, 200 Words)
18.Religious indoctrination via social media has resulted in Indian youth joining ISIS. What is ISIS and its mission? How can ISIS be dangerous to the internal security of our country? (12.5 Marks, 200 Words)
19.The persisting drives of the government for the development of large industries in backward areas have resulted in isolating the tribal population and farmers, who face multiple displacements. With Malkangiri and Naxalbari as foci, discuss the corrective strategies needed to win the Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected citizens back into the mainstream of social and economic growth. (12.5 Marks, 200 Words)
20.Considering the threats cyberspace poses for the country, India needs a “Digital Armed Forces” to prevent crimes. Critically evaluate the National Cyber Security Policy, 2013, outlining the challenges perceived in its effective implementation. (12.5 Marks, 200 Words)
Preparing for UPSC CSE Mains requires a strategic approach, and analyzing UPSC GS3 PYQ from 2015 to 2024 is an integral part of that strategy. These questions provide valuable insights into the exam’s focus areas, such as Economic Development, Environment, Technology, Internal Security, and Disaster Management.
By identifying recurring themes and new trends, aspirants can prioritize their study material and refine their answer-writing skills. This year-wise compilation serves as a comprehensive guide to help you understand the demand of the exam and improve your preparation.
Remember, success in UPSC is not just about hard work but also about working smart. Make the most of this resource and align your preparation to meet the evolving trends of the examination