UPSC Mains Indian Society Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Topic-wise previous year questions from UPSC Mains — General Studies Paper 1
📋 UPSC Syllabus
Indian Society & Social Issues
Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India. Role of women and women's organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies. Effects of globalization on Indian society. Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.
Trend Analysis
Year-wise and theme-wise distribution of Indian Society questions
2025
5
2024
8
2023
6
2022
5
2021
6
2020
6
2019
7
2018
7
2017
7
2016
7
2015
6
2014
5
2013
5
Salient Features & Diversity of India
14
14
Women & Women's Organisations
11
11
Population
5
5
Poverty & Developmental Issues
8
8
Urbanization: Problems & Remedies
14
14
Effects of Globalisation on Indian Society
12
12
Social Empowerment
10
10
Communalism, Regionalism & Secularism
14
14
Miscellaneous
1
1
Year
Marks
Theme
89 of 89 questions
Salient Features of Indian Society & Diversity of India
1
How do you account for the growing fast food industries given that there are increased health concerns in modern society ? Illustrate your answer with the Indian experience.
202515 Marks250 WordsSalient Features & DiversityQ18
2
Critically analyse the proposition that there is a high correlation between India's cultural diversities and socio-economic marginalities.
202415 Marks250 WordsSalient Features & DiversityQ20
3
Do you think marriage as a sacrament is losing its value in Modern India?
202310 Marks150 WordsSalient Features & DiversityQ8
4
Child cuddling is now being replaced by mobile phones. Discuss its impact on the socialization of Children.
202310 Marks150 WordsSalient Features & DiversityQ10
5
Explore and evaluate the impact of 'Work from Home' on family relationships.
202210 Marks150 WordsSalient Features & DiversityQ8
6
Examine the uniqueness of tribal knowledge system when compared with mainstream knowledge and cultural systems.
202110 Marks150 WordsSalient Features & DiversityQ9
7
How does Indian society maintain continuity in traditional social values? Enumerate the changes taking place in it.
202115 Marks250 WordsSalient Features & DiversityQ20
8
Customs and traditions suppress reason leading to obscurantism. Do you agree?
202015 Marks250 WordsSalient Features & DiversityQ19
9
What makes Indian society unique in sustaining its culture? Discuss.
201910 Marks150 WordsSalient Features & DiversityQ8
10
Do we have cultural pockets of small India all over the nation? Elaborate with examples
201915 Marks250 WordsSalient Features & DiversityQ18
11
In the context of the diversity of India, can it be said that the regions form cultural units rather than the States? Give reasons with examples for your viewpoint.
201710 Marks150 WordsSalient Features & DiversityQ9
12
The spirit of tolerance and love is not only an interesting feature of Indian society from very early times, but it is also playing an important part at the present. Elaborate.
201715 Marks250 WordsSalient Features & DiversityQ11
13
Describe any four cultural elements of diversity in India and rate their relative significance in building a national identity.
201512.5 Marks200 WordsSalient Features & DiversityQ8
14
The life cycle of a joint family depends on economic factors rather than social values. Discuss.
201410 Marks150 WordsSalient Features & DiversityQ13
Women & Women's Organisations
15
Distinguish between gender equality, gender equity and women's empowerment. Why is it important to take gender concerns into account in programme design and implementation?
The women's questions arose in modern India as a part of the 19th-century social reform movement. What are the major issues and debates concerning women in that period?
What is the concept of a 'demographic winter'? Is the world moving towards such a situation? Elaborate.
202410 Marks150 WordsPopulationQ7
27
Discuss the main objectives of Population Education and point out the measures to achieve them in India in detail.
202115 Marks250 WordsPopulationQ18
28
"Empowering women is the key to control population growth". Discuss
201910 Marks150 WordsPopulationQ9
29
Critically examine whether growing population is the cause of poverty OR poverty is the main cause of population increase in India.
201512.5 Marks200 WordsPopulationQ9
30
Discuss the changes in the trends of labour migration within and outside India in the last four decades.
201512.5 Marks200 WordsPopulationQ11
Poverty & Developmental Issues
30
Achieving sustainable growth with emphasis on environmental protection could come into conflict with poor people's needs in a country like India – Comment.
'Despite implementation of various programmes for eradication of poverty by the government in India, poverty is still existing'. Explain by giving reasons.
"An essential condition to eradicate poverty is to liberate the poor from the process of deprivation." Substantiate this statement with suitable examples.
How does smart city in India, address the issues of urban poverty and distributive justice?
202510 Marks150 WordsUrbanizationQ8
39
Why do large cities tend to attract more migrants than smaller towns? Discuss in the light of conditions in developing countries.
202410 Marks150 WordsUrbanizationQ5
40
Does urbanization lead to more segregation and/or marginalization of the poor in Indian metropolises?
202315 Marks250 WordsUrbanizationQ18
41
How is the growth of Tier 2 cities related to the rise of a new middle class with an emphasis on the culture of consumption?
202210 Marks150 WordsUrbanizationQ9
42
What are the environmental implications of the reclamation of the water bodies into urban land use? Explain with examples.
202110 Marks150 WordsUrbanizationQ6
43
What are the main socio-economic implications arising out of the development of IT industries in major cities of India?
202115 Marks250 WordsUrbanizationQ17
44
Account for the huge flooding of million cities in India including the smart ones like Hyderabad and Pune. Suggest lasting remedial measures.
202015 Marks250 WordsUrbanizationQ15
45
How is efficient and affordable urban mass transport key to the rapid economic development of India?
201915 Marks250 WordsUrbanizationQ16
46
"The growth of cities as I.T. hubs has opened up new avenues of employment, but has also created new problems". Substantiate this statement with examples
201715 Marks250 WordsUrbanizationQ20
47
With a brief background of quality of urban life in India, introduce the objectives and strategy of the 'Smart City Programme.'
201612.5 Marks200 WordsUrbanizationQ11
48
Major cities of India are becoming vulnerable to flood conditions. Discuss.
201612.5 Marks200 WordsUrbanizationQ17
49
Smart cities in India cannot sustain without smart villages. Discuss this statement in the backdrop of rural urban integration.
201512.5 Marks200 WordsUrbanizationQ19
50
Discussion the various social problems which originated out of the speedy process of urbanization in India.
201310 Marks200 WordsUrbanizationQ15
51
Bring out the causes for the formation of heat islands in the urban habitat of the world.
201310 Marks100 WordsUrbanizationQ20a
Effects of Globalisation on Indian Society
52
Do you think that globalization results in only an aggressive consumer culture ? Justify your answer.
202510 Marks150 WordsEffects of GlobalisationQ10
53
Globalization has increased urban migration by skilled, young, unmarried women from various classes. How has this trend impacted upon their personal freedom and relationship with family?
202415 Marks250 WordsEffects of GlobalisationQ19
54
Discuss the impact of post-liberal economy on ethnic identity and communalism.
202315 Marks250 WordsEffects of GlobalisationQ20
55
Elucidate the relationship between globalization and new technology in a world of scarce resources, with special reference to India.
202215 Marks250 WordsEffects of GlobalisationQ20
56
What is Cryptocurrency? How does it affect global society? Has it been affecting Indian society also?
202115 Marks250 WordsEffects of GlobalisationQ19
57
Is diversity and pluralism in India under threat due to globalisation? Justify your answer.
202015 Marks250 WordsEffects of GlobalisationQ18
58
Are we losing our local identity for the global identity? Discuss.
201915 Marks250 WordsEffects of GlobalisationQ20
59
Why indentured labour was taken by the British from India to their colonies? have they been able to preserve their cultural identity over there?
201815 Marks250 WordsEffects of GlobalisationQ13
60
'Globalisation is generally said to promote cultural homogenisation but due to this, cultural specificities appear to be strengthened in the Indian society.' Elucidate.
201815 Marks250 WordsEffects of GlobalisationQ19
61
To what extent globalisation has influenced the core of cultural diversity in India? Explain.
201612.5 Marks200 WordsEffects of GlobalisationQ8
62
Discuss the positive and negative effects of globalization on women in India.
201512.5 Marks200 WordsEffects of GlobalisationQ12
63
Critically examine the effects of globalization on the aged population in India.
201310 Marks200 WordsEffects of GlobalisationQ17
Social Empowerment
64
Does tribal development in India centre around two axes, those of displacement and of rehabilitation ? Give your opinion.
202515 Marks250 WordsSocial EmpowermentQ20
65
Despite comprehensive policies for equity and social justice, underprivileged sections are not yet getting the full benefits of affirmative action envisaged by the Constitution. Comment.
202415 Marks250 WordsSocial EmpowermentQ18
66
Why is caste identity in India both fluid and static?
202315 Marks250 WordsSocial EmpowermentQ19
67
Given the diversities among tribal communities in India, in which specific contexts should they be considered as a single category?
202210 Marks150 WordsSocial EmpowermentQ10
68
Has caste lost its relevance in understanding the multi-cultural Indian Society? Elaborate your answer with illustrations.
202010 Marks150 WordsSocial EmpowermentQ8
69
"Caste system is assuming new identities and associational forms. Hence, caste system cannot be eradicated in India." Comment.
201810 Marks150 WordsSocial EmpowermentQ8
70
What are the two major legal initiatives by the State since Independence addressing discrimination against Scheduled Tribes (STs)?
201710 Marks150 WordsSocial EmpowermentQ10
71
Why are the tribals in India referred to as 'the Scheduled Tribes'? Indicate the major provisions enshrined in the Constitution of India for their upliftment.
201612.5 Marks200 WordsSocial EmpowermentQ10
72
How do you explain the statistics that show that the sex ratio in Tribes in India is more favourable to women than the sex ratio among Scheduled Castes?
201512.5 Marks200 WordsSocial EmpowermentQ10
73
Debate the issue of whether and how contemporary movements for assertion of Dalit identity work towards annihilation of caste.
201512.5 Marks200 WordsSocial EmpowermentQ13
Communalism, Regionalism & Secularism
74
Intercaste marriages between castes which have socio-economic parity have increased, to some extent, but this is less true of interreligious marriages. Discuss.
Distinguish between religiousness/religiosity and communalism giving one example of how the former has got transformed into the latter in independent India.
What is the basis of regionalism? Is it that unequal distribution of benefits of development on regional basis eventually promotes regionalism? Substantiate your answer.
