UPSC Mains Question Paper – 2016

Practicing with the previous year’s UPSC question papers is a highly recommended strategy to understand the nature of the exam. Solving authentic IAS question paper will give you a true sense of the pattern and style of questions that will be asked on the UPSC Mains exam.

Once the recruitment process is complete, the conducting body releases official UPSC previous year question papers PDFs along with their answer keys. It is crucial for IAS exam candidates to focus on solving and answering these questions to grasp the level of difficulty of the examination.

This article presents the previous year’s UPSC main question paper of 2016. Doing well on these papers will boost a candidate’s confidence and assist them in identifying the most important topics from the civil services exam perspective.

UPSC Mains General Studies Paper – 1 Mains 2016

1. Early Buddhist Stupa-art, while depicting folk motifs and narratives, successfully expoundsBuddhist ideals. Elucidate.

2. Krishnadeva Raya, the king of Vijayanagar, was not only an accomplished scholar himself but was a also a great patron of learning and literature. Discuss.

3. Explain how the upraising of 1857 constitutes an important watershed in the evolution of British policies towards colonial India.

4. Discuss the role of women in the freedom struggle especially during the Gandhian phase.

5. Highlight the differences in the approach of Subhash Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi in the struggle for freedom. 

6. Has the formation of linguistic states strengthened the cause of Indian unity?

7. The anti-colonial struggles in West Africa were led by the new elite of Western -educated Africans. Examine.

8. To what extent globalisation has influenced the core of cultural diversity in India? Explain.

9. “An essential condition to eradicate poverty is to liberate the poor from the process of deprivation.” Substantiate this statement with suitable examples. 

10. 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.

11. With a brief background of quality of urban life in India, introduce the objectives and strategy of the ‘Smart City Programme.”

12. What is the basis of regionalism? Is it that unequal distribution of benefits of development on regional basis eventually promotes regionalism? Substantiate your answer.

13. Discuss the concept of air mass and explain its role in macro-climatic changes.

14. “The Himalayas are highly prone to landslides.”Discuss the causes and suggest suitable measures of mitigation.

15. The effective management of land and water resources will drastically reduce the human miseries. Explain.

16. South China Sea has assumed great geopolitical significance in the present context. Comment.

17. Major cities of India are becoming vulnerable to flood conditions. Discuss.

18. Present an account of the Indus Water Treaty and examine its ecological, economic and political implications in the context of changing bilateral relations.

19. Enumerate the problems and prospects of inland water transport in India.

20. In what way micro-watershed development projects help in water conservation in drought-prone and semi-arid regions of India? 

UPSC Mains General Studies Paper – 2 Mains 2016

1. Discuss the essentials of the 69th Constitutional Amendment Act and anomalies, if any, that have led to recent reported conflicts between the elected representatives and the institution of the Lieutenant Governor in the administration of Delhi. Do you think that this will give rise to a new trend in the functioning of the Indian federal politics?

2. To what extent is Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, bearing marginal note “temporary provision with respect to the State of Jammu and Kashmir”, temporary? Discuss the future prospects of this provision in the context of Indian polity.

3. “The Indian party system is passing through a phase of transition which looks to be full of contradictions and paradoxes.” Discuss.

4. Exercise of CAG’s powers in relation to the accounts of the Union and the States is derived from Article 149 of the Indian Constitution. Discuss whether audit of the Government’s policy implementation could amount to overstepping its own (CAG) jurisdiction.

5. Discuss each adjective attached to the word ‘Republic’ in the ‘Preamble’. Are they defendable in the present circumstances?

6. What was held in the Coelho case? In this context, can you say that judicial review is of key importance amongst the basic features of the Constitution?

7. Did the Government of India Act, 1935 lay down a federal constitution? Discuss.

8. What is quasi judicial body? Explain with the help of concrete examples.

9. Professor Amartya Sen has advocated important reforms in the realms of primary education and primary health care. What are your suggestions to improve their status and performance?

10. “In the Indian governance system, the role of non-state actors has been only marginal.” Critically examine this statement.

11. “Effectiveness of the government system at various levels and people’s participation in the governance system are inter-dependent/” Discuss their relationship in the context of India.

12. In the integrity index of Transparency International, India stands very low. Discuss briefly the legal, political, social and cultural factors that have caused the decline of public morality in India.

13. Has the Indian governmental system responded adequately to the demands of Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization started in 1991? What can the government do to be responsive to this important change?

14. “Traditional bureaucratic structure and culture have hampered the process of socio-economic development in India.” Comment.

15. Examine the main provisions of the National Child Policy and throw light on the status of its implementation.

16. “Demographic Dividend in India will remain only theoretical unless our manpower becomes more educated, aware, skilled and creative.” What measures have been taken by the government to enhance the capacity of our population to be more productive and employable?

17. “The broader aims and objectives of WTO are to manage and promote international trade in the era of globalization. But the Doha round of negotiations seem doomed due to differences between the developed and the developing countries.” Discuss in the Indian perspective.

18. Evaluate the economic and strategic dimensions of India’s Look East Policy in the context of the post Cold War international scenario.

19. “Increasing cross-border terrorist attacks in India and growing interference in the internal affairs of member-states by Pakistan are not conducive for the future of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation).” Explain with suitable examples.

20. What are the aims and objectives of the McBride Commission of the UNESCO? What is India’s position on these?

UPSC Mains General Studies Paper – 3 Mains 2016

1. How globalization has led to the reduction of employment in the formal sector of the Indian economy? Is increased informalization detrimental to the development of the country?

2. Women empowerment in India needs gender budgeting. What are the requirements and status of gender budgeting in the Indian context?

3. Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) is necessary for bringing unbanked to the institutional finance fold. Do you agree with this for  financial inclusion of the poor section of the Indian society? Give arguments to justify your opinion.

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 the light of PURA and RURBAN Mission.

5. Justify the need for FDI for the development of the Indian economy. Why there is gap between MOUs signed and actual FDIs? Suggest remedial steps to be taken for increasing actual FDIs in India.

6. Comment on the challenges for inclusive growth which include careless and useless manpower in the Indian context. Suggest measures to be taken for facing hese challenges.

7. What is water-use efficiency? Describe the role of micro-irrigation in increasing the water-use efficiency.

8. What is allelopathy? Discuss its role in major cropping systems of irrigated agriculture.

9. Discuss the role of land reforms in agricultural development. Identify the factors that were responsible for the success of land reforms in India.

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).

11. Give an account of the current status and the targets to be achieved pertaining to renewable energy sources in the country. Discuss in brief the importance of National Programme on Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).

12. Discuss India’s achievements in the field of Space Science and Technology. How the application of this technology has helped India in its socio-economic development?

13. Why is nanotechnology one of the key technologies of the 21st century? Describe  the salient features of Indian Government’s Mission on Nanoscience and Technology and the scope of its application in the development process of the country.

14. Rehabilitation of human settlements is one of the important environmental impacts which always attracts controversy while planning major projects. Discuss the measures suggested for mitigation of this impact while proposing major developmental projects.

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.

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.

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.

18. ‘Terrorism is emerging as a competitive industry over the last few decades.”  Analyse the above statement.

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.

20. Use of 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.

UPSC Mains General Studies Paper – 4 Mains 2016

SECTION – A

1. (a) Explain how ethics contributes to social and human well-being. (150 words) 10 marks

(b) Why should impartiality and non-partisanship be considered as foundational values in public services, especially in the present day socio-political context? Illustrate your answer with examples. (150 words) 10

2. (a) What do you understand by the terms ‘governance’, ‘good governance’ and ‘ethical governance’? (150 words) 10

(b) Discuss Mahatma Gandhi’s concept of seven sins. (150 words) 10

3. (a) Analyse John rawls’s concept of social justice in the Indian Context. (150 word) 10

(b) Discuss the Public Services Code as recommended by the 2nd Administrative Refroms Commission. (150 words) 10 marks

4. (a) “Corruption causes misuse of government treasury, administrative inefficiency and obstruction in the path of national development.” Discuss Kautilya’s views. (150 words) 10 marks.

(b) How could social influence and persuasion contribute to the success of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan? (150 words) 10 marks.

5. Law and ethics are considered to be the two tools for controlling human conduct so as to make it conducive to civilized social existence.

(a) Discuss how they achieve this objective.

(b) Giving examples, show how the two differ in their approaches. (150 words)  10 marks.

6. Our attitudes towards life, work, other people and society are generally shaped unconsciously by the family and the social surroundings in which we grow up. Some of these unconsciously acquired attitudes and values are often undesirable in the citizens of a modern democratic and egalitarian society.

(a) Discuss such undesirable values prevalent in Today’s educated Indians

(b) How can such undesirable attitudes be changed and socioethical values considered necessary in public services be cultivated in the aspiring and serving civil servants? (150 words)  10 marks.

7. Anger is a harmful negative emotion. It is injurious to both personal life and work life.

(a) Discuss how it leads to negative emotions and undesirable behaviors.

(b) How can hit be managed and controlled? (150 words) 10 marks

SECTION – B

8. “Max Weber said that it is not wise to apply to public administration the sort of moral and ethical norms we apply to matters of personal conscience. It is important to realize that the state bureaucracy might possess its own independent bureaucratic morality.” Critically analyse this statement. (150 words) 10 marks.

9. A fresh engineering graduate gets a job in a prestigious chemical industry. She likes the work. The salary is also good. However, after a few months she accidentally discovers that a highly toxic waste is being secretly discharged into a river nearby. This is causing health problems to the villagers downstream who depend on the river for their water needs. She is perturbed and mentions her concern to her colleagues who have been with the company for longer periods. They advise her to keep quite as anyone who mentions the topic is summarily dismissed. She cannot risk losing her job as she is the sole bread-winner for her family and has to support her ailing parents and siblings. At first, she thinks that if her seniors are keeping quiet, why should she stick out her neck. But her conscience pricks her to do something to save the river and the people who depend upon it. At heart she feels that the advice of silence given by her friends is not correct though she cannot give reasons for it. She thinks you are a wise person and seeks your advice. (a) What arguments can you advance to show her that keeping quiet is not morally right? (b) What course of action would you advise her to adopt and why? (250 words)  20 marks

10. Land needed for mining, dams and other large-scale projects is acquired mostly from Adivasis, hill dwellers and rural communities. The displaced persons are paid monetary compensation as per the legal provisions. However, the payment is often tardy. In any case, hit cannot sustain the displaced families for long. These people do not possess marketable skills to engage in some other accusation. They end up as low paid migrant laborers. Moreover, their development go to industries, industrialists and urban communities whereas the costs are passed on to these poor helpless people. This unjust distribution of costs and benefits is unethical. Suppose you have been entrusted with the task of drafting a better compensation-cum-rehabilitation policy for such displaced persons, how would you approach the problem and what would be the main elements of your suggested policy? (250 words)  20 marks.

11. Suppose you are an officer in-charge of implementing a social service scheme to provide support to old and destitute women. An old and illiterate woman comes to you to avail the benefits of the scheme. However, she has no documents to show that she fulfills the eligibility criteria. But after meeting her and listening to her you feel that she certainly needs support. Your enquirers also show that she is really destitute and living in a pitiable condition. You are in a dilemma as to what to do. Putting her under the scheme without necessary documents would clearly be violation of rules. But denying her the support would be cruel and inhuman. a) Can you think of a rational way to resolve this dilemma? b) Give your reasons for it. (250 words)  20 marks.

12. You are a young, aspiring and sincere employee in a Government office working as an assistant to the director of your department. Since you have joined recently, you need to lean and progress. Luckily your superior is very kind and ready to train you for your job. He is a very intelligent and well-informed person having knowledge of various departments. In short, you respect your boss and are looking forward to lean a lot from him. Since you have good tuning with the boss, he started depending on you. One day due to ill health he invited you at his place for finishing some urgent work. You reached his house and before you could ring the bell you heard shouting noises. You waited for a while. After entering the house the boss greeted you and explained the work. But you were constantly disturbed by the crying of a woman. At last, you inquired with the boss but his answer did not satisfy you. Next day, you were compelled to inquire further in the office and found out that his behavior is very bad at home with his wife. He also beats up bit wife. His wife is not well educated and is a simple woman in comparison to her husband. you see that though your boss is a nice person in the office, he is engaged in domestic violence at home. In such a situation, you are left with the following options. Analyse each option with its consequences. (a) just ignore thinking about it because it is their personal matter. (b) Report the case to the appropriate authority. (c) Your own innovative approach towards the situation. (250 words)  20 marks.

13. ABC Ltd. Is a large transnational company having diversified business activities with a huge shareholder base. The company is continuously expanding the generating employment. The company, in its expansion and diversification programme, decides to establish a new plant at Vikaspuri, an area which is underdeveloped. The new plant is designed to use energy efficient technology that will help the company to save production cost by 20%. The company’s decision goes well with the Government policy of attracting investment to develop such underdeveloped regions. The government has also announced tax holiday for five years for the companies that invest in underdeveloped areas. However, the new plant may bring chaos for the inhabitants of Vikaspuri region, which is otherwise tranquil. The new plant may result in increased cost of living, aliens migrating to the region, disturbing the social and economic order. The company sensing the possible protest tried to educate the people of Vikaspuri region and public in general that how its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy would help overcome the likely difficulties of the residents of Vikaspuri region. In spite of this the protests begin and some of the residents decided to approach the judiciary as their plea before the Government did not yield any result. a) Identify the issues involved in the case b) What can be suggested to satisfy the company’s goal and to address the residents’ concern? (300 words)  25 marks.

14. Saraswati was a successful IT professional in USA. Moved by the patriotic sense of doing something for the country she returned to India. Together with some other like minded friends, she formed an NGO to build a school for a poor rural community. The objective of the school was to provide the best quality modern education at a nominal cost. She soon discovered that she has to seek permission from a number of Government agencies. The rules and procedures were quite confusing and cumbersome. What frustrated her most was delays, callous attitude of officials and constant demand for bribes. Her experience and the experience of many others like her has deterred people from taking up social service projects. A measure of Government control over voluntary social work is necessary. But it should not be exercised in a coercive a corrupt manner. What measures can you suggest to ensure that due control is exercised but well meaning, honest NGO efforts are not thwarted? (300 words) 25 marks.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Q: What is the format of the UPSC Mains Civil Services IAS Question Paper in 2016?

A: The UPSC Mains Civil Services IAS Question Paper in 2016 follows a descriptive format, consisting of essay-type questions and various papers covering subjects such as General Studies, Optional Subjects, and qualifying language papers.

2. Q: How many papers are there in the UPSC Mains Civil Services IAS Exam in 2016?

A: The UPSC Mains Civil Services IAS Exam in 2016 comprises a total of 9 papers, including two qualifying language papers. The rest of the papers cover General Studies, Essay, and Optional Subjects chosen by the candidates.

3. Q: Are there any changes in the UPSC Mains Exam pattern for 2016?

A: It’s advisable to check the latest UPSC notifications for any updates or changes in the exam pattern for the year 2016.

4. Q: Can I use a pen or pencil for writing answers in the UPSC Mains Exam?

A: Candidates are required to write their answers in the UPSC Mains Exam using a black ballpoint pen only. Pencils are not allowed for writing answers.

5. Q: How are the Optional Subject papers structured in the UPSC Mains Civil Services IAS Exam 2016?

A: Each Optional Subject in the UPSC Mains Exam consists of two papers (Paper-I and Paper-II), each carrying 250 marks. The syllabus for Optional Subjects is specified by the UPSC, and candidates can choose from a list of approved subjects based on their interests and expertise.

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