UPSC Optional papers 2015 questions

224 questions from the UPSC Optional papers 2015, each on its own page with its options. The two most recent years are free to read in full.

Q1Archaeological Anthropology. (Answer in 150 words)
Q1“Democracy within bureaucracy is likely to reduce its effectiveness.” Do you agree with this view? Argue your case. (Answer in 150 words)
Q1Idea of Natural Rights (Answer in 150 words)
Q1Is Sociology a Science ? Give reasons for your answer. (Answer in 150 words)
Q1Relevance of tribal Panchsheel today (Answer in 150 words)
Q1Verrier Elwin's views on freedom for the tribals. (Answer in 150 words)
Q1Waldo’s ‘The Administrative State’ provides a fundamental challenge to some of the orthodox premises. Explain. (Answer in 150 words)
Q1Which are the major approaches of comparative politics ? Explain in brief, the political economy approach to the study of comparative inquiry. (Answer in 150…
Q2Aristotle’s Conception of Equality (Answer in 150 words)
Q2Discuss how the Public Choice Theory promotes the concept of ‘Steering’ and undermines the concept of ‘Rowing’ in visualizing efficient and effective…
Q2Discuss the relevance of historical method in the study of society. (Answer in 150 words)
Q2“District Collector’s role in the development process has been overemphasised.” Comment on the statement. (Answer in 150 words)
Q2Do you subscribe to the view that the modern constructs of the State and politics are pre-eminently Eurocentric and not indigenous and appropriate for the…
Q2Jyotirao Phule as an agrarian radical. (Answer in 150 words)
Q2Sacred complex as a dimension of Indian civilization (Answer in 150 words)
Q2Society and Culture. (Answer in 150 words)
Q3“Delegated Legislation is a necessary-evil.” Comment. (Answer in 150 words)
Q3‘Difference Principle’ in Rawls’ Theory of Justice (Answer in 150 words)
Q3Identify the major differences between the classical realism of Hans J. Morgenthau and the neorealism of Kenneth Waltz. Which approach is best suited for…
Q3Incest Taboos. (Answer in 150 words)
Q3Louis Dumont's perspective on Indian caste system. (Answer in 150 words)
Q3South Indian Paleoliths (Answer in 150 words)
Q3What are variables ? Discuss their role in experimental research. (Answer in 150 words)
Q3Why has District Planning been marginalised in many States and remained prominent in a few States? Explain. (Answer in 150 words)
Q4Difference between Participatory and Deliberative Democracy (Answer in 150 words)
Q4Do you agree with the view that the charismatic approach of the mid-1970s is a “new version” of the Classical Trait Theory of Leadership ? Give reasons.…
Q4Horticulture. (Answer in 150 words)
Q4How far Gandhi was trusted by the untouchables? (Answer in 150 words)
Q4Is globalization essentially a process of ‘universalisation’ of capitalist modernity ? (Answer in 150 words)
Q4“Ordinance-making power of the Executive needs to be suitably restrained.” Examine it critically. (Answer in 150 words)
Q4Panchayati Raj Institutions and Social Change (Answer in 150 words)
Q4Which concepts did Weber use to analyse the forms of legitimate domination ? (Answer in 150 words)
Q5Feminization of poverty. (Answer in 150 words)
Q5Gandhi’s Views on State (Answer in 150 words)
Q5Historical Particularism. (Answer in 150 words)
Q5“ ‘Minimum government, maximum governance’ is not just a slogan but a philosophy of administration with enormous potentialities.” Do you agree? Give reasons…
Q5"No society can either be absolutely open or absolutely closed." Comment. (Answer in 150 words)
Q5Rights over resources and tribal unrest (Answer in 150 words)
Q5“The term policy implementation is in some respects preferable to the label public administration.” Argue. (Answer in 150 words)
Q5What is the difference between Interest Groups and Pressure Groups ? Are the Pressure Groups in India in a position to fully protect or promote the interests…
Q6Discuss the role of Calvinist ethic in the development of Capitalism. (Answer in 350 words)
Q6Elucidate the biological and cultural factors in Human Evolution. (Answer in 250 words)
Q6Examine the challenges to sovereignty of the State in the contemporary world. (Answer in 350 words)
Q6Examine the social implications of media and communication technology. (Answer in 350 words)
Q6“Globalisation has transformed the nature and character of State from traditional administrative Welfare State to a Corporate State.” Analyse the changes in…
Q6Is caste system changing, weakening or disintegrating in India? (Answer in 350 words)
Q6‘The struggle for democracy has been marked by bitter strife and tribulations.’ Examine the statement, illustrating the cases of Pakistan, Nepal and Myanmar.…
Q6To what extent has political culture influenced the administrative culture of India? Explain. (Answer in 350 words)
Q7Briefly describe the classical models of ethnic and linguistic classification of Indian population. Discuss its relevance today. (Answer in 250 words)
Q7Briefly discuss the main recommendations of the Punchhi Commission (2010) on Centre-State relations for transforming Indian Federal System. (Answer in 350…
Q7“Contemporary Organisational theory seems further afield of Chester Barnard’s Functions of the Executive than of organisational ecology.” Examine the…
Q7Discuss the key features of pre-Marxist socialist theory. (Answer in 250 words)
Q7Discuss the theory of Nuclear Deterrence. Did Nuclear Deterrence prevent a superpower war ? (Answer in 250 words)
Q7Examine the problems of maintaining objectivity and value neutrality in Social Science research. (Answer in 350 words)
Q7Give some of the important studies relating to the structural changes in the Indian family system. (Answer in 350 words)
Q7How did Morgan explain the evolution of marriage, family and Socio-Political organization, and how did other evolutionists disagree with his explanation ?…
Q8As Dr. B. R. Ambedkar observed, “the text of the Constitution can provide the organs of the State, but the final outcome of the governance process depends on…
Q8Broadly compare the kinship system of North and South India. (Answer in 150 words)
Q8Compare and contrast the views of Kautilya and Machiavelli on Statecraft. (Answer in 250 words)
Q8Discuss the problems faced by religious minorities in India. (Answer in 250 words)
Q8How do diffusionism and evolutionism differ as explanations of Culture Change ? (Answer in 250 words)
Q8“PPPs serve too many parties and too many interests... to be focused.” Identify in the context of the statement, the parties involved in Public-Private…
Q8"Self and Society are twin-born." Examine the statement of Mead. (Answer in 150 words)
Q8What are the real objectives of Millenium Development Goals (MDG) ? Do you think that millennium development goals have been able to achieve the Desired goals…
Q9Define family and critically examine the universality of family. (Answer in 250 words)
Q9Discuss how constitutional provisions in India have built-in mechanisms for dealing with the problem of land alienation in tribal areas. (Answer in 350 words)
Q9Discuss the paradigm of modernization of Indian tradition in analyzing social change in India. (Answer in 350 words)
Q9Do you endorse that the conventional discourse on human rights has failed to include women’s rights ? Explain in the context of feminist theories. (Answer in…
Q9“Follett’s work was not directed towards the resolution of the conflict of ideas, but towards the resolution of structural conflicts between workers and…
Q9“Plato was an enemy of the open society.” (Popper) Comment. (Answer in 350 words)
Q9The objectives, approaches and organisational arrangements for decision-making of the NITI Aayog aim at restoring the federal character of the Indian polity.…
Q9Why is random sampling said to have more reliability and validity in research ? (Answer in 350 words)
Q10Differentiate between Marxian and Weberian theories of Social Stratification. (Answer in 350 words)
Q10Discuss the impact of Hinduism on the status of tribal women in Central India. (Answer in 250 words)
Q10Discuss the relationship between base and superstructure in Marxist theory. (Answer in 250 words)
Q10Explain fully how a balance can be struck between autonomy and accountability of India’s public enterprises. (Answer in 350 words)
Q10How do you relate the concepts of 'Sacred' and 'Profane' in Durkheim's theory of religion with a focus on the role of totem ? (Answer in 250 words)
Q10How far are the world governance mechanisms, dominated by IMF and World Bank, Legitimate and relevant ? What measures do you suggest to improve their…
Q10“Information constitutes the life-blood of the functioning of an organisation.” Explain the utility and significance of communication in decision-making.…
Q10What is patriarchy? How does it affect the child socialization pattern in India? (Answer in 350 words)
Q11“Decentralised governance must serve as an instrument of realising social change and social justice.” Comment on the statement. (Answer in 150 words)
Q11Describe the paleoanthropological fossil finds from Siwalik hills. Examine the contribution of Siwalik fossils to paleoanthropological knowledge. (Answer in…
Q11Discuss the collapse of the Soviet Union and its impact on international politics. (Answer in 250 words)
Q11Discuss the problems of elderly in India. What are the different perspectives to solve their problems? (Answer in 150 words)
Q11Distinguish between Power and Authority. (Answer in 250 words)
Q11Explain the basic features of 'Postmodernism' in Anthropology. (Answer in 350 words)
Q11How had Enlightenment contributed to the emergence of Sociology ? (Answer in 150 words)
Q11“Legislative action is not subject to the rules of natural justice.” Explain the exceptions to the rule of natural justice. (Answer in 250 words)
Q12Critically examine the concept of communalism and its relevance for multi-religious and multiethnic polity of India. (Answer in 350 words)
Q12Critically examine the Formalists' and Substantivists' views on the applicability of economic laws in the study of primitive societies. (Answer in 350 words)
Q12Discuss Marxist approach to the analysis of Indian nationalism. (Answer in 350 words)
Q12Discuss the arguments for and against the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act, 2014. (Answer in 350 words)
Q12Discuss the ‘crisis of legitimacy’ in capitalist societies. (Habermas) (Answer in 350 words)
Q12Has the reform of the economic and social arrangements of the United Nations been effective ? (Answer in 350 words)
Q12"Non-positivistic methodology is essential for understanding human behaviour." Discuss. (Answer in 350 words)
Q12“Right from the days of the ‘Peoples’ Charter’ to the new concept of ‘Precariat Charter’, the concept of Citizen’s Charter and its scope is constantly…
Q13Discuss Gramsci’s notion of ‘organic intellectuals’. (Answer in 250 words)
Q13Examine in detail the role of anthropology in planning for tribal development. (Answer in 250 words)
Q13Explain the difference between emic and etic, and how does the difference derive from the study of language ? (Answer in 150 words)
Q13How is social equilibrium maintained in Parsonian framework ? (Answer in 350 words)
Q13“In very recent time, the role of the State Governor is found to be more of diplomatic than administrative nature.” Comment on the statement with suitable…
Q13‘The European Union has become, the most politically influential, economically powerful and demographically diverse regional entity in the world.’ Discuss.…
Q13“Weberian model of bureaucracy lacks emotional validity when applied to modern democratic administration.” Comment. (Answer in 250 words)
Q13What are the basic tenets of Hindu religion? Is Hinduism based on monotheism or polytheism? (Answer in 350 words)
Q14"Anomie is rooted in social structure." Explain with reference to R.K. Merton's contribution. (Answer in 150 words)
Q14Comment on the recent changes in the approach and methodology of devolution of responsibilities and transfer of funds from the Union to the States. (Answer in…
Q14Critically compare 'Affirmative Action' of USA and 'Protective Discrimination' for Scheduled Tribes in India. (Answer in 250 words)
Q14Discuss David Easton’s model of systems analysis. (Answer in 250 words)
Q14How far do you agree with the view that the growing influence of media comes in the way of agenda-setting by the Government ? (Answer in 250 words)
Q14How is it that economic and neo-liberal globalization is being interrogated from inside even in developed countries ? What are the economic consequences of…
Q14What made Geertz's Interpretive Anthropology distinct from Turner's Symbolic Anthropology ? What does each of them mean by the terms 'Symbol' and 'Symbolic' ?…
Q14Why is it necessary to implement PCPNDT Act in India? (Answer in 150 words)
Q15“Comparative Performance Measurement (CPM) bridges everyday work experience with the broader horizons of comparativism.” Explain. (Answer in 150 words)
Q15Critically examine the concept of community policing as a tool for improving public-police relations. (Answer in 150 words)
Q15Distinguish between the social organization of work in feudal society and in capitalist society. (Answer in 150 words)
Q15Important components of National Education Policy in India. (Answer in 150 words)
Q15Palaeolithic culture. (Answer in 150 words)
Q15Prehistoric Rock Art of Central India (Answer in 150 words)
Q15Secularism in the Indian Constitution (Answer in 150 words)
Q15The social structure of a country influences its foreign policy-making. How does the social structure of India impact the course and direction of its foreign…
Q16Analyse the relevance of Whitleyism in contemporary employer — employee relationship. (Answer in 150 words)
Q16Down's Syndrome. (Answer in 150 words)
Q16Explain how budget can be used as a political instrument. (Answer in 150 words)
Q16"Ideology is crucial for social transformation in a democracy." Discuss. (Answer in 150 words)
Q16Islam and Matriliny (Answer in 150 words)
Q16Main objectives of Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP). (Answer in 150 words)
Q16‘Non-alignment’ has been the basic principle of India’s foreign policy since independence. Discuss its relevance in the contemporary context. (Answer in 150…
Q16Satyagraha as a Strategy in the Indian National Movement (Answer in 150 words)
Q1799th Amendment of the Indian Constitution (Answer in 150 words)
Q17Distinguish between sects and cults with illustrations. (Answer in 150 words)
Q17Effect of displacement through development on the rural landless and marginal farmers. (Answer in 150 words)
Q17Identify the constraints/challenges to the regional cooperation in South Asia. (Answer in 150 words)
Q17Longitudinal method of studying growth. (Answer in 150 words)
Q17"Most Civil Servants in India are competent administrators, but they pay little attention to encourage people’s participation in decision-making.” Comment on…
Q17“No significant change can be made in the budgetary process Without affecting the political process.” (Wildavsky). Analyse. (Answer in 150 words)
Q17Socioeconomic characteristics of shifting cultivators (Answer in 150 words)
Q18Do you think that the functioning of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), in practice, reflects genuine devolution of powers and resources? Give reasons for…
Q18Elwin-Ghurye Debate on Tribes (Answer in 150 words)
Q18Ethnic conflicts and insurgencies in North-East India can be better managed by improving relations with the neighbouring countries. Substantiate the statement…
Q18“In the appreciative systems of policy makers, goals are subsidiary to norms and values.” (Vickers). Explain. (Answer in 150 words)
Q18Is male authority absent in matrilineal society ? Discuss. (Answer in 150 words)
Q18Issues relating to the informal labour market in urban India. (Answer in 150 words)
Q18Menopause and its impact. (Answer in 150 words)
Q18Structure and Function of NITI Aayog (Answer in 150 words)
Q19Cooperative Federalism in India (Answer in 150 words)
Q19DNA technology in Medicine. (Answer in 150 words)
Q19Explain the relevance of the idea of 'cultural lag' in understanding social change. (Answer in 150 words)
Q19How does the Parliament determine and influence the making of India’s foreign policy ? (Answer in 150 words)
Q19How far Srinivas' Sanskritization is modernizing force or traditionalizing force in understanding the changes in caste system? (Answer in 150 words)
Q19“Information Communication Technology (ICT) improves the quality of public service delivery, but fails to check bribery.” Comment. (Answer in 150 words)
Q19Role of Governor in Fifth Schedule Areas (Answer in 150 words)
Q19Show in what way the Gender and Development approach differs from the Woman and Development approach. (Answer in 150 words)
Q20“Administrative ethics is a process of independently critiquing decision standards, based on core social values that can be discovered, within reasonable…
Q20Before the year 2000, the Indo-U.S. relationship has been marked more with estrangement than cordiality. Why ? (Answer in 350 words)
Q20Describe the salient characteristics and geographical distribution of Homo erectus. (Answer in 350 words)
Q20Discuss the efficacy of judicial review in India. (Answer in 350 words)
Q20Discuss the impact of post-1970 feminist movement on Indian middle class. (Answer in 350 words)
Q20"Education helps in perpetuating social and economic inequalities." Critically examine the statement. (Answer in 350 words)
Q20Examine the contribution of village studies towards the understanding of Indian social system. (Answer in 350 words)
Q20“Excellent ideas but poor implementation have characterised the administrative reforms in India since Independence.” Critically examine the statement giving…
Q21Critically analyze the discretionary powers granted to the Governor by the Indian Constitution. (Answer in 250 words)
Q21Critically examine Darwin's theory of evolution in understanding evolution. (Answer in 250 words)
Q21Discuss the impact of globalization on village economy in India. (Answer in 250 words)
Q21Do you agree that there has been a serious governance-deficit in development administration in India? Give reasons for your answer and add your suggestions.…
Q21‘Economic interest has emerged as the main component of India’s foreign policy.’ Discuss the statement in the light of India’s initiatives to improve…
Q21Explain the conditions under which a collective action transforms into a social movement. (Answer in 350 words)
Q21“Lenin’s concept of Socialist management refers to directing the organisational development of Socialist society.” Explain. (Answer in 250 words)
Q21What are the major concerns of ethnic identity and religious identity in India? (Answer in 350 words)
Q22Discuss chromosomal aberrations in man illustrating with examples. (Answer in 250 words)
Q22Discuss the significance of Harappan Civilization sites from India. (Answer in 250 words)
Q22How do the rules of descent and alliance in kinship differ from each other ? Illustrate. (Answer in 150 words)
Q22How serious is the problem of trafficking against women and children in India? (Answer in 150 words)
Q22“Identity politics has trumped development politics in India.” Comment. (Answer in 250 words)
Q22In 1998, India declared itself as a nuclear weapon state. India refuses to sign NPT and CTBT. What would be the implications for India’s nuclear policy in…
Q22“Policy analysis is incomplete without taking into account policy delivery.” Argue. (Answer in 250 words)
Q22What are the major concerns of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission on Civil Service reforms? Indicate the current status of their implementation.…
Q23Define Secularisation. What are its major dimensions in the modern world ? (Answer in 350 words)
Q23Discuss B. R. Ambedkar as a wise democrat. (Answer in 350 words)
Q23How do the Union Government policies on Smart and AMRUT Cities address the problems of management of urban development? Explain. (Answer in 350 words)
Q23How does Ferrel Heady rationalize the three stages of development in comparative administration ? (Answer in 350 words)
Q23In the light of neo-economic policies adopted since 1991, examine the relevance of the term ‘socialist’ in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution. (Answer in…
Q23Recently non-government organizations have been critiqued for interfering with developmental process in tribal heartland ! Critically comment. (Answer in 350…
Q23Vision of a new world order has emerged as the major objective of India’s foreign policy. Discuss the policy initiative taken by India in this regard and the…
Q23What is an anthropometric somatotype ? Describe Heath and Carter's method of somatotyping. (Answer in 350 words)
Q24Critically examine the physiological responses and acclimatization to cold climate in Man. (Answer in 250 words)
Q24Discuss the factors for the decline of India’s presence in Latin America. (Answer in 250 words)
Q24Discuss the main features of farmers' movements in Independent India. (Answer in 350 words)
Q24Discuss the nature of social change in tribal India under the impact of developmental programmes. (Answer in 250 words)
Q24Discuss the significance and role of the Central Paramilitary Forces in maintaining law and order and countering insurgency as well as terrorism. (Answer in…
Q24Distinguish between ‘Codes of Conduct’ and ‘Codes of Ethics’. Justify your answer. (Answer in 250 words)
Q24Identify the contested areas in Centre-State relations in India. (Answer in 250 words)
Q24The increasing importance of the tertiary sector has weakened the formal organization of work in recent times. Examine the statement. (Answer in 350 words)
Q25Caste ideology appears to have strengthened democracy. Comment. (Answer in 150 words)
Q25Discuss the contribution of M. N. Srinivas to the study of Indian society. Examine the influence of British social anthropologists on his ideas. (Answer in…
Q25Discuss the major highlights of the reforms introduced from time-to-time in Central Civil Services Conduct Rules and add your own comments. (Answer in 150…
Q25Discuss the ‘Right to Education’ and the concerns raised by it. (Answer in 250 words)
Q25“E-Governance creates a direct relationship between the Citizen and the State.” In this context, explain the changing role of the elected representatives.…
Q25Elucidate the role of Anthropology in selection and monitoring of sports persons. (Answer in 250 words)
Q25River water disputes are emerging as a major source of irritation between India and its neighbours. Identify the sources of conflicts and suggest the remedial…
Q25To what extent the Muslim Personal Law Board is in agreement with Islamic feminist agenda? (Answer in 150 words)
Q26Analyze Gandhi as a moralist, ascetic and man of action through his Hind Swaraj. (Answer in 350 words)
Q26Examine the role of Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies in deepening of democracy in India. (Answer in 350 words)
Q26Forensic Science can help in criminal investigations. Discuss. (Answer in 350 words)
Q26"Globalization involves deterritorialization." Examine with reference to the nation-state. (Answer in 350 words)
Q26“Municipal governance in India is not sufficiently prepared to meet the challenges of frequent natural disasters.” Elucidate the statement and add your own…
Q26“The concept of political feasibility in policy alternative is a probabilistic concept and is related to each policy alternative.” In the context of the above…
Q26The United Nations completes 70 years of its establishment in 2015. What reforms is India asking for to strengthen the global institutions of governance and…
Q26What do you understand by dynamics of caste mobility? How did the concept of Sanskritization contribute to its functionality? (Answer in 350 words)
Q27Compare the Nehruvian and Gandhian models of development. (Answer in 250 words)
Q27Critically examine the concept of tribe-caste continuum and its relevance in contemporary India. (Answer in 250 words)
Q27Define genetic polymorphism. Give details of its types with suitable examples. (Answer in 250 words)
Q27Discuss critically the salient features of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) regarding its purposes and jurisdiction. (Answer in 350 words)
Q27Discuss the realistic foreign policy initiatives taken by India to balance its relations between Israel and the Arab world. (Answer in 250 words)
Q27Examine the dialectical relation between tradition and modernity in the study of social change. (Answer in 350 words)
Q27Human development approach affirms that education and health-care growth are more important than economic growth. Discuss this issue in the light of…
Q27“The position-classification attempts to establish a triangular relationship between duties and responsibilities, working conditions and qualification…
Q28Account for the rise of regional political parties and assess their role in contemporary India. (Answer in 250 words)
Q28Argue the case for and against creating Indian Public Enterprises and Industrial Service for boosting the moribund public sector in India. (Answer in 150 words)
Q28Discuss the humanitarian role played by India in the crisis-stricken Gulf countries like Yemen and Iraq. (Answer in 250 words)
Q28Discuss the sociocultural, economic and psychological constraints responsible for low literacy in tribal areas. (Answer in 250 words)
Q28Elaborate the views of Durkheim on "The Elementary Forms of Religious Life". (Answer in 150 words)
Q28“MIS, PERT and CPM have accelerated the process of reinventing O & M.” In the context of the above statement, explain the recent developments in managerial…
Q28What do you understand by Immunogenetics ? Explain with suitable examples. (Answer in 250 words)
Q28Write a brief note on the Freedom of Press. (Answer in 150 words)