Essay Question Paper - UPSC Civil Services Main Exam (Written) 2019

What were the questions asked in the UPSC Civil Services Main Exam Essay Paper in 2019?

UPSC Mains 2019 – Download Essay Question Paper:

UPSC conducted the Essay Paper, as part of Civil Services Main Exam 2019 on 20-09-2019.

ESSAY PAPER: UPSC Civil Services Mains Examination – 2019

Instructions

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

SECTION – A

Write any one of the following essays in 1000-1200 words (125 marks)

Wisdom finds truth
Values are not what humanity is, but what humanity ought to be
Best for an Individual is not necessarily best for the society
Courage to accept and dedication to improve are two keys to success

SECTION – B

Write any one of the following essays in 1000-1200 words (125 marks)

South Asian societies are woven not around the state, but around their plural cultures and identities.
Neglect of primary health care and education in India are reasons for its backwardness
Biased media is a real threat to Indian democracy
Rise of Artificial Intelligence: the threat of jobless future or better job opportunities through reskilling and upskilling.

Quick Analysis by ClearIAS.com

Candidates were asked to write two essays, one each from Section A and B.

All four questions in Section A were more or less general in nature. Nothing specific was mentioned except key terms like ‘wisdom’, ‘values’ ‘courage’ etc, and hence all essays were philosophical in a broad context.

Section B sought from candidates their knowledge and expertise in specific topics. While the first question was specific to South Asian Societies, the second essay focussed on health care and education – that too on a primary level.

It is interesting to note that UPSC picked the bias in the media as the 3rd question in Section B.

The Essay Paper finished with a question on Artificial Intelligence, a widely expected current topic. Candidates should be noted that this was listed among the most important topics in ClearIAS Current Affairs Backgrounder.

Conclusion

In general, the Essay Question Paper of UPSC Civil Services Main Exam (Written) 2019 was devoid of any ambiguities. It straight away touched the relevant topics. As almost all questions were kind of answerable, the presentation and writing skills would be making the difference in marks.