In October 2023, we had published 133 posts.
GS-I: Indian Culture
1. Describe the terracotta figures of the Gupta period to show that the terracotta work of this period was imbued with the spirit of true art prevailing at the time.
2. The present generation can learn lessons and find solution to the contemporary problem of water crisis from the ancient culture and architecture of India such as step wells. Discuss.
3. Examine the role of Indian epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana in shaping the themes and narratives of traditional Indian dance forms.
4. How has unity in creativity contributed to the evolution and preservation of India’s cultural and artistic heritage? Critically discuss with suitable examples.
5. Explain the evolution of temple architecture across different regions in India and discuss how these variations reflect the socio-political and cultural dynamics of their respective eras.
6. Critically examine the interplay between Mughal miniature paintings and Persian literary traditions. How did this cultural synthesis contribute to the evolution of Indian art? Explain.
7. Excavations at various Indus Valley Sites have yielded a rich collection of objects in terracotta, stone and bronze. Explain while making a comparative account of these. Which of them was more popular and why?
8. Discuss the influence of ancient Indian literature on the development of classical Indian arts. Provide examples to support your argument.
9. How the ancient indigenous military / war systems have influenced the development of performing arts such as dance, drama and theatre in India? Discuss with appropriate examples.
10. How Mathura art was a formative art that gave impetus to other forms of art styles?
11. How does Indo-Saracenic architecture reflect the cultural and historical context of British India? Discuss while also analyzing the architectural elements that distinguish Indo-Saracenic buildings from other architectural styles in India.
12. Critically discuss the efficiency of the current policies implemented by the Indian Government for the maintenance and preservation of historical sites and suggest improvements.
13. Critically examine the role of Indian folk literature in preserving and promoting regional art forms. Provide examples of how folk tales and songs have influenced local artistic traditions.
14. Discuss the importance of Paryushan and Das Lakshana in Jainism.
15. With suitable examples, critically examine that Indo-Saracenic architecture was a tool of cultural appropriation.
16. The idea of preserving linguistic diversity through new education policy is not new to India, rather there is an existing centuries old tradition behind it. Elucidate.
17. Critically evaluate the impact of the Bhakti and Sufi movements on Indian literature. How these movements were reflected in the visual and performing arts of the time?
18. “Temple architecture in South India is not merely a reflection of the region’s artistic and architectural prowess but also a symbol of the socio-religious fabric that influenced various aspects of life, including literature”. Discuss in the light of literary works of the Bhakti poets.
GS-II: Constitution of India & Polity
1. "During the first two decades of republic of India, the key attributes and highlights of Parliament were discourse and debate on issues of national importance. With the passage of time, this appears to have eroded and diminished." Do you agree with this view? Give arguments.
2. Elucidate the distribution of legislative powers in India between centre and states in the light of articles 200, 245, 246, 356 and 357.
3. What are "minority institutions"? How are they different from other institutions? Discuss in the light of constitutional provisions.
4. Discuss the contours and significance of the Tele Law, Nyaya Mitra and Pro Bono Legal Services initiatives launched recently to ensure greater access to affordable legal aid to marginalized communities in India.
5. Examine the systematic issues that create hurdles in the effective functioning of regulatory bodies in India.
6. Discuss the relevance of accountability of Judiciary to the society, while remaining conscious of the constitutional organisation of the government.
7. Analyse the merits and demerits of the Presidential system for a country like India.
8. Highlight the importance of pressure groups in making the democracy participatory and responsive.
9. What are the key recommendations of Justice Srikrishna committee on Institutionalization of Arbitration Mechanism? Discuss while analyzing the related issues.
10. The principal constraint for India is trying to find solutions to 21st century problems using 19th century government structures. Discuss.
11. Highlight the importance of Kihoto Hollohan judgement in the light of issue of political defections in India.
12. At the heart of the case relating to the interpretation of Section 123 of the Representation of People's Act, 1951 (Act), is the issue of free speech. Explain.
13. Intervention by civil society has played a very important role in making governance transparent and accountable. Discuss in context of India.
14. Kashmir Issue Takes Centre Stage In The US Congress
15. Discuss the possible implications of replacing the words "all minorities" in Article 30 of the Constitution with words "all sections of citizens having distinct language or religion".
16. The preamble to the Indian constitution cannot be regarded as a source of any prohibition or limitation. Discuss in the context of various judgements of the Supreme Court.
17. How the judges of lower judiciary are selected currently across India? What is recent stance of Supreme Court on All-India common test for lower judiciary? Discuss.
18. Discuss the conditions, that in the last few decades, have led to the emergence of a new civil society in urban India. Highlight its contribution in policy change and making governance more effective.
19. "The constitution of India has kept adjusting itself to the requirements of Indian society without losing its identity and sanctity." Verify the statement citing appropriate examples.
20. How the Supreme Court verdict upholding right to privacy as a fundamental right of citizens will define the further course of Aadhaar? Discuss giving reference to various issues.
GS-II: International Relations
1. While highlighting the demands of the referendum in Catalonia, critically discuss if Spain's response is justified. Discuss.
2. In the light of recent issues, critically examine why India needs to change replace its old Bilateral Investment Treaties with a new one and establish a mechanism to address BIT disputes.
3. While analyzing the relevence of Thailand for India's Look East Policy, discuss the recent progress in bilateral relations of the two countries.
4. Examine the strategic importance of India-Japan bilateral relations.
5. While highlighting the efforts of International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) towards nuclear non-proliferation, critically discuss why India refused to take part in negotiations on its text.
6. Some have compared the outreach by China and India in Africa (and underlying competition between them) with the so-called Scramble for Africa of 19th century. To what extent, such comparison is justified? Critically discuss.
7. The announcement of the AUKUS security pact heralds a new era of global geopolitics. Comment. Also, discuss its implications for India.
8. Critically examine the deep sea fishing angle in the India-Sri Lanka bilateral relations. How this issue can be resolved? Make logical suggestions.
9. Analyze the factors, that are driving a global shift towards the Indo-Pacific region. Discuss in the context of evolving discourse on the region. Also, discuss the opportunities and challenges in this regard.
10. What should be India's approach towards Afghanistan ? Discuss in context with the new South Asia Policy of United States.|
11. For UN reforms India will have to expand its diplomatic capital and need to balance its national interest along with responsibilities as rising power. Discuss.
12. How the proposed European Union General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR) seeks to protect the privacy of individuals in Europe? Does it have any implications for business and laws in India also? Elucidate
13. Palm Oil Trade and India Malaysia Relations
14. India signed the UN Convention Against Torture almost two decades back but has so far not ratified it. While elucidating the contours of this treaty, critically examine India's stand so far.
15. As more and more countries are joining the race to launch more and more satellites into space, the Low earth orbit is becoming increasingly crowded. Highlight the associated issues and international efforts taken in this regard.
16. The huge challenge for India is to maintain a delicate balance between its strategic interests and its democratic ideals when it comes to its neighborhood. Discuss keeping in focus the India-Myanmar Relations.
17. What do you understand by "Development Partnership"? Critically analyze "development partnership" as cornerstone of India's economic ties in neighborhood and beyond.
18. India And China Must Find A Way To Work Together
19. How the withdrawal of US from the Iran Nuclear Deal deal affect the Iran as well as the global market? Discuss.
20. Critically discuss the strategic underpinnings of India-Japan relations.
GS-II: Social Justice
1. The youth of India is increasingly getting into the trap of drug abuse. Discuss the factors that are pushing the youth in this direction. Also, discuss the measures to be taken to address the issue.
2. What are the five types of diabetes reported in "The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology"medical journal?
3. Why the Citizenship Amendment Bill has created lot of unrest in Assam?
4. What are various provisions in the constitution guaranteeing constitutional rights and safeguards for children? Name some national and international organisations working towards children's rights.
5. Code on Social Security, 2019
6. While elucidating the constitutional and legal rights of Prisoners in India, discuss the practical deficiencies in exercise of these rights.
7. What are the proposed features of the new National Policy for Senior Citizens? Discuss some of the steps taken by central as well as state governments to ensure social justice for elderly in the country.
8. Explain how the e-Shram portal can help to address the issues faced by workers in the informal sector in India.
9. What are the major problems to bring persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) in the mainstream of social life? Discuss while in context of the "Inclusive India Initiative".
10. Throw light on the achievements of Department of Social Justice & Empowerment over the last few years.
11. India must concentrate on wellness for a sustainable Health care. Justify.
12. What are the challenges faced by government in achieving its objective of "Universal Health Care"in the country? Discuss some of the steps taken by the government in the recent years to achieve this ambitious target.
13. Why the report of Niti Aayog on the child sex ratio is disheartening? How the technological growth has contributed to this menace of declining child sex ratio?
14. Does the recent move of halving the syllabus for schools provides for a comprehensive reform in education sector?
15. What lessons can the National Health Protection Scheme take from the Maharashtra's Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayi Aarogya Yojana for the accomplishment of its objectives?
16. What are the findings about the suicides in India in 2016 Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors (GBD 2016) report?
17. Why the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana failed to deliver?
18. Examine the recent guidelines of the Home Ministry on SOP to be followed in cases of Crimes against Women.
19. Why India needs to address the issue of overcrowding in prisons?
20. What are law commission recommendations on reducing the legal marriageable age for boys?
GS-III: Economy & Economic Development
1. 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.
2. Examine the causes of the economic slowdown in India.
3. How Maha Agri Tech project aims to mitigate risks in farming?
4. Enumerate the indirect taxes which have been subsumed in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India. Also, comment on revenue implications of the GST introduced in India since July 2017.
5. What are the finding about India in the Ease of Doing Business Report 2019?
6. Discuss the trends in share of younger population in MNREGA workers.
7. The rate cut by the RBI is not resulting in commensurate interest cut by Banks. Discuss why.
8. Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer have been awarded the Nobel Prize for Economics. Discuss how their study has transformed development economics.
9. The Proposal of the government to give fillip to Zero Budget Natural Farming is criticized as a hurried move. What are the concerns of the scientific community against Zero Budget Natural Farming?
10. As traditional models of capitalism fail to deliver on the needs of the society, discuss whether an alternative model of capitalism can rectify the current situation.
11. What are the data captured in the Livestock census? What are the findings of the recent livestock census report?
12. Highlight the standings of various countries in the Global Competitiveness Index, 2019. Discuss the factors which led to decline in the rankings of India.
13. It is said that the world is heading towards another economic slowdown after the 2008 financial crisis. Examine the trends in economic growth across advanced and emerging economies.
14. How the policy flip-flops will adversely affect the renewable energy targets?
15. Poultry Sector has organized itself into an organized business. But this development is highly skewed. Comment
16. Similar to PM-KISAN several states have come out with the farm income support scheme. Discuss the various Farm Income support scheme initiated by various state governments.
17. What are the findings of the Niti Aayog study on new direct benefit scheme for fertilizers?
18. Why is the government of India building a new airport in Jewar, Uttar Pradesh? And how can the Airport help the region of western Uttar Pradesh and North India as a whole?
19. Examine the causes behind the rate cut proposed by the monetary policy committee headed by the RBI governor.
20. While India is expected to sustain its growth trajectory it is facing number of developmental challenges. Discuss in the light of the World Bank report.
21. Indian Financial Sector is facing contagion Risk. Discuss the findings based on the report of S&P Global Ratings
22. Suggest ways and measures to double farmer’s income by 2022.
23. Explain the approach Randomised Control Trial which was the tool used by the Nobel laureates in their study of poor Economics.
24. ‘In the context of neo-liberal paradigm of development planning, multi-level planning is expected to make operations cost effective and remove many implementation blockages.’-Discuss.
25. RCEP is opposed vehemently from the dairy sector. What are the concerns of the dairy industry against the RCEP deal?
26. Describe the nature of the current ‘economic slowdown’ that India is experiencing and how it’s different from the previous economic slowdowns that India has experienced.
27. What are the objectives of Make in India campaign? Examine how the initiative has fared in attaining these objectives.
28. Can political instability at the state level disrupt the India growth story by disrupting the Indian Infrastructure buildup and discouraging foriegn investment in the country?
29. Why India needs Foreign Direct Investment Policy 2.0?
30. Elaborate the impact of National Watershed Project in increasing agricultural production from water stress areas.
31. Despite the huge upbeat around the Make in India campaign the initiative has failed to deliver in the last 5 years since its launch. Examine
32. How far is Integrated Farming System (IFS) helpful in sustaining agricultural production?
33. What are key components of the latest monetary policy release of the RBI?
34. What are the features of the DBT scheme introduced for the fertilizers? How it is different from the earlier subsidy transfer scheme?
35. How the BharatNet project seeks to revolutionise the connectivity in rural India?
36. Foreign Direct Investment Policy 2.0
37. The rate cut by the RBI is expected to address the two structural issues haunting the Indian Economy. What are those issues?
38. A way out to strengthen the price volatility in the prices of Tomato, Onions and Potato is strengthening TOP Scheme. Discuss
39. It is said that current situations has made an economic slowdown inevitable. Examine how the US ha been at the centre of these factors resulting in slowdown
40. The government has announced the TOP Scheme similar to AMUL model to protect interests of both consumers and producers. What are the challenges in modeling the TOP scheme on the lines of AMUL model?
GS-III: Environment & Disaster Management
1. Examine the Relationship between Disaster and Development. To what extent this relationship is important for a policy maker? Discuss.
2. Environmental impact assessment studies are increasingly undertaken before project is cleared by the government. Discuss the environmental impacts of coal-fired thermal plants located at Pitheads.
3. There is no Plan B because we do not have a Planet B. Explain the statement in the context of recent agreement of G20 Members to tackle ocean plastic waste.
4. Comment on the challenges in tyre recycling. What can be done to make it sustainable?
5. What are the various ways in which groundwater resources are being depleted? Which regions have the worst groundwater situation? What can be done to address the issue?
6. Over-supply of nutrients can cause a condition of hypoxia in water bodies. Discuss the harmful effects of such a condition and ways to avoid it.
7. "The Plasma Pulse Technology (PPT) seems to be an answer to significant environment costs of traditional shale gas production technologies."Discuss.
8. Disucss the features of the Indian Navy Environment Conservation Roadmap. How it will strengthen our Defence system?
9. What do you understand by Primary, Secondary and Chronic Hazards? Examine the link between human activities and hazards.
10. What are water credits? How can it help fund climate action?
11. Why is it important to conserve shallow water bodies? What are the unique challenges faced by these geographical features?
12. What is the significance of the increase in the number of oil and gas industry lobbyists attending the ongoing COP27?
13. What is Clean Environment Cess? How has it performed and what is the way forward?
14. Drought has been recognised as a disaster in view of its party expense, temporal duration, slow onset and lasting effect on various vulnerable sections. With a focus on the September 2010 guidelines from the National disaster management authority, discuss the mechanism for preparedness to deal with the El Nino and La Nina fallouts in India.
15. Discuss the journey of Sikkim towards becoming India's first fully organic state. Do you think that Sikkim model can be emulated by the other states in country? Elucidate.
