This page lists all the UPSC essay topics printed in the Civil Services Main Examination between 2007 and 2026, 138 topics across twenty papers, with the year, the question number and the section for each. Every topic is classified as a proposition or as one that names a subject, and the test used is stated in full so any call can be checked.
Every Essay Topic the Commission Has Printed
One Hundred and Thirty-Eight Topics Across Twenty Papers
This page lists every essay topic printed in the UPSC Civil Services Main Examination from 2007 to 2026, 138 in all. Each carries its year, its question number, the section it appeared in once sections began, and a classification.
Most pages on this subject publish the last five or six papers. The whole run is here because the useful thing about this list is not any single topic but what changed across it, and that is invisible from a handful of recent years.
How to Use This List
Reading it start to finish is not the point. Three uses are worth the time, and each takes a different route through the table.
- Practice topics: Pick from the recent papers, because the older ones rehearse a format the examination no longer uses.
- Pattern reading: Compare any paper before 2014 with any paper after 2020 and the change in what is being asked is visible without any classification at all.
- Checking our work: Every classification is printed, so a reader who disagrees with a call can see exactly which one and how much it would move.
The argument these topics support is set out on our guide to the Essay paper, along with the marks, the structure and the official syllabus. Where the Essay sits among the nine papers is in the complete UPSC syllabus guide.
How Every Topic Was Classified
The Test, Stated in Full
Each topic is sorted into one of two kinds. The test is printed here rather than summarised, so that it can be applied by a reader to any row in the tables below.
- Names a subject: The topic names a policy, an institution, a sector, a technology, a social group, a country or a live public issue, the kind of thing a General Studies syllabus covers and a candidate can go and read about.
- Proposition: The topic is an abstract statement, proverb, aphorism or quotation whose terms are general, with nothing named to look up.
The distinction matters because it decides where the material for the essay comes from. A named subject points at a body of reading; a proposition points at nothing, and the candidate supplies everything.
Where the Test Is Hard to Apply
Some topics sit near the line. Technology cannot replace manpower reads as a maxim and gestures at a live economic question. Forests are the best case studies for economic excellence does the same, and so does poverty anywhere is a threat to prosperity everywhere.
In each case the decision turned on whether the topic names the subject or merely brushes past it. Moving every arguable call to the other side would not change the finding, because 3 of the 56 recent topics name a subject at all against 37 of the 50 early ones.
Six Calls We Changed
An earlier version of this analysis classified six topics as propositions although each names a General Studies subject outright. They have been re-read and moved, and they are printed here rather than quietly corrected.
| Year | Number | The subject it names | Topic as printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Q5 | globalisation and nationalism | 'Globalisation' vs. 'Nationalism' |
| 2011 | Q4 | intelligence and terrorism | In the Indian context, both human intelligence and technical intelligence are crucial in combating terrorism. |
| 2013 | Q3 | gross domestic product and a happiness index | GDP (Gross Domestic Product) along with GDH (Gross Domestic Happiness) would be the right indices for judging the well-being of a country. |
| 2013 | Q4 | science and technology | Science and Technology are the panaceas for the growth and security of the nation. |
| 2016 | Q4 | innovation and economic growth | Innovation is the key determinant of economic growth and social welfare. |
| 2017 | Q8 | social media | Social media is inherently a selfish medium. |
Every one of them asserts something, which is why they were first counted as propositions. Each also names something a candidate would look up, and the named subject decides it. The correction moved the early share down, from 34 per cent to 26, which makes the trend larger and is worth saying because it cuts against our own argument.
The Complete List, 2007 to 2013
Before the Format Settled
These papers printed between 4 and 6 topics and asked for one essay. There were no sections. The topics read like General Studies questions with the question mark removed, and several keep the question mark.
2012 is the clearest example of the old paper: five topics, every one of them naming a subject, and four of the five drawn from the economy and society blocks a candidate was already reading.
Every Topic, 2007 to 2013
| Year | Number | Type | Topic as the Commission printed it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Q1 | Proposition | Independent thinking should be encouraged right from the childhood. |
| 2007 | Q2 | Names a subject | Evaluation of the Panchayati Raj System in India from the point of view of eradication of power to people. |
| 2007 | Q3 | Proposition | Attitude makes habit, habit makes character and character makes a man. |
| 2007 | Q4 | Names a subject | Is Autonomy the best answer to combat balkanization? |
| 2007 | Q5 | Names a subject | How has satellite television brought about cultural change in Indian mindsets? |
| 2007 | Q6 | Names a subject | BPO boom in India. |
| 2008 | Q1 | Names a subject | Role of the media in good governance. |
| 2008 | Q2 | Names a subject | National identity and patriotism. |
| 2008 | Q3 | Names a subject | Special Economic Zones: Boon or Bane. |
| 2008 | Q4 | Proposition | Discipline means success, anarchy means ruin. |
| 2008 | Q5 | Names a subject | Urbanization and its hazards. |
| 2008 | Q6 | Names a subject | Is an egalitarian society possible by educating the masses? |
| 2009 | Q1 | Names a subject | Are our traditional handicrafts doomed to a slow death? |
| 2009 | Q2 | Names a subject | Are we a 'Soft' state? |
| 2009 | Q3 | Names a subject | The focus of health care is increasingly getting skewed towards the 'haves' of our society. |
| 2009 | Q4 | Proposition | 'Good Fences make good neighbors' |
| 2009 | Q5 | Names a subject | 'Globalisation' vs. 'Nationalism' |
| 2010 | Q1 | Proposition | Geography may remain the same; history need not. |
| 2010 | Q2 | Names a subject | Should a moratorium be imposed on all fresh mining in tribal areas of the country? |
| 2010 | Q3 | Names a subject | Preparedness of our society for India's global leadership role. |
| 2010 | Q4 | Names a subject | From traditional Indian philanthropy to the Gates-Buffett model - a natural progression or a paradigm shift? |
| 2011 | Q1 | Names a subject | Creation of smaller states and the consequent administrative, economic and developmental implications. |
| 2011 | Q2 | Names a subject | Does Indian cinema shape our popular culture or merely reflect it? |
| 2011 | Q3 | Names a subject | Credit-based higher education system - status, opportunities, and challenges. |
| 2011 | Q4 | Names a subject | In the Indian context, both human intelligence and technical intelligence are crucial in combating terrorism. |
| 2012 | Q1 | Names a subject | Indian women in international sports. |
| 2012 | Q2 | Names a subject | Cultivation of organic foods. |
| 2012 | Q3 | Names a subject | Foreign Direct Investment in retail - boon or bane? |
| 2012 | Q4 | Names a subject | How effective are our systems and institutions in dealing with disasters? |
| 2012 | Q5 | Names a subject | Food security - legislation and implementation. |
| 2013 | Q1 | Proposition | Be the change you want to see in others - Gandhi ji. |
| 2013 | Q2 | Names a subject | Is the Colonial mentality hindering India's success? |
| 2013 | Q3 | Names a subject | GDP (Gross Domestic Product) along with GDH (Gross Domestic Happiness) would be the right indices for judging the well-being of a country. |
| 2013 | Q4 | Names a subject | Science and Technology are the panaceas for the growth and security of the nation. |
The Complete List, 2014 to 2019
Eight Topics in Two Sections
From 2014 the paper has printed eight topics in two sections of four and asked for two essays, one from each. The section is printed against every topic below from this year on.
This is the stretch in which the balance turns. The proposition share first crossed half in 2015, then fell back to half or below in three of the four papers that followed, and the last paper to print more named subjects than propositions was 2017.
Every Topic, 2014 to 2019
| Year | Number | Type | Topic as the Commission printed it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Q1 (A) | Proposition | With greater power comes greater responsibility. |
| 2014 | Q2 (A) | Names a subject | Is the growing level of competition good for the youth? |
| 2014 | Q3 (A) | Names a subject | Are the standardized tests good measure of academic ability or progress? |
| 2014 | Q4 (A) | Proposition | Words are sharper than the two-edged sword. |
| 2014 | Q5 (B) | Names a subject | Was it the policy paralysis or the paralysis of implementation which slowed the growth of our country? |
| 2014 | Q6 (B) | Names a subject | Is sting operation an invasion on privacy? |
| 2014 | Q7 (B) | Names a subject | Fifty Golds in Olympics: Can this be a reality for India? |
| 2014 | Q8 (B) | Names a subject | Tourism: Can this be the next big thing for India? |
| 2015 | Q1 (A) | Proposition | Lending hands to someone is better than giving a dole. |
| 2015 | Q2 (A) | Proposition | Quick but steady wins the race. |
| 2015 | Q3 (A) | Proposition | Character of an institution is reflected in its leader. |
| 2015 | Q4 (A) | Proposition | Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make a man more clever devil. |
| 2015 | Q5 (B) | Proposition | Technology cannot replace manpower. |
| 2015 | Q6 (B) | Names a subject | Crisis faced in India - moral or economic. |
| 2015 | Q7 (B) | Names a subject | Dreams which should not let India sleep. |
| 2015 | Q8 (B) | Names a subject | Can capitalism bring inclusive growth? |
| 2016 | Q1 (A) | Proposition | If development is not engendered, it is endangered. |
| 2016 | Q2 (A) | Proposition | Need brings greed, if greed increases it spoils breed. |
| 2016 | Q3 (A) | Names a subject | Water disputes between States in federal India. |
| 2016 | Q4 (A) | Names a subject | Innovation is the key determinant of economic growth and social welfare. |
| 2016 | Q5 (B) | Names a subject | Cooperative federalism: Myth or reality. |
| 2016 | Q6 (B) | Names a subject | Cyberspace and Internet: Blessing or curse to the human civilization in the long run. |
| 2016 | Q7 (B) | Names a subject | Near jobless growth in India: An anomaly or an outcome of economic reforms. |
| 2016 | Q8 (B) | Names a subject | Digital Economy: A leveller or a source of economic inequality. |
| 2017 | Q1 (A) | Names a subject | Farming has lost the ability to be a source of substance for majority of farmers in India. |
| 2017 | Q2 (A) | Names a subject | Impact of new economic measures on fiscal ties between the union and states in India. |
| 2017 | Q3 (A) | Proposition | Destiny of a nation is shaped in its classrooms. |
| 2017 | Q4 (A) | Names a subject | Has the non alignment movement lost its relevance in a multi-polar world? |
| 2017 | Q5 (B) | Proposition | Joy is simplest form of gratitude. |
| 2017 | Q6 (B) | Names a subject | Fulfillment of new woman in India is a myth. |
| 2017 | Q7 (B) | Proposition | We may brave human laws but cannot resist natural laws. |
| 2017 | Q8 (B) | Names a subject | Social media is inherently a selfish medium. |
| 2018 | Q1 (A) | Names a subject | Alternative technologies for a climate change resilient India. |
| 2018 | Q2 (A) | Proposition | A good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge. |
| 2018 | Q3 (A) | Proposition | Poverty anywhere is a threat to prosperity everywhere. |
| 2018 | Q4 (A) | Names a subject | Management of Indian border disputes - a complex task. |
| 2018 | Q5 (B) | Proposition | Customary morality cannot be a guide to modern life. |
| 2018 | Q6 (B) | Proposition | 'The past' is a permanent dimension of human consciousness and values. |
| 2018 | Q7 (B) | Proposition | A people that values its privileges above its principles loses both. |
| 2018 | Q8 (B) | Proposition | Reality does not conform to the ideal, but confirms it. |
| 2019 | Q1 (A) | Proposition | Wisdom finds truth. |
| 2019 | Q2 (A) | Proposition | Values are not what humanity is, but what humanity ought to be. |
| 2019 | Q3 (A) | Proposition | Best for an individual is not necessarily best for the society. |
| 2019 | Q4 (A) | Proposition | Courage to accept and dedication to improve are two keys to success. |
| 2019 | Q5 (B) | Names a subject | South-Asian societies are woven not around the state, but around their plural cultures and plural identities. |
| 2019 | Q6 (B) | Names a subject | Neglect of primary health care and education in India are reasons for its backwardness. |
| 2019 | Q7 (B) | Names a subject | Biased media is a real threat to Indian democracy. |
| 2019 | Q8 (B) | Names a subject | Rise of Artificial Intelligence: the threat of jobless future or better job opportunities through reskilling and upskilling. |
The Complete List, 2020 to 2026
The Papers That Stopped Naming Subjects
Since 2020 the paper has printed 53 propositions out of 56 topics. The exceptions are three in seven years, and all three are social or technological issues rather than policies or institutions.
The 2026 paper is the clearest case. Eight topics, no named subject anywhere, and nothing a candidate could have revised in advance beyond the ability to write.
Every Topic, 2020 to 2026
| Year | Number | Type | Topic as the Commission printed it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Q1 (A) | Proposition | Life is a long journey between human being and being humane. |
| 2020 | Q2 (A) | Proposition | Mindful manifesto is the catalyst to a tranquil self. |
| 2020 | Q3 (A) | Proposition | Ships do not sink because of water around them, ships sink because of water that gets into them. |
| 2020 | Q4 (A) | Proposition | Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. |
| 2020 | Q5 (B) | Proposition | Culture is what we are, civilization is what we have. |
| 2020 | Q6 (B) | Proposition | There can be no social justice without economic prosperity but economic prosperity without social justice is meaningless. |
| 2020 | Q7 (B) | Proposition | Patriarchy is the least noticed yet the most significant structure of social inequality. |
| 2020 | Q8 (B) | Names a subject | Technology as the silent factor in international relations. |
| 2021 | Q1 (A) | Proposition | The process of self-discovery has now been technologically outsourced. |
| 2021 | Q2 (A) | Proposition | Your perception of me is a reflection of you; my reaction to you in an awareness of me. |
| 2021 | Q3 (A) | Proposition | Philosophy of wantlessness is Utopian, while materialism is a chimera. |
| 2021 | Q4 (A) | Proposition | The real is rational and the rational is real. |
| 2021 | Q5 (B) | Proposition | Hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. |
| 2021 | Q6 (B) | Proposition | What is research, but a blind date with knowledge! |
| 2021 | Q7 (B) | Proposition | History repeats itself, first as a tragedy, second as a farce. |
| 2021 | Q8 (B) | Proposition | There are better practices to 'best practices'. |
| 2022 | Q1 (A) | Proposition | Forests are the best case studies for economic excellence. |
| 2022 | Q2 (A) | Proposition | Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world. |
| 2022 | Q3 (A) | Proposition | History is a series of victories won by the scientific man over the romantic man. |
| 2022 | Q4 (A) | Proposition | A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ship is for. |
| 2022 | Q5 (B) | Proposition | The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining. |
| 2022 | Q6 (B) | Proposition | You cannot step twice in the same river. |
| 2022 | Q7 (B) | Proposition | A smile is the chosen vehicle for all ambiguities. |
| 2022 | Q8 (B) | Proposition | Just because you have a choice, it does not mean that any of them has to be right. |
| 2023 | Q1 (A) | Proposition | Thinking is like a game, it does not begin unless there is an opposite team. |
| 2023 | Q2 (A) | Proposition | Visionary decision-making happens at the intersection of intuition and logic. |
| 2023 | Q3 (A) | Proposition | Not all who wander are lost. |
| 2023 | Q4 (A) | Proposition | Inspiration for creativity springs from the effort to look for the magical in the mundane. |
| 2023 | Q5 (B) | Names a subject | Girls are weighed down by restrictions, boys with demands - two equally harmful disciplines. |
| 2023 | Q6 (B) | Proposition | Mathematics is the music of reason. |
| 2023 | Q7 (B) | Proposition | A society that has more justice is a society that needs less charity. |
| 2023 | Q8 (B) | Proposition | Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school. |
| 2024 | Q1 (A) | Proposition | Forests precede civilizations and deserts follow them. |
| 2024 | Q2 (A) | Proposition | The Empires of the future will be the empires of the mind. |
| 2024 | Q3 (A) | Proposition | There is no path to happiness; Happiness is the path. |
| 2024 | Q4 (A) | Proposition | The doubter is a true man of Science. |
| 2024 | Q5 (B) | Names a subject | Social media is Triggering 'Fear of Missing Out' amongst the youth, precipitating depression and loneliness. |
| 2024 | Q6 (B) | Proposition | Nearly all men can stand adversity, but to test the character, give him power. |
| 2024 | Q7 (B) | Proposition | All ideas having large consequences are always simple. |
| 2024 | Q8 (B) | Proposition | The cost of being wrong is less than the cost of doing nothing. |
| 2025 | Q1 (A) | Proposition | Truth knows no color. |
| 2025 | Q2 (A) | Proposition | The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. |
| 2025 | Q3 (A) | Proposition | Thought finds a world and creates one also. |
| 2025 | Q4 (A) | Proposition | Best lessons are learnt through bitter experiences. |
| 2025 | Q5 (B) | Proposition | Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone. |
| 2025 | Q6 (B) | Proposition | The years teach much which the days never know. |
| 2025 | Q7 (B) | Proposition | It is best to see life as a journey, not as a destination. |
| 2025 | Q8 (B) | Proposition | Contentment is natural wealth; luxury is artificial poverty. |
| 2026 | Q1 (A) | Proposition | Oxymorons reflect the ironies of life. |
| 2026 | Q2 (A) | Proposition | A grateful mind is very beautiful. |
| 2026 | Q3 (A) | Proposition | A thorn is a changed bud. |
| 2026 | Q4 (A) | Proposition | When two elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled. |
| 2026 | Q5 (B) | Proposition | Nature is the symbol of the spirit. |
| 2026 | Q6 (B) | Proposition | A well-educated mind will always have more questions than answers. |
| 2026 | Q7 (B) | Proposition | Shelving hard decisions is the least ethical course. |
| 2026 | Q8 (B) | Proposition | A good leader is one who follows the followers. |
What the List Shows at a Glance
Year by Year, in Numbers
The same 138 topics counted rather than listed. The last column is the one the tables above cannot show at a glance.
| Year | Topics | Propositions | Names a subject | Proposition share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% |
| 2008 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% |
| 2009 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% |
| 2010 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 25% |
| 2011 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0% |
| 2012 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% |
| 2013 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 25% |
| 2014 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 25% |
| 2015 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 62% |
| 2016 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 25% |
| 2017 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 38% |
| 2018 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 75% |
| 2019 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 50% |
| 2020 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 88% |
| 2021 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 100% |
| 2022 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 100% |
| 2023 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 88% |
| 2024 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 88% |
| 2025 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 100% |
| 2026 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 100% |
The Four Papers With No Named Subject
Four papers have printed eight topics without naming a single subject between them: 2021, 2022, 2025 and 2026. Two of those are the two most recent papers.
A candidate sitting one of those papers had no way to arrive with relevant reading done, because there was nothing to read for. What they could arrive with was a stock of examples and the practice of shaping an argument, which is why those two things are the whole of the preparation.
The Recent Topics That Still Named a Subject
All three of them, printed in full, because they are the counter-examples to everything above and a reader should see them rather than take the count.
| Year | Number | Topic as printed |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Q8 (B) | Technology as the silent factor in international relations. |
| 2023 | Q5 (B) | Girls are weighed down by restrictions, boys with demands - two equally harmful disciplines. |
| 2024 | Q5 (B) | Social media is Triggering 'Fear of Missing Out' amongst the youth, precipitating depression and loneliness. |
They are spread across both sections, which is the last reason a candidate cannot specialise: Section A has run 43 propositions of 52 and Section B 32 of 52, and one essay must come from each.
Common Questions About UPSC Essay Topics
How many essay topics does UPSC print each year?
Eight, in two sections of four, in every paper since 2014. A candidate writes one essay from each section. Before 2014 the paper printed between 4 and 6 topics and asked for one essay.
What kind of essay topics does UPSC ask now?
Mostly propositions: abstract statements, proverbs and quotations with no named subject. 53 of the 56 topics printed since 2020 are of that kind, against 13 of 50 up to 2015.
Where can I find all past UPSC essay topics?
On this page. All 138 topics from 2007 to 2026 are listed by year, with the question number, the section and our classification of each.
Which essay topics should I practise?
Recent ones. The papers from 2020 onward ask a different task from the papers before 2014, and practising an older topic rehearses a format the examination has not used in over a decade.
Are the two sections different in what they ask?
Not in kind. Across the thirteen papers that have printed sections, Section A has been 43 propositions of 52 and Section B 32 of 52. Both carry both kinds, so neither can be skipped.
Official Sources
- Union Public Service Commission: Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE, Civil Services Examination 2026
- Union Public Service Commission: Civil Services Examination 2025, minimum qualifying marks
- Union Public Service Commission: Programme of Examinations and Recruitment Tests 2027
- Union Public Service Commission: 74th Annual Report 2023-24 (Appendix 9, profile of candidates, Civil Services Examination 2022)
- Union Public Service Commission: online registration and application portal
- Department of Personnel and Training: Gazette notifications (the Civil Services Examination Rules are notified here each year)
- Gazette of India: the Civil Services Examination Rules, which set the scheme of the examination, are notified here each year
- National Council of Educational Research and Training: school textbooks, the matriculation standard the two qualifying language papers are pitched at
- Wikipedia: Civil Services Examination
Editorial Disclaimer
Essay topics on this page are reproduced as the Commission printed them. Sorting them into propositions and topics that name a subject is our own analysis and is not published by the Commission. The question papers issued by the Commission are the final authority.