What the 2019 paper asked
The 2019 GS Paper 1 had 20 questions for 250 marks: 10 of 10 marks (150 words), 10 of 15 marks (250 words). The directives UPSC used most: discuss (5), how (3), assess (2), what (2). 1 of these questions have topper answers in the writeupsc bank, linked under each.
GS Paper 1 covers Indian heritage and culture, history, and the geography of the world and society. For how long a scoring answer runs at each mark, see how long toppers actually write.
All 20 questions
Highlight the Central Asian and Greco-Bactrian elements in the Gandhara art.
The 1857 Uprising was the culmination of the recurrent big and small local rebellions that had occurred in the preceding hundred years of British rule. Elucidate.
Examine the linkages between the nineteenth century’s ‘Indian Renaissance’ and the emergence of national identity.
Assess the impact of global warming on the coral life system with examples.
Discuss the causes of depletion of mangroves and explain their importance in maintaining coastal ecology.
Can the strategy of regional resource-based manufacturing help in promoting employment in India?
Discuss the factors for localisation of agro-based food processing industries of North-West India.
What makes the Indian society unique in sustaining its culture? Discuss.
“Empowering women is the key to control population growth.” Discuss.
What are the challenges to our cultural practices in the name of secularism?
Many voices had strengthened and enriched the nationalist movement during the Gandhian phase. Elaborate.
Assess the role of British imperial power in complicating the process of transfer of power during the 1940s.
Explain how the foundations of the modern world were laid by the American and French Revolutions.
What is water stress? How and why does it differ regionally in India?
How can the mountain ecosystem be restored from the negative impact of development initiatives and tourism?
How is efficient and affordable urban mass transport key to the rapid economic development of India?
How do ocean currents and water masses differ in their impacts on marine life and coastal environment? Give suitable examples.
Do we have cultural pockets of small India all over the nation? Elaborate with examples.
What are the continued challenges for women in India against time and space?
Are we losing our local identity for the global identity? Discuss.
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Other 2019 papers: GS2 · GS3 · GS4 Ethics · Essay.
Questions
How many questions were in UPSC Mains 2019 GS Paper 1?
20 questions, 250 marks in all: 10 of 10 marks (150 words), 10 of 15 marks (250 words). All are compulsory.
Where can I practise the 2019 GS1 questions?
In the practice bank, with a timer set to exam pace. Writing is free with no sign-in; checking an answer against topper answers uses an evaluation (1 free).
Write one, then get it checked.
Write by hand against the clock in the practice bank, then photograph the page: writeupsc puts it beside real topper answers. 1 free evaluation.