UPSC Mains 2017 GS-1 Question Paper

All 20 questions from this paper, with real topper answers where available.

• Q6. The growth of cities as I.T. hubs has opened up new avenues of employment but has also created new problems. Substantiate this statement with examples.15 marks · Urban Problems
• Q7. Petroleum refineries are not necessarily located nearer to crude oil producing areas, particularly in many of the developing countries. Explain its implications.15 marks · Fishing Industry Refinery Location
• Q9. What are the two major legal initiatives by the State since Independence, addressing discrimination against Scheduled Tribes (STs)?10 marks · ST Discriminatio n Laws
• Q10. In the context of diversity of India, can it be said that the regions form cultural units rather than the States? Give reasons with examples for your viewpoint.10 marks · Regional Cultural Units
• Q10. How does the Juno Mission of NASA help to understand the origin and evolution of the Earth?10 marks · of NASA
• Q10. What characteristics can be assigned to monsoon climate that succeeds in feeding more than 50 percent of the world population residing in Monsoon Asia?15 marks · Climate Characteristic s
• Q11. What problems were germane to the decolonization process of Malay Peninsula?10 marks · n of Malaya
• Q11. Distinguish between religiousness/religiosity and communalism. Give one example of how the former has got transformed into the latter in independent India.15 marks · vs Communalism
• Q11. In what way can flood be converted into a sustainable source of irrigation and all-weather inland navigation in India?15 marks · Flood Management & Irrigation
• Q12. How do you justify the view that the level of excellence of Gupta numismatic art is not at all noticeable in later times?10 marks · Gupta Numismatic Art
• Q12. Highlight the importance of the new objectives that got added to the vision of Indian independence since the twenties of the last century.15 marks · 1920s Ideological Shift
• Q12. The spirit of tolerance and love is not only an interesting feature of Indian society from very early times, but it is also playing an important part at the present. Elaborate.15 marks · Tolerance & Assimilation
• Q12. Account for variations in oceanic salinity and discuss its multi-dimensional effects.15 marks · Oceanic Salinity
• Q13. The women’s questions arose in modern India as a part of the 19th-century social reform movement. What were the major issues and debates concerning women in that period?15 marks · 19th Century Social Reform in women's field
• Q13. How does the cryosphere affect global climate?10 marks · Cryosphere & Global Climate
• Q14. Examine how the decline of traditional artisanal industry in colonial India crippled the rural economy.15 marks · Decline of Artisanal Industry
• Q14. Mention the advantages of the cultivation of pulses which have made the United Nations declare 2016 as the International Year of Pulses.10 marks · International of Pulses
• Q15. Why did the ‘Moderates’ fail to carry conviction with the nation about their proclaimed ideology and political goals by the end of the nineteenth century?10 marks · Role of Moderates
• Q15. In spite of adverse environmental impact, coal mining is still inevitable for development. Discuss.10 marks · Environment
• Q16. Clarify how mid-eighteenth century India was beset with the spectre of a fragmented polity.10 marks · Century Polity