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General Studies – 1
Topic: Effects of globalization on Indian society
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: TH
Why the question
Chairman of the TGV Group of Companies and former MP T.G. Venkatesh emphasised the need for continuous upskilling and handholding of the youth.
Key Demand of the question
The question demands examination of how empowering youth through emerging technologies fosters inclusive societal development and the challenges that need to be addressed for it to be truly equitable.
Structure of the Answer:
Introduction
Mention how emerging technologies are reshaping social participation and livelihood models.
Body
- Role of emerging technologies in youth empowerment: Highlight employment, mobility, innovation, civic engagement, regional balance.
- Challenges to achieving inclusivity: Discuss digital divide, skill mismatch, affordability, regional disparities.
Conclusion
Conclude with a forward-looking note on aligning technological growth with inclusive youth empowerment strategies.
Topic: Factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India)
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: TH
Why the question
The International Monetary Fund’s report that pointed to the likelihood of the economic gains of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications outweighing the environmental costs of the increased energy demand that AI data centres will require is reassuring.
Key Demand of the question
The question requires analysis of how AI data centres can promote decentralised renewable clusters, examination of the socio-economic benefits this can bring to semi-urban India, and suggestions for suitable policy innovations.
Structure of the Answer:
Introduction
Briefly link AI energy demands with the opportunity for decentralised renewable clustering.
Body
- Role of AI data centres as renewable anchors: Explain energy demands, captive renewables, land use synergies.
- Socio-economic opportunities in semi-urban areas: Highlight employment, infrastructure, energy access, and entrepreneurship benefits.
- Policy innovations to maximise benefits: Suggest mandatory renewable linkages, green financing, spatial planning, PPP models.
Conclusion
Conclude by stressing the potential to create a sustainable and inclusive digital infrastructure model if proactive policies are adopted.
General Studies – 2
Topic: Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: IE
Why the question:
The Supreme Court suggested recently that in case there is only one candidate in an election, she should be required to obtain a prescribed minimum vote share in order to be declared elected, rather than winning without the election being held.Key Demand of the question:
Analyse how uncontested elections expose weaknesses in India’s electoral democracy. Suggest institutional reforms to protect voter choice when electoral competition is absent.Structure of the Answer:
Introduction
Briefly highlight how electoral democracy rests not just on voting but on active voter engagement.Body
- Gaps revealed by uncontested elections like violation of voter sovereignty, erosion of legitimacy, and weakening of electoral competitiveness.
- Specific institutional reforms such as mandatory minimum vote thresholds, treating NOTA as a contesting option, amending Section 53(2) of RPA 1951, and strengthening nomination scrutiny.
- Suggest measures like public funding for independent candidates, enhanced voter education, and institutionalising constituency debates.
Conclusion
Emphasise the need to future-proof democracy by moving beyond procedural elections to active citizen-driven legitimacy.
Topic: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: TH
Why the question
Recent concerns like exclusion from NFSA benefits and outdated Census data have highlighted serious flaws in welfare targeting, threatening social justice and governance credibility.
Key Demand of the question
The question demands an evaluation of how poor identification processes impact the delivery of social justice and seeks proposals for strengthening grievance redressal mechanisms within welfare systems.
Structure of the Answer:
Introduction
Briefly introduce the importance of correct beneficiary targeting for ensuring constitutional guarantees like equality and dignity.
Body
- Impact on social justice: Highlight exclusion, inequality deepening, erosion of rights, and governance credibility issues.
- Reforms for grievance redressal: Suggest dynamic updating, independent authorities, social audits, integrated portals, and statutory guarantees.
Conclusion
End with a futuristic note on how robust targeting and grievance systems are crucial to achieving inclusive governance and restoring citizen trust.
General Studies – 3
Topic: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc
Difficulty Level: Easy
Reference: NIE
Why the question:
Indian Railways’ outdated operational model is a major obstacle to India’s economic competitiveness, and recent debates on privatisation and modernisation make this a highly relevant issue.Key Demand of the question:
The question requires examining the infrastructural and operational legacy problems, assessing their consequences for India’s economic growth, and suggesting transformative reforms to modernise the railways.Structure of the Answer:
Introduction:
Briefly highlight the paradox of India’s vast railway network being hampered by outdated colonial structures, despite being a critical national asset.Body:
- Key infrastructural and operational legacy issues – outdated tracks, bloated staffing, inefficient technology.
- Consequences for economic growth– higher logistics costs, private investment deterrence, regional disparities.
- Transformative reforms needed – corporatisation, land monetisation, separation of regulatory roles.
Conclusion:
Future-oriented note stressing that Indian Railways must adopt structural reforms to act as a growth engine for India’s $5 trillion economy target.
Topic: Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: IE
Why the question
Recent developments like NIA’s takeover of the Pahalgam terror attack case (2025) and challenges in international investigations highlight the need to evaluate NIA’s role in counter-terrorism and its operational limitations.
Key Demand of the question
The question demands an analysis of how NIA strengthens India’s counter-terrorism capacities and a critical examination of the barriers it faces in conducting effective international investigations.
Structure of the Answer
Introduction:
Briefly mention NIA’s emergence post-26/11 as India’s nodal counter-terror agency with a mandate to combat complex terror threats.Body:
- Role of NIA in strengthening counter-terrorism: Centralised investigations, terror finance disruption, high conviction rates, Special Courts, and strategic intelligence linkages.
- Limitations in international investigations: Lack of extraterritorial powers, limited MLATs, technological gaps, political sensitivities, and overdependence on secondary evidence.
Conclusion:
Highlight the need for strengthening NIA’s global operational reach through new treaties, cyber capabilities, and diplomatic engagements to future-proof India’s counter-terror efforts.
General Studies – 4
Topic: Ethical issues in international relations and funding; corporate governance.
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: InsightsIAS
Why the question
Rising concerns about donor-driven aid agendas and the ethics of power imbalance in global funding make this a relevant issue in international ethics discourse.Key demand of the question
The question requires analysing ethical concerns arising from conditional aid and suggesting ways donor nations can ensure morally responsible conduct in such engagements.Structure of the Answer:
Introduction
Mention the ethical ideal of global justice and how conditionality can undermine it.Body
- Ethical concerns: Highlight issues like violation of autonomy, instrumentalisation, cultural imposition, and lack of transparency.
- Donor responsibility: Suggest ethical approaches like participatory frameworks, transparency, alignment with recipient priorities, and use of moral philosophy (Kant, Rawls, etc.).
Conclusion
Call for transforming aid from a tool of control to a partnership rooted in justice and mutual respect.
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