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General Studies – 1
Topic: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: TH
Why the question
As many as 1,000 persons will be presenting vachanas (verses touching upon philosophical and spiritual topics) of Basavanna in a programme titled ‘Savidara Vachana’ to mark Basava Jayanti celebrations at Allama Prabhu Park in ShivamoggaKey demand of the question
The question asks to explore the deeper philosophical ideas behind Basavanna’s vachanas and how they aimed to reshape social morality by challenging prevailing hierarchies.Structure of the Answer:
Introduction
Briefly highlight the transformative nature of Basavanna’s vachanas beyond devotional expression.Body
- Mention core philosophical principles like rejection of ritualism, spiritual equality, and the concept of Kayaka and Dasoha.
- Show how these ideas challenged casteism, patriarchy, and institutional religion to promote a new moral order.
Conclusion
Conclude with the contemporary relevance of vachanas as ethical resources for inclusive social transformation.
Topic: Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian subcontinent);
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: InsightsIAS
Why the question:
India’s agrarian economy is under growing threat from widespread soil degradation, its implications.Key Demand of the question:
The question requires a classification of soil types in India with focus on their genesis, followed by an assessment of the spatial and thematic challenges of soil degradation across regions.Structure of the Answer:
Introduction:
Briefly introduce India’s soil diversity as a product of physiography and climate, highlighting its significance for agriculture and sustainability.Body:
- Mention key soil types and the dominant physical and climatic processes that lead to their formation.
- Identify major forms of soil degradation (erosion, salinisation, chemical loss) and their spatial distribution.
- Suggest a way forward to address degradation through policy, technology, and sustainable practices.
Conclusion:
Reinforce the need to treat soils as a national asset by integrating soil health into mainstream planning and ecological conservation.
General Studies – 2
Topic: Issues relating to poverty and hunger
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: TH
Why the question:
Recent findings from The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia (2024) and NFHS-5 show worsening nutrition indicators among women before pregnancy, calling for a policy shift towards preconception health as a public health priority.Key Demand of the question:
The answer must discuss how preconception care and nutrition impact overall public health outcomes, identify systemic issues in India’s maternal nutrition response, and suggest a structured, early-intervention framework to address these challenges.Structure of the Answer:
Introduction:
Briefly highlight how improving women’s health before conception is key to breaking the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition and ensuring healthy pregnancies.Body:
- Significance of preconception care and nutrition: Show how it improves birth outcomes, reduces maternal mortality, and enhances cognitive development in children.
- Structural gaps in addressing maternal malnutrition: Mention fragmented schemes, lack of preconception focus in RMNCH+A, poor interdepartmental coordination, and insufficient outreach to adolescent girls.
- Framework for early integrated interventions: Suggest lifecycle-based policy design, community-led outreach, school-to-woman nutritional tracking, and data-driven targeting.
Conclusion:
India’s demographic dividend depends on investing in maternal health early—well before conception—through convergence, continuity, and community-based care.
Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: IE
India and the United Kingdom inked a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on Tuesday (May 6), bringing to an end around three years of negotiations.
Why the question:
The India–UK FTA 2025 was recently signed, making it India’s most comprehensive trade pact with a G7 country. It has major implications for tariff liberalisation and export competitiveness.Key demand of the question:
The question requires outlining the key features of the India–UK FTA 2025 and analysing how these provisions may influence India’s ability to compete in global export markets.Structure of the Answer:
Introduction
Briefly mention the significance of the FTA being India’s first major post-Brexit agreement with a developed economy.Body
- Mention key features like zero-duty access, tariff reduction, quotas, mobility, and services roadmap.
- Analyse the likely impact on India’s export performance, especially in labour-intensive sectors, value-added goods, services, and trade diversification.
Conclusion
Suggest that the FTA can enhance India’s trade leverage if complemented with institutional and regulatory reforms.
General Studies – 3
Topic: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: DTE
Why the question
Based on the 2025 UNDP Human Development Report, which highlights that India loses 30.7% of its HDI due to inequality, prompting debates on efficiency and fairness in development planning.Key demand of the question
The question requires examining how inequality weakens policy effectiveness and evaluating its broader impact on India’s long-term human development prospects.Structure of the Answer:
Introduction
Introduce the inefficiency of inequality using recent HDI loss data and its implications for inclusive growth.Body
- Show how inequality distorts policy outcomes by enabling elite capture, weakening targeting, and reducing demand for universal services.
- Evaluate how this distorts sustainable human development through effects on human capital, social cohesion, regional disparities, and climate vulnerability.
Conclusion
Suggest the need for inclusive, equity-focused policy frameworks that treat redistribution and capability expansion as central to sustainable development.
Topic: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: TH
Why the question:
The International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s April Outlook held that India would surpass Japan to become the fourth largest economy.Key Demand of the question:
The question asks for an outline of broader structural transformations needed to sustain India’s global economic position and a focused analysis of three critical reform areas — institutional, labour, and financial — to prevent stagnation.Structure of the Answer:
Introduction
Mention India’s projected 4th rank in global GDP and caution that nominal size without structural strength may be unsustainable.Body
- Structural transformations: Need to improve productivity, export competitiveness, urbanisation quality, and environmental sustainability
- Institutional reforms: Enhance regulatory efficiency, decentralised governance, judicial enforcement, and data-led decision-making
- Labour market reforms: Focus on formalisation, gender inclusion, skilling, and uniform labour code implementation
- Financial sector reforms: Expand capital markets, improve credit access, strengthen NBFC/co-op regulation, and scale digital finance
Conclusion
India’s global rise must be underpinned by deep structural strength to ensure durable, inclusive, and resilient growth.
General Studies – 4
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: TH
Why the question:
The US DOJ’s recent move to seek the breakup of Google’s ad-tech business and whistle-blower-led revelations about tech abuse underscore ethical concerns in platform monopolies.Key Demand of the question:
The answer must discuss mechanisms through which ethical oversight can rebuild public trust in dominant digital platforms, and critically evaluate how whistle-blowers contribute to exposing and curbing unethical dominance.Structure of the Answer:
Introduction:
Mention the growing influence of digital platforms on democracy and markets, making ethical accountability a necessity beyond legal compliance.Body:
- Ethical oversight: Show how independent audits, algorithmic transparency, and stakeholder ethics can curb exploitative tendencies of digital monopolies.
- Role of whistle-blowers: Explain how insider disclosures can expose unethical practices, prompt reform, and uphold moral accountability in powerful corporations.
Conclusion:
Emphasise the need for institutionalised ethical checks and robust whistle-blower protection as key pillars of digital governance.
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