UPSC Mains 2025 General Studies–I (GS Paper 1) Question Paper (23rd August 2025) – PDF Download Now

The UPSC Civil Services Mains 2025 Examination continued on 23rd August 2025, with the General Studies Paper 1 (GS Paper I).
This paper covers History, Geography, Indian Society, and Culture and is crucial for scoring high in GS.

GS Paper 1 – Key Details

• Date: 23rd August 2025 (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
• Paper: General Studies – I
• Duration: 3 Hours | Marks: 250

UPSC Mains 2025 GS Paper 1 PDF

Check below for the direct download PDF link and scanned images of the official UPSC Mains 2025 GS Paper 1.

Detailed Analysis of UPSC Mains 2025 : GS -1 by Pradeep sir, Sudeep sir & Sapna ma’am. In this session, we decode the demand of each question, suggest answer structures, value-addition points, and common pitfalls—so you can write crisp, high-scoring answers.
Watch the full analysis video.

What We Cover Inside :

Question-wise approach: how to break the demand, structure answers in 150-250 words, and add maps, data, and thinkers.

Value additions for History (Harappan, Akbar, Chandella/Kandariya Mahadev aesthetics), Geography (sea-level rise, tsunamis, offshore oil, tectonics, Ganga basin), Society (urban poverty, civil services ethos, globalization & consumer culture, Phule & subaltern), and Tech & Planning (AI, drones with GIS & RS).
Strategy pointers: prioritizing sub-parts, diagram speed-drawing, micro-examples, and conclusion framing.

Questions

1. Discuss the salient features of the Harappan architecture. (Answer in 150 words) 10
2. Examine the main aspects of Akbar’s religious syncretism. (Answer in 150 words) 10
3. ‘The sculptors filled the Chandella artform with resilient vigor and breadth of life.’ Elucidate. (Answer in 150 words) 10
4. How are climate change and the sea level rise affecting the very existence of many island nations? Discuss with examples. (Answer in 150 words)10
5. What are non-farm primary activities? How are these activities related to physiographic features in India? Discuss with suitable examples. (Answer in 150 words)10
6. Explain briefly the ecological and economic benefits of solar energy generation in India with suitable examples. (Answer in 150 words)10
7. What are Tsunamis ? How and where are they formed ? What are their consequences ? Explain with examples. (Answer in 150 words)10
8. How does smart city in India, address the issues of urban poverty and distributive justice ? (Answer in 150 words)10
9. The ethos of civil service in India stand for the combination of professionalism with nationalistic consciousness – Elucidate. (Answer in 150 words)10
10. Do you think that globalization results in only an aggressive consumer culture ? Justify your answer. (Answer in 150 words)10
11. Mahatma Joti Rao Phule’s writings and efforts of social reforms touched issues of almost all subaltern classes. Discuss. (Answer in 250 words)15
12. Trace India’s consolidation process during early phase of independence in terms of polity, economy, education and international relations. (Answer in 250 words)15
13. The French Revolution has enduring relevance to the contemporary world. Explain. (Answer in 250 words)15
14. Give a geographical explanation of the distribution of off-shore oil reserves of the world. How are they different from the on-shore occurrences of oil reserves? (Answer in 250 words)15
15. How can Artificial Intelligence (AI) and drones be effectively used along with GIS and RS techniques in locational and areal planning? (Answer in 250 words)15
16. Discuss how the changes in shape and sizes of continents and ocean basins of the planet take place due to tectonic movements of the crustal masses. (Answer in 250 words)15
17. Discuss the distribution and density of population in the Ganga River Basin with special reference to land, soil and water resources. (Answer in 250 words)15
18. How do you account for the growing fast food industries given that there are increased health concerns in modern society? Illustrate your answer with the Indian experience. (Answer in 250 words)15
19. Achieving sustainable growth with emphasis on environmental protection could come into conflict with poor people’s needs in a country like India – Comment. (Answer in 250 words)15
20. Does tribal development in India centre around two axes, those of displacement and of rehabilitation? Give your opinion. (Answer in 250 words)15

Why GS Paper 1 Matters

GS Paper 1 forms the foundation of understanding History, Geography, and Indian Society.
It plays a vital role in connecting static knowledge with dynamic issues.

InsightsIAS Support

InsightsIAS will provide a detailed analysis, model answers, and strategy tips for GS Paper 1 shortly. Stay tuned!