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UPSC CSE Mains 2021 — PSIR Questions with Answers
All 56 PSIR previous-year questions from UPSC CSE Mains 2021, each with the correct answer and a full explanation. Practise them as a free, timed mock test with instant scoring.
Practice PSIR as a timed test →- Q1.Political Concepts & Ideologies
Feminist critique of the State.
- Q2.Political Concepts & Ideologies
Affirmative action.
- Q3.Political Concepts & Ideologies
Equality of outcome as a political idea.
- Q4.Political Concepts & Ideologies
Tools of legitimation of the State.
- Q5.Western Political Thought & Theory
J. S. Mill's ideas on women's suffrage.
- Q6.Western Political Thought & Theory
How has Rawls enriched the idea of justice in liberalism?
- Q7.Western Political Thought & Theory
Examine the importance of the behavioural approach in political theory. What led to its decline?
- Q8.Political Concepts & Ideologies
Can there be a universal conception of human rights? Give your arguments.
- Q9.Indian Constitution & National Movement
Explain the Aristotelian view of politics. To what extent do you think it has contributed to the development of modern-day constitutional democracies?
- Q10.Indian Political Thought
"When a nation becomes devoid of arts and learning, it invites poverty." (Sir Syed Ahmad Khan). In the light of this statement, assess the role of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan as a reformer in modern India.
- Q11.Political Concepts & Ideologies
"Political ideology is primarily concerned with the allocation and utilization of power." Comment.
- Q12.Indian Political Thought
Do you think that the Buddhist traditions have lent a greater ethical foundation to ancient Indian political thought? Give your arguments.
- Q13.Western Political Thought & Theory
"Marx's concept of 'alienation' is an essential part of the reality in capitalism." Explain.
- Q14.General PSIR
"Free and fair deliberation is key to the foundation of democracy." Explain.
- Q15.Indian Constitution & National Movement
"The Constitution of India is a product of a historical process, rich with constitutional antecedents." Comment.
- Q16.Indian Constitution & National Movement
"The Constitution makers faced the great task of forging a common national identity in the face of unparalleled social and cultural diversity in India." Comment.
- Q17.Indian Constitution & National Movement
Mention the founding principles that define India's Constitution.
- Q18.Western Political Thought & Theory
Analyze the Marxist perspective of the nature of the Indian National Movement.
- Q19.Indian Constitution & National Movement
Underline the significance of the first constitutional amendment.
- Q20.Political Concepts & Ideologies
"Constitutionally reconciling the Fundamental Rights with the Directive Principles of State Policy has led to frequent amendments of the Constitution and judicial interventions." Comment.
- Q21.Indian Government, Institutions & Politics
The role of the President of India becomes more significant during a minority government and a coalition government. Explain.
- Q22.Indian Government, Institutions & Politics
Do you think that despite having significant limitations the Panchayati Raj institutions have strengthened the process of democratic decentralization? Give your views.
- Q23.Indian Government, Institutions & Politics
"The Indian party system is shaped by a complex interaction of the country's federal structure, electoral system and social cleavages." Explain.
- Q24.Indian Government, Institutions & Politics
Do you think that there has been a gradual shift in the basis on which the demands for the creation of new States have been raised in different regions of India? Explain.
- Q25.General PSIR
What explains India's modest improvements in social development outcomes even as the rate of growth has accelerated since the initiation of economic reforms?
- Q26.Indian Government, Institutions & Politics
"The success of electoral democracy can partly be attributed to the status and role of the Election Commission of India." Explain.
- Q27.Indian Constitution & National Movement
Examine the evolution of the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of India as a Constitutional Court.
- Q28.Indian Government, Institutions & Politics
Explain how caste as a social category is also becoming a political category in the democratic politics of India.
- Q29.Comparative Politics
Discuss the political economy approach to the comparative analysis of politics.
- Q30.General PSIR
"Political parties and pressure groups are sine qua non of democracy." Comment.
- Q31.International Relations Theory & Approaches
"Marxist approach to the study of international relations has lost its relevance in the post-cold war era." Comment.
- Q32.International Organizations & Global Issues
What measures have been undertaken by the United Nations for its reforms?
- Q33.International Organizations & Global Issues
Discuss the five proposals made by India in the recent COP-26 conference held in Glasgow.
- Q34.General PSIR
"The post-colonial state was thought of as an entity that stood outside and above society as an autonomous agency." Explain.
- Q35.International Relations Theory & Approaches
Discuss the emergence of neo-realism and its basic tenets.
- Q36.International Relations Theory & Approaches
What is 'complex interdependence'? Discuss the role of transnational actors in the international system.
- Q37.Comparative Politics
Explain the impact of electoral systems and cleavages in shaping party systems with reference to developing countries.
- Q38.International Relations Theory & Approaches
What is globalisation? Why is there an intense debate about globalisation and its consequences?
- Q39.International Relations Theory & Approaches
Critically examine the decline of the United States of America as a hegemon and its implications for the changing international political order.
- Q40.Comparative Politics
The modernization thesis asserts that affluence breeds stable democracy. How do you explain the success of India being the world's largest democracy as an exceptional case?
- Q41.International Organizations & Global Issues
Explain the success of ASEAN as a regional organisation.
- Q42.International Organizations & Global Issues
Explain India's relations with the European Union in the context of Brexit.
- Q43.India's Foreign Policy & India and the World
Discuss the strategic implications of India's 'Look East Policy' transforming into 'Act East Policy'.
- Q44.India's Foreign Policy & India and the World
Explain the philosophical foundations of India's foreign policy.
- Q45.International Organizations & Global Issues
Explain India's position on the waiver of intellectual property rights on COVID-19 vaccines in WTO.
- Q46.International Organizations & Global Issues
Write about the growing significance of QUAD.
- Q47.India's Foreign Policy & India and the World
How does the recent takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban impact India's strategic interests?
- Q48.International Organizations & Global Issues
"Non-alignment was little more than a rational strategy on the part of a materially weak India to maximize its interests within a bipolar distribution of global power." Comment.
- Q49.India's Foreign Policy & India and the World
Examine the geo-strategic points of contention in the bilateral relationship between India and China.
- Q50.India's Foreign Policy & India and the World
Write a brief analysis of the ethnic conflicts and cross-border migrations along the India-Myanmar and India-Bangladesh borders.
- Q51.General PSIR
Why is South Asia considered as the world's politically and economically least integrated region? Explain.
- Q52.India's Foreign Policy & India and the World
How do the constituent states influence the foreign policy making process in India?
- Q53.India's Foreign Policy & India and the World
Examine the evolution of India's role in the global nuclear order.
- Q54.India's Foreign Policy & India and the World
"Relations between India and Russia are rooted in history, mutual trust and mutually beneficial cooperation." Discuss.
- Q55.International Organizations & Global Issues
Discuss the 'Sustainable Development Goals' as set by the United Nations.
- Q56.India's Foreign Policy & India and the World
Identify the drivers of India's new interest in Africa.
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