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UPSC Mains 2019 GS 1 Question Paper (General Studies I)

All 20 questions from the UPSC Civil Services Mains 2019 General Studies I paper, transcribed from the official question paper and tagged by syllabus topic. Format: 150 words (Q1–10, 10 marks) · 250 words (Q11–20, 15 marks). Download the original question paper PDF.

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Q1 Indian Culture & Heritage · 10 marks

Highlight the Central Asian and Greco-Bactrian elements in the Gandhara art.

Q2 Modern Indian History · 10 marks

The 1857 Uprising was the culmination of the recurrent big and small local rebellions that had occurred in the preceding hundred years of British rule. Elucidate.

Q3 Modern Indian History · 10 marks

Examine the linkages between the nineteenth century's 'Indian Renaissance' and the emergence of national identity.

Q4 Geography (Physical, Resources & Phenomena) · 10 marks

Assess the impact of global warming on the coral life system with examples.

Q5 Geography (Physical, Resources & Phenomena) · 10 marks

Discuss the causes of depletion of mangroves and explain their importance in maintaining coastal ecology.

Q6 Geography (Physical, Resources & Phenomena) · 10 marks

Can the strategy of regional resource-based manufacturing help in promoting employment in India?

Q7 Geography (Physical, Resources & Phenomena) · 10 marks

Discuss the factors for localisation of agro-based food processing industries of North-West India.

Q8 Indian Society · 10 marks

What makes the Indian society unique in sustaining its culture? Discuss.

Q9 Women, Population & Urbanization · 10 marks

'Empowering women is the key to control population growth.' Discuss.

Q10 Communalism, Secularism & Regionalism · 10 marks

What are the challenges to our cultural practices in the name of secularism?

Q11 Freedom Struggle · 15 marks

Many voices had strengthened and enriched the nationalist movement during the Gandhian phase. Elaborate.

Q12 Modern Indian History · 15 marks

Assess the role of British imperial power in complicating the process of transfer of power during the 1940s.

Q13 World History · 15 marks

Explain how the foundations of the modern world were laid by the American and French Revolutions.

Q14 Geography (Physical, Resources & Phenomena) · 15 marks

What is water stress? How and why does it differ regionally in India?

Q15 Geography (Physical, Resources & Phenomena) · 15 marks

How can the mountain ecosystem be restored from the negative impact of development initiatives and tourism?

Q16 Geography (Physical, Resources & Phenomena) · 15 marks

How is efficient and affordable urban mass transport key to the rapid economic development of India?

Q17 Geography (Physical, Resources & Phenomena) · 15 marks

How do ocean currents and water masses differ in their impacts on marine life and coastal environment? Give suitable examples.

Q18 Indian Society · 15 marks

Do we have cultural pockets of small India all over the nation? Elaborate with examples.

Q19 Women, Population & Urbanization · 15 marks

What are the continued challenges for women in India against time and space?

Q20 Globalization · 15 marks

Are we losing our local identity for the global identity? Discuss.

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