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ESSAY STRATEGY By Anudeep Durishetty, UPSC Civil Services Exam Topper, All India Rank – 1 CSE-2017 – How to write a good Essay in UPSC Mains, Explained 

Essay strategy.

How to write a good Essay in UPSC Mains, Explained 

By Anudeep Durishetty

UPSC Civil Services Exam Topper, All India Rank – 1 CSE-2017

Novelist Stephen King put it beautifully when he said, “I write to find out what I think.” 

Writing is a window to your thought process. What you write on paper will tell the reader how you think, how you argue and the way you substantiate your viewpoint. This is why for most competitive examinations and academic entrance tests, essay is mandatory. 

In the Civil Services Exam too, we have a paper worth 250 marks, equivalent to a General Studies paper. Despite its importance, essay paper often does not get the attention it deserves from aspirants. First timers think they will write an excellent essay in the final exam itself, whereas experienced aspirants believe that since they had already studied a ton for GS, it will alone be enough to write a good essay. This is a fatal miscalculation. 

I was one of those who made these errors in the past, and it is not a coincidence that I scored only 100 in CSE 2015. But in 2017, I devoted adequate time to this paper. I collected useful quotes, prepared notes and even made rough essay drafts for frequently asked topics. All this effort in essay paper helped me score 155. 

What follows is an elaborate post on how you should tackle the Essay paper. I’ve organised the content as follows: 

What UPSC says about the essay paper 

• How and from where to prepare? 

Improving language and expression 

• On subheadings and rough drafts 
• What you must avoid 
• How to write a powerful introduction? 
• Developing the content of an Essay 

Substantiating your arguments 

• How to conclude an Essay 
• My notes, quote collection and sample essays 

“Candidates may be required to write essays on multiple topics. They will be expected to  keep closely to the subject of the essay,   to arrange their ideas in an orderly fashion, and to write concisely . Credit will be given for  effective and exact expression .”  

Essay distinguishes itself from GS in the sense that in GS, marks will be awarded purely for content. But in essay, examiners will pay special attention to not just the content, but also the language, coherence and the way you organise your write-up. 

So you must take adequate care to arrange your ideas properly and not commit any fundamental spelling or grammatical errors. 

How and from where to prepare?  

Most of the content you write in Essay will come from your GS preparation. Apart from this, the following sources will help: 

• Reading non-fiction  helps you develop a matured thought process. Apart from imparting knowledge, they will also let you come across good figures of speech, art of argumentation, powerful rhetoric and unique content etc. For example, in an essay on Artificial Intelligence, I took arguments from Yuval Harari’s  Homo Deus  to argue that AI is an imminent threat to humanity. Or if you read  Why Nations Fail,  a book replete with examples, you will understand the importance of innovation, political and economic freedoms in propelling a nation forward. So my suggestion is, apart from UPSC related material, develop the hobby of reading non-fiction books. I do not mean to suggest that you should start reading one  non-fiction book per topic to get good scores in Essay, but reading them occasionally in your free time will benefit you in the long run. 
• Referring to specific magazines:  For certain topics, you can refer to specific issues of Yojana/EPW/Economic Survey etc. Example: for an essay on tribal issues or public health, you can go through specific issues of these magazines for getting the latest statistics (IMR, MMR, malnutrition levels etc) and also about the positives and criticisms of govt schemes in that sector. 
• Collecting good stories/anecdotes and quotes  Anecdotes, quotes and real life stories you see in newspapers and books which can be used in essay should be noted down. In most of my essays, I used to start with a relevant story or an anecdote that has the essay topic as its underlying theme. Apart from these, I also used a couple of quotes of eminent persons. 

         List of quotes, anecdotes I collected are available in the link at the end of this article.  

Language in essay must be simple and clear with as little jargon as possible. If you want to use complex definitional terms such as, say, ‘Constitutionalism’ or ‘Sanskritisation’ please define it in sentence just before you use it. Examiner will also understand clearly what you want to convey. Clear writing is clear thinking. And that is what any reader looks for. 

Keep your sentences short and powerful. Long, winding sentences makes it difficult to read and understand. If you tack on one clause after another through conjunctions, what you get is a bad sentence sprawl.   

Example of a bad sentence sprawl: 

At the end of World War 2, on the one hand, while capitalism was successfully championed by the nations in North America and Europe, on the other hand, it was USSR that put Communism at the forefront due to which there was an ideological clash between the  the  two superpowers which had led to proxy wars in various parts of the globe, a nuclear arms race and a rapid deterioration of the security of the world.  

(By the time readers finish reading it, they will lose their breath and the point of the sentence) 

So I had a simple rule: If you run out of your breath while  reading a sentence, then probably you will have to break it into two. 

Rewriting the aforementioned example after breaking it into two (which makes it much easier to read and comprehend): 

After World War 2, while the North American and European nations championed capitalism, USSR put communism at the forefront. This ideological clash between the superpowers led to several proxy wars, a nuclear arms race and a rapid deterioration of world security.  

Vocabulary   

There is no need to memorise complex words for writing a good essay. But an occasional use of a powerful word, or a good phrase definitely gives your write-up an edge. 

Also, I believe that learning numerous words by rote will not make them stick in your brain for long. The best way to build your vocabulary is by reading non-fiction and English newspapers. While reading these, if you come across a good turn of phrase, or a word that you don’t recognise, please note it down in a book, find its meaning and understand the context in which the word was used. This helps in long term memory. Having a dictionary app on your phone also helps. 

Building vocabulary is a slow process, but with consistency, anyone can become better at using an expansive set of words. 

Subheadings & Rough Drafts 

We can be a little innovative in our subheadings. Instead of bland subheadings such as ‘ Benefits of Nuclear Energy’  we can use “ Nuclear Energy: Promise or Peril?’  Similarly, for the essay on Social Media, instead of writing ‘ Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media ’, I wrote  “Social Media: A Double Edged Sword”  

You can find my collection of a few such subheadings in the link to my notes, given at the end of the article. 

I also prepared a rough draft for a few essay topics (link given at the end). You may need to modify the structure as per the demand of the question. 

What you must avoid in Essay 

• Do not focus excessively only on one point, or one dimension (such as the historical or political aspect) Your essay needs to be expansive and multi-dimensional. 
• During preparation, we read a lot and it’s understandable that we feel strongly about certain topics. And since essay offers freedom to write, it’s very easy to get carried away with such a topic. But make sure that you write what is asked, not what you know or feel like. No  mann   ki   baat . Always stick to the subject of the topic. It helps to read the question in the midst of your essay to ensure that you are not steering away from the topic. 
• If you are not comfortable writing about abstract philosophical topics (I am terrible at writing them), avoid such questions. Your choice of topic has no bearing on the marks and that is why, selecting an unpopular topic just for the sake of it is unwise. Also, if there’s a technical term in the question, be doubly sure that you understand it correctly. For instance, in 2014, there was a question on ‘standard tests’, which is a technical term. I misunderstood it and wrote a generic essay. I got 112. 
• When you take a final stand on an issue, it’s best to avoid extreme or highly unpopular opinions. We are free to have any opinion in the privacy of our minds, but in UPSC essay why take that risk? For instance, in an essay on Capital Punishment, in the main body content, you should present a case for both abolition and retention. But when you take a stance, it’s best to be an abolitionist. 
• No ranting. You might be a great fan of Karl Marx, but if there’s a question on Capitalism, do not rant or rail against it  You must present both the positives and negatives of Capitalism and end the essay on a balanced note. 
• Do not dedicate disproportionate amount of time for the first essay and scamper through the second. Both carry equal marks, so please invest equal time. 

How to transition smoothly from one para to the next 

This can be done in three ways. 

Through a link sentence at the end of a para:  

Here, at the end of a para, you write a sentence that signals to the examiner what’s coming next. For example, let’s say you have just written a para about the threat posed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) to jobs. At the end of that para you can write a link sentence—   “Further, we must be mindful of the fact that Artificial Intelligence poses a major challenge not just economically, but also ethically.”  And in the next para, you can write about the ethical issues concerning AI. 

Through a question:    

Instead of a link sentence, you can also add a question at the end of a para so that examiner’s attention is helplessly carried to the next. To take the similar example as above, the question can be something like—   “Thus we have examined the threat posed by AI to our economy, but what about the challenges brought by AI to our ethics and morals?”  And in the next para, you can write about the ethical issues concerning AI. 

Signalling the shift at the start of next paragraph: 

Here you can simply add a word or two at the beginning of a para that signals a shift in your subtopic. For example in an essay on  Globalisation , let’s say you have just written a para about its historical evolution and impact. You can start the next para with something like—  “Politically too, globalisation has had a tremendous impact……” This way examiner immediately knows what to expect. 

These steps will ensure that the transition between paragraphs is not abrupt. 

How to write a good Introduction to your Essay? 

Essay introduction can be: 

a fictitious incident or story (where you introduce a character);  a real life anecdote;  a quote; or  a simple definition of the words in the question (not recommended in Essay) 

In GS, definitional approach is a great way to introduce your answers. But in essay, they are rather stale, lacking in any human element. I always believe that a good way to start your essay is to have that touch of humanity and warmth in your introduction. 

In my Mains exam, this was my introduction to the essay ‘Destiny of a nation is shaped in its classroom’ 

“The year was 1945. Towards the end of a gruesome world war, the world powers decided to carve up the Korean peninsula along the 38th parallel.  

“Before partition, North and South Korea might have been homogeneous in every respect, but after the division, they steered onto different paths. While schools in the North chose to ‘educate’ their children in the worship of a cult leader, ideological indoctrination and servility, its southern counterpart focused on liberal education, innovation and economic growth.  

“Today, almost seven decades later, the difference in the fates of these people and the trajectories of both these nations cannot be more stark. One is known for gross violation of human rights, while the other a champion of liberal democracy. One is known for gut-wrenching poverty, while the other unbridled prosperity.  

“This only proves the age old adage that the destiny of a nation is indeed shaped in its classrooms.”  

Similarly, for the Social Media essay, my introduction sought to bring to the fore the paradox of Social Media. I wrote on how social media was leveraged to crowdsource help and rescue during Chennai floods in 2015. At the same time, I mentioned how it was used nefariously in 2012 to cause mass exodus of northeast people from Bangalore. And taking cue from this introduction, in the main body, I discussed about the inherent selfishness and altruism associated with social media. 

These real life stories, anecdotes and incidents are everywhere in our books and newspapers. So when you come across them, note down and ponder as to how you can use them in your essay.   

Developing the Main Content from the Topic 

This is like spinning the web from a thread. Depending on the topic, you can choose among the following options that fits best. 

• Temporal : Past, present and future 
• Sectoral :  Media, Science & Tech, Business, Sports, Religion, Politics, Administration etc 
• Walks of Life : Individual, Family, Professional workplace, Society, Community, National, Global 
• Problem & Solution:  Concept (historical evolution+status), benefits, problems, solutions 
• Standard : Social, Political, Economical, Administrative, International, Environmental, Historical, Scientific, Security/Defence, Legal 

Example: for a topic like  “Has  Globalisation  delivered on its promise?”  I find the problem & solution method an apt way to develop your narrative. So choose as per the question. 

In the main body of the essay, each para must have an argument or an idea and a reasoning to back that argument. You can substantiate it through a real life example, a statistic, an authentic committee or organisational report etc. 

For example, if you are arguing that Capital punishment is an expensive form of justice, you should be able to given an example or a statistic or Law Commission’s opinion as to how the subjects of death penalty are overwhelmingly from poor communities. 

Statistics, examples, expert opinions and constitutional provisions are crucial and they make your arguments authoritative. 

Concluding an Essay 

Conclusion needs to be on  a futuristic, optimistic note. You need to summarise the complete essay in 3-4 sentences, after which you can write your vision for future. 

You can source some useful terms from the speeches of PM Modi. Phrases like  Sabka   saath   sabka   vikas ,  Reform-Perform-Transform, Building A New India  etc can come handy.  Rhetoric, lofty expressions, constitutional ideals, sanskrit slokas and quotes are a good way to conclude your essay. 

But suppose in your introduction, if you had written about a fictitious character, then it’s always advisable to end your write-up with a reference to that character. It gives a sense of completeness to the essay. 

Readers should keep in mind that these notes are written rather haphazardly (I mean who makes notes thinking that in future, they might have to upload them publicly :D)  

They are fragmented in certain pages, so you may not be able to comprehend them completely, but nevertheless I hope you take home something useful.  

Link to handwritten notes: 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jmVMGOzAk2d9B5Y0HQ9XpVF5Mh2IXGku  

Quote collection:  

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jk71jLao60hHwJoTuGYaIDgJWccxa5Xn  

List of Topics one needs to prepare:  

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1q0W0PeH-80EKt6ucJTFOVPUlmXvCIzd-  

Sample Essay:    

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jqfUi1FXdG0icBdJpdQvwH1wlAizCMvo  

https://anudeepdurishetty.in/my-upsc-marksheet/

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Best Essay Books for UPSC: Perfect the Art of IAS Essay Writing

How is your UPSC preparation going on? To crack UPSC you can’t just be good at the subjects and take essay writing lightly. You will have to treat it as equal to the other subjects. This is something that can’t be mastered just by reading. Proper practise is needed to get your thoughts flowing with ideas to write during the time of the exam. That is why in this article we will recommend you some of the best essay books for UPSC. Read the article till the end to know all about the UPSC essay paper.

UPSC Essay Paper

This paper is the very first paper of the UPSC mains. The paper consists of two sections:

Each section has four topics. A candidate has to choose one topic from both the sections for essay writing. Each section carries 125 marks that make a total of 250 marks. The word count for each essay should be in the range of 1000-1200.

Essay Books for UPSC

Here some of the best essay books for UPSC:

Mastering Essay & Answer Writing by Dr Awdhesh Singh

This is from an expert which can be a great help for UPSC aspirants in essay writing as well as in answer writing. The book can be used for any other competitive exam where questions are of descriptive type. As the book is written by a former IRS officer you will be getting tips from his experience. The book also explains why candidates have to give an essay paper in the exam. This opens your mind and you will get a clear idea of what is expected from the candidates in IAS essay writing.

ESSAYS for Civil Services and Other Competitive Examination by Pulkit Khare

This book is from Arihant publication which is considered one of the best publications for educational books. The book contains many essays along with the suggested topics which are very similar to the actual UPSC exam. It also covers the thinking process and approach which is needed to write a perfect essay. If you follow the tips given in the book, you surely will be able to score well in the exam.

101 Essays for IAS/ PCS Exam & Other Competitive Exams by Disha Experts

If you want to look at the bunch of the essay samples that this book is the one for you. The book has divided static and current topics separately. In total it contains 12 sections so that you concentrate on each one of them and get better. The essay on topics like governance, world polity, economics, environment, social justice is covered. If you read this book you will easily understand how to write an essay on the topics mentioned above.

Also Read: How to write an Essay in IAS Exam?

Essay topic for upsc.

Here are topics from the previous year paper for your practice:

• Alternative technologies for a climate change resilient India
• A good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge
• Poverty anywhere is a threat to prosperity everywhere
• Management of Indian border disputes-a complex task
• Customary morality cannot be a guide to modern life
• ‘The past’ is a permanent dimension of human consciousness and values
• A people that values its privileges above its principles loses both
• Reality does not conform to the ideal but confirms it

Also Read: 8 Valuable Essay Writing Tips For UPSC That You Should Follow  

IAS essay writing can be a tricky job but if you prepare right then nothing can stop you. Practise writing one to two topics every week. Analyze them, get them checked by your tutor. Make a separate notebook for phrases and make a habit of using them frequently while practising.

Try writing for each topic from the previous year UPSC paper and let us know about your approach in the comment section below.

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Thank you for providing the essay book list, I was really worried and then found this article on the web, that was like a bless, can you also help with some online material which can be used?

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UPSC Book List: Topper Choice & Recommend, Reference & Essential Books

Academic Books for Foundation, Non-Academic for Inspiration. Build Knowledge, Enhance Skills, and Foster a Holistic Approach with our Comprehensive UPSC Book List.

Preparing for the UPSC ( Union Public Service Commission ) examination is a complete manner that calls for diligence, strategic making plans, and a multidimensional method. The UPSC examination includes three stages

Basics of UPSC Preparation: Strategic presentation with UPSC Book List

Understand the exam pattern: know the pattern, master the books.

• Familiarise yourself with the exam pattern, together with the quantity of papers, topics, and the marking scheme for each paper.

Know the Syllabus: Topics with Essential UPSC Book List Recommendations.

• Thoroughly apprehend the prescribed syllabus for both the Preliminary and Main examinations. The syllabus is vast and covers more than a few topics.

Create a Study Schedule: Balanced Schedule with Essential UPSC Book List

• Develop a practical and properly-based examination time table that allocates enough time to cover all subjects. Balance is fundamental.

Current Affairs Awareness: Staying Informed with Essential UPSC Book List

• Stay up to date on Current-affairs, national and international problems, authorities policies, and socio-economic trends.

Practise Mock Tests: Sharpen Skills with Essential UPSC Book List

• Regularly practise mock tests for both the Preliminary and Main examinations to make yourself familiar with the examination environment and enhance time control.

Effective Time Management: Efficient Exam Strategies with Key UPSC Book List

• Efficient time for the duration of the examination, specially within the Main Examination, where answer writing is a critical ability.

Role of Academic Books: Essential Books for Knowledge, Clarity, and Analytical

Foundation of knowledge: key upsc book list for strong knowledge base in history, geography, polity, and more.

• Academic books provide a strong basis of know-how in topics like History, Geography, Polity, etc. 
• This foundational information is vital for comprehending advanced subjects and answering questions correctly.

Conceptual Clarity: UPSC Success with Essential UPSC Book List on Theories, Principles, and Historic Insights.

• Reading academic books fosters conceptual Clarity.
• Aspirants benefit from a deeper understanding of theories, principles, and historic activities, enabling them to articulate their ideas coherently in tests.

Source of Authentic Information: Trusted UPSC book list for Authentic Information and Exam Accuracy

• Authored by professionals, academic books offer real and reliable facts. 
• This aligns with the UPSC’s emphasis on accuracy, making the content material treasured for the exam.

Development of Analytical Skills: UPSC Success Through Critical Thinking with Essential Book Insights

• Academic books often present complex ideas with diverse contexts, necessitating important analysis. 
• Engaging with such content facilitates aspirants to work on their analytical capabilities, important for the UPSC Examination.

Reference for In-Depth Study: Essential Reference Books for Nuanced Knowledge Beyond the Syllabus.

• Beyond covering the UPSC syllabus , educational books function as reference substances for in-depth Knowledge.
• Candidates can delve deeper into precise subjects, gaining a more nuanced knowledge.

Preparation for Optional Subjects: UPSC Preparation with Essential UPSC book list for History, Geography, and More.

• Many educational books shape the basis for non-compulsory subjects. 
• Aspirants selecting topics like History or Geography can use these books to construct a complete information base.

Credible Evidence in Answers: UPSC Success with Credible Facts from Essential Academic Books.

• Quoting facts from academic books provides credibility to answers within the Main Examination. 
• It showcases a candidate’s reliance on authoritative resources, reinforcing the excellence of responses.

Holistic Grasp of Subjects: Essential UPSC book list for Comprehensive Subject Understanding and Interdisciplinary Analysis.

• Academic books cover an extensive variety of topics inside a subject, making sure aspirants have a holistic grasp of the problem matter.  
• This complete understanding aids in interdisciplinary analysis.

Enhancement of Writing Skills: UPSC Success with Essential UPSC book list for Enhanced Writing Skills.

• Regular engagement with educational content contributes to the enhancement of writing Skills. 
• Candidates learn to articulate complex ideas in a based and coherent manner.

Facilitation of Revision: Essential UPSC book list for Effective Review and Understanding Enhancement

• Academic books, with their organised content material, facilitate effective revision. 
• The based presentation of facts allows aspirants to review and enhance their understanding successfully.

Reference books that can be useful for UPSC college students: Mastering Core Subjects for Exam Success

Non-Academic books that can be useful for UPSC college students: Non-Academic Gems for Personal Growth

Role Of Non-Academic Books: UPSC Success with Non-Academic Wisdom and Inspiring Reads

The function of non-Academic books in UPSC preparation is multifaceted, providing candidates a broader attitude, idea, and valuable lifestyles classes. Here are key components highlighting their significance:

Inspiration and Motivation: UPSC Motivation through Inspiring Stories

• Non-UPSC books often comprise inspiring testimonies of people who have overcome challenges and executed success. 
• This can serve as a supply of motivation for UPSC aspirants at some stage in tough times.

Building a Positive Mindset: Nurturing Resilience and Personal Growth

• Many non-academic books increase awareness on resilience, and personal improvement. 
• Developing an effective mind-set is essential for going through the uncertainties and demanding situations of the UPSC journey.

Understanding Diverse Perspectives: UPSC Insights through Varied Perspectives

• Non-academic books regularly discover various issues, cultures, and perspectives. 
• This publicity can decorate an aspirant’s understanding of societal problems, contributing to a well-rounded approach inside the examination.

Cultural and Philosophical Insights: UPSC Wisdom from Literature and Philosophy

• Works of literature, philosophy, and autobiographies offer cultural and philosophical insights. 
• This understanding is precious for answering essay-type questions and enhancing the depth of responses inside the Main Examination.

Stress Management: Stress Relief and Focus Strategies for Success

• Books on mindfulness, strain management, and intellectual well-being provide sensible techniques for coping with the pressures of the UPSC Exam. 
• These assets can make contributions to a balanced and targeted approach.

Developing Analytical Thinking: Non-Academic Gems for UPSC Success

• Certain non-Academic  books stimulate important thinking and analytical abilities. 
• These capabilities are crucial for comprehending complicated troubles, a demand for success in the UPSC examination.

Enhancing Communication Skills: Non-Academic Reads for UPSC Triumph

• Reading properly-crafted narratives and stories with distinctive writing patterns can enhance an aspirant’s communication talents. 
• Effective verbal exchange is essential for conveying ideas sincerely within the Main Examination.

Ethics and Values: Non-Academic Gems for UPSC Excellence

• Autobiographies and philosophical works regularly delve into ethical dilemmas and ethical values. 
• Such insights are beneficial for the ethics paper and the general personal test inside the UPSC examination.

Time Management Lessons: Non-Academic Wisdom in Study Optimization

• Non-academic books on productiveness and time control can offer treasured instructions for optimising study schedules. 
• Efficient time management is important, specifically during the UPSC preparation..

Diverse Cultural Understanding: Non-Academic Insights for UPSC Aspirants

• Novels and memoirs exploring numerous cultures make contributions to a higher understanding of India’s social fabric. 
• This knowledge is beneficial for addressing questions related to social troubles in the exam.

Leadership and Decision-Making: Insights for UPSC Aspirants

• Biographies of leaders and people who have made enormous contributions offer insights into leadership styles and choice-making procedures. 
• This information is applicable for governance-related questions.

Broadening Worldview: UPSC Mastery with Diverse Readings

• Non-UPSC books help understanding  global problems  and histories contribute to a broader worldview. 
• A comprehensive understanding of global affairs is vital for certain sections of the UPSC Exam.

Effective Communication in Interviews: Mastering Communication for UPSC Book List

• Non-Academic books specialising in conversation skills and powerful storytelling may be fantastic at some point of the personal test (interview) level of the UPSC exam.

Creativity and Innovation: Creativity for UPSC Essays

• Works of fiction and creative non-fiction stimulate creativity and innovation. 
• These characteristics are valuable for crafting particular and considerate responses within the essay paper.

Holistic Development: Crafting a Holistic UPSC Book List

• Non-instructional books make contributions to the holistic improvement of aspirants. 
• Beyond academic know-how, they offer insights into human experiences, emotions, and the complexities of society.

Conclusion:

• Books play a pivotal position in UPSC preparation, serving as critical tools for acquiring expertise, developing crucial questioning capabilities, and fostering a complete information of various topics. Academic books shape the inspiration, imparting in-intensity insights into the USA syllabus, while non-academic books provide a broader attitude, notion, and cultural expertise. 
• They make a contribution to the aspirant’s intellectual and emotional boom, enhancing analytical thinking, time control, and verbal exchange abilities. Whether delving into historical occasions, and philosophical principles, or exploring motivational narratives, books act as courses, mentors, and partners on the tough journey in the direction of achievement in the UPSC exam.

UPSC Book List FAQs

What is the position of educational books in upsc preparation, how can educational books enhance writing competencies in upsc instruction, can educational books make contributions to time management in upsc preparation, what are a few recommended standard books for upsc preparation, how can non-academic books make contributions to upsc instruction, what non-academic books are recommended for upsc aspirants.

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Essay Writing for UPSC – Syllabus, Books, How to Write Essay in UPSC?

By BYJU'S Exam Prep

Updated on: November 14th, 2023

Essay Writing for UPSC : Candidates preparing for the 2023 Civil Services exam must be well versed in Essay Writing for UPSC as it is an important paper in the Mains exam. In the UPSC essay paper, 2 essays have to be written in 3 hours of time . Each essay carries 125 marks in total, which makes this paper worth 250 marks. The word limit for each essay is 1000 to 1200 words. To score well in this paper, aspirants must know all instructions and guidelines for essay writing UPSC as prescribed by the Commission.

Aspirants tend to take Essay writing for UPSC lightly but do not realize that if the paper is prepared well, one can score wonders in it. In the article, we will cover all aspects of how to write an Essay in UPSC, keywords to focus upon, format, best books, and how to improve the art of UPSC Essay writing.

Table of content

Essay Writing for UPSC

Essay Writing is one of the most important scoring papers for the UPSC Exam . If a candidate prepares for it well, the overall score increases to a great extent. The UPSC Essay carries 250 marks in total , and a candidate has to write two essays, one from each of the two sections. The Essay writing for UPSC has to be completed within 1000 – 1200 words. There are two sections – Section A and Section B, each of which has four topics out of which candidates have to choose only 1 from each section.

After the change in UPSC Syllabus in 2013, one has to write 2 essays in 3 hours on diverse topics, contrary to what was earlier a single essay in 3 hours. The instructions mentioned in the UPSC Essay Paper are clear and expect the aspirants to keep their thoughts close to the subject and arrange their ideas accordingly. The instructions in the UPSC Essay Paper further state that the credit will be given for effective and coherent expression of thoughts only.

How to Write Essay in UPSC?

The Essay Paper in UPSC is one of the most scored papers, among the seven papers that are considered for merit. If one practices the Essays topics for UPSC well, they can make quite an impact with their marks. In the IAS Exam , the Essay Paper is concerned with the formal essay type. The formal essay tends to be more impersonal, less emotional, and has authority. The UPSC Essays have actual elements in them, like statistics from government data, recent reports, indices, etc. Essay Writing in UPSC is never in the form of a conversation, nor does it use first-person references. Thus it can be said that UPSC Essay Writing has a certain degree of seriousness attached to them.

To write a scoring Essay for UPSC Mains, one should focus on:

• Choosing the Right Topic: A conceptual and holistic understanding of the topic an aspirant is attempting is a must. One should always choose a topic where one is comfortable expressing his/her thoughts, and there are ample thoughts to express on it.
• Interpret the Essay Topic clearly: As a human tendency, whenever an aspirant sees a familiar topic, they start writing on it immediately, without adequately brainstorming on it. During the UPSC Exam, it is very essential to understand the essence of the question asked.
• Selecting the Topic: This is the most crucial step in the process of Essay writing for UPSC. One has to choose from the two sets of topics containing four topics. While selecting the topic, make sure you have enough material to write on it.
• Brainstorming: Once your topic is selected, you should not start writing straight away. Collect your thoughts, streamline them, and write them in the space provided at the back of the UPSC Question Paper. Once the thoughts are collected, adhere to a good structure and start writing.
• Follow the structure of UPSC Essay Writing: The most acceptable method of writing an essay is breaking it up into paragraphs. The structure of the UPSC Essay must follow the pattern of introduction, historical background (if any), main subject or problem, linkage with Current Affairs, positive and negative aspects, and the future reforms needed . The Essay should end with an optimistic way forward conclusion.
• Have a multidimensional approach: While attempting any topic for the IAS Essay, adhere to the Social, Political, Economic, Cultural, Legal, International, and Humanistic perspectives. This makes the essay holistic and gives the impression that the aspirant is well-read.
• Highlight the essential keywords: Every topic has a central idea attached to it. The whole essay should revolve around that. Try using that keyword once in the introduction-body-conclusion paragraph.
• Structure the Essay well: Information is one thing but how to put that information in a structured and systematic way is very important. Create an outline of the essay, such as following the Past-Present-Future technique.
• Use easy language and present well: One of the most common misconceptions while writing the Essays for UPSC is that you need to be a champ in English, which is not valid. The Essay Paper in UPSC checks upon your thoughts and critical thinking ability. It is always advised to use short sentences, small paragraphs, and lucid sentences while writing.
• Add data, quotes, etc.: To fetch brownie points while writing Essays in UPSC, use quotes/sayings by famous personalities, and highlight government schemes and policies.

How to Improve Marks in UPSC Essay Writing?

An essay is an organized collection of ideas, that are written nicely and professionally presented. Developing the skill to write a good UPSC Essay needs preparation, which comes from practicing UPSC Previous Year Question Papers and attempting Mocks.

To score some extra points or have an edge over other candidates, while writing an Essay for UPSC Exam, the following pointers should be kept in mind:

• Never just present problems or be pessimistic. Try giving or suggesting a possible reform or solution to the issue/problem.
• Avoid writing utopian solutions.
• Never resort to name-calling or getting personal while writing the essay.
• Keep in mind that you are appearing for one of the most prestigious services in the nation, so don’t have extreme views. Have and apply the Buddha’s middle path while writing the Essays for UPSC.
• Present a balanced picture even if your topic is provocative. Critically analyze the topic with its pros and cons.
• Never resort to criticizing the government or the administration excessively.

UPSC Essay Syllabus

The syllabus for UPSC Essay Writing covers some common topics from the economy, current affairs, technology, philosophy, etc. The UPSC essay syllabus is very vast to cover, hence candidates should focus more on practicing the art of essay writing for UPSC than remembering facts and figures about specific topics. Some of the areas which can be practiced for Essay paper in UPSC Mains are as follows:

Essay Writing Practice for UPSC

To practice Essay Writing for UPSC Mains 2023 exam, candidates must go through the questions asked in the last few years’ essay papers which can be downloaded from the links below. It contains lots of questions on essay writing which can be used to practice answer-writing skills.

Essay for UPSC: Keywords and their Meaning

While going through the UPSC Essay Question Papers, one can find some of the frequently used words which are mentioned. These words include evaluating, discussing, critically analyzing or analyzing, examining, explaining, etc.

Let’s discuss these keywords in detail:

• Evaluate: To evaluate is to come to a decision based on the overall analysis of the pros and cons backed by evidence.
• Analyse: It requires breaking an issue into sub-parts and explaining their correlation and finally concluding it in a summary.
• Critically evaluate: Critically evaluation requires a person to be able to exercise their sense of reasoning and provide evidence both to support and repudiate a statement and to finally reach a conclusion.
• Examine: It requires throwing light on the negatives and positives of the topic and coming to a balanced conclusion.
• Explain: It follows the pattern of How/Why/When and the candidate needs to write accordingly. The answer must have relevant facts and implications.
• Comment: It is a statement that expresses an opinion or reaction.
• Discuss: One can find this word mostly in all the UPSC Mains Question Papers , and is one of the trickiest terms. Discuss means discussing various perspectives and presenting a logical argument at the end.
• Elucidate: It means to explain the cause-effect correlation, by giving evidence and examples.

Essay Book for UPSC

While it takes time to learn concepts for UPSC Prelims and Mains, the UPSC Essay Paper can be aced with sufficient practice of the trending topics. While writing the Essay Paper for UPSC, one needs to be updated with all the recent happenings and read the EPW, Yojana, or Hindu/The Indian Express editorials to present viewpoints. The books for Essay writing for UPSC provide the aspirants with an idea of how to approach the essay. Some of the popular books are:

• Essay for Civil Services by Pulkit Khare
• Book of Essays by Kalpana Rajaram
• Selected Contemporary Essays by Saumitra Mohan
• Mastering Essay and Answer Writing by Dr Awadesh Singh
• Select Essays by Drishti Publications

FAQs on Essay Writing for UPSC

How to write essay for upsc.

Essay Writing for UPSC requires immense practice. To write a good essay for UPSC, one should have a good collection of opening and closing lines, and some generalized material on famous topics like development, women’s education, healthcare, internet, technology, science, etc. The material should include quotations, case studies, examples, government initiatives, etc.

• Quotes for Essay UPSC
• UPSC Essay Topics

How many essays do we have to write in UPSC?

The Essay Paper is one of the nine papers in the UPSC civil services mains exam. In this paper, you will have to write two essays, each with a word count of 1000 – 1200. One topic can be selected from a choice of four topics.

How to start Essay Writing Practice for UPSC?

To start the practice of Essay Writing for UPSC, one should focus on creating quick flow charts to help them organize their thoughts. Additionally, read current affairs daily, which can be effectively used in writing essays on any topic.

What is UPSC Essay Paper?

The Essay Paper is one of the nine papers in the UPSC Mains . In this paper, you will have to write two essays, each with a word count of 1000 – 1200. One topic can be selected from a choice of four topics. The Essay Paper is for a total of 250 marks, with one essay for 125 marks.

What are the 4 types of essays asked in the UPSC Exam?

There are different types of essays , but they are often defined into four categories, which include argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive essays.

How to Score 150+ in UPSC Essay Writing?

Some of the key techniques to score more than 150 marks in UPSC essay writing are listed below:

• Select the topic carefully with enough facts and news to add to the answer.
• Think about the topic for 10-15 mins, and prepare a flow chart or bullets containing the essay’s flow.
• Jot down all facts or recent news around it that you want to add to your essay.

Which is the best book for Essay Writing UPSC?

It is crucial for candidates to find the best book for Essay writing for UPSC to understand the tips and tricks to write answers, and to get some practice questions to attempt. Some of the best books for UPSC Essay Writing paper are Essays for Civil Services and Other Competitive Examinations by Pulkit Khare, Mastering Essay and Answer Writing by Dr. Awdhesh Singh, etc.

What is the time limit for Essay Writing in UPSC?

Candidates get a total of 3 hours to complete 2 essays of about 1000 to 1200 words each. During this time, they have to brainstorm about the chosen topics, create rough notes to structure their answer, and attempt the essays in the given sheet.

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Top 20 Books to Help You Crack UPSC Civil Service Exam

Preparing for UPSC CSE? Recommended by IAS toppers, this checklist of 20 books (that you can buy on Amazon) will help you get a good hold on subject fundamentals for Prelims and Mains.

P ioneering aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry once said, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” This also holds in the case of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Service Exam (CSE). Hence – our suggestions for UPSC books!

Among the toughest exams in India, UPSC CSE requires more than just hard work. It requires proper planning and a strategy for study material that makes your preparation more productive with fewer inputs.

So to give you a head start, we have created this checklist of the best books for UPSC (IAS) Prelims and Mains preparation, along with links to where you can buy them on Amazon. Recommended by IAS toppers, these 20 books (apart from NCERTs) will help you get clarity and a good hold on subject fundamentals.

1. Indian Polity for Civil Services Examinations by M Laxmikanth (Polity)

Otherwise known as the ‘ Bible of polity ’, this UPSC book gives a comprehensive idea about the subject. Going through the book multiple times helps in attaining good marks for prelims as well as mains. It is one of the bestselling UPSC preparation guides. The author is a political science graduate with years of experience in training UPSC aspirants.

Buy the book here.

2. Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania (Culture)

It is an in-depth guide into the diverse culture and art of the country. It contains all information regarding knowledge on Indian art, paintings, music and architecture for both prelims and mains examinations. The author is a chartered accountant turned civil servant who guides aspirants in this subject.

Buy the book here .

3. International Relations: Pushpesh Pant (International Relations)

From the time of the emergence of sovereign states to the present global issues, this UPSC book covers all major events. It is best-loved by all students appearing for any competitive examinations. The Padma Shri-recipient author is an academician and historian who retired as a professor in International Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University.

4. Challenge and Strategy: Rethinking India’s Foreign Policy by Rajiv Sikri (International Relations)

This book is compiled from a policy-oriented perspective covering all major challenges in the current foreign policy of the country. It also analyses the latest trends in foreign policy formulation. The author was an officer of the Indian Foreign Service and a career diplomat with 36 years of experience.

5. Indian Economy For Civil Services by Nitin Singhania (Economy)

The book contains a systematic arrangement of fluctuations in economic growth and development in the country. For a better and more comprehensive understanding various flowcharts, tables, graphs and examples are incorporated in it. Economic diplomacy, energy security, interactions between diplomacy, defence and foreign organisations are some of the many topics discussed. The civil servant author is also a post-graduate in economics.

6. Economic Development & Policy in India – Jain & Ohri (Economy)

This book is part of the syllabus of Bachelor of Arts/Commerce graduates. It gives a basic idea of the major economic policies formulated in the country post-independence. It is useful for all competitive examinations including UPSC. T R Jain and V K Ohri are both economists who have jointly authored multiple books which are part of CBSE and UGC syllabi.

7. Oxford School Atlas by Oxford Publishers (Geography)

An atlas is a must-have for a UPSC aspirant and the Oxford Atlas is one among the best available at present. It consists of a wide variety of comprehensive data with quality print. The accuracy and depth are perfect even for researchers. It is most useful for aspirants who choose geography as an optional subject.

8. Geography of India by Majid Husain (Geography)

This UPSC book is a reference for India’s geographical landscape and gives a well-detailed idea about the same. It includes maps, data and statistics of the country’s geographical position. The latest ninth edition is updated with the change in status of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. Government schemes and initiatives are also incorporated in the book. The author is a well-known geographer and teacher.

9. Certificate of Physical & Human Geography by GC Leong (Geography)

The major elements of physical geography, world climatic and vegetational regions as well as their relationship with human geography is discussed in detail in this book. It contains many local examples which makes comprehension much easier and faster. The book comes with questions and exercises that prepare aspirants for their respective exams.

10. Environmental Ecology, Bio-Diversity, Climate Change & Disaster Management – Dr Ravi Agrahari (Environment)

Published by McGraw Hill, this book explains all major environmental issues and suggests workable solutions to those. It equips aspirants with answers to disaster management related questions which are significant in CSE. The otherwise complicated syllabus is easily covered by this single book.

11. Challenges to Internal Security of India – Ashok Kumar and Vipul Anekant (General Studies)

Challenges regarding the internal security of the country and other contemporary issues are discussed in this book published by McGraw Hill. The latest fourth edition contains the current status of Jammu & Kashmir, new social media code, internet restriction in India and effects of COVID-19. The book is co-authored by Ashok Kumar IPS and Vipul Anekant DANIPS.

Buy this book here .

12. Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude for Civil Services Main Examination by Subba Rao and P.N. Roy Chowdhury (Ethics)

This is one of the frequently updated and most comprehensive books available to cover these subjects. It comes with solved papers, writing techniques, confidence-boosting exercises. Co-authored by G Subba Rao and P N Roy Chowdhury, it is a best-seller for UPSC or any similar competitive exam preparation.

13. India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra, Mridula Mukherjee, Aditya Mukherjee, Sucheta Mahajan, K N Panikkar (History)

UPSC preparation is never complete without studying history and the independence struggle. This book is authored by Bipan Chandra, Mridula Mukherjee, Aditya Mukherjee, Sucheta Mahajan and K N Panikkar, all of them well-acclaimed historians. The text gives a detailed idea about the period between 1857-1947. It is compiled using primary sources and in-depth research.

14. India after Independence by Bipan Chandra, Mridula Mukherjee, Aditya Mukherjee (History)

Sequel of India’s Struggle for Independence, this book is authored by Bipan Chandra, Mridula Mukherjee and Aditya Mukherjee. It widely analyses the success and challenges the country came across after gaining independence from British rule. It explains the story of five decades which includes the political and economic agenda as well as the foreign policy during the Nehru government.

15. A History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra (History)

The in-depth history of the Indian subcontinent between the 8th and 18th centuries is reflected in this book. The series of invasions and the major social/economic changes that occurred pertaining to these invitations are explained well. The author is a popular historian and retired professor of JNU.

16. India’s Ancient Past by RS Sharma (History)

It is an NCERT history textbook that was later published as a work called India’s Ancient Past. The text travels through neolithic and chalcolithic times to Harappan civilization, Vedic times, the rise of Mauryas and Guptas. The rise and fall of empires, the varna system, developments in science and technology, commerce and trade are some of the many areas covered. The author was a historian who specialised in the ancient era.

17. A Brief History of Modern India by Rajiv Ahir (History)

Published by Rajiv Spectrum, the book dives into the advent of the Portuguese to the country and related events. It travels to the point where the Europeans establish complete power over the Indian subcontinent. The fall of powerful emperors and their well-built kingdoms also come as subjects.

18. Mastering Modern World History by Norman Lowe (History)

The book examines major events that happened in the modern world and their end results. The language used makes for an easy read. Other than being a book referred by aspirants it is best-loved by history enthusiasts. The author is a historian and teacher with more than three decades of experience in the field.

19. Important Judgements that Transformed India by Alex Andrews George (Polity)

In this book, the most significant court cases which made an impact in the society, as well as the entire judiciary of the country, are mentioned in detail. These distinguished Supreme Court judgements paved the way for several changes in the constitution too. The author who compiled these judgements is a mentor and civil service exam trainer.

20. ‘Facets of Indian Culture’ by Spectrum (Culture)

Studying the diverse culture and traditions of India can become cumbersome. This UPSC book is a complete guide to the art forms, architecture, literary and intellectual traditions, beliefs and myths about the country. It also consists of various solved and unsolved question papers for practice. It is edited by experts in the field and published by Spectrum.

Edited by Yoshita Rao

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• IAS Preparation
• 10 Must Read Books For IAS Aspirants For UPSC Exam

Top Books for IAS Preparation

For all IAS Aspirants, looking for Books to be read for UPSC, are in the right place. You can find plenty of “Must-Read Books for IAS Preparation” lists filled with plenty of books if you search around for material to help you start your preparation for UPSC.

But most of them are bloated lists, meant to scare you into thinking there is too much to study!

Here is a shortlist of the books to prepare for the IAS exam which IAS Aspirants must grab first, (and sometimes just download for free!).

Explore The Ultimate Guide to IAS Exam Preparation

Download The E-Book Now!

If you are thinking of making a serious attempt at UPSC preparation these UPSC books should be your first companions. We have listed 10 Must-read books for UPSC Mains & Prelims and briefly described why we think it is a must-read for UPSC exam.

Also, this article gives a brief idea for IAS Aspirants on how to make maximum use of the IAS books. The UPSC Exam preparation books listed in the recommended order in which they should be read once you start your preparation.

Remember: These are the Must-have books for UPSC Exam and are also the Best books for IAS preparation.

Reading these must-have books will impart IAS Aspirants with enough information regarding the topics given in the UPSC syllabus for IAS Exam.

Candidates should practice reading and understanding the depth of the topics properly so that its easier for them to memorize important events, dates, etc.

Important Books

The top 10 must-have books for IAS aspirants preparing for the UPSC Exam are as follows:

1. India After Gandhi by Ramachandra Guha

Why you must read it: It is not easy to put a lot of things in context in Indian Politics without knowing what has been playing out over the years. Most of our history textbooks stop their chapters after the one on Independence of India.

Guha takes up the story from there and brings it close to modern India we have grown up in. The book will give you a better understanding of how India has changed since Independence and some of the big events that shaped today’s India.

How you should read it: It is close to 900 pages in length, so let us not pretend we can finish it in one sitting. The best approach is to read one chapter a week. This is because our aim is not to just to read the whole book as fast as possible but to read and then remember as much of it as possible. There are some tricks to help you remember all that you learn, as we have seen. What you should do is read one chapter this week and then read around about the incidents from that chapter. Read Wikipedia, read some blogs about it, read newspaper articles about it, think about it. Then make a short summary of the main events/arguments of the chapter from memory . If you want you can send us your chapter summaries and we will publish the best ones – the best summaries (the ones that get published – they need to be at least 1/4th of the chapter’s actual length to be published) will get gift vouchers from Amazon/Flipkart. After this make an outline of the chapter with only some keywords, this time looking through the actual book. Now get your study partner (you should have one, if not contact us and we can arrange for one) or your mentor and explain the chapter to that person – looking only at your key-word notes, and not at the book itself! Do this for each chapter and you will be the Grand Master of Modern Indian History within a few months! Of course, if you want you can speed up the process and make it 1 chapter per 3 days instead of per week – but make sure to engage with each chapter and make it stick! Supplementary Read: India Since Independence by Bipan Chandra

2. NCERT books: The Complete Package

Why you must read it: They should form the basics of your preparation. No matter what coaching you go to or what books you refer to, NCERTs are a must-read for every aspirant. How to Read NCERTs is a separate article. Read it for a comprehensive overview of NCERT study Strategy. Point to note: NCERTs should be read in parallel with the other books we have given here and with the rest of your preparation – do not think you will finish NCERTs first and then read other things. NCERTs are not enough for your preparation. Make sure you read the relevant NCERTs when reading the other books on the list – don’t mix subjects too much in a single day. Give a whole day to polity, for example.

3. Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth

(Must-read book for UPSC – Polity/Laxmikant book for IAS)

Why you must read it: This is one book that is sure to find a place in the IAS aspirants list of books for the UPSC exam. Polity is a tough subject to get into. Unfortunately, Laxmikanth won’t make it easier. However, reading through Laxmikanth is the best way we know to get students attuned to the subject. Laxmikanth alone won’t get you good marks or teach you how to think about the Indian Polity, but if you allocate 3 weeks to Laxmikanth and just finish the book off, you can be confident that at least whatever you read in Polity will make some sense to you.

That is why all IAS Aspirants should read this book very early during preparation. It is one of the best books to prepare for IAS exam.

How you should read it:

Step-by-step:

• First Reading: IAS Aspirants should not make a complete mess of the book by underlining all over the place. Most things in the book should be new to you, so in the first read do not try to make notes. Just underline or highlight everything you think you are not familiar with or you might forget. This might take you 2-3 weeks.
• Second Reading: Wait for a week before you go for a second reading. Just go through the parts you highlighted and see if you are able to recollect things. Go to our practice tests and test your knowledge. Mark in a different colour anything that looks like complete greek to you now! Google things you forgot to see if better explanations are there. Make short notes on those things and stick them to the relevant pages.
• Third Reading: Do this immediately after Second Round. This time read from cover to cover again. If possible get a fresh book to read from. Make chapter summaries of each chapter. (Send them to us and if we publish you can buy your fresh book with the gift voucher!!) make sure chapter summaries include better explanations you found on the web or in the NCERTs.
• Make skeleton notes with only key terms for each chapter too. Go for a walk and try to see if you remember what everything means. Now call your mentor or study partner and try to explain each chapter to them, looking only at your skeleton notes! Ask them to bow to the new Grand Master of Polity!

4. Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh

Why you must read it: Again, not a great book by any shot but it is the most comprehensive in the market. Our tablet students can skip it altogether if they want, but it is advised that you approach Ramesh Singh in the same manner as Laxmikanth above. — SEE ABOVE — This should be the fourth book you read. Aim to finish this too at the earliest so that newspapers will start making good sense.

What you should focus on: One big difference is that here the skeleton notes are already provided for you – the Table of Contents of Ramesh Singh is phenomenal – it is comprehensive and covers everything. If you want to look at only the Table of Contents, have a look here for a downloadable version. It is in a poster format. Download it, print it and stick it up! The ToC is more useful than the book – use it for constant revision once you have read the book at least once. Make sure you get the latest edition. Again, send us chapter summaries to win gift vouchers you can use to purchase new editions, etc.

5. Introduction to the Constitution of India by D.D. Basu

Why you must read it: Once you have the basics of modern history, economy and polity in hand, it is time to go a bit deeper. You can do this by choosing DD Basu. Here things covered in a shallow manner in Laxmikanth is given in more detail. Reading this book will teach you how to think about some of the important constitutional issues and how the constitution itself took shape.

How you should read it: Do not go for a very exhaustive reading here. The focus should be on understanding well. Hence skip directly to making skeleton notes of key points and then explaining to mentor/study partner. Get feedback on how much sense your explanation is making. Start writing mains level questions in our answer practice session. Again, if you want you can make and send us chapter summaries. We will publish them and reward the best ones.

6. India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra

Why you must read it: Except for a few books such as the Spectrum books civil services, this is the most structured book on Modern Indian History you can read. Some blogs will ask you to read Spectrum book for IAS but do not do it unless you have no time at all and just want to know the events. BC is essential if you want to learn how things turned out the way they did and able to write informed and well-argued answers to UPSC level questions. That is why this book is always on the list of must-read books for UPSC exam preparation.

What you should focus on: Instead of focusing on dates and names, focus on causes and effects and the various explanations for various events. You should be able to explain why any particular event took place in a very simple and concise manner. You should be able to talk about various theories/explanations for the various big events. You should be able to remember and list of the details of certain bills, provisions, proclamations, etc – such as the 1935 act, for example.

• Go decade by decade. Read the relevant chapters for each decade and then list out all the big events of that decade.
• Try to draw out connections between all the big events and write them down. Also, check for connections from the previous decade or earlier.
• Summarize the entire decade in a nice story like manner, but including details. Try to teach your study partner/mentor and send to us for publishing + feedback.
• After you finish, start writing essays on each big event.
• Attempt UPSC level questions and get feedback at our Answer Writing Practice section.

7. 2nd ARC Reports

Why you must read it: The best way to get deep into the policymaking world. You understand most of the basic concepts now. Time to start thinking about how to change the country. 2nd ARC had thought a lot about it. Go check out what they thought and improve upon them!

What you should focus on: Primarily on the big challenges in each paper. And chapter level recommendations.

• Skim each chapter and try to understand what issues are being discussed
• Try to come up with your own recommendations after you understand the chapter’s concerns
• Read the recommendations – summarize them. Try to make a single statement or two/three which captures the spirit of the recommendations.
• Do this for each chapter in each report
• Summarize entire report in less than 1000 pages after finishing a report. Do not look at the report – look only at your skeleton notes

Read about ARC reports in the linked article.

8. The Wonder That Was India by AL Basham

Why you must read it: There is not much ROI in reading about ancient history. This book, on the other hand, is an easy-to-read classic. It will make you proud to be an Indian. How you should read it:

• Also, buy spectrum culture book and keep it nearby
• Go through spectrum book and mark out the “syllabus areas” and identify where they are covered in AL Basham.
• Focus on the major arts and cultural aspects. Make notes on important items (identified from the spectrum)
• Whenever you reach a topic mentioned in the spectrum as well, make good notes – both from Basham and from Spectrum!
• Again, send summaries/teach, etc.
• Try to draw and practice some simple diagrams of things like gopurams, etc.

9. Majid Hussain – Indian Geography

Why you must read it: More organized than NCERT. Quick Read.

How you should read it: Make detailed notes of all concepts. Make skeleton notes, teach, etc. as above. Practice all the important diagrams. We will be giving you a list of important diagrams to practice for UPSC geography. Practice actual questions. Go through the optional syllabus as well, once. Use google to fill some of those also into your notes. You can send us chapter summaries to get feedback. You can get feedback on your answers over at the answer writing practice section.

10. IGNOU Material on Disaster Management

Why you must read it: It is comprehensive and covers most of the required fields if you read with ARC on the same topic. Free marks if you study it well! Questions do not change in this section much over the years. So good ROI Process: follow similar study processes.

Bonus: I C Dhingra & Uma Kapila

Why you must read it: We are cheating here a bit. These are two extra books, either should be enough. Ramesh Singh will tell you the important topics, but these two books can give you an understanding of how the economy has changed or evolved over time. Uma Kapila is better researched and more scholarly, Dhingra is easier to read and specifically exam-oriented. It is your call which you read.

• Understand each concept as it is introduced, and in a decade by decade manner
• List out major reforms as and when discussed: Summarize the need for the reform and the effects of the reform.
• Make a list of important events, concepts and reform ideas
• Explain each via short notes or chapter summaries or by talking to your mentor/study partner
• Connect concepts to things you read in the newspaper, discuss with your parents, uncles etc if they lived through those reforms and what were the newspaper headlines back then, etc.
• Get extra familiar with all this weird alien stuff!
• Share your chapter summaries and explanations and get feedback from us or mentor/study partner.
• Start giving your Grand Master level opinion pieces on current events such as RBI sticking to the status quo in this MP reviews.
• You can share your opinions on each day’s comprehensive news analysis sections. Best opinion pieces on important policy measures will be published and rewarded with gift vouchers!

Well, that is it. 10 books you should not miss out on once you start your preparation! If you follow the methods given here properly and understand each book well (without neglecting newspapers, of course!), you would be well on your way to mains, interviews and beyond! Get reading!

IAS exam-related queries

How to prepare for UPSC Exam?

All IAS Aspirants should understand the UPSC Exam Syllabus in the first place. The next step is to read the NCERT Books from class 6 to class 12 to build a strong foundation in the subjects. Make short notes from the NCERT books which will be of help during revision.

Subsequently, the IAS Aspirants should prepare a list of standard books required to cover the General Studies syllabus for Prelims as well as Mains and cover the syllabus holistically.

Make revision a ritual. Without regular revision, one cannot crack this examination.

Stick to your booklist and time table. Do not change either your preparation strategy or book list frequently. Doing so will only derail you from making progress.

The UPSC Syllabus is indicative. Stick to the syllabus while preparing for the exam. All the questions in the exam will be well within the framework of the syllabus.

For more such tips, read UPSC Preparation Strategy .

For latest details on UPSC 2023 , refer to the linked article.

How to choose an optional subject for UPSC Exam?

Interest in a subject is the most important factor for choosing an optional for UPSC Mains. However, a few other factors do play a role in determining the rate of success.

Here is a checklist for all IAS Aspirants to go through before choosing an optional subject.

• Is the study material easily available in the market?
• Can the entire syllabus be completed before the exam?
• Are coaching and test series available for that particular optional?
• You can choose one optional that fulfils the above-mentioned criteria from the List of Optional Subjects for UPSC Mains .

Are NCERT books important for UPSC Exam Preparation?

NCERT books are indispensable for IAS Exam preparation. For IAS Aspirants, they provide a solid foundation during the preparation.

Hence it is important to go through all the NCERT books and keep short notes from NCERT books handy for revision. For crisp and concise notes on NCERT Books, refer to NCERT Notes .

Which are the top magazines one should follow for IAS Exam?

Monthly magazines like Yojana and Kurukshetra are widely followed by the aspirants for Civil Services Exam Preparation.

From previous year question papers, it is safe to infer that a few of the questions appearing in the Prelims exam are directly picked up from these magazines.

In addition, fodder points for mains answer writing can be gathered from these magazines. For a summary of the articles refer to :

• Gist of Yojana
• Gist of Kurukshetra .

How to cover daily current affairs for UPSC Exam?

News Paper is the Bible for UPSC Exam preparation. An aspirant has to cover the newspaper thoroughly on a daily basis in order to stay up to date with the Current Affairs.

For relevant information on various issues, IAS aspirants should keep a track of  The Hindu Video Analysis

How to choose UPSC related articles from PIB website?

UPSC aspirants must selectively read from PIB articles and make crisp notes for revision. Only those articles that are relevant for the examination have to be selected for reading.

To save time, you can go through BYJU’s PIB summary and analysis. Find the daily compilation of PIB articles and analysis at Best of PIB .

UPSC Preparation Articles:

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Essay Books for UPSC | Some Popular Books for UPSC Exam

February 13, 2024 by Prasanna

Essay Books for UPSC: If you are preparing for UPSC exams, besides being good at your subject, you also need to be great at writing essays to clear all examination levels. While you can learn the text in different subjects, it takes time and rigorous practice to master the art of writing good essays.

To get better at writing essays before appearing for exams, you must have good books with you to help you score well. With plenty of essay books available in the market, it is easy to improve writing skills for the exam.

You can also find more  Essay Writing  articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

Some popular Books that are available Online

1. mastering essays and answer writing by dr. awdhesh singh.

This book by Disha experts can be a great choice to help you get better at writing both essays and answers. The book is said to be apt for IAS, IPS, and various state-level competitive exams where you need to write a lot. The book is written by a former IRS officer so you also get tips from first-hand. It contains decades of experience in civil service and the expertise of the author.

This book says how to write the best answers and essays in the IAS / PSC main examination. It expounds on brainstorming and mind mapping techniques to prepare the readers for spontaneous essay writing on any topic. The answers to the four general studies paper are very critical to score high in the main exam. This book provides a lot of tips, ideas, and suggestions to achieve that perfect writing required for the best answer

2. Essays for Civil Services and other Competitive Examination by Pulkit Khare

Arihant experts have been a trusted name in the Indian market for years when it comes to educational books. This book by this publisher is one of the most popular choices for mastering and writing a good essay for UPSC exams. This book has complete reports along with suggested topics that hold high relevance in UPSC exams. This book also contains tips on the right approach for writing any topic when you are sitting in the examination hall. So, you will train your mind and write a good essay without any worries about your examination.

3. 151 Essays for IAS/ PCS and other Competitive Exams by Disha Experts

151 essays for IAS / PCS and other competitive exams by Disha Publication is a comprehensive collection of essays meant for paper 1 of the UPSC main exams as well as the state-pass and other competitive exams. This book’s features are that it incorporates reports pertaining to two broad divisions, namely static topics and current affairs.

It is divided into 12 different sections: politics and governments, world polity, economy, environment, social justice, social development, social challenges, ethics and integrity, education, society and culture, science and technology, and life and philosophy. The essays are written in an impressive style incorporating detailed information on a particular topic, ideas for contextual writing, rich vocabulary, and analytical skills to arrive at a conclusion.

4.  Essays for Civil Service Examination by Drishti Publication

This affordable, easy book can be another good choice that you can consider buying in the initial exam preparation days. The book includes strategies for writing essays and the important questions that have been answered about the topic, which will complete your papers. This will help you understand how to write your essays better and fetch marks.

The elaborate index makes it easy to reach the desired essay topics to save your time when you are preparing or revising .This book is an affordable one; you need not think too much before buying it online.

5. Kiran’s UPSC Essays Solved Paper of 1993 till date

Reading the essay topics that have been asked over the years in UPSC exams can help you understand the exam pattern. If you want to do so, this book by Kiran’s can help you easily do that. With solved easy papers for over 20 years, you will be able to understand the exam Trend. It will help you assess changes that have been made over the years and the difference in the type of topics that were asked for in the exam.

6. Governments in India- basic and beyond| for Civil Service Examination buy Pearson Publication

This book covers topics such as the general framework of the Indian model of governance, the issues concerning judiciary, issues, and challenges about Federal structure, welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population, pressure group annexure, etc. Even though an underrated one in the catagory, this book covers the most important topics required for GS 2. It is well written and very helpful for prelims because it gives the prior necessary knowledge about the government.

7. Selected Contemporary Essays by Sumitra Mohan

Selected contemporary essays is a comprehensive and lucid collection of essays meant for complete coverage of all the variable essay topics for the first essay paper of UPSC Mains examination. This book aims to provide a broad perspective on the issues and challenges regarding the country’s present social problems. They are written by an IAS officer Dr. Sumitra Mohan who is presently the collector and magistrate of Burdwan.

This book is a melange of 134 essays on important topics as deemed by the central and the state civil services. The book also comes with a guide on how to excel in the art of writing essays and will prove beneficial in mastering the art. Essays distinguish themselves from GS in the sense that in GS, marks will be awarded purely for content what examiners will pay special attention to not just the content, but also the language and how you organize your writer. So you must adequately arrange your ideas properly and not commit any fundamental spelling or grammatical errors.

These suggested books will only increase your knowledge, but delivering a good essay will depend on how accurately you use the information. You should develop a hobby of reading non-fiction books or books which aren’t directly related to the UPSC topics, reading them occasionally will definitely benefit you in the long-run.

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Essay Course for UPSC

By vajiram & ravi.

Click Here to know about Essay Course

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Date of Commencement

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Course Time

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The UPSC introduced the Essay paper in 1993, with the objective of testing a candidate’s proficiency in language, knowledge, and expression. The UPSC considers these skills so important that the Essay paper has always commanded the same marks as a GS or optional paper.

Since 2014, the Essay paper has been divided into 2 sections, of 4 topics each, with candidates having to choose one topic from each of the sections. This requires students to have an even wider knowledge base, without repetition or duplication of content.

In recent years, the emphasis has been on more abstract, quote-based essay topics. Candidates usually find these topics difficult to understand and struggle to find relevant content to write.

To do well in the Essay paper, a candidate must develop the skills necessary to interpret the topic correctly, generate diverse content, and write persuasively. These skills require practice and professional direction. Only an experienced and highly qualified educator can assist candidates in mastering the skills needed to write the UPSC Mains Essay Paper effectively.

Utility of the Essay Paper

Common problems that result in a low score in the essay paper, how to ensure a high score in the essay paper, features of upsc essay course.

Essay Script Assessment

The Vajiram & Ravi Essay Course by Brijendra Sir offers aspirants a comprehensive platform to master the intricacies of essay writing , guiding them through the demanding path of UPSC Civil Services Exam preparation .

Our meticulously designed Essay Course aims to:

• Enhance aspirants' competency across diverse essential themes.
• Strengthen understanding and effectiveness through provided handouts containing all pertinent information essential for crafting quality essays.
• Refine aspirants' writing proficiency, including language, grammar, and flow, through two specialized classes.
• Evaluate proficiency with a thorough test series.

This UPSC Essay Course assists students in structuring their essay preparation and cultivating a crucial set of skills to enhance their chances of securing high scores. Clear, concise, and well-structured essays are indispensable for aspiring civil servants. Mastery of essential elements of essay writing is paramount.

Through this course, students will:

• Clearly organize and articulate ideas.
• Analyze primary sources with critical insight.
• Apply critical thinking to evaluate information.
• Carries 250 marks, the same as a GS or Optional paper.
• High-scoring paper, which has frequently yielded scores above 150.
• Sets the tone for the Mains, as it is the first paper to be conducted.
• Requires systematic, but limited preparation.
• Game-changer in the final result – all toppers invariably have a high score in the Essay paper.
• Lack of focused preparation – Many candidates suffer the misconception that General Studies and Optional Paper knowledge is adequate to do well in the Essay paper also.
• Lack of content – Many candidates lack essay-specific content and repeat the same thoughts throughout their essays.
• Lack of writing practice - Inability to understand the difference between writing a GS answer and writing an essay.
• Lack of reliable evaluation , without which candidates are unable to understand their weaknesses and improve.
• Learn how to Interpret the topic correctly.
• Prepare exhaustive and diverse content, to address the demand of various topics that can be asked in the exam.
• Develop a writing style for essays, that is not a repetition of a GS answer.
• Practice essay writing on exam-worthy topics.
• Ensure a reliable evaluation of the essay.

This comprehensive essay writing course is designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in the essay component of the UPSC Civil Services Examination. The features of our Essay Module Course are:

• 11 classes that comprehensively cover the various themes that have been used for framing essay topics.
• Well-curated and concise Handouts on each theme, so that candidates have adequate exam-ready content.
• Special emphasis on philosophical, quote-based essays.
• Mini-assignments during the class, to help master the fine nuances of essay writing.
• 6 tests (2 half length and 4 full length), to simulate exam-like writing practice.
• Detailed and objective evaluation of essay scripts, to exhaustively explain a candidate’s performance (sample script essay link) .
• Hand-held guidance after the tests, so that candidates can clarify their individual doubts.
• Classes will be held on Wednesday’s and Sunday’s.

Still unsure about the course? Secure your spot now.

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Essay Book for UPSC Book - Hone your Essay Writing Skills!

Please Note - We will start dispatching the Books from 1st February !

• Evolution Beyond GS Content: Long gone are the days when GS Content helped with writing good essays.
• For veterans, Essay Writing meant expanding the GS Knowledge in paragraphs and using the "PESTEL" Formula to write dimensions.
• It requires a lot of understanding to be able to write wonderful essays.
• Essay now requires you to write something build on your understanding over the years - not necessarily when you started to prepare for the Civil Services Exam.
• Further, the best way to have a good understanding is to go through the topics that have come in the UPSC Previous Year Papers .
• Curated & led by Shabbir sir himself, this Essay booklet would be covering dimensions and topics like Courage, Curiosity, Introspection - among others.
• The book contains 16 MODEL ESSAYS of UPSC Essay PYQ 2023 & 2022.

The Book is divided into 4 Parts: Part 1 - Dealing with Philosophical Topics

• Contains 8 Philosophical Themes and ways to handle Philosophical Topics

Part 2 - Essay Value-Added Content

• Important Personalities - Their Philosophies & Quotes
• Famous Book Summaries
• Interesting Movies & Literatures

Part 3 - UPSC Solved PYQs (2023 & 2022)

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• UPSC Essays PYQ
• Essay Booklet

Model Essays

Tackling philosophical essays, value added content, free resources, dealing with philosophy, essay pyqs 2023, is the essay book for upsc available as printed material.

Yes. The book will be dispatched to you at your address.

Is the Essay Book for UPSC helpful for someone who has just started?

Essay Book for UPSC is very helpful for UPSC Aspirants, especially those who have started studying for UPSC recently.

Is there any discount on Essay Book for UPSC?

Discounts keep coming from time to time. However, currently, the price shown to you will be the correct price!

Is Essay Book for UPSC eligible for a refund?

We will not be considering any return/refund request on the Essay Book for UPSC.

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Mastering UPSC Essay Writing: Unveiling the Secrets Beyond General Studies

In the dynamic realm of UPSC essay writing, the landscape has evolved beyond the conventional boundaries of General Studies (GS) content. Long gone are the days when essays were synonymous with expanding GS knowledge in paragraphs or relying on the PESTEL formula. Today, crafting compelling essays requires a profound understanding, transcending the confines of when one began their Civil Services Exam preparation.

UPSC Essay - Evolution Beyond GS Content:

Veterans of the examination era recall a time when essay writing meant simply expounding GS knowledge and applying formulas. However, contemporary essay writing demands more than mere regurgitation of facts. It necessitates building upon one's accumulated understanding over the years, irrespective of when the journey commenced.

The UPSC Essay PYQs and Topics - A Crucial Resource:

To foster a comprehensive understanding, aspiring candidates are encouraged to delve into the topics that have appeared in UPSC Essay PYQs. This essential resource serves as a guide for navigating the diverse dimensions and topics that the examination encompasses.

Shabbir Sir's Essay Book: A Beacon of Guidance

Curated and led by the esteemed Shabbir Sir himself, this Essay booklet is a beacon of guidance for UPSC aspirants. It intricately covers dimensions such as Courage, Curiosity, Introspection, and more, offering a holistic approach to essay writing.

Key Features of the Book:

The essay book for UPSC, featuring 16 MODEL ESSAYS from the UPSC Essay PYQs of 2023 and 2022, is strategically divided into four parts.

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How to Answer GS 4 Ethics Paper in UPSC Mains

Note : This is a free chapter from my book, Fundamentals of Essay and Answer Writing. I have previously published two excerpts on  GS-2  and  Introductions to Essay . The book has similar detailed chapters on Essay and answer writing for GS-1,2,3,4, including the Anthropology optional. You can get the book here.

GS-IV can be confounding. That’s because the questions in this paper tend to be subjective with no single correct answer. There can be multiple ways to answer a particular question and all of them might be right. Hence, though aspirants are clear about the syllabus, they are often confused about how to answer ethics questions. Given this subjectivity and confusion pertaining to this paper, it becomes challenging to come up with a convincing framework for answer writing. However, some broad principles can guide us in structuring our responses.

In this chapter, we will go through some of those guidelines that can help you argue your case more clearly and make your ethics answer compelling.

GS- IV syllabus can be divided into two segments:

I. Theory II. Case Studies

In this portion (and to some extent in case studies) questions are usually of three types. One, the definition of an ethical value; two, the significance of the value; and three, the application of that value in our daily lives. To put it simply, theory questions ask you to explain a value along with examples.

Let’s take the term integrity. Three questions that could be asked about it are:

• What do you understand by integrity?  [Definition of the value]
• What is the importance of integrity? In its absence, what are the consequences for an individual, society, country or in different walks of life?  [Significance of the value]
• What are the challenges in cultivating integrity? How do you overcome them?  [Application of the value]You may substitute other ethical values for integrity to guess the kind of questions you may face in the test. Anticipate such questions and formulate a basic answer to all ethical terms given in the syllabus. This exercise will help you immensely in preparing for the theory portion.

Prepare a Definition for Each of the Terms in the Syllabus

If the question pertains to a specific ethical value, you must introduce the answer with a crisp definition, followed by an example. The definition can be a personal one, reflecting what it means to you.

Example 1: Integrity

Integrity means being honest and doing the right thing even when nobody is watching you. It can be conveyed through a simple example: Stopping at a red light signal at 3am in the night, even when the entire road was clear. This is an example of my integrity.

Example 2: Leadership

Leadership is the act of motivating a group of people towards achieving a common goal. Leadership provides inspiration, motivation and a vision for the future. Eg: Mahatma Gandhi showed exemplary leadership to unite the country in the fight for independence.

Always prefer a simple definition and avoid jargon. Simplicity is clarity. Another useful way of introducing your answers is by starting with an interesting quote and then proceeding to define the term.

Example 1: When you are answering a question on Emotional Intelligence, it can be started with the following quote:  “As much as 80% of adult success comes from EQ” – Daniel Goleman

Example 2: A question on RTI can be introduced with this quote:  “RTI is the master key to Good Governance” – 2nd ARC

Value mapping

In this exercise, you think of an eminent personality and then map him or her onto the values they stood for.

Below is a table with some examples of prominent leaders. You can add other values that you think match with a particular leader and repeat this exercise for all eminent persons.

As you map values onto the list of the most important leaders, philosophers, or administrators, it will become easier to recollect and quote relevant thinkers in your answers to give weight to your Ethical analysis.

Flow charts and Diagrams

For some topics such as Emotional Intelligence, Good Governance, and Civil Service Values, illustrating their features through flowcharts and diagrams makes your answers concise and neat. Prepare these flowcharts and diagrams beforehand and incorporate them in your mock tests so that it becomes easier to use them in the final test.

Make a database of real life examples

Examples are what make your answer come alive. They not only make the concept clearer, but also convey how the ethical principles and conflicts manifest in real life. Without them, an ethics answer would be a pointless theoretical rambling. Remember that the examiner is not evaluating how much you know about ethics. They want to see how well you can apply those principles in your day-to-day life. For this, examples are crucial.

Some important sources from which to collect these examples are:

• Newspapers — When you read the newspaper, look out for interesting incidents and news that can be used in your ethics paper. There are tons of examples that are reported everyday. For example, when you read about ‘Selfie with Daughter’ campaign, you must be able to correlate with ‘Social persuasion’ topic of the syllabus. Or, say, a newsarticle about civil servants working in remote districts of the country and how they are transforming them for the better. Even happenings in international affairs can be used as examples. Think of Cyber espionage, Syrian refugee crisis, Snowden controversy, Cambridge Analytica scandal and the moral issues pertaining to big tech companies like Facebook and Google. Such everyday examples are numerous, all you have to do is to link it with the syllabus and note them down for future reference.
• Personal Life (School, College, Family) : Littering on the street, jumping a traffic signal, cheating on a test, lying to your parents, shirking work at office. You can think of many examples from your everyday life to quote in your answers. Also, don’t restrict yourself to your own perspective. For instance, there might have been cases of extreme ragging in a certain college and the administration might have turned a blind eye to it in order to protect its image. You can discuss such ethical violations from other’s perspective which has come to your knowledge.
• Workplace : Every profession has its peculiar set of ethical dilemmas. So when you are brainstorming for examples, think of doctors, lawyers, teachers, engineers, civil servants etc and imagine the moral challenges they might come across in their respective professions. For instance, a lawyer defending a client who is guilty faces an ethical dilemma. An SDM who has to protect government lands and remove encroachments might, in the process, make some poor families homeless. Once you brainstorm, you will have a rich repository of such examples to cite from in your theory answers and case studies.
• From the Lives of Leaders, Philosophers, and Administrators:  Anecdotes, actions, stories, and quotes from the lives of eminent personalities can also be used as examples to drive your argument. Even mythology can be a rich resource to collect good examples. Lincoln’s fight against slavery is an example of moral courage. Dr. Kalam’s commitment to space and nuclear field is a testament to his professional competence.
• Crowdsourcing:  Many online portals such as Insights, IASBABA, ForumIAS, CivilsDaily run a daily module for answer writing practice. Sift through them and you will find some really good answers other people are writing. Reading these can help you build a blueprint for makes an excellent example and prepare your own list.The point of this exercise is to have enough examples for different kinds of situations so that you can easily pick the right one in the right context without wasting much time in the exam hall.

II. Case studies

More than the theory part, case studies bring out our ethical dilemmas and logical reasoning sharply. Done well, they can propel your score beyond 110. Gone wrong, they may restrict your marks to under 90.

The purpose of case studies is to make you ready for the field experience. Once you enter the civil service, you may face situations in which competing values clash. Would you strictly adhere to rules or stay flexible at times to help the needy? Would you suspend an erring subordinate, thereby curtailing his income, or overlook his misdeeds and close it with a warning, considering his dependent family? These are the real-life situations a civil servant confronts on a daily basis. Through case studies, the examiner can understand how you might behave if you were in a similar situation. So, one of the foremost tips (and one of the obvious) is to put yourself in the shoes of an administrator, and consider yourself a problem solver. This makes the whole exercise enjoyable and inevitably your answers exude passion and cogent articulation.

In this component, we will go through some pointers which can help you answer the case studies well.

A standard framework for answers

Having a concrete framework ready while answering gives a sense of flow, coherence and structure to your case study. Else, it

faces the risk of steering away from the question and exceeding the word limit. Therefore, it’s helpful to categorise your answer under the following subheadings:

•  Subject Matter : Briefly in a line or two, capture the entire case study. E.g. In a case Study dealing with an IAS aspirant heading for Interview but sees an accident on the way, subject Matter could be: Dilemma between achieving career ambition and responding to the accident as a good samaritan.

•  Stakeholders : List down the set of people who would be directly and indirectly affected in the case. For instance, you are the CEO of a PSU which is facing severe unionism and strikes, affecting company profits. Stakeholders are yourself, employees, government, public at large, local families, investors, and shareholders. You may also represent this information through a spoke and wheel diagram.

•  EthicalDilemmas/KeyPrinciples :Enumeratetheethicalissues in the case study. This is a crucial part of your answer since you explicitly mention the conflicting values you face in your judgement. For instance, in a case involving mining in a tribal inhabited forest, ethical issues will be: development vs. nature conservation; public interest vs protection of tribal land rights; economic growth vs equitable prosperity. Mention these issues in bullet points, sequentially.

•  Options Available to You : Write 3-4 choices you have in the scenario, along with the pros and cons of choosing each alternative. Two choices inevitably will be the extreme options, which are generally avoided as your choice. The remaining ones should be the practical courses of action you wish to pursue.

•  Choosing an Option : Under this subheading, write about the course of action which can be a combination of the above mentioned options. It should be followed by clear articulation of your arguments (more on this below) along with quotes and examples to substantiate your point of view. The best option to choose in any given situation is not the most original but the most practical. If you come up with a spectacular innovative idea, but isn’t easily implementable, it’s as good as doing nothing. Search for options that can be executed amidst the constraints a govt servant faces. For instance, let’s say in your district, tribals are agitating against a mining company planning to raze the forests and explore the mineral wealth. In such a case, a decision to put a complete ban or a moratorium on mining in your district is impractical and sub-optimal. By

prohibiting any form of mining, you will not help the cause of tribals who would have benefited from the new employment opportunities in the region. So choose an option in which you balance competing interests.

Articulation

Articulation is the beating heart of a case study answer. This follows ‘choosing an option’ section we discussed above.

In this segment, you reason out why you chose a particular option and elaborate on the further of course of action. More than the option you choose, it is the reasoning that led you to choose that particular option that matters more. It’s helpful to narrate from the first person point of view: Use I, wherever possible. It will personalise your answer and therefore carries the weight of a good argument. But, use your discretion based on your experiences on which perspective you want to use.

The course of action you wish to pursue must be mentioned in detail, enumerating the steps clearly. Put yourself in the shoes of the administrator, dive into the details, and make your answer as vivid and concrete as possible. Let me illustrate this through the following examples:

Consider a case study dealing with gender issues in the district. Don’t write something vague saying you will ensure women empowerment in the area. Describe concrete steps by writing on

the lines of: I will try to set up a livelihood opportunity based on their skills, help them produce marketable goods, procure that material in all govt departments, and then encourage local private sector to buy these goods. Quote examples of successful models like SEWA, Prajwala, Lijjat papad etc.

In a case relating to negligent monitoring of government schemes or projects, instead of saying I will collaborate with NGOs to ensure third party accountability, a better way of conveying would be: “I will speak to the reputed local NGOs, hold a meeting with them to take their views. I will give them specific inputs as to when they can go and inspect the schemes and project works discreetly and report to me in person or through WhatsApp.” You can substantiate with a real life example how such Socialcops played a terrific role in effective implementation of Ujjwala Yojana.

Consider a hypothetical case in which you are posted as the DM of a resource-poor district that has a history of vector-borne disease outbreaks. Monsoon season is approaching and you have to prepare for the challenge with limited funds at your disposal. You can narrate the following concrete steps. “Based on the previous years’ data, I will rank specific blocks in terms of their vulnerability and prioritise these hotspots for immediate attention. Fogging shall be done and anti-mosquito nets shall be distributed to these blocks on priority. Intense training sessions will be provided for ASHAs to help them detect of malaria/dengue promptly. I will use the District Mineral Fund (if available) and local CSR funds to procure rapid diagnostic kits. I shall designate every Friday as Dry-day where households in the district will be encouraged to drain out

stagnant water along with conducting a weekly review meeting with all health workers from village level to district level to assess preparedness and correct any issues.”

For a case on eradicating child marriages in a remote area, instead of saying “I will ensure awareness on the subject and adherence to law”, write— “I will take part in bi-weekly Gram Sabha sessions and make the community take a pledge against child marriages. I shall encourage rallies by school children and officers of all government departments. To monitor the on ground situation, I shall depute my officers as special officers responsible for set of blocks where they will tour, discreetly inspect and report back to me. I will monitor complaints and grievances on the issue and ensure a resolution within 30 days.” It helps to mention Govt. schemes like Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana or slogans such as Meri Beti-Mera Garv.

In a case where you, as the Chief, must change the work culture in your office— “At the start of every month, I will conduct a one-on-one meeting with each of my officers, take them into confidence and set mutually agreed goals. At the end of the month, I shall review each officer’s performance against these preset goals and rate them as per objective criteria. Best performers shall be given a letter of appreciation under my letterhead and put a copy of it on the notice board for others to see. The laggards shall be given a warning and if they don’t heed, I will initiate disciplinary action as per the rules to ensure deterrence.”

I don’t mean to say these are the only solutions to these case studies. The point is whatever be your decision, be concrete and specific. It will strike the examiner as practical and implementable.

Towards the end of your answer, quoting a relevant thinker’s opinion or quote gives credence to your decision. For instance, if the ethical issue is about professional integrity, E Sreedharan and his leadership in executing a complex rail project should be quoted as an example. Or let’s take a case study in which you are faced with a decision whether to give clearance to an important road project through a National Park (thereby helping the government save taxpayer’s money) or devising an alternate, but more expensive option (thereby preserving the ecosystem, but hurting govt finances). If you opt for the second option, you can stress on the importance of environmental economics and end with a quote saying:

As environmentalist Wangari Maathai said,  “We need to promote development that does not destroy our environment”.

Just the addition of the above sentence makes the argument more powerful. Your arguments now have the moral backing of an eminent personality. The value mapping exercise we did for the theory section will be helpful here. So for every case study, try and add such relevant quotes to substantiate your points. It will show that you not only read the works of those eminent people, but also understand how to apply their teachings in real-life.

Observe Time Limit

There is a tendency among aspirants to dedicate disproportionate time to case studies. But, remember that they are worth only 120 marks. Irrespective of whether you start with theory portion or the case studies, dedicate time proportionate to their weightage for marks. So for case studies, you should spend the maximum of 90 minutes i.e. 15 minutes per case study.

Further, you should realise that UPSC can change how it distributes marks across questions, but it cannot change the 250 marks assigned to a paper (without prior notice). So, whatever be the number of questions or distribution of marks across those questions, your target must be to write 80 marks worth of answers in the first hour, another 80 in the second hour and 90 in the final hour. This translates to 40 marks in the initial 30 minutes. So whether you start with Part A or Part B, aim to finish questions worth 40 marks in the first half-hour and then repeat this process. Always have an eye on the clock and if you think you are falling behind time, accelerate.

Gain Adequate Practice

Ethics paper has an emphasis on articulation and practical examples, which comes only with adequate practice. Besides, case studies across the years tend to have similar themes and ideas. So answering a lot of these beforehand will give you a sense of confidence to tackle any type of question.

III. Sample Answers

Q. How could social influence and persuasion contribute to the success of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan? (10 Marks)

Social influence is the process through which a person’s attitudes, opinions, or behaviour are changed through social communication. Persuasion is a method of social influence.

Social influence and persuasion contribute to Swacch Bharat Abhiyan (SBA) through:

•  Behavioural change among all the stakeholders : By changing attitude toward open defecation in the society through campaigns and media. E.g: Darwaza Band campaign and rallies by school children to build awareness

•  Social pressure and peer pressure : By naming and shaming people who don’t have toilets, they will be forced to build one.

E.g: Children persuading their parents, Gram sabhas reading out names of households without toilets. Positive peer pressure in the form of prizes and rewards for building and using toilets can also help people change.

•  Role-Model effect:  When celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan persuade for SBA, it can bring about a change in orthodox opinions about open defecation.

•  Community Ownership : Through Gram Swachhdhoots, SBA can be made community driven to make it . Such persuasive methods were very successful in Bangladesh.

•  Healthy competition among stakeholders : through initiatives like Swacch Survekshan.

Thus social Influence and persuasion techniques, by effectively targeting the social psyche and behaviour can accelerate the goal of Swacch Bharat Mission.

Q. You are aspiring to become an IAS officer and you have cleared various stages and now you have been selected for the personal interview. On the day of the interview, on the way to the venue you saw an accident where a mother and child who happen to be your relatives were badly injured. They needed immediate help. What would you have done in such a situation? Justify your action. (25 Marks)

Subject matter:  Dilemma between achieving career ambition Vs responding to accident as a good samaritan.

Stakeholders involved:  The mother, child, me, my family, society at large and the UPSC.

Ethical dilemmas :

• Personal ambitions vs. Moral responsibility to help others • Being punctual to the interview vs Saving life • Personal and family’s dream to be civil servant vs Moral

obligation to relatives

Options Available

Final Course of action

I shall choose the last option because I have a moral responsibility to help the victims, and a personal responsibility to myself, my family and my career. I worked hard to reach the interview stage, so it makes sense to balance both these obligations.

So my immediate response would be to quickly move the victims to my cab. Using Google Maps, I’ll check for nearby hospitals and find the shortest route possible to get there. I will call the hospital and ask them to arrange emergency services by the time we reach.

Along the way, I will also call the relatives’ family and ask them to reach the hospital. I will admit the victim to the hospital and pay any charges, if required. If it gets late for the relatives to reach, I will entrust the cab driver to kindly look after her, pay him his waiting charges and proceed to the interview.

In the meantime, I will also check if I can reach out to anyone who can inform the interview panel about my situation and that I may reach late. If I do get delayed, I will make every attempt to convince the authorities involved as to the reasons why it happened. As soon as the interview is done, I will come back to the hospital and check on the victims’ condition and help them in anyway I can.

As remarked by Gandhiji  “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others” . By helping people, we not only make the world a better place but also stay true to our conscience. It leads to harmony, balancing social good with personal ambition.

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42 thoughts on “ How to Answer GS 4 Ethics Paper in UPSC Mains ”

Hey anudeep, thank you so much for the invaluable insights you have provided us in your book. Its a wonderful piece of your hard work. I got so much to learn from it. Thank you so much. God bless you 🙂

Glad to hear that. Thank you!

क्या आपकी पुस्तक हिंदी में या फिर English में

Sir please can you tell me that this is ebook or it is hard copy?Will it be delivered to our home?

Sir meru guidance esthara

Sir how you learn fluent english Please give reply sir

respected sir , i have made the payment of 389 for essay answer writing book and videos but still it is showing to pay the amount . how should i access the book ? plz reply it would be helpful for me . thanking u regards maithili

Anna nv super anna I am full inspired

Sir which pen you used??

Sir start the YouTube channel for village people’s

Meru e book videos freega endhuku cheyatam ledhu, afford cheyaleni aspirants me valuble suggestions ela telusukuntaru ?

Kya main BA karke CSE apply karskta ho Apki 5 tips aur konsi konsi books Leno chahiye…

Good Evening sir, I want to write GS paper in English and take Hindi Literature. It’s possible or not.

Yes,Of course. Explanation: If your optional is a literature paper then you have to write those optional papers in that very language. Except them, all papers, Essay and G.S I, II, III, IV are to be written only in Hindi or English. So, You can choose English as your medium and Hindi Literature as your optionals.

Wonderful Sir Salute to your hard work and perseverance You are a true IAS officer,dedicated to Steve your country’s people.

Sir. 1.May I know which online platform for prelims and mains test series is the good one ? 2 .whether to join integrated prelims and mains or separate prelims and separate mains test series? 3.what is the right time to join ?

Sir I am unable to open the video lectures of your book..as those videos are unsupported in my mobile…sir Its a …….please send me those videos in my gmail account as your each video and lecture is very important to me and all the upsc aspirants..

Really it is very helpful for the beginners.. Thank you so much anudeep sir.

for beginners it will give full clarity on how be a good thinker and on track aspirants it will give value addition. we good to see u providing this enormous information which u are giving for aspirants. THANK YOU BRO..KEEP ON GIVE THIS BOOST TO ASPIRANTS

Sir Thankyou very much for this book .Immensely helpful.Sir is your book enough for upsc preparation if we understand it and like this way.

Will you release new editions in the upcoming years?? Or is this book useful for upsc 2022 please reply sir….

Sir is this only e-book or can I get its hard copy ? If yes can I know how to get it .

Thanks a ton sir! What an exaplanation you have presented before us. I cleared all doubts and ambiguities related to paper 4. thanks again sir .love you sir..

Thank you sir

Tnq so much resp. Sir..! Valuable guidance for us…To clear all doubts regarding paper IV.🙏

Hello Sir, Your ethics notes are very concise and effective and I am grateful to you for providing these notes. One thing i can’t make out is the LMR you’ve written at certain places with an highlighter. Please decode this puzzle so that I can be at peace.😭🙏

‘Last Minute Revision’ 🙂

Thanks a lot sir ji one day i will join in your group

Thank u very much sir 😊 such a wonderful explanation for the beginers like me. Keep going in writing such awesome books like this. Actually sreaching for good network ,I think this is the correct platform for not only me but also all the asparents … Thank u sir from the bottom of the heat 😁

Hello Sir, but sir from where i get all quotes.

Your advice is solid. This is amazingly articulated with detailed suggestions. Thank you so much for this. Hope you’re doing well as an IAS officer, best wishes.

Sir it’s an honour to have read this chapter! Thanks a lot for publishing the book! I’ve placed my order and am eagerly awaiting. Thanks once again, Sir. I believe that you are a blessing to all the aspirants. I hope to clear the exam with flying colors and meet you in person to share my respect and admiration for you! I’m from Hyderabad and it feels so proud to be associated with the land where you come from. Believe me, coming from the bottom of my heart. 🙏😊

A warm good afternoon sir! the way you present your answers really awesome sir. sir my small request you to present upsc prelims and mains best books to aspirants ,to clear upsc.

Thank you so much sir for giving well knowledge about answer writing in UPSC mains iam froam Warangal I hope that iam become a civil servant with your blessings sir..

I have to appear in CSE in 2024…so when should I start preparing Ethics..?

Sir please start YouTube channel sir for village people sir

If above case studies come true in life, should I persue the same as given in elaboration. And if I got delayed, I would be entertained for the interview…if “yes” its ok and if not… I can go with court help..

Now it’s clear that how to score good in ethics. Thank you so much for this. 😊

Hello sir , Good evening

Sir i want to write my gs and essay papers in regional language. and going to choose literature of that language too. But the thing is authentic material is not available in this language …so i have decided to read in eng. And translate in my notes in my language….is it advisable ?? Or should i improve my english writing skills ? Or can i reach that level of eng. Writing in a year ?

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ClearIAS recognizes the challenges that aspirants face and has designed this course as a guiding beacon to navigate these challenges with finesse.

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• Customized for UPSC CSE: The course is exclusively tailored to meet the unique demands of the UPSC CSE essay paper, providing aspirants with a roadmap to success that’s aligned with the exam’s intricacies.
• Genre Exploration: From analytical to philosophical, the course equips you with the skills to excel in diverse essay genres, ensuring you’re prepared to tackle any topic that comes your way.
• Captivating Introductions: The course unveils the secrets behind crafting introductions that not only capture the examiner’s attention but also set the stage for an impactful essay journey.
• Structured Brilliance: Learn the art of organizing thoughts coherently, resulting in essays that exhibit a seamless flow of ideas, making your arguments persuasive and captivating.
• Developing Your Voice: ClearIAS believes in nurturing individuality. The course empowers you to develop a unique writing voice that sets your essays apart, giving you an edge that’s bound to impress evaluators.
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October 24, 2023 at 8:41 am

Good morning sir my son name is Ranjith who is studying B.Tech 3rd year NIT CALICUT he wants to appear 2025 CSE. 6th Dec to 30th 2023 holidays. Would you please provide offline coaching for Essay writing. Vasantha Kumar AP

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UPSC Essays Simplified | Types of content: What is S.T.E.P.P.E technique for dimensional analysis of Essays? — the eighth step

Philosophical, economic or ethical — how a dimensional analysis technique can come to your rescue in tackling difficult topics and help you build rich content for a good essay let's learn..

UPSC Mains 2024 season has begun. One of the most popular questions in the aspirants’ minds for the mains preparation is:  How to write essays for UPSC Civil Services Exams?  We have an answer for you in the form of our new series.

In UPSC Essentials’ special series  UPSC Essays Simplified , we take you through various steps of writing a good essay. While there is no set formula or fixed criteria prescribed,  Manas Srivastava  talks to  Ravi Kapoor , our expert, in this new series who guides the aspirants with a simplified framework on how to write a good essay. Don’t miss  ‘The Essay Exercise’  towards the end of the article.

About our Expert:   Ravi Kapoor (Ex-IRS)  offers free quality mentorship to UPSC aspirants, drawing upon his ten years of experience to create customised and productive curriculum. Through a free mentorship programme, he integrates tailored educational materials, psychological principles, visual learning techniques, and a strong emphasis on mental well-being into his teaching skills granting aspirants a chance to learn from his expertise.

Ravi Kapoor focuses on the following steps of pre-writing and writing stages which will help aspirants to write a ‘good essay’.

Today, we will focus on Step 8, the second stage of writing stage for UPSC Essays.  

Q. why ‘dimensional analysis’ is important for upsc essays .

Ever so often you will find topics like ‘ You cannot step into the same river twice’ in the Essay paper for the USPC exam. It may appear as if such topics can be answered with common sense alone. This is a mistake!

Philosophical or abstract topics are more difficult to write about than others precisely because they apply to so many phenomena across the board . This means that even if you address the central theme of the essay topic in the UPSC exam, there could be important aspects of it that you failed to consider.

So what type of content is best suited for such topics? A technique that exploits these patterns can come to the rescue – ‘Dimensional Analysis’.

Q. What is a ‘dimensional analysis’ of UPSC Essays?

The human world is as complex as the human being itself. Depending on one’s proclivity and training, people look at the world through different perspectives. Just like the parable of the 6 blind men who were tasked to describe an elephant.

Since the elephant was too big an object to be held and analysed, they all described it as different objects based on the part of the animal they happened to inspect. Because of their limited perspectives, the 6 blind men came to different conclusions about the same object. One thought it to be like a rope while another concluded that the elephant resembled a tree. None of them were wrong. But none of them succeeded in painting a complete picture of the elephant either.

In a way, we are not very different from the 6 blind men with our limited perspectives.

Take the example of the Covid-19 pandemic as a differentiator:

1. To a biologist or a doctor, it is a molecular virus causing disruption in the immune system by side-stepping White Blood Cells and invading a cell to multiply and reproduce.

2. To an economist, the pandemic might be an economic problem of supply and demand vis-à-vis hospitals and infected persons. It may point towards the stark inequality of society where the rich can sequester and isolate themselves while the poor remain vulnerable to exposure and disease etc.

3. A psychologist might see the pandemic as a challenge of large-scale behaviour change or a complex interplay of group behaviour. He/she will be concerned about psychological ways to nudge people into maintaining social distancing .

4. A spiritually oriented person might see it as a personal challenge to be overcome or depending upon their level of religiosity, an example of God’s wrath upon humanity.

Such is the nature of truth in general or for generic or ‘philosophical’ Essay topics in the UPSC exam, in particular.

A ‘dimension’ in dimensional analysis for essay topics in the UPSC exam, is a way of looking at the essay topic – an advanced variant of the deconstruction technique. ( Click here for the deconstruction article)

Q. How to classify Essays as per the dimensions? 

Classifying Essays as per the content or its topic is important so as to know how a particular essay should be approached. An aspirant may use the ‘S.T.E.P.P.E’ technique to identify the dimensions.

Types of dimensions – ‘S.T.E.P.P.E’

1. SPIRITUAL:

Spirituality is a way of looking through life from a detached and objective point of view. To be spiritually inclined is to be connected to a higher and deeper sense of self. The other important things connected to spirituality are:

(a) Egolessness and a sense of freedom

(b) Oneness with the world and a dissolution of separateness

(c) Heightened self-awareness about one’s own emotions and mental states

(d) Meditation and mindfulness practices like Vipassana, Zen etc

(e) Compassion for all beings

(f) Love for nature and a concern for environmental conservation

2. TEMPORAL (TIME):

This dimension refers to looking at the big picture and analyse the essay topic historically. It focuses on looking at collective things in large numbers instead of analysing them individually.

3. ECONOMIC:

Individuals, businesses, and economies cannot have everything, so they are constantly forced to weigh the cost against the benefit and make choices.

These choices are made because there exists a limited number of scarce resources that can be spent once in a limited manner, like a currency spent.

Economics simply put is the study of humans and human choices. The economic dimension is you judging the costs vs benefits of any topic or argument.

Even the act of reading this article is the use of economics because making this choice indicates a belief in its cost. The opportunity cost here is of the next best thing, the other UPSC-related subjects that could have been read or the newspaper which could have been read

4. PSYCHOLOGICAL:

Hardly any essay topic is complete without a discussion of human behaviour and thought. And that is the domain of Psychology. The Psychological dimension is about knowing oneself and how the mind works. But since the discipline of psychology is very vast, for dimensional analysis we will restrict the psychological dimension to insights of psychology most relevant for UPSC essay topics.

5. PHILOSOPHICAL:

The Philosophical dimension is used to deal directly with abstract concepts and throw light on them. In recent years essay topics like “Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication”.

Philosophy at its core is the quest of questioning everything at its face value to reach the truth. Philosophy is not just practiced by great thinkers or teachers, it is practiced constantly in movies, comedies, songs and books, by good employers and employees, thoughtful parents, and curious students.

Although you are not required to write like a philosopher or an academic about these abstract concepts, topics like “The rational is real and the real, rational” may require you to deal with abstract concepts directly in layman’s language.

6. ETHICAL:

Essay topics like “Lending hands to someone is better than giving a dole” are dominated by the Ethical perspective. This topic involves a dilemma between empathy and charity. These are both values, but which is the one that should be prioritized?

Then there are cases where the principles fail to help because different people might believe in different versions of what is right. So how will we navigate the such ethical conflicts that are intertwined with philosophical essay topics?

These dimensions are universal and therefore as tools of content creation for abstract essay topics, very versatile.

Q. What is the plan for each of these dimensions in our UPSC Essays Simplified series?

Each of the dimensions need special attention. From next Sunday, we will devote one article to each of the dimensions discussed today and go into the details of the themes, so that aspirants never run out of content while writing an essay on any topic.

For today let’s just get familiar with these dimensions by using the following assignment. We shall go into details of each dimension in the upcoming articles.

The Essay Exercise

• Use the S.T.E.P.P.E dimensions for the following Essay topics and generate 3-5 keywords for each box or dimension for each essay topic.
• It is not necessary that all dimensions will apply to every topic. So, think about the dimensions that are most relevant to the topic. Cover at least 2 dimensions for every topic.
• Feel free to research about these essay topics before answering.

From next Sunday, we will devote one article to each of the dimensions discussed today and go into the details of the themes, so that you never run out of content while writing an essay on any topic.

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Manas Srivastava is currently working as Senior Copy Editor with The Indian Express (digital) and leads a unique initiative of IE - UPSC Essentials. He majorly writes on UPSC, other competitive exams and education-related projects. In the past, Manas has represented India at the G-20 Youth Summit in Mexico. He is a former member of the Youth Council, GOI. A two-time topper/gold medallist in History (both in graduation and post-graduation) from Delhi University, he has mentored and taught UPSC aspirants for more than four years. His diverse role in The Indian Express consists of writing, editing, anchoring/ hosting, interviewing experts, and curating and simplifying news for the benefit of students. He hosts the YouTube talk show called ‘Art and Culture with Devdutt Pattanaik’ and a LIVE series on Instagram and YouTube called ‘You Ask We Answer’.His talks on ‘How to read a newspaper’ focus on newspaper reading as an essential habit for students. His articles and videos aim at finding solutions to the general queries of students and hence he believes in being students' editor, preparing them not just for any exam but helping them to become informed citizens. This is where he makes his teaching profession meet journalism. He is also the editor of UPSC Essentials' monthly magazine for the aspirants. He is a recipient of the Dip Chand Memorial Award, the Lala Ram Mohan Prize and Prof. Papiya Ghosh Memorial Prize for academic excellence. He was also awarded the University’s Post-Graduate Scholarship for pursuing M.A. in History where he chose to specialise in Ancient India due to his keen interest in Archaeology. He has also successfully completed a Certificate course on Women’s Studies by the Women’s Studies Development Centre, DU. As a part of N.S.S in the past, Manas has worked with national and international organisations and has shown keen interest and active participation in Social Service. He has led and been a part of projects involving areas such as gender sensitisation, persons with disability, helping slum dwellers, environment, adopting our heritage programme. He has also presented a case study on ‘Psychological stress among students’ at ICSQCC- Sri Lanka. As a compere for seminars and other events he likes to keep his orating hobby alive. His interests also lie in International Relations, Governance, Social issues, Essays and poetry. ... Read More

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Essay Book for UPSC – Best Books for Essay | PDF | Also in Hindi

Essays are very imp for your UPSC Mains exam. Let us simply define what is an essay. Essays are basically excerpts on a single topic. They can include many diverse aspects under the same topic. Moreover, the word limit usually ranges high. It is a combination of many different paragraphs. We have all written essays at some point in our school or university. Usually, essays are used to evaluate some factors. For example, it helps the corrector to test your language. It also helps them to learn your vocabulary. In addition to this, it helps them to learn your knowledge on a subject or topic. There are many different types of topics for essays. Some people are born with writing skills. However, some need to take help from the best essay book for UPSC PDF in Hindi/English.

Challenges While Writing Your Essay Paper

Essay writing – body and conclusion.

About UPSC Mains Paper I

The essay paper will build a great basis for your mains exam. Out of the total nine papers, an essay paper is very crucial. You get three hours to complete each of them. Paper A and Paper B are language papers. The first paper is about a compulsory Indian language. It carries a total of 300 marks. Moreover, this is your first paper for mains. You must wisely choose a language. You must make sure you are sure about the choice. Moreover, you must have a command of the language. It is mostly a regional language. Secondly, there is Paper B. This is a language paper too. However, paper B is an English paper. You cannot write this paper in any other language. Paper B also carries 300 marks. For papers A and B, you get a total of 3 hours to write the paper each.

After paper A and paper B starts Paper I to Paper VII. The best essay book for UPSC will help you to crack your Paper I. It means that Paper I is all about essays. This paper carries 250 marks. Moreover, you will get 3 hours to write your essay paper. Further, after the essay paper, there are GS papers. Finally, there are optional subject papers. They too carry 250 marks each and are written within 3 hours each. Let us now look at some important aspects of the essay paper. The essay paper has a total of two sections. Each section has 4 topics under it. Hence, there are in total 8 topics in the paper. However, you have to write two.

Essay Paper Pattern

Out of the total 4 topics in section one, you have to select one. Similarly, you have to choose your second topic from the next section out of the 4 topics. We already saw that this paper carries a total of 250 marks. Hence, each essay is for 125 marks. Thus, making a total of 250. The essay paper is very general in nature. Moreover, you usually do not need special reference material to prepare for it. Why is it so? Firstly, the topics are usually general in nature. They are covered under your GS syllabus. They revolve around current topics.

A UPSC aspirant prepares from a holistic view. All you have to do is focus on your GS topics even from the essay point of view. Many aspirants do not pay attention to a paper one. It is taken lightly due to its non-specific nature of topics. Moreover, often we believe that we can easily pull off the general topics.

However, many aspirants have faced difficulties during the actual exam hour. It is difficult to write something worth 125 marks in your paper. Moreover, there is a very short time to cover all the aspects of your topic. You might have a lot to talk about, but there is a time constraint. In addition to this, you need time to create a framework for your essay. This takes time to think. You can be left baffled by this in the exam hall. Then, it won’t be healthy for your other papers.

No matter how strongly you have prepared for the other papers, an essay paper is a merit maker or breaker. You pen down your original thoughts. Everything is going to be written in original words. It takes immense practice even if you do not realize it. The best essay is a result of serious practice. For this, you need the best UPSC essay book/PDF in English or Hindi. An essay book for UPSC will help you in a holistic prep.

Why Should You Prepare From The Best Essay Book For UPSC PDF?

Let us look at some perks of preparing for your paper one. Firstly, the book will help you to understand the topics. These books usually have topics from the previous year. It will mostly cover your prep from the previous year’s UPSC papers. If the UPSC essay book PDF does not have previous year’s topics, you can visit the UPSC website for the paper. To get the last year’s essay papers: click here. Practicing last year’s papers is an amazing source. It will help you learn the nature of topics asked by UPSC over the years. Moreover, it will also help you to learn the changes over the years in the type of topics asked in the paper. You can prepare accordingly.

Some useful best essay books for UPSC are listed below:

• Essays for Civil Services By Pulkit Khare.
• Mastering essay and answer writing for civil services by Disha Experts.
• 151 Essays by SC Gupta (Arihant Publication).

About UPSC Essay Book/PDF

These books will help you to get an overall idea about the paper pattern. Moreover, the key to great writing is careful reading. Read as much as possible around relevant topics. Keep an eye on the most current and happening events. Strategic topics, issues, and problems with their possible solutions are trending. You can possibly write a great essay with the right knowledge. However, only knowledge isn’t enough. You need to develop your vocabulary. Moreover, you should focus on the topic rightly.

Tips To Write The Best Essay Paper Introduction

Here are some useful tips for your essay from the best UPSC essay book PDF in English/Hindi. Let us look at them one by one. Firstly, you need to write an attractive introduction. This is applicable for essays and answers in your mains. However, in the case of answers, the introduction part is very brief in nature. Hence, you need an average understanding of the context of the answer. But this isn’t true for an essay. When you take up writing an essay, you have to make a very catchy introduction. Moreover, you should possibly add whatever you know to introduce your topic.

As per toppers’ suggestions, it is advantageous to start your essay with a verse. Mostly, you should use a popular phrase to back up your future topic explanation. Do not hesitate in code-mixing. If you are using a verse from a regional language, make sure you explain it further as a part of your intro. In addition to this, you do not have to always remember certain quotes or phrases for your intro. Sometimes, you can also create your own introductory verse. In this way, you can catch the examiner’s attention quickly. Note that this isn’t compulsory. But surely recommended. You will read several essays in the best essay book for UPSC. This will eventually develop the introduction skills in you.

Further comes the main part of your essay. That is the body. This part plays a very crucial role. Here you explain everything about your topic. Make sure you stick to the topic throughout your body. You can touch upon complementary topics. Moreover, you should try and cover all the areas you can think of in the body of the essay. This will present your holistic understanding of the topic. This is the main purpose of the essay, to test your overall knowledge about the topic. Lastly, comes the conclusion. A good essay book for UPSC PDF will help you to conclude your essay in a very great way.

You can close your topic with some suggestions. Or a reality check. Moreover, you can also add your own opinion. However, popular opinion is preferred over individual opinion. In addition to this, you can come up with solutions for any problem noted in the essay. Moreover, do not forget to include examples in your essay to back your explanation. We are sure all these pointers will help you to write an attractive essay and score your best. For more such articles: click here.

You have to write two essays in 3 hours. Each essay carries 125 marks. Hence, you are expected to write at least 1000 to 2000 words per essay.

This is a very common question. Often aspirants start writing the essay without a proper outline in mind. Firstly, you should create an outline in your head. Plan what do you want to write in your essay at least for 5 to 10 mins. Write down the major header and proceed as per the order for your essay. In this way, you will save time thinking about what is next.

The book must guide you around some latest essay topics in vogue. It should contain previous year’s papers or practice papers for essays. The book must also guide you to write a good intro, body, and conclusion.

Editor’s Note | Essay Book for UPSC

Here we will conclude our article. In today’s article, we talked about the best essay book for UPSC PDF in Hindi/English. We listed some important books for your paper one prep. Moreover, we also talked about writing a good essay. We listed some tips and tricks. We also discussed the paper one pattern and section-wise essay paper weightage. Thus, we hope that this article will help you strengthen your UPSC essay paper prep.

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