quotes for essays upsc

• IAS Preparation
• UPSC Preparation Strategy
• Useful Quotes For UPSC Mains Exam Gs And Essay Papers

Important Quotes for UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam General Studies and Essay Papers

Using quotes from revered personalities to emphasise your point adds a lot of value to your answers in the IAS exam. With the introduction of the GS 4 paper (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude) and the changing nature of the Essay paper (UPSC mains 2018 Essay paper had four topics related to quotes/philosophy/character), it has become quite necessary to include some relevant quotes in the answers.

For the UPSC Exam , selecting quotes is important as quoting some celebrity/non-entity is likely to do more harm than good. During the preparation phase, an IAS aspirant can either classify quotes based on the source or organise them under broad pertinent categories such as education, Justice, etc.

Explore The Ultimate Guide to IAS Exam Preparation

Download The E-Book Now!

In this article, we have compiled a list of quotes which are important from the UPSC syllabus point of view. Also, the two ways to categorise the quotes for quick revision are illustrated below. Candidates are advised to use the approach that suits their study process.

Important Quotes for UPSC GS and Essay

• Issue-based categories

The list given above is just a brief example. Aspirants should identify issues/keywords and make their list of UPSC relevant quotes.

• Quotes categorised by author/personality

Although comprehensive, the table of odd quotes above is by no means exhaustive. IAS aspirants should go through UPSC mains GS and essay papers from past years to understand how these quotes can come in handy and then compile and categorise their own lists.

Also, read:

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your Mobile number and Email id will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Request OTP on Voice Call

Post My Comment

IAS 2024 - Your dream can come true!

Download the ultimate guide to upsc cse preparation.

• Share Share

Register with BYJU'S & Download Free PDFs

Register with byju's & watch live videos.

• Skip to main content

India’s Largest Career Transformation Portal

30 Best Quotes for Essay Writing

December 10, 2023 by Sandeep

The essay is an independent, educational, and scientific student research. In writing this paper, students master the methods and gain the ability to conduct research. In addition, essay writing helps form the student’s creative thinking, test the skills of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting literature, and formulate conclusions and suggestions.

Successful essay writing depends on strict adherence to the basic requirements. These requirements relate primarily to the scientific level of the work, its content, structure, form of presentation of the material, and design. The teacher may not accept works in violation of state standards and established requirements. Inconsistencies in the design can significantly affect the final evaluation of the work. The student’s compliance with all the requirements for writing and design of the essay instills certain skills in conducting research, which will be useful in creating other types of papers.

All of the above points are important to gain the ability to complete an essay. However, this is not an as simple type of student paper as it may seem at first glance. Students often have difficulty in both essay writing and designing. Fortunately, today everyone can find someone to write a paper online. It is only necessary to pay the set price. The best writers work for an online company DoMyEssay. To get their help, you should visit the site and request, “Please, do an essay for me.” The high quality and reliability of writing services are guaranteed for everyone.

Requirements for Quotes & References in Essay Writing

A compulsory component of any scientific work is a scientific citation. It is essential to cite the source from which the materials or individual results are borrowed or the ideas and conclusions based on which the problems, tasks, issues to which the work is devoted are developed. Such links make it possible to find relevant sources, check the accuracy of citations, obtain the necessary information about these sources.

The use of references in essays is mandatory and is used in the following cases:

• When quoting fragments of text, formulas, tables, illustrations;
• When paraphrasing, non-verbal reproduction of a fragment of another’s text;
• When analyzing the content of other publications in the text;
• When referring to other publications where the material to be discussed is more complete.

The absence of a link is a copyright infringement, and an incorrect link is considered a serious error. All sources cited in the list of references must be indicated in the text of the paper.

Importance of Correct Citation in Student Papers

The importance of citation is in the need to demonstrate the breadth of research and interest in the publications of other authors, to confirm own arguments with statements from other sources. Text borrowed from other sources is used for this purpose.

Here are three main functions that quotes perform in essay writing :

• Places your work in context, creates dialogue;
• Pay tribute to the previous work that formed the basis of your research;
• Maintains the authenticity and accuracy of scientific literature.

List of Helpful Quotes You Can Use in Your Essay Writing

Below is a list of 30 quotes you can use in your essay writing:

• The simplest example is more convincing than the most eloquent sermon (Lucius Annec Seneca);
• It is not people who need rules, but rules need people (S. Dube);
• The one who is no longer able to serve as anything serves as a good example (Andre Siegfried);
• Take an example from your elders, while they behave approximately (Jerzy Leszczynski);
• The need to set a good example for your children robs middle-aged people of all pleasure (William Feder);
• Remember: sooner or later, your son will follow your example and not your advice (Pierre Corneille);
• An example is stronger than a threat (Pierre Corneille);
• Bad examples are stronger than good rules (Joey Locke);
• You only have one life. You have to live it as fully as possible (Jojo Moyes);
• When life is good, there is no need to argue about it (Ray Bradbury);
• There are moments in life that change us once and for all (Jeffrey Deaver);
• The reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The person who never reads experiences only one (George Martin);
• On our path in life, we will meet everyone who is destined to meet us (Charles Dickens);
• What is the sense of life? Serve others and do good (Aristotle);
• Those who illuminate the lives of others will not be left without light themselves (James Matthew Barry);
• In general, I live without hesitation, so I always have fun (Francis Scott Fitzgerald);
• An example is always more powerful than a sermon (Samuel Johnson);
• When it comes to budget, everyone wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die (Jean Chrétien);
• Violating our duty, thereby we violate our rights (Jean-Jacques Rousseau);
• You cannot talk about the budget without knowing approximately the figures of its income and expenses (Theodor Herzl);
• Civilization road paved with tax receipts (Andrew McKenzie);
• If you know how to spend less than you get, then you have the Philosopher’s Stone (Benjamin Franklin);
• Only two incentives make people work: the thirst for wages and the fear of losing them (Henry Ford);
• There is no perfection in the world (Antoine de Saint-Exupery);
• You are forever responsible for the one you tamed (Antoine de Saint-Exupery);
• It’s good where we are not (Antoine de Saint-Exupery);
• All adults were children at first, only a few of them remember this (Antoine de Saint-Exupery);
• Live and learn (Lucius Annec Seneca);
• The end justifies the means (Ignatius de Loyola);
• Truth is in wine (Pliny the Elder).

Press ESC to close

Motivational Quotes For UPSC Aspirants: A List of Inspirational Quotes Along With their Meanings

As we all know, the IAS examination is one of the toughest and most challenging tests of the other assessments. A UPSC student needs to be directed and determined towards their goal.  A prosperous competitor is not just a well-prepared one but also one who can nourish their courage levels throughout the procedure.

Passing the UPSC exam is not simple, many obstacles may be suffered during the process of the assessment. Pupils are motivated and nourished to give their best.

Here are some of the best inspirational quotes for UPSC aspirants to make their minds upright towards achievement. Also, you can get details about the best IAS coaching in India . Check out the best IAS online coaching from this article to join the best online coaching for IAS. 

Also Read  : How to Write a Philosophical Essay for UPSC? Learn Some Pointers to Ace the Exam

Best Quotes for UPSC Aspirants

There are numerous quotes for the competitors to encourage them and help them accomplish the objective. Several inspirational quotes by famous people like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda and Abdul Kalam Azad.

Below is the list of motivational quotes for the IAS aspirants to nourish their minds and encourage them to pursue their dream of becoming successful IAS officers. Read the article till the end to understand the inspiring quotations stated by famous people, along with their meanings.

Motivational Quotes for UPSC IAS Aspirants

Rabindranath tagore.

“You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.”

– Rabindranath Tagore

One can’t pass the sea just by gazing at it. Similarly, one can’t pass the IAS examination just by dreaming and gazing at the success stories of previous aspirants. One has to take a step forward to accomplish their purpose and get the courage to clear the test with flying colours.

 “Genius is 1% talent and 99% per cent hard work.”

This famous quote by Einstein gives a great message to all the students and makes them realise that they stand all equal. They should eliminate from their mind that the CSE is only for talented nominees. No one is less capable than the other. The talent sums up only 1% in making the person a genius, the rest 99% is hard work and overcoming procrastination. Anybody can pass the IAS examination just by working hard and not being intelligent.

“Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.”

As we all believe every day is a new beginning of life. This quote by Buddha states exactly the message. No one has knowledge about what is going to occur tomorrow. Employ your today to make your tomorrow better. If you fail to serve yesterday don’t get disheartened,  begin each new day afresh and work hard with unique courage. Your future relies on how you utilize your present.

“Rarest of all human quality is consistency.”

Rome was not constructed in a day. Nothing is accomplished in a day. It takes time and a consistent pace for something huge to happen. Working hard for a short period and taking a long break doesn’t help you to achieve your objective. Your plan and work should be steady with proper flow. Always remember the slow tortoise with a constant pace has a higher chance of achievement rather than the fast rabbit with an inconsistent pace.

Mahatma Gandhi

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

– Mahatma Gandhi

This popular quote by Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation has motivated the ages of the world. It states that whatever the transition you accept, the world has to begin from you. Be innovative in your trial. Understand the paths to effectively employ your available aids for the preparation. You’re the future of the world.  Always remind yourself that the difference in the community starts with you.

Bertrand Russell

“The hardest thing in life is which bridge to cross and which to burn.”

– Bertrand Russell

Proficiency and hard work are not enough to pass the IAS examination. To succeed, one has to work smart, not hard. Quality matters more than quantity. Working hard all day with insufficient profit is not a proper solution.  One should realize, what are the most achieving regions in the preliminary and the main of the IAS examination. One should know which editions have to be read and which books have to be prevented. To achieve an IAS position with the least effort, candidates have to be tactful.

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

– Confucius

In life, one cannot attain success without confronting failures. Don’t get disappointed when you are not able to pass the exam in one attempt. Many famous IAS officers also endured failures and passed the CSE examination in the 2nd or 3rd attempt.  One must understand that negligence is a very ordinary thing. Every time you fall, get up with unique courage. The more you fail, the more you realise your faults. Analyse your errors in your earlier attempt, discover from them and formulate an action plan and commit it and then victory will be yours.

Benjamin Franklin

 “Instead of cursing the darkness, light a candle.”

– Benjamin Franklin

Candidates must comprehend to make use of the effective accessible resources in a leading manner. Concentrate on aspects that are in your hands and dismiss what you can’t change. Wasting time on things you can’t transform is the biggest fool. If your surrounding habitat is not in your favour, don’t keep on cursing it, rather develop an optimistic attitude and be a guiding lamp to others.

“All persons ought to endeavour to follow what is right, and not what is established.”

– Aristotile

Students must take opinions based on rationality. Never run behind the crowd. Don’t prefer an option just because many people are preferring it or don’t examine a magazine or a book just because it is browsed by many people. People are not right every time.  You must make your decision only after a thorough analysis. Make your opinion wisely so that others follow you.

Swami Vivekananda

“Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.”

– Swami Vivekananda

Among all the quotations illustrated above, this quote from Swami Vivekananda is the most influential and has played a tremendous role in the prosperity of many IAS officers. Great IAS officers got inspired and achieved their target by following this saying of Swami Vivekananda. This quote enables the students to be proactive and do the needful to achieve in the examination. Arise, awake every day and don’t stop until you reach your objective.

“Push yourself because no one else is going to do for you.”

You are the only one who can inspire and promote yourself. No one will help you pursue your goal. No one is your true friend except the books and your desires. Help, Support yourself and encouragement is the only best solution for a prosperous future. The treasure lies in you, all you need to do is dig it with great effort.  Nobody will let you know how skilful you are. You need to realize and discover the ability and talent that lies in you.

“Nothing can inspire you more than your dreams.”

We dream and desire something to accomplish. Nobody can stop you from dreaming. Dreams are the only objective we all have and they don’t work until we do. Every new day, we dream to motivate ourselves for a new objective making our lives better. Preparing and nourishing the mind.  Vanishing the failed person within us. Discard the obstacles, doubts and justifications. And that’s how victory will arrive at you.

“Achieve your goals in silence.”

As we all believe, work hard in silence, let success make noise. Accomplish your goals secretly, don’t let anyone know your mystery. People usually speak more than what they do. A prosperous student never likes to circulate the secret he has overcome. That’s how achievement develops in silence.  Someone quoted well, actions speak louder than words. Let your success prove your ability to the world. Don’t let your efforts get wasted in making others believe that you are capable of doing something.

Also Read  : UPSC History Optional Question Paper 2022: Let’s Get Ready for UPSC 2023!

Nelson Mandela

 “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

-Nelson Mandela

Everything appears impossible until it’s performed. If someone believes that nothing is impossible, that’s a very powerful sense. Your thinking makes the work possible for you. A positive attitude and organized plan help you make the impossible possible.  A task first looks impossible, once you get started it appears tough, then when you get the flow with your tactics it seems easier. Nothing is impossible in life if you have an intense mind determined towards the motive.

 “Don’t limit your challenges, challenge your limits.”

Never put a limit to your challenge instead challenge your limits. Take a task as a dare and make your mind to achieve it. Challenge yourself to be better and do better every day with new energy and motivation. Always remember, challenges are accomplished by moving beyond the present circumstances. It won’t change until you challenge it. If you don’t challenge yourself, you will never get to know what lies in you and what you wish to achieve in life. It’s the only path that leads to improvement.

 “Power is not given to you, you have to take it.”

This quote speaks a lot. It makes you realize that nothing gets to you as complimentary. Nothing is priceless in life, you earn it, you get it. Power doesn’t arise in you automatically, you need to awaken the courage and skill by your efforts. It is not given to you by anyone, work hard and attain it. Awake the treasure in you ignoring the obstacles in order to achieve your dreams and do what you love.

Andrew Murphy

“You are confined only by the walls you build yourself.”

-Andrew Murphy

Man has this unusual power to build limitations of his capacities. Uncertainly, the more self-aware we become, the more we concentrate on our drawbacks and thus start restricting our intentions. Convince yourself that there are aspects beyond your stretch and should not seek risky tasks or else you would neglect and feel hopeless. Smash all these mental binds today as they are all tales we tell ourselves. Act on your fantasies today no matter how limited you are you will be prosperous only if you understand it. Take this quote as motivation and get inspired in your life to achieve something new every day.

“You are stronger than you think.”

This is an empowering motivational quote, particularly for all those in the world who are undergoing an inferiority complex that impacts components in the community and sometimes families. Just because the world around you is adequate does not indicate you will have to be one of them permanently. You have all the privilege to learn your true ability. Surge higher than your limitations and attain greatness no matter what the world may tell you. Just understand that you are more powerful than you feel and are committed to incredible things.

“Do it now. Sometimes later becomes never.”

As we all know, procrastination is the greatest destroyer of minds. Do not halt anything that holds prestige for you. A duty, for instance, exams or health goals, may seem hard at initial but adequate planning and actions in that path will assist you to attain it successfully. Just because a job seems difficult doesn’t mean it should be left to handle later. Just take the major step and begin with the tiniest duty, to begin with. Once you have set the wheels in action, the entire task will be achieved even before you recognize it.

“Don’t stop when you are tired, stop when you are done.”

Among all the motivational quotes, this is one of those that pass a message of determination and hard work. Strives and prosecutions in your life will make your body and soul tired. It is bound to attract you to give up and realise that all this hard work is not worth it, so just leave it. This is actually why you need to stay strong and assure yourself not to relax. You should enjoy it only after you are accomplished with the task and attain your goal. Only then the people will parade with you to applaud your victory and you will enjoy the treasure of success with much-deserved peace.

“Remember why you are doing this.”

In the battle to accomplish your objective, there may be times when you are exhausted and just want to halt and sit down, there may be times when everyone around urges you to bend down or distract you from the path. It’s simple to miss the sight of the initial plan and the motive behind doing it. In that case, question yourself why you are doing this and utilize the reason to get yourself back on track, pick up, encourage yourself, concentrate on your purpose, force yourself forward and be victorious.

“Be stubborn about your goals, and flexible about your methods.”

A life without objectives is no existence at all. And it’s all the more significant to have the motivation and intention to follow them. No matter what society and situations try to distract your interest from your missions, you have to hold them tightly and become stubborn. In the technique to attain them, you may sometimes think that your strategies no longer work. So you need to discover an alternate and more productive way. In this vibrant world, there is just one law and that is ‘there is no rule’. Keep your eyes on the objective and don’t be prohibited by rigidity. Feel independent to bend the laws sometimes to accomplish marks. If you don’t, you are confined to giving up and resigning.

“Excuses don’t get results.”

Reasons are the stories we narrate ourselves for our losses or disuse. We frequently get so dominated by the mere magnitude of the job ahead of us that we begin postponing. When we are responsible for it, we make justifications. When we begin giving excuses to ourselves, knowing better that we cannot cheat our conscience, we tread in guilt and self-pity. Why go over that suffering when we can just stand up and confront the duty in the very beginning. Execute the most terrible task early and the rest of the day would be steadily moving, so no further excuses.

Also Read  : How to Prepare for UPSC in 1 Year? Let’s Find the Best Coaching Classes to Prepare for!

Above is the best and most inspirational list of quotes with their meanings for the UPSC aspirants to make them pursue their objectives. It is not essential that all the quotations are equally favourable to all the UPSC candidates. Select four to five quotes that have motivated you greatly. Inscribe them on a piece of paper and stick them near your workplace. It will act as a steady reminder and will enable you to proceed with your rehearsal with tremendous devotion.

Hoping that the above article helped you encourage your mind towards your objective. Give time to read and understand all the quotes stated and explained above. It will assist you to create a positive attitude in life. If you are looking for more such content related to the IAS examination, then do visit the website UPSC Pathshala for all essential topics for the aspirants associated with the IAS examination. It is the best IAS coaching in India. You will not only find all the information on this best IAS online coaching but also will get all the motivation from different articles related to the journeys of the candidates. You must join this best online coaching for IAS to achieve your goals.

Thank you for boosting our confidence for the examination, can you also provide some last minute tips for the aspirants?

The UPSC preparation is the toughest time for the candidates. This article has all the quotations that can help the aspirants to get out the stress and achieve their goals. Do you get inspired by the motivational quotations?

Feeling motivated…ready to embark on this journey

These are really motivational. I am completely ready to create wonders.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Share Article:

About the Author

Shilpa is a professional web content writer and is in deep love with travelling. She completed her mass communication degree and is now dedicatedly playing with words to guide her readers to get the best for themselves. Developing educational content for UPSC, IELTS aspirants from breakthrough research work is her forte. Strongly driven by her zodiac sign Sagittarius, Shilpa loves to live her life on her own notes and completely agrees with the idea of ‘live and let live. Apart from writing and travelling, most of the time she can be seen in the avatar of 'hooman' mom to her pets and street dogs or else you can also catch her wearing the toque blanche and creating magic in the kitchen on weekends.

You might also like

Operation Kaveri UPSC: Let’s Prepare the UPSC Notes for Current UPSC Topic!

UPSC DPA: Let’s Go Through the Complete Guide for the Examination!

PM SVANidhi Scheme UPSC: Let’s Prepare UPSC Notes for This Significant Topic!

Other stories, ips chandana deepti wiki: all you need to know about the people’s officer, how much an ips aspirants study here’s what you need to know about upsc aspirants.

Forgot your password?

Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive mail with link to set new password.

Back to login

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

UPSC Coaching, Study Materials, and Mock Exams

Enroll in ClearIAS UPSC Coaching Join Now Log In

Call us: +91-9605741000

Essay Paper UPSC 2021 (Mains): Question Paper and Analysis

Last updated on January 8, 2022 by Alex Andrews George

UPSC conducted the  Essay Paper , as part of the Civil Services Main Exam 2021 on 07-01-2022.

There were 8 Essay topics, out of which candidates were asked to write on two topics in 3 hours.

Candidates were supposed to answer about 1000 words for each essay (about 10-12 pages).

Table of Contents

Essay Paper UPSC 2021 Instructions

• Total Marks: 250 marks, Time duration: 3 hours.
• The essay must be written in the medium authorized in the admission certificate which must be stated clearly on the cover of this question-cum-answer (QCA) booklet in the space provided.
• No marks will be given for answers written in the medium other than the authorized one.
• Word limit, as specified, should be adhered to.
• Any page or portion of the page left blank, must be struck off clearly.

Essay Question Paper – UPSC Civil Services Main Exam (Written) 2021

Write  two  essays, choosing  one  topic from each of the following Sections A and B, in about 1000-1200 words each:

1. The process of self-discovery has now been technologically outsourced.

2. Your perception of me is a reflection of you; my reaction to you is an awareness of me.

Add IAS, IPS, or IFS to Your Name!

Your Effort. Our Expertise.

Join ClearIAS

3. Philosophy of wantlessness is Utopian, while materialism is a chimera.

4. The real is rational and the rational is real.

5. Hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.

6. What is research, but a blind date with knowledge!

7. History repeats itself, first as a tragedy, second as a farce.

8. There are better practices to “best practices”.

UPSC Prelims Test Series 2024

Take All-India Mock Exams: Analyse Your Progress!

Most of the essays topics this year were philosophical and open to the interpretation of the candidates. However, considering the philosophical base of the questions, most candidates found the questions tricky. It was not easy to write 1000 words on each topic within the time constraints.

UPSC has ensured that the essay topics were much different from the GS questions.

A philosophical theme is clearly evident in most of the essay topics in Section A as well as Section B. This was the case in 2020 as well. However, this year it became much more prominent. It is a clue about what UPSC expects from the essay paper.

Rather than asking candidates to write on topics most aspirants are familiar or trained with, UPSC is now evaluating the essay writing skills of aspirants by providing them with abstract or philosophical topics.

The reason for such a shift in the pattern should be the change in the focus of the Commission.

All the 8 topics presented this year will test spontaneous thinking, comprehension, writing skills, and time-management of aspirants.

Repeated questions from previous years

The importance of the previous year UPSC questions cannot be stressed more.

Just like prelims, in mains too many questions came directly repeated from previous year question papers. Also, there were themes you often see in many essay books.

One such question was Hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.

Thinkers, Philosophers, and their Quotes

Let’s analyse the source of some of the question topics.

Your perception of me is a reflection of you; my reaction to you is an awareness of me.

This essay topic was a quote going rounds on the internet. The quote is attributed to “Coach Bobbi” [Bobbi Chegwyn] on Facebook.

Philosophy of wantlessness is Utopian, while materialism is a chimera.

This essay topic was connected with J.K. Mehta’s Theory of Wantlessness!

This has also connections with Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy.

The real is rational and the rational is real.

This is a quote by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel .

As per Hegel, something can be real, yet it may not exist. Also, something may not be real, it may still exist. For Hegel, reality does not mean existence.

Among philosophers, Hegel is one whose thought is extremely difficult to understand. Often to understand Hegel’s thoughts, we need to grasp his ideas, not in isolation but together with his dialogue with other philosophers, in particular, Aristotle and Kant.

The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.

“The Hand That Rocks the Cradle Is the Hand That Rules the World” is a poem by William Ross Wallace that praises motherhood as the preeminent force for change in the world. The poem was first published in 1865 under the title “ What Rules the World “.

What is research, but a blind date with knowledge!

This is a quote by Will Harvey . Will Harvey (born 1967) is an American software developer and Silicon Valley entrepreneur.

History repeats itself, first as a tragedy, second as a farce.

It was Karl Marx who said that history repeats itself, first as tragedy, then as farce.

First, it’s a tragedy because it shouldn’t have happened. Then it’s a farce (joke) because we didn’t learn from our mistakes the first time around. This is Marx’s version of dark humour.

What should aspirants preparing for next year do for an essay paper?

First of all, you should take the essay paper seriously.

Unless properly trained, it is not easy to write 10-12 pages on an abstract or philosophical topic.

You need to polish your comprehension and analytical skills.

Read different kinds of essays – particularly philosophical essays.

Give stress to the thoughts of philosophers like Immanuel Kant, Thomas Aquinas, John Locke, Friedrich Niche, Karl Marx etc. Start writing essays on famous quotes.

Also, be prepared to write essays touching other areas like society, polity, economy, or technology. UPSC is known for surprises.

Remember that there is nothing like a constant trend with respect to UPSC questions.

What you get by analysing the previous year question papers are clues. And only those are what you need from UPSC questions!

Aim IAS, IPS, or IFS?

Prelims cum Mains (PCM) GS Course: Target UPSC CSE 2025 (Online)

₹95000 ₹59000

Prelims cum Mains (PCM) GS Course: Target UPSC CSE 2026 (Online)

₹115000 ₹69000

Prelims cum Mains (PCM) GS Course: Target UPSC CSE 2027 (Online)

₹125000 ₹79000

About Alex Andrews George

Alex Andrews George is a mentor, author, and social entrepreneur. Alex is the founder of ClearIAS and one of the expert Civil Service Exam Trainers in India.

He is the author of many best-seller books like 'Important Judgments that transformed India' and 'Important Acts that transformed India'.

A trusted mentor and pioneer in online training , Alex's guidance, strategies, study-materials, and mock-exams have helped many aspirants to become IAS, IPS, and IFS officers.

Reader Interactions

January 8, 2022 at 11:36 am

Upsc has chosen right path to evaluate person.one person read, listen ,rember and write in exam.He qualify exam.He is just like computer.worthy less people selected by upsc every year.They are not thinker.so our country is intellectually insolvent.civil services requires thinker to. progess country and welfare of common man.These types of question evaluate intellectual for the welfare of human being.

January 9, 2022 at 1:44 pm

You are putting the quality of a leader and a literate society in such a person who just has to follow his supremes.He/She must be a good analyst. That’s it!!!

June 13, 2022 at 12:41 pm

in the bureaucracy – there is no space for logical thinking.

once you clear the exams and get appointed – you have to follow the “protocol’ or “procedures” – its difficult to be analytical and innovative – bcos the system demands obedience and adherence to the protocol. If you follow the protocol – and even if lot of people are severely affected – you wont be taken to task. But if you are innovative – and even if ONE person gets affected – you will be punished.

January 8, 2022 at 4:02 pm

Yeah!I’ve passed upsc .

January 25, 2022 at 2:21 pm

I have written Essay on three topics..how may I share?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Don’t lose out without playing the right game!

Follow the ClearIAS Prelims cum Mains (PCM) Integrated Approach.

Join ClearIAS PCM Course Now

UPSC Online Preparation

• Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
• Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
• Indian Police Service (IPS)
• IAS Exam Eligibility
• UPSC Free Study Materials
• UPSC Exam Guidance
• UPSC Prelims Test Series
• UPSC Syllabus
• UPSC Online
• UPSC Prelims
• UPSC Interview
• UPSC Toppers
• UPSC Previous Year Qns
• UPSC Age Calculator
• UPSC Calendar 2024
• About ClearIAS
• ClearIAS Programs
• ClearIAS Fee Structure
• IAS Coaching
• UPSC Coaching
• UPSC Online Coaching
• ClearIAS Blog
• Important Updates
• Announcements
• Book Review
• ClearIAS App
• Work with us
• Advertise with us
• Privacy Policy
• Terms and Conditions
• Talk to Your Mentor

Featured on

and many more...

Take ClearIAS Mock Exams: Analyse Your Progress

UPSC Prelims Test Series for GS and CSAT: With Performance Analysis and All-India Ranking (Online)

₹9999 ₹4999

• International
• Today’s Paper
• Premium Stories
• Express Shorts
• Health & Wellness
• Board Exam Results

UPSC Essentials | Expert talk — ‘Don’t be afraid of Essays on philosophical quotes’: DU Philosophy Prof

With upsc mains 2023 just a few days away, you might be still worried about your strategies for tackling the philosophical quotes based essays. upsc essentials interviews professor pratibha sharma to understand what is a 'good' philosophical essay..

There is a pleasure in philosophy which every aspirant feels, until it appears as an unavoidable component of the UPSC CSE Essay paper. Is it so? In the past few years, the Essay paper of UPSC CSE has started focussing completely on philosophical quotes. This shift in trend has become a big challenge for aspirants in their UPSC journey. Manas Srivastava talks to Prof. Pratibha Sharma of Miranda House who weighs in on many fears of aspirants regarding philosophical quotes that aspirants may find relevant to kick start their Essay preparation.

About our Expert: Professor Pratibha Sharma teaches philosophy in Miranda House ( Delhi University), and is currently the Teacher-in-Charge of the Philosophy department.

Dear future bureaucrats don’t be afraid of philosophy.

Manas: In the past few years, UPSC has started asking Essay topics on Philosophical quotes. Many aspirants do not study Philosophy as a subject before UPSC preparation. This makes the Essay paper challenging for them. What would you say about this ‘fear’ of philosophical quotes among aspirants?

Prof. Pratibha Sharma: Let’s begin by understanding that the great philosophers whose quotes you encounter in your question papers come from different disciplines themselves. Descartes, Leibniz and Whitehead were mathematicians. Plato was a polymath. Students of political science must have read about John Rawls. Similarly, B.G. Tilak, Rabindranath Tagore, Madan Mohan Malviya, Mahatma Gandhi, and many others were not philosophy students in particular. Their thoughts, words, and lives became important for philosophy and hence they are known as great philosophers. So, to say that one has to be an academic philosopher to understand philosophical quotes is not true.

Don’t be afraid of philosophy and philosophical quotes. Philosophers are not strangers to you. In fact, everyone is a philosopher from within. Try to awaken that philosopher within you.

Also, I am not surprised that UPSC has started giving more weightage to philosophical quotes in essays. Philosophy is important in every aspect of life. You must have noticed that every institution has an ethics committee nowadays. Philosophy is the basis for Ethics. Even UPSC has introduced a paper on Ethics as its compulsory paper in the mains examination. This speaks volumes of the relevance of philosophy in not only your exams but also in life in general.

JUST FYI: The essay paper is a compulsory paper in UPSC CSE (Main) Examination and plays a crucial part in the selection process. It is divided into two sections, each consisting of four topics. Candidates are required to write two essays in three hours of time. The essays carry a total of 250 marks (125 each). The word limit for each essay is 1000- 1200 words. The syllabus of essay paper is not well defined by UPSC in comparison to other GS papers. 

Manas: One assumes that many philosophy teachers must be evaluating Essay papers with questions on Philosophical quotes. If you had to evaluate Essays for UPSC exams, what would have been your parameters for evaluation or what is a ‘good’ essay according to you?

Prof. Pratibha Sharma: Firstly, an examiner knows that aspirants are not necessarily from a philosophical background. So, that clarity is there in the mind of the examiner. Having said that, a good essay may have the following elements:

1. Better understanding of the quote

2. Proper elaboration of quotes based on ideology, thinkers, and examples

3. Right language and expressions

4. Multidimensional approach

5. Linked to contemporary times- making it more relevant

Regarding all these points, I must mention that one who aspires to be an IAS officer should have some basic skills in writing and expressing their views. One doesn’t need to use difficult words but the right expressions.

Manas: The point where you mentioned thinkers and ideology brings us to a question of sources. Does it mean that aspirants should start reading several philosophy books for Essays? If yes, which ones?

Prof. Pratibha Sharma: No, reading too many books on Philosophy for a few months or a year won’t help. This is knowledge that is acquired over some time. I will suggest they make wise use of the Internet and become aware of some important ideologies, quotes, and thinkers. They will find them relevant in Ethics paper too which is very much connected to philosophy.

However, if anyone wants to read a book I suggest they take any ‘Introduction to Philosophy’ which covers all major themes.

Manas: You have also mentioned the ‘Multidimensional approach’ in an Essay. What do you mean by that?

Prof. Pratibha Sharma: Students must understand an important aspect of multidimensional approach. In ancient times there used to be no real distinction between various subjects. People believed that nothing could be studied in isolation. This was called multidisciplinary approach which nowadays, in academics, is called interdisciplinarity. Specifically about Philosophy, we should know that it teaches us not to be judgmental. This means that one must be aware of various options, perspectives and points of view, theories, etc. For example, democracy is just one form of government. One needs to be aware of other forms of government to conclude that which is the best form of government. If one is partial, he or she is not tolerant. That is neither good for your essay paper nor as a citizen and a human being.

Manas: Interestingly,  you mentioned linking the quote to contemporary times. Can you please elaborate?

Prof. Pratibha Sharma: Most of the quotes are from thinkers. These thinkers are ‘eternal thinkers’. Their words are relevant even today. Therefore, students should remember this aspect in their essays too. These quotes may be rooted in some time and space but linking them to contemporary times may make essays more relevant.

Manas: Are there any ‘boundaries’ for essays based on philosophical quotes as they seem open-ended?

Prof. Pratibha Sharma: Regarding limitations, I would like to mention that data is not so important in such essays. Students, for example, can refer to ‘changing trends’ but don’t write like a social scientist. One may refer to theories while answering, for example, a question on happiness. But do not be judgmental. Essays should not have a partial approach; try to show multiple perspectives and not stick to one stand. Sometimes students aren’t very good with the ideas of thinkers. They should know at least some important ones and can write good examples to support their points.

Manas: Why should future bureaucrats and administrators have some sense of Philosophy?

Prof. Pratibha Sharma: Let’s answer this question in the language of Philosophy itself. Plato talked about the ‘ Philosopher King’ in The Republic . According to this idea, the best form of government is that in which philosophers rule. In present times, a philosopher is an articulated person who has a better understanding of diverse issues and he is not judgemental. These are two qualities that are required in an able administrator. Therefore, not only attempt to study Philosophy but also imbibe it. Philosophy helps to analyse issues from different perspectives before coming to a conclusion. Critical thinking, logical reasoning, and ethics, all are part of Philosophy. Isn’t it a part of the job of an administrator working in the field to apply all of these?

I believe students should know about one such personality who was known as the Indian Philosopher King (especially in the Philosophy circle) and went on to become the President of India — Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. His contribution to our country is immense. Students must read about him. They will get an answer to the above question.

Manas: You are a Philosophy teacher. I am sure you must have a favourite quote that you think is very important to your life…

Prof. Pratibha Sharma: One philosophical quote that is very close to my heart is:

I know that I don’t know ~ Socrates

One is wise because at least he or she knows what he or she doesn’t know. At least, I recognise my ignorance. As I recognise my ignorance, I will like to learn and know more. There is an element of ‘inquisitiveness’.

Manas: I think your favourite quote can be a good point to ponder for aspirants. UPSC aspirants must try as a sample essay question.

(Answer in the comment box or through your email)

Share your views, answers and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@ indianexpress.com

The UPSC Section of Indian Express  is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest Updates .

Subscribe to our  UPSC newsletter  and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.

How birds romance using their bills

Challengers meshes sex and tennis to claim game

The Internet is changing the way we make friends

Ranneeti Balakot and Beyond drowns in predictability

After wars, deaths, political turmoil, the era of Indira Gandhi Subscriber Only

How LGBTQ+ members navigate dating

Ghostbusters Frozen Empire is now a tired franchise

The appraisal trend offering higher designation without pay hike

Ruslaan chooses formulaic set-pieces over coherent plot

Manas Srivastava is currently working as Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express (digital) and majorly writes for UPSC-related projects leading a unique initiative known as UPSC Essentials. 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 currently working on a monthly magazine for UPSC 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

• government jobs
• Sarkari Naukri
• UPSC Civil Services
• UPSC Civil Services Exam
• UPSC Essentials

The second phase of Lok Sabha elections had a lower voter turnout of 64.2% compared to the previous elections, with slow voting in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. The remaining constituencies in Karnataka will vote in the third phase. PM Modi is confident in the NDA's success, thanks to support from youth and women voters.

• Thomas and Uber Cup 2024 Live Updates: Ashmita Chaliha upsets Michelle Li in Uber Cup opener, India 1-0 Canada 41 mins ago
• Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live Updates: 'Kerala polls hijacked by CPI(M)... voters harassed by officials', says K C Venugopal 1 hour ago
• Bengaluru News Live Updates: Bangalore South Lok Sabha candidate Tejasvi Surya booked for ‘seeking votes based on religion’ 1 hour ago
• Delhi News Live Updates: CM Kejriwal’s wife Sunita to kick off AAP's campaign for LS polls today 2 hours ago

Best of Express

Buzzing Now

Apr 27: Latest News

• 01 Maharashtra Poll Ballotin: Rane promises to turn Konkan into California
• 02 KKR vs PBKS Emotional Rollercoaster: Prabhsimran goes ballistic, Shreyas surprisingly fires and Punjab leave Eden Gardens stunned
• 03 Maine governor signs off on new gun laws, mental health supports in wake of Lewiston shootings
• 04 IPL 2024 points table updated: Punjab Kings move to 8th after record chase over KKR in Kolkata
• 05 2024 Lok Sabha Elections: Karnataka records 69% polling, Mandya sees highest turnout at 81%
• Elections 2024
• Political Pulse
• Entertainment
• Movie Review
• Newsletters
• Gold Rate Today
• Silver Rate Today
• Petrol Rate Today
• Diesel Rate Today
• Web Stories

UPSC Essay: Examples, Quotes, Case studies

Environmental dimension, the hornbill festival.

It is a remarkable story of conservation of the bird after which it is named. Today, the Naga people are at the forefront of ensuring the safety of hornbill nests. It is an amazing example of how hunters can turn protectors.

Prof. Wangari Maathai

• Introduced the idea of planting trees with the people
• Through the Green Belt Movement she has assisted women in planting more than 20 million trees on their farms and on schools and church compounds.

Case Studies

• Holy compost in temples at Bengaluru. Leaf decomposters to process flower waste
• Project Tsang-da aimed at sustainable waste management in rural areas of Leh
• Norwegian Embassy in Delhi - equipped with eco-friendly technology and techniques — first green embassy in India
• “We have not inherited this earth from our forefathers; we have borrowed it from our children”.
• "We are the first generation to get impacted by climate change, and last who can do something about it" (Barack Obama, Paris COP)

Note: We will keep updating these examples.

💌 Subscribe to UPSCprep.com

Actionable insights for improving your Prelims, Mains and Optional preparation, direct to your inbox.

Thank you for joining! Please check your inbox for a link to confirm your email address.

Final Result - CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION, 2023.

• UPSC Online
• UPSC offline and Hybrid
• UPSC Optional Coaching
• UPPCS Online
• BPSC Online
• MPSC Online
• MPPSC Online
• WBPSC Online
• OPSC Online
• UPPCS Offline Coaching
• BPSC Offline Coaching
• UPSC Test Series
• State PSC Test Series
• DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS
• SUBJECT WISE CURRENT AFFAIRS
• DAILY EDITORIAL ANALYSIS
• DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS QUIZ
• Daily Prelims(MCQs) Practice
• Daily Mains Answer Writing
• Free Resources

• Offline Centers
• NCERT Notes
• UDAAN Notes
• UPSC Syllabus
• UPSC Prelims PYQs
• UPSC Mains PYQs
• Prelims Preparation

Essay Quotes for UPSC

Our Courses

THE MOST LEARNING PLATFORM

Learn From India's Best Faculty

Our Initiatives

Beginner’s roadmap, quick links.

PW-Only IAS came together specifically to carry their individual visions in a mission mode. Infusing affordability with quality and building a team where maximum members represent their experiences of Mains and Interview Stage and hence, their reliability to better understand and solve student issues.

Subscribe our Newsletter

Sign up now for our exclusive newsletter and be the first to know about our latest Initiatives, Quality Content, and much more.

Contact Details

G-Floor,4-B Pusha Road, New Delhi, 110060

• +91 9920613613
• [email protected]

Download Our App

Biginner's roadmap, suscribe now form, fill the required details to get early access of quality content..

Join Us Now

(Promise! We Will Not Spam You.)

CURRENT AF.

<div class="new-fform">

Select centre Online Mode Hybrid Mode PWonlyIAS Delhi (ORN) PWonlyIAS Delhi (MN) PWonlyIAS Lucknow PWonlyIAS Patna Other

Select course UPSC Online PSC ONline UPSC + PSC ONLINE UPSC Offline PSC Offline UPSC+PSC Offline UPSC Hybrid PSC Hybrid UPSC+PSC Hybrid Other

</div>

General Studies

All Programmes

Study Material

UPSC Essay Topics - Important Essay Topics for UPSC Mains 2023

By vajiram & ravi.

Essay Course for UPSC

UPSC CSE Mains 2023 Essay Question Paper

UPSC Mains Optional Test Series

Mentorship Program for UPSC 2024

Understanding UPSC Essay Topics holds significant importance as it evaluates the candidate's ability to analyse, present arguments, and communicate effectively. In this article, we will explore the diverse range of UPSC essay topics, their significance, and essential tips to excel in this section. Get ready to enhance your writing and analytical skills and make a strong impression on the evaluators with well-crafted essays.

UPSC Essay Paper

The Essay paper in the UPSC Mains examination requires candidates to write multiple essays , each on a different topic, chosen from a given list of options. The essay topics for UPSC cover a wide range of issues, including social, economic, political, cultural, and philosophical aspects, both national and international.

The essay paper holds significant weightage in the UPSC Mains examination, contributing 250 marks out of the total 1750 marks . Scoring well in this section can have a considerable impact on the overall ranking and selection for the coveted civil services.

Weekly UPSC Essay Topics By Vajiram & Ravi

The UPSC Essay Paper is an opportunity for candidates to demonstrate their proficiency in expressing ideas and analysing complex issues. Vajiram & Ravi Pensive-Weekly Essay Writing Programme provides you with two Essay Topics every Saturday based on the previous year's question papers and the changing trends analysis. You can submit your Essay for peer evaluation on vajiramandravi.com. This will help you nourish your writing skills, give you clarity of thought, and build the capacity to express opinions in a logical and coherent manner.

Important Essay Topics for UPSC 2023

The purpose of the essay paper is to assess the candidate's ability to critically analyse a topic, present well-structured arguments, and communicate their ideas effectively. It also evaluates their knowledge of various issues, their clarity of thought, and their capacity to express opinions in a logical and coherent manner.

Some of the Important Essay Topics to prepare for the UPSC Mains Examination 2023 are:

• Gender Equality
• Environment/Urbanization
• Economic Growth
• Federalism/Decentralization
• Agriculture
• Economics 

UPSC Essay Topics on Philosophy

Every year, UPSC typically provides you with two or more essay topics centred around philosophical thoughts, Indian philosophical schools, or quotes from notable personalities. To effectively address these philosophical topics, you should refer to Philosophy Books to gain a foundational understanding. Here is a list of UPSC Essay Topics on Philosophy :

• Everything comes to him, who hustles while he waits.
• We are always blind as we want to be.
• You cannot step twice in the same river.
• A disciplined mind brings happiness.
• The price of Greatness is Responsibility.
• People would rather Believe than Know.
• Mind - A beautiful Servant? Or a dangerous Master?

UPSC Essay Topics on Art and Culture

The UPSC Essay Topics related to Indian society, art, and culture cover a wide range of subjects, offering great diversity. To gain knowledge about the static content on these topics, you should rely on fundamental books on society, as recommended for the exam. Here is a list of UPSC Essay Topics on Indian Art and Culture :

• Culture changes with economic development.
• Culture is what we are, Civilization is what we have.
• Social reform is a myth if places of worship are open only to all castes and not to all genders.
• Impact of Globalization on Indian Art and Culture.
• Caste System - India’s Enduring Curse.
• Godmen - A Threat to Indian Art and Culture?

UPSC Essay Topics on Science and Technology

UPSC essay topics on Science and Technology can largely be addressed through current affairs. You may also benefit from consulting a Science and Technology Book for UPSC to compose a comprehensive and well-rounded essay. Here are some UPSC Essay Topics on Science and Technology:

• Deglobalisation is good for the world.
• Science is organised Knowledge. Wisdom is Organised life.
• Technology is a Weapon against Poverty.
• Prioritising Education Technology for Global Growth.
• Technology is the silent factor in International Relations.
• Scientific and Technological Progress cannot be equated with Human Progress.

UPSC Essay Topics on Education

Education stands as one of the preferred UPSC Essay Topics, with an essay related to this subject often appearing in the paper each year. To tackle this topic effectively, you should stay abreast of Current Affairs , incorporating significant changes and advancements in the field. Let's explore some of the Essay topics for UPSC centred around education:

• Self Education is a lifelong curiosity.
• Education Breeds Peace.
• Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.
• Education must also train one for quick, resolute and effective thinking.
• Schooling is not Education.

UPSC Essay Topics on Polity and Governance

To comprehensively address Polity and Governance topics, you should acquire fundamental knowledge from Polity Books for UPSC and Current Affairs. These resources offer static information about relevant issues and their historical context, which proves valuable while writing UPSC Essay Topics on Polity. Here are some Essay Topics on Polity and Governance:

• The Role of Politics in Development.
• Should Youth in India Consider Politics as a Career?
• Art, Freedom and Creativity will change society faster than politics.
• The politics of Identity is the Politics of the Weak.
• People should not be afraid of their Government. The Government should be afraid of its people.
• Government Surveillance - Good or Bad?

UPSC Essay Topics on Economy

Essays concerning economic growth are frequently included in the Essay Paper. To tackle these topics effectively, you should refer to Economy Notes for UPSC to gain a comprehensive understanding. Once the fundamentals are grasped, you can enhance their essays by incorporating examples, data, and statistics to create a multidimensional perspective. Here is a list of UPSC Essay Topics on Economy:

• We don't have to sacrifice a Strong Economy for a Healthy Environment.
• India, a $5 trillion Economy - Dream or Reality?
• Digital Economy: A leveller or a source of Economic Inequality?
• Innovation is the key determinant of social welfare and economic growth.
• Labour Reforms in India and its Role in Economic Growth.

UPSC Essay Topics on Social Issues

Social issues are a significant aspect of the UPSC essay paper, reflecting the candidates' understanding of societal challenges and their ability to propose viable solutions. These essays provide a platform for candidates to analyse, critique, and suggest measures for pressing social concerns. Topics related to social issues in the UPSC Essay paper may include:

• Inclusivity and Plurality are the hallmarks of a Peaceful Society.
• A Gender-sensitive Indian Society is a prerequisite for Women and Child Empowerment.
• The weaker sections of Indian Society - are their Rights and Access to Justice getting Better?

Previous Year UPSC Essay Topics

Practising previous year's essay topics will help you become familiar with the UPSC exam pattern , word limit, and the types of essay questions frequently asked in the Mains Examination. Analysing past essay topics will also allow you to identify recurring themes and trends, enabling you to prioritise their preparation accordingly. Regular practice with past essay topics will instil confidence in you, helping you feel more comfortable and prepared for the actual exam.

• Forests are the best case studies for economic excellence.
• Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.
• History is a series of victories won by the scientific man over the romantic man.
• A ship in the harbour is safe, but that is not what a ship is for.
• The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.
• A smile is the chosen vehicle for all ambiguities.
• Just because you have a choice, it does not mean that any of them has to be right.

Tips to Excel in UPSC Essay Paper

• Understand the Topics: Thoroughly comprehend the essay topics, including the keywords and instructions. Choose a topic that aligns with your strengths and interests.
• Plan and Structure: Devote some time to plan your essay. Create an outline and organise your thoughts in a structured manner, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.
• Be Objective: Present balanced arguments and avoid a biased or one-sided approach. Consider multiple perspectives and present a holistic view.
• Provide Examples and Evidence: Support your arguments with relevant examples, data, quotes and evidence to strengthen your essay.
• Maintain Clarity: Write in a clear and concise manner. Use simple language and avoid jargon or overly complex vocabulary.
• Practice Regularly: Regular practice is essential to improve Essay writing skills. Write essays on diverse topics to enhance your versatility.
• Time Management: Allocate appropriate time for planning, writing, and revising each essay to manage time effectively during the examination.
• Revise and Edit: Review your essays for coherence, grammar, and structure. Make necessary edits to refine your work.

FAQs on UPSC Essay Topics

What are the important UPSC Essay Topics?

Here is a list of UPSC Essay Topics asked in Mains Examination previously:

• Culture is what we are, civilization is what we have.
• Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
• What is research but a blind date with knowledge?
• Best for an individual is not necessarily best for society.
• Wisdom finds truth.
• Ships don’t sink because of water around them, ships sink because of water that gets into them.
• Patriarchy is the least noticed yet the most significant structure of social inequality.
• Technology as the silent factor in international relations.

How do I Prepare for the UPSC Essay?

To prepare for the UPSC essay, focus on understanding the essay syllabus and past topics to identify recurring themes. Regularly practise writing essays on various topics to improve your writing skills and time management. Structure your essays with a clear introduction, main body, and conclusion.

Which is the best source to practise UPSC Essay Topics?

The best sources to prepare Essay for UPSC include official UPSC materials, newspapers, and magazines like The Hindu, Yojana , and Kurukshetra for current affairs, standard books on diverse subjects, government reports and publications, online platforms like PIB and PRS India, UPSC previous year papers for understanding the exam pattern, and regular practice of essay writing on various topics.

© 2024 Vajiram & Ravi. All rights reserved

Free Materials 4 You

Your dream doesn’t have an expiration date.

Space Available

UPSC ESSAY QUOTES COMPILATION PDF – BY IAS NETWORK

Warm Welcome to the world of Free Resources where everything is available for you in just a click and we are also a part of it by providing you Materials for UPSC/IAS Preparation . Here we are sharing with you.

Also, we are giving you an opportunity to be a part of it by providing us the materials so that we can use it as Free Resources on our website. These resources will be reachable to everyone who wants to learn and prepare for UPSC/IAS . Please forward us at [email protected] . We will remove all the tracing items and We Respect Your Privacy.

Please Disable Adblocker if You are using any

Join us on telegram for Updates – Click Here

If you want to share your study material with others send me at

[email protected]

All Materials available/provided here is for Education Purpose Only. Use It for building your knowledge and don’t make them commercial. We request you to respect our Hard Work. We UPSC IAS Material are providing Everything Free Here. We will not charge anything for any service here.

We does not own this/any book, neither created nor scanned. We are only providing the link that already available on Internet. If Any Way it violates the law or has any issue  then kindly contact us at [email protected] . Thanks

Related Posts

Vision ias disaster management class notes 2023 in english pdf, vision ias world history class notes 2023 in english pdf, vision ias art & culture class notes 2023 [english] pdf, leave a reply cancel reply.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

UPSC Essay Quotes PDF

Revise Entire Year Current Affairs in a Week

Like Us on FB Join Telegram Channel Follow Us on Twitter Join Us On Telegram Share Your Materials at [email protected] Share this post to the needy aspirants

• UPSC Essay Quotes PDF     Click to Download

For Mains Tests Click Here

Free upsc premium channel, revise yearly current affairs, summaries of vision ias tests, buy books for offer, related posts:.

• UPSC Mains 2018 Essay Question Paper [Held on 28 September 2018]
• UPSC Mains 2020 Essay Question Paper PDF
• UPSC Civil Services Mains 2021 Essay Question Paper PDF Download
• UPSC Civil Services Mains 2022 Essay Question Paper PDF
• UPSC Mains 2019 Essay Question Paper [Held on 20 September 2019]
• UPSC Mains Essay Previous Year Questions Compilations PDF [2013-19]
• Vision IAS Essay Latest Value Added Materials PDF
• Vision IAS Essay Latest Updated Complete Materials PDF

Vision IAS Prelims 2020 Test 18 With Solutions [Hindi Medium]

March 14, 2020

Dusti IAS Prelims 2020 Test 2 PDF

February 5, 2020

Receive the latest articles in your inbox

Email Address

Subscribe Now

Disclaimer:-

freeupscmaterials.org does not own this Materials, Test Series or anything we share, neither created nor scanned. we just providing the links already available on Internet. and also we doesn't Own any trademarks or copyrights of any institute like Vision IAS, Vajiram and Ravi, Gs Score, Insight IAS, IAS Baba, Forum IAS, Shankar IAS and others which we share are purely for Education purpose only and all copyrights and Trademarks lies with the respective Institutes/Comapanies only . We don't intend to either harm or encash your hard work, if any way you feel that our content violates any Copyrights or any privacy laws or if you have any issue, please let us know at [email protected] and we will definitely try to provide possible solution for the same. Thank you.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Anecdotes, Facts, Examples for GS and Essay

|   2 year(s) ago

This thread is meant to be a repository of interesting anecdotes/news articles/facts/examples/case studies which we can use in our essay and GS papers. In my experience, listing these things down somewhere is not enough to ensure that we are able to use them in the exam. Therefore let us discuss and debate so that we can internalize them.

• Most useful

100 comments

sbhati   .  

commented 2 year(s) ago

sjerngal   .  

nerdfighter   .  

I really love the opening sentences of Nivedita Menon's book 'Seeing like a Feminist'. You can steal it, with some modification, to begin some essay on Gender, Women, Caste Oppression, etc.

sbhati said I will start. As per SIPRI, world spent $2 trillion on military in 2020. Jeffery Sachs estimates that we need around $3.5 trillion spread over 20 years to eliminate global poverty. So if we are able to cut down our military expenditures for few years we will have enough money to deal with problems such as poverty and climate change. A lesson for ethics in international relations?

The thing you wrote about writing & posting the stuff is not enough is so so true. We shall try to discuss when we get off time. I had made some good compilation on various book about poverty including Jeffery Sachs ka books. I'll try pen the crux of it down when I get some time. 

Some fodder for Essays (Social Media & Democracy)

sbhati said @nerdfighter  I think "stop, think and apply"  should be motto. The best thing would be if we are able to use such things in the next test or the practice answers we write. But I am myself struggling with this. I have read so much interesting stuff during the course of my preparation, but none of it reflects in my answers. 

Exactly. I actually read shit tonnes of books in college, more than I care to admit. But I did not have any recollection mechanism then. 

Walter Lippman's Book 'Public Opinion'

For Lippman, the world was too complex for an ordinary individual to comprehend. In order to make sense of it, people carried a mental image of the world inside their heads. These pictures were what drove groups or individuals to act in society in the name of Public Opinion.

A strong democracy, therefore, needs institutions and media that help in creating the most accurate interpretations of the world in the minds of the people.

But this isn’t easy. Lippman was worried democracy relied on something so irrational as a public opinion that takes shape in the minds of poorly informed and easily manipulated people. For Lippman, policymakers and experts should use narratives for ‘manufacture of consent’ among people which enables public opinion to be channelled in a manner that’s consistent with what’s good for society. Lippman believed persuasion and the knowledge of how to create consent through ‘propaganda’ will change politics in the age of mass media. Walter Lippmann’s Public Opinion, published in 1922, is one of the most persuasive critique of democracy. Shortly after it was published, John Dewey, the great defender of democracy and the most important American philosopher of the era, called Lippmann’s book “the most effective indictment of democracy as currently conceived.”

(I'll edit this post as I get more time. This isn't very clear. Just copy pasted it from my notes for now)

Further Readings:

https://www.vox.com/2018/8/9/17540448/walter-lippmann-democracy-trump-brexit

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1919/11/the-basic-problem-of-democracy/569095/

chamomile   .  

This thread has become my favourite already! Sometimes it simply astonishes me that there are so many people around who have such depth of interest and knowledge in issues and topics. 

Keep sharing guys! If not for mains, these snippets in themselves are much more enlightening in general. 

DM   .  

Narrow Corridor by Acemoglu & Robinson

sbhati said @nerdfighter  Is the "narrow corridor" meant to be the ideal state of things? (have not seen the video. it is too long :P)

Yes. And I will try to write down the summary soon. 

iOTA   .  

Patootie   .  

Patootie said For philosophical essays, I’ve found this YouTube channel “Academy of Ideas” pretty great. Scored 141 in essay last time, and a large part of one of the essays was influenced by this channel. 

More insights on what makes a good essay?

nerdfighter said » show previous quotes Patootie said For philosophical essays, I’ve found this YouTube channel “Academy of Ideas” pretty great. Scored 141 in essay last time, and a large part of one of the essays was influenced by this channel. 

Hi, I think scores may have been different if someone else valued it; so, some of the following , if not all, might be useless. I scored very poorly in all my essay mocks last time, but got decent feedback on forum. 

My learnings are as follows:

1. Adopting an argumentative method of writing the essay, as opposed to a method where you simply elaborate on the given topic may pay rich dividends. For instance, if I got a topic “There can be no social justice without economic prosperity but economic prosperity without social justice is meaningless”, I would broadly engage with the following ideas: a) Can there be social justice without economic prosperity; b) Is economic prosperity a precondition for social justice; c) Is economic prosperity without social justice meaningless or can economic prosperity be a gateway to greater social justice? Rather than adopting an approach where I would simply elaborate on the given topic by touching upon different topics, I adopted a style where I wasn’t afraid of going against the topic if I had cogent reasons to do so. Then of course, where it was apt, I did add in quotes, but only if I could connect it directly with the point I was making. For example, in the above topic, I remember using “The opposite of poverty is not wealth. The opposite of poverty is justice.” 

2. Presenting ideas and arguments, and having a logical flow to them rather than jumping around different dimensions of the same topic helps. 

3. Staying authentic. I felt presenting ideas that are internalised adds more value than giving a great number of facts or examples or quotes. 

4. A run of the mill essay can be boring. An essay which is a bit off beat can be high risk, but highly rewarding. Striking a conversation with the examiner helps, because majority of aspirants fail to do this. 

5. Pick a topic which you can connect with. Popular advice is to avoid philosophical essays as much as you can. I felt comfortable with them because they are open to interpretation. I wrote on the essay “Mindful manifesto is the catalyst to a tranquil self.” That topic, at least to my interpretation, struck I chord with where I was at that point in my life. So, I felt I could present my ideas well. 

6. Spending way too much time brainstorming can be counterproductive. Having a broad idea of the arguments you would engage with, and a reasonable idea about the specific points that you can quote on the way might be enough. If I spend too much time brainstorming, I overcomplicate. I think writing an essay gives you ideas along the way. Do use them because they might be your best ones. However, be careful not to deviate from the topic. 

7. What gets valued is your thought process, not your knowledge. 

Hide user comments from public user

Hello there!

Please keep the community clean. No Promo Links, Telegram Groups, Marketing, Personal Attacks or Name Calling! Accounts will be suspended for violation.

Invite People

Search User:

Get access to your account, channels, group, events...etc

Help us understand the problem. What is going on with this post?

Account status

Your account is temporarily banned. Currently we are reviewing your account.

We will activate your account once we will done with review process.

Call us @ 08069405205

Search Here

• An Introduction to the CSE Exam
• Personality Test
• Annual Calendar by UPSC-2024
• Common Myths about the Exam
• About Insights IAS
• Our Mission, Vision & Values
• Director's Desk
• Meet Our Team
• Our Branches
• Careers at Insights IAS
• Daily Current Affairs+PIB Summary
• Insights into Editorials
• Insta Revision Modules for Prelims
• Current Affairs Quiz
• Static Quiz
• Current Affairs RTM
• Insta-DART(CSAT)
• Insta 75 Days Revision Tests for Prelims 2024
• Secure (Mains Answer writing)
• Secure Synopsis
• Ethics Case Studies
• Insta Ethics
• Weekly Essay Challenge
• Insta Revision Modules-Mains
• Insta 75 Days Revision Tests for Mains
• Secure (Archive)
• Anthropology
• Law Optional
• Kannada Literature
• Public Administration
• English Literature
• Medical Science
• Mathematics
• Commerce & Accountancy
• Monthly Magazine: CURRENT AFFAIRS 30
• Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
• InstaMaps: Important Places in News
• Weekly CA Magazine
• The PRIME Magazine
• Insta Revision Modules-Prelims
• Insta-DART(CSAT) Quiz
• Insta 75 days Revision Tests for Prelims 2022
• Insights SECURE(Mains Answer Writing)
• Interview Transcripts
• Previous Years' Question Papers-Prelims
• Answer Keys for Prelims PYQs
• Solve Prelims PYQs
• Previous Years' Question Papers-Mains
• UPSC CSE Syllabus
• Toppers from Insights IAS
• Testimonials
• Felicitation
• UPSC Results
• Indian Heritage & Culture
• Ancient Indian History
• Medieval Indian History
• Modern Indian History
• World History
• World Geography
• Indian Geography
• Indian Society
• Social Justice
• International Relations
• Agriculture
• Environment & Ecology
• Disaster Management
• Science & Technology
• Security Issues
• Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude

• Indian Heritage & Culture
• Enivornment & Ecology

QUOTES YOU CAN USE IN UPSC MAINS 2022 for Foreign Policy & important things to remember for the Exam!

Here are a few quotes that you can use in the #UPSC Mains exam for #ForeignPolicy especially as introductions and conclusions.

1. “India’s multi-faith society is also an enormous contribution to global stability. In fact, that is what acts as a firewall preventing the spread of fundamentalism and radicalism from India’s West to its East.” S. Jaishankar

2.”If America is a melting-pot,then India is a thali,a selection of sumptuous dishes in different bowls.Each tastes different & doesn’t necessarily mix with the next,but they belong together on the same plate,& they complement each other in making the meal a satisfying repast.” – Shashi Tharoor

3. “Asia is being shaped largely by the outlook of the US, the power of China, the weight of Russia, the collectivism of ASEAN, the volatility of the Middle East and the rise of India.” S. Jaishankar

4. “South Asia is clearly among the least integrated regions of the world and being located at the centre of the Indian Ocean, its dysfunctionality affects that larger space directly.” S. Jaishankar

5 “While it can be asserted with some confidence that a combination of economics, technology and demographics will draw India and the West closer, the real difference would be made by politics and values. For it to succeed in good measure, India and the West must fit into each other’s scheme of the world.” S. Jaishankar

6. “India’s world view is consultative, democratic and equitable, but must find clearer expression.” S. Jaishankar

7. “The ethos of the Indian Ocean is a consultative one and in the long run, it is the people-centric initiatives and projects that are likely to be more sustainable.”

S. Jaishankar

8. “The life of most people on earth is better than it ever has been in history, and yet the sense of uncertainty, dissatisfaction, and anger has never seemed higher. By historical standards, the world today is much less inequitable, unfair, capriciously oppressive, murderous, and imperial than before. Paradoxically, deep racial, cultural, & ethnic panics are evident in all societies, including the most advanced. The tension & the dynamic continue between cosmopolitanism versus nostalgic reaction, between regimentation versus an open society.” Shivshankar M

9. “Asia is now physically tied together by infrastructure, trade, and investment. Globalisation means that the prosperity of east Asia depends and can be threatened by what happens in west Asia.”

Shivshankar Menon

10. “After all, Atmanirbhar Bharat does coexist with Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is a family).” S. Jaishankar

Here are a few things to remember if you are writing the #UPSC Mains 2022 tomorrow or in the future.

READ THE QUESTION(a few times!)

When we’re stressed, we tend to miss the finer details while reading. Keep calm & read the question and its sub-parts a few times(even while writing).

READ. UNDERSTAND. WRITE.

Don’t regret that you lost marks coz you didn’t read properly!

• BE AWARE OF THE TIME :

Remember to keep track of time. Carry a wrist watch. In Essays – keep a few minutes to brainstorm & only then start writing. It’s a race against time. There have been several talented individuals who haven’t cleared only coz they couldn’t complete!

•NO TIME FOR REGRETS:

Didn’t know a question? MOVE ON. Didn’t do well in ONE paper? MOVE ON. Remember there are several questions to make up for not knowing 1 or 2 questions & several papers to compete in.

MOVE FORWARD. NO TIME TO REGRET. BE TOUGH.

• USE YOUR COMMON SENSE :

Nobody knows everything- remember that. If there are questions that look puzzling, SMILE & USE YOUR PRESENCE OF MIND! Remember that you possess a lot of knowledge. Utilise it to write something sensible quickly.

Do not panic. Do not get STUCK.

• GIVE IT YOUR BEST:

Getting a chance to write the #UPSC Mains exam is a golden opportunity! You were one amongst the few thousands who qualified out of lakhs of aspirants.

Utilise this opportunity! Forget the rest, give it your best every single day in every paper.

• KEEP CALM :

Do not get overwhelmed by the exam. Be in complete control of your thoughts, emotions and responses. Do not fear it. If you don’t know something, move forward. Do not panic!

DO NOT DISCUSS YOUR PERFORMANCE with anyone. Don’t judge yourself either, not yet.

•ENJOY THIS OPPORTUNITY:

Enjoy the wonderful chance that you have been given. You have worked super hard to get this far. You have waited for several months/years! Enjoy every moment. It tests your physical & mental strength equally. Be tough.

Enjoy the process.

Team Insights IAS wishes every #UPSC aspirant writing the #UPSCMains Exam 2022 the very best of luck & good health!

#AceTheMains & be proud of yourself! You have come this far. Believe in yourself- you’ve got this!

UPSC CSE MAINS 2022: Content for Mains Enrichment

Watch the below Videos if you are writing UPSC CSE 2022 Mains Exam

• Follow us on our Official  TELEGRAM  Channel  HERE
• Subscribe to Our Official YouTube Channel   HERE
• Our Official Facebook Page  HERE
• Follow us on Twitter HERE
• Follow our  Instagram ID   HERE
• Subscribe to Our Podcast Channel   HERE

• Our Mission, Vision & Values
• Director’s Desk
• Commerce & Accountancy
• Previous Years’ Question Papers-Prelims
• Previous Years’ Question Papers-Mains
• Environment & Ecology
• Science & Technology

UPSC 2023 topper Aditya Srivastava's mock essay copy goes viral, netizens react

T he UPSC 2023 results were recently announced, with Lucknow's Aditya Srivastava emerging as the IAS topper. As aspirants gear up for UPSC prelims 2024, many are eager to learn from the strategies of Aditya and other toppers. Aditya's essay mock test copy has gone viral, sparking various reactions from netizens. Some are questioning the relevance of the essay in UPSC CSE.

The essay, which begins with a reference to Oppenheimer's idea of the Manhattan Project, discusses the balance between logic and emotion--"A mind all logic is like a knife all blade, it makes the hand bleed that uses it."

However, it has not been confirmed if this essay was written by Aditya Srivastava. It was shared by a UPSC preparation handle on X.

Netizens are giving the viral essay a mixed response. Some like the reference, while some are unhappy with the curation: 

"Not at all impressed," a user commented.

"Salute to perfection," another user posted on X.

"Kids, the only thing matters is a good handwriting," another comment reads.

"It's a bizarre topic and equally bizarre response. Most unexpected.," another user posted on X.

What caused Dubai floods? Experts cite climate change, not cloud seeding

• Medium Text

DID CLOUD SEEDING CAUSE THE STORM?

CAN'T CREATE CLOUDS FROM NOTHING

Sign up here.

Reporting by Alexander Cornwell; editing by Maha El Dahan and Alexandra Hudson

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. New Tab , opens new tab

Canada's Aamjiwnaang First Nation declared a state of emergency due to the excessive release of harmful chemicals from INEOS Styrolution's plastic manufacturing plant, the Indigenous group said.

The French industry minister Roland Lescure on Friday launched a call for interest for carbon capture at various sites to help carbon-intense industries abate emissions.

World Chevron

Solomon Islands opposition parties combine in race to form government

The two major opposition parties in the Solomon Islands struck a coalition deal on Saturday as they vie with former Prime Minister Manesseh Sogavare's party to form a government after an election delivered no clear winner.

Iran’s foreign minister said the crew of a seized Portuguese-flagged ship linked to Israel have been granted consular access and are expected to be freed, Iranian media reported on Saturday.

Four expatriate workers were killed in a drone attack targeting the Khor Mor gas field in Iraq's Kurdistan region on Friday, an advisor to the Iraqi Kurdish prime minister told Reuters.