Section A: Literature and Culture, Social Sphere, Political Sphere

What the official syllabus says

Main Examination, Essay:

There will be three sections in the question paper of Essay. Candidates will have to select one topic from each section and they are required to write essay in 700 words on each topic. In the three sections, topics of essay will be based on following sphere:

Section A:

• Literature and Culture.
• Social sphere.
• Political sphere.

One essay of 700 words is written on a topic chosen from Section A, alongside one from each of the other two sections.

Topics in detail

The themes below are the academy's guide to the ground each sphere covers. They are not the Commission's list, and topics in the paper may be worded quite differently.

Literature and culture

• The role of literature in society: mirror of its age, voice of protest, carrier of values
• Literature and the freedom movement; literature and social reform
• Language and identity; the place of Hindi and the mother tongue; translation and the meeting of cultures
• India's composite culture and unity in diversity
• Folk traditions, festivals, fairs and performing arts, including those of Uttar Pradesh
• Heritage: monuments, museums, conservation and cultural tourism
• Culture in the age of the internet, cinema and social media
• Tradition and modernity; the influence of globalisation on culture
• Reading habits, libraries and the future of the book

Social sphere

• Status of women: education, safety, work, political participation
• Children and youth: education, health, employment, aspirations
• Family and its changing forms; the elderly
• Caste, social justice and inclusion; persons with disabilities
• Education: access, quality, skills and values
• Health: public health, nutrition, mental health
• Urbanisation, migration and rural life
• Poverty, inequality and dignity of labour
• Social evils and their reform: dowry, child marriage, addiction, superstition
• Communal harmony, tolerance and secularism

Political sphere

• Democracy: its strengths, challenges and the role of the citizen
• Elections, political parties and the representation of people
• Federalism and Centre-State relations; local self-government and panchayats
• Rights and duties; the Constitution as a living document
• Good governance, transparency, accountability and corruption
• The civil services and public service values
• The judiciary, rule of law and access to justice
• Media as the fourth pillar; freedom of expression and its limits
• India's place in the world; nationalism and internationalism

Building an essay in this section

• A topic in this section may be abstract or reflective. Define the key terms of the topic first, then explore them from several angles.
• Support ideas with examples from Indian history, literature, the Constitution and public life, and from Uttar Pradesh where they fit.
• Keep a balance: acknowledge achievements and problems, and end with a constructive way forward.

Overlaps

• Culture, society and social issues: General Studies I and General Studies V.
• Polity and governance: General Studies II and General Studies V.
• Values and ethics: General Studies IV.