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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).
  • IAS Preparation
  • UPSC Preparation Strategy
  • Tips For Writing Quotes For UPSC Mains

Tips for Writing Quotes for UPSC Civil Services Mains

Tips for writing quotes for UPSC civil services mains

It is a part of a UPSC civil services aspirant’s armour to learn quotations to sprinkle in his/her answers, particularly in the essay, ethics and also the general studies papers. Quotes apart from being beautiful in its form offer depth and sometimes humour too. Many greats of the past and present have said some amazing words from which we can get inspiration and also embellish our own answers in the IAS exams. But before mugging up a hundred quotes to write in the IAS exam , learn the do’s and don’ts of using quotes in your answers.

  • Don’t pepper your answers unnecessarily with random quotes. Relying too much on other people’s words show a paucity of ideas in the writer.
  • Don’t change the words of a quotation. If you don’t remember the exact words, don’t write the quote. It would be factually wrong.
  • Don’t attribute a quote to the wrong person. It indicates stupidity if not anything else.
  • Don’t give irrelevant quotes. Just because you think a quote is beautiful and you know it doesn’t mean you have to use it. It should be applicable to your answer and the topic.
  • Avoid politically charged or controversial quotes by active politicians. It could show bias, unless the statement is neutral and general.
  • Generally, UPSC tends to like quotes by Gandhi, Nehru, Marx, Max Weber, Emile Durkheim, etc.

Aspirants would find this topic very helpful in framing their preparation strategy for IAS Exam .

Topic wise quotes for UPSC

Given below is a list of useful quotes that you can use in your UPSC exams.

Democracy is the road to socialism. – Karl Marx

Democracy is when the indigent, and not the men of property, are the rulers. – Aristotle

Democracy is a faith in the spiritual possibilities of not a privileged few but of every human being. – Dr. S Radhakrishnan

Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard. – H .L .Mencken

The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter. – Winston Churchill

The rights of democracy are not reserved for a select group within society, they are the rights of all the people. –  Olof Palme

Advertising is the very essence of democracy. – Anton Chekhov

(Racism) is not about how you look, it’s about how people assign meaning to how you look. – Robin Kelley

I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved. – Ambedkar

The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. – Karl Marx

Revolutions are the locomotives of history – Karl Marx

From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs. – Karl Marx

History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as a farce. – Karl Marx

Without tradition, art is a flock of sheep without a shepherd. Without innovation, it is a corpse. – Winston Churchill.

Fighting corruption is not just good governance. It’s self-defence. It’s patriotism. – Joe Biden

Democracy, good governance and modernity cannot be imported or imposed from outside a country. – Émile Jamil Lahoud

A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. – George Bernard Shaw

Environment

We won’t have a society if we destroy the environment. – Margaret Mead

We don’t have to sacrifice a strong economy for a healthy environment. – Dennis Weaver

Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife are in fact plans to protect man. – Stewart Udall

Candidates should go through the links provided below to do preparation for UPSC exam even better-

Online Quiz 2022

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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

anudeep durishetty

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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IAS Gyan

IMPORTANT QUOTES FOR UPSC CIVIL SERVICES ETHICS PAPER

quotation for essay upsc

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

― Nelson Mandela

“By education I mean an all-round drawing out of the best in child and man-body, mind and spirit. Literacy is not the end of education or even the beginning.”

– M. K. Gandhi

“Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.”

- Confucius

“The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence.”

– Rabindranath Tagore

“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of minds to think.”

–Albert Einstein

“Education is the transmission of civilization.”

 –Will Durant

“Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a cleverer devil.”

―  C.S. Lewis

“What is really needed to make democracy function is not knowledge of facts, but right education.”

“Basic education links the children, whether of the cities or the villages, to all that is best and lasting in India.”

“If we want to reach real peace in this world, we should start educating children.”

“There is only one purpose in the whole of life — education. Otherwise what is the use of men and women, land and wealth?”

– Swami Vivekananda

“Educate and raise the masses, and thus alone a nation is possible.”

"We want the education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded, and by which one can stand on one's own feet"

— Swami Vivekananda

“Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man.”

“To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society.”

-Theodore Roosevelt

Gender Equality

quotation for essay upsc

“How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!”

― Maya Angelou

" A gender-equal society would be one where the word 'gender' does not exist: where everyone can be themselves."

— Gloria Steinem

“ Achieving gender equality requires the engagement of women and men, girls and boys. It is everyone’s responsibility.”

— Ban Ki-moon

“Gender equality is more than a goal in itself. It is a precondition for meeting the challenge of reducing poverty, promoting sustainable development and building good governance.”

— Kofi Annan

“Freedom cannot be achieved unless women have been emancipated from all kinds of oppression.”

— Nelson Mandela

“No country can every truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contribution of half its citizens.”

― Michelle Obama

“I raise my voice not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard. We cannot succeed when half of us are held back.”

― Malala Yousafzai

“We’ve begun to raise daughters more like sons… but few have the courage to raise our sons more like our daughters.”

― Gloria Steinem

quotation for essay upsc

“The Day a Woman Can Walk freely on the Roads, That Day we Can Say that India Achieved Independence.”

“ You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation.”

–Brigham Young

"The measure of any society is how it treats its women and girls"

— Michelle Obama

"To educate girls is to reduce poverty"

"Women's liberation is the liberation of the feminine in the man and the masculine in the woman.”

— Corita Kent

"I do not wish women to have power over men; but over themselves."

— Mary Shelley

"I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved."

— B. R. Ambedkar

“I believe the rights of women and girls are the unfinished business of the 21st Century.

— Hillary Clinton

“In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders.”

- Sheryl Sandberg

“Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the world.”

- Hillary Clinton

Tolerance and Peace

quotation for essay upsc

“The day the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace.”

―  MK Gandhi

“In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher.”

–Dalai Lama

“The highest result of education is tolerance.”

–Helen Keller

“Anger and intolerance are the twin enemies of correct understanding.”

–Mahatma Gandhi

“Through the centuries, the history of peoples is but a lesson in mutual tolerance.”

–Emile Zola

“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”

–Martin Luther King, Jr.

If civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationships - the ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to live together, in the same world at peace.

—  Franklin Roosevelt

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“Everything changes but change itself.”

- John F. Kennedy

“Impermanence is the law of the universe.”

- Carlene Hatcher Polite

“Where the old tracks are lost, new country is revealed with its wonders.”

- Rabindranath Tagore

“Only in growth, reform, and change, paradoxically enough, is true security to be found.”

- Anne Morrow Lindbergh

“Change is inevitable in a progressive society. Change is constant.”

- Benjamin Disraeli

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”

- George Bernard Shaw

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“The best way out is always through.”

― Robert Frost

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“I believe that virtually all the problems in the world come from inequality of one kind or another.”

- Amartya Sen

“Progress is more plausibly judged by the reduction of deprivation than by the further enrichment of the opulent. ”

“A nation will not survive morally or economically when so few have so much and so many have so little.”

-Bernie Sanders

“There can be no peace as long as there is grinding poverty, social injustice, inequality, oppression, environmental degradation, and as long as the weak and small continue to be trodden by the mighty and powerful.”

-Dalai Lama

“The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much it is whether we provide enough for those who have little.”

- Franklin D. Roosevelt

quotation for essay upsc

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.”

— Abraham Lincoln,

“Always do right. This will gratify some people, and astonish the rest.”

- Mark Twain

“The great hope of society is individual character.”

- William Ellery Channing

quotation for essay upsc

“Conscience is a man's compass.”

- Vincent van Gogh

“Never do anything against conscience even if the state demands it.”

- Albert Einstein

“There is no witness so terrible and no accuser so powerful as conscience which dwells within us.”

- Sophocles

quotation for essay upsc

“Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice.”

- Nelson Mandela

“Extreme poverty anywhere is a threat to human security everywhere.”

“Poverty is like punishment for a crime you didn’t commit.”

– Eli Khamarov

“Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime.”

– Aristotle

“We cannot afford to spend millions and millions over nuclear arms when there is poverty and unemployment all around us.”

– Lal Bahadur Shastri

“As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality exist in the world, none of us can truly exist.”

– Nelson Mandela

“A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.”

- Mahatma Gandhi  

“There's enough on this planet for everyone's needs but not for everyone's greed.”

- Mahatma Gandhi

“To a man with an empty stomach food is God”

  “Poverty is not an accident. Like slavery and apartheid, it is man-made and can be removed by the actions of human beings..”

Agriculture

“Agriculture was the first occupation of man, and as it embraces the whole earth, it is the foundation of all other industries.”

- E. W. Stewart

“No race can prosper till it learns there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem.”

- Booker T. Washington

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“Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.”

- Samuel Johnson

Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not.    

- Oprah Winfrey

“Courage combined with integrity is the foundation of character .”

- Brian Tracy

Environment

"The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it".

- Robert Swan

" What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and one another".

"What is the good of having a nice house without a decent planet to put it on?"

- Henry David Thoreau

“The environment is where we all meet; where we all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share.”

- Lady Bird Johnson

“The ultimate test of man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.”

— Gaylord Nelson

“The Earth is a fine place and worth fighting for.”

— Ernest Hemingway

Sustainable Development

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“Our ancestors did great work for humanity. What will we do for the next generations?”

- By Lailah Gifty Akita

“There is no ‘Plan B’ because we do not have a ‘Planet B.’ We have to work and galvanize our action.”

“There must be a better way to make the things we want, a way that doesn't spoil the sky, or the rain or the land.”

- Paul McCartney

“There are no passengers on spaceship earth. We are all crew.”

- Marshall McLuhan

“Because we don't think about future generations, they will never forget us.”

- Henrik Tikkanen

“Forests are the lungs of our land.”

Quotes by Gandhi

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  • You must be the change you wish to see in the world.
  • The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.
  • Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
  • Live as if you were to die tomorrow; learn as if you were to live forever.
  • First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.
  • You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.
  • The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.
  • Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.
  • A man is but the product of his thoughts; what he thinks, he becomes.
  • The future depends on what you do today.
  • The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems.
  • It’s my conviction that nothing enduring can be built on violence.
  • Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.
  • Nobody can hurt me without my permission.
  • I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.
  • The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.
  • Change yourself – you are in control.
  • Without action, you aren’t going anywhere.
  • A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave .

Quotes by Swami Vivekananda

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  • Arise,awake and donot stop until the goal is reached.
  • We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far.
  • Truth can be stated in a thousand different ways, yet each one can be true.
  • Superstition is our great enemy, but bigotry is worse. If superstition enters, the brain is gone .

Quotes by Tagore

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  • You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.
  • The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence.
  • Don't limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time.
  • Patriotism cannot be our final spiritual shelter; my refuge is humanity. I will not buy glass for the price of diamonds, and I will never allow patriotism to triumph over humanity as long as I live.
  • Discipline divorced from wisdom is not true discipline, but merely the meaningless following of custom, which is only a disguise for stupidity.

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Quotes by Martin Luther King

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  • " The time is always right to do what is right."
  • "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
  • "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
  • "I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."
  • "Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase."
  • "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
  • "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
  • "We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."
  • “A right delayed is a right denied.”

Quotes by Nelson Mandela

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  • “Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people.”
  • “A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we so passionately dreamt of.”
  • “One of the most difficult things is not to change society — but to change yourself.”
  • “To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
  • “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”
  • “A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.”
  • “While poverty persists, there is no true freedom.”
  • “Action without vision is only passing time, vision without action is merely day dreaming, but vision with action can change the world.”

Quotes by Abdul Kalam

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  • “If you want to shine like a sun, first burn like a sun.”
  • “Let us sacrifice our today so that our children can have a better tomorrow.”
  • “Thinking is the capital, an enterprise is a way, and hard work is the solution.”
  • “The purpose of education is to make good human beings with skill and expertise... Enlightened human beings can be created by teachers.”

quotation for essay upsc

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

Last updated on January 8, 2022 by Alex Andrews George

Essay Paper UPSC 2021 (Mains)

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.

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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”.

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!

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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

quotation for essay upsc

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.

quotation for essay upsc

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?

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UPSC ESSAY QUOTES COMPILATION PDF – BY IAS NETWORK

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Writing a good Essay in UPSC Mains, Explained by Anudeep Durishetty

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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.

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.

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 Essays:  

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

Read More at: https://anudeepdurishetty.in/ 

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Quotes for Essays

Quotes for Essays – UPSC/PCS exam- The following quotes could be used to enhance the content and the structure of the essays. 

Quotes on Caste system in India

  • The caste system is opposed to the religion of the Vedanta. Caste is a social custom, and all our great preachers have tried to break it down. – Swami Vivekananda.
  • Caste is not a physical object like a wall of bricks or a line of barbed wire which prevents the Hindus from co-mingling and which has, therefore, to be pulled down.  Caste is a notion; it is a state of the mind. – B. R. Ambedkar
  • “So long as you do not achieve social liberty, whatever freedom is provided by the law is of no avail to you.”- B.R. Ambedkar
  • “Untouchability shuts all doors of opportunities for betterment in life for Untouchables. It does not offer an Untouchable any opportunity to move freely in society; it compels him to live in dungeons and seclusion; it prevents him from educating himself and following a profession of his choice.”- B.R. Ambedkar

Quotes on Corruption

  • Corruption is like a ball of snow. Once it sets rolling, it must increase. – Charles Colton
  • Power corrupt and absolute power corrupts absalutely. – Lord Acton

3.”Power does not corrupt men; fools, however, if they get into a position of power, corrupt power.” – George Bernard Shaw

  • Power does not corrupt. Fear corrupts, perhaps the fear of a loss of power. – John Steinbeck
  • Fighting corruption is not just good governance. It’s self-defense. It’s patriotism. – Joe Biden

Quotes on Democracy

  • Democracy is the rule of the people, by the people and for the people. – Abraham Lincoln
  • Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time. – Winston Churchill
  • Without debate, without criticism no administration and no country can succeed and no republic can survive. – J F Kennedy
  • Democracy is not merely a form of Government. It is primarily a mode of associated fiving, of conjoint communicated experience. It is essentially an attitude of respect and reverence towards our fellow men. – B.R. Ambedkar

Quotes on Education

  • “If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in term of 100 years, teach the people” (importance of human capital)- Confucius
  • If your plan is for one year plant rice. If your plan is for ten years plant trees. If your plan is for one hundred years educate children.- Confucius
  • The pen is mightier than the sword – Edward Lytton
  • If the ability of fish is measured by its ability to climb a tree then fish would have lived its entire life thinking that it is stupid. – Albert Einstein
  • “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”- Aristotle .

Quotes on Environment

  • We never know the worth of water till the well is dry. – Thomas Fuller
  • We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.
  • There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew.- Marshall McLuhan
  • There is a sufficiency in the world for man’s need but not for man’s greed. – Gandhi
  • Not everything that can be counted is worth counting. Not everything that counts can be is countable. – Albert Einstein.
  • Sustainable development is the peace policy of the future – Klaus Topfer

Quotes on Media

  • “Whoever controls the media, controls the mind” – Jim Morrison
  • The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers. – Thomas Jefferson.
  • The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses. – Malcom

Quotes on Women

  • Women in India experience much worse suffering, humiliation and slavery in all spheres than even the untouchables. – Periyar E.V. Ramasamy
  • I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women, have achieved- B. R. Ambedkar
  • “In societies where men are truly confident of their own worth, women are not merely tolerated but valued.”- Aung San Suu Kyi
  • “If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.”- Margaret Thatcher
  • “I raise up my voice-not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard.we cannot succeed when half of us are held back.”- Malala Yousafzai
  • “I believe that the rights of women and girls is the unfinished business of the 21st century.”- Hillary Clinton
  • Gender equality is more than a goal in itself. It is a precondition for meeting the challenge of reducing poverty, promoting sustainable development and building good governance. – Kofi Annan

Quotes for essays on Poverty

  • Poverty is the worst form of violence – Mahatma Gandhi
  • There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.- Mahatma Gandhi
  • Best way to help poor is not to be one of them – Carnegie Mellon
  • Poverty or Arm race: Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed- Eisenhower
  • The law barks at all but bites only the poor, the powerless, the illiterate, the ignorant. Justice Krishina lyer
  • Give a bowl of rice to a man and you will feed him for a day. Teach him how to grow his own rice and you will save his life. – Confucius

Quotes for essays on Science & Technology

  • I don’t know in what weapons the world war three will be fought, but forth world war will be fought only through sticks and stones – Albert Einstein.
  • One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man. – Elbert Hubbard
  • The real danger is not that computers will begin to think like men, but that man will begin to think like computers- Sydney Harris
  • Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind- Albert Einstein
  • A little knowledge is dangerous. So is a lot. –Albert Einstein

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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.

Babasaheb AmbedkarSocial Justice, Human Rights, Rule of Law, Empathy and Compassion
JRD TataEthical Capitalism, Philanthropy, Professionalism
Mahatma GandhiProfessionalism, Integrity, Moral Courage, Humility, Leadership

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.

Ethics flow charts that can be used in UPSC Mains GS-4 Exam.

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.

UPSC Ethics GS-4 Diagram. Ethics paper Flow chart.

•  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.

UPSC Ethics GS-4 Diagram. Ethics paper Flow chart.

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

Ignore the accident and head to the interviewPunctuality will bemaintainedPersonalambition will be fulfilledMorally abdicating my duty to save lifeSelfish and against my consciencePoor example of an aspiring civil servant
Skip the interview and help the victimsMoral obligation towards my relatives will be metA good example to the societyHampers the years of hard work to be a civil servantFailing my and my family’s dreamUnbalanced decision making in response to multiple needs
Admit them to a nearby hospital and quickly try to reach the interview venueRescue the relativesRealise mycareer goalsClearconscience• Risk of missing the interview

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 ”

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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 🙂

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Glad to hear that. Thank you!

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क्या आपकी पुस्तक हिंदी में या फिर English में

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

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Sir meru guidance esthara

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Sir how you learn fluent english Please give reply sir

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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

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Anna nv super anna I am full inspired

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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…

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

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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.

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

' src=

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 ?

' src=

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..

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

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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….

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

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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

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

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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’ 🙂

' src=

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.

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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. 🙏😊

' src=

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.

' src=

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..

' src=

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

' src=

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. 😊

' src=

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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