This paper was reintroduced in the scheme of examination in 1993, it has played

a crucial role in determining the rank of the student. Most of the top rankers have
scored above 55% in this paper. Some candidates have also scored around 60%
which has helped them secure a position in the top ten ranks.
Correct choice of topic and the appropriate method of writing are important. It is
advisable to choose the factual topics which are non-controversial in nature.

Method of Writing:
After deciding the topic
1. Start brain stroming
2. Write down all the ideas that you about the topic.
3. Do not classify or systematise your points at this stage.
4. Put them on paper randomly as they flow in.
5. Later, arrange the ideas in a logical and sequential manner.
6. Having arrived at the sequence, start writing, giving due care to the
introduction, the body and finally the conclusion.
7. Ensure that you have enough time for revision.
8. Remember it is a General Essay Paper and you should not be highly technical.

Here are some help tools for tackling Essay in the UPSC exams, ranging from the
syllabus to reading list and other tips. These resources on Essay also includes
IAS Question Papers of Essay. We wish you to adopt the best strategy and
become successful. We try our best to provide as many resources for your
prepration as possible, but if you can add to this list please feel free to send us
links or matter.

 Mains Syllabus of Essay

 Question Papers of Essay
 Suggested Strategy for Essay
 Suggested Readings for Essay
 Essay Contest

Sample Essays

1. If Youth knew if Age could

2. The Game of Politics
3. Secularism in India

Essay Topics: May - 2010 (last date: May 31)

1. Global Warming: A Deadly Threat for Human Life

2. Effects on Children When Both Parents are Employed
3. Violence in Society
 4. The Internet: How it Works and How it Affects the World

Contest Essays for May - 2010

1. Global Warming: A Deadly Threat for Human Life - Pushpanjali Bagoria 

Contest Essays for April - 2010

1. Should gay marriage be allowed in India - Aditya Victory

2. Right To Education- Sangeeta S Godbole

3. Will Women’s Reservation Bill make any difference? - Sangeeta S Godbole 

4. Rights To Education -Deepak Kumar Ajmera 

5. Should gay marriage be allowed in India - Sharad Vashistha

6. Are Friends better than Relatives? - Shilpi Mittal

7. Will Women’s Reservation Bill make any difference? - Rohit Jain

8. Will Women’s Reservation Bill make any difference? - Sangeeta S Godbole

9. Rights To Education - Abhishek Jha

Contest Essays for March - 2010

1. Will the relationship between india and pakistan will ever improve? - Akshay
Garg 

2. Union budget 2010 – is the fuel price rise is the budget concern? - Rishabh
Singh 

3. Will the relationship between india and pakistan will ever improve? - Rachel 

4. Will the relationship between india and pakistan will ever improve? - Vikas
Kumar Ronzia 

5. Should Sachin Tendulkar given Bharat Ratna Award ? - Priya Juneja

Contest Essays for February - 2010

1. The Padma Awards - are they any good? - Pankaj Kumar Sinha

2. The Padma Awards - are they any good? - Chaithanya Vardelly

3. The Padma Awards - are they any good? - Shubham Jain

4. The Padma Awards - are they any good? - Maitreyee Roy

 5. The Padma Awards - are they any good? - Hindu Balakrishnan

Contest Essays for January - 2010

1. Are we becoming less human and more robotic? - Rohan Patil

2. 2009 A Year that showcased India’s Economic Strength - Ch.Naga

Chaitanya

3. Are we becoming less human and more robotic? - Pankaj Kumar Sinha

4. Why are pilots not trained to land in foggy conditions, even though Delhi
airport has the required lights and equipment? - Aishwarya Kasinathan

Contest Essays for December - 2009

1. Are we becoming less human and more robotic? - Manoj Kumar Srirangam

2. Are we becoming less human and more robotic? - Preethi Kamesh

3. Are we becoming less human and more robotic? - Steffi Sam

4. Are we becoming less human and more robotic? - Rohan Patil

5. 2009 A Year that showcased India’s Economic Strength - Ch.Naga

Chaitanya

6. Are we becoming less human and more robotic? - Pankaj Kumar Sinha

7. Why are pilots not trained to land in foggy conditions, even though Delhi
airport has the required lights and equipment? - Aishwarya Kasinathan

Contest Essays for November - 2009

1. Women In Indian Politics - Jagdeep S More

2. Women In Indian Politics - Archana Parashar

3. Women In Indian Politics - Vipul Pandey

4. Women In Indian Politics - Sowmiya. R

5. India And The Emerging Non-Proliferation Order - Nikhil N

Contest Essays for October - 2009

1. 50 Years of Indian Television - Karthik H M

2. 50 Years of Indian Television - Jagdeep S More 

 3. 50 Years of Indian Television - Nisha Daniel 

4. 50 Years of Indian Television - Manik Saikia 

5. Public Libraries as a Foundation of Knowledge Economy - Nisha Daniel

6. Public Libraries as a Foundation of Knowledge Economy - Jayalaxmi Reddy

7. Reservations Are only a Part of Affirmative Action - Prathibha Amand 

Contest Essays for September - 2009

1. Should Class X Exams Become Optional? - Jagdeep S More 

2. Should Class X Exams Become Optional? - Lakshmi.J 

3. Should Class X Exams Become Optional? - Nalin Sharma 

4. Should Class X Exams Become Optional? - Pankaj Kumar Sinha 

5. Should Class X Exams Become Optional? - Deepak Gupta 

6. Should Class X Exams Become Optional? - Ankur Verma 

7. Why is the Indian Economy still affected by Floods and Droughts?

- Rishi Mandal

8. Why is the Indian Economy still affected by Floods and Droughts?

- Deepak Gupta

9. Why is the Indian Economy still affected by Floods and Droughts?

- Suhasini N

10. Why is the Indian Economy still affected by Floods and Droughts?

- Sarath Babu S

11. Is Beauty only skin deep? - Romila Chitturi 

12. Is Beauty only skin deep? - Daizy Jassal

Contest Essays for August - 2009

1. Independence Day – What it means to India youth today?

 - Mithila Bagai

2. Independence Day – What it means to India youth today?

- Manas Ranjan Dash

3. Do you think India and Delhi are ready for the Commonwealth Games
- Nalin Sharma 

4. Do you think India and Delhi are ready for the Commonwealth Games- k .Jui

5. Do you think India and Delhi are ready for the Commonwealth Games
- Jagdeep S 

6. Is Internet Banking catching up in India? - S Sarath Babu 

7. Independence Day – What it means to India youth today?

- Narasanjee Polavarapu

8. Do you think India and Delhi are ready for the Commonwealth Games?

- Suryatapa Ghosh

9. Independence Day – What it means to India’s youth today?

- Suryatapa Ghosh

10. Is Internet Banking catching up in India? - Romila Chitturi

Contest Essays for July - 2009

1. Are we ready for gay rights? - Swati Shubhangam.

2. What should be done with film stars and politicians found guilty of
rape/murder/terrorism? - Ravi Kiran R

3. Are we ready for gay rights? - Laxank Purohit 

4. Are we ready for gay rights? - Jagdeep S More

5. What should be done with film stars and politicians found guilty of
rape/murder/terrorism? - Saurabh Tiwari

6. Are we ready for gay rights? - Suhasini

7. Are we ready for gay rights? - Mithila Bagai

 8. Are we ready for gay rights? - Sovna Mohanty

9. The new economic policy - its impact on the common man? - S.SarathBabu

10. Are we ready for gay rights? - Tushar Dutt

11. Are we ready for gay rights? - Pankaj Kumar Sinha

Contest Essays for June - 2009

1. Will the young face of Parliament change how India is governed? 

- Mithila Bagai

2. Will the young face of Parliament change how India is governed? 

- Swathi Shubhangam

3. Will the young face of Parliament change how India is governed?

- Rohan Sunil Ghate

4. Will the young face of Parliament change how India is governed?

- Jagdeep S More

5. Will the young face of Parliament change how India is governed?

- Suryatapa Ghosh

6. Will the young face of Parliament change how India is governed? - Gayathri

7. Is the IPL hurting the chances of fit players defending India in the T20 World
Cup?

- Pankaj Kumar Sinha

8. Is India being targeted for its progress as discrimination & violence against
Indian students grow in the US and Australia? - Jui K 

9. Is the IPL hurting the chances of fit players defending India in the T20 World
Cup?

- Bhupender Kumar Singh

10. Will the young face of Parliament change how India is governed?

- Aparajita Banerjee
 11. Is India being targeted for its progress as discrimination & violence against
Indian students grow in the US and Australia? - S Sarath Babu

Contest Essays for May - 2009

1. Should India interfere in the Srilankan offensive against the LTTE?

- Ashvini Radhakrishnareddy

2. The youth today - are they more impatient than a few decades ago. 

- Jitender Kumar

3. The youth today - are they more impatient than a few decades ago. 

- Aparajita Banerjee

4. Should India interfere in the Srilankan offensive against the LTTE? - Swathi

5. The youth today - are they more impatient than a few decades ago. 

- Garima Mishra

6. The youth today - are they more impatient than a few decades ago. 

- Pankaj Kumar Sinha

7. The youth today - are they more impatient than a few decades ago. 

- Ashvini Radhakrishna Reddy

8. Can Pakistan survive the Taliban? - Jagdeep S More

9. Can Pakistan survive the Taliban? - S Sarth Babu

10. The youth today - are they more impatient than a few decades ago. 

- Romila Chitturi

Contest Essays for April - 2009

1. Varun Gandhi, the prodigal grandson? - Rohit M

2. The IPL Cricket matches goes South Africa - Nalin Sharma
3. Varun Gandhi, the prodigal grandson? - Pankaj Kumar Sinha
4. The IPL Cricket matches goes South Africa - S.SarathBabu
5. Women's Reservation Bill, a Forgotten Issue - Romila Chitturi
 6. The IPL Cricket matches goes South Africa - Jagdeep S More

Contest Essays for March - 2009

1. Films, Politics, and Criminals - Cinthya Anand

2. Elections in India, is it a waste of money? - Rohit Malpani
3. Elections in India, is it a waste of money? - Jagdeep Singh More

Contest Essays for February - 2009

1. Obama Means Change - Sumit Kumar Singh

2. Obama Means Change - Jagdeep S More
3. Film like Slum Dog Millionaire - Do they damage India's Image?

- Priyanka Gupta

Contest Essays for January - 2009

1. India's growing influence around the Globe     - VAIBHAV JINDAL

2. Communal Politics & Caste Politics, Its Impact on the voter? 

- Bhadra Bharadwaj

3. India's growing influence around the Globe     - Animesh Choudhury

4. Communal Politics & Caste Politics, Its Impact on the voter? 

- Jagdeep S More

5. India's growing influence around the Globe     - S Sarath Babu

Some well written essay Links

Secularism In India – The Inconclusive Debate - Link Contributed by Pramod Kumar
Note:
If Any of you writes essays and would like to share them with our readers, you are
welcome to contribute them. Please make sure the essays you write are relevant
to the UPSC exam for civil services.
You can E-mail it to us at
info@civilserviceindia.com

Essay
Time Allowed : Three Hours 
Maximum Marks : 200
Examiners will pay special attention to the candidate's grasp of this material, its
relevance to the subject chosen, and to his ability to think constructively and to
present his ideas concisely, logically and effectively.
Candidate have to write essay on any one topic of the given topics.
 Essay

Essay-2005
1. Justice must reach the poor
2. The hand that rocks the cradle
3. If women ruled the world
4. what is real education?
5. Terrorism and world peace
6. Food security for sustainable national development
Essay-2004
1. India's Role in Promoting ASEAN Co-operation.
2. Judicial Activism and Indian Democracy.
3. Whiter Women's Emancipation?
4. Globalisation and Its Impact on Indian Culture.
5. The Lure of Space.
6. Water Resources Should Be Under the Control of Central Government.
Essay-2003
1. The Masks of New Imperialism.
2. How far has democracy in India delivered the goods?
3. How should a civil servant conduct himself?
4. As civilization advances culture declines.
5. There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.
Sprituality and Scientific temper.
Essay-2002
1. Modern Technological Education and human values.
2. Search for truth can only be a spiritual problem.
3. If youth knew, if age could.
4. The paths of glory lead but to the grave.
5. Privatisation of Higher Education in India.
6. Responsibility of media in democracy.

Essay-2001
1. What have we gained from our democratic set-up?
2. My vision of an ideal world order.
3. The march of science and the erosion of human value.
4. Irrelevance of the classroom.
5. The pursuit of excellence
6. Empowerment alone cannot help our women.
The essay paper (200 marks) in the civil services main examination is crucial in
determining the final outcome/ selection and ranking. It is critical because it is a
compulsory paper and its score is incorporated in computing the total. It is decisive
because there is no specialisation in an essay and so no aspirant can not claim
expertise, unlike optional subjects. 

Finally, an essay is a paper, which does not have a reservoir of definitive information
as in the case of general studies. All this constitutes a challenge. It is vital to
understand that an essay is a reflection of the personality - ideas, views, analysis,
assessments and inferences, values, attitude, aptitude, orientation and communication
(written) abilities, all the attributes that are wanted by UPSC in an aspirant. 

An essay is considered a complete composition. The essentials of essay writing would

be the format (framework, structure), information (content,
substance),language (expression, presentation), and logic (analysis and
information). 

The conventional design of looking at essay writing in terms of the introduction, body
and conclusion is only the format. Although, this is fundamental to essay writing, the
concept of an essay is quite intricate. An essay is expected to be a topical text that is
self-explanatory and comprehensive, concise, composite and unambiguous,
informative and logical. 

For every effective composition one should ideally begin with clarifying the purpose of
the composition to oneself. This is true about all written and spoken communication.
It's best that this principle be applied to essay writing. Although, the question cues
that are recommended at this point may appear archaic, they are useful and
often overlooked. At every critical juncture, while writing a topical text all applicable
queries must be asked to oneself about the issue in question, e.g. who, what, where,
when, why, how? These questions would obtain answers that would make the text
organised and accurate and also ensure that no aspect has been omitted. Proficiency
in applying this principle, i.e. the appropriate choice of questions, will come with
extensive practise, periodic evaluation and critical analysis. 

The format comprises:

 An impact-oriented thematic introduction containing the core conceptual scheme,

the defining criteria, the central idea, etc.
 A series of paragraphs containing arguments based on information, analysis and
systematic inter-connectivity
 An overall impressive synoptic presentation or an effective conclusion or a final
inference.
The introduction is the opening part of the essay and should be confined to a
paragraph, especially since, unlike a book, the introduction of an essay is not captioned.
The introductory paragraph is expected to introduce the topic, and wherever necessary,
explain the central theme or idea, basic or core concepts, and definitional criteria. The
introduction should arouse interest and generate curiosity in the mind of the reader, be it
an examiner. 

The main text of an essay, after the introductory part is over, essentially is a systematic
organisation of information based on a consistent methodology. It deals with the topic
and related issues to be addressed, the correlation of facts, figures, ideas, views,
concepts; an in-depth, systematic, coherent analysis based on the topic leading to
logical inferences; as well as making (if it is required) plausible projections and providing
with (if necessary) viable solutions. The text of the composition must develop,
support and explain the main ideas stated in your introduction or thesis
paragraph. 

As the text draws close to the conclusion, the essay should have reached the stage of
'critical mass', a sort of a climax. The conclusion, a summary, should express the
essence of the essay. It should not contain any fresh evidence, facts or figures. 

The essay paper (200 marks) in the civil services main examination is crucial in
determining the final outcome/ selection and ranking. It is critical because it is a
compulsory paper and its score is incorporated in computing the total. It is decisive
because there is no specialisation in an essay and so no aspirant can not claim
expertise, unlike optional subjects. 

Finally, an essay is a paper, which does not have a reservoir of definitive information
as in the case of general studies. All this constitutes a challenge. It is vital to
understand that an essay is a reflection of the personality - ideas, views, analysis,
assessments and inferences, values, attitude, aptitude, orientation and communication
(written) abilities, all the attributes that are wanted by UPSC in an aspirant. 

An essay is considered a complete composition. The essentials of essay writing would

be the format (framework, structure), information (content,
substance),language (expression, presentation), and logic (analysis and
information). 

The conventional design of looking at essay writing in terms of the introduction, body
and conclusion is only the format. Although, this is fundamental to essay writing, the
concept of an essay is quite intricate. An essay is expected to be a topical text that is
self-explanatory and comprehensive, concise, composite and unambiguous,
informative and logical. 

For every effective composition one should ideally begin with clarifying the purpose of
the composition to oneself. This is true about all written and spoken communication.
It's best that this principle be applied to essay writing. Although, the question cues
that are recommended at this point may appear archaic, they are useful and
often overlooked. At every critical juncture, while writing a topical text all applicable
queries must be asked to oneself about the issue in question, e.g. who, what, where,
when, why, how? These questions would obtain answers that would make the text
organised and accurate and also ensure that no aspect has been omitted. Proficiency
in applying this principle, i.e. the appropriate choice of questions, will come with
extensive practise, periodic evaluation and critical analysis. 

The format comprises:

 An impact-oriented thematic introduction containing the core conceptual scheme,

the defining criteria, the central idea, etc.
 A series of paragraphs containing arguments based on information, analysis and
systematic inter-connectivity
 An overall impressive synoptic presentation or an effective conclusion or a final
inference.

The introduction is the opening part of the essay and should be confined to a

paragraph, especially since, unlike a book, the introduction of an essay is not captioned.
The introductory paragraph is expected to introduce the topic, and wherever necessary,
explain the central theme or idea, basic or core concepts, and definitional criteria. The
introduction should arouse interest and generate curiosity in the mind of the reader, be it
an examiner. 

The main text of an essay, after the introductory part is over, essentially is a systematic
organisation of information based on a consistent methodology. It deals with the topic
and related issues to be addressed, the correlation of facts, figures, ideas, views,
concepts; an in-depth, systematic, coherent analysis based on the topic leading to
logical inferences; as well as making (if it is required) plausible projections and providing
with (if necessary) viable solutions. The text of the composition must develop,
support and explain the main ideas stated in your introduction or thesis
paragraph. 

As the text draws close to the conclusion, the essay should have reached the stage of
'critical mass', a sort of a climax. The conclusion, a summary, should express the
essence of the essay. It should not contain any fresh evidence, facts or figures.