The UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2025 General Studies Paper I assesses candidates on Indian Heritage and Culture, History, Geography of the World and Society. The paper carries 250 marks and consists of descriptive questions.
On this page, you can find the UPSC CSE Mains GS Paper I Question Paper 2025, official questions, exam pattern, question paper instructions, and the official UPSC PDF link.
UPSC CSE Mains GS Paper 1 Question Paper 2025: Overview
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Examination | UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2025 |
| Paper | General Studies Paper I |
| Year | 2025 |
| Exam Stage | Main Examination |
| Maximum Marks | 250 |
| Time Allowed | 3 Hours |
| Total Questions | 20 |
| Question Type | Descriptive |
| Medium | Any language authorized by UPSC in the Admission Certificate |
Question Paper Instructions
- There are TWENTY questions printed both in HINDI and in ENGLISH.
- All questions are compulsory.
- The number of marks carried by a question/part is indicated against it.
- Answers must be written in the medium authorized in the Admission Certificate which must be stated clearly on the cover of the Question-cum-Answer (QCA) Booklet in the space provided. No marks will be given for answers written in a medium other than the authorized one.
- Answers to Questions No. 1 to 10 should be in 150 words, whereas answers to Questions No. 11 to 20 should be in 250 words.
- Keep the word limit indicated in the questions in mind.
- Any page or portion of the page left blank in the Question-cum-Answer Booklet must be clearly struck off.
UPSC CSE Mains GS Paper I Question Paper 2025
Questions 1–10 (150 Words, 10 Marks Each)
- Discuss the salient features of the Harappan architecture. (150 words | 10 Marks)
- Examine the main aspects of Akbar’s religious syncretism. (150 words | 10 Marks)
- ‘The sculptors filled the Chandella artform with resilient vigor and breadth of life.’ Elucidate. (150 words | 10 Marks)
- How are climate change and the sea level rise affecting the very existence of many island nations? Discuss with examples. (150 words | 10 Marks)
- What are non-farm primary activities? How are these activities related to physiographic features in India? Discuss with suitable examples. (150 words | 10 Marks)
- Explain briefly the ecological and economic benefits of solar energy generation in India with suitable examples. (150 words | 10 Marks)
- What are Tsunamis? How and where are they formed? What are their consequences? Explain with examples. (150 words | 10 Marks)
- How does Smart City in India address the issues of urban poverty and distributive justice? (150 words | 10 Marks)
- The ethos of civil service in India stands for the combination of professionalism with nationalistic consciousness. Elucidate. (150 words | 10 Marks)
- Do you think that globalization results in only an aggressive consumer culture? Justify your answer. (150 words | 10 Marks)
Questions 11–20 (250 Words, 15 Marks Each)
- Mahatma Jotirao Phule’s writings and efforts of social reforms touched issues of almost all subaltern classes. Discuss. (250 words | 15 Marks)
- Trace India’s consolidation process during the early phase of independence in terms of polity, economy, education and international relations. (250 words | 15 Marks)
- The French Revolution has enduring relevance to the contemporary world. Explain. (250 words | 15 Marks)
- Give a geographical explanation of the distribution of off-shore oil reserves of the world. How are they different from the on-shore occurrences of oil reserves? (250 words | 15 Marks)
- How can Artificial Intelligence (AI) and drones be effectively used along with GIS and RS techniques in locational and areal planning? (250 words | 15 Marks)
- Discuss how the changes in shape and sizes of continents and ocean basins of the planet take place due to tectonic movements of the crustal masses. (250 words | 15 Marks)
- Discuss the distribution and density of population in the Ganga River Basin with special reference to land, soil and water resources. (250 words | 15 Marks)
- How do you account for the growing fast food industries given that there are increased health concerns in modern society? Illustrate your answer with the Indian experience. (250 words | 15 Marks)
- Achieving sustainable growth with emphasis on environmental protection could come into conflict with poor people’s needs in a country like India. Comment. (250 words | 15 Marks)
- Does tribal development in India centre around two axes, those of displacement and of rehabilitation? Give your opinion. (250 words | 15 Marks)
Official UPSC PDF
The official UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2025 General Studies Paper I question paper can be downloaded from the UPSC website.
Download Official UPSC CSE Mains GS Paper 1 Question Paper 2025 (PDF)