UPSC MAINS 2022 GS-I PAPER ANALYSIS AND PAST YEAR TRENDS

GS Paper-I of UPSC Mains 2022 exam was conducted on 17th September 2022 in the first shift (09-12 AM). 

• There were 20 questions printed in both English and Hindi. 
• 10 questions were of 10 marks each, while the remaining 10 questions were of 15 marks each.
• Total Marks: 250 marks, Time duration: 3 hours.
• All questions were compulsory.
• The number of marks carried by a question/part was printed against it.
• Answers had to be written in the medium authorized in the admission certificate which had to be stated clearly on the cover of this question-cum-answer (QCA) booklet in the space provided.
• Answers to questions no. 1 to 10 were to be in 150 words, whereas answers to questions no. 11 to 20 were to be in 250 words.
• Any page or portion of the page left blank, had to be struck off clearly.

QUESTIONS:

Qn1. How will you explain that mediaeval Indian temple sculptures represent the social life of those days? (Answer in 150 words) 10 mark

Qn2. Why did the armies of the British East India company – mostly comprising of Indian soldiers – win consistently against the more numerous and better equipped armies of then Indian rulers? Give reasons. (Answer in 150 words) 10 mark

Qn3. Why was there a sudden spurt in famines in colonial India since the mid-18th century? Give reasons. (Answer in 150 words) 10 mark

Qn4. Describe the characteristics and type of primary rocks. (Answer in 150 words) 10 mark

Qn5. Discuss the meaning of colour-coded weather warnings for cyclone prone areas given by India Meteorological Department. (Answer in 150 words) 10 mark

Qn6. Discuss the natural resource potential of ‘Deccan trap’. (Answer in 150 words) 10 mark

Qn7. Examine the potential of wind energy in India and explain the reasons for their limited spatial spread. (Answer in 150 words) 10 mark

Qn8. Explore and evaluate the impact of ‘Work From Home’ on family relationships. (Answer in 150 words) 10 mark

Qn9. How is the growth of Tier 2 cities related to the rise of a new middle class with an emphasis on the culture of consumption? (Answer in 150 words) 10 mark

Qn10. Given the diversities among tribal communities in India in which specific context should they be considered as a single category? (Answer in 150 words) 10 mark

Qn11. The political and administrative reorganization of states and territories has been a continuous ongoing process since the mid-nineteenth century. Discuss with examples. (Answer in 250 words) 15 mark

Qn12. Discuss the main contributions of Gupta period and Chola period to Indian Heritage and Culture. (Answer in 250 words) 15 mark

Qn13. Discuss the significance of the lion and Bull figures in Indian Mythology art and architecture. (Answer in 250 words) 15 mark

Qn14. What are the forces that influence ocean currents? Describe their role in the fishing industry of the world. (Answer in 250 words) 15 mark

Qn15. Describing the distribution of rubber-producing countries indicate the major environmental issues faced by them. (Answer in 250 words) 15 mark

Qn16. Mention the significance of straits and isthmus in international trade. (Answer in 250 words) 15 mark

Qn17. Troposphere is a very significant atmosphere layer that determines weather processes. How? (Answer in 250 words) 15 mark

Qn18. Analyse the salience of ‘sect’ in Indian society vis-a-vis caste, region and religion. (Answer in 250 words) 15 mark

Qn19. Are tolerance, assimilation and pluralism the key elements in the making of an Indian form of secularism? Justify your answer. (Answer in 250 words) 15 mark

Qn20. Elucidate the relationship between globalization and new technology in a world of scarce resources with special reference to India. (Answer in 250 words) 15 mark

ANALYSIS OF 2022 PAPER:

YEAR	WORLD HISTORY	INDIAN HISTORY/ART AND CULTURE	GEOGRAPHY	INDIAN SOCIETY
2022	0	6	8	6

• Questions from History Section were on expected lines and aspirants who have prepared well could easily attempt all the questions whether from Culture or Modern History or even Post-independence questions. 
• Questions from society section were moderately difficult as few questions tried to link economic dimensions with societal issues. 
• Questions from the Geography section in the General Studies Paper 1 were on the dominant side. Few questions required both conceptual and factual knowledge to comprehensively write a good answer. 
• Few questions were interdisciplinary in nature. For eg: the work from home question had an element of society and economics. 

The major topics where questions are asked from in the GS I paper are:

• History: Modern Indian History, World History
• Art & Culture: Indian Heritage & Culture
• Geography: Human Geography, Physical Geography, Geomorphology, Indian Geography, Climatology, Oceanology
• Indian Society: Diversity in Indian Society, Role of Women, Poverty, Urbanization, Social Empowerment, Regionalism, Communalism, Secularism etc

ANALYSIS OF PREVIOUS YEAR PAPERS:

YEAR	HISTORY	ART AND CULTURE	GEOGRAPHY	INDIAN SOCIETY
2013	Freedom Struggle – 3 Post Independence – 5 World History – 4	3	12	6
2014	Freedom Struggle – 3 World History – 3	4	10	5
2015	Freedom Struggle – 2 World History – 2	2	7	6
2016	Freedom Struggle – 3 World History – 1	2	9	6
2017	Freedom Struggle – 1 Post Independence – 3 World History – 1	2	6	7
2018	Freedom Struggle – 1 Post Independence – 2	3	4	11
2019	Freedom Struggle – 2 Post Independence – 1 World History – 1	1	8	10
2020	Freedom Struggle – 2	4	8	6
2021	2	5	8	5

Overall, GS Paper 1 (UPSC Mains 2022) was on the expected lines. Questions from each section of the syllabus were asked in the UPSC Mains GS Paper 1.

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