UPSC Mains 2023 Essay Question Paper - Download PDF

The UPSC Mains exam commenced on 15 September 2023. It started with the UPSC Essay paper. It is an important paper and counts for 250 marks in total in the UPSC Mains exam. In this article, you can download the UPSC Mains essay paper PDF. There are a total of nine papers in the IAS mains exam. On the first day, i.e., 15 September, only one paper, the UPSC Mains essay paper was conducted. Candidates can go through the UPSC calendar for a detailed schedule of the UPSC mains 2023 exam.

UPSC Mains Essay Paper 2023

The UPSC essay paper was held at 9 AM on 15 September. You can download the UPSC essay paper 2023 from the link below.

UPSC Mains 2023 Essay Paper Topics

Choose one topic from each section. Word limit: 1000 – 1200 words. [125 X 2=250]

Section A

1. Thinking is like a game, it does not begin unless there is an opposite team.
2. Visionary decision-making happens at the intersection of intuition and logic.
3. Not all who wander are lost.
4. Inspiration for creativity springs from the effort to look for the magical in the mundane.

Section B

1. Girls are weighed down by restrictions, boys with demands – two equally harmful disciplines.
2. Mathematics is the music of reason.
3. A society that has more justice is a society that needs less charity.
4. Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school

Download the other UPSC 2023 Mains question papers in the link.

UPSC Essay Paper Pattern

• The UPSC Essay paper segment consists of two sections A and B.
• Both sections have about four questions each.
• The candidates have to choose one topic from each section, thus having to answer 2 essay questions in total.
• The word limit for each question is to be within the range of 1000-1200 words.
• The marks for each question is 125, thus the total allotted marks are 250.
• The paper will be included for merit ranking and is not just for qualifying purposes.
• The candidates are expected to keep close to the subject of the essay to arrange their ideas in an orderly fashion and to write concisely. To understand how to approach the essay paper and the topics to be focused on during preparation, check the link here.

Candidates can download the UPSC Mains Essay Paper 2022 in the linked article.

For more information about the UPSC essay paper and preparation strategy, check the links below.