UPSC Mains 2023 GS Paper III - Download PDF

The UPSC Mains exam is due to commence on 15 Sep 2023 and the General Studies Paper III was held on 17 September (Sunday) in the forenoon session from 9.00 A.M. to 12.00 Noon. In this article, you can download the GS Paper III of the UPSC 2023 Mains exam once the exam is over. You can also read the questions asked in the GS 3 question paper.

Aspirants can download the other UPSC 2023 mains papers from the links below (Links will be provided as soon as the exam is over).

UPSC Mains GS Paper 3 2023

The General Studies III is an important part of the UPSC syllabus and comprises the following subjects chiefly:

  1. Indian Economy
  2. Environment and Ecology
  3. Science and Technology
  4. Security and Defence
  5. Disaster Management

This paper is intricately related to the current affairs segment of the UPSC Syllabus. Therefore, candidates must thoroughly go through the syllabus and also keep abreast with the latest current affairs pertaining to these subjects. For a detailed analysis of the GS III syllabus, strategy for preparation and books to read, check the link here.

UPSC Mains 2023 GS Paper 3 – Download PDF
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UPSC Mains 2023 GS III Question Paper

  1. Faster economic growth requires increased share of the manufacturing sector in GDP, particularly MSMEs. Comment on the present policies of the government in this regard. (10 marks)
  2. What is the status of digitalization in the Indian economy? Examine the problems faced in this regard and suggest improvements. (10 marks)
  3. How does e-Technology help farmers in production and marketing of agricultural produce? Explain it. (10 marks)
  4. State the objectives and measures of land reforms in India. Discuss how land ceiling policy on landholding can be considered as an effective reform under economic criteria. (10 marks)
  5. Introduce the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI). How does AI help clinical diagnosis? Do you perceive any threat to privacy of the individual in the use of AI in healthcare? (10 marks)
  6. Discuss several ways in which microorganisms can help in meeting the current fuel shortage. (10 marks)
  7. Dam failures are always catastrophic, especially on the downstream side, resulting in a colossal loss of life and property. Analyse the various causes of dam failures. Give two examples of large dam failures. (10 marks)
  8. What is oil pollution? What are its impacts on the marine ecosystem? In what way is oil pollution particularly harmful for a country like India? (10 marks)
  9. Winning of ‘Hearts and Minds’ in terrorism-affected areas is an essential step in restoring the trust of the population. Discuss the measures adopted by the Government in this respect as part of the conflict resolution in Jammu and Kashmir. (10 marks)
  10. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by our adversaries across the borders to ferry arms/ammunitions, drugs, etc., is a serious threat to the internal security. Comment on the measures being taken to tackle this threat. (10 marks)
  11. Most of the unemployment in India is structural in nature. Examine the methodology adopted to compute unemployment in the country and suggest improvements. (15 marks)
  12. Distinguish between ‘care economy’ and ‘monetized economy’. How can care economy be brought into monetized economy through women empowerment? (15 marks)
  13. Explain the changes in cropping pattern in India in the context of changes in consumption pattern and marketing conditions. (15 marks)
  14. What are the direct and indirect subsidies provided to farm sector in India? Discuss the issues raised by the World Trade Organization (WTO) in relation to agricultural subsidies. (15 marks)
  15. The adoption of electric vehicles is rapidly growing worldwide. How do electric vehicles contribute to reducing carbon emissions and what are the key benefits they offer compared to traditional combustion engine vehicles? (15 marks)
  16. What is the main task of India’s third moon mission which could not be achieved in its earlier mission? List the countries that have achieved this task. Introduce the subsystems in the spacecraft launched and explain the role of the ‘Virtual Launch Control Centre’ at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre which contributed to the successful launch from Sriharikota. (15 marks)
  17. Comment on the National Wetland Conservation Programme initiated by the Government of India and name a few India’s wetlands of international importance included in the Ramsar Sites. (15 marks)
  18. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predicted a global sea level rise of about one metre by AD 2100. What would be its impact in India and the other countries in the Indian Ocean region? (15 marks)
  19. What are the internal security challenges being faced by India? Give out the role of Central Intelligence and Investigative Agencies tasked to counter such threats. (15 marks)
  20. Give out the major sources of terror funding in India and the efforts being made to curtail these sources. In the light of this, also discuss the aim and objective of the No Money for Terror (NMPT Conference recently held at New Delhi in November 2022. (15 marks)

Candidates can access our notes for the GS Paper III in the links provided below:

UPSC Economy Questions UPSC Science & Technology Questions
UPSC Environment Questions IAS Questions on Agriculture

For a detailed view of the UPSC Mains syllabus, candidates can check the linked article.

UPSC Mains GS Paper 3 Pattern

Keep the following things in mind before taking the UPSC GS paper III.

  • There are 20 questions printed in both English and Hindi, the questions can be answered only in the language specified during the application.
  • The paper is of a total of 250 marks.
  • The word limit for 10 marks questions is 150 and, for 15 marks is 250.
  • The paper has a special focus on Economic Development, so it is expected to have questions pertaining to Social Justice and international relations also from GS II. Also, the questions from the Environment section may have some confluence with Geography of GS-I and Economic Development and Biodiversity from GS III itself. Due to this, analyzing each question and writing to-the-point answers within the word limit is necessary. A careful analysis of the UPSC GS 3 Syllabus will help in this regard.
  • The questions related to Security and disaster management are mostly asked in the second half of the paper, so it is important to brush up on topics related to Internal Security and Disaster Management as well as new-age topics like cybercrime and artificial intelligence.

To get the topic-wise GS 3 questions in UPSC Mains, you can check the linked article.

Note: Visit the linked article to get all UPSC Previous Year Question Papers.

Other related links:
Security Questions from UPSC Mains GS 3 IAS Salary
UPSC Interview Questions Disaster Management Questions from UPSC Mains GS 3
UPSC Monthly Current Affairs Magazine NCERT Notes For UPSC