UPSC 2022 Essay tips and strategy to score better

Manager-Editorial

Updated on Feb 2, 2022 12:09 IST

UPSC main 2023 exam will start on September 15. The candidates will be required to write 2 essays in the essay paper. The UPSC will test the conceptual clarity of the candidates regarding the idea of the essay. The clarity of expression and thought. The Commission test the brevity in the essay as well. The candidates are required to test all the as

UPSC 2022 Essay tips for the candidates. How to write an essay in the UPSC exams? See here in detail

UPSC Essay paper is the most scoring paper in all the exams and the candidates can score better in the essay paper by doing minor efforts compared to scoring in other papers. UPSC ask for essays in the IAS and the CAPF exam. The candidates can prepare the UPSC essay in the ways discussed here and can enhance their scores.

See here: Important topics for the UPSC exams

UPSC Essay demands a national perspective and a deep understanding of Indian Society. In recent times, UPSC has always asked essay questions about the impact of technology on Indian Society. The UPSC expect a good understanding of the social fabric of Indian society. The candidates must highlight the various aspects related to the topic and the future impact of the action taken. UPSC essay should be a comprehensive portrait of ideas that present the pragmatic approach of the candidate. UPSC's essay provides an opportunity for the candidates to showcase their ideas at its largest expansion.

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The UPSC essay should be neutral and oriented. It should not be influenced by the prevailing political ideologies. The candidates should try to balance between various approaches to the Indian economy, such as the rightist and leftist approaches.

See here: UPSC Syllabus

Table of contents

Selecting the UPSC Essay topic
Searching Ideas–Brainstorming
Introduction
Body of the Essay
Conclusion of the Essay
UPSC Essay-References
Important UPSC Essay Topics
Conclusion

Selecting the UPSC Essay topic

First, the candidate must choose that topic for which he or she can cover more diversified things. It is quite natural that the candidate now about more than one topic, but the candidates should select the topic after considering all the aspects of the issue. The candidate needs to write as many aspects of the issue as he can so that the examiner get the idea that the candidate is well acquainted with the issue.

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The candidates must read the essay questions two to three times before selecting the essay topic. Right selection means half the battle is won. The candidates must consider the following points before selecting the essay topic.

Understanding about the topic
Historical background
The what, why, where, who, which and How about the issue
Present/Current Scenario related to the issue
What government is doing for the issue?
Any legislative Act passed related to the topic
The International Laws and Conventions related to the Issue
Any recent development related to that topic
The solution to the problem

The above considerations are must be done before selecting the topic. These things will help the candidates to frame a good essay and score better. There is no point in selecting such an essay where the candidates don’t understand the topic.

See here: UPSC Essay topics

Searching Ideas–Brainstorming

After selecting the essay topic, the candidate should set aside 15 to 20 per cent of the total time in brainstorming and framing the essay. Brainstorming means to think about the topic for its Historical, Economic, Social aspects of the issue in the past, present and future. Impact of the issue on society and how society evolved with the idea. Also, add up the environmental aspect to the thinking. Take the last page of the answer sheet, mart it for rough work and note down all the ideas cropping up in the mind while brainstorming.

Past, Present and Future
Why, How, What
Impact on Indian Society, Economy, Political Structure
Whether it increased the Urban-Rural divide
How it impacted the environment
How it changed the collective conscience of the members of the Indian Society
What are the upcoming technologies in the area?
What are the laws made in the country and at the International level?
How the issue has influenced India’s outlook at the World level
How it has empowered the average citizen of the nation
How it helps in achieving the broader human rights in the nation

The above aspects can be selectively implemented and differ from topic to topic.

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After noting all the aspects and sub-topics, the candidates should arrange them in the most suitable chronological order so that the whole essay appears connected and the transition from one aspect to another remains smooth.

UPSC Essay can be divided into three following parts :

Introduction
Body
Conclusion

Let us discuss each of them in detail.

Introduction

An introduction is the face of the essay. An introduction should be the reflection of the essay. The candidates should introduce the essay in the introduction so the examiner can expect the course of the essay. A wonderful introduction can impress the examiner and can fetch better marks.

The introduction should be balanced and issue-oriented. The candidates should use the quotes said by the Indian and global personalities. Candidates can use these statements in the introduction and conclusion depending on the context.

For example, once Mahatma Gandhi said, “The world has enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed”.’ In environment-oriented issues, this statement can be used in the introduction or in the conclusion based on the context. There are various examples like this. The candidates should always quote the name of the personality after the statement.

The candidates can write the introduction in more than one way. It can be a questioning introduction, a simple introduction depicting the past, present and future or a storytelling introduction. The candidates can write a story where the moral of the story should be directly related to the topic.

The candidate should write two or three introductions for each important issue so they can reproduce a pleasant introduction in the UPSC Essay exam.

Body of the Essay

The body is the principal part of the essay. The candidates should practise writing the body of the essay in chronological order. The essay is the only paper where the candidate can show their thinking and solution providing abilities. Each of the paragraphs should appear connected and the candidates should avoid writing out of the context things.

The candidates should introduce the next issue in the last line of the paragraph and explain that issue in the next paragraph. It is a simple technique of connecting the essay subtopics. Candidates can raise a question in the paragraph and answer it in the subsequent content. The examiner should not feel that the candidate is not able to present his ideas in chronological order. The marks secured in the essay paper heavily depend on the inter-connectedness of the essay and the quality of the issues and subtopics discussed in the essay.

In an essay's body, the candidates should elaborate on the points noted in the brainstorming phase and try to substantiate the analysis part with a factual basis. Facts are important to prove the analysis part. The candidates should try to give reference to the government reports, World Bank Reports, UNO reports, UNICEF reports, NITI Aayog reports, Union Government reports and other government publications.

Candidates can take references from the Government Acts and proposed bills. The candidates should not hesitate from introducing new Acts or Rules in the essay. The candidate can give reference to the international laws too, but they should also suggest the modifications as per the Indian legal system and the unique socio-culture fabric of the country.

Conclusion of the Essay

The conclusion of the UPSC essay is very important because it will help to create a long-lasting impression on the examiner. In the conclusion, the candidate needs to take a stand. In the conclusion, the candidate needs to be future-oriented. The candidates should suggest a concrete and pragmatic solution to the issue.

The candidate can take the stand in consonance with the government’s official stand. In the conclusion also, the candidates can give examples of other countries as well. Here also, the candidates can use the quotes of famous personalities and end it conclusion open-ended and future-oriented.

UPSC Essay-References

Candidates must read the ‘Indian Society’ NECRT book to get an idea of the evolution and dynamics of Indian Society. The candidates must read the Newspaper editorials to get the latest facts, figures, research reports and insights from various research institutes. The candidate should develop a habit to diversify its reading habit. The books of famous economists always provide a good deal of insight into Indian society.

Newspaper is a boon for the UPSC essay because of its diversified coverage of topics and the views of the academic and professional intellectuals. It helps in building the worldview of the candidate. The candidates should read the editorials and use their factual part and do not blow away with the political ideology.

The Rajya Sabha website and tv channel can immensely help the candidates in gathering politically neutral and issue-oriented solutions to the long-term chronic problems faced by Indian Society.

Important UPSC Essay Topics

There are various issues that keep appearing in the UPSC essay papers on one or another pretext. The candidates must see the previous year's UPSC question papers to get an idea about the topics. The list of important topics is given here as well.

Coronavirus pandemic has increased the rural-urban divide
MNREGA like schemes can sustain the rural income in the time of the pandemic
India’s increasing soft power across the world
Is India ready for the new leadership role?
What should be the role of India in the new world order?
Issues of Child Labour in India
Rural and Urban Divide in India
Corona and India’s Health Infrastructure
Problems of Productivity in Indian Agriculture
Use of Technology in Agriculture
Solar Power and India’s Preparation
How India will balance between Growth and Environment?

See here: Important Questions for the UPSC Exams

Conclusion

The essay writing practises will immensely help the candidates in writing a good essay at the time of the exam. Essay writing practice in a time-bound manner can train the brain about writing an essay in a time-bound manner. Time is a very important factor in essay writing and the candidate should always practice writing an essay in a time-bound manner. The candidates must practice essay writing because essay writing will help them to form new effective sentences and scoring better in the UPSC essay exam.

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