{"id":254,"date":"2026-02-18T16:52:35","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T11:22:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/?p=254"},"modified":"2026-08-11T08:35:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T03:05:59","slug":"upsc-psir-optional-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/upsc-psir-optional-2015\/","title":{"rendered":"UPSC PSIR Optional 2015"},"content":{"rendered":"
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UPSC Civil Services · Mains · PSIR Optional<\/span><\/p>\n

UPSC PSIR Optional 2015 — Question Paper<\/h1>\n

The complete paper as UPSC set it, Paper I and Paper II. Tap a question to open its own page — the flow snapshot showing how the answer moves, and the handwritten answer.<\/p>\n

56<\/b> questions<\/span>Paper I & Paper II<\/span><\/div>\n
2025<\/a>2024<\/a>2023<\/a>2022<\/a>2021<\/a>2020<\/a>2019<\/a>2018<\/a>2017<\/a>2016<\/a>2015<\/span>PYQ Finder →<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Paper<\/span>I<\/b><\/div>\n
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1<\/span><\/p>\n

Comment on the following in about 150 words each: 50 marks<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

a<\/span>Idea of Natural Rights<\/span>10 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
b<\/span>Aristotle\u2019s Conception of Equality<\/span>10 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
c<\/span>\u2018Difference Principle\u2019 in Rawls theory of Justice<\/span>10 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
d<\/span>Difference between participatory and Deliberative Democracy<\/span>10 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
e<\/span>Gandhi\u2019s view on state<\/span>10 marks<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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2<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
a<\/span>Examine the challenges to sovereignty of the state in the contemporary world.<\/span>20 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
b<\/span>Discuss the key features of pre-Marxist socialist theory.<\/span>15 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
c<\/span>Compare and contrast the views of Kautilya and Machiavelli on statecraft.<\/span>15 marks<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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3<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
a<\/span>\u201cPlato was an enemy of the open society\u201d. (popper) Comment.<\/span>20 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
b<\/span>Discuss the relationship between base and superstructure in Marxist theory.<\/span>15 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
c<\/span>Distinguish between power and Authority.<\/span>15 marks<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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4<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
a<\/span>Discuss the \u2018crisis of legitimacy\u2019 in capitalist societies. (Habermas)<\/span>20 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
b<\/span>Discuss Gramsci\u2019s notion of \u2018organic intellectuals\u2019<\/span>15 marks<\/span><\/div>\n

c<\/span>Discuss David Easton\u2019s model of system analysis.<\/span>15 marks<\/span>Answer →<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n

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5<\/span><\/p>\n

Comment on the following in about 150 words each: 50 marks<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

a<\/span>Secularism in the Indian Constitution.<\/span>10 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
b<\/span>Satyagraha as a Strategy in the Indian National Movement.<\/span>10 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
c<\/span>99th amendment of the Indian constitution.<\/span>10 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
d<\/span>Structure and function of Niti Aayog.<\/span>10 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
e<\/span>Cooperative federalism in India.<\/span>10 marks<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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6<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
a<\/span>Discuss the efficacy of judicial review in India.<\/span>20 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
b<\/span>Critically Analyze the discretionary powers granted to the governor by the Indian constitution.<\/span>15 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
c<\/span>\u201cIdentity politics has trumped development politics in India\u201d. Comment<\/span>15 marks<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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7<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
a<\/span>In the light of neo- economic policies adopted since 1991, examine the relevance of the term \u2018socialist\u2019 in the preamble of the Indian constitution.<\/span>20 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
b<\/span>Identify the contested areas in Centre-State relations in India.<\/span>15 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
c<\/span>Discuss the \u2018Right to Education\u2019 and the concerns raised by it.<\/span>15 marks<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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8<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
a<\/span>Examine the role of Panchayati Raj Institutions and urban Local Bodies in the deepening of Democracy in India.<\/span>20 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
b<\/span>Compare the Nehruvian and Gandhian models of development.<\/span>15 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
c<\/span>Account for the rise of regional political parties and assess their role in contemporary India.<\/span>15 marks<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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Paper<\/span>II<\/b><\/div>\n
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1<\/span><\/p>\n

Answer the following in 150 words each: (50 marks)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

a<\/span>Which are the major approaches of comparative politics? Explain in brief, the political economy approach to the study of comparative inquiry.<\/span>10 marks<\/span><\/div>\n

b<\/span>Do you subscribe to the view that the modern constructs of the state and politics are pre-eminently Euro-Centric and not indigenous and appropriate for the analysis of non-western societies?<\/span>10 marks<\/span>Answer →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

c<\/span>Identify the major differences between the classical realism of Hans J. Morgenthau and the neorealism of Kenneth Waltz. Which approach is best suited for analysing international relations after the cold war?<\/span>10 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
d<\/span>Is globalization essentially a process of \u2018universalisation\u2019 of capitalist modernity?<\/span>10 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
e<\/span>What is the difference between Interest Groups and Pressure Groups? Are the pressure groups in India in a position to fully protect or promote the interests of their members?<\/span>10 marks<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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2<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
a<\/span>\u2018The struggle for democracy has been marked by bitter strife and tribulations.\u2019 Examine the statement, illustrating the cases of Pakistan, Nepal and Myanmar.<\/span>20 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
b<\/span>Discuss the theory of Nuclear Deterrence. Did Nuclear Deterrence prevent a superpower war?<\/span>15 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
c<\/span>What are the real objectives of Millennium Development Goals (MDG)? Do you think that millennium development goals have been able to achieve the desired goals of poverty alleviation and sustainable development?<\/span>15 marks<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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3<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

a<\/span>Do you endorse that the conventional discourse on human rights has failed to include women\u2019s rights? Explain in the context of feminist theories.<\/span>20 marks<\/span>Answer →<\/span><\/a>b<\/span>How far are the world governance mechanisms, dominated by IMF and World Bank, legitimate and relevant? What measures do you suggest to improve their effectiveness in global governance?<\/span>15 marks<\/span>Answer →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

c<\/span>Discuss the collapse of the Soviet Union and its impact on international politics.<\/span>15 marks<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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4<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
a<\/span>Has the reform of the economic and social arrangements of the United Nations been effective?<\/span>20 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
b<\/span>\u2018The European Union has become, the most politically influential, economically powerful and demographically diverse regional entity in the world.\u2019 Discuss.<\/span>15 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
c<\/span>How is it that economic and neo-liberal globalization is being interrogated from inside even in developed countries? What are the economic consequences of such globalization?<\/span>15 marks<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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5<\/span><\/p>\n

Answer the following question in 150 words. (50 marks)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

a<\/span>The social structure of a country influences its foreign policy-making. How does the social structure of India impact the course and direction of its foreign policy?<\/span>10 marks<\/span><\/div>\n

b<\/span>\u2018Non-alignment\u2019 has been the basic principle of India\u2019s foreign policy since independence. Discuss its relevance in the contemporary context.<\/span>10 marks<\/span>Answer →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

c<\/span>Identify the constraints\/challenges to the regional cooperation in South Asia.<\/span>10 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
d<\/span>Ethnic conflicts and insurgencies in North-East India can be better managed by improving relations with the neighbouring countries. Substantiate the statement with suitable examples.<\/span>10 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
e<\/span>How does the Parliament determine and influence the making of India\u2019s foreign policy?<\/span>10 marks<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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6<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
a<\/span>Before the year 2000, the Indo-U.S. relationship has been marked more with estrangement than cordiality. Why?<\/span>20 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
b<\/span>\u2018Economic interest has emerged as the main component of India\u2019s foreign policy.\u2019 Discuss the statement in the light of India\u2019s initiatives to improve relations with China, Japan and the Central Asian republics.<\/span>15 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
c<\/span>In 1998, India declared itself as a nuclear weapon state. India refuses to sign, NPT and CTBT. What would be the implications for India\u2019s nuclear policy in case it signs both the treaties?<\/span>15 marks<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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7<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
a<\/span>Vision of a new world order has emerged as the major objective of India\u2019s foreign policy. Discuss the policy initiative taken by India in this regard and the challenges faced by it.<\/span>20 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
b<\/span>Discuss the factors for the decline of India\u2019s presence in Latin America.<\/span>15 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
c<\/span>River water disputes are emerging as a major source of irritation between India and its neighbours. Identify the sources of conflicts and suggest the remedial measures.<\/span>15 marks<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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8<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
a<\/span>The United Nations completes 70 years of its establishment in 2015. What reforms is India asking for to strengthen the global institutions of governance and why?<\/span>20 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
b<\/span>Discuss the realistic foreign policy initiatives taken by India to balance its relations between Israel and the Arab world.<\/span>15 marks<\/span><\/div>\n
c<\/span>Discuss the humanitarian role played by India in the crisis-stricken Gulf countries like Yemen and Iraq.<\/span>15 marks<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
Every linked question opens its own page in the PSIR PYQ Vault<\/a> — a flow snapshot showing how the answer moves, and the handwritten answer itself. To search across all ten years by year, marks or syllabus topic, use the PYQ Finder<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UPSC Civil Services · Mains · PSIR Optional UPSC PSIR Optional 2015 — Question Paper The complete paper as UPSC set it, Paper I and Paper II. Tap a question to open its own page — the flow snapshot showing how the answer moves, and the handwritten answer. 56 questionsPaper I & Paper II 20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015PYQ […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"fx_brief_v2":"","fx_brief_issue":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-254","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pyqs"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=254"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3431,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254\/revisions\/3431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=254"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=254"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=254"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}