Mains · Paper I (Essay) · 88 topics · 2016–2026
Every UPSC essay topic, 2016–2026
Two essays, one from each section, in about 1,000–1,200 words each. Here is every topic UPSC has set, year by year — with how to read it and the angles worth exploring.
Essay topics as a PDF — free
All 48 PDFs →Every topic since 2016 by theme with how to read each, and the full Mains 2026 paper. Free; sign up once.
Year by year
Each year's paper on its own page, in UPSC's words and order.
UPSC Essay Paper 2026UPSC's paper ↗
- A1Oxymorons reflect the ironies of life.
- A2A grateful mind is very beautiful.
- A3A thorn is a changed bud.
- A4When two elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled.
- B5Nature is the symbol of the spirit.
- B6A well-educated mind will always have more questions than answers.
- B7Shelving hard decisions is the least ethical course.
- B8A good leader is one who follows the followers.
UPSC Essay Paper 2025UPSC's paper ↗
- A1Truth knows no color.
- A2The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.
- A3Thought finds a world and creates one also.
- A4Best lessons are learnt through bitter experiences.
- B5Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.
- B6The years teach much which the days never know.
- B7It is best to see life as a journey, not as a destination.
- B8Contentment is natural wealth; luxury is artificial poverty.
UPSC Essay Paper 2024UPSC's paper ↗
- A1Forests precede civilizations and deserts follow them.
- A2The empires of the future will be the empires of the mind.
- A3There is no path to happiness; Happiness is the path.
- A4The doubter is a true man of science.
- B5Social media is triggering ‘Fear of Missing Out’ amongst the youth, precipitating depression and loneliness.
- B6Nearly all men can stand adversity, but to test the character, give him power.
- B7All ideas having large consequences are always simple.
- B8The cost of being wrong is less than the cost of doing nothing.
UPSC Essay Paper 2023UPSC's paper ↗
- A1Thinking is like a game, it does not begin unless there is an opposite team.
- A2Visionary decision-making happens at the intersection of intuition and logic.
- A3Not all who wander are lost.
- A4Inspiration for creativity springs from the effort to look for the magical in the mundane.
- B5Girls are weighed down by restrictions, boys with demands — two equally harmful disciplines.
- B6Mathematics is the music of reason.
- B7A society that has more justice is a society that needs less charity.
- B8Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.
UPSC Essay Paper 2022UPSC's paper ↗
- A1Forests are the best case studies for economic excellence
- A2Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world
- A3History is a series of victories won by the scientific man over the romantic man
- A4A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ship is for
- B5The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining
- B6You cannot step twice in the same river
- B7A smile is the chosen vehicle for all ambiguities
- B8Just because you have a choice, it does not mean that any of them has to be right
UPSC Essay Paper 2021UPSC's paper ↗
- A1The process of self-discovery has now been technologically outsourced.
- A2Your perception of me is a reflection of you; my reaction to you is an awareness of me.
- A3Philosophy of wantlessness is Utopian, while materialism is a chimera.
- A4The real is rational and the rational is real.
- B5Hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.
- B6What is research, but a blind date with knowledge!
- B7History repeats itself, first as a tragedy, second as a farce.
- B8There are better practices to "best practices".
UPSC Essay Paper 2020UPSC's paper ↗
- A1Life is long journey between human being and being humane
- A2Mindful manifesto is the catalyst to a tranquil self
- A3Ships do not sink because of water around them, ships sink because of water that gets into them
- A4Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication
- B5Culture is what we are, civilization is what we have
- B6There can be no social justice without economic prosperity but economic prosperity without social justice is meaningless
- B7Patriarchy is the least noticed yet the most significant structure of social inequality
- B8Technology as the silent factor in international relations
UPSC Essay Paper 2019UPSC's paper ↗
- A1Wisdom finds truth
- A2Values are not what humanity is, but what humanity ought to be
- A3Best for an individual is not necessarily best for the society
- A4Courage to accept and dedication to improve are two keys to success
- B5South Asian societies are woven not around the state, but around their plural cultures and plural identities
- B6Neglect of primary health care and education in India are reasons for its backwardness
- B7Biased media is a real threat to Indian democracy
- B8Rise of Artificial Intelligence : the threat of jobless future or better job opportunities through reskilling and upskilling
UPSC Essay Paper 2018UPSC's paper ↗
- A1Alternative technologies for a climate change resilient India
- A2A good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge
- A3Poverty anywhere is a threat to prosperity everywhere
- A4Management of Indian border disputes—a complex task
- B5Customary morality cannot be a guide to modern life
- B6‘The past’ is a permanent dimension of human consciousness and values
- B7A people that values its privileges above its principles loses both
- B8Reality does not conform to the ideal, but confirms it
UPSC Essay Paper 2017UPSC's paper ↗
- A1Farming has lost the ability to be a source of subsistence for majority of farmers in India.
- A2Impact of the new economic measures on fiscal ties between the union and states in India.
- A3Destiny of a nation is shaped in its classrooms.
- A4Has the Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) lost its relevance in a multipolar world?
- B1Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.
- B2Fulfilment of ‘new woman’ in India is a myth.
- B3We may brave human laws but cannot resist natural laws.
- B4‘Social media’ is inherently a selfish medium.
UPSC Essay Paper 2016UPSC's paper ↗
- A1If development is not engendered, it is endangered
- A2Need brings greed, if greed increases it spoils breed
- A3Water disputes between States in federal India
- A4Innovation is the key determinant of economic growth and social welfare
- B1Cooperative federalism : Myth or reality
- B2Cyberspace and Internet : Blessing or curse to the human civilization in the long run
- B3Near jobless growth in India : An anomaly or an outcome of economic reforms
- B4Digital economy : A leveller or a source of economic inequality
By theme
UPSC's brief for the paper and the themes it returns to: the Essay syllabus page →
The Essay paper: quick answers
What were the essay topics in UPSC Mains 2026?
Section A · 1: “Oxymorons reflect the ironies of life.” · Section A · 2: “A grateful mind is very beautiful.” · Section A · 3: “A thorn is a changed bud.” · Section A · 4: “When two elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled.” · Section B · 5: “Nature is the symbol of the spirit.” · Section B · 6: “A well-educated mind will always have more questions than answers.” · Section B · 7: “Shelving hard decisions is the least ethical course.” · Section B · 8: “A good leader is one who follows the followers.”. The 2026 page has how to read each topic.
How many essays are written in the UPSC Mains Essay paper?
Two, one from each of two sections of four topics, in about 1,000–1,200 words each — 125 marks each, 250 in all, in three hours. UPSC does not publish a topic list; its syllabus asks candidates to keep closely to the subject, arrange ideas in orderly fashion and write concisely.
Which themes does UPSC set essays on most?
From 2016 to 2026: philosophy, values & abstract ideas (33), economy, development & work (9), democracy, polity & governance (8). Since 2019 most topics have been philosophical or quotation-like rather than issue-based.
Can I download the UPSC essay topics as a PDF?
Yes — every essay topic since 2016, grouped by theme with how to read each, is a free PDF on the Vault's downloads page (one sign-up, no cost), as is each year's full Mains paper (Essay + GS I–IV).
Topics are from UPSC's own question papers; themes and readings are Minimalist IAS's.