GS Paper IV 2021 · Q3 (Section A)
3 parts · 10 marks and 150 words each Ethics & human interface X-Ray · Core #25What does each of the following quotations mean to you?
Q3(a) 10 marks · 150 words · answered on its own
“Every work has got to pass through hundreds of difficulties before succeeding. Those that persevere will see the light, sooner or later.” —Swami Vivekananda
Approach · directive: “what does it mean (to you)”
What it asks · Explain Vivekananda's teaching that every work passes through difficulties before it succeeds, and what perseverance means today for the individual, public service and society.
It asks 2 things — answer each
- Explain what Vivekananda's quotation means
- Bring out what it means today, with an example
Open with · Vivekananda holds that every worthwhile work must pass through many difficulties, and success comes, sooner or later, to those who persevere with steady effort, patience about results and learning from each setback.
Cover
- A table separates perseverance, which keeps the goal and changes the method, from obstinacy, which keeps the method and loses the goal.
- The individual: SLV-3 was only partially successful in August 1979; in July 1980 it placed Rohini in orbit, with Kalam as project director.
- Public service: decades of repeated immunisation rounds made India polio-free in 2014.
- Society: the right-to-information campaign grew from rural Rajasthan into a national law despite bureaucratic resistance.
Close with · His own call to the young carries the same creed: arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached.
Add value (verified)
- ISRO: the first experimental flight of SLV-3, India's first experimental satellite launch vehicle, in August 1979 was only partially successful; on 18 July 1980 SLV-3 placed the Rohini satellite RS-1 in orbit, making India the sixth space-faring nation.SLV — Indian Space Research Organisation (isro.gov.in), Missions accomplished ↗“SLV-3 was successfully launched on July 18, 1980 from Sriharikota Range (SHAR), when Rohini satellite, RS-1, was placed in orbit, thereby making India the sixth member of an exclusive club of space-faring nations . SLV-3 employed an open loop guidance (with stored pitch programme) to steer the vehicle in flight along a pre-determined trajectory. The first experimental flight of SLV-3, in August 1979, was only partially successful.”
- Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was Project Director of India's first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III), which placed the Rohini satellite in near-earth orbit in July 1980.Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam — President of India (presidentofindia.gov.in), former Presidents ↗“Dr. Kalam made significant contribution as Project Director to develop India's first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III) which successfully injected the Rohini satellite in the near earth orbit in July 1980 and made India an exclusive member of Space Club.”
- PIB recalls Swami Vivekananda's famous message to the youth: 'Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached'.Life and Work of Swami Vivekananda — PIB feature (National Youth Day) ↗“Swamiji’s teachings and thoughts are a guiding light for the youth. Let’s recall his famous message – “Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached”.”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2021, GS Paper IV — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 3 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer· 199words · Minimalist IAS
Swami Vivekananda holds that every worthwhile work must pass through many difficulties, and that success comes, sooner or later, to those who persevere. Perseverance here means steady effort, patience about results and learning from each setback: the effort is ours, the timing is not.
| Perseverance | Obstinacy |
|---|---|
| Keeps the goal, changes the method | Keeps the method, loses the goal |
| Learns from each failure | Blames others for it |
|---|---|
| Patient about results | Demands them at once |
- The individual: a failed attempt is feedback, not a verdict. India's first satellite launch vehicle, SLV-3, was only partially successful in August 1979; in July 1980 it placed the Rohini satellite in orbit, with A.P.J. Abdul Kalam as project director.
- Public service: reforms meet apathy, litigation and transfers. Round after round of immunisation, over decades, made India polio-free in 2014.
- Society: the right to information began as an agitation in rural Rajasthan over village development funds and, despite resistance from the bureaucracy, became a national law.
- A caution: perseverance serves a worthy goal by fair means; persisting in a wrong cause is not virtue but obstinacy.
His own call to the young carries the same creed: 'Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached'.
Prepared by Minimalist IAS to the answer standard of Shivam Singh (mentor, 7 years) · facts checked against official sources (how we verify) · updated 3 Oct 2026. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.
Q3(b) 10 marks · 150 words · answered on its own
“We can never obtain peace in the outer world until and unless we obtain peace within ourselves.” —Dalai Lama
Approach · directive: “what does it mean (to you)”
What it asks · Explain the Dalai Lama's point that outer peace depends on inner peace, and what it means today for the individual, public service and the state.
It asks 2 things — answer each
- Explain what the Dalai Lama's quotation means
- Bring out what it means today, with an example
Open with · The Dalai Lama, Nobel Peace Prize 1989 for advocating peaceful solutions based upon tolerance and mutual respect, means that peace begins in the mind; his Nobel lecture called inner peace the key to calmness and reason.
Cover
- A flowchart traces peace outward: inner calm, clear judgement, fair action, trust, outer peace.
- The individual: an angry mind turns a road dispute or a social-media post into violence; restraint stops it at source.
- Public service: an officer in a communal flare-up must master fear and anger to hear both sides and act fairly.
- Example: after Kalinga, Ashoka's own inscription records his turn to Dhamma; an inner change became state policy.
- Caution: inner peace complements just institutions and never excuses tolerating injustice.
Close with · UNESCO's Constitution opens on the same insight: since wars begin in the minds of men, the defences of peace must be constructed in the minds of men.
Add value (verified)
- The 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) received the Nobel Peace Prize 1989 'for advocating peaceful solutions based upon tolerance and mutual respect in order to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of his people'.The 14th Dalai Lama — Facts, Nobel Peace Prize 1989 (NobelPrize.org) ↗“The 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) Nobel Peace Prize 1989 Born: 6 July 1935, Taktser, Tibet (now China) Residence at the time of the award: India Prize motivation: “for advocating peaceful solutions based upon tolerance and mutual respect in order to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of his people””
- In his Nobel lecture the Dalai Lama called inner peace the key: with it, external problems do not disturb one's deep peace, and one can deal with situations with calmness and reason.The 14th Dalai Lama — Nobel Lecture, 11 December 1989 (NobelPrize.org) ↗“Inner peace is the key: if you have inner peace, the external problems do not affect your deep sense of peace and tranquility. In that state of mind you can deal with situations with calmness and reason, while keeping your inner happiness.”
- The Constitution of UNESCO declares that since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.Constitution of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — UNESCO ↗“That since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed;”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2021, GS Paper IV — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 3 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer· 199words · Minimalist IAS
The Dalai Lama, awarded the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize 'for advocating peaceful solutions based upon tolerance and mutual respect', means that peace in the world begins in the mind: a person ruled by anger, greed or fear carries conflict outward. In his Nobel lecture he called inner peace 'the key', letting one 'deal with situations with calmness and reason'.
- Inner calm
- Clear judgement
- Fair action
- Trust
- Outer peace
- The individual: an angry mind turns a road dispute or a social-media post into violence; self-awareness and restraint stop the chain at its source.
- Public service: an officer facing a communal flare-up must first master his own fear and anger; only a calm mind hears both sides and acts fairly.
- The state, an example: after the Kalinga war, in which a hundred thousand were killed and one hundred and fifty thousand deported, Ashoka's own inscription records his turn to Dhamma; an inner change became state policy.
- A caution: inner peace complements just institutions; it is no excuse for tolerating injustice outside.
UNESCO's Constitution opens on the same insight: 'since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed'.
Prepared by Minimalist IAS to the answer standard of Shivam Singh (mentor, 7 years) · facts checked against official sources (how we verify) · updated 3 Oct 2026. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.
Q3(c) 10 marks · 150 words · answered on its own
“Life doesn’t make any sense without interdependence. We need each other, and the sooner we learn that, it is better for us all.” —Erik Erikson
Approach · directive: “what does it mean (to you)”
What it asks · Explain Erikson's point that life makes sense only through interdependence, and what it means today for the individual, public service and the world.
It asks 2 things — answer each
- Explain what Erik Erikson's quotation means
- Bring out what it means today, with an example
Open with · Erikson saw personality grow through eight stages of development, each with its own psychosocial demands, so the self is formed in relationship; the quotation calls for interdependence, mutual reliance among equals.
Cover
- A table contrasts dependence (helplessness), independence (isolation) and interdependence (shared strength).
- The individual: families, friends and mentors carry us through life's crises; no one grows alone.
- Public service: convergence across ministries, cooperative federalism and civil-society partnership deliver what silos cannot.
- Example: under Vaccine Maitri India supplied doses to 94 countries in 2021, and in its second wave received aid from more than 50 countries.
Close with · India's G20 Presidency theme (since then), Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam or One Earth One Family One Future, states Erikson's insight in civilisational words.
Add value (verified)
- Erik Erikson conceived eight stages of development, each with its own psychosocial demands; personality develops through a series of crises overcome by the individual.Erik Erikson — Encyclopaedia Britannica ↗“Erikson conceived eight stages of development, each confronting the individual with its own psychosocial demands, that continued into old age . Personality development, according to Erikson, takes place through a series of crises that must be overcome and internalized by the individual in preparation for the next developmental stage.”
- PIB (7 December 2021, Rajya Sabha reply): since Vaccine Maitri began in January 2021, India supplied 723.435 lakh doses of COVID vaccine to 94 countries and 2 UN entities by 29 November 2021; during the second wave India received COVID equipment and medicines from more than 50 countries.Export of Covid-19 Vaccines — PIB, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 7 December 2021 ↗“Since the start of Vaccine Maitri Programme in January, 2021, India has supplied 723.435 lakh doses of COVID vaccine to 94 countries and 2 UN entities in the form of grant, commercial export or through COVAX till 29 th November, 2021. In the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic during the second wave, support in the form of COVID related equipment and medicines were received from more than 50 countries.”
- India's G20 Presidency theme, 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' or 'One Earth One Family One Future', from the Maha Upanishad, affirms the value of all life and its interconnectedness.G20 Series #2: Decoding the G20 Logo and Theme — PIB explainer, November 2022 ↗“The theme of India’s G20 Presidency - “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or “One Earth One Family One Future” - is drawn from the ancient Sanskrit text of the Maha Upanishad. Essentially, the theme affirms the value of all life – human, animal, plant, and microorganisms – and their interconnectedness on the planet Earth and in the wider universe.”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2021, GS Paper IV — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 3 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer· 189words · Minimalist IAS
Erik Erikson saw personality grow through eight stages of development, each with its own psychosocial demands, so the self is formed in relationship with others. The quotation calls for interdependence, mutual reliance among equals; learning it early spares the costly lessons that isolation teaches later.
| Stance | Belief | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Dependence | I need you | Helplessness |
| Independence | I need no one | Isolation |
|---|---|---|
| Interdependence | We need each other | Shared strength |
- The individual: families, friends and mentors carry each of us through life's crises; self-reliance matters, but no one grows alone.
- Public service: no department can end malnutrition or manage a flood alone; convergence across ministries, cooperative federalism and partnership with civil society deliver what silos cannot.
- The world, an example: under Vaccine Maitri, from January 2021 India supplied 723.435 lakh COVID vaccine doses to 94 countries and 2 UN entities by 29 November 2021; in the second wave, India in turn received equipment and medicines from more than 50 countries.
- Not dependence: interdependence respects each party's dignity and autonomy while sharing burdens.
India's G20 Presidency theme (since then), Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam or 'One Earth One Family One Future', states Erikson's insight in civilisational words.
Prepared by Minimalist IAS to the answer standard of Shivam Singh (mentor, 7 years) · facts checked against official sources (how we verify) · updated 3 Oct 2026. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.
