Essay Writing

IAS Essay Preparation

Candidates will be required to write an essay on a specific topic. The choice of subjects will be given. They will be expected to keep closely to the subject of the essay to arrange their ideas in orderly fashion, and to write concisely. Credit will be given for effective and exact expression

This paper was reintroduced in the scheme of examination in 1993, it has played a crucial role in determining the rank of the student. Most of the top rankers have scored above 55% in this paper. Some candidates have also scored around 60% which has helped them secure a position in the top ten ranks.

Correct choice of topic and the appropriate method of writing are important. It is advisable to choose the factual topics which are non-controversial in nature.

Method of Writing:
After deciding the topic
1. Start brain stroming
2. Write down all the ideas that you about the topic.
3. Do not classify or systematise your points at this stage.
4. Put them on paper randomly as they flow in.
5. Later, arrange the ideas in a logical and sequential manner.
6. Having arrived at the sequence, start writing, giving due care to the introduction, the body and finally the conclusion.
7. Ensure that you have enough time for revision.
8. Remember it is a General Essay Paper and you should not be highly technical.

Here are some help tools for tackling Essay in the UPSC exams, ranging from the syllabus to reading list and other tips. These resources on Essay also includes IAS Question Papers of Essay. We wish you to adopt the best strategy and become successful. We try our best to provide as many resources for your prepration as possible, but if you can add to this list please feel free to send us links or matter.

Mains Syllabus of Essay Question Papers of Essay Suggested Strategy for Essay Suggested Readings for Essay Essay Contest

Discuss Current Affairs

Sample Essays

1. If Youth knew if Age could
2. The Game of Politics
3. Secularism in India

Essay Topics: November - 2013 (last date: November 30)

1. Discuss success to tackle Cyclone Phalin-Failure to control Uttrakhand floods.
2. Communalism and Terrorism are interlinked, challenges in controlling them
3. India's Mars Mission � What it intends to achieve
4. Sachin Tendulkar has made a huge impact- Discuss his qualities as a trailblazer.

1. Discuss success to tackle Cyclone Phalin-Failure to control Uttrakhand floods.-Imroz Ahmed
2. Discuss success to tackle Cyclone Phalin-Failure to control Uttrakhand floods.-Sejal Goel
3. Discuss success to tackle Cyclone Phalin-Failure to control Uttrakhand floods.-K Divija

1. Communalism and Terrorism are interlinked, challenges in controlling them-K.Shreya Ghosh
2. Communalism and Terrorism are interlinked, challenges in controlling them-K.Farijuddin Khan
3. Communalism and Terrorism are interlinked, challenges in controlling them-K.Ninaad Athalye

1. Sachin Tendulkar has made a huge impact- Discuss his qualities as a trailblazer.-K.Chitti Raju
2. Sachin Tendulkar has made a huge impact- Discuss his qualities as a trailblazer.-Tittu Sunny

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Essay Topics: October - 2013

1. Ordinance on Convicted legislatures sets bad precedent -Rishi Tandon
2. Ordinance on Convicted legislatures sets bad precedent -Akshith
3. Ordinance on Convicted legislatures sets bad precedent -Praveen Ebenezer Paul. E (Winner)

1. Necessity for Communal Violence prevention bill -Bhagya Lakshmi Vijayan(Winner)
2. Necessity for Communal Violence prevention bill -Shreya Ghosh
3. Necessity for Communal Violence prevention bill -Harsha Vardhan
4. Necessity for Communal Violence prevention bill -Gokul Abraham

1. Alternatives to India's dependence on energy supply -Srinivas Vadada
2. Alternatives to India's dependence on energy supply -Reema D`souza
3. Alternatives to India's dependence on energy supply -Monic Abhishek.K(Winner)

1. SC's negative voting verdict, good or bad for democracy -Krishna S (Winner)
2. SC's negative voting verdict, good or bad for democracy -Ankush Sharma
3. SC's negative voting verdict, good or bad for democracy -Bafpalbir singh
4. SC's negative voting verdict, good or bad for democracy -Preeti Aggarwal
5. SC's negative voting verdict, good or bad for democracy -Smita Saxena
6. SC's negative voting verdict, good or bad for democracy -Divya Annepu

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Essay Topics: September - 2013

1. Measures to reinvigorate Indian Economy -Ramsnehi Meghna (Winner)
2. Measures to reinvigorate Indian Economy -Shubham

1. Food Security Bill � A poll gimmick or anti hunger action plan -Anubhav Mishra
2. Food Security Bill � A poll gimmick or anti hunger action plan -Gokul Abraham
3. Food Security Bill � A poll gimmick or anti hunger action plan -Padma Priya
4. Food Security Bill � A poll gimmick or anti hunger action plan -Balasubramanyan Menon (Winner)
5. Food Security Bill � A poll gimmick or anti hunger action plan -Amit Srivastav

1. Land acquisition bill � Boon or Bane -Jashanpreet Singh (Winner)
2. Land acquisition bill � Boon or Bane -Neha Ghosh
3. Land acquisition bill � Boon or Bane -Amit Srivastav

1. Fight against Superstition needs a countrywide campaign -Vipul Kumar Pandey (Winner)
2. Fight against Superstition needs a countrywide campaign -Neha Ghosh
3. Fight against Superstition needs a countrywide campaign -Swathi Gs
4. Fight against Superstition needs a countrywide campaign -Henna Jain

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Essay Topics: August - 2013

1. Telengana sparks fresh debate on reorganization of Indian states -R.Menon
2. Telengana sparks fresh debate on reorganization of Indian states -Sumeet Garg
3. Telangana sparks fresh debate on Reorganization of Indian States -Sundeep Shukla
4. Telengana sparks fresh debate on reorganisation of indian states -Manpreet Kaur
5. Telengana sparks fresh debate on reorganization of Indian States -Gopika Jayan

1. Bihar Mid-Day meal tragedy signals revamping of the nutrition scheme -Shreya Anurakti
2. Bihar Mid-Day meal tragedy signals revamping of the nutrition scheme -Balasubramanyan.R.Menon (Winner 2)
3. Revamping Nutrition Support Schemes -Prashant jain

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Essay Topics: July - 2013

1. Uttrakhand floods � Nature or Human have aggravated the miseries -Balasubramanyan.R.Menon (Winner)
2. Uttrakhand floods � Nature or Human have aggravated the miseries -Vijay Yadav
3. Uttrakhand floods � Nature or Human have aggravated the miseries -Kamaldeep Singh
4. Why the Indian Rupee is depreciating and measures to control it. -Aditya Das
5. Why Indian rupee is deprecating, measures to control it. -Azad Singh Bothra
6. Why Indian rupee is deprecating, measures to control it. -SHREYA ANURAKTI

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Essay Topics: june - 2013

1. Maoist should be treated on par with terrorist and anti-nationals -Pratibha Sharma (Winner)
2. Maoist should be treated on par with terrorist and anti-nationals -Abhishek Dixit
3. Maoist should be treated on par with terrorist and anti-nationals -Arjun Tyagi
4. Maoist should be treated on par with terrorist and anti-nationals -Dharmesh Sharma
5. Is food security law necessary for India? -Ashish Pandey
6. How to clean up the mess of Indian Premier League -Rishi Tandon

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Essay Topics: May - 2013

1. Anatomy of Rape, causes and remedies -Priyanka Agarwal

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Essay Topics: April - 2013

1. Italian Marines brought back is a national victory - Himanshu Dhumash

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Essay Topics: March - 2013

1. From Bofors to Helicopters, Bribery in Defence Deals Stinks - Ajit Lodhi

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Essay Topics: February - 2013

1. Freedom of expression is superior or the right to protest - Rishav jha

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Contest Essay for January - 2013

1. Are Women in India safe? Are stringent Laws enough to curb the male sexual overdrive?-Saurabh Sharan
2. Are Women in India safe? Are stringent Laws enough to curb the male sexual overdrive?-Akash Sharma
3. The Youth of India, are they in a position of unrest?-Rajendra Koushik

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Contest Essay for December - 2012

1. In corruption, India ranks 94th in the world-Ansh Neeraj Tayal
2. India's recent test failure vs England-Shashidhar mishra

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Contest Essay for November - 2012

1. Obama vs Romney- Renu Singh
2. Why Digitization hits metros in India?- Akshith

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Essay Topics: November - 2012 (last date: November 31)

1. Swamy seeks Congress' de-recognition
2. Obama vs Romney
3. Why Digitization hits metros in India?

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Contest Essay for October - 2012

1. Indian people vs price hike-Aurag
2. Your view on foreign direct investment(FDI)-Anueeja
3. Why SC tells Karnataka to give water to Tamil Nadu immediately?- Kaveri Talari
4. Does really politics divided the anti-corruption movement(anna hazare/kejriwal)- Rishi Tandon

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Contest Essays for September - 2012

1. coal allocation scam-Amrita Patil
2. US Election 2012: Mitt Romney or Barack Obama-vikas aswal
3. ISRO launches 100th mission:PSLV C 21-M.Thanikkachalem

Contest Essays for August - 2012

1. India declares drought: How will it affect country economy - Ganga
2. Why Indian athletes are falling back in Olympics 2012 ? - Disha gandhi
3. India declares drought: How will it affect country economy - Isha roy

Contest Essays for July - 2012

1. Who deserves to take the seat of president? either sangama or Pranab Mukerjee ? - Addeba fahiem
2. Who deserves to take the seat of president? either sangama or Pranab Mukerjee ? - Amit Kumar
3. "God Particle" Found? will it be a Historic Milestone in science - Aleem javed

Contest Essays for June - 2012

1. Will INS Vikramaditya War ship add strength to our Indian navy? - Ankit Agarwal
2. Will INS Vikramaditya War ship add strength to our Indian navy? - Vamshi Krishna
3. Dollar increase against rupees - Shekhar
4. Petrol price hike and its effects on our day to day life - Priyanka Singh

Contest Essays for May - 2012

1. Should Sachin Tendulkar conferred Rajya Sabha nomination or Bharat Ratna?- Himanshu Dhumash
2. Should Sachin Tendulkar conferred Rajya Sabha nomination or Bharat Ratna? - Pratik Mantri
3. Central- State hassle over NCTC - Saahil Bhanot
4. Central- State hassle over NCTC - Nilmani
5. Will india meet surplus electric power production in 2013? - Bharath Akkera

Contest Essays for April - 2012

1. UP : Miscary for Congress and Rahul- Ankit Agarwal
2. Corruption case against Jagan Mohan-split- Abhishek Dixit
3. Union budget 2012-13- crucial or noncrucial?- Himanshu Dhumash
4. Anna protest against corruption: is he still a crowd-maker? - kaustubh verma

Contest Essays for March - 2012

1. Collapse of Kingfisher Airlines- Himanshu Dhumash
2. Collapse of Kingfisher Airlines- Shobhit Navani
3. Collapse of Kingfisher Airlines- Kaustubh Verma
4. Disputes over National Counter Terrorism Center- Kanwar Deep Singh
5. Disputes over National Counter Terrorism Center- Himanshu Dhumash
6. Disputes over National Counter Terrorism Center- Raj Cham

Contest Essays for February - 2012

1. Economic Growth Of India In 2011- Priya Sharma
2. Economic Growth Of India In 2011- Ramandeep Kaur
3. Economic Growth Of India In 2011- Bharath B Gowda
4. Economic Growth Of India In 2011- Abhinav Akash
5. 2G Scam and Chidambaram- Raj Cham
6. Reason behind Rahul Gandhi enter into politics- Pushkar Ashwani

Contest Essays for January - 2012

1.  Lokpal Bill fiasco- Govind Prakash
2. Has Anna's agitation lost steam?- saurabh shubham
3. Censorship on networking websites- Henna Jain
4. The Truth vs Hype of FDI- Rishav Jha
5. The Truth vs Hype of FDI- Vyom Bindal

Contest Essays for December - 2011

1. Are scientific inventions making us happier- kriteesh parashar
2. Are scientific inventions making us happier- swasti raizada
3. Sharad Pawar Slapped: is it the right way for showing discontent? - Ikram singh Harika
4. Sharad Pawar Slapped: is it the right way for showing discontent? - Pranay Chaturvedi
5. Has corruption haunted india�s growth ? - Shruti Roy
6. Has corruption haunted india�s growth ? - Mudasir Husssain
7. Has corruption haunted india�s growth ? - Sonali Dinkar
8. Has corruption haunted india�s growth ? - Ikram singh Harika
9. Has corruption haunted india�s growth ? - Ranjana

Contest Essays for November - 2011

1. Why India is the next global leader?- Biswaranjan Sahoo
2. Population Explosion - How can we tackle this problem? - Shreyosi Pal
3. Gaddafi and the north african search for freedom and democracy- Catherine Pushpam Joseph

Contest Essays for October - 2011

1. Narendra Modi, a right choice for PM of India - Rishav Jha
2. Solution for Kudankulam project agitation- Vikram Gs
3. Solution for Kudankulam project agitation- Ch.srujana
4. Telangana state should be granted or not- M Mohan Raj
5. Anna�s Jan Lokpal, a threat to democracy- Sibi Adhithya Senthil Kumar

Contest Essays for September - 2011

1. Dirty scams, still Manmohan an intellectual - Saurabh Makta
2. Another blast in Delhi, who should be blamed- Sonali Kolte
3. Reason for India�s debacle in England tour- Tanujit Medhi
4. Sports Promotion through Ajay Maken�s Sports Bill- Rishabh Jain

Contest Essays for August - 2011

1. cash for vote scam - Rajat-Ali
2. cash for vote scam- Ajith Nair
3. anna�s lokpal vs. government lokpal- disha gandhi
4. cwg what went wrong- ritu g

Contest Essays for July - 2011

1. Can Google circle (+1) beat Facebook? -Deepak Kailash Patra
2. Does Petrol, Diesel, Kerosene & Cooking gas price hike affect the people? -LAV TRAR
3. Rise In Oil Prices,An Encounter? -Kiranmayee Manikyam
4. Is DRS suited for one-day cricket and the World Cup? -JAGTESHWAR SINGH SOHAL.
5. Why corrupt officials are not getting punishment? Did PM�s silence make a bad thing worse? -DANISH KHATANA

Contest Essays for June - 2011

1. Was the government crackdown on Baba Ramdev and his followers justified ?-KANIKA SINGHAL
2. Are cricketers beginning to give more importance to club level tournaments like IPL than playing for the country? -Surendra Lalriya
3. How can one effectively bridge the rich poor gap in India ? -Gajendra Choudhary

Contest Essays for May - 2011

1. Is the media of today upholding good journalistic standards? -Avneesh Kumar
2. Pakistan is serious about their efforts in eradicating terrorists from their soil? -Unni Krishnan Nair
3. Is Obesity a growing concern in India? -Priya Sharma

Contest Essays for April - 2011

1. Anna Hazare�s Movement Against Corruption -Gopika Jayan
2. Anna Hazare�s Movement Against Corruption -Ingudum Lalit
3. Future of Indian Cricket -Souvik Ghosh

Contest Essays for March - 2011

1. Supermarkets -Anubhav Yadav
2. 2G Scam -Gopika Jayan
3. Cricket -P.Leo
4. Supermarkets -Prashant Sree
5. Reality Shows -Rajasekar
6. Reality Shows -Sneha Gangadharan

Contest Essays for February - 2011

1. Capital Punishment -Aparna Pandey
2. Capital Punishment -Deepti Shriram
3. Capital Punishment -Kanishka
4. Sexual Exploitation Against Women -Gitanjali Maria
5. Sexual Exploitation Against Women -Harshita
6. Sexual Exploitation Against Women -Saumitra shukla

Contest Essays for January - 2011

1. Honor killing in India -Shipra Pandey
2. Honor killing in India -Vikas Singh
3. Honor killing in India -Abdullah Panniyankara
4. Honor killing in India -Haritha Reddy
5. Honor killing in India -Himani Grover
6. Should we hang all corrupt politicians -Jatin Sehgal
7. Should we hang all corrupt politicians -Surbhi Sati

Contest Essays for December - 2010

1. Should Students Be Allowed To Grade Their Teachers -Anubha Gupta
2. Should Students Be Allowed To Grade Their Teachers -Ajay Sethu
3. Western Culture Promotes Divorces -Nilopher Khan
4. Western Culture Promotes Divorces -Sundeep Shukla
5. Western Culture Promotes Divorces -Dr.Purvaja Mahadevan
6. Should all terrorists caught red handed on camera, be hanged without trial - Gopika Jayan
7. Should Students Be Allowed To Grade Their Teachers -Rahul Aggarwal
8. Should all terrorists caught red handed on camera, be hanged without trial -A.Prasanna
9. Western Culture Promotes Divorces -Haritha Chaganti
10. Western Culture Promotes Divorces -Dinu Nair
11. Should Students Be Allowed To Grade Their Teachers -Atanu kashyap Adhikari
12. Should all terrorists caught red handed on camera, be hanged without trial -S. Madhan mohan

Contest Essays for November - 2010

1. Do Schools Put Too Much Pressure on Kids -Amru Amruta
2. Empowering Women Rebuilding the Society -Dr.Purvaja Mahadevan
3. Empowering Women Rebuilding the Society -Sundeep Shukla
4. Do Schools Put Too Much Pressure on Kids - Rohit Mittal
5. Do Schools Put Too Much Pressure on Kids -Nishant kumar shekhar
6. Do Schools Put Too Much Pressure on Kids -P.D.Nitya
7. Do Schools Put Too Much Pressure on Kids -Gitanjali Maria
8. Globalization and the Pollution -Shilna Krishnan
9. Globalization and the Pollution -Shruti Garg

Contest Essays for October - 2010

1. Communal harmony and the internal security of India are interlinked -Dr.Purvaja Mahadevan
2. Globalization will kill Small-Scale Industries in India -Anubha Gupta

Contest Essays for September - 2010

1. Indian Education System -Biswajit Pattanayak
2. Is India fit for democracy-Tusheet Saraf

Contest Essays for August - 2010

1. Effects of Technology - Mayank Gupta
2. Advanrages of School Uniforms - Indrani Bhattacharyya
3. Advanrages of School Uniforms - Navin Shetty
4. Life in Kashmir Valley - Anukriti Ranjan
5. Effects of Technology - Virinder Gupta
6. Corruption in India - Karthick Babu
7. Corruption in India - Tanvir
8. Corruption in India - Jasbir Singh Kaura
9. Corruption in India - Shinaaz Mittal
10. Corruption in India - Swapnil Kapse

Some well written essay Links

Secularism In India � The Inconclusive Debate - Link Contributed by Pramod Kumar

Note:
If Any of you writes essays and would like to share them with our readers, you are welcome to contribute them. Please make sure the essays you write are relevant to the UPSC exam for civil services.