| UPSC GS3 Paper, 2024 |
| Subject | UPSC Syllabus | Microthemes | UPSC PYQs | Marks | Year |
| Economic Development | 01. Indian Economy (issues re: planning, mobilisation of resources, growth, development, employment); | Monetary policy | What are the causes of persistent high food inflation in India? Comment on the effectiveness of the monetary policy of the RBI to control this type of inflation. | 10 | 2024 |
| 02. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it | Inclusive Growth | Examine the pattern and trend of public expenditure on social services in the post-reforms period in India. To what extent this has been in consonance with achieving the objective of inclusive growth? | 10 | 2024 |
| 12.Effects of Liberalisation on the economy; Changes in Industrial policy & their effects on industrial growth | Labour Reforms | Discuss the merits and demerits of the four ‘Labour Codes’ in the context of labour market reforms in India. What has been the progress so far in this regard? | 15 | 2024 |
| 13. Infrastructure (energy, ports, roads, airports, railways); Investment models | Airports related Infrastructure | What is the need for expanding the regional air connectivity in India? In this context, discuss the government’s UDAN Scheme and its achievements. | 15 | 2024 |
| Agriculture | 04. Major Crops – Cropping patterns in various parts of the country | Millets | Explain the role of millets for ensuring health and nutritional security in India. | 10 | 2024 |
| 05. Different types of irrigation and irrigation systems | Irrigation system and Challenges | What are the major challenges faced by Indian irrigation system in recent times? State the measures taken by the government for efficient irrigation management. | 15 | 2024 |
| 08. Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and MSP; PDS (objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping, issues of buffer stocks & food security), Technology Missions | Buffer stock & food Security | Elucidate the importance of buffer stocks for stabilizing agricultural prices in India. What are the challenges associated with the storage of buffer stock? Discuss. | 15 | 2024 |
| 11. Land Reforms in India | Land Reforms | What were the factors responsible for the successful implementation of land reforms in some parts of the country? Elaborate. | 10 | 2024 |
| Environment | 17. Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment | EIA | What role do environmental NGOs and activists play in influencing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) outcomes for major projects in India? Cite four examples with all important details. | 10 | 2024 |
| Environmental Pollution and Mitigation | Industrial pollution of river water is a significant environmental issue in India. Discuss the various mitigation measures to deal with this problem and also the government’s initiatives in this regard. | 10 | 2024 |
| Disaster Management | 18. Disaster and Disaster Management | Disaster Risk Reduction | What is disaster resilience? How is it determined? Describe various elements of a resilience framework. Also mention the global targets of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030). | 15 | 2024 |
| Urban floods | Flooding in urban areas is an emerging climate-induced disaster. Discuss the causes of this disaster. Mention the features of two such major floods in the last two decades in India. Describe the policies and frameworks in India that aim at tackling such floods. | 15 | 2024 |
| S&T | 14. Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life | Tech in crisis Management | The world is facing an acute shortage of clean and safe freshwater. What are the alternative technologies which can solve this crisis? Briefly discuss any three such technologies citing their key merits and demerits. | 15 | 2024 |
| Tech solutions for daily challenges | What is the technology being employed for electronic toll collection on highways? What are its advantages and limitations? What are the proposed changes that will make this process seamless? Would this transition carry any potential hazards? | 10 | 2024 |
| 16. Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights | Intellectual Property Rights | What is the present world scenario of intellectual property rights with respect to life materials? Although, India is second in the world to file patents, still only a few have been commercialized. Explain the reasons behind this less commercialization. | 10 | 2024 |
| Space Technology | What are asteroids? How real is the threat of them causing extinction of life? What strategies have been developed to prevent such a catastrophe? | 15 | 2024 |
| Internal Security | 21. Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention. | Data Governance | Describe the context and salient features of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 Total | 10 | 2024 |
| Role of Media and Social Networking sites in Internal Security Threats | Social media and encrypting messaging services pose a serious security challenge. What measures have been adopted at various levels to address the security implications of social media? Also suggest any other remedies to address the problem. | 15 | 2024 |
| 22. Security challenges and their management in border areas – linkages of organized crime with terrorism. | Border Area Management | India has a long and troubled border with China and Pakistan fraught with contentious issues. Examine the conflicting issues and security challenges along the border. Also give out the development being undertaken in these areas under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) and Border Infrastructure and Management (BIM) Scheme. | 15 | 2024 |
| Organized Crime and Terrorism | Explain how narco-terrorism has emerged as a serious threat across the country. Suggest suitable measures to counter narco-terrorism. | 10 | 2024 |
