Philosophy Optional · Paper II · Philosophy of Religion
Notions of God Notes · PYQs
Free notes and every UPSC previous year question for Notions of God, Unit 11 of Paper II, Section B: the official syllabus, 8 topic-wise notes in syllabus order, and all 38 questions from 2000 to 2026 grouped by sub-topic.
8
Free notes
38
Questions listed
29
Asked since 2013
2000–2026
Years covered
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Syllabus Free notes Previous year questions All Philosophy units
Official UPSC syllabus
Notions of God: syllabus
The syllabus text for this unit in Paper II, Section B (Philosophy of Religion) of Philosophy Optional. Every note and question on this page maps to it.
Notions of God: Attributes; Relation to Man and the World (Indian and Western).
Paper II · Section B · Unit 11
Notions of God notes
Topic-wise notes for this unit in syllabus order, written for UPSC Mains in plain language, with diagrams and the previous year questions on each topic.
Free notes
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The Idea of God: Religion, Theology and Philosophy of Religion, Realism and Non-realism, Three Faces of God, the Sacred and the Holy, Theological vs Non-theological Concepts, and Is Hinduism Polytheistic?
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Attributes of God I: Negation and Analogy, Infinity, Aseity, Simplicity, Eternity, Immutability, Omnipresence, Goodness, Love and Holiness, and Indian Accounts
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Omnipotence and Omniscience: Five Accounts of Omnipotence, the Paradox of the Stone, Is God Subject to Logic?, Omnipotence and Evil, Foreknowledge and Freedom, and Indian Debates
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Personal and Impersonal God: the Personalistic and Impersonalistic Notions, Their Difficulties, Impersonal vs Naturalistic, Devotion and the Two Paths, Śaṅkara and Theism, and Reconciliations
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God and the World I: Deism, Theism, Pantheism and Panentheism, Spinoza’s God of Substance and Attributes, Process Theism, Rāmānuja’s Body–Soul Model, and Where Advaita Fits
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God and the World II: How God Causes the World — Demiurge, Unmoved Mover, Emanation and Creation ex nihilo, Material and Efficient Cause in Indian Schools, God in Nyāya and Viśiṣṭādvaita, and Must God Have a Physical Manifestation?
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Immanence and Transcendence: Meaning, How They Go with Omnipresence and Infinitude, the Theistic Balance, Deism and Pantheism as One-sided Extremes, Man between Immanence and Transcendence, and “To Be Man Is to Strive to Be God”
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God and Man: Christianity, Islam, Buber and Spinoza, Yoga, Nyāya, Advaita, Rāmānuja and Madhva, Bhakti, Prayer and Worship, Oriental Religions, and a Comparative Map of Notions of God
Free practice
Previous year questions: Notions of God
All 38 questions UPSC has set from this unit between 2000 and 2026, grouped by sub-topic with the most-asked first, newest first within each. Questions from 2013 onwards are shown; earlier ones open on a tap.
How often UPSC asks each sub-topic
| Sub-topic | Questions | Since 2013 | Last asked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nature of Religion | 7 | 4 | 2020 |
| Omnipotence and Omniscience | 4 | 2 | 2026 |
| Personal vs Impersonal God | 4 | 3 | 2026 |
| Relation to Man and World | 4 | 3 | 2024 |
| Immanence and Transcendence | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| God and Religion | 3 | 3 | 2018 |
| Spinoza · God | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Ramanuja · God and Self | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Proofs of God | 2 | 2 | 2016 |
| Deism and Theism | 2 | 0 | 2012 |
| Sankara · Brahman | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Nyaya · God | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Hinduism · Polytheism | 1 | 1 | 2018 |
| Yoga · Ishvara | 1 | 1 | 2017 |
| Attributes of God | 1 | 1 | 2015 |
Nature of Religion
7 questions · 4 since 2013 · last asked 2020
Asked since 2013 · 4
2020Discuss the significance of ‘Religion’ vis-à-vis the present scientific and technological development. (10 marks)2020Distinguish between prayer and worship and determine their place in religion. (15 marks)2019Is religion a uniting force for humanity in the globalizing world as of today? Discuss. (10 marks)2019Can there be a philosophical argument to support violence in the name of religion? Discuss. (10 marks)
Show 3 earlier questions (before 2013)
2008–2011 · 3 questions
2011Discuss the salient features of traditional orthodox religion (15 marks)2011Religion is not just false, it is harmful.” Discuss. 15 (10 marks)2008Comment on the statement – “Religion only promised, but never fulfilled the promise. (30 marks)
Omnipotence and Omniscience
4 questions · 2 since 2013 · last asked 2026
Asked since 2013 · 2
2026Present an account of criticisms against omniscience and omnipotence as attributes of God. (15 marks)2020Is there any compatibility between ‘Freedom of Will’ and ‘Omnipotent God’? Discuss. (10 marks)
Show 2 earlier questions (before 2013)
2007 · 2 questions
2007God is not the subject to the law of logic. Critical notes (20 marks)2007Traditionally omnipotence has been seen as one of the attributes of God. But, according to some critic, the notion of omnipotent being is paradoxical. In response some theist has tried to resolve the alleged paradox. Describe the paradox and explain the attempt to resolve it (60 marks)
Personal vs Impersonal God
4 questions · 3 since 2013 · last asked 2026
Asked since 2013 · 3
2026Discuss the difference between personalistic and impersonalistic notions of God in the context of devotion. (15 marks)2023Elucidate the personalistic and impersonalistic aspects of God. (10 marks)2019State and evaluate the personalistic and impersonalistic aspects of God. (15 marks)
Show 1 earlier question (before 2013)
2000 · 1 question
2000Impersonalistic Concept of God (20 marks)
Relation to Man and World
4 questions · 3 since 2013 · last asked 2024
Asked since 2013 · 3
2024“In order to be conceived as the ultimate cause of the world, God must necessarily have some form of physical manifestation.” Do you agree with this view? Give reasons and justifications for your answer. (15 marks)2019Discuss the relationship between man and God according to any one of the religions in India. (15 marks)2016Compare and contrast the relation of man to the world in the oriental religions. (15 marks)
Show 1 earlier question (before 2013)
2009 · 1 question
2009To be man is to strive to be God.” Discuss (30 marks)
Immanence and Transcendence
3 questions · 3 since 2013 · last asked 2023
Asked since 2013 · 3
2023In what sense is God both immanent and transcendent in theism? Discuss. (15 marks)2016Show how the attributes of immanence and transcendence of God go with omnipresence and infinitude. (15 marks)2014Elucidate the status of man in the realm between immanence’ and ‘transcendence’. (20 marks)
God and Religion
3 questions · 3 since 2013 · last asked 2018
Asked since 2013 · 3
2018The terms “Sacred’ and ‘Holy’ have come to serve as generic names for the object of religion. Do you agree that one can have God as the object of religion? Discuss. (20 marks)2017What is a non-theological concept of God? How is it different from a theological concept of God? Discuss with arguments. (15 marks)2013Is God indispensable for religion? (10 marks)
Spinoza · God
2 questions · 2 since 2013 · last asked 2024
Asked since 2013 · 2
2024How does the notion of God in Spinoza’s philosophy embedded in his metaphysics of substance and attributes? Critically discuss. (15 marks)2022Write an essay on Spinoza’s notion of God and His attributes. (10 marks)
Ramanuja · God and Self
2 questions · 2 since 2013 · last asked 2022
Asked since 2013 · 2
2022Explain the relation between the God and the Self according to Ramanujacharya. (15 marks)2020Discuss the nature of God in Hinduism with special reference to Vishisht Advaita (Qualified non-dualism). (20 marks)
Proofs of God
2 questions · 2 since 2013 · last asked 2016
Asked since 2013 · 2
2016“It would be self-contradictory to say that the most perfect conceivable being lacks the attribute of existence” Analyse. (15 marks)2016“The natural world is as complexly and manifestly designed as a watch.” Evaluate. (15 marks)
Deism and Theism
2 questions · 0 since 2013 · last asked 2012
2008–2012 · 2 questions
2012Explain the distinction between deism and theism (20 marks)2008Can deism be satisfactory theory in the context of God of grace and devotion? Discuss (20 marks)
Sankara · Brahman
1 question · 1 since 2013 · last asked 2022
Asked since 2013 · 1
2022Critically examine the idea of Brahman in Advaita philosophy of Shankara. Does Shankara’s conception of Brahman leave room for theism? Discuss. (15 marks)
Nyaya · God
1 question · 1 since 2013 · last asked 2021
Asked since 2013 · 1
2021Discuss the nature of God as propounded in Nyaya philosophy. (10 marks)
Hinduism · Polytheism
1 question · 1 since 2013 · last asked 2018
Asked since 2013 · 1
2018Is Hinduism poly-theistic? Give reasons for your answer. (10 marks)
Yoga · Ishvara
1 question · 1 since 2013 · last asked 2017
Asked since 2013 · 1
2017Critically discuss the relationship of man with God in the Yoga system of philosophy. (10 marks)
Attributes of God
1 question · 1 since 2013 · last asked 2015
Asked since 2013 · 1
2015Write a critical note on the attributes of God. (10 marks)
Year-wise question papers
All question papers Topic-wise PYQ bank (both papers) 2026 paper 2025 paper 2024 paper 2023 paper
Next · Paper II · Unit 12
Proofs for the Existence of God
Proofs for the Existence of God and their Critique (Indian and Western).
Philosophy Optional
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