PSIR Optional · Previous year questions
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Indian Nationalism (PSIR PYQs)
Political Strategies of India’s Freedom struggle: constitutionalism to mass Satyagraha, Non-cooperation, Civil Disobedience; militant and revolutionary movements, Peasant and workers’ movements.
| Year | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Answer in about 150 words: How did Swadeshi grow into a demand for Swaraj? (10 marks) | View answer |
| 2026 | From passive resistors to armed revolutionaries, the Indian Freedom Struggle has a strong imprint of women freedom fighters. Elucidate. (20 marks) | View answer |
| 2025 | Explain briefly the role of Peasant Movements after 1857 and before independence. | View answer |
| 2024 | Discuss the contribution of the Dalit struggle to establish egalitarianism in Indian society during freedom movement. | View answer |
| 2023 | Comment on Satyagraha and Indian Nationalism. | View answer |
| 2022 | Analyse the workers’ movement in India in the pre-Independence period. | View answer |
| 2020 | Trace the role of militant and revolutionary movements in Indian national movement. | View answer |
| 2019 | National movement in India was anti-imperialist and increasingly radical ·in its socio-economic and political programmes. Discuss. | View answer |
| 2018 | Comment in 150 words: Revolt of 1857 is a 'Sepoy Mutiny' or 'First War of Independence'. | View answer |
| 2017 | The success of Mahatma Gandhi lay in transforming both political and non-political movements into a unified nationalist movement. Comment. | View answer |
| 2017 | Differentiate Moderate Nationalism from Extremist/Militant Nationalism in terms of their objectives and means. | View answer |
| 2015 | Comment in 150 words: Satyagraha as a Strategy in the Indian National Movement. | View answer |
| 2014 | Explain how peasant movements promoted nationalist ideas during the struggle for Indian independence. | View answer |
| 2012 | Comment on the efficacy of Satyagraha as moral resistance to colonial rule. | View answer |
| 2011 | Comment on views of Gandhi and Ambedkar on 'social justice'. | View answer |
| 2011 | Comment: Significance of the Civil Disobedience Movement. | View answer |
| 2010 | Comment: Indian nationalism as depicted in S.N. Banerjea's 'A Nation in the Making'. | View answer |
| 2008 | Comment: "Swaraj is the culmination of Swadeshi and Sarvodaya". | View answer |
| 2005 | Comment: Views of Jaya Prakash Narayan on 'Total Revolution'. | View answer |
| 2005 | Explain the 'federal scheme' under the Government of India Act, 1935. Why could this scheme not be implemented? | View answer |
| 2004 | Comment: Surat Split (1907). | View answer |
| 2004 | Comment: The Government of India Act, 1919. | View answer |
| 2004 | Highlight Mahatma Gandhi's role in the Indian National Movement. | View answer |
| 2003 | Comment: Simon Commission. | View answer |
| 2003 | Comment: Gandhi's concept of Truth and Non-violence. Why was he opposed to modern civilisation? | View answer |
| 2003 | Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru comes before us as a great Nationalist, Internationalist and Humanist. Piscuss. | View answer |
| 2002 | Comment: 'Dyarchy' under Montague-Chelmsford Reforms. | View answer |
| 2002 | Examine the salient features of the Indian Independence Act (1947) relating to the transfer of power. What specific provisions did this Act make for the lapse of paramountcy? | View answer |
| 1999 | Comment: Ideas of Gokhale and Tilak and their impact on the Indian struggle for freedom. | View answer |
| 1998 | Comment: Raja Ram Mohan Roy as a social reformer. | View answer |
| 1997 | Comment: Jinnah's two-nation theory. | View answer |
| 1996 | Comment: Swadeshi movement. | View answer |
| 1993 | Comment: Anarchism in Gandhi's philosophy. | View answer |
Perspectives on Indian National Movement: Liberal, Socialist and Marxist; Radical humanist and Dalit.
| Year | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Write a note on the Dalit perspective of Indian National Movement. | View answer |
| 2021 | Analyze the Marxist perspective of the nature of Indian National Movement. (150 words) | View answer |
| 2020 | Answer in 150 words: Role of Socialists in Indian National Movement. | View answer |
| 2019 | Dalit perspective on Indian national movement. Discuss. | View answer |
| 2016 | Critically examine the Radical Humanist perspective on Indian National Movement. | View answer |
| 2013 | Comment in 150 words Marxist understanding of India's freedom movement. | |
| 2011 | Comment: Dalit perspective on Indian National Movement. | View answer |
Syllabus unit: Indian Nationalism
Solved PYQs for every PSIR topic
Notes tell you what a thinker said. PSIR Optional PYQ Solutions shows you how UPSC asks it and how a strong answer is written, on every question since 1991.
- 1,394 solved PYQs (1991–2026), Paper-1 and Paper-2
- Topic-wise across all 40 syllabus units, newest exam year first
- A full model answer for each question, with thinkers and current examples
- Online plus PDF download, 500 days access, one-time payment
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| What you get | PSIR Mains Master Kit 2027 | PSIR Complete Notes (Store) |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 notes — Political Theory + Indian Government and Politics | Included | Included — Section A and Section B |
| Paper 2 notes — Comparative Politics and India and the World | Included | Included — Section A and Section B |
| Topic-wise PYQ bank | 1986–2026, with trend analysis and probables by Dec 2026 | 1991–2025 question papers, free with every notes pack |
| Practice question set for timed answer writing | ✅ Available now | ❌ |
| Answer toolkit — intros, conclusions, frameworks, thinker and example banks | By Dec 2026 | ❌ |
| Revision booklets for the last 60 days | ✅ Available now | ❌ |
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| Price | ₹1,770 (regular ₹5,000) | ₹1,180 for all four sections · ₹599 a paper · ₹354 a section |
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