PSIR Paper 1 2014 with Solutions
In this article, all questions of PSIR Optional Paper 1 are answered. Click on the question links to view tha answers.
This article is part of Synopsis IAS Political Science and International Relations (PSIR) Optional Course.
PSIR Paper 1 UPSC 2014 - Question Paper with Solutions
Click on the links for the solutions
SECTION-A
1. Comment on the following in about 150 words each:
PSIR 1a "...political theory is not an escape mechanism but an arduous calling." (John Plamanetz) UPSC 2014, 10 Marks
PSIR 1b "All silencing of discussion is an assumption of infallibility." (J. S. Mill) UPSC 2014, 10 Marks
PSIR 1c "Nationalism is not a mere political programme but a way of life like religion." (Aurobindo Ghose) UPSC 2014, 10 Marks
PSIR 1d "India has thrown up a form of judicial democracy that has no parallel anywhere else, and has nurtured a kind of civil society that is uniquely its own." (Bhikhu Parekh) UPSC 2014, 10 Marks
PSIR 1e "Power is never the property of an individual; it belongs to a group and remains in existence only so long as the group keeps together." (Hannah Arendt) UPSC 2014, 10 Marks
PSIR 2a Comment on the view that socialism in the 21st century may be reborn as anti-capitalism. UPSC 2014, 20 Marks
PSIR 2b Examine the conditions that are required for the maintenance of legitimacy in modern societies. UPSC 2014, 15 Marks
PSIR 2c Evaluate the contributions of Buddhist tradition to Indian political thought. UPSC 2014, 15 Marks
PSIR 3a Explicate the conception of justice in the critiques of communitarian theorists. UPSC 2014, 20 Marks
PSIR 3b Examine the conception of the State in the ideologies of Fascism and Marxism. UPSC 2014, 15 Marks
PSIR 3c How is liberty a precondition for equality? Explicate the relationship between equality and liberty. UPSC 2014, 15 Marks
PSIR 4a Explain how Machiavelli's application of empirical method to human affairs marks an important stage in the evolution of political science. UPSC 2014, 20 Marks
PSIR 4b Central to Aristotle's political thought is his classification of the different types of political constitutions in the Politics. Evaluate. UPSC 2014, 15 Marks
PSIR 4c Explicate the features of deliberative democracy. UPSC 2014, 15 Marks
SECTION-B
5. Comment on the following in about 150 words each:
PSIR 5a The dilemmas of the human rights movements in India. UPSC 2014, 10 Marks
PSIR 5b Relation between ethnicity and democracy in India. UPSC 2014, 10 Marks
PSIR 5c Increasingly higher focus on Directive Principles of State Policy. UPSC 2014, 10 Marks
PSIR 5d Marginalization of the left ideology in India. UPSC 2014, 10 Marks
PSIR 5e The role of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India in promoting good governance. UPSC 2014, 10 Marks
PSIR 6a Discuss the working of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes to curb violence against Dalits. UPSC 2014, 20 Marks
PSIR 6b Examine the scope and limitations of women's movements in India. UPSC 2014, 15 Marks
PSIR 6c Explain how peasant movements promoted nationalist ideas during the struggle for Indian independence. UPSC 2014, 15 Marks
PSIR 7a Discuss the nature of reforms of the electoral process in India and explain the further scope for reforms. UPSC 2014, 20 Marks
PSIR 7b Examine the debates on the appointment procedure of judges to the higher judiciary in India. UPSC 2014, 15 Marks
PSIR 7c Explain how the participation of women impacted the functioning of rural local bodies in India. UPSC 2014, 15 Marks
PSIR 8a Explain how pressure groups have been influencing public policy-making with suitable illustrations. UPSC 2014, 20 Marks
PSIR 8b What are the provisions for constitutional protection of right to freedom of religion and how far have they succeeded in promoting secularism in India? UPSC 2014, 15 Marks
PSIR 8c Account for the changes in the socio-economic profile of legislators during last one decade in India. UPSC 2014, 15 Marks