UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative for the practice of Mains answer writing. It covers essential topics of static and dynamic parts of the UPSC Civil Services syllabus covered under various GS papers. This answer-writing practice is designed to help you as a value addition to your UPSC CSE Mains. Attempt today’s answer writing on questions related to topics of GS-2 to check your progress. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for May 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨 QUESTION 1 Discuss the benefits and challenges of conducting Census 2027 utilising a fully digital enumeration method. QUESTION 2 What is the G7? What have been its key developments over time? Discuss the strategic significance of inviting India to the 2025 Canada summit. General points on the structure of the answers Introduction — The introduction of the answer is essential and should be restricted to 3-5 lines. Remember, a one-liner is not a standard introduction. — It may consist of basic information by giving some definitions from the trusted source and authentic facts. Body — It is the central part of the answer and one should understand the demand of the question to provide rich content. — The answer must be preferably written as a mix of points and short paragraphs rather than using long paragraphs or just points. — Using facts from authentic government sources makes your answer more comprehensive. Analysis is important based on the demand of the question, but do not over analyse. — Underlining keywords gives you an edge over other candidates and enhances presentation of the answer. — Using flowcharts/tree-diagram in the answers saves much time and boosts your score. However, it should be used logically and only where it is required. Way forward/ conclusion — The ending of the answer should be on a positive note and it should have a forward-looking approach. However, if you feel that an important problem must be highlighted, you may add it in your conclusion. Try not to repeat any point from body or introduction. — You may use the findings of reports or surveys conducted at national and international levels, quotes etc. in your answers. Self Evaluation — It is the most important part of our Mains answer writing practice. UPSC Essentials will provide some guiding points or ideas as a thought process that will help you to evaluate your answers. THOUGHT PROCESS You may enrich your answers by some of the following points QUESTION 1: Discuss the benefits and challenges of conducting Census 2027 utilising a fully digital enumeration method. Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers. Introduction: — The government has declared that the 16th Census of India will be held in two stages, with reference dates set for March 1, 2027 for most of the country and October 1, 2026 for snow-bound and inaccessible regions such as Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. — This census marks a significant milestone because it will feature the first nationwide caste enumeration since 1931. Body: You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer: The Census serves multiple critical functions: — It serves as the foundation for the creation of electoral constituencies and the allocation of seats to Scheduled Castes and Tribes. — Central grants to states and districts are frequently population-based, as are subsidies and ration allocations. — Census data is used by ministries ranging from Education to Rural Development to locate schools, basic health care facilities, and infrastructure projects. — It aids the judiciary, planners, and scholars in understanding migration, urbanisation, employment, and fertility patterns. — The Census is also necessary for the execution of constitutional obligations. According to Article 82 of the Constitution, constituencies must be delimited using the most recent Census. Articles 330 and 332 reserve legislative seats for SCs and STs depending on population proportions. How is the 2027 Census proposed to be conducted? — The 2027 Census will be India's first digital census, featuring mobile apps, online self-enumeration, and near-real-time monitoring. It's also the first time since 1931 that caste data would be collected for all communities. — In a notable departure from 2011, the 2027 Census will include self-enumeration for the first time, allowing households to go into a government portal or use an app to fill out their own information. Once self-enumeration is completed, the system generates a unique ID. Individuals who self-enumerated will only need to provide this ID when the Census enumerator comes to their home. — Enumerators would also use mobile devices or smartphones preinstalled with the Census application. While a dual system with paper enumeration is planned, sources say it is predicted that all enumerators will utilise the digital media because cellphones are now ubiquitous and the pay for a digital census is higher. This digitisation is supposed to eliminate errors, speed up processing, and allow for better quality control. Conclusion: — Digital literacy among enumerators is a serious issue. To address this, comprehensive training modules, simulations, and region-specific language interfaces have been developed. The software features intuitive prompts, drop-down options, and offline sync. — Quality control consists of managers evaluating flagged forms and Census officers conducting periodic checks. Errors such as unrealistic age ranges or duplicate entries may be detected and corrected before submission. (Source: Explained: How India conducts its Census — and what is new in 2027) Points to Ponder Read more about Census How digital challenges will be addressed in Census 2027? Related Previous Year Questions What changes has the Union Government recently introduced in the domain of Centre-State relations? Suggest measures to be adopted to build the trust between the Centre and the States and for strengthening federalism. (2024) QUESTION 2: What is the G7? What have been its key developments over time? Discuss the strategic significance of inviting India to the 2025 Canada summit. Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers. Introduction: — The Group was established as a platform for economic and financial cooperation in response to the 1973 energy crisis. The first Summit of Heads of State and Government was held in 1975 in Rambouillet, France. — The G7 meeting provides a forum for member countries to address their common values and concerns. While the G7's initial focus was on international economic policy, in the 1980s it expanded its mandate to encompass foreign policy and security matters. — Canada is chairing this year's G7 Summit, which will be attended by the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Carney has also invited the presidents of non-member countries India, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, and Ukraine, as well as the head of NATO. Body: You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer: Key developments — In 1997, the G7 countries agreed to contribute $300 million to efforts to mitigate the effects of the Chernobyl reactor catastrophe. — At the 2002 summit, participants agreed to undertake a coordinated response to combat the threat of AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Their efforts resulted in the creation of the Global Fund, an innovative finance vehicle that has disbursed over $45 billion in relief. — The Global Apollo Program was inaugurated during the 2015 G7 conference. The Apollo Program, designed to combat climate change through renewable energy research and development, was established by the United Kingdom but did not gain traction until the other G7 countries decided to finance it. Significance of inviting India to the 2025 Canada summit — India's invitation represents a growing global consensus in a divided international order and goes beyond a mere symbolic gesture. — India's foreign policy approach, which is multi-alignment in principle and strategic autonomy in practice, has become more significant. — India's economy is growing and it has surpassed the UK to become the fifth largest economy, with a GDP of almost $3.7 trillion in 2024. — Canada's invitation to India recognises that without support from nations that reflect the goals of the Global South. Conclusion: — Due to its exclusion of China and India, two of the biggest economies in the world, the G7 has come under fire for being out of date and ineffectual in recent decades. Though others argue against it, citing India's significantly lower GDP per capita in comparison to other states, several think tanks have urged for India to join the organisation. (Source: 5 things to look out for in this year’s G7 Summit in Canada, What is the G7?) Points to Ponder Read more about G7 What are the key agendas for 2025 Summit Related Previous Year Questions ‘Virus of Conflict is affecting the functioning of the SCO’ In the light of the above statement, point out the role of India in mitigating the problems. (2023) ‘The expansion and strengthening of NATO and a stronger US-Europe strategic partnership works well for India.’ What is your opinion about this statement ? Give reasons and examples to support your answer. (2023) Previous Mains Answer Practice UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 106) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 107) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 106) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 105) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 106) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 105) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.
