UPSC Mains GS 1 Paper Analysis 2025: The General Studies Paper 2 is the third subjective paper of the UPSC Mains Exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. The paper is attempted by candidates who have cleared the UPSC CSE Prelims Exam. The GS 2 Paper exam was held on August 23, 2025, from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The UPSC GS 2 Paper consists of questions from topics such as Indian Polity & Constitution, Governance, International Relations, and Social Justice. The UPSC Mains GS 2 Paper Analysis 2025 will be done for the complete paper to give the candidates an idea of the difficulty level, question types, and recurring themes of the GS Paper 2 2025.
The UPSC GS 2 Question Paper consisted of 20 questions in all. Ten of these were 10 marks each, and 10 other questions were of 15 marks each. The candidates can be awarded a maximum of 250 marks for this paper. Candidates who appeared for the exam found the question paper to be well-balanced with questions from almost all the subjects included in the GS 2 Syllabus, like Indian Polity & Constitution, Governance, International Relations, and Social Justice.
Candidates preparing for the UPSC CSE Examination can check the table below for an overview of the UPSC General Studies 2 Question Paper:
UPSC Mains GS 2 Paper Analysis 2025 Overview | |
Particulars | Details |
Paper | Paper III (GS 2) |
Question Paper Date | August 23, 2025 |
Shift | 2:30 P.M. to 5:30 P.M. |
Total Marks | 250 |
Total Questions | 20 (10X10 and 10X15) |
Minimum Marks | 10% (25 marks) |
Official Website for Question Paper | upsc.gov.in |
The analysis of the UPSC Mains GS Paper 2 was done after the completion of the Exam. At first glance, the questions seemed to be well-balanced for which proper answers would have been written by the candidates. As time passed, candidates felt that the questions were more analytical in nature and consuming time to answer.
As per the analysis of the Paper, candidates should have given more importance to understanding the interconnections between political events and contemporary society.
The analysis highlighted that the Indian Polity questions were centred around the recent bills passed by the parliament, Supreme Court judgments, and their merits and demerits.
Global issues related to war or standoffs between different countries, bilateral talks, visits, the Indian diaspora, and cultural people-to-people contacts were topics for which questions were asked for the International Relations section
Overall, the paper was well-balanced with all questions from all the subjects mentioned under the UPSC Mains GS 2 syllabus included. Candidates with thorough preparation should have been able to write satisfactory answers to all the questions.
The UPSC GS 2 Question Paper 2025 was conducted by UPSC on August 23, 2025, in the afternoon session. The paper primarily covers questions from topics related to Indian Polity & Constitution, Governance, International Relations, and Social Justice. Candidates can download the Question Paper PDF from the table below:
UPSC Mains GS 2 Paper 2025 PDF |
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UPSC Mains GS 2 Question Paper 2025 |
As per the UPSC Mains GS 2 Paper Analysis, the questions asked in the GS 2 paper would have required the candidates to combine factual knowledge and analytical skills to write proper answers.
The questions from Indian Polity and Constitution were more static in nature, whereas the questions from International Relations were more current-affairs-based.
More emphasis was also given to topics related to Social Justice, women empowerment, gender equality, etc.
The questions from Governance revolved more around the knowledge about the working of the government at different levels, their duties and responsibilities, Government schemes, and more.
UPSC Mains GS Paper 1 Subject-Wise Questions | ||
Subject | No. of Questions | Weightage |
Indian Polity and Constitution | TBU | TBU |
Governance | TBU | TBU |
International Relations | TBU | TBU |
Social Justice | TBU | TBU |
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