Certainly, here are some potential modern history-related questions that might be encountered in the UPSC Mains exam:
- Discuss the impact of British colonial rule on Indian society and economy, focusing on the processes of socio-cultural transformation, economic exploitation, and administrative reforms.
- Evaluate the factors leading to the emergence of Indian nationalism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and analyze the strategies adopted by nationalist leaders in their struggle for independence.
- Critically assess the significance of the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-1922) in the Indian freedom struggle, examining its objectives, methods, and outcomes.
- Discuss the role of Mahatma Gandhi in the Indian independence movement, focusing on his philosophy of non-violence, mass mobilization techniques, and contributions to national unity.
- Analyze the impact of World War II on the Indian freedom struggle, including the Quit India Movement and the subsequent negotiations leading to independence.
- Examine the partition of India in 1947, assessing its causes, consequences, and implications for communal relations, refugee migration, and nation-building in India and Pakistan.
- Critically evaluate the economic policies of post-independence India, with a focus on the strategies of industrialization, agrarian reforms, and development planning pursued by successive governments.
- Discuss the challenges of nation-building in post-independence India, including issues related to linguistic diversity, regionalism, and the integration of princely states into the Indian Union.
- Assess the impact of the Green Revolution on agricultural productivity, rural transformation, and food security in India, and examine its social and environmental implications.
- Analyze the foreign policy priorities of independent India, with a focus on its relations with major powers, neighboring countries, and its role in international organizations and alliances.
These questions cover various aspects of modern Indian history, including colonialism, nationalism, independence struggle, post-independence developments, and foreign policy, and require candidates to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the period and its significance in shaping contemporary India.
