UPSC PSIR Optional Paper 2 2026 PYQ

Section a · Q1 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 10 marks · Solution

Criticism of the institutional approach in comparative political analysis has come up in successive waves. Comment.

Comparative Politics

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Section b · Q1 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 10 marks · Solution

Extractive capitalism.

Comparative Politics

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Section c · Q1 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 10 marks · Solution

Discuss various methods of Balance of Power.

Key concepts in International Relations

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Section d · Q1 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 10 marks · Solution

Clientilism.

Comparative Politics

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Section e · Q1 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 10 marks · Solution

What role does identity and technology play in the conceptualisation of Defensive realism?

Comparative Politics

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Section a · Q2 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 20 marks · Solution

Discuss the factors responsible for the changing nature of states in contemporary industrial societies and explain its impact

State in comparative perspective

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Section b · Q2 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 15 marks · Solution

International Human Rights frameworks are hostage to politics among nations. Comment

Contemporary Global Concerns

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Section c · Q2 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 15 marks · Solution

Diplomacy has always rested on two pillars: Institutional memory and individual craft. Elaborate

Comparative Politics

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Section a · Q3 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 20 marks · Solution

NATO, the oldest surviving collective security system, is facing the challenge of transactional coercion from its own biggest member. What future does NATO have amidst such developments?

Key concepts in International Relations

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Section b · Q3 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 15 marks · Solution

Theories of international relations which claim objectivity inevitably harbour subjective biases. Elucidate

Comparative Politics

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Section c · Q3 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 15 marks · Solution

Does power transition theory reflect the dynamics of US-China relations?

Approaches to the Study of International Relations

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Section a · Q4 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 20 marks · Solution

QUAD requires more robust architecture than the summit driven mode to tide over the current challenges. Elaborate

Comparative Politics

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Section b · Q4 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 15 marks · Solution

How did the Council of Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA) reflect geo-political division of the world during the cold war?

Changing International Political Order

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Section c · Q4 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 15 marks · Solution

What is UNCLOS? Explain its salient features

Comparative Politics

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Section a · Q5 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 10 marks · Solution

Describe India's objections to agricultural negotiations at the World Trade Organisation.

India’s Contribution to the Non-Alignment Movement

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Section b · Q5 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 10 marks · Solution

What strategic options can India exercise as a response to the tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan?

Recent developments in Indian Foreign policy

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Section c · Q5 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 10 marks · Solution

Discuss the three areas of security co-operation between India and Israel.

India and South Asia

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Section d · Q5 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 10 marks · Solution

Discuss the main features of the land-boundary agreement between India and Bangladesh.

Comparative Politics

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Section e · Q5 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 10 marks · Solution

Analyse the relevance of India-Brazil economic co-operation in strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries.

India and South Asia

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Section a · Q6 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 20 marks · Solution

Accelerating Chinese influence across South Asia is fundamentally reshaping the region's geopolitical landscape. This is a big foreign policy challenge for India. Analyse

India and South Asia

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Section b · Q6 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 15 marks · Solution

Critically evaluate the important factors of India-Maldives relations on the eve of sixty years of diplomatic ties between the two countries

India and the Global South

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Section c · Q6 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 15 marks · Solution

"The mother of all deals" is a transformative milestone in Indo-EU trade relations. Elaborate on the new Security and Defence partnership

Key concepts in International Relations

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Section a · Q7 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 20 marks · Solution

How does illegal cross border migration pose challenges to India's security? Discuss the steps taken by the government in this direction and their effectiveness

Comparative Politics

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Section b · Q7 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 15 marks · Solution

The island of Kachchatheevu remains an intractable issue in India-Sri Lanka relations. Comment

India and the Global South

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Section c · Q7 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 15 marks · Solution

India has adopted multi-alignment to fulfill its core values and interests in international relations. Discuss

Changing International Political Order

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Section a · Q8 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 20 marks · Solution

Critically evaluate India-Russia relations in the 21st century. How have both the countries responded to America meddling in their relations in the recent times?

India and the Global South

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Section b · Q8 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 15 marks · Solution

India has recognised that West Asia is not a single contest, but a tangle of rivalries, bargains and anxieties. Comment

Recent developments in Indian Foreign policy

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Section c · Q8 · UPSC 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 15 marks · Solution

Examine India and South Africa co-operation through bilateral and multi-lateral forums

India and South Asia

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