My Arsu Essay Booklet

Discussion on Essay Structure
By Team MyARSU
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ESSAY STRUCTURE
Building Blocks for a Good Essay
(FOR CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION)

What is an Essay?
Essays are considered to be the piece of writings which displays

an individual's range of learning or knowledge with the ability
to properly understand the statement and design a structure
or flow of essay according to the statement. By range of
learning, we mean the sources or inputs of his/her essay. It
includes views from the scholars, philosophers as well as from
news articles, journals and reports by institutions.
Understanding the statement is the ability to fully grasp the statement including the tone and
the kind of queries/arguments desired by the statement. The flow of essay means the
correlation of earlier learnings with the demands of the statement for a comprehensive
evaluation of the statement.
Whether it is for any competitive examination or a statement of purpose for admission in a
foreign university what matters most for engaging the reader with the essay is the overall
cogency (i.e. being logical, clear and convincing) and the flow of thoughts. But word limits do
play an important role in identifying the proportions to be followed while writing a time-bound
essay for Civil Services Examination. In the Civil Services Essay Examination, since 2014 a
candidate is supposed to write 2 essays of around 1000-1200 words in 180 minutes. So, in this
booklet we will try to structure our essay for around 1200 words.
Structuring of a 1200 words Essay:
The standard practice of dividing an essay into a 3 part structure, i.e. Introduction, Body and
Conclusion, is a tried and tested method for bringing cogency to the essay. This standard
structure helps us in channelising our random thoughts on the topic in a structured manner
while sticking to the word limits and writing an effective essay.


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An effective essay means an essay with:
- A relevant and strong statement with nice introduction to create the interest of the
reader,
- Exposing the reader to the matter with a clear and convincing analysis or evaluation of
the matter at hand, and
- Summing up our ideas to create a lasting impression on the reader.
To fulfill these needs we can follow the standard rule or word allocation for a 3 part essay
structure as:
1. Introduction (10-12.5%),
2. Body (75-80%), and
3. Conclusion (10-12.5%).
For an essay of 1200 words, these proportions comes out to be 120-150 words introduction,
900-960 words body and 120-150 words conclusion. The following discussion will make you
realize that these proportions are more of a natural way of writing an effective essay rather than
a practice to be carefully followed or inculcated in our writing style. But the first feeling which
comes to the mind of many people, especially the people who are going to write essay for the
first time, is that how can he/she write 1200 words on any topic while remaining relevant to the
topic.
This booklet is made for that purpose only and in the following words we will first try to collect

the required words and then we will bring effectiveness to our writing through the essay
topics/statements given by UPSC earlier or making topics from our end.
INTRODUCTION:
a) How to write a 120-150 word introduction?
An essay starts with an introduction, to the statement, showing our understanding of the essay

topic and the route which we are going to take for expressing our viewpoint. Suppose you have
been asked to write an essay on "Technology is dangerous to human autonomy"
Q. How will you write or most importantly how will you start this essay?


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Someone may start his/her essay by expanding the statement through the apprehensions or
fears expressed by people like Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk or Bill Gates on Artificial
Intelligence and similar technologies which holds the potential of bringing a negative impact
on our decision-making process. Someone else might start the essay by sharing a small incident
from life, such as:
"A few months ago, a strange yet likely to become a routine thing happened with my friend. My

friend is a novice to share-market, so he tried to increase his knowledge on the market by using
Google search to learn about the ways and means for analyzing stocks. But after few days
whenever my friend opened his browser for studying the share-market, he started to find 2-3
stock advice as his routine news feed (Articles for you by Google) and promotional/commercial
emails on share trading inside the mailbox. Soon he started to follow those recommendations
instead of going on with his own studies.”
It made me wonder are we really living in the age of free-will or the technology is fast
compromising our decision-making? By using technology global MNCs are trying to manipulate
and giving a nudge to our decisions. In fact the technology is not just trying to guide our
decisions, it is also taking away the sense of purpose from our actions, an important
component of human autonomy.
Or take another example from UPSC CSE Mains Examination, 2015:
“Dreams which should not let India sleep”
Someone may start this essay by presenting some real-life situations or stories where even after

so many years of Independence a man in Odisha was forced to carry his dead wife on his
shoulder for 12 km or thousands of people living without LPG as fuel for cooking, no electricity
etc. These situations show the kind of non-inclusive society we are living in or the harsh
conditions which a large section of India is facing.
Someone else may start by Quoting an Idea/Verse from Rig Veda Mandala 9 Verse 63.5 where
Maharishi Kashyap says:
“Krinvanto Vishwam Aryam”- Let’s make this World a noble place to live in, by moving it from:
“Asato ma sadgamaya”- Unrighteousness to righteousness
“Tamaso ma jyotirgamaya”- Darkness to light


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“Mrityorma amritam gamaya”- Mortality towards immortality
These verses from Rig Veda tries to project the creation of an ideal society where people are
responsible towards society by following the path of righteousness and aspire to achieve
enlightenment and immortality through deeds.
Whether we try to give a direction to our essay through a quote or through story, through
situations or an idea/talk between two people, it will take around 60-70 words of our
introduction. When we club that with the next 60- 70 words on giving hints to the reader on the
likely flow of essay and ending the introduction of our essay with a strong statement it will
satisfy our need for 120-150 words of introduction.
DO REMEMBER THAT THE WAY YOU ARE GOING TO START YOUR ESSAY, IT SHOULD
BE IN LINE WITH THE OVERALL ESSAY YOU ARE LIKELY TO WRITE (UNLESS A
PHILOSOPHICAL ESSAY), AS IT DEFINES THE TONE OF YOUR ESSAY.
e.g. IN THE ESSAY “Dreams which should not let India sleep” IF YOU ARE DEPICTING
THE HARSH CONDITIONS IN WHICH PEOPLE ARE LIVING, YOUR ESSAY SHOULD
REVOLVE AROUND THOSE CONDITIONS OR SITUATIONS AND PROVIDE PRACTICAL
SOLUTIONS TO THOSE PROBLEMS. IF YOU ARE USING THE POSITIVE IDEAS FROM RIG
VEDA, YOUR ESSAY SHOULD REVOLVE AROUND THOSE ASPIRATIONS AND THE
BENEFITS OF THESE ASPIRATIONS TO STAKEHOLDERS.
b) How to make this introduction more effective and appealing?
The things which we have discussed in the previous section as a way to start our essay are
nothing but the ways through which we seek or try to retain the attention of the reader. These
ways are also known as Attention Grabbers or Attention seeking agents which help us in getting
attention from the reader. The common attention seekers used to start essays include:
1. Use of a Quote,
2. Writing a story/narrative (from real or imaginary life),
3. Sharing an Idea from self or of scholars,
4. Exposing the reader to a situation, or
5. Using a talk between two people, to not just elaborate the statement but also to show
your understanding of the essay.


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Now we will learn how each of the above mentioned attention seeker is used in the essays asked
by UPSC. In 2015 essay paper UPSC asked “Lending hands to someone is better than giving
a dole”, we can start this essay by using a quote:
“Give a Man a Fish, and You Feed Him for a Day. Teach a Man To Fish, and You Feed
Him for a Lifetime”
Or for the 2016 essay topic “Innovation is the key determinant of economic growth and
social welfare”
We can use a brief situation or story from various case studies done on studying the impact of
some innovative schemes, services or solutions from government or NGOs. E.g. The MeeSeva
initiative by Andhra Government has not just challanged the age-old administrative practices
(https://www.darpg.gov.in/sites/default/files/MeeSeva%20-%20Case%20Study_Updated.pdf) but also brought
radical changes in the entire service delivery eco-system by converging all the NeGP initiatives
in rendering G2C services in a transparent, fast and secure way, leading to significant growth
and social welfare. Like this study we can also take an individual facing a lot of problem under
the old system and a complete change in his/her life after introduction of an innovative scheme
or solution.
Else, we can use stories on how innovative solutions like solar energy, weather data logger etc.
are bringing change in the education of children, life of people in remote area and increasing
the productivity of farmers at village levels.
All these starters help us in getting the attention of the reader and create some expectations
from our essay. To meet those expectations we need an effective essay body following our
introduction, requiring 900+ words.
BODY:
a) How to gather 900-960 words for the body of essay?

After the introduction, our next target is to collect 900-960 words for our body. The best way to
do this is by following a substructure for the essay body.
E.g. In 2012 essay paper UPSC asked “Is the criticism that the ‘Public-Private-Partnership’
(PPP) model for development is more of a bane than a boon in the Indian context,
justified?” one can follow a substructure as:


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a) Step 1 is to give a basic definition of the term PPP, why it was developed, how it works
and how it started in India with its desired or expected role in Indian economy.
b) The next step can be to show some benefits (with examples) of the PPP model in our
development efforts, making us feel PPP as a boon.
c) The next step can be to list out the negative impacts or incidents (with examples) of the
PPP model in our development efforts, making us feel PPP as a bane rather than a boon.
d) The next step is to take a position on the criticism and substantiate that position by
identifying the shortcomings of PPP model which make people feel it as a bane rather
than a boon. Next, suggest some measures to remove those shortcomings, if you agreed
to the statement.
e) If you don’t agree with the criticism, the positioning of your essay substructure will
change, i.e. after completing the first step of essay body, you should show the poor
performance of PPP. After those negatives you should focus on the positives and the
opportunities which PPP holds and suggest some measures to optimize that potential by
capitalizing the benefits and minimizing the negatives.
The steps we discussed above are considered as part of the standard practices for development
of the essay body where we first expose the matter at hand (Step 1). After that, we analyze the
situation by listing out the positives and the negatives of it. And then we evaluate the earlier
body text with possible solutions (if required).
b) How to write an effective body?
The things which we just discussed can help us in writing a 900-960 words body. It is one of the

best way, not just to meet the words limit but also to give a flow to the essay by segregating all
the positives, negatives, shortcomings or solutions at separate places with logical continuity.
E.g. in 2014 essay paper UPSC asked: “Fifty Golds in Olympics: Can this be a reality for
India?” One may make a body substructure like:
a) In first step, giving an idea of the Olympics and the kind of competition we have in the
Olympics with the relative performance of India in past,
b) The next step can be to give some silver linings based on the performance of Indian
athletes at Commonwealth Games, Asian Games or earlier Olympics with medal winners
and the near misses having the potential to convert into a medal,


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c) The next step can be to show the reasons which hinder the good performance from
Indian athletes, the lack of sports culture, infrastructure issues, interference and
corruption in the administration and politics, poor functioning of sports organisation,
nepotism, lack of awareness on diet, lacking medical support or psychological reasons.
d) In the next step, one can list those shortcomings and suggest ways to remove those
shortcomings. Add some new ways and means or strategies followed by other nations
for meeting the aspirations of all stakeholders.
Please remember that the essay is considered as an analytical piece of writing and body is that
part of the essay where we carry out our analysis. It is the body where we face most of the
questions which we discussed in the do’s and don'ts. E.g. Should I give heading or not?, Should
I write in pointed form or not? Etc. So, what matters here most is the natural flow of the words.
Regarding the use of heading or not, it depends on the style of writing. Some people don’t use
them because at the end of every paragraph they expose the reader to the thing they are going
to discuss in the next paragraph. So, if you have that ability or writing pattern you can avoid
giving heading or subheading. If you don’t, then we can work on it or use the headings and
subheadings at desired places to let the reader know about next few lines.
Giving a hint of the next paragraph in the earlier paragraph is known as the connected form of
writing. Under the connected form of writing what we do is to supply the likely discussion
which our heading or the sub-heading tells to the reader. Through regular practice we can
develop this kind of writing style. This writing style is also known as the “Schaffer Paragraph”
writing style. Schaffer paragraph writing style was developed by Jane Schaffer and the idea or
standard of this way of writing is:
An essay is made up of many paragraphs and we should divide each paragraph into 5 simple
sentences. These 5 sentences are:
1. The first sentence which details about the things we are going to discuss in our
paragraph, as the topic sentence/statement.
2. The next sentence is the concrete detail sentence where we give supporting evidence
to our opening statement through facts, examples, illustrations etc.
3. The next two sentences are for making a commentary on the fact, example or any other
thing which we supplied in our concrete detail sentence.
4. The last sentence is the concluding/closing statement where we close our thoughts or
ideas on the paragraph and introduce the next paragraph.


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E.g. in 2014 essay paper UPSC asked “Tourism: can this be the next big thing for India?” we

can write it in this way:
The Tourism industry is one of the biggest contributors to GDP. According to World Travel and
Tourism Council Report, its direct contribution to world GDP was 3.1%, with a total contribution of
10.2% of Global GDP in 2016. This shows the importance or the potential tourism holds as an
industry. Development of tourism industry can help India in improving the prosperity in the life of its
people. Therefore, tourism industry can help us in the effective use of our demographic dividend.
The Tourism industry is among the top job contributors of the world. According to World Travel and

Tourism Council Report, travel and tourism directly supported 3.6% of employment, with a total
employment contribution of 9.6%. This shows the potential of tourism in solving our problem of
unemployment. Tourism can help us in generating a large number of jobs in India and harness our
rich demographic dividend through training. Tourism can help India in not just creating job but also
in reducing the gender gap.
So, in the next paragraph, we can write talk about why tourism is considered as the equal
opportunity provider with the role of women in tourism and so on. This flow of essay helps us
in avoiding most of the sub-heading required in an essay. Try to develop this form of writing
and use the headings and the subheadings in the body of your essay only when it is required.
CONCLUSION:
a) How to gather 120-150 words for the conclusion?

After our previous learning’s on how to write an effective introduction and body for an essay,
the last vital step in our essay is to collect 120-150 words for the conclusion of our essay. The
conclusion of an essay is considered as the summary of the pieces of evidences and arguments
we used in the body of our essay.
For gathering 120-150 words for our conclusion we can try to, “reinstate the apprehensions or
the questions we sought at the start of our essay and associate them with the larger connected
issues covered in the body. Though we are supposed to be futuristic in the conclusion of our
essay, we should not supply any new piece of information in the conclusion.
It is done by writing about the value which will be delivered by the steps we have suggested and

providing a future roadmap for ensuring the sustainability of our suggestions. E.g. Previously
we discussed, “Tourism: can this be the next big thing for India?”, as a conclusion for this


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essay, we can show the feasibility and impact of our suggested solutions on the overall
prosperity among the people, reducing the gender gap or the use of our youth’s potential in
achieving high growth rates. When we will link our solutions on conservation and preservation
of our rich natural and cultural heritage with the development of tourism, we bring
sustainability to our efforts on making tourism as the next big thing for India.
b) How to write an effective conclusion?
The things which we discussed in the previous section on connecting the conclusion of our
essay with the introduction and body ideas is the best way to achieve the targeted requirements
of a good conclusion like:
- Summarizing our arguments or views on the essay topic,

- Reinstating and associating our essay with the larger connected issues, and
- Becoming futuristic in terms of sustainability of our efforts without giving any new
information or open-ended idea.
E.g. while discussing the likely body structure for the essay “Fifty Golds in Olympics: Can this

be a reality for India?”, we suggested removing the present shortcomings and inclusion of
new methods and ways. In the conclusion part we can try to analyze the whole situation by
highlighting the likely effectiveness of our suggested steps in bringing significant improvement
in the performance of Indian athletes at Olympic level and creation of a significant sports
infrastructure with better administrative and support mechanism, helping our athletes to
perform well and inspiring our future generations to pick up sports as the primary interest.
One important thing to notice in all those essays which we discussed or tried to expand as
examples above is that we have not detailed or touched any Philosophical/Dialectic Essay. The
primary reason for this is the difference of needs of philosophical/dialectic essays from the
needs of a simple descriptive or analytical essay.
Many people complain that they got low marks in essay paper because of attempting a
philosophical essay. But it is not because of attempting a philosophical essay. A philosophical
essay is as much scoring as any other essay, if not more. The problems lies in our attempt of
fulfilling the needs of a philosophical essay by focussing on the needs of a normal essay.
Philosophical essays differ from this standard structure. They are loaded with lots of arguments
and counterarguments and need a different kind of writing style, from the style we discussed
above.


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We will discuss about the philosophical essays in a different piece of material, here we are
concluding our booklet on essay writing by:
- Providing some old Essays from CSE examination to practice,

- Some exercises to improve your essay writing skills, and
- A collection of quotes and ideas to start writing an Expressive and Attentive Essay.
A) OLD ESSAYS FROM CSE:
2013
1. Be the change you want to see in others (Gandhi)
2. Is the Colonial mentality hindering India’s Success?
3. GDP (Gross Domestic Product) along with GDH (Gross Domestic Happiness) would be the
right indices for judging the well-being of a country.
4. Science and technology is the panacea for the growth and security of the nation.
2014
SECTION-A
1. With greater power comes greater responsibility.
2. Is the growing level of competition good for youth?
3. Are the standardized tests a good measure of academic ability or progress?
4. Words are sharper than the two-edged sword.
SECTION-B
1. Was it policy paralysis or the paralysis of implementation which slowed the growth of our
country?
2. Is sting operation an invasion on privacy?
3. Fifty Golds in Olympics: Can this be a reality for India?


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4. Tourism: can this be the next big thing for India?
2015
SECTION- A
1. Lending hands to someone is better than giving a dole.
2. Quick but steady wins the race.
3. The character of an institution is reflected in its leader.
4. Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make a man more clever devil.
SECTION-B
1. Technology cannot replace manpower.
2. Crisis faced in India- moral or economic.
3. Dreams which should not let India sleep.
4. Can capitalism bring inclusive growth?
2016
SECTION-A
1. If development is not engendered, it is endangered.
2. Need brings greed, if greed increases it spoils breed.
3. Water disputes between States in federal India.
4. Innovation is the key determinant of economic growth and social welfare.
SECTION-B
1. Cooperative federalism: Myth or reality.
2. Cyberspace and Internet: Blessing or curse to the human civilization in the long run.
3. Near jobless growth in India: An anomaly or an outcome of economic reforms.


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4. Digital economy: A leveller or a source of economic inequality.
2017
SECTION-A
1. Farming has lost the ability to be a source of subsistence for majority of farmers in India.
2. Impact of the new economic measures on fiscal ties between the union and states in India.
3. Destiny of a nation is shaped in its classrooms.
4. Has the Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) lost its relevance in a multipolar world?
SECTION-B
1. Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.
2. Fulfilment of 'new women' in India is a myth.
3. We may brave human laws but cannot resist natural laws.
4. 'Social media' is inherently a selfish medium.
B) EXERCISES TO IMPROVE OUR ESSAY WRITING SKILLS
- The first exercise which we can do to improve our essay writing skills is to read the
essays written by others. It can be from essay specialists like Bertrand Russell or the
essays written by our friends.
- The next is to write essays on the book we read. It can be a critical analysis of a book or
just a review of it, to help us in synchronizing our thoughts on a larger topic covered by
the book.
- The next exercise is of attempting an essay on the newspaper articles, supplying some
counterarguments or writing a more inclusive essay on the issue addressed in the
article.
- The next important step is to explore or expand the dimensions of any topic. E.g. If the
topic is related to economic issues we should not stick to economic problems or
solutions. We should also add the impact of it on our society, culture, special interest
groups, environment etc.


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- Try to include quotes or views of other people on the essay with your thoughts on it. E.g.
If you are writing an essay on Right to Privacy then it is always advisable to include
some views of Judges, academics etc. with an evaluation from your side to show the
range of your reading with the ability to analyse and make an opinion on that.
C) COLLECTION OF QUOTES and IDEAS TO GRAB READER

ATTENTION
Quotes: Below a long list of quotes is given on the major topics asked by UPSC in Civil Services
Examination and some useful miscellaneous quotes. A special focus is given on modern-day
leaders and decision-makers like Indian Prime Minister, Ex-President’s and International
bodies chief, as the ideas shared by them are not just important from the modern-day
perspectives but also holds the potential of becoming a statement on which you may be asked
to write an essay.
Please remember that before using these quotes in our essay, we should try to understand the
guiding thought or idea behind the quote. By knowing the guiding thought we can identify the
proper place for the use of quote with the ability to modify the quote or use that guiding
thought to create a strong idea on a different issue. E.g. a few years ago Christine Lagarde said:
If female were working in the same proportion as men do, the level of GDP would be up
27 percent in a country like India, but also up 9 percent in Japan and up 5 percent in the
United States of America. It's not just a moral issue, not just a philosophical issue. It just
makes economic sense.
Some people challenge her idea by quoting stats that when India is having one of the highest
unemployment of the last few decades with many males as jobless how can we think of adding
27% of GDP by promoting female employment. In her own words, the idea is not to push the
boys out of the picture but to increase the overall size of our activities so that women can have
an equal access to capital and labour market leading to the creation of newer kind of jobs with
increased economic activities and prosperity in India.
Or when Lal Bahadur Shastri said “Success in science and scientific work come not
through the provision of unlimited or big resources but in the wise and careful selection
of problems and objectives. Above all, what is required is hard sustained work and
dedication”


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We should understand that while the idea was originally given because of the lack of resources
available with the government in mid 1960’s but even today it is equally valid in a slightly
different context for establishing India as a research hub by promoting Frugal Innovation or
justifying the idea through the success of ISRO’s Mangalyaan, Cheap Solar LED Lanterns,
Cheap Biodegradable Sanitary Napkins etc., showing the importance of dedication and hard
work in becoming a scientific powerhouse.


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Quotes:
1. On issues related to Women:
I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have
achieved. By Bhimrao Ambedkar
Achieving gender equality requires the engagement of women and men, girls and boys. It
is everyone's responsibility. By Ban Ki-moon
Countries with higher levels of gender equality have higher economic growth. Companies
with more women on their boards have higher returns. Peace agreements that include
women are more successful. Parliaments with more women take up a wider range of
issues - including health, education, anti-discrimination, and child support. By Ban
Ki-moon
There is no chance of the welfare of the world unless the condition of women is
improved. It is not possible or a bird to fly on one wing. By Swami Vivekananda
Women have been taught that, for them, the earth is flat, and that if we venture out, we
will fall of the edge. By Shirley Chisholm
Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the world. By Hillary Clinton
Feminism has never been about getting a job for one woman. It's about making life more
fair for women everywhere. It's not about a piece of the existing pie; there are too many of
us for that. It's about baking a new pie. By Gloria Steinem
2. On issues related to Education:
The most valuable wealth of a man is his knowledge, which cannot be destroyed; all
other riches that he has gained are not considered to be wealth at all. By Thiruvalluvar
Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel. By Socrates
The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future in life. By Plato
Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all. By Aristotle
Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education

beats the beauty and the youth. By Kautilya
The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of
government in the next. By Abraham Lincoln


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Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school. By
Albert Einstein
Education promotes equality and lifts people out of poverty. It teaches children how to
become good citizens. Education is not just for a privileged few, it is for everyone. It is a
fundamental human right. By Ban Ki-moon
The aim of education is the knowledge, not of facts, but of values. By William S.
Burroughs
3. On issues related to Science, Technology and Social Media:
Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind. By Albert Einstein
I do not believe that civilization will be wiped out in a war fought with the atomic bomb.
Perhaps two-thirds of the people of the earth will be killed. By Albert Einstein
It is science alone that can solve the problems of hunger and poverty, of insanitation and
illiteracy, of superstition and deadening custom and tradition, of vast resources running
to waste, or a rich country inhabited by starving people... Who indeed could afford to
ignore science today? At every turn we have to seek its aid... The future belongs to
science and those who make friends with science. By Jawaharlal Nehru
All the forces in the world are not so powerful as an idea whose time has come.
We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly

anyone knows anything about science and technology. By Carl Sagan
By far, the greatest danger of Artificial Intelligence is that people conclude too early that
they understand it. By Eliezer Yudkowsky
In the long term, artificial intelligence and automation are going to be taking over so
much of what gives humans a feeling of purpose. By Matt Bellamy
Success in creating AI would be the biggest event in human history. Unfortunately, it

might also be the last, unless we learn how to avoid the risks. By Stephen Hawking
Historically, privacy was almost implicit, because it was hard to find and gather
information. But in the digital world, whether it's digital cameras or satellites or just what
you click on, we need to have more explicit rules - not just for governments but for
private companies. By Bill Gates


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Social media is reducing social barriers. It connects people on the strength of human
values, not identities. By Narendra Modi
4. On issues related to Economy and Agriculture:
History shows that where ethics and economics come in conflict, victory is always with
economics. By Bhimrao Ambedkar
If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly

feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. they are father, the
mother and the teacher. By APJ Abdul Kalam
India should walk on her own shadow - we must have our own development model. By
APJ Abdul Kalam
Rain over an ocean is meaningless, Meaningless is feeding a well fed person, Charity to a
rich is meaningless, Meaningless is lighting a lamp in the daylight.
It’s like driving at night. You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the
whole trip that way.
Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant. (Robert
Louis Stevenson)
Globalization doesn’t have to be a bad thing as long as government provides us all with
the tools to cope in a changing world. By John B. Larson
When food prices surge, poor families suddenly find themselves unable to afford enough
nutritious food. If this happens during the first thousand days of a child's life, the
damage to his or her body and mind can be permanent. Ban Ki-moon
Regulation is necessary, particularly in a sector, like the banking sector, which exposes
countries and people to a risk. By Christine Lagarde, IMF Chief
India is a land of plenty inhibited by poverty; India has an enthralling, uplifting civilization
that sparkles not only in our magnificent art, but also in the enormous creativity and
humanity of our daily life in city and village. By Pranab Mukherjee
Land is an emotional subject with a farmer in India because it is his only means of
income.


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5. On issues related to Polity/administration and India:
The basic idea of governance, as I see it, is to hold the society together so that it can
develop and march towards certain goals. By Lal Bahadur Shastri
Those who govern must see how the people react to administration. Ultimately, the
people are the final arbiters. By Lal Bahadur Shastri
As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others. By
Bill Gates
God is so kind, he has given so much sunshine to India. By Masayoshi Son (SoftBank)
Much of India that we dream of still lies ahead of us: housing, power, water and
sanitation for all; bank accounts and insurance for every citizen; connected and
prosperous villages; and, smart and sustainable cities. By Narendra Modi
Federalism is no longer the fault line of Centre-State relations but the definition of a new
partnership of Team India. Citizens now have the ease of trust, not the burden of proof
and process. Businesses find an environment that is open and easy to work in. By
Narendra Modi
In the political system, we are a team; politics and bureaucracy, we are a team. The
politicians, bureaucrats and the people, we are a team. By Narendra Modi
6. On issues related to International Relations:
Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy.
Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome. (Samuel
Johnson)
India conquered and dominated China Culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to
send a single solder across her border. By Hu Shih
The centuries-old history and culture of India, majestic architectural monuments and
museums of Delhi, Agra and Mumbai have a unique attractive force. By Vladimir Putin
We will naturally pursue our goals on the strength of our own resources, skills and
enterprise. But, we know that we will be more successful when we do this in partnership
with the world. By Narendra Modi


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7. On issues related to Socio-Cultural or Religious Ideas:
Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex… It takes a touch of
genius – and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction. By Albert Einstein
The more opposition there is, the better. Does a river acquire velocity unless there is
resistance? The newer and better a thing is, the more opposition I will meet with at the
outset. It is opposition which foretells success. Where there is no opposition there is no
success either. By Swami Vivekananda
No country can become a nation by producing a race of imitators. By Mahatma Gandhi
A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people. By Mahatma Gandhi
Almost half of the population of the world lives in rural regions and mostly in a state of
poverty. Such inequalities in human development have been one of the primary reasons
for unrest and, in some parts of the world, even violence. By APJ Abdul Kalam
The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of
themselves, and wiser people are so full of doubts. By Bertrand Russell
The secret of happiness is this: let your interests be as wide as possible, and let your
reactions to the things and persons that interest you be as far as possible friendly rather
than hostile. By Bertrand Russell
Let us unite, not in spite of our differences, but through them. For differences can never
be wiped away, and life would be so much the poorer without them. Let all human races
keep their own personalities, and yet come together, not in a uniformity that is dead, but
in a unity that is living. By Rabindranath Tagore
It is only through contact and comparison that the relative value or worthlessness of the
various cultural elements can be clearly and critically seen and understood. By Hu Shih
What is sacred among one people may be ridiculous in another; and what is despised or
rejected by one cultural group, may in a different environment become the cornerstone
for a great edifice of strange grandeur and beauty. By Hu Shih
India has 2,000,000 gods and worships them all. In religion, all other countries are
paupers; India is the only millionaire. By Mark Twain
The fact remains that secularism is inherent in the Indian system, in the Indian ethos and
culture. India cannot but be secular. By Pranab Mukherjee


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8. On issues related to Democracy:
The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a
civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either
physical or moral, is not sufficient warrant. By John Stuart Mill
No one is good enough to govern another man without the other’s consent. By Abraham
Lincoln
Prohibition may be a disputed theory, but none can say that it doesn’t hold water.
(Thomas L Mason)
People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought, which
they seldom use.
Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible; but man’s inclination to injustice
makes democracy necessary. (Reinhold Niebuhr)
We walk together, we move together, we think together, we resolve together, and

together we take this country forward. By Narendra Modi
9. On Philosophical/Quote based essay:
The entire world is a witness to the phenomenon that sorrows keep away from the kind
hearted and compassionate. By Thiruvalluvar
The first and most important thing a man should keep away from is not doing harm of
any kind knowingly to anyone, at any time. By Thiruvalluvar
Even if someone does something that brings bad to you, do something good for them
and make them feel shy for what they have done to you. By Thiruvalluvar
Human behaviour flows from three main sources: desire, emotion and knowledge. By
Plato
Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human
existence. By Aristotle
10.Miscellaneous quotes which can be useful:
Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a
way around the laws. By Plato


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It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. By Aristotle
Injustice arises when unequals are treated equally and also when equals are treated
unequally. By Aristotle
Character may almost be called the most effective means of persuasion. By Aristotle
In the different voice of women lies the truth of an ethic of care, the tie between
relationship and responsibility, and the origins of aggression in the failure of connection.
By Carol Gilligan
I have learned to seek my happiness by limiting my desires, rather than in attempting to

satisfy them. By John Stuart Mill
The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom. For in
all the states of created beings capable of law, where there is no law, there is no freedom.
By John Locke
The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a
person spreads in all directions. By Kautilya
Use your power of discrimination to move within yourself. Always seek and desire
happiness, which is your true state. Since happiness is your true state, it can never
burden you while sorrow which is not your true nature is a real burden. By Adi Shankara
Each thing tends to move towards its own nature. I always desire happiness which is my
true nature. My nature is never a burden to me. Happiness is never a burden to me, whilst
sorrow is. By Adi Shankara
Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man’s
appetite by legislation and makes a crime act of things that are not crimes. A prohibition
law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which government was founded. By
Abraham Lincoln
Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its
whole life believing that it is stupid. By Albert Einstein
You must remember that all the work is simply to bring out the power of the mind which
is already there, to wake up the soul. By Swami Vivekananda
Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, live on that idea.
Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave
every other idea alone. This is the way to success. By Swami Vivekananda
Carefully watch your thoughts, for they become your words. Manage and watch your
words, for they will become your actions. Consider and judge your actions, for they have


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become your habits. Acknowledge and watch your habits, for they shall become your
values. Understand and embrace your values, for they become your destiny. By Mahatma
Gandhi
Happiness is the attitude of your mind. The mind needs to be trained to be at peace and
filled with joy. Man is truly rich when he is fearless, unworried and at peace with himself.
No matter what the wealth of a man, if he yearns for more, he is poor. The wealthy man is
the one who is beyond desires.
It is not the action, but the motive behind the action that is important.
The Will of God is expressed in the Laws of Nature.
GOING BEYOND QUOTES FOR STARTING AND GETTING

ATTENTION:
Though we have covered a large number of quotes in the previous section but the fact remains
that neither these quotes are enough to truly address the needs of every essay topic nor we can
remember and use all of them judiciously. So, what we require is to create abilities to develop a
story, situation, an idea or any other attention grabber to start our essay. These attention
grabbers becomes far more important when the essay statement itself is a quote rather than a
question.
E.g. In 2013 UPSC asked “Be the change you want to see in others (Gandhi)”
How can we start this essay?
When the essay statement itself is considered as a famous quote then it doesn’t look good to
write another quote before attempting the essay further. The basic idea of using quote is to give
direction to the essay and we should not add another quote to give a direction to our essay. So,
what can we do? How we can start such essays? The answer lies in the other attention grabbers
which we listed earlier.
We can start such kind of essays through a story, an idea, using a situation or by conversation
between two actors to start the essay. E.g. For the above essay we can use the story of King
Ashoka who is one of the best example of changing himself and followed the path of peace to
establish peaceful relations with kingdoms going far beyond India. We can also develop an idea
from the present environmental debates where almost every nation is aware of the damaging
impacts of prevalent energy mixture and of the economic system. Almost all nations lack the
initiative to take a step towards changing the lifestyle or energy mixture of the world. Even
India was lacking in bringing change. In 2010 under National Solar Mission we took the
initiative of increasing the use of Solar Power to 20 GW by 2022. Till 2014 the installed capacity
was only 2.936 GW.


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With the change in government India took the lead in bringing the change in world energy
consumption and in 2015 set the ambitious target of 100 GW of solar energy by 2022. We
launched the International Solar Alliance (ISA), to increase the use of Solar Power. The result of
the change in Indian approach is that India achieved the old target of 20 GW in January 2018, a
well 4 years earlier than the target. The use of Solar power has more than doubled in last 3 years
across the world (From 177 GW of installed capacity in 2014 to 397 GW by the end of 2017). As
of today 68 nations have signed and ratified the framework of ISA.
We can understand it more by another example from CSE 2017 essay “We may brave human
laws but cannot resist natural laws”. Though this essay can be handled better through
philosophical enquiries and using arguments and counterarguments structure but the
statement of essay is very much in line to the practical situations of life. As Ram says in
Ramayana “The Will of God is expressed in the Laws of Nature”. This statement not just
simplifies the statement but also make it easy to understand the complete thought.
If someone ask me the simplest example of it then the laws of marriage is the best example.
Maharshi Bharadwaja is considered to be one of the highly learned sage on Genetics and the
receiver of laws of nature on health and genetics from Ashwini Kumars. It is only because of this
knowledge that the Father of Ayurveda ‘Charaka’ dedicated his work ‘Charak Samhita’ to
Maharshi Bharadwaja. If you can remember correctly, Maharshi Bharadwaja was the same sage
from whose hermitage Lord Ram started his forest life (Vanvas) and also visited after winning
the war with Ravana.
Based on his knowledge and observations Bharadwaja gave the “Law of Sapinda” for marriage.

The Law of Sapinda says that one should marry outside the 7 generations (pinda) of relatives for
marriage. For long it was followed as a human made law and many people have braved that law.
It is only when we try to understand the reasoning behind such law and understand the
evolution mechanism with the laws of genetics we realize that though many communities have
braved the human made laws but the high proportion of genetic diseases like obesity, ADHD, BP
and so on (6000+ Genetic diseases according to modern medical science with 4000+ as recessive
diseases), displays that they are unable to resist the natural laws.
Students must understand that to substantiate such position we require a lot of information on

Dharma, Genetics, Evolution and society with the awareness of the efforts of Darwin towards
reducing the cousin marriages or the joint efforts of Darwin and his half-cousin Francis Galton
to promote Eugenics, for properly understanding and continuing the essay through such line of
argument. Also, many people fear that it may show them as a patriarchal mindset or being
against Supreme Court where due to the limited knowledge judges felt it as people who force


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sapinda as people trying to act like Louis XIV or by XVI. As a matter of fact, it is unfortunate
that the same Supreme Court Judges are happy to reconsider the thoughts on Jallikattu because
of the use of genetic principles behind the cultural practice but despite having the same sexual
reproduction principles governing humans they consider human being as something different.
To avoid such controversy, we can think of the present situation where industries and
automobile companies breaks the human made laws on environmental pollution at will through
moneypower or technology but being unable to face or resist the natural laws. Due to these
anthropogenic activities many life forms have become extinct, the problems of climate change
and global warming are becoming more severe day by day and many island nations are on the
verge of being submerged in the next few decades.
Similarly, we can start the essay by writing some lines from one of the famous debate by
Abraham Lincoln with Democrat Senator Stephen A. Douglas, on interpretations of the
Declaration of Independence words “All men are created equal”, criticising the Supreme Court
of USA decision of denying the citizenship rights to people of African descent in Dred Scott case
as:
“I think the authors of that notable instrument intended to include all men, but they did not intend to
declare all men equal in all respects. They did not mean to say all were equal in color, size, intellect,
moral developments, or social capacity. They defined with tolerable distinctness, in what respects
they did consider all men created equal — equal in ‘certain inalienable rights, among which are life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ This they said, and this they meant.”
The laws of nature differ from the laws of human. E.g. if we talk in terms of the rights of a
citizen then some rights are inalienable part of the natural laws while others are given by laws
made by human. The right of all men being equal with a natural right to life, liberty and
happiness are given by the laws of nature and every person wish them. Through tact, wisdom or
force we may restrict the enjoyment of these rights for a certain period but being guided by the
natural laws people will resist the violation of natural laws.
What can we master these forms of introduction?
- The first way of creating such introductions is to collect stories or experiences of places

and people on the old, prevalent and changing conditions. E.g. Till few years back we
had villages in the hills of Himalayas with no electricity but today solar energy is
changing the life of people. In tribal areas or even in metros of India it is common to see


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the inhuman conditions and attitude of people like private healthcare or poor state of
education system, treatment to women etc. We can use them to create a story.
- Taking inspirations or stories from the movies, novels etc.
- Reading essays or reports from scholars, philosophers, international institutions,
government departments, NGOs or private bodies.
- Making a summary of the changing world or situations from various fields. E.g. In 2017
UPSC asked “Farming has lost the ability to be a source of subsistence for majority
of farmers in India”. In this essay we can depict the changing scene or scenario of the
farming sector and then raise some pertinent queries in the introduction to carry on
with the introduction. But please remember that we should not give too much data in
the starting paragraph that we are left with little new data and repeat the same data to
substantiate our views inside. So, in this introduction we are restricting our data to the
change of contribution in GDP and the average income of a household. The data on
average landholdings, poor infrastructure, markets, composition etc. should be given
inside in support of our stands inside.
“At the time of Independence, more than 80% of India lived in rural areas and contributed around
52% of GDP through agricultural activities. Today the people in rural India are around 67% but the
contribution from agricultural activities in GDP has fallen drastically to 14% only. Even in that
around 1/4th comes from animal husbandry, i.e. The contribution of farming is even lower.
According to NSSO 70th survey the average income of farming household is just 6,426 rupee per
month.”


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Test my Essay
Number of Essays- 04 Time Limit: based on kind of attempt
Four essays are given below from various forms of essay asked in examinations. You are
advised to read each essay carefully before attempting. The choices available to you while
attempting the essays are as follows:
- Write one complete essay of around 1000-1200 within 90 minutes.

- Write the Introduction and conclusion on each essay topic and pointed framework on
each essay within 120 minutes.
- Write 300 words essay on each topic in 150 minutes.
You can follow any of the above options. Upload your answer copy on your account at MyARSU
or send it at: education@myarsu.com, to let our team analyse your way of essay writing and
suggest ways to become an expressive and attentive writer.
ESSAY NO. 1 (Women)
Women holds the potential to become the next growth engine of world economy, only if
we let it happen.
ESSAY NO. 2 (Growth and Development)
The focus of Indian development whether it is the opportunities or the basic necessities of life,
is increasingly becoming rich people oriented.
ESSAY NO. 3 (Education)
Education is what makes our character and help in facing the world, not literacy.
ESSAY NO. 4 (Quote)
A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.

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Discussion on Essay Structure

Essays are considered to be the piece of writings which displays

Structuring of a 1200 words Essay:

Discussion on Essay Structure

An effective essay means an essay with:

2. Body (75-80%), and

This booklet is made for that purpose only and in the following words we will first try to collect

a) How to write a 120-150 word introduction?

An essay starts with an introduction, to the statement, showing our understanding of the essay

Discussion on Essay Structure

"A few months ago, a strange yet likely to become a routine thing happened with my friend. My

Or take another example from UPSC CSE Mains Examination, 2015:

“​Dreams which should not let India sleep​”

Someone may start this essay by presenting some real-life situations or stories where even after

“Asato ma sadgamaya”- Unrighteousness to righteousness

“Tamaso ma jyotirgamaya”- Darkness to light

Discussion on Essay Structure

“Mrityorma amritam gamaya”- Mortality towards immortality

b) How to make this introduction more effective and appealing?

Discussion on Essay Structure

a) How to gather 900-960 words for the body of essay?

Discussion on Essay Structure

b) How to write an effective body?

The things which we just discussed can help us in writing a 900-960 words body. It is one of the

Discussion on Essay Structure

Discussion on Essay Structure

E.g. in 2014 essay paper UPSC asked “​Tourism: can this be the next big thing for India?​” we

The Tourism industry is among the top job contributors of the world. According to World Travel and

a) How to gather 120-150 words for the conclusion?

It is done by writing about the value which will be delivered by the steps we have suggested and

Discussion on Essay Structure

b) How to write an effective conclusion?

- Summarizing our arguments or views on the essay topic,

E.g. while discussing the likely body structure for the essay “​Fifty Golds in Olympics: Can this

Discussion on Essay Structure

- Providing some old Essays from CSE examination to practice,

A) OLD ESSAYS FROM CSE:

1. Be the change you want to see in others (Gandhi)

2. Is the Colonial mentality hindering India’s Success?

1. With greater power comes greater responsibility.

2. Is the growing level of competition good for youth?

3. Are the standardized tests a good measure of academic ability or progress?

4. Words are sharper than the two-edged sword.

2. Is sting operation an invasion on privacy?

3. Fifty Golds in Olympics: Can this be a reality for India?

Discussion on Essay Structure

4. Tourism: can this be the next big thing for India?

1. Lending hands to someone is better than giving a dole.

2. Quick but steady wins the race.

3. The character of an institution is reflected in its leader.

1. Technology cannot replace manpower.

2. Crisis faced in India- moral or economic.

3. Dreams which should not let India sleep.

4. Can capitalism bring inclusive growth?

1. If development is not engendered, it is endangered.

2. Need brings greed, if greed increases it spoils breed.

3. Water disputes between States in federal India.

4. Innovation is the key determinant of economic growth and social welfare.

1. Cooperative federalism: Myth or reality.

3. Near jobless growth in India: An anomaly or an outcome of economic reforms.

Discussion on Essay Structure

4. Digital economy: A leveller or a source of economic inequality.

3. Destiny of a nation is shaped in its classrooms.

1. Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.

“Dreams which should not let India sleep”

E.g. in 2014 essay paper UPSC asked “Tourism: can this be the next big thing for India?” we

E.g. while discussing the likely body structure for the essay “Fifty Golds in Olympics: Can this

Based on his knowledge and observations Bharadwaja gave the “Law of Sapinda” for marriage.