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General Studies 2026 GS Paper I 10 marks 150 words Compulsory Comment

GS Paper I — Q8

Unity in diversity remains the defining feature of Indian society despite the challenges from communalism and regionalism…

Unity in diversity remains the defining feature of Indian society despite the challenges from communalism and regionalism. Comment. (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

साम्प्रदायिकता और क्षेत्रवाद की चुनौतियों के बावजूद विविधता में एकता भारतीय समाज की मुख्य विशेषता बनी हुई है। टिप्पणी कीजिए। (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए)

Q8 of the 2026 UPSC Mains General Studies GS Paper I, as printed
The question as printed in the 2026 General Studies paper
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Model answer

Written by UPSC Answer Check against this question's marking rubric, to the 150-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key.

Unity in diversity remains India’s defining feature; the statement is broadly valid, though not unchallenged. Its Constitution and culture treat plurality as a source of strength. Secularism, secured by Articles 25-28, protects religious pluralism, while linguistic and cultural pluralism is safeguarded through Articles 29-30, 350A-350B and the Eighth Schedule’s 22 recognized languages. The Sufi-Bhakti heritage further shows a syncretic social tradition. Communalism, however, has periodically strained this unity through episodic violence and the politicisation of religious identity around elections. Regionalism has also tested integration, as linguistic movements and demands for separate statehood, notably the Telangana movement, revealed. Yet India’s federal structure, the 1956 States Reorganisation Act and linguistic states have absorbed such pressures. Peaceful democratic transitions across diverse states, despite linguistic reorganisation, demonstrate resilience. Thus, it is a negotiated, institutional unity that has broadly held over time because the federal system channels diversity institutionally rather than suppressing it.

What "Comment" is asking you to do

Take a position on the statement and support it. Comment usually attaches to a quoted line in the short slots, so the reasoning must be compressed — an opening view, a few load-bearing reasons, and the limit of the claim.

Structure that answers it

Unpack what the statement asserts → your stance → two or three supporting reasons → the qualification that limits it

Where marks are lost

Neutral summary; a comment without a stance has not answered. Equally costly is accepting the quoted line wholesale and never testing where it fails.

All UPSC directive words, compared →

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

Framework: GS1 Society: Continuity, Data, Intersectionality, Solution. comment: context > arguments both sides > judgment > close Full marks: Analyzes both challenges with specific examples, links to constitutional/institutional frameworks, and offers a nuanced judgment.

Key points expected

  • Define 'unity in diversity' as the core social feature
  • Analyze communalism as a challenge to social cohesion
  • Analyze regionalism as a challenge to national integration
  • Provide a balanced judgment on the persistence of unity

Evaluation rubric

Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.

  1. The answer Contextualize unity in diversity, analyze communalism/regionalism challenges, and offer a balanced judgment. 10 marks · 150 words

    comment— context → arguments both sides → judgment → close

    Must cover

    • Define 'unity in diversity' as the core social feature
    • Analyze communalism as a challenge to social cohesion
    • Analyze regionalism as a challenge to national integration
    • Provide a balanced judgment on the persistence of unity

    Loses marks

    • Narrating history without analytical link to current challenges
    • Using emotive or biased language on communal issues
    • Ignoring the 'despite' clause and only listing challenges

    Earns more

    • Mention specific examples of communal or regional tensions
    • Reference constitutional or institutional mechanisms for unity
    • Use data or statistics on social diversity or conflict
    • Discuss the role of secularism or federalism

    Extra mark

    • Cite a specific Supreme Court judgment on secularism
    • Reference a specific constitutional article (e.g., Art 44, 51A)

Practice this exact question

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