Every UPSC aspirant knows the weight of General Studies Paper-II (GS2). It is the battleground of Polity, Governance, Social Justice, and International Relations—a paper that can make or break your rank.
This year, when the UPSC Mains 2025 GS2 paper was held, I sat back with a nervous smile. Months ago, I had published a blog predicting around 50 important questions and themes that were likely to appear. And today, I can proudly say—the examiner’s favorite topics that I highlighted did appear in the paper.
The Journey Behind the Predictions
Predicting UPSC is not magic. It’s persistence. Over the last 20 years, I meticulously went through Previous Year Questions (PYQs) of GS2—analyzing patterns, repetitions, and examiner preferences. I noticed how certain themes—federalism, judiciary reforms, governance schemes, digital transformation, India-China relations, and neighborhood policy—keep coming back in different avatars. The wording may change, but the examiner’s intent does not.
This analysis wasn’t easy. It meant:
Long hours in the library with question papers from 2005 to 2024.
Cross-checking every scheme mentioned in the Economic Survey and India Year Book.
Watching parliamentary debates and international news late into the night.
Rewriting my notes, sometimes 4–5 times, until trends became clear.
There were moments of self-doubt. Was I wasting time? Would UPSC change the pattern this year? But every struggle reinforced one truth—patterns never lie.
Predictions vs Reality: GS2 Mains 2025
Here’s where the satisfaction comes in. Many of the questions asked this year were already present in my blog or were direct rewordings of the themes I had listed.
Polity & Constitution: Questions on Governor’s role, Collegium, Federalism, and Anti-Defection were predicted in advance.
Governance & Social Justice: Digital India, RTI, and Social Welfare schemes—all on my list—made their way to the paper.
International Relations: UPSC asked on India-China, Indo-Pacific, and G20, precisely the focus areas I had highlighted.
It feels surreal to open the question paper and realize, “I had written about this exact issue months ago!”
Why This Matters for Aspirants
The struggle of decoding UPSC isn’t just about knowledge—it’s about direction. My journey proves that with 20 years of question analysis, you can crack examiner psychology. Instead of studying everything under the sun, focus on:
Evergreen themes (federalism, judiciary, governance reforms)
Dynamic issues (climate diplomacy, neighborhood first, digital governance)
Linking schemes with syllabus (Ayushman Bharat, NEP 2020, Aadhaar, etc.)
Remember—UPSC doesn’t want you to study more, it wants you to study smart.
Final Words
When I look back, it’s not just about being “right” in predictions. It’s about the struggle—the nights with endless PYQs, the failures that taught me persistence, and the faith that patterns always resurface. This GS2 paper of 2025 has once again proven: UPSC rewards those who respect its trends.
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