UPSC Daily Mains Answer Writing – 26 September 2026
Daily UPSC CSE Mains Answer Writing Practice
Practice two UPSC CSE Mains questions every day — one Static GS question
and one Current Affairs question based on an important PIB development.
Write your answers first and then compare them with the model answers.
QUESTION 1 · STATIC GS
Urbanisation and Governance
“Urbanisation in India is not merely a demographic transition but also a governance challenge.”
Discuss. (250 words, 15 marks)
Demand: Examine how rapid urbanisation creates governance challenges and
suggest measures for making Indian cities more inclusive, resilient and sustainable.
Step 1 — Write Your Answer
Write your answer within 250 words in about 7–8 minutes.
Upload your handwritten answer before viewing the model answer.
Model Answer
Introduction:
India is witnessing rapid urbanisation driven by migration, economic opportunities and
the expansion of urban settlements. Cities are important centres of economic growth,
but the pace of urban expansion has often exceeded the capacity of institutions to
plan and manage it effectively.
Urbanisation as a governance challenge:
Planning deficit: Rapid expansion can outpace master planning,
resulting in unplanned settlements, congestion and inefficient land use.
Infrastructure pressure: Growing populations increase demand for
housing, water, sanitation, transport, drainage and solid-waste management.
Informal settlements: High land and housing costs can push vulnerable
groups towards informal settlements with inadequate basic services.
Environmental vulnerability: Loss of wetlands, inadequate drainage
and poorly planned construction can increase risks from floods and extreme heat.
Institutional fragmentation: Multiple agencies handling transport,
water, housing and land can create overlapping responsibilities and weaken accountability.
Limited municipal capacity: Many Urban Local Bodies face constraints
in finances, technical expertise, data and professional manpower.
Way Forward:
Strengthen Urban Local Bodies in the spirit of the 74th Constitutional Amendment.
Improve municipal finances and strengthen predictable fiscal transfers.
Promote integrated land-use and transport planning.
Expand affordable housing and basic services for vulnerable groups.
Use GIS, urban data and technology for evidence-based planning.
Protect wetlands, urban forests and natural drainage systems while building climate-resilient infrastructure.
Conclusion:
The objective should not be to slow urbanisation but to govern it better. Empowered
municipalities, integrated planning, inclusive infrastructure and climate-sensitive
development can turn Indian cities into sustainable engines of economic and social development.
Mains Insight:
Build a multidimensional answer by connecting
urbanisation → governance → infrastructure → inclusion → environment → institutional capacity.
Prelims Trap:
The 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 deals with Urban Local Bodies
and inserted Part IX-A into the Constitution. The 73rd Amendment deals with Panchayati Raj institutions.
QUESTION 2 · CURRENT AFFAIRS / PIB
Global Pandemic Preparedness
“Pandemic preparedness has evolved from being a public-health concern to a broader issue
of global governance and international cooperation.”
Discuss in the context of India’s approach to global pandemic preparedness.
(250 words, 15 marks)
Demand: Discuss why international cooperation is essential for pandemic
preparedness and examine India's approach, including equity, One Health and global cooperation.
Step 1 — Write Your Answer
Write your answer within 250 words in about 7–8 minutes.
Upload your handwritten answer before viewing the model answer.
Model Answer
Introduction:
The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that infectious diseases can rapidly cross national
borders and disrupt health systems, economies, supply chains and livelihoods. Consequently,
pandemic preparedness has become an important component of global governance.
Why global cooperation is essential:
Cross-border nature of pathogens: Early warning, surveillance and
information sharing require international coordination.
Unequal access: Differences in access to vaccines, therapeutics and
diagnostics can prolong the impact of a pandemic.
Supply-chain resilience: Health emergencies can disrupt medicines,
medical equipment and essential commodities across countries.
Capacity gaps: Developing countries require technology, finance,
infrastructure and institutional capacity for effective preparedness.
India’s approach:
India has emphasised equity and fair access in global pandemic preparedness.
India has highlighted the importance of equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics,
therapeutics and other health technologies.
India supports stronger international cooperation and capacity-building for developing countries.
The One Health approach recognises the interdependence of human,
animal and environmental health and is important for preventing and responding to emerging diseases.
India has also advocated mechanisms that balance access to pathogens for scientific
research with equitable sharing of benefits arising from their use.
Challenges:
Vaccine and technology nationalism
Unequal health-system capacities
Concerns over data sharing and intellectual property
Fragmentation in global health governance
Way Forward:
Strengthen global surveillance and early-warning mechanisms.
Ensure equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.
Promote technology transfer and capacity-building in developing countries.
Institutionalise the One Health approach at national and global levels.
Strengthen coordinated multilateral responses to future health emergencies.
Conclusion:
Pandemic preparedness cannot be secured by national action alone. A resilient global
health architecture requires equity, scientific cooperation, early detection,
capacity-building and One Health to convert collective vulnerability into collective preparedness.
Mains Insight:
For global health questions, move beyond COVID-19 examples and connect
health security → global governance → equity → technology → One Health → multilateral cooperation.
Prelims Trap: One Health is not limited to human healthcare. It recognises the interconnected
health of humans, animals and ecosystems.
