UPSC CSE Mains 2026 | 5-Day Essay #BrainstormingSimulationSeries
#Day 5 Essay Simulation Paper

All the best

From the paper, it is clear that the topics were straightforward amd relatively easy to approach.

Now give your best to what lies ahead.

#Musings : Are we humans?

I think, it should be considered wrong to say we are humans without proving it so.

Scientifically, we are animals- Homo sapiens, the one at the helm of the animal kingdom. We also have instincts, appetite, greed, desires among other things
However, 'Human' is something different, which conveys some key traits and behaviours that distinguish us from our animal self. They make us 'Human' because only humans are capable of showing those traits and behaviours. But again, it will be wrong to assume we all show and will contunue to show those very traits and behaviours.

Being a human is a conscious choice, we have to make each time when we are faced with situations involving right vs wrong. Temptataions, greed, deception and other moral corrupting things, they test whether we want to become human or remain an animal.

Like other animals, each day we also do things other animals do. But each day we have to earn the "Human" tag. And, again, no one is entitled to this tag just because we all have human like physical appearance, rather our daiy choices, the conscious choices exercised with the help of moral values, they determine whether you have that tag or not.

So when we choose care over neglect, compassion over apathy, sacrifice over selfishness and truthfulness over deception- we choose to become a human over an animal.

Therefore being 'human' is not a permanent entitlement we receive by birth, rather its a tag and identity we have to earn continuously through our choices,
and in these choices only we either build or erode our chracters.

Join: UPSC ESSAY@159

To me, a teacher is anyone or anything that leaves us wiser than it found us.

Happy Teachers’ Day to all those teachers known and unknown, remembered and forgotten.

From next week, we resume our Essay preparation with renewed energy and vigour.

Before that, I will be replying to everyone I had promised to get back to after Mains.

See you next week

Earlier, I shared a list of common doubts about UPSC Essay writing that many of you had sent me through DMs and said I would create a video addressing them.

Part 1 is here.

I have addressed questions like:

1) What is the best way to begin an essay ie anecdote, quote, poem, example or something else?
2) How long should the introduction be?
3) What should be the guiding factor while writing an essay?
4) How can you write beyond 10 pages?
5) How can arguments and ideas be developed better?

I have kept it simple and practical. These are approaches that reflect my own strategy and experience.

More doubts will be addressed in Part 2.

#EssayScoreImprovement
#UPSCEssayInsights

@upscessay159

Watch here:

https://youtu.be/Q9WsJMmbyGA?si=Pmy5da36xN_y_Tqa

Growth isn’t addition; it’s subtraction. We don’t discover who we are by adding new labels, but by burning away the versions of ourselves we outgrew.

#DepthForEssay

@upscessay159

#Lessonsfromnature

Have you ever watched an ant whose path is suddenly blocked?

It does not stand there wondering why the obstacle exists. It simply changes direction. If that path is blocked too, it tries another.

The destination remains the same, only the route changes.

We often think persistence means continuing to do the same thing despite failure. But perhaps that is not persistence at all. Sometimes, it is merely stubbornness.

The ant offers a simpler lesson:

Be stubborn about the destination, but flexible about the path.

Perhaps that is what resilience really means.

@upscessay159

In my experience of writing philosophical essays, some of the better/ best ideas come not from books, but from learning to look at simple, ordinary things differently.

#EssayFrameworkSeries
Attempt Topic 5( CSE 2021)
🎯 A 140+ Essay is rarely born on the day of the examination.

It is built in the quiet moments when you sit with a topic and force yourself to think.

⏰ Brainstorm time: 30 minutes.
Think > Decode > Structure > Write

I am travelling today, so couldnot post it in the morning, our usual time.

But the topic is here.
Sit with it. Wrestle with it. See how far your thinking takes you.

📌 I will try to share the framework on Monday.

#EssayImprovement
@UPSCESSAY159

#EssayFrameworkSeries |Framework 12 | 🎯140+

CSE 2021
Topic:" Hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world"

1) Introduction: Intro can begin with how mothers/fathers/teachers/Leader have shaped their children/disciples/organizations/institutions and how they in turn ruled/shaoed the world for the betterment of humanity. #ExcellentChoice can be: Jamsetji Tata=impressive intro.
2) What is Hand here: Hand is anyone and anything with the vision/potential of creating far reaching changes. #Mistake: If you retrict Hand's meaninh to just humans. Hand here should br interpreted with maturity ie Hand can be experience, culture, knowlege, scriptures etc
3) What is meaning of "rocks the cradle": it is basically transforming entities be it nascent biologica entities into human capital or transforming social instititions/culture/orthodox values/ inhuman practices/economic systems etc into something that brings us closer to being developed/advanced yet more humane(#Important)
4) Rules the world: Explore its broader horizons ie Creating institution; generating new knowlege; leading innovation; transmitting modern vakues of liberty, equakity, frternity, intergenerational equity, climate justice; bringing transformatoional changes for common good. #Mistake: if you restrict its meaing to pokitically dominating/ruling the world.
5) Prove the central theme~ 50% weightage by bringing in strong argument chain ie in each paragraph start wih different interpretations of hand ie Mother, Father, Teachers, Social reformers, Economic experts, Leaders from science and technology, Environment etc> Tell how they shape things, values etc, Emphasize on this aspect, give analysis, Tell examiner you know the mechanisms of how things work> How it leads to ruling the world ie how they brought transformational changes ie shaped history.

For instance: Take case of Scientific sphere
Greate leaders> values and vision> efforts> work culture of dedication, commitment> precision> excellence> For eg Vikram Sarabhai's contributions shaped ISRO, today ISRO enjoys global respect in space technology

Likewise analyse fo other forms/manifestations of "Hand". Give good analysis = #BetterMarks

6) Discourse enrichment:
i) Its not always the human hands that rock the cradles, sometimes, some natural forces too rock the cradle which help people rule the worl eg Japan: pacific rinh of fire>innovation>eq resistant tech. So adversity too plays imp role.
ii) Not always the hands that rock cradles in positive directions, some hands rocks the cradle in order to bring destruction eg: Nazi germany shaped minds, institutions, scientific direction etc to bring destruction and deaths.
iii) Circularity/virtuous circle: Ask what about the hand which rocks the cradle? The “Hand” can shape the future only when it is itself shaped by meaningful values, ethical consciousness & the concerns of tge common good.
7) Suggestions/What shoulf be done? The hands should rock the cradle in the interest of humanity so that human values always remain supreme. Giv suggesfions at different levels ie individuals, societies etc for the same.
8) Conclusion: use #GandhianFramework here for an impressive conclusion.
9) Finisher: The hand that rocks the cradle may shape the world; but the conscience that guides that hand determines what kind of world is shaped


✅️ #ScoreBooterSection ✅️

1) 📚Content Enrichment
🧠MustUsePhilosophersandThinkers: Socrates | Plato | John Lock | Gandhiji | Karl Marx | Ambedkar | Rachel Carlson |

💡MustUseConcepts: Human Capital | Socialisation | Intergenerational quity| Soft power | Internationalism | Integral humanity

2) #Mistakes that limit you to 80-100 range: Restricting the scope of essay by narrow interpretation of key terms: "Hand", "Rules the World" as explaimed above.
A) Looking the topic merely from perspective or Mother, Father and Teacher only
B) Not exploring the other factors like Knowlege, Culture, common good, compassion etc that help shape amd rule the world
C) Lack of deoth in analysis: ie not properly explaning the supporting agrments

I will add the links to thinkers and concepts asap, I am still oit of station.
Read the framework deligently, the topic has deeper philosophival meanings. Read twice to gauge the beauty of it.