UPSC Mains GS Paper 2 Question Paper 2026: Download PDF

The UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2026 General Studies Paper 2 (GS Paper 2) was conducted on 22 August 2026. The paper covers Indian Constitution, Polity, Governance, Social Justice and International Relations.

UPSC Mains GS Paper 2 Question Paper 2026 PDF Download

Candidates can download the UPSC Mains GS Paper 2 Question Paper 2026 PDF from the link below:

Download UPSC Mains GS Paper 2 Question Paper 2026 PDF

Exam	UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2026
Paper	General Studies Paper 2
Subjects	Polity, Constitution, Governance, Social Justice & International Relations
Date	22 August 2026
Duration	3 Hours
Maximum Marks	250

UPSC Mains GS Paper 2 Question Paper 2026

The GS Paper 2 question paper tests candidates on constitutional provisions, governance mechanisms, political institutions, social justice issues and India’s relations with other countries.

The 2026 paper covered important areas including Fundamental Rights, constitutional amendments, women’s representation, anti-defection, electoral rolls, the Governor’s powers, federalism, judicial activism, constitutional commissions, tribal development, civil services, malnutrition, pressure groups, education, maritime security, BRICS, the Indian diaspora and China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Indian Constitution and Polity

The Constitution and Polity section included questions related to Article 21, privacy and self-identity, women’s political representation, the 106th Constitutional Amendment, the anti-defection law, the Speaker’s role, electoral rolls and the constitutional status of the right to vote.

Questions also examined separation of powers and checks and balances, including a comparison between the Indian and American constitutional systems.

Federalism and Constitutional Institutions

The paper included questions on the Governor’s discretionary powers, particularly the Governor’s role in giving assent to State Bills under Article 200.

It also covered asymmetric federalism, including special constitutional provisions for different regions and mechanisms for addressing Centre-State and inter-State issues.

The role of the judiciary and the boundaries between judicial activism, judicial legislation and separation of powers were also examined.

Governance and Social Justice

The Governance and Social Justice section covered the functioning of constitutional commissions such as the NCSC and NCST, tribal development, civil-service reforms and the debate between generalist and specialist bureaucracy.

Other areas included malnutrition, welfare delivery, pressure groups, corporate lobbying, education and rights-based welfare.

International Relations

The International Relations section focused on India’s strategic and diplomatic interests.

• IPMDA, SAGAR and the Quad
• BRICS and the Global South
• Indian diaspora and India’s soft power
• China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)
• Regional connectivity and maritime security

Download UPSC Mains GS Paper 2 Question Paper 2026

Candidates preparing for UPSC Civil Services Examination 2027 and subsequent examinations can use the 2026 GS Paper 2 question paper as a useful reference for the syllabus areas of Polity, Governance, Social Justice and International Relations.

Download UPSC Mains GS Paper 2 Question Paper 2026 PDF

For official examination resources and updates, candidates can visit the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) website.