UPSC Mains 2025 · GS IV · Q3(c) · 10 marks · 150 words

Given below are three quotations of great thinkers. What do each of these quotations convey to you in the present context ? “The strength of a society is not in its laws, but in the morality of its people.” – Swami Vivekananda

हिन्दी में

महान विचारकों के तीन उद्धरण नीचे दिए गए हैं । वर्तमान संदर्भ में, प्रत्येक उद्धरण आपको क्या संप्रेषित करता है ? “किसी समाज की शक्ति उसके कानूनों में नहीं, बल्कि उसके लोगों की नैतिकता में होती है ।” – स्वामी विवेकानंद

Indian Thinkers Law and Morality

How a topper answered the closest question

Toppers wrote this one in a test series: “Given below are the three quotations of great thinkers. What do each of these quotations convey to you in the present context? a) "This life is short, the vanities of the world are transient, but they alone live who live for others, the rest are more dead than alive."-Swami Vivekanand”

A R RajahAIR 7 · CSE 2025 · 124 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening

Swami Vivekananda was a youth icon known for his discipline and 'Seva Bhav' principles of serving others. Holds [great] importance in the present context.

Body · points and prose

s that we live are short and thus need to be spent wisely.

(2) Worldly pleasures are non-important as nothing is taken to the grave.
(3) those who [serve] and [help] others are those that are truly [living life].
(4) Others are merely [Zombies] going after worldly pleasure. Holds [great] importance in the present context.

Present Context Relevance :-

(1) [Social Problems] - need to be countered with 'servitude' and helping attitude. Eg:- [NGOs] like Agaram foundation 'live' for others -> education of underprivileged.

(2) [Civil Services] - needs to weed out corruption culture. Eg :- [IAS Sagayam] -> serving others and living his life.

(3) [World Politics] - wars need to be stopped and humanitarianism to be upheld. Eg :- [UN-AID] helping Palestine.

(4) [Environment] - needs to be protected and served.

Eg :- Kattunayaka tribes - serving elephants. Thus, Gandhi's maxim of "lose yourself" in the service of others has to be followed.

5 more toppers’ answers to this question, part by part, and how they all approached it: open the question.

Toppers’ answers to other close questions

Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Main) Examination 2025, General Studies Paper IV, Q3(c). The paper on upsc.gov.in. Themes and links to toppers’ answers are by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.