Mains GS Paper IVAptitude & Foundational ValuesHigh-yield

Empathy, Tolerance & Compassion — Towards Citizens & Vulnerable Sections

सहानुभूति, सहिष्णुता और करुणा — नागरिकों और कमजोर वर्गों के प्रति

Empathy, Tolerance & Compassion — Towards Citizens & Vulnerable Sections is part of the UPSC Mains GS Paper IV syllabus, under Aptitude & Foundational Values. It appeared in Mains GS Paper IV question papers in 4 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025 (2017, 2020, 2022, 2024). It is marked high-yield: a topic worth revising more than once.

What should you study in Empathy, Tolerance & Compassion?

  • Empathy in governance — understanding beneficiary perspective
  • Tolerance — working with diversity; managing conflicting demands
  • Compassion — welfare delivery with human dignity
  • Soft paternalism vs beneficence in welfare policy

How often is Empathy, Tolerance & Compassion asked in UPSC Mains?

Asked in 4 of 10 years, including 2 of the last 5. Highlighted years below are the ones it appeared in.

  1. 2016: not asked
  2. 2017: asked
  3. 2018: not asked
  4. 2019: not asked
  5. 2020: asked
  6. 2021: not asked
  7. 2022: asked
  8. 2023: not asked
  9. 2024: asked
  10. 2025: not asked

About the Mains GS Paper IV paper

GS Paper IV is the 250-mark Mains paper on ethics, integrity and aptitude, including case studies. See all 34 Mains GS Paper IV topics.

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