UPSC Mains 2025 Management Optional Paper I questions

28 questions from the Civil Services (Main) Examination 2025. Official UPSC paper (PDF) · All Management Optional PYQs

1. Evaluate the potentials for entrepreneurial education and training to democratize access to entrepreneurial opportunities. Can anyone learn to be an entrepreneur or are certain inherent qualities essential to become a successful entrepreneur?

2. Discuss the relation between perception and problem solving. How does an individual's perception of a problem affect how they approach a solution?

3. Illustrate how the application of core job design principles directly links to enhanced employee satisfaction and organizational efficiency.

4. What innovative Human Resource Management (HRM) approaches could be adopted in future to foster supportive and inclusive environment prioritizing employee well-being?

5. Broadbanding is increasingly being adopted to manage employee compensation. Illustrate with examples the benefits of broadbanding in compensation management.

6. In what ways can ethical behaviour in management contribute to a company's social responsibility efforts? How can ethical decision-making improve a company's social responsibility outcomes?

7. How do advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning support Knowledge-Based Enterprises?

   20 marks

8. What are the challenges an organization faces in integrating human resource information system with other business systems, e.g. CRM, ERP, Payroll, etc.? Suggest probable solutions to overcome these challenges.

9. As a Global Innovation Manager, you have been given a task of leading the new product development which will be launched across multiple international markets. (i) Explain how you will manage the innovation process while considering cultural, economic and regulatory differences across regions. 409 (ii) What strategies will you follow to foster innovation and collaboration across diverse global teams?

10. Enumerate the principles of learning and reinforcement. How can these principles be utilized by the management to enhance employee effectiveness?

11. Explain the diverse roles of the stakeholders that contribute to the framework of industrial relations within an organization. How do the interests and roles of these stakeholders conflict with each other?

12. You have been recently appointed as the Operations Manager of a mid-sized manufacturing company. Discuss how you would manage both direct and indirect activities in the value chain to improve efficiency and add value to the final product. Enumerate your answer with suitable examples.

    20 marks

13. How do leadership theories help in developing successful leaders?

14. As a Performance Management Auditor, what criteria would you use to evaluate the effectiveness of a Performance Appraisal System? Do you think that appraisals enhance employee effectiveness? Explain.

15. How does management accounting information adapt its focus and detail across different management levels and time frames to support various decisions?

16. Explain the paradoxical nature of liquidity as both a safeguard and a potential drag on corporate performance by examining the delicate equilibrium between security and opportunity cost in cash management decisions.

17. Elucidate the functional objectives of cost accounting records and delineate their key distinctions from financial accounting records. Give illustrative examples of significant cost accounting documentation and their respective applications.

18. State the complexities of Industrial Buying Behaviour. Explain how unique characteristics of Industrial Buying Behaviour affect marketing strategies in B2B contexts.

19. Discuss the importance of ethics in marketing and its role in consumer protection. Explain how unethical marketing practices can harm the consumer and damage the company's reputation. Give real life examples to support your answer.

20. A startup company is experiencing rapid growth in sales. However, its net income remains low. Explain the possible causes of this situation and discuss the strategies that management should employ to improve profitability.

21. How does globalization influence corporate financial policy and strategy? Discuss the challenges and opportunities that multinational corporations face in managing their finances across different countries and currencies.

22. A technology startup is preparing to launch a new smart fitness wearable. Outline a market research plan to help the company understand customer needs and test the market potential.

    20 marks

23. Elaborate the distinctions between job costing and process costing methodologies. Give relevant examples of industries where each approach is typically applied. Furthermore, illustrate scenarios where a hybrid costing system proves advantageous.

24. ABC Technologies, a company producing high-tech components, is considering a significant expansion of its production capacity. This expansion will involve substantial fixed costs in new machinery and equipment, and they are also considering increasing their debt financing. The following information is available: Current Situation: Fixed Operating Costs — €20,00,000-00 Variable Operating Costs per unit — ~€50-00 Selling Price per unit - ~€50-00 Current Production and Sales — 50,000 units Current Interest Expense - =0,00,000-00 Expansion Plan: Increased Fixed Operating Costs — ~%€35,00,000-00 Increased Interest Expense - =€8,00,000-00 Expected increase in Production and Sales - 20,000 units (i) Calculate the current and projected Degree of Operating Leverage (DOL), Degree of Financial Leverage (DFL) and Degree of Combined Leverage (DCL). (ii) Analyse the impact of the expansion plan of ABC Technologies on operating and financial risk. Discuss the trade-offs involved. (iii) Evaluate the sensitivity of the company's Earnings Per Share (EPS) to change in sales volume, considering both the current and projected leverage levels. (iv) Discuss the factors that ABC Technologies should consider when determining the optimal level of financial and operating leverage, especially in the context of high-tech industry's volatility. (v) Given that ABC Technologies is considering alternative financing options, such as issuing equity instead of increasing debt, explain how this decision would impact the company's financial leverage and overall risk profile.

    20 marks

25. Discuss how globalization has transformed marketing management practices. 7 (ii) Explain the role of digital technologies (including social media, big data and e-commerce) in reshaping marketing strategies. Give examples of companies and sectors where these changes are most evident.

    8 marks

26. Company X experienced a significant increase in its Current Ratio from:5::0 to 2-5::0. However, its Quick Ratio 0-8: -0 remains unchanged. What could be the reasons for this divergence and what potential implication might this have for the company's financial health? 7 (ii) A company's Debt-to-Equity Ratio decreased significantly year-over-year, while its Return on Equity (ROE) also decreased. What could be a plausible explanation for this scenario? 7 (iii) A company's 'Reserves and Surplus' increased substantially during the year, but its 'Cash and Cash Equivalents' remained relatively flat. What could explain this situation based solely on Balance Sheet information?

27. What is Money Market? Elaborate its key functions in the financial system. Include specific examples of widely used money market instruments and the institutions that deal in them.

28. A local non-profit healthcare clinic wants to increase awareness and community engagement. Outline a basic marketing strategy using the 7Ps of service marketing tailored for non-profit organizations.