QUESTION 3(b)
GS4
10 marks
“Faith is of no avail in the absence of strength. Faith and strength, both are essential to accomplish any great work.” – Sardar Patel
WRITE IN
7 min
150 words
What the examiner wants
Explain why Patel held that faith and strength must go together for great work, with examples.
Explain the quoteAnswer exactly what the question asks.
Demand-wise check
- 1Meaning: conviction without capacity is empty; capacity without conviction is directionless≈30 words
- 2Strength: courage, organisation, resources, perseverance≈30 words
- 3Patel's own example: integration of princely states≈30 words
- 4Relevance for civil servants: conviction in values plus the strength to implement and resist pressure≈30 words
Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.
Answer plan
MeaningWhy both are neededPatel's exampleModern applicationConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Using faith only in the religious sense
- No illustration of faith plus strength together
Draw this
- Two pillars, faith and strength, holding 'great work'
Value addition
- ExamplePatel's integration of over 560 princely states, combining persuasion with firmness (Junagadh, Hyderabad).Historical record
- ThinkerVivekananda: 'Strength is life, weakness is death.'.Swami Vivekananda
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Vidushi Singh · AIR 13 · Page 5 ↗Same syllabus reference
- G Sanjana · AIR 55 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Aakash Garg · AIR 5 · Page 7 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 7 minutes, then get it checked.