The UPSC law optional paper 2026 is reproduced below in full, question by question, with the marks and the syllabus unit for every part of Paper I and Paper II. Each paper printed 8 questions worth 400 marks in two sections, and you answer 5 for 250 marks in three hours. Q1 and Q5 are compulsory; the other three must include at least one question from each section.
Paper I splits into Constitutional and Administrative Law in Section A and International Law in Section B. Paper II covers Crimes and Torts in Section A and Contracts, Mercantile Law and Contemporary Legal Developments in Section B, and it asks for every answer to be backed by legal provisions and judicial pronouncements. After each paper you’ll find its marks split by unit, which shows where the 2026 examiner put the weight.
Law Optional 2026 Paper I
Official paper: Law Optional 2026 Paper I (UPSC PDF). Time allowed three hours, maximum marks 250.
Administrative Law and Services carried the most marks (55), through delegated legislation, natural justice, the Ombudsman and the doctrine of pleasure. Judiciary and Basic Structure followed at 50, with Kesavananda against Golaknath worth 20 marks on its own. In Section B, the international economic order (GATT and Bretton Woods) and the nationality, asylum and human rights cluster took 40 marks each, and the Strait of Hormuz question tied UNCLOS innocent passage to a live dispute.
Section A
| Q. | Question | Marks | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1(a) | “The ‘Doctrine of Pleasure’ in its absolute unrestricted application does not exist in India.” Elucidate with regard to service jurisprudence. | 10 | Administrative Law & Services |
| 1(b) | “If the power of judicial review of legislation and administrative actions is abrogated or taken away, the Constitution will cease to be what it is.” Critically evaluate. | 10 | Judiciary & Basic Structure |
| 1(c) | What do you understand by legislative process? Under the Constitution, the Parliament has been empowered to make law on any matter, in any list, for any territory not included in a State. Explain. | 10 | Union-State Legislative Powers |
| 1(d) | The word ‘State’ used in the ‘Directive Principles’ has the same meaning as has been given to it by Article 12, for the purposes of enforcement of the Fundamental Rights. Examine in the light of exceptions, if any. | 10 | Fundamental Rights & Directive Principles |
| 1(e) | The President in India is elected not directly by the people, but by the method of indirect election. Explain. Who will decide in case any dispute arises in connection with the election of the President? Discuss. | 10 | President & Emergency Provisions |
| 2(a) | “While interpreting Article 21 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court introduced the concept of ‘due process of law’ indirectly into the Constitution of India, and thereby expanded its scope considerably.” Support your answer with the help of leading case laws. | 20 | Fundamental Rights & Directive Principles |
| 2(b) | “‘Constitutionalism’ connotes in essence-‘limited government’ or ‘a limitation on government’. It is the antithesis of arbitrary powers.” Discuss. | 15 | Constitutionalism & Constitutional Governance |
| 2(c) | “The Legislature itself must set the essential policy, or lay down standards or policy in the Delegating Act and the delegate would then legislate to advance the legislative policy.” Elaborate the statement with the help of relevant case laws. | 15 | Administrative Law & Services |
| 3(a) | Keshavananda illustrates judicial creativity and the policy-making role of the Supreme Court of a very high order and could be regarded to be an improvement over the formulation in Golaknath. Examine with the help of relevant arguments. | 20 | Judiciary & Basic Structure |
| 3(b) | ‘Constitutional governance’ is a system where government authority is limited, defined and structured by a supreme written or unwritten constitution. Analyze with special reference to the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. | 15 | Constitutionalism & Constitutional Governance |
| 3(c) | “The concept of ‘natural justice’ is of variable content and imposes variable procedural norms from case to case.” Explain. | 15 | Administrative Law & Services |
| 4(a) | “The Supreme Court of India is a multi-jurisdictional Court and may be regarded as the most powerful Apex Court in the world.” Justify this statement supported by relevant constitutional provisions. | 20 | Judiciary & Basic Structure |
| 4(b) | “It is the satisfaction of the President and not of the Central Cabinet, for proclamation of emergency in India.” Do you agree with it? Critically examine and also, discuss about the consequences of such proclamation. | 15 | President & Emergency Provisions |
| 4(c) | “An ‘Ombudsman’ is the projection of the legislative function of supervising the administration.” Elucidate this statement in Indian perspectives with the help of examples. | 15 | Administrative Law & Services |
Section B
| Q. | Question | Marks | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5(a) | Whether International Law is a law in the true sense of the term ‘law’ or not? Examine. | 10 | Nature of International Law |
| 5(b) | Critically examine the theories which have been propounded to explain the relationship between International Law and Municipal Law. | 10 | Nature of International Law |
| 5(c) | What is ‘asylum’? Is ‘Right to Asylum’ a fundamental right of a person in other country to save from prosecution? Explain. | 10 | Nationality, Asylum & Human Rights |
| 5(d) | What do you mean by imposing ‘Double Veto’ by a permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations? Also, discuss its impact on decision-making process of the United Nations. | 10 | United Nations |
| 5(e) | What do you understand by ‘State succession’ and ‘State recognition’? Differentiate between them. | 10 | State Recognition & Succession |
| 6(a) | “The present world economic order is supposed to be guided by the operation of free market forces propelled by free competition, based on free movement of goods and services including technology.” Discuss the role of the principle of non-discrimination and free trade under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in this regard. | 20 | International Economic Order |
| 6(b) | Discuss the grounds of ‘intervention’ and its types. State the circumstances under which lawful recourse to use of force for self-defence could be taken. Give its limitations also. | 15 | Use of Force & Intervention |
| 6(c) | “International Law may be defined as that body of law which is composed for its greater part of the principles and rules of conduct which States feel themselves bound to observe and, therefore, do commonly observe in their relation to each other.” Explain. | 15 | Nature of International Law |
| 7(a) | Discuss the facts and the Principles of the Law of the Sea, emerged in ‘Corfu Channel Case’, with reference to the territorial sea and contiguous zone. Give your opinion, how far the ‘Strait of Hormuz’ problem could be resolved under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982) in the light of the principle of ‘innocent passage’ by foreign vessels. Explain. | 20 | Law of the Sea |
| 7(b) | Discuss the composition, powers and functions of the Security Council of the United Nations for the maintenance of international peace and security. | 15 | United Nations |
| 7(c) | Define the term ‘nationality’. State the various modes of acquisition of nationality by a person. Differentiate between ‘nationality’ and ‘domicile’. | 15 | Nationality, Asylum & Human Rights |
| 8(a) | “The Bretton Woods Conference, 1944 adopted the statutes of two institutions to promote New International Economic Order for international financial cooperation and economic development.” Discuss the above statement in terms of the International Forum. | 20 | International Economic Order |
| 8(b) | Discuss briefly ‘pre and post’ developments of Kyoto Environment Summit on Global Warming, 1997 for the protection and improvement of the human environment. | 15 | Human Environment |
| 8(c) | What do you mean by Human Rights? Discuss the procedure for the enforcement of Human Rights of a person as laid down under the International Law. | 15 | Nationality, Asylum & Human Rights |
2026 Paper I: where the marks sat
| Unit | Marks | Share of paper |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative Law & Services | 55 | 13.8% |
| Judiciary & Basic Structure | 50 | 12.5% |
| International Economic Order | 40 | 10.0% |
| Nationality, Asylum & Human Rights | 40 | 10.0% |
| Nature of International Law | 35 | 8.8% |
| Constitutionalism & Constitutional Governance | 30 | 7.5% |
| Fundamental Rights & Directive Principles | 30 | 7.5% |
| President & Emergency Provisions | 25 | 6.2% |
| United Nations | 25 | 6.2% |
| Law of the Sea | 20 | 5.0% |
| Human Environment | 15 | 3.8% |
| Use of Force & Intervention | 15 | 3.8% |
| State Recognition & Succession | 10 | 2.5% |
| Union-State Legislative Powers | 10 | 2.5% |
Law Optional 2026 Paper II
Official paper: Law Optional 2026 Paper II (UPSC PDF). Time allowed three hours, maximum marks 250.
Torts and Consumer Protection led Paper II at 65 marks, and the new criminal laws showed up in three parts worth 45 marks: sedition to the BNS offence, the false promise of marriage and theft under the BNS. The two problem questions, 4(a) and 4(c), sit together in Q4 and are worth 35 marks, so a candidate who dislikes fact patterns can still meet the Section A requirement through Q2 or Q3. Section B leaned on Contracts and Mercantile Law, with Partnership and Agency alone at 45 marks.
Section A
| Q. | Question | Marks | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1(a) | Does ‘Res ipsa loquitur’ reverse the ‘burden of proof’ completely ? Comment. | 10 | Torts & Consumer Protection |
| 1(b) | How can ‘community service’, as a type of punishment, be used to address local issues ? Discuss. | 10 | General Principles & Punishment |
| 1(c) | How does the changed definition of ‘consumer’ align with modern market practices such as ‘e-commerce’ ? Discuss. | 10 | Torts & Consumer Protection |
| 1(d) | Can a ‘single act’ amount to both public and private nuisance ? Explain with the help of examples. | 10 | Torts & Consumer Protection |
| 1(e) | From ‘sedition’ under the Indian Penal Code, 1860 to ‘acts endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India’ under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, how has the law changed ? Explain. | 10 | Offences against the State |
| 2(a) | “‘Vicarious liability’ is based on public policy rather than fault.” Critically analyse the above statement in the light of decided cases. | 20 | Torts & Consumer Protection |
| 2(b) | How has the law against untouchability evolved to give effect to Article 17 of the Constitution of India ? Discuss in the light of relevant legislative enactments and judicial pronouncements. | 15 | Special Statutes & Plea Bargaining |
| 2(c) | Discuss the doctrine of ‘Volenti non fit injuria’ as a defence to tortious liability. What are the limitations on the scope of this doctrine ? | 15 | Torts & Consumer Protection |
| 3(a) | How effectively does the law distinguish between ‘pre-meditated killing’ and ‘murder as a consequence of a sudden fight’ ? Explain in the light of relevant statutory provisions. | 20 | Offences against Human Body |
| 3(b) | How far does a ‘mistake of fact’ negate mens rea ? Does it operate as a justification or an excuse, and should it be allowed as a defence in strict liability offences ? Explain. | 15 | General Principles & Punishment |
| 3(c) | Discuss the procedural safeguards provided under the law along with the role of judiciary in ensuring the voluntary participation of the parties in ‘plea-bargaining’. | 15 | Special Statutes & Plea Bargaining |
| 4(a) | ‘X’, a 25-year-old boy, makes a promise to ‘Y’, an 18-year-old girl, that he will marry her if she has ‘carnal-relations’ with him. The girl is reluctant, but agrees after repeated assurances from the boy that he will marry her. Fifteen days after the act, the boy sends her a text message stating that he cannot keep his promise because marriage with her does not align with his career plans and that he needs to marry an NRI girl to facilitate his settlement abroad. What offence, if any, has been committed by the boy ? Discuss. In this context, explain the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in the light of amendments relating to sexual offences, which recently took place. | 20 | Offences against Women |
| 4(b) | “Theft is an offence against possession, not ownership.” Comment. Also explain the changes introduced in the law relating to theft under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. | 15 | Offences against Property |
| 4(c) | ‘X’, a public servant, asks ‘Y’, a person to give him an amount of Rupees ten thousand in order to process ‘Y’s routine application for a cooking gas connection on time. What offence, if any, has ‘X’ committed ? Explain in the light of the relevant statutory provisions. Refer to leading cases. | 15 | Special Statutes & Plea Bargaining |
Section B
| Q. | Question | Marks | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5(a) | How does the Indian Competition Act, 2002, reflect a shift from regulating monopoly to protecting the interests of consumers ? Discuss. | 10 | Competition, Cyber & IP Law |
| 5(b) | “There is a jurisprudential difference between ‘cyber contraventions’ and ‘cyber offences’ as provided under the Information Technology Act, 2000.” Discuss. | 10 | Competition, Cyber & IP Law |
| 5(c) | Write a note on ‘non-partners’ who can share the profits in a partnership. | 10 | Partnership & Agency |
| 5(d) | What are the ingredients of ‘hire-purchase’ ? How is it different from an ‘agreement to buy’ ? | 10 | Sale of Goods & Hire Purchase |
| 5(e) | In an action to void a contract on the ground of ‘undue influence’, what is to be proved by the plaintiff ? Under what circumstances can ‘undue influence’ be presumed ? | 10 | Law of Contracts |
| 6(a) | “Sharing of profits is only prima facie evidence of the existence of a partnership. The conclusive test is that of ‘mutual-agency’.” In view of the above statement, discuss the essential features of a partnership. | 20 | Partnership & Agency |
| 6(b) | Explain the applicability of the rule of ‘privity of contract’ in India. Also discuss the circumstances in which the rule does not prevent a person from enforcing a contract without his being a party to it. | 15 | Law of Contracts |
| 6(c) | “Sellers can no longer abuse their freedom by selling sub-standard goods and relying on exclusion clauses. Now there is a duty to deliver appropriate goods.” Explain the above statement with the help of statutory provisions and decided cases. | 15 | Sale of Goods & Hire Purchase |
| 7(a) | Can ‘Alternative Dispute Resolution’ (ADR) mechanisms effectively adjudicate disputes involving public law elements, constitutional rights, or matters of significant public interest ? Critically discuss the role of ADR mechanisms in light of limitations under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. | 20 | ADR & Arbitration |
| 7(b) | In international environmental jurisprudence, the emergence of the ‘precautionary principle’ marks a shift from the assimilative capacity principle to the precautionary principle. Elucidate this statement in light of the concept of ‘sustainable development’. | 15 | Environmental Law |
| 7(c) | “‘Trial by media’ is a complex phenomenon which poses a conflict between two fundamental principles of democracy, viz. ‘the right to a fair trial’ and ‘freedom of the press’.” How can a balance be maintained between these two ? Explain. | 15 | Trial by Media |
| 8(a) | “Intellectual property laws confer exclusive rights on creators; however, such rights are not absolute.” Critically examine this statement in view of copyright vis-a-vis public interest. | 20 | Competition, Cyber & IP Law |
| 8(b) | How can courts protect individuals against the possibility of exploitation inherent in ‘standard form contracts’ ? Discuss and refer to decided cases. | 15 | Law of Contracts |
| 8(c) | “Every person who acts for another is not an agent. Representative character and derivative authority may briefly be said to be the distinguishing features of an agent.” In view of the above, discuss the nature of agency. | 15 | Partnership & Agency |
2026 Paper II: where the marks sat
| Unit | Marks | Share of paper |
|---|---|---|
| Torts & Consumer Protection | 65 | 16.2% |
| Partnership & Agency | 45 | 11.2% |
| Special Statutes & Plea Bargaining | 45 | 11.2% |
| Competition, Cyber & IP Law | 40 | 10.0% |
| Law of Contracts | 40 | 10.0% |
| General Principles & Punishment | 25 | 6.2% |
| Sale of Goods & Hire Purchase | 25 | 6.2% |
| ADR & Arbitration | 20 | 5.0% |
| Offences against Human Body | 20 | 5.0% |
| Offences against Women | 20 | 5.0% |
| Environmental Law | 15 | 3.8% |
| Offences against Property | 15 | 3.8% |
| Trial by Media | 15 | 3.8% |
| Offences against the State | 10 | 2.5% |
What the 2026 Law Papers Reward
Both papers kept a clean section-wise structure, and neither leaned on a single unit. The largest unit took 55 of Paper I’s 400 printed marks and 65 of Paper II’s. That spread makes selective preparation expensive in Law, because Q1 and Q5 are compulsory and pull 50 marks from each half of every paper whether you like International Law or Mercantile Law or not.
The 2026 papers also tested how current your legal knowledge is. Paper II asked about the move from IPC sedition to the BNS, the BNS provisions on sexual offences, theft under the BNS and the changed definition of consumer in the age of e-commerce. Paper I asked how the Strait of Hormuz problem could be resolved under UNCLOS. Preparation that stopped at the IPC and older case law would have cost marks in both papers.
Paper I moved more over these four years than any single paper shows. Union-State Legislative Powers took 40, 50 and 45 marks from 2023 to 2025, then just 10 in 2026. Use of Force & Intervention, which here also covers dispute settlement, nuclear weapons and the ICC, rose from 25 to 50 and 55 before falling to 15. In 2026 the weight swung back to Section A’s administrative and judicial units: Administrative Law & Services reached 55 (after 50, 20 and 45) and Judiciary & Basic Structure 50 (after 15, 45 and 25). Nature of International Law peaked at 70 in 2023 and hasn’t passed 35 since.
Paper II’s biggest shift is in Section B. Law of Contracts carried 60 marks in 2023 and 90 in both 2024 and 2025, then 40 in 2026, while Partnership & Agency climbed from 10 in 2025 to 45. Torts & Consumer Protection led Section A in all four years, with 80, 70, 85 and 65 marks. Offences against the State got a question only in 2026, worth 10 marks, and Special Statutes & Plea Bargaining rose to 45 from 20 in 2025.
Paper I: marks by unit, 2023 to 2026
| Unit | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Law & Services | 50 | 20 | 45 | 55 |
| Judiciary & Basic Structure | 15 | 45 | 25 | 50 |
| Nationality, Asylum & Human Rights | 15 | 40 | 35 | 40 |
| International Economic Order | 20 | 35 | 15 | 40 |
| Nature of International Law | 70 | 25 | 15 | 35 |
| Constitutionalism & Constitutional Governance | 30 | 15 | 10 | 30 |
| Fundamental Rights & Directive Principles | 35 | 40 | 40 | 30 |
| President & Emergency Provisions | 30 | 30 | 35 | 25 |
| United Nations | 20 | 30 | 30 | 25 |
| Law of the Sea | 25 | 10 | 25 | 20 |
| Use of Force & Intervention | 25 | 50 | 55 | 15 |
| Human Environment | 15 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Union-State Legislative Powers | 40 | 50 | 45 | 10 |
| State Recognition & Succession | 10 | 10 | 25 | 10 |
Paper II: marks by unit, 2023 to 2026
| Unit | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torts & Consumer Protection | 80 | 70 | 85 | 65 |
| Special Statutes & Plea Bargaining | 30 | 35 | 20 | 45 |
| Partnership & Agency | 25 | 20 | 10 | 45 |
| Law of Contracts | 60 | 90 | 90 | 40 |
| Competition, Cyber & IP Law | 30 | 25 | 30 | 40 |
| General Principles & Punishment | 20 | 50 | 40 | 25 |
| Sale of Goods & Hire Purchase | 15 | 10 | 10 | 25 |
| Offences against Human Body | 30 | 25 | 20 | 20 |
| Offences against Women | 20 | 0 | 15 | 20 |
| ADR & Arbitration | 30 | 40 | 25 | 20 |
| Offences against Property | 20 | 20 | 20 | 15 |
| Environmental Law | 10 | 0 | 15 | 15 |
| Trial by Media | 30 | 15 | 20 | 15 |
| Offences against the State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
If you’re weighing Law as your optional, the <a href=”/upsc-law-optional/”>UPSC Law optional guide</a> covers the booklist, the landmark cases worth citing and a 12-month plan, and the <a href=”/law-optional-syllabus/”>Law optional syllabus</a> lists every clause these questions came from.
To compare Law with other subjects before you commit, see <a href=”/upsc-optional-subjects/”>UPSC optional subjects</a>. For the GS side of Mains, the <a href=”/upsc-mains-previous-year-questions/”>UPSC Mains previous year questions</a> carry model answers for every GS and Essay question since 2013.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was asked in the UPSC Law optional 2026 papers?
Paper I covered Constitutional and Administrative Law in Section A, with questions on Article 21, Kesavananda, emergency and the Ombudsman, and International Law in Section B, including the Security Council, asylum and the Strait of Hormuz. Paper II covered Crimes, Torts, Contracts, Mercantile Law and Contemporary Legal Developments, with three parts on the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
How many questions and marks are in each Law optional paper?
Each paper carries 250 marks and runs for three hours. UPSC printed 8 questions of 50 marks each in two sections, and you answer 5. Q1 and Q5 are compulsory, and the remaining three must include at least one from each section.
Where can I download the official Law optional 2026 question paper?
UPSC publishes the official papers on the previous question papers page of upsc.gov.in, printed in both Hindi and English. Each paper on this page also carries its own download link.
How should I use the 2026 Law paper in my preparation?
Read each question against its unit and check whether your notes could support an answer with at least one provision and one case. Then write one full paper under time, since Paper II asks for provisions and judgments in every answer and includes two problem questions. The units where you had nothing to cite are the ones to fix first.
How does the 2026 Law paper compare with earlier years?
This page covers the 2026 papers only, so the fair comparison here is between the two papers. Paper I spread its marks evenly with no unit above 55 marks, while Paper II leaned on Torts and on the new criminal laws. For earlier years, the official papers on UPSC’s previous question papers page are the most reliable record.
Did Law Paper II 2026 test the IPC or the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita?
It needed both. Three parts worth 45 marks asked about the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023: the shift from IPC sedition to the BNS offence, the provisions on sexual offences and theft. Candidates are safest keeping the old IPC sections and their BNS equivalents side by side.
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