As we head closer to the IBPS PO Mains 2025 exam, one of the biggest unknowns for aspirants is: Which essay topic will come? Though we can never predict with absolute certainty, by examining patterns, current affairs, and evaluation trends, we can make very educated guesses. In this post, I’ll share:
- The changed pattern and what it implies
- Themes and areas from which topics are likely
- A curated list of most expected essay topics for 2025
- How to prepare and strategize your essay writing
- Sample outlines / angle ideas for a few topics
Let’s begin.
🔍 Pattern & Trend Update (2025) – Implications for Topic Choices
Before listing topic ideas, you must align your expectations with the current design of the descriptive section.
- In 2025, the IBPS PO Descriptive Section comprises one essay + one comprehension (no letter writing).
- Total marks = 25; time = 30 minutes.
- Thematic scope has widened: earlier the topics were more banking / economy oriented, but now issues from society, technology, environment, current affairs are also common.
- The evaluation is automated (or computer-assisted). Thus, the system penalizes irrelevance, deviation, word-count violation, grammar more harshly.
- Because the essay has to be typed, many aspirants struggle not with content but speed, coherence, and structure. So the topics will likely be such that a well prepared aspirant can write fluidly.
Given that, the stress is on relevance, clarity, structure, balance, examples, and timeliness.
Considering all this, here are the broad theme buckets from which topics may be drawn:
| Theme | Why It’s Likely | Keywords / Focus Areas |
| Economy & Banking | It’s central to a banking exam’s domain; policy changes are always topical | Financial inclusion, inflation control, central bank tools, fintech, digital banking, NBFCs |
| Technology & Innovation | Rapid change, overlap with finance, public discourse | AI, machine learning, data privacy, cybersecurity, blockchain, digital payments |
| Social Issues & Governance | Public policy and societal challenges are always in exam essays | Inequality, gender justice, health, education, rural development |
| Environment & Sustainability | Rising importance globally & nationally | Climate change, green finance, renewable energy, climate migration |
| Current Affairs / National & Global Trends | To test candidate awareness & ability to link facts | Geopolitics, global trade, demographic trends, pandemics, emerging challenges |
From trending IBPS PO 2025 lists, some hot topic ideas are already surfacing. For example: AI in Risk Management, Tackling Youth Unemployment, Air Pollution in Delhi NCR, Growing Digital Payments in Smaller Cities, Cryptocurrency rules etc.
Also, earlier lists include: Leveraging India’s population for growth, Digital Learning vs Traditional Classrooms, Green Initiatives & Climate Action, Privatisation vs public accessibility, Cybersecurity in banking etc.
An older but instructive list includes mental health, digital fraud, women empowerment etc.
With all this in view, here’s your bulletproof list.
📝 Most Expected Essay Topics (2025) — Curated List
Here’s a list of 20+ essay topics that are highly probable for IBPS PO 2025 (or useful to practice), along with a brief idea or angle you can take for each.
| Topic | Possible Angles / Points to Cover |
| 1. AI in Risk Management: Advantages and Disadvantages | How banks and NBFCs can use AI to assess credit risk, fraud detection; challenges such as bias, data privacy, accountability |
| 2. Tackling Youth Unemployment in India | Causes (skill mismatch, automation, education), government schemes, role of private sector, vocational training |
| 3. Air Pollution in Delhi NCR: Policy Solutions | Causes (traffic, industry, stubble burning), health impact, policy measures, citizen role |
| 4. Growing Digital Payments in Smaller Cities | Infrastructure, digital literacy, trust, regulatory support, security concerns |
| 5. Cryptocurrency Rules: Aligning with World Standards | Regulatory challenges, investor protection, how India can position itself globally |
| 6. Leveraging India’s Demographic Dividend | Youth population as asset, need for job creation, health, education, skill development |
| 7. Digital Learning vs Traditional Classroom | Advantages & drawbacks; hybrid models; equity & accessibility |
| 8. Green Initiatives and Climate Action in India | Renewable energy, carbon credit, sustainable agriculture, finance for climate adaptation |
| 9. Privatisation of Public Sector Banks: Pros, Cons & Way Forward | Efficiency vs public good; risks; role in financial inclusion |
| 10. Cybersecurity in Banking and Finance | Threats, encryption, regulation, consumer protection, role of RBI / govt |
| 11. Women & Economic Progress: Beyond Rhetoric | Barriers, affirmative policy, women in leadership, financial inclusion for women |
| 12. Role of MSMEs in India’s Economic Revival | Post-pandemic recovery, credit support, technology adoption, markets |
| 13. Challenges and Solutions for Youth Migration (Rural to Urban) | Push & pull factors, infrastructure, smart cities, balanced regional growth |
| 14. Data Privacy vs National Security | Tension between personal rights and state surveillance, laws such as PDP, global precedents |
| 15. Is Universal Health Care Feasible for India? | Costs, logistics, financing, public vs private role |
| 16. Sustainable Development: Can India Grow Without Compromising the Environment? | Tradeoffs, green policies, regulatory framework |
| 17. Technology Innovations During COVID-19 and Their Impact | Telemedicine, remote work, edTech, logistics, gaps exposed |
| 18. Financial Inclusion: Role of Banks, Technology & Policy | No. of unbanked, digital tools, interoperability, policy support |
| 19. Education Reforms in Post-Pandemic India | Curricular change, teacher training, online models, hybrid learning |
| 20. Climate Change & Agriculture: Food Security in Challenge | Impact on yield, farmer distress, mitigation & adaptation, govt schemes |
| 21. Ethical Challenges in the Age of AI & Automation | Bias, accountability, job displacement, legal and moral frameworks |
You can pick from these for practice. The more you internalize the angles, the more confident you’ll be if any one of these shows up (or a close variant).
🧠 How to Prepare Strategically (Topics + Practice)
Here’s a roadmap to make the most of these topic ideas:
- Catalog themes, not just topics. Don’t just learn “Air Pollution” — internalize the theme of environment & public health, so if the topic is slightly different (e.g. “Urban Smog and Public Policy”), you’re ready.
- Maintain a “Topic Bank.” For each theme, list 3–5 possible topics with bullet ideas. Regularly add to it when you read news/editorials.
- Write at least 2 full essays weekly (30 min style). Rotate topics across themes.
- Peer review / feedback matters. Swap essays with fellow aspirants or mentor to catch blind spots.
- Update examples & data. Use very recent (2023–25) stats, schemes, incidents. This signals topical awareness to evaluators.
- Practice speed + structure under timed, online conditions (typing).
- Simulate surprises. Occasionally pick odd topics from your bank to avoid overfitting to only expected ones.
📌 Sample Mini Outlines for 2 Topics
To help you get started, here are sample outlines with angles, major points and possible example hooks.
Topic: AI in Risk Management: Advantages and Disadvantages
- Introduction
- Define AI in finance / risk context
- Growing adoption of machine learning in credit, fraud detection
- Define AI in finance / risk context
- Body
- Advantages
- Faster data analysis, predictive analytics, anomaly detection
- Real-time monitoring and early warning
- Reduced manual error, cost efficiency
- Faster data analysis, predictive analytics, anomaly detection
- Disadvantages / Challenges
- Data bias & fairness issues
- Black-box models, lack of transparency (explainability)
- Privacy concerns, data security
- Dependence, job role transformation
- Data bias & fairness issues
- Mitigation & Best Practices
- Human oversight, transparent models
- Regulatory frameworks, audits
- Data governance, anonymization
- Training & reskilling workforce
- Human oversight, transparent models
- Advantages
- Conclusion
- Balanced view: AI is tool not panacea
- Emphasize human + machine collaboration
- Call for careful adoption with safeguards
- Balanced view: AI is tool not panacea
Topic: Women & Economic Progress: Beyond Rhetoric
- Introduction
- Statement of current gender gap in workforce
- Why inclusion of women is critical for India’s growth
- Statement of current gender gap in workforce
- Body
- Barriers faced by women
- Social norms, safety, childcare burden, lack of access to finance
- Gender pay gap, glass ceiling
- Social norms, safety, childcare burden, lack of access to finance
- Existing interventions
- Schemes such as Mahila Shakti, Ujjwala, microfinance, SHGs
- Corporate diversity policies, quotas, support infrastructure
- Schemes such as Mahila Shakti, Ujjwala, microfinance, SHGs
- Way forward / new approaches
- Flexible work models, skill training, mentorship
- Banking & credit access, fintech for women
- Legal measures, gender budgeting, awareness
- Flexible work models, skill training, mentorship
- Barriers faced by women
- Conclusion
- Inclusion = sustainable development
- Need continued policy, private sector role, social change
- Inclusion = sustainable development
✅ Final Tips Before Exam Day
- Practice at least one full creative/topic essay daily in last 10–12 days.
- Read editorial or opinion columns daily to absorb new topic ideas.
- Maintain a small “example jam” list: 10–15 up-to-date case studies, schemes, statistics across themes.
- On exam day, within the first 1 minute brainstorm your outline (3–4 bullet points) before writing.
- Stick to the word limit (e.g. ~250–300 words). Overwriting may cost you.
- Use transition phrases for flow (“Furthermore”, “However”, “On the other hand”, “Therefore”)
- Balance both sides (pros & cons) where applicable, but lean with clarity.
- Don’t panic if topic is slightly off — apply your theme bank, relate to what you know.