Truth Knows No Colour – UPSC Mains 2025 Essay Paper Analysis
Explore the UPSC Mains 2025 essay topic “Truth Knows No Colour” through history, science, law, and media, highlighting India’s struggle for impartial truth.
Introduction
The essay topic “Truth Knows No Colour” featured in the UPSC Mains 2025 Essay Paper is both timeless and urgent. It challenges aspirants to examine how truth remains impartial, universal, and beyond the divisions of race, caste, creed, or prejudice. From colonial distortions of India’s past to Gandhi’s insistence on Satyagraha, from scientific discoveries that serve humanity equally to constitutional promises of equality before law, the principle of colourless truth shapes every dimension of society. This blog unpacks the theme in detail, offering UPSC aspirants historical, ethical, and contemporary perspectives to enrich their essay writing.
Truth Knows No Colour
Lightning does not pause to ask whom it will strike, nor does gravity fall with different force upon different races. Truth, like these forces of nature, is impartial and universal. A world where skin colour, birthplace, or language could alter the facts of science, the verdict of history, or the outcome of a trial would be unthinkable. Yet human history shows repeated attempts by the powerful to paint truth with the brush of prejudice, making some versions appear more valid than others. The principle “Truth knows no colour” asserts that genuine truth is universal and objective, standing independent of race, ethnicity, or cultural background. This is not a moral slogan but a foundational pillar of any just and progressive society. Truth remains colourless and impartial, resisting permanent distortion by propaganda or bias. This essay contends that truth, like nature itself, transcends boundaries of race and power, a principle illuminated through history, science, media, and law, and, with India’s own experience offering a vivid case study.
History, as recorded, has too often been written by the victors. For centuries, colonial powers justified their domination of Asia and Africa by weaving narratives of racial superiority. They presented their conquest as a civilising mission, masking exploitation under the guise of trade and governance. India’s colonial experience offers countless examples. The British portrayed Indian traditions as backward, its people as incapable of self-rule, and its economy as stagnant without colonial “guidance.” But the truth was otherwise. India had a flourishing textile industry, advanced systems of mathematics, and centuries of vibrant intellectual and cultural traditions. Post-colonial scholarship, particularly from Indian historians like R.C. Majumdar and Romila Thapar, has shown that colonial accounts distorted reality to justify imperialism. Similarly, the freedom struggle under Gandhi, Nehru, and countless others was itself a fight to reclaim truth from false narratives. Gandhi’s use of Satyagraha—the insistence on truth—was not merely political strategy but a moral declaration that truth cannot be divided by race or power. Recognising the true story of India’s past is not about erasing colonial history, but about enriching it with voices previously silenced. Only then can we grasp history in its full colourless reality.
Just as India’s struggle reclaimed historical truth, science too affirms universality that transcends divisions. Scientific truths do not shift with geography or skin tone. Gravity pulls objects in Delhi just as in London. The chemical composition of water remains H₂O whether in the Ganga or the Thames. Vaccines work regardless of the patient’s race or religion. India’s own scientific traditions reinforce this universality. Ancient scholars like Aryabhata calculated the value of pi, and Sushruta documented surgical techniques centuries before modern Europe. Later, figures like C.V. Raman, Homi Bhabha, and A.P.J. Abdul Kalam contributed to global science, their discoveries accepted not because of nationality but because they were verifiable by anyone. During the COVID-19 pandemic, India developed vaccines that were distributed to over 100 countries under “Vaccine Maitri,” proving that scientific truth, once established, serves humanity without bias. The scientific method itself demands that claims be tested through observation, replication, and peer review. It rejects prejudice and compels evidence, making science the clearest example of how truth truly knows no colour.
Where science proves truth beyond borders, law seeks to guarantee justice beyond prejudice or power. In the realm of law, the maxim “Truth knows no colour” is embodied in the symbol of Lady Justice, blindfolded to represent impartiality. Justice is meant to be delivered without regard to wealth, caste, creed, or race, but only on the basis of truth. The Indian Constitution enshrines this principle in its promise of equality before the law under Article 14. Yet, the challenge has always been ensuring that courts live up to this ideal. For instance, the Kesavananda Bharati case of 1973, which upheld the “basic structure” doctrine, reaffirmed that constitutional truth cannot be altered by temporary majorities or political colour—it stands above prejudice. At the same time, India has also faced instances where prejudice clouded justice, such as communal riots or cases of caste-based violence. Each of these moments reminds us of the necessity of colourless truth for legal credibility. For the judiciary, truth must never be painted with caste, creed, or communal brushstrokes, or else public trust collapses. The survival of democracy depends on justice being rooted in truth alone.
When law falters, justice suffers; when media distorts, truth itself fractures, endangering democracy’s foundation. In the modern world, the media plays an equally vital role in upholding this principle. Called the Fourth Estate, media has the power to shape perceptions and inform citizens. But this power is a double-edged sword. Responsible journalism, such as the courageous reporting during India’s Emergency (1975–77), can uphold colourless truth even under repression. The press then, despite censorship, reminded the people that truth was larger than propaganda. On the other hand, media can also distort reality when coloured by prejudice. The stereotyping of communities, biased reporting during communal tensions, or selective presentation of facts can create “truths” that divide rather than unite. In today’s age of social media, fake news spreads faster than verified information, making it even more important for media houses and citizens alike to insist on factual, evidence-based reporting. For a democracy like India, where diversity is immense, a colourless pursuit of truth in media is essential to prevent misinformation from tearing the social fabric.
Summing up, the maxim “Truth knows no colour” is more than an ideal; it is a practical necessity for human progress. When truth is manipulated by prejudice, it breeds injustice, oppression, and conflict. When embraced in its colourless form, it allows science to advance, justice to flourish, history to be honest, and democracy to remain strong. India’s journey—from colonial distortions of truth, to the struggle of Satyagraha, to the constitutional promise of equality, and to modern debates about media responsibility—shows that societies thrive only when truth is freed from the shackles of bias. This principle urges us to look beyond superficial differences and connect on the basis of facts, evidence, and reason. It calls upon students, citizens, and leaders alike to challenge prejudice, uphold intellectual honesty, and defend truth even when inconvenient. In doing so, we honour not only the spirit of democracy and science but also the deeper bond of our shared humanity. For in the end, truth belongs to all, and it knows no colour.
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