India: soils, vegetation, agriculture, minerals, energy, industry, population: previous-year questions
38 real UPSC Prelims questions (2011–2026) with the official answer and a clear explanation. 9 of them came in the last five papers.
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Which of the following statements about Rare Earth Elements (REEs) and Critical Minerals is/are correct ?
- 1. Modern technological innovations including Artificial Intelligence, robotics and space exploration extensively utilise Rare Earth Elements (REEs).
- 2. China has the highest share in mining of REEs followed by India.
- 3. The Government of India launched the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) in 2025 to establish a robust framework for self-reliance in the critical mineral sector.
- 4. Rare Earth Elements are a set of 13 metallic elements.
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (a) & explanation
Statements 1 and 3 are correct (a). Statement 1 is right: REEs are used in magnets, chips, batteries and satellites for AI, robotics and space. Statement 3 is right: the National Critical Mineral Mission was approved in January 2025 for self-reliance. Statement 2 is wrong: China leads mining by far, but the next producers are the USA, Myanmar and Australia, not India. Statement 4 is wrong: there are 17 rare earths, the 15 lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium. So options (b), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice India's position: it has about 6% of world REE reserves, mainly in monazite beach sands of Kerala, Odisha and Tamil Nadu, mined by IREL. China also controls most REE processing.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following airports :
- 1. Donyi Polo Airport
- 2. Kushinagar International Airport
- 3. Vijayawada International Airport
In the recent past, which of the above have been constructed as Greenfield projects ?
Answer (a) & explanation
Donyi Polo and Kushinagar are greenfield airports (a). A greenfield airport is built on a new site, from scratch. Item 1 is right: Donyi Polo Airport at Itanagar, opened in 2022, is Arunachal Pradesh's first greenfield airport. Item 2 is right: Kushinagar International Airport, opened in 2021, serves the Buddhist circuit where the Buddha attained mahaparinirvana. Both are on the Civil Aviation Ministry's list of greenfield airports. Item 3 is wrong: Vijayawada (Gannavaram) is an old airport that has been expanded and upgraded, which is a brownfield project.
Notice the Greenfield Airports Policy (2008), under which over 20 such airports have been approved, such as Mopa (Goa), Navi Mumbai and Noida (Jewar). The UDAN scheme connects small towns.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following pairs :
| Port | Well known as
| 1. Kamarajar Port | First major port in India registered as a company
| 2. Mundra Port | Largest privately owned port in India
| 3. Visakhapatnam Port | Largest container port in India
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
Answer (b) & explanation
Two pairs are correctly matched (b). Pair 1 is right: Kamarajar Port at Ennore, near Chennai, was India's first major port set up as a public company, rather than a port trust. Pair 2 is right: Adani's Mundra Port in Gujarat is India's largest privately owned port. Pair 3 is wrong: Visakhapatnam is known for bulk cargo such as iron ore and coal. When asked, the largest container port was Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Nhava Sheva) near Mumbai, with Mundra close behind; Mundra has since moved ahead in container volume.
Notice the new Vadhavan port in Maharashtra, approved in 2024, planned as one of the world's top ten container ports. The Sagarmala programme aims at port-led development along India's coast.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Ilmenite and rutile, abundantly available in certain coastal tracts of India, are rich sources of which one of the following?
Answer (d) & explanation
Ilmenite and rutile are sources of titanium (d). Ilmenite is an iron-titanium oxide and rutile is titanium dioxide; both are the main ores of titanium. They are found in the black beach sands of Kerala (Chavara), Odisha and Tamil Nadu, along with monazite, zircon and garnet. Option (a) is wrong: aluminium comes from bauxite. Option (b) is wrong: copper comes from ores like chalcopyrite. Option (c) is a trap: ilmenite has iron, but it is mined for titanium; iron comes from haematite and magnetite.
Notice the uses: titanium dioxide is a white pigment in paints and sunscreen, and titanium metal is light and strong, used in aircraft and spacecraft. Monazite in the same sands contains thorium, key to India's nuclear plans.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
Statement-I : India, despite having uranium deposits, depends on coal for most of its electricity production.
Statement-II : Uranium, enriched to the extent of at least 60%, is required for the production of electricity.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Answer (c) & explanation
Statement I is correct but Statement II is wrong (c). Statement I is right: India has uranium, though mostly low-grade, yet coal gives about 70–75% of its electricity, while nuclear gives only about 3%. Statement II is wrong: power reactors do not need 60% enrichment. India's PHWRs use natural uranium, and light water reactors use uranium enriched to only 3–5%. About 90% enrichment is weapons-grade.
Notice why nuclear stays small: low-grade ore, limited fuel imports and high costs. India plans 100 GW of nuclear power by 2047, with Bharat Small Reactors and private participation. Its three-stage programme aims to use its large thorium reserves in the end.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
Statement-I : According to the United Nations’ World Water Development Report, 2022, India extracts more than a quarter of the world’s groundwater withdrawal each year.
Statement-II : India needs to extract more than a quarter of the world’s groundwater each year to satisfy the drinking water and sanitation needs of almost 18% of world’s population living in its territory.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Answer (c) & explanation
Statement I is correct but Statement II is wrong (c). Statement I is right: the UN World Water Development Report 2022, on groundwater, says India is the world's largest groundwater user, taking about a quarter of global withdrawals, more than China and the USA together. Statement II is wrong: about 90% of India's groundwater goes to irrigation, not to drinking water and sanitation, so it gives the wrong reason. India also has about 18% of the world's people, but that is not why it pumps so much.
Notice the cause: cheap or free electricity for farm pumps and water-hungry crops like paddy and sugarcane in dry regions such as Punjab. The Atal Bhujal Yojana and the CGWA's rules try to curb over-extraction.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
- 1. Gujarat has the largest solar park in India.
- 2. Kerala has a fully solar powered International Airport.
- 3. Goa has the largest floating solar photovoltaic project in India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Only statement 2 is correct (b). Statement 2 is right: Cochin International Airport in Kerala became the world's first fully solar-powered airport in 2015. Statement 1 was wrong when asked: the largest commissioned solar park was Bhadla in Rajasthan, at about 2,245 MW. Gujarat's giant Khavda renewable park is now being built to reach 30 GW, but that came later. Statement 3 is wrong: large floating solar plants are at Ramagundam (Telangana) and Omkareshwar (Madhya Pradesh), not in Goa.
Notice India's target of 500 GW of non-fossil power capacity by 2030. Floating solar saves land and cuts evaporation from reservoirs. The PM Surya Ghar scheme (2024) pushes rooftop solar in homes.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to India, consider the following statements :
- 1. Monazite is a source of rare earths.
- 2. Monazite contains thorium.
- 3. Monazite occurs naturally in the entire Indian coastal sands in India.
- 4. In India, Government bodies only can process or export monazite.
Which of the statements given above are correct ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 1, 2 and 4 are correct (b). Monazite is a reddish-brown phosphate mineral. Statement 1 is right: it is a major source of rare earth elements such as cerium and neodymium. Statement 2 is right: it contains thorium, a fuel for the third stage of India's nuclear programme. Statement 4 is right: it is a "prescribed substance" under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, so only government bodies such as IREL (India) Ltd may process or export it. Statement 3 is wrong: it is found in the beach sands of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, not along the entire coast.
Notice that India has among the world's largest thorium reserves. China dominates global rare earth processing, which India wants to reduce through the National Critical Mineral Mission (2025).
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following States :
- 1. Andhra Pradesh
- 2. Kerala
- 3. Himachal Pradesh
- 4. Tripura
How many of the above are generally known as tea-producing States ?
Answer (d) & explanation
All four are tea-producing states (d). Beyond the big three, Assam, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, the Tea Board lists many smaller tea states. Kerala grows tea around Munnar and Wayanad. Himachal Pradesh has Kangra tea, which has a GI tag. Tripura has old tea gardens linked to the Barak valley belt. Andhra Pradesh grows tea in the tribal Araku and Paderu hills. So options (a), (b) and (c) all undercount.
Notice the geography: tea needs warm, wet weather, well-drained slopes and acidic soil, which is why it grows on hill slopes, not flat plains where water collects. India is the world's second-largest tea producer after China, and the largest consumer.
Small growers count too: Kangra and Araku are small producers, but they are still tea states.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The black cotton soil of India has been formed due to the weathering of
Answer (b) & explanation
Black cotton soil formed from fissure volcanic rock (b). Black (regur) soil formed from the weathering of basalt lava that poured out through long fissures about 66 million years ago to build the Deccan Traps. It is rich in iron, lime, magnesium and potash, but poor in nitrogen and phosphorus. It holds moisture well, swells when wet and cracks when dry, so it ploughs itself. It suits cotton, hence its name. Brown forest soil (a), granite and schist (c), and shale and limestone (d) give rise to other soils.
Notice that black soil covers much of Maharashtra, western Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Red soil forms from granite and gneiss, and laterite from heavy leaching.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
“The crop is subtropical in nature. A hard frost is injurious to it. It requires at least 210 frost-free days and 50 to 100 centimeters of rainfall for its growth. A light well-drained soil capable of retaining moisture is ideally suited for the cultivation of the crop.” Which one of the following is that crop ?
Answer (a) & explanation
The crop is cotton (a). Cotton is a subtropical crop that needs high temperatures, at least 210 frost-free days, moderate rain of 50–100 cm, and bright, sunny weather at picking time. A hard frost damages it. It grows best on light, well-drained soil that holds moisture, such as the black (regur) soil of the Deccan. Jute (b) needs hot, humid weather and over 150 cm of rain in the deltas. Sugarcane (c) needs 75–150 cm of rain or irrigation. Tea (d) needs over 150 cm of rain on well-drained hill slopes.
Notice the top cotton States: Gujarat and Maharashtra. Bt cotton is India's only approved GM crop. Cotton is a kharif crop.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following minerals :
- 1. Bentonite
- 2. Chromite
- 3. Kyanite
- 4. Sillimanite
In India, which of the above is/are officially designated as major minerals ?
Answer (d) & explanation
Chromite, kyanite and sillimanite are major minerals (d). Under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, the Union regulates major minerals, while States make rules for minor minerals. Item 1 is wrong: bentonite, a clay used in drilling and foundries, was notified as a minor mineral in 2015 along with others such as building stone, sand and limestone used in kilns. Item 2 is right: chromite is a major mineral, mined mostly in Odisha (Sukinda valley). Items 3 and 4 are right: kyanite and sillimanite are major minerals used in refractories that resist high heat.
Notice the 2023 amendment to the MMDR Act, which let the Union auction critical minerals such as lithium.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which one of the following groups of plants was domesticated in the ‘New World’ and introduced into the ‘Old World’?
Answer (a) & explanation
Tobacco, cocoa and rubber came from the New World (a). After Columbus (1492), plants moved between continents in the Columbian exchange. Tobacco, cocoa and rubber (Hevea brasiliensis, from the Amazon) were all domesticated in the Americas, along with maize, potato, tomato, chillies, cashew, papaya and pineapple. Option (b) is wrong because cotton was domesticated separately in both worlds, including the Indus Valley. Option (c) is wrong because coffee came from Ethiopia and sugarcane from New Guinea and South Asia. Option (d) is wrong because wheat came from the Fertile Crescent in West Asia.
Notice that the Portuguese brought chillies, tobacco, potato and cashew to India. Henry Wickham took rubber seeds from Brazil to Kew in 1876, spreading it to Asia.
Cotton was domesticated in both the Old and the New World, so any option that includes it is unsafe.
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Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
What is common to the places known as Aliyar, Isapur and Kangsabati?
Answer (d) & explanation
All three are water reservoirs (d). Aliyar reservoir is in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, at the foot of the Anamalai hills, and is part of the Parambikulam–Aliyar project shared with Kerala. Isapur dam is on the Penganga river in Maharashtra's Yavatmal–Hingoli area. Kangsabati dam, at Mukutmanipur, is in West Bengal's Bankura district. None of them is a uranium deposit (a), rainforest (b) or cave system (c).
UPSC often picks reservoirs from different states to test map knowledge. Notice India's largest reservoirs: Indira Sagar (Narmada, MP) by storage, and the Hirakud dam, among the world's longest earthen dams. The Dam Safety Act, 2021 now covers about 6,000 large dams.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to the management of minor minerals in India, consider the following statements :
- 1. Sand is a ‘minor mineral’ according to the prevailing law in the country.
- 2. State Governments have the power to grant mining leases of minor minerals, but the powers regarding the formation of rules related to the grant of minor minerals lie with the Central Government.
- 3. State Governments have the power to frame rules to prevent illegal mining of minor minerals.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (a) & explanation
Statements 1 and 3 are correct (a). Statement 1 is right because sand used for ordinary purposes is a minor mineral under Section 3(e) of the MMDR Act, 1957. Other minor minerals include stone, gravel and clay. Statement 2 is wrong because, under Section 15, the state governments both grant leases and make the rules for minor minerals. The Centre does this for major minerals. Statement 3 is right because, under Section 23C, states can frame rules to prevent illegal mining, transport and storage of minerals.
Notice the 2023 change: offshore areas are covered by a separate law, the Offshore Areas Mineral Act, with sand blocks auctioned from 2024–25. Illegal sand mining is a recurring issue in Bihar, UP and Punjab.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
As per the NSSO 70th Round “Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households”, consider the following statements :
- 1. Rajasthan has the highest percentage share of agricultural households among its rural households.
- 2. Out of the total agricultural households in the country, a little over 60 percent belong to OBCs.
- 3. In Kerala, a little over 60 percent of agricultural households reported to have received maximum income from sources other than agricultural activities.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (c) & explanation
Statements 1 and 3 are correct (c). In the NSSO 70th Round survey (2013), Rajasthan had the highest share of rural households that were agricultural, about 78% (1). In Kerala, about 61% of agricultural households earned most of their income from non-farm sources, such as wages, business and remittances (3). Statement 2 is wrong because about 45% of agricultural households were OBC, not over 60%. The national average income of a farm household was about ₹6,426 a month.
The 77th Round (2019) later found ₹10,218 a month, with wages now the largest income source. Notice how this links to the idea of doubling farmers' income (the Dalwai Committee) and to rural income diversification.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Recently, which of the following States has explored the possibility of constructing an artificial inland port to be connected to sea by a long navigational channel?
Answer (d) & explanation
Rajasthan explored the idea (d). As a landlocked State, Rajasthan studied building an artificial inland port at Jalore. It would be joined to the Arabian Sea by a long navigation channel running through the Rann of Kutch and the Luni river area into Gujarat's Gulf of Kutch. The plan was to cut freight costs for its minerals, marble and farm goods. Andhra Pradesh (a) and Karnataka (c) already have sea coasts. Chhattisgarh (b) is landlocked but had no such plan.
Notice the related national ideas: Sagarmala, which develops ports and coastal shipping, and the National Waterways Act, 2016, which named 111 national waterways. Dry ports and freight corridors such as the Western DFC are the cheaper option for landlocked States.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
In which of the following regions of India are shale gas resources found?
- 1. Cambay Basin
- 2. Cauvery Basin
- 3. Krishna-Godavari Basin
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer (d) & explanation
All three basins have shale gas (d). Shale gas is natural gas trapped in fine-grained shale rock, and it is extracted by horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (fracking). Studies by the US EIA, ONGC and CMPDI have identified potential in the Cambay (Gujarat) (1), Cauvery (Tamil Nadu) (2) and Krishna-Godavari (Andhra Pradesh) basins (3). Other basins with potential include Assam-Arakan, the Gondwana basins (Damodar valley) and the Indo-Gangetic plains.
India's 2013 policy allowed ONGC and Oil India to explore shale in their existing blocks, and HELP (2016) now gives a single licence for all hydrocarbons. Notice the limits: fracking needs huge amounts of water and can pollute groundwater, which slows it down in water-stressed India.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to ‘dugong’, a mammal found in India, which of the following statements is/are correct?
- 1. It is a herbivorous marine animal.
- 2. It is found along the entire coast of India.
- 3. It is given legal protection under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer (c) & explanation
Statements 1 and 3 are correct (c). The dugong or "sea cow" is a herbivorous marine mammal that grazes on seagrass (1). It is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act (3). Statement 2 is wrong: in India it survives only in the Gulf of Mannar–Palk Bay, the Gulf of Kutch and the Andaman and Nicobar islands, not along the entire coast.
Tamil Nadu notified India's first Dugong Conservation Reserve in Palk Bay in 2022. It is listed as Vulnerable globally. Notice how protecting seagrass meadows protects the dugong, and also stores carbon.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which one of the following regions of India has a combination of mangrove forest, evergreen forest and deciduous forest?
Answer (d) & explanation
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands combine mangroves along creeks and coasts, tropical evergreen forest in the wet interior and moist deciduous forest on drier slopes (d). North Coastal Andhra (a) has mainly dry deciduous forest. South-West Bengal (b), with the Sundarbans, is mostly mangrove, and Southern Saurashtra (c) is dry, with thorn and dry deciduous forest.
The islands get heavy rain from both monsoons and lie near the equator, which explains this rich mix. Notice how island ecosystems are rich but fragile, as debates over the Great Nicobar project show.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.