UPSC Prelims PYQs with explanations
Real questions from official papers, mapped to syllabus topics. Attempt each one; the answer and the reason appear instantly.
The digit in the unit place of the number 6129 × 7307 is
Answer (c) & explanation
The unit digit is 8 (c). Step 1: every power of 6 ends in 6 (6, 36, 216, …). Step 2: powers of 7 end in a cycle of four: 7, 9, 3, 1. Divide 307 by 4: remainder 3. So 7³⁰⁷ ends in the third digit of the cycle: 3. Step 3: 6 × 3 = 18, so the unit digit is 8. Options (a), (b) and (d) use the wrong place in the cycle.
Tip: digits 0, 1, 5 and 6 keep the same unit digit for every power. For others, find the cycle of four and use the remainder of the power divided by 4.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which among the following actions would constitute the most appropriate directive(s) in resolving interpersonal conflict in an office with culturally diverse personnel?
- 1. Direct personnel to practise activities that are the cultural markers of diverse groups
- 2. Allow conflicts to resolve naturally over time to set an appropriate precedent of leadership
- 3. Encourage personnel to seek each other's perspectives
Select the answer using the code given below.
Answer (c) & explanation
Only action 3 is appropriate (c). Step 1: action 1, forcing staff to practise other groups' cultural customs, can make people uncomfortable or offended. Respect cannot be imposed. Step 2: action 2, letting conflicts resolve on their own, is not leadership. Unresolved conflict usually grows and hurts teamwork. Step 3: action 3, encouraging staff to seek each other's perspectives, builds understanding and respect, the root of resolving cultural conflict. So options (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Tip: in workplace-ethics questions, prefer options that build dialogue and empathy. Avoid options that force behaviour or ignore problems.
in decision items, an option that forces people or does nothing is rarely the best one.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which among the following is/are the objective(s) of the Rainfed Area Development (RAD) initiative under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) ?
- 1. Encouraging monoculture in rainfed areas
- 2. Increasing rice cultivation in irrigated regions
- 3. Enhancing productivity and minimising climatic risks through Integrated Farming Systems (IFS)
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (d) & explanation
Only objective 3 belongs to RAD (d). Item 3 is right: Rainfed Area Development (RAD), an area-based part of the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), promotes Integrated Farming Systems. It grows crops along with horticulture, livestock, fishery and agro-forestry, so a farmer in a dry area has more than one income source when the rain fails. Item 1 is wrong: monoculture raises risk. Item 2 is wrong: irrigated rice has nothing to do with a rainfed programme.
Notice why it matters: about half of India's net sown area is rainfed, growing much of its pulses, millets and oilseeds. NMSA is one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (2008). Related: Per Drop More Crop for micro-irrigation.
statement 2 talks of "irrigated regions" in a scheme named "Rainfed". Read the scheme's own name before the statements.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements about river bridges connecting India with neighbouring countries :
- 1. ‘Maitri Setu’, built over Feni river, connects Ramgarh in India with Sabroom in Bangladesh.
- 2. Jhulaghat suspension bridge connects India with Myanmar.
- 3. Mechi bridge and its approaches connect Panitanki Bypass in India with Kakarvitta in Nepal.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (d) & explanation
Only statement 3 is correct (d). Statement 3 is right: the Mechi bridge links Panitanki in West Bengal with Kakarvitta in Nepal. Statement 1 is wrong: Maitri Setu over the Feni river links Sabroom in Tripura with Ramgarh in Bangladesh; the statement swaps the towns. Statement 2 is wrong: the Jhulaghat suspension bridge crosses the Kali river between Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand) and Nepal, not Myanmar. So options (a), (b) and (c) fail.
Notice why Maitri Setu matters: it gives Tripura access to Chittagong port, only about 80 km away, easing the North-East's dependence on the narrow Siliguri Corridor. It was inaugurated in 2021. The Kali river also forms the India–Nepal border in the Kalapani dispute.
Statement 1 has the right river and the right towns, but each town is in the other country.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following statements about M1xchange's role in Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) financing is/are correct ?
- 1. M1xchange provides collateral based loans to MSMEs.
- 2. M1xchange facilitates discounting of invoices and Bills of Exchange for MSMEs.
- 3. M1xchange functions as a credit rating agency for MSMEs.
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Only statement 2 is correct (b). Statement 2 is right: M1xchange is an RBI-licensed TReDS platform (Trade Receivables Discounting System) where an MSME's invoices and bills of exchange are discounted. Statement 1 is wrong: it does not give collateral-based loans; financing is without collateral, backed by the big buyer's credit. Statement 3 is wrong: it is not a credit rating agency. So options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice how TReDS works: an MSME uploads an invoice raised on a large buyer, and banks bid to discount it, so the MSME gets cash fast. The other platforms are RXIL and Invoicemart. Companies with turnover above ₹250 crore and CPSEs must join TReDS, easing delayed payments to MSMEs.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
For 1/3 < x < y < 2, which of the following statements is/are always correct?
- I. x + 1/x < y + 1/y
- II. √(1 + y2)/y < √(1 + x2)/x
Select the answer using the code given below.
Answer (b) & explanation
Only statement II is always correct (b). Step 1: statement I: t + 1/t falls until t = 1, then rises. So it is not always increasing in this range. Test x = 1/2, y = 1: x + 1/x = 2.5, y + 1/y = 2. Here 2.5 is not less than 2, so I fails. Step 2: statement II: √(1 + y²)/y = √(1/y² + 1). As y grows, 1/y² shrinks, so this value gets smaller. Since x < y, the y-value is always smaller than the x-value. II always holds. Step 3: options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Tip: "always correct" needs to hold for every case; one counter-example kills it. Rewrite expressions to see if they rise or fall.
the range crosses 1, where t + 1/t turns around. "Always" fails with one counter-example.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Read the passage
Previous waves of customer-service technology, including email and those pesky voice menus, stoked concerns of job losses, only for them to fail to materialise. AI could yet prove different. And if it does, its effects may be salutary. Human agents could be freed up to spend more time on creative and rewarding tasks, like using feedback to make products and services better—and thereby spend less time listening to irate customers!
Which of the following conclusions, made on the basis of the given passage, is/are correct?
- 1. The advent of new customer-service technology had invariably sparked fears about job losses.
- 2. Often it is found that instead of job losses, alternative channels for employee engagement are discovered while certain tasks are replaced by technology.
- 3. The advent of technology inevitably leads to stressful outcomes.
Select the answer using the code given below.
Answer (d) & explanation
Conclusions 1 and 2 are correct (d). Step 1: the passage says earlier waves like email and voice menus "stoked concerns of job losses". So new customer-service technology has sparked such fears (1). Step 2: those losses "failed to materialise", and AI may free humans for creative, rewarding work. So technology often redirects people rather than replacing them (2). Step 3: conclusion 3 says technology inevitably leads to stress. The passage expects salutary effects and less time with irate customers, the opposite. So options (a), (b) and (c) fail.
Tip: "inevitably" is a strong word; check that the passage supports it fully. Here it says the reverse.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Among the four main forms of existence of life recognized in Jainism, which one of the following is not included ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Yaksha is not one of the four forms (b). Jainism names four gatis, or states of birth. Option (a) is one: deva, heavenly beings. Option (c) is one: manushya, humans. Option (d) is one: tiryancha, animals, plants and other beings. The fourth is naraki, beings in hell. Option (b) is not a gati: yakshas are a kind of deva in Jain texts, not a separate form.
Notice the goal: only from human birth can a soul reach moksha, freeing itself from all four gatis. Jain temples often show a yaksha and yakshi guarding each Tirthankara, such as Ambika with Neminatha. Jainism also sees life in earth, water, fire and air, so ahimsa is very strict.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following statements with reference to Lake Turkana is/are correct ?
- 1. It is the largest desert lake in the world.
- 2. The lake is situated in South Sudan along the eastern fringe of the Sahara desert.
- 3. The lake is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is also referred to as the ‘Jade Sea’.
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 1 and 3 are correct (b). Statement 1 is right: Lake Turkana is the world's largest permanent desert lake and its largest alkaline lake. Statement 3 is right: its national parks are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its green colour gives it the name "Jade Sea". Statement 2 is wrong: it lies in the Rift Valley of northern Kenya, with its northern tip in Ethiopia, not in South Sudan at the Sahara's edge. So options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice its fame for human origins: Turkana Boy, a nearly complete Homo erectus skeleton about 1.5 million years old, was found here. Ethiopia's Gibe III dam on the Omo River, the lake's main feeder, threatens its water level.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Match List I with List II and select the answer using the code given below the Lists :
| List I (BIMSTEC Centre / Establishment) | List II (Location)
| A. BIMSTEC Cultural Industries Observatory | 1. NOIDA
| B. BIMSTEC Energy Centre | 2. Bengaluru
| C. BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate | 3. Colombo
| D. BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility | 4. Thimphu
Code :
Answer (c) & explanation
The correct match is A-4, B-2, C-1, D-3 (c). BIMSTEC spreads its centres across members. The Cultural Industries Observatory is in Thimphu (A-4). The Energy Centre is in Bengaluru (B-2). The Centre for Weather and Climate is at the NCMRWF, Noida (C-1). The Technology Transfer Facility is in Colombo (D-3). Options (a), (b) and (d) mix these up.
Notice the group: BIMSTEC (1997, Bangkok Declaration) has seven members: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Its secretariat is in Dhaka, and its Charter came into force in 2024. India sees it as a bridge between Neighbourhood First and Act East, especially while SAARC is stalled.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The Hallisalasya painting in the Bagh Caves represents :
Answer (a) & explanation
The Hallisalasya painting shows a joyous folk dance (a). The Bagh caves in Madhya Pradesh have murals close in style to Ajanta. The best-known panel shows hallisaka: women dancing in a ring around a male dancer while others play music. Hallisaka is an old folk dance named in Sanskrit texts, and lasya means graceful dance. Option (b) is wrong: it is not the Buddha meditating. Option (c) is wrong: Shiva and Parvati on Kailasha is a theme at Ellora. Option (d) is wrong: it is not Samudramanthan.
Notice Bagh's features: Buddhist caves of the 5th–6th centuries, cut in soft sandstone, near the Bagh river. Many paintings were damaged; some are now kept in the Gwalior museum. The town is also known for Bagh print textiles.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Read the passage
India is starting to deploy AI for critical use cases such as weather forecasting, pest detection and control, and crop yield optimisation. However, penetration is limited to a small subset of tech-savvy farmers. In the US and in Europe, generative AI tools have started offering precision farming at scale, integrating large datasets to provide real-time agronomic insights. For at-scale integration and accessibility of AI tools in India, it would be helpful to develop Indian languages-based AI tools for smallholder farmers, partner with AgTechs to create affordable AI solutions, and disseminate AI-based advisory services through government programmes.
Which of the following statements is/are not correct?
- 1. Tech-savvy farmers will drive the AgTech companies of the future.
- 2. The development of advisory services by the government programmes for the use of AI tools in agriculture would be helpful.
- 3. In the US and Europe, AI tools have replaced traditional agricultural practices.
- 4. The integration of large datasets for use in real-time agronomic analysis is already a reality.
Select the answer using the code given below.
Answer (a) & explanation
Statements 1 and 3 are not correct (a). Step 1: statement 1 says tech-savvy farmers will drive AgTech companies. The passage only says AI use is limited to such farmers; it never says they will drive companies. Not correct. Step 2: statement 3 says AI has replaced traditional farming in the US and Europe. The passage says AI tools have "started offering" precision farming, not replaced old methods. Not correct. Step 3: statement 2 matches the suggestion of government advisory services, and statement 4 matches "integrating large datasets to provide real-time agronomic insights" already happening in the West. So both are correct, and options (b), (c) and (d) fail.
Tip: in "not correct" questions, mark each statement true or false, then pick the false ones.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Read the passage
The process by which countries close their labour-productivity gap with the technology leader is based on convergence theory. The convergence model divides economic eras into three phases : the breakaway, the catch-up, and the fine-tuning phase. It also divides economic entities into two categories : the technology leaders and the technology followers. The process begins with the development of a new technology, such as scavenging three million years ago (MYA), hunting—one MYA, farming—12 thousand years ago, and industrial technology—a little more than 200 years ago. During the breakaway phase, the per capita income of the technology leaders (e.g., Western Europe and North America in the industrial era) rises, but is unchanged for the technology followers. In the catch-up phase, the followers adopt the new technology and close their per capita income gap with the technology leaders. In the fine-tuning phase, where participants try to extract the remaining benefits from an increasingly exhausted technology, leaders and followers have similar per capita incomes.
Which of the following statements is/are correct?
- 1. The convergence model divides nations into three phases of economic progress.
- 2. At the heart of the convergence theory is the closing of the gap between labour and productivity.
- 3. Technology leaders typically have arrived earlier at different economic eras.
- 4. The time period covered by the convergence theory presented herein encompasses, as mentioned, 4012200 years.
Select the answer using the code given below.
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 2 and 3 are correct (b), as per UPSC's key. Step 1: statement 2: the opening line says convergence is how countries close their labour-productivity gap with the leader. UPSC reads this as the heart of the theory. Step 2: statement 3: in the breakaway phase, leaders (such as Western Europe and North America) gain first, so leaders arrive earlier at new eras. Correct. Step 3: statement 1 says the model divides nations into three phases; it divides economic eras into phases and entities into two categories. Statement 4 gives a wrong total period; the process begins about 3 million years ago. So options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Tip: check what is being divided: eras into phases, entities into leaders and followers. Mixing them is the trap.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following assertion :
The genesis of political alliances based on community lay in the very nature of the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms, 1919.
Which of the following statements support/supports the above assertion ?
- 1. Reforms retained and extended the principle of separate electorates.
- 2. Separate electorates were supposed to counter Indian nationalism, which was growing stronger.
- 3. Deprived classes rallied around the favours inherent in separate electorates.
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (d) & explanation
All three statements support the assertion (d). Statement 1 is right: the 1919 Act kept separate electorates for Muslims and extended them to Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians and Europeans. Statement 2 is right: the British wanted them to divide the growing national movement. Statement 3 is right: groups that gained from reserved seats organised politically around those favours. So community-based alliances grew from the Act's design, and options (a), (b) and (c) fail.
Notice the history: separate electorates began with the Morley-Minto Reforms (1909) for Muslims. The 1919 Act also brought dyarchy to the provinces. The Communal Award (1932) later tried to extend them to depressed classes, leading to the Poona Pact.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following statements with regard to India’s Deep Ocean Mission is/are correct ?
- 1. It was launched by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Government of India.
- 2. Matsya-6000 has been designed to carry 3 people for deep sea exploration.
- 3. Samudrayaan is a project under this mission.
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 2 and 3 are correct (b). Statement 2 is right: Matsya-6000 is a submersible designed to take three people to a depth of 6,000 metres. Statement 3 is right: Samudrayaan is the project under the mission that is building it. Statement 1 is wrong: the Deep Ocean Mission (2021) belongs to the Ministry of Earth Sciences, not the shipping ministry. So options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the mission's other parts: deep-sea mining of polymetallic nodules in the Central Indian Ocean Basin, ocean biodiversity, and climate advisory services. The National Institute of Ocean Technology in Chennai builds Matsya. Only a few countries, such as the USA, China, Japan and France, have crewed deep-sea vehicles.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which one of the following pairs of semiconductor plants in India and their locations is not correctly matched ?
Answer (c) & explanation
The pair HCL-Foxconn : Madhya Pradesh is wrong (c). The HCL–Foxconn joint venture India Chip Ltd. was approved in 2025 near Jewar in Uttar Pradesh, close to the new airport, not in Madhya Pradesh. Option (a) is correct: CG Power with Renesas and STARS is building at Sanand, Gujarat. Option (b) is correct: Tata's assembly and test unit is at Jagiroad, Assam. Option (d) is correct: SiCSem's silicon carbide fab is in Odisha.
Notice the anchor project: Tata and PSMC of Taiwan are building India's first big fab at Dholera, Gujarat, and Micron's assembly unit is at Sanand. These come under the India Semiconductor Mission (2021), which offers about 50% fiscal support.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Read the passage
Sport is not just about winning medals or getting jobs through a sports quota. Today’s generation is struggling with issues like depression and anxiety. Parents often say that their children are inactive and rarely leave the house. Sport can help tackle these problems. From sport you can learn time management, fitness, teamwork, coordination, and so much more. We need to develop a culture in which sport is seen as a way of life—a path to building a healthier, happier society.
Which of the following conclusions are valid?
- 1. Sport is more than just games; it is a way of life.
- 2. Sport can help mitigate the problems of seclusion among the young.
- 3. Earning laurels in sport can help one secure a job on the basis of an assigned quota.
- 4. Standard corporate sector skills cannot be learnt through sport.
Select the answer using the code given below.
Answer (d) & explanation
Conclusions 1, 2 and 3 are valid (d). Step 1: conclusion 1 matches the last line: sport should be seen as "a way of life". Step 2: conclusion 2 follows from parents saying children are inactive and "rarely leave the house", which sport can help fix. Conclusion 3 follows from the mention of "getting jobs through a sports quota". Step 3: conclusion 4 says corporate skills cannot be learnt through sport. But the passage says sport teaches time management and teamwork, so 4 contradicts it. Options (a), (b) and (c) fail.
Tip: a conclusion that contradicts the passage fails at once. The Khelo India and Fit India movements promote sport as a way of life.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
A person saves 10% of his salary every month. If his salary increases by 12% and the expenditure increases by 10%, then what will be the change in his saving per month?
Answer (b) & explanation
His saving rises by 30% (b). Step 1: take salary = 100. He saves 10%, so saving = 10 and expenditure = 90. Step 2: new salary = 112 (12% more). New expenditure = 99 (10% more than 90). Step 3: new saving = 112 − 99 = 13. Saving goes from 10 to 13, a rise of 3 on 10 = 30%. Options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Tip: take 100 for the salary and split it into saving and spending. Small percentage changes in big amounts can cause large changes in the small leftover.
the saving is a small base. A 2% gap between the two growth rates becomes a 30% change in saving.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
| List-I (Barrier to communication) | List-II (Example) |
|---|---|
| A. Semantic | 1. Lack of feedback |
| B. Cognitive | 2. Misunderstanding the meaning of a word |
| C. Organisational | 3. Fear of social stigma |
| D. Affective | 4. Information overload |
Match List-I with List-II and select the answer using the code given below the Lists :
Answer (d) & explanation
The match is A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3 (d). Step 1: semantic barriers concern the meaning of words, so misunderstanding a word (A-2). Step 2: cognitive barriers concern the mind's ability to process, so information overload (B-4). Step 3: organisational barriers come from the system, like lack of feedback channels (C-1). Affective barriers come from feelings, such as fear of social stigma (D-3). Options (a), (b) and (c) mismatch.
Tip: link each word to its root: semantic = meaning, cognitive = thinking, affective = emotion, organisational = structure. This quickly solves communication-barrier matching.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following is/are the most significant implication(s) of obtaining Oeko-Tex certification for Eri Silk in the global textile industry ?
- 1. It allows Indian exporters to compete in high-end markets that prioritise chemical-free products.
- 2. It confirms that Eri Silk meets international safety, environmental, and quality standards, enabling its entry into premium eco-conscious markets.
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (c) & explanation
Both statements describe the significance (c). Oeko-Tex Standard 100 is an international label showing that a textile has been tested for harmful substances. Statement 1 is right: it lets Indian exporters compete in high-end markets that want chemical-free products. Statement 2 is right: it confirms Eri silk meets international safety, environmental and quality standards, opening premium, eco-conscious markets in Europe and elsewhere. So options (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice Eri silk's story: called "peace silk" or ahimsa silk, because the moth is allowed to leave the cocoon before the silk is spun. It is made mainly in Assam and the North-East. India's other silks are mulberry, tasar and muga, the golden silk found only in Assam.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.