SawaalBoxसवाल बॉक्स

UPSC Prelims 2026

100 questions, in the order they were asked.

2026 · Q1Ancient HistoryVedic Perioddifficult

Consider the following assertion : In the Pleistocene period either the Yamuna once flowed into the Indus, or the Sutlej flowed into the Yamuna and one major tributary of either had shifted from the Ganga to the Indus or vice versa. Which of the following is/are the basis of the above assertion ? 1. The Nadi-Sukta of the Rigveda 2. The explorations of the Sutlej and the Yamuna by Robert Bruce Foote 3. The presence of the same species of dolphins in both the Indus and the Ganga river systems Select the answer using the code given below :

  1. (a)1 only
  2. (b)2 only
  3. (c)1 and 2
  4. (d)3
Show answerHide answer

Official answer(d) 3

2026 · Q4Art & CultureSculpture & Iconographymoderate

Which of the following statements on the Amaravati Stupa and its relief sculpture is/are correct ? 1. It was located in the lower Krishna valley. 2. In India, it was next only to the Sanchi Stupa in size. 3. The Amaravati school of sculpture made a lasting impact on the later South Indian sculpture, and its products were carried to Sri Lanka and South-east Asia. Select the answer using the code given below :

  1. (a)1 only
  2. (b)1 and 3 only
  3. (c)2 and 3 only
  4. (d)1, 2 and 3
Show answerHide answer

Official answer(b) 1 and 3 only

2026 · Q6Modern HistoryKey Personalities & Ideologiesmoderate

Which of the following factors contributed to the formation of the Forward Bloc by Subhas Chandra Bose in 1939 ? 1. Bose failed to win the confidence of Mahatma Gandhi. 2. The Congress Left was disunited and failed to support Bose. 3. The Communists did not support Bose in his endeavours. 4. The supporters of M.N. Roy and socialist leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan preferred Congress unity to supporting Bose. Select the answer using the code given below :

  1. (a)1, 2 and 3
  2. (b)1, 2 and 4
  3. (c)1, 3 and 4
  4. (d)2 and 4 only
Show answerHide answer

Official answer(b) 1, 2 and 4

2026 · Q7Modern HistoryAdvent Of Europeans & British Expansionmoderate

Consider the following statements regarding the British policy in Awadh immediately after its annexation in 1856 : 1. The taluqdars were dispossessed of their estates but allowed to retain their arms and forts. 2. A Summary Revenue Settlement was made in 1856 assuming that the taluqdars were outsiders. 3. The British believed in taking revenue directly from the peasants by removing the taluqdars. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

  1. (a)2 and 3 only
  2. (b)1 and 3 only
  3. (c)1, 2 and 3
  4. (d)2 only
Show answerHide answer

Official answer(a) 2 and 3 only

2026 · Q8Modern HistoryConstitutional Developments & British Plans (1909-1947)moderate

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 :

  1. (a)1 only
  2. (b)2 and 3 only
  3. (c)1 and 2 only
  4. (d)1, 2 and 3
Show answerHide answer

Official answer(d) 1, 2 and 3

2026 · Q12Modern HistoryBritish Administration & Economic Policiesdifficult

The artificially fixed rupee-sterling exchange rate prescribed by the Hilton-Young Commission (1926) was adopted by the British Government for which one of the following reasons ?

  1. (a)Aiding the flow of remittances from India and maintaining India’s creditworthiness
  2. (b)Providing support to Indian importers
  3. (c)Encouraging export of cotton produce from India
  4. (d)Preventing depreciation of the Rupee in terms of gold
Show answerHide answer

Official answer(a) Aiding the flow of remittances from India and maintaining India’s creditworthiness

2026 · Q13Ancient HistoryTrade & Economymoderate

Consider the following statements : I. Pali texts contain the first definite references to coins, e.g., kahapana, nikkha, kamsa, and kakanika. II. The literary evidence from Pali texts is corroborated by archaeological evidence of punch-marked coins from many sites, most of them made of silver. The above statements have been associated with which of the following ? 1. Emergence of urban life 2. Transition to money economy Select the answer using the code given below :

  1. (a)1 only
  2. (b)2 only
  3. (c)Both 1 and 2
  4. (d)Neither 1 nor 2
Show answerHide answer

Official answer(c) Both 1 and 2

2026 · Q17Ancient HistoryScience & Technologymoderate

Consider the following statements relating to the use of the place-value system in India : 1. The earliest epigraphic use of the place-value system in India is found in the Mankani plates from Gujarat (AD 595 – 596). 2. In the ninth century, place-values become general in inscriptions all over India. 3. The place-values have been found in Sanskrit inscriptions in South-east Asia as early as the seventh century. Which of the statements given above are correct ?

  1. (a)1 and 2 only
  2. (b)1 and 3 only
  3. (c)2 and 3 only
  4. (d)1, 2 and 3
Show answerHide answer

Official answer(d) 1, 2 and 3

2026 · Q18Ancient HistoryIndus Valley Civilizationmoderate

Consider the following statements about the archaeological findings in Harappan towns : I. There is wide occurrence of spindle-whorls in the houses but absence of spinning wheels. II. Weights and measurement scales, complete with graduations have been discovered. III. There are houses built in large part with baked bricks, around relatively spacious courtyards, with their own wells, bathing platforms, and large rooms. Which of the following inferences can be drawn from the above statements ? 1. Statement I suggests that spinning was a laborious activity done at home. 2. Statement II suggests the extent of the scientific knowledge that the Harappans possessed. 3. Statement III suggests the emergence of a common property system. Select the answer using the code given below :

  1. (a)1 and 2 only
  2. (b)2 and 3 only
  3. (c)1 and 3 only
  4. (d)1, 2 and 3
Show answerHide answer

Official answer(a) 1 and 2 only

2026 · Q19Modern HistoryPeasant, Tribal & Labour Movementsmoderate

Which one of the following statements about the Eka Movement and Bardoli Satyagraha is correct ?

  1. (a)The Eka Movement was throughout supported and organized by the Congress while Bardoli Satyagraha was initially independent of Congress influence and was only in the last stages supported by the Congress.
  2. (b)The Eka Movement was provided leadership by the taluqdars of Awadh, whereas the Bardoli Satyagraha was a movement of the landless labourers.
  3. (c)The Bardoli Satyagraha was a campaign against the enhancement of land revenue, while the Eka Movement was a protest against excessive extraction of rents.
  4. (d)The Eka Movement was located in the Varanasi and Mirzapur districts of the present-day U.P., while the Bardoli Satyagraha took place in Saurashtra.
Show answerHide answer

Official answer(c) The Bardoli Satyagraha was a campaign against the enhancement of land revenue, while the Eka Movement was a protest against excessive extraction of rents.

2026 · Q20Ancient HistoryVedic Periodmoderate

Consider the following statements about the Rigvedic period : I. Irrigation from wells allowed agriculture to expand away from flood plains and strips on river margins into the present Punjab and Haryana plains having underground water levels reasonably close to the surface. II. Draught-animal power was employed to draw up water out of the wells. Which of the following information support/supports the above statements ? 1. There is evidence in the Rigveda of the use of ashma chakra (stone pulley wheel) and ahava (strapped wooden pails) to draw up water. 2. Mention has been made in the Rigveda of the use of implements like parashu/kulisha (axe) and datra /sreni (sickle). 3. There is a history of the use of ox, even before the Rigveda, for ploughing the land and pulling the carts. Select the answer using the code given below :

  1. (a)1 and 2 only
  2. (b)1, 2 and 3
  3. (c)1 and 3 only
  4. (d)3 only
Show answerHide answer

Official answer(c) 1 and 3 only

2026 · Q24GeographyIndian Physical Geographymoderate

Which of the following geographical features or phenomena is/are associated with the Peninsular Block of India ? 1. Submergence of parts of the western coast due to tectonic activity 2. Presence of residual mountain ranges such as the Veliconda hills and Mahendragiri hills 3. Deep, V-shaped river valleys formed by fast-flowing rivers Select the answer using the code given below :

  1. (a)1 only
  2. (b)1 and 2
  3. (c)2 and 3
  4. (d)3 only
Show answerHide answer

Official answer(b) 1 and 2

2026 · Q25Indian EconomyInfrastructure & Industrymoderate

Consider the following statements with reference to the Sagarmala Programme of the Government of India : I. The Sagarmala Programme seeks to achieve port-led economic growth through cost-effective and sustainable coastal infrastructure. II. The success of the Sagarmala Programme is reflected in significant growth in coastal and inland waterway shipping, along with improved global port rankings. III. Sagarmala 2.0 aims to position India as a global maritime innovation hub aligned with Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat 2047 visions. Which of the following relationships among the above statements is/are correct ? 1. Statement II validates the effectiveness of the strategies envisioned in statement I. 2. Statement III extends the objectives of statement I by embedding them into a future-oriented innovation framework. 3. Statement I contradicts statement III by focusing only on traditional infrastructure instead of modern innovation. Select the answer using the code given below :

  1. (a)1 only
  2. (b)1 and 2
  3. (c)2 and 3
  4. (d)3 only
Show answerHide answer

Official answer(b) 1 and 2