General Studies Paper 1 · 2013–2026

UPSC Mains GS Paper 1 Previous Year Questions

290 questions across 14 years, every one with a model answer

UPSC Mains GS Paper 1 previous year questions from 2013 to 2026 — all 290 questions on Indian Heritage & Culture, History, Geography and Society, each transcribed from the official paper and answered in a repeatable structure: an outline, the model answer, the marks-fetching key points, and worked examples. Pick a year to sit the paper as it was set, or a subject cluster to drill one theme across every year it has appeared.

The single most reliable predictor of what GS Paper 1 will ask next is what it has asked before. Work the recent 2026 and 2025 papers first for the current pattern, then move backwards to see which themes are perennial. For the other papers, see the full Mains PYQ hub.

By year

202620 Q 202520 Q 202420 Q 202320 Q 202220 Q 202120 Q 202020 Q 201920 Q 201820 Q 201720 Q 201620 Q 201520 Q 201425 Q 201325 Q

By subject

Geography135 questions Indian Society104 questions Modern Indian History51 questions Art & Culture46 questions Post-Independence India19 questions World History15 questions Modern Indian and world history10 questions Early states, religion and medieval polity8 questions Sources of ancient Indian history and cultural traditions8 questions Continentality and maritime influence on climate1 question General circulation and ocean currents1 question Western disturbances and winter precipitation1 question Cryosphere change in the Himalaya1 question Climate change and Indian monsoon variability1 question Interior of the Earth and seismic evidence1 question Soil erosion and land degradation in India1 question Seismicity of the Indian plate1 question Fluvial landforms and flood management1 question Plate tectonics and the Pacific Ring of Fire1 question