UPSC CSE 2026 Essay Paper Discussion
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YEAR ASKED IN

2026

Practice UPSC 2026 previous year questions on Anantam IAS: 100 Prelims MCQs and 186 Mains Q&A with answer keys, explanations and topic-wise links.

New 596 2026 286 GPSC-2026 200 2013 194 2014 187 2015 182 2016 182 2017 182 2020 182 2018 180 2019 180 2024 180 2023 180 2022 180 2025 180 2021 180

Prelims MCQs 100

  1. Which of the following temples has/have a Nagara-style shikhara?

    Which of the following temples has/have a Nagara-style shikhara?

    1. Malegitti Shivalaya, Badami


    2. Huchimalligudi Temple, Aihole


    3. Dashavatara Temple, Deogarh


    4. Virupaksha Temple, Pattadakal

    Select the answer using the code given below:

    1. A1 and 2
    2. B2 and 3
    3. C3 only
    4. D3 and 4
    Answer and explanation

    Correct answer: B

    Nagara shikhara = the curvilinear (rekha-prasada) north-Indian tower. Among the four temples, BOTH the Huchimalligudi Temple at Aihole and the Dashavatara Temple at Deogarh bear Nagara-style shikharas. The Huchimalligudi (late 6th–early 7th century, Early Chalukyan) is in fact the only Aihole temple with a north-Indian rekhanagara shikhara, and it is notable for introducing the shukanasa (vestibule projection) — a distinctive Nagara feature. The Dashavatara Temple at Deogarh (early 6th century, Gupta) is the earliest surviving Nagara shikhara. The Malegitti Shivalaya at Badami and the Virupaksha Temple at Pattadakal are both Dravida (pyramidal vimana) in style. Hence statements 2 and 3 are correct — answer (b). Source: Wikipedia/ASI on Aihole temples; NCERT XI Fine Arts Ch. 6.

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    Art & Culture UPSC 2026 Hard

  2. Which of the following statements on the Amaravati Stupa and its relief sculpture is/are correct?

    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. A1 only
    2. B1 and 3 only
    3. C2 and 3 only
    4. D1, 2 and 3
    Answer and explanation

    Correct answer: B

    The Amaravati Mahachaitya stood in the lower Krishna valley in present-day Andhra Pradesh and flourished under the Satavahanas and later Ikshvakus. Its limestone reliefs profoundly influenced South Indian and Sri Lankan (Anuradhapura) sculpture, and the style spread to South-East Asia (Dvaravati, Sumatra). However, Amaravati was the largest stupa in India, larger than Sanchi (not second to it) — so statement 2 is wrong. Hence 1 and 3 only. This is from NCERT XI Fine Arts, Chapter 4. The trap is the size comparison: Sanchi is more famous but Amaravati was bigger.

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    History UPSC 2026 Medium

  3. Which of the following pairs of the king and his dynasty in early historical Tamilakam is/are not correctly matched?

    Which of the following pairs of the king and his dynasty in early historical Tamilakam is/are not correctly matched?

    1. Senguttuvan : Chera


    2. Udiyanjeral : Chola


    3. Nedunjeliyan : Pandya

    Select the answer using the code given below:

    1. A1 and 2
    2. B2 only
    3. C1 and 3
    4. D3 only
    Answer and explanation

    Correct answer: B

    In Sangam-age Tamilakam, Senguttuvan (the hero of Silappadikaram, who installed the Pattini cult) belonged to the Cheras; Udiyanjeral was also a famous Chera king (not Chola) celebrated for feeding both armies at Kurukshetra in Purananuru; Nedunjeliyan (victor of Talaiyalanganam) was a Pandya. Therefore only pair 2 is incorrectly matched. The Chola line of this era includes Karikala (Battle of Venni). The trap is the similar-sounding 'Udiyanjeral' — the 'jeral/cheral' suffix itself signals Chera lineage.

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    History UPSC 2026 Medium

  4. Which of the following factors contributed to the formation of the Forward Bloc by Subhas Chandra Bose in 1939?

    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. A1, 2 and 3
    2. B1, 2 and 4
    3. C1, 3 and 4
    4. D2 and 4 only
    Answer and explanation

    Correct answer: C

    Bipan Chandra's India's Struggle for Independence (Ch. 22) explains the 1939 Tripuri crisis: after Bose's re-election as Congress President, Gandhi withdrew confidence; the Communists, M.N. Roy's followers, and socialists like JP and Narendra Dev preferred Congress unity over backing Bose against Gandhi, leaving Bose isolated and forcing him to resign and float the Forward Bloc. Statement 2 is wrong because the Congress Left as a whole was actually disunited but the specific reason listed is the non-support of Communists and Roy/JP — not 'Left disunity' per se. Hence 1, 3 and 4. (early consensus; verify with official UPSC key when released)

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    History UPSC 2026 Hard

  5. Consider the following statements regarding the British policy in Awadh immediately after its annexation in 1856:

    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. A2 and 3 only
    2. B1 and 3 only
    3. C1, 2 and 3
    4. D2 only
    Answer and explanation

    Correct answer: A

    After Dalhousie's annexation of Awadh (Feb 1856) on grounds of misgovernance, the British launched a Summary Settlement of 1856 assuming taluqdars were 'interlopers' with no roots — and proceeded to settle revenue directly with village zamindars/peasants, dispossessing taluqdars of more than half their villages. Crucially, the taluqdars were also disarmed and their forts demolished, which is why statement 1 is wrong (arms and forts were NOT retained — this fuelled the 1857 revolt in Awadh). Hence 2 and 3 only. Source: Bipan Chandra, India's Struggle for Independence, chapter on 1857.

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    History UPSC 2026 Medium

  6. 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?

    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. A1 only
    2. B2 and 3 only
    3. C1 and 2 only
    4. D1, 2 and 3
    Answer and explanation

    Correct answer: D

    The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms / Government of India Act 1919 retained and extended separate electorates (originally given to Muslims in 1909) to Sikhs, Anglo-Indians, Europeans and Indian Christians. The British rationale was explicitly to counter the rising tide of Indian nationalism by institutionalising communal divisions; and depressed/deprived classes later rallied to separate representation (culminating in the Poona Pact debate). All three statements support the assertion that communal political alliances were embedded in the very design of the 1919 reforms. Bipan Chandra discusses this in the chapter on the rise of communalism.

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    History UPSC 2026 Medium

  7. Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur, the famous classical singer from Karnataka, represented the:

    Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur, the famous classical singer from Karnataka, represented the:

    1. AAgra Gharana
    2. BGwalior Gharana
    3. CPatiala Gharana
    4. DJaipur-Atrauli Gharana
    Answer and explanation

    Correct answer: D

    Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur (1910–1992, Padma Vibhushan 1992) was the foremost twentieth-century exponent of the Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana, founded by Ustad Alladiya Khan. Although born in Karnataka, his musical lineage was Jaipur-Atrauli through his guru Manji Khan and later Bhurji Khan (Alladiya Khan's sons). The trap is geographic — candidates assume a Karnataka singer must belong to a Carnatic tradition or to Gwalior (the oldest Hindustani gharana). The Agra and Patiala gharanas have other famous exponents (Faiyaz Khan; Bade Ghulam Ali Khan).

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    Art & Culture UPSC 2026 Easy

  8. 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 fo…

    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. A1 only
    2. B2 only
    3. C1 and 2
    4. D3
    Answer and explanation

    Correct answer: D

    The Pleistocene river-shifting hypothesis in the Indo-Gangetic plains rests primarily on biogeographic evidence — notably the presence of the same species of freshwater dolphin (Platanista gangetica) in both the Indus and Ganga systems, which suggests a former hydrological connection. The Nadi-Sukta of the Rigveda lists rivers but is a much later cultural document and does not establish Pleistocene drainage shifts. Robert Bruce Foote is famous for discovering the first Palaeolithic tool at Pallavaram (1863), not for Sutlej-Yamuna exploration. Hence only statement 3 is the basis. A classic trap: candidates over-trust the Nadi-Sukta because of its river content. (early consensus; verify with official UPSC key when released)

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    Geography UPSC 2026 Medium

  9. What does an empty seat represent in early Buddhist iconography?

    What does an empty seat represent in early Buddhist iconography?

    1. AThe meditation of the Buddha
    2. BThe Buddha's First Sermon
    3. CThe Buddha's Mahaparinibbana
    4. DThe Buddha's Mahabhinishkramana
    Answer and explanation

    Correct answer: A

    In early aniconic Buddhist art (Bharhut, Sanchi, Amaravati, c. 2nd century BCE–1st century CE), the Buddha was never depicted in human form. Specific symbols stood for episodes: the empty seat / vajrasana represented his meditation and enlightenment, the Dharmachakra the First Sermon at Sarnath, the stupa the Mahaparinibbana, and a horse without a rider the Mahabhinishkramana (Great Renunciation). NCERT Class XI An Introduction to Indian Art Chapter 4 lists these symbols. The trap is confusing the empty seat with Mahaparinibbana; the seat denotes meditation under the Bodhi tree.

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    History UPSC 2026 Easy

  10. Which of the following pairs of ancient and modern names of rivers is/are correctly matched?

    Which of the following pairs of ancient and modern names of rivers is/are correctly matched?

    1. Vitasta : Chenab


    2. Asikni : Jhelum


    3. Parushni : Ravi


    4. Yavyavati : Beas

    Select the answer using the code given below:

    1. A1 and 2
    2. B3 and 4
    3. C3 only
    4. D4 only
    Answer and explanation

    Correct answer: C

    The Rigvedic Nadi-Sukta names of Punjab's rivers map as: Vitasta = Jhelum, Asikni = Chenab, Parushni = Ravi, Vipas = Beas, Shutudri = Sutlej. Yavyavati is generally identified with the Zhob (or sometimes the Ravi), not the Beas. Therefore only pair 3 (Parushni : Ravi) is correctly matched. Pairs 1 and 2 swap Jhelum and Chenab — a very common trap because both rivers begin with similar consonants in Sanskrit. This is staple Ancient History material from R.S. Sharma's India's Ancient Past and NCERT Class VI.

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    History UPSC 2026 Hard

Mains Q&A 186