YEAR ASKED IN

GPSC-2026

Practice UPSC GPSC-2026 previous year questions on Anantam IAS: 200 Prelims MCQs with answer keys, explanations and topic-wise links.

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Prelims MCQs 200

Consider the following statements regarding ‘Nano Urea’ recently promoted by the Government of India…
Consider the following statements regarding 'Nano Urea' recently promoted by the Government of India for agricultural use:
1. AOnly 1
2. BOnly 2
3. CBoth 1 and 2
4. DNeither 1 nor 2
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Nano urea is a nitrogen source and does not replace phosphorus and potash fertilizers, so statement 1 is wrong. It delivers much higher nutrient use efficiency than conventional granular urea, which cuts soil degradation and water pollution, making statement 2 correct.
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Science & Technology UPSC GPSC-2026 Medium
The capital account of the balance of payments records transactions that cause a change…
The capital account of the balance of payments records transactions that cause a change in which one of the following?
1. ASavings of the private sector
2. BDisposable income of citizens
3. CThe ownership of assets and liabilities between a country and the world
4. DExports and imports of visible goods
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C
The capital account tracks all transactions that alter a country's foreign assets and liabilities, such as foreign investment, loans and banking flows. Exports and imports of goods belong to the current account, not the capital account.
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Indian Economy UPSC GPSC-2026 Easy
Which of the following statement(s) is/are true regarding “FASTag” (RFID technology) used at toll…
Which of the following statement(s) is/are true regarding "FASTag" (RFID technology) used at toll plazas?
1. AOnly 1
2. BOnly 2
3. CBoth 1 and 2
4. DNeither 1 nor 2
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D
Statement 1 is false — FASTag uses a PASSIVE RFID tag (energised by the reader's signal), not an active, battery-powered tag. Statement 2 is technically weak too: FASTag-style UHF RFID works through electromagnetic fields and radio-wave communication, so calling it 'electromagnetic induction' is imprecise. On a strict reading neither statement is correct → (D). (If the examiner used 'electromagnetic induction' loosely for electromagnetic communication, they might retain (B); but technically (D) is the sounder answer.)
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Science & Technology UPSC GPSC-2026 Medium
DRIVEN is related to EIDRVN in the same way as BEGUMF is related to:
DRIVEN is related to EIDRVN in the same way as BEGUMF is related to:
1. ABGMEFU
2. BBGMUEF
3. CGMBEUF
4. DMGBEUF
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D
In DRIVEN the letters occupy positions 1-6 as D-R-I-V-E-N; the output EIDRVN rearranges them by picking original positions in the order 5,3,1,2,4,6. Applying the same order to BEGUMF (B1-E2-G3-U4-M5-F6) gives M-G-B-E-U-F, that is MGBEUF.
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CSAT UPSC GPSC-2026 Medium
Consider the following statements regarding the Revolt of 1857:
Consider the following statements regarding the Revolt of 1857:
1. AOnly 1
2. BOnly 2
3. COnly 1 and 2
4. DOnly 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Gujarat was not untouched by 1857; uprisings occurred at places like Dahod, Anand, Okha and among the Bhils, so statement 1 is wrong. Mangal Pandey, Bahadur Shah Zafar and Rani Lakshmibai are central figures of the revolt, making statement 2 correct. Statement 3 is false because many native rulers, such as the Scindias and the Nizam, actually sided with the British.
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History UPSC GPSC-2026 Medium
It was Saturday on 12 December, 1342. What was the day on 24 August,…
It was Saturday on 12 December, 1342. What was the day on 24 August, 1342?
1. ATuesday
2. BMonday
3. CSunday
4. DFriday
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Count the days from 24 August to 12 December within 1342: 7 (rest of August) + 30 (Sep) + 31 (Oct) + 30 (Nov) + 12 (Dec) = 110 days. 110 divided by 7 leaves a remainder of 5, so 12 December falls 5 weekdays ahead of 24 August. Working back 5 days from Saturday gives Monday.
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CSAT UPSC GPSC-2026 Medium
Consider the following statements regarding the Mahagujarat Movement:
Consider the following statements regarding the Mahagujarat Movement:
1. AOnly 1 and 2
2. BOnly 3
3. COnly 2 and 3
4. D1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
The Mahagujarat Movement ran from 1956 and won the separate Gujarati-speaking state on 1 May 1960, so statement 3 is correct. Statement 1 reverses the timeline; the Navnirman agitation came much later (1974), so the Mahagujarat leaders couldn't have acted on its success. The 'Chakli Smarak' sparrow story in statement 2 is not part of the movement's history, which is remembered through the Shaheed Smarak for students killed in police firing.
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History UPSC GPSC-2026 Medium
With reference to the Uniform Civil Code Bill recently passed by the Gujarat Legislative…
With reference to the Uniform Civil Code Bill recently passed by the Gujarat Legislative Assembly, consider the following statements:
1. AOnly 1
2. BOnly 2
3. CBoth 1 and 2
4. DNeither 1 nor 2
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Gujarat's UCC Bill makes registration of live-in relationships compulsory and fully exempts Scheduled Tribes, so statement 1 is correct. The Bill, modelled on Uttarakhand's UCC, retains a heteronormative framework and does not recognise same-sex marriages or civil unions, which makes statement 2 wrong.
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Indian Polity UPSC GPSC-2026 Medium
Examine the following statements regarding the composition and jurisdiction of the Delimitation Commission:
Examine the following statements regarding the composition and jurisdiction of the Delimitation Commission:
1. AOnly 1 and 2
2. BOnly 2, 3 and 4
3. COnly 1 and 4
4. D1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D
The Delimitation Commission is a high-powered body appointed by the President and works with the Election Commission, and its orders have the force of law and cannot be questioned in any court, so statements 1 and 2 hold. It has been set up four times, in 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002, and the 84th Amendment froze the apportionment of Lok Sabha seats until the first census after 2026, making statements 3 and 4 correct too.
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Indian Polity UPSC GPSC-2026 Medium
Consider the following statements:
Consider the following statements:
1. ABoth Statement 1 and Statement 2 are correct and Statement 2 explains Statement 1
2. BBoth Statement 1 and Statement 2 are correct, but Statement 2 does not explain Statement 1
3. CStatement 1 is correct, but Statement 2 is not correct
4. DStatement 1 is not correct, but Statement 2 is correct
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
South-South trade has indeed expanded far faster than North-South trade over the past two decades, so statement 1 is correct. The growth of regional trading blocs, rapid industrialisation and the rising middle-class consumer base among emerging economies genuinely drives this shift by diversifying export destinations away from developed markets, so statement 2 correctly explains statement 1.
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Indian Economy UPSC GPSC-2026 Medium
Which of the following statements about the Sabarimala temple is/are correct?
Which of the following statements about the Sabarimala temple is/are correct?
1. AOnly 1 and 2
2. BOnly 2 and 3
3. COnly 1 and 3
4. D1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
The core of the Sabarimala litigation is the bar on women of menstruating age, 10 to 50 years, not a property dispute, so statement 1 is wrong and statement 2 is correct. In its 2018 judgment the Supreme Court held the exclusion of these women unconstitutional, so statement 3 is correct. The right combination is 2 and 3.
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Indian Polity UPSC GPSC-2026 Medium
Consider the following statements about the Council of States:
Consider the following statements about the Council of States:
1. AOnly 1
2. BOnly 2
3. CBoth 1 and 2
4. DNeither 1 nor 2
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Statement 1 is correct — under the Constitution there is no equality of representation of the States in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha seats are allotted by population, unlike the US Senate's equal representation). Statement 2 is incorrect — the Rajya Sabha can correctly be described as a federal chamber; the 12 nominated members don't negate that (official Rajya Sabha material itself calls it the federal chamber). So only statement 1 is correct → (A).
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Indian Polity UPSC GPSC-2026 Medium
Consider the following statements about earthquakes:
Consider the following statements about earthquakes:
1. AOnly 1
2. BOnly 2
3. CBoth 1 and 2
4. DNeither 1 nor 2
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
The maximum damage from an earthquake occurs at the epicentre, the point directly above the focus, so statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong because near the epicentre the seismic waves reach the surface almost at right angles, nearly vertically, rather than obliquely as a 'to-and-fro movement'. Only statement 1 is correct.
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Geography UPSC GPSC-2026 Medium
In the context of modern healthcare, what is the primary objective of nano-shells or…
In the context of modern healthcare, what is the primary objective of nano-shells or nano-bullets in cancer treatment?
1. ATo strengthen the patient's bone marrow to withstand high doses of traditional chemotherapy.
2. BTo act as a diagnostic tool that changes the colour of the patient's skin in the presence of a tumor.
3. CTo provide targeted drug delivery, ensuring that medication is released only at the site of the cancer cells, thereby minimizing the side effects on healthy tissues.
4. DTo replace the need for surgery by physically vibrating and crushing the tumor using ultrasonic waves.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C
Nano-shells and nano-bullets are designed for targeted drug delivery, carrying the medication straight to cancer cells so it acts at the tumour site and spares healthy tissue. This precision is what reduces the broad toxicity seen with conventional chemotherapy. The other options misstate how these nanoparticles work.
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Science & Technology UPSC GPSC-2026 Easy
A situation is given followed by two conclusions I and II. Read the situation…
A situation is given followed by two conclusions I and II. Read the situation and both the conclusions carefully and select the correct answer.
1. ANeither I nor II can be concluded.
2. BOnly II can be concluded.
3. COnly I can be concluded.
4. DBoth I and II can be concluded.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Conclusion I assumes the falling employment still leaves enough potters for equal market contribution, but the situation gives no basis for that forward assurance, so it cannot be concluded. Conclusion II blames a drop in local demand, yet the passage speaks only of world market share and employment and says nothing about domestic demand, so it cannot be concluded either. Neither conclusion follows.
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CSAT UPSC GPSC-2026 Medium
Consider the following statements about Lothal:
Consider the following statements about Lothal:
1. AOnly 1
2. BOnly 2
3. CBoth 1 and 2
4. DNeither 1 nor 2
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C
Lothal, with its famous dockyard, was a major Harappan trading centre linked to Mesopotamia and other regions, so statement 1 is correct. Double burials, where a male and female were interred together in a single grave, are a noted feature of the site, so statement 2 is correct. Both statements hold.
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History UPSC GPSC-2026 Medium
Which historical battle completed 500 years on 21 April 2026? Between whom was it…
Which historical battle completed 500 years on 21 April 2026? Between whom was it fought?
1. AFirst Battle of Panipat; between Babur and Rana Sanga
2. BFirst Battle of Panipat; between Babur and Ibrahim Lodi
3. CSecond Battle of Panipat; between Akbar and Rana Pratap
4. DSecond Battle of Panipat; between Akbar and Hemu
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
The First Battle of Panipat was fought on 21 April 1526, so its 500th anniversary fell on 21 April 2026. Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last Sultan of Delhi, using cannons and the tulughma flanking tactic, which ended the Lodi dynasty and founded the Mughal Empire. Babur's clash with Rana Sanga was at Khanwa in 1527, and the Second Battle of Panipat (Akbar's forces versus Hemu) was in 1556.
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History UPSC GPSC-2026 Easy
Which of the following best explains federalism in India?
Which of the following best explains federalism in India?
1. ADependence of States on the Union for finances and functionaries
2. BCooperation among all the states for the development of the nation
3. CDistribution of powers between the Union and the States
4. DAn agreement between the Union and the States to set up federalism
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C
Federalism's defining feature is the constitutional division of powers between the Union and the States, organised in India through the Union, State and Concurrent Lists in the Seventh Schedule. The other options describe particular tendencies or outcomes but don't capture the core idea. India is a federation by constitutional creation, not by an agreement among units.
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Indian Polity UPSC GPSC-2026 Easy
Consider the following statements regarding cyclones:
Consider the following statements regarding cyclones:
1. AOnly 1 and 4
2. BOnly 1 and 3
3. COnly 2 and 4
4. DOnly 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D
Statement 1 is reversed: the tropical cyclone's engine is the latent heat of condensation over warm oceans, while the extra-tropical cyclone draws energy from frontal temperature contrasts. Statement 2 is correct, as extra-tropical cyclones decay through occlusion and tropical cyclones weaken once the moisture supply is cut off. Statement 3 is correct on the directions of movement. Statement 4 is wrong because extra-tropical cyclones cover a far larger area than tropical ones. So 2 and 3 are correct.
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Geography UPSC GPSC-2026 Hard
Which of the following statement(s) is/are true regarding the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme…
Which of the following statement(s) is/are true regarding the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) spearheaded by DRDO?
1. AOnly 1
2. BOnly 2
3. CBoth 1 and 2
4. DNeither 1 nor 2
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C
The IGMDP produced exactly five missile systems, Prithvi, Agni, Trishul, Akash and Nag, so statement 1 is correct. Nag is a third-generation fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile that uses an imaging infrared seeker for target lock, so statement 2 is correct too. Both statements hold.
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Science & Technology UPSC GPSC-2026 Medium
If 4 x 6 = 1812 and 6 x 9 = 2718, then 7…
If 4 x 6 = 1812 and 6 x 9 = 2718, then 7 x 6 = ?
1. A1821
2. B2428
3. C3035
4. D3642
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Each operand is multiplied by 3, and the two results are written together with the second operand's value first. For 4 x 6, the second operand 6 gives 18 and the first operand 4 gives 12, making 1812. For 6 x 9, 9 gives 27 and 6 gives 18, making 2718. For 7 x 6, the second operand 6 gives 18 and the first operand 7 gives 21, so the answer is 1821.
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CSAT UPSC GPSC-2026 Medium
Read the following passage carefully and answer the question that follows. Which of the…
Read the following passage carefully and answer the question that follows. Which of the following Jataka tales is described in the passage given above?
1. AVessantara Jataka
2. BSibi Jataka
3. CChaddanta Jataka
4. DMahajanaka Jataka
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
The story of a king who shelters a pigeon from a hawk and cuts off his own flesh to match the bird's weight on a scale is the Sibi Jataka, an emblem of supreme charity painted at Ajanta. The Vessantara Jataka is about a prince who gives away all his possessions, the Chaddanta Jataka concerns a six-tusked elephant, and the Mahajanaka Jataka tells of a shipwrecked prince. The flesh-on-the-scale episode points clearly to King Sibi.
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History UPSC GPSC-2026 Medium
Which of the following statements regarding the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are correct?
Which of the following statements regarding the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are correct?
1. AOnly 1 and 3
2. BOnly 1 and 2
3. COnly 2 and 3
4. D1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
ISRO has developed both the PSLV and the GSLV, so statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong because heavy communication satellites for geostationary orbit are launched by the GSLV, while the PSLV mainly serves polar and sun-synchronous low Earth orbits. Chandrayaan-3 did achieve a soft landing on the Moon, so statement 3 is correct. The right combination is 1 and 3.
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Science & Technology UPSC GPSC-2026 Medium
In a certain code language, 781 means ‘Flowers of beautiful’, 612 means ‘Roses are…
In a certain code language, 781 means 'Flowers of beautiful', 612 means 'Roses are red', and 982 means 'Roses are beautiful'. Which number denotes 'Flowers'?
1. A8
2. B7
3. C2
4. D6
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Codes 781 and 982 share the word 'beautiful' and the digit 8, so 8 = beautiful. Codes 612 and 982 share the words 'Roses' and 'are' and the digit 2. In 781 = 'Flowers of beautiful', once 8 is beautiful, the remaining digits 7 and 1 stand for 'Flowers' and 'of'. The digit 7 appears only in this code, so it maps to the word unique here, 'Flowers'.
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CSAT UPSC GPSC-2026 Medium
In a certain code language, 781 means ‘Flowers of beautiful’, 612 means ‘Roses are…
In a certain code language, 781 means 'Flowers of beautiful', 612 means 'Roses are red', and 982 means 'Roses are beautiful'. What does the number '9' denote?
1. ARoses
2. BFlowers
3. CRed
4. Dare
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
From 781 and 982 the shared word 'beautiful' fixes 8 = beautiful. Codes 612 ('Roses are red') and 982 ('Roses are beautiful') share 'are', which maps to the common digit 2, so 2 = are. In 982 the remaining digit after beautiful (8) and are (2) is 9, which therefore stands for 'Roses'.
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CSAT UPSC GPSC-2026 Medium
Consider the following conceptual statements regarding the Bhakti and Sufi movements in medieval India:
Consider the following conceptual statements regarding the Bhakti and Sufi movements in medieval India:
1. AOnly 1 and 2
2. BOnly 1 and 3
3. COnly 1
4. DOnly 3
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Saints of both movements preached in local vernaculars rather than only Sanskrit or Arabic to reach the common people, so statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong because the Chishti and several other Sufi orders embraced music and poetry through sama and qawwali rather than prohibiting them. Both traditions stressed personal devotion and love of God over ritual and pilgrimage, so statement 3 is correct.
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History UPSC GPSC-2026 Medium
Consider the following statements:
Consider the following statements:
1. AOnly 1
2. BOnly 2
3. COnly 1 and 2
4. D1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Venus and Uranus rotate from east to west (retrograde), so statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong because rotation gives us day and night, not the seasons, which come from the Earth's axial tilt combined with its revolution. Statement 3 is wrong because day and night result from rotation, not revolution. Only statement 1 holds.
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Geography UPSC GPSC-2026 Medium
Food subsidy is the difference between
Food subsidy is the difference between
1. AMinimum Support Price (MSP) and the Central Issue Price (CIP)
2. BEconomic Cost and the Central Issue Price (CIP)
3. CEconomic Cost and Minimum Support Price (MSP)
4. DFair and Remunerative Price (FRP) and Central Issue Price (CIP)
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
The food subsidy borne by the government is the gap between the economic cost of foodgrains to the Food Corporation of India and the Central Issue Price at which grain is released under the PDS. Economic cost covers MSP plus procurement incidentals and distribution costs, so it's wider than MSP alone. That whole cost minus the lower issue price gives the subsidy.
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Indian Economy UPSC GPSC-2026 Medium
In the context of rural-urban migration, which one of the following is a “push…
In the context of rural-urban migration, which one of the following is a "push factor"?
1. ABetter lifestyle and high living standard in cities
2. BLack of livelihood opportunities, backwardness and poverty in rural areas
3. CBetter educational opportunities in urban areas
4. DBetter entertainment and sports facilities in cities
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Push factors are negative conditions at the origin that drive people to leave. Lack of livelihood, backwardness and poverty in rural areas push people out. The other options are pull factors, attractions at the urban destination.
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Geography UPSC GPSC-2026 Easy
Which of the following best describes the core operational strategy of the Bhashini Mission…
Which of the following best describes the core operational strategy of the Bhashini Mission launched by the Government of India?
1. AIt is a central database designed to replace English with Hindi as the primary language for all e-governance transactions.
2. BIt is an ecosystem that utilizes a crowdsourcing initiative called 'Bhasha Daan' to collect diverse language datasets to train AI models.
3. CIt is a hardware-based project aimed at distributing indigenous, low-cost smartphones pre-loaded with translation software to rural areas.
4. DIt is a regulatory body established to monitor and censor regional language content on social media platforms.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Bhashini is India's AI-led language translation platform that builds datasets across Indian languages. Its core strategy relies on a crowdsourcing initiative called 'Bhasha Daan,' where citizens contribute language data used to train AI models for speech and translation. It doesn't replace English with Hindi, distribute hardware, or censor content.
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Science & Technology UPSC GPSC-2026 Medium

Mains Q&A 0

No Mains Q&A from GPSC-2026 yet.