UPSC Prelims 2026 — GS Paper I

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UPSC Prelims 2026 — GS Paper I — solved practice questions

12 UPSC Previous Year Papers questions with step-by-step solutions. Attempt each, then reveal the answer.

1. Q1medium
   Which one of the following Carnatic music ragas is similar to Raga Bilawal in Hindustani music ?
   • ANat Bhairavi
   • BKamavardhini
   • CHanumatodi
   • DDheera Shankarabharanam
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (D) Dheera Shankarabharanam

   Answer by PadhoDost (UPSC's official key for this paper is not out yet). Raga Bilawal belongs to the Bilawal thaat, which uses only natural (shuddha) notes, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni, the equivalent of the major scale. In the Carnatic system the same set of notes forms the 29th melakarta, Dheera Shankarabharanam (Sa Ri2 Ga3 Ma1 Pa Dha2 Ni3). The other options correspond to different scales: Nat Bhairavi (Natabhairavi) matches the natural minor, or Asavari thaat; Hanumatodi matches Todi thaat; and Kamavardhini (Pantuvarali) matches Poorvi thaat, with its sharp Ma and flat Re and Dha. So Dheera Shankarabharanam is the only raga similar to Bilawal.
2. Q2hard
   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 ?
   • AAiding the flow of remittances from India and maintaining India's creditworthiness
   • BProviding support to Indian importers
   • CEncouraging export of cotton produce from India
   • DPreventing depreciation of the Rupee in terms of gold
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (A) Aiding the flow of remittances from India and maintaining India's creditworthiness

   Answer by PadhoDost (UPSC's official key for this paper is not out yet). The Hilton-Young Commission (Royal Commission on Indian Currency and Finance, 1926) recommended a gold bullion standard with the rupee fixed at 1 shilling 6 pence, which was adopted in 1927. The ratio overvalued the rupee, which suited British interests: fewer rupees were needed to pay the sterling Home Charges and to remit profits, interest and savings to Britain, and it reassured British creditors and investors about India's creditworthiness. Indian exporters, including cotton growers, were actually hurt by the high ratio, so option C is wrong. Supporting Indian importers or guarding the rupee against gold were not the real motives. Hence option A.
3. Q3medium
   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 :
   • A1 only
   • B2 only
   • CBoth 1 and 2
   • DNeither 1 nor 2
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (C) Both 1 and 2

   Answer by PadhoDost (UPSC's official key for this paper is not out yet). Both statements point to growing towns and money-based exchange. Pali texts such as the Nikayas and Jatakas mention coin units like kahapana, nikkha, kamsa and kakanika, and excavations at many sites have yielded punch-marked coins, mostly of silver, which back up the literary evidence. This coinage spread in the sixth to fourth centuries BCE, the period of the second urbanisation in the Gangetic plains, when trade, markets and towns grew. Coins served as a standard medium of exchange, replacing barter to a large extent, which shows a transition to a money economy. The evidence therefore links to both developments, so the answer is both 1 and 2.
4. Q4hard
   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 :
   • A1 and 2
   • B2 and 3
   • C3 only
   • D3 and 4
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (B) 2 and 3

   Answer by PadhoDost (UPSC's official key for this paper is not out yet). The Nagara style has a curvilinear (rekha) shikhara. The Huchimalligudi temple at Aihole has an early Nagara-style curvilinear tower, and the Dashavatara temple at Deogarh (Gupta period) is one of the earliest temples with a Nagara-type shikhara. The Malegitti Shivalaya at Badami and the Virupaksha temple at Pattadakal are in the Dravida style, with a pyramidal, storeyed vimana. Hence only temples 2 and 3 have a Nagara-style shikhara, and the answer is option B. The Chalukyan centres of Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal are known for showing northern and southern temple styles side by side.
5. Q5medium
   Among the four main forms of existence of life recognized in Jainism, which one of the following is not included ?
   • ADeva (gods)
   • BYaksha (demi-gods)
   • CManushya (humans)
   • DTiryancha (animals and plants)
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (B) Yaksha (demi-gods)

   Answer by PadhoDost (UPSC's official key for this paper is not out yet). Jainism recognises four gatis, or states of existence, of the soul in the cycle of rebirth: Deva (celestial beings), Manushya (humans), Tiryancha (animals, plants and other lower life forms) and Naraki (beings of hell). Yakshas and similar demi-gods are only sub-groups within the Deva category, so Yaksha is not a separate form of existence. Deva, Manushya and Tiryancha are genuine gatis, while the fourth gati, Naraki, is not listed among the options. Therefore the item that is not included is Yaksha (demi-gods), which is option B.
6. Q6medium
   The Hallisalasya painting in the Bagh Caves represents :
   • AA joyous folk dance
   • BBuddha in a meditative pose
   • CThe depiction of Shiva and Parvati on Kailasha
   • DSamudramanthan (Churning of the Ocean)
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (A) A joyous folk dance

   Answer by PadhoDost (UPSC's official key for this paper is not out yet). The Bagh Caves, in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, are Buddhist rock-cut caves of about the fifth to sixth century CE, famous for Gupta-period wall paintings, especially in Cave 4 (Rang Mahal). One well-known panel shows the Hallisaka (Hallisalasya), a circular folk dance in which men and women dance together to music, so it depicts a joyous group dance. It is not a picture of the Buddha meditating, of Shiva and Parvati on Kailasha, or of the churning of the ocean. The lively, worldly subjects of Bagh paintings are often compared with those of Ajanta. Hence option A.
7. Q7hard
   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 ?
   • A1 and 2 only
   • B1 and 3 only
   • C2 and 3 only
   • D1, 2 and 3
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (D) 1, 2 and 3

   Answer by PadhoDost (UPSC's official key for this paper is not out yet). All three statements are correct. The Mankani plates from Gujarat (AD 595-596) carry the earliest known epigraphic use of the decimal place-value notation in India. By the ninth century, place-value numerals had become common in inscriptions across the whole country instead of being limited to a few regions. The system also travelled with Indian culture and Sanskrit to South-east Asia, where inscriptions of the Indianised kingdoms show place-value dates from the seventh century. Because statements 1, 2 and 3 are all supported by the epigraphic record, the answer is 1, 2 and 3, which is option D.
8. Q8medium
   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 :
   • A1 and 2 only
   • B2 and 3 only
   • C1 and 3 only
   • D1, 2 and 3
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (A) 1 and 2 only

   Answer by PadhoDost (UPSC's official key for this paper is not out yet). Statement 1 is a valid inference: many spindle-whorls in houses but no spinning wheels suggest that thread was spun by hand at home, a slow and laborious household task. Statement 2 is also valid: graduated scales and standardised weights show a developed sense of measurement and applied science. Statement 3 is not valid: houses with courtyards, private wells, bathing platforms and large rooms point to comfortable individual households and private living space, not a system of common property. Nothing in this evidence indicates communal ownership. So only inferences 1 and 2 follow, and the answer is option A.
9. Q9easy
   Which one of the following statements about the Eka Movement and Bardoli Satyagraha is correct ?
   • AThe 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.
   • BThe Eka Movement was provided leadership by the taluqdars of Awadh, whereas the Bardoli Satyagraha was a movement of the landless labourers.
   • CThe Bardoli Satyagraha was a campaign against the enhancement of land revenue, while the Eka Movement was a protest against excessive extraction of rents.
   • DThe 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 answer & solution

   Correct 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.

   Answer by PadhoDost (UPSC's official key for this paper is not out yet). The Bardoli Satyagraha (1928, Gujarat, led by Vallabhbhai Patel) was a campaign against the enhancement of land revenue by about 22 per cent. The Eka Movement (1921-22, Hardoi, Bahraich, Sitapur in Awadh) was a peasant protest against excessive rents and other exactions by landlords and their agents, with leaders like Madari Pasi. Option A is wrong because Eka was not supported by Congress throughout, and Bardoli was organised by Congress workers. Option B is wrong since taluqdars were the landlords, not the leaders, and Bardoli involved peasant landholders. Option D has the wrong locations, as Bardoli is in south Gujarat. Hence option C.
10. Q10medium
    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 :
    • A1 and 2 only
    • B1, 2 and 3
    • C1 and 3 only
    • D3 only
    Show answer & solution

    Correct answer: (C) 1 and 3 only

    Answer by PadhoDost (UPSC's official key for this paper is not out yet). The statements say that well irrigation helped farming spread into Punjab and Haryana, and that animal power was used to lift water. Information 1 supports this directly, because the Rigveda mentions the ashma chakra (stone wheel or pulley) and ahava (strapped pails or trough) for drawing water from wells. Information 3 supports statement II, since oxen were already used for ploughing and pulling carts, so draught animals could be harnessed to lift water too. Information 2 only names tools like the axe and sickle, which show farming and clearing of land but say nothing about wells or animal power for drawing water. Hence 1 and 3 only.
11. Q11hard
    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 :
    • A1 only
    • B2 only
    • C1 and 2
    • D3
    Show answer & solution

    Correct answer: (D) 3

    Answer by PadhoDost (UPSC's official key for this paper is not out yet). The assertion concerns shifting rivers in the Pleistocene, long before the Vedic age, so it rests on natural evidence. The presence of the same river dolphin in both the Indus and the Ganga systems suggests that the two systems were once connected, which fits the idea of rivers like the Yamuna and the Sutlej changing course through river capture. The Nadi Sukta of the Rigveda only lists rivers known in the Vedic period, which is much later. Robert Bruce Foote is known for his prehistoric explorations mainly in peninsular India, not for studying the Sutlej and the Yamuna. So only statement 3 is the basis of the assertion.
12. Q12medium
    What does an empty seat represent in early Buddhist iconography ?
    • AThe meditation of the Buddha
    • BThe Buddha's First Sermon
    • CThe Buddha's Mahaparinibbana
    • DThe Buddha's Mahabhinishkramana
    Show answer & solution

    Correct answer: (A) The meditation of the Buddha

    Answer by PadhoDost (UPSC's official key for this paper is not out yet). In early Buddhist art, up to about the first century CE, the Buddha was not shown in human form but through symbols, a practice called aniconism. An empty seat or throne, often shown under the Bodhi tree, stood for the Buddha's meditation and enlightenment. Other symbols had different meanings: the wheel (dharmachakra) represented the First Sermon at Sarnath, the stupa represented the Mahaparinirvana (Mahaparinibbana), and a riderless horse with an umbrella represented the Great Departure (Mahabhinishkramana). Hence the empty seat represents the meditation of the Buddha, which is option A.

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