UPSC Prelims & CSAT PYQ Archive (12 Years)

With reference to the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, consider the following statements: 1. It reserves one-third of all seats for women in the Lok Sabha, the State Legislative Assemblies, and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. 2. The reservation shall come into effect immediately upon the notification of the Act without requiring any prior census or delimitation exercise. 3. The reservation shall continue for a period of fifteen years from the date of its commencement, unless extended by Parliament by law. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (UPSC CSE Prelims 2026)

With reference to Artificial Intelligence technologies and national initiatives in India, consider the following statements: 1. "Hallucination" in Large Language Models (LLMs) refers to the phenomenon where the AI model generates plausible-sounding but factually incorrect or ungrounded outputs. 2. Under the IndiaAI Mission, a centralized GPU computing infrastructure is being established to provide subsidized compute capacity to domestic startups and researchers. 3. The Bletchley Declaration on Frontier AI safety is a legally binding treaty registered under the United Nations Charter. Which of the statements given above are correct? (UPSC CSE Prelims 2026)

Consider the following statements regarding the "Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ)" Treaty: 1. It was adopted under the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). 2. It covers the territorial sea and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of sovereign coastal nations. 3. It establishes a legal mechanism for creating marine protected areas in international waters (High Seas). Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (UPSC CSE Prelims 2026)

With reference to Critical and Strategic Minerals in India, consider the following pairs: Mineral — Primary Application / Domestic Occurrence 1. Lithium — Reasi district (Salal-Haimana), Jammu & Kashmir 2. Cobalt — Polymetallic nodules in Central Indian Ocean Basin 3. Titanium — Ilmenite and Rutile in coastal beach sands of Odisha and Kerala 4. Nickel — Sukinda chromite belt, Odisha How many of the above pairs are correctly matched? (UPSC CSE Prelims 2026)

With reference to the Indian Financial and Capital Markets, consider the following statements: 1. Under the optional "T+0" settlement cycle introduced by SEBI, settlement of funds and securities takes place on the same day the transaction is executed. 2. Sovereign Green Bonds (SGrBs) issued by the Government of India are eligible for Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) compliance by commercial banks. 3. Non-residents (FPIs) are completely prohibited from investing in Sovereign Green Bonds under the Fully Accessible Route (FAR). Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (UPSC CSE Prelims 2026)

Consider the following hill forts included in the "Maratha Military Landscapes of India" nominated for UNESCO World Heritage status: 1. Raigad Fort — Capital of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's Swarajya where his coronation took place 2. Rajgad Fort — Earlier royal residence and political center of Shivaji Maharaj for over two decades 3. Sindhudurg Fort — Coastal/sea fort built on an island in the Arabian Sea with bedrock foundations 4. Gingee Fort — Located in modern Tamil Nadu; described by the British as the "Troy of the East" How many of the above descriptions are correct? (UPSC CSE Prelims 2026)

Let P be a prime number greater than 3. What is the remainder when (P² - 1) is divided by 24? (UPSC CSAT 2026)

Five civil service aspirants — Arun, Bina, Chetan, Divya, and Esha — are sitting in a row facing North: 1. Bina is sitting between Chetan and Esha. 2. Arun is at the left-most position of the row. 3. Divya is sitting to the immediate left of Chetan. 4. Chetan is sitting at the exact middle position of the row. Who is sitting at the extreme right end of the row? (UPSC CSAT 2026)

With reference to the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, consider the following statements: 1. The Selection Committee for recommending appointments consists of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition (or leader of the largest opposition party in Lok Sabha), and a designated Union Cabinet Minister. 2. The Chief Justice of India is a permanent member of the Selection Committee under the Act. 3. The qualifications require candidates to be persons who are holding or have held a post equivalent to the rank of Secretary to the Government of India. Which of the statements given above are correct? (UPSC CSE Prelims 2025)

With reference to international climate mechanisms adopted at UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP), consider the following statements: 1. The "Loss and Damage Fund" was operationalized to provide financial assistance to vulnerable developing nations suffering severe climate impacts. 2. The World Bank was designated as the interim trustee and host of the Loss and Damage Fund for the initial four-year period. 3. The Global Green Credit Initiative (GGCI) was launched jointly by India and the UAE at COP28 to create market-based incentives for voluntary environmental actions like afforestation. Which of the statements given above are correct? (UPSC CSE Prelims 2025)

Consider the following pairs of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India: Heritage Site — Architectural / Cultural Characteristic 1. Chennakeshava Temple, Belur — Star-shaped (stellate) ground plan on a raised platform (jagati) with chloritic schist (soapstone) carvings 2. Hoysaleshwara Temple, Halebidu — Double temple (Dvikuta) dedicated to Shiva with detailed bracket figures (Madanikas) 3. Santiniketan, West Bengal — Open-air education and humanist architecture founded by Rabindranath Tagore 4. Keshava Temple, Somanathapura — Trikuta (triple-shrine) Hoysala temple with three ornate vimanas How many of the above pairs are correctly matched? (UPSC CSE Prelims 2025)

With reference to the "Central Bank Digital Currency (e-Rupee)" issued by the Reserve Bank of India, consider the following statements: 1. It is a legal tender issued in digital form and appears as a liability on the balance sheet of the Reserve Bank of India. 2. Unlike commercial bank deposits, it does not earn interest and is convertible into physical currency at par. 3. It is based on a completely anonymous and permissionless public blockchain network. Which of the statements given above are correct? (UPSC CSE Prelims 2025)

With reference to the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme (Gaganyaan), consider the following statements: 1. The Human-Rated Launch Vehicle used for Gaganyaan is the LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3). 2. "Vyommitra" is a female-looking half-humanoid robot designed to fly on uncrewed Gaganyaan test missions to simulate human parameters. 3. The CE20 cryogenic engine powers the solid propellant core stage of the LVM3 launch vehicle. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (UPSC CSE Prelims 2025)

A, B, and C can complete a piece of work individually in 12 days, 15 days, and 20 days respectively. A works on all days. B and C assist A on alternate days starting with B on Day 1, C on Day 2, B on Day 3, and so on. In how many days will the entire work be completed? (UPSC CSAT 2025)

Read the following passage carefully: "The clean energy transition is fundamentally shifting the geopolitical nature of energy security from fossil fuel reserves to critical mineral supply chains. While oil reserves are geographically dispersed among multiple global producers, the refining and processing of rare earths, lithium, and cobalt is heavily concentrated in a few jurisdictions. A disruption in these concentrated supply nodes could stall global decarbonization efforts far more severely than temporary crude oil price shocks." Which one of the following statements best reflects the most critical inference from the passage? (UPSC CSAT 2025)

With reference to the Constitution of India, consider the following statements: 1. No High Court shall have the jurisdiction to declare any central law to be constitutionally invalid. 2. An amendment to the Constitution of India cannot be called into question by the Supreme Court of India. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (UPSC CSE Prelims 2024)

How many 3-digit natural numbers are there such that the sum of their digits is equal to 4? (UPSC CSAT 2024)

Consider the following statements regarding the species "Prosopis juliflora": 1. It is a native tree species of the Western Ghats. 2. It has spread aggressively and is considered an invasive alien species in India. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (UPSC CSE Prelims 2023)

What is the remainder when (85 × 87 × 89 × 91 × 95 × 96) is divided by 100? (UPSC CSAT 2023)

In medieval India, the term "Fanam" referred to which one of the following? (UPSC CSE Prelims 2022)

A "Constitutional Government" by definition is a: (UPSC CSE Prelims 2020 & 2021)

If you withdraw ₹ 1,00,000 in cash from your Demand Deposit account at your bank, the immediate effect on aggregate money supply in the economy will be: (UPSC CSE Prelims 2020)

Which of the following are naturally found in India? 1. Star tortoise 2. Monitor lizard 3. Pygmy hog 4. Spider monkey Select the correct answer using the code given below: (UPSC CSE Prelims 2019)

The Parliament of India exercises control over the functions of the Council of Ministers through: 1. Adjournment motion 2. Question Hour 3. Supplementary questions Select the correct answer using the code given below: (UPSC CSE Prelims 2018)

Which of the following is/are tributary/tributaries of Brahmaputra? 1. Dibang 2. Kameng 3. Lohit Select the correct answer using the code given below: (UPSC CSE Prelims 2017)

Which of the following gives "Global Gender Gap Index" ranking to the countries of the world? (UPSC CSE Prelims 2016)

The ideal of "Welfare State" in the Indian Constitution is enunciated in its: (UPSC CSE Prelims 2015)