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Prelims 2026 paper

UPSC CSE Prelims 2026 · GS Paper I · Question 1 · Music, dance & theatre

निम्नलिखित में से कर्नाटक संगीत के किस राग का हिन्दुस्तानी संगीत के राग बिलावल से मेल है ?

UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2026, General Studies Paper I, Question 1 — Music, dance & theatre.

Prelims 2026 · Q1

Music, dance & theatre Medium Provisional key

निम्नलिखित में से कर्नाटक संगीत के किस राग का हिन्दुस्तानी संगीत के राग बिलावल से मेल है ?

Read this question in English

Which one of the following Carnatic music ragas is similar to Raga Bilawal in Hindustani music?

(a) Nat Bhairavi · (b) Kamavardhini · (c) Hanumatodi · (d) Dheera Shankarabharanam

उत्तर और व्याख्या · explanation in English

Answer: (d) धीर शंकराभरणम्

Bilawal is the Hindustani scale in which all seven notes are shuddha (natural). The Carnatic scale with exactly these notes is Dheera Shankarabharanam, the 29th melakarta, so the two are treated as equivalents (both match the Western major scale).

  • ✓ (d) Dheera Shankarabharanam, the 29th mela, uses the same natural notes as Bilawal; the NIOS Carnatic music course names Shankarabharana as Bilaval's equivalent.
  • ✗ (a) Natabhairavi (20th mela) has flat ga, dha and ni, so it corresponds to the Hindustani Asavari thaat, not Bilawal.
  • ✗ (c) Hanumatodi (8th mela) uses flat re, ga, dha and ni; its Hindustani counterpart is the Bhairavi thaat.

Remember · Bilawal thaat (all shuddha notes) = Dheera Shankarabharanam, 29th melakarta = Western major scale.

Sources

Question and answer: UPSC's provisional GS Paper I (2026, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·

Cite this question: UPSC CSE Prelims 2026, Q1 — minimalistias.com/pyqs/prelims/2026/q1

In the UPSC syllabus: Music, dance & theatre › Classical music: Hindustani & Carnatic See it and tick it covered →

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