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Prelims GS I

Prelims GS I · 107 questions · 2011–2026

Modern India & the freedom struggle: every Prelims question, by topic

UPSC syllabus: “History of India and Indian National Movement.” Below, the topics inside it — most asked first — and how often each came up year by year.

Modern India & the freedom struggle in Prelims 2017: 7 questions

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Timed · 30 minutes a set Practise Modern India & the freedom struggle as timed tests 3 sets of about 25 questions with UPSC's marking — every question on Modern India & the freedom struggle since 2011. Start practising

Modern India & the freedom struggle in UPSC Prelims at a glance

UPSC has asked 107 questions on Modern India & the freedom struggle in GS Paper I from 2011 to 2026 — about 7 a year, the most in 2018 (14). The most-asked topic is The Gandhian era, 1917–1947 (32 questions).

Year2011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Questions79558671459744395

Counted from UPSC's own papers in the Vault, each question under its main subject · updated 8 Nov 2026.

  1. The Gandhian era, 1917–194732 questions · asked in 13 of 16 years The Gandhian era, 1917–1947 per year: 2011: 3, 2012: 4, 2013: 3, 2014: 1, 2015: 3, 2016: 1, 2017: 1, 2018: 2, 2019: 3, 2020: 1, 2021: 3, 2022: 0, 2023: 0, 2024: 0, 2025: 5, 2026: 2
  2. Rise of nationalism, 1885–191718 questions · asked in 13 of 16 years Rise of nationalism, 1885–1917 per year: 2011: 1, 2012: 1, 2013: 2, 2014: 2, 2015: 3, 2016: 2, 2017: 1, 2018: 1, 2019: 1, 2020: 1, 2021: 1, 2022: 1, 2023: 1, 2024: 0, 2025: 0, 2026: 0
  3. Constitutional development & the transfer of power17 questions · asked in 13 of 16 years Constitutional development & the transfer of power per year: 2011: 1, 2012: 1, 2013: 0, 2014: 2, 2015: 2, 2016: 1, 2017: 2, 2018: 1, 2019: 1, 2020: 0, 2021: 1, 2022: 2, 2023: 1, 2024: 1, 2025: 0, 2026: 1
  4. British administration, land revenue & economy15 questions · asked in 7 of 16 years British administration, land revenue & economy per year: 2011: 1, 2012: 1, 2013: 0, 2014: 0, 2015: 0, 2016: 0, 2017: 3, 2018: 4, 2019: 0, 2020: 4, 2021: 0, 2022: 0, 2023: 0, 2024: 1, 2025: 0, 2026: 1
  5. Social & religious reform movements10 questions · asked in 6 of 16 years Social & religious reform movements per year: 2011: 0, 2012: 2, 2013: 0, 2014: 0, 2015: 0, 2016: 2, 2017: 0, 2018: 1, 2019: 0, 2020: 2, 2021: 1, 2022: 0, 2023: 0, 2024: 0, 2025: 2, 2026: 0
  6. Europeans & the East India Company7 questions · asked in 5 of 16 years Europeans & the East India Company per year: 2011: 0, 2012: 0, 2013: 0, 2014: 0, 2015: 0, 2016: 0, 2017: 0, 2018: 2, 2019: 0, 2020: 0, 2021: 1, 2022: 1, 2023: 2, 2024: 0, 2025: 1, 2026: 0
  7. 1857 & early resistance movements4 questions · asked in 4 of 16 years 1857 & early resistance movements per year: 2011: 1, 2012: 0, 2013: 0, 2014: 0, 2015: 0, 2016: 0, 2017: 0, 2018: 1, 2019: 0, 2020: 1, 2021: 0, 2022: 0, 2023: 0, 2024: 0, 2025: 0, 2026: 1
  8. Post-independence India4 questions · asked in 3 of 16 years Post-independence India per year: 2011: 0, 2012: 0, 2013: 0, 2014: 0, 2015: 0, 2016: 0, 2017: 0, 2018: 2, 2019: 0, 2020: 0, 2021: 0, 2022: 0, 2023: 0, 2024: 1, 2025: 1, 2026: 0

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The same ground in Mains

These official Mains syllabus lines cover Modern India & the freedom struggle. Prelims facts become Mains arguments.

Modern India & the freedom struggle PYQs as a PDF — free

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Every Modern India & the freedom struggle question from 2011 to 2026, topic-wise, with answers and explanations — 57 pages. Free; sign up once.

Modern India & the freedom struggle · Prelims PYQs57 ppPrelims 2026 · GS Paper I79 pp

Modern India & the freedom struggle PYQs: quick answers

How many Modern India & the freedom struggle questions has UPSC asked in Prelims from 2011 to 2026?

107 questions in GS Paper I — about 7 a year, the most in 2018 (14). Every one is on this page, under its topic, with UPSC's answer and an explanation.

Which Modern India & the freedom struggle topic does UPSC ask most in Prelims?

The Gandhian era, 1917–1947: 32 questions between 2011 and 2026, asked in 13 of 16 years. The topics are listed above, most asked first, each with its year-by-year trend.

Are the answers UPSC's official answer keys?

From 2016, yes: every answer is from UPSC's final answer key (2016–2025); for 2011–2015, where UPSC published no key online, each answer is worked out from official sources and reviewed independently; for 2026 UPSC has so far published a provisional key, and those answers are labelled. Explanations cite official sources — NCERT and government pages first.

Can I download the Modern India & the freedom struggle PYQs as a PDF?

Yes — a print-ready PDF of every Modern India & the freedom struggle question with answers and explanations (57 pages, 1.3 MB), free after a one-time sign-up, from the Vault's downloads page.

Counted from UPSC's own papers in the Vault; answers are UPSC's keys.