Prelims GS I · 159 questions · 2011–2026
International relations & current affairs: every Prelims question, by topic
UPSC syllabus: “Current events of national and international importance.” Below, the topics inside it — most asked first — and how often each came up year by year.
International relations & current affairs in Prelims 2025: 11 questions
All years →- Q21 · International organisations & groupingsConsider the following countries: Austria Bulgaria Croatia Serbia Sweden North Macedonia…
- Q30 · Government schemes & initiativesConsider the following statements about the Rashtriya Gokul Mission: It is important for the upliftment of rural poor as majority of low producing indigenous animals are with small and marginal farmer…
- Q35 · International organisations & groupingsWhich one of the following launched the ‘Nature Solutions Finance Hub for Asia and the Pacific’?…
- Q62 · India & the world: places, pacts & relationsIndia is one of the founding members of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multimodal transportation corridor, which will connect…
- Q70 · Government schemes & initiativesConsider the following statements about 'PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana': It targets installation of one crore solar rooftop panels in the residential sector. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy…
- Q92 · International organisations & groupingsConsider the following statements in respect of BIMSTEC: It is a regional organization consisting of seven member States till January 2025. It came into existence with the signing of the Dhaka Declara…
- Q93 · Persons, awards & miscellanyWho amongst the following are members of the Jury to select the recipient of 'Gandhi Peace Prize'? The President of India The Prime Minister of India The Chief Justice of India The Leader of Oppositio…
- Q96 · International organisations & groupingsConsider the following pairs: International Year of the Woman Farmer: 2026 International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism: 2027 International Year of Peace and Trust: 2025 International Year …
- Q97 · International organisations & groupingsConsider the following statements with regard to BRICS: 16th BRICS Summit was held under the Chairship of Russia in Kazan. Indonesia has become a full member of BRICS. The theme of the 16th BRICS Summ…
- Q99 · Persons, awards & miscellanyConsider the following statements in respect of the first Kho Kho World Cup: The event was held in Delhi, India. Indian men beat Nepal with a score of 78–40 in the final to become the World Champion i…
- Q100 · Persons, awards & miscellanyConsider the following statements: In the finals of the 45th Chess Olympiad held in 2024, Gukesh Dommaraju became the world's youngest winner after defeating the Russian player Ian Nepomniachtchi. Abh…
International relations & current affairs in UPSC Prelims at a glance
UPSC has asked 159 questions on International relations & current affairs in GS Paper I from 2011 to 2026 — about 10 a year, the most in 2016 (23). The most-asked topic is International organisations & groupings (56 questions).
| Year | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Questions | 6 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 23 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 21 |
Counted from UPSC's own papers in the Vault, each question under its main subject · updated 8 Nov 2026.
- International organisations & groupings56 questions · asked in 14 of 16 years
- Government schemes & initiatives36 questions · asked in 15 of 16 years
- Persons, awards & miscellany22 questions · asked in 9 of 16 years
- India & the world: places, pacts & relations20 questions · asked in 11 of 16 years
- Security, defence & exercises15 questions · asked in 8 of 16 years
- Reports & indices10 questions · asked in 7 of 16 years
Latest questions
- 2026 · Q35 · Government schemes & initiativesConsider the following statements with reference to the Sagarmala Programme of the Government of India: I. The Sagarmala Programme seeks to achieve port-led economic grow…
- 2026 · Q38 · International organisations & groupingsAt the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) held in June, 2025 in France, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations demonstrated its leading vo…
- 2026 · Q60 · Security, defence & exercisesConsider the following statements about Mission Sudarshan Chakra of India:…
- 2026 · Q61 · India & the world: places, pacts & relationsConsider the following statements about river bridges connecting India with neighbouring countries:…
- 2026 · Q64 · India & the world: places, pacts & relationsWhich of the following international conventions have not been ratified by India?…
The same ground in Mains
These official Mains syllabus lines cover International relations & current affairs. Prelims facts become Mains arguments.
International relations & current affairs PYQs as a PDF — free
All 48 PDFs →Every International relations & current affairs question from 2011 to 2026, topic-wise, with answers and explanations — 98 pages. Free; sign up once.
International relations & current affairs PYQs: quick answers
How many International relations & current affairs questions has UPSC asked in Prelims from 2011 to 2026?
159 questions in GS Paper I — about 10 a year, the most in 2016 (23). Every one is on this page, under its topic, with UPSC's answer and an explanation.
Which International relations & current affairs topic does UPSC ask most in Prelims?
International organisations & groupings: 56 questions between 2011 and 2026, asked in 14 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 International relations & current affairs PYQs as a PDF?
Yes — a print-ready PDF of every International relations & current affairs question with answers and explanations (98 pages, 2 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.
