Prelims GS I · 276 questions · 2011–2026
Economy & social development: every Prelims question, by topic
UPSC syllabus: “Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.” Below, the topics inside it — most asked first — and how often each came up year by year.
Economy & social development in Prelims 2012: 14 questions
All years →- Q37 · Budget, taxation & public financeWhich of the following is/are among the noticeable features of the recommendations of the Thirteenth Finance Commission? A design for the Goods and Services Tax, and a compensation package linked to a…
- Q39 · Poverty, inclusion, demographics & social sectorWhich of the following can be said to be essentially the parts of ‘Inclusive Governance’? Permitting the Non-Banking Financial Companies to do banking. Establishing effective District Planning Committ…
- Q40 · Industry, infrastructure & investmentWhat is/are the recent policy initiative(s) of Government of India to promote the growth of the manufacturing sector? Setting up of National Investment and Manufacturing Zones. Providing the benefit o…
- Q41 · Industry, infrastructure & investmentIn India, in the overall index of Industrial Production, the Indices of Eight Core Industries have a combined weight of 37.90%. Which of the following are among those Eight Core industries? Cement Fer…
- Q43 · Money, banking & monetary policyWhich of the following measures would result in an increase in the money supply in the economy? Purchase of government securities from the public by the Central Bank. Deposit of currency in commercial…
- Q44 · Money, banking & monetary policyThe Reserve Bank of India (RBI) acts as a bankers’ bank. This would imply which of the following? Other banks retain their deposits with the RBI. The RBI lends funds to the commercial banks in times o…
- Q45 · Money, banking & monetary policyThe basic aim of Lead Bank Scheme is that…
- Q46 · Money, banking & monetary policyWhy is the offering of “teaser loans” by commercial banks a cause of economic concern? The teaser loans are considered to be an aspect of subprime lending and banks may be exposed to the risk of defau…
- Q47 · Budget, taxation & public financeUnder which of the following circumstances may ‘capital gains’ arise? When there is an increase in the sales of a product When there is a natural increase in the value of the property owned When you p…
- Q48 · External sector & international economic bodiesWhich of the following would include Foreign Direct Investment in India? Subsidiaries of foreign companies in India. Majority foreign equity holding in Indian companies. Companies exclusively financed…
- Q49 · Poverty, inclusion, demographics & social sectorHow does the National Rural Livelihood Mission seek to improve livelihood options of rural poor? By setting up a large number of new manufacturing industries and agribusiness centres in rural areas. B…
- Q50 · Poverty, inclusion, demographics & social sectorWith reference to the National Rural Health Mission, which of the following are the jobs of ‘ASHA’, a trained community health worker? Accompanying women to the health facility for antenatal care chec…
- Q52 · Poverty, inclusion, demographics & social sectorConsider the following: Hotels and restaurants Motor transport undertakings Newspaper establishments Private medical institutions…
- Q54 · Poverty, inclusion, demographics & social sectorHow do District Rural Development Agencies (DRDAs) help in the reduction of rural poverty in India? DRDAs act as Panchayati Raj Institutions in certain specified backward regions of the country. DRDAs…
Economy & social development in UPSC Prelims at a glance
UPSC has asked 276 questions on Economy & social development in GS Paper I from 2011 to 2026 — about 17 a year, the most in 2011 (24). The most-asked topic is Money, banking & monetary policy (60 questions).
| Year | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Questions | 24 | 14 | 17 | 11 | 21 | 17 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
Counted from UPSC's own papers in the Vault, each question under its main subject · updated 8 Nov 2026.
- Money, banking & monetary policy60 questions · asked in 16 of 16 years
- Budget, taxation & public finance41 questions · asked in 15 of 16 years
- External sector & international economic bodies37 questions · asked in 15 of 16 years
- Poverty, inclusion, demographics & social sector32 questions · asked in 13 of 16 years
- Capital markets, insurance & financial instruments28 questions · asked in 11 of 16 years
- Agriculture economy, MSP & food security28 questions · asked in 10 of 16 years
- Industry, infrastructure & investment26 questions · asked in 12 of 16 years
- National income, growth & inflation24 questions · asked in 9 of 16 years
Latest questions
- 2026 · Q24 · Industry, infrastructure & investmentIn what way(s) does the Vizhinjam International Seaport represent a structural shift in India's maritime trade and logistics policy?…
- 2026 · Q28 · Agriculture economy, MSP & food securityWhich among the following is/are the objective(s) of the Rainfed Area Development (RAD) initiative under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)?…
- 2026 · Q29 · Industry, infrastructure & investmentWhich of the following is/are the most significant implication(s) of obtaining Oeko-Tex certification for Eri Silk in the global textile industry?…
- 2026 · Q56 · Poverty, inclusion, demographics & social sectorWhich of the following statements with regard to the persons with disabilities in India is/are correct?…
- 2026 · Q83 · Industry, infrastructure & investmentWhich one of the following pairs of semiconductor plants in India and their locations is not correctly matched?…
The same ground in Mains
These official Mains syllabus lines cover Economy & social development. Prelims facts become Mains arguments.
- Economy: planning, growth & employment
- Inclusive growth
- Investment models
- Government budgeting
- International institutions
- Farm subsidies, MSP, PDS & food security
- Food processing
- Land reforms
- Liberalisation & industrial policy
- Infrastructure
- Welfare of vulnerable sections
- Health, education & human resources
- Poverty & hunger
Economy & social development PYQs as a PDF — free
All 48 PDFs →Every Economy & social development question from 2011 to 2026, topic-wise, with answers and explanations — 146 pages. Free; sign up once.
Economy & social development PYQs: quick answers
How many Economy & social development questions has UPSC asked in Prelims from 2011 to 2026?
276 questions in GS Paper I — about 17 a year, the most in 2011 (24). Every one is on this page, under its topic, with UPSC's answer and an explanation.
Which Economy & social development topic does UPSC ask most in Prelims?
Money, banking & monetary policy: 60 questions between 2011 and 2026, asked in 16 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 Economy & social development PYQs as a PDF?
Yes — a print-ready PDF of every Economy & social development question with answers and explanations (146 pages, 2.7 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.
