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 2016: 17 questions
All years →- Q3 · Budget, taxation & public financeThere has been a persistent deficit budget year after year. Which action/actions of the following can be taken by the Government to reduce the deficit? Reducing revenue expenditure Introducing new wel…
- Q4 · Money, banking & monetary policyThe establishment of 'Payment Banks' is being allowed in India to promote financial inclusion. Which of the following statements is/are correct in this context? Mobile telephone companies and supermar…
- Q8 · Capital markets, insurance & financial instrumentsWith reference to 'IFC Masala Bonds', sometimes seen in the news, which of the statements given below is/are correct? The International Finance Corporation, which offers these bonds, is an arm of the …
- Q11 · External sector & international economic bodiesIn the context of which of the following do you sometimes find the terms 'amber box, blue box and green box' in the news?…
- Q12 · Budget, taxation & public financeWhich of the following is/are included in the capital budget of the Government of India? Expenditure on acquisition of assets like roads, buildings, machinery, etc. Loans received from foreign governm…
- Q14 · External sector & international economic bodiesRecently, which one of the following currencies has been proposed to be added to the basket of IMF's SDR?…
- Q16 · Poverty, inclusion, demographics & social sector'Rashtriya Garima Abhiyaan' is a national campaign to…
- Q18 · External sector & international economic bodiesWhich of the following best describes the term 'import cover', sometimes seen in the news?…
- Q21 · Agriculture economy, MSP & food securityWith reference to 'Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana', consider the following statements: Under this scheme, farmers will have to pay a uniform premium of two percent for any crop they cultivate in any…
- Q29 · Money, banking & monetary policyThe term 'Core Banking Solutions' is sometimes seen in the news. Which of the following statements best describes/describe this term? It is a networking of a bank's branches which enables customers to…
- Q43 · Money, banking & monetary policyWhat is/are the purpose/purposes of the ‘Marginal Cost of Funds based Lending Rate (MCLR)’ announced by RBI? These guidelines help improve the transparency in the methodology followed by banks for det…
- Q48 · Agriculture economy, MSP & food securityWith reference to 'Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion', which of the following statements is/are correct? This initiative aims to demonstrate the improved producti…
- Q60 · Budget, taxation & public financeThe term 'Base Erosion and Profit Shifting' is sometimes seen in the news in the context of…
- Q61 · Industry, infrastructure & investmentRecently, India's first 'National Investment and Manufacturing Zone' was proposed to be set up in…
- Q71 · Capital markets, insurance & financial instrumentsWhat is/are the purpose/purposes of Government's 'Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme' and 'Gold Monetization Scheme'? To bring the idle gold lying with Indian households into the economy To promote FDI in the…
- Q73 · Poverty, inclusion, demographics & social sectorPradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana is aimed at…
- Q76 · Poverty, inclusion, demographics & social sectorRegarding 'Atal Pension Yojana', which of the following statements is/are correct? It is minimum guaranteed pension scheme mainly targeted at unorganized sector workers. Only one member of a family ca…
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.
