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 2018: 20 questions
All years →- Q3 · Agriculture economy, MSP & food securityAs per the NSSO 70th Round "Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households", consider the following statements: Rajasthan has the highest percentage share of agricultural households among its …
- Q6 · Money, banking & monetary policyWhich one of the following best describes the term "Merchant Discount Rate" sometimes seen in news?…
- Q8 · Budget, taxation & public financeWith reference to India's decision to levy an equalization tax of 6% on online advertisement services offered by non-resident entities, which of the following statements is/are correct? It is introduc…
- Q9 · Budget, taxation & public financeConsider the following statements: The Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Review Committee Report has recommended a debt to GDP ratio of 60% for the general (combined) government by 20…
- Q10 · Agriculture economy, MSP & food securityConsider the following statements: The quantity of imported edible oils is more than the domestic production of edible oils in the last five years. The Government does not impose any customs duty on a…
- Q15 · Money, banking & monetary policyWhich one of the following links all the ATMs in India?…
- Q16 · Money, banking & monetary policyConsider the following statements: Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) is the amount that banks have to maintain in the form of their own funds to offset any loss that banks incur if the account-holders fail…
- Q21 · Poverty, inclusion, demographics & social sectorConsider the following statements: As per the Right to Education (RTE) Act, to be eligible for appointment as a teacher in a State, a person would be required to possess the minimum qualification laid…
- Q25 · Poverty, inclusion, demographics & social sectorWith reference to the provisions made under the National Food Security Act, 2013, consider the following statements: The families coming under the category of ‘below poverty line (BPL)’ only are eligi…
- Q26 · External sector & international economic bodiesIndia enacted The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 in order to comply with the obligations to…
- Q46 · Money, banking & monetary policyWhich one of the following statements correctly describes the meaning of legal tender money?…
- Q47 · Budget, taxation & public financeIf a commodity is provided free to the public by the Government, then…
- Q48 · National income, growth & inflationIncrease in absolute and per capita real GNP do not connote a higher level of economic development, if…
- Q49 · Poverty, inclusion, demographics & social sectorConsider the following statements: Human capital formation as a concept is better explained in terms of a process which enables individuals of a country to accumulate more capital. increasing the know…
- Q50 · National income, growth & inflationDespite being a high saving economy, capital formation may not result in significant increase in output due to…
- Q56 · Capital markets, insurance & financial instrumentsConsider the following statements: The Reserve Bank of India manages and services Government of India Securities but not any State Government Securities. Treasury bills are issued by the Government of…
- Q93 · Agriculture economy, MSP & food securityConsider the following: Areca nut Barley Coffee Finger millet Groundnut Sesamum Turmeric…
- Q96 · Money, banking & monetary policyWith reference to the governance of public sector banking in India, consider the following statements: Capital infusion into public sector banks by the Government of India has steadily increased in th…
- Q97 · Budget, taxation & public financeConsider the following items: Cereal grains hulled Chicken eggs cooked Fish processed and canned Newspapers containing advertising material…
- Q100 · Agriculture economy, MSP & food securityWith reference to organic farming in India, consider the following statements: ‘The National Programme for Organic Production’ (NPOP) is operated under the guidelines and directions of the Union Minis…
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.
