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 2019: 21 questions
All years →- Q2 · Agriculture economy, MSP & food securityWith reference to land reforms in independent India, which one of the following statements is correct?…
- Q24 · Poverty, inclusion, demographics & social sectorIn a given year in India, official poverty lines are higher in some States than in others because…
- Q37 · Agriculture economy, MSP & food securityAmong the following, which one is the largest exporter of rice in the world in the last five years?…
- Q51 · Poverty, inclusion, demographics & social sectorConsider the following statements about Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India: PVTGs reside in 18 States and one Union Territory. A stagnant or declining population is one of the crit…
- Q60 · Industry, infrastructure & investmentConsider the following statements: As per the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Central (Amendment) Rules, 2018 if rules for fixed-term employment are implemented, it becomes easier for the firm…
- Q61 · Money, banking & monetary policyThe Service Area Approach was implemented under the purview of…
- Q63 · External sector & international economic bodiesConsider the following statements: Most of India's external debt is owed by governmental entities. All of India's external debt is denominated in US dollars.…
- Q64 · Money, banking & monetary policyWhich of the following is not included in the assets of a commercial bank in India?…
- Q65 · External sector & international economic bodiesIn the context of India, which of the following factors is/are contributor/contributors to reducing the risk of a currency crisis? The foreign currency earnings of India's IT sector Increasing the gov…
- Q67 · Capital markets, insurance & financial instrumentsWhich of the following is issued by registered foreign portfolio investors to overseas investors who want to be part of the Indian stock market without registering themselves directly?…
- Q70 · National income, growth & inflationWith reference to India's Five-Year Plans, which of the following statements is/are correct? From the Second Five-Year Plan, there was a determined thrust towards substitution of basic and capital goo…
- Q72 · Money, banking & monetary policyWhat was the purpose of Inter-Creditor Agreement signed by Indian banks and financial institutions recently?…
- Q73 · Money, banking & monetary policyThe Chairmen of public sector banks are selected by the…
- Q76 · Poverty, inclusion, demographics & social sectorWhich of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017? Pregnant women are entitled for three months pre-delivery and three months post-delivery paid le…
- Q79 · Agriculture economy, MSP & food securityThe economic cost of food grains to the Food Corporation of India is Minimum Support Price and bonus (if any) paid to the farmers plus…
- Q80 · National income, growth & inflationIn the context of any country, which one of the following would be considered as part of its social capital?…
- Q82 · External sector & international economic bodiesConsider the following statements: Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) exchange rates are calculated by comparing the prices of the same basket of goods and services in different countries. In terms of PPP …
- Q84 · Agriculture economy, MSP & food securityAmong the agricultural commodities imported by India, which one of the following accounts for the highest imports in terms of value in the last five years?…
- Q86 · Money, banking & monetary policyWhich one of the following is not the most likely measure the Government/RBI takes to stop the slide of Indian rupee?…
- Q87 · Money, banking & monetary policyConsider the following statements: The Reserve Bank of India's recent directives relating to 'Storage of Payment System Data', popularly known as data diktat, command the payment system providers that…
- Q90 · Money, banking & monetary policyThe money multiplier in an economy increases with which one of the following?…
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.
