Prelims GS I · 235 questions · 2011–2026
Geography: every Prelims question, by topic
UPSC syllabus: “Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.” Below, the topics inside it — most asked first — and how often each came up year by year.
Geography in Prelims 2022: 20 questions
All years →- Q22 · Agriculture & crops"System of Rice Intensification" of cultivation, in which alternate wetting and drying of rice fields is practised, results in: Reduced seed requirement Reduced methane production Reduced electricity …
- Q23 · World: places, rivers & mappingWhich one of the following lakes of West Africa has become dry and turned into a desert?…
- Q24 · India: relief, rivers & drainageGandikota canyon of South India was created by which one of the following rivers?…
- Q25 · India: relief, rivers & drainageConsider the following pairs: Namcha Barwa — Garhwal Himalaya Nanda Devi — Kumaon Himalaya Nokrek — Sikkim Himalaya…
- Q26 · World: places, rivers & mappingThe term "Levant" often heard in the news roughly corresponds to which of the following regions?…
- Q27 · World: places, rivers & mappingConsider the following countries: Azerbaijan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan…
- Q28 · Minerals, energy & industryWith reference to India, consider the following statements: Monazite is a source of rare earths. Monazite contains thorium. Monazite occurs naturally in the entire Indian coastal sands in India. In In…
- Q29 · Earth, landforms & geomorphologyIn the northern hemisphere, the longest day of the year normally occurs in the:…
- Q48 · Agriculture & cropsWhich of the following are nitrogen-fixing plants? Alfalfa Amaranth Chickpea Clover Purslane (Kulfa) Spinach…
- Q62 · Agriculture & cropsConsider the following States: Andhra Pradesh Kerala Himachal Pradesh Tripura…
- Q67 · World: places, rivers & mappingConsider the following statements: Vietnam has been one of the fastest growing economies in the world in the recent years. Vietnam is led by a multi-party political system. Vietnam's economic growth i…
- Q70 · India: relief, rivers & drainageConsider the following pairs: Ghataprabha — Telangana Gandhi Sagar — Madhya Pradesh Indira Sagar — Andhra Pradesh Maithon — Chhattisgarh…
- Q72 · Minerals, energy & industryIn India, what is the role of the Coal Controller’s Organization (CCO)? CCO is the major source of Coal Statistics in Government of India. It monitors progress of development of Captive Coal/Lignite b…
- Q81 · Climate & atmosphereConsider the following statements: High clouds primarily reflect solar radiation and cool the surface of the Earth. Low clouds have a high absorption of infrared radiation emanating from the Earth’s s…
- Q82 · World: places, rivers & mappingConsider the following statements: Bidibidi is a large refugee settlement in north-western Kenya. Some people who fled from South Sudan civil war live in Bidibidi. Some people who fled from civil war …
- Q84 · Minerals, energy & industryConsider the following statements: Gujarat has the largest solar park in India. Kerala has a fully solar powered International Airport. Goa has the largest floating solar photovoltaic project in India…
- Q85 · OceansWith reference to the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea, consider the following statements: A coastal state has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not ex…
- Q86 · World: places, rivers & mappingWhich one of the following statements best reflects the issue with Senkaku Islands, sometimes mentioned in the news?…
- Q87 · World: places, rivers & mappingConsider the following pairs: Chad — Setting up of permanent military base by China Guinea — Suspension of Constitution and Government by military Lebanon — Severe and prolonged economic depression Tu…
- Q88 · World: places, rivers & mappingConsider the following pairs: Anatolia — Turkey Amhara — Ethiopia Cabo Delgado — Spain Catalonia — Italy…
Geography in UPSC Prelims at a glance
UPSC has asked 235 questions on Geography in GS Paper I from 2011 to 2026 — about 15 a year, the most in 2023 (23). The most-asked topic is Agriculture & crops (44 questions).
| Year | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Questions | 14 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 23 | 21 | 18 | 11 |
Counted from UPSC's own papers in the Vault, each question under its main subject · updated 8 Nov 2026.
- Agriculture & crops44 questions · asked in 15 of 16 years
- India: relief, rivers & drainage38 questions · asked in 15 of 16 years
- Minerals, energy & industry38 questions · asked in 14 of 16 years
- World: places, rivers & mapping37 questions · asked in 14 of 16 years
- Climate & atmosphere30 questions · asked in 13 of 16 years
- Earth, landforms & geomorphology15 questions · asked in 8 of 16 years
- Oceans13 questions · asked in 10 of 16 years
- India: climate, soils & vegetation13 questions · asked in 9 of 16 years
- Population, settlement & transport7 questions · asked in 6 of 16 years
Latest questions
- 2026 · Q11 · India: relief, rivers & drainageConsider the following assertion: In the Pleistocene period either the Yamuna once flowed into the Indus, or the Sutlej flowed into the Yamuna and one major tributary of …
- 2026 · Q25 · India: relief, rivers & drainageIdentify the river of the Indian sub-continent on the basis of the following information:…
- 2026 · Q26 · India: relief, rivers & drainageWhich of the following with reference to Indian States is/are not correct?…
- 2026 · Q30 · World: places, rivers & mappingShips from which of the following countries have to cross the Strait of Hormuz to reach out to the Indian Ocean?…
- 2026 · Q31 · World: places, rivers & mappingTungurahua Volcano, which was declared a Global Geopark by UNESCO in 2025, is situated in which one among the following countries?…
The same ground in Mains
These official Mains syllabus lines cover Geography. Prelims facts become Mains arguments.
Geography PYQs as a PDF — free
All 48 PDFs →Every Geography question from 2011 to 2026, topic-wise, with answers and explanations — 124 pages. Free; sign up once.
Geography PYQs: quick answers
How many Geography questions has UPSC asked in Prelims from 2011 to 2026?
235 questions in GS Paper I — about 15 a year, the most in 2023 (23). Every one is on this page, under its topic, with UPSC's answer and an explanation.
Which Geography topic does UPSC ask most in Prelims?
Agriculture & crops: 44 questions between 2011 and 2026, asked in 15 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 Geography PYQs as a PDF?
Yes — a print-ready PDF of every Geography question with answers and explanations (124 pages, 2.5 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.
