Prelims GS I · 107 questions · 2011–2026
Modern India & the freedom struggle: every Prelims question, by topic
UPSC syllabus: “History of India and Indian National Movement.” Below, the topics inside it — most asked first — and how often each came up year by year.
Modern India & the freedom struggle in Prelims 2018: 14 questions
All years →- Q11 · Rise of nationalism, 1885–1917He wrote biographies of Mazzini, Garibaldi, Shivaji and Shrikrishna; stayed in America for some time; and was also elected to the Central Assembly. He was…
- Q19 · British administration, land revenue & economyRegarding Wood's Dispatch, which of the following statements are true? Grants-in-Aid system was introduced. Establishment of universities was recommended. English as a medium of instruction at all lev…
- Q38 · Constitutional development & the transfer of powerIn the Federation established by The Government of India Act of 1935, residuary powers were given to the…
- Q51 · 1857 & early resistance movementsAfter the Santhal Uprising subsided, what was/were the measure/measures taken by the colonial government? The territories called 'Santhal Paraganas' were created. It became illegal for a Santhal to tr…
- Q52 · British administration, land revenue & economyEconomically, one of the results of the British rule in India in the 19th century was the…
- Q68 · Europeans & the East India CompanyThe staple commodities of export by the English East India Company from Bengal in the middle of the 18th century were…
- Q69 · The Gandhian era, 1917–1947Which one of the following is a very significant aspect of the Champaran Satyagraha?…
- Q70 · Post-independence IndiaWho among the following were the founders of the “Hind Mazdoor Sabha” established in 1948?…
- Q75 · Europeans & the East India CompanyWhich one of the following statements does not apply to the system of Subsidiary Alliance introduced by Lord Wellesley?…
- Q76 · British administration, land revenue & economyWhich of the following led to the introduction of English Education in India? Charter Act of 1813 General Committee of Public Instruction, 1823 Orientalist and Anglicist Controversy…
- Q79 · The Gandhian era, 1917–1947In 1920, which of the following changed its name to “Swarajya Sabha”?…
- Q80 · Social & religious reform movementsWhich among the following events happened earliest?…
- Q89 · British administration, land revenue & economyWith reference to educational institutions during colonial rule in India, consider the following pairs: Sanskrit College at Benaras — William Jones Calcutta Madarsa — Warren Hastings Fort William Coll…
- Q91 · Post-independence IndiaConsider the following events: The first democratically elected communist party government formed in a State in India. India’s then largest bank, ‘Imperial Bank of India’, was renamed ‘State Bank of I…
Modern India & the freedom struggle in UPSC Prelims at a glance
UPSC has asked 107 questions on Modern India & the freedom struggle in GS Paper I from 2011 to 2026 — about 7 a year, the most in 2018 (14). The most-asked topic is The Gandhian era, 1917–1947 (32 questions).
Counted from UPSC's own papers in the Vault, each question under its main subject · updated 8 Nov 2026.
- The Gandhian era, 1917–194732 questions · asked in 13 of 16 years
- Rise of nationalism, 1885–191718 questions · asked in 13 of 16 years
- Constitutional development & the transfer of power17 questions · asked in 13 of 16 years
- British administration, land revenue & economy15 questions · asked in 7 of 16 years
- Social & religious reform movements10 questions · asked in 6 of 16 years
- Europeans & the East India Company7 questions · asked in 5 of 16 years
- 1857 & early resistance movements4 questions · asked in 4 of 16 years
- Post-independence India4 questions · asked in 3 of 16 years
Latest questions
- 2026 · Q2 · British administration, land revenue & economyThe artificially fixed rupee-sterling exchange rate prescribed by the Hilton-Young Commission (1926) was adopted by the British Government for which one of the following …
- 2026 · Q9 · The Gandhian era, 1917–1947Which one of the following statements about the Eka Movement and Bardoli Satyagraha is correct?…
- 2026 · Q16 · The Gandhian era, 1917–1947Which of the following factors contributed to the formation of the Forward Bloc by Subhas Chandra Bose in 1939?…
- 2026 · Q17 · 1857 & early resistance movementsConsider the following statements regarding the British policy in Awadh immediately after its annexation in 1856:…
- 2026 · Q18 · Constitutional development & the transfer of powerConsider the following assertion: The genesis of political alliances based on community lay in the very nature of the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms, 1919. Which of the foll…
The same ground in Mains
These official Mains syllabus lines cover Modern India & the freedom struggle. Prelims facts become Mains arguments.
Modern India & the freedom struggle PYQs as a PDF — free
All 48 PDFs →Every Modern India & the freedom struggle question from 2011 to 2026, topic-wise, with answers and explanations — 57 pages. Free; sign up once.
Modern India & the freedom struggle PYQs: quick answers
How many Modern India & the freedom struggle questions has UPSC asked in Prelims from 2011 to 2026?
107 questions in GS Paper I — about 7 a year, the most in 2018 (14). Every one is on this page, under its topic, with UPSC's answer and an explanation.
Which Modern India & the freedom struggle topic does UPSC ask most in Prelims?
The Gandhian era, 1917–1947: 32 questions between 2011 and 2026, asked in 13 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 Modern India & the freedom struggle PYQs as a PDF?
Yes — a print-ready PDF of every Modern India & the freedom struggle question with answers and explanations (57 pages, 1.3 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.
