Prelims GS I · 214 questions · 2011–2026
Polity & governance: every Prelims question, by topic
UPSC syllabus: “Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.” Below, the topics inside it — most asked first — and how often each came up year by year.
Polity & governance in Prelims 2026: 12 questions
All years →- Q51 · Elections, rights issues & governanceMr. X, a senior officer, was overseeing a critical vaccination programme during a pandemic. He found that a private service provider responsible for vaccine distribution was compromising on quality to…
- Q52 · Elections, rights issues & governanceIn a multi-ethnic district where both economic competition and historical grievances frequently led to community tensions, a flashpoint has arisen with a Government decision to allocate land for a was…
- Q53 · Elections, rights issues & governanceMs. X is a mid-level civil service official working in the urban development department of a major city. Recently, she was involved in approving a contract for a public infrastructure project — a new …
- Q54 · Fundamental Rights, DPSP & Duties‘X’ was addressing a seminar on the meaning of the term ‘law’ as provided under Article 13, Part III of the Constitution of India. ‘X’ explained that the meaning of the term ‘law’ in the Constitution …
- Q55 · Making of the Constitution, Preamble & featuresConsider the following statements with reference to the Constitution of India: There is no Article in the Constitution of India that specifies that the Constitution of India will be officially called …
- Q57 · Fundamental Rights, DPSP & DutiesConsider the following statements about the provisions pertaining to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in India: Provisions regarding the administration of the Tribal Areas in the States o…
- Q58 · Parliament & the Union executiveConsider the following statements in respect of questions asked by the Members in the Parliament of India: Unstarred questions are those to which a Member desires an oral answer in the House. Starred …
- Q59 · Parliament & the Union executiveConsider the following statements about the Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes of the Parliament of India: Although members of this Committee are elected from both House…
- Q62 · Elections, rights issues & governanceWhich of the following statements about a Zero First Information Report (Zero FIR) under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 is/are correct? A Zero FIR can be lodged at a police statio…
- Q63 · Constitutional, statutory & regulatory bodiesWith reference to the organisations under the Government of India, consider the following details: Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB) — To coordinate between various law enforcement agencies …
- Q74 · Panchayati Raj & local governmentWhich of the following statements with respect to the Revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) is/are correct? The period of its implementation is 1st April, 2021 to 31st March, 2026. The key obj…
- Q98 · Constitutional, statutory & regulatory bodiesWith reference to different Committees in India, consider the following details: R.N. Malhotra Committee — Comprehensive reforms of Insurance sector in India — Insurance Regulatory and Development Aut…
Polity & governance in UPSC Prelims at a glance
UPSC has asked 214 questions on Polity & governance in GS Paper I from 2011 to 2026 — about 13 a year, the most in 2017 (22). The most-asked topic is Parliament & the Union executive (54 questions).
| Year | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Questions | 6 | 18 | 18 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 22 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 12 |
Counted from UPSC's own papers in the Vault, each question under its main subject · updated 8 Nov 2026.
- Parliament & the Union executive54 questions · asked in 16 of 16 years
- Fundamental Rights, DPSP & Duties34 questions · asked in 14 of 16 years
- Making of the Constitution, Preamble & features28 questions · asked in 13 of 16 years
- Federalism, states & centre–state relations28 questions · asked in 13 of 16 years
- Constitutional, statutory & regulatory bodies23 questions · asked in 14 of 16 years
- Judiciary21 questions · asked in 11 of 16 years
- Elections, rights issues & governance17 questions · asked in 8 of 16 years
- Panchayati Raj & local government9 questions · asked in 8 of 16 years
Latest questions
- 2026 · Q51 · Elections, rights issues & governanceMr. X, a senior officer, was overseeing a critical vaccination programme during a pandemic. He found that a private service provider responsible for vaccine distribution …
- 2026 · Q52 · Elections, rights issues & governanceIn a multi-ethnic district where both economic competition and historical grievances frequently led to community tensions, a flashpoint has arisen with a Government decis…
- 2026 · Q53 · Elections, rights issues & governanceMs. X is a mid-level civil service official working in the urban development department of a major city. Recently, she was involved in approving a contract for a public i…
- 2026 · Q54 · Fundamental Rights, DPSP & Duties‘X’ was addressing a seminar on the meaning of the term ‘law’ as provided under Article 13, Part III of the Constitution of India. ‘X’ explained that the meaning of the t…
- 2026 · Q55 · Making of the Constitution, Preamble & featuresConsider the following statements with reference to the Constitution of India:…
The same ground in Mains
These official Mains syllabus lines cover Polity & governance. Prelims facts become Mains arguments.
- Constitution: evolution, features & basic structure
- Comparing constitutions
- Parliament & state legislatures
- Executive, judiciary & pressure groups
- Separation of powers & dispute redressal
- Federalism & devolution
- Constitutional bodies
- Statutory, regulatory & quasi-judicial bodies
- Representation of the People Act
- Government policies & interventions
- Welfare of vulnerable sections
- Governance, transparency & e-governance
Polity & governance PYQs as a PDF — free
All 48 PDFs →Every Polity & governance question from 2011 to 2026, topic-wise, with answers and explanations — 118 pages. Free; sign up once.
Polity & governance PYQs: quick answers
How many Polity & governance questions has UPSC asked in Prelims from 2011 to 2026?
214 questions in GS Paper I — about 13 a year, the most in 2017 (22). Every one is on this page, under its topic, with UPSC's answer and an explanation.
Which Polity & governance topic does UPSC ask most in Prelims?
Parliament & the Union executive: 54 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 Polity & governance PYQs as a PDF?
Yes — a print-ready PDF of every Polity & governance question with answers and explanations (118 pages, 2.2 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.
