Prelims GS I · 179 questions · 2011–2026
Science & technology: every Prelims question, by topic
UPSC syllabus: “General Science.” Below, the topics inside it — most asked first — and how often each came up year by year.
Science & technology in Prelims 2016: 10 questions
All years →- Q5 · IT, computing & emerging technologiesWith reference to 'LiFi', recently in the news, which of the following statements is/are correct? It uses light as the medium for high-speed data transmission. It is a wireless technology and is sever…
- Q31 · Biotechnology & geneticsIn the context of the developments in Bioinformatics, the term 'transcriptome', sometimes seen in the news, refers to…
- Q35 · IT, computing & emerging technologies'Project Loon', sometimes seen in the news, is related to…
- Q47 · IT, computing & emerging technologiesWhat is ‘Greased Lightning–10 (GL–10)’, recently in the news?…
- Q59 · Human body, health & diseasesWhich of the following statements is/are correct? Viruses can infect bacteria fungi plants…
- Q66 · IT, computing & emerging technologiesWith reference to 'Bitcoins', sometimes seen in the news, which of the following statements is/are correct? Bitcoins are tracked by the Central Banks of the countries. Anyone with a Bitcoin address ca…
- Q79 · Defence, nuclear & energy technologyIndia is an important member of the 'International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor'. If this experiment succeeds, what is the immediate advantage for India?…
- Q84 · IT, computing & emerging technologiesRegarding 'DigiLocker', sometimes seen in the news, which of the following statements is/are correct? It is a digital locker system offered by the Government under Digital India Programme. It allows y…
- Q87 · Space technologyWith reference to 'Astrosat', the astronomical observatory launched by India, which of the following statements is/are correct? Other than USA and Russia, India is the only country to have launched a …
- Q91 · Space technologyConsider the following statements: The Mangalyaan launched by ISRO is also called the Mars Orbiter Mission made India the second country to have a spacecraft orbit the Mars after USA made India the on…
Science & technology in UPSC Prelims at a glance
UPSC has asked 179 questions on Science & technology in GS Paper I from 2011 to 2026 — about 11 a year, the most in 2011 (17). The most-asked topic is IT, computing & emerging technologies (47 questions).
| Year | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Questions | 17 | 9 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 13 |
Counted from UPSC's own papers in the Vault, each question under its main subject · updated 8 Nov 2026.
- IT, computing & emerging technologies47 questions · asked in 13 of 16 years
- Human body, health & diseases33 questions · asked in 13 of 16 years
- Biotechnology & genetics28 questions · asked in 14 of 16 years
- Physics & chemistry in everyday life26 questions · asked in 13 of 16 years
- Space technology25 questions · asked in 13 of 16 years
- Defence, nuclear & energy technology20 questions · asked in 13 of 16 years
Latest questions
- 2026 · Q41 · Biotechnology & geneticsWhich of the following statements with regard to genetic medicine is/are correct?…
- 2026 · Q42 · IT, computing & emerging technologiesWhich of the following statements with regard to Large Language Models (LLMs) used in machine learning is/are correct?…
- 2026 · Q43 · Defence, nuclear & energy technologyWhich of the following statements with regard to stealth technology is/are correct?…
- 2026 · Q44 · Physics & chemistry in everyday lifeWhich of the following statements with regard to Black Boxes used in modern aircrafts is/are correct?…
- 2026 · Q46 · Space technologyConsider the following statements with regard to involvement of private entities in India’s space programme:…
The same ground in Mains
These official Mains syllabus lines cover Science & technology. Prelims facts become Mains arguments.
Science & technology PYQs as a PDF — free
All 48 PDFs →Every Science & technology question from 2011 to 2026, topic-wise, with answers and explanations — 94 pages. Free; sign up once.
Science & technology PYQs: quick answers
How many Science & technology questions has UPSC asked in Prelims from 2011 to 2026?
179 questions in GS Paper I — about 11 a year, the most in 2011 (17). Every one is on this page, under its topic, with UPSC's answer and an explanation.
Which Science & technology topic does UPSC ask most in Prelims?
IT, computing & emerging technologies: 47 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 Science & technology PYQs as a PDF?
Yes — a print-ready PDF of every Science & technology question with answers and explanations (94 pages, 1.9 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.
