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 2026: 13 questions
All years →- Q41 · Biotechnology & geneticsWhich of the following statements with regard to genetic medicine is/are correct? Genetic medicines correct/compensate for the faulty genes responsible for disease. Engineered viruses and lipid nanopa…
- Q42 · IT, computing & emerging technologiesWhich of the following statements with regard to Large Language Models (LLMs) used in machine learning is/are correct? LLMs assign probabilities to the next possible words and then pick the one with t…
- Q43 · Defence, nuclear & energy technologyWhich of the following statements with regard to stealth technology is/are correct? Stealth objects have a very small radar cross-section and are coated with Radar Absorbing Material. Stealth objects …
- Q44 · Physics & chemistry in everyday lifeWhich of the following statements with regard to Black Boxes used in modern aircrafts is/are correct? They carry a beacon emitting red light pulses to facilitate underwater detection. They record both…
- Q46 · Space technologyConsider the following statements with regard to involvement of private entities in India’s space programme: The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) is an autonomous ag…
- Q47 · Defence, nuclear & energy technologyWhich of the following statements with regard to drone swarms is/are correct? They use Terahertz band of frequency to communicate with the command centre. Individual drones in the swarm can communicat…
- Q48 · Biotechnology & geneticsWhich of the following statements with regard to GenomeIndia Project is/are correct? It is a part of the Human Genome Project. The project is funded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Governmen…
- Q49 · Space technologyWhich of the following statements with regard to the National Quantum Mission (NQM) is/are correct? It aims at developing intermediate-scale quantum computers with 50 – 1000 physical qubits. Its imple…
- Q68 · Defence, nuclear & energy technologyWhich of the following items of defence hardware is/are manufactured in India? Su-30 MKI Fighter Jets T-90 MK-III Tanks Akula Class Submarine…
- Q79 · IT, computing & emerging technologiesWhich of the following statements about DHRUV64 is/are correct? It is the third chip fabricated under the DIR-V Programme with an overall aim to enable the creation of microprocessors for India. It is…
- Q80 · Defence, nuclear & energy technologyThe Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) recently introduced a national standard to test and assess bomb disposal system. Which of the following statements with regard to this system is/are correct? The ne…
- Q86 · IT, computing & emerging technologiesWhich of the following statements regarding the features of blockchain technology are correct? Records stored in the database may be made visible to relevant stakeholders without risk of alteration. C…
- Q91 · IT, computing & emerging technologiesWhich of the following statements about Real-World Assets (RWA) Tokenization are correct? Tokenization is the process of turning real world assets into digital tokens using blockchain technology. Toke…
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.
