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 2012: 9 questions
All years →- Q84 · Biotechnology & geneticsWhat are the reasons for the people’s resistance to the introduction of Bt brinjal in India? Bt brinjal has been created by inserting a gene from a soil fungus into its genome. The seeds of Bt brinjal…
- Q85 · Biotechnology & geneticsOther than resistance to pests, what are the prospects for which genetically engineered plants have been created? To enable them to withstand drought. To increase the nutritive value of the produce. T…
- Q87 · Physics & chemistry in everyday lifeWhat is the role of ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the water purification systems? It inactivates/kills the harmful microorganisms in water. It removes all the undesirable odours from the water. It qui…
- Q88 · Biotechnology & geneticsWith reference to ‘stem cells’, frequently in the news, which of the following statements is/are correct? Stem cells can be derived from mammals only. Stem cells can be used for screening new drugs. S…
- Q89 · Physics & chemistry in everyday lifeA team of scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory including those from India created the heaviest anti-matter (anti-helium nucleus). What is/ are the implication/ implications of the creation of …
- Q92 · Physics & chemistry in everyday lifeGraphene has been frequently in the news recently. What is its importance? It is a two-dimensional material and has good electrical conductivity. It is one of the thinnest but strongest materials test…
- Q94 · Defence, nuclear & energy technologyTo meet its rapidly growing energy demand, some opine that India should pursue research and development on thorium as the future fuel of nuclear energy. In this context, what advantage does thorium ho…
- Q95 · Human body, health & diseasesWhich one of the following sets of elements was primarily responsible for the origin of life on the Earth?…
- Q96 · Physics & chemistry in everyday lifeConsider the following statements: If there were no phenomenon of capillarity it would be difficult to use a kerosene lamp one would not be able to use a straw to consume a soft drink the blotting pap…
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 & geneticsआनुवंशिक चिकित्सा (जेनेटिक मेडिसिन) के संबंध में, निम्नलिखित में से कौन-सा/कौन-से कथन सही है/हैं ?…
- 2026 · Q42 · IT, computing & emerging technologiesयंत्र अधिगम (मशीन लर्निंग) में प्रयुक्त लार्ज लैंग्वेज मॉडलों (LLMs) के संबंध में निम्नलिखित में से कौन-सा/कौन-से कथन सही है/हैं ?…
- 2026 · Q43 · Defence, nuclear & energy technologyस्टेल्थ (stealth) प्रौद्योगिकी के संबंध में निम्नलिखित में से कौन-सा/कौन-से कथन सही है/हैं ?…
- 2026 · Q44 · Physics & chemistry in everyday lifeआधुनिक विमानों में प्रयुक्त होने वाले ब्लैक बॉक्सों के संबंध में, निम्नलिखित में से कौन-सा/कौन-से कथन सही है/हैं ?…
- 2026 · Q46 · Space technologyभारत के अंतरिक्ष कार्यक्रम में निजी संस्थाओं की भागीदारी के संबंध में निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार कीजिए :…
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.
