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 2013: 13 questions
All years →- Q79 · Human body, health & diseasesImproper handling and storage of cereal grains and oilseeds result in the production of toxins known as aflatoxins which are not generally destroyed by the normal cooking process. Aflatoxins are produ…
- Q84 · Human body, health & diseasesConsider the following organisms: Agaricus Nostoc Spirogyra…
- Q87 · Biotechnology & geneticsRecombinant DNA technology (Genetic Engineering) allows genes to be transferred across different species of plants from animals to plants from microorganisms to higher organisms…
- Q88 · Human body, health & diseasesConsider the following minerals: Calcium Iron Sodium…
- Q89 · Human body, health & diseasesWhich of the following statements is/are correct? Viruses lack enzymes necessary for the generation of energy Viruses can be cultured in any synthetic medium. Viruses are transmitted from one organism…
- Q90 · Human body, health & diseasesWhich of the following diseases can be transmitted from one person to another through tattooing? Chikungunya Hepatitis B HIV-AIDS…
- Q91 · Physics & chemistry in everyday lifeConsider the following phenomena: Size of the sun at dusk Colour of the sun at dawn Moon being visible at dawn Twinkle of stars in the sky Polestar being visible in the sky…
- Q92 · Physics & chemistry in everyday lifeThe efforts to detect the existence of Higgs boson particle have become frequent news in the recent past. What is/are the importance/importances of discovering this particle? It will enable us to unde…
- Q93 · Human body, health & diseasesFruits stored in a cold chamber exhibit longer storage life because…
- Q94 · Physics & chemistry in everyday lifeBall bearings are used in bicycles, cars, etc., because –…
- Q95 · Physics & chemistry in everyday lifeRainbow is produced when sunlight falls on drops of rain. Which of the following physical phenomena are responsible for this? Dispersion Refraction Internal reflection…
- Q96 · Human body, health & diseasesMany transplanted seedlings do not grow because:…
- Q97 · Physics & chemistry in everyday lifeThe known forces of nature can be divided into four classes, viz., gravity, electromagnetism, weak nuclear force and strong nuclear force. With reference to them, which one of the following statements…
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.
