UPSC Mains · 250 marks

GS Paper I
Indian Heritage, History, Geography & Society

Art & culture, ancient–modern Indian history, world history, post-independence India, Indian society, physical geography and world geography. Five in-depth guides: syllabus, booklist, paper analysis, strategy, PYQ trends.

What UPSC actually asked in GS Paper I, 2021–2026

120 questions over 6 years — about 20 per paper. Every one has its own page with the directive word, marks, word limit and evaluation rubric.

Topics that came up

Aeolian processes, desertification, land degradation · Affirmative action and underprivileged sections · AI drones GIS RS planning · Akbar's religious syncretism · Arctic and Antarctic melting effects · Ashokan inscriptions and Mauryan history · Aurora australis and aurora borealis · Bhakti literature and Indian culture

Directive words used most

explain (29) · discuss (21) · comment (8) · analyse (7) · evaluate (7) — the directive words guide covers what each demands.

Mark distribution

60 questions at 10 marks · 60 questions at 15 marks

Browse all General Studies previous year questions →

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