Section-wise Question Distribution
1. History & Culture (Questions ~1–20) — Approx. 20 Questions
Ancient India (~8–9 questions)
- Pleistocene period river course assertions (Q1)
- Buddhist iconography – empty seat symbolism (Q2)
- Ancient vs modern river name matching (Q3)
- Amaravati Stupa and relief sculpture (Q4)
- Early historical Tamilakam – kings and dynasties (Q5)
- Carnatic vs Hindustani music ragas (Q11)
- Pali texts and coins – urban life/money economy (Q13)
- Nagara-style Shikhara temples (Q14)
- Jainism – four forms of existence (Q15)
- Hallisalasya painting in Bagh Caves (Q16)
- Place-value system in India (Q17)
- Rigvedic period – irrigation and agriculture (Q20)
- Kshetra-patni term origin (Q10)
Medieval India (~2–3 questions)
- Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur – Gharana (Q9)
Modern India / Freedom Struggle (~5–6 questions)
- Forward Bloc formation by Subhas Chandra Bose 1939 (Q6)
- British policy in Awadh after annexation 1856 (Q7)
- Montague-Chelmsford Reforms 1919 and political alliances (Q8)
- Hilton-Young Commission 1926 – rupee-sterling rate (Q12)
- Eka Movement and Bardoli Satyagraha (Q19)
- Harappan archaeological findings (Q18)
Trend Observation: Ancient India dominates. Questions are assertion-based and statement-based, requiring nuanced factual accuracy. Art, architecture, and literature references are consistent UPSC themes.
2. Geography (Questions ~21–40) — Approx. 18–20 Questions
Physical Geography
- Tungurahua Volcano UNESCO Global Geopark 2025 – Ecuador (Q21)
- Madhav National Park – Tiger Reserve, Ramsar Site (Q22)
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands climate (Q23)
- Peninsular Block of India – geographical features (Q24)
- Lake Turkana – facts and location (Q29)
- Geographical features – Western Hoolock Gibbons (Q32)
- Mangrove ecosystems and climate resilience (Q33)
- Identifying river by given clues (Q35)
- Amur Falcons at Doyang Lake, Nagaland (Q37)
- Strait of Hormuz – which countries’ ships must cross (Q40)
Human / Economic Geography
- Sagarmala Programme – port-led growth (Q25)
- Vizhinjam International Seaport – maritime policy shift (Q34)
- Indian States – boundary facts (Q36)
- Rainfed Area Development (RAD) under NMSA (Q38)
- Eri Silk – Oeko-Tex certification (Q39)
Environment & Ecology
- Rhynchostylis retusa (Foxtail orchid) – endemic species (Q26)
- Moidams – Tai-Ahom Kingdom UNESCO World Heritage (Q27)
- UNOC June 2025 – FAO Blue Transformation (Q28)
- First REDD+ certified project in India (Q30)
- India’s response to climate change – LT-LEDS, BUR-4 (Q31)
Trend Observation: Heavy mix of static geography with current affairs overlay (2024–25 events). Environment and ecology questions have increased. Northeast India receives special attention (Nagaland, Assam, Moidams).
3. Science & Technology (Questions ~66–75) — Approx. 10 Questions
- Genetic medicine – faulty genes, carriers (Q66)
- Large Language Models (LLMs) in machine learning (Q67)
- Stealth technology – radar cross-section, metamaterials (Q68)
- Black Boxes in modern aircraft (Q69)
- Green Hydrogen – electrolysis, National Green Hydrogen Mission (Q70)
- Private entities in India’s space programme – IN-SPACe, Agnikul, Skyroot (Q71)
- Drone swarms – frequency, GPS spoofing (Q72)
- GenomeIndia Project – DBT, genetic diversity (Q73)
- National Quantum Mission (NQM) – qubits, T-Hubs (Q74)
- India’s Deep Ocean Mission – Matsya-6000, Samudrayaan (Q75)
Trend Observation: Science & Technology section has expanded significantly. Emerging technologies (AI/LLMs, quantum, drones, stealth) are now regularly tested. Space privatisation is a recurring theme.
4. Economy (Questions ~51–65) — Approx. 15 Questions
- Blockchain technology features (Q51)
- Dropshipping / e-commerce revenue models (Q52)
- Financial Inclusion Index (FI-Index) – RBI sub-indices (Q53)
- ONDC – Open Network for Digital Commerce (Q54)
- UPI vs Central Bank Digital Currency (Digital Rupee) (Q55)
- Real-World Assets (RWA) Tokenization (Q56)
- Sustainability Bond definition (Q57)
- M1xchange – MSME financing (Q58)
- Crowding Out Effect – fiscal policy (Q59)
- Rare Earth Elements and Critical Minerals – NCMM 2025 (Q60)
- Aviation insurance – Hull Insurance, Montreal Convention (Q61)
- Crowdfunding (Q62)
- Financial committees – R.N. Malhotra, L.C. Gupta, Urjit Patel, Y.H. Malegam (Q63)
- NBFCs in India (Q64)
- Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) – NITI Aayog (Q65)
Trend Observation: Economy questions are increasingly fintech and digital economy oriented. Traditional macro topics (fiscal policy, banking) coexist with newer themes (blockchain, tokenization, CBDC). Committee-matching questions are standard.
5. Current Affairs / General Awareness (Questions ~43–50, 85–100) — Approx. 20 Questions
National Current Affairs
- DHRUV64 chip – DIR-V Programme, microprocessor (Q44)
- Bureau of Indian Standards – IS 19445:2025 bomb disposal (Q45)
- Grand Slam Tennis Tournaments – governance, wild cards (Q47)
- Bharat Forecast System – indigenous weather model (Q49)
- Film ‘Boong’ – BAFTA award (Q50)
- Semiconductor plants in India and locations (Q48)
- Mission Sudarshan Chakra – air and missile defence (Q85)
- Zero FIR under BNSS 2023 (Q87)
- River bridges connecting India with neighbours (Q86)
International Current Affairs
- Germany Chancellor visit to India January 2026 – outcomes (Q43)
- AI Impact Summit 2026, New Delhi (Q90)
- India-ASEAN connectivity projects (Q91)
- India-supported projects matched with countries (Q92)
- Defence hardware manufactured in India – Su-30 MKI, T-90 (Q93)
- Colombo Process, Abu Dhabi Dialogue, Global Forum for Migration (Q94)
- UN organisations awarded Nobel Prize twice (Q95)
- UN Peacekeeping Operations matched with periods (Q96)
- BIMSTEC centres matched with locations (Q97)
- Indian Army Corps matched with headquarters (Q98)
- European Union member countries (Q100)
- Revamped RGSA – Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (Q99)
- International conventions not ratified by India (Q89)
Nobel Prize 2025
- John Clarke – Nobel Prize 2025, born in UK, professor in American university (Q46)
Trend Observation: Current affairs now span Jan 2025 – early 2026, reflecting UPSC’s updated relevance window. International organisations, India’s bilateral diplomacy, and defence are consistently tested.
6. Polity & Governance (Questions ~76–88) — Approx. 13 Questions
- Principle of public administration – Accountability (Q76)
- Conflict resolution in multi-ethnic districts (Q77)
- Civil service ethics – transparency vs departmental loyalty (Q78)
- Article 13 – meaning of ‘law’ in Constitution (Q79)
- Constitutional provisions – Articles and facts (Q80)
- Persons with Disabilities – RPwD Act, Sugamya Bharat (Q81)
- Scheduled Castes/Tribes provisions – Fifth/Sixth Schedule (Q82)
- Parliamentary questions – starred, unstarred (Q83)
- Committee on Welfare of SC/ST in Parliament (Q84)
- Organisations under Government of India – CEIB, SFIO, CBI (Q88)
- NIRANTAR platform – Ministry of Environment (Q42)
- INTERPOL Notices – Silver, Blue, Black, Green (Q41)
Trend Observation: Ethics and integrity-based case studies (Q76–78) are a consistent feature, testing application of governance principles rather than rote knowledge. Constitutional provisions and parliamentary procedures remain core.
Key Thematic Trends – 2026 Paper
Emerging/New Areas
- Fintech and Digital Economy (blockchain, CBDC, ONDC, tokenization)
- Artificial Intelligence and LLMs
- Quantum Computing (NQM)
- Drone technology and counter-drone systems
- Green Hydrogen
- Space privatisation (IN-SPACe, Agnikul, Skyroot)
- Genomics (GenomeIndia)
- Stealth technology
Consistently Tested Areas
- Ancient Indian History – art, architecture, literature
- Environment & Ecology – endemic species, protected areas, climate policy
- Indian Geography – physical, economic, human
- Polity – Constitution, Parliament, governance
- Economy – banking, monetary policy, fiscal policy
- International Relations – bilateral, multilateral, UN bodies
Northeast India Focus (Assam-specific relevance)
- Amur Falcons at Doyang Lake, Nagaland (Q37)
- Eri Silk – Oeko-Tex certification (Q39)
- Foxtail Orchid – State flower of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh (Q26)
- Moidams – Tai-Ahom UNESCO World Heritage Site (Q27)
- Tata Semiconductor Assembly in Assam (Q48)
- ICFRE-ICIMOD Transboundary REDD+ in Northeast Himalayas (Q30)
- TEZPUR CORPS
- SC ST SCHEDULE
- GIBBON
- ASEAN
Question Format Analysis
| Format | Approximate Count |
| Statement-based (which is/are correct) | 55–60 |
| Assertion-Reasoning | 6–8 |
| Matching Lists (List I & List II) | 6–7 |
| Direct single-answer factual | 10–12 |
| Case study / Ethics scenarios | 3–4 |
| Identify the subject (river, person, project) | 3–4 |
Difficulty Assessment
| Section | Difficulty |
| Ancient History | Moderate to Hard |
| Modern History | Moderate |
| Geography | Moderate |
| Environment | Moderate to Hard |
| Science & Technology | Hard (emerging tech) |
| Economy | Moderate to Hard |
| Polity | Moderate |
| Current Affairs | Hard (very recent events up to early 2026) |
Overall Paper Difficulty: Moderate-Hard
Key Takeaways for Preparation
- Current affairs window now extends to at least January–February of exam year (Q43 references January 2026 events).
- Technology topics (AI, quantum, space, drones) require dedicated study beyond standard GS books.
- Northeast India geography, culture, and biodiversity deserve focused attention.
- Ethics case studies test application of principles, not definitions alone.
- Environment questions increasingly blend static ecology with current policy (REDD+, NCMM, LT-LEDS).
- Matching and statement-based questions dominate – elimination strategy is critical.
- International organisations and India’s foreign policy engagements need regular updating.
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