UPSC solved previous year questions

UPSC Geography PYQ with Answers

164 solved Geography questions from previous UPSC papers, each with an answer and explanation.

Questions
164
Years covered
2016–2026
Exam years
11
With answers
164

Geography questions by year

UPSC Geography PYQ with Answers

1–20 of 48
  1. Q5 2025 Mains GS1

    Give a geographical explanation of the distribution of off-shore oil reserves of the world. How are they different from the on-shore occurrences of oil reserves? (Answer in 250 words)

    Answer explanation

    Oil accumulates where organic-rich sediments mature in suitable geological basins and hydrocarbons migrate into porous reservoirs sealed by impermeable strata. These conditions occur on land and beneath continental margins.…

    Economic geographyGeographyOffshore and onshore oil reserves
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  2. Q9 2025 Prelims GS

    Consider the following countries: I. Austria II. Bulgaria III. Croatia IV. Serbia V. Sweden VI. North Macedonia. How many of the above are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization?

    1. Only three
    2. Only four✓
    3. Only five
    4. All the six
    Answer explanation

    Only four Among the listed countries, Bulgaria, Croatia, Sweden, and North Macedonia are NATO members. Austria and Serbia are not NATO members (Austria maintains military neutrality; Serbia is not a member).…

    GeographyInternational organizationsNato
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  3. Q12 2025 Prelims GS

    Which of the following are the evidences of the phenomenon of continental drift? I. The belt of ancient rocks from the Brazil coast matches with the ancient rocks of the Western Africa coast. II. The gold deposits of Ghana are derived from the Brazil plateau, when the two continents lay side by side. III. The Gondwana system of sediments from India is known to have its counterparts in six different landmasses of the Southern Hemisphere. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

    1. I and III only
    2. I and II only
    3. I, II and III✓
    4. II and III only
    Answer explanation

    I, II and III All three are classic pieces of evidence cited by Alfred Wegener and later geologists in support of continental drift: matching ancient rock belts across the Atlantic (I), matching gold deposits between Ghana and the…

    Continental driftGeographyGeology
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  4. Q13 2025 Prelims GS

    Consider the following statements: Statement I: The amount of dust particles in the atmosphere is more in the subtropical and temperate regions than in the equatorial and polar regions. Statement II: Subtropical and temperate regions have less dry winds. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

    1. Both Statement I and Statement II are correct and Statement II explains Statement I
    2. Both Statement I and Statement II are correct but Statement II does not explain Statement I
    3. Statement I is correct but Statement II is not correct✓
    4. Statement I is not correct but Statement II is correct
    Answer explanation

    Statement I is correct but Statement II is not correct Subtropical and temperate regions, being drier with more arid/semi-arid tracts, do have a higher concentration of dust particles than the humid equatorial regions or the largely…

    AtmosphereDustGeography
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  5. Q14 2025 Prelims GS

    Consider the following statements: Statement I: In January, in the Northern Hemisphere, the isotherms bend equatorward while crossing the landmasses, whereas poleward while crossing the oceans. Statement II: In January, the air over the oceans is warmer than that over the landmasses in the Northern Hemisphere. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

    1. Both Statement I and Statement II are correct and Statement II explains Statement I
    2. Both Statement I and Statement II are correct but Statement II does not explain Statement I✓
    3. Statement I is correct but Statement II is not correct
    4. Statement I is not correct but Statement II is correct
    Answer explanation

    Both Statement I and Statement II are correct but Statement II does not explain Statement I In January, isotherms indeed bend equatorward over landmasses and poleward over oceans in the Northern Hemisphere because oceans retain heat better…

    ClimatologyGeographyIsotherms
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  6. Q15 2025 Prelims GS

    Consider the following statements: Statement I: In the context of the effect of water on rocks, chalk is known to be a very permeable rock, whereas mudstone (clay) is known to be a quite impermeable or least permeable rock. Statement II: Chalk is porous, hence can absorb water. Statement III: Mudstone (clay) is not at all porous. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

    1. Both Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them explain Statement I
    2. Both Statement II and Statement III are correct but only one of them explains Statement I
    3. Only one of the Statements II and III is correct and that explains Statement I✓
    4. Neither Statement II nor Statement III is correct
    Answer explanation

    Only one of the Statements II and III is correct and that explains Statement I Chalk is a porous rock and readily absorbs water, which explains why it is highly permeable, making Statement II correct and explanatory of Statement I.…

    GeographyGeologyRocks
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  7. Q16 2025 Prelims GS

    Consider the following statements: I. Without the atmosphere, temperature would be well below freezing point everywhere on the Earth's surface. II. Heat absorbed and trapped by the atmosphere maintains our planet's average temperature. III. Atmosphere's gases, like carbon dioxide, are particularly good at absorbing and trapping radiation. Which of the statements given above are correct?

    1. I and III only
    2. I and II only
    3. I, II and III
    4. II and III only✓
    Answer explanation

    II and III only Without the atmosphere and its greenhouse gases, Earth's surface would indeed be far colder (Statement I is broadly true but not the credited combination here), while the atmosphere's heat absorption/trapping maintains…

    AtmosphereGeographyGreenhouse effect
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  8. Q17 2025 Prelims GS

    Consider the following statements: Statement I: Scientific studies suggest that a shift is taking place in the Earth's rotation and axis. Statement II: Solar flares and associated coronal mass ejections have bombarded the Earth's outermost atmosphere with a huge amount of energy. Statement III: As the Earth's polar ice melts, the tendency of water is to move towards the equator. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

    1. Both Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them explain Statement I
    2. Both Statement II and Statement III are correct but only one of them explains Statement I✓
    3. Only one of the Statements II and III is correct and that explains Statement I
    4. Neither Statement II nor Statement III is correct
    Answer explanation

    Both Statement II and Statement III are correct but only one of them explains Statement I Both solar flares/coronal mass ejections impacting the outer atmosphere (Statement II) and the redistribution of meltwater from polar ice towards the…

    Earth's rotationGeographyScience
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  9. Q18 2025 Prelims GS

    Consider the following pairs (State : Description): I. Arunachal Pradesh : The capital is named after a fort, and the State has two National Parks. II. Nagaland : The State came into existence on the basis of a Constitutional Amendment Act. III. Tripura : Initially it was Part 'C' State; it became a centrally-administered territory on the reorganization of States in 1956 and later attained the status of a full-fledged State. How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

    1. Only one
    2. Only two✓
    3. All the three
    4. None
    Answer explanation

    Only two Arunachal Pradesh's capital Itanagar is named after the fort 'Ita Fort', and the state has two national parks (Namdapha and Mouling), making pair I correct.…

    GeographyPolityStates of india
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  10. Q19 2025 Prelims GS

    India, an International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which is one of its founding members. This corridor, a multi-modal transportation corridor, will connect

    1. India to Central Asia to Europe via Iran✓
    2. India to Central Asia via China
    3. India to South-East Asia through Bangladesh and Myanmar
    4. India to Europe through Azerbaijan
    Answer explanation

    India to Central Asia to Europe via Iran The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a multi-modal transport network connecting India to Central Asia and further to Europe (Russia and beyond) via Iran, using sea, rail and…

    GeographyInstcInternational corridors
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  11. Q20 2025 Prelims GS

    Consider the following countries: I. United Kingdom II. Denmark III. New Zealand IV. Australia V. Brazil. How many of the above countries have more than four time zones (Time Zones)?

    1. All the five
    2. Only four
    3. Only three✓
    4. Only two
    Answer explanation

    Only three Countries with overseas territories often span more than four time zones. Among the listed countries, the UK, France-linked territories aside, and notably Australia, and other countries with distant island territories have…

    GeographyTime zones
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