UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Are traditional parties unable to understand the grammar of Gen Z politics?

Q1. India's flagship programme for voter education and enrolment, launched in 2009 with an explicit focus on overcoming the 'youth disconnect' from the electoral process, is operationalised by which one of the following?

  • A. The Election Commission of India, through its Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme
  • B. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, through the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan and its district youth coordinators
  • C. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, through the National e-Governance Division and Digital India cells
  • D. The Ministry of Education, through the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan and institutional electoral literacy clubs

Q2. On 2026 population projections, which one of the following larger States has the highest share of voters in the 18-29 years age group in its electorate?

  • A. Rajasthan, where this age group accounts for a little under a third of eligible voters
  • B. Jharkhand, where this age group accounts for a little over a third of eligible voters
  • C. Uttar Pradesh, where this age group accounts for a little over a third of eligible voters
  • D. Bihar, where this age group accounts for over a third of eligible voters

Q3. With reference to the 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election and its aftermath, consider the following: 1. The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly. 2. The DMK won 59 seats and the AIADMK 47 seats. 3. C. Joseph Vijay was sworn in as the 21st Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on 10 May 2026. 4. The TVK's margin over the DMK was 3.52 percentage points, amounting to 17.43 lakh votes. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly.
  2. The DMK won 59 seats and the AIADMK 47 seats.
  3. C. Joseph Vijay was sworn in as the 21st Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on 10 May 2026.
  4. The TVK's margin over the DMK was 3.52 percentage points, amounting to 17.43 lakh votes.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2, 3 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q4. Consider the following statements comparing the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam's 2026 performance with the preceding pattern of Tamil Nadu politics: 1. The TVK's win ended a 59-year period in which power in the State had alternated only between the DMK and the AIADMK. 2. Contesting its first-ever Assembly election, the TVK polled about 35 per cent of the popular vote. 3. Unlike the cadre-based mobilisation of the Dravidian majors, the TVK campaign rested mainly on social-media-native outreach, and the results were declared on 4 April 2026. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The TVK's win ended a 59-year period in which power in the State had alternated only between the DMK and the AIADMK.
  2. Contesting its first-ever Assembly election, the TVK polled about 35 per cent of the popular vote.
  3. Unlike the cadre-based mobilisation of the Dravidian majors, the TVK campaign rested mainly on social-media-native outreach, and the results were declared on 4 April 2026.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q5. The amendment Bill taken up by the Lok Sabha in July 2026, following the youth agitation over the leaked entrance-examination paper, sought to amend which one of the following laws?

  • A. The University Grants Commission Act, 1956, which governs the maintenance of standards in higher education
  • B. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, which governs school-level entitlements
  • C. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which contains the general penal provisions on cheating and forgery
  • D. The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which penalises organised malpractice in recruitment and entrance tests

Q6. Consider the following statements about the 2026 youth agitation in India and the 2025 Gen Z protests in Nepal: 1. The Nepalese protests of September 2025 were set off by a government ban on social media platforms and culminated in the resignation of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli. 2. The Indian agitation of 2026 was set off by the leak of a medical entrance examination paper and culminated in the resignation of the Union Minister of Education. 3. In both instances the agitation forced the resignation of the head of government, though only in Nepal was the trigger a digital-policy decision. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Nepalese protests of September 2025 were set off by a government ban on social media platforms and culminated in the resignation of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli.
  2. The Indian agitation of 2026 was set off by the leak of a medical entrance examination paper and culminated in the resignation of the Union Minister of Education.
  3. In both instances the agitation forced the resignation of the head of government, though only in Nepal was the trigger a digital-policy decision.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q7. In the Lok Sabha debate of July 2026 on the anti-paper-leak amendment Bill, a Shiv Sena member said the Opposition had been 'MIA' for the first 37 days of the students' agitation. In that specific usage, the charge was that the Opposition had —

  • A. stayed away from the protest site at Jantar Mantar for that period
  • B. remained absent from the House when the Bill was taken up for consideration
  • C. opposed the original 2024 anti-paper-leak law when it was passed
  • D. raised the issue only online, without any street mobilisation at all

Q8. With reference to the legislation debated in the Lok Sabha in July 2026 during which Gen Z expressions were used on the floor of the House, consider the following: 1. The Bill raises the period of debarment of an errant service provider from four years to eight years. 2. The parent Act covers examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission, the Staff Selection Commission, the National Testing Agency and the State Public Service Commissions. 3. Under the parent Act, an offence by a service provider is punishable with a fine of up to one crore rupees, besides recovery of a proportionate cost of the examination. 4. The expressions 'MIA', 'FOMO' and 'delulu' were used in that debate by a Shiv Sena member to characterise the Opposition's conduct. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. The Bill raises the period of debarment of an errant service provider from four years to eight years.
  2. The parent Act covers examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission, the Staff Selection Commission, the National Testing Agency and the State Public Service Commissions.
  3. Under the parent Act, an offence by a service provider is punishable with a fine of up to one crore rupees, besides recovery of a proportionate cost of the examination.
  4. The expressions 'MIA', 'FOMO' and 'delulu' were used in that debate by a Shiv Sena member to characterise the Opposition's conduct.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 3 and 4
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q9. Consider the following statements about the youth organisations of Indian political parties: 1. The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, the youth wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party, was founded in 1980. 2. The Indian Youth Congress, the youth wing of the Indian National Congress, was founded on 9 August 1960. 3. The Yuva Sena is the youth wing of the Shiv Sena, and Aditya Thackeray was made its president in 2010. 4. Kalraj Mishra was the first national president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, the youth wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party, was founded in 1980.
  2. The Indian Youth Congress, the youth wing of the Indian National Congress, was founded on 9 August 1960.
  3. The Yuva Sena is the youth wing of the Shiv Sena, and Aditya Thackeray was made its president in 2010.
  4. Kalraj Mishra was the first national president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 2, 3 and 4
  • C. 1 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q10. Consider the following pairs of organisation and parent party: Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha - Bharatiya Janata Party; Indian Youth Congress - Indian National Congress; Yuva Sena - Shiv Sena; All India Students' Federation - Indian National Congress. In how many of the above pairs is the organisation correctly matched with its parent party?

  • A. Only one pair
  • B. Only two pairs
  • C. Only three pairs
  • D. All four pairs

Q11. Consider the following statements about the regulation of digital campaigning in the 2026 Indian elections as compared with the handling of ordinary campaign content: 1. Political parties, candidates and star campaigners have been advised to prominently label synthetic material as 'AI-Generated', 'Digitally Enhanced' or 'Synthetic Content' and to disclose the originating entity. 2. Misleading or unlawful AI-generated or manipulated content is to be acted upon by social media platforms within 24 hours of being brought to their notice. 3. Complaints filed on the cVIGIL module of ECINET are worked against a resolution target of 100 minutes, and over 96 per cent of those filed between 15 March and 19 April 2026 met it. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Political parties, candidates and star campaigners have been advised to prominently label synthetic material as 'AI-Generated', 'Digitally Enhanced' or 'Synthetic Content' and to disclose the originating entity.
  2. Misleading or unlawful AI-generated or manipulated content is to be acted upon by social media platforms within 24 hours of being brought to their notice.
  3. Complaints filed on the cVIGIL module of ECINET are worked against a resolution target of 100 minutes, and over 96 per cent of those filed between 15 March and 19 April 2026 met it.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q12. M.G. Ramachandran was the first actor of South Indian cinema to win the National Film Award for Best Actor. For his performance in which one of the following films was it conferred?

  • A. Sathi Leelavathi, the 1936 film in which he made his screen debut
  • B. Rajakumari, the 1947 film that gave him his first role as lead actor
  • C. Nadodi Mannan, the 1958 film he produced and directed himself
  • D. Rickshawkaran, the 1972 film in which he played a cycle-rickshaw puller