Indian Philosophy MCQs for UPSC Prelims

48 practice questions on Indian Philosophy from the Art & Culture section of the UPSC Prelims syllabus. 48 come with a written explanation and 7 are actual previous year questions. Try the sample set below - the answer stays hidden until you ask for it.

3 Easy 20 Medium 25 Hard 7 from past papers

Sample questions

Q1
Previous year question easy

The national motto of India, ‘Satyameva Jayate’ inscribed below the Emblem of India is taken from

  1. A Katha Upanishad
  2. B Chandagya Upanishad
  3. C Aitareya Upanishad
  4. D Mundaka Upanishad
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D - Mundaka Upanishad

The national motto 'Satyameva Jayate' is taken from the Mundaka Upanishad. It does not originate in the Katha, Chandogya or Aitareya Upanishads. Hence Mundaka Upanishad.

Q2
Previous year question medium

Which one of the following describes best the concept of Nirvana in Buddhism?

  1. A The extinction of the flame of desire
  2. B The complete annihilation of self
  3. C A state of bliss and rest
  4. D A mental stage beyond all comprehension
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - The extinction of the flame of desire

In Buddhism, nirvana literally means blowing out or extinguishing, and the Buddha used it to mean the extinction of craving, desire and the fires of attachment, hatred and delusion that bind one to the cycle of rebirth, so option (a) is correct. Option (b) is wrong because Buddhism rejects the notion of a permanent self (anatta), so there is no self to annihilate. Option (c) describes a pleasant emotional state rather than the cessation of desire and the end of suffering that nirvana denotes. Option (d) is a vague mystical phrasing that does not capture the specific doctrinal meaning of extinguishing desire.

Q3
Previous year question medium

Which one of the following pairs does not form part of the six systems of Indian Philosophy?

  1. A Mimamsa and Vedanta
  2. B Nyaya and Vaisheshika
  3. C Lokayata and Kapalika
  4. D Sankhya and Yoga
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C - Lokayata and Kapalika

The six orthodox (astika) systems of Indian philosophy are Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Sankhya, Yoga, Mimamsa and Vedanta, so the pairs in options (a), (b) and (d) are all part of the six. Lokayata (Charvaka) and Kapalika are heterodox/non-orthodox traditions and do not belong to the six systems, so option (c) does not form part of them. Hence Lokayata and Kapalika.

Q4
Previous year question hard

With reference to the history of philosophical thought in India, consider the following statements regarding Sankhya school: 1. Sankhya does not accept the theory of rebirth or transmigration of soul. 2. Sankhya holds that it is the self-knowledge that leads to liberation and not any exterior influence or agent. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A 1 only
  2. B 2 only
  3. C Both 1 and 2
  4. D Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - 2 only

Sankhya is one of the orthodox schools and it does accept rebirth and the transmigration of the soul within the cycle of bondage, so statement 1 is wrong. It teaches that liberation (kaivalya) is achieved through correct discriminative knowledge distinguishing Purusha (consciousness) from Prakriti (matter), that is, through self-knowledge rather than any external agent or deity, so statement 2 is correct and option (b) is the answer. Because statement 1 is false, options (a), (c) and (d) are eliminated.

Q5
Previous year question medium

With reference to the cultural history of India, which one of the following is the correct description of the term 'paramitas'?

  1. A The earliest Dharmashastra texts written in aphoristic (sutra) style
  2. B Philosophical schools that did not accept the authority of Vedas
  3. C Perfections whose attainment led to the Bodhisattva path
  4. D Powerful merchant guilds of early medieval South India
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C - Perfections whose attainment led to the Bodhisattva path

In Mahayana Buddhism, the paramitas are the perfections - such as generosity, morality, patience, energy, meditation and wisdom - that a practitioner must cultivate to advance along the Bodhisattva path toward Buddhahood. The earliest aphoristic Dharmashastra texts are the Dharmasutras, an entirely different Brahmanical genre. Schools that rejected Vedic authority are the heterodox or nastika systems like Buddhism, Jainism and Charvaka as a category, not 'paramitas'. The powerful merchant guilds of early medieval South India were bodies like the Manigramam and Ayyavole, which have no connection with this Buddhist term.

Q6
Previous year question medium

The "dharma" and "rita" depict a central idea of ancient Vedic civilization of India. In this context, consider the following statements: 1. Dharma was a conception of obligations and of the discharge of one's duties to oneself and to others. 2. Rita was the fundamental moral law governing the functioning of the universe and all it contained. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A 1 only
  2. B 2 only
  3. C Both 1 and 2
  4. D Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C - Both 1 and 2

Correct answer (c) Both 1 and 2. In Vedic thought, dharma denoted one's obligations and the proper discharge of duties to oneself and to others, so statement 1 is correct, while rita was the cosmic order, the fundamental principle governing the regular functioning of the universe and everything within it, so statement 2 is correct. Both definitions accurately render these core Vedic ideas, so options (a), (b) and (d) are incorrect.

Q7
Previous year question medium

The Jain philosophy holds that the world is created and maintained by

  1. A Universal Law
  2. B Universal Truth
  3. C Universal Faith
  4. D Universal Soul
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - Universal Law

Correct answer (a) Universal Law. Jainism is non-theistic: it holds that the universe is eternal and uncreated, neither made nor destroyed by any supreme deity, and that it functions eternally according to universal natural law. Hence the world is maintained by Universal Law rather than by a Universal Truth, Faith or Soul, so (b), (c) and (d) are incorrect.

Q8
hard

Consider the following statements about the Charvaka (Lokayata) school of Indian philosophy: 1. It accepted only perception (pratyaksha) as a valid means of knowledge. 2. It denied the existence of the soul independent of the body. 3. It is classified among the orthodox (astika) schools because it accepts the authority of the Vedas. How many of the statements given above are correct?

  1. A Only one
  2. B Only two
  3. C All three
  4. D None
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - Only two

Charvaka admitted only perception as a pramana, rejecting inference and testimony, so statement 1 is correct. It held that consciousness is a product of the material body and denied a separate soul, so statement 2 is correct. However, Charvaka is a heterodox (nastika) school precisely because it rejects Vedic authority, so statement 3 is wrong. Two statements are correct.

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