Q: With reference to India, the terms ‘Halbi, Ho and Kui’ pertain to
(a)dance forms of Northwest India
(b)musical instruments
(c)pre-historic cave paintings
(d)tribal languages
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Music — UPSC Prelims Previous Year Questions
15 questions from UPSC CSE Prelims GS Paper 1 on Music (Art & Culture). Spanning from 1999 to 2021. Practice with show/hide answers and detailed explanations.
15
Questions
13
Years
7
Easy
6
Moderate
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Year-wise Distribution
What UPSC Asks About Music
Based on 15 questions across 13 years, UPSC has consistently tested aspirants' understanding of Music within the broader Art & Culture syllabus. The questions range from factual recall to application-based analysis.
Recent trends show UPSC moving towards statement-based questions that combine multiple aspects of Music. Aspirants should focus on understanding concepts rather than memorizing isolated facts.
Related Art & Culture Sub-topics
All Music Questions
Q: With reference to Mian Tansen, which one of the following statements is not correct?
(a)Tansen was the title given to him by Emperor Akbar.
(b)Tansen composed Dhrupads on Hindu gods and goddesses.
(c)Tansen composed songs on his patrons.
(d)Tansen invented many Ragas.
Q: Who among the following Mughal Emperors shifted emphasis from illustrated manuscripts to album and individual portrait?
(a)Humayun
(b)Akbar
(c)Jahangir
(d)Shah Jahan
Q: With reference to cultural history of India, consider the following statements: 1. Most of the Tyagaraja Kritis are devotional songs in praise of Lord Krishna. 2. Tyagaraja created several new ragas. 3. Annamacharya and Tyagaraja are contemporaries. 4. Annamacharya kirtanas are devotional songs in praise of Lord Venkateswara. Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a)1 and 3 only
(b)2 and 4 only
(c)1, 2 and 3
(d)2, 3 and 4
Q: The term 'Digital Single Market Strategy' seen in the news refers to
(a)ASEAN
(b)BRICS
(c)EU
(d)G20
Q: A community of people called Manganiyars is well-known for their
(a)martial arts in North-East India
(b)musical tradition in North-West India
(c)classical vocal music in South India
(d)pietra dura tradition in Central India
Q: With reference to Dhrupad, one of the major traditions of India that has been kept alive for centuries, which of the following statements are correct?
(a)1 only
(b)2 only
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor 2
Q: The brothers Umakant and Ramakant Gundecha are
(a)Dhrupad vocalists
(b)Kathak dancers
(c)Sarod maestros
(d)Tabla players
Q: Who among the following is a Hindustani classical singer?
(a)Geeta Chandran
(b)Leela Samson
(c)Gangubai Hangal
(d)Swapnasundari
Q: Whose autobiography is the book “My Music, My Life”?
(a)Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma
(b)Ustad Amjad Ali Khan
(c)Pandit Ravi Shankar
(d)Ustad Zakir Hussain
Q: Who among the following is well known as an exponent of flute?
(a)Debu Choudhri
(b)Madhup Mudgal
(c)Ronu Mazumdar
(d)Shafaat Ahmad
Q: Consider the following statement: 1. Kitab-I-Nauras, a collection of songs in praise of Hindu deities and Muslim saints, was written by Ibrahim Adil Shah II 2. Amir Khusrau was the originator in India of the early form of the musical style known as Qawwali. Which of these statements is/are correct?
(a)Only 1
(b)Only 2
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor 2
Q: The Raga which is sung early in the morning is
(a)Todi
(b)Darbari
(c)Bhopali
(d)Bhimpalasi
Q: Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists: List I (Artist) I. Balamurali Krishna II. Mita Pandit III. Kanyakumari IV. Nikhil Bannerjee List II (Medium of music delivery) A) Hindustani vocal B) Ghatam C) Sitar D) Violin E) Carnatic vocal Codes:
(a)I-E, II-A, III-B, IV-C
(b)I-D, II-C, III-A, IV-E
(c)I-C, II-A, III-E, IV-B
(d)I-E, II-D, III-A, IV-C
Q: Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists: List I I. Pandit Vishnu Digamber Paluskar II. Venkatamahi III. Shyama Shastri IV. Amir Khusru List II A. Introduced the scheme of Raga classification of Indian music B. Proponent of Carnatic music C. Proponent of the Khayal form of Hindustani music D. Wrote the music for the song ‘Vande Mataram’ Codes:
(a)I-D, II-A, III-C, IV-B
(b)I-D, II-A, III-B, IV-C
(c)I-A, II-D, III-C, IV-B
(d)I-A, II-D, III-B, IV-C
Frequently Asked Questions
How many UPSC Prelims questions have been asked from Music?▼
UPSC has asked 15 questions on Music in GS Paper 1 Prelims between 1999 and 2021. This sub-topic falls under Art & Culture.
In which years has UPSC asked about Music?▼
Questions on Music have appeared in UPSC Prelims in the following years: 2021, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2014, 2012, 2009, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2000, 1999. The topic has appeared in 13 out of 31 years.
What is the difficulty level of Music questions in UPSC Prelims?▼
Among 15 questions on Music: 7 are easy, 6 are moderate, and 2 are difficult. Most questions test conceptual understanding of the topic.