UPSC Prelims 2026 · GS Paper I
Question 14: History and Culture
Which of the following statements on the Amaravati Stupa and its relief sculpture is/are correct ?
- 1.It was located in the lower Krishna valley.
- 2.In India, it was next only to the Sanchi Stupa in size.
- 3.The Amaravati school of sculpture made a lasting impact on the later South Indian sculpture, and its products were carried to Sri Lanka and South-east Asia.
Select the answer using the code given below :
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (b).
The Amaravati Stupa stood in the lower Krishna valley in present-day Andhra Pradesh and was decorated with richly carved relief panels in marble-like limestone. It was not second to Sanchi: it was larger, among the biggest stupas in India. The Amaravati school of sculpture influenced later South Indian sculpture, and its products and style travelled to Sri Lanka and South-east Asia through trade and Buddhist contacts. So statements 1 and 3 are correct.
- 1. It was located in the lower Krishna valley.
- 2. The Amaravati stupa was larger than Sanchi, not next to it.
- 3. Its art shaped later South Indian sculpture and travelled to Sri Lanka and South-east Asia.
How you could have got this
- If you were sure statement 2 is not correct, (c) and (d) go: each of them includes 2.
What you needed to know: The Amaravati stupa was larger than Sanchi, not next to it.
The red flag in statement 2 is “only”. In UPSC’s papers, statements with “only” were true 27% of the time (82 statements). A hint, not a rule.
- Then, if you were sure statement 3 is correct, (a) goes: it leaves 3 out.
What you needed to know: Its art shaped later South Indian sculpture and travelled to Sri Lanka and South-east Asia.
Only (b) is left. You didn’t need statement 1.
This follows UPSC’s provisional key; the final key could change it.
Which options go is worked out from UPSC’s key and the options, not by a model.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incomplete: statement 3 is also correct.
- (b) Right: the location and the influence are correct, but the size claim is not.
- (c) Wrong: statement 2 is incorrect, since the stupa was larger than Sanchi.
- (d) Wrong: statement 2 is incorrect.
Only the provisional key (27 May 2026) was found; the final key replaces it when found.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2026, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.