Q81 · UPSC Prelims 2026 · Set A · Current Affairs and GK

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X', born in the UK, was conferred the Nobel Prize in 2025. He was a professor in an American university when this prize was announced. Identify 'X':

Page facts
Exam
Union Public Service Commission — Civil Services Examination (UPSC)
Board
UPSC
Stage
Prelims
Year
2026
Paper
UPSC Prelims — Prelims General Studies Paper I (General Studies)
Booklet
Set A
Question
Q81
Topic
Current Affairs and GK
Syllabus
Current events, government schemes, miscellaneous GK — Prelims GS Paper I.
A Michel H. Devoret
B Richard Robson
C John Clarke
D Joel Mokyr

Correct answer: (c) John Clarke

Explanation

  1. A

    Michel H. Devoret

    Michel H. Devoret is a French-American physicist known for his pioneering work in superconducting circuits and quantum information, but he is not the individual identified in this context.

  2. B

    Richard Robson

    Richard Robson is a British-born Australian chemist renowned for his work in coordination polymers and metal-organic frameworks, but he did not receive this specific recognition.

  3. C

    John Clarke

    John Clarke. Born in the UK and serving as a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2025 for his contributions to macroscopic quantum coherence and Josephson junctions.

  4. D

    Joel Mokyr

    Joel Mokyr is a prominent British-American economic historian known for his research on the Industrial Revolution and technological progress, not a laureate of this prize.

Summary. Official key is (c). John Clarke, a UK-born professor at an American university, was conferred the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2025, while the distractors represent other prominent contemporary scientists or historians.

Same topic · past papers

UPSC has asked this before

These previous-year questions sit on the same topic. Open one to practise the earlier ask.

  1. 2026 · Q70 · General Studies · 2 marks

    Consider the following UN organisations/agencies: 1. World Food Programme 2. United Nations Children's Fund 3. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 4. International Labour Organisation How many of the above has/have been awarded the Nobel Prize twice?

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