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CDS GK Questions 2026

Static GK carries most of the 100 marks of the CDS General Knowledge paper. Of the 120 questions in the CDS (II) 2026 paper, about 20 were on Indian Polity, about 20 on the History of India, about 15 on Geography and the environment, about 10 on the Indian Economy and about 37 on Physics, Chemistry and Biology, which makes CDS the most science-heavy General Knowledge paper among the major recruitment exams. Polity questions test writs, the NHRC, electoral systems, disqualification of legislators, GST and delimitation. History runs from the Upanishads and the Shunga dynasty to Vijayanagara, temple architecture, the Sylhet referendum and the SNDP Yogam. Geography asks about the atmosphere, earthquakes and tsunamis, Ramsar sites, mangroves and World Heritage sites. Science stays at school level but expects reasoning: a lens problem, a magnetic field direction, molarity versus molality, what cooking soda is, how enzymes act. This page holds GK24's topic-wise GK notes for CDS, written as short facts and tables so that a topic can be revised in one sitting. Read a topic, then solve its previous-year questions and quiz on this site to check what stayed with you.

CDS GK Questions with Answers

Q2321.Science & TechnologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2023, GS Paper IMedium

'Microsatellite DNA' is used in the case of which one of the following?

  1. A.Studying the evolutionary relationships among various species of fauna
  2. B.Stimulating 'stem cells' to transform into diverse functional tissues
  3. C.Promoting clonal propagation of horticultural plants
  4. D.Assessing the efficacy of drugs by conducting series of drug trials in a population
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Studying the evolutionary relationships among various species of fauna

Microsatellites are genetic markers that show how closely related individuals, populations and species are. Microsatellites, also called short tandem repeats (STRs) or simple sequence repeats, are stretches of DNA in which a short motif of one to six bases, such as CA, is repeated many times.

Q2322.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2025, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements with regard to pardoning power of the President of India : I. The exercise of this power by the President can be subjected to limited judicial review. II. The President can exercise this power without the advice of the Central Government. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A.I only
  2. B.II only
  3. C.Both I and II
  4. D.Neither I nor II
Show answer
Correct answer: A. I only

Courts can review a pardon on limited grounds, but the President always acts on the advice of the Union Council of Ministers.

Q2323.General ScienceAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2017, Paper IEasy

Carborundum is used as an abrasive, because it

  1. A.has high thermal conductivity
  2. B.has low coefficient of expansion
  3. C.has high chemical stability
  4. D.is extremely hard
Show answer
Correct answer: D. is extremely hard

Carborundum, or silicon carbide (SiC), is one of the hardest substances known, so it can grind, cut and polish other materials, which is what an abrasive must do.

Q2325.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2020, Paper IHard

A member giving notice of a resolution for removal of Speaker, Lok Sabha should be addressed to the

  1. A.Deputy Speaker, Lok Sabha
  2. B.Secretary General, Lok Sabha
  3. C.Prime Minister
  4. D.President
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Secretary General, Lok Sabha

Under the Rules of Procedure of the Lok Sabha, a member who wants to move a resolution to remove the Speaker must give notice of it in writing to the Secretary General.

Q2327.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2018, Paper IHard

Which of the following statements about Bodhisattas is/are correct? 1. They were perceived as deeply compassionate beings who accumulated merit through their efforts. 2. They made attempt to attain Nibbana. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

Bodhisattas were seen as deeply compassionate beings who gathered merit by their efforts, but they used that merit to help others rather than to attain nibbana for themselves.

Q2328.GeographyAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2019, Paper IEasy

Which one of the following represents the inner planets?

  1. A.Planets between the sun and the earth
  2. B.Planets between the sun and the belt of asteroids
  3. C.Planets near the earth
  4. D.Planets around the sun
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Planets between the sun and the belt of asteroids

The inner planets are the four that orbit the Sun inside the asteroid belt: Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. The asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter divides the solar system into two groups.

Q2329.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2020, Paper IHard

Tamilakam was the name of the ancient Tamil country that included

  1. A.present-day Tamil Nadu as well as parts of Sri Lanka
  2. B.land between present day Tirupati hills and the southernmost tip of peninsula
  3. C.present-day Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra
  4. D.present day Kerala, Telangana and Karnataka
Show answer
Correct answer: B. land between present day Tirupati hills and the southernmost tip of peninsula

Sangam literature describes Tamilakam as the land stretching from the Venkatam hills, around Tirupati, in the north to Kumari, the southern tip of the peninsula.

Q2331.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2019, Paper IMedium

Which one of the following pairs of organization and their founders is NOT correctly matched ?

  1. A.National Liberation Federation : Tej Bahadur Sapru and M. R. Jayakar
  2. B.Jamiat-ul-Ulama-i-Hind : Maulana Mahmud-al Hasan Shaikh-ul-Hind
  3. C.Congress Democratic Party : B. G. Tilak
  4. D.Congress Socialist Party : M. N. Roy
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Congress Socialist Party : M. N. Roy

The Congress Socialist Party was formed in 1934 by Jayaprakash Narayan, Acharya Narendra Dev and Minoo Masani, not by M. N. Roy.

Q2332.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2020, Paper IMedium

Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Parmahansa Mandali was founded in Bengal by Swami Vivekananda 2. Prarthana Samaj was started in Maharashtra with the aim of reforming Hindu religious thought and practice Select the correct answer using the code given below :

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

The Paramahansa Mandali was a Maharashtra body, founded in Bombay, not in Bengal by Swami Vivekananda, while the Prarthana Samaj was indeed a Maharashtra reform movement.

Q2333.GeographyAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2023, Paper IEasy

Which one of the following statements is correct about Spring tides ?

  1. A.High tide is higher than average high tide and Low tide is higher than average low tide.
  2. B.High tide is lower than average high tide and Low tide is higher than average low tide.
  3. C.High tide is higher than average high tide and Low tide is lower than average low tide.
  4. D.High tide is lower than average high tide and Low tide is lower than average low tide.
Show answer
Correct answer: C. High tide is higher than average high tide and Low tide is lower than average low tide.

At spring tide the pulls of the Sun and the Moon add up, so the tidal range is at its greatest.

Q2334.General ScienceAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2025, Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements : 1. Potassium carbonate is a salt of a weak acid and a weak base. 2. Ammonium nitrate is a salt of a strong acid and a weak base. 3. Ammonium acetate is a salt of a weak acid and a weak base. Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. A.1 and 3 only
  2. B.2 and 3 only
  3. C.1 and 2 only
  4. D.1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Correct answer: B. 2 and 3 only

Potassium carbonate comes from a strong base and a weak acid, so statement 1 is wrong, while statements 2 and 3 are right.

Q2337.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2019, Paper IHard

Who among the following were jailed in the Kanpur Bolshevik conspiracy case in 1924?

  1. A.Muzaffar Ahmad, S. A. Dange, Shaukat Usmani, Nalini Gupta
  2. B.Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Usmani
  3. C.S. A. Dange and S. V. Ghate
  4. D.Muzaffar Ahmad and S. S. Mirajkar
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Muzaffar Ahmad, S. A. Dange, Shaukat Usmani, Nalini Gupta

These four early communists were convicted in the Cawnpore (Kanpur) Bolshevik Conspiracy Case of 1924 and sentenced to four years in jail.

Q2338.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2020, Paper IMedium

Which one of the following statements about the Harappan script is NOT correct ?

  1. A.It has about four hundred signs
  2. B.It was written from right to left
  3. C.It has been found on bone rods and jewellery
  4. D.It refers to the people of Meluhha
Show answer
Correct answer: D. It refers to the people of Meluhha

The Harappan script has never been deciphered, so no one can say what it refers to; the name Meluhha comes from Mesopotamian texts, not from Harappan writing.