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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

Q2541.Static GKAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2024, GS Paper IEasy

Operations undertaken by the Army towards upliftment of the local population in remote areas to include addressing of their basic needs is called :

  1. A.Operation Sankalp
  2. B.Operation Maitri
  3. C.Operation Sadbhavana
  4. D.Operation Madad
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Operation Sadbhavana

Sadbhavana, meaning goodwill, is the Indian Army's civic action programme for people in remote and troubled areas. It began in the late 1990s in Jammu and Kashmir and was later taken to Ladakh and the North-East.

Q2542.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2025, GS Paper IEasy

Consider the following pairs : Country — Resource-rich in I. Botswana — Diamond II. Chile — Lithium III. Indonesia — Nickel In how many of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?

  1. A.Only one
  2. B.Only two
  3. C.All the three
  4. D.None
Show answer
Correct answer: C. All the three

Botswana is rich in diamonds, Chile in lithium and Indonesia in nickel. Botswana is one of the world's leading producers of diamonds by value; the Jwaneng and Orapa mines, run with De Beers, turned it from one of the poorest countries at independence in 1966 into a middle-income one.

Q2543.Art & CultureAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2018, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following pairs : Craft — Heritage of 1. Puthukkuli shawls — Tamil Nadu 2. Sujni embroidery — Maharashtra 3. Uppada Jamdani saris — Karnataka Which of the pairs given above is/are correct ?

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

Puthukkuli shawls come from Tamil Nadu, but Sujni embroidery belongs to Bihar and Uppada Jamdani saris to Andhra Pradesh.

Q2544.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2020, GS Paper IEasy

Consider the following statements : 1. Coal ash contains arsenic, lead and mercury. 2. Coal-fired power plants release sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen into the environment. 3. High ash content is observed in Indian coal. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

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

All three statements about coal, its ash and its emissions are correct. When coal burns in a power station, the leftover fly ash and bottom ash carry toxic heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium and chromium, which can leach into groundwater from ash ponds.

Q2545.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IEasy

"Leaf litter decomposes faster than in any other biome and as a result the soil surface is often almost bare. Apart from trees, the vegetation is largely composed of plant forms that reach up into the canopy vicariously, by climbing the trees or growing as epiphytes, rooted on the upper branches of trees." This is the most likely description of

  1. A.coniferous forest
  2. B.dry deciduous forest
  3. C.mangrove forest
  4. D.tropical rain forest
Show answer
Correct answer: D. tropical rain forest

Constant heat and heavy rain make decomposition fastest there, and climbers and epiphytes are its typical plant forms. Tropical rain forests lie near the equator, in the Amazon, the Congo basin and South-East Asia, with temperatures around 27°C and rain in every month.

Q2546.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IHard

With reference to Indian history, consider the following texts : 1. Nettipakarana 2. Parishishtaparvan 3. Avadanashataka 4. Trishashtilakshana Mahapurana Which of the above are Jaina texts ?

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

Parishishtaparvan and Trishashtilakshana Mahapurana are Jaina works, while Nettipakarana and Avadanashataka are Buddhist.

Q2547.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2023, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements : 1. In a seismograph, P waves are recorded earlier than S waves. 2. In P waves, the individual particles vibrate to and fro in the direction of wave propagation whereas in S waves, the particles vibrate up and down at right angles to the direction of wave propagation. 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
Correct answer: C. Both 1 and 2

P waves are the fastest seismic waves and reach a seismograph first, and they move particles along the direction of travel, while S waves move them at right angles to it.

Q2548.Static GKAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2024, GS Paper IMedium

What are the duties of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as Head of the Department of Military Affairs? 1. Permanent Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee 2. Exercise military command over the three Service Chiefs 3. Principal Military Advisor to Defence Minister on all tri-service matters Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

The Chief of Defence Staff is the permanent chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and the principal military adviser to the Defence Minister, but does not command the three Service Chiefs.

Q2549.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2025, GS Paper IEasy

Who among the following was the founder of the 'Self-Respect Movement'?

  1. A.'Periyar' E. V. Ramaswamy Naicker
  2. B.Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
  3. C.Bhaskarrao Jadhav
  4. D.Dinkarrao Javalkar
Show answer
Correct answer: A. 'Periyar' E. V. Ramaswamy Naicker

Periyar launched the Self-Respect Movement in the Madras Presidency in 1925 to fight caste discrimination and Brahmin dominance. Periyar had left the Congress after he felt it did little for non-Brahmins.

Q2550.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IEasy

Mediterranean Sea is a border of which of the following countries ? 1. Jordan 2. Iraq 3. Lebanon 4. Syria Select the correct answer using the code given below :

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

Lebanon and Syria have coastlines on the eastern Mediterranean; Jordan and Iraq do not. The eastern shore of the Mediterranean, called the Levant coast, runs from Turkey in the north through Syria, Lebanon and Israel to the Gaza Strip and Egypt.

Q2551.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2018, GS Paper IMedium

If the President of India exercises his power as provided under Article 356 of the Constitution in respect of a particular State, then

  1. A.the Assembly of the State is automatically dissolved.
  2. B.the powers of the Legislature of that State shall be exercisable by or under the authority of the Parliament.
  3. C.Article 19 is suspended in that State.
  4. D.the President can make laws relating to that State.
Show answer
Correct answer: B. the powers of the Legislature of that State shall be exercisable by or under the authority of the Parliament.

Under President's Rule, Article 356(1)(b) lets the President declare that the powers of the State Legislature shall be exercisable by or under the authority of Parliament.

Q2552.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2020, GS Paper IMedium

Which of the following Protected Areas are located in Cauvery basin? 1. Nagarhole National Park 2. Papikonda National Park 3. Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve 4. Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

Nagarhole, Sathyamangalam and Wayanad all drain into the Cauvery system, while Papikonda lies on the Godavari. Nagarhole National Park in Karnataka is bounded by the Kabini river, a major tributary of the Cauvery.

Q2553.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to the proposals of Cripps Mission, consider the following statements : 1. The Constituent Assembly would have members nominated by the Provincial Assemblies as well as the Princely States. 2. Any Province, which is not prepared to accept the new Constitution would have the right to sign a separate agreement with Britain regarding its future status. 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
Correct answer: B. 2 only

The Cripps proposals let any province stay out of the new Union and deal with Britain separately, but the provincial members of the Constituent Assembly were to be elected, not nominated.

Q2555.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2026, GS Paper IEasy

Which of the following countries are members of the European Union? 1. Belarus 2. Poland 3. Germany 4. Switzerland Select the answer using the code given below :

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

Poland and Germany are members of the European Union, while Belarus and Switzerland are not. Germany is one of the six founding members of the European Communities set up in the 1950s, which grew into the EU under the Maastricht Treaty of 1993.

Q2557.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2018, Paper IEasy

Which one of the following is the correct combination of languages included in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India?

  1. A.Nepali, Konkani, Tulu and Santhali
  2. B.Santhali, Urdu, Konkani and Maithili
  3. C.Santhali, Konkani, Bhojpuri and Urdu
  4. D.Dogri, Konkani, Bhojpuri and Urdu
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Santhali, Urdu, Konkani and Maithili

All four are among the 22 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule. The Eighth Schedule began with 14 languages in 1950, Urdu among them.

Q2559.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2018, Paper IMedium

Over which of the following, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha held joint sittings to resolve their differences? 1. The Dowry Prohibition Bill, 1959 2. The Banking Service Commission (Repeal) Bill, 1978 3. The Prevention of Terrorism Bill, 2002 4. The Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

Only three joint sittings have been held since 1950, and they were on exactly these three bills.

Q2560.GeographyAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2020, Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements: 1. River Kaveri has well developed valley 2. Valley of River Alakananda is still growing 3. River Krishna is largest east flowing peninsular river Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

The Kaveri is an old peninsular river with a mature valley, and the Alaknanda is a young Himalayan river still cutting its valley, but the largest east-flowing peninsular river is the Godavari, not the Krishna.