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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

Q2621.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2020, Paper IMedium

On which one of the following conditions, did the Marathas agree to serve the Mughal king with a cavalry contingent of 15,000 in the early 18th century?

  1. A.Grant of the jagir of Malwa province
  2. B.Control of the resources of Gujarat
  3. C.The right to levy chauth and sardeshmukhi in the Deccan and South India
  4. D.The right to mint coins in their own name
Show answer
Correct answer: C. The right to levy chauth and sardeshmukhi in the Deccan and South India

This was the heart of the 1719 agreement between Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath and the Mughal court. In 1718 Balaji Vishwanath, the first great Peshwa of Shahu, made a deal with the Sayyid brothers, the king-makers at Delhi.

Q2622.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2023, Paper IHard

Which of the following is/are not correct about the Mother's Absolute Affection Programme?

1. Allows all pregnant women to absolutely free and no-expense delivery in public health institutions.

2. Provides assured, comprehensive and quality antenatal care.

3. Promotes undiluted focus on breastfeeding.

4. Provides medical and nutritional care to severely acute malnourished children.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

The MAA (Mothers' Absolute Affection) programme is only about breastfeeding, so statement 3 is the one correct statement and 1, 2 and 4 are not.

Q2624.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2026, Paper IMedium

Which one of the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) talks about protecting and restoring terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably managing forests, combating desertification, halting and reversing land degradation and stopping biodiversity loss?

  1. A.SDG 5
  2. B.SDG 13
  3. C.SDG 15
  4. D.SDG 16
Show answer
Correct answer: C. SDG 15

SDG 15, "Life on Land", covers terrestrial ecosystems, forests, desertification, land degradation and biodiversity loss. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by the UN General Assembly in September 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda, replacing the eight Millennium Development Goals.

Q2625.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2017, Paper IMedium

Which one of the following statements about land tenure system is NOT correct?

  1. A.During the British rule in India three categories of land tenure system, viz. Zamindari, Mahalwari and Ryotwari were introduced
  2. B.Under Zamindari system, land was held by one person or at the most by a few joint owners who were responsible for the payment of land revenue
  3. C.Under the Mahalwari system, the agricultural lands belonged to the Government
  4. D.Under Ryotwari system, the individual holders had the permanent rights over land and were directly responsible for payment of land revenue
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Under the Mahalwari system, the agricultural lands belonged to the Government

Under the Mahalwari system the land belonged to the village community (the mahal), which was jointly responsible for the revenue; it did not belong to the Government.

Q2626.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2023, Paper IEasy

'Basel Convention', 'Rotterdam Convention' and 'Stockholm Convention' relate to which of the following?

  1. A.Human Rights of Prisoners
  2. B.Management of Pollutants
  3. C.Conservation of Wetlands
  4. D.Conservation of Rivers
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Management of Pollutants

All three treaties deal with hazardous chemicals and wastes, and they share a joint secretariat under UNEP. The Basel Convention (1989) controls the movement of hazardous wastes across borders and their disposal, mainly to stop rich countries dumping waste in poorer ones.

Q2627.Science & TechnologyAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2024, Paper IEasy

"Mission Shakti" (DRDO) is the name given by India to

  1. A.Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile
  2. B.Air-to-Air Missile
  3. C.Anti-Satellite Missile
  4. D.Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarine
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Anti-Satellite Missile

Mission Shakti was India's anti-satellite (ASAT) missile test, carried out by DRDO on 27 March 2019. In the test, a Ballistic Missile Defence interceptor launched from Dr A.P.J.

Q2629.General ScienceAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2026, Paper IMedium

Which one of the following statements about natural selection is not correct?

  1. A.Natural selection can only occur if there is no variation amongst members of the same species.
  2. B.Over time, natural selection can increase the frequency of adaptations that are favourable in a given environment.
  3. C.Species tend to overproduce beyond what the environment can support.
  4. D.Mutation, meiosis and sexual reproduction cause variation between individuals of a species.
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Natural selection can only occur if there is no variation amongst members of the same species.

Natural selection needs variation among members of a species; without variation there is nothing for nature to select, so statement A is the incorrect one.

Q2633.DefenceMedium

Who chaired the curtain raiser press conference of Swavlamban 2026?

  1. A.The Chief of the Naval Staff
  2. B.The Vice Chief of the Naval Staff
  3. C.The Chief of Defence Staff
  4. D.The Defence Secretary
Show answer
Correct answer: B. The Vice Chief of the Naval Staff

He said that the seminar had, since 2022, connected the Navy's operational requirements with the technological strength of Indian industry and academia, and that niche technologies must be developed into systems that can be deployed at sea.

Q2634.DefenceHard

In the context of Swavlamban 2026, what does NAUSETU stand for?

  1. A.National Autonomous Underwater Systems and Tactical Utility
  2. B.Naval Unified Systems, Ethernet and Tactical Utilisation
  3. C.Naval Undersea Surveillance and Electronic Tracking Unit
  4. D.Naval Upgrade Scheme for Equipment and Technology Users
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Naval Unified Systems, Ethernet and Tactical Utilisation

The NAUSETU Interface Standards will be released at Swavlamban 2026 together with the Swavlamban 5.0 Document and the Compendium on Technology Imperatives.

Q2635.DefenceEasy

Swavlamban 2026, the fifth edition of the Indian Navy's innovation and indigenisation seminar, will be held at which venue?

  1. A.Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi
  2. B.Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi
  3. C.Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi
  4. D.INS Shikra, Mumbai
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi

The fifth edition of Swavlamban, the Navy's annual NIIO seminar on innovation and indigenisation, is scheduled there on 26 and 27 October 2026, as announced at the curtain raiser press conference chaired by Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar, Vice Chief of the Naval Staff.

Q2639.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2021, GKEasy

Milpa and Ladang are different names for

  1. A.shifting cultivation.
  2. B.mixed farming.
  3. C.truck farming.
  4. D.plantation agriculture.
Show answer
Correct answer: A. shifting cultivation.

Milpa is the name for shifting cultivation in Mexico and Central America, and Ladang is its name in Malaysia and Indonesia.

Q2640.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2021, GKMedium

The location of the ancient city of Taxila (Takshshila), mentioned in ancient Indian texts, was identified by

  1. A.Alexander Cunningham
  2. B.R.D. Banerji
  3. C.John Marshall
  4. D.Daya Ram Sahni
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Alexander Cunningham

Alexander Cunningham, the first Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India, identified the site of ancient Taxila near Rawalpindi in the 1860s. Cunningham used the accounts of Greek writers on Alexander's campaign and of the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang to match the city named in Indian texts with the ruins…