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.
Which one of the following is essential for thyroid gland to make thyroxin?
Thyroxine is an iodine-containing hormone, so the thyroid gland cannot make it without iodine from the diet. The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in the neck.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is the correct combination of organelles and their functions ?
Mitochondria carry out respiration, chloroplasts photosynthesis, ribosomes make proteins and the rough endoplasmic reticulum transports them. Mitochondria are called the powerhouse of the cell because aerobic respiration in them releases energy as ATP.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is the correct order of reactivity of Mg, Al, Zn and Fe with HCl?
This follows the order of these metals in the reactivity series, and hydrochloric acid reacts fastest with the metal highest in it.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following UN organizations has not been awarded the Nobel Prize ?
UNESCO has never won a Nobel Prize, while the other three UN bodies have won the Nobel Peace Prize. Several parts of the United Nations family have received the Nobel Peace Prize.
Read the full explanation →In which one of the following states are the Guntupalle Buddhist Caves located ?
The Guntupalle Buddhist caves lie in the Eluru region of Andhra Pradesh, in the old West Godavari district. Guntupalle is one of the oldest Buddhist sites of the Andhra country, dating back to around the 2nd century BCE.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following statements with respect to the Gender Inequality Index (GII) is/are correct?
1. GII reflects gender-based disadvantage in work participation, property and income dimensions.
2. GII reflects gender-based disadvantage in reproductive health, empowerment and the labour market dimensions.
3. The value of GII ranges from 0 to 1, with a GII of 0 indicating women and men faring equally in all dimensions.
Select the answer using the codes given below :
The GII measures gender gaps in reproductive health, empowerment and the labour market, and its value runs from 0 to 1.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following States :
1. Nagaland 2. Assam 3. Mizoram 4. Tripura
The State of Arunachal Pradesh has common boundary with which of the above States of India ?
Among the four States listed, only Assam and Nagaland touch Arunachal Pradesh. Arunachal Pradesh is the largest State of the North-East by area.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following statements is correct as per the Constitution of India?
Inter-State quarantine is a Union subject, listed with inter-State migration in entry 81 of the Union List. The Seventh Schedule divides legislative subjects into the Union List, the State List and the Concurrent List.
Read the full explanation →Economically, one of the results of the British rule in India in the 19th century was the
British rule pushed Indian farmers to grow crops for sale and export rather than for their own food. Heavy land revenue had to be paid in cash, so peasants turned to cash crops such as indigo, cotton, jute, opium, tea and sugarcane, which fed British industry and trade.
Read the full explanation →With reference to the Constitution of India, prohibitions or limitations or provisions contained in ordinary laws cannot act as prohibitions or limitations on the constitutional powers under Article 142. It could mean which one of the following?
Article 142 empowers the Supreme Court, so the statement means that ordinary laws made by Parliament cannot limit the Court's power under it.
Read the full explanation →With reference to Indian elephants, consider the following statements:
1. The leader of an elephant group is a female.
2. The maximum gestation period can be 22 months.
3. An elephant can normally go on calving till the age of 40 years only.
4. Among the States in India, the highest elephant population is in Kerala.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Elephant herds are led by an old female, and pregnancy can last up to about 22 months; statements 3 and 4 are wrong.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements:
1. In the tropical zone, the western sections of the oceans are warmer than the eastern sections owing to the influence of trade winds.
2. In the temperate zone, westerlies make the eastern sections of oceans warmer than the western sections.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The prevailing winds push warm surface water west in the tropics and east in the middle latitudes. In the tropics the trade winds blow from east to west.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following freedom fighters:
1. Barindra Kumar Ghosh
2. Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee
3. Rash Behari Bose
Who of the above was/were actively associated with the Ghadar Party?
Of the three, only Rash Behari Bose worked actively with the Ghadar Party. The Ghadar Party was founded in 1913 at San Francisco by Indians in North America, with Lala Har Dayal and Sohan Singh Bhakna among its leaders.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: The soil in tropical rain forests is rich in nutrients.
Statement-II: The high temperature and moisture of tropical rain forests cause dead organic matter in the soil to decompose quickly.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Rain forest soils are poor in nutrients, even though dead matter decomposes very fast there. In the hot, wet climate of tropical rain forests, fallen leaves and wood are broken down by fungi, bacteria and insects within weeks.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following statements are correct about the Constitution of India?
1. Powers of the Municipalities are given in Part IX A of the Constitution.
2. Emergency provisions are given in Part XVIII of the Constitution.
3. Provisions related to the amendment of the Constitution are given in Part XX of the Constitution.
Select the answer using the code given below:
All three statements match the Parts of the Constitution correctly. Part IX A, Articles 243P to 243ZG, was added by the 74th Amendment Act, 1992 and deals with the Municipalities, including their powers and functions under Article 243W and the Twelfth Schedule.
Read the full explanation →Subsequent to which one of the following events, Gandhiji, who consistently opposed untouchability and appealed for its eradication from all spheres, decided to include the upliftment of 'Harijans' in his political and social programme?
After the Poona Pact of September 1932, Gandhi made the upliftment of the Harijans a central part of his work.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
(Indian Army Corps : Headquarters)
33 Corps has its headquarters at Sukna near Siliguri in West Bengal, not at Srinagar. 33 Corps, under the Eastern Command, guards Sikkim and the narrow Siliguri Corridor that links the North-East with the rest of India, which is why it sits at Sukna.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements about Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India:
1. PVTGs reside in 18 States and one Union Territory.
2. A stagnant or declining population is one of the criteria for determining PVTG status.
3. There are 95 PVTGs officially notified in the country so far.
4. Irular and Konda Reddi tribes are included in the list of PVTGs.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Statement 3 is wrong: 75 PVTGs have been notified in India, not 95. The category was created in 1973, following the Dhebar Commission, as 'Primitive Tribal Groups' and renamed PVTGs in 2006.
Read the full explanation →With reference to the cultural history of India, consider the following pairs:
1. Parivrajaka - Renunciant and Wanderer
2. Shramana - Priest with a high status
3. Upasaka - Lay follower of Buddhism
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
A parivrajaka is a wandering renunciant and an upasaka is a lay follower, but a shramana is an ascetic, not a high-status priest.
Read the full explanation →Among the following, which one is the least water-efficient crop?
Sugarcane needs far more water to grow than the other three crops, so it is the least water-efficient. Sugarcane stays in the field for 12 to 18 months and needs roughly 1,500 to 2,500 mm of water over its life, often supplied by heavy irrigation.
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