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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

Q2801.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2020, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements :

1. In the case of all cereals, pulses and oil-seeds, the procurement at Minimum Support Price (MSP) is unlimited in any State/UT of India.

2. In the case of cereals and pulses, the MSP is fixed in any State/UT at a level to which the market price will never rise.

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: D. Neither 1 nor 2

Procurement at MSP is limited, and MSP is a floor price that market prices often exceed. The Government announces MSPs for 22 mandated crops on the recommendation of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).

Q2802.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IHard

Consider the following rivers :

1. Brahmani

2. Nagavali

3. Subarnarekha

4. Vamsadhara

Which of the above rise from the Eastern Ghats?

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

The Nagavali and the Vamsadhara both rise in the Eastern Ghats of southern Odisha. The Nagavali (also called Langulya) rises in the Eastern Ghats in Kalahandi district of Odisha and flows into the Bay of Bengal in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh.

Q2803.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IMedium

"Biorock technology" is talked about in which one of the following situations ?

  1. A.Restoration of damaged coral reefs
  2. B.Development of building materials using plant residues
  3. C.Identification of areas for exploration/extraction of shale gas
  4. D.Providing salt licks for wild animals in forests/protected areas
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Restoration of damaged coral reefs

Biorock is a method of growing reef structures under the sea with a mild electric current, so that corals can settle and recover.

Q2804.Science & TechnologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2023, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to green hydrogen, consider the following statements :

1. It can be used directly as a fuel for internal combustion.

2. It can be blended with natural gas and used as fuel for heat or power generation.

3. It can be used in the hydrogen fuel cell to run vehicles.

How many of the above statements are correct?

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

Green hydrogen is chemically the same as any hydrogen, so it can be burnt in engines, mixed with natural gas or used in fuel cells.

Q2805.Static GKAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2016, GS Paper IEasy

'Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières)', often in the news, is

  1. A.a division of World Health Organization
  2. B.a non-governmental international organization
  3. C.an inter-governmental agency sponsored by European Union
  4. D.a specialized agency of the United Nations
Show answer
Correct answer: B. a non-governmental international organization

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an independent humanitarian group run by doctors and other volunteers. MSF was founded in Paris in 1971 by a group of French doctors and journalists, and its international office is in Geneva.

Q2807.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2018, GS Paper IMedium

Increase in absolute and per capita real GNP do not connote a higher level of economic development, if

  1. A.industrial output fails to keep pace with agricultural output.
  2. B.agricultural output fails to keep pace with industrial output.
  3. C.poverty and unemployment increase.
  4. D.imports grow faster than exports.
Show answer
Correct answer: C. poverty and unemployment increase.

Economic development means better lives for people, so rising income alone is not development if poverty and joblessness are growing.

Q2808.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2019, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements :

1. Coal sector was nationalized by the Government of India under Indira Gandhi.

2. Now, coal blocks are allocated on lottery basis.

3. Till recently, India imported coal to meet the shortages of domestic supply, but now India is self-sufficient in coal production.

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: A. 1 only

The coal industry was nationalised under Indira Gandhi, but coal blocks are not given by lottery and India still imports coal.

Q2809.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2020, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following pairs :

River — Flows into

1. Mekong — Andaman Sea

2. Thames — Irish Sea

3. Volga — Caspian Sea

4. Zambezi — Indian Ocean

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

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

The Volga ends in the Caspian Sea and the Zambezi in the Indian Ocean, while the first two pairs are wrong.

Q2811.General ScienceAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IMedium

Which of the following are nitrogen-fixing plants?

1. Alfalfa

2. Amaranth

3. Chickpea

4. Clover

5. Purslane (Kulfa)

6. Spinach

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

  1. A.1, 3 and 4 only
  2. B.1, 3, 5 and 6 only
  3. C.2, 4, 5 and 6 only
  4. D.1, 2, 4, 5 and 6
Show answer
Correct answer: A. 1, 3 and 4 only

Alfalfa, chickpea and clover are legumes, and legumes fix nitrogen. Plants of the legume family (Fabaceae) carry root nodules that house Rhizobium bacteria.

Q2812.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2023, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements regarding mercury pollution :

1. Gold mining activity is a source of mercury pollution in the world.

2. Coal-based thermal power plants cause mercury pollution.

3. There is no known safe level of exposure to mercury.

How many of the above statements are correct?

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

Gold mining and coal burning are the two biggest human sources of mercury, and no level of exposure is known to be safe.

Q2813.Static GKAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2024, GS Paper IMedium

Which of the following is/are correctly matched in terms of equivalent rank in the three services of Indian Defence forces ?

Army — Airforce — Navy

1. Brigadier — Air Commodore — Commodore

2. Major General — Air Vice Marshal — Vice Admiral

3. Major — Squadron Leader — Lieutenant Commander

4. Lieutenant Colonel — Group Captain — Captain

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

Rows 1 and 3 give matching ranks, while rows 2 and 4 each pair ranks of different levels.

Q2814.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2025, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements in respect of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) :

I. It provides loans and guarantees to middle income countries.

II. It works single-handedly to help developing countries to reduce poverty.

III. It was established to help Europe rebuild after the World War II.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

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

Statement II is wrong because the IBRD works alongside other World Bank Group institutions and partners, not single-handedly. The IBRD was set up at the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944, together with the IMF.

Q2815.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2016, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to the religious history of India, consider the following statements :

1. The concept of Bodhisattva is central to Hinayana sect of Buddhism.

2. Bodhisattva is a compassionate one on his way to enlightenment.

3. Bodhisattva delays achieving his own salvation to help all sentient beings on their path to it.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A.1 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

Statement 1 is wrong because the Bodhisattva ideal is central to Mahayana Buddhism, not Hinayana. A Bodhisattva is a being moved by compassion who is on the path to Buddhahood but postpones his own nirvana so that he can help all living beings reach liberation.

Q2816.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IEasy

In the context of India, which one of the following is the correct relationship between Rights and Duties ?

  1. A.Rights are correlative with Duties.
  2. B.Rights are personal and hence independent of society and Duties.
  3. C.Rights, not Duties, are important for the advancement of the personality of the citizen.
  4. D.Duties, not Rights, are important for the stability of the State.
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Rights are correlative with Duties.

Every right a person enjoys places a matching duty on others, and on the right-holder, to respect it. The idea is that rights and duties are two sides of the same coin.

Q2817.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2018, GS Paper IMedium

If a commodity is provided free to the public by the Government, then

  1. A.the opportunity cost is zero.
  2. B.the opportunity cost is ignored.
  3. C.the opportunity cost is transferred from the consumers of the product to the tax-paying public.
  4. D.the opportunity cost is transferred from the consumers of the product to the Government.
Show answer
Correct answer: C. the opportunity cost is transferred from the consumers of the product to the tax-paying public.

A free good still uses up resources, and taxpayers pay for them. Opportunity cost is the value of the next best alternative given up when resources are used for something.

Q2818.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2019, GS Paper IMedium

The Ninth Schedule was introduced in the Constitution of India during the prime ministership of

  1. A.Jawaharlal Nehru
  2. B.Lal Bahadur Shastri
  3. C.Indira Gandhi
  4. D.Morarji Desai
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Jawaharlal Nehru

The Ninth Schedule was added by the First Constitutional Amendment Act of 1951, when Nehru was Prime Minister. The First Amendment inserted Articles 31A and 31B along with the Ninth Schedule.

Q2819.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2020, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements :

1. The weightage of food in Consumer Price Index (CPI) is higher than that in Wholesale Price Index (WPI).

2. The WPI does not capture changes in the prices of services, which CPI does.

3. Reserve Bank of India has now adopted WPI as its key measure of inflation and to decide on changing the key policy rates.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Statement 3 is wrong because the RBI uses CPI, not WPI, as its main measure of inflation. Food has a much larger weight in the CPI, close to half of the basket, than in the WPI, where food articles and manufactured food together form roughly a quarter.