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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

Q3441.Computer AwarenessAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2020, GS Paper IEasy

In India, the term "Public Key Infrastructure" is used in the context of

  1. A.Digital security infrastructure
  2. B.Food security infrastructure
  3. C.Health care and education infrastructure
  4. D.Telecommunication and transportation infrastructure
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Digital security infrastructure

Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is the system of keys and certificates that secures digital signatures and encrypted communication. PKI uses a pair of keys for each user: a public key that anyone can see and a private key kept secret.

Q3442.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IHard

Consider the following statements : 1. It was during the reign of Iltutmish that Chengiz Khan reached the Indus in pursuit of the fugitive Khwarezm prince. 2. It was during the reign of Muhammad bin Tughluq that Taimur occupied Multan and crossed the Indus. 3. It was during the reign of Deva Raya II of Vijayanagara Empire that Vasco da Gama reached the coast of Kerala. Which of the statements 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

Chengiz Khan came to the Indus under Iltutmish, but Taimur and Vasco da Gama arrived long after the rulers named.

Q3443.Science & TechnologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to Web 3.0, consider the following statements : 1. Web 3.0 technology enables people to control their own data. 2. In Web 3.0 world, there can be blockchain based social networks. 3. Web 3.0 is operated by users collectively rather than a corporation. Which of the statements given above are correct ?

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

All three describe the idea of Web 3.0: a decentralised internet where users own their data and run the platforms together.

Q3444.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2023, GS Paper IHard

With reference to 'Scheduled Areas' in India, consider the following statements : 1. Within a State, the notification of an area as Scheduled Area takes place through an Order of the President. 2. The largest administrative unit forming the Scheduled Area is the District and the lowest is the cluster of villages in the Block. 3. The Chief Ministers of the concerned States are required to submit annual reports to the Union Home Ministry on the administration of Scheduled Areas in the States. 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: B. Only two

Statements 1 and 2 are correct; statement 3 is wrong because the annual report comes from the Governor and goes to the President.

Q3445.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2024, GS Paper IMedium

In India, which of the following can trade in Corporate Bonds and Government Securities? 1. Insurance Companies 2. Pension Funds 3. Retail Investors Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

Insurance companies, pension funds and ordinary retail investors can all buy and sell both corporate bonds and government securities in India.

Q3446.Science & TechnologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2026, GS Paper IMedium

Which of the following statements with regard to genetic medicine is/are correct ? 1. Genetic medicines correct/compensate for the faulty genes responsible for disease. 2. Engineered viruses and lipid nanoparticles are used as carriers of the genetic medicine. 3. Genetic medicines alter the entire DNA sequence. Select the answer using the code given below :

  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: C. 1 and 2 only

Genetic medicines fix or make up for a faulty gene using delivery vehicles such as viruses and lipid nanoparticles, but they do not rewrite a person's whole DNA.

Q3447.Computer AwarenessAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2016, GS Paper IEasy

'Project Loon', sometimes seen in the news, is related to

  1. A.waste management technology
  2. B.wireless communication technology
  3. C.solar power production technology
  4. D.water conservation technology
Show answer
Correct answer: B. wireless communication technology

Project Loon used high-altitude balloons to beam internet access to remote areas. Project Loon was developed by X, the research lab of Google's parent company Alphabet, and began trials in New Zealand in 2013.

Q3448.General ScienceAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IEasy

Consider the following statements : 1. In tropical regions, Zika virus disease is transmitted by the same mosquito that transmits dengue. 2. Sexual transmission of Zika virus disease is possible. 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

Zika is spread mainly by the Aedes mosquito that also carries dengue, and it can pass between sexual partners. The Zika virus is a flavivirus first identified in Uganda's Zika forest in 1947.

Q3449.Static GKAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2018, GS Paper IEasy

International Labour Organization's Conventions 138 and 182 are related to

  1. A.Child labour
  2. B.Adaptation of agricultural practices to global climate change
  3. C.Regulation of food prices and food security
  4. D.Gender parity at the workplace
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Child labour

Both are core ILO conventions aimed at ending child labour. Convention 138, the Minimum Age Convention of 1973, requires countries to set a minimum age for admission to employment, generally not below the age of finishing compulsory schooling.

Q3450.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2019, GS Paper IHard

Consider the following pairs : (Wildlife) (Naturally found in) 1. Blue-finned Mahseer : Cauvery River 2. Irrawaddy Dolphin : Chambal River 3. Rusty-spotted Cat : Eastern Ghats Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

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

The blue-finned mahseer occurs in the Cauvery and the rusty-spotted cat in the Eastern Ghats, but the Irrawaddy dolphin does not live in the Chambal.

Q3451.General ScienceAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2020, GS Paper IEasy

What is the importance of using Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines in India ? 1. These vaccines are effective against pneumonia as well as meningitis and sepsis. 2. Dependence on antibiotics that are not effective against drug-resistant bacteria can be reduced. 3. These vaccines have no side effects and cause no allergic reactions. Select the correct answer using the code given below :

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

The vaccine protects against several pneumococcal diseases and so cuts antibiotic use, but no vaccine is free of side effects.

Q3452.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IHard

Consider the following pairs : (Historical place) (Well-known for) 1. Burzahom : Rock-cut shrines 2. Chandraketugarh : Terracotta art 3. Ganeshwar : Copper artefacts Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

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

Chandraketugarh is famous for terracotta and Ganeshwar for copper objects, but Burzahom has no rock-cut shrines. Burzahom, near Srinagar in Kashmir, is a Neolithic site known for pit dwellings dug into the ground, bone tools and the custom of burying domestic dogs with their masters.

Q3453.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2024, GS Paper IHard

Consider the following statements : 1. In India, Non-Banking Financial Companies can access the Liquidity Adjustment Facility window of the Reserve Bank of India. 2. In India, Foreign Institutional Investors can hold the Government Securities (G-Secs). 3. In India, Stock Exchanges can offer separate trading platforms for debts. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Foreign investors may hold G-Secs and exchanges run debt platforms, but the LAF window is not open to NBFCs. The Liquidity Adjustment Facility is the RBI's tool for managing day-to-day liquidity through repo and reverse repo operations.

Q3454.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2025, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following : I. Cigarette butts II. Eyeglass lenses III. Car tyres How many of them contain plastic?

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

Each of these everyday items is made partly or wholly of synthetic polymers, which is what plastic is. A cigarette filter is made of cellulose acetate, a plastic that takes years to break down, which is why butts are among the most common litter found on beaches.

Q3455.Environment & EcologyMedium

Van Panchayats, the village forest councils set up under rules framed in 1931, are a feature of which hills?

  1. A.The Nilgiri hills
  2. B.The Kumaon hills
  3. C.The Khasi hills
  4. D.The Aravalli hills
Show answer
Correct answer: B. The Kumaon hills

After years of protest against the reservation of hill forests, the colonial government allowed Kumaon villages to manage part of the civil forest themselves through elected Van Panchayats under rules framed in 1931.

Q3457.Environment & EcologyHard

The first Biodiversity Heritage Site declared in India was:

  1. A.Mawphlang sacred forest, Meghalaya
  2. B.Nallur tamarind grove, Karnataka
  3. C.Majuli, Assam
  4. D.Chilika, Odisha
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Nallur tamarind grove, Karnataka

Nallur, near Devanahalli on the outskirts of Bengaluru, is an old stand of tamarind trees, some of them several centuries old, and Karnataka declared it the first Biodiversity Heritage Site of the country under section 37 of the Biological Diversity Act.

Q3458.Environment & EcologyMedium

Biodiversity Management Committees and Biodiversity Heritage Sites are provided for by which law?

  1. A.The Biological Diversity Act, 2002
  2. B.The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
  3. C.The Forest Rights Act, 2006
  4. D.The National Green Tribunal Act, 2010
Show answer
Correct answer: A. The Biological Diversity Act, 2002

It builds a three tier system: the National Biodiversity Authority at the centre, State Biodiversity Boards, and a Biodiversity Management Committee in every local body, which keeps a People Biodiversity Register of the plants, animals and traditional uses of its area.

Q3459.Environment & EcologyHard

Which amendment introduced conservation reserves and community reserves as categories of protected area in India?

  1. A.The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 1991
  2. B.The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980
  3. C.The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2002
  4. D.The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
Show answer
Correct answer: C. The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2002

Until then the Act of 1972 knew only national parks and sanctuaries, both of which need state ownership and control.