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 best describes the Lithosphere?
The lithosphere is the rigid outer shell of the Earth, made of the crust and the uppermost, solid part of the mantle.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following metals floats in cold water?
Its density is about 0.86 g/cm³, less than that of water, so it floats while it reacts. Potassium is an alkali metal, soft enough to cut with a knife.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements regarding cell wall composition :
1. Bacterial cell wall is made of peptidoglycan.
2. Fungal cell wall is made of cellulose.
3. Animals lack cell wall and have extracellular matrix made up of sugar and proteins.
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Bacteria have peptidoglycan walls and animal cells have no wall, but fungal walls are made of chitin, not cellulose. Statement 1 is correct: peptidoglycan, also called murein, is a mesh of sugars cross-linked by short peptides; penicillin works by blocking its formation.
Read the full explanation →In a sexually reproducing organism, which one of the following statements is appropriate both for the parent and offspring?
Meiosis halves them in the gametes, and fertilisation restores them in the offspring. Each parent makes gametes by meiosis, so a human egg or sperm carries 23 chromosomes instead of 46.
Read the full explanation →What is the oxidation state of Vanadium in V₂O₅?
Two vanadium atoms must balance five oxide ions, each of charge −2, so each vanadium carries +5. In a neutral compound the oxidation states add up to zero.
Read the full explanation →Who, among the following, has introduced a resolution in 1882 which is also called the Magna Carta of Local Self-Government in India?
As Viceroy, he issued the Resolution on Local Self-Government of 18 May 1882, remembered as its Magna Carta. Ripon, Viceroy from 1880 to 1884, wanted local boards and municipalities with a majority of elected, non-official members and an elected chairman where possible.
Read the full explanation →The temperature at which "vapour pressure of the liquid in an open vessel becomes equal to the atmospheric pressure" is called
A liquid boils when its vapour pressure rises to match the pressure of the air above it. As a liquid is heated, more molecules escape as vapour and its vapour pressure climbs.
Read the full explanation →In the context of electric vehicle batteries, consider the following elements : I. Cobalt II. Graphite III. Lithium IV. Nickel How many of the above usually make up battery cathodes?
Cobalt, lithium and nickel are cathode materials, while graphite is used for the anode. A lithium-ion battery has a positive electrode (cathode), a negative electrode (anode) and an electrolyte through which lithium ions move.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following statements with reference to Lake Turkana is/are correct ? 1. It is the largest desert lake in the world. 2. The lake is situated in South Sudan along the eastern fringe of the Sahara desert. 3. The lake is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is also referred to as the 'Jade Sea'. Select the answer using the code given below :
Lake Turkana is the world's largest desert lake and a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Jade Sea, but it lies in Kenya, not South Sudan.
Read the full explanation →With reference to pre-packaged items in India, it is mandatory to the manufacturer to put which of the following information on the main label, as per the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011? 1. List of ingredients including additives 2. Nutrition information 3. Recommendations, if any, made by the medical profession about the possibility of any allergic reactions 4. Vegetarian/ non-vegetarian Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The 2011 FSSAI labelling rules made the list of ingredients, nutrition information and the vegetarian or non-vegetarian mark compulsory, but not medical advice on allergies.
Read the full explanation →With reference to river Teesta, consider the following statements: 1. The source of river Teesta is the same as that of Brahmaputra but it flows through Sikkim. 2. River Rangeet originates in Sikkim and it is a tributary of river Teesta. 3. River Teesta flows into Bay of Bengal on the border of India and Bangladesh. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
The Rangeet is a Sikkim river that joins the Teesta, but the Teesta neither shares the Brahmaputra's source nor reaches the sea by itself.
Read the full explanation →Among the following cities, which one lies on a longitude closest to that of Delhi ?
Delhi lies at about 77.2° East and Bengaluru at about 77.6° East, so the two are almost on the same meridian.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements : 1. Some species of turtles are herbivores. 2. Some species of fish are herbivores. 3. Some species of marine mammals are herbivores. 4. Some species of snakes are viviparous. Which of the statements given above are correct?
Each statement is true: there are plant-eating turtles, fish and marine mammals, and some snakes give birth to live young.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements : 1. Genetic changes can be introduced in the cells that produce eggs or sperms of a prospective parent. 2. A person's genome can be edited before birth at the early embryonic stage. 3. Human induced pluripotent stem cells can be injected into the embryo of a pig. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With today's gene-editing and stem cell tools, all three procedures are technically possible. Changes made in germline cells, the cells that give rise to eggs or sperm, are passed on to the next generation, and tools such as CRISPR-Cas9 can make such edits.
Read the full explanation →From the decline of Guptas until the rise of Harshavardhana in the early seventh century, which of the following kingdoms were holding power in Northern India? 1. The Guptas of Magadha 2. The Paramaras of Malwa 3. The Pushyabhutis of Thanesar 4. The Maukharis of Kanauj 5. The Yadavas of Devagiri 6. The Maitrakas of Valabhi Select the correct answer using the code given below.
After the imperial Guptas weakened in the 6th century, power in the north was shared by the later Guptas of Magadha, the Pushyabhutis, the Maukharis and the Maitrakas.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following pairs : Wetland/Lake — Location 1. Hokera Wetland — Punjab 2. Renuka Wetland — Himachal Pradesh 3. Rudrasagar Lake — Tripura 4. Sasthamkotta Lake — Tamil Nadu How many pairs given above are correctly matched ?
Renuka Wetland in Himachal Pradesh and Rudrasagar Lake in Tripura are correctly matched; Hokera and Sasthamkotta are not. All four are Ramsar sites.
Read the full explanation →"Membrane Bioreactors" are often discussed in the context of :
A membrane bioreactor treats sewage or industrial effluent by combining biological breakdown of waste with filtration through fine membranes. In a membrane bioreactor (MBR), microorganisms in an aerated tank digest the organic matter in wastewater, as in the conventional activated sludge process.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following types of vehicles : I. Full battery electric vehicles II. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles III. Fuel cell-electric hybrid vehicles How many of the above are considered as alternative powertrain vehicles?
Any vehicle that does not depend only on a petrol or diesel engine for propulsion counts as an alternative powertrain vehicle, and all three types qualify.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following best describes/describe the aim of 'Green India Mission' of the Government of India? 1. Incorporating environmental benefits and costs into the Union and State Budgets thereby implementing the 'green accounting' 2. Launching the second green revolution to enhance agricultural output so as to ensure food security to one and all in the future 3. Restoring and enhancing forest cover and responding to climate change by a combination of adaptation and mitigation measures Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Green India Mission aims to protect, restore and enhance India's forest cover and to respond to climate change through both adaptation and mitigation.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following are in Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve?
These protected areas lie at the southern tip of the Western Ghats, where the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve spreads across Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Read the full explanation →