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 NOT a heterogeneous mixture?
Sulphur dissolves completely in carbon disulphide, so the two form a true solution, and a solution is a homogeneous mixture.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements regarding the Earth's crust : I. The continental crust is thinner under fold mountains. II. The mean thickness of ocean crust is 30 km. III. The Earth's crust is brittle in nature. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Only the third statement is right: the crust is the outermost solid shell of the Earth and it is brittle in nature, which is why it cracks and faults during earthquakes.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is not a characteristic of an insect-pollinated plant?
Light, small and dry pollen is a feature of wind-pollinated plants, not of plants that depend on insects. Insect-pollinated (entomophilous) flowers have to attract a visitor and then make the pollen travel on its body.
Read the full explanation →A recent movie titled The Man Who Knew Infinity is based on the biography of
The 2015 film 'The Man Who Knew Infinity' tells the life of the Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan and is based on Robert Kanigel's 1991 biography of the same name.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following adopted a law on data protection and privacy for its citizens known as 'General Data Protection Regulation' in April 2016 and started implementation of it from 25th May, 2018?
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the European Union's data protection law, adopted in April 2016 and applied from 25 May 2018.
Read the full explanation →The word 'Denisovan' is sometimes mentioned in media in reference to
Denisovans were an archaic group of humans, close relatives of the Neanderthals, first identified in 2010 from a finger bone found in Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains of Siberia.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements :
1. Other than those made by humans, nanoparticles do not exist in nature.
2. Nanoparticles of some metallic oxides are used in the manufacture of some cosmetics.
3. Nanoparticles of some commercial products which enter the environment are unsafe for humans.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Metal-oxide nanoparticles are used in cosmetics and some nanoparticles released into the environment can harm people, but nanoparticles are not made only by humans.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following statements best describes the role of B cells and T cells in the human body?
B cells and T cells are lymphocytes, the white blood cells of the adaptive immune system that recognise and fight specific bacteria, viruses and other pathogens.
Read the full explanation →"3D printing" has applications in which of the following?
1. Preparation of confectionery items
2. Manufacture of bionic ears
3. Automotive industry
4. Reconstructive surgeries
5. Data processing technologies
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
3D printing, or additive manufacturing, builds objects layer by layer from a digital design, and it is used in all five fields listed.
Read the full explanation →What is the purpose of 'evolved Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (eLISA)' project ?
eLISA is a planned space observatory of the European Space Agency that will use laser interferometry between spacecraft to catch gravitational waves.
Read the full explanation →In India, if a species of tortoise is declared protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, what does it imply ?
Schedule I lists the animals that get the highest level of legal protection in India, and the tiger is one of them.
Read the full explanation →"Momentum for Change : Climate Neutral Now" is an initiative launched by
Both 'Momentum for Change' and 'Climate Neutral Now' are initiatives of the secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, based in Bonn.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements :
1. Most of the world's coral reefs are in tropical waters.
2. More than one-third of the world's coral reefs are located in the territories of Australia, Indonesia and Philippines.
3. Coral reefs host far more number of animal phyla than those hosted by tropical rainforests.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
All three statements about coral reefs are correct. Reef-building corals need warm, clear, shallow water, roughly between 20 °C and 30 °C, so almost all reefs lie in the tropics between about 30° N and 30° S. Indonesia, Australia and the Philippines together hold well over a third of the…
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements :
1. The Sustainable Development Goals were first proposed in 1972 by a global think tank called the 'Club of Rome'.
2. The Sustainable Development Goals have to be achieved by 2030.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Sustainable Development Goals are to be met by 2030, but they were not proposed by the Club of Rome in 1972.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following pairs :
Regions sometimes mentioned in news — Country
1. Catalonia — Spain
2. Crimea — Hungary
3. Mindanao — Philippines
4. Oromia — Nigeria
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched ?
Catalonia is in Spain and Mindanao is in the Philippines, but Crimea and Oromia are paired with the wrong countries.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is not the most likely measure the Government/RBI takes to stop the slide of Indian rupee?
Expansionary policy cuts interest rates and adds money to the system, which pushes capital out and weakens the rupee further, so it is not a step to defend the currency.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements :
1. The minimum age prescribed for any person to be a member of Panchayat is 25 years.
2. A Panchayat reconstituted after premature dissolution continues only for the remainder period.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A Panchayat formed after an early dissolution serves only the rest of the original term, but the minimum age to be a member is 21 years, not 25.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements :
1. The Election Commission of India is five-member body.
2. Union Ministry of Home Affairs decides the election schedule for the conduct of both general elections and bye-elections.
3. Election Commission resolves the disputes relating to splits/mergers of recognised political parties.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Only statement 3 is correct: the Election Commission decides disputes over splits and mergers of recognised parties. Under Article 324 the Commission superintends, directs and controls elections to Parliament, the State legislatures and the offices of President and Vice-President.
Read the full explanation →In India, Judicial Review implies
Judicial review lets the Supreme Court and the High Courts strike down any law or executive action that violates the Constitution.
Read the full explanation →Right to Privacy is protected as an intrinsic part of Right to Life and Personal Liberty. Which of the following in the Constitution of India correctly and appropriately imply the above statement ?
The Supreme Court has held privacy to be part of the right to life and personal liberty in Article 21 and of the other freedoms in Part III.
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