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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

Q1841.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IEasy

What is the importance of developing Chabahar Port by India?

  1. A.India's trade with African countries will enormously increase.
  2. B.India's relations with oil-producing Arab countries will be strengthened.
  3. C.India will not depend on Pakistan for access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
  4. D.Pakistan will facilitate and protect the installation of a gas pipeline between Iraq and India.
Show answer
Correct answer: C. India will not depend on Pakistan for access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Chabahar gives India a sea-and-land route to Afghanistan and Central Asia that bypasses Pakistan. The port lies on the Makran coast of Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province, on the Gulf of Oman, outside the Strait of Hormuz.

Q1842.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2018, GS Paper IMedium

Which of the following is/are the possible consequence/s of heavy sand mining in riverbeds? 1. Decreased salinity in the river 2. Pollution of groundwater 3. Lowering of the water-table Select the correct answer using the code given below :

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

Heavy sand mining lowers the water table and exposes groundwater to pollution, but it does not reduce river salinity. Riverbed sand acts as a sponge and a filter: it stores water, recharges the aquifers along the river and cleans water as it seeps down.

Q1843.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IEasy

Constitutional government means

  1. A.a representative government of a nation with federal structure
  2. B.a government whose Head enjoys nominal powers
  3. C.a government whose Head enjoys real powers
  4. D.a government limited by the terms of the Constitution
Show answer
Correct answer: D. a government limited by the terms of the Constitution

Constitutional government means limited government: those in power can act only within the limits that the constitution lays down. The essence of constitutionalism is that state power is restrained by a higher law, so that rights are protected and authority cannot be used arbitrarily.

Q1844.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following pairs : Region often mentioned in the news — Country 1. Anatolia — Turkey 2. Amhara — Ethiopia 3. Cabo Delgado — Spain 4. Catalonia — Italy How many pairs given above are correctly matched?

  1. A.Only one pair
  2. B.Only two pairs
  3. C.Only three pairs
  4. D.All four pairs
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Only two pairs

Anatolia–Turkey and Amhara–Ethiopia are correct, while Cabo Delgado and Catalonia are paired with the wrong countries. Anatolia, also called Asia Minor, is the large peninsula between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean that forms most of Turkey's territory, so pair 1 is correct.

Q1845.Sports GKAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2023, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following pairs with regard to sports awards : 1. Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award : For the most spectacular and outstanding performance by a sportsperson over period of last four years 2. Arjuna Award : For the lifetime achievement by a sportsperson 3. Dronacharya Award : To honour eminent coaches who have successfully trained sportspersons or teams 4. Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar : To recognize the contribution made by sportspersons even after their retirement How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

  1. A.Only one
  2. B.Only two
  3. C.Only three
  4. D.All four
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Only two

Pairs 1 and 3 are correctly matched, while pairs 2 and 4 describe other awards. The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, India's highest sporting honour, is given for the most spectacular and outstanding performance by a sportsperson over the previous four years, so pair 1 is correct.

Q1846.Science & TechnologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2016, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements : The Mangalyaan launched by ISRO 1. is also called the Mars Orbiter Mission 2. made India the second country to have a spacecraft orbit the Mars after USA 3. made India the only country to be successful in making its spacecraft orbit the Mars in its very first attempt Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A.1 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

Mangalyaan is the popular name of ISRO's Mars Orbiter Mission, and India reached Mars orbit on its first attempt, but it was not the second country to do so.

Q1847.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IMedium

'Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA)' is sometimes seen in the news in the context of negotiations held between India and

  1. A.European Union
  2. B.Gulf Cooperation Council
  3. C.Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
  4. D.Shanghai Cooperation Organization
Show answer
Correct answer: A. European Union

The Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement was the name given to the free trade agreement that India and the European Union began negotiating in 2007.

Q1848.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2018, GS Paper IHard

Which among the following events happened earliest?

  1. A.Swami Dayanand established Arya Samaj.
  2. B.Dinabandhu Mitra wrote Neeldarpan.
  3. C.Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote Anandmath.
  4. D.Satyendranath Tagore became the first Indian to succeed in the Indian Civil Services Examination.
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Dinabandhu Mitra wrote Neeldarpan.

Neeldarpan, the Bengali play about the cruelty of European indigo planters towards the peasants of Bengal, was written by Dinabandhu Mitra in 1858–59 and published in 1860, earlier than the other three events.

Q1849.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IEasy

What was the exact constitutional status of India on 26th January, 1950?

  1. A.A Democratic Republic
  2. B.A Sovereign Democratic Republic
  3. C.A Sovereign Secular Democratic Republic
  4. D.A Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic
Show answer
Correct answer: B. A Sovereign Democratic Republic

When the Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950, its Preamble declared India a Sovereign Democratic Republic.

Q1851.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2019, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to the Constitution of India, consider the following statements : 1. No High Court shall have the jurisdiction to declare any central law to be constitutionally invalid. 2. An amendment to the Constitution of India cannot be called into question by the Supreme Court of India. 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

Both statements deny powers of judicial review that Indian courts clearly hold. Statement 1 is wrong.

Q1852.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IMedium

Under the Indian Constitution, concentration of wealth violates

  1. A.the Right to Equality
  2. B.the Directive Principles of State Policy
  3. C.the Right to Freedom
  4. D.the Concept of Welfare
Show answer
Correct answer: B. the Directive Principles of State Policy

Article 39(c), one of the Directive Principles in Part IV, directs the State to ensure that the operation of the economic system does not result in the concentration of wealth and means of production to the common detriment.

Q1853.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IEasy

Which one of the following statements best reflects the issue with Senkaku Islands, sometimes mentioned in the news?

  1. A.It is generally believed that they are artificial islands made by a country around South China Sea.
  2. B.China and Japan engage in maritime disputes over these islands in East China Sea.
  3. C.A permanent American military base has been set up there to help Taiwan to increase its defence capabilities.
  4. D.Though International Court of Justice declared them as no man's land, some South-East Asian countries claim them.
Show answer
Correct answer: B. China and Japan engage in maritime disputes over these islands in East China Sea.

The Senkaku Islands are a small group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, administered by Japan and claimed by China, which calls them the Diaoyu Islands; Taiwan also claims them as Diaoyutai.

Q1854.DefenceMedium

How many countries will send experts to the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue 2026, and how many thematic sessions does it have?

  1. A.12 countries and three sessions
  2. B.18 countries and five sessions
  3. C.25 countries and seven sessions
  4. D.18 countries and seven sessions
Show answer
Correct answer: B. 18 countries and five sessions

Maritime practitioners, scientists, academicians, policymakers and experts from 18 countries across the Indo-Pacific will contribute to the dialogue, and the conference has five professional thematic sessions spread over its three days.

Q1855.DefenceHard

At which summit did Prime Minister Narendra Modi announce the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative?

  1. A.The 14th East Asia Summit in Bangkok
  2. B.The 14th G20 Summit in Osaka
  3. C.The 13th East Asia Summit in Singapore
  4. D.The 15th East Asia Summit in Hanoi
Show answer
Correct answer: A. The 14th East Asia Summit in Bangkok

The initiative sets out seven interconnected maritime lines of thrust, and successive editions of the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue have taken up selected dimensions of those lines of thrust.

Q1856.DefenceMedium

What is the theme of the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue 2026 to be held by the Indian Navy?

  1. A.Maritime Security and Blue Economy
  2. B.Science, Technology and Academic Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific
  3. C.Collaborative Approaches to Ocean Governance
  4. D.Powering the Global South
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Science, Technology and Academic Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific

The Indian Navy will hold the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue in New Delhi from 3 to 5 November 2026 on this theme, with the National Maritime Foundation as the principal organiser, and experts from 18 countries of the region taking part.

Q1858.General ScienceAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2019, GATMedium

Consider the following statements about a solenoid: 1. The magnetic field strength in a solenoid depends upon the number of turns per unit length in the solenoid 2. The magnetic field strength in a solenoid depends upon the current flowing in the wire of the solenoid 3. The magnetic field strength in a solenoid depends upon the diameter of the solenoid Which of the statements given above are correct?

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

The magnetic field inside a long solenoid is B = μ₀nI, where n is the number of turns per unit length and I is the current, so the field depends on these two and not on the diameter.

Q1859.General ScienceAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2019, GATMedium

Which of the following are the characteristics of electromagnetic waves? 1. They are elastic waves. 2. They can also move in vacuum. 3. They have electric and magnetic components which are mutually perpendicular. 4. They move with a speed equal to 3 lakh meters per second. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

Electromagnetic waves need no medium, so they travel through vacuum, and they consist of electric and magnetic fields that oscillate at right angles to each other and to the direction of travel.