Skip to content
GK24

CDS Previous Year GK Questions

Previous-year questions are the most reliable guide to the CDS General Knowledge paper, because the syllabus in the notice is one paragraph long and the paper is not. UPSC uploads the question papers of every CDS on upsc.gov.in the day after the exam, so a full record of what was asked exists for each cycle. Reading them shows the weight of each area, the depth UPSC expects in Polity, History, Geography, Economy and Science, and the question forms it prefers: statements with "which of the above are correct", "how many of the following pairs are correctly matched", match the lists, and arrange in chronological order. Many topics return: writs and constitutional bodies, dynasties and reform movements, Ramsar sites and World Heritage sites, budget and balance-of-payments terms, and school science applied to everyday situations. This page collects CDS previous-year General Knowledge questions in English and Hindi, each with the correct answer, an explanation and the topic it belongs to, so that a question leads you to the GK note that covers it. Use them in three passes: untimed to learn, timed to build speed, and a week later to revisit your wrong answers.

Previous Year Questions

Q261.Static GKAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2023, GKMedium

Which one among the following correctly represents the theme on which the interiors of the new Parliament Building is based ?

  1. A.Lok Sabha: Lotus; Rajya Sabha: Banyan
  2. B.Lok Sabha: Peacock; Rajya Sabha: Lotus
  3. C.Lok Sabha: Peacock; Rajya Sabha: Banyan
  4. D.Lok Sabha: Lotus; Rajya Sabha: Peacock
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Lok Sabha: Peacock; Rajya Sabha: Lotus

The two chambers of the new Parliament House take their interior themes from India's national symbols. The Lok Sabha chamber is designed on the theme of the peacock, the national bird, and the Rajya Sabha chamber on the theme of the lotus, the national flower.

Q262.Science & TechnologyAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2024, GKMedium

Which one of the following is an indigenous assault rifle developed by DRDO?

  1. A.Heckler
  2. B.T91
  3. C.Tikka
  4. D.Ugram
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Ugram

Ugram is a 7.62 mm assault rifle designed in India by DRDO for the armed forces and police. Ugram was developed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune, a DRDO laboratory, together with a private Hyderabad firm, Dvipa Armour India, and it was unveiled in January 2024.

Q263.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2026, GKMedium

Consider the following statements associated with Malaria : 1. Only the female Anopheles mosquitoes take human blood for reproduction 2. Plasmodium can pass across the placenta from mother to foetus 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

Female Anopheles mosquitoes bite humans because they need blood to mature their eggs, and the malaria parasite can cross the placenta.

Q264.Indian EconomyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2024, GKMedium

Which one of the following statements is correct about NISHTHA, a Government of India initiative ?

  1. A.It is a training module recently introduced in LBSNAA for civil servants.
  2. B.It is a teacher-training programme.
  3. C.It is a training programme for the new recruits in Delhi Police to inculcate integrity of service among them.
  4. D.It is a workshop for newly elected Members of Parliament organized routinely by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.
Show answer
Correct answer: B. It is a teacher-training programme.

NISHTHA stands for National Initiative for School Heads' and Teachers' Holistic Advancement, a programme to train school teachers and heads.

Q265.Computer AwarenessAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2025, GKEasy

Which one of the following is the characteristic of Artificial Intelligence ?

  1. A.Replicates human decision making
  2. B.Stores relevant information
  3. C.Stores similar kind of data for a specific purpose
  4. D.Allows user to interact with media
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Replicates human decision making

Artificial Intelligence is the ability of a machine to perform tasks that normally need human intelligence, such as reasoning, learning and taking decisions.

Q268.Indian PolityAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2016, GKHard

On 26th November, 1949, which of the following provisions of the Constitution of India came into effect? 1. Citizenship 2. Elections 3. Provisional Parliament 4. Fundamental Rights Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

The provisions on citizenship, elections and the provisional Parliament came into force on 26 November 1949, the day the Constitution was adopted.

Q269.Environment & EcologyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2017, GKMedium

'Xeriscaping' is a concept related to

  1. A.landscaping related to save water
  2. B.landscaping related to save soil erosion
  3. C.weathering of rock surface
  4. D.All of the above
Show answer
Correct answer: A. landscaping related to save water

Xeriscaping is a way of designing gardens and landscapes so that they need little or no irrigation. The word joins the Greek xeros, meaning dry, with landscaping.

Q270.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2018, GKHard

Verses ascribed to poet-saint Kabir have been compiled in which of the following traditions? 1. Bijak in Varanasi 2. Kabir Granthavali in Rajasthan 3. Adi Granth Sahib Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

Kabir's verses survive in three separate but overlapping traditions: the Bijak, the Kabir Granthavali and the Adi Granth Sahib. Kabir, a weaver of Varanasi who lived around the fifteenth century, spoke of a formless God and mocked empty ritual in both Hindu and Muslim practice.

Q276.Art & CultureAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2024, GKMedium

Which of the following statements related to Indian medicine system is not correct ?

  1. A.The Siddha system is a holistic system of medicine.
  2. B.Sowa-Rigpa has been in practice in the Himalayan regions of India.
  3. C.Unani system of medicine has been dissociated from the Ministry of Ayush.
  4. D.Sushruta Samhita is a major source of Ayurveda.
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Unani system of medicine has been dissociated from the Ministry of Ayush.

This statement is false: Unani remains one of the systems under the Ministry of Ayush. AYUSH stands for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy, and Sowa-Rigpa was added to the family in 2010.

Q278.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2025, GKMedium

Consider the following events : 1. Muslim League Resolution for Pakistan 2. Gandhi-Irwin Pact 3. Dandi March 4. Second Round Table Conference Which one of the following is the correct chronological order of the given events (earliest to latest) ?

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

The Dandi March came first in 1930, then the Gandhi-Irwin Pact and the Second Round Table Conference in 1931, and the Lahore Resolution for Pakistan in 1940.

Q280.Indian PolityAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2016, GKHard

Which among the following Acts were repealed by Article 395 of the Constitution of India? 1. The Government of India Act, 1935 2. The Indian Independence Act, 1947 3. The Abolition of Privy Council Jurisdiction Act, 1949 4. The Government of India Act, 1919 Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

Article 395 repeals the Indian Independence Act, 1947 and the Government of India Act, 1935, together with the laws that amended or supplemented the 1935 Act.

All Defence previous year questions