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.
Which one of the following oxides shows both acidic and basic behaviour?
Zinc oxide is amphoteric: it reacts with acids as a base and with strong alkalis as an acid, giving a salt and water in both cases.
Read the full explanation →Calcium oxide reacts vigorously with water to produce slaked lime whose solution is used for white-washing walls. This slaked lime reacts with component (A) in air to form a thin layer of component (B) to give a shiny finish. What are the components (A) and (B)?
Slaked lime on the wall slowly absorbs carbon dioxide from the air and turns into a thin, shiny layer of calcium carbonate.
Read the full explanation →Chronologically arrange the following Indian-origin astronauts on the basis of their flying into space starting with the first: 1. Sunita Williams 2. Rakesh Sharma 3. Sirisha Bandla 4. Kalpana Chawla Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Rakesh Sharma flew in 1984, Kalpana Chawla in 1997, Sunita Williams in 2006 and Sirisha Bandla in 2021. Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian citizen in space on 3 April 1984, aboard the Soviet Soyuz T-11, and told Indira Gandhi that India looked 'saare jahan se achha'.
Read the full explanation →Who among the following Indian thinkers first spoke of food-for-work programmes to counteract the effects of famines ?
His Arthashastra advises the king, in times of famine, to start public works such as forts and irrigation projects and to pay the workers in food.
Read the full explanation →Cheetahs were recently re-introduced to India from Africa. From which language is the name 'Cheetah' derived ?
The word comes from the Sanskrit 'chitraka', meaning the spotted or speckled one, and reached English through the Hindi 'cheeta'.
Read the full explanation →Through the Forty Second Amendment to the Constitution of India, which of the following was/were inserted into its Preamble? 1. 'Liberty of thought, expression and belief' was substituted by 'Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship'. 2. The expression 'Unity of the Nation' was substituted by 'Unity and Integrity of the Nation'. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The 42nd Amendment of 1976 changed 'unity of the Nation' to 'unity and integrity of the Nation', but it did not touch the words on liberty.
Read the full explanation →The Rangarajan Committee methodology for determining the poverty line incorporated which of the following ? 1. A food component 2. A normative level of expenditure for essential non-food items 3. A behaviourally determined expenditure for other non-food items Select the answer using the code given below :
The Rangarajan Committee built its poverty line basket from all three parts named in the question. The expert group headed by C. Rangarajan was set up in 2012 and reported in 2014, to review the Tendulkar method.
Read the full explanation →Which one among the following countries does not share its territorial boundary with Ukraine ?
Lithuania lies on the Baltic Sea to the north of Belarus, and Belarus separates it completely from Ukraine.
Read the full explanation →What are the four human blood types in ABO blood group typing?
The ABO system sorts blood by the antigens present on the surface of red blood cells, and it has exactly these four groups.
Read the full explanation →How many medals were won by India in 2016 Summer Olympics?
At the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, India won two medals, both by women: a silver in badminton and a bronze in wrestling.
Read the full explanation →According to the Tamil Sangam texts, who among the following were the large landowners?
Sangam literature describes the vellalar as the large landowners of the Tamil region, while the people who actually worked the land are named separately.
Read the full explanation →Which one among the following stars is nearest to the earth?
Apart from the Sun, Proxima Centauri is the star nearest to the Earth, about 4.24 light years away. Proxima Centauri is a small, dim red dwarf in the constellation Centaurus and cannot be seen with the naked eye.
Read the full explanation →Who founded the 'Seva Samiti' at Allahabad in 1914?
Kunzru, a member of the Servants of India Society, organised the Seva Samiti at Allahabad in 1914 to carry out social service and relief work.
Read the full explanation →Identify the correct pair of elements among the following which are liquid at room temperature and standard pressure.
These are the only two elements that are liquid at standard room temperature and pressure: mercury is a metal and bromine is a non-metal.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following sodium compounds is used for softening hard water ?
Sodium carbonate, called washing soda in its hydrated form Na₂CO₃·10H₂O, removes both temporary and permanent hardness of water. Hard water contains dissolved calcium and magnesium salts, which stop soap from lathering.
Read the full explanation →Among the following countries, where did the idea of 'Social Market Economy' emerge in 1950s?
The Social Market Economy, Soziale Marktwirtschaft, was the model on which West Germany rebuilt its economy after the Second World War.
Read the full explanation →Who among the following was not in the core leadership of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in its formative phase?
Castro came to power in Cuba only in 1959 and was not among the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement; he became prominent in it later and chaired the 1979 Havana summit.
Read the full explanation →Abhinav Bindra is the winner of the first ever individual Olympic gold medal for India. He won gold in which shooting event and in which Olympic Games ?
Abhinav Bindra won the men's 10 m air rifle event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics on 11 August 2008, India's first individual Olympic gold.
Read the full explanation →Who among the following filed the Writ Petition that led to the famous verdict of the Supreme Court of India recognising the Right to Privacy as a Fundamental Right?
Retired Karnataka High Court judge K. S. Puttaswamy challenged the Aadhaar scheme in 2012, and his petition led to the 2017 ruling that privacy is a Fundamental Right.
Read the full explanation →"Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed." This observation can be found in the Constitution of which one of the following Organs of the United Nations ?
The famous line opens the Preamble to the Constitution of UNESCO, adopted in London in November 1945.
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