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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

Q383.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2025, GKEasy

Who among the following was responsible for demarcating the borders between India and Pakistan during the partition in 1947?

  1. A.Cyril Radcliffe
  2. B.Mortimer Durand
  3. C.Henry McMahon
  4. D.Arthur Balfour
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Cyril Radcliffe

Sir Cyril Radcliffe, a British lawyer who had never been to India before, chaired the two Boundary Commissions, one for Punjab and one for Bengal, set up under the Indian Independence Act of 1947.

Q386.Static GKAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2017, GKEasy

'Rand/ZAR' is the currency of

  1. A.Burundi
  2. B.Libya
  3. C.Sudan
  4. D.South Africa
Show answer
Correct answer: D. South Africa

The rand is the official currency of South Africa, and ZAR is its international code, taken from the Dutch name Zuid-Afrikaanse Rand.

Q387.Indian EconomyAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2018, GKHard

Which one of the following statements about Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) is not correct?

  1. A.It is a marketable security.
  2. B.It experiences price changes throughout the day.
  3. C.It typically has lower daily liquidity and higher fees than mutual fund shares.
  4. D.An ETF does not have its net asset value calculated once at the end of every day.
Show answer
Correct answer: C. It typically has lower daily liquidity and higher fees than mutual fund shares.

. An Exchange-Traded Fund holds a basket of assets, such as the shares of an index, gold or bonds, and its units are listed and traded on a stock exchange like a share.

Q388.Indian EconomyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2018, GKMedium

The natural rate of unemployment hypothesis was advocated by

  1. A.Milton Friedman
  2. B.A. W. Phillips
  3. C.J. M. Keynes
  4. D.R. G. Lipsey
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Milton Friedman

Milton Friedman put forward the natural rate of unemployment in his presidential address to the American Economic Association in 1967, published in 1968; Edmund Phelps reached a similar idea independently.

Q389.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2019, GKHard

In which of the following, functional group isomerism is not possible?

  1. A.Alcohols
  2. B.Aldehydes
  3. C.Alkyl halides
  4. D.Cyanides
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Alkyl halides

Functional group isomers have the same molecular formula but different functional groups. Alkyl halides such as C2H5Cl can only contain the halogen group, so no other functional group can be built from the same formula; they show chain and position isomerism instead.

Q390.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2020, GKEasy

Apart from hyper acid secretion, peptic ulcers are also developed due to bacterial infection. The causative agent is

  1. A.Helicobacter pylori
  2. B.E. coli
  3. C.Streptococcus pneumoniae
  4. D.Salmonella typhimurium
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Helicobacter pylori

Helicobacter pylori is a spiral-shaped bacterium that lives in the lining of the stomach. It survives the strong acid by producing the enzyme urease, which makes ammonia around it, and it inflames and weakens the protective mucus layer, so acid can damage the wall and cause a peptic ulcer.

Q391.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2021, GKEasy

Which one of the following is the structure of a cardiac muscle cell?

  1. A.Cylindrical, Unbranched and Multinucleate
  2. B.Spinal shaped, Unbranched and Uninucleate
  3. C.Spinal shaped, Branched and Uninucleate
  4. D.Cylindrical, Branched and Uninucleate
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Cylindrical, Branched and Uninucleate

Cardiac muscle, found only in the wall of the heart, is made of cylindrical cells that branch and join with one another, and each cell usually has one central nucleus.

Q392.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2021, GKMedium

The Panchmuli Lake is situated near

  1. A.Statue of Equality
  2. B.Thiruvalluvar Statue
  3. C.Dhyan Buddha Statue
  4. D.Statue of Unity
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Statue of Unity

Panchmuli Lake lies in the Sardar Sarovar reservoir area on the Narmada at Ekta Nagar (Kevadia) in the Narmada district of Gujarat, close to the Statue of Unity, and is known for its boat rides and crocodiles.

Q393.Art & CultureAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2024, GKMedium

Who propounded Kashmir Shaivism?

  1. A.Vasugupta
  2. B.Abhinavagupta
  3. C.Ramakantha
  4. D.Ranganathacharya
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Vasugupta

Kashmir Shaivism, a non-dual (Advaita) school of Shaiva philosophy, is traced to the sage Vasugupta, who lived in Kashmir around the late 8th or early 9th century CE.

Q394.Indian EconomyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2024, GKMedium

Which one of the following taxes is not included in the Central Pool to be shared with the States according to the recommendations of Finance Commission of India?

  1. A.Personal Income Tax
  2. B.Corporate Profit Tax
  3. C.Surcharge and Cess
  4. D.Excise Duties
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Surcharge and Cess

Under Article 270 of the Constitution, the taxes levied and collected by the Union, such as income tax, corporation tax, Union excise duties and the central GST, form a divisible pool that is shared with the States on the recommendation of the Finance Commission.

Q397.Science & TechnologyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2026, GKMedium

The Technology Development Fund (TDF) is a flagship initiative under

  1. A.Ministry of Defence
  2. B.Ministry of Heavy Industries
  3. C.Ministry of Science and Technology
  4. D.Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Ministry of Defence

The Technology Development Fund was set up by the Ministry of Defence in 2016 and is run by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as part of the Make in India drive.

Q399.Indian EconomyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2018, GKHard

The Fourteenth Finance Commission assigned different weights to the following parameters for distribution of tax proceeds to the States :

1. Income distance

2. Population

3. Demographic changes

4. Area

Arrange the aforesaid parameters in descending order in terms of their weights.

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

Income distance had the highest weight, followed by population, area and demographic change. The Fourteenth Finance Commission, chaired by Y.V.

All Defence previous year questions