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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

Q41.Static GKAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2016, GKHard

Which one of the following is correct?

  1. A.Infantry Regiment is also known as the Mechanized Infantry Regiment.
  2. B.Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is subsumed in the Corps of Engineers.
  3. C.Army Medical Corps and Army Dental Corps are two divisions of the Army Service Corps.
  4. D.Army has its own Corps of Air Defence.
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Army has its own Corps of Air Defence.

The Indian Army has its own Corps of Army Air Defence, which guards troops and key places against enemy aircraft, drones and missiles.

Q42.Static GKAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2017, GKMedium

Which one of the following statements is correct in relation to the Indian Air Force?

  1. A.It has bases in many friendly countries.
  2. B.It does not carry out joint exercises with any country.
  3. C.It has a separate Maintenance Command.
  4. D.No officer has ever been elevated to the rank of Marshal of the Indian Air Force.
Show answer
Correct answer: C. It has a separate Maintenance Command.

The Indian Air Force has a separate Maintenance Command, with its headquarters at Nagpur, which looks after the repair, overhaul and supply of aircraft and equipment.

Q44.Static GKAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2016, GKMedium

Jammu and Kashmir Rifles is

  1. A.an infantry regiment of the Indian Army
  2. B.a battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles
  3. C.the name of the Armed Police of the State of Jammu and Kashmir
  4. D.a paramilitary force under the Ministry of Home Affairs
Show answer
Correct answer: A. an infantry regiment of the Indian Army

The Jammu and Kashmir Rifles (JAK RIF) is a regular infantry regiment with its Regimental Centre at Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.

Q48.Indian EconomyAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2017, GKEasy

Amartya Sen was awarded the Nobel Prize for his contribution to

  1. A.Monetary Economics
  2. B.Welfare Economics
  3. C.Environmental Economics
  4. D.Development Economics
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Welfare Economics

Amartya Sen received the 1998 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences "for his contributions to welfare economics". Sen worked on social choice theory, on how to measure poverty and inequality, and on the causes of famine.

Q49.Indian PolityAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2017, GKEasy

Which one of the following statements regarding Uniform Civil Code as provided under Article 44 of the Constitution of India is not correct?

  1. A.It is a Fundamental Right of every Indian citizen.
  2. B.The State shall endeavour to secure it for citizens throughout the territory of India.
  3. C.It is not enforceable by any Court.
  4. D.It is not enforceable by a Court yet the Constitution requires that as a principle it should be fundamental in the governance of our country.
Show answer
Correct answer: A. It is a Fundamental Right of every Indian citizen.

The Uniform Civil Code is not a Fundamental Right. Article 44 sits in Part IV of the Constitution, among the Directive Principles of State Policy.

Q50.Indian PolityAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2018, GKEasy

In the context of elections in India, which one of the following is the correct full form of VVPAT?

  1. A.Voter Verifiable Poll Audit Trail
  2. B.Voter Verifying Paper Audit Trail
  3. C.Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail
  4. D.Voter Verifiable Paper Account Trail
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail

VVPAT is a printer attached to the EVM that lets the voter see, on paper, that the vote went to the chosen candidate.

Q51.Static GKAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2018, GKMedium

Which one of the following statements regarding the Human Rights Council is not correct?

  1. A.It is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system made up of all members of the UN.
  2. B.It is responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights around the globe.
  3. C.It replaced the former United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
  4. D.It is made up of 47 UN Member States which are elected by the UN General Assembly.
Show answer
Correct answer: A. It is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system made up of all members of the UN.

The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body of the UN, but it is not made up of all UN members: it has only 47 member states.

Q52.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2019, GKHard

Which politician in British India had opposed to a Pakistan that would mean "Muslim Raj here and Hindu Raj elsewhere"?

  1. A.Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
  2. B.Sikandar Hayat Khan
  3. C.Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
  4. D.Rafi Ahmed Kidwai
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Sikandar Hayat Khan

As Premier of Punjab, he told the Punjab Legislative Assembly in March 1941 that he did not want freedom so that there could be "Muslim Raj here and Hindu Raj elsewhere", and that if this was what Pakistan meant he would have nothing to do with it.

Q53.Static GKAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2016, GKMedium

Which one of the following is not correct in respect of Andaman and Nicobar Command?

  1. A.It is the first integrated theatre command in India.
  2. B.Its headquarters is at Port Blair.
  3. C.It is commanded by a three-star officer.
  4. D.It was set up by the British during the Second World War.
Show answer
Correct answer: D. It was set up by the British during the Second World War.

The Andaman and Nicobar Command was set up by India in 2001, long after the Second World War. The Command was raised in October 2001, following the recommendations of the Group of Ministers set up after the Kargil War to reform national security.

Q55.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2017, GKMedium

Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Himalayan rivers have their origin in the snow-covered areas, hence are dry in winter season. 2. Rivers of the Peninsular Plateau have reached maturity. 3. Himalayan rivers depict all the three stages of normal cycle of erosion. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

Himalayan rivers are perennial, so statement 1 is wrong, while statements 2 and 3 are correct. Himalayan rivers such as the Ganga, Indus and Brahmaputra rise from glaciers and snowfields and also get monsoon rain, so they flow all year round, including in winter.

Q56.Static GKAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2018, GKMedium

Which one of the following is not an International Human Rights Treaty?

  1. A.International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
  2. B.Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
  3. C.Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
  4. D.Declaration on the Right to Development
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Declaration on the Right to Development

It is a resolution of the UN General Assembly, not a treaty that states sign and ratify. A treaty, usually called a covenant or convention, becomes legally binding on a country once it ratifies it, and a committee of experts watches how each party carries it out.

Q57.Static GKAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2018, GKMedium

Which one of the following statements regarding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is not correct?

  1. A.The UN General Assembly adopted the Human Rights Charter on 10th December, 1948.
  2. B.Some of the provisions of the Fundamental Rights enshrined in the Constitution of India are similar to the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
  3. C.The Right to Property is not a part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
  4. D.India is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Show answer
Correct answer: C. The Right to Property is not a part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The right to property is part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; Article 17 says everyone has the right to own property and no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of it.

Q59.Indian EconomyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2016, GKHard

Which one of the following statements is not correct?

  1. A.Creation of National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) was announced in the Union Budget, 2015-16.
  2. B.NIIF is a fund for enhancing infrastructure facility in the country.
  3. C.NIIF and NIF (National Investment Fund) are the names of the same organization.
  4. D.NIIF can have more than one alternative investment fund.
Show answer
Correct answer: C. NIIF and NIF (National Investment Fund) are the names of the same organization.

NIIF and the National Investment Fund are two different bodies with different purposes. The National Investment Fund was created in 2005 to hold the money the government raised from disinvestment of public sector enterprises, and it is part of the Public Account of India.

Q60.Indian EconomyAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2017, GKEasy

The Most Favoured Nation (MFN) Clause under WTO regime is based on the principle of

  1. A.non-discrimination between nations
  2. B.discrimination between nations
  3. C.differential treatment between locals and foreigners
  4. D.uniform tariff across commodities
Show answer
Correct answer: A. non-discrimination between nations

Under MFN, a favour given to one trading partner must be given to all WTO members. The MFN rule is Article I of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), and it also appears in the services and intellectual property agreements of the WTO.

All Defence previous year questions