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 rivers is also known by the name of "Dihang" in Northeast India ?
In Arunachal Pradesh the Brahmaputra is called the Dihang, or Siang, the name it carries after it enters India from Tibet.
Read the full explanation →Upon adding hydrochloric acid in copper oxide, it turns to blue-green color which is due to the formation of
Black copper(II) oxide reacts with dilute hydrochloric acid to form copper(II) chloride and water, and the solution turns blue-green because of the copper(II) ions.
Read the full explanation →If the latitude and longitudinal extent of an Indian State/UT is 15°48'00" N to 14°53'15" N and 74°20'13" E to 74°40'33" E, then which one of the following is that State/UT?
A latitude of about 15 degrees north on India's western side, near 74 degrees east, can only be Goa, which lies on the Konkan coast between Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following statements with regard to the Mediterranean agriculture is/are correct? 1. The Mediterranean agriculture is highly specialized commercial agriculture. 2. It is intensive subsistence agriculture dominated by wet paddy cultivation. 3. It is a primitive subsistence agriculture. 4. Viticulture is a speciality of the Mediterranean region. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Mediterranean agriculture is a highly specialised commercial type of farming, and growing grapes, called viticulture, is its best-known feature.
Read the full explanation →Statement I : Global warming signifies the rise in global surface temperature. Statement II : The increase of concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere causes the rise in global surface temperature.
Global warming is the long-term rise in the average temperature at the earth's surface, and it is driven mainly by the growing amount of greenhouse gases in the air, so Statement II explains Statement I. Sunlight warms the ground, which gives off heat as infrared radiation.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is not an exclusive right of the concerned coastal nations over Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)?
In an EEZ every country keeps the freedom to sail ships, fly aircraft and lay submarine cables and pipelines, so these are not rights reserved for the coastal state.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following roles is/are played by epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicles and prostate in male reproductive system of human?
These ducts and glands do not make sperm; they help sperm mature, store and move them, and add the fluid in which sperm swim.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is not a correct statement regarding the provision of Legislative Council in the State Legislature?
Under Article 171, local bodies such as municipalities and district boards elect one-third of the members of a Legislative Council, not one-twelfth, so this statement is wrong.
Read the full explanation →Gini Coefficient or Gini Ratio can be associated with which one of the following measurements in an economy?
The Gini coefficient is the standard single number used to show how unequally income or wealth is shared among the people of a country.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following was added as a fundamental duty through the Constitution (86th Amendment) Act, 2002?
The 86th Amendment of 2002 added this as the eleventh fundamental duty, clause (k) of Article 51A, placing it on parents and guardians.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following statements about Gupta coins is not correct?
The Guptas are famous for their gold coins, not copper ones; their copper issues were few, so the statement that most of their coins were copper is not correct.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following British officials was elevated to the position of Governor General after the Regulating Act of 1773?
The Regulating Act of 1773 turned the Governor of Bengal into the Governor-General of Bengal, and Warren Hastings, who was already Governor, became the first holder of the post in 1774.
Read the full explanation →Mount Thullier (642 m) is an important mountain peak of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is located in :
Mount Thullier, about 642 metres high, is the highest point of the Nicobar group and stands on Great Nicobar, the southernmost and largest island of that group.
Read the full explanation →The use of 'Electors Photo Identity Cards (EPIC)' by the Election Commission of India was started in which one of the following years?
The Election Commission of India began issuing Electors Photo Identity Cards in 1993 to stop impersonation and bogus voting at polling booths.
Read the full explanation →What does India's "Blue growth" refer to ?
Blue growth means using the sea for economic progress without harming the health of the ocean. The idea, part of the wider blue economy, covers fisheries and aquaculture, shipping and ports, coastal tourism, offshore energy, seabed minerals and marine biotechnology.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Most of India's reserves is held in the form of foreign currency. 2. There is no cost of holding foreign currency as reserves by a nation. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Foreign currency assets make up the largest part of India's foreign exchange reserves, but holding them is never free, so statement 2 is false.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements regarding the rivers of India : 1. The Barak River, the head stream of the Meghna, rises in the hills of Meghalaya. 2. The Ghaggar River does not drain out to the sea and gets lost in the Rajasthan desert. 3. Puthimari and Manas are important tributaries of the Brahmaputra. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
The Barak rises in the hills of Manipur, not Meghalaya, so statement 1 is false, while the other two statements are true.
Read the full explanation →How can currency depreciation stimulate an increase in net exports ? 1. By reducing export costs 2. By reducing import prices Select the answer using the code given below :
When a currency depreciates, a country's goods become cheaper for foreign buyers, while imports become dearer at home, not cheaper.
Read the full explanation →The Golden Quadrilateral Highway does not pass through which of the following cities ? 1. Bhubaneshwar 2. Jaipur 3. Lucknow 4. Indore Select the answer using the code given below :
The Golden Quadrilateral links Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai, and neither Lucknow nor Indore lies on any of its four sides.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following statements about the Black Soils of India is/are correct ? 1. Black Soils cover most of the Deccan Plateau. 2. Also known as 'Regur', they are generally clayey, deep and impermeable. 3. Since they are impermeable, rainfed crops do not grow well in Black Soils. Select the answer using the codes given below :
Black soil covers most of the Deccan Plateau, and its clay holds water so well that rainfed crops actually do well in it, so statement 3 is false.
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