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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

Q1182.Indian PolityAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2021, GKHard

Which of the following statements regarding the 'casting vote' in the Parliament is/are correct?

1. It is cast by the speaker or a person acting as such.

2. It is cast in addition to voting in the first instance.

3. It is cast in the case of equality of votes.

4. It is always cast to maintain the status quo.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

Under Article 100, the Speaker or the person acting as such does not vote in the first instance, but has a casting vote when votes are equally divided.

Q1186.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2023, GKEasy

Which one of the following statements is correct about diamond and graphite?

  1. A.Diamond and graphite have similar physical and chemical properties.
  2. B.Diamond is hard but graphite is smooth and slippery.
  3. C.Diamond and graphite are both non-conductors of electricity.
  4. D.Both diamond and graphite have similar structures.
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Diamond is hard but graphite is smooth and slippery.

Both are pure forms of carbon, but their atoms are arranged differently, which gives them opposite physical properties. Diamond and graphite are allotropes of carbon.

Q1187.Environment & EcologyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2024, GKHard

Which one of the following is not among the thematic areas of National Mission on Sustainable Habitat?

  1. A.Energy and Green Building
  2. B.Mobility and Air Quality
  3. C.Waste Management
  4. D.Rural Planning, Green cover and Biodiversity
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Rural Planning, Green cover and Biodiversity

The mission's thematic area is Urban Planning, Green Cover and Biodiversity, because the mission is about cities, not villages.

Q1188.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2025, GKEasy

The force with which the Earth attracts an object is called:

  1. A.Weight of the object
  2. B.Mass of the object
  3. C.Density of the object
  4. D.Magnitude of the object
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Weight of the object

Weight is the gravitational force with which the Earth pulls an object towards its centre. Weight is given by W = mg, where m is the mass and g is the acceleration due to gravity, about 9.8 m/s² near the Earth's surface.

Q1191.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2026, GKMedium

Consider the following statements with reference to earthquakes:

1. Collapse earthquakes are most common.

2. Tsunamis are waves generated by the tremors and not an earthquake in itself.

3. High magnitude earthquakes i.e. 8+ are quite rare whereas 'tiny' types occur almost every minute.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. A.1 and 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

Statement 1 is false because tectonic earthquakes, not collapse earthquakes, are the most common type. Earthquakes are grouped by cause: tectonic (sliding of rocks along a fault), volcanic, collapse (the roofs of underground mines or caverns falling in), explosion (from nuclear or chemical blasts) and reservoir-induced.

Q1192.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2016, GKMedium

With reference to earthquakes, which of the following statements are correct?

1. Earthquakes largely occur along the converging plate boundaries.

2. Point of origin of earthquake in lithosphere is known as focus/hypocentre.

3. Intensity of earthquake decreases with distance from the epicentre.

4. Epicentre of earthquake always remains over continents only.

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.1 and 4
Show answer
Correct answer: B. 1, 2 and 3

The first three statements are true, while statement 4 is false because many earthquakes have their epicentre under the sea.

Q1193.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2017, GKEasy

'Plum Pudding Model' for an atom was proposed by

  1. A.Antoine Lavoisier
  2. B.Robert Boyle
  3. C.Ernest Rutherford
  4. D.J. J. Thomson
Show answer
Correct answer: D. J. J. Thomson

Thomson proposed in 1904 that an atom is a sphere of positive charge with electrons embedded in it, like plums in a pudding or seeds in a watermelon.

Q1195.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2018, GKEasy

In which one of the following physiological processes, excess water escapes in the form of droplets from a plant?

  1. A.Transpiration
  2. B.Guttation
  3. C.Secretion
  4. D.Excretion
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Guttation

Guttation is the loss of water in the form of liquid droplets from the edges and tips of leaves. Guttation happens mostly at night or early in the morning, when the soil is moist and the air is humid, so transpiration is slow.

Q1196.Indian States & UTsAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2019, GKEasy

Pakyong Airport is located in

  1. A.Sikkim
  2. B.Jammu and Kashmir
  3. C.Arunachal Pradesh
  4. D.Mizoram
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Sikkim

Pakyong Airport, near Gangtok in the Pakyong district of Sikkim, is the first and only airport of the state. The airport was built by the Airports Authority of India and inaugurated by the Prime Minister in September 2018, with commercial flights starting in October 2018.

Q1199.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2021, GKEasy

National Disaster Management Authority is headed by

  1. A.the Prime Minister.
  2. B.the Home Minister.
  3. C.the President.
  4. D.the Health Minister.
Show answer
Correct answer: A. the Prime Minister.

Under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the Prime Minister is the ex officio chairperson of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

Q1200.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2022, GKMedium

What were Manigramam and Nanadesi in early medieval India?

  1. A.Cluster of non-revenue paying villages
  2. B.Village-level community groups
  3. C.Guilds of Indian merchants
  4. D.Literary societies in the capital towns
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Guilds of Indian merchants

Manigramam and Nanadesi were powerful trade guilds of south India in the early medieval period. In the age of the Pallavas, Cholas and later Chalukyas, merchants organised themselves into guilds that ran long-distance and overseas trade.

All Defence previous year questions