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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

Q1481.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2021, GKMedium

In 1911, who among the following introduced a bill in the Imperial Legislative Council for introduction of compulsory and free primary education in India?

  1. A.Dadabhai Naoroji
  2. B.Bal Gangadhar Tilak
  3. C.Sir Harcourt Butler
  4. D.Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Gopal Krishna Gokhale

Gokhale moved the Elementary Education Bill in the Imperial Legislative Council in 1911 to make primary education free and compulsory.

Q1485.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2023, GKEasy

Consider the following statements about the microphone and the speaker of a mobile phone: 1. The microphone converts sound to a mechanical signal. 2. The microphone converts sound to an electrical signal. 3. The speaker converts a mechanical signal to sound. 4. The speaker converts an electrical signal to sound. Which of the statements given above are correct?

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

A microphone turns sound into an electrical signal, and a speaker turns an electrical signal back into sound. Both are transducers, devices that change energy from one form to another.

Q1486.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2023, GKMedium

Which one of the following equations is the balanced chemical equation for the given reaction? Fe + H2O → Fe3O4 + H2

  1. A.Fe + 4H2O → Fe3O4 + H2
  2. B.3Fe + H2O → Fe3O4 + 2H2
  3. C.3Fe + 4H2O → Fe3O4 + 4H2
  4. D.3Fe + 4H2O → Fe3O4 + H2
Show answer
Correct answer: C. 3Fe + 4H2O → Fe3O4 + 4H2

Only this equation has the same number of iron, hydrogen and oxygen atoms on both sides. Iron reacts with steam to form iron(II,III) oxide and hydrogen gas.

Q1488.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2024, GKEasy

Which organelle in animal cells can digest foreign materials?

  1. A.Endoplasmic reticulum
  2. B.Lysosome
  3. C.Golgi body
  4. D.Mitochondria
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Lysosome

Lysosomes are membrane-bound sacs of digestive enzymes that break down foreign material such as bacteria and worn-out cell parts. Lysosomes are formed by the Golgi apparatus and contain hydrolytic enzymes that work in an acidic interior.

Q1489.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2025, GKEasy

Which of the following statements with reference to Humus is/are correct? 1. It is a dark coloured amorphous substance. 2. Being colloidal in nature, it serves as a reservoir of nutrients. Select the answer using the code given below:

  1. A.1 only
  2. B.2 only
  3. C.Both 1 and 2
  4. D.Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Both 1 and 2

Humus is the dark, amorphous organic matter of soil, and its colloidal nature lets it hold nutrients and water for plants.

Q1490.Indian EconomyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2025, GKMedium

Which of the following criteria are specified for granting Special Category Status to States in India? 1. Hilly and difficult terrain 2. Economic and infrastructural backwardness 3. Strategic coastal zone 4. Sizeable share of tribal population Select the answer using the code given below:

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

Hilly terrain, economic backwardness and a sizeable tribal population are criteria; the strategic factor is location along international borders, not a coastal zone.

Q1491.Environment & EcologyAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2026, GKEasy

Consider the following statements with reference to manure and organic farming: 1. Vermicompost is rich in organic matter and nutrients. 2. Biofertilizers and bio-pesticides are not used in organic farming. 3. Crop rotation is beneficial in controlling insects, pests and weeds. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Vermicompost is a nutrient-rich organic manure and crop rotation helps control pests and weeds, but organic farming does use biofertilizers and bio-pesticides.

Q1492.Indian PolityAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2026, GKHard

As regards the 'disqualification on ground of defection' as per the Constitution of India, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Disqualification on ground of defection does not apply to any nominated member of a House 2. Disqualification on ground of defection does not apply to a member of a House if she/he does not accept the merger of her/his original political party into another and opts to function as a separate group Select the answer using the code given below:

  1. A.1 only
  2. B.2 only
  3. C.Both 1 and 2
  4. D.Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Correct answer: B. 2 only

The Tenth Schedule covers nominated members too, but its merger exception protects a member who refuses a merger and sits as a separate group.

Q1494.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2020, GKMedium

Which one of the following is not a property of the X-rays?

  1. A.They are deflected by electric fields.
  2. B.They are not deflected by magnetic fields.
  3. C.They have high penetration length in matter.
  4. D.Their wavelength is much smaller than that of visible light.
Show answer
Correct answer: A. They are deflected by electric fields.

X-rays are electromagnetic waves with no electric charge, so electric fields cannot deflect them. X-rays were discovered by Wilhelm Röntgen in 1895, who won the first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901 for it.

Q1497.Environment & EcologyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2021, GKEasy

Which of the following limits the number of trophic levels in a food chain ?

  1. A.Deficient food supply
  2. B.Polluted air
  3. C.Decrease in the available energy at higher trophic levels
  4. D.Parasitic organisms
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Decrease in the available energy at higher trophic levels

Energy shrinks sharply at each step of a food chain, so after a few levels too little is left to support another level of consumers.

Q1498.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2022, GKMedium

Which one of the following is not an example of an oxidation reaction ?

  1. A.The taste of butter changes if left for a longer period
  2. B.A white substance is formed when an aqueous solution of barium chloride is mixed with sodium sulphate solution
  3. C.A reddish-brown powder gets coated on articles made of iron
  4. D.Wine gets sour with time
Show answer
Correct answer: B. A white substance is formed when an aqueous solution of barium chloride is mixed with sodium sulphate solution

This is a double displacement (precipitation) reaction, in which no element gains oxygen or loses electrons. When the two solutions are mixed, the ions swap partners: BaCl2 + Na2SO4 → BaSO4 + 2NaCl.

Q1499.Indian EconomyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2022, GKEasy

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has revised the base year index of Eight Core Industries having a combined weight of about 40.27 percent in the Index of Industrial Production. Which one of the following is not one of the Eight Core Industries ?

  1. A.Coal
  2. B.Refinery products
  3. C.Rubber products
  4. D.Cement
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Rubber products

Rubber products are not among the Eight Core Industries tracked by the Index of Eight Core Industries.

All Defence previous year questions