Skip to content
GK24
Prime

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

Q1501.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2023, GKMedium

During white-washing of walls, slaked lime reacts slowly with carbon dioxide in air to form a thin layer of calcium carbonate on the walls. Which of the following reactions represents this correctly?

  1. A.CaO (s) + CO2 (g) → CaCO3 (s)
  2. B.CaO (l) + CO2 (g) → CaCO3 (s)
  3. C.Ca(OH)2 (l) + CO2 (l) → CaCO3 (s) + H2O (l)
  4. D.Ca(OH)2 (aq) + CO2 (g) → CaCO3 (s) + H2O (l)
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Ca(OH)2 (aq) + CO2 (g) → CaCO3 (s) + H2O (l)

Slaked lime is calcium hydroxide applied as a watery solution, and it takes up carbon dioxide gas from the air to form solid calcium carbonate and water.

Q1502.Science & TechnologyAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2024, GKMedium

Which one of the following statements is true for James Webb Space Telescope launched in December 2021?

  1. A.It orbits the Sun, about 15 lakh km away from the Earth.
  2. B.It orbits the Earth, about 15 lakh km away.
  3. C.It is stationary in space nearly 10 lakh km away from the Earth.
  4. D.It revolves around the Moon nearly 3-5 lakh km away from the Earth.
Show answer
Correct answer: A. It orbits the Sun, about 15 lakh km away from the Earth.

The telescope sits near the second Lagrange point (L2), about 1.5 million km from Earth, and goes round the Sun along with the Earth.

Q1504.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2025, GKMedium

Identify the type of climate on the basis of the following characteristics relating to it : I. Temperature is high throughout the year. II. Rainfall is variable with a short wet season and a longer dry season. III. Climate of Sudan and Paraguay is an example of this climate type. Select the answer using the code given below :

  1. A.Sub-tropical steppe climate
  2. B.Mid-latitude steppe
  3. C.Tropical monsoon climate
  4. D.Tropical wet and dry climate
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Tropical wet and dry climate

This is the savanna (Sudan type) climate: hot all year, with a short rainy summer and a long dry season.

Q1505.Art & CultureAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2025, GKHard

Consider the following statements : 1. Erok Sim is a festival mainly celebrated by the Santhal community. 2. Sangken is a Buddhist festival celebrated in Arunachal Pradesh. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

  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

Erok Sim is a sowing festival of the Santhals, and Sangken is the Buddhist new-year water festival of Arunachal Pradesh.

Q1507.Indian States & UTsAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2026, GKMedium

Which of the following statements is/are correct with respect to the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu? 1. The merger of the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu was given effect to by an Act of the Parliament of India 2. After the merger of the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, three seats have been allocated in the House of People 3. The jurisdiction of the High Court of Bombay continues to extend to this Union Territory Select the answer using the code given below:

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

The merger was made by an Act of Parliament and the Bombay High Court still has jurisdiction, but the merged UT has two Lok Sabha seats, not three.

Q1508.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2016, GKEasy

Which one of the following is the largest source of electricity in India?

  1. A.Hydropower plants
  2. B.Nuclear power plants
  3. C.Thermal power plants
  4. D.Wind energy
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Thermal power plants

Coal-based thermal plants produce the largest share of India's electricity, roughly three-fourths of the power generated. A thermal power plant burns a fuel, mostly coal and to a smaller extent gas or lignite, to boil water into steam that turns a turbine.

Q1509.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2017, GKEasy

AIDS is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The transmission of HIV infection generally occurs through

  1. A.eating contaminated food and water
  2. B.transfusion of contaminated blood and blood products
  3. C.inhaling polluted air
  4. D.shaking hand with infected person
Show answer
Correct answer: B. transfusion of contaminated blood and blood products

HIV spreads through body fluids such as blood, so a transfusion of infected blood passes the virus directly into the bloodstream.

Q1510.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2018, GKEasy

Why is argon gas used along with tungsten wire in an electric bulb?

  1. A.To increase the life of the bulb
  2. B.To reduce the consumption of electricity
  3. C.To make the emitted light colored
  4. D.To reduce the cost of the bulb
Show answer
Correct answer: A. To increase the life of the bulb

Argon is an inert gas, so it does not react with the white-hot tungsten filament and slows its evaporation, which makes the bulb last longer.

Q1512.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2019, GKHard

The Limitation Law, which was passed by the British in 1859, addressed which one of the following issues?

  1. A.Loan bonds would not have any legal validity.
  2. B.Loan bonds signed between money-lender and Ryots would have validity only for three years.
  3. C.Land bonds could not be executed by moneylenders.
  4. D.Loan bonds would have validity for ten years.
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Loan bonds signed between money-lender and Ryots would have validity only for three years.

The Limitation Law of 1859 was meant to stop debts from piling up over many years. In the Deccan, ryots borrowed from moneylenders (sahukars) and signed bonds.

Q1514.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2021, GKMedium

Which one of the following statements about the Gandhi-Irwin Pact of 1931 is correct ?

  1. A.The Government would not release those prisoners who had been non-violent.
  2. B.The Government would not release those prisoners who had indulged in the peaceful picketing of liquor and foreign cloth shops.
  3. C.The Congress did not agree to the suspension of the Civil Disobedience Movement.
  4. D.The Congress agreed to take part in the Second Round Table Conference.
Show answer
Correct answer: D. The Congress agreed to take part in the Second Round Table Conference.

Under the pact, signed on 5 March 1931, Congress agreed to attend the next conference in London, and Gandhi went as its sole representative.

Q1515.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2021, GKEasy

What are the constituents of alloy solder ?

  1. A.Pb and Zn
  2. B.Pb and Sn
  3. C.Pb and Si
  4. D.Pb and Co
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Pb and Sn

Common solder is an alloy of lead (Pb) and tin (Sn), often in a ratio close to 40:60. Solder is used to join metal parts, especially wires and components in electrical circuits.

Q1516.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2022, GKEasy

What happens to the gravitational force between two objects if the mass of one object is doubled and the distance between them is also doubled?

  1. A.The force would remain the same
  2. B.The force would be doubled
  3. C.The force would be halved
  4. D.The force would increase by a factor of 4
Show answer
Correct answer: C. The force would be halved

Doubling one mass doubles the force, while doubling the distance cuts it to one-fourth, so the net result is 2 × 1/4 = 1/2.

Q1517.Indian EconomyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2022, GKEasy

Which one of the following statements about Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) is not correct ?

  1. A.NBFCs cannot accept demand deposits.
  2. B.NBFCs cannot give loans.
  3. C.NBFCs cannot issue cheques drawn on themselves.
  4. D.NBFCs cannot offer deposit insurance facility of Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation.
Show answer
Correct answer: B. NBFCs cannot give loans.

This statement is false, because lending and advancing loans is the main business of most NBFCs. A Non-Banking Financial Company is a company registered under the Companies Act whose principal business is loans and advances, buying shares and securities, leasing, hire-purchase, insurance or chit funds.

Q1518.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2023, GKEasy

The blood pressure of a normal human being is found to be 120/80 mmHg. These 'numbers' represent the blood pressure at

  1. A.ventricular contraction and ventricular relaxation, respectively
  2. B.ventricular relaxation and ventricular contraction, respectively
  3. C.auricular contraction and auricular relaxation, respectively
  4. D.ventricular contraction and auricular contraction, respectively
Show answer
Correct answer: A. ventricular contraction and ventricular relaxation, respectively

120 mmHg is the systolic pressure when the ventricles contract, and 80 mmHg is the diastolic pressure when they relax.

All Defence previous year questions