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Defence GK Questions 2026

Static GK carries most of the General Knowledge marks in the defence exams, and science carries the largest share of it. In NDA & NA, Physics, Chemistry and General Science are about half of the 400 marks of Part B, and History, the freedom movement and Geography are about 20% each, as per the notice. In the CDS (II) 2026 General Knowledge paper, GK24 counted about 37 science questions, about 20 each on Polity and History, about 15 on Geography and environment and about 10 on the Economy; this count is guidance, not an official break-up. The Army's Agniveer CEE gives 15 of its 50 General Duty questions to General Knowledge and 15 to General Science, which covers cells, the human body, plants and animals and common epidemics. Its GK list names history, culture and geography of India and its neighbours, the Constitution, inventions and discoveries, books and authors, and the Indian Armed Forces. This page holds GK24's topic-wise GK notes and GK questions tagged for NDA, CDS and Agniveer, in English and Hindi: General Science, Indian History, Art and Culture, Indian Polity, Geography, Indian Economy and Static GK. Read one topic at a sitting, then solve its questions and the previous-year questions of your exam to see what stayed with you.

Defence GK Questions with Answers

Q2061.Computer AwarenessAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2025, GKEasy

Which one of the following is not a logical operator?

  1. A.NOT
  2. B.OR
  3. C.AND
  4. D.Division
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Division

Division is an arithmetic operator that works on numbers, while logical operators work on true and false values. Logical (Boolean) operators take one or more conditions that are either true (1) or false (0) and return a true or false result.

Q2062.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2026, GKMedium

Which one of the following is a Neolithic site ?

  1. A.Bhimbetka
  2. B.Utnur
  3. C.Adamgarh
  4. D.Birbhanpur
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Utnur

Utnur in present-day Andhra Pradesh is a Neolithic site of the southern Deccan, known for its ash mounds. These ash mounds formed where Neolithic cattle-keepers burnt the dung collected inside large cattle pens, and they belong to the same culture as Kupgal, Kodekal and Piklihal.

Q2063.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2016, GS Paper IHard

Consider the following pairs : Famous place — Region 1. Bodhgaya — Baghelkhand 2. Khajuraho — Bundelkhand 3. Shirdi — Vidarbha 4. Nasik (Nashik) — Malwa 5. Tirupati — Rayalaseema Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

  1. A.1, 2 and 4
  2. B.2, 3, 4 and 5
  3. C.2 and 5 only
  4. D.1, 3, 4 and 5
Show answer
Correct answer: C. 2 and 5 only

Khajuraho lies in Bundelkhand and Tirupati in Rayalaseema; the other three are placed in the wrong regions. Khajuraho, famous for its Chandela temples and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, in the Bundelkhand region the Chandelas ruled, so pair 2 is correct.

Q2064.Awards & HonoursAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IHard

Consider the following statements in respect of Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards : 1. Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards are titles under the Article 18(1) of the Constitution of India. 2. Padma Awards, which were instituted in the year 1954, were suspended only once. 3. The number of Bharat Ratna Awards is restricted to a maximum of five in a particular year. Which of the above statements are not correct?

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

All three statements are incorrect, so all three are 'not correct'. Statement 1 is wrong because in Balaji Raghavan v. Union of India (1995) the Supreme Court held that the Bharat Ratna and Padma awards are not titles within the meaning of Article 18(1), which abolishes titles; they are honours…

Q2066.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2016, GS Paper IEasy

The plan of Sir Stafford Cripps envisaged that after the Second World War

  1. A.India should be granted complete independence.
  2. B.India should be partitioned into two before granting independence
  3. C.India should be made a republic with the condition that she will join the Commonwealth
  4. D.India should be given Dominion status
Show answer
Correct answer: D. India should be given Dominion status

The Cripps Mission of March 1942 offered India Dominion status after the Second World War, not full independence. Sir Stafford Cripps, a member of Churchill's War Cabinet, came as Japan advanced in South-East Asia.

Q2067.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2018, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to agricultural soils, consider the following statements : 1. A high content of organic matter in soil drastically reduces its water holding capacity. 2. Soil does not play any role in the sulphur cycle. 3. Irrigation over a period of time can contribute to the salinization of some agricultural lands. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Only statement 3 is correct: long-term irrigation can make farmland saline, while statements 1 and 2 reverse basic facts about soil.

Q2068.Art & CultureAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to India, the terms 'Halbi, Ho and Kui' pertain to

  1. A.dance forms of Northwest India
  2. B.musical instruments
  3. C.pre-historic cave paintings
  4. D.tribal languages
Show answer
Correct answer: D. tribal languages

Halbi, Ho and Kui are languages spoken by tribal communities of central and eastern India. Halbi is an Indo-Aryan language used by the Halba tribe and as a link language among many tribes of the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh and nearby parts of Odisha and Maharashtra.

Q2069.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2016, GS Paper IMedium

What was the main reason for the split in the Indian National Congress at Surat in 1907?

  1. A.Introduction of communalism into Indian politics by Lord Minto
  2. B.Extremists' lack of faith in the capacity of the moderates to negotiate with the British Government
  3. C.Foundation of Muslim League
  4. D.Aurobindo Ghosh's inability to be elected as the President of the Indian National Congress
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Extremists' lack of faith in the capacity of the moderates to negotiate with the British Government

The Surat split of December 1907 came from a basic difference in method.

Q2070.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IEasy

What is the importance of developing Chabahar Port by India?

  1. A.India's trade with African countries will enormously increase.
  2. B.India's relations with oil-producing Arab countries will be strengthened.
  3. C.India will not depend on Pakistan for access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
  4. D.Pakistan will facilitate and protect the installation of a gas pipeline between Iraq and India.
Show answer
Correct answer: C. India will not depend on Pakistan for access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Chabahar gives India a sea-and-land route to Afghanistan and Central Asia that bypasses Pakistan. The port lies on the Makran coast of Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province, on the Gulf of Oman, outside the Strait of Hormuz.

Q2071.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2018, GS Paper IMedium

Which of the following is/are the possible consequence/s of heavy sand mining in riverbeds? 1. Decreased salinity in the river 2. Pollution of groundwater 3. Lowering of the water-table Select the correct answer using the code given below :

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

Heavy sand mining lowers the water table and exposes groundwater to pollution, but it does not reduce river salinity. Riverbed sand acts as a sponge and a filter: it stores water, recharges the aquifers along the river and cleans water as it seeps down.

Q2072.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IEasy

Constitutional government means

  1. A.a representative government of a nation with federal structure
  2. B.a government whose Head enjoys nominal powers
  3. C.a government whose Head enjoys real powers
  4. D.a government limited by the terms of the Constitution
Show answer
Correct answer: D. a government limited by the terms of the Constitution

Constitutional government means limited government: those in power can act only within the limits that the constitution lays down. The essence of constitutionalism is that state power is restrained by a higher law, so that rights are protected and authority cannot be used arbitrarily.

Q2073.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following pairs : Region often mentioned in the news — Country 1. Anatolia — Turkey 2. Amhara — Ethiopia 3. Cabo Delgado — Spain 4. Catalonia — Italy How many pairs given above are correctly matched?

  1. A.Only one pair
  2. B.Only two pairs
  3. C.Only three pairs
  4. D.All four pairs
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Only two pairs

Anatolia–Turkey and Amhara–Ethiopia are correct, while Cabo Delgado and Catalonia are paired with the wrong countries. Anatolia, also called Asia Minor, is the large peninsula between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean that forms most of Turkey's territory, so pair 1 is correct.

Q2074.Sports GKAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2023, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following pairs with regard to sports awards : 1. Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award : For the most spectacular and outstanding performance by a sportsperson over period of last four years 2. Arjuna Award : For the lifetime achievement by a sportsperson 3. Dronacharya Award : To honour eminent coaches who have successfully trained sportspersons or teams 4. Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar : To recognize the contribution made by sportspersons even after their retirement How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

  1. A.Only one
  2. B.Only two
  3. C.Only three
  4. D.All four
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Only two

Pairs 1 and 3 are correctly matched, while pairs 2 and 4 describe other awards. The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, India's highest sporting honour, is given for the most spectacular and outstanding performance by a sportsperson over the previous four years, so pair 1 is correct.

Q2075.Science & TechnologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2016, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements : The Mangalyaan launched by ISRO 1. is also called the Mars Orbiter Mission 2. made India the second country to have a spacecraft orbit the Mars after USA 3. made India the only country to be successful in making its spacecraft orbit the Mars in its very first attempt Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Mangalyaan is the popular name of ISRO's Mars Orbiter Mission, and India reached Mars orbit on its first attempt, but it was not the second country to do so.

Q2076.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IMedium

'Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA)' is sometimes seen in the news in the context of negotiations held between India and

  1. A.European Union
  2. B.Gulf Cooperation Council
  3. C.Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
  4. D.Shanghai Cooperation Organization
Show answer
Correct answer: A. European Union

The Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement was the name given to the free trade agreement that India and the European Union began negotiating in 2007.

Q2077.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2018, GS Paper IHard

Which among the following events happened earliest?

  1. A.Swami Dayanand established Arya Samaj.
  2. B.Dinabandhu Mitra wrote Neeldarpan.
  3. C.Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote Anandmath.
  4. D.Satyendranath Tagore became the first Indian to succeed in the Indian Civil Services Examination.
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Dinabandhu Mitra wrote Neeldarpan.

Neeldarpan, the Bengali play about the cruelty of European indigo planters towards the peasants of Bengal, was written by Dinabandhu Mitra in 1858–59 and published in 1860, earlier than the other three events.

Q2078.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IEasy

What was the exact constitutional status of India on 26th January, 1950?

  1. A.A Democratic Republic
  2. B.A Sovereign Democratic Republic
  3. C.A Sovereign Secular Democratic Republic
  4. D.A Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic
Show answer
Correct answer: B. A Sovereign Democratic Republic

When the Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950, its Preamble declared India a Sovereign Democratic Republic.

Q2080.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2019, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to the Constitution of India, consider the following statements : 1. No High Court shall have the jurisdiction to declare any central law to be constitutionally invalid. 2. An amendment to the Constitution of India cannot be called into question by the Supreme Court of India. 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: D. Neither 1 nor 2

Both statements deny powers of judicial review that Indian courts clearly hold. Statement 1 is wrong.

GK Questions for sub-exams