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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

Q2781.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2023, GS Paper IHard

Consider the following activities : 1. Spreading finely ground basalt rock on farmlands extensively 2. Increasing the alkalinity of oceans by adding lime 3. Capturing carbon dioxide released by various industries and pumping it into abandoned subterranean mines in the form of carbonated waters How many of the above activities are often considered and discussed for carbon capture and sequestration?

  1. A.Only one
  2. B.Only two
  3. C.All three
  4. D.None
Show answer
Correct answer: C. All three

Each activity is a recognised way of pulling carbon dioxide out of circulation and locking it away.

Q2782.Awards & HonoursAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2026, GS Paper IHard

X, born in the UK, was conferred the Nobel Prize in 2025. He was a professor in an American university when this prize was announced. Identify 'X':

  1. A.Michel H. Devoret
  2. B.Richard Robson
  3. C.John Clarke
  4. D.Joel Mokyr
Show answer
Correct answer: C. John Clarke

He was born in Cambridge, England, and is a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics went to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis for discovering macroscopic quantum tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit.

Q2783.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2016, GS Paper IMedium

What is/are the purpose/purposes of 'District Mineral Foundations' in India? 1. Promoting mineral exploration activities in mineral-rich districts 2. Protecting the interests of the persons affected by mining operations 3. Authorizing State Governments to issue licences for mineral exploration Select the correct answer using the code given below

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

District Mineral Foundations exist to work for the people and areas affected by mining, not to promote exploration or grant licences.

Q2784.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements : 1. In India, the Himalayas are spread over five States only. 2. Western Ghats are spread over five States only. 3. Pulicat Lake is spread over two States only. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

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

Pulicat Lake lies in two states, but the Himalayas and the Western Ghats each spread over more than five states.

Q2786.Science & TechnologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2020, GS Paper IHard

According to India's National Policy on Biofuels, which of the following can be used as raw materials for the production of biofuels ? 1. Cassava 2. Damaged wheat grains 3. Groundnut seeds 4. Horse gram 5. Rotten potatoes 6. Sugar beet Select the correct answer using the code given below:

  1. A.1, 2, 5 and 6 only
  2. B.1, 3, 4 and 6 only
  3. C.2, 3, 4 and 5 only
  4. D.1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6
Show answer
Correct answer: A. 1, 2, 5 and 6 only

The policy allows cassava, damaged wheat, rotten potatoes and sugar beet, but not groundnut seeds or horse gram. The National Policy on Biofuels, 2018 widened the raw materials for ethanol beyond sugarcane molasses.

Q2787.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to the water on the planet Earth, consider the following statements : 1. The amount of water in the rivers and lakes is more than the amount of groundwater. 2. The amount of water in polar ice caps and glaciers is more than the amount of groundwater. 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: B. 2 only

Ice caps and glaciers hold more water than groundwater, while rivers and lakes hold far less than groundwater. About 97 per cent of the Earth's water is salty ocean water, and only about 2.5 to 3 per cent is fresh.

Q2789.General ScienceAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2023, GS Paper IEasy

'Wolbachia method' is sometimes talked about with reference to which one of the following?

  1. A.Controlling the viral diseases spread by mosquitoes
  2. B.Converting crop residues into packing material
  3. C.Producing biodegradable plastics
  4. D.Producing biochar from thermo-chemical conversion of biomass
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Controlling the viral diseases spread by mosquitoes

The method uses a natural bacterium to stop mosquitoes from passing on viruses. Wolbachia is a common bacterium that lives inside the cells of many insects.

Q2790.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2021, Paper IMedium

Who among the following founded the Dharma Sabha?

  1. A.Krishna Mohan Banerjee
  2. B.Keshab Chandra Sen
  3. C.Radhakanta Deb
  4. D.Akshay Kumar Datta
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Radhakanta Deb

Raja Radhakanta Deb founded the Dharma Sabha in Calcutta in 1830 to defend orthodox Hindu customs against reformers. The Dharma Sabha was set up mainly to oppose Lord William Bentinck's regulation of 1829 that banned sati, which Raja Rammohan Roy had campaigned for.

Q2791.GeographyAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2023, Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements about rock structure: 1. Conglomerates are clastic sedimentary rocks. 2. Slate is a non-clastic sedimentary rock. 3. Granite is a plutonic igneous rock. 4. Basalt is an extrusive igneous rock. Which of the statements given above are correct ?

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

Statement 2 is wrong because slate is a metamorphic rock, formed when shale is squeezed and heated, not a sedimentary rock.

Q2792.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2024, Paper IEasy

What were the main reforms undertaken under the New Economic Policy of the early 1990s ? 1. Trade liberalization 2. Public Sector Disinvestment 3. Poverty Alleviation 4. Rapid industrialization Select the answer using the code given below :

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

The New Economic Policy of 1991 rested on liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation, and trade liberalisation and public sector disinvestment were among its main measures.

Q2793.General ScienceAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2025, Paper IHard

Consider the following statements : 1. The circulation of nitrogen from the inorganic compounds in the soil to form protein in plants and animals and back again is known as the nitrogen cycle. 2. The preparation of ammonia by Haber process is an endothermic reaction. 3. Urea is synthetically made by the action of ammonia and carbon dioxide under high temperature and high pressure. Which of the statements given above is/are not correct?

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

The Haber process is exothermic, not endothermic: nitrogen and hydrogen combine to form ammonia and release heat. In the Haber process, N2 + 3H2 ⇌ 2NH3 gives out about 92 kJ for every two moles of ammonia formed.

Q2794.General ScienceAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2026, Paper IEasy

Which one of the following statements about xylem vessels in plants is not correct?

  1. A.Xylem vessels have lignified cell walls.
  2. B.Phloem sieve tubes are identical to xylem vessels in structure.
  3. C.Dead xylem vessels provide structural support to plants.
  4. D.Water is transported through xylem vessels.
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Phloem sieve tubes are identical to xylem vessels in structure.

Phloem sieve tubes are not like xylem vessels: sieve tubes are living cells with thin walls and sieve plates, while mature xylem vessels are dead, hollow tubes with thick lignified walls.

Q2795.GeographyAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2017, Paper IHard

Which one of the following is NOT a favourable condition for occurrence of a thunderstorm?

  1. A.Conditional and convective instability
  2. B.Adequate supply of moisture in the lower atmosphere
  3. C.Advection of cold dry air in the lower troposphere and warm moist air in the upper troposphere
  4. D.A synoptic situation of low level convergence and upper level divergence
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Advection of cold dry air in the lower troposphere and warm moist air in the upper troposphere

Cold dry air below and warm moist air above makes the atmosphere stable, which suppresses rising air; a thunderstorm needs the reverse, warm moist air near the ground and colder, drier air aloft.

Q2797.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2021, Paper IMedium

Initially, what was the purpose of setting up of the hill stations during the colonial period in India?

  1. A.To serve as winter capitals for the British
  2. B.To serve the needs of the British army
  3. C.To source timber from forests
  4. D.To set up sanatoria
Show answer
Correct answer: B. To serve the needs of the British army

The first hill stations grew out of military needs: cantonments for troops and places where soldiers could be kept healthy.

Q2798.General ScienceAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2026, Paper IMedium

Which one of the following effects best explains the high partial pressure of carbon dioxide causing haemoglobin to release oxygen in actively respiring tissues?

  1. A.Haldane effect
  2. B.Allee effect
  3. C.Bohr effect
  4. D.Eagle effect
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Bohr effect

The Bohr effect is the fall in haemoglobin's affinity for oxygen when carbon dioxide and acidity rise, so oxygen is unloaded where tissues need it most.

Q2799.GeographyAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2017, Paper IHard

Which one of the following statements about the Himalayas is NOT correct ?

  1. A.They are young fold mountains
  2. B.They have geosynclinal rocks
  3. C.Himalayan frontal faults (HFF) separates Himalaya from Tibet
  4. D.Indus and Sutlej rivers form antecedent drainage in Himalaya
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Himalayan frontal faults (HFF) separates Himalaya from Tibet

The Himalayan Frontal Fault lies on the southern edge of the range and separates the Himalaya from the Indo-Gangetic plains, not from Tibet.

Q2800.Static GKAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2018, Paper IEasy

In India, cars bearing black number plate with yellow lettering are

  1. A.vehicles belonging to foreign consulates
  2. B.commercial vehicles such as trucks and taxis
  3. C.commercial vehicles available on rent for self-driving
  4. D.electric vehicles
Show answer
Correct answer: C. commercial vehicles available on rent for self-driving

A black plate with yellow letters marks a vehicle registered for self-drive rental, which the customer drives without a hired driver.

GK Questions for sub-exams