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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

Q4522.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements :

1. The Factories Act, 1881 was passed with a view to fix the wages of industrial workers and to allow the workers to form trade unions.

2. N.M. Lokhande was a pioneer in organizing the labour movement in British India.

Which of the above statements 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

Only statement 2 is right: Narayan Meghaji Lokhande is regarded as the father of the labour movement in India. Lokhande, an associate of Jyotirao Phule, organised the textile mill workers of Bombay and in 1890 founded the Bombay Mill Hands Association, often called India's first labour organisation.

Q4523.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2019, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements :

1. Asiatic lion is naturally found in India only.

2. Double-humped camel is naturally found in India only.

3. One-horned rhinoceros is naturally found in India only.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Only the Asiatic lion survives in the wild in India alone, in the Gir landscape of Gujarat. The Asiatic lion once ranged from West Asia to central India, but today its only wild population lives in and around Gir National Park and the nearby districts of Saurashtra in Gujarat.

Q4526.General ScienceAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2024, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs), consider the following statements :

1. RTGs are miniature fission reactors.

2. RTGs are used for powering the onboard systems of spacecrafts.

3. RTGs can use Plutonium-238, which is a by-product of weapons development.

Which of the statements given above are 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: B. 2 and 3 only

RTGs power spacecraft using heat from the natural decay of plutonium-238; they are not reactors and involve no fission. In an RTG, a radioactive isotope gives off heat as it decays on its own.

Q4527.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2016, GS Paper IMedium

The FAO accords the status of 'Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS)' to traditional agricultural systems. What is the overall goal of this initiative?

1. To provide modern technology, training in modern farming methods and financial support to local communities of identified GIAHS so as to greatly enhance their agricultural productivity

2. To identify and safeguard eco-friendly traditional farm practices and their associated landscapes, agricultural biodiversity and knowledge systems of the local communities

3. To provide Geographical Indication status to all the varieties of agricultural produce in such identified GIAHS

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

GIAHS exists to identify and safeguard traditional farming systems together with their landscapes, agrobiodiversity and local knowledge. The Food and Agriculture Organization launched the GIAHS programme in 2002, at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.

Q4528.Art & CultureAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2018, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following pairs :

Tradition — State

1. Chapchar Kut festival — Mizoram

2. Khongjom Parba ballad — Manipur

3. Thang-Ta dance — Sikkim

Which of the pairs given above is/are correct ?

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

Chapchar Kut belongs to Mizoram and Khongjom Parba to Manipur, but Thang-Ta is from Manipur, not Sikkim. Chapchar Kut is the spring festival of the Mizos, held in March after the bamboo and forest are cut and left to dry for jhum cultivation; Cheraw, the bamboo dance, is its highlight.

Q4529.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2019, GS Paper IMedium

Which one of the following groups of plants was domesticated in the 'New World' and introduced into the 'Old World'?

  1. A.Tobacco, cocoa and rubber
  2. B.Tobacco, cotton and rubber
  3. C.Cotton, coffee and sugarcane
  4. D.Rubber, coffee and wheat
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Tobacco, cocoa and rubber

Tobacco, cocoa and rubber all come from the Americas and spread to Asia, Africa and Europe after Columbus. The exchange of plants and animals between the Americas (New World) and Afro-Eurasia (Old World) after 1492 is called the Columbian Exchange.

Q4530.Science & TechnologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2020, GS Paper IMedium

In the context of recent advances in human reproductive technology, "Pronuclear Transfer" is used for

  1. A.fertilization of egg in vitro by the donor sperm
  2. B.genetic modification of sperm producing cells
  3. C.development of stem cells into functional embryos
  4. D.prevention of mitochondrial diseases in offspring
Show answer
Correct answer: D. prevention of mitochondrial diseases in offspring

Pronuclear transfer is a mitochondrial replacement technique that stops a mother from passing faulty mitochondria to her child. Mitochondria have their own small DNA, inherited only from the mother; defects in it cause serious muscle, heart and brain diseases.

Q4531.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IHard

Magnetite particles, suspected to cause neurodegenerative problems, are generated as environmental pollutants from which of the following?

1. Brakes of motor vehicles

2. Engines of motor vehicles

3. Microwave stoves within homes

4. Power plants

5. Telephone lines

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

Magnetite nanoparticles in polluted air come from high-temperature combustion and friction: vehicle engines, brake wear and power plants. Magnetite is an iron oxide (Fe3O4).

Q4532.General ScienceAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2024, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following :

1. Cashew

2. Papaya

3. Red sanders

How many of the above trees are actually native to India ?

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

Of the three, only red sanders is native to India; cashew and papaya were brought from the Americas. Red sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) is endemic to the southern Eastern Ghats, mainly the Seshachalam and nearby hills of Andhra Pradesh.

Q4533.Science & TechnologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IMedium

It is possible to produce algae based biofuels, but what is/are the likely limitation(s) of developing countries in promoting this industry?

1. Production of algae based biofuels is possible in seas only and not on continents.

2. Setting up and engineering the algae based biofuel production requires high level of expertise/technology until the construction is completed.

3. Economically viable production necessitates the setting up of large scale facilities which may raise ecological and social concerns.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

The real hurdles are the high technology needed to build algae plants and the very large scale they need to pay off; algae can be grown on land.

Q4534.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2019, GS Paper IEasy

On 21st June, the Sun

  1. A.does not set below the horizon at the Arctic Circle
  2. B.does not set below the horizon at Antarctic Circle
  3. C.shines vertically overhead at noon on the Equator
  4. D.shines vertically overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn
Show answer
Correct answer: A. does not set below the horizon at the Arctic Circle

21 June is the summer solstice of the Northern Hemisphere, when the North Pole is tilted towards the Sun and the whole Arctic Circle gets 24 hours of daylight.

Q4535.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2020, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to the scholars/litterateurs of ancient India, consider the following statements:

1. Panini is associated with Pushyamitra Shunga.

2. Amarasimha is associated with Harshavardhana.

3. Kalidasa is associated with Chandra Gupta - II.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Only the third pairing is right: Kalidasa is traditionally placed at the court of Chandragupta II Vikramaditya. Tradition counts Kalidasa, author of Abhijnanashakuntalam, Meghaduta and Raghuvamsha, among the nine gems (navaratnas) of King Vikramaditya, identified with the Gupta ruler Chandragupta II of the late fourth and early fifth century CE.

Q4536.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IHard

With reference to the 'New York Declaration on Forests', which of the following statements are correct?

1. It was first endorsed at the United Nations Climate Summit in 2014.

2. It endorses a global timeline to end the loss of forests.

3. It is a legally binding international declaration.

4. It is endorsed by governments, big companies and indigenous communities.

5. India was one of the signatories at its inception.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

The declaration was launched at the 2014 UN Climate Summit, sets a timeline to end forest loss and has a mixed set of endorsers, but it is voluntary and India did not sign it.

Q4538.General ScienceAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2024, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following :

1. Butterflies

2. Fish

3. Frogs

How many of the above have poisonous species among them ?

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

Each of the three groups includes species that carry toxins in their bodies to deter predators. Butterflies: the Monarch butterfly feeds as a caterpillar on milkweed and stores its bitter cardiac glycosides, so birds that eat it fall sick; its bright orange colour is a warning.

Q4539.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2026, GS Paper IEasy

Which of the following statements with regard to the arrival of Amur Falcons at Doyang Lake in Nagaland each year from Mongolia is/are correct ?

1. It showcases how sustained local conservation efforts can contribute to the arrival and protection of international migratory birds.

2. It reflects the global success of advanced tracking technologies that guide migratory birds back to their stopover sites.

3. It confirms that Amur Falcons have adapted to permanent residency in India due to favourable habitat changes.

Select the answer using the code given below :

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

The yearly return of the falcons to Doyang is a story of community conservation, not of technology or of the birds settling in India.

GK Questions for sub-exams