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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

Q5381.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IEasy

Which one of the following statements is correct ?

  1. A.Rights are claims of the State against the citizens.
  2. B.Rights are privileges which are incorporated in the Constitution of a State.
  3. C.Rights are claims of the citizens against the State.
  4. D.Rights are privileges of a few citizens against the many.
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Rights are claims of the citizens against the State.

A right is a claim that the individual makes and that the State recognises and is bound to respect. In political theory, rights mark out an area of freedom that the State must not enter and conditions it must secure.

Q5382.Banking & Financial AwarenessAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2018, GS Paper IEasy

Which one of the following best describes the term "Merchant Discount Rate" sometimes seen in news ?

  1. A.The incentive given by a bank to a merchant for accepting payments through debit cards pertaining to that bank.
  2. B.The amount paid back by banks to their customers when they use debit cards for financial transactions for purchasing goods or services.
  3. C.The charge to a merchant by a bank for accepting payments from his customers through the bank's debit cards.
  4. D.The incentive given by the Government to merchants for promoting digital payments by their customers through Point of Sale (PoS) machines and debit cards.
Show answer
Correct answer: C. The charge to a merchant by a bank for accepting payments from his customers through the bank's debit cards.

The Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) is the fee a bank charges a merchant for processing payments the merchant receives from customers by card.

Q5383.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2019, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following pairs :

Movement/Organization : Leader

1. All India Anti-Untouchability League : Mahatma Gandhi

2. All India Kisan Sabha : Swami Sahajanand Saraswati

3. Self-Respect Movement : E. V. Ramaswami Naicker

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

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

All three organisations are correctly paired with the leaders who founded or led them. Mahatma Gandhi founded the All India Anti-Untouchability League in September 1932, soon after the Poona Pact; it was renamed the Harijan Sevak Sangh in 1933.

Q5385.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements :

The effect of devaluation of a currency is that it necessarily

1. improves the competitiveness of the domestic exports in the foreign markets

2. increases the foreign value of domestic currency

3. improves the trade balance

Which of the above statements 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: A. 1 only

Devaluation makes domestic goods cheaper abroad, so export competitiveness improves, but it lowers the external value of the currency and does not necessarily improve the trade balance.

Q5386.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2023, GS Paper IHard

Which one of the following is the best example of repeated falls in sea level, giving rise to present-day extensive marshland?

  1. A.Bhitarkanika Mangroves
  2. B.Marakkanam Salt Pans
  3. C.Naupada Swamp
  4. D.Rann of Kutch
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Rann of Kutch

The Rann was once a shallow arm of the Arabian Sea, and as the sea withdrew from it, aided by the uplift of the land, it was left as the vast salt marsh seen today.

Q5387.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2024, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to the Himalayan rivers joining the Ganga downstream of Prayagraj from West to East, which one of the following sequences is correct ?

  1. A.Ghaghara - Gomati - Gandak - Kosi
  2. B.Gomati - Ghaghara - Gandak - Kosi
  3. C.Ghaghara - Gomati - Kosi - Gandak
  4. D.Gomati - Ghaghara - Kosi - Gandak
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Gomati - Ghaghara - Gandak - Kosi

Below Prayagraj the Ganga receives the Gomati first, then the Ghaghara, then the Gandak and finally the Kosi as it flows east.

Q5388.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2025, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements :

I. Capital receipts create a liability or cause a reduction in the assets of the Government.

II. Borrowings and disinvestment are capital receipts.

III. Interest received on loans creates a liability of the Government.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

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

Capital receipts either add to liabilities or reduce assets, and borrowings and disinvestment are typical examples; interest received is a revenue receipt.

Q5389.Art & CultureAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2026, GS Paper IHard

The Hallisalasya painting in the Bagh Caves represents :

  1. A.A joyous folk dance
  2. B.Buddha in a meditative pose
  3. C.The depiction of Shiva and Parvati on Kailasha
  4. D.Samudramanthan (Churning of the Ocean)
Show answer
Correct answer: A. A joyous folk dance

Hallisaka was a circular group dance, and the Bagh painting shows women dancing in a ring around a central figure to the music of drums and cymbals.

Q5390.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements in respect of Trade Related Analysis of Fauna and Flora in Commerce (TRAFFIC) :

1. TRAFFIC is a bureau under United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

2. The mission of TRAFFIC is to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature.

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

TRAFFIC is a non-governmental wildlife trade monitoring network, not a UNEP bureau, and its mission is the one given in statement 2.

Q5391.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2018, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements :

1. The Parliament of India can place a particular law in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution of India.

2. The validity of a law placed in the Ninth Schedule cannot be examined by any court and no judgement can be made on it.

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: A. 1 only

Parliament can add a law to the Ninth Schedule by a constitutional amendment, but such a law is not beyond judicial review.

Q5392.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2019, GS Paper IEasy

With reference to Swadeshi Movement, consider the following statements :

1. It contributed to the revival of the indigenous artisan crafts and industries.

2. The National Council of Education was established as a part of Swadeshi Movement.

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

The Swadeshi Movement against the Partition of Bengal both revived Indian crafts and industry and set up national education. The movement was formally launched on 7 August 1905 at the Calcutta Town Hall.

Q5393.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2020, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following pairs :

International agreement / set-up : Subject

1. Alma-Ata Declaration : Healthcare of the people

2. Hague Convention : Biological and chemical weapons

3. Talanoa Dialogue : Global climate change

4. Under2 Coalition : Child rights

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

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

The Alma-Ata Declaration is about primary healthcare and the Talanoa Dialogue is about climate change; the other two pairs are wrong.

Q5394.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IHard

With reference to the Indian economy, what are the advantages of "Inflation-Indexed Bonds (IIBs)"?

1. Government can reduce the coupon rates on its borrowing by way of IIBs.

2. IIBs provide protection to the investors from uncertainty regarding inflation.

3. The interest received as well as capital gains on IIBs are not taxable.

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: A. 1 and 2 only

IIBs protect investors from inflation, and because of that protection the government can borrow at a lower coupon; they carry no special tax exemption.

Q5395.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2024, GS Paper IEasy

Which of the following countries are well known as the two largest cocoa producers in the world ?

  1. A.Algeria and Morocco
  2. B.Botswana and Namibia
  3. C.Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana
  4. D.Madagascar and Mozambique
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana

These two neighbouring West African countries grow well over half of the world's cocoa. Cocoa is a tropical tree crop that needs heavy, well-spread rainfall, high humidity, temperatures of about 21 to 32 °C and shade, which is why it grows best within about 10 degrees of the Equator.

Q5396.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2025, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements :

Statement I : Circular economy reduces the emissions of greenhouse gases.

Statement II : Circular economy reduces the use of raw materials as inputs.

Statement III : Circular economy reduces wastage in the production process.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. A.Both Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them explain Statement I
  2. B.Both Statement II and Statement III are correct but only one of them explains Statement I
  3. C.Only one of the Statements II and III is correct and that explains Statement I
  4. D.Neither Statement II nor Statement III is correct
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Both Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them explain Statement I

Both Statement II and Statement III are true, and each one is a reason why a circular economy cuts greenhouse gas emissions.

Q5398.Science & TechnologyMedium

Which type of electric motor is most commonly used in modern electric cars?

  1. A.Series wound direct current motor
  2. B.Permanent magnet synchronous motor
  3. C.Single phase shaded pole motor
  4. D.Universal motor
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Permanent magnet synchronous motor

Because the rotor carries permanent magnets instead of windings that must be energised, the motor is compact, light and highly efficient over a wide range of speeds, and it gives the strong torque from rest that makes electric cars quick off the mark.

Q5399.Science & TechnologyMedium

A fuel cell electric vehicle, or FCEV, generates electricity on board from:

  1. A.Petrol burnt in a small generator
  2. B.Hydrogen combined with oxygen in a fuel cell
  3. C.Sunlight falling on body panels
  4. D.Compressed natural gas burnt in a turbine
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Hydrogen combined with oxygen in a fuel cell

A fuel cell is an electrochemical device, not an engine: hydrogen fed to the anode is split into protons and electrons, the protons cross a membrane, the electrons travel through the external circuit and do work, and at the cathode they recombine with oxygen from the air to form water.

GK Questions for sub-exams