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.
Which of the following radiations has the greatest penetrating power?
Gamma radiation is electromagnetic, carries no charge and no rest mass, and therefore passes through matter far more easily than charged particles; thick lead or concrete is needed to reduce it.
Read the full explanation →When a nucleus emits an alpha particle, how do its mass number and atomic number change?
An alpha particle takes away two protons and two neutrons, so the parent loses four units of mass number and two units of atomic number and becomes an element two places earlier in the periodic table; uranium-238, for instance, becomes thorium-234.
Read the full explanation →An alpha particle is identical to the nucleus of which atom?
An alpha particle consists of two protons and two neutrons bound together, which is exactly the nucleus of a helium-4 atom, so it carries a charge of plus two and a mass number of four.
Read the full explanation →Radioactivity was discovered by which scientist?
In 1896 Becquerel found that a uranium salt kept in the dark fogged a wrapped photographic plate, which showed that the salt emitted its own penetrating radiation without being exposed to light.
Read the full explanation →A hydrogen bomb creates devastating explosion because of
A hydrogen bomb, also called a thermonuclear bomb, works in two steps. A fission explosion of uranium or plutonium produces the temperature of millions of degrees needed to force light nuclei together, and the fusion of those nuclei then releases far more energy than the fission stage alone.
Read the full explanation →Which radioactive isotope has a half-life of 5770 years, which is commonly used to estimate the age of organic materials such as paper and parchment?
Carbon-14 is the radioactive isotope of carbon used for radiocarbon dating, and its half-life is close to 5,700 years, which is the figure quoted in the question.
Read the full explanation →Which ancient port city did the Prime Minister name while tracing India's seafaring history?
The Prime Minister traced India's relationship with the sea from the ancient port city of Lothal to the Chola dynasty and then to the naval vision of the Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, recalling that Indian sailors and traders carried goods, ideas, stories and culture to distant lands.
Read the full explanation →Indian seafarers today form which position in the global maritime workforce?
In his message the Prime Minister said that Indian seafarers now form the second largest maritime workforce in the world, and that young Indians are earning respect across the oceans.
Read the full explanation →The Sagarmanthan: The Great Oceans Dialogue is organised by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways along with which body?
The dialogue is a thought leadership conference put together by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways together with the Observer Research Foundation, and its third edition is being held in New Delhi.
Read the full explanation →How much time has been reserved at proof ranges for proof firing of developmental projects?
The revised procedure keeps this slot free at proof ranges for proof firing of developmental projects sponsored by the Government, including those under iDEX, the Technology Development Fund and the Make route along with other ministry projects, and also for developmental projects that the indigenous defence industry has taken up…
Read the full explanation →What has replaced the arbitration provision in the revised Standard Operating Procedure?
The earlier procedure routed disagreements into arbitration, and the revised version replaces that with a simpler, industry-friendly conciliation clause so that problems faced by domestic manufacturers are settled faster, which the Ministry links to ease of doing business.
Read the full explanation →Under the revised SOP approved in October 2026, proof and testing charges have been waived for which category of projects?
The waiver of proof and testing charges for this set of projects is the central financial relief in the revised Standard Operating Procedure, and the stated reason is the promotion of self-reliance in defence.
Read the full explanation →Which sequence correctly describes the progression of India’s satellite-aided search and rescue capability?
India began with Low Earth Orbit Search and Rescue, moved on to Geostationary Search and Rescue, and is now progressing towards Medium Earth Orbit Search and Rescue.
Read the full explanation →How large is the Indian Search and Rescue Region (ISRR) reviewed at the 24th NMSAR Board Meeting?
At its twenty-fourth meeting the National Maritime Search and Rescue Board looked at how prepared the country is to run rescue operations across this whole stretch of ocean, and discussed technology integration, real-time information sharing, management of distress alerts, vessel tracking and coordination between agencies.
Read the full explanation →Where is the sea phase of the Multinational Search and Rescue Exercise SAREX-2026 being conducted?
The exercise was inaugurated by the Raksha Rajya Mantri on 7 October 2026 and the sea phase was set to be conducted off Paradip, on the Odisha coast, the next day.
Read the full explanation →Which three groups will together form the JOSH Teams?
This combination is the heart of the design, because it joins administrative leadership with the youth reach of the MY Bharat platform of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the cadet network of the Ministry of Defence.
Read the full explanation →In its first phase, the JOSH Teams initiative will be rolled out across how many districts and States?
The first phase of the squads has been planned on that scale, with the work concentrated at the block, ward and community level so that information about tuberculosis reaches people where they live and work rather than staying inside health facilities.
Read the full explanation →What does JOSH stand for in the newly launched JOSH Teams for tuberculosis elimination?
That is the expansion of the acronym used by the Union Health Ministry for the squads being launched at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, which bring Class-I Officers, MY Bharat Volunteers and NCC Cadets together for community work against tuberculosis.
Read the full explanation →Who launched FSS-1 at the ceremony in Visakhapatnam, in keeping with naval tradition?
Naval custom has a lady launch a warship, and the release records that she performed the launch in the presence of the chief guest.
Read the full explanation →What is the primary role of a Fleet Support Ship such as FSS-1?
On induction these ships will resupply warships on the move, which the Navy says will augment its Blue Water capability and significantly bolster operational logistics, strategic reach and mobility of the fleet.
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