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UPSC CAPF GK Questions 2026

Static general knowledge fills most of Paper-I in UPSC CAPF. Of the six areas the CAPF (ACs) 2026 notice lists for General Ability and Intelligence, four are static: General Science; Indian Polity and Economy; History of India; and Indian and World Geography. The notice's wording shows the depth expected. Polity covers the political system and the Constitution of India, social systems, public administration, security issues and human rights with their indicators. Economy covers economic development in India. History covers social, economic and political aspects, including the growth of nationalism and the freedom movement. Geography covers physical, social and economic aspects of India and the world. General Science asks about everyday scientific phenomena and new areas such as Information Technology, Biotechnology and Environmental Science. This page holds GK24's topic-wise GK notes for UPSC CAPF, in English and Hindi, written as short facts and tables so that a topic can be revised in one sitting: Indian Polity, Indian History, Geography, Indian Economy, General Science, Environment and Ecology, Computer, and Art and Culture. The same notes serve Paper-II, whose essay part suggests modern Indian history, the freedom struggle, geography, polity and economy as topics. Read one topic at a time, then solve its quiz and the CAPF previous-year questions on this site to check what you have retained. General Mental Ability, the sixth area, is reasoning and arithmetic, and needs separate practice.

UPSC CAPF GK Questions with Answers

Q1241.Static GKAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2026, GKEasy

Which of the following countries were the founding members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), established in 1985 ? 1. India 2. Nepal 3. Maldives 4. Afghanistan Select the answer using the codes given below :

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

India, Nepal and the Maldives signed the SAARC Charter in 1985, while Afghanistan joined only in 2007. SAARC was set up at the Dhaka summit on 8 December 1985 by seven South Asian countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Q1243.NationalHard

Which statement about the Union Home Minister’s Ludhiana address is correct?

  1. A.He asked people to report the drug trade on the Narcotics Control Bureau’s toll-free helpline
  2. B.He announced a new central police force for Punjab
  3. C.He said all three murder cases were already with the CBI
  4. D.He announced a financial package for Ludhiana’s Ramlila Committee
Show answer
Correct answer: A. He asked people to report the drug trade on the Narcotics Control Bureau’s toll-free helpline

The correct answer is that he asked people to report the drug trade on the Narcotics Control Bureau’s toll-free helpline, saying that the government would act on the information the public provided.

Q1244.NationalMedium

At the Ludhiana Vijayadashami event attended by the Union Home Minister, the effigy of Ravana that was burnt symbolised what?

  1. A.Chitta, that is drugs
  2. B.Corruption in public offices
  3. C.Stubble burning
  4. D.Illegal migration
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Chitta, that is drugs

The effigy burnt by Amit Shah at Ludhiana on 20 October 2026 was described as the symbolic Ravana of chitta, which let the festival’s central idea, the victory of good over evil, carry a message about the drug trade in Punjab.

Q1245.NationalEasy

By which date did Union Home Minister Amit Shah say Punjab would be freed of the drug trade?

  1. A.31 December 2027
  2. B.31 December 2029
  3. C.15 August 2030
  4. D.26 January 2028
Show answer
Correct answer: B. 31 December 2029

Speaking at the Vijayadashami festival in Ludhiana on 20 October 2026, the Union Home Minister said the resolve taken that day was to free the whole of Punjab from the drug trade by that date and to make the state drug-free, and he described it as the greatest tribute possible…

Q1246.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2024, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to Union Budget, consider the following statements : 1. The Union Finance Minister on behalf of the Prime Minister lays the Annual Financial Statement before both the Houses of Parliament. 2. At the Union level, no demand for a grant can be made except on the recommendation of the President 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: B. 2 only

Demands for grants need the President's recommendation, but the Budget is laid on behalf of the President, not the Prime Minister.

Q1247.Static GKAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to the role of UN-Habitat in the United Nations programme working towards a better urban future, which of the statements is/are correct ? 1. UN-Habitat has been mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities to provide adequate shelter for all. 2. Its partners are either governments or local urban authorities only. 3. UN-Habitat contributes to the overall objective of the United Nations system to reduce poverty and to promote access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. Select the correct answer using the code given below :

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

UN-Habitat has a General Assembly mandate for sustainable cities and shelter, and it works on poverty, water and sanitation, but its partners are not limited to governments.

Q1248.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2019, GS Paper IHard

As per the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 in India, which one of the following statements is correct?

  1. A.Waste generator has to segregate waste into five categories.
  2. B.The Rules are applicable to notified urban local bodies, notified towns and all industrial townships only.
  3. C.The Rules provide for exact and elaborate criteria for the identification of sites for landfills and waste processing facilities.
  4. D.It is mandatory on the part of waste generator that the waste generated in one district cannot be moved to another district.
Show answer
Correct answer: C. The Rules provide for exact and elaborate criteria for the identification of sites for landfills and waste processing facilities.

The 2016 Rules set out detailed criteria for choosing sites for landfills and waste processing facilities. The Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, framed under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, replaced the Municipal Solid Wastes Rules of 2000.

Q1249.General ScienceAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to recent developments regarding 'Recombinant Vector Vaccines', consider the following statements : 1. Genetic engineering is applied in the development of these vaccines. 2. Bacteria and viruses are used as vectors. 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

Recombinant vector vaccines are made by genetic engineering, and both viruses and bacteria serve as their vectors. In a recombinant vector vaccine, scientists take a harmless or weakened carrier, the vector, and insert into it the gene for an antigen of the disease-causing germ.

Q1250.Science & TechnologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2023, GS Paper IMedium

'Aerial metagenomics' best refers to which one of the following situations?

  1. A.Collecting DNA samples from air in a habitat at one go
  2. B.Understanding the genetic makeup of avian species of a habitat
  3. C.Using air-borne devices to collect blood samples from moving animals
  4. D.Sending drones to inaccessible areas to collect plant and animal samples from land surfaces and water bodies
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Collecting DNA samples from air in a habitat at one go

Aerial metagenomics reads all the DNA floating in the air of a place together. Every living thing sheds traces of DNA through skin cells, hair, pollen, spores and droppings, and this environmental DNA, or eDNA, drifts in the air.

Q1251.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2024, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements : 1. It is the Governor of the State who recognizes and declares any community of that State as a Scheduled Tribe. 2. A community declared as a Scheduled Tribe in a State need not be so in another State. 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

The President, not the Governor, specifies Scheduled Tribes, and the list is made state by state.

Q1252.Science & TechnologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2025, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to India's defence, consider the following pairs : Aircraft type — Description I. Dornier-228 : Maritime patrol aircraft II. IL-76 : Supersonic combat aircraft III. C-17 Globemaster III : Military transport aircraft How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

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

Pairs I and III are correct; the IL-76 is a heavy transport aircraft, not a supersonic fighter.

Q1253.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2018, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements : 1. The Earth's magnetic field has reversed every few hundred thousand years. 2. When the Earth was created more than 4000 million years ago, there was 54% oxygen and no carbon dioxide. 3. When living organisms originated, they modified the early atmosphere of the Earth. 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

The magnetic field has flipped many times and life changed the early air, but the young Earth had almost no free oxygen.

Q1254.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2019, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements : The Environment Protection Act, 1986 empowers the Government of India to 1. state the requirement of public participation in the process of environmental protection, and the procedure and manner in which it is sought 2. lay down the standards for emission or discharge of environmental pollutants from various sources 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

The Act empowers the Centre to set emission and discharge standards, but it says nothing about public participation. The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 was passed after the Bhopal gas tragedy as an umbrella law under Article 253, to give effect to the decisions of the 1972 Stockholm Conference.

Q1255.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2020, GS Paper IHard

With reference to the current trends in the cultivation of sugarcane in India, consider the following statements : 1. A substantial saving in seed material is made when 'bud chip settlings' are raised in a nursery and transplanted in the main field. 2. When direct planting of setts is done, the germination percentage is better with single-budded setts as compared to setts with many buds. 3. If bad weather conditions prevail when setts are directly planted, single-budded setts have better survival as compared to large setts. 4. Sugarcane can be cultivated using settlings prepared from tissue culture. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Bud chip nurseries save seed cane and tissue-culture settlings are used, but single-bud setts do worse than larger setts when planted directly.

Q1256.General ScienceAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IHard

Consider the following statements : 1. Moringa (drumstick tree) is a leguminous evergreen tree. 2. Tamarind tree is endemic to South Asia. 3. In India, most of the tamarind is collected as minor forest produce. 4. India exports tamarind and seeds of moringa. 5. Seeds of moringa and tamarind can be used in the production of biofuels. Which of the statements given above are correct?

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

Moringa is not a legume and tamarind is not native to South Asia, so statements 1 and 2 are false.

Q1257.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IHard

According to Kautilya's Arthashastra, which of the following are correct ? 1. A person could be a slave as a result of a judicial punishment. 2. If a female slave bore her master a son, she was legally free. 3. If a son born to a female slave was fathered by her master, the son was entitled to the legal status of the master's son. 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: D. 1, 2 and 3

The Arthashastra records all three rules about slavery. Kautilya's Arthashastra, the treatise on statecraft linked to the Mauryan court of Chandragupta Maurya, has a section on dasas, or slaves.

Q1258.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.

Q1259.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.

Q1260.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.