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.
Which one of the following is not an igneous rock?
Gneiss is a metamorphic rock, formed when existing rocks are changed by great heat and pressure. Igneous rocks form when molten magma or lava cools and hardens.
Read the full explanation →Bending of shoot of a plant towards light can be referred to as
A shoot growing towards the light is moving in the direction of the stimulus, which makes it a positive tropism.
Read the full explanation →The Governor of a state may exercise discretionary powers when 1. he or she is not convinced by the advice of the Council of Ministers 2. the Constitution requires him/her to act in his/her discretion in certain matters 3. he or she is appointed as the administrator of an adjoining Union Territory Select the correct answer using the code given below :
The Governor acts in discretion only where the Constitution allows it, which includes running an adjoining Union Territory. Article 163 says the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister aids and advises the Governor, except where the Constitution requires the Governor to act in discretion.
Read the full explanation →Who among the following was known as 'Lokhitwadi'?
He wrote under the pen name 'Lokhitwadi', meaning one who speaks for the welfare of the people. Gopal Hari Deshmukh (1823–1892) was a Maharashtrian social reformer and writer.
Read the full explanation →With reference to the history of India, the 'Katapayadi system', the 'Parahita system' and the 'Drigganita system' are associated with
All three come from the Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics. Katapayadi is a way of writing numbers with letters, each consonant standing for a digit, so long astronomical tables could be memorised as verses.
Read the full explanation →In which one of the following buildings the first extant true arch is found?
The tomb in Mehrauli, Delhi, built in the late 13th century, has the earliest surviving true arch in India. A true arch is built from wedge-shaped stones (voussoirs) held in place by a keystone at the top, so it spreads weight sideways.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following organisms belongs to Coelenterata (Cnidaria)?
Both are cnidarians, simple aquatic animals with stinging cells. Members of phylum Coelenterata (Cnidaria) have radial symmetry, two body layers, a single opening that works as both mouth and anus, and stinging cells called cnidoblasts on their tentacles, used to catch prey and for defence.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. The Satavahanas ruled over parts of western India and the Deccan 2. The Satavahanas repaired and rebuilt Sudarshana Lake Select the correct answer using the code given below :
The Satavahanas ruled the Deccan and parts of western India, but the Sudarshana Lake was repaired by others.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following commissions was not associated with public services in India?
It dealt with university education, not with the public services. The University Education Commission was set up in 1948 under Dr S. Radhakrishnan, who later became the second President of India.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following statements in respect of the nature of the federal system in India is/are correct? 1. Since the States had an independent existence prior to the formation of the Federation, the Constitution of India provided for safeguards for protecting 'State rights', similar to the Constitution of the United States. 2. The residuary powers are reserved with the States under the Constitution of the United States, but these are with the Union under the Constitution of India. 3. The Constitution of India has followed the Irish Constitution in vesting the residuary powers. Select the answer using the code given below.
Only the statement about where residuary powers lie is correct. The American federation was formed by an agreement among states that already existed, so its Constitution guards 'State rights'.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following materials : 1. Agricultural residues 2. Corn grain 3. Wastewater treatment sludge 4. Wood mill waste Which of the above can be used as feedstock for producing Sustainable Aviation Fuel ?
All four materials can be turned into Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) through one or another approved conversion route. SAF is a jet fuel made from renewable or waste sources instead of crude oil, and it can be blended with ordinary aviation turbine fuel without changing aircraft engines.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements : I. It is expected that Majorana 1 chip will enable quantum computing. II. Majorana chip has been introduced by Amazon Web Services (AWS). III. Deep learning is a subset of machine learning. Which of the statements given above are correct?
Majorana 1 is a quantum computing chip, but it was unveiled by Microsoft, not AWS; and deep learning is indeed a branch of machine learning.
Read the full explanation →'India's ranking in the Ease of Doing Business Index' is sometimes seen in the news. Which of the following has declared that ranking?
The Ease of Doing Business ranking was published by the World Bank in its annual Doing Business report.
Read the full explanation →What is/are the advantage/advantages of implementing the 'National Agriculture Market' scheme ? 1. It is a pan-India electronic trading portal for agricultural commodities. 2. It provides the farmers access to nationwide market, with prices commensurate with the quality of their produce. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
e-NAM is an online trading platform for farm produce across India, and it lets farmers reach buyers beyond their local mandi at prices that reflect quality.
Read the full explanation →With reference to the election of the President of India, consider the following statements : 1. The value of the vote of each MLA varies from State to State. 2. The value of the vote of MPs of the Lok Sabha is more than the value of the vote of MPs of the Rajya Sabha. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
An MLA's vote value depends on the State's population, but every elected MP, in either House, has the same vote value.
Read the full explanation →Recently, there was a growing awareness in our country about the importance of Himalayan nettle (Girardinia diversifolia) because it is found to be a sustainable source of
The Himalayan nettle yields a strong natural fibre that can be spun and woven into cloth. Girardinia diversifolia, known as Himalayan giant nettle or allo, is a stinging shrub that grows wild in the moist forests of the Himalayas, including Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and the North-east, as well as Nepal.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following statements are correct regarding the general difference between plant and animal cells ? 1. Plant cells have cellulose cell walls whilst animal cells do not. 2. Plant cells do not have plasma membrane unlike animal cells which do. 3. Mature plant cell has one large vacuole whilst animal cell has many small vacuoles. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Plant cells have a cellulose wall and one large central vacuole, but they do have a plasma membrane, just like animal cells.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements : 1. St. Francis Xavier was one of the founding members of the Jesuit Order. 2. St. Francis Xavier died in Goa and a church is dedicated to him there. 3. The Feast of St. Francis Xavier is celebrated in Goa each year. Which of the statements given above are correct?
Francis Xavier co-founded the Jesuits and his feast is celebrated in Goa every year, but he did not die in Goa.
Read the full explanation →In which one of the following regions was Dhanyakataka, which flourished as a prominent Buddhist centre under the Mahasanghikas, located?
Dhanyakataka is the ancient Dharanikota, beside Amaravati on the Krishna river in present-day Andhra Pradesh. Dhanyakataka was a capital of the Satavahanas, who ruled the Deccan around the beginning of the Common Era, and the great Amaravati stupa stood close by.
Read the full explanation →With reference to the sectors of the Indian economy, consider the following pairs : (Economic activity) (Sector) 1. Storage of agricultural produce : Secondary 2. Dairy farm : Primary 3. Mineral exploration : Tertiary 4. Weaving cloth : Secondary How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
Dairy farming (primary) and weaving cloth (secondary) are correctly matched; storage and mineral exploration are not. The primary sector draws goods directly from nature: farming, dairy, fishing, forestry, mining and quarrying.
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