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UPSC Civil Services GK Questions 2026

Static general knowledge is six of the seven lines of the General Studies Paper-I syllabus in the UPSC CSE notice: History of India and the Indian National Movement; Indian and World Geography; Indian Polity and Governance; Economic and Social Development; Environmental Ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change; and General Science. The Commission tests understanding rather than recall, through statements to be judged correct or incorrect, pairs to be matched and assertion-reason items, and it likes the edges of a topic: a lesser-known provision of the Constitution, a river's tributary, a species' conservation status, the mandate of a statutory body. This page holds GK24's topic-wise GK notes for UPSC, written as short facts and tables, in English and Hindi, with each note linked to the current affairs and previous-year questions on the same topic. Start with Polity and Modern History, which carry the most questions, then Geography, the Economy, Environment, Ancient and Medieval culture and Science. Read a note, solve its PYQs, take its quiz, and come back to it in your monthly revision. A candidate who knows these notes and reads the daily current affairs has covered the syllabus the notice prescribes for Paper-I.

UPSC Civil Services GK Questions with Answers

Q2581.Environment & EcologyAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2024, GATMedium

Identify the land biome on the basis of the given characteristics : 1. Their climates are characterised by high rainfall and temperatures that vary from cold to mild. 2. These forests contain primarily deciduous trees - including maple, oak, hickory and beechwood. 3. Raccoons, opossums, bats and squirrels are found in the trees. Select the correct land biome from the options given below :

  1. A.Tropical forest
  2. B.Temperate forest
  3. C.Boreal forest
  4. D.Mediterranean forest
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Temperate forest

Mild to cold seasons, good rainfall, broad-leaved deciduous trees like maple and oak, and animals like raccoons and squirrels mark the temperate deciduous forest.

Q2582.GeographyAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2025, GATHard

Which of the following statements with reference to shadow zones in an event of an earthquake is/are correct ? 1. Zone between 105° and 145° from epicentre was identified as the shadow zone for both P-waves and S-waves 2. The shadow zone of P-waves is much larger than that of the S-waves Select the answer using the code given below:

  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

The band between 105° and 145° from the epicentre receives neither P-waves nor S-waves, but it is the S-wave shadow zone that is much larger, so statement 2 is wrong.

Q2583.Environment & EcologyAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2026, GATHard

Consider the following critical minerals : I. Neodymium II. Tellurium III. Dysprosium IV. Gallium Which of the above minerals are not used for the production of photovoltaic cells used in solar panels?

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

Neodymium and dysprosium are rare earth elements used mainly in strong permanent magnets, not in solar cells, while tellurium and gallium are used in photovoltaic cells.

Q2584.GeographyAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2018, GATEasy

Which of the following statements about Ring of Fire is/are correct ? 1. It is a zone of convergence plate boundaries 2. It is an active seismic and volcanic zone 3. It is associated with deep trench Select the correct answer using the code given below :

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

The Ring of Fire around the Pacific is a belt of convergent plate boundaries, full of active volcanoes and earthquakes and lined by deep ocean trenches.

Q2589.Indian HistoryAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2023, GATHard

Which one of the following statements about Rabatak inscription is not correct ?

  1. A.It throws important light on Kushana genealogy.
  2. B.It refers to Kanishka as 'a king of kings and a son of God'.
  3. C.The 23-line inscription is written in Gandhari language.
  4. D.It mentions names of States which were part of Kanishka's empire.
Show answer
Correct answer: C. The 23-line inscription is written in Gandhari language.

The Rabatak inscription is written in the Bactrian language using the Greek script, not in Gandhari. The inscription was found in 1993 at Rabatak in northern Afghanistan.

Q2590.Indian HistoryAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2023, GATHard

Consider the following statements : 1. Terracotta models of the plough have been found at sites in Cholistan and at Banawali (Haryana). 2. There is evidence of a ploughed field at Kalibangan associated with the mature phase of the Harappan civilization. 3. The ploughed field at Kalibangan had two sets of furrows crossing at right angles to each other suggesting two different crops were grown together in it. Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. A.1, 2 and 3
  2. B.2 and 3 only
  3. C.1 and 3 only
  4. D.None of the above
Show answer
Correct answer: C. 1 and 3 only

The ploughed field at Kalibangan belongs to the Early Harappan levels, not the mature phase, so statement 2 is wrong.

Q2591.GeographyAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2024, GATMedium

Which of the following statements regarding tropical cyclones is/are correct ? 1. These storms develop during the summer and autumn in every tropical ocean except the South Atlantic and eastern South Pacific Oceans. 2. Tropical cyclones that occur in the North Atlantic and eastern North Pacific Oceans are known as typhoons. 3. Tropical cyclones that occur in the Indian and South Pacific Oceans are called cyclones. Select the answer using the code given below :

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

Tropical cyclones of the North Atlantic and eastern North Pacific are called hurricanes, not typhoons, so statement 2 is wrong.

Q2592.GeographyAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2025, GATEasy

Which of the following statements is/are correct ? 1. Oceanic trenches are very significant in the study of plate movements 2. Oceanic trenches are associated with active volcanoes and strong earthquakes Select the answer using the code given below:

  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

Oceanic trenches mark the places where one plate sinks beneath another, so they are key evidence for plate movement and are lined by volcanoes and earthquakes.

Q2593.GeographyAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2026, GATEasy

Consider the following statements regarding hypocentre : I. It is the point where the energy is released and is called the focus of an earthquake. II. It is the point where the earthquake starts and may be many kilometers deep within the Earth. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A.I only
  2. B.II only
  3. C.Both I and II
  4. D.Neither I nor II
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Both I and II

The hypocentre, also called the focus, is the point inside the Earth where the rupture begins and the stored energy is released.

Q2594.GeographyAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2026, GATMedium

Consider the following statements with regard to igneous rocks : I. These rocks cannot be changed into metamorphic rocks. II. When molten material is cooled slowly at great depths, mineral grains tend to be very small. III. These rocks are known as primary rocks. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

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

Igneous rocks are called primary rocks, but they can be changed into metamorphic rocks, and slow cooling gives large grains, not small ones.

Q2595.Summits & ConferencesMedium

The report 'Moving Towards Effective City Governance' has been prepared by NITI Aayog along with which ministry?

  1. A.Ministry of Home Affairs
  2. B.Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
  3. C.Ministry of Panchayati Raj
  4. D.Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

Rajiv Gauba referred to Moving Towards Effective City Governance as a report developed jointly by NITI Aayog and that ministry, and he used its recommendations as the backbone of his address: directly elected mayors with terms of five years, a Mayor-in-Council system, municipal elections held on time, and the devolution…

Q2597.Summits & ConferencesMedium

How many functions did NITI Aayog ask States to devolve to urban local bodies in line with the 74th Amendment?

  1. A.11
  2. B.15
  3. C.18
  4. D.29
Show answer
Correct answer: C. 18

Drawing on the report Moving Towards Effective City Governance, prepared jointly by NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Rajiv Gauba said States must devolve all 18 functions to urban local bodies in line with the 74th Amendment, naming master planning, water supply, fire services and traffic…

Q2598.Summits & ConferencesEasy

India's urban population is projected to rise from about 50 crore at present to how many by 2050?

  1. A.65 crore
  2. B.75 crore
  3. C.85 crore
  4. D.95 crore
Show answer
Correct answer: C. 85 crore

Addressing the closing session of the 2nd National Urban Conclave, Rajiv Gauba, Member of NITI Aayog, said that nearly half of all Indians are expected to be living in urban areas by 2050, and that the urban population would therefore climb from roughly 50 crore at present to 85 crore.

Q2600.Indian EconomyAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2020, GKMedium

Which of the following are considered to be the four pillars of human development?

  1. A.Equity, inclusion, productivity and empowerment
  2. B.Equity, productivity, empowerment and sustainability
  3. C.Productivity, gender, inclusion and equity
  4. D.Labour, productivity, inclusion and equity
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Equity, productivity, empowerment and sustainability

These are the four pillars of human development set out by the economist Mahbub ul Haq, who led the team that prepared the first Human Development Report for the UNDP in 1990, working closely with Amartya Sen.