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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

Q3102.Science & TechnologyMedium

Which of the following was NOT named as a research area of the new C-DOT Centre of Excellence?

  1. A.Very large-scale MIMO systems
  2. B.Post-quantum communication
  3. C.Deep-sea mining equipment
  4. D.AI-native communication networks
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Deep-sea mining equipment

The Centre of Excellence at IIT (BHU), Varanasi has been given a brief in communication technology: wireless communications, quantum technologies, cybersecurity and communication systems driven by artificial intelligence, with advanced research in 5G Advanced and 6G technologies, very large-scale Multiple-Input Multiple-Output systems, sensing merged with communication, AI-native networks and devices…

Q3103.Science & TechnologyMedium

C-DOT, which signed the agreement for the new Centre of Excellence, works under which ministry?

  1. A.Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
  2. B.Ministry of Communications
  3. C.Ministry of Education
  4. D.Ministry of Science and Technology
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Ministry of Communications

The Centre for Development of Telematics, or C-DOT, is the research and development centre of the Department of Telecommunications, which is a department of the Ministry of Communications, and it is in that capacity that it signed the agreement for a Centre of Excellence at IIT (BHU), Varanasi.

Q3105.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2016, GS Paper IHard

Consider the following pairs : Famous place — Region 1. Bodhgaya — Baghelkhand 2. Khajuraho — Bundelkhand 3. Shirdi — Vidarbha 4. Nasik (Nashik) — Malwa 5. Tirupati — Rayalaseema Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

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

Khajuraho lies in Bundelkhand and Tirupati in Rayalaseema; the other three are placed in the wrong regions. Khajuraho, famous for its Chandela temples and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, in the Bundelkhand region the Chandelas ruled, so pair 2 is correct.

Q3106.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2018, GS Paper IHard

The Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), a UN mechanism to assist countries transition towards greener and more inclusive economies, emerged at

  1. A.The Earth Summit on Sustainable Development 2002, Johannesburg
  2. B.The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development 2012, Rio de Janeiro
  3. C.The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 2015, Paris
  4. D.The World Sustainable Development Summit 2016, New Delhi
Show answer
Correct answer: B. The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development 2012, Rio de Janeiro

PAGE was launched in 2013 as a direct response to the call made at the Rio+20 conference of June 2012, whose outcome document, 'The Future We Want', recognised the green economy as a tool for sustainable development and poverty eradication.

Q3107.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2019, GS Paper IMedium

In the context of polity, which one of the following would you accept as the most appropriate definition of liberty?

  1. A.Protection against the tyranny of political rulers
  2. B.Absence of restraint
  3. C.Opportunity to do whatever one likes
  4. D.Opportunity to develop oneself fully
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Opportunity to develop oneself fully

In political theory, and in the spirit of the Indian Constitution, liberty means positive freedom: the conditions and opportunities a person needs to develop their personality fully.

Q3108.Awards & HonoursAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IHard

Consider the following statements in respect of Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards : 1. Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards are titles under the Article 18(1) of the Constitution of India. 2. Padma Awards, which were instituted in the year 1954, were suspended only once. 3. The number of Bharat Ratna Awards is restricted to a maximum of five in a particular year. Which of the above statements are not 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

All three statements are incorrect, so all three are 'not correct'. Statement 1 is wrong because in Balaji Raghavan v. Union of India (1995) the Supreme Court held that the Bharat Ratna and Padma awards are not titles within the meaning of Article 18(1), which abolishes titles; they are honours…

Q3110.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2016, GS Paper IEasy

The plan of Sir Stafford Cripps envisaged that after the Second World War

  1. A.India should be granted complete independence.
  2. B.India should be partitioned into two before granting independence
  3. C.India should be made a republic with the condition that she will join the Commonwealth
  4. D.India should be given Dominion status
Show answer
Correct answer: D. India should be given Dominion status

The Cripps Mission of March 1942 offered India Dominion status after the Second World War, not full independence. Sir Stafford Cripps, a member of Churchill's War Cabinet, came as Japan advanced in South-East Asia.

Q3111.Science & TechnologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IHard

In India, it is legally mandatory for which of the following to report on cyber security incidents? 1. Service providers 2. Data centres 3. Body corporate Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

All three are legally bound to report cyber security incidents to CERT-In, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team. CERT-In works under Section 70B of the Information Technology Act, 2000 as the national agency for incident response.

Q3112.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2018, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to agricultural soils, consider the following statements : 1. A high content of organic matter in soil drastically reduces its water holding capacity. 2. Soil does not play any role in the sulphur cycle. 3. Irrigation over a period of time can contribute to the salinization of some agricultural lands. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Only statement 3 is correct: long-term irrigation can make farmland saline, while statements 1 and 2 reverse basic facts about soil.

Q3113.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2019, GS Paper IMedium

Among the agricultural commodities imported by India, which one of the following accounts for the highest imports in terms of value in the last five years?

  1. A.Spices
  2. B.Fresh fruits
  3. C.Pulses
  4. D.Vegetable oils
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Vegetable oils

Edible vegetable oils are India's largest agricultural import by value, and they have stayed at the top since well before this question was set.

Q3114.Art & CultureAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to India, the terms 'Halbi, Ho and Kui' pertain to

  1. A.dance forms of Northwest India
  2. B.musical instruments
  3. C.pre-historic cave paintings
  4. D.tribal languages
Show answer
Correct answer: D. tribal languages

Halbi, Ho and Kui are languages spoken by tribal communities of central and eastern India. Halbi is an Indo-Aryan language used by the Halba tribe and as a link language among many tribes of the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh and nearby parts of Odisha and Maharashtra.

Q3115.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IHard

With reference to Indian laws about wildlife protection, consider the following statements : 1. Wild animals are the sole property of the government. 2. When a wild animal is declared protected, such animal is entitled for equal protection whether it is found in protected areas or outside. 3. Apprehension of a protected wild animal becoming a danger to human life is sufficient ground for its capture or killing. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, wild animals belong to the government and a protected animal is protected everywhere, but mere fear of danger does not justify killing it.

Q3116.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2016, GS Paper IMedium

What was the main reason for the split in the Indian National Congress at Surat in 1907?

  1. A.Introduction of communalism into Indian politics by Lord Minto
  2. B.Extremists' lack of faith in the capacity of the moderates to negotiate with the British Government
  3. C.Foundation of Muslim League
  4. D.Aurobindo Ghosh's inability to be elected as the President of the Indian National Congress
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Extremists' lack of faith in the capacity of the moderates to negotiate with the British Government

The Surat split of December 1907 came from a basic difference in method.

Q3117.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IEasy

What is the importance of developing Chabahar Port by India?

  1. A.India's trade with African countries will enormously increase.
  2. B.India's relations with oil-producing Arab countries will be strengthened.
  3. C.India will not depend on Pakistan for access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
  4. D.Pakistan will facilitate and protect the installation of a gas pipeline between Iraq and India.
Show answer
Correct answer: C. India will not depend on Pakistan for access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Chabahar gives India a sea-and-land route to Afghanistan and Central Asia that bypasses Pakistan. The port lies on the Makran coast of Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province, on the Gulf of Oman, outside the Strait of Hormuz.

Q3118.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2018, GS Paper IMedium

Which of the following is/are the possible consequence/s of heavy sand mining in riverbeds? 1. Decreased salinity in the river 2. Pollution of groundwater 3. Lowering of the water-table Select the correct answer using the code given below :

  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: B. 2 and 3 only

Heavy sand mining lowers the water table and exposes groundwater to pollution, but it does not reduce river salinity. Riverbed sand acts as a sponge and a filter: it stores water, recharges the aquifers along the river and cleans water as it seeps down.

Q3119.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IEasy

Constitutional government means

  1. A.a representative government of a nation with federal structure
  2. B.a government whose Head enjoys nominal powers
  3. C.a government whose Head enjoys real powers
  4. D.a government limited by the terms of the Constitution
Show answer
Correct answer: D. a government limited by the terms of the Constitution

Constitutional government means limited government: those in power can act only within the limits that the constitution lays down. The essence of constitutionalism is that state power is restrained by a higher law, so that rights are protected and authority cannot be used arbitrarily.

Q3120.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following pairs : Region often mentioned in the news — Country 1. Anatolia — Turkey 2. Amhara — Ethiopia 3. Cabo Delgado — Spain 4. Catalonia — Italy How many pairs given above are correctly matched?

  1. A.Only one pair
  2. B.Only two pairs
  3. C.Only three pairs
  4. D.All four pairs
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Only two pairs

Anatolia–Turkey and Amhara–Ethiopia are correct, while Cabo Delgado and Catalonia are paired with the wrong countries. Anatolia, also called Asia Minor, is the large peninsula between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean that forms most of Turkey's territory, so pair 1 is correct.