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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

Q3341.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2019, GS Paper IMedium

Which one of the following is not the most likely measure the Government/RBI takes to stop the slide of Indian rupee?

  1. A.Curbing imports of non-essential goods and promoting exports
  2. B.Encouraging Indian borrowers to issue rupee denominated Masala Bonds
  3. C.Easing conditions relating to external commercial borrowing
  4. D.Following an expansionary monetary policy
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Following an expansionary monetary policy

Expansionary policy cuts interest rates and adds money to the system, which pushes capital out and weakens the rupee further, so it is not a step to defend the currency.

Q3342.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2016, GS Paper IEasy

Consider the following statements :

1. The minimum age prescribed for any person to be a member of Panchayat is 25 years.

2. A Panchayat reconstituted after premature dissolution continues only for the remainder period.

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

A Panchayat formed after an early dissolution serves only the rest of the original term, but the minimum age to be a member is 21 years, not 25.

Q3343.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements :

1. The Election Commission of India is five-member body.

2. Union Ministry of Home Affairs decides the election schedule for the conduct of both general elections and bye-elections.

3. Election Commission resolves the disputes relating to splits/mergers of recognised political parties.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Only statement 3 is correct: the Election Commission decides disputes over splits and mergers of recognised parties. Under Article 324 the Commission superintends, directs and controls elections to Parliament, the State legislatures and the offices of President and Vice-President.

Q3344.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IEasy

In India, Judicial Review implies

  1. A.the power of the Judiciary to pronounce upon the constitutionality of laws and executive orders.
  2. B.the power of the Judiciary to question the wisdom of the laws enacted by the Legislatures.
  3. C.the power of the Judiciary to review all the legislative enactments before they are assented to by the President.
  4. D.the power of the Judiciary to review its own judgements given earlier in similar or different cases.
Show answer
Correct answer: A. the power of the Judiciary to pronounce upon the constitutionality of laws and executive orders.

Judicial review lets the Supreme Court and the High Courts strike down any law or executive action that violates the Constitution.

Q3345.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2018, GS Paper IEasy

Right to Privacy is protected as an intrinsic part of Right to Life and Personal Liberty. Which of the following in the Constitution of India correctly and appropriately imply the above statement ?

  1. A.Article 14 and the provisions under the 42nd Amendment to the Constitution
  2. B.Article 17 and the Directive Principles of State Policy in Part IV
  3. C.Article 21 and the freedoms guaranteed in Part III
  4. D.Article 24 and the provisions under the 44th Amendment to the Constitution
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Article 21 and the freedoms guaranteed in Part III

The Supreme Court has held privacy to be part of the right to life and personal liberty in Article 21 and of the other freedoms in Part III.

Q3346.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IEasy

With reference to Indian freedom struggle, consider the following events :

1. Mutiny in Royal Indian Navy

2. Quit India Movement launched

3. Second Round Table Conference

What is the correct chronological sequence of the above events ?

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

The Second Round Table Conference came in 1931, the Quit India Movement in 1942 and the Royal Indian Navy mutiny in 1946.

Q3347.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2018, GS Paper IHard

Consider the following events :

1. The first democratically elected communist party government formed in a State in India.

2. India's then largest bank, 'Imperial Bank of India', was renamed 'State Bank of India'.

3. Air India was nationalised and became the national carrier.

4. Goa became a part of independent India.

Which of the following is the correct chronological sequence of the above events ?

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

The events run Air India's nationalisation (1953), the birth of the State Bank of India (1955), the Kerala communist government (1957) and Goa's liberation (1961).

Q3348.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2018, GS Paper IHard

With reference to educational institutions during colonial rule in India, consider the following pairs :

Institution — Founder

1. Sanskrit College at Benaras — William Jones

2. Calcutta Madarsa — Warren Hastings

3. Fort William College — Arthur Wellesley

Which of the pairs 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: B. 2 only

Warren Hastings founded the Calcutta Madarsa, but the other two institutions are linked with the wrong founders. Hastings set up the Calcutta Madrasa in 1781 to train Muslim scholars in Arabic and Persian learning and in Islamic law, which the Company courts needed.

Q3349.Art & CultureAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IMedium

The Prime Minister recently inaugurated the new Circuit House near Somnath Temple at Veraval. Which of the following statements are correct regarding Somnath Temple?

1. Somnath Temple is one of the Jyotirlinga shrines.

2. A description of Somnath Temple was given by Al-Biruni.

3. Pran Pratishtha of Somnath Temple (installation of the present day temple) was done by President S. Radhakrishnan.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

  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: A. 1 and 2 only

Somnath is a Jyotirlinga and Al-Biruni described it, but the present temple was consecrated by President Rajendra Prasad, not S. Radhakrishnan.

Q3350.Art & CultureAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IMedium

The world's second tallest statue in sitting pose of Ramanuja was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India at Hyderabad recently. Which one of the following statements correctly represents the teachings of Ramanuja ?

  1. A.The best means of salvation was devotion.
  2. B.Vedas are eternal, self-existent and wholly authoritative.
  3. C.Logical arguments were essential means for the highest bliss.
  4. D.Salvation was to be obtained through meditation.
Show answer
Correct answer: A. The best means of salvation was devotion.

Ramanuja taught that loving devotion (bhakti) to Vishnu and complete surrender (prapatti) are the surest path to liberation.

Q3352.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IMedium

Which one of the following statements about Sangam literature in ancient South India is correct ?

  1. A.Sangam poems are devoid of any reference to material culture.
  2. B.The social classification of Varna was known to Sangam poets.
  3. C.Sangam poems have no reference to warrior ethic.
  4. D.Sangam literature refers to magical forces as irrational.
Show answer
Correct answer: B. The social classification of Varna was known to Sangam poets.

Sangam texts mention Brahmanas, kings and traders, showing that the poets knew of the varna order even though Tamil society was not organised strictly by it.

Q3353.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IHard

Consider the following pairs :

King — Dynasty

1. Nannuka — Chandela

2. Jayashakti — Paramara

3. Nagabhata II — Gurjara-Pratihara

4. Bhoja — Rashtrakuta

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

Nannuka–Chandela and Nagabhata II–Gurjara-Pratihara are correct; the other two kings are given the wrong dynasty. Nannuka founded the Chandela line of Jejakabhukti (Bundelkhand) in the ninth century, and his successors built the temples of Khajuraho.

Q3354.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following pairs :

Site of Ashoka's major rock edicts — Location in the State of

1. Dhauli — Odisha

2. Erragudi — Andhra Pradesh

3. Jaugada — Madhya Pradesh

4. Kalsi — Karnataka

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

Dhauli (Odisha) and Erragudi (Andhra Pradesh) are matched correctly, while Jaugada and Kalsi are placed in the wrong States. Ashoka's fourteen major rock edicts were carved at points across his empire, often near borders and trade routes.

Q3356.Summits & ConferencesMedium

What is the theme of the 19th Urban Mobility India Conference 2026?

  1. A.Mobility for All: Clean, Green and Safe
  2. B.Urban Accessibility and Liveability in Digital Age
  3. C.Transit Oriented Development for Viksit Bharat
  4. D.Smart Cities, Smarter Commuters
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Urban Accessibility and Liveability in Digital Age

The theme guided the whole programme, which looked at improving access within cities, integrating transport infrastructure and using digital technologies to raise the quality of urban life, and the opening session carried the same title in its conclave form.

Q3357.Summits & ConferencesEasy

Where was the 19th Urban Mobility India Conference and Exhibition 2026 inaugurated on 23 October 2026?

  1. A.New Delhi
  2. B.Bhubaneswar, Odisha
  3. C.Bengaluru, Karnataka
  4. D.Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Bhubaneswar, Odisha

The two-day conference was inaugurated there by the Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Tokhan Sahu, in the presence of the state's Housing and Urban Development Minister, and it was the first time the city had hosted this annual event, which is a detail worth noting.

Q3359.EconomyMedium

The Financial Sector Cyber Security Strategy noted at the FSDC meeting was formulated by which body?

  1. A.An Inter-Ministerial Group of financial regulators and cyber security agencies
  2. B.The FSDC Sub-Committee alone
  3. C.A committee of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India
  4. D.The International Financial Services Centres Authority
Show answer
Correct answer: A. An Inter-Ministerial Group of financial regulators and cyber security agencies

The Council took note of the strategy and expects its implementation to strengthen the resilience of the Indian financial sector, along with better protection of Critical Information Infrastructure and improved cyber security preparedness in Regional Rural Banks.

Q3360.EconomyEasy

Who chaired the 30th meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council held on 23 October 2026?

  1. A.The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India
  2. B.The Union Finance Minister
  3. C.The Chairperson of SEBI
  4. D.The Chief Economic Adviser
Show answer
Correct answer: B. The Union Finance Minister

Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, chaired the 30th meeting of the FSDC in New Delhi, which fits the Council's design: the Finance Minister heads it and the heads of the financial sector regulators sit on it.