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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

Q3701.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IEasy

Consider the following statements : 1. In the election for Lok Sabha or State Assembly, the winning candidate must get at least 50 percent of the votes polled, to be declared elected. 2. According to the provisions laid down in the Constitution of India, in Lok Sabha, the Speaker's post goes to the majority party and the Deputy Speaker's to the Opposition. 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: D. Neither 1 nor 2

India elects its Lok Sabha and State Assembly members by the first-past-the-post system. The candidate with the most votes in a constituency wins, even if that is well under half of the votes polled; with many candidates in the field, winners often get 35 or 40 percent.

Q3703.Computer AwarenessAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2019, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to communication technologies, what is/are the difference/differences between LTE (Long-Term Evolution) and VoLTE (Voice over Long-Term Evolution)? 1. LTE is commonly marketed as 3G and VoLTE is commonly marketed as advanced 3G. 2. LTE is data-only technology and VoLTE is voice-only technology. Select the correct 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: D. Neither 1 nor 2

Neither statement describes the real difference between the two. LTE is a fourth-generation mobile broadband standard and is sold to customers as 4G, not 3G. VoLTE is not a separate network at all: it is a way of carrying voice calls as data packets over that same LTE network, using…

Q3704.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IEasy

At the national level, which ministry is the nodal agency to ensure effective implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006?

  1. A.Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
  2. B.Ministry of Panchayati Raj
  3. C.Ministry of Rural Development
  4. D.Ministry of Tribal Affairs
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Ministry of Tribal Affairs

Section 11 of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 names the ministry dealing with tribal affairs, or an officer it authorises, as the nodal agency for carrying out the law.

Q3705.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements : 1. High clouds primarily reflect solar radiation and cool the surface of the Earth. 2. Low clouds have a high absorption of infrared radiation emanating from the Earth's surface and thus cause warming effect. 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: D. Neither 1 nor 2

Both statements swap the roles of high and low clouds. Low clouds such as stratus and stratocumulus are thick and bright from above.

Q3706.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2023, GS Paper IHard

Consider the following statements : Statement-I : Switzerland is one of the leading exporters of gold in terms of value. Statement-II : Switzerland has the second largest gold reserves in the world. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. A.Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
  2. B.Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
  3. C.Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
  4. D.Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect

Switzerland is one of the world's biggest gold exporters by value, but it does not hold the second largest official gold reserves.

Q3707.Indian EconomyAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2020, GKMedium

Which one of the following is not correct about Repo rate?

  1. A.It is the interest rate charged by the Central Bank on overnight loan.
  2. B.It is the interest rate paid by the commercial banks on overnight borrowing.
  3. C.It is the interest rate agreed upon in the loan contract between a commercial bank and the Central Bank.
  4. D.It is the cost of collateral security.
Show answer
Correct answer: D. It is the cost of collateral security.

The repo rate is an interest rate, not the cost of the collateral. Under a repo, short for repurchase agreement, a commercial bank sells government securities to the central bank and agrees to buy them back, usually the next day, at a slightly higher price.

Q3709.Indian EconomyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2023, GKMedium

Consider the following statements about the Public Distribution System : 1. The Public Distribution System is operated under the joint responsibility of Centre and State/Union Territories. 2. Food Corporation of India has assumed the responsibility for procurement, storage and transportation of food grains to the State Governments. 3. Both Centre and State have the joint responsibility to identify eligible beneficiaries. 4. Some States also distribute additional items of mass consumption through the PDS outlets such as pulses, edible oil, etc. Which of the statements given above are correct?

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

The Public Distribution System is run jointly by the Centre and the States and Union Territories, so statement 1 is correct.

Q3716.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2020, GKHard

Who among the following was the first to accept a ministerial position in the Central Provinces in October 1925?

  1. A.B. S. Moonje
  2. B.M. R. Jayakar
  3. C.S. B. Tambe
  4. D.B. N. Sasmal
Show answer
Correct answer: C. S. B. Tambe

In October 1925 Tambe, a Swarajist member from the Central Provinces, accepted a seat on the Governor's Executive Council. He became the first Swarajist to take office under the dyarchy that the party had vowed to wreck from within.

Q3717.Indian PolityAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2021, GKMedium

Which one among the following motions cannot be made while introducing an ordinary Bill in the Parliament?

  1. A.That the Bill be taken into consideration
  2. B.That the Bill be circulated for the purpose of eliciting public opinion
  3. C.That the Bill be referred to a Select Committee
  4. D.That the Bill be referred to a Joint Committee of the House without the concurrence of the other House
Show answer
Correct answer: D. That the Bill be referred to a Joint Committee of the House without the concurrence of the other House

A joint committee has members from both Houses, so a Bill can be sent to one only when the other House agrees to join it.

Q3720.Static GKAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2023, GKMedium

Which of the following statements about ASEAN are correct ? 1. The Chairmanship of ASEAN rotates annually based on the alphabetical order of the English names of Member States. 2. The Chairmanship is decided by voting among the Member States. 3. "One Vision, One Identity, One Community" is the ASEAN motto. 4. 12th August is celebrated as ASEAN Day. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

Under the ASEAN Charter, the Chairmanship rotates every year among the member states in the alphabetical order of their English names, so statement 1 is correct.