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.
How much pumped storage capacity was operational in India as of August 2026?
The correct answer is 7.43 GW, spread over ten projects, each with an installed capacity above twenty-five megawatts.
Read the full explanation →Which statement about global geothermal capacity at the end of 2025 is correct?
Installed geothermal capacity across the world reached a little over fifteen and a half gigawatts by the close of that year, and five countries, namely Indonesia, the United States, the Philippines, Turkiye and New Zealand, together accounted for roughly sixty-seven per cent of it.
Read the full explanation →How many hot springs and geothermal provinces has the Geological Survey of India mapped?
The provinces run across very different terrains, from the Himalayan belt and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the West Coast, the Cambay Graben, the Son-Narmada-Tapi zone and the cratonic region of southern India.
Read the full explanation →India's first two geothermal wells were commissioned in which valley?
The valley sits more than fourteen thousand feet above sea level and has long been known for its hot springs and underground heat reserves, which is why it is counted among the most promising geothermal sites in India.
Read the full explanation →What was the theme of the Hackathon on R&D 2026 recognised at the Star Rating Awards Ceremony?
Winners and runners-up of the hackathon held on this theme were honoured at the same ceremony at Raipur, and their entries applied artificial intelligence to problems of operational efficiency, mine safety and environmental sustainability in the coal sector.
Read the full explanation →Which company secured the First Prize in the underground category of the Star Rating awards for FY 2024-25?
The correct answer is Singareni Collieries Company Limited, which took the First Prize among underground mines.
Read the full explanation →How many coal mines were awarded Five-Star Ratings under the Ministry of Coal's Star Rating Programme for FY 2024-25?
At the Annual Star Rating Awards Ceremony held at Raipur in Chhattisgarh, fifty coal mines were given Five-Star Ratings for the assessment year.
Read the full explanation →MAHASAGAR, the maritime vision reflected in the Lokayan 26 deployment, stands for which of the following?
The expedition of INS Sudarshini was presented as an expression of this vision, together with the civilisational idea of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, meaning that the world is one family.
Read the full explanation →How many port calls and how many countries did the Lokayan 26 deployment cover?
The voyage took INS Sudarshini to ports in Asia, Europe, Africa and North America, and it included two crossings of the Atlantic Ocean.
Read the full explanation →Which Indian Navy ship completed the Lokayan 26 sailing expedition in November 2026?
The sail training ship returned to Kochi on 2 November 2026 after a ten-month transoceanic expedition named Lokayan 26, during which it covered more than 22,000 nautical miles and called at 17 ports in 11 countries spread across Asia, Europe, Africa and North America.
Read the full explanation →In which year was UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme launched?
The Man and the Biosphere Programme was launched that year to promote scientific approaches to improving the relationship between people and their environment, and biosphere reserves work under its framework as living laboratories for testing sustainable development practices.
Read the full explanation →How many of India's notified biosphere reserves are part of UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves?
According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, India has 18 notified biosphere reserves and 13 of them belong to UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves, which gives the country the highest number of internationally recognised reserves in South Asia.
Read the full explanation →On which date is the International Day for Biosphere Reserves observed?
The day is observed annually on this date and was proclaimed by UNESCO to highlight how biosphere reserves conserve biodiversity while supporting sustainable development and the livelihoods of people living inside them.
Read the full explanation →In the 5F vision proposed at the conference, which element was added to food, feed, fodder and fuel?
Dr M. L. Jat proposed expanding the traditional four-part vision of food, feed, fodder and fuel by placing farmers at the centre, stressing that research and extension must translate into higher farm profitability and improved livelihoods rather than remaining confined to laboratories.
Read the full explanation →What maize production figure did the Director General of ICAR ask India to reach over the next decade?
Dr M. L. Jat, Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education and Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, congratulated the maize research community on production reaching about 55 million tonnes with sizeable productivity gains over the past decade, and then set out the next goal…
Read the full explanation →In which city did the 1st International Maize Conference open?
The first edition of the conference began at the JD Convention Centre in that city and runs from 2 to 4 November, drawing scientists, policymakers, agricultural institutions and industry to discuss maize research, productivity and value chain development.
Read the full explanation →Which technology was highlighted as letting pensioners generate a digital life certificate on their own smartphone?
The Secretary of the department, Nivedita Shukla Verma, said that technological advances, and face authentication in particular, have transformed the way a life certificate is submitted, because the pensioner can now create the certificate independently on a smartphone without going to a bank or any other office.
Read the full explanation →Which bank partnered the Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare for the mega camp in New Delhi?
The department organised the mega camp in collaboration with this bank at the NDCC Convention Centre in New Delhi as part of the fifth nationwide campaign.
Read the full explanation →What is the target set under the nationwide Digital Life Certificate Campaign 5?
The Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare has set this target for the fifth edition of its nationwide drive, and the mega camp held with the State Bank of India at the NDCC Convention Centre in New Delhi was part of it.
Read the full explanation →Which state government presented its CM FLIGHT Scheme and a plan for a Global Skill Center at the programme?
The programme was held at Guwahati and the Government of Assam presented its CM FLIGHT Scheme along with its vision for a Global Skill Center, setting out the state's effort to connect its workforce with emerging opportunities.
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