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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

Q4301.Important DaysMedium

By which date has the Union Ministry of Home Affairs set its target of freeing India from the drug menace?

  1. A.31 December 2027
  2. B.31 December 2029
  3. C.31 March 2026
  4. D.15 August 2030
Show answer
Correct answer: B. 31 December 2029

The Union Home Minister said the Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to wage a joint fight against drugs through the remaining part of 2026 and the years 2027, 2028 and 2029, so that the country is rid of the problem by the end of 2029.

Q4305.GeographyAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2019, GATEasy

Which one of the following rivers was earlier known as "Vitasta" ?

  1. A.Tista
  2. B.Jhelum
  3. C.Tungabhadra
  4. D.Bharatpuzha A - EDF-F-KJU
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Jhelum

The Jhelum was called the Vitasta in the Rig Veda and in later Sanskrit texts. The rivers of the Punjab region carried Vedic names: Vitasta for the Jhelum, Asikni for the Chenab, Parushni for the Ravi, Vipasha for the Beas and Shutudri for the Satluj.

Q4308.Indian HistoryAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2021, GATHard

Which of the following statements about the Law Commission headed by Lord Macaulay is/are correct? 1. It attempted to codify the laws. 2. It was opposed to uniform system of Courts. 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: A. 1 only

The Law Commission under Macaulay set out to codify Indian law, and it was not opposed to a uniform system of courts.

Q4309.Indian HistoryAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2022, GATMedium

Which of the following statements about the Unionist Party is/are correct? 1. It was a political party representing the interests of landholders in Punjab. 2. It was opposed to the idea of the partition of India as India and Pakistan. 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: C. Both 1 and 2

The Unionist Party spoke for the landholders of Punjab and was against the partition of India. Founded in 1923 by Sir Fazl-i-Husain and Sir Chhotu Ram, the Unionist Party brought together Muslim, Hindu and Sikh landowners and peasants of Punjab on a platform of rural interests rather than religion.

Q4310.GeographyAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2023, GATMedium

Consider the following statements : 1. Distance between the longitudes becomes zero on North Pole and South Pole. 2. Distance between the longitudes is maximum on the Equator. 3. Number of longitudes is more than number of latitudes. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

  1. A.1 only
  2. B.2 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 correct. Meridians of longitude are half-circles that run from the North Pole to the South Pole, so they are farthest apart on the Equator, about 111 km per degree, and come closer towards the poles until they meet there, where the gap becomes zero.

Q4311.Indian HistoryAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2024, GATHard

Which of the following statements are correct? 1. British 'trade surplus' with India in the nineteenth century meant that the value of British exports to India was much higher than the value of British imports from India. 2. India played a crucial role in the late-nineteenth-century world economy by helping Britain balance its deficits. 3. Britain grew opium in India and exported it to China and, therefore, for a while after the 1820s, opium became India's single largest export. 4. The nineteenth century saw export of Indian raw materials decline, and that of manufactured goods increase. Select the answer using the code given below :

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

Statements 1, 2 and 3 are correct; statement 4 reverses what actually happened. In the nineteenth century Britain sold far more to India, above all machine-made cotton cloth, than it bought from it, so it had a trade surplus with India.

Q4313.Indian HistoryAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2025, GATEasy

Who among the following Sikh Gurus laid the foundation of the Khalsa Panth ?

  1. A.Guru Nanak
  2. B.Guru Arjan
  3. C.Guru Hargobind
  4. D.Guru Gobind Singh
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Guru Gobind Singh

Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, founded the Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib on Baisakhi day in 1699. At that gathering he initiated the first five Sikhs, the Panj Pyare, with amrit, a baptism of sweetened water stirred with a double-edged sword.

Q4314.Government SchemesHard

Consider the following statements about the SARAS Mela platform and select the correct option.

  • 1. The first National SARAS Mela was organised in Delhi in 1999 with about 65 beneficiaries.
  • 2. A total of 117 National SARAS Melas have been held so far, with annual sales of more than Rs 200 crore.

  1. A.Only 1 is correct
  2. B.Only 2 is correct
  3. C.Both 1 and 2 are correct
  4. D.Neither 1 nor 2 is correct
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Both 1 and 2 are correct

The SARAS journey opened in 1999, when the first National SARAS Mela was organised in Delhi with roughly 65 beneficiaries, so the first statement holds.

Q4315.Government SchemesMedium

What is the enhanced target for Lakhpati Didis announced by the government in February 2026?

  1. A.Two crore
  2. B.Three crore
  3. C.Six crore
  4. D.Ten crore
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Six crore

The Lakhpati Didi initiative under DAY-NRLM moved up in stages, and in February 2026 the government announced a raised target of six crore Lakhpati Didis, a phase that puts weight on holding on to income gains and helping enterprises grow rather than only counting members.

Q4316.Government SchemesMedium

SARAS Melas are organised under which of the following missions?

  1. A.Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Gramin
  2. B.Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission
  3. C.Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
  4. D.Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission

SARAS Melas are organised by the government under this mission, which is its flagship programme for cutting rural poverty and building women’s economic strength.

Q4318.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2018, Paper IMedium

The Reserve Bank of India defines narrow money as

  1. A.CU (currency notes + coins) + DD (net demand deposits held by commercial banks)
  2. B.CU + DD + saving deposits with post office savings banks
  3. C.CU + DD + net time deposits of commercial banks
  4. D.CU + DD + net time deposits of commercial banks + total deposits of post offices
Show answer
Correct answer: A. CU (currency notes + coins) + DD (net demand deposits held by commercial banks)

Narrow money, M1, is currency held by the public plus net demand deposits with commercial banks, the most liquid forms of money.

Q4319.Science & TechnologyAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2019, Paper IEasy

Which one of the following is the name given by Indian Railways to the indigenously manufactured Train 18?

  1. A.Humsafar Express
  2. B.Vande Bharat Express
  3. C.Ananya Express
  4. D.Gatimaan Express
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Vande Bharat Express

Train 18, India's first indigenous semi-high-speed train set, was named Vande Bharat Express in January 2019. Train 18 was designed and built by the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai and got its name because it was planned for 2018.

Q4320.General ScienceAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2025, Paper IEasy

The potential difference between the terminals of an electrical heating device is 40 V, when it draws a current of 2 A from the source. Which one of the following is the correct value of current drawn by the heating device if the potential is increased to 140 V?

  1. A.7 A
  2. B.5 A
  3. C.4 A
  4. D.2 A
Show answer
Correct answer: A. 7 A

By Ohm's law the heater's resistance is 40 V divided by 2 A, which is 20 ohms, so at 140 V it draws 140 divided by 20, or 7 A. Ohm's law states that, at constant temperature, the current through a conductor is directly proportional to the potential difference across…