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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

Q5741.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2020, GS Paper IMedium

Which of the following are the reasons/factors for exposure to benzene pollution ? 1. Automobile exhaust 2. Tobacco smoke 3. Wood burning 4. Using varnished wooden furniture 5. Using products made of polyurethane Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

All five release benzene, either by burning carbon-based material or by giving off fumes from solvents and synthetic materials. Benzene is a volatile organic compound and a known human carcinogen linked to leukaemia.

Q5742.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IHard

With reference to the history of ancient India, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Mitakshara was the civil law for upper castes and Dayabhaga was the civil law for lower castes. 2. In the Mitakshara system, the sons can claim right to the property during the lifetime of the father, whereas in the Dayabhaga system, it is only after the death of the father that the sons can claim right to the property. 3. The Mitakshara system deals with the matters related to the property held by male members only of a family, whereas the Dayabhaga system deals with the matters related to the property held by both male and female members of a family. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

  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

The real difference between the two schools is when a son's right to ancestral property arises, not caste or the sex of the owner.

Q5743.Science & TechnologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IMedium

Which one of the following statements best reflects the idea behind the "Fractional Orbital Bombardment System" often talked about in media ?

  1. A.A hypersonic missile is launched into space to counter the asteroid approaching the Earth and explode it in space.
  2. B.A spacecraft lands on another planet after making several orbital motions.
  3. C.A missile is put into a stable orbit around the Earth and deorbits over a target on the Earth.
  4. D.A spacecraft moves along a comet with the same speed and places a probe on its surface.
Show answer
Correct answer: C. A missile is put into a stable orbit around the Earth and deorbits over a target on the Earth.

In a Fractional Orbital Bombardment System, a warhead is placed in a low orbit around the Earth and then brought down out of that orbit onto its target.

Q5744.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2024, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to physical capital in Indian economy, consider the following pairs : Items — Category 1. Farmer's plough — Working capital 2. Computer — Fixed capital 3. Yarn used by the weaver — Fixed capital 4. Petrol — Working capital How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

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

Pairs 2 and 4 are correct; pairs 1 and 3 have the categories the wrong way round. Physical capital is split by how long it lasts in production.

Q5746.Environment & EcologyAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2018, GATHard

Consider the following Wildlife Sanctuaries of India: 1. Shikari Devi 2. Bhadra 3. Simlipal 4. Pachmarhi Which one of the following is the correct order of the above Wildlife Sanctuaries in terms of their location from south to north?

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

From south to north the order is Bhadra (Karnataka), Simlipal (Odisha), Pachmarhi (Madhya Pradesh) and Shikari Devi (Himachal Pradesh). Bhadra lies in the Western Ghats of Chikkamagaluru district, Karnataka, at about 13.5°N, and is a tiger reserve.

Q5747.GeographyAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2019, GATHard

"Inversion of Rainfall" is associated with

  1. A.Orographic rainfall
  2. B.Convectional rainfall
  3. C.Cyclonic rainfall (Tropical)
  4. D.Cyclonic rainfall (Temperate)
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Orographic rainfall

On a mountain slope, rainfall increases with height only up to a certain level and then decreases above it; this is called the inversion of rainfall.

Q5748.Indian HistoryAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2023, GATHard

In which one of the following ways did the First World War Not impact Europe?

  1. A.From a continent of creditors it turned into a continent of debtors
  2. B.Soldiers came to be placed higher in social status than civilians
  3. C.Popular support decreased for conservative dictatorship which had come into being recently
  4. D.National honour occupied centre stage in the public sphere
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Popular support decreased for conservative dictatorship which had come into being recently

The war did not reduce support for conservative dictatorships; popular support for them actually grew after 1918. The First World War (1914–18) left Europe drained.

Q5749.GeographyAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2024, GATEasy

Which of the following statements regarding clouds is/are correct? 1. Clouds are classified on the basis of altitude and their form. 2. According to altitude they are classified as High, Middle and Low clouds. 3. Stratus, Nimbostratus and Stratocumulus are high clouds. Select the answer using the code given below:

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

Clouds are grouped by height and shape into high, middle and low families, but stratus, nimbostratus and stratocumulus are low clouds, not high ones.

Q5750.Indian EconomyAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2024, GATHard

Which among the following statements with regard to Five Year Plans in India is/are correct? 1. The First and Ninth five year plans accorded high priority to agriculture 2. The Third Plan was based on the Harrod-Domar Model 3. Seventh Plan focused on food, work and productivity 4. The Ninth five year plan emphasized on massive investments in public sector Select the answer using the code given below:

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

The First and Ninth Plans gave top priority to agriculture, and the Seventh Plan's slogan was food, work and productivity.

Q5753.Indian HistoryAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2023, GATEasy

The "Reign of Terror" in revolutionary France referred to

  1. A.Bands of revolutionaries moving around to terrorise people who did not participate in the revolution
  2. B.The royal forces punishing people who participated in the revolution
  3. C.Trial and beheading persons considered enemies of the republic by the revolutionary tribunal
  4. D.The general atmosphere of insecurity perceived by people after the beheading of the king
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Trial and beheading persons considered enemies of the republic by the revolutionary tribunal

The Reign of Terror (1793–94) was the period when revolutionary tribunals tried and guillotined people seen as enemies of the republic.

Q5754.Indian EconomyAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2024, GATMedium

Which among the following is/are the objective(s) of setting up of Planning Commission in the 1950s in India? 1. To increase production and offering opportunities to all for employment 2. To make assessment of all resources of the country Select the 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 Cabinet resolution that set up the Planning Commission in March 1950 named both aims.

Q5757.Summits & ConferencesEasy

ITRA, Jamnagar, which observed its sixth Foundation Day as ITRA Day, is the first institute of which system of medicine to be granted the status of Institute of National Importance?

  1. A.Ayurveda
  2. B.Yoga and Naturopathy
  3. C.Homoeopathy
  4. D.Unani
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Ayurveda

The Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda at Jamnagar is the first institute in the field of Ayurveda to be given the status of an Institute of National Importance, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated it to the nation on 15 October 2020.

Q5760.Government SchemesEasy

How many additional houses were approved under PMAY-U 2.0 at the 10th meeting of the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee?

  1. A.1.93 lakh
  2. B.2.93 lakh
  3. C.1.19 lakh
  4. D.3.91 lakh
Show answer
Correct answer: A. 1.93 lakh

At the 10th meeting of the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee, held in New Delhi on 16 October 2026 under the chairmanship of Urban Development Secretary Satendra Singh, over 1.93 lakh additional houses were cleared under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban 2.0.