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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

Q5861.General ScienceAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2019, Paper IEasy

Which of the following organisms belongs to Coelenterata (Cnidaria)?

  1. A.Planaria and liverfluke
  2. B.Sea urchin and sea cucumber
  3. C.Hydra and sea anemone
  4. D.Euplectella and sycon
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Hydra and sea anemone

Both are cnidarians, simple aquatic animals with stinging cells. Members of phylum Coelenterata (Cnidaria) have radial symmetry, two body layers, a single opening that works as both mouth and anus, and stinging cells called cnidoblasts on their tentacles, used to catch prey and for defence.

Q5862.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2020, Paper IMedium

Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. The Satavahanas ruled over parts of western India and the Deccan 2. The Satavahanas repaired and rebuilt Sudarshana Lake 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 Satavahanas ruled the Deccan and parts of western India, but the Sudarshana Lake was repaired by others.

Q5863.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2023, Paper IMedium

Which one of the following commissions was not associated with public services in India?

  1. A.Aitchison Commission
  2. B.Islington Commission
  3. C.Lee Commission
  4. D.Radhakrishnan Commission
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Radhakrishnan Commission

It dealt with university education, not with the public services. The University Education Commission was set up in 1948 under Dr S. Radhakrishnan, who later became the second President of India.

Q5864.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2026, Paper IHard

Which of the following statements in respect of the nature of the federal system in India is/are correct? 1. Since the States had an independent existence prior to the formation of the Federation, the Constitution of India provided for safeguards for protecting 'State rights', similar to the Constitution of the United States. 2. The residuary powers are reserved with the States under the Constitution of the United States, but these are with the Union under the Constitution of India. 3. The Constitution of India has followed the Irish Constitution in vesting the residuary powers. Select the answer using the code given below.

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

Only the statement about where residuary powers lie is correct. The American federation was formed by an agreement among states that already existed, so its Constitution guards 'State rights'.

Q5865.NationalMedium

According to the e-waste awareness session, obsolete electronic and electrical equipment must be disposed of in which manner?

  1. A.Through authorised channels after proper segregation
  2. B.Along with ordinary office waste
  3. C.By burning it within the office premises
  4. D.By storing it indefinitely in godowns
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Through authorised channels after proper segregation

Officials were made aware that obsolete electronic and electrical equipment needs to be segregated, handled safely and disposed of only through authorised channels, in keeping with the e-waste management rules that apply.

Q5866.NationalMedium

Which of the following was NOT among the cyber threats discussed at the Ministry of Textiles session?

  1. A.Phishing attacks
  2. B.Malware
  3. C.Digital arrest scams
  4. D.Cryptojacking of office servers
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Cryptojacking of office servers

The awareness session dealt with phishing attacks, malware, fraudulent messages sent through messaging applications and digital arrest scams, in which a caller pretends to be an investigating or police officer in order to frighten the victim into paying money.

Q5867.NationalEasy

The Ministry of Textiles held workshops on cyber security and e-waste management under which government campaign?

  1. A.Swachh Bharat Mission
  2. B.Special Campaign 6
  3. C.Digital India Mission
  4. D.Mission Karmayogi
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Special Campaign 6

The two workshops, one on cyber security and secure digital disposal and the other on e-waste management awareness, were organised by the Ministry of Textiles under this campaign on 15 October 2026, and more than 85 officials attended, among them all the Nodal Officers of the ministry.

Q5870.Science & TechnologyMedium

Sourashtra, for which the new text-to-speech models were built, belongs to which language family and is spoken mainly in which state?

  1. A.Dravidian, Tamil Nadu
  2. B.Indo-Aryan, Tamil Nadu
  3. C.Indo-Aryan, Gujarat
  4. D.Dravidian, Karnataka
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Indo-Aryan, Tamil Nadu

The release describes Sourashtra as a minority Indo-Aryan language spoken predominantly by the Sourashtra community in Tamil Nadu, which makes it unusual: it is an Indo-Aryan tongue surviving inside a state whose major language, Tamil, is Dravidian.

Q5871.Science & TechnologyEasy

BHASHINI has developed text-to-speech models for Sourashtra in collaboration with which institution?

  1. A.IIT Madras
  2. B.Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru
  3. C.IIIT Hyderabad
  4. D.Anna University
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru

The Digital India BHASHINI Division, which works under the Digital India Corporation in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, built the models jointly with IISc Bengaluru, and the speech corpus used for training was developed at the institute SPIRE Lab.

Q5872.EconomyMedium

What happened to the all-India average onion mandi price between September and October, as reported by the Department of Consumer Affairs?

  1. A.It rose from about Rs 3,300 to about Rs 3,600 per quintal
  2. B.It fell from about Rs 3,600 to about Rs 3,300 per quintal
  3. C.It stayed unchanged at about Rs 3,600 per quintal
  4. D.It fell from about Rs 5,400 to about Rs 5,300 per quintal
Show answer
Correct answer: B. It fell from about Rs 3,600 to about Rs 3,300 per quintal

Fresh kharif arrivals gathered pace and wholesale rates eased, bringing the all-India average mandi price down from its September peak to the October level.

Q5874.EconomyMedium

Buffer onions moved by the Kanda Express are released from which fund?

  1. A.Price Stabilization Fund
  2. B.Market Intervention Scheme Fund
  3. C.Agriculture Infrastructure Fund
  4. D.National Food Security Fund
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Price Stabilization Fund

The onions carried by the Kanda Express come out of the onion buffer built under this fund, and the Department of Consumer Affairs releases that stock in a calibrated way when market prices rise or supplies tighten.

Q5876.Reports & IndicesHard

Which office published the Status Report on Ayush Related Inventions in India (2014-2026)?

  1. A.National Ayush Mission
  2. B.Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks
  3. C.NITI Aayog
  4. D.Indian Council of Medical Research
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks

The report was published by that office, which functions under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and it was released during the celebrations of the 11th Ayurveda Day.

Q5880.Science & TechnologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2024, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following materials : 1. Agricultural residues 2. Corn grain 3. Wastewater treatment sludge 4. Wood mill waste Which of the above can be used as feedstock for producing Sustainable Aviation Fuel ?

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

All four materials can be turned into Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) through one or another approved conversion route. SAF is a jet fuel made from renewable or waste sources instead of crude oil, and it can be blended with ordinary aviation turbine fuel without changing aircraft engines.