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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

Q6921.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2019, GS Paper IEasy

Atal Innovation Mission is set up under the

  1. A.Department of Science and Technology
  2. B.Ministry of Labour and Employment
  3. C.NITI Aayog
  4. D.Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
Show answer
Correct answer: C. NITI Aayog

The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) was set up in 2016 by NITI Aayog as the Government of India's flagship programme to promote innovation and entrepreneurship.

Q6922.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2020, GS Paper IEasy

With reference to the history of India, "Ulgulan" or the Great Tumult is the description of which of the following events?

  1. A.The Revolt of 1857
  2. B.The Mappila Rebellion of 1921
  3. C.The Indigo Revolt of 1859 - 60
  4. D.Birsa Munda's Revolt of 1899 - 1900
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Birsa Munda's Revolt of 1899 - 1900

Ulgulan, meaning "the great tumult", is the name given to the Munda uprising led by Birsa Munda in the Ranchi region.

Q6923.General ScienceAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IEasy

Consider the following animals :

1. Hedgehog

2. Marmot

3. Pangolin

To reduce the chance of being captured by predators, which of the above organisms rolls up/roll up and protects/protect its/their vulnerable parts?

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

Hedgehogs and pangolins curl into a tight ball when threatened, covering the soft belly and face with spines or scales; marmots do not.

Q6924.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IHard

With reference to Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha, consider the following statements : 1. As per the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, the election of Deputy Speaker shall be held on such date as the Speaker may fix.

2. There is a mandatory provision that the election of a candidate as Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha shall be from either the principal opposition party or the ruling party.

3. The Deputy Speaker has the same power as of the Speaker when presiding over the sitting of the House and no appeal lies against his rulings.

4. The well established parliamentary practice regarding the appointment of Deputy Speaker is that the motion is moved by the Speaker and duly seconded by the Prime Minister. Which of the statements given above are correct ?

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

The Speaker fixes the date of the Deputy Speaker's election, and a presiding Deputy Speaker has the full powers of the Speaker; statements 2 and 4 describe rules that do not exist.

Q6925.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2023, GS Paper IHard

Consider the following statements :

1. The Government of India provides Minimum Support Price for niger (Guizotia abyssinica) seeds.

2. Niger is cultivated as a Kharif crop.

3. Some tribal people in India use niger seed oil for cooking.

How many of the above statements are correct?

  1. A.Only one
  2. B.Only two
  3. C.All three
  4. D.None
Show answer
Correct answer: C. All three

Nigerseed is one of the oilseeds covered by MSP, it is grown mainly in the kharif season, and tribal communities use its oil for cooking.

Q6926.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2024, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements :

1. Lions do not have a particular breeding season.

2. Unlike most other big cats, cheetahs do not roar.

3. Unlike male lions, male leopards do not proclaim their territory by scent marking.

Which of the statements given above are correct ?

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

Lions breed at any time of year and cheetahs cannot roar, but male leopards do mark their territory with scent.

Q6927.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2025, GS Paper IHard

Consider the following statements :

Statement I : In the context of effect of water on rocks, chalk is known as a very permeable rock whereas clay is known as quite an impermeable or least permeable rock.

Statement II : Chalk is porous and hence can absorb water.

Statement III : Clay is not at all porous.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. A.Both Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them explain Statement I
  2. B.Both Statement II and Statement III are correct but only one of them explains Statement I
  3. C.Only one of the Statements II and III is correct and that explains Statement I
  4. D.Neither Statement II nor Statement III is correct
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Only one of the Statements II and III is correct and that explains Statement I

Chalk is porous and lets water in, which explains why it is permeable; clay, however, is porous too, so Statement III is wrong.

Q6928.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2026, GS Paper IHard

Identify the river of the Indian sub-continent on the basis of the following information :

1. It has an antecedent drainage system.

2. It flows through three countries.

3. It originates in the Tibetan Plateau and is an important river for irrigation.

4. It does not form distributaries.

Select the answer from the following :

  1. A.Brahmaputra
  2. B.Indus
  3. C.Sutlej
  4. D.Teesta
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Sutlej

The Sutlej is an antecedent river that rises in Tibet, flows through China, India and Pakistan, waters huge irrigated areas and, being a tributary, ends without forming a delta or distributaries.

Q6929.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2016, GS Paper IMedium

Why does the Government of India promote the use of 'Neem-coated Urea' in agriculture?

  1. A.Release of Neem oil in the soil increases nitrogen fixation by the soil microorganisms
  2. B.Neem coating slows down the rate of dissolution of urea in the soil
  3. C.Nitrous oxide, which is a greenhouse gas, is not at all released into atmosphere by crop fields
  4. D.It is a combination of a weedicide and a fertilizer for particular crops
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Neem coating slows down the rate of dissolution of urea in the soil

The neem layer releases nitrogen slowly, so crops take up more of it and less is lost. Plain urea dissolves fast and much of its nitrogen is lost by leaching into groundwater and as gases.

Q6930.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IHard

With reference to the 'Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988' (PBPT Act), consider the following statements :

1. A property transaction is not treated as a benami transaction if the owner of the property is not aware of the transaction.

2. Properties held benami are liable for confiscation by the Government.

3. The Act provides for three authorities for investigations but does not provide for any appellate mechanism.

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.2 and 3 only
Show answer
Correct answer: B. 2 only

Benami property can be confiscated by the Central Government, but the Act covers transactions the owner is unaware of and it does provide an appeal.

Q6931.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2018, GS Paper IEasy

Regarding Wood's Dispatch, which of the following statements are true ?

1. Grants-in-Aid system was introduced.

2. Establishment of universities was recommended.

3. English as a medium of instruction at all levels of education was recommended.

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

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

Wood's Dispatch introduced grants-in-aid and recommended universities, but it wanted the vernacular languages, not English, at the primary level. Sir Charles Wood, President of the Board of Control, sent this dispatch in 1854; it is called the "Magna Carta of English education in India".

Q6932.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2019, GS Paper IMedium

Which one of the following National Parks lies completely in the temperate alpine zone?

  1. A.Manas National Park
  2. B.Namdapha National Park
  3. C.Neora Valley National Park
  4. D.Valley of Flowers National Park
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Valley of Flowers National Park

Set high in the Garhwal Himalaya of Uttarakhand, roughly between 3,200 and 6,600 metres, it lies wholly in the temperate alpine zone.

Q6933.Art & CultureAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2020, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to the cultural history of India, which one of the following is the correct description of the term 'paramitas'?

  1. A.The earliest Dharmashastra texts written in aphoristic (sutra) style
  2. B.Philosophical schools that did not accept the authority of Vedas
  3. C.Perfections whose attainment led to the Bodhisattva path
  4. D.Powerful merchant guilds of early medieval South India
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Perfections whose attainment led to the Bodhisattva path

In Mahayana Buddhism the paramitas are the perfect virtues a Bodhisattva practises on the way to Buddhahood. Paramita means "gone beyond" or "perfection".

Q6935.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2023, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements :

Statement-I : Carbon markets are likely to be one of the most widespread tools in the fight against climate change.

Statement-II : Carbon markets transfer resources from the private sector to the State.

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

Carbon markets are a leading climate tool, but they work by moving money between emitters and those who cut emissions, not from the private sector to the State.

Q6936.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2024, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements regarding World Toilet Organization :

1. It is one of the agencies of the United Nations.

2. World Toilet Summit, World Toilet Day and World Toilet College are the initiatives of this organization, to inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis.

3. The main focus of its function is to grant funds to the least developed countries and developing countries to achieve the end of open defecation.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

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

The World Toilet Organization is a non-profit body, not a UN agency, and it works through advocacy and training rather than by giving grants to countries.

Q6937.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2025, GS Paper IHard

Consider the following statements :

Statement I : In January, in the Northern Hemisphere, the isotherms bend equatorward while crossing the landmasses, and poleward while crossing the oceans.

Statement II : In January, the air over the oceans is warmer than that over the landmasses in the Northern Hemisphere.

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 explains Statement I
  2. B.Both Statement I and Statement II are correct but Statement II does not explain Statement I
  3. C.Statement I is correct but Statement II is not correct
  4. D.Statement I is not correct but Statement II is correct
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Both Statement I and Statement II are correct and Statement II explains Statement I

In the northern winter the oceans stay warmer than the land, and that temperature contrast is what bends the isotherms.

Q6938.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IEasy

At one of the places in India, if you stand on the seashore and watch the sea, you will find that the sea water recedes from the shore line a few kilometres and comes back to the shore, twice a day, and you can actually walk on the sea floor when the water recedes. This unique phenomenon is seen at

  1. A.Bhavnagar
  2. B.Bheemunipatnam
  3. C.Chandipur
  4. D.Nagapattinam
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Chandipur

At Chandipur beach in Balasore district of Odisha the sea pulls back several kilometres at low tide and returns at high tide, so visitors can walk on the exposed sea bed.

Q6940.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2020, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to the history of India, the terms "kulyavapa" and "dronavapa" denote

  1. A.measurement of land
  2. B.coins of different monetary value
  3. C.classification of urban land
  4. D.religious rituals
Show answer
Correct answer: A. measurement of land

Kulyavapa and dronavapa were units of land measurement found in early Indian land-grant inscriptions. These terms appear mainly in copper-plate inscriptions of the Gupta and post-Gupta period from Bengal, such as the Damodarpur plates, which record the sale and grant of land.