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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

Q7101.Indian EconomyAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2021, GKMedium

Which of the following statements about the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana are correct?

1. It is part of Government of India's poverty reduction strategy.

2. It is a centrally sponsored scheme for rural development.

3. It provides connectivity in rural areas.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

PMGSY is a centrally sponsored rural development scheme, launched as part of the poverty reduction strategy, to give all-weather road connectivity to unconnected villages.

Q7102.Indian States & UTsAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2023, GKMedium

Consider the following clues about a State of India:

1. It is known as 'land of red river and blue hills'.

2. It contains three of the six physiographic divisions of India.

3. It covers about 2.39 percent of total areas of the country.

Identify the State on the basis of the given clues.

  1. A.Karnataka
  2. B.Andhra Pradesh
  3. C.Assam
  4. D.Chhattisgarh
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Assam

Assam is called the land of the red river and blue hills, the red river being the silt-laden Brahmaputra and the blue hills those that ring its valley.

Q7103.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2023, GKMedium

Which one of the following is not correct about the Indian Independence Act, 1947?

  1. A.The Bill for the Indian Independence Act was introduced in Parliament on July 4 and received the Royal Assent on July 18, 1947.
  2. B.Act of 1947 laid down the basic framework of the Indian Constitution.
  3. C.The Act provided for the establishment of two independent Dominions to be known as India and Pakistan.
  4. D.The Act empowered the Constituent Assembly of each Dominion to have unlimited power to frame and adopt any constitution.
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Act of 1947 laid down the basic framework of the Indian Constitution.

The Indian Independence Act ended British rule but did not lay down the framework of the Constitution; that framework came largely from the Government of India Act, 1935.

Q7105.Static GKAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2026, GKMedium

Which one of the following groups of countries consists of the members of Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC)?

  1. A.India, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam
  2. B.India, Bangladesh, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam
  3. C.India, Bangladesh and Myanmar
  4. D.India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka
Show answer
Correct answer: A. India, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam

Mekong-Ganga Cooperation brings together India and the five Mekong basin countries: Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The grouping was launched at Vientiane in Laos in 2000.

Q7107.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2020, GKHard

Who among the following gave evidence before the Joint Select Committee on the Government of India Bill, 1919 in favour of female franchise?

1. Mrs. Annie Besant

2. Mrs. Sarojini Naidu

3. Mrs. Hirabai Tata

Select the correct 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: D. 1, 2 and 3

Annie Besant, Sarojini Naidu and Hirabai Tata all went before the Joint Select Committee in London in 1919 to argue for votes for Indian women.

Q7108.Indian EconomyAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2021, GKMedium

Which one of the following statements about the DDU-GKY is not correct?

  1. A.It is a skill training programme.
  2. B.It is for rural youth from poor families.
  3. C.Its objective is placement in wage employment.
  4. D.It relies entirely on skill training by Government agencies.
Show answer
Correct answer: D. It relies entirely on skill training by Government agencies.

Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana does not rely only on government agencies; most of its training is run by private and non-government partners.

Q7109.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2023, GKMedium

Where is the Vikramkhol Cave located?

  1. A.Odisha
  2. B.Bihar
  3. C.Telangana
  4. D.West Bengal
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Odisha

Vikramkhol is a rock shelter near Belpahar in the Jharsuguda district of western Odisha. The shelter is known for a long panel of engraved and painted signs on its rock wall.

Q7110.Indian PolityAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2026, GKHard

Which of the following statements with respect to the Ordinance promulgated under Article 213 of the Constitution of India is/are correct?

1. It shall be laid before the Legislative Assembly of the State, or where there is a Legislative Council in the State, before both the Houses

2. It shall cease to operate at the expiration of two months from the reassembly of the Legislature

3. It may be withdrawn at any time by the Governor

Select the answer using the code given below:

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

Article 213 requires a Governor's ordinance to be laid before the state legislature and lets the Governor withdraw it at any time, but its life after reassembly is six weeks, not two months.

Q7111.General ScienceAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2024, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements :

Statement-I : Giant stars live much longer than dwarf stars.

Statement-II : Compared to dwarf stars, giant stars have a greater rate of nuclear reactions.

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 incorrect
  4. D.Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Massive giant stars burn their fuel so fast that they live much shorter lives than dwarf stars, so Statement I is false and Statement II is true.

Q7114.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements :

1. The Factories Act, 1881 was passed with a view to fix the wages of industrial workers and to allow the workers to form trade unions.

2. N.M. Lokhande was a pioneer in organizing the labour movement in British India.

Which of the above statements is/are correct ?

  1. A.1 only
  2. B.2 only
  3. C.Both 1 and 2
  4. D.Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Correct answer: B. 2 only

Only statement 2 is right: Narayan Meghaji Lokhande is regarded as the father of the labour movement in India. Lokhande, an associate of Jyotirao Phule, organised the textile mill workers of Bombay and in 1890 founded the Bombay Mill Hands Association, often called India's first labour organisation.

Q7115.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2018, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements :

1. The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 replaced the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954.

2. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is under the charge of Director General of Health Services in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

  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 2006 Act did replace the 1954 Act, but FSSAI is an independent statutory authority, not an office under the Director General of Health Services.

Q7116.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2019, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements :

1. Asiatic lion is naturally found in India only.

2. Double-humped camel is naturally found in India only.

3. One-horned rhinoceros is naturally found in India only.

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: A. 1 only

Only the Asiatic lion survives in the wild in India alone, in the Gir landscape of Gujarat. The Asiatic lion once ranged from West Asia to central India, but today its only wild population lives in and around Gir National Park and the nearby districts of Saurashtra in Gujarat.

Q7119.General ScienceAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2024, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs), consider the following statements :

1. RTGs are miniature fission reactors.

2. RTGs are used for powering the onboard systems of spacecrafts.

3. RTGs can use Plutonium-238, which is a by-product of weapons development.

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: B. 2 and 3 only

RTGs power spacecraft using heat from the natural decay of plutonium-238; they are not reactors and involve no fission. In an RTG, a radioactive isotope gives off heat as it decays on its own.

Q7120.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2016, GS Paper IMedium

The FAO accords the status of 'Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS)' to traditional agricultural systems. What is the overall goal of this initiative?

1. To provide modern technology, training in modern farming methods and financial support to local communities of identified GIAHS so as to greatly enhance their agricultural productivity

2. To identify and safeguard eco-friendly traditional farm practices and their associated landscapes, agricultural biodiversity and knowledge systems of the local communities

3. To provide Geographical Indication status to all the varieties of agricultural produce in such identified GIAHS

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

GIAHS exists to identify and safeguard traditional farming systems together with their landscapes, agrobiodiversity and local knowledge. The Food and Agriculture Organization launched the GIAHS programme in 2002, at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.