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.
How many ministries and departments are jointly organising ESTIC-2026?
The conclave is being organised jointly by 12 ministries and departments, and the whole exercise is guided by the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.
Read the full explanation →At which venue is ESTIC-2026, where DRDO will lead a session on semiconductors, scheduled to be held?
The Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave, shortened to ESTIC-2026, is to be held there from 27 to 29 October 2026, and DRDO will lead its thematic session on semiconductors and next-generation chips.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements :
Statement-I : Many chewing gums found in the market are considered a source of environmental pollution.
Statement-II : Many chewing gums contain plastic as gum base.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Chewing gum pollutes because its gum base is largely made of synthetic plastic polymers that do not break down. Gum was once made from chicle, a natural latex from the sapodilla tree.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following are the evidences of the phenomenon of continental drift?
I. The belt of ancient rocks from Brazil coast matches with those from Western Africa.
II. The gold deposits of Ghana are derived from the Brazil plateau when the two continents lay side by side.
III. The Gondwana system of sediments from India is known to have its counterparts in six different landmasses of the Southern Hemisphere.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
All three are classic pieces of evidence used to support Alfred Wegener's theory that the continents were once joined. Wegener proposed in 1912 that all continents formed one supercontinent, Pangaea, which later broke apart.
Read the full explanation →With respect to the Western Hoolock Gibbons, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. A Sanctuary in North-east India is home to this ape species listed as Endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
2. They have specialized brachiation and can easily swing between trees.
3. They possess a strong and heavy build like gorillas, yet are remarkably agile tree climbers.
Select the answer using the code given below :
The Western Hoolock Gibbon is an Endangered ape protected in a sanctuary in Assam, and it moves by swinging from branch to branch, but it is a light, slender animal, not heavily built like a gorilla.
Read the full explanation →In which of the following regions of India are you most likely to come across the 'Great Indian Hornbill' in its natural habitat?
The Great Hornbill lives in tall, evergreen and moist deciduous forests, and the Western Ghats are one of its two main homes in India.
Read the full explanation →The term 'Digital Single Market Strategy' seen in the news refers to
The Digital Single Market Strategy was adopted by the European Commission in May 2015 to extend the EU's single market to the online world.
Read the full explanation →The identity platform 'Aadhaar' provides open "Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)". What does it imply?
1. It can be integrated into any electronic device.
2. Online authentication using iris is possible.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Open APIs let any device or application connect to Aadhaar's authentication service, and that service accepts iris scans as well as fingerprints, OTP and demographic data.
Read the full explanation →With reference to Mian Tansen, which one of the following statements is not correct?
The title "Tansen" is traced to Raja Vikramajit of Gwalior, long before he reached Akbar's court. Born Ramtanu near Gwalior, Tansen trained under Swami Haridas in the Dhrupad tradition that Raja Man Singh Tomar had made famous in Gwalior.
Read the full explanation →The Vital-Vidhvansak, the first monthly journal to have the untouchable people as its target audience was published by
Walangkar, a pioneer of the Dalit movement in Maharashtra, brought out the Vital-Vidhvansak from 1888. Gopal Baba Walangkar belonged to the Mahar community and had served in the army before turning to social reform.
Read the full explanation →In the nature, which of the following is/are most likely to be found surviving on a surface without soil?
1. Fern
2. Lichen
3. Moss
4. Mushroom
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Lichens and mosses can live on bare rock, tree bark and walls without any soil, and they are the pioneer species of primary succession.
Read the full explanation →With reference to anti-defection law in India, consider the following statements :
1. The law specifies that a nominated legislator cannot join any political party within six months of being appointed to the House.
2. The law does not provide any time-frame within which the presiding officer has to decide a defection case.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Tenth Schedule lets a nominated member join a party within six months, and it sets no deadline for the presiding officer's decision.
Read the full explanation →The organisms "Cicada, Froghopper and Pond skater" are :
Cicadas, froghoppers and pond skaters all have three body parts, six legs and a pair of antennae, the marks of the class Insecta.
Read the full explanation →With reference to 'Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)', consider the following statements :
1. It is an organization of European Union in working relation with NATO and WHO.
2. It monitors chemical industry to prevent new weapons from emerging.
3. It provides assistance and protection to States (Parties) against chemical weapons threats.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The OPCW is the independent global body that implements the Chemical Weapons Convention; it is not an organ of the European Union.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements :
1. Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) is the amount that banks have to maintain in the form of their own funds to offset any loss that banks incur if the account-holders fail to repay dues.
2. CAR is decided by each individual bank.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
CAR is the cushion of a bank's own capital against losses from loans that are not repaid, and its minimum is fixed by the regulator, not by each bank.
Read the full explanation →With reference to Indian National Movement, consider the following pairs :
Person : Position held
1. Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru : President, All India Liberal Federation
2. K. C. Neogy : Member, The Constituent Assembly
3. P. C. Joshi : General Secretary, Communist Party of India
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
Each person held the position shown against his name. Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, an eminent lawyer and Moderate, was a leading figure of the All India (National) Liberal Federation formed by Moderates who left the Congress in 1918, and served as its president; he also attended the Round Table Conferences.
Read the full explanation →The Gandhi-Irwin Pact included which of the following?
1. Invitation to Congress to participate in the Round Table Conference
2. Withdrawal of Ordinances promulgated in connection with the Civil Disobedience Movement
3. Acceptance of Gandhiji's suggestion for enquiry into police excesses
4. Release of only those prisoners who were not charged with violence
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
The pact invited the Congress to the Round Table Conference, withdrew the emergency ordinances and released non-violent prisoners, but it did not grant an enquiry into police excesses.
Read the full explanation →With reference to furnace oil, consider the following statements :
1. It is a product of oil refineries.
2. Some industries use it to generate power.
3. Its use causes sulphur emissions into environment.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Furnace oil is a heavy refinery product, it is burnt by industry for heat and power, and its high sulphur content makes it a polluting fuel.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following is/are the exclusive power(s) of Lok Sabha ?
1. To ratify the declaration of Emergency
2. To pass a motion of no-confidence against the Council of Ministers
3. To impeach the President of India
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Only the Lok Sabha can pass a no-confidence motion, because the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to it under Article 75(3).
Read the full explanation →Consider the following water bodies :
I. Lake Tanganyika
II. Lake Tonlé Sap
III. Patos Lagoon
Through how many of them does the equator pass?
The equator crosses none of these three water bodies; in Africa it passes through Lake Victoria, not Lake Tanganyika.
Read the full explanation →