Skip to content
GK24
Prime

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

Q7781.Art & CultureAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to Manipuri Sankirtana, consider the following statements: 1. It is a song and dance performance. 2. Cymbals are the only musical instruments used in the performance. 3. It is performed to narrate the life and deeds of Lord Krishna. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Sankirtana combines singing, drumming and dance to tell the life and deeds of Krishna, but cymbals are not its only instruments.

Q7782.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2018, GS Paper IMedium

He wrote biographies of Mazzini, Garibaldi, Shivaji and Shrikrishna; stayed in America for some time; and was also elected to the Central Assembly. He was

  1. A.Aurobindo Ghosh
  2. B.Bipin Chandra Pal
  3. C.Lala Lajpat Rai
  4. D.Motilal Nehru
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Lala Lajpat Rai

The Punjab leader wrote these biographies, lived in the United States during the First World War and was elected to the Central Legislative Assembly in 1926.

Q7783.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2019, GS Paper IHard

With reference to forced labour (Vishti) in India during the Gupta period, which one of the following statements is correct?

  1. A.It was considered a source of income for the State, a sort of tax paid by the people.
  2. B.It was totally absent in the Madhya Pradesh and Kathiawar regions of the Gupta Empire.
  3. C.The forced labourer was entitled to weekly wages.
  4. D.The eldest son of the labourer was sent as the forced labourer.
Show answer
Correct answer: A. It was considered a source of income for the State, a sort of tax paid by the people.

Vishti was unpaid labour that subjects owed to the king, so it worked like a tax paid in work instead of money or grain.

Q7784.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2020, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements: 1. According to the Constitution of India, a person who is eligible to vote can be made a minister in a State for six months even if he/she is not a member of the Legislature of that State. 2. According to the Representation of People Act, 1951, a person convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to imprisonment for five years is permanently disqualified from contesting an election even after his release from prison. 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: D. Neither 1 nor 2

Being eligible to vote is not enough to become a minister, and the disqualification after a conviction is not permanent.

Q7785.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IHard

With reference to India, consider the following statements: 1. Retail investors through demat account can invest in 'Treasury Bills' and 'Government of India Debt Bonds' in primary market. 2. The 'Negotiated Dealing System-Order Matching' is a government securities trading platform of the Reserve Bank of India. 3. The 'Central Depository Services Ltd.' is jointly promoted by the Reserve Bank of India and the Bombay Stock Exchange. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Retail investors can bid for government securities in primary auctions, and NDS-OM is the RBI's trading platform for them, but CDSL was not promoted by the RBI.

Q7786.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to the Indian economy, consider the following statements: 1. A share of the household financial savings goes towards government borrowings. 2. Dated securities issued at market-related rates in auctions form a large component of internal debt. 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: C. Both 1 and 2

Household savings reach the government through many channels, and dated securities sold in auctions make up the bulk of the Centre's internal debt.

Q7787.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2023, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements: Statement-I: Marsupials are not naturally found in India. Statement-II: Marsupials can thrive only in montane grasslands with no predators. 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

India has no native marsupials, but marsupials are not confined to predator-free montane grasslands. Marsupials are mammals whose young are born at a very early stage and usually grow further in the mother's pouch.

Q7788.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2024, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following description: 1. Annual and daily range of temperatures is low. 2. Precipitation occurs throughout the year. 3. Precipitation varies between 50 cm - 250 cm. What is this type of climate?

  1. A.Equatorial climate
  2. B.China type climate
  3. C.Humid subtropical climate
  4. D.Marine West coast climate
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Marine West coast climate

Mild temperatures with small ranges, rain in every month and a total of about 50 to 250 cm describe the west coast marine (Cfb) type.

Q7789.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2025, GS Paper IEasy

Fa-hien (Faxian), the Chinese pilgrim, travelled to India during the reign of

  1. A.Samudragupta
  2. B.Chandragupta II
  3. C.Kumaragupta I
  4. D.Skandagupta
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Chandragupta II

Fa-hien was in India from about 399 to 414 CE, when Chandragupta II Vikramaditya ruled the Gupta empire. Faxian was a Chinese Buddhist monk who set out overland to collect Buddhist texts, especially rules of monastic discipline.

Q7790.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2016, GS Paper IMedium

Which of the following is/are included in the capital budget of the Government of India? 1. Expenditure on acquisition of assets like roads, buildings, machinery, etc. 2. Loans received from foreign governments 3. Loans and advances granted to the States and Union Territories Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

The capital budget records capital receipts and capital expenditure, and all three items fall in it. The Union Budget has two parts.

Q7791.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IEasy

Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)? 1. It decides the RBI's benchmark interest rates. 2. It is a 12-member body including the Governor of RBI and is reconstituted every year. 3. It functions under the chairmanship of the Union Finance Minister. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

The MPC fixes the policy repo rate, the RBI's benchmark rate, but it has six members and is chaired by the RBI Governor.

Q7792.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2019, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following: 1. Deification of the Buddha 2. Treading the path of Bodhisattvas 3. Image worship and rituals Which of the above is/are the feature/features of Mahayana Buddhism?

  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

All three are marks of Mahayana Buddhism, the 'Great Vehicle' that grew from around the beginning of the Common Era.

Q7793.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2020, GS Paper IEasy

With reference to the provisions contained in Part IV of the Constitution of India, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. They shall be enforceable by courts. 2. They shall not be enforceable by any court. 3. The principles laid down in this part are to influence the making of laws by the State. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

Part IV holds the Directive Principles of State Policy, which no court can enforce but which the State must apply in making laws.

Q7794.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to Indian economy, demand-pull inflation can be caused/increased by which of the following? 1. Expansionary policies 2. Fiscal stimulus 3. Inflation-indexing wages 4. Higher purchasing power 5. Rising interest rates Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

Expansionary policies, fiscal stimulus and higher purchasing power all raise aggregate demand, which is what drives demand-pull inflation. Demand-pull inflation happens when total demand for goods and services runs ahead of what the economy can supply, described as too much money chasing too few goods.

Q7795.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to the expenditure made by an organisation or a company, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Acquiring new technology is capital expenditure. 2. Debt financing is considered capital expenditure, while equity financing is considered revenue expenditure. 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

Buying new technology creates a lasting asset, so it is capital expenditure; debt and equity are ways of raising money, not kinds of expenditure.

Q7796.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2023, GS Paper IHard

Consider the following statements: 1. Amarkantak Hills are at the confluence of Vindhya and Sahyadri Ranges. 2. Biligirirangan Hills constitute the easternmost part of Satpura Range. 3. Seshachalam Hills constitute the southernmost part of Western Ghats. How many of the statements given above are correct?

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

Each statement places the hills in the wrong range. Statement 1 is wrong: Amarkantak, the source of the Narmada and the Son, lies in the Maikal hills where the Vindhya and Satpura ranges meet.

Q7797.GeographyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2024, GS Paper IEasy

With reference to "water vapour", which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. It is a gas, the amount of which decreases with altitude. 2. Its percentage is maximum at the poles. 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: A. 1 only

Water vapour thins out quickly with height, but it is most plentiful in the warm tropics, not at the poles.

Q7799.Art & CultureAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2026, GS Paper IMedium

What does an empty seat represent in early Buddhist iconography?

  1. A.The meditation of the Buddha
  2. B.The Buddha's First Sermon
  3. C.The Buddha's Mahaparinibbana
  4. D.The Buddha's Mahabhinishkramana
Show answer
Correct answer: A. The meditation of the Buddha

In early Buddhist art the Buddha was not shown in human form, and an empty seat stood for him seated in meditation.

Q7800.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2016, GS Paper IEasy

In the context of which of the following do you sometimes find the terms 'amber box, blue box and green box' in the news?

  1. A.WTO affairs
  2. B.SAARC affairs
  3. C.UNFCCC affairs
  4. D.India-EU negotiations on FTA
Show answer
Correct answer: A. WTO affairs

Amber, blue and green boxes are the categories in which the WTO Agreement on Agriculture classifies farm subsidies. The Agreement on Agriculture came out of the Uruguay Round and took effect with the WTO in 1995.