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

Q921.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2016, GKHard

Which one of the following sources tells us about women protesting against the infidelity of their husbands or the neglect of the wife and children by the male head of the household?

  1. A.The Kitab-ul-Hind
  2. B.Documents belonging to the Village Panchayats of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra
  3. C.Sculptures from Mandor
  4. D.The Ain-i-Akbari of Abul Fazl
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Documents belonging to the Village Panchayats of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra

These records preserve petitions that women sent to the panchayat seeking redress. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries village panchayats settled disputes and punished misconduct.

Q922.Sports GKAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2017, GKEasy

Who among the following won a Gold medal for India in Men's Javelin Throw event at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games?

  1. A.Rinku Hooda
  2. B.Devendra Jhajharia
  3. C.Sundar Singh Gurjar
  4. D.Mariyappan Thangavelu
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Devendra Jhajharia

He won gold in the men's javelin F46 class at Rio 2016 with a world record throw of 63.97 m. Devendra Jhajharia, from Churu in Rajasthan, lost his left arm to an electric shock as a child.

Q923.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2017, GKEasy

The foul smell of urine of a healthy man having healthy food, when spilled on floor, is mainly due to the bacterial decomposition of

  1. A.urea into sulphur dioxide
  2. B.sugar into carbon dioxide
  3. C.lipids into methane
  4. D.urea into ammonia
Show answer
Correct answer: D. urea into ammonia

Bacteria on the floor break down the urea in urine and release ammonia, which has a sharp, pungent smell. Urea, CO(NH2)2, is the main nitrogenous waste of humans.

Q924.Static GKAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2018, GKEasy

The Ministry of Communication has recently launched a Pan India scholarship programme for school-children called 'Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana'. The objective of the scheme is to increase the reach of

  1. A.sports
  2. B.philately
  3. C.music
  4. D.web designing
Show answer
Correct answer: B. philately

SPARSH stands for Scholarship for Promotion of Aptitude and Research in Stamps as a Hobby. The scheme was launched by the Department of Posts under the Ministry of Communications in 2017.

Q927.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2020, GKEasy

Which one of the following is used for storing biological tissues?

  1. A.Liquid nitrogen
  2. B.Liquid helium
  3. C.Liquid argon
  4. D.Liquid bromine
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Liquid nitrogen

It is very cold, chemically inert and cheap, which makes it the standard coolant for preserving cells and tissues. Liquid nitrogen boils at about −196 °C. At such low temperatures the chemical and enzyme activity inside cells almost stops, so tissues can be kept unchanged for years.

Q929.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2025, GKMedium

Which of the following statements with reference to lines of latitudes is/are correct ? 1. The distance between two successive latitudes changes slightly from the equator to the poles. 2. If parallels of latitude are drawn at an interval of one degree, the total number of parallels thus drawn, including the equator, will be 179. 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: C. Both 1 and 2

The Earth is slightly flattened at the poles, and the poles themselves are points, not lines. Because the Earth is an oblate spheroid, a degree of latitude is a little shorter at the equator, about 110.6 km, than near the poles, about 111.7 km.

Q930.General ScienceAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2026, GKMedium

Which of the following statements is/are associated with role of enzymes in genetic engineering? 1. Exonucleases remove nucleotides from the ends of DNA 2. Restriction endonucleases are used to form recombinant molecule of DNA 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: C. Both 1 and 2

Both statements describe how nucleases are used as tools of recombinant DNA technology. Nucleases are enzymes that break the phosphodiester bonds of DNA.

Q931.NationalMedium

Under which law were the two persons connected with the clandestine laboratory arrested?

  1. A.Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985
  2. B.Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002
  3. C.Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967
  4. D.Customs Act, 1962
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985

The two persons associated with the secret manufacturing facility in Jalaun were arrested under its provisions, which cover the production, possession, sale and transport of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

Q934.DefenceMedium

Sea trainees of the First Training Squadron visited which Sri Lankan institution during the Colombo port call?

  1. A.Naval and Maritime Academy, Trincomalee
  2. B.Kotelawala Defence University, Colombo
  3. C.Naval Dockyard, Galle
  4. D.Maritime Training Centre, Jaffna
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Naval and Maritime Academy, Trincomalee

Sea trainees of the squadron went to this academy and met their Sri Lankan counterparts, and cadets of the academy later came aboard the Indian ships to see the training facilities the squadron carries.

Q935.DefenceMedium

What is the full form of MAHASAGAR, the vision mentioned in connection with the Indian Navy's visit to Sri Lanka?

  1. A.Maritime Alliance for Harbour Access, Security and Growth Across Regions
  2. B.Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions
  3. C.Mutual Assistance for Humanitarian Aid, Security and Growth of All Regions
  4. D.Maritime Harmony and Shared Action for Growth Across Regions
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions

The visit of the First Training Squadron to Colombo and its exchanges with the Sri Lanka Navy were placed within this Indian vision for the neighbourhood, which covers regional maritime cooperation and capacity building.

Q936.DefenceEasy

Which ships make up the Indian Navy's First Training Squadron that departed Colombo on 29 October 2026?

  1. A.INS Vikrant, INS Vikramaditya and ICGS Samudra
  2. B.INS Tir, INS Sujata and ICGS Sarathi
  3. C.INS Tabar, INS Trikand and ICGS Vikram
  4. D.INS Shivalik, INS Kadmatt and ICGS Abhinav
Show answer
Correct answer: B. INS Tir, INS Sujata and ICGS Sarathi

These three ships form the First Training Squadron, shortened to 1TS, which carries sea trainees of the Indian Navy and sailed from Colombo on 29 October 2026 at the end of its port call.

Q937.NationalMedium

Where is the international conference on 'Buddhism: Dissemination in the Himalayan Region and Beyond' being held on 2 November 2026?

  1. A.Golden Pagoda, Namsai
  2. B.Kalawangpo Convention Hall, Tawang
  3. C.TGL Monastery, Bomdila
  4. D.National Museum, New Delhi
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Kalawangpo Convention Hall, Tawang

The International Buddhist Confederation and the Government of Arunachal Pradesh are holding the conference there on 2 November 2026, bringing together monks, scholars and delegates from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia and Germany around three themes: carrying the legacy of the Buddha forward after the Mahaparinirvana, the historical…

Q939.NationalEasy

In which state are the Holy Relics of Lord Buddha being exposed for public veneration from 31 October 2026?

  1. A.Sikkim
  2. B.Arunachal Pradesh
  3. C.Himachal Pradesh
  4. D.Mizoram
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Arunachal Pradesh

The Ministry of Culture is holding the exposition of the Holy Relics of Shakyamuni Buddha in that state from 31 October to 21 November 2026, at three centres of Buddhist faith: Tawang Monastery, the TGL Monastery Lower Gompa in Bomdila and the Golden Pagoda at Namsai.

Q940.Government SchemesMedium

Under PMMSY, how many women beneficiaries have been covered by the projects approved over the last five years?

  1. A.More than 1.28 lakh
  2. B.More than 2.28 lakh
  3. C.More than 74.66 lakh
  4. D.More than 15,900
Show answer
Correct answer: A. More than 1.28 lakh

The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana has, over the last five years, cleared projects worth more than Rs 4,155 crore for women in fisheries, of which the central share comes to Rs 1,572 crore, and these have reached more than 1.28 lakh women beneficiaries.