Skip to content
GK24

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

Q1402.Indian EconomyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2024, GKHard

Suppose there are only two normal goods in the economy, X and Y. If price of good X increases, which would be the correct statement from below ?

  1. A.Demand for good X decreases and demand for Y is indeterminate.
  2. B.Demand for good X decreases and demand for Y decreases.
  3. C.Demand for good X increases and demand for Y is indeterminate.
  4. D.Demand for good X increases and demand for Y decreases.
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Demand for good X decreases and demand for Y is indeterminate.

By the law of demand, a normal good is bought less when its own price rises, while the effect on the other good depends on two forces pulling in opposite directions.

Q1403.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2025, GKMedium

Which one among the following statements about Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy, a freedom fighter, is not correct ?

  1. A.She was the first girl student to be admitted into a men's college.
  2. B.She was the first woman legislator in British India.
  3. C.She was a medical professional.
  4. D.She was honoured with Bharat Ratna in 1956.
Show answer
Correct answer: D. She was honoured with Bharat Ratna in 1956.

This statement is wrong: in 1956 Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy received the Padma Bhushan, not the Bharat Ratna. Muthulakshmi Reddy (1886–1968) of the Madras Presidency broke several barriers.

Q1404.Indian PolityAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2026, GATMedium

Which one among the following Departments is not under the Ministry of Home Affairs?

  1. A.The Department of States
  2. B.The Department of Official Language
  3. C.The Department of Border Management
  4. D.The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation
Show answer
Correct answer: D. The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation

This department belongs to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, not to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Ministry of Jal Shakti was formed in 2019 by merging the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation with the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.

Q1405.GeographyAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2017, GATMedium

Which of the following are correct with regard to Indian Monsoonal Rainfall ?

1. Largely governed by the topographical features

2. Regional and seasonal variation in the distribution of rainfall

3. Heavy downpour resulting in considerable runoff

4. Beginning and end of rain is regular and on time

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

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

Indian monsoon rain is shaped by relief, varies widely by region and season, and falls in heavy bursts, but its onset and withdrawal are not regular.

Q1406.Indian PolityAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2021, GATEasy

Which one of the following is included in Article 51A (Part IV A) of the Constitution of India?

  1. A.Fundamental Duties
  2. B.Suspension of Fundamental Rights
  3. C.Special Powers of Governors
  4. D.Writs
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Fundamental Duties

Article 51A, the only article in Part IV-A, lists the Fundamental Duties of every citizen of India. The Fundamental Duties were added by the 42nd Amendment of 1976 on the recommendation of the Swaran Singh Committee, and the idea was borrowed from the Constitution of the former USSR.

Q1408.Science & TechnologyAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2026, GATMedium

With reference to defence cooperation between India and Russia, which of the following statements is/are correct?

I. BrahMos Cruise Missile system is jointly developed by India's DRDO and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya (NPOM).

II. The production site of the Indo-Russia Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) joint venture is in Korwa, Madhya Pradesh under the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiative.

Select the answer using the code given below.

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

BrahMos is indeed a joint DRDO-NPOM missile, but the IRRPL factory at Korwa is in Uttar Pradesh, not Madhya Pradesh.

Q1410.Environment & EcologyAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2017, GATMedium

Which one among the following is the correct order of tiger reserves situated from North to South in India ?

  1. A.Corbett - Simlipal - Sariska - Periyar
  2. B.Periyar - Sariska - Simlipal - Corbett
  3. C.Corbett - Sariska - Simlipal - Periyar
  4. D.Periyar - Simlipal - Sariska - Corbett
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Corbett - Sariska - Simlipal - Periyar

Going by their states, Uttarakhand lies furthest north, then Rajasthan, then Odisha, and Kerala lies furthest south.

Q1411.Books & AuthorsAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2018, GATEasy

Who among the following was the author of Humayun Nama ?

  1. A.Roshanara Begum
  2. B.Ruquaiya Sultan Begum
  3. C.Gulbadan Begum
  4. D.Gauhara Begum
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Gulbadan Begum

Gulbadan Begum, a daughter of Babur, wrote the Humayun Nama, an account of the life of her half-brother Humayun. Gulbadan Begum wrote the book in Persian at the request of her nephew Akbar, who wanted material for the official history of his reign, the Akbarnama of Abul Fazl.

Q1412.Indian HistoryAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2019, GATMedium

Which one of the following pairs of travellers and their nationality is not correctly matched ?

  1. A.Ibn Battuta - Moroccan
  2. B.Duarte Barbosa - Portuguese
  3. C.Jean Baptiste Tavernier - Dutch
  4. D.Niccolao Manucci - Venetian
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Jean Baptiste Tavernier - Dutch

Tavernier was a French gem merchant, not Dutch, so this pair is wrong. Jean Baptiste Tavernier travelled to India six times between about 1640 and 1667, during the reigns of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb.

Q1413.Indian PolityAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2021, GATMedium

Which one of the following is not a power of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha ?

  1. A.Speaker shall preside over the House of the People.
  2. B.Speaker will cast vote in the first instance in the House.
  3. C.Speaker will have power to maintain order within the House of the People.
  4. D.Speaker can adjourn the House or suspend the meeting till there is a quorum.
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Speaker will cast vote in the first instance in the House.

The Speaker does not vote in the first instance; under Article 100 the Speaker has only a casting vote when there is a tie.

Q1414.Indian PolityAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2026, GATEasy

As per Article 324 of the Constitution of India, the Chief Election Commissioner shall not be removed from his office except in like manner and on the like grounds as

  1. A.a Judge of the Supreme Court
  2. B.a Judge of a High Court
  3. C.the Speaker of the Lok Sabha
  4. D.the Governor of a State
Show answer
Correct answer: A. a Judge of the Supreme Court

Article 324(5) gives the Chief Election Commissioner the same protection against removal as a Supreme Court judge.

Q1416.Environment & EcologyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2016, GKEasy

Which one of the following is correct?

  1. A.Guindy National Park is known for tiger reserve.
  2. B.Namdapha National Park is meant for lion conservation.
  3. C.Jaldapara is a biosphere reserve.
  4. D.Rann of Kutch is a Wild Ass Sanctuary.
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Rann of Kutch is a Wild Ass Sanctuary.

. The Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary, set up in 1973 in the Little Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, is the last home of the Indian wild ass, or khur, a fast and hardy animal adapted to the salt desert.

Q1417.Science & TechnologyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2017, GKEasy

Which one of the following planets was explored by Cassini Mission launched by NASA, which ended in September 2017?

  1. A.Sun
  2. B.Neptune
  3. C.Saturn
  4. D.Jupiter
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Saturn

The Cassini-Huygens mission was a joint project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. Launched in October 1997, it reached Saturn in 2004 and studied the planet, its rings and its moons for thirteen years.

Q1419.Science & TechnologyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2021, GKMedium

What is the range capability of Agni-P Ballistic Missile?

  1. A.1,000 - 2,000 km
  2. B.2,000 - 3,000 km
  3. C.3,000 - 4,000 km
  4. D.4,000 - 5,000 km
Show answer
Correct answer: A. 1,000 - 2,000 km

Agni-P, or Agni Prime, is a new-generation nuclear-capable ballistic missile of the Agni family developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), with a range capability of 1,000 to 2,000 km.

Q1420.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2022, GKHard

Which one of the following statements on the issue of ownership, according to Smriti literature, is not correct?

  1. A.The paternal estate was to be divided equally amongst sons.
  2. B.Women were allowed to retain the gifts they received on the occasion of their marriage.
  3. C.The gifts to women on the occasion of their marriage were known as Stridhana.
  4. D.Stridhana was not inherited by the children without the permission of the husband.
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Stridhana was not inherited by the children without the permission of the husband.

. According to the Manusmriti and other Dharmashastras, the paternal estate was to be divided equally among the sons after the death of the parents, with a special share for the eldest, while women could not claim a share of it.