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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

Q14321.NationalMedium

Which two dark patterns did the Central Consumer Protection Authority find in Rapido's ride-booking interface?

  1. A.Drip pricing and bait and switch
  2. B.Confirm shaming and interface interference
  3. C.False urgency and basket sneaking
  4. D.Subscription trap and forced action
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Confirm shaming and interface interference

The first was found in the prompts that told a rider, after the booking had already been made, that captains were not accepting at the quoted fare and that a higher price improves the chance of getting a ride.

Q14323.NationalEasy

Where and when is the 48th WorldSkills Competition being held?

  1. A.Lyon, France, in October 2026
  2. B.Shanghai, China, from 22 to 27 September 2026
  3. C.Singapore, from 22 to 27 September 2026
  4. D.Tokyo, Japan, in November 2026
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Shanghai, China, from 22 to 27 September 2026

The Indian contingent was flagged off a week earlier from Kaushal Bhawan in New Delhi so that the competitors could reach the host city in time.

Q14325.Summits & ConferencesHard

How many recyclers were registered under India's Extended Producer Responsibility frameworks as of August 2026?

  1. A.1,802 recyclers
  2. B.3,402 recyclers
  3. C.4,802 recyclers
  4. D.8,300 recyclers
Show answer
Correct answer: C. 4,802 recyclers

The same sentence carries two companion numbers worth learning together: more than eighty three thousand producers registered under the various frameworks, and nearly four hundred and eighty two lakh metric tonnes of waste processed across regulated waste streams.

Q14326.Summits & ConferencesHard

Which of these is a co-organiser of the World Circular Economy Forum 2026 in India?

  1. A.United Nations Environment Programme
  2. B.The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra
  3. C.World Economic Forum
  4. D.International Energy Agency
Show answer
Correct answer: B. The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra

The release lists the organisers as the Central Pollution Control Board, that Finnish fund, the Government of Finland, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Government of Gujarat and the Gujarat Pollution Control Board.

Q14327.Summits & ConferencesMedium

What is the theme of the World Circular Economy Forum 2026 held at Gandhinagar?

  1. A.Circular Economy: Transition for People and Prosperity
  2. B.Waste to Wealth for a Green Tomorrow
  3. C.One Earth, One Resource, One Future
  4. D.Sustainable Consumption and Responsible Production
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Circular Economy: Transition for People and Prosperity

The correct answer is Circular Economy: Transition for People and Prosperity, the theme under which the forum is being organised at Gandhinagar.

Q14328.Banking & FinanceHard

What MDR applies to UPI transactions above 2,000 rupees in essential and thin-margin sectors such as railways, telecom and insurance?

  1. A.A flat charge of 5 rupees per transaction
  2. B.0.4 per cent of the transaction value
  3. C.0.02 per cent of the transaction value
  4. D.No charge at all
Show answer
Correct answer: A. A flat charge of 5 rupees per transaction

The release explains the reasoning: a fixed amount gives cost certainty to critical public services and to businesses that work on narrow margins, which a percentage charge would not.

Q14329.Banking & FinanceMedium

Under which law has the new UPI framework been introduced?

  1. A.Banking Regulation Act, 1949
  2. B.Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007
  3. C.Consumer Protection Act, 2019
  4. D.Information Technology Act, 2000
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007

The framework was brought in after detailed deliberations by the UPI Steering Committee on the rates, the operational arrangements and the safeguards for consumers.

Q14333.EconomyMedium

What is the estimated value of India's total exports of goods and services during April-August 2026-27?

  1. A.345.55 billion US dollars
  2. B.399.27 billion US dollars
  3. C.459.65 billion US dollars
  4. D.215.91 billion US dollars
Show answer
Correct answer: B. 399.27 billion US dollars

The correct answer is 399.27 billion US dollars, the cumulative figure for merchandise and services exports taken together over the five months of the current financial year covered by the release.

Q14335.Reports & IndicesEasy

Which organisation conducts the Periodic Labour Force Survey?

  1. A.Reserve Bank of India
  2. B.NITI Aayog
  3. C.National Statistical Office under MoSPI
  4. D.Labour Bureau under the Ministry of Labour
Show answer
Correct answer: C. National Statistical Office under MoSPI

The bulletin describes the survey as the primary source of data on activity participation and on employment and unemployment conditions of the population.

Q14337.DefenceHard

With which body did DRDO sign a contract for SAMAR version 2.0?

  1. A.Bureau of Indian Standards
  2. B.Quality Council of India
  3. C.National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories
  4. D.Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Quality Council of India

DRDO signed a contract with it for the System for Advance Manufacturing Assessment and Rating, whose second version will benchmark how mature the manufacturing capability of domestic defence enterprises really is.

Q14338.DefenceMedium

How many Licensing Agreements for Transfer of Technology were handed over at VIMARSH, and to how many manufacturing partners?

  1. A.Five agreements to nine partners
  2. B.Nine agreements to 13 partners
  3. C.Thirteen agreements to nine partners
  4. D.Eleven agreements to 15 partners
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Nine agreements to 13 partners

The release records that nine Licensing Agreements for Transfer of Technology, written in short as LAToTs, were handed over to that many manufacturing partners in the presence of the Raksha Mantri, so that they may take up commercial production of the systems involved.

Q14340.DefenceMedium

What is the stated aim of Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2026?

  1. A.Joint disaster relief in coastal districts
  2. B.Joint capability for employing Integrated Battle Groups in mountainous and semi-mountainous terrain
  3. C.Joint anti-piracy patrolling in the Indian Ocean
  4. D.Joint air-defence drills against ballistic missiles
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Joint capability for employing Integrated Battle Groups in mountainous and semi-mountainous terrain

That is the aim the release sets out, and it explains why one leg of the drill is held in the hills at Auli.