Skip to content
GK24
Prime

UPSC GK Questions 2026

Static general knowledge is the larger part of every UPSC general studies paper. The notices name the same areas again and again: the history of India and the national movement, Indian and world geography, polity and the Constitution, the economy and social development, and general science with environment and ecology. The balance shifts from exam to exam. NDA puts about half of its General Knowledge part on Physics, Chemistry and General Science. CSE favours polity, modern history, environment and the economy. CAPF adds security and human rights, and CDS spreads its questions across polity, history, geography, the economy and school science.

GK24's GK notes are written topic by topic in English and Hindi, as short, fact-first chapters that are easy to revise. They cover Indian Polity, Indian History, Geography, Indian Economy, General Science, Environment and Ecology, Art and Culture, Computer, and the fact lists of awards, sports, books and days. A new chapter is added in each subject as the series grows. Each note carries practice questions, and those that have appeared in an exam say which exam and year. Start with Polity and modern history, then Geography, the Economy and Science. Read a note, take its topic quiz, and come back to it in your monthly revision.

UPSC GK Questions with Answers

Q4461.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IEasy

In India, which one of the following is responsible for maintaining price stability by controlling inflation?

  1. A.Department of Consumer Affairs
  2. B.Expenditure Management Commission
  3. C.Financial Stability and Development Council
  4. D.Reserve Bank of India
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Reserve Bank of India

Controlling inflation through monetary policy is the RBI's legal duty. The RBI Act, 1934 was amended in 2016 to give India a flexible inflation targeting framework.

Q4462.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2024, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, consider the following statements : While any resolution for the removal of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha is under consideration 1. He/She shall not preside. 2. He/She shall not have the right to speak. 3. He/She shall not be entitled to vote on the resolution in the first instance. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  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: A. 1 only

Article 96 of the Constitution sets out the Speaker's position while a resolution for his or her removal is being considered.

Q4463.Indian PolityAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2025, GS Paper IHard

Consider the following statements about Lokpal : I. The power of Lokpal applies to public servants of India, but not to the Indian public servants posted outside India. II. The Chairperson or a Member shall not be a Member of the Parliament or a Member of the Legislature of any State or Union Territory, and only the Chief Justice of India, whether incumbent or retired, has to be its Chairperson. III. The Chairperson or a Member shall not be a person of less than forty-five years of age on the date of assuming office as the Chairperson or Member, as the case may be. IV. Lokpal cannot inquire into the allegations of corruption against a sitting Prime Minister of India. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A.III only
  2. B.II and III
  3. C.I and IV
  4. D.None of the above statements is correct
Show answer
Correct answer: A. III only

Under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, only the age rule holds. Statement III is right: a Chairperson or Member must be at least 45 years old on the date of taking office.

Q4464.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2016, GS Paper IHard

Consider the following : 1. Calcutta Unitarian Committee 2. Tabernacle of New Dispensation 3. Indian Reform Association Keshab Chandra Sen is associated with the establishment of which of the above?

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

Keshab Chandra Sen founded the Tabernacle of New Dispensation and the Indian Reform Association, but not the Calcutta Unitarian Committee.

Q4465.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements: 1. Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to Reduce Short Lived Climate Pollutants is a unique initiative of G20 group of countries. 2. The CCAC focuses on methane, black carbon and hydrofluorocarbons. 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: B. 2 only

The CCAC is not a G20 body, but it does target methane, black carbon and HFCs. The Climate and Clean Air Coalition was launched in February 2012 by the UN Environment Programme together with six countries: Bangladesh, Canada, Ghana, Mexico, Sweden and the United States.

Q4466.Science & TechnologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2018, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following pairs : Terms sometimes seen in news — Context/Topic 1. Belle II experiment — Artificial Intelligence 2. Blockchain technology — Digital/Cryptocurrency 3. CRISPR-Cas9 — Particle Physics Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched ?

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

Only blockchain is matched with its right field. Belle II is a particle physics experiment at the SuperKEKB electron-positron collider in Tsukuba, Japan; it studies B mesons to look for physics beyond the Standard Model, and Indian institutes such as TIFR take part in it.

Q4468.General ScienceAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IHard

With reference to street-lighting, how do sodium lamps differ from LED lamps? 1. Sodium lamps produce light in 360 degrees but it is not so in the case of LED lamps. 2. As street-lights, sodium lamps have longer life span than LED lamps. 3. The spectrum of visible light from sodium lamps is almost monochromatic while LED lamps offer significant colour advantages in street-lighting. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

Statements 1 and 3 describe real differences; statement 2 gets the life span backwards. A sodium vapour lamp is a glowing tube that sends light out in all directions, through 360 degrees, so reflectors are needed to push the light down onto the road and some light is wasted.

Q4469.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2023, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements : 1. The Self-Help Group (SHG) programme was originally initiated by the State Bank of India by providing microcredit to the financially deprived. 2. In an SHG, all members of a group take responsibility for a loan that an individual member takes. 3. The Regional Rural Banks and Scheduled Commercial Banks support SHGs. How many of the above statements are correct?

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

Statements 2 and 3 are correct; statement 1 is not. The SHG movement in banking was started by NABARD, not the State Bank of India.

Q4470.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2024, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements : Statement-I : India does not import apples from the United States of America. Statement-II : In India, the law prohibits the import of Genetically Modified food without the approval of the competent authority. 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 explains Statement-I
  2. B.Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain 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: D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

India has long imported apples from the United States, mainly the Washington apples sold in Indian cities.

Q4471.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2026, GS Paper IMedium

A bond whose proceeds are used only to finance or refinance a combination of both environmental and social projects is called :

  1. A.Green Bond
  2. B.Social Bond
  3. C.Sustainability Bond
  4. D.Sovereign Bond
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Sustainability Bond

A sustainability bond funds a mix of green and social projects from the same issue. The International Capital Market Association, whose principles most issuers follow, divides labelled bonds by the use of the money raised.

Q4473.Science & TechnologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2018, GS Paper IHard

With reference to the Genetically Modified mustard (GM mustard) developed in India, consider the following statements : 1. GM mustard has the genes of a soil bacterium that give the plant the property of pest-resistance to a wide variety of pests. 2. GM mustard has the genes that allow the plant cross-pollination and hybridization. 3. GM mustard has been developed jointly by the IARI and Punjab Agricultural University. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

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

India's GM mustard, Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11 (DMH-11), is built for hybrid seed production, not pest resistance. It carries the barnase and barstar genes taken from the soil bacterium Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.

Q4474.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2019, GS Paper IHard

Consider the following statements : 1. Most of India's external debt is owed by governmental entities. 2. All of India's external debt is denominated in US dollars. 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

Both statements misread the make-up of India's external debt. Statement 1 is wrong because most of India's external debt is owed by non-government borrowers: companies through external commercial borrowings, banks through non-resident Indian deposits, and short-term trade credit.

Q4475.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2020, GS Paper IHard

With reference to the history of India, consider the following pairs : Famous Place — Present State 1. Bhilsa — Madhya Pradesh 2. Dwarasamudra — Maharashtra 3. Girinagar — Gujarat 4. Sthanesvara — Uttar Pradesh Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

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

Bhilsa and Girinagar are matched correctly; Dwarasamudra and Sthanesvara are not. Bhilsa is the old name of Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh, near Sanchi, where the Heliodorus pillar stands.

Q4476.General ScienceAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2021, GS Paper IHard

Consider the following statements : 1. Adenoviruses have single-stranded DNA genomes whereas retroviruses have double-stranded DNA genomes. 2. Common cold is sometime caused by an adenovirus whereas AIDS is caused by a retrovirus. 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: B. 2 only

Statement 1 has both genomes wrong, while statement 2 is a correct fact. Adenoviruses carry a double-stranded DNA genome.

Q4477.Static GKAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following : 1. Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank 2. Missile Technology Control Regime 3. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation India is a member of which of the above ?

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

India is a member of all three groupings. India is a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which began work in 2016 with its headquarters in Beijing; India is its second-largest shareholder after China.

Q4478.Indian EconomyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2023, GS Paper IMedium

In the context of finance, the term 'beta' refers to

  1. A.the process of simultaneous buying and selling of an asset from different platforms
  2. B.an investment strategy of a portfolio manager to balance risk versus reward
  3. C.a type of systemic risk that arises where perfect hedging is not possible
  4. D.a numeric value that measures the fluctuations of a stock to changes in the overall stock market
Show answer
Correct answer: D. a numeric value that measures the fluctuations of a stock to changes in the overall stock market

Beta tells how strongly a share's price moves when the whole market moves. The market itself has a beta of 1.

Q4479.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2025, GS Paper IMedium

Which organization has enacted the Nature Restoration Law (NRL) to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss?

  1. A.The European Union
  2. B.The World Bank
  3. C.The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
  4. D.The Food and Agriculture Organization
Show answer
Correct answer: A. The European Union

The Nature Restoration Law is a regulation of the European Union, adopted by its Parliament and Council in 2024. It is part of the European Green Deal and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.

Q4480.InternationalEasy

What is the subject of the Memorandum of Cooperation signed between India and New Zealand?

  1. A.Electronic exchange of origin data on trade in goods
  2. B.Mutual recognition of academic degrees
  3. C.Removal of all tariffs on dairy products
  4. D.Joint naval exercises in the Indian Ocean
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Electronic exchange of origin data on trade in goods

The memorandum deals with how the two customs administrations will share, in advance and in electronic form, the data that establishes where goods were produced, since a certificate of origin is what decides whether a consignment can claim the lower duties available under a trade agreement.

GK Questions for sub-exams