In short: General Knowledge is a make-or-break section in every competitive exam - SSC, Railway, Banking, UPSC Prelims, and state-level tests. This reference post compiles 500 of the most frequently asked GK questions across 10 sections: Indian History, Geography, Polity, Economy, General Science, Computer Knowledge, Sports, Awards and Honours, Current Affairs 2025-27, and Static GK. Bookmark this page and revise regularly.
How to Use This Question Bank
This is a reference post designed for quick revision. Here is how to get the most out of it:
- First pass - Read through all 500 questions and mark the ones you got wrong
- Second pass - Focus only on the questions you marked
- Third pass - Revise everything one week before your exam
- Daily practice - Cover 50 questions per day (one section) for a 10-day cycle
These questions are relevant for SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, Railway NTPC, Railway Group D, IBPS PO/Clerk, SBI PO/Clerk, UPSC Prelims, and all major state-level exams.
Section 1: Indian History (50 Questions)
| # | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Who founded the Maurya Empire? | Chandragupta Maurya |
| 2 | Ashoka embraced Buddhism after which battle? | Battle of Kalinga (261 BC) |
| 3 | Who wrote Arthashastra? | Kautilya (Chanakya) |
| 4 | The Gupta Empire is called the Golden Age of India. Who founded it? | Sri Gupta |
| 5 | Which dynasty built the Khajuraho temples? | Chandela dynasty |
| 6 | Who was the first Sultan of Delhi? | Qutb ud-Din Aibak |
| 7 | The Vijayanagara Empire was founded by whom? | Harihara I and Bukka Raya I |
| 8 | Who built the Taj Mahal? | Shah Jahan |
| 9 | The Battle of Plassey (1757) was fought between whom? | British East India Company and Siraj ud-Daulah |
| 10 | Who was the last Mughal Emperor? | Bahadur Shah Zafar |
| 11 | The Revolt of 1857 started from which city? | Meerut |
| 12 | Who founded the Indian National Congress in 1885? | A.O. Hume |
| 13 | The Partition of Bengal took place in which year? | 1905 |
| 14 | Who gave the slogan "Swaraj is my birthright"? | Bal Gangadhar Tilak |
| 15 | The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place in which year? | 1919 |
| 16 | Who led the Salt March (Dandi March) in 1930? | Mahatma Gandhi |
| 17 | The Quit India Movement was launched in which year? | 1942 |
| 18 | Who gave the call "Do or Die"? | Mahatma Gandhi |
| 19 | Who is known as the Iron Man of India? | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel |
| 20 | India became independent on which date? | 15 August 1947 |
| 21 | Who was the first Governor-General of independent India? | Lord Mountbatten |
| 22 | Who was the first Indian Governor-General of India? | C. Rajagopalachari |
| 23 | The Indus Valley Civilization was discovered in which year? | 1921 |
| 24 | Harappa is located in which present-day country? | Pakistan (Punjab province) |
| 25 | Who started the Bhakti Movement in South India? | Ramanuja |
| 26 | The Battle of Panipat (1526) was fought between whom? | Babur and Ibrahim Lodi |
| 27 | Who built the Red Fort in Delhi? | Shah Jahan |
| 28 | Who was known as the Frontier Gandhi? | Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan |
| 29 | The Simon Commission came to India in which year? | 1928 |
| 30 | Who founded the Arya Samaj? | Swami Dayanand Saraswati |
| 31 | The Brahmo Samaj was founded by whom? | Raja Ram Mohan Roy |
| 32 | Who was the first woman President of the Indian National Congress? | Annie Besant |
| 33 | The Rowlatt Act was passed in which year? | 1919 |
| 34 | Who gave the slogan "Jai Hind"? | Subhas Chandra Bose |
| 35 | The Cripps Mission visited India in which year? | 1942 |
| 36 | Who founded the Servants of India Society? | Gopal Krishna Gokhale |
| 37 | The Non-Cooperation Movement was launched in which year? | 1920 |
| 38 | Who authored the book "Discovery of India"? | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| 39 | The Doctrine of Lapse was introduced by whom? | Lord Dalhousie |
| 40 | Who was the Viceroy during the Quit India Movement? | Lord Linlithgow |
| 41 | The Chauri Chaura incident happened in which year? | 1922 |
| 42 | Who founded the Indian Muslim League? | Aga Khan III (in 1906 at Dhaka) |
| 43 | The Lucknow Pact (1916) was between which two parties? | Congress and Muslim League |
| 44 | Who started the newspaper "Kesari"? | Bal Gangadhar Tilak |
| 45 | The Wood's Dispatch (1854) is related to what? | Education in India |
| 46 | Who was the first Viceroy of India? | Lord Canning |
| 47 | The Poona Pact (1932) was signed between whom? | Gandhi and Ambedkar |
| 48 | Who founded the Forward Bloc? | Subhas Chandra Bose |
| 49 | The Cabinet Mission came to India in which year? | 1946 |
| 50 | Who is called the Father of the Indian Constitution? | Dr. B.R. Ambedkar |
Section 2: Indian Geography (50 Questions)
| # | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | What is the total area of India? | 32,87,263 sq km (approx.) |
| 2 | How many states and union territories does India have? | 28 states and 8 union territories |
| 3 | Which is the longest river in India? | Ganga (2,525 km) |
| 4 | Which is the highest peak in India? | Kangchenjunga (8,586 m) |
| 5 | The Tropic of Cancer passes through how many Indian states? | 8 states |
| 6 | Which is the largest state of India by area? | Rajasthan |
| 7 | Which is the smallest state of India by area? | Goa |
| 8 | Which Indian state has the longest coastline? | Gujarat |
| 9 | Where is the Thar Desert located? | Rajasthan |
| 10 | Which river is called the Sorrow of Bihar? | Kosi River |
| 11 | The Western Ghats are also known as? | Sahyadri Mountains |
| 12 | Which lake in India is the largest saltwater lake? | Chilika Lake (Odisha) |
| 13 | The Brahmaputra River originates from which region? | Mansarovar Lake area (Tibet) |
| 14 | Which soil type is most common in the Indo-Gangetic Plain? | Alluvial soil |
| 15 | What is the southernmost point of mainland India? | Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin) |
| 16 | Which is the largest freshwater lake in India? | Wular Lake (Jammu and Kashmir) |
| 17 | The Palk Strait separates India from which country? | Sri Lanka |
| 18 | Which mountain pass connects Leh and Srinagar? | Zoji La |
| 19 | The Sundarbans delta is formed by which rivers? | Ganga and Brahmaputra |
| 20 | Which Indian state receives the highest rainfall? | Meghalaya |
| 21 | Mawsynram in Meghalaya is known for what? | Highest rainfall in the world |
| 22 | Which type of forest is found in the Western Ghats? | Tropical Evergreen Forest |
| 23 | The Deccan Plateau lies between which two mountain ranges? | Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats |
| 24 | Which river flows through a rift valley in India? | Narmada |
| 25 | The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are located in which body of water? | Bay of Bengal |
| 26 | Which is the highest dam in India? | Tehri Dam (Uttarakhand) |
| 27 | Bandipur National Park is located in which state? | Karnataka |
| 28 | Which soil is ideal for cotton cultivation? | Black (Regur) soil |
| 29 | The Konkan Coast is located along which state? | Maharashtra (and parts of Goa and Karnataka) |
| 30 | Which Indian city is called the Silicon Valley of India? | Bengaluru |
| 31 | The Godavari River is also known as? | Dakshin Ganga (Ganges of the South) |
| 32 | Which strait separates Andaman and Nicobar Islands? | Ten Degree Channel |
| 33 | The Siwaliks are part of which mountain range? | Outer Himalayas |
| 34 | Which is the most urbanized state in India? | Goa |
| 35 | The Chambal River is a tributary of which river? | Yamuna |
| 36 | Jim Corbett National Park is located in which state? | Uttarakhand |
| 37 | Which mineral is abundantly found in Jharkhand? | Iron ore and coal |
| 38 | The Gulf of Kutch is located in which state? | Gujarat |
| 39 | Which island group of India is of coral origin? | Lakshadweep |
| 40 | The standard meridian of India passes through which city? | Mirzapur (Uttar Pradesh) |
| 41 | What is the latitude of the Tropic of Cancer? | 23.5 degrees North |
| 42 | Which is the longest National Highway in India? | NH-44 (Srinagar to Kanyakumari) |
| 43 | The Damodar River Valley is called the Ruhr of India because of? | Coal and industrial development |
| 44 | Which crop is known as the Golden Fibre? | Jute |
| 45 | The Kaveri River dispute is between which two states? | Karnataka and Tamil Nadu |
| 46 | Which port is the largest natural port in India? | Mumbai (now Visakhapatnam by cargo) |
| 47 | Laterite soil is found in which regions? | High rainfall areas (Western Ghats, NE India) |
| 48 | Which river forms the India-Bangladesh border partially? | Ichamati River |
| 49 | The Indian Standard Time (IST) is ahead of GMT by how much? | 5 hours 30 minutes |
| 50 | Which Indian state is known as the Spice Garden of India? | Kerala |
Section 3: Indian Polity (50 Questions)
| # | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Indian Constitution was adopted on which date? | 26 November 1949 |
| 2 | The Indian Constitution came into effect on which date? | 26 January 1950 |
| 3 | How many articles were in the original Indian Constitution? | 395 articles |
| 4 | How many schedules does the Indian Constitution have? | 12 schedules |
| 5 | Who was the Chairman of the Constituent Assembly? | Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
| 6 | Who was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee? | Dr. B.R. Ambedkar |
| 7 | The Preamble of the Constitution was inspired by which country? | USA (We, the People) |
| 8 | Fundamental Rights are mentioned in which Part of the Constitution? | Part III (Articles 12-35) |
| 9 | How many Fundamental Rights are listed in the Constitution? | 6 (originally 7 - Right to Property was removed) |
| 10 | Directive Principles of State Policy are in which Part? | Part IV (Articles 36-51) |
| 11 | Fundamental Duties were added by which amendment? | 42nd Amendment (1976) |
| 12 | What is the minimum age to become the President of India? | 35 years |
| 13 | What is the minimum age to become a member of Lok Sabha? | 25 years |
| 14 | What is the minimum age to become a member of Rajya Sabha? | 30 years |
| 15 | How many members can the President nominate to Rajya Sabha? | 12 |
| 16 | The maximum strength of Lok Sabha is? | 552 (530 states + 20 UTs + 2 Anglo-Indian, now lapsed) |
| 17 | The Rajya Sabha can have a maximum of how many members? | 250 |
| 18 | Who is the first citizen of India? | The President |
| 19 | Who appoints the Chief Justice of India? | The President (on advice of PM) |
| 20 | The Supreme Court of India is located in which city? | New Delhi |
| 21 | What is a Money Bill? | A bill dealing exclusively with taxation, borrowing, or government expenditure |
| 22 | Which article deals with the Right to Equality? | Articles 14-18 |
| 23 | Right to Education was added as a Fundamental Right under which article? | Article 21A (by 86th Amendment) |
| 24 | The 73rd Amendment is related to what? | Panchayati Raj Institutions |
| 25 | The 74th Amendment is related to what? | Urban Local Bodies (Municipalities) |
| 26 | The Election Commission of India was established in which year? | 1950 |
| 27 | Who appoints the Chief Election Commissioner? | The President |
| 28 | The Finance Commission is constituted under which article? | Article 280 |
| 29 | What is the term of the President of India? | 5 years |
| 30 | Emergency provisions are described in which Part? | Part XVIII (Articles 352-360) |
| 31 | How many types of emergencies are there in the Indian Constitution? | 3 (National, State, Financial) |
| 32 | Article 370 was related to which region? | Jammu and Kashmir (abrogated in 2019) |
| 33 | The concept of Judicial Review is borrowed from which country? | USA |
| 34 | The Parliamentary system in India is borrowed from which country? | United Kingdom |
| 35 | The concept of Fundamental Duties is borrowed from which country? | USSR (now Russia) |
| 36 | Who has the power to declare a National Emergency? | The President (on cabinet's written advice) |
| 37 | What is the quorum for a Lok Sabha session? | 1/10th of the total members |
| 38 | Which article provides for the abolition of untouchability? | Article 17 |
| 39 | The Attorney General of India is appointed by whom? | The President |
| 40 | How is the Vice President of India elected? | By members of both Houses of Parliament |
| 41 | Which amendment reduced the voting age from 21 to 18? | 61st Amendment (1988) |
| 42 | The Inter-State Council is constituted under which article? | Article 263 |
| 43 | Which Part of the Constitution deals with the Union Government? | Part V |
| 44 | The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) is appointed by whom? | The President |
| 45 | How many High Courts are there in India? | 25 |
| 46 | What is the writ of Habeas Corpus? | To produce the detained person before the court |
| 47 | The power of the Supreme Court to issue writs is under which article? | Article 32 |
| 48 | What is the tenure of a Rajya Sabha member? | 6 years (1/3 retire every 2 years) |
| 49 | The GST Council is constituted under which article? | Article 279A |
| 50 | Anti-defection law was introduced by which amendment? | 52nd Amendment (1985) |
Section 4: Indian Economy (50 Questions)
| # | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Who is known as the Father of Indian Economic Reforms? | Dr. Manmohan Singh |
| 2 | India adopted the economic liberalization policy in which year? | 1991 |
| 3 | What is the full form of GDP? | Gross Domestic Product |
| 4 | Which organization calculates India's GDP? | Central Statistics Office (CSO) |
| 5 | The Reserve Bank of India was established in which year? | 1935 |
| 6 | Who was the first Governor of RBI? | Sir Osborne Smith |
| 7 | Who was the first Indian Governor of RBI? | C.D. Deshmukh |
| 8 | NABARD stands for? | National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development |
| 9 | SEBI stands for? | Securities and Exchange Board of India |
| 10 | When was SEBI established? | 1988 (given statutory powers in 1992) |
| 11 | The Planning Commission was replaced by which body? | NITI Aayog (in 2015) |
| 12 | Who is the Chairman of NITI Aayog? | Prime Minister of India |
| 13 | What is the full form of FDI? | Foreign Direct Investment |
| 14 | Which sector contributes the most to India's GDP? | Service sector (approximately 54%) |
| 15 | What is the full form of GST? | Goods and Services Tax |
| 16 | GST was implemented in India on which date? | 1 July 2017 |
| 17 | How many slabs are there in GST? | 4 main slabs (5%, 12%, 18%, 28%) |
| 18 | The fiscal year in India runs from when to when? | 1 April to 31 March |
| 19 | What is Fiscal Deficit? | Total expenditure minus total revenue (excluding borrowings) |
| 20 | The Union Budget is presented by whom? | Finance Minister |
| 21 | What is Repo Rate? | Rate at which RBI lends to commercial banks |
| 22 | What is Reverse Repo Rate? | Rate at which RBI borrows from commercial banks |
| 23 | What is CRR? | Cash Reserve Ratio - percentage of deposits banks must keep with RBI |
| 24 | What is SLR? | Statutory Liquidity Ratio - percentage of deposits in liquid assets |
| 25 | The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana was launched in which year? | 2014 |
| 26 | What does MUDRA stand for? | Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency |
| 27 | India's first Five Year Plan started in which year? | 1951 |
| 28 | How many Five Year Plans were implemented in India? | 12 (the 12th ended in 2017) |
| 29 | The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) guarantees how many days of work? | 100 days |
| 30 | Which committee recommended GST in India? | Vijay Kelkar Committee |
| 31 | What is the full form of MSME? | Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises |
| 32 | India ranks which position in the world by GDP (nominal)? | 5th (as of 2025) |
| 33 | What does PPP stand for in economics? | Purchasing Power Parity |
| 34 | The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) was established in which year? | 1875 |
| 35 | The National Stock Exchange (NSE) was established in which year? | 1992 |
| 36 | What is the Sensex? | Benchmark index of BSE (30 companies) |
| 37 | What is the Nifty? | Benchmark index of NSE (50 companies) |
| 38 | Who prints currency notes in India? | Reserve Bank of India |
| 39 | Who mints coins in India? | Government of India (Ministry of Finance) |
| 40 | What is the full form of UPI? | Unified Payments Interface |
| 41 | UPI was developed by which organization? | NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India) |
| 42 | What is the inflation targeting range set by RBI? | 2% to 6% (target 4%) |
| 43 | Which bank is the largest public sector bank in India? | State Bank of India (SBI) |
| 44 | What is disinvestment? | Government selling its stake in public sector enterprises |
| 45 | The White Revolution in India is associated with? | Milk production (Operation Flood by Verghese Kurien) |
| 46 | The Green Revolution in India was led by? | M.S. Swaminathan |
| 47 | What is the current account deficit? | When imports exceed exports in goods, services, and transfers |
| 48 | What is Make in India initiative? | Government program to encourage manufacturing in India (launched 2014) |
| 49 | India is the largest producer of which agricultural product? | Milk (globally largest producer) |
| 50 | What is the Digital India programme? | Government initiative for digital infrastructure and services (launched 2015) |
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Section 5: General Science (50 Questions)
| # | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | What is the chemical formula of water? | H2O |
| 2 | What is the pH value of pure water? | 7 (neutral) |
| 3 | Which gas is most abundant in Earth's atmosphere? | Nitrogen (78%) |
| 4 | What is the chemical name of baking soda? | Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO3) |
| 5 | Which vitamin is produced by sunlight in the body? | Vitamin D |
| 6 | What is the SI unit of force? | Newton (N) |
| 7 | Who discovered the law of gravitation? | Sir Isaac Newton |
| 8 | What is the speed of light? | Approximately 3 x 10^8 m/s |
| 9 | Which is the hardest natural substance? | Diamond |
| 10 | What is the chemical formula of table salt? | NaCl (Sodium Chloride) |
| 11 | Which organ in the human body produces insulin? | Pancreas |
| 12 | How many bones are in the adult human body? | 206 |
| 13 | What is the largest organ of the human body? | Skin |
| 14 | Which blood group is called the universal donor? | O negative |
| 15 | Which blood group is called the universal recipient? | AB positive |
| 16 | What is the normal blood pressure of a healthy adult? | 120/80 mmHg |
| 17 | Which gas is released during photosynthesis? | Oxygen |
| 18 | What is the powerhouse of the cell? | Mitochondria |
| 19 | DNA stands for? | Deoxyribonucleic Acid |
| 20 | Who discovered penicillin? | Alexander Fleming |
| 21 | What is the boiling point of water at sea level? | 100 degrees Celsius |
| 22 | Which metal is liquid at room temperature? | Mercury |
| 23 | What is the atomic number of carbon? | 6 |
| 24 | Which acid is present in the stomach? | Hydrochloric acid (HCl) |
| 25 | What is the chemical formula of rust? | Fe2O3 (Iron oxide) |
| 26 | Which planet is known as the Red Planet? | Mars |
| 27 | What is the closest star to Earth? | Sun |
| 28 | Which element has the symbol Au? | Gold |
| 29 | What causes a rainbow? | Dispersion of white light through water droplets |
| 30 | Which gas is used in fire extinguishers? | Carbon Dioxide (CO2) |
| 31 | What is the full form of LED? | Light Emitting Diode |
| 32 | Which vitamin deficiency causes scurvy? | Vitamin C |
| 33 | Which vitamin deficiency causes night blindness? | Vitamin A |
| 34 | What is the function of red blood cells? | Carry oxygen from lungs to body tissues |
| 35 | Who is known as the Father of Genetics? | Gregor Mendel |
| 36 | Which gas is known as laughing gas? | Nitrous Oxide (N2O) |
| 37 | What is the main component of natural gas? | Methane (CH4) |
| 38 | Which lens is used to correct myopia (short-sightedness)? | Concave lens |
| 39 | Which lens is used to correct hypermetropia (long-sightedness)? | Convex lens |
| 40 | What is the SI unit of electric current? | Ampere (A) |
| 41 | What is an alloy? | A mixture of two or more metals |
| 42 | Bronze is an alloy of which metals? | Copper and Tin |
| 43 | Brass is an alloy of which metals? | Copper and Zinc |
| 44 | What is the full form of AIDS? | Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome |
| 45 | Which mosquito spreads malaria? | Female Anopheles mosquito |
| 46 | Which mosquito spreads dengue? | Aedes aegypti mosquito |
| 47 | What is the chemical formula of methane? | CH4 |
| 48 | Which gland is called the master gland? | Pituitary gland |
| 49 | What is the unit of frequency? | Hertz (Hz) |
| 50 | Ozone layer is present in which layer of atmosphere? | Stratosphere |
Section 6: Computer Knowledge (50 Questions)
| # | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Who is known as the Father of Computers? | Charles Babbage |
| 2 | What does CPU stand for? | Central Processing Unit |
| 3 | What does RAM stand for? | Random Access Memory |
| 4 | What does ROM stand for? | Read Only Memory |
| 5 | Which is a volatile memory - RAM or ROM? | RAM |
| 6 | What is the full form of HTML? | HyperText Markup Language |
| 7 | What is the full form of HTTP? | HyperText Transfer Protocol |
| 8 | What is the full form of URL? | Uniform Resource Locator |
| 9 | Who invented the World Wide Web? | Tim Berners-Lee |
| 10 | What is the binary number system based on? | 0 and 1 |
| 11 | 1 KB equals how many bytes? | 1024 bytes |
| 12 | 1 MB equals how many KB? | 1024 KB |
| 13 | 1 GB equals how many MB? | 1024 MB |
| 14 | What is an operating system? | Software that manages hardware and software resources |
| 15 | Name two popular operating systems. | Windows and Linux |
| 16 | What is the full form of LAN? | Local Area Network |
| 17 | What is the full form of WAN? | Wide Area Network |
| 18 | What does USB stand for? | Universal Serial Bus |
| 19 | What is the full form of PDF? | Portable Document Format |
| 20 | What is the shortcut key to copy in Windows? | Ctrl + C |
| 21 | What is the shortcut key to paste in Windows? | Ctrl + V |
| 22 | What is the shortcut key to undo in Windows? | Ctrl + Z |
| 23 | What is the full form of Wi-Fi? | Wireless Fidelity |
| 24 | What is the full form of SIM? | Subscriber Identity Module |
| 25 | Who is the co-founder of Microsoft? | Bill Gates and Paul Allen |
| 26 | Who is the co-founder of Apple? | Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak |
| 27 | What is phishing? | Fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information via fake emails/websites |
| 28 | What is a firewall? | Security system that monitors and controls incoming/outgoing network traffic |
| 29 | What is the full form of BIOS? | Basic Input Output System |
| 30 | What is a motherboard? | Main circuit board of a computer that connects all components |
| 31 | What is the full form of SQL? | Structured Query Language |
| 32 | What does IP stand for in IP address? | Internet Protocol |
| 33 | What is cloud computing? | Delivery of computing services over the internet |
| 34 | What is the full form of GPS? | Global Positioning System |
| 35 | What is an algorithm? | Step-by-step procedure for solving a problem |
| 36 | What is a computer virus? | Malicious software that replicates and damages systems |
| 37 | What is the full form of ASCII? | American Standard Code for Information Interchange |
| 38 | How many bits are in one byte? | 8 bits |
| 39 | What is the full form of SMTP? | Simple Mail Transfer Protocol |
| 40 | What is the full form of FTP? | File Transfer Protocol |
| 41 | What is the full form of VPN? | Virtual Private Network |
| 42 | What is cache memory? | Small, high-speed memory between CPU and RAM |
| 43 | What is an input device? Give two examples. | Device that sends data to computer (keyboard, mouse) |
| 44 | What is an output device? Give two examples. | Device that receives data from computer (monitor, printer) |
| 45 | What is the full form of IoT? | Internet of Things |
| 46 | What is the full form of AI? | Artificial Intelligence |
| 47 | What is blockchain? | Distributed ledger technology for secure, transparent transactions |
| 48 | What is the extension of a Word document? | .docx |
| 49 | What is the extension of an Excel file? | .xlsx |
| 50 | What does HTTPS mean? | HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure |
Section 7: Sports (50 Questions)
| # | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Who is known as the God of Cricket? | Sachin Tendulkar |
| 2 | Which country hosted the 2024 Summer Olympics? | France (Paris) |
| 3 | How many players are in a cricket team? | 11 |
| 4 | How many players are in a football (soccer) team? | 11 |
| 5 | The FIFA World Cup 2022 was held in which country? | Qatar |
| 6 | Which country won the FIFA World Cup 2022? | Argentina |
| 7 | Which Indian cricketer has the most international centuries? | Sachin Tendulkar (100 centuries) |
| 8 | The Wimbledon tennis tournament is played on which surface? | Grass court |
| 9 | Who won the most Grand Slam titles in men's tennis? | Novak Djokovic (24 titles as of 2024) |
| 10 | Hockey India's national sport - true or false? | India has no official national sport (commonly associated with hockey) |
| 11 | The Ranji Trophy is associated with which sport? | Cricket |
| 12 | The Durand Cup is the oldest football tournament in which continent? | Asia |
| 13 | How many rings are in the Olympic symbol? | 5 |
| 14 | What do the five Olympic rings represent? | Five continents |
| 15 | Who is known as the Flying Sikh? | Milkha Singh |
| 16 | Who was the first Indian to win an individual Olympic gold medal? | Abhinav Bindra (2008, shooting) |
| 17 | Neeraj Chopra won Olympic gold in which event? | Javelin throw (Tokyo 2020) |
| 18 | The Dronacharya Award is given for excellence in? | Sports coaching |
| 19 | The Arjuna Award is given for? | Outstanding performance in sports |
| 20 | The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna is now called? | Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award |
| 21 | Which country has won the most Cricket World Cups? | Australia (6 titles) |
| 22 | India won the Cricket World Cup in which years? | 1983 and 2011 |
| 23 | Badminton originated in which country? | India (from Poona game, formalized in England) |
| 24 | P.V. Sindhu is associated with which sport? | Badminton |
| 25 | Mary Kom is associated with which sport? | Boxing |
| 26 | How many categories of Mary Kom's World Boxing Championships medals? | 6 World Championship medals (most by any boxer) |
| 27 | The Thomas Cup is associated with which sport? | Badminton (men's team) |
| 28 | The Uber Cup is associated with which sport? | Badminton (women's team) |
| 29 | A marathon race covers how much distance? | 42.195 km |
| 30 | The term "hat-trick" originated from which sport? | Cricket |
| 31 | Saina Nehwal is associated with which sport? | Badminton |
| 32 | The Davis Cup is associated with which sport? | Tennis |
| 33 | Which country invented table tennis? | England |
| 34 | The Irani Trophy is associated with which sport? | Cricket |
| 35 | Who is the highest wicket-taker in international cricket? | Muttiah Muralitharan (800 Test wickets, 534 ODI wickets) |
| 36 | Viswanathan Anand is associated with which sport? | Chess |
| 37 | The Beighton Cup is associated with which sport? | Hockey |
| 38 | Leander Paes is associated with which sport? | Tennis |
| 39 | Dhyan Chand was associated with which sport? | Hockey |
| 40 | How many players are on a basketball team on court? | 5 |
| 41 | The IPL (Indian Premier League) started in which year? | 2008 |
| 42 | Who is the fastest man alive (100m world record)? | Usain Bolt (9.58 seconds) |
| 43 | Which country won the most Olympic medals all-time? | USA |
| 44 | The Santosh Trophy is associated with which sport? | Football (Indian national championship) |
| 45 | Javelin throw world record holder as of 2024? | Jan Zelezny (98.48m, 1996) |
| 46 | How many players are in a volleyball team on court? | 6 |
| 47 | The term "Grand Slam" in tennis refers to winning how many tournaments? | 4 (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open) |
| 48 | The 2028 Summer Olympics will be held in which city? | Los Angeles, USA |
| 49 | The 2032 Summer Olympics will be held in which city? | Brisbane, Australia |
| 50 | Mirabai Chanu won an Olympic silver medal in which sport? | Weightlifting (Tokyo 2020) |
Section 8: Awards and Honours (50 Questions)
| # | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | What is the highest civilian award of India? | Bharat Ratna |
| 2 | The Bharat Ratna was instituted in which year? | 1954 |
| 3 | Who was the first recipient of the Bharat Ratna? | C. Rajagopalachari, S. Radhakrishnan, C.V. Raman (all in 1954) |
| 4 | The Padma Awards are announced on which day? | Republic Day (26 January) |
| 5 | What are the three categories of Padma Awards? | Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri |
| 6 | Which Indian won the Nobel Prize in Physics? | C.V. Raman (1930) |
| 7 | Which Indian won the Nobel Prize in Literature? | Rabindranath Tagore (1913) |
| 8 | Which Indian won the Nobel Prize in Economics? | Amartya Sen (1998) |
| 9 | Kailash Satyarthi won the Nobel Peace Prize in which year? | 2014 (shared with Malala Yousafzai) |
| 10 | Mother Teresa won the Nobel Peace Prize in which year? | 1979 |
| 11 | The Param Vir Chakra is India's highest military honour for? | Bravery in the face of the enemy |
| 12 | The Ashoka Chakra is India's highest peacetime gallantry award. True or false? | True |
| 13 | The Sahitya Akademi Award is given for excellence in? | Literature |
| 14 | The National Film Award is presented by whom? | President of India |
| 15 | The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is the highest award in which field? | Indian cinema |
| 16 | Who was the first recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award? | Devika Rani (1969) |
| 17 | The Jnanpith Award is given for? | Outstanding contribution to Indian literature |
| 18 | Who was the first Jnanpith Award winner? | G. Sankara Kurup (1965, Malayalam) |
| 19 | The Gallantry Awards on Republic Day include which awards? | Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, Vir Chakra |
| 20 | The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize is given in which field? | Science and Technology |
| 21 | The Ramon Magsaysay Award is often called? | Asia's Nobel Prize |
| 22 | Who was the first Indian to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award? | Vinoba Bhave (1958) |
| 23 | The Kalinga Prize is given by which organization? | UNESCO |
| 24 | The Kalinga Prize is for the popularization of? | Science |
| 25 | The Dronacharya Award is given in which field? | Sports coaching |
| 26 | The Arjuna Award is given for? | Outstanding performance in sports |
| 27 | The Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award is given for? | Adventure in land, sea, and air |
| 28 | Abhijit Banerjee won the Nobel Prize in which year and field? | 2019, Economics |
| 29 | The Pulitzer Prize is given for excellence in? | Journalism and arts (US-based) |
| 30 | The Booker Prize is given for? | Best novel written in English |
| 31 | Which Indian author won the Booker Prize? | Arundhati Roy (1997) and later Arvind Adiga (2008) |
| 32 | The Grammy Award is given in which field? | Music |
| 33 | The Fields Medal is the highest honour in which field? | Mathematics |
| 34 | The Abel Prize is given for which field? | Mathematics |
| 35 | The Turing Award is given for contributions in? | Computer Science |
| 36 | The Gandhi Peace Prize is awarded by? | Government of India |
| 37 | The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace is awarded since which year? | 1986 |
| 38 | Who was the youngest Nobel Prize laureate? | Malala Yousafzai (age 17, 2014) |
| 39 | The Man Booker International Prize includes which literature? | Fiction translated into English |
| 40 | The Vyas Samman is given for? | Outstanding Hindi literary work |
| 41 | The Moortidevi Award is given by? | Bharatiya Jnanpith |
| 42 | Which award is given on Teachers' Day (5 September)? | National Teachers' Award |
| 43 | The Florence Nightingale Award is given in which field? | Nursing |
| 44 | The Dhyan Chand Award is given for? | Lifetime achievement in sports |
| 45 | C.V. Raman won the Nobel Prize for which discovery? | Raman Effect (scattering of light) |
| 46 | Har Gobind Khorana won the Nobel Prize in which field? | Medicine (1968, genetic code) |
| 47 | Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar won the Nobel Prize in which field? | Physics (1983, stellar structure) |
| 48 | Venkatraman Ramakrishnan won the Nobel Prize in which field? | Chemistry (2009, ribosome structure) |
| 49 | The Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award is given for? | Outstanding contribution to communal harmony |
| 50 | Which award is the highest for bravery among Indian children? | National Bravery Award |
Section 9: Current Affairs 2025-27 (50 Questions)
| # | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | India assumed the G20 presidency in which year? | 2023 (hosted the G20 Summit in New Delhi) |
| 2 | Chandrayaan-3 landed on the Moon in which year? | 2023 (on 23 August) |
| 3 | Chandrayaan-3 landed near which lunar region? | South Pole of the Moon |
| 4 | India became which country to successfully land near the Moon's south pole? | First country |
| 5 | The Aditya-L1 mission is related to? | Study of the Sun (solar observatory) |
| 6 | The Gaganyaan mission aims to? | Send Indian astronauts to space |
| 7 | Which country became the newest NATO member in 2024? | Sweden |
| 8 | India's population surpassed which country to become the most populous? | China (in 2023) |
| 9 | The BRICS grouping expanded in 2024 to include which new members? | Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE |
| 10 | What is the Semiconductor Mission in India? | Government initiative to build semiconductor manufacturing plants in India |
| 11 | The PM Vishwakarma Scheme was launched for? | Traditional artisans and craftsmen |
| 12 | The Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) was announced in which year? | 2024 |
| 13 | India's GDP growth rate for FY 2024-25 was approximately? | 6.5-7% |
| 14 | Which Indian state was bifurcated most recently? | Andhra Pradesh (into AP and Telangana in 2014) |
| 15 | The 2024 Paris Olympics - India won how many medals? | 6 medals |
| 16 | Which Indian won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics? | No gold (Neeraj Chopra won silver in javelin) |
| 17 | UPI transactions in India crossed what milestone in 2024? | Over 10 billion transactions per month |
| 18 | India's first bullet train corridor is between which cities? | Mumbai and Ahmedabad |
| 19 | The Vande Bharat Express trains are manufactured at? | ICF Chennai (Integral Coach Factory) |
| 20 | PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana provides? | Free rooftop solar panels to households |
| 21 | India's digital payment system UPI was adopted by which countries? | Singapore, UAE, France, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, and others |
| 22 | The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 proposes which school structure? | 5+3+3+4 structure |
| 23 | India's first underwater metro operates in which city? | Kolkata (under Hooghly River) |
| 24 | The Atal Setu bridge connects which areas? | Mumbai to Navi Mumbai |
| 25 | Which Indian startup became a decacorn (valued at $10B+) in 2024? | Flipkart (maintained decacorn status) |
| 26 | The Ayushman Bharat scheme covers medical expenses up to? | Rs 5 lakh per family per year |
| 27 | Ayushman Bharat was extended to cover which age group in 2024? | Senior citizens aged 70 and above |
| 28 | India's rank in the Ease of Doing Business (World Bank) before discontinuation? | 63rd (2020 ranking) |
| 29 | The PM Internship Scheme announced in Union Budget 2024-25 targets? | 1 crore youth in top companies |
| 30 | The Digital India initiative has helped increase internet users to approximately? | Over 900 million |
| 31 | India's defence exports reached what milestone in recent years? | Over Rs 21,000 crore (FY 2024-25) |
| 32 | ISRO's PSLV has completed how many consecutive successful missions? | Over 55 consecutive successful launches |
| 33 | The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana targets housing for all by? | Extended beyond 2024 with new targets |
| 34 | Which Indian city hosted the G20 Leaders' Summit in 2023? | New Delhi (Bharat Mandapam) |
| 35 | What is the Jan Vishwas Act 2023 about? | Decriminalizing minor offences in 42 central laws |
| 36 | The new criminal laws (BNS, BNSS, BSA) replaced which laws? | IPC, CrPC, and Indian Evidence Act |
| 37 | Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) replaced which law? | Indian Penal Code (IPC) |
| 38 | The new criminal laws came into effect on which date? | 1 July 2024 |
| 39 | India's forex reserves reached approximately what level in 2024? | Over $650 billion |
| 40 | The One Nation One Election committee was headed by? | Ram Nath Kovind (former President) |
| 41 | India signed a free trade agreement with which major bloc recently? | EFTA (European Free Trade Association) in 2024 |
| 42 | The National Green Hydrogen Mission targets production of how much green hydrogen? | 5 million tonnes per annum by 2030 |
| 43 | ONDC stands for? | Open Network for Digital Commerce |
| 44 | India's renewable energy capacity target by 2030 is? | 500 GW |
| 45 | The Statue of Unity is the tallest statue in the world. Where is it? | Kevadia, Gujarat (182 meters) |
| 46 | The Ram Mandir in Ayodhya was inaugurated in which year? | 2024 (January) |
| 47 | Women's Reservation Bill (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam) provides what percentage of seats? | 33% reservation in Lok Sabha and state assemblies |
| 48 | Which state conducted elections using blockchain technology as a pilot? | No state yet - being explored as pilot projects |
| 49 | India's coal production target for 2025-26 is? | Over 1 billion tonnes |
| 50 | The PM WANI scheme is for? | Public Wi-Fi access across India |
Section 10: Static GK and Miscellaneous (50 Questions)
| # | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | What is the national animal of India? | Bengal Tiger |
| 2 | What is the national bird of India? | Indian Peacock |
| 3 | What is the national flower of India? | Lotus |
| 4 | What is the national tree of India? | Indian Banyan |
| 5 | What is the national fruit of India? | Mango |
| 6 | What is the national river of India? | Ganga |
| 7 | What is the national anthem of India? | Jana Gana Mana (written by Rabindranath Tagore) |
| 8 | What is the national song of India? | Vande Mataram (written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay) |
| 9 | The national emblem of India is adopted from? | Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka |
| 10 | India's national currency symbol was designed by? | D. Udaya Kumar |
| 11 | Republic Day is celebrated on which date? | 26 January |
| 12 | Independence Day is celebrated on which date? | 15 August |
| 13 | Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated on which date? | 2 October |
| 14 | Teachers' Day is celebrated on which date and why? | 5 September (birthday of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan) |
| 15 | Children's Day is celebrated on which date? | 14 November (birthday of Jawaharlal Nehru) |
| 16 | What is the capital of India? | New Delhi |
| 17 | How many official languages are recognized in the Indian Constitution? | 22 (in the Eighth Schedule) |
| 18 | Which is the most spoken language in India? | Hindi |
| 19 | The Indian currency is called? | Indian Rupee (INR) |
| 20 | Who designed the Indian national flag? | Pingali Venkayya |
| 21 | The Indian national flag has how many colours? | 3 (saffron, white, green) |
| 22 | What does the Ashoka Chakra on the Indian flag represent? | Dharma Chakra (wheel of law) with 24 spokes |
| 23 | How many spokes are in the Ashoka Chakra? | 24 |
| 24 | Who was the first President of India? | Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
| 25 | Who was the first Prime Minister of India? | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| 26 | Who was the first woman Prime Minister of India? | Indira Gandhi |
| 27 | Who was the first woman President of India? | Pratibha Patil |
| 28 | Which is the largest continent? | Asia |
| 29 | Which is the smallest continent? | Australia (Oceania) |
| 30 | Which is the longest river in the world? | Nile River (6,650 km) |
| 31 | Which is the largest ocean? | Pacific Ocean |
| 32 | Which is the highest mountain in the world? | Mount Everest (8,849 m) |
| 33 | The United Nations was founded in which year? | 1945 |
| 34 | The UN headquarters is located in which city? | New York City |
| 35 | How many member countries are in the United Nations? | 193 |
| 36 | Which country has the largest area in the world? | Russia |
| 37 | Which is the most populous country in the world (2024)? | India |
| 38 | The World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters is in? | Geneva, Switzerland |
| 39 | The International Court of Justice is located in? | The Hague, Netherlands |
| 40 | The World Bank headquarters is in? | Washington, D.C. |
| 41 | UNICEF stands for? | United Nations Children's Fund |
| 42 | UNESCO stands for? | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization |
| 43 | NATO stands for? | North Atlantic Treaty Organization |
| 44 | The Great Wall of China is approximately how long? | 21,196 km |
| 45 | Which planet is the largest in the solar system? | Jupiter |
| 46 | How many planets are in our solar system? | 8 |
| 47 | World Environment Day is observed on which date? | 5 June |
| 48 | International Yoga Day is observed on which date? | 21 June |
| 49 | The headquarter of ISRO is in which city? | Bengaluru |
| 50 | The full form of NASA is? | National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
How to Study GK Effectively for Competitive Exams
Memorising 500 questions is not enough. Here are strategies to make GK stick:
1. Categorise and Conquer: Do not study GK randomly. Focus on one section at a time. Complete Indian History this week, Geography next week, and so on.
2. Connect Facts Together: Linking related facts helps memory. For example, link Chandragupta Maurya to Kautilya to Arthashastra to the Maurya Empire. Building chains of connected facts is far more effective than isolated memorisation.
3. Use Daily Current Affairs: Spend 15-20 minutes every day on current affairs. Apps like GK Today and Jagran Josh provide daily capsules. Monthly compilation PDFs from Adda247 or BYJU'S Exam Prep are useful for revision.
4. Revise in Cycles: Read these 500 questions once, mark what you got wrong, revise only the wrong ones after 3 days, then revise everything after a week. This spaced repetition approach dramatically improves retention.
5. Take GK Quizzes: Practise with daily GK quizzes on Testbook, Adda247, or YouTube channels like Study IQ. Active recall through quizzes is more effective than passive reading.
Which Exam Tests What - GK Weightage Table
| Exam | GK Weightage | Focus Areas |
|---|---|---|
| SSC CGL Tier 1 | 25 marks (50 Qs) | Static GK, Current Affairs, Science |
| SSC CHSL Tier 1 | 25 marks (50 Qs) | History, Polity, Geography, Science |
| Railway NTPC | 40 marks (40 Qs) | Current Affairs, Static GK, Science |
| Railway Group D | 25 marks (25 Qs) | General Science, Current Affairs |
| IBPS PO Prelims | 0 (no GK in prelims) | GK in Mains only |
| IBPS PO Mains | 40 marks (40 Qs) | Banking Awareness, Current Affairs |
| SBI PO Mains | 40 marks (40 Qs) | Financial Awareness, Current Affairs |
| UPSC Prelims | 100 marks (100 Qs) | Polity, History, Geography, Economy, Science |
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many GK questions are asked in SSC exams?
SSC CGL and CHSL Tier 1 both have 25 marks dedicated to General Awareness, which translates to 50 questions at 0.5 marks each (with negative marking at 0.125 per wrong answer). The questions cover Static GK, Current Affairs, General Science, and basic Polity and Economy.
Is Lucent GK enough for competitive exams?
Lucent's General Knowledge is the single best book for Static GK and covers roughly 60-70% of GK questions across SSC, Railway, and state-level exams. For Current Affairs, you need a monthly supplement like Adda247 or Pratiyogita Darpan. For UPSC, Lucent is a starting point - you need NCERT books and more advanced resources.
How to remember GK facts without forgetting?
Use active recall and spaced repetition. Read a section, close the book, and try to recall key facts. Revise after 1 day, 3 days, and 7 days. Connect facts to each other to build memory chains. Quiz yourself regularly rather than just re-reading notes.
Which current affairs are important for competitive exams?
Focus on government schemes, appointments and awards, international summits, economic data (GDP, inflation), defence and space achievements, sports results, and major policy changes. Skip entertainment news and local crime stories. The last 6-8 months of current affairs before your exam date are most important.
How to prepare GK for Railway exams specifically?
Railway exams (NTPC and Group D) focus heavily on General Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology at Class 10 level), Indian History, Polity basics, and Current Affairs. Read Lucent GK for static portions and focus on NCERT Science textbooks (Class 6-10) for the science section. Current Affairs from the last 6 months is usually sufficient.
Can I score full marks in GK?
Full marks in GK is extremely rare because of the unpredictable nature of questions. A realistic target is 35-40 out of 50 in SSC exams and 30-35 out of 40 in Banking exams. Focus on maximising your score in the predictable static GK portion and aim for 60-70% accuracy in current affairs questions.
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