Pariksha SaathiGeneral Studies
Static General Knowledge: Practice Questions with Answers
240 practice questions on Static General Knowledge, with answers; most also have an explanation or a worked solution. Try each one before you open its answer.
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Q.1
The 'Diet' is the name of the parliament of which country?
- A China
- B Japan
- C South Korea
- D Thailand
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Japan
Japan's bicameral parliament is called the National Diet, with a House of Representatives and a House of Councillors. China's legislature is the National People's Congress.
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Q.2
World Tuberculosis Day is observed on 24 March to mark the day in 1882 when:
- A the BCG vaccine was first used on humans
- B Selman Waksman discovered streptomycin
- C the World Health Organization was founded
- D Robert Koch announced the discovery of the bacterium that causes tuberculosis
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Robert Koch announced the discovery of the bacterium that causes tuberculosis
On 24 March 1882 Robert Koch announced in Berlin that he had discovered Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes TB. The BCG vaccine was first used in humans in 1921.
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Q.3
Which species is the National Aquatic Animal of India?
- A Gharial
- B Olive ridley turtle
- C Gangetic river dolphin
- D Dugong
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Gangetic river dolphin
The Gangetic river dolphin was declared the National Aquatic Animal in 2009, a year after the Ganga was declared the National River in 2008.
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Q.4
What is the full form of SONAR?
- A Sonic Navigation and Radar
- B Sound Oscillation and Navigation Ranging
- C Sound Navigation and Ranging
- D Signal Operated Navigation and Ranging
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Sound Navigation and Ranging
SONAR stands for Sound Navigation and Ranging. It uses sound waves, usually ultrasonic, to detect and locate objects under water, much as RADAR uses radio waves.
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Q.5
Who was the first person to be awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously?
- A Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
- B B.R. Ambedkar
- C Rajiv Gandhi
- D Lal Bahadur Shastri
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Lal Bahadur Shastri
Lal Bahadur Shastri, who died at Tashkent in January 1966, was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously the same year. Ambedkar (1990) and Patel and Rajiv Gandhi (1991) received it posthumously much later.
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Q.6
Who became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal, with a bronze in weightlifting at the 2000 Sydney Games?
- A P.T. Usha
- B Kunjarani Devi
- C Karnam Malleswari
- D Mary Kom
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Karnam Malleswari
Karnam Malleswari won bronze in weightlifting at Sydney in 2000. P.T. Usha came close in 1984 but finished fourth in the 400 m hurdles.
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Q.7
Which is the oldest Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)?
- A IIT Bombay
- B IIT Kharagpur
- C IIT Madras
- D IIT Delhi
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) IIT Kharagpur
IIT Kharagpur was set up in 1951 on the site of the Hijli detention camp. IIT Bombay followed in 1958, IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur in 1959 and IIT Delhi in 1961.
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Q.8
Which of the following pairs of a sport and the number of players per side on the field or court is correctly matched?
- A Volleyball – 6
- B Basketball – 7
- C Netball – 5
- D Baseball – 11
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Volleyball – 6
A volleyball team has six players on the court. Basketball has five players a side, netball seven and baseball nine.
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Q.9
India won its first Olympic hockey gold as an independent nation at which Games?
- A 1952 Helsinki
- B 1956 Melbourne
- C 1948 London
- D 1964 Tokyo
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) 1948 London
At London in 1948 India beat Great Britain 4-0 in the final to win its first Olympic gold after independence. The golds of 1928, 1932 and 1936 were won before independence.
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Q.10
Which is the largest delta in the world?
- A Nile delta
- B Mekong delta
- C Mississippi delta
- D Ganga-Brahmaputra (Sundarbans) delta
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Ganga-Brahmaputra (Sundarbans) delta
The Ganga-Brahmaputra delta shared by India and Bangladesh is the largest in the world. Its mangrove forest, the Sundarbans, is home to the Royal Bengal tiger and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Q.11
What is the full form of IFSC, the code that identifies a bank branch for electronic fund transfers such as NEFT and RTGS?
- A International Financial Services Code
- B Indian Financial System Code
- C Indian Funds Settlement Code
- D Inter-bank Financial Security Code
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Indian Financial System Code
IFSC, the Indian Financial System Code, is an 11-character alphanumeric code that identifies bank branches taking part in electronic payment systems such as NEFT and RTGS.
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Q.12
Who was the first Indian woman to win the Booker Prize, for 'The God of Small Things' (1997)?
- A Kiran Desai
- B Anita Desai
- C Jhumpa Lahiri
- D Arundhati Roy
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Arundhati Roy
Arundhati Roy won the Booker Prize in 1997 for her debut novel. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, who won in 1975 for 'Heat and Dust' while living in Delhi, was a German-born British writer, so Roy is counted as the first Indian woman winner. Kiran Desai won it in 2006 for 'The Inheritance of Loss', while Jhumpa Lahiri won a Pulitzer Prize.
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Q.13
Who was the chief architect of the planned city of Chandigarh?
- A Le Corbusier
- B Edwin Lutyens
- C Herbert Baker
- D Charles Correa
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Le Corbusier
Chandigarh was planned by the Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier in the 1950s. It is a Union Territory and serves as the capital of both Punjab and Haryana. Lutyens and Baker designed New Delhi.
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Q.14
Army Day is celebrated in India on 15 January to commemorate which event of 1949?
- A Sam Manekshaw was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal
- B The Indian Military Academy was founded at Dehradun
- C K.M. Cariappa took over as the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army
- D The Param Vir Chakra was instituted
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) K.M. Cariappa took over as the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army
On 15 January 1949, Lt Gen K.M. Cariappa (later Field Marshal) took over command of the Indian Army from General Sir Roy Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief. The Indian Military Academy dates from 1932.
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Q.15
World Population Day, established by the Governing Council of the UNDP in 1989, is observed on which date?
- A 1 December
- B 7 April
- C 11 July
- D 22 March
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) 11 July
World Population Day falls on 11 July, inspired by the 'Day of Five Billion' of 11 July 1987, when the world's population was estimated to have reached five billion. 1 December is World AIDS Day and 22 March World Water Day.
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Q.16
International Mother Language Day, proclaimed by UNESCO in 1999, is observed on which date?
- A 21 March
- B 8 September
- C 10 January
- D 21 February
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) 21 February
UNESCO chose 21 February to honour the 1952 language movement in Dhaka, when students were killed while demanding recognition for Bengali. 10 January is observed as World Hindi Day.
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Q.17
National Science Day is celebrated on 28 February to mark which event?
- A Birth of C.V. Raman
- B Award of the Nobel Prize to C.V. Raman
- C Discovery of the Raman Effect
- D Founding of CSIR
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Discovery of the Raman Effect
C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the Raman Effect on 28 February 1928, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930. Raman was born on 7 November 1888.
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Q.18
The Survey of India, the oldest scientific department of the Government of India (founded 1767), is headquartered at which city?
- A Kolkata
- B New Delhi
- C Hyderabad
- D Dehradun
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Dehradun
The Survey of India is headquartered at Dehradun. The Zoological Survey, Botanical Survey and Geological Survey of India are all headquartered at Kolkata.
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Q.19
Who wrote 'Jana Gana Mana', the National Anthem of India?
- A Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
- B Rabindranath Tagore
- C Sarojini Naidu
- D Subramania Bharati
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Rabindranath Tagore
Tagore wrote it in Bengali; it was first sung on 27 December 1911 at the Calcutta session of the Congress and adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 24 January 1950. Bankim Chandra wrote the National Song, Vande Mataram.
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Q.20
What is the full form of UNESCO?
- A United Nations Economic, Social and Cultural Organization
- B United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organization
- C United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
- D United Nations Environmental, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; among its other work, it maintains the World Heritage List.
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Q.21
Who discovered the neutron in 1932?
- A J.J. Thomson
- B Ernest Rutherford
- C Niels Bohr
- D James Chadwick
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) James Chadwick
James Chadwick discovered the neutron in 1932 and received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1935. Thomson discovered the electron (1897) and Rutherford the atomic nucleus and proton.
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Q.22
Which scientist, working in India, showed in 1897 that mosquitoes carry the malaria parasite, and received the Nobel Prize in 1902?
- A Ronald Ross
- B Robert Koch
- C Joseph Lister
- D Edward Jenner
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Ronald Ross
Ronald Ross, an officer of the Indian Medical Service, found the malaria parasite inside a mosquito at Secunderabad in 1897. He received the 1902 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
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Q.23
The aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, commissioned in 2013, earlier served under which name?
- A Admiral Gorshkov
- B HMS Hercules
- C HMS Hermes
- D Kiev
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Admiral Gorshkov
INS Vikramaditya was the Russian carrier Admiral Gorshkov, refitted and commissioned in November 2013. The first INS Vikrant (1961) was the British HMS Hercules and INS Viraat (1987) was HMS Hermes.
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Q.24
What is the rank held by the Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force?
- A Air Marshal
- B Air Commodore
- C Air Chief Marshal
- D Marshal of the Air Force
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Air Chief Marshal
The Chief of the Air Staff holds the rank of Air Chief Marshal, equivalent to General in the Army and Admiral in the Navy. Marshal of the Air Force is an honorary five-star rank held only by Arjan Singh.
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Q.25
Which leader is known as the 'Iron Man of India'?
- A Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
- B Lal Bahadur Shastri
- C Bal Gangadhar Tilak
- D Subhas Chandra Bose
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Sardar Patel earned the title for the firmness with which he integrated the princely states into the Indian Union after independence. Subhas Chandra Bose is remembered as 'Netaji'.
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Q.26
How many members does the United Nations Security Council have?
- A 10
- B 20
- C 15
- D 25
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) 15
The Security Council has 15 members: five permanent members with veto power (USA, UK, France, Russia and China) and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.
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Q.27
Arrange the following in the chronological order in which they attained statehood: Goa, Haryana, Sikkim, Telangana.
- A Haryana, Sikkim, Goa, Telangana
- B Sikkim, Haryana, Goa, Telangana
- C Haryana, Goa, Sikkim, Telangana
- D Sikkim, Goa, Haryana, Telangana
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Haryana, Sikkim, Goa, Telangana
Haryana was formed on 1 November 1966, Sikkim became the 22nd state on 16 May 1975, Goa got statehood on 30 May 1987 and Telangana became the 29th state on 2 June 2014.
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Q.28
Who was the first Hindi writer to receive the Jnanpith Award?
- A Sumitranandan Pant
- B Mahadevi Verma
- C Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar'
- D Agyeya
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Sumitranandan Pant
Sumitranandan Pant received the Jnanpith for 1968 for his poetry collection 'Chidambara'. Dinkar (1972), Agyeya (1978) and Mahadevi Verma (1982) received it in later years.
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Q.29
Good Governance Day, observed on 25 December since 2014, honours the birth anniversary of which former Prime Minister?
- A Atal Bihari Vajpayee
- B Charan Singh
- C Morarji Desai
- D P.V. Narasimha Rao
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee was born on 25 December 1924. Charan Singh's birth anniversary, 23 December, is observed as Kisan Diwas (National Farmers' Day).
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Q.30
Consider the following statements:
1. Kargil Vijay Diwas is observed on 16 December.
2. Vijay Diwas on 16 December marks the surrender of Pakistani forces at Dhaka in 1971.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A Only 1
- B Only 2
- C Both 1 and 2
- D Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Only 2
Only statement 2 is correct. Vijay Diwas on 16 December marks the 1971 surrender at Dhaka that ended the war and led to the creation of Bangladesh, while Kargil Vijay Diwas is observed on 26 July for the 1999 Kargil victory.
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Q.31
The United Nations observes 2 October, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, as:
- A International Day of Non-Violence
- B International Day of Peace
- C International Day for Tolerance
- D World Humanitarian Day
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) International Day of Non-Violence
The UN General Assembly declared 2 October the International Day of Non-Violence in 2007. The International Day of Peace is observed on 21 September and the International Day for Tolerance on 16 November.
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Q.32
The Thomas Cup is associated with which sport?
- A Table tennis
- B Lawn tennis
- C Hockey
- D Badminton
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Badminton
The Thomas Cup is the men's team badminton championship; the Uber Cup is for women and the Sudirman Cup for mixed teams. The Davis Cup is for tennis and the Swaythling Cup for men's table tennis.
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Q.33
The MICR code printed at the bottom of a bank cheque stands for:
- A Magnetic Ink Cheque Reader
- B Machine Identified Cheque Routing
- C Magnetic Ink Character Recognition
- D Micro Imaging Character Recognition
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Magnetic Ink Character Recognition
MICR, Magnetic Ink Character Recognition, uses characters printed in magnetic ink so that machines can read cheque details such as the bank and branch code quickly and accurately.
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Q.34
Which of the following groups of terms is associated with golf?
- A Scrum, try, line-out
- B Love, deuce, volley
- C Birdie, bogey, caddie
- D Jab, uppercut, knockout
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Birdie, bogey, caddie
Birdie (one stroke under par), bogey (one stroke over par) and caddie (the helper who carries a player's clubs) are golf terms. Scrum, try and line-out belong to rugby.
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Q.35
Which of the following pairs of organisation and headquarters is NOT correctly matched?
- A UNHCR – Geneva
- B Universal Postal Union – Vienna
- C World Meteorological Organization – Geneva
- D Amnesty International – London
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Universal Postal Union – Vienna
The Universal Postal Union, founded in 1874, is headquartered in Bern, Switzerland. UNHCR and the WMO are based in Geneva, and Amnesty International's International Secretariat is in London.
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Q.36
Which of the following is NOT a cricket competition?
- A Duleep Trophy
- B Irani Cup
- C Rovers Cup
- D Deodhar Trophy
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Rovers Cup
The Rovers Cup was a football tournament played in Mumbai (Bombay) from 1891 until it was discontinued after the 2000-01 season. The Duleep Trophy, Irani Cup and Deodhar Trophy are domestic cricket competitions.
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Q.37
The Constitution of UNESCO was signed in November 1945 at a conference held in which city?
- A Paris
- B London
- C San Francisco
- D Geneva
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) London
UNESCO's Constitution was signed in London on 16 November 1945 and came into force in November 1946. The organisation's headquarters was then set up in Paris.
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Q.38
The construction of the Qutub Minar, begun by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, was completed by which ruler?
- A Iltutmish
- B Alauddin Khilji
- C Firoz Shah Tughlaq
- D Balban
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Iltutmish
Aibak built the first storey around 1199 and Iltutmish added three more to complete it. Firoz Shah Tughlaq later rebuilt the damaged top storey as two storeys in 1368. The Alai Darwaza nearby was built by Alauddin Khilji.
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Q.39
Who was the first Indian to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award, in 1958?
- A Vinoba Bhave
- B Jayaprakash Narayan
- C Mother Teresa
- D Satyajit Ray
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Vinoba Bhave
Vinoba Bhave, leader of the Bhoodan movement, received the award for community leadership in 1958. Mother Teresa (1962), Jayaprakash Narayan (1965) and Satyajit Ray (1967) were honoured later.
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Q.40
Consider the following statements regarding the Flag Code of India, 2002:
1. The National Flag should not be dipped in salute to any person or thing.
2. When the flag is displayed flat and horizontal on a wall, the green band should be uppermost.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A Only 1
- B Only 2
- C Both 1 and 2
- D Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Only 1
Only statement 1 is correct: the National Flag is never dipped to any person or thing. When it is displayed flat and horizontal, the saffron band must be on top; when hung vertically, the saffron band is on the left of a viewer facing it.
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Q.41
Which city is popularly called the 'Scotland of the East'?
- A Gangtok
- B Darjeeling
- C Kohima
- D Shillong
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Shillong
Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, is called the Scotland of the East for its hills and climate. Darjeeling is known as the Queen of the Hills.
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Q.42
India's first metro rail service began in 1984 in which city?
- A Delhi
- B Kolkata
- C Mumbai
- D Chennai
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Kolkata
The Kolkata Metro began running on 24 October 1984 between Esplanade and Bhowanipur (now Netaji Bhavan). The Delhi Metro opened much later, in 2002.
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Q.43
Consider the following statements about the State Emblem of India:
1. Only three of the four lions of the Sarnath capital are visible in it.
2. The bell-shaped lotus below the abacus of the original capital has been omitted from it.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A Only 1
- B Only 2
- C Both 1 and 2
- D Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Both 1 and 2
Both are correct. In the emblem adopted on 26 January 1950 only three lions are visible, the fourth being hidden from view, and the bell-shaped lotus has been omitted; the abacus shows a wheel in the centre with a bull on the right and a horse on the left.
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Q.44
Consider the following statements: 1. The Davis Cup is an international team competition in table tennis. 2. The Ryder Cup is a golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A Only 1
- B Only 2
- C Both 1 and 2
- D Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Only 2
Statement 2 is correct: the Ryder Cup is a men's golf contest between Europe and the USA. Statement 1 is wrong because the Davis Cup, first held in 1900, is the men's international team competition in lawn tennis.
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Q.45
In the six-digit PIN code used by India Post, what does 'PIN' stand for?
- A Postal Identification Number
- B Post Office Information Number
- C Postal Indexing Network
- D Postal Index Number
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Postal Index Number
PIN stands for Postal Index Number. The system was introduced on 15 August 1972, and the first digit of a PIN code indicates the postal region.
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Q.46
Consider the following statements: 1. The Salal hydroelectric project is built on the Jhelum. 2. The Koyna Dam is located in Karnataka. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A Only 1
- B Only 2
- C Both 1 and 2
- D Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Neither 1 nor 2
Neither statement is correct. The Salal project is on the Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir, and the Koyna Dam is in Satara district of Maharashtra.
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Q.47
Which of the following statements about the National Flag of India is correct?
- A The ratio of the width to the length of the flag is 2:3
- B The Ashoka Chakra has 28 spokes
- C The flag was designed by Sarojini Naidu
- D The flag was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26 January 1950
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) The ratio of the width to the length of the flag is 2:3
The flag has a 2:3 width to length ratio and a navy blue Ashoka Chakra of 24 spokes. It was designed by Pingali Venkayya and adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 22 July 1947.
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Q.48
Who was the first sportsperson to be awarded the Bharat Ratna?
- A Major Dhyan Chand
- B Sachin Tendulkar
- C Milkha Singh
- D Viswanathan Anand
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar received the Bharat Ratna in 2014, after the award's criteria had been widened to include sports.
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Q.49
Who was popularly known as 'Deshbandhu'?
- A Chittaranjan Das
- B Rajendra Prasad
- C C.F. Andrews
- D Jatindra Mohan Sengupta
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Chittaranjan Das
Chittaranjan Das, the Bengal leader who founded the Swaraj Party with Motilal Nehru, was called Deshbandhu ('friend of the country'). C.F. Andrews was called 'Deenbandhu' and J.M. Sengupta 'Deshapriya'.
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Q.50
The Howrah Bridge, officially renamed Rabindra Setu, spans which river?
- A Damodar
- B Hooghly
- C Rupnarayan
- D Teesta
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Hooghly
The Howrah Bridge is a cantilever bridge over the Hooghly linking Howrah with Kolkata. The cable-stayed Vidyasagar Setu crosses the same river a little downstream.
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How these questions were made
Authored by an AI assistant (Claude) from its own general knowledge of stable, well-established facts (no live lookup) - not reviewed by a subject-matter expert; verify against an official source before relying on any fact.