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.51
Apsara, Asia's first nuclear research reactor (1956), was built at which place?
- A Trombay (BARC), Mumbai
- B Tarapur
- C Kalpakkam
- D Rawatbhata
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Trombay (BARC), Mumbai
Apsara went critical in August 1956 at Trombay, the site of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. Tarapur (1969) was India's first nuclear power station and Kalpakkam houses the fast breeder programme.
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Q.52
Which of the following award–field pairs is correctly matched?
- A Pritzker Prize – Architecture
- B Templeton Prize – Medicine
- C Turing Award – Physics
- D Pulitzer Prize – Mathematics
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Pritzker Prize – Architecture
The Pritzker Prize honours architects. The Templeton Prize recognises contributions to the spiritual dimension of life, the Turing Award honours computer science, and the Pulitzer Prizes cover journalism, literature and music in the USA.
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Q.53
The Charter of the United Nations was signed on 26 June 1945 in which city?
- A New York
- B London
- C San Francisco
- D Geneva
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) San Francisco
The Charter was signed at the end of the UN Conference on International Organization in San Francisco and came into force on 24 October 1945, now celebrated as UN Day. The UN's headquarters is in New York.
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Q.54
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), set up in 1957 to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, has its headquarters in:
- A Vienna
- B Geneva
- C The Hague
- D Brussels
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Vienna
The IAEA, created in 1957 in the spirit of the 'Atoms for Peace' idea, is headquartered in Vienna, Austria.
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Q.55
The Hirakud Dam, one of the longest dams in the world, is built on which river?
- A Mahanadi
- B Godavari
- C Krishna
- D Narmada
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Mahanadi
Hirakud Dam near Sambalpur in Odisha was completed in 1957 across the Mahanadi and is about 25.8 km long including dykes. Sardar Sarovar is on the Narmada and Nagarjuna Sagar on the Krishna.
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Q.56
The National Song 'Vande Mataram' is taken from which novel of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay?
- A Durgeshnandini
- B Kapalkundala
- C Anandamath
- D Devi Chaudhurani
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Anandamath
Vande Mataram appears in Anandamath (1882). It was first sung at the 1896 Congress session and was given equal status with the National Anthem on 24 January 1950.
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Q.57
Which of the following works of political and economic thought is correctly matched with its author?
- A The Prince – Thomas More
- B The Social Contract – Voltaire
- C Leviathan – John Locke
- D The Wealth of Nations – Adam Smith
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) The Wealth of Nations – Adam Smith
Adam Smith published 'The Wealth of Nations' in 1776. 'The Prince' was written by Niccolo Machiavelli, 'The Social Contract' by Jean-Jacques Rousseau and 'Leviathan' by Thomas Hobbes.
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Q.58
Digboi, home to India's oldest oil refinery (1901), is located in which state?
- A Gujarat
- B Bihar
- C Maharashtra
- D Assam
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Assam
The Digboi refinery in Assam, commissioned in 1901, is the oldest operating refinery in India and among the oldest in Asia. Jamnagar in Gujarat has the largest refinery and Barauni is in Bihar.
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Q.59
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was formed in which year?
- A 1962
- B 1969
- C 1972
- D 1975
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) 1969
ISRO was formed on 15 August 1969, succeeding the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) set up in 1962. The Department of Space and the Space Commission followed in 1972.
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Q.60
Which is the highest dam in India?
- A Bhakra Nangal
- B Sardar Sarovar
- C Idukki
- D Tehri
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Tehri
Tehri Dam on the Bhagirathi in Uttarakhand is about 260.5 m high, the highest in India. Bhakra on the Sutlej is about 226 m high, and Idukki is an arch dam on the Periyar in Kerala.
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Q.61
Which is India's highest peacetime gallantry award?
- A Kirti Chakra
- B Shaurya Chakra
- C Ashoka Chakra
- D Vir Chakra
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Ashoka Chakra
The Ashoka Chakra is the highest award for gallantry away from the battlefield, followed by the Kirti Chakra and the Shaurya Chakra. The Vir Chakra is a wartime award that ranks below the Param Vir Chakra and the Maha Vir Chakra.
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Q.62
Which of the following title–person pairs is correctly matched?
- A Deenbandhu – Rajendra Prasad
- B Shaheed-e-Azam – Chandrashekhar Azad
- C Grand Old Lady of Indian Independence – Sarojini Naidu
- D Lok Nayak – Jayaprakash Narayan
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Lok Nayak – Jayaprakash Narayan
Jayaprakash Narayan, who called for 'Total Revolution' in the 1970s, is called Lok Nayak. Shaheed-e-Azam is Bhagat Singh, and the Grand Old Lady of Indian Independence is Aruna Asaf Ali.
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Q.63
Who was the first and only Indian to hold the office of Governor-General of independent India?
- A C. Rajagopalachari
- B Lord Mountbatten
- C Rajendra Prasad
- D Vallabhbhai Patel
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) C. Rajagopalachari
C. Rajagopalachari succeeded Lord Mountbatten in June 1948 and held the office until it was abolished on 26 January 1950. Mountbatten was the first Governor-General of independent India.
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Q.64
How many languages are listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India?
- A 14
- B 22
- C 18
- D 24
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) 22
The Eighth Schedule originally had 14 languages. Sindhi was added in 1967, Konkani, Manipuri and Nepali in 1992, and Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali by the 92nd Amendment in 2003, making 22.
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Q.65
Which of the following Nobel laureate–field pairs is correctly matched?
- A Kailash Satyarthi – Literature
- B Amartya Sen – Economic Sciences
- C Venkatraman Ramakrishnan – Physics
- D S. Chandrasekhar – Chemistry
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Amartya Sen – Economic Sciences
Amartya Sen won the prize in Economic Sciences in 1998. Kailash Satyarthi won the Peace Prize (2014), Venkatraman Ramakrishnan the Chemistry prize (2009) and S. Chandrasekhar the Physics prize (1983).
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Q.66
Aizawl is the capital of which Indian state?
- A Manipur
- B Nagaland
- C Mizoram
- D Tripura
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Mizoram
Aizawl is the capital of Mizoram. Imphal is the capital of Manipur, Kohima of Nagaland and Agartala of Tripura.
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Q.67
Which of the following statements about the Bharat Ratna is correct?
- A It carries a cash prize along with the medallion
- B It is conferred by the Prime Minister
- C Its medallion is shaped like a peepal leaf
- D It can be given only to citizens of India
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Its medallion is shaped like a peepal leaf
The Bharat Ratna is a peepal-leaf shaped medallion bearing an image of the sun; it is conferred by the President and carries no cash prize. Non-citizens such as Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Nelson Mandela have also received it.
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Q.68
Which organisation, founded in 1919 under the Treaty of Versailles, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1969?
- A UNICEF
- B International Red Cross
- C UNHCR
- D International Labour Organization (ILO)
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) International Labour Organization (ILO)
The ILO, headquartered in Geneva, is the oldest specialised agency of the UN and won the Nobel Peace Prize on its 50th anniversary in 1969. UNICEF won in 1965 and UNHCR in 1954 and 1981.
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Q.69
Which animal was declared the National Heritage Animal of India in 2010?
- A Elephant
- B One-horned rhinoceros
- C Snow leopard
- D Asiatic lion
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Elephant
In 2010 the Ministry of Environment and Forests declared the elephant the National Heritage Animal, on the recommendation of the Elephant Task Force, to strengthen its conservation. The tiger is the National Animal.
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Q.70
Who was the first woman President of India?
- A Indira Gandhi
- B Sarojini Naidu
- C Sucheta Kripalani
- D Pratibha Patil
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Pratibha Patil
Pratibha Patil served as the 12th President from 2007 to 2012. Indira Gandhi was the first woman Prime Minister (1966), Sarojini Naidu the first woman Governor and Sucheta Kripalani the first woman Chief Minister.
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Q.71
Who was the first woman Speaker of the Lok Sabha?
- A Sumitra Mahajan
- B Najma Heptulla
- C Meira Kumar
- D Sushma Swaraj
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Meira Kumar
Meira Kumar was elected Speaker of the Lok Sabha in 2009. Sumitra Mahajan became the second woman Speaker in 2014, while Najma Heptulla served as Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha.
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Q.72
Teachers' Day in India, observed on 5 September, marks the birth anniversary of whom?
- A Zakir Husain
- B Savitribai Phule
- C Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
- D Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, philosopher, teacher and the second President of India, was born on 5 September 1888. Maulana Azad's birth anniversary, 11 November, is observed as National Education Day.
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Q.73
The Pamban Bridge links the Indian mainland with which island?
- A Salsette Island
- B Majuli
- C Pamban Island (Rameswaram)
- D Diu
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Pamban Island (Rameswaram)
In Tamil Nadu, the Pamban Bridge crosses the sea between Mandapam on the mainland and Pamban Island, on which Rameswaram stands. The 1914 rail bridge has been replaced by the New Pamban Bridge, India's first vertical-lift sea bridge, opened in April 2025. Salsette is the island on which much of Mumbai is built.
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Q.74
The Lotus Temple in New Delhi is a house of worship of which faith?
- A Jainism
- B Buddhism
- C Zoroastrianism
- D Bahá'í Faith
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Bahá'í Faith
The Lotus Temple, completed in 1986 and designed by Fariborz Sahba, is a Bahá'í House of Worship open to people of all faiths. Its lotus-flower shape gives it its popular name.
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Q.75
'The Republic', a classical work on justice and the ideal state, was written by which Greek philosopher?
- A Plato
- B Aristotle
- C Socrates
- D Pythagoras
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Plato
Plato wrote The Republic as a dialogue in which his teacher Socrates is the main speaker; Socrates himself left no writings. Aristotle, Plato's student, wrote 'Politics'.
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Q.76
Who is known as the 'Nightingale of India' (Bharat Kokila)?
- A Sarojini Naidu
- B Aruna Asaf Ali
- C Annie Besant
- D Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Sarojini Naidu
Poet and freedom fighter Sarojini Naidu was called the Nightingale of India for the lyrical quality of her poetry. Aruna Asaf Ali is remembered for hoisting the Congress flag at Bombay's Gowalia Tank maidan in 1942.
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Q.77
Which of the following dam–river pairs is NOT correctly matched?
- A Srisailam – Krishna
- B Bansagar – Son
- C Matatila – Betwa
- D Maithon – Mahanadi
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Maithon – Mahanadi
The Maithon Dam of the Damodar Valley Corporation is built on the Barakar, a tributary of the Damodar, in Jharkhand. The other three pairs are correct.
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Q.78
National Youth Day is observed on 12 January to mark the birth anniversary of whom?
- A Subhas Chandra Bose
- B Swami Vivekananda
- C Bhagat Singh
- D Sri Aurobindo
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Swami Vivekananda
The Government of India decided in 1984 to observe Swami Vivekananda's birth anniversary, 12 January, as National Youth Day, and it has been observed since 1985. Vivekananda was born in 1863.
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Q.79
'Train to Pakistan' (1956), a novel set in a Punjab border village during the Partition of 1947, was written by:
- A Amrita Pritam
- B Khushwant Singh
- C Bhisham Sahni
- D Saadat Hasan Manto
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Khushwant Singh
Khushwant Singh's 'Train to Pakistan' is set in the fictional village of Mano Majra. Bhisham Sahni's Hindi novel 'Tamas' is another well-known work on Partition.
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Q.80
Arrange the following organisations in the chronological order of their founding:
1. ASEAN
2. World Trade Organization
3. International Committee of the Red Cross
4. Interpol (as the International Criminal Police Commission)
- A 4, 3, 1, 2
- B 3, 1, 4, 2
- C 3, 4, 2, 1
- D 3, 4, 1, 2
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) 3, 4, 1, 2
The ICRC was founded in 1863, the International Criminal Police Commission (Interpol) in 1923, ASEAN in 1967 and the WTO on 1 January 1995.
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Q.81
Who designed the Indian rupee symbol (₹), approved by the Union Cabinet in 2010?
- A D. Udaya Kumar
- B Nandalal Bose
- C Satish Gujral
- D Pingali Venkayya
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) D. Udaya Kumar
The symbol, approved on 15 July 2010, was designed by D. Udaya Kumar and blends the Devanagari letter 'र' with the Roman capital 'R'. Pingali Venkayya is credited with designing the National Flag.
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Q.82
The Nehru Trophy, contested every year on the Punnamada Lake near Alappuzha in Kerala, is associated with which event?
- A Snake boat race
- B Kalaripayattu contest
- C Kabaddi
- D Bullock-cart race
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Snake boat race
The Nehru Trophy Boat Race is a race of long snake boats (chundan vallam) held on the Punnamada Lake. It grew out of a race held in honour of Jawaharlal Nehru during his visit to Alappuzha in December 1952; the first formal race for the trophy he donated, at first called the Prime Minister's Trophy, was held in 1954.
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Q.83
The final of the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, won by India, was played at which stadium?
- A Eden Gardens, Kolkata
- B M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
- C M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
- D Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
India, led by M.S. Dhoni, beat Sri Lanka in the final at the Wankhede Stadium on 2 April 2011. The 1983 final, by contrast, was played at Lord's.
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Q.84
Who was the first recipient of the Khel Ratna, India's highest sporting honour, for the year 1991-92?
- A Geet Sethi
- B Viswanathan Anand
- C Leander Paes
- D Karnam Malleswari
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Viswanathan Anand
Chess player Viswanathan Anand received the first Khel Ratna, for 1991-92. The award, earlier named after Rajiv Gandhi, was renamed the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in 2021. The other three sportspersons received it in later years.
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Q.85
Dates of India's National Calendar have a permanent correspondence with dates of the Gregorian calendar. On which Gregorian date does 1 Chaitra fall in a leap year?
- A 22 March
- B 14 April
- C 21 March
- D 1 April
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) 21 March
1 Chaitra, the first day of the national (Saka) calendar, normally falls on 22 March and on 21 March in a leap year. The calendar was adopted for official purposes from 22 March 1957.
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Q.86
Which of the following pairs of book and author is correctly matched?
- A The Indian Struggle – Jawaharlal Nehru
- B Unhappy India – Lala Lajpat Rai
- C Gita Rahasya – Aurobindo Ghosh
- D Annihilation of Caste – Jyotirao Phule
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Unhappy India – Lala Lajpat Rai
Lala Lajpat Rai wrote 'Unhappy India' (1928) as a reply to Katherine Mayo's 'Mother India'. 'The Indian Struggle' is by Subhas Chandra Bose, 'Gita Rahasya' by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and 'Annihilation of Caste' by B.R. Ambedkar.
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Q.87
Who was the first Indian to win an individual Olympic gold medal?
- A Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore
- B Leander Paes
- C K.D. Jadhav
- D Abhinav Bindra
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Abhinav Bindra
Abhinav Bindra won gold in the 10 m air rifle event at Beijing in 2008. Rathore won silver in 2004, Paes bronze in 1996, and K.D. Jadhav's wrestling bronze in 1952 was independent India's first individual medal.
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Q.88
Consider the following statements: 1. Madan Mohan Malaviya was popularly known as 'Deenbandhu'. 2. Lala Lajpat Rai was popularly known as 'Punjab Kesari'. 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. Malaviya, founder of Banaras Hindu University, was called 'Mahamana', while 'Deenbandhu' was a title given to C.F. Andrews (and, in Punjab and Haryana, to Sir Chhotu Ram).
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Q.89
Which of the following building–city pairs is correctly matched?
- A Vidhana Soudha – Bengaluru
- B Writers' Building – Chennai
- C Hawa Mahal – Udaipur
- D Rumi Darwaza – Hyderabad
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Vidhana Soudha – Bengaluru
The Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru houses the Karnataka legislature. The Writers' Building is in Kolkata, the Hawa Mahal in Jaipur and the Rumi Darwaza in Lucknow.
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Q.90
Who discovered penicillin in 1928?
- A Louis Pasteur
- B Edward Jenner
- C Alexander Fleming
- D Robert Koch
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Alexander Fleming
Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 and shared the 1945 Nobel Prize with Florey and Chain. Jenner developed the smallpox vaccine, Pasteur the rabies vaccine and Koch identified the TB bacillus.
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Q.91
Which of the following missiles was NOT developed under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP)?
- A Agni
- B BrahMos
- C Nag
- D Trishul
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) BrahMos
IGMDP, started in 1983 under A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, produced Prithvi, Agni, Trishul, Akash and Nag. BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile made by an Indo-Russian joint venture formed in 1998.
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Q.92
India Gate in New Delhi, designed by Edwin Lutyens, was built as a memorial to Indian soldiers who died mainly in which war?
- A Second World War
- B Revolt of 1857
- C Indo-Pakistan war of 1971
- D First World War
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) First World War
India Gate, completed in 1931, commemorates soldiers of the British Indian Army who died in the First World War, and the names of many of them are inscribed on it.
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Q.93
Which athlete is known as 'The Flying Sikh'?
- A Balbir Singh Senior
- B Milkha Singh
- C Gurbachan Singh Randhawa
- D Mohinder Singh Gill
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Milkha Singh
Sprinter Milkha Singh earned the name after a celebrated race in Lahore in 1960. At the Rome Olympics that year he finished fourth in the 400 m.
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Q.94
Which one of the following international bodies is correctly paired with the city where its headquarters or secretariat is located?
- A African Union – Addis Ababa
- B OECD – Geneva
- C Commonwealth Secretariat – Ottawa
- D Shanghai Cooperation Organisation – Shanghai
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) African Union – Addis Ababa
The African Union is headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The OECD is based in Paris, the Commonwealth Secretariat in London and the SCO Secretariat in Beijing.
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Q.95
UNICEF was created by the UN General Assembly in 1946. What was its original full name?
- A United Nations International Child Education Fund
- B United Nations Institute for Children's Education and Family
- C United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund
- D United Nations International Children's Endowment Foundation
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund
UNICEF was set up on 11 December 1946 to provide emergency help to children after the Second World War. In 1953 it became a permanent part of the UN and was renamed the United Nations Children's Fund, keeping the acronym UNICEF.
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Q.96
Dynamite was invented in 1867 by which scientist, whose will later set up a group of international prizes?
- A Rudolf Diesel
- B James Watt
- C Charles Goodyear
- D Alfred Nobel
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Alfred Nobel
Alfred Nobel, a Swedish chemist, patented dynamite in 1867. His will set up the Nobel Prizes, first awarded in 1901.
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Q.97
On which date is the International Day of Yoga observed every year?
- A 21 March
- B 22 April
- C 21 September
- D 21 June
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) 21 June
The UN General Assembly proclaimed 21 June as the International Day of Yoga in December 2014, and it was first observed in 2015. The date is the summer solstice, the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere.
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Q.98
The 'Taka' is the currency of which country?
- A Bangladesh
- B Nepal
- C Sri Lanka
- D Myanmar
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Bangladesh
The taka is the currency of Bangladesh. Nepal and Sri Lanka use the rupee, Myanmar the kyat, Bhutan the ngultrum and the Maldives the rufiyaa.
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Q.99
Who was the first Vice-President of India?
- A Zakir Husain
- B V.V. Giri
- C S. Radhakrishnan
- D Gopal Swarup Pathak
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) S. Radhakrishnan
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan served as Vice-President from 1952 to 1962 and then became the second President. Zakir Husain was the second Vice-President.
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Q.100
Before it was renamed in honour of Homi J. Bhabha, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) was known as:
- A Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
- B Indian Institute of Atomic Research
- C Atomic Energy Establishment, Trombay
- D Nuclear Power Corporation of India
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Atomic Energy Establishment, Trombay
The Atomic Energy Establishment, Trombay (AEET) was set up in 1954 and was renamed Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in 1967, after Homi Bhabha died in an air crash in 1966. TIFR, founded in 1945, is a separate institute.
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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.