The GK section in SSC CGL not only tests your awareness of historical events, science, and current affairs but also plays a significant role in scoring well. Candidates who ace this section have a solid advantage due to the high scoring potential and comparatively less time required per question.
Best 100 SSC CGL GK Questions with Answers
A: Charaka
Q: Where was the Indus Valley Civilization primarily located?
A: Present-day Pakistan and northwest India
Q: Who built the Qutub Minar in Delhi?
A: Qutb-ud-din Aibak
Q: What was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire?
A: Hampi
Q. When did India gain independence from British rule?
A: 1947
Q: Who was the first President of India?
A: Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Q. Which is the largest desert in the world?
A: Sahara Desert
Q: Name the longest river in the world.
A: Nile River
Q: Which is the highest mountain peak in India?
A: Kanchenjunga
Q: Where is the Thar Desert located?
A: Rajasthan, India
Q: How many fundamental rights are listed in the Indian Constitution?
A: Six
Q: Which Article of the Indian Constitution mentions the abolition of untouchability?
A: Article 17
Q: Who appoints the Chief Election Commissioner of India?
A: The President of India
Q: What is the maximum permissible strength of the Rajya Sabha?
A: 250 members
Q: What is the full form of GDP?
A: Gross Domestic Product
Q: Which committee recommended reforms in Indian banking?
A: Narasimham Committee
Q: Which currency is used in Japan?
A: Yen
Q: What is the World Bank's primary objective?
A: To provide financial assistance for the development of poor countries.
Q: What is the chemical symbol for water?
A: H₂O
Q: Who discovered the theory of relativity?
A: Albert Einstein
Q: Which element has the highest atomic number in the periodic table?
A: Oganesson (Og), with atomic number 118
Q: What is the unit of electrical resistance?
A: Ohm
Q: Who is the current Prime Minister of India (as of 2024)?
A: Narendra Modi
Q: Which Indian city hosted the G20 Summit in 2023?
A: New Delhi
Q: Which country recently joined BRICS?
A: Argentina (latest member as of 2024)
Q: Which classical dance form originates from Tamil Nadu?
A: Bharatanatyam
Q: Who wrote the epic 'Mahabharata'?
A: Ved Vyasa
Q: Who won the first ICC World Cup for Cricket in 1975?
A: West Indies
Q: What is the name of India's highest civilian award?
A: Bharat Ratna
Q. Who was the founder of the Maurya Empire?
A: Chandragupta Maurya
Q. The Battle of Panipat in 1526 was fought between which two forces?
A: Babur and Ibrahim Lodi
Q. Who was the first woman ruler of India?
A: Razia Sultana
Q. Which river is known as the "Sorrow of Bihar"?
A: Kosi River
Q. What is the largest desert in the world?
A Sahara Desert
Q. Which state in India is known as the "Land of Rising Sun"?
A: Arunachal Pradesh
Q. Who is considered the chief architect of the Indian Constitution?
A: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
Q. Which article in the Indian Constitution deals with Right to Equality?
A: Article 14 to 18
Q. The President of India is elected by which system?
A: Proportional representation by a single transferable vote
Q. Who is known as the Father of Economics?
A: Adam Smith
Q. Which sector is the largest contributor to India’s GDP?
A: Service Sector
Q. What is 'Deflation'?
A: A decrease in the general price level of goods and services
Q. What is the chemical symbol for water?
A: H₂O
Q. Which planet is known as the "Red Planet"?
A: Mars
Q. What is the unit of electric current?
A: Ampere
Q. Who was the founder of the Gupta Dynasty?
A: Sri Gupta
Q. Who was known as the "Lion of Punjab"?
A: Lala Lajpat Rai
Q. In which year did the Jallianwala Bagh massacre take place?
A: 1919
Q. Which Mughal emperor introduced the Din-i-Ilahi religion?
A: Akbar
Q. Who was the last Governor-General of independent India?
A: C. Rajagopalachari
Q. Which country is known as the “Land of the Midnight Sun”?
A: Norway
Q. Where is the Great Barrier Reef located?
A: Australia
Q. Which river is known as the longest river in India?
A: Ganga River
Q. What is the capital of Bhutan?
A: Thimphu
Q. Which mountain range is known as the "Roof of the World"?
A: Pamir Mountains
Q. Which article in the Indian Constitution deals with freedom of speech and expression?
A: Article 19(1)(a)
Q. Who is the head of the Union Executive in India?
A: The President of India
Q. How many members of the Rajya Sabha are nominated by the President of India?
A: 12 members
Q. Which is the only Indian state to have its own Constitution?
A: Jammu and Kashmir (prior to the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019)
Q. Who appoints the Chief Election Commissioner of India?
A: The President of India
Q. What is GST and when was it implemented in India?
A: Goods and Services Tax, implemented on July 1, 2017
Q. What is the full form of RBI?
A: Reserve Bank of India
Q. What is the main objective of Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana?
A Financial inclusion by providing access to financial services for all households in India
Q. What is ‘Disinvestment’?
A: Selling government stake in public sector enterprises
Q. Which organization publishes the World Economic Outlook?
A: International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Q. What is the smallest unit of life?
A: Cell
Q. What is the study of plants called?
A: Botany
Q. Who discovered Penicillin?
A: Alexander Fleming
Q. Which gas is most abundant in Earth’s atmosphere?
A: Nitrogen
Q. What is the SI unit of force?
A: Newton
Q. Which organ in the human body is primarily responsible for detoxification?
A: Liver
Q. What is the boiling point of water at standard atmospheric pressure?
A: 100°C or 212°F]
Q. Where were the 2020 Summer Olympics held (delayed due to COVID-19)?
A: Tokyo, Japan
Q. Who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2021?
A: Abdulrazak Gurnah
Q. Which country became the first to land a rover on Mars in 2021?
A: China (Tianwen-1 mission)
Q. What is the name of India’s mission to study the Sun?
A: Aditya-L1 Mission
Q. Who wrote the famous epic, Mahabharata?
A: Vyasa
Q. Who is known as the ‘Nightingle of India’?
A: Sarojini Naidu
Q. Which is the famous dance form of Kerala?
A: Kathakali
Q. What is the famous festival of colors in India?
A: Holi
Q. Where is the Konark Sun Temple located?
A: Odisha
Q. Which classical dance form originated in Tamil Nadu?
A: Bharatanatyam
Q. In which state is the Ajanta Caves located?
A: Maharashtra
Q. Who introduced the ‘Doctrine of Lapse’ policy?
A: Lord Dalhousie
Q. Who was the first Governor-General of Bengal?
A: Warren Hastings
Q. Where did Mahatma Gandhi launch the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930?
Answer: Dandi, Gujarat
Q. In which year did the Revolt of 1857 begin?
Answer: 1857
Q. Which ancient Indian text is considered the earliest work of astronomy in India?
A: Surya Siddhanta
Q. Who composed the famous patriotic song ‘Vande Mataram’?
A: Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
Q. Which continent is known as the "Dark Continent"?
A: Africa
Q. What is the smallest country in the world by area?
A: Vatican City
Q. Which Indian state has the longest coastline?
A: Gujarat
Q. Which river flows through Paris?
A: Seine River
Q. What is the largest freshwater lake in the world by area?
A: Lake Superior
Q. The Brahmaputra River flows through which countries?
A: China, India, and Bangladesh
Q. Which part of the Indian Constitution deals with Fundamental Rights?
A: Part III
Q. How many fundamental duties are listed in the Indian Constitution?
A: 11
Q. Which article provides special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir?
A: Article 370 (abrogated in 2019)
Q. Who was the first Chief Election Commissioner of India?
A: Sukumar Sen
Q. How many members are nominated by the President in the Lok Sabha to represent the Anglo-Indian community?
A: 2 (This provision was abolished in 2019)
Q. What is the full form of GDP?
A: Gross Domestic Product
Q. Which Five-Year Plan was also known as the “Gadgil Plan”?
A: Third Five-Year Plan
Q. What is meant by ‘Green Revolution’?
A: A period of agricultural transformation marked by increased production due to high-yield crop varieties and modern farming techniques
Q. What is a “Demand Draft”?
A: A negotiable instrument issued by a bank guaranteeing payment of a specific amount
Q. What is the main objective of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana?
A: To provide free LPG connections to women from below poverty line (BPL) households
Q. Which Indian economist is known for the "Poverty Line" concept in India?
A: Dandekar and Rath
Q. What is the main gas found in the exhaled breath?
A: Carbon Dioxide
Q. Who discovered the structure of DNA?
Answer: James Watson and Francis Crick
Q. What is the largest organ in the human body?
A: Skin
Q. What is the atomic number of carbon?
A: 6
Q. Who is known as the father of modern chemistry?
A: Antoine Lavoisier
Q. What is the speed of light in a vacuum?
A: Approximately 299,792 kilometers per second (km/s)
Q. Which vitamin is produced by the skin when exposed to sunlight?
A: Vitamin D
Q. What is the theme of the International Yoga Day 2023?
A: "Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" (Yoga for the Welfare of All as One World Family)
Q. Who is the current Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO)? (as of 2023)
A: Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Q. Which Indian city hosted the G20 Summit in 2023?
A: New Delhi
Q. Who was the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal?
A Karnam Malleswari
Q. What is the name of India’s Mars mission launched in 2013?
A: Mangalyaan or Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM)
Q. Which Indian won the first-ever Gold medal in track and field at the Olympics?
A: Neeraj Chopra (in Javelin Throw, Tokyo 2020)
Q. Which is the oldest Veda in Hinduism?
A: Rigveda
A: Rigveda
Q. What is the famous folk dance of Gujarat?
A: Garba
Q. Where is the Khajuraho temple complex located?
A: Madhya Pradesh
Q. Who is the author of the famous play "Shakuntala"?
A: Kalidasa
Q. What is the classical dance form of Andhra Pradesh?
A: Kuchipudi
Q. Who painted the famous artwork “Bharat Mata”?
A: Abanindranath Tagore
Q. What is the traditional folk dance of Rajasthan? -
A: Ghoomar
Conclusion
Mastering General Knowledge for SSC CGL is all about consistency and practice. The questions listed above give a comprehensive preview of what you can expect, so start with these and expand your knowledge as you go along. With persistence and regular study, you’ll be well-prepared to tackle this section.
FAQs
Q: How can I improve my GK for SSC CGL?
A: Regular reading, mock tests, and practicing previous questions are essential.Q: What are the main topics covered in SSC CGL GK?
A: History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Science, and Current Affairs.Q: Is current affairs important for SSC CGL GK?
A: Yes, current affairs are crucial for the GK section in SSC CGL.Q: Where can I find SSC CGL GK PDFs?
A: Educational websites and study portals provide free downloadable PDFs.Q: How often should I revise my GK notes?
A: Regular revision, at least weekly, helps retain information effectively.