50 Important GK Questions for CDS 2 2026: The CDS 2 2026 examination is scheduled to be conducted by UPSC on 13 September 2026. 

The General Knowledge paper is an important part of the CDS written examination and covers areas such as History, Geography, Polity, Economy, General Science, Defence, Environment and Current Affairs.

For CDS 2 2026, candidates should not rely only on static GK. Previous-year questions show that UPSC regularly tests conceptual understanding along with factual knowledge. 

The CDS 2025 and 2024 papers, for example, covered Constitution, History, Geography, Science, Economy and Defence-related topics.

50 Important GK Questions for CDS 2 2026

History

1. Who founded the Satyashodhak Samaj?
A. Jyotirao Phule
B. Raja Ram Mohan Roy
C. Swami Dayanand Saraswati
D. Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Answer: A. Jyotirao Phule

2. Who founded the Congress Socialist Party?
A. Jawaharlal Nehru
B. Acharya Narendra Dev
C. Sardar Patel
D. Rajendra Prasad

Answer: B. Acharya Narendra Dev

3. Who was the first woman Chief Minister of an Indian state?
A. Sarojini Naidu
B. Sucheta Kripalani
C. Vijayalakshmi Pandit
D. Aruna Asaf Ali

Answer: B. Sucheta Kripalani

4. The Ghadar Movement was founded in which year?
A. 1905
B. 1911
C. 1913
D. 1919

Answer: C. 1913

5. Who was the author of Bandi Jivan?
A. Rash Behari Bose
B. Sachindra Nath Sanyal
C. V.D. Savarkar
D. Bhagat Singh

Answer: B. Sachindra Nath Sanyal

6. The Bardoli Satyagraha was led by:
A. Mahatma Gandhi
B. Jawaharlal Nehru
C. Vallabhbhai Patel
D. Rajendra Prasad

Answer: C. Vallabhbhai Patel

7. The Permanent Settlement was introduced by:
A. Lord Wellesley
B. Lord Cornwallis
C. Lord Dalhousie
D. Lord Curzon

Answer: B. Lord Cornwallis

8. Which movement is associated with the slogan “Do or Die”?
A. Non-Cooperation Movement
B. Civil Disobedience Movement
C. Quit India Movement
D. Swadeshi Movement

Answer: C. Quit India Movement

9. The first session of the Indian National Congress was held in:
A. Calcutta
B. Bombay
C. Madras
D. Allahabad

Answer: B. Bombay

10. The Tashkent Agreement was signed between India and:
A. China
B. Bangladesh
C. Pakistan
D. Nepal

Answer: C. Pakistan

The Tashkent Agreement, Congress Socialist Party, Ghadar Movement and other history themes have featured in recent CDS GK papers, making them useful areas for revision. 

Indian Polity

11. Part IV-A of the Indian Constitution deals with:
A. Fundamental Rights
B. Directive Principles of State Policy
C. Fundamental Duties
D. Emergency Provisions

Answer: C. Fundamental Duties

12. Which Article deals with equality before law?
A. Article 12
B. Article 14
C. Article 16
D. Article 18

Answer: B. Article 14

13. The President of India is elected by:
A. Direct voting by citizens
B. Members of Parliament only
C. An electoral college
D. Lok Sabha alone

Answer: C. An electoral college

14. Which House of Parliament is a permanent House?
A. Lok Sabha
B. Rajya Sabha
C. Both Houses
D. Neither House

Answer: B. Rajya Sabha

15. A Money Bill can be introduced only in the:
A. Rajya Sabha
B. Lok Sabha
C. Joint sitting
D. State Legislative Council

Answer: B. Lok Sabha

16. Which constitutional amendment added the Fundamental Duties?
A. 24th Amendment
B. 42nd Amendment
C. 44th Amendment
D. 73rd Amendment

Answer: B. 42nd Amendment

17. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment is primarily associated with:
A. Municipalities
B. Panchayati Raj Institutions
C. Fundamental Duties
D. Cooperative societies

Answer: B. Panchayati Raj Institutions

18. Which Schedule of the Constitution contains the Union, State and Concurrent Lists?
A. Fifth Schedule
B. Sixth Schedule
C. Seventh Schedule
D. Eighth Schedule

Answer: C. Seventh Schedule

19. The Durand Line separates:
A. India and Pakistan
B. Afghanistan and Pakistan
C. Afghanistan and Iran
D. India and China

Answer: B. Afghanistan and Pakistan

20. Which of the following is NOT included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution?
A. Nepali
B. Manipuri
C. Dogri
D. Gondi

Answer: D. Gondi

Questions on the First-Past-the-Post system, Seventh Schedule, Fundamental Duties, the Eighth Schedule and constitutional provisions appeared in the CDS 2 2025 GK paper, highlighting the importance of conceptual Polity preparation. 

Geography

21. Which is the longest river flowing entirely within India?
A. Ganga
B. Godavari
C. Krishna
D. Narmada

Answer: B. Godavari

22. The Tropic of Cancer passes through how many Indian states?
A. 6
B. 7
C. 8
D. 9

Answer: C. 8

23. Which soil is most suitable for cotton cultivation?
A. Laterite soil
B. Black soil
C. Alluvial soil
D. Red soil

Answer: B. Black soil

24. Which river is known as the “Sorrow of Bihar”?
A. Gandak
B. Kosi
C. Son
D. Damodar

Answer: B. Kosi

25. The Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats meet at the:
A. Aravalli Hills
B. Nilgiri Hills
C. Khasi Hills
D. Cardamom Hills

Answer: B. Nilgiri Hills

26. Which Indian state has the longest coastline?
A. Maharashtra
B. Tamil Nadu
C. Gujarat
D. Andhra Pradesh

Answer: C. Gujarat

27. The Sundarbans are primarily located in the delta of:
A. Narmada and Tapi
B. Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna
C. Godavari and Krishna
D. Mahanadi and Brahmani

Answer: B. Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna

28. Which of the following is a warm ocean current?
A. Labrador Current
B. Peru Current
C. Gulf Stream
D. Benguela Current

Answer: C. Gulf Stream

29. The Narmada River flows into the:
A. Bay of Bengal
B. Arabian Sea
C. Indian Ocean
D. Gulf of Mannar

Answer: B. Arabian Sea

30. Which pass connects Srinagar with Leh?
A. Nathu La
B. Zoji La
C. Shipki La
D. Bomdi La

Answer: B. Zoji La

General Science

31. Which organelle is present in prokaryotic cells?
A. Mitochondria
B. Golgi body
C. Ribosome
D. Nucleus

Answer: C. Ribosome

32. Which gas is responsible for the rotten-egg smell?
A. Ammonia
B. Hydrogen sulphide
C. Sulphur dioxide
D. Methane

Answer: B. Hydrogen sulphide

33. A solution having a pH below 7 is:
A. Basic
B. Neutral
C. Acidic
D. Saline

Answer: C. Acidic

34. Which vitamin is mainly produced in the skin when exposed to sunlight?
A. Vitamin A
B. Vitamin B12
C. Vitamin C
D. Vitamin D

Answer: D. Vitamin D

35. Which blood group is known as the universal donor for red blood cell transfusion?
A. AB positive
B. O negative
C. A positive
D. B negative

Answer: B. O negative

36. The functional unit of the kidney is:
A. Neuron
B. Nephron
C. Alveolus
D. Villus

Answer: B. Nephron

37. The process by which green plants prepare food is called:
A. Respiration
B. Transpiration
C. Photosynthesis
D. Fermentation

Answer: C. Photosynthesis

38. Which rule determines the direction of induced current in a conductor?
A. Fleming's Left-Hand Rule
B. Fleming's Right-Hand Rule
C. Right-Hand Thumb Rule
D. Lenz's Law

Answer: B. Fleming's Right-Hand Rule

39. Twinkling of stars occurs mainly because of:
A. Reflection
B. Atmospheric refraction
C. Diffraction
D. Polarisation

Answer: B. Atmospheric refraction

40. A Van de Graaff generator is used to produce:
A. Low voltage AC
B. High voltage electrostatic charge
C. Magnetic waves
D. Low voltage DC

Answer: B. High voltage electrostatic charge

Recent CDS 2 2025 questions included Physics, Chemistry and Biology concepts such as Fleming's rule, X-rays, graphene, chemical reactions, blood groups, brain parts, villi and prokaryotic cells. 

Economy, Environment and Defence

41. Which institution is responsible for conducting monetary policy in India?
A. SEBI
B. RBI
C. NITI Aayog
D. Finance Commission

Answer: B. RBI

42. GST is primarily a:
A. Direct tax
B. Indirect tax
C. Corporate tax
D. Wealth tax

Answer: B. Indirect tax

43. Which body replaced the Planning Commission?
A. Finance Commission
B. NITI Aayog
C. GST Council
D. Economic Advisory Council

Answer: B. NITI Aayog

44. The headquarters of the International Monetary Fund is in:
A. Geneva
B. New York
C. Washington, D.C.
D. Paris

Answer: C. Washington, D.C.

45. Which gas is the largest contributor to human-caused global warming among the major long-lived greenhouse gases?
A. Oxygen
B. Carbon dioxide
C. Nitrogen
D. Helium

Answer: B. Carbon dioxide

46. The Ramsar Convention is associated with the conservation of:
A. Forests
B. Wetlands
C. Mountains
D. Deserts

Answer: B. Wetlands

47. Exercise “Malabar” is associated with India and which of the following countries?
A. Japan, Australia and the United States
B. Russia, France and Germany
C. Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan
D. Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand

Answer: A. Japan, Australia and the United States

48. The Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces is the:
A. Prime Minister
B. Defence Minister
C. President of India
D. Chief of Defence Staff

Answer: C. President of India

49. The Indian Army's highest wartime gallantry award is:
A. Maha Vir Chakra
B. Param Vir Chakra
C. Ashoka Chakra
D. Vir Chakra

Answer: B. Param Vir Chakra

50. “Maitree” is a joint military exercise between India and:
A. Thailand
B. Bangladesh
C. Sri Lanka
D. Malaysia

Answer: A. Thailand

The Maitree exercise was among the defence-related areas covered in the CDS 2 2025 GK paper, showing why candidates should include military exercises and defence awareness in their revision. 

Previous Year Questions: Why Are They Important for CDS 2 2026?

Previous-year questions should form a major part of CDS GK preparation. UPSC has made CDS General Knowledge papers available through its previous-question-paper archive, including the CDS I 2026 General Knowledge paper. Candidates can use these papers to identify recurring concepts and understand how UPSC frames questions.

The recent papers also show that CDS GK is not restricted to one-liner static GK. In CDS 2 2025, questions covered constitutional provisions, modern history, geography, physics, chemistry and biology, while CDS 1 2024 also had significant representation from History, Geography, Economy, Polity and Science. 

Important PYQs Included in This List

How to Use These 50 Questions for CDS 2 2026

Do not simply read the answers. Try solving all 50 questions without looking at the answer first. Mark the questions you get wrong and revise the related topic from your notes or standard study material.

For better CDS 2 2026 preparation, divide GK revision into History, Polity, Geography, Science, Economy, Defence and Current Affairs. 

• After completing these questions,
• Solve complete CDS PYQs 
• Under a time limit to improve both accuracy and question-selection skills.

Conclusion

With the CDS 2 2026 examination scheduled for 13 September 2026, candidates should now combine static GK with recent current affairs and previous-year papers. The aim should not be to memorise thousands of isolated facts; instead, focus on recurring concepts and learn why an answer is correct.

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