GK Guide for competitive exams
A complete static-GK handbook for exams — 399+ high-frequency facts across 16 topics (states & capitals, polity, history, geography, world capitals, science, economy, sports, awards and more), plus a practical method for studying current affairs. Enough to revise for hours and return to again and again.
Static GK handbook
A complete, revisable reference of 399+ high-frequency facts across 16 topics — from states & capitals to polity, history, geography, world capitals, science, economy, sports and awards. Jump to any topic:
National symbols & India superlatives
The identity facts and record-holders of India — among the most frequently asked one-mark questions.
National symbols of India
- National animal
- Royal Bengal Tiger
- National bird
- Indian Peacock
- National flower
- Lotus
- National tree
- Banyan
- National fruit
- Mango
- National river
- Ganga
- National aquatic animal
- River (Gangetic) Dolphin
- National heritage animal
- Elephant
- National emblem
- Lion Capital of Ashoka
- National anthem
- Jana Gana Mana (Tagore)
- National song
- Vande Mataram (Bankim Chandra)
- National currency
- Indian Rupee (₹)
Superlatives — India
- Largest state (area)
- Rajasthan
- Smallest state (area)
- Goa
- Most populous state
- Uttar Pradesh
- Longest river
- Ganga
- Highest peak (in India)
- Kanchenjunga
- Highest waterfall
- Kunchikal Falls
- Largest freshwater lake
- Wular Lake
- Largest saltwater lake
- Chilika Lake
- Longest national highway
- NH 44
- Largest desert
- Thar Desert
- Highest dam
- Tehri Dam
- Largest state (population)
- Uttar Pradesh
States, UTs & capitals
All 28 states and 8 Union Territories of India with their capitals.
States & capitals (A–K)
- Andhra Pradesh
- Amaravati
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Itanagar
- Assam
- Dispur
- Bihar
- Patna
- Chhattisgarh
- Raipur
- Goa
- Panaji
- Gujarat
- Gandhinagar
- Haryana
- Chandigarh
- Himachal Pradesh
- Shimla
- Jharkhand
- Ranchi
- Karnataka
- Bengaluru
- Kerala
- Thiruvananthapuram
States & capitals (M–W)
- Madhya Pradesh
- Bhopal
- Maharashtra
- Mumbai
- Manipur
- Imphal
- Meghalaya
- Shillong
- Mizoram
- Aizawl
- Nagaland
- Kohima
- Odisha
- Bhubaneswar
- Punjab
- Chandigarh
- Rajasthan
- Jaipur
- Sikkim
- Gangtok
- Tamil Nadu
- Chennai
- Telangana
- Hyderabad
- Tripura
- Agartala
- Uttar Pradesh
- Lucknow
- Uttarakhand
- Dehradun
- West Bengal
- Kolkata
Union Territories & capitals
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Port Blair
- Chandigarh
- Chandigarh
- Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
- Daman
- Delhi (NCT)
- New Delhi
- Jammu & Kashmir
- Srinagar / Jammu
- Ladakh
- Leh
- Lakshadweep
- Kavaratti
- Puducherry
- Puducherry
Indian Polity & Constitution
Key Articles, Schedules, rights and the constitutional framework tested across UPSC, SSC, state and railway exams.
Important Articles
- Article 14
- Equality before law
- Article 19
- Six freedoms (speech, etc.)
- Article 21
- Right to life & personal liberty
- Article 21A
- Right to education
- Article 32
- Right to Constitutional Remedies
- Article 44
- Uniform Civil Code (DPSP)
- Article 51A
- Fundamental Duties
- Article 72
- President's pardoning power
- Article 280
- Finance Commission
- Article 324
- Election Commission
- Article 356
- President's Rule in states
- Article 368
- Amendment of the Constitution
Schedules of the Constitution
- 1st Schedule
- States & Union Territories
- 2nd Schedule
- Salaries of key officials
- 3rd Schedule
- Forms of oaths & affirmations
- 4th Schedule
- Rajya Sabha seat allocation
- 5th Schedule
- Scheduled Areas & Tribes
- 6th Schedule
- Tribal areas (NE states)
- 7th Schedule
- Union / State / Concurrent lists
- 8th Schedule
- 22 official languages
- 9th Schedule
- Land-reform laws
- 10th Schedule
- Anti-defection law
- 11th Schedule
- Panchayati Raj (73rd Amend.)
- 12th Schedule
- Municipalities (74th Amend.)
Fundamental Rights & bodies
- Right to Equality
- Articles 14–18
- Right to Freedom
- Articles 19–22
- Against Exploitation
- Articles 23–24
- Freedom of Religion
- Articles 25–28
- Cultural & Educational
- Articles 29–30
- Constitutional Remedies
- Article 32
- Election Commission
- Constitutional body (Art 324)
- UPSC
- Constitutional body (Art 315)
- CAG
- Constitutional body (Art 148)
Presidents of India (in order)
- 1st
- Dr. Rajendra Prasad
- 2nd
- Dr. S. Radhakrishnan
- 3rd
- Dr. Zakir Husain
- 5th
- Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
- 8th
- R. Venkataraman
- 10th
- K. R. Narayanan
- 11th
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
- 12th
- Pratibha Patil (first woman)
- 13th
- Pranab Mukherjee
- 14th
- Ram Nath Kovind
- 15th
- Droupadi Murmu
Indian History
Dynasties, the freedom struggle, key figures and battles — the backbone of the history section.
Dynasties & their founders
- Maurya Empire
- Chandragupta Maurya
- Gupta Empire
- Sri Gupta
- Mughal Empire
- Babur
- Delhi Sultanate (Slave)
- Qutb-ud-din Aibak
- Vijayanagara
- Harihara & Bukka
- Chola (imperial)
- Vijayalaya Chola
- Maratha Empire
- Chhatrapati Shivaji
- Nanda dynasty
- Mahapadma Nanda
Freedom movement timeline
- 1857
- First War of Independence
- 1885
- Indian National Congress founded
- 1905
- Partition of Bengal
- 1906
- Muslim League founded
- 1919
- Jallianwala Bagh; Rowlatt Act
- 1920
- Non-Cooperation Movement
- 1930
- Dandi (Salt) Satyagraha
- 1942
- Quit India Movement
- 1947
- Independence
Governors-General & Viceroys
- First GG of Bengal
- Warren Hastings
- First GG of India
- Lord William Bentinck
- First Viceroy of India
- Lord Canning
- Viceroy during 1857
- Lord Canning
- Last Viceroy of India
- Lord Mountbatten
- First GG of free India
- Lord Mountbatten
- First Indian GG
- C. Rajagopalachari
Reformers & battles
- Brahmo Samaj
- Raja Ram Mohan Roy
- Arya Samaj
- Swami Dayananda Saraswati
- Ramakrishna Mission
- Swami Vivekananda
- Satyashodhak Samaj
- Jyotiba Phule
- Battle of Plassey (1757)
- British defeat Siraj-ud-Daula
- Battle of Buxar (1764)
- British victory
- 1st Battle of Panipat (1526)
- Babur vs Ibrahim Lodi
- 3rd Battle of Panipat (1761)
- Marathas vs Ahmad Shah Abdali
Indian Geography & culture
Dances, dams, wildlife, boundary lines and physical features of India.
Classical dance forms & states
- Bharatanatyam
- Tamil Nadu
- Kathak
- Uttar Pradesh
- Kathakali
- Kerala
- Mohiniyattam
- Kerala
- Kuchipudi
- Andhra Pradesh
- Odissi
- Odisha
- Manipuri
- Manipur
- Sattriya
- Assam
Folk dances & states
- Bhangra / Giddha
- Punjab
- Garba
- Gujarat
- Bihu
- Assam
- Ghoomar
- Rajasthan
- Lavani
- Maharashtra
- Yakshagana
- Karnataka
- Chhau
- Jharkhand / Odisha / WB
- Karagattam
- Tamil Nadu
Boundary lines
- Radcliffe Line
- India – Pakistan / Bangladesh
- McMahon Line
- India – China
- Durand Line
- Pakistan – Afghanistan
- Line of Control (LoC)
- India – Pakistan (Kashmir)
- Line of Actual Control (LAC)
- India – China
- Palk Strait
- India – Sri Lanka
Major dams & national parks
- Tehri Dam
- Bhagirathi, Uttarakhand
- Bhakra Nangal
- Sutlej, Punjab/HP
- Hirakud Dam
- Mahanadi, Odisha
- Sardar Sarovar
- Narmada, Gujarat
- Jim Corbett NP
- Uttarakhand (India's first)
- Kaziranga NP
- Assam (one-horned rhino)
- Gir NP
- Gujarat (Asiatic lion)
- Sundarbans NP
- West Bengal (Royal Bengal Tiger)
World — countries & capitals
Capitals and currencies of major countries, and world record-holders.
Countries — capital & currency
- United States
- Washington D.C. · Dollar
- United Kingdom
- London · Pound Sterling
- France
- Paris · Euro
- Germany
- Berlin · Euro
- Russia
- Moscow · Ruble
- China
- Beijing · Yuan
- Japan
- Tokyo · Yen
- Canada
- Ottawa · Dollar
- Australia
- Canberra · Dollar
- Brazil
- Brasília · Real
India's neighbours
- Nepal
- Kathmandu · Nepalese Rupee
- Sri Lanka
- Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte · SL Rupee
- Bangladesh
- Dhaka · Taka
- Pakistan
- Islamabad · Pakistani Rupee
- Bhutan
- Thimphu · Ngultrum
- Myanmar
- Naypyidaw · Kyat
- Afghanistan
- Kabul · Afghani
- China
- Beijing · Yuan
Superlatives — World
- Largest ocean
- Pacific Ocean
- Longest river
- Nile
- Highest mountain
- Mount Everest
- Largest hot desert
- Sahara
- Largest country (area)
- Russia
- Most populous country
- India
- Smallest country
- Vatican City
- Largest continent
- Asia
International organisations
Headquarters and founding years of the organisations that recur in awareness sections.
Organisation · HQ · Founded
- United Nations (UN)
- New York · 1945
- WHO
- Geneva · 1948
- UNESCO
- Paris · 1945
- UNICEF
- New York · 1946
- IMF
- Washington D.C. · 1945
- World Bank
- Washington D.C. · 1944
- WTO
- Geneva · 1995
- ILO
- Geneva · 1919
- FAO
- Rome · 1945
- IAEA
- Vienna · 1957
More organisations
- Interpol
- Lyon · 1923
- OPEC
- Vienna · 1960
- NATO
- Brussels · 1949
- ASEAN
- Jakarta · 1967
- SAARC
- Kathmandu · 1985
- Red Cross (ICRC)
- Geneva · 1863
- Amnesty International
- London · 1961
- ISRO
- Bengaluru · 1969
General Science
Units, instruments, inventions, vitamins and body facts that appear in almost every general-science section.
SI units
- Length
- metre (m)
- Mass
- kilogram (kg)
- Time
- second (s)
- Electric current
- ampere (A)
- Temperature
- kelvin (K)
- Force
- newton (N)
- Energy / work
- joule (J)
- Power
- watt (W)
- Pressure
- pascal (Pa)
- Frequency
- hertz (Hz)
Instruments & their use
- Barometer
- Atmospheric pressure
- Thermometer
- Temperature
- Ammeter
- Electric current
- Voltmeter
- Voltage
- Seismograph
- Earthquakes
- Hygrometer
- Humidity
- Lactometer
- Purity of milk
- Anemometer
- Wind speed
- Sphygmomanometer
- Blood pressure
Vitamins & deficiency diseases
- Vitamin A (Retinol)
- Night blindness
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
- Beriberi
- Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)
- Scurvy
- Vitamin D (Calciferol)
- Rickets
- Vitamin K
- Poor blood clotting
- Iron
- Anaemia
- Iodine
- Goitre
Inventions, branches & body
- Telephone
- Alexander Graham Bell
- Electric bulb
- Thomas Edison
- Radio
- G. Marconi
- Penicillin
- Alexander Fleming
- Ornithology
- Study of birds
- Entomology
- Study of insects
- Bones in adult body
- 206
- Largest human organ
- Skin
- Universal blood donor
- O-negative
Economy & Banking
Institutions, headquarters and terms for banking, SSC and UPSC awareness.
Institutions & headquarters
- Reserve Bank of India (1935)
- Mumbai
- SEBI
- Mumbai
- NABARD
- Mumbai
- State Bank of India
- Mumbai
- LIC
- Mumbai
- NSE
- Mumbai
- BSE (Asia's oldest)
- Mumbai
Banking terms & facts
- Repo rate
- RBI lends to banks
- Reverse repo rate
- Banks park funds with RBI
- CRR
- Cash Reserve Ratio
- SLR
- Statutory Liquidity Ratio
- NEFT / RTGS / IMPS
- Fund-transfer systems
- Financial year
- 1 April – 31 March
- Bank nationalisation
- 1969 (14 banks)
- First fully Indian bank
- Punjab National Bank
Sports
Team sizes, trophies and terms — quick, dependable marks.
Players per team
- Cricket
- 11
- Football
- 11
- Hockey
- 11
- Basketball
- 5
- Volleyball
- 6
- Kabaddi
- 7
- Baseball
- 9
- Polo
- 4
Trophies & their sport
- Ranji Trophy
- Cricket (domestic)
- Duleep Trophy
- Cricket
- Davis Cup
- Tennis
- Thomas Cup
- Badminton (men)
- Uber Cup
- Badminton (women)
- Ryder Cup
- Golf
- The Ashes
- Cricket (Eng–Aus)
- Durand Cup
- Football
Sports terms
- LBW, Googly, Bouncer
- Cricket
- Deuce, Smash, Ace
- Tennis
- Birdie, Bogey, Putt
- Golf
- Checkmate, Gambit
- Chess
- Butterfly, Freestyle
- Swimming
- Scrum, Try
- Rugby
Awards, firsts & sobriquets
Top honours, India's firsts and city nicknames — high-frequency static GK.
Top awards
- Highest civilian award
- Bharat Ratna
- 2nd highest civilian
- Padma Vibhushan
- Highest wartime gallantry
- Param Vir Chakra
- Highest peacetime gallantry
- Ashoka Chakra
- Highest literary award
- Jnanpith Award
- Highest sports award
- Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna
First in India
- First President
- Dr. Rajendra Prasad
- First Prime Minister
- Jawaharlal Nehru
- First woman PM
- Indira Gandhi
- First woman President
- Pratibha Patil
- First woman IPS officer
- Kiran Bedi
- First Indian Nobel laureate
- Rabindranath Tagore
- First Indian in space
- Rakesh Sharma
- First Field Marshal
- Sam Manekshaw
Sobriquets (nicknames)
- Pink City
- Jaipur
- Blue City
- Jodhpur
- Golden City
- Jaisalmer
- City of Lakes
- Udaipur
- Silicon Valley of India
- Bengaluru
- City of Nawabs
- Lucknow
- Manchester of India
- Ahmedabad
- Queen of the Arabian Sea
- Kochi
- Venice of the East
- Alappuzha
Important international days
- 8 March
- International Women's Day
- 22 March
- World Water Day
- 7 April
- World Health Day
- 22 April
- Earth Day
- 1 May
- International Labour Day
- 5 June
- World Environment Day
- 21 June
- International Yoga Day
- 2 October
- Non-Violence Day
- 10 December
- Human Rights Day
Personalities, sobriquets & slogans
Nicknames of famous figures and the slogans they gave — recurring one-mark questions.
Sobriquets of people
- Father of the Nation
- Mahatma Gandhi
- Iron Man of India
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
- Missile Man of India
- A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
- Nightingale of India
- Sarojini Naidu
- Frontier Gandhi
- Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
- Punjab Kesari
- Lala Lajpat Rai
- Netaji
- Subhas Chandra Bose
- Grand Old Man of India
- Dadabhai Naoroji
- Lokmanya
- Bal Gangadhar Tilak
- Deshbandhu
- Chittaranjan Das
Slogans & who gave them
- Jai Jawan Jai Kisan
- Lal Bahadur Shastri
- Do or Die
- Mahatma Gandhi
- Swaraj is my birthright
- Bal Gangadhar Tilak
- Give me blood, I'll give you freedom
- Subhas Chandra Bose
- Jai Hind
- Subhas Chandra Bose
- Inquilab Zindabad
- Bhagat Singh (popularised)
- Vande Mataram
- Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
- Sare Jahan Se Achha
- Muhammad Iqbal
Books & authors
Famous books and the people who wrote them.
Books & their authors
- The Discovery of India
- Jawaharlal Nehru
- Wings of Fire
- A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
- Gitanjali
- Rabindranath Tagore
- Arthashastra
- Kautilya (Chanakya)
- My Experiments with Truth
- Mahatma Gandhi
- Godan
- Munshi Premchand
- Malgudi Days
- R. K. Narayan
- The God of Small Things
- Arundhati Roy
- Panchatantra
- Vishnu Sharma
- Train to Pakistan
- Khushwant Singh
- A Suitable Boy
- Vikram Seth
- Ramcharitmanas
- Tulsidas
Space, defence & wars
ISRO missions, missiles, defence days and India's major wars.
Space & defence facts
- First Indian satellite
- Aryabhata (1975)
- Mars mission
- Mangalyaan (2013)
- Moon missions
- Chandrayaan-1, 2, 3
- ISRO headquarters
- Bengaluru
- Supersonic cruise missile
- BrahMos
- Ballistic missiles
- Agni, Prithvi
- First nuclear test
- Pokhran, 1974
- Army Day
- 15 January
- Navy Day
- 4 December
- Air Force Day
- 8 October
India's major wars
- Indo-Pak War (Kashmir)
- 1947–48
- Indo-China War
- 1962
- Indo-Pak War
- 1965
- Indo-Pak War (Bangladesh)
- 1971
- Kargil War
- 1999
Chemistry & diseases
Element symbols and the causes of common diseases.
Chemical symbols of elements
- Gold
- Au
- Silver
- Ag
- Iron
- Fe
- Sodium
- Na
- Potassium
- K
- Copper
- Cu
- Lead
- Pb
- Mercury
- Hg
- Tin
- Sn
- Hydrogen
- H
- Oxygen
- O
- Nitrogen
- N
Diseases & their causes
- Malaria
- Protozoa (mosquito)
- Tuberculosis (TB)
- Bacteria
- Cholera
- Bacteria
- Typhoid
- Bacteria
- Dengue
- Virus (mosquito)
- Rabies
- Virus
- Polio
- Virus
- Common cold
- Virus
Rivers, lakes & world waterways
Origins of Indian rivers, major lakes, and the world's key straits and canals.
Indian rivers & their origin
- Ganga
- Gangotri (Gaumukh)
- Yamuna
- Yamunotri
- Brahmaputra
- Angsi Glacier (Tibet)
- Godavari
- Trimbak (Nashik)
- Krishna
- Mahabaleshwar
- Kaveri
- Talakaveri
- Narmada
- Amarkantak
- Sutlej
- Rakshastal (Tibet)
Major Indian lakes
- Wular Lake
- J&K — largest freshwater
- Chilika Lake
- Odisha — largest lagoon
- Vembanad Lake
- Kerala — longest
- Dal Lake
- Jammu & Kashmir
- Sambhar Lake
- Rajasthan — salt
- Loktak Lake
- Manipur
World straits & canals
- Suez Canal
- Mediterranean – Red Sea
- Panama Canal
- Atlantic – Pacific
- Strait of Malacca
- Busiest strait
- Strait of Gibraltar
- Atlantic – Mediterranean
- Bosphorus Strait
- Black Sea – Marmara
- Palk Strait
- India – Sri Lanka
Facts are standard, widely-accepted static GK; always cross-check anything borderline with an official source before relying on it in an exam.
Current-affairs themes that carry the marks
Current affairs isn't one subject — it's six recurring themes. Knowing which matters most for your exam lets you spend your time where the marks are.
National & Polity
Government schemes, bills and acts, constitutional developments, appointments to key offices, and important committees — the backbone of general-awareness sections.
International
Summits, treaties, bilateral relations, global organisations and their headquarters, and India's role abroad — heavily tested in UPSC and banking awareness.
Economy & Banking
RBI policy, budget highlights, indices and reports, financial-sector news and key economic terms — essential for banking, SSC and UPSC.
Science & Tech
Space missions, defence systems, health and environment developments, and everyday-science news that recurs across railway, SSC and state exams.
Awards & Sports
National and international awards, honours, and major sporting events and winners — reliable, quick marks in almost every general-knowledge paper.
Important days & summits
Themed international days, anniversaries and recurring events — small but dependable points when you've revised them systematically.
A method that makes current affairs stick
Read a little, daily
Ten focused minutes a day beats a weekend binge. Consistency is what makes current affairs stick until exam day.
Make one-line notes
Capture each item as a single revisable line — the fact, the name and the date — not a paragraph you'll never re-read.
Revise monthly
Consolidate each month into a digest and revise the last several months before the exam, since most papers draw from a rolling window.
Test, don't just read
Convert reading into recall with GK and current-affairs questions in your mock tests — retrieval is what fixes memory.
GK & current affairs — frequently asked questions
What is the difference between static GK and current affairs?
Static GK is fixed, factual knowledge that rarely changes — national symbols, geography superlatives, organisation headquarters, important days and historical firsts (the quick reference on this page). Current affairs are recent events over roughly the last 6–12 months. Most exams test both, and they reinforce each other.
How much GK and current affairs is asked in competitive exams?
It varies but is almost always significant. UPSC and banking lean heavily on awareness, SSC and railway exams pair current affairs with static GK, and state exams like TNPSC test national and state facts together. A steady, revisable habit typically pays off more than any single section.
How far back should I revise current affairs before an exam?
Most exams draw from a rolling window of roughly the previous six to twelve months. Building a monthly digest as you go, and revising the last several months in the run-up to the exam, is the most reliable approach.
How do I test my GK and current-affairs preparation?
Use the general-awareness and static-GK topic tests inside each exam's mock library. Retrieval practice — answering questions rather than re-reading notes — is what converts reading into exam-day recall.
Turn GK into marks
Practise general-awareness and static-GK topic tests inside any exam and lock in what you revise.