AFCAT (Air Force Common Admission Test) General Awareness Syllabus

General Awareness syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for General Awareness in AFCAT (Air Force Common Admission Test), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   History and Indian Freedom Struggle

   4 topics

   • Ancient and Medieval India
     • Indus Valley Civilisation and Vedic age
     • Mauryan and Gupta empires
     • Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire
   • Modern India and British rule
     • Advent of Europeans and East India Company
     • Revolt of 1857
     • Administrative and economic policies of the British
   • Indian National Movement
     • Formation of Indian National Congress
     • Gandhian movements (Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience, Quit India)
     • Revolutionary movements and partition
   • Post-Independence consolidation
     • Integration of princely states
     • Major wars and milestones since 1947
2. 2

   Indian Geography

   4 topics

   • Physical geography of India
     • Physiographic divisions
     • Rivers and drainage systems
     • Climate and monsoon
   • Economic and resource geography
     • Agriculture and cropping patterns
     • Minerals, energy and industries
   • World geography fundamentals
     • Continents, oceans and major countries
     • Latitudes, longitudes and time zones
   • Environment and ecology
     • Biosphere reserves and national parks
     • Climate change and conservation
3. 3

   Indian Polity and Constitution

   3 topics

   • Constitutional framework
     • Preamble, Fundamental Rights and Duties
     • Directive Principles of State Policy
   • Union and State governance
     • Parliament and State legislatures
     • Executive: President, PM, Governors and CMs
     • Judiciary and Supreme Court
   • Federalism and local government
     • Centre-State relations
     • Panchayati Raj and municipalities
4. 4

   Economy and Current Affairs

   4 topics

   • Indian economy basics
     • Budget, fiscal and monetary policy
     • Banking, RBI and financial institutions
   • National and international current affairs
     • Government schemes and policies
     • International organisations and summits
   • Awards, sports and books
     • Major awards and honours
     • Sports events and personalities
   • Science and technology in the news
     • Space and defence developments
5. 5

   Defence and Aviation Awareness

   4 topics

   • Indian Armed Forces
     • Indian Air Force organisation and commands
     • Ranks, insignia and gallantry awards
   • Defence exercises and operations
     • Joint and bilateral military exercises
   • Aircraft, missiles and equipment
     • Fighter, transport aircraft and helicopters
     • Missile systems and indigenous platforms
   • DRDO, ISRO and defence PSUs
     • Indigenisation and Make in India in defence
6. 6

   Basic Science and Culture

   3 topics

   • General science fundamentals
     • Everyday physics and chemistry
     • Human biology and health
   • Art, culture and heritage
     • Classical dances, music and festivals
     • UNESCO World Heritage sites in India
   • National symbols and important days

General Awareness flashcards for AFCAT (Air Force Common Admission Test)

19 of 50 cards from the General Awareness deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. Which Mauryan emperor embraced Buddhism after the Kalinga War (c. 261 BCE) and spread it through rock and pillar edicts?

   Ashoka the Great.

2. Which Gupta-era ruler is called the 'Napoleon of India' for his extensive military conquests recorded in the Allahabad Pillar inscription?

   Samudragupta.

3. Who founded the Delhi Sultanate's first dynasty (the Slave/Mamluk dynasty) in 1206?

   Qutb-ud-din Aibak.

4. Which Mughal emperor introduced the religious policy 'Din-i-Ilahi' and abolished the jizya tax?

   Akbar.

5. Name the 1757 battle that established British East India Company control over Bengal.

   The Battle of Plassey, won by Robert Clive against Siraj-ud-Daulah.

6. Which 1793 act introduced the Permanent Settlement of land revenue in Bengal, and under which Governor-General?

   The Permanent Settlement introduced by Lord Cornwallis.

7. In which year did the Sepoy Mutiny / First War of Indian Independence begin, and at which town did it start?

   1857, beginning at Meerut.

8. Who founded the Indian National Congress in 1885, and who was its first president?

   Founded with the help of A.O. Hume; first president was Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee.

9. Which 1919 incident in Amritsar saw General Dyer order firing on an unarmed crowd at a public garden?

   The Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

10. Which mass movement did Gandhi launch in 1930 starting with the Dandi Salt March?

    The Civil Disobedience Movement.

11. Which resolution and slogan did Gandhi give during the 1942 movement demanding immediate British withdrawal?

    The Quit India Movement, with the slogan 'Do or Die'.

12. On what date did India gain independence, and who became its first Prime Minister?

    15 August 1947; Jawaharlal Nehru.

13. Who was the 'Iron Man of India' responsible for integrating over 560 princely states into the Indian Union?

    Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

14. In which year were the Indian states reorganized on a linguistic basis under the States Reorganisation Act?

    1956.

15. Which mountain range forms the northern boundary of India and contains the world's highest peaks?

    The Himalayas.

16. Which river is the longest in India, and where does it originate?

    The Ganga, originating from the Gangotri Glacier in the Himalayas.

17. What is the name of the standard meridian of India, and what is its longitude?

    82°30' E, passing near Mirzapur (Uttar Pradesh).

18. Which Indian state has the longest coastline?

    Gujarat.

19. Which soil type, found in the Deccan Plateau, is ideal for cotton cultivation?

    Black soil (regur soil).

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