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BPSC Test General Knowledge II (Current Affairs) Syllabus

The General Knowledge II (Current Affairs) syllabus for BPSC Test in full: 5 chapters and 20 topics, every one listed below, plus 51 General Knowledge II (Current Affairs) flashcards with answers.

5Chapters
20Topics
51Flashcards

General Knowledge II (Current Affairs) syllabus: all 5 chapters

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics.

  1. Pakistan's Domestic Affairs

     4 topics
    • Political Developments
    • Economic Situation and Policies
    • Constitutional and Legal Developments
    • Provincial Affairs and Balochistan Issues

  2. Pakistan's Foreign Relations

     4 topics
    • Relations with Neighbouring Countries
    • Pakistan and the Muslim World
    • Pakistan and Major Powers
    • CPEC and Regional Connectivity

  3. International Affairs

     4 topics
    • Global Political Issues and Conflicts
    • International Economy and Trade
    • Major Summits and Treaties
    • Climate Change and Global Environment

  4. International Organizations

     4 topics
    • United Nations and Its Agencies
    • OIC, SAARC and ECO
    • World Bank, IMF and WTO
    • Regional and Military Alliances

  5. Awards, Events and Personalities

     4 topics
    • Nobel Prizes and International Awards
    • Important Days and Events
    • Sports and Achievements
    • Prominent National and World Figures

BPSC Test General Knowledge II (Current Affairs) flashcards — 51 questions with answers

  1. Which body conducts the BPSC (Balochistan Public Service Commission) examinations, and what is its constitutional basis?

    The Balochistan Public Service Commission, established under Article 242 of the Constitution of Pakistan, which requires each province to have a Public Service Commission for recruitment to provincial civil services.

  2. What is the State Bank of Pakistan's policy rate as of mid-2025, and what is the policy rate?

    The policy rate is the benchmark interest rate set by the State Bank of Pakistan's Monetary Policy Committee to control inflation and money supply; it had been cut into the low double digits / around 11% by 2025 after peaking at 22% in 2024.

  3. What is the difference between fiscal deficit and current account deficit?

    Fiscal deficit is the gap between government expenditure and revenue within the budget; current account deficit is the gap in a country's external transactions (trade in goods/services, income, transfers) with the rest of the world.

  4. Under which IMF facility did Pakistan secure its 2024 bailout, and roughly how large was it?

    Pakistan secured a 37-month Extended Fund Facility (EFF) of about US$7 billion, approved by the IMF Executive Board in September 2024.

  5. What is CPEC and which two corridors/cities does its flagship road link?

    The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a flagship of China's Belt and Road Initiative, connecting Kashgar in China's Xinjiang to Gwadar Port in Balochistan via roads, railways, energy projects and special economic zones.

  6. Which Pakistani port is the centerpiece of CPEC, and which province is it in?

    Gwadar Port, located in Balochistan on the Arabian Sea near the Strait of Hormuz.

  7. What does the term 'CPEC 2.0' emphasize compared to the original phase?

    CPEC 2.0 emphasizes the '5 Es' / corridors of growth, industrialization, agriculture, IT, livelihood and special economic zones (B2B investment) rather than the earlier focus on infrastructure and energy projects.

  8. What is the 26th Constitutional Amendment of Pakistan (2024) primarily about?

    Passed in October 2024, it created a Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court, changed the procedure for appointing the Chief Justice (via a parliamentary committee, fixed 3-year term), and curtailed the judiciary's suo motu powers.

  9. What is the constitutional fixed term and selection method of Pakistan's Chief Justice after the 26th Amendment?

    A fixed term of 3 years, selected by a Special Parliamentary Committee from among the three most senior Supreme Court judges, with confirmation by the Prime Minister/President.

  10. Which 2010 amendment devolved major powers to Pakistan's provinces, and what major list did it abolish?

    The 18th Amendment (2010), which abolished the Concurrent Legislative List, devolving subjects like education and health to the provinces.

  11. What is the NFC Award and which article of the Constitution governs it?

    The National Finance Commission Award distributes financial resources between the federation and provinces; it is governed by Article 160 of the Constitution.

  12. Name the main armed separatist organization driving the insurgency in Balochistan.

    The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a proscribed separatist militant group; the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) and BRAS alliance are also active.

  13. What was the significance of the March 2025 Jaffar Express train hijacking in Balochistan?

    The BLA hijacked the Jaffar Express train in the Bolan area, taking hundreds of passengers hostage; it was the most high-profile such attack, highlighting Balochistan's security and grievance issues.

  14. What is the Reko Diq project and which company holds the major stake?

    A massive copper-gold mining project in Chagai District, Balochistan, with Canada's Barrick Gold holding a 50% stake, the rest split between the federal government and Balochistan.

  15. What is the Durand Line and which two countries does it separate?

    The 2,640 km boundary between Pakistan and Afghanistan, demarcated in 1893; Afghanistan has historically not formally recognized it.

  16. What is the TTP, and why is it a source of Pakistan-Afghanistan tension?

    Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, a militant umbrella group; Pakistan accuses the Afghan Taliban of providing it safe havens from which it launches cross-border attacks.

  17. What triggered the May 2025 military conflict between India and Pakistan?

    India's 'Operation Sindoor' airstrikes following the April 2025 Pahalgam attack in Indian-administered Kashmir; Pakistan responded with 'Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos,' leading to days of conflict before a ceasefire.

  18. Which treaty governs water sharing between India and Pakistan, and which body brokered it?

    The Indus Waters Treaty (1960), brokered by the World Bank; India announced it was holding the treaty 'in abeyance' in 2025.

  19. What is the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), where is it headquartered, and how many members does it have?

    The second-largest intergovernmental organization after the UN, headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with 57 member states; founded in 1969.

  20. What is ECO (Economic Cooperation Organisation), and which three founding states established it?

    A regional intergovernmental organization founded in 1985 by Pakistan, Iran and Turkey (succeeding the RCD), now with 10 members; headquartered in Tehran.

Show the other 31 General Knowledge II (Current Affairs) flashcards

  1. How many member states does SAARC have, and why has it been largely dormant?

    SAARC has 8 members (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka); it has been dormant largely due to India-Pakistan tensions, with no summit since 2014.

  2. What is the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and when did Pakistan become a full member?

    A Eurasian political, economic and security alliance led by China and Russia; Pakistan became a full member in 2017.

  3. What are the three institutions of the Bretton Woods system and the WTO's predecessor?

    The IMF and the World Bank (created at Bretton Woods, 1944), plus the GATT, which evolved into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1995.

  4. What is the difference in mandate between the IMF and the World Bank?

    The IMF focuses on global monetary stability, exchange rates and short-term balance-of-payments support; the World Bank focuses on long-term development financing and poverty reduction.

  5. Where is the WTO headquartered, and what principle requires equal treatment of all trading partners?

    Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland; the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) principle requires a country to extend the same trade terms to all WTO members.

  6. What are the five permanent members of the UN Security Council with veto power?

    The United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China (the P5).

  7. What are the six principal organs of the United Nations?

    General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), International Court of Justice, Secretariat, and the Trusteeship Council (now inactive).

  8. Who is the current UN Secretary-General, and from which country?

    Antonio Guterres of Portugal, who began his second term in January 2022.

  9. Match the UN agency to its function: WHO, UNESCO, ILO, FAO.

    WHO - global health; UNESCO - education, science and culture; ILO - labour standards; FAO - food and agriculture. All are UN specialized agencies.

  10. What is the Paris Agreement (2015), and what is its central temperature goal?

    A legally binding international climate treaty under the UNFCCC, aiming to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees C, preferably 1.5 degrees C, above pre-industrial levels.

  11. What was the major outcome of COP28 (Dubai, 2023) regarding fossil fuels?

    The first-ever call to 'transition away from fossil fuels' in energy systems, plus operationalizing the Loss and Damage Fund.

  12. What is the 'Loss and Damage Fund,' and why is it relevant to Pakistan?

    A UN climate fund to compensate vulnerable nations for climate-induced damage, established at COP27 (2022); Pakistan championed it after its catastrophic 2022 floods.

  13. Why is Pakistan considered highly vulnerable to climate change despite low emissions?

    It contributes under 1% of global greenhouse emissions but ranks among the most climate-vulnerable countries, facing glacial melt, heatwaves, floods (e.g., the 2022 floods affecting 33 million people) and water scarcity.

  14. What was the 'Living Indus Initiative,' and who launched it?

    A Pakistan-led environmental restoration initiative for the Indus River basin, recognized by the UN as a World Restoration Flagship; launched by the Government of Pakistan with UN support.

  15. What is BRICS, and which new members joined in the 2024 expansion?

    An intergovernmental bloc originally of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa; in 2024 it added Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE (Saudi Arabia invited).

  16. What is NATO, when was it founded, and what is its collective defence article?

    The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, founded in 1949; Article 5 establishes collective defence (an attack on one is an attack on all).

  17. Which two countries joined NATO in 2023 and 2024, ending decades of neutrality?

    Finland joined in April 2023 and Sweden joined in March 2024, prompted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

  18. What is the AUKUS pact, and what is its flagship project?

    A 2021 security pact between Australia, the UK and the US; its flagship is providing Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.

  19. What is the Quad, and which four countries form it?

    The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, an Indo-Pacific strategic forum of the United States, Japan, India, and Australia.

  20. What conflict began on 7 October 2023, and what was the immediate trigger?

    The Israel-Hamas (Gaza) war, triggered by Hamas's surprise cross-border attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, followed by a major Israeli military offensive in Gaza.

  21. What is the Abraham Accords, and which Arab states first normalized ties with Israel under them?

    US-brokered 2020 agreements normalizing Israel relations; the UAE and Bahrain were the first signatories, later joined by Morocco and Sudan.

  22. What major China-brokered diplomatic breakthrough occurred in March 2023 in the Middle East?

    Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to restore diplomatic relations after years of rivalry, in a deal brokered by China in Beijing.

  23. What year did Russia invade Ukraine, and what is the name of Russia's term for it?

    February 2022; Russia officially calls it a 'special military operation.'

  24. Who won the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, and for what?

    Nihon Hidankyo, the Japanese organization of atomic bomb survivors (hibakusha), for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons.

  25. Who is the only Pakistani to win the Nobel Peace Prize, and in what year?

    Malala Yousafzai, in 2014, for her struggle for children's right to education (shared with India's Kailash Satyarthi).

  26. Who is Pakistan's only Nobel laureate in the sciences, and in which field?

    Dr. Abdus Salam, who won the 1979 Nobel Prize in Physics for the electroweak unification theory.

  27. On what dates are World Environment Day and World Water Day observed?

    World Environment Day is 5 June; World Water Day is 22 March.

  28. What is Pakistan's Defence Day (Yaum-e-Difa), and what does it commemorate?

    Observed on 6 September, commemorating the defence of Pakistan during the 1965 war with India.

  29. What is GSP+ status, and why is it important for Pakistan's economy?

    The EU's Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus grants duty-free/reduced tariff access to the EU market in exchange for ratifying 27 conventions; it is vital for Pakistan's textile exports.

  30. What is the FATF, and what was Pakistan's status with it as of late 2022?

    The Financial Action Task Force is the global anti-money-laundering/terror-financing watchdog; Pakistan was removed from its 'grey list' in October 2022 after completing action plans.

  31. What is SIFC in Pakistan, and what is its purpose?

    The Special Investment Facilitation Council, established in 2023 as a civil-military hybrid body to fast-track foreign (especially Gulf) investment in agriculture, mining, IT, energy and defence sectors.

BPSC Test General Knowledge II (Current Affairs) FAQ

What is in the BPSC Test General Knowledge II (Current Affairs) syllabus?

BPSC Test General Knowledge II (Current Affairs) is split into 5 chapters: Pakistan's Domestic Affairs, Pakistan's Foreign Relations, International Affairs, International Organizations and Awards, Events and Personalities. Together they contain 20 topics.

How many chapters are in BPSC Test General Knowledge II (Current Affairs)?

5 chapters, containing 20 topics. The largest chapter is Pakistan's Domestic Affairs, with 4 topics.

Are there flashcards for BPSC Test General Knowledge II (Current Affairs)?

Yes — a 51-card General Knowledge II (Current Affairs) deck, printed in full in the flashcards section of this page and available in the Examius app with spaced repetition. The free plan covers one exam of your choice, including its flashcards; Examius Pro, a one-time purchase, unlocks every other exam and deck.