KPPSC Test Current Affairs Syllabus

Current Affairs syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Current Affairs in KPPSC Test, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Pakistan and Current National Issues

   4 topics

   • Politics and Governance
   • Economy and Budget
   • Energy and Water Crisis
   • Terrorism and Security
2. 2

   Foreign Policy and International Relations

   4 topics

   • Pakistan-India Relations
   • Pakistan-China Relations and CPEC
   • Pakistan-Afghanistan and US Relations
   • Kashmir Issue
3. 3

   International Organizations

   3 topics

   • United Nations and its Agencies
   • OIC, SAARC and SCO
   • IMF, World Bank and WTO
4. 4

   Global Current Affairs

   3 topics

   • Major World Conflicts
   • Climate Change and Environment
   • Global Summits and Treaties
5. 5

   Awards, Days and Sports

   3 topics

   • Nobel Prizes and International Awards
   • Important Days and Events
   • Sports and Recent Events

Current Affairs flashcards for KPPSC Test

21 of 50 cards from the Current Affairs deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. Under Pakistan's 1973 Constitution, what is the term length of the National Assembly and after how many years was it set by the 18th Amendment for provincial autonomy?

   The National Assembly has a 5-year term. The 18th Amendment (2010) abolished the Concurrent Legislative List, devolving most subjects to the provinces and strengthening provincial autonomy.

2. What is the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, and which constitutional article governs it?

   The NFC Award is the formula for distributing federal tax revenue between the centre and provinces. It is governed by Article 160 of the Constitution and is announced at least every 5 years.

3. Name Pakistan's three armed-forces chiefs' roles and the top civilian-military coordinating body for the economy.

   Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Chief of Naval Staff, and Chief of Air Staff. The Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) is the civil-military body created to coordinate and fast-track investment in the economy.

4. In Pakistan's federal budget, what is the difference between the fiscal deficit and the primary balance?

   Fiscal deficit = total expenditure minus total revenue (the overall shortfall). Primary balance = fiscal balance excluding interest payments on debt; a primary surplus means revenues cover non-interest spending.

5. What does PSDP stand for in Pakistan's budget, and what does it fund?

   PSDP = Public Sector Development Programme. It is the federal government's allocation for development/investment projects (infrastructure, energy, social sectors), as opposed to current (recurring) expenditure.

6. What is 'circular debt' in Pakistan's power sector?

   Circular debt is the cascading unpaid liabilities across the power supply chain (from consumers to DISCOs to generation companies to fuel suppliers), caused by the gap between the cost of supplying electricity and the revenue actually collected, plus subsidy and tariff shortfalls.

7. Name Pakistan's three largest hydropower dams and the body that manages water/power development.

   Tarbela Dam (on the Indus), Mangla Dam (on the Jhelum), and the under-construction Diamer-Bhasha Dam (on the Indus). The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) manages major water and hydropower projects.

8. What is the Indus Waters Treaty (1956 negotiation, signed 1960) and how does it divide the rivers?

   It is the World Bank-brokered water-sharing treaty between Pakistan and India. The three eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) were allocated to India and the three western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to Pakistan.

9. What is the National Action Plan (NAP) in Pakistan's counter-terrorism context?

   NAP is the 20-point counter-terrorism strategy adopted in December 2014 after the Army Public School (Peshawar) attack, covering measures like military courts, action against banned outfits, terror financing, madrassah reform, and FATA reforms.

10. Which Pakistani military operations targeted militancy in the tribal areas, and name the 2024 successor operation.

    Operation Zarb-e-Azb (2014, North Waziristan) and Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad (2017, nationwide). The 2024 reinvigorated campaign is Operation Azm-e-Istehkam.

11. What was the FATF 'grey list', and what is Pakistan's current status with it?

    The Financial Action Task Force grey list flags countries with strategic deficiencies in anti-money-laundering/counter-terror-financing. Pakistan was placed on it in 2018 and removed (exited) in October 2022 after meeting the action-plan requirements.

12. What is the 'Line of Control' (LoC) between Pakistan and India and from which agreement does its name derive?

    The LoC is the de facto military boundary dividing Indian- and Pakistani-administered Kashmir. The 1972 Simla Agreement renamed the former 1949 ceasefire line as the Line of Control.

13. What is the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and which deep-sea port is its flagship?

    CPEC is a collection of infrastructure and energy projects under China's Belt and Road Initiative linking western China to the Arabian Sea. Its flagship is Gwadar Port in Balochistan.

14. Through which mountain pass and economic framework is CPEC linked, and what is the broader Chinese initiative it falls under?

    It connects via the Karakoram Highway through the Khunjerab Pass into Xinjiang, and it is the flagship corridor of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

15. What is the Durand Line, when was it drawn, and why is it disputed?

    The Durand Line is the 1893 border between British India (now Pakistan) and Afghanistan, named after Sir Mortimer Durand. Afghanistan has historically refused to formally recognize it as an international border.

16. What was the Doha Agreement of February 2020 regarding Afghanistan?

    It was the agreement signed in Doha, Qatar, between the United States and the Taliban for the withdrawal of US/NATO forces from Afghanistan in exchange for Taliban counter-terrorism commitments, paving the way for the 2021 US withdrawal.

17. Which UN Security Council resolutions are central to the Kashmir dispute and what did they call for?

    UNSC Resolutions 47 (1948) and related resolutions called for a plebiscite to let the people of Jammu and Kashmir decide accession, after demilitarization. They remain unimplemented.

18. What was India's Article 370, and what changed in August 2019?

    Article 370 of the Indian Constitution granted special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir. In August 2019 India revoked it and bifurcated the region into two union territories, which Pakistan strongly protested.

19. How many permanent members does the UN Security Council have, and who are they?

    Five permanent members (P5) with veto power: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. There are also 10 non-permanent members elected for 2-year terms.

20. Match these UN agencies to their headquarters: WHO, UNESCO, IAEA, FAO.

    WHO (health) - Geneva; UNESCO (education/culture) - Paris; IAEA (atomic energy) - Vienna; FAO (food and agriculture) - Rome.

21. Who is the current UN Secretary-General, and when did his term begin?

    Antonio Guterres of Portugal, who became UN Secretary-General on 1 January 2017 and was re-elected for a second term beginning 2022.

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