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UPSC CDS General Knowledge Syllabus
Every chapter and topic of General Knowledge examined in UPSC CDS — 2 chapters, 6 topics, plus 51 flashcards written against it.
General Knowledge syllabus — full chapter and topic list
Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for General Knowledge in UPSC CDS, not a summary of it.
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Current Affairs
3 topics- National News
- International News
- Sports Events
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History
3 topics- Ancient History
- Medieval History
- Modern History
General Knowledge flashcards for UPSC CDS
20 of 51 cards from the General Knowledge deck — real questions with worked answers.
Which Indian government scheme, launched in 2014, aimed at universal financial inclusion by providing bank accounts to the unbanked?
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY).
What is the name of India's flagship health insurance scheme launched in 2018, often called 'Modicare'?
Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), providing up to Rs 5 lakh cover per family per year.
Which constitutional amendment introduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India?
The 101st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2016; GST was implemented from 1 July 2017.
What is NITI Aayog and which body did it replace?
National Institution for Transforming India, a policy think-tank set up in 2015 replacing the Planning Commission.
Which Indian mission successfully landed near the lunar south pole in August 2023?
Chandrayaan-3, with its Vikram lander and Pragyan rover, making India the first country to land near the Moon's south pole.
What is the Ujjwala Yojana scheme designed to provide?
Free LPG (cooking gas) connections to women from below-poverty-line households (Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, 2016).
Which body conducts elections in India and what is its constitutional basis?
The Election Commission of India, an independent constitutional body under Article 324.
What is the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan?
A nationwide cleanliness and sanitation campaign launched on 2 October 2014 to eliminate open defecation and improve waste management.
Which Indian state was bifurcated to create Telangana, and in what year?
Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated to form Telangana in 2014; Telangana became the 29th state.
What is the name of India's solar-power-focused international alliance co-founded with France?
The International Solar Alliance (ISA), launched in 2015, headquartered in Gurugram, India.
What is the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and how many permanent members does it have?
The UN organ responsible for international peace and security, with 5 permanent members (US, UK, France, Russia, China) holding veto power, plus 10 non-permanent members.
What is the Paris Agreement (2015) and its central goal?
A global climate accord under the UNFCCC aiming to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees C, ideally 1.5 degrees C, above pre-industrial levels.
Which countries are the original members of the BRICS grouping?
Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (South Africa joined in 2010, making BRIC into BRICS).
What is the QUAD and which four nations comprise it?
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, a strategic grouping of the United States, India, Japan, and Australia.
Where is the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO)?
Geneva, Switzerland.
What is the G20 and what does it represent?
The Group of Twenty, an intergovernmental forum of 19 countries plus the EU and the African Union, representing major economies; India hosted the summit in 2023.
What is the SAARC and how many member countries does it have?
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, with 8 members: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Afghanistan.
Which 2022 conflict significantly disrupted global energy and grain supplies?
The Russia-Ukraine war, which began with Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
What is the role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)?
To promote global monetary cooperation, financial stability, and to provide loans to member countries facing balance-of-payments problems; headquartered in Washington, D.C.
Which trade bloc uses the euro as its common currency and how many members use it?
The Eurozone, comprising 20 of the 27 European Union member states that have adopted the euro.
Planning General Knowledge for UPSC CDS
General Knowledge is about 33% of the UPSC CDS syllabus by topic count — 6 of 18 topics, spread over 2 chapters. At roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, a first pass runs to about 5 hours.
Work top-down: read the chapter, then tick topics off individually rather than marking the whole chapter done. Sub-topics are where silent gaps hide.
General Knowledge (UPSC CDS) FAQ
What is in the UPSC CDS General Knowledge syllabus?
General Knowledge is split into 2 chapters — Current Affairs and History, containing 6 topics and 0 sub-topics in total.
How is General Knowledge structured in the UPSC CDS syllabus?
2 chapters. General Knowledge accounts for about 33% of the topics in the whole UPSC CDS syllabus (6 of 18).
How long should I spend on General Knowledge for UPSC CDS?
Budget around 5 hours for a first pass through General Knowledge — about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic across its 6 topics. Add revision cycles on top.
Are there flashcards for UPSC CDS General Knowledge?
Yes — a 51-card General Knowledge deck. Sample cards are printed on this page, and the full deck is free in the Examius app with spaced repetition scheduling.