50 one-liner general knowledge questions for competitive exams

Indian competitive examinations reward breadth, precision and rapid recall. The general knowledge questions below compress high-yield polity, geography, history, science, economy and current-affairs facts into quick-answer prompts for SSC, IBPS, SBI, LIC, railway, postal and civil service preparation.

Use each answer as a checkpoint: state it aloud, explain the linked concept, and return later to missed items. Candidates in Australia can connect the material to Canberra, the federal capital, and major cities such as Sydney and Melbourne without changing the Indian-examination focus.

Australian readers will also meet local language and recruitment patterns. An “arvo” catch-up, meaning an afternoon catch-up, state-based public-service vacancies and the A$ provide context without replacing core Indian general knowledge.

Polity and constitutional basics

Polity questions often test the link between constitutional organs and their powers. Read each answer for the exact institution, amendment or date it names.

1. Who is India’s head of state? The President.
2. How many Fundamental Rights are in the Constitution? Six.
3. Which body conducts elections in India? The Election Commission.
4. What is the normal term of the Lok Sabha? Five years.
5. Which Schedule covers constitutional officials’ salaries? The Seventh Schedule.
6. Which constitution inspired the Directive Principles? Ireland’s Constitution.
7. Can the President return a Money Bill? No.
8. Which amendment added socialist and secular to the Preamble? The 42nd Amendment, 1976.
9. When does India’s financial year begin? On 1 April.

Date-sensitive facts need dated revision. For calendars and commemorations, use March 2025 important days with official government sources. In Australia, public-service vacancies are federal or state-based, with New South Wales and Victoria advertising separately.

Geography and environmental awareness

Geography questions combine locations, physical features and environmental vocabulary. Organise each fact by India, world or environment to prevent confusing similar names.

10. What is India’s highest mountain? Kangchenjunga.
11. Which is India’s longest river? The Ganga.
12. What is India’s southernmost point? Indira Point.
13. Which state has India’s longest coastline? Gujarat.
14. What is black cotton soil also called? Regur.
15. Where is India’s largest mangrove ecosystem? The Sundarbans.
16. What is India’s largest desert? The Thar.
17. How many Indian states does the Tropic of Cancer cross? Eight.

Place each answer on a map before memorising it. Australian readers can use the same habit locally, while Indian aspirants should draw the Himalaya, Ganga delta, Deccan Plateau and coastal states.

History, heritage and culture

History questions reward dates and cause-and-effect links. Connect rulers, movements and sites so one fact supports several possible questions.

18. Which Indus Valley city is famous for grid planning? Mohenjo-daro.
19. Who was the first Indian Governor-General of independent India? C. Rajagopalachari.
20. Who founded the Indian National Congress? A. O. Hume.
21. Which emperor issued prominent rock edicts? Ashoka.
22. Who wrote Gitanjali? Rabindranath Tagore.
23. Which movement launched the Dandi March? The Non-Cooperation Movement.
24. Who built the Red Fort? Shah Jahan.
25. Who began the Qutub Minar? Qutb al-Din Aibak.
26. Who introduced the Dahsala land-revenue system? Todar Mal.

Islamic-heritage questions benefit from context. A useful source, Masjid Nabawi history, traces the mosque’s development and links Arabic terms in Indian exam books with their setting. Recognise transliterations such as Masjid an-Nabawi and the Prophet’s Mosque.

Science, technology and health

Science items often hide in formulas, units and classifications. Practise converting the stated quantity and checking whether the answer asks for a substance, process or discovery.

27. What is the SI unit of resistance? The ohm.
28. What is the chemical name of vitamin C? Ascorbic acid.
29. What is the neutral pH value? 7.
30. What is the largest organ of the human body? The skin.
31. Which pigment absorbs light in photosynthesis? Chlorophyll.
32. What condition results from severe iodine deficiency? Goitre.
33. When was Pluto reclassified as a dwarf planet? In 2006.
34. What was the first artificial satellite? Sputnik 1.
35. What was India’s first satellite? Aryabhata.

Apply every fact to a familiar example instead of an isolated label. Vitamin C, for instance, connects citrus fruit with dietary ascorbic acid.

Economy, banking and insurance

Economic and financial questions test institutions, rates, documents and policy instruments. Identify whether the regulator is central or sectoral and whether a rate applies to lending, borrowing or cash reserves.

36. Who is the central bank of India? The Reserve Bank of India.
37. What is the repo rate? The rate at which the RBI lends to commercial banks.
38. Which index commonly measures inflation? The Consumer Price Index.
39. What is the currency code for the Indian rupee? INR.
40. When was GST introduced in India? In 2017.
41. Which authority regulates insurance in India? IRDAI.
42. Where is the cash reserve ratio held? With the RBI.
43. What does A$ denote? The Australian dollar.
44. What is Australia’s central bank called? The Reserve Bank of Australia.

The Australian dollar, written A$, and the Reserve Bank of Australia offer comparison points without changing Indian answers. Read currency symbols and regulator names carefully; similar abbreviations are traps.

Awards, sports and current affairs

Awards and sports items often depend on a precise year, medal, honour or nickname. Keep dated facts in a separate notebook so static knowledge does not blur with recent results.

45. Who received the Bharat Ratna in 2024? P. V. Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh.
46. Which sport is widely regarded as Australia’s national sport? Cricket.
47. Who won the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup? Spain.
48. Who won the men’s javelin at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics? Neeraj Chopra.
49. Who was the first Indian woman Olympic medallist? Karnam Malleswari.
50. Which Indian sports honour carries Dhyan Chand’s name? Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna.

Check dated honours against official notices or reputable reports. Cross-check spellings of people and places, as one wrong letter can prevent a correct match.

Put the set to work now: attempt all 50 without notes, mark uncertain answers, revisit them after two days, and retake the full set. Bookmark this page for weekend revision and share it with your study group or local library.