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Build your General Knowledge with important facts on India and the World, Sports, Awards, Books & Authors, Important Days, International Organizations and other exam-relevant topics — for TSPSC, APPSC, Telangana Police, AP Police, SSC, UPSC, banking, railway and other State and Central government exams.
General Knowledge (GK) is the body of facts about India, the world, sports, awards, books, organizations and important events that competitive exams test to check a candidate's overall awareness. GK is usually split into two parts:
GK is a core scoring section in TSPSC, APPSC, SSC, UPSC, banking, railway and police recruitment exams. Commonly asked categories include India and World GK, History, Polity, Geography, Economy, Science, Sports, Awards, Books & Authors, Important Days and International Organizations. Use this hub to browse topics, revise with Quick Revision cards, practise MCQs and attempt a timed mock test.
| National Symbol | Details |
|---|---|
| National Anthem | Jana Gana Mana — written by Rabindranath Tagore, adopted 1950 |
| National Song | Vande Mataram — written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay |
| National Emblem | Adapted from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka; motto "Satyameva Jayate" (Truth Alone Triumphs) |
| National Animal | Royal Bengal Tiger |
| National Bird | Indian Peacock |
| National Flower | Lotus |
| National Tree | Banyan |
| National Fruit | Mango |
India has 28 States and 8 Union Territories (since the creation of Ladakh as a UT and the merger of Dadra & Nagar Haveli with Daman & Diu, both in 2019–2020).
States & Capitals → National Symbols → Rivers of India →
For a full subject-wise study hub on India's geography and history, see Indian Geography and Indian History.
There are 7 continents (Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe and Australia/Oceania) and 5 oceans (Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic). Asia is the largest and most populous continent.
| Country | Capital | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Washington, D.C. | US Dollar |
| United Kingdom | London | Pound Sterling |
| France | Paris | Euro |
| Japan | Tokyo | Yen |
| China | Beijing | Renminbi (Yuan) |
| Russia | Moscow | Rouble |
| Australia | Canberra | Australian Dollar |
India became the world's most populous country around 2023, overtaking China (UN population estimates). Russia is the largest country by area; Vatican City is the smallest sovereign state.
Countries & Capitals → Countries & Currencies → Superlatives (India & World) →
| Event | Key Fact |
|---|---|
| Modern Olympic Games | First held in 1896 in Athens, Greece |
| Cricket World Cup | First held in 1975 in England; won by the West Indies |
| FIFA Football World Cup | First held in 1930 in Uruguay; won by Uruguay |
| Hockey World Cup | First held in 1971 in Barcelona; won by Pakistan |
| Tennis Grand Slam | Four majors: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open |
| Abhinav Bindra | First Indian to win an individual Olympic gold medal (10m Air Rifle, Beijing 2008) |
Current champions, medal tallies and recent tournament results change every year — check Current Affairs for the latest, and always note the year with any sports record.
| Award | Details |
|---|---|
| Bharat Ratna | India's highest civilian award, instituted in 1954 |
| Padma Awards | Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, announced every year on Republic Day (26 January) |
| Jnanpith Award | India's highest literary award, instituted in 1965 |
| Dadasaheb Phalke Award | India's highest award in cinema, instituted in 1969 |
| Nobel Prize | Instituted per Alfred Nobel's will, first awarded in 1901; categories are Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, Peace, and Economic Sciences (added in 1968) |
| Booker Prize | Major British literary award for fiction, established in 1969 |
| Pulitzer Prize | American award for journalism, literature and music, established in 1917 |
| Ramon Magsaysay Award | Often called "Asia's Nobel Prize," named after a former Philippine President, established in 1957 |
Award winners change every year — this page covers only the permanent facts about each award. For the latest winners, see Current Affairs.
| Book | Author |
|---|---|
| The Discovery of India | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| India Wins Freedom | Maulana Abul Kalam Azad |
| My Experiments with Truth | Mahatma Gandhi (autobiography) |
| Wings of Fire | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (autobiography) |
| Gitanjali | Rabindranath Tagore (Nobel Prize in Literature, 1913) |
| Godan | Munshi Premchand |
| Malgudi Days | R. K. Narayan |
| Midnight's Children | Salman Rushdie (Booker Prize, 1981) |
| A Suitable Boy | Vikram Seth |
| The God of Small Things | Arundhati Roy (Booker Prize, 1997) |
| Book | Author |
|---|---|
| War and Peace | Leo Tolstoy |
| On the Origin of Species | Charles Darwin |
| A Brief History of Time | Stephen Hawking |
| Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) | George Orwell |
| Date | Observance |
|---|---|
| 26 January | Republic Day (India) |
| 21 June | International Day of Yoga |
| 5 June | World Environment Day |
| 15 August | Independence Day (India) |
| 2 October | Gandhi Jayanti / International Day of Non-Violence |
| 24 October | United Nations Day |
| 10 December | Human Rights Day |
This is a small sample — the full month-wise list of National, International and UN Observance days is on the dedicated Important Days page.
| Organization | Headquarters | Established |
|---|---|---|
| United Nations (UN) | New York, USA | 1945 |
| World Health Organization (WHO) | Geneva, Switzerland | 1948 |
| UNESCO | Paris, France | 1945 |
| UNICEF | New York, USA | 1946 |
| International Monetary Fund (IMF) | Washington, D.C., USA | 1944 |
| World Bank | Washington, D.C., USA | 1944 |
| World Trade Organization (WTO) | Geneva, Switzerland | 1995 |
| International Labour Organization (ILO) | Geneva, Switzerland | 1919 |
| Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) | Rome, Italy | 1945 |
| NATO | Brussels, Belgium | 1949 |
| SAARC | Kathmandu, Nepal | 1985 |
| ASEAN | Jakarta, Indonesia | 1967 |
| Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) | Beijing, China | 2001 |
| BRICS | No fixed HQ (rotating chair) | Formed 2009 (as BRIC); membership has expanded in recent years |
| G20 | No fixed HQ (rotating presidency) | 1999 |
Membership of groupings such as BRICS and the G20 has changed in recent years — verify current membership before relying on it, and see Current Affairs for recent developments.
Browse personalities by category on their dedicated study pages to avoid relying on unverified one-line claims.
Freedom Fighters & National Movement → Scientists & Discoveries →
| First in India | Personality / Event |
|---|---|
| First President of India | Dr. Rajendra Prasad (1950) |
| First Prime Minister of India | Jawaharlal Nehru (1947) |
| First woman Prime Minister of India | Indira Gandhi (1966) |
| First woman President of India | Pratibha Patil (2007); Droupadi Murmu (2022) is the second woman and first tribal President |
| First Indian in space | Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma (1984) |
| First Indian Nobel Laureate | Rabindranath Tagore (Literature, 1913) |
| First Indian Nobel Laureate in Science | C. V. Raman (Physics, 1930) |
| First in the World | Personality / Event |
|---|---|
| First powered flight | Wright Brothers (1903) |
| First person in space | Yuri Gagarin (USSR, 1961) |
| First woman in space | Valentina Tereshkova (USSR, 1963) |
| First person to walk on the Moon | Neil Armstrong (USA, 1969) |
Many "first" claims are commonly misstated (for example, Pratibha Patil, not Droupadi Murmu, was India's first woman President) — always verify against a reliable source before repeating a "first" fact.
Dedicated Andhra Pradesh Geography, Economy and Culture pages are being added — meanwhile see the Indian Geography hub for AP-related topics.
Recent award winners, new appointments, sports champions, government decisions, international events and scientific developments change frequently, so this static GK page keeps them separate. For the latest updates, see Current Affairs.
Test your knowledge with General Knowledge questions covering India, World GK, History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Science, Sports, Awards, Books and more.
Practice GK MCQs →A 20-question multiple choice test on General Studies.
Start GK Mock Test →Practise General Knowledge in the pattern commonly followed by these examinations. CompeteBits does not claim a question came from a specific official examination unless the source is verified. For verified previous year papers, see the Previous Papers section.
Quick-access cards for last-minute revision.
General Knowledge (GK) is the body of facts about India, the world, sports, awards, books, organizations and important events that competitive exams use to test a candidate's overall awareness.
The main topics include India GK, World GK, History, Polity, Geography, Economy, Science, Sports, Awards and Honours, Books and Authors, Important Days and International Organizations.
Static GK covers permanent facts that do not change over time, such as national symbols, capitals and historical facts. Current Affairs covers frequently changing information, such as recent award winners, appointments and sporting champions.
TSPSC General Studies commonly covers Indian and Telangana History, Polity, Geography, Economy, Science, current national and international events, and static GK such as awards, important days and organizations.
APPSC exams commonly test Indian and Andhra Pradesh History, Polity, Geography, Economy, General Science, along with static GK topics like awards, sports and important days.
Start with static GK topics such as national symbols, states and capitals, important days and organizations, then move to subject-wise hubs (History, Polity, Geography, Economy, Science), practise MCQs regularly, and follow Current Affairs for recent developments.
Police exams (Telangana Police, AP Police) commonly test national symbols, important days, sports, awards, current national/international events and basic static GK alongside General Studies.
You can practice General Knowledge multiple-choice questions on CompeteBits, covering India, World GK, History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Science, Sports, Awards and Books.
You can attempt a timed General Knowledge mock test on CompeteBits with instant scoring and correct/wrong answers.