GK questions in English

General knowledge Updated 11 Oct 2026

These GK questions in English cover India, science, history, geography, the Constitution and the world, arranged from easy to hard. Each question has four options, one correct answer and a short explanation so you learn the fact behind the answer.

The easy rounds suit school students and beginners, the medium rounds suit class 8 to 12, and the hard rounds match the level of SSC, bank, railway and state exams. Attempt each round, check your score, then read the explanations for anything you missed.

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Easy GK questions in English: India basics

Q1. Project Tiger was launched in 1973 to protect which animal, the national animal of India?
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Answer: B. Tiger
The tiger (Royal Bengal tiger) is India's national animal, and Project Tiger was started in 1973 to save its falling numbers.
Q2. Which national flower of India grows in muddy water yet stays clean, and is a symbol of purity?
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Answer: D. Lotus
The lotus is India's national flower; it rises out of muddy ponds with clean petals, so it stands for purity.
Q3. India's national bird is famous for dancing with its colourful tail feathers spread out. Which bird is it?
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Answer: C. Peacock
The Indian peafowl, the peacock, is the national bird of India and is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act.
Q4. The navy blue wheel at the centre of the tricolour has how many spokes?
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Answer: D. 24
The navy blue Ashoka Chakra in the centre of the tricolour has 24 spokes.
Q5. In which language was Jana Gana Mana originally written?
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Answer: D. Bengali
Rabindranath Tagore wrote Jana Gana Mana in highly Sanskritised Bengali, and it was adopted as the national anthem on 24 January 1950.
Q6. On the bank of which river does the Taj Mahal stand?
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Answer: B. Yamuna
The Taj Mahal stands on the southern bank of the Yamuna in Agra and was built by Shah Jahan in memory of Mumtaz Mahal.
Q7. India celebrates Republic Day every year on which date?
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Answer: A. 26 January
Republic Day marks 26 January 1950, the day the Constitution of India came into force.
Q8. Which freedom fighter is known as the Iron Man of India?
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Answer: C. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel united more than 560 princely states with India after 1947, which earned him the title Iron Man of India.
Q9. Which city is known as the Pink City of India?
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Answer: A. Jaipur
Jaipur's old city buildings were painted pink in 1876 to welcome the Prince of Wales, giving it the name Pink City.
Q10. The Gateway of India arch overlooks the Arabian Sea in which city?
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Answer: A. Mumbai
The Gateway of India is an arch on the Mumbai waterfront built to commemorate the 1911 visit of King George V and Queen Mary.

Easy GK questions in English: science and the world

Q11. Which planet is famous for its Great Red Spot, a giant storm?
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Answer: A. Jupiter
The Great Red Spot is a huge, long lasting storm on Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system.
Q12. Rust (iron oxide) in its soil gives which planet a reddish colour?
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Answer: D. Mars
Iron oxide dust covers Mars, which is why it is called the Red Planet.
Q13. To make food by photosynthesis, leaves absorb which gas from the air?
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Answer: B. Carbon dioxide
During photosynthesis plants use carbon dioxide, water and sunlight to make glucose and release oxygen.
Q14. The Mariana Trench and most of the Ring of Fire lie in which ocean?
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Answer: B. Pacific Ocean
The Pacific, the largest ocean, is ringed by volcanoes and earthquake zones known as the Ring of Fire.
Q15. India, China and Mongolia all lie in which continent, the biggest by area?
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Answer: A. Asia
Asia covers about 30 percent of the Earth's land area and includes India, China and Russia's eastern part.
Q16. At sea level, pure water starts boiling at which temperature?
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Answer: A. 100 degrees Celsius
At normal atmospheric pressure pure water boils at 100 degrees Celsius; at high altitudes it boils at a lower temperature.
Q17. Glass cutters often use the tip of which natural substance, the hardest found in nature?
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Answer: B. Diamond
Diamond is pure carbon arranged in a very strong crystal lattice, which makes it the hardest natural material.
Q18. A grown up human skeleton has how many bones?
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Answer: A. 206
A newborn has about 300 bones, and many of them fuse during growth to give 206 bones in an adult.
Q19. Which organ of the human body beats about 70 times a minute to pump blood?
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Answer: B. Heart
The heart is a muscular pump that pushes blood through arteries to every part of the body.
Q20. How many days does the Earth take to go once around the Sun?
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Answer: B. About 365 days
The Earth completes one revolution around the Sun in about 365 and a quarter days, which is why we add a leap day every four years.

Medium GK questions: history and geography

Q21. Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi in the First Battle of Panipat in which year?
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Answer: C. 1526
In 1526 Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi at Panipat and founded the Mughal Empire in India.
Q22. With Chanakya's guidance, who overthrew the Nandas and founded the Maurya Empire?
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Answer: C. Chandragupta Maurya
Chandragupta Maurya, guided by Chanakya, overthrew the Nanda dynasty and founded the Maurya Empire around 321 BCE.
Q23. General Dyer ordered firing on a crowd at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar, in which year?
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Answer: C. 1919
On 13 April 1919 troops under General Dyer fired on a peaceful crowd at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar.
Q24. Gandhi walked from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi to break the salt law in which year?
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Answer: B. 1930
The Dandi March, or Salt Satyagraha, began on 12 March 1930 from Sabarmati Ashram to protest the British salt tax.
Q25. Which narrow strait lies between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka?
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Answer: D. Palk Strait
The Palk Strait lies between Tamil Nadu and the northern tip of Sri Lanka.
Q26. Which important line of latitude passes through the middle of India?
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Answer: C. Tropic of Cancer
The Tropic of Cancer (about 23.5 degrees north) cuts across India from Gujarat in the west to Mizoram in the east.
Q27. In which mountain range is Mount Everest located?
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Answer: C. Himalayas
Mount Everest lies in the Himalayas on the border of Nepal and the Tibet region of China.
Q28. On which continent is the Sahara Desert?
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Answer: A. Africa
The Sahara stretches across northern Africa and is the largest hot desert in the world.
Q29. The Red Fort of Delhi was built by which Mughal ruler, who also built the Taj Mahal?
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Answer: C. Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan built the Red Fort in the 17th century when he shifted his capital from Agra to Shahjahanabad (Delhi).
Q30. Which river is called the Sorrow of Bihar because of its floods?
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Answer: A. Kosi
The Kosi often changes its course and floods north Bihar, so it is called the Sorrow of Bihar.

Medium GK questions: science

Q31. The chemical symbol Ag stands for which metal?
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Answer: D. Silver
Ag comes from argentum, the Latin word for silver, while gold is Au from aurum.
Q32. Morning sunlight on the skin helps the body make which vitamin?
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Answer: C. Vitamin D
Sunlight helps the skin produce vitamin D, which the body needs to absorb calcium for strong bones.
Q33. Electrical resistance is measured in which unit?
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Answer: A. Ohm
Resistance is measured in ohms, named after the German physicist Georg Simon Ohm.
Q34. What is the chemical formula of common salt?
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Answer: C. NaCl
Common salt is sodium chloride, made of one sodium atom and one chlorine atom.
Q35. Which cell organelle releases energy from food and is nicknamed the powerhouse?
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Answer: D. Mitochondria
Mitochondria break down food to release energy in the form of ATP, so they are called the powerhouse of the cell.
Q36. About 78 percent of the air around us is made up of which gas?
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Answer: D. Nitrogen
Nitrogen makes up about 78 percent of the air, while oxygen makes up about 21 percent.
Q37. Penicillin was discovered in 1928 by which scientist?
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Answer: C. Alexander Fleming
Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 when he noticed a mould killing bacteria in a culture dish.
Q38. On the pH scale, pure water at 25 degrees Celsius has which value?
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Answer: D. 7
Pure water is neutral, so its pH is 7; values below 7 are acidic and values above 7 are basic.
Q39. The three laws of motion, including action and reaction, were given by which scientist?
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Answer: B. Isaac Newton
Isaac Newton published his three laws of motion in 1687 in his book Principia.
Q40. Which blood cells help our body fight infection?
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Answer: B. White blood cells
White blood cells (leucocytes) attack germs and protect the body from disease.

Hard GK questions: Constitution and history

Q41. Which Article of the Indian Constitution abolishes untouchability?
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Answer: B. Article 17
Article 17 abolishes untouchability and makes its practice in any form an offence punishable by law.
Q42. Which Constitutional Amendment added the Fundamental Duties to the Indian Constitution?
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Answer: C. 42nd Amendment
The 42nd Amendment of 1976 added Part IVA with Fundamental Duties on the recommendation of the Swaran Singh Committee.
Q43. Who chaired the Drafting Committee that prepared the Constitution of India?
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Answer: A. B. R. Ambedkar
Dr B. R. Ambedkar chaired the Drafting Committee and is called the chief architect of the Indian Constitution.
Q44. Which leader took office as India's first President on 26 January 1950?
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Answer: D. Rajendra Prasad
Dr Rajendra Prasad became the first President of India on 26 January 1950 and served two terms.
Q45. The East India Company won the battle at Plassey in Bengal, a turning point for British power, in which year?
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Answer: D. 1757
At Plassey in 1757 Robert Clive defeated Siraj ud Daulah, the Nawab of Bengal, laying the base of British rule in India.
Q46. Karo ya maro (Do or Die) was the call given in August 1942 by which leader?
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Answer: B. Mahatma Gandhi
Gandhi gave the call Do or Die in his speech at Bombay in August 1942 when the Quit India Movement was launched.
Q47. The ancient book on statecraft called the Arthashastra is credited to which thinker?
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Answer: A. Kautilya
Kautilya, also known as Chanakya, wrote the Arthashastra, an ancient treatise on statecraft and economics.
Q48. Which British Viceroy carried out the Partition of Bengal in 1905?
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Answer: C. Lord Curzon
Lord Curzon divided Bengal in 1905, which led to the Swadeshi Movement; the partition was cancelled in 1911.
Q49. Which Article of the Constitution is called the heart and soul of the Constitution by Dr Ambedkar?
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Answer: C. Article 32
Article 32 gives the right to move the Supreme Court for enforcing Fundamental Rights, and Ambedkar called it the heart and soul of the Constitution.
Q50. The Gupta ruler Samudragupta is described in which famous inscription?
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Answer: D. Allahabad Pillar Inscription
The Allahabad (Prayag) Pillar Inscription, composed by the court poet Harisena, describes Samudragupta's conquests.

Hard GK questions: world and science

Q51. The Challenger Deep, the deepest known point in the oceans, lies in which trench?
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Answer: A. Mariana Trench
The Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific is nearly 11 kilometres deep.
Q52. Off the coast of which country is the Great Barrier Reef?
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Answer: B. Australia
The Great Barrier Reef lies off the coast of Queensland in north east Australia and is the world's largest coral reef system.
Q53. Which 0 degree line of longitude passes through Greenwich, near London?
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Answer: D. Prime Meridian
The Prime Meridian passes through Greenwich near London and is the reference line for measuring longitude.
Q54. The International Date Line roughly follows which longitude?
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Answer: B. 180 degrees
The International Date Line runs roughly along the 180 degree meridian in the Pacific Ocean, where the calendar date changes.
Q55. In which layer of the atmosphere is the ozone layer found?
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Answer: D. Stratosphere
The ozone layer lies in the stratosphere and absorbs most of the Sun's harmful ultraviolet rays.
Q56. E = mc squared is part of whose theory of relativity?
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Answer: C. Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein published the special theory of relativity in 1905 and the general theory in 1915.
Q57. Which element, the lightest of all, has atomic number 1?
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Answer: D. Hydrogen
Hydrogen has one proton in its nucleus, so it is the first element in the periodic table.
Q58. UN Day on 24 October marks the founding of the United Nations in which year?
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Answer: B. 1945
The United Nations came into being on 24 October 1945, after the Second World War; that day is observed as UN Day.
Q59. Which planet takes only about 88 Earth days to go around the Sun?
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Answer: A. Mercury
Mercury is the planet nearest the Sun, so it has the shortest orbit, about 88 Earth days.
Q60. Which tiny bone of the middle ear is the smallest bone in the human body?
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Answer: A. Stapes
The stapes, a tiny bone in the middle ear, passes sound vibrations to the inner ear.

How to prepare

Start with the easy section and move up only when you score 8 or more out of 10. General knowledge is built by repetition, so revisit each set after a few days and try to recall the answer before you look at the options. Read every explanation, even for questions you got right, because the explanation often contains a second fact that appears in exams.

For competitive exams, give extra time to the hard sections on the Constitution and modern history, as these areas carry steady marks in SSC, railway and state papers. Keep a small notebook of the facts you got wrong and read it once a week. Over time, link facts together: a battle with its year, a ruler with his dynasty, an Article with its subject.

Study tips

Practise one section of 10 questions a day rather than all 60 at once, so the facts settle in memory.
Write down every question you got wrong along with its explanation and revise that list each weekend.
Group related facts, such as national symbols or important Articles, into one table you can revise quickly.

Questions people ask

What are the most important GK questions in English for competitive exams?

Questions on the Indian Constitution, modern Indian history, geography of India and basic science appear most often. The hard sections on this page focus on exactly these areas.

Are these GK questions in English suitable for school students?

Yes. The easy sections suit students from class 4 upward, and the medium sections suit classes 7 to 12. Older students and exam aspirants can go straight to the hard rounds.

How can I remember GK answers for a long time?

Read the explanation, not just the answer, and revise the same questions after one day, one week and one month. Linking each fact to a place, a year or a person also makes it easier to recall.

How many GK questions should I practise daily?

Twenty to thirty well revised questions a day are better than a hundred rushed ones. Consistency over several weeks builds a strong base for any exam.

Do these questions have answers and explanations?

Every question on this page has four options, one marked correct answer and a short explanation that teaches the fact behind it.

Every question on this page is written and fact-checked by the GK Quizzes team. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it. How we make our questions.