GK questions with answers

General knowledge Updated 11 Oct 2026

These GK questions with answers cover the topics that come up most often in school quizzes, olympiads and competitive exams. You will find 100 general knowledge questions in ten sections: India, the world, science, history, national symbols, sports, art and culture, inventions, the human body, and space and nature.

Every question has four options, the correct answer and a short explanation, so you learn the fact behind each answer. Try a section at a time, note the ones you miss, and come back to them after a day or two.

Answered 0 / 100Right 0Wrong 0

GK questions about India

Q1. Which city serves as the capital of the Republic of India?
Show answer
Answer: A. New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital of India and the seat of Parliament, the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Supreme Court.
Q2. Which is the longest river flowing within India?
Show answer
Answer: B. Ganga
The Ganga is about 2,525 km long and flows from Gangotri in the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal; most of its course lies within India.
Q3. Which Indian state has the longest coastline?
Show answer
Answer: C. Gujarat
Gujarat has the longest mainland coastline of any Indian state, along the Arabian Sea with the Gulfs of Kutch and Khambhat.
Q4. Which is the southernmost point of mainland India?
Show answer
Answer: D. Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin) in Tamil Nadu is the southern tip of mainland India, where three water bodies meet.
Q5. Which line of latitude divides India almost into two halves?
Show answer
Answer: B. Tropic of Cancer
The Tropic of Cancer (23.5 degrees North) passes through eight Indian states, including Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.
Q6. Which of these Indian states gets its name from words meaning 'land of five rivers'?
Show answer
Answer: A. Punjab
Punjab comes from the Persian words 'panj' (five) and 'aab' (water), after the rivers of the region.
Q7. The Thar Desert lies mainly in which Indian state?
Show answer
Answer: C. Rajasthan
Most of the Thar, or Great Indian Desert, lies in western Rajasthan, with smaller parts in neighbouring states.
Q8. Which city is popularly called the Pink City of India?
Show answer
Answer: D. Jaipur
Jaipur's old city buildings were painted pink in 1876 to welcome the Prince of Wales, giving it the name Pink City.
Q9. The Gateway of India is located in which city?
Show answer
Answer: A. Mumbai
The Gateway of India stands on the Mumbai waterfront and was built to mark the 1911 visit of King George V and Queen Mary.
Q10. Lakshadweep islands lie in which sea?
Show answer
Answer: D. Arabian Sea
Lakshadweep is a group of coral islands in the Arabian Sea, off the coast of Kerala.

World GK questions

Q11. Which ocean covers the greatest area of our planet?
Show answer
Answer: C. Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean covers about one third of Earth's surface, more than all the land areas put together.
Q12. Which continent has the largest land area?
Show answer
Answer: B. Asia
Asia is the largest continent, covering about 30 percent of Earth's land area.
Q13. Which is the smallest country in the world by area?
Show answer
Answer: C. Vatican City
Vatican City, inside Rome, covers only about 0.44 square kilometres.
Q14. Which planned city is the national capital of Australia?
Show answer
Answer: D. Canberra
Canberra was planned as a new capital as a compromise between the rival cities of Sydney and Melbourne.
Q15. Which is the highest mountain peak in the world above sea level?
Show answer
Answer: A. Mount Everest
Mount Everest, on the Nepal and China border, rises about 8,849 metres above sea level.
Q16. The world's largest hot desert stretches across North Africa. What is it called?
Show answer
Answer: B. Sahara
The Sahara in North Africa is the largest hot desert; Antarctica and the Arctic are larger only if cold deserts are counted.
Q17. Leaving out continental landmasses such as Australia, which is the largest island in the world?
Show answer
Answer: C. Greenland
Greenland, a territory of Denmark, covers about 2.17 million square kilometres, far more than New Guinea, the second largest island.
Q18. Which country is known as the Land of the Midnight Sun?
Show answer
Answer: D. Norway
In northern Norway the Sun stays above the horizon around the clock for weeks during summer.
Q19. The Statue of Liberty stands in which city?
Show answer
Answer: A. New York
The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the United States and was dedicated in New York Harbor in 1886.
Q20. What is the name of the 0 degree line of longitude?
Show answer
Answer: C. Prime Meridian
The Prime Meridian passes through Greenwich, London, and is the starting line for measuring longitude.

Science GK questions

Q21. Which chemical formula stands for water?
Show answer
Answer: D. H2O
A water molecule is made of two hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom.
Q22. Which gas do green plants take in to make food by photosynthesis?
Show answer
Answer: B. Carbon dioxide
Plants use carbon dioxide, water and sunlight to make glucose, and they release oxygen.
Q23. A push or a pull is measured in which SI unit, named after a famous English scientist?
Show answer
Answer: C. Newton
The newton is named after Isaac Newton; one newton gives a 1 kg mass an acceleration of 1 metre per second squared.
Q24. At sea level, water boils at what temperature?
Show answer
Answer: A. 100 degrees Celsius
At normal atmospheric pressure pure water boils at 100 degrees Celsius; at higher altitudes it boils at a lower temperature.
Q25. Which gas makes up most of Earth's atmosphere?
Show answer
Answer: B. Nitrogen
Nitrogen forms about 78 percent of the air, while oxygen forms about 21 percent.
Q26. Gold is represented by which chemical symbol?
Show answer
Answer: A. Au
The symbol Au comes from 'aurum', the Latin word for gold; Ag is the symbol of silver.
Q27. Which naturally occurring material is the hardest known?
Show answer
Answer: C. Diamond
Diamond is a form of pure carbon and scores 10, the highest, on the Mohs scale of hardness.
Q28. Which vitamin does the human skin make when exposed to sunlight?
Show answer
Answer: D. Vitamin D
Ultraviolet rays in sunlight help the skin make vitamin D, which the body needs for strong bones.
Q29. What is the pH of pure water at 25 degrees Celsius?
Show answer
Answer: B. 7
Pure water is neutral with a pH of 7; values below 7 are acidic and values above 7 are basic.
Q30. Light travels through vacuum at about what speed?
Show answer
Answer: D. 3,00,000 km per second
The speed of light in vacuum is about 3 lakh kilometres per second (nearly 299,792 km per second).

History GK questions

Q31. Who was the first Prime Minister of independent India?
Show answer
Answer: C. Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru became Prime Minister on 15 August 1947 and served until his death in 1964.
Q32. In which year did India become independent?
Show answer
Answer: A. 1947
India became independent from British rule on 15 August 1947, which is celebrated as Independence Day.
Q33. The Maurya Empire was founded by which ruler?
Show answer
Answer: B. Chandragupta Maurya
Chandragupta Maurya founded the empire around 321 BCE with the guidance of his adviser Chanakya.
Q34. The Battle of Plassey took place in which year?
Show answer
Answer: C. 1757
In the Battle of Plassey (1757) the East India Company under Robert Clive defeated Siraj ud Daulah, the Nawab of Bengal.
Q35. Who led the Dandi March of 1930 against the salt law?
Show answer
Answer: D. Mahatma Gandhi
Gandhiji walked from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi in Gujarat and made salt from sea water to break the British salt law.
Q36. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919 took place in which city?
Show answer
Answer: A. Amritsar
On 13 April 1919, troops under General Dyer fired on a peaceful gathering at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar.
Q37. The Taj Mahal in Agra was built by which Mughal emperor?
Show answer
Answer: D. Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in Agra in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
Q38. In the First Battle of Panipat (1526), Babur defeated which ruler?
Show answer
Answer: A. Ibrahim Lodi
Babur's victory over Ibrahim Lodi at Panipat in 1526 laid the foundation of the Mughal Empire in India.
Q39. Who served as independent India's first President?
Show answer
Answer: C. Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Dr. Rajendra Prasad became the first President in 1950 and also presided over the Constituent Assembly.
Q40. Who is known as the Iron Man of India?
Show answer
Answer: B. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Sardar Patel earned this title for uniting more than 560 princely states with India after independence.

National symbols of India

Q41. Which big cat has been adopted as the national animal of India?
Show answer
Answer: A. Tiger
The tiger (Panthera tigris) is India's national animal and stands for strength and grace.
Q42. Which colourful bird was declared India's national bird in 1963?
Show answer
Answer: C. Peacock
The Indian peafowl was declared the national bird in 1963 and is protected under Indian law.
Q43. The national calendar of India, adopted on 22 March 1957, is based on which era?
Show answer
Answer: B. Saka era
India adopted the Saka calendar as its national calendar in 1957, for use alongside the Gregorian calendar; its year begins with the month of Chaitra.
Q44. Vande Mataram, the national song of India, was composed by which writer?
Show answer
Answer: D. Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote Vande Mataram, which appeared in his novel Anandamath.
Q45. Jana Gana Mana, India's national anthem, was written by whom?
Show answer
Answer: D. Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore wrote Jana Gana Mana in Bengali, and it was adopted as the national anthem on 24 January 1950.
Q46. How many spokes does the Ashoka Chakra on the national flag have?
Show answer
Answer: A. 24
The navy blue Ashoka Chakra in the middle of the white band has 24 equally spaced spokes.
Q47. India's national emblem is adapted from the Lion Capital of Ashoka found at which place?
Show answer
Answer: C. Sarnath
The Lion Capital, showing four lions back to back, was found at Sarnath near Varanasi.
Q48. The motto 'Satyameva Jayate' is taken from which ancient text?
Show answer
Answer: B. Mundaka Upanishad
Satyameva Jayate, meaning 'truth alone triumphs', comes from the Mundaka Upanishad and is written below the national emblem.
Q49. Which river creature has been named India's national aquatic animal?
Show answer
Answer: D. Ganges river dolphin
The Ganges river dolphin is nearly blind and finds its way using echolocation in muddy river water.
Q50. What is the ratio of the length to the width of the Indian national flag?
Show answer
Answer: A. 3:2
The flag code fixes the length to width ratio of the tricolour at 3:2.

Sports and games GK questions

Q51. How many players of one team are on the field in a cricket match?
Show answer
Answer: B. 11
Each cricket team fields 11 players; the batting side has two batters at the crease at a time.
Q52. How many players of each team are on the court at one time in kabaddi?
Show answer
Answer: C. 7
A kabaddi team has 7 players on court, and a raider must chant 'kabaddi' while raiding the opponent's half.
Q53. Checkmate is a term from which board game?
Show answer
Answer: D. Chess
In chess, checkmate means the king is under attack and cannot escape, which ends the game.
Q54. How many rings are there on the Olympic flag?
Show answer
Answer: C. 5
The five interlocking rings stand for the coming together of the five inhabited parts of the world.
Q55. Teams competing for the Durand Cup, one of Asia's oldest tournaments, play which game?
Show answer
Answer: B. Football
The Durand Cup began in 1888 and is one of the oldest football tournaments in the world.
Q56. India's domestic championship called the Ranji Trophy is played in which sport?
Show answer
Answer: A. Cricket
The Ranji Trophy is India's domestic first class cricket championship, named after Ranjitsinhji.
Q57. A full marathon race is run over what fixed distance?
Show answer
Answer: B. 42.195 km
A full marathon is 42.195 km long; a half marathon is half of that, 21.0975 km.
Q58. How long is a cricket pitch between the two sets of stumps?
Show answer
Answer: A. 22 yards
The cricket pitch is 22 yards (about 20.12 metres) long between the two sets of stumps.
Q59. Where were the first modern Olympic Games held in 1896?
Show answer
Answer: C. Athens
The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, the home of the ancient Olympic Games.
Q60. In which sport does a score of zero go by the name 'love'?
Show answer
Answer: D. Tennis
In tennis a score of zero is called love, so a 15 to 0 score is called 'fifteen love'.

Art and culture GK questions

Q61. The classical dance Bharatanatyam has its roots in which Indian state?
Show answer
Answer: D. Tamil Nadu
Bharatanatyam developed in the temples of Tamil Nadu and is one of India's oldest classical dances.
Q62. Kathakali, a dance drama with elaborate face make-up, comes from which state?
Show answer
Answer: A. Kerala
Kathakali dancers of Kerala wear colourful make-up and costumes to act out stories from the epics.
Q63. Kuchipudi is a classical dance named after a village in which state?
Show answer
Answer: B. Andhra Pradesh
Kuchipudi takes its name from the village of Kuchipudi in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh.
Q64. Bihu, celebrated three times a year, is the chief festival of which state?
Show answer
Answer: C. Assam
Assam celebrates three Bihu festivals in a year; Bohag Bihu in April marks the Assamese new year.
Q65. Who wrote the Ramayana in Sanskrit?
Show answer
Answer: B. Valmiki
Maharishi Valmiki is called the Adi Kavi (first poet) for composing the Sanskrit Ramayana.
Q66. Who is traditionally regarded as the author of the Mahabharata?
Show answer
Answer: D. Ved Vyasa
Tradition credits Maharishi Ved Vyasa with the Mahabharata, which includes the Bhagavad Gita.
Q67. The Ajanta caves, famous for Buddhist paintings, are in which state?
Show answer
Answer: A. Maharashtra
The Ajanta caves in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad) district, Maharashtra, have Buddhist murals and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Q68. The Konark Sun Temple is located in which state?
Show answer
Answer: C. Odisha
The 13th century Konark Sun Temple in Odisha is built in the shape of a giant chariot with stone wheels.
Q69. What type of musical instrument is the sitar?
Show answer
Answer: C. String instrument
The sitar is a plucked string instrument with a long neck, widely used in Hindustani classical music.
Q70. Garba is a folk dance associated mainly with which state?
Show answer
Answer: D. Gujarat
Garba is danced in circles in Gujarat, especially during the nine nights of Navratri.

Inventions and discoveries

Q71. Who received the first patent for the telephone in 1876?
Show answer
Answer: B. Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell was granted the US patent for the telephone in March 1876.
Q72. Who discovered penicillin, the first widely used antibiotic?
Show answer
Answer: A. Alexander Fleming
Alexander Fleming noticed in 1928 that a mould called Penicillium killed bacteria growing near it.
Q73. Who gave the theory of relativity?
Show answer
Answer: D. Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein published special relativity in 1905 and general relativity in 1915.
Q74. The three laws of motion were stated by which scientist?
Show answer
Answer: A. Isaac Newton
Isaac Newton described the three laws of motion in his book Principia, published in 1687.
Q75. Who discovered the electron?
Show answer
Answer: B. J. J. Thomson
J. J. Thomson discovered the electron in 1897 through experiments with cathode rays.
Q76. Who discovered X-rays?
Show answer
Answer: C. Wilhelm Rontgen
Wilhelm Rontgen discovered X-rays in 1895 and won the first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901.
Q77. Who made the first successful powered aeroplane flight in 1903?
Show answer
Answer: B. Wright brothers
Orville and Wilbur Wright flew their Flyer at Kitty Hawk, USA, on 17 December 1903.
Q78. Who developed the first vaccine, against smallpox?
Show answer
Answer: D. Edward Jenner
In 1796 Edward Jenner used material from cowpox to protect a boy against smallpox.
Q79. The Raman Effect, which explains the scattering of light, was discovered by whom?
Show answer
Answer: C. C. V. Raman
C. V. Raman discovered the effect on 28 February 1928, now National Science Day, and won the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Q80. Who built the movable metal type printing press in Europe around 1440?
Show answer
Answer: A. Johannes Gutenberg
Johannes Gutenberg's printing press in Germany made books faster and cheaper to produce.

Human body GK questions

Q81. A fully grown human skeleton has how many bones?
Show answer
Answer: D. 206
A newborn has about 300 bones, and many fuse during growth to leave 206 in an adult.
Q82. Which organ is the largest in the human body by area and weight?
Show answer
Answer: C. Skin
The skin is the largest organ; it protects the body and helps control body temperature.
Q83. The smallest bone of the human body is found in the ear. What is it called?
Show answer
Answer: A. Stapes
The stapes, in the middle ear, is only about 3 mm long and helps carry sound to the inner ear.
Q84. Which is the longest bone in the human body?
Show answer
Answer: B. Femur
The femur, or thigh bone, runs from the hip to the knee and is also the strongest bone.
Q85. Which type of blood cell acts as the body's defence against germs?
Show answer
Answer: A. White blood cells
White blood cells attack germs and form a key part of the body's immune system.
Q86. The human heart is divided into how many chambers?
Show answer
Answer: C. 4
The heart has two upper chambers (atria) and two lower chambers (ventricles).
Q87. Insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar, is made by which organ?
Show answer
Answer: B. Pancreas
Beta cells in the pancreas make insulin, which controls the level of sugar in the blood.
Q88. Red blood cells of which blood group can be given to a patient of any group in an emergency?
Show answer
Answer: D. O negative
O negative red blood cells carry no A, B or Rh antigens, so they can be given to patients of any blood group in emergencies.
Q89. Which organ of the human body cleans the blood and makes urine?
Show answer
Answer: B. Kidney
Each kidney has about a million tiny filters called nephrons that remove waste from the blood.
Q90. How many permanent teeth does an adult human normally have?
Show answer
Answer: C. 32
An adult has 32 permanent teeth including the wisdom teeth, while a child has 20 milk teeth.

Space and nature GK questions

Q91. Which planet of the solar system is the biggest in size?
Show answer
Answer: A. Jupiter
Jupiter is so large that more than 1,300 Earths could fit inside it.
Q92. Which planet gets the name Red Planet from the rusty colour of its soil?
Show answer
Answer: D. Mars
Iron oxide (rust) in the soil of Mars gives the planet its reddish colour.
Q93. Which planet orbits nearest to the Sun?
Show answer
Answer: D. Mercury
Mercury is the innermost planet and completes one orbit of the Sun in about 88 days.
Q94. Which astronaut became the first human to set foot on the Moon?
Show answer
Answer: A. Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong stepped onto the Moon on 20 July 1969 during the Apollo 11 mission.
Q95. What was India's first satellite, sent into space in April 1975, called?
Show answer
Answer: B. Aryabhata
Aryabhata was named after the ancient Indian mathematician and astronomer and was launched on 19 April 1975.
Q96. Which Indian became the first citizen of India to go into space?
Show answer
Answer: C. Rakesh Sharma
Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma flew aboard a Soviet spacecraft in April 1984.
Q97. Which planet is best known for its bright system of rings?
Show answer
Answer: D. Saturn
Saturn's rings are made of countless pieces of ice and rock and can be seen with a small telescope.
Q98. The protective ozone layer lies in which layer of Earth's atmosphere?
Show answer
Answer: A. Stratosphere
The ozone layer lies in the stratosphere and absorbs most of the Sun's harmful ultraviolet rays.
Q99. Which is the largest animal ever known to have lived on Earth?
Show answer
Answer: B. Blue whale
The blue whale can grow to about 30 metres long and weigh more than any known dinosaur.
Q100. Which animal can run faster than any other animal on land?
Show answer
Answer: C. Cheetah
A cheetah can sprint at about 100 to 110 km per hour over short distances.

How to prepare

Use this top 100 GK questions list as a revision set. Answer each section without looking at the options first, then check yourself. If you can recall the answer before reading the choices, the fact is truly yours; if you needed the options, mark the question for revision.

General knowledge is best built a little every day. Read the explanations carefully, because they often hold a second fact that may be asked in another exam. Students of class 5 to 10 can use these questions for school quizzes and assemblies, while SSC, railway and bank aspirants can use them as a quick check of static GK before moving on to topic pages.

Study tips

Revise ten questions a day and retest the ones you got wrong after two days.
Group facts in pairs, such as a dance and its state or an invention and its inventor, so they are easier to remember.
Write your own one line note from each explanation in a small GK notebook for quick revision before exams.

Questions people ask

What are the top 100 GK questions with answers?

The top 100 GK questions are the basic facts most often asked in quizzes and exams: capitals, rivers, national symbols, important dates, inventions and the human body. This page covers 100 such questions in ten topic sections, each with the answer and a short explanation.

How can I improve my general knowledge quickly?

Practise a small set of questions every day and revise the ones you get wrong. Reading the explanation behind each answer helps you remember related facts as well.

Are these GK questions useful for competitive exams?

Yes. The questions focus on static GK such as history, geography, science and national symbols, which appear regularly in SSC, railway, bank and state level exams.

Which GK topics are most important for students?

India's geography, history, national symbols, basic science and the human body are the most common topics. Sports, art and culture and famous inventions are also asked often in school quizzes.

Can these questions be used for a school GK quiz?

Yes. Each section has ten questions, so a teacher can use one section as a quiz round. The explanations can be read out after each answer so the whole class learns the fact.

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.