General Knowledge: India, the World and Current Affairs
What you must know
General knowledge for defence recruitment leans heavily on India - its Constitution, geography, defence setup and culture - plus a light layer of world facts and current events.
- Indian polity: the Preamble, Fundamental Rights and Duties, the three organs of government, key articles, and the roles of the President and Prime Minister.
- Geography: states and capitals, major rivers and their origins, mountain ranges, climate types, and India's coastline and neighbours.
- Defence awareness: ranks in the Army, Navy and Air Force; names of major commands; India's defence academies; national symbols.
- History: freedom movement milestones, major dynasties, and important dates.
- Economy and institutions: the Reserve Bank of India, the budget, and major national programmes.
- World facts: UN, major countries and capitals, currencies, and important days.
- Current affairs: recent appointments, sports results, defence exercises and space missions.
Traps to watch
- Similar names: distinguishing between academies, commands and headquarters.
- Dates: the Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949 and came into force on 26 January 1950 - questions test both.
- Capitals and currencies that sound alike across countries.
- Static versus dynamic facts: current affairs change; verify recent items rather than relying on memory alone.
Rule of thumb
Maintain a one-page revision sheet per topic: national symbols, states and capitals, defence academies, and important days. Revise it weekly.
Worked example: If asked when the Constitution came into force, the answer is 26 January 1950 - not the adoption date of 26 November 1949.