General Awareness and Current Affairs
What the section tests
General Awareness and Current Affairs checks static general knowledge plus events of the last 12–18 months, with a distinct Andhra Pradesh focus. Expect questions on national schemes, appointments, awards, sports, books, international organisations, and AP state programmes.
Core areas
- Polity-linked awareness: President, Governors, Chief Ministers, constitutional bodies.
- Schemes: identify the sponsoring level (Central, State, or Centrally Sponsored) and the beneficiary group. AP examples include Navaratnalu, Rythu Bharosa, Amma Vodi and Aarogyasri.
- Awards and honours: Bharat Ratna, Padma awards, Sahitya Akademi, Nobel Prize categories.
- Sports: recent winners and venues; do not confuse Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.
- Places in news: districts, capitals, summits and organisations.
Worked example
A question asks: 'Which scheme gives direct income support to small and marginal farmer families through the Central government?' The key is 'Central government' and 'income support'. PM-KISAN is a Central sector scheme paying eligible farmer families a fixed annual instalment. AP's Rythu Bharosa is a State scheme with its own eligibility and amount, so it is not the answer. The reasoning is to match the sponsor and beneficiary, not just the word 'farmer'.
Traps
Do not confuse the Chief Minister with the Governor, or a State scheme with a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. In awards, check the field (literature, science, peace). In sports, check the edition and category. For AP, keep the current ministry and scheme names separate from older names.