General Awareness and Current Affairs
What this domain tests
The General Awareness and Current Affairs section checks static knowledge of Indian polity, geography, economy, defence and science, plus events from the recent 12–18 months. Questions are usually one-line facts, so recall and elimination matter more than long analysis.
Core rules and areas
- Polity: Article 52 (President), Article 280 (Finance Commission), Article 324 (Election Commission); fundamental rights and major amendments.
- Geography: Indian rivers, passes, soils and climate; world straits, capitals and important boundaries.
- Economy: RBI functions, monetary policy tools, budget terms, GDP, inflation and fiscal deficit.
- Science, defence and space: ISRO missions, defence platforms, indigenisation, awards and sports.
- Current affairs: government schemes, summits, appointments and security operations.
Worked example
Question: Which body recommends the distribution of net proceeds of taxes between the Union and States? Options: NITI Aayog, Finance Commission, RBI, CAG. Reasoning: NITI Aayog is a policy think tank; RBI manages monetary policy; CAG audits accounts. Article 280 creates the Finance Commission for tax devolution. Answer: Finance Commission.
Traps
Do not mix the Planning Commission with NITI Aayog, or the Attorney General with the Solicitor General. In current affairs, old schemes can reappear in options. Dates, ranks and “first” claims are common distractors. For appointments, check the constitutional body rather than the person alone.
Exam focus
Revise constitutional articles by number, Indian defence platforms, space missions and monthly national events. Link each fact to a category so elimination is faster.