General Knowledge and Current Affairs
General Knowledge and Current Affairs tests awareness of India’s constitutional and political system, geography, economy, science, defence, awards, sports, and schemes, plus Odisha-specific developments from roughly the last year. The paper rewards stable static anchors and disciplined current-affairs revision, not random fact collection.
Core areas
- Polity: Constitution, fundamental rights and duties, Parliament, judiciary, panchayats, constitutional bodies.
- Geography: rivers, mountains, climate, soils, agriculture, minerals, transport.
- Economy and schemes: budget terms, banking, inflation, central and state schemes, implementing ministries.
- Science and technology: everyday physics, biology, health, space, computers, environment.
- Current affairs: national and Odisha appointments, awards, sports, summits, new schemes, important days.
For current affairs, maintain a monthly one-page sheet: scheme name, ministry, beneficiary, and state or Odisha link. For static topics, link facts to a map or a constitutional article.
Worked example
Question: The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana is chiefly associated with which sector? Reasoning: The word Surya points to solar energy; the scheme supports rooftop solar in households. It is a central scheme under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Answer: rooftop solar power. Do not choose rural electrification merely because electricity is mentioned.
Traps
- Confusing central and state schemes, or renaming a scheme’s ministry.
- Choosing a familiar static fact when the question asks for the latest development.
- Missing not, except, and first in the question.
- Mixing Odisha current affairs with national current affairs without checking the stem.