General Knowledge and Current Affairs
What is tested
GK in this paper blends static facts with the last 12–18 months of news, and it carries a clear Uttar Pradesh tilt. Expect Indian offices and appointments, awards, sports, defence exercises, space missions, government schemes, international organisations and their headquarters, plus UP-specific geography, culture and GI tags.
Static anchors worth memorising
- Headquarters: UN - New York; IMF and World Bank - Washington DC; WHO - Geneva; UNESCO - Paris; SAARC - Kathmandu; ASEAN - Jakarta; OPEC - Vienna; Interpol - Lyon.
- UP: capital Lucknow; High Court principal seat at Allahabad with a Lucknow bench; 75 districts; GI tags include the Banarasi saree and carpet, Lucknow chikankari, Kannauj attar, Firozabad glass, Mainpuri tarkashi and Bhadohi carpet.
- Awards: Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian honour; Param Vir Chakra the highest gallantry award; Nobel Prizes are announced in October.
Worked example
Question: “Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh is famous for which GI-tagged product?” Reasoning: Kannauj lies in the perfume belt, and its traditional distillation earned a GI tag for attar. The distractors pair Firozabad with glass bangles and Bhadohi with carpets. Answer: attar (perfume).
Traps that cost marks
- Mixing the Allahabad High Court’s principal seat with its Lucknow bench.
- Confusing “first Indian to…” with “first Indian woman to…”.
- Using an old award or appointment list. The President, Vice-President, Chief Justice, RBI Governor and UP Chief Minister/Governor change; verify them close to the exam date.
How to revise
Keep a one-page timeline of the last twelve months (appointments, schemes, space, sports) and a separate UP sheet listing districts, rivers and GI products.