General Knowledge and Current Affairs
What this domain tests
General Knowledge and Current Affairs tests Sri Lanka's constitutional framework, geography, public institutions, symbols and recent official developments, plus your ability to reason from a fact rather than recite a forwarded list. Questions are usually one-mark multiple choice; accuracy and currency both matter.
Core facts to hold
- Sri Lanka is a unitary state with 9 provinces and 25 districts; the provincial council system was introduced by the 13th Amendment (1987).
- The 1978 Constitution created the executive presidency; Parliament has 225 members, with 196 district and 29 national-list seats.
- Sinhala and Tamil are official languages; English is the link language.
- The Public Service Commission, Elections Commission, National Police Commission and other independent commissions were strengthened by the 17th and 19th Amendments.
- Know the roles of the Central Bank, Ministry of Finance, Auditor General, Attorney General and National Education Commission.
Worked example
Which statement is correct? A. Sri Lanka has 25 provinces. B. Provincial councils were created by the 1978 Constitution as originally enacted. C. There are 25 districts. D. English is the only official language. Reasoning: provinces = 9, so A is wrong; provincial councils came in 1987, not 1978, so B is wrong; districts = 25, so C is correct; Sinhala and Tamil are official, so D is wrong.
Traps that cost marks
- Mixing the 1972 republican Constitution with the 1978 one.
- Confusing official language with link language.
- Treating social-media current affairs lists as authority; use the Gazette, department websites and annual reports.
- Confusing national schools with provincial schools when a question asks who runs them.