What is static GK?
Static GK means facts that do not change quickly: the capital of a state, the length of a river, the founder of a dynasty, the Articles of the Constitution, the headquarters of an organisation. A student can learn them once and keep them for years. The word "static" is used to separate this part of the syllabus from current affairs, which has to be updated every month.
Almost every general awareness paper mixes the two. A question on a newly declared Ramsar site, for example, also expects the static fact: which state it lies in and what a Ramsar site is. That is why we publish both: read the latest current affairs and the static topic behind each item on this page.
GK, GS and GA – what is the difference?
- GK (general knowledge) is the broad pool of facts about the world, India, science and society.
- GS (general studies) is the same knowledge arranged by subject, as in civil services syllabi: history, geography, polity, economy, science and environment.
- GA (general awareness) is the term used by SSC, Railway and Banking exams. It combines static GK with current affairs.
List of static GK topics
Ancient, medieval and modern India, freedom struggle, important battles, dynasties, reformers and movements.
Rivers, mountains, soils, climate, agriculture, minerals, national parks, states and capitals, world geography.
Constitution, Fundamental Rights and Duties, Parliament, President, Governor, courts, amendments, commissions.
Planning, budget, banking, RBI, taxes, inflation, international organisations, five-year plans, schemes.
Physics, chemistry and biology: units, laws, elements, diseases, vitamins, human body, everyday science.
Hardware, software, internet, MS Office, shortcuts, networking, security and abbreviations.
Full forms of organisations, schemes, exams, technology and finance terms, asked in almost every paper.
Headquarters, founders and years of commissions, banks, PSUs and ministries.
World heritage sites, forts, temples, tombs, museums and famous places and their builders.
UN bodies, their headquarters, years of formation, and regional groupings such as BRICS, G20, SAARC and ASEAN.
Also asked under static GK
- Important days and themes of the year
- Awards and honours (national and international) with fields
- Books and authors, national symbols, dances, festivals and fairs
- Countries, capitals, currencies and airports
- Sports: venues, trophies, records and cups
- Firsts and lasts in India (first woman, first Indian to …)
Static GK chapters with questions
- Common Abbreviations30 questions
- Important Government & PSU Organisations of India30 questions
- Monuments & Places of India30 questions
- UN & World Organisations30 questions
Questions with answers for every subject are on the GK questions page, and a fresh set of 20 questions comes every day.
How to prepare static GK
- Learn by topic, not by date. Finish one topic (say, Fundamental Rights) before opening the next.
- Use lists for memory-heavy topics. Capitals, headquarters and abbreviations are best revised in short daily sessions.
- Solve questions the same day. A question you miss shows exactly which fact to learn again.
- Join it to the news. After each month of current affairs, note the static fact behind every item.
Frequently asked questions
What is static GK?
Static GK (static general knowledge) is knowledge that stays the same for a long time, such as the capital of a country, the longest river, the first President of India, the Fundamental Rights or the Mughal dynasty. It does not need daily updates the way news does.
What is the difference between static GK and current affairs?
Current affairs is the news of recent months: appointments, awards, schemes, summits and sports results. Static GK is the permanent background to that news. Exams usually link them, for example a question on a new national park also needs the static fact about its state and river.
What is the difference between GK, GS and GA?
GK means general knowledge, the broad pool of facts. GS means general studies, the same facts arranged by subject (history, geography, polity, economy, science) as in civil services syllabi. GA means general awareness, the word used by SSC, Railway and Banking exams; it combines static GK with current affairs.
Which topics come under static GK?
History, geography, polity, economy, general science, important days, awards and honours, books and authors, national symbols, monuments and places, organisations and their headquarters, abbreviations, capitals and currencies, and sports records. The full list is on this page.
Is static GK asked in SSC, Railway and Banking exams?
Yes. SSC CGL, CHSL and MTS, RRB NTPC and Group D, and the general awareness section of banking and state exams all ask static GK together with current affairs. Rajasthan, UP and MP exams add state static GK.
How should I prepare static GK?
Learn one topic at a time from notes, then solve questions on that topic the same day. Revise lists (capitals, headquarters, abbreviations) a little every day, and link every current affair to its static fact.