Static GK
About 6 min · General Awareness · English
Time worked out from the lesson's 391 words at 150 words a minute, plus a minute for each question.
Static GK covers factual knowledge that remains constant over time, unlike Current Affairs which updates monthly. These questions are pure recall—you either know the answer or you don't—making them high-value targets for quick score gains.
Key ideas
- National Symbols include these official representations: National Flag (Tiranga), National Emblem (Lion Capital of Ashoka), National Anthem (Jana Gana Mana), National Song (Vande Mataram), National Animal (Bengal Tiger), National Bird (Indian Peacock), National Flower (Lotus), National Tree (Banyan), National Fruit (Mango), National River (Ganga). Each carries historical and cultural significance.
- Classical Dance Forms total eight recognized styles under the Sangeet Natak Akademi: Bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu), Kathak (North India), Kathakali (Kerala), Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh), Manipuri (Manipur), Mohiniyattam (Kerala), Odissi (Odisha), and Sattriya (Assam). Each originated in a specific region with distinct costumes, themes, and techniques.
- Hindustani Classical Music dominates North India with gharana-based lineages—Gwalior, Agra, Kirana, Patiala are prominent. Major instruments include sitar, tabla, sarod, and santoor. Legendary exponents include Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Zakir Hussain, and Bhimsen Joshi.
- Carnatic Classical Music prevails in South India with composer-saint traditions—Thyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar, Syama Sastri form the Trinity. Common instruments include veena, mridangam, violin, and flute. M.S. Subbulakshmi and Lalgudi Jayaraman are celebrated artists.
- Important Days fall into three categories: (1) National observances like Republic Day (Jan 26), Independence Day (Aug 15), Gandhi Jayanti (Oct 2), (2) International days declared by the UN like World Health Day (Apr 7), World Environment Day (Jun 5), (3) Theme-based days like National Science Day (Feb 28), National Sports Day (Aug 29—Dhyan Chand's birthday).
Quick reference
- Eight classical dances: Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Mohiniyattam, Odissi, Sattriya—memorize with states.
- National Anthem duration: 52 seconds; written by Rabindranath Tagore.
- National Emblem source: Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath with motto "Satyameva Jayate."
- Feb 28 = National Science Day (C.V. Raman), Aug 29 = National Sports Day (Dhyan Chand).
- June 5 = World Environment Day, Oct 2 = Gandhi Jayanti & International Day of Non-Violence.
Check yourself: 3 questions
1. World Environment Day is observed annually on which date?
2. Kathakali, a classical dance-drama form, originated in which Indian state?
3. Which of the following pairs of classical music instruments and their classification is correctly matched?
This lesson is cut from the topic's note, not rewritten. Fact-checked on 17 Oct 2026: an AI-assisted check of this note against cited sources; the errors it found were corrected that day. Some errors may remain. The questions are from Shishya's validated question bank.
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