India General Knowledge Quiz: 50 Questions With Answers
Test yourself with 50 India general knowledge questions on geography, history, the Constitution, culture and sport. Answers follow every question.
India general knowledge comes down to a small set of facts that turn up again and again: the capital, the big rivers, the founding dates, the national symbols and a handful of famous firsts. This quiz gives you 50 questions with the answers right after each one, so you can test yourself or read it out to friends. Most are well known in India, which makes them a good benchmark if you grew up abroad.
## How should you use this quiz?
Cover the answer with your hand or scroll slowly. Give yourself one point for each correct answer. The questions are split into five rounds of ten, from geography to sport, so you can also play one round at a time with family over dinner.
If you want something gentler for children, try our [easy India quiz for kids](/blog/india-quiz-for-kids). It uses simpler questions about animals, food and famous places.
A quick tip before you start: say your answer out loud before you look. It is easy to tell yourself you knew it once you have seen the answer. Being strict with yourself gives you a truer score and shows you which topics need work.
## Round 1: Geography
1. What is the capital of India? **New Delhi.**
2. Which is the longest river that flows mostly within India? **The Ganga (Ganges).**
3. Which ocean lies to the south of India? **The Indian Ocean.**
4. How many states does India have? **28 states, plus 8 union territories (as of 2024).**
5. Which is India's largest state by area? **Rajasthan.**
6. Which is India's most populous state? **Uttar Pradesh.**
7. What is the southernmost tip of mainland India called? **Kanyakumari (once called Cape Comorin).**
8. Which desert covers much of western Rajasthan? **The Thar Desert.**
9. Which mountain range runs along India's northern border? **The Himalayas.**
10. Which group of islands in the Arabian Sea is a union territory? **Lakshadweep.**
You can explore every state and union territory on the government's [National Portal of India](https://www.india.gov.in/), which also lists official state websites.
## Round 2: History
This round runs from the Indus Valley cities, more than 4,000 years old, to the first years of the Republic. Dates matter here, so take your time.
11. In which year did India become independent? **1947 (on 15 August).**
12. Who was India's first Prime Minister? **Jawaharlal Nehru.**
13. In which year did Mahatma Gandhi lead the Salt March to Dandi? **1930.**
14. Which Mughal emperor built the Taj Mahal? **Shah Jahan, in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal.**
15. Harappa and Mohenjo-daro were cities of which ancient civilisation? **The Indus Valley (Harappan) Civilisation.**
16. Which emperor turned to Buddhism after the Kalinga war? **Ashoka.**
17. Who was India's first President? **Dr Rajendra Prasad.**
18. Who is called the Father of the Nation? **Mahatma Gandhi.**
19. In which town was Mahatma Gandhi born? **Porbandar, in Gujarat.**
20. Who wrote and composed the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana? **Rabindranath Tagore.**
## Round 3: Constitution and national symbols
21. On what date did the Constitution of India come into force? **26 January 1950, now celebrated as Republic Day.**
22. Who chaired the Constitution's Drafting Committee? **Dr B. R. Ambedkar.**
23. What is India's national animal? **The Bengal tiger.**
24. What is India's national bird? **The Indian peafowl (peacock).**
25. What is India's national flower? **The lotus.**
26. What is the national song, and who wrote it? **Vande Mataram, by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (Chatterjee).**
27. How many spokes does the Ashoka Chakra on the flag have? **24.**
28. What are the flag's three colours, from top to bottom? **Saffron, white and green.**
29. The national emblem is adapted from which ancient sculpture? **The Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath.**
30. What are the two houses of Parliament called? **The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.**
The Constitution round is the one people trip on most. Our [Republic Day quiz](/blog/republic-day-quiz) has 30 more questions on it. The full text of the Constitution is published on the [Legislative Department website](https://www.legislative.gov.in/).
## Round 4: Culture and religion
India is home to several of the world's major faiths and many regional traditions, so culture questions can come from anywhere. These ten stick to the best known.
31. Which festival is known as the festival of lights? **Diwali.**
32. Which spring festival is known as the festival of colours? **Holi.**
33. Which classical dance from Kerala is famous for its painted faces and huge costumes? **Kathakali.**
34. Which classical dance form comes from Tamil Nadu? **Bharatanatyam.**
35. What is the holy scripture of Sikhism called? **The Guru Granth Sahib.**
36. In which city is the Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib)? **Amritsar, in Punjab.**
37. Which epic tells the story of Rama and Sita? **The Ramayana, traditionally credited to Valmiki.**
38. The Triveni Sangam, where the Ganga and Yamuna meet, is in which city? **Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad).**
39. Which instrument made Pandit Ravi Shankar famous around the world? **The sitar.**
40. Which language has the most speakers in India? **Hindi.**
If this round went well, you may enjoy the official [Bharat Ko Janiye Quiz](https://bkjquiz.com/?utm_source=dgamaf53&utm_medium=paid_search&utm_id=d53). It is the Ministry of External Affairs' own quiz about India, it is free to join, and it is open to everyone worldwide. You do not need to be Indian to take part.
## Round 5: Science, sport and everyday India
The last round mixes the space programme, sport and the things you would use on a visit, like money and payments.
41. What is India's currency? **The Indian rupee.**
42. What is the name of India's central bank? **The [Reserve Bank of India](https://www.rbi.org.in/).**
43. What was the name of India's first satellite, launched in 1975? **Aryabhata.**
44. Which Indian mission landed near the Moon's south pole in August 2023? **Chandrayaan-3.**
45. What does ISRO stand for? **Indian Space Research Organisation.**
46. In which year did India first win the men's [Cricket World Cup](/blog/icc-t20-world-cup-2024-highlights-of-the-new-york-cricket-venue)? **1983, captained by Kapil Dev.**
47. Who won India's first individual Olympic gold medal? **Abhinav Bindra, in 10m air rifle at Beijing 2008.**
48. In which event did Neeraj Chopra win Olympic gold at Tokyo? **Men's javelin throw.**
49. Which instant mobile payment system, run by NPCI, launched in 2016? **UPI (Unified Payments Interface).**
50. How far ahead of UTC is Indian Standard Time? **Five and a half hours (UTC+5:30).**
## What does your score mean?
Add up your points and see where you land. Be honest about half answers: if you said "Delhi" for question 1, give yourself the point, but if you named the wrong emperor for the Taj Mahal, you did not.
| Score | What it says |
|---|---|
| 45 to 50 | You could hold your own in any Indian school quiz. |
| 35 to 44 | Strong. A few gaps, most likely in history or the Constitution. |
| 20 to 34 | A solid base. Read up on the round where you lost most points. |
| Under 20 | A fresh start. Pick one round a week and try it again. |
The fastest way to improve is to learn the story behind each answer. Knowing why Republic Day falls on 26 January, or why the emblem comes from Sarnath, makes the facts stick. The [Ministry of External Affairs](https://www.mea.gov.in/) and [Incredible India](https://www.incredibleindia.gov.in/) both publish readable material on Indian history, culture and places. For a lighter read, try our list of [India trivia facts](/blog/india-trivia-facts), full of the odd details that make good quiz questions.
GamesNFans