National symbols, leaders, rivers, cities and festivals: 40 India GK questions for students and quiz nights, with all the answers listed below. This India GK quiz also has the quiz in a printable form, a table of the national symbols and 15 bonus questions.
India gk quiz to print (PDF)
These four pages show the printable india gk quiz: a multiple-choice sheet, a write-in sheet, the answer key and a black-and-white sheet that saves ink. Click any picture for the PDF, or use the quiz maker below to choose the number of questions and the paper size.
How to play the india gk quiz
- Pick the options above the quiz (questions, timer) and answer each question by tapping an answer, or press 1 to 4 on a keyboard.
- A correct answer moves on by itself; a wrong one shows the right answer so you learn it.
- At the end you get your score, stars and your best score so far, plus a list of the answers to learn.
- Press Challenge a friend to send a link with exactly the same questions, or Practice the ones I missed to go again.
All 40 questions and answers
- What is the national animal of India? Tiger
- What is the national bird of India? Peacock
- What is the national flower of India? Lotus
- What is the national fruit of India? Mango
- What is the national aquatic animal of India? River dolphin
- What is the national heritage animal of India? Elephant
- Who wrote India’s national anthem, “Jana Gana Mana”? Rabindranath Tagore
- Who wrote the national song “Vande Mataram”? Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
- How many spokes are there in the Ashoka Chakra on the national flag? 24
- On which date is India’s Independence Day? 15 August
- On which date is Republic Day celebrated? 26 January
- Whose birthday is celebrated as Children’s Day in India? Jawaharlal Nehru
- Whose birthday is celebrated as Teachers’ Day on 5 September? Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
- Who is known as the Father of the Nation in India? Mahatma Gandhi
- Who was the first Prime Minister of India? Jawaharlal Nehru
- Who was the first President of India? Dr. Rajendra Prasad
- Who is known as the Missile Man of India? A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
- Who was the chief architect of the Indian Constitution? Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
- Which is the longest river in India? Ganga
- Which mountain range runs along India’s northern border? Himalayas
- Which city is known as the Pink City? Jaipur
- Which city is known as the City of Joy? Kolkata
- Which city is the Taj Mahal in? Agra
- Which state is known as “God’s Own Country”? Kerala
- Which is the largest state of India by area? Rajasthan
- Which is the smallest state of India by area? Goa
- How many states are there in India? 28
- Which ocean lies to the south of India? Indian Ocean
- Which desert is in Rajasthan? Thar Desert
- What is the currency of India? Rupee
- Which Indian won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913? Rabindranath Tagore
- Which Indian scientist won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930? C. V. Raman
- Which monument in Delhi is a tall tower of red sandstone and marble? Qutub Minar
- Which city has the Gateway of India? Mumbai
- In which city is the Charminar? Hyderabad
- What are the three colors of the Indian flag, from top to bottom? Saffron, white, green
- Which festival is celebrated with colors? Holi
- Which Indian state is famous for tea gardens in Darjeeling? West Bengal
- Which classical dance comes from Kerala? Kathakali
- Which classical dance comes from Tamil Nadu? Bharatanatyam
India GK quiz: 40 questions by topic
The India GK quiz has 40 questions, and this table sorts them into six topics. National symbols and geography have the most questions, so most students should start there:
| Topic | Questions | Example question and answer |
|---|---|---|
| National symbols | 10 | What is the national animal of India? Tiger |
| Days and festivals | 5 | On which date is India’s Independence Day? 15 August |
| Leaders and famous people | 7 | Who is known as the Father of the Nation in India? Mahatma Gandhi |
| Geography, states and rivers | 9 | Which is the longest river in India? Ganga |
| Cities and monuments | 6 | Which city is known as the Pink City? Jaipur |
| Currency and classical dance | 3 | What is the currency of India? Rupee |
GK questions on India: the national symbols
Many GK questions on India ask about the national symbols, and students often mix them up. This table has all of them in one place, and six of them are in the quiz:
| Symbol | Answer |
|---|---|
| National animal | Tiger |
| National bird | Peacock |
| National flower | Lotus |
| National fruit | Mango |
| National tree | Banyan |
| National aquatic animal | Ganges river dolphin |
| National heritage animal | Elephant |
| National river | Ganga |
| National anthem | “Jana Gana Mana” by Rabindranath Tagore |
| National song | “Vande Mataram” by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay |
| Wheel on the flag | Ashoka Chakra with 24 spokes |
| Currency | Indian rupee |
The Government of India’s official list is described in Wikipedia’s article on the national symbols of India.
India quiz: 15 bonus questions with answers
If you need a longer India quiz for a school assembly or a quiz night, use these 15 bonus questions after the 40 in the main quiz. They are not in the game, so players who have finished it still get something new:
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is the capital of India? | New Delhi |
| Which is the national tree of India? | Banyan |
| Who was the first woman Prime Minister of India? | Indira Gandhi |
| Who was the first woman President of India? | Pratibha Patil |
| Which is the highest mountain peak in India? | Kangchenjunga, on the border with Nepal |
| Which city is home to the Golden Temple? | Amritsar |
| In which state is the Konark Sun Temple? | Odisha |
| Which famous lake is in Srinagar? | Dal Lake |
| On which date is Gandhi Jayanti? | 2 October |
| When did the Constitution of India come into effect? | 26 January 1950 |
| Which state has the Sundarbans, home of the Bengal tiger? | West Bengal |
| How many union territories does India have? | 8 |
| Which agency launched Chandrayaan-3? | ISRO |
| Which is the longest river of peninsular India? | Godavari |
| Which city has the Hawa Mahal? | Jaipur |
Indian GK for kids: how to use the quiz with children
For Indian GK for kids, the best order is to begin with the national symbols and the days of the year, which children hear about at school, and then to go on to the geography and the leaders. Children aged 8 to 12 can answer most of the questions in the first two topics, and the ones about the Nobel Prizes and the first President are the hardest.
General knowledge India quiz: a five-day plan
A student who is preparing for a general knowledge India quiz can follow this plan. It takes about 10 minutes a day:
| Day | Topic | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | National symbols | 10 |
| Day 2 | Days and festivals, leaders and famous people | 12 |
| Day 3 | Geography, states and rivers | 9 |
| Day 4 | Cities, monuments, currency and dance | 9 |
| Day 5 | All 40 questions with the timer on | 40 |
Playing all 40 questions takes 8 minutes at 12 seconds each. For a printed version, the maker below can print 10 to 40 questions with an answer key.
Print this india gk quiz
Make a printable version for a classroom, a quiz night or homework: choose multiple choice or write-in answers, 10 to 30 questions, and add an answer key. Download a free PDF or print straight away.
Frequently asked questions
4 quick answers
How many questions are there?
40. Each game picks 10 or 20 at random, or choose All.
What age is it for?
Roughly 7 to 12, and it works for family quiz nights too.
Which questions are hardest in the India GK quiz?
Players most often miss the questions about the authors of the national anthem and national song, the number of spokes in the Ashoka Chakra and the Nobel Prize winners, because the choices are all well-known names.
How long does the india gk quiz take?
Ten questions take about 2 minutes, and all 40 questions take 8 minutes at 12 seconds each. The timer is optional.