Current Affairs & Static GK
Syllabus Unit: General Knowledge & Current Affairs
Why it matters
Chapter overview
CLAT's General Knowledge & Current Affairs section is entirely passage-based since 2020 — short factual passages on recent events, government schemes, or historical/scientific topics, each followed by a few questions testing comprehension plus background static knowledge. This unit builds the four pillars: national/international current affairs, polity/constitution/governance, economy/sports/awards, and books/science/technology — with the study habits and frameworks needed to retain and connect this constantly updating subject.
1National & International Current Affairs
Current affairs GK is tested through passages requiring both comprehension and the background static knowledge needed to fully understand them.
Learning Objectives
- Explain the CLAT GK section's passage-based format and what it expects beyond simple date/fact memorisation.
- Identify the recurring categories of national current affairs tested: government policy, legislation, judicial pronouncements, appointments.
- Identify the recurring categories of international current affairs tested: summits, treaties, global organisations, bilateral relations.
- Build a systematic monthly current-affairs revision habit rather than last-minute cramming.
Key Terms
Since the CLAT Consortium's 2020 format reform, the General Knowledge & Current Affairs section is entirely **passage-based** — a short factual passage (often adapted from news writing) is followed by a handful of questions testing both direct comprehension AND the static background knowledge needed to fully understand the passage's context.
National current affairs categories
- Government policy and schemes — newly launched or amended welfare, economic, or regulatory schemes.
- Legislation — new Acts passed by Parliament, major amendments, ordinances.
- Judicial pronouncements — significant Supreme Court/High Court rulings with wider policy impact.
- Appointments — key constitutional and government positions (Chief Justice, Election Commissioners, Governors, Cabinet Secretary).
International current affairs categories
- Summits and multilateral forums — G20, SAARC, BRICS, UN bodies, and India's role/hosting in them.
- Treaties and bilateral agreements — India's diplomatic and trade agreements with other nations.
- Global organisations — UN, WHO, IMF, World Bank, WTO structure and their India-relevant activities.