The General Knowledge Section – An Introduction

Hi =).

Welcome to the General Knowledge section of ClatGyan. I’m sure you’re wondering why on earth you’re being tested on GK in the CLAT. Or any other entrance exam, for that matter. They’re just a bunch of facts which we have to ‘mug’, is the standard tagline that GK comes with. Honestly, that’s true. You’ll have to learn these facts, no matter how mundane a task you think it is. However, you need to know the rationale behind this General Knowledge component in the CLAT.

As a lawyer, many a time you may be faced with a case you have no clue of. You must make use of these seemingly irrelevant facts to piece together the background of the case. For instance, learning which state has the highest literacy rate, or the lowest tribal population may just help you when you least expect it to. Also, as a lawyer, you will be expected to be aware of the current scenario in all spheres of life, be it international affairs, politics or even sports. This knowledge helps you understand the rationale behind the laws promulgated by the legislatures of various countries.

Thus, to make it simple for you, we’ve decided to give you a weekly compendium on Static as well as Current GK.

Static GK consists of virtually everything you’ve learnt until your tenth grade including but not limited to history, geography, basic sciences and even environmental education.
Current GK will deal with the news from various sources : news channels as well as various newspapers all compiled in one compendium. For those of you who’d like to do a little extra reading, make sure you pick up a copy of the Hindu every day since that newspaper is saturated with facts.

Also, there will be a segment on Legal Knowledge which is essential for the CLAT,

GK makes up 1/4th of your CLAT paper, i.e. FIFTY whole marks. There’s no knowing exactly what will come in the CLAT so that’s all the more reason for you to read up about everything that comes your way. Sometimes you’ll find answers in the weirdest of places. The point of studying GK is to minimize your ‘luck’ factor and maximize your ‘knowledge’ factor.

The General Knowledge section of ClatGyan has a dedicated team of about 16 people. We aim at making your preparation in GK as comprehensive as we can. GK includes the current and static GK sections as well.

Apart from the weekly compendium of General Knowledge, we will be providing you with important supplements from news networks, free research papers, etc.

As mentioned above, the GK section might seem futile to a budding lawyer like yourself, but remember, remember – a lawyer is a lawyer because he/she knows and because he/she is expected to have informed opinions about issues that matter, because anything affecting the world would remotely affect the legal world.
We, at ClatGyan know the frustrations, the pains, the “being at sea” feeling first hand. With 16(and counting!) on board, we can assure you of advice that tailors to your situation, we can assure of diverse material.

So, don’t be intimidated by the large mass of information threatening to engulf you. Scientia potestas est!

See you at Nalsar next year!

Best
Sanya Samtani

(Sanya Samtani is a regular contributor for CLATGyan’s GK and Logic segments. She is currently pursuing her BA LLB in Nalsar University of Law. She is passionate about the United Nations and is interested in International Humanitarian Law as a career. She has been appointed the Secretary General of the Bangalore Model United Nations for the year. Currently, she is writing a research paper on Transitional Justice She enjoys reading, especially non- fiction and public speaking, especially ‘whipping’ in a Parliamentary Debate.)