SSC GD 2026 30 May 2026 Shift 2 GK Questions – with answers & solutions

Correct Answer: Untouchable (Option 2)
"Untouchable" (1935) by Mulk Raj Anand follows a single day in the life of Bakha, a young low-caste sweeper, depicting the harsh realities of untouchability in India. It was one of the first Indian English novels to focus on the life of an untouchable.
Why others are wrong:
- The Guide: Written by R.K. Narayan, not Mulk Raj Anand.
- Train to Pakistan: Written by Khushwant Singh; set during the Partition.
- The White Tiger: Written by Aravind Adiga; a modern satire, not by Anand.

Correct Answer: An old Delhi family grappling with memories and Partition (Option 3)
Anita Desai's "Clear Light of Day" (1980) is set in Old Delhi and revolves around the Das family. The novel explores themes of memory, time, family relationships, and the trauma of the Partition of India through the lives of siblings Bim and Tara.
Why others are wrong:
- A remote Himalayan village: Unrelated to this novel's setting.
- Bombay during World War II: This does not describe the setting of this novel.
- An American academic in Mexico: This is entirely unconnected to Anita Desai's story.

Correct Answer: 4 quarters of 15 minutes (Option 2)
According to FIH rules, a modern field hockey match consists of 4 quarters of 15 minutes each, giving a total playing time of 60 minutes. This format was introduced to make the game more dynamic and allow for strategic timeouts. There is a 2-minute break after each quarter and a 15-minute half-time break.
Why others are wrong:
- 2 halves of 35 minutes: This was the older format; it is no longer used in international hockey.
- 60 minutes of continuous play: Hockey is not played continuously; quarters include breaks.
- 3 periods of 20 minutes: This is not a format used in field hockey.

Correct Answer: Gudi Padwa (Option 4)
Gudi Padwa is the traditional New Year festival celebrated in Maharashtra on the first day of the Hindu lunar month of Chaitra (March-April). On this day, a 'Gudi' (a decorated bamboo stick topped with a brass vessel and adorned with mango leaves, flowers, and a silk cloth) is hoisted outside homes to symbolise victory, prosperity, and the arrival of the New Year.
Why others are wrong:
- Baisakhi: Celebrated mainly in Punjab and Haryana as the harvest festival and Sikh New Year.
- Ugadi: The New Year festival of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka — celebrated on the same date as Gudi Padwa but called Ugadi in those regions.
- Onam: A harvest festival of Kerala, celebrated in the Malayalam month of Chingam.

Correct Answer: 120 tonnes (Option 2)
ISRO's Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) has a lift-off mass of approximately 120 tonnes. It is a three-stage, all-solid launch vehicle designed to provide low-cost, on-demand launch services for small satellites (up to 500 kg to Low Earth Orbit). The SSLV is much smaller and lighter than ISRO's other rockets such as PSLV (~320 tonnes) and GSLV Mk III (~640 tonnes).
Why others are wrong:
- 420 tonnes: This is approximately the mass of PSLV-XL variant; not SSLV.
- 840 tonnes: Does not correspond to any standard ISRO vehicle mass.
- 1020 tonnes: This is not the mass of SSLV; it exceeds even the GSLV Mk III.

Correct Answer: Navi Mumbai (Option 1)
The first Indian Premier League (IPL) final was played on 1 June 2008 at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The Rajasthan Royals defeated the Chennai Super Kings by 3 wickets to become the inaugural IPL champions.
Why others are wrong:
- Chennai: The Chennai Super Kings were one of the finalists but the match was held in Navi Mumbai, not Chennai.
- Jaipur: Jaipur (home of Rajasthan Royals) did not host the final.
- Lucknow: Lucknow Super Giants did not exist in 2008; Lucknow has no connection to the first IPL final.

Correct Answer: Measure human well-being and guide policy for human happiness (Option 4)
The World Happiness Report is published annually by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). It ranks countries by their happiness levels using indicators such as GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption. Its goal is to measure overall human well-being and guide governments on policies that promote happiness.
Why others are wrong:
- Track poverty alone: The report measures happiness, not just poverty.
- Rank only developing countries: It covers all countries worldwide.
- Provide data for investment decisions: It is a public policy and well-being tool, not an investment guide.

Correct Answer: 14th (Option 3)
The 14th BRICS Summit was held virtually from Beijing, China on June 23-24, 2022, hosted under the theme "Foster High-quality BRICS Partnership, Usher in a New Era for Global Development." China held the BRICS Presidency in 2022.
Why others are wrong:
- 12th: The 12th BRICS Summit was held in Russia in 2020.
- 13th: The 13th BRICS Summit was hosted by India in 2021.
- 15th: The 15th BRICS Summit was held in South Africa in 2023.

Correct Answer: All of the above (Option 4)
The Narasimham Committee on Financial System (1991) recommended a comprehensive set of banking sector reforms as part of India's economic liberalisation. These included:
1. Capital Adequacy Norms: Banks required to maintain a minimum Capital-to-Risk-weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) of 8%.
2. Interest Rate Deregulation: Freeing lending and deposit rates from government control to promote competition.
3. Reduction in NPAs: Improving asset classification norms and recovery mechanisms to reduce bad loans.
All three were core recommendations of the committee, making 'All of the above' correct.

Correct Answer: Inflation + unemployment (Option 4)
Stagflation is an economic phenomenon where high inflation and high unemployment (economic stagnation) occur simultaneously. It defies the traditional Phillips Curve relationship, which suggests inflation and unemployment move in opposite directions. Stagflation was notably experienced globally during the 1970s oil crisis.
Why others are wrong:
- Inflation + trade surplus: A trade surplus reflects export strength; unrelated to stagflation.
- Inflation + rise in employment: Rising employment is positive economic growth, opposite of stagnation.
- Inflation + rising GDP: A rising GDP indicates economic expansion, not stagnation.

Correct Answer: Diabetes (Option 2)
Insulin is a hormone secreted by the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. Its deficiency (or the body's inability to use it effectively) results in Diabetes Mellitus, a condition where blood glucose levels remain elevated (hyperglycaemia). Type 1 diabetes is caused by destruction of beta cells leading to insulin deficiency.
Why others are wrong:
- Goitre: Caused by iodine deficiency, leading to enlargement of the thyroid gland.
- Dwarfism: Caused by deficiency of growth hormone (somatotropin) secreted by the pituitary gland.
- Hypertension: High blood pressure; not caused by insulin deficiency.

Correct Answer: Kalinga War (Option 2)
The Kalinga War (261 BCE) was a pivotal moment in Emperor Ashoka's life. The war resulted in massive destruction and the death of approximately 1 lakh soldiers, and 1.5 lakh people were displaced. Witnessing this devastation filled Ashoka with remorse, leading him to renounce violence and embrace Buddhism (Dhamma). He thereafter propagated ahimsa (non-violence) and righteousness through his edicts.
Why others are wrong:
- His coronation ceremony: This marked the beginning of his reign, not a spiritual transformation.
- Treaty with Sri Lanka: Ashoka sent missionaries to Sri Lanka but this was a result, not a cause, of his conversion.
- Revolt of Taxila: Ashoka suppressed this revolt early in his reign; it did not inspire his conversion to Dhamma.

Correct Answer: Village-level governance (Option 3)
'Ur' was a general village assembly in the Chola administrative system, comprising mainly peasant cultivators (non-Brahmin villagers). It was responsible for managing local village affairs such as maintaining common village lands, resolving local disputes, and overseeing taxation within the village. It functioned as a unit of local self-governance.
Why others are wrong:
- Military recruitment: This was not the function of 'Ur'; military matters were handled at higher levels.
- Temple construction: Temples were managed by 'Sabha' (Brahmin assemblies) or specific temple committees.
- Collection of taxes from foreign traders: This was handled by trade guilds and royal officials, not 'Ur'.

Correct Answer: Hot, Dry (Option 1)
Loo is a strong, hot, and dry wind that blows across the northern plains of India, particularly over the Indo-Gangetic plain, during the summer months of May and June. It originates from the Thar Desert (Rajasthan) and can cause heat strokes. Temperatures during Loo can exceed 45°C.
Why others are wrong:
- Cold, Dry: Loo is a hot wind, not cold.
- Hot, Humid: Loo is characteristically dry, not humid.
- Cold, Humid: Loo is neither cold nor humid.

Correct Answer: Only II (Option 2)
Statement I is INCORRECT: It is Article 38 (not Article 39) that directs the state to secure a social order for the promotion of welfare of the people. Article 39 contains certain principles of policy such as adequate means of livelihood, equal pay for equal work, and protection of children.
Statement II is CORRECT: Article 40 of the Indian Constitution directs the state to organise village panchayats and endow them with such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as units of self-government.
Therefore, only Statement II is correct.

Correct Answer: Neither I nor II (Option 4)
Statement I is INCORRECT: 'Adoption and Succession' (Entry 5) falls under the Concurrent List (List III), not the State List. Both Parliament and state legislatures can legislate on this subject.
Statement II is INCORRECT: 'Trade and Commerce' is not placed in the Concurrent List. Inter-state trade and commerce falls under the Union List (Entry 42), while regulation of intra-state trade is part of the State List. There is no blanket entry for 'Trade and Commerce' in the Concurrent List.
Since both statements are incorrect, the answer is 'Neither I nor II'.

Correct Answer: 2 (Option 1)
India's next census (postponed from 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic) will be conducted in 2 phases:
Phase 1: House Listing and Housing Census — surveying housing conditions and amenities.
Phase 2: Population Enumeration — recording the population's demographic data.
The census is conducted by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India under the Census Act, 1948.
Why others are wrong:
- 3, 4, or 5 phases: The Indian census has always been conducted in 2 phases and is not divided into 3, 4, or 5 phases.

Correct Answer: Supreme Court (Option 3)
On 9 May 2025, the Supreme Court of India stated that directing media organisations to remove or take down content is not the duty or function of courts. The Supreme Court made this observation while reinforcing the principle of press freedom and clarifying the limits of judicial intervention in media matters.
Why others are wrong:
- Allahabad High Court: This statement was not made by the Allahabad High Court.
- Law Commission of India: The Law Commission is an advisory body, not a court that issues such observations.
- Patna High Court: This statement was not attributed to the Patna High Court.

Correct Answer: To provide better grip and safety (Option 3)
The grooves (treads) on shoe soles are designed to increase friction between the shoe and the ground. The pattern of the grooves interlocks with surface irregularities, preventing slipping and providing better traction on wet, muddy, or uneven surfaces. This is a practical application of friction — the greater the contact and interlocking, the greater the grip.
Why others are wrong:
- To make them soft: Softness depends on the material used, not the groove pattern.
- To improve design: Grooves are functional, not primarily decorative.
- To reduce the weight of shoes: Grooves do not significantly affect the weight of shoes.

Correct Answer: Thermal energy (Option 4)
Non-conventional (renewable) energy sources are those that are naturally replenished and are alternatives to fossil fuels. Wind energy, solar energy, and tidal energy are all non-conventional renewable energy sources.
Thermal energy (generated by burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas in thermal power plants) is a CONVENTIONAL energy source. It is non-renewable, finite, and a major source of pollution and greenhouse gases.
Why others are wrong (i.e., they ARE non-conventional):
- Wind energy: Renewable; generated from wind turbines.
- Solar energy: Renewable; generated from sunlight using solar panels.
- Tidal energy: Renewable; generated from the movement of ocean tides.