SSC GD 2026 31 May 2026 Shift 1 GK Questions – with answers & solutions

Correct Answer: Parliamentary system (Option 2)
In a Parliamentary system of government, the Prime Minister is the real (de facto) executive who heads the Council of Ministers and exercises actual executive power. The President (or monarch) is the nominal/constitutional head. India follows a Parliamentary system where the Prime Minister leads the Cabinet and is responsible to the Lok Sabha.
Why others are wrong:
- Presidential system: In this system, the President is both the head of state and the real executive (e.g., USA); there is no Prime Minister.
- Unitary system: This describes the distribution of power between central and regional governments; it does not determine the role of the PM.
- Federal system: This also describes power distribution, not who holds real executive authority.

Correct Answer: Phosphorus cycle (Option 4)
The Phosphorus cycle is a sedimentary cycle — phosphorus moves through rocks, soil, water bodies, and living organisms but does NOT have a significant gaseous phase. Phosphorus is released by weathering of rocks, absorbed by plants through soil, and recycled through decomposition.
Why others are wrong (i.e., they DO have a gaseous phase):
- Water cycle: Water evaporates into the atmosphere as water vapour .
- Carbon cycle: Carbon exists as CO2 and CH4 in the atmosphere.
- Nitrogen cycle: Nitrogen (N2) makes up 78% of the atmosphere; it is fixed and released as a gas through various processes.

Correct Answer: Lion (Option 2)
A carnivore is an animal that derives its energy and nutrition primarily by eating other animals (meat). The lion is a classic and excellent example of a carnivore — it hunts and eats herbivores like deer, zebra, and wildebeest.
Why others are wrong:
- Cow: A herbivore — it eats only plant material (grass, hay).
- Crow: An omnivore — it eats both plant matter and small animals/insects.
- Earthworm: A detritivore — it feeds on decomposing organic matter in soil, not on living animals.

Correct Answer: Circular or line group dance involving both men and women (Option 2)
Santhal dance is a traditional folk dance of the Santhal tribe, one of the largest indigenous communities in India (primarily in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, and Bihar). It is performed in circular or line formations by both men and women together, often during festivals like Sohrai and Baha. The dance is accompanied by the dhol (drum), banam (string instrument), and flute.
Why others are wrong:
- Solo dance by women: Santhal dance is a community group activity, not a solo performance.
- Martial dance with swords: This describes forms like Chhau or some other martial arts-based dances, not Santhal.
- Sitting dance: Santhal dance is performed standing, in movement — not while seated.

Correct Answer: Musamman Burj (Option 1)
Musamman Burj (also called the Jasmine Tower) is an octagonal tower inside Agra Fort built by Shah Jahan. It is renowned for its beautiful white marble arches and intricate decorations. After being imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb, Shah Jahan spent the last years of his life in this tower, gazing at the Taj Mahal — the tomb he had built for his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
Why others are wrong:
- Moti Masjid: A pearl-white mosque inside Agra Fort built by Shah Jahan; not the viewing tower.
- Nagina Masjid: A private mosque within Agra Fort for the ladies of the royal court; not a tower.
- Diwan- i -Khas: The hall of private audience used for receiving important dignitaries; not for viewing the Taj Mahal.

Correct Answer: Judo (Option 3)
Tachi- waza (standing techniques) and Koshi- waza (hip techniques) are categories of throwing techniques in Judo. Judo is a Japanese martial art and Olympic sport that emphasises throws, holds, and grappling. Koshi- waza is a sub-category of Tachi- waza that specifically involves using the hip to throw the opponent. Other Tachi- waza categories include Te-waza (hand techniques) and Ashi- waza (foot and leg techniques).
Why others are wrong:
- Badminton: Uses terms like smash, drop shot, clear, and shuttle.
- Kabaddi: Uses terms like raid, tackle, bonus point, and super tackle.
- Swimming: Uses terms like freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly.

Correct Answer: 2.3 cm (Option 2)
The human eyeball (globe) has an approximate diameter of 2.3 to 2.5 cm (about 1 inch). It is a roughly spherical organ housed in the orbital socket of the skull. The eyeball contains the cornea, iris, lens, vitreous humor, and retina, all working together to focus light and enable vision.
Why others are wrong:
- 1.3 cm: Too small — this would be the size of a very small organ, not an adult human eye.
- 3.3 cm: Too large for a human eyeball.
- 4.3 cm: Significantly larger than the actual size of a human eye.

Correct Answer: Isaac Newton (Option 1)
Sir Isaac Newton was the first to explain the dispersion of white light into a spectrum of colours (VIBGYOR) in 1666. He passed sunlight through a glass prism and demonstrated that white light is composed of seven colours — Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red. He also used a second prism to recombine the spectrum back into white light, proving that dispersion is a property of light.
Why others are wrong:
- Thomas Young: Known for the double-slit experiment demonstrating the wave nature of light (1801); not the discoverer of dispersion.
- Huygens: Proposed the wave theory of light; did not explain dispersion.
- Maxwell: Formulated the electromagnetic theory of light; unrelated to prism dispersion.

Correct Answer: 18-20% (Option 2)
In July 1991, India was facing a severe Balance of Payments ( BoP ) crisis — foreign exchange reserves had fallen to less than 2 weeks of import cover. As part of the economic liberalisation reforms under Finance Minister Manmohan Singh, the Indian Rupee was devalued by approximately 18-20% in two steps (July 1 and July 3, 1991). This devaluation made Indian exports cheaper and helped restore confidence in the economy.
Why others are wrong:
- 5-7%: Too small a devaluation; would not have been effective in addressing the crisis.
- 30-35%: An exaggerated figure; the actual devaluation was around 18-20%.
- 50%: This drastic a devaluation was not carried out in 1991.

Correct Answer: 1982 (Option 2)
The Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) was established on January 1, 1982 under the Export-Import Bank of India Act, 1981. It is a wholly government-owned financial institution under the Ministry of Finance. Exim Bank provides financing, facilitation, and promotion of India's international trade and investments. Its headquarters is in Mumbai.
Why others are wrong:
- 1972: Exim Bank did not exist in 1972; India's foreign trade financing was handled by other institutions.
- 1985: Three years after Exim Bank was actually founded.
- 1990: Eight years after its actual establishment.

Correct Answer: National income (Option 1)
In economics, a flow variable is measured over a period of time (e.g., per year, per month). National income is a flow variable because it measures the total value of goods and services produced in a country over a specific time period (usually a year).
Stock variables are measured at a specific point in time:
- Money supply: Measured at a given point in time (e.g., M1, M2 on a particular date).
- Share capital: The total capital raised by a company — measured at a point in time.
- Foreign exchange reserves: The holdings of foreign currency at a specific point in time.
Other examples of flow variables: National savings, Investment, GDP, Exports, Imports.

Correct Answer: Gujarat (Option 3)
Gujarat is by far the largest salt-producing state in India, accounting for approximately 76-78% of India's total salt production. The Rann of Kutch in Gujarat is one of the world's largest salt deserts and a major source of salt. The Little Rann of Kutch (Khadir region) and the Gulf of Khambhat coast are key salt-producing areas.
Why others are wrong:
- Maharashtra: Produces salt along its coastline but is not the largest producer.
- Tamil Nadu: Has some salt production along its coast but far less than Gujarat.
- Rajasthan: Produces salt from the Sambhar Salt Lake (the largest inland salt lake in India) but its production is much lower than Gujarat's.

Correct Answer: Steel (Option 2)
The steel industry in India is primarily concentrated around the Damodar Valley region (covering Jharkhand and West Bengal) because of the abundant availability of high-grade coking coal (essential for making coke used in blast furnaces) and proximity to iron ore deposits. Major steel plants in the region include Bokaro Steel Plant, Durgapur Steel Plant, Burnpur Steel Plant (IISCO), and Jamshedpur (Tata Steel).
Why others are wrong:
- Textile: Concentrated in Maharashtra (Mumbai) and Gujarat (Ahmedabad) — not around the Damodar Valley.
- Chemical: Requires different raw materials; concentrated in Gujarat and Maharashtra.
- Leather: Concentrated in Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal cities; not coal-dependent.

Correct Answer: 1990 (Option 1)
India's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) — the average number of children born per woman during her lifetime — was approximately 3.8 in 1990. Since then, India has made significant progress in reducing fertility through family planning programmes , improved female literacy, and healthcare access. By 2011, the TFR had dropped to about 2.4, and by 2019-21 (NFHS-5), it reached 2.0 — at or below the replacement level.
Why others are wrong:
- 2011: India's TFR in 2011 was approximately 2.4, not 3.8.
- 2015: By 2015, TFR was approximately 2.3, continuing its downward trend.
- 1960: In 1960, India's TFR was even higher, at approximately 5.9 — not 3.8.

Correct Answer: Only II (Option 2)
Statement I is INCORRECT: Water stored in ice and snow is released through MELTING or SNOWMELT, not transpiration. Transpiration is the process by which plants absorb water from the soil and release it as water vapour through their leaves. It is not associated with ice and snow storage.
Statement II is CORRECT: Groundwater stored in aquifers is naturally discharged to the surface through springs. When the water table rises and intersects with the ground surface (especially on hillsides or valley floors), water flows out as a spring. This is a well-established component of the water cycle.
Therefore, only Statement II is correct.

Correct Answer: Green (Option 1)
When copper is exposed to moist air, it reacts with oxygen, water, and carbon dioxide to form basic copper carbonate (Cu2(OH)2CO3), also known as verdigris. This compound has a distinctive green colour and forms a protective patina on the surface of copper. This is why old copper statues, bronze monuments (like the Statue of Liberty), and copper roofs appear green over time.
Why others are wrong:
- Black: Iron forms a black oxide layer; copper does not produce a black patina in normal conditions.
- Red: Copper itself is reddish-brown; it does not form a red patina from this reaction.
- Yellow: No yellow compound is produced when copper reacts with moist CO2.

Correct Answer: Mizoram (Option 3)
In May 2025, Mizoram was officially declared a fully literate state under the ULLAS (Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society) — New India Literacy Programme . ULLAS is a centrally sponsored scheme launched in 2022 to achieve 100% functional literacy among adults aged 15 years and above who missed formal schooling. Mizoram already had one of India's highest literacy rates and became one of the first states to achieve this distinction under ULLAS.
Why others are wrong:
- Haryana: Has made literacy gains but was not declared fully literate under ULLAS in May 2025.
- Rajasthan: Has relatively lower literacy rates; not declared fully literate under ULLAS in May 2025.
- Uttar Pradesh: Has one of the largest populations with significant literacy challenges; not declared fully literate.

Correct Answer: Maharashtra (Option 3)
In January 2025, the Mantralaya (Maharashtra State Secretariat) in Mumbai upgraded its security systems with Facial Recognition technology, RFID-based access cards, and time-slot-based visitor entry management. The Mantralaya is the administrative headquarters of the Maharashtra state government and is located in South Mumbai.
Why others are wrong:
- Sikkim: Sikkim's state secretariat was not the one featured in this specific January 2025 security upgrade.
- Bihar: Bihar Secretariat is located in Patna; it was not associated with this security upgrade.
- Madhya Pradesh: MP Mantralaya is in Bhopal; not the site of this particular upgrade.

Correct Answer: Kalidasa (Option 2)
Kalidasa is widely regarded as the greatest poet and playwright in the Sanskrit language and the most illustrious of the Navratnas (Nine Gems) in the court of Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya), who ruled during the Gupta Empire (375-415 CE). His major works include Abhijnanasakuntalam (drama), Meghaduta (poem), Raghuvamsa (epic), and Kumarasambhava (epic). He is often compared to Shakespeare for his literary genius.
Why others are wrong:
- Tulsidas: A 16th-century saint-poet (Bhakti Movement era) who wrote Ramcharitmanas; not a Navratna .
- Surdas: A 15th/16th-century Bhakti poet devoted to Krishna; not part of Chandragupta II's court.
- Banabhatta : A 7th-century Sanskrit prose writer in Harsha's court; not a Navratna of Chandragupta II.

Correct Answer: Vernacular Press Act, 1878 (Option 1)
The Vernacular Press Act, 1878 was enacted by Lord Lytton (Viceroy of India) to suppress Indian-language newspapers that were criticising the British government and the social effects of British rule. It is also known as the 'Gagging Act'. The Act gave magistrates the power to call upon editors, printers, and publishers to enter into bonds not to publish objectionable material. It was repealed in 1882 by Lord Ripon.
Why others are wrong:
- Vernacular Press Act, 1858: No such act was passed in 1858; this is a fictitious date.
- Charter Act, 1833: Dealt with the administrative and governance structure of British India; unrelated to press suppression.
- Charter Act, 1813: Ended the East India Company's trade monopoly and allowed Christian missionaries; unrelated to press laws.