SSC GD 2026 31 May 2026 Shift 3 GK Questions – with answers & solutions

Correct Answer: Not fixed by the Constitution (Option 4)
The Attorney General of India (AG) is appointed by the President of India under Article 76 of the Constitution. The Constitution does NOT prescribe a fixed tenure for the AG. The AG holds office during the pleasure of the President — meaning they can be removed at any time by the President, or they may resign at will. In practice, the AG's term generally coincides with the tenure of the government that appointed them.
Why others are wrong:
- 3 years: No such fixed term exists in the Constitution for the AG.
- 5 years: This is the tenure of the President or Vice President, not the AG.
- Until age 65: This retirement age applies to Supreme Court judges, not the AG.

Correct Answer: Kutum Bihu (Option 3)
Rongali Bihu ( Bohag Bihu) is the most celebrated Bihu festival of Assam, marking the Assamese New Year. It is celebrated over several days, each with a specific ritual. ' Kutum Bihu' is the day dedicated to visiting kutum (relatives) — people traditionally travel to meet family members and exchange gifts, sweets, and gamosa (traditional Assamese towel).
Why others are wrong:
- Goru Bihu: The first day, dedicated to worshipping cattle — cows and buffaloes are bathed and decorated.
- Manuh Bihu: The second day, when people take ritual baths, wear new clothes, and seek blessings from elders.
- Bohagi Bihu: This is the collective name for the entire festival, not a specific day for visiting relatives.

Correct Answer: Rajasthan (Option 2)
Rajasthan is famous for its rich tradition of folk music and dance. Ghoomar is a traditional women's dance performed in a swirling, circular motion, associated with the Bhil tribe and later adopted across Rajasthan. Kalbelia is a sensuous folk dance performed by the Kalbelia (snake charmer) community and has been inscribed in UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (2010).
Why others are wrong:
- Gujarat: Known for Garba and Dandiya Raas, not Ghoomar or Kalbelia .
- Himachal Pradesh: Known for Nati dance; not associated with Ghoomar or Kalbelia .
- Sikkim: Known for Cham dance and Maruni; not Ghoomar or Kalbelia .

Correct Answer: Paulo Coelho (Option 1)
'The Alchemist' (original title: O Alquimista ) was written by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho and first published in 1988. It is one of the best-selling books in history, translated into over 80 languages. The novel tells the philosophical story of Santiago, a young shepherd who travels from Spain to Egypt in search of worldly treasure, ultimately discovering the importance of following one's dreams.
Why others are wrong:
- Dan Brown: Known for 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'Angels and Demons'; an American thriller writer.
- Gabriel Garcia Marquez: Colombian author known for 'One Hundred Years of Solitude'; not the author of The Alchemist.
- Khaled Hosseini: Afghan-American author of 'The Kite Runner' and 'A Thousand Splendid Suns'.

Correct Answer: Morarji Desai (Option 2)
Morarji Desai (India's 4th Prime Minister, 1977-1979) is the only person to have been awarded both Bharat Ratna — India's highest civilian honour (1991) — and Nishan-e-Pakistan — Pakistan's highest civilian honour (1990). This unique distinction reflects his contribution to India-Pakistan relations and his statesmanship.
Why others are wrong:
- Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Received Bharat Ratna (2015) but not Nishan-e-Pakistan.
- P.V. Narasimha Rao: Received Bharat Ratna (posthumously, 2024); did not receive Nishan-e-Pakistan.
- Lal Bahadur Shastri: Received Bharat Ratna (posthumously, 1966); did not receive Nishan-e-Pakistan.

Correct Answer: 1997 (Option 2)
Mahesh Bhupathi became the first Indian to win a Grand Slam title when he won the French Open Mixed Doubles in 1997, partnering with Rika Hiraki of Japan. This was a historic achievement for Indian tennis. Bhupathi went on to win multiple Grand Slam doubles titles and is one of India's most successful tennis players alongside Leander Paes.
Why others are wrong:
- 1995: Bhupathi had not yet won a Grand Slam title in 1995.
- 1998: He did win the French Open Men's Doubles in 1999 (with Leander Paes), but his first Grand Slam was in 1997.
- 1999: While he won at Roland Garros in 1999 too, his first Grand Slam was in 1997.

Correct Answer: Third Summit (Option 3)
The decision to establish a permanent BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Secretariat was taken at the Third BIMSTEC Summit held in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar in March 2014. The BIMSTEC Secretariat is located in Dhaka, Bangladesh and was inaugurated in 2014. BIMSTEC comprises 7 member countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
Why others are wrong:
- First Summit (2004, Bangkok): Focused on establishing BIMSTEC as a regional grouping; Secretariat was not decided here.
- Second Summit (2008, New Delhi): Discussed cooperation in various sectors; Secretariat decision came later.
- Fourth Summit (2018, Kathmandu): Focused on connectivity and other cooperation areas; Secretariat had already been established.

Correct Answer: 2010 (Option 1)
India's Women's Kabaddi team won their first Asian Games Gold Medal at the 2010 Asian Games held in Guangzhou, China. Women's Kabaddi was introduced as a competitive sport at the 2010 Asian Games for the first time. India won the inaugural gold medal, establishing their dominance in the sport at the Asian level.
Why others are wrong:
- 2006 (Doha Asian Games): Women's Kabaddi was not included in the 2006 Asian Games.
- 2014 (Incheon Asian Games): India also won gold in 2014, but it was not their FIRST gold — 2010 was.
- 2002 (Busan Asian Games): Women's Kabaddi was not part of the 2002 Asian Games.

Correct Answer: M.S. Swaminathan (Option 2)
Dr. M.S. Swaminathan (Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan) is known as the 'Father of India's Green Revolution.' He played a pivotal role in introducing high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds of wheat and rice in India during the 1960s, transforming India from a food-deficit nation to a food-surplus one. He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2024 (he passed away in September 2023).
Why others are wrong:
- Verghese Kurien: Known as the 'Father of the White Revolution (Operation Flood)'; associated with India's dairy development, not the Green Revolution.
- Norman Borlaug: American agronomist known as the 'Father of the Green Revolution' globally; he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 and helped India, but was not Indian.
- C. Subramaniam: Served as Agriculture Minister and played an important role in the Green Revolution policy, but is not called its 'father'.

Correct Answer: Liver and Pancreas (Option 2)
The small intestine (duodenum) receives digestive secretions from two main organs:
1. Liver: Produces bile (stored in the gallbladder), which is released into the duodenum via the bile duct. Bile emulsifies fats, aiding in their digestion and absorption.
2. Pancreas: Secretes pancreatic juice containing digestive enzymes (amylase, lipase, proteases) and bicarbonate. These enzymes break down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in the duodenum.
Why others are wrong:
- Stomach and Kidney: Kidneys are excretory organs, not digestive organs.
- Pancreas and Spleen: The spleen is part of the immune/circulatory system, not the digestive system.
- Gallbladder and Lungs: Lungs are respiratory organs with no digestive function.

Correct Answer: Companion cells (Option 4)
Xylem is the vascular tissue responsible for transporting water and minerals from roots to leaves. Its components are:
1. Tracheids — elongated dead cells for water conduction and support
2. Vessels (Tracheae) — wider dead tubes for efficient water transport
3. Xylem fibres — provide mechanical strength
4. Xylem parenchyma — living cells for storage and lateral transport
Companion cells are NOT a component of xylem. They are part of PHLOEM tissue, where they are closely associated with sieve tube elements and help in loading and unloading of sugars.
Why others are wrong (they ARE xylem components):
- Tracheids : Core water-conducting element of xylem.
- Vessels: Found in angiosperms; more efficient than tracheids for water conduction.
- Xylem parenchyma: The only living component of xylem.

Correct Answer: Water (Option 1)
Water (irrigation) protects crops in two ways:
1. Protection from frost: When water is applied before a frost event, it releases latent heat as it freezes (ice formation releases 80 cal /g of heat), which keeps the temperature around the crops just above 0°C, preventing frost damage.
2. Protection from hot winds (Loo/heat stress): Irrigation increases soil moisture, enables evaporative cooling, and keeps the microclimate around crops cooler, reducing heat stress and desiccation damage caused by hot, dry winds.
Why others are wrong:
- Manure: Improves soil fertility; does not protect from frost or hot winds.
- Starch: Not used as a crop protection agent against frost or wind.
- Fertilizer: Provides nutrients; does not protect against extreme weather conditions.

Correct Answer: Bhagirathi (Option 1)
Tehri Dam is built on the Bhagirathi River in Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand. It is one of the tallest dams in the world (height: 260.5 m) and is a multipurpose project providing hydroelectric power, irrigation, and drinking water. The Bhagirathi River later merges with the Alaknanda at Devprayag to form the River Ganga.
Why others are wrong:
- Yamuna: Flows through Delhi and Agra; Tehri Dam is not on this river.
- Ganga: The Ganga is formed downstream after the Bhagirathi meets the Alaknanda; not the site of Tehri Dam.
- Godavari: A peninsular river flowing through Telangana and Andhra Pradesh; unrelated to Tehri Dam.

Correct Answer: Moho (Option 1)
The Mohorovicic Discontinuity (Moho) is the boundary that separates the Earth's crust from the mantle. It was discovered by Croatian seismologist Andrija Mohorovicic in 1909, when he noticed a sudden increase in seismic wave velocities at a certain depth, indicating a change in rock density.
Key discontinuities in Earth's interior:
- Conrad Discontinuity: Separates upper crust from lower crust
- Moho ( Mohorovicic ): Separates crust from mantle
- Gutenberg (Wiechert-Gutenberg): Separates mantle from outer core (depth ~2900 km)
- Lehmann Discontinuity: Separates outer core from inner core
Why others are wrong:
- Repetti: A discontinuity within the mantle (at ~920 km depth); not the crust-mantle boundary.
- Conrad: Separates the upper and lower crust; not the crust-mantle boundary.
- Gutenberg: Marks the mantle-core boundary, not the crust-mantle boundary.

Correct Answer: Financial assistance to economically weaker women (Option 2)
The Subhadra Yojana is the flagship welfare scheme of the Odisha government launched in 2024. Its primary objective is to provide direct financial assistance to economically weaker women to enhance their financial independence. Eligible women receive Rs. 50,000 over 5 years (Rs. 10,000 per year, credited in two instalments of Rs. 5,000 each) directly into their bank accounts via DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer).
Why others are wrong:
- Pension for senior citizens: Odisha has separate schemes for senior citizens; Subhadra is not for pensions.
- Renewable energy for homes: Not the purpose of Subhadra Yojana.
- Employment for youth: Youth employment is addressed by different schemes; Subhadra specifically targets women's financial empowerment.

Correct Answer: 14.3% (Option 2)
According to the World Bank's Migration and Development Brief and related global remittance reports for 2024, India received approximately 14.3% of global remittances, making it the world's largest recipient of remittances. India consistently tops the global remittance chart, with major inflows from the USA, UAE, Saudi Arabia, UK, and other countries hosting large Indian diaspora communities. India's remittance inflows have been over USD 100 billion in recent years.
Why others are wrong:
- 8.2%: This figure underestimates India's actual share of global remittances.
- 18.1%: This overestimates India's share; while India is the largest recipient, 18.1% is higher than the actual figure.
- 25.3%: A significantly inflated figure; no single country receives over a quarter of global remittances.

Correct Answer: 16 Ω (Option 4)
When a wire is stretched to double its length, the volume remains constant:
Original: Length = L, Area = A, Resistance R = ρL /A = 4 Ω
After stretching: New length = 2L
Since Volume is constant: A × L = A' × 2L ⟹ A' = A/2 (area halves)
New Resistance R' = ρ × (2L) / (A/2) = ρ × 2L × 2/A = 4ρL/A = 4R = 4 × 4 = 16 Ω
Key rule: When a wire is stretched to n times its original length, resistance becomes n² times the original.
Here n = 2, so R' = 2² × 4 = 4 × 4 = 16 Ω
Why others are wrong:
- 4 Ω: This would be the case if nothing changed.
- 8 Ω: This would result only if resistance doubled, not quadrupled.
- 12 Ω: Not a physically derived value for this scenario.

Correct Answer: Badshah Khan (Option 4)
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1890-1988) was a Pashtun independence activist and close associate of Mahatma Gandhi. He was popularly known as 'Badshah Khan' (meaning 'King of Khans'). He was also called 'Sarhadi Gandhi' (Frontier Gandhi) due to his commitment to non-violent resistance. He founded the Khudai Khidmatgar movement (Servants of God), known as the 'Red Shirts', which advocated for non-violent resistance against British rule.
Why others are wrong:
- Baba-e- Qaum : This title (Father of the Nation) is associated with Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Pakistan.
- Raja Ji: This was the affectionate title for C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji), the Indian statesman.
- Sardar: This was the title of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India's Iron Man and first Deputy PM.