SSC MTS 2025 19 February 2026 Shift 3 GK Questions – with answers & solutions

Correct Answer: Disinfectants (Option 1)
Chlorine gas is widely used as a disinfectant — in water treatment plants to kill bacteria and other harmful microorganisms, and in swimming pools to purify water.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 2 – Soaps and detergents are made using NaOH/KOH with fats and oils; chlorine is not used.
Option 3 – Ammonia for fertilizers is produced via the Haber-Bosch process (N₂ + H₂), not using chlorine.
Option 4 – De-greasing metals uses organic solvents, not chlorine gas.

Correct Answer: Based on the state of the dispersing medium and the dispersed phase (Option 2)
Colloids are classified based on the physical state (solid, liquid, or gas) of both the dispersing medium and the dispersed phase. Examples: Sol (solid dispersed in liquid), Gel (liquid in solid), Aerosol (liquid/solid in gas), Foam (gas in liquid), Emulsion (liquid in liquid).
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – Color is not a basis for classifying colloids.
Option 3 – pH is a chemical property and is not used to classify colloids.
Option 4 – Temperature is not a criterion for colloid classification.

Correct Answer: Combustion (Option 3)
Combustion is the chemical process in which a substance (fuel) reacts with oxygen to produce heat and light. Example: CH₄ + 2O₂ → CO₂ + 2H₂O + heat (burning of methane).
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – Oxidation is the broader process of loss of electrons or gain of oxygen, but it does not specifically mean heat release.
Option 2 – Reduction is the opposite of oxidation — it involves gain of electrons or loss of oxygen.
Option 4 – Sublimation is a physical process (not chemical) in which a solid directly converts to a gas without passing through the liquid phase (e.g., dry ice, camphor, iodine).

Correct Answer: Fakhr- i Mudabbir (Option 1)
Fakhr- i Mudabbir wrote 'Adab al-Harb wa'l Shujaat' (Etiquette of War and Bravery) during the early 13th century Delhi Sultanate. In this work, he wrote the quoted sentence, emphasizing the dependence of kings on paid soldiers.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 2 – Minhaj-us-Siraj wrote ' Tabaqat - i -Nasiri', a history of the Delhi Sultanate, but not this quote.
Option 3 – Ziauddin Barani wrote 'Tarikh- i - Firuzshahi ' and ' Fatawa-i-Jahandari ', from the later Sultanate period.
Option 4 – Abul Fazl wrote ' Akbarnama ' and 'Ain- i -Akbari' during the Mughal era, not the 13th century Sultanate.

Correct Answer: Muqti (Option 1)
During the Delhi Sultanate, the Muqti (also called Iqtadar or Wali) was assigned an iqta (a territorial land grant). Their primary duties were to lead military campaigns when called upon by the Sultan and to maintain law and order within their iqta .
Why other options are wrong:
Option 2 – Mansabdar was a Mughal administrative and military rank, not a Sultanate term.
Option 3 – Zakat is an Islamic religious tax (one of the Five Pillars of Islam), not an administrative position.
Option 4 – Wazir was the chief minister (prime minister) of the Sultan, not an iqta holder.

Correct Answer: 1761-1782 (Option 3)
Haider Ali (also spelled Hyder Ali) was a military commander who rose to power and became the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He effectively ruled from 1761 and continued until his death in December 1782. He was succeeded by his son Tipu Sultan.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – 1741-1759 does not correspond to Haider Ali's rule.
Option 2 – 1798-1815 was after Tipu Sultan's rule; Tipu died in 1799.
Option 4 – 1726-1749 is also an incorrect period for Haider Ali.

Correct Answer: 75% (Option 4)
At the time of Indian independence in 1947, approximately 75% of India's population was dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. India had a predominantly agrarian economy with very limited industrial development under British colonial rule.
Why other options are wrong:
Options 1 (19%), 2 (25%), and 3 (39%) are all far too low and do not reflect the actual agrarian nature of India's economy at independence.

Correct Answer: 54.97 Crore (Option 1)
The Digital Agriculture Mission (DAM) was approved by the Government of India in September 2024 to build a digital public infrastructure for agriculture. For Financial Year 2025-26, an amount of approximately Rs. 54.97 Crore has been allocated under this mission to develop digital tools, farmer registries, and agri -tech platforms.
Why other options are wrong:
Options 2 (24.97), 3 (74.97), and 4 (104.97) do not match the allocated budget figure for FY 2025-26.

Correct Answer: National defence (Option 1)
A Public Good is characterized by two properties: (1) Non-excludability – no one can be prevented from using it, and (2) Non-rivalry – one person's use does not reduce availability for others. National defence is the classic example: it protects all citizens simultaneously and no one can be excluded from its benefits.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 2 – Clothes are excludable (you can be prevented from buying them) and rival (one person wearing a shirt means another cannot wear the same shirt). They are private goods.
Option 3 – Cars are excludable and rival — a private good.
Option 4 – Food items are excludable and rival — a private good.

Correct Answer: Either by taxation, borrowing or printing money (Option 4)
A budgetary deficit occurs when government expenditure exceeds government revenue. It can be financed through three methods:
1. Taxation – raising taxes to collect more revenue.
2. Borrowing – taking loans from internal or external sources (issuing government bonds).
3. Printing money (deficit financing) – the central bank creates new money to fund the deficit, which can cause inflation.
Governments typically use a combination of all three methods. Relying exclusively on any single method would be economically impractical.

Correct Answer: 2021 (Option 4)
The Semicon India Programme was launched by the Government of India in 2021 as part of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. Its aim is to develop India's semiconductor and display manufacturing ecosystem by attracting domestic and foreign investment in chip fabrication, packaging, and testing facilities.
Why other options are wrong:
Options 1 (1999), 2 (2001), and 3 (2011) all predate the formal launch of this programme , which is a recent initiative aligned with India's push to become a global semiconductor hub.

Correct Answer: 100% (Option 4)
As of May 2025, 100% FDI is permitted under the automatic route in commercial coal mining in India. This major reform was introduced in 2020 when the Government opened up the coal sector by allowing full foreign investment without requiring prior government approval, aiming to boost coal production and attract private investment.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (49%), Option 2 (51%), and Option 3 (74%) are all incorrect figures. The limit is 100% under the automatic route for commercial coal mining.

Correct Answer: 8°4'N and 37°6'N (Option 2)
The mainland of India extends from 8°4'N (Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu — the southernmost tip of the Indian mainland) to 37°6'N (in the Ladakh/Kashmir region — the northernmost point of the mainland).
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – 6°4'N is the latitude of Indira Point (Andaman & Nicobar Islands), India's southernmost geographical point — not the mainland.
Options 3 and 4 – 18°4'N and 47°6'N / 27°8'N are entirely incorrect coordinates for India.

Correct Answer: Gujarat (Option 4)
The Gujarat state government signed an MoU with Nayara Energy for the restoration and conservation of Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary, which is located near Jamnagar in Gujarat. Khijadiya is a Ramsar Wetland site and is home to hundreds of migratory and resident bird species.
Why other options are wrong:
Options 1, 2, and 3 – Kerala, Punjab, and Haryana have no geographical or administrative connection with Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary, which is located in Gujarat.

Correct Answer: Caldera (Option 4)
The three types of rocks that make up Earth's crust are:
Igneous rocks – formed from cooled and solidified magma or lava.
Sedimentary rocks – formed from compressed layers of sediment over time.
Metamorphic rocks – formed when existing rocks are transformed by heat and pressure.
Caldera is NOT a type of rock. It is a large volcanic depression or crater formed when a volcano collapses after a major eruption or when a magma chamber empties and the overlying land sinks.

Correct Answer: Excretion (Option 4)
Excretion is the biological process by which metabolic waste products (such as urea, uric acid, CO₂, excess water and salts) are removed from the body. Organs involved include the kidneys (urine), lungs (CO₂), and skin (sweat).
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – Digestion is the breakdown of food into absorbable nutrients.
Option 2 – Metabolism refers to all chemical reactions occurring in the body (anabolism + catabolism).
Option 3 – Respiration is the process of energy production from glucose using oxygen.

Correct Answer: Preparation of soil (Option 1)
The first and most fundamental step in crop production is the preparation of soil. This involves ploughing (tilling) the land to loosen the soil, break up clods, remove weeds, and aerate the soil. This makes the soil suitable for seed germination and root growth.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 2 – Sowing (planting seeds) is the second step, done after soil preparation.
Option 3 – Adding manure and fertilizers is done during or after soil preparation, not as the first step.
Option 4 – Irrigation comes after sowing, when the crops need water to grow.

Correct Answer: Rohu (Option 3)
Rohu ( Labeo rohita ) is a freshwater fish commonly found in rivers, lakes, and ponds of the Indian subcontinent. It is one of the most important aquaculture species in South Asia and is widely consumed.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – Pomphret is a marine (saltwater) fish found in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean.
Option 2 – Mackerel is a marine fish found in open seas.
Option 4 – Sardines are marine fish that live in saltwater, typically in schools near coastlines.

Correct Answer: Neither I nor II (Option 4)
Both statements are incorrect because the languages are swapped:
Pali (not Prakrit) became the sacred language of Buddhism. The Tripitaka (Buddhist scriptures) were written in Pali.
Prakrit (not Pali) became the sacred language of Jainism. The Agamas (Jain canonical texts) were written in Ardhamagadhi Prakrit.
Since both statements have the languages reversed, neither statement is correct.

Correct Answer: Salim Ali (Option 1)
Salim Ali (1896–1987) was a world-renowned Indian ornithologist and naturalist, widely known as the 'Birdman of India'. He conducted detailed surveys of Indian birds, wrote extensively on the subject (including the landmark 'Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan'), and played a major role in bird conservation.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 2 – Vivek Debroy was a renowned Indian economist and Sanskrit scholar.
Option 3 – Sunder Lal Bahuguna was an environmentalist known for the Chipko movement (Save the Trees).
Option 4 – K. Kasturirangan is a space scientist and former ISRO chairman.

Correct Answer: 420 tonnes (Option 1)
ISRO's GSLV Mk II (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark II) has a lift-off mass of approximately 414.75 tonnes , commonly rounded to about 420 tonnes . It is a three-stage rocket capable of placing 2,500 kg satellites into Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO).
Why other options are wrong:
Option 2 – 120 tonnes is far too low for GSLV Mk II.
Option 3 – 840 tonnes is approximately the mass of LVM3 (GSLV Mk III), not Mk II.
Option 4 – 1020 tonnes is an entirely incorrect figure for any ISRO launch vehicle.

Correct Answer: QUAD (Option 1)
In June 2025, the QUAD nations — USA, India, Japan, and Australia — launched the first-ever 'at Sea Observer Mission' to enhance maritime cooperation, transparency, and security in the Indo-Pacific region. QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) is a strategic grouping focused on maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 2 – BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) is a regional group but was not associated with this mission.
Option 3 – SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) has been largely inactive and is not connected to this maritime initiative.
Option 4 – BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) is an economic grouping, not a maritime security alliance.

Correct Answer: Benjamin Franklin (Option 2)
Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790) conducted his famous kite experiment in 1752, in which he flew a kite during a thunderstorm and demonstrated that lightning is an electrical phenomenon — essentially the same as the sparks produced by rubbing clothes (static electricity). This discovery led to the invention of the lightning rod.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – Isaac Newton is known for laws of motion, universal gravitation, and calculus.
Option 3 – William Nicholson was a British chemist known for the electrolysis of water.
Option 4 – Thomas Edison is known for inventing the phonograph and practical incandescent light bulb.

Correct Answer: Both I and II (Option 3)
Lightning can strike both telephone cords and electrical wires. Both are conductive and can act as pathways for electrical discharge during a lightning strike. Telephone lines and electrical wires connected to poles or buildings can transmit the electrical energy from a lightning bolt into a building, causing damage or injury.
This is why it is advised to avoid using corded telephones and to unplug electrical appliances during thunderstorms.
Since both Statement I and Statement II are correct, the answer is Both I and II.