SSC MTS 2025 20 February 2026 Shift 2 GK Questions – with answers & solutions

Correct Answer: 1959 (Option 2)
The Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), located in Odisha, was set up in 1959. It was one of the first three integrated steel plants established in India after independence, built with West German (then Federal Republic of Germany) collaboration under the First Five-Year Plan. It is operated by Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL).
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – 1950 was the year India became a Republic; the plant was not yet established.
Option 3 – 1975 is too late; the plant was already producing steel by the early 1960s.
Option 4 – 1990 is completely incorrect for this plant's establishment.

Correct Answer: Annapurna (Option 4)
Among the given options, Annapurna is the highest peak at 8,091 metres (26,545 ft), located in Nepal. It is the 10th highest mountain in the world and the first 8,000-metre peak to be climbed (in 1950).
Height comparison of the given peaks:
Annapurna: 8,091 m (Nepal)
Namcha Barwa: 7,782 m (Tibet/Arunachal Pradesh border)
Kamet: 7,756 m (Uttarakhand, India)
Gurla Mandhata: 7,728 m (Tibet)
Annapurna at 8,091 m is clearly the highest among the four options.

Correct Answer: fifth (Option 4)
Earth is the fifth largest planet in our solar system. The ranking by size (diameter/volume) from largest to smallest is:
1st – Jupiter
2nd – Saturn
3rd – Uranus
4th – Neptune
5th – Earth
6th – Venus
7th – Mars
8th – Mercury
Earth, while the largest of the terrestrial (rocky) planets, is only the 5th largest overall in the solar system.

Correct Answer: Lakshadweep (Option 2)
As per the Census of 1951, Lakshadweep (then known as Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi Islands) had the lowest population among the given options, with only around 21,000 people. Being a tiny archipelago in the Arabian Sea, it has always had one of the smallest populations in India.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – Sikkim was an independent kingdom in 1951 and not part of India at that time (it merged in 1975).
Option 3 – Mizoram (then part of Assam) had a larger population than Lakshadweep.
Option 4 – Andaman & Nicobar Islands, while sparsely populated, had a larger population than Lakshadweep in 1951.

Correct Answer: Both I and II (Option 3)
Both statements are correct. The Chero chiefdoms emerged in the regions that now form present-day Bihar and Jharkhand by the twelfth century. The Cheros were a tribal group who established their chiefdoms in the Palamu and Sone river valley areas, which straddle the current Bihar-Jharkhand region.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – Only I is incorrect; Jharkhand is also part of the Chero territory.
Option 2 – Only II is incorrect; Bihar is equally part of their emergence region.
Option 4 – Neither I nor II is completely wrong; both regions are historically associated with the Chero chiefdoms.

Correct Answer: Shankara (Option 4)
Adi Shankaracharya (8th century CE) was the founder and principal advocate of Advaita Vedanta. Advaita (meaning 'non-dual') is the philosophical school that holds that the individual self (Atman) and the ultimate reality (Brahman) are one and the same.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (15th–16th century) advocated Achintya Bhedabheda (inconceivable difference and non-difference) and devotion to Lord Krishna.
Option 2 – Ramanuja (11th–12th century) advocated Vishishtadvaita (qualified non-dualism), which differs from Shankara's Advaita.
Option 3 – Namdev was a Bhakti saint from Maharashtra, not associated with Advaita philosophy.

Correct Answer: 1716 (Option 3)
Banda Singh Bahadur (Banda Bahadur) was a Sikh military commander who led significant campaigns against the Mughals in Punjab. He was captured by the Mughal forces under Farrukhsiyar in 1715 and was executed on June 9, 1716, in Delhi.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – 1708 was the year Guru Gobind Singh Ji passed away; Banda Bahadur continued fighting after this.
Option 2 – 1711 was still during Banda Bahadur's active military campaigns.
Option 4 – 1720 is after his execution in 1716.

Correct Answer: Both I and II (Option 3)
Both occupations are mentioned in Vedic texts:
Statement I – Carpenter (Taksha or Vardhaki ) is mentioned in the Rigveda and other Vedic texts. Craftsmen who worked with wood were an important occupational group in Vedic society.
Statement II – Healer ( Bhishaj or Vaidya) is also mentioned in Vedic literature, including the Atharvaveda which contains many hymns related to healing, medicine, and health.
Both the carpenter and the healer were recognized professions in Vedic society, making both statements correct.

Correct Answer: Mohenjodaro (Option 1)
The 'Great Bath' is one of the most remarkable archaeological finds of the Indus Valley Civilization. It was discovered at Mohenjodaro (in present-day Pakistan's Sindh province). It is believed to have been used for ritual bathing or purification purposes. The structure measures approximately 12 metres x 7 metres and is about 2.4 metres deep.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 2 – Lothal is known for its dockyard/shipyard, not the Great Bath.
Option 3 – Kalibangan is known for fire altars and ploughed fields.
Option 4 – Mandi is not a major Harappan excavation site associated with the Great Bath.

Correct Answer: An electrical impulse (Option 4)
Dendrites are the branch-like extensions of a neuron that receive signals from other neurons. When a chemical reaction (neurotransmitter binding) occurs at the dendritic tip, it creates an electrical impulse (action potential) that travels along the neuron's axon to pass the signal onward.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – Muscle contraction occurs at the neuromuscular junction (effector), not at the dendritic tip.
Option 2 – A reflex action is a complete response pathway involving multiple neurons; it is not created at the dendritic tip alone.
Option 3 – Hormonal responses are produced by endocrine glands, not by chemical reactions at nerve dendrites.

Correct Answer: cattle fair (Option 3)
The Nalwari Fair (also called Nalwari Mela) is a famous traditional cattle fair held in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh. It is one of the largest cattle fairs in Himachal Pradesh, where cattle, horses, mules, and other livestock are bought and sold. The fair also features local cultural programs.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – Flower show is associated with fairs in places like Shimla, not Nalwari .
Option 2 – While handicrafts may be present, Nalwari is primarily known as a cattle fair.
Option 4 – Food festival does not define the Nalwari Fair.

Correct Answer: Mission Shakti (Option 1)
Mission Shakti was India's first and only Anti-Satellite (ASAT) missile test, conducted on March 27, 2019. India used a ground-based Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) interceptor to destroy a live Indian satellite ( Microsat -R) in Low Earth Orbit at approximately 300 km altitude. This made India the 4th country (after the USA, Russia, and China) to successfully demonstrate ASAT capability.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 2 – Mission Indradhanush is related to universal immunization programme , not an ASAT test.
Option 3 – Mission Shanti is not an established ASAT or space mission name.
Option 4 – Mission Agni refers to India's Agni ballistic missile program, not an ASAT test.

Correct Answer: rally (Option 1)
In Table Tennis (Ping-Pong), a 'rally' is defined as the period during which the ball is in play — starting from the moment the server intentionally projects the ball upward until the ball touches anything other than the playing surface, net assembly, or the racket held by a player.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 2 – 'Love' is a tennis term meaning zero points; it is not used in table tennis.
Option 3 – 'Service' (or serve) is the act of putting the ball into play, not the period during which the ball is in play.
Option 4 – 'Grip' refers to how a player holds the racket (e.g., shakehand grip, penhold grip), not a game phase.

Correct Answer: 2 (Option 2)
In tennis, to win a tiebreaker, a player or team must reach at least 7 points AND have a lead of at least 2 points over the opponent. For example, scores like 7-5, 8-6, 9-7 are valid tiebreaker wins. If the score reaches 6-6 in the tiebreaker, play continues until one player leads by 2 points.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – A 1-point lead is not sufficient to win a tiebreaker; a 2-point margin is required.
Option 3 – A 3-point difference is more than required; 2 points is the standard.
Option 4 – A 4-point difference is not required for a tiebreaker win.

Correct Answer: 1853 (Option 3)
The first railway line in India was laid and the first passenger train ran on April 16, 1853, from Bombay (Bori Bunder) to Thane — a distance of about 34 km. It was operated by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR) using three steam locomotives. This marked the beginning of the railway era in India.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – 1600 was around when the British East India Company was formed; railways did not exist then.
Option 2 – 1757 was the year of the Battle of Plassey; no railways existed in India then.
Option 4 – 1935 is after railways were already well-established across India.

Correct Answer: Ektara (Option 4)
In Indian classical music, musical instruments are classified into four categories based on the Natya Shastra: Tata Vadya (stringed), Sushir Vadya (wind), Avanaddha Vadya (percussion), and Ghana Vadya (solid/idiophone).
Ektara is a Tat Vadya (stringed instrument) — it is a single-stringed plucked instrument used by wandering saints and folk musicians.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – Painjani are ankle bells — a Ghana Vadya (percussion/idiophone).
Option 2 – Nageri is a type of drum — an Avanaddha Vadya (membranophone).
Option 3 – Karna is a wind instrument (a type of horn/trumpet) — a Sushir Vadya.

Correct Answer: Gagana (Option 4)
Sushir Vadya refers to wind instruments (aerophones) in the Indian musical instrument classification system.
Gagana (also spelled Gogona ) is a traditional mouth organ/jaw harp from Assam, classified as a Sushir Vadya. Sound is produced by air vibration through the instrument held in the mouth.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – Dimdi is a small drum from Maharashtra — an Avanaddha Vadya (membranophone/percussion).
Option 2 – Santoor is a stringed instrument played with light mallets — a Tat Vadya or sometimes classified as Ghana Vadya .
Option 3 – Jhanja (cymbals) is a Ghana Vadya (idiophone/struck percussion instrument).

Correct Answer: Gurugram (Option 3)
In May 2025, Gurugram (Haryana) became the site of North India's first Digital PET-CT (Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography) scanner installation. This advanced medical imaging technology provides significantly better diagnostic capabilities for cancer detection and other metabolic disorders compared to conventional PET-CT scanners.
Why other options are wrong:
Options 1 (Jaipur), 2 (Shimla), and 4 (Lucknow) were not the cities where North India's first Digital PET-CT scanner was installed in May 2025.

Correct Answer: IISc, Bengaluru (Option 2)
The 'STRONG' (Spatial-Temporal Representation Of Nanopore Grammar) language system was developed by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru in November 2024. It is an AI-based language model designed to decode and understand the properties of nanopores, which are tiny pores used in next-generation DNA sequencing and other biotechnology applications.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – IIT Delhi was not associated with this specific development.
Option 3 – ISRO is India's space agency and not involved in nanopore research.
Option 4 – DRDO is India's defence research body and not involved in developing this language system.

Correct Answer: 289 MMT (Option 1)
As per the Ministry of Mines data, India's iron ore production in FY 2024-25 was approximately 289 million metric tonnes (MMT). India is one of the top iron ore producers in the world, with Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Karnataka being the major producing states. This production level reflects India's growing steel sector requirements.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 2 – 219 MMT is lower than the actual figure.
Option 3 – 199 MMT is also lower than the actual production figure.
Option 4 – 432 MMT is far higher than the actual production figure for FY 2024-25.

Correct Answer: Heart Lamp (Option 3)
Heart Lamp (originally titled 'Hridaya Deepa' in Kannada) is a collection of short stories by Banu Mushtaq, translated into English by Deepa Bhasthi. It won the International Booker Prize in 2025, making Banu Mushtaq the first Kannada writer to win this prestigious award. The book explores the lives of Muslim women in Karnataka.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – Four Stars of Destiny is not a book by Banu Mushtaq.
Option 2 – Human Anatomy is not a literary work by Banu Mushtaq.
Option 4 – The Last Heroes is not a work by Banu Mushtaq.

Correct Answer: Reserve Bank of India (Option 2)
As per the FRBM Act, 2003, the Central Government shall not borrow from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) except by way of ways and means advances (WMA) to meet temporary excess of cash disbursements over cash receipts. This provision was meant to end the practice of automatic monetization of fiscal deficit (i.e., the government printing money to fund its deficit).
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – SBI is a commercial bank; the FRBM restriction specifically applies to borrowing from the central bank (RBI).
Option 3 – NABARD deals with agricultural and rural development finance; not the subject of this FRBM provision.
Option 4 – SIDBI deals with small industries finance; not the subject of this FRBM provision.

Correct Answer: export led growth strategy (Option 3)
After the LPG (Liberalization, Privatization, and Globalization) reforms of 1991, India shifted its economic strategy towards an export-led growth model. The reforms involved opening up the economy, reducing trade barriers, welcoming foreign investment, and encouraging Indian industries to compete in global markets. This replaced the earlier Import Substitution Industrialization (ISI) strategy.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – Full capital account convertibility was not immediately adopted; India maintained partial convertibility.
Option 2 – India adopted a mixed market economy, not purely a capitalist model.
Option 4 – Import-substitution strategy was the approach followed BEFORE the 1991 LPG reforms, not after.

Correct Answer: Potassium (Option 4)
Alkali metals are the elements of Group 1 (IA) of the periodic table: Lithium (Li), Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Rubidium (Rb), Caesium (Cs), and Francium (Fr). Potassium (symbol K) is a classic alkali metal — it is highly reactive, soft, and has one valence electron.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – Manganese (Mn) is a transition metal (Group 7), not an alkali metal.
Option 2 – Silver (Ag) is a transition/noble metal (Group 11), not an alkali metal.
Option 3 – Gold (Au) is also a transition/noble metal (Group 11), not an alkali metal.