SSC CGL 2024 Tier-I · 10 September 2024, Shift 1 · General Awareness · Question 10 of 98

Text as printed on a candidate's response sheet for this shift; answer per SSC's tentative key as marked on that sheet. Solution last reviewed 10 September 2026.

Where this paper and its answers come from

SSC does not publish CGL question papers or a public answer key. The questions and options here are reproduced as printed on a candidate's own response sheet for this shift — the Commission's text, unchanged. Each answer is SSC's tentative key as marked on that sheet; SSC allowed challenges to it and never publishes a final key. The solutions are written by UnlockIAS.

By which of the following state governments is the Tansen Music Festival organised?

(a)Madhya Pradesh Government
(b)Maharashtra Government
(c)Uttar Pradesh Government
(d)Rajasthan Government

Answer

Why

Correct — A. The Tansen Samaroh, or Tansen Music Festival, is held each year at Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, beside Tansen's tomb, and is organised by the Government of Madhya Pradesh.

Tansen was born near Gwalior and is buried there, next to the tomb of the sufi saint Muhammad Ghaus. The festival belongs to that city, and therefore to that state.

Why the others are wrong

(b)
Maharashtra Government — Maharashtra has its own Hindustani music festivals, the Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav at Pune among them. Tansen's tomb, and his festival, are at Gwalior.
(c)
Uttar Pradesh Government — Uttar Pradesh is the near miss — Gwalior lies close to the UP border and Tansen sang at the Mughal court. The festival is still Madhya Pradesh's, held at the tomb.
(d)
Rajasthan Government — Rajasthan has no claim here. Tansen's life runs between Gwalior, the Rewa court and Akbar's court, none of which is in Rajasthan.

Concept

Cultural-festival questions are usually answered by geography: find where the figure was born, worked or is buried, and the organising government follows.

Tansen, born Ramtanu Pandey near Gwalior, served Raja Ramchandra of Rewa before joining Akbar's court, where he was counted among the navratnas. He is buried at Gwalior.

Madhya Pradesh marks him twice over: the annual Tansen Samaroh at Gwalior, and the National Tansen Samman for Hindustani classical musicians, conferred at the festival.

'Tansen Music Festival' and 'Tansen Samaroh' are two names for the same event, and SSC uses both spellings across papers.

Key facts

The Tansen Samaroh is held annually at Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, near Tansen's tomb.
The National Tansen Samman was started by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in 1980 for exponents of Hindustani classical music.
Tansen was one of the navratnas of Akbar's court.
Tansen is buried at Gwalior, beside the tomb of Muhammad Ghaus.

Study next

State-run classical music festivals and their host citiesAwards instituted by state governments for classical musicAkbar's navratnas and what each is remembered for

Common traps

Choosing Uttar Pradesh because Tansen is associated with the Mughal court
Reading a national-sounding award name as a Government of India honour

SSC comes at Tansen from several directions. The award the Madhya Pradesh government started in 1980 is asked at 25 Sep 2024, 16:00, GA Q.14, the navratna item at 11 Sep 2024, 09:00, GA Q.10, and the musician called the Tansen of the twentieth century at 23 Sep 2024, 12:30, GA Q.21.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.