SSC CGL 2024 Tier-I · 10 September 2024, Shift 3 · General Awareness · Question 21 of 100

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 6 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.

Madhuri Barthwal, a folk singer and Padma Shri 2022 awardee, belongs to which of the following states of India?

(a)Maharashtra
(b)Himachal Pradesh
(c)Uttarakhand
(d)Uttar Pradesh

Answer

Why

Correct — C. Madhuri Barthwal is a folk singer of Uttarakhand, and she was awarded the Padma Shri in 2022 in the field of art.

Her distinction outside the award is that she was the first woman to work as a music composer in All India Radio.

She had already been recognised nationally once, receiving the Nari Shakti Puraskar presented on International Women's Day in 2019.

Why the others are wrong

(a)
Maharashtra — Maharashtra's folk repertoire is lavani and powada, a completely different tradition. Barthwal's music belongs to the Uttarakhand hills.
(b)
Himachal Pradesh — Himachal Pradesh is the easy slip, since both are Himalayan hill states with related folk forms. Barthwal's home state is Uttarakhand.
(d)
Uttar Pradesh — Uttar Pradesh held the hill districts until Uttarakhand was carved out of it in 2000, which is what makes this the designed trap. Her recognition is as an Uttarakhand artist.

Concept

The Padma awards come in three grades - Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri - and are announced on the eve of Republic Day, then conferred by the President.

Padma Shri is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic, after the Bharat Ratna and the two higher Padma grades.

SSC mines the annual list for an item, and the hook here is the awardee's state, not the citation itself. So learn folk artists by the tradition they carry, which places them geographically.

Key facts

Padma Shri is the fourth-highest civilian award, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan.
Padma awards are announced on the eve of Republic Day and are conferred by the President.
Madhuri Barthwal was the first woman to be a music composer in All India Radio.
She received the Nari Shakti Puraskar, presented on International Women's Day in 2019.

Study next

Padma award grades and the year the awards were institutedFolk music traditions by state, such as Garhwali, lavani, powada and bihuNari Shakti Puraskar and other national awards for women

Common traps

Placing any Himalayan folk artist in Himachal Pradesh by default.
Assuming a Padma Shri in art must go to a classical performer rather than a folk singer.
Forgetting that Uttarakhand separated from Uttar Pradesh in 2000, which makes the older state a live-looking option.

The Padma lists are asked as which state the awardee belongs to, or which field the award was given in.

This same shift, 10 Sep 2024, 16:00, opens with a state-culture item at GA Q.1 on which state presents the MG Music Awards.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.