SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 12 September 2025, Shift 3 · General Awareness · Question 23 of 100

We transcribed this text from the pictures on a candidate's response sheet for this shift; the answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. Solution last reviewed 11 September 2026.

Where this paper and its answers come from

SSC does not publish CGL question papers or a public answer key. From 2025 the candidate response sheet prints every question and option as a picture, so the text here is transcribed from those pictures for this shift and checked against them independently; where the layout carries meaning, the picture is shown as well. Each answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. SSC released a tentative key for challenge and later its final one, both only to candidates behind a login, and the sheet does not say which of the two it carries. The solutions are written by UnlockIAS.

Read the following statements carefully and choose the correct option: Assertion (A): Iron and steel is considered a heavy industry. Reason (R): It requires lightweight raw materials like cotton and rubber.

(a)Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
(b)Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c)A is true, but R is false
(d)A is false, but R is true

Answer

Why

Correct — C. Assertion is true. NCERT names iron and steel as its example of heavy industry, because "all the raw materials as well as finished goods are heavy and bulky".

Reason is false. Its raw materials are iron ore, coking coal and limestone, needed in a ratio of about 4 : 2 : 1. Cotton and rubber are light, agro-based raw materials.

Why the others are wrong

(a)
Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A — R is false, so it cannot explain A. Iron and steel runs on heavy, bulky iron ore, coking coal and limestone, not on cotton and rubber.
(b)
Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A — "Both true" fails at R. NCERT lists cotton and rubber among agro-based industries' raw materials, and neither has any role in making iron and steel.
(d)
A is false, but R is true — A is NCERT's own example. Its classification by bulk and weight lists "heavy industries such as iron and steel", so calling A false contradicts the textbook.

Concept

NCERT classifies industries in several ways. By the bulk and weight of raw material and finished goods, iron and steel is heavy while electrical goods are light.

By source of raw material, iron and steel is mineral-based, while cotton, jute, rubber and sugar industries are agro-based.

Iron and steel is also a basic industry: all other industries, heavy, medium and light, depend on it for their machinery.

Key facts

NCERT: iron and steel is a heavy industry because its raw materials and finished goods are heavy and bulky, entailing heavy transport costs.
Iron ore, coking coal and limestone are required in the ratio of about 4 : 2 : 1, with some manganese to harden the steel.
NCERT lists cotton and rubber among agro-based industries.
Iron and steel is a basic industry because other industries depend on it for their machinery.

Study next

Where integrated steel plants are located, and why raw materials decide itIndustries by ownership: public, private, joint and cooperative sectorAgro-based industries: cotton textiles, jute and sugar

Common traps

Choosing "both true" because R sounds like an explanation — first test whether R is true at all.
Mixing up heavy and light (bulk of materials) with basic and consumer (role in the economy).

The same NCERT classifications decide 15 Sep 2025, 16:00, GA Q.21 (cotton textiles and sugar as agro-based industries) and 14 Sep 2025, 09:00, GA Q.21 (toothpaste, not iron and steel, as a consumer goods industry).

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Geography — all 135 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.