SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 17 September 2025, Shift 3 · General Awareness · Question 9 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.

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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.

What was the strategic focus of the 10th India–Sri Lanka Mitra Shakti exercise in August 2024?

(a)Maritime piracy response and naval drills
(b)NATO-style warfare in desert terrain
(c)Joint counter-insurgency in semi-urban zones under UN mandate
(d)Cyber defence and digital warfare simulations

Answer

Why

Correct — C. PIB's release of 12 August 2024 gives the aim of the 10th Mitra Shakti: counter-insurgency operations in a sub-conventional scenario under Chapter VII of the United Nations Mandate.

It adds that the exercise focused on operations in the semi-urban environment. Counter-insurgency, semi-urban, UN mandate: option (c).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
Maritime piracy response and naval drills — Mitra Shakti is an army exercise: a Rajputana Rifles battalion trained with Sri Lanka's Gajaba Regiment. The two navies exercise separately, as SLINEX.
(b)
NATO-style warfare in desert terrain — Neither India nor Sri Lanka is in NATO, and the setting was semi-urban, at the Army Training School in Maduru Oya, not desert.
(d)
Cyber defence and digital warfare simulations — PIB's drill list is ground work: cordon and search, heliborne operations and a joint command post, plus drones and counter-drones. Cyber defence is not the stated focus.

Concept

Mitra Shakti is an annual India–Sri Lanka army exercise, held in each country by turns. The previous edition was in Pune in November 2023, and the 10th ran at the Army Training School, Maduru Oya, Sri Lanka, from 12 to 25 August 2024.

India sent 106 personnel. Drills included response to a terrorist action, an intelligence and surveillance centre, securing a helipad and special heliborne operations.

Chapter VII of the UN Charter covers action with respect to threats to the peace, breaches of the peace and acts of aggression.

Key facts

10th Mitra Shakti: Army Training School, Maduru Oya, Sri Lanka, 12 to 25 August 2024.
Aim: counter-insurgency in a sub-conventional scenario under Chapter VII of the UN mandate, in a semi-urban environment.
India was represented by a battalion of the Rajputana Rifles, Sri Lanka by the Gajaba Regiment.
SLINEX is the naval exercise between the Indian Navy and the Sri Lanka Navy.

Study next

SLINEX, the India–Sri Lanka naval exerciseNomadic Elephant, the India–Mongolia army exerciseChapter VII of the UN Charter and UN peacekeeping

Common traps

Picking a naval option because Sri Lanka is an island: Mitra Shakti is an army exercise.
Assuming a 2024 exercise must centre on cyber warfare: the PIB drill list is counter-insurgency on the ground.

Here a joint exercise is tested on its stated aim, and the keyed option tracks the PIB release's wording. Another army exercise with a neighbour is asked at 15 Sep 2025, 16:00, GA Q.6 (where the 17th Nomadic Elephant was held).

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Current events — all 156 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.