SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 18 September 2025, Shift 1 · General Awareness · Question 22 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 13 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.

According to Transparency International, what is a major concern with EU golden passport and visa schemes?

(a)They increase legal migration and help boost employment
(b)They encourage cultural exchange across the EU
(c)They enable the corrupt to exploit citizenship and residency systems for personal gain
(d)They promote tourism through relaxed visa regulations

Answer

Why

Correct — C. Transparency International's campaign on EU golden passports and visas says the schemes turned EU citizenship and residency rights into a luxury good, attractive to criminals and the corrupt.

Its line on the issue: those who loot their countries cannot be allowed safe haven in the EU. That is the corrupt exploiting citizenship and residency systems for personal gain → option (c).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
They increase legal migration and help boost employment — Transparency International's objection is about who buys in, not jobs or migration. It wants golden passports banned and golden visas regulated with adequate checks.
(b)
They encourage cultural exchange across the EU — Cultural exchange plays no part in its case. The campaign warns that the schemes are an attractive prospect for criminals and the corrupt.
(d)
They promote tourism through relaxed visa regulations — These are investment-for-residence or citizenship schemes, not tourist visas. The concern is that the corrupt can buy EU status, not that visitors get easier entry.

Concept

A golden passport is citizenship granted in return for a set investment or payment. A golden visa grants residence the same way.

A golden passport from one member state is worth more than that country alone, because EU citizenship carries rights across every member state.

On 29 April 2025 the Court of Justice of the EU ruled that Malta's citizenship-by-investment scheme broke EU law: a member state cannot grant nationality in exchange for predetermined payments or investments.

Key facts

Golden passports sell citizenship for investment. Golden visas sell residence rights.
Transparency International calls for golden passport schemes to be banned and golden visa schemes to be regulated with adequate checks.
On 29 April 2025 the Court of Justice of the EU ruled Malta's golden passport scheme contrary to EU law.
Transparency International also publishes the Corruption Perceptions Index.

Study next

Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions IndexEU citizenship rights and free movement between member statesCitizenship-by-investment versus residence-by-investment schemes

Common traps

Choosing a benefit such as jobs or tourism, when the stem asks for Transparency International's concern and three options describe benefits.
Mixing up golden visas, which grant residence, with golden passports, which grant citizenship.

Transparency International is also named at 24 Sep 2025, 16:00, GA Q.20, which asks who publishes the Corruption Perceptions Index 2024.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: General Policy — all 308 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.