SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 18 September 2025, Shift 1 · General Awareness · Question 4 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.

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.

We doubt SSC's key on this question.

Wikipedia's Syama Sastri article says the svarajati was primarily a dance form before he wrote ones to be sung or played in concert, so option (c)'s 'later adapted for dance' reverses the form's history; this card follows the key as the one option that is not plainly false.

The answer below is still the option SSC's key marks, and we solve to that option.

Which of the following correctly describes the musical form Svarajati?

(a)A bhajan form used only in temples
(b)A dance item without fixed structure
(c)A vocal form later adapted for dance
(d)A film-based item with fast rhythm

Answer

Why

Correct — C. The swarajati is a composed Carnatic form with a pallavi, sometimes an anupallavi, and at least one charanam. It is learnt before the varnam and sung in lessons and concerts.

It is also performed in dance recitals. Option (c) alone describes a structured vocal form that belongs to both music and dance, so it is the keyed answer.

Why the others are wrong

(a)
A bhajan form used only in temples — The swarajati is not a bhajan and is not confined to temples. It is sung in music lessons and concerts and performed in dance recitals.
(b)
A dance item without fixed structure — It has a fixed structure: pallavi, often an anupallavi, and charanams. 'Without fixed structure' is the opposite of the form.
(d)
A film-based item with fast rhythm — The swarajati is a classical Carnatic form. Syama Sastri, who lived from 1762 to 1827, composed swarajatis long before film music existed.

Concept

The swarajati belongs to the early stage of Carnatic learning, before the varnam, but it is also a concert piece. Its themes are usually bhakti, love or courage.

The oldest known swarajati, E Mayaladira in Huseni raga, is by Melattur Venkatarama Sastry. Syama Sastri, one of the Carnatic Trinity, composed a famous set of three, in Bhairavi, Yadukula Kambhoji and Todi.

A caution on option (c)'s wording. Wikipedia's article on Syama Sastri says that before him the svarajati was primarily a dance form, and that he composed ones meant to be sung or played.

That runs the other way from 'later adapted for dance'. Take (c) because the other three options are plainly false, not as a history of the form.

Key facts

The swarajati is a Carnatic form learnt before the varnam.
A swarajati has a pallavi, sometimes an anupallavi, and at least one charanam.
Syama Sastri's swarajatis are in the ragas Bhairavi, Yadukula Kambhoji and Todi.
The oldest known swarajati, E Mayaladira in Huseni raga, is by Melattur Venkatarama Sastry.

Study next

The Carnatic Trinity: Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama SastriBharatanatyam margam items: alarippu, jatiswaram, varnam, tillana

Common traps

Mixing up the swarajati with the jatiswaram, the Bharatanatyam pure-dance item set to swaras without lyrics.
Rejecting (c) because the swarajati began in dance. The other options are false outright, so (c) is the one left standing.

Here a musical form is identified by description. Carnatic rhythm is asked at 12 Sep 2025, 09:00, GA Q.3 (a laghu of five beats is khanda jaati), and a Carnatic composer at 23 Sep 2024, 16:00, GA Q.3 (Papanasam Sivan).

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Culture — all 246 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.