SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 23 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.

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.

R describes a consequence of the fast (his death led to Andhra State in 1953 and to linguistic reorganisation), not the reason he fasted, so strict Assertion–Reason logic points to option (b); this card follows SSC's key, which marks (a).

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

Read the following statements and mark the correct option: Assertion (A): Potti Sriramulu fasted unto death for the formation of Andhra Pradesh. Reason (R): His death marked the beginning of linguistic state formation in India.

(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 — A. A is true in substance. Potti Sriramulu began a fast unto death on 19 October 1952 for a separate state for Telugu speakers from Madras. He died on 15 December 1952, after 58 days.

R is true. After his death the Centre conceded the demand, and Andhra State was formed on 1 October 1953, the first state of independent India formed on a linguistic basis.

SSC's key reads R as explaining A and marks option (a). The note on the key records why a strict reading differs.

Why the others are wrong

(b)
Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A. — SSC's key treats R as the correct explanation of A, so it marks (a) over (b). The note on the key records why a strict reading of that link differs.
(c)
A is true, but R is false. — R is true. Sriramulu's death led to Andhra State in 1953, the first state of independent India formed on a linguistic basis, so R cannot be marked false.
(d)
A is false, but R is true. — A is true. Sriramulu did fast unto death for a Telugu-speaking state carved out of Madras. The stem's 'Andhra Pradesh' is loose, but the fast itself is fact.

Concept

Potti Sriramulu fasted for Andhra State, a separate state for Telugu speakers carved out of Madras State. It was formed on 1 October 1953.

Andhra Pradesh came in 1956, when the States Reorganisation Act joined Andhra State with the Telugu-speaking areas of Hyderabad State. The States Reorganisation Commission, chaired by Fazl Ali, was appointed in December 1953, after Andhra State was created.

A and R are both true, and the dispute is only about the link between them. R reports what followed his death, while an Assertion–Reason 'explanation' normally answers why A happened. The stem also says 'Andhra Pradesh' where history says Andhra State.

Key facts

Potti Sriramulu began his fast on 19 October 1952 and died on 15 December 1952, after 58 days.
Andhra State, formed on 1 October 1953, was the first state in independent India formed on a linguistic basis.
The States Reorganisation Commission was appointed in December 1953 with Fazl Ali as chairman.
The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 created Andhra Pradesh by joining Andhra State with Telugu-speaking areas of Hyderabad State.

Study next

The JVP Committee on linguistic provincesThe States Reorganisation Commission and the 1956 ActThe bifurcation of Bombay State into Maharashtra and Gujarat in 1960

Common traps

Marking A false because the stem says 'Andhra Pradesh'. The fast was for Andhra State, and A is true in substance.
Dating Andhra Pradesh to 1953. 1953 created Andhra State, and Andhra Pradesh followed in 1956.

Here linguistic reorganisation is asked through its trigger. The Commission that followed is asked by date at 25 Sep 2024, 09:00, GA Q.14, and the Zonal Councils created by the 1956 Act at 14 Sep 2025, 12:30, GA Q.14.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: History — all 218 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.