Goa Shipyard Limited, an important Indian defence shipbuilding company, was established in which year?

Introduction / Context:
Public sector shipyards play a crucial role in building and maintaining ships for the Indian Navy and Coast Guard. Goa Shipyard Limited is one such defence shipbuilding company located on the west coast of India. General knowledge questions often ask about the year of establishment of major public sector undertakings as part of industrial and defence awareness.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- The organisation mentioned is Goa Shipyard Limited, abbreviated as GSL. - Four consecutive years from 1955 to 1958 are given as options. - We must choose the year in which the shipyard was established. - No other numerical data is needed for the answer.

Concept / Approach:
Goa Shipyard Limited traces its origins to a shipyard set up during the Portuguese period in Goa to build barges and small vessels. The modern company recognises 1957 as its year of establishment. Therefore, among the close years listed, 1957 is the historically correct year. Understanding that Goa Shipyard predates the 1961 annexation of Goa and was founded in the late nineteen fifties helps narrow the choice to 1957.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Recall that Goa was under Portuguese rule until 1961, and the shipyard began operations before that period ended. 2. The company history states that it was established in 1957 to build barges and other vessels. 3. Among the options 1955, 1956, 1957 and 1958, we need to identify the exact year mentioned in official records. 4. Recalling the number 1957 as the founding year of Goa Shipyard Limited helps select the right option. 5. Therefore, 1957 is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Verification can be done by checking standard GK sources and official descriptions, all of which note Goa Shipyard Limited as being established in 1957. Many exam preparation materials reproduce this year in questions about public sector undertakings in the defence sector. The repetition of this exact date across multiple references confirms that 1957 is accurate and not any of the neighbouring years listed in the other options.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The years 1955, 1956 and 1958 are given as close distractors but do not match the officially recorded founding year. While the shipbuilding activities in the region might have evolved over a span of years, the establishment date recognised by the company and by exam questions is 1957, not any of these alternative years. Therefore, selecting any of these options would be inconsistent with both official data and standard general knowledge references.

Common Pitfalls:
Because all the options are in a narrow range, candidates may confuse the exact year and guess randomly. Another pitfall is not revising the establishment years of key public sector undertakings and relying only on vague memory that the company is from the nineteen fifties. To avoid such errors, students should prepare small lists of major PSUs along with their founding years and sectors, such as shipbuilding, power, steel and oil, so that these straightforward questions can be answered confidently.

Final Answer:
Goa Shipyard Limited was established in the year 1957.