Statement-I: He and Be have similar outer shell electronic configuration of type ns².

Statement-II: He and Be are chemically inert.

The correct answer is: Statement I is correct, but Statement II is incorrect.

Let us analyze each statement individually:

Statement I: "He and Be have similar outer shell electronic configuration of type ns²."

To verify this, we write out the electronic configurations of both elements:

• Helium (He), atomic number 2: 1s²
The outermost (and only) shell is n = 1, and it has the configuration 1s².

• Beryllium (Be), atomic number 4: 1s² 2s²
The outermost shell is n = 2, and its valence configuration is 2s².

In both cases, the outermost shell has the general electronic configuration ns² (where n = 1 for He and n = 2 for Be). Both elements have their outermost s-orbital completely filled with 2 electrons.

⇒ Statement I is CORRECT.

Statement II: "He and Be are chemically inert."

• Helium (He) is a noble gas. Its 1s² configuration represents a completely filled shell (the first shell can hold a maximum of 2 electrons). This gives helium exceptional stability, making it chemically inert. Helium does not form compounds under normal conditions.

• Beryllium (Be), on the other hand, is an alkaline earth metal belonging to Group 2 of the periodic table. Although its 2s² subshell is fully filled, the second shell (n = 2) is not completely filled — it still has vacant 2p orbitals available. Beryllium can lose its two valence electrons to form Be²⁺ ions, or participate in covalent bonding (e.g., in BeCl₂, BeF₂, BeH₂). Beryllium is therefore chemically reactive, not inert.

The key distinction is:
− For He, the entire shell (n = 1) is complete, giving true noble gas stability.
− For Be, only the 2s subshell is filled, but empty 2p orbitals in the same shell make it reactive.

⇒ Statement II is INCORRECT because while He is chemically inert, Be is definitely not.

Conclusion: Statement I is correct (both have ns² outer configuration), but Statement II is incorrect (Be is chemically reactive, unlike He). Therefore, the correct option is: "Statement I is correct, but Statement II is incorrect."