UPSC Prelims 2017 · GS Paper I
Question 49: Geography
If you travel by road from Kohima to Kottayam, what is the minimum number of States within India through which you can travel, including the origin and the destination ?
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (b).
Kohima is in Nagaland and Kottayam is in Kerala. The shortest chain of States by road runs Nagaland, Assam, West Bengal (through the Siliguri corridor), Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu (or Karnataka) and Kerala. Counting the origin and the destination, that is seven States. Going through Bihar, Jharkhand or Chhattisgarh instead adds States rather than saving any.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Wrong: six States cannot link the two; the chain needs seven.
- (b) Right: Nagaland, Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala make seven.
- (c) Wrong: eight needs an extra State; the minimum is seven.
- (d) Wrong: nine is longer than the minimum route.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2017, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.