UPSC Prelims 2000 Q38: Current Affairs – International Conflicts & Security
- (a) 3, 1, 2, 4
- (b) 2, 4, 1, 3
- (c) 5, 4, 2, 3
- (d) 5, 1, 3, 2
Answer: (c) 5, 4, 2, 3
Explanation
Route of the hijacked IC-814
| Stop after Kathmandu | Label on the map |
|---|---|
| Amritsar (24 December 1999) | 5 — in north India, the eastern of the two close points |
| Lahore (24 December) | 4 — just west of Amritsar |
| Al Minhad air base, Dubai (UAE) (25 December) | 2 — at the Gulf coast |
| Kandahar (25 December-31 December) | 3 — in Afghanistan |
Indian Airlines flight IC-814 was hijacked on 24 December 1999 soon after taking off from Kathmandu for Delhi.
It landed first at Amritsar to refuel, flew on to Lahore, then to the Al Minhad air base near Dubai, where 27 passengers were let off and one body was taken off, and finally to Kandahar in Taliban-held Afghanistan.
The crisis ended on 31 December when India released three militants, including Masood Azhar.
The map in the published copy (getmarks) marks two close points in north India (4 and 5), a point on the UAE coast (2), a point in Afghanistan (3) and a point in Arabia (1).
So the sequence is 5, 4, 2, 3.
Answer: (c) 5, 4, 2, 3.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. It begins at point 3, in Afghanistan, which was the last stop, not the first.
- (b) Incorrect. It starts at Dubai (2), but the plane landed first at Amritsar.
- (c) CORRECT. Amritsar (5), Lahore (4), Dubai (2), Kandahar (3).
- (d) Incorrect. Point 1, in Arabia, was never a stop, and it misses Lahore.
Key point
IC-814: Kathmandu → Amritsar → Lahore → Dubai → Kandahar (24-31 December 1999).
Remember
Amritsar, Lahore, Dubai, Kandahar.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting the brief landing at Amritsar, the only stop in India.
- Putting Dubai before Lahore.
- Taking the far-western point for Dubai instead of the one on the Gulf coast.
Exam tip
Follow the fuel: short hops first (Amritsar, Lahore), then the Gulf, then Kandahar.
Sources
- Ministry of External Affairs — Suo motu statement in Parliament on the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 (satp.org archive)
- Lok Sabha Debates — statement on the hijacking of IC-814, February 2000 (eparlib.nic.in)