UPSC Prelims 2011 Q90: Geography – Transport & Infrastructure Geography
Between India and East Asia, the navigation - time and distance can be greatly reduced by
which of the following?
1. Deepening the Malacca straits between Malaysia and Indonesia.
2. Opening a new canal across the Kra isthmus between the Gulf of Siam and Andaman Sea.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (b) 2 only
Explanation
Reducing India-East Asia navigation time: checking both options
Two proposals are compared for shortening the sea route between India and East Asia.
| Statement | Verdict | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Deepening the Malacca Strait | Incorrect | Deepening the strait could improve ship draft capacity, but it does not reduce distance or travel time — ships still take the same long route around the Malay Peninsula |
| 2. Opening a new canal across the Kra Isthmus | Correct | A Kra Canal, cutting across the isthmus between the Gulf of Siam and the Andaman Sea, would let ships bypass the long detour around the Malay Peninsula via the Malacca Strait, significantly cutting distance and time |
Why the Kra Canal idea matters:
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current route | Ships go around the Malay Peninsula via the Malacca Strait |
| Proposed shortcut | A canal across the Kra Isthmus (Thailand) |
| Benefit | Drastically shorter route between the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Siam/South China Sea |
Answer: (b) 2 only.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Deepening the Malacca Strait improves ship capacity, not travel distance or time.
- (b) CORRECT. A Kra Isthmus canal would let ships bypass the long detour around the Malay Peninsula, genuinely cutting distance and time.
- (c) Incorrect. Statement 1's deepening claim does not actually reduce travel time, so 'both' is wrong.
- (d) Incorrect. Statement 2 is correct, so 'neither' is wrong.
Key point
A new canal across the Kra Isthmus (bypassing the Malay Peninsula detour) would cut India-East Asia travel time — merely deepening the Malacca Strait would NOT, since it only affects ship capacity, not route distance.
Remember
Kra Isthmus canal (not Malacca Strait deepening) would meaningfully cut India-East Asia navigation time.
Common mistakes
- Confusing channel deepening (capacity improvement) with route shortening (distance/time reduction).
- Not recognising the Kra Isthmus canal proposal as a genuine geographic shortcut.
- Assuming any infrastructure upgrade to an existing route automatically saves travel time.
Exam tip
Deepening a strait ≠ shortening a route. Only a new canal across the Kra Isthmus would actually cut the India-East Asia distance.
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Kra Canal
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Strait of Malacca