UPSC Prelims 2014 Q77: Geography – Transport & Infrastructure Geography
Consider the following pairs:
National Highway - Cities connected
1. NH 4 - Chennai and Hyderabad
2. NH 6 - Mumbai and Kolkata
3. NH 15 - Ahmedabad and Jodhpur
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 3 only
- (c) 1, 2 and 3
- (d) None
Answer: (d) None
Explanation
National Highways and the cities they connect (old numbering)
| Pair | Verdict | Actual route |
|---|---|---|
| 1. NH 4 - Chennai and Hyderabad | Incorrect | Mumbai (Thane) to Chennai, through Pune and Bengaluru |
| 2. NH 6 - Mumbai and Kolkata | Incorrect | Hazira (Surat) to Kolkata, through Nagpur and Raipur |
| 3. NH 15 - Ahmedabad and Jodhpur | Incorrect | Pathankot to Samakhiali, through Punjab, western Rajasthan and Gujarat |
Other well-known highways (old numbers):
| Highway | Route |
|---|---|
| NH 1 | Delhi to Amritsar |
| NH 2 | Delhi to Kolkata |
| NH 7 | Varanasi to Kanyakumari; the longest then |
| NH 8 | Delhi to Mumbai |
Highways were renumbered in 2010; the longest is now NH 44, from Srinagar to Kanyakumari.
Answer: (d) None.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. NH 4 ran Mumbai to Chennai, and NH 6 ran Surat to Kolkata.
- (b) Incorrect. NH 15 ran from Pathankot to Samakhiali, not Ahmedabad to Jodhpur.
- (c) Incorrect. All three pairs are wrongly matched.
- (d) CORRECT. None of the pairs is correctly matched.
Key point
Old numbering: NH 4 Mumbai-Chennai; NH 6 Hazira-Kolkata; NH 15 Pathankot-Samakhiali; NH 7 was the longest. Renumbered in 2010 (NH 44 now longest).
Remember
NH 4: Mumbai-Chennai. NH 6: Surat-Kolkata.
Common mistakes
- Accepting NH 6 as Mumbai-Kolkata; it began near Surat.
- Using the new highway numbers for an old-numbering question.
- Hesitating to choose 'None' when every pair is slightly off.
Exam tip
Near-miss cities are the trap: Surat for Mumbai, Mumbai for Hyderabad.
Sources
- Ministry of Road Transport and Highways — Rationalisation of numbering systems of National Highways (2010)
- National Highways Authority of India — National Highways network