UPSC Prelims 2023 Q10: Environment & Ecology – Ecosystems & Ecology Concepts
With reference to India's projects on connectivity, consider the following statements:
1. East - West Corridor under Golden Quadrilateral Project connects Dibrugarh and Surat.
2. Trilateral Highway connects Moreh in Manipur and Chiang Mai in Thailand via Myanmar.
3. Bangladesh - China - India - Myanmar Economic Corridor connects Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh with
Kunming in China.
How many of the above statements are correct?
- (a) Only one
- (b) Only two
- (c) All three
- (d) None
Answer: (d) None
Explanation
India's Connectivity Projects — Fact Check
| Statement | Claim | Verdict | Correct Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East-West Corridor connects Dibrugarh and Surat | FALSE | East-West Corridor under National Highways Development Project (NHDP) connects Silchar (Assam) and Porbandar (Gujarat), not Dibrugarh and Surat. Total length ~3,300 km. |
| 2 | Trilateral Highway connects Moreh and Chiang Mai via Myanmar | FALSE | The India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway connects Moreh (Manipur) and Mae Sot (Thailand), passing through Myanmar. Chiang Mai is NOT the destination — Mae Sot (near Thai-Myanmar border) is the endpoint. |
| 3 | BCIM Economic Corridor connects Varanasi and Kunming | FALSE | The Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Corridor connects Kolkata (India) and Kunming (China), not Varanasi. The Indian terminal is Kolkata. |
All three statements are wrong → None.
Answer: (d) None.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. 'Only one' — none of the three corridor descriptions is accurate.
- (b) Incorrect. 'Only two' — all three statements have specific factual errors in their terminal points.
- (c) Incorrect. 'All three' — East-West Corridor ends at Silchar-Porbandar; Trilateral Highway ends at Mae Sot not Chiang Mai; BCIM starts at Kolkata not Varanasi.
- (d) CORRECT. All three connectivity project descriptions contain wrong terminal points — a classic UPSC trapping technique.
Key point
East-West Corridor = Silchar to Porbandar. Trilateral Highway = Moreh to Mae Sot (NOT Chiang Mai). BCIM = Kolkata to Kunming (NOT Varanasi). All three descriptions in the question have wrong endpoints.
Remember
East-West Corridor connects Silchar to Porbandar. Trilateral Highway connects Moreh (India) to Mae Sot (Thailand) via Myanmar. BCIM Corridor connects Kolkata to Kunming. All three 2023 question statements had wrong terminals.
Common mistakes
- Confusing Dibrugarh with Silchar — Dibrugarh is a major Assam city but the East-West Corridor starts from Silchar (southernmost Assam).
- Confusing Chiang Mai with Mae Sot — Mae Sot is on the Thai-Myanmar border and is the actual Thailand end of the Trilateral Highway.
- Thinking BCIM starts from Varanasi — the corridor route goes through Bangladesh (Dhaka) and the Indian terminal is Kolkata, not Varanasi.
Exam tip
BCIM = Kolkata → Dhaka → Mandalay → Kunming. Trilateral Highway = Moreh → Myanmar → Mae Sot (Thailand). East-West Corridor = Silchar (Assam) → Porbandar (Gujarat). Remember terminal cities, not just directions.
Sources
- Ministry of Road Transport and Highways — National Highways Development Project: the East–West Corridor (Silchar–Porbandar)
- Ministry of External Affairs — India-ASEAN Connectivity Projects