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UPSC Prelims 2014 · Indian Geography · India’s Land and Borders
Consider the following pairs: National Highway — Cities connected Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
- NH 4: Chennai and Hyderabad
- NH 6: Mumbai and Kolkata
- NH 15: Ahmedabad and Jodhpur
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 3 only
- (c) 1, 2 and 3
- (d) None
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: (d) None
None of the pairs matches (old numbering, before 2010).
Statement by statement
1. ✗ WRONG Old NH 4 ran Mumbai – Pune – Bengaluru – Chennai; NH 9 and NH 7 served Hyderabad.
2. ✗ WRONG Old NH 6 ran Hazira (Surat) – Nagpur – Raipur – Kolkata, not from Mumbai.
3. ✗ WRONG Old NH 15 ran Pathankot – Bikaner – Jaisalmer – Samakhiali, not Ahmedabad–Jodhpur.
The idea
A highway number is an administrative label, and renumbering can assign the same label to a different route. This question uses the older highway system despite its 2014 exam label. Keep old routes together rather than inserting one modern number into the comparison.
Why the others are wrong
(a) Neither of these pairs is right.
(b) NH 15 did not link Ahmedabad and Jodhpur.
(c) All three are mismatched.
The trap
Each pair names a real highway and real cities — just not together.
Also know
Under the revised system, odd-numbered highways broadly run north–south and even-numbered highways east–west. Old NH 7 and several other routes became parts of the new NH 44 corridor. A route can consist of stretches bearing different numbers after reorganisation.
🔒 Old: NH 2 Delhi–Kolkata · NH 4 Mumbai–Chennai · NH 6 Hazira–Kolkata · NH 7 Varanasi–Kanyakumari (longest). Renumbered 2010: NH 44 Srinagar–Kanyakumari is now the longest.
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