Which of the following statements is NOT correct regarding the roadways of Madhya Pradesh according to Basic Road Statistics 2018–19?
- (a)The length of the National Highways is more than 8,000 kms.
- (b)The length of the State Highways is more than 11,000 kms.
- (c)The length of the District roads is more than 50,000 kms.
- (d)This State ranks first in the country in road density.
Correct — D, 'This State ranks first in the country in road density' is the incorrect statement. Road density is measured as road length per unit area (e.g. km per 100 sq km), not total road length. Madhya Pradesh is India's second-largest state by area, with vast forested and tribal tracts, so even a large total road network translates into a below-average density — smaller, more urbanised states rank ahead of MP on density, so MP does not hold the top rank.
- (a)The length of the National Highways is more than 8,000 kms. — This is the figure recorded for MP in Basic Road Statistics 2018–19 — a correct statement, not the one being asked for.
- (b)The length of the State Highways is more than 11,000 kms. — Also a correct statement per the same statistics — not the false one.
- (c)The length of the District roads is more than 50,000 kms. — Also correct per the official figures — not the false one.
'Basic Road Statistics of India', published periodically by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), classifies a state's road network into National Highways, State Highways, and District/Rural roads, and separately reports 'road density' — total road length divided by geographical area. A state can have a very large total road network (as MP does, being a large state) while still ranking low on density, because density is normalised for area.
The classic MPPSC trap here is conflating 'large total network' with 'highest density'. MP's sheer size (2nd-largest state by area) plus large forest cover work against it on the per-area density metric, even though its absolute road lengths (NH/SH/district roads) are substantial.
- Basic Road Statistics is a MoRTH publication classifying roads into NH/SH/District/rural categories
- Road density = road length ÷ geographical area — a normalised metric, not total length
- MP is India's 2nd-largest state by area, which pulls its density below smaller states
- MP does NOT rank first in India on road density despite a large total road network
Large total road length ≠ highest road density; density is normalised by area, where MP's huge size counts against it.
- Confusing 'large total road length' with 'highest road density'
- Assuming the biggest states automatically top infrastructure-density rankings
Both MPPSC and UPSC like 'density vs total length' as a trap for whichever large state is in question (MP here) — remember: density is normalised by area.
With reference to Indian transport systems, consider the following statements: 1. Indian railways system is the largest in the world. 2. National Highways cater to 45 per cent of the total road transport demand. 3. Among the states, Kerala has the highest density of surface road. 4. National Highway No. 7 is the longest in the country. Which of these statements are correct?
- (a) 1 and 2
- (b) 1 and 3
- (c) 2 and 3
- (d) 2 and 4
Answer(d) 2 and 4 — statement 3 (Kerala highest road density) is actually false; smaller/denser states are not automatically confirmed as the leader either, but this specific claim does not hold.
Same underlying trap — claims about which state 'ranks highest' in road density need independent verification; the state that sounds likely (Kerala there, MP here) is often not the actual density leader.
- practice — not a real PYQ
'Road density' of a state, as used in official transport statistics, is best defined as:
- (a)Total road length in the state
- (b)Road length per unit geographical area
- (c)Number of vehicles per km of road
- (d)Number of National Highways in the state
Answer(b) Road length per unit geographical area — this is what 'density' normalises for, unlike gross road length.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Madhya Pradesh is one of India's largest states by area, with extensive forest cover. This combination most directly affects which of the following statistics?
- (a)Its road density (lowers it relative to smaller states)
- (b)Its total National Highway length (reduces it to zero)
- (c)Its literacy rate
- (d)Its number of Lok Sabha seats
Answer(a) Its road density — a large area lowers density even when absolute road length is high.