Match the following districts of Madhya Pradesh with their unique product and choose the correct option: (1) Ashoknagar – (i) Bananas (2) Khargone – (ii) Maheshwari Sarees and Tiger Print (3) Burhanpur – (iii) Chanderi Sarees (4) Mandsaur – (iv) Garlic
- (a)(i) (ii) (iii) (iv)
- (b)(iii) (ii) (i) (iv)
- (c)(iv) (iii) (ii) (i)
- (d)(ii) (iii) (iv) (i)
Answer
Why
Correct — B: (iii) (ii) (i) (iv). Ashoknagar district (home to the historic town of Chanderi) is famous for Chanderi sarees; Khargone district (home to the town of Maheshwar, on the Narmada) is famous for Maheshwari sarees and 'Tiger Print' textiles; Burhanpur, in the Nimar/Tapti valley, is one of MP's leading banana-growing districts; and Mandsaur, on the Malwa plateau, is one of India's largest garlic-producing districts.
Why the others are wrong
- (a)(i) (ii) (iii) (iv) — Swaps Ashoknagar and Burhanpur's products — it wrongly assigns bananas to Ashoknagar and Chanderi sarees to Burhanpur, though Khargone-Maheshwari and Mandsaur-Garlic happen to match by chance.
- (c)(iv) (iii) (ii) (i) — Every district is mismatched — it assigns garlic to Ashoknagar, Chanderi sarees to Khargone, Maheshwari sarees/Tiger print to Burhanpur, and bananas to Mandsaur, none of which is correct.
- (d)(ii) (iii) (iv) (i) — Every district is again mismatched — it assigns Maheshwari sarees/Tiger print to Ashoknagar, Chanderi sarees to Khargone, garlic to Burhanpur, and bananas to Mandsaur, none of which is correct.
Concept
Madhya Pradesh's varied regional geography gives many of its districts a distinct, exam-tested product identity: Ashoknagar (created in 2003, and home to the historic weaving town of Chanderi) for handloom Chanderi sarees; Khargone (home to Maheshwar, on the Narmada) for Maheshwari sarees; Burhanpur, in the Nimar/Tapti valley, for banana cultivation; and Mandsaur, on the Malwa plateau, for garlic cultivation.
MPPSC frequently uses this exact 'match the district with its unique product' format — the classic trap is mixing up MP's two famous saree-weaving districts (Ashoknagar/Chanderi and Khargone/Maheshwar), since both produce sarees but are tied to different towns and different weave traditions.
Key facts
- Ashoknagar district (includes the historic town of Chanderi) — famous for hand-woven Chanderi sarees.
- Khargone district (includes the town of Maheshwar, on the Narmada) — famous for Maheshwari sarees and Tiger Print textiles.
- Burhanpur district (Nimar/Tapti valley) — one of MP's leading banana-growing regions.
- Mandsaur district (Malwa plateau) — one of India's major garlic-producing and garlic-trading districts.
The official key's correct sequence — (iii)(ii)(i)(iv) — matches every district to its genuine, distinct product.
Study next
Common traps
- Mixing up MP's two saree-weaving towns — Chanderi (Ashoknagar district) and Maheshwar (Khargone district)
- Assuming neighbouring agricultural belts (Nimar's bananas vs Malwa's garlic) are interchangeable across districts
MPPSC's classic 'match the district with its unique product/heritage' format — anchor to the specific town inside the district (Chanderi in Ashoknagar; Maheshwar in Khargone) rather than the district name alone.
Related PYQs
Consider the following towns of India: 1. Bhadrachalam 2. Chanderi 3. Kancheepuram 4. Karnal Which of the above are famous for the production of traditional sarees/fabric?
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1, 2 and 3
- (d) 1, 3 and 4
Answer(b) 2 and 3 only
Directly names Chanderi as a saree-producing town — the same fact (Chanderi, in Ashoknagar district, is famous for its sarees) that this question tests.
Practice
- practice — not a real PYQ
The town of Maheshwar, famous for Maheshwari sarees, is located on the banks of which river, in which district of Madhya Pradesh?
- (a)Narmada river, Khargone district
- (b)Tapti river, Burhanpur district
- (c)Betwa river, Ashoknagar district
- (d)Chambal river, Mandsaur district
Answer(a) The Narmada river, in Khargone district. - practice — not a real PYQ
Which Madhya Pradesh district, on the Malwa plateau, is among India's largest producers of garlic?
- (a)Mandsaur
- (b)Balaghat
- (c)Burhanpur
- (d)Sehore
Answer(a) Mandsaur.