Consider the following statements: 1. Maharashtra State has the maximum share of national highways (length in kilometres). 2. The nature of terrain and the level of economic development is one of the reasons for the maximum share of national highways in Maharashtra. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a)1 only
- (b)2 only
- (c)Both 1 and 2
- (d)Neither 1 nor 2
Correct — C, both 1 and 2. Statement 1 is a fact of the highway statistics: among the States, Maharashtra carries the longest national-highway network, ahead of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, and it has held that position across the last several years of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways data. Statement 2 is the standard textbook explanation for why highway length is spread so unevenly across the country — the nature of the terrain and the level of economic development govern where roads can be built and where the traffic exists to justify them. Maharashtra scores on both counts: much of it is open plateau country that is far easier to build across than the Himalaya or the north-east, and it is one of the most industrialised and urbanised States, generating the freight and passenger movement that a dense highway network serves. The second statement also does not overclaim, since it says these are one of the reasons rather than the only reason.
- (a)1 only — This accepts the statistic but rejects the explanation. Terrain and the level of economic development are precisely the two determinants that standard geography texts give for the uneven distribution of roads in India, and both work in Maharashtra's favour.
- (b)2 only — This accepts the reasoning but denies the fact. Maharashtra does head the State list for national-highway length, so statement 1 stands on the data and cannot be dropped.
- (d)Neither 1 nor 2 — Both statements survive scrutiny — one is confirmed by the highway statistics and the other is the accepted explanation for the pattern — so rejecting both is the weakest of the four choices.
India's road network is classified into national highways, State highways, district roads, rural roads and border and other special roads. National highways are built and maintained under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, largely through the National Highways Authority of India, and they connect State capitals, major ports, industrial centres and international borders. They form only a very small fraction of India's total road length yet carry a very large share of its road traffic, which is why their distribution is studied separately from that of roads in general. Where they run is decided by physical geography on one side and by economic demand on the other.
The question rewards a student who can tell a checkable statement from an explanatory one and judge each on its own terms. Statement 1 is arithmetic, settled by the Ministry's State-wise table. Statement 2 is causal, and the test to apply is whether it is stated modestly enough to be defensible — it says terrain and development are one of the reasons, not the reason, and a hedged causal statement in a two-statement item is usually meant to be accepted. Anchoring to the exam of September 2022, Maharashtra led the State table then and India's national highways stood at about 1,61,000 km as of March 2022 against about 1,01,000 km in 2013-14. The network has continued to grow since, so treat the total as a dated figure while the State ranking has been stable.
- Among the States, Maharashtra has the longest national-highway network, followed by Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
- India had about 1,61,350 km of national highways as of March 2022, up from about 1,01,011 km in 2013-14.
- National highways are a small share of total road length but carry a disproportionately large share of road traffic.
- National highways are developed and maintained by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, largely through the National Highways Authority of India.
- The nature of the terrain and the level of economic development are the standard explanations for the uneven distribution of roads across Indian States.
- Confusing the longest highway network with the highest road density — Kerala and Goa score high on density but not on national-highway length.
- Rejecting a causal statement simply because it is not a number, when it is hedged as one of the reasons.
- Quoting an old total for national-highway length, which changes every year as the network expands.
As a two-statement item pairing a State-level statistic with its geographical explanation, or as recall of highway schemes and corridors.
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
The CSE version of the same statistic set — it fixes the point that national highways are a tiny share of road length but carry a very large share of the traffic, and it separates road density from highway length.
Bharatamala Pariyojana is related to
- (a) interlinking of Northern and Southern Indian rivers in a garland shape.
- (b) networks of National Highways in India.
- (c) interlinking of all cities of India through Railways.
- (d) interlinking of all industrial regions of India through pipelines.
Answer(b) networks of National Highways in India.
The programme through which much of the recent growth in national-highway length has come, so it is the policy side of the same statistic this question tests.
- practice — not a real PYQ
National highways in India are constructed and maintained primarily under which one of the following?
- (a)The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
- (b)The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
- (c)The Ministry of Rural Development
- (d)The Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Answer(a) The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways — largely through the National Highways Authority of India, while rural roads sit with the Ministry of Rural Development.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which of the following best explains why the density of roads varies so widely between Indian States?
- (a)The length of the coastline alone
- (b)The nature of the terrain and the level of economic development
- (c)The number of districts in the State
- (d)The State's share in the central tax pool
Answer(b) The nature of the terrain and the level of economic development — rugged country raises the cost of construction while a developed economy creates the traffic that justifies it.