Which among the following is situated on North-South corridor?
- (1)Lucknow
- (2)Agra
- (3)Kota
- (4)Kanpur
Answer
Why
Correct — option (2), Agra.
The North-South Corridor runs from Srinagar to Kanniyakumari, about 4,000 km. A Lok Sabha answer of 3 August 2017 by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways describes it, with the East-West Corridor, as a component of the National Highways Development Project.
Agra lies on the North-South Corridor. The National Highways Authority of India's chainage chart for it (status 31 May 2017) lists Delhi – Agra, a new Agra bypass and Agra – Raj/UP Border among its stretches, then runs on through Dholpur, Morena, Gwalior and Jhansi.
The other three cities appear on NHAI's chart for the East-West Corridor, Silchar to Porbandar: Lucknow – Kanpur stretches in Uttar Pradesh and the RJ/MP border to Kota in Rajasthan.
North-South: Delhi, Agra, Gwalior, Jhansi. East-West: Lucknow, Kanpur, Jhansi, Kota.
Why the others are wrong
- (1)Lucknow — Lucknow is on the East-West Corridor. NHAI's East-West chart lists Ayodhya – Lucknow, a Lucknow bypass and Lucknow – Kanpur stretches.
Lucknow and Agra are both in Uttar Pradesh, which is why a state-level guess does not separate them. The corridors do: Agra is on the North-South chart, Lucknow on the East-West chart.
- (3)Kota — Kota is on the East-West Corridor. NHAI's East-West chart lists the RJ/MP border to Kota, a Kota bypass and Kota to Chittorgarh, and then on to Udaipur, Gogunda and Swaroopganj.
The North-South Corridor's stretches in Rajasthan, on its chart, are around Dholpur, between the UP border and Morena.
- (4)Kanpur — Kanpur is on the East-West Corridor. NHAI's East-West chart lists Lucknow – Kanpur and Kanpur – Bhognipur stretches, followed by Orai to Jhansi.
The two corridors cross at Jhansi, which appears on both charts. Kanpur lies on the east-west line through Uttar Pradesh, not on the north-south one through Agra and Gwalior.
Concept
The North-South and East-West Corridors are two long highway routes built as many separate stretches. The Lok Sabha answer of 3 August 2017 gives them as Srinagar to Kanniyakumari (4,000 km) and Silchar to Porbandar (3,300 km), being implemented in a phased manner.
NHAI publishes a chainage chart for each corridor that lists every stretch with its state and status. The charts show which cities each corridor passes.
The two corridors meet at Jhansi: the North-South chart lists Gwalior – Jhansi and Jhansi – Lalitpur, and the East-West chart a Jhansi bypass and Jhansi – Shivpuri.
RPSC's 2021 Prelims syllabus lists "National Highways & Major Transport Corridors" under the Geography of India. The two corridors of the National Highways Development Project fall under that head.
Both corridors touch Rajasthan. The East-West Corridor crosses the south-east and south through Kota, Chittorgarh and Udaipur towards Palanpur in Gujarat. The North-South Corridor has short stretches at Dholpur, between the UP border and Morena.
Uttar Pradesh holds parts of both, so cities in one state can sit on different corridors.
Key facts
- Lok Sabha answer, 3 August 2017: North-South Corridor, Srinagar to Kanniyakumari (4,000 km); East-West Corridor, Silchar to Porbandar (3,300 km).
- NHAI's North-South chart (status 31 May 2017) lists Delhi – Agra, a new Agra bypass and Agra – Raj/UP border stretches.
- In Rajasthan, the North-South chart lists Raj/UP border to Mania, Mania – Dholpur and Dholpur – Morena, including a Chambal bridge.
- NHAI's East-West chart lists Ayodhya – Lucknow, Lucknow – Kanpur and Kanpur – Bhognipur stretches in Uttar Pradesh.
- In Rajasthan, the East-West chart runs from the RJ/MP border to Kota, then to Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Gogunda and Swaroopganj.
Only Agra, option (2), is on the North-South Corridor. Stretches from NHAI's chainage charts, status 31 May 2017.
Study next
Common traps
- Guessing by state. Agra, Lucknow and Kanpur are all in Uttar Pradesh, but only Agra is on the North-South Corridor.
- Placing Kota on the North-South line. Kota is on the East-West chart; the North-South stretches in Rajasthan are around Dholpur.
- Forgetting the crossing point. Jhansi appears on both charts, so a city named on one corridor can also belong to the other.
A question can name four cities and ask which one lies on a given corridor, as this one does.
A question can also ask for a corridor's end points, arrange its cities from north to south, or ask where the two corridors meet.
Related PYQs
The East-West Corridor connect ________ to ________.
- (1) Imphal to Ahmedabad
- (2) Dimapur to Vadodara
- (3) Silchar to Porbandar
- (4) Guwahati to Kandla Port
Answer(3)
Same corridor programme, the other route. That item asks what the East-West Corridor connects (RPSC's key: option (3), Silchar to Porbandar); this one asks which city lies on the North-South Corridor, with three East-West cities as the wrong answers.
Practice
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which of the following cities lies on the East-West Corridor?
- (a)Gwalior
- (b)Nagpur
- (c)Kota
- (d)Agra
Answer(3) — NHAI's East-West chart lists the RJ/MP border to Kota and Kota to Chittorgarh. Option (1), Gwalior, option (2), Nagpur, and option (4), Agra, appear on the North-South chart instead. - practice — not a real PYQ
The North-South Corridor has stretches in which district of Rajasthan?
- (a)Kota
- (b)Dholpur
- (c)Chittorgarh
- (d)Udaipur
Answer(2) — NHAI's North-South chart lists Mania – Dholpur and Dholpur – Morena. Option (1), Kota, option (3), Chittorgarh, and option (4), Udaipur, are on the East-West Corridor's chart.