UPSC Prelims 2021— Question 59

Ajanta caves are located in a horseshoe-shaped gorge cut by the Waghora River in Maharashtra. Sanchi is not in the gorge of the Chambal, Pandu-lena caves are associated with the Dhammagiri/Trimbakeshwar region rather than the Narmada gorge, and Amaravati is on the Krishna rather than the Godavari. Therefore the Ajanta-Waghora statement is correct. The final answer-key position for Set C identifies option A as the correct option. Option A — Ajanta Caves lie in the gorge of Waghora river. — is correct because it is the alternative that matches the constitutional, historical, geographical, scientific or economic principle established above. Option B — Sanchi Stupa lies in the gorge of Chambal river. — is not correct because it does not satisfy the specific condition tested in the question; it represents an alternative that is contradicted, incomplete, or less precise than the accepted answer. Option C — Pandu-lena Cave Shrines lie in the gorge of Narmada river. — is not correct because it does not satisfy the specific condition tested in the question; it represents an alternative that is contradicted, incomplete, or less precise than the accepted answer. Option D — Amaravati Stupa lies in the gorge of Godavari river. — is not correct because it does not satisfy the specific condition tested in the question; it represents an alternative that is contradicted, incomplete, or less precise than the accepted answer. For PYQ interpretation, the distinction between the correct alternative and merely related facts is important. UPSC often places plausible distractors beside the precise statement that matches the underlying rule, chronology, definition or empirical relationship. The answer should therefore be read against the exact wording of the question rather than against a broadly related fact.