UPSC CIVIL SERVICES PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION

UPSC Prelims 2021— Question 62

2021General Studies Paper-IHistoryAncient IndiaIndus Valley Civilizationeasy
Q62

Question

Which one of the following ancient towns is well-known for its elaborate system of water harvesting and management by building a series of dams and channelizing water into connected reservoirs?

Options

A
Dholavira✓ Correct Answer
B
Kalibangan
C
Rakhigarhi
D
Ropar
AnswerOption A

Explanation

Dholavira, a major Harappan site in present-day Gujarat, is renowned for sophisticated water-management infrastructure, including reservoirs, channels, dams and storage systems. The site's adaptation to a semi-arid environment makes its hydraulic engineering particularly important. Kalibangan, Rakhigarhi and Ropar are important Harappan sites but do not match the specific description as closely. The final answer-key position for Set C identifies option A as the correct option. Option A — Dholavira — is correct because it is the alternative that matches the constitutional, historical, geographical, scientific or economic principle established above. Option B — Kalibangan — 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 — Rakhigarhi — 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 — Ropar — 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.

Question Classification

SubjectHistory
TopicAncient India
SubtopicIndus Valley Civilization
Question TypeSingle-answer conceptual/factual
Difficultyeasy
VerificationVerified