UPSC Prelims 2020— Question 16

This question tests panini, amarasimha and kalidasa. The key concept is: Panini is generally associated with the earlier ancient period and not specifically with Pushyamitra Shunga; Amarasimha is traditionally linked with the Gupta-era intellectual milieu rather than Harshavardhana; Kalidasa is commonly associated with the court of Chandragupta II. Hence only the third pairing is accepted. The verified answer for the uploaded Set-B paper is option C. Option A — 1 and 2 only: This is not the correct option. The option does not match the verified combination or conclusion. The decisive point is the distinction explained above: Panini is generally associated with the earlier ancient period and not specifically with Pushyamitra Shunga; Amarasimha is traditionally linked with the Gupta-era intellectual milieu rather than Harshavardhana; Kalidasa is commonly associated with the court of Chandragupta II. Hence only the third pairing is accepted. Therefore this alternative should be eliminated even if part of its wording appears plausible in isolation. Option B — 2 and 3 only: This is not the correct option. The option does not match the verified combination or conclusion. The decisive point is the distinction explained above: Panini is generally associated with the earlier ancient period and not specifically with Pushyamitra Shunga; Amarasimha is traditionally linked with the Gupta-era intellectual milieu rather than Harshavardhana; Kalidasa is commonly associated with the court of Chandragupta II. Hence only the third pairing is accepted. Therefore this alternative should be eliminated even if part of its wording appears plausible in isolation. Option C — 3 only: This is the correct option. It matches the verified conclusion because Panini is generally associated with the earlier ancient period and not specifically with Pushyamitra Shunga; Amarasimha is traditionally linked with the Gupta-era intellectual milieu rather than Harshavardhana; Kalidasa is commonly associated with the court of Chandragupta II. Hence only the third pairing is accepted. The wording of the option is consistent with the governing concept tested by the question. Option D — 1, 2 and 3: This is not the correct option. The option does not match the verified combination or conclusion. The decisive point is the distinction explained above: Panini is generally associated with the earlier ancient period and not specifically with Pushyamitra Shunga; Amarasimha is traditionally linked with the Gupta-era intellectual milieu rather than Harshavardhana; Kalidasa is commonly associated with the court of Chandragupta II. Hence only the third pairing is accepted. Therefore this alternative should be eliminated even if part of its wording appears plausible in isolation. For UPSC-style elimination, first identify the exact proposition being tested, then evaluate each statement independently before comparing the answer codes. Avoid treating a broad or absolute statement as correct merely because its general theme is familiar. The precise qualifiers in the question—such as 'all', 'only', 'cannot', 'largest', 'always' or a specific institutional role—often determine the answer. On that basis, option C is the verified answer.