By how much the maritime distance between India and Europe was reduced after the construction of the Suez Canal?

1. A

   5,000 km

   (a) 5,000 km. Five thousand kilometres understates the textbook shortening of the India–Europe sea route after Suez. It is not the key.

2. B

   7,000 km

   (b) 7,000 km. Opening the Suez Canal (1869) cut the India–Europe maritime distance by about 7,000 km on the figure stored for this paper, by avoiding the Cape of Good Hope. That letter is the official key.

3. C

   8,000 km

   (c) 8,000 km. Eight thousand is a neighbouring round figure used in some books, not the stored key here.

4. D

   10,000 km

   (d) 10,000 km. Ten thousand overshoots the usual school reduction. It is not the key.

Summary. Official key is (b) 7,000 km. This paper stores a 7,000 km cut in India–Europe sea distance after Suez. Five, eight and ten thousand kilometres are distractor round numbers. Neighbouring facts are 1869 opening, Port Said, Suez town and the Cape route. Honour 7,000 for this row.