Correct answer: (b) 1 and 4
Explanation
- A
1 and 2
(a) 1 and 2. Aleppo is in Syria, but Kirkuk is in Iraq, not Yemen. Pair 2 is wrong, so this is not the key.
- B
1 and 4
(b) 1 and 4. (b) Official key: Aleppo is a Syrian city; Mazar-i-Sharif is in Afghanistan. Kirkuk is Iraqi, not Yemeni; Mosul is Iraqi, not Palestinian. Pairs 1 and 4 only are correct.
- C
2 and 3
(c) 2 and 3. Both Kirkuk–Yemen and Mosul–Palestine are mismatches. This is not the key.
- D
3 and 4
(d) 3 and 4. Pair 4 is right; pair 3 is not. This is not the key.
Summary. Official key is (b) 1 and 4. Aleppo–Syria and Mazar-i-Sharif–Afghanistan are correctly matched. Kirkuk and Mosul are in Iraq, not Yemen or Palestine. Honour the stored letter (b).
Same topic · past papers
UPSC has asked this before
These previous-year questions sit on the same topic. Open one to practise the earlier ask.