Explanation
- A
Only one
Only one. Relics and votive use both hold; origin is the miss.
- B
Only two
Only two. Stupa as relic-chamber and as votive/commemorative in Buddhism. The form is not Buddhist in origin — pre-Buddhist burial mounds exist.
- C
All three
All three. Statement 1 over-claims origin.
- D
None
None. Relic and commemorative uses are standard.
Summary. Official key is (b) only two. A stupa commonly holds relics and serves as a votive and commemorative Buddhist monument. Mound burial predates Buddhism, so ‘Buddhist in origin’ is the false limb.
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.