Question 73 from UPSC CSE 2023 - Current Affairs

Question

With reference to India's projects on connectivity, consider the following statements:
1. East-West Corridor under the Golden Quadrilateral Project connects Dibrugarh and Surat.
2. Trilateral Highway connects Moreh in Manipur and Chiang Mai in Thailand via Myanmar.
3. Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor connects Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh with Kunming in China.
How many of the above statements are correct?

IASCODEX · Accepted Answer

Correct Option: D. None of the above statements is correct

Strategy: - Consult precise knowledge of terminal cities and routes for major connectivity projects.
- Verify the East-West Corridor (Golden Quadrilateral) runs from Silchar to Porbandar, not Dibrugarh to Surat.
- Confirm the Trilateral Highway's Thai terminus as Mae Sot, not Chiang Mai.
- Identify Kolkata as the Indian terminal for the BCIM corridor, not Varanasi.
- Based on these verifications, conclude that all given statements are incorrect.

Key Info: ## East-West Corridor
Part of the National Highways Development Project and Golden Quadrilateral, this corridor officially runs from Silchar (Assam) in the east to Porbandar (Gujarat) in the west. It covers key cities across north and central India and does not connect Dibrugarh or Surat.

## Golden Quadrilateral
India's flagship highway network connects Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata. It features two primary diagonals:
*   **East-West Corridor**: Silchar-Porbandar
*   **North-South Corridor**: Srinagar-Kanyakumari

## Trilateral Highway (India-Myanmar-Thailand)
The IMT Trilateral Highway aims to connect Moreh in Manipur (India) to Mae Sot in Thailand, via Tamu and Mandalay in Myanmar and Bagan. Chiang Mai is not on the proposed route; Mae Sot is the endpoint in Thailand. The highway is still under construction, with ongoing bilateral discussions for further extension.

## Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCIM)
This multi-nation connectivity initiative is designed to link Kunming (Yunnan Province, China) to Kolkata (India), passing through Mandalay (Myanmar) and Dhaka (Bangladesh). The proposed corridor does not extend to Varanasi; Kolkata is the principal Indian node. Its primary aim is to deepen economic coordination through improved road, rail, and port connectivity.

These connectivity projects are significant for India's regional integration and act as trade corridors. Accurate knowledge of their alignment and endpoints is essential for evaluating related statements.

IASCODEX · Answer

Option A: Only one

IASCODEX · Answer

Option B: Only two

IASCODEX · Answer

Option C: All three