Consider the following pairs : Region often in news : Country 1. Chechnya : Russian Federation 2. Darfur : Mali 3. Swat Valley : Iraq Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
- (a) 1 only ✓ UPSC's answer
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Why the answer is (a)
• Chechnya is a republic of the Russian Federation in the North Caucasus, scene of two separatist wars (pair 1 correct).
• Darfur is a region of western Sudan, site of conflict since 2003 — not Mali (pair 2 wrong).
• The Swat Valley is in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, once held by the Taliban — not Iraq (pair 3 wrong).
• Hence 1 only, option (a).
Why the other options are wrong
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- Darfur is in Sudan and Swat in Pakistan.
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- Swat Valley is in Pakistan, not Iraq.
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
- Pairs 2 and 3 are wrong.
Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2014, held on 24 August 2014. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.