UPSC Prelims 2015— Question 17

Correct answer: Option B. The major West African Ebola outbreak that was prominent in international news in 2014 affected Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Ebola virus disease is a severe viral infection transmitted primarily through contact with infected bodily fluids. The question is testing recognition of the countries most prominently associated with that outbreak. Option-wise analysis: Option A: “Syria and Jordan” is incorrect. It does not match the specific fact, definition, institutional role, geographical association, or constitutional/economic principle required here. The key distinction is the one identified in the core explanation, so this option can be eliminated. Option B: “Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia” is correct. It directly matches the factual or conceptual requirement tested by the question and is supported by the principle explained above. Option C: “Philippines and Papua New Guinea” is incorrect. It does not match the specific fact, definition, institutional role, geographical association, or constitutional/economic principle required here. The key distinction is the one identified in the core explanation, so this option can be eliminated. Option D: “Jamaica, Haiti and Surinam” is incorrect. It does not match the specific fact, definition, institutional role, geographical association, or constitutional/economic principle required here. The key distinction is the one identified in the core explanation, so this option can be eliminated. Prelims takeaway: Focus on the precise institutional role, constitutional provision, geographical association, or technical definition being tested. UPSC questions often place a broadly familiar fact beside a narrowly incorrect qualifier; identifying that qualifier is essential for elimination.