UPSC Prelims 2023— Question 98

This question tests Coups in Africa under Africa. The central point is All four countries experienced coups in the recent period. Option A: Discovery of rich deposits of rare earth elements. This distractor is not the keyed answer because it conflicts with the specific factual relationship, chronology, institutional role, geographic association or conceptual distinction tested in the question. Option B: Establishment of Chinese military bases. This distractor is not the keyed answer because it conflicts with the specific factual relationship, chronology, institutional role, geographic association or conceptual distinction tested in the question. Option C: Southward expansion of Sahara Desert. This distractor is not the keyed answer because it conflicts with the specific factual relationship, chronology, institutional role, geographic association or conceptual distinction tested in the question. Option D: Successful coups. This is the keyed answer because it matches the governing fact or concept: All four countries experienced coups in the recent period. The question should be approached by checking each statement independently rather than accepting a familiar phrase at face value. This is particularly important in UPSC questions where a single incorrect institutional attribution, location, chronology, absolute word or causal link can invalidate an otherwise plausible option. The broader revision takeaway is to connect the keyed answer with the underlying concept rather than memorizing only the letter. The options also illustrate how UPSC constructs distractors by mixing correct facts with one altered detail. In revision, candidates should therefore retain both the positive fact and the nearest contrasting fact so that the same concept can be recognized when the framing changes in another year.