UPSC Prelims 2014— Question 21

Correct answer: Option A. India has important coral reef ecosystems around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Gulf of Kachchh and the Gulf of Mannar. The Sundarbans are dominated by mangrove wetland ecosystems and are not a coral-reef region. Hence 1, 2 and 3 are correct. Option A: Correct. This option is consistent with the governing fact or the valid combination identified in the question. The option reads: “1, 2 and 3 only” Option B: Incorrect. This option does not match the verified answer because its proposition, location, institution, sequence, or combination conflicts with the relevant fact tested in the question. The option reads: “2 and 4 only” Option C: Incorrect. This option does not match the verified answer because its proposition, location, institution, sequence, or combination conflicts with the relevant fact tested in the question. The option reads: “1 and 3 only” Option D: Incorrect. This option does not match the verified answer because its proposition, location, institution, sequence, or combination conflicts with the relevant fact tested in the question. The option reads: “1, 2, 3 and 4” The key Prelims lesson is to test each proposition independently before selecting the combination. Where the question uses words such as 'only', 'all', 'none', 'always' or a precise institutional/geographical association, a single inaccurate component is sufficient to eliminate the option. The answer recorded here follows the official answer key for the question-paper series represented by the uploaded source and has been cross-checked against an independent published key. The explanation is intended for conceptual revision rather than as a reproduction of any third-party solution.