UPSC Prelims 2014— Question 45

Correct answer: Option C. Kosala and Magadha were major kingdoms directly associated with the life and teaching career of the Buddha. Avanti was also an important contemporary Mahajanapada, but the official answer to this question identifies Kosala and Magadha as the relevant kingdoms in the stated context. Gandhara was not one of the kingdoms intended by the answer combination. Option A: 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 and 3” 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” Option C: Correct. This option is consistent with the governing fact or the valid combination identified in the question. The option reads: “3 and 4 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, 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.