RAS question
Khyber Pass is located in:
Correct answer: (C) Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Khyber Pass is located on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, linking the Peshawar area with the route towards Jalalabad and Kabul.
Explanation
Khyber Pass is the correct answer because it lies on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, not on any Indian border. It connects Pakistan's Peshawar with Afghanistan's Jalalabad, and Encyclopaedia Britannica describes the pass as a route between Peshawar in Pakistan and Kabul in Afghanistan. This is why the pass is remembered in Indian geography and history: it was a major gateway through which invasions entered the Indian subcontinent. The question tests location rather than present political control, so the key point is the border setting. Bolan Pass is a separate important pass in Balochistan and should not be confused with Khyber.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The India-Nepal border is unrelated to Khyber Pass, which lies on the Pakistan-Afghanistan route according to Encyclopaedia Britannica.
- (B) The India-China border has Himalayan passes, but Khyber Pass is not one of them because it connects the Peshawar side with Afghanistan.
- (D) The India-Pakistan border is wrong because Khyber Pass is west of Pakistan's main settled plains, on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border rather than between India and Pakistan.
Concept
This tests the map-based location of important mountain passes, a recurring RAS prelims theme because passes connect physical geography with routes of invasion, trade and strategic movement. Khyber is a classic example where geography and history overlap.