Aspirant Academy
ENHI

RAS question

Nathu La pass connects India with which country?

Correct answer: (C) China (Tibet).

Nathu La Pass in Sikkim connects India with China through Tibet.

  1. (A)

    Nepal

  2. (B)

    Myanmar

  3. (C)

    China (Tibet)

  4. (D)

    Bhutan

Explanation

Nathu La is a high mountain pass in Sikkim on the eastern Chola range. The official Sikkim tourism plan identifies Nathu La and Jelep La as important passes, with both leading to the Chumbi Valley in Tibet. These passes formed part of the trade route between India and Tibet till 1962; Nathu La was closed after the 1962 Sino-Indian War and reopened for limited trade in 2006. The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India describes the Gangtok-Nathu La highway as part of the old trade route from India to China. Therefore, the country-linked answer is China, specifically the Tibet side of China.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (A) Nepal is west of Sikkim, and no major pass connects Sikkim directly to Nepal through Nathu La.
  • (B) Myanmar is linked with north-eastern India through other passes such as Pangsau Pass, not through Nathu La in Sikkim.
  • (D) Bhutan is not the Nathu La connection; the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India separates the first two Chola-range passes leading to Tibet from the third route leading to Bhutan.

Concept

This tests the Indian geography theme of Himalayan passes and their cross-border links. It recurs in RAS because Sikkim's passes connect physical geography with India-China border history and trade routes.

Source

Related questions