RAS question
Rajasthan constitutes what percentage of India's total area?
Correct answer: (A) 10.4%.
Rajasthan constitutes about 10.4% of India's total area, making it the country's largest state by area.
Explanation
Rajasthan's share of India's area is about 10.4%. The official Rajasthan Factfile states that Rajasthan is the largest state in the country in terms of area and is spread over about 3.42 lakh square kilometres, which is 10.41% of India's total land area. That directly supports option A, because 10.41% rounds to 10.4%. In exam terms, Rajasthan covers roughly 3.42 lakh sq km out of India's 32.87 lakh sq km. For RAS, the key is not just the percentage but the link between the percentage, the absolute area, and Rajasthan's rank as the largest Indian state by area.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) 15.4% overstates Rajasthan's share of India; Rajasthan Factfile gives 10.41%, not a figure in the mid-teens.
- (C) 5.4% is too low because Rajasthan's official area share is about 10.41%, almost double this option.
- (D) 8.4% is closer than the other wrong options but still misses the official figure of about 10.41%, which rounds to 10.4%.
Concept
This tests the basic physiographic profile of Rajasthan: area, percentage share in India, and state ranking. It recurs in RAS because such fixed Rajasthan geography facts anchor map questions, comparative state facts, and introductory state-profile MCQs.