RAS question
Rajasthan ranks which position in India by area?
Correct answer: (A) 1st.
Rajasthan ranks first in India by area, with 342,239 square kilometres, or 10.4% of India's total area.
Explanation
Rajasthan is the largest state in India by area. The official Resident Commissioner Rajasthan profile describes Rajasthan as "India's largest state by area" and gives its area as 342,239 square kilometres, equal to 10.4% of India's total area. Option A, 1st, is therefore the right answer. In RAS geography, Rajasthan's area rank is not an isolated fact: the state's large area underlies many follow-up questions on its physical divisions, desert geography, boundaries, settlement pattern and resource distribution. The decisive point is simple: no lower rank matches Rajasthan's official position as India's largest state by area.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) 2nd is wrong because the Resident Commissioner Rajasthan profile places Rajasthan first, not second, among Indian states by area.
- (C) 3rd is wrong because Rajasthan's area of 342,239 square kilometres makes it India's largest state by area.
- (D) 5th is wrong because Rajasthan holds the top area rank among Indian states, so it cannot be fifth.
Concept
This tests the basic geographical profile of Rajasthan, especially area and rank among Indian states. It recurs in RAS because state geography questions often build from core location, area and physical-setting facts.