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RAS question

The Asian Highway Network (AH Network) is a cooperative project among Asian countries under UNESCAP. Which of the following statements about the AH Network is INCORRECT?

Correct answer: (D) India is not a member of the Asian Highway Network, as it has not ratified the Intergovernmental Agreement..

India is a member of the Asian Highway Network because it ratified the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Asian Highway Network, so the statement that India is not a member is incorrect.

  1. (A)

    The Asian Highway 1 (AH1) is the longest route in the network, stretching about 20,557 km from Tokyo, Japan to the Turkey–Bulgaria border.

  2. (B)

    The AH Network consists of 55 routes with a total length of approximately 143,000 km, spanning 32 countries.

  3. (C)

    The AH Network was established by a formal Intergovernmental Agreement that came into force in 2005.

  4. (D)

    India is not a member of the Asian Highway Network, as it has not ratified the Intergovernmental Agreement.

Explanation

The incorrect statement is the one about India not being a member. India has ratified the Intergovernmental Agreement, and several Asian Highway routes pass through India, including AH1, AH2, AH43, AH45, AH46, AH47 and AH48, with about 8,000 km of AH-designated roads. The United Nations Treaty Collection lists the treaty as the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Asian Highway Network, records its entry into force on 4 July 2005, and shows India first signing it on 27 April 2004 and then ratifying it on 16 February 2006, with effect from 17 May 2006. Therefore, India's non-membership is not a valid claim.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (A) AH1 is the network's longest route, about 20,557 km from Tokyo to the Turkey-Bulgaria border, so this is not the incorrect statement.
  • (B) The AH Network has 55 designated routes, about 143,000 km in total length and coverage across 32 countries, so this description is correct.
  • (C) The UN Treaty Collection identifies the formal Intergovernmental Agreement on the Asian Highway Network and records its entry into force on 4 July 2005, so this statement is correct.

Concept

This tests international transport corridors and treaty-based regional connectivity under UNESCAP. RAS repeats such themes because they link world geography with India's connectivity, trade routes and multilateral institutions.

Source

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