RAS question
What is the geographical area of Rajasthan in lakh sq. km?
Correct answer: (B) 3.42 lakh sq. km.
Rajasthan's geographical area is 3.42 lakh sq. km, or 342,239 sq. km.
Explanation
Rajasthan covers 342,239 sq. km, which is conventionally written in exam options as 3.42 lakh sq. km. The official physiography page lists this figure in its table of main features and also gives Rajasthan's area as 10.4% of the area of the Indian Union. That distinction is the key to the MCQ: the question asks for the state's geographical area, not its percentage share in India. Therefore, 3.42 lakh sq. km is the right choice, while 10.41 belongs to the share-of-India fact and 32.87 lakh sq. km refers to India's total area as framed in the options.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) 10.41 is the percentage share of Rajasthan in India's geographical area, not Rajasthan's area in lakh sq. km.
- (C) 32.87 lakh sq. km is used here for India's total geographical area, whereas the question asks only for Rajasthan's area.
- (D) 3.22 lakh sq. km does not match the official Rajasthan area figure of 342,239 sq. km, which rounds to 3.42 lakh sq. km.
Concept
This tests the static geography fact of Rajasthan's area under the physiography of Rajasthan. It recurs in RAS because area, percentage share and all-India comparison figures are often placed together as close distractors.