RAS question
Which is the busiest major port in India by cargo handled?
Correct answer: (C) Paradip Port.
Paradip Port in Odisha was India's busiest major port by cargo handled in FY 2023-24, with 145.38 MMT of cargo throughput.
Explanation
Paradip Port is the answer because the PIB release states that Paradip Port Authority recorded 145.38 MMT of cargo throughput in FY 2023-24 and moved past Deendayal Port, Kandla, to become the highest cargo-handling major port in India. The question turns on the phrase major port: it is not asking for the largest port when private ports are included. Total cargo must also be separated from container traffic, where Jawaharlal Nehru Port leads, while Mundra is a private port outside this major-port comparison. For RAS, the trap is the metric: total cargo, container traffic and all-India cargo including private ports can point to different names.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Mumbai Port is wrong because Mumbai handles less cargo than Paradip in this total cargo-handling comparison.
- (B) Kandla, officially Deendayal Port, is close, but the PIB release says Paradip moved past Deendayal Port in FY 2023-24 to become the top cargo-handling major port.
- (D) Jawaharlal Nehru Port is wrong because its lead is in container traffic, while the question asks about total cargo handled by major ports.
Concept
This tests Indian transport geography, especially the distinction between major ports, private ports, total cargo and container traffic. It recurs in RAS because port rankings are current-affairs-linked facts that change with the metric used.