With reference to the religious practices in India, the "Sthanakvasi" sect belongs to

The correct answer is B) Jainism. The Sthanakvasi is a sub-sect of the Shvetambara branch of Jainism. It arose in the 15th century under Lonka Shah, a reformer who rejected idol worship and the elaborate temple ritualism of his time. Its followers worship in sthanaks, plain prayer halls, rather than temples, and they keep the Jain emphasis on ahimsa and scriptural study.

• Buddhism (A): Buddhist sects are Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana and so on. Sthanakvasi has no place among them.
• Vaishnavism (C): This is a Hindu tradition centred on Vishnu and his avatars. It is not connected to Jain sects.
• Shaivism (D): This is a Hindu tradition centred on Shiva. Again, no link to the Sthanakvasi.

For Mains, this fits the theme of reform movements that challenged ritualism, a thread that runs from Jainism and Buddhism through the Bhakti and Sufi movements.

Trap: Aspirants often confuse the Shvetambara sub-sects (Sthanakvasi, Murtipujak, Terapanth) with the Digambara branch, or assume any sect with a Vaishnav-style name must be Hindu.