Which of the following passes leads to Leh?

The correct answer is A. Zoji La, spelt Zozila in the question, is the high pass on the Srinagar–Leh stretch of National Highway 1 in Jammu and Kashmir, at about 3,528 m. It is the main road link between the Kashmir valley and Ladakh, and it closes in winter when snow blocks it.

Why the others are wrong:

• Shipki La lies on the Himachal Pradesh (Kinnaur) and Tibet border and links the Sutlej valley to Tibet. It is not on the Leh route.
• Chumbi Valley is a valley, not a pass. It lies in Tibet, south of the Sikkim and Bhutan junction, and is not connected to Leh.
• Banihal is a pass on the Jammu–Srinagar road, crossed by the Jawahar Tunnel route. It leads to the Kashmir valley, not to Ladakh.

Core concept: the major passes and the routes they carry into Ladakh and the Kashmir valley. For Mains GS-I (geography) and GS-III (border infrastructure), connect it to the Zojila tunnel project and what year-round connectivity would mean for Ladakh's economy and defence logistics.

Trap: candidates pick Shipki La or Banihal because both are famous Himalayan passes. Check which region each pass actually serves before choosing.