Which among the following is not correctly matched?

The correct answer is A. Nathu La is a high-altitude pass on the Indo-China border in Sikkim, not Arunachal Pradesh. It was part of the old Silk Route and was reopened for border trade in 2006, which makes it a useful current-affairs link.

Now the others:

• Lipulekh is a pass in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, and it lies on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route. Correctly matched.
• Rohtang pass lies on the Pir Panjal range near Manali in Himachal Pradesh, linking Kullu with Lahaul and Spiti. Correctly matched.
• Palghat gap is a break in the Western Ghats in Kerala, between the Nilgiris and Anaimalai hills, connecting Kerala with Tamil Nadu. Correctly matched.

The core concept is the location of Himalayan and Western Ghats passes. For Mains, Nathu La and Lipulekh matter for India-China border trade and boundary issues, relevant to GS-II and GS-III.

Trap: Candidates associate eastern Himalayan passes with Arunachal Pradesh, as with Bum La or Sela, and assume Nathu La belongs there too. Match each pass to its state separately.