Question

There are two statements marked as Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Mark your answer as per the codes provided below:
Assertion (A): India is blessed with a large network of perennial rivers that over ages have created vast stretches of highly productive alluvial soil.
Reason (R): The Amarakosa, describes twelve types of lands according to the fertility of the soil, irrigation and physical characteristics.

• A. Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
• B. Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
• C. (A) is true, (R) is false.
• D. (A) is false, (R) is true.

Hint:

India’s fertile plains are shaped by natural forces, but classical texts like the Amarakosa show how deeply land and soil were studied in ancient times.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

India is geologically and geographically enriched with a network of rivers like the Ganga, Yamuna, Brahmaputra, and others that flow perennially. These rivers carry mineral-rich sediments from the Himalayas and deposit them across the Indo-Gangetic plains, forming alluvial soil—some of the most fertile lands in the world. Therefore, the Assertion (A) is true and supported by physical geography and agricultural history.
The Amarakosa, an ancient Sanskrit thesaurus compiled by Amarasimha, is an important lexical and encyclopedic text that categorizes a wide range of topics including soils and types of land. It mentions twelve classifications of land based on characteristics such as fertility, irrigation, and physical appearance. Hence, Reason (R) is also factually accurate.
However, the Reason (R) does not directly explain the Assertion. The productivity of alluvial soil is due to the action of perennial rivers, not because of how the soil is described in classical texts. So while both statements are true, R is not the correct explanation of A.