Who among the following presided over the Buddhist Council held during the reign of Kanishka at…

Answer: (d) Vasumitra

The council held under Kanishka, accepted by the Sarvastivada school, was presided over by the scholar Vasumitra.

• ✓ (d) Vasumitra was named president of the council.
• ✗ (a) Parsva is another name from the tradition, but not the president.
• ✗ (b) Nagarjuna was a Mahayana philosopher, later.

Remember · Council in Kanishka's reign: Vasumitra president (Ashvaghosha deputy, as per tradition); Sarvastivada.

Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2001, General Studies paper. UPSC did not publish an answer key for 2001: the answer shown is the one the sources above support. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 24 Oct 2026 (how we verify). · Report an error