Which one of the following views corroborates the above statement?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) A strong Centre is a binding force for national integrity.
The Centre is the thread that holds the States together as a necklace; if it snaps, they scatter. So a strong Centre is the binding force that keeps the nation integrated.
- ✗ (a) The analogy says nothing about the States' strength; it stresses the Centre as the thread that binds.
- ✓ (b) The thread (Centre) turns the pearls (States) into a necklace (the nation); without it they scatter — a strong Centre binds the nation.
- ✗ (c) The statement does not present the Centre as an obstacle to the States.
- ✗ (d) State autonomy is not the point of the analogy.
Remember · In analogy items, map each image to its meaning (thread = Centre, pearls = States) and choose the view that follows from that mapping.
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2017, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·