India is one of the founding members of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multimodal transportation corridor, which will connect
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) India to Central Asia to Europe via Iran
The INSTC is a multi-modal route from the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf through Iran to the Caspian Sea and on to Russia and northern Europe, and it is also meant to link India with Central Asia. So 'India to Central Asia to Europe via Iran' fits, while none of the other options runs through Iran.
- ✓ (a) Iran is the core of the corridor. The government describes it as a route via Iran to the Caspian Sea and onward to Russia and northern Europe, and as a way to connect India to Russia and Central Asian countries.
- ✗ (b) The corridor goes through Iran, not China.
- ✗ (c) The corridor runs west from India through Iran; a route to South-East Asia through Bangladesh and Myanmar is a different, eastern link.
- ✗ (d) Leaving out Iran misses the corridor's essential link, and this option also leaves out Central Asia.
Remember · INSTC: multi-modal India–Iran–Caspian–Russia–Europe corridor that also links India to Central Asia; Chabahar port in Iran is its Indian gateway.
Sources
- PIB, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (19 Jan 2023): Workshop on 'Linking Chabahar Port with INSTC' ↗ “The International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a multi-modal transportation route linking the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea via Iran and onward to northern Europe via St. Petersburg in Russia. … Successful activation of the corridor will help connect India to Russia and Central Asian countries.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2025, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·