Correct Option: (c) Buddhist chanting of Ladakh is correctly associated with the Ladakh region (earlier part of Jammu & Kashmir), reflecting recitation practices of Buddhist texts in trans-Himalayan Ladakh.
Wrong Option Notes:
(a) Chhau dance spans West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha; linking it only with Odisha is incomplete.
(b) Kalbelia folk songs and dances are traditions of Rajasthan, not Gujarat.
(d) Ramman, a religious festival and ritual theatre, belongs to the Garhwal Himalayas in Uttarakhand, not Rajasthan.
1. All Indian elements inscribed before 2010 belong exclusively to the domains of performing arts or oral traditions.
2. Among India’s ICH inscriptions, festival-based elements were added only after India had entries in traditional crafts.
3. None of India’s ICH inscriptions so far have been placed in UNESCO’s Register of Good Safeguarding Practices.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Correct Option: Statement 3 is correct. India currently has entries only on the Representative List; it has no element on the Urgent Safeguarding List or the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices.
Why others are wrong:
Statement 1 – Incorrect: Ramman (2009) is classified as a festival/ritual theatre, not purely a performing art or oral tradition.
Statement 2 – Incorrect: Ramlila (2008) and Ramman (2009) are festival-based inscriptions that precede the first traditional craft entry (Thatheras, 2014).
| List I (Element) | List II (Primary domain) |
|---|---|
| A. Sankirtana of Manipur | 1. Knowledge and practices concerning nature |
| B. Thatheras of Jandiala Guru | 2. Traditional craftsmanship |
| C. Buddhist chanting of Ladakh | 3. Oral traditions and expressions |
| D. Yoga | 4. Performing arts |
Codes:
A–4: Sankirtana involves ritual singing, drumming, and dancing and is therefore classified under Performing arts.
B–2: Thatheras is a traditional metal utensil-making practice, which falls under Traditional craftsmanship.
C–3: Buddhist chanting of Ladakh centres on recitation and intergenerational transmission of sacred texts, fitting the domain of Oral traditions and expressions.
D–1: Yoga is classified by UNESCO under Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe.
Option (c) – Correct: A rising Herfindahl–Hirschman Index (HHI) signifies increasing concentration of exports among a few States. This indicates that export performance is increasingly reflecting pre-existing logistical, industrial and institutional advantages rather than serving as a convergence mechanism for lagging regions.
Option (a) – Incorrect: A rising HHI implies greater concentration, not a more even distribution of export competitiveness.
Option (b) – Incorrect: RBI findings explicitly show that lagging States are not catching up with leading exporters, which is inconsistent with an increase in HHI.
Option (d) – Incorrect: Internal concentration of exports across States does not necessarily imply a decline in India’s global export share, which has in fact increased.
Option (a) – Correct: The core–periphery framework refers to a situation where a small cluster of coastal and industrialised States, particularly in western and southern India, are deeply integrated into global value chains, while large northern and eastern States remain weakly connected to the export economy.
Option (b) – Incorrect: RBI data clearly shows rising regional unevenness in exports, not an even distribution across States.
Option (c) – Incorrect: Although some inland States have large populations, demographic size has not translated into export leadership.
Option (d) – Incorrect: The observed export concentration is structural in nature and cannot be explained by temporary or cyclical demand shocks in global markets.
1. A rising share of exports from a small number of States implies increasing geographic concentration of export activity.
2. An increase in the Herfindahl–Hirschman Index (HHI) for exports indicates declining diversification across exporting regions.
3. Export concentration across States necessarily implies lower overall export growth for the country.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Statement 1 – Correct: Nearly 70% of India’s exports now originate from just five States, up from about 65% five years earlier, clearly indicating rising geographic concentration of export activity.
Statement 2 – Correct: The Herfindahl–Hirschman Index (HHI) is a standard measure of concentration. A rising HHI unambiguously signifies declining diversification and a more top-heavy export structure across States.
Statement 3 – Incorrect: Greater concentration across exporting States does not mechanically lead to lower aggregate export growth. India’s exports have reached record highs despite increasing concentration.