Which of the following pairs of major sea ports of India and their characteristics are correctly matched? 1. Deendayal Port : Tidal Port 2. Jawaharlal Nehru Port : Landlocked Port 3. V.O. Chidambaranar Port : Artificial Deep-Sea Harbour 4. Paradip Port : Natural Shallow Water Port Select the answer using the code given below: (a) 1 and 3 only (b) 2 and 4 only (c) 1, 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

The correct pairs are 1 and 3.

• Deendayal Port (Kandla): Located in Gujarat, it is a major tidal port situated in the Gulf of Kutch, handling a significant volume of crude oil and petroleum.
• Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT): It is India's premier container port. The characteristic 'landlocked' is typically associated with Visakhapatnam Port, which is the deepest landlocked and protected port on the east coast.
• V.O. Chidambaranar Port (Tuticorin): It is an artificial deep-sea harbour in Tamil Nadu, functioning as an all-weather port.
• Paradip Port: Located in Odisha, it is a deep-water, all-weather port, not a shallow water port. It is a major hub for iron ore and coal exports.

Since only statements 1 and 3 are correctly matched, the correct option is A.