Question map
Consider the following pairs : Area of conflict mentioned in news Country where it is located . Donbas : Syria Kachin : Ethiopia Tigray : North Yemen 1. 2. 3. How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 4 (None) because all three pairs are incorrectly matched based on their geographical locations.
- Donbas: This region is located in Ukraine, not Syria. It has been a major flashpoint of conflict between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists (and later the Russian military) since 2014.
- Kachin: This state is located in Myanmar, not Ethiopia. It is the site of a long-standing ethnic conflict between the Kachin Independence Army and the Myanmar military.
- Tigray: This region is located in Ethiopia, not North Yemen. It gained international attention due to the civil war that broke out in 2020 between the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front.
Since none of the regions are correctly paired with their respective countries, Option 4 is the only accurate choice. This question tests the candidate's awareness of global geopolitical hotspots frequently mentioned in current affairs.
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis looks like a pure Current Affairs question, but it is actually 66% Static Geography. 'Donbas' is a standard coal-steel region in GC Leong (Ch 28), and 'Kachin' is a standard border region in Majid Husain (Ch 16). Only Tigray required newspaper awareness. Strategy: Map every news headline to your static geography chapters.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Explicitly names the Donbas (Donetz) region as a region of Ukraine.
- Places Donbas in the context of major iron-and-steel areas, tying the region to Ukraine's industrial geography.
- Lists Donbas with the parenthetical country label 'Ukraine' among major steel/industrial regions.
- Reinforces the identification of Donbas as part of Ukraine's industrial landscape.
- Explicitly refers to 'On the Myanmar side' and lists 'Kachins' among actors there.
- Places Kachin-related insurgency activity across the India–Myanmar border context.
- Directly links the Tigray ceasefire agreement to Ethiopia's change in peacefulness.
- States Ethiopia recorded improvement because of the Tigray ceasefire, implying the conflict occurred in Ethiopia.
This snippet explicitly names Ethiopia among countries suffering severe environmental stress, so it places Ethiopia on the list of African countries discussed in the text.
A student who knows from world geography that Tigray is a regional name could combine this with the mention of Ethiopia to suspect the Tigray conflict is located in Ethiopia and then check a map or news source to verify.
This snippet states that many of the world's armed conflicts now take place in sub‑Saharan Africa, highlighting Africa as a common location for contemporary conflicts.
A student aware from current affairs that the Tigray conflict is discussed in international news could use this general pattern to prioritize checking African countries (e.g., Ethiopia) on a map or in news indexes.
The snippet notes newly independent countries faced significant internal military conflict and threats from within, illustrating that regional/internal conflicts often occur within African and Asian states.
A student could use this rule to infer that a named internal-area conflict (like 'Tigray') is likely an internal regional conflict within a specific country and so look up which country contains the Tigray region.
This snippet discusses a group called the 'Tiger' (LTTE) in Sri Lanka and shows how conflict region or group names can be similar; it highlights potential for name confusion between 'Tigray' and other conflict-related names.
A student should therefore be cautious about confusing similarly named conflicts and verify the regional/geographic attachment (e.g., check whether 'Tigray' refers to an Ethiopian region rather than 'Tiger' militants in Sri Lanka).
- [THE VERDICT]: Sitter. Donbas is explicitly in GC Leong (p. 290) and Kachin in Majid Husain (p. 49). Tigray was the biggest war of 2021-22.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: World Industrial Regions (Paper 1) + India's Border Management (Paper 3).
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Map these 'Conflict + Resource' regions: Kuzbas (Russia - Coal), Silesia (Poland - Coal), Saar & Ruhr (Germany - Coal), Kivu (DRC - Cobalt/Gold), Cabo Delgado (Mozambique - Gas), Rakhine & Chin State (Myanmar - Border security).
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: When a war breaks out, ask 'Is this region in my Geography book?' Donbas isn't just a war zone; it is the 'Donetz Basin' industrial hub. Linking News to Static Resources makes retention permanent.
Donbas is a major iron, steel and coal-producing region located in Ukraine.
High-yield for UPSC because resource geography explains economic significance and drivers of regional conflict; links physical geography (mineral resources) with economic development and security. Mastery helps answer questions on industrial regions, resource-related tensions, and regional economic maps.
- Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 28: Manufacturing Industry and The Iron and Steel Industry > Major lron and Steel areas of the world > p. 290
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 10: Locational Factors of Economic Activities > major Steel Plants of the World > p. 37
Ukraine experienced regional movements and internal conflicts after the Soviet breakup, a context relevant to the Donbas conflict.
Important for questions on internal security, separatism, and international relations in South and East Europe; connects historical breakup of USSR to contemporary geopolitics and foreign policy issues involving neighbouring powers. Useful for essays and policy-analysis questions.
- Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 1: The End of Bipolarity > Tensions and Conflicts > p. 10
- Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 28: Manufacturing Industry and The Iron and Steel Industry > Major lron and Steel areas of the world > p. 290
Kachin refers to an ethnic area and insurgency on the Myanmar side of the India–Myanmar border.
High-yield for questions on South Asian ethnic conflicts and geopolitics; helps link internal Myanmar unrest to regional security dynamics and cross-border implications for India. Useful for mapping conflict zones and explaining refugee/outflow patterns in contemporary affairs.
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 16: India–Political Aspects > India-Myanmar Boundary > p. 49
Insurgency and smuggling are highlighted as principal problems along the India–Myanmar border involving groups like the Kachins.
Important for explaining border management, security policy, and counter-insurgency challenges; connects to topics on internal security, bilateral relations, and border infrastructure. Enables answers on causes and cross-border spillovers of insurgencies.
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 16: India–Political Aspects > India-Myanmar Boundary > p. 49
- CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I ,Geography, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 1: India Size and Location > The number of Union Territories along the western and eastern coasts. > p. 4
Population flows such as Rohingya movement from Myanmar into neighbouring countries are noted, demonstrating regional refugee dynamics.
Relevant for questions on human security, migration policy, and humanitarian response; links to domestic politics, international law, and bilateral diplomacy with Bangladesh and India. Helps build answers on regional humanitarian crises and policy options.
- Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Contemporary South Asia > Ideas for the Teacher > p. 41
Regional conflicts named by area (for example Tigray) are often located in Africa, and sub‑Saharan Africa hosts the bulk of contemporary armed conflicts.
High-yield for UPSC: recognising which world regions concentrate armed conflict helps quickly place named conflicts geographically in prelims and frame analytical answers in mains on security and development. Connects to questions on humanitarian response, interstate relations, and regional stability.
- Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Security in the Contemporary World > New Sources of Threats > p. 74
Conflict-affected areas produce cross‑border movements that must be classified legally and operationally as refugees or migrants.
Important for UPSC: this distinction appears in questions on human security, international law, and disaster management; mastering it improves policy recommendations and answer precision on displacement caused by conflicts.
- Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Security in the Contemporary World > New Sources of Threats > p. 74
Kuzbas (Russia). It appears in the exact same paragraph as Donbas in GC Leong (p. 290) as a major Soviet coal-steel region. If Donbas is asked, Kuzbas is the logical next step for a 'Match the Region' question.
Linguistic Profiling: 'Donbas' (Don River Basin) sounds Slavic/Russian, not Arabic (Syria). 'Kachin' sounds Tibeto-Burman (like Chin/Mizo), not African (Ethiopia). 'Tigray' sounds distinct from Arab names (Yemen). Even without a map, the names clash phonetically with the countries.
Resource Geopolitics (GS-2/GS-1): Use Donbas and Kachin to argue that modern conflicts are often 'Resource Wars' disguised as ethnic conflicts. Donbas = Coal/Steel; Kachin = Jade/Timber. This adds depth to IR answers.