Explanation:

Correct matching:
– A. Lord Dalhousie (1848–1856) → 4. Doctrine of Lapse: Used to annex states like Satara, Jhansi, Nagpur; hallmark of his expansionist policy.
– B. Lord Curzon (1899–1905) → 3. Partition of Bengal: Implemented in 1905, leading to widespread nationalist agitation and Swadeshi movement.
– C. Lord William Bentinck (1828–1835) → 2. Prohibition of Sati: Abolished sati by Regulation XVII of 1829 in Bengal Presidency.
– D. Lord Cornwallis (1786–1793) → 1. Permanent Settlement of Bengal: Introduced in 1793 (Cornwallis Code), fixing land revenue with zamindars.

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect: Under Part IXA of the Constitution, Article 243V, the minimum age to be chosen as a member of a Municipality is 21 years, not 25 (25 applies to Legislative Assembly/ Lok Sabha).

Statement 2 is correct: Article 243T(3) provides that not less than one-third of the total seats to be filled by direct election in every Municipality shall be reserved for women (including SC/ST women). Some States have increased this to 50%, but the constitutional minimum is one-third. Hence, only Statement 2 is correct. Therefore, Option 3 is right;

Explanation:

Operation Brahma was an Indian humanitarian assistance mission launched in March 2025 specifically to aid Myanmar. Hence, among the listed countries, only Myanmar (statement 2) is correct. 

Explanation:

Highest peaks by state:
– Tamil Nadu: Doddabetta (Nilgiri Hills)
– Rajasthan: Guru Shikhar (Aravalli Range)
– Nagaland: Saramati (Indo-Myanmar border)
– Madhya Pradesh: Dhupgarh (Satpura, near Pachmarhi)

Thus A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1, which matches Option 4.

Explanation:

Assertion (A) is true: Fuse elements should have low melting point and relatively high resistivity so they heat up and melt quickly under overcurrent (I^2R heating). Low-cost domestic fuse wires commonly use a lead–tin (Sn–Pb) alloy for this reason.
Reason (R) is false: Sn–Pb alloys melt around 180–220°C (eutectic ~183°C), which is far below the melting points of copper (~1084°C) and aluminium (~660°C). Hence the claim that the alloy has a higher melting point than copper and aluminium is incorrect.

Thus, Option 3 is correct.

Explanation:

Areas (approx.):
– Haryana: ~44,212 sq km
– Punjab: ~50,362 sq km
– Uttarakhand: ~53,483 sq km
– Himachal Pradesh: ~55,673 sq km

Ascending order (smallest to largest): Haryana (1) < Punjab (3) < Uttarakhand (4) < Himachal Pradesh (2) → 1, 3, 4, 2.

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Uttar Pradesh is the largest potato-producing state in India, consistently contributing the highest share to national potato output.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The Union Government approved the South Asia Regional Centre (SARC) of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh—not an International Potato Center (CIP) SARC at Aligarh. CIP’s India/South Asia presence is through its office in New Delhi and collaborations with ICAR-CPRI (e.g., Modipuram/Meerut), but there is no Government-approved CIP SARC at Aligarh.

Explanation:

Chronology of statehood (earliest to latest):
– Nagaland (3): 1 December 1963 (State of Nagaland Act, 1962)
– Punjab (1): 1 November 1966 (present Punjab formed after Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966)
– Sikkim (4): 16 May 1975 (36th Constitutional Amendment; became the 22nd state)
– Arunachal Pradesh (2): 20 February 1987 (State of Arunachal Pradesh Act, 1986)

Thus the correct order is 3-1-4-2.

Explanation:

Devipatan Division (Mandal) in Uttar Pradesh comprises four districts: Bahraich, Balrampur, Gonda, and Shravasti. Therefore:
– Basti (1) is NOT in Devipatan; it belongs to Basti Division.
– Bahraich (2) is in Devipatan.
– Balrampur (3) is in Devipatan.
Hence, only 2 and 3 are correct.

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: The Himalayan region offers very large hydroelectric potential due to steep gradients, deep gorges, and perennial snow- and glacier-fed rivers (Indus–Ganga–Brahmaputra system). Most of India’s identified hydropower potential lies in the Himalayan states.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are part of the flat Ganga plain with very low river gradients; that physiography—not the fact that the Himalayas to their north lie in Nepal—is the primary reason they cannot develop large hydel projects within their territory. Moreover, hydropower in Nepal can, in principle, be harnessed through bilateral projects and power trade; some Indo–Nepal river agreements (e.g., Kosi, Gandak) already exist for water management, showing it is not an absolute “cannot.”

Therefore, only Statement 1 is correct.