UPSC Prelims 2026Question 73Security

Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched ?

Options

(a)3 corps — Dimapur
(b)4 corps — Tezpur
(c)14 corps — Leh
(d)33 corps — Srinagar

Correct answer: d

Decision rule

Kashmir Valley is 15 Corps and Jammu 16 Corps; corps 3, 4 and 33 are Eastern Command, headquartered in the North-East and at Siliguri.

Explanation

Correct Answer

(d) 33 Corps — Srinagar

Explanation of the Correct Answer

The question asks for the pair which is not correctly matched.

Indian Army Corps	Given Headquarters	Actual Headquarters	Verdict
3 Corps	Dimapur	Dimapur / Rangapahar, Nagaland	Correct
4 Corps	Tezpur	Tezpur, Assam	Correct
14 Corps	Leh	Leh, Ladakh	Correct
33 Corps	Srinagar	Sukna / Siliguri, West Bengal	Incorrect

Therefore, 33 Corps is not headquartered in Srinagar. It is headquartered at Sukna near Siliguri in West Bengal. Srinagar is the headquarters of 15 Corps, also known as the Chinar Corps.

Hence, the correct answer is (d).

Why Other Options Are Incorrect

Option	Pair	Verdict	Explanation
(a)	3 Corps — Dimapur	Incorrect option	This pair is correctly matched. 3 Corps is headquartered at Dimapur / Rangapahar in Nagaland.
(b)	4 Corps — Tezpur	Incorrect option	This pair is correctly matched. 4 Corps is headquartered at Tezpur in Assam.
(c)	14 Corps — Leh	Incorrect option	This pair is correctly matched. 14 Corps, also called the Fire and Fury Corps, is headquartered at Leh.
(d)	33 Corps — Srinagar	Correct option	This pair is not correctly matched. 33 Corps is headquartered at Sukna / Siliguri, not Srinagar.

Relevant Supplementary Information

Important Indian Army Corps and Headquarters

Corps	Popular Name	Headquarters	Broad Strategic Area
3 Corps	Spear Corps	Dimapur / Rangapahar	North-East India
4 Corps	Gajraj Corps	Tezpur	Assam-Arunachal sector
14 Corps	Fire and Fury Corps	Leh	Ladakh, Siachen and eastern Ladakh sector
15 Corps	Chinar Corps	Srinagar	Kashmir Valley
16 Corps	White Knight Corps	Nagrota	Jammu region
33 Corps	Trishakti Corps	Sukna / Siliguri	North Bengal, Sikkim and Siliguri Corridor

Corps	Popular Name	Headquarters	Command	Broad Strategic Area
1 Corps	Strike Corps	Mathura, Uttar Pradesh	South Western Command	Offensive / strike role
2 Corps	Kharga Corps	Ambala, Haryana	Western Command	Offensive / strike role
3 Corps	Spear Corps	Rangapahar / Dimapur, Nagaland	Eastern Command	North-East India
4 Corps	Gajraj Corps	Tezpur, Assam	Eastern Command	Assam-Arunachal sector
9 Corps	Rising Star Corps	Yol, Himachal Pradesh	Western Command	Jammu-Pathankot sector
10 Corps	Chetak Corps	Bathinda, Punjab	South Western Command	Punjab-Rajasthan sector
11 Corps	Vajra Corps	Jalandhar, Punjab	Western Command	Punjab sector
12 Corps	Konark Corps	Jodhpur, Rajasthan	Southern Command	Rajasthan-Gujarat desert sector
14 Corps	Fire and Fury Corps	Leh, Ladakh	Northern Command	Ladakh, Kargil, Siachen
15 Corps	Chinar Corps	Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir	Northern Command	Kashmir Valley
16 Corps	White Knight Corps	Nagrota, Jammu & Kashmir	Northern Command	Jammu region
21 Corps	Sudarshan Chakra Corps	Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh	Southern Command	Strike / offensive formation
33 Corps	Trishakti Corps	Sukna / Siliguri, West Bengal	Eastern Command	North Bengal, Sikkim, Siliguri Corridor

3 Corps is listed at Rangapahar/Dimapur, 4 Corps at Tezpur, and 33 Corps at Siliguri/Sukna under Eastern Command in organisational references. The common exam trap is that Srinagar is associated with 15 Corps, not 33 Corps.

Key Takeaways from the Table

33 Corps is not in Srinagar; it is headquartered at Sukna / Siliguri.
Srinagar is associated with 15 Corps, not 33 Corps.
14 Corps = Leh is important for Ladakh and high-altitude frontier areas.
3 Corps and 4 Corps are linked with the North-East and Eastern Command.

Context and Current Relevance

Indian Army corps headquarters are strategically located near sensitive border regions.
Sukna / Siliguri is important because of the Siliguri Corridor, also known as India’s “Chicken’s Neck”.
Leh, Srinagar, Nagrota, Tezpur and Dimapur are key military locations due to India’s frontier security concerns with Pakistan, China and insurgency-affected regions.

Corps headquarters are placed according to India’s strategic geography and frontier security requirements.
Sukna/Siliguri is strategically important because it lies near the Siliguri Corridor, which connects mainland India with the North-East.
Leh, Srinagar, Nagrota, Tezpur and Dimapur remain important military locations due to security concerns along sensitive border regions.

Table: Indian Army Commands and Headquarters

Command	Headquarters	Broad Area of Responsibility
Northern Command	Udhampur	Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh and northern borders
Western Command	Chandimandir	Western border sector, mainly Punjab-Himachal-Jammu belt
South Western Command	Jaipur	Rajasthan-Punjab sector
Southern Command	Pune	Southern and western India
Eastern Command	Kolkata	North-East India, Sikkim and eastern borders
Central Command	Lucknow	Central India and administrative responsibilities
Army Training Command	Shimla	Training, doctrine and military education

The Indian Army operates through six operational commands and one training command, with Army Headquarters in New Delhi.

Key Takeaways from the Tables

Point to Remember	Explanation
33 Corps = Sukna / Siliguri	Not Srinagar; this was the incorrect pair in the question.
15 Corps = Srinagar	Known as the Chinar Corps and associated with Kashmir Valley.
14 Corps = Leh	Known as Fire and Fury Corps; important for Ladakh, Kargil and Siachen.
3 Corps = Dimapur / Rangapahar	Important for North-East India.
4 Corps = Tezpur	Important for Assam-Arunachal frontier sector.
Eastern Command has 3, 4 and 33 Corps	These are linked to North-East, Arunachal, Sikkim and Siliguri Corridor.

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