Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists : List I List II (Railway Zone) (Headquarters) A. South-Eastern 1. Secunderabad B. South-Central 2. Kolkata C. South-Western 3. Bilaspur D. South-East-Central 4. Hubli Code : A B C D

The Indian Railways is organized into several operational zones, each with a designated headquarters. According to official records, the South-Eastern Railway is headquartered at Garden Reach, Kolkata [4]. The South-Central Railway, established in 1966, has its headquarters in Secunderabad [2]. The South-Western Railway, which serves regions like Karnataka, is headquartered in Hubli [3]. Finally, the South-East-Central Railway, which is a vital zone for coal transportation, is headquartered in Bilaspur [3]. Matching these pairs: A (South-Eastern) corresponds to 2 (Kolkata), B (South-Central) to 1 (Secunderabad), C (South-Western) to 4 (Hubli), and D (South-East-Central) to 3 (Bilaspur). This sequence (2, 1, 4, 3) aligns with Option 1.

Sources

1. [1] INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: Transport and Communication > Table 7.2 : Indian Railways: Railway Zones and Headquarters > p. 79
2. [2] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 12: Transport, Communications and Trade > Table 12.3 > p. 15
3. [4] https://www.pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=168812
4. [3] https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/view_section.jsp?lang=0&id=0,1,304,366,533,1007,1012