Which one of the following pairs of thermal power projects and states is correctly matched?

Introduction / Context:
India has numerous thermal power projects located close to coalfields or natural gas reserves. Many competitive examinations check whether candidates can correctly match these projects with the states in which they are located. This question asks you to pick the one correctly matched pair out of four, so you must know at least one accurate association or be able to eliminate mismatches using your knowledge of both geography and energy infrastructure.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Four pairs of thermal power projects and states are given.
• Korba is known to be in Chhattisgarh.
• Ramagundam is located in the Telangana region.
• Talcher is located in Odisha.
• Kawas is a gas based power project in the state of Gujarat.

Concept / Approach:
The key to this question is to recall at least one or two well known locations. Korba thermal power project is linked with Korba coalfield in Chhattisgarh, not Uttar Pradesh. Ramagundam super thermal power station is in the Godavari valley region, now in Telangana, not in Tamil Nadu. Talcher is a major coalfield and thermal power location in Odisha, not Andhra Pradesh. Kawas is a gas based combined cycle power plant near Surat in Gujarat. Therefore, the only correctly matched pair in the options is Kawas and Gujarat.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Check option A. Korba is known to be in Chhattisgarh, so pairing it with Uttar Pradesh is incorrect.Step 2: Check option B. Ramagundam lies in the Telangana region, not Tamil Nadu, so this pair is incorrect.Step 3: Check option C. Talcher is located in Odisha, not Andhra Pradesh, so this pair is also incorrect.Step 4: Check option D. Kawas is associated with Gujarat, which makes this pair correctly matched and the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
As an alternative check, you can visualise the map of India and recall the approximate locations of these projects. Korba lies in central India, Ramagundam in south central India, Talcher in eastern India and Kawas on the western coast near Gujarat. When you match these geographic placements with the states listed in the options, only Kawas with Gujarat aligns correctly. Using this mental mapping technique helps confirm your answer even if you are not fully sure about every other pair.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A is wrong because Korba is not in Uttar Pradesh; it is in Chhattisgarh. Option B is wrong because Ramagundam is not in Tamil Nadu; it lies in Telangana. Option C is wrong because Talcher is not in Andhra Pradesh; it is in Odisha. Only option D is accurate, as Kawas is indeed a major thermal power station in Gujarat, making it the only correctly matched pair in the question.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes answer such questions by guessing based on linguistic familiarity between project names and states, which can be misleading. Another pitfall is not keeping up with state reorganisation, such as the creation of Telangana out of Andhra Pradesh, which changes the correct state association for projects like Ramagundam. Regularly reviewing updated maps and a table of major power projects by state can significantly reduce mistakes in this type of question.

Final Answer:
The only correctly matched pair is Kawas – Gujarat.