The Golden Quadrilateral is the national highway network that connects four major metropolitan cities in India. Which one of the following cities is not located on this Golden Quadrilateral road network?

Introduction / Context:
This question tests your awareness of important national highway projects in India, specifically the Golden Quadrilateral. The Golden Quadrilateral connects four major metropolitan cities and has played a key role in improving connectivity and economic integration. Knowing which cities lie on this network helps in both geography and infrastructure related general knowledge.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The project named Golden Quadrilateral links four major cities through high quality highways.
• The cities clearly identified with the project are New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.
• The options include those four metropolitan cities plus another prominent city, Chandigarh.
• Only one of the options is not on the main Golden Quadrilateral route.

Concept / Approach:
The basic concept is simple recall of the cities that form the vertices of the Golden Quadrilateral. The highway network forms a quadrilateral on the map of India, joining New Delhi in the north, Kolkata in the east, Chennai in the south and Mumbai in the west. Any city that is not one of these four, or not directly located on the main connecting highways between them, will be the correct answer. Chandigarh is an important planned city and capital of two states, but it is not one of the four nodal points of this network.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Golden Quadrilateral connects New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. Step 2: Compare each option with this list. Kolkata appears in the list, so it is on the Golden Quadrilateral. Step 3: Mumbai is also one of the four main cities of the project, so it lies on the Golden Quadrilateral. Step 4: New Delhi is the national capital and is definitely one of the four vertices of the network. Step 5: Chandigarh is not part of the original Golden Quadrilateral plan, even though it is well connected by other highways. Therefore it is the city that is not located on the Golden Quadrilateral.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can visualise a map of India with a large quadrilateral connecting north, east, south and west. If you place New Delhi at the north, Kolkata at the east, Chennai at the south and Mumbai at the west, you will notice that Chandigarh lies to the north of Delhi and is not one of the vertices. Standard geography and general studies books confirm that only these four metropolitan cities define the Golden Quadrilateral, which reinforces that Chandigarh is not on the main quadrilateral route.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Kolkata is one of the four principal nodes of the Golden Quadrilateral, forming the eastern vertex of the network.
Mumbai forms the western vertex of the Golden Quadrilateral and is directly on the route.
New Delhi is the northern vertex and a key starting point of the highway network.
Chennai forms the southern vertex of the quadrilateral and is included in the original design, so it cannot be the correct answer to a question asking for a city that is not located on the Golden Quadrilateral.

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent mistake is to confuse the Golden Quadrilateral with other highway projects like the North South and East West corridors, leading students to misplace cities like Chandigarh. Another pitfall is to assume that any major city must be on the Golden Quadrilateral because the project is very extensive. The best approach is to memorise the four main nodal cities and then quickly eliminate any option that appears among them. This avoids overthinking and reduces the chance of silly errors in the examination hall.

Final Answer:
The only city among the options that is not located on the Golden Quadrilateral road network is Chandigarh.