National Highway 1, historically known as a part of the Sher Shah Suri Marg, connects the national capital Delhi to which important city in Punjab?

Introduction / Context:
National Highways form the main long distance road network of India. National Highway 1, in its older numbering, was a famous route in north India and has strong historical significance as part of the Sher Shah Suri Marg. This question tests knowledge of which major city in Punjab is connected to Delhi by this highway.

Given Data / Assumptions:
• The highway mentioned is National Highway 1 in its older classification. • It connects Delhi with a major city in Punjab. • Options list Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and Amritsar. • We focus on the classic school textbook description, not on the later renumbering of highways.

Concept / Approach:
In earlier geography syllabi, students learn that National Highway 1 connects Delhi with Amritsar in Punjab and is part of the historic Sher Shah Suri Marg. The other cities in the options are large metropolitan centres but lie in different directions and are connected by other national highways or parts of the Golden Quadrilateral. Therefore, the approach is to recall the northward extension from Delhi into Punjab and match it to the correct city.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Visualise the map of India with Delhi in the north and the state of Punjab to its north and north west. Step 2: Remember that the old NH 1 moved from Delhi through important towns like Panipat, Karnal, Ambala and Jalandhar into Punjab. Step 3: Recognise that Amritsar is a major city of Punjab near the India Pakistan border and a well known terminus of this highway. Step 4: Note that Chennai is in Tamil Nadu in the far south, Kolkata is in West Bengal in the east and Mumbai is in Maharashtra on the western coast. Step 5: Conclude that among the given options, Amritsar is the only city that matches the classic route of National Highway 1 from Delhi.

Verification / Alternative check:
In many exam oriented general knowledge books, the direct question National Highway 1 connects Delhi to which city is answered with Amritsar. It is also frequently mentioned that the combined route of previous NH 1 and NH 2 forms the Sher Shah Suri Marg. Such repeated emphasis in textbooks confirms Amritsar as the standard answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A: Chennai is connected to Delhi by a different national highway and is part of the southern segment of the Golden Quadrilateral, not by the old NH 1. Option B: Kolkata lies to the east of Delhi and is connected by another national highway, not by the north western corridor through Punjab. Option C: Mumbai lies to the south west of Delhi and is reached by a separate highway network, not by National Highway 1 that goes towards Punjab.

Common Pitfalls:
Some students get confused between the Golden Quadrilateral routes and older NH numbers, leading them to select a big metro like Mumbai or Kolkata at random. To avoid this, it is important to link each classic highway number with its traditional start and end cities, especially for frequently asked routes like NH 1.

Final Answer:
National Highway 1 connects Delhi to Amritsar in Punjab.