Which one of the following towns is not situated on the Varanasi to Kanyakumari National Highway route?

Introduction / Context:
National Highways form the backbone of long distance road transport in India. The former Varanasi to Kanyakumari National Highway (earlier numbered NH 7 and now largely part of NH 44) is one of the longest and most important north south corridors. Exams often test which major cities lie on a specific highway and which ones do not, in order to check a candidate's understanding of transport geography and mental mapping skills.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The highway in question connects Varanasi in the north to Kanyakumari in the south.
• The options are Satna, Rewa, Katni, Jabalpur (all in Madhya Pradesh), and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.
• We assume the alignment corresponding to the well known Varanasi to Kanyakumari route used in standard exam references.

Concept / Approach:
The approach requires knowing the key cities along the old NH 7 alignment. The classic route from Varanasi to Kanyakumari passed through Mangawan, Rewa, Katni, Jabalpur, Lakhnadon, Seoni, Nagpur, and then further south. Satna, although an important town in Madhya Pradesh, lies on a different alignment and is not directly on this national highway route. Therefore, we must recognise which towns are correctly on the corridor and identify the one that is off the route.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the traditional Varanasi to Kanyakumari highway passes from Uttar Pradesh into Madhya Pradesh near Mangawan. Step 2: From Mangawan, the highway goes through Rewa, then continues towards Katni and Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. Step 3: Recognise that Rewa, Katni, and Jabalpur are all major waypoints on this corridor and are widely documented as being on the Varanasi to Kanyakumari National Highway. Step 4: Satna, although geographically not far from Rewa, lies on a different route and is not on the main Varanasi to Kanyakumari corridor. Step 5: Kanyakumari is the southern terminal point of this highway, so it is clearly part of the route and cannot be the correct answer to a not situated question.

Verification / Alternative check:
If one consults the description of NH 7 or the current NH 44, the list of important towns includes Varanasi, Rewa, Katni, Jabalpur, and then further cities in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, ending at Kanyakumari. Satna does not appear in this standard alignment list. Being careful to rely on authoritative maps or highway charts confirms that Satna is not located on the Varanasi to Kanyakumari National Highway, while the others are.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Rewa in Madhya Pradesh: Listed as a major town on the Varanasi to Kanyakumari route.
• Katni in Madhya Pradesh: Also an important stop along the highway, connecting further to Jabalpur.
• Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh: A major city on the route that later connects the corridor towards southern India.
• Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu: The southern end point of the highway, obviously part of the route.

Common Pitfalls:
Many candidates are aware that Satna and Rewa are both in northeastern Madhya Pradesh and may assume all such towns are on the same highway. Without a clear mental map, they may incorrectly choose Rewa or Katni. Another pitfall is to focus only on the terminal cities and ignore intermediate towns, which reduces accuracy in such questions. Regular practice with highway and railway maps of India significantly improves performance in transport geography questions.

Final Answer:
The town that is not situated on the Varanasi to Kanyakumari National Highway is Satna in Madhya Pradesh.