Which of the following pairs of famous waterfalls and Indian states is not correctly matched and therefore stands out as incorrect?

Introduction / Context:
This question examines your knowledge of important waterfalls in India and the states in which they are located. Matching geographical features such as waterfalls, rivers and mountains with their correct states is a classic pattern in general knowledge and competitive examinations. In this item, three waterfall state pairs are accurate, while one pair contains a deliberate mismatch that you must detect.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Jog Falls is paired with the state of Karnataka.
• Papanasam Falls is paired with Himachal Pradesh.
• Dhuandhar Falls is paired with Madhya Pradesh.
• Hundru Falls is paired with Jharkhand.
• Only one of these pairs is incorrectly matched and must be identified.

Concept / Approach:
The approach is to recall or recognise the correct geographic location of each waterfall. Jog Falls is a major waterfall on the Sharavathi River in Karnataka. Dhuandhar Falls are on the Narmada River near Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. Hundru Falls lie on the Subarnarekha River in the state of Jharkhand. Papanasam Falls, however, are located in Tamil Nadu, not in Himachal Pradesh. Therefore the pair Papanasam – Himachal Pradesh is incorrect.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Jog Falls, also known as Gerosoppa Falls, is in the Shimoga district of Karnataka, so Jog – Karnataka is a correct pair.Step 2: Recall that Dhuandhar Falls occur on the Narmada River near Bhedaghat in Madhya Pradesh, making Dhuandhar – Madhya Pradesh a correct match.Step 3: Recall that Hundru Falls are located on the Subarnarekha River near Ranchi in present day Jharkhand, so this pair is also correctly matched.Step 4: Papanasam Falls, sometimes linked with the Tamiraparani River, are famous in the state of Tamil Nadu and not in Himachal Pradesh.Step 5: Because Papanasam is wrongly paired with Himachal Pradesh, this is the single incorrect match among the four options.

Verification / Alternative check:
A helpful verification habit is to mentally group waterfalls by region. Jog Falls is commonly listed among the great waterfalls of South India and is strongly associated with Karnataka. Papanasam is another well known South Indian waterfall but tied to Tamil Nadu, not a northern hill state. Dhuandhar is commonly shown in tourism images of Madhya Pradesh, particularly around Jabalpur, and Hundru is often mentioned in relation to Jharkhand tourism. This mental mapping confirms that only the Papanasam pair is wrong as given.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Jog – Karnataka is not the incorrect pair because Jog Falls are indeed in Karnataka, so this match is correct.
• Dhuandhar – Madhya Pradesh is not the incorrect pair because Dhuandhar Falls lie in Madhya Pradesh, making the pairing accurate.
• Hundru – Jharkhand is not the incorrect pair because Hundru Falls are in the state of Jharkhand, again an accurate match.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse Papanasam with various northern or Himalayan locations simply because the name sounds similar to some religious places, and they may assume it belongs to a hill state like Himachal Pradesh. Another pitfall is answering too quickly based on familiarity with one correct pair instead of carefully checking each option. To avoid such mistakes, try to connect each waterfall with a river or a nearby city that you clearly know belongs to a specific state.

Final Answer:
Papanasam – Himachal Pradesh is the pair that is not correctly matched, since Papanasam Falls are located in Tamil Nadu and not in Himachal Pradesh.