✅ Answer: A) 1 and 3 onlyStatements 1 and 3 are correct. IVC had the world’s first planned urban drainage system. IVC people were the first to cultivate cotton. Statement 2 is incorrect — the IVC script remains undeciphered to this day. No bilingual inscription has been found to help decode it.

✅ Answer: C) DholaviraDholavira is located in Gujarat (Rann of Kutch). Kalibangan is in Rajasthan. Rakhigarhi and Banawali are in Haryana. Lothal is also in Gujarat. Dholavira is the largest IVC site in India and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021.

✅ Answer: B) 1:2:4Harappan bricks had a standardised ratio of 1:2:4 (width:height:length). This standardisation across all IVC sites — from Harappa in Punjab to Lothal in Gujarat — is evidence of a central authority or shared cultural norms. This is one of the most remarkable features of IVC urban planning.

✅ Answer: C) ChanhudaroChanhudaro (Sindh, Pakistan) is the only major IVC site without a citadel. It is known for its bead-making factory and an inkpot found there. It was discovered by N.G. Majumdar in 1931. All other major IVC sites have a citadel (upper town) and lower town division.

✅ Answer: B) Madhya PradeshBhimbetka rock shelters are located in Madhya Pradesh (near Bhopal). They contain the oldest rock art in India, dating back to the Palaeolithic period (~30,000 years ago). Bhimbetka is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2003). The paintings show hunting scenes, animals, and human figures.

✅ Answer: B) Daya Ram SahniHarappa was excavated by Daya Ram Sahni in 1921. Mohenjo-daro was discovered by R.D. Banerji in 1922. John Marshall was the Director General of ASI who supervised both excavations and announced the discovery of IVC to the world in 1924. Mortimer Wheeler excavated Harappa in 1944 using scientific methods.

✅ Answer: C) AlamgirpurAlamgirpur (Uttar Pradesh) is the easternmost IVC site. Sutkagendor (Balochistan, Pakistan) is the westernmost. Manda (Jammu) is the northernmost. Daimabad (Maharashtra) is the southernmost. These four sites define the geographical extent of the IVC.

✅ Answer: C) Transition from food gathering to food productionThe Neolithic Revolution refers to the transition from food gathering (hunting-gathering) to food production (agriculture and animal husbandry). This was one of the most important transitions in human history — it led to settled life, population growth, specialisation of labour, and eventually civilisation.

✅ Answer: C) SurkotadaHorse bones were found at Surkotada (Gujarat), suggesting the possible presence of horses in the Harappan period. However, this is controversial — many scholars argue these are not domesticated horse bones. The absence of horse in IVC is often cited as evidence against the Aryan Invasion Theory (Aryans brought horses).

✅ Answer: B) Balochistan, PakistanMehrgarh is located in Balochistan, Pakistan. It is the oldest Neolithic site in South Asia (~7000 BCE) and is considered a precursor to the IVC. Mehrgarh shows evidence of early agriculture (wheat, barley), animal domestication, and pottery. It bridges the gap between the Neolithic period and the IVC.