Step 1 : Understanding the Question:
This matching question requires us to pair four major twentieth-century Indian English novelists listed in List-I with their respective novels listed in List-II.
Step 2 : Key Formulas and Approach:
The approach involves identifying the key publications of each author and matching them to the correct roman numeral to identify the right combination.
Step 3 : Detailed Explanation:
• Bhabani Bhattacharya wrote So Many Hungers! (1947), which portrays the devastation of the 1943 Bengal Famine alongside the Indian freedom movement. This matches A with II.
• Manohar Malgonkar wrote Combat of Shadows (1962), a novel set in the tea plantations of Assam during the pre-independence era, dealing with themes of desire and betrayal. This matches B with I.
• Anita Desai wrote Voices in the City (1965), which explores the psychological alienation of three siblings in the oppressive urban environment of Calcutta. This matches C with III.
• Kamala Markandaya wrote A Silence of Desire (1960), a novel exploring the conflict between traditional faith and modern scientific rationality within an Indian marriage. This matches D with IV.
• The correct matching pattern is A-II, B-I, C-III, D-IV.
Step 4 : Final Answer:
Matching these pairs results in the sequence A-II, B-I, C-III, D-IV, which corresponds to option (A).
The correct option is (A) A-II, B-I, C-III, D-IV.