Explanation

From x²+1/x² = 1, multiply by x²: x⁴−x²+1 = 0, so x⁴ = x²−1, x⁶ = −1 and x⁸ = −x². Hence x⁸+x⁶+x⁴ = −2 — which is not among the options (0, 1, 2, 4). The stem or the options appear misprinted. Note: key disputed — verify against the official UPSC key.