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Q1Geography·Indian Drainage SystemsPYQ 2026
Identify the river of the Indian sub-continent on the basis of the following information:
1. It has an antecedent drainage system.
2. It flows through three countries.
3. It originates in the Tibetan Plateau and is an important river for irrigation.
4. It does not form distributaries.
Select the answer from the following:
- ABrahmaputra
- BIndus
- CSutlejCorrect
- DTeesta
Explanation
UPSC provisional key: (C), Series A question 25. The Sutlej rises in Tibet, crosses India and enters Pakistan, where it joins the wider Indus drainage. It is an antecedent river and supports major irrigation works, including the Bhakra–Nangal canal system. In this comparison it joins another river instead of creating its own deltaic distributary network; artificial irrigation canals should not be confused with natural distributaries.
Sources: UPSC provisional answer key · NCERT via IIT Kanpur SATHEE — Drainage System, Himalayan rivers
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
The Brahmaputra satisfies several broad clues, including a Tibetan origin and passage through China, India and Bangladesh. It fails the distinguishing delta/distributary clue because its lower course participates in the Ganga–Brahmaputra delta system.
- Option B
The Indus also rises on the Tibetan Plateau and flows through three countries. However, its lower course forms a delta with distributary channels in Pakistan, so the fourth clue rules it out.
- Option D
The Teesta flows through India and Bangladesh, rather than the three-country route specified. Its Sikkim Himalayan origin also does not fit the intended Tibetan-Plateau source, so it fails before the final clue is considered.
Q2Geography·Indian Drainage SystemsPYQ 2026
Consider the following assertion: In the Pleistocene period either the Yamuna once flowed into the Indus, or the Sutlej flowed into the Yamuna and one major tributary of either had shifted from the Ganga to the Indus or vice versa.
Which of the following is/are the basis of the above assertion?
1. The Nadi-Sukta of the Rigveda
2. The explorations of the Sutlej and the Yamuna by Robert Bruce Foote
3. The presence of the same species of dolphins in both the Indus and the Ganga river systems
Select the answer using the code given below:
- A1 only
- B2 only
- C1 and 2
- D3Correct
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
The Nadi-Sukta is evidence for rivers in Vedic textual geography, but it is not the biological basis selected for a proposed Pleistocene drainage connection. Its textual date and purpose must be distinguished from a much earlier geological hypothesis.
- Option B
The provisional key does not identify Foote’s explorations as the basis. Archaeological fieldwork and the biogeographic distribution of river dolphins are different kinds of evidence; the latter is the intended line of reasoning here.
- Option C
Combining the hymn and the attributed explorations still omits the dolphin-distribution argument selected by UPSC. Neither a river-name list nor a general exploration claim substitutes for the particular biogeographic evidence in item 3.
Q3Geography·Indian Drainage SystemsPYQ 2024
With reference to the Himalayan rivers joining the Ganga downstream of Prayagraj from West to East, which one of the following sequences is correct?
- AGhaghara - Gomati - Gandak - Kosi
- BGomati - Ghaghara - Gandak - KosiCorrect
- CGhaghara - Gomati - Kosi - Gandak
- DGomati - Ghaghara - Kosi - Gandak
Explanation
Correct. Moving eastward after Prayagraj, the Gomati joins first (near Varanasi), followed by the Ghaghara, then the Gandak, and finally the Kosi farther east in Bihar.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
The Ghaghara does not join before the Gomati when moving eastward from Prayagraj. The Gomati joins at Jaunpur-Varanasi stretch first.
- Option C
The Kosi does not join before the Gandak. The Gandak enters the Ganga upstream of the Kosi's confluence.
- Option D
While Gomati precedes Ghaghara, the Kosi does not join before the Gandak. The correct eastward order ends with Gandak before Kosi.
Q4Geography·Indian Drainage SystemsPYQ 2024
Consider the following information:
Waterfall - Region - River
1. Dhuandhar - Malwa - Narmada
2. Hundru - Chota Nagpur - Subarnarekha
3. Gersoppa - Western Ghats - Netravati
In how many of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?
- AOnly oneCorrect
- BOnly two
- CAll three
- DNone
Explanation
Correct. Only Hundru Falls on the Subarnarekha in the Chota Nagpur Plateau is correctly matched. Dhuandhar is on the Narmada but at Bhedaghat in the Marble Rocks area (Jabalpur), not Malwa. Gersoppa (Jog Falls) is on the Sharavathi, not the Netravati.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option B
Only one row is correct. Dhuandhar's region is misidentified as Malwa, and Gersoppa Falls is on the Sharavathi, not the Netravati.
- Option C
Two of the three rows contain errors. Dhuandhar is not in Malwa and Gersoppa is not on the Netravati.
- Option D
Hundru Falls on the Subarnarekha in Chota Nagpur is correctly matched, so at least one row is correct.
Q5Geography·Indian Drainage SystemsPYQ 2023
Consider the following statements:
1. Jhelum River passes through Wular Lake.
2. Krishna River directly feeds Kolleru Lake.
3. Meandering of Gandak River formed Kanwar Lake.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
- AOnly oneCorrect
- BOnly two
- CAll three
- DNone
Explanation
Correct. Only statement 1 is correct. The Jhelum flows through Wular Lake in Jammu and Kashmir. Kolleru lies between the Krishna and Godavari deltas but is not directly fed by the Krishna. Kanwar Lake in Bihar is an oxbow lake associated with older fluvial processes, not specifically the Gandak's current meandering.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option B
Only the Jhelum-Wular connection is correct. Neither the Krishna-Kolleru nor Gandak-Kanwar claims are accurate as stated.
- Option C
Statements 2 and 3 both contain inaccuracies about the lake-river relationships.
- Option D
The Jhelum does pass through Wular Lake, so at least one statement is correct.
Q6Geography·Indian Drainage SystemsPYQ 2022
Consider the following pairs:
Wetland/Lake - Location
1. Hokera Wetland - Punjab
2. Renuka Wetland - Himachal Pradesh
3. Rudrasagar Lake - Tripura
4. Sasthamkotta Lake - Tamil Nadu
How many pairs given above are correctly matched?
- AOnly one pair
- BOnly two pairsCorrect
- COnly three pairs
- DAll four pairs
Explanation
Correct. Renuka Wetland is in Himachal Pradesh and Rudrasagar Lake is in Tripura. Hokera Wetland is in Jammu and Kashmir (not Punjab), and Sasthamkotta Lake is in Kerala (not Tamil Nadu).
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
Two pairs are correctly matched, not just one.
- Option C
Only two pairs are correct. Hokera is in J&K and Sasthamkotta is in Kerala.
- Option D
Hokera Wetland is in Jammu and Kashmir and Sasthamkotta Lake is in Kerala, so two pairs are incorrectly matched.
Q7Geography·Indian Drainage SystemsPYQ 2022
Consider the following pairs:
Reservoirs - States
1. Ghataprabha - Telangana
2. Gandhi Sagar - Madhya Pradesh
3. Indira Sagar - Andhra Pradesh
4. Maithon - Chhattisgarh
How many pairs given above are not correctly matched?
- AOnly one pair
- BOnly two pairs
- COnly three pairsCorrect
- DAll four pairs
Explanation
Correct. Gandhi Sagar is correctly located in Madhya Pradesh. However, Ghataprabha reservoir is in Karnataka (not Telangana), Indira Sagar is in Madhya Pradesh (not Andhra Pradesh), and Maithon Dam is in Jharkhand on the Damodar basin (not Chhattisgarh).
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
Three pairs are incorrectly matched, not just one.
- Option B
Three of the four pairs are wrong, not just two.
- Option D
Gandhi Sagar on the Chambal in Madhya Pradesh is correctly matched.
Q8Geography·Indian Drainage SystemsPYQ 2021
With reference to India, Didwana, Kuchaman, Sargol and Khatu are the names of:
- AGlaciers
- BMangrove areas
- CRamsar sites
- DSaline lakesCorrect
Explanation
Correct. Didwana, Kuchaman, Sargol and Khatu are all saline or salt lakes located in the arid region of Rajasthan. They are remnants of the Tethys Sea or formed by endorheic drainage in the Thar Desert.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
These are located in the arid Thar region of Rajasthan where glaciers do not exist.
- Option B
Mangroves require coastal or estuarine settings. These places are inland in Rajasthan.
- Option C
These are not designated Ramsar sites. They are ephemeral salt lakes in the desert region.
Q9Geography·Indian Drainage SystemsPYQ 2021
Consider the following rivers:
1. Brahmani
2. Nagavali
3. Subarnarekha
4. Vamsadhara
Which of the above rise from the Eastern Ghats?
- A1 and 2
- B2 and 4Correct
- C3 and 4
- D1 and 3
Explanation
Correct. The Nagavali and Vamsadhara both originate in the Eastern Ghats of Odisha. The Brahmani originates in the Chota Nagpur Plateau and the Subarnarekha also rises in the Chota Nagpur region near Ranchi.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
The Brahmani is formed by the confluence of the Sankh and South Koel rivers in the Chota Nagpur Plateau, not the Eastern Ghats.
- Option C
The Subarnarekha rises near Ranchi in the Chota Nagpur Plateau, not in the Eastern Ghats.
- Option D
Neither the Brahmani nor the Subarnarekha originate in the Eastern Ghats; both rise in the Chota Nagpur Plateau.
Q10Geography·Indian Drainage SystemsPYQ 2021
With reference to the Indus river system, of the following four rivers, three of them pour into one of them which joins the Indus direct. Among the following, which one is such river that joins the Indus direct?
- AChenab
- BJhelum
- CRavi
- DSutlejCorrect
Explanation
Correct. The Jhelum joins the Chenab, and the Ravi also joins the Chenab. The Chenab then merges with the Sutlej to form the Panjnad, which joins the Indus. Thus the Sutlej (via Panjnad) is the river that carries all three and joins the Indus directly.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
The Chenab receives the Jhelum and Ravi but eventually merges into the Sutlej (forming the Panjnad) before the Panjnad joins the Indus.
- Option B
The Jhelum is a tributary of the Chenab and does not join the Indus directly.
- Option C
The Ravi joins the Chenab and thus does not flow directly into the Indus.
Q11Geography·Indian Drainage SystemsPYQ 2020
Consider the following statements:
1. 36% of India's districts are classified as 'overexploited' or 'critical' by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA).
2. CGWA was formed under the Environment (Protection) Act.
3. India has the largest area under groundwater irrigation in the world.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A1 only
- B2 and 3 onlyCorrect
- C2 only
- D1 and 3 only
Explanation
Correct. The CGWA was constituted under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and India does have the largest area under groundwater irrigation globally. The percentage of overexploited districts cited in statement 1 is not accurate.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
The 36% figure for overexploited or critical districts is not accurate. The correct statements are 2 and 3.
- Option C
Statement 3 is also correct — India leads the world in area under groundwater irrigation.
- Option D
Statement 1's percentage figure is not accurate.
Q12Geography·Indian Drainage SystemsPYQ 2019
What is common to the places known as Aliyar, Isapur and Kangsabati?
- ARecently discovered uranium deposits
- BTropical rain forests
- CUnderground cave systems
- DWater reservoirsCorrect
Explanation
Correct. Aliyar (Tamil Nadu), Isapur (Maharashtra) and Kangsabati (West Bengal) are all dam/reservoir sites built for irrigation and water supply purposes.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
These places are not associated with uranium deposits.
- Option B
These are not tropical rain forest sites.
- Option C
None of these places is known for cave systems.