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Q1Geography·Physiography of IndiaPYQ 2026
Which of the following geographical features or phenomena is/are associated with the Peninsular Block of India?
1. Submergence of parts of the western coast due to tectonic activity
2. Presence of residual mountain ranges such as the Veliconda hills and Mahendragiri hills
3. Deep, V-shaped river valleys formed by fast-flowing rivers
Select the answer using the code given below:
- A1 only
- B1 and 2Correct
- C2 and 3
- D3 only
Explanation
UPSC provisional key: (B), Series A question 34. Statements 1 and 2 match NCERT’s description of the Peninsular Block: a generally stable ancient basement affected locally by submergence and faulting, with relict and residual hills. Statement 3 describes youthful, steep-gradient Himalayan river landscapes rather than the peninsula’s generally shallow, low-gradient valleys. This is a regional comparison, not a claim that no peninsular river ever cuts a gorge.
Sources: UPSC provisional answer key · NCERT India: Physical Environment, Structure and Physiography, pp. 8–9
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
Statement 1 is correct: parts of the western margin have subsided, and the old Peninsular Block has experienced faulting and vertical movements. However, this choice omits statement 2: Veliconda and Mahendragiri are also examples of its residual relief.
- Option C
Statement 2 is correct, but statement 3 incorrectly assigns the characteristic youthful Himalayan river profile to the Peninsular Block. Old peninsular landscapes generally have lower gradients and shallower valleys; statement 1 should also be included.
- Option D
Deep V-shaped valleys cut by fast-flowing youthful rivers are characteristic of the Himalayan mountain belt in this comparison. The correct peninsular features are coastal submergence and residual hills, so selecting statement 3 alone reverses the distinction.
Q2Geography·Physiography of IndiaPYQ 2023
Consider the following statements:
1. Amarkantak plateau is at the junction of the Vindhya and Sahyadri ranges.
2. Biligirirangan Hills are part of the Satpura Range.
3. Seshachalam Hills constitute the southernmost part of Western Ghats.
How many of the above statements are correct?
- AOnly one
- BOnly two
- CAll three
- DNoneCorrect
Explanation
Correct. Amarkantak is associated with the Vindhya-Satpura-Maikal junction, not Sahyadri. Biligirirangan Hills are in the Western-Eastern Ghats transition zone of Karnataka, not the Satpuras. Seshachalam Hills belong to the Eastern Ghats system, not the Western Ghats.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
None of the three statements is correct. Amarkantak is at the Vindhya-Satpura-Maikal junction, not Sahyadri. Biligirirangan Hills lie in the Western-Eastern Ghats transition zone in Karnataka, not the Satpuras. Seshachalam belongs to the Eastern Ghats.
- Option B
All three statements contain factual errors regarding the location or affiliation of the respective hill ranges.
- Option C
All three statements are incorrect. Each misattributes the hill or plateau to the wrong physiographic division.
Q3Geography·Physiography of IndiaPYQ 2022
Consider the following pairs:
Peak/Place — Sub-region of Himalayas
1. Nanda Devi — Kumaon Himalaya
2. Namcha Barwa — Assam Himalaya
3. Nokrek — Sikkim Himalaya
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
- A1 and 2
- B2 onlyCorrect
- C1 and 3
- D3 only
Explanation
Correct. Nanda Devi is in the Garhwal Himalaya (not Kumaon), Namcha Barwa is correctly placed in the eastern Himalaya near the Tibet-Arunachal sector, and Nokrek is in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya, not the Sikkim Himalaya.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
Nanda Devi lies in the Garhwal Himalaya, not Kumaon. Only Namcha Barwa is correctly placed in the far eastern (Assam) Himalaya.
- Option C
Nokrek is located in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya, not in the Sikkim Himalaya. This pair is incorrectly matched.
- Option D
Nokrek is in Meghalaya's Garo Hills, not Sikkim. Namcha Barwa is the correctly matched pair here.
Q4Geography·Physiography of IndiaPYQ 2022
Gandikota canyon of South India was created by which one of the following rivers?
- ACauvery
- BManjira
- CPennarCorrect
- DTungabhadra
Explanation
Correct. Gandikota canyon in Andhra Pradesh was carved by the Pennar River cutting through Erramala quartzite formations of the Cuddapah basin.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
The Cauvery flows through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu but is not associated with Gandikota canyon in Andhra Pradesh.
- Option B
Manjira is a tributary of the Godavari and does not flow through the Gandikota region.
- Option D
Tungabhadra flows further west through the Deccan Plateau and does not carve the Gandikota gorge.
Q5Geography·Physiography of IndiaPYQ 2020
Siachen Glacier is situated to the:
- AEast of Aksai Chin
- BEast of Leh
- CNorth of Gilgit
- DNorth of Nubra ValleyCorrect
Explanation
Correct. Siachen Glacier lies at the head of the Nubra Valley, extending northward from it between the Karakoram and Saltoro ranges in the Ladakh region.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
Aksai Chin lies to the east of the Karakoram Range; Siachen is not east of it.
- Option B
Siachen is to the north-northwest of Leh, not directly east.
- Option C
Gilgit is located to the west-southwest of Siachen across the Karakoram, not directly south.
Q6Geography·Physiography of IndiaPYQ 2018
Consider the following statements:
1. The Barren Island volcano is an active volcano located in the Indian territory.
2. Barren Island lies about 140 km east of Great Nicobar.
3. The last time the Barren Island volcano erupted was in 1991 and it has remained inactive since then.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A1 onlyCorrect
- B2 and 3 only
- C3 only
- D1 and 3
Explanation
Correct. Barren Island in the Andaman Sea is the only confirmed active volcano in Indian territory. It lies about 135 km northeast of Port Blair (not east of Great Nicobar), and it has erupted multiple times after 1991, including in 2017.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option B
Barren Island is northeast of Port Blair, not 140 km east of Great Nicobar. Additionally, it has erupted several times after 1991.
- Option C
The volcano has erupted multiple times since 1991, so Statement 3 is incorrect. Statement 1 is the only correct one.
- Option D
Statement 3 is wrong because the Barren Island volcano has been intermittently active after 1991, with eruptions recorded in 1994-95, 2005-07, and 2017.
Q7Geography·Physiography of IndiaPYQ 2016
'Gadgil Committee Report' and 'Kasturirangan Committee Report', sometimes seen in the news, are related to:
- AConstitutional reforms
- BGanga Action Plan
- CLinking of rivers
- DProtection of Western GhatsCorrect
Explanation
Correct. The Gadgil Committee (Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, 2011) and the Kasturirangan Committee (2013) both assessed the ecological sensitivity of the Western Ghats and recommended measures for its protection.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
Both committees were constituted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, not for constitutional reforms.
- Option B
The Ganga Action Plan is a separate initiative. These reports dealt with ecological sensitivity of the Western Ghats.
- Option C
River interlinking is overseen by the National Water Development Agency; these reports focused on the Western Ghats ecosystem.
Q8Geography·Physiography of IndiaPYQ 2014
Consider the following pairs:
Hills — Region
1. Cardamom Hills: Coromandel Coast
2. Kaimur Hills: Konkan Coast
3. Mahadeo Hills: Central India
4. Mikir Hills: North-East India
Which of the above pairs are correctly matched?
- A1 and 2
- B2 and 3
- C3 and 4Correct
- D2 and 4
Explanation
Correct. Mahadeo Hills are part of the Satpura Range in Central India (Madhya Pradesh), and Mikir Hills (Karbi Anglong) are in Assam in North-East India. Cardamom Hills are in Kerala's Western Ghats, and Kaimur is in the Vindhyan belt.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
Cardamom Hills are in the southern Western Ghats of Kerala, not the Coromandel Coast. Kaimur Hills are in Madhya Pradesh-Uttar Pradesh, not the Konkan Coast.
- Option B
Kaimur Hills are an eastern extension of the Vindhyas in central-eastern India, not near the Konkan Coast. Only Mahadeo Hills in Central India is correct from this pair.
- Option D
Kaimur Hills are in the Vindhya region of UP-MP, not the Konkan Coast. While Mikir Hills in North-East India is correct, this combination is incomplete.
Q9Geography·Physiography of IndiaPYQ 2010
Which one of the following is the appropriate reason for considering the Gondwana rocks as most important of rock systems of India?
- AMore than 90% of limestone reserves of India are found in them
- BMore than 90% of India's coal reserves are found in themCorrect
- CMore than 90% of fertile black cotton soils are spread over them
- DNone of the reasons given above is appropriate in this context
Explanation
Correct. The Gondwana rock system is of paramount economic importance because it contains over 90% of India's coal reserves, found in basins across Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
Major limestone deposits in India are associated with the Vindhyan and Cuddapah systems, not Gondwana formations.
- Option C
Black cotton soils (regur) are derived from the Deccan Trap basalts, not from Gondwana sedimentary formations.
- Option D
Option (b) is the correct reason. Gondwana coal deposits account for the overwhelming majority of India's coal reserves.
Q10Geography·Physiography of IndiaPYQ 2007
Where are the Shevaroy Hills located?
- AAndhra Pradesh
- BKarnataka
- CKerala
- DTamil NaduCorrect
Explanation
Correct. The Shevaroy (Servarayan) Hills are located in the Salem and Namakkal districts of Tamil Nadu, forming part of the Eastern Ghats system.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
The Shevaroy Hills are not in Andhra Pradesh; they lie in the Salem district of Tamil Nadu.
- Option B
Though Karnataka has several hill ranges, the Shevaroy Hills are situated in Tamil Nadu.
- Option C
Kerala's hills include the Cardamom and Nilgiri ranges, but the Shevaroy Hills are in Tamil Nadu.
Q11Geography·Physiography of IndiaPYQ 2006
Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below:
List-I (Valley)
A. Markha Valley
B. Dzukou Valley
C. Sangla Valley
D. Yumthang Valley
List-II (State)
1. Sikkim
2. Himachal Pradesh
3. Jammu and Kashmir
4. Nagaland
- AA-2, B-4, C-3, D-1
- BA-3, B-1, C-2, D-4
- CA-2, B-1, C-3, D-4
- DA-3, B-4, C-2, D-1Correct
Explanation
Correct. Markha Valley is a famous trekking route in Ladakh (J&K). Dzukou Valley lies on the Nagaland-Manipur border. Sangla Valley (Baspa Valley) is in Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh. Yumthang Valley is in North Sikkim.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
Markha Valley is in Ladakh (J&K), not Himachal Pradesh. This matching is incorrect.
- Option B
Dzukou Valley is on the Nagaland-Manipur border, not in Sikkim. Yumthang is in Sikkim, not Nagaland.
- Option C
Markha Valley is in J&K and Dzukou is in Nagaland; this code reverses both assignments.
Q12Geography·Physiography of IndiaPYQ 2005
Which one of the following is the correct sequence of the given hills starting from the north and going towards the south?
- ANallamalai Hills, Nilgiri Hills, Javadi Hills, Anaimalai Hills
- BAnaimalai Hills, Javadi Hills, Nilgiri Hills, Nallamalai Hills
- CNallamalai Hills, Javadi Hills, Nilgiri Hills, Anaimalai HillsCorrect
- DAnaimalai Hills, Nilgiri Hills, Javadi Hills, Nallamalai Hills
Explanation
Correct. From north to south: Nallamalai Hills (Andhra Pradesh, ~15-16°N), Javadi Hills (northern Tamil Nadu, ~12°N), Nilgiri Hills (~11°N), and Anaimalai Hills (~10°N at the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border).
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
The Nilgiri Hills are south of the Javadi Hills, so placing Nilgiri before Javadi in a north-to-south sequence is incorrect.
- Option B
This is roughly a south-to-north order, the reverse of what is asked.
- Option D
This reverses the actual sequence. Anaimalai is the southernmost and Nallamalai the northernmost among these.