BPSC CCE Prelims
Indian Geography Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Solved Previous Year Questions (PYQs) for Indian Geography in BPSC CCE Prelims in English & Hindi Medium.
Chapter Breakdown: Scroll →
In which of the following states of India has major reserves of coal?
Detailed Explanation:
Jharkhand holds major coal reserves in Jharia coalfield (largest producer of coking coal) and Bokaro coalfield.
Chhattisgarh has extensive reserves in Korba and Hasdeo-Arand coalfields, making it a leading coal-producing state.
Odisha contains vast deposits in Talcher and IB Valley coalfields, with Talcher being one of India's largest coal reserves.
These three states together account for approximately 70% of India's total coal reserves.
With reference to the mineral production in Bihar, consider the following statements:
- Rohtas has the highest deposit of pyrites.
- Limestone is found in Kaimur(Bhabhua), Munger(Monghyr) and Rohtas districts.
- Gold deposits are found in the Jamui district.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Detailed Explanation:
✅ Statement 1 – Correct: Rohtas district has the highest deposits of pyrites in Bihar, primarily found in the Amjhor and Tilothu areas.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: Limestone deposits are extensively found in Kaimur (Bhabhua), Munger (Monghyr), and Rohtas districts of Bihar.
✅ Statement 3 – Correct: Gold deposits are found in the Karmatia-Hutti belt in Jamui district, Bihar.
Since all three statements (1, 2, and 3) are correct, the answer is Option 4 (More than one of the above).
Which States of India have a common border with Myanmar?
Detailed Explanation:
Four Indian states share a 1,643 km border with Myanmar: Arunachal Pradesh (160 km), Nagaland (215 km), Manipur (398 km), and Mizoram (510 km).
Tripura borders Bangladesh only, and Assam has no international border with Myanmar despite being geographically close.
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In which type of climatic region do Uttar Pradesh and Bihar fall as per Koppen's classification scheme?
Detailed Explanation:
Uttar Pradesh and Bihar fall under the Cwg climate type in Köppen's classification scheme.
Cwg denotes tropical wet and dry climate (savanna type) with dry winters (less than 60 mm rainfall in driest month), a hot summer, and the hottest month occurring before the summer solstice (typically May-June before monsoon).
India's territorial limit extends towards the sea up to how many nautical miles/km from the coast?
Detailed Explanation:
India's territorial waters extend up to 12 nautical miles (approximately 21.9 km) from the baseline of the coast, as defined under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982 and India's Territorial Waters, Continental Shelf, Exclusive Economic Zone and other Maritime Zones Act, 1976.
Within these territorial waters, India exercises complete sovereignty over the sea, seabed, subsoil, and airspace above, similar to its land territory, subject only to the right of innocent passage for foreign vessels.
Which of the following river valleys is rich in coal reserves in India?
Detailed Explanation:
✅ Mahanadi River Valley – Correct: Extensive coal reserves in Odisha and Chhattisgarh, including the Talcher and Ib River coalfields.
✅ Damodar River Valley – Correct: Known as the "Ruhr of India", contains major coalfields like Jharia, Raniganj, and Bokaro in Jharkhand and West Bengal.
✅ Son River Valley – Correct: Significant coal deposits in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, including the Sohagpur and Johilla coalfields.
All three river valleys are rich in Gondwana coal reserves, making "More than one of the above" the correct answer.
Which of the following statements is true about sugar industry in India?
Detailed Explanation:
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: Sugar industry is a weight-losing industry because sugarcane loses approximately 90% of its weight during processing; raw material (sugarcane) is bulky and perishable, hence mills are located near cane-growing areas.
✅ Statement 3 – Correct: Maharashtra has emerged as the leading sugar producer in India, accounting for ~35-40% of national production, followed by Uttar Pradesh.
❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: Uttar Pradesh is the second-largest producer of sugar (after Maharashtra), not the largest; it contributes around 20-25% of total production.
Since statements 2 and 3 are correct, the answer is Option 4 (More than one of the above).
Towards the end of summer, there are pre-monsoon showers which are a common phenomenon in Kerala and coastal areas of Karnataka. Locally, they are known as
Detailed Explanation:
Mango showers are pre-monsoon rainfall events occurring in Kerala and coastal Karnataka during late summer (April-May), coinciding with mango ripening season.
Blossom showers (also called April/coffee showers) refer to the same phenomenon, named after coffee blossoms in Karnataka.
Norwesters (or Kal Baisakhi) are entirely different—violent thunderstorms in eastern India (West Bengal, Odisha) during pre-monsoon months.
Since the question asks about Kerala and coastal Karnataka specifically, Mango showers is the most accurate local term, making Option 1 correct.
Pine, Fir, Spruce, Cedar, Larch and Cypress are famous timber-yielding plants of which several also occur widely in the hilly regions of India. All these belong to
Detailed Explanation:
Pine, Fir, Spruce, Cedar, Larch, and Cypress are all conifers, which belong to gymnosperms—seed plants with naked seeds borne on cones, not enclosed in ovaries.
Angiosperms are flowering plants with seeds in fruits; monocotyledons and dicotyledons are angiosperm subdivisions. These timber trees lack flowers and produce exposed seeds on cone scales.
Therefore, all listed timber-yielding plants belong to gymnosperms, making Option 1 the correct answer.
The most important ore of aluminum
Detailed Explanation:
Bauxite is the primary ore of aluminum, containing 30–60% aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃). It is a reddish-brown sedimentary rock formed by tropical weathering of aluminum-rich rocks.
Calamine is a zinc carbonate ore, calcite is calcium carbonate (limestone), and galena is lead sulfide—none contain aluminum.
Therefore, bauxite being the sole aluminum ore, Option 1 is the correct answer.
Ilmenite, which is widely distributed along the Indian coastline, is a mineral of
Detailed Explanation:
Ilmenite (FeTiO₃) is a black iron-titanium oxide mineral, serving as the primary ore for titanium extraction. It is widely distributed along Indian coastlines, particularly in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha beach sands.
Tungsten is extracted from wolframite, gallium from bauxite, and tin from cassiterite—none are ilmenite sources.
Therefore, ilmenite is a titanium mineral, making Option 2 the correct answer.
Compare the Himalayan river with the Peninsular river based on the following comparisons :
- Most of the Himalayan rivers are perennial, whereas most of the Peninsular rivers are rain sed.
- The gradient of the Himalayan river is steeper than the Peninsular river.
- The Peninsular river causes more erosion on its way in comparison to the Himalayan river,
Choose the correct answer from the options given below,
Detailed Explanation:
Himalayan rivers are perennial (fed by glaciers and monsoons), while Peninsular rivers are mostly rain-fed (seasonal flow). Himalayan rivers originate from steep slopes (3,000–5,000 m), creating a steeper gradient than Peninsular rivers flowing over gentler plateaus.
Statement 3 is Incorrect: Steeper gradients and higher velocity enable Himalayan rivers to cause more erosion (deep gorges, V-shaped valleys) compared to Peninsular rivers with gentler slopes and slower flow.
Therefore, only statements 1 and 2 are correct, making Option 1 the correct answer.
Ganga Plain has been described as a
Detailed Explanation:
The Ganga Plain is a geosyncline—a large, linear depression filled with thick sediments from the Himalayas over millions of years. The Indo-Gangetic trough formed between the stable Peninsular shield and the rising Himalayas, accumulating over 6,000 meters of alluvium.
A pediplain is an erosional plain in arid regions; a peneplain is a low-relief surface from prolonged erosion; and a karst plain features limestone dissolution landforms—none describe the depositional Ganga Plain.
Therefore, the Ganga Plain is a geosyncline, making Option 3 the correct answer.
Which of the following is a freshwater lake?
Detailed Explanation:
Wular Lake (Jammu & Kashmir) and Loktak Lake (Manipur) are both freshwater lakes, making more than one option correct.
Chilika Lake (Odisha) is a brackish lagoon connected to the Bay of Bengal, and Sambhar Lake (Rajasthan) is India's largest inland saltwater lake.
Therefore, since both Options 3 and 4 are freshwater lakes, Option 5 (More than one of the above) is the correct answer.
What is the most famous feature of Chiria located in West Singhbhum?
Detailed Explanation:
Chiria in West Singhbhum district, Jharkhand is renowned for its massive iron ore deposits, ranking among India's largest reserves with high-grade hematite ore exceeding 2 billion tonnes.
The region has no major dam, bird sanctuary, or national park; mining operations dominate the landscape and economy.
Therefore, iron ore mining is the most famous feature, making Option 1 the correct answer.