UPSC Prelims 2017
Indian Geography Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Explore 5 solved UPSC Prelims 2017 Indian Geography questions with detailed step-by-step bilingual solutions, option analysis, and answer keys.
Consider the following statements:
- In India, the Himalayas are spread over five States only.
- The Western Ghats are spread over five States only.
- Pulicat Lake is spread over two States only.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 2 — 3 only
Only Statement 3 is correct. Pulicat Lake is spread over exactly two states (Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu), while the other two statements are incorrect regarding the number of states.
❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: The Himalayas are spread over more than five states in India. They extend across Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and parts of Assam, West Bengal, Nagaland, Manipur, and Meghalaya.
❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: The Western Ghats are spread over six states, not five. These states are Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
✅ Statement 3 – Correct: Pulicat Lake, the second largest brackish water lagoon in India, is spread over only two states - Andhra Pradesh (approximately 84% in Tirupati district) and Tamil Nadu (approximately 16% in Tiruvallur district).
With reference to river Teesta, consider the following statements:
- The source of river Teesta is the same as that of Brahmaputra but it flows through Sikkim.
- River Rangeet originates in Sikkim and it is a tributary of river Teesta.
- River Teesta flows into Bay of Bengal on the border of India and Bangladesh.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 2 — 2 only
Only statement 2 is correct regarding river Teesta. Statement 1 incorrectly claims that Teesta and Brahmaputra have the same source, while statement 3 incorrectly states that Teesta flows into the Bay of Bengal at the India-Bangladesh border.
❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: River Teesta originates from Pahunri glacier and Tso Lhamo Lake in North Sikkim, while Brahmaputra originates from Angsi Glacier in the Kailash range of Tibet; their sources are entirely different.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: River Rangeet originates from the Rathong Glacier in West Sikkim and is the largest tributary of river Teesta, joining it at Melli near the Sikkim-West Bengal border.
❌ Statement 3 – Incorrect: River Teesta does not flow directly into the Bay of Bengal; instead, it joins the Brahmaputra River (Jamuna) at Fulchhari in Bangladesh, and then flows into the Bay of Bengal through the Brahmaputra system.
If you travel by road from Kohima to Kottayam, what is the minimum number of States within India through which you can travel, including the origin and the destination?
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 2 — 7
To travel by road from Kohima (Nagaland) to Kottayam (Kerala), the minimum number of states one must pass through, including origin and destination, is 7. The most direct route is: Nagaland → Assam → West Bengal → Odisha → Andhra Pradesh → Tamil Nadu → Kerala. This route utilizes the Siliguri Corridor through West Bengal and follows the eastern coastal highway southward before reaching Kerala via Tamil Nadu.
🧐 Not Sure What to Study Next?
Get a personalised study plan based on your goals, time and revision needs.
With reference to ‘Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)’ sometimes mentioned in the news while forecasting Indian monsoon, which of the following statements is/are correct?
- IOD phenomenon is characterized by a difference in sea surface temperature between tropical Western Indian Ocean and tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean.
- An IOD phenomenon can influence El Nino’s impact on the monsoon.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 2 — 2 only
The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is a climate phenomenon characterized by sea surface temperature differences between the western and eastern tropical Indian Ocean, not involving the Pacific Ocean. An IOD event can significantly modulate El Niño's impact on the Indian monsoon—a positive IOD often offsets the deficit rainfall associated with El Niño, while a negative IOD can worsen drought conditions.
❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: IOD is characterized by temperature differences between the tropical Western Indian Ocean and tropical Eastern Indian Ocean, not the Eastern Pacific Ocean (which relates to ENSO/El Niño).
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: IOD can indeed influence El Niño's impact on the monsoon by either compensating for or exacerbating El Niño-related rainfall anomalies.
Which of the following is geographically closest to Great Nicobar?
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 1 — Sumatra
Sumatra is the geographically closest island to Great Nicobar, separated by the Great Channel (also known as the Six Degree Channel or Strait of Sumatra). The distance between the southernmost point of Great Nicobar and the northern tip of Sumatra (Aceh province, Indonesia) is approximately 145–150 km.
In contrast, Sri Lanka is located about 1,200 km to the west of the Nicobar Islands across the Bay of Bengal. Java is situated to the southeast of Sumatra, at a distance of over 1,500 km from Great Nicobar. Borneo is positioned much further east in the Malay Archipelago, making it the most distant among all options. Therefore, Sumatra is the correct answer.
UPSC Prelims 2017 - Indian Geography Chapter-wise Distribution
Physical Geography of India
3 Qs (60%)Climate of India
1 Qs (20%)Political Geography of India
1 Qs (20%)UPSC Prelims 2017 - Indian Geography Questions FAQs
Q1 How many Indian Geography questions were asked in UPSC Prelims 2017?
Q2 What is the chapter-wise question distribution for Indian Geography in UPSC Prelims 2017?
- Physical Geography of India: 3 questions (60%)
- Climate of India: 1 questions (20%)
- Political Geography of India: 1 questions (20%)