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 ?

The Nadi-Sukta of the Rigveda
The explorations of the Sutlej and the Yamuna by Robert Bruce Foote
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 :

Question

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 ?

The Nadi-Sukta of the Rigveda
The explorations of the Sutlej and the Yamuna by Robert Bruce Foote
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 :

Accepted Answer

3

Explanation: 🧠 Concept First — What is Being Asked? This question tests understanding of Pleistocene river piracy and drainage evolution in the Indian subcontinent — specifically the ancient connection between the Indus and Ganga river systems. 🌊 The Core Geological Idea During the Pleistocene epoch, a single massive river called the Indo-Brahma (Shiwalik River) is believed to have connected modern Indus and Ganga basins. Later, tectonic uplift (Delhi Ridge) caused river avulsion — Yamuna shifted east to Ganga, Sutlej shifted west to Indus. 📋 Statement-wise Analysis Statement 1 — Incorrect. The Nadi-Sukta (Rigveda 10.75) lists rivers east to west (Ganga, Yamuna, Sarasvati, Sutlej). It reflects Holocene human geography — NOT Pleistocene geological shifts which occurred millions of years before the Vedic period. Statement 2 — Incorrect. Robert Bruce Foote = "Father of Indian Prehistory" — famous for discovering India's first Paleolithic handaxe at Pallavaram, Tamil Nadu (1863). His work focused on Stone Age archaeology in South India and Gujarat — NOT geological mapping of Sutlej-Yamuna shifts. Statement 3 — Correct. The presence of closely related blind river dolphins in two completely separated basins: Platanista gangetica minor → Indus Platanista gangetica gangetica → Ganga Same species in separated basins = biological proof of ancient river connection = primary basis of the assertion.

Detailed Explanation:

🧠 Concept First — What is Being Asked?

🌊 The Core Geological Idea

📋 Statement-wise Analysis

Question 2 of 18 Drainage System and Rivers

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