UPSC CSE Prelims
Mountain Ranges and Peaks Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 2 — 2 only

This question tests the matching of peaks with their respective mountain ranges in India. Only Pair 2 is correctly matched, as Nanda Devi is indeed located in the Kumaon Himalayas.

❌ Pair 1 – Incorrect: Namcha Barwa is located in the Arunachal Himalayas (Eastern Himalayas) in the Great Bend of the Brahmaputra River, not in the Garhwal Himalayas.

✅ Pair 2 – Correct: Nanda Devi is the highest peak of the Kumaon Himalayas in Uttarakhand and is the second-highest mountain in India (7,816 m), and the highest located entirely within India.

❌ Pair 3 – Incorrect: Nokrek is the highest peak of the Garo Hills in Meghalaya, part of the Meghalaya Plateau, not the Sikkim Himalayas.

📝 Short Notes: Major Himalayan Peaks and Ranges

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 4 — North of Nubra Valley

The Siachen Glacier is located in the eastern Karakoram range of the Himalayas, positioned north of the Nubra Valley in Ladakh. It is the world's highest battlefield, where India maintains a military presence at altitudes exceeding 5,400 meters.

✅ Option 4 – Correct: Siachen Glacier lies directly north of Nubra Valley in the eastern Karakoram range.
❌ Option 1 – Incorrect: Aksai Chin is located to the east of Ladakh, whereas Siachen is to the northwest of it.
❌ Option 2 – Incorrect: Leh is situated to the south of Siachen Glacier, not to its west.
❌ Option 3 – Incorrect: Gilgit is in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, west of Siachen Glacier, not to its south.

📝 Short Notes: Siachen Glacier and Surrounding Geography

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).

Detailed Explanation:

✅ Pair 1 – Correct: Srisailam temple is located in the Nallamala Hills on the banks of Krishna River in Andhra Pradesh, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas.

❌ Pair 2 – Incorrect: Omkareshwar is situated on an island in the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh, not in Satmala Hills (which are located in Maharashtra).

❌ Pair 3 – Incorrect: Pushkar is located in the Aravalli Range in Rajasthan, famous for Brahma Temple and Pushkar Lake, not in Mahadeo Hills (which are in Madhya Pradesh).

Detailed Explanation:

❌ Pair 1 – Incorrect: Cardamom Hills are located in the southern Western Ghats (Kerala-Tamil Nadu border), not on the Coromandel Coast (eastern coast along Bay of Bengal).

❌ Pair 2 – Incorrect: Kaimur Hills are situated in central India (bordering Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar), far from the Konkan Coast (western coast along Arabian Sea).

✅ Pair 3 – Correct: Mahadeo Hills are part of the Satpura Range in central India, primarily in Madhya Pradesh.

✅ Pair 4 – Correct: Mikir Hills (also known as Karbi Anglong Hills) are located in Assam, North-East India.

Detailed Explanation:

✅ Statement 1 – Correct: Deep gorges form due to intense vertical erosion by rivers cutting through rapidly rising young mountains; the Kali Gandaki Gorge exemplifies this feature of active orogeny.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: U-turn river courses (sharp bends) occur due to rugged topography and ongoing tectonic uplift forcing rivers to change direction abruptly.
✅ Statement 3 – Correct: Parallel mountain ranges (Greater, Lesser, Outer Himalayas) are characteristic of fold mountain systems formed by compression of sedimentary layers during continental collision.
✅ Statement 4 – Correct: Steep gradients combined with unconsolidated young rocks and active seismic activity make the Himalayas highly prone to landslides.