UPSC CSE Prelims
Physical Geography of India Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 1 — 1, 2 and 4

This question tests knowledge of major Himalayan glaciers and their associated river systems. The correctly matched pairs are Bandarpunch-Yamuna, Bara Shigri-Chenab, and Siachen-Nubra, making option 1 the correct answer.

✅ Pair 1 – Bandarpunch : Yamuna – Correct: Bandarpunch glacier in the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand is one of the principal sources of the Yamuna River.

✅ Pair 2 – Bara Shigri : Chenab – Correct: Bara Shigri is the second-longest glacier in the Himalayas (after Gangotri) and feeds the Chenab River through its tributary system.

❌ Pair 3 – Milam : Mandakini – Incorrect: Milam Glacier in Uttarakhand feeds the Gori Ganga River (tributary of Kali River), not Mandakini. Mandakini originates from Chorabari Glacier near Kedarnath.

✅ Pair 4 – Siachen : Nubra – Correct: Siachen Glacier in the Karakoram Range is one of the world's longest mountain glaciers and is the source of the Nubra River, which later joins the Shyok River.

❌ Pair 5 – Zemu : Manas – Incorrect: Zemu Glacier in Sikkim feeds the Teesta River, not the Manas River. Manas originates in Bhutan and flows through Assam.

📝 Short Notes: Major Himalayan Glaciers and Their Rivers

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 1 — 1 and 2 only

This question tests the knowledge of famous places in India and the rivers associated with them. Out of the three pairs given, only pairs 1 and 2 are correctly matched.

✅ Pair 1 – Correct: Pandharpur is a renowned pilgrimage town located on the banks of the Chandrabhaga River (also known as Bhima River) in Solapur district, Maharashtra.

✅ Pair 2 – Correct: Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) is situated along the banks of the Cauvery River in Tamil Nadu, which is one of the major rivers of South India.

❌ Pair 3 – Incorrect: Hampi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, is located on the banks of the Tungabhadra River, not the Malaprabha River.

📝 Short Notes: Important Rivers and Associated Cities in India

• Chandrabhaga River: Also known as Bhima River; Pandharpur (Maharashtra) is located on its banks; it is a tributary of Krishna River.
• Cauvery River: Major river of South India; flows through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu; important cities include Tiruchirappalli, Srirangapatna, and Thanjavur.
• Tungabhadra River: Formed by confluence of Tunga and Bhadra rivers; flows through Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh; Hampi is located on its banks.
• Malaprabha River: A tributary of Krishna River; flows through Karnataka; does not pass through Hampi.
• Krishna River: One of the longest rivers in India; flows through Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh; receives tributaries like Bhima (Chandrabhaga) and Tungabhadra.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 1 — Kodaikanal Tamil Nadu

Kodaikanal Lake, also known as Kodai Lake, is a man-made lake located in Kodaikanal city in Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu. It was created in 1863 by Sir Vere Henry Levinge, the then Collector of Madurai, and is a popular tourist attraction. The other three lakes mentioned—Kolleru (Andhra Pradesh), Nainital (Uttarakhand), and Renuka (Himachal Pradesh)—are all natural lakes.

📝 Short Notes: Important Artificial and Natural Lakes of India

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 4 — 1 only

Only Statement 1 is correct. Barren Island is indeed India's only active volcano, located in the Andaman Sea within Indian territory. Statement 2 is incorrect because Barren Island lies approximately 135-140 km east of Port Blair, not Great Nicobar, which is much further south. Statement 3 is also incorrect as the volcano has erupted multiple times after 1991, including in 1994-95, 2005-07, and most recently in 2017, proving it has not remained inactive.

✅ Statement 1 – Correct: Barren Island is the only confirmed active volcano in India, located in the Andaman Sea, part of the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: Barren Island is located approximately 135-140 km east of Port Blair, not Great Nicobar; Great Nicobar is the southernmost island located much further south (around 7°N) while Barren Island is at approximately 12.2°N.
❌ Statement 3 – Incorrect: The volcano has not remained inactive since 1991; it has erupted several times including in 1994-95, 2005-07, and as recently as 2017.

📝 Short Notes: Barren Island Volcano

• Location: Barren Island is located in the Andaman Sea, approximately 135-140 km east of Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• Only Active Volcano: It is the only confirmed active volcano in South Asia and India.
• Part of Volcanic Arc: Barren Island is part of the volcanic arc chain extending from Sumatra to Myanmar, formed due to the subduction of the Indian Plate beneath the Burmese Plate.
• Eruption History: After lying dormant for nearly 150 years, it erupted in 1991, and has since shown activity in 1994-95, 2005-07, and 2017.
• Uninhabited: The island is uninhabited due to volcanic activity and is restricted for tourism, though diving expeditions are sometimes permitted.
• Geographical Coordinates: Approximately 12.2°N latitude and 93.9°E longitude.

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.

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.

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:

Answer: Option 2 — Godavari and Krishna

The Godavari-Krishna river linking project was recently undertaken through the Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Scheme in Andhra Pradesh. This project lifts flood water from the Godavari River and pumps it through the Polavaram right canal, which empties into the Krishna River near Vijayawada. This was a significant step in India's ambitious river interlinking program aimed at creating a national water grid for better water resource management and distribution.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 4 — 1, 2 and 3

✅ Statement 1 – Correct: Dibang is a major left-bank tributary of the Brahmaputra that flows through the Mishmi Hills in Arunachal Pradesh before joining the main river near Pasighat.

✅ Statement 2 – Correct: Kameng is a significant right-bank tributary originating in the Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh that flows through Assam and joins the Brahmaputra downstream of Tezpur.

✅ Statement 3 – Correct: Lohit is an important left-bank tributary originating in eastern Tibet (China) that flows through the Mishmi Hills of Arunachal Pradesh and merges with the Dibang to form the Brahmaputra in the Assam plains.

Detailed Explanation:

Indravati and Pranhita are major left-bank tributaries of the Godavari River, joining it in its middle and lower course respectively.

Vamsadhara flows independently into the Bay of Bengal along the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border, not a Godavari tributary.

Pennar River is an independent east-flowing river draining entirely within Andhra Pradesh, emptying into the Bay of Bengal south of the Godavari delta.

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:

Easternmost State: Arunachal Pradesh extends to approximately 97°25'E longitude, with Kibithu and Dong Valley marking India's eastern extremity.

Westernmost State: Gujarat extends to approximately 68°7'E longitude, with the Guhar Moti area in Kutch district marking India's western extremity.

Detailed Explanation:

The Ten Degree Channel is located at approximately 10°N latitude in the Bay of Bengal and separates Little Andaman Island (southernmost of Andaman group) from Car Nicobar Island (northernmost of Nicobar group).

Other channels: Great Channel (separates Nicobar from Sumatra), Eight Degree Channel (separates Minicoy from Maldives), Nine Degree Channel (separates Minicoy from rest of Lakshadweep), and Sunda Strait (separates Sumatra from Java).

Detailed Explanation:

Lohit River: Originates in the Mishmi Hills of eastern Arunachal Pradesh and flows through Anjaw and Lohit districts before joining the Brahmaputra.

Subansiri River: A major tributary of Brahmaputra, flows through Upper Subansiri and Lower Subansiri districts of Arunachal Pradesh before entering Assam.

Barak River: Originates in the Manipur Hills and flows through Manipur, Mizoram, and Assam only; does not flow through Arunachal 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.