UPSC CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION PRELIMS SPECIAL PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS 1995 - 2018 Physical Features in India
www.civilstap.com CHAPTER LISTING
Unit Chapter Geomorphology L1 – L3 Climatology L4-L7 Physical Geography Oceanography L8 World Geography Biogeography L9 Social Geography L10 Economic Geography Basics of India L11 Physical features L12-L13 River systems Physical Geography Climate Indian Geography Agriculture Vegetation and Fauna Social Geography Economic Geography www.civilstap.com CHAPTER LISTING
Chapter Topics
The Himalayas
The North Indian Plains
Basics of India Peninsular Plateau Q 127-137
Coastal Plains and Islands
Indian Desert
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 127
Q. The approximate age of the Aravallis range is : [2001] (a) 370 million years (b) 470 million years (c) 570 million years (d) 670 million years
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 127
Aravalli Ranges • They are aligned in north-east to south-west direction for about 800 km between Delhi and Palanpur in Gujarat. • They are one of the oldest fold mountains of the world and the oldest in India. • After its formation in Archaean Era (several million years ago), its summits were nourishing glaciers and several summits were probably higher than the present day Himalayas. • Now they are relict (remnants after severe weathering and erosion since millions of years) of the world’s oldest mountain formed as a result of folding (Archaean Era). • The range is conspicuous in Rajasthan (continuous range south of Ajmer where it rises to 900 m.) but becomes less distinct in Haryana and Delhi. • It’s general elevation is only 400-600 m, with few hills well above 1,000 m. • At the south-west extremity the range rises to over 1,000 m. Guru Sikhar (1,722 m), the highest peak, is situated in Mt. Abu.
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 127
Q. The approximate age of the Aravallis range is : [2001] (a) 370 million years (b) 470 million years (c) 570 million years (d) 670 million years Answer: d
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 128
Q. In which State is the Guru Shikhar Peak located? [2007] (a) Rajasthan (b) Gujarat (c) Madhya Pradesh (d) Maharashtra Answer: a
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 129
Q. Consider the following: [2004] 1. Mahadeo Hills 2. Sahyadri Parvat 3. Satpura Range What is the correct sequence of the above from the north to the south ? (a) 1, 2, 3 (b) 2, 1, 3 (c) 1, 3, 2 (d) 2, 3, 1
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 129
Hill Ranges of the Peninsular Plateau
• Most of the hills in the peninsular region are of the relict type (residual hills). • They are the remnants of the hills and horsts formed many million years ago (horst: uplifted block; graben: subsided block). • The plateaus of the Peninsular region are separated from one another by these hill ranges and various river valleys.
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 129
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 129
Q. Consider the following: [2004] 1. Mahadeo Hills 2. Sahyadri Parvat 3. Satpura Range What is the correct sequence of the above from the north to the south ? (a) 1, 2, 3 (b) 2, 1, 3 (c) 1, 3, 2 (d) 2, 3, 1 Answer: c
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 130
Q. Which one of the following statements is not correct? [2005] (a) The Western Ghats are relatively higher in their northern region. (b) The Anai Mudi is the highest peak in the Western Ghats. (c) Tapi river lies to the south of Satpura (d) The Narmada and Tapti river valleys are said to be old rift valleys.
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 130
Western Ghats (Sahyadris)
• They form the western edge of the Deccan tableland. • Run from the Tapi valley (21° N latitude) to a little north of Kanyakumari (11° N latitude) for a distance of 1,600 km. • The Western Ghats are steep-sided, terraced, flat- topped hills presenting a stepped topography facing the Arabian Sea coast. • The Western Ghats abruptly rise as a sheer wall to an average elevation of 1,000 m from the Western Coastal Plain but they slope gently on their eastern flank and hardly appear to be a mountain when viewed from the Deccan tableland. • The height of Western Ghats increases southwards
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 130
Western Ghats (Sahyadris)
• Thal ghat and Bhor ghat are important passes which provide passage by road and rail between the Konkan Plains in the west and the Deccan Plateau in the east. • The southern part of the Western Ghats is separated from the main Sahyadri range by Pal ghat Gap [Palakkad Gap]. • The high ranges terminate abruptly on either side of this gap. • Pal ghat Gap it is a rift valley. This gap is used by a number of roads and railway lines to connect the plains of Tamil Nadu with the coastal plain of Kerala. • Anai Mudi (2,695 m) is the highest peak in the whole of southern India. Doda Betta (2,637 m) • Three ranges radiate in different directions from Anai Mudi. • These ranges are the Anaimalai (1800-2000 m) to the north, the Palani (900-1,200 m) to the north-east and the Cardamom Hills or the Ealaimalai to the south.
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 130
Q. Which one of the following statements is not correct? [2005] (a) The Western Ghats are relatively higher in their northern region. (b) The Anai Mudi is the highest peak in the Western Ghats. (c) Tapi river lies to the south of Satpura (d) The Narmada and Tapti river valleys are said to be old rift valleys. Answer: a
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 131
Q. Consider the following pairs : [2014 - I] Hills Region 1. Cardamom Hills : Coromandel Coast 2. Kaimur Hills : Konkan Coast 3. Mahadeo Hills : Central India 4. Mikir Hills : North-East India Which of the above pairs are correctly matched? (a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3 (c) 3 and 4 (d) 2 and 4
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 131
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 131
Q. Consider the following pairs : [2014 - I] Hills Region 1. Cardamom Hills : Coromandel Coast 2. Kaimur Hills : Konkan Coast 3. Mahadeo Hills : Central India 4. Mikir Hills : North-East India Which of the above pairs are correctly matched? (a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3 (c) 3 and 4 (d) 2 and 4 Answer: c www.civilstap.com QUESTION 132
Q. Which one of the following is the correct sequence of hills starting from the north and going towards the south? [2005] (a) Nallamalai Hills–Nilgiri Hills–Javadi Hills–Anamalai Hills (b) Anamalai Hills–Javadi Hills–Nilgiri Hills–Nallamalai Hills (c) Nallamalai Hills–Javadi Hills–Nilgiri Hills –Anamalai Hills (d) Anamalai Hills–Nilgiri Hills–Javadi Hills–Nallamalai Hills
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 132
Eastern Ghats • Eastern Ghats run almost parallel to the east coast of India leaving broad plains between their base and the coast. • They neither have structural unity nor physiographic continuity. Therefore these hill groups are generally treated as independent units. • It is only in the northern part, between the Mahanadi and the Godavari that the Eastern Ghats exhibit true mountain character. • Between the Godavari and the Krishna rivers, the Eastern Ghats lose their hilly character and are occupied by Gondwana formations (KG Basin is here). • The Eastern Ghats reappear as more or less a continuous hill range in Cuddapah and Kurnool districts of Andhra Pradesh where they are called as Nallamalai Range [Naxalite hideout in AP] with general elevation of 600-850 m. The southern part of this range is called the Palkonda range. • To the south, the hills and plateaus attain very low altitudes; only Javadi Hills and the Shevroy Hills form two distinct features of 1,000 m elevation. www.civilstap.com QUESTION 132
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 132
Q. Which one of the following is the correct sequence of hills starting from the north and going towards the south? [2005] (a) Nallamalai Hills–Nilgiri Hills–Javadi Hills–Anamalai Hills (b) Anamalai Hills–Javadi Hills–Nilgiri Hills–Nallamalai Hills (c) Nallamalai Hills–Javadi Hills–Nilgiri Hills –Anamalai Hills (d) Anamalai Hills–Nilgiri Hills–Javadi Hills–Nallamalai Hills Answer: c
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 133
Q. Which of the following hills are found where the Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats meet? [2008] (a) Anamalai Hills (b) Cardamom Hills (c) Nilgiri Hills (d) Shevaroy Hills Answer: c
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 133
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 134
Q. Where are Shevaroy hills located? [2007] (a) Andhra Pradesh (b) Karnataka (c) Kerala (d) Tamil Nadu
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 134
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 134
Q. Where are Shevaroy hills located? [2007] (a) Andhra Pradesh (b) Karnataka (c) Kerala (d) Tamil Nadu Answer: d
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 135
Q. Consider the map given below: [1997]
The place marked A, B, C and D in the map are respectively: (a) Rift valley region, Chhattisgarh plain, Rain shadow region and Chhota Nagpur (b) Chhattisgarh plain, Chhota Nagpur plateau, Rift valley region, and Rain shadow region (c) Rift valley region, Chhattisgarh plain, Chhota Nagpur plateau and Rain shadow region (d) Chhattisgarh plain, Rain shadow region, Chhota Nagpur plateau and Rift valley region
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 135
Chhotanagpur Plateau
• Chotanagpur plateau represents the north-eastern projection of the Indian Peninsula, mostly in Jharkhand, northern part of Chhatisgarh and Purulia district of West Bengal. • The average elevation of the plateau is 700 m above sea level. • This plateau is composed mainly of Gondwana rocks. Here are found the Gondwana coal fields which provide bulk of coal in India. • The plateau is drained by numerous rivers and streams in different directions and presents a radial drainage pattern. {Drainage Pattern} • Rivers like the Damodar, the Subarnrekaha, the North Koel, the South Koel and the Barkar have developed extensive drainage basins.
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 135
Q. Consider the map given below: [1997]
The place marked A, B, C and D in the map are respectively: (a) Rift valley region, Chhattisgarh plain, Rain shadow region and Chhota Nagpur (b) Chhattisgarh plain, Chhota Nagpur plateau, Rift valley region, and Rain shadow region (c) Rift valley region, Chhattisgarh plain, Chhota Nagpur plateau and Rain shadow region (d) Chhattisgarh plain, Rain shadow region, Chhota Nagpur plateau and Rift valley region Answer: c www.civilstap.com QUESTION 136
Q. Which one of the following is the appropriate reason to considering the Gondwana rocks as most important of rock systems of India? [2010] (a) More than 90% of limestone reserves of India are found in them (b) More than 90% of India’s coal reserves are found in them (c) More than 90% of fertile black cotton soils are spread over them (d) None of the reasons given above is appropriate in this context
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 136
Gondwana Coal
• Gondwana coal makes up to 98% of the total reserves and 99% of the production of coal in India. • The carbon content in Gondwana coal [250 million years old] is less compared to the Carboniferous coal [350 million years old] [Almost Absent in India]. • Anthracite is generally not found in Gondwana coal fields. • Gondwana coal is free from moisture, but it contains Sulphur and phosphorus. • It occurs in the valleys of certain rivers viz., the Damodar; the Mahanadi; the Son; the Godavari and the Wardha etc.
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 136
Q. Which one of the following is the appropriate reason to considering the Gondwana rocks as most important of rock systems of India? [2010] (a) More than 90% of limestone reserves of India are found in them (b) More than 90% of India’s coal reserves are found in them (c) More than 90% of fertile black cotton soils are spread over them (d) None of the reasons given above is appropriate in this context Answer: b
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 137
Q. Which one of the following mountain ranges is spread over only one state in India? [1995] (a) Aravalli (b) Satpura (c) Ajanta (d) Sahyadri
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 137
Hill Ranges and States
State Valleys Aravalli Rajasthan; Gujarat; Haryana; Delhi Satpura Gujarat; Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh Sahyadri Gujarat; Maharashtra; Goa; Karnataka; Kerala; Tamil Nadu Ajanta Maharashtra Mahadeo Madhya Pradesh Eastern Ghats Odisha; Andhra Pradesh; Karnataka; Tamil Nadu
www.civilstap.com QUESTION 137
Q. Which one of the following mountain ranges is spread over only one state in India? [1995] (a) Aravalli (b) Satpura (c) Ajanta (d) Sahyadri Answer: c
www.civilstap.com