"Indian Geography & Natural Resources" — Practice

Question 1

The Northern Plains of India are formed primarily by the alluvial deposits of which river systems?
(a) the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra (b) the Godavari and Krishna (c) the Narmada and Tapi (d) the Mahanadi and Kaveri

Accepted Answer

(a) the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra.

These Himalayan rivers, carrying heavy sediment loads, have built one of the most fertile and densely populated alluvial plains in the world.

Question 2

The Deccan Plateau's black (regur) soil, ideal for cotton cultivation, was formed from:
(a) weathered volcanic/basaltic rock (b) river-deposited alluvium (c) wind-blown desert sand (d) coral limestone

Accepted Answer

(a) weathered volcanic/basaltic rock.

This soil's moisture-retaining properties make it distinctively suited to cotton, unlike the fertile but differently-formed alluvial soil of the Northern Plains.

Question 3

Which two major Peninsular rivers flow WESTWARD into the Arabian Sea, unlike most other Peninsular rivers?
(a) Narmada and Tapi (b) Godavari and Krishna (c) Mahanadi and Kaveri (d) Ganga and Yamuna

Accepted Answer

(a) Narmada and Tapi.

Both flow through rift valleys into the Arabian Sea, forming estuaries rather than the deltas typical of India's eastward-flowing Peninsular rivers.

Question 4

Himalayan rivers are described as perennial because they are fed by:
(a) both monsoon rainfall and melting snow/glaciers (b) monsoon rainfall only (c) groundwater alone (d) artificial reservoirs only

Accepted Answer

(a) both monsoon rainfall and melting snow/glaciers.

This dual source keeps them flowing year-round, unlike the largely seasonal, purely rain-fed Peninsular rivers, which show much greater flow variation.

Question 5

Under the Indus Waters Treaty (1960), which three rivers were allocated predominantly to India?
(a) Ravi, Beas and Sutlej (b) Indus, Jhelum and Chenab (c) Ganga, Yamuna and Brahmaputra (d) Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri

Accepted Answer

(a) Ravi, Beas and Sutlej.

These are the three 'Eastern Rivers'; the three 'Western Rivers' (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) were allocated predominantly to Pakistan, with specified Indian usage rights.

Question 6

The Sundarbans, the world's largest river delta, is formed by which two rivers?
(a) the Ganga and Brahmaputra (b) the Narmada and Tapi (c) the Godavari and Krishna (d) the Indus and Sutlej

Accepted Answer

(a) the Ganga and Brahmaputra.

This delta is shared between India and Bangladesh, distinct from the estuaries formed by the westward-flowing Narmada and Tapi.

Question 7

The Godavari, Peninsular India's longest river, is sometimes called:
(a) the 'Dakshin Ganga' (Ganges of the South) (b) the 'Sorrow of Bihar' (c) the 'Golden River' (d) the 'Second Indus'

Accepted Answer

(a) the 'Dakshin Ganga' (Ganges of the South).

The Kosi, a flood-prone Himalayan tributary of the Ganga, is instead called the 'Sorrow of Bihar' due to its history of severe flooding and channel-shifting.

Question 8

The Aravalli Range, running through Rajasthan, is notable for being:
(a) among the world's oldest fold mountains, heavily eroded (b) a young, still-rising mountain range like the Himalayas (c) entirely of volcanic origin (d) India's highest mountain range

Accepted Answer

(a) among the world's oldest fold mountains, heavily eroded.

Its highest peak, Guru Shikhar (Mount Abu), reflects this ancient, eroded character — a sharp geological contrast with the young, actively rising Himalayas.

Question 9

Compared to the Eastern Ghats, the Western Ghats are:
(a) largely continuous, while the Eastern Ghats are discontinuous, broken by major river deltas (b) discontinuous, while the Eastern Ghats are continuous (c) lower in elevation than the Eastern Ghats (d) located along India's east coast

Accepted Answer

(a) largely continuous, while the Eastern Ghats are discontinuous, broken by major river deltas.

The Western Ghats also significantly influence southwest monsoon rainfall via the orographic effect and are a recognised UNESCO biodiversity hotspot.

Question 10

Laterite soil, found in high-rainfall plateau regions like parts of Kerala and Odisha, is generally:
(a) poor for most cultivation despite the high rainfall, due to intense leaching (b) the most fertile soil type in India (c) identical in properties to alluvial soil (d) found exclusively in desert regions

Accepted Answer

(a) poor for most cultivation despite the high rainfall, due to intense leaching.

This counter-intuitive pairing — high rainfall but poor natural fertility — is frequently tested; laterite is suitable for specific crops like cashew and tea with treatment.

Question 11

The Kaveri (Cauvery) river water-sharing dispute is primarily between:
(a) Karnataka and Tamil Nadu (b) Maharashtra and Gujarat (c) Punjab and Haryana (d) Odisha and Chhattisgarh

Accepted Answer

(a) Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The Kaveri originates at Talakaveri in Karnataka's Western Ghats and has been the subject of one of India's longest-running interstate water disputes.

Question 12

India's major coal, iron ore and bauxite reserves are heavily concentrated in which plateau region?
(a) Chota Nagpur Plateau (b) Malwa Plateau (c) Deccan Plateau (d) Tibetan Plateau

Accepted Answer

(a) Chota Nagpur Plateau.

Spanning Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and parts of West Bengal, this region is India's dominant mineral belt for multiple key resources.

Question 13

India's largest bauxite (aluminium ore) reserves are found in:
(a) Odisha (b) Rajasthan (c) Tamil Nadu (d) Punjab

Accepted Answer

(a) Odisha.

Odisha leads India's bauxite reserves, followed by Gujarat, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

Question 14

Which of the following is India's oldest oil-producing region?
(a) Assam (b) Mumbai High (c) Krishna-Godavari basin (d) Gujarat

Accepted Answer

(a) Assam.

While Mumbai High (offshore Maharashtra) and the Krishna-Godavari basin are major modern producing regions, Assam holds the distinction of being India's oldest oil-producing area.

Question 15

India's only active volcano is located at:
(a) Barren Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands (b) Lakshadweep (c) a peak in the Himalayas (d) the Deccan Plateau

Accepted Answer

(a) Barren Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Unlike the coral-origin Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are of tectonic/volcanic origin.

Practice — "Indian Geography & Natural Resources"

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