🌍 Indian & World Geography — Solved PYQs 2013–2026
Chapter-wise · Physical, Indian & World Geography · Click options to check answers · Detailed explanations · UPSC Prelims General Studies Paper I.
1. Electromagnetic radiation
2. Geothermal energy
3. Gravitational force
4. Plate movements
5. Rotation of the earth
6. Revolution of the earth.
Which of the above are responsible for bringing dynamic changes on the surface of the earth?
All six — electromagnetic (solar) radiation, geothermal energy, gravitational force, plate movements, and the Earth's rotation and revolution — drive dynamic changes on the Earth's surface.
1. Continental drift
2. Glacial cycles.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Both continental drift (which separated and isolated populations) and glacial cycles (repeated climate shifts) have influenced the evolution of organisms.
1. Decreased salinity in the water
2. Pollution of groundwater
3. Lowering of the water table.
Select the correct answer using the code below:
Heavy riverbed sand mining lowers the water table and can pollute groundwater (2 and 3); it does not decrease salinity, so statement 1 is wrong.
1. In a seismograph, P waves are recorded earlier than S waves.
2. In P waves, the individual particles vibrate to and fro in the direction of wave propagation whereas in S waves, the particles vibrate up and down at right angles to the direction of wave propagation.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
P (primary) waves are faster and recorded first, and they are longitudinal (particles vibrate along the direction of travel) while S waves are transverse (particles vibrate at right angles) — both statements are correct.
Statement-I: Rainfall is one of the reasons for weathering of rocks.
Statement-II: Rain water contains carbon dioxide in solution.
Statement-III: Rain water contains atmospheric oxygen.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Rainwater carries dissolved carbon dioxide (forming carbonic acid) and atmospheric oxygen, both of which drive chemical weathering — so both II and III are correct and each explains why rainfall weathers rocks.
1. Pyroclastic debris
2. Ash and dust
3. Nitrogen compounds
4. Sulphur compounds.
How many of the above are products of volcanic eruptions?
Pyroclastic debris, ash and dust, and nitrogen and sulphur compounds are all emitted during volcanic eruptions — all four.
I. The belt of ancient rocks from the Brazil coast matches with those from Western Africa.
II. The gold deposits of Ghana are derived from the Brazil plateau when the two continents lay side by side.
III. The Gondwana system of sediments from India is known to have its counterparts in six different landmasses of the Southern Hemisphere.
All three are classic Wegenerian evidences of continental drift: matching ancient rock belts across the Atlantic (Brazil–West Africa), the placer gold of Ghana traced to the Brazil plateau, and Gondwana sediments repeated across the southern continents.
Statement II: Chalk is porous and hence can absorb water.
Statement III: Clay is not at all porous.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Chalk is porous and permeable, so it absorbs water (Statement II is correct and it explains Statement I); clay, though impermeable, is not 'not at all porous', so Statement III is wrong — only one of II and III is correct and it explains I.
Seasonal variation in the length of day and night results from the revolution of the Earth around the Sun on its tilted axis (about 23.5°).
On the June solstice the Sun does not set below the horizon at the Arctic Circle (the midnight sun), while it is the Antarctic Circle that is then in polar night.
In the Northern Hemisphere the longest day falls on the June solstice (about 21 June), i.e. the second half of June.
1. Equator
2. Tropic of Cancer
3. Tropic of Capricorn
4. Arctic Circle
On the June solstice the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle (both in the summer Northern Hemisphere) get more than 12 hours of daylight; the equator has exactly 12 hours and the Southern-Hemisphere latitudes get less — so 2 and 4.
Statement II: Solar flares and associated coronal mass ejections bombarded the Earth's outermost atmosphere with a tremendous amount of energy.
Statement III: As the Earth's polar ice melts, the water tends to move towards the equator.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Both II and III are correct, but only the movement of meltwater toward the equator (III) actually explains a shift in the Earth's rotation/axis; the solar-flare bombardment (II), though true, does not cause the axial shift.
I. Anadyr in Siberia and Nome in Alaska are a few kilometres from each other, but when people are waking up and getting set for breakfast in these cities, it would be different days.
II. When it is Monday in Anadyr, it is Tuesday in Nome.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Anadyr and Nome sit on opposite sides of the International Date Line, so it can be different days there (Statement I correct); but Anadyr lies west of the line and is a day ahead, so when it is Monday in Anadyr it is Sunday in Nome — Statement II is wrong.
1. Presence of tall, closely set trees with crowns forming a continuous canopy
2. Coexistence of a large number of species
3. Presence of numerous varieties of epiphytes
Continuous multi-layered canopy, very high species diversity and abundant epiphytes are all characteristic of equatorial (tropical rain) forests.
1. Meeting of cumulonimbus clouds in the sky
2. Lightning that separates the nimbus clouds
3. Violent upward movement of air and water particles
Thunder is produced by the rapid expansion of air suddenly heated by a lightning stroke — none of the listed options describes this, so the answer is (d).
The seasonal reversal of wind direction between summer and winter is the defining feature of the monsoon climate.
1. The winds which blow between 30°N and 60°S latitudes throughout the year are known as westerlies.
2. The moist air masses that cause winter rains in the North-Western region of India are part of the westerlies.
Westerlies blow between about 30° and 60° in each hemisphere separately (not '30°N to 60°S'), so statement 1 is wrong; the winter rain of NW India, brought by western disturbances, is part of the westerly flow, so statement 2 is correct.
Which region is described?
Daily convectional afternoon thunderstorms with uniform hot, humid weather describe the equatorial climate.
Over the South Atlantic and south-eastern Pacific the ITCZ rarely shifts there, so the trigger for tropical cyclone formation is absent (official key: b).
1. IOD is characterised by a difference in sea surface temperature between the tropical Western Indian Ocean and the tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean.
2. An IOD phenomenon can influence an El Nino's impact on the monsoon.
The IOD is a difference in SST between the western and eastern tropical INDIAN Ocean (not the Pacific), so statement 1 is wrong; a positive IOD can offset El Nino's effect on the monsoon, so statement 2 is correct.
Both cirrus cloud thinning and stratospheric sulphate-aerosol injection are proposed geo-engineering techniques to counter global warming.
On a cloudy night, clouds reflect the Earth's outgoing radiation back to the surface, keeping it warm so it does not cool to the dew point — hence no dew forms.
1. Jet streams occur in the Northern Hemisphere only.
2. Only some cyclones develop an eye.
3. The temperature inside the eye of a cyclone is nearly 10°C lesser than that of the surroundings.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Only some mature tropical cyclones develop a clear eye (statement 2 correct); jet streams occur in both hemispheres, and the eye is warmer (not colder) than the surroundings — so 1 and 3 are wrong.
1. Burrowing animals and termites
2. Fire
3. Grazing herbivores
4. Seasonal rainfall
5. Soil properties
Recurrent fire, grazing herbivores and strongly seasonal wet–dry rainfall are the classic checks that keep the savannah open — factors 2, 3 and 4.
Rapid litter decomposition, abundant climbers and epiphytes and a multi-layered canopy are hallmarks of the tropical rainforest.
1. High clouds primarily reflect solar radiation and cool the surface of the Earth.
2. Low clouds have a high absorption of infrared radiation emanating from the Earth's surface and thus cause a warming effect.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Per the official key, neither is correct as framed: high (cirrus) clouds mainly trap outgoing infrared and warm the surface, while low thick clouds mainly reflect incoming solar radiation and cool it — the roles are reversed.
Water vapour, concentrated in the lower atmosphere, is the chief absorber of infrared radiation — option (c); the equator receives only ~2.5 times the poles' insolation, and infrared is not part of the visible spectrum.
Statement-II: The high temperature and moisture of tropical rain forests cause dead organic matter in the soil to decompose quickly.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Tropical rainforest soils are actually nutrient-poor because heavy rain leaches nutrients and dense vegetation quickly absorbs them, so Statement-I is wrong; rapid decomposition (Statement-II) is correct.
Statement-II: The specific heat of water is more than that of land surface.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Per the official key, Statement-I is incorrect (the land–ocean temperature contrast is greater in winter), while Statement-II is correct — water has a higher specific heat than land.
Statement-II: Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are good absorbers of long wave radiation.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
The atmosphere is heated mainly by terrestrial (long-wave) radiation, not directly by incoming solar radiation, so Statement-I is wrong; greenhouse gases are good absorbers of long-wave radiation, so Statement-II is correct.
Statement-II: At the equator, heat is transported to great heights by strong convectional currents.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
The troposphere is about 16 km thick at the equator versus ~8 km at the poles, and this is because strong convectional currents at the equator carry heat to great heights — so II correctly explains I.
1. It is a gas, the amount of which decreases with altitude.
2. Its percentage is maximum at the poles.
Water vapour decreases with altitude (statement 1 correct); its share is maximum over warm, humid equatorial regions, not the poles, so statement 2 is wrong.
1. Annual and daily range of temperatures is low.
2. Precipitation occurs throughout the year.
3. Precipitation varies between 50 cm and 250 cm.
What is this type of climate?
Low temperature range with year-round precipitation of 50–250 cm points to the Marine West Coast (cool temperate western margin) climate; the equatorial type has much higher rainfall.
1. It increases with an increase in wind velocity.
2. It is maximum at the poles and is absent at the equator.
The Coriolis force is proportional to wind speed and to the sine of latitude, so it rises with wind velocity and is maximum at the poles while being zero at the equator — both statements are correct.
1. The isotherms deviate to the north over the ocean and to the south over the continent.
2. The presence of cold ocean currents, the Gulf Stream and the North Atlantic Drift make the North Atlantic Ocean colder and the isotherms bend towards the north.
In January the isotherms bend north over the warmer oceans and south over the colder continents (statement 1 correct); the Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift are warm currents that make the North Atlantic warmer, not colder, so statement 2 is wrong.
Statement II: Subtropical and temperate areas have less dry winds.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Dust content is higher over subtropical/temperate belts than over equatorial or polar regions (Statement I correct); but these areas have MORE dry winds, not less, so Statement II is wrong.
I. Without the atmosphere, temperature would be well below freezing point everywhere on the Earth's surface.
II. Heat absorbed and trapped by the atmosphere maintains our planet's average temperature.
III. Atmosphere's gases, like carbon dioxide, are particularly good at absorbing and trapping radiation.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
All three describe the greenhouse effect: without the atmosphere the surface would be far colder, trapped heat maintains the average temperature, and gases like CO2 are efficient absorbers of long-wave radiation.
Statement II: In January, the air over the oceans is warmer than that over the landmasses in the Northern Hemisphere.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
In the northern winter the land is colder and the oceans warmer, so isotherms bend equatorward over cold land and poleward over warm oceans — and the warmer ocean air (II) is exactly why, so II explains I.
After ice caps and glaciers, the largest share of the Earth's remaining freshwater exists as groundwater.
1. Thermal difference between land and water
2. Variation in altitude between continents and oceans
3. Presence of strong winds in the interior
4. Heavy rains in the interior as compared to coasts
The land heats and cools faster than water (its lower thermal inertia), so continental interiors have a larger annual temperature range — statement 1 alone is the reason.
Where warm and cold ocean currents meet, the mixing brings up nutrients (plankton bloom), supporting the world's richest fishing grounds (e.g. the Grand Banks).
The Ten Degree Channel (along the 10°N parallel) separates the Andaman group of islands from the Nicobar group.
1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
2. Gulf of Kachchh
3. Gulf of Mannar
4. Sunderbans
Coral reefs occur off the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, in the Gulf of Kachchh and in the Gulf of Mannar (1, 2, 3); the Sunderbans is a mangrove delta with muddy water, not a coral habitat.
1. Warm currents raise the temperature of the coastal areas along which they flow.
2. Fogs are frequent where warm and cold currents meet.
Warm currents warm the coasts they wash, and where warm and cold currents meet the mixing produces dense fog (as off Newfoundland) — both correct.
1. Gravitational Force of the Sun
2. Gravitational Force of the Moon
3. Gravitational Force of the Earth
Tides result from the combined gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun together with the Earth's own gravitational field — all three.
Water piled up on the western side by the two westward-flowing equatorial currents flows back eastward between them as the equatorial counter-current.
1. Under the Ocean, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a submerged mountain range nearly 15,000 km long.
2. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands lie along the submerged part of a mountain range.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a very long submarine mountain range, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands are peaks of a submerged extension of the Arakan Yoma range — both correct.
1. Warm ocean currents raise the temperature of coastal areas.
2. Tropical cyclones develop only over warm ocean waters.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Warm currents do warm the coasts they wash, and tropical cyclones need warm surface waters (about 26.5°C and above) to form — both statements are correct.
1. OMT is measured up to a depth of the 26°C isotherm, which is 129 metres in the south-western Indian Ocean during January–March.
2. OMT collected during January–March can be used in assessing whether the amount of rainfall in the monsoon will be less or more than a certain long-term mean.
OMT during January–March is a useful predictor of the coming monsoon rainfall (statement 2 correct); the depth figure in statement 1 is incorrect, so it is wrong.
1. The amount of water in the rivers and lakes is more than the amount of groundwater.
2. The amount of water in polar ice caps and glaciers is more than the amount of groundwater.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Polar ice caps and glaciers hold far more water than groundwater (statement 2 correct); rivers and lakes hold much less water than groundwater, so statement 1 is wrong.
1. The Global Ocean Commission grants licences for seabed exploration and mining in international waters.
2. India has received licences for seabed mineral exploration in international waters.
3. 'Rare earth minerals' are present on the seafloor in international waters.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
India has received exploration licences from the International Seabed Authority and rare-earth/polymetallic minerals do occur on the deep seafloor (2 and 3); it is the ISA, not a 'Global Ocean Commission', that grants such licences, so statement 1 is wrong.
1. In the tropical zone, the western sections of the oceans are warmer than the eastern sections owing to the influence of trade winds.
2. In the temperate zone, westerlies make the eastern sections of oceans warmer than the western sections.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Both are correct: trade winds pile warm water on the western side of tropical oceans, and in the temperate zone the westerlies drive warm water to the eastern margins of the oceans.
1. Hokera wetland : Punjab
2. Renuka wetland : Himachal Pradesh
3. Rudrasagar wetland : Tripura
4. Sasthamkotta wetland : Tamil Nadu. How many pairs given above are correctly matched?
Renuka (Himachal Pradesh) and Rudrasagar (Tripura) are correct; Hokera is in Jammu & Kashmir and Sasthamkotta is in Kerala — so only two pairs match.
1. It occupies a linear rift valley.
2. It flows between the Vindhyas and the Satpuras.
3. The land slopes to the west from Central India.
The Narmada flows west because it occupies a linear rift (fault) valley — statement 1 alone explains the westward flow.
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?
The Mahadeo Hills (Central India) and the Mikir Hills (North-East India) are correctly matched; the Cardamom Hills lie in the southern Western Ghats (not the Coromandel Coast) and the Kaimur Hills are in the north (not the Konkan Coast).
From west to east the passes run Zoji La (Ladakh) → Shipki La (Himachal Pradesh) → Nathu La (Sikkim) → Bomdi La (Arunachal Pradesh).
1. Bandarpunch : Yamuna
2. Bara Shigri : Chenab
3. Milam : Mandakini
4. Siachen : Nubra
5. Zemu : Manas.
Which of the pairs are correctly matched?
Bandarpunch feeds the Yamuna, Bara Shigri the Chenab, and Siachen the Nubra (1, 2, 4); the Milam glacier feeds the Gori Ganga (not the Mandakini) and the Zemu feeds the Teesta (not the Manas).
The Siachen Glacier lies in the eastern Karakoram, to the north of the Nubra Valley of Ladakh.
1. Namcha Barwa : Garhwal Himalaya
2. Nanda Devi : Kumaon Himalaya
3. Nokrek : Sikkim Himalaya.
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
Only Nanda Devi–Kumaon Himalaya is correct; Namcha Barwa is in the Assam/Arunachal Himalaya and Nokrek is in Meghalaya's Garo Hills (not Sikkim).
1. Amarkantak Hills are at the confluence of the Vindhya and Sahyadri Ranges.
2. Biligirirangan Hills constitute the easternmost part of the Satpura Range.
3. Seshachalam Hills constitute the southernmost part of the Western Ghats.
How many of the above statements are correct?
None is correct: Amarkantak lies at the meeting of the Vindhya and Satpura (not Sahyadri) ranges, the Biligirirangan Hills link the Eastern and Western Ghats (not the Satpura), and the Seshachalam Hills are part of the Eastern Ghats (not the Western Ghats).
1. Namcha Barwa : Sikkim
2. Nanda Devi : Uttarakhand
3. Nokrek : Meghalaya.
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
Nanda Devi (Uttarakhand) and Nokrek (Meghalaya) are correct; Namcha Barwa lies in Arunachal Pradesh, not Sikkim — so two pairs match.
Which of the following is/are the basis of the above assertion?
1. The Nadi-Sukta of the Rigveda
2. The explorations of the Sutlej and the Yamuna by Robert Bruce Foote
3. The presence of the same species of dolphins in both the Indus and the Ganga river systems
The literary evidence of the Rigveda's Nadi-Sukta and the biological evidence of the same dolphin species in both the Indus and Ganga systems support past river captures/shifts — bases 1 and 3.
1. Uttar Pradesh shares its boundary with the highest number of other Indian States.
2. Rajasthan shares the longest international border among all Indian States.
3. Sikkim is the only State that shares its boundary with just one other Indian State.
Statement 1 is correct (UP borders eight States); statement 2 is not (Rajasthan does not have the longest international border among States) and statement 3 is not (Sikkim borders West Bengal but sits at tri-junctions with international neighbours) — so 2 and 3 are the incorrect statements.
1. Submergence of parts of the western coast due to tectonic activity
2. Presence of residual mountain ranges such as the Velikonda hills and Mahendragiri hills
3. Deep, V-shaped river valleys formed by fast-flowing rivers
The stable Peninsular Block shows a faulted, partly submerged western coast and residual ranges like the Velikonda and Mahendragiri hills (1 and 2); deep V-shaped valleys of fast rivers are typical of the youthful Himalayas, not the mature peninsula, so 3 is wrong.
1. Nagercoil
2. Kochi
3. Kozhikode
4. Mangaluru.
Proceeding south to north along the west coast the order is Nagercoil → Kochi → Kozhikode → Mangaluru (1-2-3-4).
1. Barak
2. Lohit
3. Subansiri.
Which of the above flows/flow through Arunachal Pradesh?
The Lohit and Subansiri flow through Arunachal Pradesh; the Barak rises in Manipur and flows through the Barak valley of Assam, not Arunachal.
1. Vamsadhara
2. Indravati
3. Pranahita
4. Pennar.
Which of the above are tributaries of the Godavari?
The Indravati and Pranahita are tributaries of the Godavari; the Vamsadhara and Pennar are separate independent rivers — so 2 and 3.
1. Dibang
2. Kameng
3. Lohit
The Dibang, Kameng and Lohit are all tributaries of the Brahmaputra in the north-east.
1. The source of river Teesta is the same as that of Brahmaputra but it flows through Sikkim.
2. River Rangeet originates in Sikkim and it is a tributary of river Teesta.
3. River Teesta flows into the Bay of Bengal on the border of India and Bangladesh.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Rangeet rises in Sikkim and joins the Teesta (statement 2 correct); the Teesta and Brahmaputra have different sources, and the Teesta joins the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh (it does not itself fall into the Bay of Bengal), so 1 and 3 are wrong.
Kodaikanal lake is a man-made (artificial) lake; Kolleru, Nainital and Renuka are natural lakes.
Aliyar (Tamil Nadu), Isapur (Maharashtra) and Kangsabati (West Bengal) are all water reservoirs/dams.
1. Pandharpur : Chandrabhaga
2. Tiruchirappalli : Cauvery
3. Hampi : Malaprabha.
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
Pandharpur stands on the Chandrabhaga (Bhima) and Tiruchirappalli on the Cauvery (1 and 2 correct); Hampi lies on the Tungabhadra, not the Malaprabha, so 3 is wrong.
1. Cauvery
2. Godavari
3. Mahanadi.
Which of the above rivers make deltas at some point in their courses?
All three — the Cauvery, Godavari and Mahanadi — are east-flowing peninsular rivers that build deltas where they enter the Bay of Bengal.
1. 36% of India's districts are classified as 'overexploited' or 'critical' by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA).
2. CGWA was formed under the Environment (Protection) Act.
3. India has the largest area under groundwater irrigation in the world.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The CGWA was constituted under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and India has the world's largest area under groundwater irrigation (2 and 3); the '36% of districts' figure is incorrect, so statement 1 is wrong.
The Jhelum and Ravi join the Chenab, and the Beas joins the Sutlej; the Chenab in turn joins the Sutlej, and the combined stream (the Panjnad) joins the Indus — so among these the Sutlej is the river that reaches the Indus directly (official key: Sutlej).
Didwana, Kuchaman, Sargol and Khatu are saline lakes of Rajasthan, worked for common salt.
1. Brahmani
2. Nagavali
3. Subarnarekha
4. Vamsadhara.
Which of the above rise from the Eastern Ghats?
The Nagavali and Vamsadhara rise in the Eastern Ghats; the Brahmani and Subarnarekha rise on the Chota Nagpur plateau.
Only Gandhi Sagar–Madhya Pradesh is correct; Ghataprabha is in Karnataka, Indira Sagar in Madhya Pradesh and Maithon in Jharkhand — so three pairs are not correctly matched.
1. Jhelum River passes through Wular Lake.
2. Krishna River directly feeds Kolleru Lake.
3. Meandering of Gandak River formed Kanwar Lake.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
Only the first is correct — the Jhelum passes through Wular Lake; Kolleru is fed by the Budameru/Tammileru (not directly the Krishna), and Kanwar (Kabar) Lake was formed by the Burhi Gandak, not the Gandak.
From west to east, downstream of Prayagraj the Ganga is joined by the Gomati, then the Ghaghara, then the Gandak, and finally the Kosi (the easternmost).
1. Dhuandhar : Malwa : Narmada
2. Hundru : Chota Nagpur : Subarnarekha
3. Gersoppa : Western Ghats : Netravati. In how many of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?
Only Hundru (Chota Nagpur, on the Subarnarekha) is fully correct; Dhuandhar is at Jabalpur (not Malwa) and Gersoppa/Jog is on the Sharavati (not the Netravati) — so only one row matches.
1. It has an antecedent drainage system.
2. It flows through three countries.
3. It originates in the Tibetan Plateau and is an important river for irrigation.
4. It does not form distributaries.
The Sutlej is an antecedent river rising in the Tibetan Plateau, flowing through China, India and Pakistan, vital for irrigation and not forming a delta of its own — the description fits the Sutlej.
1. 'Maitri Setu', built over the Feni river, connects Ramgarh in India with Sabroom in Bangladesh.
2. Jhulaghat suspension bridge connects India with Myanmar.
3. Mechi bridge and its approaches connect Panitanki Bypass in India with Kakarvitta in Nepal.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Maitri Setu over the Feni links India with Bangladesh and the Mechi bridge links India with Nepal (1 and 3 correct); the Jhulaghat bridge connects India with Nepal, not Myanmar, so 2 is wrong.
Contour bunding (small earthen bunds built along contours to check runoff) is used on gently sloping cultivable land in low-rainfall areas; none of the listed situations fits, so the answer is 'None of the above'.
1. Natural gas occurs in the Gondwana beds.
2. Mica occurs in abundance in Kodarma.
3. Dharwars are famous for petroleum.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Kodarma (Jharkhand) is famous for mica (statement 2 correct); natural gas occurs in Tertiary rocks not Gondwana beds, and the Dharwar rocks are known for metallic minerals, not petroleum.
1. A high content of organic matter drastically reduces its water-holding capacity.
2. Soil does not play a role in the sulphur cycle.
3. Irrigation over a period of time can contribute to the salinization of some agricultural lands.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Long-term irrigation can salinize soils (statement 3 correct); organic matter increases (not reduces) water-holding capacity, and soil is an active part of the sulphur cycle, so statements 1 and 2 are wrong.
Ilmenite and rutile are the principal ore minerals of titanium, found in the beach/placer sands of India's coasts.
The south-west monsoon normally 'bursts' first over the Kerala (Malabar) coast around 1 June before advancing northwards.
Both the Gadgil and Kasturirangan committees dealt with the conservation and ecologically-sensitive-area demarcation of the Western Ghats.
1. Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)
2. Mahua (Madhuca indica)
3. Teak (Tectona grandis).
How many of the above are deciduous trees?
Mahua and teak are deciduous (shedding leaves in the dry season), whereas jackfruit is evergreen — so two of the three are deciduous.
1. The climate can be defined as a humid, tropical coastal climate.
2. It receives rainfall from both the South-west monsoon and the North-east monsoon.
3. Maximum precipitation is between December and May.
The islands have a humid tropical coastal climate and get rain from both the south-west and north-east monsoons (1 and 2); their maximum rainfall is between May and December, not December–May, so 3 is wrong.
1. Cotton
2. Groundnut
3. Rice
4. Wheat.
Which of these are Kharif crops?
Cotton, groundnut and rice are kharif (monsoon-sown) crops; wheat is a rabi (winter) crop, so it is excluded.
1. They live mainly in the State of Uttarakhand.
2. They rear the Pashmina goats that yield fine wool.
3. They are kept in the category of Scheduled Tribes.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Changpa are nomadic pastoralists of the Changthang plateau in Ladakh (not Uttarakhand) who rear Pashmina goats and are a Scheduled Tribe — so statements 2 and 3 are correct.
1. Kinnaur : Areca nut
2. Mewat : Mango
3. Coromandel : Soya bean.
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
None match: Kinnaur (Himachal Pradesh) is known for apples and chilgoza, Mewat is not a mango belt, and the Coromandel coast is not a soya-bean region.
1. Reduced or zero tillage of the land
2. Applying gypsum before irrigating the field
3. Allowing crop residue to remain in the field
Zero/reduced tillage and retaining crop residue conserve soil moisture (1 and 3); applying gypsum is a soil-reclamation measure for alkaline/sodic soils, not a water-conservation practice, so 2 is wrong.
India has been the world's largest exporter of rice in recent years, ahead of Thailand and Vietnam.
1. Area under rice cultivation is the highest.
2. Area under cultivation of jowar is more than that of oilseeds.
3. Area of cotton cultivation is more than that of sugarcane.
4. Area under sugarcane cultivation has steadily decreased.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Rice has the largest kharif area, jowar area exceeds kharif oilseeds, and cotton area exceeds sugarcane (1, 2, 3); sugarcane area has not steadily decreased, so 4 is wrong.
1. Controlling the alkalinity of irrigation water is possible.
2. Efficient application of Rock Phosphate and all other phosphatic fertilizers is possible.
3. Increased availability of nutrients to plants is possible.
4. Reduction in the leaching of chemical nutrients is possible.
Fertigation lets you control water alkalinity, improves nutrient availability and reduces leaching (1, 3, 4); rock phosphate and many phosphatic fertilizers are not suited to fertigation, so statement 2 is wrong.
1. Black gram can be cultivated as both kharif and rabi crop.
2. Green gram alone accounts for nearly half of pulse production.
3. In the last three decades, while the production of kharif pulses has increased, the production of rabi pulses has decreased.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Black gram is grown in both the kharif and rabi seasons (statement 1 correct); gram (not green gram) dominates pulse output, and rabi pulse production has not fallen, so statements 2 and 3 are wrong.
Which one of the following is that crop?
A subtropical crop needing ~210 frost-free days, moderate rainfall and light well-drained soil describes cotton.
1. A substantial saving in seed material is made when 'bud chip settlings' are raised in a nursery and transplanted in the main field.
2. When direct planting of setts is done, the germination percentage is better with single-budded setts as compared to setts with many buds.
3. If bad weather conditions prevail when setts are directly planted, single-budded setts have better survival as compared to large setts.
4. Sugarcane can be cultivated using settlings prepared from tissue culture.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Bud-chip settlings save seed material and tissue-culture settlings can be used (1 and 4 correct); multi-budded and larger setts generally give better germination and survival, so statements 2 and 3 are wrong.
1. Moringa (drumstick tree) is a leguminous evergreen tree.
2. Tamarind tree is endemic to South Asia.
3. In India, most of the tamarind is collected as minor forest produce.
4. India exports tamarind and seeds of moringa.
5. Seeds of moringa and tamarind can be used in the production of biofuels.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Most tamarind in India is minor forest produce, India exports tamarind and moringa seeds, and both seeds can yield biofuel (3, 4, 5); moringa is a deciduous non-leguminous tree and tamarind is native to tropical Africa, so 1 and 2 are wrong.
1. Permaculture farming discourages monocultural practices but in conventional chemical farming, monoculture practices are predominant.
2. Conventional chemical farming can cause an increase in soil salinity but such a phenomenon is not observed in permaculture farming.
3. Conventional chemical farming is easily possible in semi-arid regions but permaculture farming is not so easily possible in such regions.
4. The practice of mulching is very important in permaculture farming but not necessarily so in conventional chemical farming.
Permaculture avoids monoculture, avoids the salinity build-up of chemical farming, and relies heavily on mulching (1, 2, 4); permaculture is in fact well-suited to semi-arid regions, so statement 3 is wrong.
Sugarcane needs very large amounts of water per unit of output, making it the least water-efficient of these crops.
1. Andhra Pradesh
2. Kerala
3. Himachal Pradesh
4. Tripura.
How many of the above are generally known as tea-producing States?
All four — Andhra Pradesh (Araku), Kerala (Munnar/Wayanad), Himachal Pradesh (Kangra) and Tripura — are tea-producing States.
1. India has more arable area than China.
2. The proportion of irrigated area is more in India as compared to China.
3. The average productivity per hectare in Indian agriculture is higher than that in China.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Only the first is correct — India has more arable (net sown) area than China; China has a higher share of irrigated area and higher average per-hectare productivity, so statements 2 and 3 are wrong.
Developing Chabahar (south-eastern Iran) gives India a sea-land route to Afghanistan and Central Asia that bypasses Pakistan.
1. Donyi Polo Airport
2. Kushinagar International Airport
3. Vijayawada International Airport. In the recent past, which of the above have been constructed as Greenfield projects?
Donyi Polo (Itanagar) and Kushinagar were built as greenfield airports, whereas Vijayawada was developed from an existing airfield — so only 1 and 2.
I. It seeks to achieve port-led economic growth through cost-effective and sustainable coastal infrastructure.
II. Its success is reflected in significant growth in coastal and inland waterway shipping.
III. Sagarmala 2.0 aims to position India as a global maritime innovation hub aligned with Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat
2047. Which relationships among the above are correct?
1. Statement II validates the effectiveness of Statement I.
2. Statement III extends Statement I into a future-oriented framework.
3. Statement I contradicts Statement III.
Statement II's results validate the strategy in I, and Sagarmala 2.0 (III) extends I into a future-oriented innovation framework (relationships 1 and 2); I does not contradict III, so relationship 3 is wrong.
The Strait of Malacca lies between the Malay Peninsula (Malaysia) and the Indonesian island of Sumatra, a vital lane linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands uniquely combine mangrove, tropical evergreen and moist deciduous forests.
1. The Barren Island volcano is an active volcano located in Indian territory.
2. Barren Island lies about 140 km east of Great Nicobar.
3. The last time the Barren Island volcano erupted was in 1991 and it has remained inactive since then.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Barren Island (Andaman Sea) is India's only active volcano — statement 1 correct; it lies in the Andaman group (not near Great Nicobar) and has erupted several times after 1991, so 2 and 3 are wrong.
1. It is the largest desert lake in the world.
2. The lake is located in South Sudan along the east of the Sahara Desert.
3. The lake is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is also referred to as the 'Jade Sea'.
Lake Turkana is the world's largest permanent desert lake and a UNESCO World Heritage Site nicknamed the 'Jade Sea' (1 and 3); it lies in Kenya (with a small part in Ethiopia), not South Sudan, so 2 is wrong.
The Golan Heights is a disputed plateau between Syria and Israel, in the Middle East.
Turkey lies between the Black Sea to the north and the Mediterranean Sea to the south, linked by the Bosphorus–Dardanelles straits.
Jordan has no Mediterranean coast (its only sea outlet is on the Gulf of Aqaba/Red Sea); Israel, Egypt and Libya all have Mediterranean coastlines.
The 'two-state solution' refers to proposals to settle the Israeli–Palestinian conflict by creating separate Israeli and Palestinian states.
1. Azerbaijan
2. Kyrgyzstan
3. Tajikistan
4. Turkmenistan
5. Uzbekistan.
Which of the above have borders with Afghanistan?
Afghanistan shares borders with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan; Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan do not touch Afghanistan — so 3, 4 and 5.
1. Bahrain
2. Syria
3. Qatar
4. Egypt
Bahrain and Qatar sit inside the Persian Gulf, so their ships must cross the Strait of Hormuz to reach the open Indian Ocean; Syria (Mediterranean) and Egypt (Mediterranean/Red Sea) do not.
The Tungurahua stratovolcano and its surrounding UNESCO Global Geopark are located in Ecuador, in the Andes.
