UPSC Prelims 2013 Geography questions: topic-wise weightage
UPSC Prelims 2013 asked 14 geography questions in GS Paper I, spread over 4 topics. See the geography weightage for 2013 below, then attempt each question with the official answer and an explanation.
Geography 2013: questions by topic
- Climate and oceans8
- India: relief, rivers, lakes and monsoon1
- India: soils, vegetation, agriculture, minerals, energy, industry, population4
- World geography and places in the news (mapping)1
Counted from the 14 questions on this page, tagged by topic in the Battle IAS PYQ bank.
Seeing 14 Geography questions spread over 4 topics can feel overwhelming. That's exactly why the Battle IAS PYQ Book maps every question topic by topic, so you know what to study first. Download free sample
Climate and oceans 8
Variations in the length of daytime and nighttime from season to season are due to
Answer (d) & explanation
Revolution of the earth on a tilted axis is correct (d). The Earth's axis is tilted about 23.5°. As the Earth revolves round the Sun, each hemisphere leans towards the Sun for part of the year, getting long days and summer, and away from it for the rest, getting short days and winter. (a) is wrong: rotation alone gives day and night, but not their changing lengths. (b) is wrong: the elliptical orbit changes the Earth–Sun distance only slightly and does not cause seasons. (c) is wrong: latitude affects how much day length varies, but it does not cause the seasonal change.
Notice the dates: the equinoxes (about 21 March and 23 September) give equal day and night everywhere; the solstices (21 June and 22 December) give the longest and shortest days. Trap: the Earth is actually closest to the Sun in January.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
On the planet earth, most of the freshwater exists as ice caps and glaciers. Out of the remaining freshwater, the largest proportion
Answer (c) & explanation
Groundwater is correct (c). About 69% of the Earth's fresh water is locked in ice caps and glaciers. Most of the rest, about 30%, is groundwater. (a) is wrong: the atmosphere holds only about 0.04% as vapour and clouds. (b) is wrong: lakes and rivers hold well under 1%. (d) is wrong: soil moisture is also a tiny share. Fresh water itself is only about 2.5% of all water on Earth.
Notice India's case: India is the world's largest user of groundwater, drawing about a quarter of the global total, and the CGWB finds over 10% of assessment units over-exploited. Atal Bhujal Yojana promotes community groundwater management. Trap: rivers are visible, but groundwater is far larger.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following :
- 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?
Answer (d) & explanation
All six are correct (d). The Earth's surface is shaped by exogenic forces driven by solar radiation (1) and gravity (3): weathering, running water, wind, glaciers and mass movement. Endogenic forces come from geothermal energy (2) and plate movements (4): mountain building, volcanoes and earthquakes. Rotation (5) sets wind and ocean-current patterns through the Coriolis force and drives tides with the Moon. Revolution (6) brings the seasons, which change weathering, rivers and glaciers. So (a), (b) and (c) leave out real factors.
Notice the frame: geomorphology sees landforms as a balance between endogenic building and exogenic wearing down. Gravity also drives landslides on young slopes such as the Himalaya. Trap: rotation and revolution seem astronomical, but they shape climate and so the surface.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The most important fishing grounds of the world are found in the regions where
Answer (c) & explanation
Where warm and cold ocean currents meet is correct (c). When warm and cold currents meet, the mixing brings up nutrients from deep water; plankton thrives in the sunlit surface and feeds huge fish stocks. Examples are the Grand Banks off Newfoundland (Gulf Stream and Labrador current) and the waters off Japan (Kuroshio and Oyashio). (a) is wrong: atmospheric currents are winds, not the cause. (b) is wrong: river mouths can be rich, but they are not the main world fishing grounds. (d) is wrong: a shallow, broad continental shelf helps, but 'undulating' is not the key.
Notice the other cause: cold upwelling off Peru (Humboldt current) gives the anchovy fishery, which collapses in El Niño years. The North Sea's Dogger Bank is another rich ground. Trap: wind and water currents are confused.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following is/are unique characteristic/characteristics of equatorial forests?
- 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
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
Answer (d) & explanation
All three are correct (d). Constant heat and heavy rain all year give equatorial rainforests tall, closely set trees whose crowns form a continuous canopy, with emergents rising above (1). They hold the highest species diversity of any land ecosystem, with many species living side by side (2). Many epiphytes, such as orchids, ferns and bromeliads, grow on tree branches to reach the light (3). So options (a), (b) and (c) leave out real features.
Notice the structure: layers of emergent, canopy, understorey and a dim forest floor; soils are surprisingly poor, as nutrients are locked in plants. The Amazon, Congo and South-East Asian forests are the main blocks; India's nearest equivalents are in the Western Ghats, the north-east and the Andaman Islands. Trap: 'unique' does not exclude any of the three.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The annual range of temperature in the interior of the continents is high as compared to coastal areas. What is/are the reason/reasons?
- 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
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
Answer (a) & explanation
Statement 1 only is correct (a). Land heats up and cools down much faster than water, which has a higher specific heat, mixes heat downwards and is partly transparent. Coasts are moderated by the sea, but far inland there is no such effect, so summers are very hot and winters very cold. This is continentality (1). Statement 2 is wrong: altitude affects temperature levels, not this contrast. Statement 3 is wrong: strong winds are not typical of interiors. Statement 4 is wrong: interiors usually get less rain, not more. So (b), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the examples: Verkhoyansk in Siberia has an annual range of over 60°C, while Mumbai's is a few degrees; Delhi's range is much larger than Chennai's. Trap: rain and wind sound climatic but are not the cause here.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
“Climate is extreme, rainfall is scanty and the people used to be nomadic herders.”
The above statement best describes which of the following regions?
Answer (b) & explanation
Central Asian Steppe is correct (b). The Central Asian steppes lie deep inside Eurasia, far from the sea, so they have an extreme continental climate with hot summers and bitter winters, and scanty rainfall. Peoples such as the Kazakhs, Kirghiz and Mongols lived as nomadic herders of horses, sheep and camels. (a) is wrong: the African savanna is hot all year with a wet season, and herders like the Maasai are semi-nomadic, but the climate is not 'extreme'. (c) is wrong: the North American prairies are now settled, mechanised grain farms. (d) is wrong: the tundra is cold, with reindeer herders, but rainfall and climate descriptions fit the steppe better.
Notice the history: steppe nomads, from the Scythians to Genghis Khan, shaped Eurasian history. Trap: 'used to be' signals traditional herding.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
During a thunderstorm, the thunder in the skies is produced by the
- 1. meeting of cumulonimbus clouds in the sky
- 2. lightning that separates the nimbus clouds
- 3. violent upward movement of air and water particles
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
Answer (d) & explanation
None of the above is correct (d). Lightning heats the air along its path to around 30,000°C in a split second, about five times hotter than the Sun's surface. The air expands explosively, and this shock wave travels as the sound of thunder. Statement 1 is wrong: clouds do not 'meet' and clap together. Statement 2 is wrong: lightning does not separate clouds. Statement 3 is wrong: updrafts build the charge in cumulonimbus clouds, but they do not themselves make the sound. So (a), (b) and (c) fail.
Notice the related facts: we see lightning before we hear thunder because light travels faster than sound; counting the seconds and dividing by three gives the distance in km. Lightning is notified as a disaster in several states; India's Damini app warns of strikes. Trap: updrafts cause lightning indirectly, but thunder comes from the heated air.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
India: relief, rivers, lakes and monsoon 1
The Narmada river flows to the west, while most other large peninsular rivers flow to the east. Why?
- 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.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
Answer (a) & explanation
Statement 1 only is correct (a). The Narmada, like the Tapi, flows west because it follows a rift valley formed by faulting, so its course is set by that trough (1). Statement 2 is a fact, but it only describes where it flows, between the Vindhyas and the Satpuras, not why it flows west; UPSC treats it as not a reason. Statement 3 is wrong: the Peninsular plateau as a whole slopes east, which is why most rivers flow into the Bay of Bengal. So (b), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the consequence: rift-valley rivers form estuaries, not deltas, and have few tributaries. The Sardar Sarovar dam is on the Narmada, and the river rises at Amarkantak. Trap: a true fact can still be the wrong reason.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
India: soils, vegetation, agriculture, minerals, energy, industry, population 4
Which of the following is/are the characteristic/characteristics of Indian coal?
- 1. High ash content
- 2. Low sulphur content
- 3. Low ash fusion temperature
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
Answer (a) & explanation
Statements 1 and 2 are correct (a). Most Indian coal is Gondwana coal with high ash content, often 30–45% (1), and low sulphur, usually under 1% (2). Statement 3 is wrong: Indian coal ash has a high ash fusion temperature, meaning the ash melts only at high heat, because it is rich in silica and alumina. So (b), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the consequences: high ash lowers heat value and creates huge fly ash volumes; rules push 100% fly ash use in bricks, cement and roads. High ash also makes India import coking coal for steel. Low sulphur is a plus, which is partly why most plants were exempted from FGD rules in July 2025. Tertiary coal of the north-east is high in sulphur. Trap: the third statement inverts the ash melting property.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following statements regarding laterite soils of India are correct?
- 1. They are generally red in colour.
- 2. They are rich in nitrogen and potash.
- 3. They are well-developed in Rajasthan and UP.
- 4. Tapioca and cashew nuts grow well on these soils.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
Answer (c) & explanation
Statements 1 and 4 are correct (c). Laterite soils form under heavy rain and high heat, which leach away silica and nutrients and leave iron and aluminium oxides. They are generally red from iron oxide (1). With manure and fertiliser they grow cashew, tapioca, tea, coffee and rubber well (4). Statement 2 is wrong: they are poor in nitrogen, potash, phosphate and lime. Statement 3 is wrong: they are found in the Western Ghats, Kerala, Karnataka, Odisha, Meghalaya and the north-east, not in dry Rajasthan and UP. So (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice the name: 'laterite' comes from Latin later, brick, since the soil hardens on exposure and was cut into building blocks, as in Kerala and Goa. Trap: red soil is not rich soil.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
- 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?
Answer (b) & explanation
Statement 2 only is correct (b). Koderma in Jharkhand, part of the Koderma–Giridih–Hazaribagh belt, is India's best-known mica region (2). Statement 1 is wrong: the Gondwana beds hold most of India's coal, not natural gas. Statement 3 is wrong: the ancient Dharwar rocks hold metallic minerals such as iron ore, manganese and gold (Kolar, Hutti), not petroleum. Petroleum and natural gas occur in much younger Tertiary sedimentary rocks, as in Assam, Gujarat, Bombay High and the KG basin. So (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the twist: some coal-bed methane is extracted from Gondwana coal seams, as at Raniganj, but it is not 'natural gas in Gondwana beds' in the usual sense. India's mica output has fallen, and illegal mining has linked to child labour. Trap: rock-system ages decide which minerals they hold.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following pairs :
| Tribe | State
| 1. Limboo (Limbu) | Sikkim
| 2. Karbi | Himachal Pradesh
| 3. Dongaria Kondh | Odisha
| 4. Bonda | Tamil Nadu
Which of the above pairs are correctly matched?
Answer (a) & explanation
Pairs 1 and 3 are correct (a). The Limbu people live in Sikkim and eastern Nepal (1). The Dongaria Kondh live in the Niyamgiri hills of Odisha and famously used Gram Sabha votes to block Vedanta's bauxite mining in 2013 (3). Pair 2 is wrong: the Karbi are from Assam, mainly Karbi Anglong, not Himachal Pradesh. Pair 4 is wrong: the Bonda are a PVTG of Odisha's Malkangiri hills, not Tamil Nadu. So (b), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the related groups: Odisha has the most PVTGs (13) of any state. The PM-JANMAN scheme (2023) targets PVTG habitations. The Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council is a Sixth Schedule body. Trap: a tribe from Odisha is moved to Tamil Nadu.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
World geography and places in the news (mapping) 1
Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched?
| Geographical Feature | Region
Answer (b) & explanation
Option (b) is correct. The Atlas Mountains run through Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia in north-west Africa; they are young fold mountains formed as Africa pressed against Europe. (a) is wrong: the Abyssinian Plateau is in Ethiopia, East Africa, not Arabia; the Blue Nile rises there from Lake Tana. (c) is wrong: the Guiana Highlands are in northern South America, home to Angel Falls in Venezuela. (d) is wrong: the Okavango Basin is in Botswana, southern Africa, where the river forms a great inland delta; Patagonia is in Argentina and Chile.
Notice the related fact: the Okavango Delta became UNESCO's 1,000th World Heritage Site (2014). Trap: each wrong pair swaps a real feature to the wrong continent.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
All years by topic
Every question from 2011 to 2026, grouped by syllabus topic, with year-wise trends.