UPSC Prelims 2017 Geography questions: topic-wise weightage
UPSC Prelims 2017 asked 7 geography questions in GS Paper I, spread over 2 topics. See the geography weightage for 2017 below, then attempt each question with the official answer and an explanation.
Geography 2017: questions by topic
Counted from the 7 questions on this page, tagged by topic in the Battle IAS PYQ bank.
Seeing 7 Geography questions spread over 2 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
India: relief, rivers, lakes and monsoon 5
At one of the places in India, if you stand on the seashore and watch the sea, you will find that the sea water recedes from the shore line a few kilometres and comes back to the shore, twice a day, and you can actually walk on the sea floor when the water recedes. This unique phenomenon is seen at
Answer (c) & explanation
This happens at Chandipur (c). At Chandipur beach in Balasore district, Odisha, the shore slopes so gently that at low tide the sea pulls back up to about 5 km. You can walk on the exposed sea floor, and the water returns with the next tide, twice a day. This "hide-and-seek beach" is also home to horseshoe crabs, and DRDO's Integrated Test Range for missiles is nearby. Bhavnagar (a) is in Gujarat and has high tides but no such walkable retreat. Bheemunipatnam (b) and Nagapattinam (d) are ordinary beaches.
Tides happen twice a day because of the Moon's pull. Notice the extremes: the Gulf of Khambhat has India's highest tidal range, which makes it a site for possible tidal power.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to river Teesta, consider the following statements :
- 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 Bay of Bengal on the border of India and Bangladesh.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Only statement 2 is correct (b). Statement 1 is wrong because the Teesta rises from glaciers and lakes in north Sikkim, such as Tso Lhamo/Cholamu and the Zemu glacier near Kangchenjunga. The Brahmaputra starts at the Chemayungdung glacier near Mansarovar in Tibet. Statement 2 is right because the Rangeet rises in west Sikkim and joins the Teesta near the Sikkim–West Bengal border. Statement 3 is wrong because the Teesta flows into the Brahmaputra (Jamuna) inside Bangladesh, not straight into the Bay of Bengal.
The Teesta water-sharing deal with Bangladesh is still unsigned because of West Bengal's objections. Notice the related events: the South Lhonak GLOF in October 2023 destroyed the Chungthang dam, and China has offered to fund Teesta projects in Bangladesh.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
If you travel by road from Kohima to Kottayam, what is the minimum number of States within India through which you can travel, including the origin and the destination ?
Answer (b) & explanation
The minimum is seven States (b). The shortest route by number of States is Nagaland → Assam → West Bengal → Odisha → Andhra Pradesh → Tamil Nadu → Kerala, which is seven States, including the start and end. The narrow Siliguri Corridor ("Chicken's Neck") makes passing through West Bengal unavoidable. Going inland through Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh or Telangana adds States, so 8 (c) or 9 (d) is not the minimum, and 6 (a) is not possible.
The national highway along the east coast makes this route practical. Notice the strategic point: the Siliguri Corridor, about 20–22 km wide, is the northeast's only land link to the rest of India, which is why projects through Bangladesh and the Kaladan route matter.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
- 1. In India, the Himalayas are spread over five States only.
- 2. Western Ghats are spread over five States only.
- 3. Pulicat Lake is spread over two States only.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Only statement 3 is correct (b). Statement 1 is wrong because the Indian Himalayas cross many States and UTs, about 12: Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, West Bengal (Darjeeling), Arunachal Pradesh, and the northeastern hill ranges. Statement 2 is wrong because the Western Ghats run through six States: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Statement 3 is right because Pulicat Lake, India's second-largest brackish lagoon, lies in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu only.
Sriharikota, with ISRO's launch centre, separates Pulicat from the sea. Notice that Chilika (Odisha) is the largest lagoon. The Western Ghats are a UNESCO site (2012) and one of the world's biodiversity hotspots.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to ‘Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)’ sometimes mentioned in the news while forecasting Indian monsoon, which of the following statements is/are correct ?
- 1. IOD phenomenon is characterised by a difference in sea surface temperature between tropical Western Indian Ocean and tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean.
- 2. An IOD phenomenon can influence an El Nino’s impact on the monsoon.
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Only statement 2 is correct (b). Statement 1 is wrong because the Indian Ocean Dipole is the difference in sea-surface temperature between the western Indian Ocean (Arabian Sea, off Africa) and the eastern Indian Ocean (near Sumatra–Java), not the Pacific. In a positive IOD, the western waters are warmer, which brings more rain to India. Statement 2 is right because a positive IOD can offset El Niño's drying effect. In 1997, a strong El Niño year, the monsoon was still normal.
A positive IOD also fuelled the strong 2019 monsoon and the Australian bushfires. Notice the related term ENSO: El Niño (a warm Pacific) usually weakens the monsoon, while La Niña strengthens it. The IMD watches both when forecasting.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
World geography and places in the news (mapping) 2
Mediterranean Sea is a border of which of the following countries ?
- 1. Jordan
- 2. Iraq
- 3. Lebanon
- 4. Syria
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Answer (c) & explanation
Only Lebanon and Syria border the Mediterranean (c). Lebanon (3) has a coastline with Beirut, Tyre and Sidon, and Syria (4) has its coast at Latakia and Tartus. Jordan (1) is almost landlocked, reaching the sea only at Aqaba on the Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea). Iraq (2) reaches the sea only at the head of the Persian Gulf, near Basra and Umm Qasr. So any option with 1 or 2 is wrong.
Other countries on the eastern Mediterranean are Israel, Turkey, Egypt and the Gaza Strip. Notice the map points that matter today: Haifa port (Adani-run, part of IMEC), Russia's naval base at Tartus, and the Suez Canal linking the Mediterranean to the Red Sea.
Jordan sits right next to the Levant coast, but its only sea access is Aqaba on the Red Sea.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following is geographically closest to Great Nicobar ?
Answer (a) & explanation
Sumatra is closest to Great Nicobar (a). Indira Point, the southern tip of Great Nicobar and India's southernmost point, is only about 150 km from the northern tip of Sumatra (Aceh), across the Great Channel. Borneo (b) and Java (c) are much farther east and south. Sri Lanka (d) is over 1,300 km away. Indira Point is also very close to the Malacca Strait, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
That nearness is why the Great Nicobar project, costing about ₹72,000 crore, plans an international transshipment port at Galathea Bay, an airport and a township. Notice the opposing concerns: forest loss, harm to leatherback turtles and corals, and the rights of the Shompen, a particularly vulnerable tribe.
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.