India: relief, rivers, lakes and monsoon: previous-year questions
40 real UPSC Prelims questions (2011–2026) with the official answer and a clear explanation. 12 of them came in the last five papers.
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Identify the river of the Indian sub-continent on the basis of the following information :
- 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.
Select the answer from the following :
Answer (c) & explanation
The river is the Sutlej (c). Clue 1: the Sutlej rises near Rakshastal in Tibet and cuts across the Himalaya at Shipki La, so it is antecedent, older than the mountains it crosses. Clue 2: it flows through China, India and Pakistan. Clue 3: it feeds Bhakra and the Punjab canals. Clue 4: as a tributary joining the Chenab, it has no delta. Options (a) and (b) are wrong: the Brahmaputra and Indus end in deltas with distributaries. Option (d) is wrong: the Teesta rises in Sikkim, not Tibet.
Notice other antecedent rivers: the Indus and Brahmaputra, which cut deep gorges. The Sutlej is part of the Indus Waters Treaty "eastern rivers", given to India.
Brahmaputra and Indus also rise in Tibet, cross three countries and are antecedent. Statement 4 is the only one that separates them.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following with reference to Indian States is/are not correct ?
- 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.
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (c) & explanation
Statements 2 and 3 are not correct (c). Statement 1 is correct: Uttar Pradesh touches eight States, plus Delhi, the most of any State. Statement 2 is wrong: the longest international border belongs to West Bengal, with Bangladesh, not Rajasthan. Statement 3 is wrong: Sikkim touches only West Bengal, but Meghalaya also touches only one State, Assam, so the word "only" fails. So options (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice the trap: the question asks which are not correct. UP's neighbours are Uttarakhand, Himachal, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar. Rajasthan has the longest border with Pakistan, about 1,070 km. Words like "only", "all" and "never" often hide the error.
The question asks for statements that are not correct. Statement 3 is half right; the word "only" breaks it.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to the climate of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which of the following statements is/are correct ?
- 1. The climate can be defined as a humid, tropical coastal climate.
- 2. It receives rainfall from both South-west monsoon and North-east monsoon.
- 3. Maximum precipitation is between December and May.
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 1 and 2 are correct (b). Statement 1 is right: the islands lie close to the equator in the Bay of Bengal, so they are hot and humid all year, a tropical coastal climate. Statement 2 is right: they get rain from both the south-west and north-east monsoons, from about May to December. Statement 3 is wrong: January to April is the driest part of the year, so maximum rain is not between December and May. So options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the islands' features: Barren Island, India's only active volcano; Saddle Peak, the highest point; and Indira Point, India's southernmost tip. Rich tropical evergreen forests cover them, and cyclones often form nearby.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following geographical features or phenomena is/are associated with the Peninsular Block of India ?
- 1. Submergence of parts of the western coast due to tectonic activity
- 2. Presence of residual mountain ranges such as the Veliconda hills and Mahendragiri hills
- 3. Deep, V-shaped river valleys formed by fast-flowing rivers
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Features 1 and 2 belong to the Peninsular Block (b). The Peninsula is an old, stable block. Item 1 is right: faulting submerged parts of the west coast. Item 2 is right: long erosion left residual hills such as the Veliconda and Mahendragiri. Item 3 is wrong: Peninsular rivers are mature, with broad, shallow valleys; deep V-shaped valleys belong to the young Himalayan rivers. So options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice other Peninsular traits: Gondwana coal, Deccan Traps basalt, rift valleys of the Narmada and Tapi, which flow west into the Arabian Sea, and old block mountains like the Aravallis, among the world's oldest. Rivers here are rain-fed, not snow-fed.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to the Himalayan rivers joining the Ganga downstream of Prayagraj from West to East, which one of the following sequences is correct ?
Answer (b) & explanation
The correct order is Gomati, Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi (b). Going downstream, or west to east, from Prayagraj: the Gomati, flowing past Lucknow, joins the Ganga near Ghazipur. The Ghaghara, from Tibet through Nepal, joins near Chhapra in Bihar. The Gandak, also from Nepal, joins opposite Patna, at Hajipur. The Kosi, the "Sorrow of Bihar", joins near Kursela in eastern Bihar. Options (a), (c) and (d) put one pair in the wrong order.
Notice that the Gomati rises in the plains, near Pilibhit, unlike the other three, which come from the Himalayas. The Kosi often shifts its course and floods, as in the 2008 disaster, which is why it got its nickname.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following information :
| Waterfall | Region | River
| 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 ?
Answer (a) & explanation
Only one row is correctly matched (a). Row 2 is right: Hundru falls on the Subarnarekha near Ranchi, on the Chota Nagpur plateau of Jharkhand. Row 1 is wrong: Dhuandhar is on the Narmada at Bhedaghat near Jabalpur, in the Mahakoshal region, not Malwa; it is known for the marble rocks nearby. Row 3 is wrong: Gersoppa, or Jog Falls, in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, is on the Sharavathi, not the Netravati.
Notice other well-known falls: Kunchikal (Karnataka), among India's highest; Athirappilly (Kerala), on the Chalakudy; Chitrakote (Chhattisgarh), on the Indravati, called India's Niagara; and Nohkalikai (Meghalaya). Jog Falls drops about 253 m in four streams: Raja, Rani, Roarer and Rocket.
Each wrong row has one correct entry (the Narmada; the Western Ghats). Check every column before marking a row.
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Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
- 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?
Answer (a) & explanation
Only one statement is correct (a). Statement 1 is right: the Jhelum flows into and out of Wular Lake in north Kashmir, India's largest freshwater lake, which acts as a flood basin for the river. Statement 2 is wrong: Kolleru Lake in Andhra Pradesh lies between the Godavari and Krishna deltas, but it is fed by seasonal streams such as the Budameru and Tammileru and by delta channels, not directly by the Krishna. Statement 3 is wrong: Kanwar Lake (Kabartal) in Begusarai, Bihar, is an oxbow wetland formed by the meandering of the Burhi Gandak, not the Gandak.
Notice that Kanwar became Bihar's first Ramsar site in 2020. Kolleru is also a Ramsar wetland, long damaged by illegal fish tanks.
Gandak and Burhi Gandak are two different rivers. Statement 3 picks the wrong one.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which one of the following is the best example of repeated falls in sea level, giving rise to present-day extensive marshland?
Answer (d) & explanation
The Rann of Kutch is the best example (d). The Rann of Kutch in Gujarat was once a shallow arm of the Arabian Sea. Tectonic uplift and repeated falls in sea level left behind a vast flat salt marsh that floods in the monsoon and dries into a white salt crust in winter. Option (a) is wrong: Bhitarkanika in Odisha is a deltaic mangrove forest, formed by river sediment. Option (b) is wrong: Marakkanam salt pans in Tamil Nadu are man-made. Option (c) is wrong: Naupada swamp in Andhra Pradesh is a small coastal wetland.
Notice the Rann's wildlife: it is home to the Indian wild ass sanctuary in the Little Rann and huge flocks of flamingos. Dholavira, a Harappan city, lies in the Great Rann.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
- 1. Amarkantak Hills are at the confluence of Vindhya and Sahyadri Ranges.
- 2. Biligirirangan Hills constitute the easternmost part of Satpura Range.
- 3. Seshachalam Hills constitute the southernmost part of Western Ghats.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
Answer (d) & explanation
None of the statements is correct (d). Statement 1 is wrong: Amarkantak, the source of the Narmada and Son, is where the Vindhya and Satpura ranges meet, through the Maikal hills; the Sahyadri is the Western Ghats. Statement 2 is wrong: the Biligirirangan Hills in Karnataka are where the Eastern and Western Ghats meet, not part of the Satpura. Statement 3 is wrong: the Seshachalam Hills, home of Tirumala, are part of the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh. The southern end of the Western Ghats is near Kanyakumari.
Notice the BRT Tiger Reserve in the Biligirirangan Hills, a vital wildlife corridor. Seshachalam is a biosphere reserve known for red sanders, the subject of much smuggling.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Gandikota canyon of South India was created by which one of the following rivers ?
Answer (c) & explanation
The Pennar created the Gandikota canyon (c). Gandikota, in Kadapa (YSR) district of Andhra Pradesh, is a deep gorge cut by the Pennar (Penna) river through the Erramala hills. It is called the "Grand Canyon of India", and a medieval fort stands on its rim. The Cauvery (a) flows through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Manjira (b) is a tributary of the Godavari. The Tungabhadra (d) is a tributary of the Krishna, flowing past Hampi.
Notice that the Pennar rises in the Nandi Hills of Karnataka and enters the Bay of Bengal near Nellore. India's other canyons include the Marble Rocks gorge of the Narmada at Bhedaghat.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following pairs :
| Peak | Mountains
| 1. Namcha Barwa | Garhwal Himalaya
| 2. Nanda Devi | Kumaon Himalaya
| 3. Nokrek | Sikkim Himalaya
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Only pair 2 is correct (b). Pair 1 is wrong: Namcha Barwa is the eastern anchor of the Himalaya, in Tibet, where the Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) makes its great bend around it; it is not in the Garhwal Himalaya. Pair 2 is right: Nanda Devi, India's second-highest peak, is in the Kumaon Himalaya of Uttarakhand. Pair 3 is wrong: Nokrek is the highest peak of the Garo Hills in Meghalaya, not in the Sikkim Himalaya, and it is a biosphere reserve.
Notice the divisions of the Himalaya by rivers: Punjab (Indus–Sutlej), Kumaon (Sutlej–Kali), Nepal (Kali–Teesta) and Assam (Teesta–Dihang). Nanga Parbat anchors the west. China plans a huge dam on the Tsangpo near Namcha Barwa.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following pairs :
| Reservoirs | States
| 1. Ghataprabha | Telangana
| 2. Gandhi Sagar | Madhya Pradesh
| 3. Indira Sagar | Andhra Pradesh
| 4. Maithon | Chhattisgarh
How many pairs given above are not correctly matched ?
Answer (c) & explanation
Three pairs are wrongly matched (c). Pair 2 is the only correct one: Gandhi Sagar dam on the Chambal is in Madhya Pradesh. Pair 1 is wrong: Ghataprabha reservoir (Hidkal dam) on the Ghataprabha river, a tributary of the Krishna, is in Karnataka, not Telangana. Pair 3 is wrong: Indira Sagar on the Narmada is also in Madhya Pradesh; it has India's largest reservoir by storage. Pair 4 is wrong: Maithon, a Damodar Valley Corporation dam on the Barakar river, is in Jharkhand, near the West Bengal border, not Chhattisgarh.
Notice that the Chambal has three dams in a row: Gandhi Sagar (MP), Rana Pratap Sagar and Jawahar Sagar (Rajasthan). Together with the Kota barrage, they form one scheme.
The question asks how many are not correctly matched. Count the wrong pairs.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to the Indus river system, of the following four rivers, three of them pour into one of them which joins the Indus direct. Among the following, which one is such river that joins the Indus direct?
Answer (d) & explanation
The Sutlej joins the Indus directly (d). Among the Punjab rivers, the Jhelum joins the Chenab first. The Ravi then joins the Chenab. The Chenab then joins the Sutlej, which has already received the Beas. The combined stream, called the Panjnad ("five rivers"), meets the Indus near Mithankot in Pakistan. So the Sutlej carries the water of all the others into the Indus. Options (a), (b) and (c) are wrong because the Chenab, Jhelum and Ravi all reach the Indus only through the Sutlej.
Notice the Indus Waters Treaty (1960): India controls the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej); Pakistan gets the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab). India put the treaty in abeyance in April 2025; a Hague court called this invalid in August 2026, but India rejects that ruling.
Many answer the Chenab because it collects the Jhelum and the Ravi. But the Chenab itself flows into the Sutlej before reaching the Indus.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to India, Didwana, Kuchaman, Sargol and Khatu are the names of
Answer (d) & explanation
They are saline lakes (d). Didwana, Kuchaman, Sargol and Khatu are saline lakes in the Thar region of Rajasthan, along with the larger Sambhar, India's biggest inland salt lake. These lakes fill in the monsoon and dry out in summer, leaving salt that is harvested as common salt. They are not glaciers (a), which are in the Himalaya; not mangrove areas (b), which are on the coasts; and, apart from Sambhar, not Ramsar sites (c).
Notice that Sambhar is a Ramsar site (1990), known for flamingos and a mass bird death from avian botulism in 2019. Rajasthan's inland drainage includes the Luni, which ends in the Rann of Kachchh.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following rivers :
- 1. Brahmani
- 2. Nagavali
- 3. Subarnarekha
- 4. Vamsadhara
Which of the above rise from the Eastern Ghats?
Answer (b) & explanation
The Nagavali and Vamsadhara rise from the Eastern Ghats (b). Item 2 is right: the Nagavali rises in the Eastern Ghats of Kalahandi district, Odisha, and reaches the Bay of Bengal near Srikakulam. Item 4 is right: the Vamsadhara also rises in the Eastern Ghats of southern Odisha and enters the sea at Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. Item 1 is wrong: the Brahmani, formed by the South Koel and Sankh, rises on the Chota Nagpur plateau. Item 3 is wrong: the Subarnarekha also rises on the Chota Nagpur plateau near Ranchi.
Notice the Vamsadhara River Water Disputes Tribunal, which settled the Andhra–Odisha dispute. Other Eastern Ghats rivers include the Rushikulya, known for olive ridley turtle nesting.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to Ocean Mean Temperature (OMT), which of the following statements is/are correct ?
- 1. OMT is measured up to a depth of 26°C isotherm which is 129 meters 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 monsoon will be less or more than a certain long-term mean.
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Only statement 2 is correct (b). Ocean Mean Temperature is the average sea temperature from the surface down to the depth of the 26 °C isotherm. Statement 1 is wrong per the key: in the south-western Indian Ocean in January–March, the 26 °C isotherm does not lie at the 129 metres the statement claims. Statement 2 is right: studies found that OMT in January–March predicts whether the monsoon will be above or below the long-term mean better than sea surface temperature does, because it captures the ocean's stored heat.
Notice the other monsoon drivers: El Niño, the Indian Ocean Dipole and the MJO. The IMD issues its first monsoon forecast in April, against a long-period average of about 87 cm.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Siachen Glacier is situated to the
Answer (d) & explanation
Siachen lies north of the Nubra Valley (d). The Siachen Glacier lies in the eastern Karakoram, between the Saltoro Ridge to the west and the Chinese-held Shaksgam area to the east. Its meltwater feeds the Nubra River, which flows south into the Shyok, so the glacier is north of the Nubra valley. Option (a) is wrong: Aksai Chin lies to the east. Option (b) is wrong: Leh lies to the south-east. Option (c) is wrong: Gilgit lies far to the west.
Notice Operation Meghdoot (1984), when India took control of Siachen. It is called the world's highest battlefield. At about 76 km, it is among the longest glaciers outside the polar regions.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following pairs :
| Famous place | River
| 1. Pandharpur | Chandrabhaga
| 2. Tiruchirappalli | Cauvery
| 3. Hampi | Malaprabha
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
Answer (a) & explanation
Pairs 1 and 2 are correct (a). Pandharpur, in Maharashtra's Solapur district, is home to the Vithoba (Vitthal) temple. It stands on the Bhima river, which is called the Chandrabhaga there because it curves like a crescent moon. Tiruchirappalli, with the Srirangam temple on its river island, lies on the Cauvery. Pair 3 is wrong because Hampi, the Vijayanagara capital, is on the Tungabhadra. The Malaprabha flows past Aihole, Pattadakal and Badami, the Chalukya temple sites.
Notice the Pandharpur Wari, the yearly foot pilgrimage of the Warkaris on Ashadhi Ekadashi, carrying the padukas of Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram. Srirangam's Ranganathaswamy temple has one of Asia's tallest gopurams.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following pairs :
| Glacier | River
| 1. Bandarpunch | Yamuna
| 2. Bara Shigri | Chenab
| 3. Milam | Mandakini
| 4. Siachen | Nubra
| 5. Zemu | Manas
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
Answer (a) & explanation
Pairs 1, 2 and 4 are correct (a). Bandarpunch glacier in Uttarakhand feeds the Yamuna (1). Bara Shigri, the largest glacier in Himachal Pradesh, feeds the Chandra, which becomes the Chenab (2). Siachen in Ladakh is the source of the Nubra river (4). Pair 3 is wrong because the Milam glacier is the source of the Goriganga, while the Mandakini rises from Chorabari glacier near Kedarnath. Pair 5 is wrong because the Zemu glacier, Sikkim's largest, feeds the Teesta, not the Manas.
Notice the risks: the South Lhonak glacial lake outburst in Sikkim (2023) destroyed the Chungthang dam on the Teesta. Siachen is the world's highest battlefield, held by India since Operation Meghdoot (1984).
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Among the following cities, which one lies on a longitude closest to that of Delhi?
Answer (a) & explanation
Bengaluru lies closest to Delhi's longitude (a). Delhi is at about 77.2° E. Bengaluru is at about 77.6° E, almost directly south of Delhi, a gap of only about 0.4°. Hyderabad (b) is at about 78.5° E, Nagpur (c) at about 79.1° E, and Pune (d) at about 73.9° E, all farther away. So the gap is smallest for Bengaluru.
A quick map trick: India's west coast slants towards the southeast, so cities in the south lie east of where you might expect. Notice the reference line too: IST is based on 82.5° E, which passes near Mirzapur (Prayagraj region), UP. That puts India 5:30 hours ahead of GMT. India stretches about 30° of longitude, from Gujarat to Arunachal, about two hours of solar time.
Nagpur is India's geographic centre, but its longitude is about 2° east of Delhi's.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.