India: soils, vegetation, agriculture, minerals, energy, industry, population: previous-year questions
38 real UPSC Prelims questions (2011–2026) with the official answer and a clear explanation. 9 of them came in the last five papers.
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Consider the following States :
- 1. Arunachal Pradesh
- 2. Himachal Pradesh
- 3. Mizoram
In which of the above States do ‘Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests’ occur?
Answer (c) & explanation
Tropical wet evergreen forests need more than 250 cm of rain and a short dry season. They are found in the Western Ghats, the North-East, including Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. So 1 and 3 are correct (c). Himachal Pradesh has subtropical pine and temperate forests instead, so options with 2 fail.
These forests are dense, multi-layered and tall, with trees such as rosewood, mahogany and ebony, and they never shed leaves all at once. Notice how rainfall and temperature decide forest type, so a rainfall map of India is a forest map too.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
In India, in which one of the following types of forests is teak a dominant tree species?
Answer (a) & explanation
Teak and sal are the dominant trees of tropical moist deciduous forests, which get roughly 100–200 cm of rain (a). These forests grow along the Western Ghats, in central India and the Shiwalik foothills, and shed their leaves in the dry season. Tropical rain forests (b) are evergreen, with species such as rosewood and mahogany. Thorn scrub (c) has acacia and cactus-like plants, and temperate forests (d) have oak, deodar and conifers.
Teak also grows in the drier deciduous belt. Notice how teak's strength made it prized for shipbuilding, which led the British to set up India's first forest department.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
If you travel through the Himalayas, you are likely to see which of the following plants naturally growing there?
- 1. Oak
- 2. Rhododendron
- 3. Sandalwood
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer (a) & explanation
Oak (banj) and rhododendron (burans, the state tree of Uttarakhand) are typical of the Himalayan montane temperate forests, roughly 1,500–3,000 m (a). Sandalwood grows naturally in the dry deciduous forests of the Deccan, mainly Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, so options with 3 fail.
Himalayan vegetation changes with height: tropical forests in the foothills, then oak, chir and deodar, then fir and birch, then alpine meadows. Notice how altitude acts like latitude here: climbing a mountain is like travelling towards the poles. Oak forests also protect springs that hill villages depend on.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to ‘Changpa’ community of India, consider the following statements :
- 1. They live mainly in the State of Uttarakhand.
- 2. They rear the Pashmina goats that yield a fine wool.
- 3. They are kept in the category of Scheduled Tribes.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (b) & explanation
The Changpa are semi-nomadic herders of the Changthang plateau in eastern Ladakh, not Uttarakhand, so statement 1 is wrong. They rear the Changthangi (Pashmina) goat, whose fine underwool becomes pashmina shawls (2 correct). They are recognised as a Scheduled Tribe (3 correct), so the answer is (b).
The goats grow this wool to survive winters of –30 °C or colder. Climate change, shrinking pastures and youth moving to towns now threaten the Changpa way of life. Notice how geography, livelihoods and a GI-tagged craft (Kashmir Pashmina) meet in one community.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following have coral reefs?
- 1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- 2. Gulf of Kachchh
- 3. Gulf of Mannar
- 4. Sunderbans
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer (a) & explanation
Coral reefs are found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Gulf of Kachchh and the Gulf of Mannar, so the answer is (a). Lakshadweep is the fourth major reef area. The Sundarbans delta has muddy, low-salinity water full of sediment, which suits mangroves but not corals, so options with 4 fail.
Corals need warm, clear, shallow salt water. They are threatened by bleaching when sea temperatures rise, and India's reefs suffered in the global bleaching events. Notice how corals and mangroves are neighbours in many places, yet each needs very different water.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
In India, the problem of soil erosion is associated with which of the following?
- 1. Terrace cultivation
- 2. Deforestation
- 3. Tropical climate
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer (b) & explanation
Deforestation strips away the plant cover whose roots hold soil, and is a major cause of erosion (2 correct). Terrace cultivation is a way to check erosion on slopes, not cause it, so statement 1 is wrong. UPSC's key does not count a tropical climate as a cause by itself, so the answer is (b).
Heavy rain can speed up erosion, but it does the damage mainly where cover has already been removed. Other conservation methods include contour ploughing, strip cropping, shelter belts and check dams. Notice how good farming practice, not climate alone, decides whether soil stays or goes.
Terracing is a remedy for soil erosion, not a cause of it.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following pairs :
| Region | Well-known for the production of
| 1. Kinnaur | Areca nut
| 2. Mewat | Mango
| 3. Coromandel | Soya bean
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
Answer (d) & explanation
None of the pairs is correct (d). Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh is known for apples, chilgoza pine nuts and grapes, not areca nut, which grows mainly in Karnataka, Kerala and Assam. Mewat, in Haryana and Rajasthan, is a dry region growing millets and mustard, not famous for mangoes. Soya bean is mainly a crop of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, not the Coromandel coast, which is known for rice.
Madhya Pradesh is often called the "Soya State". Notice how crop geography follows climate and soil: temperate fruit in high valleys, oilseeds on the black soils of the Deccan.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following pairs :
| National Highway | Cities connected
| 1. NH 4 | Chennai and Hyderabad
| 2. NH 6 | Mumbai and Kolkata
| 3. NH 15 | Ahmedabad and Jodhpur
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
Answer (d) & explanation
No pair is correct (d). Under the old numbering used in 2014, NH 4 ran Mumbai–Pune–Bengaluru–Chennai, not Chennai–Hyderabad. NH 6 ran from Hazira (Surat) through Nagpur and Raipur to Kolkata, not from Mumbai. NH 15 ran Pathankot–Bikaner–Jaisalmer–Samakhiali, not Ahmedabad–Jodhpur.
Since 2010 highways carry new numbers: even numbers run east–west and odd numbers north–south, increasing from north to south and east to west. Old NH 7 from Varanasi to Kanyakumari is now largely NH 44, India's longest. Notice how numbering systems change, so read such questions in their year.
This question uses the old highway numbers. Do not apply today's numbering.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
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.
A particular State in India has the following characteristics :
- 1. It is located on the same latitude which passes through northern Rajasthan.
- 2. It has over 80% of its area under forest cover.
- 3. Over 12% of forest cover constitutes Protected Area Network in this State.
Which one among the following States has all the above characteristics?
Answer (a) & explanation
Arunachal Pradesh is correct (a). Arunachal Pradesh lies at about 27°–29° N, the same band as northern Rajasthan around Bikaner and Sri Ganganagar (1). Its forest cover is about 79–80% of its area, among the highest in India (2), and a large share lies in protected areas such as Namdapha, Pakke and Dibang (3). (b) is wrong: Assam's forest share is far lower, about a third. (c) and (d) are wrong: Himachal (about 28%) and Uttarakhand (about 45%) have much less forest and lie farther north.
Notice the latest data: in ISFR 2023, Mizoram has the highest forest share by area (about 85%), while Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest area. Trap: the latitude clue rules out Himachal and Uttarakhand.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Despite having large reserves of coal, why does India import millions of tonnes of coal?
- 1. It is the policy of India to save its own coal reserves for future, and import it from other countries for the present use.
- 2. Most of the power plants in India are coal-based and they are not able to get sufficient supplies of coal from within the country.
- 3. Steel companies need large quantity of coking coal which has to be imported.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 2 and 3 are correct (b). Most of India's electricity is coal-based, and domestic output has often not kept pace with demand from thermal plants, besides being of high-ash quality, so coastal plants import coal (2). India also has little good coking coal for steel, so steel makers import it, mainly from Australia (3). Statement 1 is wrong: there is no policy to save domestic coal for the future while importing for now. So (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the trend: India's coal output crossed 1 billion tonnes in 2024–25, and imports of thermal coal for blending have fallen, but coking coal imports remain high. Mission Coking Coal aims to raise domestic supply. Trap: India has the world's fifth-largest reserves, yet still imports.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Among the following States, which one has the most suitable climatic conditions for the cultivation of a large variety of orchids with minimum cost of production, and can develop an export oriented industry in this field ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Arunachal Pradesh is correct (b). Orchids need warm, humid, shaded conditions with heavy rain and varied altitudes. Arunachal Pradesh has over 600 orchid species, the most of any Indian state, and an Orchid Research Centre at Tipi, which make it India's 'orchid paradise' with export potential. (a) is wrong: Andhra Pradesh is drier and warmer. (c) is wrong: Madhya Pradesh is semi-arid inland. (d) is wrong: Uttar Pradesh's plains are too hot and dry in summer.
Notice the wider pattern: the Northeast and the Western Ghats together hold most of India's roughly 1,300 orchid species; Sikkim's state flower is the noble dendrobium orchid. Trap: three of the four states lack the humid, hilly conditions orchids need.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Salinization occurs when the irrigation water accumulated in the soil evaporates, leaving behind salts and minerals. What are the effects of salinization on the irrigated land ?
Answer (b) & explanation
It makes some soils impermeable is correct (b). When irrigation water evaporates, it leaves salts behind. Sodium salts break down the soil's crumb structure, and a hard crust forms that water and roots cannot pass through. Such saline and alkaline soils, called reh, usar or kallar, lose fertility, as in parts of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. (a) is wrong: salinisation reduces crop yields. (c) is a cause, not an effect: over-irrigation raises the water table and brings salts up, but salinisation itself does not raise it. (d) is wrong: that describes waterlogging.
Notice the remedies: gypsum application, flushing with good water, sub-surface drainage and salt-tolerant crops. The CSSRI at Karnal leads this research.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The lower Gangetic plain is characterised by humid climate with high temperature throughout the year. Which one among the following pairs of crops is most suitable for this region ?
Answer (c) & explanation
Paddy and jute is correct (c). The lower Ganga plain, covering West Bengal and Bangladesh, is hot, humid and flooded in the monsoon, with rich, renewed alluvium. Paddy needs high temperature, heavy rain and standing water, and jute needs warm, wet conditions and water for retting, so this is the world's main jute belt. (a) and (d) are wrong: cotton prefers drier conditions and black soil, as in Maharashtra and Gujarat. (b) and (d) are wrong: wheat needs a cool, dry season, which suits the upper Ganga plain and Punjab.
Notice the rule: West Bengal is India's top rice producer and leading jute producer. The 'golden fibre' is also grown in Assam and Bihar. Trap: wheat is grown in winter, but the region's character favours rice.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
A state in India has the following characteristics :
- 1. Its northern part is arid and semi-arid.
- 2. Its central part produces cotton.
- 3. Cultivation of cash crops is predominant over food crops.
Which one of the following states has all of the above characteristics ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Gujarat is correct (b). Gujarat's north, including Kutch and Banaskantha, is arid and semi-arid (1). Its central and Saurashtra black-soil belt grows a large share of India's cotton, making it India's top cotton state in most years (2). Cash crops such as cotton, groundnut, castor and tobacco take more land than food grains (3). (a) is wrong: Andhra Pradesh is a rice state. (c) is wrong: Karnataka's north is semi-arid, but its cotton belt is not central and food crops dominate. (d) is wrong: Tamil Nadu has no arid north and is mostly rice-based.
Notice the wider facts: Gujarat leads India in castor, groundnut and cumin, and in Bt cotton area. Trap: Karnataka fits part, but only Gujarat fits all three.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.