Geography: previous-year questions
167 real UPSC Prelims questions (2011–2026) with the official answer and a clear explanation. 67 of them came in the last five papers.
How often UPSC asks this
Questions per year, counted from the official papers.
Subtopics
Attempt the questions
Newest papers first. Tap an option; the answer and the reason appear instantly.
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.
Westerlies in southern hemisphere are stronger and persistent than in northern hemisphere. Why ?
- 1. Southern hemisphere has less landmass as compared to northern hemisphere.
- 2. Coriolis force is higher in southern hemisphere as compared to northern hemisphere.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (a) & explanation
Statement 1 only is correct (a). Between about 40° and 60° S there is almost only ocean, so the westerlies blow over water without mountains or land to slow them. They become strong and steady, called the Roaring Forties, Furious Fifties and Shrieking Sixties (1). Statement 2 is wrong: the Coriolis force depends on latitude and wind speed, not on the hemisphere; it is equal at the same latitude north and south, only deflecting in opposite directions. So (b), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the related current: these winds drive the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the strongest ocean current, around Antarctica. Sailors used the Roaring Forties for fast voyages to Australia. Trap: 'higher Coriolis in the south' sounds technical but is false.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Between India and East Asia, the navigation-time and distance can be greatly reduced by which of the following ?
- 1. Deepening the Malacca straits between Malaysia and Indonesia.
- 2. Opening a new canal across the Kra isthmus between the Gulf of Siam and Andaman Sea.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Statement 2 only is correct (b). A canal across the Kra Isthmus in southern Thailand would link the Andaman Sea with the Gulf of Thailand (Siam), letting ships skip the long loop around the Malay Peninsula through Singapore and save about 1,000 km and two to three days (2). Statement 1 is wrong: deepening the Strait of Malacca would let bigger ships pass but would not shorten the route. So (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the current plan: Thailand has discussed a 'Land Bridge' of ports, road and rail across Ranong and Chumphon instead of a canal. The Malacca Strait carries about a quarter of world trade, and China calls its dependence on it the 'Malacca dilemma'. Trap: deeper is not shorter.
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.
What could be the main reason/reasons for the formation of African and Eurasian desert belt ?
- 1. It is located in the sub-tropical high pressure cells.
- 2. It is under the influence of warm ocean currents.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct in this context ?
Answer (a) & explanation
Statement 1 only is correct (a). The Sahara–Arabia–Thar desert belt lies under the subtropical high-pressure cells (about 20°–30° N), where air from the Hadley cell sinks, warms by compression and stays dry, so clouds and rain cannot form (1). Statement 2 is wrong: warm ocean currents add moisture and rain. Deserts on western coasts are linked to cold currents, such as the Canary (Sahara) and Benguela (Namib), which cool the air and stop rain. So (b), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the wider pattern: the same high-pressure belt makes the Kalahari, Australian and Atacama deserts in the south. The Thar is also helped by the Aravallis lying parallel to the monsoon winds. Trap: the current's temperature is reversed.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The jet aircrafts fly very easily and smoothly in the lower stratosphere. What could be the appropriate explanation ?
- 1. There are no clouds or water vapour in the lower stratosphere.
- 2. There are no vertical winds in the lower stratosphere.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct in this context ?
Answer (c) & explanation
Both statements are correct (c). Weather happens in the troposphere. In the lower stratosphere, temperature stops falling with height and then rises, so warm air sits on cool air and there is no convection, meaning no vertical air currents (2). There is almost no water vapour or clouds (1), so storms and rain are absent. That makes flight smooth and free of turbulence, and jets save fuel in the thin air. So (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice the related facts: the tropopause is about 8 km at the poles and 18 km at the equator. The ozone layer lies in the stratosphere, at 15–35 km. Jet streams blow near the tropopause and help or hinder flights. Trap: 'no clouds' has rare exceptions, such as polar stratospheric clouds.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The Brahmaputra, Irrawady and Mekong rivers originate in Tibet and flow through narrow and parallel mountain ranges in their upper reaches. Of these rivers, Brahmaputra makes a “U” turn in its course to flow into India. This “U” turn is due to
Answer (b) & explanation
Syntaxial bending of the young Himalaya is correct (b). At the eastern end of the Himalaya, near Namcha Barwa (7,782 m), the mountain chain bends sharply south in a hairpin called the eastern syntaxis, caused by the pressure of the Indian plate. The Tsangpo follows this bend, cuts the world's deepest gorge, and turns back as the Siang/Dihang, becoming the Brahmaputra in Assam. (a) and (c) are general statements that do not explain the specific U-turn. (d) fails because (a) is not the reason.
Notice the western twin: the Nanga Parbat syntaxis, where the Indus turns sharply. China began building a mega-dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo at Medog near this bend in July 2025, raising concerns in India. Trap: 'uplift' is too general.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.