Physiographic Divisions — Set 5

Correct Answer: A. Garo Hills

• **Garo Hills** = part of the Meghalaya Plateau along with Khasi and Jaintia Hills; geologically an extension of the Peninsular Plateau. • **Highest rainfall** — Mawsynram and Cherrapunji (in Khasi Hills) receive among the world's highest annual rainfall (~11,000 mm). • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Mizo Hills: in Mizoram state, part of Purvanchal (eastern hills), not Meghalaya Plateau; Naga Hills: in Nagaland, also Purvanchal, not Meghalaya; Patkai Bum: range on the India-Myanmar border, not part of Meghalaya Plateau.

Correct Answer: B. 2010s

• **Barren Island volcano** = last erupted significantly in the 2010s (2017); it had been dormant for over a century before 1991. • **2017 eruption** — the most recent significant activity; Barren Island is the only active volcano in South Asia. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: 1970s: Barren Island was dormant during this period; 1950s: no recorded activity in this decade; 1990s: the 1991 eruption ended dormancy but the question asks about the last decade of eruption which is 2010s.

Correct Answer: B. Lakshadweep

• **Lakshadweep** = India's smallest Union Territory, entirely of coral origin, consisting of 36 islands in the Arabian Sea. • **36 islands, 10 inhabited** — Lakshadweep is famous for crystal-clear lagoons, coral reefs, and rich marine life. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Pamban Island: also called Rameswaram Island, a natural limestone/sedimentary island in Tamil Nadu; Salsette Island: largest island in India (Mumbai), a part of mainland not a coral island; Wheeler Island: now called Abdul Kalam Island, a rocket testing site in Odisha.

Correct Answer: A. Tropic of Cancer

• **Tropic of Cancer** = at 23.5 deg N, it divides India into roughly two equal halves passing through 8 states. • **8 states** — Gujarat, Rajasthan, MP, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, WB, Tripura, and Mizoram lie on the Tropic of Cancer. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Tropic of Capricorn: at 23.5 deg S, in the Southern Hemisphere, does not pass through India; Equator: at 0 deg latitude, passes through equatorial Africa and South America, far south of India; Arctic Circle: at 66.5 deg N, passes through polar regions, far north of India.

Correct Answer: C. Chambal

• **Chambal River** = created the famous ravines (badlands) in the Malwa region through severe soil erosion in soft alluvial soil. • **Chambal Valley ravines** — these deep gullies (60-90 m) historically sheltered dacoits; now subject to conservation efforts. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Betwa: tributary of Yamuna in MP, does not create ravines; Ken: tributary of Yamuna in Bundelkhand, no major ravine system; Yamuna: major river of the Indo-Gangetic plains, not known for ravines.

Correct Answer: A. Karnataka

• **Mullayanagiri** = highest peak of Karnataka at about 1,930 m, in the Baba Budan Giri range of the Western Ghats. • **Chikkamagaluru** — the district where Mullayanagiri is located; a popular trekking destination in the coffee country. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Andhra Pradesh: highest peak is Jindhagada (Eastern Ghats), not Mullayanagiri; Kerala: highest peak is Anamudi; Tamil Nadu: highest peak is Doda Betta in the Nilgiris.

Correct Answer: B. 8-16 km

• **Bhabar belt** = 8-16 km wide strip of gravel and unsorted sediments deposited at the foot of the Shiwaliks. • **Streams disappear** — rivers lose themselves in porous Bhabar deposits; they re-emerge in the Terai further south. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: 20-30 km: that is approximately the width of the Terai belt; 2-5 km: no physiographic belt is this narrow in the Himalayan foothills; 50-100 km: much wider than any single physiographic belt.

Correct Answer: D. Madhya Pradesh

• **Malwa Plateau** = mostly situated in western Madhya Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan, bounded by the Vindhya range to the south. • **Black soil and rolling hills** — characteristics of the Malwa Plateau; major agricultural area for soya and wheat. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Gujarat: the plateau does extend slightly but MP is the primary state; Maharashtra: the Deccan Plateau and Vidarbha are in Maharashtra, not Malwa; Rajasthan: Malwa has a small part here but MP dominates.

Correct Answer: D. Coromandel

• **Coromandel Coast** = part of the Eastern Coastal Plain (Bay of Bengal), NOT the Western Coastal Plain. • **Western Coastal Plain** = Konkan (north) + Kanara/Karnataka (middle) + Malabar (south); generally narrower and more indented. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Konkan: western coastal plain, Maharashtra-Goa, correct western segment; Kanara: middle western coastal plain, Karnataka coast; Malabar: southern western coastal plain, Kerala.

Correct Answer: C. Shevaroy Hills

• **Shevaroy Hills** = located in Tamil Nadu, often called the Jewel of the Eastern Ghats for their scenic beauty. • **Jindhagada (1,690 m)** — the actual highest peak of the Eastern Ghats per modern surveys; Mahendragiri was cited in older texts. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Jindhagada: highest peak of Eastern Ghats but not called the Jewel; Mahendragiri: in Odisha, highest in older texts; Arma Konda: a peak in Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, not the jewel.