Southern and Central Hills
Q160. Which river rises near Devarayanadurga hill in Karnataka and later joins the Kaveri?
[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 4 August 2023, Shift 2 (2023)]
(A) Shimsha
(B) Girna
(C) Ghataprabha
(D) Waghur
Answer: (a) Shimsha
Explanation: The Shimsha rises near Devarayanadurga in Karnataka’s Tumakuru district and flows toward the Kaveri. Its headwaters illustrate the drainage of southern plateau hills. The Girna and Waghur belong to other basins, while Ghataprabha joins the Krishna.
Coastal Region
Q159. Where is the eastern coastal plain of India located?
[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 14 March 2023, Shift 1, 2022 cycle (2023)]
(A) Between Gulf of Khambhat and Kanyakumari
(B) Between the Eastern Ghats and Bay of Bengal
(C) Between Maharashtra and Kerala
(D) Between Diu and Kerala
Answer: (b) Between the Eastern Ghats and Bay of Bengal
Explanation: The eastern coastal plain extends between the discontinuous Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal. Large east-flowing rivers build broad alluvial deltas here, unlike the generally narrow western coastal plain between the Arabian Sea and Western Ghats.
Coastal Region
Q158. Which is not a subdivision of the western coastal plain?
[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 17 March 2023, Shift 3, 2022 cycle (2023)]
(A) Konkan
(B) Coromandel Coast
(C) Kannad Plain
(D) Malabar Coast
Answer: (b) Coromandel Coast
Explanation: Coromandel is the southeastern coastal tract facing the Bay of Bengal. The western plain on the Arabian Sea side is commonly divided into Konkan, Karnataka or Kannad and Malabar. The distinction reflects coastline position and regional landforms.
Coastal Region
Q157. Which name does not designate part of India’s eastern coast?
[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 10 March 2023, Shift 3, 2022 cycle (2023)]
(A) Coromandel Coast
(B) Tamil Nadu Coast
(C) Utkal Coast
(D) Malabar Coast
Answer: (d) Malabar Coast
Explanation: The Malabar Coast is located along Kerala on India’s western, Arabian Sea margin. Utkal refers to the Odisha sector and Coromandel to the southeastern Bay of Bengal coast; the Tamil Nadu shoreline is part of the eastern coastal system.
Southern and Central Hills
Q156. Which statement about India’s Ghats is incorrect?
[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 10 March 2023, Shift 4, 2022 cycle (2023)]
(A) Mahendragiri is an important Eastern Ghats summit
(B) Western Ghats become steadily lower from north to south
(C) Western Ghats cause orographic rainfall
(D) Eastern Ghats extend toward the Nilgiri Hills
Answer: (b) Western Ghats become steadily lower from north to south
Explanation: The Western Ghats do not decline consistently southward; some of their highest massifs occur in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Their windward slopes intercept moisture-bearing monsoon winds, while the Eastern Ghats are discontinuous and broken by many major rivers.
Islands
Q155. What is the water channel separating the Andaman Islands from the Nicobar Islands?
[SSC MTS, 8 May 2023, Shift 1, 2022 cycle (2023)]
(A) Palk Strait
(B) Conolly Canal
(C) Ten Degree Channel
(D) Gulf of Mannar
Answer: (c) Ten Degree Channel
Explanation: The Ten Degree Channel lies between Little Andaman and Car Nicobar near latitude ten degrees north. The Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar are around southeastern mainland India and Sri Lanka, not between the two island groups.
Southern and Central Hills
Q154. Which hills mark the junction of the Western and Eastern Ghats?
[SSC MTS, 13 June 2023, Shift 2, 2022 cycle (2023)]
(A) Nilgiri Hills
(B) Palkonda Hills
(C) Cardamom Hills
(D) Nallamala Hills
Answer: (a) Nilgiri Hills
Explanation: The Nilgiri hills stand near the tri-junction of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and form the meeting area of India’s eastern and western peninsular highlands. The Cardamom Hills lie farther south; Palkonda and Nallamala belong to the Eastern Ghats.
Mountain Passes
Q153. Which Himalayan pass linking India with Tibet lies in Arunachal Pradesh?
[WBCS Mains History Paper III (2023 exam, held 18 August 2024) (2023)]
(A) Nathu La
(B) Rohtang
(C) Bomdi La
(D) Lipulekh
Answer: (c) Bomdi La
Explanation: Bomdi La is a mountain pass and town area in Arunachal Pradesh in the eastern Himalayan region. Nathu La is in Sikkim, Rohtang is in Himachal Pradesh, and Lipulekh lies near Uttarakhand’s high Himalayan frontier.
Coastal Region
Q152. Chilika Lake lies south of the delta of which river?
[Rajasthan CET Senior Secondary, 11 February 2023, Shift 2 (2023)]
(A) Mahanadi
(B) Godavari
(C) Krishna
(D) Kaveri
Answer: (a) Mahanadi
Explanation: Chilika occupies a brackish coastal lagoon south of the Mahanadi delta in Odisha. The lake is separated from the Bay of Bengal by a sandy barrier. Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri form separate coastal drainage systems farther south.
Mountain Passes
Q151. As reported in the examination’s 2022 reference period, the highest motorable road crossed which pass?
[SSC CHSL 2022 Cycle, 15 March 2023, Shift 4 (2023)]
(A) Khunjerab
(B) Rohtang
(C) Dihang
(D) Umling La
Answer: (d) Umling La
Explanation: Umling La in Ladakh gained recognition for an exceptionally high motorable road, with a Guinness record reported in 2021. The wording is time-bound because engineering projects and measurement conventions can alter records. It is distinct from Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh.
