Mountain Passes
Q150. Which pass connects the Kullu Valley with the Lahaul region?
[SSC CHSL 2022 Cycle, 10 March 2023, Shift 2 (2023)]
(A) Banihal
(B) Thamarassery
(C) Rohtang
(D) Lipulekh
Answer: (c) Rohtang
Explanation: Rohtang Pass crosses the eastern Pir Panjal area of Himachal Pradesh and historically linked Kullu with Lahaul. Banihal lies in the western Himalayas, Lipulekh in Uttarakhand and Thamarassery in the Western Ghats region of Kerala.
Plateaus
Q149. Rigid elevated ground, old denuded rocks and escarpments are typical of which physiographic region?
[UPSC NDA-I (2022)]
(A) Northern Mountains
(B) Northern Plains
(C) Peninsular Plateau
(D) Coastal Plain
Answer: (c) Peninsular Plateau
Explanation: The Peninsular Plateau forms part of the ancient Indian shield. Its hard rocks, stable uplands and highly denuded relief contrast with the youthful folded Himalayas and recently deposited northern plains. Faulting also helped shape several escarpments and plateau margins.
Islands
Q148. Which is NOT a peak of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands?
[UPSC CDS-II (2022)]
(A) Saddle Peak
(B) Mount Thuillier
(C) Lhotse
(D) Mount Diavolo
Answer: (c) Lhotse
Explanation: Lhotse belongs to the Himalayan massif near Mount Everest, across the Nepal–Tibet border. Saddle Peak rises on North Andaman, while Mount Thuillier and Mount Diavolo are identified with the Andaman–Nicobar region. The island groups are geographically separate from the Himalaya.
Southern and Central Hills
Q147. From which mountain range does the Tapi River originate?
[RRB Group D, 15 September 2022, Shift 1 (2022)]
(A) Satpura Range
(B) Nilgiri Hills
(C) Aravalli Range
(D) Himalayas
Answer: (a) Satpura Range
Explanation: The Tapi or Tapti rises near Multai in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul district, in the Satpura highlands. It flows westward toward the Arabian Sea, broadly parallel to the Narmada, and is closely associated with the central Indian rift-valley region.
Southern and Central Hills
Q146. Which mountain range is bounded by the Satpuras on its south and the Aravallis toward the northwest?
[RRB Group D, 16 September 2022, Shift 1 (2022)]
(A) Vindhya
(B) Kailash
(C) Shiwalik
(D) Gir
Answer: (a) Vindhya
Explanation: The Vindhyan highlands extend across central India north of the Narmada–Satpura belt. The Aravallis lie to the northwest. These ancient upland chains provide an important geographical framework around the Malwa Plateau and neighbouring central Indian basins.
Islands
Q145. Which channel separates the Andaman island group from the Nicobar island group?
[RRB Group D, 22 September 2022, Shift 1 (2022)]
(A) Ten Degree Channel
(B) Twenty Degree Channel
(C) Thirty Degree Channel
(D) Forty Degree Channel
Answer: (a) Ten Degree Channel
Explanation: The Ten Degree Channel is the strait between the Andaman group to the north and Nicobar group to the south. Its name reflects its position close to ten degrees north latitude, a familiar landmark in India’s island geography.
Plateaus
Q144. What is a flat-topped elevated landform called?
[SSC CGL Tier-I, 6 December 2022, Shift 1 (2022)]
(A) Hill
(B) Plateau
(C) Mountain
(D) Valley
Answer: (b) Plateau
Explanation: A plateau is an extensive elevated area with a relatively level upper surface, often bounded by steeper slopes. India’s Deccan and Chota Nagpur plateaus demonstrate this landform, though their surfaces are dissected by rivers and shaped by geological structures.
Mountain Peaks
Q143. Consider the pairs: 1. Namcha Barwa—Garhwal Himalaya; 2. Nanda Devi—Kumaon Himalaya; 3. Nokrek—Sikkim Himalaya. Which are correctly matched?
[UPSC CSE Prelims GS-I, 5 June 2022 (2022)]
(A) 1 and 2 only
(B) 2 only
(C) 1 and 3 only
(D) 3 only
Answer: (b) 2 only
Explanation: Nanda Devi is an Uttarakhand Himalayan peak associated with the Kumaon–Garhwal region. Namcha Barwa stands near the eastern Himalayan bend, not Garhwal. Nokrek belongs to Meghalaya’s Garo Hills, not Sikkim. Therefore only the second pair is correct.
Southern and Central Hills
Q142. The Cardamom Hills in India continue which mountain system?
[UPSC CAPF (AC) (2021)]
(A) Eastern Ghats
(B) Mizo Hills
(C) Naga Hills
(D) Western Ghats
Answer: (d) Western Ghats
Explanation: The Cardamom Hills are part of the southern Western Ghats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. These hills form a highland continuation of the Sahyadri system and receive considerable monsoon rainfall. They are unrelated to the Naga and Mizo hills of northeast India.
Mountain Peaks
Q141. Match Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Nagaland and Madhya Pradesh with their highest peaks: Dodda Betta, Guru Shikhar, Saramati and Dhupgarh. Which order is correct?
[UPPCS Prelims (2021)]
(A) Guru Shikhar, Saramati, Dhupgarh, Dodda Betta
(B) Dhupgarh, Dodda Betta, Guru Shikhar, Saramati
(C) Dodda Betta, Saramati, Guru Shikhar, Dhupgarh
(D) Dodda Betta, Guru Shikhar, Saramati, Dhupgarh
Answer: (d) Dodda Betta, Guru Shikhar, Saramati, Dhupgarh
Explanation: Dodda Betta is in the Nilgiris of Tamil Nadu, Guru Shikhar is Rajasthan’s Aravalli summit, Saramati is the famous peak of Nagaland, and Dhupgarh crowns Madhya Pradesh’s Satpura uplands. State-to-peak pairing prevents confusing peninsular and northeastern highlands.
