Mountain Passes
Q130. Which pairing of a Himalayan pass with its state is correct?
[SSC CGL Tier-I, 7 March 2020, Shift 1 (2020)]
(A) Nathu La – Arunachal Pradesh
(B) Rohtang – Sikkim
(C) Bomdila – Himachal Pradesh
(D) Lipulekh – Uttarakhand
Answer: (d) Lipulekh – Uttarakhand
Explanation: Lipulekh is a high mountain pass near the Uttarakhand–Tibet border. Nathu La belongs to Sikkim, Rohtang to Himachal Pradesh and Bomdila to Arunachal Pradesh. Checking each pass’s state quickly reveals the only valid pairing.
Mountain Passes
Q129. Which pass crosses the Pir Panjal range and lies on the traditional Manali–Leh road?
[SSC CHSL, 14 October 2020, Shift 2 (2020)]
(A) Banihal
(B) Baralacha La
(C) Rohtang
(D) Nathu La
Answer: (c) Rohtang
Explanation: Rohtang Pass is in Himachal Pradesh’s eastern Pir Panjal range and connects the Kullu Valley with Lahaul. The highway onward toward Leh uses additional high passes such as Baralacha La, while Nathu La is far away in Sikkim.
Mountain Passes
Q128. Which gap lies between the Nilgiri and Anaimalai hills?
[SSC CHSL, 20 October 2020, Shift 2 (2020)]
(A) Aghil Pass
(B) Rohtang Pass
(C) Karakoram Pass
(D) Palghat Gap
Answer: (d) Palghat Gap
Explanation: The Palghat or Palakkad Gap cuts across the southern Western Ghats between the Nilgiris to the north and Anaimalai Hills to the south. It creates a relatively low corridor between Tamil Nadu’s interior and Kerala’s coastal plain.
Mountain Passes
Q127. Which listed mountain pass is in Uttarakhand?
[SSC CHSL, 11 August 2021, Shift 2, 2020 cycle (2020)]
(A) Baralacha La
(B) Mangsha Dhura
(C) Nathu La
(D) Bomdi La
Answer: (b) Mangsha Dhura
Explanation: Mangsha Dhura lies in Uttarakhand’s high Himalayan border country. Baralacha La is on the Himachal–Ladakh route, Nathu La is in Sikkim, and Bomdi La is in Arunachal Pradesh, making their state associations different.
Northern Mountains
Q126. Why is the Himalayan region particularly seismically active? Consider Assertion: India has many high-risk Himalayan seismic zones; Reason: the Himalayas contain numerous longitudinal thrusts.
[UPPCS Prelims (2019)]
(A) Both correct and reason explains assertion
(B) Both correct but reason does not explain assertion
(C) Assertion correct, reason incorrect
(D) Assertion incorrect, reason correct
Answer: (a) Both correct and reason explains assertion
Explanation: Ongoing convergence of the Indian and Eurasian plates generates compressional forces along Himalayan faults and thrust belts. These active structures produce earthquakes across the region, making the assertion and its explanation consistent with Himalayan tectonics.
Northern Mountains
Q125. In which Himalayan subregion are Karewa deposits found?
[MPPSC Prelims (2019)]
(A) Northeastern Himalaya
(B) Eastern Himalaya
(C) Himachal–Uttarakhand Himalaya
(D) Kashmir Himalaya
Answer: (d) Kashmir Himalaya
Explanation: Karewas are elevated lacustrine and fluvio-glacial deposits in the Kashmir Valley. These terraces preserve evidence of older lake environments and are widely associated with saffron cultivation. They are a distinctive landform of Kashmir, not the eastern Himalayan ranges.
Northern Mountains
Q124. Which sequence correctly arranges central Indian hill groups from west to east?
[UPPCS Prelims (2019)]
(A) Maikal, Satpura, Mahadeo, Chotanagpur
(B) Satpura, Mahadeo, Maikal, Chotanagpur
(C) Maikal, Mahadeo, Satpura, Chotanagpur
(D) Satpura, Mahadeo, Chotanagpur, Maikal
Answer: (b) Satpura, Mahadeo, Maikal, Chotanagpur
Explanation: The Satpura system occupies central India, with the Mahadeo Hills and Maikal highlands extending eastward. The Chotanagpur Plateau lies farther east, particularly in Jharkhand. This west–east ordering follows the geographic distribution of these uplands.
Northern Mountains
Q123. Cherrapunji is located in which hills?
[Chhattisgarh PSC Prelims (2019)]
(A) Naga Hills
(B) Garo Hills
(C) Khasi Hills
(D) Mikir Hills
Answer: (c) Khasi Hills
Explanation: Cherrapunji, also known as Sohra, is situated in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills. Its position near the southern escarpment facing moisture-laden Bay of Bengal winds helps explain the area’s exceptionally high orographic rainfall, a classic example in Indian physical geography.
Mountain Peaks
Q122. Which of the following is outside India, according to the original peak-location question?
[UPPCS Prelims (2019)]
(A) Gurla Mandhata
(B) Kamet
(C) Nanda Devi
(D) Trishul
Answer: (a) Gurla Mandhata
Explanation: Gurla Mandhata lies in Tibet north of the Himalayan main chain. Kamet, Nanda Devi and Trishul are prominent peaks of Uttarakhand. Peak names can be confused because several Tibetan mountains occur close to the Indian frontier.
Mountain Peaks
Q121. Gaurlata Peak belongs to which ‘Pat’ upland?
[Chhattisgarh PSC Prelims (2019)]
(A) Samri Pat
(B) Mainpat
(C) Jashpur Pat
(D) Jarang Pat
Answer: (a) Samri Pat
Explanation: Gaurlata is located in the Samri Pat highlands of Balrampur district, Chhattisgarh. The local term pat refers to elevated plateau-like terrain. This question tests subregional relief within the state’s northern uplands, rather than an all-India Himalayan peak.
