Northern Mountains
Q90. Which rivers bound the Kumaon Himalaya region?
[UPPSC RO/ARO Re-exam (2016)]
(A) Indus and Sutlej
(B) Kali and Teesta
(C) Sutlej and Kali
(D) Teesta and Brahmaputra
Answer: (c) Sutlej and Kali
Explanation: Traditional regional divisions place the Kumaon Himalaya between the Sutlej and Kali rivers. The Punjab Himalaya lies farther west, while the Nepal and Assam Himalayan sections are identified using the Kali, Teesta and Dihang river boundaries.
Coastal Region
Q89. Which state has the longest coastline of the four listed?
[UPPCS RO/ARO Re-exam (2016)]
(A) Andhra Pradesh
(B) Gujarat
(C) Tamil Nadu
(D) Kerala
Answer: (b) Gujarat
Explanation: Gujarat’s strongly indented shoreline includes the Saurashtra peninsula and Kachchh region. These coastal formations help give it the greatest coastline length of any Indian state, greater than Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu or Kerala.
Coastal Region
Q88. Which agent generally causes the greatest coastal erosion?
[Uttarakhand PSC Prelims (2016)]
(A) Waves
(B) Tides
(C) Currents
(D) Tsunami waves
Answer: (a) Waves
Explanation: Waves repeatedly attack beaches and coastal cliffs, transporting sediment and removing material through hydraulic action and abrasion. Tides and currents modify erosion patterns, while tsunamis are episodic. Ordinary wave action is the principal continuous agent of coastal erosion.
Northern Mountains
Q87. Among Vindhyan, Cuddapah, Dharwar and Gondwana rock systems, which is geologically youngest?
[UPPCS Prelims (2016)]
(A) Vindhyan
(B) Cuddapah
(C) Dharwar
(D) Gondwana
Answer: (d) Gondwana
Explanation: Gondwana sedimentary formations are much younger than the ancient Dharwar, Cuddapah and Vindhyan systems. They include important coal-bearing deposits laid down after the oldest shield rocks formed. This age contrast is relevant to the geological history of India’s plateaus.
Mountain Passes
Q86. Which pass pairing is incorrect?
[UPPCS Mains (2015)]
(A) Chang La–Ladakh region
(B) Rohtang–Himachal Pradesh
(C) Bomdi La–Arunachal Pradesh
(D) Se La–Uttarakhand
Answer: (d) Se La–Uttarakhand
Explanation: Se La lies in Arunachal Pradesh, providing access toward the Tawang area. Rohtang is in Himachal Pradesh, Bomdi La in Arunachal Pradesh, and Chang La in Ladakh. The question asks for the mismatched pass location.
Southern and Central Hills
Q85. Which hills stand around the meeting zone of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu?
[UPPCS Mains (2015)]
(A) Anaimalai
(B) Palani
(C) Nandi
(D) Nilgiri
Answer: (d) Nilgiri
Explanation: The Nilgiri Hills are situated near the junction of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and connect sections of the Western and Eastern Ghats. Palani and Anaimalai hills occupy different parts of the southern Western Ghats system.
Northern Mountains
Q84. Which state is NOT normally aligned with the Patkai hill system?
[UPPCS Mains (2015)]
(A) Nagaland
(B) Tripura
(C) Manipur
(D) Mizoram
Answer: (b) Tripura
Explanation: The Patkai and adjacent northeastern ranges extend along the India–Myanmar frontier. Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram form part of this northeastern highland region, whereas Tripura lies farther west with its own fold-hill systems.
Northern Mountains
Q83. From south to north, which Himalayan range sequence is correct?
[CGPSC Prelims (2015)]
(A) Great Himalaya–Lesser Himalaya–Shiwalik
(B) Shiwalik–Lesser Himalaya–Great Himalaya
(C) Lesser Himalaya–Great Himalaya–Shiwalik
(D) Shiwalik–Great Himalaya–Lesser Himalaya
Answer: (b) Shiwalik–Lesser Himalaya–Great Himalaya
Explanation: The Shiwaliks are the outermost and southernmost Himalayan foothills. To their north rise the Lesser or Middle Himalaya and then the Great Himalaya, called Himadri. This sequence describes the broad longitudinal structure of the western Himalayan mountain belt.
Southern and Central Hills
Q82. Select the correct south-to-north sequence: Satmala, Kaimur, Naga Hills and Pir Panjal.
[UPPCS Mains (2015)]
(A) Kaimur–Pir Panjal–Satmala–Naga
(B) Satmala–Kaimur–Naga–Pir Panjal
(C) Satmala–Kaimur–Pir Panjal–Naga
(D) Naga–Pir Panjal–Kaimur–Satmala
Answer: (b) Satmala–Kaimur–Naga–Pir Panjal
Explanation: Satmala Hills are in Maharashtra, Kaimur Hills farther north in central–eastern India, Naga Hills in the northeastern uplands, and Pir Panjal farther north in the western Himalaya. Latitude and regional maps help establish the ordering.
Mountain Peaks
Q81. Who became the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest?
[MPPSC Prelims (2015)]
(A) Junko Tabei
(B) Karoline Mikkelson
(C) Valentina Tereshkova
(D) Bachendri Pal
Answer: (a) Junko Tabei
Explanation: Japan’s Junko Tabei first climbed Everest in 1975. Bachendri Pal became the first Indian woman to summit it in 1984. The Himalayan peak lies on the Nepal–Tibet frontier, and these two milestones refer to different national and global records.
