Question 1

Irrigation share: Approximately what percentage of India’s total cultivated (net sown) area is irrigated? Select the nearest all-India proportion. Choose the correct value.

Accepted Answer

Concept/Approach Exam-standard figures round India’s irrigated share to about one-third of net sown area (≈35%), varying by year and source but closest among the given options. Final Answer 35%

Question 2

International boundaries (South Asia): The Radcliffe Line demarcates the boundary between which two countries? Refer to the 1947 partition boundary. Choose the correct pair.

Accepted Answer

Concept/Approach The Radcliffe Line (1947) was drawn to partition British India into India and Pakistan. Final Answer India and Pakistan

Question 3

Seismicity (India): Which region is most prone to earthquakes? Compare India’s recognized high-seismicity belts. Choose the most appropriate region.

Accepted Answer

Concept/Approach The Himalayan arc and North-East India fall largely in seismic Zones IV–V (highest), owing to active plate convergence and complex tectonics. Final Answer The Himalayan and North-Eastern regions

Question 4

Physiography (oldest mountains): Identify the oldest mountains in India by geological age. Distinguish ancient eroded ranges from young fold mountains. Choose the correct range.

Accepted Answer

Concept/Approach The Aravallis are among Earth’s oldest surviving fold mountain systems (Precambrian), far older than the young, active Himalayas. Final Answer Aravalli Range

Question 5

Multipurpose projects (primary purpose): Which dam in India has power generation as its principal objective rather than irrigation? Choose the correct hydropower-centric project.

Accepted Answer

Concept/Approach The Koyna project in Maharashtra is a major hydroelectric scheme with power generation as its primary purpose. The others are classic multipurpose projects with irrigation and flood control as central aims in addition to power. Final Answer Koyna Dam

Question 6

World geography: Identify the country with the longest coastline on Earth.  Consider total national coastline length across oceans and seas. Choose the correct country.

Accepted Answer

Concept Coastline length sums all shorelines along oceans and seas under a country's sovereignty. Due to its extensive Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific coasts with countless bays and islands, Canada has the world's longest coastline. Elimination Russia also has long Arctic and Pacific coasts; Indonesia and Australia have large coastlines, but all are shorter than Canada's. Final Answer Canada.

Question 7

Indian climatology: What is the most plausible explanation for the location of the Thar Desert in western India?  Evaluate key causes that suppress rainfall over Rajasthan and adjoining areas (wind direction, topography, and pressure systems). Choos…

Accepted Answer

Key factors Aravalli alignment: The SW monsoon approaches mostly parallel to the Aravallis, producing little orographic uplift and thus scant rainfall. Subtropical high subsidence & continentality: Western India often lies under descending, dry air with long distance from moist sources. Why others are weaker There is no major cold current off Rajasthan; the Himalayan rain shadow is more pronounced immediately north of the range, not over Rajasthan; altitude is not the limiting factor. Final Answer Aravalli parallelism + subsidence/continentality (option A).

Question 8

Indian minerals: Identify the two Indian states most richly endowed with iron ore deposits.  Focus on high-grade hematite reserves and major mining belts. Choose the correct pair.

Accepted Answer

Facts Odisha–Jharkhand belt (Keonjhar–Mayurbhanj–Sundargarh and Singhbhum) hosts large, high-grade hematite deposits. Other states have notable iron ore, but Odisha and Jharkhand together form India's richest belt. Final Answer Odisha and Jharkhand.

Question 9

Indian languages: How many languages are recognized in the Constitution (Eighth Schedule) for official purposes?  Select the current total count recognized for official use in the Union and states. Choose the correct number.

Accepted Answer

Concept The Eighth Schedule lists languages recognized by the Constitution for official purposes. The present total is 22. Final Answer 22.

Question 10

Indian energy resources: Identify the most important raw material for power generation in India.  Consider the dominant source used in installed generation capacity and output historically. Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

Reasoning India's power sector has long been thermal-dominated, with coal as the main fuel for electricity generation. Hydro, gas, nuclear, and renewables contribute, but coal remains the single largest raw material input. Final Answer Coal.

Question 11

Indian geology: The oldest rocks in India are reported from which region?  Identify the cratonic/Archaean area known for ancient gneisses and schists. Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

Concept The Dharwar craton of Karnataka contains some of India's oldest Archaean rocks (gneisses, schists), older than the Proterozoic Aravalli and Vindhyan sequences. Final Answer Dharwar region (Karnataka).

Question 12

Indian iron ore belts: Which group of states contains the largest deposits of iron ore?  Choose the best grouping based on reserve size and mining output. Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

Fact The Odisha–Jharkhand belt is India's largest iron ore province by reserves and production potential. Final Answer Odisha and Jharkhand.

Question 13

Agriculture (shifting cultivation): Which statements about Jhum cultivation in India are correct?  Assess the following: (1) It is largely practiced in Assam (2) It is a ‘‘slash and burn’’ technique (3) Soil fertility is exhausted in a few years  Ch…

Accepted Answer

Reasoning (2) True: Jhum is slash-and-burn shifting cultivation. (3) True: Short cycles lead to rapid nutrient depletion. (1) Not precise: Jhum is widespread across several NE hill states (Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura, hill tracts of Assam), not predominantly “in Assam”. Final Answer (2) and (3) only.

Question 14

Forestry policy target: What proportion of India’s total geographical area is envisaged under forests by the National Forest Policy?  Answer in overall national percentage terms as per policy goals. Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

Policy target National Forest Policy aims for ~33% (one-third) forest/tree cover nationally. It aspires to ~60% in hill/mountain regions due to steeper slopes and erosion risks. Final Answer 33% (about one-third).

Question 15

Indian rainfall extremes: Where is India’s highest average annual rainfall recorded? Select the location noted for the maximum long-term mean annual precipitation. Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

Concept While Cherrapunji is famous for extreme daily/monthly records, the highest average annual rainfall is recorded at Mawsynram on the southern slopes of the Khasi Hills. Final Answer Mawsynram, Meghalaya.

Question 16

Indian population (demography): Which year is called the ‘‘Great Divide’’ in the demographic history of India?  Identify the census year marking a shift from stagnant growth to a trend of sustained population increase. Choose the correct year.

Accepted Answer

Reason The census of 1921 marked the ‘‘Great Divide’’, after which India's population growth rate turned persistently positive and accelerated in subsequent decades. Final Answer 1921.

Question 17

Indian vegetation: The typical area of sal (Shorea robusta) forest in the peninsular upland occurs mainly in which region? Select the best-known belt for sal-dominated forests in peninsular uplands. Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

Concept Sal forests are characteristic of the Chotanagpur Plateau and adjoining eastern/central uplands under moist deciduous regimes. Final Answer Chotanagpur Plateau.

Question 18

Indian petroleum: Identify the oldest oil refinery in India.  Choose the earliest refinery site established during the colonial period. Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

Fact Digboi in Assam hosts India’s oldest refinery, with origins in the late 19th–early 20th century oil exploration. Final Answer Digboi (Assam).

Question 19

Indian sugar industry: Why has sugar production grown more rapidly in South India compared to North India?  Evaluate these factors: (1) Higher per-acre yield of sugarcane (2) Higher sucrose content in cane (3) Lower labour cost (4) Longer crushing s…

Accepted Answer

Reasoning Higher sucrose in southern cane and longer crushing season (milder climate) contribute directly to output. Per-acre yield advantage is variable; labour cost is not the primary differentiator in this comparison. Final Answer (2) and (4) only.

Question 20

Forest cover status: What is the present forest area of India according to satellite-based assessments (approximate national percentage)?  Choose the closest percentage (all-India total forest & tree cover combined is higher). Choose the correct opt…

Accepted Answer

Context Satellite assessments report India’s forest area in the low-20s percent of total geographical area; commonly rounded figures cite about ~23% for forest area (tree cover raises the combined figure further). Final Answer About 23%.

Indian Geography Questions