Geography of India (Part -III) (UPSC)

Total Questions: 50

1. Consider the following statements: [2005]

1. Area-wise, Chhattisgarh is larger than West Bengal.

2. According to the population Census 2001, population of West Bengal is larger than that of Chhattisgarh.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
Solution:Area of Chhattisgarh is 1,36,03,489 km and Area of West Bengal is 88,572 sq km but the population density in Chhattigarh is 154, whereas the population density in West Bengal is 904.
India is the most populous country in the world with 1.44 billion people. Surpassing China recently. It will continue to rise until reaching 1.52 billion by 2036, according to India's National Commission on Population. India has a huge advantage as well as challenges to tap the potential benefits of its large population with religious and ethnic diversities.
The Government of India has taken several steps to directly control the population growth. India was the first country to launch a national programme of family planning in 1952, that emphasised the necessity of reducing birth rates to stabilize the population...

2. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists. [2005]

List-1 (Atomic Power Plants/Heavy Water Plants) List-II(State) 
A. Thal1. Andhra Pradesh
B. Manuguru2. Gujarat
C. Kakrapar3. Maharashtra
D. Kaiga4. Rajasthan
5. Karnataka

 

ABCD
(a)2145
(b)3521
(c)2541
(d)3125

 

Correct Answer: (d)
Solution:
Atomic Power PlantState
A. ThalMaharashtra
B. ManuguruAndhra Pradesh
C. KakraparGujarat
D. KaigaKarnataka

3. Which one of the following statements is not correct? [2005]

Correct Answer: (b) North-East India accounts for a little over half of the country's tribal population.
Solution:Bulk of the tribal population is found in 5 states, i.e., Madhaya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Gujarat and Bihar.
According to the Imperial Gazetteer of India, a tribe is a collection of families bearing a common name, speaking a common dialect, and occupying or professing to occupy a common territory. India is known as a Melting pot of tribes and races.
After Africa, India has the second largest concentration of tribal population in the world. As per the 2011 Census, the tribal population constitutes about 8,9% of the total population in India...

4. Consider the following statements: [2005]

1. India is the second country in the world to adopt a National Family Planning Programme.

2. The National Population Policy of India 2000 seeks to achieve replacement level of fertility by 2010 with a population of 111 crores.

3. Kerala is the first state in India to achieve replacement level of fertility.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: (c) 2 and 3
Solution:Family Planning programme was started in 1952 by Government of India. Kerala is the first state in India to achieve replacement level of fertility.
The India Family Planning 2030 vision document highlights
  • Population estimates:
    o India is the second largest country in the world.
    o The country's population is expected to continue to grow until mid-           century (due to population momentum), however, the population                 growth will decline substantially, said the document.
  • Priority areas are identified in the Centre's family planning vision document 2030:
    o Strategies to overcome teenage childbearing,
    o Lack of male participation in awareness programmes,
    o Migration and lack of access to contraceptives.
  • It also includes a plan to use the private sector for providing modern contraceptives.
    Outcomes of India's Family planning efforts
  • Achieving replacement level fertility:
    o India has achieved replacement level fertility, with as many as 31 States/Union Territories reaching a Total Fertility Rate of 2.1 or less.
  • Increased usage of modern contraceptives:
    o Between 2012 and 2020, India added more than 1.5 crores, additional users, for modern contraceptives thereby increasing their use substantially.
  • Positive birth spacing methods:
    o Government data shows an overall positive shift towards spacing methods which would be instrumental in impacting positively maternal and infant mortality and morbidity

5. Which one of the following statements is true on the basis of Census - 2001? [2005]

Correct Answer: (d) Pondicherry has the highest sex ratio among the Union Territories.
Solution:Pondicherry, a Union Territory, has the sex ratio of 1001. Chandigarh has 777, Delhi has 861, Daman and Diu has 710, Dadra and Nagar Haveli has 812.

6. According to the census 2001, which one of the following Indian States has the maximum population in India after Uttar Pradesh? [2005]

Correct Answer: (b) Maharashtra
Solution:According to 2001 census, Maharashtra had the maximum population in India after Uttar Pradesh. The total population in Maharashtra is 193,977,000.
India is the most populous country in the world with 1.44 billion people. Surpassing China recently. It will continue to rise until reaching 1.52 billion by 2036, according to India's National Commission on Population. India has a huge advantage as well as challenges to tap the potential benefits of its large population with religious and ethnic diversities.
The Government of India has taken several steps to directly control the population growth. India was the first country to launch a national programme of family planning in 1952, that emphasised the necessity of reducing birth rates to stabilize the population...
SEX-RATIO IN INDIA
  • According to figures of 2011 Census, out of 1210.1 million population, 623.7 million are male and 586.4 million are females
  • Thus, the overall sex ratio for Indian Population according to the 2011 Census, is 943
    o This suggests that the number of females is quite less as compared to males
    o In other words, the sex ratio in the country had always remained unfavorable to females
    o The sex-ratio was 933 in the previous census 2001.

7. Which one of the following statements is not correct? [2005]

Correct Answer: (c) The Western Ghats are relatively lower in their northern region.
Solution:Western Ghats are are relationship higher in the Southern region.
NOTE The Western Ghats are home to four tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregions - the North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests, North Western Ghats montane rain forests, South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests, and South Western Ghats montane rain forests.

8. Gandhi Sagar Dam is a part of which one of the following? [2005]

Correct Answer: (a) Chambal Project
Solution:Gandhi Sagar Dam is situated on the river Chambal in 1960, near Bhanpura of Madhya Pradesh.
Chambal River
  • Source: Vindhya range, Janapav near Mhow (Μ.Ρ.)
  • States: Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh
  • Left bank tributaries: Banas, Mej
  • Right bank tributaries: Parbati, Kali Sindh, Shipra rivers
  • Dams: Gandhi Sagar dam (M.P.), Rana Pratap Sagar dam (Rajasthan), Jawahar Sagar Dam (Rajasthan)
  • The National Chambal Sanctuary for Gharial is also situated in the Chambal basin.
  • Ends as the confluence of five rivers, including the Chambal, Kwari, Yamuna, Sind, and Pahuj, at Pachnada near Bhareh (Uttar Pradesh).

9. Which one of the following is the correct sequence of hills starting from the north and going towards the south? [2005]

Correct Answer: (c) Nallamalai Hills-Javadi Hills-Nilgiri Hills-Anamalai Hills
Solution:The correct sequence of the given hills starting from north and going towards to south is Nallamalai Hills, Javadi Hills, Nilgiri Hills, Anamalai Hills
  • Nallamalai Hills: Located in the Eastern Ghats, forming the eastern boundary of the Rayalaseema region in Andhra Pradesh and parts of Telangana.
  • Javadi Hills: Found in Tamil Nadu's Eastern Ghats, in the North Arcot district.
  • Nilgiri Hills: Part of the Western Ghats, located in Tamil Nadu and known as the "Blue Mountains". They are south of the Javadi Hills and separated from the Anamalai Hills by the Palghat Gap.
  • Anaimalai Hills: Also known as the "Elephant Mountains," they are part of the Western Ghats and straddle the border of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

10. Which one of the following is not a Biosphere reserve? [2005]

Correct Answer: (b) Nallamalai
Solution:Nallamalai is not a biosphere reserve. It is hill of Eastern ghats which stretches over Kurnool, Mahabubnagar, Guntur and Kadapa districts of the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Biosphere Reserves are established by countries and recognized under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme. Their main goal is to promote sustainable development through local community involvement and scientific management.
These reserves encompass terrestrial, marine, and coastal ecosystems, conserving all forms of life in situ along with their support systems. They also act as reference sites for monitoring and evaluating ecological changes over time..
Part of UNESCO's Man and Biosphere (MAB) framework since 1971, Biosphere Reserves are nominated by national governments. There are over 500 reserves across more than 100 countries, highlighting their importance in preserving ecosystems while supporting human development...