Geography of India (Part -II) (UPSC)

Total Questions: 50

1. The first marine sanctuary in India, within its bounds coral reefs, mollusca, dolphins, tortoises and various kinds of sea birds, has been established in: [1999]

Correct Answer: (c) Gulf of Kutch
Solution:Gulf of Kutch in 1980, 270 km from Obha to Sadiya.
About Rann of Kutch:
  • It is a large area of salt marshes that span the border between India and Pakistan.
  • It is located mostly in the Kutch district of Gujarat, with a minor portion extending into the Sindh province of Pakistan.
  • It is divided into the Great Rann and Little Rann.
  • The Great Rann of Kutch is the larger portion of the Rann.
  • It extends east and west, with the Thar Desert to the north and the low hills of Kutch to the south.
  • The Indus River Delta lies to the west in southern Pakistan.
    The Little Rann of Kutch lies southeast of the Great Rann, and extends southwards to the Gulf of Kutch.
  • The Rann of Kutch is the only large flooded grasslands zone in the Indomalayan realm.
  • The Indomalayan realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms.
  • It extends across most of South and Southeast Asia and into the southern parts of East Asia.
  • The Little Rann of Kutch is home to the Indian wild ass (khur).
  • The area has desert on one side and the sea on the other enables various ecosystems, including mangroves and desert vegetation.

2. Which one of the following pairs of states and tribes is not correctly matched? [1999]

Correct Answer: (d) Madhya Pradesh : Lambada
Solution:Lambada tribes are found in Rajasthan and not in Madhya Pradesh.
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.

3. In the rough outline map of a part of Jammu and Kashmir shown in the figure, places marked A, B, C and D represent respectively: [1999]

Correct Answer: (c) Baramula, Srinagar, Anantnag and Kargil
Solution:In the given figure 'A' is Baramula, 'B' is Srinagar, 'C' is Anantnag and 'D' is Kargil.
Jammu and Kashmir, located in the northernmost part of India, is known for its breathtaking landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and strategic significance. The region is famed for its handicrafts, tourism, and diverse geography ranging from plains to high-altitude mountains. Covering 55,538 square kilometers (Union Territory status as of 2019), it holds a unique position in India's political and cultural landscape. According to the 2011 Census, Jammu and Kashmir had a population of over 12.5 million. Srinagar (in summer) and Jammu (in winter) serve as the twin capitals of the Union Territory.

4. If it is 10.00 am. I.S.T., then what would be the local time at Shillong on 92° E longitude? [1999]

Correct Answer: (b) 10.38 a.m
Solution:Indian Government has accepted 82.5° E for the standard time which is (82.5° x 4 minutes = 5 hrs 30 minutes ahead of GMT). Shillong is situated on 92°E longitude. So the deference is 92°-82.5° 9.5°. Since the earth makes one complete revolution of 360° in one day or 24 hours, it passes through 15° in one hour or 1º in 4 minutes. So the deference will between IST and Shillong 9.5° x 4 = 32 minute. Hence local time at Shillong on 92°E longitude is 10:38 am.

5. The Ravva offshore block, with great potential for oil, is located in: [1999]

Correct Answer: (a) Krishna-Godavari basin
Solution:

About Krishna-Godavari Basin:
It is situated in Andhra Pradesh and the Bay of Bengal is a vast deltaic plain formed by the Krishna and Godavari rivers. Covering 15,000 sq. km on land and 25,000 sq. km offshore, it has 5 km thick sediments deposited from Late Carboniferous to Pleistocene. The basin features upland and coastal plains, flood, and delta plains. Notably, the D-6 block in this basin holds India's largest natural gas reserves. discovered by ONGC in 1983. Besides its geological significance, the basin is home to the Vulnerable Olive Ridley Sea Turtle,

6. Which one of the following statements is not true? [2000]

Correct Answer: (a) Ghaggar's water is utilised in the Indira Gandhi canal
Solution:Indira Gandhi Canal originated from Harike barrage at Sultanpur on Sutlej but Ghaggar is a tributary of river Saraswati, which ends in the Thar desert.
Indira Gandhi Canal: Facts
  • In the mid-1960s, the water system in the Stage-l order section of the canal was presented.
  • During the 1980s, however, the entire area of Stage II began to receive a water system.
  • The way the river system is presented in this dry country has influenced its biology, economy, and society.
  • It has had a positive and negative impact on the district's natural conditions.
  • The availability of soil moisture for a longer period of time, as well as other afforestation and field enhancement activities under CAD, has resulted in land greening.
  • This has also aided in the reduction of breeze disintegration and siltation of channel structures.
  • The deterioration of the water infrastructure and excessive water consumption has resulted in the emergence of two natural problems: waterlogging and soil salinity.
  • The installation of the canal irrigation system has resulted in a noticeable transformation in the local horticulture business.
  • Soil moisture has been a stumbling block to the growth of productive harvests.
  • The extension of the canal water system in urbanized areas has prompted a force of editing.
  • Wheat, cotton, peanut, and rice have overtaken the traditional yields of a gram, bajra, and jowar. This is the result of a deteriorated water system.
    Initially, the increased water system is thought to have spurred a massive increase in rural and domesticated animal development.
  • This has also resulted in waterlogging and salinity in the soil, making farming more difficult to maintain in the long run

7. Match the locations of ports labelled as A, B, C and D in the given map with the names of those ports and select the correct answer using the codes given below the names of the ports: [2000]

1. Kakinada

2. Karwar

3. Mangalore

4. Tuticorin

5. Veraval

ABCD
(a)4235
(b)5241
(c)1342
(d)5321

 

Correct Answer: (b)
Solution:In the given map 'A' marked ports is Veraval of Gujarat, 'B' marked port is Karwar of Karnataka, 'C' marked port is Tuticorin of Tamil Nadu and 'D' marked port is Kakinada of Andhra Pradesh.
India's coastline spans 7,517 km, hosts 13 major ports (including proposed Vadhavan Port) and over 200 minor ones. Major ports handle 95% of India's trade by volume and 70% by value. These ports facilitate critical trade, handling various goods like petroleum, coal, iron ore, textiles, and automobiles, with strategic geopolitical significance in global maritime routes
Major Ports in India includes: West coast ports-Mumbai, Kandla, Mangalore, Jawaharlal Nehru Port (INPT), Mormugao, and Cochin, East coast ports Chennai, Tuticorin, Visakhapatnam, Paradip, Kolkata, and Ennore

8. Which one of the following pairs of primitive tribes and places of their inhabitation is NOT correctly matched? [2000]

Correct Answer: (d) Korba : Kodagu
Solution:Korba tribe in found in chhotanagpur of Chhattisgarh and Jarkhand, whereas Kodagu in a district in Karnataka.
  • PVTGs are more vulnerable among the tribal groups
  • Due to this factor, more developed and assertive tribal groups take a major chunk of the tribal development funds, because of which PVTGs need more funds directed for their development.
  • In this context, in 1975, the Government of India declared 52 tribal groups as PVTGs on the recommendation of the Dhebar Commission,
    Currently, there are 75 PVTGs out of 705 Scheduled Tribes
  • The PVTGs are spread over 18 states and one Union Territory (UT), in the country (2011 census).
  • Odisha has the highest number (more than 2.5 lakh) of PVTGS

Characteristics of PVTGS:

  • Population-stagnant/declining
  • Technology-pre-agricultural
  • Literacy Level-extremely low
  • Economy-Subsistence level.

9. Assertion (A): The frequency of floods in north Indian plains has increased during the last couple of decades. [2000]

Reason (R): There has been a reduction in the depth of river valleys due to deposition of silt.

Correct Answer: (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
Solution:Siltation is the process of deposition of silt on the river bed through rain water, by which the depth of the river reduces. The flood water crosses the river embankment, by which flood occurs in most part of north India.
Floods are the most common form of natural disaster, occurring when a large amount of water submerges normally dry ground. Floods are frequently produced by excessive rainfall, quick snowmelt, or storm surge from a tropical cyclone or tsunami in coastal locations. India is highly vulnerable to floods in which Assam, Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal are largely affected, Flood disasters affect people and the impact of floods cannot be completely prevented, while measures can be taken to mitigate the impact and ensure that people are prepared to deal with the consequences of the flood hazards.

10. Which one of the following statements is true according to 1991 Census data? [2000]

Correct Answer: (d) Bihar has the lowest literacy rate in India
Solution:According to 1991 literacy statistics Bihar has the lowest literacy rates in India.
  • The Ministry of Education (MoE), has stated that literacy may be understood as the ability to read, write, and compute with comprehension, le. to identify, understand, interpret and create along with critical life skills such as digital literacy, financial literacy etc.
  • The full literacy, to be considered equivalent to 100% literacy, will be achieving 95% literacy in a State/UT that may be considered as equivalent to fully literate.
  • As per Census 2011, the literacy rate in the country was 74% in 2011 as compared to 64,8% in 2001.
  • There are 25.76 crore non-literate individuals in the 15 years and above age group, comprising 9.08 crore males and 16.68 crore females.
  • Despite the progress made under the Saakshar Bharat programme, which certified 7.64 crore individuals as literate between 2009-10 and 2017-18, an estimated 18.12 crore adults in India remain non-literate.