Major Physical Divisions of India

This question tests knowledge of historical and administrative facts about northeastern Indian states.

Pair I: Arunachal Pradesh – Correct * Itanagar, the capital, is named after Ita Fort. * The state has two National Parks: Namdapha and Mouling.

Pair II: Nagaland – Correct * Nagaland attained statehood via a constitutional amendment and came into being on 1 December 1963 through the State of Nagaland Act, 1962.

Pair III: Tripura – Correct * Tripura was a Part 'C' state, became a Union Territory in 1956, and was granted statehood in 1972.

* Dhuandhar: This waterfall is located on the Narmada River, but the region is not Malwa. It is in Madhya Pradesh Mahakoshal region. Hence, pair 1 is incorrectly matched.

* Hundru: This waterfall is indeed located on the Subarnarekha River within the Chota Nagpur Plateau. Hence, pair 2 is correctly matched.

* Gersoppa (also known as Jog Falls): This waterfall is on the Sharavati River in the Western Ghats, not the Netravati River. Hence, pair 3 is incorrectly matched.

* Statement 1 is incorrect: Amarkantak is a pilgrim town in Anuppur, Madhya Pradesh. Amarkantak Hills is the meeting point of the Vindhya, Satpura, and Maikal Ranges. It is also the origin of the Narmada, Son, and Johilla Rivers.

* Statement 2 is incorrect: The Billigirirangan Hills, also known as BR Hills, are not a part of the Satpura range. It is a hill range situated in south-western Karnataka, at its border with Tamil Nadu (Erode District). The area is called Biligiri Ranganatha Swamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary or simply BRT Wildlife Sanctuary.

* Statement 3 is incorrect: The Seshachalam Hills, also known as Tirumala Hills, are not a part of the Western Ghats. Seshachalam Hills are hilly ranges part of the Eastern Ghats in southern Andhra Pradesh. The Seshachalam hill ranges are predominantly present in Tirupati district of the Rayalaseema region in Andhra Pradesh.

* The Rann of Kutch, located in the Thar Desert of Gujarat, India, is a vast seasonal salt marsh.

* Geological evidence suggests it was once a shallow extension of the Arabian Sea.

* Over time, due to a combination of factors like tectonic plate movement and climatic changes, the sea level receded repeatedly, leaving behind saline deposits and creating the marshland we see today.

* During the monsoon season, the Rann fills with water, transforming into a shallow lake, but dries up again in the summer, leaving behind a vast expanse of cracked white salt flats.

* Bhitarkanika Mangroves: Located in Odisha, Bhitarkanika Mangroves is a protected wetland area and a UNESCO Ramsar site. It is home to saltwater crocodiles, migratory birds, and various plant species. The mangroves provide coastal protection and support local fishing communities.

* Marakkanam Salt Pans: Marakkanam, in Tamil Nadu, is one of India's largest salt-producing regions. The salt pans are a major source of salt production, and the area also attracts migratory birds, including flamingos.

* Naupada Swamp: Located in Andhra Pradesh, is an important wetland for migratory birds and aquatic life. The swamp supports a wide variety of wildlife, including endangered species like the smooth-coated otter.

Bandarpunch : Yamuna - This is correct. Bandarpunch is a mountain massif of the Garhwal division of the Himalayas, in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is a source of the Yamuna River.

Bara Shigri : Chenab - This is also correct. Bara Shigri is the second-longest glacier in the Himalayas and it feeds the Chenab River.

Milam : Mandakini - This is incorrect. The Mandakini River originates from the Chorabari Glacier, not the Milam Glacier.

Siachen : Nubra - This is correct. The Siachen Glacier, one of the world's longest mountain glaciers, lies in the Karakoram Range system of Kashmir and is the source for the Nubra River.

Zemu : Manas - This is incorrect. The Zemu Glacier is in Sikkim and it feeds the Teesta River, not the Manas River.

So, the correctly matched pairs are 1, 2, and 4.

Statement 1 is Correct: Barren Island is the only confirmed active volcano in India and is located in the Andaman Sea, part of the Indian Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Statement 2 is Incorrect: Barren Island is located approximately 135–140 km East of Port Blair, not Great Nicobar. Geographically, Barren Island (approx. 12.2° N) is located significantly North of Great Nicobar (approx. 7° N), which is the southernmost island of the archipelago.

Statement 3 is Incorrect: After the 1991 eruption, which occurred after nearly 150 years of dormancy, the volcano has erupted several times, including in 1994-95, 2005-07, and as recently as 2017. It has not remained inactive since 1991.

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Himalayas stretch across several states in northern and northeastern India, including Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and parts of Assam and West Bengal.


Statement 2 is incorrect: The Western Ghats encompass six states in western India Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.


Statement 3 is correct: Pulicat Lake is the second largest brackish water lagoon in India, situated on the Coromandel Coast. It is shared by Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Distribution: Roughly 84% of the lake lies in the Tirupati district (formerly Nellore) of Andhra Pradesh, and about 16% lies in the Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu.


Hence, option B is the correct answer.

1. Srisailam - Nallamala Hills (Correct): Srisailam, a revered Hindu pilgrimage site dedicated to Lord Shiva and Parvati, is situated in the Nallamala Hills range on the border of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

2. Omkareshwar - Satmala Hills (Incorrect): Omkareshwar, a holy island town on the Narmada River known for its 12 Shiva Jyotirlinga temples, is located in the Mandhata plateau region, not the Satmala Hills.

3. Pushkar - Mahadeo Hills (Incorrect): Pushkar, a sacred town famous for the only Brahma temple in India, is situated on the shores of Pushkar Lake in Rajasthan, not the Mahadeo Hills.

The Mahadeo Hills are located in Madhya Pradesh, a central Indian state.



Pair 1 is correctly matched: Dampa Tiger Reserve or Dampha Tiger Reserve, the largest wildlife sanctuary in Mizoram, India, was notified in 1985 and declared a Tiger Reserve in 1994.

Pair 2 is incorrectly matched: Gumti Wildlife Sanctuary is in Tripura.

Pair 3 correctly matched: Mt. Saramati is the highest peak in Nagaland.

Pair 1 is correct: Pandharpur is a well-known pilgrimage town on the banks of Chandrabhaga River in Solapur district, Maharashtra, India.

Pair 2 is correct: Tiruchirapalli is located along the Kaveri River in Tamil Nadu, India.

Pair 3 is incorrect: Hampi, also referred to as the Group of Monuments at Hampi, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in east-central Karnataka, India. It is located near the Tungabhadra River.

Thus, only 1 and 2 are correct.

Option A is incorrect. Aksai Chin is located to the east of Ladakh, whereas the Siachen Glacier is situated to the northwest of it.

Option B is incorrect. Leh is located to the south of the Siachen Glacier. The glacier lies in the eastern Karakoram range, far north of Leh.

Option C is incorrect. Gilgit is in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, which is west of the Siachen Glacier. The glacier is not located to the north of Gilgit.

Option D is correct. The Siachen Glacier is located north of the Nubra Valley in the eastern Karakoram range of the Himalayas. It is the world's highest battlefield, where India maintains a military presence.


Hence, option D is the correct answer

Didwana, Kuchaman, Sargol, and Khatu are the names of saline lakes of Rajasthan.

Pair 1 is incorrectly matched: Namcha Barwa is located in the Arunachal Himalayas (Eastern Himalayas) in the Great Bend of the Brahmaputra River. The Garhwal Himalayas are located further west in Uttarakhand (e.g., Kamet, Trisul).

Pair 2 is correctly matched: Nanda Devi is the highest peak in the Kumaon Himalayas (Uttarakhand). It is the second-highest mountain in India and the highest located entirely within the country.

Pair 3 is incorrectly matched: Nokrek is the highest peak of the Garo Hills in Meghalaya. It is part of the Shillong Plateau/Meghalaya Plateau, not the Sikkim Himalayas.


Chandipur Beach, located in the Balasore district of Odisha, is characterized by an exceptionally shallow gradient and a flat sea bed. This unique topography causes the seawater to recede by approximately 2 to 5 kilometers during low tide, exposing the sea floor and allowing people to walk on it. The water returns to the shore during high tide, a cycle that repeats twice daily following the rhythmic tidal fluctuations of the Bay of Bengal.

The Ten Degree Channel separates the Andaman Islands (specifically Little Andaman) from the Nicobar Islands (specifically Car Nicobar) at the 10°N latitude in the Bay of Bengal. It is approximately 150 km wide and serves as a significant maritime boundary between these two island groups.

Context for other options: - Nicobar and Sumatra: These are separated by the Great Channel (also known as the Six Degree Channel). - Maldives and Lakshadweep: The Eight Degree Channel separates the Maldives from Minicoy Island (the southernmost part of Lakshadweep), while the Nine Degree Channel separates Minicoy from the rest of the Lakshadweep archipelago. - Sumatra and Java: These Indonesian islands are separated by the Sunda Strait, which connects the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean.

 1. Cardamom Hills - Coromandel Coast (Incorrect): - The Cardamom Hills are located in the southern Western Ghats of India, spanning Kerala and Tamil Nadu. - The Coromandel Coast refers to the eastern coast of the Indian peninsula, bordering the Bay of Bengal.

2. Kaimur Hills - Konkan Coast (Incorrect): - The Kaimur Hills are located in central India, bordering Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand. - The Konkan Coast lies on the western Indian peninsula along the Arabian Sea, far from the Kaimur Hills.

3. Mahadeo Hills - Central India (Correct): - The Mahadeo Hills are part of the Satpura Range located in central India, primarily in Madhya Pradesh.

4. Mikir Hills - North-East India (Correct): - The Mikir Hills, now referred to as the North Cachar Hills, are located in Assam, a state in northeastern India.