Mountains and Plateaus of India

The Deccan Plateau is mainly spread across Peninsular India, so option B is correct. It occupies a large part of southern India and lies south of the Narmada valley, broadly between the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats. Much of its surface is formed from ancient volcanic basalt, especially in the Deccan Trap region, and the plateau slopes generally eastward. North India is dominated by the Northern Plains, while northeastern India has different hill and valley systems. Kachchh is a limited region of Gujarat, not the main extent of the Deccan Plateau.

The Aravalli Range is most strongly associated with Rajasthan because a major and well-known portion of this ancient mountain system extends across the state. It shapes the landscape of southeastern and southern Rajasthan and is especially prominent around areas such as Udaipur and Mount Abu. The range also continues toward Haryana, Delhi, and Gujarat, so it is not confined to one state; however, Rajasthan is the state most commonly linked with it in school geography. Thus option C is correct. Kerala is chiefly associated with the Western Ghats, Assam with northeastern hills, and Odisha with sections of the Eastern Ghats. Those associations make the distractors geographically less suitable.

Sahyadri is the traditional Indian name for the Western Ghats, so option D is correct. This mountain system runs along the western edge of Peninsular India, broadly parallel to the Arabian Sea. It extends through or near Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu and forms an important physical divide between the western coastal plain and the Deccan interior. The Eastern Ghats are a separate and more discontinuous range on the eastern side of the peninsula. Shiwalik and Himadri are subdivisions of the Himalayan system, not alternative names for Sahyadri. Remembering the regional pair—Sahyadri in the west and Eastern Ghats in the east—helps distinguish the correct answer.

The Eastern Ghats lie along the eastern side of Peninsular India, broadly near the coast of the Bay of Bengal. They extend through parts of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu. Unlike the Western Ghats, they are discontinuous because several east-flowing rivers, including the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri systems, cut through their hills before reaching the sea. Therefore, option A, eastern coast, is correct. The Western coast and Malabar coast are associated with the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea. The Kachchh coast is in Gujarat and is not the regional setting of the Eastern Ghats. Their name and location together confirm the answer.

The Western Ghats extend along the western edge of Peninsular India, close to and broadly parallel with the Arabian Sea. Their position helps create the narrow western coastal plain and separates it from the Deccan Plateau. They also force moisture-laden southwest monsoon winds to rise, producing heavy rainfall on their western slopes. Hence option B, Arabian Sea, is correct. The Bay of Bengal lies to the east of the peninsula and is more closely associated with the Eastern Ghats and India’s eastern coastal plain. The Red Sea and Caspian Sea are outside this Indian geographical setting. Although the Western Ghats are not a perfectly straight line, their general alignment clearly follows the Arabian Sea coast.

The Himalayas are commonly divided into three roughly parallel ranges: the outer Shiwalik, the middle Himachal or Lesser Himalaya, and the northern Himadri or Great Himalaya. Himadri is the highest and most continuous of these main ranges. It contains many of the highest Himalayan peaks and remains snow-covered in numerous places for much of the year. Therefore, option D is correct. Shiwalik is the outermost and lowest range, while Himachal lies between Shiwalik and Himadri and has generally lower elevations. Aravalli is an ancient mountain system of northwestern India and is not a Himalayan range. The terms Himadri, Great Himalaya, and Inner Himalaya refer to the highest principal belt.

The Nilgiri Hills are a well-known highland region of South India. They lie near the meeting area of the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats, mainly around the borders of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. The name Nilgiri means “blue mountains,” and the hills include the important upland around Ooty. Their location in the southern part of the Indian peninsula makes option B correct. They are not found in North India, western Rajasthan, or the Ganga Plain, each of which has a different physical setting. The question asks for the broad regional location rather than a particular district, so South India is the most accurate and suitable answer.

The Chota Nagpur Plateau is mainly associated with Jharkhand, so option C is correct. The plateau covers most of Jharkhand and extends into adjoining parts of Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, and Bihar. It is an ancient upland region and is especially important for its rich deposits of coal, iron ore, mica, bauxite, and other minerals. Meghalaya is a northeastern plateau region, Karnataka contains parts of the Deccan Plateau, and Haryana lies mainly in the northern plains and foothill zone. These distinctions show why Jharkhand is the best answer for the Chota Nagpur Plateau.

The correct answer is A, Meghalaya. The Garo, Khasi and Jaintia Hills form the principal hill groups of the Meghalaya Plateau in northeastern India. They are located mainly within Meghalaya, although the wider hill-and-plateau system has geographical links with the surrounding northeastern region. The Khasi Hills occupy the central part, the Jaintia Hills lie to the east, and the Garo Hills lie mainly to the west. Rajasthan is associated with the Aravalli Range, Punjab with the Shiwalik foothills and northern plains, and Gujarat with features such as the Kathiawar region and parts of the western plains. Therefore, the three named hill groups clearly identify Meghalaya.

The correct answer is C, Central India. The Vindhya Range is a discontinuous group of hills and escarpments extending across central India, mainly through Madhya Pradesh and adjoining areas. In school geography, it is commonly used as a broad physiographic divide between the northern plains and the Deccan Plateau, although the actual relief is not a single unbroken wall. Coastal Kerala is associated mainly with the Western Ghats and narrow coastal plains. The Andaman Islands are island formations in the Bay of Bengal, while Lakshadweep consists of coral islands in the Arabian Sea. Thus, the regional association of the Vindhyas is clearly Central India.

The correct answer is B, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The Bundelkhand Plateau is a part of the Peninsular Plateau and extends across parts of southern Uttar Pradesh and northern Madhya Pradesh. It is known for an old, hard-rock surface, uneven relief, shallow soils in many places and scattered hillocks. The question asks for the states associated with the plateau, not for every district through which it passes. Kerala and Tamil Nadu are linked with the southern Western Ghats and adjoining plateaus; Assam and Meghalaya belong to northeastern India; Punjab and Haryana are mainly associated with the northern plains and the Shiwalik foothills. Hence option B is the only suitable pair.

The correct answer is C, Narmada. The Amarkantak region, located in the Maikal hills of central India, is a major watershed and is traditionally identified as the source area of the Narmada River. The Narmada flows westward through a rift valley and eventually enters the Arabian Sea. The nearby region also gives rise to the Son River, which flows generally eastward, so Amarkantak is important for more than one river system. The Yamuna rises in the Yamunotri area of the Himalayas, the Cauvery in the Brahmagiri Hills of Karnataka, and the Teesta in the eastern Himalaya. Therefore, option C is the intended and correct answer.

The correct answer is A, Satpura. The Mahadeo Hills are a prominent section or associated hill group of the Satpura Range in central India, particularly in the Madhya Pradesh region. Satpura is a major highland system of the Peninsular Plateau, lying broadly between the Narmada Valley and the Tapi basin. The Aravalli Range is an older range running through Rajasthan and nearby regions, the Shiwalik Hills form the outer Himalayan foothills, and the Eastern Ghats run discontinuously along the eastern side of peninsular India. Because Mahadeo is identified with the Satpura system, option A is the only correct choice.

The correct answer is C, Deccan Plateau. The Telangana Plateau forms part of the broader Deccan Plateau in peninsular India. It is an elevated interior region largely underlain by ancient rocks and, in many areas, basaltic formations associated with the Deccan volcanic province. The plateau has an important relationship with the Godavari and Krishna river systems and supports varied agriculture depending on soil and rainfall. The Ganga Plain is a depositional alluvial plain of northern India, the Meghalaya Plateau belongs to the northeastern hill region, and the Ladakh Plateau is a high-altitude cold desert area beyond the main Himalayan ranges. Thus, Telangana is correctly placed within the Deccan Plateau.

The correct answer is B, cotton. Deccan black soil, also called regur soil, developed largely from basaltic rocks in parts of the Peninsular Plateau. It has a high clay content, retains moisture effectively and develops cracks when dry, which can help aerate the soil. These properties make it especially suitable for cotton cultivation, a crop requiring a reasonably long growing season and dependable soil moisture. Tea is chiefly associated with humid hill slopes, jute with the warm, wet alluvial plains of eastern India, and coconut with tropical coastal belts. Although black soil can support other crops such as soybean and some pulses, cotton is its classic examination association.

The correct answer is A, Western Ghats. Anamudi, also written as Anamala or Anaimudi, is a major peak in the Western Ghats of southern India and is located in Kerala, within the Anamalai Hills region. It is widely known as the highest peak in peninsular India and is associated with the highland landscapes of the Western Ghats. The Aravalli Range lies mainly in western and northwestern India, the Vindhya system belongs to central India, and the Shiwalik Hills form the outer foothills of the Himalayas. These locations are geographically distinct from Kerala. Therefore, the mountain-region identification points directly to the Western Ghats.

The correct answer is C, Karnataka. The Baba Budan Hills are located in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, particularly in the Chikkamagaluru region. They are noted for scenic highlands, forests and the historical development of coffee cultivation in the area. The hills are therefore associated both with Karnataka’s mountainous landscape and with the coffee-growing belt of the Western Ghats. Bihar is mainly part of the Ganga plain with nearby plateau margins, Haryana lies largely in the northern plains, and Assam is a northeastern state with the Brahmaputra Valley and surrounding hills. None of those locations identifies the Baba Budan Hills. Hence Karnataka is the unambiguous answer.

The correct answer is D, Karnataka. Kudremukh is a prominent hill region of the Western Ghats in Karnataka, especially associated with the Chikkamagaluru district. The name refers to a distinctive horse-face-shaped peak or landscape, and the region is known for rolling grasslands, forests, rich biodiversity and important river catchments. It is geographically part of the southern Western Ghats, not the Himalayan region. Uttarakhand is associated with the Himalayas, Rajasthan with the Aravalli and arid western landscapes, and Punjab mainly with the northern alluvial plains and nearby foothills. Since Kudremukh is a Karnataka hill region of the Western Ghats, option D is the only correct answer.

Mahendragiri is a famous peak of the Eastern Ghats and is located in the Gajapati region of Odisha. The Eastern Ghats form a discontinuous hill system that extends along the eastern side of Peninsular India, and Mahendragiri is commonly identified as one of its important peaks. Its location in Odisha, near the eastern coastal region, helps distinguish it from peaks of the Western Ghats. Therefore, option A is correct. The Western Ghats lie along the Arabian Sea side of the peninsula, while Shiwalik belongs to the outer Himalayas and Aravalli is an ancient range of northwestern India. These ranges have different locations and geological settings, so none of them fits Mahendragiri.

The correct answer is C, Tamil Nadu. The Shevaroy Hills, also written as Servarayan Hills, are located in the Eastern Ghats of northern Tamil Nadu. Yercaud is the best-known hill station situated on this highland, so remembering the pair “Shevaroy Hills–Yercaud” is useful in examinations. Meghalaya belongs to the northeastern hill region, Maharashtra contains parts of the Western Ghats and the Deccan Plateau, and Haryana is mainly associated with plains. These alternatives do not identify the state containing the Shevaroy Hills. Therefore, option C is the only suitable answer.

The correct answer is A, Nagaland. The Naga Hills are an important hill system of northeastern India and are especially associated with Nagaland, whose name itself reflects the Naga people and their homeland. In broader physical geography, they form part of the Purvanchal or Eastern Hills, which continue the Himalayan system toward the eastern frontier. Rajasthan is linked with the Aravalli and desert regions, Kerala with the Western Ghats and coastal plain, and Gujarat with western plains, hills, and the peninsula. These associations rule out the other choices, leaving Nagaland as the correct answer.

The Dhauladhar Range is a prominent range of the Lesser Himalaya in Himachal Pradesh. It rises steeply above the Kangra Valley and is strongly associated with Dharamshala and the surrounding Himalayan landscape. Its setting is therefore in the northwestern Himalayan region, not in the coastal or southern parts of India. Option D, Himachal Pradesh, is correct. Tamil Nadu lies in the far south and is associated with the southern Western and Eastern Ghats. Goa is a small western coastal state, while Haryana is largely a plain region south of the main Himalayas. Although Himalayan ranges may extend across regional boundaries, Himachal Pradesh is the standard state association for the Dhauladhar Range in school geography.

Kanchenjunga, also spelled Khangchendzonga, is a major peak of the Eastern Himalaya and is strongly associated with Sikkim. It stands in the Sikkim–Nepal border region and is widely recognized in Indian geography as India’s highest mountain summit. Thus option A is correct. Haryana is mainly a northern plain, Telangana lies on the Deccan Plateau, and Goa is a western coastal state; none of these regions contains Kanchenjunga. The peak’s eastern Himalayan setting, its cultural importance in Sikkim, and its location near the state’s northern boundary all support the answer. The question asks for the Indian state association, not the country on the opposite side of the international boundary.

The correct answer is C, the Aravalli Range. Guru Shikhar is the highest point of the Aravalli system and is located near Mount Abu in Rajasthan. Its elevation is about 1,722 metres, making it a useful landmark when studying the relief of western India. The Satpura Range is farther south in central India, the Nilgiri Hills lie in the southern Western Ghats, and the Vindhya Range is another central Indian highland system. Since the question asks for the range whose highest peak is Guru Shikhar, the Mount Abu–Aravalli association clearly identifies option C.

Dhupgarh is the highest peak of the Satpura Range and is located near Pachmarhi in Madhya Pradesh. The governing concept is geographical association: a peak belongs to the mountain system in which it is physically located. Dhupgarh forms part of the central Indian Satpura highlands, so option D is correct. The Eastern Ghats lie mainly along the eastern side of the Deccan Plateau, the Aravalli Range extends chiefly through Rajasthan and neighbouring regions, and the Shiwalik is the outermost Himalayan range. These alternatives describe different mountain systems and therefore cannot be associated with Dhupgarh. Its location near Pachmarhi provides an additional clue for identifying the Satpura Range.