Which river is most commonly associated with a rift valley?

Correct answer: Narmada

The direct answer is option C, Narmada. A rift valley is a long, lowered zone formed when blocks of the Earth’s crust move along faults. Narmada is commonly described in school geography as flowing through a rift valley between the Vindhya Range in the north and the Satpura Range in the south. Its westward course and structural setting make it a standard example of a river associated with a rift valley. Option A, Cauvery, is a southern peninsular river flowing mainly over the plateau and is not the usual textbook example of a rift-valley river. Option B, Godavari, is a major east-flowing river and is generally explained as flowing across the Deccan Plateau, not as the classic rift-valley example. Option C is correct because Narmada is the expected textbook answer. Option D, Gandak, is a Himalayan river and belongs to the Ganga river system, so it does not fit this peninsular rift-valley clue. Do not confuse a rift valley with an ordinary river valley: a rift valley is linked to faults and crustal movement. Memory cue: Narmada = west flow + rift valley.