How does the slope of the Deccan Plateau affect the direction of peninsular rivers?

Correct answer: It helps many rivers flow eastward

Rivers generally flow from higher land toward lower land, following the overall slope of the surface. Much of the Deccan Plateau has a general eastward slope, so many important peninsular rivers move eastward and eventually reach the Bay of Bengal. The slope does not determine every detail of every river, because local relief, rock structure, and drainage patterns can influence individual courses. However, at the broad regional level, the eastward gradient is a major reason for the common direction of flow.

Option A is correct because it describes the general effect of the Deccan Plateau’s slope. The other choices use absolute or impossible claims. The slope does not turn all rivers northward, stop rivers from reaching the sea, or make them completely underground. A question about drainage direction should be approached by identifying the higher and lower sides of the land. Since the plateau generally descends eastward, eastward flow is the expected broad pattern, while exceptions do not invalidate the general rule.