Indian Geography (Gen. Studies)

The Farakka Barrage is a dam built on the Hugli River (also spelled Hooghly), which is a distributary of the Ganga. It is located near the Bangladesh border and was built to divert water from the Ganga to the Hugli River to maintain its flow and prevent siltation.

Gandhi Sagar Dam is built on the Chambal River. It is located in the Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh and is part of the Chambal Valley Project.

If Aravalli ranges were from East to West, the western Rajasthan would never have been a desert.

Tropical region of Earth’s surface receives the highest amount of insolation.

Correct Answer: Narmada

Murrah is a well-known breed of water buffalo, primarily used for milk production and prized for its high butterfat content. The other options (pig, goat, cow) are different domestic animals entirely.

Alluvial soil is formed by accumulated sediments transferred by the rivers and rapids, so it is amongst the most fertile soils. Alluvial soils are well suited to irrigation which helps in raising a number of crops like rice, jute, sugarcane, wheat, cotton, maize, oil seeds, fruits and vegeta­bles.

NH 9 connects Hyderabad to Pune (or Mumbai), NOT Delhi to Mumbai. The Delhi-Mumbai connection is NH 8. The other options are correctly matched: NH 3 (Agra-Mumbai), NH 4 (Chennai-Thane via Mumbai), NH 2 (Delhi-Kolkata).

Correct option is (2). 

Soil erosion in India is caused by multiple human activities and natural factors. Deforestation (2) removes vegetation that holds soil, while overgrazing (4) destroys protective grass cover and compacts soil. Excessive rainfall (1) can accelerate erosion, and excessive cultivation (3) depletes soil structure. The combination of factors 2 and 4 represents major anthropogenic causes.

Throughout Indian history, villages have been settled primarily based on access to essential resources, with water being the most critical factor. Fuel (firewood), agricultural land, and building materials are secondary considerations. Behavioral patterns don't determine settlement location. While flat land is desirable, it is not the primary criterion - many hill villages exist where water and resources are available.

Population explosion occurs when there's a significant imbalance between birth and death rates, specifically when birth rates remain high while death rates decline due to improved healthcare, sanitation, and nutrition. This creates rapid population growth. Option A correctly describes this condition.

Correct answer is (4). 

Correct answer is (4). 

The Jhelum River is the primary river that flows through the Kashmir Valley. It originates from Verinag Spring in Anantnag district and flows through Srinagar before entering Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The Chenab, Ravi, and Beas flow through other regions of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh but not through Kashmir Valley.

Haryana does not share a border with Pakistan. The states bordering Pakistan are Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. Haryana is landlocked and shares boundaries with Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh, but has no international border.

Olive trees are characteristic of Mediterranean climate vegetation, adapted to hot dry summers and mild wet winters. The other pairings are incorrect: Mahogany is tropical not specifically Selva, Rosewood is tropical not Taiga (boreal), and Maple is temperate not tropical deciduous.

Wet tropical evergreen forests are found in the areas where heavy rainfall of approximately more than 200 cm occurs.

In India, the percentage of land under forest cover is approximately 20%.

Correct answer is (1). 

Option (3) is the correct answer. 

Jaduguda mines are famous for uranium deposits.

Magma is molten rock beneath Earth's surface that contains minerals in dissolved form. As magma cools and solidifies, minerals crystallize and concentrate, forming mineral deposits. The sea floor, mountain ridges, and continental plates are locations where minerals might be found, but magma is the primary source from which minerals originate.

Correct answer is (4).

The Blue Revolution refers to the rapid growth of fisheries and aquaculture in India, initiated in the 1980s. It aimed to increase fish production and improve the livelihoods of fishing communities through modern techniques.

The Pong Dam is indeed constructed on the Beas River in Himachal Pradesh, India. It's one of the highest earthfill dams and creates the Gobind Sagar Lake. The dam is used for hydroelectric power generation and irrigation, making it a significant infrastructure project in the region.