Pariksha SaathiGeneral Studies
Indian Geography: Practice Questions with Answers
239 practice questions on Indian Geography, with answers; most also have an explanation or a worked solution. Try each one before you open its answer.
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Q.51
The Bailadila iron ore mines, whose high-grade ore is exported through Visakhapatnam, are in
- A Odisha
- B Karnataka
- C Chhattisgarh
- D Jharkhand
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Chhattisgarh
Bailadila range in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh yields high-grade hematite. Kudremukh and Bellary are in Karnataka, Noamundi in Jharkhand and Keonjhar in Odisha.
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Q.52
The southernmost point of the Indian mainland is
- A Indira Point
- B Kanyakumari
- C Point Calimere
- D Rameswaram
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin) in Tamil Nadu is the southern tip of the mainland. Indira Point is the southernmost point of the country as a whole, but it lies on Great Nicobar island, not the mainland.
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Q.53
Which river is called the Sorrow of Bihar because of its frequent course changes and floods?
- A Gandak
- B Ghaghara
- C Son
- D Kosi
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Kosi
The Kosi, which enters Bihar from Nepal, shifts its channel and floods widely, earning the name Sorrow of Bihar. The Damodar is known as the Sorrow of Bengal.
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Q.54
Which of the following railway zones is correctly matched with its headquarters?
- A East Coast Railway - Bhubaneswar
- B North Central Railway - Lucknow
- C South Western Railway - Bengaluru
- D North Eastern Railway - Guwahati
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) East Coast Railway - Bhubaneswar
East Coast Railway is headquartered at Bhubaneswar. North Central Railway is at Prayagraj, South Western Railway at Hubballi and North Eastern Railway at Gorakhpur.
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Q.55
After the monsoon withdraws, high temperature combined with high humidity makes the daytime weather oppressive in much of north India. This is commonly known as
- A October heat
- B Loo
- C Mango showers
- D Western disturbance
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) October heat
In October, as the monsoon retreats, skies clear and day temperatures rise while the land is still moist, producing the sticky 'October heat'. From the second half of October temperatures begin to fall rapidly in north India.
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Q.56
Barren Island, the only active volcano in India, is a part of
- A Lakshadweep
- B the Nicobar group
- C the Gulf of Mannar islands
- D the Andaman group
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) the Andaman group
Barren Island lies in the Andaman Sea east of Middle Andaman and is the only confirmed active volcano in South Asia. Narcondam, also in the Andamans, is a dormant volcano.
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Q.57
Which of the following is correctly matched (plantation crop and leading producer state)?
- A Tea - Kerala
- B Coffee - Assam
- C Rubber - Karnataka
- D Tea - Assam
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Tea - Assam
Assam produces more than half of India's tea. Coffee is led by Karnataka (Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu) and natural rubber by Kerala.
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Q.58
Who is known as the Father of the Green Revolution in India?
- A M S Swaminathan
- B Verghese Kurien
- C Norman Borlaug
- D C Subramaniam
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) M S Swaminathan
M S Swaminathan led the introduction of high-yielding wheat varieties in India in the 1960s. Norman Borlaug is the father of the global Green Revolution and C Subramaniam was the agriculture minister who backed it.
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Q.59
The Jaduguda mine in the Singhbhum region of Jharkhand is associated with which mineral?
- A Uranium
- B Thorium
- C Gold
- D Copper
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Uranium
Jaduguda in East Singhbhum district is a uranium mine run by the Uranium Corporation of India Ltd; uranium is the fuel for India's nuclear power reactors. Copper of the Singhbhum belt is mined around Ghatsila.
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Q.60
To forecast the strength of the monsoon, meteorologists compare the air pressure at Tahiti in the Pacific Ocean with the pressure at
- A Port Blair in the Andamans
- B Colombo in Sri Lanka
- C Darwin in northern Australia
- D Jakarta in Indonesia
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Darwin in northern Australia
The see-saw of pressure between the Pacific and the Indian Ocean is called the Southern Oscillation. The pressure difference between Tahiti and Port Darwin is computed; NCERT notes that a negative difference points to a below-average and late monsoon.
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Q.61
Neyveli, known for lignite mining and lignite-based thermal power stations, is in which state?
- A Kerala
- B Tamil Nadu
- C Karnataka
- D Andhra Pradesh
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Tamil Nadu
Neyveli in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu has large deposits of lignite, a low-grade brown coal with high moisture content, worked by NLC India Ltd.
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Q.62
Which of the following pairs of Himalayan pass and state is correctly matched?
- A Bomdila - Arunachal Pradesh
- B Shipki La - Uttarakhand
- C Rohtang - Sikkim
- D Jelep La - Himachal Pradesh
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Bomdila - Arunachal Pradesh
Bomdila is in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh. Shipki La and Rohtang are in Himachal Pradesh, and Jelep La is in Sikkim.
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Q.63
Which soil type covers the largest area of India?
- A Black soil
- B Alluvial soil
- C Red soil
- D Laterite soil
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Alluvial soil
Alluvial soil, deposited by the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra systems and in the coastal deltas, covers about 40 percent of the country, more than any other soil type.
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Q.64
In Maharashtra, the Western Ghats are locally known as the
- A Nilgiri
- B Sahyadri
- C Cardamom Hills
- D Anaimalai
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Sahyadri
NCERT gives the local names of the Western Ghats as Sahyadri in Maharashtra, the Nilgiri hills in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and the Anaimalai and Cardamom hills in Kerala.
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Q.65
What is the distance between the rails of the broad gauge used by Indian Railways?
- A 1.435 metres
- B 1.000 metre
- C 1.676 metres
- D 0.762 metre
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) 1.676 metres
Broad gauge is 1.676 m (5 ft 6 in). Metre gauge is 1 m and the narrow gauges are 0.762 m and 0.610 m; 1.435 m is the standard gauge used by many metro rail systems.
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Q.66
Which is the longest tributary of the Ganga?
- A Yamuna
- B Son
- C Ghaghara
- D Kosi
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Yamuna
The Yamuna, about 1,376 km long, rises at Yamunotri and joins the Ganga at Prayagraj; it is the longest tributary. Ghaghara carries a large volume of water but is shorter.
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Q.67
Which of the following hill ranges is NOT a part of the Eastern Ghats?
- A Nallamala Hills
- B Javadi Hills
- C Shevaroy Hills
- D Nilgiri Hills
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Nilgiri Hills
The Nilgiri Hills form the junction of the Western and Eastern Ghats but are counted as part of the Western Ghats system. Nallamala, Javadi and Shevaroy are all sections of the broken Eastern Ghats.
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Q.68
Which major port, situated on the Gulf of Kachchh, is a tidal port developed after Partition to replace Karachi?
- A Mormugao
- B Paradip
- C Kandla (Deendayal)
- D New Mangalore
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Kandla (Deendayal)
Kandla, renamed Deendayal Port, in Gujarat is a tidal port built in the 1950s to serve north-west India after Karachi went to Pakistan. Mormugao is in Goa and Paradip in Odisha.
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Q.69
The Pong dam, whose reservoir is called Maharana Pratap Sagar, is built on which river in Himachal Pradesh?
- A Sutlej
- B Beas
- C Ravi
- D Chenab
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Beas
The Pong dam in Kangra district holds back the Beas; its reservoir is also a Ramsar wetland. Bhakra is on the Sutlej and the Ranjit Sagar (Thein) dam on the Ravi.
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Q.70
The part of the Peninsular Plateau lying to the north of the Narmada river, covering a major area of the Malwa plateau, is known as the
- A Central Highlands
- B Deccan Plateau
- C Chotanagpur Plateau
- D Meghalaya Plateau
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Central Highlands
The Narmada divides the Peninsular Plateau into the Central Highlands to its north and the Deccan Plateau to its south. The Central Highlands are wider in the west and narrower in the east.
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Q.71
The red soil of the Deccan looks yellow when
- A It is rich in humus
- B It contains much calcium carbonate
- C It occurs in a hydrated form
- D It is deposited by rivers
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) It occurs in a hydrated form
Red soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks in areas of low rainfall; it looks red because of diffused iron and yellow when it occurs in a hydrated form. Hence it is often grouped as red and yellow soil.
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Q.72
The highest peak of the Western Ghats, and of peninsular India, is
- A Doddabetta
- B Mahendragiri
- C Kalsubai
- D Anamudi
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Anamudi
Anamudi (2,695 m) in Kerala is the highest peak of the Western Ghats and of peninsular India. Doddabetta (2,637 m) in the Nilgiris is the second highest, Kalsubai is the highest in Maharashtra and Mahendragiri is in the Eastern Ghats.
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Q.73
The Chambal, Sind, Betwa and Ken, which drain the Central Highlands, flow in which general direction?
- A North-east to south-west
- B East to west
- C South-west to north-east
- D North to south
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) South-west to north-east
These rivers flow from south-west to north-east to join the Yamuna system, which shows that the Central Highlands slope in that direction.
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Q.74
The Sundarbans mangrove forest of the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta takes its name from which tree?
- A Sal
- B Sandalwood
- C Shisham
- D Sundari
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Sundari
The Sundari tree (Heritiera fomes), a hardwood mangrove, dominates the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world, and gives the region its name.
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Q.75
The red colour of red soil, found in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and parts of Odisha, is due to the presence of
- A Humus
- B Manganese
- C Iron oxide
- D Potash
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Iron oxide
Red soil develops on crystalline igneous and metamorphic rocks; its colour comes from diffused ferric iron oxide. It is poor in nitrogen, phosphorus and humus.
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Q.76
The Palghat (Palakkad) Gap in the Western Ghats provides a route between which two states?
- A Karnataka and Kerala
- B Karnataka and Goa
- C Tamil Nadu and Karnataka
- D Kerala and Tamil Nadu
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Kerala and Tamil Nadu
The Palghat Gap separates the Nilgiri hills from the Anaimalai hills and links Palakkad in Kerala with Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. Thal Ghat and Bhor Ghat are passes of the Western Ghats in Maharashtra.
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Q.77
The Nagarjuna Sagar dam, shared by Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, stands on the river
- A Godavari
- B Krishna
- C Penna
- D Tungabhadra
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Krishna
Nagarjuna Sagar and Srisailam are both on the Krishna. The Sriram Sagar project is on the Godavari and the Tungabhadra dam at Hospet is on the Tungabhadra, a Krishna tributary.
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Q.78
The Thar Desert lies on which side of the Aravalli hills?
- A To the west
- B To the east
- C To the south-east
- D To the south
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) To the west
The Indian Desert lies towards the western margins of the Aravalli hills. It is an undulating sandy plain covered with dunes and receives very low rainfall.
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Q.79
In July, the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) shifts over the Ganga plain at about 20-25 degrees N. In this position it is also called the
- A Subtropical jet stream
- B Western disturbance
- C Tropical cyclone
- D Monsoon trough
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Monsoon trough
The ITCZ is a belt of low pressure where winds converge; when it moves north over the Ganga plain in July it is called the monsoon trough and draws in the south-west monsoon winds.
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Q.80
Which of the following is a rabi crop, sown in October-November and harvested in March-April?
- A Mustard
- B Rice
- C Jute
- D Groundnut
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Mustard
Mustard, like wheat, gram and barley, is a rabi crop grown in the cool winter season. Rice, jute and groundnut are kharif crops sown with the monsoon.
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Q.81
Rice, a kharif crop, needs high temperature (above 25 degrees C), high humidity and annual rainfall of
- A 50 to 75 cm
- B less than 50 cm
- C 25 to 40 cm
- D more than 100 cm
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) more than 100 cm
Rice grows best where annual rainfall exceeds 100 cm. In drier states such as Punjab and Haryana it is grown with the help of canal and tubewell irrigation.
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Q.82
Kaziranga National Park in Assam, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is best known for the conservation of the
- A Asiatic lion
- B Hangul (Kashmir stag)
- C Snow leopard
- D Great one-horned rhinoceros
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Great one-horned rhinoceros
Kaziranga on the Brahmaputra flood plain holds the largest population of the great one-horned rhinoceros in the world. The Hangul is found in Dachigam (J and K) and the snow leopard in Hemis (Ladakh).
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Q.83
The Godavari river rises at
- A Mahabaleshwar
- B Trimbakeshwar (Nashik)
- C Amarkantak
- D Multai (Betul)
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Trimbakeshwar (Nashik)
The Godavari originates at Trimbakeshwar near Nashik in Maharashtra. Mahabaleshwar is the source of the Krishna, Amarkantak of the Narmada and Son, and Multai of the Tapi.
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Q.84
Pitti Island, an uninhabited island with a bird sanctuary, belongs to which island group?
- A Andaman Islands
- B Nicobar Islands
- C Gulf of Mannar islands
- D Lakshadweep
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Lakshadweep
NCERT notes that Pitti Island in Lakshadweep is uninhabited and has a bird sanctuary. Kavaratti is the administrative headquarters of Lakshadweep.
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Q.85
The Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve is spread over which states?
- A Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra
- B Chhattisgarh and Odisha
- C Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh
- D Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh
Designated in 2005, it covers the Maikal hills around Amarkantak, the source of the Narmada and the Son, in Madhya Pradesh and the Achanakmar sanctuary in Chhattisgarh.
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Q.86
The Jawahar Tunnel on the Jammu-Srinagar highway carries the road beneath which pass?
- A Zoji La
- B Rohtang
- C Banihal
- D Shipki La
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Banihal
The Banihal pass in the Pir Panjal range links Jammu with the Kashmir valley, and the Jawahar Tunnel (opened in 1956) takes the road beneath it. Since 2021 most traffic uses the newer, lower Banihal-Qazigund (Navyug) road tunnel, though the Jawahar Tunnel still carries some vehicles such as fuel tankers. Zoji La links Srinagar with Kargil and Leh.
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Q.87
Dhuandhar Falls at Bhedaghat near Jabalpur, known for its marble rocks, is on which river?
- A Tapi
- B Son
- C Betwa
- D Narmada
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Narmada
At Bhedaghat the Narmada flows through a gorge of marble rocks and forms the Dhuandhar Falls. The Tapi flows further south, roughly parallel to the Narmada.
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Q.88
India's total geographical area accounts for about what share of the world's total geographical area?
- A 4.2 percent
- B 2.4 percent
- C 1.8 percent
- D 3.6 percent
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) 2.4 percent
With an area of about 3.28 million sq km, India covers about 2.4 percent of the world's geographical area.
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Q.89
The Ukai dam in Gujarat is built on which river?
- A Tapi
- B Narmada
- C Mahi
- D Sabarmati
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Tapi
Ukai, a multipurpose dam in Tapi district near Surat, stores Tapi water for irrigation and hydro power; the Kakrapar weir lies downstream on the same river. Kadana dam is on the Mahi.
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Q.90
The high-altitude alpine meadows of Uttarakhand, used by herders for summer grazing, are locally known as
- A Bugyals
- B Duars
- C Kayals
- D Karewas
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Bugyals
Bugyals are alpine pastures above the tree line in Uttarakhand, such as Bedni Bugyal. Such Himalayan pastures are used for seasonal movement of herds (transhumance) by groups such as the Gujjars, Bakarwals, Bhotiyas and Gaddis.
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Q.91
Manas National Park in Assam, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and tiger reserve, adjoins a national park of which neighbouring country?
- A Nepal
- B Bhutan
- C Bangladesh
- D Myanmar
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Bhutan
Manas lies in the Himalayan foothills along the Manas river and is contiguous with Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan. It is also known for the pygmy hog and the golden langur.
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Q.92
The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project in Tamil Nadu has been built in collaboration with which country?
- A Russia
- B France
- C United States
- D Canada
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Russia
Kudankulam, in Tirunelveli district, uses Russian-designed VVER pressurised water reactors. Canada had helped with the early reactors at Rawatbhata, and the first units at Tarapur were built by US firms.
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Q.93
The Tropic of Cancer passes through how many Indian states?
- A 6
- B 7
- C 8
- D 9
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) 8
The Tropic of Cancer (23.5 degree N) crosses eight states: Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram.
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Q.94
The narrow belt of pebbles and boulders along the foot of the Shivaliks, in which streams disappear underground, is called
- A Terai
- B Bhabar
- C Khadar
- D Bangar
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Bhabar
Bhabar is the porous pebble zone where streams sink below the surface. They re-emerge south of it in the marshy Terai belt.
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Q.95
Which Indian state shares its boundary with the maximum number of other states?
- A Madhya Pradesh
- B Uttar Pradesh
- C Assam
- D Chhattisgarh
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh touches eight states (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar) and the UT of Delhi. Assam and Madhya Pradesh each border fewer states.
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Q.96
The Jhelum river rises from a spring at
- A Sheshnag
- B Verinag
- C Gulmarg
- D Sonamarg
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Verinag
The Jhelum rises from a spring at Verinag at the foot of the Pir Panjal in the south-eastern Kashmir valley, flows through Srinagar and the Wular lake, and enters Pakistan through a deep gorge.
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Q.97
Keoladeo Ghana National Park, formerly Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary and famous for migratory birds, is in
- A Gujarat
- B Haryana
- C Rajasthan
- D Uttar Pradesh
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Rajasthan
Keoladeo at Bharatpur in Rajasthan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and, with Chilika, was one of the first two Ramsar wetlands of India designated in 1981.
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Q.98
The Narmada flows westward through a rift valley lying between which two ranges?
- A Satpura and Ajanta
- B Vindhya and Satpura
- C Aravalli and Vindhya
- D Maikal and Mahadeo
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Vindhya and Satpura
The Narmada flows through a rift valley with the Vindhya range to its north and the Satpura range to its south, and enters the Arabian Sea through an estuary near Bharuch.
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Q.99
The Bhilai Steel Plant, set up with the help of the Soviet Union, is located in which state?
- A Jharkhand
- B Chhattisgarh
- C Odisha
- D Madhya Pradesh
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Chhattisgarh
Bhilai, in Durg district of Chhattisgarh, gets iron ore from Dalli-Rajhara and was built with Soviet collaboration. Bokaro in Jharkhand also had Soviet help.
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Q.100
The Siachen Glacier, the longest glacier in India, lies in which mountain range?
- A Zanskar
- B Ladakh
- C Karakoram
- D Pir Panjal
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Karakoram
Siachen (about 76 km) lies in the eastern Karakoram range, part of the Trans-Himalaya, near the Indira Col. The Pir Panjal is a Lesser Himalayan range south of the Kashmir valley.
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How these questions were made
Authored by an AI assistant (Claude) from its own general knowledge of stable, well-established facts (no live lookup) - not reviewed by a subject-matter expert; verify against an official source before relying on any fact.