PARLIAMENT QUESTION: RAINFALL DEFICIT

* Dhuandhar: This waterfall is located on the Narmada River, but the region is not Malwa. It is in Madhya Pradesh Mahakoshal region. Hence, pair 1 is incorrectly matched. * Hundru: This waterfall is indeed located on the Subarnarekha River within the Chota Nagpur Plateau. Hence, pair 2 is correctly matched. * Gersoppa (also known as Jog Falls): This waterfall is on the Sharavati River in the Western Ghats, not the Netravati River. Hence, pair 3 is incorrectly matched.

Didwana, Kuchaman, Sargol, and Khatu are the names of saline lakes of Rajasthan.

1. Brahmani: This river is formed by the confluence of two rivers, Sankh and Koel, which rise from the Chota Nagpur Plateau and flow through the Eastern Ghats before merging. So, it doesn't originate from the Eastern Ghats itself. 2. Nagavali: The Nagavali River originates in the Eastern Ghats in Odisha and flows through Andhra Pradesh before joining the Bay of Bengal. 3. Subarnarekha: This river originates from the Chota Nagpur Plateau in Jharkhand and flows through Odisha before finally joining the Bay of Bengal. It does not rise from the Eastern Ghats. 4. Vamsadhara: The Vamsadhara River originates from the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh and flows through Odisha before joining the Bay of Bengal. Hence, only 2 and 4 are correct.

Gandikota is a small village in the Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh. The village is majorly known for housing the spectacular gorge which is famously adjudged as the “Grand Canyon of India”. The canyon is a gorge carved out over millions of years by the Pennar River that streams from the Erramala hills. It's known for its red-hued, layered, and jagged rock formations.

Statement 1 is Correct: During the Early Tertiary period, the western flank of the Peninsular block underwent tectonic subsidence (sinking). This led to its partial submergence beneath the sea, which formed the current submerged western coastline and disturbed the original symmetrical river pattern. Statement 2 is Correct: The Peninsular Block is an ancient, rigid, and stable landmass. It primarily consists of highly denuded relict and residual mountains (remnants of older mountains). Standard geographical texts explicitly list the Aravali, Nallamala, Javadi, Veliconda, Palkonda, and Mahendragiri hills as key examples of these residual ranges. Statement 3 is Incorrect: Because the Peninsular drainage system is much older than the Himalayan one, its rivers have reached maturity. They are characterized by broad, shallow, graded valleys with low gradients, rather than deep cuts. Deep gorges, V-shaped valleys, rapids, and waterfalls are indicative of youthful topography and active vertical erosion. These features are characteristic of the fast-flowing Himalayan river system, which cuts through young, weak, and flexible geological structures, unlike the stable Peninsular Block. Therefore, option B is the correct answer.

Statement 1 is Incorrect: 'Maitri Setu' (Friendship Bridge) is built over the Feni River, which forms a natural boundary between India and Bangladesh. However, it connects Sabroom in Tripura, India, with Ramgarh in Bangladesh, not the other way around. Statement 2 is Incorrect: The Jhulaghat suspension bridge connects India and Nepal, not Myanmar. It spans the Mahakali River (known as the Sharda River in India) and links the Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand, India, with the Baitadi district in Nepal. Statement 3 is Correct: The Mechi Bridge connects India and Nepal over the Mechi River. It specifically links the Panitanki Bypass in West Bengal, India, with Kakarvitta in Nepal. It serves as a crucial link for cross-border trade and is the endpoint of Asian Highway 02 (AH02) in India. Therefore, only statement 3 is correct.

Pair 1 is correct: Pandharpur is a well-known pilgrimage town on the banks of Chandrabhaga River in Solapur district, Maharashtra, India. Pair 2 is correct: Tiruchirapalli is located along the Kaveri River in Tamil Nadu, India. Pair 3 is incorrect: Hampi, also referred to as the Group of Monuments at Hampi, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in east-central Karnataka, India. It is located near the Tungabhadra River. Thus, only 1 and 2 are correct.

Statement 1 is Incorrect: The IOD phenomenon is characterised by a difference in sea surface temperature between the tropical Western Indian Ocean and the tropical Eastern Indian Ocean, not the Eastern Pacific Ocean. During a positive IOD, the western Indian Ocean is warmer than the eastern Indian Ocean, and vice versa for a negative IOD. Statement 2 is Correct: The IOD phenomenon can indeed influence El Nio's impact on the Indian monsoon. El Nio itself is a climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean, but it can interact with the IOD. Depending on the phases of both phenomena (positive/negative IOD and El Nino/La Nina), the overall impact on the Indian monsoon rainfall can be amplified or weakened. Hence, option B is the correct answer.

The Inland Waterways Authority of India under the Ministry of Shipping had proposed to guide and support Rajasthan government for building an Inland Shipping Port at Jalore. The port and the terminal that are to be created will help develop inland navigation facilities in western Rajasthan and will also bring about socio-economic development of the region. Business development opportunities along the canal for limestone, gypsum, lignite, and cement factories are to be explored by the state government.

Statement 1 is Incorrect: The Nadi-Sukta of the Rigveda (Rigveda 10.75) lists rivers like the Ganga, Yamuna, Sarasvati, and Sutlej from east to west. It reflects Holocene (historical/human) geography, not Pleistocene geological shifts, which occurred long before the Vedic period. Statement 2 is Incorrect: Robert Bruce Foote is known as the "Father of Indian Prehistory" for discovering India's first Paleolithic handaxe at Pallavaram (Tamil Nadu) in 1863. His explorations focused on stone-age archaeology in South India and Gujarat, not the geological mapping of the Sutlej and Yamuna river shifts. Statement 3 is Correct: The presence of closely related blind river dolphins (*Platanista gangetica minor* in the Indus and *Platanista gangetica gangetica* in the Ganga) in two completely separated basins is a primary biological basis for asserting that these river systems were once physically connected. Geologists propose that during the Pleistocene epoch, a single massive river (the Indo-Brahma or Shiwalik river) connected the modern Indus and Ganga basins. Tectonic uplift (such as the Delhi Ridge) later separated them into distinct drainage systems, causing river avulsion (shifting) where the Yamuna shifted east to join the Ganga and the Sutlej shifted west to join the Indus. Therefore, the correct option is D.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The article states that the assessment and declaration of drought or flood situations fall within the purview of the respective State Governments. IMD monitors rainfall and provides forecasts, but does not declare drought. Statement 2 is correct. The article explicitly mentions that the assessment and declaration of drought or flood situations fall within the purview of the respective State Governments. Statement 3 is correct. The article states that State Governments coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and the Ministry of Home Affairs for this purpose.

The article states that 'Mission Mausam' aims to improve weather observations, gain a better understanding of various physical processes, and develop advanced numerical models that incorporate these processes to improve the ability to forecast weather accurately. Statement 4, providing financial aid, is not mentioned as an objective of Mission Mausam.

Statement 1 is correct. The article mentions that IMD monitors rainfall against the Long Period Average (LPA). Statement 2 is incorrect. The article states that as of July 14, 2026, the country received 21% BELOW normal rainfall, not above. Statement 3 is incorrect. The article explicitly states, 'At present, there is no indication of any nationwide impact on food grain production.'