Physical & Regional Geography

Pair 1 is incorrectly matched: The ancient Rigvedic name for the modern Jhelum river is Vitasta, not Chenab. Pair 2 is incorrectly matched: The ancient Rigvedic name for the modern Chenab river is Asikni, which translates to "dark-colored waters." Pair 3 is correctly matched: The ancient Rigvedic name for the modern Ravi river is Parushni. It is historically significant as the site of the "Battle of the Ten Kings" (Dasarajna) fought by King Sudas, as mentioned in the Rigveda. Pair 4 is incorrectly matched: The ancient Rigvedic name for the modern Beas river is Vipasha. Yavyavati is another ancient river mentioned in the Rigveda, often associated by historians with the Zhob river in Balochistan or the ancient Drishadvati river, but it is definitively not the Beas. Therefore, only pair 3 is correctly matched, making the correct option C.

Statement 1 is Correct: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands feature a humid, tropical coastal climate. Due to their equatorial proximity and oceanic surroundings, they experience uniform warm temperatures (averaging 23°C to 31°C) and high relative humidity (approximately 80%) year-round. Statement 2 is Correct: The archipelago is unique in its rainfall pattern, as it receives substantial precipitation from both the South-West Monsoon and the North-East Monsoon. Statement 3 is Incorrect: The maximum precipitation occurs during the South-West monsoon season, specifically between May and September (peaking heavily in July and August). The period between December and May is actually the driest part of the year, making it the peak tourist season. It does not receive the maximum precipitation during this time. Therefore, the correct option is B.

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 correct: Lake Turkana is the world's largest permanent desert lake and the world's largest alkaline lake. By volume, it is also the fourth-largest salt lake globally. Statement 2 is incorrect: The lake is situated in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa. It lies predominantly in northern Kenya, with its northernmost tip crossing into Ethiopia. It is not located in South Sudan, nor is it associated with the Sahara Desert. Statement 3 is correct: The Lake Turkana National Parks (comprising Sibiloi, South Island, and Central Island National Parks) are collectively designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The lake is famously nicknamed the 'Jade Sea' due to its striking turquoise/greenish-blue waters, a color produced by the abundant presence of blue-green algae (cyanobacteria). Therefore, option B is the correct answer.

Statement 1 is Correct: Uttar Pradesh shares its boundary with the highest number of Indian jurisdictions. It borders 8 states (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar) and 1 Union Territory (Delhi). Statement 2 is Incorrect: West Bengal has the longest international border among all Indian states, totaling approximately 2,509 km. It borders Bangladesh (over 2,216 km alone), Bhutan, and Nepal. Rajasthan's international border with Pakistan is much shorter at 1,070 km. Statement 3 is Incorrect: Sikkim is not the only Indian state sharing its boundary with just one other state. There are exactly two such states in India: Sikkim (borders only West Bengal) and Meghalaya (borders only Assam). Therefore, statements 2 and 3 are not correct, making the correct option C.

Statement 1 is Correct: Bahrain is an island nation situated entirely within the Persian Gulf. The Strait of Hormuz is the only sea passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the open ocean. Therefore, for a ship departing from Bahrain to reach the Indian Ocean, it must exit the Persian Gulf by passing through this strait. Statement 2 is Incorrect: Syria is located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea and has no coastline on the Persian Gulf. Ships departing from Syria would reach the Indian Ocean by traveling through the Suez Canal, down the Red Sea, and out through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, completely bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. Statement 3 is Correct: Qatar is a peninsular country located on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, surrounded by the waters of the Persian Gulf. Like Bahrain, its ships must cross the Strait of Hormuz to access the Indian Ocean. Statement 4 is Incorrect: Egypt borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the east. Ships from Egypt can access the Indian Ocean directly by sailing south through the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, without entering the Persian Gulf or crossing the Strait of Hormuz. Therefore, the correct option is B.

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.

Ecuador is the correct answer. The Tungurahua Volcano, whose name translates to "Throat of Fire" in the indigenous Quichua language, is a highly active stratovolcano located in the Cordillera Oriental of the central Andes in Ecuador. In April 2025, the volcano and its surrounding territory were officially designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark. The newly designated geopark spans over 2,300 square kilometers across the Tungurahua and Chimborazo provinces, preserving over 417 million years of geological history, including volcanic formations and glacial activity. It sits within Sangay National Park and towers over the town of Baños de Agua Santa. Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia are incorrect. While these are all South American nations that share the Andes mountain range and possess their own significant volcanic peaks (such as Nevado del Ruiz in Colombia or Ubinas in Peru), the Tungurahua Volcano is located exclusively within the borders of Ecuador. Therefore, the correct option is A.

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: Asmaka (or Assaka) was the southernmost Mahajanapada, located in the Deccan region on the banks of the Godavari river. Pair 2 is incorrect: Kamboja was located in the extreme north-west (modern-day Afghanistan and Kashmir). The Vipas (Beas) river flows through Punjab, which is geographically distinct and east of the Kamboja region. Pair 3 is incorrect: Avanti was in western Madhya Pradesh (Malwa region). The main rivers flowing through it were the Kshipra and Vetravati, not the Mahanadi (which flows through Odisha and Chhattisgarh). Pair 4 is correct: Kosala was a Mahajanapada in present-day eastern Uttar Pradesh. Its capital, Ayodhya, is situated on the banks of the Sarayu river.