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Civil Services Prelims Examination Indian Geography - GS Paper I

Civil Services Examination 2019


1. In India, the use of carbofuran, methyl parathion, phorate and triazophos is viewed with apprehension. These chemicals are used as-

  1. pesticides in agriculture
  2. preservatives in processed foods
  3. fruit-ripening agents
  4. moisturising agents in cosmetics


2. With reference to the cultivation of Kharif crop in India in the last five years, consider the following statements:

  1. Area under rice cultivation is the highest.
  2. Area under the cultivation of jowar is more than that of oilseeds.
  3. Area of cotton cultivation is more than that of sugarcane.
  4. Area under sugarcane cultivation has steadily decreased.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. 1 and 3 only
  2. 2 , 3 and 4 only
  3. 2 and 4 only
  4. 1, 2, 3 and 4


3. Among the agricultural commodities imported by India, which one of the following accounts for the highest imports in terms of value in the last five years?

  1. Spices
  2. Fresh fruits
  3. Pulses
  4. Vegetable oils


4. Consider the following statements:

  1. As per recent amendment to the Indian Forest Act, 1927, forest dwellers have the right to fell the bamboos grown on forest areas.
  2. As per the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, bamboo is a minor forest produce.
  3. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 allows ownership of minor forest produce to forest dwellers.

Which of the statements given above is/ are correct?

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3


5. With reference to land reforms in independent India, which one of the following statements is correct?

  1. The ceiling laws were aimed at family holdings and not individual holdings.
  2. The major aim of land reforms was providing agricultural land to all the landless.
  3. It resulted in cultivation of cash crops as a predominant form of cultivation.
  4. Land reforms permitted no exemptions to the ceiling limits.


6. Consider the following pairs:

Famous Place River
1. Pandharpur Chandrabhaga
2. Tiruchirappalli Cauvery
3. Hampi Malaprabha

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3


7. What is common to the places known as Aliyar, Isa pur and Kangsabati?

  1. Recently discovered uranium deposits
  2. Tropical rain forests
  3. Underground cave systems
  4. Water reservoirs


8. Consider the following States:

  1. Chhattisgarh
  2. Madhya Pradesh
  3. Maharashtra
  4. Odisha

With reference to the States mentioned above, in terms of percentage of forest cover to the total area of State, which one of the following is the correct ascending order?

  1. 2-3-1-4
  2. 2-3-4-1
  3. 3-2-4-1
  4. 3-2-1-4


9. Consider the following pairs:

Glacier River
1. Bandarpunch Yamuna
2. Bara Shigri Chenab
3. Milam Mandakini
4. Siachen Nubra
5. Zemu Manas

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

  1. 1, 2 and 4
  2. 1, 3 and 4
  3. 2 and 5
  4. 3 and 5


Civil Services Examination 2018


1. Consider the following statements:

  1. The Barren Island volcano is an active volcano located in the Indian Territory.
  2. Barren Island lies about 140 km east of Great Nicobar.
  3. The last time the Barren Island volcano erupted was in 1991 and it has remained inactive since then.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 and 3
  3. 3 only
  4. 1 and 3


2. Which one of the following is an ‘artificial lake’?

  1. Kodaikanal (Tamil Nadu)
  2. Kolleru (Andhra Pradesh)
  3. Nainital (Uttarakhand)
  4. Renuka (Himachal Pradesh)


3. Among the following cities, which one lies on a longitude closest to that of Delhi?

  1. Bengaluru
  2. Hyderabad
  3. Nagpur
  4. Pune

Civil Services Examination 2017


1. Consider the following statements:

  1. In India, the Himalayas are spread over five States only.
  2. Western Ghats are spread over five States only.
  3. Pulicat Lake is spread over two States only.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 3 only
  3. 2 and 3 only
  4. 1 and 3 only


2. If you travel by road from Kohima to Kottayam, what is the minimum number of States within India through which you can travel, including the origin and the destination?

  1. 6
  2. 7
  3. 8
  4. 9


3. With reference to River Teesta, consider the following statements:

  1. The source of River Teesta is the same as that of Brahmaputra but it flows through Sikkim.
  2. River Rangeet originates in Sikkim and it is a tributary of river Teesta.
  3. River Teesta flows into Bay of Bengal on the border of India and Bangladesh.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 and 3 only
  2. 2 only
  3. 2 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3


4. At one of the places in India, if you stand on the seashore and watch the sea, you will find that the sea water recedes from the shore line a few kilometres and comes back to the shore, twice a day, and you can actually walk on the sea floor when the water recedes. This unique phenomenon is seen at

  1. Bhavnagar
  2. Bheemunipatnam
  3. Chandipur
  4. Nagapattinam


5. From the ecological point of view, which one of the following assumes importance in being a good link between the Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats?

  1. Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve
  2. Nallamala Forest
  3. Nagarhole National Park
  4. Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve


6. Which of the following is geographically closest to Great Nicobar?

  1. Sumatra
  2. Borneo
  3. Java
  4. Sri Lanka

Civil Services Examination 2016


1. Recently, which of the following States has explored the possibility of constructing an artificial inland port to be connected to sea by a long navigational channel?

  1. Andhra Pradesh
  2. Chhattisgarh
  3. Karnataka
  4. Rajasthan


2. Recently, linking of which of the following rivers was undertaken?

  1. Cauvery and Tungabhadra
  2. Godavari and Krishna
  3. Mahanadi and Son
  4. Narmada and Tapti


3. Consider the following pairs:

Famous Place Region
1. Bodhgaya Baghelkhand
2. Khajuraho Bundelkhand
3. Shirdi Vidarbha
4. Nasik (Nashik) Malwa
5. Tirupati Rayalaseema

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

  1. 1, 2 and 4
  2. 2, 3, 4 and 5
  3. 2 and 5 only
  4. 1, 3, 4 and 5


4. In which of the following regions of India are shale gas resources found?

  1. Cambay Basin
  2. Cauvery Basin
  3. Krishna-Godavari Basin

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 3 only
  3. 2 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3


5. Which of the following is/are tributary/tributaries of Brahmaputra?

  1. Dibang
  2. Kameng
  3. Lohit

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3


Civil Services Examination 2015


1. In India, in which one of the following types of forests is teak a dominant tree species?

  1. Tropical Moist Deciduous Forest
  2. Tropical Rain Forest
  3. Tropical Thorn Scrub Forest
  4. Temperate Forest with Grasslands


2. Consider the following States:

  1. Arunachal Pradesh
  2. Himachal Pradesh
  3. Mizoram

In which of the above States do ‘Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests’ occur?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3


3. Consider the following rivers:

  1. Vamsadhara
  2. Indravati
  3. Pranahita
  4. Pennar

Which of the above are tributaries of Godavari?

  1. 1, 2 and 3
  2. 2, 3 and 4
  3. 1, 2 and 4
  4. 2 and 3 only


4. Which one of the following pairs of States of India indicates the easternmost and westernmost State?

  1. Assam and Rajasthan
  2. Arunachal Pradesh and Rajasthan
  3. Assam and Gujarat
  4. Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat


5. Consider the following pairs:

Place of Pilgrimage Location
1. Srisailam Nallamala Hills
2. Omkareshwar Satmala Hills
3. Pushkar M hadeo Hills

Which of the above is/are correctly matched?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3


6. Which one of the following regions of India has a combination of mangrove forest, evergreen forest and deciduous forest?

  1. North Coastal Andhra Pradesh
  2. South-West Bengal
  3. Southern Saurashtra
  4. Andaman and Nicobar Islands


7. In a particular region in India, the local people train the roots of living trees into robust bridges across the streams. As the time passes, these bridges become stronger. These unique ‘living root bridges’ are found in:

  1. Meghalaya
  2. Himachal Pradesh
  3. Jharkhand
  4. Tamil Nadu


Civil Services Examination 2014


1. If you travel through the Himalayas, you are likely to see which of the following plants naturally growing there?

  1. Oak
  2. Rhododendron
  3. Sandalwood

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3


2. Every year, a month-long ecologically important campaign/festival is held during which certain communities/tribes plant saplings of fruit-bearing trees. Which of the following are such communities/tribes?

  1. Bhutia and Lepcha
  2. Gond and korku
  3. Irula and Toda
  4. Sahariya and Agariya


3. Consider the following pairs:

Region Well-known for the Production of
1. Kinnaur Areca nut
2. Mewat Mango
3. Coromandel Soya bean

Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 3 only
  3. 1, 2 and 3
  4. None


4. Consider the following pairs:

National Highway Cities Connected
1. NH 4 Chennai and Hyderabad
2. NH 6 Mumbai and Kolkata
3. NH 15 Ahmedabad and Jodhpur

Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 3 only
  3. 1, 2 and 3
  4. None


5. Consider the following rivers:

  1. Barak
  2. Lohit
  3. Subansiri

Which of the above flows/flow through Arunachal Pradesh?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3


6. Consider the following pairs:

Wetlands Confluence of Rivers
1. Harike Wetlands Confluence of Beas and Satluj/Sutlej
2. Keoladeo Ghana National Confluence of Banas and Chambal Park
3. Kolleru Lake Confluence of Musi and Krishna

Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3


7. Which of the following have coral reefs?

  1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
  2. Gulf of Kachchh
  3. Gulf of Mannar
  4. Sunderbans

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

  1. 1, 2 and 3 only
  2. 2 and 4 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2, 3 and 4


8. With reference to two non-conventional energy sources called ‘coal-bed methane’ and ‘shale gas’, consider the following statements:

  1. Coal-bed methane is the pure methane gas extracted from coal seams, while shale gas is a mixture of propane and butane only that can be extracted from fine-grained sedimentary rocks.
  2. In India, abundant coal-bed methane sources exist, but so far no shale gas sources have been found.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2


9. With reference to ‘Changpa’ community of India, consider the following statements:

  1. They live mainly in the State of Uttarakhand.
  2. They rear the Pashmina goats that yield a fine wool.
  3. They are kept in the category of scheduled Tribes.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3


10. Consider the following pairs:

Hills Region
1. Cardamom Hills Coromandel Coast
2. Kaimur Hills Konkan Coast
3. Mahadeo Hills Central India
4. Mikir Hills North-East India

Which of the above pairs are correctly matched?

  1. 1 and 2
  2. 2 and 3
  3. 3 and 4
  4. 2 and 4


11. Which one of the following pairs of islands is separated from each other by the Ten Degree Channel?

  1. Andaman and Nicobar
  2. Nicobar and Sumatra
  3. Maldives and Lakshadweep
  4. Sumatra and Java


12. In India, the problem of soil erosion is associated with which of the following?

  1. Terrace cultivation
  2. Deforestation
  3. Tropical climate

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 2 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3


Civil Services Examination 2013


1. Consider the following pairs:

Tribe State
Limboo (Limbu) Sikkim
Karbi Himachal Pradesh
Dongaria Odisha
Bonda Tamil Nadu

Which of the above pairs are correctly matched?

  1. 1 and 3 only
  2. 2 and 4 only
  3. 1, 3 and 4 only
  4. 1, 2, 3 and 4


2. Which of the following is / are the characteristic/ characteristics of Indian coal?

  1. High ash content
  2. Low sulphur content
  3. Low ash fusion temperature

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 2 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3


3. Which of the following statements regarding laterite soils of India are correct?

  1. They are generally red in colour.
  2. They are rich in nitrogen and potash.
  3. They are well-developed in Rajasthan and UP.
  4. Tapioca and cashew nuts grow well on these soils.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

  1. 1, 2 and 3
  2. 2, 3 and 4
  3. 1 and 4
  4. 2 and 3 only


4. Consider the following statements:

  1. Natural gas occurs in the Gondwana beds.
  2. Mica occurs in abundance in Koderma.
  3. Dharwars are famous for petroleum.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 and 2
  2. 2 only
  3. 2 and 3
  4. None


5. Consider the following crops

  1. Cotton
  2. Groundnut
  3. Rice
  4. Wheat

Which of these are Kharif crops?

  1. 1 and 4
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1, 2 and 3
  4. 2, 3 and 4


6. The Narmada River flows to the west, while most other large peninsular rivers flow to the east. Why?

  1. It occupies a linear rift valley.
  2. It flows between the Vindhyas and the Satpuras.
  3. The land slopes to the west from Central India.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 and 3
  3. 1 and 3
  4. None


Civil Services Examination 2012


1. A particular State in India has the following characteristics:

  1. It is located on the same latitude which passes through northern Rajasthan.
  2. It has over 80% of its area under forest cover.
  3. Over 12% of forest cover constitutes Protected Areas Network in this State.

Which one among the following States has all the above characteristics?

  1. Arunachal Pradesh
  2. Assam
  3. Himachal Pradesh
  4. Uttarakhand


2. With reference to the wetlands of India, consider the following statements:

  1. The country’s total geographical area under the category of wetlands is recorded more in Gujarat as compared to other States.
  2. In India, the total geographical area of coastal wetlands is larger than that of inland wetlands.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2


3. Consider the following crops of India:

  1. Groundnut
  2. Sesamum
  3. Pearl millet

Which of the above is/are predominantly rainfed crop/crops?

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3


4. Despite having large reserves of coal, why does India import millions of tonnes of coal?

  1. It is the policy of India to save its own coal reserves for future, and import it from other countries for the present use.
  2. Most of the power plants in India are coal-based and they are not able to get sufficient supplies of coal from within the country.
  3. Steel companies need large quantity of coking coal which has to be imported.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3


5. Consider the following statements:

  1. The duration of the monsoon decreases from southern India to northern India.
  2. The amount of annual rainfall in the northern plains of India decreases from east to west.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2


Civil Services Examination 2011


1. Two important rivers-one with its source in Jharkhand (and known by a different name in Odisha), and another, with its source in Odisha-merge at a place only a short distance from the coast of Bay of Bengal before flowing into the sea. This is an important site of wildlife and biodiversity and a protected area.

Which one of the following could be this?

  1. Bhitarkanika
  2. Chandipur-on-sea
  3. Gopalpur-on-sea
  4. Simlipal


2. The Himalayan Range is very rich in species diversity. Which one among the following is the most appropriate reason for this Phenomenon?

  1. It has a high rainfall that supports luxuriant vegetative growth
  2. It is a confluence of different bio-geographical zones
  3. Exotic and invasive species have riot been introduced in this region
  4. It has less human interference


3. Among the following States, which one has the most suitable climatic conditions for the cultivation of a large variety of orchids with minimum cost of production, and can develop an export oriented industry in this field?

  1. Andhra Pradesh
  2. Arunachal Pradesh
  3. Madhya Pradesh
  4. Uttar Pradesh


4. Between India and East Asia, the navigation time and distance can be greatly reduced by which of the following?

  1. Deepening the Malacca straits between Malaysia and Indonesia.
  2. Opening a new canal across the Kra Isthmus between the Gulf of Siam and Andaman Sea.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2


5. The lower Gangetic plain is characterized by humid climate with high temperature throughout the year. Which one among the following pairs of crops is most suitable for this region?

  1. Paddy and Cotton
  2. Wheat and Jute
  3. Paddy and Jute
  4. Wheat and Cotton


6. The Brahmaputra, Irrawady and Mekong rivers originate in Tibet and flow through narrow and parallel mountain ranges in their upper reaches. Of these rivers, Brahmaputra makes a “U” turn in its course to flow into India. This “U” turn is due to

  1. Uplift of folded Himalayan series
  2. Syntaxial bending of geologically young Himalayas
  3. Geo-tectonic disturbance in the tertiary folded mountain chains
  4. Both (a) and (b) above


7. A state in India has the following characteristics:

  1. Its northern part is arid and semi-arid.
  2. Its central part produces cotton.
  3. Cultivation of cash crops is predominant over food crops.

Which one of the following states has all of the above characteristics?

  1. Andhra Pradesh
  2. Gujarat
  3. Karnataka
  4. Tamil Nadu