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The Himalaya and the hills of the north-east

తెలుగులో వివరణ

Physiography of India · Part 1 / 4 · Fact-checked on 8 November 2026 · how we check

Written with AI from the sources listed at the bottom of this page, then fact-checked by a separate AI.

India's six physiographic divisions; how the Himalaya formed; the Trans-Himalaya and the three parallel ranges (Himadri, Himachal and Shiwalik) with their peaks, valleys and duns; the regional divisions by river valleys and the karewas of Kashmir; the important passes and tunnels; the Purvanchal hills; and why the Himalaya matters for India.

Each idea is explained first in Telugu (తెలుగు), ending with the English and Hindi exam terms, followed by the same point in exam English. UPSC Prelims is in English or Hindi, so understand it in Telugu and revise it in English.

భారతదేశ భూస్వరూపాన్ని ఆరు భాగాలుగా చూస్తారు: హిమాలయాలు, ఉత్తర మైదానాలు, ద్వీపకల్ప పీఠభూమి, థార్ ఎడారి, తీర మైదానాలు, దీవులు. ఒక ఇంట్లో తాత, మనవడు, ముని మనవడు ఉన్నట్టు: ద్వీపకల్పం అతి పురాతనమైన తాత (గోండ్వానా ముక్క), హిమాలయాలు ఇంకా పెరుగుతున్న యువకుడు, హిమాలయ నదులు తెచ్చిన మట్టితో ఏర్పడిన మైదానాలు అందరికంటే చిన్న పిల్లాడు. ఈ భాగంలో హిమాలయాలు, ఈశాన్య కొండలు. (→ English: plateau · हिन्दी: पठार)

In exam EnglishSeen from above, the land of India can be grouped into six big physiographic divisions, met roughly in order as one travels south and then offshore: the Himalaya, the Northern Plains, the Indian Desert, the Peninsular plateau, the Coastal Plains and the Islands. They differ sharply in age. The Peninsula is a piece of Gondwana, the old southern supercontinent, and ranks among the most ancient and steady parts of the crust anywhere. The Himalaya is among the youngest mountain systems in the world and is still rising. The Northern Plains are younger still, built from silt that rivers carried down from the Himalaya into the low ground between the two. This first part of the chapter deals with the Himalaya and the hills that continue it along India's north-eastern border; later parts take up the plains and the desert, the plateau and the Ghats, and the coasts and islands.

హిమాలయాలు ఫలకాలు ఢీకొనడంతో లేచిన యువ ముడత పర్వతాలు. భారత ఫలకం ఉత్తరానికి కదిలి, మధ్యలో ఉన్న టెథిస్ సముద్రం అడుగు మట్టిని నొక్కి పైకి లేపింది; తర్వాత సుమారు 4-5 కోట్ల ఏళ్ళ క్రితం ఆసియాను ఢీకొంది. రెండు కార్లు ముఖాముఖి ఢీకొంటే బానెట్ నలిగి పైకి లేచినట్టు. భారత్ ఇంకా నెడుతూనే ఉంది, అందుకే హిమాలయాలు ఏటా కొంచెం పెరుగుతాయి, భూకంపాలూ ఎక్కువ. రెండు చివర్లా నంగా పర్బత్, నామ్చా బర్వా దగ్గర మలుపు తిరుగుతాయి. (→ English: fold mountains · हिन्दी: वलित पर्वत)

In exam EnglishThe Himalaya are young fold mountains raised by a collision of plates. After Gondwana broke apart, the plate carrying India drifted north across the Tethys, an ocean that lay between it and Asia. As the ocean floor sank beneath Asia, the sediments laid down in the Tethys were squeezed, folded and pushed up, and when India itself collided with the Eurasian plate, some 40 to 50 million years ago, the crust crumpled and piled up to form the world's highest mountains. The process has not stopped: India still pushes north, the US Geological Survey notes that the range is still rising by more than a centimetre a year, and the stress released along the faults makes the Himalaya one of the most earthquake-prone belts in the world. At its two ends the range bends sharply, around Nanga Parbat in the west and Namcha Barwa in the east.

ప్రధాన హిమాలయాల వెనక (ఉత్తరాన) ట్రాన్స్-హిమాలయాలు: కారాకోరం, లద్దాఖ్, జాస్కర్ శ్రేణులు. కారాకోరంలో ప్రపంచంలో రెండో ఎత్తైన శిఖరం K2 (8,611 మీ), పాకిస్తాన్ ఆధీనంలోని భాగంలో ఉంది, భారత్ తనదని అంటుంది. ఇక్కడ ధ్రువాల బయట అతి పెద్ద హిమానీనదాలు, సియాచిన్ వంటివి. ముందున్న ఎత్తైన గోడ (గ్రేట్ హిమాలయ) వర్షపు గాలులను ఆపేస్తుంది, అందుకే లద్దాఖ్ చల్లని ఎడారి: పెద్ద చెట్టు కింద వర్షం పడనట్టు. సింధు నది ఈ ప్రాంతం గుండా పారుతుంది. (→ English: glacier · हिन्दी: हिमनद)

In exam EnglishNorth of the main Himalayan ranges lies the Trans-Himalaya, made up in India of the Karakoram, Ladakh and Zaskar ranges. On India's northern frontier the Karakoram holds K2 (Godwin-Austen), which at 8,611 m is the world's second highest peak; it lies in the part of Jammu and Kashmir under Pakistan's control and is claimed by India. The Karakoram also holds some of the largest glacier systems outside the polar regions, among them the Siachen glacier. Because the Great Himalaya to their south block the moist monsoon winds, Ladakh and the Trans-Himalayan valleys receive very little rain and form a high, cold desert. The Indus flows through this zone, between the Ladakh and Zaskar ranges, before turning south-west towards Pakistan.

మైదానం నుంచి చూస్తే హిమాలయాలు మూడు వరుస గోడల్లా కనిపిస్తాయి; లోపలిది, ఎత్తైనది గ్రేట్ హిమాలయ లేదా హిమాద్రి. సగటు ఎత్తు సుమారు 6,000 మీ, లోపల గ్రానైట్ రాయి, ఏడాదంతా మంచు టోపీ పెట్టుకున్నట్టు. గంగోత్రి వంటి హిమానీనదాలు ఇక్కడే, భాగీరథి అక్కడ పుడుతుంది. మన ఎత్తైన శిఖరాలు: కాంచనజంగా (సిక్కిం-నేపాల్ సరిహద్దు), పూర్తిగా భారత్ లోపల ఉన్న ఎత్తైనది నందాదేవి (ఉత్తరాఖండ్). కామెట్, త్రిశూల్ కూడా ఇక్కడే. (→ English: Greater Himalaya, Himadri · हिन्दी: महान हिमालय, हिमाद्रि)

In exam EnglishSeen from the plains, the Himalaya rise in three broadly parallel ranges, and the one farthest north, which is also the loftiest, is the Greater Himalaya or Himadri. It is the most continuous of the three, with an average height of about 6,000 m, and its core is made of granite and other crystalline rocks flanked by folded sediments. Most of it lies above the snowline all year, and it feeds large glaciers such as the Gangotri, the source of the Bhagirathi. India's highest peaks stand here: Kangchenjunga (8,586 m) on the Sikkim-Nepal border, the highest peak under Indian administration, and Nanda Devi (7,816 m) in Uttarakhand, the highest peak lying wholly within India. Kamet and Trisul in Uttarakhand also belong to this range, as does Everest across the border in Nepal.

హిమాద్రికి దక్షిణాన మధ్య వరుస లెస్సర్ హిమాలయ లేదా హిమాచల్; ఎత్తు ఎక్కువగా 3,700-4,500 మీ. ఒత్తిడికి బాగా మడతపడి మారిన రాళ్ళు. ముఖ్యమైన శ్రేణులు: అతి పొడవైన పీర్ పంజాల్, ధర్మశాల పైన ధౌలాధార్, నేపాల్‌లో మహాభారత్. శ్రేణుల మధ్య విశాలమైన లోయలు: కాశ్మీర్ లోయ, కాంగ్రా, కుల్లూ. వేసవిలో చల్లగా హాయిగా ఉంటుంది కాబట్టి సిమ్లా, ముస్సోరీ, నైనిటాల్, డార్జిలింగ్ వంటి హిల్ స్టేషన్లు ఇక్కడే: ఎండాకాలంలో అందరూ మేడ మీదకి వెళ్ళినట్టు. (→ English: Lesser Himalaya, Himachal · हिन्दी: लघु हिमालय, हिमाचल)

In exam EnglishSouth of the Himadri lies the Lesser Himalaya or Himachal, a rugged belt whose ranges mostly reach between about 3,700 and 4,500 m. Its rocks are heavily folded and altered by pressure. Its longest and most important range is the Pir Panjal, which runs through Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh; the Dhauladhar rises above Dharamshala, and the Mahabharat range continues the belt through Nepal. Between these ranges and the Himadri lie broad valleys: the Kashmir valley between the Pir Panjal and the Great Himalaya, and the Kangra and Kullu valleys of Himachal Pradesh. The pleasant summer climate of this belt explains why most of India's hill stations, including Shimla, Mussoorie, Nainital and Darjeeling, were built here.

మైదానానికి ఎదురుగా బయటి వరుస శివాలిక్: మూడింటిలో అతి తక్కువ ఎత్తు (సుమారు 900-1,100 మీ), అతి చిన్న వయసు. నదులు తెచ్చిన గులకరాళ్ళు, ఇసుక, బంకమట్టి వదులుగా కలిసి పైకి లేచాయి, అందుకే మెత్తగా ఉండి కోతకు, కొండచరియలకు గురవుతాయి. శివాలిక్, లెస్సర్ హిమాలయ మధ్య చదునైన డూన్ లోయలు: డెహ్రాడూన్, కోట్లీ డూన్, పాట్లీ డూన్. ఒకప్పుడు గట్టు కట్టిన చెరువుల్లా నీరు నిలిచి, తర్వాత మట్టితో నిండి సారవంతమయ్యాయి. (→ English: dun · हिन्दी: दून)

In exam EnglishThe outermost range, facing the plains, is the Shiwalik. It is the lowest and youngest of the three, mostly about 900 to 1,100 m high, and is built of loosely bound gravels, sands and clays that rivers brought down from the higher ranges and that were later lifted and folded. Being soft and often stripped of forest, the Shiwalik hills erode quickly and are prone to landslides. Flat-bottomed valleys running along the length of the ranges, each known as a dun, sit between the Shiwalik and the Lesser Himalaya; Dehra Dun in Uttarakhand is the best known, and Kotli Dun and Patli Dun are other examples. The duns were once lakes dammed behind the rising Shiwalik and later filled with sediment, which is why their floors are level and fertile.

The three parallel ranges of the Himalaya
Range	Other name	Height (mostly)	Make-up and features	Examples
Greater Himalaya	Himadri	Average about 6,000 m	Granite core, permanent snow, glaciers; most continuous	Kangchenjunga, Nanda Devi, Kamet; Gangotri glacier
Lesser Himalaya	Himachal	About 3,700-4,500 m	Folded, altered rocks; broad valleys; hill stations	Pir Panjal, Dhauladhar, Mahabharat; Kashmir, Kangra, Kullu valleys
Outer Himalaya	Shiwalik	About 900-1,100 m	Loose river gravels and clays; erode easily; duns behind	Dehra Dun, Kotli Dun, Patli Dun

హిమాలయాలను పడమర నుంచి తూర్పుకు నదుల మధ్య భాగాలుగా కూడా విభజిస్తారు: పొలాల మధ్య గట్లు లాగా నదులే సరిహద్దులు. సింధు-సట్లెజ్ మధ్య పంజాబ్ హిమాలయ, సట్లెజ్-కాళీ మధ్య కుమావూన్, కాళీ-తీస్తా మధ్య నేపాల్, తీస్తా-దిహాంగ్ (బ్రహ్మపుత్ర) మధ్య అస్సాం హిమాలయ. కాశ్మీర్ లోయలో పాత సరస్సులు వదిలిన కరేవా మట్టి పొరలు, వాటిపై కుంకుమపువ్వు సాగు. డార్జిలింగ్-సిక్కింలో టీ తోటలు; అరుణాచల్ హిమాలయాలు నిటారుగా లేచి భారీ వర్షం పొందుతాయి. (→ English: karewa · हिन्दी: करेवा)

In exam EnglishGeographers also divide the Himalaya from west to east into regions bounded by river valleys. The stretch between the Indus and the Satluj is the Punjab Himalaya, whose sections are also known as the Kashmir and Himachal Himalaya; the Kumaon Himalaya lies between the Satluj and the Kali; the Nepal Himalaya between the Kali and the Tista; and the Assam Himalaya between the Tista and the Dihang, as the Brahmaputra is known where it cuts through the range. Each region has its own character. The Kashmir valley floor holds karewa deposits, thick layers of clay and silt left by ancient lakes, on which saffron is grown. The Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalaya are known for tea gardens, and the Arunachal Himalaya rise steeply from the plains and receive very heavy rain.

కనుమలు అంటే కొండల మధ్య సహజ దారులు: గోడలో ఉన్న కిటికీలాగా. వ్యాపారులు, యాత్రికులు, సైన్యాలు వీటి గుండానే వెళ్ళారు; ఇప్పుడు రక్షణకు, సరిహద్దు రోడ్లకు ముఖ్యం. లద్దాఖ్‌లో కారాకోరం, ఖార్దుంగ్ లా; కాశ్మీర్-కార్గిల్ మధ్య జోజి లా; జమ్మూ-శ్రీనగర్ దారిలో బనిహాల్ (జవహర్ సొరంగం); రోహ్‌తాంగ్ కింద అటల్ సొరంగం (2020). సట్లెజ్ షిప్కి లా దగ్గర భారత్‌లోకి వస్తుంది; ఉత్తరాఖండ్‌లో మానా, లిపులేఖ్ (కైలాస్ యాత్ర); సిక్కింలో నాథు లా, జెలెప్ లా; అరుణాచల్‌లో బొమ్డి లా. (→ English: mountain passes · हिन्दी: दर्रे)

In exam EnglishPasses, the natural gaps through the ranges, have carried traders, pilgrims and armies for centuries and are now vital for defence and border roads. In Ladakh, the Karakoram Pass leads towards Xinjiang and Khardung La links Leh with the Nubra valley; Zoji La connects the Kashmir valley with Kargil and Leh. In the Pir Panjal, Banihal carries the road from Jammu to Srinagar through the Jawahar Tunnel, and the Atal Tunnel under the Rohtang Pass, opened in October 2020, lets the road from Manali to Lahaul stay usable through winter. The Satluj enters India from Tibet near Shipki La in Himachal Pradesh; Mana and Lipulekh in Uttarakhand lead into Tibet, Lipulekh on the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrim route. Nathu La and Jelep La link Sikkim with Tibet, border trade through Nathu La having reopened in 2006, and Bomdi La lies in Arunachal Pradesh.

Important Himalayan passes
Pass	State or UT	What it links
Karakoram Pass	Ladakh	Ladakh and Xinjiang (China)
Khardung La	Ladakh	Leh and the Nubra valley
Zoji La	Ladakh / Jammu and Kashmir	Kashmir valley and Kargil-Leh
Banihal	Jammu and Kashmir	Jammu and Srinagar (Jawahar Tunnel)
Rohtang	Himachal Pradesh	Manali and Lahaul (Atal Tunnel, 2020)
Shipki La	Himachal Pradesh	Himachal and Tibet; Satluj enters India
Mana, Lipulekh	Uttarakhand	Uttarakhand and Tibet (Lipulekh: Kailash Mansarovar route)
Nathu La, Jelep La	Sikkim	Sikkim and Tibet (Nathu La trade reopened 2006)
Bomdi La	Arunachal Pradesh	Pass in western Arunachal

దిహాంగ్ లోయ దాటాక కొండల గోడ దక్షిణానికి తిరిగి మయన్మార్ సరిహద్దు వెంట పూర్వాంచల్ కొండలుగా సాగుతుంది: పట్కాయ్, నాగా, మణిపూర్, మిజో (లుషాయ్) కొండలు. హిమాలయాల కంటే తక్కువ ఎత్తు, ఎక్కువగా ఇసుకరాయి, దట్టమైన అడవులు, లోతైన లోయలు: అందుకే ఈశాన్యంలో రోడ్లు, రైళ్ళు వేయడం కష్టం. మణిపూర్‌లో లోక్‌తక్ సరస్సు, నీటిపై తేలే గడ్డి దీవులతో. మేఘాలయ పీఠభూమి చూడటానికి ఇలాగే ఉన్నా అది ద్వీపకల్పం నుంచి విడిపోయిన ముక్క. (→ English: Purvanchal hills · हिन्दी: पूर्वांचल की पहाड़ियाँ)

In exam EnglishBeyond the Dihang gorge the mountain wall swings south and runs along the border with Myanmar as the Purvanchal, or eastern hills. From north to south these are the Patkai hills in Arunachal Pradesh, the Naga hills, the Manipur hills and the Mizo or Lushai hills. They are lower than the Himalaya and are made mostly of sandstones and other sedimentary rocks, covered in dense forest and cut by deep valleys, which has long made road and rail links in the north-east difficult. Loktak in the Manipur hills, the biggest freshwater lake in north-east India, is famous for the floating mats of plants on its surface. The Meghalaya plateau to the west of these hills looks similar but is a detached part of the Peninsula, taken up in Part 3.

హిమాలయాలు ఇంటి ఉత్తర గోడ లాంటివి: శీతాకాలంలో మధ్య ఆసియా చలిగాలిని లోపలికి రానీయవు, వేసవిలో రుతుపవనాల గాలిని ఆపి పైకి లేపి వర్షం కురిపిస్తాయి; అవి లేకపోతే ఉత్తర భారతం చాలా పొడిగా ఉండేది. మంచు, హిమానీనదాలు సింధు, గంగా, బ్రహ్మపుత్ర నదులకు ఏడాదంతా నీరు ఇస్తాయి; ఆ నదుల మట్టితోనే మైదానాలు. అడవులు, జలవిద్యుత్, తీర్థయాత్రలు, సహజ సరిహద్దు. కానీ సున్నితమైనవి: కొండచరియలు, ఆకస్మిక వరదలు, భూకంపాలు తరచూ. (→ English: monsoon · हिन्दी: मानसून)

In exam EnglishThe Himalaya shape India far beyond the mountains themselves. They work as a climatic wall, keeping the freezing winter winds of Central Asia away and forcing the moist monsoon winds to rise and shed their rain over the plains and hills; without them much of north India would be far drier. Their snowfields and glaciers feed rivers such as the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra all year, and the silt those rivers carry built the fertile Northern Plains. The ranges hold forests, a large share of India's hydropower potential, pilgrim centres and tourist resorts, and they have long formed a natural frontier. They are also fragile: steep, young slopes, heavy rain and active faults make landslides, flash floods and earthquakes recurring hazards.

హిమాలయాలను రెండు దిశల్లో చదవవచ్చు, ఒక ఇంటిని పొడవు, వెడల్పుల్లో కొలిచినట్టు. మైదానం నుంచి ఉత్తరానికి: డూన్‌లతో శివాలిక్, లోయలు-హిల్ స్టేషన్లతో లెస్సర్ హిమాలయ, ఎత్తైన శిఖరాలు-హిమానీనదాలతో గ్రేట్ హిమాలయ, వెనక పొడి ట్రాన్స్-హిమాలయ. పడమర నుంచి తూర్పుకు: సింధు, సట్లెజ్, కాళీ, తీస్తా, దిహాంగ్ నదులు విభజించిన పంజాబ్, కుమావూన్, నేపాల్, అస్సాం హిమాలయ; తర్వాత పూర్వాంచల్ కొండలు. తర్వాతి భాగం: ఈ నదులు కట్టిన ఉత్తర మైదానాలు. (→ English: the Himalaya · हिन्दी: हिमालय)

In exam EnglishPut together, the Himalaya can be read in two directions. Across the range, from the plains northward, come the Shiwalik with its duns, the Lesser Himalaya with its valleys and hill stations, the Great Himalaya with India's highest peaks and glaciers, and the dry Trans-Himalaya beyond. Along the range, from west to east, the Indus, Satluj, Kali, Tista and Dihang valleys serve as boundaries dividing the range into the Punjab, Kumaon, Nepal and Assam Himalaya, after which the Purvanchal hills turn south. The next part follows the rivers out of these mountains onto the Northern Plains they have built.

Exam traps

Nanda Devi is the highest peak lying wholly within India; Kangchenjunga, on the Sikkim-Nepal border, is the highest under Indian administration; K2 lies in the Karakoram, in territory under Pakistan's control that India claims.
Order from the plains northward: Shiwalik, Lesser Himalaya (Himachal), Greater Himalaya (Himadri), Trans-Himalaya. The Shiwalik is the outermost and youngest; the Himadri the highest and most continuous.
Dehra Dun, Kotli Dun, Patli Dun and the other duns sit between the Shiwalik and the Lesser Himalaya, not between the Lesser and Greater Himalaya.
The Pir Panjal belongs to the Lesser Himalaya; the Karakoram, Ladakh and Zaskar ranges belong to the Trans-Himalaya.
Regional divisions, west to east: Indus to Satluj is Punjab, Satluj to Kali is Kumaon, Kali to Tista is Nepal, Tista to Dihang is Assam. The Kali, not the Tista, bounds the Kumaon Himalaya on the east.
Karewas are lake deposits of the Kashmir valley used for saffron; they are not glacial moraines of Ladakh.
The Atal Tunnel runs beneath the Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh; the Jawahar Tunnel is at Banihal on the Jammu-Srinagar road. Nathu La and Jelep La are in Sikkim, Lipulekh and Mana in Uttarakhand, Shipki La in Himachal.
The Purvanchal hills (Patkai, Naga, Manipur, Mizo) are part of the Himalayan system, but the Meghalaya plateau is a detached part of the Peninsula.

Recap

Six divisions: Himalaya, Northern Plains, Peninsular Plateau, Indian Desert, Coastal Plains, Islands; Peninsula oldest (Gondwana), Himalaya young, plains youngest.
Origin: Indian plate moved north, Tethys closed, collision with Eurasia about 40-50 million years ago; still rising; earthquake-prone; bends at Nanga Parbat and Namcha Barwa.
Trans-Himalaya: Karakoram (K2, 8,611 m; Siachen glacier), Ladakh, Zaskar; Ladakh a cold desert in the rain shadow.
Himadri: average about 6,000 m, granite core, snow and glaciers (Gangotri); Kangchenjunga 8,586 m, Nanda Devi 7,816 m, Kamet.
Himachal: about 3,700-4,500 m; Pir Panjal, Dhauladhar, Mahabharat; Kashmir, Kangra and Kullu valleys; hill stations.
Shiwalik: about 900-1,100 m, loose river deposits; duns behind it (Dehra, Kotli, Patli).
Regions by bounding rivers: Indus–Satluj is Punjab, Satluj–Kali is Kumaon, Kali–Tista is Nepal, Tista–Dihang is Assam; karewas of Kashmir (saffron).
Passes: Karakoram, Khardung La, Zoji La, Banihal, Rohtang (Atal Tunnel 2020), Shipki La, Mana, Lipulekh, Nathu La, Jelep La, Bomdi La.
Purvanchal: Patkai, Naga, Manipur, Mizo hills; sedimentary rocks; Loktak lake.
Significance: climatic barrier and monsoon, perennial rivers and silt, forests, hydropower, tourism, frontier; hazards of landslides, flash floods, earthquakes.

Practice questions

Q1. Which one of the following is the highest peak lying wholly within India?

Kangchenjunga
Nanda Devi
K2
Kamet

Show answer

Answer: B. Nanda Devi

Nanda Devi (7,816 m) in Uttarakhand is the highest peak entirely inside India. Kangchenjunga is higher but lies on the Sikkim-Nepal border; K2 is in territory under Pakistan's control that India claims; Kamet is lower than Nanda Devi.

Q2. Arrange the following Himalayan ranges from south (the plains) to north:
1. Himadri
2. Shiwalik
3. Himachal
4. Zaskar
Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

Show answer

Answer: A. 2-3-1-4

From the plains the order is Shiwalik, Himachal (Lesser Himalaya), Himadri (Greater Himalaya) and then the Zaskar of the Trans-Himalaya. The second option puts Himachal before the Shiwalik, the third puts the Himadri before the Himachal, and the fourth reverses the order.

Q3. Consider the following statements about duns:
1. They are valleys running parallel to the ranges, between the Shiwalik and the Lesser Himalaya.
2. Dehra Dun is an example.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

Show answer

Answer: C. Both 1 and 2

Both are correct: duns are flat-floored longitudinal valleys between the Shiwalik and the Lesser Himalaya, and Dehra Dun is the best-known one. '1 only' and '2 only' each leave out a true statement, and 'Neither' rejects both.

Q4. Match List I (Regional division) with List II (Rivers bounding it):
List I: A. Punjab Himalaya B. Kumaon Himalaya C. Nepal Himalaya D. Assam Himalaya
List II: 1. Kali to Tista 2. Indus to Satluj 3. Tista to Dihang 4. Satluj to Kali
Select the correct code:

A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3
A-4, B-2, C-1, D-3
A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3
A-2, B-4, C-3, D-1

Show answer

Answer: A. A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3

Going west to east, the Indus–Satluj stretch is the Punjab Himalaya, Satluj–Kali is Kumaon, Kali–Tista is Nepal and Tista–Dihang is Assam. The second option swaps Punjab and Kumaon, the third swaps Kumaon and Nepal, and the fourth swaps Nepal and Assam.

Q5. Which of the following passes are correctly matched with the State or Union Territory in which they lie?
1. Shipki La : Himachal Pradesh
2. Nathu La : Arunachal Pradesh
3. Lipulekh : Uttarakhand
4. Khardung La : Ladakh
Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

Show answer

Answer: B. 1, 3 and 4 only

Pairs 1, 3 and 4 are correct. Pair 2 is wrong: Nathu La is in Sikkim, linking it with Tibet; Bomdi La is the pass in Arunachal Pradesh. Every option that includes pair 2 is therefore wrong.

Q6. The Atal Tunnel, opened in 2020, lies beneath which pass?

Zoji La
Banihal
Rohtang
Shipki La

Show answer

Answer: C. Rohtang

The Atal Tunnel runs beneath the Rohtang Pass in the Pir Panjal and keeps the Manali-Lahaul road open in winter. Banihal is crossed by the Jawahar Tunnel on the Jammu-Srinagar road, Zoji La links Kashmir with Kargil, and Shipki La is where the Satluj enters India.

Q7. Consider the following statements:
1. Karewas are lake deposits in the Kashmir valley on which saffron is grown.
2. The Pir Panjal is a range of the Trans-Himalaya.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

Show answer

Answer: A. 1 only

Statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong: the Pir Panjal is the main range of the Lesser Himalaya; the Trans-Himalaya consists of the Karakoram, Ladakh and Zaskar ranges. So '2 only' and 'Both' are wrong, and 'Neither' rejects a true statement.

Q8. Which of the following hills form part of the Purvanchal?
1. Patkai hills
2. Mizo hills
3. Garo hills
4. Naga hills
Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

Show answer

Answer: B. 1, 2 and 4 only

The Patkai, Mizo and Naga hills belong to the Purvanchal along the Myanmar border. The Garo hills are part of the Meghalaya plateau, a detached part of the Peninsula, so options including 3 are wrong, and '1 and 4 only' leaves out the Mizo hills.

All parts Next: Part 2 →

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Sources

United States Geological Survey: 'This Dynamic Earth: The Story of Plate Tectonics' (W. J. Kious and R. I. Tilling, US government publication): the India-Eurasia collision and the continuing rise of the Himalaya — https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/7000097
Geological Survey of India, Ministry of Mines: geology and tectonic divisions of the Himalaya, the Shiwalik, the Karewas of Kashmir and the north-eastern hills — https://www.gsi.gov.in
Survey of India, Department of Science and Technology: physical map of India and heights of Himalayan peaks (Kangchenjunga, Nanda Devi, K2) — https://surveyofindia.gov.in
Press Information Bureau and Border Roads Organisation, Ministry of Defence: the Atal Tunnel at Rohtang (October 2020), Himalayan passes and border roads; Ministry of Commerce on Nathu La border trade (2006); Ministry of External Affairs on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via Lipulekh — https://pib.gov.in
NASA Earth Observatory: satellite images of the Karakoram and the Siachen glacier, the Kashmir valley, the eastern Himalaya and Loktak lake (US government) — https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov
National Centre for Seismology, Ministry of Earth Sciences: earthquakes and seismic hazard of the Himalayan region — https://seismo.gov.in
India Meteorological Department, Ministry of Earth Sciences: the role of the Himalaya in the monsoon and in winter weather over north India — https://mausam.imd.gov.in