Indian Geography: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Geography)
6 previous year UPSC Prelims questions on Indian Geography (Geography). Choose an option to see the answer and explanation.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 1–6 of 6 questions
UPSC 2003Geography · Indian Geography
Q1. What is the correct sequence of the rivers-Godavari, Mahanadi, Narmada and Tapi in the descending order of their lengths?
Explanation
Option (b) is correct: The descending order of the lengths of the rivers is as follows:
Godavari River: The total length is 1,465 km. It is the second-longest river in India after the Ganges and flows eastward from its origin in Trimbakeshwar, Maharashtra, to the Bay of Bengal. Narmada River: The total length is 1,312 km. It originates from the Amarkantak Plateau in Madhya Pradesh and flows westward into the Arabian Sea through the Gulf of Khambhat. Mahanadi River: The total length is approximately 851 km. It originates from the highlands of Chhattisgarh and flows eastward into the Bay of Bengal. Tapi (Tapti) River: The total length is about 724 km. It originates from the Satpura ranges in Madhya Pradesh and flows westward into the Arabian Sea. Therefore, the correct sequence of rivers in the descending order of their length is Godavari - Narmada - Mahanadi - Tapi.
Additional insight:
IMPORTANT INDIAN RIVERS (Lengths in KM) Name Length(Kms) Mouth Ganga 2.525 Bay of Bengal (BoB) Godavari 1.465 BoB Krishna 1.400 BoB Narmada 1.313 Arabian Sea Yamuna 1.211 BoB Indus 1.114 (3180) Arabian Sea Brahmaputra 916 (2,900) BoB Mahanadi 851 BoB Kaveri 800 BoB Tapti 724 Arabian Sea Vaigai 258 BoB Periyar 244 BoB
UPSC 2003Geography · Indian Geography
Q2. Nanda Devi peak forms a part of:
Explanation
Nanda Devi is the second-highest mountain in India and is located in the Kumaon Himalayas in the state of Uttarakhand. It is part of the Greater Himalayas and is renowned for its challenging climbing routes and stunning natural beauty. Indus River Punjab Himalaya Kumaon Himalay Satluj River Kali River Teesta River Dihang River Kailash Range Ladakh Zaskar Karakoram Nepal Himalay Assam Himalay
UPSC 2003Geography · Indian Geography
Q3. Among the following cities, which one has the highest altitude above mean sea level?
Explanation
Option (a) is correct: Amongst the given options Bangalore has the highest altitude above mean sea level. Altitude above mean sea level of the given options is as follows:
Bangalore (Bengaluru): 920 meters.
Nagpur: 310 meters.
Delhi: 216 meters.
Jodhpur: 231 meters.
Additional insight:
Altitude is important in geography because it significantly influences a region’s climate, weather patterns, and ecosystems. Higher altitudes generally have lower temperatures due to thinner air and reduced heat retention. For every 1,000 meters increase in altitude, temperatures drop by about 6.5°C. Due to its high elevation, Bengaluru usually enjoys a more moderate climate throughout the year, although occasional heat waves can make summer. Bengaluru has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw) with distinct wet and dry seasons.
UPSC 2003Geography · Indian Geography
Q4. Consider the following statements: 1. The longitude of Jabalpur’s location is between those of Indore and Bhopal. 2. The latitude of Aurangabad’s location is between those of Vadodara and Pune. 3. Bangalore is situated more southward than Chennai. Which of these statements is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: In west to east arrangement, Indore comes first then Bhopal and in last comes Jabalpur. Thus, the longitude corresponding to Jabalpur’s location is not between those of Indore and Bhopal.
Statement 2 is correct: As coming from the north we first find Vadodara and then Aurangabad and in the last Pune which means Aurangabad is between Vadodara and Pune. Hence, the latitude corresponding to Aurangabad’s location is between those of Vadodara and Pune.
Statement 3 is correct: Bangalore is at a lower latitude (12.9716°N) than Chennai (13.0827°N). Hence Bangalore is south of Chennai.
Additional insight:
Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth’s surface. It is measured in degrees (°), ranging from 0° at the Prime Meridian (which passes through Greenwich, England) to 180° East and 180° West. Lines of longitude, also called meridians, run from the North Pole to the South Pole. Latitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the north-south position of a point on the Earth’s surface. It is measured in degrees (°), ranging from 0° at the Equator to 90° North at the North Pole and 90° South at the South Pole. Lines of latitude, also called parallels, run parallel to the Equator.
UPSC 2003Geography · Indian Geography
Q5. Which one among the following states is smallest in area?
Explanation
Area of the states in the options given are:
Gujarat: 196,024 square kilometers Karnataka: 191,791 square kilometers Andhra Pradesh: 160,205 square kilometers Tamil Nadu: 130,058 square kilometers Therefore Tamil Nadu is the smallest among the four states.
Additional insight:
India covers an area of 3.287 million square kilometers (2.4% of the world’s land surface area), making it the seventh-largest country in the world by land area. As of now, In-dia is divided into 28 States and 8 Union Territories. Sequence of states in India area wise in descending order: Rajasthan > Madhya Pradesh > Maharashtra > Uttar Pradesh > Gujarat > Karnataka > Andhra Pradesh > Odisha > Chhattisgarh > Tamil Nadu > Telangana > Bihar > West Bengal > Arunachal Pradesh > Jharkhand > Assam > Himachal Pradesh > Uttarakhand > Punjab > Haryana > Kerala > Meghalaya > Manipur > Nagaland > Tripura > Mizoram > Sikkim > Goa. The largest UT is Jammu and Kashmir while the smallest is the Lakshadweep.
UPSC 2003Geography · Indian Geography
Q6. Among the following cities, which one is nearest to the Tropic of Cancer?
Explanation
In India, The Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N) passes through 8 Indian states: Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram. Location of the given cities in comparison to the Tropic of Cancer is the following:
Delhi: 28.7041°N Jodhpur: 26.2389°N Tropic of Cancer: 23.5°N Kolkata: 22.5726°N Nagpur: 21.1458°N Thus, Kolkata is nearest to the Tropic of Cancer. Other cities near to the Tropic of Cancer:
Udaipur (Rajasthan): 24.5854°N.
Agartala (Tripura): 23.8315°N.
Aizawl (Mizoram): 23.7271°N.
Ranchi (Jharkhand): 23.3441°N.
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): 23.2599°N.
Gandhinagar (Gujarat): 23.2156°N.
Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): 23.1815°N.
Kolkata (West Bengal): 22.5726°N.
Additional insight:
The latitude of the Tropic of Cancer is the imaginary circle at approximately 23.5°N. It marks the northernmost point where the Sun appears directly overhead at noon. This occurs during the June solstice (around June 21), when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun. The Tropic of Cancer passes through 17 countries, including: Mexico, Bahamas, India, Saudi Arabia, UAE, China and Taiwan.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
1
2003
(b) Godavari-Narmada-Mahanadi-Tapi
2
2003
(b) Kumaon Himalayas
3
2003
(a) Bangalore
4
2003
(c) 2 and 3
5
2003
(d) Tamil Nadu
6
2003
(b) Kolkata
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on Indian Geography?
This page covers 6 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on Indian Geography (Geography), asked from 1996 to 2025. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
How should I use previous year UPSC questions for Prelims?
Attempt each question first, then open the answer and read the explanation for every option. Repeat by chapter, and track which statements UPSC reuses across years. Previous year questions show the exam pattern and difficulty level.
Which years are covered for Indian Geography?
Questions on Indian Geography (Geography) are available for 28 years, from 1996 to 2025. Use the Year filter to practise a single paper.
