Key Concepts & Formulas

Provide 5-7 essential concepts for Indian Geography:

10 Practice MCQs

Q1. Which is the longest river in South India? A) Krishna B) Godavari C) Kaveri D) Narmada

Answer: B) Godavari

Solution: Godavari = 1,465 km (longest peninsular river) > Krishna (1,400 km) > Kaveri (800 km). Narmada is west-flowing.

Shortcut: Remember “Godavari is the Ganga of South India”

Concept: Indian Geography - Peninsular river lengths

Q2. The ‘Silicon Valley of India’ is located in which state? A) Maharashtra B) Karnataka C) Tamil Nadu D) Telangana

Answer: B) Karnataka

Solution: Bangalore (Karnataka) is India’s IT hub, hence called Silicon Valley of India.

Concept: Indian Geography - Industrial cities nicknames </Shortcut:** “Karnataka has ‘Kar’ in IT**

Q3. Which state has the longest coastline in India? A) Tamil Nadu B) Andhra Pradesh C) Gujarat D) Maharashtra

Answer: C) Gujarat

Solution: Gujarat = 1,600 km > Andhra Pradesh (974 km) > Tamil Nadu (906 km)

Shortcut: “Gujarat’s coastline is shaped like a ‘G’ - longest curve”

Concept: Indian Geography - Coastal states

Q4. A train from Jammu Tawi to Kanyakumari passes through how many physiographic divisions? A) 3 B) 4 C) 5 D) 6

Answer: B) 4

Solution: Route: Himalayas (Jammu) → Northern Plains (Punjab/Delhi) → Peninsular Plateau (MP/Maharashtra) → Coastal Plains (Tamil Nadu)

Shortcut: Remember “H-P-P-C” (Himalayas-Plains-Plateau-Coast)

Concept: Indian Geography - Physiographic divisions

Q5. If a goods train carries coal from Jharsuguda to Paradip Port, which river valley does it primarily follow? A) Mahanadi B) Godavari C) Brahmani D) Subarnarekha

Answer: A) Mahanadi

Solution: Jharsuguda-Paradip route in Odisha follows Mahanadi valley. Both cities are on Mahanadi’s tributaries.

Shortcut: “Mah-anadi connects Maha-industries to sea”

Concept: Indian Geography - River valleys & industrial corridors

Q6. The rail route from Mumbai to Howrah passes through which mountain gap? A) Bhor Ghat B) Thal Ghat C) Palghat D) Bolan Pass

Answer: A) Bhor Ghat

Solution: Bhor Ghat (between Mumbai-Pune) is on Mumbai-Chennai-Howrah route. Thal Ghat is Mumbai-Nashik route.

Shortcut: “Bhor=Both Mumbai-Howrah route”

Concept: Indian Geography - Western Ghats passes

Q7. Which mineral is transported maximum by Indian Railways from Singareni Collieries? A) Iron ore B) Coal C) Bauxite D) Manganese

Answer: B) Coal

Solution: Singareni Collieries (Telangana) is India’s oldest coal mining company, supplies to South India power plants.

Shortcut: “Singareni=Coal since 1920”

Concept: Indian Geography - Mineral transport routes

Q8. A train carrying iron ore from Bailadila to Vishakhapatnam crosses which physiographic junction? A) Eastern Ghats B) Western Ghats C) Aravallis D) Satpuras

Answer: A) Eastern Ghats

Solution: Bailadila (Chhattisgarh) → Vishakhapatnam (AP) route crosses Eastern Ghats at Eastern Ghats junction.

Shortcut: “Bailadila is east, so Eastern Ghats”

Concept: Indian Geography - Ghats & mineral routes

Q9. The Konkan Railway passes through how many Western Ghats tunnels between Mumbai and Mangalore? A) 75 B) 92 C) 103 D) 126

Answer: B) 92

Solution: Konkan Railway: 760 km route, 92 tunnels, 179 major bridges. Total 2,116 bridges.

Shortcut: “92 tunnels = 92 problems solved for Konkan”

Concept: Indian Geography - Engineering in Ghats

Q10. If a train travels from Leh to Thiruvananthapuram covering 4° latitude daily, how many days to cover entire India’s latitudinal extent? A) 5 B) 6 C) 7 D) 8

Answer: C) 7

Solution: India’s latitudinal extent: 8°4’N to 37°6’N = 29°2’ ≈ 29° Daily coverage: 4° Days required: 29 ÷ 4 = 7.25 ≈ 7 days

Shortcut: “29÷4=7 with remainder”

Concept: Indian Geography - Latitudinal calculations

5 Previous Year Questions

PYQ 1. The Chhotanagpur Plateau is rich in which minerals? [RRB NTPC 2021 CBT-1]

Answer: Iron ore, Coal, Mica

Solution: Chhotanagpur = Jharkhand + parts of WB/OD/BI. Contains: Singhbhum (iron), Jharia (coal), Hazaribagh (mica)

Exam Tip: Remember “ICM” - Iron-Coal-Mica always come together in plateau questions

PYQ 2. Which port is located at the estuary of river Mahanadi? [RRB Group D 2022]

Answer: Paradip Port

Solution: Paradip Port (Odisha) is at the confluence of Mahanadi river and Bay of Bengal. Artificial port.

Exam Tip: “Paradip = Para-llel to Mahanadi delta”

PYQ 3. The Nilgiri Hills are located at the junction of which three states? [RRB ALP 2018]

Answer: Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka

Solution: Nilgiri = Blue Mountains. Western Ghats junction point. Ooty is headquarters.

Exam Tip: “Nilgiri = N-K-T (North=Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu)”

PYQ 4. Which state has the largest area under wasteland category? [RRB JE 2019]

Answer: Rajasthan

Solution: Rajasthan = 61% wasteland (Thar Desert). Total wasteland India = 8.5% of geographic area.

Exam Tip: “Desert state = Maximum wasteland”

PYQ 5. The rail route from Delhi to Chennai passes through which highest point? [RPF SI 2019]

Answer: Palghat Gap (300m elevation)

Solution: Delhi-Chennai route: via Nagpur → Palghat Gap in Western Ghats → Chennai. Bhor Ghat is Mumbai route.

Exam Tip: “Palghat = Gateway to South India”

Speed Tricks & Shortcuts

For Indian Geography, provide exam-tested shortcuts:

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Quick Revision Flashcards

Topic Connections

How Indian Geography connects to other RRB exam topics:

• Direct Link: Indian Economy - Agricultural GDP contribution by states; Industrial corridors match mineral locations
• Combined Questions: History + Geography: Why Mughals built Grand Trunk Road along Indo-Gangetic plains? (Flat terrain + fertile)
• Foundation For: Current Affairs: New rail projects (Bilaspur-Leh) need understanding of Himalayan terrain challenges