Practice MCQs NCERT

Indian River Systems: Himalayan and Peninsular Rivers — MCQs with Answers

Test what you know about Indian River Systems: Himalayan and Peninsular Rivers with 10 UPSC Prelims-style questions. Try each one first, then tap “Show answer” for the correct option and its explanation.

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  1. Q1. Which description correctly distinguishes a drainage basin from a watershed divide?

    1. A basin is a state boundary; a divide is a river mouth
    2. A basin describes rainfall intensity; a divide measures discharge
    3. A basin collects water for a river system; a divide separates adjacent basins
    4. A basin is always coastal; a divide always follows district borders
    Show answer

    Correct answer: (C) A basin collects water for a river system; a divide separates adjacent basins

    Explanation

    Correct Answer: (C). A drainage basin is the area supplying a river and its tributaries, while a divide marks separation from another basin. Administrative boundaries do not define these physical units. Neither term measures rainfall intensity or discharge, and neither requires a coastal location. The incorrect choices replace drainage geography with unrelated categories.

  2. Q2. Consider these drainage-pattern pairs: 1. Dendritic — Tree-like branching with relatively uniform rock resistance 2. Radial — Flow spreading outward from a central highland Which are correctly matched?

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

    Correct answer: (A) Both 1 and 2

    Explanation

    Correct Answer: (A). Both pairs are correct. Dendritic drainage resembles branching limbs and commonly occurs with relatively uniform resistance. Radial drainage spreads away from a central highland. Accepting only one loses another correct association; rejecting both misses both patterns. These arrangements describe channel geometry, not by themselves the age or volume of a river.

  3. Q3. Alternating resistant and weaker rock bands guide tributaries to join a main stream at near-right angles. Which pattern is described?

    1. Radial
    2. Dendritic
    3. A purely administrative boundary pattern
    4. Trellis
    Show answer

    Correct answer: (D) Trellis

    Explanation

    Correct Answer: (D). The article associates trellis drainage with alternating resistant and weaker bands and near-right-angle tributary junctions. Radial flow spreads from a highland, while dendritic flow resembles a tree in more uniform resistance. Administrative boundaries do not create this geological arrangement. The pattern must be identified from structure and channel relationships together.

  4. Q4. Which set consists of the three principal Himalayan river systems identified in the article?

    1. Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri
    2. Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra
    3. Narmada, Tapi and Mahanadi
    4. Ganga, Godavari and Narmada
    Show answer

    Correct answer: (B) Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra

    Explanation

    Correct Answer: (B). Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra are the three principal Himalayan systems named in the article. The Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Narmada, Tapi and Mahanadi belong to the Peninsular comparison. The mixed set includes Ganga but combines it with Peninsular rivers. Shared national location does not make all these rivers Himalayan systems.

  5. Q5. Which statement about Himalayan river flow is justified?

    1. Rainfall and snow or glacier melt sustain many rivers, but discharge still varies
    2. Perennial means an identical discharge every day
    3. Every small Himalayan tributary necessarily flows all year
    4. Snowmelt makes rainfall and human use irrelevant
    Show answer

    Correct answer: (A) Rainfall and snow or glacier melt sustain many rivers, but discharge still varies

    Explanation

    Correct Answer: (A). Many Himalayan rivers receive rainfall and snow or glacier melt, supporting flow beyond the rainy season. Discharge nevertheless varies with season, weather, snow conditions and human use. Perennial does not mean constant flow or guarantee that every small tributary is perennial. The other choices turn a broad tendency into unjustified absolute rules.

  6. Q6. Which pair contains major west-flowing Peninsular rivers?

    1. Godavari and Krishna
    2. Mahanadi and Kaveri
    3. Narmada and Tapi
    4. Krishna and Mahanadi
    Show answer

    Correct answer: (C) Narmada and Tapi

    Explanation

    Correct Answer: (C). Narmada and Tapi are prominent west-flowing exceptions, following rift-like valleys towards the Arabian Sea. Godavari, Krishna, Mahanadi and Kaveri are major east-flowing rivers draining towards the Bay of Bengal. Each alternative pair therefore belongs to the contrasting eastward tendency rather than the westward exception requested in the question.

  7. Q7. Consider these river-system pairs: 1. Jhelum and Chenab — Indus system 2. Ghaghara and Gandak — Ganga system Which are correctly matched?

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

    Correct answer: (B) Both 1 and 2

    Explanation

    Correct Answer: (B). Both pairs match the tributaries listed in the article. Jhelum and Chenab belong to the Indus system, while Ghaghara and Gandak feed the Ganga system. Accepting only one rejects another correct basin association. Rejecting both overlooks both matches. Tributary names should be linked to their drainage systems rather than memorised in isolation.

  8. Q8. Assertion: Sediment deposition can increase when rivers enter plains from steep mountain valleys. Reason: The reduced slope can lower transport energy. Choose the correct relationship.

    1. Both are true, but the reason does not explain the assertion
    2. The assertion is true, but the reason is false
    3. The assertion is false, but the reason is true
    4. Both are true, and the reason explains the assertion
    Show answer

    Correct answer: (D) Both are true, and the reason explains the assertion

    Explanation

    Correct Answer: (D). Both propositions are true and linked by the effect of gradient on river energy. A gentler slope can encourage deposition and lateral movement, building floodplains and changing channels. The other choices deny the described process or disconnect its cause. Steep gradients instead generally increase energy available for vertical erosion.

  9. Q9. Which human intervention can both change the timing of river flow and trap sediment?

    1. A dam and reservoir
    2. A natural watershed divide
    3. The name assigned to a tributary
    4. A drainage-pattern classification
    Show answer

    Correct answer: (A) A dam and reservoir

    Explanation

    Correct Answer: (A). Dams store water, alter the timing of releases and trap sediment, modifying downstream processes. A watershed divide is a natural basin boundary rather than this storage intervention. Naming a tributary and classifying a drainage pattern do not themselves impound water or sediment. The question requires a physical modification of basin functioning.

  10. Q10. Why are many rivers between the Western Ghats and the west coast comparatively short and steep?

    1. Every river there originates in Himalayan glaciers
    2. The Western Ghats lie far from the western coast
    3. The mountain range lies close to the sea
    4. All these rivers must first cross the eastern coastal plain
    Show answer

    Correct answer: (C) The mountain range lies close to the sea

    Explanation

    Correct Answer: (C). The Western Ghats lie close to the west coast, leaving a short descent to the sea. Himalayan glacier origins and an obligatory eastern-coast crossing do not describe these local rivers. The claim that the range lies far inland reverses the geographical relationship. Relief and distance together explain the short, steep courses.

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