UPSC Prelims 2023 Q9: Amarkantak, Biligirirangan, Seshachalam Hills
Consider the following statements:
1. Amarkantak Hills are at the confluence of Vindhya and Sahyadri Ranges.
2. Biligirirangan Hills constitute the easternmost part of Satpura Range.
3. Seshachalam Hills constitute the southernmost part of Western Ghats.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
Answer: (d) None
Statement-wise explanation
- 1: incorrect — Amarkantak lies in Anuppur district of Madhya Pradesh, close to the Chhattisgarh border. It is where the Vindhya and Satpura ranges meet, and the Maikal Hills form the link between them. The Narmada and the Son rise here. The Sahyadri is another name for the Western Ghats, which run along the Arabian Sea coast, hundreds of kilometres to the south-west.
- 2: incorrect — The Biligirirangan (BR) Hills are in Chamarajanagar district of south-eastern Karnataka, on the Tamil Nadu border. They lie where the Western and Eastern Ghats meet and hold the Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve. The Satpura is a central Indian range. Its eastern end is the Maikal Range around Amarkantak, not any hill in Karnataka.
- 3: incorrect — The Seshachalam Hills are part of the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh. The Tirumala–Tirupati hills are part of them. The Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve was notified on 20 September 2010 and covers 4,755.997 sq km in the then Chittoor and Kadapa districts. The southernmost Western Ghats are the Agasthyamalai hills on the Kerala–Tamil Nadu border.
How to eliminate
You can solve this with a rough mental map, without detailed facts. Each statement pairs a hill with a range in a different part of the country. (1) Amarkantak is the source of the Narmada, in central India. The Narmada flows west between the Vindhya and the Satpura, so these two ranges must meet near its source. The Sahyadri (Western Ghats) is a coastal range far to the south-west. (2) The BR Hills, home of the BRT Tiger Reserve, are near Mysuru. The Satpura cannot reach southern Karnataka. (3) Seshachalam is linked to Tirupati, on the eastern side of the Peninsula. That points to the Eastern Ghats, not the Western Ghats. Once you see that each statement swaps a range name, all three fall, and 'None' is the answer. Remember these anchors: Amarkantak/Maikal joins the Vindhya and Satpura. The BR Hills and the Nilgiris join the Western and Eastern Ghats. Seshachalam is in the Eastern Ghats. Agasthyamalai closes the Western Ghats in the south.
Know more
Hill ranges of Peninsular India: where they sit and what they join
UPSC often tests junction hills and end-points of ranges. Learn each hill together with its state and its parent range.
| Hill / plateau | State | Parent range / role | Hook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amarkantak (Maikal Hills) | Madhya Pradesh–Chhattisgarh | Junction of Vindhya and Satpura; eastern end of the Satpura | Source of the Narmada and Son; Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve (2005) |
| Biligirirangan (BR) Hills | Karnataka (Chamarajanagar) | Bridge between Western and Eastern Ghats | BRT Tiger Reserve |
| Nilgiris | Tamil Nadu | Meeting point of Western and Eastern Ghats | Doddabetta (2,637 m) |
| Anaimalai / Cardamom Hills | Kerala–Tamil Nadu | Western Ghats, south of the Palghat Gap | Anaimudi (2,695 m), highest peak of Peninsular India |
| Agasthyamalai | Kerala–Tamil Nadu | Southernmost Western Ghats | Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve (UNESCO MAB, 2016) |
| Seshachalam | Andhra Pradesh | Eastern Ghats (with the Palakonda and Nallamala) | Tirumala hills; biosphere reserve (2010); red sanders |
Key contrasts
- Western Ghats (Sahyadri): continuous, higher and steeper. They run from the Tapi valley to the southern tip and are crossed only by passes such as the Thal, Bhor and Palghat.
- Eastern Ghats: low, broken and discontinuous, because east-flowing rivers (Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri) cut through them. Their local names include the Nallamala, Palakonda, Seshachalam, Javadi and Shevaroy.
- Vindhya and Satpura: two parallel east–west ranges that frame the Narmada rift valley. The Satpura runs from the Rajpipla hills in the west, through the Mahadeo hills, to the Maikal Range in the east.
Tip: a statement that places a southern hill in a central Indian range, or swaps 'Eastern' and 'Western', is usually the trap.
NCERT Concepts to Revise
- Western Ghats: Statements 1 and 3 use the Western Ghats (Sahyadri). You need its extent to judge where it meets and ends.
- Eastern Ghats: The Eastern Ghats are a broken chain with many local names. Knowing them helps you place the hills in Statements 2 and 3.
- Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve: Statement 3 is about the Seshachalam Hills. This entry places them and their biosphere reserve on the map.
- Deccan Plateau: All three hills sit on or around the Deccan Plateau. Its edges help you place each range correctly.