Geography MCQs for UPSC Prelims

Q1. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. A pumped storage reservoir sited on karst terrain can suffer large losses of stored water.
  2. Karst develops where water dissolves soluble rocks such as limestone, widening cracks into conduits and caves.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q2. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. Pumped storage plants are preferably sited where two reservoirs can be built with a large difference in elevation between them.
  2. Pumped storage plants are especially valuable in grids with a high share of variable solar and wind generation.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q3. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. A pumped storage reservoir sited on karst terrain can suffer large losses of stored water.
  2. Karst develops where water dissolves soluble rocks such as limestone, widening cracks into conduits and caves.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q4. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. Pumped storage plants are preferably sited where two reservoirs can be built with a large difference in elevation between them.
  2. Pumped storage plants are especially valuable in grids with a high share of variable solar and wind generation.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q5. With reference to the two phases of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. During El Niño, surface air pressure over northern Australia tends to be above average.
  2. La Niña is marked by periodic cooling of sea-surface temperatures in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific.
  3. During La Niña, the Pacific warm pool and equatorial convective rainfall are confined to the extreme western part of the basin.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q6. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. During an El Niño, convective rainfall over Indonesia and the western equatorial Pacific tends to be suppressed.
  2. During an El Niño, the equatorial easterly trade winds weaken and the Pacific warm pool, along with its convective rainfall, shifts eastward.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q7. Suppose that in a particular year, sea-surface temperatures in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific stay well above average for several consecutive months, and the equatorial easterly trade winds are weaker than average. In the same year, a State in peninsular India reports a rainfall deficit across about half of its sub-districts. Which of the following inferences can be drawn from the above?

  1. The equatorial Pacific is showing conditions of the cold phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation.
  2. The equatorial Walker circulation is likely to be weaker than average in that year.
  3. The State's rainfall deficit must have been caused by the conditions in the Pacific.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 only
  • C. 1 and 2 only
  • D. 2 and 3 only

Q8. Consider the following assertion: An Ecologically Sensitive Area regime in the Western Ghats can help reduce landslide risk, and not merely conserve biodiversity. Which of the statements given above support/supports the assertion?

  1. The Kasturirangan High-Level Working Group recommended banning all mining, including quarrying, within the ESA.
  2. The July 2024 draft ESA notification was issued a day after the Wayanad landslides.
  3. The Kasturirangan High-Level Working Group recommended banning building and construction projects above a specified size within the ESA.
  • A. 2 and 3 only
  • B. 1 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q9. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. The Western Ghats are on the World Heritage List as a serial property made up of many separate component sites, not as one continuous area.
  2. The Western Ghats run through six Indian States, from Gujarat in the north to Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the south.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q10. Consider the following facts: India provides critical stopover sites to over 90% of the bird species known to use the Central Asian Flyway, and nearly 71% of the flyway's migratory waterbirds use India as a stopover site. Many of India's recent Ramsar designations are inland lakes and jheels of the Indo-Gangetic plains. Which of the following inferences can validly be drawn from the above?

  1. Most bird species that use the Central Asian Flyway breed within India.
  2. Degradation of India's inland wetlands could affect waterbird populations that breed in other countries along the flyway.
  3. Ramsar designation of Indian wetlands is by itself sufficient to secure the flyway's migratory waterbird populations.
  4. Effective conservation of these birds calls for cooperation among range countries along the flyway, not India's action alone.
  • A. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • B. 1, 3 and 4 only
  • C. 2 and 4 only
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q11. Consider the following facts about District X: Between two censuses, its population grew much faster than the State average. Sample-based estimates show that its birth rate and death rate were both close to the State averages throughout the period. Its boundaries did not change during this period. Which of the following inferences can be drawn from the above?

  1. District X has a lower level of fertility than the State as a whole.
  2. Net in-migration is the most likely source of District X's faster population growth.
  3. Most of the people who moved into District X entered India illegally across an international border.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 2 only

Q12. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. Under UNCLOS, a violent attack for private ends on a merchant ship within the territorial sea of a coastal State is not piracy, and enforcement against it rests primarily with that coastal State.
  2. UNCLOS confines its piracy provisions to the high seas, so they do not apply in any State's exclusive economic zone.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q13. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. A coastal State's sovereign rights over the sedentary species of its continental shelf end at the 200 nautical mile limit of its exclusive economic zone.
  2. UNCLOS excludes sedentary species of the continental shelf from its exclusive economic zone provisions on living resources and places them under the continental shelf regime.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q14. With reference to the regime for living marine resources under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. Where a coastal State lacks the capacity to harvest the entire allowable catch of its exclusive economic zone, it is to give other States access to the surplus through agreements or arrangements.
  2. Because freedom of fishing is one of the freedoms of the high seas, the right of a State's nationals to fish there is not subject to that State's treaty obligations.
  3. A coastal State's rights over the sedentary species of its continental shelf depend on its effective occupation of the shelf or on an express proclamation.
  4. States whose nationals exploit identical living resources in the same high-seas area are to negotiate conservation measures and, as appropriate, cooperate to establish regional fisheries organisations.
  • A. 2 and 3 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 3 and 4 only

Q15. A district receives normal monsoon rainfall this year after three consecutive deficient years. Kharif crops perform normally, yet village tanks stay low, wells remain dry and towns ration drinking water. Which one of the following best describes this situation?

  • A. Meteorological drought persisting even though the current season's rainfall is normal
  • B. Agricultural drought arising from moisture stress at critical crop stages
  • C. Meteorological drought arising from below-normal rainfall in the current season
  • D. Hydrological drought continuing after the meteorological drought has ended

Q16. With reference to the different dimensions of drought, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Meteorological drought is defined by soil moisture falling below what standing crops require.
  2. Agricultural drought can set in even when the seasonal rainfall total is close to normal, if long dry spells at critical crop stages deplete soil moisture.
  3. Hydrological drought, the depletion of reservoirs and groundwater, typically appears in the first weeks of a rainfall deficit and ends as soon as the rains resume.
  • A. 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 1 only
  • D. 2 and 3 only

Q17. As the central and eastern equatorial Pacific warms during an El Niño event, consider the following changes: Which of the changes given above are typically associated with such an event?

  1. The trade winds across the equatorial Pacific weaken.
  2. The belt of heavy tropical rainfall shifts eastward, away from the western Pacific.
  3. The risk of drought rises over Indonesia and Australia.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q18. With reference to the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH), the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The IHR is the part of the larger HKH that lies within India's territory.
  2. Membership of ICIMOD is limited to countries that have glaciers within their own territory.
  3. ICIMOD is a specialised agency of the United Nations that reports to the UN Economic and Social Council.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 1 only
  • D. 2 and 3 only

Q19. Consider the following observations about the Himalaya: I. The high mountains of Asia are warming at about 0.3°C per decade, nearly twice the global average. II. The western Himalaya is warming faster than the central and eastern Himalaya. III. Night-time minimum temperatures and winter temperatures are rising. Which of the following inferences can be validly drawn from the above observations?

  1. Planning for glacier-fed water supply and hazards cannot assume one uniform rate of change along the whole Himalayan arc.
  2. Warmer nights and winters can shorten the period in which snow and ice accumulate or refreeze, adding to glacier mass loss.
  3. The eastern Himalaya is undergoing a net cooling that offsets warming in the west.
  4. The warming of the region is caused mainly by local deforestation and road construction in the hills.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 3 and 4 only

Q20. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. The high mountains of Asia are warming at a faster rate than the global average.
  2. As snow cover shrinks, darker ground and rock are exposed, which absorb more incoming solar radiation and warm the air further.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q21. With reference to glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in the Himalaya, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. Lakes held back by solid bedrock sills are generally more prone to sudden breaching than lakes held back by moraine, because bedrock is brittle.
  2. Melting of ice buried within a moraine dam can weaken the dam from within, even without any external trigger.
  3. Heavy rainfall, or sudden drainage of a lake higher up the glacier, can trigger the outburst of a lake lower down.
  4. An ice or rock avalanche plunging into a lake can cause an outburst even when the dam itself is otherwise intact.
  • A. 1, 3 and 4 only
  • B. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • C. 1 and 2 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q22. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. Thawing of permafrost has reduced the stability of high-mountain slopes.
  2. Permafrost is defined as ground that remains at or below 0°C for at least two consecutive years.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q23. Ice-rich permafrost on steep, high-altitude Himalayan slopes is thawing. With reference to the likely consequences, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Melting of the interstitial ice that binds rock fragments and debris reduces the cohesion of the slope.
  2. Slopes become more stable as meltwater drains away and leaves behind lighter, drier debris.
  3. Rockfall or debris released from the thawing slope can fall into a glacial lake downstream and set off an outburst flood.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q24. Consider the following assertion: Restrictions on firecrackers alone are unlikely to bring Delhi-NCR's air quality in October–November within acceptable limits. Which of the following statements support the above assertion?

  1. Smoke from crop-residue burning in adjoining States adds to the region's pollutant load in the same season.
  2. Low temperatures, stagnant winds and inversion conditions in these months trap pollutants from all sources, not just fireworks.
  3. Firecrackers are one of several episodic emission events that aggravate an existing pollution load in the region.
  4. Firecracker regulations laid down by the Supreme Court bind all States and not only Delhi-NCR.
  • A. 1, 2, 3 and 4
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1 and 2 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3 only

Q25. Consider the following data reported for January–February 2024 compared with the same period a year earlier: trade volume through the Suez Canal fell by about 50 per cent; transits around the Cape of Good Hope rose by about 74 per cent; and average delivery times on diverted routes rose by 10 days or more. Which of the following inferences can be drawn from the above data?

  1. Total world seaborne trade fell by roughly half during this period.
  2. A substantial part of the fall in Suez Canal traffic reflects ships being rerouted rather than cargo simply ceasing to move.
  3. For at least some voyages between Asia and Europe, the route around the Cape takes longer than the route through the Suez Canal.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q26. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. Under UNCLOS, the provisions that allow any State to seize a pirate ship apply within the exclusive economic zone of a coastal State as well, and not merely on the high seas.
  2. Under UNCLOS, a coastal State exercises full sovereignty over its exclusive economic zone in the same manner as over its territorial sea.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q27. With reference to the maritime zones defined under UNCLOS, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. The contiguous zone may extend up to 24 nautical miles measured from the outer limit of the territorial sea.
  2. In the contiguous zone, a coastal State may exercise the control necessary to prevent infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary laws within its territory or territorial sea.
  3. The sovereign rights of a coastal State in its exclusive economic zone extend to producing energy from the water, currents and winds of that zone.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1 and 3 only

Q28. With reference to the rights of foreign warships under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. In the exclusive economic zone of a coastal State, foreign warships enjoy freedom of navigation, subject to having due regard to the rights and duties of the coastal State.
  2. A coastal State may temporarily suspend innocent passage in specified areas of its territorial sea, and it may apply such a suspension selectively to the ships of particular States.
  3. Within its exclusive economic zone, a coastal State exercises the same full sovereignty that it exercises over its territorial sea.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q29. With reference to India's sea-based connectivity options with Russia, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Because it runs between an Indian port and a Russian port, the Chennai–Vladivostok route avoids passing through any international maritime chokepoint.
  2. The Northern Sea Route is navigable for only part of the year, and cargo vessels on it depend on icebreaker support.
  3. A vessel leaving the Northern Sea Route for the Pacific Ocean exits through the Bering Strait.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q30. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. Growing a pulse crop in the rabi season on rice-fallow land raises the cropping intensity of that land.
  2. Pulses, being legumes, fix atmospheric nitrogen through bacteria in their root nodules and so improve soil fertility.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct