Geography MCQs for UPSC Prelims

Q1. With reference to the two categories of coalfields in India, consider the following statements: 1. Gondwana coalfields account for about 98% of India's coal reserves, whereas Tertiary coalfields contribute only about 2%. 2. Gondwana coal is about 250 million years old, whereas Tertiary coal is only about 15-16 million years old. 3. The Jharia coalfield, India's chief source of prime coking coal, is a Tertiary coalfield located in Odisha. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. Gondwana coalfields account for about 98% of India's coal reserves, whereas Tertiary coalfields contribute only about 2%.
2. Gondwana coal is about 250 million years old, whereas Tertiary coal is only about 15-16 million years old.
3. The Jharia coalfield, India's chief source of prime coking coal, is a Tertiary coalfield located in Odisha.

• A. 1 and 2 only
• B. 2 and 3 only
• C. 1 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3

Q2. The Borjuli wild rice site lies in Sonitpur district of Assam. Which one of the following rivers forms the southern border of Sonitpur district?

• A. Brahmaputra
• B. Barak
• C. Subansiri
• D. Teesta

Q3. Consider the following statements about India's coal endowment: 1. India holds the fifth-largest coal reserves in the world, estimated at about 401 billion tonnes as of 2025. 2. In contrast to its abundant non-coking coal, India relies heavily on imports of coking coal for its steel sector. 3. Lignite is classified as a higher-rank coal than bituminous coal. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. India holds the fifth-largest coal reserves in the world, estimated at about 401 billion tonnes as of 2025.
2. In contrast to its abundant non-coking coal, India relies heavily on imports of coking coal for its steel sector.
3. Lignite is classified as a higher-rank coal than bituminous coal.

• A. 1 only
• B. 1 and 2 only
• C. 2 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3

Q4. Around the time of Census 2011, consider the following statements regarding Total Fertility Rate (TFR): 1. Bihar had a TFR above the national average. 2. Uttar Pradesh had a TFR above the national average. 3. Kerala had a TFR above the national average. 4. Rajasthan had a TFR above the national average. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

1. Bihar had a TFR above the national average.
2. Uttar Pradesh had a TFR above the national average.
3. Kerala had a TFR above the national average.
4. Rajasthan had a TFR above the national average.

• A. 3 only
• B. 1 and 3
• C. 3 and 4
• D. 4 only

Q5. Seychelles, an Indian Ocean archipelago and Small Island Developing State, is made up of approximately how many islands?

• A. About 26
• B. About 72
• C. About 115
• D. About 340

Q6. In geographical descriptions of Seychelles, its 'granitic islands' (the Mahé group) are best described as:

• A. Mountainous inner islands of granitic (continental) rock, distinct from the low, flat outer coralline islands
• B. Low-lying outer atolls built up entirely from coral limestone
• C. Recently formed volcanic cones rising from an active mid-ocean ridge
• D. Artificial, land-reclaimed islands created for tourism and port infrastructure

Q7. With reference to CWC-monitored reservoirs around late June 2026, consider the following statements: 1. Live storage was about 25% below the corresponding level of June 2025. 2. Despite the year-on-year fall, storage was still about 5% above the ten-year average ('normal' storage). 3. CWC publishes its reservoir storage bulletin on a daily basis. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. Live storage was about 25% below the corresponding level of June 2025.
2. Despite the year-on-year fall, storage was still about 5% above the ten-year average ('normal' storage).
3. CWC publishes its reservoir storage bulletin on a daily basis.

• A. 1 and 2 only
• B. 1 and 3 only
• C. 2 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3

Q8. Consider the following crops: 1. Paddy (rice) 2. Soybean 3. Cotton 4. Mustard Which of the above is/are correctly identified as kharif crops sown during the southwest monsoon?

1. Paddy (rice)
2. Soybean
3. Cotton
4. Mustard

• A. 1 and 3 only
• B. 1, 2 and 3 only
• C. 2, 3 and 4 only
• D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q9. IMD's June–September 2026 seasonal forecast of 90% of the LPA is stated with a model error of approximately how many percentage points?

• A. ± 2 percentage points
• B. ± 4 percentage points
• C. ± 5 percentage points
• D. ± 8 percentage points

Q10. With reference to IMD's 2026 southwest monsoon outlook compared with long-term (climatological) probabilities, consider the following statements: 1. IMD's updated seasonal (June–September) 2026 forecast places rainfall at about 90% of the LPA. 2. The probability assigned to 'deficient' rainfall in 2026 (about 35%) is more than double its climatological probability (about 16%). 3. The 2026 forecast assigns the highest probability to the 'normal' rainfall category. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. IMD's updated seasonal (June–September) 2026 forecast places rainfall at about 90% of the LPA.
2. The probability assigned to 'deficient' rainfall in 2026 (about 35%) is more than double its climatological probability (about 16%).
3. The 2026 forecast assigns the highest probability to the 'normal' rainfall category.

• A. 1 and 2 only
• B. 1 and 3 only
• C. 2 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3

Q11. Historically, approximately how many out of every ten El Niño years have translated into a weak (below-normal or deficient) southwest monsoon over India?

• A. About 4 in 10
• B. About 6 in 10
• C. About 8 in 10
• D. All 10 in 10

Q12. Within the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, 'El Niño' is best defined as:

• A. The abnormal warming of surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean
• B. The abnormal cooling of surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean
• C. A phase in which the western Indian Ocean is always warmer than the eastern Indian Ocean
• D. The periodic warming of the surface waters of the North Atlantic Ocean

Q13. Consider the following pairings of IMD's seasonal rainfall categories with their ranges (as % of LPA): 1. Deficient — less than 90% 2. Normal — 96% to 104% 3. Above Normal — more than 104% 4. Excess — 100% to 104% Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

1. Deficient — less than 90%
2. Normal — 96% to 104%
3. Above Normal — more than 104%
4. Excess — 100% to 104%

• A. 1 and 2 only
• B. 2 and 3 only
• C. 1, 2 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q14. In IMD's Long Range Forecast, the term 'Long Period Average (LPA)' most precisely refers to:

• A. The 1971–2020 average of the country's June–September rainfall (about 88 cm), against which the seasonal forecast is expressed as a percentage
• B. The simple average of rainfall over the immediately preceding ten monsoon seasons
• C. The rainfall value predicted by IMD's dynamical model for the current season
• D. The mean of the highest and lowest all-India monsoon rainfall on record

Q15. Which one of the following contributes the single largest share of India's total annual rainfall?

• A. The southwest (summer) monsoon, June–September
• B. The northeast (retreating) monsoon, October–December
• C. Pre-monsoon thunderstorms and western disturbances
• D. Post-monsoon cyclonic rainfall over the peninsula

Q16. With reference to the southwest monsoon, the sole national agency authorised to officially declare its onset over Kerala is:

• A. India Meteorological Department (IMD)
• B. Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS)
• C. Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune
• D. Central Water Commission (CWC)

Q17. Following the 2019 reorganisation, which is the largest Union Territory of India by geographical area?

• A. Jammu and Kashmir
• B. Ladakh
• C. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
• D. Delhi (NCT)

Q18. The term 'Golden Triangle' for the Southeast Asian opium zone was coined in 1971 by which one of the following?

• A. Marshall Green, then U.S. Assistant Secretary of State
• B. Harry J. Anslinger, U.S. Commissioner of Narcotics
• C. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime
• D. The International Narcotics Control Board

Q19. Consider the following statements about features of the Israel–Lebanon frontier. Which of the statements given above is/are correctly identified?

1. Blue Line — a UN-set 'line of withdrawal' established in 2000, not an international border.
2. Shebaa Farms — a disputed area occupied by Israel and claimed by Lebanon and Syria.
3. Litani River — the line to north of which Hezbollah was to withdraw under Resolution 1701.
4. Golan Heights — territory internationally recognised as part of Lebanon.

• A. 1, 2 and 3
• B. 1 and 2 only
• C. 2, 3 and 4
• D. 1, 3 and 4

Q20. The Aldabra Atoll of Seychelles, near which India's Assumption Island project is located, has been accorded World Heritage protected status by which one of the following bodies?

• A. UNESCO
• B. IUCN
• C. the Ramsar Convention Secretariat
• D. UNEP

Q21. The capital of Seychelles, Victoria, is situated on which one of the following — the largest island of the archipelago?

• A. Mahé
• B. Praslin
• C. La Digue
• D. Silhouette

Q22. Under the May 1994 Upper Yamuna water-sharing MoU, in times of scarcity which one of the following has the first (priority) claim to the available water for drinking purposes?

• A. National Capital Territory of Delhi
• B. Haryana
• C. Uttar Pradesh
• D. Rajasthan

Q23. The Shekhawati tract, targeted by the Yamuna pipeline, forms part of which desert — the largest in India?

• A. Thar Desert
• B. Rann of Kutch
• C. Cholistan Desert
• D. Spiti cold desert

Q24. With reference to the Shekhawati region, the principal intended beneficiary of the Yamuna Water Project, consider the following statements: 1. It comprises the districts of Sikar, Jhunjhunu and Churu. 2. It lies in the semi-arid Thar belt, with average annual rainfall of roughly 450–600 mm. 3. Unlike most of Rajasthan, it receives the bulk of its annual rainfall from the northeast (winter) monsoon rather than the southwest monsoon. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. It comprises the districts of Sikar, Jhunjhunu and Churu.
2. It lies in the semi-arid Thar belt, with average annual rainfall of roughly 450–600 mm.
3. Unlike most of Rajasthan, it receives the bulk of its annual rainfall from the northeast (winter) monsoon rather than the southwest monsoon.

• A. 1 only
• B. 1 and 2 only
• C. 2 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3

Q25. With reference to the Hathnikund Barrage, consider the following statements: 1. It is situated on the Yamuna river in Haryana. 2. It diverts water into the Western Yamuna Canal as well as the Eastern Yamuna Canal. 3. The Western Yamuna Canal off-taking here meets the shares of both Haryana and Delhi. 4. The entire flow of the Yamuna is diverted into canals at the barrage, leaving no water in the river channel below it. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

1. It is situated on the Yamuna river in Haryana.
2. It diverts water into the Western Yamuna Canal as well as the Eastern Yamuna Canal.
3. The Western Yamuna Canal off-taking here meets the shares of both Haryana and Delhi.
4. The entire flow of the Yamuna is diverted into canals at the barrage, leaving no water in the river channel below it.

• A. 1 and 2
• B. 1, 2 and 3
• C. 2, 3 and 4
• D. 1, 3 and 4

Q26. Releases of Yamuna water at the Hathnikund Barrage among the riparian states are regulated by the Upper Yamuna River Board, which functions under which one of the following Union ministries?

• A. Ministry of Jal Shakti
• B. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
• C. Ministry of Earth Sciences
• D. Ministry of Home Affairs

Q27. The Tungabhadra reservoir's storage capacity is often stated as about '105 tmc ft'. In this context, the unit 'TMC' precisely denotes which one of the following?

• A. Thousand million cubic feet of water
• B. Ten million cubic feet of water
• C. Total maximum capacity expressed in cubic metres
• D. Thousand metric cubic litres of water

Q28. Among the States that share the Tungabhadra Dam project, which one has the largest share of its total irrigation command area?

• A. Karnataka
• B. Andhra Pradesh
• C. Telangana
• D. Maharashtra

Q29. With reference to the irrigation command served by the Tungabhadra Dam project, which of the following are correctly identified as States that share its waters?

1. Karnataka
2. Andhra Pradesh
3. Telangana
4. Tamil Nadu

• A. 1 and 3 only
• B. 2 and 4 only
• C. 1, 2 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q30. With reference to the geography of Seychelles, consider the following statements: 1. The Mahé group of Seychelles consists mainly of mountainous granitic islands. 2. The outlying group of Seychelles consists mainly of low, flat coralline islands. 3. The national capital, Victoria, is situated on one of the outer coralline islands. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. The Mahé group of Seychelles consists mainly of mountainous granitic islands.
2. The outlying group of Seychelles consists mainly of low, flat coralline islands.
3. The national capital, Victoria, is situated on one of the outer coralline islands.

• A. 1 only
• B. 1 and 2 only
• C. 2 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3