Geography MCQs for UPSC Prelims — March 2026

Q1. Within the over-₹20,000-crore North Gujarat package launched at Vav-Tharad, the single largest identified component (about ₹8,000 crore) was directed at which sector?

• A. Water and irrigation projects
• B. Railways
• C. Housing
• D. Power

Q2. The Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint critical to India's LPG and crude imports, lies between which of the following pair of countries?

• A. Iran and Oman
• B. Iran and the United Arab Emirates
• C. Saudi Arabia and Iran
• D. Oman and Yemen

Q3. The Noida International Airport at Jewar is planned over an area of approximately how many hectares?

• A. 1,160 hectares
• B. 1,334 hectares
• C. 1,500 hectares
• D. 2,000 hectares

Q4. Which one of the following is regarded as the world's most critical maritime oil-transit chokepoint, being the only sea route out of the Persian Gulf with no feasible reroute?

• A. Strait of Malacca
• B. Bab-el-Mandeb
• C. Strait of Hormuz
• D. Suez Canal

Q5. Approximately what share of the world's crude oil flows transits through the Strait of Hormuz?

• A. About 10%
• B. About 20%
• C. About 35%
• D. About 50%

Q6. The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf to which one of the following water bodies?

• A. Gulf of Oman
• B. Red Sea
• C. Gulf of Aden
• D. Caspian Sea

Q7. The main shipping lanes of the Strait of Hormuz lie predominantly within the territorial waters of which one of the following countries?

• A. Oman
• B. Iran
• C. United Arab Emirates
• D. Saudi Arabia

Q8. The land for Noida International Airport at Jewar falls within the notified area of which development authority of the Uttar Pradesh Government?

• A. Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA)
• B. Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA)
• C. New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA)
• D. National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC)

Q9. With reference to the geography and significance of the Strait of Hormuz, which of the following statements is/are NOT correct?

1. It is the principal maritime outlet for the oil exports of Persian Gulf producers such as Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
2. Its shipping lanes lie within the territorial waters of Oman and Iran.
3. It connects the Persian Gulf directly to the Mediterranean Sea.
4. After the Strait of Malacca, it is the world's busiest oil-trade chokepoint.

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

Q10. Which one of the following best explains why the Strait of Hormuz is regarded as the single most critical oil chokepoint in the world, in contrast to the Strait of Malacca?

• A. It is the only maritime outlet from the Persian Gulf, and its traffic cannot be rerouted to alternative sea lanes
• B. It is the narrowest navigable strait in the world
• C. It is the only major strait controlled entirely by a single country
• D. It carries predominantly container rather than tanker traffic

Q11. Approximately how many million barrels of oil per day flowed through the Strait of Hormuz in 2024, making it the world's most important oil transit chokepoint?

• A. About 5 million barrels per day
• B. About 10 million barrels per day
• C. About 20 million barrels per day
• D. About 35 million barrels per day

Q12. With reference to the Strait of Hormuz, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. It connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, and lies between Iran and Oman.
2. Roughly one-fifth of the world's total petroleum liquids consumption transits through the strait.
3. No operational pipeline exists anywhere in the Gulf that can move crude to international markets while bypassing the strait.

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

Q13. The four dedicated Rare Earth Corridors announced in the Union Budget 2026-27 directly complement the existing extraction and refining facilities of which entity in Odisha and Kerala?

• A. IREL (India) Limited
• B. Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL)
• C. NMDC Limited
• D. Geological Survey of India (GSI)

Q14. Which one of the following is the largest flagship beach-sand mining and mineral-separation unit of IREL (India) Limited?

• A. Orissa Sands Complex (OSCOM), Chatrapur
• B. Rare Earths Division (RED), Aluva
• C. Manavalakurichi unit, Tamil Nadu
• D. Chavara unit, Kerala

Q15. Consider the following statements about India's water-stress profile: 1. India holds about 4% of the world's freshwater resources while supporting around 18% of the global population. 2. An annual per-capita water availability below 1,700 cubic metres is treated as a 'water-stressed' condition. 3. An annual per-capita water availability below 1,000 cubic metres is treated as a 'water-scarcity' condition. 4. India's annual per-capita water availability rose between 2001 and 2021 owing to improved storage infrastructure. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

1. India holds about 4% of the world's freshwater resources while supporting around 18% of the global population.
2. An annual per-capita water availability below 1,700 cubic metres is treated as a 'water-stressed' condition.
3. An annual per-capita water availability below 1,000 cubic metres is treated as a 'water-scarcity' condition.
4. India's annual per-capita water availability rose between 2001 and 2021 owing to improved storage infrastructure.

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

Q16. Khangchendzonga National Park, India's only 'mixed' World Heritage property, is located in which State?

• A. Arunachal Pradesh
• B. Sikkim
• C. Uttarakhand
• D. Himachal Pradesh

Q17. Through which one of the following waterways does the largest volume of the world's seaborne crude oil and petroleum liquids pass, making it the most important oil transit chokepoint?

• A. Strait of Malacca
• B. Strait of Hormuz
• C. Bab-el-Mandeb
• D. Suez Canal

Q18. With reference to the Strait of Hormuz, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

1. It lies between Iran to the north and Oman to the south.
2. It links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
3. It is regarded as the world's most important oil transit chokepoint.
4. It connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

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

Q19. The Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for India's energy imports, connects which one of the following pairs of water bodies?

• A. The Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden
• B. The Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman
• C. The Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea
• D. The Arabian Sea with the Bay of Bengal

Q20. Consider the following statements regarding the classification and use of coal in India: 1. Coking coal is used primarily in steel-making and blast furnaces. 2. Thermal (steam) coal is used mainly for electricity generation. 3. Coking coal forms coke when heated in the absence of air. 4. More than 90% of India's coking coal is sourced from Odisha. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

1. Coking coal is used primarily in steel-making and blast furnaces.
2. Thermal (steam) coal is used mainly for electricity generation.
3. Coking coal forms coke when heated in the absence of air.
4. More than 90% of India's coking coal is sourced from Odisha.

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

Q21. According to figures tabled in the Goa Legislative Assembly during the 2026 Budget Session, what is the approximate total area of land converted to 'settlement' zone using Section 39A of the TCP (Amendment) Act, 2024 since its notification?

• A. About 3.26 lakh square metres
• B. About 12.78 lakh square metres
• C. About 25.50 lakh square metres
• D. About 40.00 lakh square metres

Q22. In the context of the ongoing protests against Section 39A in Goa, the term 'Khazan lands' most accurately refers to:

• A. Laterite plateau lands on the Western Ghats used for monsoon-season finger-millet cultivation
• B. Reclaimed estuarine tidal saline floodplains protected by bunds and sluice gates, supporting an integrated fish–rice–paddy agro-ecology
• C. Village common grazing lands held collectively under the Portuguese-era communidade system
• D. Privately held orchard lands planted with cashew and areca in the midland zone

Q23. As per data on land converted to settlement zone under Section 39A of the Goa Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Act, 2024 tabled during the 2026 Goa Budget Session, which one of the following talukas accounted for the LARGEST area so converted?

• A. Bardez
• B. Tiswadi
• C. Pernem
• D. Canacona

Q24. With reference to the classification of rare earth elements relevant to Nd-Fe-B magnets, consider the following statements: 1. Neodymium and praseodymium are classified as light rare earth elements (LREEs). 2. Dysprosium and terbium are heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) added to magnets to improve high-temperature/coercive performance. 3. Yttrium, owing to its low atomic number, is grouped with the light rare earth elements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. Neodymium and praseodymium are classified as light rare earth elements (LREEs).
2. Dysprosium and terbium are heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) added to magnets to improve high-temperature/coercive performance.
3. Yttrium, owing to its low atomic number, is grouped with the light rare earth elements.

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

Q25. Which agency is principally tasked with the mineral exploration that has augmented India's rare-earth (REE) ore resources, including the projects feeding the country's critical-minerals strategy?

• A. Geological Survey of India (GSI)
• B. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
• C. Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Ltd. (MECL)
• D. Central Ground Water Board (CGWB)

Q26. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, which one of the following is the world's most important oil transit chokepoint by volume of crude oil and petroleum products flow?

• A. Strait of Malacca
• B. Suez Canal and SUMED Pipeline
• C. Strait of Hormuz
• D. Bab el-Mandeb

Q27. The Kosi-Mechi Intra-State Link Project, included under PMKSY-AIBP in March 2025, will provide irrigation to areas in how many districts of Bihar?

• A. Four
• B. Two
• C. Six
• D. Eight

Q28. Which one of the following is the first project under the National Perspective Plan for inter-linking of rivers to enter the implementation stage?

• A. Ken-Betwa Link Project
• B. Kosi-Mechi Intra-State Link Project
• C. Par-Tapi-Narmada Link Project
• D. Godavari-Cauvery (Grand Anicut) Link Project

Q29. The Ken-Betwa Link National Project envisages transfer of surplus water from which river to which river?

• A. From the Ken to the Betwa
• B. From the Betwa to the Ken
• C. From the Ken to the Yamuna
• D. From the Betwa to the Sone

Q30. Under the National Perspective Plan, which agency is the nodal body that identified the 30 river links and prepares their Feasibility Reports?

• A. National Water Development Agency (NWDA)
• B. Central Water Commission (CWC)
• C. Central Ground Water Board (CGWB)
• D. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)