Geography MCQs for UPSC Prelims — July 2026

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)