Geography MCQs for UPSC Prelims — July 2026
Q1. India's sedimentary basins, counting the deep offshore areas extending up to the Exclusive Economic Zone, number how many in all?
Q2. India's sedimentary basins, counting the deep offshore areas extending up to the Exclusive Economic Zone, number how many in all?
Q3. The inbound and outbound tanker traffic separation lanes of the Strait of Hormuz lie primarily within the territorial waters of which one of the following countries?
- A. Oman, though the lanes are governed by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
- B. Iran, though the lanes are governed by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
- C. The United Arab Emirates, under a navigation regime agreed with its neighbours
- D. Qatar, under a navigation regime agreed with its neighbours
Q4. Consider the following statements regarding the Strait of Hormuz:
1. Its northern shore is formed by the United Arab Emirates.
2. It is the sea channel linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman.
3. Its southern side is formed by the Musandam exclave of Oman.
4. Qeshm and Larak are islands of Iran situated in and near the strait.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- Its northern shore is formed by the United Arab Emirates.
- It is the sea channel linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman.
- Its southern side is formed by the Musandam exclave of Oman.
- Qeshm and Larak are islands of Iran situated in and near the strait.
- A. 1 and 2
- B. 1, 3 and 4
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 3 and 4 only
Q5. The identification of settlements that satisfy prescribed population size, density and non-agricultural employment criteria but do not have a municipality, corporation or notified area committee is carried out by which one of the following?
- A. The National Statistical Office under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
- B. The Town and Country Planning Organisation under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
- C. The Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner under the Ministry of Home Affairs
- D. The National Institute of Urban Affairs under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
Q6. Consider the following statements relating to urbanisation in Tamil Nadu and in India between the 2001 and 2011 Censuses:
1. The number of census towns in Tamil Nadu rose from 111 to 376 over this decade.
2. Tamil Nadu emerged as the most urbanised State in the country in 2011, with every one of its districts recording an urban share higher than the national average.
3. India's urban population rose from 27.81 per cent of the total population to 32.16 per cent over this decade.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The number of census towns in Tamil Nadu rose from 111 to 376 over this decade.
- Tamil Nadu emerged as the most urbanised State in the country in 2011, with every one of its districts recording an urban share higher than the national average.
- India's urban population rose from 27.81 per cent of the total population to 32.16 per cent over this decade.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q7. The Malwa Agency, created in 1895 as a subdivision of the British Central India Agency, comprised a defined group of princely states. Consider the following:
1. Rewa
2. Barwani
3. Datia
4. Jaora
Which of the above is/are NOT correctly listed as constituent states of the Malwa Agency?
- Rewa
- Barwani
- Datia
- Jaora
- A. 1 and 3
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 1, 2 and 4
- D. 3 only
Q8. Of the roughly 81,155 sq km drainage area of the Cauvery basin, the single largest share lies within the territorial jurisdiction of which one of the following?
- A. Tamil Nadu
- B. Karnataka
- C. Kerala
- D. Puducherry
Q9. Consider the following statements regarding the Talabira II and III coal mines:
1. They lie in the Talcher coalfield of Odisha, within Angul district.
2. They were allotted in 2016 to NLC India Limited, a Navratna enterprise under the Ministry of Coal, with a capacity of 20 million tonnes per annum.
3. They commenced production in the financial year 2020-21 and supply coal to the company's end-use plant at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- They lie in the Talcher coalfield of Odisha, within Angul district.
- They were allotted in 2016 to NLC India Limited, a Navratna enterprise under the Ministry of Coal, with a capacity of 20 million tonnes per annum.
- They commenced production in the financial year 2020-21 and supply coal to the company's end-use plant at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q10. Consider the following pairs of nuclear installation and its location:
1. Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor — Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu
2. Lead unit of the BSMR-200 — Tarapur, Maharashtra
3. Kaiga Atomic Power Station — Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka
4. Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project — Tirunelveli district, Andhra Pradesh
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor — Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu
- Lead unit of the BSMR-200 — Tarapur, Maharashtra
- Kaiga Atomic Power Station — Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka
- Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project — Tirunelveli district, Andhra Pradesh
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 1 and 4 only
- D. 3 and 4
Q11. The Western Ghats World Heritage property is made up of component sites distributed across how many Indian States?
- A. Three
- B. Four
- C. Five
- D. Six
Q12. Which one of the following water bodies, linked to the Black Sea by the Kerch Strait, is regarded as the world's shallowest sea?
- A. Sea of Marmara
- B. Aegean Sea
- C. Sea of Azov
- D. Caspian Sea
Q13. With reference to the regime governing passage through the straits connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, which one of the following statements is correct?
- A. Under the Montreux Convention of 1936, passage through the straits is administered jointly by all Black Sea littoral states.
- B. The straits are treated as international waters open to warships of all nations without restriction under UNCLOS.
- C. Türkiye may close the straits to merchant ships of all nations even in peacetime.
- D. Under the Montreux Convention of 1936, Türkiye controls the passage of vessels through the Bosporus and the Dardanelles.
Q14. According to the July 2026 assessment of Jammu & Kashmir, the recurring pattern of short-duration, high-intensity cloudburst events through June–July 2026 was observed across how many named districts/locations of the region?
- A. Three
- B. Four
- C. Five
- D. Seven
Q15. A 'western disturbance', whose interaction with monsoon currents can intensify rainfall over Jammu & Kashmir, is best described as which one of the following?
- A. A tropical cyclone that forms over the Arabian Sea and moves northeastward into the Kashmir Valley
- B. A monsoon low-pressure depression that develops over the Bay of Bengal and travels westward across the Gangetic plains
- C. A localised convective thunderstorm system that develops seasonally over the Thar Desert
- D. An extratropical storm originating over the Mediterranean region, carried eastward by the westerlies to bring non-monsoonal precipitation to northwest India
Q16. The catastrophic Kashmir floods marked by a Jhelum breach and the submergence of Srinagar — repeatedly cited as the benchmark comparison for the July 2026 crisis — occurred in which year?
- A. 2014
- B. 2010
- C. 2013
- D. 2016
Q17. The inundation of Srinagar during the catastrophic 2014 Kashmir floods — the principal comparative reference for the 2026 event — was primarily caused by the breaching/overflowing of which one of the following rivers?
- A. Chenab
- B. Tawi
- C. Lidder
- D. Jhelum
Q18. Consider the following statements distinguishing a cloudburst from ordinary heavy rainfall:
1. The IMD defines a cloudburst as 100 mm or more of rain within one hour over a limited area, whereas ordinary heavy rain is assessed over a full day.
2. Unlike widespread monsoon rainfall, a cloudburst is highly localised, typically affecting an area of only about 20–30 sq km.
3. A cloudburst, unlike normal rainfall, can occur only during the winter months.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The IMD defines a cloudburst as 100 mm or more of rain within one hour over a limited area, whereas ordinary heavy rain is assessed over a full day.
- Unlike widespread monsoon rainfall, a cloudburst is highly localised, typically affecting an area of only about 20–30 sq km.
- A cloudburst, unlike normal rainfall, can occur only during the winter months.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q19. With reference to a cloudburst, consider the following:
1. It is a convective phenomenon associated with towering cumulonimbus clouds and strong updrafts.
2. It is commonly triggered by orographic lifting when moisture-laden air is forced up steep terrain.
3. Himalayan cloudburst-like days have risen markedly over the past two decades.
4. It is caused primarily by western disturbances during the peak winter season.
Which of the statements given above are correctly identified as features of a cloudburst?
- It is a convective phenomenon associated with towering cumulonimbus clouds and strong updrafts.
- It is commonly triggered by orographic lifting when moisture-laden air is forced up steep terrain.
- Himalayan cloudburst-like days have risen markedly over the past two decades.
- It is caused primarily by western disturbances during the peak winter season.
- A. 1 and 4
- B. 2, 3 and 4
- C. 1, 2 and 3
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q20. Regarding rainfall recorded across Jammu & Kashmir during July 19–24, 2026, consider the following:
1. Reasi recorded the highest rainfall in the Union Territory, at 473.2 mm.
2. Kulgam recorded the highest cumulative rainfall within the Kashmir Valley.
3. Udhampur recorded the second-highest rainfall in the Union Territory, at about 417 mm.
4. Srinagar recorded the highest rainfall in the entire Union Territory, at about 473 mm.
Which of the statements given above are correctly identified?
- Reasi recorded the highest rainfall in the Union Territory, at 473.2 mm.
- Kulgam recorded the highest cumulative rainfall within the Kashmir Valley.
- Udhampur recorded the second-highest rainfall in the Union Territory, at about 417 mm.
- Srinagar recorded the highest rainfall in the entire Union Territory, at about 473 mm.
- A. 1 and 4
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 1, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q21. Which one of the following was the designated nodal agency responsible for issuing rainfall forecasts and weather warnings for the Kashmir Valley during the July 2026 floods?
- A. The Central Water Commission, the sole authority for all weather forecasting in India
- B. The National Remote Sensing Centre, which alone issues every rainfall alert in the Himalayas
- C. The India Meteorological Department (IMD), Srinagar
- D. The National Disaster Management Authority, the exclusive forecaster of monsoon rainfall
Q22. Consider the following statements about the Jhelum river and its drainage:
1. The Jhelum originates from the Verinag spring in Anantnag district, while the Lidder joins it as a tributary near Khanabal.
2. The Jhelum flows through Wular Lake — one of the largest freshwater lakes in India — before entering Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
3. After leaving the Kashmir Valley the Jhelum drains independently into the Arabian Sea without joining any larger river system.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The Jhelum originates from the Verinag spring in Anantnag district, while the Lidder joins it as a tributary near Khanabal.
- The Jhelum flows through Wular Lake — one of the largest freshwater lakes in India — before entering Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
- After leaving the Kashmir Valley the Jhelum drains independently into the Arabian Sea without joining any larger river system.
- A. 1 and 3 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q23. The Jhelum, the principal river of the Kashmir Valley whose overflow drives Valley floods, has an approximate total length of about how many kilometres?
- A. About 725 km
- B. About 1,100 km
- C. About 400 km
- D. About 1,450 km
Q24. The Ken-Betwa Link Project is primarily aimed at addressing chronic water scarcity in which one of the following regions?
- A. The Malwa region
- B. The Baghelkhand region
- C. The Bundelkhand region
- D. The Vidarbha region
Q25. Which one of the following is recognised as the first inter-basin river-linking project to be taken up for implementation under the National Perspective Plan?
- A. The Ken-Betwa link
- B. The Par-Tapi-Narmada link
- C. The Godavari-Cauvery link
- D. The Mahanadi-Godavari link
Q26. The Ken and the Betwa, the two rivers linked under the Ken-Betwa Link Project, are both tributaries of which one of the following rivers?
- A. The Ganga
- B. The Yamuna
- C. The Chambal
- D. The Son
Q27. The Ken-Betwa Link Project is implemented under the administrative aegis of which one of the following Union Ministries?
- A. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
- B. The Ministry of Earth Sciences
- C. The Ministry of Jal Shakti
- D. The Ministry of Rural Development
Q28. Consider the following statements regarding the National Perspective Plan (1980) for interlinking of rivers:
1. Its Himalayan Component envisages storages on the principal tributaries of the Ganga and the Brahmaputra.
2. Its Peninsular Component accounts for 16 of the 30 links identified for feasibility reports.
3. The Ken-Betwa link falls under the Himalayan Component of the plan.
4. The National Water Development Agency was established in 1982 to conduct feasibility studies.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correctly stated?
- Its Himalayan Component envisages storages on the principal tributaries of the Ganga and the Brahmaputra.
- Its Peninsular Component accounts for 16 of the 30 links identified for feasibility reports.
- The Ken-Betwa link falls under the Himalayan Component of the plan.
- The National Water Development Agency was established in 1982 to conduct feasibility studies.
- A. 1 and 4 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 4 only
Q29. The National Perspective Plan (NPP) for interlinking of rivers, formulated in 1980, was originally prepared by which one of the following?
- A. The Central Water Commission
- B. The then Union Ministry of Irrigation
- C. The National Water Development Agency
- D. The Union Ministry of Jal Shakti
Q30. Consider the following pairs of Indian World Heritage Sites and their categories:
1. Khangchendzonga National Park — Mixed site
2. Kaziranga National Park — Natural site
3. Great Himalayan National Park — Natural site
4. Sun Temple, Konark — Natural site
Which of the pairs given above is/are NOT correctly matched?
- Khangchendzonga National Park — Mixed site
- Kaziranga National Park — Natural site
- Great Himalayan National Park — Natural site
- Sun Temple, Konark — Natural site
- A. 1 only
- B. 3 only
- C. 4 only
- D. 2 and 4