Geography MCQs for UPSC Prelims — August 2026

Q1. Consider the following pairings relating to salmon aquaculture and the first tariff-free Scottish salmon consignment to India: 1. Bakkafrost Scotland — producer of the freshly farmed salmon in the consignment received at Bengaluru 2. Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland — locations of Scotland's marine salmon farms, along with the west coast of the mainland 3. Salmon — Scotland's largest food export, with overseas sales of about GBP 528 million in the first half of 2025 4. Norway — the world's third largest producer of farmed salmon, ranking just ahead of Scotland Which of the above is/are NOT correctly matched?

  1. Bakkafrost Scotland — producer of the freshly farmed salmon in the consignment received at Bengaluru
  2. Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland — locations of Scotland's marine salmon farms, along with the west coast of the mainland
  3. Salmon — Scotland's largest food export, with overseas sales of about GBP 528 million in the first half of 2025
  4. Norway — the world's third largest producer of farmed salmon, ranking just ahead of Scotland
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 3 and 4

Q2. With reference to the physiography of the Western Ghats, the Palghat Gap is correctly described as which one of the following?

  • A. A break about 32 km wide lying between the Nilgiri Hills and the Anaimalai Hills, straddling the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border
  • B. A break about 32 km wide lying between the Sahyadri and the Nilgiri Hills, straddling the Karnataka-Kerala border
  • C. A gorge cut through the Cardamom Hills by the Periyar, forming the Kerala-Tamil Nadu boundary near Thekkady
  • D. A coastal lowland separating the seaward face of the Ghats from the Arabian Sea in northern Kerala

Q3. The Western Ghats run roughly 1,500 km from the Tapti valley to near Kanyakumari. What is the approximate total geographical extent of this mountain range?

  • A. About 7,953 sq km, the extent recognised by UNESCO for the range
  • B. About 56,825 sq km, as measured by the Survey of India
  • C. About 59,940 sq km, as assessed by the Forest Survey of India
  • D. About 1.64 lakh sq km, of which a part is proposed as ESA