DAY – 49 : Insta 75 Days Revision Plan-2026 : GEOGRAPHY

Answer: (c)

Explanation

• Pair 1 is incorrectly matched: The Abor Hills are located in Arunachal Pradesh, not Sikkim. They are part of the outer Himalayas and are situated between the Mishmi Hills and the Miri Hills, bordering the Dihang (Brahmaputra) river.
• Pair 2 is correctly matched: The Mikir Hills are located in Assam, specifically to the south of the Kaziranga National Park. They are technically a part of the Karbi Anglong plateau and are detached from the main Himalayan range.
• Pair 3 is correctly matched: The Garhjat Hills are a mountain range in Odisha. They are part of the Northern section of the Eastern Ghats and are known for being a source of several rivers, including the Baitarani.

Hence, only Pairs 2 and 3 are correctly matched.

Answer: (c)

Explanation

The base of the pyramid represents the population of the children. If it is thick or wide, it represents that children constitute a significant part of national population. The opposite if it is narrow. So, B and D deal with the population proportions of the children and aged and therefore and incorrect in this context.

Vertical symmetry reflects the fact that all age groups contain equal numbers of males and females.

Answer: (d)

Explanation:

Geographers often divide the Himalayas longitudinally, from west to east, based on the river valleys that demarcate them. This classification is known as the Regional Division of the Himalayas.

Pair 1 is correctly matched: The Punjab Himalayas, also known as the Kashmir and Himachal Himalayas, extend for about 560 km between the Indus and the Sutlej rivers. This region includes the Karakoram, Ladakh, Zanskar and Pir Panjal ranges.

Pair 2 is correctly matched: The Kumaon Himalayas lie between the Sutlej and the Kali rivers. This section is located primarily in Uttarakhand and is famous for peaks like Nanda Devi and Kamet, as well as the sources of the Ganga and Yamuna.

Pair 3 is correctly matched: The Nepal Himalayas stretch for about 800 km between the Kali and the Teesta rivers. This is the tallest section of the Himalayas, containing Mount Everest, Kanchenjunga and Annapurna.

Pair 4 is correctly matched: The Assam Himalayas extend between the Teesta and the Dihang, or Brahmaputra, rivers. This region covers parts of Sikkim, Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh.

Answer: (b)

Explanation

The shortest maritime route from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Japan (located between the Japanese archipelago and the Asian mainland) follows the primary global energy artery connecting the Middle East to East Asia.

• Strait of Hormuz: This is the starting point, as it is the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean (Gulf of Oman/Arabian Sea).
• Strait of Malacca: After crossing the Indian Ocean, the shortest path into the Pacific is through the Strait of Malacca (between Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula). Palk Strait (option a) is a detour between India and Sri Lanka, and the Sunda Strait (option d) is a longer alternative route used primarily when the Malacca Strait is congested or for very deep-draught vessels.
• Taiwan Strait: Once in the South China Sea, sailing north toward Japan typically involves passing through the Taiwan Strait (between China and Taiwan) to enter the East China Sea.
• Korea Strait: To finally enter the Sea of Japan, the vessel must pass through the Korea Strait (specifically the Tsushima Strait channel), which separates South Korea from the Japanese island of Kyushu.

Answer: (b)

Explanation:

India’s timekeeping is governed by a single longitudinal reference point to ensure administrative and social uniformity across the country.

Statement I is correct: Indian Standard Time (IST) is calculated based on the 82°30′ E longitude, also known as the Standard Meridian of India. This line passes through Mirzapur, near Prayagraj, in Uttar Pradesh. The time here is exactly 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, that is UTC +5:30.

Statement II is incorrect: Despite a longitudinal spread of nearly 30°, India does not follow multiple time zones. The entire country, from the Rann of Kutch in the west to Dong valley in the east, follows a single time zone. Although there have been long-standing demands for a separate time zone for the North-East, the government has officially maintained a unified IST.

Statement III is correct: India’s longitudinal extent is roughly from 68°7′ E to 97°25′ E. Since the Earth rotates 1° every 4 minutes, a 30° difference results in a time lag of nearly 120 minutes. Consequently, the sun rises approximately two hours earlier in Arunachal Pradesh than in Gujarat.

Therefore, Statements I and III are correct, while Statement II is incorrect.

Answer: (b)

Explanation:

The total land frontier of India is about 15,200 km. The order of border length (from longest to shortest) is:

1. Bangladesh (4,096.7 km)
2. China (3,488 km)
3. Pakistan (3,323 km)
4. Nepal (1,751 km)
5. Myanmar (1,643 km)
6. Bhutan (699 km)
7. Afghanistan (106 km)

Hence, Choice (b) is the correct sequence.

Answer: (d)

Explanation

The Western Ghats (Sahyadris) are a continuous mountain range, unlike the Eastern Ghats. However, there are a few natural gaps or passes that have historically facilitated trade and connectivity between the coastal plains (Konkan/Malabar) and the interior plateau (Deccan).

• 1. Thal Ghat (Kasara Ghat): Located in Maharashtra, it connects Mumbai to Nashik. It is a major link for both the Central Railway and the National Highway (NH-3) leading toward North India.
• 2. Bhor Ghat: Also in Maharashtra, it connects Mumbai to Pune. It is one of the busiest passes in the country, carrying the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and the rail line toward Chennai and Bengaluru.
• 3. Palghat Gap (Palakkad Gap): Located between the Nilgiri Hills to the north and the Anaimalai Hills to the south. It is a large, low-lying break (about 30 km wide) that connects Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) to Palakkad (Kerala). It significantly influences the climate of the region by allowing the South-West monsoon winds to reach the interior of Tamil Nadu.
• 4. Shencottah Gap: Located further south, near the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, it connects Kollam to Madurai. It is situated between the Cardamom Hills and the Pandalam Hills.

Answer: (b)

Explanation

The journey from the North-East to the Southern tip of India requires navigating the “Chicken’s Neck” (Siliguri Corridor) and traveling down the eastern or central peninsula.

The most direct and state-efficient route is as follows:

1. Nagaland (Starting Point: Kohima)
2. Assam (The only way out of Nagaland toward mainland India)
3. West Bengal (Entry into the mainland via the Siliguri Corridor)
4. Odisha (Traveling south along the eastern coast)
5. Andhra Pradesh (Continuing along the coast)
6. Tamil Nadu (Entering the south)
7. Kerala (Destination: Kottayam)

Including both Nagaland and Kerala, the minimum number of states is 7.

Answer: (a)

Explanation

The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in Northeast Africa that juts into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden.

• Geopolitically and geographically, the “Horn” is defined by the four countries that occupy the immediate peninsula: Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti.
• Ethiopia (2): Although it is landlocked, it is the heart of the Horn of Africa and its most populous nation.
• Somalia (1), Eritrea (3), and Djibouti (4): These three form the coastline of the Horn, guarding the strategic Bab-el-Mandeb strait.
• Kenya (5): While Kenya is part of the broader “Greater Horn of Africa” (a term used by organizations like IGAD to include neighbors like Kenya, Sudan, and South Sudan for developmental and climatic monitoring), it is not part of the Horn of Africa in its strict geographical and traditional geopolitical sense.

Answer: (b)

Explanation

The Rub’ al Khali, or the Empty Quarter, is the largest area of continuous sand in the world, covering approximately 650,000 square kilometres.

• Arabian Desert (b): The Rub’ al Khali is the southern third of the larger Arabian Desert. It spans across four countries: Saudi Arabia (where most of it lies), Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. It is a hyper-arid sedimentary basin characterized by massive longitudinal dunes that can reach heights of over 250 meters.
• Syrian Desert (a): This is located to the north of the Arabian Peninsula, covering parts of Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. It is primarily a rock and gravel desert rather than a “sand sea” like the Rub’ al Khali.
• Karakum Desert (c): This desert is located in Central Asia, primarily in Turkmenistan, east of the Caspian Sea.
• Thar Desert (d): Also known as the Great Indian Desert, it is located in northwestern India and Pakistan.

Answer: (a) 54

Explanation:
Cubes with exactly one face painted lie on the faces of the cube, excluding edges and corners.

General formula: Number of such cubes = 6 × (n − 2)²

Here, n = 5
6 × (5 − 2)² = 6 × 3² = 6 × 9 = 54

Answer: (a) 1

Explanation:
When two positions of a die have two common faces, the remaining faces are opposite to each other.

• From Position 1 and Position 2:
  Common faces = 2 and 6 → remaining faces 4 and 5 are opposite
• From Position 1 and Position 3:
  Common faces = 4 and 6 → remaining faces 2 and 3 are opposite

Thus, we get:

• 4 ↔ 5
• 2 ↔ 3

Now the remaining numbers are 1 and 6, which must be opposite faces.

Therefore, the face opposite to 6 is 1.

Answer: (a) Only 2 and 3

Explanation:

Conclusion 1: No definite link between engineers and unemployed → does not follow

Conclusion 2: Some graduates are unemployed and no unemployed is wealthy → some graduates are not wealthy → follows

Conclusion 3: “No unemployed is wealthy” is a universal negative statement and is logically reversible → no wealthy person is unemployed → follows

Conclusion 4: No information linking engineers to wealth → does not follow

Answer: (a) Only 1

Explanation:
“Only a few books are journals” means:

• Some books are journals
• Some books are not journals

Conclusion 1:
Some books are journals and all journals are magazines → some books are magazines → follows

Conclusion 2:
Since “only a few” ensures some books are not journals,
“All books being journals” is not possible even as a case → does not follow

Conclusion 3:
No definite relationship between journals and newspapers → does not follow

Answer: (c)

Explanation:
The passage presents a contrast between availability of solutions and failure in implementation. It acknowledges that sustainable urban planning measures—such as green infrastructure and renewable energy—are already well-recognized and included in policy frameworks.

However, the core argument is that rapid urban expansion prioritizes short-term economic gains, and more importantly, that there is a lack of coordinated execution and political will, which prevents effective implementation of these solutions.

Thus, the passage is not questioning the feasibility of sustainability (eliminates option a), nor claiming incompatibility between growth and environment (eliminates b), nor limiting the issue to renewable energy alone (eliminates d).

Instead, it clearly emphasizes that the primary challenge lies in translating existing solutions into effective action, which is best captured by option (c).