Test: Structure and Physiography - UPSC MCQ

The northern plains are formed by the alluvial deposits brought by the rivers – the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra.

These hills are called Ghats because they have reduced to very low heights.

This is the oldest part of India and therefore rocks found here are highly denuded.

The Peninsular India is made up of a series of patland plateaus such as the Hazaribagh plateau, the Palamu plateau, the Ranchi plateau, the Malwa plateau, the Coimbatore plateau and the Karnataka plateau, etc. This is one of the oldest and the most stable landmass of India.

Doddabetta is the highest mountain in the Nilgiri Hills at 2,637 metres.

According to age, the Indian mountains can be arranged from the oldest; Aravalli,the Western Ghats, Vindhya and Satpura, the Nilgris and the Himalayas.

The northeastern plateau is an extension of the main Peninsular plateau. It is believed that due to the force exerted by the northeastward movement of the Indian plate at the time of the Himalayan origin, a huge fault was created between the Rajmahal hills and the Meghalaya hills. Today, the Meghalaya and Karbi Anglong plateau stand detached from the main peninsular block.

The Peninsular Plateau is the oldest and the most stable landmass of India. The Peninsular plateau can be divided into three broad groups:
(i) The Deccan Plateau
(ii) The Central Highlands
(iii) The Northeastern Plateau.

Ladakh cold desert lies in the Lahaul and Spiti subdivision.

The most important geographical advantage of the Himalayas is option 3: They prevent the monsoons from crossing to the north and also serve as a reservoir of water from which our perennial rivers flow. The Himalayas act as a barrier to the southward movement of cold, dry winds from Central Asia and Siberia, which helps to maintain a relatively warm and humid climate in the Indian subcontinent. Moreover, the Himalayas receive heavy rainfall during the monsoon season, which results in the formation of numerous rivers and streams that provide water for irrigation, hydroelectric power generation, and other human needs.