RAS question
In which direction does the Aravalli Range extend across Rajasthan?
Correct answer: (D) Southwest to Northeast.
The Aravalli Range extends across Rajasthan in a southwest-to-northeast direction.
Explanation
The Aravalli Range has a clear diagonal alignment across Rajasthan, running from the southwest towards the northeast. The broader range extends from near Palanpur in Gujarat to near Delhi, over about 692 km across Rajasthan. Rajasthan State Biodiversity Board describes the same direction within the state: the Aravali Range runs from Guru Shikhar at Mount Abu in the southwest to Khetri in the northeast. This matters because the range is not merely a line of hills; its southwest-to-northeast axis helps divide Rajasthan into a northwestern tract and a southeastern tract. So the direction asked in the question is southwest to northeast, not any straight north-south, east-west, or northwest-southeast alignment.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Northwest to southeast reverses the tested diagonal; the official description places the range from the southwest towards the northeast.
- (B) East to west is wrong because the range has a diagonal southwest-to-northeast run, not a horizontal belt.
- (C) North to south is too vertical for the Aravalli alignment; the range crosses Rajasthan diagonally from the southwest towards the northeast.
Concept
This tests the physiographic orientation of Rajasthan’s major relief feature. It recurs in RAS because the Aravalli axis explains regional divisions within the state and is a base fact for Rajasthan geography questions.