RAS question
Meena tribe is the largest tribe in Rajasthan. They are mainly found in:
Correct answer: (C) Eastern and southeastern Rajasthan.
The Meena tribe is mainly found in eastern and southeastern Rajasthan.
Explanation
The Meena tribe's main region is eastern and southeastern Rajasthan. Its distribution includes Jaipur, Dausa, Sawai Madhopur, Karauli, Alwar, Udaipur and Bhilwara. Encyclopedia.com (Gale) also identifies eastern Rajasthan, especially the area around Alwar and Bharatpur, as the community's principal concentration, with significant numbers in southeastern Rajasthan. This distribution rules out northern Rajasthan as a whole, the western desert belt and Udaipur alone. Option C is therefore the most precise regional description.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Northern Rajasthan is not the tribe's main region; this option overlooks its distribution across eastern and southeastern Rajasthan.
- (B) Western Rajasthan does not match the district pattern or the main Meena concentrations in eastern and southeastern Rajasthan.
- (D) Udaipur alone is too narrow because the Meena tribe is found across several districts in eastern and southeastern Rajasthan.
Concept
This tests the spatial distribution of Rajasthan's major tribes, a recurring RAS geography theme because tribal communities are often mapped to regions, districts and cultural areas. Meena distribution is especially important because the community is large and strongly associated with eastern Rajasthan.