RAS question
Red soil in Rajasthan is mainly found in which region?
Correct answer: (A) Southern Rajasthan (Dungarpur, Banswara, Udaipur).
In Rajasthan, red soil is mainly found in Southern Rajasthan, especially around Dungarpur, Banswara and Udaipur.
Explanation
Red soil in Rajasthan is best associated with the southern hilly belt, not the plains or the desert. It is found especially in Dungarpur, Banswara, Pratapgarh, Udaipur and Chittorgarh, and its origin is linked to the weathering of metamorphic and igneous rocks. The World Bank Documents soil section records that ferrogenous red soil occurs in the central and southern parts of Udaipur district and the whole of Dungarpur district, while mixed red and black soil is found in eastern Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Dungarpur, Banswara and Bhilwara. Southern Rajasthan, with Dungarpur, Banswara and Udaipur, is the closest and most exam-relevant answer.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Northern Rajasthan lies outside the main red-soil belt and is associated instead with sandy or alluvial soils.
- (C) The eastern plains are not the main red-soil region, because alluvial soil is characteristic there.
- (D) The western desert region is associated with sandy or desert soil, not the southern red-soil belt.
Concept
Rajasthan soil distribution is a core physical-geography theme in RAS because soil belts are repeatedly linked with relief, rock type and regional agriculture. The recurring trap is to confuse southern red soils with alluvial plains or western desert soils.