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RAS question

Shipki La Pass is located on the India-China border. Through which river gorge does the trade route pass near Shipki La?

Correct answer: (B) Sutlej River.

The trade route near Shipki La passes through the Sutlej River gorge on the India-China border.

  1. (A)

    Beas River

  2. (B)

    Sutlej River

  3. (C)

    Chenab River

  4. (D)

    Ravi River

Explanation

Shipki La is in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh on the India-Tibet (China) border, and the linked river is the Sutlej. NCERT describes the Satluj as rising near Mansarovar in Tibet, flowing before entering India, passing through Shipki La on the Himalayan ranges, and coming out of a gorge at Rupar before entering the Punjab plains. This matches the standard explanation that the Sutlej enters India from Tibet through the Shipki La gorge. The key is to connect the pass with the Sutlej's trans-Himalayan course, not merely with Himachal Pradesh as a location.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (A) The Beas is associated with Beas Kund near Rohtang Pass and the Kullu valley, not with Shipki La on the India-China border.
  • (C) The Chenab is a different Indus-system river, while the given Shipki La trade route is tied to the Sutlej's entry from Tibet.
  • (D) The Ravi is not the river identified with the Shipki La route; the explanation and NCERT passage identify the Sutlej/Satluj instead.

Concept

This tests Himalayan passes and the Indus river system, especially how rivers cut gorges while crossing the Himalaya. RAS repeats such map-based pairings because they link physical geography with borders and trade routes.

Source

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