RAS question
The Betwa River, a tributary of the Yamuna, flows through:
Correct answer: (B) Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
The Betwa River, a tributary of the Yamuna, flows through Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
Explanation
The Betwa is a Yamuna tributary whose geography places it firmly in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. India-WRIS states that the river originates in Bhopal district in Madhya Pradesh and joins the Yamuna near Hamirpur after travelling 590 km. Its basin area is divided between the two states, with the larger share in Madhya Pradesh and the rest in Uttar Pradesh. This matches the standard exam framing: the Betwa rises in the Vindhyan region of Madhya Pradesh, passes through places such as Vidisha, Sanchi and Orchha, and meets the Yamuna at Hamirpur in Uttar Pradesh. The question is therefore testing the river's state-wise course, not just its status as a Yamuna tributary.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Maharashtra and Karnataka belong to a different peninsular river region and do not match the Betwa's Madhya Pradesh origin and Uttar Pradesh confluence.
- (C) Rajasthan and Gujarat are not the states identified with the Betwa basin in the cited India-WRIS account, which places it in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
- (D) Bihar and Jharkhand are outside the Betwa-Yamuna setting described here, since the river rises in Madhya Pradesh and joins the Yamuna near Hamirpur in Uttar Pradesh.
Concept
This tests Indian drainage, especially the Yamuna's tributary system and the state-wise location of major rivers. It recurs in RAS because river basins, inter-state drainage and projects such as Ken-Betwa are frequent geography anchors.