RAS question
The Chambal Badlands (ravines) are primarily found in which districts of Rajasthan?
Correct answer: (B) Sawai Madhopur, Karauli and Dholpur.
In Rajasthan, the Chambal badlands or ravines are primarily found along the Chambal in Sawai Madhopur, Karauli and Dholpur districts.
Explanation
The Chambal badlands are a river-erosion feature, not a general south-eastern Rajasthan label. The main ravine belt runs along the Chambal in Sawai Madhopur, Karauli and Dholpur. The Rajasthan Forest Department, Tiger Conservation Plan for Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve supports the physical setting: it describes ravines on the banks of the Chambal and Banas, formed where sandy, easily erodible soil has been cut into narrow gullies, and notes major ravine areas along the Chambal around Keladevi. This is why option B is the best match. It names the districts tied to the Chambal ravine landscape, rather than neighbouring districts that may have some Chambal influence but are not the primary answer here.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Kota and Bundi have some Chambal influence, but the question asks for the primary Chambal ravine districts: Sawai Madhopur, Karauli and Dholpur.
- (C) Udaipur and Chittorgarh belong to the Mewar region, whereas the ravines in question are tied to erosion along the Chambal course.
- (D) Jaipur and Dausa are not part of the Chambal-basin badland belt described here.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan physical geography, especially river erosion and regional landforms. It recurs in RAS because the Chambal ravines are a distinctive south-eastern Rajasthan feature linked to district location, drainage and soil erosion.