RAS question
The Chambal River originates from which location outside Rajasthan?
Correct answer: (B) Janapav hills near Mhow (MP).
The Chambal River originates at the Janapav hills near Mhow in Madhya Pradesh's Indore district, outside Rajasthan.
Explanation
The Chambal is central to Rajasthan geography, but its source is not in Rajasthan. Its source is the Janapav hills near Mhow, Indore, in Madhya Pradesh. The Rajasthan groundwater atlas supports this origin area by placing the river's source in the Vindhyan ranges near Mhow in Indore district, Madhya Pradesh, before it enters Rajasthan at Chourasigarh upstream of Kota. This is why option B is the best answer: it names the Madhya Pradesh source area, while the other options point to different places or ranges. Its Rajasthan relevance is clear: it is Rajasthan's only perennial river and later joins the Yamuna near Etawah.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Amarkantak is associated with the Narmada and Son origins, whereas the Chambal source is Janapav near Mhow in Madhya Pradesh.
- (C) Vindhyachal hills in Uttar Pradesh do not match the Chambal's source area; the Chambal originates near Mhow in Indore district, Madhya Pradesh.
- (D) The Satpura Range is linked with rivers such as the Tapti, while the Chambal's stated origin is Janapav near Mhow.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan drainage geography, especially rivers that shape Rajasthan but originate outside the state. RAS repeats this concept because river origin, entry point and final confluence are standard map-based facts.