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RAS question

The Deccan Plateau is bounded on the west by the Western Ghats and on the east by:

Correct answer: (C) Eastern Ghats.

The Deccan Plateau is bounded on the east by the Eastern Ghats, while the Western Ghats mark its western edge.

  1. (A)

    Himalayas

  2. (B)

    Vindhya Range

  3. (C)

    Eastern Ghats

  4. (D)

    Aravalli Range

Explanation

The Deccan Plateau is a triangular landmass lying south of the Narmada. NCERT describes it as higher in the west and gently sloping eastwards, which matches the standard explanation for why most peninsular rivers flow towards the Bay of Bengal. Its two edge ranges define the plateau clearly: the Western Ghats mark the western edge, and the Eastern Ghats mark the eastern edge. The Eastern Ghats are not a single continuous wall like the Western Ghats; NCERT notes that they are discontinuous and irregular, cut by rivers draining into the Bay of Bengal. So the eastern boundary of the Deccan Plateau is the Eastern Ghats, not any northern or north-western range.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (A) The Himalayas form a separate northern mountain system and do not bound the Deccan Plateau on its eastern side.
  • (B) The Vindhya Range is associated with the northern side of the peninsular plateau region, not the eastern edge of the Deccan Plateau.
  • (D) The Aravalli Range lies on the western and north-western margins of the Peninsular Plateau, so it is not the Deccan Plateau's eastern boundary.

Concept

The physiographic division of the Peninsular Plateau depends heavily on the boundary ranges of the Deccan Plateau. RAS Indian physical geography preparation often requires candidates to connect relief, slope and river direction.

Source

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