RAS question
The Deccan Plateau slopes generally towards the:
Correct answer: (B) East.
The Deccan Plateau generally slopes eastwards, from its higher western side towards the lower eastern side.
Explanation
The Deccan Plateau slopes generally towards the east because its western side is higher while the surface descends gently eastwards. NCERT describes the Deccan Plateau as a triangular landmass south of the Narmada and states that it is higher in the west and slopes gently eastwards. This also fits the standard drainage pattern given in the explanation: most major Peninsular rivers such as the Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri and Mahanadi flow from west to east into the Bay of Bengal. The Western Ghats form the higher western edge, while the Eastern Ghats are lower, discontinuous and cut by rivers draining into the Bay of Bengal.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) West is wrong because the Western Ghats form the higher western edge, so the plateau slopes away from that side rather than towards it.
- (C) North is wrong because the northern boundary is associated with ranges such as the Satpura, while the general surface of the Deccan Plateau is described as sloping eastwards.
- (D) South is wrong because the explanation links the plateau's general slope to east-flowing Peninsular rivers, not to a southward drainage pattern.
Concept
This tests Indian physiography, especially the relief and drainage logic of the Peninsular Plateau. It recurs in RAS because plateau slope, Ghats and Peninsular river direction are often tested together.