RAS question
The Indus River enters India through:
Correct answer: (A) Ladakh, near Demchok.
The Indus River enters India through Ladakh near Demchok.
Explanation
The Indus is a trans-Himalayan river. It is considered to originate in the Senge Khabab area near Lake Mansarovar in Tibet. From there, it flows northwest and enters India in Ladakh near Demchok. It then flows through Ladakh before leaving India towards Pakistan-administered territory. The Ladakh Heritage page describes Demchok as a frontier settlement and says that the Indus flows along the lower side of the village. Therefore, Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh are not its Indian entry points. The river's high-altitude Indian stretch lies in Ladakh; Leh stands on its bank, and Zanskar, Shyok, and Nubra are tributaries associated with this river system.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Attari lies on the India-Pakistan border in Punjab, but it is not the Indus entry point. The river enters India near Demchok in Ladakh and later leaves India towards Pakistan-administered territory.
- (C) Uttarakhand belongs to the Ganga-Yamuna river system. The Indus does not pass through Uttarakhand; it enters India near Demchok in Ladakh.
- (D) Himachal Pradesh is neither the entry point nor part of the stated Indian course of the Indus. The river enters India near Demchok in Ladakh.
Concept
This question tests the Himalayan river systems part of Indian geography, especially the routes from a river's source to an international border. RAS often asks such map-based facts because river routes, frontier locations, tributaries, and treaties such as the Indus Waters Treaty can be connected in prelims questions.