RAS question
The Mahi River in Rajasthan is significant because it is the only river in Rajasthan that:
Correct answer: (C) Crosses the Tropic of Cancer twice.
The Mahi River is significant in Rajasthan because it is the only river associated with the state that crosses the Tropic of Cancer twice.
Explanation
The Mahi is marked out by its unusual course rather than by its length or desert setting. It rises in Madhya Pradesh, enters Rajasthan, and later flows towards the Gulf of Khambhat in Gujarat. The Times of India describes the decisive feature: the river first crosses north of the Tropic of Cancer, then makes a broad U-shaped bend through Rajasthan before cutting the tropic again on its way towards the sea. That loop is why option C is stronger than simply saying it reaches the Arabian Sea or passes through Rajasthan. For RAS, the point to remember is the double crossing of the Tropic of Cancer, including the Rajasthan crossing near Banswara.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The Mahi does not originate within Rajasthan; it originates in Madhya Pradesh.
- (B) Although the Mahi ultimately drains towards the Gulf of Khambhat, this option misses the distinctive feature tested here: its double crossing of the Tropic of Cancer.
- (D) The Mahi runs from Madhya Pradesh through Rajasthan towards Gujarat, not through the Thar Desert.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan drainage and the geographical significance of major rivers, especially how river courses interact with physical markers such as the Tropic of Cancer. It recurs in RAS because the Mahi is a standard map-based exception in Rajasthan geography.