RAS question
The Nanda Devi peak (7,817 m) is located in which state?
Correct answer: (B) Uttarakhand.
Nanda Devi peak, at 7,817 m, is located in Uttarakhand.
Explanation
Nanda Devi is located in Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand Tourism places the protected landscape around it in Uttarakhand: the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, also known as Nanda Devi National Park, is described as lying under the guard of the Nanda Devi peak and spread across Chamoli, Pithoragarh and Bageshwar districts of Uttarakhand. That is why Uttarakhand, not another Himalayan state or Union territory, is the answer. The exam-relevant distinction is that Nanda Devi is the highest peak entirely within India's administered territory, while Kangchenjunga lies on the India-Nepal border. The national park around Nanda Devi is part of the UNESCO World Heritage context.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Himachal Pradesh is not the state of Nanda Devi; Reo Purgyil is the highest peak associated with Himachal Pradesh.
- (C) Jammu & Kashmir does not match the Uttarakhand location of the Nanda Devi landscape, and J&K is linked with the Nun Kun peak instead.
- (D) Sikkim is a different Himalayan state; the Sikkim-side comparison is Kangchenjunga, which lies on the India-Nepal border.
Concept
This tests Indian physical geography, especially the state-wise location of major Himalayan peaks. It recurs in RAS because peak-location questions combine map awareness with high-value distinctions such as entirely-within-India versus border peaks.