RAS question
The Pir Panjal Range is part of the:
Correct answer: (C) Lesser/Middle Himalayas.
The Pir Panjal Range is part of the Lesser or Middle Himalayas, also called the Himachal range.
Explanation
NCERT divides the Himalayas, in their longitudinal extent, into parallel ranges and identifies the northern-most range as the Great or Inner Himalayas, or Himadri. It then states that the range lying south of the Himadri is the Himachal or Lesser Himalaya. In that Lesser Himalayan belt, NCERT names Pir Panjal as the longest and most important range, along with Dhaula Dhar and Mahabharat. That places Pir Panjal squarely in the Lesser/Middle Himalayas, not in the outer Shiwaliks or the Great Himalayas. Pir Panjal runs from southeastern J&K through Himachal Pradesh, separates the Kashmir Valley from the Jammu plains, and is associated with Pir Panjal, Rohtang and Banihal passes.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Shiwaliks are the outer-most Himalaya, while NCERT places Pir Panjal in the Himachal or Lesser Himalaya lying south of the Himadri.
- (B) Greater Himalayas refer to the Great or Inner Himalayas, also called Himadri; Pir Panjal is listed under the Lesser Himalaya instead.
- (D) Trans-Himalayas point to ranges such as Karakoram, whereas NCERT classification places Pir Panjal within the Lesser/Middle Himalayas.
Concept
This tests the longitudinal division of the Himalayas: Himadri, Himachal or Lesser Himalaya, and Shiwaliks. RAS repeats such range-classification questions because they connect physical geography with map-based identification of valleys, passes and regional relief.