RAS question
The Western Ghats are one of the world's 36 biodiversity hotspots. They are also called:
Correct answer: (B) Sahyadri.
The Western Ghats are also called the Sahyadri, the mountain range fringing India's western coast.
Explanation
The Western Ghats are known as the Sahyadri because the official Western Ghats report describes the range as “Western Ghats (WG) or the Sahyadri” and also notes that this magnificent range fringes India's west coast. This fits the biodiversity clue: the range is one of the world's 36 biodiversity hotspots, has 39 serial sites listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012, and is marked by high endemism and ecological importance. The range extends from the Tapti Valley in Gujarat to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, where it intercepts the south-west monsoon, producing heavy rainfall on the western slopes and a rain-shadow effect to the east.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Karakoram is not another name for the Western Ghats; it refers to a mountain region in India's extreme north.
- (C) Nilgiri is a hill range within the Western Ghats, so it names a part of the system rather than the whole range.
- (D) Vindhya is a central Indian range and is not the west-coast mountain chain also called Sahyadri.
Concept
This tests Indian physiography, especially alternate names and regional identity of major mountain ranges. RAS repeats such facts because they connect physical geography with monsoon behaviour, biodiversity hotspots and conservation policy.