RAS question
Which is the driest district of Rajasthan?
Correct answer: (B) Jaisalmer.
Jaisalmer is the driest district of Rajasthan, with the lowest average rainfall among the districts cited for the state.
Explanation
Jaisalmer is the driest district because Rajasthan's district-wise average rainfall range begins at Jaisalmer. Rajasthan Foundation states that average rainfall in the state varies from 158.0 mm in Jaisalmer to 968.0 mm in Sirohi, placing Jaisalmer at the lowest end of the range. Jaisalmer's average annual rainfall is less than 100 mm in the driest understanding, with western parts near Sam receiving only about 5-10 cm. Together, these points identify Jaisalmer, not the other western Rajasthan options, as the district associated with the state's most arid conditions.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Jodhpur is not the driest district because it receives moderate rainfall, while Jaisalmer is identified as the driest.
- (C) Bikaner is wrong because it receives more rainfall than Jaisalmer, the driest district.
- (D) Barmer is not the answer because it gets slightly more rain than Jaisalmer, so it does not occupy the lowest-rainfall position.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan climatology, especially the spatial pattern of aridity in the western desert districts. It recurs in RAS because district-level rainfall extremes are a standard way to connect physical geography with irrigation and water-resource questions.