RAS question
Which soil is called 'Pili Mitti' locally?
Correct answer: (C) Yellow soil (desert).
Pili Mitti is the local name for the light-yellow desert sandy soil found extensively in Jaisalmer and Barmer.
Explanation
Pili Mitti literally points to yellow soil: Hindustan Times uses the phrase with the parenthetical meaning "yellow soil". In Rajasthan usage, Pili Mitti refers to the light-yellow desert sandy soil found widely in Jaisalmer and Barmer. The name carries both the colour cue and the desert-soil context. Laterite, alluvial soil, and black soil are recognised soil categories, but they differ from Pili Mitti: laterite is linked with red colour, alluvial soil is river-borne soil, and black soil is locally distinguished by its dark colour.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Laterite soil does not fit this local name because laterite is associated with red colour, not light-yellow desert sandy soil.
- (B) Alluvial soil is river-borne soil, whereas Pili Mitti refers to desert sandy soil.
- (D) Black soil is associated with Kali Mitti and its dark colour, not the yellow-coloured desert soil named Pili Mitti.
Concept
RAS soil classification often connects regional terms with physical-geography categories. The colour cue matters here, but the exam trap is to match it with desert sandy soil rather than a broader soil label.