Public Section Preview
Glossary Terms
| Term (EN) | Definition | Exam Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Antecedent Drainage | River older than mountains it crosses; cuts through rising terrain | Himalayan rivers 5-mark |
| Consequent Drainage | River following original land slope | Peninsular rivers |
| Dendritic Pattern | Tree-branch river pattern on uniform substrate | Most common in India |
| Radial Pattern | Rivers radiating outward from a central high point | Amarkantak plateau |
| Graben | Tectonic rift valley (sunken block between faults) | Narmada/Tapi valleys |
| Braided River | Multiple shallow intertwining channels separated by small islands | Brahmaputra in Assam |
| Doab | Land between two confluent rivers (e.g., Ganga-Yamuna Doab) | Indo-Gangetic geography |
| Delta | Sediment deposit at river mouth forming a fan shape | Godavari, Kaveri deltas |
| Estuary | Funnel-shaped river mouth where tidal water intrudes (no delta) | Narmada, Tapi mouths |
| Tributary | Smaller river joining a larger one | Krishna tributaries PYQ |
| Gaumukh | Glacial snout of Gangotri — Ganga's source point at 3,892 m | Ganga origin |
| Tsangpo | Brahmaputra's Tibetan name meaning "purifier" | Brahmaputra geography |
| Majuli | World's largest river island (880 sq km), Assam; UNESCO Tentative List | Brahmaputra feature |
| Sundarbans | World's largest mangrove delta (~10,200 sq km); Ganga-Brahmaputra delta | Ganga delta 5-mark |
| Indus Waters Treaty | 1960 World Bank-brokered treaty; eastern rivers to India, western to Pakistan | Treaty 5-mark |
| Dakshin Ganga | "Ganga of the South" — epithet for Godavari river | Peninsular rivers |
| Chilika Lake | Asia's largest brackish lagoon (1,100 sq km); Mahanadi delta, Odisha | Lake 2-mark |
| Wular Lake | India's largest natural freshwater lake; Kashmir; fed by Jhelum | Lakes 2-mark |
| Namami Gange | Rs 20,000 crore programme (2014) for Ganga river cleanup and rejuvenation | Policy 5-mark |
| Ken-Betwa Link | First approved river interlinking project (2021; Rs 44,605 crore); MP-UP | ILR project |
| Dhuandhar Falls | Narmada waterfall through marble gorge at Bhedaghat, Jabalpur | River features |
| Watershed | Ridge line dividing adjacent drainage basins | Drainage terminology |
| Cauvery Dispute | Karnataka-Tamil Nadu water dispute; SC final order February 2018 | Water disputes |
| NWDA | National Water Development Agency — prepares river interlinking plans | Policy body |
| Kosi | "Sorrow of Bihar" — Himalayan river; frequent floods; braided course changes | Flood geography |
Sources: Central Water Commission; NCERT Class 11 Physical Geography; RPSC Mains PYQ 2013–2023; Survey of India; Ministry of Jal Shakti.