IAS Prelims Geography Q.12 – 2024 | Indian Physical Geography: Waterfalls

Authentic Classroom Explanation by IAS Monk


📍 The Question

Consider the following information:

WaterfallRegionRiver
1. DhuandharMalwaNarmada
2. HundruChota NagpurSubarnarekha
3. GersoppaWestern GhatsNetravati

In how many of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?

(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

Correct Answer: (a) Only one


🎯 Theme of the Question

Indian Geography | Waterfalls | Physiographic Regions | River Systems

This is a location–region–river correlation question, testing precision of Indian physiographic knowledge.


🧠 Classroom Explanation

Let us verify each row carefully.


🔹 Row 1: Dhuandhar – Malwa – Narmada ❌

  • Dhuandhar Falls:
    • Located near Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh
    • Formed by the Narmada River
  • However:
    • Jabalpur lies in the Mahakoshal region
    • Not in the Malwa Plateau
  • Malwa lies north-west of Vindhya Range
  • Mahakoshal lies south of Vindhya Range

✔️ River is correct
❌ Region is incorrect

Row 1 is incorrectly matched


🔹 Row 2: Hundru – Chota Nagpur – Subarnarekha ✅

  • Hundru Falls:
    • Located near Ranchi, Jharkhand
    • Lies on the Subarnarekha River
  • Ranchi is part of the Chota Nagpur Plateau
  • Hundru is the highest waterfall in Jharkhand

✔️ Region correct
✔️ River correct

Row 2 is correctly matched


🔹 Row 3: Gersoppa – Western Ghats – Netravati ❌

  • Gersoppa (Jog) Falls:
    • Formed by the Sharavathi River
    • Located in Shimoga district, Karnataka
    • Lies in the Western Ghats
  • The river mentioned (Netravati) is incorrect
  • Netravati flows further south near Mangaluru

✔️ Region correct
❌ River incorrect

Row 3 is incorrectly matched


📊 Final Assessment

RowStatus
Dhuandhar – Malwa – Narmada
Hundru – Chota Nagpur – Subarnarekha
Gersoppa – Western Ghats – Netravati

👉 Only one row is correctly matched


❌ UPSC Elimination Logic

  • UPSC exploits:
    • Physiographic region confusion (Malwa vs Mahakoshal)
    • River–waterfall mismatch (Sharavathi vs Netravati)
  • Partial correctness is not accepted

🧩 Memory Hook

“Jog falls with Sharavathi, Hundru rides Subarnarekha — Malwa stays away.”


🧠 Prelims Strategy Insight

For waterfall questions:

  • Always remember:
    • Region first
    • River second
  • Western Ghats waterfalls are short, steep, west-flowing
  • Plateau waterfalls are older and broader

🧭 IAS Monk Whisper

Names mislead, regions betray — maps alone remain faithful.

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