1. (a) Only two
2. (b) Only three
3. (c) Only four
4. (d) Only five

Answer: (c) Only four

The Andes run along the western edge of South America and pass through Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia. They do not extend into Brazil or Paraguay, which lie to the east. So the range passes through only four of the listed countries.

1. (a) Only one
2. (b) Only two
3. (c) All the three
4. (d) None

Answer: (d) None

Lake Tanganyika lies entirely south of the equator (about 3 degrees to 9 degrees S), Lake Tonle Sap is well north in Cambodia, and Patos Lagoon is far south in Brazil. The equator passes through none of the three water bodies.

1. (a) I and III only
2. (b) I and II only
3. (c) I, II and III
4. (d) II and III only

Answer: (c) I, II and III

Matching of ancient rock belts between Brazil and West Africa, the derivation of Ghana's gold from the Brazilian plateau when the continents adjoined, and the Gondwana sediment sequence recurring across southern landmasses are all classic evidences of continental drift. All three statements are valid.

1. (a) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct and Statement II explains Statement I
2. (b) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct but Statement II does not explain Statement I
3. (c) Statement I is correct but Statement II is not correct
4. (d) Statement I is not correct but Statement II is correct

Answer: (c) Statement I is correct but Statement II is not correct

Dust content is indeed higher over subtropical and temperate regions than over humid equatorial and cold polar areas, so statement I is correct. But these zones are marked by more (not fewer) dry winds that lift dust, so statement II is false.

1. (a) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct and Statement II explains Statement I
2. (b) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct but Statement II does not explain Statement I
3. (c) Statement I is correct but Statement II is not correct
4. (d) Statement I is not correct but Statement II is correct

Answer: (a) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct and Statement II explains Statement I

In January the isotherms bend equatorward over the cold northern landmasses and poleward over the relatively warm oceans, so statement I is correct. Because the ocean surface is warmer than the land in the Northern Hemisphere winter, statement II both is correct and explains the bending.

1. (a) Both Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them explain Statement I
2. (b) Both Statement II and Statement III are correct but only one of them explains Statement I
3. (c) Only one of the Statements II and III is correct and that explains Statement I
4. (d) Neither Statement II nor Statement III is correct

Answer: (c) Only one of the Statements II and III is correct and that explains Statement I

Chalk is porous and permeable, allowing it to absorb and transmit water, whereas clay, though it can hold water, is practically impermeable. Statement II (chalk is porous) is correct and explains statement I, but statement III (clay not at all porous) is false, so only one of II and III is correct and explains I.

1. (a) Both Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them explain Statement I
2. (b) Both Statement II and Statement III are correct but only one of them explains Statement I
3. (c) Only one of the Statements II and III is correct and that explains Statement I
4. (d) Neither Statement II nor Statement III is correct

Answer: (b) Both Statement II and Statement III are correct but only one of them explains Statement I

A shift in Earth's rotation and axis is being observed, and both supporting statements are individually true. However, it is the melting of polar ice and the resulting movement of water toward the equator (statement III) that explains the shift, whereas solar-flare bombardment (statement II) does not. So both are correct but only one explains statement I.

1. (a) I only
2. (b) II only
3. (c) Both I and II
4. (d) Neither I nor II

Answer: (a) I only

Anadyr in Chukotka and Nome in Alaska lie on opposite sides of the International Date Line, so although geographically close, their calendar days differ, making statement I correct. Anadyr (west of the line) is a day ahead, so when it is Monday in Anadyr it is Sunday in Nome, making statement II wrong.

1. (a) Only one
2. (b) Only two
3. (c) All the three
4. (d) None

Answer: (c) All the three

Botswana is a leading diamond producer, Chile is a major lithium producer (from its salt flats), and Indonesia is the world's largest nickel producer. All three country-mineral pairs are correctly matched.

1. (a) Only one
2. (b) Only two
3. (c) All the three
4. (d) None

Answer: (d) None

Mallorca is a Spanish island (not Italian), Normandy is a region of France (not Spain), and Sardinia is an Italian island (not French). None of the three pairs is correctly matched.

1. (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
2. (b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
3. (c) Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
4. (d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Answer: (d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

The atmosphere is heated primarily by outgoing terrestrial (long-wave) radiation from the earth's surface, not directly by incoming solar (short-wave) radiation, so Statement-I is incorrect. Statement-II is correct because carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases readily absorb long-wave radiation, which is the actual mechanism of atmospheric heating.

1. (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
2. (b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
3. (c) Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
4. (d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Answer: (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I

The troposphere is indeed thicker at the equator (about 16-18 km) than at the poles (about 8-9 km), so Statement-I is correct. Strong convectional currents at the equator carry heat to great heights, which directly explains the greater tropospheric thickness, so Statement-II correctly explains Statement-I.

1. (a) Only one
2. (b) Only two
3. (c) Only three
4. (d) All four

Answer: (d) All four

Volcanic eruptions release solid pyroclastic debris and fine ash and dust, along with gases including nitrogen and sulphur compounds (sulphur dioxide being especially prominent). All four listed items are genuine products of eruptions.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (a) 1 only

In January, isotherms bend north over oceans and south over continents because oceans retain warmth while continents cool rapidly in the northern winter, so inference 1 is correct. Inference 2 is wrong because the Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift are warm currents, not cold, and they make the North Atlantic warmer.

1. (a) Algeria and Morocco
2. (b) Botswana and Namibia
3. (c) Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana
4. (d) Madagascar and Mozambique

Answer: (c) Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana

Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and Ghana, both in West Africa, together account for well over half of global cocoa output and are the two largest producers. The other pairs are not significant cocoa growers.

1. (a) Ghaghara – Gomati – Gandak – Kosi
2. (b) Gomati – Ghaghara – Gandak – Kosi
3. (c) Ghaghara – Gomati – Kosi – Gandak
4. (d) Gomati – Ghaghara – Kosi – Gandak

Answer: (b) Gomati – Ghaghara – Gandak – Kosi

Downstream of Prayagraj, the Himalayan tributaries join the Ganga from west to east in the order Gomati, Ghaghara, Gandak, then Kosi. The Gomati meets the Ganga first (near Ghazipur/Saidpur) before the Ghaghara, which distinguishes the correct sequence.

1. (a) Both Statement-II and Statement-III are correct and both of them explain Statement-I
2. (b) Both Statement-II and Statement-III are correct, but only one of them explains Statement-I
3. (c) Only one of the Statements II and III is correct and that explains Statement-I
4. (d) Neither Statement-II nor Statement-III is correct

Answer: (a) Both Statement-II and Statement-III are correct and both of them explain Statement-I

Rainfall causes chemical weathering, and both stated reasons operate: rainwater dissolves carbon dioxide to form weak carbonic acid (carbonation) and carries dissolved atmospheric oxygen (oxidation). Both Statement-II and Statement-III are correct and each independently explains the weathering in Statement-I.

1. (a) Only one
2. (b) Only two
3. (c) Only three
4. (d) All four

Answer: (b) Only two

Of the listed countries only Germany and Norway border the North Sea. Finland borders the Baltic Sea, and Russia has no North Sea coastline, so exactly two qualify.

1. (a) Only one
2. (b) Only two
3. (c) All three
4. (d) None

Answer: (a) Only one

Only the Hundru row is fully correct: Hundru Falls lies in the Chota Nagpur plateau on the Subarnarekha river. Dhuandhar Falls is on the Narmada but near Jabalpur (not the Malwa region), and Gersoppa (Jog) Falls is on the Sharavati river, not the Netravati, so those two rows are wrong.

1. (a) Only one
2. (b) Only two
3. (c) Only three
4. (d) All four

Answer: (b) Only two

Only two rows are correct: the Appalachians (North America) and the Andes (South America) are both fold mountains. The Vosges is a block mountain located in Europe, not a Central Asian fold mountain, and the Alps are fold mountains, not block mountains, so those rows fail.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (a) 1 only

Water vapour is a gas whose concentration decreases with altitude as temperature falls, so statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong because water vapour content is maximum over warm, humid equatorial regions, not at the cold poles where the air holds very little moisture.

1. (a) Equatorial climate
2. (b) China type climate
3. (c) Humid subtropical climate
4. (d) Marine West coast climate

Answer: (d) Marine West coast climate

Low annual and daily temperature ranges, precipitation spread throughout the year, and totals of roughly 50-250 cm describe the Marine West Coast (temperate oceanic) climate. The equatorial climate is distinguished by much higher rainfall and near-constant high temperatures, ruling it out.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2

The Coriolis force increases with wind velocity (faster-moving air is deflected more), so statement 1 is correct. It is also zero at the equator and maximum at the poles because it varies with the sine of latitude, making statement 2 correct as well.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) 3 and 4
4. (d) 2 and 4

Answer: (d) 2 and 4

On 21 June (summer solstice), the sun is overhead near the Tropic of Cancer, so the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle both receive more than 12 hours of daylight. The equator always gets exactly 12 hours, and the Tropic of Capricorn (southern winter) gets less than 12.

1. (a) Canada and the United States of America
2. (b) Chile and Argentina
3. (c) China and India
4. (d) Kazakhstan and Russian Federation

Answer: (a) Canada and the United States of America

The longest international border between any two countries is the Canada-United States border, stretching roughly 8,890 km including Alaska. It exceeds every other bilateral border, including those listed among the options.

1. (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
2. (b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
3. (c) Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
4. (d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Answer: (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I

Both statements are correct and the second explains the first: the SUMED pipeline runs across Egypt connecting the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, providing a strategic route for Persian Gulf oil shipments to Europe that bypasses the Suez Canal for larger tankers. Its Red Sea-to-Mediterranean course is what makes it strategically important.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2

Both statements are correct: the Red Sea lies in an arid zone and receives very little precipitation, and no perennial rivers drain into it. These factors, together with high evaporation, make the Red Sea one of the most saline seas.

1. (a) Only one
2. (b) Only two
3. (c) All three
4. (d) None

Answer: (a) Only one

The Jhelum does flow through Wular Lake in Kashmir, one of Asia's largest freshwater lakes, so that pairing holds. Kolleru Lake, however, lies between the Krishna and Godavari deltas and is fed mainly by the Budameru and Tammileru streams, not directly by the Krishna, and per the official key only one of the three statements is treated as correct.

1. (a) Only one pair
2. (b) Only two pairs
3. (c) All three pairs
4. (d) None of the pairs

Answer: (b) Only two pairs

Kamarajar (Ennore) Port near Chennai was India's first major port incorporated as a public company, and Mundra in Gujarat is the country's largest privately owned port, so both those pairs are correct. The claim about Visakhapatnam being the largest container port is wrong, since Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) handles the most container traffic in India.

1. (a) Only one
2. (b) Only two
3. (c) All three
4. (d) None

Answer: (a) Only one

India has a larger net sown/arable area than China because of its extensive plains, so that statement is correct. However, China has both a higher share of irrigated area and higher average yields per hectare than India, so the other two statements fail and only one holds.

1. (a) Bhitarkanika Mangroves
2. (b) Marakkanam Salt Pans
3. (c) Naupada Swamp
4. (d) Rann of Kutch

Answer: (d) Rann of Kutch

The Rann of Kutch is a vast salt marshland formed by repeated marine transgressions and regressions, where successive falls in sea level left behind an extensive saline flat. Options like the Bhitarkanika mangroves are tidal deltaic forests rather than the product of falling sea levels.

1. (a) Aluminium
2. (b) Copper
3. (c) Iron
4. (d) Titanium

Answer: (d) Titanium

Ilmenite (FeTiO3) and rutile (TiO2) are titanium-bearing minerals found in the placer/beach sands of India's coasts, notably Kerala and Odisha. They are the principal ores of titanium, not of aluminium, copper or iron.

1. (a) Argentina
2. (b) Botswana
3. (c) the Democratic Republic of the Congo
4. (d) Kazakhstan

Answer: (c) the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo produces roughly three-quarters of the world's cobalt, mined largely in its Katanga copper belt, making it central to the electric-vehicle battery supply chain. None of the other listed countries is a major cobalt producer.

1. (a) Cameroon
2. (b) Nigeria
3. (c) South Sudan
4. (d) Uganda

Answer: (a) Cameroon

The Congo Basin drains parts of several central African countries, and Cameroon lies within it. Nigeria, South Sudan and Uganda drain to other systems (the Niger, Nile), placing them outside the Congo Basin.

1. (a) Only one
2. (b) Only two
3. (c) All three
4. (d) None

Answer: (d) None

Amarkantak lies at the meeting of the Vindhya and Satpura (Maikal) ranges, not the Sahyadris; the Biligirirangan Hills link the Eastern and Western Ghats rather than forming the easternmost Satpura; and the Seshachalam Hills belong to the Eastern Ghats, not the southern Western Ghats. Since every statement is factually wrong, none is correct.

1. (a) Only one
2. (b) Only two
3. (c) All three
4. (d) None

Answer: (d) None

The East-West Corridor of the Golden Quadrilateral connects Silchar and Porbandar (not Dibrugarh-Surat); the Trilateral Highway runs from Moreh to Mae Sot in Thailand via Myanmar, not to Chiang Mai; and the BCIM corridor was conceived to link Kolkata with Kunming, not Varanasi. All three are therefore incorrect.

1. (a) Only two
2. (b) Only three
3. (c) Only four
4. (d) Only five

Answer: (a) Only two

Of the listed countries, only Hungary and Romania share a land border with Ukraine. Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Latvia and Lithuania do not touch Ukraine, so just two qualify.

1. (a) The total amount of insolation received at the equator is roughly about 10 times of that received at the poles.
2. (b) Infrared rays constitute roughly two-thirds of insolation.
3. (c) Infrared waves are largely absorbed by water vapour that is concentrated in the lower atmosphere.
4. (d) Infrared waves are a part of visible spectrum of electromagnetic waves of solar radiation.

Answer: (c) Infrared waves are largely absorbed by water vapour that is concentrated in the lower atmosphere.

Infrared radiation is largely absorbed by water vapour concentrated in the lower atmosphere (troposphere), which drives atmospheric heating. Insolation at the equator is only a few times that at the poles (not ten-fold), infrared is not two-thirds of insolation, and infrared lies outside the visible spectrum, so those options are wrong.

1. (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
2. (b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
3. (c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
4. (d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct

Answer: (d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct

Tropical rainforest soils are actually poor in nutrients because heavy rainfall leaches them and most nutrients are locked in the living biomass, so the first statement is incorrect. The high temperature and moisture do cause dead organic matter to decompose rapidly, so the second statement is correct on its own.

1. (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
2. (b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
3. (c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
4. (d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct

Answer: (d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct

The larger specific heat of water means oceans warm and cool more slowly than land, so the second statement is correct. The official position treats the first statement as incorrect, since the thermal contrast between continents and oceans is generally more pronounced in winter than in summer.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2

Both statements are correct: in a seismograph P (primary) waves arrive before S (secondary) waves because they travel faster, and P waves are longitudinal (particles vibrate along the direction of propagation) while S waves are transverse (particles vibrate at right angles). This behaviour underlies earthquake location and Earth's interior studies.

1. (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
2. (b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
3. (c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
4. (d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct

Answer: (c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect

India does extract more than a quarter of the world's annual groundwater withdrawal, the highest in the world, as noted in the UN World Water Development Report 2022, so the first statement is correct. The second statement's reasoning is faulty, since this heavy extraction is driven overwhelmingly by irrigation rather than by drinking-water and sanitation needs.

1. (a) Lake Victoria
2. (b) Lake Faguibine
3. (c) Lake Oguta
4. (d) Lake Volta

Answer: (b) Lake Faguibine

Lake Faguibine in Mali, West Africa, once one of the largest lakes in the region, has largely dried up due to recurrent drought and reduced inflow, turning into desert-like terrain. Lake Victoria and Lake Volta remain major water bodies, and Lake Oguta in Nigeria is a small freshwater lake, so none of them fit the description.

1. (a) Cauvery
2. (b) Manjira
3. (c) Pennar
4. (d) Tungabhadra

Answer: (c) Pennar

The Gandikota canyon, often called the 'Grand Canyon of India', was carved by the Pennar (Penna) river as it cut a deep gorge through the Erramala hills in Andhra Pradesh. The Cauvery, Tungabhadra and Manjira flow through different regions and are not associated with this gorge.

1. (a) 1 and 2
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) 1 and 3
4. (d) 3 only

Answer: (b) 2 only

Only the Nanda Devi–Kumaon Himalaya pairing is correct. Namcha Barwa lies in the Eastern Himalaya of Arunachal Pradesh, not the Garhwal Himalaya, and Nokrek is a peak in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya, not the Sikkim Himalaya.

1. (a) Region along the eastern Mediterranean shores
2. (b) Region along North African shores stretching from Egypt to Morocco
3. (c) Region along Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa
4. (d) The entire coastal areas of Mediterranean Sea

Answer: (a) Region along the eastern Mediterranean shores

The Levant refers to the region along the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea, roughly covering Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine and Jordan. It does not denote the North African coast (the Maghreb), the Persian Gulf, or the entire Mediterranean rim.

1. (a) 1, 2 and 5 only
2. (b) 1, 2, 3 and 4 only
3. (c) 3, 4 and 5 only
4. (d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Answer: (c) 3, 4 and 5 only

Among the listed countries, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan share land borders with Afghanistan along its northern frontier. Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan do not touch Afghanistan, so options including them are incorrect.

1. (a) 1, 2 and 3 only
2. (b) 1, 2 and 4 only
3. (c) 3 and 4 only
4. (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer: (b) 1, 2 and 4 only

Monazite is a phosphate mineral that is an important source of rare-earth elements (statement 1) and contains thorium (statement 2), and Indian law restricts its processing and export largely to government bodies because of its atomic-mineral content (statement 4). Statement 3 is wrong because monazite is concentrated in specific beach sands, notably in Kerala, Odisha and Tamil Nadu, not across the entire Indian coastline.

1. (a) First half of the month of June
2. (b) Second half of the month of June
3. (c) First half of the month of July
4. (d) Second half of the month of July

Answer: (b) Second half of the month of June

The longest day in the Northern Hemisphere occurs at the summer solstice, around 21 June, which falls in the second half of June, when the Sun is overhead at the Tropic of Cancer. The first half of June and the July dates come before or after the solstice and have shorter daylight.

1. (a) Only one pair
2. (b) Only two pairs
3. (c) Only three pairs
4. (d) All four pairs

Answer: (b) Only two pairs

Only two pairs are correct: Renuka Wetland is in Himachal Pradesh and Rudrasagar Lake is in Tripura. Hokera (Hokersar) Wetland is in Jammu and Kashmir, not Punjab, and Sasthamkotta Lake is Kerala's largest freshwater lake, not in Tamil Nadu.

1. (a) Only one State
2. (b) Only two States
3. (c) Only three States
4. (d) All four States

Answer: (d) All four States

All four states are recognised tea-producing regions: Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh (Kangra tea) and Tripura all cultivate tea commercially in addition to the better-known Assam and West Bengal. Kangra tea of Himachal and the tea gardens of Tripura are often overlooked but are genuine tea-growing areas.

1. (a) Only one pair
2. (b) Only two pairs
3. (c) Only three pairs
4. (d) All four pairs

Answer: (c) Only three pairs

Three pairs are mismatched. Only Gandhi Sagar in Madhya Pradesh is correct; Ghataprabha reservoir is in Karnataka (not Telangana), Indira Sagar is in Madhya Pradesh (not Andhra Pradesh), and Maithon is on the Barakar in Jharkhand (not Chhattisgarh).

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Both statements are wrong. High clouds are thin and largely transparent to incoming sunlight while trapping outgoing infrared radiation, so they tend to warm rather than cool the surface. Low clouds are thick and reflect a large share of incoming solar radiation, producing a net cooling effect, the opposite of what statement 2 claims.

1. (a) Only one pair
2. (b) Only two pairs
3. (c) Only three pairs
4. (d) All four pairs

Answer: (b) Only two pairs

Two pairs are correct: Anatolia lies in Turkey and Amhara is a region of Ethiopia. Cabo Delgado is a province of Mozambique, not Spain, and Catalonia is in Spain, not Italy, so those pairs are mismatched.

1. (a) Chenab
2. (b) Jhelum
3. (c) Ravi
4. (d) Sutlej

Answer: (d) Sutlej

Among the Punjab rivers, the Jhelum, the Ravi, and the Beas ultimately feed into the Sutlej system, and the Sutlej is the river that joins the Indus (via the Panjnad) in this framing. Hence, of the four options, the Sutlej is the one identified as joining the Indus directly.

1. (a) glaciers
2. (b) mangrove areas
3. (c) Ramsar sites
4. (d) saline lakes

Answer: (d) saline lakes

Didwana, Kuchaman, Sargol, and Khatu are saline (salt) lakes located in the arid Nagaur region of Rajasthan, known for salt production. They are not glaciers, mangroves, or Ramsar sites, which makes the saline-lake identification correct.

1. (a) 1 and 2
2. (b) 2 and 4
3. (c) 3 and 4
4. (d) 1 and 3

Answer: (b) 2 and 4

The Nagavali and Vamsadhara rivers rise in the Eastern Ghats and flow eastwards into the Bay of Bengal along the Andhra-Odisha coast. The Brahmani and Subarnarekha originate on the Chota Nagpur plateau, not the Eastern Ghats, so they are excluded.

1. (a) 1 and 2 only
2. (b) 2 and 3 only
3. (c) 1 and 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only

India has been granted licences by the International Seabed Authority for exploration of seabed minerals (like polymetallic nodules) in international waters, and rare earth minerals do occur on the deep seafloor. The Global Ocean Commission was an advocacy body and did not grant seabed mining licences (that is the International Seabed Authority's role), so the first statement is wrong.

1. (a) Sugarcane
2. (b) Sunflower
3. (c) Pearl millet
4. (d) Red gram

Answer: (a) Sugarcane

Sugarcane is the least water-efficient of the listed crops because it is a long-duration, heavily water-demanding crop requiring irrigation far greater than the others. Pearl millet and red gram are hardy dryland crops and sunflower needs comparatively less water, so sugarcane clearly consumes the most water per unit output.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2

In the tropics the trade winds push warm surface waters westward, making the western sides of oceans warmer than the eastern sides. In the temperate zone the westerlies drive warm water eastward, so the eastern sides of those oceans become warmer, making both statements correct.

1. (a) coniferous forest
2. (b) dry deciduous forest
3. (c) mangrove forest
4. (d) tropical rain forest

Answer: (d) tropical rain forest

Rapid leaf-litter decomposition leaving bare soil, along with lush vegetation dominated by climbers (lianas) and epiphytes reaching into a tall canopy, describes the tropical rain forest with its warm, humid conditions. Coniferous and dry deciduous forests have slow decomposition and thick litter, so they do not fit.

1. (a) 1 and 2
2. (b) 4 and 5
3. (c) 2, 3 and 4
4. (d) 1, 3 and 5

Answer: (c) 2, 3 and 4

In savannahs, tree growth is suppressed by periodic fires, grazing and browsing by herbivores, and strongly seasonal rainfall with a long dry season, which together prevent forest from establishing. Burrowing animals/termites and soil properties are not the principal checks on tree development in this classic description.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (b) 2 only

Polar ice caps and glaciers hold the largest share of Earth's fresh water, far exceeding the amount stored as groundwater. Rivers and lakes hold only a tiny fraction, so the claim that river and lake water exceeds groundwater is wrong while the ice-cap statement is correct.

1. (a) brown forest soil
2. (b) fissure volcanic rock
3. (c) granite and schist
4. (d) shale and limestone

Answer: (b) fissure volcanic rock

Black cotton soil (regur), rich in clay and moisture-retentive, is formed from the weathering of the fissure-erupted basaltic lava of the Deccan Trap. It does not derive from granite, schist, shale, or forest soils, so fissure volcanic rock is the correct parent material.

1. (a) 1 and 2 only
2. (b) 3 only
3. (c) 3 and 4 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 4 only

Answer: (c) 3 and 4 only

The Volga drains into the Caspian Sea and the Zambezi into the Indian Ocean, so pairs 3 and 4 are correctly matched. The Mekong empties into the South China Sea (not the Andaman Sea) and the Thames into the North Sea (not the Irish Sea), so pairs 1 and 2 are wrong.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 and 3 only
3. (c) 2 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 only

Black gram (urad) can be grown as both a kharif and a rabi crop, so statement 1 is correct. Green gram does not account for nearly half of pulse production (gram/chana dominates), and rabi pulse production has not simply declined over three decades, so statements 2 and 3 are wrong.

1. (a) Cotton
2. (b) Jute
3. (c) Sugarcane
4. (d) Tea

Answer: (a) Cotton

A subtropical crop that is injured by hard frost, needs at least 210 frost-free days and 50-100 cm of rainfall, and grows best on light, well-drained moisture-retaining soil is cotton. Jute, sugarcane and tea have quite different climatic and soil requirements.

1. (a) 1 and 2 only
2. (b) 4 only
3. (c) 1 and 3 only
4. (d) 2, 3 and 4 only

Answer: (d) 2, 3 and 4 only

Chromite, kyanite and sillimanite are officially designated major minerals in India, so statements 2, 3 and 4 are correct. Bentonite is classified as a minor mineral, so statement 1 is wrong.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (b) 2 only

Ocean Mean Temperature data collected during January-March can be used to assess whether the coming monsoon rainfall will be above or below the long-term mean, so statement 2 is correct. Statement 1 is wrong because it misstates the depth and isotherm figures used in OMT measurement.

1. (a) East of Aksai Chin
2. (b) East of Leh
3. (c) North of Gilgit
4. (d) North of Nubra Valley

Answer: (d) North of Nubra Valley

The Siachen Glacier lies to the north of the Nubra Valley in the eastern Karakoram range of Ladakh. It is not positioned east of Aksai Chin or Leh, nor north of Gilgit, which are the distractors.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 and 3 only
3. (c) 2 only
4. (d) 1 and 3 only

Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only

The Central Ground Water Authority was constituted under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and India has the largest area under groundwater irrigation in the world, so statements 2 and 3 are correct. The specific figure of 36% of districts being overexploited or critical in statement 1 is not correct.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 and 3 only
3. (c) 2 only
4. (d) 1 and 3 only

Answer: (c) 2 only

Only some cyclones develop a well-defined eye, so statement 2 is correct. Jet streams occur in both hemispheres, not only the Northern one, and the eye of a cyclone is warmer, not colder, than its surroundings, so statements 1 and 3 are wrong.

1. (a) does not set below the horizon at the Arctic Circle
2. (b) does not set below the horizon at Antarctic Circle
3. (c) shines vertically overhead at noon on the Equator
4. (d) shines vertically overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn

Answer: (a) does not set below the horizon at the Arctic Circle

On 21st June (the summer solstice), the Sun is overhead at the Tropic of Cancer and the North Pole is tilted toward it, so the region within the Arctic Circle experiences the midnight sun and the Sun does not set below the horizon. The Antarctic Circle, by contrast, is in continuous darkness.

1. (a) Tobacco, cocoa and rubber
2. (b) Tobacco, cotton and rubber
3. (c) Cotton, coffee and sugarcane
4. (d) Rubber, coffee and wheat

Answer: (a) Tobacco, cocoa and rubber

Tobacco, cocoa and rubber are all crops native to the Americas (the 'New World') that were domesticated there and later carried to the 'Old World'. Coffee, sugarcane and wheat are Old World crops, which is why the other combinations fail.

1. (a) 1 and 2 only
2. (b) 2 and 3 only
3. (c) 1 and 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

Pandharpur lies on the Chandrabhaga (Bhima) river and Tiruchirappalli on the Cauvery, so pairs 1 and 2 are correct. Hampi (Vijayanagara) stands on the banks of the Tungabhadra, not the Malaprabha, so pair 3 is wrong.

1. (a) 2-3-1-4
2. (b) 2-3-4-1
3. (c) 3-2-4-1
4. (d) 3-2-1-4

Answer: (c) 3-2-4-1

In ascending order of forest cover as a percentage of state area the sequence is Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh (3-2-4-1). Chhattisgarh has the highest proportion of the four, while Maharashtra has the lowest.

1. (a) 1, 2 and 4 only
2. (b) 1, 3 and 4 only
3. (c) 2 and 5 only
4. (d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Answer: (b) 1, 3 and 4 only

Albania borders the Adriatic Sea, Kazakhstan the Caspian Sea, and Morocco the Mediterranean Sea, so pairs 1, 3 and 4 match. Croatia lies on the Adriatic (not the Black Sea) and Syria borders the Mediterranean (not the Red Sea), so those pairs are wrong.

1. (a) 1, 2 and 4
2. (b) 1, 3 and 4
3. (c) 2 and 5
4. (d) 3 and 5

Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 4

The Bandarpunch glacier feeds the Yamuna, the Bara Shigri feeds the Chenab, and the Siachen glacier feeds the Nubra river, so pairs 1, 2 and 4 are correct. The Milam glacier is the source of the Goriganga (not the Mandakini) and the Zemu glacier feeds the Teesta (not the Manas).

1. (a) Recently discovered uranium deposits
2. (b) Tropical rain forests
3. (c) Underground cave systems
4. (d) Water reservoirs

Answer: (d) Water reservoirs

Aliyar, Isapur and Kangsabati are all names of water reservoirs (built on dams) in different Indian states. They are not linked to uranium deposits, rainforests or caves.

1. (a) Clouds absorb the radiation released from the Earth's surface.
2. (b) Clouds reflect back the Earth's radiation.
3. (c) The Earth's surface would have low temperature on cloudy nights.
4. (d) Clouds deflect the blowing wind to ground level.

Answer: (b) Clouds reflect back the Earth's radiation.

On a clear night the Earth's surface radiates heat freely and cools enough for moisture to condense as dew. On a cloudy night the clouds reflect (radiate back) the Earth's outgoing radiation, keeping the surface warmer so condensation does not occur, and dew is not formed.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 and 3
3. (c) 2 only
4. (d) 1 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 only

The Aral Sea in Central Asia has shrunk dramatically because the Amu Darya and Syr Darya were diverted for irrigation, so only statement 1 applies. The Black Sea (an inland sea connected to the Mediterranean) and Lake Baikal (the world's deepest freshwater lake) have not dried up.

1. (a) 1 and 2
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) 1 and 3
4. (d) 3 only

Answer: (d) 3 only

Only statement 3 is correct—Rajasthan does have iron ore deposits. Statement 1 is wrong because State governments do have the power to auction non-coal (minor and major) mineral blocks, and statement 2 is wrong because Andhra Pradesh (Ramagiri) and Jharkhand do contain gold-bearing areas.

1. (a) Bengaluru
2. (b) Hyderabad
3. (c) Nagpur
4. (d) Pune

Answer: (a) Bengaluru

Delhi lies near 77°E longitude, and among the options Bengaluru (about 77.6°E) is closest to it. Hyderabad, Nagpur and Pune all lie noticeably to the east or west of that meridian, with Bengaluru being almost due south of Delhi.

1. (a) 1 and 2
2. (b) 1 and 4
3. (c) 2 and 3
4. (d) 3 and 4

Answer: (b) 1 and 4

Aleppo is in Syria and Mazar-i-Sharif is in Afghanistan, so pairs 1 and 4 are correctly matched. Kirkuk and Mosul are both in Iraq, not Yemen or Palestine, which makes pairs 2 and 3 wrong.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 and 3 only
3. (c) 1 and 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only

Statements 1 and 3 are correct: the Earth's magnetic field has reversed polarity many times over geological history, and early living organisms (photosynthetic cyanobacteria) transformed the atmosphere by releasing oxygen. Statement 2 is wrong—the early Earth had almost no free oxygen and was rich in carbon dioxide, not 54% oxygen.

1. (a) Kodaikanal (Tamil Nadu)
2. (b) Kolleru (Andhra Pradesh)
3. (c) Nainital (Uttarakhand)
4. (d) Renuka (Himachal Pradesh)

Answer: (a) Kodaikanal (Tamil Nadu)

Kodaikanal lake in Tamil Nadu is a man-made (artificial) lake created in the 1860s by damming. Kolleru, Nainital and Renuka are all natural lakes, which is why they do not fit the 'artificial lake' description.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 and 3
3. (c) 3 only
4. (d) 1 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 only

Only statement 1 is correct: Barren Island in the Andaman Sea is India's only confirmed active volcano. Statement 2 is wrong because it lies roughly 140 km north-east of Port Blair, not east of Great Nicobar, and statement 3 is wrong because the volcano has erupted several times after 1991 (including in 2017).

1. (a) 1, 2 and 3
2. (b) 3 and 4 only
3. (c) 1 and 3 only
4. (d) 2 and 4 only

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only

Pairs 1 and 3 are correct: Catalonia is a region of Spain and Mindanao is an island of the Philippines. Crimea belongs to Ukraine (annexed by Russia), not Hungary, and Oromia is a region of Ethiopia, not Nigeria, so those pairs are wrong.

1. (a) Bhavnagar
2. (b) Bheemunipatnam
3. (c) Chandipur
4. (d) Nagapattinam

Answer: (c) Chandipur

At Chandipur on the Odisha coast, the sea recedes several kilometres during low tide and returns twice a day, exposing the sea floor for walking. This 'vanishing sea' results from its very gently sloping shore combined with large tidal range in the Bay of Bengal. The other listed coastal towns do not show this dramatic phenomenon.

1. (a) 1 and 3 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) 2 and 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (b) 2 only

River Rangeet originates in Sikkim and joins the Teesta as its major tributary, so statement 2 is correct. The Teesta rises in the Sikkim Himalayas (not from the same source as the Brahmaputra) and drains into the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh, not directly into the Bay of Bengal, so statements 1 and 3 are false.

1. (a) 6
2. (b) 7
3. (c) 8
4. (d) 9

Answer: (b) 7

Travelling by road from Kohima (Nagaland) to Kottayam (Kerala), the minimum number of States one must pass through, including origin and destination, is seven. The narrow Siliguri corridor forces the route through West Bengal, and reaching Kerala requires crossing the peninsular states. A count of six is not achievable on any road route.

1. (a) 1, 2 and 3 only
2. (b) 2 and 3 only
3. (c) 3 and 4 only
4. (d) 1, 3 and 4 only

Answer: (c) 3 and 4 only

Among the listed countries, only Lebanon and Syria have coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea, so statements 3 and 4 are correct. Jordan's short coast is on the Red Sea (Gulf of Aqaba) and Iraq is nearly landlocked with only a Persian Gulf outlet, so 1 and 2 are wrong. Hence only 3 and 4.

1. (a) 1 and 2 only
2. (b) 3 only
3. (c) 2 and 3 only
4. (d) 1 and 3 only

Answer: (b) 3 only

Pulicat Lake straddles the boundary of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, so statement 3 (spread over two states) is correct. The Himalayas extend across more than five Indian states, and the Western Ghats run through six states (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu), so statements 1 and 2 are false.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (b) 2 only

The Indian Ocean Dipole can modulate how an El Nino affects the Indian monsoon, so statement 2 is correct. IOD is defined by the sea-surface temperature difference between the tropical western and eastern Indian Ocean, not the eastern Pacific, so statement 1 is false. A positive IOD generally aids monsoon rainfall.

1. (a) Sumatra
2. (b) Borneo
3. (c) Java
4. (d) Sri Lanka

Answer: (a) Sumatra

Great Nicobar, the southernmost island of the Andaman and Nicobar group, lies geographically closest to the Indonesian island of Sumatra, separated by the narrow Six Degree Channel. This proximity is why Indira Point is India's southernmost tip near the equator. Sri Lanka, Java and Borneo are all much farther away.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 and 3 only
3. (c) 1 and 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3

The Dibang, Kameng and Lohit are all rivers of the northeast that join the Brahmaputra, so all three are its tributaries.

1. (a) 1 and 2 only
2. (b) 3 only
3. (c) 2 and 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3

Shale gas resources in India have been identified in the Cambay Basin, the Cauvery Basin and the Krishna-Godavari Basin, so all three regions are correct.

1. (a) Cauvery and Tungabhadra
2. (b) Godavari and Krishna
3. (c) Mahanadi and Sone
4. (d) Narmada and Tapti

Answer: (b) Godavari and Krishna

The Godavari and Krishna rivers were interlinked through the Pattiseema lift irrigation project in Andhra Pradesh, transferring Godavari water to the Krishna delta.

1. (a) 1, 2 and 4
2. (b) 2, 3, 4 and 5
3. (c) 2 and 5 only
4. (d) 1, 3, 4 and 5

Answer: (c) 2 and 5 only

Khajuraho lies in Bundelkhand and Tirupati lies in Rayalaseema, so pairs 2 and 5 are correct. Bodhgaya is in Bihar (not Baghelkhand), Shirdi is in western Maharashtra (not Vidarbha) and Nashik is in Maharashtra (not Malwa), so those pairs are wrong.