The original depression in which the Northern Plains later developed is called a
A Foredeep
B Rift valley
C Rift plateau
D Lagoon basin
After the Himalayas rose, a foredeep (long depression) south of them gradually filled with alluvium to form the Northern Plains.
The area of the Northern Plains was once occupied by which ancient water body?
A Red Sea
B Tethys Sea
C Mediterranean Sea
D Arabian Gulf
The Tethys Sea once lay between the rising Himalayas and the Peninsular region; its bed later uplifted and filled with sediments.
The Northern Plains mainly owe their origin to the action of
A Volcanic eruptions
B Wind deposition from Thar Desert
C Himalayan rivers depositing alluvium
D Earthquake faulting in the Deccan
Rivers of the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra systems brought huge amounts of alluvium from the Himalayas and deposited it to form the plains.
Which of the following is NOT typically a riverine feature of the Northern Plains?
A Meanders
B Ox-bow lakes
C River terraces
D Lava plateaus
Lava plateaus are volcanic features of the Peninsular region, not of the alluvial Northern Plains.
The approximate east–west length of the Northern Plains is about
A 500 km
B 1,000 km
C 2,500 km
D 5,000 km
The Northern Plains stretch for about 2,500 km from west to east.
The north–south width of the Northern Plains generally varies between
A 10–50 km
B 50–150 km
C 300–500 km
D 800–1,000 km
Their width ranges roughly from 300 to 500 km between the Himalayas and the Peninsular Plateau.
The total area of the Northern Plains is closest to
A 1 lakh sq km
B 3 lakh sq km
C 5 lakh sq km
D 7 lakh sq km
The plains cover nearly 7 lakh square kilometres, one of the largest alluvial plains on Earth.
The surface of the Northern Plains slopes very gently from
A East to west, about 10 m per km
B North to south, about 1 m per km
C West to east, about 1 m every 6 km
D South to north, about 5 m every 2 km
The plains have an extremely gentle gradient, dropping roughly 1 metre in elevation for every 6 km towards the east.
The thick layer of alluvial soil in some parts of the Northern Plains reaches a depth of
A A few metres only
B About 50 metres
C About 200 metres
D Over 1,000 metres
Continuous deposition has created alluvial layers that can exceed 1,000 metres in thickness.
Which of the following river-created features is correctly matched with its description?
A Meander – straight river channel
B Ox-bow lake – crescent-shaped cut-off meander
C Floodplain – rocky plateau above river
D River terrace – lagoon near sea coast
When a river loop (meander) gets cut off, it forms a crescent-shaped ox-bow lake.
The Northern Plains are often called the “Granary of India” mainly because
A They have dense forests and wildlife
B They are centres of ship-building
C They produce large quantities of food grains
D They contain most of India’s mineral resources
High soil fertility, water availability and flat land make them India’s main food grain producing region.
Which of the following is a characteristic of the Northern Plains that supports transport and settlement?
A Rugged relief and steep slopes
B Flat and level surface
C High altitudes and glaciers
D Volcanic cones and craters
The almost level terrain facilitates dense settlements, road and rail networks, and canal construction.
Which factor MOST directly explains why tube-well irrigation is easy in the Northern Plains?
A Strong winds in summer
B High groundwater table in alluvial deposits
C Presence of igneous rock near the surface
D Very low rainfall throughout the year
The alluvial plains have a high water table, making groundwater easily accessible through tube-wells.
The formation of deltas like the Sundarbans at the river mouths of the Northern Plains is mainly due to
A Wind-blown erosion
B Deposition of sediments where river meets the sea
C Underground volcanic eruptions
D Melting of glaciers only
When rivers slow down at their mouths, they drop sediments and build triangular deltas like the Sundarbans.
The Ganga Plains in India mainly extend across which combination of states?
A Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan
B Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal
C Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka
D Assam, Nagaland, Manipur
The core Ganga Plains spread from western UP through Bihar and Jharkhand to West Bengal.
In Bangladesh, the Ganga is known by which name?
A Jamuna
B Meghna
C Padma
D Tsangpo
After entering Bangladesh, the Ganga is called the Padma before joining the Brahmaputra and Meghna.
Which group of rivers has played the primary role in forming the Ganga Plains?
A Narmada, Tapi, Mahi
B Ganga and its tributaries like Yamuna, Ghaghra, Gandak, Kosi, Son
C Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri
D Periyar, Pamba, Bharathapuzha
These Himalayan rivers have deposited thick alluvium to create the extensive Ganga Plains.
A Doab is best described, in the context of the Ganga Plains, as
A A deep sea trench
B A land between two rivers
C A rocky hill range
D A coastal lagoon
“Doab” literally means land between two waters (rivers), such as the Yamuna–Ganga Doab.
The Brahmaputra Plains are mainly associated with which Indian state?
A Gujarat
B Assam
C Rajasthan
D Haryana
The Brahmaputra Plains form the fertile Assam Valley between the Eastern Himalayas and the Meghalaya Plateau.
In Tibet, before entering India, the Brahmaputra River is known as
A Padma
B Jamuna
C Tsangpo
D Meghna
The river flows as the Tsangpo in Tibet and becomes the Brahmaputra after entering Arunachal Pradesh.
Which of the following is a notable feature of the Brahmaputra Plains?
A Lava plateaus with black soil
B Large river island like Majuli
C Extensive sand dunes throughout
D Coral reefs and atolls
Majuli in Assam is one of the world’s largest river islands formed by the Brahmaputra’s changing channels.
The Brahmaputra Plains are highly prone to floods mainly because the river
A Has very few tributaries
B Flows through deserts
C Carries heavy sediment load and changes its course
D Has no connection with the Himalayas
Enormous sediment and shifting channels lead to frequent floods in the Brahmaputra Valley.
The Indus Plains lie mostly in which country today, although historically linked with India?
A Nepal
B Bhutan
C Pakistan
D Bangladesh
Large parts of the Indus Plains, including ancient Indus Valley Civilisation sites, are now in Pakistan.
Which set of rivers constitutes the main tributaries of the Indus system in the plains?
A Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Tungabhadra
B Ganga, Yamuna, Ghaghra, Gandak
C Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Satluj
D Narmada, Tapi, Mahi, Sabarmati
These rivers join the Indus and together form the Indus Plains, especially in Punjab and Sindh.
The fertile tracts between two rivers in the Indus system, such as Bari Doab, are important because they
A Are always dry and unused
B Are covered by coral forests
C Support intensive agriculture and dense settlements
D Are suitable only for mining
Doabs of the Indus system are highly fertile and have historically supported rich agriculture.
Which plains region became a core area of India’s Green Revolution due to canal irrigation and HYV crops?
A Ganga–Brahmaputra Delta only
B Thar Desert region
C Punjab and Haryana parts of the Indus–Ganga Plains
D Coastal plains of Tamil Nadu
Punjab, Haryana and western UP formed the Green Revolution heartland due to irrigation and high-yielding seeds.
The Ganga–Brahmaputra–Meghna system jointly forms which important landform at their mouth?
A Rann of Kachchh
B Sundarbans Delta
C Malabar Coast
D Chambal Ravines
These rivers together build the Sundarbans, the world’s largest delta with mangrove forests.
Which of the following statements about the Ganga Plains is TRUE?
A They are mostly rocky and unsuitable for farming.
B They receive no alluvial deposits from rivers.
C They form India’s largest continuous alluvial plain.
D They lie entirely within the state of Punjab.
The Ganga Plains are the most extensive and productive alluvial plain region in India.
The term “Doab” is derived from which language?
A Sanskrit
B Persian
C Arabic
D Latin
“Do” means two and “ab” means water or river in Persian; together they mean land between two rivers.
Which of the following is the BEST definition of an Interfluve?
A River’s point of origin
B Land between two rivers, usually at a higher level
C Deep sea trench
D Volcanic cone near a river
Interfluves are the higher, often older land separating the valleys of two rivers.
Which Doab lies between the Ganga in the east and Yamuna in the west?
A Ganga–Gandak Doab
B Ganga–Yamuna Doab
C Ghaghra–Ganga Doab
D Gandak–Kosi Doab
The famous Ganga–Yamuna Doab stretches from Haridwar to Prayagraj and is extremely fertile.
The Ghaghra–Ganga Doab is mainly located in which state?
A Punjab
B Rajasthan
C Eastern Uttar Pradesh
D Gujarat
This Doab lies between the Ghaghra (Saryu) and Ganga rivers in eastern UP.
The Gandak–Kosi Doab is especially known for
A Desert conditions with almost no rainfall
B Heavy silt deposition and recurring floods
C Volcanic soil and lava flows
D Coral reefs and lagoons
Gandak and Kosi bring large sediment loads and frequently flood their Doab, enriching but also damaging fields.
Which sequence correctly shows some important Doabs of the Indus system?
A Bari, Rechna, Chaj, Sindh Sagar
B Ganga, Yamuna, Ghaghra, Kosi
C Narmada, Tapi, Mahi, Sabarmati
D Krishna, Godavari, Kaveri, Purna
These Doabs (between pairs of Indus tributaries) lie in the Indus Plains region.
Compared to Khadar, the Bhangar region in many interfluves is
A Newer alluvium and lower-lying
B Older alluvium and slightly elevated
C Only made of black lava soil
D Under permanent waterlogging
Bhangar consists of older alluvial deposits, often slightly raised and containing kankar (calcareous nodules).
The Khadar belt in many Doabs is particularly suitable for agriculture because it
A Receives fresh alluvial deposits every year
B Is covered only by rocks and pebbles
C Has no access to river water
D Lies at very high altitude
Seasonal floods lay down new fertile silt in the Khadar belts, making them highly productive.
The Ganga–Yamuna Doab has historically been important because
A It is entirely uninhabited
B It lacks any major cities
C It has fertile soil, abundant water and many political centres
D It is a high plateau of volcanic origin
Its fertility and central location attracted ancient and medieval kingdoms, towns and trade routes.
Which of the following pairs is correctly matched?
A Ganga–Gandak Doab – mainly in Gujarat
B Ghaghra–Ganga Doab – mainly in eastern Uttar Pradesh
C Kosi–Mahananda Doab – mainly in Rajasthan
D Bari Doab – between Ganga and Yamuna
This Doab lies in eastern UP; the other options mix up locations or rivers.
The Northern Plains are called the “Backbone of Indian Agriculture” mainly because
A They receive no rainfall
B They have infertile rocky soil
C They combine fertile soil, abundant water and flat terrain
D They are covered by dense deserts
These factors together make the region ideal for intensive, high-yield agriculture.
Alluvial soil in the Northern Plains is especially rich in which of the following?
A Sodium chloride and silica only
B Potash, phosphoric acid, lime and humus
C Pure iron ore and coal
D Radioactive minerals
These nutrients make the soil highly suitable for a variety of crops.
Which of the following is NOT a major crop of the Northern Plains?
A Rice
B Wheat
C Sugarcane
D Coconut on a large scale inland
Coconut is mainly a coastal crop; the Northern Plains specialise in rice, wheat, sugarcane, jute, pulses etc.
The concept of “multiple cropping” in the Northern Plains is possible mainly because
A Thick snow cover is present throughout the year
B There is only one short growing season
C Water is available in all seasons and climate is favourable
D Land is too steep to use tractors
Perennial rivers, high groundwater, canals and long frost-free periods allow more than one crop per year.
Which of the following best describes the role of canal irrigation in the Northern Plains?
A It has little impact due to rocky terrain
B It is confined only to the Himalayan peaks
C It transforms even relatively dry areas into fertile fields
D It is used only for drinking water supply
Canals like Bhakra, Ganga and Yamuna canals have made semi-arid zones in Punjab, Haryana and UP highly productive.
Which region became the core of the Green Revolution due to irrigation, HYV seeds and fertilisers?
A Eastern coastal plains
B Peninsular plateau of Karnataka only
C Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh
D Thar Desert of Rajasthan
These areas of the Northern Plains saw the earliest and strongest impact of the Green Revolution.
The flat terrain of the Northern Plains particularly helps agriculture by
A Preventing any use of machines
B Making canal construction, mechanisation and transport easier
C Increasing soil erosion to harmful levels
D Blocking movement of goods
Level land is favourable for tractors, harvesters, roads, railways and irrigation channels.
Which of the following allied activities is strongly supported by agriculture in the Northern Plains?
A Deep sea fishing only
B Mining of gold
C Dairy farming and poultry
D Space research centres
Abundant fodder and grain production supports large dairy and poultry sectors.
The long frost-free period (8–10 months) in the Northern Plains primarily allows
A Single-cropping only
B No cultivation of vegetables
C Cultivation of long-duration and multiple crops
D Only plantation crops like tea
Crops such as sugarcane, plus multiple seasonal crops, can be grown because the growing season is long.
Which statement about the relationship between agriculture and urbanisation in the Northern Plains is MOST appropriate?
A Cities developed only in desert areas away from farms.
B Agricultural surplus supported the growth of major cities and industries.
C Urbanisation is unrelated to agriculture.
D Urban centres exist only in Himalayan regions.
Food surpluses from the plains enabled cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Lucknow and Patna to flourish as trade and industrial centres.
The Northern Plains support very high population densities mainly because
A The land is entirely forested
B The area lacks water and soil
C They offer fertile land, jobs, water and transport facilities
D They have extremely cold climate throughout the year
These favourable physical and economic conditions attract and sustain a large population.
Festivals like Baisakhi, Chhath Puja and post-harvest Holi in the Northern Plains mainly reflect
A Industrial production cycles
B Mining seasons
C Agricultural cycles of sowing and harvesting
D Only religious warfare
These festivals are closely linked with crop sowing, harvesting and thanksgiving for good yields.