Question map
Consider the following pairs: 1. Cardamom Hills - Coromandel Coast 2. Kaimur Hills - Konkan Coast 3. Mahadeo Hills - Central India 4. Mikir Hills - North-East India Which of the above pairs are correctly matched?
Explanation
The Cardamom Hills are part of the southern Western Ghats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu[2], not located on the Coromandel Coast (which is on the eastern side of peninsular India), making pair 1 incorrect. The Kaimur Hills are in Madhya Pradesh[3], which is in central India, not along the Konkan Coast (western coast), making pair 2 incorrect. The Mahadeo Hills are located in the north[4] as part of the central highland region, and they are part of the Satpura range[5], confirming pair 3 is correctly matched with Central India. The Mikir Hills are detached from the Meghalaya Plateau and include the Rengma Hills in their southern range[6], placing them firmly in North-East India, making pair 4 correct. Therefore, only pairs 3 and 4 are correctly matched.
Sources- [4] INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Structure and Physiography > The Deccan Plateau > p. 12
- [5] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 2: Physiography > 2. The South Central Highlands > p. 55
- [6] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 2: Physiography > 4. The Meghalaya Plateau and Mikir Hills > p. 56
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis is a classic 'Mental Map' test derived directly from NCERT Class XI (India Physical Environment). The question punishes rote memorization of text without visualization. If you cannot visualize the Cardamom Hills in Kerala and the Coromandel Coast in Tamil Nadu as distinct entities, you are reading Geography wrong.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Directly answers the question and refutes it.
- States the Cardamom Hills are part of the southern Western Ghats in Kerala/Tamil Nadu, not the Coromandel Coast.
- Describes the Cardamom Hills as southern hills and part of the southern Western Ghats.
- Specifies their location in southeast Kerala and southwest Tamil Nadu, inconsistent with Coromandel Coast placement.
- Explicitly pairs 'Cardamom Hills - Coromandel Coast', which supports the statement.
- Contrasts with other sources that place the Cardamom Hills in the southern Western Ghats.
States that the Cardamom hills are part of the Western Ghats (named locally) — links the Cardamom hills to the Western Ghats system.
On a map, locate the Western Ghats and see which coast (west or east) they run parallel to to judge whether Cardamom hills lie on the Coromandel (east) coast.
Defines the Coromandel Coast as the southern part of the Bay of Bengal (eastern) coastal plain.
Compare the geographic position of the Coromandel Coast (east) on a map with the position of the Cardamom hills to assess coincidence.
Notes that the Western Ghats mark the western edge of the Deccan Plateau and lie parallel to the western coast.
Use this rule (Western Ghats → western margin) to infer that ranges on the Western Ghats are generally on/near the western coast, not the Coromandel (eastern) coast.
Says cardamom’s natural habitat is the evergreen forests of the Western Ghats and that cardamom is largely cultivated in Kerala (a state on the west/southwest coast).
Locate Kerala and the Western Ghats on a map to see whether these locations coincide with the Coromandel Coast or with the western/southwestern coast.
Describes the eastern coastal plain as lying between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal, i.e., the geographic context of the Coromandel Coast.
Use this to distinguish the eastern coastal (Coromandel) setting from the Western Ghats setting of the Cardamom hills when checking a map.
- This passage explicitly pairs 'Kaimur Hills' with the 'Konkan Coast' in a list of hill-region matches.
- If taken at face value, it supports the statement that Kaimur Hills are located along the Konkan Coast.
- This passage gives the correct answer to the matching question and states the actual location of the Kaimur Hills.
- It contradicts the pairing with the Konkan Coast by saying the Kaimur Hills are in Madhya Pradesh.
Defines Konkan as the northern part of the western coast (Mumbai–Goa) and describes the western coast as a narrow plain between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea.
A student could check a map to see whether the Kaimur Hills fall within the Mumbai–Goa coastal belt or lie inland of the Western Ghats.
Lists the divisions of the western coast (Kachchh, Kathiawar, Konkan, Goan, Malabar) and notes these are coastal strips extending from Gujarat to Kerala.
Use this list plus a map to determine whether Kaimur is geographically within any of these named coastal strips (Konkan corresponds to Maharashtra coast).
States that the Western Ghats lie parallel to the western coast and mark the western edge of the Deccan Plateau.
By locating the Western Ghats and the Deccan Plateau on a map, a student can see if Kaimur appears as part of an inland plateau/hill system rather than the narrow coastal plain (Konkan).
Notes Pleistocene deposits are found in the western coastal plains including Konkan, implying distinct coastal geology/features for Konkan.
Compare geological/geomorphological descriptions or maps of Konkan with those of the region containing the Kaimur Hills to judge whether Kaimur has coastal plain characteristics.
Mentions the Tertiary system occurred on the coast of Konkan among other coastal regions, reinforcing Konkan as a defined coastal geological unit.
A student could use geological-region maps to see if the Kaimur Hills share coastal Tertiary characteristics or belong to a separate inland geologic/hill system.
- Places the Mahadeo hills along with Satpura and Maikal as the northern boundary of the Deccan Plateau.
- Locating these ranges as the Deccan Plateau's northern limit implies a central-peninsular (central India) position relative to India.
- States that Satpura consists of Rajpipla Hills, Mahadev (Mahadeo) Hills and the Maikal Range.
- Groups Mahadev/Mahadeo as a constituent of the Satpura system, which is described under the South Central Highlands chapter.
- Explicitly names 'Mikir Hill ... of Assam' in a list of hilly districts covered by hill-area development programmes.
- Links Mikir Hill to Assam administrative geography, which is the primary locator given in the snippets.
- Describes Dhansiri and Kapili rivers having almost isolated the Mikir and Rengma hills 'from the Meghalaya Plateau' within the Brahmaputra plain context.
- Places the Mikir Hills in the Assamese valley/topographic setting, reinforcing their location in the northeastern physiographic region described.
- States that the Mikir Hills are detached from the Meghalaya Plateau and surrounded by plains on three sides.
- By connecting Mikir to the Meghalaya Plateau (which other snippets identify with the hills of the Northeast), it supports a Northeast India location.
- [THE VERDICT]: Sitter. Direct hits from NCERT Class XI, Chapter 2 (Structure and Physiography).
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: The Physiographic Divisions of India — specifically the sub-sections on 'The Peninsular Plateau' and 'The Coastal Plains'.
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize the North-South order of Eastern Ghats (Nallamala, Palkonda, Javadi, Shevaroy); the West-East order of Satpura (Rajpipla, Mahadeo, Maikal); and the NE Hills sequence (Dafla, Miri, Abor, Mishmi).
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: The examiner's favorite trap is the 'East-West Swap' (Pair 1: Cardamom is West, Coromandel is East) and the 'Inland-Coastal Swap' (Pair 2: Kaimur is Central Highlands, Konkan is Coastal). Always verify the *State* location behind the region name.
The statement confuses a hill range's location with a named coastal strip; sources distinguish the Coromandel Coast (east/Bay of Bengal) from the Malabar/Western coast.
High-yield for physical geography: UPSC often asks coastline identification, major coastal plains and associated states. Mastering east vs west coastal names helps eliminate wrong options in map- and location-based questions. Study by comparing map locations and textbook descriptions; practice by labelling maps and answering coast-related MCQs.
- CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I ,Geography, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Physical Features of India > The Coastal Plains > p. 13
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 2: Physiography > The Eastern Coastal Plain > p. 65
Evidence names the Cardamom Hills as part of the Western Ghats (Kerala), which locates them on the western side of the peninsula, not on the Coromandel (eastern) coast.
Knowing regional names of the Western Ghats (Sahyadri, Nilgiri, Anaimalai, Cardamom) is frequently tested in geography and environment sections, and aids in questions on biodiversity, climate gradients and cropping patterns. Memorise regional equivalences and associate them with states and coasts; use map drills and short mnemonic lists.
- INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Structure and Physiography > The Deccan Plateau > p. 12
- CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I ,Geography, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Physical Features of India > The Peninsular Plateau > p. 12
Understanding that the Coromandel Coast is the southern part of the Bay of Bengal coastal plain clarifies coast–hill spatial relationships relevant to the statement.
Questions often link coastal plain features (deltas, alluvium, adjacent ghats) to economic geography and historical trade; mastering these links helps answer integrated questions on trade routes, ports and physiography. Prepare by correlating textual descriptions with physical maps and example case studies (e.g., Coromandel ports).
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 2: Physiography > The Eastern Coastal Plain > p. 65
- CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I ,Geography, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Physical Features of India > The Coastal Plains > p. 13
Konkan is explicitly identified as the northern section of the western coastal plain; knowing its geographic extent is directly relevant to judging whether a hill range lies 'along the Konkan Coast'.
Coastal subdivisions (Konkan, Kannad, Malabar) are frequently tested in map- and physiography-based questions. Mastering their locations helps eliminate wrong options and supports linked topics like coastal climate and transport (e.g., Konkan Railway). Prepare by memorising coast names and practicing placement on physical maps.
- CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I ,Geography, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Physical Features of India > The Coastal Plains > p. 13
- INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Structure and Physiography > The Coastal Plains > p. 14
The Western Ghats run parallel to the western coast and create a narrow coastal strip; understanding this relationship helps determine whether an inland hill range would be situated 'along' the coast or inland.
Questions often ask about the relation between mountain ranges and coastal plains (impact on rainfall, river behaviour, and human infrastructure). Learn by studying cross-sectional diagrams and comparing coastal plain width along different segments.
- CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I ,Geography, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Physical Features of India > The Coastal Plains > p. 13
- CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I ,Geography, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Physical Features of India > The Peninsular Plateau > p. 12
The Peninsular plateau's edges are marked by Western and Eastern Ghats and by other uplands; recognising which ranges are plateau-bound versus coastal helps locate ranges relative to coasts.
Understanding plateau boundaries is high-yield for physiography, drainage, and resource-distribution questions. Integrate NCERT descriptions with map exercises to practice locating ranges and linking them to coastal or interior positions.
- CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I ,Geography, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Physical Features of India > The Peninsular Plateau > p. 12
- CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I ,Geography, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Physical Features of India > The Coastal Plains > p. 13
Reference [1] explicitly lists Mahadeo with Satpura and Maikal as the Deccan Plateau's northern boundary, which is key to placing these hills geographically.
High-yield for map and physiography questions: knowing major plateau boundaries helps locate ranges on the map and connect them to river origins and regional divisions. Study approach: memorise plateau edges and associated ranges with map practice and cross-reference with physiographic chapter headings.
- INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Structure and Physiography > The Deccan Plateau > p. 12
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 2: Physiography > 2. The South Central Highlands > p. 55
The 'Barail Range' separates the Naga Hills from the Manipur Hills and is a crucial watershed. Also, look out for the 'Garhjat Hills' (Odisha) or 'Ramgarh Hills' (Chhattisgarh) in future matching questions, as they are the eastern counterparts to the Central Highland hills.
Apply the 'Commodity Logic': Cardamom is a wet-zone spice. The Coromandel Coast (Tamil Nadu/Andhra) is a rain-shadow region during the SW Monsoon and is relatively dry. Spices like Cardamom grow in the wet evergreen forests of the Western Ghats (Malabar side). Thus, Pair 1 is geographically contradictory.
Link 'Mikir Hills' to Internal Security (GS3): The Karbi-Anglong region is a hotspot for insurgency (Karbi Longri N.C. Hills Liberation Front) and demands for an autonomous state, directly linking physiography to political stability.