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Q35 (IAS/2026) Geography › Indian Physical Geography Official Key

Identify the river of the Indian sub-continent on the basis of the following information:
1. It has an antecedent drainage system.
2. It flows through three countries.
3. It originates in the Tibetan Plateau and is an important river for irrigation.
4. It does not form distributaries.
Select the answer from the following:

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: C

Explanation

The correct river is the Sutlej.

  • Antecedent drainage: The Sutlej is an antecedent river, meaning it existed before the upliftment of the Himalayas and cut deep gorges through the mountain range to maintain its course.
  • Flows through three countries: It flows through China (Tibet), India, and Pakistan.
  • Origin and irrigation: It originates from Rakas Lake (Rakshastal) in the Tibetan Plateau. It is highly significant for irrigation, feeding major projects like the Bhakra-Nangal Dam and the Indira Gandhi Canal.
  • No distributaries: Unlike the Indus and Brahmaputra, which empty into the sea and form extensive deltas with multiple distributaries, the Sutlej is a tributary. It merges with the Chenab to form the Panjnad river in Pakistan and does not form distributaries.

Teesta only flows through two countries (India and Bangladesh) and originates in Sikkim, not the Tibetan Plateau.

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PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN

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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Identify the river of the Indian sub-continent on the basis of the following information: 1. It has an antecedent drainage system. 2. It flo…
At a glance
Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: High fairness Books / CA: 9/10 · 1/10
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This is a classic 'matrix-matching' geography question where standard NCERT and Majid Husain facts are layered to isolate one river. While all options are antecedent rivers, the 'no distributaries' trap eliminates the major delta-forming rivers, leaving Sutlej as the only logical answer.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Does the Brahmaputra river have an antecedent drainage system
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 3: The Drainage System of India > 1. The Antecedent or Inconsequent Drainage > p. 1
Presence: 5/5
“The rivers that existed before the upheaval of the Himalayas and cut their courses southward by making gorges in the mountains are known as the antecedent rivers. The Indus, Satluj, Ganga, Sarju (Kali), Arun (a tributary of Kosi), Tista, and Brahmaputra are some of the important antecedent rivers, originating from beyond the Greater Himalayas.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly identifies the Brahmaputra as one of the important antecedent rivers originating from beyond the Greater Himalayas.
  • Defines antecedent rivers as those that existed before the Himalayan upheaval and maintained their courses by cutting gorges.
Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 16: Fluvial Landforms and Cycle of Erosion > Antecedent Drainage or Inconsequent Drainage > p. 211
Presence: 5/5
“• A part of a river slope and the surrounding area gets uplifted, and the river sticks to its original slope, cutting through the uplifted portion like a saw (vertical erosion) and forming deep gorges. This type of drainage is called antecedent drainage. Example: Indus, Sutlej, Brahmaputra, and other Himalayan rivers that are older than the Himalayas themselves. There are usually called antecedent rivers (rivers older than the existing land itself).”
Why this source?
  • Lists the Brahmaputra as a primary example of antecedent drainage where the river is older than the existing land itself.
  • Explains that the river maintained its original slope by performing vertical erosion through uplifted portions of the Himalayas.
Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 3: The Drainage System of India > The Himalayan Drainage > p. 6
Presence: 5/5
“The Himalayan drainage system comprises all the international rivers of India, i.e., the Indus, the Ganga, and the Brahmaputra. Most of these rivers and their major tributaries are perennial in character, obtaining their water from the glaciers and rains. These rivers are in their youthful stage carving out a number of erosional landforms like waterfalls, cataracts, rapids, gorges, steep slopes, and river terraces. The Himalayan rivers are not only eroding agents, but are also depositing agents in the plains and deltas. The great Himalayan rivers (Indus, Satluj, Ganga, Kali, Karnali, Gandak, Kosi, Tista, and Brahmaputra) are older than the Greater Himalayas.”
Why this source?
  • Confirms the Brahmaputra is older than the Greater Himalayas, a defining characteristic of antecedent drainage.
  • Notes that these rivers carve out deep gorges, which is the physical evidence of an antecedent system.
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SIMILAR QUESTIONS

NDA-I · 2019 · Q74 Relevance score: 1.91

Brahmaputra and Indus rivers are antecedent rivers. Which one of the following may be the true definition of an antecedent drainage?

NDA-II · 2024 · Q109 Relevance score: 1.17

Consider the following facts of the rivers of the Indus system : 1. The Satluj originates in Tibet where it is known as Langchen Khambab 2. The Satluj is a classic example of an antecedent river 3. The Jhelum is the largest tributary of the Indus System Select the answer using the code given below :

CDS-II · 2024 · Q114 Relevance score: -0.64

Consider the following statements regarding the rivers of India: 1. The Barak River, the head stream of the Meghna, rises in the hills of Meghalaya. 2. The Ghaggar River does not drain out to the sea and gets lost in the Rajasthan desert. 3. Puthimari and Manas are important tributaries of the Brahmaputra. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

NDA-II · 2010 · Q28 Relevance score: -1.36

Which one of the following does not characterise the Himalayas?

NDA-I · 2024 · Q116 Relevance score: -1.37

Which of the following statements regarding the given rivers is/are correct ? 1. Tsangpo crosses over into India under the name of Dihang. 2. Godavari has the second largest river basin covering about 10 percent of the area of India. 3. Rivers Chambal and Betwa are the important tributaries of river Ganga which join river Ganga directly in Uttar Pradesh. Select the answer using the code given below :