With reference to river Teesta, consider the following statements:
- 1.The source of river Teesta is the same as that of Brahmaputra but it flows through Sikkim.
- 2.River Rangeet originates in Sikkim and it is a tributary of river Teesta.
- 3.River Teesta flows into Bay of Bengal on the border of India and Bangladesh.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 2 only
The Teesta rises inside Sikkim, not at the Brahmaputra's source in Tibet, and it does not reach the sea on its own: it joins the Brahmaputra (Jamuna) inside Bangladesh. The Rangeet, which has its headwaters in West Sikkim, is a right-bank tributary of the Teesta, so only statement 2 is correct.
- ✗ 1. The Teesta rises from the Pahunri (Teesta Kangse) glacier in north Sikkim and flows south through the Sikkim Himalaya; the Brahmaputra rises far away in the Kailash range of Tibet near the Konggyu Tsho lake.
- ✓ 2. The Rangit (Rangeet) has its headwaters in the glaciers of West Sikkim, such as East Rathong, and is the main tributary that meets the Teesta just before Teesta Bridge, near the Sikkim–West Bengal border.
- ✗ 3. The Teesta joins the Brahmaputra on its right bank inside Bangladesh, after which the river is called the Jamuna; it does not enter the Bay of Bengal on its own.
Remember · Teesta: rises in north Sikkim, tributary Rangeet (right bank), joins the Brahmaputra (Jamuna) in Bangladesh; Brahmaputra rises in the Kailash range, Tibet.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 11 India: Physical Environment, Ch 3 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 11 · India: Physical Environment, Chapter 3 “The Brahmaputra enters into Bangladesh near Dhubri and flows southward. In Bangladesh, the Tista joins it on its right bank from where the river is known as the Jamuna.”
- India-WRIS (Ministry of Jal Shakti): Brahmaputra basin ↗ “The Brahmaputra River originates in the north from Kailash ranges of Himalayas at an elevation of 5,150 m just south of the lake called Konggyu Tsho”
- Central Water Commission (Ministry of Jal Shakti), Teesta and Bhagirathi Damodar Basin Organisation: Basin Details ↗ “The Teesta River originates from the Pahunri (or Teesta Kangse) glacier above 7,068 m, and flows southward through gorges and rapids in the Sikkim Himalaya. … Just before the Teesta Bridge, where the roads from Kalimpong and Darjeeling join, the river is met by its main tributary, the Rangeet River.”
- Government of Sikkim (Forests Dept), Impact of Climate Change on East-Rathong Glacier in Rangit Basin, West Sikkim ↗ “the river Rathong Chu originates from the snout region of the East-Rathong glacier which is at 4674m above mean sea level and flows in an easterly direction as the main tributary of Rangit river.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2017, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·