Which of the following geographical features or phenomena is/are associated with the Peninsular Block of India?
- 1.Submergence of parts of the western coast due to tectonic activity
- 2.Presence of residual mountain ranges such as the Veliconda hills and Mahendragiri hills
- 3.Deep, V-shaped river valleys formed by fast-flowing rivers
Select the answer using the code given below:
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 1 and 2
The Peninsular Block is an ancient, rigid landmass whose western edge has partly sunk beneath the sea and whose hills are old, worn-down remnants such as the Veliconda and Mahendragiri ranges. Its river valleys are shallow, so deep V-shaped valleys belong instead to the young Himalayan mountains.
- ✓ 1. NCERT describes the Peninsula as a rigid block since the Cambrian, except for part of its western coast that lies submerged beneath the sea, with other parts altered by tectonic activity.
- ✓ 2. The Peninsula mostly consists of relict and residual mountains, and NCERT lists the Veliconda hills and the Mahendragiri hills among them.
- ✗ 3. Peninsular river valleys are shallow with low gradients. Gorges and V-shaped valleys are marks of the young, fast-flowing rivers of the Himalayan mountains.
Remember · Peninsular Block: ancient rigid block, submerged western coast, relict and residual hills (Aravali, Nallamala, Veliconda, Mahendragiri), shallow valleys. V-shaped valleys are Himalayan.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 11 India: Physical Environment, Ch 2 (practise this chapter) · Class 11 India: Physical Environment, Ch 2 (practise this chapter) · Class 11 India: Physical Environment, Ch 2 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 11 · India: Physical Environment, Chapter 2 “Since the Cambrian period, the Peninsula has been standing like a rigid block with the exception of some of its western coast which is submerged beneath the sea and some other parts changed due to tectonic activity”
- NCERT Class 11 · India: Physical Environment, Chapter 2 “the Javadi hills, the Veliconda hills, the Palkonda range and the Mahendragiri hills, etc. The river valleys here are shallow with low gradients.”
- NCERT Class 11 · India: Physical Environment, Chapter 2 “These mountains are tectonic in origin, dissected by fast-flowing rivers which are in their youthful stage. Various landforms like gorges, V-shaped valleys, rapids, waterfalls, etc. are indicative of this stage.”
Question and answer: UPSC's provisional GS Paper I (2026, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·