Prelims · Geography · 19 questions

Earth, landforms & geomorphology

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Prelims 2022 · Q24

Easy

Gandikota canyon of South India was created by which one of the following rivers?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) Pennar

The Gandikota gorge in Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh, is cut by the Pennar (Penna) river through the Erramala hills. The name itself joins the Telugu words for gorge ('gandi') and fort ('kota'), after the medieval fort perched above the canyon.

✓ (c) The Kadapa district administration describes the Penna river gorge, about 200 metres wide, flowing between the cliffs of the Erramala hills at Gandikota.
✗ (d) The Tungabhadra is a Krishna tributary flowing past Hampi in Karnataka; it does not flow through Kadapa district.
✗ (b) The Manjira is a tributary of the Godavari in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telangana, far north of Gandikota.

Remember · Gandikota ('gorge fort'), Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh: canyon of the Pennar/Penna river through the Erramala hills — often called India's Grand Canyon.

Sources

District YSR (Kadapa), Government of Andhra Pradesh: Gandikota ↗ “The viewpoint offers breathtaking panoramic views of the Penna river gorge flowing between the cliffs of Erramala hills, with a width of around 200 metres, forming one of the finest gorges in South India.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2022, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2022 · Q29

Easy

In the northern hemisphere, the longest day of the year normally occurs in the:

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) Second half of the month of June

The Northern Hemisphere's longest day is the summer solstice, around 21 June, when the North Pole is tilted most towards the Sun and the Sun is overhead at the Tropic of Cancer. 21 June falls in the second half of June.

✓ (b) The summer solstice falls on 20, 21 or 22 June; after it, days in the Northern Hemisphere grow shorter and nights longer.
✗ (a) Days are still lengthening through the first half of June; the maximum comes only at the solstice around 21 June.
✗ (c) July is often the hottest month because of the lag in heating, but day length is already decreasing by then.

Remember · Summer solstice ~21 June: Sun overhead at the Tropic of Cancer, longest day in the Northern Hemisphere; winter solstice ~22 December: shortest day.

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 7 Curiosity, Ch 12 (practise this chapter)

Sources

NCERT Class 7 · Curiosity, Chapter 12 “In the Northern Hemisphere, the longest day occurs around 21 June—this is known as summer solstice. After the summer solstice, the duration of a day becomes shorter while that of a night becomes longer.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2022, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

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Read it in NCERT

Class 7 Curiosity, Chapter 12cited in 1 explanation