Prelims · Geography · 10 questions

Population, settlement & transport

Every UPSC Prelims question on this topic, 2016–2026, newest first. Tap an option to check yourself; the answer and explanation open below it.

Asked in 3 of 11 years · most in 2023 (2)

UPSC syllabus: “Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.” See the full syllabus →

Prelims 2026 · Q24

Easy Provisional key

In what way(s) does the Vizhinjam International Seaport represent a structural shift in India's maritime trade and logistics policy?

1.By functioning exclusively as a domestic cargo hub to reduce reliance on coastal shipping and eliminate the need for foreign collaborations.
2.By focusing primarily on passenger cruise tourism and heritage shipping to increase Kerala's profile as a maritime heritage destination.
3.By leveraging its natural deep draft and strategic location to reduce dependence on foreign trans-shipment ports, enhance revenue retention, and reposition India in regional maritime trade.

Select the answer using the code given below:

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) 3 only

Vizhinjam, near Thiruvananthapuram, is a deepwater, multipurpose international seaport that serves as a transshipment hub and a direct gateway for EXIM cargo. Deep water close to shore, minimal dredging and a site about 10 nautical miles from the East-West shipping corridor let it act as a hub in India, so cargo that would otherwise be transshipped at foreign hub ports can be handled at home.

✓ 3. Its natural depth with minimal dredging and its closeness to the international East-West route make it a transshipment hub and EXIM gateway in India, which is how it reduces reliance on foreign hub ports.
✗ 1. It is an international transshipment hub and EXIM gateway, not a purely domestic hub, and it is built on a landlord-port PPP (DBFOT) with a private operator, Adani Vizhinjam Port.
✗ 2. It is a transshipment, EXIM, multipurpose and break-bulk port; cruise tourism and heritage shipping are not its purpose.

Remember · Vizhinjam (Kerala): deepwater multipurpose international seaport, about 10 nautical miles from the East-West shipping corridor; transshipment hub and EXIM gateway; landlord model with PPP (DBFOT).

Sources

Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited (Government of Kerala), home page ↗ · reference work “Located just 10 nautical miles from the international East–West shipping corridor, Vizhinjam sits at one of the world’s busiest maritime crossroads … Deep waters close to shore, minimal dredging requirements and favourable coastal conditions create an efficient and sustainable foundation for long-term growth and world-class port operations. … the port serves as a major transshipment hub and direct gateway for EXIM cargo, alongside multipurpose and break-bulk operations. … Developed under a landlord port model with a PPP component on a DBFOT basis, the port is operated in partnership with Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited”

Question and answer: UPSC's provisional GS Paper I (2026, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2026 · Q26

Medium Provisional key

Which of the following with reference to Indian States is/are not correct?

1.Uttar Pradesh shares its boundary with the highest number of other Indian States.
2.Rajasthan shares the longest international border among all Indian States.
3.Sikkim is the only State that shares its boundary with just one other Indian State.

Select the answer using the code given below:

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) 2 and 3

UPSC's key treats statements 2 and 3 as wrong. West Bengal's border with Bangladesh alone is 2,216.7 km (plus borders with Nepal and Bhutan), and Sikkim is not alone in touching a single State: Meghalaya borders only Assam. Uttar Pradesh touches many States (and Delhi), more than any other State.

✓ 1. Uttar Pradesh borders many States and Delhi (Britannica lists Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi), more than any other State.
✗ 2. UPSC's official key treats this as incorrect. West Bengal's stretch of the India-Bangladesh border alone is 2,216.7 km; we could not confirm Rajasthan's own border length from an official source, so we do not state it.
✗ 3. Sikkim touches only West Bengal among Indian States, but Meghalaya likewise touches only Assam, so Sikkim is not the only such State.

Remember · Longest international border: West Bengal (Bangladesh 2,216.7 km + Nepal + Bhutan). Most neighbouring States: Uttar Pradesh. One-neighbour States: Sikkim (West Bengal), Meghalaya (Assam).

Sources

Ministry of Home Affairs, Annual Report 2023-24, Ch 3 Border Management ↗ “The Indian side of the India- Bangladesh border touches West Bengal (2216.7 km), Assam (263 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Tripura (856 km) … India shares 3323 km of its land border with Pakistan. This border runs along the States of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh.”
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Uttar Pradesh ↗ · reference work “Uttar Pradesh is bordered by Uttarakhand and Nepal to the north, Bihar to the east, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh to the southeast, Madhya Pradesh to the south, and Rajasthan and Haryana and Delhi to the west.”
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Sikkim ↗ · reference work “Sikkim is bordered to the north and northeast by the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, to the southeast by Bhutan, to the south by the Indian state of West Bengal, and to the west by Nepal.”
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Meghalaya ↗ · reference work “It is bordered by Assam to the north and northeast and by Bangladesh to the south and southwest.”

Question and answer: UPSC's provisional GS Paper I (2026, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2024 · Q41

Easy

The total fertility rate in an economy is defined as:

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) the average number of live births a woman would have by the end of her child-bearing age.

Total fertility rate (TFR) is the average number of children a woman would have by the end of her child-bearing years, given the fertility rates of a particular period. It is counted per woman, not per couple and not per 1,000 people.

✓ (d) The WHO defines TFR as the average number of children a hypothetical group of women would have at the end of their reproductive period if they experienced the fertility rates of a given period. NCERT reads a TFR of 1.7 as the average woman having 1.7 children.
✗ (a) Births per 1,000 people in a year is the crude birth rate, which is measured against the whole population, not against women.
✗ (b) TFR is measured per woman and is not a count of children per couple.
✗ (c) Birth rate minus death rate is the natural rate of population growth.

Remember · TFR = average children per woman over her child-bearing years; replacement level is about 2.1, and India's TFR fell to 2.0 in NFHS-5 (2019-21).

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 12 Indian Society, Ch 2 (practise this chapter)

Sources

NCERT Class 12 · Indian Society, Chapter 2 “bring down their total fertility rates (TFR) to 1.7 each (2016). This means that the average woman in these states produces only 1.7 children”
WHO Indicator Metadata Registry: Total fertility rate (per woman) ↗ “The average number of children a hypothetical cohort of women would have at the end of their reproductive period if they were subject during their whole lives to the fertility rates of a given period and if they were not subject to mortality.”
PIB (Ministry of Health): NFHS-5 Phase-II findings ↗ “The Total Fertility Rates (TFR), an average number of children per womenhas further declined from 2.2 to 2.0 at the national level”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2024 · Q67

Easy

Consider the following countries:

1.Italy
2.Japan
3.Nigeria
4.South Korea
5.South Africa

Which of the above countries are frequently mentioned in the media for their low birth rates, or ageing population or declining population?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 4

Italy, Japan and South Korea are the standard examples, in NCERT, of countries where fertility has fallen so low that the population is ageing and beginning to shrink. Nigeria is the opposite case, a young and rapidly growing population, and South Africa, whose population is still growing by over 1% a year, is not one of these examples.

✓ 1. NCERT names Italy among the European and East Asian countries whose population is shrinking because fertility has dropped.
✓ 2. Japan is NCERT's example of an ageing society. It has raised its retirement age and uses automation to make up for labour shortages.
✗ 3. Nigeria has a wide-based, young age structure and a population that continues to grow rapidly, so it is not a low-birth-rate case.
✓ 4. South Korea is listed together with Italy and Japan as a country where very low fertility is making the population shrink.
✗ 5. South Africa is not among the shrinking or ageing countries NCERT names. Stats SA puts its 2025 population at 63.1 million and still growing at 1.23% a year, with about 2.2 children per woman, so it is not a shrinking-population case like Italy, Japan or South Korea.

Remember · Low fertility, ageing or shrinking population: Italy, Japan, South Korea (also China). Nigeria has a young, fast-growing population.

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 8 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 6 (practise this chapter) · Class 8 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 6 (practise this chapter)

Sources

NCERT Class 8 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 6 “If fertility drops significantly, leading to even lower births, the population starts to shrink as seen in many European and East Asian countries like Italy, Japan and South Korea.”
NCERT Class 8 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 6 “Countries like China, Japan, and Italy are already seeing shrinking populations while India's population is growing for now. At the same time, the population in several African nations such as Nigeria and Ethiopia continue to grow rapidly.”
Statistics South Africa, Mid-year population estimates 2025 (P0302): fertility ↗ “Since 2008, overall fertility has declined from an average of 2,78 children per woman in 2008 to 2,21 children in 2025. … resulting in an annual growth rate of 1,23% by 2025, which is below pre-pandemic levels”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2023 · Q2

Medium

Consider the following pairs:

	Port	Well known as
1.	Kamarajar Port	First major port in India registered as a company
2.	Mundra Port	Largest privately owned port in India
3.	Visakhapatnam Port	Largest container port in India

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) Only two pairs

Kamarajar (Ennore) was the first major port set up as a company, and Mundra in Gujarat is India's largest private port, so the first two pairs match. Visakhapatnam is a big bulk-cargo port on the east coast, but India's container traffic is led by west-coast ports such as Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Nhava Sheva) and Mundra.

✓ 1. Ennore Port was declared a major port in March 1999 and incorporated as a company under the Companies Act, 1956 in October 1999; it was later renamed Kamarajar Port Limited, the first corporatised major port.
✓ 2. Mundra, on the northern shore of the Gulf of Kutch, is run by a private operator and is India's largest private port.
✗ 3. Visakhapatnam is not the leading container port. Jawaharlal Nehru Port at Navi Mumbai handles about half of the containerised cargo of India's major ports.

Remember · Kamarajar (Ennore, Tamil Nadu): first corporatised major port. Mundra (Gujarat): largest private port. Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Navi Mumbai): India's premier container port among major ports.

Sources

Kamarajar Port Limited (Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways): About ↗ · reference work “Kamarajar Port Limited (KPL) is one of the fastest growing seaports in India and the first corporatized Major Port in the country, operating under the landlord Port model.”
USGS EROS Image of the Week: Mundra Port ↗ “Located on the northern coast of the Gulf of Kutch on the west coast of India, Mundra Port is India's largest private port.”
Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority: Welcome to JNPA ↗ “The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) at Navi Mumbai is a premier container handling Port in India accounting for around 50% of the total containerised cargo volume, across the major ports of India.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2023 · Q10

Medium

With reference to India's projects on connectivity, consider the following statements:

1.East-West Corridor under Golden Quadrilateral Project connects Dibrugarh and Surat.
2.Trilateral Highway connects Moreh in Manipur and Chiang Mai in Thailand via Myanmar.
3.Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor connects Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh with Kunming in China.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) None

Every statement has a wrong end-point or a wrong project name. The East-West Corridor runs from Silchar to Porbandar and is separate from the Golden Quadrilateral, the Trilateral Highway runs from Moreh to Mae Sot in Thailand, and the BCIM corridor was planned from Kolkata to Kunming.

✗ 1. The East-West Corridor links Silchar in Assam with Porbandar in Gujarat (about 3,640 km). It belongs to the North-South and East-West corridor programme, not to the Golden Quadrilateral, which joins Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.
✗ 2. PIB states that the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway aims to connect Moreh in Manipur to Mae Sot in Thailand via Myanmar, not Chiang Mai.
✗ 3. The Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Economic Corridor was conceived to link Kolkata with Kunming in Yunnan through Bangladesh and Myanmar; Varanasi is not on it.

Remember · East-West Corridor: Silchar–Porbandar; North-South: Srinagar–Kanniyakumari. Trilateral Highway: Moreh–Mae Sot. BCIM: Kolkata–Kunming.

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 12 India: People and Economy, Ch 7 (practise this chapter)

Sources

NCERT Class 12 · India: People and Economy, Chapter 7 “The East-West Corridor has been planned to connect Silchar in Assam with the port town of Porbandar in Gujarat with 3,640-km of road length.”
PIB: Ashtalakshmi, the North-East at the Heart of India's Act East Policy ↗ “The India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway is a flagship project under this framework. It aims to connect Moreh in Manipur to Mae Sot in Thailand via Myanmar.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2021 · Q81

Hard

Consider the following statements:

1.‘Right to the City’ is an agreed human right and the UN-Habitat monitors the commitments made by each country in this regard.
2.‘Right to the City’ gives every occupant of the city the right to reclaim public spaces and public participation in the city.
3.‘Right to the City’ means that the State cannot deny any public service or facility to the unauthorized colonies in the city.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) 2 and 3

‘Right to the City’ is a vision of cities for all, in which every inhabitant, including those in informal settlements, can use public spaces and take part in city life. It is not an agreed human right that UN-Habitat monitors country by country, so statement 1 fails while statements 2 and 3 fit the idea.

✗ 1. The UN's New Urban Agenda (2016) only notes that some national and local governments have written this vision, called ‘right to the city’, into their laws, declarations and charters. It is not an agreed international human right with country-wise commitments.
✓ 2. The idea stresses equal use and enjoyment of cities by all inhabitants, with participation in city life and safe, inclusive public spaces open to everyone.
✓ 3. The vision covers all inhabitants, whether they live in formal or informal settlements. UPSC's key therefore treats the State's duty not to deny services to unauthorised colonies as part of it.

Remember · Right to the City: a vision of equal use of cities by all inhabitants, informal settlements included. Some governments have legislated it; it is not an agreed international right.

Sources

UN-Habitat / United Nations, New Urban Agenda (Habitat III, 2016), para 11 ↗ · reference work “We note the efforts of some national and local governments to enshrine this vision, referred to as “right to the city”, in their legislation, political declarations and charters. … Are participatory, promote civic engagement, engender a sense of belonging and ownership among all their inhabitants, prioritize safe, inclusive, accessible, green and quality public spaces … enable all inhabitants, whether living in formal or informal settlements, to lead decent, dignified and rewarding lives and to achieve their full human potential.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2021 · Q95

Easy

With reference to India, the terms 'Halbi, Ho and Kui' pertain to

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) tribal languages

Halbi, Ho and Kui are tribal languages. In the Census of India's classification Halbi (spelt 'Halabi') is an Indo-Aryan language, Ho belongs to the Austro-Asiatic family and Kui to the Dravidian family.

✗ (a) None of the three is a dance form; the Census lists all three among India's languages and mother tongues.
✗ (b) They are not musical instruments; Census C-16 lists them as languages.
✗ (c) They are not cave-painting traditions; they are living languages spoken by communities.
✓ (d) Halbi, Ho and Kui are languages spoken chiefly by tribal communities, and state education programmes have used Halbi and Kui (with Gondi, Saora and Santali) for early schooling.

Remember · Halbi (Indo-Aryan), Ho (Austro-Asiatic) and Kui (Dravidian) are tribal languages, not dances, instruments or paintings.

Sources

Census of India 2011, Paper 1 of 2018, Language: India, States and Union Territories (Table C-16), Statement 9: Indo-Aryan family listing ↗ “1. Assamese (S), 2. Bengali(S), 3. Bhili/Bhilodi, 4. Bishnupuriya, 5. Dogri(S) 6. Gujarati(S), 7. Halabi, 8. Hindi(S), 9. Kashmiri(S), 10. Khandeshi,11. Konkani(S) … 10. Kui, 11. Kurukh/Oraon, 12. Malayalam(S), 13. Malto, 14. Parji, 15. Tamil(S), 16. Telugu(S), 17.Tulu. 3. AUSTRO-ASIATIC 1. Bhumij, 2. Gadaba, 3. Ho,”
NCERT, Journal of Indian Education (ejournals.ncert.gov.in): tribal languages in primary education ↗ “Odisha has implemented MTB-MLE programmes in over 1,500 schools using languages such as Kui, Saora, and Santali (Mohanty, 2019, p. 108). Chhattisgarh has piloted primers in Gondi and Halbi”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2017 · Q49

Medium

If you travel by road from Kohima to Kottayam, what is the minimum number of States within India through which you can travel, including the origin and the destination?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) 7

The shortest chain of neighbouring States from Kohima (Nagaland) to Kottayam (Kerala) has seven States: Nagaland, Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Each State in this chain shares a border with the next.

✓ (b) Nagaland borders Assam on the west, and Assam has a boundary with West Bengal. West Bengal has Odisha to its south, Andhra Pradesh lies south of Odisha, Tamil Nadu is on Andhra Pradesh's southern border, and Kerala is on Tamil Nadu's west. That is 7 States.
✗ (a) Six is not possible. Odisha does not touch Tamil Nadu, Karnataka or Kerala, so a route must pass through Andhra Pradesh and then one of Tamil Nadu or Karnataka before reaching Kerala.
✗ (c) Eight would come from a longer route, for example adding Jharkhand or going through both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The question asks for the minimum.

Remember · Kohima to Kottayam by road, shortest State chain: Nagaland, Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu (or Karnataka), Kerala = 7.

Sources

Nagaland, Know India (Government of India portal, Internet Archive copy) ↗ “It is bounded by Myanmar on the East, Arunachal Pradesh on the North, Assam on the West, and Manipur on the South.”
Boundaries of Assam, Directorate of Border Protection and Development, Government of Assam ↗ “Assam-Manipur - 204.1 Km Assam-Mizoram - 164.6 Km Assam-Tripura - 46.3 Km Assam-Meghalaya - 884.9 Km Assam-West Bengal - 127.0 Km”
West Bengal, Know India (Government of India portal, Internet Archive copy) ↗ “On the west are the States of Bihar and Jharkhand, while on the South lies Odisha and the Bay of Bengal washes its southern frontiers.”
Andhra Pradesh, Know India (Government of India portal, 2016 Internet Archive copy) ↗ “Andhra Pradesh is bound on the north by Odisha and Chhattisgarh, on the west by Maharashtra and Karnataka, on the south by Tamil Nadu”
Tamil Nadu, Know India (Government of India portal, Internet Archive copy) ↗ “Tamil Nadu is bounded on north by Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka on west by Kerala, on east by the Bay of Bengal and on South by the Indian Ocean.”

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). Permalink ·

Prelims 2017 · Q60

Medium

With reference to the role of UN-Habitat in the United Nations programme working towards a better urban future, which of the statements is/are correct?

1.UN-Habitat has been mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities to provide adequate shelter for all.
2.Its partners are either governments or local urban authorities only.
3.UN-Habitat contributes to the overall objective of the United Nations system to reduce poverty and to promote access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) 1 and 3 only

UN-Habitat, the UN Human Settlements Programme, is mandated by the General Assembly to promote sustainable towns and cities and works to reduce poverty and improve access to water and sanitation, so statements 1 and 3 hold. Statement 2 fails because its partners are not only governments and city authorities.

✓ 1. UN-Habitat is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities; the aim it has long stated is adequate shelter for all.
✗ 2. UN-Habitat works with a wide range of partners: political actors, civil society, professional organisations, the private sector, universities and foundations, apart from national and local governments.
✓ 3. UN-Habitat promotes urbanisation as a force for reducing inequality, discrimination and poverty, and its work on urban planning and waste management supports access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene.

Remember · UN-Habitat (Nairobi) is the UN's human settlements programme. It has a General Assembly mandate for sustainable cities and works with governments, civil society and business alike.

Sources

UN-Habitat: About Us ↗ · reference work “The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. … UN-Habitat promotes urbanization as a positive transformative force for people and communities, reducing inequality, discrimination and poverty.”
UN-Habitat: Partnerships at UN-Habitat ↗ · reference work “UN-Habitat strives to establish and strengthen strategic relationships with a diverse range of partners at national, regional and international level, including political actors, civil society, professional organizations, and the private sector”
UN-Habitat: Partners (Overview) ↗ · reference work “For over forty years, UN-Habitat has served as the global leader in promoting socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements and adequate shelter for all.”

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). Permalink ·

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