IASbaba Value Add: Geography Set-2/Block 4

Part I- Indian Physiography

After reading this document, you should be able to:

 Understand the geographical location of India.

 Understand the rock formations of India and minerals related to them.
 Understand how to apply the knowledge in answer writing.
 Understand and know the geographical extent of Physiographic divisions of India-
namely Himalayan Mountains, peninsular plateau, Great northern plains, coastal plains
and Islands.
 Appreciate the diversity of Landforms that we have.

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India- Size and Location

Location:

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Hemispherical Location:
Northern Hemisphere- Between 8o4’ N and 37o6’ N

Eastern Hemisphere- Between 68o7’ E and 97o25’ E (It occupies almost the central part of
Eastern Hemisphere)

Indian Standard Time: 82o30’ E longitude is taken as the standard meridian to determine the
Indian Standard Time. According to the time zone it is 5 hour and 30 minutes ahead of the
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

The Tropic of Cancer passes through the middle of the country dividing India into two halves-
the Southern half having the Torrid Zone while the northern half having the Sub-Tropical zone.

INDIA SIZE:
India is the seventh largest country in the world (by area)
Total landmass –3.29million square kms
Land boundary of India runs about – 15200 kms
Length of the coastline – 7,516.6 kms (including islands)
Northern most Point- Indira Col.
Southern Most point- Indira point (Nicobar islands); Cape comorin (Kanyakumari-
Mainland)
Western Most point- Guhar Moti in Kutch, near the Sir Creek, Gujarat
Eastern Most Point- Kibithu in Anjaw district, Arunachal Pradesh

Natural Location:

Naturally India lies in the northern part of the Indian Ocean. The Peninsula formed by India, or
the Indian peninsula divides the ocean into two flanking expanses of water – The Arabian Sea
and the Bay of Bengal. These two water bodies with a coastline of 6083 km have played an
important role in the international trade and cultural interaction of Indian people with rest of
the world.

(Note: A peninsula is a piece of land which is covered by water from three sides but still
connected to the mainland.)

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18 17.09

16

14

12
9.98 9.62 9.59
10
8.51
7.69
8

4 3.28

0
country

Russia Canada USA China Brazil Australia India

India’s Neighbours:

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Geological Structure:
No geographical description of a region would be complete unless it devotes sufficient
attention on its geological structure. The geological structure, which includes the arrangement
and deposition of rocks in the earth’s crust, plays a dominant role in determining the relief of
land and nature of soil. As such, study of geological structure plays a vital role in agricultural
and industrial development as well as overall growth of the country.

Geological History:
The geological records of the world are classified on the basis of geological scale devised in
Europe. On it basis, the geological history of earth is divided into-

5 eras: Neozoic, Cenozoic, Mesozoic, Paleozoic and Proterozoic.

4 Epochs: Quaternary, tertiary, Secondary and Primary

16 Periods: Holocene, Pleistocene, Pliocene, Miocene, Oligocene, Eocene, Paleocene,

Cretaceous, Jurassic, Triassic, Permian, Carboniferous, Devonian, Silurian, Ordovician and
Cambrian.

The geological records of India do not fully confirm with the Europe. The Geological Survey of
India (GSI) has suggested four geological eras- Archean, Purana, Dravidian and Aryan

The rock system of the country is divided into 4 major divisions:

 The Archean Rock System

 The Purana Rock System
 The Dravidian Rock System
 The Aryan Rock System

Type Sub-type location minerals

Archean Archean Covers 2/3 part of Rich in Ferrous and
system(4000-2500 Indian peninsula. non-ferrous minerals
million years old) Found in Andhra, like iron ore, copper,
telangana, Karnataka, manganese, mica,
Madhya Pradesh, dolomite, lead, zinc,
Maharashtra, silver and gold.
Rajasthan and parts
of Meghalaya
plateau.

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Dharwad system The system is well Gold, Marble,

(2500- 1800 million developed in Precious and semi-
years old) Dharwar-Bellary- precious stones.
Mysore belt of
Karnataka, Jharkhand
(Ranchi-Hazaribagh),
MP, Chattisgarh,
Odisha and Aravalli
belt between Jaipur
and Palanpur in
Rajasthan.
Purana Rocks (1400- Cuddapah System Cuddapah and
600 million years) Kurnool dist. Andhra,
Chattisgarh,
Rajasthan and lesser
Himalayas
Vindhyas Vindhayan Mountain Diamond, Red
Range sandstone,
Construction stone
Dravidian Rocks (600- Cambrian Rocks Named after Cambria, They are fossiliferous
300 million years) the latin name for sandstones underlain
Wales in Great by clayey salt.
Britain.
They are best
developed in North-
West Himalayan
region.

Carboniferous Rocks Carboniferous in Limestone and

-upper carboniferous geology means coal dolomite. Anthracite
-middle carboniferous bearing. Coal coal is found.
-lower carboniferous formation started in
carboniferous age.
Upper- Mount Everest
Middle- Kashmir, Spiti
Valley, Shimla and
Himalayas
Lower- Pir Panjal trap,
kumaun region
Aryan Rocks Gondwana Odisha, Bihar, Good Quality Coal (
Jharkhand, Andhra Bituminous and
Pradesh, Chattisgarh Anthracite), iron,

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kaolin, fire clay,

sandstone and grits.
Deccan trap During this period, Quartz, bauxite,
(Cretaceous) (146-65 enormous quantity of Magnetite, agate and
million years) basaltic lava was semi-precious stones
poured out to the
surface assuming
great thickness.
Found in Gujarat,
Maharashtra, MP,
Chattisgarh, Northern
Andhra and North-
West Karnataka.
Tertiary (60-7 million Found in complete It has been called the
years) Himalayan formation. age of mammals
In peninsular region, because of the
they are found in the abundance of fossils
coast of Kutch, in these deposits.
Kathiawar, Konkan,
Malabar, Nilgiris and
the eastern Ghats.
Quaternary It started around Since most of the
12000 years ago since particles are loose
the withdrawal of the and recent, some
last glaciations. The recent fossils are
northern plains of found. Oil and gas
India came into being deposits are also
during this period. found.

Note: A direct question on geological history is highly unlikely. However, you might get an
objective question in prelims on this. For example:

Q.) Arrange the following rock formations according to their age in decreasing order:

1. Aryan
2. Dravidian
3. Purana
4. Archean

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Select the code from the following:

a) 1>2>3>4
b) 4>3>2>1
c) 3>4>2>1
d) 3>2>1>4

Q.) Solution (b)

Note: You can also use this information in questions related to resources and location of
industries and can earn a brownie mark.

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Indian Physiographic divisions

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(Note: Try to locate all these on the physical Map of India.)

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Eastern and Western Himalayas:

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(Note: Differentiation has become one of the most favourite questions of UPSC. It has
frequently asked about the differences between western and eastern ghats, Rift valley and V-
shape valley etc. So a comparative study will help you to prepare yourself in a better way.
Now you know the differences between the Eastern and the Western Himalayas.  )

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The Northern Plains of India:

West to East division of Northern plains

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Correction: In tributaries of Ganga, Its river Mahananda (not Mahanadi)

Note: The Ganga plain is divided into Upper Ganga, Middle Ganga and Lower Ganga plains as
shown in the map.

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The Second division is from North to South, Based on the coarseness of the deposits.

The Bhabar Plain: This is the northern most layer of the plains. It lies South of the Siwaliks from
west to east. The width of this region is not uniform and it is wider in west than in East. The
complete stretch is 8-15km wide.

As the rivers enter suddenly into the plains from Himalayas, the deposition starts and heavier
particles are deposited. Hence the sediments consist of gravel and unasserted particles. The
porosity of this region is so high that most of the small streams (Chos) disappear in the bhabar
tract.

It is not suitable for cultivation. Only big tress can thrive in the region.

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The Tarai Plain: Tarai lies South of Bhabar. It is 15-30km wide with its width increasing from
west to east.

This is a zone of excessive dampness, thick forests, rich wild life and malarial climate. In most of
the northen states, from Haryana to Bihar, the tarai forests have been cleared and plains are
used for agriculture now.

The bhangar plains: Bhangar is the upland alluvial tracts formed by the old alluvium. They lie
above the flood limits of the river and hence are now renewed yearly.

The soil is dark in colour, rich in humus and very productive. It contains nodules of Calcium
carbonates called ‘Kankars’.

The Khadar Plain: The new alluvium tracts along the course of river are known as ‘Khadar’ or
‘Bet’. Khadar tracts are enriched every year by flooding of the river. This is found in the mature
and old stage of the river. This is highly fertile. Most of this land is also reclaimed for
agriculture. Khadar plains are ecologically sensitive areas and support rich wildlife.

Peninsular plateau
The Peninsular plateau is a flat land which was formed when the Gondwana land moved and
was broken due to Tectonic activityOldest landmass

Shape: Irregular triangle

Height:Situated at 150 m above river plains (rises till 600-900m)
Structural features: Tors, Block Mountains, Spurs, Hummocks
Soil: Black soil
Rocks: Crystalline, Metamorphic and Igneous rocks

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Parts of Peninsular Plateau:

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Correction: River Mahi does not originate from Aravallis. It originates from Malwa plateau in
Madhya Pradesh and flows towards Gulf of Khambat. It takes a loop and flows through
Rajasthan. Mahi is also the only river in India, which cuts the Tropic of Cancer twice!!

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Correction: In hill ranges, it’s given Mahadev and Makala. It’s not Makala- It is “Maikal” Ranges.

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Correction: The highest peak of Western Ghats is Anai Mudi in Annamalai hills. Kalsubai is the
highest peak of Maharashtra.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMNrhQabGmM

The above link will help you understand the formation and positioning of Peninsular plateau of
India. 

The complete peninsular flank is surrounded by Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats. They are the
block mountain chains that run from north to south on both western and eastern side of the
plateau.

Like the previous question, again we have a question.

What are the differences between Western and Eastern Ghats?

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Difference between Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats

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Difference between East Coastal Plains and West Coastal

Plains

Correction: Konkan coast consists of coastal districts of Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra.

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Indian Islands:

The major islands groups of India are Andaman and Nicobar Archipelago (A chain of islands
similar in origin) in Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep islands in Arabian Sea.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands:

The Andaman and Nicobar islands archipelago consists of approximately 265 small and large
islands.

Andaman Islands:

The Andaman Islands are divided into three main islands i.e. North, Middle and South.
Duncan passage separates Little Andaman from South Andaman.
The Andaman group of islands in the north is separated by the Ten Degree Channel from the
Nicobar group in the south [Prelims 2014].

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Which one of the following pairs of islands is separated from each other by the ‘Ten Degree
Channel’?

A. Andaman and Nicobar

B. Nicobar and Sumatra
C. Maldives and Lakshadweep
D. Sumatra and Java

Port Blair, the capital of Andaman Nicobar Islands lies in the South Andaman.

Nicobar Islands:

 Among the Nicobar islands, the Great Nicobar is the largest. It is the southernmost
island and is very close to Sumatra island of Indonesia. The Car Nicobar is the
northernmost.
 Most of these islands are made of tertiary sandstone, limestone and shale resting on
basic and ultrabasic volcanoes [Similar to Himalayas].
 THE BARREN AND NARCONDAM ISLANDS, north of Port Blair, are volcanic islands
(Note: Barren Island is the only active volcano of India.)
 Some of the islands are fringed with coral reefs. Many of them are covered with thick
forests. Most of the islands are mountainous.
 Saddle peak (737 m) in North Andaman is the highest peak.

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Barren Island

Lakshadweep Islands:

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The Lakshadweep Islands are a group of 25 small islands.They are widely scattered about 200-
500 km south-west of the Kerala coast.
 Amendivi Islands are the northern most while the Minicoy island is the southernmost.
 All are tiny islands of coral origin {Atoll} and are surrounded by fringing reefs. (Corals
and atolls will be discussed in detail in Oceanography.)
 The largest and the most advanced is the Minicoy island with an area of 4.53 sq km.
 Most of the islands have low elevation and do not rise more than five metre above sea
level (Extremely Vulnerable to sea level change).
 Their topography is flat and relief features such as hills, streams, valleys, etc. are absent.

Lakshadweep islands

Q.) Since now you already know, how we distinguish between the two landforms, here is an
assignment for you. Write a note on the differences between Andaman and Nicobar
Archipelago, and Lakshadweep islands.

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Part II – Indian Drainage

The Drainage System:

The drainage system is an integrated system of tributaries and trunk streams which collects and
funnels surface water to the sea, lake or some other water body acting as a sink.

The total area that contributes water to a single drainage system is known as a drainage
basin.

This is a basic geomorphic unit of a river system, distinguished from a neighbouring basin by
ridges and highlands that form divides. They are considered as fundamental hydrological unit
because of three reasons:

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 They can be placed in an orderly hierarchy.

 They are areal units whose geomorphological and hydrological characteristics can be
measured quantitatively.
 They can be treated as working systems with energy inputs of climatological variables
like temperature and rainfall and output of river drainage as runoff.

Factors influencing Input + Output + Transport of sediment and water in a drainage

basin +Nature of the pattern of stream channels:

 Geological time period

 Nature and structure ofrocks
 Topography
 Slope
 Amount of water flowing
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 Periodicity of the flow

 Soil type
 Bedrock type
 Climate
 Vegetation cover

The committee on runoff of the American Geophysical Union treats the micro-unit within a
river basin as the watershed, while the sum of all the micro, meso and macro tributaries of a
river is known as river basin.

Watershed will be discussed in later part of this module in detail.

Drainage Pattern:
A geometric arrangement of streams in a region, determined by slope, differing rock resistance
to erosion, climate, hydrological variability and structural controls of the landscape is known as
a drainage pattern.

In simple terms, drainage pattern refers to the design which a river and its tributaries form
together from source to its mouth.

In India the following type of Drainage patterns are found:

Antecedent Drainage: the Rivers that existed before the upheaval of the Himalayas and cut
their courses southward by making gorges in the mountain are known as antecedent rivers. In
antecedent drainage, a river's vertical incision ability matches that of land uplift due to tectonic
forces. Eg. Indus, Satluj, Ganga, Tista, Brahmaputra, Kali etc.

Consequent Drainage: the Rivers which follow the general direction of slope as known as
consequent rivers. Most of the Peninsular Rivers are consequent rivers eg. Godavari, Krishna,
Kaveri etc.

Subsequent Drainage: A tributary Stream that has eroded along an underlying belt of non-
resistant rock after the main drainage pattern has been established is known as subsequent
river. For example, Chambal, Sind, Ken, Betwa flows northward and meet Yamuna. They are the
subsequent drainage of Yamuna.

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Dendritic Drainage: Most common form

 Looks like the branching pattern of tree roots

 Tributaries join larger streams at acute angle (less than 90 degrees)
 Called as ‘Flint’

Parallel drainage patterns:

 Forms where there is a pronounced slope to the surface

 Also develops in regions of parallel, elongated landforms
 Indication of the presence of a major fault that cuts across an area of steeply folded
bedrock

Trellis drainage patterns:

 When the primary tributaries of rivers flow parallel to each other and secondary
tributaries join them at right angles
 Develops in folded topography (E.g. Appalachian Mountains of North America)
 Known as ‘Potomac System’
 In India it is found in Chotanagpur plateau.

Rectangular drainage pattern:

 Known as ‘Cottonwood Creek’

 Found in regions that have undergone faulting

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 Concentrated in places were exposed rock is the weakest

 Movement of the surface due to faulting off-sets the direction of the stream The
tributary streams make sharp bends and enters the main stream at high angles

Radial drainage pattern:

 Develops around a central elevated point

 Common to conically shaped features as volcanoes
 Rivers originating from the Amarkantak range

Centripetal drainage pattern:

 When the rivers discharge their waters from all directions in a lake or depression, the
pattern is known as ‘centripetal’.
 Opposite of the ‘Radial Pattern’ as streams flow toward a central depression

Deranged or contorted patterns: Develops from the disruption of a pre-existing drainage

pattern (Dendritic pattern altered when overrun by glacier)

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Drainage basin as a system:

Classification of Drainage basins in India:

There are several basis for classifying the drainage systems in India. The main types of systems
are:

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Case 1: On the basis of Catchment area-

On the basis of catchment area, there can be major river basins, medium river basins and minor
river basins.

Drainage Basin Features

More than 20,000 sq. km of catchment area
14 drainage basins
Major river basins The Ganga, the Brahmaputra, the Krishna,
the Tapi, the Narmada, the Mahi, the
Pennar, the Sabarmati, the Barak, etc.

Catchment area between 2,000-20,000 sq.

Medium river basins km incorporating 44 river basins such as the
Kalindi, the Periyar, the Meghna, etc.

Catchment area of less than 2,000 sq. km

Minor river basins
Rivers with low amount of rainfall

Case 2: On the basis of Origin-

On the basis of origin, two broad drainage systems are recognized

 The Himalayan Drainage

 The Peninsular Drainage

(Note: The theory for origin of these drainage systems is important for geography optional.
That’s why it is not being covered here. If you want to read it in detail, you can refer, Indian
Geography by Majid Hussain Sir, Or Indian Geography by K. Siddharta Sir.)

The following table illustrates the major differences between Himalayan and the Peninsular
River system −

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Case 3: Orientation to the sea-

On the basis of the orientation to the sea, the Indian River system has been divided into two
major drainage systems:

 The bay of Bengal drainage

 The Arabian sea drainage

About 77% of the drainage area of the country is oriented towards the Bay of Bengal. Most of
the major rivers of Himalayan and Peninsular drainage flow towards Bay of Bengal. For
example- Ganga, Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri etc.

23% of the country’s surface flow flows towards the Arabian Sea. Some important west flowing
rivers are Indus, Narmada, Tapi, Mahi, Sabarmati and numerous Rivers and streams which
originates in Western Ghats.

Figure showing the watershed between Bay of Bengal Drainage and Arabia Sea Drainage.

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Watershed:
 The boundary line separating one drainage basin from the other
 Catchments of small rivulets and rills
 Cover smaller areas

(Watershed Management in India-Components)

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(Note: Watershed management is part of Planning in GS-Paper 3. It will be covered later in

that Value Add.)

Some important River Systems:

1.) The Ganga System

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Not a fun Fact 

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2.) The Brahmaputra System:

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Delta made by Ganga and Brahmaputra – Sunderbans

(Note: We know that it is difficult to remember all this factual information. The best way is to
open google earth and watch the satellite images of these rivers. The more you can connect
with them, the easier it will be for you to remember them. Since the exam is becoming more
and more factual and map based, these tributaries can be asked in Prelims.)

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3.) The Indus River System:

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The probably the most important river for India, as it got its name from this very river. Indus
has been a cradle for one of the earliest civilizations, known to us as the Indus valley civilization.

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Activity: Kishanganga Project, on Kishanganga River has become a point of conflict between
Indian and Pakistan. Try to find out what the conflict is and write pros and cons for the project.

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4.) Important Peninsular Rivers

West-Flowing Rivers

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East-Flowing River

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Important River Confluences

Rivers Confluence
Bhagirathi and Alaknanda Devprayag

Dhauli and Vishnu Ganga Vishnu Prayag

Pindar and Alaknanda Karna Prayag

Kali Ganga and Alaknanda RudraPrayag

Ganga, Yamuna Prayag (Allahabad)

Godavari, Aruna&Varuna (Mythical) Indrakund (Nasik)

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River Pilgrimage city Importance

Considered as the Most
Ganga Haridwar + Varanasi Sacred River of India
Confluence of Ganga and
Yamuna at Allahabad
where
Yamuna Allahabad
“MahaKhumbMela “ is
celebrated
KumbhMela
Godavari Nasik City
Holy dip is done in
Kshipra Ujjain City Kshipraduring
KumbhMela
Sangameswaeam:
Krishna Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh Tungabhadra &Bhavanasi
joins Krishna
Omkareshwarar Temple,
Narmada Important Shiva Temple
Madhya Pradesh
Bhagamandala, K’taka
Kaveri Holy river in South India
Mayavaram, TN

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River Regimes:
 The regime of a river is defined as the variability in its discharge throughout the course
of a year in response to precipitation, temperature, evapotranspiration, and drainage
basin characteristics.
 In simple terms, the variation in the quantity of water flowing in a river throughout the
year.
 The variability in discharge over the course of a year is commonly represented by a
hydrograph with mean monthly discharge variations plotted over the annual time scale.
When interpreting such records of discharge, it is important to factor in the time scale
over which the average monthly values were calculated. It is particularly difficult to
establish a typical annual river regime for rivers with high inter-annual variability in
monthly discharge and/or significant changes in the catchment's characteristics (e.g.
tectonic influences or the introduction of water management practices).

Factors affecting a river’s regime:

Seasons: There will be rise in discharge during rainy months and fall in the discharge in the dry
months.

Climate: Rivers that pass through Mediterranean climate tend to have more than one peak
periods, while rivers like Nile tend to have more water in summer because of melting of glacier
in Mount Kilimanjaro.

Geology: Rivers flowing over porous beds tends to have low changes in peaks while a river
flowing over hard non-porous rock will have sharp changes.

Human Activities: Anthropogenic activities like urbanization, deforestation etc. leads to more
runoff and effects regimes by changing the peak and low flow of the channel.

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Hydrographs showing River Regimes

Lakes & Lagoons

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Kayals:
 Kerela Back waters
 Also known as Kari
 Traditional Boat Race: Vallam Kaliduring Onam

Major Dams

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National
Extent Kilometer River
Waterways
NW 1 Allahabad-Haldia stretch Ganga-Bhagirathi-
1620km
Hoogly
NW 2 Sadiya-Dhubri stretch 891km Brahmaputra
Kottapuram-Kollam
NW3 205km West Coast Canal
stretch
Kakinada Puducherry
NW 4 Canal 1995km Krishna, Godavari
+ Godavari + Krishna
NW 5 TalcherDhamra 585km Brahmani

NW 6 (Proposed) Lakhipur to Bhanga 121km Barak

(Note: National Waterways is one of the most important topics. It can be asked in paper I as
well as Paper 3. A lot of emphasis is being given on water transport, especially for
transporting goods. A question of Waterways is highly expected. We have covered these
waterways in our Transportation value Add (Set 1) )

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EUREKA EUREKA!!!
Points that we have leant after Part II of this Document

 What is drainage basin and how are they classified.

 Patterns of Drainage basins.
 Different types of Drainage basins in India.
 Difference between the Himalayan and Peninsular rivers
 What are watersheds?
 Important rivers of India and their tributaries
 River regimes (Try to differentiate between river regimes of Himalayan and peninsular
rivers)
 Important lakes, dams and river projects.
 National Waterways of India

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