Places for the Map Question — UPSC Geography Optional Notes

1. Format of the map question

Where it appears: the map question is part of Question 1 of Paper II (Geography of India), which is compulsory, so every candidate must attempt it.

What is asked: a list of places, usually about ten, to be marked on the outline map of India printed in the answer booklet, with the significance of each written in about 30 words.

Marks: each entry has usually carried 2 marks, making about 20 marks in all; the number of places and marks vary from year to year, so read the instructions on the paper.

Kinds of significance named in the paper: physical, economic, commercial, ecological, environmental, cultural or strategic; a good note touches the most relevant one or two.

Typical mix: one or two peaks or passes, a lake or Ramsar site, a national park or tiger reserve, a mine or industrial centre, a port or island, a dam or power plant, and one or two places that were in the news that year.

2. The reference frame of India

Latitudinal extent of the mainland: about 8°4′N (Kanyakumari) to about 37°6′N (northern Ladakh); longitudinal extent: about 68°7′E (west Gujarat) to about 97°25′E (east Arunachal Pradesh).

Southernmost point of India: Indira Point on Great Nicobar Island, at about 6°45′N.

Tropic of Cancer (23°30′N): passes through eight states, west to east: Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram.

Standard Meridian (82°30′E): the basis of Indian Standard Time; it passes near Mirzapur and Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh and through Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

Sea channels: the Ten Degree Channel separates the Andaman group from the Nicobar group; the Nine Degree Channel separates the main Lakshadweep islands from Minicoy; the Eight Degree Channel separates Minicoy from the Maldives.

Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar: separate Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, with Adam's Bridge (Ram Setu), a chain of shoals, between Pamban Island and Mannar Island.

3. Anchor cities to fix the grid

Delhi: about 28.6°N, 77.2°E; the 77°E line runs almost straight south from Delhi to near Bengaluru (about 13°N, 77.6°E).

Mumbai: about 19°N, 72.8°E; Kolkata: about 22.6°N, 88.4°E, just south of the Tropic of Cancer.

Chennai: about 13°N, 80.3°E; Hyderabad: about 17.4°N, 78.5°E; Nagpur: about 21.1°N, 79.1°E, near the geographical centre of the peninsula.

Kochi: about 10°N, 76.3°E; Ahmedabad: about 23°N, 72.6°E, close to the Tropic of Cancer.

Guwahati: about 26.1°N, 91.7°E; Srinagar: about 34°N, 74.8°E; Port Blair (Sri Vijaya Puram): about 11.6°N, 92.7°E.

How to use the anchors: lightly imagine the lines through these cities; a place asked as near a known city or between two rivers can then be placed within a few millimetres.

4. Step-by-step marking method

Step 1, identify the type: decide whether the place is a peak, pass, river point, lake, park, mine, plant, port, island or cultural or strategic site; the type often tells you the region.

Step 2, fix the state and district: recall the state, then the part of the state (north, south, coastal, border) and a nearby city or river.

Step 3, use physical clues: passes lie on crest lines and borders, lakes in basins or deltas, ports on the coast at estuaries or deep-water sites, mines on plateaus such as Chota Nagpur and Dharwar rocks.

Step 4, mark cleanly: put a small solid dot, write the serial number of the place next to it, and if space allows the name in small neat capitals; do not draw big symbols that cover several districts.

Step 5, write the note: in the answer booklet write the same serial number and name, then the significance in about 30 words.

Line features: for a river, canal or range, mark the point asked (source, confluence or a dam) rather than the whole feature, unless the question asks for the course.

5. Writing the 30-word significance

Formula: what it is + where it is (state, district, river or range) + why it matters (one or two facts) + a current link if any.

Example, Loktak Lake: largest freshwater lake of the North-East, in Manipur; floating phumdis support Keibul Lamjao, the only floating national park, home of the sangai deer; a Ramsar site on the Montreux Record.

Example, Nathu La: pass at about 4,310 m on the Sikkim–Tibet (China) border on the old silk route; border trade reopened in 2006; also a route for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.

Example, Bailadila: iron-ore hill range in Dantewada district, Chhattisgarh, with high-grade haematite mined by NMDC; ore goes to Visakhapatnam port and to steel plants.

Use numbers: heights, areas, dates of declaration and capacities make a note precise; give only figures you are sure of, with the year.

Avoid: writing history or theory, repeating the name, or giving vague lines such as an important tourist place.

6. How to prepare

Build category lists: the next four topics of this chapter give lists of places by category; learn them with an atlas open and mark each on a practice outline map.

Practise blank maps weekly: mark 20–30 places from memory, then check against an atlas; repeat the ones you missed.

Follow the news: new Ramsar sites, tiger reserves, World Heritage inscriptions, disasters, border events and big projects are often asked; keep a monthly list with state and district.

Study the PYQs: past map questions show that UPSC repeats categories more than places; it likes lesser-known but newsworthy sites.

Useful atlases: the Oxford Student Atlas and the Orient BlackSwan school atlas, with the political map of India from the Survey of India for state boundaries.

State boundaries: learn the outline of each state and where states meet (for example Gujarat–Rajasthan–Madhya Pradesh–Maharashtra), because most marks are lost by placing a dot in the wrong state.

7. Common mistakes

Confusing similar names: Kudremukh (Karnataka) and Kudankulam (Tamil Nadu); Bhadla (Rajasthan) and Bhadra (Karnataka); Panna (Madhya Pradesh) and Pench (Madhya Pradesh–Maharashtra).

Using old names only: recent renaming includes Port Blair to Sri Vijaya Puram (2024), Ross Island to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep (2018) and Aurangabad to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (2023); write both names.

Wrong side of a border: sites shared between states, such as Pench Tiger Reserve or Pulicat Lake, should be noted as shared.

Ignoring the instruction on space: about 30 words means two short sentences; long notes waste time needed for the 15- and 20-mark parts.

Time plan: spend about 15–20 minutes on the full map question, first marking all known places, then returning to doubtful ones.

8. Using it in the exam

Keywords examiners look for: correct state, nearby river or range, the category word (Ramsar site, tiger reserve, major port, World Heritage Site), one hard fact, and a current link.

Link to longer answers: the same places serve as examples in 15- and 20-mark answers on resources, industries, environment and geopolitics, so a sketch map with these places strengthens those answers too.

1. Himalayan peaks

K2 (Godwin Austen), 8,611 m: Karakoram range, in Gilgit-Baltistan, which India claims as part of the Union Territory of Ladakh and which is under Pakistan's occupation; the highest peak of the territory India claims and second highest in the world.

Kangchenjunga, 8,586 m: on the Sikkim–Nepal border; the highest peak in Indian-administered territory and third highest in the world; core of Khangchendzonga National Park, a mixed World Heritage Site (2016).

Nanda Devi, 7,816 m: Chamoli district, Uttarakhand; the highest peak lying wholly within India; surrounded by the Nanda Devi sanctuary, part of the Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers World Heritage Site.

Kamet, 7,756 m: Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, in the Zaskar range near the Tibet border.

Saltoro Kangri, 7,742 m: highest point of the Saltoro ridge in Ladakh, which overlooks the Siachen glacier, the scene of Operation Meghdoot (1984).

Nun and Kun: twin massif of the Zaskar range in Ladakh; Nun (7,135 m) is the highest peak of the Zaskar range on the Indian side.

Trishul, 7,120 m: trident-shaped group of peaks in Chamoli and Bageshwar area, Uttarakhand, south-west of Nanda Devi.

2. Peninsular and north-eastern peaks

Anamudi, 2,695 m: Anaimalai hills, Idukki district, Kerala; the highest peak of peninsular India, inside Eravikulam National Park (Nilgiri tahr).

Doddabetta, 2,637 m: highest peak of the Nilgiri hills, near Udhagamandalam (Ooty), Tamil Nadu.

Mullayanagiri, 1,930 m: Baba Budan hills, Chikkamagaluru district; the highest peak of Karnataka, in the coffee-growing Malnad.

Kalsubai, 1,646 m: Sahyadri (Western Ghats), Ahilyanagar (Ahmednagar) district; the highest peak of Maharashtra.

Arma Konda, about 1,680 m: in the Eastern Ghats of north coastal Andhra Pradesh; usually cited as the highest peak of the Eastern Ghats.

Mahendragiri, about 1,500 m: Gajapati district, southern Odisha; a prominent Eastern Ghats peak with temples and rich biodiversity.

Guru Shikhar, 1,722 m: Mount Abu, Sirohi district, Rajasthan; the highest point of the Aravalli range, among the oldest fold mountains of the world.

Dhupgarh, 1,350 m: near Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh; the highest point of the Satpura range, in the Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve.

Saramati: Kiphire district, on the Nagaland–Myanmar border; the highest peak of Nagaland in the Naga hills.

Phawngpui (Blue Mountain), about 2,157 m: Lawngtlai district; the highest peak of Mizoram, a national park.

Shillong Peak, about 1,965 m: highest point of the Meghalaya plateau, overlooking Shillong.

3. Himalayan and north-eastern passes

Karakoram Pass: on the Ladakh–Xinjiang (China) border near Daulat Beg Oldi; the old caravan route from Leh to Yarkand.

Khardung La: in the Ladakh range north of Leh; carries the road from Leh to the Nubra valley and the Siachen base.

Zoji La: between the Kashmir valley (Sonamarg) and Drass in Ladakh on the Srinagar–Leh highway; often closed by snow, so the Zojila road tunnel is being built under it.

Banihal Pass: in the Pir Panjal range, Jammu and Kashmir; the Jammu–Srinagar road crosses it through the Jawahar tunnel and the newer Banihal–Qazigund tunnel.

Rohtang Pass: in the Pir Panjal range, Himachal Pradesh, linking Kullu with Lahaul; bypassed since October 2020 by the Atal Tunnel, about 9 km long.

Baralacha La: on the Manali–Leh road in Lahaul, Himachal Pradesh; the Chandra and Bhaga rivers, which join to form the Chenab, rise near it.

Shipki La: Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh, on the Tibet border; the Sutlej enters India through this gorge; a border trade point.

Lipulekh: Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand, near the India–Nepal–China tri-junction; a Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route and border trade point; Nepal's claim over the Kalapani–Lipulekh area is disputed by India.

Mana and Niti passes: Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, leading to Tibet; Mana lies beyond Badrinath.

Nathu La and Jelep La: East Sikkim on the Tibet (Chumbi valley) border; Nathu La border trade reopened in 2006 and the Kailash yatra uses it; Jelep La was the old Kalimpong–Lhasa route.

Sela and Bom Di La: West Kameng and Tawang area, Arunachal Pradesh, on the road to Tawang; the Sela tunnel, opened in 2024, gives all-weather access.

Diphu Pass: eastern Arunachal Pradesh near the India–China–Myanmar tri-junction; Pangsau Pass: Changlang district, on the Arunachal–Myanmar border, crossed by the Second World War Ledo (Stilwell) Road.

4. Gaps and ghats of the peninsula

Thal Ghat (Kasara) and Bhor Ghat (Khandala): Western Ghats passes in Maharashtra carrying the Mumbai–Nashik and Mumbai–Pune rail and road routes.

Palakkad (Palghat) Gap: a break of about 30 km in the Western Ghats between the Nilgiris and the Anaimalai hills, linking Kerala and Tamil Nadu (Palakkad–Coimbatore); lets south-west monsoon winds reach Coimbatore.

Shencottah Gap: between Kerala (Kollam) and Tamil Nadu (Tenkasi), south of the Palakkad gap; carries the Kollam–Sengottai rail line.

5. River sources, confluences and waterfalls

Gaumukh: snout of the Gangotri glacier, Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand; source of the Bhagirathi.

Devprayag: Tehri Garhwal district, Uttarakhand; confluence of the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda, below which the river is called the Ganga; upstream prayags on the Alaknanda are Vishnuprayag, Nandprayag, Karnaprayag and Rudraprayag.

Prayagraj (Triveni Sangam): Uttar Pradesh; confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna, site of the Kumbh Mela.

Amarkantak: Anuppur district, Madhya Pradesh, in the Maikal hills; source of the Narmada (flowing west) and the Son (flowing north-east).

Multai: Betul district, Madhya Pradesh; source of the Tapi.

Trimbakeshwar: Nashik district, Maharashtra; source of the Godavari, the largest peninsular river.

Mahabaleshwar: Satara district, Maharashtra; source of the Krishna.

Talakaveri: Kodagu district, Karnataka, in the Brahmagiri hills; source of the Kaveri.

Sihawa: Dhamtari district, Chhattisgarh; source of the Mahanadi.

Jog Falls: on the Sharavathi, Shivamogga district, Karnataka; one of India's highest plunge waterfalls, with the Linganamakki dam upstream for hydropower.

Shivanasamudra: on the Kaveri, Karnataka; site of one of Asia's first hydroelectric stations (1902), which supplied the Kolar gold fields.

Chitrakote Falls: on the Indravati, Bastar district, Chhattisgarh; India's widest fall, called the Niagara of India.

Dhuandhar Falls: on the Narmada at Bhedaghat, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, below the marble rocks gorge.

Dudhsagar Falls: on the Mandovi, on the Goa–Karnataka border in Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary.

Athirappilly Falls: on the Chalakudy river, Thrissur district, Kerala; a proposed dam here was opposed on ecological grounds.

Hogenakkal Falls: on the Kaveri, Dharmapuri district, Tamil Nadu, near the Karnataka border; carbonatite rocks and a drinking-water project.

Nohkalikai Falls: near Sohra (Cherrapunji), East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya; among India's tallest plunge waterfalls, fed by very high rainfall.

6. Lakes by origin

Pangong Tso: long, saline, high-altitude lake in eastern Ladakh, about two-thirds in Tibet; the Line of Actual Control crosses it; site of the 2020 India–China standoff.

Tso Moriri: high-altitude brackish lake in the Changthang plateau, Ladakh; a Ramsar site and breeding ground of the bar-headed goose and black-necked crane.

Wular Lake: Bandipora district, Jammu and Kashmir, on the Jhelum; India's largest freshwater lake, acting as a flood basin; the Tulbul navigation project on its outflow is an Indus Waters Treaty issue.

Dal Lake: Srinagar; urban lake known for houseboats and floating gardens, under pressure from encroachment and pollution.

Sambhar Lake: Jaipur–Nagaur–Ajmer districts, Rajasthan; India's largest inland salt lake, a Ramsar site and a major salt source; mass bird deaths occurred here in 2019.

Lonar Lake: Buldhana district, Maharashtra; a saline, alkaline lake in a meteorite impact crater in Deccan basalt; Ramsar site (2020).

Pulicat Lake: on the Andhra Pradesh–Tamil Nadu border; India's second largest brackish lagoon, separated from the sea by Sriharikota island.

Vembanad Lake: Kerala, around Kochi and Alappuzha; the longest lake of India and the largest in Kerala, with the Thanneermukkom salt-water barrier; part of the Vembanad-Kol Ramsar site.

Kolleru Lake: Andhra Pradesh, between the Godavari and Krishna deltas; a large freshwater lake and Ramsar site damaged by aquaculture ponds.

Gurudongmar and Tsomgo (Changu): glacial lakes of North and East Sikkim; Gurudongmar is sacred to Buddhists and Sikhs, Tsomgo lies on the road to Nathu La.

Bhojtal (Upper Lake): Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh; a man-made lake attributed to the Paramara king Bhoja (11th century), part of the Bhoj Wetland Ramsar site.

7. Plateaus and hill ranges

Chota Nagpur Plateau: mainly Jharkhand with parts of Odisha, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh; India's mineral heartland (coal, iron ore, mica, bauxite) with the Ranchi and Hazaribagh plateaus.

Malwa Plateau: western Madhya Pradesh and south-east Rajasthan; basalt and black cotton soil, drained by the Chambal, Betwa and Mahi.

Meghalaya (Shillong) Plateau: Garo, Khasi and Jaintia hills, a detached block of the peninsula; Mawsynram and Sohra on its southern edge are among the world's wettest places.

Bundelkhand: Uttar Pradesh–Madhya Pradesh; granite and gneiss upland, drought-prone, focus of the Ken–Betwa link project.

Dandakaranya: Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh; forested tribal upland drained by the Indravati and Sabari.

Karbi Anglong Plateau: Assam; an extension of the peninsular block separated from the Meghalaya plateau by the Kopili river.

Western Ghats (Sahyadri): from the Tapi to Kanyakumari across six states; a biodiversity hotspot and World Heritage Site (2012); Cardamom Hills: Kerala–Tamil Nadu, spices and the Periyar plateau.

8. Using it in the exam

Note pattern for a physical place: type and height or origin, state and range or river, and one role (border route, water source, hydropower, biodiversity, disputes).

Keywords: highest peak of a state or range, tri-junction, all-weather tunnel, source or confluence, origin of a lake (glacial, tectonic, crater, lagoon, oxbow, man-made).

1. Numbers to remember

Tiger reserves: 58, the latest being Madhav Tiger Reserve, Shivpuri district, Madhya Pradesh (March 2025); they are notified by state governments under Section 38V of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 on the advice of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

Ramsar sites: 103 as of 15 October 2026 (MoEFCC), the highest number in Asia; Tamil Nadu has the most sites of any state.

Biosphere reserves: 18 notified in India, of which 13 are in UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves after the Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve (Himachal Pradesh) was added in September 2025.

Natural World Heritage Sites: 7 natural and 1 mixed (Khangchendzonga National Park).

Project Tiger: launched in 1973 with nine reserves; the All India Tiger Estimation 2022 counted a minimum of about 3,167 tigers (NTCA–WII, 2023 report), roughly three-quarters of the world's wild tigers.

2. Tiger reserves often asked

Jim Corbett: Nainital and Pauri districts, Uttarakhand, on the Ramganga; India's first national park (1936, as Hailey National Park) and where Project Tiger was launched in 1973.

Nagarjunasagar–Srisailam: Nallamala hills on the Krishna, Andhra Pradesh; the largest tiger reserve of India by area; Amrabad is its Telangana continuation.

Sundarbans: South 24 Parganas, West Bengal; mangrove tigers in the Ganga–Brahmaputra delta; tiger reserve, national park, biosphere reserve, World Heritage Site and India's largest Ramsar site.

Kanha: Mandla and Balaghat districts, Madhya Pradesh, Maikal hills; saved the hard-ground barasingha from extinction.

Bandhavgarh: Umaria district, Madhya Pradesh; high tiger density and an ancient fort.

Panna: Panna and Chhatarpur districts, Madhya Pradesh, on the Ken; tigers were lost by 2009 and successfully reintroduced; part of it will be submerged by the Ken–Betwa link project.

Pench: on the Pench river, shared by Madhya Pradesh (Seoni, Chhindwara) and Maharashtra (Nagpur); linked with the setting of Kipling's The Jungle Book.

Tadoba–Andhari: Chandrapur district, Maharashtra; the state's oldest national park.

Ranthambore: Sawai Madhopur district, Rajasthan, at the junction of the Aravalli and Vindhya; dry deciduous forest with a fort.

Sariska: Alwar district, Rajasthan; tigers were wiped out by 2004–05 and the first tiger relocation in India brought them back in 2008.

Similipal: Mayurbhanj district, Odisha; known for melanistic (pseudo-melanistic) tigers; also a biosphere reserve.

Periyar: Idukki district, Kerala, around the Periyar lake formed by the Mullaperiyar dam; an eco-development model.

Bandipur and Nagarhole: Karnataka, contiguous with Mudumalai (Tamil Nadu) and Wayanad (Kerala); together the largest tiger and elephant population block, inside the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

Kaziranga: Golaghat and Nagaon districts, Assam, on the Brahmaputra floodplain; home of most of the world's greater one-horned rhinos; World Heritage Site (1985).

Manas: Assam, on the Bhutan border along the Manas river; tiger, elephant and biosphere reserve and World Heritage Site; habitat of the golden langur and pygmy hog.

Namdapha: Changlang district, Arunachal Pradesh; the only park in India said to have four big cats (tiger, leopard, clouded leopard and snow leopard).

Valmiki: West Champaran, Bihar, on the Nepal border, contiguous with Chitwan National Park; Bihar's only tiger reserve.

Dudhwa: Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, terai grasslands on the Nepal border; swamp deer and reintroduced rhinos.

Srivilliputhur–Megamalai: Tamil Nadu, Western Ghats, declared in 2021; grizzled giant squirrel sanctuary inside it.

3. Newest tiger reserves (2022–2025)

Ramgarh Vishdhari: Bundi district, Rajasthan, 2022; corridor between Ranthambore and Mukundra Hills.

Ranipur: Chitrakoot district, Uttar Pradesh, 2022; Bundelkhand dry forests, the state's fourth tiger reserve.

Veerangana Durgavati: Sagar, Damoh and Narsinghpur districts, Madhya Pradesh, 2023; formed from Nauradehi and Durgavati sanctuaries.

Dholpur–Karauli: Rajasthan, 2023; Chambal ravines and a corridor from Ranthambore.

Guru Ghasidas–Tamor Pingla: Koriya and Surajpur area, northern Chhattisgarh, 2024; a large reserve linking Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand forests.

Ratapani: Raisen and Sehore districts, Madhya Pradesh, near Bhopal, 2024; includes the Bhimbetka rock shelters area.

Madhav: Shivpuri district, Madhya Pradesh, March 2025; India's 58th and Madhya Pradesh's ninth tiger reserve, the highest of any state.

4. Parks and sanctuaries known for one species

Gir: Junagadh and Gir Somnath area, Gujarat; the only wild home of the Asiatic lion.

Kuno National Park: Sheopur district, Madhya Pradesh; cheetahs brought from Namibia (September 2022) and South Africa (February 2023) under Project Cheetah; Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary (Mandsaur–Neemuch) received cheetahs in 2025 as the second site.

Desert National Park: Jaisalmer and Barmer, Rajasthan; last stronghold of the Great Indian Bustard.

Keoladeo: Bharatpur, Rajasthan; man-made wetland famous for wintering birds; Ramsar site (1981) and World Heritage Site (1985).

Hemis: Ladakh; India's largest national park and a key snow leopard habitat.

Dachigam: near Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir; last population of the Kashmir stag (hangul).

Keibul Lamjao: on Loktak Lake, Manipur; the only floating national park, home of the brow-antlered deer (sangai).

Eravikulam: Idukki, Kerala; Nilgiri tahr, and Neelakurinji blooms once in about 12 years.

Silent Valley: Palakkad, Kerala, on the Kunthipuzha; lion-tailed macaque; a public campaign stopped a hydro project and it became a national park in 1984.

Bhitarkanika: Kendrapara, Odisha; mangroves and estuarine crocodiles; nearby Gahirmatha and Rushikulya host mass nesting (arribada) of olive ridley turtles.

National Chambal Sanctuary: Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh; gharial, red-crowned roof turtle and Gangetic dolphin.

Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary: Bhagalpur, Bihar, on the Ganga; India's only sanctuary for the Gangetic dolphin, the national aquatic animal.

Pobitora: Morigaon, Assam; the highest density of one-horned rhinos.

Singalila: Darjeeling, West Bengal; red panda habitat on the Nepal border.

5. Ramsar sites frequently asked

Chilika (Odisha) and Keoladeo (Rajasthan): India's first Ramsar sites, 1981; Keoladeo and Loktak are on the Montreux Record of threatened sites, from which Chilika was removed in 2002.

Loktak Lake: Manipur; phumdis and Keibul Lamjao; Loktak hydro project affects water levels.

Wular (Jammu and Kashmir), Deepor Beel (Guwahati, Assam), Harike (Beas–Sutlej confluence, Punjab): large freshwater wetlands; Harike is a major bird site of north India.

East Kolkata Wetlands: West Bengal; sewage-fed fisheries that treat the city's waste water naturally.

Vembanad–Kol, Ashtamudi and Sasthamkotta: Kerala; backwaters, an estuary and a freshwater lake.

Point Calimere (Kodiakkarai) and Pichavaram: Tamil Nadu; flamingo habitat and mangroves.

Nal Sarovar, Thol and Khijadiya: Gujarat bird wetlands; Sultanpur and Bhindawas: Haryana.

Nandur Madhameshwar, Lonar and Thane Creek: Maharashtra; Thane Creek hosts flamingos within Mumbai's metropolitan area.

Kabartal: Begusarai, Bihar's first Ramsar site; Asan Barrage: Dehradun, Uttarakhand's first; Rudrasagar: Tripura.

Tso Moriri and Tsokar: Ladakh; Hokera and Surinsar–Mansar: Jammu and Kashmir.

Ranganathittu: Mandya, on the Kaveri, Karnataka's first (2022); Khecheopalri: West Sikkim, sacred lake (2025); Udhwa Lake: Sahebganj, Jharkhand's first (2025).

Khichan: Phalodi, Rajasthan, wintering demoiselle cranes, and Menar: Udaipur, Rajasthan, a village-protected bird wetland (both June 2025).

Other 2025 additions: Kopra reservoir (Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh's first), Siliserh Lake (Alwar, Rajasthan) and Gogabeel (Katihar, Bihar).

2026 additions: Patna Bird Sanctuary (Etah, Uttar Pradesh) and Chhari-Dhand (Kachchh, Gujarat) in January; Shekha Jheel (Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh) in April; Sukhna Wetland (Chandigarh's first) and Sauj Jheel (Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh) in October, taking the total to 103.

6. Biosphere reserves and World Heritage Sites

Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve: Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, India's first (1986); Gulf of Mannar: Tamil Nadu, the first marine biosphere reserve of South Asia with coral islands and dugongs.

UNESCO biosphere reserves include: Nilgiri, Gulf of Mannar, Sundarbans, Nanda Devi, Nokrek (Meghalaya), Pachmarhi (Madhya Pradesh), Similipal (Odisha), Achanakmar–Amarkantak (Madhya Pradesh–Chhattisgarh), Great Nicobar, Agasthyamala (Kerala–Tamil Nadu), Khangchendzonga (Sikkim), Panna (2020) and Cold Desert (2025).

Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve: Lahaul–Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, about 7,770 km²; covers Pin Valley National Park, Chandratal and Kibber; snow leopard habitat.

Natural World Heritage Sites: Kaziranga, Manas and Keoladeo (1985), Sundarbans (1987), Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers (1988, extended 2005), Western Ghats (2012) and Great Himalayan National Park, Kullu, Himachal Pradesh (2014); Khangchendzonga (2016) is mixed.

7. Marine and coastal protected areas

Marine National Park, Gulf of Kachchh: Jamnagar, Gujarat; India's first marine national park, with corals and mangroves.

Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park: Wandoor, South Andaman; coral reefs; Malvan Marine Sanctuary: Sindhudurg, Maharashtra.

Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary: Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, in the Godavari delta; one of India's largest mangrove stretches after the Sundarbans and Bhitarkanika.

Dugong Conservation Reserve: Palk Bay, Tamil Nadu, notified in 2022; India's first reserve for the dugong (sea cow).

8. Using it in the exam

Note pattern: status (tiger reserve, Ramsar site, biosphere reserve) with year, state and district, habitat type and flagship species, and one threat or success story.

Keywords: corridor, flagship species, Montreux Record, arribada, man–animal conflict, buffer and core zones, eco-sensitive zone.

1. Coal and lignite fields

Jharia: Dhanbad district, Jharkhand, in the Damodar valley; India's main source of prime coking coal for steel; known for long-burning underground mine fires and subsidence.

Raniganj: Paschim Bardhaman, West Bengal, Damodar valley; the oldest coalfield of India, where commercial mining began in the late 18th century.

Bokaro and North and South Karanpura: Jharkhand, Damodar valley; feed the Bokaro steel plant and Damodar Valley Corporation power stations.

Talcher: Angul district, Odisha, Mahanadi valley; among the largest coal reserves of India, supplying thermal plants and the Talcher fertiliser revival project.

Ib Valley: Jharsuguda and Sundargarh districts, Odisha; Mahanadi Coalfields' second major field.

Korba: Chhattisgarh, Hasdeo valley; Gevra and Kusmunda are among the largest open-cast coal mines in the world; the Hasdeo Arand forest mining is contested.

Singrauli: on the Madhya Pradesh–Uttar Pradesh border; called India's energy capital for its coal and super thermal power stations (Vindhyachal, Sasan, Singrauli).

Singareni: Godavari valley, Telangana; worked by the Singareni Collieries Company, the main coal source of south India.

Neyveli: Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu; India's main lignite field, with NLC India's mines and power stations.

2. Iron ore, steel plants and other minerals

Bailadila: Dantewada district, Chhattisgarh; high-grade haematite mined by NMDC, sent by slurry pipeline and rail to Visakhapatnam and steel plants.

Noamundi and Kiriburu–Meghahatuburu: West Singhbhum, Jharkhand, on the Odisha border; iron ore for Tata Steel and SAIL.

Keonjhar–Barbil belt: Odisha; India's largest iron-ore producing district, linked to Paradip port and Kalinganagar steel plants.

Ballari–Hosapete: Karnataka; iron ore and the JSW Vijayanagar steel works; illegal mining led to a Supreme Court ban in 2011, later partly lifted.

Kudremukh: Chikkamagaluru district, Karnataka; former export-oriented iron-ore mine closed in 2005 after a Supreme Court order because it lay in a national park.

Integrated steel plants: Jamshedpur (Tata Steel, 1907, Jharkhand), Bhilai (Durg, Chhattisgarh, Soviet aid), Rourkela (Sundargarh, Odisha, German aid), Durgapur (West Bengal, British aid), Bokaro (Jharkhand, Soviet aid), Visakhapatnam (RINL, Andhra Pradesh, India's first shore-based plant) and Burnpur (IISCO, West Bengal).

Copper: Malanjkhand (Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh), India's largest open-cast copper mine; Khetri (Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan); and the Singhbhum copper belt around Ghatsila (Jharkhand).

Zinc and lead: Rampura Agucha (Bhilwara, Rajasthan), among the world's largest zinc mines, and Zawar (Udaipur, Rajasthan), worked since ancient times.

Bauxite and aluminium: Panchpatmali (Koraput, Odisha), mined by NALCO for its Damanjodi alumina refinery; Niyamgiri hills (Kalahandi–Rayagada), where the Dongria Kondh gram sabhas rejected bauxite mining in 2013.

Gold: Hutti (Raichur, Karnataka), India's main working gold mine; Kolar Gold Fields (Karnataka) closed in 2001.

Uranium: Jaduguda (East Singhbhum, Jharkhand), India's first uranium mine, run by UCIL; Tummalapalle (Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh).

Diamond: Majhgawan, Panna district, Madhya Pradesh; India's only mechanised diamond mine, run by NMDC.

Chromite: Sukinda valley, Jajpur, Odisha, holding most of India's chromite; known for hexavalent chromium pollution.

Lithium: Salal–Haimana, Reasi district, Jammu and Kashmir; GSI reported inferred lithium resources of about 5.9 million tonnes in 2023.

Mica and marble: Koderma (Jharkhand) for mica; Makrana (Nagaur, Rajasthan) for the white marble used in the Taj Mahal.

3. Oil, gas and refineries

Digboi: Tinsukia district, Assam; oil struck in 1889 and the refinery of 1901 is among the oldest working refineries in the world.

Mumbai High: offshore field about 160 km west of Mumbai, found in 1974 and run by ONGC; India's largest oil-producing field.

Ankleshwar: Bharuch district, Gujarat; one of the first onshore oilfields of independent India, in the Cambay basin.

Barmer (Mangala): Rajasthan; India's largest onshore oil discovery, operated by Cairn (Vedanta); a refinery is being built at Pachpadra, Balotra.

Krishna–Godavari basin: off Andhra Pradesh; deep-water gas fields such as KG-D6.

Jamnagar: Gujarat; Reliance's refinery complex, the world's largest refining site at one location, with Nayara Energy's Vadinar refinery nearby.

Other refineries often asked: Panipat (Haryana), Mathura (Uttar Pradesh, inside the Taj Trapezium Zone), Barauni (Begusarai, Bihar), Numaligarh (Golaghat, Assam, a product of the Assam Accord), Paradip (Odisha), Kochi (Kerala) and Bina (Madhya Pradesh).

Strategic petroleum reserves: underground rock caverns at Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Mangaluru and Padur (Udupi, Karnataka).

4. Power plants

Tarapur: Palghar district, Maharashtra; India's first nuclear power station (1969), with boiling water reactors.

Rawatbhata: Chittorgarh district, Rajasthan, on the Chambal; pressurised heavy water reactors, including indigenous 700 MW units.

Kakrapar: Tapi district, Gujarat; first indigenous 700 MW pressurised heavy water reactor (unit 3) began commercial operation in 2023.

Kalpakkam: Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu; Madras Atomic Power Station and the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor, the second stage of India's three-stage nuclear programme.

Kudankulam: Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu; India's largest nuclear plant, with Russian VVER reactors of 1,000 MW each.

Narora (Uttar Pradesh), Kaiga (Uttara Kannada, Karnataka) and Gorakhpur (Fatehabad, Haryana): Narora and Kaiga are operating; Gorakhpur is under construction.

Thermal: Vindhyachal (Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh), NTPC's largest station; Mundra (Kachchh, Gujarat) and Sasan (Singrauli) ultra mega power projects.

Tehri: on the Bhagirathi, Uttarakhand; India's highest dam, about 260 m, with hydropower and pumped storage.

Bhakra: on the Sutlej, Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, forming Gobind Sagar; supplies Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.

Sardar Sarovar: on the Narmada at Kevadia (Ekta Nagar), Gujarat; irrigation, drinking water and power, and the focus of the Narmada Bachao Andolan.

Hirakud: on the Mahanadi near Sambalpur, Odisha; among the longest earthen dams in the world (1957), built for flood control.

Other dams often asked: Nagarjuna Sagar (Krishna, Andhra Pradesh–Telangana), Indira Sagar (Narmada, Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh), Koyna (Satara, Maharashtra, linked with the 1967 earthquake), Idukki (Periyar, Kerala, arch dam), Mettur (Kaveri, Salem, Tamil Nadu) and Polavaram (Godavari, Andhra Pradesh, a national project).

Subansiri Lower: on the Subansiri, Assam–Arunachal Pradesh border; a 2,000 MW NHPC project, among the largest hydropower projects in India.

Solar and wind: Bhadla Solar Park (western Rajasthan, Thar desert), Pavagada (Tumakuru, Karnataka), Rewa ultra mega solar (Madhya Pradesh), Omkareshwar floating solar on the Narmada (Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh), the Khavda renewable energy park (Kachchh, Gujarat, planned at about 30 GW) and Muppandal wind farms (Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu).

5. Ports

Deendayal (Kandla): Kachchh, Gujarat, on the Gulf of Kachchh; built after Partition to replace Karachi; a leading cargo port, mainly crude oil and bulk.

Mundra: Kachchh, Gujarat; Adani's private port, the largest commercial port of India by cargo.

Mumbai and Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Nhava Sheva): Maharashtra; JNPA is India's largest container port.

Vadhavan: Dahanu, Palghar district, Maharashtra; a deep-draft greenfield port approved by the Union Cabinet in June 2024, planned among the world's top ten container ports.

Mormugao: Goa, at the Zuari estuary; traditionally an iron-ore export port.

New Mangalore: Karnataka; handles crude oil for the Mangaluru refinery and Kudremukh-era iron-ore trade.

Cochin: Kerala; natural harbour with Willingdon Island and the Vallarpadam international container transshipment terminal; Cochin Shipyard built INS Vikrant.

Vizhinjam: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala; India's first dedicated deep-water container transshipment port, commissioned in May 2025, close to the main east–west shipping lane.

VO Chidambaranar (Thoothukudi): Tamil Nadu, on the Gulf of Mannar; Chennai and Kamarajar (Ennore), India's first corporatised major port, lie on the Coromandel coast.

Visakhapatnam: Andhra Pradesh; deep, protected harbour behind Dolphin's Nose headland; headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command.

Paradip: Jagatsinghpur, Odisha, at the Mahanadi mouth; exports coal and iron ore and imports crude oil.

Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (Kolkata and Haldia): West Bengal, on the Hooghly; India's only riverine major port, which needs constant dredging and water from the Farakka barrage.

Alang: Bhavnagar district, Gujarat, on the Gulf of Khambhat; one of the world's largest ship-breaking yards, helped by a high tidal range.

6. Specialised industrial towns

Products often linked to places: Surat (diamond cutting and synthetic textiles), Tiruppur (knitwear exports), Ludhiana (hosiery and bicycles), Kanpur and Agra (leather), Moradabad (brassware), Firozabad (glass bangles), Sivakasi (fireworks and printing), Panipat (handloom and textile recycling).

Automobile and IT hubs: Chennai–Sriperumbudur and Pune–Chakan for automobiles, Manesar–Gurugram for cars and two-wheelers, Bengaluru and Hyderabad for information technology.

7. Using it in the exam

Note pattern: product or resource, state and district, operator (NMDC, NALCO, NTPC, NPCIL, UCIL) if well known, and one linkage (feeds which plant or port, or which problem it causes).

Keywords: captive mine, open-cast, coking coal, pressurised heavy water reactor, ultra mega power project, transshipment hub, riverine port, deep draft.

1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair): South Andaman, capital of the Union Territory, renamed in 2024; headquarters of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (2001), India's only tri-service theatre command; Cellular Jail.

Barren Island: east of the Andaman group; the only active volcano of India, with eruptions recorded in recent decades.

Narcondam Island: north-east of the Andamans; a dormant volcano and the only home of the Narcondam hornbill.

Saddle Peak: North Andaman, about 732 m; the highest point of the islands, inside a national park.

Swaraj Dweep (Havelock), Shaheed Dweep (Neil) and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep (Ross): renamed in December 2018; tourism, coral beaches and colonial ruins.

North Sentinel Island: home of the isolated Sentinelese, a particularly vulnerable tribal group; entry is prohibited.

Little Andaman: home of the Onge; separated from Car Nicobar by the Ten Degree Channel.

Car Nicobar: northern Nicobar; Indian Air Force station, badly hit by the 2004 tsunami.

Great Nicobar: the largest Nicobar island and a biosphere reserve (Campbell Bay and Galathea national parks), home of the Shompen; the Great Nicobar project plans a transshipment port at Galathea Bay, an airport, a township and a power plant, which is contested over forests, leatherback turtle nesting and tribal rights.

Indira Point: southern tip of Great Nicobar, about 6°45′N; India's southernmost point, close to the Strait of Malacca entry.

2. Lakshadweep and other islands

Lakshadweep: 36 coral islands and atolls off Kerala, the smallest Union Territory by area; capital Kavaratti, airport at Agatti, tuna fisheries and coral reefs threatened by bleaching.

Minicoy: southernmost Lakshadweep island, separated by the Nine Degree Channel; lighthouse and a strategic position on the Gulf–Malacca shipping route.

Pamban Island (Rameswaram): Tamil Nadu, in the Gulf of Mannar; linked to the mainland by India's first vertical-lift sea bridge, the new Pamban rail bridge (opened April 2025); Dhanushkodi at its tip was destroyed by the 1964 cyclone.

Katchatheevu: small island in the Palk Strait recognised as Sri Lankan under the 1974 India–Sri Lanka agreement; a recurring fishermen's issue for Tamil Nadu.

Sriharikota: barrier island between Pulicat Lake and the Bay of Bengal, Tirupati district, Andhra Pradesh; the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India's main launch port.

Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island (formerly Wheeler Island): Bhadrak district, Odisha; missile test range of DRDO; nearby Chandipur (Balasore) hosts the Integrated Test Range.

Majuli: on the Brahmaputra, Assam; one of the largest river islands in the world and India's first island district (2016); centre of the Vaishnava satras; shrinking by erosion.

Umananda: on the Brahmaputra at Guwahati; one of the smallest inhabited river islands, with a Shiva temple.

Sagar Island: South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, at the Hooghly mouth; Gangasagar Mela and the Kapil Muni temple; threatened by erosion and sea-level rise, like nearby Ghoramara.

Elephanta (Gharapuri): in Mumbai harbour, Raigad district, Maharashtra; rock-cut Shiva caves, World Heritage Site (1987).

Bet Dwarka: off Okha, Devbhumi Dwarka district, Gujarat; linked to the mainland by the Sudarshan Setu cable-stayed bridge (2024).

Aliabet: island in the Narmada estuary, Bharuch district, Gujarat; known for oil and gas exploration.

Srirangam: river island between the Kaveri and Kollidam, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu; the Ranganathaswamy temple.

3. Coastal features

Rann of Kachchh: Gujarat; Great and Little Rann, seasonal salt marshes; the Little Rann holds the Wild Ass Sanctuary and salt pans worked by Agariyas; scene of the 1965 conflict and the 1968 tribunal award.

Sir Creek: about 96 km tidal estuary on the Gujarat–Sindh border in the Rann; a disputed boundary with Pakistan affecting maritime zones and fishing.

Gulf of Khambhat: Gujarat; one of India's highest tidal ranges, the proposed Kalpasar freshwater project, and Alang ship-breaking yard.

Malabar coast and kayals: Kerala; lagoons and backwaters (Vembanad, Ashtamudi) behind sand bars, with coir, tourism and inland water transport.

Coromandel coast: Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh; receives the north-east monsoon and frequent cyclones; Mahabalipuram's Shore Temple (World Heritage Site, 1984).

Kanyakumari: Tamil Nadu; the meeting point of the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal, with the Vivekananda Rock Memorial and Thiruvalluvar statue.

4. Strategic and border places

Siachen Glacier: Karakoram, Ladakh; held by India since Operation Meghdoot (1984); the highest battlefield in the world and source of the Nubra river.

Kargil: Ladakh, on the Srinagar–Leh highway; the 1999 Kargil war; Drass nearby is among the coldest inhabited places.

Galwan Valley: eastern Ladakh, on the Line of Actual Control; site of the June 2020 India–China clash.

Depsang Plains and Demchok: eastern Ladakh; friction points on the Line of Actual Control where disengagement and patrolling were agreed in October 2024.

Daulat Beg Oldi: northern Ladakh, near the Karakoram Pass; one of the world's highest airstrips, served by the Darbuk–Shyok–DBO road.

Doklam: plateau claimed by Bhutan and China at the tri-junction with Sikkim; site of the 2017 India–China standoff; important for the security of the Siliguri corridor.

Siliguri Corridor (Chicken's Neck): northern West Bengal, roughly 20–22 km wide; the only land link between the North-East and the rest of India.

Tawang: Arunachal Pradesh; a major Buddhist monastery and border district claimed by China; Yangtse clash of December 2022.

Kibithu: Anjaw district, Arunachal Pradesh, on the Lohit; one of India's easternmost villages, where the Vibrant Villages Programme was launched in 2023.

Pokhran: Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan; nuclear tests of 1974 and 1998 and a field firing range.

Karwar (INS Kadamba): Uttara Kannada, Karnataka; Project Seabird naval base, planned as the largest naval base of India.

Attari–Wagah: Amritsar district, Punjab; the main land border crossing with Pakistan and an Integrated Check Post.

Kartarpur Corridor: from Dera Baba Nanak, Gurdaspur, Punjab, to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan; opened in November 2019 for visa-free pilgrimage.

Petrapole: North 24 Parganas, West Bengal; the largest land port on the India–Bangladesh border.

Moreh: Tengnoupal district, Manipur; border town with Myanmar on the India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway route.

5. Cultural and heritage places

Sarnath: near Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh; where the Buddha gave his first sermon; Ashokan lion capital, adapted as the national emblem; inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2026.

Moidams: Charaideo, Assam; mound burials of the Ahom kings; World Heritage Site (2024), the first cultural site of the North-East.

Maratha Military Landscapes: twelve forts, eleven in Maharashtra (for example Raigad, Pratapgad, Sindhudurg) and Gingee in Tamil Nadu; World Heritage Site (2025).

Santiniketan: Birbhum, West Bengal; Tagore's university town; World Heritage Site (2023); Hoysala temples: Belur and Halebidu (Hassan) and Somanathapura (Mysuru), Karnataka, also inscribed in 2023.

Dholavira: Khadir Bet, Kachchh, Gujarat; a Harappan city with water reservoirs; World Heritage Site (2021).

Ramappa Temple: Mulugu district, Telangana; Kakatiya temple built with floating bricks; World Heritage Site (2021).

Lothal: Ahmedabad district, Gujarat; Harappan dockyard; site of the National Maritime Heritage Complex.

Rakhigarhi: Hisar district, Haryana; one of the largest Harappan sites, with ancient DNA studies.

Keeladi: Sivaganga district, Tamil Nadu, on the Vaigai; excavations of an early historic urban settlement of the Sangam age.

Hampi: Vijayanagara district, Karnataka, on the Tungabhadra; capital of the Vijayanagara empire; World Heritage Site (1986).

Bodh Gaya and Nalanda: Bihar; the Mahabodhi Temple (World Heritage Site, 2002) and the ancient university (2016).

Rani ki Vav: Patan, Gujarat; an 11th-century stepwell; World Heritage Site (2014).

Statue of Unity: Ekta Nagar (Kevadia), Narmada district, Gujarat, near the Sardar Sarovar dam; at 182 m the tallest statue in the world.

Kumbh Mela sites: Prayagraj (Ganga–Yamuna), Haridwar (Ganga), Ujjain (Shipra) and Nashik (Godavari); the Kumbh Mela is on UNESCO's intangible heritage list (2017).

6. Using it in the exam

Note pattern: type (island, creek, border post, World Heritage Site), state and district, one historical or strategic fact, and the year of the latest event or inscription.

Keywords: chokepoint, tri-junction, Line of Actual Control, Integrated Check Post, theatre command, transshipment, World Heritage inscription, Vibrant Villages.

1. How to Prepare the Map Question

Example 1 (UPSC 2026, 20 marks): On the outline map of India provided to you, mark the location of all of the following. Write in your QCA Booklet the significance of these locations, whether physical/commercial/economic/ecological/environmental/cultural:
(i) Bitra Island
(ii) Lohit River
(iii) Dras
(iv) Kuno National Park
(v) Yadadri
(vi) Mahi Basin
(vii) Tamralipta
(viii) Toranmal
(ix) Raya Heritage City
(x) Varkala

Paper and question: Paper II, Q1(a)

Approach: Mark all ten places with dots and labels on the outline map, using the Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N) and the 80°E meridian as guide lines; then write for each place its exact location and about 30 words of significance (physical, economic, ecological, cultural or strategic).

(i) Bitra Island: Smallest inhabited island of Lakshadweep, Amindivi group, about 11.6°N, 72.2°E, north of Chetlat. In July 2025 the Lakshadweep administration proposed acquiring the whole island for defence and strategic use, which residents opposed; it has a large lagoon and seabird and fishing grounds.

(ii) Lohit River: Rises in south-east Tibet and enters India near Kibithu (about 28.3°N, 97°E) in Anjaw district, Arunachal Pradesh; flows past Parshuram Kund to join the Siang and Dibang near Sadiya, forming the Brahmaputra. The Dhola–Sadiya (Bhupen Hazarika) Bridge spans it; hydropower and strategic frontier river.

(iii) Dras: Town in Kargil district, Ladakh (about 34.4°N, 75.8°E), on the Srinagar–Leh highway east of Zoji La. Called the coldest inhabited place in India and the ‘gateway to Ladakh’; site of the 1999 Kargil War battles (Tololing, Tiger Hill) and the Kargil War Memorial.

(iv) Kuno National Park: Sheopur district, northern Madhya Pradesh (about 25.6°N, 77.3°E), on the Kuno river, a Chambal tributary, in Vindhyan dry deciduous forest and grassland. Site of Project Cheetah: India's first intercontinental cheetah translocation, from Namibia in September 2022 and South Africa in 2023.

(v) Yadadri: Most likely the temple town of Yadagirigutta (named Yadadri 2016–2024) in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district, Telangana, about 60 km east of Hyderabad (17.6°N, 78.9°E); its Lakshmi Narasimha temple was rebuilt in stone in 2022. The name also refers to the 4,000 MW Yadadri Thermal Power Station at Damaracherla, Nalgonda.

(vi) Mahi Basin: The Mahi rises in the Vindhyas in Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh, flows north into Rajasthan (Banswara, Mahi Bajaj Sagar dam), then turns south-west through Gujarat (Kadana, Wanakbori) to the Gulf of Khambhat. It crosses the Tropic of Cancer twice; west-flowing river used for irrigation and hydropower in a tribal, semi-arid basin.

(vii) Tamralipta: Ancient port, identified with present Tamluk, Purba Medinipur district, West Bengal (about 22.3°N, 87.9°E), on the Rupnarayan river near the Hooghly estuary. Chief port of eastern India in Mauryan–Gupta times, linking Bengal with Sri Lanka and South-east Asia; Faxian sailed from here.

(viii) Toranmal: Plateau hill station of about 1,150 m in the Satpura range, Akrani taluka, Nandurbar district, Maharashtra (about 21.9°N, 74.5°E). Has Yashwant Lake and Lotus Lake, the Gorakhnath temple (Mahashivratri fair) and Machhindranath caves; a Bhil-dominated tribal area with forest-based ecotourism.

(ix) Raya Heritage City: Planned city at Raya, Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh (about 27.5°N, 77.8°E), east of the Yamuna on the Yamuna Expressway. Being developed by YEIDA under the Raya Urban Centre Master Plan 2031 as a heritage, pilgrim-tourism and hospitality hub for the Braj (Mathura–Vrindavan) circuit.

(x) Varkala: Coastal town in Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala (about 8.7°N, 76.7°E). Its sea cliffs expose the Tertiary ‘Varkala Formation’, a GSI National Geological Monument; also known for Papanasam beach, the Janardhana Swamy temple, the Sivagiri Mutt of Sree Narayana Guru and mineral springs.

Example 2 (UPSC 2025, 20 marks): On the outline map of India provided to you, mark the location of all of the following. Write in your QCA Booklet the significance of these locations, whether physical/commercial/economic/ecological/environmental/cultural:
(i) Rushikulya River
(ii) Datar Hill
(iii) Kikruma
(iv) Choritand Tillaya
(v) Byalalu
(vi) Neyyar
(vii) Uttarlai
(viii) Sri Vijayapuram
(ix) Dharwas
(x) Gitabitan

Paper and question: Paper II, Q1(a)

Approach: Locate the ten places on the outline map of India with dots and labels (several are small or newly in the news, so use rivers, state boundaries and the Tropic of Cancer as references), then give each place's location and a 30-word significance.

(i) Rushikulya River: Rises in the Daringbadi hills of the Eastern Ghats, Kandhamal district, and enters the Bay of Bengal in Ganjam district, Odisha (mouth about 19.4°N, 85.1°E). Its estuary beach is one of the three Indian mass-nesting (arribada) sites of the olive ridley turtle, with Gahirmatha and Devi mouth.

(ii) Datar Hill: Hill opposite the Girnar massif near Junagadh, Gujarat (about 21.5°N, 70.5°E), part of the volcanic Girnar complex of Saurashtra. Crowned by the shrine of the Sufi saint Jamiyal Shah Datar, revered by both Hindus and Muslims; its annual Urs reflects Saurashtra's syncretic culture.

(iii) Kikruma: Chakhesang Naga village near Pfutsero, Phek district, Nagaland (about 25.6°N, 94.3°E). Known for the Zabo or Ruza integrated farming system: forest catchments, rainwater ponds, paddy, fish and livestock in a rain-shadow area; also the Battle of Kikruma against the British (1851).

(iv) Choritand Tillaya: Coal block in the West Bokaro coalfield on the Bokaro–Hazaribagh border, Jharkhand (about 23.8°N, 85.5°E), Damodar valley Gondwana coal. Auctioned for commercial mining (sixth round, 2023, to Rungta Metals); shows the shift to commercial coal mining and its forest and tribal-land concerns.

(v) Byalalu: Village in Ramanagara (Bengaluru South) district, Karnataka, about 40 km south-west of Bengaluru (12.9°N, 77.4°E). Hosts ISRO's Indian Deep Space Network with its 32 m deep-space antenna, tracking Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan and Aditya-L1; also the ISRO Navigation Centre and Indian Space Science Data Centre.

(vi) Neyyar: River rising at Agasthyamala in the southern Western Ghats, Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala (dam about 8.5°N, 77.1°E). The Neyyar dam (1958) irrigates south Kerala; Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, part of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve (UNESCO 2016), has a crocodile and lion safari park.

(vii) Uttarlai: Indian Air Force base near Barmer, western Rajasthan (about 25.8°N, 71.5°E), in the Thar desert close to the Pakistan border. A frontline fighter base guarding the western sector and the strategic Barmer region, which holds the Mangala oil field and the HPCL Rajasthan refinery at Pachpadra.

(viii) Sri Vijayapuram: New name (September 2024) of Port Blair, capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, on South Andaman (about 11.7°N, 92.7°E). Seat of the Andaman and Nicobar Command, India's only tri-service theatre command; has the Cellular Jail and a natural harbour on the Bay of Bengal sea lanes.

(ix) Dharwas: Most likely the village of Dharwas in the Pangi valley, Chamba district, Himachal Pradesh (about 33°N, 76.4°E), 9 km from Killar on the Chenab (Chandrabhaga). A largely Scheduled Tribe (Pangwal) village at about 2,400 m, known for the Tilmili mineral spring and as Pangi's largest village; not to be confused with Dharwad, Karnataka.

(x) Gitabitan: Planned township of the West Bengal government near Santiniketan, Bolpur, Birbhum district (about 23.7°N, 87.7°E), on about 100 acres developed by WBHIDCO for culture and tourism. Named after Tagore's song collection; it serves visitors to Santiniketan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2023.

Example 3 (UPSC 2024, 20 marks): On the outline map of India provided to you, mark the location of all of the following. Write in your QCA Booklet the significance of these locations, whether physical/commercial/economic/ecological/environmental/cultural:
(i) Lunkaransar
(ii) Gua
(iii) Raidak River
(iv) Ekta Nagar
(v) Chandanwari
(vi) Babina
(vii) Tatipaka
(viii) Along Airport
(ix) Karaikal
(x) Panna

Paper and question: Paper II, Q1(a)

Approach: Mark the ten places on the outline map with dots and labels, using state boundaries, major rivers and the Tropic of Cancer as references; for each, state the exact location and a 30-word significance.

(i) Lunkaransar: Town and salt lake in Bikaner district, Rajasthan (about 28.5°N, 73.8°E), at the north-eastern margin of the Thar desert. A wind-deflated playa, now mostly dry, whose sediments record Holocene monsoon changes; a winter habitat for flamingos and demoiselle cranes, with minor salt making.

(ii) Gua: Mining town in West Singhbhum district, Jharkhand (about 22.2°N, 85.4°E), in the Noamundi–Kiriburu iron ore belt of the Singhbhum craton. SAIL's Gua mines supply high-grade haematite to the Bokaro, Durgapur and Rourkela steel plants; part of the Chota Nagpur mineral heartland.

(iii) Raidak River: Called the Wang Chu in Bhutan, it rises in the Bhutan Himalaya, enters India in Alipurduar district, West Bengal, and flows through Cooch Behar into the Brahmaputra system. Its Chukha and Tala projects in Bhutan export hydropower to India; floods the Duars.

(iv) Ekta Nagar: Formerly Kevadia, Narmada district, Gujarat (about 21.8°N, 73.7°E), beside the Sardar Sarovar dam on the Narmada. Site of the Statue of Unity (182 m, 2018), the world's tallest statue, and an eco-tourism and planned township; the dam irrigates Gujarat and Rajasthan.

(v) Chandanwari: Valley about 16 km north-east of Pahalgam, Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir (about 34.1°N, 75.4°E), on the Lidder river at about 2,900 m. Starting point of the traditional Amarnath Yatra route via Sheshnag and Panchtarni; snow bridges and alpine meadows attract tourists.

(vi) Babina: Cantonment town in Jhansi district, Uttar Pradesh (about 25.2°N, 78.5°E), on the Bundelkhand plateau. Hosts the Babina Field Firing Ranges, among the Army's main armoured and artillery training grounds, used for exercises such as ‘Amogh Jwala’; strategic central-India military base.

(vii) Tatipaka: Village in Dr B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district (formerly East Godavari), Andhra Pradesh, in the Godavari delta (about 16.5°N, 81.9°E). ONGC's first refinery, a small skid-mounted unit opened in 2001, processes crude from the Krishna–Godavari basin, India's key onshore and offshore hydrocarbon province.

(viii) Along Airport: Airfield at Aalo (Along), West Siang district, Arunachal Pradesh (about 28.2°N, 94.8°E), on the Siyom river near its confluence with the Siang. An Indian Air Force Advanced Landing Ground, upgraded for frontier connectivity and rapid deployment along the eastern LAC with China.

(ix) Karaikal: District of the Union Territory of Puducherry on the Coromandel coast, an enclave in Tamil Nadu's Kaveri delta (about 10.9°N, 79.8°E). Former French settlement; its all-weather deep-water port handles coal, fertiliser and cargo; also known for the Saneeswaran temple at Thirunallar.

(x) Panna: District town in Bundelkhand, Madhya Pradesh (about 24.7°N, 80.2°E). India's only mechanised diamond mine, NMDC's Majhgawan, is here; Panna Tiger Reserve on the Ken river is a model of tiger reintroduction (2009) and the Panna Biosphere Reserve joined UNESCO's network in 2020.

Example 4 (UPSC 2023, 20 marks): On the outline map of India provided to you, mark the location of all of the following. Write in your QCA Booklet the significance of these locations, whether physical/commercial/economic/ecological/environmental/cultural:
(i) Nathula
(ii) Hutti
(iii) Ross Island
(iv) Moreh
(v) Ramappa
(vi) Namdapha National Park
(vii) Sela Tunnel
(viii) Ennore Port
(ix) Ramagundam
(x) Betwa River

Paper and question: Paper II, Q1(a)

Approach: Plot the ten places (passes, mines, islands, border towns, heritage sites, parks, tunnels, ports, power centres and a river) on the outline map with dots and labels; for each give location and a 30-word significance.

(i) Nathula: Pass at about 4,310 m on the Sikkim–Tibet (China) border, East Sikkim (about 27.4°N, 88.8°E), on the old Silk Route branch from Gangtok to the Chumbi valley. Border trade reopened in 2006; a route for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra since 2015; strategically sensitive.

(ii) Hutti: Town in Raichur district, Karnataka (about 16.2°N, 76.7°E), on the Hutti–Maski schist (greenstone) belt of the Dharwar craton. Hutti Gold Mines Ltd runs India's only active primary gold mine of significance, producing nearly all of the country's mined gold.

(iii) Ross Island: Small island off Sri Vijayapuram (Port Blair), South Andaman (about 11.7°N, 92.8°E), renamed Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep in 2018. British administrative headquarters of the penal settlement until 1941; ruins, deer and the light-and-sound show make it a heritage tourism site.

(iv) Moreh: Border town in Tengnoupal district, Manipur (about 24.2°N, 94.3°E), facing Tamu in Myanmar. India's main land port to Myanmar, on the India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway; key to the Act East Policy, border trade and Free Movement Regime debates.

(v) Ramappa: Rudreswara (Ramappa) temple at Palampet, Mulugu district, Telangana (about 18.3°N, 79.9°E), built in 1213 CE under the Kakatiyas. UNESCO World Heritage Site (2021); famed for floating light bricks, sandbox foundation and sculpture; Ramappa lake is a Kakatiya irrigation tank.

(vi) Namdapha National Park: Changlang district, Arunachal Pradesh (about 27.5°N, 96.4°E), on the Noa-Dihing river near the Myanmar border, ranging from about 200 m to 4,500 m. Tiger reserve with four big cats (tiger, leopard, clouded and snow leopard) and the hoolock gibbon; a biodiversity hotspot.

(vii) Sela Tunnel: Twin-tube road tunnel at about 13,000 ft below Sela Pass, West Kameng–Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh (about 27.5°N, 92.1°E), built by the BRO and opened in March 2024. Among the world's longest twin-lane tunnels at that height; gives all-weather access to Tawang near the LAC.

(viii) Ennore Port: Kamarajar Port at Ennore, north of Chennai, Tamil Nadu (about 13.3°N, 80.3°E). India's first corporatised major port (opened 2001), handling thermal coal for Ennore and North Chennai power stations, LNG, petroleum and automobiles; Ennore creek faces pollution and wetland loss.

(ix) Ramagundam: Industrial town in Peddapalli district, Telangana (about 18.8°N, 79.5°E), on the Godavari. Has NTPC's 2,600 MW super thermal station using Singareni coal, a 100 MW floating solar plant (2022) and the revived Ramagundam Fertilizers urea plant (2021); also near the Kaleshwaram lift scheme.

(x) Betwa River: Rises in the Vindhyas in Raisen district near Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, and flows north-east through Bundelkhand to join the Yamuna near Hamirpur, Uttar Pradesh. Orchha lies on it; the Ken–Betwa link (approved 2021) will transfer Ken water to drought-prone Bundelkhand.

Example 5 (UPSC 2022, 20 marks): On the outline map of India provided to you, mark the location of all of the following. Write in your QCA Booklet the significance of these locations, whether physical/commercial/economic/ecological/environmental/cultural:
(i) Tarangambadi
(ii) Mahe
(iii) Bomdila
(iv) Dhola Sadiya Bridge
(v) Talakaveri
(vi) Satkosia
(vii) Dholavira
(viii) Sonamarg
(ix) Maliku Atoll
(x) Gangasagar

Paper and question: Paper II, Q1(a)

Approach: Mark the ten places on the outline map with dots and labels, taking care with the small Puducherry enclaves (Mahe in Kerala) and the islands (Minicoy at the southern tip of Lakshadweep); write location and a 30-word significance for each.

(i) Tarangambadi: Coastal town (Tranquebar) in Mayiladuthurai district, Tamil Nadu (about 11.0°N, 79.9°E), on the Kaveri delta coast. Danish trading settlement from 1620 with Fort Dansborg; Ziegenbalg set up India's first Protestant mission and printing press here (1706); hit by the 2004 tsunami.

(ii) Mahe: Small enclave district of the Union Territory of Puducherry on the Malabar coast, surrounded by Kerala's Kannur and Kozhikode districts (about 11.7°N, 75.5°E), at the mouth of the Mahe river. Former French settlement until 1954; known for French heritage and fishing.

(iii) Bomdila: Headquarters of West Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh (about 27.3°N, 92.4°E), at about 2,400 m on the Bhalukpong–Tawang road. Bomdila monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist centre; strategic on the route to Sela and Tawang, reached by Chinese forces in the 1962 war.

(iv) Dhola Sadiya Bridge: Bhupen Hazarika Setu, 9.15 km over the Lohit river, linking Dhola and Sadiya in Tinsukia district, Assam (about 27.8°N, 95.6°E), opened in 2017. Among India's longest river bridges; carries tanks and gives all-weather road access to eastern Arunachal near the China border.

(v) Talakaveri: Source of the Kaveri in the Brahmagiri hills, Kodagu district, Karnataka (about 12.4°N, 75.5°E), at about 1,270 m in the Western Ghats. A sacred spring tank and pilgrimage site (Tula Sankramana festival); landslides here in 2020 highlighted Western Ghats fragility.

(vi) Satkosia: Satkosia gorge of the Mahanadi in Angul, Cuttack, Nayagarh and Boudh districts, Odisha (about 20.6°N, 84.9°E), where the river cuts through the Eastern Ghats for about 22 km. Satkosia Tiger Reserve with the Tikarpada gharial and mugger sanctuary; a 2018 tiger relocation failed.

(vii) Dholavira: Harappan city on Khadir Bet island in the Great Rann of Kutch, Gujarat (about 23.9°N, 70.2°E). UNESCO World Heritage Site (2021); notable for its citadel, middle and lower towns, rock-cut reservoirs and stormwater system, and the ten-letter Harappan signboard.

(viii) Sonamarg: Hill station in Ganderbal district, Kashmir (about 34.3°N, 75.3°E), in the Sindh valley at about 2,700 m, west of Zoji La. Base for the Baltal route to Amarnath and Himalayan treks; the Z-Morh (Sonamarg) tunnel, opened in January 2025, gives it all-weather road access.

(ix) Maliku Atoll: Maliku is the local (Mahl) name of Minicoy, southernmost island of Lakshadweep (about 8.3°N, 73.0°E), separated from the Maldives by the Eight Degree Channel and from the rest of Lakshadweep by the Nine Degree Channel. Mahl-speaking; lighthouse (1885), tuna fishing and a naval presence (INS Jatayu, 2024).

(x) Gangasagar: Southern tip of Sagar Island at the mouth of the Hooghly, South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal (about 21.6°N, 88.1°E). The Gangasagar Mela at Makar Sankranti, at the Kapil Muni temple, is one of India's largest gatherings; the island faces erosion and sea-level rise.

Example 6 (UPSC 2021, 20 marks): On the outline map of India provided to you, mark the location of all the following. Write in your QCA Booklet the significance of these locations whether physical/commercial/economic/ecological/environmental/cultural:
(i) Ziro Valley
(ii) Khecheopalri Lake
(iii) Toranmal
(iv) Subarnarekha River
(v) Koderma
(vi) Sir Creek
(vii) Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
(viii) Peechi Dam
(ix) Digha Beach
(x) Pamban Island

Paper and question: Paper II, Q1(a)

Approach: Plot the ten places on the outline map of India with dots and labels (rivers drawn as lines from source to mouth); write each place's location and a 30-word significance.

(i) Ziro Valley: Valley in Lower Subansiri district, Arunachal Pradesh (about 27.6°N, 93.8°E), at about 1,500 m. Home of the Apatani tribe, whose wet-rice-cum-fish farming without draught animals is a model of sustainable land use; on UNESCO's tentative list and host of the Ziro Music Festival.

(ii) Khecheopalri Lake: Sacred lake in Gyalshing (West Sikkim) district, Sikkim (about 27.3°N, 88.2°E), near Pelling, at about 1,700 m. Revered by Buddhists and Hindus as a ‘wishing lake’; kept leaf-free by birds, according to belief; an example of community-managed sacred landscape.

(iii) Toranmal: Plateau hill station of about 1,150 m in the Satpura range, Nandurbar district, Maharashtra (about 21.9°N, 74.5°E). Has Yashwant Lake, the Gorakhnath temple and Sita Khai valley; a Bhil tribal area with tourism potential and the cooler climate of the Satpura summit.

(iv) Subarnarekha River: Rises near Nagri, Ranchi district, Jharkhand, and flows east through Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha to the Bay of Bengal near Talsari. Forms Hundru falls; the Chandil and Getalsud dams serve Jamshedpur and Ranchi; ‘streak of gold’ for its gold-bearing sands.

(v) Koderma: District in northern Jharkhand (about 24.5°N, 85.6°E), on the Hazaribagh plateau. Once called the ‘mica capital of the world’ for its rich muscovite mica belt (Koderma–Giridih); child labour in illegal mica collection is a concern; Tilaiya dam of the DVC lies nearby.

(vi) Sir Creek: A 96 km tidal estuary in the marshes of the Rann of Kutch between Gujarat and Sindh (Pakistan), about 23.7°N, 68.4°E. The boundary along it is disputed (thalweg versus eastern bank claims), which affects maritime boundaries and the EEZ; rich fishing grounds and possible hydrocarbons.

(vii) Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary: Thekkady, Idukki district, Kerala (about 9.5°N, 77.2°E), in the Cardamom and Pandalam hills of the Western Ghats around the Mullaperiyar reservoir. Tiger reserve since 1978, known for elephants and community eco-development (ex-poachers as guides); source of the Periyar river.

(viii) Peechi Dam: Dam on the Manali river, a tributary of the Karuvannur, in Thrissur district, Kerala (about 10.5°N, 76.4°E), built in the 1950s. Supplies irrigation and drinking water to Thrissur; adjoining Peechi–Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary and the Kerala Forest Research Institute.

(ix) Digha Beach: Seaside resort in Purba Medinipur district, West Bengal (about 21.6°N, 87.5°E), on the Bay of Bengal near the Odisha border. A flat, shallow beach; West Bengal's most visited coastal resort; Jagannath temple opened 2025; faces coastal erosion and cyclone risk.

(x) Pamban Island: Island between the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay, Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu (about 9.3°N, 79.3°E), carrying Rameswaram. Linked to the mainland by the Pamban rail bridge (new vertical-lift bridge opened April 2025); start of Adam's Bridge towards Sri Lanka; Ramanathaswamy pilgrimage.

Example 7 (UPSC 2020, 20 marks): On the outline map of India provided to you, mark the location of all of the following. Write in your QCA Booklet the significance of these locations whether physical/commercial/economic/ecological/environmental/cultural:
(i) Vadhawan
(ii) Salkhan
(iii) Coorg
(iv) Mhow
(v) Umroi
(vi) Thoothukudi
(vii) Bargarh
(viii) Atal Tunnel
(ix) Gurushikhar
(x) Bum La

Paper and question: Paper II, Q1(a)

Approach: Mark the ten places on the outline map with dots and labels, using the Tropic of Cancer and state boundaries as guides (Bum La and Atal Tunnel in the Himalaya, Thoothukudi near the southern tip); give location and a 30-word significance for each.

(i) Vadhawan: Coastal site near Dahanu, Palghar district, Maharashtra (about 19.9°N, 72.7°E), north of Mumbai. The Vadhvan deep-draft all-weather port, approved by the Union Cabinet in June 2024 with about 20 m natural depth, aims to be among the world's top ten container ports; fishers oppose it.

(ii) Salkhan: Village in Sonbhadra district, south-eastern Uttar Pradesh (about 24.6°N, 83.1°E), near Robertsganj on the Kaimur range. Salkhan Fossil Park preserves stromatolites about 1.4 billion years old in Vindhyan rocks; declared a fossil park in 2002 and added to UNESCO's tentative list in 2025.

(iii) Coorg: Kodagu district, Karnataka (headquarters Madikeri, about 12.4°N, 75.7°E), in the Western Ghats. India's leading coffee-growing district under shade trees, with pepper and cardamom; source of the Kaveri at Talakaveri; home of the Kodava people; landslides in 2018–19.

(iv) Mhow: Cantonment town (officially Dr Ambedkar Nagar) in Indore district, Madhya Pradesh (about 22.6°N, 75.8°E), on the Malwa plateau. Birthplace of Dr B.R. Ambedkar (1891); hosts the Army War College, Infantry School and Military College of Telecommunication Engineering.

(v) Umroi: Area in Ri-Bhoi district, Meghalaya (about 25.7°N, 92.0°E), on the Shillong plateau. Site of Shillong's airport (Umroi airport) and the Umroi military station, used for joint army exercises with friendly countries; links the state capital to national air routes.

(vi) Thoothukudi: Port city in Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu (about 8.8°N, 78.1°E), on the Gulf of Mannar. V.O. Chidambaranar major port; historic pearl fishery; major salt-pan region; the Sterlite copper smelter was closed in 2018 after protests; a green hydrogen hub is planned.

(vii) Bargarh: District in western Odisha (about 21.3°N, 83.6°E), in the Mahanadi basin below the Hirakud dam. Called the ‘rice bowl of Odisha’ due to Hirakud canal irrigation; famous for Sambalpuri handloom and the Dhanu Jatra, often described as the world's largest open-air theatre.

(viii) Atal Tunnel: Road tunnel of 9.02 km under the Rohtang Pass in the Pir Panjal range, Himachal Pradesh (about 32.4°N, 77.2°E), linking Manali with Lahaul–Spiti; opened in October 2020 by the BRO. Longest highway tunnel above 10,000 ft; gives all-weather access towards Ladakh.

(ix) Gurushikhar: Highest peak of the Aravalli range at about 1,722 m, near Mount Abu, Sirohi district, Rajasthan (about 24.6°N, 72.8°E). Has a Dattatreya temple and an infrared observatory of the Physical Research Laboratory; shows the residual relief of the ancient Aravalli fold mountains.

(x) Bum La: Pass at about 4,600 m on the India–China (Tibet) border, about 37 km north of Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh (about 27.7°N, 91.9°E). A designated Border Personnel Meeting point; Chinese forces entered through this route in 1962; strategic for the defence of Tawang.

Example 8 (UPSC 2019, 20 marks): On the outline map of India provided to you, mark the location of all of the following. Write in your QCA Booklet the significance of these locations, whether physical/commercial/economic/ecological/environmental/cultural, in not more than 30 words for each entry:
(i) Lothal
(ii) River Beas
(iii) Chikhaldara
(iv) Narora
(v) Lengpui
(vi) Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary
(vii) Thenmala
(viii) Anamudi
(ix) Barren Island
(x) Durgaduani creek

Paper and question: Paper II, Q1(a)

Approach: Mark the ten places on the outline map with dots and labels; draw the Beas as a line from Rohtang to Harike; give location and a 30-word significance for each.

(i) Lothal: Harappan site in Ahmedabad district, Gujarat (about 22.5°N, 72.2°E), in the Bhal region near the Gulf of Khambhat. Known for its brick dockyard, bead-making and seal trade with West Asia; the National Maritime Heritage Complex is being built here.

(ii) River Beas: Rises at Beas Kund near Rohtang Pass, Himachal Pradesh, flows through Kullu and Mandi and joins the Sutlej at Harike, Punjab. The Pandoh dam diverts water to the Sutlej, the Pong dam (a Ramsar site) stores it, and Harike wetland is a Ramsar site.

(iii) Chikhaldara: Hill station at about 1,100 m in the Gawilgarh hills of the Satpura range, Amravati district, Maharashtra (about 21.4°N, 77.3°E). The only coffee-growing area of Maharashtra; inside the Melghat Tiger Reserve; Gawilgarh fort; Korku tribal area with child malnutrition issues.

(iv) Narora: Town in Bulandshahr district, Uttar Pradesh (about 28.2°N, 78.4°E), on the Ganga. Has the Narora Atomic Power Station (2 × 220 MW PHWR) and a Ganga barrage feeding the Lower Ganga Canal; the Brijghat–Narora stretch is the Upper Ganga Ramsar site for Gangetic dolphins.

(v) Lengpui: Airport of Aizawl, Mizoram (about 23.8°N, 92.6°E), about 30 km west of the city. Built on a hilltop in the folded Mizo hills, it is Mizoram's only commercial airport and its key link with the rest of India under the Act East and North-East connectivity plans.

(vi) Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary: Balasore district, northern Odisha (about 21.4°N, 86.6°E), on the Nilgiri hills of the Eastern Ghats fringe. Moist deciduous sal forest linked by a corridor to Similipal; part of the Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve; home to elephants, gaur and leopards.

(vii) Thenmala: Place in Kollam district, Kerala (about 8.9°N, 77.1°E), in the southern Western Ghats. India's first planned eco-tourism destination; the Parappar (Thenmala) dam on the Kallada river serves the Kallada irrigation project; adjoins the Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, named after an endemic tree.

(viii) Anamudi: Highest peak of peninsular India at 2,695 m, in Eravikulam National Park, Idukki district, Kerala (about 10.2°N, 77.1°E). Lies at the junction of the Anaimalai, Palani and Cardamom hills; home of the endangered Nilgiri tahr and Neelakurinji blooms every twelve years.

(ix) Barren Island: Volcanic island about 135 km north-east of Sri Vijayapuram (Port Blair), Andaman Sea (about 12.3°N, 93.9°E). The only confirmed active volcano in South Asia, erupting again from 1991 onward, including 2017; lies on the Burma microplate subduction zone.

(x) Durgaduani creek: Tidal channel in the Indian Sundarbans near Gosaba, South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal (about 22.2°N, 88.8°E), joining the Bidya and other rivers. Mangrove creek used by ferries to Sajnekhali; shows tidal geomorphology, tiger habitat and embankment erosion risks.

Example 9 (UPSC 2018, 20 marks): On the outline map of India provided to you, mark the location of all of the following. Write in your QCA Booklet the significance of these locations, whether physical/commercial/economic/ecological/environmental/cultural, in not more than 30 words for each entry:
(i) Shyok River
(ii) Mawlynnong
(iii) Shravasti
(iv) Kori Creek
(v) Amarkantak
(vi) Ghatshila
(vii) Tawang
(viii) Neyyar
(ix) Dandeli
(x) Mulshi Lake

Paper and question: Paper II, Q1(a)

Approach: Mark the ten places on the outline map with dots and labels (the Shyok as a line in Ladakh, Kori Creek in Kutch); write location and a 30-word significance for each.

(i) Shyok River: Rises from the Rimo glacier near the Karakoram Pass, Ladakh, flows south-east then north-west past Durbuk and Nubra, and joins the Indus near Keris in Gilgit-Baltistan. The Darbuk–Shyok–DBO road along it is strategic near the LAC; known for glacial lake outburst floods.

(ii) Mawlynnong: Khasi village in East Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya (about 25.2°N, 91.9°E), near the Bangladesh border. Called ‘Asia's cleanest village’ (2003 travel-magazine title); model of community sanitation and eco-tourism, with living root bridges and matrilineal Khasi society.

(iii) Shravasti: Ancient city in Shravasti district, Uttar Pradesh (about 27.5°N, 82.0°E), on the Rapti plain near the Nepal border. Capital of Kosala, where the Buddha spent many rainy seasons at Jetavana monastery; a key stop on the Buddhist Circuit; Jain pilgrimage site too.

(iv) Kori Creek: Tidal creek on the north-west coast of Kutch, Gujarat (about 23.6°N, 68.5°E), near Lakhpat, a former distributary of the Indus. Large mangrove and fishing area close to Sir Creek and the Pakistan border; strategic for coastal security; site of the Lakhpat fort.

(v) Amarkantak: Pilgrim town on the Maikal hills, Anuppur district, Madhya Pradesh (about 22.7°N, 81.8°E), at about 1,050 m. Source of the Narmada and the Son (and Johila); a drainage divide between west- and east-flowing rivers; core of the Achanakmar–Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve (UNESCO 2012).

(vi) Ghatshila: Town in East Singhbhum district, Jharkhand (about 22.6°N, 86.5°E), on the Subarnarekha. Centre of the Singhbhum copper belt; Hindustan Copper's Indian Copper Complex (Moubhandar smelter, Mosabani and Surda mines) is here; also home of the writer Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay.

(vii) Tawang: District headquarters in western Arunachal Pradesh (about 27.6°N, 91.9°E), at about 3,000 m near Bhutan and Tibet. Tawang monastery (1680–81) is India's largest Buddhist monastery; birthplace of the sixth Dalai Lama; claimed by China; strategic after 1962 and the 2022 Yangtse clash.

(viii) Neyyar: River and dam in Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala (about 8.5°N, 77.1°E), rising at Agasthyamala. The Neyyar dam irrigates southern Kerala and supplies drinking water; the Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, part of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve, has a crocodile rearing centre.

(ix) Dandeli: Town in Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka (about 15.2°N, 74.6°E), on the Kali river in the Western Ghats. White-water rafting centre; adjoins the Kali (Dandeli–Anshi) Tiger Reserve with black panthers and hornbills; West Coast Paper Mills uses the bamboo and forests.

(x) Mulshi Lake: Reservoir on the Mula river in Pune district, Maharashtra (about 18.5°N, 73.5°E), on the Western Ghats. Created by Tata Power's Mulshi dam (completed 1927) for the Bhira hydro station, which sends water west to the Konkan; the dam's construction led to the Mulshi Satyagraha against displacement.

Example 10 (UPSC 2017, 20 marks): On the outline map of India provided to you, mark the location of all of the following. Write in your QCA Booklet the significance of these locations, whether physical/commercial/economic/ecological/environmental/cultural, in not more than 30 words for each entry:
(i) Thumba
(ii) Nayachar Island
(iii) Doddabetta
(iv) Devasthal
(v) Pangong Lake
(vi) Hampi
(vii) Havelock Island
(viii) Luni River
(ix) Daringbadi
(x) Dudhsagar Waterfalls

Paper and question: Paper II, Q1(a)

Approach: Mark the ten places on the outline map with dots and labels (the Luni as a line from Ajmer to the Rann of Kutch); write location and a 30-word significance for each.

(i) Thumba: Fishing village near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala (about 8.5°N, 76.9°E), close to the geomagnetic equator. Site of the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (first launch 1963), cradle of India's space programme, now part of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.

(ii) Nayachar Island: Silt island in the Hooghly estuary off Haldia, Purba Medinipur district, West Bengal (about 22.0°N, 88.1°E). Formed by river deposition; once proposed for a chemical hub (2006–07), it is used for aquaculture and is debated for ecological fragility and cyclone exposure.

(iii) Doddabetta: Highest peak of the Nilgiri hills at about 2,637 m, near Ooty, Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu (about 11.4°N, 76.7°E). Part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (India's first, 1986) with shola–grassland mosaics; tea-growing area; a telescope house for tourists.

(iv) Devasthal: Mountain-top site at about 2,450 m in Nainital district, Uttarakhand (about 29.4°N, 79.7°E). ARIES runs here India's largest optical telescope, the 3.6 m Devasthal Optical Telescope (2016, with Belgium), and the International Liquid Mirror Telescope (2022); dark, clear skies.

(v) Pangong Lake: Endorheic saline lake at about 4,350 m in eastern Ladakh (about 33.7°N, 78.7°E), about 134 km long, of which roughly one-third lies in India and the rest in Tibet. Its ‘fingers’ on the north bank were a flashpoint in the 2020 standoff; brackish water freezes in winter.

(vi) Hampi: Ruins of Vijayanagara, capital of the Vijayanagara empire (14th–16th century), on the Tungabhadra in Vijayanagara district, Karnataka (about 15.3°N, 76.5°E). UNESCO World Heritage Site (1986); Virupaksha and Vittala temples amid granite boulder terrain.

(vii) Havelock Island: Renamed Swaraj Dweep (2018), in Ritchie's Archipelago, South Andaman district (about 12.0°N, 93.0°E). Known for Radhanagar beach, coral reefs and scuba diving; tourism hub of the Andamans, facing coral bleaching and carrying-capacity concerns.

(viii) Luni River: Rises in the Naga hills near Pushkar, Ajmer district, Rajasthan, and flows south-west about 495 km to the Rann of Kutch. The only significant river of the Thar's inland drainage; turns saline after Balotra; seasonal floods; supports wells and agriculture in Barmer and Jalore.

(ix) Daringbadi: Hill station at about 900 m in Kandhamal district, Odisha (about 19.9°N, 84.1°E), in the Eastern Ghats. Called the ‘Kashmir of Odisha’ for its winter frost; coffee and pepper plantations; pine forests; source area of the Rushikulya; Kandha tribal region.

(x) Dudhsagar Waterfalls: Four-tiered fall of about 310 m on the Mandovi river at the Goa–Karnataka border, Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary (about 15.3°N, 74.3°E). Among India's tallest waterfalls; the Londa–Vasco railway line passes in front; monsoon tourism and Western Ghats biodiversity.

Example 11 (UPSC 2016, 20 marks): On the outline map of India provided to you, mark the location of all of the following. Write in your QCA Booklet the significance of these locations, whether physical/commercial/economic/ecological/environmental/cultural, in not more than 30 words for each entry:
(i) Pir Panjal Range
(ii) River Indravati
(iii) Nathu La Pass
(iv) Jog Falls
(v) Pulicat Lake
(vi) Kudankulam
(vii) Nalanda
(viii) Kudremukh
(ix) Headquarters of N-E Railways
(x) Farakka Barrage

Paper and question: Paper II, Q1(a)

Approach: Mark the ten features on the outline map (the Pir Panjal as a ranged line, the Indravati as a river line, the rest as dots with labels); write location and a 30-word significance for each.

(i) Pir Panjal Range: Lesser Himalayan range running north-west to south-east from Jammu and Kashmir into Himachal Pradesh, between the Jhelum (Kashmir valley) and the Chenab–Beas. Crossed by Banihal (rail and road tunnels), Pir Panjal Pass (Mughal Road) and Rohtang (Atal Tunnel); it blocks monsoon moisture from the Kashmir valley.

(ii) River Indravati: Rises at Thuamul Rampur in Kalahandi district, Odisha, flows west through Bastar, Chhattisgarh, forming the Chitrakote falls, and joins the Godavari near Bhadrakali at the Chhattisgarh–Maharashtra–Telangana tri-junction. Upper Indravati hydro project; Indravati Tiger Reserve; Left Wing Extremism belt.

(iii) Nathu La Pass: Pass at about 4,310 m on the Sikkim–Tibet border, East Sikkim (about 27.4°N, 88.8°E). Old Silk Route link to Lhasa via the Chumbi valley; border trade resumed in 2006; Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route since 2015; scene of the 1967 India–China clashes.

(iv) Jog Falls: Falls of about 253 m on the Sharavathi river at the Shivamogga–Uttara Kannada border, Karnataka (about 14.2°N, 74.8°E), where the river drops over the Western Ghats scarp. One of India's highest plunge falls; flow regulated by the Linganamakki dam feeding the Sharavathi hydro stations.

(v) Pulicat Lake: India's second-largest brackish-water lagoon after Chilika, on the Andhra Pradesh–Tamil Nadu border (about 13.6°N, 80.2°E). Separated from the Bay of Bengal by the Sriharikota barrier island, home of ISRO's launch centre; Pulicat bird sanctuary with flamingos; fishing livelihoods.

(vi) Kudankulam: Coastal village in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu (about 8.2°N, 77.7°E), near Kanyakumari. India's largest nuclear power station, built with Russian VVER-1000 reactors; units 1 and 2 (2 × 1,000 MW) operate and units 3–6 are under construction; protests over safety and fishing.

(vii) Nalanda: Nalanda district, Bihar (about 25.1°N, 85.4°E), south of Patna near Rajgir. Ruins of Nalanda Mahavihara (5th–12th century), a great Buddhist university visited by Xuanzang, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2016); the new Nalanda University was revived in 2014.

(viii) Kudremukh: Peak of about 1,894 m and national park in Chikkamagaluru district, Karnataka (about 13.1°N, 75.3°E), in the Western Ghats. Iron ore mining by KIOCL stopped in 2005 under a Supreme Court order to protect the shola forests and the Tunga–Bhadra headwaters; lion-tailed macaque habitat.

(ix) Headquarters of N-E Railways: Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh (about 26.8°N, 83.4°E), on the Rapti river in the Ganga plain. Headquarters of the North Eastern Railway; its platform of about 1,366 m was the world's longest until Hubballi's (2023); a rail hub for eastern UP and the Nepal border.

(x) Farakka Barrage: Barrage of about 2.2 km across the Ganga in Murshidabad district, West Bengal (about 24.8°N, 87.9°E), commissioned in 1975. A 38 km feeder canal diverts water to the Bhagirathi–Hooghly to keep Kolkata port navigable; water sharing with Bangladesh is governed by the 1996 Ganga Treaty.

Example 12 (UPSC 2015, 10 marks): On the outline map of India provided to you, mark the locations of all the following. Write in your QCA Booklet the significance of these locations, whether physical/commercial/economic/ecological/environmental/cultural, in not more than 30 words for each entry:
(i) Tharangambadi
(ii) Namcha Barwa
(iii) Narcodam
(iv) Khajjiar
(v) Chunchanakatte

Paper and question: Paper II, Q1(a)

Approach: Mark the five places on the outline map with dots and labels (Namcha Barwa just beyond India's north-eastern border in Tibet; Narcondam in the Andaman Sea); write location and a 30-word significance for each.

(i) Tharangambadi: Coastal town in Mayiladuthurai (formerly Nagapattinam) district, Tamil Nadu (about 11.0°N, 79.9°E), on the Coromandel coast. Danish colony (1620–1845) with Fort Dansborg; first Protestant mission and Tamil printing press in India (Ziegenbalg, 1706); a heritage town.

(ii) Namcha Barwa: Peak of 7,782 m in south-eastern Tibet (China), just north of Arunachal Pradesh (about 29.6°N, 95.1°E). Marks the eastern syntaxis of the Himalaya, around which the Yarlung Tsangpo makes its Great Bend and gorge before entering India as the Siang; China's Medog dam project lies downstream.

(iii) Narcodam: Narcondam Island, a dormant volcanic island in the Andaman Sea, about 13.4°N, 94.3°E, north-east of the Andaman group. The only home of the endemic Narcondam hornbill; a wildlife sanctuary; a coast-guard radar plan was rejected in 2012 on ecological grounds.

(iv) Khajjiar: Saucer-shaped meadow with a small lake at about 1,900 m in Chamba district, Himachal Pradesh (about 32.5°N, 76.1°E), near Dalhousie, ringed by deodar forest. Known as ‘Mini Switzerland of India’; part of the Kalatop–Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary; tourism centre.

(v) Chunchanakatte: Waterfall of about 20 m on the Kaveri near Krishnarajanagara and Saligrama, Mysuru district, Karnataka (about 12.5°N, 76.3°E). The river splits around rocks and rejoins before flowing to the Krishnaraja Sagar reservoir; a small hydro project uses the fall; a local tourism and pilgrimage spot.

Example 13 (UPSC 2014, 10 marks): On the outline map of India provided to you, mark the location of all of the following. Write in your QCA Booklet the significance of these locations, whether physical/commercial/economic/ecological/environmental/cultural, in not more than 30 words for each entry:
(i) Guru Shikhar
(ii) Bhor Ghat
(iii) Shravanabelagola
(iv) Kalibangan
(v) Ganga Sagar

Paper and question: Paper II, Q1(a)

Approach: Mark the five places on the outline map with dots and labels (Aravalli peak, Western Ghats pass, Jain site, Harappan site and the Hooghly mouth); write location and a 30-word significance for each.

(i) Guru Shikhar: At about 1,722 m the highest peak of the Aravallis, near Mount Abu, Sirohi district, Rajasthan (about 24.6°N, 72.8°E). Residual summit of the ancient Aravalli fold belt; Dattatreya temple; Mount Abu infrared observatory; the cooler hill climate supports Mount Abu's tourism.

(ii) Bhor Ghat: Pass in the Sahyadri between Karjat (Konkan) and Khandala (Deccan plateau), Maharashtra (about 18.8°N, 73.4°E). Carries the Mumbai–Pune railway (opened 1863) and the Mumbai–Pune Expressway (2002), the main link between India's financial capital and the Deccan.

(iii) Shravanabelagola: Jain pilgrim town in Hassan district, Karnataka (about 12.9°N, 76.5°E). The 57 ft (17 m) monolithic statue of Gommateshwara (Bahubali) on Vindhyagiri hill, built about 981 CE under the Gangas; Mahamastakabhisheka every 12 years; Chandragupta Maurya is said to have died on Chandragiri hill.

(iv) Kalibangan: Harappan site on the left bank of the dry Ghaggar river, Hanumangarh district, Rajasthan (about 29.5°N, 74.1°E). Known for the earliest ploughed field, fire altars and evidence of an ancient earthquake; indicates the importance of the Ghaggar–Hakra (Saraswati) system.

(v) Ganga Sagar: Southern end of Sagar Island at the mouth of the Hooghly, South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal (about 21.6°N, 88.1°E). Gangasagar Mela at the Kapil Muni temple on Makar Sankranti; part of the Sundarbans delta, threatened by erosion, sea-level rise and cyclones.

Example 14 (UPSC 2014, 10 marks): On the outline map of India provided to you, mark the location of all of the following. Write in your QCA Booklet the significance of these locations, whether physical/commercial/economic/ecological/environmental/cultural, in not more than 30 words for each entry:
(i) Mundra Port
(ii) Chandipur
(iii) Mahendragiri
(iv) Hazira
(v) Vembanad Lake

Paper and question: Paper II, Q5(a)

Approach: Mark the five places on the outline map with dots and labels (three on the west coast, two on the east coast); Mahendragiri here most likely means the ISRO Propulsion Complex in Tamil Nadu, given the ports and the missile range in the list; write location and a 30-word significance for each.

(i) Mundra Port: Port on the northern shore of the Gulf of Kutch, Kutch district, Gujarat (about 22.7°N, 69.7°E). Adani's Mundra is India's largest commercial port by cargo, with an SEZ, the Tata Mundra ultra mega power plant and Adani power; criticised for mangrove and creek damage.

(ii) Chandipur: Beach in Balasore district, Odisha (about 21.5°N, 87.0°E). Hosts DRDO's Integrated Test Range for missiles (Prithvi, Agni, Akash); famous for the sea receding up to about 5 km at low tide on the gently sloping tidal flat; horseshoe crab habitat.

(iii) Mahendragiri: Most likely the ISRO Propulsion Complex at Mahendragiri, Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu (about 8.4°N, 77.5°E), at the southern end of the Western Ghats, where liquid, cryogenic and semi-cryogenic rocket engines are tested. (Mahendragiri is also a 1,501 m Eastern Ghats peak in Gajapati district, Odisha.)

(iv) Hazira: Industrial port near Surat, Gujarat (about 21.1°N, 72.6°E), at the mouth of the Tapi. Has an LNG terminal, ONGC's gas processing plant, the AM/NS India steel plant, L&T heavy engineering, KRIBHCO fertiliser and a private port; the Hazira–Ghogha Ro-Pax ferry crosses the Gulf of Khambhat.

(v) Vembanad Lake: Kerala's largest lake and the longest in India, a coastal lagoon from Alappuzha to Kochi (about 9.6°N, 76.4°E). Ramsar site (2002) with Kumarakom bird sanctuary; the Thanneermukkom saltwater barrier protects below-sea-level Kuttanad farming; Nehru Trophy boat race; shrinking through reclamation.

2. Physical Features: Mountains, Peaks, Passes, Rivers, Lakes and Plateaus

Example 15 (UPSC 2015, 10 marks): On the outline map of India provided to you, mark the locations of all the following. Write in your QCA Booklet the significance of these locations, whether physical/commercial/economic/ecological/environmental/cultural, in not more than 30 words for each entry:
(i) Nokrek
(ii) Gorakhnath Peak
(iii) Indrakiladri Peak
(iv) Polavaram
(v) Anaimudi

Paper and question: Paper II, Q5(a)

Approach: Mark the five places on the outline map with dots and labels (two peaks of the peninsula, one in the Garo hills, a hill at Vijayawada and a dam on the Godavari); write location and a 30-word significance for each.

(i) Nokrek: Highest peak of the Garo hills at about 1,412 m, Meghalaya (about 25.7°N, 90.3°E). Core of Nokrek National Park and Biosphere Reserve (UNESCO network, 2009), a gene sanctuary of the wild orange Citrus indica; source of the Simsang river; habitat of the hoolock gibbon.

(ii) Gorakhnath Peak: Highest point of the Girnar massif at about 1,117 m, near Junagadh, Gujarat (about 21.5°N, 70.5°E), the highest peak in Gujarat. An igneous (volcanic) hill of Saurashtra with Hindu and Jain temples; the Girnar ropeway (2020) serves pilgrims; adjoins the Gir lion landscape.

(iii) Indrakiladri Peak: Hill on the north bank of the Krishna in Vijayawada, NTR district, Andhra Pradesh (about 16.5°N, 80.6°E), beside the Prakasam barrage. Seat of the Kanaka Durga temple, one of Andhra's major pilgrim centres; marks the Krishna's exit from the Eastern Ghats to its delta.

(iv) Polavaram: Multipurpose dam on the Godavari in Eluru district (formerly West Godavari), Andhra Pradesh (about 17.3°N, 81.7°E). Declared a national project under the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014; irrigates coastal Andhra and links Godavari to Krishna through its right canal; submergence displaces Koya tribals.

(v) Anaimudi: At 2,695 m the highest peak south of the Himalaya, in Eravikulam National Park, Idukki district, Kerala (about 10.2°N, 77.1°E). The knot where the Anaimalai, Palani and Cardamom hills meet; shola grasslands with the Nilgiri tahr; near the Munnar tea estates.