Identify the river of the Indian sub-continent on the basis of the following information :
- 1.It has an antecedent drainage system.
- 2.It flows through three countries.
- 3.It originates in the Tibetan Plateau and is an important river for irrigation.
- 4.It does not form distributaries.
Select the answer from the following :
Show answer
Answer: C. The Sutlej rises near Rakas Tal in Tibet, cuts through the Himalaya before they rose (antecedent), flows through China, India and Pakistan, feeds major canals like the Bhakra system, and joins the Chenab-Indus without forming its own delta or distributaries. So it is the Sutlej.
Watch for: Indus and Brahmaputra fit the first three clues, so students miss the 'no distributaries' clue.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Wrong because the Brahmaputra forms many distributaries in the Bengal delta.
- B. Wrong because the Indus forms a large delta with distributaries in Pakistan.
- D. Wrong because the Teesta rises in Sikkim, not the Tibetan Plateau, and is not antecedent in the same sense.
Source to check: NCERT Class 11 'India Physical Environment', Chapter 3 'Drainage System'
Answer from the provisional UPSC key; it may change when the final key is out. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.