The longest river in India is
- (a)Brahmaputra
- (b)Ganga
- (c)Godavari
- (d)Indus
Correct — B, the Ganga. The Ganga is the longest river flowing within India, running about 2,525 km from its Himalayan source (the Bhagirathi at Gangotri) across the northern plains to the Bay of Bengal. The Indus and the Brahmaputra are longer over their entire courses, but most of their length lies outside India — so within India the Ganga is the longest.
- (a)Brahmaputra — One of Asia's great rivers and very long overall, but the bulk of its course runs through Tibet and Bangladesh; its length inside India is less than the Ganga's.
- (c)Godavari — The longest river of Peninsular India (the 'Dakshina Ganga'), about 1,465 km — the longest in the south, but shorter than the Ganga.
- (d)Indus — Longer than the Ganga over its full course, but it flows mainly through Pakistan; only a small stretch lies in India, so it is not India's longest river.
'Longest river in India' means the greatest length lying within India — the Ganga (~2,525 km). Distinguish this from 'longest river of Peninsular/South India' (Godavari, ~1,465 km) and from rivers that are longer overall but mostly foreign (Indus and Brahmaputra).
The trap is comparing total lengths. The Indus and Brahmaputra beat the Ganga globally, but not within India. The Godavari is a tempting 'longest' but only for the peninsula.
- Ganga ~2,525 km — the longest river within India.
- It rises from the Gangotri glacier (as the Bhagirathi) and drains into the Bay of Bengal.
- Godavari (~1,465 km) is the longest Peninsular river ('Dakshina Ganga').
- The Indus and Brahmaputra are longer overall but flow mostly outside India.
- Choosing the Indus or Brahmaputra by total length
- Confusing 'longest in India' with 'longest peninsular river' (Godavari)
MPPSC and UPSC ask 'longest river in India', 'longest peninsular river', or arrange rivers by length — always clarify 'in India' vs 'overall'.
What is the correct sequence of the rivers—Godavari, Mahanadi, Narmada and Tapti in the descending order of their lengths?
- (a) Godavari—Mahanadi—Narmada—Tapti
- (b) Godavari—Narmada—Mahanadi—Tapti
- (c) Narmada—Godavari—Tapti—Mahanadi
- (d) Narmada—Tapti—Godavari—Mahanadi
Answer(b) Godavari—Narmada—Mahanadi—Tapti
Same concept — ranking Indian rivers by length, the exact skill this question tests.
Which of the following is the longest river?
- (a) Cauveri (Kaveri)
- (b) Tapti (Tapi)
- (c) Narmada
- (d) Son
Answer(c) Narmada
Same skill — identifying the longest river from a set by comparing their lengths.
Which of the following is the longest river?
- (a) Narmada
- (b) Cauvery (Kaveri)
- (c) Krishna
- (d) Godavari
Answer(d) Godavari
MPPSC re-tested the same 'which is the longest river' comparison a year later.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The longest river of Peninsular India, often called the 'Dakshina Ganga', is:
- (a)Krishna
- (b)Godavari
- (c)Kaveri
- (d)Narmada
Answer(b) Godavari.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which river is longer than the Ganga over its total course but flows mostly outside India?
- (a)Kaveri
- (b)Indus
- (c)Mahanadi
- (d)Tapti
Answer(b) Indus.