In which of the following regions of Madhya Pradesh is black soil NOT found?
- (a)Malwa Plateau
- (b)Narmada Valley
- (c)Baghelkhand
- (d)Satpura Range
Correct — C, Baghelkhand. Black (regur/cotton) soil forms from the weathering of Deccan Trap basalt, and that basaltic cover does not extend into Baghelkhand (the Rewa–Satna–Sidhi–Shahdol region of eastern MP), which instead sits on older Vindhyan and metamorphic rock, producing red and yellow soils. The Malwa Plateau, Narmada Valley and Satpura Range all lie within or along the basaltic Deccan Trap belt and carry black soil.
- (a)Malwa Plateau — Wrong as an answer — the Malwa Plateau is Madhya Pradesh's classic black-soil tract, formed on Deccan Trap basalt and historically its main cotton-growing belt.
- (b)Narmada Valley — Wrong as an answer — the fertile Narmada valley is covered in deep black soil derived from the same basaltic rock as the Malwa Plateau.
- (d)Satpura Range — Wrong as an answer — the Satpura hills are themselves part of the basaltic formation, and black soil occurs along their slopes and adjoining valleys.
Black soil (regur, or 'black cotton soil') is a residual soil formed in situ by the weathering of basaltic lava rock — mainly the Deccan Trap. Its distribution in Madhya Pradesh tracks the extent of that lava cover: the Malwa Plateau, Narmada Valley and Satpura region all sit on or near the Deccan basalt and carry black soil, while Baghelkhand in the east rests on older Vindhyan and metamorphic rock, producing red-yellow soils instead.
MPPSC frequently tests soil geography by pairing a soil type with the MP region where it is or isn't found; the trap is assuming black soil blankets the whole state, when it is really tied to the basalt-covered west/central belt, not the geologically distinct east (Baghelkhand).
- Black soil (regur/black cotton soil) forms from the weathering of Deccan Trap basalt
- Present in the Malwa Plateau, Narmada Valley and Satpura Range — the basalt-covered belt
- Absent in Baghelkhand (Rewa–Satna–Sidhi–Shahdol) — older Vindhyan/metamorphic rock gives red-yellow soils there
- Black soil is highly moisture-retentive, historically favouring cotton cultivation
- Assuming black soil covers all of Madhya Pradesh uniformly
- Confusing Baghelkhand's red-yellow soils with black soil because both regions are described as fertile
MPPSC regularly asks 'which region does NOT have black soil' or lists true/false soil characteristics for MP; anchor the answer to the basalt belt (west-central MP) versus Baghelkhand/Bundelkhand (east).
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Black (regur) soil is formed by the in-situ weathering of which rock?
- (a)Granite
- (b)Deccan Trap basalt
- (c)Vindhyan sandstone
- (d)Gneiss
Answer(b) Deccan Trap basalt — black soil is a residual soil derived from basaltic lava.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The predominant soil type of the Baghelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh is:
- (a)Black/regur soil
- (b)Red and yellow soil
- (c)Laterite soil only
- (d)Desert soil
Answer(b) Red and yellow soil — Baghelkhand's older Vindhyan/metamorphic rocks do not weather into black soil.