MPPSC 2023 Prelims Paper-I · Question 75 of 100

Correct — A, Satpura range. Bijagarh is one of the constituent hill tracts of the Satpura mountain system in south-western Madhya Pradesh, part of the same west-central fold system that also includes the Mahadeo Hills, the Maikal Range, and the Asirgarh/Barwani hills.

• (b)Vindhyachal range — The Vindhya Range lies north of the Narmada valley, running roughly parallel to the Satpuras but as a geologically distinct system — Bijagarh belongs to the Satpura system south of the Narmada, not the Vindhyas.
• (c)Kaimur range — The Kaimur range is the easternmost extension of the Vindhyan system, spanning MP's Rewa-Sidhi area further east — nowhere near Bijagarh's location in the Satpura belt.
• (d)Mahadeo range — The Mahadeo Hills are a real, well-known Satpura constituent (site of Dhoopgarh, MP's highest peak) — but they are a distinct hill tract from Bijagarh, not interchangeable with it.

The Satpura Range is not a single ridge but a family of parallel hill tracts running roughly east-west, south of the Narmada valley — the Mahadeo Hills, Maikal Range, Bijagarh, Asirgarh, and the Barwani hills are all named constituent parts of this wider Satpura system, each locally named but geologically part of the same fold belt.

MPPSC likes to test whether students know that 'the Satpuras' is an umbrella term covering several named sub-ranges/hills — a lesser-known name like Bijagarh is a constituent hill tract rather than belonging to a wholly different system like the Vindhyas or Kaimur.

• Bijagarh is one of the constituent hill tracts of the Satpura Range system in Madhya Pradesh.
• The wider Satpura system also includes the Mahadeo Hills, the Maikal Range, and the Barwani/Asirgarh hills.
• The Satpura Range runs roughly east-west, south of the Narmada valley, separating it from the Tapti valley.
• The Vindhya and Kaimur ranges lie north/east of the Narmada — a separate system from the Satpuras.

• Treating 'Satpura' as a single ridge rather than a family of named hill tracts (Bijagarh, Mahadeo, Maikal, Asirgarh, Barwani)
• Confusing the Vindhya/Kaimur system (north/east of the Narmada) with the Satpura system (south of the Narmada)

MPPSC often tests lesser-known constituent hills of the Satpura system (Bijagarh, Asirgarh, Barwani, Maikal, Mahadeo) as range-identification questions — lock the base fact that south-western MP's hill names usually resolve to 'Satpura', while the Vindhya/Kaimur system covers the Narmada's north/east side.

No directly related past PYQ was found.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Dhoopgarh, the highest peak of Madhya Pradesh, is located in which range of the Satpura system?

  • (a)Maikal Range
  • (b)Mahadeo Range
  • (c)Bijagarh
  • (d)Asirgarh

  Answer(b) Mahadeo Range — home to Dhoopgarh, Madhya Pradesh's highest point.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  The Satpura Range runs roughly parallel to, and south of, which river valley?

  • (a)Chambal
  • (b)Betwa
  • (c)Narmada
  • (d)Sindh

  Answer(c) Narmada — the Satpuras lie south of the Narmada valley.