The southernmost range of India is

Question

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — C, the Cardamom Hills. The Cardamom Hills (Ela Mala) form the southernmost part of the Western Ghats, at the far south of the peninsula across Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Lying south of the Anaimalai Hills and the Palghat Gap, they are the southernmost hill range of India among the options.

Why the other options are wrong — (a) The Nilgiri Hills lie further north, at the junction where the Western and Eastern Ghats meet — not the southernmost.  (b) The Anaimalai (Annamalai) Hills — home to Anaimudi, the highest peak of South India — lie just north of the Cardamom Hills, so they are not the southernmost.  (d) The Nallamalai Hills are part of the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh — well to the north-east, not the southernmost range.

Concept: Moving south along the Western Ghats: Sahyadris -> Nilgiris -> (Palghat Gap) -> Anaimalai Hills -> Cardamom Hills at the southern tip. The Cardamom Hills are therefore the southernmost range of the Western Ghats and of India. The Nallamalai belong to the Eastern Ghats, not this southern chain.

State PCS 2018 Q29 — Geography PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2018 Q29 — Geography PYQ with Answer