UPSC Prelims 2017 · GS Paper I
Question 19: Geography
At one of the places in India, if you stand on the seashore and watch the sea, you will find that the sea water recedes from the shore line a few kilometres and comes back to the shore, twice a day, and you can actually walk on the sea floor when the water recedes. This unique phenomenon is seen at
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (c).
Chandipur, on the Odisha coast near Balasore, has a very shallow, gently sloping shore, so at low tide the sea retreats several kilometres and returns later, twice a day. People can walk on the exposed sea floor. This unusual tidal feature makes Chandipur well known; it also hosts a missile test range. Bhavnagar (Gujarat), Bheemunipatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and Nagapattinam (Tamil Nadu) are not known for this effect. Remember: Chandipur = the vanishing sea.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Wrong: Bhavnagar in Gujarat is not known for the walk-on-the-seabed effect.
- (b) Wrong: Bheemunipatnam in Andhra Pradesh is a beach town without this recession.
- (c) Right: Chandipur in Odisha is famous for its receding sea at low tide.
- (d) Wrong: Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu does not show this phenomenon.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2017, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.