UPSC Prelims 2023 · GS Paper I
Question 5: Geography
Which one of the following is the best example of repeated falls in sea level, giving rise to present-day extensive marshland?
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (d).
The Rann of Kutch was once a shallow arm of the Arabian Sea. Tectonic uplift and repeated falls in sea level cut it off and left a vast, seasonally flooded salt marsh. Bhitarkanika is a mangrove ecosystem built by river deposition in the Brahmani-Baitarani delta, Marakkanam is a coastal salt-making area, and Naupada is a coastal swamp in Andhra Pradesh; none is the classic result of a retreating sea. Remember the Rann as a former sea inlet.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Bhitarkanika is a deltaic mangrove forest formed by river deposition, not by falling sea level.
- (b) Marakkanam is a coastal salt-pan area, not a marsh left by a retreating sea.
- (c) Naupada is a coastal swamp, not the standard case of repeated sea-level falls.
- (d) Correct: the Rann is a former sea inlet turned into a vast seasonal marsh.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2023, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.