Physical Division of India NDA – Complete Notes

Table of Contents

Introduction to Physical Division of India NDA

The Physical Division of India NDA chapter is one of the most important topics for the NDA Geography section. Understanding India’s physical structure helps aspirants build a clear concept of the country’s terrain, which is often asked in NDA exams. In this article, you’ll learn about the five major physical divisions of India including the Himalayas, Northern Plains, Peninsular Plateau, Coastal Plains, and the Islands.

Physical Features of India

The Northern Mountains (Himalayas)
The Peninsular Plateau
The Great Plains
The Coastal Plains
The Islands

The Himalayas

Meaning of Himalaya – “Abode of Snow”
Longest East to West mountain range in the world
Other major mountain ranges like the Andes and Rockies run North–South; Himalayas run East–West
Youngest Fold Mountains, formed during the Tertiary period
Arc-shaped structure
Length: 2500 km | Area: 5 lakh sq km
Width: Wider in the West, narrower in the East
Western extension: Sulaiman & Hindukush Ranges
Eastern extension: Patkai, Naga, Manipur, Mizo Hills
Pamir Plateau: Known as the “Roof of the World”, connects the Himalayas with Central Asia

Formation of the Himalayas

40–50 million years ago (Cenozoic Era)
Formed from Tethys Sea sediments through folding
Geosynclinal Orogen Theory by Köber

Divisions of the Himalayas

1. Trans Himalayas

Karakoram, Ladakh, Zaskar ranges
K2 (8611 m) – Highest peak of India (in Karakoram Range)
Eastern part of Karakoram is known as the Kailash Range
Siachen Glacier is located in this region

2. Greater Himalayas (Himadri)

Highest range, average elevation of 6100 m
Contains 10 highest peaks of the world, including Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga
Kanchenjunga (8586 m) – Highest peak in India (Sikkim)
Gangotri & Yamunotri glaciers – Source of Ganga & Yamuna rivers

3. Lesser Himalayas (Himachal Himalayas)

Ranges: Pir Panjal, Dhauladhar, Mussoorie, Nagtibba, Mahabharat Range
Kashmir Valley – Between Pir Panjal & Zaskar
Kullu-Kangra Valley – Located in Himachal Pradesh
Temperate grasslands:
- Jammu: Marg
- Uttarakhand: Bugyal/Payal
Major tourist spots: Shimla, Manali, Mussoorie, Nainital, Gulmarg, Sonmarg

4. Shivalik (Outer Himalayas)

Smallest and youngest range of the Himalayas
Doon Valleys: e.g., Dehradun
Dafla, Miri, Abor, Mishmi Hills – Parts of Shivalik in Arunachal Pradesh

Longitudinal Division (River wise)

Division	Rivers	States	Special Features
Kashmir/Punjab Himalaya	Indus – Sutlej	J&K, Himachal	Karewas, Siachen
Kumaon Himalaya	Sutlej – Kali	Uttarakhand	Nanda Devi, Valley of Flowers
Nepal Himalaya	Kali – Teesta	Nepal, Sikkim, WB, Bhutan	Everest, Kanchenjunga
Assam Himalaya	Teesta – Dihang	Arunachal, Assam, Bhutan	Namcha Barwa

Purvanchal Hills (N-E India)

7 Sisters + Sikkim
Purvanchal Himalaya starts after Dihang river.

Important Hills:

State	Hills / Features
Sikkim	Darjeeling Hills (Middle Himalaya)
Arunachal Pradesh	Dafla, Miri, Abor, Mishmi, Patkai Bum, Mismi Hills
Nagaland	Naga Hills (Saramati Peak), Barail Hills
Manipur	East-West Manipur Hills, Loktak Lake (floating lake)
Mizoram	Blue Mountain (Phawngpui) – End of Himalayas
Tripura	Tripura Hills
Meghalaya	Garo, Khasi, Jaintia Hills (Shillong Plateau)
Assam	Mikir & Rengma Hills (Part of Peninsular India)

Special Points

Malda Gap: Gap between Peninsular India & Meghalaya
Surma Valley: Gap between Barail & Mikir Hills (Oil reserves found here)
Shillong Plateau: Part of Peninsular India, not Himalayas
Mawsynram & Cherrapunji: Wettest places on Earth (Khasi Hills)

Significance of the Himalayas

Acts as Monsoon Barrier
Source of Perennial Rivers
Hydroelectric Power Generation
Alluvial Soil for Agriculture
Provides Natural Defence
Boosts Tourism
Rich in Forest & Mineral Resources

Important Passes of Himalayas

Pass	Location	Connects To	Special Note
Mintaka Pass	Ladakh (Northernmost)	Tibet / China	Tri-junction India-China-Afghanistan
Aghil Pass	Ladakh	Xinjiang, China
Karakoram	Ladakh	Tibet	Highest pass
Khardung La	Ladakh	Leh-Siachen	Motorable
Zoji La	J&K	Srinagar-Leh	Tunnel built
Pir Panjal	J&K	Jammu-Srinagar (Mughal Road)	Closed after Partition
Banihal	J&K	Jammu-Srinagar	Jawahar Tunnel
Rohtang Pass	Himachal Pradesh	Manali-Leh	Atal Tunnel
Shipki La	Himachal Pradesh	Tibet (Sutlej enters India)
Mana, Niti, Lipu Lekh	Uttarakhand	Tibet	Kailash Mansarovar route (Lipu Lekh)
Nathu La, Jelep La	Sikkim	Tibet	Ancient Silk Route
Bomdi La	Arunachal Pradesh	Lhasa (via Tawang)
Diphu Pass	Arunachal Pradesh	Myanmar (Tri-junction point)
Tuju Pass	Nagaland (Southernmost Himalaya pass)	Myanmar

Important Peaks of Himalayas

Peak	Height (m)	Location	Range	Note
Everest	8848.86	Nepal	Great Himalayas	World’s highest
K2 (Godwin Austin)	8611	Ladakh (PoK)	Karakoram (Trans Himalaya)	India’s highest
Kanchenjunga	8586	Sikkim	Great Himalayas	India’s highest in India
Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Annapurna	8500–8000	Nepal/Tibet	Great Himalayas
Nanga Parbat	8126	Ladakh (PoK)	Westernmost Himalayas
Nanda Devi	7816	Uttarakhand		Highest peak entirely in India
Kamet	7756	Uttarakhand
Kedarnath	6940	Uttarakhand
Bandarpunch	6498	Uttarakhand
Namcha Barwa	7782	Tibet	Easternmost peak

Important Glaciers

Glacier	Location
Siachen	Ladakh (Karakoram)
Baltoro, Biafo, Hispar	Ladakh (Karakoram)
Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath	Uttarakhand
Zemu Glacier	Sikkim
Milam Glacier	Uttarakhand

Important Valleys

Valley	Location	Special Note
Kashmir Valley	J&K	Largest Himalayan valley
Kullu, Kangra, Spiti, Sangla, Parvati	Himachal Pradesh	Tourist + cultural hubs
Yumthang	Sikkim	Valley of Flowers
Dzukou	Nagaland
Silent Valley	Kerala (Western Ghats)	Not in Himalayas

The Great Northern Plains

Formation

Formed by deposition of alluvium from Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra rivers after the uplift of Himalayas

Characteristics

World’s largest alluvial plain
Width: 150–300 km
Length: From Rajasthan to Assam
Fertile soil – Supports nearly 50% of India’s population

Physical Division of Plains

Region	Description
Bhabar	Foothills of Shivalik, porous land, rivers disappear
Tarai	Marshy land, reappearance of rivers, fertile
Bhangar	Old alluvium, less fertile, Kankar deposits
Khadar	New alluvium, highly fertile, flood plains
Delta	Sunderbans, Mangrove forests

Regional Division of Plains

Region	Key Points
Rajasthan Plain	Desert, Sand dunes, Luni river, Sambhar lake
Punjab-Haryana Plain	Doabs: Sindh Sagar, Chaj, Rechna, Bari, Bist
Ganga Plains	Upper, Middle, Lower Ganga plains
Brahmaputra Plain	Assam valley, Ox-bow lakes, flood prone

Special Terms to Remember

Doab – Land between two rivers
Bhur – Elevated land by wind deposits near Ganga
Usar / Reh – Saline infertile land due to over-irrigation
Sundarbans – World’s largest delta, mangroves, jute cultivation

Significance of the Northern Plains

India ka food bowl
Major population centre
Transport & Industrial hub
Religious & cultural importance

Peninsular Plateau of India

Oldest landmass of India (Part of Gondwanaland)
Surrounded by:
- Bay of Bengal (East)
- Arabian Sea (West)
- Indian Ocean (South)
Stable landform – No major earthquakes
General slope – West to East
Narmada & Tapi rivers – Westward flow due to Rift valleys

Main Divisions of Peninsular Plateau

1. Aravalli Hills

Oldest fold mountain of the world
Length – 800 km from Gujarat to Delhi
Guru Shikhar (1722 m) – Highest peak (Mount Abu)
Acts as a barrier to desert expansion
Rivers: Luni, Banas, Sabarmati
Sambhar Lake (Salt lake) located here

2. Central Highlands

Region	Special Features
Mewar / Marwar Plateau	East Rajasthan, Rolling plain
Malwa Plateau	Black soil, Chambal & Betwa rivers, Ravines
Bundelkhand Plateau	Yamuna river side, Rocky & infertile
Baghelkhand Plateau	Between Son & Mahanadi rivers
Chotanagpur Plateau	Jharkhand & Chhattisgarh, Rich in coal, iron, uranium

Damodar river flows in Rift Valley
Rajmahal Hills – North-eastern part, made of Basaltic Lava
Peneplain topography – Due to erosion

3. Vindhya & Satpura Ranges

Range	Features
Vindhya	North of Narmada, divides North-South India
Satpura	Block mountain between Narmada & Tapi
Peaks	Dhupgarh (Satpura, 1350 m), Amarkantak (Maikal Hills)
Rivers	Narmada (West), Son (North)

4. Deccan Plateau

Triangular shape, largest part of Peninsular India
Bounded by Satpura (North), Western Ghats (West), Eastern Ghats (East)
Slope – West to East

Regions of Deccan Plateau

Region	Features
Maharashtra Plateau	Black soil, Deccan Traps, Godavari, Bhima, Krishna rivers
Karnataka Plateau (Mysore Plateau)	Malnad (hilly) & Maidan (plain), Mulangiri (1913 m) highest peak
Telangana Plateau	Drained by Godavari, Krishna, Penneru rivers
Dandakaranya Plateau	Odisha & Chhattisgarh, Gond tribes

5. Meghalaya / Shillong Plateau

Eastern extension of Peninsular Plateau
Garo, Khasi, Jaintia Hills (Meghalaya)
Mikir & Rengma Hills (Assam)
Nokrek Peak – Highest in Garo Hills

Western Ghats & Eastern Ghats

Western Ghats	Eastern Ghats
Continuous range	Discontinuous hills
Runs from Gujarat to Kerala	Runs from Odisha to Tamil Nadu
Highest Peak – Anaimudi (2695 m)	Lower peaks
Rivers: Source of Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri	Rivers cut across (Mahanadi, Godavari, etc.)

Nilgiri Hills – Junction of Western & Eastern Ghats

Key Rivers of Peninsular India

River	Origin	Flow
Narmada	Amarkantak (M.P.)	West
Tapi	Satpura Hills	West
Godavari	Maharashtra	East
Krishna	Maharashtra	East
Kaveri	Karnataka	East
Mahanadi	Chhattisgarh	East

Special Notes

Peneplain – Almost plain formed by erosion
Regur Soil – Black cotton soil in Deccan
Ravines – Chambal area, due to erosion
Nilgiris – Hill knot of South India

Eastern Ghats

Second Oldest Fold Mountain (After Aravalli)
Location – Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu
Discontinuous Hills – Cut by rivers like Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri
Average Height – 600 m
Highest Peak – Jindhagada Peak (1690 m) – Araku Valley, AP
Other peaks: Mahendra Giri (1501 m) – Odisha
Nallamalai Hills – AP
Shevroy & Javadi Hills – Tamil Nadu
Southern part merges with Nilgiri Hills

Western Ghats (Sahyadri)

Continuous Range – From Tapi to Kanyakumari
Length – 1600 km
Highest Peak – Anaimudi (2695 m) – Kerala
Other Peaks –
- Kalsubai (1646 m) – Maharashtra (North Sahyadri)
- Mahabaleshwar Peak – Krishna River source
- Kudremukh, Brahmagiri – Karnataka
- Dodabetta (2637 m) – Nilgiri Hills, TN
Silent Valley – Kerala, Evergreen forest hotspot
Palghat Pass – Connects Kerala & Tamil Nadu
Cardamom Hills – Southernmost part

Passes of South India

Pass	Location	Connects
Thalghat	Maharashtra	Mumbai-Nashik
Bhorghat	Maharashtra	Mumbai-Pune
Palghat Pass	Kerala-TN border	Palakkad-Coimbatore
Shencottah	Tamil Nadu	Thiruvananthapuram-Madurai

Eastern Coastal Plains

Region	Rivers & Features
Utkal Coast	Mahanadi, Brahmani, Baitarani
Northern Circars	Godavari, Krishna
Coromandel Coast	Kaveri, Penner, Palar

Formed by Delta deposits – Agriculture friendly
Few natural harbours
Local Names – Utkal (Odisha), Northern Circars (AP), Coromandel (TN)

Western Coastal Plains

Between Western Ghats & Arabian Sea
Narrower than East coast (Average width 65 km)
Submerged Coastline – Dwarka legend connected
Natural Ports & Backwaters (Kayals)
Parts:

Region	Location
Gujarat Coast	Kutch to Kathiawar
Konkan Coast	Daman to Goa
Kannada Coast	Goa to Karnataka
Malabar Coast	Mangalore to Kanyakumari

Vembanad Lake – Largest backwater (Kerala)

Islands of India

1. Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Feature	Detail
Location	Bay of Bengal
Saddle Peak	Highest (737 m) – North Andaman
Barren Island	Active volcano in India
Narcondam	Dormant volcano
Indira Point	Southernmost point of India (Great Nicobar)
10 Degree Channel	Separates Andaman & Nicobar
Sentinelese Tribe	Palaeolithic people (Uncontacted tribe)
Port Blair	Capital
Renamed Islands	Ross – Netaji Subhash, Havelock – Swaraj Dweep, Neil – Shaheed Dweep

2. Lakshadweep Islands

Feature	Detail
Location	Arabian Sea
Origin	Coral Atoll Islands
Smallest UT of India	Lakshadweep
Minicoy Island	Largest in Lakshadweep
Kavaratti	Capital
Agatti	Airport located here
8 Degree Channel	Minicoy & Maldives
9 Degree Channel	Minicoy & Lakshadweep

3. Other Important Islands

Island	Location / Importance
Sriharikota	AP – ISRO launchpad
Abdul Kalam Island	Odisha – Missile testing
Pamban (Rameshwaram)	TN – Ram Setu starts from here
Majuli	Assam – World’s largest river island
Gangasagar / New Moor	Hooghly river mouth
Aliabet Island	Narmada mouth – Oil reserves
Elephanta & Salsette	Near Mumbai

Important Straits & Channels

Channel	Separates
Ten Degree	Andaman from Nicobar
Duncan Passage	Little Andaman from South Andaman
Grand Channel	Great Nicobar & Sumatra (Indonesia)
Coco Strait	North Andaman & Myanmar Coco Islands
8 Degree Channel	Minicoy & Maldives
9 Degree Channel	Minicoy & Lakshadweep

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION

[NDA 2016-I]
Q: Structurally, the Meghalaya region is part of:

(a) Shivalik Range
(b) Deccan Plateau
(c) Greater Himalaya
(d) Aravalli Range

Answer: (b) Deccan Plateau

[NDA 2016-I]
Q: Jelep La pass is located in:

(a) Punjab Himalayas
(b) Sikkim Himalayas
(c) Kumaon Himalayas
(d) Kashmir Himalayas

Answer: (b) Sikkim Himalayas

[CDS 2016-I]
Q: Pir Panjal Range in the Himalayas is a part of:

(a) Shiwalik
(b) Trans Himalaya
(c) Central Himalaya
(d) Lesser Himalaya

Answer: (d) Lesser Himalaya

[NDA 2012-II]
Q: Where is Aghil Pass located?

(a) Nepal Himalayas
(b) Sikkim Himalayas
(c) Eastern Himalayas
(d) Trans Himalayas

Answer: (d) Trans Himalayas

[NDA 2012-I]
Q: Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below:

List I	List II
A. Zoji La	4. Jammu & Kashmir
B. Lipulekh	3. Uttarakhand
C. Shipki La	1. Himachal Pradesh
D. Nathu La	2. Sikkim

Options:
(a) A-2, B-1, C-3, D-4
(b) A-2, B-3, C-1, D-4
(c) A-4, B-1, C-3, D-2
(d) A-4, B-3, C-1, D-2

Answer: (d) A-4, B-3, C-1, D-2

[NDA 2007-II]
Q: Which one among the following peaks is the highest?

(a) Dhaula Giri
(b) Namcha Barwa
(c) Nanda Devi
(d) Nanga Parbat

Answer: (a) Dhaulagiri

[NDA 2006-II]
Q: Where is the Nanda Devi peak located?

(a) Himachal Pradesh
(b) Uttarakhand
(c) Sikkim
(d) Nepal

Answer: (b) Uttarakhand

[NDA 2006-II]
Q: Which one of the following is the correct sequence of passes when one travels along the Himalayas from Kashmir to Sikkim?

(a) Zozila-Nathula-Shipkila
(b) Nathula-Shipkila-Zozila
(c) Nathula-Zozila-Shipkila
(d) Zozila-Shipkila-Nathula

Answer: (d) Zozila-Shipkila-Nathula

[NDA 2006-I]
Q: In which one of the following states is Zojila Pass located?

(a) Arunachal Pradesh
(b) Jammu and Kashmir
(c) Himachal Pradesh
(d) Sikkim

Answer: (b) Jammu and Kashmir

[NDA Exam – Year Not Specified]
Q: Match List I with List II and select the correct answer:

List I	List II
A. Nanga Parbat	1. Jammu & Kashmir
B. Nanda Devi	3. Uttarakhand
C. Kanchenjunga	2. Sikkim

Options:
(a) A-1, B-2, C-3
(b) A-1, B-3, C-2
(c) A-2, B-3, C-1
(d) A-3, B-1, C-2

Answer: (b) A-1, B-3, C-2

[NDA Exam – Year Not Specified]
Q: Which one of the following does not characterise the Himalayas?

(a) Various parallel ranges of the Himalayas form a convex arc
(b) There exist syntaxial bends at both the terminals of the Himalayas
(c) Indus, Sutlej, and Brahmaputra rivers are examples of antecedent drainage
(d) The Himalayas are wider in the east than in the west

Answer: (d) The Himalayas are wider in the east than in the west
(Correct statement: Himalayas are wider in the west than in the east)