CBSE Class 9 SST Mid-Term 2026: Top 20 Questions & Key Topics From the PW Marathon

Area

Key Topics Discussed in the Marathon

Geography

Earth’s interior, plate tectonics, weathering, erosion, landforms, agents of gradation, atmosphere, monsoon and climate

History

Early human societies, Mesolithic and Neolithic periods, farming and domestication, Janapadas, state formation and rulers

Political Science

Democracy, elections, electoral rolls, representation, constituencies, delimitation and institutions

Economics

Demand, Law of Demand, price-demand relationship and related applications

No.

Question

Answer

Q1

Which layer of the Earth contains the convection currents responsible for the movement of tectonic plates?

The convection currents responsible for tectonic plate movement occur in the mantle, particularly in the semi-molten region associated with the asthenosphere. Heat causes material to rise and cooler material to sink, producing convection currents that contribute to plate movement.

Q2

What is the difference between endogenic and exogenic forces?

Endogenic forces originate inside the Earth and can cause processes such as earthquakes, volcanism, folding and faulting. Exogenic forces act on the Earth’s surface and are associated with processes such as weathering, erosion and deposition.

Q3

What are the three major types of plate boundaries?

The three major types are convergent boundaries, where plates move towards each other; divergent boundaries, where plates move away from each other; and transform boundaries, where plates slide past one another. These movements can produce fold mountains, new crust, faults and earthquakes.

Q4

What is weathering? How is it different from erosion?

Weathering is the breaking down of rocks at or near the Earth’s surface without their movement. Erosion involves the removal and transportation of weathered material by agents such as running water, wind, waves, glaciers and groundwater.

Q5

Draw and label diagrams of a meander and a delta.

Draw separate labelled diagrams. A meander is a winding bend or curve commonly found in the middle and lower course of a river and develops through erosion and deposition. A delta forms near the river mouth when deposited sediments accumulate as the river enters a larger water body. The marathon specifically highlights the meander-and-delta diagram as an important question.

Q6

What is a monsoon? Explain the basic mechanism behind it.

A monsoon refers to the seasonal reversal of wind direction during the year. It is linked to the unequal heating of land and sea. During summer, land heats faster and develops lower pressure, while the relatively cooler ocean has higher pressure. Winds therefore move from high pressure towards low pressure.

Q7

What are the major agents of gradation?

The major agents of gradation discussed in the marathon are running water, glaciers, wind, waves and groundwater. Through erosion, transportation and deposition, these agents continuously modify the Earth’s surface and produce different landforms.

Q8

Why is the Pacific region called the Ring of Fire?

The Pacific Ring of Fire is a region around the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes and volcanic activity occur frequently. Several tectonic plate boundaries occur around this region, making it particularly active in terms of earthquakes and volcanoes.

No.

Question

Answer

Q9

Which development marks the transition from the Mesolithic Age to the Neolithic Age? 

A. Discovery of caves 

B. Beginning of stone tools

C. Farming and domestication

D. Beginning of fire

C. Farming and domestication

Q10

Why is the Neolithic period also associated with the idea of a Neolithic Revolution?

The period brought major changes in human life as communities increasingly moved towards farming, domestication and more settled ways of living. These changes significantly altered food production and social organisation.

Q11

How did a Jana develop into a Janapada?

A Jana was primarily a kin-based group. As such groups became connected with particular territories, territorial units known as Janapadas developed. The Mahabharata places the beginning of Janapadas around 1000 BCE.

Q12

What was the significance of the Ashvamedha Yajna?

The Ashvamedha Yajna was connected with a ruler’s claim to authority and territorial expansion. A horse was allowed to move through different territories, and a ruler who stopped it effectively challenged the king conducting the ritual.

No.

Question

Answer

Q13

What is an electoral roll?

An electoral roll is the official list containing the names of eligible voters. Only citizens whose names appear on this list are allowed to vote in an election.

Q14

What is delimitation?

Delimitation is the process of fixing or redrawing the boundaries of parliamentary and assembly constituencies so that representation can be organised according to the required electoral framework.

Q15

How are the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly similar?

Both are directly connected with elected representation. The Lok Sabha performs this role at the national level, while the Legislative Assembly or Vidhan Sabha performs a comparable role at the state level.

Q16

How are the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council related in the structure of government?

The Rajya Sabha functions at the national level, while the Legislative Council or Vidhan Parishad, where it exists, performs a comparable upper-house role at the state level. The marathon uses these comparisons to make the structure easier to remember.

Q17

Is democracy limited only to elections and government? Explain.

No. Democracy also involves values such as respect, tolerance, equality and dignity. These democratic values can be practised in families, schools, workplaces and communities, not only through formal elections and government.

No.

Question

Answer

Q18

What is demand?

Demand refers to the quantity of a good that a consumer is willing and able to purchase at a given price during a particular period.

Q19

State the Law of Demand.

The Law of Demand states that, other things remaining constant, the quantity demanded generally increases when the price falls and decreases when the price rises.

Q20

What happens to demand when the price of a commodity increases?

Other factors remaining unchanged, an increase in price generally causes the quantity demanded to decrease. The marathon uses everyday buying examples to explain this inverse relationship between price and demand.