SSC STATIC GK CLASSES 2026 | Indian Mountains, Hills, Peaks & Ranges Explained

This session is part of an ongoing series designed to help students preparing for various competitive examinations, including Railway, MTS, and major 2026 exams. Five lectures in this series have already been completed, and this blog summarises the next set of important questions from the topic “Mountains and Hills.”

This academic recap will help you revise essential facts, understand tricky concepts, and test yourself effectively.

1. Important Mountain and Hill Locations

Dinodhar Hills

• Located in Gujarat.

Bhimbetka Rock Shelters

• Situated at the foothills of the Vindhya Range, in Madhya Pradesh.

Mount Siniolchu

• Located in Sikkim, which also contains Kanchenjunga.

Shatrunjaya Hills

• Found in Gujarat, near the Girnar Hills.

Mount Japfu

• Height: 3014 m
  
  

• Located in Nagaland.

Mount Tepu/Zo Puno

• Found in Sikkim.

Mount Tiyi

• Located in Nagaland, along with the Saramati Hills.

Queen of Chota Nagpur

• Located in Jharkhand.
  
  

Pidurutalagala

• The highest peak of Sri Lanka.
  
  

Sri Pada Mountain

• Also located in Sri Lanka.
  
  

Bamuni Hills

• Located in Assam.
  
  

Jamrai Tlang

• Located in Tripura.
  
  

2. Peaks and Ranges: Key Questions

Highest Peaks

• West Bengal – Sandakphu

• Nilgiri Range – Doddabetta

• Ladakh Region – Saltoro Kangri

• Uttarakhand – Nanda Devi

Height-Based Questions

• Greater Himalaya Length (East to West): approx. 2500 km

• Mount Everest Height: 8848.86 m

• Dead Zone in Mountaineering: Above 8000 m, climbing becomes extremely dangerous.
  
  

3. Types of Mountains

Fold Mountains

• Formed by compression of sediment layers.

• Ural Mountains – classic example of fold mountain formation; located in Russia, forming a boundary between Europe and Asia

Not Fold Mountains

• Rhine Valley – not a fold mountain.

Volcanic Mountains

• Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa – formed from molten rock; includes Mount Kibo.

Block Mountains

• The uplifted block is known as a Horst.

Extreme Fold Type

• Known as Recumbent Fold.

4. Mountain Passes and Ranges

Passes

• Fotu La / Fotula Pass – Located in the Karakoram–Ladakh region.

• Khardung La – In Ladakh, one of the world’s highest motorable passes.

Ranges

• Backbone of High Asia – Kailash Range

• Indo–Myanmar Border Hills (Manipur–Mizoram side) – Chin Hills

• Indo–Myanmar Border Hills (Nagaland side) – Saramati Hills
  
  

5. Himalayan Region

North–South Arrangement of Ranges

1. Karakoram

2. Ladakh

3. Zaskar

4. Pir Panjal
   
   

Bugyals

• Alpine meadows found in the high-elevation Himalayan regions of Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, and Himachal Pradesh.

Regional Classification

• Area between Satluj and Kali rivers is known as the Kumaon Himalaya.

6. Eastern and Western Ghats: Key Points

Incorrect Statements (from MCQ discussion)

• Claim: Western Ghats’ height decreases from north to south — Incorrect.
  
  

• Western Ghats are comparatively narrow; Eastern Ghats are broader

Rainfall

• Western Ghats experience orographic rainfall due to moist winds rising along the mountains.
  
  

Malayagiri Peak

• Part of the Eastern Ghats (Girijat Hills region).

Vindhya Range

• Not located in Rajasthan.

7. Special Geographical Features

Mountain Building

• Created due to the convergence of tectonic plates.

Nilachal Hills

• Location of the famous Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, Assam.

Joint Pyramid-Shaped Mountain

• Kamet, in the Zanskar Range, has a pyramid-like shape with a flat summit and two notable peaks.

Conclusion

This session covered a wide range of MCQs on Indian and international mountain systems, key peaks, ranges, geological concepts, and state-wise locations. These facts are essential for students preparing for Railways, MTS, SSC, and various 2026 competitive exams.

The PDF for the class is available on Telegram, and students can join the ongoing batches for additional structured practice and detailed explanations.

Keep revising consistently and testing yourself with these questions to strengthen your foundation.