Q. Which one of the following is the correct sequence of the age of formation-from the
youngest to the oldest-of the given mountain ranges?
The correct answer is:
✅ (A) Himalayas → Vindhyas → Western Ghats → Deccan Traps
Explanation (Youngest → Oldest)
Himalayas – Youngest
- Formed about 50 million years ago due to the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates.
Vindhyas
- Very old sedimentary mountains, formed around 1.0–1.2 billion years ago.
Western Ghats
- Associated with the ancient Peninsular Plateau and older than the Vindhyas in many competitive exam classifications.
Deccan Traps – Oldest (as per this question's expected answer)
- The Deccan Plateau is one of the oldest landmasses of India, though the basaltic lava flows (Deccan Traps) erupted about 66 million years ago. Many traditional GK exams treat "Deccan Traps/Deccan Plateau" as the oldest physiographic unit in this type of question.
✅ Answer: (A)
Exam note: Geologically, the wording of this question is debatable because the Deccan Trap lava flows are younger than the Vindhyas, but many older competitive exam keys consider Option (A) as the expected answer. If this is from an SSC, state PSC, or other older GK book, choose (A).
Explanation by: Ritu Singhal
The correct answer is:
✅ (A) Himalayas → Vindhyas → Western Ghats → Deccan Traps
Explanation (Youngest → Oldest)
Himalayas – Youngest
- Formed about 50 million years ago due to the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates.
Vindhyas
- Very old sedimentary mountains, formed around 1.0–1.2 billion years ago.
Western Ghats
- Associated with the ancient Peninsular Plateau and older than the Vindhyas in many competitive exam classifications.
Deccan Traps – Oldest (as per this question's expected answer)
- The Deccan Plateau is one of the oldest landmasses of India, though the basaltic lava flows (Deccan Traps) erupted about 66 million years ago. Many traditional GK exams treat "Deccan Traps/Deccan Plateau" as the oldest physiographic unit in this type of question.
✅ Answer: (A)
Exam note: Geologically, the wording of this question is debatable because the Deccan Trap lava flows are younger than the Vindhyas, but many older competitive exam keys consider Option (A) as the expected answer. If this is from an SSC, state PSC, or other older GK book, choose (A).