Question

“The present day geomorphological divisions of the sub-continent have evolved in the course of a long geological history.” Elaborate this statement.

Answer 1

The present-day landforms of the Indian subcontinent have formed over a long geological history:

• The Peninsular Plateau is the oldest landmass (Archean era), stable and rigid.
• The Himalayas are young fold mountains formed due to the collision of plates (Plate Tectonic theory).
• The Indo-Gangetic Plains were formed by deposition of sediments from Himalayan rivers in a depression.
• The coastal plains and islands formed due to sea-level changes and volcanic activity.

Thus, India’s landforms evolved due to multiple geological processes like folding, faulting, deposition, and erosion over millions of years.