Map of India ICSE Class 10: The 2027 Map List and How to Mark It

What Map of India is about

Weightage: This chapter is Question 2 of Part I: a compulsory 10-mark question on an outline map of India, with 6 features to mark and 4 to identify.Source: CISCE ICSE 2027 Specimen Question Paper 502, Geography (H.C.G. Paper 2)

Key concepts

How map questions are marked

The 2027 format: (i) mark, shade or label 6 features, 1 mark each; (ii) identify 4 features marked A to D, 1 mark each.

Rules that earn the mark:
1. Use the right symbol: a line or chain of inverted Vs for a mountain range, a small triangle for a peak, shading for a plain, plateau, desert, soil or population area, a dot or circle for a city or mineral site, a short line across the range for a pass, arrows for winds.
2. Place it accurately relative to rivers, coasts and state areas you can see on the outline.
3. Label every item clearly with its name; an unlabelled shading earns nothing.
4. For a river, write the label along the river line itself, not in the space between two rivers.
5. Shade only the area of the feature; do not let the Thar spill into Punjab or the Andaman Sea cover the islands.
6. Use the 15 minutes reading time to read what is asked: 'mark and label', 'shade and label' or 'identify'.

Worked example

(1 mark) A student shades the area of the Ganga plain in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for 'a densely populated area in northern India' but does not write anything next to it. Will she get the mark?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. The instruction was to shade and label.
2. Without a label, the shading cannot be credited.

Answer: No. The feature must be shaded and labelled (for example 'Dense population: Ganga plain'); unlabelled shading gets no mark.

Mountains, peaks and plateaus

Himalayas: a great arc along the northern border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh.
Karakoram: the range north of the Himalayas in the far north (Ladakh region); K2 lies in it.
Aravali: a low, old range running north-east to south-west across Rajasthan, from near Delhi towards Gujarat; the Thar lies to its west.
Vindhyas: an east-west range just north of the Narmada.
Satpura: an east-west range between the Narmada (north) and the Tapti (south).
Western Ghats: along the western edge of the Deccan, close to and parallel with the west coast, from the Tapti to the far south.
Eastern Ghats: broken hills along the eastern edge of the Deccan from Odisha to Tamil Nadu, set well back from the Bay of Bengal coast, cut by the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery.
Nilgiris: in north-western Tamil Nadu, where the Western and Eastern Ghats meet.
Khasi Hills: in central Meghalaya, south of the Brahmaputra valley.
Mount Godwin Austen (K2): the highest peak in the Indian territory as claimed, in the Karakoram, in the extreme north.
Mount Kanchenjunga: on the border of Sikkim and Nepal.
Deccan Plateau: the triangular plateau south of the Satpura, between the Western and Eastern Ghats.
Chota Nagpur Plateau: in Jharkhand and adjoining parts of Odisha, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh, north-east of the Deccan.

Worked example

(1 mark) Where should the Satpura Range be marked, relative to the Narmada and the Tapti?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. The Narmada flows west to the north of the Satpura; the Tapti flows west to its south.
2. So the Satpura is drawn between the two rivers.

Answer: Between the Narmada (to its north) and the Tapti (to its south), running east-west across Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Plains and the Thar Desert

Gangetic Plains: the broad flat plain of the Ganga and its tributaries, from Delhi and Haryana through Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to West Bengal, between the Himalayas and the peninsular plateau.
Konkan coastal plain: the western coast from around Daman and Mumbai southwards to Goa (Maharashtra and Goa coast).
Malabar coastal plain: the south-western coast, covering most of the Kerala coast.
Coromandel coastal plain: the south-eastern coast, mainly along Tamil Nadu.
Northern Circars: the eastern coastal plain between the deltas of the Mahanadi and the Krishna (Odisha and Andhra Pradesh coast).
Thar (Great Indian) Desert: western Rajasthan, west of the Aravalis, extending into Pakistan.

Remember: the western coast from north to south is Konkan, then (Kanara, not in the 2027 list), then Malabar. The east coast from north to south is Northern Circars, then Coromandel.

Worked example

(1 mark) Name and locate the coastal plain that occupies a large part of Kerala.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. The Kerala coast is on the south-western side of India.
2. The plain there is the Malabar coastal plain.

Answer: The Malabar coastal plain, along the south-western (Kerala) coast.

Rivers to be identified

Indus: enters India from Tibet, flows north-west through Ladakh into Pakistan.
Jhelum: flows through the Kashmir valley and Wular Lake into Pakistan.
Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Satluj: Punjab rivers flowing south-west; the Beas joins the Satluj in Punjab; the Satluj enters India from Tibet through Himachal Pradesh.
Ganga: rises at Gangotri in Uttarakhand, flows south-east across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal to the Bay of Bengal.
Yamuna: rises at Yamunotri, flows past Delhi and joins the Ganga at Allahabad (Prayagraj).
Ghaghra, Gandak, Kosi: left-bank tributaries from Nepal joining the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar (Kosi in north Bihar).
Gomti: flows through Lucknow and joins the Ganga in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Chambal and Betwa: right-bank tributaries flowing north-east from the Malwa and Bundelkhand regions to join the Yamuna.
Brahmaputra: from Tibet, enters Arunachal Pradesh, flows west through Assam into Bangladesh.
Narmada and Tapti: flow west in rift valleys into the Gulf of Khambhat (the Narmada between the Vindhyas and Satpura, the Tapti south of the Satpura).
Mahanadi: flows east through Chhattisgarh and Odisha to the Bay of Bengal.
Godavari: from Nasik across Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to the Bay of Bengal.
Krishna: from Mahabaleshwar across Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to the Bay of Bengal (south of the Godavari).
Cauvery: from Coorg in Karnataka across Tamil Nadu to the Bay of Bengal.

Worked example

(1 mark) On the map, two large east-flowing rivers enter the Bay of Bengal close together in Andhra Pradesh. How do you tell the Krishna from the Godavari?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. The Godavari is the northern of the two, rising near Nasik.
2. The Krishna is to its south, rising near Mahabaleshwar and passing through Karnataka.

Answer: The Godavari is the northern one; the Krishna lies south of it.

Water bodies, pass, latitude and longitude

Gulf of Kutch: on the Gujarat coast, north of the Kathiawar peninsula.
Gulf of Khambhat: on the Gujarat coast, south-east of the Kathiawar peninsula; the Narmada and Tapti enter it.
Gulf of Mannar: between south-eastern Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka, south of Rameswaram.
Palk Strait: between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka, north of the Gulf of Mannar.
Andaman Sea: the sea east of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (not the Bay of Bengal west of them).
Wular Lake: in the Kashmir valley, on the Jhelum.
Karakoram Pass: in the Karakoram Range in Ladakh, in the far north, leading to China.
Tropic of Cancer (23°30'N): a horizontal (east-west) line across the middle of India, through Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram.
Standard Meridian (82°30'E): a vertical (north-south) line passing near Allahabad (Prayagraj), through Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. Indian Standard Time is based on it.

Worked example

(1 mark) A line on the map runs north-south, passing near Allahabad. Identify it.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. A north-south line is a longitude (meridian), not a latitude.
2. The meridian passing near Allahabad is 82°30'E.

Answer: The Standard Meridian of India (82°30'E).

Winds, minerals, soils, cities and population

Winds (mark with arrows):

• South-west monsoon, Arabian Sea branch: arrows from the south-west over the Arabian Sea towards the west coast.
• South-west monsoon, Bay of Bengal branch: arrows from the south-west over the Bay of Bengal towards north-east India, turning west up the Ganga valley.
• North-east monsoon (winter): arrows from the north-east over the Bay of Bengal towards the Tamil Nadu coast.
• Western disturbances (winter): arrows entering north-west India (Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab) from the west.

Minerals (identify): Mumbai High, an offshore oil field in the Arabian Sea off Mumbai; Digboi, an oil field in upper Assam; Singhbhum, iron ore in south-eastern Jharkhand; Jharia, coal in Jharkhand (Dhanbad district).

Soils (shade): alluvial in the northern plains and the coastal and delta areas; black on the lava plateau of Maharashtra, Gujarat and western Madhya Pradesh; red over much of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

Cities (identify): Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kochi (Kerala coast) and Allahabad (Prayagraj, at the Ganga-Yamuna confluence).

Population (shade): dense in the Ganga plains (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal) and the coastal plains such as Kerala; sparse in the Thar Desert, the high Himalaya (Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh) and parts of the plateau forests.

Worked example

(1 mark) Mark with arrows and name the wind that brings rainfall to the Tamil Nadu coast in winter.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Tamil Nadu gets most of its rain in winter from winds blowing from the north-east over the Bay of Bengal.
2. These are the north-east monsoon (retreating monsoon) winds.

Answer: Draw arrows from the north-east across the Bay of Bengal towards the Tamil Nadu (Coromandel) coast and label them 'North-East Monsoon'.

Map of India in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Topics in this chapter

• Mountains, Peaks and Plateaus on the Map of India
• Plains, the Thar Desert and Rivers on the Map of India
• Water Bodies, Winds, Minerals, Cities and Coordinates on the Map

Map of India: key facts

Format

$6featurestomark+4toidentify=10marks$

2027 specimen.

Tropic of Cancer

23°30'N (horizontal line)

Eight states.

Standard Meridian

82°30'E (vertical line, near Allahabad)

Basis of Indian Standard Time.

West coast north to south

$Konkan,(Kanara),Malabar$

Kanara not in the 2027 list.

East coast north to south

Northern Circars, Coromandel

Ranges between rivers

Vindhya - Narmada - Satpura - Tapti (north to south)

Minerals

Mumbai High (offshore oil), Digboi (oil, Assam), Singhbhum (iron, Jharkhand), Jharia (coal, Jharkhand)

Map of India: map work

The places on the official CISCE map list for this chapter. Find each one on an outline map of India and practise marking it.

How the board asks Map of India

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Tricks to remember Map of India

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

• Some Big Rivers Cross Jammu

  Satluj, Beas, Ravi, Chenab, Jhelum from south-east to north-west.

  Use it when: Punjab rivers.

• V-N-S-T

  Vindhya, Narmada, Satpura, Tapti from north to south.

  Use it when: Central India ranges and rivers.

• Kon-Mal on the west, Cir-Cor on the east

  West: Konkan then Malabar; East: Circars then Coromandel.

  Use it when: Coastal plains.

• Horizontal Cancer, Vertical Meridian

  Latitude lies flat like a ladder's rungs; longitude stands up.

  Use it when: Not confusing the two lines.

Map of India: board-level solved questions

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Case-study practice (Section B style)

Read the situation, then answer every part. In the board paper this is a 10-mark question split into 2 + 2 + 3 + 3 marks.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is split into step marks. Show every step: a right final answer alone rarely earns full marks.

Where students lose marks in Map of India

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

• ✗Mistake: Marking the wrong river or labelling between rivers

  CISCE examiners' comments, 2024 and 2025: candidates marked the Godavari or Tungabhadra as the Krishna, marked the Beas and Satluj together or the Indus, and labelled between two rivers.

  ✓Do this: Learn the north-to-south order of rivers and write the label along the river line.

  Usually costs: 1 mark each.

• ✗Mistake: Misplacing ranges and plains

  CISCE examiners' comments, 2024 and 2025: Eastern Ghats too near the Bay of Bengal; Konkan marked too far south (where Kanara lies); Satpura marked north of the Narmada; Kerala's plain marked on the Konkan coast.

  ✓Do this: Use river and coast reference points: Satpura between Narmada and Tapti; Konkan ends at Goa.

  Usually costs: 1 mark each.

• ✗Mistake: Shading beyond the area or not labelling

  CISCE examiners' comments, 2024: densely populated area shaded but not labelled; Thar shaded beyond its area; Andaman Sea shaded over the Bay of Bengal or the islands.

  ✓Do this: Shade within limits and always label.

  Usually costs: 1 mark each.

• ✗Mistake: Confusing peaks and lines

  CISCE examiners' comments, 2024 and 2025: candidates marked K2 instead of Kanchenjunga, and marked the Standard Meridian as the Tropic of Cancer.

  ✓Do this: K2 = Karakoram (far north); Kanchenjunga = Sikkim. Latitude horizontal, longitude vertical.

  Usually costs: 1 mark each.

• ✗Mistake: Practising dropped items

  Nathu La, Chilka Lake, Kanara, Son, Damodar, Tungabhadra, laterite soil, Chandigarh, Srinagar and Visakhapatnam appeared in older papers but are not on the 2027 list.

  ✓Do this: Practise from the 2027 list only.

  Usually costs: Wasted revision time.

Practice questions on Map of India

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

   Which coastal plain lies between the deltas of the Mahanadi and the Krishna?
   (a) Coromandel
   (b) Northern Circars
   (c) Konkan
   (d) Malabar

   Hint

   Odisha and Andhra coast.

   Answer

   (b) Northern Circars.

2. Q2 · 1 mark · MCQHarder board level

   Which of these is NOT on the 2027 map list?
   (a) Wular Lake
   (b) Chilka Lake
   (c) Palk Strait
   (d) Gulf of Mannar

   Hint

   One item was dropped.

   Answer

   (b) Chilka Lake.

3. Q3 · 1 mark · Map workBoard level

   Mark and label Mount Kanchenjunga. Where exactly should it go?

   Hint

   A small state in the north-east.

   Answer

   A small triangle on the Sikkim-Nepal border, labelled Mount Kanchenjunga (not K2, which is in the Karakoram).

4. Q4 · 1 mark · Map workBoard level

   Identify the river that flows west between the Vindhyas and the Satpura.

   Hint

   Rift valley river.

   Answer

   The Narmada.

5. Q5 · 1 mark · Map workHarder board level

   Shade and label the Thar Desert. What is the commonest error?

   Hint

   Its eastern limit.

   Answer

   Shade western Rajasthan west of the Aravalis and label it. A common error is spreading the shading into Punjab, Haryana or Gujarat.

6. Q6 · 2 marks · Map workHarder board level

   Identify two left-bank tributaries of the Ganga from Nepal and two right-bank tributaries of the Yamuna from the south.

   Hint

   North versus south.

   Answer

   From Nepal: Gandak and Kosi (also Ghaghra). To the Yamuna from the south: Chambal and Betwa.

7. Q7 · 2 marks · Map workHOTS / competency

   Why is the Tropic of Cancer often confused with the Standard Meridian, and how do you avoid it?

   Hint

   Direction of the line.

   Answer

   Both cross central India and meet near Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh, so students mix them up. The Tropic of Cancer is a horizontal east-west line (latitude 23°30'N); the Standard Meridian is a vertical north-south line (longitude 82°30'E) near Allahabad.

8. Q8 · 2 marks · Map workHOTS / competency

   Shade a densely populated area in southern India and a sparsely populated area in north-western India. Give one reason for each.

   Hint

   Kerala and Thar.

   Answer

   Dense: the Kerala coastal plain, due to fertile soil, rainfall and coastal economy. Sparse: the Thar Desert, due to very low rainfall and scarce water.

9. Q9 · 2 marks · Map workBoard level

   Mark and label the Karakoram Pass and the Khasi Hills.

   Hint

   Far north; Meghalaya.

   Answer

   Karakoram Pass: in the Karakoram Range in Ladakh, in the far north. Khasi Hills: a small range in central Meghalaya.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1. 1.Which range lies between the Narmada and the Tapti?Show answer

   The Satpura.

2. 2.Where is Digboi?Show answer

   Upper Assam.

3. 3.Which strait lies between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka?Show answer

   Palk Strait.

4. 4.Which lake on the list is in Kashmir?Show answer

   Wular Lake.

5. 5.Which coastal plain covers most of Kerala?Show answer

   Malabar.

6. 6.What is the value of the Standard Meridian?Show answer

   82°30'E.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

• ☐Format: mark 6, identify 4.
• ☐Ranges: Himalayas, Karakoram, Aravali, Vindhya, Satpura, Western and Eastern Ghats, Nilgiris, Khasi; peaks K2 and Kanchenjunga.
• ☐Plateaus: Deccan, Chota Nagpur. Plains: Gangetic; Konkan, Malabar, Coromandel, Northern Circars. Thar.
• ☐21 rivers to identify.
• ☐Water: Gulfs of Kutch, Khambhat, Mannar; Palk Strait; Andaman Sea; Wular Lake. Pass: Karakoram.
• ☐Lines: Tropic of Cancer (horizontal), 82°30'E (vertical).
• ☐Winds: SW monsoon two branches, NE monsoon, western disturbances.
• ☐Minerals: Mumbai High, Digboi, Singhbhum, Jharia. Soils: alluvial, black, red.
• ☐Cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Allahabad.
• ☐Population: dense Ganga plain and Kerala; sparse Thar and high Himalaya.

Map of India: frequently asked questions