CUET 2025 Geography Question Paper with Answers & Solutions

Correct answer: B

Possibilism means humans use technology to modify nature and create possibilities. Building ports on coasts shows humans turning natural conditions into useful possibilities. The others (forest worship, fear of nature, collecting forest produce) reflect environmental determinism/dependence on nature.

Correct answer: D

Statement (A) is incorrect: understanding of germs and DNA (not friction and heat) helped conquer diseases; friction and heat helped discover fire. Statements (B), (C), (D) are all correct per NCERT. Hence (B), (C) and (D) only.

Correct answer: D

Pull factors attract migrants to a destination (better opportunities, pleasant climate). Unemployment, poor living conditions and political turmoil are push factors that drive people away from the place of origin.

Correct answer: B

In the 2021 HDR, Switzerland topped the HDI rankings. Among the given options Switzerland has the highest HDI, ahead of Germany; Egypt and Nepal are far lower.

Correct answer: A

Approximate populations: India ~1400 million, Indonesia ~275 million, Nigeria ~220 million, Mexico ~130 million. Descending order: India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Mexico = (A), (B), (C), (D).

Correct answer: A

Secondary activities (manufacturing) add value to natural resources by transforming raw materials into finished, valuable products. This is the NCERT definition of secondary activities.

Correct answer: D

Modern large-scale manufacturing requires huge capital investment, not low. Its characteristics include specialisation of skills, technological innovation and mechanisation. So 'Low level capital investment' is not a characteristic.

Correct answer: A

Per NCERT, the warm, pleasant Mediterranean climate is the main attraction drawing tourists to Southern Europe and the Mediterranean lands.

Correct answer: C

Primary activities involve extraction/use of natural resources. Fishing is a primary activity. Education and IT are tertiary/quaternary; forest safari is tertiary (tourism).

Correct answer: C

Quinary activities involve the highest level of decision making - specialists, consultants and policy formulators. Financial banking is a tertiary/quaternary service, not quinary.

Correct answer: B

Mules-Mountains (I), Camels-Deserts (III), Reindeer-Siberia (II), Horses-Western countries (IV). This matches option B.

Correct answer: B

Shifting cultivation is called Jhuming (NE India) and Milpa (Mexico/Central America). Chinook is a wind; plantation agriculture is a different type. Hence (A) and (C) only.

Correct answer: B

The Channel Tunnel under the English Channel connects London (UK) with Paris (France), as stated in NCERT.

Correct answer: D

International trade arises from UNEVEN distribution of resources, differences in resources and stages of development. Even distribution of resources would eliminate the need for trade, so it is NOT a basis.

Correct answer: A

The 'Big Inch' pipeline carries petroleum from the oil wells of the Gulf of Mexico to the north-eastern states in the U.S.A., per NCERT.

Correct answer: D

Roads laid along international boundaries are called Border Roads, constructed by the Border Roads Organisation in India.

Correct answer: C

Rail transportation is best suited for carrying heavy and bulky goods over long distances within a country. Air is costly, road is for shorter distances, pipelines carry liquids/gases only.

Correct answer: C

Pipelines transport liquids and gases (A correct) and can transport solids converted to slurry like liquefied coal (B correct). (C) is wrong since milk IS supplied through pipelines in New Zealand; (D) is wrong since LPG/gas is also supplied through pipelines. Hence (A) and (B) only.

Correct answer: C

West to east along the Trans-Siberian Railway: Moscow, Kazan, Omsk, then Chita (towards Vladivostok). Order = (A), (B), (C), (D).

Correct answer: A

Himachal Pradesh has the lowest level of urbanisation among these (about 10%). Goa and Maharashtra are highly urbanized; Rajasthan is more urbanized than HP.

Correct answer: B

The adolescent population, as per NCERT, is the age group of 10-19 years.

Correct answer: D

Madurai is an ancient town, Surat a medieval town, Nagpur grew in the colonial/British period, Chandigarh is a modern (post-independence) planned city. Ancient to modern: Madurai, Surat, Nagpur, Chandigarh? Listed (C),(D),(B),(A) gives Madurai, Surat, Nagpur, Chandigarh = option D.

Correct answer: B

Indo-European (Aryan)-Iranian (I); Sino-Tibetan (Kirata)-North Assam (III); Austric (Nishada)-Munda (II); Dravidian (Dravida)-North Dravidian (IV). This matches option B.

Correct answer: B

As per Census 1991 criteria, at least 75% (not 50%) of male working population should be engaged in non-agricultural pursuits. The other criteria (population 5000, density 400/sq km, statutory towns) are correct. So (B) is incorrect.

Correct answer: A

Chandigarh-Administrative (I); Kandla-Transport/port (II); Jharia-Mining (III) coal; Jalandhar-Garrison/Cantonment (IV). Matches option A.

Correct answer: B

HYV wheat seeds were imported from Mexico (Norman Borlaug's varieties) during the Green Revolution. HYV rice came from the Philippines (IRRI).

Correct answer: A

Punjab, Haryana and Tamil Nadu over-utilize groundwater (over 85%). Odisha has low groundwater utilization, so it does NOT have high levels.

Correct answer: A

Mumbai High is an offshore oilfield in the Arabian Sea famous for petroleum (crude oil) reserves.

Correct answer: D

Small Farmers Development Agency (SFDA) targets a specific group (small farmers), making it a target-group programme. The others are area-based development programmes.

Correct answer: D

Basin sizes: Ganga (largest, ~8.6 lakh sq km) > Godavari (~3.1 lakh) > Mahanadi (~1.4 lakh) > Pennar (smallest). Descending: Ganga, Godavari, Mahanadi, Pennar = (C),(B),(A),(D) = option D.

Correct answer: B

(A) land classified as private and CPR - correct; (B) state-owned land for community use is CPR - correct; (C) CPRs are vital for landless and marginal farmers - correct. (D) is incorrect because CPR ownership lies with the state/community as a whole, not a private group. Hence (A), (B) and (C) only.

Correct answer: A

Culturable Waste Land = left uncultivated > 5 years (II); Current Fallow = uncultivated for 1 or less year (I); Fallow other than current = uncultivated more than 1 but less than 5 years (IV); Net Sown Area = physical extent where crops are sown/harvested (III). Matches option A.

Correct answer: D

Quaternary activities are knowledge-based activities involving collection, production and dissemination of information (R&D, data processing). This is the NCERT definition.

Correct answer: D

Pawan Hans provides helicopter services to the petroleum sector and in hilly/inaccessible areas and tourism, mainly in the north-eastern states and other difficult terrain - not widely in central India for tourism. Hence (D) is incorrect.

Correct answer: A

Kandla-Gujarat (IV); Haldia-West Bengal (III); Marmagao-Goa (I); Paradwip-Odisha (II). Matches option A.

Correct answer: B

Konkan Railway was constructed in 1998 (A correct), connects Roha (Maharashtra) to Mangalore (Karnataka) (B correct), and is an engineering marvel (C correct). (D) is wrong - the partner states are Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka (not Tamil Nadu). Hence (A), (B) and (C) only.

Correct answer: C

Mass communication reaches large audiences - cinema, radio, newspapers. Letters are a form of personal communication, not mass communication.

Correct answer: A

Petroleum, oil and lubricants form the largest import share, followed by chemical products, then fertilizers, then iron and steel. Descending: (A), (B), (C), (D) = option A.

Correct answer: C

The WHO considers air pollution the world's top/single largest environmental health risk.

Correct answer: D

(A) is incorrect - solid waste pollution IS very significant in Indian urban areas. (B), (C) and (D) are correct statements about urban waste. Hence (B), (C) and (D) only.

Correct answer: B

The passage states: 'The towns and cities where all these works take place are known as trading centres.'

Correct answer: C

The passage: 'Rural marketing centres cater to nearby settlements. These are quasi-urban centres.'

Correct answer: D

The passage describes periodic markets: 'found where there are no regular markets... people from the surrounding areas meet their temporally accumulated demand.'

Correct answer: B

Per the passage, urban marketing centres offer specialised services (consultants, veterinary doctors, markets for labour). 'Local collecting and distributing centres' is a feature of rural marketing centres, not urban ones.

Correct answer: A

The passage says rural marketing centres are 'quasi-urban centres' and 'not urban centres per se.' So 'pure urban centres with specialisation in rural products' is NOT a characteristic. (B), (C), (D) are stated in the passage.

Correct answer: B

The passage relates population distribution to physical, socio-economic and historical factors. Literacy rate is not mentioned as a factor.

Correct answer: A

The passage states: 'development of irrigation (Rajasthan)' resulted in moderate to high population concentration.

Correct answer: D

Availability of water is listed as a physical factor in the passage. The others (settled agriculture, industrialisation/urbanisation, transport network) are socio-economic/historical factors.

Correct answer: A

The passage states urban regions 'have high concentrations of population due to industrial development and urbanisation, drawing large numbers of rural-urban migrants.'

Correct answer: C

The passage states: 'development of transport network (Peninsular States)' resulted in moderate to high concentration of population in previously thinly populated areas.