Which one of the following mountain ranges is spread over only one state in India?

Answer: (c) Ajanta

The Ajanta range lies entirely in Maharashtra.

The idea

A named local hill range may lie within one State even when the wider upland belt crosses several. Political boundaries and physical ranges are different layers on the map. The question asks about the extent of each named range, rather than its best-known location.

Why the others are wrong

(a) The Aravalli spans Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi.

(b) The Satpura spans Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

(d) The Sahyadri run through six States from Gujarat to Kerala.

Elimination technique

Aravalli extends beyond Rajasthan and Sahyadri extends beyond Maharashtra. Those two familiar multi-State ranges can be removed before comparing Ajanta with Satpura.

Also know

The Ajanta hills form part of Maharashtra’s Deccan uplands. Satmala and Balaghat are other Maharashtra hill belts. The Ajanta caves occupy a gorge cut by the Waghora river; a cave-site name can help locate the range without defining its full geological extent.