Arrange the following Indian river mouths from north to south directi…

The correct answer is Option (4) → (B), (D), (A), (C)

The River Basins map (Fig. 4.1 India – River Basins) answers this. The basins of these four rivers lie one below the other along the east coast, from north to south. Each of these rivers flows east, and it meets the Bay of Bengal at the eastern end of its own basin. So the order of the four basins down the coast is also the order of their river mouths.

(B) Mahanadi — first, the northernmost. The Mahanadi Basin is the highest of the four on the map, just south of the Brahmani and Baitarni Basin. The Mahanadi meets the Bay of Bengal at the eastern end of this basin.

(D) Godavari — second. The Godavari Basin lies just below the Mahanadi Basin. The Godavari meets the Bay of Bengal at its eastern end, south of the Mahanadi.

(A) Krishna — third. The Krishna Basin lies below the Godavari Basin. The Krishna meets the Bay of Bengal just south of the Godavari.

(C) Kaveri — last, the southernmost. The Kaveri Basin is the lowest of the four, below the Pennar Basin, near the southern tip of India. The Kaveri meets the Bay of Bengal farthest south.

Note 1: The given answer is as per the official NTA Answer Key. The book does not list the river mouths in order, but its River Basins map shows the four basins one below the other along the east coast, and each river reaches the sea at the eastern end of its basin. So the order can be read from the map.

Note 2: The same question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2023 on 02-07-2023 (Slot 3).