One of the most common Indian geography mapping confusions in UPSC is the difference between the Peninsular Plateau, the Deccan Plateau, and the Deccan Lava Plateau. These terms are often used interchangeably by aspirants, but they are not the same. Understanding this distinction is crucial for Prelims map-based questions and Mains GS-I answers.
Let’s break it down clearly.
Contents
What is the Peninsular Plateau of India?
The Peninsular Plateau is the largest and oldest physiographic division of India. It forms a triangular highland block projecting into the Indian Ocean, flanked by the Arabian Sea on the west and the Bay of Bengal on the east.
Key features:
- Average elevation: 500–900 metres
- Composed of hard, ancient crystalline rocks
- Geologically a cratonic block (Pre-Cambrian, over 1 billion years old)
- Lies south of the Northern Plains
Regions included:
- Aravalli Range
- Vindhya Range
- Satpura Range
- Malwa Plateau
- Bundelkhand Plateau
- Chotanagpur Plateau
- Meghalaya Plateau
- Bastar Highlands
- Parts of Gujarat and Saurashtra
👉 Everything south of the Northern Plains belongs to the Peninsular Plateau.
What is the Deccan Plateau?
The Deccan Plateau is not the entire Peninsular Plateau. It is a specific sub-region within it.
What is excluded from the Deccan Plateau?
- Aravalli and Vindhya ranges
- Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats
- Chotanagpur Plateau
- Bastar Highlands
- Eastern Highlands (Mahanadi basin region)
What remains is the Deccan Plateau.
Core regions of the Deccan Plateau:
- Maharashtra Plateau
- Telangana Plateau
- Karnataka Plateau
Historically, this is why medieval sources talk about “Deccan expeditions”—they refer mainly to Maharashtra, Telangana and Karnataka regions.
Important clarification:
- Andhra Pradesh (present) → mostly coastal plains and Eastern Ghats
- Tamil Nadu uplands → southern extension of Eastern Ghats, not Deccan
- Nilgiri, Anamalai, Cardamom hills → Western Ghats, not Deccan
👉 Deccan Plateau is a subset of the Peninsular Plateau.
Deccan Plateau Classification (S.P. Chatterjee)
Geographer S.P. Chatterjee divided the Peninsular Plateau into eight major divisions, where:
- North Deccan → Maharashtra + Satpura region
- South Deccan → Telangana and Karnataka Plateaus
This reinforces that the Deccan Plateau is clearly defined and limited, not all-encompassing.
What is the Deccan Lava Plateau?
The Deccan Lava Plateau is a geological concept, not a purely physiographic one.
It refers to regions covered by basaltic lava flows formed due to massive volcanic eruptions around 60–65 million years ago (end of the Cretaceous period).
Key features:
- Flood basalt lava plains
- Step-like topography
- Rich black cotton soil (regur)
Regions included:
- Maharashtra
- Parts of Karnataka and Telangana
- Saurashtra and Gujarat
- Southern Malwa Plateau
- Western Vindhyas
- Western Satpuras
- Northern Western Ghats
👉 The Deccan Lava Plateau overlaps both Deccan Plateau and parts of the wider Peninsular Plateau.
One-Line Conceptual Summary (UPSC Gold)
- Peninsular Plateau → Large, ancient highland block of southern India
- Deccan Plateau → A specific sub-region within the Peninsular Plateau
- Deccan Lava Plateau → Volcanic basalt cover superimposed on parts of the Peninsular Plateau
Using these terms interchangeably is a conceptual error in UPSC answers.
Why This Topic Matters for UPSC
- Frequently asked in Prelims map-based MCQs
- Direct relevance to GS Paper I (Indian Physical Geography)
- Helps avoid factual errors in Mains descriptive answers
- Useful for History–Geography integration (Deccan expeditions, medieval India)
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FAQs
- #PeninsularPlateauUPSC: What is the Peninsular Plateau of India and why is it called a cratonic block?
- #DeccanPlateauUPSC: Why is the Deccan Plateau considered only a part of the Peninsular Plateau?
- #DeccanLavaPlateauUPSC: How is the Deccan Lava Plateau different from the Deccan Plateau in geography?
- #IndianPhysiographyUPSC: Which regions are excluded from the Deccan Plateau despite being part of Peninsular India?
