{"id":48065,"date":"2025-12-17T06:22:16","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T06:22:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/?p=48065"},"modified":"2025-12-17T06:22:18","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T06:22:18","slug":"difference-between-peninsular-plateau-deccan-plateau-and-deccan-lava-plateau","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/difference-between-peninsular-plateau-deccan-plateau-and-deccan-lava-plateau\/","title":{"rendered":"Difference Between Peninsular Plateau, Deccan Plateau and Deccan Lava Plateau"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>One of the most common <strong>Indian geography mapping confusions in UPSC<\/strong> is the difference between the <strong>Peninsular Plateau<\/strong>, the <strong>Deccan Plateau<\/strong>, and the <strong>Deccan Lava Plateau<\/strong>. These terms are often used interchangeably by aspirants, but <strong>they are not the same<\/strong>. Understanding this distinction is crucial for <strong>Prelims map-based questions<\/strong> and <strong>Mains GS-I answers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s break it down clearly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/upsc\/geography-optional-by-shabbir-sir-integrated-course?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=website\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\" noreferrer noopener\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Your-paragraph-text-1-1024x300.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-47987\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_73 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69d46fc302ab7\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69d46fc302ab7\"  \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/difference-between-peninsular-plateau-deccan-plateau-and-deccan-lava-plateau\/#What_is_the_Peninsular_Plateau_of_India\" title=\"What is the Peninsular Plateau of India?\">What is the Peninsular Plateau of India?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/difference-between-peninsular-plateau-deccan-plateau-and-deccan-lava-plateau\/#Key_features\" title=\"Key features:\">Key features:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/difference-between-peninsular-plateau-deccan-plateau-and-deccan-lava-plateau\/#Regions_included\" title=\"Regions included:\">Regions included:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/difference-between-peninsular-plateau-deccan-plateau-and-deccan-lava-plateau\/#What_is_the_Deccan_Plateau\" title=\"What is the Deccan Plateau?\">What is the Deccan Plateau?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/difference-between-peninsular-plateau-deccan-plateau-and-deccan-lava-plateau\/#What_is_excluded_from_the_Deccan_Plateau\" title=\"What is excluded from the Deccan Plateau?\">What is excluded from the Deccan Plateau?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/difference-between-peninsular-plateau-deccan-plateau-and-deccan-lava-plateau\/#What_remains_is_the_Deccan_Plateau\" title=\"What remains is the Deccan Plateau.\">What remains is the Deccan Plateau.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/difference-between-peninsular-plateau-deccan-plateau-and-deccan-lava-plateau\/#Core_regions_of_the_Deccan_Plateau\" title=\"Core regions of the Deccan Plateau:\">Core regions of the Deccan Plateau:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/difference-between-peninsular-plateau-deccan-plateau-and-deccan-lava-plateau\/#Important_clarification\" title=\"Important clarification:\">Important clarification:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/difference-between-peninsular-plateau-deccan-plateau-and-deccan-lava-plateau\/#Deccan_Plateau_Classification_SP_Chatterjee\" title=\"Deccan Plateau Classification (S.P. Chatterjee)\">Deccan Plateau Classification (S.P. Chatterjee)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/difference-between-peninsular-plateau-deccan-plateau-and-deccan-lava-plateau\/#What_is_the_Deccan_Lava_Plateau\" title=\"What is the Deccan Lava Plateau?\">What is the Deccan Lava Plateau?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/difference-between-peninsular-plateau-deccan-plateau-and-deccan-lava-plateau\/#Key_features-2\" title=\"Key features:\">Key features:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/difference-between-peninsular-plateau-deccan-plateau-and-deccan-lava-plateau\/#Regions_included-2\" title=\"Regions included:\">Regions included:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/difference-between-peninsular-plateau-deccan-plateau-and-deccan-lava-plateau\/#One-Line_Conceptual_Summary_UPSC_Gold\" title=\"One-Line Conceptual Summary (UPSC Gold)\">One-Line Conceptual Summary (UPSC Gold)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/difference-between-peninsular-plateau-deccan-plateau-and-deccan-lava-plateau\/#Why_This_Topic_Matters_for_UPSC\" title=\"Why This Topic Matters for UPSC\">Why This Topic Matters for UPSC<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/difference-between-peninsular-plateau-deccan-plateau-and-deccan-lava-plateau\/#Check_out_our_GS_Geography_Course_%E2%80%93_Click_Here\" title=\"Check out our GS Geography Course &#8211; Click Here\">Check out our GS Geography Course &#8211; Click Here<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/difference-between-peninsular-plateau-deccan-plateau-and-deccan-lava-plateau\/#FAQs\" title=\"FAQs\">FAQs<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_Peninsular_Plateau_of_India\"><\/span>What is the Peninsular Plateau of India?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>Peninsular Plateau<\/strong> is the <strong>largest and oldest physiographic division of India<\/strong>. It forms a <strong>triangular highland block<\/strong> projecting into the <strong>Indian Ocean<\/strong>, flanked by the <strong>Arabian Sea<\/strong> on the west and the <strong>Bay of Bengal<\/strong> on the east.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_features\"><\/span>Key features:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Average elevation: <strong>500\u2013900 metres<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Composed of <strong>hard, ancient crystalline rocks<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Geologically a <strong>cratonic block<\/strong> (Pre-Cambrian, over 1 billion years old)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lies <strong>south of the Northern Plains<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Regions_included\"><\/span>Regions included:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Aravalli Range<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Vindhya Range<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Satpura Range<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Malwa Plateau<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bundelkhand Plateau<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Chotanagpur Plateau<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Meghalaya Plateau<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bastar Highlands<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Parts of Gujarat and Saurashtra<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc49 <strong>Everything south of the Northern Plains<\/strong> belongs to the <strong>Peninsular Plateau<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_Deccan_Plateau\"><\/span>What is the Deccan Plateau?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>Deccan Plateau<\/strong> is <strong>not the entire Peninsular Plateau<\/strong>. It is a <strong>specific sub-region within it<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_excluded_from_the_Deccan_Plateau\"><\/span>What is excluded from the Deccan Plateau?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Aravalli and Vindhya ranges<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Chotanagpur Plateau<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bastar Highlands<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Eastern Highlands (Mahanadi basin region)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_remains_is_the_Deccan_Plateau\"><\/span>What remains is the Deccan Plateau.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Core_regions_of_the_Deccan_Plateau\"><\/span>Core regions of the Deccan Plateau:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Maharashtra Plateau<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Telangana Plateau<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Karnataka Plateau<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Historically, this is why medieval sources talk about <strong>\u201cDeccan expeditions\u201d<\/strong>\u2014they refer mainly to <strong>Maharashtra, Telangana and Karnataka regions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Important_clarification\"><\/span>Important clarification:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Andhra Pradesh (present)<\/strong> \u2192 mostly coastal plains and Eastern Ghats<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tamil Nadu uplands<\/strong> \u2192 southern extension of Eastern Ghats, not Deccan<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Nilgiri, Anamalai, Cardamom hills<\/strong> \u2192 Western Ghats, not Deccan<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc49 <strong>Deccan Plateau is a subset of the Peninsular Plateau.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Deccan_Plateau_Classification_SP_Chatterjee\"><\/span>Deccan Plateau Classification (S.P. Chatterjee)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Geographer <strong>S.P. Chatterjee<\/strong> divided the Peninsular Plateau into <strong>eight major divisions<\/strong>, where:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>North Deccan<\/strong> \u2192 Maharashtra + Satpura region<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>South Deccan<\/strong> \u2192 Telangana and Karnataka Plateaus<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This reinforces that the Deccan Plateau is <strong>clearly defined and limited<\/strong>, not all-encompassing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_Deccan_Lava_Plateau\"><\/span>What is the Deccan Lava Plateau?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>Deccan Lava Plateau<\/strong> is a <strong>geological concept<\/strong>, not a purely physiographic one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It refers to regions covered by <strong>basaltic lava flows<\/strong> formed due to massive volcanic eruptions around <strong>60\u201365 million years ago<\/strong> (end of the Cretaceous period).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_features-2\"><\/span>Key features:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Flood basalt lava plains<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Step-like topography<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rich black cotton soil (regur)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Regions_included-2\"><\/span>Regions included:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Maharashtra<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Parts of Karnataka and Telangana<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Saurashtra and Gujarat<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Southern Malwa Plateau<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Western Vindhyas<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Western Satpuras<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Northern Western Ghats<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc49 The <strong>Deccan Lava Plateau overlaps both Deccan Plateau and parts of the wider Peninsular Plateau<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"One-Line_Conceptual_Summary_UPSC_Gold\"><\/span>One-Line Conceptual Summary (UPSC Gold)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Peninsular Plateau<\/strong> \u2192 Large, ancient highland block of southern India<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Deccan Plateau<\/strong> \u2192 A specific sub-region within the Peninsular Plateau<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Deccan Lava Plateau<\/strong> \u2192 Volcanic basalt cover superimposed on parts of the Peninsular Plateau<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Using these terms interchangeably is a <strong>conceptual error<\/strong> in UPSC answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_This_Topic_Matters_for_UPSC\"><\/span>Why This Topic Matters for UPSC<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Frequently asked in <strong>Prelims map-based MCQs<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Direct relevance to <strong>GS Paper I (Indian Physical Geography)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Helps avoid factual errors in <strong>Mains descriptive answers<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Useful for <strong>History\u2013Geography integration<\/strong> (Deccan expeditions, medieval India)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Check_out_our_GS_Geography_Course_%E2%80%93_Click_Here\"><\/span><strong>Check out our GS Geography Course &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/upsc\/upsc-geography?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=website\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Click Here<\/a><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQs\"><\/span>FAQs <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>#PeninsularPlateauUPSC: What is the Peninsular Plateau of India and why is it called a cratonic block?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>#DeccanPlateauUPSC: Why is the Deccan Plateau considered only a part of the Peninsular Plateau?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>#DeccanLavaPlateauUPSC: How is the Deccan Lava Plateau different from the Deccan Plateau in geography?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>#IndianPhysiographyUPSC: Which regions are excluded from the Deccan Plateau despite being part of Peninsular India?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blogs"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48065","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48065"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48065\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48067,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48065\/revisions\/48067"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}