These essential MCQ questions are selected from the most important topics in Meghalaya state examinations 2026. Sections include Meghalaya Geography, Khasi and Jaintia Hills, Cherrapunji Rainfall, Living Root Bridges, Caves, Matrilineal Society, Folk Culture and Current Affairs — important for MPSC Meghalaya, Meghalaya Police and other state-level competitive examinations. For truely unlimited daily MCQ practice, visit Vooo AI Education.

🌧️ Meghalaya Geography & Culture
1The capital of Meghalaya is:
A. Tura
B. Jowai
C. Shillong
D. Nongstoin
Answer: C — Shillong
Shillong is the capital of Meghalaya and is called the Scotland of the East due to its rolling hills and pleasant climate. At 1,496 metres elevation, it was the capital of undivided Assam under British rule. Meghalaya ("Abode of Clouds") was carved out of Assam on 21 January 1972 as India's 21st state.
2Mawsynram in Meghalaya holds the record for:
A. Highest altitude
B. Highest average annual rainfall in the world
C. Lowest temperature in India
D. Largest cave system
Answer: B — Highest average annual rainfall in the world
Mawsynram in East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya receives the highest average annual rainfall in the world — about 11,871 mm per year. Cherrapunji (Sohra), also in East Khasi Hills, held this record for many years and still holds the record for the most rain in a single year (26,461 mm in 1861).
3The Living Root Bridges of Meghalaya are unique because:
A. They are made of steel
B. They are formed by training rubber tree roots across streams
C. They are ancient stone bridges
D. They float on rivers
Answer: B — They are formed by training rubber tree roots across streams
The Living Root Bridges of Meghalaya are bio-engineering marvels created by the Khasi and Jaintia tribes by training the aerial roots of Ficus elastica (rubber tree) across streams over decades. The double-decker root bridge at Nongriat village near Cherrapunji is the most famous. They strengthen over time and can last over 500 years.
4Meghalaya is unique in India because of its:
A. Matrilineal society
B. Patrilineal society
C. Caste-based society
D. Nomadic tribes
Answer: A — Matrilineal society
Meghalaya's Khasi and Garo tribes follow a matrilineal system — property and family name pass through the mother's line, and the youngest daughter (Khadduh) inherits the family home. Husbands move to the wife's home. This makes Meghalaya one of the largest matrilineal societies in the world.
5The Nohkalikai Falls in Meghalaya is significant because:
A. It is the widest waterfall
B. It is India's tallest plunge waterfall
C. It flows underground
D. It never dries up
Answer: B — India's tallest plunge waterfall
Nohkalikai Falls near Cherrapunji is India's tallest plunge waterfall at 340 metres. The name means "Jump of Ka Likai" after a tragic local legend. The falls plunge into a green pool at the bottom. Due to Cherrapunji's extreme rainfall, the waterfall is most spectacular during and after the monsoon season.
6The Sohra (Cherrapunji) region receives heavy rainfall due to:
A. Its proximity to the ocean
B. Orographic effect of the Khasi Hills
C. Monsoon cyclones
D. Dense forests
Answer: B — Orographic effect of the Khasi Hills
Cherrapunji receives extreme rainfall due to the orographic effect — the Bay of Bengal branch of the southwest monsoon hits the steep southern slopes of the Khasi Hills perpendicularly, forcing the moist air to rise rapidly, cool and release massive amounts of rainfall. The funnel-shaped terrain amplifies this effect.
7The Khasi tribe's major festival Nongkrem is:
A. A harvest festival with dance
B. A religious war ceremony
C. A rain festival
D. A New Year celebration
Answer: A — A harvest festival with dance
Nongkrem Dance Festival is the most important festival of the Khasi tribe, held in November at Smit village near Shillong. It is a thanksgiving harvest festival to the Supreme Being (U Blei) for good harvests. Young women in traditional silk attire and young men in warrior costumes perform the sacred dance.
8The Dawki River in Meghalaya is famous for:
A. Being the deepest river
B. Its crystal-clear water showing the river bed
C. Being India's longest river
D. Its treacherous rapids
Answer: B — Its crystal-clear water showing the river bed
The Umngot River at Dawki (Shnongpdeng) is famous for its extraordinarily crystal-clear water through which the riverbed is visible even from boats. It flows along the India-Bangladesh border in West Jaintia Hills. Dawki is also an important trade route between India and Bangladesh.
9Meghalaya's Balphakram National Park is known for:
A. Migratory birds
B. Rare orchids and red pandas
C. Bengal tigers
D. One-horned rhinoceros
Answer: B — Rare orchids and red pandas
Balphakram National Park in South Garo Hills is a biodiversity hotspot known for rare orchids, carnivorous pitcher plants, red pandas, clouded leopards and golden cats. The park sits on a plateau with stunning gorges and is considered sacred by the Garo tribe as the land of spirits (Balphakram means "permanent winds").
10Meghalaya means:
A. Land of hills
B. Abode of clouds
C. Land of forests
D. Land of rivers
Answer: B — Abode of clouds
Meghalaya means "Abode of Clouds" in Sanskrit — Megha (clouds) + Alaya (abode). The name perfectly describes the state's misty, cloud-covered hills. It is one of three states in Northeast India (along with Mizoram and Nagaland) with a Christian majority population. The state is divided into Khasi, Jaintia and Garo Hills.

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