Q. Identify the river of the Indian sub-continent on the basis of the following information:
1. It has an antecedent drainage system.
2. It flows through three countries.
3. It originates in the Tibetan Plateau and is an important river for irrigation.
4.It does not form distributaries.
Select the answer from the following:
(a) Brahmaputra
(b) Indus
(c) Sutlej
(d) Teesta

Answer : C

Explanation:

Option (c) is correct:

• An antecedent river is one that predates the mountain range it flows through — it maintained its original course while tectonic uplift occurred around it, cutting deep gorges through the mountains.
• The Sutlej predates the Himalayas and slices through them via deep gorges.
• The Sutlej originates in the Tibetan Plateau (China), flows through India (Himachal Pradesh, Punjab), and enters Pakistan.
• The Sutlej originates from Rakas Tal near the Mansarovar Lake in the Tibetan Plateau. It is one of the most critical irrigation rivers in the Indian subcontinent, forming the backbone of Punjab's agricultural economy.
• Unlike the Indus or Brahmaputra, the Sutlej is a tributary that merges into the Chenab (forming the Panjnad). Sutlej terminates as a tributary of the Chenab/Indus system and never forms its own delta or distributaries, unlike the Brahmaputra and Indus, both of which form large deltas.

Source: https://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/rivers/sutlej.html
https://ncert.nic.in/textbook/pdf/kegy103.pdf