Which of the following places is a well known cold desert region of India?

Introduction / Context:
India includes not only hot deserts such as the Thar but also high altitude cold deserts where low temperatures and very little rainfall create a unique landscape. The term cold desert usually refers to areas in the rain shadow of high mountains where winters are extremely cold and vegetation is sparse. General knowledge questions often ask students to identify such regions, and Ladakh is the classic example within India.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question asks for a cold desert region of India.
• The options are Baramula, Ladakh, Dun Valley, and Shillong Plateau.
• Cold desert implies low precipitation combined with very low temperatures, usually due to high altitude and rain shadow conditions.
• We assume standard textbook descriptions of Indian physiographic regions.

Concept / Approach:
The main concept is to recognise which region has the climatic and geographic characteristics of a cold desert. Ladakh, located in the northern part of the Greater Himalayas and Trans Himalayan zone, is well known for its stark, barren mountains, extremely cold winters, and very low rainfall. The other options, though important, do not match this specific combination. Baramula is a town in the Kashmir valley, Dun Valley refers to a structural valley such as Dehra Dun that is not a desert, and Shillong Plateau is a highland region in the northeast with much higher rainfall.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Ladakh lies at high altitude beyond the main Himalayan range and receives very little rainfall due to the rain shadow effect.Step 2: Recognise that this region experiences long, severe winters with snow and very low temperatures, fitting the definition of a cold desert.Step 3: Note that Baramula is in the Kashmir valley, which, although cool, has more vegetation and is not classified as a cold desert.Step 4: Understand that Dun Valley and Shillong Plateau are not deserts; they have different climatic and vegetation characteristics.Step 5: Therefore, identify Ladakh as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Most Indian geography textbooks use photographs of Ladakh to illustrate cold desert conditions, with bare mountains, clear skies, and limited vegetation. They often describe Ladakh as a high altitude cold desert under the Trans Himalayan region. None of the other options are presented that way in standard teaching material. This consistent association of Ladakh with cold desert landscapes confirms that it is the correct choice in this question.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Baramula: This is a town in the Kashmir valley, which has a temperate climate and more precipitation than a desert, so it is not classed as a cold desert region.
Dun Valley: The term dun refers to a structural valley between hills, for example the Dehra Dun region, and it is not a desert area.
Shillong Plateau: This plateau in Meghalaya is known for high rainfall and lush vegetation, opposite to the dry conditions of a cold desert.

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent mistake is to assume any cold or mountainous area must be a cold desert. Students sometimes choose locations in Jammu and Kashmir simply because they associate that state with snow. To avoid this, it is important to remember that true cold desert regions have both very low rainfall and very low temperatures, with sparse vegetation, and that Ladakh is specifically highlighted in the syllabus as such a region.

Final Answer:
The well known cold desert region of India among the options given is Ladakh.