Siachen Glacier is situated to the

Correct answer: D (North of Nubra Valley). Siachen Glacier lies in the eastern Karakoram, north of the Nubra valley, which is drained by the Shyok river. It is among the world's longest non-polar glaciers and has been under Indian control since Operation Meghdoot in 1984.

• A is wrong. Aksai Chin lies to the east of Siachen, not the other way round. Siachen sits to its west.
• B is wrong. Leh is a town to the south-west of Siachen. Siachen is north-east of Leh, so 'east of Leh' is a loose description and not the precise location the question tests.
• C is wrong. Gilgit lies to the west-north-west of Siachen, across the Karakoram and the Shaksgam area. It is not north of Siachen.

The core concept is the Karakoram range and the geography of the Siachen-Saltoro region, which matters for Mains questions on the Kashmir dispute, the Line of Actual Control and glacier-linked water security. Read a map of the Karakoram rather than memorising directions in isolation.

Trap: aspirants pick A or B because they recall Aksai Chin and Leh as the nearby landmarks. Always fix the glacier's position relative to the Nubra valley first.