The present experiment was conducted to identify suitable parental population for upland rainfed rice improvement programme among local bred material and introduced national varieties. Variable levels of water deficit in upland rice cultivation cause negative alteration in crop architecture resulting lowered down of root and shoot biomass and eventually grain yield. Mahalnobis Euclidian distance separated the genotypes into six clusters among which maximum intracluster diversity was recorded for cluster III (3.13) followed by cluster II (2.85) and Cluster I (2.05). For cluster IV, V and VI intra cluster distance was not observed since each harbored single genotype only. Cluster IV, V and VI excluded genotypes Sahbhagidhan, R-1572-1171-1-124-1 and Ananda from rest of the population indicating the most diverge genotypes. In present experiment, days to 50 percent flowering contributed 60 percent towards total divergence followed by grain yield (18 percent), plant height (13 percent) panicles per square meter (9 percent). Based on morphological assessment Sahbhagidhan, R-1572-1171-1-124-1 and Ananda have been found to be most diverse genotypes and can be used in recombination breeding programmes particularly for Bastar Plateau region.