GEOGRAPHY Chapter 1

MCQ PRACTICE SET

India: Location and Space Relations

69 MCQs with Explanations • Updated 2026 Data • Previous Years’ Question Patterns

This practice set covers the chapter “India: Location and Space Relations,” including geographical extent, the Standard Meridian and time zones, the Tropic of Cancer, international land borders, Indian Ocean geopolitics and coastal boundaries, and the latest data on States and Union Territories. Each question is followed by a blue-bordered explanation box for quick revision.

📌 Updated Facts You Must Know (2026) • India (2026): 28 states and 8 Union Territories. • J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019 (effective 31 Oct 2019): J&K state → two UTs — Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. • 26 Jan 2020: Daman & Diu merged with Dadra & Nagar Haveli into a single UT — UT count back to 8. • Telangana (formed 2 June 2014) remains India’s newest state. • Sept 2024: Port Blair (capital of Andaman & Nicobar Islands) renamed “Sri Vijaya Puram.” • 2023 Supreme Court verdict upheld abrogation of Article 370; full statehood restoration to J&K remains pending as of 2026. • India’s coastline: approx. 7,516.6 km, touching 9 states and 4 Union Territories. • Total land border: approx. 15,200 km shared with 7 countries.

1 Geographical Extent (Latitude & Longitude) and Its Implications

Q1. India lies completely within which two hemispheres?

(A) Northern and Western (B) Southern and Eastern

✅ Answer: (C) Northern and Eastern 💡 Explanation: India lies entirely north of the Equator and east of the Prime Meridian. Its latitude ranges from 8°4’N to 37°6’N and longitude from 68°7’E to 97°25’E, so the whole country falls in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres.

Q2. What is the latitudinal extent of mainland India?

(A) 6°45’N to 35°30’N (B) 8°4’N to 37°6’N

✅ Answer: (B) 8°4’N to 37°6’N 💡 Explanation: Mainland India extends from 8°4’N (Kanyakumari) in the south to 37°6’N (Indira Col, Ladakh) in the north.

Q3. The southernmost tip of the Indian mainland is:

(A) Indira Point (B) Kanyakumari

✅ Answer: (B) Kanyakumari 💡 Explanation: Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu) is the southernmost point of mainland India. Indira Point, on Great Nicobar Island, is the southernmost point of India as a whole (including islands).

Q4. Because of India’s longitudinal extent, the local (solar) time difference between its easternmost and westernmost points is approximately:

(A) 1 hour (B) 2 hours

✅ Answer: (B) 2 hours 💡 Explanation: India’s longitude spans about 29° (68°7’E to 97°25’E). At 4 minutes per degree, this works out to roughly 116 minutes ≈ 2 hours of natural time difference, which is why a single Standard Meridian was adopted.

Q5. India’s total geographical area is approximately:

(A) 28,00,000 sq km (B) 32,87,263 sq km

✅ Answer: (B) 32,87,263 sq km 💡 Explanation: India’s area is about 32,87,263 sq km, making it the 7th largest country in the world by area.

Q6. India accounts for approximately what share of the world’s total land area?

(A) 1.2% (B) 2.4%

✅ Answer: (B) 2.4% 💡 Explanation: India occupies about 2.4% of the world’s total land area while supporting a much larger share of the world’s population.

Q7. India’s wide range of climates, from tropical in the south to alpine in the Himalayan north, is primarily explained by its:

(A) Vast longitudinal extent (B) Vast latitudinal extent combined with varied relief

✅ Answer: (B) Vast latitudinal extent combined with varied relief 💡 Explanation: A large latitudinal spread (nearly 29° of latitude) combined with major differences in altitude (from sea level to the high Himalayas) produces India’s wide range of climatic zones.

Q8. The approximate North-South extent of India (Kashmir to Kanyakumari) is:

(A) 2,933 km (B) 3,214 km

✅ Answer: (B) 3,214 km 💡 Explanation: India’s North-South extent is about 3,214 km, while its East-West extent is about 2,933 km.

Q9. The approximate East-West extent of India (Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh) is:

(A) 2,933 km (B) 3,214 km

✅ Answer: (A) 2,933 km 💡 Explanation: India’s East-West extent is about 2,933 km, slightly less than its North-South extent of about 3,214 km.

2 Standard Meridian and Time Zones

Q10. India’s Standard Meridian is:

(A) 75°30’E (B) 82°30’E

✅ Answer: (B) 82°30’E 💡 Explanation: 82°30’E has been adopted as India’s Standard Meridian because it passes roughly through the longitudinal middle of the country.

Q11. India’s Standard Meridian passes closest to which town?

(A) Ujjain (B) Mirzapur (near Prayagraj/Allahabad, U.P.)

✅ Answer: (B) Mirzapur (near Prayagraj/Allahabad, U.P.) 💡 Explanation: The 82°30’E line passes near Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh, close to Prayagraj (Allahabad), which is why this location is treated as the reference point for Indian Standard Time.

Q12. Indian Standard Time (IST) is ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) by:

(A) 4 hours 30 minutes (B) 5 hours

✅ Answer: (C) 5 hours 30 minutes 💡 Explanation: IST = GMT + 5 hours 30 minutes, based on the 82°30’E Standard Meridian.

Q13. Why was 82°30’E specifically chosen as India’s Standard Meridian?

(A) It passes through the national capital, Delhi (B) It passes approximately through the longitudinal centre of India

✅ Answer: (B) It passes approximately through the longitudinal centre of India 💡 Explanation: A meridian near the country’s longitudinal centre minimises the maximum time difference between the standard time and local solar time at either extremity of the country.

Q14. One hour of local time difference corresponds to a longitudinal difference of:

(A) 10° (B) 12°

✅ Answer: (C) 15° 💡 Explanation: The Earth rotates 360° in 24 hours, i.e., 15° per hour (or 1° every 4 minutes).

Q15. Which Indian Union Territory’s actual local (solar) time runs considerably ahead of IST because of its far eastern location?

(A) Lakshadweep (B) Andaman & Nicobar Islands

✅ Answer: (B) Andaman & Nicobar Islands 💡 Explanation: Being far to the east (around 92–94°E), the Andaman & Nicobar Islands’ local solar time runs roughly 45 minutes ahead of IST, while parts of western India run correspondingly behind it.

Q16. During the colonial period, tea estates in Assam informally followed a time roughly one hour ahead of IST, popularly called:

(A) Chai Bagan (Tea Garden) Time (B) Assam Standard Time

✅ Answer: (A) Chai Bagan (Tea Garden) Time 💡 Explanation: “Chai Bagan Time” (Tea Garden Time) was an informal local time used in Assam’s tea gardens to make better use of daylight hours; the idea of a separate time zone for the Northeast is still occasionally debated today.

Q17. A single time zone for the whole of India, despite its ~29° longitudinal spread, is administratively convenient mainly because it:

(A) Avoids the complications of multiple time zones for a unified transport, communication and governance system (B) Is required under international law

✅ Answer: (A) Avoids the complications of multiple time zones for a unified transport, communication and governance system 💡 Explanation: A single national time zone simplifies railway timetables, communication networks, and administration, even though it means sunrise/sunset times vary noticeably between the east and west of the country.

3 Tropic of Cancer and Passing States

Q18. The Tropic of Cancer passes through how many Indian states?

(A) 6 (B) 7

✅ Answer: (C) 8 💡 Explanation: The Tropic of Cancer (23°30’N) passes through 8 Indian states, from Gujarat in the west to Mizoram in the east.

Q19. Which of the following states is NOT crossed by the Tropic of Cancer?

(A) Gujarat (B) Odisha

✅ Answer: (B) Odisha 💡 Explanation: The 8 states crossed are Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram. Odisha lies just south of the line but is not crossed by it — a common exam trap.

Q20. The only Indian state capital located directly on the Tropic of Cancer is:

(A) Bhopal (B) Gandhinagar

✅ Answer: (C) Ranchi 💡 Explanation: Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand, lies almost exactly on the Tropic of Cancer — the only state capital to do so. Bhopal and Gandhinagar are close to it but not on it.

Q21. Which state has the longest stretch of the Tropic of Cancer passing through it?

(A) Gujarat (B) Rajasthan

✅ Answer: (C) Madhya Pradesh 💡 Explanation: Madhya Pradesh, being the widest state that the line crosses, has the longest stretch of the Tropic of Cancer within its borders.

Q22. Which state has the shortest stretch of the Tropic of Cancer passing through it?

(A) Rajasthan (B) Tripura

✅ Answer: (A) Rajasthan 💡 Explanation: Rajasthan has only a small corner clipped by the Tropic of Cancer, giving it the shortest stretch among the 8 states.

Q23. The Tropic of Cancer is located at approximately:

(A) 23.5°S (B) 66.5°N

✅ Answer: (C) 23.5°N 💡 Explanation: The Tropic of Cancer lies at about 23.5°N (23°26’N), marking the northernmost point where the Sun can appear directly overhead.

Q24. Which river is known to cross the Tropic of Cancer twice within India?

(A) Narmada (B) Mahi

✅ Answer: (B) Mahi 💡 Explanation: The Mahi River, due to its unusual looping course in Madhya Pradesh/Gujarat, is the only Indian river that crosses the Tropic of Cancer twice.

Q25. The Tropic of Cancer’s passage through India is climatically significant mainly because it:

(A) Separates an arid west from a humid east (B) Broadly divides the country into a tropical climate zone to the south and a sub-tropical climate zone to the north

✅ Answer: (B) Broadly divides the country into a tropical climate zone to the south and a sub-tropical climate zone to the north 💡 Explanation: The Tropic of Cancer is often used as a broad climatic marker, separating India’s tropical southern climate from the sub-tropical climate found further north.

4 International Land Borders and Neighbouring Countries

Q26. India shares a land border with how many countries?

(A) 5 (B) 6

✅ Answer: (C) 7 💡 Explanation: India shares its land border with 7 countries: Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Q27. The total length of India’s land border is approximately:

(A) 12,000 km (B) 15,200 km

✅ Answer: (B) 15,200 km 💡 Explanation: India’s total land border length is approximately 15,200 km, shared among its 7 neighbouring countries.

Q28. Which country shares the longest land border with India?

(A) China (B) Pakistan

✅ Answer: (C) Bangladesh 💡 Explanation: Bangladesh shares India’s longest land border, at approximately 4,096.7 km, running along West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.

Q29. Which country shares the shortest land border with India?

(A) Bhutan (B) Afghanistan

✅ Answer: (B) Afghanistan 💡 Explanation: Afghanistan shares India’s shortest land border (about 106 km), touching the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir region near the Wakhan Corridor.

Q30. The India-Pakistan international boundary is officially known as the:

(A) McMahon Line (B) Durand Line

✅ Answer: (C) Radcliffe Line 💡 Explanation: The Radcliffe Line, drawn in 1947, forms the India-Pakistan (and India-Bangladesh) international boundary. The Line of Control (LoC) is a separate military ceasefire line in Jammu & Kashmir, not the international border.

Q31. The eastern sector of the India-China border, largely along Arunachal Pradesh, is demarcated by the:

(A) Radcliffe Line (B) McMahon Line

✅ Answer: (B) McMahon Line 💡 Explanation: The McMahon Line, agreed at the 1914 Simla Convention, demarcates the eastern sector of the India-China boundary, though China does not recognise it.

Q32. Which of the following is NOT a land-neighbour of India?

(A) Bhutan (B) Sri Lanka

✅ Answer: (B) Sri Lanka 💡 Explanation: Sri Lanka is separated from India by the Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar; it is a maritime neighbour, not a land-neighbour.

Q33. Which Indian state does NOT share a border with Bangladesh?

(A) West Bengal (B) Assam

✅ Answer: (C) Manipur 💡 Explanation: Manipur borders Myanmar, not Bangladesh. The states bordering Bangladesh are West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.

Q34. Which Indian state shares a border with three foreign countries — Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh?

(A) Assam (B) West Bengal

✅ Answer: (B) West Bengal 💡 Explanation: West Bengal is unique in bordering three countries — Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh — in addition to several Indian states.

5 Geopolitics of the Indian Ocean and Coastal Boundaries

Q35. India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extends up to how many nautical miles from the baseline?

(A) 12 nautical miles (B) 24 nautical miles

✅ Answer: (C) 200 nautical miles 💡 Explanation: Under UNCLOS and India’s Maritime Zones Act, the EEZ extends up to 200 nautical miles from the baseline, within which India has sovereign rights over marine resources.

Q36. India’s territorial waters extend up to:

(A) 12 nautical miles (B) 24 nautical miles

✅ Answer: (A) 12 nautical miles 💡 Explanation: Territorial waters extend 12 nautical miles from the baseline; beyond this lies the contiguous zone (up to 24 nm) and then the EEZ (up to 200 nm).

Q37. Which strait is a critical global chokepoint linking the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea and East Asia, of major importance to India’s trade?

(A) Strait of Hormuz (B) Strait of Malacca

✅ Answer: (B) Strait of Malacca 💡 Explanation: The Strait of Malacca, between Malaysia/Singapore and Indonesia, is one of the world’s busiest and most strategically important shipping chokepoints for Indian Ocean-Pacific trade.

Q38. The small island once disputed between India and Sri Lanka, ceded to Sri Lanka under a 1974 agreement and still a subject of political debate, is:

(A) Minicoy (B) Katchatheevu

✅ Answer: (B) Katchatheevu 💡 Explanation: Katchatheevu, a tiny uninhabited island in the Palk Strait, was ceded to Sri Lanka by India under a 1974 maritime agreement; its status remains a recurring political and fisheries issue.

Q39. India’s maritime boundary dispute with Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal was resolved through arbitration by the:

(A) International Court of Justice (B) Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague (2014 verdict)

✅ Answer: (B) Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague (2014 verdict) 💡 Explanation: In 2014, a tribunal under the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled on the India-Bangladesh maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal; India accepted the verdict, which favoured Bangladesh on a significant share of the disputed area.

Q40. India’s official strategic vision for cooperative maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region is termed:

(A) String of Pearls (B) SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region)

✅ Answer: (B) SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) 💡 Explanation: SAGAR (“Security and Growth for All in the Region”), articulated in 2015, outlines India’s vision for a secure, stable and cooperative Indian Ocean Region.

Q41. “String of Pearls” is a term used to describe:

(A) India’s own network of naval bases (B) A strategic narrative about a perceived network of ports/facilities linked to China around the Indian Ocean rim

✅ Answer: (B) A strategic narrative about a perceived network of ports/facilities linked to China around the Indian Ocean rim 💡 Explanation: “String of Pearls” is a geopolitical concept describing China’s growing network of port and infrastructure links across the Indian Ocean rim, seen by some analysts as a strategic concern for India.

Q42. India is a founding and key member of which regional Indian Ocean cooperation grouping?

(A) ASEAN (B) IORA – Indian Ocean Rim Association

✅ Answer: (B) IORA – Indian Ocean Rim Association 💡 Explanation: The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) promotes regional economic and security cooperation among Indian Ocean rim countries, with India as an active founding member.

Q43. New Moore Island (South Talpatti), once disputed between India and Bangladesh, is now considered to have disappeared mainly due to:

(A) An earthquake (B) Sea level rise and coastal erosion

✅ Answer: (B) Sea level rise and coastal erosion 💡 Explanation: This small, low-lying sandbar island in the Bay of Bengal gradually submerged due to rising sea levels and erosion, effectively ending the dispute over its ownership.

Q44. India’s coastline of about 7,516.6 km touches how many coastal states and Union Territories in total?

(A) 9 states and 4 Union Territories (B) 10 states and 3 Union Territories

✅ Answer: (A) 9 states and 4 Union Territories 💡 Explanation: Nine states (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal) and four Union Territories (Daman & Diu part of the merged UT, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar Islands) are coastal.

6 States, Union Territories, and Recent Administrative Changes

Q45. As of 2026, India comprises how many states and Union Territories respectively?

(A) 29 states, 7 UTs (B) 28 states, 8 UTs

✅ Answer: (B) 28 states, 8 UTs 💡 Explanation: India currently has 28 states and 8 Union Territories, a structure in place since the 2019–2020 reorganisations.

Q46. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, converted the erstwhile state of J&K into:

(A) A single Union Territory (B) Two Union Territories — Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh

✅ Answer: (B) Two Union Territories — Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh 💡 Explanation: Effective 31 October 2019, J&K was reorganised into two Union Territories — Jammu & Kashmir (with a legislature) and Ladakh (without one) — reducing India’s state count from 29 to 28.

Q47. Which two Union Territories were merged in January 2020 to form a single Union Territory?

(A) Delhi and Chandigarh (B) Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli

✅ Answer: (B) Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli 💡 Explanation: Effective 26 January 2020, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli were merged into a single Union Territory, bringing the UT count back down to 8.

Q48. India’s newest state, formed on 2 June 2014 by bifurcation from Andhra Pradesh, is:

(A) Chhattisgarh (B) Jharkhand

✅ Answer: (C) Telangana 💡 Explanation: Telangana, carved out of Andhra Pradesh, became India’s 29th state (now one of 28, following the 2019 J&K reorganisation) on 2 June 2014.

Q49. In September 2024, the capital of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Port Blair, was officially renamed as:

(A) Netaji Nagar (B) Sri Vijaya Puram

✅ Answer: (B) Sri Vijaya Puram 💡 Explanation: In September 2024, the Union Government renamed Port Blair as “Sri Vijaya Puram,” citing the aim of removing colonial-era names.

Q50. Which of the following Union Territories has its own elected Legislative Assembly?

(A) Chandigarh (B) Lakshadweep

✅ Answer: (C) Puducherry 💡 Explanation: Puducherry (along with Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir) has a Legislative Assembly and a Council of Ministers, unlike fully centrally-administered UTs such as Chandigarh, Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Q51. The largest Union Territory of India by area is:

(A) Andaman & Nicobar Islands (B) Ladakh

✅ Answer: (B) Ladakh 💡 Explanation: Ladakh, at about 59,146 sq km, is by far India’s largest Union Territory by area.

Q52. The smallest Union Territory of India by area is:

(A) Chandigarh (B) Lakshadweep

✅ Answer: (B) Lakshadweep 💡 Explanation: Lakshadweep, at just about 32 sq km, is India’s smallest Union Territory by area.

Q53. Sikkim became a full-fledged state of the Indian Union through the 36th Constitutional Amendment in:

(A) 1962 (B) 1975

✅ Answer: (B) 1975 💡 Explanation: Sikkim, formerly a protectorate, was integrated as India’s 22nd state in 1975 through the 36th Constitutional Amendment Act.

Q54. As of 2026, the restoration of full statehood to Jammu & Kashmir (a Union Territory since 2019) is:

(A) Already completed (B) Still pending, though the Supreme Court directed its early restoration in its 2023 verdict

✅ Answer: (B) Still pending, though the Supreme Court directed its early restoration in its 2023 verdict 💡 Explanation: While the Supreme Court upheld the abrogation of Article 370 in 2023 and directed early restoration of statehood to J&K, this restoration remained pending as of 2026, continuing to be a live political and constitutional issue.

★ Previous Years’ Questions — Exam Pattern

ℹ️ The questions below are written in the style and format commonly seen in competitive and board exams (UPSC Prelims, WBCS Prelims, SSC/Railway exams, judiciary/state PSC exams, and school board exams). They reflect frequently repeated question patterns on this chapter rather than being reproduced verbatim from any single official paper.

Q55. [UPSC Prelims pattern] Consider the following statements about the Tropic of Cancer in India:

1. It passes through eight states.

2. Ranchi is the only state capital located on it.

3. It divides India into two equal halves by area.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(A) 1 and 2 only (B) 2 only

✅ Answer: (A) 1 and 2 only 💡 Explanation: Statements 1 and 2 are factually correct. Statement 3 is incorrect — the Tropic of Cancer passes roughly through India’s middle latitudinally, but it does not divide the country into two equal areas.

Q56. [WBCS Prelims pattern] Indian Standard Time (IST) is based on the local time of a place near:

(A) New Delhi (B) Mirzapur, near Prayagraj/Allahabad

✅ Answer: (B) Mirzapur, near Prayagraj/Allahabad 💡 Explanation: IST is calculated from the 82°30’E Standard Meridian, which passes near Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh.

Q57. [SSC/Railway pattern] The Tropic of Cancer passes through which of the following states?

1. Gujarat 2. Chhattisgarh 3. Uttar Pradesh 4. Jharkhand

Select the correct answer using the code below.

(A) 1, 2 and 4 only (B) 1, 2, 3 and 4

✅ Answer: (A) 1, 2 and 4 only 💡 Explanation: Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand are among the 8 states crossed by the Tropic of Cancer; Uttar Pradesh is not one of them.

Q58. [Judiciary / State PSC pattern] Match List-I (Boundary Line) with List-II (Associated Countries) and select the correct answer:

List-I: A. Radcliffe Line B. McMahon Line C. Durand Line

List-II: 1. India–China 2. India–Pakistan/Bangladesh 3. Pakistan–Afghanistan

(A) A-2, B-1, C-3 (B) A-1, B-2, C-3

✅ Answer: (A) A-2, B-1, C-3 💡 Explanation: The Radcliffe Line demarcates India’s border with Pakistan and Bangladesh; the McMahon Line demarcates India’s eastern border with China; the Durand Line is the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, unrelated to India.

Q59. [Board/Madhyamik pattern] Which latitude is often described as dividing India into a tropical south and a sub-tropical north?

(A) Equator (B) Tropic of Cancer

✅ Answer: (B) Tropic of Cancer 💡 Explanation: The Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N) is commonly used as the broad climatic dividing line between tropical southern India and sub-tropical northern India.

Q60. [UPSC Prelims pattern (Assertion-Reason)] Assertion (A): India follows a single Standard Time despite having a longitudinal extent of nearly 30°.

Reason (R): The 82°30’E meridian was chosen as India’s Standard Meridian because it passes roughly through the country’s longitudinal centre.

(A) Both A and R are true, and R correctly explains A (B) Both A and R are true, but R does not explain A

✅ Answer: (A) Both A and R are true, and R correctly explains A 💡 Explanation: Both statements are factually correct, and the reason given is indeed why 82°30’E was chosen — to minimise the maximum time-lag anywhere in the country.

Q61. [SSC/Railway pattern] Which of the following pairs (neighbouring country – Indian state sharing a border with it) is incorrectly matched?

(A) Pakistan – Rajasthan (B) China – Sikkim

✅ Answer: (C) Bangladesh – Manipur 💡 Explanation: Manipur borders Myanmar, not Bangladesh. Bangladesh borders West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.

Q62. [WBCS Prelims pattern] The Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, came into effect (i.e., the state was actually reorganised into two Union Territories) on:

(A) 15 August 2019 (B) 31 October 2019

✅ Answer: (B) 31 October 2019 💡 Explanation: Although the Act was passed and received assent in early August 2019, it formally came into effect on 31 October 2019, the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Q63. [SSC/Railway pattern] Which Indian Union Territory was created most recently through a merger of two existing UTs rather than through bifurcation of a state?

(A) Ladakh (B) Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu

✅ Answer: (B) Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu 💡 Explanation: Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli, two separate UTs, were merged into a single UT effective 26 January 2020.

Q64. [Board/Madhyamik pattern] India’s coastline of about 7,516.6 km touches how many states and Union Territories combined?

(A) 9 states and 4 Union Territories (B) 10 states and 3 Union Territories

✅ Answer: (A) 9 states and 4 Union Territories 💡 Explanation: Nine coastal states and four coastal Union Territories share India’s coastline.

Q65. [UPSC Prelims pattern] EEZ, a term frequently used in the context of maritime boundaries, stands for:

(A) Economic Exclusive Zone (B) Exclusive Economic Zone

✅ Answer: (B) Exclusive Economic Zone 💡 Explanation: EEZ stands for Exclusive Economic Zone, extending 200 nautical miles from a country’s baseline, within which it enjoys sovereign rights over marine resources.

Q66. [UPSC Prelims pattern] Consider the following statements regarding India’s maritime neighbours:

1. Sri Lanka and Maldives are island nations sharing a maritime boundary with India.

2. Indonesia shares a maritime boundary with India near the Andaman Sea.

3. Thailand does not share any maritime boundary with India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(A) 1 and 2 only (B) 1 only

✅ Answer: (A) 1 and 2 only 💡 Explanation: Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is incorrect — Thailand does share a maritime boundary with India near the Andaman Sea, at a tri-junction point with Indonesia and Myanmar.

Q67. [Board/Madhyamik pattern] The southernmost point of India (including its islands), Indira Point, is located on:

(A) South Andaman Island (B) Great Nicobar Island

✅ Answer: (B) Great Nicobar Island 💡 Explanation: Indira Point lies on Great Nicobar Island, the southernmost point of Indian territory, at about 6°45’N.

Q68. [SSC/Railway pattern] As per the Maritime Zones Act, India’s territorial sea extends up to how many nautical miles from the baseline?

(A) 12 nautical miles (B) 24 nautical miles

✅ Answer: (A) 12 nautical miles 💡 Explanation: India’s territorial waters extend 12 nautical miles from the baseline, consistent with UNCLOS provisions.

Q69. [WBCS Prelims pattern] Arrange the following states in the correct west-to-east order in which the Tropic of Cancer crosses them: Gujarat, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Tripura.

(A) Gujarat → Chhattisgarh → Jharkhand → Tripura (B) Gujarat → Jharkhand → Chhattisgarh → Tripura

✅ Answer: (A) Gujarat → Chhattisgarh → Jharkhand → Tripura 💡 Explanation: West to east, the Tropic of Cancer crosses Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram — so among the four listed, the order is Gujarat → Chhattisgarh → Jharkhand → Tripura.

Total Questions in this Practice Set: 69