Question
Which of the following with reference to Indian States is/are not correct?
1. Uttar Pradesh shares its boundary with the highest number of other Indian States.
2. Rajasthan shares the longest international border among all Indian States.
3. Sikkim is the only State that shares its boundary with just one other Indian State.
Explanation
India’s states differ significantly in the number of neighbouring states, Union Territories and international borders they share. These geographical relationships help distinguish the statements.
Statement 1 — Correct: Uttar Pradesh shares boundaries with the highest number of Indian jurisdictions. It borders 8 states—Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar—and 1 Union Territory, Delhi.
Statement 2 — Incorrect: West Bengal has the longest international border among Indian states, spanning about 2,509 km. Its major international boundary is with Bangladesh, along with borders with Bhutan and Nepal. Rajasthan’s border with Pakistan is about 1,070 km.
Statement 3 — Incorrect: Sikkim is not the only state sharing a boundary with just one other state. Meghalaya also borders only one state—Assam. Thus, there are two such states: Sikkim and Meghalaya.