Neighbors — Set 2

Correct Answer: A. 10 Degree Channel

• **10 Degree Channel** = the approximately 150-km-wide water body in the Bay of Bengal that separates the Andaman Islands from the Nicobar Islands. • **10° N latitude** — the channel is named because it lies along the 10-degree north latitude line, a key geographic marker. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: 9 Degree Channel: separates the Lakshadweep islands from the Maldives; Duncan Passage: separates South Andaman from Little Andaman; 8 Degree Channel: separates Minicoy island from the rest of Lakshadweep.

Correct Answer: A. Arunachal Pradesh

• **Arunachal Pradesh** = shares the longest border with Myanmar among all northeastern states, stretching approximately 520 km. • **520 km** — the Arunachal Pradesh-Myanmar border length; Mizoram is second at ~510 km, the terrain being largely mountainous and forested. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Mizoram: second longest at ~510 km; Manipur: shares ~398 km with Myanmar; Nagaland: shares ~215 km, the shortest among the four border states.

Correct Answer: A. Maldives

• **Maldives** = is the island nation located to the south of India's Lakshadweep islands, separated by the Eight Degree Channel. • **Eight Degree Channel** — the water body separating Lakshadweep from the Maldives; Maldives is India's smallest neighbour by area and population. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Sri Lanka: lies to the southeast of India's mainland, separated by the Palk Strait; Mauritius: is far south in the Indian Ocean, not adjacent to Lakshadweep; Indonesia: lies to the southeast, near the Nicobar Islands.

Correct Answer: C. Afghanistan and Pakistan

• **Durand Line** = the international border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, established in 1893 between Sir Mortimer Durand and the Amir of Afghanistan. • **1893** — the year the Durand Line was established; India also claims a ~106 km section of this border in the Wakhan Corridor area (via Ladakh). • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: India and China: boundary is called the McMahon Line (east) or LAC; Pakistan and Iran: boundary is defined by the Goldsmid Line; India and Myanmar: governed by the India-Myanmar Border agreement.

Correct Answer: A. ITBP

• **ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police)** = is responsible for guarding India's border with China, operating in high-altitude regions from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh. • **1962** — the year ITBP was raised, following the Sino-Indian conflict; it patrols approximately 3,488 km of the LAC. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Assam Rifles: guards the India-Myanmar border; BSF: guards the India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders; SSB: guards the India-Nepal and India-Bhutan borders.

Correct Answer: C. Tripura

• **Tripura** = is surrounded by Bangladesh on its north, south, and west sides, with only its eastern border touching Indian states Assam and Mizoram. • **3 sides** — Tripura's unique geography makes it almost an enclave within Bangladesh, increasing its dependence on Bangladesh for connectivity. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: West Bengal: shares a long eastern border with Bangladesh, not surrounded on three sides; Mizoram: borders both Bangladesh and Myanmar; Meghalaya: has a southern border with Bangladesh, but is not surrounded on three sides.

Correct Answer: D. Myanmar

• **Diphu Pass** = a mountain pass in the Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh that forms the tri-junction of India, China, and Myanmar. • **Anjaw district** — the location of Diphu Pass in Arunachal Pradesh, making it strategically significant for border diplomacy among three nations. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Bhutan: shares a tri-junction with India at Doklam (India-China-Bhutan); Bangladesh: does not share any tri-junction with India and China in Arunachal; Nepal: shares a tri-junction with India and China near Lipulekh/Kalapani.

Correct Answer: D. Meghalaya

• **Meghalaya** = does NOT share a border with Bhutan; it borders only Bangladesh to the south and the Indian state of Assam. • **4 states** — Assam, Sikkim, West Bengal, and Arunachal Pradesh are the four Indian states that share a border with Bhutan. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Assam: shares the longest border with Bhutan (~267 km); Sikkim: shares the shortest border with Bhutan (~32 km); West Bengal: shares ~183 km of border with Bhutan.

Correct Answer: C. Bangladesh

• **Tin Bigha Corridor** = a strip of Indian land in West Bengal leased to Bangladesh to allow access to the Dahagram-Angarpota enclave. • **1992** — the year India officially leased the corridor to Bangladesh, finally implemented in 2011, resolving a long-standing enclave access issue. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: China: border disputes involve Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh, not Tin Bigha; Nepal: border disputes include Kalapani and Susta, not Tin Bigha; Pakistan: border disputes involve Sir Creek and the LoC, not Tin Bigha.

Correct Answer: A. Ladakh

• **Ladakh** = is the only Indian Union Territory that officially claims a border with Afghanistan through the Wakhan Corridor region. • **106 km** — the approximate length of the India-Afghanistan border, which India claims is part of Ladakh but currently lies in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Punjab: borders Pakistan but not Afghanistan; Jammu and Kashmir: is a separate UT from Ladakh; after bifurcation in 2019, the Afghanistan border claim belongs to Ladakh specifically; Himachal Pradesh: borders China and does not touch Afghanistan.